Fifty-One: A Warm Home

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Stepping out of the big room, Malin heard some faint noises and turned his head, only to see a small squirrel in the bushes.

Wait a minute, wasn't this squirrel the pet of that half-human?

Malin walked over, and the squirrel, upon seeing him, immediately puffed up its fur, but it seemed to be injured and could only move with its two front legs, so Malin picked it up.

"What's that?" asked old Hoffman, the mentor, who had stopped in his tracks when he saw the little animal in Malin's hands. As an experienced elder, he immediately recognized it as a spirit: "A spirit, Malin, kill it."

"No, this is the pet of the half-human apprentice, it no longer has an owner." Having said that, Malin healed the squirrel's wounds with the healing spell from the Blessing Spell Formation.

Having been healed, the squirrel stopped its aggressive gestures, and seemed to finally recognize Malin—the stranger who had once spoken with its owner.