[Soft morning breeze]
[The slow stirrings of the camp waking up]
[Clatter of utensils and ropes]
When Arjun opened his eyes, morning had already settled over the camp.
The cold air of the night still lingered, but it no longer carried the same deadly fear he had experienced in the Cursed Lands.
Here, morning meant work.
It meant counting supplies, following orders, carrying loads—and surviving in a world that demanded a price for every breath.
Arjun rose from his corner and straightened his body.
Despite the little sleep he had gotten, his mind felt clear.
The Blue Jade Stone was quietly glowing somewhere deep inside him, like a hidden flame.
He adjusted his clothes, checked his bag, and stepped outside.
[Rustling of cloth]
The camp was already awake.
Some people were collecting water.
Others were gathering medicinal herbs.
Several were oiling old weapons.
And in another corner, the leftovers from last night’s meal were being divided among the camp members.
The moment Arjun stepped out, Aarav approached him.
“You’re up early,” Aarav said.
Arjun glanced at him.
“Sleeping late doesn’t seem like a good habit here.”
Aarav smiled faintly.
“That’s right.
Today is your first assignment.”
Arjun looked at him.
“What assignment?”
Aarav pointed toward the outer section of the camp.
“Counting supplies, carrying sacks, and preparing for a supply run.
If everything goes well, you’ll also learn some of the camp’s rules.”
Arjun nodded.
Without complaint, he followed Aarav.
The camp’s storage area was a large open space filled with sacks tied tightly with ropes.
Some contained dried meat.
Others held medicinal herbs.
There were tools, strange bones, bundles of plants, and several small packets filled with white powder.
A stocky man with thinning hair on both sides of his head and a face darkened by years under the sun looked up as they approached.
“You’re here?” he barked.
“There’s plenty of work.
No useless chatter.”
Aarav immediately introduced him.
“This is Nandan.
He manages the supplies.”
Nandan looked Arjun up and down.
“You’re the boy who passed the trial yesterday?”
“Yes,” Arjun replied calmly.
Nandan raised an eyebrow.
“So you’ve got some courage.
Now let’s see how much strength you have in your hands.”
He picked up a list.
“Three sacks over there.
Two crates beside them.
And those four small bags in the corner.
Count everything and put them in order.
If even one item is missing, you’ll answer to me.”
Arjun took the list.
His eyes moved across the supplies.
One by one.
No haste.
No nervousness.
Just precision.
[Wooden crates shifting]
Aarav began carrying the sacks beside him.
“You learn quickly,” he said.
Arjun lifted another sack.
“You have to if you want to survive.”
Aarav said nothing.
But from his expression, Arjun could tell that he liked the answer.
After a while, Nandan spoke again.
“Listen.
Two groups are leaving today.
One hunting party and one supply team.
If you really want to understand how this camp works, watch carefully.”
Arjun stopped working and looked at him.
Nandan pointed toward the people gathered outside the storage area.
“Everything here has a value.
Those who go outside bring things back in.
Those who bring nothing eventually become a burden.”
Arjun nodded silently.
The rule wasn’t new to him.
Only its form was different.
Then suddenly, raised voices came from the main entrance.
[Argument in the distance]
[Rapid footsteps]
Arjun and Aarav turned toward the commotion.
Several hunters were standing near the entrance.
Their faces were irritated.
An old hunter with a thick beard was shouting,
“Our turn was first!”
Another man shouted back,
“Your turn?
One of your men made a sack disappear last night!”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about!”
The argument was quickly escalating.
Then a heavily armored guard stepped forward and slammed the butt of his spear against the ground.
[THUD!]
“Enough!”
His voice echoed across the entire area.
The argument immediately stopped.
Arjun watched carefully.
Even the chaos here had rules.
And the moment someone crossed those rules, power appeared.
Aarav lowered his voice.
“They’re always like this.
A tiny disagreement can turn into a fight.”
Arjun kept watching the crowd.
“Who wins?”
Aarav shrugged.
“Whoever has more people.
Or more strength.
Sometimes, whoever has the better excuse.”
Arjun memorized the answer.
A little later, Nandan handed them a bundle.
“Take this outside.
And don’t spend too much time in those alleys.”
Arjun looked at him.
“Why?”
Nandan narrowed his eyes.
“Because not every corner of this camp is safe.”
Aarav picked up the bundle and walked beside Arjun.
They moved through the narrow paths of the camp.
On both sides were tent-like shelters.
Outside some of them, people were sharpening knives.
Outside others, herbs were being dried.
Some places smelled of dried blood.
Others carried the sharp scent of medicine.
Arjun’s eyes recorded everything.
Every path.
Every face.
Every movement.
At one turn, they noticed a small group gathered around a map.
“The route from yesterday isn’t safe anymore,” one man said.
“Then we’ll have to go deeper into the forest,” another replied.
“The Seven-Petaled Lotus only grows farther inside.”
Arjun unconsciously repeated the name.
“Seven-Petaled Lotus…”
Aarav looked at him.
“You heard about it again?”
Arjun nodded.
“Yes.
I’m hearing that name everywhere.”
Aarav sighed.
“Because it’s valuable.
It’s one of the most important resources the camp is after.”
Arjun’s eyes narrowed slightly.
So this place isn’t only fighting over territory and survival.
They’re fighting over medicinal herbs too.
They reached a small open platform where people were registering names and supplies.
An elderly woman responsible for the medicine records was angrily scolding two young men.
“If you get the count wrong, you might die from illness tonight!”
Arjun studied her carefully. Get faster updates on g.com.
There was no fear in her eyes.
Only experience.
As if this place wasn’t a battlefield to her anymore.
It was simply another ordinary day.
Then someone behind them spoke in a quiet but cutting voice.
“So that’s the boy?”
Arjun turned.
A tall man stood there with two companions.
There was open contempt in their expressions.
Their eyes were measuring him.
Their tone carried the particular arrogance reserved for newcomers.
“He passed the Beast Trial yesterday,” one of them said.
“Let’s see how many days he lasts.”
Aarav immediately glanced at them and moved slightly closer to Arjun.
Arjun said nothing.
He understood something important.
The moment he climbed the first step, people would begin measuring him.
But he didn’t have to fight everyone who tested him.
Some people only needed the right answer at the right time.
[Soft wind]
Far away, Arjun noticed Veerabhadra.
The commander wasn’t alone.
Several senior hunters were walking with him toward what appeared to be an important meeting.
For a brief moment, Veerabhadra’s eyes met Arjun’s.
It was only a glance.
But it carried both approval and warning.
As if he were saying:
This is only the beginning.
Aarav quietly spoke beside him.
“Come on.
If we’re late, Nandan will start shouting again.”
Arjun tightened his grip on the bundle and continued walking.
His steps were no longer merely cautious.
They carried understanding.
A map of the camp was beginning to form inside his mind.
Who stayed where.
Who worked with whom.
Where supplies arrived.
Where conflicts happened.
Where authority was concentrated.
Every path had a story.
And behind every story was a hidden stake.
By the end of the day, Arjun finally understood something.
The camp wasn’t merely a place to live.
It was a machine.
A machine powered by hunger.
A machine driven by fear.
And a machine controlled by strength.
When evening came, Arjun returned to his small corner.
He dropped his exhausted body onto the sleeping bag, but his eyes remained open.
He thought about the day.
His first assignment.
His first real experience with counting supplies, managing resources, and observing people’s behavior.
And most importantly, he had learned one crucial lesson:
Survival required more than strength.
It required information.
His fingers touched the bag where the Blue Jade Stone was hidden.
A faint warmth spread through his body.
Then came a subtle vibration.
Arjun’s eyes narrowed.
The stone was responding to something.
Or perhaps…
It was simply reminding him that his journey had only begun.
The Blue Jade Stone wasn’t merely a source of power.
It might be the center of his entire journey.
Outside, night slowly descended over the camp.
But inside Arjun’s mind, everything was becoming clearer.
He had taken his first step.
Now the real journey was waiting.
Chapter CliffhangerWho will give Arjun his first real assignment?
Will the people who look down on him become his enemies?
How will the Seven-Petaled Lotus enter Arjun’s story?
And what new secret will the Blue Jade Stone reveal during the coming night?