Chapter 25: Together

Liza felt movement as she eventually woke up, a bright light shined in her eye. She lifted her head as Liza saw the sun sitting with the blue sky. Liza stretched his arms out as she embraced the sunlight warmth.

"So warm..." Liza blurted out.

"Master?! You're finally awake!" The voice of Scarlett echoed into Liza's ears as she realized that she was riding on Scarlett's back.

Liza felt herself falling before she waved her arms around and managed to grab a hold on Scarlett's shoulders. Liza then looked around of her surroundings, they weren't in the labyrinth anymore. They were a forest, a forest with tall trees. Liza then noticed that Red was nowhere to be seen and had worried expression on her face.

"If you're worrying about Red, he's fine. He went up ahead with Sally. He'll be back very soon, and when he does I have no doubt he'll be very happy to see you well again Master," Scarlett explained, Liza sighed with relief before she suddenly realized something Scarlett just said.

"Whose Sally?" Liza asked, feeling a little anxious.

"Oh! That's right! You were still asleep when we first encountered Sally,"

"What is Sally? Is she a monster or something else?"

"She's a monster,"

"What type of monster are we talking about here?"

"Sally is a baby..." Scarlett muttered the last bit, slightly sweating nervously.

"A baby what?" Liza said with a strict tone, not liking where this was going.

"A baby Salamander...."

Liza froze, remembering the Salamander they fought back in the labyrinth. "IT HAD BABY?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?! I'M MOTHER MURDER!"

Liza began to burst into tears as she started to panic.

"Master! Calm down! You are not at fault! None of us could have known about the Salamander baring a child, so please calm down," Scarlett stumble as she tried to make sure Liza didn't fall off.

"But it is my fault... I'm the one who killed the poor baby's mother. I really am a monster!" Liza sobbed.

"This is the reason why I didn't wanted to tell this to you in the first place," Scarlett sighed as wiped away her master's tears off his face.

Liza sniffled. "By the way, how long have I been asleep anyway,"

"How long? Well... if I'm right, you have been a asleep for around three days now,"

Liza froze again, as she recoiled what Scarlett just said. "Huh..? HUH?! Three days?! I was asleep for three days?! I know that I've used a lot of magic and all but THREE DAYS!!!"

Liza continued bickering around the subject for a while before she the iconic ring sound as a Pop Up appeared, listing a couple of skills and titles.

'I've gained skills even in my sleep? That's kind of weird, I wonder what types of skill I have gained,' Liza thought as checked down the list.

"GAIN SKILL MEDITATION LV 1"

"GAIN SKILL SUNLIGHT RESISTANCE LV 1"

'Wait! Sunlight Resistance? That's a thing? Why do I have that skill? I thought I was a goblin not a vampire. Then again... I was born a dark cave with less to nothing of sunlight to speak of. I guess that would make sense, but is meditation?'

"MEDITATION"

"While sleeping, you regain your mana and health in a faster rate."

'That's it? No offense but all the rest of explanations are at least a bit longer than that. Will the it stretch out if leveled it up? I better test that later, right now I'll check the other skills,'

"GAIN EXTRA SKILL MAGIC ABSORPTION LV 1"

'Oh? Now that's sounds interesting, what's that about?'

"MAGIC ABSORPTION"

"While using the Meditation Skill, you are able absorb the magic particles surrounding the air around you."

Absorbing the magical particles around me? So this extra skill is gained by having the Meditation Skill? I thought you have level up a skill to it's max to gain a extra skill. Guess there's some exceptions,'

"GAIN TITLE DESTROYER"

"LEARN SKILL DESTRUCTION MAGIC LV 1"

'Huh?! Destroyer?! But how? Oh. Wait a minute...' Liza then paused her thoughts as she remembered her actions back at the labyrinth.

'Yeah... that would make sense. But I wonder what Destruction Magic can do? Aside of my Obliteration spell, what other spells will I able to cast. For the sake of me not sleeping another three days, and the sake of this world I should try to use Destruction Magic as little as possible,'

After the screen disappeared, both Liza and Scarlett suddenly felt the ground shaking underneath them.

"What the hell is this?!" Liza shouted as she held on Scarlett for dare life.

"Looks like Red and Sally are back!" Scarlett laughed in amusement.

"Hi Scarlett! Oh! Good morning Master! I'm sincerely grateful that you have awakened from slumber," Red cheered with enthusiasm.

Liza gasped her mouth as she sees Red on top of giant Salamander. "WHAT THE HELL?! YOU SAID IT WAS A BABY! THAT THING NO BABY! SCARLETT EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!!!"

"Well, the truth is Sally was a baby, but as Red and I took care of it. The once baby Salamander grew up into a adult almost instantly," Scarlett explained as she patted Sally's nose.

"I get that part clearly, but it only has been three days right? It shouldn't have evolved so quickly. Unless one of you two have a tamer skill or fast growth skill, I don't see any other way how this would be possible,"

"Uh... Master?" Scarlett began muttered.

"Hmm? What is it? Is there something else you haven't told yet?" Liza said as she glare at Scarlett.

"Well, the truth is... I recently gained the Fast Growth Skill, and Red did gained the Tamer Skill just two days ago," Scarlett spoke, while prepare herself for being yelled at again.

"Really? That is..." Scarlett sweats heavily before hearing Liza response.

"Awesome!" Liza shouted, taking Scarlett off guard.

"Huh? Wait, so you aren't mad at us?" Scarlett questioned.

"Mad? Why would I be mad? I think it's great that the both of you were able to gain amazingly useful skill while I was just sleeping my head off! Not only that, you two were able to raise and tame a Salamander! That's incredible! You two are really are unbelievable!"

"PRAISE LV 7"

Scarlett felt her heart at a flutter, while Red jumped up and down with joy. Scarlett hasn't felt this feeling for a long time, back at the labyrinth.

When it was just the two of them, but now it's slightly different. Scarlett felt happy, overjoyed, fulfilled. She felt her life was completed, she felt her life had a purpose. The purpose stay by her master's side and the purpose to care and protect Red.

"Master, if I may be so selfish. Can I make another promise with you and Red too," Scarlett said as she stare down at her black friendship bracelet around wrist.

"Another promise? What for?" Liza asked.

"So that Red feel included, he is going be with us for now on right?"

"I guess you're right, what is this going to be about?"

"Let's promise, no matter where we go we'll always be together..."

Liza remained quiet before she chuckled. "Wow! That's so corny, but I understand what you mean,"

"Really?" Scarlett stuttered in surprise.

"Yes, I agree with Master. Also I thank you Scarlett, for being so considerate of me and my feelings. I am truly blessed to have people like you two in my not long life," Red croaked, sliding off Sally and giving Scarlett a slight hug.

"If I have to be honest, I think of you two as family," Liza said with grin on her face.

"Family? Do you truly mean that Master?" Scarlett said in disbelief.

"Do you really doubt what your Master tells you?" Liza smirked.

"No! Of course not, it's just it's hard to believe it," Scarlett says, feeling a little flustered.

Liza hopped off Scarlett's back before she grabbed Scarlett's and Red's wrists and hooked their pinkies with one another with her own.

"Repeat after me," Liza instructed, as Scarlett and Red both nodded.

"I promise, to always be your sides and I promise you two will always be my family," Liza said, moving Scarlett and Red into tears as they repeated what Liza said.

'The weirdest thing about all of this, is that fact this Salamander kind of makes things awkward and also the fact I meant every single word,' Liza thought as she smiled to herself.