Stabilizing Madness [Interstellar]

Chapter 19: Trauma

Chapter 19: Trauma
    A few seconds of silence followed on the other end of the call.
    Then came Xie Nanjun's heightened voice: "Didn't I just give you a batch six months ago?!"
    "A full six vials, which you used to make last a year! At the beginning, even one vial per year was enough for you!"
    Shen Tingyu looked down at the vial in his palm.
    It was golden, shimmering with specks of gilded light.
    Without getting a response, Xie Nanjun continued indignantly: "Back in the Evil Tower, you really went overboard. There were milder ways to end things early, but you chose the hardest path, leading to this chronic condition."
    "They had me in Tower 1, and you expected me to stay calm?" Shen Tingyu's laugh was devoid of emotion. "Or maybe you'd like to experience it yourself?"
    Tower 1 in the Evil Tower was the smallest of the five towers.
    It was reserved for criminals who committed heinous acts and certain extremely unmanageable E-types. Inside, they faced harsh punishments, especially electrocution that caused immense pain and trauma to their spiritual pools.
    Shen Tingyu was only 12 when he was sent there.
    There was a notorious E-type massacre in the empire's history, where the E-type involved was around his age when they became notorious. Hence, when a similar talent appeared, the empire, anxious to prevent madness, used such measures to suppress his potential.
    He spent three dark years there, experiencing nearly every form of punishment inside Tower 1.
    Later, he managed to leave Tower 1 earlier than expected, employing a strategy that damaged him nearly as much as it did his enemies.
    An E-type's suicidal energy burst could inflict serious harm on others in the same space, even injuring the empire's Crown Prince's eye.
    The Crown Prince often took advantage of his position to personally administer punishments to Shen Tingyu.
    So, it was deliberate; he chose the day the Crown Prince came to act.
    Following that incident, he requested a meeting with the empire's royal spokesperson, sitting down calmly and rationally to negotiate. The terms were simple: he would join the military and use his powers for the empire, in exchange for his freedom.
    The outcome was relatively smooth, and Shen Tingyu was then transferred to an external tower for psychological counseling and re-education provided by the Evil Tower. After passing all tests and evaluations, he graduated successfully and was labeled an 'exemplary student' by the staff.
    Hearing this, Xie Nanjun hastily retracted his words, "No, no, forget what I said earlier."
    "Sigh, I thought the suppressant would help you control it well. I didn't expect you to start becoming immune to it."
    That outburst left a severe trauma in Shen Tingyu's spiritual pool. Although it didn't affect the normal use of his spiritual power, periodic disturbances occurred. During these episodes, he had to exert more energy to suppress the volatile nature of E-types, preventing loss of control and doubling the pain endured by his spiritual pool.
    In the empire's records, those with injured spiritual pools all went mad and were sent to the Evil Tower. Shen Tingyu was an exception; he relied on Xie Nanjun's sister and their father, who helped him with special medication for suppression.
    But as Xie Nanjun mentioned, the medication's effect was diminishing. It was a product of over a year's research, with rare ingredients, and the quantity prepared for him each year was very limited.
    Xie Nanjun hesitated before tentatively suggesting, "So, have you really not considered forming a soul bond with a high-ranking D-type?"
    Although medical science hadn't found a way to fully repair damaged spiritual pools, S-class or higher D-types could potentially heal their partners' spiritual injuries through shared spiritual power interactions once bonded.
    Several miraculous recoveries in medical history attested to this, making D-types the preferred spiritual type among medics.
    Shen Tingyu replied, "There's no compatible match."
    Xie Nanjun, sounding urgent, said, "What does compatibility matter at a time like this? Healing comes first! With your status, surely someone would be willing to be with you, even if the compatibility isn't high."
    Shen Tingyu laughed, "I mean, there's no one who fits my heart."
    Xie Nanjun: "...You E-types are really annoying. Finding a partner is hard enough, and you're so picky."
    The discomfort in Shen Tingyu's body peaked during the brief conversation. His splitting headache made him reluctant to speak further. After instructing Xie Nanjun to prepare another batch of medication, he ended the call.
    After injecting the special suppressant, he leaned against his desk for a while, allowing the symptoms to slowly recede.
    On the desk, a Newton's cradle ticked back and forth.
    Shen Tingyu watched it, his mind wandering slightly.
    Although it was commonly said that D-types are the most suitable partners for E-types, desired by many, Shen Tingyu never had a particular fondness for them. D-types tended to be too meek for his taste, and despite the empire arranging several matches for him over the years, it was evident his soul rejected them, with the highest compatibility among them barely reaching 10%.
    As he pondered, the scene of Xu Qingran at the Grandis Middle School branch a few days ago flashed through his mind.
    He chuckled lightly.
    If there were a D-type like that, he might consider it.
    Just after disposing of the empty vial, a knock sounded on the bedroom door connected to his study.
    Pinching the bridge of his nose, Shen Tingyu walked over to open it.
    The person outside wore a set of loose, cream-colored pajamas that hung from his slender frame, revealing a large expanse of skin below the neck. His hair was slightly tousled, his eyes still misty and slightly red, evidently just out of bed.
    Shen Tingyu found it hard to imagine why Xu Qingran would be at his door at this hour and took the initiative to ask, "Do you need something?"
    Then he saw the languid figure, with a cold, indifferent expression, answer in a vengeful tone, "Climb into bed."
    ·
    Xu Qingran sat at the foot of the large bed in the bedroom, his body slightly bent, hands clasped in front of his mouth, deep in thought.
    Looking up, he saw the room's owner sitting in the study, nonchalantly attending to his work.
    Xu Qingran hadn't expected to be let in so easily.
    When Shen Tingyu heard him, he seemed stunned for a second, then invited him in with a casual smile, leaving Xu Qingran, who came to cause trouble, hesitating for a few seconds, wary of any schemes.
    Shen Tingyu in the study, aware of his gaze from afar, lifted his eyes and gently reminded, "You should sleep. I don't plan to sleep tonight, so feel free to use the bed as you like."
    "......"
    Xu Qingran thought to himself that perhaps 'climbing into bed' was misunderstood, and it was he who had misinterpreted the system.
    The system: "..."
    The misunderstanding is on both of you!!
    This realization temporarily chased away Xu Qingran's sleepiness.
    He noticed many intriguing items in Shen Tingyu's room, particularly near the study. The first to catch his attention was a pile of irregular red models, resembling the strange creatures he had seen on TV news.
    "If you're interested, feel free to look or play with them," Shen Tingyu offered, noticing his curiosity.
    Shen Tingyu, always observant, caught even the slightest of Xu Qingran's movements.
    Not being one to hold back, Xu Qingran got up to inspect the models upon receiving permission. As he approached the display, a faint light illuminated from beneath it, and a dispassionate male system voice followed.
    [The Devil, an extraterrestrial species active around the empire since the mid-last century.]
    [Renowned extraterrestrial biologist, Mr. Xie Wencai, deduced their primary habitat in the Pegasus galaxy, 30 million light-years away, based on various data. Two centuries ago, the empire's physics and aviation team predicted a supernova explosion in that galaxy. Although the astronomical observatory has yet to capture this event, the migration of the Devil species seems to indirectly confirm this prediction.]
    Xu Qingran touched the familiar reddish-brown models, discovering they were made of many tiny pieces. They could be twisted and resized with a finger, even reshaped into various forms due to their flexible structure.
    [Type I Devils were the first observed by our country, a collective organism, each individual measuring between 0.5-1 cm in size, with a body thickness not exceeding 2 mm.]
    The enormous reddish-brown creatures usually seen are actually composed of countless Type I Devils moving together, appearing from afar like fine scales. Their skin is smooth and dry, but underneath are rows of sharp teeth used to voraciously consume their prey.
    Before consuming, they extend needle-like appendages from their mouths, used to drain their prey's spiritual energy.
    Their flat, interlocking shape is their form for resting and moving.
    When encircling their prey and preparing to attack or feed, these 'scales' start to stand upright.
    These creatures have unique habits, only active after sunset. During the day, they turn rust-like, clinging to inanimate objects, unable to be peeled off but remaining harmless and asleep.
    Once night falls, they begin to expand, potentially forming structures as high as several hundred stories.
    Next to the Type I models, Xu Qingran noticed another model, this one in blue-black.
    It was the same color he saw near the sewer entrance after leaving the Xu family's house.
    The display system labeled it as Type IV Devil, the fourth category of devils identified by the empire.
    Structurally similar to Type I, they too are composite organisms. However, individuals are longer and thinner, active only after sunset. These devils are more flexible and can dissolve in water, infiltrating towns through murky water sources, making them hard to guard against.
    Fortunately, it was discovered that Type IV devils are weaker on land than Type I, lacking in attack and defense capabilities, and afraid of illuminated areas, only daring to grow in the dark, safe corners of cities, nourishing on rain and dew.
    Nonetheless, to prevent accidents, the empire strictly controls areas invaded by these devils, forbidding people from going out after dark, or they face the consequences.
    Xu Qingran put the Type IV model back and asked Shen Tingyu, "Are these the things your military frequently combats?"
    "Yes, devils are currently the biggest invasive threat to the Kai'an Empire."
    Speaking, Shen Tingyu picked up another ornament embedded in a small stone on his desk, turning towards Xu Qingran who had turned to listen.
    "Whether acting individually or collectively, all devils have a crystal called a Source Crystal inside them. It's their energy core. Once they lose it, their bodies decay within an hour, unable to resurrect or regenerate."
    Xu Qingran walked over to take the ornament, leaning on the desk with one hand, examining it closely.
    The Source Crystal inside the stone was stunning, like stars fused within a transparent crystal.
    "In that case, is it easy to target this crystal?" Xu Qingran asked curiously.
    "Not really," Shen Tingyu replied, his gaze shifting unintentionally to Xu Qingran's left hand resting on his desk.
    Perhaps because he came up for rest, he hadn't concealed anything, and the vibrant blue soul mark was blatantly exposed. Yet, its owner seemed unaware of its significance, entirely captivated by the Source Crystal, his eyes brimming with interest.
    Shen Tingyu suppressed the aggressive thoughts that surged up at the sight of the mark and silently shifted his gaze away.
    Unable to resist interrupting their serious conversation, he said, "Xu Qingran, you can sleep in my bed, but could you put on gloves first?"
    Hearing this, Xu Qingran, reminded of being mocked for the same reason at school, felt his anger rise.
    Unaware of Shen Tingyu's deliberate avoidance, he thrust his hand forward, his tone icy, "I've wanted to ask for a long time, what's so shameful about this thing?"