Canned Souls 15

He'd only been in contact with the Holy Healing Church for a short while, just over a month, and they'd offered him a deal he couldn't refuse—an esper power enhancement serum.

Stinger hadn't believed it at first. Esper powers were wildly uncontrollable; no one knew how they arose, how they related to the human body, or how they could be upgraded.

The common theory was that people who suffered major upheavals were more likely to gain esper powers in desperate situations, and there was also a belief that those with strong souls were more prone to having them.

But these were all guesses. Some people woke up with powers, their appearance following no discernible pattern.

As for how to upgrade powers, it was all down to luck. One known method was to use the power frequently, like raising a skill proficiency in a game—once the experience bar filled, the level would naturally go up.

But that method wasn't entirely reliable either.

There wasn't a single method worldwide that could truly guarantee an esper power upgrade, something you could follow to become stronger.

The Holy Healing Church showed him a virtual dream. In it, the protagonist injected a serum and genuinely grew stronger—it was almost unbelievable.

Stinger couldn't resist the temptation. His esper power was only D-rank, which sounded intimidating—Blast—but in practice, any weapon he handled could cause a small explosion, like bullets from a gun firing like self-detonating rounds.

But a low rank meant limited duration and weaker force. In reality, it wasn't as useful as it sounded.

Growing stronger was Stinger's obsession. If he could get that serum, his power would rise a rank, nearly doubling its effectiveness.

All he had to do was pass messages.

The last operation led by Oriole hadn't been communicated to the other members. By the time he learned about it, it was already over.

The Holy Healing Church people had promised to give him a serum after he helped deliver messages twice.

When Hei Ge and Bai Ge led this operation, he seized the chance to tip off the Church.

But Stinger never imagined that a single failed mission would make Oriole make such a big fuss, calling for a full review of all personnel.

The Holy Healing Church had given him a device said to rewrite memories and mask mental fluctuations. It was how he'd slipped past the mental seal's alarm, but whether it could fool Oriole herself, he had no confidence at all.

When there was no mission, Oriole rarely stayed at the base, but whenever they ran into each other, she'd greet people warmly. Yet once on a mission, she seemed to change completely—rigorous, cold, reckless, never wasting a word.

Stinger had followed her once. Just that once, he'd watched her use mental power to drop a circle of enemies like harvested wheat, a scene seared into his memory.

The organization had three leaders, and Oriole was the most visible, seeming the most approachable, yet also the one not to be trifled with.

One by one, people entered and exited, until it was finally his turn. Every eye was on him, but he wore an expression of fearless innocence, calmly pushing open the silver metal door and sitting in the only empty chair in the room.

"Long wait, you doing okay?" Lu Mingqiu said.

"As long as I clear suspicion, a little waiting is nothing." Stinger ran a hand through his short hair, feigning curiosity. "Got any suspects yet?"

"Once I've seen everyone, you'll know," Lu Mingqiu said. "Now relax your mind, don't resist, this will be quick."

Stinger closed his eyes, praying to every god and deity he knew, from ancient to modern.

A few minutes later, her calm, gentle voice came to his ears. "You can go."

Stinger let out a silent sigh of relief and stood to leave. He turned around, but heard her call him back from behind.

"Wait."

Stinger turned, his hand slowly clenching inside his pocket. "What is it?"

"No drinking the day before a mission. I still remember last time when you nearly botched things by getting drunk. Do that again, and it's the brig." Lu Mingqiu said.

"Aw," Stinger forced a smile, "I definitely won't slip up again, boss, don't worry."

"Go on, send in the next one." Lu Mingqiu waved a hand.

He walked out of the interrogation room safe and sound, naturally joining the group deep in discussion, scrutinizing the remaining people with the same sharp eyes.

At 3:30 in the morning, everyone had been seen.

Lu Mingqiu walked out behind the last person, returned to the front, and the chatter gradually died down.

"I'm glad that the vast majority of us are still trustworthy comrades."

At that, everyone immediately spread out, glancing warily at those around them.

"But I'm also grieved that someone has betrayed their ideals, forgotten why we gathered here, forgotten their own original purpose."

"Because they thought the enemy unbeatable, they chose to become minions, harming their own people. If we'd been even a minute slower in pulling out, we'd have suffered devastating losses."

Her gaze swept across every face, finally settling on an ordinary-looking man in work clothes.

Under her stare, his expression twisted immediately, tears and snot smearing his pale, terrified face, yet he stepped forward one pace at a time, as if pulled by invisible strings, unable to resist.

"Victor, I remember you joined Spark in March last year, because a company took your lover, snatched her away as a lab rat."

"In May, we raided the lab base and rescued many innocents, including your wife. Half a month later, she passed away, and we held a memorial for her."

"The Holy Healing Church is the lapdog of the corporate conglomerates—everyone knows that. Yet you chose to help your enemy, to harm your friends and family."

"I want to hear the reason from your own lips."

Victor stood in the center of the crowd, like a condemned sinner, yet also like the only sane person among fools.

His body no longer obeyed him; only his head could turn, his face could show expression, his mouth could speak.

Under the hateful, furious gaze of everyone, he suddenly burst into laughter, laughing until tears flew, until his voice turned hoarse.

"The Church people told me that humans have souls," he said, haltingly. "That each soul has different traits, and they could help me find Pei'er's reincarnation."

"You believed them," Lu Mingqiu said evenly.

"Should I not have?" Victor's eyes held mockery, his face a mix of sorrow and fervent desperation. "I know you're all laughing at me inside, thinking this reason, this excuse is ridiculous."

"But what if—just what if—that possibility existed, that you could reunite with someone you'd lost? Would you not be tempted? Would you not!"

"I had to believe," Victor said. "And I don't regret it."

"I wouldn't be tempted," Pepper said, her painted-black lips pressed tight. "This is bare betrayal, for a hollow reason, to satisfy your own desires, to soothe your own conscience, and you treat everyone else's lives like air! The first rule of the organization is to never abandon your comrades."

"I doubt we mean anything to you," she sneered. "To destroy that lab, Peace spent a month in intensive care, and Li Zi had both legs replaced with prosthetics. When you did this, did you think of us at all?"

"In the end, you're just selfish."

Victor's lips trembled, unable to speak.

She stepped over and snatched a brooch from Victor's pocket. "You don't deserve this gift."

Tossing the brooch straight into the trash can, Pepper turned and walked away.