They must have a dedicated air purifier running, ensuring that any pheromones lingering in the air could be minimized and promptly filtered out.

Upon arriving at the examination room, she wasn’t surprised to find that the doctor was another Beta.

This time, however, it was a female doctor.

Seeing Zoe Pierce, she first smiled warmly. "You must be the Omega who came with the squad."

Zoe Pierce closed the door behind her, nodded, and sat down in front of the doctor. In Interstellar Space, the average human lifespan was much longer than on Earth. After reaching adulthood, people could look the same for decades, so just by looking at her, Zoe Pierce couldn’t tell how old the doctor was.

She glanced at the female doctor’s name tag and said, "Yes, Dr. Lancaster."

’That was an uncommon surname.’ But this was Interstellar Space, so it was also quite normal. After all, the population was much larger than Earth’s; naturally, there were all kinds of surnames.

"What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Zoe Pierce pointed to the back of her neck. "My gland had a bit of an accident before, and I lost my pheromones. A doctor on The Capital Star said it was uncertain when my gland would recover, or what it would be like when it did."

She paused for a moment, then recounted the results of her check-up with the school doctor during the joint exam. "Some time later, I went for a check-up, and my gland’s pheromone concentration had risen. It rose twice in a row."

"Just now, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my gland, like being pricked by a needle, so I came to get it checked."

Dr. Lancaster’s expression had turned grave from the moment she heard Zoe Pierce say she had no pheromones.

It relaxed slightly upon hearing that Zoe’s pheromone concentration had later risen. She said to Zoe, "Turn around for me. I’m going to examine your gland."

Zoe turned around. She had specifically tied her hair up before leaving the house, so now, all she had to do was lower her head to reveal the blue barrier patch.

Dr. Lancaster carefully peeled off the barrier patch, revealing Zoe’s gland.

She immediately noticed the swelling of Zoe’s gland. The slight protrusion was abnormal. She gently pressed it with her finger and asked, "Does it hurt now?"

With her head still lowered, Zoe murmured, "No."

Dr. Lancaster swiveled her chair behind her and tore open some kind of plastic packaging. "I need to run a test. Your gland really doesn’t look right."

"A normal gland just has a slight contour; it doesn’t affect a person much. This protrusion of yours is too prominent."

"And there shouldn’t be a sharp pain. The only time a stabbing pain is normal is during marking, when an Alpha’s canines pierce the skin of the gland. But even then, the Alpha’s pheromones secrete large amounts of a pain-soothing substance, so it wouldn’t be too painful."

The instrument was aimed at the gland on the back of Zoe’s neck and gave it a light prick.

"Alright, that’s done. You can turn back around now," Dr. Lancaster said, watching the soaring numbers on the instrument. "Your pheromone concentration has likely risen again, but there’s a problem."

Zoe was completely in the dark about these matters, sitting timidly in place and waiting for Dr. Lancaster’s results like a quail.

The results came out quickly. Her previously abnormal pheromone concentration had skyrocketed, soaring directly to 90. For Zoe, this was already very high.

Dr. Lancaster showed the data to Zoe. "What was your last pheromone concentration level?"

"Twenty." Zoe remembered it clearly. Teacher Reid had told her that was the level when her barrier patch had broken.

"Your pheromone concentration has increased a lot, but its stability is very poor. Look at this." Dr. Lancaster pointed to the lowest value on the data chart. "The stability is terrible, which is likely caused by the sharp rise in pheromones. It needs to be regulated and raised."

Zoe looked at Dr. Lancaster. "How do I raise it?"

Dr. Lancaster’s gaze immediately turned a little strange. She looked at Zoe with a hint of surprise.

Zoe almost instantly realized she must have asked another question about common pheromone knowledge. But she genuinely didn’t know, so she could only brace herself and continue to look at Dr. Lancaster with an air of innocent ignorance.

Fortunately, despite her surprise, Dr. Lancaster still answered Zoe’s question.

"Well... to be specific, the best solution is to get a temporary mark from an Alpha," Dr. Lancaster said. "Alpha pheromones inherently have the function of calming and stabilizing an Omega’s pheromones, just like how an Omega’s pheromones can help an Alpha recover from their sensitive period."

"Inhibitors, on the other hand, are meant to slightly lower active pheromones and stability to bring them under control."

"Your problem is different. Several of your levels are quite low and need stimulation. An Alpha’s pheromones are like a stimulant; they can stimulate your gland. It’s very possible that after this stimulation, your gland could recover to a normal level."

Dr. Lancaster also thoughtfully informed Zoe, "A temporary mark doesn’t last long—only three months."

Zoe already knew this. She had checked the well-known, basic knowledge about temporary marks, full marks, sensitive periods, and heat cycles on her Intelligent Brain.

"You should try it first. After you find an Alpha to mark you, come back so I can take another look."

Dr. Lancaster’s expression grew a little more serious. "You’d best not put this off. Your gland is already sounding an alarm with that sharp pain. It’s impossible to say what kind of changes might happen next."

"If the Alpha’s pheromones still don’t work, we’ll think of another solution. I took a look, and your other characteristics don’t present any major issues."

"For now, you should stick with the barrier patch. Even after you get the temporary mark, don’t switch to a suppression patch." Dr. Lancaster’s words were almost identical to what Teacher Reid had said in the infirmary.

"This works out perfectly. Your squad members are all high-level. An S-Class Alpha’s pheromones should be more effective than an A-level Alpha’s. You should ask someone on your team for help."

Zoe stiffened slightly upon hearing this.

After confirming Dr. Lancaster had no further instructions, Zoe walked out of the station hospital, her body rigid.

All the diagnostic records had already been sent to her Intelligent Brain.

She could access them at any time; there was even a formal doctor’s note.

But Zoe was still hesitant.

’If I have to ask someone on the team for help, who should I choose?’

’Nathan Lockwood warned me from the very beginning, and Erin Xavier seems to have a strong reaction to Omegas, too.’

She couldn’t make up her mind.

’Asking for a temporary mark for the sake of recovery... would that affect their camaraderie as a team?’

’But asking a stranger would feel weird. I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to do it.’

’I’d feel like a pervert, making a request like that to a total stranger.’

’Then Miles Sherman?’

’Or Chase Shaw?’

Zoe’s finger hovered over her Intelligent Brain, wavering.

She subconsciously searched on her Intelligent Brain: "What does it mean for an Omega to ask an Alpha for a temporary mark?"

The information flooded in.

[For real? Something this good can actually happen?]

[The poster above is clearly an Alpha. Of course it means the Omega likes that Alpha. What else could it mean? Isn’t it obvious when they smell completely like you?]

Zoe’s brow furrowed as she stared at that sentence. She searched again: "After being temporarily marked, will there still be a scent if I wear a barrier patch?"