Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1224: Monsters in Human Skin

The petrifying truth lay before Morpheus, that not he but all the other kids that were training in this settlement for more than a month already, were eating the helpless kids just like them through the food they were provided.

The discombobulating fact that humans used humans as merely a food ingredient just to meet the need of feeding the thousands of captives they bought from the government and trained for their entertainment, turned Morpheus’ body cold.

Then he remembered another thing... that even many children from his batch that didn’t appear yesterday for training were also nowhere to be seen.

This included the kid who previously beat Morpheus and sent him to the infirmary once.

Now it all made sense... these monsters in human skin were using the flesh and blood to feed the survivors trafficked from different camps containing survivors from the monster invasion.

The useful ones were left behind for physical labor, while the orphans who had no one to look for them were sent to places like these, as both the government, the military, and the rich elites of the society turned it into a business enterprise.

”I said walk forward!” shouted the same guard again and kicked Morpheus.

”Argh!!” groaned Morpheus as he finally broke out of the trance.

”Did you not hear me the first time? Or do you want me to send you in that room?!” he yelled at the boy, who finally looked like he had some flesh on his body.

”I’m going!” responded Morpheus haphazardly and got back in line, following the queue in order this time.

Rustle!

Screech!

Soon, they all entered a small hall with tables, and at the other end was a massive black iron gate leading to the other side.

Morpheus and others had no idea what was happening, but they heard a lot of loud cheering from the other side of the road.

”Are we going there to fight?” wondered Morpheus.

He had already seen those two kids who fought each other even when they were bleeding. But this was the extent of his knowledge as well as anticipation.

”Soon, they were given a large sticker with a number written on it; each one had it over their back, and once your number was announced, you had to go through the door in a pair.

Hours passed, more than a hundred children went through the door, but Morpheus could not see what was beyond it due to their placement in the hall.

And as evening came, it was finally his turn, along with the boy behind him.

”You two, get going!” shouted the militia leader who oversaw their training for over a month.

Step!

Step!

Finally, one of the men took off their chains after they stood close to the large black iron door.

Creak!

The door finally opened, and bright light was revealed as the pair of young boys walked into it.

”Yes!! Give us more!!”

”Send in the fresh blood. Last fight ended too early!”

Loud and senseless cheers reverberated in the surroundings as Morpheus walked towards the blinding lights.

”Everyone, welcome our new contenders!” shouted the main announcer of this arena, donning a black tuxedo and a golden mask with an eagle beak covering his face.

A large but intrinsically designed arena inside the massive castle-like building that Morpheus saw from the outside now appeared in front of his eyes.

No one could suspect that there was such an establishment within the large building, as the round seated arrangement resembled the Roman Colosseum held for public entertainment.

But what shocked Morpheus more than this glorified arena with multiple floors for the audience was that most of the attendees were either nude or barely any clothes over their private parts.

Men were surrounded by women and even girls from the same batch as Morpheus and a few before them.

Meanwhile, he saw one of the people, his frame as big as a rhino and body full of fat like a pig, munching down on long and roasted meat sticks.

If Morpheus hadn’t seen what was happening on their way, he wouldn’t have recognized it.

This was not some barbecue made out of an animal. No...that was a thigh of one of the boys that was chopped this morning.

This gluttonous man was munching down on human flesh vicariously while a young girl, with a tight collar over her neck, held via a metal chain by this man in his right hand, and not a single strap of cloth, was hunching over his legs while crying as this naked man put his heavy leg on her back, using her as a footrest.

Morpheus, being a kid, did not understand why he was treating that young and frail girl so cruelly, and why were all her clothes removed?

Then his gaze shifted to other guests who were in similar compromising positions. These people had different skin colors, ethnicities that Morpheus had never seen in his short life before.

There were men and women with no clothes using other nude men and women while eating the flesh of other humans and drinking to their hearts’ content.

No one saw or felt anything wrong with it while they loudly screamed for more.

The guards over the entrance then told Morpheus and the boy behind him to walk into the arena, where 3 more pairs of boys had also walked in around the same time as them.

The bright lights were now focusing on the arena as the crowd from the chairs and rooms looked down on these boys.

”The rules are simple. They fight, and the last ones standing will win.

And those who lose... will be punished.” spoke the announcer, and instantly, a bell rang.

”Fight!” spoke the man in a tuxedo with a golden eagle mask.

”This was their signal to fight and get bloody as they did every day during their training.

8 children in 4 teams now faced each other.

It was right then...

”I can’t fight.” spoke the boy behind him.

”Why?” asked Morpheus.

”I have fever since morning. My entire body is burning, and I can’t even walk properly,” spoke the frail boy whose baggy eyes and shivering body indicated that he was telling the truth.

”But they will beat us if we don’t fight. And if we lose, what if they throw us in that room we saw in the morning?” spoke Morpheus with a serious face.

”I’m weaker than you. How about I distract others while you attack them from the side?” suggested the boy despite his haggard state.

They were all trained to fight alone till now. But this was a team match. Naturally, the opponent teams would not be told the obvious truth about fighting as a team.

”Good enough.” replied Morpheus and quickly took his defensive stance.

”Don’t come in my way.” a boy from one of the opponent teams basically lunged at them.

”Now!” exclaimed Morpheus.

Grab!

Morpheus quickly stepped aside, dodging the punch from the boy, and before the opponent could react, the sickly boy quickly grabbed both his feet and used his own weight to make the opponent fall.

”Let me go!” shouted the boy, but before he could even turn his head around...

Bang!

A serious punch hit his head, and he was instantly knocked out by Morpheus with a precision hit.

This was one of the most basic parts of the training.

”You bastards!” screamed the partner of this boy and grabbed Morpheus, falling on the ground with him.

He started throwing punches at Morpheus, but the latter noticed that this boy was bigger than him, so he quickly hugged him tightly, diminishing the distance before the boy could make a full swing.

It was right then, his teammate swooped in and started choking the boy from behind, while Morpheus bashed his head against the boy’s, breaking his nose.

Their struggle lasted for a few minutes before the boy also passed out.

What happened next was that for the next one hour, they kept fighting because their opponents were skilled and they had seen through Morpheus and his teammate’s strategy.

So to win, the teammate intentionally let out and opened and allowed one of the opponents to land a hit on his knee just so Morpheus could swoop in and land a finishing blow.

Despite their sorry state and lack of strength, the boys finally won the battle and remained undefeated after such a long struggle.

”Punish!!”

”PUNISH!!”

The crowd suddenly started screaming loudly like madmen and asked for punishment.

”Punish? Didn’t we just win?” asked the sickly boy who was barely able to stand up due to his injury.

”I have no idea what’s happening,” said Morpheus as his expression was filled with bewilderment.

Step!

Step!

It was right then, the guards who covered the entrance before opened the boxes on their side and pulled out chainsaws.

”ARGGHHHE!!!”

”NOOO!!!”

The razing noises filled the arena as, without mercy, these men started chopping off all the remaining kids, one by one, with no hesitation.

Morpheus witnessed another carnage right before him.

”This... wasn’t this supposed to be like our training? Why are they killing them?” asked Morpheus with a terrified expression.

It was right then... the announcer shouted abruptly and with an elated smile.

”Now, time for the main course!”