Chapter 41: Has Everyone Lost Their Minds ?

Morning came, drawing the world into the third day of the Origin Trials. The global survivor count was still holding at forty-three percent, so it seemed people were settling into safe areas.

There was only one issue, though: now that there was no other source of sustenance, in two days’ time or a bit more, people who can’t hunt for Origin crystals- which is almost all regular people, who make up at least thirty percent of the current population- would begin to starve.

[Regional Chat (#058-34)

Orion Blackridge: "Damn!. This is going to be hard. Can’t the admin do something about the atrocious low drop rates of crystals"

TwinkleZion: "This game is rigged, to be honest. Even if you do hunt down these mutants, except you hunt down like thousand s, you certainly can’t use any other option on the Origin store except for the provisions section. "

SlimShadi: "Lol. Even in the provisions section, the goods are still too expensive. Not to mention the weapons or gear. A loaf of bread for one crystal?. Lolol."

Olivia Parker: "@CelestialGoddess92 must have earned quite a lot of crystals from the achievement, right?. Wanna share some with us peasants?"

AllSeeingEyes: "@Olivia Parker, Doing a rough calculation. Seeing the rate drops of crystals are improving even as the mutants are strangely becoming more durable. It is safe to say that in order not to starve, hunt at least five mutants every day. "

LagLord69: "@AllSeeingEyes Five?. I think more like ten is the right amount, depending on one’s consumption average. That’s if you don’t die before even getting a single one. "

SirCumAlot: "How will the regulars even survive this?. I know some people were lucky enough to have guns, but taking consistent headshots to these mutants for a vast majority is basically impossible. So most die before they even do much. And those who are good with sais guns will eventually run out of ammo."

GrampsOtaku: "@SirCumAlot. Pistols are slowly losing their effect on these mutants as well. I had to empty several rounds into one’s skull to finally bring it down yesterday. At least I got a crystal."

BaldSaint: "The Origin system is so twisted. Making our very survival reliant on these crystals but making it so hard to get. I hope the percentage rate of conversion increases soon, so at least we won’t have to go hungry even if we can’t do much else on the Origin store. Some of the options in the gear section look super convenient as well. I wonder if those top rankers are geared to the teeth in them. They should have tons of crystals, I think."

AllSeeingEyes: "@BaldSaint, I am not so sure about that. Even if they are on the rankings, those things are ridiculously expensive. You would have to bring down thousands of mutants to get some of them. And here we are still complaining about the price of the food. "

CryMorePls: "That’s because you are all such weak, sniveling pansies. Others are out there thriving, and all you lot can do is complain in the chats. Your weakness is what caused the deaths of your loved ones, pussies. "

SlimShadi: "ah. This bastard is here again. Don’t you have anything better to do ?"

BaldSaint: "@SlimShadi don’t humor him with a response"

TrustWorthyGuy: "We run a private shelter for those in need, with a growing team of powerful awakeners to protect you. Dm me for details."

SlimShadi: "Has anyone else heard from Liora?. Good thing her ID is still green, but she’s not responding to my Dm’s. "

GrampsOtaku: "@SlimShadi. Me too. I hope she’s okay.

CryMorePls: "She’s certainly dead keke. And soon, all of you will be dead too. Maybe by then, this chat channel will have some peace and quiet."

]

The chat was a fountain of knowledge as always. The concerns voiced were also concerns that Damon’s team members were having.

Inside apartment 20B, Sage and Nick were sitting in the living room; Sage was busy going through the chats, while Nick appeared to be scribbling down something in a notebook.

"What are you doing ?" Sage asked curiously, jolting Nick from his concentration.

"No, It’s nothing... just writing down a poem," Nick responded hesitantly, a little embarrassed.

"A poem ?" Sage was flummoxed, but he held himself back from teasing his new roommate.

"You do you, mate."

"But what do you think about ’pretty boy’ just sleeping through all the hard work we do ?. It’s not like we are his servant or anything."

There were a lot of things Sage didn’t like about Damon: his expression that seemed so flat and relaxed, like they were on some picnic. The way he had to nap every hour interval while everyone had to adjust around his schedule, when he contributes zero effort to the team.

It was really annoying. Hazel appears to have swallowed his Kool-Aid, and Kora was just being Kora. As for Harvey and Mildred, they were like superhumans who could easily survive on their own.

Left to him, Sage felt it best to minimize any unnecessary additions to the team.

Nick was taken aback by the sudden question; after a long moment of silence, he responded—

"But.... It’s because of Damon that we have Lady Mildred and Sir Harvey."

"Yeah... that’s true."

Sage had to admit. It was those two holding this group together. Nick, in front of him, was a strong awakened but was still growing into his strength because of how fearful he is. And he also can’t use his powers.

Now that he thought about it. Almost all the capable members of the group were happy to cater to Damon. Harvey and Mildred were one thing, since they had always been his caretakers; though he still wondered why they were even bothered to continue now that the world had turned to this.

Hazel’s case was surprising since he thought she was really smart. Sage wondered what she saw in Damon that he wasn’t seeing. And seeing Nick’s uncomfortable reaction to being asked this question, it was safe to say that he too had no problem with dragging along a literal deadweight, even if said deadweight has an almost divine appearance.

"Sigh..... Has everyone lost their minds ?"