Building A Campfire And Testing The Limits Of Slimes

[The Dilapidated Lord's Hall contained basic utensils, including a simple cooking pot and frying pan, but lacked any fire-starting tools.]

[Forced to improvise, you scavenged for dry wood and tinder—shredded bark and dried grass brought in by the slimes. Using a sturdy stick and a flat piece of wood, you fashioned a crude hand drill.]

[The process was grueling. Your hands ached as you pressed the stick into the wood, spinning it rapidly between your palms to generate friction. Sweat dripped from your brow as the slimes watched silently, their gelatinous bodies wobbling in what you could only assume was mild curiosity.]

[At last, thin wisps of smoke curled upward, and an ember formed in the small notch you had carved. You carefully transferred it to the tinder and blew gently until the flames caught. Relief washed over you as the fire crackled to life, its warm glow illuminating the clearing just outside the hall.]

[You sighed heavily, wiping sweat from your forehead as the heat began to radiate outward. The slimes quivered around you, their round eyes reflecting the flickering flames.]

[One of the hares lay limp on a flat stone you had dragged over to serve as a makeshift workstation.]

[The other hare was still alive, its frightened eyes darting around as it struggled weakly within the ring of slimes surrounding it. You had commanded your slimes to form a tight barrier around the creature to prevent its escape.]

[With a simple knife found among the utensils, you began to skin the dead hare. The process was slow and messy; this was your first attempt, and the task was far from clean.]

[The fur peeled away from the meat with surprising ease, but the smell of the internal organs made you gag. You paused to steady yourself before continuing.]

[The slimes remained motionless, their wide eyes fixed on you as if observing your every move. "Don't look at me like that," you muttered under your breath, glancing at one particularly curious slime. It wobbled slightly, its gelatinous body rippling as though in response.]

[Once the hare was skinned and the organs removed to the best of your ability, you skewered it with a sturdy branch and placed it over the fire. The smell of roasting meat soon filled the air, making your stomach growl loudly.]

[You tossed the scraps and organs farther into the forest, gesturing for a few slimes to dispose of them safely away from the village.]

[As the hare cooked, you picked up the mana stone one of the slimes had brought back. Its faint, glowing hue pulsed softly in your palm.]

[The implanted knowledge in your mind identified it as a valuable resource, capable of powering magical structures or being used in crafting. Its worth would depend on its purity, but for now, it would be stored safely.]

[The other slimes settled around the clearing, some wriggling toward the Slime Lake while others lingered nearby, their silent vigilance oddly comforting.]

[The roasted hare's skin began to crisp, and you carefully rotated it to ensure even cooking. The savory aroma wafted through the air, making your stomach growl with anticipation.]

[The slimes around you quivered slightly, their curious eyes fixed on the meal being prepared, though they showed no signs of wanting to eat.]

[After what felt like an eternity of waiting, you finally decided the hare was ready. You pulled it away from the fire, letting it cool for a moment before tearing into the roasted meat.]

[The taste was simple but satisfying, a reminder of how much you had needed sustenance after the long day. You devoured the hare quickly, leaving nothing but bones, and felt a wave of relief as your hunger subsided.]

[Once finished, you leaned back on a nearby log, letting out a contented sigh as you gazed at the crackling fire.]

[Around you, the slimes wriggled aimlessly, seemingly at peace in your presence. The rhythmic popping of the firewood and the gentle wobbling of your gelatinous subjects created an oddly tranquil atmosphere.]

[But the peace didn't last long. Your thoughts turned toward the future and the challenges ahead. Though the Dilapidated Lord's Hall provided basic shelter, it was old and crumbling, hardly suitable for expansion or long-term survival.]

[A proper house—no, an entire village—would be necessary if you were to elevate this FFF-rank Slime Village to something greater.]

[You stood, brushing the dust off your clothes, and looked down at the slimes gathered nearby. They responded immediately to your presence, their bodies wobbling as they turned their round eyes toward you.]

["Let's test something," you muttered, determination sparking in your heterochromatic eyes.]

[You commanded twenty slimes to gather wood from the nearby forest and another ten to bring stones from the riverbank. The slimes moved quickly, their gelatinous bodies rippling as they obeyed your orders without hesitation.]

[It wasn't long before the slimes returned, hauling branches, logs, and rough stones with surprising efficiency.]

[Next, you directed them to shape the materials. The slimes used their bodies to dissolve and reshape the wood and stones into crude planks and blocks.]

[For a moment, you felt a flicker of hope. If they could manipulate materials this way, perhaps construction was possible.]

[But as the task progressed, it became clear that their lack of hands and intelligence was a major obstacle. While they could decompose materials into shapes, they couldn't assemble those pieces into a coherent structure.]

[Logs and planks were scattered haphazardly, and stones were piled in uneven stacks, far from the framework of a proper house.]

[You watched as one slime, in an apparent attempt to "help," accidentally dissolved part of a shaped plank, rendering it useless.]

[Another wobbled into a pile of stones, sending them tumbling in every direction. A sigh escaped your lips as you realized the futility of the effort.]

["I suppose expecting slimes to build a house was too much," you muttered, shaking your head.]