Chapter 1437: We Are Not Warriors! We Are Civilians!

Priest Kosta's eyes widened; he raised his Bone Staff, opened his mouth, but could not make a sound.

Fragments of huts were scattered around the Drop Pod.

Wooden beams, animal hides, hay, and a crushed cub, its body buried under rubble with only one hand exposed.

Blood seeped out from between the stones.

Xikasi walked out first; he scanned the Aliens around him, then saw the Altar.

That low stone platform was covered with hay and animal hides, and a fresh skin hung from a wooden stake.

Xikasi's body stiffened; he removed his helmet, revealing a dark-skinned face.

Kazidaoer walked over from behind, removed his helmet, revealing short black hair and cold, stern eyes.

He looked at the Altar, then toward Xikasi.

"Xikasi."

Xikasi did not respond; Qiyanbatulu walked out last and removed his helmet—he was bald, with tattoos on his face and a small tuft of beard on his chin.

His gaze swept over the Orcs, seeing that the cub was still clutching meat in its hand, grease dripping from between its fingers.

Xikasi closed his eyes; he felt the fear of that compatriot before their throat was slit, felt the heartbeat of those Orcs as they cheered around the Altar, felt the chewing as the meat was divided and eaten.

His breathing grew rapid, he felt his blood rushing to his head, and his fingers were trembling.

Xikasi opened his eyes; he raised his Bolter, the safety already disengaged.

Kazidaoer reached out and pressed down on Xikasi's arm.

"Xikasi, calm down."

Xikasi pushed his hand away, placed his index finger on the trigger, and pulled.

The Bolter fired in full-auto.

The first bolt hit a female Orc in the chest; before she could react, her body exploded, and a mist of blood sprayed out.

The second hit an old Orc in the head; the skull shattered, and the corpse fell to the ground.

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

The bolts exploded among the Orcs, fragments flew, and flesh and blood splattered everywhere.

Screams, gunfire, and wails blended together.

Xikasi continued to fire, the shell casings clinking as they hit the ground.

Kazidaoer hugged him from the side, dragging him backward.

Xikasi struggled, the Bolter's muzzle pointing toward the sky.

Qiyanbatulu grabbed his arm.

"Enough! Stop!"

He roared.

Xikasi finally released the trigger, the barrel still smoking. He panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot.

Kazidaoer let go and looked at him.

"Xikasi, calm down, we are Sons of the People, not butchers; we must first search for any surviving compatriots here."

Xikasi said.

"Look over there."

He pointed at the Altar.

"That is our compatriot, sacrificed by them, the meat divided and eaten, the bones ground into powder to feed the livestock—you tell me to calm down?"

Kazidaoer was silent; Qiyanbatulu walked to the side of the Altar, squatted down, and found a fresh skull.

"Use the Chainsword."

Kazidaoer drew the Chainsword at his waist and activated it.

The teeth rotated rapidly, emitting a buzzing sound.

"Make them repent, cut them down one sword-stroke at a time."

Xikasi drew his Chainsword, and Qiyanbatulu also drew his; the roaring of the three Chainswords echoed across the clearing.

The Orcs were still fleeing in all directions.

Fula hugged the cub and ran toward the outside of the Buluo; she fell, scrambled up, and kept running.

The cub cried, but she could not spare the effort to cover its mouth, just running for her life.

The old Orc could not run fast with his cane; he tripped over a stone, the cane flew away, and he sprawled on the ground, crawling forward with his hands.

Priest Kosta stood where he was, watching those three red figures.

Xikasi charged first, his Chainsword splitting the back of a female Orc; she fell to the ground, the Chainsword descended again, and her head rolled away.

He turned and cut down an old Orc, the Chainsword cleaving from shoulder to chest.

Kazidaoer charged at Fula; she could not run fast while holding the cub and was overtaken by him.

The Chainsword swept horizontally from the side; Fula fell, the cub tumbled to the ground, crying as it crawled toward her.

Kazidaoer did not look at the cub; he stepped down, and the crying stopped.

Qiyanbatulu walked toward the Altar, where a female Orc was hiding behind it, shivering.

He bypassed the Altar and walked in front of her.

She raised her head, looking at that bald, tattooed Two-legged Sheep.

She wanted to beg for mercy, but her mouth opened and no sound came out.

Qiyanbatulu's Chainsword descended.

Kosta stood there, his one eye watching his own kin fall one by one.

He raised his Bone Staff and shouted loudly.

"Stop! Stop! We are not warriors!"

His voice was loud, still audible amidst the gunfire and the roar of the Chainsword.

"We are not warriors! We are civilians! We have no weapons! We are not fighting! We are just living here!"

Xikasi stopped, he turned around, looking at Kosta.

The Chainsword was still dripping blood, the teeth still spinning, he walked toward Kosta.

Kosta held up the Bone Staff, looking at Xikasi, and said with a trembling voice.

"We are not warriors, we did not go to the battlefield, we are just performing sacrifices here, we are just..."

Xikasi walked up to him, he was nearly a meter taller than Kosta, looking down at him.

"You are Aliens, you eat my kin, you use their blood for sacrifices, you grind their bones into powder."

He gripped the Chainsword tightly.

"You are not worthy of being called warriors, you are just Aliens."

Kosta's mouth opened, defending himself.

"We... we are not..."

Xikasi's Chainsword slashed across Kosta's throat.

Kosta's eyes widened, his field of vision inverted, he watched his own body kneel down, the headless corpse slowly toppling over.

Xikasi turned off the Chainsword, standing in place, looking at Kosta's corpse.

Kazidaoer walked over, his Chainsword still dripping blood.

"No Aliens escaped the Buluo, there should be a few more Aliens hiding."

Qiyanbatulu walked out from behind the Altar, holding that piece of meat covered by a cloth.

"This was left for the Alien warriors."

He lifted the cloth, revealing the largest piece of meat.

It was cut from a Two-legged Sheep, still with the skin on.

Xikasi put on his helmet, saying in a serious tone.

"Sorry, I was impulsive just now, we are now searching for survivors and remaining Aliens."

Kazidaoer nodded, looking around.

"There is a cellar over there."

Qiyanbatulu pointed to a pile of rubble at the edge of the Buluo.

Beside the rubble was a wooden door half-buried in the ground, the door panel was thick, reinforced with iron bars, and a faint light shone through the cracks in the door.

Xikasi walked over, grabbed the door ring, and pulled hard.

The door opened, and below was a slope leading into the depths of the darkness.

"There are Human kin inside, still alive!"

The three of them walked down into the cellar, the space inside suddenly opening up.

This was a natural cave, transformed by the Orcs into a place to store food and imprison Two-legged Sheep.

The cave was crowded with over a hundred Human survivors, they huddled in the corners, clinging to each other, and upon seeing those giants in red Power Armor, their bodies shrank even tighter.

Xikasi took off his helmet, revealing that dark-skinned face.

He squatted down, making himself as short as possible.

"We are Humans, here to save you, don't be afraid."

His voice was very soft, but the cave was too small, and the echo reached every corner.

The survivors did not react.

An old man raised his head, his mouth opening to make a hoarse sound, but he was not speaking the common tongue, it was the local dialect of Iron Tooth Star.

Xikasi stood up, turning to say to Kazidaoer.

"The poor things have been tortured by the Aliens to the point where they cannot speak, contact the Auxiliary Army, let them send people to pick them up."

Kazidaoer pressed the Communication Device.

"Command Center, this is Xikasi Squad, survivors found, approximately one hundred and twenty people, concentrated in the underground cave of the Goke-Keta Tribe in the Beibu Huangyuan. Transport needed, coordinates sent."

A reply came through the Communication Device.

"Received, the Valkyrie Transport will arrive in fifteen minutes, please protect the survivor kin."