Barrett Walkerer had never thought that these soldiers were as stubborn as rocks. Now he knew what steel willpower meant. No matter how persuasive he tried to be, they remained silent, sitting quietly. Barrett Walkerer wanted to leave immediately, feeling that their fate was none of his concern. But a stubbornness arose in his heart.
Looking at the man who had initially attempted suicide by crashing into a wall, Barrett Walkerer was relieved to see that his bleeding had been stopped. He didn't want to witness their desperate state, so he asked Benjamin Blake, "Can this control room be lifted?"
"Yes, it can," Benjamin Blake replied. He walked to the control panel, entered a few commands, and although there was no immediate response, after a while, the view of the playground became visible through the window. Barrett Walkerer grabbed the collar of the former suicide victim and dragged him out of the glass room. He held his head and made him look at the playground, where the soldiers, like ice sculptures, suddenly showed signs of pain on their faces.
Barrett Walkerer noticed the change in their expressions, and although it was not very clear, the painful look on their faces pained him. Perhaps this was what men commonly referred to as brotherhood. It became clear to Barrett Walkerer why he was putting in so much effort to help them, as he also yearned for this sense of camaraderie.
For a long time, Barrett Walkerer observed them. After a while, the soldiers with a will as strong as steel began to show signs of pain on their faces, their eyes turning red. They struggled to hold back their tears, a sight that was heart-wrenching. Barrett Walkerer did not say anything, and even Benjamin Blake, who stood beside him, felt the strangeness in the air and remained calm.
"If you want to cry, go ahead! Throughout history, true soldiers have shed too much blood for their nation. Who says a man should not cry? Now, you are fighting against alien creatures for the sake of humanity, yet some politicians use you for their own benefit. It's difficult to follow such orders, but ultimately, you still obeyed, didn't you? Cry, and then gather yourselves, and fight the alien monsters with us!" Barrett Walkerer seemed to want to hand them a white handkerchief, but he did not have one with him. Instead, he tore off a piece of his T-shirt and handed it to the soldier who had been bleeding without making a sound. After receiving the torn T-shirt, the soldier began to sob softly. Barrett Walkerer knew that his provocative action had conquered them, creating a strange feeling that could not be described in words but certainly existed.
"Can you save them? As long as it's for fighting the alien monsters, you have the authority!" This man and several other officers wept bitterly, and one can imagine the depth of their grief. Throughout history, how many soldiers fighting for the greater good did not shed blood and tears? Of course, it was not them who shed tears, but their families. They were not heartless, just striving for a better life for their loved ones. Now they understood that enduring hardships as soldiers was to defend their homeland against alien creatures. Yet, they, like a group of lions, were being led by foolish pigs to attack people they should protect. To whom could they express their grievances? That's why they wanted to die. However, seeing their comrades frozen in place, so lifelike yet unchanging, they could not bring themselves to lead so many people to their deaths.
"I will save them, I must save them..." Barrett Walkerer said with a choked voice. He didn't know if he had the ability to save so many people, or if there would be unexpected consequences, but he didn't want to think about anything else. He had to truly understand their inner turmoil and see certain things, so that he would not turn a blind eye like the politicians who treated war as a continuation of politics.
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The men stood up one by one, wiping away their tears. The few robust soldiers had a sorrowful look on their faces, and the wounded general saluted Barrett Walkerer. The others behind him also saluted.
"Aduras Bark! Forty-two years old, commander of the first division of the Third Army, acting commander of the second division, both with the rank of brigadier general."
"Wallis Ruyun! Forty years old, commander of the special forces division of the Third Army, with the rank of major general and the ability rank of colonel."
"…! Third Army, regular mountain division..."
As these officers reported their ranks, Barrett Walker roughly understood the structure of this legion. There were a total of six divisional units, each capable of combat in different terrains. It was evidently a well-rounded organization, but their weaponry and equipment remained unknown. Barrett Walker, following their lead, bowed and said, "Barrett Walker! Eighteen years old, about to turn nineteen, with an ability rank of general?"
This is outrageous! Upon hearing the data reported by Barrett Walker, the division commanders, who were accustomed to the vicissitudes of life, were still deeply shocked. They looked at Barrett Walker with a look of disbelief.
"Well! Perhaps you may find it strange! In fact, I find it quite strange as well. I probably shouldn't be a general now, should I?" Barrett Walker didn't even know what level he had reached. Seeing their strange expressions, even Benjamin Blake, who was nearby, had a look of disbelief. Barrett Walker said somewhat awkwardly, "If my own transformation ability is taken into account, I'm afraid I have long surpassed the rank of general. Alas! I should test it properly one day and see how high my net ability rank is!"
If one could describe their mood at this moment, it would be severely shaken. How can you not be shocked by the statement that he has surpassed the rank of general and still doesn't know how powerful he is? This is not acting like a tiger pretending to be a pig, but rather pretending to be a harmless Dutch pig.
"What do you plan to do now?" After all, they were soldiers, and they quickly calmed down. In addition to their surprise, their eyes showed a hint of enthusiasm as they looked at Barrett Walker. After all, soldiers admire the strong, and Barrett Walker was such a strong person, a super strong person who could serve as a marshal in a large military district. Benjamin Blake knew that he had already won over these people to some extent, and then asked Barrett Walker.
"What else can we do? Thaw them out!" Barrett Walker rolled his eyes. Did he really need to be asked such a childish question?
Benjamin Blake then quickly pulled Barrett Walker aside and said to him, "Do you know how difficult it is to master the thawing technique? The reason they can be thawed out is entirely because they are top-level power warriors with strong bodies. Thawing these people out may result in widespread casualties. It could lead to another situation altogether!"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Barrett Walker's face changed, clearly not expecting such a result. If he couldn't save them, then everything he had said before would be in vain!
"What do you plan to do?" Seeing Barrett Walker's unpleasant expression, Benjamin Blake knew that everything they had done before was futile, and his own expression was not good either.
"What else can I do? Tell the truth!" Barrett Walker, with a grim face, walked towards the group of officers.
As the officers looked at Barrett Walker's serious expression, they immediately had a foreboding feeling, but none of them spoke. They just looked at Barrett Walker calmly, obviously prepared for whatever was to come.
"I'm very sorry!" Barrett Walker looked at their calm and resolute expressions. It was really difficult to say these words. He was not a heartless politician. Faced with those who had lost loved ones or brothers, saying "I'm very sorry" had to be said smoothly and steadily. He was a man of conscience. After saying this, even Barrett Walker himself felt a little choked up. "According to current technology, if we thaw them out on a large scale, a large number of people will freeze to death or suffer frostbite!"