Chapter 6: A Delicious Dinner
Li En observed the chaotic emotions flooding the chat channels.
Compared to his first experience in the game, the reactions weren't much different—except back then, the threat had been darkness, while now it was cold.
But he had quickly realized that following the game's prompts made the early survival phase manageable.
His [Friends Channel] was flooded with 99+ friend requests, mostly from people hoping to leech resources after seeing his system-wide achievements.
He sighed and cleared them all. Right now, he could barely ensure his own survival, let alone help others.
The population counter for his region kept fluctuating, meaning lives were being lost every second.
With around 100,000 people in my area alone, helping everyone is impossible.
"Lord Li En, dinner is ready!" Shir's voice called from the cafeteria.
"Coming."
He turned to the yak-men still working. "All of you, come eat."
In this game, demi-humans could eat meat, but he wasn't sure if yak-men preferred grass.
Still, in this freezing world, meat was essential for survival.
Aminos approached hesitantly. "Lord, you and Lady Shir should eat first. We'll finish our tasks and eat later."
Li En knew this was just politeness—they felt awkward dining with their lord.
"Enough. I'm the lord—obey my orders."
He led them into the cafeteria.
The moment they stepped inside, the aroma of roasted meat filled the air, making their mouths water.
The yak-men sat stiffly at the table, not daring to move.
Shir, wearing an angelic smile, served them bowls of steaming soup and plates of grilled wolf meat.
The yak-men's nostrils flared at the scent, their stomachs growling—but they waited for Li En's signal.
Once Shir finished serving, she sat beside Li En.
Li En raised his bowl of hot soup.
"Today marks our first meeting. I've seen your hard work, and you've all done well."
He took a sip, then continued.
"I promise—as long as you contribute to this territory, you'll have warmer shelters and better food in the future. Understood?"
"YES, LORD!" the yak-men roared.
"Then eat up!"
At his command, the yak-men devoured the food. They gnawed at the bones, juices dripping down their chins.
"By the gods! I've never tasted meat this good!"
One gulped down the soup. "This is a blessing from heaven!"
They ate like starved beasts, no longer holding back.
Meanwhile, Shir picked up her spoon. "Lord, try the soup while it's hot—Ah! M-My meat!"
Li En had already finished his own plate and was now stealing grilled meat from hers.
"Shir, didn't I tell you? Eating is war—speed matters."
By the time she set her spoon down, half her meat was gone.
She pouted but didn't dare complain.
"Done. Any left?" Li En licked his fingers.
"Should I prepare more, Lord?"
Seeing her trying so hard to stay composed, Li En found her unbearably cute.
He pulled out a hidden plate of meat from under the table.
"Nah, I saved some." He handed it to her.
"I knew you were just teasing me~" Shir beamed.
They ate together, the yak-men too engrossed in their meals to notice their antics.
Soon, every scrap was gone.
The yak-men leaned back, patting their full stomachs.
"Best meal of my life."
"Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lady Shir!"
Their gratitude was genuine.
[Territory member: Yak-man Minotaurus's Loyalty +10. Current: 75.]
[Territory member: Yak-man Minotauros's Loyalty +10. Current: 75.]
[Territory member: Yak-man Aminos's Loyalty +10. Current: 80.]
---
Nightfall.
Outside, light snow drifted down, and temperatures plunged to -15°C.
After dinner, the yak-men returned to their Worker's Hut, while Li En and Shir retreated to the Lord's Cabin.
As the first player to build the cabin, Li En had received free furniture—a small bed, a work desk, and more.
The fireplace crackled, filling the room with warmth, shielding them from the icy world outside.
"The castle… collapsed… the world… fell apart…"
Shir trembled as she recounted what happened after Li En left.
"Rimuru… Shizu… Medusa… Milim… Camilla… Everyone… Everyone was swallowed by the darkness…"
She clung to him, her voice breaking.
"Shir… kept flying… but couldn't escape… Everything… gone…"
Li En stroked her smooth back, comforting her.
"Lord… promise… never to leave Shir… okay?" Her breathing grew ragged.
"Lord… Li En…"
With a melodic gasp, she arched her swan-like neck before collapsing against his shoulder.
"I won't abandon you, Shir."
He held her close, gently laying her on the bed and covering her with the wolf pelt, hiding her delicate form.
Then he lay beside her, processing her words.
In Era of Divine Revelation, he had avoided triggering the final quest—[Fall of Darkness]—because he didn't know what would happen if the game "ended."
He hadn't wanted to leave.
The real world held nothing for him. After so long in Divine Revelation, he could no longer tell if this was just a game or a real world.
Gazing at Shir's sleeping face, everything felt too vivid to be virtual.
But now, it seemed the story had continued without him.
From Shir's account, his original world had been destroyed, and this was a new setting—different environments, monsters, and mechanics.
Why had all of humanity been dragged into this new chapter instead of starting from the beginning?
That remained a mystery.
Then—
[Ding! Intimate Touch has been triggered.]
[Please select a skill, talent, or racial trait to copy from the target.]