Infinite Possibilities

The Black Bullet bar.

It was one of the few entertainment venues in the Outpost Base. Although it was a bar, it served only officers. More precisely, officers with Upper Citizen status.

So when Tianyang approached, he was stopped, just as he had expected.

Since the bar was in the base's residential sector, protective suits were unnecessary. After leaving the Diagnostic Center, the boy had changed into casual clothes. His attending physician had also thoughtfully given him a black eyepatch.

Tianyang had found himself a pair of fingerless gloves as well, concealing his class emblem.

When he was stopped, he produced a silver card bearing the Nightwalkers' insignia and the character for "Ling."

This card represented Ling Feng's authority.

Ling Feng's adjutant had delivered it after Tianyang's eye-removal surgery. With the card in his possession, the boy's rights were guaranteed.

Tianyang had used it to obtain the information he wanted.

At the sight of the card, the part-time bartender hurriedly saluted Tianyang, then escorted him inside.

The bar was lively. Upper Citizen officers gathered in small groups, bursting into laughter now and then.

Since this was a base bar, there was no music, nor were there any dancing girls.

The bartender asked Tianyang what he wanted to drink, but the boy declined. He had not come here to drink.

He had come to find someone.

As soon as he entered the bar, he spotted his target.

Qin Wu!

The unscrupulous captain was sitting at the counter with two friends, spouting off.

"...It was incredibly dangerous. Wanderers, twenty or thirty of them, probably. They came shambling down the corridor, so I had to stay behind to cover the retreat and let my men go first. Unfortunately, we still lost one in the end."

Qin Wu sighed. "A new recruit, only seventeen. Such a shame."

Despite his words, a smile spread across his face as he raised his glass and took a long swig of ale.

"Is that really what happened? Because I heard Captain Qin Wu deliberately shot that recruit in the leg to draw the Wanderers' attention, giving himself a chance to escape."

Without warning, a voice cut in from beside him.

Already somewhat drunk, Qin Wu flew into a rage. "Which bastard is spouting that bullshit?"

Then he noticed Tianyang sitting beside him.

Qin Wu froze. "You? You're not dead!"

Tianyang smiled. "Thanks to you, Captain, I made it back."

The two officers beside them exchanged glances, then moved away slightly, leaving nothing between the boy and Qin Wu.

Qin Wu's face darkened. "How did you get in here? Since you're back, rest for a couple of days instead of wandering around. And above all, watch your mouth!"

Tianyang reached inside his clothes, took out a small chip, and placed it on the counter.

"You should know our helmets have recorders, Captain. As luck would have it, mine recorded exactly what you did. If I handed this to the base committee, I wonder whether they would give me justice?"

Qin Wu's expression changed. His hand shot out and snatched up the chip.

Snap!

"Now get out!"

Qin Wu pointed at the door.

Tianyang did not budge. He even asked for a glass of water, though the bartender behind the counter did not dare serve him.

Everyone could see that the boy was provoking this Upper Citizen officer.

"You won't take the easy way, so you want to learn the hard way?"

Qin Wu gestured, and someone shut every door and window in the bar. Now no one outside would know what happened inside.

Qin Wu sneered. "Don't try any tricks with me, boy. I'm giving you two choices. First, get out and go about your business. Then I can pretend none of this ever happened."

"Or I can give you a little something to remember me by-the kind that puts you in a hospital bed for a few months. Then I'll throw you in jail. Don't doubt that I can. Oh, right, you have a mother, too. She came to see you off when you enlisted. She's still young, and quite pretty. Maybe, for her poor son's sake, she'd agree to a few deals she normally wouldn't consider."

At that, Qin Wu laughed and exchanged knowing looks with his two friends.

Anger flashed in Tianyang's eyes. He snorted. "Qin Wu, you violated battlefield regulations, shot your own squad member, and left me there to die! And now, instead of admitting your crime, you're threatening me. Do the Fortress's laws mean nothing to you?"

Qin Wu looked at him mockingly. "Seems you still don't understand. The Fortress's laws exist to protect us Upper Citizens. Someone like you, living in the lower city, is just a rat in a gutter, a cockroach in a trash can! When have you ever heard of laws protecting rats and cockroaches?"

"A lowborn wretch like you isn't even entitled to a surname, yet you dare lecture me about the law? What a joke. Let me tell you: all your diligence, all your lifelong effort and struggle, exist only to make our lives better. Everything you contribute, all the value you create, will ultimately become nothing more than a foundation to raise our standing."

"Go ahead and get angry, get furious. You can even vent if you like. But I'm sorry-whatever you do, none of this will change. Your fate was sealed the moment you were born!"

"So, do you still want to discuss the law with me?"

The bar fell silent.

Some officers wore distinctly unfriendly expressions. Clearly, they did not agree with Qin Wu's claims of superiority by birth.

But no one would stand up for a Lower Citizen soldier. Those were the rules of the game.

Looking at that smug face, Tianyang suddenly felt that even the Wanderers were far more likable than Qin Wu.

The boy hopped down from his barstool and slipped his hands into his pockets. "I originally thought that if you admitted your wrongdoing and accepted the punishment prescribed by law, it would be better for both of us. It seems I was too naive. The weak really don't have the right to make themselves heard. Thank you for helping me see that. I won't make the same mistake again."

Tianyang walked toward the door, lifting his eyes slightly to glance at a recorder in a corner of the bar.

"Stop!"

Just as he had expected, Qin Wu's shout rang out behind him.

Drawing a handgun loaded with live ammunition, Qin Wu strode forward, spun Tianyang around, and pointed the gun between his eyes. "Did I say you could leave?"

"Oh, I can't leave?"

There was no fear on the boy's face, which made Qin Wu deeply uncomfortable.

A mere Lower Citizen dared to defy me!

"You can leave."

Qin Wu's expression twisted. "Get on your knees and lick my shoes clean. Then I might consider letting you go."

The corners of Tianyang's mouth rose slightly. "You're insulting my dignity."

Qin Wu roared with laughter. "If I feel like it, I can even throw you into the Black Prison. The freaks in there will show you what real hell is!"

The boy nodded. "I'm glad you said that."

"What?"

Qin Wu faltered.

A glimmer of light drifted out from Tianyang's silvery-gray hair.

"I wonder if you've heard of the Three Fundamental Laws of the Fortress?"

"They supersede the Fortress's other laws. One of them states: Ascenders are inviolable! No individual or group, regardless of status, may attack an Ascender in any form, including provocation, physical harm, or verbal abuse."

"And when their lives are threatened, Ascenders are exempt from liability and may retaliate without limit!"

Before Tianyang had finished speaking, a cold gleam swept across Qin Wu's wrist.

Qin Wu's pupils widened slightly as he stared in disbelief at his gun hand, now severed from his body.

A dagger had appeared in Tianyang's hand.

Only then did Qin Wu notice the faint glow surrounding the boy-a sign of the Star Essence within him manifesting outward.

The dagger swept across once more.

Qin Wu felt a chill across his neck. He touched it, then opened his hand.

His palm was scarlet!

"You..."

He staggered backward, a gurgling sound rising from his throat, but he could not get another word out.

At last, he collapsed, his eyes wide open, as though he could not believe Tianyang had actually dared to kill him!

Only then did the boy speak. "One correction: life is full of infinite possibilities. No one's fate is set in stone."

This time, Qin Wu could not argue.

As Tianyang turned to leave, something stirred within him. A piece of data suddenly entered his mind, and the information about his class underwent a subtle change...

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