Marrying the Disabled Sentinel: Restoring His SSS Glory

Chapter 6: A Bitter Battle with the Insectoid

The newly purchased mech was a “lifestyle” model—its combat power was far inferior to that of battle mechs, equipped only with a few quantum cannons and a longsword. As Song Celeste led Chen Lillian out of the aircraft, Li Damian immediately directed one of the quantum cannons at the giant insectoid clinging to the ship.

“That’s my new aircraft!” Wen Oliver wailed, his cry nearly drowned out by the booming rumbles. When the smoke cleared, the insectoid was not dead; a burning gash had appeared on its body.

“This defense is unbelievably tough!” Li Damian wiped the sweat from his face, then realigned his cannon and fired the remaining shots at the creature.

The deafening explosions made Chen Lillian’s ears ring. Covering one ear with a hand, she gradually regained consciousness—only to see a slimy tendril flying straight toward her. Reacting quickly, she reached out and swatted it aside.

“Is it dead?” Wen Oliver asked.

“Probably…” Li Damian answered uncertainly. Piloting his mech forward step by step, he examined the insectoid—which had been blasted to a near-formless state—and sighed in relief.

Then, an unexpected change occurred: the insectoid shed its outer layer. In one swift motion, it broke free from its damaged skin and immediately wrapped its body and tendrils around the mech. The nearly ten-meter-high mech was completely encased, its form utterly immobilized.

“Li Damian, are you okay?” Wen Oliver shouted urgently.

“Not good—I can’t breathe. I feel as if I’m being crushed to pieces,” Li Damian’s voice grew fainter with every step.

“Disconnect the mental link, quick! We must save you now!” Song Celeste cried out.

One of the drawbacks of the mental link was that when the mech was injured, the pilot would feel every bit of pain. The trio—Wen Oliver, Li Damian, and Song Celeste—had pooled every bit of their savings to acquire this mech (they still didn’t own one personally), and now, witnessing their brand-new mech being ravaged by the insectoid, their faces flushed with anger.

Wen Oliver and Song Celeste dashed to gather the broken remnants of the aircraft and leaped onto the insectoid. Both fought with all their might, hacking at the creature’s body. However, the insectoid’s flesh proved astonishingly resilient; even when flattened, it recovered within seconds.

“Too dull—the edges aren’t sharp enough. They just won’t cut through!” Wen Oliver panted, drenched in sweat.

At that moment, Chen Lillian activated her ability. Her power swirled around the metallic fragments clutched by Wen Oliver and Song Celeste; she manipulated the thickness on one side of the metal, rendering it extremely sharp.

Slice!

This time, the modified metal sliced open the insectoid’s skin, causing a jet of dark-green liquid to spray out. Yet in the very next second, dozens—if not hundreds—of tendrils surged toward Wen Oliver and Song Celeste.

Chen Lillian collapsed to the ground. Her head still spun; she felt disoriented and every part of her ached. With her left hand she propped herself up and struggled to rise, only to fall again. After several painful attempts—teeth gritting as if they might shatter—she finally managed to sit upright. Before her eyes lay the harrowing scene of Wen Oliver and Song Celeste, entangled by the insectoid’s tendrils, their fates uncertain.

A bitter laugh escaped Chen Lillian. “Heh—just a few days of a new life, and I’m already facing this mess.”

Fixing her gaze on the insectoid, she focused the energy in her crystal core. In a frenzied burst, energy shot out, piercing through the creature’s body and channeling into the mech. In the very next moment, the insectoid, which had been clinging to the mech, emitted a shrill, earth-shattering wail. Its tendrils flung Wen Oliver and Song Celeste aside, and its massive body began to peel away from the mech.

By then, the new mech was virtually unrecognizable—its arms, legs, and parts of its chassis had been transformed into ultra-thin, almost translucent metal shards that penetrated the insectoid’s body. These shards darted through its form, continuously slicing it into irreparable fragments, until the creature was beyond repair.

Once the insectoid was confirmed dead, Chen Lillian herself blacked out.

Later, in the hospital, as the police took statements, one officer furrowed his brow while examining a large pile of nearly transparent metal fragments scattered across the floor. “How can you not explain where these metal pieces came from?” he asked, incredulous that none of the three involved could account for them.

“I’m certain that before I blacked out, those metal pieces hadn’t appeared yet,” Wen Oliver stated firmly.

“I’m sure of it too,” Song Celeste agreed.

“I can swear it,” Li Damian added, raising his hand.

The officer’s penetrating gaze searched for signs of deception, but found none. “These metal fragments came off the mech—they’re even still attached to it,” he explained.

“Then you’d better ask the manufacturer of the mech,” Wen Oliver remarked, equally puzzled.

“Alright. That’s all for now. I’ll return when your other friend wakes up,” the officer said as he left.

All four were admitted to the hospital and placed in the same ward. Wen Oliver, Li Damian, and Song Celeste all awoke that very day, but Chen Lillian remained unconscious.

“Ordinary people really do have such weak constitutions,” Li Damian sneered as he glanced at Chen Lillian’s bed, his expression exuding the superiority typical of a Sentinel.

Wen Oliver frowned and shot Li Damian an admonishing look. “She is Yuan Vincent’s fiancée. I expect you to show her respect.”

Li Damian shrugged nonchalantly. “Yuan Vincent wouldn’t care for her anyway—this marriage is just a makeshift arrangement.”

“Did he really say that to you?” Wen Oliver’s brow furrowed even more.

“Isn’t it obvious? A proud man like Yuan Vincent would never truly accept an ordinary person as his partner,” Li Damian insisted, convinced he understood Yuan Vincent’s inner thoughts.

Wen Oliver’s frown softened. “That’s just your opinion. You can’t speak for him. Yuan Vincent and Chen Lillian share similar hardships; perhaps they’ll come to understand and support each other for life. Besides, given Yuan Vincent’s physical limitations, he needs someone to care for him—and who better than his wife? If you treat Chen Lillian well, she’ll treat him well too. At the very least, she won’t vent the anger you’ve directed at her onto him.”

After a long, heavy silence, Li Damian finally mumbled, “I suppose I understand.”

Soon, the sound of a rolling wheelchair announced the arrival of Uncle Zhao, who wheeled Yuan Vincent into the ward.

“Yuan Vincent, what are you doing here?” Li Damian asked in surprise.

“I came to get a checkup. I heard you encountered an insectoid?” Yuan Vincent replied as he entered, his eyes briefly meeting Chen Lillian’s pale face.

“That’s right—it was a colossal creature that nearly cost me my life,” Li Damian admitted, still shaken.

“It also destroyed the mech we bought for you,” Wen Oliver added sorrowfully, clutching his chest. “And my aircraft, too.”

Yuan Vincent’s expression remained placid. “As long as no one is hurt, that’s what matters. I won’t be using the mech anyway. It’s just a pity about your aircraft. But why isn’t she awake yet?”

“The doctor said her injuries are severe and her body is very weak,” Wen Oliver explained.

Yuan Vincent frowned slightly and fell silent.

Chen Lillian had been unconscious for two full days and nights. When she finally awoke, she found herself alone in the ward. After undergoing a series of tests and enduring nearly half an hour of repeated questioning by the police, she could only answer, “I don’t know—I blacked out.”

Once the officers were satisfied that nothing more could be gleaned from her, they let her go.

“Miss Chen, you may now proceed with your discharge procedures,” a nurse informed her.

Chen Lillian replied simply, but noticed the nurse lingering as if hesitant to speak further. “Is there anything else?”

“Your arm has healed almost completely. Would you consider having a metal prosthetic installed? The cost is high, and since the Chen family doesn’t really value you, the nurse wasn’t sure if she should mention it,” the nurse explained.

“No, thank you,” Chen Lillian replied firmly.

The nurse gave her an understanding nod and said, “If you ever change your mind, you can always get one later.”

After the nurse left, Chen Lillian anxiously checked her bank account—wondering if she had enough funds to cover her medical bills. To her relief, she discovered an unexpected remittance dated two days earlier. Not only would this cover her current hospital fees, but it also left a surplus to ease future expenses.

When she looked at the remitter’s name, a surprising name appeared on the screen—Yuan Vincent.