Chapter 34. Betray your sweetheart and die at the hands of demon flames
Tiny dragged her tired body through the mine with difficulty and back to the cave where they slept. She could barely walk upright, but she had to hold on. Even if her strength is completely exhausted, she must persist. Maybe they will be rescued soon. It was a vague and desperate hope, she knew it. But if she loses hope of that, what's left to keep her alive? In that case, she will become like many other slaves who have been here for a long time, no longer believing in anything, and she is not ready yet.
A week has passed since the Republic fell into the hands of Demon Flame. The crew has been captured by the demonic flames for a week. This week was more absurd than any medieval depiction of hell. Although there is no hell here, the pain is just as terrible. Although only a week has passed, to the prisoners, it feels like half a century has passed. Although hunger no longer tortures them, that has become a thing of the past. What they now face is constant darkness, constant punishment, accompanying pain, suffering and misfortune around them, and despair. They watched as women, men, and a few children were tortured and injured at random intervals just for the entertainment of the guards and to see if they could go on living, or simply not go on anymore. This feeling of helplessness, of being unable to make any resistance to injustice, of being completely helpless, persists. Under such circumstances, each day seems longer and longer. It was unbearable. How could these prisoners survive here for so long? Some people can persist for half a year under such circumstances? It seems impossible. And everyone longs for freedom, or death. However, when faced with the chance of death, their inner desire to live will overcome this fear of death, and they continue to fight. One more hour, one more day to live. There was no hope of escape, no hope that things would get better. They continue to fight. It is an instinct, a drive that has enabled many peoples throughout history to survive and continue to exist.
Again, Tiny recalls Joan and her death. Other prisoners corroborated the Klingon's account. She was literally whipped to death by the guards. And she just endured it all silently. Tiny admired her bravery. She endured a painful death out of love for Charles. Would she do the same thing if Pike died? She couldn't and didn't want to answer that question right now.
A voice behind her made her turn around. Hogan walked behind her. He encountered the guards and was injured by them. But the physical burden seemed to affect him less than others. His species seemed better able to handle such exertion. He was wearing only a pair of tattered shorts, leaving his feet and upper body bare. Some men had taken off their uniforms and given them as body coverings to women whose clothes had been torn in clashes with the guards.
Hogan's green crawler looks oddly incongruous in this barren gray cave world. Tiny thought a jungle would suit him better. But his body is no longer entirely green. Red blood flowed from various wounds and dried on his body. Dark spots indicated bruises under his skin. The claws on his feet were injured because they were not used to the hard ground. Yet he endured all the pain with stoic calm.
Tiny looked forward again and continued to struggle forward. She was too exhausted to say hello to him anymore. But knowing Hogan was following her made her feel better. In fact, the presence of the rest of the crew gave her some support. They are still a team and they share the same fate. They will support each other if necessary and will not give up even in the face of death. This awareness helped her hold on for some time.
A naked woman lay on the ground. All that was left of her was skin and bones. Her eyes were wide and lifeless. She is dead. Judging from the marks on her body, she was electrocuted to death.
Tiny had to control herself not to burst into tears. Despair was spreading inside her. Will she escape this hell? Or will she become an unknown victim and die here?
As the corridor continued forward, she saw a magic flame guard standing there, holding an electric shock whip, facing Pike.
She screamed in her mind, but no sound came out. She just observed the whole scene with horror. She seemed to be frozen, unable to intervene. Even if she did intervene, there was nothing she could do. But she knew she had to be with the one she loved, and yet, she couldn't move.
However, Mo Yan did not take action. He just had his whip at the ready. Instead, he was talking to Pike. Although it seemed more like Pike was trying to convince him, Moyan listened. It's a miracle. The demonic flames treat their slaves like the lowest form of livestock. Pike is now talking to a demon flame, which only shows how smart he is. Hope rose in Tiny's heart. Can her lover get her out? But if he can only take her away from here, will she give up being with her father?
When Pike saw her, he waved to her. Then he motioned for her to come closer to him. She walked towards him slowly. The whole situation seemed completely unbelievable to her.
"Hello, honey," Pike greeted her and kissed her cheek. But this move seemed false. He held her arm tightly with one hand. "Well, what do you say?" he said to Moyan.
Moyan looked at Tiny. He traced his paw lightly along her chin, studying her like an animal he was considering purchasing. He then grabbed the collar of her uniform and tore her uniform and underwear down to her abdomen.
Tini was completely in shock and didn't even have the ability to resist. How is this going? Her brain was screaming, but her body refused to obey. The creature ran its claws along her body and examined her breasts. Seemingly satisfied with what he saw, he turned to Pike again. "Okay. There's a guarded escape door behind me. It's open to you. You can leave. A ship is waiting outside."
"What?" Tiny made a voice. She couldn't say any more. What does it mean?
Pike didn't even look at her again. He rushed towards the almost invisible door and disappeared.
Tini looked at his leaving back, her mouth half-opened, still unable to understand. Is Pike out looking for help? Does he have a plan that will allow him to save everyone? But what should she do now? Why was she now standing in front of this disgusting creature wearing only her uniform pants and a torn jacket?
"Your friend traded you for his freedom," the guard explained, clearly pleased by her shocked expression. "He bribed me without hesitation. And you were his bargain." He let out a snort that sounded like a laugh. "But don't worry, he can't escape far. The guards on the ground are waiting for him. He will be a useful addition to our laboratory. And you, I will sell you. The Ferenki or the Orion Star Group will definitely It will pay you a lot of money. It doesn't matter if there is one less slave here." He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the secret escape door.
Tiny didn't resist. Betrayed by his own friends. Betrayed by his own colleagues. Betrayed by the love of his life. Not only abandoned, but used and betrayed. Her mind was just slowly understanding that he was leaving here and his life was more important to him than hers. And to love him, she might die with him.
Suddenly, Mo Yan was punched from behind and hit the rock wall. He gasped, trying to get air.
Tiny saw Hogan standing behind her. His eyes were wandering, moving independently as if searching his surroundings. Another man grabbed Tiny and freed her from the control of the Demon Flame Guard.
"Come on," Hogan whispered. "I will stop him." The second blow made the Demon Flame Guard lose his balance again, and he was unable to stand up and continue fighting.
An arm wrapped around Tiny's shoulders, leading her out of the danger zone. She didn't resist and followed the man. She was still too confused to focus her thoughts. Then she turned her head slightly and saw the face of a tall, strong man who, despite the circumstances, was quite handsome. He was a member of the Republic's crew, but Tiny never paid any attention to him. Suddenly she felt a little embarrassed because she was naked from the waist down. It feels completely out of place in this situation. They were still in grave danger, and this man risked his life to save her. What do these things have to do with each other? Still, she couldn't shake the feeling.
"I'm Felik. Do you remember me?" He introduced himself hurriedly.
of course I remember. A week ago, he had stood before her as they walked through the dark corridors, bound by chains. But she couldn't see his face then. That seemed like a lifetime ago. How could she forget? That dark memory has been deeply imprinted in her brain so that she can never forget it.
A dull crash came from behind them, causing her to panic. Tiny thought about Hogan. He was fighting for her. Shouldn't she help him? He had no chance. But Felix wouldn't allow that. He pulled her forward. "Come on," he called to her, and ran with her down the corridor to the cave of confinement. Tiny's heart was pounding, and panic left her breathless. She just wanted to run, get away from this place, get away from this hell. However, no matter how far they ran, the scene was the same. Until they stopped in front of the sleeping cave. After a moment of respite, they went inside, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Most of the prisoners were already there, and they glanced at her briefly, then ignored her.
When Noah saw his daughter without a uniform on her upper body, he immediately knew what had happened. He quickly gathered some clothes for her. "What happened?" he asked worriedly.
"Tini was pike..." Felik began to explain, suddenly letting out a scream and kneeling forward. He groped behind his back with his hands, his face twisted in pain.
Noah immediately saw a knife stuck in Ben's back. He looked angrily at the door. There stood a demon warrior. But what he held in his hand was not a whip, but a weapon similar to a destroyer. Obviously, the current situation is somewhat dangerous.
The angry captain stared at him. He really wanted to strangle him to death with his hands. But he knew it was in vain. He was already dead before he got close to the demonic flames. He looked at Felik again. Celia was now kneeling behind Felik, trying to pull out the knife. But it was stubborn and caused him excruciating pain. Felik's scream echoed through the cave, echoing back many times.
"No, Captain," Celia lamented. "I guess the knife had a barb. I couldn't pull it out or there would be a fist-sized hole in his back."
"Is there any other way?" Noah asked in a low voice. He was increasingly shocked by Demon Yan's weapons.
The frustrated doctor shook his head. "Not here," she whispered. She wanted to avoid letting Felik know that there was nothing she could do.
Tiny sat on the cave floor, next to Felik. Felik seemed to know his situation. "Please turn me around," he gasped. "I don't want to die face down."
"Who said we have to talk about death," Tiny said, trying to encourage Felik to live. There was a knot in her throat that almost rendered her speechless. Nonetheless, she granted his wish and turned him around with the help of her father. However, this was impossible to proceed with as the hilt of the knife was still protruding from his back. However, lying like this seemed to only cause him more pain, yet he refused to lie down again. Tiny placed Felik's head in her lap. His face was twisted in pain and his whole body was shaking.
"It's a pity we didn't meet sooner," he managed.
"We'll meet again." Tiny tried to smile. "Don't forget, I don't have a boyfriend now."
"You still owe me a meal." Felik became increasingly difficult to speak.
"We'll eat together too. Just the two of us. It's delicious. Would you rather eat in a restaurant or in Paris?"
"Paris. I will take you there..." Severe pain interrupted him. His muscles began to twitch. Then he suddenly relaxed and lay there motionless.
With tears in her eyes, Tiny looked up and saw her father. A silent question struck him, and he had no answer. He lowered his head sadly and blankly. A tear slipped down Tiny's cheek, and she couldn't help but cry as she closed her eyes for Felik. "Why?" she stammered. She still couldn't believe it. The man died helping her. She had wanted to get to know him better, but now he was gone. And her boyfriend cheated on her. For this, Pike likely paid with his life. Around her, everyone was dying. None of this makes sense at all.
Noah bent down and hugged Tini's shoulders.
"Take me out of here, daddy..." she cried.
Ingmar stared angrily at Felik's body. "This isn't the first casualty," he growled, reminding them that two crew members had died this week. "If we don't get out of here soon, there will be more victims. Eventually we will all die."
Soon after, the door to the cave was shut. The slaves were locked up again. In the semi-darkness, Noah looked around briefly, then asked, "Where is Mr. Hogan?"
