Chapter 560: Compensation
Chapter 560: Chapter 560: Compensation
"I think we have absolutely nothing to do with each other anymore," Nina Jacobs said, before slamming the door shut with a loud BANG.
Join the Stellarys Team?
He really was an utterly shameless man.
Outside, Liam Grant stood with a dark, brooding expression as he stared at the cold door.
"Nina, you will regret this," he muttered under his breath and turned away.
Once he went to the Arisdale Base, he could use his precognitive dream ability to gain more power and status. After all, in his previous life, the Arisdale Base had been the true center of power in Drakonia.
The City D Base was ruled by Justin Lawson’s family, making it nearly impossible for an outsider to intervene. Originally, Liam had planned to win Nina back. Given her devotion to him in their past life and her formidable superpowers in this one, she could have been of great use to him again. But now, it seemed he would have to look for someone else.
Despite the freezing weather, quite a few people came to visit Stellarys every day during this period. Some wanted to network, while others wanted to join the team. Nina left all these matters for Chase Gallagher to handle.
One day, while Nina was sparring with everyone in the courtyard to practice their superpowers, Chase walked over. "Captain, Caleb Carter and his group are here."
"Let them in," Nina said.
In the base, people always scheduled visits in advance to avoid making a wasted trip. Today was the exact day they had agreed to meet.
"My idol, I’ve come to see you!" Fern Spencer exclaimed. She was bundled up in a thick down jacket, with a transparent windproof and cold-resistant raincoat wrapped over it. Her eyes lit up noticeably the moment she saw Nina.
Every remaining member of Soul Slayer had come. Granny Hart immediately had Alaric Fletcher and the others bring out ginger tea for their guests.
Inside the house, Caleb had the accompanying Space Superpower User take out some visiting gifts. "The base gave us a lot of rewards this time," he said. "Fern and I believe you deserve a share of it."
"There’s no need," Nina replied. "The rewards you received are what you earned. They aren’t just compensation from the base."
Soul Slayer had about fifteen members left. From the moment they walked through the door, Nina could tell they were on edge. Although Fern was being her usual chatty self, she was clearly forcing a relaxed demeanor to lighten the mood. Nina figured this was likely because their fallen comrades remained unavenged.
Currently, Caleb and the others only knew that the main culprits were Evander Sullivan and Lucas Holden. They didn’t know the whole truth yet. After all, the incident involved matters between two nations, and it wasn’t appropriate for the base to disclose everything directly.
"It was my carelessness that got those brothers killed," Caleb said, still wallowing in self-blame. "I just couldn’t even avenge them."
"What if you were given the chance to avenge them?" Nina asked.
Hearing her words, Caleb looked at her in astonishment.
"The base has no intention of keeping those two alive," Nina explained. "I’ll fight to get you that opportunity."
"I thought..." Caleb’s clenched fists slowly relaxed. He knew the base had successfully captured the culprits, but he couldn’t understand why they were taking so long to deal with them.
"Captain Jacobs, why hasn’t the base executed them yet? Isn’t letting them live another day just a waste of breath?" The one who spoke was Lavinia Vaughn from Soul Slayer. Nina remembered that Lavinia used to frequent Claire Warner’s convenience store with Caleb and Fern.
The members of Soul Slayer shared a strong bond, a camaraderie forged through countless missions outside the base. The five people they had lost this time were some of the most trusted members of their team.
"Because they have to finish collecting all the evidence before disposing of them," Nina said. "This evidence must be submitted to the Drakonian Command Headquarters, which is why it’s taken some time."
"Evidence? What evidence? What does this have to do with the Command Headquarters?" Fern finally snapped out of her daze. Just moments ago, she had been distracted by how flawless Nina’s skin looked. While it wasn’t delicate, it was firm and healthy, entirely devoid of any frail pallor. The last person who had such vibrant skin was Claire Warner.
Nina met Fern’s gaze, her eyes as deep and tranquil as dark ink. Slowly, she explained the entire sequence of events to them.
"Are you saying... because of this incident, not only did Drakonia find evidence of Xenor’s malicious actions, but we also caught the saboteurs who destroyed the base’s river ice wall, and even found the Holy Water?!" Fern exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
Beside her, Caleb was completely stunned. His expression was complicated, and he couldn’t speak for a long time.
Looking at the assembled members, Nina gently shook her head and said, "It wasn’t because of the incident. It was because of the five members of Soul Slayer who willingly sacrificed themselves. They protected you, didn’t they?"
It was precisely because some of them had survived that the whole scheme was uncovered.
Nearby, a few Soul Slayer members were already beginning to choke back sobs.
"Mr. Carter, Mr. Coleman and the others didn’t die in vain."
"That’s right, Mr. Carter. If they knew our team made such a massive contribution this time, they’d definitely be happy."
Fern also took the opportunity to console him. "Captain Jacobs is right! You’ve saved our lives so many times before. This time, the wicked will get what’s coming to them. I’ll go with you to kill those two!"
As his friend, she usually teased him for being money-grubbing whenever he saw supplies, but this time was truly different. The base had distributed a massive amount of supplies, Crystal Cores, and points to Soul Slayer, yet Caleb had only given them a passing glance. He hadn’t shown an ounce of his usual excitement.
"I know," Caleb said with a bitter smile. "But I still have to thank you, Captain Jacobs. I’m just... still not used to this."
The base’s river crisis had been resolved, meaning there would be no more sacrifices in the near future. The operatives from Xenor who had tried to steal Drakonia’s chances of survival had been captured, and crucial evidence had been secured. Furthermore, the base had discovered the precious Holy Water, which could be used to save countless more lives.
Caleb knew this was already the best possible outcome.
"You’re welcome," Nina said. "In truth, many people are forced to move forward while carrying heavy burdens. If you feel too much regret, just work hard to lead Soul Slayer and become stronger. I believe that next time, Captain Carter, you’ll be able to protect everyone."
Become stronger...
Hearing Nina’s words, Caleb’s gaze cleared up significantly. "I want to take everyone to see those two," he requested.
Nina naturally knew who he was referring to and nodded. "I’ll take you."
Evander Sullivan and Lucas Holden were still locked up in the Enforcement Bureau. The only reason Lucas had been willing to confess everything was to exchange it for a quick, painless death. He knew that even if they pleaded guilty, the base would never let them off the hook. After all, several lives from Ignis, as well as the fallen members of Soul Slayer, were all on their hands.
When Caleb found out, he promised not to torture Lucas. However, he proceeded to torture Evander alive for two whole days and nights—right in front of Lucas—before finally killing them both.
"The prisoners in the bureau have been on their absolute best behavior these past two days," Sherry Renner told Nina as she pulled her aside after returning.
Agonized screams had echoed through the Enforcement Bureau for two days and nights straight, all courtesy of Caleb. Many of the inmates locked up inside had been terrified out of their wits.
"That Caleb Carter really knows what he’s doing. I’d love to learn how to interrogate prisoners from him," Sherry said with admiration.
Nina smiled upon hearing this. "He comes from a family of traditional medicine practitioners and has a masterful understanding of acupuncture points. Naturally, he knows exactly where it hurts the most."
If Caleb could use his Gold Element Superpower’s Acupuncture Skill to protect the vital meridians of Fern and the others, he could certainly use it to agonizingly end Evander’s life, inch by excruciating inch.