173: Post-war aftermath and the "hand-rubbing" rehabilitation program

Although the smoke of the great battle had gradually dispersed and the piercing sirens had ceased, the trauma inflicted by this brutal siege on "Homeland" and its members was far from fully reflected by the visible ruins. For Excellence, who was at the eye of the storm, physical scars—the weakness following energy depletion—recovered quickly under careful care. However, the psychological impact and the deep-seated sequelae brought by the loss of energy control were like undercurrents seeping underground, requiring a longer, more meticulous process of guidance and conditioning to slowly settle.

In the days following the war, Excellence became somewhat taciturn. He was no longer the little chatterbox who prattled all day and was full of whimsical ideas; most of the time, he preferred to stay quietly in a corner alone, hugging his knees and staring blankly at something as if his soul were wandering elsewhere. At night, he began to be haunted by nightmares, sometimes waking up suddenly with a cold sweat, sobbing softly or uttering terrified sleep-talk. The content was often fragmented gunshots, blinding explosions, or that excruciating pain of his brain being torn apart. During the day, any sudden, slightly loud noise—such as the clatter of a dropped tool, the banging of distant maintenance work, or even the accidental clink of a cafeteria tray—would make him flinch like a startled fawn, a flash of hidden terror instantly crossing his eyes.

More importantly, his sense of control over his special ability showed a noticeable and worrying regression or even blockage. The fine, effortless control he had previously established through systematic training became sluggish, hesitant, and even filled with fear. He no longer easily attempted "Resonance Mapping" or "Energy Guidance." Occasionally, when performing basic sensing exercises under Evelyn's encouragement, his movements would become exceptionally stiff and tense, his brow furrowed as if he were touching an extremely dangerous, unstable explosive. Once he sensed a subtle flow of energy, he would quickly retract his conscious "tentacles" as if burned, his small face filled with lingering fear and resistance. The terrifying experience of losing complete control, having his consciousness torn, and nearly being swallowed by external malice was like a deep brand seared into the depths of his subconscious, forming a psychological barrier that was difficult to overcome. He was afraid that the power would "betray" him again and hurt those around him.

Wise Guidance: A Special "Hand-Crafted Recovery Plan"

Su Mu and Evelyn saw all of this and were deeply worried. They knew that forcing Excellence to undergo high-intensity training immediately to "overcome fear" would be like rubbing salt into an unhealed wound, potentially leading him to shut down completely or even develop a permanent psychological shadow toward his abilities. On the other hand, blindly avoiding the problem and letting him completely give up on exploring and using his abilities would undoubtedly be like giving up eating for fear of choking. It would not only waste his unique talent but also potentially leave him in a worse situation in the future due to a lack of control when facing danger.

After several deep and anxious discussions, the two decided to discard the traditional, goal-oriented recovery training model. Instead, they launched a special, warmth-filled plan tailored specifically for Excellence—they privately called it the "Hand-Crafted Recovery Plan." Its core guiding philosophy was very simple: return to the source. Using the way Excellence liked most, the way that made him feel most relaxed and safe—namely, that childlike and exploratory "tinkering"—they would subtly help him rebuild confidence and control over his abilities in a completely pressure-free, even "playful" atmosphere, while also channeling his accumulated negative emotions.

The core principles of the plan were emphasized very clearly:

Only play small: The project scale must be miniature and harmless, ensuring absolute safety and zero risk.

Only play fun: The focus is on the enjoyment of the process and the exercise of creativity, completely discarding utilitarianism and assessment standards.

No taking it seriously: Pursuing perfection or efficiency is prohibited; mistakes are encouraged, and "failure is the mother of success" is championed.

No overexertion: Strictly limit the time and intensity of each "play" session. If he feels slightly uncomfortable or tired, he must stop immediately; "perseverance" is never encouraged.

Su Mu volunteered to be the "Logistics Minister." From the "archives" of the base warehouse, she meticulously gathered a large pile of the most basic, "ancient," and harmless electronic blocks, various sensor kits (light-sensitive, sound-sensitive, heat-sensitive, etc.), as well as colorful craft paper, modeling clay, straws, rubber bands, and empty cardboard boxes. These were piled in a corner of the workshop, creating a "treasure mountain" atmosphere full of childlike fun and creative possibilities.

Evelyn used her scientist's rigor and creativity to design a series of extremely simple yet clever task cards with a game-like nature. These tasks seemed childish, but they were all cleverly linked to the foundation of Excellence's abilities or sensory experiences:

"Light and Shadow Dancer": Use a photoresistor and several different colored LED beads to assemble a small figurine model that can change its brightness or flashing pattern according to the intensity of a flashlight's light. (Trains subtle perception and feedback of light energy)

"Wind Commander": Use a small microphone module (sound sensor) and a battery-driven small fan to make a device that can adjust the fan's speed based on the strength of a person's breath or the volume of a clap. (Establishes a simple correlation between sound and energy output)

"Emotion Tin Can Phone": Use two paper cups and a long cotton string to make a primitive "tin can phone," experiencing the wonder of vibration transmission. (Understands the basic principles of information transmission and serves as a medium for emotional exchange)

"Maglev Magic": An extremely simple magnetic levitation demonstration device (actually just a strong magnet holding up another small magnet with a levitation height of only a few millimeters). The task is to find a way to make it levitate more steadily and for a longer time. (Introduces the concept of extremely weak energy intervention)

The Road to Recovery: Healing Through Play

In the early stages of the plan, Excellence's interest was not high. He just mechanically, almost numbly, followed the task cards Evelyn gave him, connecting wires and soldering components step by step. Successfully lighting an LED or making the small fan spin didn't cause much of a stir on his face; his eyes still held a lingering dullness and detachment. Su Mu and Evelyn were not discouraged. They just patiently stayed by his side, occasionally handing him a glass of warm water, a piece of his favorite fruit candy, or giving a little hint in a light, joking tone when he encountered a small difficulty, never doing the work for him.

Gradually, in this atmosphere of "play" with no goal pressure and only encouragement and companionship, Excellence's tense nerves began to melt and relax like ice cubes warmed by the sun. When he first successfully made the "Light and Shadow Dancer" figurine smoothly change brightness as his palm moved closer or further away—as if it were nodding hello to him—the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled upward in an almost invisible arc. When Su Mu, at the other end of the "tin can phone," pinched her nose and mimicked a cat's meow and a dog's bark in a strange voice, and the comical sound traveled through the cotton string, he finally couldn't help but burst into a "pfft" laugh. Although the smile was brief, it was like the first ray of sunlight peeking through a crack in the clouds, shaking Su Mu and Evelyn's hearts and showing them a glimmer of hope.

Seeing the subtle change in Excellence's mindset, Evelyn began to gradually and cautiously introduce small challenges into the game tasks that required him to mobilize extremely weak "resonance" abilities for assistance—challenges so small they could almost be ignored. However, she strictly limited the intensity and duration of his use and closely monitored his physiological indicators throughout.

For example, while playing "Maglev Magic," Evelyn would "casually" say, "Oh, there seems to be a bit of an air current, this little magnet keeps wobbling. Excellence, can you try to... um... very, very gently 'feel' it and help it 'stand' more steadily? Just like... just like blowing a very light breath, want to try?" Excellence would initially look very nervous and hesitant, his small fists clenched tight. But under Su Mu's encouraging gaze and Evelyn's relaxed tone of "it doesn't matter if you fail, just treat it like blowing a breath," he would take a deep breath and extremely cautiously attempt to mobilize a nearly undetectable flow of energy to "gently stroke" the slightly wobbling small magnet. When the levitation seemed to truly stabilize for a negligible second, Evelyn and Su Mu would immediately give him extremely exaggerated praise and hugs, plus his favorite snacks as a reward, reinforcing his experience of success.

Setbacks and Realization: Growth of Tools and Character

The recovery process was not all smooth sailing. Once, Evelyn brought a pot of sensitive Mimosa pudica and half-jokingly gave Excellence an "advanced task": "Try to see if you can use your 'Friendly Energy' to very gently 'stroke' its leaves, making it feel comfortable so it folds up on its own. It has to be gentle, as light as a butterfly landing on it."

Excellence was attracted by this novel task. He squatted in front of the flowerpot, held his breath, and concentrated, trying to cover the mimosa leaves with the "warm, friendly" energy of his imagination, like the finest silk. However, due to his unfamiliarity with the plant's life field and his inner tension, the energy flow he emitted, though weak, inevitably carried a trace of undetectable disorder and fluctuation. As a result, the mimosa leaves did not fold; instead, they seemed to have a stress response due to this "uncomfortable" energy interference, trembling slightly. Excellence himself was flushed and sweating from the intense concentration.

Having worked hard for a long time only to get the opposite result, Excellence suddenly felt like a deflated ball. He sat on the ground, his small mouth pouting, and his eyes quickly reddened, filled with a sense of frustration and grievance. It looked like tears were about to fall. "Why... why didn't it work... I was clearly very gentle..." he muttered with a sob.

Su Mu, who was nearby, did not step forward to comfort him immediately as she usually did. She silently picked up a small spray bottle and sprayed a fine mist of water evenly over the mimosa leaves. As the cool water droplets landed on the leaves, the mimosa seemed to feel the natural consolation, and the leaves quickly and gracefully folded up.

Su Mu put down the spray bottle, squatted down, and looked at the frustrated Excellence at eye level with a gentle and understanding smile. She lightly patted his shoulder and said, "Look, sometimes the simplest and most natural method is actually the most effective. Your ability is very powerful, like a particularly exquisite and sharp Swiss Army knife, but not everything needs to be solved with that knife. To water a flower, a spray bottle is enough. Remember, your ability is a tool, a good friend that helps and protects you, but it's not an all-purpose hammer that you should use to hit everything you see. You have to learn to use the right 'tool' at the right time."

Excellence stared blankly at the folded mimosa, then looked up at Su Mu's knowing eyes, mulling over her words. The frustration on his face was slowly replaced by a thoughtful expression. He seemed to have vaguely touched upon a realization about "ability boundaries" and "choice of methods" that went beyond his age. This experience of "failure" instead became a valuable piece of character growth on his road to recovery.

The Sun Reappears: Chuunibyou Soul and Stable Light

In this recovery environment full of patience, encouragement, jokes, and step-by-step challenges, Excellence's control over his abilities began to recover steadily and solidly. He was no longer as eager for success as before and began to learn to enjoy the process of "playing" itself. His perception and guidance of subtle energy changes became sharp and precise again, and the fear of losing control was gradually diluted and replaced by repeated small successes. His mindset also became bright and cheerful at a visible speed, and smiles reappeared frequently on his face. Although an undetectable heaviness would still flash in the depths of his eyes when he occasionally quieted down, overall, that lively, curious boy was back.

He even began to use his unique, chuunibyou-tinged way to tease and record his recovery process. He gave his recovery projects amusing "code names" like "Starting a Hand-Crafted Life in Another World from Zero," "Recovery Diary of a Loser Superpower," and "On How to Scientifically Re-tame My Disobedient 'Primordial Power'." He even solemnly made a "recovery journal" with crooked handwriting and simple sketches. This spirit of self-deprecation and optimism was precisely a good sign of psychological trauma healing.

The light projected by the Emotion-Visualization Device at his bedside also gradually recovered from its previous period of blinding, chaotic, and unstable light into a warm, soft, and stable orange-yellow halo. Sometimes, as his mood became focused and calm, it would even display soft ripples, like the sun shimmering on a spring lake.

The shadows of the post-war period were being dispelled bit by bit during these recovery days filled with "hand-crafted" fun, warm companionship, and scientific guidance. Excellence was not just recovering a skill; he was rebuilding a heart that had been traumatized but was still full of hope and strength. Su Mu and Evelyn knew that the road ahead was still long and full of unknowns, but at least at this moment, they were gratified to see that sunlight was shining back into this child's heart.