Chapter 9: Our Goal Is—Eating Rhodes Island Into Bankruptcy

Leaning against the vehicle, ACE peered inside, scanning for any abnormalities—everything seemed normal, except for the young draco cub soundly asleep in Outcast's arms.

— "So, let me get this straight. You guys found this little draco girl, Kanna, on the way back. Then she ate your entire day's worth of rations, which forced you to delay your return to the island?"

Inside the cafeteria, watching his colleagues devour their food like starving beasts, ACE's eyes widened in disbelief. Never in his life had he expected elite operators like Outcast and Misery to be delayed by something that sounded like a complete joke.

Misery simply shrugged.

If someone had given him such an excuse for being late before, he would've slapped them upside the head. But now that he had experienced it firsthand, he had to admit—sometimes, reality was stranger than fiction.

After arriving on the island, the moment Kanna woke up, Outcast led her to the cafeteria. There, the operators witnessed what could only be described as the Hunger of the Dragon.

Shortly after receiving confirmation that Outcast's team had returned safely, Kal'tsit entered the cafeteria with Gavial and her apprentice, Aak.

Everyone was enjoying their dinner—if you ignored the towering stack of empty plates in front of a certain small wyvern girl.

Kal'tsit had already heard the details through her earpiece, but seeing it in person still made her pause for a moment.

Aak walked up to Kanna, concern evident in her voice.

— "Eating this much in one go… is her body really able to handle it?"

— "I wondered the same thing at first, but look."

Outcast lightly patted Kanna's head, drawing her attention away from her meal. Then, she pointed at the girl's flat stomach.

— "She's eaten an amount of food nearly half her own size, yet you can't see a single bulge. I'm starting to think the food disappears into another dimension the moment she swallows it."

As the discussion continued, Kanna's attention drifted back to her plate.

For the others, food was merely a source of energy.

But for her, food wasn't just energy—it was electricity stored within her body, something no normal person could even comprehend.

To her, listening to incomprehensible medical jargon was a waste of time.

Eating, on the other hand, was never a waste.

Even if she didn't fully understand everything, food was something she could turn into strength.

By the time the others had finished their meals, Kanna also decided it was a good time to stop. She obediently sat still, waiting.

Kal'tsit checked the time.

She was intrigued by this wyvern cub, but it was already late. Since she had now arrived on the island, there would be plenty of opportunities to study her later.

For now, Outcast would watch over her for the night.

Suddenly separating her from the one who brought her here might cause an overreaction, which wasn't ideal. Tomorrow, Aak would introduce her to the other children. With friends her age, integrating into the island would be much easier.

As they left the cafeteria, Gavial cast an approving look at Kanna's back, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

— "A kid who eats this much… back in my village, she'd probably be worshipped as the next tribal leader."

???

Aya gave her a puzzled look.

Gavial patted her on the shoulder.

— "Think about it. Normally, people eat to replenish energy. A person's digestion speed determines how efficiently they absorb that energy. But this girl? She's eaten a ridiculous amount without any visible change. That can only mean one thing—her body not only has a massive energy demand, but her digestion efficiency is insanely high. Once she starts using all that stored energy, she's going to be unstoppable."