Chapter 101: Make it fast

Conch shells don’t actually hold recorded echoes of ocean waters. Instead, background ambient sounds—such as passing breezes or swirling air—enter the shell’s coiled chamber, where frequencies matching the shell’s natural resonance bounce around, layer together, and amplify.

This process generates a deep, rhythmic hum that closely mirrors the gentle surge of crashing waves.

Because of this acoustic trick, tradition says you can listen to the sea inside a shell.

The faint reverberation was easily picked up by the Sentinel’s sharp hearing. As the soft, undulating wave-like sounds filled his ears, Arden’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Taking the shell back, he listened intently once more. "There really is a sound!"

Yet, he had never seen ocean waves, nor had he ever set eyes on the open sea.

Bunny quietly observed his windswept, curly white hair, remaining silent.

Even without ever beholding the sea, at least he had now heard its song.

Arden’s sun-kissed skin stood out in striking contrast against his pale locks—a unique blend of contrasting traits that gave the handsome mixed-race youth his distinct charm.

"What are you two up to?"

San materialized behind them without a sound. Excitedly, Arden turned around to share the secret Bunny had just revealed.

San couldn’t care less about such things; attempting to picture unfamiliar phenomena only stirred an irritating sense of restlessness within him.

Unwrapping a candy, he popped a lollipop into Bunny’s mouth—peach flavor today.

Spotting the treat, Arden immediately chimed in, "Hey, I want one too!"

San threw him a disdainful glare. "In your dreams."

This heavy-eating feline had an insatiable appetite for everything. They called him a fat cat because his spirit animal was a notorious glutton, constantly snatching their food—be it fresh fruit, snacks, protein shakes, or chicken breasts.

Bunny wasn’t particularly fond of lollipops. "Eating too many sweets ruins your teeth. You should cut back, too."

San crouched down alongside them, resting his arms on the ground like a faithful hound beside her.

Once Bunny had finished half the candy, he swiftly plucked the rest out, popping it into his own mouth to savor the remaining flavor.

Bunny knitted her brows in annoyance. "Are you out of your mind again?!"

Having achieved his goal, San flashed a brilliant, triumphant grin.

"From now on, I’m only eating imported lollipops."

Bunny’s expression morphed into complete, utter bewilderment. She was so thoroughly speechless that even words failed her.

Sometimes, she truly could not fathom how these Sentinels’ minds operated.

By the time they finished scouting the terrain and returned to the encampment, dusk had already fallen. Aside from the guards rotating on patrol, the rest of the squad was allocated a brief six-hour window to sleep and recharge their energy.

The ground surface remained scorching hot, so Bunny headed toward her nano-tent, which was equipped with heat-insulating technology.

Following the direction Brandon had gestured toward earlier without thinking twice, she walked up to the last tent in the row, lifted the flap, and stepped right inside.

Only to end up in an awkward stare-down with Astin, who was in the middle of changing clothes.

He was completely bare-chested and hadn’t even had time to pull on his tactical trousers.

Under the harsh glow of the overhead light, Astin’s fair, sculpted chest muscles and sharp serratus lines were fully on display, dipping past the veins outlining his lower abdomen and disappearing beneath his waistband with an unmistakably provocative tension.

Yet, etched across his torso were several shocking, horrific old scars. Some looked like branding marks from electric shocks, while others resembled deep whip lashes—their raw pinkish tissue standing out in stark, unnatural contrast against his pale skin.

The mark along his lower right abdomen was particularly severe, spanning nearly ten centimeters with a jagged, rough healing line.

This was precisely why Astin kept himself completely covered up at all times; he deemed his own body hideous.

While other Sentinels could flaunt their physiques without a care, Astin couldn’t bring himself to do so. Exposing these scars to others felt like having his most agonizing memories repeatedly torn wide open.

"What do you think you’re doing in here?!"

Astin’s expression turned thunderous, his voice sharp and aggressive.

Realizing she had trespassed, Bunny quickly apologized. "I’m so sorry, I took a wrong turn! I’m leaving right now."

However, her eyes inadvertently flicked downward—given that he was standing there in nothing but his underwear, it was practically impossible not to notice.

Holy smokes, kid... turned out you were packing quite a surprise.

Noticing where her gaze had landed, Astin hastily snatched up his clothes to cover himself, snapping, "You pervert!"

Bunny offered one last hasty apology and bolted like lightning, leaving Astin standing alone in the tent holding his clothes in a daze.

He was certain she had seen them—seen all those repulsive, unsightly scars on his body.

That woman will definitely mock me relentlessly and call me a freak.

Astin’s knuckles turned white as he clenched his hands into tight fists. A mind twisted by deep-seated insecurity prevented him from ever coming to terms with his own body.

Much less accepting his own past.

God, I hate that woman!

At dinnertime, as Bunny was quietly enjoying her individual combat ration, she was informed that she had a mental soothing assignment scheduled for the night.

Out of all the Sentinels in the deployment squad, Astin was the only one who had yet to receive her mental calibration. To guarantee that every Sentinel operated at peak condition for the impending battle, he had to undergo mental soothing.

Especially considering his mental instability metrics were already dangerously elevated.

Astin rejected the order instantly. "I don’t need any soothing."

There was no way in hell he would let that pervert near his mind!

Xander’s expression grew dangerously stern. "Astin, this is a direct order."

"If you refuse to comply, you can turn in your gear and leave this squad right now."

A soldier’s absolute duty was obedience; an insubordinate soldier had no place remaining in the unit.

Astin kicked his chair back with a heavy thud, turning on his heel to storm out under Xander’s cold, piercing gaze.

When Bunny eventually stepped into her tent, Astin was already sitting inside waiting for her.

He was wrapped up tight and fully covered, just like always.

Their eyes met, and Astin uttered an icy, detached sentence:

"Let’s get this over with. Make it fast."