Chapter 87: Restlessness

Chapter 87: Restlessness

"Your second awakening is drawing near," Lu Yi observed as he sat facing Rong Mi within the medical spacecraft.

"The conditions for a successful second awakening are stringent. Once signs of it begin to manifest, you must cease using your mental energy, maintain stability in your mental domain, and head to the planet 'Sea of Slumber.'"

"I can't help but worry," Lu Yi confessed.

Rong Mi responded with a simple, "..."

Rong Mi lowered his head, gently wiping Ayin's face with a damp cloth.

He had already checked his mental state, dressed the wounds, and administered the antidote.

The injury on Rong Mi's face, due to its sensitive location, was treated with an expensive specialized healing device and had fully recovered. The wounds on his body were bandaged, and he expected them to heal completely within three days, despite the pain. Yet, Rong Mi was not yet ready to rest.

Having just soothed the spirit domain of the Silver Wolves, he decided to attend to their hygiene.

After battling Seiko, the butterfly-like creature, Rong Mi's secondary awakening level had escalated from 55% to 75%, bringing him significantly closer to reaching 100%.

That final push when one's awakening reaches 100% is the decisive factor between triumph and defeat.

It was only natural for Lu Yi to be concerned.

...Damn it!

Rong Mi was speechless.

Even without much thought, it was clear that no matter how much he improved, it was impossible to reach 100% due to his battle with Seiko. Seiko wasn't that butterfly creature!

There were ample security measures around the military prison; common sense dictated that it couldn't end up like the amusement park base!

For some reason, Rong Mi felt uneasy thinking about how Lu Yi had come to the military prison for him.

Unlike the last time when Lu Yi had concealed his rank as a legion commander from the general, Lu Yi hadn't done anything to betray Rong Mi this time. Rong Mi couldn't completely harden his heart towards him.

Yet, he was still furious!

For some inexplicable reason, he was even angrier than when he had found out about Lu Yi's hidden identity!

Frustrated yet unable to express it, the hand holding the wet wipe unconsciously increased its pressure.

"…Woof!" The wolf allowed the young man to tend to him but couldn't help emitting a low growl, sniffing hard.

Rong Mi hastily moved the wet wipe away from Ayin's nose, whispering, "Sorry, sorry."

Ayin looked quite disheveled.

Its fur on the back was somewhat untidy, with the outer layer singed black. There were also spots of Rong Mi's blood on the fur.

"It's alright, there are pet grooming shops on the Capital Star," Rong Mi said while wiping, fearing that Ayin would be upset. "I'll take you there later! We can trim your fur a bit and give you a treatment! You'll still look dashing!"

"Ao!" The silver wolf responded.

Although it was a bit sad about its fur, as long as Rong Mi didn't mind, the wolf wouldn't either.

It placed its big head on Rong Mi's knee, motionless as the young man worked. A soft growl escaped its throat as it gently nudged Rong Mi's arm with its paw.

This time, it was expressing its dissatisfaction with Rong Mi not resting, wanting the youth to lie down and rest.

Rong Mi: "..."

Rong Mi patted the wolf's muzzle. "Don't imitate your master's double standards."

Lu Yi said, "You're injured, you should rest."

This was the third time he had said this to Rong Mi since boarding the medical warship and watching him complete his treatment.

Rong Mi didn't bother responding.

"The youth spoke nonchalantly, "Did I ever tell you this? If you insist on behaving like this... I don't want to join the First Legion and make myself miserable."

He had spoken those words out of discontent, but after saying them, his gaze darkened, making him even more frustrated.

Because he couldn't shake off the feeling that what he said sounded... a bit like a childish tantrum.

Lu Yi: "..."

The admiral did not respond immediately.

He fell silent for a moment before deciding to rise and seek out a doctor outside to confirm that Rong Mi's condition truly allowed him to sit here and confront him.

"The data on Mr. Rong is excellent. His mental domain fluctuations have already returned to normal during treatment, and the healing agent has shown remarkable effects on his body," said the doctor from the medical starship, an elderly man with a head full of white hair who had retreated from the war zone to the safer star domain.

He pulled up Rong Mi's medical records and scanned through them, showing them to Lu Yi. "Mr. Rong's injuries are all external. After being corroded by the Ice Butterfly's mental energy, the pain would be quite intense. Some patients might prefer to chat with friends or family to divert their attention rather than sleep... You should be aware of this."

Lu Yi nodded. "Thank you."

He was indeed aware but needed the reassurance.

Having obtained the information he sought, Lu Yi turned and walked back into the sickroom. The doctor watched his retreating figure, shaking his head with a sigh.

He recalled vividly that just a few minutes ago, the handsome young man named Rong Mi, after his treatment, had also asked him similar questions about Lu Yi's condition.

It was unexpected that shortly after sending Rong Mi to the room, Lu Yi would emerge to inquire further.

Doctor: "...Truly, a friendship that moves heaven and earth."

When explaining Rong Mi's situation to Lu Yi, the general had listened more attentively than when he'd been hearing his own mental domain reports.

The doctor glanced back, catching sight of Lu Yi entering the ward through the door.

Inside the room, Rong Mi was still seated on the sofa, tending to the wolf. Upon hearing the commotion, she lifted her head for a fleeting look at Lu Yi.

"You're still asking the doctor about me?" the young man grumbled. "I know my condition better than you know your own body."

Lu Yi made no comment.

He sat down again on the medical bed opposite Rong Mi.

"I've spoken to Zhang Lingyu," Lu Yi replied, addressing the question the youth had previously posed.

"The commanders of all eleven other legions in the Federation have attempted to contact you, inquiring about your intentions."

"You even declined the Third Legion Commander's invitation again the day before yesterday."

Rong Mi: "…"

Rong Mi never imagined that Lu Yi had been paying such close attention to these developments.

"But I'm not forcing you to join the First Team," Lu Yi said calmly, his tone impartial. "Putting aside my personal preferences, I still believe that if you wish to join the military, the First Team should be your top choice."

He had personally established the code of conduct within the First Team, ensuring that even if he were to pass away or step down from his position as commander, the team would remain as it is now.

Discipline was strict, fairness prevailed, making it fertile ground for young mecha pilots to flourish.

Even a pilot like Rong Mi would stand out anywhere.

Yet, perhaps out of pride, Lu Yi still believed that the First Team was the best fit for him.

Rong Mi remained silent, gesturing for Ayin to circle around so he could wipe off the dirt on its fur.

Lu Yi: "..."

Lu Yi: "I've tried to listen to you."

Rong Mi, while wiping the wolf, finally lifted his head to look at him.

Lu Yi: "It's rather challenging."

"Not that I don't trust you."

He gently furrowed his brow, unusually unsure of how to express his thoughts.

It was a simple yet uncontrollable concern.

While he was still alive, given the circumstances, he always hoped to provide Rong Mi an extra layer of security for her actions.

Lu Yi said, "I do trust you, and I have faith in your capabilities."

Rong Mi: "…"

Rong Mi met Lu Yi's gaze, only to realize after a moment that Lu Yi had missed the point entirely.

He felt defeated.

With a calm yet earnest demeanor, Lu Yi explained to Rong Mi the true reason behind his decision to come to the military prison...

His earnest gaze gently pierced Rong Mi's heart.

Rong Mi's balloon of confidence was deflated in an instant.

Of course, Rong Mi was aware of the trust Lu Yi had placed in him.

That line about trust and joining the first team in his message was just a pretense.

"Sigh," Rong Mi said, disheartened. "Come here, let me see your mental domain."

The general hesitated for a moment but knew that reminding Rong Mi of his injury and the need for rest would only infuriate the young man.

Recalling the mental power data he had just measured, he confirmed that Rong Mi's mental strength had significantly recovered. Thus, he got up and approached the youth.

The distance between the hospital beds wasn't too wide. The Silver Wolves, who had been lying on the ground, lifted its head to glance at Lu Yi before standing up and stepping aside, making space for the general.

Rong Mi rubbed the wolf's paw a couple more times before patting Ayin's head, dismissing the cleaned wolf to rest elsewhere.

Lu Yi was already standing before Rong Mi.

With his tall stature and long legs, the general leaned down from the armrest of the sofa in a simple, swift motion, yet one that conveyed an unusual obedience.

He initiated the intimate forehead touch, his essence as Lu Yi enveloping Rong Mi, causing the young man to sigh deeply once more.

His harsh words spoken, but ignored by Lu Yi, Rong Mi was at a loss on how to proceed.

"I've treated many patients," the young man reached out, gently caressing the faint markings still visible on Lu Yi's cheek.

The Admiral's handsome features were such that the peculiar black patterns on his face didn't appear ugly; they instead lent him an alluring and enigmatic air.

"Some were similar to you," Rong Mi murmured softly.

Especially during the era of interstellar nomads.

Each warship in a fleet had a limited capacity for inhabitants.

They faced a perilous universe, battles that could erupt at any moment, and scarce resources and energy.

In the era of interstellar nomads, every individual was a warrior.

They often fought injured, in the name of survival.

Despite this... Lu Yi was the hardest person he had ever been on – towards himself.

... He had never before felt such concern for anyone as he did for Lu Yi.

Rong Mi wasn't even aware when he had become so "sentimental."

He knew that Lu Yi carried responsibilities of his own.

It was just that he didn't wish to become an additional burden on the General's shoulders.

Lu Yi: "I'm wearing a mental power suppressor."

Noticing Rong Mi's downturned mood, Lu Yi subconsciously pursed his lips.

"Understood," Rong Mi muttered. "That's quite some progress, then."

His gaze lingered over the palm of Lu Yi's hand.

On the General's wrist was a suppressor bracelet, and on the back of his hand, a residual needle still remained.

The medical frigate would soon return to the hospital, and he'd have to resume his IV drip.

Rong Mi couldn't help but sigh at the sight.

Silent once more, he delved into Lu Yi's mental domain, dissolving the tiny vortexes that had formed due to their recent disruption of the spatial wormhole. He then frowned at the broken branches floating in the mental sea.

"Try to use your mental power sparingly," Rong Mi advised after another inspection. "See if the condition of the fractured spirit tree branches improves."

Lu Yi replied, "Alright."

He gazed at Rong Mi and lifted his hand, momentarily tempted to touch the crease between his brows to ease his worry.

In the end, he stepped back instead.

Lu Yi was aware of the beast within him.

He had already crossed a line in the amusement park.

If he continued to initiate contact irregularly, he would lose all self-control.

The desire to fully incorporate Rong Mi into his domain intensified with each intimate encounter, eventually translating into action.

This was a door that could not be opened.

He knew his love would burden Rong Mi, causing the young man to ponder. Ultimately, whether he accepted or rejected it... it made no difference.

Back on the Capital Star, Lu Yi felt his mental tree's fractures expanding constantly.

Since his injury, he had never been more acutely aware of this sensation.

Each use of his spiritual power widened the cracks even further.

Chen Mo had informed him that Rong Mi was expected to commence his second awakening in a month, and upon doing so, there was a high likelihood that he could enter the deepest part of Lu Yi's mental domain.

As the director of the Spiritual Power Research Institute, Chen Mo had been conducting research on healing mental tree fractures. He believed that with the assistance of a therapist, using the surgical method he had developed, the chances of a full recovery could reach fifty percent.

Lu Yi was unsure if he could wait that long.

Rong Mi looked up at him, inexplicably feeling a sense of unease.

"What are you thinking about, General?" he inquired.

"Seiko," Lu Yi rubbed his forehead with an extended hand before settling back into the sofa. Due to his discomfort, he leaned against the chair's backrest, his posture slightly relaxed.

"Cecil ordered it to take you to the Ice Butterfly Star Region," he repeated Seiko's mission objective, his expression cold. After a brief pause, he continued, "Chengdui wants you."

"It seems that exposing Seiko as an Underwing was their last resort in the Safe Star Region," Rong Mi analyzed rationally.

After a moment of thought, he suddenly realized something and asked Lu Yi, "How much time do you have left for your leave?"

"Twenty days."

Coincidentally, that was the day the military assessments would conclude.

Observing Rong Mi's expression, Lu Yi overlooked the fact that Rong Mi had already decided to become an examiner in the assessment area before his leave ended.

Rong Mi stated, "In twenty days, the Ice Butterfly poison won't be completely removed. You'll have to return to the battlefield."

He furrowed his brow, not posing it as a question but rather making a statement.

Lu Yi: "Yes."

Rong Mi: "..."

Rong Mi's already sour mood worsened.

For a moment, no one in the room spoke, and the air grew heavy. Even the wolf resting with its eyes half-closed by Rong Mi's feet sensed the tension in the hospital room.

Ayin's ears twitched. It lifted its head, glanced at Rong Mi, then at Lu Yi, and back to Rong Mi.

"Owoof?" The wolf stretched out a paw to touch Rong Mi's knee, leaning in to examine Rong Mi's expression. Its fluffy wolf head was pressed close, so close that Rong Mi could barely focus on it, only seeing a blurry mass of silver.

Suddenly, Rong Mi felt a damp touch on their nose.

It was the wolf's nose brushing against theirs.

"..." Unable to resist, Rong Mi reached out to scratch the wolf's chin.

Ayin let out a soft howl, placing both paws on Rong Mi's knees, now resembling a large cotton candy resting on Rong Mi's legs.

"{Rong Mi}... Your master only knows one trick, which is to have our dashing and adorable {Ayin} 'sell his charm.'” Wrapping her arms around the wolf's head, {Rong Mi} buried her face in the fur at the back of its skull, using Ayin as a large pillow.

Ayin: "Ahh!"

Ayin didn't approach merely because {Lu Yi} asked; wolves also disliked seeing {Rong Mi} in distress.

As time passed, Ayin and Rong Mi grew more accustomed to the young man's touch, relishing his proximity, and became increasingly reliant on Rong Mi. They began to learn the art of being spoiled.

The mighty Silver Wolves were no longer the aloof creatures that would disdainfully ignore Rong Mi upon a mere touch, nor would they fly into a rage when the young man drew near. Now, they remained still as Rong Mi leaned against them, their fluffy wolf tails encircling the youth's ankles like a warm, furry blanket designed to comfort his feet.

Rong Mi couldn't help but chuckle, sliding his foot out of his slipper to tap the tip of Ayin's tail.

The wolf's tail twitched lightly before settling back down. Finding it amusing, Rong Mi repeated the action several times, unable to resist.

"Rong Mi," Lu Yi spoke up again, "I have to…"

"I know," Rong Mi interrupted, his understanding already formed as he continued stroking the wolf's tail without lifting his gaze. "Go ahead. I'll be going too, anyway."

Lu Yi's mental domain was yet to be fully restored. Without being by the Admiral's side, he felt concerned.

"Knock, knock." Hardly had he finished speaking when the door to the medical warship's infirmary was knocked on from the outside.

"Mr. Rong, General Lu," a young man in military attire stood outside the door, politely greeting them both, "The Supreme Commander is looking for you."

Rong Mi paused his petting of the wolf.

He was not at all surprised that Zhang Lingyu would come to find him and Lu Yi.

If the other party didn't show up, he would genuinely doubt whether the Military had any hope left.

Lu Yi pushed himself up from the armrest of his chair and stood. The soldier who had fetched them led the way, guiding them to a small conference room not far from the medical starship's ward.

As the two reached the meeting room door, the general opened it first, making eye contact with Zhang Lingyu inside.

"Short meeting," Zhang Lingyu nodded in greeting. "Quick and decisive, we'll discuss our strategy for dealing with Chengdie's spiritual power fragments. Once we're done, we'll let everyone return to rest."

The general acknowledged this, and Rong Mi followed into the room. He noticed that there weren't many people present; apart from Zhang Lingyu, there was another familiar face, Chen Mo, the director of both the Computational Institute and the Spiritual Power Research Institute.

The scientist, clad in a lab coat with hands in his pockets, wore a hint of helplessness upon seeing Rong Mi. He initiated the conversation, "It's not that I didn't try to dissuade him, I really did advise Lu Yi against leaving the hospital."

Zhang Lingyu offered a gentle smile.

"I told Lu Yi not to come, but General Lu wouldn't listen at all." The atmosphere in the conference room was relaxed, and Zhang Lingyu glanced at Rong Mi with a teasing smile. "I didn't expect you to still 'send' someone to check on him."

Rong Mi also smiled. "Seems like one or two isn't enough. I'll find more people next time."

Zhang Lingyu: "It might be of some use if you oversee it personally."

She made a lighthearted remark and then activated the projection screen in the conference room, displaying a map of stars.

"This is the star map of the First to Fifth War Zones, each managed by the First to Fifth Legions," Zhang Lingyu's expression turned solemn. "Just last night, the Third, Fourth, and Fifth War Zones reported unusual activities of the Ice Butterflies."

"Scouts from the Fourth Battle Zone have detected an as-yet-unrecorded species of Yatid. In the Fifth Battle Zone, there has been a sudden surge in Icetail activity, with abnormal energy waves observed in the distant Icetail system. It is suspected that a new wormhole may be forming."

"No anomalies have been detected in the First and Second War Zones for the time being."

"A decade ago, Ice Butterfly launched a massive assault across the board, resulting in nearly half of the military personnel being replaced," Zhang Lingyu paused for a moment and whispered, "This time... it might escalate into an all-out war."

"This time, our advantage is that we know the attack is orchestrated by the Chrysalis organization, whose strength has yet to fully recover. However, the military has not discovered any of Chrysalis's mental energy fragments yet."

"An assault on the warzone is merely a distraction," Lu Yi observed as he studied the warzone's star map.

"It wants to divert our attention and hinder us from locating its mental energy fragments."

Zhang Lingyu interjected, "But this battle is one we cannot afford to ignore. We cannot let the warzone fall."

"The pressure on the warzone isn't too severe at present, but as the number of attacking Ice Butterflies increases, if the military lacks sufficient forces, they'll have to reinforce with personnel from the secure star domains."

"Considering this perspective, the best solution would be to pre-emptively transfer personnel to the warzone now for training."

"That's what Cecil is aiming for," Lu Yi stated matter-of-factly.

"It may have hidden its most crucial mental energy fragment – the 'Heart' – within the secure star domains."

Zhang Lingyu fell silent, "…"

"Besides the two fragments you destroyed in the amusement park base and space station battles, there are still others that remain unaccounted for." Zhang Lingyu sighed. "The 'Heart' is paramount, but other troublesome fragments like the 'Poison Gland,' 'Tentacles,' 'Eyes,' and 'Butterfly Legs'… They could be on other Chrysalids or possibly hidden within the secure star domains…"

Rong Mi tore his gaze away from the battlefield star map, retrieving the pendant he had just regained from Seiko's grasp from the pocket of his hospital gown. He smiled, saying casually, "There's one right here."