The End of the Road

"It's been confirmed. The gunfire and explosions from Corridor 22 just now were caused by a rebellion. They killed their way straight into Omi's office. I hear Omi's guard unit was wiped out by the rebels."

"Corridor 22 has been sealed off."

"Eight squads are guarding every entrance and exit."

"He can't get out."

An officer strode toward the area where Cannon Position 2 was located.

The attendant beside him kept his body low as he walked and reported.

"What the hell is Omi doing? How did a rebellion break out the moment he took office?"

"That bastard has brought shame to the family!"

"That bastard caused the first rebellion ever in the cannon positions under my command! He's shamed me too!"

The officer walked on, his face dark as he complained and cursed.

The attendant received a report from Cannon Position 2, then reported: "Your guard unit has arrived at Cannon Position 2 and locked it down. How should the traitors be dealt with?"

"Shoot them all." The officer gave the order with a vicious tone.

"Yes." The attendant relayed the command.

Several gunshots rang out from the far end of the corridor.

The attendant received another report, then reported again: "Your guard captain said that after killing a few men, he found the slaves weren't resisting at all. They're all unarmed."

"Then some of them must have rebelled." The officer quickly worked out a plan. "Detain everyone and march them to the exit of Corridor 22. Maybe some of the traitors' friends or family are among them..."

"Yes." The attendant relayed the command once more.

By the time the officer and his attendant reached the end of the corridor and rounded a corner, they saw thirty guard soldiers escorting the slaves from Cannon Position 2 forward.

The officer straightened his collar and medals, then raised his head high as he walked past the cannon position slaves, arriving first at the exit of Corridor 22.

Ten soldiers were already stationed there, ten Laser Guns aimed at the exit. Anyone who came around the corner would be shot dead.

Lu Jin sat just behind the corner.

He had killed his way out of the office and into the corridor, cutting down thirteen people who dared fire at him along the way. But he wasn't resting or recovering his strength now—he was fiddling with the thing Little Damian had made for him.

Lu Jin twisted the Mechanical Arm, wrenching it off Little Damian's shoulder, then fitted it into the device's slot on his own shoulder.

He took the chip from behind Little Damian's head and stuck it behind his own, and with that, he could control the Mechanical Arm freely.

Then he pulled a Laser Rifle off his back and handed it to the Mechanical Arm to wield.

If he hadn't lacked a ranged weapon and would definitely be shot dead charging out, he wouldn't have used the Laser Rifle or the device Little Damian had made.

Because he had never handled a gun before. Even after transmigrating onto this ship where everyone carried one, he'd never had the chance to touch a firearm. The Heavy Hammer and Heavy Axe in his hands, however, he used often. So between the two, he had to choose the weapon he was skilled with.

But now there was truly no other way. He could only grit his teeth and use the gun.

After preparing everything, Lu Jin touched the clothes tied around him and the Little Damian wrapped up in them, making sure they were secure, before getting ready to charge out.

"I don't care how many of you there are!"

The shout carried around the corner.

Lu Jin stuck his head out for a look, then immediately pulled it back. Turning his head, he saw several bullet holes had appeared on the opposite wall.

The soldiers guarding the exit had terrifying accuracy. If he hadn't pulled back instantly, those holes would be in his head.

And in that brief moment he'd looked out, Lu Jin saw everyone from Cannon Position 2 kneeling outside the corridor exit. An officer was holding a pistol, aiming at one of them.

Bang—

A gunshot rang out.

After killing one man, the officer continued: "As long as your friends or family are in here, you'd better think about..."

Lu Jin didn't take in a single word after that.

He ground his teeth, hatred burning for the officer who had taken everyone hostage.

"They've already started!"

A familiar voice reached Lu Jin's ears.

It was Little Damian's father, Damian, speaking.

"The law has collective punishment... Whether we came here or not, we'd still be..."

Another gunshot rang out.

Lu Jin gritted his teeth and lowered his body, gathering strength in his legs, ready to charge out.

At that moment, footsteps sounded behind him.

Lu Jin looked back, glancing to the left around the corner, and saw a squad of soldiers advancing with their guns raised.

He realized the officer was stalling for time, creating an opportunity for the squad tasked with flanking them.

Cornered at the turn, Lu Jin had only two choices.

The first was to pick a side, break out, and get focused down.

The second was to sit and wait for death.

Lu Jin chose the first.

He had never feared death. Before he came to this universe, he had faced the same choice, and his decision had been...

Lu Jin turned right and burst out of the corner.

Time seemed to slow severalfold.

As he lunged out, the Laser Rifle on his shoulder aimed at a man ahead and fired. A crimson beam shot forth, striking the ground.

Two beams came from the opposite side—one hit the hammer head, the other struck Lu Jin's abdomen.

Lu Jin rolled on the spot, dodging the remaining beams. As he rose, he fired the shoulder-mounted device again.

This time, it hit a soldier's arm.

When Lu Jin charged forward valiantly, raising his Heavy Hammer and Heavy Axe high, what he saw was a row of gun muzzles and a hundred meters of distance between him and the enemy.

He threw the Heavy Hammer.

It spun through the air, struck a soldier, pierced his body, and pinned him to the ground.

Several beams hit Lu Jin's leg and arm in quick succession, sending him crashing to the floor.

The soldiers flanking from behind had closed in. As they turned the corner, two were killed by the flying Heavy Hammer, while the rest raised their rifles and took aim.

"Stop."

A woman's voice reached Lu Jin's ears.

The soldiers before and behind him first glanced to see who had given the order. After confirming, they immediately moved their fingers off the triggers as commanded.

Two hundred meters away in a straight line, the officer gripped his pistol, turned to look aside, then immediately crossed his hands in the Aquila Salute.

Before that, the officer had secretly taken in the newcomer's face.

In that instant, he only saw a face split by a scar from forehead to chin, white short hair, and a mark even more striking than those two features.

The mark meant its bearer was a member of the Imperial Inquisition—an Inquisitor.

The Inquisitor approached with her retinue.

One of them, wearing an Imperial Navy uniform, barked, "Lady Bena heard gunfire while inspecting the deck. What happened here?!"

The Inquisitor walked behind the kneeling slaves, glanced at the corpse on the ground, then looked ahead.

"My lady." The officer stepped before Bena and reported, "A group of traitors broke into my cousin's office. They're staging a rebellion!"

The Inquisitor named Bena first studied Lu Jin, then the soldiers around him: "A group of traitors? All I see is one."

The officer turned to look at the soldiers behind Lu Jin.

They nodded: It really was just him.

The officer was baffled.

One man fought all the way here?

The officer scrutinized Lu Jin, noting his physique unlike an ordinary man's... then glanced secretly at Inquisitor Bena. He wasn't too worried she'd order him spared.

After all, a slave rebellion meant death, no matter what kind of goods he was. Dead was dead.

"I recall someone saying this ship had never seen a rebellion," Bena said, her tone light. "Why does one happen right after I board? Could it be that I'm an ill omen, as you lot whisper behind my back?"

The officer tried to explain.

Bena raised a hand to silence him, then began pondering how to handle this.

Her first thought was to kill them all.

A slave rebellion was a rebellion, and rebellion meant death—that was Imperial law.

If a rebel emerged from among these slaves, they all had to die—that was also Imperial law.

But then Bena remembered the purpose of her visit and a certain transaction...

This mortal before her seemed to fit the requirements. She'd just bundle him with the others she'd gathered once the ship reached its destination.

Waste not, want not.

With that thought, Bena glanced at the youth on Lu Jin's back, thought a moment longer, and could tell from experience what had happened.

So she spoke: "You look like you're out for revenge... Did you think you'd make it this far without dying? Did you consider holding back a while instead of killing outright, and then—"

"I've thought about everything you're saying and about to say."

Lu Jin walked to a corpse, picked up the Heavy Axe, and stood leaning on it.

"But I still made the choice I wanted to make."

"Kill as many as I can. For instance, right now..."

Before he finished, Lu Jin hurled the Heavy Axe, cutting down the officer who had shot Damian's father.

Those around instinctively wanted to pull the trigger, but since Bena hadn't given the order, they held back.

Bena gave a contemptuous smile. "If you dare speak like that and turn out to be completely useless, I'll have your head chopped off and turned into a Mechanic Servant."

Then Bena looked to the side and issued the final order: "These slaves... send them back to whatever they were doing. If anyone resists or disobeys the law in the future, then execute them all."

The crowd hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"As for this slave." Bena looked at Lu Jin. "Have someone lock him up, wherever it may be."

One of the Inquisitor's attendants spoke up: "My lady... Omi is a member of an officer family on this ship. This slave just killed one of their family members. If you make this decision, I'm afraid..."

"You think they'll object? Then execute their entire family before they have a chance to object." Bena turned her head, the scar-ridden face carrying a chilling smile. "A slave rebellion—are they not at fault?"

The attendant immediately nodded. "Yes, my lady."

Bena looked back at Lu Jin. "As long as you behave yourself and wait until we disembark, the other slaves won't die. Otherwise, you'll all die together."

With that, the Inquisitor turned and left, humming as she walked.

"Kill them all... kill them all... hm hm hm hm... kill them all..."

As she had said, the soldiers present were taken away by the Inquisitor's attendants to carry out her orders, preparing to uproot an entire officer family from the ship.