An argument, the Brigadier General, and a mummified corpse

"Gaw, gaw."

Beneath the pitch-black night sky, a seagull beat its wings and flew over pale blue shallows reflecting the silver moon, settling on a withered branch. It cocked its head toward the cave entrance among the dark gray reefs, orange firelight reflected in its eyes.

Inside the cave, the campfire burned bright and hot, like a promise of safety. Warmth spread through the air, driving away the night's chill and soothing the exhaustion and aches of the day.

Over the licking flames, chunks of wild boar sizzled, their fat releasing an enticing aroma. Beneath the golden-brown crust, rich juices seeped from tender, firm-textured meat and mingled with the honey glaze.

Beside the campfire, cans with vents cut into them bubbled away. White steam rose like a veil, shrouding the survivors' faces.

Although the shelter offered a relaxing atmosphere, the people gathered around the fire were all silent and subdued. Their dejected silence hung like dark clouds, with tension slowly brewing beneath.

Xia Lun, however, seemed rather out of place amid the cave's gloomy, oppressive mood.

He stood at the cave entrance, a wooden skewer in hand, wholly absorbed in devouring his roast meat.

The flames had drawn out the wild boar's flavor. Amid the sizzling fat, the rich taste of meat melded perfectly with the sweetness of the honey glaze, while a scattering of spices added just the right touch of biting heat to lift his spirits.

As he swallowed the meat, every taste bud on his tongue seemed to sing, every cell in his body nourished as if by spring rain. Perhaps because the day's work had been so exhausting, Xia Lun found this unsalted roast meat incomparably delicious.

The day's hunger and exhaustion melted away in the spreading warmth, leaving his body as a fine sheen of