His Match Is an Interstellar Monster

Chapter 27: Sharing the Mental Entity

To avoid sunlight as much as possible, Xiao Sa dressed warmly every day when going out to school.

After all, the Capital Mech Academy is a military institution, and it was impossible for him to stay indoors all the time. Moreover, he would eventually have to participate in field training in the future.

The issue of sunlight-induced mental fatigue really needed to be addressed.

Landis always adhered to a strict and disciplined schedule. He woke up at 6 every morning, spent 20 to 30 minutes exercising, then washed up, reviewed the previous day's reports and news, and then had breakfast before heading out for work.

Xiao Sa often enjoyed sleeping in, so to keep his morning movements quiet, Landis always kept his actions minimal.

On this particular morning at 6 AM, Xiao Sa actually got up along with him.

"Why aren't you sleeping in more today?"

Xiao Sa blinked his sleepy eyes and quickly put on his clothes. "I’ve decided to join you for morning exercises from now on."

Landis looked at him in surprise. "What’s the sudden interest in exercising together?"

Xiao Sa came out of the bathroom, a pulse toothbrush in his mouth as he brushed, and found a pair of sneakers to put on from the wardrobe.

"Since I’ve decided to bet with you, I need to train hard."

Landis drew the curtains and glanced at the sun that had just risen, frowning. "I recall your medical report mentioning your sensitivity to UV rays. If you want to exercise in the morning, let’s do it indoors instead."

Xiao Sa shook his head. "I’m not allergic to UV rays, but standing in the sun for too long makes me prone to heatstroke. But if I gradually get used to it, it might improve. I can’t keep being a night owl."

Landis looked at him without expressing approval or disapproval.

The backyard of Wenser Estate featured a ginkgo-lined path, next to which was a clear, shimmering lake. Sunrise light danced across the lake’s surface, casting a faint golden glow. Occasionally, birds skimmed the water, searching for food.

Now dressed in sportswear, the two strolled along the ginkgo-lined path by the lake.

Landis jogged slowly, listening to the morning briefing on his neckband headphones.

He wore a black, tight-fitting vest and loose combat pants, with a pair of combat boots on his feet. While jogging, he stayed half a step behind Xiao Sa, occasionally checking on him with his peripheral vision.

Xiao Sa wore a white sports outfit, his toned arms moving rhythmically with his motions.

Landis noticed that Xiao Sa's running form was impeccable, his pace even, and his breathing rhythmic, unlike someone who hadn't exercised in a long time.

The golden-red morning light of the early sun glided across the lake, passing through the tall ginkgo trees and falling on the two of them.

Sweat gradually appeared on Xiao Sa's cheeks. He glanced at his wristwatch; about 20 minutes had passed.

His heart rate began to abnormally accelerate, and his breathing grew heavier. After another five minutes, cold sweat began to trickle down his forehead and back.

Xiao Sa turned his head to look at the sun in the sky. The sunlight did not feel like the warm comfort of sunbathing on his home planet. Instead, it felt like a cold fire burning within him, causing his mental energy to rapidly drain away.

He wanted to hold on a little longer, but Landis, who had been watching him, had already stopped and grabbed him.

Landis took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and frowned while wiping the excessive sweat from Xiao Sa's forehead.

"Are you okay?"

Xiao Sa's eyes seemed a little dazed. He shook his head. "I'm fine."

Landis sighed inwardly. Xiao Sa was stubborn and refused to take advice. He couldn't understand why Xiao Sa insisted on pushing himself despite clearly being unable to handle the sunlight.

"You don't look well at all," Landis said expressionlessly, opening his light computer and instructing the butler to bring the car over, his tone brooking no argument. "Please, let me take you back to rest."

Xiao Sa sat in the car with Landis, leaning back in the seat and breathing gently. Landis remotely lowered the curtains on both sides of the windows, which made Xiao Sa feel a little more comfortable.

Landis looked at him seriously. "Why can't you just stay inside and rest for a bit? Or you could run indoors instead."

He added, "I can accompany you either way."

Xiao Sa adjusted his breathing for a moment and felt some strength returning.

He realized that the situation wasn't as severe as when he first fainted from sunlight exposure. He speculated that his body might be gradually adapting to the environment.

Xiao Sa explained, "I can only try to overcome this issue outdoors. If I always stay inside, I'll never be able to go out."

Landis frowned, about to say that Xiao Sa didn't need to go outside. But he swallowed his words, unable to hold back. "Why can't you understand that I'm doing this for your benefit? Can't you just listen to me for once?"

Xiao Sa opened his eyes and looked at him, countering, "Then why can't you understand that I'm doing this for myself? I want to walk, run, and live a normal life in the sun."

Rather than dressing up like a mummy every time he goes out.

The two equally obstinate individuals stared at each other for a while.

Landis, not wanting to prolong the argument, was the first to look away, pressing his temples: "Alright, I got it."

He didn’t say anything more, just opened his terminal and started processing the documents needed for work.

The butler, who was driving ahead, was somewhat surprised as he withdrew his gaze from the rearview mirror—the Wenser family had always been ruled by the absolute word of the family head. He hadn’t expected to see him unable to manage a low-ranking commoner partner of humble origins today.

Xiao Sa noticed that Landis had ignored him ever since and leaned back in his seat, sneaking glances at him from the corner of his eye.

His serious and focused expression when working suggested he hadn’t taken the earlier spat to heart.

But that was it?

※※※

That night.

Bedtime arrived. After finishing his milk, Xiao Sa was about to get into bed. He found it amusing that since being with Landis, his routine had become incredibly regular, and he hadn’t stayed up late even once.

He sat cross-legged on the bed and began to meditate using the mental energy techniques from Landis. The mental energy he had expended due to the morning sunlight had now fully recovered.

The wall clock read 11:30, and yet Landis, who would normally go to bed promptly at 11, still hadn’t returned to the room to rest.

Xiao Sa opened his eyes and looked towards the door for a while, but there was still no movement outside.

It’s so late; could Landis still be working?

He got up, shuffling in his slippers toward the study.

The study door was slightly ajar, with a faint light filtering through the gap.

Xiao Sa gently pushed the door open, tiptoeing as he entered, seeing that Landis was on a video call with someone on his terminal.

"Doctor Sommerk, my partner’s condition is as follows. You are an authority on treating mental disabilities. I want to know if there’s a way to enhance the mental energy of individuals with low-grade mental disabilities, especially to prevent deep-bonded partners from being contaminated and assimilated."

The middle-aged doctor on the screen replied, "My lord, you can review my latest research data. If your partner’s condition is due to genetic inheritance from his parents, there is likely no solution."

"However, it could also be another situation, for example, if there is a barrier in the communication between mental energy and the surrounding environment. Some people have a natural resistance and defense against their surroundings."

"The characteristic of such people is that they often feel detached from the world and their environment, wary of everything around them, unable to fully integrate their mental energy with their surroundings."

Landis remained silent for a moment before asking, "How can this be treated?"

The doctor pushed his glasses up and said, "Since your partner does not have their own mental entity, you might want to try establishing a mental link with your partner using your own mental entity."

"Let them experience firsthand what it feels like to release a mental entity—to indirectly integrate into the environment."

Landis nodded and was about to review the information the doctor had sent over when he sensed something and turned around, only to find nothing behind him.

Xiao Sa quietly left the study and quickly returned to his room, climbing back into bed.

After a short while, the door opened, and Landis indeed returned.

"You're not asleep yet? If I come back late, there's no need to wait for me."

Xiao Sa put down the light computer in his hand and asked, "What were you busy with tonight?"

Landis didn't reply. With a gesture, Black Flame appeared at his feet.

Seeing Xiao Sa, Black Flame immediately placed its two front paws on the edge of the bed, its large furry head nuzzling against Xiao Sa.

Landis sat on the single sofa next to the bed, legs crossed, one hand propping up his cheek, gazing softly at Xiao Sa lying on the bed. "I just consulted an expert in mental conditions. The doctor suggested that I let you try connecting with my mental entity, using Black Flame to sense the feeling of releasing a mental entity."

Xiao Sa, who was stroking the large cat's fluffy head, looked up. He had vaguely heard Landis and the doctor discussing him earlier but hadn't caught the details.

"Can someone connect with another person's mental entity?"

Landis nodded. "The doctor said that as long as I fully open my mental state to accept your mental energy while communicating with Black Flame, it can be achieved."

However, there was another matter Landis didn't disclose to Xiao Sa.

Sharing a mental entity with an outsider was an extremely risky endeavor. Especially for someone severely contaminated by mental pollution, whose mental state was already unstable, a single misstep could provoke the mental entity's rage.

Recently, Landis wasn't sure if it was due to spending so much time with Xiao Sa, but being near him and smelling his scent made him feel calm and at ease. Both his body and mind were relaxing, and the frequency of his inhibitor injections had significantly decreased. He rarely experienced the unbearable pain or the mental entity's agitation anymore.

Black Flame let Xiao Sa scratch its chin, rubbing its head into Xiao Sa's shoulder, wanting to stretch out its tongue to lick him. But after receiving a fierce glare from Landis, it silently retracted its head.

Landis said, "Put your hand on Black Flame's nose. Try to release your mental energy as much as possible."

Xiao Sa did as instructed, closing his eyes. The moment his mental energy connected with Black Flame, he felt as if he was standing under an endless dark curtain, with star-like lights beginning to twinkle on the other side of the void.

Then, from the lights, countless threads began to form, interconnecting with each other.

Xiao Sa felt as though he had not opened his eyes, yet he could suddenly "see."

He "saw" his own face, the wide, soft bed, and his field of vision and limbs began to extend.

Even without lifting his hand, he could feel the texture of the carpet under his hand and even noticed a tail swaying behind him.

His sense of smell, hearing, and vision were instantly amplified several times. He could even hear Landis' breathing as if it was right next to his ear, along with the pounding of his heart and the flowing blood.

This sensation was incredibly mysterious, as if he had another avatar, except this avatar’s perspective was a bit lower.

Xiao Sa gradually gained a new understanding of the people and mental entities in this world.

They were not summoned battle pets but highly simulated representations of animals and plants, manifestations of mental energy with thoughts and consciousness—"another self."

However, simulating the complex structure and high intelligence of humans was too difficult, so keeping the mental entity in the form of animals or plants was just right.

No wonder there was a mutual sensory connection between the mental entity and its owner.

As Xiao Sa was experiencing what it was like to have a "mental entity," in the depths of the endless dark curtain, there seemed to be some glittering fragments.

He controlled his mental energy, curiously drifting towards them, extending countless mental threads to touch those fragments.

However, they were like a broken mirror, leaving only blurry images.

Just as Xiao Sa was about to grab the fragments for a closer look, a tremendous vibration erupted from the depths of the dark curtain, accompanied by a terrifying roar.

Immediately, Xiao Sa’s mental energy was forcefully ejected from Black Flame, and Black Flame disappeared.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Landis on the sofa, eyes tightly closed, frowning as he pressed his temples.

Xiao Sa immediately rolled out of bed, walked over to Landis, and embraced him in a comforting manner. "Landis, are you alright?"

"I’m fine. It’s my first time sharing a mental link with someone else. I’m still not very skilled at it."

Xiao Sa frowned and glanced at him, reaching out to press Landis's head against his shoulder. A rich, slightly intoxicating agave scent emanated from his glands, gently surrounding Landis.

Landis exhaled softly, instinctively pressing against Xiao Sa's skin, lightly inhaling the scent, a sense of peace and warmth that quickly soothed his mild anxiety.

Xiao Sa glanced at the clock on the bedside table; it was nearly 12 o'clock. "Let's sleep; it's getting late."

When they lay down on the bed, Xiao Sa was still recalling the sound he had heard in the mental state earlier. Was it the contamination source hidden in Landis’s mental realm?

What were the fragments he had seen? Could they be Landis's memory fragments?

He hadn’t clearly seen what was inside those fragments, vaguely recalling a red rose encased in a glass dome.

In the darkness, lying next to Xiao Sa, Landis found it hard to fall asleep.

He reflected on the experience of sharing a mental connection with Xiao Sa earlier; it was an indescribable feeling, as if there were suddenly another person inside him.

He felt like an open clam, with his deepest secrets exposed without reserve.

Xiao Sa’s every move was no longer just about physical touch through empathy; it was as if he were reaching for his soul.

The contamination source hidden deep in his mental realm sensed an opportunity the moment his resolve wavered. It immediately broke through his defenses, but fortunately, he managed to break free from that state in time.

This feeling of being ‘entered’ at a soul level was too risky.

Landis turned to look at Xiao Sa’s sleeping face, breathing in the scent emanating from him. Gradually, he calmed his mind — it was okay; they were lifelong partners, his true family members.

※※※

The next morning, Xiao Sa got up on time and joined Landis for their morning run by the lake.

After a week of this schedule, Xiao Sa would go for a morning run, attend mecha theory classes at school during the day, and practice communicating with the furry creature’s mental entity at night.

Without realizing it, Xiao Sa found himself able to endure exercising under the sun for longer and longer periods.

50 minutes… 55 minutes… One hour!

Xiao Sa’s forehead began to bead with cold sweat again, and his heart rate was racing, but he was still able to stand without feeling intensely dizzy. It was a marked improvement from the first time he had fainted under the sun’s rays.

Pheromones, mental entity, sun’s rays...

Xiao Sa originally thought that he was just an alien to the star sea region, but now he gradually felt that he and his clan members might really have a special connection to this place.

But he might need to find Haino’s terminal to uncover the secret.

Xiao Sa looked back and saw that Landis was indeed standing not far from him.

In a great mood, he smiled and strode over, much to Landis’s mild surprise, and wrapped his arms around Landis’s waist, pressing the back of his head, and planting a big kiss on his cheek.

"You're amazing, Landis, I did it!"

Before Landis could react, Xiao Sa quickly ducked into the car’s back seat to avoid the sun.

Leaving Landis alone standing by the lake, bathed in the morning light, his tall figure silhouetted by the golden-orange sunlight.

He touched his own cheek, recalling that this seemed to be the first time Xiao Sa had kissed him voluntarily, the warmth still faintly lingering.

Did that mean... Xiao Sa would stay by his side for a long time?

※※※

Xiao Sa had been attending classes at the Capital Mech Academy for two weeks now.

He was the only diligent student in the entire class, and even the mech operations professor, who initially had low expectations for him, was surprised and became more amiable.

With Haino’s help, he had reviewed the files of all 30 students in the class. Given the nobility’s highly matched marriages, the students in this class generally had mental energy rated above A.

This was good news for Xiao Sa, indicating that their innate conditions were not poor; otherwise, he would have to consider Haino’s suggestion to beat them all into the hospital.

The student with the most prominent background was Kaman Lot, the second young master of Duke Lot’s family, who had gossiped about him the most on the first day.

The other students mostly skipped classes and didn’t pay attention. Only he not only loafed around but also frequently incited a group of noble children to skip classes and go somewhere unknown.

This couldn’t continue. Xiao Sa rubbed his chin; he didn’t have time to waste on this group of rich, spoiled kids.

He needed to spur them on harshly so they wouldn’t hold him back.

Xiao Sha finished his class notes and saw the students who had skipped class sauntering into the classroom, sitting in the last row. The professor lecturing sneered but said nothing.

Xiao Sha casually glanced at them, a familiar mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth—it was time to try out his newly acquired skill.

After a week of continuously experiencing the connection with his mental entity, although he still couldn’t release his mental entity, he had gained a deeper understanding of mental entities.

Xiao Sha carefully recalled the sensation of heightened senses, with his mental energy converging at his fingertips. It gradually elongated and solidified, transforming into a semi-transparent needle.

Previously, he could only materialize his mental energy in his mental state or virtual space, but this was the first time he had partially materialized it in reality.

Although it was just a needle barely visible to the naked eye.

The silver needle nimbly spun at his fingertips, and with a gentle flick, it flew behind Kaman—while he was carelessly playing a game on his light computer, quickly pricking his butt.

Kaman yelped, drawing the attention of the other students and the teacher.

His face flushed red, feeling as if he had been pricked by needles, Kaman awkwardly sat down, too embarrassed to admit he had been pricked by something unknown.

After confirming there were no strange bugs around him, he started chatting with others again, only to be pricked again shortly after!

From then on, Kaman found that whatever he did, he would be pricked. If he lowered his head to play with his light computer, his neck would also be pricked.

The only time the eerie thing left him alone was when he sat still, not doing anything, and stared at the teacher and the textbook on the light screen.

"What’s going on?" Kaman glared at the people around him. Who was pranking in class?

Soon, he realized he wasn’t the only one experiencing the mysterious needle. His companions, who followed him, were also clutching their buttocks, their faces red as they looked around.

Xiao Sha smiled. If you don’t study hard, you’ll get to experience the joy of "tying your hair to a beam and pricking your thigh with a needle."