As it turns out, the group Damien and Ruyue were with at the moment was just one of many that had left the village today.
In fact, it was a normal thing for many groups to leave in search of herbs and plants to supply the village with their food source.
With them having a sort of non-aggression pact with the beasts in the forest, they had become accustomed to an entirely vegetarian diet.
This particular fact, although seemingly mundane, was one that piqued Damien's interest. After all, he had to eat beasts to evolve and grow stronger, so he didn't realize it was even possible to live on such a diet.
But his question was answered soon.
"The plants in the forest have also been affected by mana. They reproduce and grow using the ambient mana in the air in addition to the usual sunlight and water that they need. These plants are more than nutritious enough to sustain us."