Let me transmigrate into the body of a human adopted daughter from a dwarf family; I'll just make the best of it.
Finding the real dwarf princess isn't that difficult.
But what's with asking me to dress up as a complete idiot and lunatic?!
"Baozi, is it possible that I'm not your master?" Stone asked again. She simply couldn't accept becoming the god-like figure she had always secretly resented.
"Gah?! Master, what's wrong?! Are you going to abandon Baozi again?! Waaaaaah~~~" Baozi suddenly jumped to the ground, crying and rolling around on the floor, screaming and howling like a ghost, causing chaos and spilling soup everywhere...
"Stop! Stop! I'm your master. I'm absolutely your master! Anyone who disagrees, I'll kill them!" Startled by Baozi's tantrum and the splattering of soup everywhere, Shitou quickly changed his tune. Sigh, even being a fool is better than being disgusted to death by Baozi, right?
"Huh? Really?" Baozi suddenly stopped crying and looked at the stone in astonishment: "Master wouldn't lie to Baozi, would he?"
Damn it, so what if I, the princess, lied to you?!
Stone huffed and kicked the steamed bun away. Then she walked straight towards the finished weapons display in the center. Right now, she had only just awakened her mental power; she hadn't even learned how to escape, let alone any attack skills. Therefore, the most important thing for her now was to quickly find a suitable weapon!
Damn it, who was just saying they were a gentle and ladylike person?! Ugh!
(╰_╯)#
He casually grabbed a round little ball: "Hmm, this is not bad, what's it called again? Oh, right. It's called a Explosive Bomb! Baozi, come here to me, Master!"
At a single call, Baozi scrambled over, crying, "Giggle, Master! You finally acknowledge that you're Baozi's master!"
We have never denied being your master; we just don't acknowledge that we were your former master.
"How do you use this? Just throw it?" Stone asked earnestly, carefully holding the small ball.
"Gaga, this requires magic! Master used to be a nine-star mage, so all the weapons you made are activated by magic!" Baozi said proudly, as if the nine-star mage it was talking about wasn't a stone, but itself.
Stone became depressed again: "Baozi! I'm just an ordinary person now! I don't have magic! And I don't intend to become a magician!"
"Huh?" Baozi immediately wilted, groaning weakly, "Then let's try using mental power. As long as Master doesn't faint, it'll be fine."
That's what I meant...
Stone twitched his lips, carefully examining the explosive grenade in his hand. The more he looked at it, the more it resembled a hand grenade. Well, although they looked a little different, their functions were similar! After hesitating for a moment, Stone couldn't help but ask, "If I carry this on my person, will it suddenly explode?"
"Gah! Master, you're overthinking it..." Baozi felt utterly helpless at the stone's absurd idea: "Even if you use all your mental energy right now, you might not be able to make it explode!"
"Then I'm relieved." Stone happily shoved the otherworldly grenade into his pocket, then went to look at other weapons. Soon, Stone chose a replica AK47 that could be filled with explosive and smoke grenades, two large bags full of explosive and smoke grenades, and ten magical rocket launchers.
"Gaga..." Baozi looked at the stone's new look and was speechless: "Isn't Kagaral's pursuit the master's? As long as the master is willing, everything here must obey the master's will. Then why does the master still carry all the weapons out?"
"Because it's cool!" Stone answered quite decisively. "Let's go find the human expedition team and head to the capital together!"
Take these to the capital...
Baozi felt a deep sympathy for the people of the capital. The pink sunflower is coming back! People of the capital, are you ready for how you're going to die?!
But……
"Hehe, Baozi has to remind Master that the expedition team came here to explore the Crimson Forest, not just to take Master home!"
"..."
"So, Master, you're overthinking it!"
╮(╯_╰)╭
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The weekend is finally here! Extra chapter tomorrow...
☆, Chapter 104 Erniu's Yearning for Blood
"Serena, are you talking about the mercenary group that comes here every late autumn to prepare for an expedition to the Crimson Forest?" It was another fresh morning when Stone stopped Erniu, who had just finished breakfast and was about to leave, to ask her about the expedition team.
"Yes, are those mercenary groups from the capital?" She took a deep breath of fresh air. Coming to this other world wasn't without its advantages; at least the air here was incredibly fresh. So fresh that she began to miss the air in her previous life, filled with car exhaust fumes.
Erniu shook her head: "No, some are from the capital, but most come from all over the country."
"So they'll all go to explore the Crimson Forest?" Stone was quite cautious about the issue, as it concerned whether he could successfully reach the capital.
"Yes, they came here to explore the Crimson Forest." For some reason, a hint of pain appeared on Erniu's face when the Crimson Forest was mentioned.
Stone was somewhat suspicious, but he didn't ask. He just asked a few more questions about the mercenary group and made up his mind.
Baozi's information to Shitou wasn't wrong; it's just that it had been away from the human world for several hundred years, so some of the information was outdated and incomplete. After inquiring in detail with Erniu, Shitou learned that in this world, there are people called mercenaries. They accept missions for payment, and the Crimson Forest, rich in resources and teeming with magical beasts, is one of the places they visit every year.
Lacking confidence to travel to the capital alone, Stone decided to return with the mercenary groups. Yes, return. According to Erniu, while the Crimson Forest appeared extremely dangerous, it was actually quite safe most of the time.
Springtime is the breeding season for magical beasts. During this time, the beasts about to give birth will enter the inner perimeter of the Crimson Forest, thus greatly reducing the number of magical beasts in the outer areas. Humans usually choose this time to hunt magical beasts.
In summer, the monsters that have finished giving birth will emerge en masse from the inner perimeter. Therefore, the outer perimeter is teeming with monsters at this time. Moreover, by this time, the cubs have usually passed their most dangerous period, and the mothers begin teaching them hunting skills and storing food for the approaching winter. Thus, summer is the most terrifying season in the Scarlet Forest.
Autumn, though not entirely peaceful, is significantly safer than summer, thanks to the brutal hunting of the summer, which has left most magical beasts dead and food for other creatures during the winter. While danger still exists, it is considerably less perilous.
In winter, most magical beasts choose to breed or simply hibernate. Therefore, winter is actually the safest season. Of course, some magical beasts might venture out to hunt temporarily due to low food reserves. Also, there's the Blood Pearl Fruit, which only blooms in winter.
So generally speaking, mercenary groups choose to enter the Crimson Forest in late autumn or early winter and emerge in late spring. In other words, even if Stone finds a mercenary group willing to take her to the capital, the earliest she'll have to wait is next spring.
"What a hassle!" Stone sighed. The fire tongs had given her twenty years, but she didn't want to waste the best twenty years of her life searching for someone. It wasn't that she wanted to back out; she just wanted to get to the capital quickly, find the real dwarf princess, and then she could live a carefree life.
"Serena, do you want to go to the capital or the Crimson Forest? Can you take me with you?" Erniu saw Shitou's sudden sad expression and her heart stirred, so she blurted out these words.
Shi Tou was taken aback. Although she had only known this little girl for a short time, she knew her personality. Perhaps because of her family background, Er Niu, despite her childlike appearance, was very mature. She rarely took the initiative to ask questions or make requests.
"Take you with me? Where are you going? The Crimson Forest or the capital?" Stone asked in surprise.
Erniu bit her lip and said very softly, "...Crimson Forest."
"What?!" Stone was shocked. She had thought she had met a child who longed for the hustle and bustle of the big city, but she never expected Erniu to want to go to the Crimson Forest: "You said you want to go to the Crimson Forest?"
"Shh!" Erniu was shocked when she heard Shitou shout. She pulled Shitou out of the house and walked several hundred meters before stopping to apologize to Shitou, "I'm sorry, Miss Serena, I was afraid my grandmother would hear us."
"But why do you want to go to the Crimson Forest? It's very dangerous there, don't you know that?" Stone looked at Erniu with suspicion. Since this little girl knew so much about the Crimson Forest, she couldn't possibly not know how dangerous it was.
“I know, of course I know the Crimson Forest is extremely dangerous. But, Serena, I’m already an apprentice Qi Master. As long as I don’t venture deep into the Crimson Forest, I’ll be fine.” Erniu looked at the stone, her tone very resolute.
Stone looked at Erniu with considerable confusion, but then she remembered the fleeting pain Erniu had shown when she mentioned the Crimson Forest, and a suspicion arose in her heart: "Yes, the outer edge of the Crimson Forest isn't considered dangerous, but I don't understand why you want to go in. The outer edge isn't dangerous, but there's no benefit to be gained either."
"No, I wasn't doing it for any personal gain!" Erniu exclaimed indignantly, her face flushed. "Besides, I've been in there before!"
What?!
Stone was horrified. Had this child entered the Crimson Forest before? Could it be that, in the eyes of humans, the Crimson Forest was a children's playground?
“Erniu, stop fooling around. First, I want to go to the capital. Second, even if I go to the Crimson Forest, I won’t take you with me,” Shi Tou refused outright. Perhaps Erniu had her reasons, but she couldn’t bring herself to take a nine-year-old girl to such a dangerous place, even though she had spent a long time there alone before.
Erniu lowered her head and remained silent.
Shi Tou probably realized that his tone had been a bit harsh. Looking at Er Niu, who claimed to be nine years old but was actually thinner and smaller than him, he comforted her, "It's alright. When you grow up, you can go in."
"Why do we have to wait for me to grow up? I want to go in now!" Unexpectedly, after hearing Shi Tou's comforting words, Er Niu became even more agitated: "I've seen many people who are even younger than me go in. I'm just going to the outer edge, there won't be any danger."
"Anyway, I won't take you there." Stone's face immediately darkened. In her opinion, no matter what Erniu's reasons were for insisting on entering the Crimson Forest, such irresponsible behavior towards her own life should not be condoned at all.
Erniu blushed, opened her mouth, but ultimately made no sound. After a while, she walked away with her head down in disappointment.
"Giggle, Master, is that little girl trying to pick Blood Pearl Fruit?"
Baozi's voice suddenly appeared in Shi Tou's mind. Shi Tou, who hadn't had such a conversation in a long time, was stunned for a moment. Then he took out the ring from his pocket and whispered to the ring, "Probably."
"Hehe, why doesn't Master take her with him?"
“Because she’s too young, I’m afraid something might happen to her,” Stone replied calmly.
"Giggle, too small? But the Blood Pearl Fruit is only effective on juveniles under ten years old! Many humans even younger than her will enter the Crimson Forest!" Baozi's voice was full of doubt.
However, Stone was even more stunned.
The education she received in her previous life left a deep imprint on her; she never imagined that this was no longer the civilized and law-abiding society of her past life. Although that law-abiding society in her previous life had many flaws, one had to admit that at least most of the children there were happy.
Here, it's not just the children of commoners who suffer. Even the descendants of nobles, if they lack talent and ability, still live an exceptionally difficult life. The Blood Pearl Fruit's ability to awaken fire magic talent in humans drives countless people mad. However, the Blood Pearl Fruit's characteristic of immediately losing its effect once it leaves the Crimson Forest forces young children to venture into the perilous Crimson Forest.
"Will all those children be able to find the Blood Pearl Fruit? Will they all be able to get out safely?" A pang of pity suddenly swept through Stone's heart. They were real children, not some fake girl with a cute appearance but a mature woman's heart like her!
"Gah, how is that possible! Blood Pearl Fruits are very rare, and so many people are vying for them! Generally speaking, getting nearly a hundred Blood Pearl Fruits a year is already considered lucky!"
"Nearly a hundred, that's not a low number. At least nearly a hundred children will be able to fulfill their wishes." Stone shook his head, dispelling the inexplicable bitterness. Everyone has their struggles. Children in this world don't have to go through various training classes from a young age, but they have to face crises directly from childhood.
"Hehe, Master, are you kidding me? Do you really think that the Blood Pearl Fruit guarantees the awakening of talent?"
Stone stopped in his tracks, which was about to move forward: "Isn't that right?"
"Hehe, of course not! How could that be! Blood Pearl Fruit can only help juvenile creatures awaken their talent for fire magic, but that doesn't mean they will definitely succeed! Besides, Baozi knows that not everyone can eat Blood Pearl Fruit. Some people who ate Blood Pearl Fruit not only failed to awaken their talent, but were also burned alive!"
Stone gasped, "If that's the case, why would anyone be scrambling to eat that stuff!"
"Hehe, because we're taking a gamble! The juvenile creatures that come to the Crimson Forest are usually not of high status. If we take a gamble and succeed, we can... uh, Master said it, it's called 'rising to the top in one step'!"
Baozi's voice was filled with immense joy, but Shi Tou's heart was ice-cold.
This world is more terrifying than she imagined.
Perhaps it's time to change her attitude towards the world. This is a real world, not a movie, not a game, and she has to live in this world, and she must live well in it!
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Writing, writing, writing hard!
☆, Chapter 105: Hiring the Starshine Mercenary Group
"Excuse me, are you a mercenary group?" Having made up her mind, Stone arrived near the market. She already knew from asking Erniu earlier that mercenary groups usually gathered near the market, and she wanted to try her luck.
The group of people in front of him looked completely unfamiliar. They were all strong, middle-aged men, and they even had two small children with them. Based on what Erniu had said earlier, Shi Tou figured that these people were probably from a mercenary group.
"Little girl, why do you want to join the mercenary group too?" the oldest-looking man asked. What surprised Stone was that his expression was very calm, as if being approached by a little girl was a normal thing.
Stone hesitated for a moment; she had thought she'd be treated like a child and sent away. After thinking for a while, Stone asked again, "Can I join a mercenary group?"