----------------------------------------

"Amalia, why is that bear chasing us?"

Looking behind, there was indeed a bear. Its fur was a golden-brown. As odd as it may be, it had a stubby horn on its head that seemed to be crackling with electricity.

Whaa... What are you, a Pokemon or something? It wasn't cute at all.

Amidst Amalia's more vocal panting, she yelled using our telepathic link, "You jinxed us!"

I directed my attention back toward the girl, "That's nonsense. This is just an unfortunate coincidence!"

Or at least that's what I was attributing it to. There's no way such a stupid thing like jinxes would exist. ... Despite this world having some bizarre 'Luck' parameter.

Okay, maybe I jinxed us. But that couldn't be proven!

"Listen, even if I said a few things, there's no reason that fact and this bear's appearance should be related. Blaming me for this is unreasonable."

"Y-You! You also cleaned off all the dirt masking my scent! You made me smell like flowers, o-or something!"

The mud was masking her scent? Ah. ... I never considered that. Perhaps, just maybe, I was a teeny, tiny bit responsible. Still, isn't she the one who's supposed to know these forests and survival methods? She should've commented sooner, ... right?

"And you're a bright color! When it turned around it glared right at you, didn't it!?"

... ... ...

My body shook, "Fine! I get it! It's all my fault, okay!? I messed up! Just keep running while I figure out how to get rid of this thing!"

This world sucks. I hate kids.

How the hell am I supposed to do anything about a bear? It's gotta be over 6 feet tall! And it's got a freakin' battery on its forehead!

Alright, think. That bear is gaining on us fast. Water beats electric, right? Or was it ground? I don't have any rocks to toss at it, so here goes nothing.

—Water Bullet!

I watched as the Water Bullet flew over a hundred feet back and finally made contact. With the ground.

ROAR!

"What did you do!? Why does it sound even more angry now!?"

"Ignore that."

As Amalia continued to yell at me, I put the 'phone down' so to speak. Click! No more angry wolf-girl.

Alright, so I missed once. Not a big deal. As tempting as firing a dozen Water Bullets is, I can't keep wasting MP. I'll keep the Water-weakness idea in mind, but it is way too difficult to fire spells I'm not familiar with while 'driving'. As soon as that bear is within 15 feet, I'll unload my special Slime cocktail on its face.

I turned the link back on.

"—id you get quiet? Say something! What's going on back there!?"

"I don't suppose you can run any faster, can you?"

"Are you joking!?"

"Alright, so that's a no. Please hold for a moment."

"Hold wha—"

I didn't think Amalia was going to last much longer. She'd been sprinting for almost a minute and while I complimented her surprising speed, you simply don't outrun a bear. Her stamina was also questionable.

Speaking of which, said bear was nearly upon us. I gathered more of my mass and started creating the most vicious cocktail of toxin possible. I'd use all three strains I had available.

Once things settled down, I really needed to practice these 'Skill' things and get more used to both my body and the whole magic concept. Personal strength seemed to be a must in this deadly world. Shooting accuracy was still a concern at longer distances, but when the target is this close ...

— 「Slime Bullet - Shotgun」 + 「Multi-Venom」!

The recoil made Amalia stumble forward a bit. I watched as the small pink bullets impacted the bear's face right where I was aiming. Unlike my earlier attempt, this shot seemed to do some actual damage.

GRRrrRRoOAR!!

While I was certain I'd pissed the beast off, being struck in the face by numerous acidic Slime pellets seemed to be a good deterrent. It quickly slowed down to a brisk walk, then stopped. It kept pawing at its face and letting out loud grunts and growls. Nice!

"Amalia, quit running."

"You’re crazy!”

That word bothered me, plus she wasn't listening. I squeezed her lightly. Slow down, horsey.

"I said stop. It isn't chasing us. More importantly, I want to eat it."

"... You want to what?"

I sighed, "I want to eat it. If we kill it, it's food. Aren't you starving? Hide behind those bushes and kneel down. I've partially or fully blinded it so I'm going to see if I can kill it."

I quickly hopped off Amalia's shoulders onto the ground, peeking out from behind some foliage.

Almost immediately after I said those words, regret surfaced. I heard a large crack of lightning. A blinding flash struck a tree a dozen meters away from the bear.

The hell!?

I looked back at Amalia, who was on all fours and low to the ground. She panted quietly, but was otherwise motionless. She stared right at me.

"Good luck," she replied softly.

I peeked over at the tree that was hit. The bark that had been struck was now charred and missing a few inches.

'Good luck' my squishy, pink ass! What was that!? Did that bear just use Thunderbolt!?

"On second thought, let's keep going."

A strange look appeared on Amalia's face amidst the bear's cries.

"I can't run anymore. I think I pulled something. ..."

My mind was absolutely screaming. This can't be happening.

I turned back toward the bear, surveying the scene and attempting to form some modicum of rational thought. How was I supposed to take down a raging grizzly bear? This is nuts! All my Ultimate Slime Combo Shot (tentative) did was piss it off and give it an extreme case of eye irritation.

How much 'Vitality' did that thing have? It seems like I'd wounded its eyes, but I expected the toxin to do more damage. Was its fur resistant to my toxins? Was the toxin less effective if it wasn't injected? Trying to apply logic to a world where bears threw lightning at you was distressing.

Originally, I was considering attempting to enact the ever-reliable 'get on their head and blow up their insides' plan, but I wasn't going anywhere near that bear's face. I'm not sure how well I conducted electricity and certainly didn't think I'd fare better than that tree.

I looked at a nearby tree and the stationary bear for a moment. ... That bolt of lightning gave me an idea.

It seems I really did blind the bear, as it was in what I dubbed 'defensive mode'. Its nose kept flaring but its eyes were closed. Was it trying to sniff us out? It seemed wary now. We could probably escape if needed, as I didn't think it'd be regaining sight anytime soon.

I snuck toward the tree it had struck with the lightning bolt. There was still a fair distance between us. I jumped on the tree and began eating through the exposed wood as quickly as I was able, while still forming an angled cut.

With the combination of Devour and my toxins, the tree gave little resistance. Was it because it was organic matter? I ate as frantically as I could, foregoing completely dissolving the small chunks of wood and focused on ripping it apart as fast as possible.

I soon had a nice wedge cut out from around the lightning-weakened area. Now I just had to hope my calculations were correct. I ate a thin sliver through the opposite side of the tree. I felt an abrupt pinch on the flesh I'd sent inward as the wood separated.

You have taken crushing damage! -4HP

Fall, dammit!

With a tortuously slow pace, I watched as the tree finally gained momentum. The bear seemed to respond to the noise as it stood on its hind legs and let out of a hearty roar. As I cheered the falling tree on, my aplomb was soon met with the incredible results.

Ah. I missed.

A few stray leaves and thin branches struck the bear, but the bulk of the tree landed near-harmlessly to the side. The bear was knocked over briefly, but it soon managed to free itself from the debris with an even greater rage than previously. Its horn was crackling with electrical power.

Amalia began shouting in my head, "What did you do?! Did you seriously just try felling a tree on that Gold Thunderbear?"

"It seemed like a great idea. It's just ... I missed."

"... I don't think I've ever met anyone who acted as uniquely as you do."

Had I a face, I'm certain my already pink hue would turn a darker red. It was already bad enough I'd missed. I didn't need a child commenting on my failure. It's not like she was providing any better ideas.

While I was trying to figure out whether I should just give up on the bear or not, there was a noise. A crack was heard in the air before I realized something had struck the Thunderbear in its head. A thin rod was sticking out from the side of its skull. An arrow?

You’ve participated in killing a Gold Thunderbear!

Experience awarded.

Ah. What just happened? And 'participated'?

"Rozalin, what did you do? The Thunderbear is dead? I got a divine message. Two of them!"

Divine what? Does she mean a notification?

"What do they say?"

"It says about the Thunderbear, and I advanced a level! I haven't gotten a divine message in months now. I can't believe it would pop up like this. Something's a bit strange though."

I stared at my utter lack of a level up notification. Lucky brat. Some of Amalia's thought-provoking comments aside, it seems like the experience was split between us and whoever shot that arrow. Speaking of which ...

"I didn't kill it. Someone else shot it. We have company, so stay hidden. I'm going to hide in the tree stump."

I threw down a Domain anchor and hid behind the stump, opposite of the arrow's flight path. I started eating a hole at the base to hide better. If an arrow like that managed to hit the center of my body, I had little doubt I'd die. Was this by any chance ... one of those fabled elven archers? Such accuracy!

Seriously though, if my life weren't possibly in danger I'd be way more impressed. I reminded Amalia to stay hidden while keeping an ear out. A tense moment passed while I waited for whoever had shot the bear to come claim their prize.

Hmm. If I were lucky maybe it'd be a handsome elven man? That sounded nice. I could use Amalia to translate and we might be able to take lodging with him. Or maybe he'd be interested in becoming my Royal Guard in the future? A hunter like that certainly seemed capable. We owed whoever it was a small favor for the assist.

There was a light shuffling of nearby grass and bushes. After a brief moment, someone did indeed step into the range of my domain. From the vague shape provided by my Domain Skill, I could more or less tell it was a man.

"Strange. How'd this tree get cut down?" I heard him mutter in a husky voice.

I directed my thoughts back toward the link, "Amalia, there's some guy right by me. He has a bow. Do you think he's a threat?"

"A bow? Out here?" she paused for a moment, "He's probably a Ranger or Woodsman of some sort. I doubt he'd be unfriendly, but it's possible."

Interrupting our silent conversation, the man spoke again, " 'ello! Someone out there? Y'all okay?"

It was loud enough that even Amalia had likely heard it. I instructed her to announce her presence. It didn't seem like the man was hostile. Perhaps he could offer some aid?

My mind turned toward what we might be able to supply or trade for in return. I had a thought or two on the matter. More importantly, I still wanted that Thunderbear's corpse. Or at least its head, I guess? I don't know what part Devour considers most important when I eat things. I'd need to test this.

"H-Hello? Is someone there?" Amalia spoke.

"A kid?" I heard the man mutter, "Yes, I'm here! Are ya okay? I'm a local hunter in these parts. I've confirmed the Thunderbear is dead, so ya don't have to worry."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"I'm coming out now."

Some foliage rustled before Amalia entered my vision.

"A beastkin child? No, ... half. What're you doing all the way out here?" he asked.

Amalia briefly recounted her parental situation and circumstances up until this point. I noted a few additional details she hadn't yet informed me of.

"So we were traveling towards Berrios. I was hoping to enlist like my Father."

It was at this point in the conversation that I realized she'd slipped up. While she had made no mention of me or the bandits, her wording was poor at that moment.

"We? Are ya traveling with others?" he casually asked.

My mind went into overdrive. I quickly spoke to Amalia, "Tell him I'm your pet! Contracted monster! You misspoke! Something!"

I wasn't even sure if any of those ideas were plausible. At worst, I'd rely on Amalia to act like she'd messed up. Her credibility and perceived sanity might take a hit though. Damn it.

"I'm, uh ... It sounds weird, but I've got a mons—ah, rather she's more like a pet."

There was an awkward pause. "A pet?"

"Y-Yes. I have a pet monster. She is traveling with me and was the one who cut down the tree. She's um, ... a Slime."

Your presentation was horrible! Speak more confidently! Argh!

"So what you're sayin' is ... you have a pet monster and it somehow cut down that tree and made all tha' noise? And that she is a Slime?"

"Th-that's correct."

I mentally facepalmed.

The man sighed and shook his head, "Kiddo, it ain't good to joke around with adults like that. Ya don't need to cover for anyone 'round me."

Amalia sputtered, "But it's true! She really is a Slime! I thought it was crazy too!" 

Gee, thanks. I'd react the same way, but still.

"Listen, Amalia, was it? The name's Reggie. My house is close by. Why don't we get you cleaned up and warm, then ya can tell me all about this 'pet Slime'?"

I locked eyes with Amalia as she turned and stared at my hiding spot in indignation. This 'Reggie' appears to have completely dismissed her. She pointed directly at me.

"She's right there!"

You traitor!

Ugh. I don't wanna be seen by some pretty boy archer while looking like this. Granted, I doubt he'll even view me as female and I've better things to worry about, so it really doesn't matter. Still, it's a matter of mental preparation. I wasn't expecting more human contact yet. How do I best express friendly intentions so as not to take an arrow to the Core?

"Rozalin, come out!" she yelled through the link.

"No way! What if he shoots me?"

She turned back towards Reggie, "She's scared. Promise you won't shoot her?"

I'm not scared! I'm just being rational! It's called risk management!

He laughed, "Yeah, sure thing kiddo."

At this point, I now had two sets of eyes on me. Curses began bellowing forth in my mind.

After a short bout of reassurance, I poked a tendril out from the small hole I'd made in the stump. Grass parted way and I soon found myself face-to-Slime with our apparent helping hand. We gave each other a silent once-over.

... Oh. He's uh, ... really not all that handsome. 

Rather than an elven pretty boy, this man looked more like someone had conducted a genetic experiment on a human and injected chipmunk and simian DNA into his face. He had large buck teeth; small, brown eyes; bushy brows; dark-brown hair; sideburns going down to his jawline; forearms that were comically disproportionate to his biceps; and wore a set of hunting furs of assorted animal hides.

Seriously, 'Reggie'? More like Popeye or Sun Wukong! What is with those arms?

"Uhh, hey kid. Are you sure tha' thing is friendly?"

"Yep! She saved my life. She's strange, but fairly nice."

I didn't like this. A small girl with a sword I could likely handle. This man? I wasn't sure. I kept my Core near the back of my body, just in case he loosed an arrow. I hope the rest of my flesh was resistant enough to survive a shot. He didn't seem to have any ill intentions.

"Tell him, 'Rozalin says thanks for killing the Thunderbear. Even though she blinded it, I hurt my ankle so we couldn't run away. We weren't sure what to do.' Say it exactly like that."

Amalia turned towards Reggie and repeated it flawlessly. I would have to give her scratches behind the ear later, assuming she let me. That might require negotiations.

On the other hand, Reggie kept staring at Amalia and then myself. After a while, he just kind of shrugged.

"Eh, seen stranger things before I 'spose."

Right!? Man, between the bear and his sensibility, I'm starting to like this buck-toothed hillbilly man. The teeth and horrible sideburns are kind of endearing, in a way. Adaptability is a good trait to have.

"So how're you talking with a Slime? I've known some monsters that were friendly before like dryads 'n whatnot. Should be careful 'round 'em anyway. But if you're going to Berrios I wouldn't take a monster in witcha. That's askin' for trouble."

He paused for a moment, then turned toward me, "Uh, no offense."

"Tell him I said, 'None taken.' "

Still, this whole thing was rather strange. Seems like it wasn't a bad thing running into this man out here. While it sounded like I wouldn't be welcome in a human city, at least I knew not all people would immediately attempt to murder me. Especially now, with my not-so-reliable translator here explaining beforehand. Or Reggie was an anomaly. Seemed ... likely.

Amalia chatted for a short while with Reggie and explained the telepathic link, after which we made our way back toward the man's home. I didn't notice anything strange in his demeanor. He told us we could stay the night and he'd cook up some of the Thunderbear.

I was surprised by his strength when he began dragging it back with us. Still needed to figure out how to casually bring up the topic of eating the bear's head without causing worry to the man. It was good we'd found a temporary food source for Amalia. I wasn't looking forward to trying to start a fire now that I was a Slime. Maybe he'd be our chef? Hmm.

For some reason, Amalia had refused to let me hide under her clothing. This was a bit frustrating, but now that we had Reggie around I figured we'd temporarily be a bit safer. Even if I was like a walking target amidst green and brown scenery.

After a short, uneventful walk we arrived at a modest log cabin. Along the way, I spoke with Amalia briefly on ways we could have better handled being chased by a Thunderbear. If this was going to be a thing in the future, I wanted to try minimizing risks. I suppose we'd have much more time to improve our teamwork.

I just had to figure out what she was good at that wouldn't put her in danger. Getting stabbed by something might not be fatal for me, but I wasn't about to risk losing my new Royal Guard. It was quite a conundrum.

And so, we stood at the entrance to Reggie's house.

"Make yerselves at home. Not much for company, but there's an extra hammock ya can use, 'lil girl. ... And uh, Miss Slime."

I watched as Reggie scratched his head and looked my way. Getting literally looked down upon like this was surprisingly ... annoying. My determination to hitch a ride upon Amalia was increasing.

Reggie left the Thunderbear outside for a moment before fishing a small key from inside a satchel at his waist. After opening the door he showed us inside his house.

The interior baffled me. It was incredibly ... mundane and primitive. While it was certainly a huge step up from sleeping outside or in a cave, if this was the norm for this world then I was beyond distressed.

The house was only one room. The 'floors' were covered in roughly hewn wood that didn't even blanket the entire floor. There was a platform of stone in the corner with a few logs and a hanging kettle I assumed were for cooking. The walls themselves were of a better quality, but it was very plain.

Some dried fruits and meat were hung on a rack, while a wooden table and bench were present. One 'bed' was situated in the corner, and in another was a small shelf with what appeared to be books. The aforementioned hammock was hanging in the remaining corner. Two large, cloudy glass windows were letting light inside.

What have I gotten myself into?

While I surveyed the house in silent horror, Amalia seemed to be rather pleased. I'm assuming this was because she would have a roof over her head for a night. I didn't disagree, it's just coming from my own home to ... this was quite a shock. I'd half-expected a world with magic to have more advanced construction methods.

"Tell Reggie we both thank him for letting us stay the night."

She did so.

The man himself made a little small talk before returning outside. Something about butchering and hanging the Thunderbear. When I thought about it, cooking and preparing the meat would likely take a while. Perhaps Amalia could partake in some of his already-preserved goods in exchange for our earlier 'assistance'?

Well, we could discuss it later.

Grrrrwwllll.

Or not. I looked over at Amalia who was sitting on a bench. She stared straight ahead, her cheeks getting a bit more rosy.

"Hungry?" I asked. She just nodded, causing me to sigh.

This feeling of powerlessness was aggravating. The fact I couldn't even properly provide for one small child was bothering me. Sure I could kill some monsters and all that, but I'd still have to rely on her to prepare and cook it. That was assuming the monsters were even safe to eat.

I missed modern conveniences. There wasn't a convenient food delivery app or grocery store anymore. We'd need to plan and talk more about these things. I couldn't afford for her to take ill or continue losing weight.

Ugh, whatever. 

For now, I'll focus on finding better ways to survive and gather more information on this world. This Reggie would likely be knowledgeable. I hoped we could borrow some of his experience before setting off towards this 'Berrios' place.

It was already late in the afternoon. I hopped up beside her and sat down. There was one thing I wanted to discuss with her that had kept me hopeful. This went back to when I'd acquired that silly Mineralization Skill.

"Amalia, do you think he'd be willing to trade for this?" I asked, holding out the mineral shell I'd been working on. With any luck, it might be worth something. I could also make iron if need be, but I didn't expect it to fetch much considering the rate I could make it. My Evolution menu said about a gemstone crown, so I assumed it was some kind of precious mineral.

Separating the piece of crystal from my body, Amalia took it with a furrowed brow. I watched as she held it up to the light and examined it for a moment, before tapping it with her fingernail and experimentally biting it with her teeth. 

... That was inside me. Are you sure you should be putting it in your mouth? My skin crawled a little.

She tried scratching it against the hilt of her sword. After a short while, her eyes seemed to light up.

"Rozalin, isn't this ... a piece of diamond? Where did you find this?"

My brain stalled. Did she just say diamond?

No way. Isn't this like hitting the super jackpot?! Is she mistaken? I was hopeful, but there's no way, ... right?

"A-Are you sure that's a diamond?" I sputtered in disbelief, "I mean, I'm not certain myself. I just know it's a gemstone."

"Yup! Looks like a diamond. I've seen and had a few before. Could be something else though, so you'd have to take it to a jeweler."

She's had a few before? Hmm. Knight Captain's daughter, I guess? Maybe that's some type of minor nobility? She might've been slightly well off prior, so that makes a little sense.

"So ... how much is a diamond like this worth?" I cautiously asked. My eyes were turning into dollar signs at the thought of pumping out an endless stream of gems.

She held it up to the light again, holding a hand to her chin in what I assume was deep thought. Her mouth kept scrunching up and moving around.

"I dunno. I'd say maybe a few silver?"

A few what?

"Is that a lot?"

"You could probably eat well off that for a few days, so ... kind of?"

Huh...? Is that all? Wouldn't that mean this small bit of diamond is only worth ten or twenty dollars? This is a diamond we're talking about. D-I-A-M-O-N-D.

"Are you ... sure that's all?"

I was going to push the matter further, but she responded with a very simple 'Yup!'.

"Diamonds are beautiful and pretty rare, but it isn't like they're magical or anything. There are much better jewels and metals for crafting, engraving, and whatnot. No one would pay all that much for a rock that only looks good. That'd be stupid, don't you think?"

She tilted her head at my disbelief, stating something so shocking in a matter-of-fact manner. Was that really the case here? For real?

My heart sank. So if I continued producing these assumed diamonds, it would roughly cover the food supplies. How useful, yet uninspiring. 

When we went to town I'd have to try obtaining a mineral of value, eating a chunk of it, and producing that henceforth. The initial startup would be high, but it'd be a long-term investment.

While I was doing mental calculations, Reggie returned. I had Amalia bring up the topic of trading the gem for some food.

"Don't you two worry about it. Didn't ya help take down that Thunderbear? I'll be able to make a lot of jerky out of it later. Most likely I'm gonna have to head into town 'n buy more salt and supplies. Wasn't really expecting such a haul," he finished, muttering.

When I brought up the topic of eating the beast's head, Amalia looked at me strangely before relaying the request. I was more or less offering to act as a garbage disposal for all the unwanted parts. When Amalia relayed my offer, Reggie looked at me strangely as well.

What!? A girl's gotta eat too, y'know!

Besides, I wanted to try learning that Thunderbolt thing it shot at me. Damn, would that be useful.

"Well, if ya ... wanna eat the head and all that, I don't see why not? Not like I can do much with it. Typically toss what I can't make use of into the woods for nature to handle the rest. Yer welcome to it, but why don't we get the little Miss here some food first?"

Amalia's stomach had been quietly protesting more than a few times, and she sat there with her hands tightly against her lap. Her ears were against her head and they kept twitching. The desire to pet her was rising up in me, but I ignored the feeling. Those ears were fiendish in how comfortable they looked.

It was actually kind of cute seeing her clam up around the man in embarrassment. I wanted to tease her in a somewhat sadistic fashion but refrained. Reggie seemed to be rather worried about her.

If Amalia could trigger some paternal instincts in the man then I was all for it. Just needed to make sure she didn't trigger any other 'instincts', though he seemed pretty mild-mannered and Amalia looked like a rat right now.

... Were squirrel-slash-monkey men attracted to mangy little dog-girls? I sure hope he has better standards than those two men I'd eaten. My impression of him so far was good, I'd sincerely hate to have to lower that. If I ever return to this place in less dire straits, I'll have to return the favor.

Reggie handed Amalia a mug of water, some jerky, and what appeared to be dried fruit. He seemed to have a storage area out back, as he left and returned with some more food after she'd finished the initial batch. Not surprising, but she was eating voraciously.

We talked for a short while before Amalia declared she was a bit tired. It was only early in the evening and barely starting to get dark, but she decided she wanted to retire in the hammock regardless. I accompanied her outside so she could 'relieve' herself a distance away, then we settled in for the night.

Reggie seemed content to start a fire outside and continue working for a while longer. I tossed down a Domain anchor and watched him from inside the house while letting Amalia use me as a pillow. It felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but I soon got used to her modest weight.

It was quiet for several long moments before she began speaking through the link.

"... Rozalin, do you really think that I can become a knight?"

I wasn't sure how to answer such a question. It should be obvious to her that I hardly had any idea about this world's society and customs. Well, there was no merit in being pessimistic now.

"I'm sure you'll be able to. Aren't you the one I chose, after all? I won't be satisfied with anything less."

It was an easy reply to make, despite not knowing how likely it was to happen. I fully intended to shape her up after all, so I'd go with a 'yes' for now. She wanted to be a knight, I wanted to have a Royal Guard. That was the goal.

"I really hope ... that I can."

"Mm. As do I."

It was strange, the thought of having someone so close to me. I wasn't sure why I didn't feel more uncomfortable. While the fact remained I was basically being used as a pink pillow, I hadn't had anyone this near me in 'bed' before in quite some time.

My senses seemed to dull as relaxation set in. It's possible ... I was a bit too tense from my stay in that cave. I pondered on life for a short while, trying to figure out how things had come to this. There was so much to do and learn, to the point each passing minute felt both long and short at the same time.

Since she seemed content to be in close contact with me, I figured I'd indulge her for a while. Not being one to pass up efficiency, I began examining Amalia's body more while she rested. I worked to try dispelling all these annoying little illnesses from her bloodstream and organs.

Perhaps later tonight or tomorrow morning I could work on some of my combat-related Skills? It seemed we'd still be traveling a fair distance. I'd have Amalia talk to Reggie more tomorrow. The man had already been a huge help, so for that, I was grateful.

She tossed and turned a little bit before her breathing began to slow. The quiet had returned yet again but was soon broken.

"Goodnight, Rozalin."

She said it so ... simply.

I paused. Something about this ratty little child sitting atop me was causing an annoying sensation in my mind. I couldn't place my finger on it though.

While I was reflecting on such thoughts, my little companion's breathing finally settled on a rhythmic pace. She appeared to be asleep, so I replied as quiet as possible.

"Goodnight, child."

----------------------------------------

Skill List!

Skill List Amorphous Lvl.2 Devour Lvl.3 Meditation Lvl.2 Slime Bullet Lvl.4 Magic Sensory Lvl.2 Multi-Venom Lvl.4 Sneak Attack Lvl.4 Toxin Resistance Lvl.1 Pain Resistance Lvl.3 Corruption Resistance Lvl.3 Tough Hide Lvl.1 Mana Control Lvl.4  Stonemasonry Lvl.1 Mineralization Lvl.1 Mana Regeneration Lvl.2 Magic Resistance Lvl.1 Water Bolt Lvl.1 Rejuvenation Lvl.1 Detoxification Lvl.1 Domain Lvl.1 Magic Threads Lvl.1 Adaptive Coating Lvl.1 Overeating (Slime Variant) Lvl.1 Wind Blade Lvl.1 Ice Bolt Lvl.1 The Royal Guard Lvl.1 Regal Aura Lvl.1 (MAX) Slime Domination Lvl.1 Swordsmanship Lvl.1