The air in the High Council chambers hummed with unspoken tension, a stark contrast to the usual melodic chatter of Xylan gatherings. Chen He stood before Elder Zylos and the rest of the Council, their glowing eyes fixed on him like a hundred tiny suns. Kael stood a respectful distance behind him, his own glow dim with worry.
"Elder Zylos," Chen He began, his voice calm, despite the frantic thoughts swirling in his mind. "I understand your concern for the well-being of your people. The Resonance Chamber is a powerful tool, and I share your desire for every Xylan child to benefit." He paused, letting his words sink in. "However, the chamber is not simply a device to be replicated. It is a tailored medical system".
He gestured vaguely at his own head. "The precise frequencies, the exact material compositions for the crystalline thread, the specific adjustments for each child's unique physiology – these are not printed on a blueprint. They are generated by a complex understanding, a… a diagnostic intuition that adapts to each patient. It's a method that cannot be simply taught or copied."
He was dancing on the edge of the truth, twisting the reality of the Modifier System into something the Xylans might understand. He was describing his [Holistic Insight] and [Pediatric Vulnerability Assessment] Level 2 without revealing their source.
Elder Zylos's glow pulsed slowly. "Are you implying, Human, that you possess a unique biological capability that makes you indispensable?"
Chen He met his gaze. "I am implying that the method I use requires a level of adaptive diagnosis and real-time computation that current Xylan medical technology does not possess. To hand over the chamber without this complementary 'insight' would be to give you a tool you cannot truly wield. It would be dangerous."
A murmur rippled through the Council. This was a challenge they hadn't expected. Xylan medicine, while advanced, relied on established protocols and well-understood crystalline mechanics. The idea of an "adaptive intuition" as a core component of a medical device was foreign.
"Then what do you propose, Human?" Zylos asked, his tone still firm, but with a hint of curiosity.
"I propose a collaboration," Chen He said, seizing the opening. "Let me train a select group of your most promising healers. Not just to operate the chamber, but to understand the principles behind its personalized function. We will work together, closely, on these complex cases. This way, the knowledge will slowly, safely, transfer, and Xylan medicine can grow to incorporate these new methods."
He was buying time. Time to understand the Modifier better, time to figure out if there was a way to transfer some of its core functions, or at least its output, in a way that wouldn't expose it. It was also a chance to integrate himself deeper into Xylan society, to gain their trust fully.
Zylos was silent for a long moment, considering. The proposition was risky, but it offered a path forward without admitting the human possessed an inherent, unexplainable superiority. It allowed them to maintain a sense of control.
"Very well, Human Chen He," Zylos finally rumbled. "You will select a team. You will conduct these 'training' sessions in my presence, or under the direct observation of a designated Council member. And the Resonance Chamber will remain under Council oversight, even while in your clinic. We will observe. Closely."
It wasn't a full victory for Chen He, but it wasn't a defeat either. He had avoided giving up his secret, and he had gained time. As he left the Council chambers, the glowing faces of Xylans with children suffering from Crystal Stagnation still queued outside his clinic. He had bought them, and himself, a chance. But the scrutiny would be intense. He was now operating under the unblinking eyes of the Xylan High Council.