40
Ch.40 Unlimited refills are a lie.
"Ah... Yes, Mr. Heo Mu-ryo, enjoy your meal."
Yoo Hyena handed me a tray with a hollow expression and gestured for me to quickly join the line.
30 servings... After scooping up today’s menu with a ladle and pressing it firmly into my tray, I trudged weakly to my seat and ate the free meal.
"Mmm, slurp! Mmm...!"
Eating delicious food made me think—why feel empty about it?
Getting 30 plates of food to my heart’s content for free—wasn’t this practically unlimited?
Maybe instead of Heo Mu-ryo (Empty Free), I should go by Han Mu-ryo (Limitless Free). Lost in thought as I ate, I watched the woman handing out trays, engaging in conversation with each resident of District 4.
"Good for you, congratulations!"
"Oh my, already 10 years old? You’ve grown so much!"
"There should be government support for that. Why don’t you go to the welfare center this time...?"
She wasn’t just a woman handing out food.
When people shared their joys, she rejoiced with them. When they voiced their troubles, she worried alongside them.
Sometimes, if a resident mentioned losing their job, she’d introduce them to another. If she saw someone in tattered clothes, she’d have another volunteer bring out a clean, donated outfit.
In those brief moments, residents who received her help thanked her before taking their meals.
Was this woman like the boss of a temp agency at this free meal center?
"Ooh..."
"He really ate all 30 servings..."
"Wow~ That’s amazing. They say last week he ate several times that?"
True to my word, I finished 30 servings. Amidst applause and cheers—much quieter than last week—I headed back to the serving area.
Clack. As I set down the tray, the woman gave me a strange look and greeted me.
"Did you enjoy your meal?"
"It was delicious, but I’m still hungry."
"You ate 30 servings and still say you're hungry? I don’t even know what to say... I was thinking of reducing it further."
"Mmm."
Still, my stomach was about half full.
Being able to fill half my stomach with a free meal was an unbelievable stroke of luck. Yet, still hungry, I stared at the serving station and gulped.
The woman chuckled softly and pushed my back with both hands.
"Alright, if you’re done, hurry up and get to work."
"Work’s over for today."
"Nuh-uh~ If you’re done with work today, you should go look for your next job~ Fighting!"
Next job, huh... Pushed along by the woman, I headed toward the park exit.
Just then, a group of men brushed past us, cutting in line at the serving station.
"Move, move, move!"
"Wh-what the...? Hey, get in line."
"Damn filthy District 4 beggars... Scram!"
"Sigh..."
Dressed in suits stained with dust, dirt, and dried blood, the men grabbed food from the pots with their filthy hands, shoving it into their mouths before attempting to carry the entire pots away.
The woman who had been pushing me let out a tired sigh and returned to the serving station. She clapped her hands to get their attention and spoke.
"You’re welcome to eat as much as you want, but please don’t grab food with your hands—others need to eat too. And don’t take the whole pot."
"Huh? The hell’s wrong with this bitch...?"
"You know who I am?"
"I don’t care who you are. Wash your hands over there, take a tray, and eat properly."
"You got some nerve, huh?"
"Hold up, this chick’s kinda pretty."
Flick. A fireball the size of a human head floated above the man’s outstretched finger.
Beside him, another man, who had been greedily shoveling food into his mouth, flexed his bulging muscles—his arm swelling until his enlarged hand clamped around the woman’s waist.
"Eek...!"
"Kyaaah! Villains!"
"Director!"
"Hyena!"
Screams erupted as people backed away from the serving station in shock. Men standing by the truck rushed forward, activating their abilities.
Crackle, crackle. A man wreathed in lightning and another with a metallic upper body—volunteers who were clearly at least C-rank superpower humans.
But the villains, also likely C-rank, outnumbered them.
"Wh-what? Why are superpower humans here? Heroes?"
"Director? This bitch some big shot? Hehe, crushing her’ll be fun..."
"Hyena? Pretty name~ Hmph, girl, how about after filling my stomach, you and I have some real fun? My ability isn’t just making my hands bigger, y’know?"
"Hey! Take out the superpower humans first!"
The five villains, having wrecked the serving station, lunged at the two superpower humans.
Meanwhile, the woman trapped in the villain’s grip wriggled her slender hand free and tightly gripped something near her hip. A strange signal pulsed outward—buzz.
Was it a police distress call?
"Run! Damn it! Heroes will be a pain!"
"What’re you staring at? Scram!"
"Wait, you! Come here! Hmph, damn, why’re there so many pretty girls in District 4?"
"Ahhh! Mommy!"
"Don’t touch anyone else! If you’re taking someone, just take me—!"
Breaking away from the two superpower humans, the villains tried to flee with the woman and the food.
Crash! In the blink of an eye, the meal center was in chaos. Standing before the escaping villains, I frowned slightly and positioned myself at the park entrance.
"Wh-what’s with this giant?"
"Are you a superpower human too?!"
"Kill him!"
The villains, now wary, unleashed their abilities at me.
A swollen, meaty fist, several fireballs, petrified rock bullets, compressed air shots, and a pot hurled with enhanced strength.
"Nooo!!"
"Kyaaaa!"
Amidst the screams of the woman and residents, I raised one hand.
Wham! I smacked the first fireball skyward with the back of my hand, took the rock bullets and air shots with my body, and caught the pot’s handle with my fingertip.
Spin, spin. Balancing the spinning pot on my palm, I raised my elbow and caught the incoming meaty fist.
Squelch. With a burst of pus, the man’s hand exploded.
"Huh...?"
"Wh-what...?"
"W-whaaaat?! What the hell?!"
The woman’s shocked voice, the villains’ terrified reactions—the one who’d thrown the punch shrank his hand back, trembling in agony as broken bones jutted out.
I stepped toward the hand-enlarging villain and slashed with the edge of my palm.
Schlick! The woman fell from his severed fingers.
"Huh, since when?!"
"Ahhh! M-my haaand!"
"H-he’s a hero! They had a hero lying in wait to catch us!"
Holding the fallen woman, I raised the pot and smashed it against each villain’s head.
Thud! Gak! Ugh! Oof! Ack! The villains collapsed, twitching.
Cradling the woman in my arms, I looked down at the writhing figures.
"Get lost."
"H-huh...?"
"I won’t say it twice."
"Uwaaah!"
"Ahh! Agh!"
Staggering to their feet, the villains fled the park in disarray.
I set the woman down—she had been staring quietly at my face.
"Wha...?"
She made a strange noise, hugging her arms, blinking silently.
Then, the residents who had backed away burst into cheers and applause.
"Wooow! Han Mu-ryo! Han Mu-ryo! Han Mu-ryo!"
"So cool! Wow!"
"He’s a superpower human?! No wonder he ate so much like a monster!"
Clang clang clang! Amidst the cheers and tray-banging, I held out the empty pot to the dazed woman.
She numbly took it, blinking rapidly—then swung it hard at my head.
"Why’s a superpower human at a free meal center?!"
"Eep."
After saving her, instead of giving me meat, she hit me with a pot. Stunned by the unexpected reaction, I failed to dodge.
"Go work! Eat at a hero cafeteria! Go hunt monsters! Seriously! This place is for people struggling to eat!"
"...I hunt monsters too."
"Then why eat here?! Hunt monsters! Earn money and buy your own food!"
"Even if I earn money, it’s not enough to eat until I’m full."
"...Okay, fair point."
Her anger flickered briefly before she scowled again.
"Ugh~! I hit my savior with a pot!"
"But you’re not wrong! Why’s a superpower human mooching free meals?!"
"Ugh~! Han Mu-ryo! Thanks for saving me, but still! Ugh~!"
"Director got hugged! So jealous! Ugh~!"
"Ugh~! Director’s blushing is cute!"
"Quiet down and eat!"
Were they cheering or teasing? Flustered, the red-faced woman grabbed my waist and pulled.
I stood still, watching her strain with all her might.
"What?"
"G-go wash your hands! And your body—you’re covered in blood!"
"Mmm."
Sticky with blood and flesh, I flexed my fingers—then resisted the urge to lick them clean.
As she dragged me toward the sink, residents whispered as they watched.
"My, no matter how rushed, doing that right here..."
"Kinda cool though. Suddenly—whoosh, boom, bang—he saved her."
"Still... Wow, Director’s bold..."
"No! It’s—his hands are dirty! He needs to wash them! That’s all!"
"Ahahaha! Gotta wash up! Then what?!"
"Hey!"
"Oops, hold on—hey! Clean this up! We need to eat!"
"Thanks to those bastards, it’ll take a while to serve more food."
"Let’s tidy up while we wait, everyone~"
The park was a mess, but laughter filled the air. The woman, biting her lip with a flushed face, handed me a wet towel before checking on the two injured superpower humans.
"Are you two okay? Any injuries...?"
"Director Hyena, we’re sorry. We didn’t expect villains to show up..."
"I’m fine, ah—! I need to make a call. I accidentally sent a distress signal earlier... Just a sec?"
Pulling out her phone, she dialed someone.
"Ah, sister? Sorry for bothering you on your break. False alarm..."
The voice on the other end was loud—I could eavesdrop if I wanted, but I didn’t care. After wiping off the blood, I held out my dirty hands.
She handed me a rubber hose, letting water run over my hands as she continued the call.
"Got it, got it... Hang up and rest while you can."
Click. Hanging up, she sighed—then stared up at me with wide eyes.
At the same time, the hose slowly lowered... Bending to wash my hands, I noticed her glancing at the residents before leaning close to my ear.
"I’m... Yoo Hyena."
"Mmm."
Yoo Hyena. At the sudden introduction, I shifted my gaze. Blushing, she took a step back.
"Th-thanks for helping. Really, I thought I was done for... U-um, you can have... A few more servings. Eat more before you go."
"Really?"
"As thanks... You said you were still hungry."
Such generous words. I grabbed her hand and raised it high for all to see.
"She said I can eat more!"
"Whoa, what? What’d she say?"
"She said he can eat more?"
"Wooow! Yoo Hyena! Yoo Hyena! Yoo Hyena!"
"Ahahaha!"
Amid laughter and cheers, Yoo Hyena—red to her ears—pulled her wrist free and clutched it herself.
"D-don’t just grab a woman’s wrist like that! Geez!"
"Wooow! She’s embarrassed! Wow!"
"Quiet down and eat!"
Later, amidst the lively crowd, I ate ten more servings.
When I tried for more, Yoo Hyena stopped me.
"You said I could eat more."
"A little more! A little means a bit! This isn’t a bit!"
"It’s a little..."
"...One more bowl. A small one... No! This is a lot! A whole lot!"
As expected... Unlimited refills don’t exist in this world.