CR CH45

Chapter 45: Guiding and Soothing

Before getting hands-on experience with actual combat missions, they had assumed their daily conversations would revolve around combat strategy.

In reality, however, they spent most of their time complaining about which variant looked the ugliest.

Walking at the back of the group, Jiang Tianji lowered his head to browse through his comms.

His roommates shared their daily lives in the group chat every day. The group name had been changed by Liang Chong to “Tianji’s Backing.”

Whenever Jiang Tianji opened the pictures they shared during his free time, the corners of his mouth would always lift unconsciously.

But as he kept looking, his smile gradually faded.

The scenes in the photos were deeply familiar: the academy library, the pond… and the rice bowls with toppings from the fourth floor of the cafeteria that they loved to eat, where every single time they would only order the double combo of spicy diced chicken and scrambled eggs with beef tenderloin.

Yet, without him realizing exactly when it started, these things were drifting further and further away from him.

He stood right in the middle of a crossroad, drawing close to none of the options.

He couldn’t help but recall the scene from that day, when Liang Chong, Jia Yun, and the others had dashed toward the variant energy core.

Their figures gradually overlapped with those of his teammates ahead, who were currently walking with their arms thrown around each other’s shoulders.

“Come over here with me.”

A sudden voice rang out from his side. Jiang Tianji snapped out of his thoughts. Before he could even react, Feng Huo yanked him toward the edge of the small lake.

Having just finished their mission, the people up front were chatting happily and didn’t notice the commotion in the back. Ji Yandong glanced back once but didn’t interfere.

“What’s been up with you lately?”

Once they reached the lakeside, Feng Huo got straight to the point.

“You won’t say a word when asked, and it’s irritating to watch.”

“I’m fine,” Jiang Tianji replied casually. “No need to worry.”

“Who’s worrying about you? I’m worried about the safety of our dorm.”

It would have been better if he hadn’t said it, because the moment he did, Feng Huo couldn’t resist launching into an accusation.

“These past few days you haven’t said a word. You spend all day brooding in the corner over god-knows-what, looking dead-gloomy. When I sleep, I don’t even dare close both eyes fully, terrified that you’ll have a sudden lapse in judgment and drag the three of us straight down to hell with you.”

“Yeah, I plan to make my move tonight. Don’t sleep.”

Jiang Tianji hadn’t expected that kind of answer. He laughed out of sheer exasperation, and then asked as if suddenly remembering something.

“By the way, what were you doing running off to the washroom in the middle of the night the other day to write? A distress letter?”

“No.” Feng Huo looked rather embarrassed. “Sigh, I figured it’s better to be safe than sorry, so I wanted to write a will to leave something for my younger brothers and sisters.”

“Did you finish it? Let me see.”

“…No. Right at the start, I realized I didn’t know how to write the word ‘will’.”

Hearing Jiang’s laughter, Feng Huo threw a punch at his shoulder. Jiang Tianji’s chest vibrated with laughter, causing him to cough repeatedly.

“The Captain said we’ll be reorganized into different squads in a few days based on our ranks. We might not be teammates by then.”

Feng Huo hesitated for a moment, but asked anyway, “This grading is very important. What are your thoughts?”

Jiang Tianji replied, “No thoughts.”

His expression was flawless. He took a step back to lean against a tree. As if anticipating what Feng Huo was about to say next, he added another line.

“I don’t know.”

Feng Huo fell silent, looking at Jiang Tianji with the kind of expression one reserves for a troublesome creature.

“You, man… speaking about your difficulties is like asking for your life. Sometimes I feel like you don’t actually want to solve the problem at all; you’re fine as long as you can muddle through the days.”

He looked toward the lake gloomily. “But if that were truly the case, I suppose there wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Then why don’t you try to aim higher?”

“I…” Feng Huo picked up a pebble from the ground, squatted down, and skipped it across the lake’s surface. “I’m worried about my family, and I don’t like the outside world.”

“Going back as a regular human without carrying specialized weapons means you’re still completely powerless when encountering danger.”

Jiang Tianji asked him, “Setting everything else aside, have you ever thought about staying?”

Feng Huo frowned slowly. Just as he was about to say something, Jiang Tianji cut him off.

“You like fighting. Every time a mission ends, you use your device to log your kill count. Why not stay?”

Although his tone was calm, it carried a faint edge of aggressiveness.

“…You’re right.”

Feng Huo quieted down. It took quite a while before he spoke again.

“Actually, I have thought about it.”

“A long time ago, there was a period when my eldest brother would take me hunting. As we walked back, we would count the number of prey. When we got home, my younger brothers and sisters would all swarm around us. Back then, I felt incredibly amazing.”

“If a day comes when I develop a deep attachment to this place, I’ll consider staying. That’s not the issue.”

Feng Huo stood up and dusted off his hands. “Do you know that you’re actually highly aggressive?”

“For boors like us, speaking our minds is quite simple. I am whatever I am. A savage from a D-rank planet, poor, with a bad personality… this is me. I quite like myself this way, so it doesn’t matter which side of me is seen by others, and I care even less about what they say.”

“No one is picking a fight with you, I just… forget it, I guess I owe you one.”

Feng Huo didn’t say anything more. Leaving behind a “think about it yourself,” he turned and walked away.

Jiang Tianji leaned against the tree, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the zipper of his jacket.

Buzz buzz. His device suddenly vibrated.

Jiang Tianji lowered his head. Upon seeing the message, his brows knit together instinctively, and he walked with large strides toward the Commander’s Building.

The lakeside wasn’t far from the Commander’s Building, so Jiang Tianji managed to arrive at the top floor looking reasonably composed.

The office area was entirely deserted during rest hours. He arrived before Ling Kongmiao’s office and knocked lightly on the door.

“Enter.”

Jiang Tianji pushed open the door and walked to the front of the desk, avoiding any eye contact with the person opposite him.

“Chief.”

“…”

Upon his entry, Ling Kongmiao seemed to detect something, pausing his movements with a subtle shift in demeanor.

“Sit.”

He tapped the seat in front of Jiang Tianji.

“Yes.”

Jiang Tianji pulled back the chair and sat down.

There was barely any expression on his face, yet a faint coldness radiated from him, his emotions tightly strung.

Ling Kongmiao stood up to pour two cups of water. Placing one of the paper cups in front of Jiang Tianji, he naturally leaned against the side of the desk next to him.

“Before long, teams will be reorganized based on scores. Although you will be assigned to the A-rank and the Special Division, consistently falling below the score standard will automatically demote you to B-rank. As for the Special Division… it remains the same as before; you can apply to withdraw if your performance on special missions fails to meet the criteria.”

Ling Kongmiao linked his device and opened a virtual screen, placing various data analyses and the details of the team reorganization right before Jiang Tianji’s eyes.

Jiang Tianji didn’t look at his own score or the comprehensive analysis. Instead, he scrolled straight down to read the details, his brow furrowing unconsciously.

D-rank members would still be divided into small squads to take on missions from the base’s mission station, basically maintaining their original format.

A and B-rank members would face collective missions, operating in brigade units. The Special Division consisted of the top tiers within the Ability Department and the Regular Department’s A-rank brigades; they would take on additional special missions on top of their original ones.

Jiang Tianji’s hand gripping the paper cup tightened unconsciously, his mind drifting as he fell into deep thought.

Just as the hot water was about to overflow, someone grasped his hand with movements that were unexpectedly gentle.

He released his grip, the unfamiliar warmth leaving a distinct tactile sensation on the back of his hand.

The chaotic thoughts in his mind vanished briefly, leaving behind nothing but a blank slate. Before he could react, his jaw was gently cupped by a hand.

Ling Kongmiao lifted his face, his gaze landing near his jawline where a thin, long scratch resided. He raised a finger and tapped it lightly.

“Even minor scratches need to be repaired. The probability of variant energy infection is low, but it doesn’t mean it’s zero.”

As the man drew close, his familiar scent enveloped Jiang’s nose. His long silver-white hair fell against Jiang’s collarbone, feeling incredibly ticklish.

Jiang Tianji looked up, the cold light in his eyes melting into a daze.

This scent of jasmine… come to think of it, the very first time he smelled it seemed to be on the warship.

And then…

Jiang Tianji vaguely realized something, his expression freezing.

Feeling a sudden wave of subtlety in his heart, he turned his face away to dodge Ling Kongmiao’s hand.

“It’s nothing major. Calling you here counts as a routine reminder.”

Ling Kongmiao’s fingertips twirled with blue energy. While helping to soothe and guide Jiang Tianji’s mental state, he also seemed to be observing his condition.

“…Though it doesn’t quite feel like it, you still need to keep an eye out for your susceptibility period.”

An invisible stream of energy entered his body. The gloomy aura lingering in his heart was dispelled, and the emotions he had suppressed for so long were instantly relieved.

Jiang Tianji’s mental strength felt as though it were resting against a soft, gentle cloud, feeling so comfortable that he wanted to narrow his eyes.

But the moment he realized the person helping to soothe him was Ling Kongmiao, he forced himself to hold back.

Capturing his petulant reaction, Ling Kongmiao found it somewhat amusing. He raised his hand and gently ruffled the youth’s head.

This gesture was entirely too sudden, causing Jiang Tianji to lose all capacity to react.

“Sometimes, it’s better to look at things more simply. You don’t need to determine a specific meaning before deciding what you want to do. Once you go out and do it, the problems will naturally resolve themselves.”

The current Ling Kongmiao made him feel unfamiliar; Jiang Tianji even doubted whether he was daydreaming.

The sunlight from outside the window poured into the room. Leaning against the office desk, Ling Kongmiao bore none of his usual cold mockery, his every gesture carrying an air of casual ease and composure.

“Do not become a slave to your mind. You are the master of your own will. Your very existence is the meaning.”

His voice was magnetic, leaving a unique imprint in Jiang’s heart along with the soothing energy.

That day, the thing that turned red before the sunset was Jiang Tianji.

_

Author’s Note:

Captain Ling remembers everything, but he miscalculated on one detail.

—Xiao Jiang has liked his specific type ever since he was a kid.

It’s really hard to guess what will awaken alongside his ability later on, isn’t it?