Numbers, as abstract concepts or symbols used for counting and measuring, are human inventions. They are tools we use to represent and quantify quantities or values.
However, the underlying concept of quantity or the idea of "how many" is a fundamental aspect of the natural world. For example, if you have two apples and someone gives you three more, you can perceive that you now have five apples. This understanding of quantity existed in the world before humans developed the formal system of numbers to represent it.
In a broader sense, you can think of numbers as a human invention to describe and make sense of the inherent mathematical structure and relationships found in the universe. The properties and relationships of numbers, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, are reflections of the fundamental patterns and principles that govern the world around us.
So while numbers as we know them are a human creation, the underlying concept of quantity and the mathematical relationships they represent have always been present in the natural world. Humans developed numbers as a way to describe and manipulate those inherent mathematical properties.