The speed of his descent was fast and efficient as he used gravity to his advantage.
After about an hour, he was back at the base, his face calm as the remaining snow drifted away from his back.
Aengus suddenly felt hungry, which was strange considering he had eaten just last night with Sofia and the others.
He should easily have been able to go a few days without eating, given his capabilities and body control.
Feeling puzzled, Aengus looked for prey to satisfy his hunger.
Amidst the dense canopy and foggy environment that crystallized into water droplets, he spotted a large leopard-like monster, eagerly waiting for its prey to appear.
Swoosh!
Slash!
With extreme agility and silent steps, he flashed forward and slashed the leopard's neck cleanly.
Aengus wasted no time after killing the leopard-like monster, dragging its limp body to a nearby clear area.
The dense canopy above let only slivers of light filter through, casting shadows that danced around him as he walked.
Thud!
Placing the body down, Aengus quickly began preparing the creature, his hands moving with practiced agility. With his blade, he crudely skinned the monster, cutting away the tender meat. Blood spilled onto the snow, steam rising as the warmth of the kill contrasted against the frigid ground.
Aengus' face remained impassive, though a flicker of curiosity crossed his mind.
"What could be the reason for this sudden hunger?"
"Was this place somehow affecting my body?"
"What kind of power is behind all these?"
The questions remained unanswered, but his cautiousness heightened. He was suddenly reminded of Aria, hoping she was safe. Considering Aria's C-Rank power, it shouldn't be too difficult for her unless she faced something beyond his understanding.
[ Description: Slightly increases user's experience for leveling up. Works best for users of the same rank (D = D). ]
Seeing the appraisal, Aengus realized it wouldn't be much use to him due to its low grade. However, noticing the girl's hungry look, he decided not to be too demanding.
"Give me three, and you can eat," he said, raising the number, not appearing soft or easy to negotiate with.
"What! Three?" The girl widened her eyes as if he'd demanded something outrageous.
"Do you know how hard I worked to gather these? It took me forever just to collect a few!"
"I can give you two at most. If not, I'd rather die than give you the third. I need them to raise my rank to C-Rank." The girl stood her ground, defiant.
"Fine." Aengus shrugged and accepted the two Essence Cores from her, appearing before her like a ghost, causing her to jump back in surprise.
"You—You're a C-Rank?" she asked, eyes scanning him more thoroughly now, trying to gauge his strength.
"You can think so," Aengus replied, remaining seated, his curiosity piqued about the Essence Cores.
"Where did you find these?"
The girl, now stuffing her mouth with food, answered in a muffled voice, "I found them in a monster lair. At first, I distracted the monsters, then when I saw the chance, I took them. Smart, right?"
"So, there's none left there?" he asked.
"No. I haven't seen any more," she replied, shaking her head.
"Okay, then that's that," Aengus said as he suddenly stood up, surprising the girl.
"Wait, where are you going? Let's team up. I know I'm weaker than you, but two is better than one, right?" she quickly said, shoving more food into her mouth and choking on it in her hurry. She fumbled for a water bag from her spatial ring and drank from it.
She looked over to where Aengus had been standing, but he was gone, vanished like a ghost. Only a faint, lingering sentence echoed in the air.
"You'd only be a burden."
The girl clenched her fists in anger. "What a heartless fellow!"