Chapter 19: An Invitation

Chapter 19: An Invitation

Within the First Legion, Silver Wolves served as proxies for Lu Yi.

At the height of Lu Yi's mental domain disorder, when he was compelled to enter the isolation treatment chamber and be hooked up to the array of therapeutic devices, he would attend to some of the legion's affairs through his psychic link with the Silver Wolves.

The soldiers of the First Legion, especially those in the First Squad who were aware of the truth, held the same level of respect for the Silver Wolves as they did for Lu Yi himself.

Absolutely no one would dare play such a handshake game with the Silver Wolves.

Outside the rest pod, Rong Mi sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning forward with his left hand extended, coaxing gently, "One more time. Right paw! Come on, let's shake again. This is how we show gratitude."

The regressed Silver Wolf sat opposite Rong Mi, a small, compact bundle with icy blue eyes gazing at him. It swished its tail lightly and then lifted its front paw slightly, indicating its willingness to participate in Rong Mi's gesture.

Rong Mi promptly reached out to grasp the wolf's paw.

It was soft, fluffy, and warm. The nails were a bit sharp, but that was a symbol of the wolf's strength! Nothing wrong with that!

As he thought this, he gently squeezed the soft pad of the wolf's paw.

The Silver Wolf glanced at him nonchalantly, retracting its front paw without any reaction.

Lu Yi leaned against the cabin door, silent for a moment before saying, "Ayin likes you."

This was not something that happened often.

The Silver Wolf, who had inherited most of Lu Yi's subconscious, kept its distance from strangers. After Lu Yi's last accidental mental domain injury, sensing potential dangers around it, the wolf had become even more resistant to others' proximity, excluding Lu Yi. Even the members of Squad One couldn't get close to the wolf.

"Perhaps because we saved each other," Rong Mi said with a serious tone. He looked up at Lu Yi, and his smile became a bit careless, as if he were making a casual jest.

The young man temporarily put aside his attempt to coax the wolf into shaking paws and focused on his patient. "Getting up already? The advanced healing machines on the starship are broken. The low-level ones can only treat superficial wounds. The internal injuries caused by your previous mental domain disorder haven't fully healed yet. Don't you want to rest a bit longer?"

"Should be almost here," Lu Yi glanced at the time on his communication bracelet.

Rong Mi nodded, then realized something was off.

"Your eyes," he said, pointing at his own eyes. "The color of your pupils has changed."

They had shifted from the silver akin to the wolf's fur to the icy blue of the wolf's eyes.

"The silver is due to the use of mental energy," Lu Yi stated succinctly.

Rong Mi blinked.

How had he never heard of someone's eyes changing color because of their mental energy?

...Could it be some kind of rare genetic condition?

But as Lu Yi didn't offer an explanation, Rong Mi didn't press the matter.

He followed Lu Yi to the cockpit, and as they walked through the spaceship's corridors, they could catch a glimpse of the massive fifth-level Ice Butterfly's body through the cabin windows. Its pale blue wings fluttered gently with each breath, undulating rhythmically.

Such high-ranking Ice Butterflies were not often seen even in war zones.

Lu Yi knew that many soldiers, both new and seasoned in the war zone, would feel a sense of dread upon seeing a high-level Ice Butterfly, even if it was asleep.

However, Rong Mi merely glanced out the window, checking for any signs of the advanced Ice Butterfly stirring before averting his gaze. The young man's expression was serene, a calmness born from familiarity.

"It's to cooperate with the investigation," Rong Mi sighed, following Lu Yi toward the cockpit. He had always found such procedures bothersome.

Moreover, his actions now were quite different from those of his original self.

"Don't worry," Lu Yi glanced at him and said calmly. "I'll speak to the investigation team first and explain your situation."

"Sure," Rong Mi replied with a smile, though not too seriously.

Lu Yi looked young, and Rong Mi subconsciously assumed that he hadn't been in the military for long, holding a low rank and likely having little influence within the Military Investigation Team. Thus, Rong Mi continued to ponder the "flaws" in his story.

His mecha piloting skills could be explained as self-taught, while the sudden boost in his mental power could be attributed to a breakthrough during his encounter with the Ice Butterfly Cocoon.

His exceptional combat skills against the Ice Butterflies and the unusual hypnotic waves... For the former, he could only pray that the investigation team wouldn't pay too much attention. As for the latter, he would have to claim it was a stroke of luck and coincidence.

Lu Yi asked, "Do you want to join the First Legion?"

"The legion system is well-established and fair. The atmosphere is great."

Rong Mi was still lost in thought.

"I was considering joining the Military Department, but I'm not too keen on the First Legion for now," he said casually. "I have a history with your Legion Commander. I stood him up... After initially agreeing to be his therapist, I changed my mind."

Lu Yi fell silent for a moment before looking at him. "Why?"

He had never asked Rong Mi this question before, for he had once been indifferent to the answer.

Rong Mi let out an "oh," and explained the reason behind his previous decision.

"It was because I heard your Legion Commander is quite old and has a terrible temper. He keeps a wolf-like battle pet that bites anyone in sight. That's why I didn't want to go..."

"Ah, of course! I didn't mean that wolves are bad! They're incredibly cool! Fluffy Star Beasts are wonderful! Moreover, after ordinary Star Beasts form a contract with humans, they rarely attack innocent passersby on their own initiative... So it must be that your legion commander isn't taking good care of the wolf!"

Rong Mi, midway through her sentence, snapped back to reality and glanced at the Silver Wolves by her side. She quickly clarified, loudly, "But even though there are numerous wolf-like Star Beasts in this world, our Ayin is the handsomest - the most adorable one of them all!"

The Silver Wolves walking alongside Lu Yi remained unperturbed, subtly swishing their tails.

It's an indication of a pleasant mood.

"..." {Lu Yi}

"Does Ayin have a therapist?" Rong Mi suddenly thought of this question and turned to ask Lu Yi.

"Ayin's mental power level is very high," the general stated straightforwardly. "So far, no therapist has been able to enter his mental domain. Except for you."

Rong Mi fell silent for a moment before softly tutting.

"Poor thing," he whispered. "No one to treat his injured mental domain, I wonder how long he's been enduring it on his own."

As he spoke, he looked back at Lu Yi and said sincerely, "Would you consider hiring me as Ayin's therapist?"

Lu Yi stopped in his tracks and met Rong Mi's gaze.

The young man's expression was genuine, his eyes filled with anticipation, mixed with a hint of concern for Silver Wolves' mental state.

After a moment, Lu Yi nodded gently. "If you want to."

"Of course I want to!" Rong Mi's words quickened involuntarily. "I think Ayin needs a personal therapist! Someone to monitor his mental domain daily, provide regular treatment, and be on standby in case of emergencies." Excitement filled him at the thought of seeing Silver Wolves every day. "You know, like a therapist who lives and eats with him! A private... oh, no, a private wolf therapist, not part of your military unit, not responsible for treating others. After all, I don't want to do nothing but therapy all day; I still want to pilot mechs..."

Rong Mi muttered under his breath before returning to the main topic.

"And as a Wolf Healer, you'll have to provide me with food, shelter, and a salary!" The young man raised a finger, his tone firm and logical. "In order to heal the wolves' mental domains, I'll have to heal yours as well!"

He could treat the furry creatures' mental domains for free, but not so for humans.

Lu Yi lifted his gaze, a subtle shift in his expression.

In truth, there was barely any chance of completely healing his mental domain.

His mental issues went beyond the chaos in his mental sea and the widespread corruption of his spirit tree by the insectoids.

Years ago, during a battle, the roots of his spirit tree had been severed by more than half.

Since then, the wound had been slowly widening, defying all attempts at healing with any kind of medicine.

When the roots were entirely severed, the spirit tree would collapse, leading to the collapse of his mental domain, and ultimately, the end of his life.

This was a secret known to few.

Even the members of the First Legion were unaware.

Rong Mi had soothed Lu Yi's surface mental domain during the previous treatment but hadn't delved deeper, leaving her unaware of his true condition.

Lu Yi paused for a moment before finally nodding.

What Rong Mi wanted to treat was Silver Wolves, a secret of little significance.

After his death, the wolf would remain the same, no longer influenced by his subconscious actions.

Perhaps the wolf would even be more likable then.

"I have one to three months of leave on the Capital Star," Lu Yi changed the subject. "After that, I'll be leaving the safe zone and returning to the warzone."

"Alright," Rong Mi agreed happily. "One to three months is just enough time to treat the wolf's mental domain."

"Yours will be a bit more complicated. But once it stabilizes, you won't need constant sessions in the treatment room. A follow-up check every few months should suffice."

"I see there's a military public selection in about a month. I might have to head to the warzone as well."

In the era of interstellar nomads, everywhere was a warzone; there had never been an idea of a safe zone.

Rong Mi took the words in stride, even with a hint of curiosity.

He had yet to witness what the battlefields of the Radiant Era looked like!

As the youth spoke, he walked alongside Lu Yi to the cockpit entrance, yawning involuntarily a few times.

Lu Yi glanced at him and nodded toward the rear passage. "Go rest. I won't crash the starship, so there's no need for you to keep an eye on me."

"I'll call you when the military investigation team needs to speak with you."

Rong Mi acknowledged with an 'oh'.

Each had their own expertise. He didn't know how to pilot a starship either; he only knew how to operate spiritual energy weapons.

"Use manual mode," Rong Mi obediently turned around. Recalling Silver Wolves' earlier eagerness to use his spiritual energy, he added, "Don't use your spiritual energy at all today! In fact, it'd be best if you were like a wolf and refrained from using it for the entire week."

He then muttered softly, "But you can't just wear any collar... Do you have a spiritual energy suppression bracelet?"

Lu Yi: "..."

Lu Yi glanced down at the deep purple spirit collar that the Silver Wolves always wore around their necks, his brow furrowing slightly as he reached up to touch his own neck.

This faint sensation had become so familiar that he had once grown accustomed to the wolf wearing something that belonged entirely to another.

Rong Mi: "Lu Yi?"

"No," Lu Yi looked up at him, responding to the youth's previous question.

The main medical bay on the warship was equipped with such devices, but Lu Yi disliked restrictions like spirit power suppression bracelets that limited movement. Thus, there wasn't any such thing on this starship tailored specifically for him.

Rong Mi clicked his tongue softly and joked, "I'll report you for not complying with the military's medical regulations."

According to the rules, anyone who had experienced a mental domain malfunction must wear a spirit power suppression bracelet for a week after the incident, unless the situation was too urgent to remove it. This was to prevent them from unconsciously overusing their spirit power in combat, risking a recurrence of the disorder.

However, Lu Yi didn't carry a suppression bracelet with him, and Rong Mi couldn't conjure one on the spot. So, he allowed Lu Yi to enter the cockpit while he headed for a nearby lounge.

Rong Mi relaxed, lying down on the bed.

The starship emitted a low rumble, lifting off after a brief vibration. Rong Mi lay on the resting bed, activating the stabilizing mechanisms around it, and recalled the memories of his original host.

"It is the year 33306," Rong Mi muttered to himself. "There are still fifty years until the sudden Zerg assault on the star region forces humanity to evacuate."

Not too long, yet not too short.

During the era of interstellar nomadism, the reasons behind the Zerg's successful ambush on humanity had never been fully uncovered.

Fifty years was ample time for him to enter the military, search for clues, issue a preemptive warning against the Ice Butterfly assault, and ultimately prevent it.

Preventing humanity from being thrust into the tumultuous era of interstellar wandering.