Chapter 4: I Only Need 72 Hours To Fall In Love With You (IV)

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Chapter 4: I Only Need 72 Hours To Fall In Love With You (IV)

Charlton furiously activated the neural override device. Shang Ke felt a sharp pain in his head before losing consciousness. At the same moment, the room was abruptly plunged into darkness.

Everyone immediately erupted into confusion, completely unaware of what had happened. No one noticed that, under cover of darkness, more than a dozen people quietly slipped out of the room amid the chaos.

The call to battle sounded in silence!

The torture Cage had endured did not frighten those members of the resistance who remained steadfast in their convictions. Instead, it ignited their fighting spirit. Their eyes blazed like balls of scorching flame, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

Kruse will fall!

Those words gathered into an immense force within everyone’s hearts, like a ferocious beast poised to strike, ready to devour everything evil in its path.

Shang Ke’s appearance and perseverance had not only diverted some of the authorities’ attention, but also strengthened the resistance’s resolve, allowing them to seize control of the planetary AI five hours ahead of schedule. Shang Ke himself, however, knew absolutely nothing about any of this.

The revolution swept through the entire ruling class with the speed and violence of a raging storm.

By the time Ravel brought the situation under control, seven hours had passed.

He personally went to the interrogation chamber. Paying no attention to the blood and grime covering Shang Ke, he carefully lifted him into his arms and carried him out of the prison where he had suffered so much torment.

Every bone in Shang Ke’s arms and legs had been broken. His body was stained with blood, and there was hardly a patch of uninjured skin left. Only the Crimson Skyfire on his chest continued to bloom with bewitching beauty, as though enchanted, making it impossible to look away.

When the soldiers saw the horrific injuries covering his body, they all showed expressions of shock and admiration. They could scarcely imagine what kind of torture he had endured, much less how he had managed to hold out through it all.

Through the haze of his consciousness, Shang Ke sensed numerous people bustling around him, apparently trying to save his life.

Stop wasting your effort. Just let me die in peace.

As the thought crossed his mind, his consciousness blurred once more, and he faintly heard people speaking nearby.

“How is he?” Ravel asked Doctor Benny.

Doctor Benny sighed. “His broken bones can slowly be repaired. There may be lasting effects on his daily life, but at least he won’t be completely paralyzed. The real problem is the biological toxins in his body. If there were only one or two, we might still have a way to treat him, but there are twelve different kinds… All I can say is that the fact he’s still alive at all is already a miracle.”

Ravel asked in a low voice, “How much time does he have left?”

“Perhaps until tomorrow. Perhaps the day after. Either way, it won’t be long.”

Ravel was silent for a long moment before saying, “Do everything you can to ease his pain. At least let him be comfortable for these last few days.”

Benny gave a bitter smile. “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that. In his current condition, even the mildest anesthetic could kill him. For whatever time he has left, he can only continue enduring the pain.” After a pause, he added, “My recommendation is to let him go. Compared with continuing to live in agony, death would be a release.”

A trace of pain flashed through Ravel’s eyes. “He didn’t hold out until now just to die. He endured because he wanted to witness Kruse’s downfall with his own eyes. So no matter how much it hurts, I don’t believe he would choose to slip away without ever seeing it happen.”

If Shang Ke had heard that, he would undoubtedly have shouted, No! I have absolutely no interest in witnessing Kruse’s downfall! Please, just let me die quickly!

Thinking of everything Cage had endured, Benny found himself agreeing with Ravel.

“In that case, General, you’ll have to move quickly. Do your best to let Young Master Cage see a brand-new empire before he dies.”

Ravel nodded. Leaving behind the words, “Take good care of him,” he strode away.

When Shang Ke regained consciousness again, he found himself lying in a spacious, brightly lit hospital room. His injuries had already been properly treated, and his entire body was wrapped in bandages. Aside from his neck, he couldn’t move anything.

He still wasn’t dead? Shang Ke was shocked. Don’t tell me I failed the mission?!

【Mission complete. Remaining stay in this world: 15 days.】

The System’s voice rang in his mind.

Why did he have to stay for another fifteen days?

【Whenever the Host survives a death mission, the System will assign a corresponding period of additional stay. During this period, the Host may encounter new missions. Each additional mission completed will increase the rewards accordingly. If the Host completes three death missions without dying, the Host may choose to remain in the current world and live out the rest of that life however he pleases, free of all restrictions.】

Just how out of his mind would he have to be to drag this half-paralyzed body around and choose to stay in this world to “enjoy life”? More like life would finish him off first! And he had to complete three death missions? One had already put him through heaven and hell, and they expected him to do it three times?

“You’re awake.”

A deep voice interrupted Shang Ke’s thoughts. A tall man slowly walked over to his bedside.

“Hello. I’m Ravel.” The man’s expression was stern, but his gaze was unusually gentle.

Shang Ke nodded to him. With a prompt from the System, he learned that this was the protagonist of this world and the future leader of the Empire.

Ravel sat beside the bed. “We’ve won. From here on, we’ll eliminate the remnants of Kruse’s forces one by one.”

Shang Ke smiled in approval.

Excellent. At least this bro didn’t suffer all that for nothing. By all means, wipe them out without holding back.

He opened his mouth to speak, only to discover that no sound came from his throat.

Seeing this, Ravel explained, “Your vocal cords were severely damaged. I’m afraid you won’t be able to speak for some time.”

Doctor Benny’s exact words had been: “That declaration—‘Kruse will fall’—may have been the last words this child will ever be able to utter.”

After explaining, Ravel quietly gazed at the young man in bed. Instead of the fear and distress he had expected, Cage gave him a gentle smile. His face might have been haggard, but his emerald-green eyes still glittered like precious stones.

Ravel’s gaze darkened slightly. In a voice gentler than any he had ever used before, he said, “Cage, from now on, I’ll take care of you personally. Hold on for just a few more days. I promise I’ll let you see a brand-new empire.”

Don’t be in such a hurry to leave this world. Stay and share this joy with me.

What else could Shang Ke do but nod? He was the protagonist, after all. Taking over the world was practically as easy as reaching out and grabbing it.

After that, Ravel proved true to his word. No matter how busy he was, he set aside three or four hours every day to stay with Shang Ke. Changing his dressings, feeding him, cleaning him—Ravel personally took care of everything with meticulous attention.

Shang Ke couldn’t quite understand it. Granted, his performance during the interrogation had been fairly impressive, but surely it wasn’t enough to make the future head of the Empire value him this highly?

Shang Ke had no idea that he had already become a hero throughout the Empire. The footage from his interrogation had captivated countless people, earning him the title of “the most beautiful martyr in the world.” Through sheer force of will, he had held fast to his convictions despite the enemy’s brutal torture.

In particular, his final declaration—“Kruse will fall”—had stirred the blood of countless people.

He was like a phoenix reborn in flames: covered in wounds, yet unyielding no matter how much he suffered.

When Cage’s medical report was released online, countless people wept for him and mourned his suffering. Even the Crimson Skyfire on his body, originally branded onto him as a humiliation, became the mark of a warrior.

One day passed, then two, then three… Doctor Benny had initially judged that he wouldn’t survive for more than two days, only for Shang Ke to overturn that prognosis again and again. His body was clearly weak to the extreme, yet he stubbornly clung to life.

Benny had no choice but to admit that some people simply possessed astonishing vitality. No wonder this young man had survived dozens of hours of torture. By now, even Benny could no longer say for certain how long he might live.

On the sixth day, Ravel arrived at his usual time to visit Shang Ke.

When he entered the hospital room, he found Shang Ke intently watching a video. Ravel glanced at the screen and saw that a food program was playing.

“Is there anything in particular you’d like to eat?” Ravel asked.

Shang Ke immediately nodded.

Ravel opened a food catalog on the screen and flipped through the dishes one by one for Shang Ke to see.

“As long as it isn’t too irritating to your system, you can try some. You just can’t eat very much.”

Shang Ke broke into a delighted smile. It was like sunlight, instantly dispersing the gloom surrounding Ravel and lifting his mood along with it. The more time Ravel spent with this young man, the more he felt how extraordinary he was. If it had been Cage’s resilience and unyielding spirit that first drew his attention, what captivated him now was his optimism and cheerfulness. Ravel knew perfectly well that Cage endured constant pain every day. Even the doctor had practically given up hope, yet Cage himself never did, holding on day after day.

Ravel had never felt such deep tenderness and heartache for anyone before. The young man in front of him was his one and only exception.

Shang Ke’s life over the past few days had actually been fairly comfortable. The 50% pain reduction was still in effect, so he wasn’t suffering nearly as much as everyone imagined. Yet every time he smiled, the doctors and nurses would inevitably look at him with pity and heartache.

Shang Ke had no words.

On the eighth day, Shang Ke received a new visitor: Gabriel, Utrecht’s adopted son and Cage’s adoptive older brother.

If Gabriel hadn’t shown up, Shang Ke would have nearly forgotten the man existed.

Not that it mattered if he forgot. He was going to bid farewell to this world in a few days anyway.

Gabriel walked to Shang Ke’s bedside and looked down at him from above.

The moment Shang Ke saw his attitude, he knew this visitor had come with hostile intentions.

“Cage, long time no see,” Gabriel said mockingly. “When you secretly ran away, I imagine you never expected things to end like this, did you?”

Shang Ke regarded him calmly.

“How did the torture feel?” Gabriel braced both hands on either side of Shang Ke and sneered. “Look at you now, barely clinging to life. How pitiful. Do you know you only have a few days left?”

Bro, do you really need to throw your weight around in front of someone who’s about to die? That just makes you look pathetic.

“You always looked down on me and ordered me around like a slave. But fortunes change. You’re about to die, and House Bick and all its honors will pass to me.” Gabriel gave him a smug smile. “I should really thank you for your sacrifice.”

Fuck! If he were really Cage, he would probably be coughing up blood from sheer rage. Cage had endured all that torture and even sacrificed his life, only for this ungrateful bastard to reap the benefits.

But what truly infuriated Shang Ke came next. Gabriel suddenly straightened and slapped him across the face.

A crisp smack rang through the room. Thanks to the pain reduction, it felt little different from someone brushing a hand across his face. But that slap hadn’t struck his face—it had struck his dignity.

Shang Ke glared at him, anger blazing in his eyes.

Does this bastard not know there are cameras in the hospital room? Where the hell did he get the nerve to do this?

As though he knew exactly what Shang Ke was thinking, Gabriel smiled. “Don’t worry. I brought a jammer with me. Anything that happens during these few minutes won’t be recorded by the surveillance system.”

So he came prepared.

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