"How many died, Millis?"
"13 confirmed, 5 MIA, Commander Ayesha."
"Zeus, shit...That's the number of the latest batch of recruits with Rhys Wilder. Anyone actually from his batch?"
"Two of them, Ma'am."
"They just got here."
Staff Sergeant Millis was now back in the walled base, along with the new recruits who were currently sprawled down on the ground like lifeless puppets, with only their chests moving heavily as their breaths created an orchestra of gasps.
Rhys was also there, seated on the ground with his hair fully covering his face. He was also breathing heavily, but not because he was exhausted, no — he was still thinking of how Ayesha just killed the red orthros he painstakingly tried to keep alive, while killing almost a dozen dogs.
But the more he thought about it, the more he thought it didn't really matter. How was he going to be able to take care of the dog in the first place while he was in service? But still, even then, he couldn't help but lament.
"I am sorry, Ma'am," Millis stood in front of Ayesha; his mustache that was previously turned up, now completely down as he didn't even dare to speak loudly in front of the commander, "I will talk to their family so—"
"No. I need you to check how those mutts got so near to our base in the first place, take Pervert and Baldie with you," Ayesha gestured to Erik and James, who already assisting the new recruits to get help with their medic,
"I'll do it, I'll talk to the families."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Staff Sergeant Millis saluted, before glancing at Erik and James and gesturing to them to follow him.
"..." Rhys could not help but watch Ayesha's back as she walked away. His first impression of her was that she did not really care whether or not the recruits die, considering that is part of what everyone in the Underworld Corps signed up for and how brash and harsh she treats everyone, but no.
It might have been hard for everyone else to hear, but not for Rhys. There was a certain tremble in Ayeshas's breaths; subtle, minute, quiet. But Rhys could hear it, because he had heard it many times before… from him.
A breath of guilt, the breath of someone who thinks they shouldn't have survived.
"You did good, recruit."
"..." Rhys suddenly found his head covered with a towel. He looked up, only to see James and Erik both nodding at him.
"Man, you're the toughest fucker I've seen in a long time," Erik let out a deep breath, "No wonder you're the Commander's boy toy."
"...I'm not."
"Agree to disagree, Rhys Wilder," James smiled, "I honestly thought you would not return to us."
"Because he was a Lowborn?" Erik raised an eyebrow as he almost snarled at James.
"How did you even manage to bring class here?" James took a step back as the two stared at each other, "Are you sure you're not the one that's classist? You perverted mongr—"
"James, Erik! What are you doing!?"
Fortunately for Rhys, before the two could start arguing near him again, Staff Sergeant Millis called for them.
"Smell you later, Rhys."
"...Sure."
"Literally," Erik pointed at Rhys with both hands as he and James left, "They're setting up your bed on our mancave as we speak."
"Please do not call it mancave. It's just a small roo—'
"James, Erik!"
"..." And as the two finally left, Rhys finally found time to once again think about what happened — or so he thought.
"You!"
As soon as there were no more superiors within the area, the recruits who were sprawled on the floor started getting up, some of them approaching Rhys with an energy they didn't really show just moments ago.
And very slowly, Rhys suddenly found himself surrounded by his fellow recruits; their eyes, literally looking down on him as he sat there with a towel on his head.
"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" One of the muscular recruits stepped closer to Rhys, grabbing him by the shoulders as he tried lifting him up. He could not lift his feet off the ground, however. But not because he wasn't capable of lifting Rhys, but because Rhys just towered over him.
"..." Rhys did not really say anything as he looked at the recruit lifting him up. He then turned to look at the others, only to see all of them with their eyebrows raised and their teeth showing.
"If you didn't decide to be a fucking show off and continue to run like a motherfucker, we wouldn't be in this situation!"
"That's right! We wouldn't have entered the orthros' territory if you just fucking stopped and rested! You fucking dregger!"
"You killed them! You're the reason they are dead!"
"No," Rhys immediately replied as this time, he was the one looking down on the recruit that was trying to lift him up, "Not… this time."
"W—!!!"
And before the rowdy recruit could finish his words, a brush of wind lightly blasted his hair as Rhys casually placed his hand on the side of the recruit's neck. And with a light touch, blood started showering profusely from his neck.
"!!!" All the other recruits backed away as they suddenly found themselves covered in almost a liter of blood in just the span of a couple of seconds. And as the bleeding recruit started to panic, Rhys grabbed him by the neck and placed pressure on the sudden wound to stop it from bleeding.
"Medic!" Rhys then let out a roar, quickly catching the attention of the medics who were treating the other recruits who were injured. And as soon as they saw all the blood, they quickly rushed toward Rhys and took the bleeding recruit from his hands.
"What happened!?" One of the medics hurriedly asked as they started healing his wound.
"He… just started bleeding when he lifted me up," Rhys calmly said as he took a step back. A lie, of course, as he used Lina's wind control to cut the recruit's carotid artery.
"Fuck, must have opened up a regenerating wound!" The medic waved his hand, "This is common with people with high regenerative abilities. Move, move! Bring him to the tent!"
"...It is?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he watched as the medics carried and took the recruit away, "That's… interesting."
"What did you do to him!?" One of the other recruits once again rushed toward him and grabbed him by the collar, "I saw that! You put your hands on his—"
"What in the fuckery is going on here!?"
Fortunately for Rhys, or perhaps the other recruit, Staff Sergeant Millis suddenly came to the rescue. To whose rescue, exactly, will never be determined.
"I just came back here because I forgot to bring a map, and I see you fighting!? And what is with all this blood!?" Millis started looking at the recruits one by one, his mustache fully erect and almost tingling with each furious word that escaped his mouth.
"It's the Lowborn! He's the reason why our brothers are dead!" The other recruits did not stop wasting time and immediately pointed at Rhys.
"T—"
Before their complaints could reach anyone's ears again, however, Millis rushed toward the recruit who was grabbing Rhys and smacked him right on the face… strong enough to the point that he bounced from the ground.
"The reason why your brothers are dead!?" Millis roared, "The reason why your brothers are dead is because the rest of you panicked and deserted them! All of you, except for Rhys Wilder and the handful of recruits who bravely fought to save their comrades, will be sent to a deeper camp!"
"Wh—"
"You signed up for the Underworld Corps to sacrifice your life!" Millis stood up straight and placed his hand behind his back, "Dying for nothing… is the greatest dishonor and shame you could commit."
And as the breaths of sorrow started to echo in the air, Rhys could not help but just stare at Millis — not because he suddenly came to his aid, when he was previously obviously against him, no.
It was because there were now 5 Gray Hearts floating above Millis's head.
"..." Surely, this is just some sort of brotherhood scale? But if so, then why did James and Erik not have one?
'I want you to slather me with your sweat, you brave muscular Lowborn boy.'
No. No, it was not a brotherhood scale. It would seem his abilities also worked on the male spectrum.
Rhys found himself very slowly taking a step back as Millis continued to scold and scowl at the other recruits. There was a line that Rhys was not willing to cross even in his for revenge, no matter what, and this was one of them.
It... was best to stay away from Millis as much as possible from now on.