Confusion notwithstanding, it was certain that Qiao Ci had sacrificed herself. The continuous explosions were enough to kill even the hardy exoskeletons of the insectoids, let alone Qiao Ci, who was at the epicenter.
Everyone mourned Qiao Ci in silence.
Yu Jiangyan's eyes reddened. He hadn't even had a chance to express his feelings for Qiao Ci before she was gone? Had she perished along with the insectoids for the victory of the Interstellar Academy's mech competition, for humanity?
Mo Ye's thin lips pressed into a firm line. It seemed as though he could still hear the young girl's voice: Stay put and wait for me to return.
Was she not coming back?
A subtle, unidentifiable sense of loss filled him. He forcefully suppressed the budding thoughts.
The insectoid corpses piled up like mountains. One insectoid, still wriggling, attempted to burrow into the wormhole, only to be dragged back by a hand coated in viscous fluid and crushed with bare hands.
Qiao Ci gazed at her battered mech, then at the dark, gaping wormhole. She seemed to be contemplating whether to venture in and annihilate the insectoids' nest.
As if sensing her intent, the wormhole rapidly sealed its fissure.
The wormhole vanished.
All the insectoids on the battlefield were annihilated.
This was the first time humanity had forced a wormhole to disappear, yet the one who accomplished such a feat had left them forever.
Just then, the mountain of insectoid corpses stirred.
The crowd, assuming some residual life remained in the insectoids after such extensive laser fire and explosions, eagerly prepared to finish them off to honor Qiao Ci's spirit.
Then, a humanoid figure emerged, pushing aside the pile of insectoids and standing up.
Qiao… Qiao Ci?
Everyone stared at the figure in disbelief, a mix of emotions swirling within them. No one dared to speak, fearing it was merely an illusion.
When Qiao Ci finally walked before them, she lamented, "My romance is gone."
As if remembering something, she tentatively asked Yu Jiangyan, "My mech is destroyed, the Academy won't make me pay for it, right?" After all, when her intel system had malfunctioned, the Interstellar Academy had immediately demanded compensation from the Qiao family.
"Ahhh, Qiao Ci, you're alive! That's wonderful!" Yu Jiangyan, usually composed, was so overwhelmed that tears welled up. He lunged forward to embrace Qiao Ci, attempting to quell his unrestrained excitement.
However, his advance was blocked by an arm clad in a white combat suit.
Their calm and collected Grand General, his expression stern, stated, "Ms. Qiao Ci was at the center of the explosion, and there might be some hidden issues with her body. Do not disturb her."
Qiao Ci looked at her "cub" who was speaking such earnest nonsense, her eyes curving into a smile.
It was good, truly good, that she had arrived before he was severely injured.
In the original plot, Mo Ye, as the Empire's Grand General, was constantly at the front lines, commanding personnel in battles against the insectoids. It was during one such battle, while rescuing a soldier on the verge of being devoured by an insectoid, that he sustained a critical head injury. His mental power was completely depleted, rendering him unable to pilot a mech or contribute to resisting the insectoids. Consequently, he fell into a long period of despair, so long that everyone forgot about him, and no one even knew how he died.
After Mo Ye lost his mental power, the new generation prodigy, Qiao Xi, rose to prominence, taking his place as Blue Star's first female Imperial General. She gained immense popularity, which further endeared her to Dragon Annihilator, the Insectoid Emperor. This laid a solid foundation for Qiao Xi's eventual ascension to the position of Insectoid Queen, and the insectoids themselves believed that only such a powerful woman was worthy of being their queen, treating her with great reverence.
Of course, Qiao Xi did not represent all humans. The insectoids still viewed all humans as food, and even with Qiao Xi as their queen, a complete harmony between insectoids and humans was never established. Instead, humans became the insectoids' pets, their lives and deaths entirely at the mercy of the insectoids.
Qiao Xi, however, was smug, believing that the current absence of war between insectoids and humans was solely due to her efforts and the profound love of Dragon Annihilator. In reality, she was oblivious to the fact that humanity was still suffering, their dignity further eroded. Her contentment stemmed from being revered by all people and insectoids; with love and status, she subconsciously disregarded the feelings of others.
***
On the screen, Qiao Xi watched Qiao Ci's survival with a dazed mind. She had meticulously transferred all of Qiao Ci's talents, so why could Qiao Ci still pilot a mech? And why was she so powerful? She recalled the SSS rating displayed by the intelligence system before it malfunctioned during the mental power test and shook her head, deceiving herself. Impossible, absolutely impossible.
Dragon Annihilator was even more shocked than her. He was aware of the insectoids' advantages: their sheer numbers, rapid reproduction, and incredibly resilient bodies, especially the mutated ones, which were monstrously strong. Had millions of insectoids on the battlefield just been annihilated by an old mech? Who was that woman, and why was she so powerful?
Everyone harbors a desire for strength, and insects are no exception. It gazed at the woman emerging from the insectoid ranks, its eyes filled with eagerness and longing. Then, it heard Qiao Xi mutter, "Qiao Ci, it's impossible. She can't be this strong..."
It was then that Dragon Annihilator realized that the woman whose face was disfigured by insectoid mucus was Qiao Ci! He had intended to torment Qiao Ci, which led to him being burned to such a state. The name struck him like a bucket of cold water, chilling him to the bone! That damned woman, he had to find a way to kill her! How dare she treat the noble Insectoid Emperor like this! No, he would imprison her, eradicate her talents and defiant spirit, and make her suffer every day of her life!
***
Mo Ye personally escorted Qiao Ci to the medical bay. He was now very interested in Qiao Ci, both her mech and… her as a person. Qiao Ci cooperated fully with all the examinations.
The results came back quickly. Qiao Ci's vital signs were all normal, and her mental power was terrifyingly strong! Mo Ye himself was an SSS-level super genius, yet he felt that Qiao Ci's mental power was even stronger than his. He cautiously released a wisp of his mental power to compare with Qiao Ci's. The sensation of their mental powers intertwining made him blush. This was because Qiao Ci's mental power was powerful yet gentle, showing no intention of harming him; instead, it enveloped his mental power. At that moment, Mo Ye could only manage to think of four words: intimate embrace.
Holding Qiao Ci's examination data, he solemnly handed it to her. "Although all your examination results are normal, if you encounter such a situation again in the future, you must not act rashly. You must follow orders." Feeling his tone was too harsh, Mo Ye added after some thought, "Do you understand?"
After waiting for a long time without a response, Mo Ye raised an eyebrow and looked at the young woman who had cleaned herself up.