ABFMV Chapter 47

Nan Zhu’s mech stomped down hard on the chest of Rong Xi’s machine, driving its blade straight through until it pierced the control hub.

The arena broadcast system announced Nan Zhu as the winner of the virtual duel.

The crowd was stunned. Almost everyone had been certain Rong Xi would win.

It wasn’t even something they needed to think about—she was the imperial princess. How could she possibly lose to the same person twice?

Besides, her mech had just been refitted, running at peak performance.

Nan Zhu’s, on the other hand, had been destroyed in the last match, and no repair shop on the entire virtual network had even taken his order.

By every comparison, there was no way he should’ve been able to beat the princess.

Yet the result proved them wrong.

And Nan Zhu hadn’t shown her the slightest courtesy. Anyone with eyes could see the princess had lost completely.

How reckless could he be?!

While the audience was still too shocked to applaud, the competition committee abruptly raised isolation walls, cutting off the view and announcing the match’s end, ordering spectators to leave.

It was the first time in virtual duel history that the audience had been dismissed so abruptly.

Most found it strange, but then again, the one who lost was the imperial princess. The committee rushing to protect her dignity made sense.

Xu Linlang, however, felt otherwise. Her instincts told her something was wrong.

Pretending to leave, she slipped into the hallway and peered back through a gap.

Only after the spectators were gone did the walls sink back down.

The princess and her mech had vanished, leaving only Nan Zhu’s battered machine barely standing.

The rescue team pulled him from the cockpit to assess his condition.

“How is he?” someone asked.

“Hard to say. He’s definitely been hit by a psychic interference,” one responder concluded after a moment.

The team leader frowned. “So the princess truly meant to kill him. Unbelievable. Do everything you can to keep him alive. If he dies here, all of us will take the blame.”

“We can keep him alive, but forcing his recovery could leave complications. He may never be able to pilot a mech again.” The medic gestured at the instruments. “The attack didn’t damage his central nervous system, but his mental strength won’t ever reach full focus again.”

They all looked at the unconscious Nan Zhu with pity.

This match had been his victory—yet in the end, it was also his loss.

Who would’ve imagined that the imperial princess would stoop to such a vile tactic—using a psychic strike mid-battle?

She had even arranged in advance for a psychic master to cooperate with her, striking Nan Zhu at the moment the dust rose.

And still she lost.

But Nan Zhu had paid an irreversible price.

Even in a virtual arena, psychic attacks were devastating—sometimes even more so than in reality.

The rescue team worked the machines until Nan Zhu slowly regained consciousness.

At first, his pale blue eyes were dazed, but the splitting pain in his skull quickly brought clarity.

“My head… it hurts…”

The medic spoke gently, with a touch of pity. “You took some damage during the duel. We treated you, but there may still be aftereffects.”

Nan Zhu stiffened. “Aftereffects?”

“Yes…” The medic hesitated. “It’s very likely you won’t be able to handle high-intensity mech piloting anymore.”

Nan Zhu retched dryly, his vision blurring, ears ringing.

He wanted to believe he’d misheard.

What did they mean, never pilot mechs again at full capacity?

Could his years of striving really be shattered by a single sentence?

Yet he knew the truth. He had felt the full force of that attack.

He forced himself to stand, refusing the rescuers’ support. He didn’t want to remain here another second.

When Xu Linlang saw him staggering out, she hurried to steady him. “Are you alright?” she whispered.

Nan Zhu’s eyes were rimmed red. “They said… they said I’ll never pilot at full strength again…”

Xu Linlang gently patted his back. “They’re just average medics. We’ll find better specialists. Maybe there’s still hope.”

Nan Zhu shook his head. “I’m a beastkin. What top doctor would bother treating me?”

His head dropped. “Tell me, was my dream of becoming a top pilot nothing more than a foolish fantasy? I’m just a beastkin—how could I have dared to dream so much…”

Xu Linlang’s heart ached, but the usual words about equality stuck in her throat.

In this world, equality was a joke.

Not only was there an unbridgeable gap between nobles and commoners, but even among races, the beastkin were at the very bottom.

Any comfort she gave would be meaningless—certainly not enough to restore his faith.

“Nan Zhu, don’t give up on yourself. This matter isn’t over. Even if you don’t pursue it, the princess won’t let it drop.”

Nan Zhu’s voice was heavy with despair. “What more can she want? I’m already ruined. Does she want my life? She can have it.”

Xu Linlang pressed her lips together. “Your life belongs only to you. No one else has the right to take it. If someone that vile can strut around unchecked, then you—why should you bow your head? Why let evil flourish while you despair?”