Chapter 16: Talent

Talent

Aberrant Sentinel let out a muffled groan, he struggled to turn his body over, the feathers on his chest trembled as he slightly rose and fell.

Feathers grow on the human torso, merging with the person, there is a sense of breaking taboos, a non-human feeling.

The female Sentinel suppressed by the Executor suddenly broke free, her trembling hand touched the aberrant Sentinel's altered brown wings.

She couldn't help but kneel beside the altered Sentinel, she grabbed her brother's altered hand without concern, the taut nerves snapped, her throat choked until she burst into loud sobs.

"Brother."

Mm. The voice rolled with gravel, broken yet relieved.

"Brother." Each utterance softer than the last, tears dripped onto the ground, splashing into crystal-like flowers.

Fu Guang's fingers twitched, she slightly turned her head, the wind lifted the stray hairs between her brows.

"Sentinel, return with me."

Cold River snowed all day, at some point the snowflakes carried black, the pure white snowflakes turned into an ominous black, falling on the endless snowy ground.

A small bird the same color as the snow flapped its wings, condensed frost struggled to resist, but the snow was too heavy, it eventually drowned in a snowy night.

Upon waking again, the horizon was dim, black meteors poured down from the sky, it could only struggle to flee, searching everywhere for a place to rest its wings.

The melted snow destroyed the homeland, the once warm nest had been destroyed, it had nowhere to land, it could only wander.

The little bird flew and flew, its strength drained from its body, its light wings grew heavier and heavier, until it could no longer fly, it found a withered tree.

It thought it would rest eternally here.

Until a "god" struck its head hard, perhaps thinking it wasn't beautiful enough.

Once pure white wings became stained with heavy ink, inseparable from it.

"Sentinel, wake up, your sister is still waiting for you."

"Sister?" Does he still have family? Weren't his relatives already… dead in the alien tide?

"His sister……"

A bright light lit up before his eyes, guiding him out of his former nightmare.

"If you are extremely lucky, you will encounter an excellent guide."

"Then you will understand."

"A guide is a lighthouse, leading you home in the darkness where you cannot hear, see, or perceive the end."

This is how a senior described the guide course to the sentinel.

The aberrant sentinel never expected to have another day to open his eyes; he felt his whole body soaked in gentle seawater, swaying with it.

"Brother."

His black pupils had faded, he propped himself up with one hand, his gaze fell upon the girl facing him, her soft golden hair fluttering.

"Huh." The sound from his voice was rough, like a beast.

"Huh."

Shu Tong stood up, she wiped away the tears on her face, her face regained firmness and calm.

She turned and knelt on one knee, looking up at Fu Guang: "Guide, I am Shu Tong, spirit body Snow Bird."

She voluntarily reported her identity, speaking extremely fast: "I have nothing to repay, I only have this life, which is all I can offer."

"I am willing to clear thorns and obstacles for you, guarding at your side."

Fu Guang's lips twitched slightly; she saw the aberrant sentinel beside her stagger to its feet and, with a "thud", kneel on one knee, his eyes full of wildness, then after a moment he lowered his head.

"Huh."

"His name is Liu Yun, he is my brother, his spirit body is also Snow Bird." Shu Tong's voice had some indistinct rises and falls, "We pledge to devote our loyalty to you."

"Please accept."

Fu Guang held the little coal ball called "Snow Bird" and walked aside, she sighed and said: "Your brother's contamination is only temporarily halted, I have not fully saved him."

"Please accept."

Shu Tong lowered her gaze, bent forward, appearing extremely humble.

Before Fu Guang could think, someone behind her spoke.

"Sentinel Shu Tong, Sentinel Liu Yun, according to procedure, the Execution Squad needs to understand the aberrant incident before and after."

The heterochromatic sentinel stepped forward, his cold eyes fixed on the two siblings on the ground.

The brother, because of the guide Fu Guang's enlightenment, naturally wished to become the guide's guard sentinel.

What is the sister thinking?

Is she thinking of how to let the guide restore the brother?

Or is she taken with the guide's ability, wanting a buy-one-get-one deal?

According to the White Tower Guide's protection regulations, a guide may have his own guard squad, and the sentinels of that squad will be marked with a spiritual imprint, thereafter their body, mind, and life exist solely for the guide's will.

This will reduce their chance of contamination.

But guides are not all good people.

Some guides take pleasure in tormenting sentinels, they seem to enjoy making the proud bend their spines, trampling sentinels into the mud.

The reckless feeling of giving everything, of going all-out to die, is never inferior to that of sentinels.

She glanced past Fu Guang: "Guide Fu Guang, please also come with us."

After settling everything, the sky was already filled with evening clouds. Fu Guang led the two sentinels following closely behind, walking toward their residence.

After discussion with the school leadership, and considering Liu Yun and Shu Tong's situations as sentinels.

Xue Yuan reached a consensus, decided on a buy-one-get-one deal, and assigned the sentinels to Fu Guang.

The cause of the sentinels' aberration was also clarified through Shu Tong's account; their homeland suffered an alien invasion, and aside from the fortunate escape of the brother and sister, none survived.

This encounter caused both individuals to suffer severe physical and mental trauma, weakening their mental barriers and giving the contamination an opportunity.

These two sentinels are now Fu Guang's guards; they have collars placed on their necks to ensure the guide's safety.

Belonging means they have lost their freedom, and everything they once possessed is now impermanently given to Fu Guang.

For anyone, this is a form of deprivation, like slaves of different eras.

However, the institute still warned Fu Guang that sentinels wearing shackles may not necessarily obey.

The guide group at White Tower also flooded the screen with this sentence.

Please hold the chain firmly; as a guide, being overly kind will only let the 'sentinel' beasts devour everything.

S-rank guide Yujin also sent a message: 'If you are unwilling, you may refuse; according to federal law, everything prioritizes the guide's life.'

On the guide's side, everyone expresses concern for her, while on the sentinel's side, they remain utterly silent.

According to Fu Guang's knowledge, Lishao was taken away and confined for a month, and next there will be another S-rank mission, the reason being to forcibly bring the guide into a dangerous zone.

This incident also let the school see Fu Guang's value; since she is not useless, she should exert her due value, which is the military's long-held will.

After a round of verbal sparring, Fu Guang, eyes brimming with tears, demanded various compensations and reluctantly agreed to the position of army medic.

First duty: heal Liuyun.

Next, handle some minor contamination of the sentinels.

Based on the school's offer of fifty points per month, Fu Guang outwardly accepted reluctantly, but in fact she had already allocated how to use the points.

Fifty points is not much, but within Alliance University there is its own trading platform.

That is enough for her to recover one‑quarter of her mental landscape; then she will be able to do much more.