Chapter 5: 4. Empire's Fist
"How come you only brought him?"
The soldier in charge of receiving pointed at Noland Lee, asking the train guard escorting the Sin Soldiers.
"Mate, you don't know the whole story. There was a little situation on the way."
The guard who took Noland Lee's statement explained:
"Sin Soldier Noland Lee Jarvis, or, Sin Soldier No. 888 now, this guy fell sick halfway, vomiting and diarrhea. We had to carry him to the back carriage."
"The other two Sin Soldiers you wanted, they took advantage of our time moving Sin Soldier 888, and escaped by breaking the window and jumping off the train. We shot and killed them on the spot."
"So now, only Sin Soldier No. 888 is standing in front of you. As for the two dead Sin Soldiers, they are lying on the carriage floor. Do you want to bring their corpses back with you?"
Noland Lee's thoughts stirred a bit.
Indeed, three people with some knowledge in archaeology appearing in the same carriage was no coincidence.
The soldier in front of him specifically asked for Sin Soldiers with knowledge of archaeology.
What was the intention of his army?
Noland Lee didn't know for now.
The soldier in charge of receiving the Sin Soldiers was clearly somewhat skeptical of the train guard's words.
He looked at Noland Lee suspiciously:
"Sin Soldier No. 888, you've been vomiting the whole way?"
Noland Lee pretended to be weak and said:
"Yes, sir. I was very sick, probably not used to the environment, I just got better."
"The two Sin Soldiers are dead?" The soldier asked again.
Noland Lee glanced at the train guard beside him, who seemed a bit nervous.
Noland Lee had some guesses, but still nodded and said:
"Yes, sir, when I was vomiting in the single room, I heard the sound of glass breaking and gunfire, and I smelled blood."
The soldier turned his head and stared at the train guard for a few seconds:
"Alright, one will do. I will explain the situation to the Chief Officer. You, take those two dead Sin Soldiers to the underground morgue in the fortress."
The train guard seemed relieved and took out a tightly wrapped cloth package from behind and handed it to the soldier:
"Alright, I'll handle the corpses and take them to the designated location. These are the personal belongings of the two Sin Soldiers. I'm giving them to you."
The train guard turned around and got on the carriage.
The soldier touched the cloth package and felt the things inside through the cloth - thin, long, fragrant treasures that could refresh one's mind.
The soldier's expression was complicated.
He craved for nicotine, felt disgusted at the train guard's breach of disciplinary rules, and had a hint of "I knew it" enlightenment.
Noland Lee saw all of this. He had always been insightful and could glimpse some hidden truths from the details.
In this regard, the Deconstruction Core System was quite a match for him, as both liked to dig into the secrets behind events or things.
But guessing the truth was of no use to him for now - he was just a Sin Soldier, and couldn't apply for an investigation...
Noland Lee wisely chose to remain silent, like an ancient tree that had seen through the vicissitudes of life.
"Sin Soldier 888, follow me."
The soldier waved his hand, indicating Noland Lee to follow.
The two walked along the crowded cement road, passing the metal pipes spewing white steam.
On the walls of each room, there were dense clusters of brass pipes, valves, and instrument panels.
It seemed that this Tatis Empire had taken the path of steam technology...
But was it really the case?
No, it wasn't.
The original owner's memory told Noland Lee that the Tatis Empire's technological development was skewed.
It could even be described as skewed to the extreme.
This was actually a country focused on researching biochemical mutation.
The so-called "Imperial Fist", a biochemical giant, was the Empire's trump card and a key force against the Undead Cult.
According to public information, the "Imperial Fist" was an extraordinary route of the Tatis Empire's military department.
All those who take this extraordinary route possess a controllable mutation ability to transform into Biochemical Giants.
The empire's military department has never disclosed the threshold for this biochemical mutation route, the method of mutation, or the principle of mutation.
Ordinary people have no way of learning more about the "Imperial Fist."
So, now that Noland Lee had the Deconstruction Core System, could he obtain the mutation ability of a Biochemical Giant by deconstructing a Military Officer?
Even if he couldn't directly obtain the mutation ability, just getting the method to become a Biochemical Giant would still be good.
His eyes shifted, and Noland Lee locked onto a middle-aged man wearing a lieutenant uniform.
The lieutenant was heading towards the place of the thirty Sin Soldiers, apparently the Military Officer in charge of dealing with Sin Soldiers affairs.
The ranks of the Empire's military, from bottom to top, were:
Private, Private First Class, Private Second Class, Corporal, Sergeant, Sergeant Major, Lieutenant, Captain... and above were levels that ordinary people could not reach.
Only by becoming a Lieutenant can one become a First Order "Imperial Fist," which is common knowledge even for ordinary people.
The soldier walking ahead of Noland Lee also noticed the Lieutenant.
The soldier saluted the Lieutenant from a distance, then briefly introduced him to Noland Lee:
"That is Lieutenant Grett, an experienced officer in the Legion, responsible for handling emergencies and managing Sin Soldiers. You won't be operating with the other Sin Soldiers. He is not your direct superior. Once you get to the designated location, someone will explain everything to you in detail."
"Yes, sir." Noland Lee nodded, his eyes still fixed on Lieutenant Grett.
The lieutenant's appearance was consistent with the image of a Tatis Empire military personnel:
Lean, silver-gray short hair, face contours that seemed to have been polished by a blade, and a stern expression that hardly smiled.
The body transformed by the Biochemical Mutation Agent was strong and sturdy, hidden underneath a neatly fitted dark green double-breasted military uniform.
Protruding muscles outlined arcs on the outerwear, like rolling mountain ranges.
Looking only at the broad shoulders and thick arms of the lieutenant, Noland Lee could perceive the formidable physical strength this officer possessed.
Compared to his figure, the Sin Soldiers seemed like mere chicks.
This lieutenant had definitely been transformed through Biochemical Mutation- a true extraordinary being.
Deconstructing this lieutenant may reveal the way to become an "Empire's Fist."
For now, Noland Lee did not consider the trouble he might encounter after illegally becoming an "Empire's Fist."
All he wanted now was an additional guarantee to protect his life.
It would be truly awkward if he died before exhausting all of his Energy Points.
He focused his attention on Lieutenant Grett, squinting his eyes and reciting in silence:
"Deconstruction."
[System Message: You are about to initiate Deconstruction on "Lieutenant Grett." It is estimated that every 10 Energy Points consumed will increase the Deconstruction Result's completeness by 1%. Do you confirm the Deconstruction?]
[Attention: You currently have 14 Energy Points and can increase the Deconstruction Result's completeness to up 1.4% at most.]
[You can perform multiple Deconstructions on the same target.]
[The completeness of the Deconstruction Results from multiple attempts will be accumulated. Each Deconstruction will obtain new content. You will not gain duplicate mastery of previously obtained Deconstruction results.]
After brief consideration, Noland Lee thought it better to save a few Energy Points as backup.
He chose to consume 10 Energy Points and initiate Deconstruction, leaving the remaining four.
As expected, the feeling of haziness arrived, and new text appeared on the System interface, unseen by anyone.
[System Message: Deconstruction Successful.]
[The target's Deconstruction Completeness has increased to 1%.]
[Due to the low degree of Deconstruction Completeness, you have not unlocked the target's Personal Panel. However, you have gained some knowledge from the target.]
The system message flashed before his eyes.
Afterward, a large stream of information emerged from the depths of Noland Lee's mind.
It seemed that the information had been sorted by the System.
Useless content had been removed, retaining the most valuable parts, which then appeared in a format Noland Lee could easily read.
...
"Korabo Corps Fortress Layout", Completeness 5%.
"Grave Vaults 901 to 1121 Tomb Passage Layout in Suffering Borderland", Completeness 13%.
"The Liquor Quotation from Dark Water Liquor Company", Completeness 100%.
"Sensitive Information concerning "Empire's Fist"", Completeness 2%.
...
The so-called completeness referred to the amount of content deconstructed by Noland Lee.
It was heartening for Noland Lee that the Deconstruction Technique could deconstruct the knowledge within a target.
After all, knowledge is often priceless, and the channels to obtain certain knowledge can be incredibly expensive.
Noland Lee had initially thought that this simplified Deconstruction Technique was an Appraisal Technique, or Detection Technique.
Now he saw that Deconstruction was far superior to ordinary detection skills.
From the four pieces of knowledge he deconstructed from the lieutenant, apart from the Liquor Quotation, the other three were more or less useful.
Noland Lee directly selected the sensitive information about "Empire's Fist" in his mind and read it quickly.
Within a matter of half a minute, he had finished reading, feeling a bit disappointed.
It turned out that becoming an extraordinary being on the path of the "Empire's Fist" required regular injections of Biochemical Mutation Agent.
Under normal circumstances, a soldier would become a private after enlisting and receiving military training.
Six months after becoming a private, a promotion to Private First Class would follow.
After one year, a promotion to Private Second Class would follow.
After two years, a promotion to Corporal would follow.
After becoming a Corporal, the first injection of Biochemical Mutation Agent would be administered.
A Corporal would serve for three years to become a Sergeant, then another three years to become Sergeant Major.
During the Sergeant and Sergeant Major stages, the second and third injections would be administered, respectively.
Upon remaining alive and kicking after the three injections, all that was needed was to wait for the drug's effect to fully manifest, enabling control of the "Empire's Fist" mutation ability.
Only after confirming that the "Empire's Fist" ability could be used, would promotion to Lieutenant follow.
At least nine years were required to complete the entire injection process for the three injections of the Biochemical Mutation Agent... It's not something that could be accomplished overnight...
It was obvious that the so-called "Empire's Fist" was an extraordinary path linked to military rank and achievements.
The higher the rank, the stronger the power.
Without a rank, there was no power.
The plan of quickly mastering the "Empire's Fist" was unworkable.
Nevertheless, the sense of disappointment did not linger long in Noland Lee's heart.
He immediately dove into reading the other knowledge.
"Get on, Sin Soldier 888. Behave on the way, and don't even think about causing trouble, or you know the consequences."
The soldier opened the door to a steam locomotive, shoved Noland Lee into the metal-barred carriage, and sat in the driver's seat himself.
Chapter 6: 5. Special Mission
The exterior of the steam locomotive was almost indistinguishable from a large, mobile black coffin.
It had a square iron body, four iron-clad wheels, and a front-facing steam boiler that released puffs of white steam with a gurgling sound.
From a traveler's perspective, it resembled a tractor...
After departing from the Korabo Legion Fortress, the steam locomotive entered a desolate area filled with ruins.
Lacking any suspension for the carriage, it moved up and down along the rough terrain.
Noland Lee held onto the edge of a seat to steady himself.
The journey on the steam locomotive lasted much longer than Noland Lee had anticipated.
From the time he boarded until the faint glow of sunset penetrated the cloudy sky, at least four hours had passed.
Just as the setting sun was about to disappear, the steam locomotive finally came to a halt at a temporary campsite.
Such a lengthy journey had completely drained Noland Lee's energy, leaving him weak and famished.
By the time he got off the train on an empty stomach and was led by a soldier into a single-person tent, all light had vanished from the sky, replaced by slowly rolling dark clouds.
...
Inside the single-person tent, a coal lamp in the corner emitted a warm glow.
Noland Lee held a tray and shoved the pasty dinner into his mouth.
"Chief Officer." a soldier outside raised his hand to salute as a person approached.
Noland Lee looked towards the source of the sound, and saw a military officer entering the tent.
Noland Lee immediately put down his tray and stood up, saying:
"Good evening, Chief Officer."
The newcomer took off his cap, revealing short blond hair and handsome features. Although he wasn't as bulky as the Imperial Lieutenant, he stood tall and strong.
He placed the cap on the bedside table and glanced up and down at Noland Lee, seemingly scrutinizing him and also confirming his identity.
Unexpectedly to Noland Lee, the officer's tone was quite gentle, unlike the other cold soldiers.
"You are Noland Lee Jarvis, right? A history assistant teacher from Bowerthain City College."
"Yes, Chief Officer," Noland Lee forced a smile, "but that's all in the past."
The officer extended his hand to Noland Lee as if he was a real history assistant teacher instead of a Sin Soldier.
Noland Lee was somewhat taken aback, and quickly extended his right hand to shake theirs.
"Let's introduce ourselves properly. I'm Lulenna Mars, a sergeant of the Korabo Legion Tomb Cleanup Squad. My duty is to lead my team on reconnaissance missions. I am your current and future superior, and you are the new member of my team."
Corporal Mars squeezed Noland Lee's hand firmly:
"Welcome aboard, Jarvis—I won't call you Sin Soldier No. 888, I've never been good with numbers, and names are easier to remember... Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how you perform against the undead. Don't disappoint me."
"Good evening, Captain Mars. I'm Noland Lee Jarvis, a Sin Soldier. I will follow orders and give my all."
Noland Lee spoke calmly, but sighed inwardly...
The treatment he received was worlds apart from other Sin Soldiers. His superior—Corporal Mars—was also quite approachable and showed no signs of deliberately making things difficult.
However, every word spoken by Corporal Mars weighed heavily on Noland Lee's heart.
It was well known that reconnaissance teams faced the most danger in war.
This held true even when facing human enemies.
So how much greater was the danger when facing the undead?
"Sit down, let's talk."
Corporal Mars took a seat on a chair opposite the bed and then asked:
"Jarvis, you should know that the war between the Empire and the Undead Cult has been going on for quite some time. From the fall of the Ancient Tatis Dynasty to the rise of the New Empire, the shadow of the Undead Cult has lingered over the Empire, causing fear and unrest. How much do you know about such an enemy?"
Several memory fragments flashed through Noland Lee's mind, all taken from the headlines of Bowerthain City newspapers.
According to news reports, many people were executed by local law enforcement after reading the corrupt documents spread by the Undead Cult within the Empire.
Some went mad after reading the documents, falling into a frenzy of self-mutilation or attacking others, and were killed on the spot by security officers.
Others underwent a drastic change in temperament, becoming gloomy and secretive, much like the weather in the Suffering Borderland. They would secretly plot dangerous events, endangering the lives of many.
These people were deeply hidden in society, but eventually, they were rooted out by the Empire's Division Intelligence Unit Two special agents.
What's more, the followers of the Undead Cult scriptures have caused great damage to the Empire through group crimes.
They secretly formed an illegal organization known as the "Death Herald Guild" and have been the primary enemy of Division Intelligence Unit Two.
The various social events jointly sent a warning to Noland Lee:
Never associate oneself with the forbidden writings of the Undead Cult, or severe torture will certainly befall.
Noland Lee's gaze trembled slightly, responding without hesitation:
"My knowledge of the Undead Cult is limited to the education I received at Bowerthain City College, Chief Officer.
"Apart from that, whether it's teaching in the academy or joining local adventure teams to appraise ancient relics, I have never come into contact with any taboo books."
"Relax, Jarvis, I believe you have not read the Undead Cult's teachings on your own accord."
Corporal Mars smiled:
"Otherwise, the person coming to see you would not be an officer like me from Intelligence Department 4, but a special agent from Division Intelligence Unit Two."
Corporal Mars reached into his inner coat pocket, retrieving an envelope from it and held in his hand:
"You must be wondering why you receive treatment that is significantly different from other Sin Soldiers. I will give you the answer, Jarvis.
"On one hand, it is because every person with knowledge is a precious talent to the Empire and should not be treated as a cheap consumable. On the other hand, it's because of this letter in my hand."
Corporal Mars handed the letter to Noland Lee, signaling the latter to open and read it.
After tearing open the beeswax seal and unfolding the letter paper, Noland Lee caught a glimpse of the contents. His pupils contracted sharply as he immediately closed the letter:
"Chief Officer...this letter..."
Corporal Mars said:
"Listen, Jarvis.
"I am now officially granting you the authority to read the teachings of the Undead Cult. You don't have to worry about being interrogated by Division Intelligence Unit Two. I am not a spy from the Death Herald Guild either.
"As an officer of Intelligence Department 4, I now order you to open this letter, read its contents carefully, and remember all the words on the document."
Noland Lee instinctively swallowed his saliva...
Staring into Noland Lee's eyes, Corporal Mars emphasized with a solemn tone:
"Intelligence Department 4 is the Empire's military department responsible for resisting the Undead Cult externally. Recently, Intelligence Department 4 has discovered a possible method to gain the upper hand in this war against the Undead Cult.
"However, whether this method is feasible or not still requires verification.
"A meticulous experimental plan was devised by Intelligence Department 4 for this purpose.
"And you, Noland Lee Jarvis, because of your scholarship, were chosen by Intelligence Department 4. This is a special mission.
"Before the success of this experimental plan, everything related to it, including all personnel and materials, is the highest level secret of the Empire's military intelligence department."
Mars paused, his voice dropping:
"Accept your special mission, Jarvis. It will bring you unparalleled honor and prospects."
Such a special mission should be very tempting for a native of the Tatis Empire, right?
After all, no man can resist the "call of duty."
But Noland Lee is not a local, he is a despicable foreigner, no, a newcomer in a strange land...
His heart doesn't resonate much with what Corporal Mars told him.
Still, it can't be helped, especially since he's a Sin Soldier.
"Yes, Chief Officer, I have no choice."
Corporal Mars pointed to the letter:
"Memorize it, I'll stand guard here. I must remind you, even the punctuation marks must be remembered, and there should not be any mistakes. Otherwise..."
Corporal Mars sighed softly, his voice wavering slightly:
"Otherwise, you'll be torn into pieces by the evil magic of the Undead Cult, and even if the medical team from Division Intelligence Unit Three is right beside you, they won't be able to save you."
Noland Lee pressed his lips together and looked down at the letter.
Now he knows why the Imperial Army needs Sin Soldiers skilled in archaeology.
Only cheap life like archaeology Sin Soldiers can undertake such a special mission with potential life-threatening risks involved.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
70 Power
stone 
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