That's right, that's what adventure is like!

Half-dragon.

Aletta only learned the name when she was five years old, when she was fighting with a wild dog for food and overheard the name from a passing adventurer.

She learned about her race and realized why she was in such a miserable state.

She was an unexpected product.

Her mother was a low-ranking maid in a noble family. One night, she was assaulted by the drunken second son and ended up receiving a few silver coins and the words "Get out."

Her mother did as she was told, left the place of humiliation, and three months later discovered she was pregnant and gave birth to her.

Her mother did not abort her, not because of a lack of maternal love, but because she coveted the wealth of the nobility.

This woman believed that as long as she gave birth to a noble child, even an illegitimate one, it would change her life.

But all of this is just a fantasy.

Because Aleta is a half-dragon.

Indeed, one of the nobles' ancestors was a renowned half-dragon, a powerful crystal-level professional who left behind many legends on the battlefield and was even summoned by the king.

Logically speaking, half-dragons are an extremely powerful race. They are born with the magical talents of dragons, have stronger bodies, and possess extraordinary charm.

But that has nothing to do with Aletta.

By her father's generation, the bloodline of the noble half-dragon had become extremely thin, to the point that even the physical abnormalities no longer appeared.

Aletta is slightly better, but only marginally better.

She has no tail, no horns, but occasionally light blue scales appear on her skin, and her eyes are dark blue vertical pupils.

At first, her mother was overjoyed.

Aletta was sent to a noble family to be tested in a specific way to see if there was any atavism in her bloodline, but the results were disappointing.

Aside from physical alienation, there was nothing else.

He has no magical talent, no extraordinary physical strength, and is even weaker than others.

Talented half-dragons are highly sought after, while those without are considered aliens and are not even accepted by orcs, let alone nobles.

Her mother was expelled again and struggled to survive for three years with her.

The woman felt that a miracle might happen; the child might exhibit atavism again, and that would be her chance to turn things around.

But no.

There hasn't been any.

Over the past three years, the mother and daughter have traveled to many places before finally settling in an abandoned mine in the northern part of Duanyan Town, a place that only takes in homeless people.

To survive, Aletta's mother became a prostitute, and her catchphrase was, "Want to sleep with a woman who gave birth to a half-dragon? Only 50 copper coins."

Business is good.

But after spending a long time dealing with madmen, vagrants, and disabled people, the woman gradually lost her mind and began to hate the stupid child she once thought was a chance to change her fate, but who was now a burden.

She beat and verbally abused Aletta, calling her "trash" and "bastard," and then ripped off the scales that she had once treasured, continuing to beat her even as Aletta cried out in pain, her flesh torn and bloody.

Once, she tried to gouge out her vertical pupils with a piece of iron, but luckily a customer knocked on the door and interrupted her, thus saving Aletta's eyes.

Three years ago, when she named her child Aleta, a name that means "miracle," she never imagined things would turn out this way.

But a miracle... really did happen.

The miracle of Aletta.

One guest's actions were so rough that Aletta's mother was unable to get out of bed and died after struggling to breathe for a few days.

Aleta still clearly remembers the last thing her mother said to her.

—"You shouldn't be alive."

But she is still alive, and her life is much better now.

The women in the mine were willing to give her a bite to eat, not out of pity, but because there, even a child could do odd jobs like picking up slag, running errands, and washing clothes when they grew up.

Aletta grew up quickly; at four, he learned to collect slag; at seven, he learned to run errands; and at nine, he learned to steal.

When she was ten years old, an old man who collected scraps took a liking to her and said he could take her in as his adopted daughter, offering her a bed, hot soup, and black bread to eat her fill every day.

She believed it.

One night, the old man, drunk, sneaked into the woodshed where she was sleeping.

Aletta ran away.

She went back into the mine and didn't come out for three whole days.

She thought about how her mother had given birth to her.

After that, she matured a bit and learned to live like the other children in the mine, supporting herself with her own hands.

Although those scales still make her unpopular, and no one her age wants to associate with her, and they occasionally throw stones at her, things are much better than before.

A year later, things took a subtle turn.

Aletta found an abandoned baby.

The child's face was blue from the cold, wrapped in simple strips of cloth, and left deep in the mine. His cries were so pitiful that they reminded Aletta of herself when her mother was still alive.

She took the child back and gave him a name.

This time it wasn't a "miracle." Aletta was illiterate and not very cultured, so they could only give him the name "Little Slag."

She felt that she and the children were like unwanted slag, destined to be thrown into this abandoned mine.

Small slag heaps are not easy to keep alive.

He was physically weak and frequently suffered from fever and diarrhea, often staying ill for many days at a time. The women in the mine all urged Aletta to get rid of him as soon as possible.

But Aletta didn't.

It wasn't that she didn't throw it, but just as she was about to throw it, the child suddenly grabbed her finger and called out "Sister" in a very, very small voice.

For the first time, Aletta felt what it meant to be needed.

She cried all night while holding the small piece of slag, and then she made up her mind.

This child will live on with her.

Will.

This is not easy.

Aleta did a lot of things to support the two of them.

He was scavenging for slag, and his body was covered in cuts.

When washing clothes, my fingers would get so cold in winter that they would turn blue and crack.

A kitchen helper was caught stealing leftover bones from customers and had two ribs broken...

In conclusion, Aletta gave his best effort and received the reward he deserved.

When Little Slag was six years old, she saved enough money to buy a house on the outskirts of town.

It wasn't a drafty shack, but a wooden cabin with a bed, windows, and a dilapidated fireplace.

That was her happiest day.

She watched as Little Slag peered out the window, pointing at the people walking by on the street, and said, "Sister, that person is dressed so nicely."

And then there's that line, "In the future, I'll buy you all those pretty clothes and make you eat lots of delicious food."

These were the most beautiful words she had ever heard in her life.

But will there really be a future?

Little Slag's condition deteriorated rapidly in less than a month after he moved into the wooden house.

He kept coughing, the sound getting louder and louder, until finally he coughed up blood.

Aletta took him to see a doctor.

The doctor was very experienced; he only glanced at the small piece of slag before determining the cause: "Gray lung disease."

Aletta had heard of this disease; it was common among miners and could be hereditary, but she never expected that Xiaoshao would contract it.

This is a terminal illness.

She knelt down and begged the doctor to think of a solution.

After thinking for a long time, the doctor finally said there was a method that could most likely cure the disease, but the medicine was very expensive.

Without hesitation, Aletta sold the wooden house she had just moved into, took out all the remaining copper coins she had saved, and then worked hard.

She only sleeps two hours a day.

In the morning, she washes clothes and dishes; in the latter half of the night, she collects slag; whenever she has a spare moment, she tries to steal; if she fails to steal, she begs.

She knelt before every wealthy person she could think of, from pharmacy owners and chamber of commerce presidents to even adventurers.

With little success.

No one paid her any attention; they felt it was an eyesore to even glance at her. The only charity she occasionally received came from female adventurers.

That's simply not enough.

After the last copper coin was used up, Little Slag lay deep in the mine and said, "Sister, don't save me, you'll be exhausted to death."

She said, "No, my sister is a dragon."

She had heard that dragons were the best at accumulating wealth.

But she wasn't a dragon; she was just a half-dragon.

With income dwindling and drug prices soaring, the small furnace eventually ran out of medicine.

The child's breathing became weaker and weaker, and his periods of consciousness became shorter and shorter.

Aleta gritted her teeth and knocked on the door of a shop lit up with pink lights.

She saw a woman with heavy makeup.

She stretched out her hand, pointed to the scales on it, and said, "I am a half-dragon, I will make a lot of money."

The woman hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How old are you?"

"sixteen."

"No, it's too small, it'll cause trouble."

The door closed, and then a hand reached out and threw out a gold coin.

Aleta stood at the door, motionless for a long time.

One gold coin.

This would be a lot for an ordinary person, but for Xiaolucha, the disease is a bottomless pit.

She took the gold coin to the doctor, but in return, she received a higher price for the medicine.

"This is the price for now, take it or leave it."

That's what the doctor said.

She no longer believed it this time.

Having lived in poverty for a long time, she had long since learned to read people's expressions and demeanor.

The doctor was lying to her.

Actually, she had a premonition, but she just couldn't believe it.

But that's the truth.

Those medicines were completely useless; they drained all my savings and only delayed the symptoms a little. Little Slag was still weak at heart.

There's only one way then.

extraordinary.

Please ask a pastor from a true church to use inexplicable miracles to cure this disease that is considered incurable by ordinary people.

The problem remains.

Short of money.

She thought about it a lot and finally made up her mind.

She knocked on the door of a shop again.

It was still a woman, sitting behind the counter, with a fishy, ​​foul smell in the air.

"what?"

"Ramona asked."

Aletta also stretched out her hand, pointing to the scales on it: "I am a half-dragon, and I am willing to be your slave."

Ramona paused for a moment, then said, "I don't buy or sell intelligent beings here; that's the rule."

She said, "I have seen it; one day, a large number of human slaves left your place."

Ramona smirked, crossed her arms, and said, "They're villains someone asked me to deal with; they're not normal humans. Are you one?"

Aletta said, "I can. Buy me, and I'll do whatever you want with me."

Ramona refused.

She has her rules, and those villains have already broken them once; they must not break them again.

But Aletta didn't give up; she came every day until Ramona got impatient.

Why would you sell yourself like that?

"Ramona asked."

Aletta told her story.

Ramona was silent for a moment, then looked at her thin body and the patched clothes she was wearing.

She agreed.

The two signed a contract, and Ramona gave them a heavy bag containing enough gold coins to pay for one healing spell.

Aleta was delighted and ran deep into the mine, clutching the bag tightly.

It's very windy.

But she didn't pay attention and went straight to the child who was lying down.

Then she stopped.

The little slag lay on the bed, quietly with its eyes closed.

Aletta touched his face with her hand.

It's cold.

She called Little Slag by her name.

no respond.

There was a piece of black bread next to him, which she had left for Little Slag, but he didn't eat it.

He wanted to leave it to Aletta.

Aletta sat there for a long time.

Then she stood up, held the small piece of slag in her arms, and slowly walked out of the mine.

The moon was very bright, shining brightly everywhere.

She used all her gold coins to buy the best spot in the cemetery, and then buried the little slag there herself.

This is his final destination.

She shouldn't have given the child such a name.

Then she returned to Ramona's shop.

She sat quietly.

The businesswoman sighed, then gave her a bath, changed her clothes, and arranged a bedroom for her.

She remained sitting quietly.

Aletta is now a slave.

She will meet a master.

Ramona won't break the rules again.

And so, that day, the door opened.

Sunlight streamed in from outside the door, shining on her and making the scales shimmer.

Aletta saw a pair of calm eyes.

Those eyes were sharp, sharp enough to pierce through her heart.

She heard the businesswoman say, "How about this one?"

She lowered her head.

It was a long time before she heard a response.

A calm, understated response.

"Thank you, I'm very satisfied."