--An: Also check out my other novel: Soul Fusion Online--
Golden Fog Continent, a land filled with danger. With vast forests that are filled with demonic beasts, a place where for every human there are one hundred demonic beasts. A harsh environment for any humans trying to survive. There is one empire called the Dragon Empire along with the many established Sects that rule the Primordial Lands. This is a world where the strong are respected while the weak are nothing but ants to the strong.
In a small village called Dust Village, there is a little girl about six years old currently foraging for wild vegetables in a forest near her home. Her small skinny body leaned over brushing away the underbrush. Her hair partially draped over her shoulder. She searched under every leaf, just in case there might be a plant that can be eaten hidden underneath.
"I have been out here for almost the entire day now and I still can't seem to find anything I can take home." The little girl stood up stretching her back as she scanned the forest floor.
"But if I go any deeper there is a chance to be attacked by demonic beasts." The little girl looked aggrieved as she bit her lower lip.
Her big round eyes were starting to redden and becoming moist. She was remembering how her mother and her would come out to find wild vegetables together. That was until about six months ago when her mother got sick and passed away. Now she was alone in this harsh world with no one to look after her except herself. She has never met her father and all the way up until the day her mother died. Her mother had never even mentioned her father's name. With no other option than to take care of herself, she has been coming out to these woods every day in search of anything she can fill her stomach with.
She had learned a lot about wild vegetables when her mother was still alive. She was taught which plants she could eat and which plants she should stay away from. But since her only source of food were these wild vegetables. Her body was not well nourished with the right nutrients making her look skinny and sickly. Her sunken in cheeks showing the ridges of her cheekbones clearly. Even her long black hair that reached down past her waist was rough and dry. This also took a toll on her stamina. But even with everything, the heavens had thrown at her. Her will to survive was very strong. No matter if it was rain or shine she has come out to this forest in search of food.
"I can't start crying now. Mother told me to live strong and survive and I promised her I would." Wiping the tears from her eyes, the little girl scanned the forest floor one more time.
"I guess I have no choice but to go deeper into the woods. It's late now so I will have to wait until tomorrow to go." The little girl sighed as she rubbed her stomach.
" Looks like I will have to go hungry today as well." After one more scan of the forest floor, the little girl turned and walked towards the forest entrance.
The day was hotter than normal, as the sunset off in the distance. The little girl made her way out of the forest while swaying a stick in front of her back and forth to scare away any snakes that might be hiding in the underbrush. Just as she was about to exit the forest she stopped and her eyes lit up.
"Mushrooms!" The little girl revealed a rare smile as she ran over to the downed tree that had a cluster of mushrooms growing on top of it.
"I will not have to go hungry tonight!" The little girl stooped down and carefully plucked the mushrooms one at a time as she placed them into her broken basket that was woven out of tall grass.
With her fruitful harvest in hand, the little girl exited the forest and walked towards the small hut that was positioned at the outer edge of the village. When her mother passed away she was chased out of the house she was living in, with her mother, by the village chief. He had told her that since it was just her now she did not need to live in such a big house and made her move to a small dilapidated hut on the outskirts of the village. Even though it had holes in the roof and walls, it was still better than nothing. To her to not be kicked out of the village or sold off to a slave trader was already a blessing in its own right.
The village chief had taken pity on her and allowed her to stay in the village. Normally orphans would be sold off to slave traders to help support the village. But the village chief allowed her to stay to give face to her deceased mother. When her mother was alive she would often give half of her day's findings in the forest to the village chief. So the Village Chief took pity on the little girl and did not sell her off. But he could not let her stay in the house hence why she was now living in this hut.
The hut itself was made of mud bricks and a thatched roof. When she first moved into the small hut, she had tried to patch up the holes as best as she could. But without the proper tools and know-how, the patch jobs that she had done did not hold up and came undone again. The hut was surrounded by a knee-high broken mud wall. There was no grass in her courtyard just dirt and rocks.