Two Trips to the Infirmary in Three Days

In the war conference room on the military district's top floor.

A dark gray metal conference table stretched across the entire room, and the Ninth Military District's silver military emblem was set into the wall at its head.

For the first time in years, the military district had convened a meeting of all its senior officers. They all sat at attention, their military caps neatly placed to their left. The last emergency meeting of all senior officers had been fifteen years ago, during the massive contamination wave triggered by a black hole's magnetic field. Mutants had broken through three border defense lines, and the entire Ninth Military District had nearly fallen.

Today, Marshal Huosuosi had suddenly issued a highest-priority notice requiring every commanding officer to attend. Countless worst-case scenarios had already raced through their minds.

"Marshal." When they saw Huosuosi stride in, everyone rose and saluted in unison, their military boots knocking together as one.

"Sit." Huosuosi raised a hand, walked straight to the head of the table, and took his seat. He tapped the tabletop casually and, without a word of small talk, got straight to the point. "I called everyone here today for one thing."

The room collectively held its breath. The officers looked grave. No matter how serious the marshal's news was, they swore they would stand or fall with the Ninth Military District!

"The selection of a personal guard for the military district's guide." Huosuosi looked up and surveyed the room, his tone growing emphatic. "Every department will have a chance. I want each department to submit a list of twenty sentinels for the guide to choose from."

"According to the White Tower's regulations, the guard must have at least seven members. Whether more are added afterward will be entirely up to the guide herself."

The moment Huosuosi finished speaking, the sentinels' eyes flew wide open!

They had imagined countless crises, but never once had they expected a selection for the guide's guard.

How was this a problem? This was a windfall from heaven!

What did a personal guard mean? It meant being a husband-in-waiting, having every right to stay by the guide's side, and receiving steady mental soothing on a regular basis!

Sentinels throughout the military district fought tooth and nail for a single soothing session and still couldn't get one. Now seven permanent positions had opened up at once. It was an opportunity sent from heaven.

"Marshal, do we even need a selection? Our guide knows Team Three best. Surely we should get the lion's share?" Noi couldn't help speaking up. He didn't know why the marshal had so suddenly decided to select a guard for the guide when they had clearly agreed to let Team Three accompany her while she got familiar with the military district first.

Noi had taken such a beating in the arena the day before yesterday that he had spent two full days in a medical pod. He had only just been able to get out of bed that morning when he was told to hurry to the meeting, so he still knew nothing about the disturbance in the guide's bedroom the previous night. Naturally, he spoke with complete confidence.

"What a joke. You Team Three people have the nerve to call that 'taking care of her'?" The sentinel sitting beside him immediately scoffed, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. His tone was blunt. "It's only been three days, and the guide has already been to the infirmary twice. Is that how Team Three takes care of people?"

"Exactly. If you can't do the job, don't hog the position." The commander of the reconnaissance battalion chimed in, his eyes full of eagerness. "Our reconnaissance team is attentive and alert. We're the safest choice to guard the guide. We guarantee she won't face the slightest danger!"

"Oh, come on. Our logistics people are the ones who are thoughtful and reliable. Food, clothing, housing, transportation-we'll make sure the guide is comfortable in every way." The head of logistics was married, and his guide lived in the city. They had an extremely happy life, and whenever they had time, he and his wife liked to organize social gatherings. Naturally, he wasn't about to pass up such a good chance to help the young sentinels under him.

"Give me a break. By that logic, the guide would be better off hiring a butler." A sentinel from the vanguard squad snorted disdainfully. "The guide is a high-level guide, a precious treasure. Who knows how many forces have their eyes on her in secret? Her guards have to be able to fight if they're going to keep her safe!"

The argument raged around him, but Noi was completely stunned. No wonder the captain and vice captain were both absent today...

Two trips to the infirmary? He only knew that the guide had fainted once on the first day from exhausting her mental power. How had there been another? Just how much had he missed during his two days in the medical pod?

Worry instantly overwhelmed his desire to compete for a place. His fingertips tightened around the edge of the table, his knuckles turning slightly white. He wanted nothing more than to rush to the infirmary and check on the guide right now.

At the head of the table, Huosuosi watched the commotion below him and lightly tapped the tabletop again.

Tap, tap.

After those two soft sounds, the conference room instantly fell silent.

"Finished arguing?" He swept his gaze over the room, his voice steady and firm. "The selection criteria will be officially issued in three days. There will be three categories: mental compatibility, combat ability, and emergency response. It will be a fair competition, and whoever gets selected will do so on their own merits. One more thing..."

He paused, his voice growing more serious as he drew a red line. "You've probably already guessed something of Miss Yuqing's abilities. Ever since the current Federation president took office, our military district's resources have been drastically cut. The guide's arrival is the hope of the entire military district. I don't want anyone creating unnecessary complications..."

Huosuosi's gaze sharpened. "No matter what the guide's true abilities are, she is only A-rank."

"Rest assured, Marshal!" Everyone nodded.

The "nobles" of the Central Administrative District and other regions had a near monopoly on high-level guides. It was their honor that Guide Yuqing was willing to give up her comfortable life in the city to serve as a stationed guide in the Ninth Military District. They would never betray her.

Infirmary.

Yuqing stroked the red-furred fox with one hand and opened her mouth to eat the fruit Ers offered her. Life couldn't have been more comfortable.

But whenever she closed her eyes, she remembered the mortifying scene from a few days ago. Yuqing asked the system in her mind, System bro, I'm full of youthful vigor. Is there any way to make my nose bleed less? It's really embarrassing.

[Host, it's a good thing that your mental power has increased, but you also need to improve your physical fitness. Later on, if your mental power gets too far ahead of your physical fitness, you'll be even more prone to nosebleeds.]

My physical fitness isn't good? Yuqing wasn't bragging. When you were chased by zombies every day in the apocalypse, it was hard not to be physically fit.

[Host, your physical fitness is indeed pretty good, but it's still not enough for a mech.]

01010 floated over to the floor-to-ceiling window in the hospital room and pointed at the training ground below. [Sentinels are physically strong, but they still have to train every day to stay in shape. Host, if you want to achieve mech freedom soon, we need to step up your training too.]

"Okay!" Yuqing's gaze grew determined.

After all, what woman could resist the allure of a heavy mech?

[All right! I'll use your physical data to create the best training plan tailored just for you. I guarantee that in the future, you'll be able to pilot a mech and take down kids one in each hand!] The system's fighting spirit was kindled too. It had to upgrade as soon as possible; falling short of interstellar artificial intelligence was far too embarrassing.

Everyone, get grinding!