Chapter 473: Carnage
BOOM!
The explosion came from far away, yet it sounded close enough to shake the ground beneath their feet.
Everyone instinctively ducked.
Several prisoners flinched in surprise, their hearts pounding. The blast drowned out whatever Ashley had been about to say.
But when they turned toward the source, Red and Gin’s reaction suddenly made perfect sense.
"That building..." Charm trailed off, his jaw dropping. "...isn’t that where the armory is?"
Everyone’s hearts sank.
In the distance, flames had completely engulfed the building.
That had been their destination before they stopped after spotting Ashley.
Now... it was gone.
"W-What’s going on?" another prisoner whispered. "The armory... it’s... it’s gone?"
For a long moment, no one could tear their eyes away from the inferno. Even from this distance, the thick scent of smoke drifted through the compound. The air had already been saturated with the smell of gunpowder, blood, and burning metal.
Now it was even worse.
Smoke.
Fire.
Charred wood.
Burning steel.
Death.
Everything mixed into one suffocating stench.
"Damn it." Red ruffled his hair. "I completely forgot Tank was supposed to blow up the armory."
It had been one of the main reasons they were rushing there in the first place.
Reuniting with Ashley had made it slip his mind.
"Shit," Gin muttered, looking from Ashley to the prisoners. "How are they supposed to fight now?"
They couldn’t exactly charge into a gunfight carrying sticks.
The prisoners slowly turned toward Ashley. Disappointment, confusion, hopelessness, and every emotion were written across their faces.
She had just given them one condition.
They weren’t allowed to join the battle unless they were properly equipped.
So how were they supposed to fight after she destroyed the armory?
"Did you set that condition because you don’t think we’re useful?" one prisoner finally asked.
"This is our fight too," another said, his voice tight with emotion. "These people destroyed our lives and stripped away our rights. We’ve already accepted that we might die fighting for our freedom."
"Madam, why would you—" Charm stopped when Ashley raised a hand.
"Before you all start crying," she said, glancing around at everyone, "you don’t need the armory."
A grin spread across her face. Then she jerked her thumb toward the building behind her.
"I didn’t clear this place out for no reason." She wiggled her eyebrows before stepping aside and gesturing dramatically toward the entrance.
"Go." Her grin widened. "Shopping spree."
Everyone frowned in confusion.
Still...
With Ashley taking the lead, they followed.
She pushed the entrance open and held the door like a courteous host welcoming guests.
"Come on in," she urged. "Chop-chop. We don’t have time. Grab whatever you need and gear up."
The prisoners exchanged uncertain looks.
Red, Gin, Charm, and Old Fool led the way. Even Red and Gin looked puzzled, but they stepped inside anyway.
The instant Red and Gin crossed the doorway, both of them stopped dead in their tracks.
"Holy shit..." Gin breathed.
Red silently closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath.
Behind them, Charm and Old Fool froze as well; their eyes widened.
Before them lay a grotesque sea of bodies.
Soldiers littered the entire floor. Some were slumped against walls. Others sprawled across the hallway.
Every one of them was dead.
Most had been shot cleanly through the head or neck.
A handful bore extra bullet wounds.
As the remaining prisoners entered, the reactions were no different.
Some gasped. Others nearly buckled where they stood.
This wasn’t a battle.
It was a massacre.
Slowly, every head turned toward Ashley.
Even Red and Gin looked at her differently now. Unlike the others, they noticed the finer details. Despite the dim lighting, it was obvious that nearly every fatal shot had struck the head or neck.
Almost none had hit the torso. Naturally, because the soldiers wore body armor.
"What?" Ashley asked innocently after noticing everyone staring at her. "What are you all waiting for?"
She waved toward the bodies.
"Start looting. Take whatever you need."
She pointed upstairs.
"There’s more on the upper floors, but everything on the first three floors is already enough for us—with plenty to spare."
"There are... more?" Charm blurted out.
He immediately realized how foolish the question sounded, but it was already too late.
"Uh... yeah?" Ashley answered with a puzzled blink as she finally released the door, leaving it wide open. "If you all keep staring at me, nothing’s going to get done."
As she spoke, she casually walked over to one of the bodies.
She studied it for a moment.
"Nope. Not this one."
She checked another.
Then another.
Finally, she snapped her fingers.
"Found him!"
Everyone continued staring at her, completely speechless.
Ashley looked over her shoulder with a grin.
"I saved this one for last because he’s about my size." She pointed at the corpse. "His clothes should fit me."
Without another word, she grabbed both ankles and started dragging the body toward a damaged room nearby.
"Don’t come in!" she shouted over her shoulder as the corpse disappeared through the doorway behind her. "I’m changing!"
Then she added shamelessly, "My husband’s a jealous man. He’ll scoop your eyes out if you see any more than you’re supposed to!"
For several seconds, everyone simply stared at the doorway where Ashley had disappeared. No one knew how to respond on that.
Finally, Charm shook himself free from his daze.
He turned toward Red and Gin, his brows knitted together.
"Why do you two look even more surprised than we are?"
Hadn’t Red already told them that the woman in command was highly capable?
The prisoners’ shock made sense. This was their first time seeing proof.
But Red and Gin looked just as stunned.
"Uh..." Gin awkwardly cleared his throat, still trying to process everything.
Red, however, immediately changed the subject.
"Enough standing around." He gestured toward the corpses. "Loot everything."
His gaze swept across the prisoners. "And if you’re squeamish around dead bodies... you might want to reconsider joining this operation."
Without another word, Red and Gin got to work.
As they searched the corpses for weapons, ammunition, and armor, they also studied every wound.
Just as I thought, Red mused. Most of them only have fatal shots to the head or neck.
Almost none wasted ammunition on protected areas.
Gin, meanwhile, was having a completely different internal crisis.
She did all this? Every single one of them? Not Rum?! Or did Rum cosplay as Madam!?
Regardless, the prisoners quickly split into groups and spread across the first three floors.
By the time they regrouped, every one of them was armed.
Every one of them was equipped.
And every one of them was ready for war.