Chapter 16: First Day of Work at the White Tower
Just as Lin Yao emerged from the portal in the team training area, Lei Ya's loud voice blasted over from the other side of the training ground:
"Mumu, if you don't come soon, Lao K will eat the mine map like a pancake!"
Lin Yao quickened his pace, and the strap of his backpack swayed slightly with his movements, causing the things inside to make a small noise.
Old K was squatting in front of the tactical board, gesturing. Seeing him coming, he immediately straightened up and forced a smile on his dark face: "You're here? I knew you were reliable."
Aji leaned against the wall holding the energy gun, while Su Ling was debugging the communicator. They both raised their eyes at the same time, without any blame in their eyes, but instead with a familiarity of "it's okay as long as you're here".
"I'm sorry about what happened last time." Lin Yao took off his backpack and took out three gifts to apologize. "I was unreliable the first time we teamed up, and I got you all injured. These are my apologies."
Old K waved his hand and pushed the item back. "What are you talking about? It's not uncommon to fail when completing a quest."
Su Ling also nodded, tapping his fingertips on the communicator, and immediately changed the subject: "It's been tested. The new mission level in the mine is more difficult. If you are really sorry, behave well today."
Lei Ya looked at the repair fluid being pushed around and suddenly grabbed it and stuffed it into his backpack: "Alright, alright, if you keep pushing it, the mine will be closed! I'll accept the apology on their behalf, so hurry up and get in!"
Lin Yao looked at the three people's eyes and saw that they really didn't care. He smiled and nodded, tapping his fingertips on the light brain: "Let's go, today is absolutely reliable!"
The battle in the refreshed abandoned mining area was more intense than expected.
As soon as we stepped into the mine, lurking Zergs poured out from the cracks in the rock wall, and the black mass blocked the searchlight above our heads.
Lin Yao did not passively defend like last time. Ten aerial vines suddenly sprang out from his palm, and the ice-blue aerial roots instantly formed a protective net, accurately covering Lao K and the other two.
"Holy crap! Mumu, your vines have evolved?" Leiya's energy gun suddenly hummed, its power tripled, and with one shot, it shattered the core of the insect swarm. "It feels faster and more agile!"
Lin Yao stepped on the foothold made of aerial roots and vines and flew into the air. The ice-blue color wrapped around the falling rock that was hitting Old K from above in time.
When he landed, he happened to be standing next to Old K. He released healing light particles at the right time to replenish everyone's energy and relieve fatigue: "Are you okay?"
The abundant energy relieved the muscle soreness of the four people. Old K stretched his body a little, his eyes full of surprise:
"Wow! Your healing timing is so accurate, it's like you have precognition!"
Aji said seriously into the communicator: "He just told us to hide to the left three seconds in advance, and sure enough, the rock wall on the right collapsed. Mumu, when did you develop this predictive ability?"
Lin Yao smiled and said nothing.
Shasha excitedly shook its roots in the sea of consciousness. The diverted energy made its perception of danger several times more acute.
The energy fluctuations of the Zerg hidden behind the rock wall were like fluorescent flags in its eyes, and it was difficult not to get an early warning.
The mission completion rate on the tactical board jumped to 100%. This mission was easily completed. A group of people went in unscathed and came out cleanly. They felt like they were both participants and bystanders.
Old K was filled with relief. He patted Lin Yao's shoulder and spoke in an unprecedentedly serious tone:
"Mumu, let's not look for anyone else when we team up from now on. It'll just be the four of us, plus Leiya... No, Leiya can be replaced with an energy bar."
This proposal was approved by Aji and Su Ling, especially Aji, who took out his data board in a serious manner, retrieved the data and analyzed it seriously, thinking about how to arrange the troops after replacing Lei Ya.
Lei Ya had just stuffed the last energy bar into his mouth when he nearly choked on the words, "Why should I be the next one?"
After listening to Aji's analysis, he felt that this group of people were "backstabbing" him. He snatched Aji's data board and immediately made a commotion.
Looking at the noisy appearance of several people, Lin Yao looked down at the energy particles remaining in his palm, and suddenly felt that sometimes it was not bad to have some noise.
Su Ling came over, raised the gift bag in her hand, and said, "Thank you!"
Lin Yao's mouth corners curled up, he knew that after Lei Ya, he would soon make three new friends!
-
The noise in the viewing area continued.
Ye Heng returned to the viewing area where Lin Yao had just stood. The 3S sentry's excellent eyesight allowed him to spot the cat-eared boy in the crowd at a glance.
The young man had indeed grabbed a good position with his posture. He was holding up a laptop to record the video. The tip of his tail swung wildly along with the vines strangling the screen, and he shouted, "Well done!"
His dark green eyes swept over the group of old acquaintances from the Legion. The White Tiger Legion's combat staff was still arguing over the tactics board;
The crew-haired officer of the Giant Wolf Legion gripped the energy tank with a grim expression;
The "engineer" of the Dragon Warrior Corps quietly adjusted the tracker on his wrist;
The corners of his lips curled up in an almost imperceptible arc, and his gaze finally fell on the battle scene on the big screen.
In fact, he had seen it countless times. Those ferocious vines were twisting the insect swarms on the polar ice field into energy mist, and the gold and dark red lines flowed on the roots like living flames.
In his sea of consciousness, the scales on Mo Yun's dark green body were flashing in sync with the patterns. It was replicating the release of that energy with exactly the same frequency.
"Who said Chi Ying didn't come?" Ye Heng whispered in his heart.
His original intention of coming to the battle zone was indeed to wait for the "shadow" to show up. After all, there are only a few spiritual bodies in the entire galaxy that can resonate with Mo Yun.
But Ying didn't wait for him, but met the guide named Mumu.
He didn't like to join in the fun, so he stood a little further away. At that time, Mumu pulled the cat-eared boy to ask about the news in the square.
As the two spoke, the healing light particles in Mumu's palm fell onto the virtual ground and shattered into blue stars.
The moment he approached, Mo Yun suddenly tensed up, and the light on the scales flickered rapidly.
It was not a warning, but a more complex, almost eager reaction. Mo Yun wanted to rush out of the sea of consciousness and get closer to this weak guide.
This reaction was so peculiar that he couldn't help but follow the other party out of the viewing area, and even made up a lame excuse of being a newbie asking for a guide.
Ye Heng raised his hand and opened the friend list on the computer. Mumu's avatar was quietly lit with a small online logo next to it.
His fingertips hovered over the dialog box, and a hint of amusement flashed in his dark green pupils.
The whereabouts of 'Shadow' is still a mystery, but Mumu, who makes Mo Yun feel close to him, seems to be as interesting as 'Shadow'.
-
Lin Yao was awakened by the first ray of sunlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the early morning.
The curtains were not drawn tightly, and the golden band of light fell right beside his pillow. Shasha in his spiritual sea was gently wrapping the light with his ice-blue aerial roots, and the dewdrops on the leaves reflected tiny rainbow lights.
A good night's sleep made his fingertips feel light and refreshed. After washing up, eating breakfast, packing up and going downstairs, the Delin family's hovercraft was already waiting for him.
The black car body shone matte in the morning light. The driver was wearing a neatly ironed uniform. When he saw Lin Yao coming, he just nodded slightly and opened the car door without saying a word the whole time.
A faint scent of cedar filled the air as the hovercraft smoothly drove out of Delin's house and slid onto the public road.
The Central Star building complex outside the window receded like a flowing galaxy. The driver's hands on the steering wheel were as steady as a rock, and there was no noise even when shifting gears.
"It really is ingrained in my DNA to not chat while driving." Lin Yao stared at the things passing by outside the window, his fingertips tapping lightly on his knees.
The journey was so quiet that he could hear his own breathing. He suddenly felt that the plan of buying a private hover car should be put on the agenda.
Even with the lowest-end model, you can at least play some soothing and energizing music while commuting.
The hovercraft slowly stopped in front of the White Pagoda Square.
Lin Yao looked up and saw the star-white tower in the center like an ice spike piercing the sky. The morning light passed through the crystal and cast flowing spots of light on the ground.
The sentries and guides in the square were hurrying along, their uniforms interwoven into a flowing river. A faint spiritual energy floated in the air, like the scent of a forest after rain.
"Please show your work card." The smart barrier at the security checkpoint issued a soft prompt sound.
Lin Yao placed the bracelet with the identity chip close to the sensing area, and the barrier instantly cracked. "East District Relief, guide Lin Yao. Authorization confirmed. Welcome to the White Tower."
The layout of the central star-shaped white tower is like a delicate leaf, with the main tower as the petiole, and the study area and training hall for sentinels and guides distributed along the spiral staircase;
The Star Track Avenue behind the tower is the leaf vein. The wide road surface can accommodate ten hovercars in parallel, connecting the teaching area in the front with the rectangular building complex in the back.
The rectangular building was divided into two areas, east and west, by a transparent barrier like a river of energy: the work area in the east was lit with a cold white light, where people could be seen walking around and flashing data screens;
The convalescent area in the west district glows warm yellow, with a faint halo of healing energy overflowing.
In the patio between the two areas, there is a huge flowering tree.
It was early morning, and the light green leaves were slowly unfolding, with golden edges. It was said that this tree could soothe restless spirits and was the stabilizing force of the Central Star White Pagoda.
When Lin Yao was walking along Star Track Avenue, he happened to meet Sister Zhang who was also coming to work with documents in her arms.
The other person was wearing a guide uniform embroidered with lilies of the valley today. When he saw him, he smiled and waved:
"Good morning, Xiaolin! Did you sleep well last night?"
The two of them had the same destination, so they set off together. Chatting back and forth, they reached the lobby. The guide robot, Domi, was patrolling on rollers, its sleek body topped with a holographic screen, and was very enthusiastic:
"Good morning, Mr. Lin Yao! Your 32-09 counseling room has been disinfected. Would you like to plan the optimal route for you?"
"Thank you, but no thanks." Lin Yao smiled and waved his hand. He had familiarized himself with the route with Chen Ke yesterday.
"Okay, this is calming energy tea. I hope you have a happy day!" Domi took out a sealed cup of warm energy tea from the round body of the machine and handed it to Lin Yao.
Lin Yao took the teacup and said thank you to Duomi!
While waiting for the elevator, I happened to run into Chen Ke coming down the stairwell.
This meticulous staff member wearing gold-rimmed glasses was checking data with his optical computer while walking. He really works hard!
Lin Yao was curious in his heart, wondering if he would miss a step!
When he saw Lin Yao, he pushed his glasses and nodded meticulously:
"Good morning, Mr. Lin Yao."
"Today's East District evacuation mission volume has increased by 17% compared to yesterday. At 9:00 sharp, a guide will bring the E-level sentries assigned by the White Tower to your evacuation room. I hope you can get started quickly and contribute to the White Tower!"
"Just a side note, I'm very familiar with every place here, so I won't miss anything!"
After saying that, he turned and hurried away, his steps as precise as if he was following a metronome.
Lin Yao smiled awkwardly and actually spoke out what was in his heart, and was responded to in a serious manner by the person who was in charge.
There really is a crack in the ground! Let him dig through it! Why hasn't the elevator arrived yet?
Lin Yao pushed open the door of Room 32-09, put his backpack into the locker, and placed Shasha into the cultivation chamber in the drainage area, controlling it to extend two aerial root vines, which were the ones it usually used - Xiaoyi and Daer.
Put on the White Tower's standard work uniform - a white guide uniform embroidered with vine patterns;
Because the decorative plants in the guidance area and office area were removed yesterday, the room is now a bit simple. Lin Yao is planning to go shopping and buy some things to fill it up.
Fortunately, the walls and ceiling here can be adjusted in color. Lin Yao changed the walls and ceiling of the drainage area to light green.
The pattern above is a light-colored oil painting pattern that Lin Yao introduced with his mental power based on the appearance of the peony on Earth.
The office area had been changed to a light blue, the ceiling decorated with a few white clouds, and the walls were painted with dark patterns of murderous aura roots and vines.
I pulled open the milky white curtains, and the time on the computer jumped to exactly nine o'clock, and at the same time, there was a knock on the door.
Lin Yao pressed the switch button on the desk, and the alloy door slid open silently.
Standing outside the door was a girl wearing the same work clothes as him, with a nameplate on her chest that read "Li Xue".
Behind her followed a sentry with a star on his epaulettes. His face was pale, his eyes were drooping, his jawline was tense, and his knuckles were white from exertion.
"Hello, guide Lin Yao." Li Xue's voice was very capable, and she stepped aside to make room.
"This is Sentinel Zhao Feng who was rotated down from the front lines. His mental strength level is D. He has been observed in the sanatorium for 24 hours, and his current mental fluctuation index is 51." She handed a light brain report to Lin Yao, with the number 51 standing out.
Li Xue paused, looked up at Lin Yao, and added a bit of solemnity in her tone:
"You're familiar with the White Tower's rules. 50 is the warning line, and 85 is the high-risk line. Every 1 point increase in the value increases the risk of mental collapse by 3%."
Zhao Feng's Adam's apple moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just pulled the corners of his mouth together, revealing a smile that was uglier than crying: "I'm fine."
But just as he finished speaking, the monitoring ring on his wrist suddenly made a short beep, and the value that had been stable at 51 jumped and flashed a red light to 52.
This phenomenon caused Li Xue to frown slightly. Lin Yao also knew that under the same numerical value, the lower the mental power level, the higher the risk of collapse.
Just like Zhao Feng now, his mental body fluctuation index is 52. If his mental strength level is A, this value does not require guidance from a guide, and taking soothing drugs will be enough.
But because he is D-level, the value of 52 is a bit dangerous.
Lin Yao's gaze fell on Zhao Feng's monitoring ring. The red light reflected in the man's eyes actually made him see a bit of embarrassed stubbornness.
He smiled at the sentry, his smile as gentle as morning dew falling on grass, as a greeting.
Then he turned to look at Li Xue, and gently pointed in the direction of the counseling cabin with his fingertips: "Let him go to the counseling cabin to relax first? The energy field there has a calming effect on the fluctuations of the spiritual body."
Li Xue nodded immediately, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes: "That's what I meant."
She stepped aside to make way, her gaze resting briefly on Zhao Feng with a soothing look.
When Lin Yao led Zhao Feng into the inner counseling area, the other party was obviously stunned for a moment. The refreshing oil painting pattern made people relax.
"Sit wherever you like."
Lin Yao raised his hand and pressed the control panel of the evacuation cabin. The transparent cabin slowly opened, revealing a soft energy pad inside.
"You should have used the drainage chamber before. I won't say much. Let's stabilize the fluctuation value first, and then I'll help you with the drainage!"
Lin Yao's voice was like a soft cloud, soothing Zhao Feng and relaxing his nerves even further.
Zhao Feng lay down in the evacuation cabin. The moment the cabin door closed, the gentle energy waves from the cabin flooded over his limbs like a tide.
-
Lin Yao exited the evacuation area, turned around, and his eyes fell on Li Xue, who was checking data in front of the computer. The white guide uniform emitted a soft light under the ceiling light.
"I remember Mr. Chen Ke said that the task assigned to me today was an E-level task." Lin Yao's fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, making a regular sound.
"Why did you suddenly change to D-Class?" His tone was calm, more like confirming the work process than complaining.
Li Xue raised her head and pushed the computer toward him. Zhao Feng's monitoring data on the screen was fluctuating slightly. "You can see that too. His readings are too unstable."
She swiped the screen and pulled up last night's records. "Guide Wang, who was on duty last night, tried to relieve him three times. Each time, his temperature would drop to 49 degrees Celsius, but within half an hour, it would bounce back to 51 degrees Celsius. He was like a stone that couldn't be warmed up."
Her fingertips paused on the words "Mother Nest Worm Mental Tentacles" on Zhao Feng's case, and her brows furrowed slightly.
"Three months ago, Zhao Feng's sentinels encountered a swarm of insects during an expeditionary battle and were entangled for a minute by the Brood Zerg's mental tentacles. The physical wound has long since healed, but the low-frequency vibrations left by the tentacles are like a thorn in the flesh."
Li Xue raised her eyes to look at Lin Yao, her tone solemn: "For a D-level mental power, this kind of shock is like someone holding a hammer and hitting the mental barrier again and again. Now the barrier has cracks."
Lin Yao's fingertips paused as he tried to imagine the feeling.
It's probably like a little man holding a hammer and continuously hitting the mental barrier. If it accumulates over and over again, no matter how thick it is, it will not be able to withstand it.
The damage caused by ordinary Zerg is painful enough, not to mention the mental pollution from the Brood Zerg, which carries with it the primitive predatory nature. Zhao Feng's situation is probably even worse now.
"The only treatment you know is to pull out that destructive force, but ordinary guides won't do much for him." Li Xue sighed.
"Guide Wang is a B+-level healer, the highest configuration the sanatorium can mobilize. However, as soon as her spirit body approaches Zhao Feng's snow leopard, it is repelled by the low-frequency vibrations, and can only repair the barrier temporarily, not permanently."
"So we have no choice but to try the plant guide. Your spiritual energy is more stable and resilient."
"Aren't there any other plant guides?" Lin Yao asked back. He remembered that there were not many plant guides in the White Pagoda, but there were always ten of them. It was impossible that they were all busy.
Hearing this, Li Xue sighed heavily and tapped the light computer with her fingertips, calling up a series of appointment records:
"Yes, yes, but look!" Three names popped up on the screen, followed by densely packed appointment marks;
"Guide Zhang's schedule isn't until next week, and Guide Li just submitted his leave application yesterday, saying he needs to take a break." She paused, a hint of resignation in her tone. "As for the rest... you know."
Lin Yao understood in his heart that plant guides were rare because their spiritual bodies had a high degree of resonance with energy plants. Over time, most of them developed arrogant personalities.
They cherish their spiritual bodies like rare specimens and will refuse any mission if they are not satisfied.
"To put it bluntly, I just feel Zhao Feng's mission is thankless," Li Xue said, lowering her voice. "It requires a significant expenditure of mental energy, and there's no halo of 'successful healing'. After all, D-rank Sentinels have limited room for advancement, unlike A-rank Sentinels, who can be credited with significant achievements for successful healing."
Lin Yao turned his gaze towards the evacuation cabin. The door was closed and he couldn't see the situation inside clearly, but Lin Yao knew that there was a sentry there, waiting for hope.
"I understand." He retracted his gaze and tapped his fingertips on the computer, pulling up Zhao Feng's complete medical records. "Send me a copy of his medical records and a detailed report of his spirit body."
Li Xue was stunned for a moment, then a look of surprise appeared on her face. She thought it would take some time to explain, after all, she had seen a lot of plant guides' personalities.
"It's my duty." Lin Yao's fingertips slid across the image of the snow leopard's spirit on the screen, a faint light reflected in his eyes. "These are the military forces of the empire and need to be treated well."
Li Xue looked at Lin Yao's profile as he studied the report carefully, and suddenly felt that this new legendary plant guide was very different from those precious, arrogant and pretentious colleagues.
She breathed a sigh of relief and typed a line of words on the communicator: [Room 32-09 accepts Zhao Feng's mission and requests priority allocation of healing aids]
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