The girl thought it must be her imagination—no matter how she looked at this slave, the injuries were hopeless.
At that moment, as if to shatter the faint hope she clung to, a fragile, bubble-like voice, weak yet unmistakably real, struggled to reach her ears.
“Ah… I’m so hungry…”
Since arriving in this 【SLAVE】 world, Bai Ya had never eaten anything good. She was not only starving but also malnourished.
Although she was close to death, and saying “I’m so hungry” as her last words seemed utterly embarrassing—something not to be taken lightly—Bai Ya didn’t care.
Her awareness was far from clear enough to sort out any logic; she could only express her thoughts plainly and unfiltered.
At this moment, the pain was the worst torment, but hunger was a close second. She was so hungry she could almost gnaw on the yellow earth beneath her.
As for thoughts like “Isn’t that just eating dirt? How terrible,” Bai Ya simply didn’t have the mental energy for such reflections.
The only two active thoughts in her mind were: would she die from pain first, or from hunger?
She was still fixated on how she would meet her end—curious about what kind of death awaited her.
“You… what kind of slave are you?!” The girl stared at the dying Bai Ya with a complicated look after her initial shock, unable to understand why this slave had not yet died.
If it were her, bearing such injuries—even as a slave girl and the most capable assistant to Prince Liu Miweng—she probably would have died from the pain immediately.
“Covered in wounds, battered all over” was far too gentle a description for Bai Ya.
Her pitiful state now would have brought tears to anyone with feeling. Her breaths grew weaker, the rise and fall of her chest so faint it was barely noticeable, with intervals lengthening and depth decreasing.
She was definitely going to die—Bai Ya Ifeil Klurom was unquestionably doomed.
That conclusion came with a major premise: the girl wasn’t supposed to speak at all.
At this moment, Bai Ya’s body was drenched in blood and she had lost her sight. The tearing pain was like the loss of touch, the heavy metallic smell of blood like rusty iron numbed her sense of smell, and her tongue, soaked in blood, no longer perceived taste.
Out of the five senses, only hearing remained.
And that was enough.
Bai Ya didn’t need sight, touch, smell, or taste right now. Hearing alone was enough to hold the key to turning everything around.
She heard the girl’s voice.
When she first heard footsteps, Bai Ya had marshaled all her remaining consciousness to analyze who it could be.
The footsteps sounded light and gentle—not an adult man or woman. Judging by the volume, it wasn’t a toddler or little girl either.
The answer could only be either a young girl or a cute boy. One of two—guess which.
In her mind, she flipped a coin that didn’t exist—heads for girl, tails for boy—and left it to fate, since she had no other way to identify the visitor. Might as well make a game of it.
Bai Ya loved games.
The coin landed heads. The answer was girl.
Before losing her sight completely, Bai Ya had made a point to observe her surroundings—an ogre’s cave deep in a wild mountain forest where beasts roamed. She had roughly confirmed those two facts.
The cart driver who transported the bodies had long since fled in terror. Bai Ya remembered the time clearly—it was around 2:30 a.m.
So, this “girl” appearing in such a ghostly place at this hour—could she really ignore the threats of ogres and wild beasts? It was highly unlikely she was an ordinary person.
Should Bai Ya ask her for help? That question loomed before her.
Did she even need to think? Of course!
Someone was right in front of her. If this girl was the last straw to cling to, no matter the cost, Bai Ya would grab onto her.
The girl’s voice, filled with disbelief and an uncontrollable shout, was the key that activated Bai Ya’s will to live.
Just a little more effort!
Despite the searing pain and gnawing hunger, Bai Ya’s desire to survive surged strongly.
Even if every word she uttered caused her throat unbearable pain, and blood would inevitably spill from her mouth when she spoke clearly, she didn’t care.
She refused to just sit and wait to die—that was not her nature!
Someone was right in front of her.
She had to call for help!
“Hey… I’m really pitiful… please help me…”
Bai Ya knew it was unrealistic to ask for help from a stranger whose danger level she couldn’t gauge, especially in this 【SLAVE】 world, aboard this slave transport ship.
She could only gamble on her luck. If she encountered a bad person, that would be the end for her.
“…You’re beyond saving,” the girl hesitated a moment, then said resolutely.
There was no saving her now—no doctor on the ship could reverse her injuries, and her blood loss was nearly critical. Death would come long before any chance of recovery.
“Gurgle gurgle…” Bai Ya’s colorless eyes dimmed further.
A moment later, she turned her head and puffed out one cheek, blowing blood bubbles in play.
Mm, she heard it. Fine, she was dead. She might as well wait for death.
The girl was a bit curious to see what kind of despair the heavily wounded slave would show upon hearing she was beyond hope.
Bai Ya’s reaction was sure to disappoint her.
If the girl had arrived earlier, she might have witnessed Bai Ya’s fragile side.
Though death now seemed inevitable, Bai Ya did not intend to die in despair.
At least her final state of mind was something she could control.
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