But he has to ignore that curiosity for now, because the pain he feels in his arm no longer in the level he can ignore anymore. He still tries to hide it, but the painful expression slowly becomes palpable showing up in his face.
Elea, on the other hand, finally shows some interest in the skirmish. After all, Oogorim's reputation as one of Ezlenmir Academy's most resilient students precedes him, but now looking struggle with Irvine's handgrip.
She leans against the wall, smirking as she watches the scene unfold. "He never fails to surprise me! Now let's see how our favorite skinny underdog fares against this big ugly Orc!"
Sadly, just as the showdown reaches its climax, Aezel appears out of nowhere like a teacher catching kids fighting during recess.
"Oogorim!" she barks, her icy glare practically freezing the air. "How dare you cause chaos while I'm still here?"
"With all due respect, Aezel," Oogorim grumbles, still holding Irvine's uniform, "don't interfere! This guy openly declared war on me. There's no backing down now, not while I'm starving to death!"
Aezel steps closer, placing her hand on his arm. Thin ice begins creeping from her fingertips, spreading over Oogorim's skin. "Don't give me excuses. I know you hate him, and I know you're not that hungry. You've survived long enough without food before. Now why don't you help me move the food supplies instead? If those chimeras steal everything, even your oversized appetite won't be satisfied."
"Wait, what?" Oogorim looks stupid.
"Go check for yourself," Aezel says with a shrug. "More than half our food is gone."
At the mention of missing food, Oogorim forgets all about Irvine. Food is, after all, the one thing he truly cares at the moment.
He storms into the storeroom like a hungry bear, sadly only to find a few mole chimeras scurrying away. For gag material, he spots the last one just before it disappears into a tunnel.
"You rascal! Get back here! How dare you steal my food!"
Fueled by rage, Oogorim leaps into the air, ready to smash the little thief into oblivion. Unfortunately, for all his strength, he's about as quick as a snail with a hangover, and is also stupid too. His decision to jump only gives the chimera more time to escape, with his slam only creating more chaos on the floor.
"DAMMIT!" he roars, his frustration echoing through the room.
Left with no other choice, he gathers the scraps of food that remain and hauls them back to the lounge room like a defeated warrior.
Back in the lounge room, Lily is doing inventory with a grim face.
"Well, we've got some flour and vegetables," she informs. "But I don't know what kind of meal I can make with these. They even took the cooking oil and spices, leaving us with only…"
"What about the meat?" Oogorim interrupts, his voice hopeful.
Lily shakes her head. "They took all the meat. But we still have some instant noodles and a few boxes of canned fish."
Oogorim slams the table so hard it nearly splits in half. "Who the hell cares about your noodles and canned fish?! Those damn moles! They stole all the meat and left the canned fish! Even the monsters are picky eaters now!"
Seething with frustration, he storms toward the exit.
"We have a motorboat, right?" he asks, stopping at the door. "What about fuel?"
"There's plenty in the warehouse," Aezel replies.
"Fine. I'm going back to the mainland to buy some real food. Anyone coming with me?" Oogorim invites.
The room falls silent. Nobody else seems particularly bothered about having a meatless dinner, and none of them likes doing meaningless errand at the moment, not during the dark night.
"Why not just wait until morning?" Aezel suggests.
"Then what about my dinner?!" Oogorim snaps. "There's no way I'm sleeping on an empty stomach! If nobody comes with me, I'll take the boat and leave this shitty island for good! And I'll never come back here, you hear me?!"
Before anyone can respond, Barry suddenly appears, striding into the room with all the swagger of someone who thinks he is the main character.
"No one's leaving the island!" he declares dramatically.
Oogorim doesn't even hesitate.
BUG!
With one swift kick, Barry is sent flying into the wall like a sack of potatoes.
"What was that for?!" Barry wheezes, clutching his ribs.
Oogorim grabs him by the collar and hoists him up. "Who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can't do?"
"Wait! WAIT!" Barry protests, shielding his face. "I just came to tell you, no one can leave this island because the canoe and motorboat have been sabotaged! "
The room falls silent as everyone processes Barry's words. Oogorim, however, wastes no time. Dropping Barry like a used napkin, he stomps off to the dock to see for himself.
While Oogorim investigates, Barry explains the situation to the rest of the group.
"The boat," he says, wiping blood from his mouth, "Something has wrecked the motorboat, and tore up the canoe. We're officially stranded now."
Aezel grits her teeth, realizing something else "The food supplies," she mutters. "I don't think they stole it just for themselves."
"What do you mean?" Jack asks, scratching his head.
"They weren't being picky," Lily adds, her face darkening as realization dawns. "They took the cooking oil, spices, sugar, even the coffee powder. They're not hoarding food for survival. And they are not picky eaters either. They simply stole what they could grab by chance!"
"Then what the hell are they doing?" Rebecca asks, visibly annoyed.
"They are trying to trap us here," Irvine speaks up, his voice uncertain.
Elea laughs, shaking her head. "Trap us? Oh, please. These chimeras are failed lab experiments. They don't have the brains for that."
"But everything that's happened points to one conclusion," Irvine continues. "And you need to accept the possibility that something much smarter than us might be behind this."
Elea rolls her eyes. "Smarter than you, maybe. But not me."
"Look at the evidence," Irvine insists. "They must know about the tides for being here for so long. They sabotaged our escape, and took supplies strategically. And I think the missing scientists and the detective might still be alive too, only for one purpose! They're trying to force us into a negotiation… on their terms," he closes with convincing nod.
The room grows quiet as Irvine's words sink in.