Chapter 58: Amusement Park (Part Two)

Chapter 58: Amusement Park (Part Two)

Yu Tiantian: "..."

Yu Tiantian pushed aside the helmet, meeting Rong Mi's eyes directly.

The young man was crouched above the ceiling, inside an air duct, one hand holding up the ceiling panel he had removed. He looked down at Yu Tiantian with an easygoing expression.

Yu Tiantian: "..."

Rong Mi: "No need to be surprised. I learned this trick from you."

Yu Tiantian: "..."

His gaze shifted repeatedly, from astonishment to wariness, mixed with hatred and confusion, his expression a complicated blend.

Rong Mi didn't urge him to move. Instead, he leaned out again, looking down to ensure that no alarms had been triggered.

He had been exploring the amusement park base for a day and found its security system to be much simpler than he had anticipated.

The defense system within the entire base was identical to the most advanced one currently used by the military department, but the majority of the facilities were concentrated around the perimeter, designed to prevent outsiders from detecting and infiltrating the folded space.

Each entrance to the base's buildings had access controls, yet the security inside was surprisingly lax. In this medical room, for instance, there were no surveillance cameras installed.

Rong Mi's communicator, which belonged to a chef, originally granted access only to a few kitchens in the base's dining halls.

However, due to the tightly packed structures within the base, the ventilation systems were interconnected. The size of the amusement park could accommodate the population of a small city. Aside from the uniquely shaped central tower at the heart of the base, all other buildings were connected internally, providing Rong Mi with the opportunity to explore the entire base starting from the kitchen.

It was puzzling why the Symbiosis Association, knowing how to sneak into the military's science academy, left such a glaring vulnerability in their own base. It almost felt as if someone had intentionally left a backdoor open for Rong Mi's operation today when the base was constructed.

The ventilation ducts within the amusement park base were about waist-high. For Rong Mi, they were somewhat cramped, but for the young Silver Wolf, they were spacious.

Ayin spent the day running through several buildings in the base, mapping out its general layout and defensive systems. The only unexplored area was the central tower, which was entirely isolated from the rest of the facility.

Based on Rong Mi and Ayin's observations, they speculated that the central control room for the defense system and the operation console for the spatial folding device were both located within the tower. It was also possible that Ellen was being held captive there, as neither Rong Mi nor the wolf sensed the Captain's presence during their day-long exploration.

However, special communication permissions were required to enter the central tower, and Rong Mi's bracelet wasn't sufficient. They would have to seize someone else's device.

He thus decided to approach Yu Tiantian in the hopes of turning his luck around, only to discover her confined within a hospital room.

Yu Tiantian pressed her lips together.

He despised Rong Mi, but even more so, he didn't wish to become a vessel for Moth.

At that moment, Rong Mi lifted the vent cover. Yu Tiantian promptly stood up from the bed.

Most rooms within the amusement park base were low-ceilinged; he stepped on the bed and reached out to grip the edge of the ceiling.

"Give me a hand," he whispered.

"Do you want me to pull you up?" Rong Mi looked down at him for a moment before extending his hand.

The instant their hands clasped, Yu Tiantian's expression suddenly turned cold.

His mental energy was about to burst forth, but Rong Mi was quicker.

Purple mental energy swiftly transformed into chains, wrapping around Yu Tiantian's wrists and climbing up his neck. With a firm pull, Rong Mi dragged Yu Tiantian towards the vent, simultaneously infiltrating Yu Tiantian's mental domain to restrict his use of mental energy.

Yu Tiantian clearly hadn't anticipated this turn of events.

"…You?!" His eyes widened in alarm. "How can you enter…?"

"I'm a therapist, so of course I can enter someone's mental domain," Rong Mi said casually. "When it doesn't matter about the healing outcome, forcefully breaking through is no big deal."

"Or… do I look like an idiotic innocent? Taking you out and letting you roam free only to catch you again and claim credit?"

"But my mental power level is A-grade! And you're just a D-grade therapist…"

"I've told you before not to dwell on the past." Rong Mi sealed the vent passage.

A purple flame flickered in the tunnel, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

Without any hesitation, Rong Mi grabbed Yu Tiantian's arm and rolled up his sleeve.

"The mental imprints left by Ice Butterfly are gone," the young man raised an eyebrow. "Disposable items."

"Be quiet, don't scream," he looked at Yu Tiantian and tapped his temple. "I still have a trace of mental power left in your mental domain."

"To avoid sudden brain death and turning into an idiot, you'd better cooperate with me and answer my questions."

"The first one," the young man's casual demeanor faded, and he spoke in a cold tone, "What do you plan on doing with Lu Yi?"

Yu Tiantian pressed his lips together. His inner turmoil raged on.

He had no idea what Rong Mi's purpose was for entering here, but it certainly wasn't to rescue him.

If... If Rong Mi were to sabotage the base, and he ended up captured by the military, he would surely spend a long time in a military prison.

Riots might break out in the base very soon. He needed to escape amidst the chaos and avoid being caught by the military...

To prevent himself from becoming a host, it would be best if he didn't get found by the Symbiosis Association for a while.

But if, just if, there was a chance for him to redeem himself and return to the Symbiosis Association, continuing the genetic modifications and fully freeing himself from mental domain ailments... then he couldn't possibly divulge the Association's plans to Rong Mi!

Rong Mi tilted his head slightly and clicked his tongue softly.

In the next moment, Yu Tiantian felt a searing blaze of pain as if flames were scorching his mental domain, threatening to melt his brain.

Yu Tiantian let out a terrified shriek.

Rong Mi's spiritual energy delved into Yu Tiantian's mental sea, far from the gentle and cautious approach when healing Lu Yi.

Purple energy sparked, traversing through Yu Tiantian's mental landscape.

The youth held back, refraining from causing any irreversible damage to Yu Tiantian's mental sea, though the pain was excruciatingly unbearable.

...This agony was even less severe than the chaos in Lu Yi's spiritual domain, but Yu Tiantian soon reached his limit.

"I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" He shuddered in pain, yelling, "It was... someone close to Lu Yi... very close to him! They injected him with Ice Butterfly Poison... that's all I know...!"

"Ao." The Silver Wolves, who had been guarding Rong Mi in the passage ahead, turned their heads upon hearing the commotion.

Rong Mi waved at them, and the wolf ran over to the young man.

"Ah Yin, patch me through to the Admiral's communication," Rong Mi pretended to be nonchalant, lifting a paw to his mouth as if it were a microphone. "Hello, Admiral, can you hear me?"

"You're in trouble again,"

Ayin: "..."

The wolf reluctantly raised a paw, sitting respectfully before Rong Mi.

In Lu Yi's apartment, the general sensed a subtle touch on his lips, causing his gaze to shift. He lifted his left hand to touch his lips, then reached for the healing needle that had just been inserted into the back of his other hand, pulling it out as he sat up.

"What's wrong?" Lu Tianxing, who was adjusting the medication nearby, looked up in surprise. "Is the military calling? You still have one more dose to go."

"It's not the military, it's personal. I'll make up this injection tomorrow."

Lu Yi turned and headed for the study, gesturing for Lu Tianxing to do as he pleased.

"Thank you for your effort."

Lu Tianxing: "..."

He could sense that due to the incident on the aircraft, Lu Yi had become significantly cooler towards him than before.

It wasn't just Lu Yi; the other occupants of the apartment were also not welcoming him.

Lu Tianxing lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the Bolting Lion at the entrance of the treatment room.

Sandel Lion had Damon Rabbit perched on its head, staring intently as if wary of any mischief Lu Tianxing might attempt within Lu Yi's apartment.

After a brief stare-down with the lion, Lu Tianxing lowered his head and closed the medical kit.

He had realized that both the lion and the rabbit had a close relationship with Rong Mi. These two Star Beasts obeyed her commands.

...It was a headache to deal with.

In the study, Lu Yi had already engaged the electronic lock on the door and fully immersed himself in the Wolf's spirit domain, initiating a 100% empathetic connection with Ayin.

Due to the enhanced connection, the subtle tactile sensation on his forehead became vividly clear for that instant.

Lu Yi: "..."

The Admiral instinctively reached out to grab Rong Mi's wrist, only to grasp thin air.

Rong Mi was gently stroking the wolf's head, a recent habit he'd adopted for stress relief.

In Lu Yi's perception, the young man was tenderly caressing the strands of hair on his forehead with intermittent touches.

It was almost like a lover's intimate and teasing gesture.

"When do you plan to initiate the operation?" Rong Mi was oblivious to the connection between the general's senses and the wolf's tactile awareness.

He looked at Yu Tiantian and asked, his voice still carrying a hint of irritation.

"I don't know the specifics!" Yu Tiantian averted her gaze. "I only overheard their casual conversation..."

Rong Mi's caressing motion paused, his gaze darkening.

"Has it already begun?" He rephrased his question.

Rong Mi was usually adept at controlling his emotions. But as this speculation arose in his mind, the spiritual energy he had dwelling within Yu Tiantian's mental domain uncontrollably surged, causing her to let out a piercing scream from the pain.

Rong Mi's voice turned icy. "Speak."

"I... I don't know!" Yu Tiantian shouted. "I truly don't know! My position within the Symbiosis Association isn't high enough to gain access to such details! I'm only in charge of promoting the Association! ——Stop... Stop! Help! ..."

"Ao." Amidst Yu Tiantian's screams, the Wolf Lord gently nudged Rong Mi's palm and placed its paw comfortingly on his wrist.

Its ice-blue eyes met Rong Mi's, emitting a soothing growl.

The color of the wolf's eyes was identical to Lu Yi's.

"General."

Rong Mi exhaled and held the wolf's paw. For a moment, he was at a loss for words and subconsciously pinched Ayin's soft, pink paw pad.

Ever since the Ice Fire Tournament, the military had been conducting internal cleansing, searching for traitors. Now that Lu Yi was on Capital Star, away from the war zone, the number of people he usually interacted with wasn't extensive.

The one who could have secretly injected Lu Yi with the Ice Butterfly venom without being noticed... apart from himself, it seemed there was only Lu Tianxing.

This was not a comforting thought.

That was Lu Yi's kin.

Also the doctor who knew the general's physique best.

"Xiao Yi?" Outside the study in the apartment, Lu Tianxing knocked on the door and said somewhat helplessly, "I'll leave then. If you're busy right now, I can come back later. Don't always postpone things until tomorrow. You need to take care of yourself..."

His voice was as gentle as usual, with no trace of abnormality.