120 Frontline

Mondus Sector, Ultimate Star Region, Cult of the Underworld Cardinal John Fabian, designation HDSO399470111a.

Daily Reflection: Death is the end.

John clearly saw the blackstone dog tag hanging around his neck drifting before his eyes. Behind it, enemy aircraft and ships streaked across the azure sky, fire trails slashing through the heavens and reflecting as a blinding white line in his pitch-black pupils.

Boom!!!

Explosions erupted one after another around him. Clods of earth rained down upon him, carrying a sharp, bloody stench.

In the slow sensation of hanging suspended in the air, John first cursed, Fuck, this damn teaching,—

Then he began to count himself lucky that the shockwave had hurled him into the sky. Had he remained on the ground, he would most likely already have fallen unconscious.

Bzz—

Gravity faithfully hurled him back to the earth. John felt dizzy and disoriented. Most of his protective equipment had long since shut down from overload; this time, the field generator had saved his life.

"&...%#@& Cardinal—Cardinal!"

Someone roughly grabbed John, and his rescuers began dragging him behind the battle line. He swore that barbed wire had torn open his waist, yet that reckless fool was still hurriedly hauling him back with all his strength.

"Ow! I'm not dead! I'm not dead! Stop messing—"

John tasted blood in his mouth. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was successfully dragged into the trench.

More noise followed. The cardinal heard an irritating mechanical voice, then a cold needle drove straight into his kidney.

"Hiss—"

John's pupils first constricted, then dilated. Icy fluid flowed into his veins. His scalp tingled, his heart pounded wildly, and his blurred vision gradually sharpened. He saw an extremely punchable face.

"There is no danger to your life."

The Genetor said, withdrawing the hand that had