I stare dumbly at the core. After about a minute I stammer out, “My partner? Like as a tamed monster? But you just said you couldn’t give me a Soul Level…”

  “You want to be my partner Notch? This may not change your life at all I still have that Soul Bond with Nars and have to follow what he says,” I don’t want to scare off the little slime, but I feel like I need to make this clear from the onset. But I didn’t have to worry about anything Notch just does his nod wiggle. With excitement, I say, “Okay, Core I consent to be partners with Notch.”

  Another nod wiggle from Notch.

  “What!? Did I just agree to marry a Slime?” I shout staring daggers at the Core. That is until I see Notch doing a weird laughing wiggle. “You’re messing with me again aren't you?”

  All I can do is mumble angrily I don’t yell off the one thing that could change my life over and over while Notch and the core are having their laugh.

  “Anything,” I say almost instantly.

  “The first I understand, but I don’t understand the second condition. We could help all the Zeros in the Empire have a better life. This can change everything,” I say with some confusion.

  “I still don’t agree with the reasoning too much, but I will agree to these conditions. How do I do a System Oath and what are the consequences if I break this oath?” I only wavered on this decision for a second. I really want this, but I have never heard of a System Oath before.

  I will admit this made me hesitate for a few minutes. Breaking this oath will kill me… but it sounds like I have to try and break it, so I decided to just go with it.

  In a loud, clear voice, I say, “I Nox, swear to the System that I will never willingly tell anyone or anything the location or information of Dungeon #6283k and what the secret is to gaining a monster partner unless Dungeon #6283k gives permission otherwise.”

  I select yes, and another screen pops up.

  What is a system administrator? Is that God? Or maybe some kind of divine being?

  Notch and I both nod one of us with more of a wiggle than the other but my knees are shaking so bad that could be me. The Core starts to glow so bright that it’s blinding and then darkness. That is until...

  With an almost giddy excitement, I hit the yes button again, and another screen pops into view.

  Again with the System Administrator. Before I can think about this some more another screen appears that makes me shout in joy.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  I pick Notch up and start dancing in a circle with him in excitement. Unfortunately, it is hard to keep a grip on a ball of green slime, and I drop him… not the best way to celebrate a new partnership. After a minute of Notch berating me with different wiggles, he forgives me and then slimes up onto my shoulder and points to the Core.

  “Ah, yes I guess we should thank the Core,” I say to Notch and put my hand back on the Core.

  “Yeah, it worked thank you, but I haven’t checked to see yet,” with that said, I think ‘status.’

  “I can check my status now thank you again,” I say through tears of joy. “But I don’t understand half of it.”

  I nod to the Core and have Notch slid onto my palms so I can look at him and say, “Thank you, Notch, you have changed my life in a way I thought was impossible. Thank you.” This doesn’t even scratch the surface of my gratitude towards the little slime, but it is all I am able to vocalize.

  As for Notch he just wiggles at me as if to say he understands how I feel and that is was no problem we’re friends… How I got all that from just wiggles, I don’t know, but it was there. So, I just nod and allow him to get back on my shoulder and put one of my hands back on the Core.

  I look at my partner, and he just does his shrug so I say, “Tomorrow, I don’t think I’d be able to go too far now this day has been physically and emotionally draining. It’ll give me a chance to become familiar with my status screen also.”

  I set Notch down and wave back to the Core, “Thanks again see you in the morning.” and walk out following Notch. In the boss room, Gloop and Ooze are waiting for me.

  “Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon human,” says Ooze. “But the Core still has you marked as a guest, so I guess I don’t get to eat you… too bad.”

  Gloop swats at him then says, “You look tired dear we can talk tomorrow just follow Notch, and he’ll lead you back to your room.”

  Gloop waves me off, and Ooze does too after Gloop hits him again. I just wave back and laugh in my head at the weird duo of Slimes and follow Notch once again. When we get back to the room, I woke up in earlier there is now a straw mattress laying on the floor, so I say to the air, “Thanks for the bed Dungeon.” And lay down on it and start going through my status screen section by section. After I read through it all, I go to sleep, and for the first time in months, I am looking forward to tomorrow.

  These are the status screen descriptions.

  I guess I deserved that...