Noah considered Arthur's offer for some time and found no reason to deny it. After all, the only thing he needed to do was get stronger, and he was already doing that.
As for trusting others… that was the only problem. He could pretend to believe them and gain the benefits, but he didn't feel good about that.
"I'll be honest with you since you're being so nice," Noah looked up at Arthur—something he hated because of his short height—and said, "I won't trust you or any of your friends you gather. Heck, I'm saying this upfront. If I see benefits, I'd stab my sword right through your heart."
Completely ignoring his threat, Arthur smiled brightly and asked, "So you agree?"
Looking at Arthur as if he was an idiot, Noah nodded. "The benefits are too good to ignore. So, yeah, I'll join your cohort, but remember what I said."
"Hehe, I'm sure you'll get your character development and begin to trust others," Arthur laughed, throwing his arm around Noah's neck. "Now, let's go and conquer the world!"
Just then, grumbling sounds came from their stomachs, and they looked at each other. A smile broke out on their faces as they separated and went to sit in the center of the cave.
They had taken Giant Monkey meat for this very reason, after all.
Before Noah could do anything with the giant slab of meat, Arthur snatched it from him and said, "Leave the cooking to me. Even if you searched the whole world, you wouldn't find any cook better than me."
Noah shrugged and let him handle the cooking. He just moved close to the wall, allowing himself to relax slightly.
From his observation and conversation with Arthur, he came to a conclusion. Arthur was a mentally ill person who wanted to be the hero and save the world.
However, unlike the self-righteous pricks he had met before, Arthur was different. He wasn't a complete hypocrite and hid a lot of things under his playful persona.
Noah had noticed from the very beginning that Arthur hadn't let his guard down, not even for a second. If he had tried anything against him, Arthur would have easily survived.
'Just what kind of monster have I met here in this wasteland?'
All of his observations led Noah to believe that Arthur could be trusted… a little. He'd rather trust a competent, mysterious person like Arthur than a good, kind-hearted one.
Of course, even with all this, Noah kept his guard up, knowing that even minor negligence could cost him his life, something he strangely treasured.
While Noah was busy thinking about his choices, Arthur completely ignored him and focused on cooking.
He had spent years in the wilderness, away from humanity, and survived. In fact, after the Third Cataclysm, most of humanity was forced to live like that.
So, he had enough experience to turn even the worst meat into a delicacy. Well, there were some people he would credit for his cooking skills.
Thinking of one particular person, a smile formed on Arthur's lips as he thought, 'I hope I meet her soon.'
After properly roasting the meat, he added his special seasoning and let it cook a bit longer. Then, he called Noah for dinner.
As Noah approached, he could already smell the fragrance hitting his nostrils. He gulped, anticipation clear in his eyes.
He quickly sat down, took the meat from Arthur's hand, and began to eat. For a few moments, he said nothing, just savoring the meal.
Closing his eyes, he relished the flavors. He had grown up eating the tasteless food of the slums, barely enough to sustain him. Now, eating the heavenly meal prepared by a skilled cook, he almost wanted to cry in happiness.
'Goddamn! Is this what inner-circle people eat? Lucky bastards!' Noah wanted to curse, but the meat was too tasty, so he just ate silently, enjoying his first-ever proper meal.
Seeing his friend's satisfied expression, Arthur smiled. 'Eat all you want, buddy. I won't let you live that frugal life anymore. Heh, but you'll still be the short king, haha!'
He shook his head in amusement and finished his meal, then simply waited for Noah, who was enjoying every bit of his, which made Arthur incredibly happy.
Food was something he loved deeply, so seeing his friend appreciate it brought him great joy.
After he finished, Noah licked his lips and asked, "So, do you guys eat like this every day?"
"Of course not. As I said, I'm the best cook," Arthur waved his hand and grinned. "You're lucky to have tasted it, not many get this chance, after all."
Noah nodded absentmindedly, starting to feel that his decision to join Arthur's cohort was the right one. His eyes filled with determination as he stood up and said, "Let's go hunt some more food, then."
"Calm down, Mr. Dark Knight," Arthur rolled his eyes and forced Noah to sit down. "You can't eat too much Abyssal Creature meat."
"Huh? Why? It's so tasty," Noah felt as though he were losing something very important, and he didn't like it one bit.
"Chill out! You're forgetting that Abyssal Creatures are filled with Abyssal Energy. Even if most of it disperses into the atmosphere after they die, some remains in the flesh and bones," Arthur sighed.
A smirk tugged at his lips as he continued, "Eating it occasionally is fine since the system core purifies it. But eat too much, and even the system core would give up on you. Then, you'd turn into an Abyssal Creature yourself, filled with hunger and madness."
Noah felt a chill run down his spine and shivered. He quickly shook his head and said, "On second thought, I'm full already."
"Haha! Then let's get to work!" Arthur laughed, standing up. "I need us to reach the peak of Novice Rank this week!"
"That's impossible for you, but sure," Noah stood up and scoffed at Arthur.
Then, the duo left the cave to hunt down the abominations.