"There are quite a few promising candidates among the first batch of participants in the mental enhancement program. Give me some time, and I'll get them up to a level where they can help share your burden as soon as possible."
Xue Jie slowly injected the newly formulated genetic repair serum into Meng Chongyun's body.
The General's body was deteriorating more and more severely. His earlier injuries had been left untreated for too long. Combined with the current mismatch between his mental strength and physical condition, and his daily overexertion, his need for higher concentrations of the medicine and more frequent doses was increasing — not a good sign.
"Indeed. I never expected that Huang Yan kid to be a double S. How has he managed to get through all these years?"
Meng Chongyun didn't blame Huang Taihe for hiding it. A double S-level mental strength, especially in a child with lagging physical fitness, would be coveted no matter where he was. A single misstep, and he might not have survived to this day.
He recalled his own two breakthroughs, both of which had happened while he was in the military.
First, naturally, because his innate mental strength was already high. Back then, star beasts ran rampant, and he had amassed a full three years of frontline experience. He was driven to the brink of death before making the breakthrough... but that period had been so brutal that he lost an eye.
What stood out was that both upgrades had completely drained his physical energy. Although his combat power had exploded on the spot, after the first battle, he had lain in a treatment pod for three days. The second time, he had spent a full half month in the hospital before recovering.
"Elizabeth Page's super S-level mental strength was only upgraded recently, right?"
"Yes, just recently. The kid doesn't even know it herself.
Because her physical fitness is lagging behind, it's a bit dangerous. But since her mental strength hasn't yet broken through to double S, she's in a slightly better position than Huang Yan.
The Academy of Sciences has been measuring their physical data today. We'll do our best to customize suitable plans to assist their advancement."
Meng Chongyun let out a bitter laugh.
"These kids are going to have a tough time. Physical upgrades... just thinking about it feels painful to me."
Xue Jie pulled out the syringe and placed it on the tray beside her, then used a cotton swab to apply a bit of healing agent to the injection site.
"Just as you said, with greater power comes greater responsibility.
The good news is that our soldiers also have strong potential, and they have more real combat experience. If it works the same way for them—quantity changing into quality like it did for you—they might be the ones to advance first."
Meng Chongyun stood up and stretched his limbs. The earlier lethargy had subsided somewhat, and he felt strength flowing back into his body.
"Xue, this is just our backup plan, after all. My point is, don't push the kids too hard..."
Xue Jie observed the smoothness of the General's movements. Only after confirming that the medication had taken effect did she respond.
"Wen Nanfeng has already told me that once. I understand the principle of 'where there's life, there's hope.'
If it weren't for the fact that you, General, forcibly used 3S-level mental power to deal with the Alpha Golden Crown, I wouldn't have come up with this method."
"..."
"Besides, physical enhancement is beneficial for them too.
At least Huang Yan and Elizabeth won't have to worry about life-threatening dangers anymore. Even Huang Taihe, relying on the medical technology available to ordinary civilians, has his limits. So the effort they put in now is definitely more beneficial than harmful.
Besides, the kids aren't about to start training immediately. They have to prepare for the third mech competition, and Elizabeth still has classes to attend. So these few days, they'll only be testing their data.
The first batch of soldiers to undergo mental and fitness upgrades will be our actual combat troops. By the time the kids come back, the Academy will have new data and improved procedures to apply to them, making it safer."
Meng Chongyun listened as he took his coat off the rack.
"You're the expert in this area. You call the shots."
"Where are you heading next?"
Meng Chongyun paused mid-motion. Xue Jie's cool voice followed behind him.
"Surely you're not going to the adjacent quarantine control center to check on the Alpha Golden Crown and the soldiers who were parasitized? Right after just receiving treatment from me?"
"..."
Even after all these years, even as the military's General, facing these Academy people, he still didn't dare to say much.
Seeing this, Xue Jie let out a deep sigh. She had known him since before he was even a major.
To be honest, she wasn't surprised he'd become the General. What surprised her was that someone who took such poor care of his body had managed to survive this long.
"You really should take it easy. I'm getting old too, and who knows how much longer I have. If I go before you, my apprentices haven't fully graduated yet.
The Medical Institute has its hands full, and training a new person takes time."
"Ahem."
Meng Chongyun couldn't help but cough at that remark. The way she put it...
If you have time, why not go check on those two soldiers who were the first to force the seed worm out of the Alpha Golden Crown?
They've been parasitized by the insectoid species for over a year. Their bodily functions have severely deteriorated, and they still haven't regained consciousness.
Dean Chi from the Medical Institute and Wen Nanfeng from next door have all examined them. There's no way to determine if they'll ever regain consciousness... If that's the case, should we continue sending parasitized soldiers in?"
Meng Chongyun was silent for a long moment. Those soldiers had endured enough just to hold on this long. While under the control of the seed-worm, they had at least appeared outwardly awake.
"No matter what, parasitization is never the solution... let me go see them first."
When he arrived at the Academy's sealed isolation building, the two soldiers were still soaking in treatment pods without emerging.
Having been parasitized for so long, removing the seed worm was like cutting out part of their bodies—no amount of supplementation could fill the void.
But it wasn't like losing a limb, where you could simply attach a prosthetic.
The human brain was incredibly complex. To this day, Xue Jie still hadn't figured out how to create a component that could replace the seed worm's function of governing human thought.
Even if something could be made, after installation, would that person still be the original person? How long could these soldiers live under a mechanical brain's control? Would it align with their will?
Meng Chongyun sent his mental energy through the treatment pod's communication port and thoroughly examined both soldiers from head to toe, confirming that the seed worm was indeed no longer in their brains.
"How effective is the suppression of the sixty personnel?"
Xue Jie leaned against another machine.
"Shi Zhixin made an ultra-sensitive mental energy detector that can map the Alpha Golden Crown's mental distribution. Based on the data, its total mental energy has indeed decreased compared to before.
But as you said, the Federation has never captured a live Alpha Golden Crown before. So we're sticking to the strictest protocol—keeping only parasitized personnel inside and not letting anyone else in."
Meng Chongyun nodded and withdrew his mental energy.
"From what I see now, their brains are fine... let's wait a bit longer. The Medical Institute might come up with a solution.
The surveillance here should also be stepped up. I'm worried that if the parasitization fails, they might try infiltration. For now, is the Alpha Golden Crown behaving?"
Xue Jie straightened up.
"For now, yes."
"Keep up the hard work researching ways to eliminate the seed bugs... When it comes to treatment, I feel most at ease with our own people handling it."
"We understand, Chief."
