Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
After returning to school, Yu Ran continued to play the role of a diligent student. Although the identity of a “student” provided him with the best cover, the requirement to attend classes at the Guide Academy from Monday to Friday and only being able to go out on weekends brought many inconveniences to his actions.
He couldn’t afford to study at the Guide Academy for two years like regular students. He needed to accelerate his learning progress, graduate as early as possible, and proceed with his next plan. Fortunately, the “growth-type guide” persona he established had greatly helped him, as he had control over the speed of his mental energy improvement.
Recently, Teacher Ai Qi noticed that every time she entered Yu Ran’s mental landscape with her mental tendrils, the area of the scenery kept expanding. For example, yesterday there was an additional forest compared to the day before, and today there was a large meadow added…
Excitedly, Ai Qi reported this discovery to Xie Shiyi, “Principal, Yu Ran has been making rapid progress lately. The area of his mental landscape has doubled again. Moreover, the content of his mental landscape is becoming increasingly complex. I estimate his mental energy has already reached level B.”
Xie Shiyi was very surprised, “He’s been at the school for less than three months, and his mental energy has already reached level B?”
“Yes, compared to the C-level guides in his class, he’s far ahead,” Ai Qi replied.
Xie Shiyi called Yu Ran to the principal’s office alone, and his white mental tendrils carefully explored Yu Ran’s mental landscape. Indeed, during this period, Yu Ran’s mental landscape had undergone significant changes, almost like a complete transformation.
Initially, his scenery was just a simple lake, clear and transparent, with nothing around it. Now, the depths of the lake were filled with green aquatic plants, the surrounding trees were vibrant, and there was vegetation and flowers on the ground. His mental landscape was no longer just a C-level lake but resembled a small park, with the lake merely at its center, and the boundaries could continue to expand outward.
Retracting his tendrils, Xie Shiyi said, “Yu Ran, your mental energy has reached level B.”
Excitedly, Yu Ran exclaimed, “Really? I’ve also been feeling more proficient in using mental tendrils lately. They seem to listen to me more, and Little White Fox has become more energetic, no longer as sleepy as before.”
Smiling, Xie Shiyi said, “Congratulations, your growth rate is indeed very fast. I will personally tutor you in your self-study classes from now on.”
Teacher Ai Qi felt a mix of emotions. As a level B therapeutic guide herself, she was more than capable of teaching C-level students. However, Yu Ran’s mental energy was now comparable to hers, so she could no longer guide him. Having the principal personally guide Yu Ran was a good thing for him, and she was genuinely happy for him.
Yu Ran looked at Teacher Ai Qi gratefully and said, “Thank you for your help during this time.”
Ai Qi patted his shoulder with a smile. “You’re welcome. It’s what teachers should do. I’ve taught so many classes of C-level students, and you are the smartest, most diligent, and most promising student I’ve ever had. I believe you will grow into an A-level, or even S-level guide in the future. Keep up the good work.”
Yu Ran nodded vigorously. “I will!”
Xie Shiyi said, “Ai Qi, Yu Ran will still serve as the class monitor for Class 107. He will attend theoretical classes with everyone else, but for practical classes, he will be granted leave, and I will teach him separately. Think of a reason to explain to the classmates temporarily without revealing Yu Ran’s mental energy improvement.”
“I understand,” Ai Qi replied.
Growth-type guides were rare, and Xie Shiyi valued Yu Ran’s development. He would personally teach Yu Ran in future practical classes. He had a strange feeling that this diligent student in front of him might truly grow into an S-level guide and even become a legendary figure like Professor Morvi. Such a promising seed couldn’t be wasted.
***
Yu Ran took theory classes with class 107 every morning, and then in the afternoon, he went to the mental energy classroom, where Dean Xie personally gave him practical classes, so it would make sense that he would progress a bit faster. During this time, he had been waiting for Adeline’s superiors to take the initiative to contact him.
As a result, after the chip was handed over, it was like a stone sinking into the sea without any response.Yu Ran was not in a good position to act rashly, so he could only wait patiently.
Half a month passed in a flash. On March 30th, Yu Ran suddenly received a call from the security booth at the entrance. A young girl’s voice came from the other side of the phone, saying excitedly, “Ran Ran, are you at school? Come and find me at the school gate, I’m here to see you.”
Yu Ran froze for a moment, “Who are you?”
The other party said, “I am your sister, don’t you remember me?”
Yu Ran was speechless. He had no sister at all. However, he quickly figured out who the caller was and changed into some clothes before heading out.
At the gate of the Guide Academy, a girl in a blue dress waved excitedly at Yu Ran, “Ranran!”
—Rong Yingying, the girl from Base B73 whose legs were bitten off by a monster, Yu Ran’s “cousin.”
Yu Ran walked over quickly, pretending to be excited, “Cousin? What are you doing here?”
Rong Yingying smiled, “I came to see you in the Capital Star. My legs have been in the healing pod for a few days, and with two months of rehabilitation, they’re fully healed now. Look, just like before, right?”
Yu Ran looked at her new legs and said sincerely, “That’s great.”
Rong Yingying affectionately wrapped her arm around his shoulder, “Let’s go, cousin. I’ll treat you to dinner.”
She had a smile on her face, and her eyes towards Yu Ran were very friendly, but Yu Ran couldn’t shake off the feeling of something eerie—she was being mentally controlled. Not far ahead was a taxi waiting. Yu Ran quietly followed Rong Yingying into the car. The driver in the front wore sunglasses, making his features indiscernible. Rong Yingying and Yu Ran sat together in the back.
As the car started moving, a partition suddenly rose in the back, and all the windows were covered with opaque sunshades. Yu Ran’s surroundings immediately turned dark, and he couldn’t see anything outside the window.
Yu Ran asked coldly, “Where are you taking me?”
The driver in the front spoke in a deep voice, “To meet the person you want to see.”
—Indeed, it was Adeline’s superior, sending someone to make contact with him.
Yu Ran quickly calmed down. He tried hard to remember the route the vehicle was taking, but suddenly, the girl who had been affectionately calling him “Ranran” next to him pulled out a syringe and swiftly injected it into his arm. Within five seconds, Yu Ran completely lost consciousness.
This was a potent anesthetic specifically designed for guides, capable of inducing rapid unconsciousness. No matter how powerful his brain was, it was of no use once he fell asleep.
…
He couldn’t tell how much time had passed when Yu Ran slowly opened his eyes. He cautiously looked around and found himself lying on a chair in a room that resembled a chapel. A person wearing a patterned mask sat on the steps.
Seeing Yu Ran awake, the person’s mouth emitted a soft mechanical sound, “You’ve been through a lot. We brought you here in this way, hoping you don’t mind.”
Yu Ran didn’t have any tracking or surveillance devices on him, only wearing a simple school uniform. He knew that in front of this extremely vigilant “big fish,” once he exposed himself, he would have nowhere to escape. Moreover, the person in front of him might not necessarily be the leader of the organization but could be a subordinate sent to contact him or even a decoy.
Yu Ran quickly calmed down. He rubbed his throbbing head and got up from the chair, walking up to the person respectfully, saying, “I can understand—after all, there are too many people investigating you, and you need to maintain your mystery, not revealing your identity and whereabouts.”
The person nodded and said, “It’s good that you understand. In the future, we will continue to meet in this manner.”
Yu Ran asked, “Did you get the information?”
The person replied, “Yes, we did. You’ve done well. You’re indeed the guide I’ve been eyeing.”
Yu Ran asked, “What are the next instructions?”
The mechanical voice slowly said, “Our research has reached a crucial stage. Now, we only lack an S-level sentinel as a sample… What do you think of Lu Zexuan?”
Yu Ran’s heart tightened, but he maintained his composure on the surface, saying lightly, “Lu Zexuan is a very justice-oriented soldier. It’s not easy to deal with an S-level sentinel who has evolved flight abilities. Moreover, he leads an elite special forces team composed entirely of A-level sentinels, and those members are very loyal to him.” Yu Ran shifted the conversation and mocked, “Unfortunately, his spirit body isn’t very clever. He just wants to play with my fox all day long. Our compatibility is as high as 98%. He no longer has any guard against me—if I were to take action, I might be able to deal with him.” Yu Ran looked at the person and asked seriously, “Do you want to use him for experiments?”
The mechanical voice said, “That’s right. You really understand everything.”
Yu Ran was speechless. Their experiments had become so depraved that they were now targeting S-class sentinels. This indicated that the samples of A-class, B-class, and C-class sentinels were already sufficient. The sentinels that had recently undergone mass hysteria might have been failures of the experiment. However, after receiving crucial data from Yu Ran, they improved the experiment’s design. It seemed that experiments targeting sentinels below A-class had been successful.
What exactly were they planning? The thought of their terrifying plan sent shivers down Yu Ran’s spine.
The other person continued, “You’ve performed exceptionally well in these missions. If you can successfully control S-class sentinel Lu Zexuan next, and have him replace his father as the leader of the Eagle Legion… then the entire Eagle Legion will be at our disposal.”
Yu Ran casually inquired, “Have you dispatched individuals to other legions as well?”
The other person replied blandly, “You don’t need to know too much.”
Yu Ran nodded simply, “Alright. What do I need to do then?”
Rong Yingying emerged from the nearby hidden chamber, wearing a smile and holding a delicate tray with a bottle of white pills on it. Her gaze towards Yu Ran remained warm and friendly—however, the girl’s expression remained unchanged throughout, as if frozen in time.
Yu Ran took the pills, looking towards the masked figure.
The other person patiently explained, “These pills dissolve in water and become colorless and tasteless. Lu Zexuan has already submitted an application to the military, requesting that you join the Eagle Special Forces as his accompanying guide. From now on, you no longer need to conceal your abilities. Graduate from the Guide Academy as soon as possible, join the Eagle Special Forces, and stay by Lu Zexuan’s side. I’m giving you three months to ensure he takes this entire bottle of pills. S-class sentinels have very keen senses. Controlling him needs to be gradual. You cannot let him discover your undercover identity. When the medication reaches a certain peak, he will immediately undergo hysteria. Seize the opportunity to invade his mental world, destroy his mental landscape, and conquer him—make him your puppet. A guide is the best beast tamer. Sentinels should obey our instructions, don’t you agree?”
Yu Ran pondered seriously for a moment, then nodded, “You’re right. Those foolish sentinels, their mental worlds are one fragile mess after another, causing us endless trouble. If we could control them, the world would be much more peaceful.”
“…Yes.” The mechanical voice chuckled eerily, “It all depends on your performance from now on.”
“You saved my life, I will definitely be loyal to you and not let you down.” Yu Ran respectfully bowed to the figure, and the next moment, Rong Yingying approached with a sedative needle. Yu Ran, unwilling to let her act, snatched the needle from her hand and swiftly injected it into his own arm.
Rong Yingying was speechless. The girl paused for a moment, then continued smiling at him.
Before losing consciousness, Yu Ran looked towards the masked man and promised, “Within three months, I’ll bring a compliant Lu Zexuan to meet you.”
The masked man smiled, “Good, I look forward to that day.”
Yu Ran quickly closed his eyes, completely falling asleep.
In the church, Rong Yingying withdrew, and a figure emerged from behind the statue. The masked person immediately bowed to him, “Master.”
The man’s lips curved into a smile, as if petting an animal’s head, he gently patted the masked man’s head, “Well done.”
He turned to look at the sleeping Yu Ran, walked over, gently lifted the boy’s chin, and praised, “Smart and efficient in your tasks, ruthless when it comes to killing, indeed, you are the talent I value the most… However, I have some doubts about your origins. So, don’t disappoint me.”
***
When Yu Ran woke up again, he was still in the taxi, and it had safely returned him to the entrance of the Guide Academy. Yu Ran hurried into the school, shivering down his spine.
He finally saw the person he wanted to see, but it was no different from “not seeing” them at all— the other party didn’t reveal any identity-related information, or even let him know the meeting place. With such high vigilance, the only way to expose his true identity would be to become his confidant.
And becoming the confidant of this organization’s leader, how difficult would that be?
Killing people, stealing data, it was all just meeting a masked surrogate. The other party wanted him to do more, even to destroy Lu Zexuan’s mental landscape, turning Lu Zexuan into a mindless killing machine, a puppet S-class sentinel controlled by the organization, and then using Lu Zexuan to control the entire Eagle Legion. What a terrifying ambition!
Thinking of how Lu Zexuan would make time every weekend to see him, thinking of that slightly foolish but adorable White Eagle… Yu Ran couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart.
Perhaps meeting him was the unluckiest thing to happen to Lu Zexuan? He didn’t want to drag Lu Zexuan into this quagmire. Unfortunately, there was no way out. Their compatibility exceeded 98%, and in the organization’s eyes, he was the best candidate to deal with Lu Zexuan.
Fortunately, the organization was still unaware that he had two S-class spirit bodies, and the combined abilities of two foxes were actually quite powerful—
Yu Ran could destroy Lu Zexuan’s mental landscape while helping him rebuild a new one. This was something that absolutely no one could have thought of. It all depended on Lu Zexuan’s acting skills now. He hoped that Lu Zexuan could become his strongest ally.
