"Hop!" Hovering in the air, Ives somersaulted and landed in a small crouch. Turning around, he immediately grabbed Biscuit's hand and embraced her.
"Thanks."
"Looks like we're the first ones to arrive." Looking around, he didn't see a soul in sight, just the flat expanse of Split Mountain's peak.
The Hunter Association's Airship propellers could be heard from above the sky. Judging by its current movement and position, it seemed that they did not plan to descend until at least some of the participants had climbed to the mountain peak.
"Can you let me go now?" Biscuit asked in a shy tone.
"Hmm, maybe we should wait." Somewhat reluctantly, Ives released his hug. She was a hundred percent hugable, like a giant doll made of cotton and velvet. You could say he was quite addicted.
Walking to the cliff's edge, he looked down and asked, "While waiting, do you want to try some Spider Eagle eggs?" He remembered having some Special moss from his previous 'hunt.' There were four bottles, and he could use one and sprinkle it on the eggs.
"Hmm, why not? Who's going to take it down there?" Standing next to him, she squinted her eyes.
"Let me do it. You wait here, oh, prepare the fire too."
"Okay, and be careful." She nodded. Seeing Ives already jump down, she immediately grabbed some dry twigs around the area.
Although the mountaintop looked barren, there were still some small trees, and there might also be birds dropping twigs that they brought with them as they passed by. Using her weapon, she lights the twigs.
Fifteen minutes later, Ives emerged and landed with two Speader Eagle eggs in each hand. Unlike chicken eggs, these were several times larger, about the size of an ostrich egg.
At first, he wanted to take three or four eggs, but because there were only two eggs nearby, he decided to take what was available. Sometimes, being too greedy doesn't pay.
"Phew, that was close." Ives walked towards Biscuit, who had made a campfire while wiping his sweat.
"What happened?"
"I misjudged the wind's timing about two seconds too early, " He replied with a small smile. "Okay, one for you. Many people say this egg tastes awesome, and I can't wait to try it."
"Thank goodness you're safe. And yeah, I heard the same thing. This will be our first time tasting these eggs; I hope they're delicious." Biscuit took one and then roasted it right over the fire.
"I'll try sprinkling it with this moss; let's see if the taste will meet my expectations."
"..." Seeing him take out a small jar containing the dark green stuff, Biscuit finally remembered that he had indeed collected moss from the horns of the bear they had fought. She wondered whether this guy really didn't feel disgusted.
An hour passed, and they were already enjoying the results of their baking. The taste was indeed very delicious. Even Ives, who had tried various modern dishes in his previous life, was surprised when he tasted this unseasoned egg. The taste became twice as strong when he sprinkled it with the moss. The fragrance also changed to the smell of the forest. Have you ever been to a clear spring in the forest? Yes, it smells like that.
Within an hour, only two additional participants had reached the top of the mountain. Those who had just arrived immediately smelled the fragrant aroma of the other participants' roasted eggs. They gulped, tempted by the aroma. Because they were hungry, they decided to taste one, too.
Approached by two men carrying raw Spider Eagle eggs, Ives didn't mind sharing his campfire. It was a one-time use, so it's not a big deal.
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