Volume 1 Chapter 1 A scavenger teenager
When the b.l.o.o.d.y sunset arrived, covering the wilderness, it was the time for the scavengers to be active.
Within the stomach of Yun Ying, was a buzzing sound. This familiar feeling which occupied most of his memory s.p.a.ce, the scavengers called it hunger. It is said that the Creator left this eternal curse to all living beings!
This time, if he was still not able to find any food, he won’t be able to get through tonight.
As for tomorrow? Yun Ying had never thought of such a problem before.
Because for the scavengers, tomorrow is too much of a luxury.
Yun Ying climbed out from a hidden hole with many difficulties. When his feet set on the hot and barren land, a strong dizziness began to hit him. Surrounded by ancient ruins from different eras, there were also remains from other worlds which were dropped off here. No matter how brilliant they used to be, they were now no more than just worthless garbage. In this wilderness, they were buried by time and being forgotten.
A lonely thin figure of a teenager in the middle of a cloud of dust, with a raging wind hammering his tender face; a few dirty rags wrapping his fragile body and his rough skin was covered with new and old wounds. In addition to his bright, clear eyes, he was no different from any ordinary scavengers.
Yun Ying had an appearance which looked like around 14 years old.
The life of a scavenger is very simple. For nearly 20 hours everyday, they would hide themselves in a cave or a hole to avoid the randomly hot and cold weather. Only early in the morning or at dusk, this very short interval of time, would they come out from their hiding spots to search for food within the ruins. Day after day, year after year, their life seems to be monotonous, extremely lacking in color. But to scavengers, such a life is happiness. This is because once the monotonous and repet.i.tive life is interrupted, that would only indicate one thing, death.
Yun Ying couldn’t help but to think of the old man.
The old man was different from any of the ordinary scavengers. Not only did he understood the ancient texts, he also knew a lot of knowledge which other scavengers do not know. He loved storytelling and collected useless things, especially old tools, drawings and doc.u.ments. The only being he could share all these with is none other than Yun Ying. They are without a doubt the only companion and friend they each had.
That day, the sun rose as usual. However, the old man didn’t climb out from his hiding hole as usual.
Well, the old man was lucky enough that he still had Yun Ying to bury him properly.
Yun Ying dared not imagine the scene if he is to faint right now. Although this skeleton didn’t have much meat left, to those hungry red eyed scavengers, they were never picky. Those crazy meat dealers would definitely divide him into eight pieces. After smoking the pieces, they would then be hung on their rusty iron hooks. Part of them would be used for their own enjoyment while the remaining ones would be used to exchange for some polluted water.
This is the world of wilderness. In order to survive, anything could be eaten and any action could be done.
Sometimes, Yun Ying was envious of them, but the old man once said that if the last part of human nature is ever abandoned, then humanity really does not have any hope left.
So hungry!
I am nearly not able to move anymore!
Yun Ying dragged his weak body, wandering within the ruins. Like a swinging straw in the wind, he could fall at any second. Scavengers had already ransacked the ruins here a long time ago, it is easier said than done to find even a tiny bit of food.
Really, there is nothing at all?
Will this be the last time for me to witness the sunset?
Not having any energy anymore, Yun Ying sat on the ground, watching the horizon. The setting sun colored the desert with blood soaked redness. A goshawk was soaring in the sky in between the clouds. His gaze was now portraying a hint of envy. Last time, he chose his own name, Yun Ying, hoping to be like the goshawk, enjoying its freedom within the clouds…… In the end, it was just a dream after all? (Yun is cloud, Ying is hawk)
I have not reached the very last moment.
Can’t give up! Can’t give up!
An unknown energy suddenly burst from his body from somewhere!
Like a frightened cub, Yun Ying struggled, standing up. Taking out a shard of iron sheet, he was taking precautions while moving forward. Every single day in each year, there will be the same repeating pattern of crazy scavengers attacking. Most of the weak children like Yun Ying were often target like easy prey.
Sure enough, with rapid footsteps, three scavengers with ragged clothes all over their body suddenly dashed out.
Yun Ying’s facial expression instantly changed. He then retreated two steps back. The current him was too weak, that even a gust of wind could blow him down. Facing the attack from three scavengers, any possibility of being spared would be near zero!
Hold on!
No, this is wrong!
These three people, although their faces seem to be ferocious, there were not even the slightest hint of murderous intent at all. There was no aura of being a hunter instead that felt more like some prey in full desperation mode.
It is not a raid!
This is them trying to escape!
The premonition which Yun Ying had just a moment ago, and now a group of beasts in black charged towards him. The total amount in the group was about a dozen or so. About the size of wild dog, their eyes were dyed with scarlet and they looked extremely scary.
Yun Ying’s blood flow instantly froze. His brain was about to explode, leaving only the soul. From his survival instincts, there was only one idea:
Run!
Once again there was a death threat which could potentially take his life!
A new force appeared again from his near depleted tank within his body. Yun Ying didn’t clearly identify it, nor did he wanted to. As long as he understood one point, that would be enough – they are animals which had undergone mutation, a cruel mutant beast was also a terrifying predator.
In this piece of desert or even in these ruins, scavengers were after all just at the bottom of the food chain. How could they confront those terrifying mutated beasts?
There was one woman who was the slowest that toppled onto the ground.
“Help me!”
“Help me!”
“Help, help me!!!”
A monster with sharp teeth bit into her neck and teared it off. A strong spray of blood like fountain sprinkled all over the scene.
The second beast arrived, third beast arrived. All the black beasts crowded together. In the blink of an eye, the woman’s dead figure no longer held its shape. With the flesh being chewed into pieces, the abdominal intestines together with other internal organs were all exposed.
Such bloodiness, such cruelty, such terror!
That short yet miserable to the extreme screaming sound was like a blade pointing at the other three as reminder. Some of those mutated beasts couldn’t get their share and continued chasing the others. Their speed was too fast that in another two to three seconds, another scavenger had fallen victim to them.
“Ah!”
“No!”
Grinding bones, tearing flesh and blood splattering, that sound really made Yun Ying’s body ice cold!
When Yun Ying panickedly turned around a corner, a scene which made him felt even more desperate appeared in front of his eyes. The road in front was blocked by the remains of the ruins, this was a totally impa.s.sable dead end!
What to do now?
What to do now!?
A third horrifying scream sounded.
The last scavenger had also fallen.
About three mutated beasts dashed across the bodies of the scavengers, like black lightning charging at this helpless weak juvenile!
Danger!
Danger!
Yun Ying seemed to smell a strong breath of death. Hesitating for another second would place him be beyond redemption!
There is only death awaiting me!
I am left with only one choice, fight til death!
He rushed desperately into the ruins, into the deep, yet small, narrow slit.
Such a place, adults won’t come here. Yun Ying’s small figure could barely pa.s.s into the slit. At that moment, within his ears, he could hear the rustle sounds coming nearer and nearer. That is the sound of some beasts chasing and pursuing!
The mutated beasts’ bodily stench could clearly be smelt. This indicated that they were extremely close now.
Yun Ying crawled all the way to the end of the slit. Not being able to move forward anymore, he heard the beasts howling. This was a precursor sign to their attack.
This is a clash between life and death.
In a desperate situation, he picked up a sharp iron bar nearby. When the black figures dashed forward towards him, those scarlet eyes illuminated within darkness. The sound of the razor sharp teeth covered with saliva all over, as if there was delicious prey presented to them.
Yun Ying with all his strength stabbed the sharp iron bar into the monster’s eyes.
The beast howled loudly in pain. With its sharp claws. .h.i.tting at Yun Ying, a few bloodstains were left. Yun Ying supported his head, with such a narrow s.p.a.ce within the slit, there was no way for him to move freely.
“Go die! Go die!”
Yun Ying was even more ferocious than the mutated beast itself. Wildly waving the sharp iron bar at its head and neck, the stench of blood from the beast sprayed everywhere. His whole face, hands and clothes were dripping with blood.
The two other beasts outside which hadn’t entered the slit, once they heard the miserable cry from their companion, they immediately turned around and left. Yun Ying half laid down within the narrow s.p.a.ce. Opening his mouth widely to take deep breaths, his head felt some dizziness from blood lost. Now, being able to move even a single finger was considered a luxury for him.
When the madness was over, the mutated beasts once again ran back to regroup. Probably not getting any harvest just now, they now returned with more aggressiveness.
First time, Yun Ying got to see the beast up close.
It had a dark black fur, sharp and long claws and a pair of scarlet eyes. It looked a bit like a mutated rat, but it doesn’t matter what its true ident.i.ty is, it had at least ten kilograms of meat.
Food!
Yun Ying now went became excited. Using the sharp iron bar, he cut open the tough skin of the dead beast. Tearing a few plump morsels of meat off and stuffing them into his mouth, sour, bad smelling and hard meat…….for the scavengers living in wild, this is the best taste ever.
Yun Ying only ate ants, beetles and gra.s.s roots for a living before. It had been a very long time since he had last tasted meat. When the meat was being digested in his stomach, a warm feeling began to spread all over his body. His stomach cramps and pain had been weakened and was now replaced with an expression of satisfaction which is hard to describe with words alone!
He kept eating until his empty stomach was full.
When he had finally stopped eating, his face was covered by a happy expression.
The beasts outside already went far away. Yun Ying prepared himself to drag this dead beast into his hiding hole. Those few kilograms of meat should be enough for him to last a lot of days.
When Yun Ying just dragged the dead beast outside the slit, a deep beast-like sound echoed.
“Put down the meat!”
About four to five adult scavengers were standing in front of the slit. One of them appeared big and strong, his face were decorated with scars and full of hostility.
These people most probably had heard of the large movement going on here. Thus, they lurked around this area and patiently waited, hoping that they would be able to harvest some bones. Coincidentally, they happened to stumble upon a child who was dragging a dead beast.
That fatty meat, made their eyes red.
The scarred man roared: “Put down the meat!”
Yun Ying’s silent expression was like a lone wolf with wildness and a dangerous aura. Both sides were confronting each other exactly like beasts in the wilderness. In fact, in this era, the boundaries of human and beast had long been blurred.
Drop down?
I have put my life at stake and you want me to give up?
Yun Ying didn’t say even a single word of nonsense. Like a cub which had been angered, regardless of anything, he rushed forward and directed a punch at one of their faces.
There was totally no suspense at all.
After all, Yun Ying was just a child. How could he confront several adults at once? Such resistance only to end up with him being beaten badly and then helplessly watching the dead beast, which he had attained with his own life, being taken away.
……….
The night arrived.
The teenager tiredly went back to his hiding hole. Regarding the incident just now of the scavengers s.n.a.t.c.hing away all his hard work, he had no complaints or anger. Since young, he had already seen such nature of wildness as a child who grew up in such place.
There is no principle in the wilderness. Power is the only absolute law!
The strong ones could enjoy more food, slaves and women. As for the weak, they are destined to be enslaved and trampled underfoot. This is the wilderness. This world, this era, this place, reasoning is totally rubbish. Being weak itself is a big sin!
With the moonlight illuminating the hiding hole, with only a thin blanket, it was hard to resist the nights coldness. Yun Ying was frozen cold till his whole body curled up. The constant pain all over his body made him unable to sleep peacefully.
Tossing and turning around restlessly, Yun Ying decided to sit up. Picking up an iron box, he blew off the thick dust on the surface. As if holding a treasure, he carefully removed some colorful stuff from inside the box.
With his blurry eyes, he stared at these things. These are the photos which the old man had painstakingly collected. This was the evidence of the old era. Surviving years of corrosion, the pictures were now not that clear anymore.
Every time he looked at them, the hidden, young heart within his chest would be touched.
Every time looking at them, the pain and hunger which he felt would slowly disappear.
Every time looking at them, no matter how desperate or dark it was, he could always see a glimmer of light flashing at the end of the tunnel.
The distant old era!
What kind of fantasy world are you?
At that time, humans were clean and polite. When the cities were prosperous and wealthy, there was no danger of mutated beasts, no such ferocious nature of human and no wilderness which is hard for scavengers to survive.
Is that era really over?
Perhaps this world still has such places that exist?
Yun Ying’s pair of dark eye had a ma.s.s of flames burning. He was eager to travel out of the hiding spot and the wilderness!
This idea of his was firmly branded within his soul. From a very young age, the old man once asked: “Why? The hiding spot is dangerous, the ruins are dangerous, the wilderness is even more dangerous, this is just simply a road leading to death!”
“Who is the one who born me into this world!”
“Since this world chooses me, I have the right to have a good look at it!”
“One day, I will find it, find that place which seems like heaven. If I can have a look at it and kiss the land, even if I am to die, there won’t be any regret!”
The old man was silent at that time.
Since then, he had always take care of this child beside him. Sharing food with him, teaching him how to read. Through these years of struggling at the edge of life and death, that idea hadn’t disappeared at all. Instead, it had become more intense than ever!
The old man said, some people when born are destined to be like an eagle with freedom. Just growing up in a chicken coop, one day when it could finally spread its wings soaring in the blue sky………is there really such opportunity?
Now, he can’t even exit the ruins. Not to mention the boundless and million times more dangerous wilderness.
The old man kept emphasized ‘life’ with his mouth. He said that everyone in this world has their own destiny.
Is this really my destiny? I do not believe this!
Yun Ying placed the iron box below his head and fell asleep.