Chapter 73: Inspection (Part Two)

Chapter 73: Inspection (Part Two)

Chen Mo: "..."

After a moment of silence, Chen Mo picked up the e-pen again.

"Mental Strength Advancement Grade Minimum: 3S." As a researcher who had seen all sorts of "unbelievable" results, he calmly wrote this down and added a note, "This test result can serve as strong evidence for applying to the Foundation for research funding and allocation for the development of more advanced instruments."

"Mental Acuity: S."

"Rejection Level: F"

...

The subsequent results that popped up were identical to the previous ones.

"Healer Rank: S+ (tentative, +++)."

Chen Mo's eyebrows lifted slightly.

Rong Mi's Therapist rank has ascended alongside the strength of his mental power!

Moreover, compared to the previous result, there was now an advancement judgment at the back, with the minimum advancement level being 3S.

It was exhilarating news!

Especially for Lu Yi.

Such test results indicated that as long as Rong Mi could successfully undergo a second awakening, he would surely be able to enter the deepest layer of Lu Yi's mental domain for treatment.

Perhaps, with Rong Mi around, Lu Yi's spiritual tree fracture might genuinely be healed.

"Beep—Special module activated."

"The following are the results of the second awakening assessment."

The instrument's notification pulled Chen Mo back from his brief moment of distraction. He swiped the screen to examine the data displayed on the device's luminous panel.

"Second Awakening Probability: 100%."

"Second Awakening Progress: 55%."

"Maximum Instantaneous Awakening Level: 100%."

"Awakening Domain Type: Flame."

"Awakened Star Beast Category: Dragon-Bird."

"Estimated Time Until Next Awakening: 31 days (±5 days)."

"Awake as a Star Beast type?" The data on the screen within the examination station refreshed synchronously as the robotic arm removed the patch from Rong Mi's body. The young man scanned the screen with a puzzled voice, "What does this mean?"

"Xingbeasts have had psychic contracts with humans before." Chen Mo opened the checkpoint door, gesturing for Rong Mi to exit. "Existing xingbeasts can form battle companion contracts with humans, while the powerful, extinct species, though no longer having any living individuals, can still, to a certain extent, serve as combat reinforcements for humans."

"By way of an ancient compact with the entire human race, through a selection process of which the standards are unknown, it fuses its power with specific individuals."

"Institute scholars speculate that this is the source of the significant boost in mental capabilities following humanity's second awakening. Naturally, I don't subscribe to this perspective. Humans have their own trajectory of evolution, and I lean more towards the idea that those who meet the conditions for a second awakening just happen to fit the selection criteria."

"So I'll have a Dragonbird companion?" Rong Mi's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Despite the Dragonbird being covered in scales, it had fluffy balls at the end of its tail! It must feel great to touch! Its head and wings must be delightful too!

"Under normal circumstances, no," Chen Mo dispelled his fantasy.

"As per the contract and calculations from the device, the Star Beast's power will manifest through your mental energy as an energy form. Its energy fluctuations and tactile sensations would be identical to your own energy threads."

Rong Mi: "…Oh."

Rong Mi sighed.

"Alright then." Finding no new furry creature to stroke, he turned and roughly patted the wolf as a consolation for himself.

Ayin was long used to Rong Mi's occasional petting and was no longer the little wolf that would run away at the first touch.

It sat by Rong Mi's feet, squinting its eyes contentedly from the stroking but remained still.

Rong Mi: "…"

Staring into Ayin's icy blue eyes, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Recalling something, he held the wolf and looked at Chen Mo.

"Young Master Lu Yi's awakened Star Beast type…" The youth furrowed his brows. "Is it an Icefield Silver Wolf?"

"Yes," Chen Mo nodded. He pondered for a moment. Lu Yi had only asked him to keep his tactile ability a secret and hadn't said anything about not telling Rong Mi. Thus, he continued, "The Icefield Silver Wolf species is actually already extinct. The reason why people believe that there are still individuals alive today is due to a misunderstanding brought about by General Silver."

Rong Mi paused in his actions.

"It's not entirely a misunderstanding," Chen Mo smiled. "General Silver is indeed an Icefield Silver Wolf, but its birth method is very unique."

"It was created when, during Lu Yi's second failed awakening, a large amount of mental energy was forcibly separated from his mental domain and combined with a Star Beast contract, resulting in the final product."

Rong Mi: "…"

Rong Mi: "So Ayin's spiritual energy bond with Lu Yi's is far more intimate than a typical Star Beast contract. Ayin's spiritual energy fluctuations are also extremely similar to Lu Yi's."

He wasn't an idiot and immediately grasped the key point.

"That's why Lu Yi said he shares vision and hearing with the wolf," he concluded.

Rong Mi's caressing motion on the wolf paused.

Rong Mi: "Wait a moment."

Why was it just a sharing of sight and sound?

If it were an extremely intimate mental bond... all senses should be shared.

That meant that when he was stroking the wolf, Lu Yi should have had a reaction as well.

He turned his head to look at the Silver Wolves.

The large silver wolf sat gracefully beside him, locking eyes with Rong Mi. Sensing the pause in Rong Mi's movements, it tilted its head slightly, widened its eyes, and let out an inquisitive howl, stepping forward initiatively.

Now, when the wolf sat down, it was almost as tall as Rong Mi when he stood up. Its physique was slender, yet its fur was luxuriantly fluffy. Its tail hung on the floor, the tip pointing slightly forward, forming a half-circle curl.

The combination of its powerful presence and adorable fluffiness made Rong Mi instantly lose his rationality.

Since Ayin didn't issue any warning, and Lu Yi didn't comment further, Rong Mi thought, there shouldn't be anything wrong! After all, considering the extent to which he petted the wolf... If the Admiral were aware, he would surely have sternly spoken up to stop him!

He would never utter something like "touch as you please"!

Rong Mi convinced himself silently and nodded, completely forgetting that Lu Yi had indeed opposed his interaction with Ayin when they first met.

Chen Mo, still contemplating how to help Lu Yi cover up the situation, watched as Rong Mi's hand returned to Ayin, contentedly stroking the soft fur on the wolf's neck.

"Ayin was born from Lu Yi's mental energy…" Rong Mi's thoughts drifted back to Chen Mo's earlier account. Recalling the state of Lu Yi's mental tree, he frowned.

Rong Mi: "The failure of his second awakening must have caused significant damage to Lu Yi's mental domain."

"Yes," Chen Mo nodded. "Ever since his second awakening failed, Lu Yi has frequently experienced disorders within his mental domain."

"Still, he's one of the least affected by the aftermath of a failed second awakening."

"You're currently at 55% awakened," Chen Mo considered. "With a few high-intensity battles as stimuli, your awakening level will quickly rise to 100%. I'd guess… this might take only two to three months, or even less."

"Of course," he joked, "if you have more opportunities to fight against fragments of Cheng Die's mental energy like this, one or two more battles should do it."

Rong Mi smiled warmly. "If there's another chance."

Chen Mo twirled the electronic pen in his hand and said with a mix of sincerity and jest, "I'll jot down your request and pass it on to Admiral Zhang Lingyu."

"The moment the awakening commences, you need to stay away from high-intensity energy fields," the director of the Spiritual Power Research Institute said solemnly. "The conditions for a second awakening are very stringent."

"First, during the transformation of the spirit domain, the surrounding environment must provide ample energy substances to replenish, or the second awakening will automatically cease and not restart. Furthermore, due to the excessive energy consumption, your original spirit power level might decline."

"Second, the surrounding energy field must be serene and stable. During the awakening process, your spirit domain will become unusually sensitive. Any fluctuations in the surrounding energy could provoke an overreaction in your spirit domain... For example, releasing a high intensity of spirit power until your spirit domain becomes chaotic, or even—"

He made a gesture. "Self-destructing."

"At the same time, you need to have exceptional control over your spirit power. While new spirit threads rapidly grow, you must constantly regulate their behavior, preventing them from breaking through and disrupting the boundaries of your spirit domain due to rapid growth."

Rong Mi blinked.

"The third one is easier to resolve," he said. "Just keep practicing your control. But the first two... You need both ample energy and extreme calmness."

Rong Mi found it peculiar. "But these two things tend to counteract each other."

"This is precisely why humans have never succeeded in a second awakening before," Chen Mo offered a wry smile. "Many had their awakenings interrupted, and quite a few lost their mental domains or were obliterated into dust..."

"However, Lu Yi was the closest to success. He found the right location, a unique planet called 'The Slumbering Sea,' within the jurisdiction of the First Legion."

"He would have taken you there when it was time for your awakening."

"Although Lu Yi's second awakening didn't succeed, he maintained a good relationship with that planet."

Rong Mi nodded, acknowledging the statement, but his thoughts strayed back to Lu Yi.

He had never asked Lu Yi about the specifics of his failed second awakening.

Because he could tell that Lu Yi was not willing to discuss it. When he first encountered Cheng Die's fragments of mental power, he overheard the Third Legion's vice commander mentioning that Cheng Die was killed by Lu Yi during his own second awakening, when he self-destructed.

Rong Mi: "He interrupted his own awakening to 'kill' Cheng Die."

Although Rong Mi already knew how tragic the incident was when he first heard it from Sun Ming, learning more details about second awakenings made him realize that his initial understanding was superficial.

"Yes," Chen Mo whispered. "Lu Yi rushed back hastily."

"The first time humanity encountered a Butterfree, they were unprepared. The Butterfree swiftly broke through several battlezone defenses and crossed the border of the Safe Star Region."

"The military originally didn't plan on informing Lu Yi about the situation in the battlezone before his promotion. However, the circumstances were dire. The sector breached by the Butterfree was under the Seventh Legion's jurisdiction. At that time, the legion commander, Noras, who was severely injured and on the brink of death, made the decision to inform Lu Yi about the battle."

"None of us knew if his decision was right or wrong. If Lu Yi hadn't returned early, nobody would know if the legion could withstand the pressure and find a way to deal with the Butterfree... Or if they could wait until he completed his awakening and use his mental power to fend off the creature."

"I know," Rong Mi nodded.

"He would definitely come back."

It was a choice that Lu Yi would undoubtedly make.

Rong Mi had clashed with the Butterfree's mental energy fragments and knew how difficult it was to handle.

Not to mention, the military had to face an uninjured Butterfree for the first time, knowing nothing about this kind of monster.

In such haste, the action Lu Yi could take was to utilize his extremely sensitive, uncontrollable, yet wildly projecting mental domain...

With the sacrifice of himself, he dealt a fatal blow to the butterfly.

"Then he's quite fortunate," Rong Mi murmured, "Despite such severe aftereffects..."

"But he's still alive."

Able to eat, drink... and keep fighting, keep courting danger.

"Suddenly, I feel like going back," he said, standing up abruptly to Chen Mo.

At that moment, he desperately wanted to see Lu Yi.

Ayin, sensing Rong Mi's intention to leave, crouched down, inviting the young man to mount him.

The wolf pet became his wolf steed.

Rong Mi smiled, hugging the wolf's head and vigorously petting it, instantly lifting half the weight on his heart.

"Thanks for the enlightenment today," he climbed onto Silver Wolves' back and waved at Chen Mo, "I'll treat you to a meal when Lu Yi is better!"

Recalling the cracks in Lu Yi's mental root, Chen Mo suppressed his concerns and simply said, "Then I'll wait."

"Rest more when you get back," he added. "Don't take it lightly just because you're a healer. If you feel uncomfortable with your mental domain, come find me."

Rong Mi gave a reassuring gesture with a smile.

The Silver Wolves turned its head to ensure the youth was securely on its back before carrying Rong Mi out of Chen Mo's lab, diving into the night.

Chen Mo's lab was indeed not far from the First Hospital on the capital planet. By the time Rong Mi finished his examination, the medical starship had already arrived at the hospital's landing pad, completing the transfer of the injured.

Due to the recent amusement park battle, the First Hospital was brightly lit, bustling with people on the ground level.

There were patients being transferred, relatives hastily rushing over, security guards maintaining order, and some concerned citizens checking if they could lend a hand.

"A patient building is currently sealed off because all the patients there have been exposed to Ice Butterfly mental energy," a nurse explained at the entrance to the anxious families.

Some understood and sat on benches to wait patiently. Others, more impatient, continued to argue with the nurse.

"We need to see Cheng Wen!" a group of relatives angrily blocked the entrance. "What vague message did he send us... How does the amusement park, which is the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association's headquarters on the capital planet, relate to Ah Chen's sudden death?!"

"Awen has been bewitched by him. In recent years, she's only close to him and no longer keeps in touch with the family. Her assets have all been transferred out! This time, don't tell me he killed for money..."

As they spoke, they surged forward, with the person at the front roughly shoving the nurse.

The nurse, who had been patiently explaining, stumbled backward from the push. She took a deep breath, regained her balance, and pointed upward at the surveillance camera above them.

"Calm down," the nurse said coolly, "If you continue to push forward... First, you'll face a hefty fine for assaulting a nurse."

"Second, I have the right to defend myself." Her aura shifted, and a surge of energy flowed through her, causing her muscles to tense visibly, not overly exaggerated but extremely intimidating.

"One punch from me... and you might need to spend the night in the neighboring surgery ward for treatment!"

The rowdy relatives fell silent, "..."

"You accuse others of 'murder for profit', but it seems you're here for the money too," a mocking female voice came from behind the unruly group. "Upon learning of the incident, you're afraid that Awen might leave her inheritance to Awen and are eagerly trying to gauge the situation?"

As she spoke, she caught sight of a glint of silver above and couldn't help but look up.

Her planned sarcasm suddenly faltered.

Receiving a communication in the middle of the night, Rong Yan, the head of the Rong family, rubbed her eyes as she rushed from home.

...Why did it seem like she just saw Rong Mi, who used to have a low profile at home but recently gained significant fame, riding on the back of... Lu Yi...

Oh no, it was on the back of Lu Yi's Silver Wolf.

They were soaring high above the ground.

Rong Mi was oblivious to Rong Yan's mental imagery.

Even if he knew that the wolf was Lu Yi's spirit companion, he didn't usually associate Ayin with Lu Yi.

The wolf, sensing Lu Yi's location, descended through the crowd in front of the hospital square and landed on the side of the inpatient building. Pushing open the doors, they made their way up to the eleventh floor where the patient's room was located.

The situation inside the room was much the same as when he had left.

Lu Yi was still half-lying, his face turned to one side. His brows were knitted tightly together, and his breathing was chaotic, punctuated by low, unconscious moans between gasps.

He looked even more uncomfortable than before.

Rong Mi's heart skipped a beat, ready to call for a doctor. His gaze swept across the instrument displaying the numbers, only to realize that the Admiral's condition had not worsened – it had even improved slightly.

Rong Mi: "…."

Staring at him for a moment, Rong Mi sighed.

So Lu Yi was actually asleep now.

He had lost control over his body.

That was why he was frowning... revealing such a vulnerable side.

Seeing how much he was suffering, Rong Mi leaned forward to tap on the medical robot's screen, wanting to summon a nurse to check if they could connect Lu Yi to a pain management pump.

The Admiral was merely being stubborn, not completely numb and unaware of pain.

As he approached the bed, Lu Yi's body trembled lightly.

As if trapped in a terrible nightmare from which he couldn't escape, the Admiral let out a sharp gasp. Rong Mi quickly turned to look at him, witnessing Lu Yi's pale lips moving slightly.

"Rong Mi," Lu Yi murmured with his eyes closed, beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. His voice was barely audible. "…Ami!"

His arm muscles tensed, and a flash of silver flickered from his fingertips, instantly frosting the ground beneath him.

Rong Mi had no idea what nightmare Lu Yi was experiencing that prompted him to suddenly mobilize his mental energy at an alarming rate.

"Hey," the young man swiftly pressed the button to summon a nurse, then leaned in to grasp Lu Yi's palm. "I'm right here," he whispered into the general's ear. "What are you thinking about? Don't mess with your mental energy."

"Relax," he said, gently caressing Lu Yi's forehead with his other hand, his fingers trailing through his hair. A smile tugged at his lips. "Calling out Ami in your heart, huh? Usually, you're so formal, addressing me by my full name."

"I never knew the general had a dual personality."

"Uh-huh, relax, I'm here."

When the nurse pushed open the door to the hospital room, they saw the young man seated beside the bed, bent over, whispering into Lu Yi's ear. The warm yellow light illuminated Rong Mi's handsome face, adorned with a gentle smile, casting a serene and tender aura around his actions.

The nurse hesitated in her stride forward, somehow sensing that her presence disrupted the ambiance of the ward.

Yet the true atmosphere killer was still behind her.

"Excuse me," a polite inquiry came from behind her. "Is Rong Mi in this ward?"

The incoming person had short chestnut-brown hair and eyes of a light blue hue.

"I am Rong Mi's friend, Seiko, and I have also been assigned to this ward."

"May I enter?"