Can't Feed The World

Looking at the map on the desk, he added another stick and drew a question mark. This was supposed to be the location where the hunter had run into the goblins.

While not sure of how big this place was or what enemies it would hold, he at least knew that after passing the Northern gate, in front of it was a forest that provided some food, covering their basic needs.

Taking a breath, he taps his hand on the desk, thinking.

''Tomorrow we will head towards the goblin area and see what is going on.'' Saying this, he turned to Kevin to ask if he was ok with it since he was injured.

"I'll be alright. My health is going to improve. It seems that as long as there are no critical injuries, I can heal quickly. My health has already gone up to 65, and by tomorrow morning, with a good rest, it should reach 90," Kevin replied in a fatigued tone.

Feeling relieved that Kevin would be ready for the journey, Lucius nodded. Despite having just met these two, he somewhat trusted them, as they had bonded during their recent encounter.

"Alright, time to eat. Lily, go get the wolves and bring them outside near the river of the city," he instructed, while he and Kevin discussed the fight they had experienced.

Once again, Lily felt a bit annoyed that she was left to transport things, but she went and picked up one of the wolves before making her way down the stairs to meet the others near the river.

Upon arrival, they encountered many people relaxing and enjoying the sun, trying to escape reality. As soon as the others saw the meat, they began asking for food, causing Lucius to frown.

''Give me the wolf; I will skin it," Lucius offered, taking the monster wolf and skillfully cleaning it while separating the hide and the meat.

Gathering some wood and arranging it into a volcanic pile, they sat around, not without annoyance from random people asking for food.

Lucius used two sticks to cause friction, attempting to light a fire, and used his sword to make the wood into smaller pieces to ignite more easily.

Despite trying to use stones they had picked up, they didn't spark, and ended up rubbing the sticks for 20 minutes before finally seeing some smoke.

He carefully blew on it to avoid extinguishing it, while the others watched with anticipation.

''Hey, handsome, mind if I sit here?'' a cute girl in her twenties asked Lucius, making him roll his eyes.

Choosing not to respond, he treated her as if she were invisible. As the wood started to catch fire, his attention was suddenly broken by a voice he thought he would never hear.

''Lucius? Is that you? Oh my god, you're alive!'' Reni, Lucius's uncle, showed up and attempted to bear-hug him, only to be repelled by the shield. ''How have you been?'' he asked, scratching his head.

''I've been better. The start was a bit rough, but we are managing. How about you?'' Lucius replied, still cautious of his uncle's unexpected appearance.

''After that light, I had to kill the goblin. I managed to survive because we are stronger than it, but I heard that many others failed. I formed a group, and they follow me. We have some information, and tomorrow we plan to head out to hunt," Reni explained, glancing around at the group gathered before him.

Lucius looked at him for a moment before asking, "I was wondering why you didn't add me. You know how it works, right?"

Reni sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt. "Sorry, Lucius. A lot of things happened, and I was busy managing the group to prepare. I always meant to contact you, but I forgot." He admitted, a sense of shame in his voice.

"I see... It's alright, Reni," Lucius replied, understanding the situation but still harboring some bitterness. "A lot has been happening, and I know you've been busy taking care of the group. I'm just glad to see you're safe."

A notification sound rang out, and Lucius saw Reni had sent him a friend request. He nodded and accepted it.

''Hello, I'm Reni, Lucius's uncle,'' he introduced himself with a friendly smile to Lily and Kevin.

''Lily,'' she offered a simple introduction, focusing on the meat she was cooking on the stick.

''Hello, I'm Kevin,'' he said, showing more excitement.

Reni's eyes fell on the cooked meat with a look of hunger, and he hesitated before asking, ''Hmmm, Lucius, this meat, umm, do you mind sharing some?''

Feeling a bit conflicted, Lucius glanced at Lily and Kevin, who nodded without any objections.

"Okay," Lucius replied, and Reni took a seat to discuss their hunting experiences with the group. They talked about hunting the wolf, gathering fruits, and encountering the snake, sharing stories from their adventures.

Then, Reni brought up an unexpected issue, "I don't think everyone got transported here."

"You mean it's possible they ended up elsewhere?" Lucius asked.

"Yes," Reni nodded, "the numbers don't add up. It seems like a lot, but for our whole human race to get moved here, it's too low. Others share the same suspicion."

"I see." Lucius nodded in agreement, and they found it pointless to continue dwelling on the mystery for now. They shifted the conversation back to hunting and securing food for a while. However, their discussion was interrupted when they noticed a group of people approaching.

"Oh, that's great! I will share this information with the group," Reni exclaimed with enthusiasm. He waved to the newcomers, and around 20 men and women gathered, all turning their attention to the wolf with hunger in their eyes and sending a small, pleading glance in Reni's direction.

Understanding the mistake, Reni fell silent, feeling torn and caught in a tough situation. He didn't want to have a fallout with the group, as having numbers was safer in this place. On one side, there was his nephew, and on the other, it was a group that they had been supporting each other.

Seeing the complex look on his uncle's face, Lucius understood it too well. Having been half-raised by Reni, he knew that his uncle was a person who was too good for his own good.

Reni took a deep breath and was about to say that the food was Lucius' and they shouldn't be greedy, but before he could speak, Lucius interrupted, ''Hello, everyone. I'm happy Reni has found some people who can look after his back.'' He paused, looking at their faces with filled 'awkwardness'.

''This wolf was killed by the three of us, and we agree to give it to you. We are not hungry here; take it,'' he said, passing a few pieces of meat to Reni while giving the rest to the others.

Standing up, he motioned for Lily and Kevin to follow. Lily was about to speak, but Kevin shook his head, knowing that she would question why they should share, but this was a complicated situation.

As Reni gazed at Lucius's back, a sense of sadness washed over him. He realized he had made a mistake by not speaking up sooner, but he also knew that Lucius had mentioned they had killed multiple wolves, implying they had enough food.

However, he decided to keep this information to himself, understanding the dire consequences of hunger in this world.

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and walked towards the group, his shoulders heavy with the weight of his decision.

Approaching the group with a heavy heart, Reni understood the significance of food in this unforgiving world.

He knew that hunger could drive people to desperation, and he couldn't bear to see his fellow survivors suffer. Despite his own hunger, he felt compelled to prioritize the group's well-being above his own.

As they headed back to the room, they fell silent until Lucius broke the silence, saying, ''Sorry, he has helped me a lot in the past, and I could not leave him hanging like this. You can take my portion from the second full wolf we got.'' He looked out the window, observing them enjoying the campfire.

Kevin, sensing the mood, took out some wood and started making a new fire in the room since they had left in a hurry and didn't want to go back, finding it awkward to pick up already burning firewood.

Finally, after another 30 minutes and skinning the wolf in the sink, they sat around the little fire, holding the sticks with the cooked meat and enjoying their meal.

The flickering fire provided a warm and comforting ambience, casting dancing shadows on the room's walls as they continued to eat in content silence.

''You know,'' Lily spoke, taking a bite of the cooked meat. ''What you did pissed me off,'' she said, taking another bite, her voice tinged with frustration.

''You are right,'' Lucius nodded, agreeing with her. He felt like he had let everyone down, including himself.

''But, I guess it was complicated. I don't have the same issues as you,'' Lily continued, trying to understand the situation from his perspective.

''It won't happen again; I will be more careful. I can support Reni, but I can't support a group of 20 people,'' Lucius said, acknowledging his limitations. He knew the wolf they left wouldn't be enough to feed everyone.

''I told them where we hunted and the location of the forest. They should be okay with so many people,'' Lucius explained.

He continued eating, and the room filled with the sounds of bites and munches, accompanied by the flickering fire, as they enjoyed their meal late into the night.