Chapter 75: Super Hungry.
There was silence. Deep, awkward silence before one of the women continued eating as though nothing had happened.
Everyone stared at her as she said with a smile, "Why should we care? Aren’t we in the same shoes?"
She laughed as she continued, "I mean, we were also cast away for being bad omens. And we’re all surviving here in the evil forest where we’re meant to die. So why should we judge?"
Others joined in, smiling. Another woman said, "I mean, exactly. We’re all the same here. And I don’t think you’re a bad person at all. You’re probably the same misunderstood beastmen like us."
One nodded as she added, "Yes. You saved us and helped us this far to survive, so why should we bother believing the evil stuff said about you all?" She smiled. "From today onwards, we take you all as family!"
The women nodded with a smile as Zuna and Zukka smiled at the heartwarming scene.
Azure, Eris, and Luka said nothing. They sat there with their meals. But Sunnie could read through them.
She could tell that they felt warm about the fact that they were welcomed. They were moved by the feeling of being accepted.
And that made her happy.
Soon, they were done with dinner and retired to their spaces to sleep for the day. Sunnie fell fast asleep tonight.
Karl and Zayn still hadn’t returned.
---
Karl and Zayn returned in the morning.
Everyone was already awake. The women were doing their work of crafting for the house while the men were cutting the trees that had been felled and arranging them in proper order.
Sunnie was with the women and Little Black, crafting.
And as Karl and Zayn returned, they all turned and stared at them.
Sunnie smiled. "Oh! You’re back. So how was the food hunting? Did you find anything?"
It was obvious they didn’t. The two of them looked so hungry and dejected. They stared at Sunnie and didn’t say a word.
Sunnie smiled. "Well, I guess you didn’t find anything." She cleared her throat. "Of course you wouldn’t. In this evil forest where nothing grows that much, it’s almost impossible to find anything..." She smiled at them. "Well, maybe if you were obedient enough, I would have helped you get something to eat."
Karl scoffed. "Me? Obedient to you? Never." He snapped. "I’d rather go hungry all year than come to you." He turned and stormed off into the cave.
Sunnie smiled as she watched him leave. She shook her head with a sigh. "How stubborn indeed." She smiled as she continued with the crafting.
"He looks so hungry. Do you think he can survive another day without eating?" Zuna asked.
Sunnie shrugged with a smile. "He’ll have to be obedient then and submit to the fact that he wants my food. If not, I won’t be bothered." She smiled.
The mice women smiled at this. They were amused at the game Sunnie was playing with her husband. They shook their heads as they muttered, "These younger couples."
Zayn also wanted to go in with Karl. But he stopped at the entrance as his stomach groaned. He could feel himself getting dizzy already.
He couldn’t take it anymore. Zayn turned and walked up to Sunnie. "What work do you want me to do? Just give me food."
Sunnie stared up at him with a smile. "With pleasure."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host!]
[The Tiger husband is onboard again!]
[You’ve gotten obedience from the Tiger husband. A step in taming!]
[Bonus: +500]
Immediately, Karl peeked his head out from the cave to see what was happening.
He frowned as he snapped, "Traitor and a weakling! Giving in so early!"
He added, "I guess I’ll stand alone then since I’m the strongest here!" His stomach gave a loud groan as he turned and staggered backwards inside.
Sunnie smiled. "How stubborn."
---
Karl didn’t come out all day to join the work. At night, Sunnie prepared another masterful meal.
Chicken soup, but better than the previous one. She had gotten more ingredients from the system worth 500 heart coins to make it more modern.
It tasted like something you’d get at a 5-star hotel. She had learned it from a colleague, and she was surprised that she still recalled how to make it.
Sunnie served the meal, and all were simply licking their lips while they ate it. They enjoyed it so much, and its aroma was literally floating all around the place.
The wolf had arrived, following the aroma he sniffed from afar. He stood at the side as everyone panicked on seeing it.
But Sunnie smiled. She knew what it wanted, so she got up and served it a bowl. Everyone was impressed, watching the wolf quietly sit down in its corner while it enjoyed its portion.
The male mouse laughed as he said, "I guess your meal has special powers of pulling in wild animals." All laughed as they ate.
The aroma filled the cave, disturbing Karl’s nostrils. He tried to sleep but to no avail. The smell kept filling his nose and making his stomach sing.
He was extremely hungry that he could see himself in beast heaven or something. He didn’t even know if he could feel himself anymore.
But he was still persistent in blocking out the magnificent aroma that came to his nose and pretending as if he wasn’t hungry while forcing himself to sleep.
He kept that up as the others enjoyed the meal outside and finished. Then everyone came inside to sleep for the day.
Karl kept holding it in until late night and into the morning. He was going insane. He couldn’t even feel his body properly anymore.
He was hallucinating instead of dreaming, and he knew it was getting worse. For two days now he hadn’t had anything. And he knew he couldn’t keep it in any longer.
Karl knew he had to get something to eat. And so he struggled up to his feet while everyone was asleep and made his way out.