Chapter 33: Bubble the Little Octopus

Based on yesterday’s research, Wen Li only needed to maintain her own rhythm of purification.

She arrived at a small, enclosed room where the only feature was a small window on the opposite wall. It was just large enough for a shrunken spiritual beast to crawl through. Yue Li had advised her not to enter the other person's mental sea directly, but rather to ask them beforehand what kind of healing method they preferred. Wen Li thought that if they preferred spiritual beast soothing, she would finally get to pet something fluffy!

With a heart full of excitement, she waited for the first Sentinel. The sound of a chair being dragged came from the other side. Through the window, only a white lab coat was visible. The Sentinel sat upright, a pair of slender hands resting on the edge of the table. He seemed to be a doctor.

Wen Li asked enthusiastically, "Hello, may I ask what kind of purification method you prefer?"

The Sentinel seemed to pause for a moment before a cold, synthesized electronic voice responded. "Hello, Guide. I prefer spiritual beast tactile soothing. Would that be possible?"

Wen Li was naturally delighted. Not only would she save mental energy, but she would also get to pet something fluffy—why wouldn't she agree? However, the man's voice seemed to have some issues.

Wen Li released her mental energy to guide the Sentinel’s spiritual beast out. Ruilin felt a gentle wave of mental energy hovering around him, as if it were afraid of startling him. He thought with some amusement that there were still such polite Guides left in the world. He released his spiritual beast, and a squishy little pink octopus appeared. Perhaps because it had been summoned so suddenly, it was a bit frightened and clung tightly to its master’s fingers.

Although Wen Li was a bit disappointed that she couldn't pet something fluffy, she was curious about the texture of a pink octopus for the first time. She extended two fingers, imitating a walking motion to catch the little creature's attention.

"Hello, little octopus, do you want to play with me?" Wen Li lowered her voice, wiggling her fingers from side to side. The pink octopus looked curiously at the moving fingers. Ruilin gave it a gentle nudge, signaling it to go over. The little octopus obediently crawled across.

Wen Li held her hand out in front of it and said, "Don't be afraid, I'll be very gentle."

The little pink octopus turned its head to look back at its master; the fingers at the window tapped the table lightly. The electronic voice sounded again: "Go on, Bubble."

The little pink octopus climbed onto Wen Li’s palm and reached her. The Guide was overjoyed, but she couldn't help but want to laugh at what she was about to do. Wen Li began by gently poking the creature’s tentacles with her fingers.

The octopus’s soft body was flipped back and forth like a pancake. Bubble pretended to be angry and stretched out its tentacles to scare Wen Li. The blonde girl paused and lowered her head. Thinking it had truly frightened her, Bubble hurriedly spread out all eight of its tentacles, fawningly suctioning itself onto Wen Li’s warm palm.

Wen Li still didn't look up, so Bubble clumsily extended its tentacles to form a crooked little heart for her. Just as the little octopus thought it was going to be disliked again, everything went black before its eyes. Wen Li, feeling mischievous, leaned in quickly and opened her mouth wide over its head, pretending to take a bite. The pink octopus was so terrified it curled into a ball, wrapping its tentacles tightly around itself.

"Hahaha... so cute, hahahaha..." Wen Li laughed until she was leaning back and forth, her clear, crisp laughter echoing through the small room.

Outside the camera's view, other Sentinels saw her quirky behavior, and their hearts began to race. *The little Guide is so cute!*

Yue Li coughed twice and pointed at the light-brain. "Don't forget the mission."

The Sentinels hurriedly lowered their heads to record the other Guides' spiritual beasts. The sound of Ruilin tapping the table ceased abruptly, and Wen Li quickly straightened up, praising the Sentinel's spiritual beast for being adorable.

"Bubble likes you very much," the Sentinel replied, his cold electronic voice devoid of emotion. But Wen Li was still smiling brightly; she truly liked the little thing. It was as soft as a stress toy, and if she squeezed it just a little, it would blow bubbles. She lifted her hand to press the octopus against her cheek, giving it a big hug. It had already forgotten how it had been scared moments ago and immediately began rubbing its tentacles affectionately against Wen Li’s fair, delicate face.

Wen Li didn't forget her work, either. She had been purifying his mental energy subconsciously while playing. Ruilin felt his mental sea carefully and discovered that the purification conducted through Bubble had cleared away quite a lot of pollutants. The mental energy of the Guide in front of him was of very high purity. She was quite an excellent... experimental subject.

Because she was a "disabled" Guide, high-intensity purification could only last for half an hour. Thus, Wen Li was the first to finish with her Sentinel. Ruilin withdrew his spiritual beast and said goodbye.

After a short break, Wen Li sensed her mental energy levels and found they had recovered well; everything was under control. Everyone watching the competition was captivated by this Guide's healing method. She didn't need to summon her own spiritual beast; she could simply play with the other person’s. This proved that this Guide had absolute control over her mental energy. *Could a disabled Guide really be this proficient?*

Furthermore, after the purification, the Sentinel’s aberration index had dropped by 10%, and his mental strength had increased by 8%. Compared to the other Guides, she was simply outstanding.

At this moment, Wen Li had no idea what kind of commotion she would cause, and she waited eagerly for the second person to arrive. Wen Li knew her mental energy duration was insufficient, so she planned to accumulate small gains—letting quantitative changes lead to qualitative ones.

A male Sentinel wearing a loud, floral shirt sat down carelessly. He addressed Wen Li in a rough, booming voice. "Hurry up and open the mental channel. I spent a fortune to buy this opportunity."

Seeing the man's rude attitude, as if she were merely a medical machine, Wen Li’s voice naturally turned cold. "You may leave."

The Sentinel on the opposite side slammed the table in a rage. "Don't be ungrateful. Do you think I *wanted* to be assigned to a disabled Guide like you?"

"I spent two million Federation credits to buy this chance. I thought I’d be assigned to Miss Baisha. Who knew they’d give me some scrap from the White Tower?"

Wen Li sat calmly, watching the Sentinel outside make a scene. It was clear that the man opposite her was looking for trouble on purpose. Two million Federation credits was certainly not a small sum; he was quite willing to spend for such an opportunity. However, the "Miss Baisha" he mentioned couldn't be the original owner's sister, Wen Baisha, could it?

Wen Li repeated, "You may leave."

The Sentinel sat there, clearly intending to delay the time. The Sentinels outside the arena frowned, and Sterb held back his teammates. "Nobody move. Do your own tasks."

The young Sentinel swallowed his frustration and returned to his work to distract himself. Yue Li turned to look at Sterb and said, "I cannot use my mental energy, so I must trouble you to take action."

Sterb nodded. The two shared a tacit understanding that they would settle the score later.

Wen Li didn't want to waste words with him; her time was precious. Her voice was soft, but her eyes were exceptionally cold. "I've opened it. You may enter."

The Sentinel sneered at her with disdain. "That's better. Be a good girl and do as I say. If you serve me well, there will be benefits for you."

Despite his words, he was still cautious, sending his spiritual beast in to scout the path first, not daring to rashly enter the Guide's mental sea. After all, he wasn't sure what type of Guide she was; if she were an attack-type and threw a mental bomb at him, it would be a disaster.