Chapter 75: Fragments

Chapter 75: Fragments

The guards' expressions turned solemn.

In recent days, Chen Shu had been accompanying Damon to cooperate with the Academy of Sciences in various experiments identifying the Ice Butterfly's psychic abilities through Gemstone Rabbits. At the same time, the command headquarters had issued documents to the major military units, requesting that if there were still individuals within their ranks who kept Gemstone Rabbits, they should provide relevant information. On a voluntary basis, they were invited to participate in reconnaissance experiments on the Ice Butterfly within the war zone.

There were very few soldiers in the combat departments of the various military units who kept Gemstone Rabbits, but there were still quite a number of them among the logistics departments within the war zone's camps. The military had gradually collected a significant amount of data and conducted related experiments, essentially confirming the extraordinary abilities of the Gemstone Rabbits.

Although an official announcement had yet to be made to the public, the military and the guard force had already received insider information.

"Please accompany me for a moment," the security officer promptly requested, summoning backup nearby. Scanning Seiko's patient ID badge, he sternly asked for her cooperation in a mental aptitude assessment.

Seiko raised his hands in surrender, hastily explaining, "I didn't do anything..."

"Roar." Sandel regarded him warily, only retreating slightly and lifting his fang from Seiko's neck when the guards, wielding laser cannons, encircled them and more security shuttles rose into the sky above the hospital.

The commotion in the hallway caught Ayin's attention within the ward. The wolf pushed open the door, peeking out to fix its gaze upon Seiko.

The floor-to-ceiling height within the hospital was significantly greater than that of the decks in a starship. Here, the wolf heads' ears didn't brush against the ceiling. However, the imposing presence of the towering Silver Wolves, standing over six feet tall, was still overwhelming.

Wolf, with its icy-blue eyes towering over Seiko, regarded him coldly, its nostrils flaring as if detecting scents in the air.

Seiko: "..."

Seiko knew that the wolf couldn't actually smell anything, but he still felt an intense sense of intimidation from it. He then turned his gaze to Rong Mi.

The young man was still standing by the window, having just tucked the pendant he held into his pocket, and was now looking at the nearby security guards.

"Seems like he has some connection with the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association," Rong Mi said earnestly. "He likely knows information about the ice butterfly clan and attempted to hypnotize me. Please notify the military department to send someone over."

Seiko: "..."

"Hey!" Seiko stared wide-eyed at Rong Mi. "You're too cunning!"

As he spoke, he quickly pondered how to handle the military's inquiries and conceal his true identity.

"Chirp! Chirp chirp chirp! Chirp!" The Gemstone Rabbit let out a series of cries.

Rong Mi nodded, adding, "Seiko could also be an Advanced Ice Butterfly... or even a Sub-Butterfly, disguised as a human."

Seiko: "..."

The guard: "..."

The guard's expression shifted, as if facing a formidable enemy. He couldn't understand how Rong Mi could so casually mention the term 'Sub-Butterfly.'

Aware of the gravity of the situation, he promptly activated his spatial device, retrieving the highest-grade energy suppression handcuffs.

"Hey! I did have some contact with Ice Butterflies. We can talk this through. Don't just slander me like that..." As the handcuffs locked onto Seiko's wrists, he felt a headache coming on.

He could sense the number of patrolling individuals around the hospital.

Not to mention the outsiders, Rong Mi, Lu Yi, and that wolf... they would all pose significant challenges for him.

Since Cecil's mental power fragments failed against Rong Mi and Lu Yi's combined efforts, Seiko believed he wouldn't fare much better in a direct confrontation.

Seiko didn't wish to expose himself and risk being "eliminated" by humans.

"Why do you suspect me?" Seiko couldn't help asking Rong Mi, glancing at Chen Shu and Ellen, the Lion Rabbit, who were standing by the stairs. "Did you intentionally make them wait there?"

"Secret," Rong Mi replied with a mysterious smile.

In fact, he hadn't noticed anything amiss at first.

The other party was about the same age as his original self. As former teammates in Phantom Chord, his original self had known Seiko for many years, aware that he came from an ordinary inhabited planet, with a single parent, and a passion for music.

Seiko's connections seemed to be limited to Phantom Chord, making his background rather simple.

Rong Mi's suspicion of Seiko began during the Deep Space Resonance concert, when he heard him mention the term "Blue-haired Wizard."

Later, Rong Mi checked the military investigation team's records on Lu Tianchen but found no information related to that title. When Seiko spoke those words, it was as if he had accidentally let slip a nickname he commonly used without even realizing it.

Hence, upon hearing that Seiko was looking for him today, Rong Mi directly contacted Chen Shu, asking him to bring the rabbit up for a sniff, and also notified the hospital's security team.

Their location was right by the hospital window. If Seiko did make any suspicious moves, Rong Mi would promptly shift the scene outside the hospital to control the impact.

Seiko shrugged, not making any rash actions.

Compared to his ilk, Seiko's purpose in visiting the Human Star Region was straightforward.

Ordinarily, he followed the orders of the adult Butterfly Cecil, infiltrating the human military to gather tidbits of information and transmit useful or trivial intelligence. Occasionally, he would manipulate the actions of military officers through the mental threads he had discreetly dispersed in the past.

Aside from that, Seiko seldom engaged in other activities.

His visit to Rong Mi today... was also at the behest of the adult Butterfly.

Seiko meticulously recollected.

Cecil had instructed him to bring Rong Mi to the territory of the Ice Butterflies. However, before the details could be discussed, their high-level mental communication as butterflies was severed.

Perhaps the loss of the mental energy fragment had severely weakened the adult, making it impossible for them to maintain the connection.

Seiko was unaware of which body Cecil currently inhabited, and he wasn't overly concerned about it.

In response to the security team's demands, Seiko, after careful consideration, believed that he hadn't violated the adult Butterfly's orders. Thus, he cooperated without resistance, fully complying with their actions. However, the guards did not let their guard down due to his amiable attitude.

They swiftly escorted Seiko onto the aircraft, entering a more secure area for inspection.

Any matters involving Ice Butterflies were connected to the military department. Since Seiko was associated with the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association, they bypassed the security bureau and directly took him to the capital star's military prison.

"Thank you for your efforts."

Rong Mi returned to the ward with the two fluffy tails and their owner in tow. He rubbed his forehead, feeling as if he had forgotten something important.

The sensation was vague, making it difficult to grasp.

...Did Seiko say something to him just now? Or not?

The wolf had already confirmed that Sandel and Damon posed no threat to its position, so it merely glanced at them, accepting Rong Mi's return with someone else's fluffiness rather well.

Rong Mi made a shushing gesture to the humans and furballs behind him before cautiously slipping into the ward to check on Lu Yi. The general was in a light sleep, and Rong Mi was afraid of waking him up.

"Is that really Ayin?" Just as Rong Mi stepped through the door, a surprised female voice echoed from behind. It was loud enough to rouse Lu Yi, who was lying in bed.

Rong Yan had just stepped out of the elevator. Arriving late, she missed Rong Mi's earlier cue and only caught sight of the large Silver Wolves in the hallway. Thus, she greeted the wolves with a friendly voice.

"Long time no see!" It was evident that Rong Yan was also a fan of fluffy creatures. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the trio standing together, and she quickened her steps forward.

"Oh... there's also the Thundering Lion and the bunny." Glancing at Chen Shu and Ellen, she asked, "Can I pet them?"

Inside the hospital room, Lu Yi propped himself up slightly to look outside the door.

He had intended to wait for Rong Mi to finish her visit with her friend, but he had dozed off again, half-asleep with his eyes closed.

This time, he also had that nightmare, but due to the young man's interruption earlier, he woke up more promptly.

Rong Mi pressed down on his shoulder, urging him to lie back down, and covered his eyes with his hand, whispering, "What are you doing? Go back to sleep."

"The whole night, can't I have some peace?" the young man grumbled to himself. "... Isn't this a hospital?!"

He walked towards the door, casually guiding the wolf back into the room to continue guarding Lu Yi, then closed the door, lowering his voice. "There's a patient resting inside."

Rong Yan: "..."

Rong Yan witnessed Rong Mi's temper for the first time.

She raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, and lowered her voice accordingly.

"You touched Ayin and even pushed it into the room," Rong Yan said in disbelief. "The wolf didn't even dodge or resist."

Instead, it had submitted obediently to Rong Mi's force, retreating smoothly inside.

Rong Yan continued, "But it never lets me touch it, not even a single strand of its fur."

Rong Mi: "…"

"Ayin and I are the best friends in the world," he replied grumpily. "Why is the head of the Rong family here in the middle of the night? Hospital visits aren't allowed without permission."

In reality, Chen Shu shouldn't have been there either.

Chen Mo had secretly brought him in, and as the director of the Spiritual Power Research Institute, Chen Mo had used his authority to bring Rong Mi in for an examination.

"I may not be part of the military department, but I'm still the head of the Rong family and an S-class healer," Rong Yan glanced at Rong Mi. "I've obtained special approval to check on the patient's spiritual power condition. Also, I thought I'd drop by to see if Lu Yi has some free time."

"Apologies, it was my oversight." She glanced at the patient room and promptly apologized, "I didn't know Lu Yi was resting."

Due to the repeated instability of General's spiritual domain, Rong Mi had also tried serving as Lu Yi's therapist in the war zone. Although there was no progress in treatment, she had seen many instances of Lu Yi working from his hospital bed. Seeing so many people gathered at the door of the ward, she had assumed they were all waiting to report to Lu Yi.

However, it was novel for her to see Rong Mi displeased by this.

Rong Yan asked, "You're on such good terms with Lu Yi?"

Although Rong Mi had announced his entry into the military, Rong Yan was unaware that he had already decided to join the First Legion.

To Rong Yan, the memory of Rong Mi declining to be Lu Yi's therapist and slipping away when the First Legion's spaceship arrived to fetch him was still vivid.

Rong Mi casually replied, "When personalities align, the relationship improves naturally." He continued, "Did the amusement park incident involve your patients?"

Rong Yan glanced at Ellen and Chen Shu.

She actually knew both of them.

The captain of the First Legion's Lu Yi Guard, as well as the younger brother of the director of the Spiritual Power Research Institute, who used to be a scout in the Third Legion and was now eagerly preparing to retake the exams to transfer to the First Legion.

Though Rong Mi isn't currently in the military, he directly participated in the operation at the amusement park base.

There was nothing to hide.

"Cheng Wen," Rong Yan thus said.

"My relationship with Lu Tianchen is quite good, and I could be considered their therapist in private. If they encounter any mental issues, they would come to me."

"However, since they're both in the Safe Star Region, even routine soothing sessions only occur once a year. It's been a long time since I last accessed their mental domains."

"I didn't notice the changes in Lu Tianchen and Cheng Wen either."

Rong Yan had rushed over in the middle of the night, and her eyes still showed signs of fatigue from waking up abruptly.

"Cheng Wen knows quite a bit about the Butterfly Transformation," she mentioned, skimming over the specifics. "The military will likely issue a notification soon, and Lu Yi might receive information for a meeting shortly after."

"The fragments of Butterfly's mental energy aren't just one or two," Rong Yan's expression darkened. "According to the information Cheng Wen obtained from Ah Chen, there are at least six fragments of mental energy."

"The most crucial fragment represents the 'heart,' which should be within the Ice Butterfly breeding grounds near the war zone. The unusual activities in the war zone a few months ago might be connected to the 'heart' fragment."

"The remainder, you've destroyed two, but there are still four whose whereabouts are unknown. Judging from Ah Chen's encounter, it can't be ruled out that these fragments might have entered the Safe Zone."

Rong Mi's expression turned grave.

Cheng Die, along with her scattered spirit energy fragments throughout the Safe Zone, partly explained the historical Ice Butterfly assault.

These fragments must be eradicated.

Rong Mi continued, "It would be best to make this information public within the Safe Zone."

Though it may inspire fear in some, honesty is preferable to secrecy, which can ultimately lead to disaster.

Rong Yan acknowledged the question, only to hear the young man ask again, "How is Cheng Wen?"

With tonight's events unfolding rapidly, Rong Mi hadn't had the chance to visit Cheng Wen in her hospital room yet.

"Not very well," Rong Yan sighed. "She's been holding onto Tianchen... refusing to let go."

Lu Tianchen's Spirit Tree crystal had already been transferred to a specialized protective device. Rong Yan's visit to Lu Yi was, in fact, also to discuss this matter with him.

She was aware that the Academy of Sciences' Computing Institute was conducting a virtual consciousness upload project.

In previous cases, one successful subject had been reduced to a mere spirit tree structure due to an accident, a situation strikingly similar to Lu Tianchen's current state.

Rong Yan felt... this technology could also be applied to Lu Tianchen for a trial.

However, not everyone was eligible for such a project. The selection of upload candidates was rigorous, requiring multiple sponsors, and the ultimate decision-maker was Chen Mo, the director of the Spiritual Power Research Institute. Rong Yan knew that Lu Yi had a good relationship with Chen Mo, so she intended to leverage her connection with the general to discuss the matter with Chen Mo.

"Although Lu Yi is resting, I can talk to you," Rong Yan said, taking a few steps towards the other end of the corridor. "As we previously mentioned on the communicator, I have something to discuss privately."

She had yet to confirm Rong Mi's thoughts regarding the First Legion.

Looking at Rong Mi, she recalled their conversation when the latter had refused to be Lu Yi's therapist.

"You're sure about this?" she asked cautiously, addressing Rong Mi, "This time, you don't think Lu Yi is too temperamental, cold, and harbors a vicious wolf that attacks people?"

"Oh, I'm not worried about the wolf," Rong Yan smiled, her tone carrying a deeper meaning, "After all... you and it are the best of friends in the world."