Chapter 171
Unable to contain himself any longer, Rex slurped a bowl of noodles and took a bite of the rabbit meat.
"Your mana will be replenished quicker if you eat," I reminded them, taking a bite of the juicy meat. "Animals around here have high mana content, and eating will help you adapt."
At my words, Angela finally picked up her bowl and utensils, breaking the initial stalemate. Seeing her start to eat brought a wave of relief over Whitney, who immediately filled her own bowl with noodles. Edge looked skeptical, still hesitant, but as his stomach grumbled loudly in protest, he couldn’t hold off any longer. He dipped his fork into his bowl and took his first bite.
He paused briefly as if processing the flavor, and I watched closely. Then he took another bite. And another. Soon, he finished off all the food in his bowl and reached for another serving, his earlier resistance completely vanished.
For the next thirty minutes, a comfortable silence filled with the sounds of eating—the clinking of utensils against bowls, the sizzling of meat on the grill, and the occasional sigh of satisfaction.
Around the time the meal was winding down, Whitney hesitantly raised her voice, her expression questioning. "W-Where’s the water?"
I gestured to the filled jugs lying nearby. "We have plenty, it’s just over there," I replied, trying to keep the mood light.
But Angela piped up, her brow furrowing as she got a good look at me. "By the way, are you taking baths? You look really dirty."
I chuckled lightly. "I do. I take baths at the stream," I answered indifferently.
"What!? Then does that mean that the water we just drank—" Angela started to say, her eyes wide with concern.
I quickly cut her off. "It’s a different stream. Plus, we boiled it," I assured her.