Only Through Bitter Hardship Can One Stand Above Others
Ah...
It hurts so much!
The child's heart-wrenching cries of pain echoed across the lonely island. The four burly men roasting meat paused, exchanged silent glances, then turned away in shame...
No one, after suffering that pain once, would foolishly eat those fruits again. Each of them had tried it once and surrendered to reality, giving in to instinct and never touching those gut-filling but agonizing poisonous fruits again.
This child is truly extraordinary—but how long can he last?
How long can Prince Nolan endure this?
The four burly men were all curious. These days, instead of thinking up new ways to find food, they watched Prince Nolan, wanting to see just how much willpower this child—who barely reached their waists—really had, and how long he could hold out.
In their ten-plus years on the island, the four burly men had seen plenty of children like Prince Nolan. All started out with inexplicable determination and principles, but in the end...
They would all eventually bow to reality—just like the men themselves.
Now, the four burly men spent their idle hours talking about Prince Nolan. And as for Prince Nolan himself?
Once he learned that those bright poisonous fruits would make life worse than death but wouldn't kill him, Prince Nolan never worried about food again. If he couldn't find anything to eat, he would eat those poisonous fruits, enduring their agony every other day—his body torn apart by pain each time.
At first, every time Prince Nolan ate the poisonous fruit, he would writhe in pain on the bed, even banging his head until it bled—anything to ease that knife-like torment.
After each dose of poisonous fruit, Prince Nolan looked like a blood-soaked child, with barely any uninjured flesh left. Yet even knowing the fruit would make him wish he were dead, he kept shoving it into his mouth, again and again.
He wanted to survive. He didn't want to die!
How could a child so young endure all this?
The four burly men stared at Prince Nolan as if he were some kind of monster...
Not just for one day, or two—but for a full three months.
For three months, this child picked poisonous fruit to eat every single day, silently enduring that tearing pain. From the first screams to what came after...
Only muffled groans remained. And now?
He could now eat the poisonous fruit without a change in expression. That pain—so unbearable even for the men—this child not only endured, but survived for three months. Now...
But not everyone could build up such tolerance as Prince Nolan. The four men admitted they were no match for him and stopped tormenting themselves. After seeing Prince Nolan survive three months here, they deliberately revealed some secrets about the island...
For instance: after another three months—half a year in total—Prince Nolan would be sent to Medicine Island. That island was full of poisons and venomous creatures, all used to 'feed' humans, and humans in turn were used to 'feed' poison...
In all their years on the island, they'd only ever seen one child like this.
As for Medicine Island, its purpose was to break people—to destroy both mind and body, or perhaps to temper them.
On Medicine Island, all the food was poisonous, and every person carried deadly toxins. Every inch of that island was saturated with poison. Want to survive there?
A truly capable person will earn respect anywhere. Even though the four men could kill the young Prince Nolan with a single slap, they never had the urge to do so. What they felt was respect.
To do what none of them could—wasn't that worthy of admiration?
Their attitude toward Prince Nolan changed drastically. From then on, they never roasted human flesh in front of him. If they caught a couple of fish, they'd sometimes bring them to him.
"Kid, you can't just eat those fruits—you need some meat." That was exactly what the four men said to Prince Nolan.
Beyond that, the four men didn't know. As for what went on with those islands, they had no idea.
From their conversations, Prince Nolan could vaguely guess that these islands had existed for a long time—probably to train covert guards or dead-soldiers for some secret power.
Another three months passed. Knowing Prince Nolan would soon be sent away, the four men privately spoke to him:
"No need to bother. Those fruits taste fine." Prince Nolan wasn't picky about food—as long as he could fill his stomach, it was enough. If there was no fish or meat, he would eat poisonous fruit.
"Those poisonous fruits will make you wish you were dead." The four men, recalling their own recent attempts, couldn't help but turn pale...
Because Prince Nolan ate them every day, the men wondered if they could get used to it too. Maybe if they got used to it, they wouldn't have to eat human flesh anymore. But...
It was impossible. Just one fruit was enough to make them writhe in agony—they didn't have the courage to try again. That kind of torment, once experienced, would never be forgotten.
After half a year together, though they'd spoken little, Prince Nolan knew these four men bore him no ill will. Maybe they had at first, but now that had faded, because...
"We hope to see you walk out of here alive... and normal." The four men had high hopes for Prince Nolan, wishing he could succeed where they had failed.
"I will." That was Prince Nolan's promise to them—and to himself.
Knowing he was about to leave this place, Prince Nolan secretly gathered many poisonous fruits and kept them close, so he wouldn't starve the moment he reached the next strange place...
But not everyone could build up such tolerance as Prince Nolan. The four men admitted they were no match for him and stopped tormenting themselves. After seeing Prince Nolan survive three months here, they deliberately revealed some secrets about the island...
When Prince Nolan woke up in an unfamiliar room, he wasn't afraid like the first time—not even panicked. He calmly jumped out of bed and began to examine his surroundings.
Spending half a year on this deserted island was meant to get newcomers used to eating human flesh—so they could survive here. If they couldn't make it through the first stage, they'd simply become food for the four men.
Holding his breath, Prince Nolan took out the poisonous fruit he'd brought with him...
On Medicine Island, all the food was poisonous, and every person carried deadly toxins. Every inch of that island was saturated with poison. Want to survive there?
Only then did Prince Nolan feel a little better.
Opening the door, Prince Nolan saw row upon row of small cabins, all about the same size as his. Each one was tightly shut. Without hesitation, he stepped outside...
After Medicine Island, there was Killing Island, Desire Island...
All sorts of strange drugs mixed together. If not for the scent of the poisonous fruit, Prince Nolan would never have been able to stand it—the stench was overwhelming.
Arriving in a strange place, survival depended on understanding the situation. Even though the medicinal stench was unbearable, Prince Nolan forced himself to keep moving, trying to get beyond the cabins. But...
Another three months passed. Knowing Prince Nolan would soon be sent away, the four men privately spoke to him:
"Every year, over a thousand children are sent to these islands. You're probably the youngest. Of all those kids, fewer than three or five survive. We've spent over a decade here, seen tens of thousands arrive, and in the end, only about ten survived—and every one of them is controlled by drugs. Without the drugs, they'd go mad!"
"We four know we're steeped in sin—we're just living day to day. But you're different. You're still a child; maybe you'll have a future. Here, we're the lowest of the low. We don't know much. The only advice we can give is... don't eat human flesh!"
Black blood, shredded snake corpses, chunks falling to the ground—it made his skin crawl. But that wasn't the worst part. What truly sickened Prince Nolan was a boy, skin entirely green, who suddenly appeared, shoved him aside, and then...
"Thank you."
Prince Nolan's stomach churned violently. He stood up, ready to retreat, but the next moment something even more terrifying happened...
"We hope to see you walk out of here alive... and normal." The four men had high hopes for Prince Nolan, wishing he could succeed where they had failed.
"I will." That was Prince Nolan's promise to them—and to himself.
Knowing he was about to leave this place, Prince Nolan secretly gathered many poisonous fruits and kept them close, so he wouldn't starve the moment he reached the next strange place...
(End of chapter segment)
And that day came quickly.
When Prince Nolan woke up in an unfamiliar room, he wasn't afraid like the first time—not even panicked. He calmly jumped out of bed and began to examine his surroundings.
It was a perfectly ordinary little cabin. The bed was made of stone, and though there was no smell of blood, a thick medicinal odor filled the air—some strange mix of drugs, pungent and overpowering, even worse than the stench of blood and corpses.
Holding his breath, Prince Nolan took out the poisonous fruit he'd brought with him...
Though eating the poisonous fruit always brought excruciating pain, its fragrance was strong. As soon as he bit into it, a fresh fruity aroma filled the room, overpowering the medicinal stench...
Only then did Prince Nolan feel a little better.
Opening the door, Prince Nolan saw row upon row of small cabins, all about the same size as his. Each one was tightly shut. Without hesitation, he stepped outside...
The ground wasn't the usual yellow earth, but glimmered with a bluish sheen. Some puddles were even a dark purple-black, with medicinal odors seeping out...
All sorts of strange drugs mixed together. If not for the scent of the poisonous fruit, Prince Nolan would never have been able to stand it—the stench was overwhelming.
Arriving in a strange place, survival depended on understanding the situation. Even though the medicinal stench was unbearable, Prince Nolan forced himself to keep moving, trying to get beyond the cabins. But...
What did he see?
Snakes!
A mass of snakes, each as thick as a finger and as long as a chopstick, writhing together like a giant ball. They bit at each other, and the blood that oozed out was all black...
Black blood, shredded snake corpses, chunks falling to the ground—it made his skin crawl. But that wasn't the worst part. What truly sickened Prince Nolan was a boy, skin entirely green, who suddenly appeared, shoved him aside, and then...
He grabbed the pieces of snake flesh from the ground—mixed with dirt—and stuffed them into his mouth, as if he'd been starving for centuries.
Prince Nolan's stomach churned violently. He stood up, ready to retreat, but the next moment something even more terrifying happened...