Chapter 43: Retrace (Part Two)

Chapter 43: Retrace (Part Two)

"They must be discussing the Domain Field and Secondary Awakening," Seiko, the caramel-haired Starnet singer from the capital planet, murmured to himself while nestled on his apartment sofa, watching the live broadcast in silence after Gu Hong had muted the channel.

"The unawakened humans don't have the capacity to break through a Domain Field without any special equipment," he continued. "But humans truly are terrifying creatures. I didn't expect them to create a machine capable of penetrating an Adelie Domain Field… Fortunately, their production is low, so not every Search and Assault team can be equipped with one."

"Back then, if that squad that found me had such a device, I wouldn't have been able to escape," Seiko sipped his ice-cold cola, narrowing his eyes in contentment. "And I wouldn't be enjoying this… umm… comfortable life now."

Seiko glanced around his surroundings.

It was a tiny studio apartment located on the 3,333rd floor of a residential area on the outskirts of the entertainment district on the capital planet. The living room and bedroom were combined, with a comfortable large bed, a digital piano by its side, and a simple recording setup nearby.

The apartment walls were painted a warm beige, adorned with a few decorative paintings hung irregularly. A potted plant sat in one corner, while a guitar rested in another.

"As the old saying goes, although the Human Safe Zone is perilous, it's an excellent place for hiding and recuperation as long as you can enter undetected," Seiko muttered to himself. "Being a lone individual isn't so bad, actually."

"I'm starting to not want to go back…"

A small brown sparrow, no bigger than a palm, flew past his window.

It was night in Rong Mi's star region, but dawn on the capital planet.

In the apartment complex, every hundred floors featured an aerial garden and suspended walkways outside the windows, blocking most of the sunlight.

"Man, we're just so broke." Seiko glanced at the sun outside the window. "I need to earn more money so we can move up a level."

"…And then splurge big time on that new game!"

"This trashy game, it's way too good at milking us for cash! The last time I spent money, the top character I got was useless after just two months!"

Grumbling, he kept refreshing the live-streaming screen before him.

Seiko: "…You still haven't turned the sound back on?"

"Why is there still no sound?" On the screen, complaints appeared in the chat bubbles. "Sis Hong hasn't had any audio for ages!"

"Mm... based on my experience, she's probably chatting with Rong Mi, and they might be discussing something crucial about Sis Hong! There were a few times before when she suddenly muted her stream as well! This kind of secret weapon can't be shared with outsiders, for sure!"

"Well, Sister Hong really revealed her ace in the hole early this time!"

"Perhaps it's because of the immense pressure Rong Mi put on her? So, can Rong Mi turn the tables in the next round?"

"…Sounds like a fan of Rong Mi up there. I understand your sentiment, but let me tell you from experience, it's not going to be easy."

"I believe Sister Hong will definitely win! To be honest, although Rong Mi's kills in the Ice and Fire Tournament and her battles against Ice Butterfly in the space station were impressive, I think Sister Hong could have done it too if she was there!"

"I agree that Sister Hong would win! But leaving the Ice and Fire Tournament aside, I'm not sure if she could match Rong Mi's level in the space station battle videos… Wow, Rong Mi burned her mental energy like a blazing inferno; that intensity was truly remarkable! Although Sister Hong is restricted by the maximum mental strength limit during competitions, so she never pushes it to the limit. Judging from her combat style, it seems her mental strength isn't that high; she relies more on skill!"

"Is anyone up for a friendly betting game? No real money, just using live stream gift fireworks – I'm betting on Sister Hong's victory!"

"…Then I'll bet on Sister Hong too…"

"Me too, me too!"

At the bottom of the live stream, a mini-guessing game interface popped up.

On the starship, Lu Yi leaned against the headboard of his bed, observing the few votes for Rong Mi. Uncharacteristically, he tapped into the game and placed his bet.

"Damn it! How did Rong Mi's gift count suddenly skyrocket like that? And it just happened to surpass Elder Sister Hong by one vote?!"

Lu Yi rubbed his forehead.

He had never been one for these flashy gestures. Yet, seeing the sparse numbers behind Rong Mi, he couldn't help but tap the button.

On stage, Gu Hong's live stream screen displayed a notification for the betting mini-game. At the same time, only she could see the usernames of those placing bets.

"An 'L'?" Seeing the surge in gift votes behind Rong Mi's name, Gu Hong couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, look at you, Lu Yi. You're about to become someone's top fan, huh?" Typing back to him, she continued, "You know he won't win tonight, right? I suggest using this energy to prepare some comforting words for after the match."

"No need," Lu Yi said, reaching for a virtual helmet beside him.

He switched from watching the match on a light screen to a brainwave simulation mode.

With a special coach card from the Lyre Mecha Club in his possession, Lu Yi had access to all arenas' viewing privileges. Thus, when he switched to the simulation mode, he instantly found himself in a virtual seat overlooking the arena.

In his virtual avatar on the Star Network, he appeared quite ordinary, clad in a standard black mecha trainer's uniform. However, when an unexpected figure suddenly materialized in the empty virtual spectator stands, it was enough to draw extra attention.

In the preparation area, the countdown on the holographic screen was in its final ten seconds. Rong Mi tilted his head slightly, scanning the newcomer who had abruptly appeared outside the arena.

Black hair, ice-blue eyes, a composed demeanor, and an upright posture — despite using a generic virtual appearance, that distinctive air of aloofness allowed Rong Mi to quickly identify him.

It was swift and certain, even surprising Rong Mi himself.

Probably because after his rebirth, Lu Yi was the person with whom he had spent the most time.

Rong Mi thought: It could either be Lu Yi or his fluffy silver wolf.

Lu Yi's default position was the seventh row seat beside the centerline of the arena, offering the best view for watching the match.

Although there were surrounding screens capturing and magnifying the mechas' movements in real-time, in most publicly ticketed mecha battles, this location provided the optimal viewing experience and commanded the highest ticket prices.

Nonetheless, Lu Yi stood up and walked toward the half of the arena where Rong Mi's preparation area was located, taking a seat.

With the switch of seats, he demonstrated his support for Rong Mi.

Gu Hong: "...."

Rong Mi: "...."

The young man couldn't help but smile.

The admiral's gesture... was subtle yet straightforward.

It was somewhat endearing.

On the luminous screen, the countdown reached its final digit.

Rong Mi had yet to devise a strategy to counter time manipulation.

This was an incredibly divine domain ability; it was impossible to find a countermeasure after just one or two encounters.

Gu Hong briefly summarized his power, but Rong Mi believed there were more intricacies involved.

"The second match begins!" The AI commentator's voice rose with excitement as the contest resumed, "Both mechas have charged into the arena! They're immediately engaging in suppressive fire at each other, attempting to break through and close the distance!"

"…This scene feels so familiar." The live stream chat flooded with comments, "Isn't this just a replica of the previous match?!"

A fiery serpent weaved from the interplay of orange and purple laser beams, while the gray mechas left afterimages in their wake. The harsh sound of air friction against their hulls and the impending collision as they closed in on each other—

Rong Mi: Here it comes.

His pupils narrowed slightly. As he parried with his longsword, his mental power vision spread out like a web, vigilant for any unusual activity around him.

Sure enough, he saw the ripples of orange mental energy once more.

The mechas narrowly missed each other.

This time, he saw it clearly. The water-like ripple originated from Gu Hong, expanding outward at an indetectable speed, engulfing his own mecha in a blink.

Rong Mi didn't fully lower his sword. The instant he sensed the fluctuation in Gu Hong's mental energy, he raised it again.

He should've had ample time to react.

The elbow thrusters, augmented by psychokinetic power, instantly ignited, expelling a purple-tinted flame.

Rong Mi had mentally predicted the trajectory of this block.

Changing his maneuver so swiftly, he might not execute the block flawlessly, unable to fully deflect the laser blade.

The edge of the blade could graze the side of the mecha's face or neck, possibly causing damage. But it was impossible for it to hit the bullseye and sever the mecha's head.

However, the mecha's response was much slower than Rong Mi had anticipated.

It was as if the mecha's model had suddenly plummeted from an A-class to the worst F-class, reducing the thrusters' instant acceleration by hundreds of times.

Or perhaps his psychic energy hadn't been able to input into the engine at all, failing to provide the boost.

But both scenarios were implausible.

The alarm within the mecha cockpit blared once more, indicating total system failure.

As the alarms ceased and the mecha lost control, Rong Mi blinked.

Rong Mi showed no sign of discouragement.

He was well aware of the terror of the domain field. This time, replicating the previous attack pattern, his main goal was to probe Gu Hong's unique domain ability rather than simply winning the match.

"I see it's not just about reversing time," Rong Mi murmured. "You can also manipulate its 'duration'."

"Uh-huh." Gu Hong snapped his fingers. "You figured it out."

"You have courage. Most mecha pilots, knowing my special ability in the first round, would try to avoid close combat with me."

"I took your cue," Rong Mi replied casually. "Your power only works within a 'small range' centered around me. But completely avoiding melee is impossible, and such constraints will affect my performance too."

"Especially on this simple arena map."

Sometimes, evasion was not the solution.

Persistent attempts, examining the problem from all angles, and searching for its weakness were the keys.

However... if Gu Hong's ability could also control the length of time, freezing his mecha's movements, then relying solely on observation and defense would not suffice.

Failing to parry, one would be "slashed at the throat."

Rong Mi suddenly realized a problem she had overlooked previously.

Gu Hong's mental power could effortlessly penetrate the armor's outer shell and its defensive barrier—this was no issue.

But why could she easily pass through Rong Mi's mental defense field?

This arena had the highest limit for mental strength. Logically, their mental powers should have been evenly matched.

Rong Mi rotated her wrist.

"…Is it the density of mental power?"

In Rong Mi's understanding, the density of mental power usually rose or fell in tandem with its intensity.

However, during Gu Hong's attack, her mental power condensed at an unusually high density that didn't match its intensity.

This was a new training approach that Rong Mi had never considered before!

"It's best of three," Gu Hong's voice echoed through the communicator. "You've already lost. But if you want a third round, I'm more than willing to oblige, little brother!"

"Let's do it," Rong Mi replied without hesitation. "Thank you for the sparring session, Sister Hong!"

"Think nothing of it!" Gu Hong replied coolly. "I wouldn't easily find someone to engage in such high-quality combat! It's no trouble at all!"

The immobilized mecha was dragged back to the preparation area. Rong Mi climbed out of his mecha, entered the resting area for a drink of water, and subconsciously looked towards the audience seats, only to find that Lu Yi's figure had vanished.

Rong Mi paused in his action, but before any negative thoughts could form in his mind, the door to the resting area was knocked on.

Lu Yi stood at the entrance, looking up at him.

Lu Yi: "Feeling alright?"

Rong Mi chuckled.

"I'm not one to brood over losing," he said as he opened the door to let Lu Yi in. "To be honest, I didn't expect Sister Hong to be that skilled. I even told her not to disappoint her fans."

The young man's tone was casual, tinged with self-amusement, but without any hint of embarrassment.

Pre-match banter and bravado were staples of the Mecha Combat Tournament.

"You're fine like this?" the young man asked. "According to the military's promotional schedule, you should still be in a coma. You wouldn't awaken for another day."

Lu Yi replied, "Not that many people can recognize me."

His mecha training suit was the most common type, and his face could be found on over a hundred million individuals across the Federation. His blue eyes weren't particularly distinctive either; eye color was easily customizable on the Star Network, with icy blue being a popular choice.

"Caution is advisable," Rong Mi muttered softly. "I recognized you in a second."

Lu Yi: "I set my login to stealth mode. My virtual avatar is only visible to specific individuals."

"It's an honor to be recognized by you in a second."

The lighting in the lounge was dim, but the general's gaze was sharp.

Rong Mi smiled. "It's an honor for me as well."

After all, the purpose behind Lu Yi's use of the simulation mode was too obvious.

Taking a seat in his half of the arena, Rong Mi made his way to Lu Yi's lounge.

"Mentioning your fever," Rong Mi murmured softly, aware that with Lu Yi no longer working, most of his day was spent lying in bed recuperating, which could be quite dull.

Rong Mi asked, "Here to offer some guidance from the sidelines?"

Lu Yi didn't confirm or deny this, leaning against the table as he observed him. "You've discovered the issue with your mental defense?"

The young man nodded.

"The concentration isn't dense enough," he summarized succinctly.

Lu Yi acknowledged with a low hum and then queried, "What about the fire?"

"That unique flame manifestation of your mental energy," he replied, noticing the slight pause in the youth's expression, and thus slowing down his tone slightly, "It's also an external manifestation of your secondary awakening ability."

The Admiral's voice was cool but his explanation sincere, "In your past battles, you only displayed this unique form of mental energy when outputting at high intensity. In reality, this form has nothing to do with the strength of your mental energy; it signifies the extraordinary aspect of your mental power after your second awakening, which is linked to flames."

"This manifestation would have appeared before your awakening and should occur regardless of the strength of your mental energy," Rong Mi explained.

"Perhaps your first manifestation of flame occurred during a perilous situation, coinciding with a breakthrough in your mental strength. That might have led to your misunderstanding."

"But you have indeed utilized flames even when your mental strength was at a lower level," the admiral stated coolly. "Sander."

Rong Mi: "..."

Rong Mi suddenly recalled that, yes, it was true.

When he had met the big lion Sander, he had, in an attempt to bond with the fluffy creature, summoned a small flame of mental energy to create a fireworks display for the lion.

It was an action done out of spontaneity.

Unburdened by the constraints of combat or preconceived notions, he found it effortless.

Lu Yi nodded as he saw Rong Mi recall the matter.

"Go ahead." The Admiral glanced at the remaining rest time and prompted Rong Mi to enter the preparation area.

"Also," he spoke up once more.

Rong Mi turned back, noticing Lu Yi's composed expression. He softly added, "Ayin wants to see the fireworks too."