Down the line, Aectaeon found calmness within his heart.
Far from his previous situations, Aectaeon had an easier time dealing with the incident. He assayed to put a smile on his face though it might seem fake. It was better than the expression he had at that moment with his head down.
While he was distracted with his own issues, Ralkias thought of something that he could offer to show remorse for asking such a query.
"Aectaeon, you have a game inventory, yes?"
Aectaeon nodded his head, still attempting to change the look on his face.
"That very inventory, meaning all of the items in it, you will be able to carry it back to the Obelisk if you clear the game."
"What?" Aectaeon asked as he suddenly raised his head.
Feeling the man's gaze, Ralkias lowered his gaze to take a gander at Aectaeon. As he did so, the man shuddered at glints on Aectaeon's eyes. He snorted, and soon began chuckling.
Narrowing his eyes on Ralkias, Aectaeon queried, "What's wrong? Did I say something worth laughing at?"
"No, no, that's not it. I just thought that, ah, we're the same after all." Ralkias spoke as he shook his head.
"We're the same?"
"Don't mind what I said. Anyway, I just want to clarify that what I'm saying is true. Go ahead and say 'Valise'."
Aectaeon nodded and immediately followed the man's instructions.
"Valise."
[[ INVENTORY - VALISE ]]
[[ Journal Notebook x 1 ]]
[[ Black Pen x 1 ]]
[[ Water Canteen x 1 ]]
[[ MRE Packs x 9 ]]
[[ Rechargeable Flashlight x 1 ]]
[[ Night Vision Goggles x 1 ]]
[[ Swiss Army Knife x 1 ]]
[[ Tactical Radio x 1 ]]
[[ Satellite Phone x 1 ]]
[[ Compass x 1 ]]
[[ Sleeping Bag x 1 ]]
[[ To Exit Inventory - Valise Window: recite "CLOSE" ]]
"Close"
Though it was unfortunate that Aectaeon wasn't able to preserve the weapons, he was glad to have known that such a function was in effect. That alone satisfied him.
He bowed his head at Ralkias and muttered his gratitude. Right after, he racked his head to think of how to repay Ralkias. The information that he just gave was, perchance, more valuable than his life.
Seeing Aectaeon's nose bridge crinkling, Ralkias forthwith knew what the man was thinking about. He gave Aectaeon a tap on his shoulder, interrupting his concentration.
"It's your turn to ask."
"But-"
"Return the favor next time we meet. For now, ask away. There's only a little time before we need to head to the first floor."
In spite of wanting to be stubborn, Aectaeon dismissed his impulsion that instant. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself. In due course, he regathered his composure.
"I have already quelled most of my confusion while I was thinking earlier. The thing I am most curious about right now is our ability."
"Amoris Versatilis?"
"Yes, we need 10 points for efficiency before we can reveal its features. That's why in my next world, I am planning on taking my time. There might be missions that have efficiency for the ability as a reward."
Ralkias thought in regards to Aectaeon's plan, bobbing his head as he found it plausible.
"How many points did you get in the last world? I acquired three points for clearing the game, one point for accomplishing a mission. In total, I have four." Ralkias declared, counting with his fingers along.
"Four as well. Now I'm curious about the other one. Amoris Versatilis Spicio."
[[ Amoris Versatilis ]]
[[ Ability Grade: Ungraded ]]
[[ Description: ??? ]]
[[ Efficiency: 4/35 ]]
[[ To Exit Ability Window: recite "QUIT" ]]
Aectaeon stuck his lips out as he read what was in the panel. There wasn't much to read, considering that the description had yet to be revealed.
With a sigh, Aectaeon exited the ability window. He then gazed at Ralkias, a malicious smile hovering on his countenance.
"Since I've asked my last question, we're done. Am I right?"
Ralkias just jeered at Aectaeon prior to taking a stand. As he was about to do so, he decided against it when he felt his stomach churn. He rubbed his stomach and looked at his own Inventory.
"I've already exhausted my food supply. If I only knew that I can bring my inventory to the Obelisk, I would've searched for more."
Hearing his complaint, Aectaeon had the idea of giving out his own food. But there was a slight problem.
"Is the command for using items from the inventory the same as the one in the game world? No harm in trying. Use MRE Pack."
At that instant, the MRE Pack materialized on the ground. Aectaeon picked it up and read the label.
"Rafoneti? What kind of dish is that?" He queried, tearing open the pack shortly thereafter.
Right then, the smell of tomatoes, combined with the strong aroma of basil and liver spread, hit his nose. He looked inside and saw that there were two chicken parts, a drumstick and a thigh. There were also big cuts of tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Mixed in with the sauce was a whole cup of rice. Aectaeon felt his mouth water, making him gulp his saliva.
Despite the hunger that suddenly visited him, Aectaeon handed the pack over to Ralkias.
"Really? You're willing to give this to me?"
Even though he was asking, Ralkias had already snatched the MRE pack away from Aectaeon.
Without wasting a second, Aectaeon brought out another one. In this instance, the pack was filled with a soy sauce-based dish. Three tail cuts of what seemed like a Bluefin Tuna were covered with the sweet brown sauce. Slices of sweet onions and garlic brightened the dish and gave it an aromatic flavor.
Before they knew it, the two were wolfing down the dish as if they hadn't eaten for a month. Only the sound of them chewing could be heard on the 51st floor.
Both Aectaeon and Ralkias brought out their own water containers, emptying them in a hurry to help them digest the food.
And just like that, the time for Aectaeon and Ralkias to pay a visit to the 1st floor once more had come.