My first craft

Tired but with a big smile, I started heading towards the cave. I'd looted some important machine parts, metal, food, and even my first skill. I was particularly excited about the skill, which would make hunting in the Mother's Embrace much easier from now on.

After a long journey, I finally spotted the cave. Upon entering, I saw Albedo adding more wood to the campfire. She looked both tired and bored.

"Hey, Albedo. Any luck gathering supplies today?"

"Of course," she replied confidently. "I'm the best gatherer around. The basket's full of berries and some fruits."

"Very good," I said. "Tonight, we feast. Tomorrow, I'll start your spear training. You need to eat well to get stronger."

I set my spear and bow aside, handing her the meat to skin and cook. I apologized for not bringing back a boar, but when she saw the loot I'd gathered, her mood shifted. She was immediately impressed and quickly forgot about the boar.

"You did all this? How? There must be four machine parts here!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Hehe. Told you I was good. This is nothing," I replied proudly, thumping my chest. I told her I was going to craft the spear while she cooked and that I wanted no distractions.

Recording the brave Nora hunters with my focus early on had been a good idea. After they took down the Striders, they crafted arrows on-site while I recorded the whole thing. Now, I just needed to study the video and make my own arrows, as well as learn some new moves.

Making the spear wasn't difficult. I already had a good chunk of metal from the Watcher I'd taken down, which was the best material for the spear. Striders don't provide much metal, but they offer more wires and resources like blaze and synthetic fibers.

I grabbed my old, worn-out wood spear and began working on it like an Oseram forger. I used the wires from the Striders, the metal from the Watcher, and tied everything together with synthetic fiber. After ensuring the balance was right and that it wouldn't fall apart with one strike, I was happy with the result. I made another one for Albedo, who was watching me work while cooking.

Then came the arrows. After watching the Nora hunters for a long time, I realized it wasn't that hard to craft simple arrows. I made a new batch for tomorrow's hunt. All I needed now was a new bow for both of us.

Satisfied with my crafting, I turned to Albedo and said seriously, "Here you go. A proper Nora hunting spear. Listen, Albedo, this is now your best friend. You'll sleep with her, care for her, because this weapon could save your life someday."

She nodded and eagerly took the spear, testing its balance and height with a few moves.

"Thank you, Noir. For everything," she said, wiping away a few unshed tears. "Now sit by the fire while I finish preparing our dinner."

As we ate in comfortable silence, I was already thinking about the next day. I would teach her some spear moves in the morning, then send her out to gather more supplies. With a good spear, she could try hunting fish while I went after more Watchers for parts. Maybe tomorrow would be the day I finally met TIM.

"Do you know how to stitch? We have a lot of leather now," I asked, glancing at the skins drying by the fire.

"I've never done it before, and I don't have needles, but I can try," she replied, looking a little down.

I could tell she felt bad about not being more useful, so I tried to cheer her up. "It's okay. I'll make you something to craft. We still have some materials left, and you did a great job today. Don't look so sad."

She was just a kid, and here I was treating her like my personal maid, but when I told her she'd done a good job, her smile was genuine.

"Now, let's get some sleep. Big day tomorrow, and you need the rest. I won't go easy on you, so be ready."

"Good. That's all I want. I won't disappoint my ancestors. I'll do my best. Night, Noir."

Poor girl, I'm going to work you hard tomorrow.

"Night."