Chapter 23: Food Thief 1

"The target for this day is a Tier 1 Mutated Wild Cat. It possesses the wind element and is quite ferocious."

Allen Stryka felt melancholic when he heard the contents of the hunting contract. He grew silent for a few seconds. Nonetheless he chose to proceed with the arrangements.

Once they were able to see the target, the young man was surprised that it did not look like the mutated cat he had faced before. It was not of white fur for starters. This one also had a smaller size compared to the previous. Although it did possess the same element.

Allen was able to hunt the mutated beast on his own. He had the elemental advantage against it after all. He had also improved compared to back then. Furthermore, he reckoned that the mutated cat he faced today was weaker compared to the white cat from before.

Gurim congratulated him for a successful hunt. He then checked on the condition of the corpse. He gave some pointers on how to avoid damaging the 'valuable' parts of the beast.

He did not hold back on his comments. Even though he did not even bother to lend a hand during the fight. He had simply stood back and observed the entire battle from a distance.

The young man did not mind this though. He suspected that whenever the green-haired person assisted, a certain amount of his share would be deducted.

"Pick the corpse up and let's return immediately."

Allen smiled wryly when he heard the order. He could argue here that he was not some kind of a lackey. But he chose not to. Being fussy about trivial matters were not his thing anyway. He quickly carried the hunted prey onto the cart. He then pulled the device as the two went back to the city.

Apparently, a person could only hunt one Tier 1 mutated beast per day within the territory of Nosales. If that person finds the restriction lacking, he could hunt for a higher tiered beast instead. He could also leave the surrounding area of the city and hunt somewhere else.

Neither of those options appealed to Allen though. He was concentrating on improving his foundations at the moment. He might try those options out once he had gotten much stronger.

The two then reached the city at around four in the afternoon. Allen was instructed to leave the corpse which was on the cart behind once again. He then received another energy bar, or rather food ration, before he separated with Gurim. The latter stated,

"Your share of the meat would be served by tomorrow morning."

"It's fine. This has its own acquired taste anyway."

The young man replied as he clenched the compact meal dearly. He did not mind waiting for the cooked meat for a few more hours. And besides, he developed a sort of fondness to the subtle taste of the packed food. He began eating the ration as he walked along the streets of Nosales.

Allen managed to return to the lodging unit on his own this time. He quickly went to bed and slept until around eight in the evening. He then focused in cultivating for the rest of the night.

"All right, let's begin!"

The young man smiled eagerly. He fixed his posture and began concentrating. Elemental energies soon gathered around his body.

Since the development of his third skill would take more time, he decided to prioritize the improvement of his [Fire Fist] for now. This was his primary weapon in hunting mutated beasts after all. The increase of proficiency when unleashing his attacks would yield an increase in his chances of winning.

He also allotted some time to improve his [Life Detection]. This was a skill that enabled him to anticipate the movements of his target. And since it was a passive, no one could notice its effects easily. Once he became more adept at using it, he would also be able to utilize its special applications outside of battle more efficiently.

Hours passed and daybreak arrived. This signified that it was also time for some muscle training. Allen followed through the exercises he had devised yesterday. Afterwards, he took a bath and cleaned himself in the common facilities of the lodging unit.

Morning then arrived. Gurim brought a food container that was in the size of a large bowl. Allen received it with gratitude and opened the lid. The dish was pot stew which was still piping hot. He took a lungful of steam coming out of the container.

"Smells good!"

Allen smiled as he sat on the window by the corridor. He gulped in anticipation of tasting the dish. He did offer some to Gurim. But the latter declined saying that he already received his share of the hunt anyway.

The young man could have insisted. He should have pointed out that food tasted better when shared. But who was he kidding?

This was the first stew he ever had after departing from Kinshin. Stew, for crying out loud!

Boss Mo and the others did not carry a pot on them on their travels. He did not also have a chance to see if the bandits could cook such a dish during his captivity. And then he was subjected to the bland – ehem, subtle flavors of the energy bar.

Allen could no longer hold himself back. He drank the thick soup eagerly. He was bombarded by the rich flavors that exploded in his mouth. The warmth of the liquid had also revitalized his innards that had been starved for days.

"Delicious!"

He exclaimed. Slight tears even formed at the edges of his eyes. He felt happy with all his heart. The meal reminded him of his time together with his family. The time when there were no dangers lurking outside their town. The time before the apocalypse.

He fished out the slice of meat floating on the thick soup. He gobbled it in one bite. The slice was tender and was easy to chew. Its unique texture and taste were distinguishable.  This made his smile grow wider.

Gurim had stayed true to his words. The meat was indeed cooked to perfection. There were also plentiful amounts of cut vegetables that complemented the main ingredient. The spices were applied generously as well.

The green-haired person smiled wryly when he saw the expression of the person eating. He commented,

"Haha, that good huh?"

"Yes!"

Allen answered passionately. He might be busy wolfing down the dish but he could still raise a thumbs up when asked. He then thought of something though. He wondered,

"Did you cook this?"

"Oh, no."

Gurim shook his head. He even waived his hand to deny the idea. Perhaps he was not that adept in this area. He then continued,

"If I can cook that well I'd rather be a chef than spend my time dealing with hunters and travelers, you know."

"I see."

Allen nodded. But his desire to know how the meal was prepared have urged him to ask further. He inquired,

"Can I at least know the name of the cook then?"

"Haha, no can do."

Gurim replied immediately. He had regained his business-like composure. The grin on his face had returned as well. He explained,

"If you knew the name of the chef then what would stop you from going directly to the person?"

The young man would have argued that just knowing the name of the person was no longer enough to trace the person. These were no longer the times where everyone had access to the internet. One could not easily search up names and extract additional information in a single click anymore.

But what if the advanced cities around the world had already found a way to restore technology? What if the life during the modern times were available again? There was no way to be sure for now. Thus Allen decided to not voice his concerns out.

The green-haired person seemed to have taken this as a prompt to continue. He added,

"My commission is at stake here, you know."

"Fair enough."

Allen sighed. He decided to return his focus on the stew at hand. But the person in front of him seemed to have noticed the disappointment in his voice. Gurim asked,

"You look unhappy with the answer. Do you really want to know the name of the chef?"

The young man was taken aback upon hearing the offer. He was yet reminded that there was nothing free in this city. That also meant any information was for sale here. As long as you can pay the price that is.

He hesitated for a second. In the end, he decided on not pursuing the question any further. He shook his head,

"I just want to thank the chef for cooking such a great dish. If would it will cost too much then never mind."

"Haha, a wise choice."

Gurim nodded in agreement. He looked at the person who was busy eating. He grinned amusingly. He continued,

"You have no idea how much it would have cost you."

"The information is that expensive?"

"Yes."

The answer had puzzled Allen. His curiosity was piqued by how the green-haired person built-up the issue. The former could not help but inquire,

"Can I ask why?"

"Haha, of course. The price is still within your budget."

Allen winced when he was reminded of this budget. This was the reason why he was yet to earn a single spirit crystal despite the successful hunts. Every bit of information he asked had a price. And he had been asking for each and every issue he took fancy of.

Nonetheless he considered every information he gained as a valuable investment. Every 'common sense' within the city he learned now would become an essential knowledge once he resumed on traveling through settlements.

This meant that every spirit crystal he spent today would be a spirit crystal he would save in the future. He was planning to hunt for higher paying contracts someday after all.

Well, he was being paid in food now. This would instead mean that he could have received a larger container if he only kept his mouth shut. This was quite a tempting outcome too. Still, he decided to follow through his investment. He requested,

"Please do tell."

"It's because cooking is one of the talents that have became more valuable in these times."

The resources available for humanity shrank when the mutated beasts emerged. This was also applicable to the ingredients needed for making cuisines. Nowadays, having an ample supply of cooking essentials was luxury of its own. And such riches had attracted the attention of vile-hearted people.

In the apocalypse, food theft was considered a heinous crime.