First Interstellar Guide Chapter 4: Guide’s Scent

Chapter 4: Guide’s Scent

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

After returning to the command room, Mohr sent a message to Lu Zexuan, “I just saw the memories within Yu Ran’s mental landscape. Not long ago, he witnessed his parents’ death with his own eyes. Stimulated by the mental landscape, he awakened as a guide. He’s a pitiful orphan.”

Lu Zexuan replied, “What does the association say?”

Mohr responded, “Let me take care of him first and send someone to pick him up tomorrow.”

Lu Zexuan looked at the message on the communicator, deep in thought. Mohr was an A-level guide, and he should trust Mohr’s judgment. However, for some reason, Lu Zexuan felt something was off. He smelled the distinctive clean fragrance of the guide essence when he saved Yu Ran just now… It seemed familiar as if he had smelled it somewhere before.

Lu Zexuan carefully searched his memories. Since graduating from the military academy five years ago, he had taken over as the captain of the Eagle Special Forces and had been on various missions outside. The guide he had encountered the most was Mohr, who also graduated from the military academy. In other words, if he had smelled Yu Ran’s guide essence, it would have been five years ago.

Before becoming captain, Lu Zexuan had seen many guides in the capital star. For example, the graduation ball was a gathering place for guides. The capital star’s universities had a tradition of organizing a “Graduates Exchange Ball” every year. Each school would select a group of outstanding graduates to participate. Those who could attend the graduation ball were A-level or above sentinels and guides.

While it was named a ball, it was more like a matchmaking event. Because outstanding sentinels and guides were more likely to have high-level evolutionary offspring after marriage, the federal government hoped these newly graduated evolutionaries could find their partners quickly and give birth to better offspring. Countless sentinel and guide couples met and bonded at the graduation ball.

When Lu Zexuan attended the ball, he met no suitable guides. Most guides feared him because he was the only S-level sentinel at that ball. His icy gaze scared the few who dared to approach him. Many outstanding guides attended that ball. He seemed to have smelled this special guide essence among the crowd.

S-level sentinels possessed the most acute sense of smell among evolutionaries, and he wouldn’t be mistaken.

Although Mohr had entered Yu Ran’s mental landscape and seen his memories, Mohr overlooked a key point—S-level guides had extremely powerful mental energy. They could create “mental illusions” and even modify some memories. Even what they saw in their mental landscape might not be true.

After a moment of thought, Lu Zexuan considered that perhaps the guide essence he smelled years ago was a coincidence similar to Yu Ran’s. Or maybe he did meet this guide, and everything Yu Ran said was fabricated lies. If that was the case, Yu Ran was at least an S-level or above guide, with much higher mental energy than Mohr, to easily deceive Mohr’s probing.

There were less than ten S-level guides in the Federation, all leaders in various fields. Lu Zexuan quickly ran through their names in his mind, but none matched Yu Ran. Moreover, Yu Ran’s distinctive black and red eyes were quite recognizable. How could Lu Zexuan have never heard of him if he were an S-level guide?

Lu Zexuan opened the communicator and told someone, “Help me check the list of all guides who attended the graduation ball on the Capital Star in year 494.”

The other person quickly replied, “Huh, you, the single sentinel based on strength, suddenly interested in guides?”

Lu Zexuan ignored his teasing and said, “Give me an answer as soon as possible.”

“Fine, treat me to dinner when you return to the capital star.”

After shutting down the communicator, Lu Zexuan temporarily set aside his inner doubts and strode forward quickly. The torrential rain had not yet stopped, and the outskirts of the human base were in ruins under the trampling of the behemoths. Many buildings had collapsed, making the rescue efforts more difficult.

The Eagle Special Forces were divided into three teams to search for survivors. In the blink of an eye, they dug out more than a dozen survivors from under the buildings and gathered them in the safety zone’s square.

Planet B73 was rich in resources but had harsh conditions, a cold climate, and poor air quality. It rained for 300 days a year, making it unsuitable for habitation. The human base built here was a small town that could only accommodate a hundred thousand people. Most people here were employees of several major mining companies and their families.

The Federation dispatched a sentinel force to maintain local security and appointed government officials to supervise mineral extraction.

Accompanied by two bodyguards, Lu Zexuan headed west to the local government office. What puzzled him was that the Eagle Legion had not found any traces of the local garrison during the rescue operation. If he remembered correctly, the troops stationed here belonged to the “Sunday Legion.”

Lu Zexuan’s gaze swept over the dark government building. He heard the continuous breathing and heartbeat sounds coming from inside the building, indicating that many people were hiding there.

Lu Zexuan stepped forward and said loudly, “Those inside, please open the door. The Eagle Special Forces are here for rescue.”

The door was opened with a clatter, and several people holding umbrellas nervously walked out. Leading them was a middle-aged man of about 45 years old. He had a round face and a fat body. When he walked, even the flesh on his belly shook. He walked up to Lu Zexuan, sweating profusely, and grabbed Lu Zexuan’s hand as if he had seen a relative, shouting excitedly, “Major Lu, it’s great that you’ve finally come!”

Lu Zexuan calmly withdrew his hand and said, “Officer Leonard, long time no see.”

Leonard was the official appointed by the Federation to the Base B73. When the base had an accident, he secretly hid there with a group of subordinates instead of participating in the rescue. Moreover, he had called all the few sentinels over to protect him—no wonder there wasn’t a single local sentinel at the rescue site; they had all been transferred here by him.

When the behemoths stormed into the human base, they encountered no resistance, leading to heavy casualties among the residents on the outskirts.

Lu Zexuan’s cold gaze swept over the sentinels guarding Leonard with guns. Those sentinels seemed to know they had done wrong by hiding like turtles when disaster struck. Some looked ashamed and lowered their heads, while others shamelessly avoided eye contact.

Leonard coughed and pretended to ask with concern, “Major, how’s the situation on the outskirts of the base?”

Lu Zexuan coldly replied, “Heavy casualties.”

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Someone nearby spoke up, “What about those monsters? Have they been driven away?”

Lu Zexuan’s bodyguard beside him glanced at him and said coldly, “Rest assured, our general killed their leader, and the monsters have retreated. They pose no threat to you.”

Relieved sighs echoed around.

Leonard wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile, “Truly worthy of the Eagle Special Forces. Cough, you’ve dealt with those monsters so quickly. It’s truly hard work…”

Lu Zexuan interrupted him quietly, “Officer, I need to use the base’s medical pods.”

Leonard was taken aback, “Medical pods? Did the sentinels of the Special Forces get injured?”

Lu Zexuan replied, “No. It’s just that the residents on the outskirts of the base suffered heavy injuries. They probably won’t survive tonight if they’re not urgently treated in the medical pods. I believe, Officer, you wouldn’t want to see these innocent residents die in vain, right?”

Leonard chuckled awkwardly, “Of course not. But, activating the medical pods once will incur quite a high cost…”

Lu Zexuan said, “In emergencies, medical assistance expenses can be deducted from the financial budget, right?”

Leonard was speechless. His expression was like someone forcibly tearing a piece of flesh from his body. The new medical pods developed by the Federation’s Academy of Sciences could quickly repair severe physical injuries if the person hadn’t died. However, the cost of these medical pods was exorbitant, calculated by the second, with each use costing millions of star coins. Most people couldn’t afford it!

Using the medical pods to save the lives of those commoners? And he had to foot the bill? Leonard was unwilling. In his eyes, the lives of those people were worthless.

However, facing the sharp gaze of an S-class sentinel and thinking about the terrifying behemoths, what if they returned? He couldn’t afford to offend this Lu for now… Cold sweat dripped from Leonard’s forehead as he hastily said, “No problem, I’ll arrange for treatment.”

Lu Zexuan looked at his bodyguards behind him and said, “You guys come with me to help with the aftermath.”

Finally, the sentinels protecting Leonard had something to do and followed Lu Zexuan to the nearby temporary rescue square. The scene on the square was heartbreaking. Some of the injured were in critical condition. A young girl had both her legs bitten off by the behemoth, and a man’s intestines were spilling out, barely clinging to life.

Clad in a white coat, Mohr quickly tended to the wounded. Lu Zexuan approached him and said softly, “Well done. Leonard has agreed to activate the medical pods. Let’s also activate the ones on the Eagle starship. Start with the most critical patients.”

“I understand. I’ll prioritize them based on severity. Those in life-threatening conditions will be treated immediately, while others with external injuries can wait a bit,” Mohr replied. He looked up at the sky and added, “It’s been raining heavily, and wounds are prone to infection. With the buildings around the base destroyed, we must find a warmer place to accommodate these patients.”

“Carry them on stretchers to the hospital over there,” Lu Zexuan pointed to a building with a red cross.

The medical facilities on desolate planets were limited, and there were only a few doctors and nurses in the hospital. The influx of so many patients had them scrambling. Fortunately, with Mohr in command, his powerful healing-type mental energy came into play at this moment. Under his soothing mental tendrils, those who were suffering from severe injuries gradually calmed down and cooperated well with the doctors.

The girl with her legs severed lay on a stretcher, tears streaming down her face. A middle-aged woman hugged her tightly, comforting her choked voice, “It’s okay, Yinying. Mommy will buy you the best wheelchair… Just surviving is already a miracle…”

The man with his internal organs exposed had a young boy holding onto his hand tightly. “Dad! Please save my dad…”

Mohr walked among the patients and reassured them, “Don’t worry, the hospital is activating the medical pods. You’ll be fine.”

Upon hearing about the medical pods, the eyes of the crowd lit up. But immediately after, painful voices arose from the crowd, “But the medical pods are too expensive!” 

“Yeah, we can’t afford such expensive medical expenses…”

When Leonard had initially paid a high price to have the hospital acquire the medical pods, it was out of concern that he and his family might have an accident someday, and they could be used to save lives in emergencies. Leonard, who had followed Lu Zexuan into the emergency room, overheard these conversations. In his heart, he couldn’t help but ridicule: these people were better off dead, wasting medical resources by staying alive.

Lu Zexuan looked at the patients and their families and said, “Everyone, rest assured. Officer Leonard will cover all expenses for the medical pods from the rescue funds.”

The crowd looked at Leonard with gratitude, “Thank you, Chief!”

Leonard was speechless. On the surface, he was smiling, but inwardly, he cursed Lu Zexuan dozens of times.

The rescue operation proceeded in an orderly and tense manner. By dawn, the medical pods saved several critically ill patients, and the other injured had been cared for. Lu Zexuan, who had been busy all night, finally returned to the Eagle starship.

As Lu Zexuan walked quickly to his room, he saw the guide they had rescued last night in the corridor. The young man seemed to have just woken up, with a sleepy look, his hair tousled, and a hint of confusion in his expression. He appeared to be an innocent little guy.

Lu Zexuan suddenly asked, “You graduated in 494 of the stellar calendar, right?”

In confusion, Yu Ran scratched his head, “Are you talking about middle school graduation? I graduated from middle school in the year 496 of the stellar calendar and from high school in 499.”

He responded quickly and without hesitation, unlike someone telling a lie.

Lu Zexuan took a step forward, staring into his eyes, and continued to ask, “Have you heard of the mental illusion of an S-class guide?”

Yu Ran shook his head, “I haven’t heard of it.” Then he curiously asked, “Mental illusion? What’s that?”

Lu Zexuan was speechless. Carefully observing the expression on the boy’s face, he still looked timid, seemingly afraid of Lu Zexuan. His eyes remained clear, sincere, and honest, showing no signs of “guilt for lying.” His spirit body was also curled into a ball, cowering on his shoulder, too scared to show itself.

Could it be that he was just overthinking? How could someone disguise themselves to such an extent, with no flaws even in their spirit body, and even deceive the keen observation of a top-level sentinel? Lu Zexuan hadn’t slept all night at the rescue scene and was extremely exhausted. He asked no more questions and walked past the boy, saying lightly, “You’ll know in the future. Someone from the Guide Association will come to pick you up this afternoon. Get ready.”

Yu Ran nodded, “Okay, thank you, General.”

As the two passed by each other, the little fox on Yu Ran’s shoulder trembled slightly as if frightened, and the performance was very detailed.

“He doesn’t trust you,” the nine-tailed fox said in Lu Zexuan’s mind.

“Well, a sentinel’s intuition is troublesome,” Yu Ran responded in his mind, “Someone from the Guide Association will be coming this afternoon. Time is running out. Let’s first find out Leonard’s whereabouts.”