The video playing was pulled straight from Ren's own mind. Kestrel had plunged into the criminal's mental world, reading his memories. She was a conduit, using the Cerebral Cylinder system to project these memories for everyone to see.
"Can a beta actually do that?" the crowd wondered. Most of the people watching were alphas of lower status, born into ordinary families. The rare betas, cloistered in the Tower, were like TV and newspaper celebrities to them.
They used to think betas were only for show, decorating the Empire's image like well-dressed dolls. They saw them as fragile and mild-mannered, pampered inside their ivory tower. But the beta before them now was a revelation.
A shiver ran down their spines. They looked up at the restrained prisoner on the platform, his face ashen. They looked at that small, fair hand. Imagining that hand grasping them, they couldn't help but tremble.
"Can a beta actually do that?" Officer Hoo by the window whispered in shock. She felt a pang of annoyance. If she had known that Kestrel had such power, able to invade an alpha's mind and play back their memories, she wouldn't have let her do it in public. Some things, when exposed, might not look so great.
But, if the insectoid stone could be found and her superiors' orders carried out, it wouldn't matter. Small missteps weren't a big deal.
After all, they were searching for a large living insectoid stone. It wasn't dead, or just a small piece worth a bit of cash. No one had ever expected such a treasure to be found in the Polluted Zone.
With that thought, Officer Hoo brightened up, nudging Roy sitting next to her, "You SRD has a beta this strong, why didn't you mention it?"
Roy just rolled his eyes, as if mocking the Military Administration folks for overreacting.
But truth be told, Roy was also anxious inside. He had no idea that Kestrel was capable of this.
On the screen, a muscular alpha walked over and sat in front of the 'camera', which meant he sat next to Ren. He passed over a cup of steaming liquid.
"Captain." The tower-like alpha showed a timid smile, "After this mission, can I get some time off?"
Ren glanced his way.
"My mate, she's due next month." The hulking alpha laughed and scratched his head, "This is our second kid, leaving her alone at home, it's just not right."
He looked rugged, and three scars stretched across half his face, distorting his smile. But he was a cheerful guy. When he laughed, he flashed a mouthful of white teeth.
Ren took a sip of the steaming beverage, his gaze resting on the smiling alpha for a moment.
"Sure, the mission's going well. There'll be a bonus, you can take it home," Ren's voice came from the screen. It was a soothing voice, like a cool stream winding its way through a mountain, full of calm and steady strength. Just hearing this voice, you'd never think he was a criminal capable of blowing up heads with a single bullet.
It was time to switch shifts, and the female alpha perched high in a tree jumped down like a shadow. Her hair was tied up high on her head, and her long legs were strong. Landing, she nonchalantly squished a human-face spider the size of a basin that had crawled out from the shadows.
Another female alpha with short hair greeted her happily and passed her a cup of warm soup. The two girls sat by the bonfire, holding hands.
"Kira, the captain says there's going to be a big bonus from this mission," the short-haired girl said cheerfully. "I want to buy some candy for the kids at the orphanage."
"No, Emery." Kira, who was steadying her gun with one hand and sipping soup with the other, didn't even lift her head.
"Why? I really want to see the kids running over all excited," Emery snuggled up, rubbing her slightly rough face against her sister's shoulder, whining. Her soup jostled from the movement.
"This winter will be really cold, Sister Jacqueline said they're short on coal and food," Kira set down her cup, counting on her fingers, "We also need to buy some cotton. If there's any money left, I want to get some frostbite medicine. Jacqueline's fingers swell every winter."
Emery whimpered unhappily, dropping her gaze, looking dejected. Kira glanced at her, brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then made a gesture, saying, "Okay… Maybe we can buy just a little bit of candies."
The short-haired girl, her skin rough and covered in dirt, beamed like a delighted child, clapping her hands in joy.
When they noticed Ren watching them, the two girls stuck out their tongues. They gave an apologetic salute, and the older one shot the younger one a reproving look.
There was a bit of commotion among the young alphas around the fire. One of them was blushing, his neck trapped in another guy's armlock.
"This kid, this kid says he's going to propose to his girl when he gets back," the alpha holding him announced.
"Really? You've got personal stuff sorted out already?"
"Which girl?"
The crowd erupted in laughter, firing off questions all at once.
"This kid couldn't have met anyone decent. She's a girl from the red-light district, older than him," someone commented.
The young alpha trapped in the armlock, his face bright red, summoned the courage to defend her, "She, she's a good girl."
"Would any normal good girl even look at us? You naive kid, did that woman trick you?"
The vibe became lively. Ren stood up and strolled over to the group.
"Captain."
"Captain Sloan."
As the camera angle moved, the screen showed the vibrant faces of the alphas, their eyes filled with admiration or trust. Only the glasses-wearing researcher seemed out of place amongst the team. Decked out in pricey non-uniform clothes, he sat solo by the fire, hugging a black backpack, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
Ren's gaze paused on him briefly, then moved on, eventually settling on the bonfire.
"As soon as the sun rises, we'll leave the Polluted Zone and wrap up this mission. I've told you many times, always stay sharp, especially at the end."
Ren's voice was gentle, his words few but meaningful. Hearing this, everyone instantly became serious again, their senses on high alert.
"Sorry, Captain."
"Our apologies, Captain."
The alphas who'd been the loudest were the first to apologize.
Ren's gaze landed on the young alpha, his cheeks still flushed. He was the greenest rookie in the team.
"Don't mind their gibberish." Ren patted the rookie's shoulder, "For folks like us, living life on the edge, if a girl genuinely wants to marry you, be good to her. Where she's from doesn't matter."
The young alpha's face turned beet red, but his eyes lit up.
Ren's gaze shifted past him, looking out into the dark distance. His sharp eyes could see far-off and tiny details. He carefully scanned every inch of the darkness, finding nothing wrong. Only then did he turn his attention back to his team, who were about to finish their mission and return to safety, their spirits already brightening.
The bonfire's orange glow flickered on the quietly chatting soldiers' faces. The screen's color slowly warmed up. The viewers watching this scene outside the screen could feel the warmth filling Ren's heart.
In that moment, everyone thought the same thing: Could such a caring captain really harm the people he was looking at?
People are emotional, easily moved by feelings. When they watched the deceased researcher's memory, they empathized with him. They viewed the gun-wielding killer as despicable, heartless, and unforgivable.
But now, seeing things from Ren's perspective, even without the full story, many couldn't help but question. "He seems like such a nice captain. Could he really hurt his comrades? Could there be a misunderstanding?"
The memory-based video wasn't continuous. After a wave of static, the screen shifted to the next series of scenes.
Still in the wreckage, Ren stood at the edge of a debris, gazing into the world's dark beyond. From the darkness, a faint strange noise emerged, as if something – or many somethings – were hurtling toward them. It was still far, but whatever it was, it was moving fast, approaching like a fierce storm.
Next to Ren stood a mountain of a man and Kira.
"Lots, a whole lot. They're heading straight for us," the giant man declared with a grim tone.
"How can this be? Why are there suddenly so many mutants?" Kira furrowed her brows.
"No time to think." Ren spoke, "Give me the revulsant."
"Captain?"
"Captain! That's too dangerous." The two soldiers beside him objected in unison.
"Enough. Hand it over." Ren stretched out his hand. In a crisis, he was a decisive leader.
He took out his compact knife and quickly sketched a route on the ground.
"Both of you, follow this path. We'll meet up before the exit." After stating this, his gaze shifted between the faces of his two comrades, pausing for a brief moment.
"Tuck will lead, and Emery and I will cover the rear," Kira intervened, her voice steady, "Emery and I are the most potent combination in the team, apart from the Captain."
Ren nodded in approval, no longer hesitating. He turned, uncapped the bottle of revulsant, and drenched himself from head to toe. Then, he charged into the darkness with his blade unsheathed, heading straight for the approaching swarm.
"Has he lost his mind?"
"Doesn't he value his life? That's an entire bottle of revulsant."
The viewers in front of the screen gasped. As alphas, they all knew what the revulsant was. Using it in the Polluted Zone was highly perilous. Even a small dose could attract nearby creatures. Drenching himself with a full bottle like Ren had done was a disaster waiting to happen.
He would become a moving target, fiercely, irresistibly drawing all the monsters to himself.
This act would be considered insanity even by the wildest standards. But by doing so, Ren provided his team a chance to evacuate safely. Only he was left facing extreme danger.
The following footage was chaotic, the camera spinning quickly, recording hectic scenes of combat. The screen was filled with the gruesome creatures of the Polluted Zone: hairy beasts with scythe-like claws, writhing lumps of flesh, and gigantic blood-red eyes. They surged forward, wave after wave.
Severed limbs flew around, the air filled with piercing shrieks. The screen was splattered over and over with thick blood. The boundary between the world and the screen disappeared. All eyes were fixated on the battling Captain.
This Captain, with his own flesh and blood, singlehandedly lured all the monsters away. Alone, he fought amidst the overwhelming horde of beasts. When he ran out of bullets, he drew his long knife, and when the knife broke, he was left with only his bare hands. He was a great captain, in the truest sense of the word.
"Hang in there, Captain."
"Break free, Captain!" These were the cries from the 'audience' in front of the screen.
At this moment, no one was labeling him a murderer, no one was wishing for his downfall. Even though everyone knew that his survival was definite—or he wouldn't have been back and on the gallows.
A gigantic orca appeared beside him. Initially, it was the size of a calf, then grew to the size of a house, and soon it was as massive as a mountain, causing the ground to tremble. This black and white leviathan, with a pair of glowing purple eyes, hovered in the air, its powerful tail repelling the oncoming swarm.
The orca's song resonated, a melody amid the brutal battle, it seemed to be a call from a distant home, piercing through the dense despair.
One man, one orca, using their battered bodies to carve an opening in the ring of monsters.
Breakthrough.
The screen darkened once more and then brightened. The horrific battle had ended.
Ren walked through the spore-filled streets, repeatedly wiping the blood clouding his vision. He moved hastily, his 'audible' breath filled with distress.
At that moment, when he saw them, his comrades, the sound of breathing on the screen suddenly ceased. A dreadful silence filled the world.
There lay a lifeless grayness.
Kira was holding Emery tightly. A monstrous, shriveled finger had pierced through both their young bodies. It was unclear who had severed the monstrous finger, freezing the pair in their final embrace.
In the sky, countless fluffy spores gently descended like petals, delicately settling on the bodies of the deceased. Kira's braids unraveled, her hair spilling down, gently covering the person she cradled in her arms. They appeared like two sisters sleeping together.
Ren's gaze was fixed on the entwined bodies, but his feet did not stop. He walked past them, tearing his gaze away.
Run! Dash!
The air around him turned turbulent, the spores scattered and fluttered, like ash in a disordered funeral.
The ruins and plant shadows rapidly receded in his vision. Ren sprinted through the darkness. The bodies of the fallen soldiers gradually increased, interspersed with the corpses of the monsters.
"How did this happen?" Everyone outside the screen questioned in their hearts. "Their captain had already risked his life to distract the monsters. They were so close to the safe exit. Why did so many monsters follow? Why did so many people die? Why is there so much blood?"
Some of the bodies were lying on their backs amidst the floating gray ash, their vacant eyes open, staring at the sky.
Some were dismembered, their sight too horrifying even for the most seasoned warrior to bear.
In the memory being displayed for all to see, every face of the fallen was vividly captured by Ren as he dashed by. The world's color vanished from his sight. The landscape was a vast, desolate gray. Only the bodies of the brutally slain remained vibrant, indelibly etched in his vision. Imprinted in his memory.
He halted in front of a still-living alpha, a warrior with no hope of survival.
He was the youngest alpha in the team, nearly just a big kid. He was incredibly shy and harbored dreams of marrying a girl from the red-light district.
"Cap... Captain," the young alpha recognized him.
Ren, who had been running relentlessly, stopped for him.
"Is there anything you want to leave behind?" He stood there, his voice unnaturally calm, as if he was still the man he used to be—the tranquil, composed, strong captain who could handle any crisis.
"I... I have a letter under my pillow in the dormitory, take it, take it..."
"Should I give it to the girl?" Ren asked.
"No, no." The boy tried to lift his arm, but it ended in a bloody stump, "Burn the letter. Don't let her read it, don't let her grieve for me."
Ren looked at him, and after a moment, he clenched his teeth and said one word: "Okay."
The boy began to cry, "Take my... my savings, give it all to her. Let her live a good life, in a different way."
"Okay."
"Captain, Captain. I still want to be your soldier. I still want to be your soldier..." He had nothing else to say.
Ren waited for a moment, heard no further sounds. He turned around and continued on his path. His vision was repeatedly obstructed by crimson blood, and he no longer raised his arm to wipe it away.
The entire world was soaked in a sea of red. The chaotic sound of breathing filled the screen, pervading the ears of every viewer. The yard in front of the screen was deathly silent, the shadowy mass of alphas held their breath, oppressively quiet.