The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

The man in the wheelchair was about to ask something when his expression suddenly changed. Though his face had never been particularly attractive, at this moment it turned paper-white.

As he seemed ready to say something, fine beads of cold sweat began to appear on his forehead, quickly accumulating until his temples were drenched. The soldier standing behind him rushed over to check, only to see that the man’s bony wrist was resting limply on his leg, his fingertips hanging weakly down along the bend of his knee.

Both of his kneecaps were hollow, and his pant legs were empty below them, barely resting on the footrests of the mechanical wheelchair.

In modern times, this might be considered an unfortunate event. However, in the context of interstellar society, it was quite unusual.

In a world where technology and bioengineering had advanced to this degree, regrowing lost limbs was not far-fetched at all.

Though the costs were prohibitively high, and the replacements were never quite the original, there were always some compatibility issues after attachment. The recovery period could be lengthy, and regular injections of maintenance serum were necessary to sustain their functionality. Otherwise, they might need to be replaced again in twenty to thirty years.

Moreover, even considering the price or other reasons, there were semi-mechanical, semi-biological prosthetics available, which felt almost indistinguishable from real limbs and could even be customized with functional enhancements as needed.

In summary, missing limbs were truly rare in the interstellar context, and there were appropriate treatments for various terminal illnesses. Aside from congenital genetic disorders and certain conditions caused by biological toxins, there were essentially no diseases that humanity could not cure in interstellar society.

The young man not only had the qualifications to sit in the privileged seats arranged by the school, but his seemingly simple mechanical wheelchair was clearly a high-end product handcrafted by a master mech designer. Even the wheels were made from a peptide alloy used only in advanced mecha.

With someone like him, it was impossible that he didn’t have the funds for limb reconstruction. Given his severely debilitated condition, it seemed his body simply couldn’t support such a procedure, leaving him with this incomplete form.

The soldier knew exactly where the discomfort lay, and even now he couldn’t believe that this once-powerful man had become so weak and frail. Yet, that was the stark reality.

Just as the soldier was about to kneel down to check on his superior, he suddenly hesitated and halted his movement. He had to swallow the bitterness in his heart and quietly ask, “If you’re not feeling well, should I take you home? Xiaowen can come back for you later.”

The man in the wheelchair remained silent for a moment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Just as the soldier was about to make a decision for him, the man weakly replied, “It’s an old problem. Today… it’s not too painful.”

Not too painful still meant that it was painful.

Knowing the fundamental reasons behind the man’s current misery and disability, the soldier could see more clearly than anyone how much the man was suffering as he weakened day by day. Unfortunately, he felt utterly powerless to help or comfort him; all he could do was watch.

Just watching filled him with profound sadness. So what about the man himself? How much more must he be suffering…

“Alright, I rarely get out like this. Don’t let me go home disappointed.”

“I promised that kid I would come to see him. He’s incredibly stubborn, and he’s been pestering me for a month just to get me here. The chores I agreed to do have only made things worse; even the housekeeper can’t stand it. If I just turn around and leave now, I don’t know how he would throw a fit,” said the frail man in the wheelchair, his tone revealing a mix of annoyance and affectionate fondness for the “kid.”

The affection was nearly overflowing.

The soldier, who had appeared heavy-hearted since earlier, couldn’t help but smile wryly at this: “I never expected Xiaowen to grow up to be so lively. You must have had quite a headache over the years; it’s hard to believe how quickly time has passed.”

“Yes, it’s been incredibly annoying. Fortunately, he’s finally grown up a bit. If he hadn’t, I would have been tempted to send him back to the Capital Star System to live with his grandfather,” the man said with a laugh, pressing his forehead in exasperation. Despite his frail appearance, a hint of his former charisma shone through in that moment.

“Well, it’s been two star hours now, and he hasn’t been eliminated yet. Seems like he’s having good luck this time. I thought he’d be out in half a star hour.”

“You shouldn’t speak of your child like that. He wouldn’t be out in just half a star hour; you must have some misunderstanding about him. After all, he is your—”

The man waved his hand dismissively. “I hardly resemble him. He has ordinary talent, is careless, and is timid. The only thing he has going for him is his mental strength, but what can he do? He can’t manage anything. But… it’s alright.” Despite his constant belittling, his expression showed a certain satisfaction, as if this was all he ever wanted.

The more he spoke, the more it sounded wrong. Noticing the way the man’s expression deepened as he drifted into past memories, the soldier felt a pang of concern and hurriedly thought to find something lively to divert his attention.

Suddenly, a screen in their vicinity switched to a scene, and the soldier’s eyes lit up. He quickly urged the man to look.

—In the center of the screen was a five-person team.

Unbeknownst to them, the orienteering race had already progressed for over two hours. During this time, many participants had been eliminated, with high dropout rates in both the ordinary professional and military sectors.

As time passed, those remaining had mostly proven to be somewhat cunning; the rash newcomers and those who couldn’t adjust well to the situation were quickly eliminated early on.

They gradually realized that continuing the chaotic fighting was detrimental to the overall situation and rendered the exercise meaningless.

Once they moved away from the initial chaos and entanglements, they began to enter this “hunting” game.

Clearly, individual strength was limited, so finding reliable teammates to share combat power and divide “lives” was the best choice.

In just two star hours, numerous small teams emerged on the practice field like mushrooms after rain, and there were even several teams that combined to form larger units.

Those who had formed teams were marked with a number suffix next to their names on the leaderboard for distinction.