Chapter 94: Assessment (Part Five)

Chapter 94: Assessment (Part Five)

Hua Oulo was clad in training gear, also carrying a bottle of nutrient solution, seemingly having just finished extra training like Rong Mi and coming to replenish his energy.

In front of him was an open holographic screen, with the candidate's star map displaying new markings around the stellar region as well.

A red warning for a wormhole emergence and the accompanying data on the Ice Butterfly activity allowed him to deduce the outcome of the recent minor battle.

Hua Oulo said, "They let a high-level Ice Butterfly escape with its swarm... How useless can they be?!"

"Just like the two teammates you found."

In the military assessment, the members of each team were listed publicly. Hua Oulo had long been keeping an eye on Rong Mi and, seizing the opportunity, immediately taunted, "With such weak teammates you've picked, how many points do you think you'll end up with? I bet you'll definitely stand out in this assessment."

"The kind that comes in dead last."

His feelings towards Rong Mi were complicated.

When Rong Mi first made a name for himself in the Ice and Fire Tournament, Hua Oulo had completely disregarded him, believing that while Rong Mi had some skill, he was no match for him.

However, Hua Oulo's perception of Rong Mi shifted after the footage from the space station battle and the amusement park conflict surfaced.

As a military academy student, he was more aware of the terror of the Ice Butterflies than ordinary citizens, and the overwhelming anxiety that came with facing them.

Hua Oulo had yet to encounter an Archaic Butterfly, let alone a Spirit Fragment of a Morphed Butterfly!

Mostly, he had an inexplicable self-confidence that he could do it too. Yet, there were moments when he doubted if he could perform as well as the young man if he were in Rong Mi's shoes.

Despite this, he still felt that the hype about Rong Mi on the Star Network was exaggerated!

Acknowledging Rong Mi's abilities, Hua Oulo secretly looked forward to encountering him during the military assessment.

He even harbored a desire to outshine Rong Mi and make a name for himself in the evaluation!

Thus, he hatched a brilliant plan.

Enter the outskirts of the Ice Butterfly star region, eliminate one or two Ice Butterfly squads, then promptly withdraw back to the combat zone.

Hua Oulo believed that his plan was sound and without major flaws.

He had no intention of recklessly venturing deep into the Ice Butterfly Star Region, for even he was aware that such a move would be tantamount to suicide.

...Little did he expect that in his attempt to overshadow Rong Mi, he would stumble upon her while searching for an armor pilot to join his scheme.

Worse yet, the culprit is a coward!

Not only did he refuse to join my scheme... he even sought support! Shortly after Rong Mi left the reception hall yesterday, I received a military warning notice! The speed was outrageous! It warned that if I acted recklessly or deviated from the assessment route during the exam, my qualification for this year's assessment would be immediately revoked!

The warning notice had been issued by none other than Admiral Lu Yi, whose judgment he highly respected.

Hua Oulo: "..."

He knew quite a number of military officers and had vaguely heard about Rong Mi's special relationship with Lu Yi, but he hadn't given it much credence.

Firstly, the two had been strangers before, with vastly different backgrounds.

Secondly, he believed that with Rong Mi's capabilities, there was no need for her to forge connections to enter the military or the First Legion.

Thirdly, considering Lu Yi's personality... it seemed unlikely for him to become intimately acquainted with someone in such a short span of one month.

However...

Hua Oulo had received a warning notice the day before. As he recalled the wolf-type battle pet beside Rong Mi, it appeared more and more like Lu Yi's Icefield Silver Wolf...

His feelings toward Rong Mi became even more complicated.

This complexity reached its peak when he saw that Rong Mi had chosen teammates who had barely passed their individual assessments.

After all, not only did Rong Mi firmly refuse to join his team, but he also scolded him!

It made Hua Oulo feel as if he was no match for the last-placer!

Filled with resentment, he stood before Rong Mi, challenging him with an uplifted chin that seemed ready to pierce the sky.

Rong Mi raised an eyebrow.

He disliked Hua Oulo's attitude toward the Third Legion's mecha pilots, as well as the unmasked sense of superiority he displayed when mentioning Gu Ming and Phil.

But Rong Mi wasn't in the mood to argue. Instead, he asked out of curiosity, "Which legion did you apply for?"

He was curious to know which unfortunate Legate had been chosen by Hua Oulo.

After all, Hua Oulo had received the Silver Star Medal in the Military Academy Joint Examination, indicating that he was among the top performers of his batch of cadets.

With such capabilities, as long as his conduct was decent, even if he had a less than ideal intellect or a touch of teenage melodrama, a regular legion would hardly turn him away.

The challenge, however, would be in how to disciple and train him.

Hua Oulo glanced at Rong Mi sideways and declared firmly, "The First Legion!"

Rong Mi: "..."

So, it turns out that Lu Yi is the one with a huge grievance.

The Silver Wolf, who had always been by Rong Mi's side: "..."

Wolves inherently disliked Hua Oulo. Upon hearing him mention the First Legion, the wolf narrowed its eyes slightly, revealing an extremely menacing expression.

Hua Oulo: "What kind of look is that! Do you think I can't make it?!"

He didn't notice the wolf's changing expression, only blocking the passage to prevent Rong Mi from passing, vowing not to let her go as easily as last time. He intended to reason with her thoroughly.

The young man could only smile and shake his head, feeling a tinge of melancholy for Hua Oulo in his heart.

Hua Oulo would certainly not have an easy time in the First Legion.

But it was too early to talk about such matters now.

Seeing Hua Oulo persistently obstructing his path and causing trouble, he patted the wolf.

Rong Mi: "Ayin, help me clear a way."

After being provoked repeatedly, Rong Mi felt the need to respond in some manner.

Besides, her time was precious.

It would be more productive to train her mental strength in the simulation system to facilitate a second awakening, rather than wasting it on Hua Oulo.

Ayin: "Awooo!"

The wolf had long been ready to pounce! It had endured that golden-haired one's arrogance for far too long!

This person was speaking to Rong Mi with his nose in the air, utterly disrespectful! He was loud and boisterous, with a condescending attitude towards the other candidates and the soldiers of the War Zone!

Every move he made was like stepping on the wolf's triggers!

Ayin slightly raised the tip of his tail, locking onto Hua Oulo's position.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Hua Oulo sensed the wolf's stance and immediately became alert, raising his voice.

His body tensed, hands clenched into fists, ready for battle.

Logic told him that a Battle Pet wouldn't attack its owner.

Not to mention, this wolf might be Lu Yi's Battle Pet.

But emotionally...

This silver wolf must have an S-class mental strength level, too!

How could Hua Oulo not sense the threat?

He stared intently at the wolf and raised his voice. "Rong Mi! Don't forget! Ordering your battle pet to attack another person without cause will not only disqualify you from the exam but also land you in court and prison! Hey!"

A flash of silver appeared before him. The wolf didn't launch a mental attack but suddenly leaped forward.

Hua Oulo took a step back and reached for his waist.

At his side was a small laser pistol, but he didn't draw it immediately.

No matter how bad his temperament was, he knew that everyone on this starship was on his side.

After all, Hua Oulo was a military academy student and didn't have the habit of drawing his weapon against his own people.

He hesitated for just a second, but it was already too late to change his stance and counterattack. All he could do was unleash his full mental power to create a defensive shield.

But the wolf had already opened its jaws, baring its sharp teeth, piercing through the shield—

And then precisely clamped down on the collar of Hua Oulo's uniform.

Not a single hair on him was touched.

Hua Oulo, on the verge of screaming, "..."

"Did I scare you?" Rong Mi smiled at him. "My apologies."

"I didn't draw my gun." He gave Hua Oulo a thumbs-up. "You're not beyond redemption yet."

He had been intently watching Hua Oulo and hadn't missed a single move.

Hua Oulo: "..."

"F*cking... Shit!"

As he cursed, Ayin swung the wolf's head to one side, throwing Hua Oulo against the corridor wall and clearing the way for Rong Mi.

Hua Oulo rolled tactically in the corridor. When he looked up, he saw Rong Mi stroll past him with ease, an act that felt extremely humiliating.

Not only that, but he also received a chilling warning glance from the wolf, almost getting slapped in the face by its swishing tail as it walked by.

Hua Oulo: ...

He noticed! He scolded Rong Mi, yet this wolf cared more about her than Rong Mi did!

What made Hua Oulo even more intolerable was that... when he rolled and lifted his head, he found that the few soldiers from the Third Legion who had just boarded the warship had also heard the commotion and were looking over.

"One moment, you shouldn't have retreated back there," one of the mecha pilots advised, demonstrating the move. "Slide forward! Dodge out of the way! ——"

It wasn't uncommon for people in the legion to engage in friendly sparring.

As long as they didn't use weapons or mental energy attacks, and knew when to stop, it was no big deal.

"You were scared just because you saw that silver wolf coming? Clearly, its true aura hadn't even been unleashed yet," another mecha pilot raised his nutrient fluid pouch like a glass, toasting him.

"This won't do. When you encounter swarms of ice butterflies in the future, that's truly terrifying! Carrying out missions in a warzone is entirely different from exterminating those three or five low-level ice butterflies back at military school."

Hua Oulo: "..."

He got up from the ground, having been lectured by these mecha pilots whom he had previously looked down upon. Turning his head, he only saw Rong Mi's back. Filled with resentment, he turned and walked away, feeling extremely aggrieved.

Rong Mi's mood remained unaffected.

After returning to his rest chamber, he quickly took a shower, then leaned against the wolf as a pillow, half-immersed in its fluffy fur. He activated his communicator and opened the chat window with Lu Yi.

The admiral's message had arrived while he was bathing.

"All systems nominal in the mental domain," Lu Yi reported to his therapist as part of their regular check-in. "Don't worry. Focus on your exam."

"Take care," Rong Mi replied with a playful emoji of a wolf nodding.

He then unfolded the star map once more.

In no more than six hours, they would enter the examination zone, where all personal communication signals would be temporarily blocked. Unless there were unforeseen circumstances, only the exam channel would remain accessible.

Satisfied that Lu Yi was in good condition, Rong Mi nestled close to the wolf and fell into a deep sleep.

Ayin usually didn't join Rong Mi in bed.

When the young man slept, the wolf would lie at the head of his bed. Except in Lu Yi's apartment, Ayin kept its eyes closed but ears pricked, vigilant to any sounds around them.

This night was no different.

However, the bed in the starship's quarters was very low, almost flush with the floor. Rong Mi simply closed the simple partition around the bed and nestled close to the wolf.

His forehead rested against the wolf's neck, and as he slept, his arm draped over the wolf's body, his fingers pressing against the soft fur on its belly that was exposed when it lay on its side.

The wolf's body temperature was always slightly higher than a human's, warm and comforting.

Rong Mi slept deeply, rolling closer to the wolf as he slumbered.

As the uniform announcement resounded throughout the starship, signaling their arrival at the assessment zone, Rong Mi opened his eyes amidst a cluster of silver fur. Still groggy, he found himself clutching a wolf's fluffy tail, using it as a pillow.

Rong Mi gently rubbed his cheek against Ayin's tail, watching it sway and quiver from the touch before reluctantly releasing his grip.

He sat up, brushing off a few stray silver hairs that had adhered to his clothes.

"Sorry about that, Ayin," he apologized, reaching out to smooth the disarrayed fur his actions had caused. "I guess my sleeping position wasn't the best."

The wolf let out an indignant howl, retracting its tail and rolling onto its hind legs. It pushed away Rong Mi's hand, taking matters into its own paws, and began grooming itself attentively.

Rong Mi sat cross-legged before the wolf, gazing beyond Ayin's pointed ears to glimpse the approaching starport outside the window.

"Attention all candidates, the starship will dock in five minutes. Please disembark within ten minutes after the docking process is complete. Repeat, please disembark within ten minutes after the docking."

The starport of the assessment site shimmered with the lights of humanity. However, Rong Mi's attention was not on those illuminations but on a white aura encircling the perimeter of the starport.

As the starship drew near, that ethereal light altered its course, darting swiftly towards the vessel's incoming glow.