First Interstellar Guide Chapter 34: The Berserk Sentinel

Chapter 34: The Berserk Sentinel

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

After lunch, when they returned to the dormitory, Lu Zexuan handed over the detailed information of the Eagle Special Forces to Yu Ran. Yu Ran opened the terminal and carefully examined the contents. The information included the time each member joined the Special Forces, as well as their family background and educational experiences.

The Dark Night Organization began operating five years ago, and Lu Zexuan became the captain of the Eagle Special Forces only five years ago as well. However, this didn’t mean that the Dark Night Organization only sent spies to infiltrate the Eagle Special Forces that year; it was likely that the undercover operation had been going on for much longer.

Mohr, who had served in the Special Forces for eight years, and Xiong Kai, who had been the vice-captain for seven years, had the most seniority. Most of the other Sentinels had joined the Special Forces within the past five years.

Yu Ran memorized all the information with his exceptional memory and stored it in his mental landscape for easy reference.

After reviewing the information, Yu Ran put down the terminal and asked Lu Zexuan, “Major Lu, we don’t have any missions for the next few days, and I’m free anyway. Can I see those frenzied Sentinels? Maybe I can help.”

Lu Zexuan frowned, “You don’t have experience in treating frenzied Sentinels. I’m afraid you’ll suffer a backlash…”

Yu Ran smiled and said, “Exactly because I don’t have experience, I should learn as soon as possible! Otherwise, if my teammates need urgent treatment during a mission and I don’t know what to do… wouldn’t that be a hindrance?”

Lu Zexuan couldn’t refute Yu Ran’s earnest gaze.

Yu Ran was right. For a guide doctor accompanying the army, theoretical knowledge wasn’t as important as practical experience. Each Sentinel’s mental landscape was different, and the degree of frenzy varied, so the treatment methods would also differ. Mohr had accumulated rich experience through long-term practice, allowing him to quickly calm down his teammates’ mental landscapes and keep them calm.

Compared to dealing with frenzied, uncontrollable Sentinels in harsh outdoor environments during missions, treating the frenzied Sentinels detained in the White Tower’s underground was much simpler.

Lu Zexuan quickly understood this reasoning. However, he still wasn’t entirely comfortable letting Yu Ran handle the patients alone. So, he decided to send a message to Mohr, “Mohr, are you going to treat those frenzied Sentinels this afternoon?”

Mohr quickly replied, “Yes. There were too many frenzied Sentinels captured during the last mission, and I’ve only dealt with half of them.”

Lu Zexuan responded, “I’ll bring Yu Ran to you later. You can teach him what to do and let him help you with some lighter cases.”

Mohr was surprised, “He just joined the team, and you’re already rushing him into action?”

Lu Zexuan replied, “He suggested it himself, wanting to help out.”

Mohr chuckled, “Yu Ran is indeed very serious. Doesn’t want to idle for even a day. Alright, bring him over, and I’ll take care of him.”

At two o’clock in the afternoon, Lu Zexuan brought Yu Ran to the underground of the White Tower. The elevator stopped on the first floor and required another verification to reach the basement.

There was an isolation zone between the first floor and the basement, with several meters of thick insulation material inside, ensuring that any commotion in the underground wouldn’t affect the Sentinels on the upper floors. Additionally, the isolation layer was made of the hardest metal, making it impossible for Sentinels with “burrowing skills” to escape by digging through the building.

The underground of the White Tower was the darkest place in the capital star.

It housed a large number of frenzied, and even on the brink of mutation, Sentinels who were bloodthirsty and almost completely devoid of humanity. But many of them were once distinguished Federal soldiers who had made significant contributions. Many of them had families. However, once they became frenzied, they had to be detained here awaiting treatment from a guide.

Those who could be cured would be released and resume their duties, while those who couldn’t would remain here for the rest of their lives, in perpetual torment. As soon as Yu Ran arrived on the first basement level, he heard deafening roars echoing in the corridor.

“Ah… Ah…” It was the agonizing scream of someone undergoing torture.

Yu Ran’s face turned pale with fear, and he quickly hid behind Lu Zexuan. After all, this was his first time encountering frenzied Sentinels, and he had to act the part. Lu Zexuan glanced at him and whispered reassuringly, “Don’t be afraid. They’ve been restrained. Those who are frenzied will be stunned by electric shocks.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sizzling sound of electricity, and the frenzied Sentinel’s head was shocked, causing him to faint.

Yu Ran whispered, “It must be very painful for him, right?”

Lu Zexuan turned to look at Yu Ran.

Yu Ran’s face turned pale, but his voice was very serious. “Frenzy is just the loss of rationality, actions no longer controlled by the brain, but it doesn’t mean they lose consciousness and awareness. Sentinels already have highly sensitive senses, and their sense of pain is several times stronger than that of ordinary humans. So, this violent electric shock is actually a cruel torture for them.”

The small guide in front of him had a pair of particularly clear and clean eyes. At this moment, they were filled with sympathy and sadness.

Lu Zexuan’s heart trembled slightly. Most guides, when facing frenzied Sentinels, the weaker ones would “fear,” and the stronger ones would consider them “troublesome.” Guides like Yu Ran, who could truly think from the perspective of Sentinels and empathize with their suffering, were rare.

The pain sensation of Sentinels was several times that of ordinary humans. The pain from a needle prick that an ordinary person felt would be akin to an amputation for a Sentinel. For a brain-targeted electric shock like this, if applied to an ordinary person, it would probably be as painful as having their skull smashed and their brain extracted.

Yu Ran was right. The frenzied Sentinels detained in the White Tower endured dual torment from the mental world and physical pain. Although they still maintained human form, they lived worse than dogs. Some frenzied Sentinels hadn’t completely lost consciousness; they just… couldn’t control themselves.

Lu Zexuan sighed softly in his heart and whispered, “Let’s go. The Sentinels we captured are all detained on the seventh basement level.”

The deeper they went in the White Tower, the more dangerous the detained Sentinels became. The seventh basement to the sixth basement housed relatively mild cases of Class C Sentinels. Class C Sentinels had small mental landscapes and limited attack capabilities, making them relatively easier to treat. The seventh to ninth basements housed Class B Sentinels, with significantly increased treatment difficulty.

The tenth basement housed Class A and above Sentinels.

When frenzied, Sentinels’ combat power would significantly increase. Class A frenzied Sentinels had combat power similar to normal Class A+ Sentinels, approaching S-class. They were extremely difficult to control. Thus, the Sentinels detained on the tenth basement were wrapped in special electromagnetic chains. If they made any movement, the electronic sensing system would immediately release a strong current, piercing their brains instantly.

For Sentinels, that place was like a dark abyss that no one dared to venture into. The security measures there were also extremely strict.

The elevator quickly reached the seventh basement. Yu Ran followed behind Lu Zexuan, quietly observing the surveillance cameras in the corridor—

There were four rotating motion-sensing cameras at each corner of the corridor.

Due to the “circular corridor” structure of the White Tower, the cameras at the four corners were enough to capture anyone passing through the corridor. And in each enclosed room, there were corresponding cameras installed on the ceiling, overlooking the detained Sentinels’ conditions.

Yu Ran glanced at the arrangement of the rooms—the order of the room numbers on the previous floors was the same, probably for ease of management. Starting from the north corridor, Room 1, arranged clockwise, with fifty rooms in a row, ending with Room 103. It happened to be the third room from the left in the south corridor.

It was very close to the elevator in the south direction.

Yu Ran discreetly looked at Room 103 on the seventh floor; the room numbers on the tenth floor should be the same.

Lu Zexuan led Yu Ran forward, and as they walked down the long corridor, they occasionally heard painful howls mixed with the sizzling sound of electricity. It wasn’t easy to control frenzied Class B Sentinels; they were bound by chains, and when they struggled, the chains would rub against each other, emitting a piercing metallic sound.

Yu Ran frowned, wanting to cover his ears, but the next moment, Lu Zexuan gently inserted a pair of noise-canceling earphones into his ears. The surroundings immediately quieted down.

Yu Ran was taken aback as the man’s fingers accidentally brushed against his sensitive earlobes, and his ears suddenly reddened. He ignored the strange feeling rising in his heart and turned to look at Lu Zexuan. 

Lu Zexuan’s mouth moved, and then a deep, pleasant voice sounded in his ears, “These are noise-canceling earphones with communication function. Wearing them will be much more comfortable.”

Yu Ran nodded, “Thank you.”

Lu Zexuan also wore earphones with the emblem of the Eagle Legion on them. He pointed ahead, and Yu Ran followed him, walking down the long corridor. The presence of noise-canceling earphones isolated the screams and struggles of the Sentinels, but their despair and madness still clearly reflected in Yu Ran’s eyes.

As they rounded the corner, the two finally saw Mohr.

Mohr also wore noise-canceling earphones, sitting patiently inside a closed cell, treating a frenzied Sentinel. Four pure white mental tendrils extended from his palms, gently pressing against the frenzied Sentinel’s forehead.

Mohr looked very focused. Due to the severe consumption of mental energy, a few drops of sweat trickled down his cheeks.

Yu Ran and Lu Zexuan stood outside the cell without disturbing him. After a moment, Mohr finished the treatment and withdrew the mental tendrils. The frenzied Sentinel’s eyes, as black as ink, gradually returned to their normal brown color, and his eyes regained focus. He looked at Mohr gratefully and stammered, “Th-thank you.”

Mohr smiled and said, “You’re welcome. Get some rest, and you’ll be fine when you wake up.”

The hypnotic ability of the Holy Light guide is extremely powerful. As soon as the words fell, the mentally damaged sentinel in front of Mohr finally fell into a deep sleep—this was the first time he had truly fallen asleep since being imprisoned in the White Tower.

Mohr stood up, walked out of the cell, and looked at Yu Ran, saying, “First time here, were you scared?”

Yu Ran scratched his head and smiled, “Not really. Although these frenzied sentinels have strong aggression, I know their mental world must be very painful. They don’t want to be like this; they just can’t control themselves. Plus, they’re all locked up, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Mohr was somewhat surprised, “Last time, several medical interns came to the underground of the White Tower and were so scared by seeing so many frenzied sentinels that they didn’t dare to speak. One of them even fainted… I didn’t expect you to have such strong psychological resilience.”

Yu Ran said, “How can doctors be afraid when facing patients? They need the guide’s help.”

Mohr and Lu Zexuan exchanged a glance, their expressions complicated. Yu Ran’s simple words revealed the key. Only those who think like Yu Ran can become qualified battlefield guides. No matter how terrifying the sentinel, guides must not have fear or hesitation—because he is your patient. He needs your help.

Mohr gently patted Yu Ran’s shoulder and said with relief, “It’s great that you think like this. When you treated Little Qi last time, I felt you were particularly talented. These days, the Eagle Special Forces happen to be in a period of rest without missions. You can learn from me how to deal with frenzied sentinels.”

Yu Ran nodded vigorously, “Yes, I will learn seriously.”

Little Qi was the simplest case Yu Ran had encountered. After all, she was only seven years old, with a very small mental landscape. Yu Ran easily broke through her mental barrier, and she was just in a state of stupor, without frenzy or aggression.

The sentinels detained in the White Tower were completely different.

These were adults with complex and vast mental landscapes, who were already frenzied and highly aggressive. When guides approached them, they had to ensure their own safety while quickly breaking through their mental barriers, making them obedient, and healing their damaged mental worlds…

If they weren’t careful, they could be attacked themselves.

There have been cases where guides were accidentally killed by frenzied sentinels during treatment. So, it’s understandable that many guides fear frenzied sentinels. After all, each of these sentinels is like a “madman.”

Lu Zexuan was still uneasy and said, “I’ll accompany you.”

Yu Ran, “If you accompany me all the time, how can I save people on the tenth floor?”

However, Lu Zexuan’s concerns were understandable. He worried that Yu Ran, this “rookie doctor,” would be in danger, so he escorted him to ensure his safety. Forget it, let him accompany for a couple of days first. When I learn the skills to deal with frenzied sentinels from Mohr, I’ll make Major Lu “feel at ease,” and then figure out a way to distract Lu Zexuan and secretly go to rescue people.

“Thank you, Major Lu, with you here, I feel more at ease,” Yu Ran looked at Lu Zexuan and said sincerely.

“…You’re welcome,” Lu Zexuan touched his nose. Would he feel more at ease with him around? This feeling of being trusted seemed quite nice.

Yu Ran turned to Mohr, “Dr. Mohr, let me assist you!”

Seeing Yu Ran eager to try, Mohr smiled and said, “Alright, then let’s go see the next case.”