"I thought the collar had been destroyed in the explosion."
Qin Mo raised his hand and summoned flames to incinerate the collar, his expression one of utter astonishment.
The realization that he had been fighting while encumbered by a psychic suppression collar profoundly shook him; he ceased to contemplate their next move and began to ponder why he was still able to wield psychic powers despite wearing this device.
This defied all scientific principles.
The ability to conjure flames and lightning from thin air, along with the capacity to manipulate the material world, should ostensibly represent the essence of psychic energy.
Yet, if it were truly psychic energy, why had the collar not stifled it?
Suddenly, Qin Mo began to consider that perhaps the source of his power lay not in the subspace but in a different origin altogether.
However, it remained plausible that the collar was incapable of suppressing exceptionally potent psychic abilities.
Regrettably, he had been captured on the very day he awakened his powers and dispatched to the front lines; had he not been sent to the black ship, he could have tested whether the Silent Nun could contain his abilities.
If she could suppress them, it would indicate that the collar's effects were limited.
If she could not, it would suggest his power was not derived from psychic energy.
No, no, no...
Contemplating this, Qin Mo felt a strange relief that he had not been delivered to the black ship, as his thirst for knowledge would not have been worth his life.
"What troubles you?" Grey inquired, noticing Qin Mo's ashen complexion.
"Nothing," Qin Mo replied, shaking his head as he began to strategize their next course of action. He then addressed the group, "First and foremost, we must vacate this position. We have two options: we can either descend through the passage or remain and continue fighting."
Upon hearing this, the group bowed their heads in contemplation.
Though they remained silent, Qin Mo surmised that they would likely choose to descend, for the front lines had been compromised, and staying would be perilous.
"If we leave..." Grey's expression grew grave, "Will the friendly forces at the passage's exit allow us to pass?"
"While the nest is currently in dire need of personnel, soldiers fleeing from the lower nest will likely face execution to set an example for the defenders below. However, that is merely speculation; I cannot say for certain what fate awaits them," Qin Mo replied.
The group was engulfed in uncertainty.
On one hand, they were indeed eager to escape to the lower nest; on the other, they feared execution.
Yet this was a necessary dilemma: either remain in the lower nest to confront the rebels or gamble on the chance of surviving a potential death sentence.
"I have family. If I am executed, they will suffer as well. I must stay," Grey raised his hand.
"I too will remain; I cannot allow my wife and daughter to be deprived of their meager compensation because I became a deserter."
"I have no family. I simply wish to stay and fight the rebels, for the Emperor! For the Lord of Humanity!"
One by one, those who chose to stay raised their hands, totaling five.
The remaining thirteen were silent, yet their silence spoke volumes about their resolve.
"Please, leave," Qin Mo stood and directed his gaze toward the weapons of the thirteen, "But do leave your arms and ammunition; I require them."
The individuals opting to descend stood, saluting Qin Mo in the Eagle's Greeting.
Regardless of whether they faced higher-ranking nobles or officers, they had never performed such a solemn and respectful salute.
Though Qin Mo was a prisoner, without him, they would not have withstood the rebel onslaught nor have had the opportunity to choose between retreat and resistance.
"We will leave the weapons, along with food and water,"
"May the Emperor bless you, valiant warriors."
The thirteen arranged their weapons and ammunition neatly on the ground, stacking water bottles and rations atop them. One soldier, whose uniform remained relatively intact, removed his clothing and boots so that Qin Mo could discard his tattered rags.
After ensuring everything possible was left behind, they departed, casting glances back every few paces.
Including Qin Mo, six chose to remain. Though their decision was voluntary, apprehension about their impending circumstances lingered.
"What do we do next? Should we seek out the rebels and fight, or remain at our post?" Grey asked.
"Certainly, we cannot stay here. The explosion that saved us was clearly caused by other allied forces; we must find the survivors and regroup with them," Qin Mo declared, settling into a cross-legged position as he began to disassemble a laser rifle. "But before that, I must create something."
Grey was puzzled by Qin Mo's intent and observed as he dismantled the rifle's electronic components, melting the exterior with hands enveloped in flames.
The others watched in stunned silence.
"Stop dawdling. Two of you, go on lookout; the rest, help me gather any usable metal or electronic components," Qin Mo commanded.
"Understood." Grey turned to another soldier with keen eyesight, who nodded in agreement and joined him in the lookout.
Meanwhile, the others scoured the area for the materials Qin Mo required.
...
Half an hour later, all the weapons, metals, and electronic components they could find were piled before Qin Mo.
Though Captain Bull's transport vehicle could not be brought here, everything removable had been salvaged and laid before Qin Mo.
"You disassembled Bull's transport?" Qin Mo asked without lifting his gaze.
"Yes, I intended to repair it, but the engine suffered three deep claw marks into the core."
"Then it's beyond repair." Qin Mo nodded, refocusing on his creation.
This scene was novel for the soldiers; Grey had sent another soldier on lookout and stood before Qin Mo, watching his every move.
Metallic pieces melted in Qin Mo's hands, quickly coalescing into a single mass before hardening.
The once rigid metal became pliable, shaped by Qin Mo as though it were playdough.
Two slender metal rods floated nearby, guided by his psychic power; when adjustments were necessary, they functioned with surgical precision far surpassing human dexterity.
Simultaneously, wires from the shattered electronic components were extracted, twisted and deformed, reconnecting as if they had never been severed.
Under Grey's curious gaze, a backpack-like object began to take form.
"What is that? A backpack?" Grey inquired.
"Put it on your back," Qin Mo instructed, gesturing toward the pack.
Grey stepped forward to don the backpack and instantly felt as if he were carrying the weight of a heavy artillery shell; its heft was absurdly burdensome.
"An individual gravity shield," Qin Mo explained, raising his hand as a grenade levitated toward Grey from the ground. "It can withstand live ammunition attacks."
Grey did not understand the concept of a gravity shield; it was a term he had never encountered before.
So, Qin Mo demonstrated; with a flick of his finger, the safety of the floating grenade was disengaged.
All but Qin Mo fell prone.
A second later, the grenade exploded, scattering shrapnel that was then drawn back and compressed against the ground.
Everyone stared in astonishment at the pile of fragments.
"As you can see, its purpose is to help shield you from live ammunition. However, this device is powered by a rifle battery, and theoretically, a single battery can sustain the gravity shield for ten minutes," Qin Mo stated matter-of-factly.
He felt no pride in this creation he dubbed the gravity shield.
Inside the shield's casing lay a gravity generator, which operated on the principle of consuming energy to create a gravitational effect; its effective range was not circular but rather a hollow ring, as it was imperative that the user not be crushed by the weight.
Qin Mo had studied this device for a considerable time, but when it came to actual creation, he was limited by the materials at hand, resulting in a gravity shield that fell far short of his expectations.
It was excessively heavy and energy-intensive... yet it was more than capable of saving a life, and it had a special purpose.
For instance, in close-quarters combat, it could be activated to charge through opponents.
"What if we encounter laser rifles?" someone questioned.
"The lasers will penetrate both you and the gravity shield," Qin Mo replied candidly, pausing before adding, "However, the laser rifles in the rebels' possession were pilfered from the lower nest; most of the weapons they wield should be makeshift, live-fire weaponry."
"Being able to withstand live ammunition is a victory in itself; we should not be too greedy," Grey concurred.
"In terms of weaponry, a little greed is advantageous." Qin Mo seated himself and began crafting gravity shields for the others and himself. "Send two people to scout for any nearby allies; if they are present, we will head there immediately."