Chapter 50 FIFTY

Chapter 50: Chapter FIFTY

"You are powerful. So much more than whatever it is you think you are. You’re like fleas in a jar, conditioned to think you have limits. You don’t."

Xin Linhua holds his forehead and sighs deeply.

"You really have no idea what you’re capable of. For generations– for centuries, you’ve all believed that your abilities are limited to this. Well, tough luck. If you’re gonna be in my team– if you’re gonna be trained by me, you’re going to have to break through that mental wall."

The team stays silent all through his speech.

For some reason, they believe whatever it is Xin Linhua tells them, but for some other reason, they can’t bring themselves to trust his words either. They’re conflicted.

"Xin Linhua..." Hirano hesitates for a second "I understand what you’re saying. I know about the Geomancer techniques you just mentioned, but you seem to forget something–"

"Sentinels are prone to corruption." Gao Shi continues his words "The higher your rank, the easier it is to go rogue. We don’t have bonded guides to guide us at every hour. If we push ourselves beyond our limits, we’ll be dead fleas in a jar."

"Even if we do have guides, it’s difficult to find one with a high compatibility." Rong Yufei sighs "Not every has a 100% match rate like you and Phantom. In fact, no one does. You two have breaking boundaries and records like they don’t exist to begin with."

" And If we do have guides, they can’t exactly guide us to the level required for us to break our boundaries. Medical guiding is risky, painful as fuck and it still doesn’t wipe out our corruption fully. It’s impossible."

"You should know, every awakened core is unstable. From the moment we awakened as Sentinel, our newly awakened cores are unstable as well– fragile and prone to corruption."

"Every time we use our abilities, we get crazy ass migraines. Insomnia and nightmares are nothing new. Even now, we’re afraid to rest or sleep despite how tired and injured we are. We can’t and even if we can, we won’t be rested."

"Xin Linhua, we understand what you’re saying perfectly, in fact, it’s something we’re beginning to dream of it. But just like every other time, we have to wake up to reality or we’ll dead fleas in a jar."

One by one, they pick up each other’s words and voice out the things they’ve kept buried in their hearts.

They dreamed of being so much more– they’ve hoped to break out of their cocoons and become something new. But one can only dream.

In a world where Sentinels fall under corruption easily, they value living more than anything else.

Unlike Xin Linhua who has the large behemoth family like the Xin behind him, some of them are from second or third tier families. They are the pillar of the people they left back home. They can’t afford to die. It’s already impressive enough that they can awaken to be C-Ranks.

The institute takes in people like them, train them, gave them shelter and even takes care of their families. If they die in battle, all that will disappear and their families will decline even more.

"Pfft- Hahaha!" Xin Linhua’s laughter pierces through their thoughts "Oh hell! This is gold."

He laughs so hard, he has to bend over and holds his knees to support himself. He wipes away non-existing tears.

"What’s so funny?" Gao Shi grits his teeth.

"Everything." He raises his head "Everything is funny."

He straightens up and slowly adjusts his coat like a sycophant. He rolls down the edge of his outfit and tucks it underneath the ra?ar on his neck.

"At first, when the Director told me to train the team, I was ready to let all hell loose." His voice slowly turns cold "I only accepted cause the institute threatened to take away my Sentinel from me. And...because Senior Hirano is on the team."

He slowly walks back and forth, a dangerous sharp aura clouds his whole being. His smile slowly fades.

"But if I have to train a bunch of humans who can’t see beyond the glass wall, I’m better off leaving the institute and taking Yaras? with me. Worst case scenario, we hide in the Xin family estate for the rest of our lives.

"Dead fleas is a jar? Do you think the institute values any of you that much? No. If they did, they wouldn’t even have thought of creating this team."

"You talk in riddles." Gao Shi unfolds his arms "Speak clearly."

"Do you know what the institute hates the most?"

"What?"

"A situation they can’t control. I’m the situation they can’t control." His expression is cold "The institute does not care about anyone’s life and death, but when a situation arises and they have no control over it, they’re skeptical and think of ways to get rid of it."

"You mean..."

"A guide that can guide any and every Sentinel." He laughs coldly, a dangerous glint in his eyes "He happens to be from a family that they can’t go against publicly and he’s a bastard who doesn’t follow rules either.

"A triple S-Rank Sentinel who happens to have a 100% match rate with that guide. Another human they can’t control– not because he has a strong backing, but because they know nothing about him or his origins. The risk is high. What do you think the institute will do in a situation like that?"

Slowly, their eyes widen like they just stumbled upon a revelation but they refuse to believe it.

"No...that can’t be."

"Denial is a river in Egypt, you’re nothing but pawns in their hands." Xin Linhua breaks the news without mercy "Ten members and three of them happen to have grudges against each other."

He stops pacing, and stands in front of Rong Yufei.

"The institute knows about the engagement between Rong Yufei and I. They know we broke it off in public. They know how both families will react– we practically made them become enemies now."

He walks to Gao Shi.

"I almost killed Gao Chengi. His older brother came to get revenge and he publicly exposed my secret to the entire institute." Xin Linhua points to the ra?ar "Gao Weilan almost got me publicly executed. Right now, the only one stopping Xin Tangzi is me. The two families would have gone to war."

"Xin Linhua!" Gao Shi clenches his fist "Do you know what you’re saying?"

"That is a big accusation..." The female Aeromancer says.

"Accusations!?" Xin Linhua laughs in disbelief.

"They put a Gao and a Rong on the team. They know how much of a bastard Gao Shi is and they know he’ll try to attack me, even if it’s for fun! But if he attacks me, my Sentinel will kill him on the spot!

"If Rong Yufei falls out of line, he’ll attack her as well. They know Senior Hirano wouldn’t just stand by and watch it happen, he’ll intervene. That’s another kill count. By then, half the team is dead because we won’t trust each other and that’ll lead to mutiny and total team wipe out!

"Do you not get it!? This team is fucking sham! They sent us here to kill each other! You’re worried about corruption and the institute’s teachings!? They don’t fucking care about any fucking one of you! You’re pawns they can discard at any time!

"You’re nothing but chess pieces! First they made you believe that this is who you are, then they planned to sacrifice you all because they want to take out three top families! Do you fucking understand now!?"