I Married A Degraded Alpha
Chapter 23: Another Enova Carrier

Chapter 23: Another Enova Carrier

The ore planet was uninhabited, apart from the main roads built during the initial mining operations. As a result, other areas weren’t accessible by wheelchair. By the time they reached the mining area, the road had ended.

"Will you wait here for me?" Yuri asked. After getting what Tuss always had in his mind, she could no longer throw him on her back and carry him around like before.

"Do you want to go into the mine?" Tuss asked, his voice thin.

Yuri nodded, not elaborating on her intentions.

"Be safe, and contact me via your opticomputer if anything happens," Tuss advised.

Yuri responded with a hum, eager to head towards the mine. After a few steps, she suddenly turned back, seemingly struck by a thought. "Do you want to come, too?"

In the next second, Tuss’s expression shifted from disappointment to elation. His eyes sparkled as he asked, "Would that be okay?"

What Yuri was thinking was that Tuss would eventually discover the truth about Enova, even if she didn’t tell him. So she decided maybe she should tell him earlier and let him start practicing how to use the power as soon as possible.

The insectoids were ubiquitous; the interstellar space was not much safer than the apocalypse world Yuri once lived in.

Yuri once again hoisted Tuss onto her back, explaining as they walked, "The day your Sea of Consciousness erupted, I put something into it."

At the time, she may have been affected by the pheromones, which amplified her emotions. But now, thinking back, she had no regrets.

Perhaps accustomed to the coldness and deception of the post-apocalyptic world, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing when faced with Tuss, who had risked his life to save her.

Tuss froze, his body stiffening, "You were able to enter my Sea of Consciousness?"

"I did, twice," Yuri said simply, admitting as if resigned to her fate, "Not only did I enter your Sea of Consciousness, but I also smelled your pheromones. I might be differentiating into a beta."

Tuss was stunned, recalling the unexplained relief he felt in his Sea of Consciousness on those two occasions. Particularly the second time, he had even suspected that some S-tier beta had secretly helped him, but it turned out to be her.

"Should I prepare suppressants and gland patches?" Yuri asked. She told Tuss because she knew she couldn’t hide it. The process of differentiating into a beta or alpha could take a few days, and it was best to have a doctor present. Furthermore, Tuss would find out when she had to purchase various beta products and spent astracredit.

From the moment they registered as mates, their accounts had been linked.

Tuss was still in shock when he heard Yuri say, "I don’t want the Alliance to know I’m a beta."

Once you became a beta, you could receive a stipend each month. However, this came with lifelong surveillance. The higher the rank of the beta, the less freedom they had.

"Suppressants, beta sprays, and gland patches all require real-name purchases," Tuss said.

"Isn’t there any other way?" Yuri persisted.

"The black market," Tuss suggested, frowning. The items there were very expensive. His savings seemed substantial, but if they were to buy suppressants from the black market, they could probably only afford a few years’ worth.

Tuss’s attention went from Yuri differentiating into a beta straight to figuring out how to earn money to buy her suppressants. He forgot to ask what Yuri had put into his Sea of Consciousness.

All the valuable metals had been mined from the ore planet, with half of the machinery stripped away. Fortunately, the lighting equipment and elevators remained intact.

As Yuri stepped into the mine carrying Tuss on her back, her pores opened wide, absorbing the potent metallic genesis.

Her delicate Enova, as fine as a hair strand, instantly pounced on the rich genesis of the metal.

Tuss looked around, sensing something unusual.

Upon closer inspection, everything seemed normal. Apart from them, there was no sign of life.

As Yuri trudged forward, carrying Tuss, she absorbed the metallic genesis. Although the genesis of these ores wasn’t as concentrated as that of the Blue Keystone, the sheer quantity compensated.

Tuss, on her back, wore an increasingly puzzled expression. It wasn’t his imagination; something was darting around within the mine, but he had no idea what it was.

Perceiving no immediate danger, he didn’t alert Yuri, instead glancing around from time to time, trying to discern the mystery.

True to its nature, the ore planet boasted astoundingly expansive mines. After two hours of walking, Yuri had only covered a tiny portion of the area. Still, her Enova had already increased by one level.

If they were to traverse the entire ore planet, Yuri wondered if her Enova would increase by three or four levels.

Yuri couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Her sudden laughter startled Tuss, who asked curiously, "What’s so funny?"

"Good fortune has befallen us. I’m delighted," Yuri replied. Setting Tuss down on a rock, she carefully selected a chunk of ore rich with metallic genesis.

Tuss watched her in confusion. When she placed a piece of ore in front of him, he asked bemused, "What’s this for? You finally developed a liking for ores after a month of mining?"

"Just hold onto it," Yuri instructed.

Tuss obediently accepted the rock. Taking his hand, Yuri said, "Just feel it."

Yuri’s mental threads permeated Tuss’s Sea of Consciousness, finding the half-formed crystal core. Then, the metallic genesis followed her mental threads, entering his Sea of Consciousness and the crystal core.

Tuss’s Sea of Consciousness hadn’t disappeared; it had closed because a crystal core now resided within. Even Yuri wasn’t sure why she could enter.

With the metallic genesis absorbed, Tuss was left dumbfounded. Yuri assumed he hadn’t felt anything and selected a few more ores for him, saying, "Experience it a few more times. There’s no rush."

When she had first obtained her Enova, she too had spent a long time figuring things out alone.

Considering Tuss had her guidance, she thought he should get the hang of it in two or three days.

However, by the time she tried the fifth ore, Tuss halted her hand, saying, "Let me try on my own."

Surprised, Yuri asked, "You felt it?"

Tuss nodded. "Is that place my Sea of Consciousness?"

Alphas couldn’t enter their own Sea of Consciousness, they couldn’t even locate it. Only betas knew where it was, and only they could enter.

"Should we still call it the Sea of Consciousness, or is it now the Ocean of Awareness?" Not all Enovans had their crystal core in the Ocean of Awareness. Only those who cultivated psychic power could open an Ocean of Awareness. The larger the Ocean, the stronger the psychic power and the individual.

For those without psychic power, the crystal core typically resided in the third eye, between the eyebrows.

Back then, Tuss had been breathless, unable to swallow. Without the strength to open his third eye. Thus, Yuri had, in her urgency, moved his crystal core to his Sea of Consciousness.

"I can sense its presence, but I can’t enter," Tuss said.

"Why not? You’re no longer an alpha," Yuri blurted out.

Tuss’s lips twitched. Probably only Yuri would be so nonchalant about alphas and betas.

"Can you try to absorb the metallic genesis?" Yuri asked.

Unaware of the metallic genesis Yuri was talking about, Tuss held the ore. The moment he touched it, he felt an energy surge. This energy entered his Sea of Consciousness, giving him a euphoric sensation. It was relaxing, invigorating his entire body, leaving him craving for more.