40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 17 17. Communication is important
It took almost an hour and a half for Khalil to slowly make his way back to the shelter.The exhaustion and pain caused by excessive use of that power is one aspect, and more factors are because he has collected information on the prey in a small way.

A hunter should always grasp these things, or at least catch some traces. Otherwise, where does hunting start?
Pulling his hands up, he came to the top of the building, and as he expected, the ghost was squatting on the top of the shelter staring at their rainwater filter.

He likes to drink bitter filtered water, so he treasures the rainwater filter.

A cold wind blew, and the torrential rain poured down manically.The cloak could no longer stop the violence, and Khalil's clothes were already soaked.Even for Nostramo on a rainy night, it was difficult for him.

He was cold and his rain-soaked skin hurt, but it didn't matter.

With a flash of blue light, Kalil, who was standing on the roof, appeared.

"ghost."

The huge black shadow squatting on the top of the shelter suddenly turned its head, and then rushed down, smashing the rain curtain: "Kalil! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks for your concern, Ghost. Also, go inside. Didn't I say you should stay inside when the weather is bad?"

"But." Specter stepped aside and came behind Kalil, hesitantly said. "In the house, I can't see you coming back."

Khalil's forward steps paused, and then he continued nonchalantly, "You can hear my footsteps coming back, can't you?"

"It's raining heavily," Ghost said. "There is also the sound of the wind. I didn't hear the sound of you coming back just now."

"."

Khalil didn't speak, but just came to the door of the shelter, and then gently lifted the new door of the shelter, and then pushed the door open.

It's a tad more complete than its predecessor.Although the degree is limited, it is enough.

Choices are always limited.

Stepping in slowly, Khalil took off his cloak and threw it into a corner.The torrential rain has washed the blood away, it doesn't have to be washed, it can't be washed anymore.

It's almost broken.

The ghost closed the door quietly, returned to his corner deftly, and began poking his nails at his plank.Seeing this scene, Khalil sighed involuntarily.

"Khalil?"

"Ok?"

"Why are you sighing?"

There was a bit of obvious caution in Ghost's tone, which silenced Khalil, who had his back turned to him.

"...Because, my mood is more complicated now, Ghost."

"Is it because I didn't do my job well?"

"No, no, you did a good job. I looked at it when I got back, and every sentry post was cleared. You did a good job, Ghost."

"But."

"I'm fine, ghost."

Khalil turned his head and smiled at the ghost.He sat on the tattered chair, and saw the chipped tin cup beside him.

There is a glass of bitter filtered water waiting.

He reached out to take it, and tasted it in small sips.The state of his body is very bad now, and he really needs a glass of water, or a piece of nutritional ointment.Compared with the latter, Khalil is still more willing to choose the former.

"Thank you for the water, ghost," said Khalil. "Also, our plan was successful, thanks to you."

"really?"

"of course it's true."

"But." Ghost said hesitantly. "I don't feel like clearing out the sentry is going to do much for the whole project. The focus is on the Scolewalkers, and they're your targets."

Khalil didn't answer this sentence immediately, he just took a second sip of water.Amidst the bitterness permeating from the tip of his tongue, he asked, "How does it feel?"

"what?"

"Your first free play. How does it feel, ghost?"

Ghost was silent, as it should be.Khalil wasn't surprised by the result—he didn't expect a one-and-a-half-year-old to express his feelings.Even if the child is more than two meters tall, he can tear apart an armored vehicle with a wave of his hand.

Strength and mind have never been linked.

However, communication like this is a must.

There is no real empathy between people, even with relatives.The ability to communicate flawlessly is one of the most precious things humans have evolved, and Khalil won't let it go to waste.

"I"

Specter stared blankly ahead, but at this moment, his eyes were not on Kalil.He looked into the darkness, and the darkness cast an equal gaze.

Khalil waited patiently.

"I feel bad." Ghost said slowly.

"Because you killed them?"

"No, because."

"because?"

"Because they all cry." Ghost pursed his lips. "Khalil, they're not human, but why are they crying?"

good question.

Khalil put down his water glass.

"Because of fear."

"fear?"

Khalil smiled slightly.

"Yes, because they fear death. Like anger, fear drives people to do things they may not want to do. Let me guess, someone begs you tonight?"

".Yes." Ghost said in a low voice. "Barry, his name is Barry."

The ghost was silent for a moment, and Khalil just listened quietly without trying to interrupt or ask questions.

He has always been a good listener.

"He cried and begged me for mercy, saying that he was forced by the Scolevoker family to oppress the workers. Just like you said, I asked him."

The ghost raised his head and looked at Khalil.He could see in the darkest night, so he could see the calmness on Khalil's face at this moment.

"I asked him, did the Skelewalker family let them cannibalize, open butcher shops, murder, traffic people, kill people in the street, and rob wantonly. He was stunned."

"I told him again that since he has accepted that he has become a servant of the Skelevoker family and has enjoyed the benefits, he should not complain any more."

"Then he said he joined the gang because he wanted to survive."

Ghost pursed his lips: "He didn't lie, Khalil, he really thought so. But, why? Do people have to rely on oppression and violence to survive in Nostramo?"

Another good question, and one that deserves my all-night talk to explain.

"That depends on how you define being alive, Ghost." Khalil leaned back on the chair and raised his head.

The clothes that were completely soaked by the rain continued to cause stinging pain, but he couldn't take off his clothes, otherwise, the clothes that had become heavy due to the acid rain might peel off a layer of his skin along with it.

Khalil doesn't have any extra power to heal himself now, and he doesn't want to use his power for this kind of thing.

Furthermore, in his opinion, this kind of tingling is actually a good thing.

Pain wakes up.

"To be alive, isn't it to be alive?" Youhun asked puzzled.

"No, it's not. Everyone has their own answer to this question. Since you asked, I'll give my opinion, Ghost."

"You can listen and remember, but don't take them as your own thoughts. In the future, you will have your own answers to these questions."

Khalil spoke softly.

"In my opinion, there are two definitions of being alive. The first is to be like a sawtooth beast outside the city. It only desires full food, a cave to live in, and a mating partner. Other than that, don't think about anything else."

"The second is different."

"Pursue delicious food. Pursue a home that is not only sheltered from wind and rain, but also exquisite and warm. Pursue what you love, who also loves your lover, and the continuation of life, child."

"Can you tell the difference, ghost?"

Again, the ghost responded to Khalil with his characteristic blank expression.

The ghost couldn't help laughing, and the sound echoed in the shelter.The wind outside the house was howling, and his laughter was mixed in, but it didn't make people feel terrible.

".I don't see a difference, Khalil." The ghost replied slightly dejectedly.He is so easy to read, with all the emotions written on his face, like an open book.

Khalil was still smiling, and he shook his head: "It's normal for you not to understand, and no one would ask a one-and-a-half-year-old child to understand this, but I want you to remember one thing."

"what's up?"

Khalil said softly: "That man named Barry is after the second type."

Specter's eyes widened in surprise—Khalil described the second kind of life very beautifully, which made him wonder why Barry could have anything to do with the second kind?

"Actually, ghosts. All the gangs and nobles on Nostramo are after the second. But that doesn't mean the second is bad, they just use the wrong method, and, very wrong horrible."

"method?"

"Yeah, you can't blame them all for the method. There's something wrong with this world, ghost."

Khalil raised his head, closed his eyes, and sighed a little tiredly.His voice became softer after that, like a whisper before going to sleep, or a raving in a dream.

"Everyone wants to live a better life, and everyone wants to live with dignity. No one wants to work in a harsh environment for eighteen hours in a factory, and then drag their tired body back home, in the smelly cramped environment. Coughing up blood in his hut and bringing his sickness to his family."

The ghost saw the rain running across Khalil's face.

"Nobody wanted to put up with that, and nobody should. But they had to. They had two choices, join a gang, or die sometime late at night."

"People who choose the latter can only swallow everything. Suffering, sorrow, anger, despair... Some people have resisted, but their resistance is nothing in front of automatic guns."

"It shouldn't be like this, Ghost," Khalil said in a low voice. "This world shouldn't be like this."

"...Are you sad, Khalil?" the ghost asked cautiously.

"Do not."

"But, you seem to be—"

"—wake me up in seven hours, will you, ghost?"

"what?"

"I need a break." Khalil opened his eyes and smiled calmly. "We have one last step in our plan, so wake me up in seven hours, okay?"

"...Okay, Khalil." Ghost replied in a low voice.

For some reason, You Hun felt a little sad at this moment.

But not because of Barry.

(End of this chapter)