The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

Time passed slowly, and the person in the control room gradually felt his life force draining away, approaching a state of complete exhaustion. He had a premonition that it wouldn’t be long before he died here.

Indeed… surviving isn’t that easy.

The person, suspended on the giant claw, gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, though he wasn’t sure if he had actually moved or if it was just his imagination.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound came from outside. It was soft, barely noticeable, but impossible to ignore.

Judging by the footsteps, he could tell it was likely a small creature with little aggression. The hesitant, shuffling steps suggested it was timid, unsure of itself.

The person, already weakened by severe injuries and blood loss, was briefly jolted into full awareness. Of course, this clarity lasted only a few moments before he slipped back into a muddled state.

What had come back?

After all this time, could it be some lost creature stumbling upon him, the one who had slaughtered its entire group, unable to resist coming closer to seek revenge?

However, now really is the best time for revenge.

The energy in the mech had been completely drained, and he was impaled by the giant claw, stuck in the control room, unable to move, bleeding out—close to death. If some straggler showed up now, it wouldn’t even need a full assault; a single strike would be enough to finish him off.

He hadn’t expected this… After fighting so hard to kill the enemy, he was still going to die at their hands in the end. It would’ve been more heroic to die in the earlier battle with the leader.

Hmm… These straggling star beasts—no, there seemed to be two of them—didn’t seem all that smart. Even though they had found the mech and he had lost so much blood, they still couldn’t pinpoint his exact location.

Could he maybe hope they would just overlook him? He really didn’t want to die at the hands of a star beast like this.

“Is this the place?”

“Yes, before I fled, I saw the instructor piloting this mech in battle. For a mech warrior, their mech is their life. Even if it’s damaged, they wouldn’t just abandon it. The instructor is probably still inside, maybe resting.”

“I think it’s more likely he’s unconscious. Look at all these dismembered bodies… How many star beasts had to be killed to create this pile? And the mech looks severely damaged. I’ve heard that to enhance combat ability, battle mechs are connected to the pilot’s senses and brain. Even if the instructor wasn’t physically injured, his mind must have taken a serious hit.”

“Besides, we’ve been circling around out here for quite a while. At this distance, anyone would be able to hear us, let alone an instructor with military experience. Could he have fainted in the control cabin?”

You got it right… Maybe I should give this student some extra points.

Wait, students? These voices… students! Did the freshmen come back?

Even in his confused state, he couldn’t suppress his instinctive reaction. The hazy thought crossed his mind: What are these foolish kids doing coming back here?

No one knows if there are still any star beasts lingering around. With their current combat abilities, forget about claws or fangs—they might get dissolved by the acidic secretions of those star beasts in no time.

And even if they come back now, it won’t help. If they see him in this pitiful state—his gruesome death might only instill fear in them, or worse, cast an unnecessary shadow over their yet-to-begin military careers.

Besides… he’d rather they remember him for his bravery earlier, instead of this ugly sight.

On Mace’s face, now so bloodied it was hard to see clearly, his brow furrowed slightly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

So be it. These two kids seem a bit clueless anyway—they might not even be able to tell the front of the mech from the back. By the time they find their way over, he might already have taken his last breath.

But if they can’t find me, that would be even better. If they don’t find me, they’ll naturally leave this place.

As for whether the school team can find his body, these two kids, or the scattered students… that’s no longer his concern. After all, he was on the verge of death.

Mace thought, the school and the stationed officers shouldn’t be that incompetent, right?

So, he slowly closed his eyes, wanting to quietly wait for the moment death would arrive.

Suddenly, there was a loud “clack, clack, clack,” followed by a “thud, thud, thud.”

The commotion was so intense that even he, lying on the brink of death, couldn’t help but snap awake for a few moments due to the violent shaking of the environment.

Can’t a man die in peace? What are they doing?

Hey, hey, hey, stop moving! Lifting it like that—are you trying to personally send your instructor off? I was ready to die on my own.

And be gentle! Didn’t I tell you not to come here… now all you’ll find is a nightmare-inducing sight.

After being tossed around like this, even someone on the verge of death was starting to get irritated. Mace had intended to close his eyes and accept his fate, but with all this commotion, he was a bit more alert. Still, his mood was anything but good—he was even a little embarrassed and frustrated.

How long do these two plan to mess around? Can’t they just let their instructor die in peace? Do they really have to disassemble everything just to see how he died?

If he could speak right now, he’d want to yell at them to hurry up and get lost.

“Yeah, this side… the thing stuck in here is too hard, and it seems like it’s jammed. I can’t get it loose. Luckily, it looks like something pried this part open on the other side, so it’s easier to take apart. I’ll try over here—”

It was that voice again. Ever since earlier, it seemed like she had been talking non-stop.

Then came more of that torturous tinkering. Mace wasn’t sure what kind of willpower was keeping him from collapsing completely amidst all this noise.

Clack—

Boom—

Mace could feel the sound right next to him, as if something nearby had just been taken apart. Though their methods were a bit rough, it seemed they were going in the right direction. A faint, soft light filtered through, gently illuminating his face.

So, they actually managed to get in? These two kids are more capable than he thought. Mace hazily mused.

He tried to open his eyes, but his vision was blurred, covered in varying shades of red, making it impossible to see clearly who these two kids were that had come to find him. His eyes were blocked by thick layers of blood, so he gave up.

Then, as expected, there were gasps of shock and loud shouts. Mace wanted to force a final smile, to make himself look a little less terrifying, but he didn’t even have the strength for that.

At this moment, he had truly reached his limit and could no longer hold on.