Chapter 30: Isolation Warship

Chapter 30: Isolation Warship

"No, the patient's mental energy level is too high! I can't delve into his mental domain... only reach its surface."

Amidst his dazed consciousness, Rong Mi heard a gentle young male voice.

Immediately following was another, more agitated and incredulous tone: "... His mental energy level is that high? Higher than mine?! You could enter my S-class mental domain!"

"Sir, how could he have joined Admiral Lu Yi in that joint attack and produced such a terrifying effect if his mental energy level wasn't high?!"

The first speaker raised their volume as well, "If it weren't for them holding back Adlet, our joint attack might not have been able to take down Adlet! As the commander, didn't you witness the situation at that time?"

"... Can you fire a mental energy blast like that?!"

Third Legion's Deputy Legate Sun Ming: "......."

Startled by his therapist's imposing demeanor, Sun Ming immediately cowered.

".... Ah, you're right." He suppressed his temper but still couldn't hide his irritation, "What do we do now? Just administer a calming agent? But that only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

"...Such a skilled Mech Pilot hasn't been seen in ages! If it's because the healing levels aren't sufficient to treat mental domain injuries..."

"Ai." He let out a deep sigh. "That would be truly disheartening."

"We all want to solve this issue. The Healing Practitioners' Association has been working tirelessly. Admiral, please calm down... You're making me dizzy with all that pacing... Ai... Wait!" The gentle male voice exclaimed in surprise, "His mental domain is actually improving! His self-healing ability within the mental domain is incredibly strong!"

"Sir! Please get me more cans of mental energy supplements!"

Rong Mi: "..."

His mental domain could heal itself, a capability that all artificial healers possessed.

Rong Mi's consciousness was still muddled, his mind flashing back to the scene in the gene modification ward.

"One month for post-operation recovery, two months for adaptation, and one year for training. Then your healer service term officially begins, lasting ten years."

"At your current age... you're ten years old." The chief physician glanced down at Rong Mi's file on the screen. "At thirty, you'll be completely free."

"After the genetic modification, you'll possess the ability to heal in the mental domain and the capacity for self-recovery within the same domain. You'll never have to worry about dying from mental domain instability." The doctor spoke matter-of-factly, "Of course, the price is... due to the aftereffects of genetic modification, all artificial healers find it difficult to live past forty years old."

Rong Mi lay on the hospital bed, gazing at the physician before him, sensing a hint of reluctance in the depths of the doctor's eyes.

"I understand, Doctor," Rong Mi replied calmly. "I signed the consent form before undergoing genetic modification."

He was an orphan, after all.

Despite being only ten years old, his voice held an unusual composure.

In the era of interstellar nomads, resources aboard starships were scarce. Orphanages only took in children up to the age of ten.

The orphans who were forced to leave had few options: some joined smaller vessels as laborers, condemned to a lifetime of monotonous toil, their meager earnings barely enough to escape their cramped quarters.

Rong Mi chose a different path – to become a synthetic therapist.

He would receive education and travel to different starships to treat mecha pilots. With hard work and dedication to improving his skills, he could ascend to the main ship.

Eventually, there might even be opportunities to collaborate with the military, venturing beyond the simulated environments many spent their entire lives in, accompanying exploration ships to genuine planets.

It was a life more expansive and free... but also shorter than the secure existence of a laborer.

Certainly, Rong Mi chose the latter.

Even in the final moments of his life, weakened by the onslaught of the genetic illness, he was powerless.

In those last days, he lay on his deathbed, devoid of senses and mental vision, suffering with each breath like a blade slicing through him...

Yet, he never regretted it.

Rong Mi was currently lying in a bed.

But clearly, this was not the hospice room on the late-stage genetic disease flagship where he awaited the arrival of Death.

His breathing was effortless and natural, his body weary but purely from exhaustion.

After the overload of his mental domain, pain was an inevitable consequence, though it was mild.

With the administration of mental soothing agents and supplements, that slight discomfort was swiftly fading away.

His mental domain was recuperating on its own, regaining its vitality and fullness.

Rong Mi: ...Right.

He had struck gold and been reborn.

Moreover, he had fused with the original's mental domain, freeing himself from the threat of his genetic illness.

Rong Mi opened his eyes.

What greeted him was a medical room.

Beside the bed stood a medic in a white uniform, facing Rong Mi as they examined the data on the medical instrument's screen.

"The readings have all returned to normal...?" the medic muttered. "This... is truly unbelievable. Let me switch to another machine and retest just to be sure..."

As they spoke, they turned their head, intending to adjust the metal patches connected to Rong Mi's body, in case there was an error in the data measurement.

Upon turning, they met the young man's open eyes.

Medic: "!!"

Startled, he took an unprepared step back.

Rong Mi blinked innocently.

"I'm sorry." He smiled, deftly reaching to remove the patch from his forehead. "I just woke up. Didn't mean to scare you."

"Not enough medical bots around, and I have to be a delivery drone..." The door opened from outside, and a man in black military attire entered, holding two bottles of nutrient solution. Their eyes met, and he too was startled.

"...You're already awake?!" Sun Ming handed the nutrient solution to the doctor while looking at Rong Mi in disbelief. "You were almost in a mental disarray just now... And in just a few hours, you're fine with some calming agents? Damn, impressive. If only I could do that..."

"My mental domain does recover rather swiftly," Rong Mi replied casually, sitting up.

He glanced swiftly at his communication bracelet to estimate the time, only to realize that he couldn't quite recall the exact hour when the battle had concluded.

The battle back then was so intense that I was utterly focused on exerting my mental power; there was no time to spare for checking the time.

Rong Mi thus turned to the figure in military attire. "How many hours have passed since the battle ended?"

"Most of the day, around eight or nine hours," Sun Ming said, stopping beside his bed and introducing himself. "I am Sun Ming, the overall commander of the Barren Star Campaign and Deputy Commander of the Third Legion."

He extended his hand to Rong Mi with a bright smile. "Brother, you're amazing! Taking down both Yade and Huangxing Baidie at once... Thanks for your teamwork!"

Rong Mi shook his hand, his movements hurried and perfunctory. "What about Lu Yi?"

"Oh, of course, Lu Yi was there too, definitely," Sun Ming misunderstood Rong Mi's intention and scratched his head. "You two really worked well together! I've never seen Lu Yi cooperate with someone else on the main cannon before. Hey, are you new to the First Legion? How come I've never heard of such a skilled mech pilot in the First Legion before?"

Rong Mi turned to find his clothes, putting on his jacket and getting off the bed. The doctor watched, unable to hold back. "Hey, you should still be under observation..."

"No need," Rong Mi smiled at the doctor. "My mental domain is fine now... I can feel it."

He asked again, "Where is Lu Yi right now?"

Sun Ming paused, spreading his hands.

"Where else could he be but in quarantine on the isolation warship?" His voice unconsciously lowered. "Lu Yi's mental domain has gone out of control again. They had to isolate him to prevent him from freezing everyone on the ship or blowing it up. I don't know if he'll make it to the capital planet."

And even if he did, there was no telling if there would be any way to save him.

Rong Mi pushed open the door and walked out. "Which warship is he on? I'm going to take a look."

Sun Ming: "Huh?"

Doctor: "??"

"None of us can make a difference up there," Sun Ming said, his shoulders adorned with two stars, marking him as a rear admiral, yet without any airs. "That isolation warship must be frozen solid by now... His mental domain is in disarray."

"I know." Rong Mi tried to maintain a calm tone, though his words rushed out quickly. "I can enter his mental domain..."

Time was precious, and every second wasted meant Lu Yi's mental state worsened.

Rong Mi didn't want to spend time explaining to Sun Ming. Mid-sentence, seeing the confusion still etched on Sun Ming's face, a hint of impatience flickered in Rong Mi's heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a fluffy figure darting at the end of the passage.

Rong Mi: "Sander!"

With the lion here, Ellen couldn't be far behind!

"Roar!"

The Thunderclap Lion recognized Rong Mi's voice and immediately turned its head, padding over to nuzzle Rong Mi's hand with its furry lion head before glancing back over its shoulder.

"Roar!" The Thunderclap Lion called out to its master.

Rong Mi reached out to stroke the lion's fur collar, doing so absentmindedly as he leaned back and looked around, calling out loudly, "Ellen?"

Sure enough, Ellen promptly appeared behind the lion.

The young captain had not participated in the battle, but his uniform was disheveled, with bloodstains on the corners of his clothes, indicating that he had been actively assisting in searching for the injured.

His expression was filled with concern, which brightened when he saw Rong Mi, flashing a brief smile.

"Admiral, Doctor Wan." He saluted Sun Ming and the doctor before immediately turning to Rong Mi. "I've searched several starships... Are you alright in the mental domain?! That was a huge expenditure... Have the treatments ended?"

Doctor: "Actually, they're... not quite..."

"I'm fine. How about Lu Yi?" Rong Mi nodded at the doctor and Sun Ming, then glanced at the signs in the starship corridor. Taking Sun Ming's shoulder, he steered them towards the exit. "Take me to the admiral's isolation starship and grant me access to board. I need to check on the situation."

"Is Ayin also on the isolation starship? Is it hurt?"

"Yes!" Ellen quickly nodded. He knew that Rong Mi had previously restored Lu Yi's disrupted mental energy and that the wolf was fond of Rong Mi, so he didn't question further, merely sighing in relief.

"The Silver General doesn't allow anyone near, barking at whoever approaches. We're afraid it might attack, so we haven't forcefully approached."

"Considering the state of the Silver General, there must be external injuries, but we can't tell how severe they are... and we can't get close enough to tend to them," Ellen said. "If you want to try on the isolation warship, that's fine. I'll give you clearance, Sun Tong... but only do what you can handle."

"This patient... Rong Mi? I think it would be best for you to rest more in your ward..." The physician, who had been trailing behind the pair, hurriedly interjected as they reached the Mecha Maintenance Bureau.

Sun Ming, who was also following along, caught on to something from Ellen's words.

Ellen was the leader of the First Squad in the First Legion, part of Lu Yi's personal guard. He was likely one of the few people who understood just how grave Lu Yi's mental domain condition was.

Ellen's lack of objection to Rong Mi boarding the ship clearly indicated that this exceptional mecha pilot... also possessed remarkable skills in mental domain healing.

...But there had never been a precedent in the Human Federation of someone who could both pilot a mecha and heal mental energy.

The kind of mental energy required for these two professions were almost entirely opposite.

Sun Ming was filled with confusion, lost in thought.

But sensing Rong Mi's urgency, he didn't say much more, instead interrupting to ask Ellen, "Ellen, do you know which starship Tongtong is on? I need to check if he's hurt so I can report back to my cousin."

"B ship," Ellen replied as he activated the screen to grant Sun Tong access for Rong Mi. "Don't worry. Thanks to the Admiral's final psionic field, no one sustained serious injuries. Sun Tong is doing alright..." He turned to Rong Mi. "Access granted. The automated shuttle is ready."

Rong Mi signaled Ellen with an 'all-clear' gesture and patted the mighty Thunderlion's head. He bid farewell to Sun Ming and the physician who had been urging him to rest and receive treatment. With a medical kit in hand, he swiftly made his way to the shuttle, not forgetting to close the hatch behind him.

The shuttle moved towards the rear of the fleet. Through the viewport, Rong Mi caught a vague glimpse of the massive armada's grandeur.

The fleet was suspended in space, its collective expanse almost comparable to that of a small spatial city.

Each starship's indicator lights were illuminated, weaving together in the darkness of the universe like a sea of lights.

This was a scene Rong Mi had witnessed every day for the past two decades.

It was also the most common sight he encountered as a therapist, shuttling between various warships.

Many times, Rong Mi had boarded shuttles to travel between different vessels within the fleet, providing treatments to mecha pilots.

Yet, this was the first time he felt such urgency to see his "patient."

The isolation warship where Lu Yi resided was situated at the rear of the fleet.

The shuttle docked with the airlock of the isolated warship.

With the medical kit in hand, Rong Mi already felt the intensely low temperature as she stood inside the shuttle bay.

The frigid air sent a shiver down Rong Mi's spine.

The young man growled softly and strode forward, only to find the hatch leading to the isolation warship's interior firmly sealed. Sharp ice crystals protruded from the cracks in the door.

The situation was even more severe than when he had first encountered Lu Yi...

Rong Mi stood before the frost-coated airlock, verifying his access permissions.

The authentication device promptly lit up with a green light, emitting a soft beep to signal clearance.

That faint sound echoed prominently in the quiet space.

It also disturbed the passengers aboard the vessel.

"Arf-woof!"

Behind the sturdy bulkhead, Rong Mi heard a howl - that of a wolf.

The cub's cry, which once held a hint of puppyish innocence, was now deeply hoarse.

Despite this, the howl was menacing, brimming with fury and warning.

Rong Mi had no doubt that if an unfamiliar person were to insist on opening the hatch at this moment, they would face a deadly assault.

The Silver Wolf stood guard at the entrance.

It let out a fierce roar, warding off any intruders that dared step foot onto the starship.

But Rong Mi was not an intruder.

Lu Yi was in a coma, and Ayin was in an extremely agitated state of anger.

Many star beasts, under such abnormal conditions, would attack anyone or anything that came near them, even their closest playmates.

Initially, when Rong Mi first treated the Silver Wolves, he had been fearful of being attacked by them.

But now, he was not the least bit concerned about such an outcome.

Aside from that hasty initial encounter, Ayin had never shown any inclination to attack him.

Moreover, as his understanding of wolves deepened, Rong Mi realized in retrospect that even on the desolate planet's icy tundra, the wolf had only been acting in self-defense.

It would try its best to avoid harming him.

Given the wolf's strength, it was likely that the soldiers of the First Legion wouldn't be able to forcibly capture and treat it.

However, they probably wouldn't suffer any substantial injuries from the wolf's counterattack either.

Rong Mi thought, Of course, members of the First Legion might briefly turn into ice statues. But they'd thaw out on their own very quickly.

Still, Rong Mi believed that his bond with the wolf had grown stronger.

As this thought crossed his mind, he placed his palm on the door.

As the young man cracked open the airlock door just enough, he unleashed a faint purplish spirit energy mist before the icy frost could surge out.

The ethereal energy seeped through the ice crystals, infiltrating the narrow gap in the portal.

Rong Mi: "It's me."

Instead of pushing the door further, he took a half-step back and politely knocked on the entrance.

"There's only me," Rong Mi whispered. "May I come in?"