"Papa, how many more days until we reach the base city? I'm so hungry. I want to eat the soft and fragrant rice you told me about," a weak and trembling voice came from a young boy curled up in the passenger seat of an off-road vehicle tearing through the jagged wilderness.
"We're almost there, son. Just hold on a little longer. Once we get to the base city, you'll never have to worry about being hungry again," the man driving the heavily modified steel monstrosity, which tore through the desolate terrain like a beast, licked his cracked lips and smiled in an attempt to comfort his son.
"Papa, are they really going to let people like us into the base city? Last time, I heard someone from a base city call people like us wild dogs," the boy asked hesitantly, his face pale and his body frail from hunger.
"Who? Who dared to call you a wild dog?" The man's face instantly turned ferocious upon hearing his son's words.
They were scavengers, surviving on the outskirts of another base city. But half a month ago, the man had learned shocking news: thousands of kilometers away, the Glory Base City was expanding and recruiting scavengers.
As soon as he heard this, he didn't hesitate. He gathered his scavenger team and set out on the arduous journey to the Glory Base.
But the perilous journey proved to be a cruel trial. Starting with nearly thirty people, only he and his son survived the thousands of kilometers of danger. Everyone else had perished along the way, victims of the unforgiving wilderness and relentless beasts.
For scavengers, survival outside their "comfort zones" was a grim gamble—always at the mercy of the beasts, with the odds stacked against them. Yet, the promise of a stable life with food and safety in a base city was an irresistible temptation. And so, countless scavengers flocked to the Glory Base like moths to a flame.
The farther they traveled, the greater the risks, but those who managed to reach the base were undoubtedly the elite among scavengers—survivors who defied impossible odds.
"I... I don't remember who it was," the boy stammered, shrinking back into his seat when he saw his father's grim expression. He knew all too well how terrifying his father could be when enraged—like a demon risen from hell.
"Doesn't matter. What matters is that we're almost there. Don't listen to what others say. Once we're in the base city, none of that will matter anymore," the man said, trying to mask his own unease.
"Papa, what if that message we heard isn't true? What if they won't let us in?"
"It's true," the man replied firmly, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "And even if it's not, with the number of scavengers gathering around the base city now, I'll make it true if I have to."
"Papa!" The boy looked up at his father in shock, his innocent eyes wide with disbelief.
"Ha, I'm kidding, son. Don't take it so seriously. With God Machine users there, how could someone like me stir up any trouble?" The man laughed, but there was a cold, calculating glint in his eyes that belied his words.
"Maybe... maybe the message is real," the boy murmured, curling up tighter in his seat. He knew his father too well—knew what kind of person he was. If the base city failed to meet their expectations, he couldn't even imagine what his father might do. Perhaps he really would rally the other scavengers to storm the city.
Two Days Later
"Papa, look! There's green ahead!" The boy, standing excitedly in the passenger seat, pointed to the horizon where a lush green expanse was coming into view. His heart filled with joy and anticipation at the sight of vibrant life after days of barren desolation.
In stark contrast to his son's excitement, the man's expression grew grim. His sharp gaze swept over the greenery spreading across the landscape.
"In a world like this, how could there still be plants growing?" he muttered under his breath.
"What did you say, Papa?" the boy asked, tilting his head curiously. He hadn't caught his father's words.
"Nothing. Get your weapon ready, just in case. Something about this place feels... off."
"Okay!" The boy obediently pulled a modified shotgun from the storage compartment in front of him.
With a screech of its wide, rugged tires, their vehicle came to a halt before an unusually dense thicket of glowing, thorny vegetation.
The man and his son stepped out, both gazing warily at the strange plants radiating a faint, eerie glow. The man's expression grew more serious as he scanned the area.
"Papa, can we eat these?" The boy, who had grown up in the harsh wilderness and sometimes resorted to eating the flesh of beasts to survive, couldn't help but salivate at the sight of the vegetation.
"No."
"Why not?" the boy asked, confused. "Didn't you say we could eat anything that's a plant? Aren't these plants?"
"These... I'm not sure if they can even be called plants. I've never seen anything like this before."
"Oh," the boy said, visibly disappointed. He knew his father wouldn't let him touch the strange plants if he deemed them unsafe.
Just then, a convoy of battered vehicles pulled up nearby. A group of scavengers stepped out and, without so much as a glance at the man and his son, eagerly charged into the thicket.
"Hahaha! Look at all these plants! Brothers, we can finally feast!" one of the scavengers shouted gleefully, his eyes gleaming with hunger. He looked like a starving rat that had stumbled into a granary.
Unable to resist, the man pulled out a knife and cut a tender-looking thorny branch, promptly stuffing it into his mouth and chewing greedily.
His companions, however, didn't follow suit. Instead, they watched him intently, scrutinizing his condition. Survivors of the wilderness, after all, weren't reckless fools.
"How does it taste? What's the texture like?" one of them asked.
"It's a bit tough, but way better than beast meat. It's got a tangy flavor, not bad at all!" the man replied with a satisfied grin.
But his smile froze on his face almost immediately. His eyes bulged in terror as he felt something alien sprouting and spreading rapidly inside him.
"Help me!" he screamed, reaching out toward his companions. But instead of helping, they backed away in fear, putting as much distance between themselves and him as possible.
At first, he was furious at their betrayal. But then he looked down at his hands—and saw a thorny vine, identical to the plant he had just eaten, bursting through his skin.
"I see now... I was the food all along," the man thought bitterly as his vision blurred and darkness claimed him.
"Papa!" The boy turned and clung to his father's leg, trembling in fear after witnessing a horrifying scene: a plant consuming a man from within before sprouting and taking root in the ground.
"Don't be afraid. He brought it on himself. These plants don't attack unless provoked," the man said calmly, reassuring his son.
"Tch, I knew it. In a world like this, how could there still be normal plants?" he muttered under his breath, frustration etched on his face.
At that moment, the sound of rotor blades filled the air. Looking up, the man saw a heavily armed transport helicopter descending toward them.
A soldier, fully armed, jumped out of the helicopter and surveyed the scene. His gaze briefly rested on the newly sprouted plant, which still had scraps of clothing hanging from its branches.
"Another poor bastard starving to death," the soldier remarked with a chuckle. Then, turning to the scavengers, he shouted: "You're here to join Glory Base, right? If so, get in!"
Seated in the transport helicopter, the man stared out at the rapidly passing landscape, feeling a mix of awe and disbelief.
"Did your base city plant all this?" he asked, pointing to the endless green below.
"Of course not! We don't have that kind of skill. The dragons did it," the soldier replied casually.
"Dragons?"
"You'll see once we get to the base city," the soldier said, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"Is this your son?" The soldier's gaze shifted to the boy sitting beside the man.
"Yes."
"To survive in conditions like these, he must have a strong constitution," the soldier said, nodding in approval before turning to the boy with a grin.
"Boy, do you desire power? The kind of power that lets you fight beasts with your bare hands?"
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