If you asked me, I was definitely patient.
But waiting for days? Screw that!
I decided to head off, follow the map and look for a different town or city. Preferably one that didn't build massive walls around them and discriminate against machines.
As I drove towards the direction of the nearest other town, I actually encountered a few people. Was it really just me having really bad luck to not meet people for almost an entire day?
"Maybe you were actually in some sort of danger zone? Bandits did attack us there after all." Radio suggested.
Hmm, maybe you're right.
I decided not to head into the same I was sent into this world in until I had more information just in case.
Halfway to there, I spotted a huge cluster of bushes. My fuel was getting low anyway, so it was convenient. I didn't want to even look at them though. The taste was simply sickening.
Munch munch...
Disgusting! It was so bad! I should really look for something else to eat. When I get to a town where people don't discriminate, I was going to feast on good food! Or at least I hoped the food humans ate tasted better.
As I ate some of them, I decided that maybe I should collect them into my inventory. That would save me a lot of effort if I needed to refuel again. I used my mouth to rip them out, sending them into my inventory one by one. I heard the rustle of leaves all of a sudden.
"Baaaaa... "
In shock, I drove back a bit. What was that?
Hiding within the bushes was a sheep covered in blood! It had been hiding in this cluster of bushes until I started harvesting them.
It bleated at me threateningly... or least it tried to be. Baaing was not very scary. It scrunched up its face, seemingly very angry that I had removed its cover. I felt a bit sorry for the sheep.
Cough.
Maybe I could kill it, for the experienc- I mean to end it's misery? Being covered in so many wounds, how was it even still alive? It would be less painful to die instantly.
[Scanning]
[Identified]
Whoa! Tablet, you had scanning powers all along? And why did you scan all of a sudden?
[Yes, I could. Don't ask why.]
[Greathorn Sheep]
[HP: 14/100]
[Stats: ??]
I was surprised. This weak looking sheep had five times my health? What managed to hurt it so badly and how weak was I anyway? Now that I looked at it clearly, it had huge powerful-looking horns on its head. I wondered how strong it would be if it was in peak condition.
[Right now, it is gravely injured, perfect for taming. It will heal once tamed. You can unlock the Tamer class if you want to try taming it.]
[Learn Class: Tamer?]
Hmm, I didn't expect Tablet to be nice enough to help! But then again, it helped with with cracking the map too. Maybe it wasn't such so bad after all.
Thanks for telling me that, Tab!
[I'm required to give you help at times. Do not mistake it for benevolence.]
Alright, alright. Learn class!
[Class obtained: Lv 1 Tamer]
[New skill: Tame]
[Allows you to make a pet contract with an animal. Current pet limit: 1]
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
How do I use Tame?
I heard a sigh from Tablet.
[Why can't you try to do anything before asking me? Do I look like some sort of dictionary to you? Ask me when you really don't know how!]
Fine! No need to get touchy.
Tablet was back to being Tablet.
[I am not touchy. And I am always the same.]
Whatever.
I stared at the sheep. Tame!
----------------------------------------
The sheep was very upset. He spent so much effort to find a place to hide after getting injured, and now this weird metal monster started eating all the bushes? What type of appetite did it have to swallow so many of them anyway?
The ram bleated at the machine in anger, tossing out all kinds of sheep swears. The machine froze, almost as if scared by his filthy mouth. Hmph, that was what the bothersome monster should feel for disturbing its rest!
Suddenly, words it could somehow understand appeared before its eyes.
[Contract]
Become a pet.
Follow your master's every command at all costs.
You may not harm your master or attempt to escape.
The master may release you from the contract if you are no longer needed.
[Accept contract?]
What the hell? The sheep stared at the machine. Was this stupid metal monster insane? Did it think just because he was injured, it could step all over this great sheep? To hell with this monster!
----------------------------------------
[Contact Denied]
The sheep bleated so loudly that it scared me. If it was angry earlier, now its eyes were burning in fury, as if it wanted to crush me into pieces.
Why was it so angry? Did Tame fail that badly?
[Try to view the contract details.]
How? I mean, nevermind.
I recalled how Tablet didn't like me asking too many questions.
Taming Contract!
A wall of text floated before my eyes. As I read it, I grew alarmed.
What the heck! Why is the contract so unreasonable?
No wonder the sheep got so angry! Tablet must have thought it was funny to put something like that.
[You can edit the contract details by thinking of a different contract. And don't blame me for it. This is the default contract for a pet.]
Pfft. If Tablet told me from the start this would not have happened. I came up with a more reasonable one.
[Contract]
Become my companion.
You may disagree with my commands if you think it's unreasonable.
Please don't hurt me.
You can break the contract and leave if you don't feel like following me anymore.
[Note]
Sorry about that earlier. A friend wrote it as a prank.
If you accept, I'll find a way to heal you up, alright?
Admittedly, I wasn't sure if I liked the part that the sheep could just break the contract and run away. But considering how angry the sheep was now, I didn't think it would accept anything that wasn't completely reasonable. I sent it to the sheep again.
"Baaaaaaa!" the sheep yelled.
[Contract Denied]
Oh my goodness, it must still be angry! If Tablet told me from the start, this wouldn't have happened!
[Stop trying to blame me.]
At this point, I probably needed something to bribe it. Like maybe some food? I used my telekinesis to pluck a bunch of grass and placed it before the sheep.
"Baaa!"
It blew the grass I offered away and glared at me. It then started chewing on the grass growing beneath its mouth. Fine! Maybe it was thirsty from lying there for a while? I drove to a nearby river and collected some water, then drove back, floating some of it near the sheep's mouth.
It stared at me for a bit in anger, then reluctantly drank a bit of the water. It seemed like the sheep really was thirsty.
I tried to offer it the contract again.
[Denied]
Maybe if I tried again?
[Denied]
[Denied]
[Denied]
[Denied]
[Denied]
[Denied]
----------------------------------------
Gah! What was wrong with the monster? No meant no! Just because you gave this great sheep some water didn't mean he had to accept!
Enraged, the sheep decided to accept just to raise the hopes of the monster, then crush it by immediately breaking the contract.
[You have accepted!]
The sheep felt strange. He felt a soothing breeze touch it, washing all the pain away. Ahh, so comfortable!
He had been healed! The ram was shocked. Fine, for this one favour, this great sheep would follow the strange machine for a while!
----------------------------------------
Two dwarves walked out of the city gates.
Just as Haliton was about to say something, he realised something. The machine was gone!
"WHAT! WHERE DID IT GO?"
"Very amusing, Hali." Anvar frowned.
"I swear! It was there earlier! You can ask the guards for proof." Hali looked very anxious.
"As you say. If nothing, I shall return." Anvar shook his head, turning to Hali with a look of disappointment.
"Wait! WAIT!" shouted Hali. "I'm telling the truth!"
But even as he shouted, Anvar headed back, ignoring him. As he neared the doors of his guild again, the dwarf held back a laugh.
Anvar knew Haliton very well. There was next to no chance such an honest person would lie, so Anvar knew there had indeed been a strange sentient machine there. But it was so satisfying to upset him!
Haliton hated being accused of lying.