chsdbacks Chapter 2: Human Cattle
Chapter 2: Human Cattle
Chapter 2: Human Cattle
"Now!! Give it over!" the wolf demon snarled impatiently. Tang San's mother shook with unconcealed fear, tears overflowing. The wolf demon could not care less, stepping forward and snatching Tang San single-handedly.
"Child! My child!" While the woman wailed and cried uncontrollably, she made no attempts at retrieving her child. She took the only blanket in the room and tried to cover Tang San with it. Tang San felt a painful squeeze in his heart. This was the first time he had felt heartache in this new world.
Suddenly, Tang San's mother realized her baby had turned to face her, not crying despite the circumstances. His eyes glimmered with a newfound light, captivating her enough to pause her actions.
"Get lost!" snarled the wolf demon, pushing her roughly.
As she tumbled onto the hay-covered ground, Tang San was yanked out of the small hay hut, clasped firmly in the creature's mighty paw. Out in the open, Tang San was assailed by the biting winds. The wolf demon, perhaps aiming to keep his prey from succumbing to the cold, draped the shabby blanket over Tang San.
At that moment, darkness enveloped everything, momentarily shielding Tang San from the biting cold wind. Despite the struggle to breathe, Tang San endured for the time being.
He fought to steady himself, silently imploring, Don't leave this world, Mother. Please, stay alive. As long as I survive, I'll find you and make sure you live well. Wait for my return.
After composing himself, Tang San decided the wolf demon hadn't abducted him for a meal. His reasoning was simple: firstly, compared to the meager bits of flesh on his body, his mother held far greater value as a meal; secondly, the wolf demon's covering him with a blanket indicated a concern for preventing him from freezing to death. If he were merely food, his survival wouldn't matter. However, the grim possibility of them preferring to devour him alive still lingered, impossible to dismiss entirely.
However calm he was, what could a one-month-old baby possibly do but adapt to the circumstances? He could only take each day as it came.
Faintly, the wind whistle was the only audible sound from the outside world. This place was known as the Daemon Continent, something Tang San had discovered after barely grasping some of the language.
As he had expected, humans in this realm were regarded as not only slaves but also the lowliest of slaves. Their fragile bodies rendered them useless.
Of course, there was also the possibility of them becoming their master's dinner. It was only expected to treat the lowliest slaves as food.
His satisfaction didn't last as the dark shadow moved away from him. Even though he was fed to a point where he felt bloated, he wanted to have more. After all, this was the first time he had felt like he had a good meal since he had arrived in this world. As his hunger was sated, his energy levels improved, and Tang San started observing the world around him.
The structure he was in looked like a house with hay on the floor. Tang San was weakly moving his head around since he was not yet strong enough to turn himself over on his stomach. He could only peek at the things around him.
Right next to him were three or four children who looked about the same age as him. All of them looked just like him, skinny and weak. Everyone lay on a kind of soft hay. The room was warm, a respite from the usual cold weather. The pig nurse who had just fed him also fed the others simultaneously. Tang San thought, Is this what it's like to be raised like cattle? Are we slaves being raised uniformly?
Tang San did his best to comfort himself. At least he wouldn't be eaten; that was good enough. After being fed earlier, he felt like the odds of his survival had increased.
The days went by.
The pig nurse came by thrice every day to feed them. Initially, Tang San was not used to the abundant milk he was fed. However, he quickly got accustomed to the feedings and did his best to drink more to get the nutrients for his growing body. With a healthier physique, he could grow and eventually have the chance to cultivate. Through cultivation, he could gain strength and seize control of his own fate.
No matter what kind of world he had ended up in, staying alive and surviving was paramount.
As the days flew by, Tang San hit his hundredth day. His chubby cheeks and fair complexion stood out among the other kids. It seemed several pig nurses were around, and there were many kids. After a hundred days of eating well and growing, he was already able to turn over by himself. And so, he was able to see more things. Listening to the pig nurses chatting, he began to grasp their language and learn more about the world around him.
The Fairy Continent was vast in land mass, so large that the pig nurses could not describe it. Tang San was reborn in a small town in the northeast belonging to an upper-class member of the Wolf Demon Clan.
The land known as the Daemon Continent gained its name from its predominant residents, comprising two distinct races: the demons and nymphs. Collectively, they were often referred to as daemons.[2]
1. , The most massive river in China. ☜
2. The word translated here as "daemon" consists of two characters: 妖 (from 妖怪, monster/demon) and 精 (from 精怪, also nymphs/supernatural beings). ☜Visit for the best novel reading experience