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墨書 Inktalez
"Um."
The others exchanged glances, momentarily taken aback.
They found it amusing to watch this person ramble on nonsensically, seemingly unaware of how ridiculous they sounded.
Yet, it did seem somewhat plausible; if not for that last statement, they might have been convinced.
The final remark left everyone a bit unsettled, but they managed to restrain themselves from acting impulsively.
"I don't think this Dust is very filling, but like yours, perhaps it's being used for some kind of experiment," the Black Officer said.
Russell suddenly interjected, "Do you know what kind of experiment?"
"Uh, well?" Anis stammered, "How would I know? I'm just speculating. What could they be using this Dust for? Is it possible they're using it as sunscreen to reduce radiation? That can't be right; would such a creature even be affected by solar radiation? The Sunlight isn't too harsh this season anyway. It wouldn't be useful; I doubt they'd blow themselves up either."
"Well, that's not good. If you understood its intentions, you'd be closer to figuring it out. Why waste time thinking about these things?"
Only Anis continued to mutter to himself.
Ignoring him seemed the best course of action.
"What do you all think?" Russell asked again.
"Um, I believe if it were me, my decision would be to investigate the enemy first. As a soldier, that's my instinct. Understanding the situation during the investigation leads to victory in battle," a Black Soldier nodded and spoke up directly.
"Yes, you're right. That approach makes sense and is quite possible," Russell nodded and smiled. "Vassal likely has similar habits; after all, it falls within the realm of living beings. Even if it possesses intelligence, it can't possibly match the collective brainpower of so many of us. Alone, we can always find a way to simulate its behavior."
"What about your thoughts?" the Black Officer asked.
The people present fell silent for a moment. After some hushed discussions, a few more individuals stepped forward.
"I am a chef, and before I start cooking, my habit is to familiarize myself with the ingredients I'll be using. If they're in a bad mood, then I might consider not making that dish, because it would dampen my enthusiasm for cooking, and that's not the result I want." A soldier with a noticeably round belly stepped forward.
His role was that of a camp cook.
Although he was just a cook in the army, the nutritional value of his dishes was exceptionally high; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he could serve as a standard for nutritional assessment.
However, once this statement was made, it immediately sparked uproarious laughter among all the soldiers.
"What’s so funny? This is just the truth," the cook said, his frustration evident.
"Hahaha! Have you ever asked the pigs how they feel before becoming food? They must be pretty upset too," one soldier chimed in, grinning widely. "They'd probably say, 'Oh God, this isn't what I wanted! Is it really that hard to live out my days peacefully?'"
"Foolish humans! What exactly do you intend to do to me?" another soldier mocked, snorting in imitation of a pig.
"You guys are being really hurtful. What about your opinions?" the cook retorted.
Suddenly, laughter began to fade. Someone let out a cough-laugh, but no one continued to laugh after that.
Each soldier noticed their officer's expression had soured; his eyes seemed to blaze with anger. They knew that provoking their superior would lead to dire consequences.
Even though they were all part of the Suicide Squad, no one would dare offend their commander over something trivial.
The commander held the power of life and death over them; he could easily send anyone into battle as cannon fodder or use them as bait for luring in prey.
While they were not afraid of death, they still wanted to live a little longer and breathe in more fresh air.
"Alright, Kane, that was good. Keep going. Is there anything else?" The Black Commander turned back with a friendly tone.
"Uh..." Kane shook his head quickly. "I think that's all. I don't know if my thoughts can help you at all; I hope they can. Maybe I just said something pointless—let's call it that."
"No one has ever been able to speak so casually in front of me," the commander said sternly, causing the members of the Suicide Squad to stand rigidly in fear.
The meaning behind those words was already clear to them.
That statement had directly crossed the line of what he could tolerate, significantly increasing the likelihood of him losing his temper.
Under normal circumstances, they would have to carry twenty kilograms of gear and run back and forth over twenty kilometers.
Meanwhile, the Commander comfortably drove his Jeep Off-Road, raising his Uzi Submachine Gun to fire a couple of shots into the air. When he was displeased, he would even take a stick and knock down a soldier.
His filthy remarks showed no mercy, and at times like this, one had to be cautious when he spoke.
He might curse at any moment, insulting the women of their entire lineage.
To protect the dignity of the women in your family, perhaps you could confront him bare-chested.
But at the same time, remember that you are not the only one in the Suicide Squad.
This kind of conflict between both sides would not be interfered with; they could beat each other up until they were bruised and battered, but your injuries would definitely be worse than his.
Age brings wisdom, but it’s not just from eating salt.
Members of the Suicide Squad were forged from the brink of life and death, honing not only their courage but also their combat style, where every move was lethal.
If someone held back even slightly, it could lead to uncontrollable situations.
There would undoubtedly be a heavy price to pay.
“Uh, sorry about that, Commander. I really might be done for,” Kane shook his head.
The Black Commander glanced at him and then said, “Alright, I understand. You can step back. Who's next?”
“This is our chance—everyone's last chance. We all need to speak up; only by doing so can we have a chance at survival. If no one can provide a reasonable explanation…”
"Does that mean we deserve to be devoured by that ugly monster without a care? This is simply absurd. We are humans, the pinnacle of evolution, yet we are terrified by a mere ghost that has barely been born for a few months. What is wrong with you people? You prattle on like a bunch of choir boys, and now you’re all mute when it matters. The brain isn’t just for stirring up trouble among ourselves; it’s crucial to think clearly during critical times, or else it will become useless."
"Maybe you’ll never have to maintain it again because you’ll never get to use it. You will die; we will all die. We will all be buried here, with no place to rest, and our bodies may not even be found," Black Commander said angrily.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Kane seemed to have opened a can of worms, throwing the situation into chaos.
He had already drawn the ire of most people, but it wasn’t entirely his fault; those who were instigating and joking around shared some responsibility too.
At least Kane had given his answer.
Everyone had their own considerations leading to their views, some differing answers awaiting judgment from different evaluators.
Depending on each person's usual performance, mindset, behavior, and personality, similar answers could yield different scores.
"Um, I have something to say," someone stepped forward.
"Alright, Joe, go ahead," Black Commander said, momentarily taken aback before smiling.
"Uh. This isn’t my main thought after consideration. I believe that when a person is starving, their first instinct is to find food. Perhaps this analogy is inappropriate; just look at those addicted to Morphine. Their first reaction is definitely to take the drug, the second is to get money to buy more, and the third is to find the supplier of Morphine."
"These three points are crucial. The creature known as Vassal likely only hunts when it's hungry; if its belly is full, it won’t care about food anymore."
"Judging this behavioral pattern is like a Python; once it has eaten enough, it takes a long time to digest. During this period, even if delicious food appears before it, it’s hard to stir its inner desire for hunting. That urge fades away and may even disappear completely."
"And once it passes this stage, a cycle begins where it will retaliate fiercely."
"Even if we deploy Nuclear Landmines, we still end up losing so much without realizing it overnight. Losing means being completely wiped out; even the most skilled Sapper cannot restore them once they’ve lost the components of gunpowder. How can you restore what’s already gone?" After finishing, Joe glanced at the officer behind him and quickly returned to his spot.
"Well, there’s reason to believe this might not be your first reaction but rather an excuse driven by your addiction," Black Commander shook his head.
"Who isn’t?" Joe chuckled.
"Alright, when you're done, next."
"It's me, Commander."
"Roy, you."
"Um, I think..."
The Black Commander surprisingly allowed his subordinates to take turns explaining and speaking.
They really managed to sort out many behavioral patterns, though some were not as twisted as Anis's thoughts.
However, the one who stood out was the soldier infected by Morphine.
He had suffered severe trauma, with burns covering his entire body.
At that time, he could only rely on Morphine for pain relief, but a small amount of Morphine could only dull the pain. After a long while, once the medication wore off, the pain would surge back.
During those moments, Joe could only use Morphine or inject painkillers to alleviate the suffering.
Although neither option was particularly advisable—painkillers could damage the nerves.
Morphine was highly addictive, and the cravings could intensify, making it difficult to quit; there was even a risk of death.
In an attempt to relieve his pain, he took Morphine and ended up addicted.
What a tragic twist of fate; even now, he still relied on Morphine to help him recover.
Yet the doctor prescribed him a relatively small dosage, and he was trying hard to control his intake.
"Perhaps it would be better to endure for a while; if it becomes unbearable, then taking it might be an option."
"What do you think, Russell?"
After a long silence, the Black Commander could no longer hold back and turned to Russell for his input.
"There aren't many options available, although everyone's reasons are quite valid." Russell pondered for a moment, but his train of thought was interrupted. He offered a slight smile to ease the tension.
"Hey, isn't it great that you're my method?" Anis perked up upon hearing the news.
"Uh, is it yours?" Russell covered his head, unable to resist making a comment that revealed his struggle to contain some emotions.
"Don't be shy; just compliment me. Is that so hard?" Anis replied.
"Cough cough." Russell cleared his throat twice, his expression tightening again. "Alright, this isn't the time for that. Everyone's ideas are good, but while they are decent, very few can actually be put into practice. Only a few are reasonable and fit the behavioral patterns of typical organisms. But just like living beings, if Vassal can still be measured by biological behavior standards, then it should also be operating within those behavioral patterns. We humans are the same; despite our evolution, we still engage in primitive activities without any real change."
"Don't be so serious; it's rather dull," Anis huffed lightly.
No one was paying much attention to him anymore, even though things had started off well.
Now, Russell had become the focal point of everyone's interest; anything he said was of utmost importance.
Whether they could survive or not was no longer solely dependent on his words. Each person's thoughts contributed to a massive theory that needed analysis and discussion for its validity.
However, this was time-consuming, and time was slipping away quickly. Delaying even slightly meant lunch would soon be over, and it would already be past one in the afternoon.
With only a few hours left before nightfall, what could they possibly accomplish in such a short span?
Though there wasn't much they could do, preparations still needed to be made.
That night, there was no need to sleep, even if it meant reporting the news to superiors.
The airdrop of the strange thunder would only happen the next morning.
This had to account for the time the commander needed to consider, which would add even more time. It was likely that they wouldn't have it in hand until the afternoon of the third day at the earliest.
Time was already tight, and everyone was busy urgently thinking about defensive strategies.
The destructive power of Vassal had already instilled a sense of terror among them. In comparison, there were no protective talismans that could withstand a single heavy blow.
Their fragile bodies felt like thin paper, easily torn apart.
"We need to assess our combat capabilities and determine how far we can go with our defenses."
"All plans must be restructured. Gather all unnecessary items and focus on planning to avoid combat, prioritizing defense instead. I don't want any casualties right from the start. Even if everyone has to huddle together, we must endure through the night. As far as I know, it seems that the daytime is still in a safe phase."
"Is Vassal a night owl?"
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