Faye's voice carried a tone of warning. "Don't even entertain the thought. The consequences could be immense. You might lose all your karma points, become a target, perhaps even the number one enemy of this world."
Necro's reply held a defiant note. "You're only focusing on the negatives. I've already died once and tested some limits. If my calculations are right, I still have nine more tries. It's better to experiment now."
Necro activated and his body shone, prompting the system's response: "Creation skill activated. Our main task is creation."
The system's prompt appeared: " 1 creature base found (slime), create?"
Necro's decision was swift: "Yes."
Using five energy essences, a slime materialized in front of him. This new slime resembled the previous one, about the size of a basketball. To Necro's surprise, the slime took a step back as he fell on his butt. It then gave a little jump, mirroring his actions.
Necro quickly regained his footing, and the slime responded with another small jump. Realization dawned as Necro took a couple of steps backward; the slime imitated him perfectly. Necro pointed it out, and Faye affirmed that the creature was copying him.
Faye proposed an experiment. "Try staying still and imagine the slime attacking the tree over there."
Necro followed her suggestion, and the slime leaped toward the tree, morphing into a sword and slicing into the bark. Necro grinned. "That's pretty cool."
Looking at the separate screen that appeared, Necro noticed he could create up to nine more creatures. But his current essence allowed only two creations. Choosing to dismiss the slime, he regained three points of essence from the process.
As essence slowly refilled at a rate of one point per minute, Necro suggested to Faye that having two slimes would triple his offensive power.
He mused about whether he could see what the slime saw, and, upon closing his eyes, found himself seeing through the eyes of the slime, offering him a 360-degree view.
Faye's voice interjected. "While you were playing around, I noticed two things. First, your karma didn't change. Second, your creature lacks an ego."
Necro pondered. "A non-moving karma is good. But is ego important?"
Faye explained further. "Think about it. If you were unconscious, would your creatures protect you?"
Necro responded thoughtfully. "Valid point. I don't want to test that theory."
Faye then revealed from her database that a group of skill seekers would target a life-forger, as his creatures would disappear or scatter if he died.
Necro's voice turned serious. "Another theory I'd rather not put to the test."
As the conversation turned to his objectives, Necro stated his plan. "A human can last only three days without water and three weeks without food. I'll head east to avoid walking in circles. Once I find water, I'll follow it to locate a city."
Faye commended his strategy and inquired about the source of his knowledge, considering his memory loss.
Necro replied uneasily. "It's just something that came to me. Maybe it's common knowledge, or I wouldn't be able to speak."
Faye continued. "Seeking a city implies a desire to encounter people."
Necro responded casually. "So?"
Faye raised a critical point. "But if they're skill seekers and you're accompanied by monsters, they'll kill you. On the other hand, if it's the opposite scenario, you're in danger as well."
Necro, who had been walking, came to an abrupt halt. A solitary sweat drop formed on his forehead.