ABFMV Chapter 46 Part 2

Now she lowered her gaze to the glowing characters again. A smile tugged at her lips as she rose slowly and asked the manager, “Has that commoner arrived yet?”

…

When Xu Linlang logged into the virtual net again, the people in Central Plaza were staring at her strangely.

She had no idea why.

The last time she’d logged in, Xu Linlang remembered everyone being too busy with their own affairs to pay her any mind.

But now, for some reason, all along the way people stared at her—like she was some sort of rare spectacle.

In their eyes, she caught not only curiosity and speculation, but also disbelief.

Faintly, she overheard someone whisper, “She’s got guts, daring to go against the princess.”

Ah.

So that was it. Xu Linlang finally understood. Word must have spread that she had repaired Nan’s mech.

Still, she wasn’t rattled. In fact, she saw it as an excellent chance for publicity.

At the very least, now most users on the virtual net knew she had real skill in mech repair. It was free advertising for her future shop—assuming, of course, that she could survive whatever tricks the princess planned. Otherwise, no one would dare bring their machines to her.

On the massive light screen above the central plaza, ticket sales flashed for the upcoming virtual duel: ROSE versus Nan.

Although ROSE was just a codename, everyone knew it meant the princess.

Xu Linlang bought a ticket and entered. The arena was already at full capacity, the atmosphere feverish.

Not a single seat was empty, and every spectator brimmed with excitement.

When the referee announced the contestants, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Rong Xi entered first, her mech towering and sharp-edged, its red paint practically screaming aggression.

By contrast, Nan’s mech seemed mild, almost harmless.

The duel began, and all eyes locked on the battle. Everyone wanted to see if the princess could claim her revenge.

Nearly the whole arena roared for her, some fans shouting especially loudly in hopes of catching her notice—maybe even earning her favor.

Those who supported Nan stayed silent, too afraid of the princess to let their voices be heard.

Engines thundered and weapons clashed as the two mechs tested each other.

Then Rong Xi’s machine charged straight into the center, clearly aiming to seize the strongest position.

Nan wasn’t about to let her. He drove forward again and again with his long blade, forcing attacks.

But the blade could do little more than block shots from her particle cannon. It inflicted no real damage.

He kept changing tactics, but against Rong Xi’s overwhelming defense, his agility seemed laughably small.

Quickly, he abandoned his weapon rush. Closing the distance, he stowed the blade and slammed his mech’s shoulder toward hers.

Rong Xi saw it coming. She angled her body and braced with both arms, locking against his shoulder and torso before heaving hard. Nan’s mech went flying, landing awkwardly.

The crowd went wild, chanting louder for the princess.

Xu Linlang frowned slightly.

Nan recovered his balance, but Rong Xi didn’t give him even a second to breathe. She drove her mech forward again.

Nan barely dodged, but her machine’s jagged spikes still raked deep scratches along his armor.

From then on, her “little moves” multiplied. She clearly understood that Nan’s mech couldn’t truly harm hers.

Nan had no choice but to rely on mobility, dodging every strike that might put him at a disadvantage.

Bit by bit, the fight heated up.

One mech dodged frantically; the other attacked with relentless ferocity.

It looked less like a match and more like a one-sided beating.

Xu Linlang knew the situation was dire. If Nan made even one misstep, Rong Xi would seize it, and escape might not be possible.

Her fingers brushed her sleeve as she studied Rong Xi’s movements, raising a brow.

The princess’s strength was raw firepower—but she was impatient.

And impatience exposed flaws.

Just then, Nan seemed to notice the same thing. His movements shifted. He retreated toward the center.

Rong Xi’s lips curled in a triumphant smile. Her mech’s arm blade snapped forward, gleaming with deadly penetration.

Nan didn’t dodge.

The spectators gasped. Anxiety surged through the crowd as Nan simply braced and collided head-on with Rong Xi.

The impact was brutal. Both machines staggered together, crashing down in a cloud of dust.

When the haze cleared, Xu Linlang narrowed her eyes.

There—Rong Xi’s own blade was buried in her mech’s shoulder plating.