The Difference Between Humans and Beasts

Even if I was still young and ignorant, I had my own convictions, my own bottom line. Even if it meant death, there were certain principles I could never betray—like never eating my own kind.

I might not have understood the hardships of ordinary people, but even at that age I already knew the greatest difference between humans and beasts: humans don’t eat their own kind...

If you can stomach eating your own kind, are you still human?

What’s the difference between that and being a beast?

The meat on the ground smelled delicious, and he was starving, but he still walked away without hesitation, not even giving it a second glance.

“This kid’s got some backbone.” The four burly men hadn’t gone far; they were watching Prince Nolan from the shadows.

After all, they’d been told from above to keep a close eye on this child. No matter what, they couldn’t let him die just yet—they had to make sure he lasted a few more days, or they’d have to answer for it.

“Backbone? What’s that worth? Can you eat it? Don’t forget, when we first came here, we were the same. When you’re starving, you’ll eat anything—not just human flesh, I’d even eat myself if I had to.” The man called Corpse Three spat on the ground, clearly scornful of Prince Nolan’s behavior.

His short, skinny companion nodded in agreement. “Pride can’t fill your belly. If he refuses to eat now, all it means is he’ll suffer a little longer. When he gets hungry enough to gnaw on dirt, he’ll realize that here, there’s no choice but to eat human flesh.”

You think they were born wanting to eat human flesh?

It’s just that there’s no other choice.

Human flesh is disgusting the first time you eat it, sure. But once you get used to it, it’s no different—what’s the difference between it and pork or fish?

If there’s no difference, why care about it at all?

Eating someone else’s flesh is still better than being eaten or starving to death...

The four men stopped watching Prince Nolan. After all, he was just a child—they didn’t take him seriously. If something happened to him, no one would blame them, as long as they weren’t the ones who killed and ate him...

But what those men didn’t know was that Prince Nolan hadn’t gone far at all. After running off, he quietly doubled back, listening to every word they said. He also realized that in this place, there was nothing to eat except human flesh—unless he was willing to starve to death...

Aside from human flesh, he could only eat himself.

For a seven-year-old, this was a crushing blow. If he were an ordinary child, maybe hunger and reality would force him to eat the meat on the ground. But he wasn’t ordinary...

He couldn’t bring himself to eat his companions. He couldn’t completely sell his soul—it was too painful, like cutting out his own heart.

Prince Nolan looked up at the sky, his calm eyes showing no trace of light. The bright sky couldn’t reach his heart. He knew he was trapped, but...

“Father Emperor, whether this is your test or not, I’ll treat it as one. I, Nolan Dongling, swear to the heavens—even if I die, I will not eat human flesh!”

I refuse to live like a walking corpse. If I can’t hold onto even a shred of principle, am I still myself?

No food, no one else around—for a seven-year-old, surviving here really isn’t easy, let alone...

Before leaving the palace, he’d never known what it meant to search for food.

He knew nothing about food. There were plenty of trees and fruits here, their bright colors tempting, but...

Those four men would rather eat human flesh than touch these fruits. Did that mean the fruits were poisonous?

He wasn’t stupid; he could think for himself. But extreme hunger dulls even the sharpest mind. He was out of strength—he had to find something to eat, or he wouldn’t survive...

Without hesitation, even suspecting these fruits were probably poisonous, he still reached for them.

Red ones, black ones... purple ones!

He’d read in books that the brighter the fruit, the more poisonous it is. So now...

He ate all the most poisonous-looking fruits. If they really killed him, that was just bad luck. But if he survived...

Maybe he’d never have to fear these poisonous fruits again.

Life in the palace had taught him that poison wasn’t always so terrifying. There was no such thing as a poison that kills instantly with a single drop of blood. As long as you find the right antidote, you can survive even if you’re poisoned.

He knew they were poisonous, but still ate them without hesitation. Who else would do something so foolish?

Prince Nolan gave a self-mocking smile, but he didn’t regret it one bit...

Everyone has something they cling to in life. Even if he was still weak, he didn’t want to use that as an excuse to muddle through life...

People who live fully aware suffer more—he’d understood this since he was very young. But no matter how painful, he refused to drift through life in a daze.

The bright fruits were poisonous, but tasted surprisingly good—not sour at all. When he ate them, their warmth eased the ache in his stomach.

Knowing the fruits were poisonous, Prince Nolan didn’t just eat one kind—he mixed them all together. He didn’t know medicine, so all he could do was gamble, betting his illness wouldn’t be fatal. But...

His luck didn’t seem so great.

Before he’d even finished eating, a wave of pain twisted through his belly. The pain was indescribable—like a thousand knives tearing his insides to shreds, every part stabbed as if by needles.

“Ah...”

The intense pain was too much for Prince Nolan to bear. He clutched his stomach and rolled on the ground, sweat pouring down his forehead, drop after drop...

“Father Emperor, Father Emperor...” Each wave of pain was worse than the last, sending Prince Nolan’s body into uncontrollable spasms, like a patient having a seizure—jerking, rolling on the ground...

“Father Emperor, it hurts, it hurts so much...”

Prince Nolan’s small, thin body curled up tightly, his face turning not pale, but greenish and even purple-black...

He was poisoned, and badly at that.

“Father Emperor... Father Emperor.”

Every inch of his body hurt. Prince Nolan’s mind was already foggy; he had no idea what he was doing, acting only on instinct...

This chapter isn’t over yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the rest!

“Father Emperor, I don’t want to die, I don’t...”

Prince Nolan writhed on the ground in pain. Right now, he wished he could just pass out, but the agony was so intense that even fainting was a luxury he couldn’t have.

To dull the pain, Prince Nolan dug his nails into himself, but even when he drew blood, it didn’t help. Compared to the agony of poisoning, that pain was nothing.

The pain clung to him like maggots, burrowing deep into his bones and refusing to let go. His body was covered in bloody scratches from his own sharp nails. By the time the four men found him, Prince Nolan had already passed out in a pool of blood.

“This kid’s got guts, eating something like that.” The four men were surprised, but not worried. They knew the fruits were poisonous but not fatal—they just caused unbearable pain, enough to make you pass out. Back then...

They’d eaten them too.

“Drag him back.” Corpse Three, expressionless, grabbed Prince Nolan by the leg and tossed him into that room piled high with bones and corpses.

In this place, dead bodies were everywhere, so a room like that was nothing unusual. The men were long used to it—even if the corpses were rotting, they wouldn’t bother cleaning up; they just walked right over them.

Here, only grown men and children could move freely. There were women, but their only purpose was to provide amusement. The women here didn’t need clothes or skills—just to eat their fill and then spread their legs...

After dumping Prince Nolan on the bed, the four men didn’t bother with him anymore. They knew the kid wouldn’t die, but as for what would happen tomorrow—who could say...

When Prince Nolan woke up again, it was three days later. He found himself still in that same room, but the stench was even worse than before.

This time was different—Prince Nolan wasn’t frightened. He calmly jumped off the bed and checked himself, finding that aside from some surface wounds, he was basically fine. And those minor injuries?

He didn’t care about them at all.

Glancing at the bloodstains on the ground, Prince Nolan’s eyes darkened slightly, then he walked out calmly.

Yesterday, when he tried to escape, he’d found a small stream. Now, cleaning himself up was absolutely necessary...

After washing, Prince Nolan thought for a moment, then returned and began cleaning out the room.

Unless something unexpected happened, he’d be living there for a while. If he wanted to sleep comfortably, the chunks of corpse had to go. As for the bone bed?

The first time he saw it, it was terrifying. But after sleeping on it twice, he could face it calmly...

Being small meant having little strength—Prince Nolan struggled for ages to clean the place up. His efforts drew mocking comments from the four men: “Just as I thought, a pampered little lord.”

“If you can’t handle even this, how will you survive the real training later?”

“Training? He’ll be lucky to even survive until then. Those drugs aren’t something ordinary people can handle. Every year, so many are sent here—how many actually make it to training? Most end up as food for us.”

The four men never bothered to hide their conversations from Prince Nolan. Whenever he heard them, he said nothing, acting with a composure far beyond his years. He hid all his emotions in those clear, yet dim, eyes—eyes that should have sparkled like any child’s.

So this wasn’t even the hardest part—there was worse to come?

His long lashes fluttered, his eyes full of unease...

While the four men roasted meat and ate, Prince Nolan, hungry as ever, didn’t just sit there. Like before, he went to gather those bright, poisonous fruits that could at least fill his belly.

One by one...

Prince Nolan didn’t waste anything. However many he’d eaten last time, that’s how many he picked this time.

There were plenty of those fruits, but he didn’t know how long he’d have to stay here. His future depended on them for survival...

Learning from last time, Prince Nolan didn’t eat outside. He wrapped up the fruits and brought them back to his room. Sitting on the bed made of bones, he looked at the fruits before him—his young face full of determination, not a trace of fear.

He could endure the pain. As long as it didn’t kill him, he was willing to suffer that knife-twisting agony again and again...