The Death March

It just took a few minutes to separate the unskilled from the competent, and honestly, it wasn't even that long when we stop and think about it. However, if you are in the desert, with your eyes stretching far into the horizon and seeing no object for miles on end, particularly in this searing heat, it is regarded as a terrible move.

"Thank you for your assistance, everybody; this means a great deal to me. Now, I'm going to go right to the heart of the matter. The members of this specific group will all be the ones who will get to call the shots in this predicament, and only the proposals that have the consensus of at least 75 will be implemented immediately for the benefit of the rest of the people here."

"Right now. This group is named "Mother Bamboo," and it is group one. The X symbol on the back of their garments indicates that they are a member of the Mother Bamboo, so keep an eye out for them if you need assistance. As for the rest of you, you're all part of the same group called "Bamboo Sprouts," which means "young," therefore it's up to us, the Mother Bamboo's, to cover you and keep you alive. While there are no responsibilities in the Bamboo Sprouts, you are welcome to help us by searching for any suitable water source or shade in the desert.

"And shyness is not allowed in this environment since it involves our personal life. So, if there are any snowflakes among these groups, consider yourselves warned. Make an effort to work with the rest of the group and be a good companion."

After the bald man ended his statement, the reputed Mother Bamboo's embarrassedly waved their hands, to the Bamboo Sprouts, forming an uncomfortable smile in the process.

Bryan stayed quiet as he counted the Mother Bamboos, which were pitifully few, with only around 30 in a single group, as he looked at them. This includes the bald guy, as well as everyone else.

"Now it's time to begin moving! After deciding to camp out for the remainder of the day, we'll be traveling south into the forest, with an overwhelming majority of 80 percent in favor of doing so. And, in the meanwhile, we'll seek shelter in the shade. That is our goal, and we will not rest until we achieve it!" The bald man instantly gave an instruction to the Bamboo Sprouts, which they quickly followed.

Turning around, he indicated to his fellow Mother Bamboos, and they strode ahead of the crowd. When the people at Bamboo Sprouts saw this, some among them who were lounging beneath the shade, utilizing the backs of others, rose up in a row and began wiping their damp foreheads as soon as they realized what had happened.

"You've heard the man, so let's get this party started." Bryan nudged Sophia on the shoulder, taking a step forward, and started marching.

Sophia gazed at Bryan's back for a short period after feeling the tap, and then she followed suit, marking the beginning of their journey into the desert.

...

In the distance, a flock of vultures was flying above the sky at an unknown height, unnoticed by the group, while they witnessed hundreds of people following a predetermined route.

yap yap yap. yap

It was followed by tens of other vultures that were bigger than people as a big vulture with a 15-foot wingspan took flight into the sky in front of the group.

yap yap, yap

Once the gigantic vulture had circled above, he was followed by his whole flock, who was all eagerly anticipating the massive feast that was about to be revealed in front of their eyes. Because they were so high above the horizon, they seemed to be insignificant specks in the sky.

....

Even though the march had just begun tens of minutes earlier, several hundreds of people were already sweating profusely and panting loudly as they marched through the desert. All they could see in their blurry vision was an infinite expanse of sand with no discernible object in sight.

With each step they walked, a few murmurs started to emerge from the crowd, and a growing sense of discomfort started to spread throughout their bodies.

"Mmm...?"

The bald man in the front seems to have realized that the Bamboo Sprouts behind him are already in this critical state after doing his normal lookout every few minutes. Despite the fact that they had only been walking at it for a short length of time, they had made significant progress. However, he decides to overlook this for the time being since walking is still a viable option for them.

"What are your opinions on the matter? Mr. Julian, do you know whether the Bamboo Sprouts are still capable of walking in this manner?"

A slim guy walked beside the bald man, keeping a steady pace as he cast a glance behind him for a few seconds and muttered,

"I told you to simply refer to me as Julian. There is no need for honorifics in this situation. And, in response to your question, the answer is, unfortunately, no. But we can't stop now since we haven't even found a place to sit down. If that's the case, I apologize. Then they would die sooner due to the lack of protection, as well as the fact that it drastically depletes the body's water supply." Julian made a statement.

"I think so too. However, I believe we should have seen some casualties by this point. Those that were overweight in particular." Bull made this observation while looking at the fat individuals, who were clearly suffering more than their non-fat counterparts.

"Sigh, not only the obese but even those children, would be among the few people who perish in this march. But that's enough of that, isn't it strange? We've been wandering in the south for a long time now. In contrast, we haven't seen anything for tens of minutes. I don't believe I got lost because I've survived in the desert before during my travels, and I'm aware that some deserts around the world only have these distinctive features." Julian stated this with a gloomy expression.

"Even more so, when knowing that we also have few people around here who are competent and know how to navigate using their own methods. Furthermore, using the sun as a navigational aid is the most straightforward technique." Julian frowned as he placed both of his hands together in the form of a claw into his eyesight, attempting to narrow his field of vision, so that he can spot objects in the distance more easily.

"I haven't spent much time in the desert, but if what you say is accurate, is this desert different from others you've visited?" Bull, replied in kind.

"No, it doesn't appear to have any issue; it's just a bit weird. Now. enough of our talks, it causes a lot of fluids to be released in our body, and we need every single one of them."

When Bull heard such remarks, he responded with a calm nod of his head.

....

During this time, Bryan and Sophia are both perspiring excessively, as even Bryan's above-average musculature is rendered ineffective by the severe heat.

Have you observed anything noteworthy thus far? Bryan." Sophia panted and wiped the sweat from her brow with the hem of her uniform.

The moment Bryan was about to respond, he was startled by a loud cry not far away from his location, which he instantly turned to check what had happened.

"Uncle!"

A youngster screamed as he cast a desperate look at the fat man beside him.

The Mother Bamboos instantly came to a stop at the head of the group as they debated who would assist the fainting person. After ending their discussion quickly, a young girl and a bushy-faced middle-aged guy moved as rapidly as they could towards the fainted person.

"Please take a step back and allow the patient some breathing room. Anna, Observe whether or not this guy has any injuries and how quickly he is breathing, " The bushy middle-aged man instantly said as he loosens the belt, collars, and other constrictive apparel in the fat man's body.

"Yes, teacher." Hearing those instructions, Anna promptly did as she was told and responded not long after, "The temperature is rapidly rising, and it is expected to reach at least 39 degrees Celsius soon. As for his heart rate is somewhere between 170-190 beats per minute."

"Goodness, That's high. Is there anyone here who has some water they'd be willing to share? Every drop helps!" The bushy middle-aged man shouted while releasing a slight gap of the obese man's shirt and was dipping some of his own water, into his shirt and dabbing it to the obese man's face.

When they heard these statements, those who had water in their containers scrambled to get it out of their sight. They, too, were in desperate need of survival, and there is no more water available for them to share.

When he saw the unpleasant scenario, the bushy-middle-aged man cursed under his breath and tried everything he could to save the overweight man's life. But, sadly, he has shown no signs of waking up, and his temperature is already blistering hot while laying down on the sand, his skin which now has been releasing a burned stench.

Soon after, the fat man's life came to an abrupt end. And the bushy middle-aged man jerked his head in the direction of his assistant Anna.

As soon as she saw the display, Anna shivered and clenched her fist firmly in her hands.

"Everyone, this person, died. But let us preserve what little respect we have left by not ransacking his stuff. And a word of caution to certain people: every wrong action you did will eventually bring you the karma you deserve." The bushy middle-aged man stated to the onlookers. while staring at specific people, and upon witnessing him stare at them, these folks hastily averted their gaze.

Sophia, on the other hand, witnessed all of this and was stunned by these people's unbelievable behavior. All of a sudden, A grim voice rang out in her ears.

"Didn't I tell you? This is what happens when we go to tremendous measures to rescue a person, yet what we end up with is a failure. Only those self-righteous eyes are staring at you right now. And accusing you of failing to save this individual. So, Sophia, are they the folks you set out to help in the first place? Is this all you've ever dreamed of? Isn't that the whole idea of it?" Bryan whispered in low tones directly into her ears.

"I..."

"We can definitely live and get out of here; all we have to do is avoid doing anything that isn't absolutely necessary, and we should be good."

Finishing his sentence, Bryan looked at the young teenager from before and was wailing his heart out, as the obese man, who was considered his family, was declared dead forever in this world. And shortly after, he is just flung to the side, abandoned, and forgotten, much like a dead dog on the street.