The man with the pointed ears led the remaining three hundred survivors away from the field of corpses. He did not look back at the mess he had made. To him, those people were just trash that had been swept away.
Wei Xiao walked near the front of the group. His boots clicked against the stone path. Every step felt heavy because of the dried blood on his skin. It felt like a thin layer of armor that reminded him he was still alive.
They passed through a set of jagged stone arches. The architecture of the Myriad Hunger Sect was brutal. Everything was made of dark, unpolished rock. There were no decorations or beautiful carvings. It was a place designed for utility and fear. They arrived at a large courtyard surrounded by low, grey buildings. These were the living quarters.
"This is where you will sleep," the man said. "If you live long enough to close your eyes."
He pointed toward a long wooden shed. At the entrance, several large crates sat on the dirt. The man kicked one of the crates open. It was filled with weapons. Most were rusted or chipped. There were swords, spears, daggers, and blunt iron bars.
"The Sect does not provide for the lazy," the man continued. "In one hour, the bells will ring. That is when the food arrives. There are only fifty bowls for the three hundred of you. If you want to eat, you must earn your place at the table."
The survivors looked at each other. The atmosphere changed instantly. The fear from the massacre on the field started to turn into a different kind of desperation. Hunger was a familiar enemy to most of them. They knew what it felt like to starve.
Wei Xiao did not wait for the man to finish. He moved toward the crates before the others could recover from their shock. He knew that in a world like this, being first was the only way to stay ahead. He reached into the pile of cold iron.
He pulled out a halberd first. It was a heavy weapon with a long wooden shaft. A curved axe blade sat at the top with a sharp spike above it. It was awkward to carry, but it gave him reach.
He didn't want anyone getting close enough to grab him. Next, he found a short sword. He tucked the scabbard into the rope he used as a belt. Finally, he grabbed a small, jagged dagger and hid it in his boot.
'The halberd is for the crowd,' Wei Xiao thought. 'The sword is for the struggle. The dagger is for the kill.'
A few other men noticed him taking multiple weapons. A tall, gaunt man stepped forward. He looked like he had been a soldier once. He reached for the halberd in Wei Xiao's hand.
"You don't need all that, kid," the man said. His voice was raspy. "Give it here."
Wei Xiao didn't argue. He shifted his grip and pointed the spike of the halberd at the man's throat. His eyes were steady. He wasn't trying to look scary. He was just looking at the man the same way he used to look at a stubborn horse in the stables.
"Find your own," Wei Xiao said quietly.
The man stared at him for a moment. He saw the lack of hesitation in Wei Xiao's gaze. He spat on the ground and turned toward the crates to grab a mace instead. Wei Xiao felt his heart thumping against his ribs. He wasn't a master warrior. He was just a boy who had decided that he was done being a victim.
The hour passed slowly. The three hundred survivors scattered around the courtyard. Some formed small groups, whispering and making pacts. Others sat alone, clutching their weapons.
Wei Xiao found a corner near the dining hall doors. He sat with his back against the stone wall. He used a piece of his torn tunic to wipe the grime off the halberd's blade.
He felt a strange mix of nerves and excitement. He was hungry, truly hungry. But for the first time in his life, he had the guts to do something about it. He wasn't waiting for a master to throw him a scrap of bread.
Suddenly, a deep, metallic bell rang out. It echoed through the stone buildings. The doors to the dining hall swung open. A heavy, savory scent drifted out. It smelled like roasted meat and thick grain. It was the best thing Wei Xiao had ever smelled.
The crowd exploded.
Three hundred people rushed toward the narrow doorway. It was a sea of desperation. Wei Xiao stood up quickly. He didn't join the initial crush. He knew he would be trampled if he tried to squeeze through the middle. He waited a few seconds, watching the chaos.
People were already screaming. A man was pushed down and disappeared under a dozen pairs of feet. Weapons clattered against each other. Wei Xiao saw an opening on the left side. He lunged forward, using the butt of the halberd to shove a smaller boy out of his path.
Inside, the dining hall was a large room with long stone benches. In the center, a long table held fifty wooden bowls. They were filled with a dark, steaming stew. There were no chairs. There were no rules.
Wei Xiao saw a man reach a bowl. Before the man could even lift it, someone behind him swung a rusted pipe into his kidney. The man collapsed, and the bowl shattered on the floor. The precious stew spilled into the dirt.
'Idiots,' Wei Xiao thought. 'They're destroying the very thing they're fighting for.'
He moved with purpose. He held the halberd horizontally, using the long shaft as a barrier to keep people away from his sides. He saw a bowl near the end of the table that no one had claimed yet. He sprinted toward it.
A woman with a jagged piece of glass tried to intercept him. She looked half-mad with hunger. She lunged for his face. Wei Xiao didn't think. He reacted. He swung the head of the halberd in a short arc. The axe blade caught her in the shoulder. She spun away with a cry, falling back into the crowd.
He didn't stop to see if she was okay. He reached the table and grabbed a bowl with his left hand. He held it tight. But as he turned to leave, a heavy weight slammed into his back.
He fell forward, hitting the edge of the stone table. The wind was knocked out of him. He felt a hand clawing at his throat. It was the tall man from earlier. The one who had tried to take his halberd.
"I told you to give it up!" the man hissed.
The man had a knife. He brought it down toward Wei Xiao's chest. Wei Xiao rolled his body to the side. The knife scraped against the stone table, sparking. Wei Xiao felt a surge of hot, bright anger. This man was trying to take his life. This man was trying to put the chains back on him.
Wei Xiao let go of the halberd. It was too long for this close range. He reached into his boot and pulled out the jagged dagger. As the man lunged again, Wei Xiao shoved his shoulder into the man's chest and drove the dagger upward.
It wasn't a clean move. It was messy and desperate. The blade sank into the man's stomach. The man gasped, his eyes wide with shock. He slumped against Wei Xiao. The smell of copper and sweat filled Wei Xiao's nose. He pushed the man off him. As the man fell into the dirt, clutching his middle.
Wei Xiao stood up, gasping for air. His heart was racing so fast it hurt. He looked around. The room was a nightmare. People were fighting over spilled soup on the floor. Some were eating while being punched in the head.
He still had his bowl. It was mostly full.
He retreated to a corner, keeping his back to the wall. He gripped the bowl with shaking hands. He took a sip. The stew was thick and salty. It tasted like life itself. As the warmth hit his stomach, a strange sensation washed over him.
It was a feeling of pure merit. He had fought for this. He had earned this. He wasn't a slave being fed. He was a predator who had hunted. A small, genuine smile touched his lips. It wasn't the smile of a monster, but the smile of a boy who finally felt like he owned himself.
He finished the bowl in seconds. He felt the Qi he had gathered earlier start to stir in his gut, it was filled with energy. It began to heal the bruises on his back and the ache in his lungs.
The man with the pointed ears appeared in the doorway. He looked at the bodies on the floor and the blood on the table. He looked at the fifty survivors who were actually eating.
"Well done," the man said. "The first lesson of the Myriad Hunger Sect is complete. You have learned that your life is worth exactly what you can take from others."
Wei Xiao wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked at the dagger in his hand, then at the man.