Chapter 57: Amusement Park (Part One)

Chapter 57: Amusement Park (Part One)

This was a rare indulgence of Lu Yi's desires.

Most of his senses were focused on Rong Mi, with the remainder vigilant for any potential danger around them.

Aside from that, he paid little attention to the park's attractions.

In contrast, everything in the park seemed novel to Rong Mi.

Determined not to waste the tickets, Rong Mi explored various themed areas.

It being a weekend, the amusement park was bustling with people, and long queues formed at popular rides. Consulting the guide on the screen, Rong Mi decided to start with the most thrilling ride, the holographic Rainforest Roller Coaster.

Lu Yi, not particularly interested in the park's attractions and having just recovered from a fever, waited outside with the wolf and rabbit on a bench.

When Rong Mi descended from the roller coaster, he saw the General with the rabbit in his pocket, the wolf on his lap, one hand feeding the wolf jerky, and the other holding two chocolate ice cream cones, gazing towards the exit.

The sunlight illuminated Lu Yi's chiseled features perfectly.

Rong Mi approached him, unable to restrain himself. "General."

Lu Yi lifted his gaze, silently asking for an explanation.

"There's nothing," Rong Mi took the ice cream bucket offered by Lu Yi and took a bite, squinting his eyes in delight. "It tastes so good."

Sweet.

A flavor he had never tasted before.

Sitting beside Lu Yi, Rong Mi enjoyed his ice cream while leaning back into the chair, relaxing his body.

A group of children ran past them, clutching colorful balloons. Rong Mi's gaze passed through the balloon ribbons, landing on the park map displayed on a nearby screen.

In this relaxed and cozy atmosphere, he was reluctant to bring up the unsettling topics related to the Ice Butterflies or the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association.

Yet, he couldn't avoid it.

"Yu Tiantian should be passing right in front of us," Rong Mi said after finishing the last bite of his ice cream, gesturing the proximity to Lu Yi. "So close."

A forearm's length apart, but before them stood emptiness.

Lu Yi: "Spatial Fold."

"Mm-hm, there should be unregistered spatial folding installations in the amusement park," Rong Mi scanned their surroundings. "I wonder how extensive it is."

"It would be hard to sense anything clearly with so many people and chaotic energy fields during the day in the park."

"Did Damon detect any distinctive insectoid mental energy?"

Damon, in Lu Yi's pocket, seemed hesitant.

The park's energy was too chaotic and abundant for the rabbit to discern.

"…Chirp." The bunny looked around, eventually turning its head to the grand Ferris wheel towering in the center of the amusement park.

Rong Mi pondered, nodded, and reached for an apple slice to feed the rabbit.

Damon's nose twitched. It clawed at Lu Yi's pocket, stretching its neck to reach the apple slice. Its little mouth worked happily as it nibbled away.

Rong Mi held an apple in one hand while stealthily, out of the wolves' sight, he scratched the rabbit's chin with the other.

Lu Yi glanced at him briefly but didn't tattle to the Silver Wolves. Instead, he gazed at the Ferris wheel and calmly said, "Wait until nighttime."

Rong Mi acknowledged the instruction and lowered his head to look at the rabbit.

Damon Rabbit was happily munching on the apple slice, causing bits of flesh and droplets of juice to sprinkle onto Lu Yi's seemingly expensive coat.

Rong Mi maintained his composure and, without drawing attention, reached out to wipe off the apple juice from Lu Yi's coat with great care.

Lu Yi: "..."

Lu Yi: "I've already seen it."

Rong Mi said solemnly, "You haven't." He then casually threw the tissue into the trash can nearby.

The Admiral had no retort to this and averted his gaze, acknowledging that he hadn't indeed seen it.

"Consider your next venture to be ' Scaling Snowy Peaks'," he changed the subject with his usual detached tone. "Use a fast-track pass; no need to wait in line."

Rong Mi: "..."

Rong Mi looks at him doubtfully.

"Finished reading the guide," Lu Yi taps his communicator, gesturing towards Rong Mi.

He waits for the wolf and rabbit to finish their snacks before standing up. "Let's go."

"If you don't hurry, it'll be difficult for you to experience the main attractions today."

For mecha pilots, the rides in the amusement park can hardly be considered thrilling.

But for Rong Mi, this is an exceptionally extraordinary day.

He plays from morning until the park ignites fireworks in the evening.

As the park clears out, Rong Mi wears the imitation light-up devil horns that Lu Yi bought for him, holds a cute cartoon wolf-shaped balloon given by Lu Yi, and raises a large cluster of pink strawberry cotton candy in his other hand.

Rong Mi takes quite a while to finish the cotton candy.

As midnight struck, in the shadows beyond the amusement park, Rong Mi held the cotton candy while extending his mental energy to examine the folded space within the park.

Purple threads of his mental energy danced gently in the night breeze as they drifted across the playground.

Damon, nestled in Lu Yi's pocket, let out a faint chirp, growing restless. The rabbit kept lifting its head to gaze at the Ferris wheel within the park.

After closing time, the colorful lights on the Ferris wheel extinguished, leaving it standing darkly, like a steel beast lurking in the shadows.

Moments later, Rong Mi turned to look at Lu Yi.

"The folded space almost completely overlaps with the amusement park," he whispered, his lips still pink from the cotton candy. "Damon's reaction suggests there's something hidden inside. Perhaps... Cecil, the spirit carrier of the Ice Butterfly."

Yu Tiantian claimed to have seen that ice butterfly, but Rong Mi believed he had only encountered a fragmentary carrier of its spirit energy.

Just like the Sub-Butterfly they'd defeated in the space station, whose mental domain concealed a portion of the Ice Butterfly's spirit energy.

Otherwise, if that Ice Butterfly had truly regained its strength, it would likely have caused chaos throughout the capital planet by now.

Lu Yi acknowledged with a murmur and reached out to wipe the cotton candy residue from the corner of Rong Mi's mouth.

Rong Mi never expected the general to make such a gesture. He also felt something on his lips and instinctively licked it.

Rong Mi: "!!"

Lu Yi: "..."

The young man's tongue brushed against the tip of his finger.

It was moist and soft.

Lu Yi's finger trembled slightly, curling up as if an electric current had passed through it.

Rong Mi stared at him with wide eyes, as if he had frozen in place. For a moment, he was unsure whether to apologize, wipe his mouth and tongue, or inquire why the general had reached out.

Before his mind could catch up, his mouth spoke first.

Rong Mi: "Your hand feels a bit cold."

Rong Mi: "..."

Lu Yi: "..."

Rong Mi: "I mean..." He attempted to clarify his statement. "Let's go home. You've just recovered from your fever; you shouldn't be out in the wind like this."

"Approximate location confirmed... Are there still trustworthy people in the military? Should we directly contact Admiral Zhang Lingyu?"

"Get the Capital Star Guard to set up a perimeter outside the amusement park. Use some excuse to temporarily shut it down..."

Suddenly, Lu Yi furrowed his brow and looked towards the entrance of the amusement park.

Rong Mi paused and bent down, hiding the cotton candy. With his other hand, he gently brushed aside the bushes, completely concealing their presence.

"The spatial energy is fluctuating," the young man whispered. "Someone's coming out from inside..."

Then, Rong Mi stuffed the cotton candy into Lu Yi's arms and made a silent gesture with his hand. A purple burst of psychic energy shot out from before him, forming an energy band that wrapped tightly around the person emerging from the folded space within the amusement park, dragging them into the shadows.

The young man's actions were swift and efficient.

He covered the newcomer's mouth and nose to prevent any sound from escaping, then bound them and swiftly knocked them out. He rolled up the person's sleeve for a quick inspection.

"It's still this emblem," Rong Mi said contentedly, pulling out the Deep Space Echo tattoo sticker Marco had given him and placing it on the inside of his forearm.

Lu Yi: "..."

Rong Mi moved swiftly, taking advantage of the moment when the other party had just used their communicator to unlock the spatial fold door, and before the device could lock again, he promptly changed the password and checked the communicator's permissions.

This person didn't have high clearance, yet they were free to come and go from the amusement park base's kitchen processing room. There seemed to be no special reason for leaving the base in the middle of the night; it was simply a case of late-night cravings. Taking advantage of the end of their shift, they sneaked out for a snack.

The entrance to the amusement park wasn't the main gate of the current base but rather a side exit meant for emergencies. No one knew who initially discovered this unguarded side door. The chefs hadn't reported it; instead, they treated it as a secret shortcut for their personal breaks.

Seems like the food at the amusement park base isn't that great, Rong Mi mused.

He browsed through the chef's communicator bracelet and found a work schedule.

"....Weekend rotations for days off, quite considerate," Rong Mi whispered after glancing at it. "Perfect, no one will notice if he doesn't show up for work these two days."

As he spoke, he slipped the communicator onto his wrist and turned to Lu Yi.

"It's a rare opportunity. I'll take a look inside," the young man said. "You handle things outside."

"But don't overexert yourself, take care of your body. The military isn't relying solely on you."

Lu Yi acknowledged, then removed the spatial button from around his neck and placed it in Rong Mi's hand. "My armor."

Rong Mi had returned his standard-issue armor to Sun Tong; the pendant he currently wore still contained Ya Die's remains.

"Everything I use is yours," Rong Mi said with a smile, giving Lu Yi a thumbs-up to indicate that there was no issue.

"By the way, can cotton candy be frozen?" He glanced at the entrance of the amusement park before turning back. "If possible, freeze it for me. I'll continue eating when I come out!"

The corner of Lu Yi's lips curled up slightly. "Like it? You can buy a new one."

"After entering the folded space, stay in touch."

"There might be signal interference inside," Rong Mi mentioned. "Let's set a time for action first. Do you need two days to coordinate with the military?"

"One day is enough," Lu Yi replied calmly, gesturing for Rong Mi to lower his head.

As the young man bent down, he saw Ayin approach his feet and leap upward with great effort, its wolf claws hooking onto the hem of Rong Mi's coat.

"Communicator Wolf," Lu Yi stated tersely. "Stay in touch at all times."

"Avoid turning into a Carrier if possible."

"Assuming no unexpected events, we'll move at dawn, one day from now."

"Initiate the operation when the silver moon rises."

*

"Beep—Psyche Domain activity test complete, 50% activity detected—Recommend administering additional sedatives for Psyche Domain stabilization..."

The emotionless mechanical voice echoed in the room, intertwined with suppressed gasps of fear.

This was a pristine white chamber akin to a medical facility.

The room was sparsely decorated, its four walls sealed. In the center stood a medical bed, flanked by rows of medical equipment. Nothing else occupied the space.

As the results were displayed, the Psyche Domain scanner disconnected. The slender youth on the medical bed trembled as he removed his helmet, gazing at the floating communication screen beside him.

"I... I don't want to become a Carrier," he said, struggling to remain calm amidst his terror. "Could you please tell Lord Cecil that I have a greater purpose?"

"What use is it?" The person on the screen smiled expressionlessly. "We nurtured you, hoping that you could be like Deep Space Echo, attracting a group of followers for us to gradually find potential prospects among them... I admit, you successfully became a Star Network singer and did quite well."

"We arranged for you to participate in the Ice and Fire Tournament to let more people get to know you... It was also a benefit for you."

"That planet holds one of the bodies we wish to awaken for Lord Cecil. By participating in the tournament, you would have witnessed this grand event firsthand."

"You wanted to settle some personal scores during the competition... Understandable, and we didn't stop you. The person you requested to place in the Ice and Fire Tournament messed things up."

"Not only did they ruin our plans for the Ice and Fire Tournament, but your reputation on the Star Network has plummeted as well."

Yu Tiantian: "... Yes." He whispered, "I'm very sorry. But I..."

"You said you wanted to make amends," the other person continued. "Of course, you can."

"Breaking into the Academy of Sciences Research Institute was a difficult task, and many wouldn't dare to intervene. In terms of that mission alone, you were somewhat successful... But as I mentioned earlier, you caused us to lose Deep Space Echo."

"Yes..." Yu Tiantian said anxiously, "But I..."

"The military has already started investigating the circle of Star Network singers. Tianchen Entertainment Company just distanced itself from the Ice and Fire Tournament, and now it's facing another investigation."

"But actually, those aren't the ultimate reasons why we decided to make you the vessel."

"Or rather, those weren't the reasons Lord Cecil requested for you to become one."

Yu Tiantian: "…"

He fell silent abruptly, fixating on the communication screen before him.

His lips trembled slightly. After a moment of silence, he asked in a quivering voice, "Then... what was it?"

"Because of Rong Mi," the person on the screen replied. "At the Academy's research institute, you clashed with him."

"…Yes." Yu Tiantian replied blankly, "I wanted to kill him... but I failed. Why? How is this related to being Lord Cecil's… vessel?"

"His mental power is immense. It's entirely normal that you couldn't defeat him."

"But he'll be hunting you down," the person on the screen continued. "We hope that as a vessel, when you encounter him again... Lord Cecil will be able to devour and assimilate him."

Yu Tiantian: "..."

"He's the reason?" he asked. "Is there truly no other alternative? I don't want... I don't want to lose my sense of self. I can bring him in, into the base, to Lord Cecil!"

"You can't defeat him alone," the figure on the screen said impatiently. "The base has had enough disturbances lately. Any more and we'll all be in trouble."

"Don't be so fearful. To become Lord Cecil's new vessel is an honor for you!"

"But I don't want to lose... my own thoughts..."

"There must be another way besides using me as a vessel! A way that's inconspicuous, just like how you intended to deal with Admiral Lu Yi from the Military Department..." Yu Tiantian pleaded urgently. "I'm willing to cooperate in any other way! I can regain my fans on the Star Network... Hey?! Hey! Don't disconnect the communication! I really can..."

The communicative light screen before my eyes has dimmed.

The person on the other end, tired of his rhetoric, simply cut off the communication.

Beep... —— Elevated carrier emotion detected, mental domain activity on the rise —— Preparing to administer additional sedative ——

"I refuse!" Yu Tiantian declared furiously.

The medical robot had already extended its mechanical arm, pinning him down on the bed without hesitation. It then inserted a medical needle and reattached the black monitoring helmet onto his head.

Yu Tiantian struggled fiercely, exerting all his mental strength, but to no avail.

The cold needle pierced the back of his neck, eliciting a pained gasp from Yu Tiantian. However, moments later, he realized that his mental domain did not experience the same chilling numbness as in previous instances.

There seemed to be an issue with the data display function within the helmet; the indicator of mental domain activity flickered a few times before coming to a complete halt. A soft click sounded from the side as the medical robot ceased its robotic announcement of data. The restrictive metal rings clasped around his limbs loosened instantly.

Yu Tiantian: "..."

Yu Tiantian: "Huh?"

Panting in confusion, he sensed a soft sound coming from the floor by the bed.

"Aren't you going to do anything? Take off your helmet," a casual yet clear voice instructed. "You're no longer of use to them, but you might be of some use to me."

"If you don't want to become a new vessel for the Butterfly, come with me."