Chapter 96 – Assessment (Seven)

Chapter 96 - Assessment (Seven)

"All teams—form lines according to the numbers assigned by the system and gather ahead!"

"This is Temporary Outpost 101 at the edge of Sector AD in the First Battle Zone, the closest base to the Ice Butterfly Star Domain."

"Before you lies the battle zone's defensive line, and your assessment will take place beyond it!"

In the starport, the candidates lined up as instructed, each entering their designated zones and boarding elevators to the lower level, where smaller starships were docked.

The X-shaped starport glowed brightly in the cosmos, like a distinctive human imprint on this region.

Nearly a hundred small starships filled the lower levels, with each team boarding the one corresponding to their assigned number.

Ayin entered the starship with his head lowered, filling the access tunnel, only raising it fully once he reached the reception chamber and command room at the back.

Silver Wolves took his seat nonchalantly at the side of the command console, his icy blue eyes sweeping over Rong Mi and the other two gathered around the console. Chen Shu, Phil, and Gu Ming exchanged glances, sensing they were under scrutiny from their instructor. They instinctively straightened their postures, shedding the casual demeanor from their initial meeting.

"The dangers of the Ice Butterfly will confront you directly in this assessment! No one can guarantee your safe return!" came the voice of Third Legion's Deputy Commander and examiner, Sun Ming, over the intercom. "This is not just an assessment; it is also an important mission for resource collection. Perhaps, even a battle."

"In the final half-hour before the assessment commences, I urge you to reconsider your intentions with utmost caution. You still have one last chance to opt out of the evaluation. Should you choose to withdraw, the military's starships will escort you back to the secure sectors."

"In the remaining last half hour, any candidate who hasn't found their team will automatically be disqualified from the assessment!"

"Upon setting sail, the first order of business is to seek out any signs of the star pirates' activities."

Rong Mi was aware that the appearance of the Star Pirates wouldn't be too far off.

Given that the resource planet mentioned in this assessment lies on the fringes of the warzone, the military hasn't even fully grasped the comprehensive information surrounding the area yet.

To minimize the chances of unpredicted incidents, the examiners, disguised as pirates, would never ambush the candidate spacecraft in such locations.

...After all, someone like Hua Oulo, a mindless military academy student, might get carried away in a fight with pirates and overlook the potential threat of the Frost Butterflies around them.

The military's unified assessment consisted of five main sections. The first was for resource exploration and information gathering, followed by points earned from eliminating Frost Butterflies. The last two sections were for combat against pirates, with subjective scoring from the examiners.

Rong Mi had already planned that instead of waiting for the pirates to strike, it would be better to take the initiative after the exam started!

They should secure points from the pirate module first!

"Upon completing the pursuit of the Star Pirates, we'll head straight to that resource planet," Rong Mi said within the spaceship, marking the route on a star chart with an electronic pen. "We'll avoid these sectors where ice butterflies have been frequently spotted."

"Should we place the ice butterfly extermination score at the bottom of our priorities then?" Gu Ming nodded in approval of Rong Mi's plan but still raised his hand to ask, "Resource exploration and ice butterfly eradication each carry a score of twenty-five points. Before the energy adjustments, a single low-level ice butterfly was worth a tenth of a point. With Brother Rong's skills, it'd be a pity to completely give up on that part!"

"Don't just view this as an assessment," Rong Mi replied. "This is a war zone, and completing missions should always come first."

"In this mission, gathering resources is far more crucial than provoking ice butterflies."

"And... do you really think we won't encounter any ice butterflies just because we're avoiding the marked locations on the map?" The young man leaned back in his seat with a smile. "If that were true, Lu Yi would be laughing in his sleep every night."

Gu Ming: "..."

Phil: "..."

Chen Shu: "..."

The three of them wore numb expressions, unable to picture what Lu Yi would look like if he laughed in his sleep.

"Additionally, keep this in mind. As we move outward from here, the ice butterfly activity markers on the star chart become even sparser," Rong Mi pointed at the map and continued. "This suggests that the military's existing information is insufficient. Chen Shu, you'll need to pilot the mecha for environmental reconnaissance."

"Received!" Chen Shu, holding the rabbit, nodded in acknowledgement.

Gu Ming gazed intently at the star map, muttering, "I thought that after this point, Ice Butterflies would become less active."

Rong Mi replied, "The further we are from the defensive lines, the more Ice Butterflies there will be. They aren't fools."

"Phil, stay vigilant at all times. Gu Ming and I will rotate hourly to conduct inspections around the starship. Chen Shu... without a relief scout, your journey will be more challenging. If you spot any signs of Ice Butterfly activity, report it while maintaining a safe distance, and be ready to evacuate at any moment."

"No problem!" Chen Shu squeezed Damon Rabbit, saying, "When it's time to fight, you guys can tire yourselves out while I rest."

"Young man, before we reach the resource planet and gather information, do your best to avoid areas with Ice Butterfly activity. We want to avoid engaging in combat."

"Let me emphasize this once more." The young man straightened his posture and scanned the third person before him. "This isn't because we fear the Ice Butterflies; we have a more critical mission to accomplish."

"Of course, if we do happen to encounter them head-on, there's no need to be afraid or hesitant."

"With our current combat capabilities, a group carried by an Ice Butterfly below level five wouldn't pose a significant threat."

"Just engage them!"

"Understood!" The three team members promptly responded. Chen Shu and Phil instinctively stood up, saluting Rong Mi with military precision.

Gu Ming followed suit, standing up and looking at the two people beside him, then at Rong Mi, before straightening himself into a proper stance.

He suddenly realized that... no, ever since boarding that assessment warship, there was something different about Rong Mi's aura compared to his usual self.

They had met a few times on the capital planet, strolled through several food alleys together, and even trained and sparred at the Tianqin Club. But it was only now that Gu Ming felt like he truly understood Rong Mi.

Beside Rong Mi, Ayin tilted her head, also sensing the change in the young man.

It sat more upright, its ears perked, as if attentively listening to the lecture.

Inside the proctor's starship, Lu Yi sensed the emotional fluctuations of the Silver Wolves and, through the wolf's eyes, cast a brief glance.

Rong Mi was dressed in the pure black training uniform issued uniformly to all the examinees by the military department.

It wasn't a military uniform, but its design was simple and neat. On Rong Mi, it accentuated the youth's slender and upright figure even more.

In that moment, Lu Yi could vividly envision Rong Mi standing in a military uniform before an armor cockpit or within the command center of a starship.

From the casual elegance of his youth emerged a composed and disciplined demeanor forged by countless battles, along with an undiminished courage and fearlessness.

These qualities, when combined, were utterly captivating.

Lu Yi gently touched the spirit energy necklace left behind by Rong Mi around his neck, curving the corner of his lips.

Although he knew that this necklace might expose the fact that he had entered the war zone... Lu Yi couldn't bear to leave it behind in the safe star domain.

He also knew that if Rong Mi found out he had taken it off for this reason, he would likely become even more upset.

All he could do was hope that the young man would focus on the assessment and not "check" his location.

As Lu Yi pondered, he tapped on the holographic screen to select himself as a "pirate" and chose several candidate teams to ambush.

With a few taps on the keyboard, he pulled up the final team he intended to target. At the same time, his fellow officer in the same group received the same information on their screen, revealing a knowing look.

"Candidate team number: 53, Team Commander: Rong Mi."

Simultaneously, Rong Mi's assessment screen displayed more detailed information about the "pirate."

"A single small-scale pirate group with a military-grade A31 starship, standard paint job—" Chen Shu read out the information, eyeing the ship's exterior with disdain. "Which pirate group has such conventional markings? This is just a military starship with two decorative lines! Their disguise effort is so half-hearted."

"Beep—" As he spoke, the communication panel suddenly beeped. "Reminder: External visitor requesting communication."

Rong Mi pressed the accept button, and a holographic screen popped up, revealing a slightly nervous face.

It was a female mecha pilot with short hair.

Before she could speak, Gu Ming's eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, "Sis Anna—why are you here too?"

Anna smiled but didn't say a word. Instead, she first displayed her initial assessment registration form and her mental power test results on the communication screen.

"Do you still need a scout mecha pilot?" she asked hopefully. "Although I don't have much experience and barely qualified for the assessment, my combat abilities meet the standard for reconnaissance missions."

"I've also bonded with a Gem Rabbit—"

"Wow!—You also bonded with a Gem Rabbit!" Chen Shu immediately cried out. The Damon rabbit in his arms chirped excitedly, turning towards the holographic screen.

Rong Mi simply stood up and opened the command room door, inviting the newcomer inside.

"Anna! You really came!" Gu Ming exclaimed excitedly. "You didn't even tell me..."

"Oh, I wanted to find a team on my own without bothering you," Anna replied with a tinge of helplessness. "But perhaps my individual assessment results were just too poor..."

Rong Mi was currently scanning through Anna's assessment report.

"That's impressive!" he commented. "Is this the result of your intensive training for over half a month?"

"Marco mentioned that you hadn't touched a mech for quite some time before this!"

Anna looked at him in surprise, not expecting Rong Mi to remember her.

After all, they had only met once on that medical warship.

"Welcome to the team," Rong Mi said with a smile as he closed the holographic screen. "It seems like Chen Shu's workload will be reduced a little."

"Thanks, Anna!" As Chen Shu spoke, he passed Damon the rabbit into Anna's arms.

The lop-eared rabbit in Anna's embrace was jet black, save for its four snow-white paws.

With its large black eyes wide open, it emitted soft chirping sounds, appearing slightly bashful yet incredibly curious as it fixated its gaze on Damon Rabbit.

Damon Rabbit stretched out its paw to grasp Anna's arm. The two bunnies approached each other and sniffed, then gently touched their heads in a friendly gesture.

Assuming the role of an elder sibling, Damon took charge, promptly starting to groom the grayish-black rabbit in Anna's arms.

"I didn't think you'd come!" Since Anna frequently trained at the Tianqin Club, Gu Ming was quite familiar with her. He was both excited and concerned, immediately saying, "The war zone is too dangerous for you..."

"Ah, Sister Hong said you would say that!" Anna suddenly interrupted him. "She told me to play this recording if you did..."

Her wrist communicator flickered, and a sharp female voice suddenly rang out.

"The war zone is too dangerous for you as well."

Under Gu Ming's disbelieving gaze, Gu Hong's holographic projection appeared, giving her younger brother a disdainful look.

"You're asking me, and I think your coming to the war zone for the assessment is suicidal." She crossed her arms and made a casual greeting gesture. "Let me guess, apart from Rong Mi, everyone else in your team should be one of my consistent victims."

Gu Ming: "..."

Chen Shu: "..."

Phil, who had witnessed Gu Hong mercilessly beating his other two companions multiple times despite not being a mecha pilot himself: "..."

Gu Ming: "Big Sister Anna!"

Taking a step back, Gu Hong's holographic projection blurted out, "Are you sure this is just a recording? You didn't really transport my sister onto...?"

Anna: "What?"

Confused, she turned to look at him, causing Gu Ming to immediately clam up.

"Nothing, nothing..." He waved his hands frantically, feeling like he had lost his mind.

...He was so accustomed to going out with Gu Hong's holographic projection that he instinctively jumped to suspicious conclusions.

Rong Mi remained silent.

As the only person present who hadn't been caught in the barrage of fire, he silently added Anna's name to the team roster and clicked the submit button.

"Actually, I was quite hesitant before applying," Anna peered out from behind Gu Hong's holographic projection, smiling and waving to smooth things over. "But since I successfully bonded with the Gem Rabbit, I thought I should give it a try..."

Gu Ming was taken aback. "...So it was for the rabbit...?"

"Ah... You already knew, right? So many people from the Pest Control Association were talking about going to the Rabbit Bonding Center. I tagged along once... And the rabbit took a liking to me!" Anna still seemed thrilled when recalling the incident. "Oh, right, my rabbit's name is Meteor!"

"Isn't that a mighty name! But it's actually quite timid among Gem Rabbits. I guess it was inspired by Damon's speech to bond with a human owner..."

Chen Shu: "..."

Chen Shu straightened the small bow tie on Damon's chest, nodding proudly.

"Our Damon is a big star among Gem Rabbits! A call from him gets a hundred responses!"

As their conversation continued, the final thirty-minute countdown for departure on the starship was nearing its end.

"Countdown to the last minute - all starship docking bay doors will now lock and close - starship departure preparations in progress..."

The relaxed atmosphere on the starship instantly shifted.

Chen Shu and Anna paused their lighthearted chatter, each cradling their respective bunnies back into their arms.

Rong Mi rose to his feet and gave a signal for everyone to take their positions.

The departure conduit of the Starport shimmered with bright white guiding lights.

"Upon departure, take the left corridor." The cruiser's engines roared to life. Rong Mi tapped on the star chart and instructed Phil, who was at the helm, "Maximum cruising speed."

Ice Butterflies in the vicinity of the front line were relatively inactive, allowing them to spare time for reconnaissance.

During the assessment, Chen Shu kept an eye out for any previously undetected activity of Ice Butterflies within the nearby sectors of the star map, updating it with relevant information.

"All this will come in handy when we're operating in the combat zones in the future."

"The countdown is at the final ten seconds—five seconds—three seconds—"

The chains anchoring the starship below severed, initiating an upward acceleration. It emerged from the starport as the countdown reached zero. Nearly a hundred small warships dispersed into the cosmos like seeds expelled from a flower.

They ventured further into the combat zone, and after a few minutes, the faint glow belonging to the White Dolphins became visible once more.

A chorus of dolphins sang brightly, accompanying Rong Mi's starship for a while before dispersing to continue their cosmic journey.

The fleet of assessment cruisers scattered in all directions, and the temporary space station in the rear vanished swiftly from sight.

In the vast universe, Gu Ming kept looking back at the fading glow left by the dolphins, belatedly realizing a sense of tension.

It was his first time venturing deep into a war zone, and also his first time being far from human defenses.

Scanning his surroundings, Gu Ming noticed Chen Shu and Anna had already entered the mecha preparation room, while Phil was absorbed in piloting the starship. His gaze involuntarily lingered twice on Rong Mi.

If it were any other day, he might have sought Rong Mi out for a chat to alleviate his nerves. But now... Rong Mi stood in the command room, extending his mental energy outward to compare the star map with their surroundings.

The young man's focused expression exuded intensity, and when his gaze landed on Gu Ming, it made him feel as if he was under the scrutiny of an instructor.

Straightening his spine, Gu Ming's unease quietly dissipated.

"Tense?" Rong Mi picked up a starship operation helmet nearby, discerning the signs from Gu Ming's countenance.

Though not responsible for piloting, he could connect to the helmet to operate weapons and defense systems, augmenting his mental vision with the starship's own mental energy.

"It's not your shift yet. How about playing catch with Ayin for a while?" He said, half jesting and half serious, as he pulled out a toy ball from his training uniform pocket.

Ayin: "..."

Gu Ming: "..."

Both the man and the wolf turned their gaze toward Rong Mi, fixated on the toy ball in his hand.

"I imagine Ayin must get quite bored during the voyage." Rong Mi tossed the ball to Gu Ming, put on his helmet, and casually patted Ayin. "If you get bored, you can play with Gu Ming. I won't be able to keep you company."

Wolf: "..."

The wolf withdrew its gaze from Gu Ming, losing interest in the small ball.

It usually played fetch with Rong Mi simply because it was Rong Mi.

...It wouldn't play with anyone else, not even Lu Yi!

Ayin crouched down beside the young man.

It often accompanied Lu Yi on his voyages and would quietly stay in the cockpit when not engaged in battle.

Unlike with Rong Mi, Ayin didn't cling to Lu Yi as much. In truth, Ayin was quite accustomed to being alone.

Rong Mi, however, had been inseparable from its wolf form for over a month, constantly hugging and cuddling it. Thus, he believed that wolves needed company, unaware of Silver Wolves' previous behavior.

Ayin didn't play with Gu Ming, so Rong Mi wouldn't force it either.

The young man stroked the wolf once more before focusing his attention on the assessment at hand.

They had already traveled a considerable distance from their temporary base. Rong Mi extended his mental energy to scan their surroundings but found no trace of "Star Pirates."

"...A specially designed stealth warship?" As the starship sped along, the youth scanned the area several times to no avail.

Muttering to himself, he said, "Head in the direction of the resource planet first."

Phil responded, "Received!"

"Next to us is an active Ice Butterfly zone. I'm adjusting our course to bypass it... It seems like there's a starship approaching below?"

"In the energy belt below, they must be from the star region we just bypassed. They're numbered too, indicating they're part of the assessment fleet... How fast are they?! Why don't they dodge even though they clearly saw us... Damn it!"

The spaceship suddenly tilted to one side as Phil cursed loudly, pulling hard on the control stick.

The ship ascended rapidly. Below them, another spaceship roared past with a thunderous noise. The two vessels were dangerously close, nearly scraping against each other's hulls.

"Which team is that? So cowardly!" Hua Oulo's mocking voice echoed through the public channel. "We saw you make a detour specially! Looks like you don't dare to face the Ice Butterfly head-on at all!"