Jhin wasn't entirely sure what had caused the skill to level up. Perhaps it was the result of the high-intensity use of the [Blade of Resurrection] over the past while, or maybe it was from using his life force to clear away his mental fatigue.
In any case, the [Life Spring] skill had risen to Lv2.
The benefit of that level-up was that his endurance in prolonged combat had grown stronger—the sword aura he released while wearing the [Elemental Armament] now cost almost nothing. And there was one more thing Jhin himself didn't realize: anyone who stood within one meter of him now would feel their mind grow much clearer, their physical exhaustion gradually melting away.
Breathing in the fresh scent given off by the Crimson Fragrant Fruit Leaf—something like a blend of rosemary and mint—Jhin took the Iron-Feathered Crimson Eagle out of his storage space and stared at it blankly.
He had no idea whether this monster was edible. He just instinctively figured that since it had "eagle" in its name, it had to be some kind of bird. And if it was a bird, then rounding things off generously, it was surely related to its distant cousin the "chicken," that common bit of poultry—and with a connection like that, of course its meat would be fine to eat.
The relevant books didn't record in any detail just how many kinds of edible monsters there were in the Red Dragon Volcano. They only gave a rough note: "This is paradise for carnivore lovers." Presumably there were simply too many edible species to list them all.
Holding to the principle of figuring it out before eating, Jhin sliced off one of the Iron-Feathered Crimson Eagle's wings, manipulated the fire element to burn the feathers clean, then scored a few decorative cuts across it, sprinkled on some seasoning, and set it over the fire to roast.
In a sense, his current method was a way of training the precision of his elemental control. Making sure to burn off every feather and every hair root in the skin without affecting the wing itself was, all things considered, a fairly difficult thing to pull off.
With the high-temperature environment combined with the searing flames, golden, savory-smelling fat soon began dripping from the gaps of the decorative cuts in the wing, mixing with the seasoning as it steadily fell into the fire.
"Gurgle~"
Kyaru turned her face away from the tempting roasted wing, her little cheeks flushed red. From the way her snow-white throat moved, you could tell she was secretly swallowing her saliva, her fingers fidgeting and twisting around each other uneasily.
Considering she really had performed well today—her timing in casting magic and her judgment of the battle situation had both been spot-on—rewarding her with one roasted wing wasn't too much.
Jhin cut off a small piece of meat and put it into his mouth, first leaving it on his tongue for ten seconds. He felt no numbness or pain, which meant this food most likely wasn't poisonous. Then he held the wing out in front of her: "You did a good job today. This meat's safe to eat—go ahead and have some first."
"You—you're really giving it to me?" Kyaru's eyes went wide with disbelief. From the moment they'd set out, she'd steeled herself to be used as a mere tool—no matter what Jhin did to her, she wouldn't utter a single complaint. Yet his attitude was completely different from what she'd imagined, so kind that it even made her nose sting.
"It's just food. I'm not so petty that I won't even give you this much."
"B-but I'm..." Kyaru stared into those sky-blue eyes of his, unable to find any negative emotion within them—he was simply, purely looking at her. Her lips trembled a couple of times before she forced out the words that had been weighing on her heart all along: "I'm a traitor..."
"Haah... I really don't want to discuss this topic with you, but since you brought it up yourself..." Jhin stubbornly shoved the food into her hands and, while dealing with the rest of the Iron-Feathered Crimson Eagle's meat, said, "As things stand right now, it's basically impossible for me to just treat you as a traitor."
"Why?" Why?
"Because the one who makes that decision isn't me—it's Kokkoro. And besides, the memory wipe that mastermind did to you means you were just another pawn it exploited. If we're really settling accounts, I still have to find it first."
"More importantly, I don't want to inexplicably lose a helper who's assisting me in waking Kokkoro. As for our relationship right now, just think of us as strangers who've only just met. That way it'll be easier on everyone."
Having said all that in one breath, Jhin's mouth felt a bit dry. He took a cup full of cola out of his storage space and drank a couple of mouthfuls, only to find that in this kind of heat the cola had turned into pure sugar water—and his interest instantly vanished.
"Oh right, are you keeping that amulet on you?"
"Mm, I've got it with me."
"That thing can detect the mastermind's aura, so you have to keep it on you—in case it really has set up some kind of trap on you, so I can respond in time."
He didn't mention its protection and teleportation functions at all...
Kyaru kept the amulet in the inner pocket over her chest. For some reason, she instinctively felt that this pocket should have held something far more precious—a pity that it was empty now, leaving it only good for storing the amulet.
"Oh, that reminds me—do you know teleportation magic?" Jhin suddenly recalled the Crimson Demon Clan's teleportation magic. It just so happened he wanted to improve his current spells and see whether he could create something with a similar effect.
"I'm not yet an Archmage, so I can't learn teleportation magic."
"Then do you know any information about teleportation magic?"
"Mm. Teleportation magic mixes the light, lightning, and wind elements to create a special substance called a spatial positioning anchor. Once you create that substance, you can use the anchor to send yourself to a designated place."
"How exactly is it done?"
"That part I'm not clear on. Very few Archmages have ever succeeded in learning teleportation magic—the Crimson Demon Clan being the exception."
"After all, you have to master all three elemental systems, which wouldn't be hard for me. But without knowing the exact process and having no reference, there's no way for me to learn it."
Jhin had no choice but to set the matter of researching teleportation magic aside for later. The most important thing right now was, of course, chowing down!
The Iron-Feathered Crimson Eagle's chicken—no, the bird meat tasted similar to chicken, but with an added fragrance of Sichuan peppercorn. He was certain he hadn't added any such seasoning. This meat with its own special aroma was incredibly satisfying to eat, and in a flash Jhin had gnawed half its body down to nothing but bones.
Kyaru nibbled at the wing in small bites, her speed not the least bit inferior to Jhin's. The other wing had likewise been forced into her hands by him, while he muttered something like, "You've gotta eat your fill to have the strength to work."
She understood in her heart that, in truth, he was still treating her as a companion. Such words were merely an excuse he'd come up with to shove the food over to her.
After finishing this simple dinner, Kyaru proactively offered, "I'll keep watch tonight!"
"No need." He waved his hand and set up several elemental barriers. "Just sleep and rest up. Tomorrow I want to keep pushing deeper inside—the monsters within this range don't even meet the standard for practice."
He wasn't talking big, either. The moment he activated his Time Stop, almost no monster nearby could withstand the attack of his [Resplendent Blade]. The Iron-Feathered Crimson Eagle had died exactly like that, in the combo of Time Stop plus thrust.
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