Chapter 92: Assessment (Three)

Chapter 92: Assessment (Three)

Hua Oulo: "..."

Rong Anting: "..."

The group of subordinates: "..."

The crowd gathered at the entrance of the reception pod, who had almost been swayed by Rong Anting's persuasion: "..."

The military had already disclosed Cheng Die's mental power fragments and the details of the battle at the amusement base.

People in the Safe Star Region, as long as they had watched the news, were aware of the role Rong Mi played in that battle.

Those in the Entertainment District of the Capital Star had witnessed firsthand the explosion of Rong Mi's mental energy, while many others, although not physically present, had experienced it through Mark's live stream.

That brilliant, flame-like purple energy flow was deeply etched into their minds.

Due to that radiance, when people recalled that night, they thought not only of Cheng Die's menacing mental power, the terrifying ice butterfly column soaring into the sky, or even the panic when low-level ice butterflies suddenly appeared in the safe zone...

There was also Rong Mi, who had made the final kill on the Butterfly Fragment.

Then, memories of the massive Silver Wolves came to mind, along with their dazzling silver cannons and the glow of particle beams from the capital planet's satellite warships.

Despite their fear, they still believed that humanity undoubtedly possessed the power to counter the Butterflies.

As time passed, the Rabbit Legion's operations fell into a routine, and discussions about the incident gradually subsided.

However, Mark's live stream recording continued to attract high daily views.

Even Hua Oulo, who was still fuming over being "reported" by Rong Mi for his mischievous plans, and Rong Anting, who had always disliked Rong Mi due to past biases... both had watched the replay multiple times.

After all... despite Hua Oulo muttering to himself every time he watched the playback, "If I were at the amusement park, I would have confronted them head-on too," the battle was undeniably impressive!

It stirred a sense of excitement within him, even if he didn't fully agree with the actions taken.

"Ho." In the starship where the exam supervisors were, several officers gathered around a screen, watching with interest the turmoil unfolding in one of the candidate's reception pods.

"That was a straightforward and truthful statement! But it was also quite harsh!" the supervisors whispered amongst themselves. "I've assisted in taking down a few Yatris before, but a Butterfly... that's truly... during the last Butterfly attack, I was assigned as a newbie, handling energy supplies far away from the frontlines!"

"Who wasn't? Back then, I had just passed the military's comprehensive assessment. Our legion commander also deemed my abilities insufficient, preventing me from being stationed at the very front lines."

"Ah, the soldiers who were deployed to the front lines back then... Few returned alive," sighed an older examiner. "They all narrowly escaped death. Most of those who survived were plagued with injuries or illnesses. They either transferred to safer military institutions in other star regions or have long since retired."

Few who witnessed that battle remained in the warzone, and among the fleet that had directly encountered Cheng Dui, only Lu Yi continued to serve in the area.

A moment of unspoken stillness fell among the proctors, each secretly casting a glance at the seat by the porthole on the other side of the cabin.

None of them had any idea about the state of Lu Yi's mental domain, but...

There was an unshakable feeling that things wouldn't go too smoothly.

In less than half a day since the Admiral boarded the starship, they had already consumed several different potions.

"Sigh, let's not dwell on that," the elder examiner changed the subject first. "There are quite a few promising candidates in this batch. However, regardless of their individual capabilities, we must award or deduct points based on their performance. We can't show any leniency."

Without the candidates realizing it, the assessment had silently begun.

Their behavior aboard the starship would contribute to their bonus points, though it wouldn't directly impact their primary scores for mission execution, it was still of great significance.

"Simply deduct points from Hua Oulo without hesitation," another examiner remarked casually. "A Silver Star recipient, indeed remarkable in abilities, but his approach is rather unconventional."

"I'll definitely give it to Rong Mi then. He has a broad perspective and quick thinking. Not nurturing him into a squad leader or a military commander would be a waste."

"Indeed, I only knew about his strong mental power, exceptional mecha piloting skills, and keen combat intuition. This side of him was unknown."

"There's no way to tell from watching Ice and Fire Tournament matches or those brief live clips from the amusement park base... It's only when you fight alongside Rong Mi that you truly realize it."

The group fell silent, stealing another discreet glance at the seat beside the cabin's opposite window.

Lu Yi sat alone, resting his head on one hand as if dozing lightly.

However, he was actually receiving a complaint from the howling wolf within his mental domain.

The admiral frowned, jotting down the names of the candidates in his mind while sensing Rong Mi gently stroking the wolf's neck.

"Ayin, don't be upset," the young man said, having already left the reception room. Pressing the elevator button, he freed his hand to soothe the wolf's fur. "There's no need to waste energy on this. If Ayin isn't tired, why don't we look at the candidate profiles together?"

Whether planning to form their own team or join someone else's evaluation team, understanding the candidates' information was crucial.

The candidates' basic information wasn't disclosed until they boarded the warship, so Rong Mi hadn't had time to look through it yet.

"Brother Rong, actually... Hua Oulo might have a bad temper, but their team is quite strong," Gu Ming whispered, having overheard the conversation between the young man and the wolf. "Besides, they're all about strength. As long as you can convince them with your power, everything will be fine."

Gu Ming had gone to the reception room to find Rong Mi earlier, and now he naturally followed him into the elevator.

Recalling how Hua Oulo had confidently introduced himself just now, Rong Mi wondered, "Is Hua Oulo well-known?"

He had just seen Rong Anting and noticed his friendly rapport with Hua Oulo, so he tried to recall if he had ever come across Hua Oulo's name in historical records.

But he drew a blank.

"Of course!" Gu Ming clapped his hands. "He's the only son of the former Chief Commander of the Military, Hua Fei. You know General Hua Fei, right? He made great contributions in the large-scale Ice Butterfly War fifty years ago. Later, due to a failed second awakening, he retired from service. Ten years ago, he passed away due to an unresolved spiritual domain injury from the war."

When Rong Mi heard "passed away due to injuries," his heart skipped a beat, and he paused in his stroking of the wolf.

"Due to General Hua Fei's influence, coupled with Hua Oulo's exceptional abilities, he was already a prominent figure on the day he entered military school, someone who could rally others at a single call! Didn't you see how many mecha pilots gathered around him? There's even a healer!"

Rong Mi nonchalantly responded, "I don't lack healers."

Upon officially joining the legion, such one-week resource exploration missions typically didn't assign healers to accompany them. Even if something unexpected happened, he could hold his own.

Gu Ming scratched his head and didn't say anything more.

Rong Mi turned to look at him, pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do you have a team already?"

"No," Gu Ming replied casually. "As long as there's no issue with the people, I can join any team. When we reach the assembly point for the competition, I'll see if there's any team that needs an extra member..."

"Then why don't you join me?"

Gu Ming: "..."

Gu Ming: "...?"

Gu Ming's eyes widened in surprise.

"Me?!" he said in disbelief. "But my level is just average..."

In his mind, even if Rong Mi wasn't as extravagant as Hua Oulo, he would still conduct a thorough assessment and carefully choose his teammates.

"I'm not even in the same league as you, Brother Rong!"

Rong Mi smiled, about to explain when another cry came from behind.

"Hey... Rong Mi!" Someone pushed through the crowd gathered in the reception hall, ignoring Hua Oulo's group's dark expressions, and ran after Rong Mi, panting, "Wait for me!"

A few minutes later, in a small conference room aboard the starship, Gu Ming sat across from Phil, the captain of the Capital Star Academy's guard team, who had just pushed through the crowd, passed the reception hall, and closely followed Rong Mi. They fist-bumped, revealing their familiarity with each other.

Rong Mi raised an eyebrow in surprise, realizing that the two had actually become acquainted in the Pest Control Association's discussion group.

Rong Mi: "Knowing each other makes things easier!"

He sat down at the table, turned on his light screen, and began filling in the team roster. The large Silver Wolf squeezed beside him, resting its head on Rong Mi's lap like a supersized plush toy. As soon as the wolf lay down, Rong Mi's hand naturally landed on its head.

Petting the wolf, he opened the light screen.

"Mechanic Rong Mi, Mechanic Gu Ming, Pilot Phil, Scout Chen Shu." The young man entered their names into the team list.

Chen Shu's holographic projection hung opposite him. The scout sat on his seat, holding a rabbit, glancing at Gu Ming and then Phil, greeting them with his bunny companion.

Rong Mi surveyed the surroundings and proposed, "Shall I take on the role of commander first?"

During the interstellar nomadic era, as the chief mecha pilot, he was responsible for coordinating the squad's mecha attacks and collaborating with the fleet operations.

Rong Mi had participated in countless battles, big and small. Although he had never formally studied command, he was already well-versed in directing small-scale combat.

"None at all!" Chen Shu promptly expressed his agreement. "I've always been in charge of reconnaissance, so I haven't delved much into command strategies."

Gu Ming quickly shook his head. "Even though I've been involved in the mecha tournament scene for a while, I've never taken part in team battles, let alone ones that involve starships and Ice Butterflies."

In reality, he was still somewhat bewildered about how he ended up in Rong Mi's squad.

Rong Mi nodded slightly before turning to Phil, the pilot who had just caught up from the elevator.

"No objections from the escort captain?" he confirmed.

The escort captain, who had once flown alongside him towards the Thunderlion during the incident at the Capital Star Academy, vigorously shook his head.

"I've been coasting through my days at the Academy for too long. Though I hold the title of captain, I don't have much experience in actual combat command; most of my work involves logistical coordination," he chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Back when I was in the legion... I did come across it occasionally, but most of the time, I was just in charge of operating starships."

"It's been years since I last fought with Ice Butterfly. Now, I'm completely in the dark."

"I must admit, when I registered for the assessment, my final approval score was barely enough. They almost didn't let me participate!"

"Ahem, to be honest, my score was quite low as well." Gu Ming coughed awkwardly, feeling somewhat guilty. "If it weren't for my sister helping me with intense training before the exam, I might not have passed."

He exchanged glances with Phil, then both turned to Chen Shu.

"I passed with high marks," Chen Shu declared, lifting Damon Rabbit's front paws in a gesture of innocence. "After all, I had Bunny here! Recently, I've been training with Damon, improving our coordination significantly. Now, we can issue an Ice Butterfly alert at the first sign of danger."

"However, when it comes to the theme of this assessment, I'm not that familiar."

"In my time with the Third Legion, I didn't do much resource exploration reconnaissance. Most of my reports were about frontline battles against Ice Butterflies."

Their gazes shifted to Rong Mi, all having the same thought.

Given the current composition of their team... aside from Rong Mi, they all seemed unreliable.

At least, they couldn't compare to Hua Oulo's meticulously selected team.

"Should we search for more members?" Gu Ming asked, raising his hand. "We could also try to find another skilled mech pilot."

"It's not like we're competing against Hua Oulo," Rong Mi said casually. "In terms of the assessment task, the minimum requirements are already met."

"Certainly, it'd be better if we come across suitable teammates, but there's no need to rush."

"Don't underestimate yourself." He looked at Gu Ming, about to say something but then smiled instead.

"You've undergone intensive training with Sister Gu Hong for over a month. You lack not the skills, but combat experience. Compared to military academy students, there is indeed a gap, but it's not that significant."

"To me, the difference isn't noticeable."

Compared to Rong Mi himself, both Gu Ming and the military academy students were rookies.

Since they were all beginners, obedience and following commands were far more important than a bit more experience.

This was one of Gu Ming's strengths.

"Phil is even more of a given," he said with ease. "Although you've been away from the war zone for some time, you did spend a considerable amount of time there. Compared to the military academy students, you're as much of a 'veteran' as Ah Shu."

"How reliable is Hua Oulo compared to attempting to provoke the Ice Butterfly Star Region?"

"Instead of spending a great deal of time searching for more powerful teammates, it's best for us to thoroughly study the examination star map."

This assessment mission wasn't arbitrary. The war zone was indeed exploring new resource stars in preparation for the impending major battle.

Rong Mi didn't pay much attention to the ranking in the assessment, but resource exploration and transportation were significant matters. He had always approached them with utmost seriousness.

Mastery of existing information was a crucial step to ensure mission success.

Chen Shu nodded and asked curiously, "Does Ami have any experience in resource exploration and transportation?"

Damon, the rabbit on his lap, leaned forward to examine the light screen, still intrigued by the wolf's size and constantly wriggling around restlessly.

The Silver Wolves remained unperturbed by the rabbit's projection, lying comfortably on Rong Mi's leg.

The young man absentmindedly stroked the fur on top of Ayin's head, smiling without saying anything.

The original owner certainly didn't have such experiences, but Chen Shu, himself, did, and plenty of them.

...Resource scavenging, resource escort missions, with the added challenge of fending off Ice Butterflies' ambushes and clearing their threats along the way...

In the era of interstellar nomads, this was their daily routine.

It was their lightest workload.

Rong Mi opened the examination star map. "Regardless, everyone needs to memorize the information about the surrounding sectors for this test."

The map provided a vast area, encompassing both the testing region and its periphery. Rong Mi's finger traced over the map as she said earnestly, "Remember all the details presented on the map."

"The temporary military bases outside the testing grounds, the flight routes within, the areas marked for Ice Butterfly activity, and... the 'pirate' activities in the past."

The 'pirates' were, in reality, the proctors playing their roles.

This was the first issue that Rong Mi planned to address during the assessment.