Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

"It's just that we're afraid you'll die on this mission, so we're letting you enjoy a good meal before you go!"

"Ugh, don't jinx it with that kind of talk!"

Without enemies around, the group bantered and joked, filling the entire hall with laughter and liveliness.

Kim Haru, however, wasn't comfortable with such large crowds.

He didn't leave outright or try to stand out, though. Instead, he quietly found a seat in a corner. Before entering the dining hall, he had made a stop at the restroom to change into a clean set of clothes.

Shin Woncheon and his three teammates, familiar with Kim Haru's habits, were already waiting there and showed no surprise at seeing him in fresh clothes once again.

They had witnessed this yesterday, and it wasn't just them—other ability users had seen Kim Haru's behavior too.

Initially, some people weren't too happy about it. One loud voice had even grumbled, "What a show-off, acting all pretentious," while staring directly at Kim Haru, clearly targeting him with their complaint.

Before Shin Woncheon's team could defend him, the official team leader, who rarely got involved with the team's personal matters outside of battle, let out a cold snort and said, "If you've got the skills to change, then you're welcome to do the same."

The team leader's blatant support for Kim Haru immediately caused everyone to start wondering about Kim's true identity.

After the team leader made that statement, he gave Kim Haru a slight nod and smiled before seriously returning to discussing battle plans with the other leaders. Those who witnessed this exchange no longer treated Kim Haru so casually.

The downside to this, however, was that until people figured out who Kim Haru really was, no one dared approach him, aside from the members of Shin Woncheon's team.

Kim Haru had become somewhat isolated within the group.

Yet what was a drawback for others was exactly what Kim Haru wanted.

Soon, the logistics personnel came out with trays of food.

As some had guessed, today's lunch-and-dinner combo consisted of leftover two-headed snake meat from the morning. Earlier, they had used it for soup, and now it was stir-fried with oil.

Well, it didn't look like it had been freshly stir-fried. It was likely cooked earlier and kept fresh in someone's space ability until now.

Aside from the rabbit meat, each person also received half a tube of nutrient liquid.

"There will be no combat tonight, so please rest as much as possible. Tomorrow, we will be advancing closer to the granary," the team leader announced briefly before stepping aside with his own meal that was identical to everyone else's.

It's no wonder they were given nutrient liquid today. Even though it was only half a tube, it could sustain someone for one or two days without food. Chances were, tomorrow wouldn't provide the luxury of such a leisurely meal.

Kim Haru also received half a tube of nutrient liquid.

He stored it in his system backpack and didn't eat it.

Shin Woncheon and his team didn't start eating right away. Instead, they stared eagerly at Kim Haru, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Seeing their expressions, Kim Haru immediately knew what they were waiting for. Without hesitation, he pulled food out from his system backpack.

Yesterday, they had spicy potato slices and stir-fried cabbage, so today it would be sour and spicy shredded potatoes with potato and cabbage stew.

It just so happened that the search team didn't get soup for lunch today.

As soon as Kim Haru took out his dishes, even before he could open them, Shin Woncheon and his team quickly pushed their crystal cores toward him.

"What's on the menu today, sir? How many crystal cores for a scoop? I want two scoops!"

"I'll take two scoops as well."

"One scoop is enough for me. I'll eat it with the rabbit meat to fill up."

"And me! Don't forget me!"

Heaven knows how jealous they were yesterday, holding the roasted meat given by logistics team while watching Kim Haru take out his hot, fragrant stir-fried dishes. What made it worse was that Kim Haru hadn't been annoyed by their longing gazes—in fact, he even offered to share some with them.

There was no way Shin Woncheon's group would take it for free, so of course, they insisted on paying with crystal cores.

Kim Haru couldn't refuse them, so he thought about the prices of takeout meals in his previous life and casually set a rate of 20 crystal cores per scoop. To his surprise, they piled up a mountain of crystal cores in front of him.

Kim Haru: "..."

Well, might as well eat together. This was his first time sharing his own cooked meals with others, and he hadn't expected to make money from it.

He felt a mix of emotions.

After three meals a day, Shin Woncheon and his group had developed a habit: before eating, they would buy two scoops of something delicious from Kim Haru to mix with the logistics food. It made their meals much more enjoyable.

This time, Kim Haru stuck to his usual price and gave each of them a scoop. And it wasn't one of those large cafeteria ladles from his past life—he used his own small spoon for serving.

There was no way he would carry a large restaurant ladle when heading out.

In any case, Kim Haru himself felt like he was overcharging, but Shin Woncheon and the others kept praising him for his kindness. It made him feel a bit guilty.

The aroma of the sour and spicy shredded potatoes was incredibly potent. As soon as he opened the dish, it caught the attention of the surrounding ability users.

"Ah, here we go again."

"Who is that guy anyway? The food he eats smells way too good."

"The rabbit meat in my hand suddenly seems tasteless. How is anyone supposed to endure this? The difference is just too much."

"I can't take it anymore!"