Chapter 9

Several emaciated figures, their faces sallow and gaunt, instinctively turned their eyes toward the steaming pot of instant noodles that Leo was cooking. Wisps of fragrant steam rose into the air, carrying an irresistible aroma that made their mouths water. Their gazes burned with fervent yearning, tinged with a trace of unspoken bitterness. The corners of their mouth twitched slightly as if they were trying to capture the faint, lingering traces of that enticing aroma with every breath. A few of them involuntarily swallowed, their throats dry. Time seemed to slow as the tantalizing aroma drifted through the air, and only the sound of the boiling noodles interrupted the stillness. The intensity of their longing was palpable. If one person dared to make a move, the rest would likely swarm forward in a frenzy. Leo glanced at the nearby shacks. The people living in them were visibly malnourished, and the toll of prolonged hunger was written all over their gaunt faces. Few had the fortune of awakening as evolved beings. He instinctively turned his body to block their view of the pot. "They won't try to take our food, will they?" The searing intensity of their gazes made Nyla uneasy as she clutched Rory tightly in her arms. He appeared more energetic after drinking the soy milk. "They wouldn't dare," Leo replied, his expression hardening. His sharp gaze swept across the crowd, forcing them to avert their eyes in fear. No one dared approach, but their longing stares and constant drooling betrayed their thoughts. Meanwhile, Hans was inside another shack, tending to the children. These were the orphans—children who had lost their parents to the apocalypse. Only he and his group had been willing to care for them. "Hans, these kids can't keep eating tree leaves," Jesse Gardner said, his voice choked with emotion. The wild leaves they foraged were poisonous. While the evolved soldiers could tolerate them, many were already showing signs of long-term poisoning. For children, however, eating the leaves was far more dangerous. "Distribute all the clean food to the children," Hans said, producing a large supply of food from his pocket space. The sudden appearance of so much unspoiled food left Jesse stunned. "This… this is real food!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement. "There's food now!" The children's eyes lit up, their expressions changing from despair to hope as they gazed at the unexpected bounty. "Listen up. From now on, bring me anything valuable—gold, diamonds, anything precious—and I'll give you food in return," Hans instructed firmly. Gold? Precious items? Such things seemed worthless in a world where survival mattered most. Yet, with food at stake, everyone was willing to search high and low for anything he wanted. "You got it, Hans!" The pocket space was small, and he had distributed most of the food Lucy had bought, leaving some for himself as well. Hearing about food, more people gathered around. Some even appeared ready to resort to violence. In this world, people would do anything for a mouthful of sustenance. However, Hans' commanding presence deterred rash actions. After all, none could match him in combat. He quickly organized three of his most trusted allies to maintain order, ensuring the food was distributed primarily to the children. Hans' authority as the leader of the base was undisputed. "Jesse, Logan, we'll head into the city tomorrow at dawn. Inform Leo about this," Hans ordered. Those three were metahumans with decent physical strength, unlike the others, who were weakened by prolonged exposure to tainted food. "Understood!" they replied in unison. Before the apocalypse, Hans had been a special soldier—an elite commando capable of navigating hostile jungles alone to eliminate enemy forces. But after the world changed, even someone as physically formidable as him began to feel the toll. The Plutings they had discovered could enhance their abilities, but they couldn't expel the accumulated toxins from their bodies. Despite the relief the distributed food brought, it wasn't enough to feed all the children. Those who missed out could only watch in helpless silence. Some tried to fill their empty stomachs with dirt, while others struggled to suppress their growing desperation. "There's not enough food to go around," Jesse said, frowning at Hans while swallowing his saliva. The food had already been distributed to the children. "Go and see if anyone has any gold or jewels," Hans said, turning to Jesse and Logan. "Collect whatever you can." Although they didn't understand the reason for his request, they trusted him and immediately set out to fulfill his orders. Immediately after, Hans sternly addressed the others in the base who hadn't yet received food, "Listen carefully! As long as I'm in charge, everyone here will have food and clean water! But survival here comes with rules. "One, no stealing. Two, no bullying the weak. And three, obey my orders! Disobey, and you can either leave or die!" Jesse quickly said, "We'll follow your orders, Hans!" "Yeah, we're with you!" the others echoed. Hans' strength and his ability to secure food made him indispensable. In the post-apocalyptic world, people were willing to follow anyone who could keep them alive. … Lucy noticed that her pocket space had accumulated more gold jewelry, although most looked dirty and needed cleaning. The food supply she had sent was now depleted. Recalling Hans' dire situation, she spent the afternoon buying out stalls in town. She stocked up on bread and biscuits, transporting everything into her pocket space from a hidden spot. She also visited a different pawn shop to sell the gold jewelry she had collected, fetching a slightly lower price than last time but still making 20 thousand dollars. Next, she searched for a warehouse. Eventually, she found one in a secluded corner of the market. "This warehouse is quite secluded, located in a corner. If you want to rent it, I can offer you a discount—only 800 dollars a month," the owner, a man in a striped shirt, said. He added, "It's in a corner, which makes it a bit inconvenient. Otherwise, for this over 2,100 square feet space, I'd normally rent it for at least 1,500 dollars." The warehouse had been hard to rent out, and he was really worried about it. "Deal. Let's exchange contacts—I'll rent it for six months." Lucy agreed. She was satisfied with the warehouse's discreet location and lack of surveillance. The owner, pleased to finally rent out the place, handed her the keys without delay. There was still plenty of space in the pocket space, so she went to the market to buy a lot of vegetables and took the opportunity to check the prices as well. Prices were shockingly low—the most expensive vegetable cost only two dollars per pound. By comparison, a simple meal in Pyraelis would cost 20 to 30 dollars, and a cup of coffee could easily cost three dollars. She also bought a large supply of pork, stashing everything in her pocket space until it was nearly full. Satisfied, she smiled, knowing Hans would be pleased with the replenished food supply when he woke up. In the future, once her pocket space expanded further, she planned to send even more food. In return, Hans could collect gold, diamonds, and other precious items for her. If she casually took out a treasured item from the spacetime museum in Hans' dimension, she should be able to sell it for considerable money in her dimension, right? Just then, a notification popped up on her phone. Her manuscript had been approved. It was only then that she remembered—the novel only had the first and second volumes but not the final one.