For now, he didn’t want anyone to know about his secret. Neither Slyfox nor Mad Dog was reliable after all!
Being a sparring partner was just part of his life. The mercenaries were determined to squeeze every last drop of value out of him. As the lowest ranking member of Tartarus, it was his job to fetch water, carry dishes, sweep the ground, wash their clothes, empty the chamber pots, sharpen their weapons, carry heavy loads, perform maintenance on their vehicle… he did everything.
Mantis often had Cloudhawk come be his assistant. At first, Cloudhawk was extremely uncomfortable with the job. But now, he understood the human body like the back of his hand, and was able to dissect a body and draw out its internal organs with his eyes closed. As for his relationship with Woola? At first, Woola would chase him around and attempt to bite him every time it saw him. Now, after feeding Woola for so long, the relationship between Cloudhawk and Woola slowly became more peaceful.
Over the course of this month, Cloudhawk slowly became a real member of this organization. The other mercenaries were starting to actually like the kid. He was stubborn and pugnacious. Every day, he did his job in a very sulky manner… but he still did what he was supposed to do, and did it well. With him around, everyone in the mercenary company was able to relax much more than before. Where would they ever find another “slave laborer” like this?
Although Cloudhawk still didn’t have much status in Tartarus, wasn’t allowed to eat with the others, and still had to live outside in that small room, everyone’s attitude towards him had noticeably improved. They no longer treated him with the same contempt they did in the past.
Every day, Cloudhawk endured beatings, endured Woola’s chasing him around the yard and biting him, and endured all the dirty jobs foisted on him. He was someone who had grown up in the ruins. Life there had given him a tenacious, unyielding spirit. He was treated in a way no normal person could possibly endure so he would bitch and moan about it every day… but he was also able to grit his teeth and bear it.
There was just one thing he couldn’t endure any longer. Hunger! He was starving! Cloudhawk was beginning to realize that as his body slowly got stronger, his need for food also increased as well.
As for that damnable, stingy Slyfox, he hadn’t improved Cloudhawk’s living conditions at all. Those two or three pieces of bread Cloudhawk was given each day was simply not enough to fill his stomach; all Cloudhawk could do was occasionally scarf down some of the scraps left behind by the other mercenaries. However, that was quite rare. What was much more common was Cloudhawk being ordered around by the three captains on an empty stomach.
This sort of life went on for a full month. One could imagine how sour Cloudhawk felt about it all! If it hadn’t been for the ten-plus years of life in the ruins teaching him tenacity and patience, Cloudhawk would’ve blown a gasket and left long ago!
Cloudhawk knew that he couldn’t leave yet. Although life in Blackflag Outpost was tough, it was at least relatively regimented and secure!
For once, he was fairly free this afternoon. Cloudhawk’s only assignment was to clean Woola’s kennel; in other words, sweep away Woola’s dung. While working, he pinched his nose in disgust as he said, “Can you stop shitting in the kennel? That’s so disgusting!”
Woola had been relaxing off on one side, soaking in some sun. Upon hearing Cloudhawk dare lecture him, Woola sat up, flexed all six limbs, and stared at Cloudhawk’s behind with his red, ape-like eyes. Woola bared his teeth and growled, as if preparing to charge forward and give Cloudhawk a bite.
“Alright, alright! Just pretend I didn’t say anything.” Cloudhawk’s butt clenched involuntarily. He really was afraid of this irascible creature that caused him no small amount of pain in recent days. Woola was actually a bit more powerful in combat than most of the mercenaries and was probably second to only the three captains themselves. Although he wasn’t that intelligent, he was easily enraged. He wasn’t someone you wanted to piss off.
“You can shit where you like, m’lord.”
Woola let out a burp before once more laying down to enjoy the sun.
Just as Cloudhawk dumped the disgusting sack of dung into the garbage pile, he suddenly felt his head grow dizzy as his stomach clenched hard. That omnipresent sense of hunger suddenly made itself known once more and Cloudhawk felt as if every single cell in his body were crying out for sustenance and drawing as much energy as it could from him.
This feeling was a simply indescribable form of torment. Although scavengers were very good at enduring hunger, Cloudhawk’s body had slowly improved to the point where the hunger pangs were now ten times worse than they were before.
Cloudhawk licked his parched lips and raised his head to stare at the clouds in the sky. His mood became complicated once more. He had risked everything to escape the life of a scavenger. Was it all for the sake of carrying water for others and cleaning up their dung? Did these guys want him to be their errand boy for the rest of his life? Was his only purpose in Tartarus to be a human punching bag?
These were questions Cloudhawk had asked himself repeatedly during this past month in Blackflag Outpost. He wanted to go out on missions like the other mercenaries because those who went out on missions earned more food. However, all he could do was fantasize about it. In the eyes of Slyfox and the other mercenaries, he was nothing more than a useless recovery meta, right?
Cloudhawk touched his dry, parched skin. Instead of just thinking about it, he should go ahead and do something about it. He decided it was time to go look for some food. There was no way he’d find anything in the mercenary base so his only choice was to go try his luck elsewhere. For example, maybe he’d be able to dig up a few tubers or find some bugs to eat. Although he wouldn’t be able to satiate himself, he’d at least be able to relieve the hunger. If he could catch a few rats, that’d be even better. It had been quite some time since he had eaten any meat.
Cloudhawk’s idea wasn’t a bad one. Unfortunately, it was almost guaranteed he’d fail. Blackflag Outpost had a total of twenty thousand people, the vast majority of whom were in a state that was as bad as or even worse than that of the scavengers. As a result, virtually everything edible in the outposts had long since been devoured by others. The most likely end result was that he’d exhaust himself looking for food, with the only reward being disappointment and even more hunger.
Cloudhawk wandered around in a rather confused fashion, so hungry that he very nearly passed out. Right at this moment, a notice board in front of an inn suddenly attracted his attention. It read: “Recruiting temporary workers. For two hours of work, you can earn five strings of rat jerky!”
Cloudhawk’s heart clenched hard as he stared at those crooked words. He could hardly believe what he read. Five strings of rat meat for just two hours of work? By comparison, the Tartarus mercenaries were giving him scraps fit for beggars!
Cloudhawk was rather intrigued, but also nervous. His past experience warned him that nothing in the world ever came cheap. Whenever you wanted something, you would need to pay a corresponding price.
“Hey kid! You over there! Yeah, you!” Right at this moment, a man with a splotchy red nose noticed Cloudhawk’s interest in the sign. The man’s eyes lit up and he rose to his feet and called out, “C’mere!” Cloudhawk hesitated for a moment before walking over.
“My name is Rednose. Heard of me?”
Cloudhawk shook his head.
“No? Wonderful!” The chubby red-nosed man let out a happy laugh that sounded warm and friendly. “You hungry, kid?”
Cloudhawk nodded.
“Need a job?”
Cloudhawk nodded again.
“Ahaha, then you came at just the right moment. The terms of the deal are pretty clear. You know how to read, right? Then I won’t waste any time repeating the terms.” As Rednose spoke, he pulled out a sheaf of wrinkly paper and put it on the table. “Just do a fingerprint here.”
Cloudhawk was so hungry that his vision was blurry. He couldn’
t clearly make out all the content on the paper and before he had a chance to react, the red-nosed man grabbed his hand and pressed it down on the paper, leaving behind a fingerprint!
“You are now in my employ, starting now!” Rednose gestured to a black man standing nearby. “Take’m in!”
Cloudhawk was completely confused. He had no idea what was going on, but the red-nosed proprietor seemed like a fairly nice guy. It was just two hours of work, right? How bad could it possibly be? Any job was worth five strips of rat meat!
When he entered the inn house, it was like he entered a completely different world. All types of colored light flashed before him and hard rock music blasted everywhere, mixed with the screams of the crowd. Everyone here was dancing wildly. The air around them was filled with the scent of cheap cigarettes and even cheaper liquor.
What attracted Cloudhawk’s attention the most was the simple, ugly-looking platform located in the very center of the room.
This raised platform was made of wood and surrounded by hemp rope. It looked like a dueling ring as the wooden floorboards of the ring were stained in blood. Right at this moment, several half-naked women were furiously scrubbing away at that blood.
Moments later, a seductive woman slowly walked towards the platform. Catcalls and whistles rang out around her and the entire area began to grow even more chaotic.
The hard rock music, alcohol, smokes, women… all of these things stimulated male hormones. Cloudhawk had never been to a place like this before. Everything around him seemed fresh and exciting.
He had no idea what he was going to face next.
13 The Bloody Ring
By wastelands standards, the woman on the platform was absolutely a great beauty. Although her skin was rather coarse, she had a superb figure and the cleavage she revealed was enough to drive any man wild with fantasies. She wore very little, just enough to cover her most sensitive parts while also occasionally revealing them. Her slender legs were just barely covered by ragged silk stockings. From top to bottom, she was one hell of a treat for the eyes.
Her eyes were beguiling, while her movements were teasing and seductive. When she walked, she swayed her hips in a very exaggerated fashion, causing those who saw her to follow her with their gazes.
With someone like her standing on the platform, everyone’s attention was drawn to the center of the room.
“Sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long! The next duel for today is between Benson of the guard forces and the famous hunter Tram. Both of them are proud warriors of our base. Who will be the one to win? Let’s watch and see!”
After giving a brief introduction, the seductive woman hurriedly retreated from the stage as animalistic cries sounded throughout the room.
Two muscular men dressed in briefs, each flanked by a retinue, made their way out from the crowd. Each wore ragged caped cloaks and neither carried any weapons or defensive items. They used neither boxing gloves nor boxing helmets. After moving to stand atop the dueling ring, they simultaneously cast off their tattered capes, revealing their tough muscles and chiseled physiques. The two looked quite similar in size and shape, but one was white while the other was black.
The two bowed slightly to each other, but both maintained eye contact as they entered combat stances. The dangerous auras emanating from the two of them spoke plainly as to what type of people they were; not only were they veteran warriors who had experienced many battles, they were also both the sort of people to take the other’s life if the opportunity ever arose.
Cloudhawk watched all of this, rather dazed. Right at this moment… clang! A copper gong was suddenly struck, scaring him out of his wits. Simultaneously, those two muscular warriors let out bestial growls as they charged towards each other like a pair of stampeding rhinos.
The black man was the first to deliver a heavy blow. Whoosh! The white man had feigned an opening to lure in that attack, only to ensure it missed. The white man then delivered a crushing knee-strike to the black man’s gut, causing the latter to instantly hunch over, curling up like a shrimp. The white man then delivered a right elbow to the black man’s back.
The two consecutive strikes caused such heavy internal injuries that blood instantly flew out from the black man’s mouth. One could imagine how heavy these two blows had been! One final elbow knocked the black man to the ground.
“YEAH!” The white man let out a furious howl as he lifted up his leg, then slammed it down. The black man hurriedly flipped backwards to dodge and the tough wooden boards right in front of him were caved in by the force of that stomp. The white man didn’t halt his attacks; after missing with his first stomp, he kicked straight out of the caved-in floorboards and struck the black man, knocking him into a corner of the ring with splinters all over his body.
The white man pounced forward, about to press the attack, but the fallen black man actually hooked his leg, catching the white man off-guard and tripping him to the ground. The black man hurriedly flipped up, rose to his feet, and pounced towards the white man like a leopard. He grabbed the white man and rammed him into one of the dueling ring posts like a monk beating a gong.
Boom! The entire ring shook and a large amount of blood began to pour out of the white man’s head. The black man seized the opportunity to kick the white man into the ropes, causing even the tough ropes to bend backwards. Just as the white man was about to bounce off the ropes, the black man delivered another vicious kick.
Bang! Blood poured out of the white man’s mouth, spraying the faces of those beneath him with a bloody mist. This scene seemed to energize and excite the crowd, making them scream even more excitedly as frenzied roars swept through!
The screams of the crowd seemed to help the dizzied white man regain his bearings. He shook his head hard and let out a guttural, inhuman scream from his blood-flecked lips. Turning, he used the ropes to slingshot him forward like an arrow. As the black man charged towards him with yet another kick, the white man suddenly grabbed the black man’s leg with both arms and threw him down onto the ground… before giving the leg a hard twist. CRACK!
The black man screamed in agony as his leg was broken. The white man then reached out, grabbed the black man’s head, and slammed the back of his head into the ground. Once, twice, thrice… the black man’s eyes rolled up as he lost consciousness, blood pouring out of every orifice.
A tidal wave of screams swept across the room, all of them chanting the same thing! “KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!”
The wave of cries seemed to serve as a catalyst, spurring the white man onto even greater savagery. His punches flew out like raindrops in a storm, striking the black man on the face nonstop as if giving vent to some hidden rage. It was like the black man had killed his father or something! Blood splattered everywhere, bringing an exhilarating, sickening brutality to this fight.
Just a few seconds later, the black man had been beaten into an unrecognizable pulp! The white man lifted up the half-dead black man over his head, letting out a series of growls from his blood-covered mouth. He was like a victorious lion proclaiming dominance over his domain.
“TRAM! TRAM! TRAM!” The entire room exploded with cheers of celebration! The white man brought the black man’s back down across his knee, hard. The terrifying sound of bones splintering could be heard as the black man’s spine was broken. The white man then casually tossed the black man out of the dueling ring.
Once again, everyone let out celebratory whoops of joy. As for those who lost their bets on the black man, they let out a string of curses. Some of them began to paw at the waitresses, dragging them off into nearby private rooms to give vent to their frustrations.
“That was truly an exciting battle!” An alluring voice rang out as that seductive woman dressed in silk stockings once more stepped into the ring. “Next, we have a very special program for you. Let’s welcome our latest newbie into the arena!”
By now, Cloudhawk had a completely dazed look on his face. Oh, fuck… was this his job? No
wonder no one wanted this job. This was suicide! Cloudhawk immediately cried out, “I quit! I’m going home!”
“Quitting? Not your call!” The black bouncer by his side snickered, a detestable look on his face. “Rules of the inn say that if you break your contract, you lose your hands.” He pulled out a machete and leered at Cloudhawk menacingly. Several other burly bouncers walked over as well.
This time, he was in serious trouble! Cloudhawk never imagined that something like this would happen. The black man who fought in the dueling ring was now lying right next to Cloudhawk. His face had been completely destroyed, his nose broken, his teeth shattered, his jaw dislocated, and his spine severed. Even if he survived, he’d be nothing more than a useless cripple.
He had been a very skilled combatant, but he still ended up being beaten into such a state. How could a small guy like Cloudhawk possibly endure a punch from that big white man?
“NOOB! NOOB! NOOB!” Everyone around him shouted with increasing excitement.
The black bouncer grabbed Cloudhawk and tossed him into the dueling ring. Cloudhawk landed on the blood-soaked wooden boards with a thud and frantically clambered to his feet. The lights above him dazzled him and the cries of the crowd were truly thunderous.
“SMASH HIM! SMASH HIM! SMASH HIM!”
Fuck, the two of us are in completely different weight classes! It was like a giant gorilla battling a skinny monkey! Was there even a point to a battle like this?
Of course there was!
There was entertainment in watching a fight between two equally-matched opponents. There was also entertainment in watching a fight in which one opponent was overwhelming stronger than the other. Everyone wanted to hear the sound of bones crunching! They wanted to smell the blood, to bask in it, to hear the weak newbie scream in agony. This was the point of entertainment!
The woman clad in silk stockings watched as Cloudhawk was tossed into the arena, showing not an ounce of pity. She was all smiles as she said, “The time for our next performance has come! An even more exciting, even bloodier, and even more delightful feast for your eyes awaits you. Are you all ready?”
The Wastelander Page 11
