Infiltration

"Sorry. The impurities in her psionic wounds had long surpassed her own level. As a Dragon Machine User, the opponents she faced while piloting a dragon machine all possessed psionic power far beyond hers.

"But once such adaptability encountered injury, it would..."

The doctor's voice by the hospital bed drifted into Kashulia's mind through her groggy haze.

"Is there really no way?" another familiar male voice asked in a low tone.

"There's no way. This is no longer a matter of whether she can recover. It's a matter of whether her injuries can keep her alive," the doctor sighed regretfully.

In the mere two months since Kashulia had been taken away and detained by the military police, her injuries had rapidly worsened.

The deterioration of her physical condition had robbed her of nearly all ability to move.

Her once-toned figure and smooth skin had become covered in scars from surgeries and complications.

"So that means it's confirmed that she can no longer serve as a Dragon Machine User?" After a moment of silence, the man asked again.

This seemed to be some sort of official confirmation.

"Confirmed."

"Very well." The voice fell silent.

Kashulia tried hard to open her eyes, but the overwhelming drowsiness made it impossible.

Her resilience, tempered through long training, made her force her eyes open a sliver.

Yet through her blurred vision, she could see only an indistinct silhouette.

It was Professor Balrid.

She recognized the man by her bed.

Professor Bal seemed to be on a communication call with someone and had not noticed her.

Soon, the communication ended. Bal turned around and looked at Kashulia on the bed.

"Lia, don't worry. As long as there's even a shred of hope, I won't give up. I couldn't protect your brother, but I will definitely protect