Chapter 199: Grade E
Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Addis
The hospitalization procedures were completed quickly, with Su Zhi Xing busy assisting the medical staff, accompanied by Lele. Being hospitalized was just the beginning; that night, Su Mo had blood drawn several times, and he only managed to sleep well past midnight.
The symptoms of bleeding did not improve. In the middle of the night, Yu Zhen, who was keeping watch, noticed that Su Mo had a nosebleed in his sleep. He quickly called for the doctor, and it was a chaotic scene until dawn. They went on to conduct a full examination. This was the first time Chen Shanxue had seen her child looking so drenched in sweat after a check-up; she said nothing, only hiding behind Su Zhi Xing, shedding silent tears.
Dr. Wu urgently contacted the specialist team.
F-class patients were rare in the Star Alliance, and F-class patients like Su Mo, who could move freely, were even more of a rarity. Over the years, Su Mo’s examination reports had always been crucial cases for breakthroughs in this type of condition. They had originally thought that the dawn of hope had arrived, but unexpectedly, after nearly six months of steady improvement, such an anomaly occurred, one that could potentially overturn their previous judgments.
“His tolerance level for each examination has been gradually increasing.”
“This increase in speed is too abnormal. Didn’t we notice this before?”
“Yes, we have been observing the situation, but his body could handle this pace.”
“However, the current speed is clearly abnormal. His body is showing varying degrees of bleeding, and there is even organ bleeding.”
“Have the examination results come out yet?”
“Not yet, but they are about to! The data center is compiling the information.”
The activity in the brain region influenced various physical indicators. Su Mo’s growth rate had previously been four times that of a normal person, but now it had increased to eight times and was continuing to rise beyond that. Dr. Wu sat among the crowd, surrounded by the sounds of his colleagues arguing, while his gaze remained fixed on the central light screen. In the upper left corner was the identification photo he had seen countless times.
This ID photo had been changed many times, from when he was just a small child to his current handsome appearance. Years of illness had not crushed him. Dr. Wu still remembered how Su Mo would come into his office to collect his medical reports, showing no signs of inferiority or complaints. He rarely expressed negative emotions. In the intensive care unit, Dr. Wu had encountered many patients, some unable to bear the pain and wanting to give up on treatment, while others clung to life with all their might. But he had never met a child like Su Mo before.
Dr. Wu recalled the boy sitting on the other side of his desk, sitting up straight as always. The first time he saw Su Mo, he wanted to help this child live a few more years with joy and ease.
“Old Wu.” A voice nearby snapped Dr. Wu back to reality.
Dr. Wu came to himself and answered wearily, “Before yesterday, I had reviewed his daily health data reports, and they were indeed showing positive growth. He had also reported to me signs of improvement in his condition.”
This shouldn’t be happening. Su Mo should be improving; it shouldn’t be so sudden, and there shouldn’t be any deterioration.
This thought consumed Dr. Wu’s mind as he began to reflect on Su Mo’s data during this period, trying to find the cause of the illness in some minor details.
“There are no comparative cases, so it’s difficult to tackle this,” one of the doctors said.
“Yeah, Su Mo is too unique. The F-class patients I’ve handled are still dependent on the intensive care unit. A case like Su Mo’s is simply unheard of,” another replied.
“If we can’t find the cause of the abnormal growth, this child might be overwhelmed.”
“Could it be related to his mental strength? He is quite special; among the few existing cases, his mental strength is the highest.”
F-class patients were extremely rare, with most having E-class mental strength and only occasional D-class. But there was only one example of an S-class mental strength with an F-class constitution like Su Mo.
“His previous growth rate was already somewhat unusual; we had estimated that speed based on his S-class mental strength.”
“When he was initially screened, his mental strength was still S, and no abnormalities were observed.”
“Yes, and his mental strength was stable. According to our existing models, this kind of doubling situation shouldn’t occur.”
“For adults, mental strength is basically stable, and minor increases are normal. His current growth rate is entirely inconsistent with the theory of mental strength; it’s too absurd.”
“He had previously shown an increase in mental strength, but it subsided quickly, and his body remained normal.”
Suddenly, Dr. Wu thought of something. “It’s not just an increase… Su Mo has experienced fluctuations in S-class mental strength.”
The other doctors discussing the case suddenly paused when one of them recalled, “I remember you mentioned this.”
Dr. Wu replied, “He nearly died as a child due to fluctuations in his mental strength.”
The mental strength specialist who had just mentioned the initial screening quickly added, “Was the mental strength assessment done during the physical examination?”
“Yes, it was, and the report is here!”
The screen displayed all the details of Su Mo’s physical examination. Dr. Wu decisively opened the mental strength section and immediately noticed an extremely strange waveform behind one of the indicators. He quickly imported the report from the medical device into the data center for analysis. “Analyze the data report from the previous week again and simulate a report of his mental strength.”
The medical assistant promptly went to work.
Other doctors continued reviewing different reports.
“Old Wu, there’s a question we overlooked.”
“The one we discussed earlier?”
“Yes… could it be?”
The simulation chart soon appeared, showing a waveform that initially appeared normal but then exhibited increasingly shorter intervals of fluctuations…
“It’s not just ‘could it be,’” Dr. Wu said, looking at the other reports with trepidation. “There are no precedents; we cannot predict what symptoms might arise from changes in constitution… This is a good thing, but it may not necessarily be a good thing.”
“Previously, we discussed his mental strength issues; genetics are difficult to assess. Before Su Mo, we had never encountered a case with S-class mental strength and F-class constitution.”
“That’s simply impossible. Among the registered S-class mental strength citizens in the Alliance, the lowest constitution is A-class; there has never been a drop below A-class.”
“Recovery is related; his previous rapid recovery rate had a significant connection to his mental strength.”
“That’s not an issue; he is recovering. This could just be an advancement!”
….
The specialists analyzed Su Mo’s condition, taking into account his medical history, and ultimately reached a conclusion. When the Su family learned of the situation, they immediately went to Dr. Wu’s office. After hearing the explanation, Su Zhi Xing paused and asked, “What does that mean?”
“We initially thought it was just an exception, but there’s another aspect to consider. The highest mental strength rating in the Alliance is S, but there can be multiple fluctuations within that rating, leading to classifications like S and S-,” Dr. Wu explained. “The lower limit for S-class is A-class, but the upper limit is variable. We traced back to Su Mo’s birth report and tentatively concluded that his mental strength might be rated as S, exceeding a limit that surpasses his constitution, which caused his birth abnormalities.”
There is an upper limit to how much a person can endure; if that limit is surpassed, the body suffers.
“This is the best explanation for why he has S-class mental strength but an F-class constitution,” Dr. Wu continued. “His mental strength was likely too powerful, which undermined his constitution, leading to fluctuations in his S-class mental strength during childhood. An F-class body is too fragile, and at that time, he almost couldn’t withstand it.”
Chen Shan Xue felt frightened as she recalled Su Mo’s early experiences. “Did my son encounter a similar situation back then…? Can’t this mental strength be suppressed?”
Yu Zhen was also listening, adding, “His body might not be able to handle it.”
“We can control it with medication, but his primary issue isn’t just that,” Dr. Wu replied. “The activity in his brain regions is both restoring his constitution and his mental strength. However, after reaching adulthood, his mental strength tends to stabilize, and the kind of overpowering mental strength that damaged his body at birth will not reoccur. But the fluctuations cannot be stopped. This situation can only be attributed to his rapid recovery, and our specialist group has concluded one thing.”
“This might be an opportunity,” Dr. Wu said seriously. “We initially thought that the progression of his constitution was normal. However, according to our existing database, Su Mo is the first person to show signs of growth from F-class to a higher classification. We cannot determine the specifics of this progression; the current data only indicates that he is improving.”
“It’s an improvement from F-class to E-class, but he needs to endure it.”
“We cannot use medication to suppress it at this time, as it may cause irreversible damage.”
Not long after hearing the results in the examination room, Yu Zhen explained the situation to Su Mo while he was awake. Aside from occasional bleeding and headaches, Su Mo did not exhibit any other symptoms. After hearing this, he felt indifferent and decided to follow the doctor’s advice to stay in the hospital for close observation.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse three days later. Su Mo’s condition was not optimistic; he experienced various degrees of bleeding, persistent high fever, and pain throughout his body. He was acutely aware of this pain, with the intense growth pains happening continuously in his body, as if his bones were being shattered and reorganized. The strong painkillers only provided temporary relief for one or two hours.
The progression of his constitution was even more painful than he had imagined, and he endured the pain while remaining conscious.
His parents and Yu Zhen took leave from work, and every time he opened his eyes, he could see someone by his side. The days spent lying in the hospital bed felt unbearably long. When the pain rendered him speechless, they would whisper in his ear, talking about daily life and sharing topics that interested him.
It seemed they were afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold on, so there was always someone by his side.
Su Mo felt terrible about himself, thinking he had inconvenienced so many people just by getting sick. However, he also felt a small sense of happiness because the hospital room at night was no longer empty.
Dr. Wu and the specialist team came every day, but the medication they could prescribe was only basic. Su Mo could sense the doctors’ cautiousness when they touched him and felt the slight pain from even the lightest contact. Based on Su Mo’s symptoms, the specialists became more certain of their conclusions. They could not interfere with the progression of his condition, but they could only find mild medications to alleviate Su Mo’s suffering.
His heightened mental sensitivity made him acutely aware of everything around him. He saw the elderly residents from the family area come to visit, chatting with his parents. His classmates and teachers also arrived, but they stayed outside the room, afraid to disturb him. He even spotted a woman who looked very much like Yu Zhen, who had come with Grandma Cheng, bringing him a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
He noticed Chen Shanshue wiping her tears in the corner and saw Su Zhixing running back and forth in the hallway, looking as if he had aged several years. He also caught sight of Yu Zhen, his usually dapper boyfriend who was typically well-dressed. Now, his tie was loose, and he appeared weary, as if he had been bringing a different doctor to Su Mo’s room each day.
Su Mo felt as if his eyesight had improved; he could see that Yu Zhen hadn’t shaved properly. His hearing seemed to have sharpened as well, allowing him to hear the distant whispers of the doctors.
These changes were clear and tangible, even though he lived in torment every day. When he couldn’t sleep, he thought about getting better quickly. When he saw his parents forcing smiles, he wanted to say a few words to them. And when he noticed Yu Zhen sitting beside him, he longed to reach out and hold his hand.
Su Mo felt that time stretched endlessly, so long that he nearly couldn’t endure it. But then, his symptoms began to ease. His broken body suddenly erupted with an unprecedented vitality, beginning to stubbornly repair itself. Within just three days, his bleeding symptoms and growth pains subsided, and the fluctuations in his mental state gradually stabilized, returning to Su Mo’s previous levels.
Dr. Wu happily entered the hospital room with the latest test results, revealing that Su Mo’s condition had improved from F-class to E-class. Even though it was just the lowest standard of E-, it was enough for everyone who had been anxious for more than a week to finally breathe a sigh of relief. The pain receded, and his strength began to return day by day.
On the fourth day, as his indicators began to normalize, he was able to enter the recovery chamber for treatment. The transition from F-class to E-class was unprecedented, but once he crossed that threshold, it made all the difference. Most basic medical equipment operated at the E-class level, and the devices that Su Mo had been unable to tolerate due to his limited physical capacity when he was still F-class were now within his reach after his body had improved.
This was good news for him, as it meant that the originally lengthy recovery period could now be addressed through the medical chamber, giving the doctors more confidence in his recovery. The pain from the previous weeks had transformed into fatigue; after his physical advancement, Su Mo had become lethargic and drowsy, lacking energy and just wanting to sleep all day.
“This is normal,” Dr. Wu explained. “The heightened mental state kept him in a state of heightened alertness, and the burden it caused during this period has now manifested as symptoms. The recovery chamber can alleviate the physical strain on him, but the mental fatigue will still require some time to recover.”
Chen Shanxue felt somewhat relieved. “Is there anything specific we need to pay attention to?”
Dr. Wu replied, “He is now at the E-class level; you don’t need to worry too much.”
“He’ll just be tired and may experience drowsiness for a while.”
When Su Mo opened his eyes, the warm lights were on in the room, and Yu Zhen was sitting on the sofa nearby, handling some work. The terminal’s floating screen flickered intermittently, and the light reflected sharply on the man’s face. After watching for a moment, Su Mo slightly tilted his head to get a better view, but this small movement alerted Yu Zhen.
The man immediately put down his work. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
Su Mo’s voice was hoarse. “I… just want to turn over.”
Yu Zhen stayed by the bedside late into the night, convincing Su Mo’s parents to take a rest while he kept vigil and handled the accumulated work. For some time, his attention had been entirely focused on Su Mo, and some unfinished tasks could no longer be postponed, so he had to deal with them at that moment.
His partner had lost weight, the result of the effort he and Chen Shanxue had put into feeding him, and now, after going through this advancement, Su Mo had lost it all back.
Yu Zhen helped him shift his position and poured some warm water for him to drink.
“…Brother, can you touch my hand?” Su Mo said softly after drinking and lying on his side, looking at the man sitting beside him.
Yu Zhen carefully placed his hand in Su Mo’s palm and asked, “Does your finger still hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” Su Mo replied quietly. “I’m a little tired.”
Su Mo had already slept for a full day, and Yu Zhen thought he had finally woken up, but it seemed he was mistaken. Su Mo’s hand in Yu Zhen’s palm began to move restlessly; although he was the instigator with his eyes closed, his fingers were quite unruly, scratching at Yu Zhen’s palm with his fingertips.
Yu Zhen tightened his grip on Su Mo’s hand, applying gentle pressure as he asked, “Aren’t you tired?”
“…I don’t want to move,” Su Mo said without opening his eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. “Brother, come a little closer. I want to tell you something.”
Thinking Su Mo had something important to say, Yu Zhen leaned in closer to him. However, to his surprise, Su Mo applied a bit of force and actually kissed him near the cheek.
“I haven’t kissed you in a long time,” Su Mo said as he opened his eyes. “You don’t kiss me either.”
Yu Zhen looked at his partner’s face under the warm light and leaned in slightly to give him a tender kiss.
Su Mo’s voice was hoarse. “Can you kiss me a few more times?”
“Aren’t you tired?” Yu Zhen asked again, leaning in for another kiss.
Su Mo sleepily closed his eyes but didn’t forget to respond to his partner while kissing. Eventually, as his voice grew softer, he fell asleep in front of Yu Zhen. Even in his sleep, he still held onto Yu Zhen, his fingers curling around Yu Zhen’s pinky.
After the advancement, his recovery speed was unlike before, and within less than half a month, Su Mo had mostly recovered. The advancement in his physique brought him noticeable changes. His parents, worried, wanted him to stay in the hospital a few more days. He had significantly reduced his medication, and Dr. Wu mentioned that he needed to take the medicine for a while longer to observe his condition. Having just progressed from F-class to E-class, there were still differences from a typical E-class, and he needed to be careful.
“What are you looking at?” Yu Zhen asked as he sat beside him.
Today, Su Mo had finally been allowed to use his terminal, and he couldn’t wait to go online and buy things as soon as he got it.
Lele chimed in, “Su Mo is buying a loader!”
“The loader can go to StarNet,” Su Mo replied, indeed looking at the models of the loaders. Not only that, but he also needed to change the model of the machines he had originally planned to add to his lab. Now that he was E-class, there were so many more things he could do.
Yu Zhen asked, “Which model?”
“I bought the one with the most features,” Su Mo said, showing the terminal to him. It was the Firmament Group’s game loader, an E-class model.
Yu Zhen paused for a moment before saying, “My boyfriend has a more comprehensive one; I’ll let you borrow it later.”
“Oh, okay.”
Su Mo exited the page, and Yu Zhen noticed that his shopping cart was filled with a variety of machines—experimental, gaming, and even children’s models.
Unable to hold back, Yu Zhen spoke up, “The items in the terminal store are limited and not very comprehensive. My terminal can connect to StarNet, where there are more options. Many machines are available in the specialized stores of the Firmament Group. Just tell me the model, and I’ll help you place the order.”
Lele chimed in, “Su Mo! You’ll need to change your terminal to access StarNet!”
Su Mo suddenly remembered, “Right, I also need to change my terminal.”
Yu Zhen casually opened the terminal section and bought him the latest model. “What else do you need?”
Lele exclaimed, “What about that virtual game System? It’s what you wanted the most when you were a kid. I checked earlier, and it’s 70% off now, super cheap!”
Su Mo’s eyes widened in surprise, “!”
What he wanted the most as a child…?
Yu Zhen’s hand paused as he added items to the cart. “What game System?”
Lele announced the model name.
Yu Zhen was speechless.
Great, that one wasn’t available at the Firmament Group.
Or rather, this thing had been discontinued five years ago, and now they were clearing out the stock at a big sale.
Many of the machines he bought were still unusable since Su Mo was still hospitalized, and everything was sent to his home. After placing the order, Su Mo began to handle the messages he had received during his hospital stay. He replied to some that he could respond to, and then he noticed the countless messages from game friends. Yu Zhen explained to his friends that he was out for a month due to personal matters, and although ScarletFruit and the others were puzzled about why he couldn’t even bring his terminal while out, they didn’t press for details.
The messages in the game group were overwhelming, and Su Mo couldn’t keep up with them. There were too many mentions of his name, so he just skipped over them.
Switching to the latest messages, he found that the group was discussing the upcoming meeting on Saturday. Su Mo realized, in a daze, that it was almost time for the game meet-up after being hospitalized for so long.
The meet-up was scheduled for Saturday, and today was Monday, leaving only five days. He asked Yu Zhen, “When can I be discharged?”
“Everything’s normal now; you should be able to leave in a couple of days,” Yu Zhen said, looking up at him. “What’s wrong?”
Su Mo pointed at the terminal screen. “I want to go to the meet-up on Saturday.”
A couple of days? That would be cutting it close.
-apple: “Is anyone free on Friday night?”
-FireworksAndLanterns: “No one, I won’t arrive until Saturday morning.”
-BrokenOracle: “The detailed event list for the forum has come out, and there are quite a few events for this meet-up.”
-Bitter Melon mixed with milk: “Oh, there’s also a StarNet live stream. If you don’t want to be on camera, remember to wear a hat or mask.”
-ChatMasterWu: “You can directly apply for pixelation; I heard the official provides that service.”
-ScarletFruit: “…Then maybe I’ll pass.”
-apple: “If you want pixelation, stay away from me.”
-ChatMasterWu: “Why?”
-WhatAHugeWatermelon: “We’re afraid that being with you will turn into a legal channel.”
-CloudTraveller: “Who’s going to the venue? Let’s get a headcount for the group so we can plan a gathering; I’ll register the list.”
CloudTraveller posted a summary for the group, and everyone quickly went to confirm their attendance.
Not long after, two messages popped up in the group.
momo joined the group summary.
momo added ‘ReturnToSimplicity’ to the group summary.
Everyone: ?
-ChatMasterWu: “What the hell! archdemon!”
-momo: “? Don’t shout randomly.”
As momo surfaced, more and more people began to speak up in the group.
-ScarletFruit: “The lurker is alive!”
-apple: “Seeing this ID feels a bit strange.”
-Old Banana: “Has archdemon come?”
-WhatAHugeWatermelon: “The demon has arrived.”
-momo: “?”
Yu Zhen noticed Su Mo’s face showing slight hesitation and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Su Mo frowned slightly and said, “They’re acting strange.”
-apple: “From the looks of it, they really haven’t touched their terminals in a while.”
-FireworksAndLanterns: “It’s not just that; it’s been over half a month, and the second phase has come out.”
-Old Banana: “The third phase is coming out tonight.”
-ScarletFruit: “Looking at this expression, I can tell my brother hasn’t finished scrolling through.”
-livestreamerClearWind: “@momo bro, here’s a link.”
Before Su Mo could click on it, he saw the title.
[Come quickly!!! The official has released the video! Internal recordings of the faction battle! Hurry up!]
