FI CH 24

Chapter 24: Battlefield Memories (V)

After locking himself in his room for the night, Bai Hua still showed up on time in front of Kurosawa the next morning.

Kurosawa could tell from his emotions and subtle movements that he was a bit nervous, but it seemed he had managed to calm himself down. Kurosawa pretended nothing had happened and casually asked, “Didn’t sleep well?”

“No, that’s not it.” Bai Hua met his gaze, looking as if he had something to say but hesitated.

“What is it?” Kurosawa prompted.

Hearing that, Bai Hua finally steeled himself and asked, “Did you see anything last night?”

Kurosawa considered whether to be honest or to keep it to himself. But given the current situation between them, hiding it might cause more unnecessary problems. So, he replied, “You mean… when you tried to kiss me?”

“…So you did see it.” Bai Hua glanced at him, then quickly explained, “It wasn’t because I wanted to—it was the influence of the pheromones.”

“I didn’t actually see it,” Kurosawa replied. “I felt it.”

“You don’t have to worry—I don’t mind.”

He doesn’t mind what? That he tried to do something like that? Or being kissed by him? The answer was vague, but Bai Hua didn’t dare press further.

Since he had fled so awkwardly the night before, he hadn’t expected to keep it from Kurosawa. He had planned to explain this morning—but Kurosawa’s calm, unreadable response left him more confused.

Yet Kurosawa seemed genuinely unfazed, as he proceeded to discuss that day’s training with a perfectly normal expression.

Suddenly, Bai Hua felt like spending the whole night obsessing over this had been a complete waste of energy. Since he’d already explained, whether Kurosawa believed it or not, he decided not to dwell on it any further.

Unexpectedly, after finishing his words, Kurosawa suddenly reached out to test Bai Hua again.

Bai Hua gave him a look. “What are you doing?”

“Good. No change.”

Bai Hua was speechless. “Do you really want me to beat you up?”

“Of course not.” Kurosawa chuckled but didn’t bother to explain further.

Over the past week, they had pretty much mapped out the full extent of this mental landscape—recording the major and minor skirmishes, the distribution of enemies and allies, and the strategic routes in detail. The only area left untouched was the main battlefield.

That day, Kurosawa suggested it was finally time to approach Lin Yuan.

Bai Hua had been waiting for those words for a long time. He didn’t just want to see how the Lin Yuan from ten years ago differed from the one now—he even hoped to find some sign, any clue at all, about Lin Yuan’s eventual rebellion.

This time, when they entered the mental landscape, they unexpectedly landed close to the main battlefield—the Wild Mountains.

It seemed like a battle had just taken place here. The air was still thick with the killing intent that lingered.

Bai Hua looked around and noticed someone in a Guide uniform lying in a pool of blood. He intended to go check on their injuries, but before he could reach them, the Guide suddenly launched a psychic attack. A powerful sense of danger rushed toward Bai Hua. But before he could react, the Guide suddenly withdrew their psychic force in an instant.

The person stared carefully at Bai Hua’s face and uniform, then said, “You’re one of us? Sorry—I attacked because your presence felt unfamiliar. I thought you were…”

“It’s fine,” Kurosawa said, walking over. He glanced at the Guide’s wounded arm and added, “You’re injured. Let’s treat it first.”

Bai Hua stepped back and let Kurosawa take over his position. His emotions hadn’t fully settled yet, and he was still shaken by what had just happened.

“You okay?” Kurosawa asked, bandaging the Guide while speaking to Bai Hua through their mental link.

Bai Hua was silent for a few seconds before finally replying, “Kurosawa.”

“Yeah?”

“Just now…”

“If he had really attacked you earlier, you wouldn’t have been able to dodge it, and I wouldn’t have made it in time to save you. That guy’s no ordinary person…”

Bai Hua thought to himself—if Kurosawa could make such a comment, then this Guide was indeed formidable. If someone stationed on the outskirts of the main battlefield had that level of power, he could only imagine how intense things would be at the center.

The Guide noticed Bai Hua staying silent and seemed genuinely remorseful. He apologized again.

“Sorry.”

The man had a refined and gentle appearance—your typical-looking Guide. If Bai Hua hadn’t experienced it himself, he wouldn’t have imagined this person could unleash such a sharp and overwhelming psychic assault. He waved a hand, signaling it was fine.

“It’s okay. I was just startled.”

The Guide still looked puzzled. “I don’t recall ever seeing you two before…”

“We’re support troops. We rushed over after receiving word that the front lines were in crisis,” Kurosawa replied, giving the safest explanation he could think of. Fortunately, they had studied the overall direction of this battlefield over the past week, so they wouldn’t easily slip up.

Among ability users, there were all kinds of monsters—there was no telling if this guy had an amazing memory and could recite every single name on the roster. Kurosawa didn’t want to risk that.

The Guide didn’t seem suspicious upon hearing that. News about support units was highly classified and inaccessible through regular channels.

His left arm was badly injured—almost unusable—and his body bore both deep and shallow wounds, but he didn’t seem to care much. He nodded toward the two of them and said, “My name is Feng Xu. Thank you both for your help.”

Upon hearing the name, both Kurosawa and Bai Hua were momentarily stunned. That was the name of one of Lin Yuan’s close friends.

They exchanged a look, having already reached a mutual understanding.

After a brief exchange of introductions, Kurosawa was the first to ask, “So, what do you plan to do next?”

“I’m heading into the Wild Mountains. I’m going to find Lin Yuan.”

Bai Hua followed up immediately, “We’ll go with you. It’s safer to have each other’s backs along the way.”

Feng Xu hesitated slightly—perhaps worried about being a burden due to his injuries—but ultimately didn’t decline. He was likely still concerned about the situation at the front lines.

There were no detailed records about Feng Xu in the history of Sentinel-Guide affairs—just a brief mention as “Lin Yuan’s close friend.” But based on the psychic move he’d used against Bai Hua earlier, he clearly ranked among the top Guides. Kurosawa wasn’t even sure he could beat him in a fight.

Yet someone this powerful left no trace in history. That made Kurosawa all the more convinced that there was some hidden truth behind it—maybe even that Feng Xu’s death had been deliberately erased or glossed over.

These suspicions only strengthened Kurosawa’s resolve to follow Feng Xu.

Bai Hua shared the same thoughts. Through this man, they might just uncover some clue connected to Lin Yuan.

The three of them entered the Wild Mountains together. No one knew exactly what Feng Xu’s Guide ability was, but he had an incredibly sharp sense—almost as if he could instinctively avoid danger. Along the way, they rarely encountered chaotic fighting, and even when unavoidable skirmishes broke out, the number of enemies and allies on both sides were nearly equal.

The higher they climbed, the greater the danger. By the time they reached the mountainside, it was already close to nightfall. The three of them found a spot beside a cliff wall to rest for the night.

According to Feng Xu, tonight might be their only chance to get a proper night’s sleep.

Meeting Feng Xu had been a complete accident. If they had followed their usual schedule, Bai Hua and Kurosawa would have already exited the mental landscape by this time. But they also understood very well: if they left now, there was no guarantee they’d run into Feng Xu again the next time they entered—and even the timeline might shift.

That was the nature of mental landscapes generated from battlefield memories. They lacked independent thought and will. They were merely segments of time restored from recorded memory. Like a documentary, everyone inside the memory re-enacted the personality and thoughts of the original person—but they could only exist within the past and present. They couldn’t comprehend the future.

Which meant Feng Xu had no idea that he would die in this battle. Even if Kurosawa or Bai Hua tried to tell him the truth, he wouldn’t be able to understand it.

But neither of them wanted to give up this lead. After a brief discussion, they decided to stay longer this time.

Suddenly, Kurosawa asked, “Did you bring enough Guide suppressant?”

He was always incredibly responsible. He’d previously said he would remind Bai Hua to take his suppressant regularly—and he was definitely keeping his word.

Bai Hua really didn’t want to answer that question. It felt like a constant reminder of his impending heat. But seeing how serious Kurosawa looked, he couldn’t help but reply as casually as he could, “Should be enough.”

Kurosawa nodded. “If it’s not, I brought extra.”

Bai Hua was stunned for a second—and then almost laughed. What kind of Guide carries extra suppressant for their Sentinel?

“My Sentinel?”

The thought hit him unexpectedly, and he was startled by it. He quickly erased the word “my” from his mind.

Kurosawa didn’t know what Bai Hua was thinking, but he noticed a sudden wave of nervousness from him—followed quickly by calm again. The stark contrast in behavior was… curious.

He thought to himself, Bai Hua really is an interesting person.

(To be continued…)