A Guide to Raising Snake Spirits - Chapter 15

Shiraishi Hare relied on a Sentinel’s superhuman reaction speed to snatch the Guide into his embrace before the carriage completely overturned.

The skyrail had been blown apart in the middle. The section containing Shiraishi and Guanyue Xi was at the tail end, far from the blast’s epicentre, so they were primarily hit by the shockwave.

The carriage tumbled several times across the ground before coming to a halt. Fortunately, the skyrail was equipped with inflatable safety bags that cushioned the impact.

I wonder what kind of designer thinks of putting crash bags inside a train, Guanyue Xi thought dizzily.

“Cough… cough…”

Guanyue Xi coughed twice and struggled to open his eyes. His vision was blurred—it felt like blood was gumming up his eyelashes.

The ringing in his ears from the explosion was deafening. His “fragile” Guide body was currently unable to move. Doing a self-assessment, he guessed he’d broken several ribs; even breathing hurt, and his throat tasted like iron.

He tried to move his arm but felt a powerful force around his waist. Looking down, he saw the Sentinel’s arm locked around him in a tight, protective grip. The man’s other arm was hanging at an unnatural angle, dangling uselessly. A radiating heat surged from Shiraishi’s body into Guanyue Xi’s back.

“Shiraishi Hare…?”

Guanyue Xi called out, his voice raspy and thin. There was no response.

Ignoring his dizziness, the Guide quickly checked the terminal on Shiraishi’s wrist. Luckily, it was on the arm wrapped around his waist. The terminal’s quality was impressive; it was still functional despite the violent impact.

He swiped frantically until he found the physiological monitoring app. The display showed that the Sentinel’s heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital signs were relatively stable. Guanyue Xi breathed a shallow sigh of relief.

He didn’t dare probe the Sentinel’s mental realm while his own head was pounding. Physical injuries generally didn’t affect the mind immediately, and his own internal trauma made fine mental control difficult.

Guanyue Xi hit the emergency SOS button before finally having the strength to survey the carriage. The middle section was decimated, but their section was relatively intact; the damage here was mostly caused by inertia and the tumble.

Passengers were scattered everywhere, dazed and bleeding. Through a gap between the safety bags, Guanyue Xi saw the shattered windows—one side faced the ground, the other faced a dark, heavy sky.

He didn’t dare move Shiraishi, nor did he dare move himself. He was terrified that a broken rib might puncture a lung; if that happened, he might not live to see the rescue team.

About five minutes later, the Special Star fire department arrived.

Rescuers in orange uniforms and helmets used laser cutters to slice through the metal. Small disaster-relief bots crawled through the broken windows to assist in triaging the wounded and checking for secondary hazards.

Guanyue Xi and Shiraishi Hare were both rushed to the hospital. Guanyue Xi lost consciousness the moment he was lifted onto the stretcher.

When Guanyue Xi finally opened his eyes, a blurry white figure stood before him. He blinked several times until his vision cleared, only to realize it was a familiar face.

“Doctor Xudian?”

Guanyue Xi opened his mouth, but having been unconscious for a while, no sound came out. He just mouthed the name, but the rustle of the bedsheets was enough to catch Xudian’s attention.

“You’re awake. Just in time for my rounds.” The doctor in the white coat arched an eyebrow, looked at Guanyue Xi, and set his clipboard down.

The speechless Guide used his eyes to project a thousand questions.

“You’re quite lucky,” Xudian said slowly, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Just one broken rib and a mild concussion. The rest are just scrapes and bruises. You lost a bit of blood, but you’ll be fine with some rest.”

Hearing the diagnosis, Guanyue Xi’s body seemed to suddenly remember it was supposed to be in pain. A rhythmic throbbing started in his side, and he knitted his brows in discomfort.

Xudian handed him a glass of water. After a few small sips, his throat felt much better and his mind cleared. He could finally find his voice.

But Guanyue Xi felt like something or someone was missing. His brain worked through the fog until he remembered.

“Where’s Shiraishi Hare?” the Guide asked urgently. “Did you see him?”

Xudian made a “calm down” gesture. “Easy. He’s in the room right next to yours. I happened to be on duty when you were brought in and recognized you both, so I pulled some strings to get you placed together.”

Guanyue Xi breathed a sigh of relief. “How are his injuries?”

“Worse than yours. He snapped an arm and took a heavy impact to his back,” Xudian said with a shrug. “But Sentinels are built differently. Give him two days and he’ll be good as new. He recovers much faster than you do.”

Guanyue Xi thought back to the explosion. Based on his last memories and the position he woke up in, Shiraishi must have shielded him in his arms the second the blast hit. The broken arm was likely caused by the force of him gripping a handrail while they tumbled.

Without the Sentinel acting as a human cushion, Guanyue Xi would have likely died right there.

He wanted to sigh. Counting the graduation exam, this was the second time Shiraishi Hare had saved him. The “debt” between them was becoming a real mess.

Knowing Shiraishi was okay, Guanyue Xi finally had the mental energy to care about other things.

“Since you’re awake, you should know the news is out.” Xudian activated the wall-mounted projector in the room. “Take a look.”

A news anchor in a formal suit was reporting on the day’s top story.

“Following the Legion Commander’s speech regarding public safety, a sudden explosion occurred on the skyrail today. Let us turn to the official spokesperson for a statement.”

Skipping over the official jargon and public relations fluff, Guanyue Xi summarized the situation in his head:

The attack was almost certainly the work of a criminal group. Previously, they had only attacked restaurants and public squares without causing mass casualties. But this skyrail explosion was a different beast—the death toll was estimated at over ten people, with nearly a hundred injured.

Xudian shook his head. “I don’t know what those terrorists are thinking, blowing up a public transport line. It’s absolutely deranged.”

“Who were the victims?” Guanyue Xi asked.

Xudian produced a mug from somewhere and cradled it. “From the Tower, just the two of you. The rest were a mix of citizens. They’re still verifying identities, so I’m not entirely sure.”

“I expect the Tower staff will be here soon. They are technically the primary guardians for all students.”

Xudian, having been Shiraishi’s doctor before, understood the situation well.

Guanyue Xi remained silent. Was he just cursed? He’d suggested Shiraishi come to the hospital for a check-up, and his words had manifested so literally that they’d both been delivered here by ambulance.

“Can I get out of bed?” Guanyue Xi tried to shift his weight.

“You can, but be careful. What are you planning?”

“I have to visit my saviour. Is he in the room to my left or my right?”

“Getting along quite well now, are we?” Xudian gave him a teasing look. “There’s a nameplate on the door. You’ll see it.”

Guanyue Xi really wasn’t in the mood to answer Xudian’s teasing.

“Oh, right.” Xudian actually delivered some good news. “That thesis you asked for? I found it. Do you still want it?”

Guanyue Xi was pleasantly surprised. He’d assumed the trail had gone cold, but here was a document. Maybe the universe was trying to compensate him for the explosion.

“Yes. Since I’m already here.”

Xudian: “Fine. I’ll send it to your terminal. You’ll have plenty of time to read it while you’re stuck in bed.”

After Xudian left, Guanyue Xi sat on the bed and contemplated his life.

His injuries would take at least two weeks to heal. Could a Tower teacher take sick leave? Would they dock his bonus or performance review? Could he claim this as a workplace injury? If he talked to Teacher Qiushui, could he apply for paid leave?

His third-year students had only had their new teacher for a week before he collapsed.

Life is unpredictable; one minute you’re the teacher, the next you’re the patient.

Guanyue Xi figured that since he’d signed for two years, the Tower couldn’t exactly fire him early. With that worry gone, he struggled to stand up to visit Shiraishi.

The Guide leaned against the wall, moving at a speed comparable to a crawling tortoise. As he stepped out of the door, a cute young nurse passed by and asked with a blush if he needed help.

Guanyue Xi gave her his best “professional” smile and declined, saying it was only a few steps.

But then he remembered Xudian hadn’t told him which side Shiraishi was on. Rather than dragging his broken body to play a 50/50 guessing game, he asked the nurse which room Shiraishi Hare was in—the grey-haired Sentinel brought in from the train crash.

“About… this tall,” Guanyue Xi gestured about half a head taller than himself.

The nurse realized immediately. “Oh! He’s in the room right on your left.”

“Thank you.”

Guanyue Xi shuffled over to the room. The nameplate read “Room 101: Shiraishi Hare.” He’d found the right place.

The sensor-door slid open, and Guanyue Xi poked his head inside.

The grey-haired Sentinel was awake. Their eyes met grey-blue against green.

“You’re awake. I came to see how you were.” Guanyue Xi felt a sudden, inexplicable awkwardness. His gaze drifted. Then, reminding himself that visiting Shiraishi was perfectly logical, he regained his composure and spoke. “Thank you for catching me on the train.”

Shiraishi Hare looked at Guanyue Xi and said softly, “I was a bit scared.”

Guanyue Xi didn’t expect that response. “What?”

“I was scared I wouldn’t be able to catch you.”

The Sentinel’s voice sounded remarkably fragile. This was a man with the physical stats of a Super Saiyan, who had saved them both at the cost of a broken arm.

“What would I have done if you had died?”

The Guide felt like the conversation was veering into territory that was far too intimate. He resigned himself to coaxing the emotionally vulnerable Sentinel. “But we survived, didn’t we?”

Guanyue Xi felt his words were incredibly weak, but what else could he do? He’d never dealt with a situation like this before.

“But I’m still worried,” Shiraishi said.

“You did a great job protecting us both. You gave it everything you had.” Guanyue Xi shuffled forward two steps and sat on the edge of Shiraishi’s bed, taking his hand.

He was out of options. Physical contact with a marked Guide was a proven way to soothe a Sentinel, and at least this worked. The Sentinel squeezed his hand back, and warmth radiated from their touch. Shiraishi visibly relaxed, no longer looking like a wet, abandoned dog.

“I wanted to go see you, but the doctor wouldn’t let me,” the Sentinel said. He’d been ordered by the physician not to move until his bones had started to knit back together.

Guanyue Xi was curious. A Sentinel’s stubbornness wasn’t usually that easy to overcome. “How did Xudian convince you?”

Shiraishi lowered his eyes. “Before you woke up, Doctor Xudian showed me how you were doing.”

Guanyue Xi: “?”

Guanyue Xi: “How exactly did he ‘show’ you?”

Shiraishi: “He went to your room, recorded a video, and brought it back for me to see.”

Guanyue Xi: “…”

That feels like a bit of a violation of my image rights, he thought.

But seeing Shiraishi’s pitiable expression, he caved. He was the type of person who responded to a soft touch, never a hard one. He could only nod along and agree with whatever the Sentinel said.

In truth, the scrapes on Shiraishi’s back were minor; they’d have healed in thirty minutes with a Sentinel’s recovery speed. He’d only lost consciousness due to the initial shock of the impact.

“Shiraishi Hare, I have a way to help you out. Want to try it?”

The Guide Physician in the white coat stood nearby with his hands behind his back, offering the suggestion with a knowing smile.

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