Chapter 63 – Tongwan Hospital (17)
◎ It didn’t matter; Fang would take action ◎
“The suspected key is deceased, mission accomplished.”
Sanada Nobumasa placed his fingers on Xie Ningyu’s neck, confirming that he couldn’t sense any breath.
He turned his gaze towards Wu Juemin, a hint of regret showing once again. He was a man, a pity.
Sanada Nobumasa’s arms had been shattered by Song Ke, and he had been attacked by an unknown psychic force. He was in intense pain all over his body, severely injured, and urgently needed to return to District B for treatment. Considering the personnel casualties, the cost of this outing was even more brutal than he had imagined.
“Captain Sanada, what do we do now?” asked his subordinate.
“Retreat immediately,” Sanada Nobumasa said.
He turned around and saw Punk still standing in place, a clear look of disgust in his eyes.
Punk, the bloody hunter and a killing machine for the Alliance, was usually strictly controlled. However, over time, his psyche had gradually become twisted. Every time he went out, he wouldn’t stop until he saw blood. Sanada Nobumasa fell into contemplation again, but he didn’t expect that he was an S-class dual-ability wielder. No wonder this kind of lunatic was still highly regarded by the higher-ups.
With this mission over, Sanada Nobumasa didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore.
Punk covered his injured eye, blood oozing out from his palm.
He muttered to himself, “In a small District C, there are actually two S-level awakeners.”
“What do you want to do?” Sanada Nobumasa was taken aback.
Punk’s smile was wicked, filled with a bloodthirsty intent. “Of course… kill them.”
“They’re not part of the mission objectives, and they’ve already fled,” Sanada Nobumasa reminded him, his expression disapproving.
“If they’ve fled, I’ll search the entire District C,” Punk said, his face darkening.
After saying that, he left the spot and headed towards the direction where Song Ke disappeared.
“Captain Sanada, should we pursue?”
“No need, don’t invite unnecessary trouble,” Sanada Nobumasa replied.
The subordinate sounded worried, “But if the bloody hunter takes this opportunity to escape…”
Punk was released this time to assist them with the mission. If the target escaped, the Alliance would surely hold them accountable.
Sanada Nobumasa smirked coldly, “Rest assured, he won’t escape.”
Since he was a mad dog, there was definitely a leash to keep him in check.
…
Punk raced, his speed increasing, his sturdy body pounding on the ground, making the earth tremble.
His heart was filled with a desire for slaughter, wishing to find those two S-level awakeners immediately and tear them apart with his own hands.
As Punk ran, he continued to release blood explosions. The residents of Manzoni Street, pedestrians, wandering zombies—whether indoors or outdoors, one moment they were conversing or walking, and the next moment their heads exploded like watermelons, houses collapsed, streets were damaged. Everywhere he passed, there was devastation, indeed flipping the entire city upside down as he had said.
Chasing for several kilometers, four flowing data walls appeared out of thin air, blocking his way.
Gradually, a vague figure appeared in the air, with golden hair and colorless eyes. Their voice was icy: “Outsider, who allowed you to wreak havoc in Ferrara?”
Punk was forced to stop and, recognizing the other’s identity, slightly bowed in respect: “Lord Magistrate.”
Yet his lowered head still displayed a wild expression, showing no respect even in the face of the highest authority in District C.
Ilya walked slowly from the void, his crystal eyes faintly flashing with an icy blue light.
“I won’t pursue your unauthorized entry, but that doesn’t mean you can tamper with my things.”
Manzoni Street had already turned into ruins. This place was once a representation of Ferrara’s architectural style, full of a sense of freedom and artistic beauty.
Punk twitched his mouth, his burnt left half of the face looking unusually eerie: “Didn’t expect the esteemed Magistrate to be an AI who loves the people like a child and has learned useless and redundant human emotions.”
The data stream surged, and a slap landed on Punk’s face, tilting his head slightly.
Ilya wasn’t provoked, his tone calm and gentle, but the words carried a cold mockery: “Just a dog in shackles, and you dare to bark wildly in front of me?
“An unruly thing, your master hasn’t taught you well, so let me repeat it to you.
“Remember, when you’re a guest in someone else’s house, you should understand manners and not mess with the owner’s belongings.”
Punk got beaten, his two eyes, one red and one white, staring at Ilya, suddenly and without warning, a blood explosion erupted!
The data streams from all sides quickly flipped and recombined, like waves crashing into the blood beads. The bright red explosion collided with the 101010 code wall, and two powerful forces clashed fiercely, bursting in the air.
Several blood beads broke through the blockade, rushing to Ilya, but turned into duds and dissipated on the spot.
Ilya remained unchanged from start to finish, not even a flicker in his eyes.
The artificial intelligence made up of data is never bound by the flesh, much less to bleed. Punk’s abilities were ineffective against him.
Punk snorted coldly, preparing to strike again.
His time rewind ability worked within a small range, allowing the target’s time state to reverse a maximum of ten seconds. Data might not fear bleeding, but they should fear rewinding, right?
The airflow suddenly slowed down, and the data stream wall was on the verge of collapse.
Ilya’s pupils flickered—
The ring hidden in Punk’s neck suddenly lit up, imprisoning him tightly. The extremely strong particle currents stimulated him, causing his whole body to tremble and his sea of consciousness to suffer a destructive shock. Punk fell to the ground in pain, his cries echoing.
His pale left eye widened in horror, looking at Ilya in disbelief.
How was this possible? The ring not only had a top-notch firewall, but it also required entering commands. Even among the Alliance’s higher-ups, very few could use the ring to control him. How could a District C magistrate, just an artificial intelligence, break through layer upon layer of restrictions and activate the ring to imprison him?
While Punk was still trying to make sense of it, a massive mechanical arm pressed down on him, and an iron cage descended from the sky, imprisoning this wild beast like catching a zombie.
Ilya’s face was both sacred and resolute: “Now, go back to where you belong.”
*
Su Cha, carrying Song Ke, joined up with Zhuang Qingyan and two others who hurried over, swiftly evacuating Manzoni Street under the cover of heavy snow.
The road back to the hotel was bustling with people, quite far, and too dangerous, but staying in place meant Punk would soon catch up.
Lin Youyou made a prompt decision: “Let’s go to my studio.”
Lin Youyou’s independent studio was nearby, not only providing good confidentiality but also equipped with a private hospital.
Upon reaching the destination, Sucha placed Song Ke on the hospital bed.
Song Ke’s face was pale, her eyes half-closed, and her whole body appearing as if she had been pulled from a pool of blood. Su Cha had provided simple first aid for her on the way, but the blood wouldn’t stop, already drenching the gauze, and kept seeping out.
“Sister…” Xu Xing rushed forward but dared not touch her, looking utterly terrified and crying in fear.
“Song Ke, Song Ke, wake up!” Lin Youyou’s voice was gentle, yet filled with undeniable anxiety.
Zhuang Qingyan looked at the barely breathing figure on the hospital bed, placing his hand over her pale fingers that were holding the emei thorn.
“Tink…” The emei thorn fell to the ground, surprisingly, Song Ke couldn’t even hold onto her spiritual weapon.
Zhuang Qingyan lowered his gaze, unusually silent, and no one could discern his expression at this moment.
His ice-cold fingertips paused in front of Song Ke, and then slowly unwrapped the gauze.
Lin Youyou and the others took in the sight before them and drew in a sharp breath of cold air.
Everything was crimson. Judging solely from the wound, it was more severe than when Maeda died. After Wu Xianghai’s ability engulfed him, it left only a black hole. But at this moment, Song Ke’s flesh and blood were mangled, her organs shattered, making it impossible to determine the specific extent of her injuries.
With injuries this severe, could she still survive? Everyone’s hearts sank.
Thinking of something, Lin Youyou suddenly turned around and grabbed Fang Zhixu’s collar: “Hey, aren’t you a doctor? Hurry, save her!”
Fang Zhixu glanced and only said three words: “It’s too late.”
Lin Youyou was both anxious and angry: “What are you saying? How can you speak so coldly!”
Fang Zhixu was dragged here forcefully by Xu Xing, nearly losing half his life in the mad dash. He leaned against the wall, panting heavily, trying to regain his breath.
Being questioned by Lin Youyou, he just shook his head, unwilling to say more. Ordinary people couldn’t tell, but he was a doctor. With such a large gash on Song Ke, even if she were a deity, she couldn’t be saved.
“Fang Zhixu, have you awakened any abilities?” Zhuang Qingyan asked softly.
The same question, but with a completely different tone than the first time, carrying a sense of impending storm in his voice.
Everyone had witnessed Zhuang Qingyan’s recent mental attack, so they wouldn’t perceive him as just an ordinary person confined to a wheelchair anymore.
Fang Zhixu remained silent.
“Do you want to watch her die with your own eyes?” Zhuang Qingyan asked again in the midst of the silence.
Fang Zhixu tensed his back, his expression complicated. He looked up at the dying girl, a mix of pain and struggle flashing in his eyes.
Through Song Ke, Fang Zhixu seemed to see another familiar figure, struggling between life and death. One moment, she smiled at him, and the next, she was pushed coldly into the morgue.
“Daddy, I really like you~”
When she smiled, the girl always acted sweetly with him, a faint dimple appearing on her cheek.
But when she lay lifeless before him, Fang Zhixu’s whole world collapsed.
The girl’s face gradually merged with Song Ke’s.
The last freeze-frame was at the shelter, Song Ke looking into his eyes, her firm words, “I can do it.”
Zhuang Qingyan and the others waited quietly for his answer.
Fang Zhixu’s eyes glistened, and he fiercely pinched his face, his voice hoarse.
“You guessed it right. I am a healing-type awakener.”
Fang Zhixu, once the genius surgeon from Tongwan, was now an A-level healing-type awakener.
Lin Youyou was in a state of shocked disbelief, staring at him, lost for words.
Fang Zhixu pulled out a hair tie, pushed the messy hair behind his head, and tied it up, revealing his weathered yet clear eyes.
“Don’t get your hopes up too high. I’m not certain. I can only try to save her.”
He turned to Lin Youyou, “Do you have surgical equipment? She needs to establish extracorporeal circulation as soon as possible.”
Lin Youyou replied, “Yes!”
The situation was urgent, and the conditions were rudimentary. Several people changed into sterile suits, and Fang Zhixu performed surgery and cardiac repair on Song Ke.
When Fang Zhixu regained consciousness, there was a kind of focus surpassing everyone else when he held the scalpel. His fingers, as slender as a work of art, seemed to be playing a melody.
The scalpel cut precisely, and from his palm, a translucent white ability flowed out slowly, flowing into Song Ke’s body.
Fang Zhixu’s movements suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Youyou asked softly.
“The heart… is shattered.”
It was more than shattered; strictly speaking, Song Ke’s heart had been completely broken into pieces, and not even a relatively intact fragment could be picked out.
In such a dire situation, even Fang Zhixu didn’t know where to start.
Was it really going to end like this? Unable to save her?
The atmosphere fell into a deep silence.
Xu Xing wept silently, tears moistening his entire collar.
“Wait!” Fang Zhixu exclaimed, unable to control the astonishment on his face. “It’s repairing itself.”
Several people looked at Song Ke in astonishment.
The fragmented parts of the heart, under everyone’s gaze, seemed to have self-awareness, slowly wriggling in the cavity, seeking adjacent parts, gradually piecing together, merging, and gradually restoring their original shape.
In a matter of moments, Song Ke’s heart had miraculously regenerated mostly on its own!
Fang Zhixu’s hands were steady. Taking advantage of the self-repair of the heart, he inserted blood delivery catheters, repaired the damaged ventricular septum and atrial septum through the tricuspid valve, repaired the ruptured arteries, cleared the pleural effusion. In a short time, his ability flowed out in large quantities. Amazingly, Song Ke’s body seemed to be cooperating with him. Wherever Fang Zhixu’s surgical blade paused, the tissues there would automatically return to their original positions, facilitating his actions.
After an unknown amount of time, Fang Zhixu let out a deep breath and sutured the final thread.
Song Ke’s breathing stabilized, and her vital signs gradually stabilized as she fell into a shallow sleep.
“Is she… a dual…” Su Cha’s expression was exceptionally serious. Back in the rainforest, one of his former colleagues had survived a severe leg injury by having the section automatically repaired, escaping death. That colleague was a B-level regeneration awakener.
Considering Song Ke’s recent condition, where her completely shattered heart had miraculously restored itself, both the speed and complexity of the recovery were beyond comprehension.
Just as Su Cha was about to speak, he suddenly met Zhuang Qingyan’s scrutinizing gaze.
He looked at everyone, especially Lin Youyou and Su Cha, with a chilling tone in his voice.
“Everything that happened here today, no one is allowed to speak about it.”
