Reid left Old Man Scrappy's home after filling his stomach and accepting his offer. He didn't take much time to think about it before deciding to say yes.
There were several reasons behind his decision. First—resources. After being cast out from his family, he no longer had access to top-tier materials. Although he scavenged the Scrapyard often, the number of useful gadgets he could find was extremely limited. Joining the military would fix that.
Second—money and connections. If he wanted to surpass his former family, he needed both, and the military offered him a way to gain them.
Considering all that, Reid quickly accepted the old man's recommendation letter and pocketed it. He was supposed to leave two days from now.
At the moment, he was heading back to his bunker to check his rewards. He was so excited that he couldn't wait to get home, so he decided to take the alleys instead—they were much shorter.
After a few turns, he reached the final alley leading to his bunker when he heard someone speaking.
"I am chosen by my master to pass his judgments, and if he wills you sinners to be judged, it is my responsibility to carry it out," the voice said.
"You found out, so what?" the speaker continued. "I'll make sure my secret's buried with you."
The words sent a bad feeling crawling up Reid's spine. He quickly summoned Rusty from his inventory and approached quietly.
He spotted the speaker's back—a man holding a dagger raised above someone who couldn't move.
Reid reacted instantly. "Rusty, [Pause] him," he ordered.
Rusty obeyed, freezing the man mid-motion.
"Stupid," was the only word Mark could use to describe himself at that moment. He already had video evidence, yet instead of showing it to Old Man Scrappy, he decided to confront John alone—and now it had almost cost him his life.
His owl couldn't help him either. For some reason, it was paralyzed on his shoulder.
Mark closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain that never came. When he opened them again, John was frozen mid-stab.
For a moment, Mark thought John had changed his mind, until a familiar voice spoke up from behind.
"What the hell is going on here?" Reid said, stepping forward.
"Mark?" he asked, then turned to the man with the dagger. "John? What the hell is happening? Why would John want to stab you?"
Mark couldn't answer—he was still paralyzed—but an immense wave of relief washed over him. Seeing the kid here gave him hope.
After the beast siege, everyone had come to accept that Reid was strong—perhaps even stronger than Scrappy himself—so they treated him with newfound respect.
"Mark," Reid called again, but still got no answer. He frowned and asked Evo, "Scan him."
[Scan successful.]
[He is currently afflicted with a potent paralysis poison that will wear off in approximately two hours.]
"I see. Rusty, can you use [Rewind] to deal with it?"
Rusty barked in affirmation and used [Rewind], erasing the poison from Mark's body entirely.
"Thank you," Mark said as soon as he could move again. He glanced at John, still frozen in place, hatred and disbelief flickering in his eyes.
"You wanna tell me what's going on?" Reid asked, pointing at John. "Why the hell is Mia's dad trying to kill you?"
"He's the cause of the beast siege," Mark explained, handing Reid the device with the recorded footage.
"How's he controlling the beasts?" Reid asked, watching the video. "And how did they not tear him apart?"
"That's what I was trying to find out when he attacked me," Mark said bitterly.
"Does the old man know about this?"
"No… I didn't tell anyone yet," Mark admitted, clearly embarrassed by his mistake.
'I thought he was supposed to be the smart one,' Reid thought with an eye roll.
"Let's restrain him before Rusty cancels the skill," he said.
Mark pulled a pair of cuffs from his pocket and handed them to Reid.
"Well, you came prepared," Reid remarked, taking them.
"Yeah… I came hoping to arrest him," Mark muttered, blushing slightly.
"I didn't know you were into police roleplay," Reid said with a grin as he cuffed John. "How'd that work out for you?"
"Not very well," Mark grumbled.
"Alright, Rusty, cancel [Pause]."
"Die—what the heck?!" John shouted the instant he unfroze.
From his perspective, he had been just about to stab Mark when suddenly, cuffs appeared on his wrists. And now, two more people were standing there who hadn't been before—Reid and his massive wolf-like forged beast.
"Oh… it's Reid," John said with a crooked grin. "Mia always mentions you."
"Cut the crap, old man. Don't you have explaining to do?" Reid snapped, frowning at John's casual tone.
"Now, now, that's not how you should speak to your elders," John said, still smirking. "Besides, you sinners will never understand."
"I've been personally chosen by the master to administer divine punishment," he continued, his voice growing manic.
"What the fck?" Reid frowned. "Your fcking family lives here. Why would you endanger them by causing a beast siege?"
"You don't understand, Reid!" John yelled. "This isn't just an order I'm following, it's a divine calling!" His expression twisted with fanatic devotion. "You don't know what it's like to dedicate every breath, every heartbeat, to something greater. But I do. I live it!"
"The beasts are divine punishment for humanity's sins! It's our duty to ensure every sinner faces judgment!"
He began chanting incoherently, then suddenly pulled a small white pill from under his tongue and tried to swallow it.
Reid lunged to stop him but realized he wouldn't make it in time. Rusty, acting on instinct, used [Pause] again, freezing John mid-bite.
"That was f*cking close," Reid sighed in relief. "Let's get him to Old Man Scrappy."
Mark nodded in agreement.
Since Rusty was now large enough to carry them, Reid and Mark climbed onto its back, dragging the frozen John with them.
"Alright, Rusty, take us to the old man," Reid commanded.
Rusty barked once, then vanished with a flash, using [Skip].