Chapter 46 What’s Wrong with Him?

Chapter 46 What Happened to Him?

"Beep... beep... beep..."

As Fang Ran slowly regained consciousness, his ears registered the low, rhythmic hum of medical equipment.

His mind felt clouded, and his eyelids were impossibly heavy.

After several attempts, Fang Ran slowly opened his eyes.

A soft glow enveloped him; he was inside a small, enclosed treatment pod.

Intricate energy lights pulsed with a low frequency, as precise instruments continuously emitted therapeutic energy.

Fang Ran felt no pain; his body was light, as if brimming with vitality.

His Spiritual Sea felt completely unburdened, the severe, tearing pain having vanished entirely.

He stared blankly at the pure white interior walls of the treatment pod.

Images from before he fainted flashed through his mind: the blood-soaked Sentinel, the colossal basilisk, the scorched lakeside—each scene making his heart race.

He...

Fu Zhangzhou...

The Sentinel...

Was he saved?

Fang Ran's breathing quickened. He slowly raised his right hand; his palm was empty.

That crystal... had it vanished? Or had it been discovered?

"Beep beep~"

Staff outside, monitoring his vital signs, opened the pod door.

A sudden burst of bright light made Fang Ran's eyes momentarily sensitive, forcing him to close them before squinting them open again.

"Fang Ran?"

A figure quickly moved to block the harsh light. "You're awake?"

"Zhong Wan?"

Fang Ran slowly widened his eyes as his friend's form gradually sharpened into focus.

"Where is this...?" He surveyed his surroundings, then slowly sat up.

It appeared to be a temporary treatment room, not very spacious, with a subtle vibration.

Did it feel like they were on a moving aircraft?

"Fang Ran, you're finally awake." Zhong Wan closed his eyes and let out a long, relieved sigh. "We had to evacuate urgently."

"Evacuated?" Fang Ran looked at him blankly. "Is the mission over?"

Zhong Wan shook his head and sat down beside him.

"The day Sister Fang found you and Fu Zhangzhou, the area entrance suddenly experienced intense, unexplained fluctuations. The gateway even developed cracks. All the experts advised immediate evacuation."

"After you returned to the camp, Central Command issued an emergency directive, so we acted at once."

Zhong Wan patted his chest, still visibly shaken. "Thankfully, we moved fast enough. The area entrance collapsed shortly after we pulled out."

"We'll be back at headquarters soon, where you can receive better treatment."

Fang Ran listened quietly as Zhong Wan finished, then lowered his head and remained silent for a moment.

"Then... what's Fu Zhangzhou's condition?"

"Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou?" Zhong Wan paused. "Lu Wenchuan said... he was taken by Central Command personnel ahead of us."

He hesitated, then finally whispered, "We're all guessing if he might have gone into a rampage."

This made Fang Ran's heart clench, and he abruptly looked up.

"He..."

Seeing his reaction, Zhong Wan quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, it's just our speculation. Lu Wenchuan said Central Command is taking it very seriously. You shouldn't be too concerned."

"An S-class Sentinel's physical strength is already far beyond normal humans, and Fu Zhangzhou's abilities are even greater."

"Besides, if something truly serious had happened, there'd be no way for it to be kept entirely quiet."

Although Zhong Wan's expression seemed a bit strained, Fang Ran knew he was right.

He could largely infer Fu Zhangzhou's situation.

As the only 3S-class Sentinel, with unimaginable combat capabilities, Central Command would absolutely not allow anything to happen to him.

It seemed it wasn't his place, a C-class Guide, to worry...

"Fang Ran." Seeing him lost in thought again, Zhong Wan grew concerned. "Just focus on your recovery for now."

"Don't dwell on other matters."

"Sister Fang said she'll have a proper talk with you once she's finished handling her current tasks."

"Okay."

......

Fang Ran was admitted once again to the headquarters hospital in Zone 4.

It was the same ward, but this time the attending physician was a middle-aged therapist.

Over the next few days, both the Guide Committee and Central Command investigators came to see him in succession.

The Guide Committee members were fairly straightforward; their primary concern was his injuries and the progress of his Purification work. They left after confirming his physical condition was stable.

However, the Central Command investigators spoke with veiled meanings, as if trying to extract information from him.

"Guide Fang Ran, are you certain you didn't discover anything unusual by the lake?"

Fang Ran's intuition told him this was related to that crystal.

He shook his head, carefully selecting what he could disclose but omitting the scene where he found the crystal.

The investigators were not satisfied with his answers.

After repeatedly questioning him and failing to elicit anything substantial, they finally let him off the hook.

After seeing off several groups of visitors, Fang Ran finally met the belatedly arriving Fang Liyu.

There were clear signs of fatigue under her eyes, indicating she had been busy with various aftermath tasks over the past few days.

"I've reviewed your medical report," Fang Liyu said, standing by Fang Ran's bedside with a smile. "All your indicators have recovered remarkably well, especially your psychic power index..."

"Fang Ran, are you truly not considering taking another advanced differentiation test?"

Hearing this, Fang Ran paused, his expression filled with hesitation.

Seeing his reluctance, Fang Liyu couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. This young Guide before her undoubtedly possessed extraordinary potential.

Originally, all he needed to do was renew his exclusive contract to remain at headquarters.

But now, with Fu Zhangzhou still unconscious, the only way to legitimately keep Fang Ran was to raise his registered level through an advanced test. Unfortunately, he himself showed little inclination.

"If you change your mind, you can contact me anytime."

Fang Ran offered her a smile in return.

Fang Liyu then handed him a brand-new terminal. "This mission truly had too many complications."

"An anomalous barrier, the sudden appearance of Marauders, and the S-level variant that took you away..."

She sighed. "We were only able to locate you by monitoring the energy surge from Sentinel Fu Zhangzhou."

Fang Ran hadn't expected her to bring up the Sentinel herself. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Fu Zhangzhou... how is he doing?"