Chapter 112 – Awakening (Part One)

Chapter 112 - Awakening (Part One)

Rong Mi was not keen on waiting.

He wished to settle Cecil as soon as possible and eliminate the crisis of the Ice Butterflies' massive invasion in human territories in history. He also wanted to examine Lu Yi's mental domain earlier.

Despite Lu Yi appearing to be normal, Rong Mi still felt somewhat uneasy.

When he entered the luminous sea anemone, Rong Mi was unprepared. It was only after entering that he realized communication signals were completely nullified there. Apart from the wolf-shaped communicator by his side, he had no other means to contact Lu Yi.

The problem was, he couldn't understand Wolf Language.

Rong Mi leaned against the Silver Wolf and absentmindedly toyed with its pointed ears. He sighed silently.

Each time the young man's fingertips lifted, the wolf's ears would involuntarily twitch.

Ayin quietly allowed Rong Mi to play with him for a while. Eventually, unable to withstand the tickling, he let out a low howl and tilted his head to one side.

Rong Mi tilted his head as well.

"Ooohhh!" He mimicked a wolf's howl, amusing himself. "Ooohhh, ooohhh—"

Ayin: "...."

The Silver Wolf raised its gaze to look at the young man, then gently swished its tail. It nudged its head closer to Rong Mi's again.

It found Rong Mi's howling endearing.

The wolf opened its mouth, almost wanting to lick Rong Mi's cheek as a sign of affection and fondness.

But Lu Yi wouldn't allow it.

The Admiral had issued a strict order, and the wolf had no choice but to obey.

So, the Silver Wolf simply pressed its large head against Rong Mi's side.

The young man relaxed, leaning back, completely surrounded by the wolf. He laid on the wolf's side, nearly burying himself in its long fur.

He was in the process of restoring his mental energy.

Rong Mi had just completely unleashed his mental energy.

The vibrant flames had once filled this entire space within the anemone's cnidarian cell.

The inner walls of the anemone had briefly been tinged purple, but they gradually absorbed Rong Mi's mental energy, returning to their original state.

The anemone remained steadfast, offering no response. Grandpa Anemone's voice had also vanished entirely, likely indicating that it had left this particular anemone and moved on to another glowing one.

This complete release made Rong Mi's mental domain more active. However, the anemone's energy field had a soothing effect, preventing his mental domain from spiraling out of control as it had before.

Benefiting from the Artificial Healer's rapid recuperative abilities, Rong Mi's replenishment of mental energy occurred swiftly.

With each attempt, he felt his mental tree beginning to grow rapidly.

That rapid growth made him feel as if he had returned to his teenage years, when his mental domain was not yet fully mature.

His deep purple mental tree unfolded its branches, with small clusters of purple light hanging on each limb, resembling buds on the verge of blossoming.

As Rong Mi attempted his breakthrough, the Slumbering Sea also plunged into night.

In the darkness of this planet, the sea anemones no longer glowed.

Their originally grayish-white columns became completely transparent, resembling a colossal jellyfish.

Emptying his mental domain once more, Rong Mi returned to his wolf form. Through the walls of the sea anemone's passage, he saw the seawater outside and the white dolphins swimming around the anemones.

"Oooh-woof!"

"Oooh-woof-oooh-woof!"

The dolphins' clear calls echoed.

They swam in circles around the jellyfish-like sea anemone, gathering near Rong Mi's location before forming a line, dispersing, and rearranging themselves as if staging an impromptu performance.

And their chosen audience was none other than Rong Mi.

More and more white dolphins swam from afar, joining the ensemble.

The translucent anemones, disturbed by the commotion, wriggled their bodies and oriented themselves toward the area where the unusual activity was unfolding.

"The white dolphins share memories, transcending both time and space." Grandpa Sun's voice rang out again, adopting a casual tone as he spoke to Rong Mi, "They've seen you before."

"You even claim to be a great hero who helps planets eradicate Ice Butterflies."

"They are now forming a procession to celebrate your successful awakening."

The anemone swayed gently, and Master Sunflower fell into a moment of silence.

"With Lord Sunflower here, our planet has never been invaded by Frost Moths. The most perilous time was when Lu Yi lent a hand; he swiftly drove those insects away," he said, then irritably asked Rong Mi, "When did you arrive on our planet? What was it like?"

Rong Mi grunted softly and stroked the wolf absently. "It's a secret."

Centuries later, when he arrived on this planet, those enormous sea anemones were long gone.

The white dolphins were nearly extinct, hiding deep within the waters.

This once enchanting planet now appeared desolate and dilapidated.

Amid the brownish water, countless human and Ice Butterfly corpses lay submerged beneath the surface.

Such a sight was better left unseen.

Rong Mi rolled over and sat up.

"Let's try again," he muttered to himself, patting the Silver Wolf beside him. "Ayin, move to the corner! I'm going in for another round—"

Fire.

A brilliant purple flame illuminated a section of the transparent sea anemone's body.

Not far above the planet, a starship streaked across the cosmos, heading for the battle zone's perimeter to join the fleet assembled there. It approached the leading battleship's side.

A small shuttle docked, carrying Chen Mo, who had hurried from the capital planet, aboard the main ship. He made his way to Lu Yi's command center, about to slam the door shut behind him.

Upon catching Lu Yi's gaze, he instinctively softened his grip on the handle.

Chen Mo: "..."

Forget it.

He thought to himself, Let Rong Mi handle the task of arguing with Lu Yi.

"I brought a medical scanner," Chen Mo said. "We confiscated it from the amusement park base."

"Although the power supply on the spaceship is limited, it should last at least five or six minutes."

In critical moments, this could be a life-saving device.

Lu Yi acknowledged him but didn't respond further, which made Chen Mo roll his eyes inwardly.

"I'll go with you," he finally said. "I'll also help with your funeral!"

Lu Yi looked at him for a moment before asking, "Have you met Chen Shu?"

Chen Mo: "…"

Chen Mo twitched the corner of his mouth.

"I have met him," he sighed. "That young man is quite impressive. I believe he'll fare well within the First Legion!"

The military assessment concluded three days ago.

Rong Mi had left the assessment venue mid-way, yet the score he had accrued towers far above the rest.

Rong Mi's team delivered an outstanding performance in the second half of the assessment, achieving full marks in the Resource Planet Exploration module.

Given that it was a team scoring system, these points were also attributed to Rong Mi.

Not to mention... Rong Mi's supervisor evaluation module was on the verge of overflowing with points!

No one disputed this score, not even Hua Oulo, who was utterly convinced.

After the assessment, Chen Shu didn't report to the First Legion's base but instead joined a fleet heading for the Ice Butterfly Star Region.

New recruits who had just passed the military's examination were generally not supposed to participate in such campaigns. However, Chen Shu was an exception.

He had already undergone years of training in the Third Legion and displayed seamless cooperation with Damon. As a result, Lu Yi included him in the reconnaissance team for this operation.

After all, while the First and Third Legions had some who bred Gem Rabbits, they were in the minority.

Ever since the abilities of the Gem Rabbits were announced, many scouts wished to form a battle pet contract with them. But… most of them failed to gain the rabbits' favor.

Scouts who had spent a long time in the war zone were either rough and careless or insensitive, unintentionally hurting the rabbits in their attempts to bond with them, causing the rabbits to squeak in fear. They returned disheartened and defeated.

In contrast, Chen Shu, who brought his Gem Rabbit to the First Legion, quickly became the apple of the scouts' eye.

"I saw Ah Shu rubbing his hands in anticipation," Chen Mo recalled their recent meeting and chuckled. "He said he wanted to join Rong Mi's assessment team and continue to earn glory for her."

Those with seniority in the legion were well aware of how perilous it was to venture deep into the Ice Butterfly Star Region, especially those who had experienced the butterfly transformation battle a decade ago. They knew that achieving their current mission objective wouldn't be a walk in the park.

Chen Mo wasn't exactly fearful, but there was still a hint of solemnity on his face.

Only young men like Chen Shu, who were aware of the dangers but remained spirited and enthusiastic, could display such vigor.

It was a good thing.

Lu Yi acknowledged him with a sound but didn't comment, his mind momentarily drifting elsewhere.

Regretfully, he thought.

To others, his name bore no connection to Rong Mi's.

Otherwise, he was convinced he could have outperformed Chen Shu.

The fleet had assembled and set course for the Icetera Galaxy, ready to launch the first human-led lightning strike into the region in decades. Unbeknownst to the public, the supreme commander of this campaign had, at one moment, allowed himself a fleeting distraction, indulging in thoughts that some might label as childish.

This operation remained classified for the time being, but it was an open secret within the First and Third Legions. Both had been placed on high alert. Some were relieved not to be chosen for the mission, while others were bitterly disappointed.

Hua Oulo was among the latter.

"I'll never get a chance to shine!" Hua Oulo grumbled in frustration, his arms crossed, speaking softly to himself in a rest cabin located at the rear of the starship.

This was a standard transport vessel belonging to the First Legion, tasked with coordinating with resource ships arriving from safer territories to supply energy to the temporary base on the frontline.

This transport warship operated within a zone adjacent to the Safe Sector, a much safer area than the military's assessment sector.

Unlike regular combat teams, one of the principles for transport warships was to avoid battles with the Ice Butterflies – and there weren't many of those creatures in this sector to begin with. To Hua Oulo, boarding this transport vessel was no different from entering a retirement home within a warzone!

This was particularly frustrating for Hua Oulo, who had already suffered setbacks during the military assessment, causing him to grumble endlessly and itch for action.

But when he tried to complain, there was no one to echo his sentiments.

The close friends he had made at the military academy, including Lu Yi, were scattered across other teams. Rong Anting, his best friend and healer, had gone straight to the medical warship.

The more time Hua Oulo spent on the transport, the lonelier and emptier he felt – he even found himself missing Rong Mi!

He knew that after the interruption of the military assessment, Rong Mi had been taken to the medical warship and didn't participate in the second half of the tests.

Nonetheless, this didn't hinder Rong Mi from becoming a legend among the candidates of this year.

Or rather... this incident only added another vibrant chapter to Rong Mi's tale.

After all, who else among the candidates had the audacity to jump through a wormhole mid-exam and end up in the Ice Butterfly sector?

Furthermore, it was an examiner from the same warship undertaking the messenger role that rookies were supposed to perform, while Rong Mi, as a candidate, was directly accompanying the Legate into battle.

...This inversion of roles was a topic of much discussion among the candidates. Not to mention the clusters of purple flames igniting in the Ice Butterfly Star Domain.

Hua Oulo clenched his fists, still simmering with anger at the memory of Rong Mi scolding him for being brainless.

But... he couldn't help but acknowledge Rong Mi's prowess.

After all, Rong Mi's combat style was truly dazzling!

Even just catching a distant glimpse was far better than this dreary, evasive journey they were on now.

Due to Rong Mi's immense strength, Hua Oulo had already, deep down, come to greatly respect him.

So much so that it made Hua Oulo question his own self-perception.

Sitting alone in a corner of the rest cabin, he indulged in idle thoughts, devoid of any action to occupy him.

He pondered if everything Rong Mi did and said was rational and trustworthy.

... Could it be that I really lack brains?

Hua Oulo: "...!?"

Startled, Hua Oulo jumped to his feet, pacing restlessly within the resting pod.

Nearby, a circle of senior mecha pilots watched him with disapproval.

Youngsters like Hua Oulo, who had decent abilities but lacked judgment when fueled by passion, were handled differently across various legions.

Some legions preferred to assign such pilots directly to front-line combat units, letting their recklessness fuel their battles.

However, since Lu Yi took command of the First Legion, the approach changed.

Impulsive hotheads were too prone to sacrificing themselves or others in the heat of the moment.

Lu Yi had always despised such sacrifices.

These seasoned mecha pilots were certain that if not for the current shortage of personnel in the war zone and the urgency of the situation, Hua Oulo wouldn't just be on this medical warship... He'd likely be confined to the legion's base, alternating between intensified training and solitary confinement until he learned his lesson the hard way.

It could be said that once this crisis passed, Hua Oulo would not escape the repercussions.

Placing him on this transport warship was only a temporary measure.

The transport ship needed to deliver energy to various outposts, ensuring a sufficient supply for each location. This energy must not be casually plundered by the Ice Butterflies.

Therefore, apart from a few newcomers like Hua Oulo who had recently boarded, the mecha pilots on the transport ship were all seasoned veterans within the legion.

The scouts on the ship were even more experienced. Among the new recruits assigned to them this time was Anna, a mecha pilot who, in the entire assessment, was one of the few to have a Gem Rabbit battle pet.

Her experience might not be extensive, but her talent was commendable, and experience could always be cultivated.

More importantly... the Gem Rabbit could help them evade the Ice Butterflies more effectively!

"Rabbits are quite rare as battle pets now," said the partner guiding Anna through her scout duties, who also happened to be the captain of the transport ship. "But I reckon you won't stay with us for long. You'll get familiar with the tempo of the battlefield, and eventually, you'll need to venture deeper into the region closer to the Ice Butterfly territory."

"Of course, we'd be delighted if you chose to remain on the transport ship indefinitely."

The warship had already entered the starport, where it was exchanging resources with ships that had come from the safer sectors.

Two starships docked side by side, and Captain Lian Ying, accompanied by Anna and the supervisor, meticulously inventoried the cargo to ensure no hazardous items were concealed within.

Vessels arriving from the Secure Star Region typically carried no dangerous substances, making this a routine and effortless task.

Yet, this time, their inspection took longer than usual.

Anna piloted her mecha, with her Gem Hare in tow, through the stacks of energy minerals in the cargo bay, her expression hesitant.

"All instruments indicate normal readings," she reported to Lian Ying. "But... my Gem Hare seems... nervous."