One by one, those before Bain were judged. And soon, it was his turn."Next!"The front guard fiercely nudged him forward, letting him stand on a massive white square below his feet. Looking around, Bain thought this should be the perfect position for all cameras to capture him."Former Military Recruit, Bain Ratnier, age 16…" The judge momentarily paused, arousing the curiosity of many watching.The judge cleared his throat, reading the charges with a stoic expression."Bain Ratnier, recruited to the army 5 and a half months ago. Charged with not only maliciously killing your Supervisor during your first outdoor training but also killing the other 449 in your camp!"He didn't do it.Bain was overwhelmed, thinking of that fateful day.In Oven Country, after 3 months of service, new military recruits would join light-weighted or laissez-faire missions that required little to no effort. It was practically 99% risk-free and was only there first to teach them how to force out in various c

In the vast white space, many prisoners secretly observed their surroundings and one another from the corners of their eyes.With narrowed eyes, they gazed at all angles. They couldn't find any hidden devices but knew they were being watched.Soon, their eyes fell on the guards and those in lab coats, trying to pick out as much information as they could.Smart people already knew the battle had begun.This was also a battlefield. Everyone was a potential enemy to themselves. And unbeknownst to Bain, many had been sizing him up from the moment he was strapped in."Line Up!"The order was given. And in full nudity, some prisoners strolled with slight grins, others moved provocatively, and some acted like perfect nobles, with auras affirming their superior beliefs.Just within this single moment, their actions already gave off a little about their personalities. Although for some others, it was hard for the guards to determine what personas they had.Some were too tricky to read.Cold.B

In the overly massive Control room, more than 900 men and women sat or stood by, watching the chaotic scenes via the monitors.The room was vast, with spring ceilings of open space 3 stories high.The Space was Hexagonal, with its front 3 out of 6 sides having nothing transparent wall screens to see the outside world while flying.The back wall had several elevators and doors leading into the space, while the last 2 side walls were floor-to-ceiling monitors showing hundreds of images.The Captain smoked his pipe, looking at the many images projected on the wall monitors. "There... Enlarge.""Yes, Captain,'' replied one of the men, enlarging the image as instructed.Seeing it, the Captain smacked his belly in delight. "Look at how these scallywags run about. Fear, greed for survival, thrilled, expectation, excitement... It's all on their faces!"The Captain seemed to be paying attention to a few. These should be the ones with the highest kill counts this time. Soon, Bain's image was en

Bain shivered, quickly leaving the scene and heading for the nearby hills and bushy terrain. And in a blink of an eye, he had already moved a great distance, rustling past several bushes, trees, and open fields with tall stalks of wheat a few feet taller than he.~Bang!His heart skipped. Not good!"Come out, boy… We know you're in there." Said a deep and playful voice belonging to the burly lead figure amidst his gang of ruffians.They stopped leisurely, snickering and jesting at Bain's unfortunate situation.Hehehehe~"Boss, I reckon he has wet himself.""Pff!~ What sort of criminal would wet himself from a gunshot?" A man they called fatty, couldn't help mocking."Heh… A newbie like him won't be able to survive a day out in these parts," another added.He had seen a close-up on Bain back in town, feeling the boy should be one of those scaredy-cat criminals.One could find all sorts of criminals on the Mainland.There were those bold and hot-tempered, those who always used others as

Mmm~~~Bain moaned softly as nature's quiet sounds registered in his brain.Where am I?He opened his eyes abruptly, examining the strange wooden cabin he found himself in.Hiss!~~He had a headache.'What happened? I remember that he was surrounded with no way out... But then someone... Someone… Someone!'Bain was about to spring up when a calm voice echoed out."I see you're up."Who?Bain quickly turned his attention to the cabin door. And there he was… The silver-haired stranger!With unhurried steps, the man stepped into the cabin in full farming attire with a hoe in his hand and a basket of wheat on his back."Easy boy... You don't have enough strength in you." The silver-haired man said, slowly putting his hoe and basket.Bain placed his hand on the mat he rested on, trying to pull himself up and lean against the wall.With a skeptical look, he gazed at the good-looking man who was now taking out the many stalks of wheat from his basket."Relax."The man gave him a brief yet la