Necro sighed, contemplating his options with a mix of frustration and determination. "Both alternatives are annoying, you know what? I'll stay here. Slime 1 will go east, number 2 north. I'll craft a wooden sword and a protector for my right arm. Let's see if I can hit three rabbits with one stone—no, make that dogs."
Faye chimed in, her voice inquisitive. "Rabbits? Wasn't it birds in that saying?"
As Necro busied himself with his tasks, he noticed that the qualities of the items he crafted had improved from primitive to crude. "Hey, that's an upgrade," he remarked.
Faye's voice sounded satisfied. "You're learning quickly. A city or village would provide you access to better materials for crafting."
Necro's voice held a tinge of skepticism. "With no money?"
Faye's response was lighthearted. "My lord, I'm sure that with the power of your guts, you'll succeed in whatever endeavor you decide."
Necro raised an eyebrow. "My lord? Where did that come from?"
Faye's voice was more composed now. "My lord, I'm practicing formal language in preparation for our arrival in the city."
Necro's voice carried surprise. "Preparation for what?"
Faye replied with determination. "To be of utmost use to you, my lord. And by the way, once you find another core, I'll teach you about magic and enchanting."
Interrupting their conversation, Faye informed Necro that the east slime had found something. Curiosity piqued, he followed her suggestion to investigate.
Using a tree as cover, Necro peered out and was taken aback by what he saw. "You must be kidding me!!" A large frog and a stream of water just three meters behind it.
"Finally, some water and food my lord."
Necro: what food? Where is it?
Faye's voice turned mischievous "The frog."
Necro's tone held disbelief. "Eh? That thing? It's the size of both my hands together, and it looks disgusting."
As his hunger intensified, Necro decided to try the unfamiliar meal. The system's identification informed him that it was a "MOUNTAIN CHICKEN" with no associated risk and weak poison in its skin.
Skeptical, Necro questioned the name. "It's not a monster? And why is it called mountain chicken? It's neither a chicken nor a mountain."
Faye chimed in humorously. "Perhaps the one that gave the name had a vivid imagination—unlike you, my lord."
Necro, recalling their earlier conversation, said, "I did name you though."
Faye replied with humility. "Yes, my lord. I had to create your name and suggest mine."
Necro pondered for a moment and then spoke with conviction. "I came up with good names, but they were already taken."
Their exchange halted when Necro decided to kill the frog for sustenance. The slime jumped took sword form, and beheaded the creature with a swift motion, leaving Necro stunned by the sudden gore.
As Necro began to dismantle the frog, an unexpected message appeared. "Poison resistance acquired. Liver working on poison. Self-healing activated." Necro felt pain in his upper right abdomen, under the ribcage, accompanied by nausea.
After a minute, the discomfort subsided, and he managed to extract 1.5 kg of white meat from the frog's body.
Faye's voice sounded practical. "Now that you have a water source and some meat, it's better to set up a camp."
Necro questioned the need. "Why?"
Faye explained her reasoning. "The smell might attract animals, my lord."
Necro's voice turned firm. "Hey, drop the 'lord' stuff."
Faye responded in a lighter tone. "Yes, master."
Necro urged her further. "Since it's just the two of us, talk to me informally, like before."
Faye complied. "Okay."
As Necro gathered stones from the stream, Faye wondered aloud. Necro explained that he was crafting a primitive stove with stones to cook the frog meat. Simultaneously, he planned to construct a small shelter, 2 meters by 1 meter, using wood and clay, complete with a small chimney on the side.
While Necro was busy, the slimes worked together to defeat another slime, resulting in one of them leveling up to level 2 and one dying. The spoils included a slime core and slime essence.
Faye's voice held anticipation. "Finally, I can teach you something worthwhile."
System: "Congratulations on life Forger job level 2, now u can create 3 creatures or modify them"
Necro's tone was hurried. "No time for that. There's a brown wolf behind us."