What was the hardest thing in the world to endure?
Missing a five-million jackpot by a single number?
Being scorned by the woman you adored?
Or being betrayed by someone you trusted?
Arthur thought all of these were painful enough to make life worse than death, but the hardest thing to endure was...
Hunger!
Once someone went hungry, they began to lose their reason.
When that hunger reached a certain point, they became a beast.
For a mouthful of food, they would do anything.
Give up their wealth? Yes.
Give up their lover? Yes.
Give up their friends? Yes.
Anything was acceptable, as long as it filled their stomach at that moment.
As for regretting it afterward?
That could wait until they had eaten.
Without enough to eat, there really would be no afterward.
That was why Arthur cherished food, not merely for its delicious taste-though that was certainly important-but more for the satisfaction of a full stomach.
Imagine cola and fried chicken in the dead of night, beer and grilled skewers, hot pot and beef tripe.
With one or two like-minded people to share it all, that would probably be paradise.
Snow could fill the sky outside while his room felt like spring. With a few close friends and a pot of lamb to share, he would not trade that life even for an immortal's.
Arthur did not have that many friends.
Nor did he have any true confidants.
Yet when he saw that little orb of light, that scene appeared unbidden in his mind-a scene he yearned for, yet dared not reach for.
It was also at that moment that [Death Intuition] began to flicker.
Very slowly.
It flickered once, then fell silent.
Only when Arthur thought he had imagined it did it flicker again.
But Arthur did