Chapter 83: The Dungeon (III)

Chapter 83: The Dungeon (III)

Ayin: "Awooo!"

The wolf, being petted by Rong Mi, twitched its ears and eventually moved aside reluctantly.

The wolf wasn't really stopping Rong Mi from leaving; it was just that the two previous incidents of danger in the amusement park base had left some psychological shadow on both the wolf and Lu Yi.

So the wolf was behaving stubbornly out of pique.

Rong Mi hadn't anticipated such a reaction from the wolf. After pondering for a moment, he understood the reason behind the wolf's reluctance and patted Ayin again in a soothing manner.

"It's nothing to worry about," Rong Mi whispered. "I'm far less capable than your owner."

As he spoke, he lifted his gaze to meet the eyes of the person across the passage.

Tiny purple flames ignited beside Rong Mi, illuminating the silver icicles. Some of the purple light beams were reflected by the ice crystals, while others penetrated them, casting an even more surreal interplay of light and shadow within the narrow corridor, as if an alternate dimension had descended upon this place.

At the other end of the passage, the silver-purple hues collided with the red-black, producing a series of gentle crackling sounds as they clashed.

Before Rong Mi stood Seiko.

The young musician was still the same as when Rong Mi had seen him a couple of days ago, except for the red ice butterflies swirling around him, which set him apart from ordinary humans.

It lacked butterfly wings or a mutated body, but the essence of its spirit energy spoke volumes about its identity.

After several days of interrogation, Seiko's short, chestnut hair was disheveled, and there was a hint of human-like decadence in his demeanor.

His light blue eyes met Rong Mi's, and he offered a polite smile.

Rong Mi: "…."

Pausing for a moment, Rong Mi finally said, "The military seems like a sieve."

Damon had already warned the military about Seiko's identity. However, since Seiko had just come into contact with Chengdie's spirit energy at the hospital, Damon couldn't be a hundred percent sure if the scent on Seiko originated from Chengdie or himself.

To verify this matter, Chen Shu had planned to bring Gem Rabbit Damon to sense Seiko's spirit energy again the following day.

By now, the trace of Chengdie's spirit energy on Seiko should have dissipated entirely.

Before the final confirmation, Seiko's confinement should be in the deepest level of this prison. That place houses the highest-grade Mind Suppression devices, the densest concentration of security robots, and the largest number of guards.

Seiko: "Indeed, being down there was quite uncomfortable."

Its tone was genuine. "Your guards are also very dedicated, constantly rotating their shifts. It was a real hassle. It took me five days, gradually hypnotizing them each day, before I finally succeeded..."

"I actually wanted to wait a bit longer just in case, if it weren't for Cecil issuing another order..." Seiko whispered.

"Still, it's good that I'm here now. The energy restrictions up here are much weaker, almost non-existent," it continued.

"And the timing of my escape was perfect." Seiko smiled. "It saved me the trouble and risk of finding you."

It gazed directly into Rong Mi's eyes, extending its hand forward, just as it had done in the capital planet's hospital a few days ago, palm facing up, inviting her.

"Come to me, Rong Mi. Join us," it said. "Be with us."

A faint buzzing of ice butterflies resonated with its words, subtle yet potent enough to induce an irresistible daze in Rong Mi.

Vibrations from Seiko's words sent ripples through the scarlet mental energy threads that swirled behind it.

For a fleeting moment, the purple flames surrounding Rong Mi's crimson spirit energy dimmed, while the silver ice crystals suddenly shone with an even more dazzling radiance.

"Roar!" The Silver Wolf's fur stood on end as it stepped in front of Rong Mi.

Radiant light burst forth from its body, carrying a howling gale of icy energy that hurtled straight towards Seiko's face.

Seiko didn't dodge.

It remained rooted to the spot, stretching out a hand. Crimson ice butterflies of spirit energy swirled around its slender wrist, spreading and pulsing with its words.

"...Rong Mi."

"I am your companion."

In the next second, a wall of purple spirit energy flames rose before Seiko, blazing fiercely.

But this time, Rong Mi's spirit energy wasn't directed at attacking Seiko; it was meant to protect.

The young man's spirit energy stood guard before Seiko.

"Whoosh!"

The Silver Wolves' mental energy blast arrived in an instant but abruptly came to a screeching halt just before colliding with the firewall, ceasing its motion altogether.

The massive mental energy collision that would have inflicted great impact on Rong Mi did not occur.

The sudden halt of the silver glow scattered in all directions, instead slamming into the surrounding walls.

The chaotic gust seemed to fan the flames, causing them to blaze even more vigorously.

Violet flames swiftly expanded outward, nimbly weaving around the crimson ice butterfly spirit threads. Instead, they latched onto the scattered silver spirit threads, melting and devouring the wolf's spirit energy along with the icy crystals in the air.

Ayin: "Huh?!"

The wolf suddenly turned its head to look at Rong Mi, seeing the young man withdraw his arm that had been resting by its neck.

The youth's hand no longer caressed the wolf soothingly, nor did it interweave intimately beneath the fur, pressed closely against the wolf's skin.

His gaze didn't even land on the wolf.

Rong Mi's obsidian eyes were veiled in confusion. His gaze was hollow, fixated solely on Seiko ahead.

"I'm here for you," the Ice Butterfly, still in human form, smiled, its voice resonating with far greater intensity than when it spoke in the hospital on the capital planet.

No longer fearful of exposing itself, it no longer needed to restrain its energy output. Thus, the unique energy vibrations that had disturbed Rong Mi's mind could no longer be interrupted by ordinary sounds.

Seiko manipulated reality through sound, twisting truth and lies at will. "We are the ones closest to each other."

"No one can stop you from coming to me here..."

"ROOOOAR! ——"

The wolf glanced at Seiko and let out a series of furious howls.

It sensed the anomaly in Rong Mi's actions, instinctively identifying the source without any need for thought.

Their shared enemy!

Ayin had encountered this before – a hypnosis that differed from the ordinary energy vibrations of Deep Space Echo, more potent and harder to resist...

A distinctive domain field.

This sort of thing... was usually resistible only by those who had undergone a second awakening!

Ayin bared its fangs. It crouched low, digging its sharp claws into the ground as it rushed forward swiftly.

The wolf would not engage Rong Mi in an energy clash, nor would it stand against her.

But... the wolf could endure flames, charging through the barrier erected by Rong Mi to attack Seiko...

—The wolf wouldn't directly confront Rong Mi, so its fur might get singed.

But... Ayin trusted that Rong Mi wouldn't turn away from it because of that!

After all, fur could always grow back!

The wolf's figure transformed into a streak of silver light.

Its assault was swift, but faster still were the psychic threads rising from the tips of Rong Mi's fingers.

Thin threads of mental energy, as thick as fingers, shot swiftly from Rong Mi's palm, expanding and igniting in mid-air, transforming into arm-sized chains that swiftly coiled around the wolf's ankles, shoulders, and neck, layer upon layer, dragging the wolf forcefully backward.

"Ao! ——"

The rising flames brushed against the Silver Wolves' fur, filling the air with a smoky, burnt aroma.

The mental energy threads detached from Rong Mi's fingertips, tightening around the wolf, before violently anchoring themselves into the ground.

"Ao wo! ——"

The Silver Wolves lifted their heads, reluctantly halting under the familiar pull of psychic energy. They struggled fiercely but couldn't break free without engaging Rong Mi in combat. Eventually, one of them couldn't help but let out a whine.

The wolf has grown up, its ordinary howls no longer resemble the childish, milky cries of its youth. The whimpers that spill from its throat are much deeper than when it was a cub, yet they carry a hint of delicate grievance.

It lifted its forepaws and struggled violently, causing more purple spirit threads to surge forth, coiling around the Silver Wolves' neck, binding its maw, and even infiltrating the wolf's spirit domain, hindering the release of its energy.

They compelled the wolf to bow its head.

Wolf: "......Awooo!"

Ayin's voice was muffled, watching helplessly as Rong Mi passed by and approached Seiko ahead.

"Come to me," Seiko smiled, repeating his invitation to Rong Mi.

It didn't make a move against the Silver Wolves.

Because it knew this was Lu Yi's wolf, not an easy target to deal with.

Moreover, based on its understanding of humans, as long as Rong Mi obeyed, there was no way this wolf could resist anymore.

"Whoo..."

Ayin continued to struggle forcefully, attempting to loosen Rong Mi's grip on it.

But the purple spiritual energy only bound it tighter, leaving it almost immobile in the end.

Ayin: "...."

The wolf's gaze dimmed.

The silver wolf's tail hit the ground, and its ears drooped in sorrow. Yet, with great effort, it raised its head, persistently gazing at Rong Mi's retreating figure.

Its ice-blue eyes fixed on Rong Mi, the anger and pain in its gaze began to fade.

In the Capital Star Hospital, Lu Yi wore a grim expression. One hand supporting his chin, he closed his eyes slightly, fully immersing himself in the wolf's spiritual domain.

Through the wolf's perspective, he saw the young man walking forward, his hand brushing against the hem of his clothes, revealing a hint of silver at his waist - the silver dagger that Lu Yi had given him.

Behind Seiko, Rong Mi's spiritual energy was dissolving the wolf's power. The undisturbed red spiritual energy expanded outward, swiftly increasing the range of the black wormhole.

Within just a few seconds, the illusory edge of the black wormhole touched the walls of the corridor.

The metal walls, cracked by the impact of the silver spiritual energy, fragmented like disintegrating color blocks in an image. Meanwhile, Rong Mi had already reached Seiko.

The threads of spiritual energy swirling behind Ice Butterfly intersected before the wormhole. Standing in front of Seiko, Rong Mi barely sensed any suction from the wormhole.

He lifted his hand and placed it on Seiko's palm.

Ice Butterfly's palm still retained the warmth of a human.

Seiko held Rong Mi's hand and took a step back.

His gaze swept over the Silver Wolves bound tightly behind Rong Mi, ready to unfold his mental energy, allowing the wormhole to engulf both him and Rong Mi.

As if impatient, several limbs belonging to Ice Butterfly extended from the depths of the black wormhole.

The crimson limbs reached over Seiko's shoulder, touching Rong Mi's arm.

The Silver Wolves watching from behind couldn't help but emit an anxious grunt.

Ayin: "…Woof!"

"Don't be afraid," Lu Yi's voice echoed within the wolf's spiritual domain.

The admiral's speech was quicker than usual, indicating he was not entirely at ease. However, his enunciation was clear, and his tone remained calm.

Lu Yi: "Watch closely."

In front of the wolf, Rong Mi clasped Seiko's hand tightly.

His fingers pressed down, and his gaze, locked onto Seiko's, subtly lifted upward.

A faint warmth spread across Seiko's brow.

Unconsciously, they raised a hand to press against that source of heat, unaware that their brow had taken on a slight red hue.

The Ice Butterfly Clan's mental connection was established just as Cecil was about to whisk Rong Mi away in this crucial moment.

Seiko: Indecisive.

Cecil's butterfly-like mental energy leaked out the instant the mental link was forged.

The aura it emitted was incredibly subtle.

But Rong Mi's mental sensitivity, combined with their previous encounters with Cecil's mental energy, made it so that even the slightest hint was enough for him to recognize its source.

In front of Seiko, the young man maintained his composure, concealing any reaction by lowering his eyebrows.

On the flight from the capital's hospital to the military prison, Chen Mo listened to Lu Yi's concise recount and couldn't help but sharply hiss in disbelief.

"Hypnotic abilities? ... You're saying that Seiko has hypnotic abilities?! And the Ice Butterfly's mental power signature?! This truly overturns our previous understanding..."

"And let's not even mention that for now. Just... I never expected Ami to be right on the mark!"

"But I still have some doubts in my heart."

"Our five-day experimental training, is it really reliable?!"