Chapter 9: The Medal

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As if observing something, Lin Zheng asked hoarsely, "Your... spiritual form?"
Wen Li’s mental energy was already exhausted; there was no strength left to summon Little Flash.
She forced herself to answer truthfully, "She... she's very tired and has gone to sleep."
Lin Zheng stepped forward, his heavy breath wafting over Wen Li’s head.
Nervous, Wen Li’s palms were sweating profusely—the overwhelming pressure from an SSS+ Sentinel was intense.
His golden eyes lowered to gaze at the girl before him, as timid as a rabbit.
Lin Zheng’s mutation index was extremely high; behind him, the leopard’s tail had transformed into a dense cluster of white bones.
"Are you very afraid of me?"
The bony tail slowly brushed Wen Li’s cheek, and when he saw her fair skin flush, Lin Zheng’s breathing grew heavier.
"How could the Federation idiots think to use you... to control me?"
So fragile, like a delicate flower.
"Aren’t you afraid of my mutation?"
The bone tail grazed Wen Li’s eyelid, causing her eyelid to twitch uncontrollably; then the tip of the tail lingered softly at the corner of her lips.
"I will tear you apart like a dog—your flesh, your blood, your spiritual form. I will... inch by inch... bit by bit..."
"Devour you."
Unexpectedly, the girl remained calm, staring at him with white pupils devoid of any emotion.
Lin Zheng became even more agitated, his thoughts tugging back and forth.
He wanted to stain her eyes with another color.
"Look at me! Look at me!"
Wen Li could not close her eyes at this moment. She recalled from childhood wildlife documentaries that beasts in leadership positions always stared directly at their subordinates to show them who the true king was.
Only by staring right back at Lin Zheng could she avoid being at a disadvantage.
Carl, watching the two locked in a stare, felt his heart tense.
Neither dared to move recklessly; any leak of mental power would be a provocation, only further raising Lin Zheng’s mutation index.
Wen Li was now walking a tightrope; if Lin Zheng wanted to kill her, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.
His deadly aura filled the air between them.
Just one second before Lin Zheng pounced on her,
Wen Li forcibly purified him with her spiritual power—a warm, brief wave of purification.
Lin Zheng immediately ceased his attack, his golden eyes wide and stunned as he lowered his hands.
Seizing the moment, Wen Li took the stabilizer from behind her and swiftly, decisively stabbed it into his neck.
Lin Zheng saw a burst of white light before losing consciousness, watching Wen Li retreat fearfully.
So she was mistaken—it was just a rabbit that could bite.
Wen Li, still trembling, looked at Lin Zheng with the needle embedded in his neck.

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So... so terrifying... sob sob...
A month later, Wen Li arrived at a spacious, well-lit auditorium. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow on the red-carpeted stage.
She wore a crisp, tailored white military uniform, cinched at the waist with a simple black belt that added a touch of vigor.
Her golden hair was pinned up, and her smooth, fair profile stirred restlessness among the sentinels seated below.
Wen Li stood on the stage receiving a medal from the commander of the White Tower Military District.
The elderly man with graying hair carried an air of unquestionable authority.
“Wen Li, congratulations on becoming a healer of the White Tower.”
“To commend your recent escort mission, the White Tower awards you 300,000 Federation credits.”
Wen Li felt both surprised and puzzled.
Such a grand occasion, and yet they mentioned this matter so plainly.
In fact, by standard measures, the last mission should have been a failure.
An SS-level medical sentinel absorbed a contaminated core, over half the civilians died, and three sentinels’ mutation indices increased by 20%.
Most importantly, the target awoke.
If Wen Li hadn’t used a stabilizer to suppress him, Lin Zheng, being so close to the contaminated core and exposed so long, would likely have mutated.
SSS+ sentinel mutation would have disastrous consequences.
Carl, responsible for the mission, was hauled before a military tribunal for the prior mental link incident.
Even as the general’s son, he could not escape punishment.
In comparison, it was downright strange that Wen Li still received a bonus.
On the podium sat three other leaders, among whom Wen Li recognized an old acquaintance.
A man with dark green hair was busy reviewing files even during the ceremony.
Wen Li silently thought: If you’re so busy, why bother coming here?
Wen Li’s chest was adorned with a golden badge, marking her as an official active healer of the White Tower.
Warm applause erupted from the audience; many sentinels had already started spending points to reserve purification sessions.
Stepping down, Wen Li patted her chest in relief.
The White Tower paid well; the monthly base salary alone was 100,000.
With a stable income, the heavy burden in Wen Li’s heart was finally lifted. She could now openly and honorably break free from her original family.
A sentinel with hair fading from black to white in military uniform knocked on Wen Li’s purification room door.
Resting on the sofa, Wen Li hurried to tidy her clothes—slacking off during work hours would result in a pay cut!
“Please come in!”
Ban placed a pile of papers on the table.
“Miss, here is the information you requested.”
Wen Li rose and pretended to browse through them.

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“Ahem.”
Wen Li looked up at him. “What is it?”
Ban, wearing a monocle, pointed to Wen Li’s collar.
For some reason, the top button was undone, revealing a patch of pale skin.
Wen Li turned around to close it, blushing awkwardly as she thanked him.
Ban nodded naturally.
Honestly, Wen Li thought the life assistant assigned to her by the White Tower was excellent.
Highly efficient and intelligent, he helped her solve many problems.
Reserved and restrained, he had never crossed any boundaries despite their long acquaintance.
It was like having a motherly figure watching over her.
Mistakes were mistakes; he never hesitated to point them out, regardless of her status as a guide.
Such a colleague was a treasure.
Sometimes, when Wen Li encountered difficulties researching guides, he even volunteered to be her test subject.
Wen Li flipped through the spiritual sea fluctuation analysis report on Yue Li, frowning deeply.
The Thirteenth Military District insisted on taking Yue Li away, but it was only after Carl guaranteed with his major rank that Yue Li would not mutate that she was allowed to leave.
Back at the White Tower, Wen Li was forcibly taken away by her brother.
After a week of recuperation, she was released.
From her superior, she learned that although Yue Li had absorbed the contaminated core, she maintained a subtle balance with it.
As long as Yue Li didn’t use even a trace of spiritual power, the contaminated core would not erode her.
Therefore, Wen Li worked while researching how to purify without causing the sentinel to generate spiritual power.
This was an unprecedented challenge.
Since the birth of guides, no sentinel had ever been purified without producing spiritual power.
When a guide’s spiritual power touches a sentinel, their spiritual sea reacts like a nestling being fed; their spiritual power only grows.
Sentinels were obsessed with purification partly due to an ingrained possessiveness; during the brief spiritual union, the sentinel finally found a sense of belonging, no longer a lonely watcher.
Moreover, the stronger the guide’s spiritual power, the more contaminants could be removed from the sentinel’s spiritual sea, reducing their suffering.
Higher-ranked sentinels spent large sums to undergo purification.
Sentinels serving the White Tower only needed to complete missions and spend points; if lucky, they might secure a top-tier guide and avoid contamination pain for a long time.
Though Wen Li was merely a disabled A-rank guide, she was a prized asset within the White Tower.