Invasion [To the Outpost] Chapter 14

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The black barrel of Ni Ji’s gun shifted, aiming at a certain spot below his waist.

“No, no. You can’t do this.” The researcher’s voice was hoarse with fear as he hurriedly pleaded, “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot. I’m being forced too. I can’t go against those people… ah!”

The second gunshot unleashed an even more agonizing scream.

That shattered wail did not carry far, offering no comfort to the countless restless souls scattered across the land.

It only caused the male sentinels watching the screen to tense up, awkwardly clenching their legs.

The following scene had already been replayed multiple times in front of everyone.

Only the perspective had changed.

At first, everyone had pitied the desperate figure begging for mercy.

Now, with this new angle, each person thought Ni Ji’s hand was still too gentle.

The man wept bitterly, crawling on the ground, clutching the insect jade—bought with the lives of countless sentinels—believing he could trade it for his life.

“I’ll give this to you, all of it. Spare me.”

“You can take it out and sell it for a fortune, a huge fortune. It could get you promoted to a higher position, to the imperial capital where there are no monsters.”

“A person must look out for themselves. Why get angry over a few lowly sentinels? They always die quickly anyway...”

The third gunshot echoed through the silent contaminated zone, striking the amber stone.

It shattered the priceless stone, piercing through the man who begged while holding it.

Fragments of the amber stone scattered across the ground. A strange, undeveloped creature emitted a sharp cry, wriggling out from the shards, dragging a bizarre umbilical cord as it crawled a few steps on the gray-black soil before losing all vitality and stiffening motionless.

The screen abruptly ended there, replaced by a flurry of snowflakes.

“Heavens. This is real! He really smashed the insect jade!” The clerk by the window leapt up, clapping and cursing, “This fool, this idiot. No, he’s a madman!”

She had watched the entire ordeal, indifferent to all the death, sacrifice, and injustice. Only upon seeing the stone break did she clap and cry out in heartbreak.

The sentinels on the training ground were also stunned by Ni Ji’s move.

“My God, he smashed that insect jade.”

“Is he crazy? That thing’s valuable, right?”

“You’re the crazy one. If he’d just taken it out, it would have ended up in their pockets sooner or later. Why let them have their way?”

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“Or do you think Ni Ji would carry that jade out and hand it over himself? Treading over his brothers’ corpses as a stepping stone for promotion? Ni Captain isn’t that kind of man.” The sentinel who said this forgot that he had just recently called Ni Ji no good.

Someone quickly caught on.

“He’s been wronged! Release him!”

“Right, you’re framing him! Let him go!”

“This is too much. How can you torture him like this?”

“Release him. Immediately!”

A clod of earth hit the glass on the second floor of the administration office.

One after another, chunks of soil rained down.

The anger of the sentinels had long been ignited; the wind fanned the flames until the whole area blazed.

Some raised their legs and marched toward the execution frame.

The interrogating sergeant tried to stop them, but one of the female sentinels, who had been the loudest in the uproar, stepped forward and slapped him to the ground.

“You bastard, where did you say you were sending him just now?”

She straddled the fallen sergeant, raising her hand like a fan, slapping his face repeatedly until it swelled.

“You’re spreading such baseless accusations. A strong man like him nearly died because of scum like you. Damn you! Watch how many slaps I give you!”

She completely forgot that she had previously joined the jeering, even making crude jokes about looking after his business.

An older soldier who had once been a squad leader came over, pressed on her shoulder, and whispered, “Not here. Drag him to the corner.”

So, three or five people dragged the swollen-faced interrogator off to a corner.

Others surged toward the execution frame, pounding the iron chains, attempting to free the barely breathing Ni Ji.

More held their pent-up rage, flooding toward the administrative building below the military control office.

They smashed the glass, demanding release and explanations.

The crowd’s fierce emotions spread like wildfire.

They were all ordinary sentinels from the lowest ranks.

At moments like this, when they gathered and shouted together, those high-ranking officials sitting in their offices felt genuine fear.

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Soon, the timid voice of a clerk came over the broadcast.

“Indeed, a miscarriage of justice has occurred. We were also deceived. We will release Ni Ji immediately.”

“Yes, immediate exoneration. Everyone, please remain calm.”

Only after this chaotic spectacle settled were Lin Yuan’s enlistment and departure procedures grudgingly completed.

By the time they came out, the sun was setting with a slanting golden glow.

Roy led Lin Yuan, standing outside the gates of the military control office, waiting for the public bus.

He gazed at the street bathed in orange sunlight, still somewhat dazed.

“Hey, Yuan,” Roy asked, “I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. Did you deliberately look out for him?”

“No,” Lin Yuan replied calmly. “Everything is the truth.”

She still wore that quiet, disinterested demeanor.

After a moment, she raised her pale hand, making a small gesture with her thumb and forefinger.

“I just... helped conceal a little bit, that’s all.”

“Really?” Roy’s eyes lit up. “I thought some scenes were awkwardly cut off. Tell me what it was.”

Lin Yuan did not answer his question.

She turned to look toward the alley by the side gate of the military control office.

Roy’s gaze followed.

In that narrow alley, a small door opened.

Two people carried out an injured sentinel, clearly badly hurt. They set him down and quickly closed the door behind them.

The sentinel, draped in a soldier’s coat, leaned against the dark earthen wall for a while, then, unable to support himself, slowly slid down to sit along the wall, one hand bracing against it.

Roy squinted as he watched, astonished.

“Is that him? Ni... Ji?”