A Guide to Raising Snake Spirits - Chapter 34

His dreams didn’t seem to follow any logic, shifting from his childhood to Shiraishi Haru’s past, and now Shiraishi’s future had even cropped up.

This wasn’t exactly something he could ask around about, as he’d never heard of anyone else experiencing it. What if he ended up asking someone like Xudian again?

Mizuki Nozomi glanced at his terminal, which read 4:35 AM, but his sleepiness had vanished along with the dream.

The Guide thought back to what Xudian had said to him at the end, those papers really were intended to help him. Nozomi turned on his terminal and, in the darkness, began scrolling through the files Xudian had sent him previously.

Sentinel spiritual fusion, Sentinel spiritual fusion, and more Sentinel spiritual fusion… Nozomi flipped through the pages with a hint of irritation, then forced himself to calm down, searching for clues word by word.

The first time he’d looked, he was too focused on the content to notice the authors or the research institutions.

The names didn’t reveal much, they were old papers from decades ago. Nozomi wasn’t an expert in this field and didn’t know the famous scholars of that era.

The Guide tried searching for the original papers online.

Before, he hadn’t doubted Xudian, so he’d read whatever he was given. Now that he knew the guy had ulterior motives, he couldn’t trust the materials blindly.

Fortunately, he managed to find one or two of the original papers in the dusty corners of the web.

In the pitch black, two screens hovered before the Guide, emitting a faint blue glow that illuminated his face and the stud in his left ear.

The screens were packed with dense text. After comparing them line by line, Nozomi understood the situation.

Xudian had indeed tampered with them, he had deleted a section regarding experimental samples that showed the benefits of having a matched Guide.

Nozomi also felt some of the phrasing was off. He discovered that Xudian had deleted several other small fragments, and when combined, these missing pieces formed a set of interstellar coordinates.

Nozomi stared at the coordinates in silence.

It was a very remote location. Why would Xudian hide it here? Was he not afraid Nozomi would crack the puzzle earlier? The man certainly had nerve.

The distance was too great, it would take about a week to get there, and Shiraishi Haru’s situation was still uncertain.

Nozomi simply saved the coordinates for later.

At home, Bian Mengmeng picked up a call, looking at the display name with a bit of surprise.

“Teacher Akisui? It’s been a long time.”

As the saying goes, no matter how bad life gets, you still have to show up for work.

The black-haired Guide, suffering from a lack of sleep, radiated an even gloomier aura during class. He stopped randomly calling on students to answer questions, and the already quiet classroom became even more silent.

The migraine caused by insomnia, combined with his worries, made Nozomi’s temples throb painfully.

“Student Mizuki.” Certain people Nozomi would rather forget were back to haunt him.

Nozomi wasn’t in the mood for this. He tried to ignore the man, but his path was blocked.

“Actually, since we are esteemed colleagues now, you can call me ‘Teacher’,” Nozomi said coldly.

“That grey-haired Sentinel hasn’t been around lately, has he? Did something happen?” Teacher Lu asked with fake concern, his eyes gleaming with calculation.

Nozomi: “…”

He really wanted to slap the man across the face, but since they were right at the classroom door, he just lowered his head and tried to walk past.

As the teacher for Shiraishi’s spiritual defense class, how could Lu Bangxing not know Shiraishi was on leave? He was just playing dumb to test Nozomi’s reaction.

“I heard he went berserk during a spiritual test and even injured a doctor?”

“So what?” Nozomi curled his lip.

“Such an unstable young Sentinel…” Teacher Lu intentionally trailed off, leaving a suggestive gap.

“Whatever happens is fine. I have full confidence that I can keep him under control, isn’t that enough?”

Nozomi turned away impatiently, his low ponytail whipping up a small breeze.

“It’s better than some older Sentinels who have no teaching ethics and are incompetent in every way except for their stubbornness.”

“I’m not afraid of a Sentinel who goes berserk. I’m afraid of one who can’t even get worked up and just stands around gossiping like a bitter old eunuch.”

Teacher Lu: “You…”

“Teacher Mizuki?” Xiang Heng and the others walked over. The three young Sentinels stood together like a solid wall, boxing Teacher Lu in.

“I have a record of your misconduct from two years ago.” The black-haired Guide raised his left wrist and tapped it with his right finger, opening a page on his terminal and displaying it boldly in front of Teacher Lu. “I’m uploading this to the Tower’s Regulatory Center right now.”

“Heh, that was so long ago. I don’t remember any of that happening.”

“Just because you don’t remember doesn’t mean I don’t have evidence,” the Guide raised an eyebrow. “If you doubt it, you can take a look once we’re at the Regulatory Center.”

Once they had dealt with Lu Bangxing, Winter’s mouth started running again.

“Don’t worry, Teacher. Even if Shiraishi isn’t here, we’ll defend your honor to the death.”

Nozomi: “…”

“Haha, Teacher Mizuki, he didn’t mean it like that,” Yeran said, trying to smooth things over. “If you’re okay, we’ll head out now.”

Yeran tried to pull Winter and the Class Rep away, but the Class Rep stayed put.

Nozomi’s terminal buzzed. He glanced down at it.

The Guide’s features were naturally striking, and his mood suddenly brightened. Looking relieved, he asked them, “Wait, you guys, I actually need a hand with something. Are you willing to help?”

Akisui was waiting in her office for Nozomi and the three young Sentinels.

“Teacher Akisui, I didn’t realize the student you mentioned was Mengmeng,” Nozomi said with a smile as they entered.

“Yes, and I didn’t realize you knew her. My reaching out to her felt a bit redundant,” Akisui nodded, smiling as she looked at the three young Sentinels behind Nozomi.

“I taught her for a semester, she’s a good girl,” Akisui said.

“You’re too kind,” Nozomi replied simply, before asking urgently, “So, Teacher Akisui, what is this method you mentioned?”

“I spoke with Mengmeng. Every year, the Tower has quotas and requirements for joint cooperation with external enterprises. Teacher Mizuki, you can apply for a research project in the Tower’s name to collaborate with the Tianyou Research Institute.”

Nozomi: “Is that allowed?”

“Yes, and that’s why I asked you to bring a few students.” Akisui nodded.

The Class Rep and the others were clearly out of the loop. Their last impression was that Shiraishi Haru was resting after his berserk episode, so they couldn’t fathom how the research institute was involved.

Winter opened his mouth to speak several times but shut it again when Yeran tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to keep quiet.

Akisui explained, “Tower cooperation projects require the participation of at least three students, partly to encourage students to develop in multiple directions.”

The Class Rep thought it over and asked, “So, Teacher Mizuki and Teacher Akisui, you want the three of us to participate in some scientific research?”

“Not exactly. This project won’t actually be implemented,” Nozomi explained. “Maybe in the future it will, but for now, it’s just a way to get into the Tianyou Research Institute to find Shiraishi Haru.”

Yeran was so surprised he couldn’t keep his volume down. “Shiraishi was taken somewhere else?”

“Yes.” Mentioning this made Nozomi’s mood dip again, but he quickly added, “But we’re going to go save him now.”

“Overall, it’s a project with no real reward and might be a bit dangerous. If the three of you aren’t willing, that’s perfectly fine.”

The Class Rep said without hesitation, “I’m in.”

Yeran hesitated. Although he loved bickering with Winter, he was actually the most cautious of the three.

“I’m in, and so is Yeran.” Winter grabbed Yeran’s hand and thrust it high into the air.

“Oh?” Akisui noticed their small interaction and smiled kindly. “You don’t have to participate, it depends on Student Yeran’s own wishes.”

“You’re going, right?” Winter turned to stare Yeran in the eye. “Are you really not going?”

Yeran stared back at him for a long moment before nodding helplessly. “…Fine, I’m in too.”

Despite being semi-forced into it, Yeran felt better than when he was hesitating, he even felt a tiny bit of excitement.

“Great, then I’ll put the three of you on the application form,” Nozomi decided. “You guys are true friends.”

Akisui sat by with a smile as she watched Nozomi lead the three kids.

“I’ll need to give you all some training after this…”

From the moment Bian Mengmeng contacted Nozomi again, to Nozomi asking Teacher Akisui for help, and speeding through the Tower’s approval process, nearly half a month had passed.

Due to the unique geographical location, the Tianyou Research Institute applied for a specialized vehicle to enter the Tower and pick up the visiting teachers and students.

The person who met them was a friendly male teacher. He wore a neckband that masked his pheromones, making it impossible to tell if he was a Sentinel or a Guide.

“Are you the visiting group for today, Teacher Mizuki and the students? Four people in total?”

Nozomi had specifically put on a pair of rimless glasses. His tie, which he usually wore loosely, was neatly tucked into his collar, and his teaching uniform was worn perfectly straight.

In reality, given the technological level of the Special Species Star, minor issues like nearsightedness had long since been solved, but some people still wore glasses as an accessory to project an academic aura.

Nozomi smiled and said, “Yes, I am Mizuki Nozomi. I applied for the project ‘Impact of Outer Space and Long-term Starship Living on the Spiritual Power of Special Species.’ How should I address you?”

The black-haired Guide spoke extremely fluently, rattling off the title in one breath.

“Hello, hello. Being able to stay at the Tower as a teacher right after graduation, you must be very talented, Teacher Mizuki,” the man smiled. “My name is Zhang, you can just call me Xiao Zhang.”

“I was just lucky,” Nozomi curled his lips into a smile. “Teacher Zhang, these are my students from the Tower’s special class, Xiang Heng, Winter, and Yeran.”

Standing behind Nozomi were the three young Sentinels from Shiraishi Haru’s class.

The Class Rep nodded in greeting. “Hello, Teacher Zhang. I’m Xiang Heng. I’m very interested in precision instruments.”

The man shook hands with Xiang Heng. “Oh, that’s wonderful! We’d love to have you apply to our institute after you graduate.”

Winter felt a bit nervous. Although they had been told they were coming, rescuing a classmate from an evil organization alongside their teacher was something he’d only ever imagined in his dreams.

“Hello, Teacher Zhang,” Yeran reached out his hand as well. “Me too. When I heard Teacher Mizuki was collaborating with the institute, I was so excited.”

“Hello to you too, Student Yeran.” After that, the man turned to Winter. “And this must be Student Winter? You look like a quiet, studious boy.”

“…Hello, Teacher Zhang,” Winter said softly.

Hearing Teacher Zhang’s comment, Yeran almost lost it. In reality, Winter was the talkative one who struggled the most with his studies.

“All young talents,” the man remarked. “Well then, please follow me to the vehicle.”

It was a small, autonomous six-seater business van. Winter couldn’t help himself and touched the door frame curiously as he boarded.

“Teacher Zhang, was this vehicle also developed by your research institute?”

“Hahaha, you’re quite the joker,” the man couldn’t help laughing. “Of course not, this is just equipment purchased by the institute.”

Yeran glared at Winter, and Winter went quiet.

After a two-hour drive, the group arrived at the Tianyou Research Institute.

“We’re here,” Teacher Zhang called out, pulling a small tour guide flag out of nowhere.

He waved the flag with a smile. “Next, I’ll show you some of our facilities.”

Teacher Zhang even brought out a small autonomous sightseeing car to take Nozomi’s group on a tour starting from the main gate.

“Our institute prefers to keep a low profile, so our sign is located inside the campus.”

The man smiled toward a plain, unremarkable gate.

“It might be a bit modest, but when it comes to research, you need to be steady and keep a calm mind.”

Nozomi spent the whole trip nodding and saying things like, “Yes, your introduction is excellent,” and “You’re right, I agree.”

No matter how anxious he was inside, he didn’t show it on the surface, playing the part of a perfectly patient yet discerning collaborator.

Further in, the entire institute featured a cold architectural style. While it wasn’t as massive as the Tower, it was still about the size of a small town.

The guide continued cheerfully, “I’m honestly surprised Teacher Mizuki thought to collaborate with an institute as obscure as ours.”

“Not at all, I’ve heard of Tianyou’s reputation before,” Nozomi’s eyes crinkled behind his glasses, hiding his sharp gaze.

“I’ve always heard that your instruments are extremely precise, and that you were among the very first units on the Special Species Star to produce them.”

“Yes, the instruments,” the man laughed. “That’s the highlight of the day. Look at me, just blathering on about the scenery.”

After Shiraishi Haru was brought to the institute, he had undergone nothing but blood draws and examinations. He finally had the spiritual test that he hadn’t finished at the Tower, though he never saw the results and didn’t particularly care.

The institute didn’t seem to have decided on an experiment yet. His days consisted of routine checks and three meals a day delivered by a robot.

However, the treatment here was far worse than the Tower’s observation room.

It was a room with one-way glass and cold, reinforced hyper-metal walls. There was only a bed bolted firmly to the floor, with no other furniture or decorations, for fear that the Sentinel might use something to break a window and escape.

In reality, given a Sentinel’s combat power, they could easily break through the wall with their bare hands.

To prevent this, the institute had given Shiraishi additional injections.

The grey-haired Sentinel coiled his snake tail loop by loop, huddling on the bed to maintain his body temperature.

As an Anaconda, his spirit animal was cold-blooded and could not regulate its own temperature.

While the Sentinel was human, his spiritual fusion had given him many snake-like traits. Though he wasn’t entirely cold-blooded, his body temperature was significantly lower than usual.

The observation room was quiet, almost eerily so.

If anyone were on the other side of the glass, they would see the Sentinel lying perfectly still with his eyes closed, as if in hibernation.

Shiraishi silently extended his hearing. The institute walls were clearly built with great effort, likely stuffed with multiple layers of soundproofing. Even at his limit, he could only hear faint movements.

Like a patient hunter, he spent every day peeling back layers of information, gradually piecing together a layout of the institute.

The Sentinel suddenly opened his green snake-like eyes. In a place hidden from the cameras, his gaze was full of disbelief.

Was there a mistake in the link?

After nearly three months, the effects of their initial bond had begun to fade, so why was he feeling the Guide’s presence approaching now?

The distance was great, and the bond was old. Over the past few days, when he could barely feel the link, Shiraishi didn’t know how he had convinced himself to endure it.

His vision suddenly doubled, and a second layer of sight appeared. He saw a flickering concrete floor under the sunlight, like a holographic projection overlaid on his own pale floor.

Faint voices also drifted into Shiraishi’s ears.

“Teacher Zhang, what kind of building is this area?”

“Ah, this is our staff cafeteria. Would you like to have lunch here later? The food at our institute is actually quite good, not like the pre-packaged meals you find at most companies.”

“Teacher Zhang, I also wanted to ask about the hiring criteria for the institute?”

“It’s great that Student Xiang Heng is interested! Let’s exchange contact info later, and I’ll send you a link to our website.”

“Xiang Heng, remember to thank Teacher Zhang.”

It was the voice of Mizuki Nozomi.