บท 26: Chapter 26: Sabotage
As they waited to hear the news of potential infection from the wounded soldiers who had been gathered and put under watch, Jin couldn't help but note that the time was passing slower than he'd ever experienced it.
He'd waited for stressful results in the past, university, getting an Apartment. But, waiting here to find out if the approaching army set on exterminating humanity had suddenly gained a new powerful weapon was something that quite easily trumped whatever anxiety he had experienced in the past.
He would wish even that he had been wrong and received that choking, as stupid as it sounded, as long as it meant that humanity would face less danger.
Unfortunately, he couldn't truly make himself believe that he'd been wrong.
It was with a sense of preemptive defeat that Jin slumped his head as a stone-faced soldier entered the tent to report on the development of the wounded.
He'd already read the answer from the man's lack of facial expression.
Hearing it, nonetheless, hurt.
"Two of the wounded, those who sparred earliest in the morning, have seemingly gone insane. They tried to attack the soldiers standing guard and had to be restrained. There was a panic from the other wounded when they saw that preemptive shackling would become necessary but Officer Leng used his paralysis scripture to bind them until enough chains could be brought."
"It is better that we find out like this than on the battlefield," the scribe next to the general said, trying to stay positive.
General Shroud simply closed his eyes and asked the other important question. "How many did we lose?" he asked.
The soldier who had come to report hung his head. "27, general."
"This changes everything," Elder Flower commented. "We now understand why the abduction of these four zombies that we managed to get raised such an alarm from the demons and why the cultivator was almost killed by an all-out attempt to eliminate him."
The general took one second to process the useless loss of his troops before shaking his head. Had he made a mistake in sending out his soldiers to spar, simply to provide a viewing experience for the Illusion Room cultivators? Or would the scenarios they would create from the viewing offset the loss? Jin imagined that if one was in a position of power like that, one couldn't dwell on things that could have been too often. One was likely to go insane if one did.
"It also strongly implies that the desire of the demons to protect the zombies at least long enough for them to come into contact with our mortal troops will be severe. We will need to brief the cultivators. Perhaps more of them could be convinced to come to the border and fight and perhaps with reinforcements we could eliminate most of the hordes before contact. However, I am sure that the demons have already thought of that and have prepared spells, techniques, strategies and troops suited for blocking wide-scale destruction efforts." The general took off his ornate helmet and rested it at his side under his arm as he stood up.
"Back to the drawing board, we'll have to notify the other legions."
The scribe similarly stood up and nodded, rushing off before the general. Probably to prepare the tactics room or something. Jin didn't know.
"This changes things for the scenario as well. Notify your disciples that there will be no more sparring between zombies and our soldiers' mortals. I will demand some convicts from the Bloody Pit, perhaps some with a cultivation basis. It can be a new execution method," he said coldly to Elder Flower, before turning to Jin.
"You have a good head on your shoulders boy, to realise all of that in a split second and to make the appropriate if over-eager decision. You'd have a career in the army if the scenarios ever bore you, but I realise that creating the perfect preparation tool will save more lives than simply being another body in the meat grinder. The needs of the scenario have suddenly shifted away from one-to-one combat, I hope you understand the implications," he said.
The general sighed and turned to Elder Flower with a complicated look in his eyes. "Can we? Later?" he asked.
"Let's see if there's any time," Elder Flower replied in a voice that was more warm than Jin was used from her.
The general nodded and left.
Jin hadn't felt like correcting him that his seemingly quick decision-making and analysis had mostly occurred preemptively through his cultural biases and simply accepted the compliment as it was.
But, while the zombies being infectious was a disaster for the war effort, it was good for him because suddenly all of his memories gained significant value.
Now, he could actually pick a narrative while still sticking to his plan of doing something different to either win it or discredit himself so that he would be less burdened by the expectations of his superiors in the future.
A win-win situation, one could say.
The only issue left was the fact that he still needed to find a teammate.
-/-
"Sorry, but I don't feel like collaborating on a project with you," the brown-haired disciple that Jin had specifically sought out for the upcoming scenario challenge said before promptly slamming the door of his apartment shut.
Jin stood there with a confused look on his face, his hands still raised for a knock.
He hadn't even managed to get a word in edgewise before being refused.
How had the other inner disciple even known that he wanted to collaborate?
He exited the apartment building and stood in front of it looking at the sparse streets of the inner ring. After the discussion he'd had yesterday in the medical tent with General Shroud and Elder Flower he had decided to bring one of the zombie games from his past life into this one. However, due to the short amount of time that he had to prepare for the challenge, he needed at least one collaborator.
Having spent a lot of time in the scenario library back before he left for the Mad Monks Sect, he had a rather good idea of who he wanted to work with. He looked down at the list of names he'd written out on a parchment and crossed out the last one still open.
Every single disciple still active who had created something that Jin had been impressed by, had outright refused to even speak with him. What was going on?
Was it because he didn't have any street cred yet? It made sense in a way, after all, none of his scenarios were yet in the library. He'd have to put in Outlast and the perfected Dragonslayer Ornstein later when he had time, so technically no one here knew about his abilities yet.
But to be denied so firmly before he even got to say his name implied that it wasn't really about that.
"Hey Jin, are you settling in well," an old wizened voice suddenly said from beside him and Jin turned his head to see that it was Francis, the older disciple who'd given him the tour of the ring back when he'd gotten promoted. "What are you up to?"
"Not much, just wandering about," the younger man muttered.
Francis tilted his head. "You're looking for teammates for the scenario challenge, aren't you?" he asked with a conviction that made it less of a question and more of a statement.
Jin was startled and looked at Francis with wide eyes. "How did you know?" he asked suspiciously.
Francis looked around as if to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation before leaning towards Jin, having to go on tippy toes to whisper into his left ear.
"Look kid, I'm not participating in the scenario challenge but someone was running around giving all the more successful inner disciples a small spirit stone each for the promise that they wouldn't collaborate with you. I don't know who it was, but they seem to have it out for you. I took one as well, even though I'm not even going to participate. Whoever is doing this is loaded, I'm sure they must have spent a significant amount," he explained briefly before standing back and nodding.
Jin's mind meanwhile whirled. Someone had been paying off other disciples to not work with him? He hadn't made any enemies in the sect from what he knew, unless… he frowned.
Unless he'd inherited the enemies of Elder Flower due to his association with her.
"Thanks, Francis, I guess for all those insecure idiots one spirit stone in the pocket is worth more than potentially a thousand in the future. Then they'd actually have to rely on their own skills to achieve something," he said angrily.
Francis shrugged. "Don't think about it too much, in a way it's good you know that everyone who took the money is untrustworthy so you don't have to associate with them in the future."
Jin looked at the older man and realised that his advice was good. Wasn't it better that these people had taken the spirit stone to not collaborate with him in the first place, rather than taking more of them to sabotage him once they'd already started working together? Now he knew not to trust these disciples and wouldn't bother with them in the future even if they came to him.
"Maybe you're right, and in the end, I'll prevail anyway," Jin said.
"Don't feel too down, I don't think that person managed to pay off everyone. There are others, probably ones whose skills aren't as highly rated, who would be willing to work with you. You just have to find them," the old man encouraged before nodding once. "I have to go now, but stay upright. Remember, they can never take yer pride," he said before walking off with a rare purpose.
Jin wondered what the man was doing before shaking his head. It didn't matter. He was tired.
He started making his way back to his own apartment to rest, he'd have to rethink the situation and decide what to do about this new information he'd gained.
-/-
AN: Quite a short chapter, but there was no other way. In return they're updating faster since I shortened them
I think we still covered some ground though, so I rate it
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