The First Order

Chapter 1: A sickness in the head

Translator: Legge Editor: Legge

In the chaotic darkness, the young Ren Xiaosu awoke and started wiping off the sweat on his forehead. Then he looked towards the boy of around 14 who was standing at the door.

“Liuyuan, did anything happen?” Ren Xiaosu asked.

Addressed as Liuyuan, the boys full name was Yan Liuyuan.

From his appearance, Yan Liuyuan looked like a very harmless and innocent person. However, he was holding a bone knife in his hands and standing guard at the door. It was deep into the night at the moment, but he did not close his eyes even though he looked very sleepy, as he had to keep watch through the night.

Yan Liuyuan shook his head and said, “No, everything is fine. Hmm, what exactly is this sickness youre experiencing in your head? Even the towns doctor cant diagnose whats wrong with you?”

“You dont have to worry about such things. What Im experiencing is not a sickness.” Ren Xiaosu said firmly, “Itll be dawn soon, and Ill be going out to hunt. You should sleep for a while so that you can get up in time for school.”

“OK.” Yan Liuyuan nodded, glum. “But whats the point of studying in a wasteland like this…”

“It will be useful for you in the future,” Ren Xiaosu said in an irrefutable tone.

“I want to go out to hunt too.” Yan Liuyuan pouted.

“Whos going to keep watch at night if something happens to you? Me, whos unconscious?” Ren Xiaosu stood up and prepared to go fetch water from the town center as it was less dangerous to do so after dawn broke.

During the night, it was a lawless land out there.

…

Dark clouds were building up without rest in the cloudy sky. A drop of acid rain eventually fell from above. It got blown about by the strong winds and finally landed in front of Ren Xiaosu.

Ren Xiaosu was lying on the ground in the wilderness. He frowned and felt that he was a little unlucky today as the acid rain arrived before his prey appeared.

Someone mentioned that he must be careful of the beasts while moving around in this wasteland.

But Ren Xiaosu felt that the person left everything else unspoken, because many things could still kill a person out in this wasteland. One of them was the acid rain.

However, Ren Xiaosu still did not make a move. If he couldnt catch some game today, he and Yan Liuyuan would starve to death before they could die from the disease caused by the acid rain.

Ren Xiaosus eyes popped when he heard a birds wings flapping. However, the rhythm of his breathing did not change.

Ren Xiaosu had used a tree branch to prop up a black cauldron and scattered some black bread crumbs underneath it a short distance ahead of himself.

That large bird landed beside the cauldron and looked around sharply with an alert gaze. The size of the bird was not that much smaller than the cauldron, in fact.

As it stood in the same spot preening its feathers, Ren Xiaosu did not make a move and continued waiting.

The bird finally seemed to let its guard down as it started sneaking towards the cauldron as a thief would.

However, when it entered into the boundary under the cauldron and was about to lower its head to peck on the bread crumbs, Ren Xiaosu pulled hard on the rope in his hand. Right after, the young man jumped up and rushed towards the cauldron like an unbridled wild donkey. Before the large bird could flip the cauldron over, he mustered all of his strength and used his body to pin down the cauldron!

“Phew!”

Ren Xiaosu heaved a sigh of relief as he had waited an entire night just to catch this sparrow. Fortunately, his efforts had not gone to waste today, especially since such good opportunities were hard to come by.

Clattering came from inside the cauldron as the struggling sparrow battered its tough wings against it. At this moment, the short melody of the clock striking the hour rang from the refugee stronghold.

Ren Xiaosu turned around and looked at the town. He wondered when he could finally bring Yan Liuyuan to live inside the stronghold.

To Ren Xiaosu, the people living in the stronghold were fortunate because they did not have to face the dangers of the wastelands.

However, not just anyone could enter that place as they wished.

Right at this moment, the activity in the cauldron quieted by a lot. He let out a sigh and checked if the ragged cloth was wrapped firmly around his hand. Then Ren Xiaosu slowly lifted the cauldron up to create a tiny opening and put his hand in. He attempted to grab hold of the large sparrow by its legs!

However, life was not always that smooth s