"This is the eighth monster without any drops!" Oliver shouted.
They had been hunting for four hours now, but had gained nothing so far.
Everyone felt frustrated because they didn't understand how it worked.
They treated it as a game and thus expected the monsters to drop items when they died.
However, Oliver couldn't take it.
He exploded in frustration. He had to question it. "Is there any convincing reason to pull these corpses around?"
"Grehk!" Hobo shouted, answering the question.
Unfortunately, Oliver couldn't understand a thing.
"Shut up, Hobo! I can't even understand you," Oliver stated.
"Greeehk, greehk!" Hobo grumbled.
He pointed at the corpses, jumping hysterically.
Then he approached one of the corpses, pointing at specific parts such as scales, gems, and metals.
"Grehk, grehk, grehk!" He cheered, tearing off a scale before offering the item to Oliver.
Oliver facepalmed. 'Why are all the sane ones suddenly mute?'
Nate had five summons now, and three could speak perfectly.
However, the Dark Elf ignored him completely while Vulcan was busy pulling the corpses along with the rest of the squad.
'Why won't they answer instead of this... unholy gibberish abomination?!'
He couldn't understand a word, but he had a sudden realization, though it was still just a guess.
Thankfully, Nate smiled, clarifying, "Relax, Oliver. The corpses contain the items."
"But we need more to get decent gear," He continued.
Arthur frowned, feeling concerned about their current situation.
'I will guess Nate can't notice it because he's used to it,' he thought. 'But we are getting malnourished slowly...'
Infernum's heat left them thirsty.
They were getting hungry and tired because the three hours they rested felt like hell.
"How many monsters are left until we finish? Everyone's malnourished," Arthur said.
Nate nodded calmly, thinking about a solution.
'Monster food would do, but eating it raw is out of the question. Water... Maybe a water summon can do. As for resting, they should get used to Infernum's conditions instead,' he thought.
Having them finish the item hunt was better than giving up.
"We need 3 monsters for each of us to count," Nate answered. "We can solve the water issue easily. How about some monster meat for now?" He smiled excitedly.
Ivy shook her head, saying, "Monster? These ugly monsters?! I think I will pass."
The majority of the monsters looked extremely grotesque, killing her appetite.
Nate smiled.
She was a child and all, but getting her used to Infernum's cruelty alongside her growth was the best route.
'Her age won't protect her from the demons. And she's an alchemist,' Nate nodded approvingly.
Since he started investing in her, he made sure to turn her into someone reliable.
Thankfully, monsters were tasty since they were chunks of soul essence.
They were great if prepared and cooked correctly.
"Maybe they're ugly, but their taste surpasses most foods on Earth." Nate shrugged his shoulders. "Give it a try, Ivy. You won't regret it."
Alice smiled; it was a chance she had desired for a long time.
First, to push her sister's courage a little further, and second, to grow closer to Nate.
"I will join you," She said. "But you must impress me!"
"Feisty... Aren't you?" Nate answered jokingly.
'No? That's not what I meant!" Alice screamed internally. ' I just wanted to ensure my safety...'
The information Nate showed so far was bound to attract some attention.
Alice appreciated it, she grew fond of him.
She believed being with him increased her survival ratio, but she couldn't accept that in her current state...
'Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen Healer, because I refuse to be an anchor that holds him down.'
'But fuck! The achievement wouldn't have been possible without me...'
Alice drowned in her thoughts, reflecting on her choices.
On one hand, she debated whether Healer was a good choice. But on the other hand, she believed it was worthy.
'I can't change it...' She thought, concluding. 'Better move on forward and hope for a decent advancement.'
She had long known their goal. By now, the only thing she could do was ignore the past.
Alice was lost in thought. Nate was preparing the food.
He was aware of her mind's absence, but didn't bother himself knowing she was fine.
While he wished to stay in Infernum for two more days, he couldn't just casually silence them.
'I will quit school and focus on this war, but I can't force them to do the same,' He thought.
They weren't as experienced as he was; they had lives outside, and their decisions were theirs to make.
But deep down, he was sure of one thing.
'There will be a long lockdown before things return to normal.'
He grinned wildly, remembering the past timeline.
There was nothing to stop him from taking advantage of what he already knew.
"Ivy, do something about your sister. She's too embarrassed now," Nate announced, having finished five meat sticks.
'Are you sure about that?' Ivy thought.
She didn't see embarrassment, she saw shock and concern on Alice's face.
'Looks nice,' Ivy thought, impressed with how the food looked. But she refused to eat. 'Better grant her wish, and ensure it's safe while we are at it.'
She narrowed her eyes, still believing the monster meat would be as horrible as it looked.
"Sister, the monster meat is ready!" Ivy nudged Alice, pointing at the meat sticks in front.
"HUH? WHAT? WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Alice's sudden awakening threw her into panic.
It brought everyone's attention to her, each with a different reaction.
Nate snickered; it was a priceless reaction to him.
"Here, you want to be the first. So eat up!" He spoke, offering her the meal.
She blushed, "Ah yes," Before snatching the meat stick.
The rest looked at her, knowing they would decide whether to eat or not based on her review.
Unlike her sister, Alice's trust in Nate was far deeper.
So she bit on the meat, happily chewing on it.
A few seconds passed, and soon enough, she finished, swallowing it whole.
It tasted bland, nothing like Nate claimed. But it was fulfilling its purpose and easing her hunger.
But she had to act otherwise.
'Return now? Hell no, we should continue until we're ready,' she nodded, approving of her thought.
"It's great, thank you!" She shouted excitedly before continuing reluctantly.