There may not be even one among a billion ordinary soldiers who can survive to retire normally.

This also explains very well why the state religion, which worships the emperor as a god, has expanded so quickly within the borders of the human empire.

Without the sustenance of faith and the spiritual anesthetic provided by religion, these big-headed soldiers would have suffered a psychological breakdown and gone completely crazy. Large-scale self-mutilation or even suicide would not be a big deal.

The deserter prisoner stared at the captain's brown eyes and asked in a slightly sarcastic tone: "Do you know why they didn't escape?

It wasn't because they were brave and brave and willing to sacrifice, nor was it because of how loyal they were to the empire or the emperor.

It's because behind them there is a supervisory team formed by the Political Commissariat, as well as frigates and cruisers docked in orbit.

Once there is a large-scale escape, those destructive weapons will immediately turn around and fall on their own people.

So stop pretending to be noble!

The planet we are stationed on has long since been regarded as an outcast by the Council of Terra and the Imperial Regent, son of the great and bright Emperor and Primarch."

Click!

With the crisp sound of opening the safety, the captain decisively took out his gun and put it against the deserter's head, intending to pull the trigger.

Because he knew that if he allowed the other party to continue talking, more than half of the people present might be investigated by the trial court after they returned.

After all, there are some things that are good to know in your heart, but you must never say them out loud.

But at the moment when he pulled the trigger, the gun in the captain's hand suddenly dissolved into a puddle of black viscous liquid, dripping down his palm and onto the ground.

"Sorry, according to the agreement, his life and soul are mine from the moment he lands on the ground. No matter what he says, it is not your turn to make the decision for me."

Zuo Si unceremoniously swore sovereignty to the Imperial Navy officer.

This move undoubtedly surprised the deserter who was a prisoner.

He obviously knew that his powerless life would end the moment he was judged as a deserter.

Whether he is shot or given to the Mechanicus to have his frontal lobes removed and transformed into a servitor, there is actually no essential difference.

But now it seems that things have turned around a little bit.

At least judging from the reaction of Zuo Si, an unknown creature, the other party did not quite approve of the empire's handling of deserters.

Zuo Si ignored the captain's face that was red with anger, and walked straight to the next little girl who looked to be only about ten years old. He stretched out his hand and gently touched the heresy mark stamped with the red-hot iron on the girl's head.

A very gentle voice asked: "Does it still hurt?"

"No...it doesn't hurt anymore."

The skinny little girl quickly shook her head, her whole body shaking uncontrollably, and her eyes revealed strong fear.

She had obviously seen many bloody and cruel scenes in the torture room of the trial court. Her young and fragile mind had been torn to pieces, and the lead shoes on her feet had severely deformed the bones of her legs and ankles.

In the next few minutes, Zuo Si asked some of the prisoners one by one why they were arrested. It turned out that according to the laws of most normal countries in the 21st century on earth, the vast majority of them were not guilty enough to die.

Many are simply forced into submission and political prisoners.

There are even many governors of planets that practice slavery who randomly recruit people to make up the numbers in order to complete the "targets" issued by their superiors.

This extremely familiar operation even gave him the illusion that he was in Baator Hell, dealing with a group of demons.

Especially those painful memories of being repeatedly violated, humiliated, beaten, and tortured during the interrogation process. It is estimated that only the torture chamber in hell used to extract soul energy can be compared to it.

No wonder the Chaos Evil God of the subspace likes humans so much. Some secret sects composed of alien intelligent creatures also hope to save the entire galaxy by destroying the human race.

There is no doubt that these prisoners in front of them almost perfectly prove the theory that Zuo Si put forward to Ben before that all forms of rule are tyranny in origin.

Although the emperor was originally born with the hope of all mankind, he wanted to lead the entire race out of darkness and establish a prosperous and powerful great civilization, so that ordinary people could live a prosperous and beautiful life.

But the final result was that the empire he created became a terrifying tyrannical entity that could not be overthrown from within.

Those Astartes Space Marines who once opened up territories for the Imperium and established themselves as galactic hegemons will continue to extinguish all rebellions and uprisings driven by their foolish loyalty, strangling entire civilizations and destroying themselves from within, burning in flames. The possibility of rebirth.

From the perspective of a bystander, Zuo Si felt that the emperor's use of subspace technology to create Primarchs and super soldiers was wrong from the beginning.

Because he made the entire empire's violent machine too powerful.

In particular, the original body and the Astartes were separated from ordinary people by several dimensions, and their immortality made it difficult for them to empathize with ordinary people.

After all, even differences in skin color, body shape, and facial features can lead to mutual hostility among humans, not to mention a group of superhuman beings who have held the highest power for a long time.

Over time, rifts will inevitably appear between the two because they cannot understand each other's thoughts.

This situation has been going on since the Horus Heresy, and it has not changed at all to this day.

Even the emperor who sat on the golden throne and founded the empire gradually changed from the savior of mankind to the source of all disasters, a false emperor and a tyrant in the eyes of some rebellious guys.

"W-will you kill us?"

Just as Zuo Si was deep in thought, the deserter standing at the front of the team suddenly couldn't help but ask.

Because this feeling of waiting to die was too painful, he eagerly wanted to confirm the final judgment of fate on himself.

"No, I won't. Except for a very small number of cultists and lunatics who believe in the evil god of chaos, I will not execute anyone. All you need to do is to press your fingerprints on this agreement to sell your soul, and you will be released from the prisoner's identity. Live freely in the area I rule."

As he spoke, Zuo Si conjured a parchment scroll half a meter wide and one meter long in his hand. The hellish aura emanating from it instantly made Grace, who had been transformed into a devil, feel inexplicably kind and familiar.

"Selling your soul?"

The deserter was stunned for a moment, and the demonic Astartes warriors he encountered on the battlefield suddenly came to mind.

During the Horus Heresy, several Primarchs created by the Emperor and Space Marine legions created based on their genes fell into the arms of the evil god of the Warp for various reasons.

Although some of them have been completely eliminated, many are still launching attacks on the territories controlled by the Empire in the real universe.

Before Robert Guilliman woke up from his slumber, Chaos Warmaster Abaddon had launched the "Thirteenth Black Crusade", turning the entire human empire upside down.

So when it comes to selling souls, most people's first reaction is the evil god of subspace.

"That's right. I will not kill you directly, but will wait until your lifespan is exhausted and you die naturally, and then send your souls to my kingdom."

With that said, Zuo Si raised his hands and released a huge illusion magic.

moment!

The bustling, noisy, and flamboyant magnificent scenery of the huge cyberpunk city on the ninth level of Bator Hell was projected out of thin air in front of everyone.

Different from the abstinence and repression advocated by human society in this world, you can see people gathering in the streets and alleys to have a party, whether they are drunk or overly excited due to taking drugs.

Exciting competitions, gladiatorial battles, and special service venues flashed before your eyes in a dizzying manner.

Some guys who got interested would even take off their clothes and start a fierce fight in public.

Instead of being surprised, passers-by would stop and watch with interest, and some would applaud, cheer and whistle as encouragement.

All of this has strongly stimulated people who are accustomed to living in extreme depression.

Because from these pictures, they experienced for the first time what it means to be free without any restrictions.

"This is the world we're going to go to after we die?!"

The deserter's pupils suddenly dilated, revealing naked and undisguised yearning in his eyes.

Because in his short life, he has never been able to indulge as much as the humans and other humanoid creatures in the picture.

Zuo Si smiled and nodded: "Yes, this is the world you will go to after death. If you don't believe it, you can sign your name on the contract and commit suicide directly. Then everyone can pass through this projection

see you."

Gudong!

The deserter swallowed subconsciously, and his heartbeat rate instantly increased to more than twice as fast as usual.

Although he longed for such a life, his heart was full of unknown fear of death.

While the deserters were hesitating, an old man at the back who was tortured by illness and had a mental breakdown suddenly rushed out, ran up to him at lightning speed and pressed his fingerprints, and then snatched it from the hands of the human soldiers without hesitation.

A gun, pointed at his head and pulled the trigger.

puff!

As a laser beam passed through his temple, he fell straight to the ground and turned into a warm corpse.

This scene not only shocked all the prisoners present, but the captain and the soldiers responsible for escorting him also showed expressions of disbelief.

But in just a few minutes, they captured the voice of the old man who committed suicide on the screen.

It's just that his appearance has returned from old age to middle age, and he is following the crowd towards the entrance of the city with a confused look on his face.

After queuing for a period of time and claiming his identity certificate, he finally entered the city. He started to rush into a place that provided free food like crazy and had a big meal. Then he went to see an exciting prop show.

Racing, and finally spent half an hour of passion with a tiefling with a tail, wings and horns in a shop with pink lights on the roadside.

After he walked out of the store with satisfaction, the old man suddenly remembered something. He suddenly raised his head and shouted excitedly at everyone who was watching the live broadcast: "Hahahaha! You must all be watching, right? I can do it now

Let me tell you, all this is true! Don’t hesitate! Press your fingerprints quickly! You have almost unlimited freedom in this afterlife world! You can do whatever you want! I think I have fallen in love with it here!”

"for freedom!"

"for freedom!"

"Fuck the empire! Fuck the emperor! Just give me shit!"

…

With the cry coming from the deepest part of their souls, the prisoners who no longer had any nostalgia for life seemed to be stimulated. They rushed forward and pressed their fingerprints on the bottom of the parchment scroll, and then picked up the gun that fell on the ground.

Aim at your head and pull the trigger.
To be continued...