Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Three days prior, Yu Li had a conversation with her current superior.

“Level…”

“Differentiated. Brain CT shows clear psychic shadows. Based on age and skeletal development… comprehensive assessment indicates Guide potential, estimated at D+ to C.”

“C-level?”

The uniformed man speaking with the doctor honed in on the detail, repeating it with a raised eyebrow before chuckling. His dark green eyes fixed on the young girl’s face. “I see. No wonder those brats treasure Guides so much… it makes sense.”

Yu Li lowered her head, hands resting on her knees, offering no reaction to her superior’s remark.

Her eyelashes were long, with a soft curve at the outer corners. A strand of hair tucked behind her ear cast a tantalizing shadow along her neck.

“What’s the maximum purification capacity she can manage?”

The man watched her, unbuttoning his uniform jacket. His broad back sank into the office chair as he rolled an unlit cigarette between his fingers.

The doctor answered cautiously, “The average Sentinel serving in the military district is A+ level. Based on Miss Yu’s psychic energy estimates, she can handle about one-fifth of a B-level Guide’s workload per session.”

“Remarkable,” the man chuckled thoughtfully. “How many assignments has she taken this month?”

“Uh, the medical logs show… only three. One of which, as you know, was abruptly interrupted when the Sentinel experienced an unexpected incident during her spiritual guidance.”

“Heh. Got it. You can go.”

At this point in the conversation, Yu Li blinked, her gaze shifting from confusion to clarity.

The air fell silent, and her instincts tingled, warning her that something was amiss.

“So, Miss Yu?”

—Here it comes. The classic leadership mind games.

Yu Li paused, then diplomatically replied, “My apologies, Commander Lu Wu.”

“Please believe me, ever since arriving here, I’ve opened spiritual guidance appointments every day without fail,” Yu Li stated emphatically. “I only receive a take-home pay of 2,500 Federal credits a month. I’m confident my labor is well worth my pay.”

After all, she only earned 2,500—what more could they expect?

Hearing this, the male Sentinel with his disheveled appearance shrugged and tapped the desk lightly with his knuckles. “I haven’t even said anything yet. Relax.”

“The Tower tolerates idlers, but you can’t just coast along forever. Guides aren’t that common, even a C-level.”

“You need to be aware, girl,” he said. “Have you met with those brats lately?”

She had.

But none of those encounters were pleasant memories.

Yu Li felt like giving up.

Yu Li was a transmigrator. In her past life, she had died from overwork as an intern at a major corporation. After crossing over, she became the illegitimate daughter of a federal noble, raised in a remote estate with little contact with the outside world until adulthood.

Having only transmigrated three or four months ago, she was quite content after inheriting the original body’s memories—she didn’t care about superficial reputation, as long as she had food and shelter!

Having experienced real death from overwork, she was determined not to overexert herself in this life, opting instead to live as a content slacker.

But not long ago, her biological father suddenly passed away, and his eldest son seized control of the family with ruthless efficiency. Somehow, her existence was leaked.

Yu Li’s birth mother had long since died, and as an illegitimate child, she naturally couldn’t remain with the family.

Thus, after barely two months of slacking, Yu Li was forced to strike out on her own, leaving the family to fend for herself. Fortunately, before her transmigration, the original body had awakened the rare Guide talent—though only C-level, it was enough to secure her a stable government position in the vast military district.

“Actually, last month, over twenty Sentinels came to me,” Yu Li took a deep breath, preparing a mild defense. “It’s just that, for some reason…”

“But this month, you only handled two and a half cases,” Lu Wu said.

“Yeah, I really tried—”

“The doctor’s report shows that the Sentinel whose purification was interrupted ended up tied up in the medical department with a shock collar after showing signs of mutation in your isolation chamber.”

Lu Wu watched her leisurely. “Do you have anything to explain, Miss Yu?”

Yu Li opened her mouth, like a sluggish jellyfish struggling to release bubbles, before finally closing it again without another word.

Arguing with superiors was pointless—all she could do was put up token resistance before surrendering.

…So annoying. Whatever.

Her shoulders slumped slightly as she frowned. “Commander, what exactly do you expect from me? Just say it outright.”

Yu Li didn’t forget to remind him, “But you haven’t forgotten, right? I’m only a C-level?”

“Of course,” the commander replied cheerfully. “I won’t assign you anything too demanding. Hold off on purification for now—your C-level psychic energy has its limits. Incomplete purification sessions tend to drive the little brats crazy.”

“I’ll assign you a task in a couple of days. Do well, and there’s a raise in it for you.”

Yu Li: *This familiar carrot-on-a-stick routine—does he really think I’ll bite again? How naive.*

Yu Li replied calmly, “How much of a raise? Can it be at least 1,000 more than 2,500?”

“More than that. Wait for the notice.”

Lu Wu waved his hand, finally signaling the end of the conversation, and placed the long-unlit cigarette between his lips.

Yu Li stood up, full of worries, and bid farewell, “Thank you. I’ll take my leave now. If you have time, Commander, feel free to book a purification session with me.”

It was just a polite remark, but to her surprise, Lu Wu responded with a low hum, his dark green eyes locking onto her pale features.

Yu Li’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively averted her gaze.

For a moment, she felt the illusion of being watched by a predator.

“…Never mind.” Lu Wu smiled at her, silent for a while before rubbing the back of his neck. Beneath his askew collar, a tattoo was visible.

“I’ve worn a shock collar before. It’s not a pleasant experience.”

As he spoke, the officer—who carried the aura of a rabid stray—clenched the saliva-dampened cigarette between his teeth, his voice laced with dark amusement. “No rush. Let’s wait until you’ve learned how to use us properly first, good girl.”

…

It was only 8 a.m. when she left Lu Wu’s office. With the commander’s orders, she didn’t have to stay in the isolation chamber today… though even if she did, Yu Li would probably shirk her duties.

Two months into her job at the White Tower, Yu Li, the transplanted Earthling, remained a mediocre Guide.

In truth, even before Lu Wu’s summoning, she had been researching methods to perform purification more systematically and effectively—not out of ambition, but simply to keep this lucrative, government position with benefits.

However, the answers she received left her feeling hopeless.

Most Guides in the Tower nowadays were attack-oriented—those capable of assisting Sentinels in combat on the battlefield. Their purification methods differed drastically from hers, or they outright refused to perform it. Pure healing Guides, on the other hand, were becoming increasingly rare.

—This was also why Yu Li later realized why Lu Wu had recruited her despite her being only a C-rank.

Her spirit was water-based, granting her a healing ability bonus. Though her rank was low, it was still better than letting Sentinels rely solely on Guide-like drugs for relief.

At this point, it’s necessary to mention the background of the Federation.

Three hundred years ago, when pollution appeared, humans awakened into two evolutionary paths: “Sentinels” and “Guides.”

Sentinels were born with formidable physical prowess and senses far surpassing ordinary humans, but their mental domains were highly susceptible to pollution, eventually transforming them into monsters. The only ones capable of purifying this mutation process in Sentinels were the Guides.

The ratio between the two groups was heavily skewed—Guides were far fewer in number than Sentinels, and each Guide was a more precious strategic resource than any Sentinel. High-ranking attack Guides were even equivalent to walking fortresses, capable of commanding tens of thousands of soldiers simultaneously in battle.

From what Yu Li knew, among the seniors in her division, there were attack Guides capable of performing near-miraculous feats.

But she was just a small fry at the bottom of the White Tower—she didn’t even have a formal ID number, let alone the chance to meet such influential figures.

The problem now facing Yu Li was that her purification duties had been suspended, and what work Lu Wu had in store for her next remained unknown. She sighed, thinking it’d be fine as long as it wasn’t too troublesome.

She returned to the quiet room to pack up her things.

“I’m on leave today.”

When she heard heavy boot steps outside the door, Yu Li didn’t turn around, merely instructing with slight annoyance, “Please go schedule with another Guide for treatment, Sentinel.”

No response.

An intense feeling of being watched crept up from behind, as if some terrifying beast had locked onto her. Holding her files, Yu Li turned and saw a familiar tall figure standing outside the door.

It was a man with gray eyes, standing at least 6’5” tall, dressed in a high-necked, form-fitting combat suit. His physique was robust and lean, the leather straps across his shoulders and neck accentuating his well-trained muscles, giving the impression of a calm and steady warrior.

Yet, despite his outwardly reassuring appearance, the side of his face was covered in crystalline black scales, and from behind his broad, powerful spine hung a thick, dragon-like tail, slightly curled, its spiked tip hard and sharp.

This was a Sentinel undergoing mutation.

“Oh, it’s you, You Xiuya.”

Recognizing him, Yu Li smiled and stood to greet him, as if unfazed by the fact that the being before her was barely human anymore.

He was one of only three Sentinels who had come to her for treatment this month. His spirit was a dragon lizard, his rank A+, and his pollution levels were severe—mutation had already manifested physically on his limbs, making him resemble a genetically altered alien.

But Yu Li wasn’t particularly afraid of him.

Perhaps it was because, in their few interactions, she had learned that he always restrained himself, remaining taciturn and silent. Even when pleased, his silver-gray eyes would narrow, his broad, scaled claws—retracting their sharp nails—would hold her gently, while his jagged tail wagged back and forth like a happy puppy’s.

To her slight embarrassment, Yu Li was an unapologetic furry enthusiast, and she had been eyeing his dark, spiky tail for a long time…! But despite their familiarity, You Xiuya had repeatedly refused her requests to touch it.

Left with no choice, Yu Li took out her frustration by petting his spirit instead.

But today was different.

You Xiuya didn’t release his spirit. His cold, gray eyes fixed on Yu Li, and only after the girl signaled permission did he step forward, his blade-like scaled tail dragging heavily across the floor.

Seeing him approach, Yu Li paused, then asked, “By the way, I didn’t finish your last purification session. Did you go to another Guide to continue it?”

Yu Li’s psychic energy was weak—only C-rank—while the Sentinels serving in the Alpha Military District averaged A+ or higher, standing at the pinnacle of human combat prowess.

The vast gap in spiritual energy meant that every time she performed purification for them, it felt like she was being completely drained.

Even with her efforts, what she could provide for those high-ranking Sentinels’ spirits was a drop in the bucket. Sometimes, she couldn’t even complete a full purification session, left staring awkwardly at the fluffy spirit creatures waiting for her attention.

She guessed this was why many Sentinels had sought her guidance last month, but this month, the number had dropped to just three…

“…”

“Why didn’t you go? You should be aware of your own condition.” Interpreting the answer from his silence, Yu Li sighed.

The dragon-like man stopped about two steps away from her, hesitated for a moment, then bent down, lowering his head to reveal the tightly fastened metal collar around his neck, its monitoring light blinking—like a tamed wild beast.

His nearly two-meter-tall frame loomed over her, and Yu Li suppressed a shiver of instinct.

His emotionless gray eyes remained fixed on her.

You Xiuya’s mutation was relatively advanced. From her training, Yu Li knew that Sentinels like him were emotionally detached, having lost most of their language abilities. In daily combat, they relied purely on instinct and commands implanted in their minds by the Tower—it wouldn’t be wrong to call them killing machines.

They usually required strict supervision and treatment to prevent them from one day becoming fully mutated. Yet, You Xiuya’s condition had always been stable. He had passed multiple psychological evaluations and voluntarily accepted the Tower’s surveillance, continuing to serve the Federation as a loyal warrior.

“Come here, let me check on you again.”

Moved by the sight of the Sentinel silently seeking comfort, Yu Li softened and waved him over.

With clear permission granted, You Xiuya stepped forward and embraced her slender figure, his muscular arms encircling her protectively, as if guarding his prey.

Yu Li felt like she’d been tackled by an overenthusiastic dog, nearly breathless, and quickly patted him in a fluster, signaling him to ease up.

“This thing shouldn’t break, right…?”

Noticing something, Yu Li reached out cautiously. Thanks to his bent posture, she easily touched the collar around his neck, tapping it lightly with her fingertips.

You Xiuya’s gaze remained calm, unflinching, though his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

Yu Li noticed his dragon tail swaying restrainedly behind him.

“Alright, release your spirit,” Yu Li said. “I remember your dragon lizard was injured during the last mission. Let me see how it’s recovering.”

But You Xiuya stayed silent, unmoving. His arms tightened around her, his chin resting atop her soft hair as his breathing grew heavier.

Yu Li sensed something was off. “You Xiuya, I’m on leave today. I’m not really in the mood for a deep purification, and honestly, there’s only so much I can do for you. There are other wood- and water-type healing Guides in the Tower. Maybe you should—”

She trailed off, realizing You Xiuya wasn’t listening at all.

His arm muscles tensed, his lashes lowering as he stared at her intently.

Noticing her hesitation, he leaned down, deliberately coiling his raised, scaled tail around her wrist, then gently nuzzled her cheek with his chin.