Chapter 68 — ILK Chapter 68

The Beast Tide When the terminal notification pinged, Sang Ye felt a momentary spark of stress. It seemed that every time she sat down to eat, a message popped up sending her either to the Snow Mountains or the Tide Sea. In the military, however, this was the norm; the leisurely life she had been enjoying on Black Tower was a rare exception. Now that her sentence had been revoked and she was free to leave, she had begun to contemplate her future.

But unusually, Lin Changli’s terminal rang as well. He raised an eyebrow, not expecting to be summoned. He tapped the message. Asu Ment’s words were characteristically blunt: “Tide Sea Base has detected fluctuations in the sea beast tide. They are surging from the deep toward the surface and approaching the coastline.” For Lin Changli, there was an additional line: “Influenced by your mental energy.” The sea beasts, previously within controllable limits, had entered a period of riot after being affected by the mental shockwaves released during Lin Changli’s recent bestialization. A small-scale beast tide was now closing in on the shore. Asu Ment's directive was clear: she expected Lin Changli to resolve the mess he had caused.

Sang Ye leaned over to peek at his message before checking her own.

"The monitoring report only says fluctuations have been discovered," Sang Ye mused. "If we can resolve the fluctuations before the tide actually hits, there won't be a beast tide at all. The Tide Sea residential zones and the coastline can be saved."

Historically, there was no "cure" for a beast tide. The base and the Tide Sea people could only huddle together, build defensive lines, and wait for the tide to peak so they could kill the beasts. Once the beasts' mental energy was exhausted, they would retreat to the deep to hibernate.

In reality, one could "mentally channel" a sea beast just like a Sentinel to calm them down before the outbreak. But sea beasts weren't obedient soldiers; you couldn't just pluck them out one by one. You would need Mass Channeling. Among active Guides, only Lin Shuangxu and Wu Jinyue were capable of such a feat, but they wouldn't waste their S-rank energy on a relatively minor beast tide.

Unless something changed, the plan would remain the same: evacuate, reinforce, wait, and use violence. Imperial Sentinels were experts at violence.

But Sang Ye wanted to try a different approach—one that might solve the beast tide problem once and for all.

Before she could finish that thought, a second message arrived: “Note: The Little Duchess, Melusine Caylen, is showing signs of awakening.” Sang Ye didn't know who that was. She looked at Lin Changli.

"The Caylen family holds a hereditary dukedom that predates the Empire," Lin Changli explained. "They are one of the oldest families, serving as Imperial Chancellors of the Exchequer for generations. Melusine is the sole heir."

She had been attacked by extremists while implementing tax laws in another galaxy, triggering a mental riot that eventually led to signs of bestialization. "Her mother bought her an entire planet for recovery, but Melusine sneaked out and used her mental ability to manipulate the stock market, completely collapsing that planet's financial system. That’s why she was sent here. Shortly after arriving, she fell into a mysterious deep sleep."

Melusine’s ability was unique; her aggression wasn't physical. She could perfectly calculate and predict economic trends. "During the previous expeditions, she predicted a market gap for stabilizers that covered the entire cost of the war," Lin Changli recalled. "But a rioting Melusine is a weapon of mass financial destruction."

Asu Ment and Jiang Sili had to stay behind to keep a close eye on Melusine.

…

Upon arriving at Amoli Island, Sireno was nowhere to be seen. Lilibet explained that he and Matthews were busy reinforcing the King Coral and the underwater cities.

The sea was no longer the peaceful, beautiful world Sang Ye had seen before. Mental shocks from sea beasts surged from all directions, creating dangerous underwater whirlpools. Sang Ye’s suggestion was simple: establish a "buffer zone" around the cities by transplanting King Coral and sowing massive amounts of marine vegetation. These plants would absorb the excess mental energy and purify the environment. As the beasts surged through the "forest," their aggression would be significantly neutralized.

"When the whirlpools become as large as a coral colony and turn pitch black, the first wave will arrive within the hour," Lilibet said, pointing at the currently pale-blue eddies. The darker the black, the more ferocious the beast.

The Tide Sea people trusted Sang Ye implicitly now, having seen her plants flourish and her food help stabilize their spirits. They had even noticed their local seafood entering a breeding frenzy in the newly planted areas. Sang Ye had strictly forbidden the capture of brooding females, so the Tide Sea people were catching the males and bringing them ashore to experiment with cooking.

As the tribespeople set out with seeds and coral, a gauzy tail cut through the water. Sireno swam up to Sang Ye like a happy puppy. "Long time no see!"

"...It hasn't been that long. We saw each other the day before yesterday," Sang Ye scratched her head.

"Isn't there a human saying that one day apart feels like three autumns?" Sireno twirled happily. "My mother said 'autumn' means three years. So I haven't seen you in six years."

Sang Ye was at a loss for words, but Lilibet interrupted, nodding toward the shadow behind Sang Ye. The Little Phoenix was standing on a seed crate, glaring. Sireno puffed out his cheeks, grabbed a crate of seeds, and swam off in a huff.

"Where is he?" Sang Ye asked the bird, knowing Lin Changli shared its senses.

"Deep sea. Checking the beasts," the Phoenix yawned.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"It's dangerous for the beasts, not for him."

Lilibet chimed in: "Please tell him not to hurt them if they haven't attacked. They are masters of the sea too."

"Relax, he's not that barbaric," the Phoenix chirped. "We don't fight wars without cause."

"Why didn't you go with him?" Sang Ye nudged the bird.

"I'm here to protect you. He’s fine," the Phoenix replied, nuzzling her cheek.

"You shouldn't stay out like this; it drains his energy. What if you two never get better?" Sang Ye patted his head.

The Phoenix looked at her, puzzled. "Don't you know? You've already planted a Mental Mark on him. We won't riot anymore."

"?" Sang Ye was stunned. "When did I...?"

She stared into the bird's tiny eyes for a long time before she remembered the Parasol Tree she had planted in his mental landscape. It hadn't come out with her.

"What is a Mental Mark? That was a Mental Mark?!"

"A Guide can only place one mark in their life, and a Sentinel can only accept one," the Phoenix explained. "Forcing a removal makes both parties wish they were dead. Usually, a Guide's spirit leaves a feather or builds a nest; you just planted a tree. With a mark, the Sentinel is guided by the Guide's spirit—he will never hurt her or be her enemy. In return, the Guide provides constant, passive mental channeling to keep him stable."

Sang Ye was dumbstruck. She had literally just planted the tree because she was holding the sapling and had nowhere else to put it.

The Phoenix squinted at her. "You didn't want to give me a mark? Do you know how rare it is for a Sentinel to accept one?! Do you know no other Guide can even enter our landscape?!"

"I'm willing, I'm willing," Sang Ye sighed. What else could she say?

"That's more like it," the Phoenix said smugly. "I knew you were willing. I'm so amazing, of course you like me."

Sang Ye turned around and rolled her eyes at the bird’s vanity.