Chapter 92: Stellar Whale Inside A Starry Lake

Dr. Sasha gestured for Lydia to follow her toward the examination room. Lydia took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves.

Russell noticed Lydia’s anxiety. He wanted to calm Lydia just like how he used to do when he was disguised as Rishe.

But he was feeling uncertain and just let his hand hover above her head.

"Mmm? What is it, Russell?" Lydia asked when she noticed his hesitation.

"I don’t want to touch you without your consent, Lydia. Especially since I’m a man."

Russell’s kind consideration surprised her. She couldn’t help remembering their first meeting as Rishe and Lydia.

Back then, Rishe had slapped Ephraim when he tried to kiss her after their annulment was canceled.

He was really kind. Even before they became friends.

Now, Russell was standing before Lydia and carefully keeping his distance.

Lydia reached for his hand and put it above her head instead.

"Go on. It’s not like I’ll lose anything if you pat my head. Thank you for your support, Russell. I really need it."

"Good luck with your reevaluation test."

Lydia looked back and smiled at Russell before following Dr. Sasha down the hallway.

The examination room was only a short distance from the lounge, hidden behind a wide glass door at the end of the corridor.

A young nurse approached the door and tapped her access card against the panel beside it.

"Dr. Sasha is waiting inside."

"Thank you."

Lydia stepped through the glass door.

The room looked nothing like the examination rooms at Ludenberg Hospital.

Polished marble floors reflected the soft blue lights running along the walls, while elegant couches rested around tall glass panels.

The ceiling curved overhead, lined with sleek metal frames and recessed lights that gave the room a calm, futuristic glow.

Advanced medical machines and holographic displays floated above various equipment.

Their soft humming filled the sterile silent room that was surrounded by thick glass panels.

Dr. Sasha retrieved a tablet from her bracelet and began examining the test results sent by the Imperial Authority several months ago.

All of her eight clear blue eyes moved together as they scanned the report.

"I only need to check your mental capacity, Lady Valendorf," Dr. Sasha said calmly. "Please lean back and try to relax."

She slowly lowered the back of Lydia’s examination chair until she was resting comfortably.

"Are you comfortable, Miss Valendorf?" Dr. Sasha asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah, I am," Lydia replied without thinking much about it.

Dr. Sasha continued examining Lydia, then rotated her head a full 360 degrees.

Wait. How did she do that? The doctor’s head had fully rotated like an owl’s!!

Dr. Sasha noticed how Lydia was gawking at her and shook her head.

"Don’t worry. I was just shaking my head in disbelief. I still can’t believe your Rank, especially after seeing how badly the previous doctors got it wrong."

After checking the information sent by the doctors in Ludenberg Hospital, Dr. Sasha placed her tablet aside.

"The Imperial Authority’s methods weren’t right for your condition."

Dr. Sasha picked up a strange helmet-like device and showed it to her.

"Worry not. We can always try to reevaluate it. Lady Valendorf, I need your permission before we continue," she said gently. "I’d like to look into your Spiritual Domain. We’ll need to attach this device to your head first."

She explained that the machine would record the appearance of Lydia’s Spiritual Domain and measure her mental capacity.

"I need to enter your Spiritual Domain to be able to observe your mental capacity accurately. Think of it like when you guide a Sentinel."

Lydia nodded slowly.

To be honest, she had no idea what her Spiritual Domain looked like now. In her previous life, she had never awakened her Spirit Animal, Priphea.

Her Spiritual Domain had been nothing more than an empty garden in the middle of a lake filled with thick mist.

The garden had been beautiful, but most of its scenery had been concealed by the mist.

And there had been something hidden beneath the lake itself. It was as dark as the night sky, but there were countless stars shining inside that vast lake.

Lydia tried to dive and swim inside it to investigate. But it was really deep. The strange thing was despite it being a lake, she could breathe just fine inside it.

Well, until a giant stellar whale snorted and rushed past her. Whenever Lydia tried to touch it, the whale would float away and fly to the sky instead.

Lydia had never understood what it was.

Perhaps that was why her previous self had never possessed enough mental power to become a powerful Guide.

"Are you ready, Miss Valendorf?" Dr. Sasha asked as she carefully placed the wire-like helmet over Lydia’s head.

Lydia took a small breath. "Yes."

"Close your eyes and try to relax," Dr. Sasha said softly. "You don’t need to do anything. Just let me in."

Lydia followed her instructions and slowly closed her eyes.

The pressure was gentle, almost like a breeze passing through an open window.

Lydia wondered if Dr. Sasha could already sense something unusual within her Spiritual Domain.

At first, she could only hear the soft humming of the machines around her and Dr. Sasha’s calm breathing beside the chair.

Then, little by little, everything around her began to fade.

Lydia felt something pass through the barrier of her mind. Instead of pushing it away, she allowed it to enter.

"Relax now, Lady Valendorf. I will observe your mind. Just try to think of someone trying to take a stroll inside your world."

Dr. Sasha stepped into Lydia’s Spiritual Domain.

A Sentinel’s Spiritual Domain was usually filled with pollution, pressure, and chaos. A Guide’s Spiritual Domain, on the other hand—was often different—reflecting their ability to calm and stabilize others.

But what Dr. Sasha saw this time was nothing like the Spiritual Domains she had encountered before.

For the first time in her career, all of her eight eyes widened in disbelief.

"What... is this?"