Hungry? Of Course I'm Hungry. How Could I Not Be...

"Even the most famous members of the Phantom Troupe were still just little brats."

Mog shook his head. There was no point thinking about that for now. No matter whether the timing was early or late, he needed to take care of himself first.

His most urgent priority was filling his stomach.

"I need to find someone else who's hungry and have them issue me a [Commission] or [Request]. That way, I can obtain inventions related to food..."

Well, people like that were everywhere in Meteor City.

Most people were struggling just to find food.

But then again~~~ how many of them could he trust enough to let them issue him a [Commission] or [Request]?

Mog felt that might be even harder than snatching food directly from their hands.

"What a hassle..."

Mog frowned.

Just then~~~

A burst of commotion suddenly rose outside his door, interrupting his thoughts.

"What's going on?"

He got up, went to the door, and opened it slightly.

Before he could see what was happening, he heard an angry roar from outside.

"You bastards actually dare steal things on my turf? You've got some nerve~!!"

At the top of a slope made from piled-up garbage stood a huge, muscular man with an afro, dressed in a ragged tank top and shorts.

"You pieces of trash, I won't let you off again! Just wait to die!!"

With his arms crossed over his chest, he bared his teeth in a ferocious expression. "But if you hand over the stuff nicely, I'll let you die quickly!!"

"And if you still want to run away~~~"

He flexed his dark, powerful muscles. "I'll make you wish you were dead and kill you ten times over!!!"

"..."

On a heap of garbage beside the huge man crouched a young girl with pinkish-purple hair, who looked rather like a wild little ape.

She held a broken wooden stick and waved it around with exaggerated gestures.

However, the calm expression on her face—whether it was natural or deliberate—somewhat weakened her intimidation factor.

Under the threats of the big man and the little girl, the group facing them immediately scattered in all directions.

"That guy is still as stupid as ever!!"

"We're dead either way, so why would we go over there?!"

"Besides, talking about territory in a place like Meteor City? Is Uvogin really that much of an idiot?"

"If he doesn't die once, I guess that stupidity of his will never change~~"

As they fled in all directions, the group did not forget to sneer and mock the huge man atop the hill.

Of course, mockery was one thing. Their bodies honestly picked up the pace as they ran.

In a dangerous place like Meteor City, getting injured made survival extremely difficult.

Going head-to-head with someone like Uvogin, who might not be very bright but possessed tremendous physical strength, was clearly not a wise move.

There was no benefit to winning, while losing would be miserable. And if they were injured in the fight, that would be even worse.

"Stop right there~!!"

Seeing so many people running away, Uvogin roared again. He stopped standing around, rolled up his sleeves, and charged down at the crowd.

"..."

The little pinkish-purple-haired girl hopped after Uvogin.

It had to be said that although Uvogin was only thirteen years old, both his height and physique were already comparable to those of an adult.

His physical talent was obvious at a glance.

Unfortunately, against those numerous seasoned Meteor City veterans, he was completely strung along.

Even after exhausting himself, he failed to catch more than a few of them and could only watch helplessly as the group slipped away right under his nose.

"Those bastards~!!"

Uvogin plopped down onto a pile of garbage, breathing heavily as he irritably rubbed his hair.

"What are you looking at?!!"

When he noticed someone watching him from behind, he immediately turned around and glared at the tactless person.

Couldn't they see he was in a foul mood? And they still came over at a time like this~~~

If not for the fact that the kid was even younger than him and empty-handed, looking like some clueless idiot—

Uvogin would have already punched him.

"I thought you were an idiot who didn't manage to run away. Turns out you're just a stupid little kid. Tch~~~"

Finding it utterly boring, Uvogin impatiently said to him, "Get lost already. Do you want me to beat you up?!"

Mog looked at Uvogin, who was full of restless aggression and had the build of an overgrown brute. Then he looked at Machi, who had raised her broken wooden stick in front of herself and had remained by Uvogin's side in her childlike form.

After thinking for a moment, he asked:

"Are you hungry?"

Hungry? Of Course I'm Hungry, How Could I Not Be...

For Uvogin, a group of outsiders breaking into his territory and scavenging things from it was already irritating enough.

What made it even worse was that he had not managed to keep even one of them. They had all escaped.

And just when he was in an extremely bad mood, another silly-looking kid came up to them.

And innocently asked whether he was hungry...

Uvogin was practically about to laugh from anger.

"Hungry? Of course I'm hungry. How could I not be..."

He raised his head and looked viciously at the foolish boy, the corners of his mouth slowly curling upward.

"I really want to eat you right now~!!"

"I see~~~"

Mog was not intimidated by his threatening words. He merely nodded.

"If you're hungry, then come with me."

He turned around first. "I have food. It can help you restore some strength."

Huh?!!

Hearing that, Uvogin could not help raising an eyebrow and looking at the silly boy's back a few more times.

He had lived in Meteor City for thirteen years, yet this was the first time he had heard of someone willing to share their food with others.

A person like that was either naively stupid or harboring ulterior motives.

And stupid people usually could not survive in Meteor City.

Especially some kid he had barely seen before, who had suddenly appeared and asked whether he was hungry...

In that case~~~

Uvogin's gaze gradually turned fierce.

"What? Didn't you say you were hungry?"

Sensing no movement behind him, Mog turned back and happened to see Uvogin's openly hostile gaze.

"I know what you're thinking, but I don't have any other intentions."

Mog calmly said, "If you think it's unsafe or you're scared, then you don't have to come."

"It's entirely up to you."

With that, he ignored the reactions of the two behind him and headed toward his home on his own.

"..."

Uvogin stared in the direction Mog had gone, his fingers unconsciously clenching.

Then a broken wooden stick suddenly rose in front of him.

"Although I think his invitation is strange, I don't feel any danger from him..."

At that moment, Uvogin's face showed a calmness and steadiness completely at odds with his rough, burly appearance.

"What do you think, Machi?"

He looked at the companion who had gone through life and death with him.

If Uvogin had truly been nothing more than a reckless, foolish brute who only knew how to fight, he would have died countless times already.

"..."

Her little dirty face, still dusted from the chase, calmly shook as she lowered the wooden stick in her hand.

Though her face was stained with grime, one could still vaguely make out the delicate features of a future beauty.

"I see. You don't think there's a problem either?"

Seeing that, Uvogin's furrowed brow slowly relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.

"Your sixth sense is more accurate than my instincts."

"Then let's see what that silly kid is really up to!!"

"Surely he isn't actually planning to treat us well, right?!"

He patted his backside, stood up, and swaggered toward the direction Mog had gone.

Machi remained silent and followed closely behind Uvogin.