The Silly Prince Successfully Cancels the Engagement, But the Fiancée is His Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Critical Care Unit

Now, only two paths lay before Bai Qing.

One path was to charge out and defeat the mecha monsters outside the door with the combined remaining strength of the three of them—a frail, wounded, and exhausted team—using only their bare hands.

The other path was to initiate the self-destruct program.

It seemed like two paths, but in reality, there was only one.

Ye Sheng’s fate outside the second door was unknown, and for the two of them to go out now would be suicide.

Sensing Bai Qing’s prolonged stillness, a bad premonition arose in Xiang Zhuo’s heart. His voice was stiff: “What’s wrong?”

Bai Qing glanced sideways, his tone light: “A small problem, but easily solved.”

It was indeed easy to solve: just hack in.

Bai Qing carefully examined the console and let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the activation method for this entire base was relatively advanced, requiring mental power activation.

As long as there was a mental power interface, he wasn’t afraid.

A dense feeling of panic spread through Xiang Zhuo’s heart. He instinctively grabbed Bai Qing’s hand, his voice trembling slightly: “What are you trying to do?”

Bai Qing looked at him calmly: “It’s fine. It’ll be over soon.”

Xiang Zhuo’s heart suddenly began to pound violently. He immediately reached out to stop Bai Qing, but it was too late. Bai Qing had already plugged his intelligent guide in as a mental power connector, attempting to link up with the entire base’s control hub without any protection!

Xiang Zhuo’s eyes were wide with terror, but he dared not do anything, fearing he might distract Bai Qing and worsen the situation.

It was obvious how dangerous Bai Qing’s actions were.

Under normal circumstances, specialized mental power links are used to connect with mechas. This link serves two purposes: first, to increase the efficiency of controlling the mecha with mental power, and second, to protect the pilot.

The mental power required to activate this kind of control hub also has specialized authentication channels. Only by wearing dedicated connection equipment can the control hub be safely and correctly activated.

And if the control hub is sufficiently critical, it will have identity authentication. Since everyone’s mental power fluctuation is unique, this unique fluctuation becomes the key to identity verification.

For Bai Qing to link his mental power into an unknown control hub without any safety measures—without a mental power amplifier—the bottomless control hub would absorb his mental power like a black hole, akin to a small stone being dropped into the ocean.

Bai Qing’s situation was far from optimistic. The intelligent guide served merely as a bridge and offered no protection whatsoever.

Bai Qing gritted his teeth. A vast and solidified mental power navigated through the unfamiliar, dormant mental power flow links, and the immense pressure caused a violent, throbbing pain in his head. Even with SSS+ level mental power, doing this was akin to self-destruction.

It would cause irreversible damage to the brain.

Suddenly, Bai Qing found the mental power activation link for the self-destruct program.

A massive and boundless mental force surged in as if it were worthless. Without an “amplifier,” Bai Qing could only recklessly release his mental power, slamming into the link.

Dizziness, headache, a feeling like a starship was repeatedly rolling over his body—no blood was shed, yet his entire body felt squeezed.

Bai Qing ignored all of it.

The first side effect of mental power overdraft arrived.

Blood.

Xiang Zhuo was frantic. He could do nothing but quietly guard Bai Qing’s side, but Bai Qing began bleeding from all seven orifices without warning.

Crimson blood slowly trailed down his snow-white skin, dripping onto the ground, where it dried and caked into a rust-like crust.

Bai Qing seemed completely unaware of his physical state. He only knew that as long as he poured all his mental power in, completing this link, they would win.

More. Release more mental power.

The mecha monsters outside seemed to sense the situation inside and began attacking the heavy mechanical door in unison.

Xiang Zhuo’s eyes narrowed. He gripped the mechanical blade he had stripped from a mecha monster and guarded the door like a god of slaughter.

To the two of them, the mechanical door was a clumsy, insurmountable barrier, but to these mecha monsters, this door was not even a challenging fortress.

The mechanical door only held out for ten minutes before collapsing with a crash under Xiang Zhuo’s cold gaze!

Behind the door, hordes of mecha monsters, their eyes glowing with lifeless mechanical red light, looked sinister and terrifying. Xiang Zhuo suddenly let out a cold laugh, stretched his muscles, and then cast a soft look at Bai Qing, who was sitting quietly behind him.

Today, we must win.

An Alpha with SSS-level combat strength was a killing machine even without a mecha. The mechanical blade in his hand felt like an extension of his body. Infused with the mental power Xiang Zhuo constantly condensed onto the blade, its power was limitless.

But the opponent was clearly employing a human-wave tactic.

If ten were not enough, then a hundred, a thousand…

Xiang Zhuo was pushed to a desperate, beast-like roar. Fighting these steel monsters with flesh and blood was an impossible task.

One of his eyes was completely obscured by blood, yet he could not stop.

Suddenly, he felt the pale, hollow light overhead flicker.

Behind him, Bai Qing began violently coughing blood.

The corner of Xiang Zhuo’s mouth had just curved when he was violently thrown back.

The mecha monsters’ target was not him from the start—it was Bai Qing!

Some mecha monsters had silently managed to flank him and were now in front of Bai Qing.

Xiang Zhuo lunged forward, using his body to shield Bai Qing, taking the full force of the blow.

Fortunately, he had used a mental power shield to mitigate some of the impact, or the injury would have been much worse than broken ribs.

However, the mecha monsters did not stop after a single strike. Hundreds of mecha monsters simultaneously raised their arms, their dark gun barrels aimed at Xiang Zhuo and Bai Qing, knowing the two were at their wit’s end.

Xiang Zhuo held Bai Qing weakly, using his body to block most of the trajectories of the bullets.

Suddenly, Xiang Zhuo felt a heavy weight in his arms. Bai Qing collapsed completely into his embrace.

Xiang Zhuo snapped his head up.

And in that instant, the base alarm blared, a sharp, soul-piercing sound. An emotionless mechanical female voice repeated: “Warning, warning, self-destruct sequence initiated. Please evacuate personnel immediately.”

“Warning, warning, self-destruct sequence initiated. Please evacuate personnel immediately.”

—The mecha monsters that were just moments ago swaggering with menace were now just piles of scrap metal, unable to move.

Bai Qing was confused about the situation. His chaotic consciousness only allowed him to vaguely open his mouth and say two words: “Run fast.”

Then, he completely lost consciousness.

Xiang Zhuo summoned strength from an unknown source. With countless broken bones and enduring the dizziness of extreme mental power exhaustion, he carried Bai Qing on his back, stepped over the fallen mecha monsters, and rushed out amidst the cold countdown. He even managed to pick up a bloodied Ye Sheng from the pile of mecha monsters.

Ye Sheng was still alive, though one of his legs was broken.

Xiang Zhuo resignedly hoisted Ye Sheng onto his other shoulder. The three, limping, headed toward the light.

The second they stepped out of the encampment, a massive explosion roared behind them. Flames and thick smoke, accompanied by a huge shockwave, flattened the encampment in the blink of an eye.

In the distance, the academy’s rescue team was rushing over. The person in charge immediately rushed forward, utterly shocked by the state of the three: “Why were you three out of contact for so long? And why are you in this condition?”

Ye Sheng was already unconscious. Xiang Zhuo struggled alone, carrying the weight of two people, and weakly replied: “Former Empire… remnants…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. A wave of dizziness swept over him, and he collapsed straight to the ground.

…

Xiang Zhuo’s physical constitution was excellent. He was the first to wake up.

He lay in bed. His external injuries and broken bones had been treated, but the pain lingered in his nerve endings. A slight movement caused excruciating pain.

There was no one in the room.

Xiang Zhuo gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Of course. Why would the high and mighty King come to visit him?

Xiang Zhuo raised his hand and touched the small dog necklace around his neck, feeling a slight sense of comfort. But it was stained with blood that wouldn’t come off, and the wear and tear from the battle couldn’t be fixed.

In this moment, he desperately wanted to find Bai Qing.

He struggled out of bed, searching from room to room. He reached the end of the corridor and still hadn’t found Bai Qing.

His heart tightened. A nameless panic overwhelmed him. He recklessly grabbed a nurse walking by in the hallway and asked urgently: “Where is Bai Qing?”

The young nurse, confused and startled by Xiang Zhuo, was eventually relieved by a doctor who rushed over after hearing the commotion. The doctor told Xiang Zhuo that Bai Qing was in the Critical Care Unit on the top floor.

Critical Care Unit.

Xiang Zhuo felt a buzzing pain in his head. He followed the doctor’s directions and reached the door of Bai Qing’s room.

It was a huge medical pod.

Bai Qing lay peacefully, eyes gently closed, submerged in a fluorescent blue nutrient and medicinal solution. He was pale and beautiful, like a mermaid from ancient mythology.

Xiang Zhuo’s voice trembled through the huge glass panel: “How is he?”

The doctor answered formally: “Not good. His external injuries are not severe, but the degree of his mental power overuse is very profound. It has already caused damage to his brain.”

Xiang Zhuo: “What are the consequences?”

“That will depend on the specific situation. You must prepare for the worst.”

Xiang Zhuo suddenly erupted, seizing the doctor’s collar with both hands. He heard his own roar shaking: “I’m asking you, what is the worst-case scenario?”

Under the circumstances, the doctor remained calm, pushing up his glasses, and explained word by word: “Be prepared for him not waking up.”

What.

Xiang Zhuo’s hands suddenly lost their strength.

The world fell silent.

Not waking up… what does that mean?