For humanity, burn the stars.

Qin Heling's answer was resounding and echoed in the quiet study, carrying a sense of tragedy and determination.

The air in the study seemed to freeze, time seemed to stretch out, and every second weighed heavily on one's heart.

Oshido's fiber optic organ swayed slowly, finally responding softly to Qin Heling's resolute words:

"So, you humans... really haven't changed at all."

At this moment, facing the tentacles that could take his life at any moment, Qin Heling simply stared coldly at Oshido opposite him.

He was well aware of his situation, and now that he had been exposed, he naturally had no intention of begging for mercy.

Qin Heling simply closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and said with a look of resignation:

"What a pity, I never expected that we would fail at this crucial step..."

"But now that things have come to this, I am no longer willing to be your plaything."

"Kill me or torture me, do as you please, just let me and my fellow countrymen perish on this earth."

He's afraid of death, of course he's afraid of death.

Moreover, he wasn't only afraid of death; there were many other things he was afraid of.

After all, he was just a soul that had transmigrated from another world. In his previous life, he had never even performed major surgery, let alone made a life-or-death decision.

But for some reason, he didn't hesitate at all when faced with a life-threatening situation.

People may not be able to choose how they are born, but they can choose how they die.

So rather than living a lowly, miserable life as playthings for the aliens, it's better to just leave gracefully.

However, Oshido retracted his outstretched whiskers.

The tentacle that had once pointed at Qin Heling's eyes slowly drooped down and overlapped in front of him again.

"You are a genuine human being. It's a tiny chance that an anomaly like you could appear among the shell people."

"However, the universe is so vast that such a small probability event is not entirely impossible. You yourself are a miracle."

Qin Heling waited for a long time, and when she opened her eyes again and saw that the other party had not made a move, she curled the corners of her mouth in a self-deprecating manner.

He slowly leaned back in his chair, shedding a certain pretense he had always maintained.

His face remained calm, but the smile had vanished, replaced by a deep, still silence.

Those dark eyes stared directly at Oshido, no longer concealing their sharpness.

"Is that so..."

Qin Heling spoke, his voice slightly lower than before, carrying a hint of understanding and a touch of sarcasm.

"No wonder you asked to see me alone."

"So, Your Excellency the Inspector met with me privately to expose this matter?"

"So what's next? Take me completely under control? Or hand me over to Luke?"

"In short, you don't seem to intend to kill me right now."

Oshido quietly looked at Qin Heling, focusing on his face and gazing into his bright, star-like eyes.

A few seconds later, its synthesized sound rang out again, much softer and gentler than before:

"If I said I wasn't going to take your life."

"It might even...help you?"

Upon hearing this unexpected answer, Qin Heling's eyebrows immediately furrowed.

He leaned forward slightly, looked at Vera opposite him, and asked in return:

"How is this possible?"

"If you want to humiliate me, to see me make a fool of myself and grovel before you just to survive... you're dreaming."

Qin Heling straightened his back even more, like a sword that had never been broken.

"Since the revival of humanity is hopeless, what harm is there in abandoning this body?"

Oshido's whiskers swayed gently, and the prosecutor, who had seen through Qin Heling's disguise and purpose, sighed in a synthesized voice at this moment.

"Just like you need to pretend."

"I also need to confirm your attitude towards Vera and whether you are worthy of help."

"If you are truly an exhibit that blindly obeys Luke and is content with the status quo, I will simply let you fend for yourself."

Qin Heling didn't reply immediately. After thinking for a few seconds, he raised his eyes and stared sharply at the other person:

"...What does this mean?"

Oshido's fiber optic organs swayed, as if organizing their thoughts.

"In fact, within the Earth branch of the Vira, there exists a special... faction."

"You can think of us as 'the atonement faction'."

"We feel guilty towards humanity that has been invaded, and we are trying to atone for our sins."

Upon hearing this, Qin Heling suddenly shook his head and chuckled softly.

"Atonement?"

"Humans have been completely transformed and domesticated; both humanity itself and civilization have become extinct."

"What's the point of doing this?"

His words were sharp, but his eyes were fixed on Oshido, not missing a single reaction from him.

Oshido was not angered by his sarcasm; instead, he turned his body slightly.

One of its whiskers lifted and gently pointed to a row of yellowed paper books on the bookshelf behind it.

"But in human history, such things... have happened quite often, haven't they?"

"There was no particular reason, it had nothing to do with interests, and it even went against the group's stance..."

"Even if it's just out of conscience, individuals may help lives persecuted by their own ethnic group or country."

"I think such a thing would not be surprising in any intelligent race."

"While they may be rare, they are not entirely nonexistent."

Oshido looked out the window and continued in a deep voice:

"Once we Vera conquer another civilization, we will integrate their culture into our own."

"But now, as their territory expands further, the Vira have gradually lost their awe of other civilizations, just like the Earth is now."

"I do not want my civilization to become no different from that of wild beasts."

As Oshido finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the study.

The sunlight from the courtyard outside the window slanted in, casting a bright patch of light on the dark wooden floor, with tiny dust particles floating slowly in the beams of light.

Qin Heling shifted her gaze from Oshido to the light, her eyes filled with a profound look.

He was considering and assessing the possibilities of Oshido's words.

Turning back again, Qin Heling slowly said to Oshido in front of him:

"Telling me this is tantamount to handing over your secrets to me."

"A Vera Overseer who sympathizes with humanity and might even secretly help them..."

"If this identity were to be exposed, it would be a disaster for you."

"I still can't believe that you would take such a big risk for such a simple reason."

However, Oshido readily admitted it:

"Yes, once exposed, my entire family will cease to exist."

"But what I've learned from human civilization is that if you want to make a deal, showing your sincerity is the most crucial first step."

"So this is neither charity nor condescending pity."

One of Oshido's whiskers rested lightly on the edge of the desk, its tip unconsciously rubbing against the smooth wood grain.

It continued speaking, its voice even lower:

"By telling you this news, I am handing over my own weakness to you."

"In this way, you will no longer be a prisoner who has nothing."

"Now, we, who are of very different races and identities, are finally standing on a relatively equal footing."

Feeling the weight of those words, Qin Heling took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

He had nothing to begin with, only a worthless life.

However, the other party did not take away this precious life.

Instead, at this moment, the other party showed him a level of respect he hadn't felt in a long time, just to gain his worthless 'trust'.

It is precisely because the other party has absolutely no reason to do so that it is even more believable.

Qin Heling looked at Oshido again and nodded slightly.

"Okay, let's talk."