Chapter 85: Let The Hunt Begin (1)

I'll think about our water problem later. First, I should deal with them.

He glanced around at the group of over a hundred people. Most were non-combatants, but even those with suitable classes had grown entitled after being spoon-fed.

As for those with other classes, their attendance meant little. While useful in different fields, they were incapable of hunting or fighting effectively. The gist of it was that they had more mouths to feed than they had hands to work.

YuWon sighed, massaging his temples. The situation had turned into a headache, and the more he thought about it, the worse it got.

At first, he thought about leaving the base and going the nomad route. But the base was a safe place, and he didn't have any intention of leaving the place just yet. That left him with one option.

Should I kick them all out?

He had already told them there would be no freeloaders. If they wanted food, they would have to work. But that alone won't be enough. With their supplies gone, they would need to hunt... a lot.

Even if people contributed to the base and hunt, there wouldn't be enough food for everyone. The obvious choice was eliminating people based on their usefulness. But that would lead to another problem.

Once I kick them out, they might go around, find other groups, and tell them about the base.

With everyone losing their food source, it was a matter of time before people began raiding each other's bases. In such situations, it was best to silence the troublemakers.

Killing them here would be troublesome. But... anything can happen outside these walls.

YuWon smiled, noticing the light at the end of the tunnel. With that thought, he returned to the crowd, waiting for them anxiously.

"Alright, listen up!" YuWon began. "As you know, we have run out of food. Thankfully, we have a way out of this mess."

Everyone sighed in relief at hearing it. But they wouldn't like what YuWon said next.

They thought his kindness was why he saved them during the first trial. Little did they know, YuWon viewed them as nothing more than worker ants.

YuWon believed if he threw enough scraps at them, they would happily work for him. Only now he realized his mistake.

In a forsaken world, strength was the only thing that mattered. If one had enough strength, they wouldn't need to ask for anyone's help. The others would rush to please them.

YuWon looked down at the man, his blade inching closer to the guy's face.

"It is the duty of the strong to protect the weak?" he scoffed. "A world like that never existed. It always has been a world where the weak have to please the strong, or they'll be left behind."

The man gulped down his saliva as YuWon leaned in closer and smirked.

"If you can't even do something as simple as hunting for food, then what use is there in keeping you alive?"

The people there might have heard such words in movies, but hearing them now had a profound effect on them. All the voices of protests were strangled to death in an instant.

"I-I'll go!" he stammered. "I'll hunt for food, water... anything you say! Please, don't hurt me!"

YuWon smiled and put the sword back.

"Good, boy," he said, patting the man's head. "I expect you to perform exceptionally well."

Then YuWon's eyes turned to the crowd. They immediately nodded, agreeing with his terms, and formed groups preparing for the hunt.

"Divide yourselves into two groups," YuWon announced. "Half of you will stay here to guard the base. The other half will go out and hunt. When the first group comes back, the second group will go. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, but none dared to speak a word. YuWon couldn't help but shake his head. If only he had used fear to control them earlier, he wouldn't have had to deal with their stubbornness this whole time.

Oh well, it's never too late to learn a lesson.