CHAPTER 42: 42: A TASTE OF SURVIVAL

Because... because... he cannot speak about it, and with gritted teeth, Michael accepted.

"Fine, you can have him!"

However, there is a sense of hesitation at the end of his words, and his clenched hands press tightly against his side.

It cannot be seen by the others, only in the way he turns to the two teenage boys, glaring under the dim light.

"Get your asses here and go to this Golden Princess! I am exchanging you for food!"

The shock from everyone in the group of men is audible in their gasps.

Someone even tried to protest that the Boss could not do that, but Michael silenced them with his death glare, and they immediately knew to shut up.

Walking a bit slower, the two teenage boys kept their eyes on the Leader of Base E and the golden-haired woman, who was known as the owner of Heavenly Train Station.

They were anxious as they walked next to each other, not knowing what would happen to them.

Mikey and Richi understood that they had done something wrong toward the golden-haired woman by letting this group of men start chaos in their territory.

"Good, you must be Mikey and Richi. From now on, you can follow me, and you will not get bullied by these people again."

Aria’s smile seemed to shine, probably reflecting the soft light behind her, and her expression gave the two boys the impression that they would never have to suffer again.

Mikey and Richi stayed silent and merely nodded with quiet faces.

Aria did not mind their reactions.

She just thought both were probably similar to Lolo.

However, another question suddenly struck her.

Are the survivors nowadays also affected by the A-virus, causing their offspring to be mute?

Such a question ran through her mind, even though it seemed absurd.

"Now, I want my part of the deal. I want food for my men, and we will stay here as much as we want."

Michael noticed that, for some unknown reason, the mutant monsters and infected animals in this territory were actually unable to step within certain boundaries.

He could hear their footsteps, growls, and movements all around, yet no one dared to attack them.

This Golden Princess was one of the reasons he could think of, and the mysterious shape of a building next to where they stood seemed to keep the mutant monsters from coming near.

It was only his guess about the strange things around this place.

Aria had no idea that this older man could see the Heavenly Train Station, because she believed everyone in the group of men was blocked by the Golden Barrier’s ability.

As for the others wanting to stay here after getting their food, she had no complaints, but on one condition, they must follow her rules.

"You can stay, as long as you don’t do anything bad around this place."

"Consider that done, Goden Princess." Michael agreed, even giving one last glance to the teenage boy named Richi.

The action was seen by Samantha at the side, and she did not stop herself from meeting the old man’s eyes, glaring back at him.

Michael only scoffed at the fiery woman, choosing to ignore her completely.

Aria asked Samantha and Lolo to go back inside and bring out some of the takeout boxes that were supposed to be for the male lead.

After a few minutes, they returned carrying two more paper bags filled with warm food takeout boxes from the Train Mall.

Aria gently peeked inside each one, and a faint smile curved her lips as she confirmed what was inside.

Thereafter, she nodded in quiet satisfaction, relieved that it would be enough to feed the group of men.

"Here, you can take this. But remember, don’t you dare make a scene here. I will make sure you leave this place if you do."

The threat in her words was not empty.

Aria had the male lead beside her, and she believed the son she had created in her notes was stronger than anyone.

Taking the paper bags from the woman’s hand, Michael walked back to his team, who almost jumped on him to grab the food inside each bag.

Only their leader’s cold look made them behave and stop acting wildly.

"Boss, come, let’s eat together!"

"Boss, you really traded our lackeys for the food!" Someone who tried to complain was silenced by Michael’s cold look.

Do you think he’s happy about that?

He wanted to tell the person, but he chose not to, because otherwise he would have to punch someone in the face again.

"Boss! Look, this takeout box looks like the ones old folks used before the apocalypse. Oh, how do you open it anyway?"

Another man snatched the box from his companion’s hand, acting smug as he mimicked the golden-haired woman they had all been watching earlier.

"Idiot. This is how you do it! Watch and learn from the master!"

"Wow, you did it so easy, idiot!" A flying smack landed on someone’s head, followed by laughter.

But the noise stopped the moment they managed to open the takeout box.

The rich, fragrant smell hit them all at once, and for a brief second, the group of rough men looked like they had just seen heaven.

They dug in like beggars who hadn’t eaten in days, some even closing their eyes as if the food itself was sacred.

Despite their hunger, they shared what they could, passing boxes around.

To Aria’s quiet surprise, the feast wasn’t as chaotic as she had imagined.

It was noisy, messy, but oddly heartwarming.

"Host, Congratulations! You earned People’s Survival Points +10 and Survival Points +1000."

"Host, Congratulations! Your Main Mission World Survival Rate has increased by +0.01%."

"World Survival Current Rate: 0.04%."

Eh. She did it again!?

Aria looked at Fluff Ball’s announcement, then turned to the group of men who were busy eating with smiles on their faces.

Suddenly, she realized something about how to earn Survival Points.

It made her mission seem much easier, and for the first time, she felt that meeting these people wasn’t so bad after all.

From what she had observed, her Survival Points seemed to come from people’s satisfaction or happiness.

Though it was only her small guess, Aria decided she would try to test it later.

For now, the night was getting late, and she needed to head back inside to check on the two brothers, then probably take a nap after such a long day.

"Samatha, please take these two boys upstairs first, give them food, and I’ll join you in a bit." Aria said softly, letting the youngsters stay under her people’s care.

Samantha nodded warmly, then gently guided the two teenagers with Lolo back to the Heavenly Train Station.

Their movements did not go unnoticed by the group of men, who watched in silent awe as the three suddenly vanished from sight, leaving behind another layer of mystery.

"Do you think they’re ghosts?" Another one commented, only to get a hard nudge from his companion.

"Idiot. Then do you think that Mikey boy and that Richi brat are ghosts too?"

Munching on a chicken bone and leaving not a single bit of meat, he decided he didn’t want to talk to his brother anymore.

The food in his takeout box was far better than any talk, and he had to eat fast before the others finished everything and left him with nothing.

Not far away, Michael was eating from his own takeout box, filled with white rice he hadn’t tasted in years.

Yet the first bite sent him back to the days when this kind of food was affordable and found everywhere.

Having it again after so many years almost made his old heart ache, but he didn’t dare show it while surrounded by his grown, sturdy, and reliable men.

As he quietly reminisced over his meal, his right-hand man beside him spoke up.

"Boss, who do you think these people are?"

The others’ eyes turned toward the golden-haired woman and the young man dressed in almost all black, with his shirt, pants, and gloves making him look less like someone struggling to survive and more like someone serving looks.

"They’re surely not ordinary." Michael muttered under his breath, a trace of jealousy in his tone.

He took another bite of the pork, his lips turning greasy as he contentedly chewed and swallowed.

"Surely that woman isn’t ordinary. No one has eyes that color, and she looks like some kind of ridiculous mascot. So, what do you plan Boss?"

"Nothing for now. Let’s observe first." Michael said, his eyes glinting coldly.

"That man beside her is a high-level ability user. We can’t mess with them without knowing their strength."

"Understood, Boss."

"Tomorrow, go back to the base and bring Richi’s sister along with that child of hers."

"What for?" Shohei asked, his curiosity slipping out before he could stop himself.

Michael’s glare shut him up instantly. "Just do what I say."

He reached over, grabbed Shohei’s pork, and bit into it without a word.

Shohei glared at the empty spot in his takeout box, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes before it faded into a weary sigh.