Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats-Chapter 128: Sun Hualing

Hualing stood before the massive reinforced door, her crimson blade reflecting the dim light of the palace corridor. With no interest in courtesy or subtlety, she launched herself at the barrier, striking with all her considerable strength. The weapon connected with a resounding clang that echoed through the hallway—but instead of cleaving through as expected, her blade simply bounced back, leaving the door completely unmarred.

She stared at the imposing barrier, genuine surprise flickering across her usually impassive features. In her experience, few obstacles had ever withstood her first strike, let alone emerged completely unscathed. Yet rather than frustration, a small, almost predatory smile curved her lips as she activated one of her most devastating abilities:

[Crimson Blade](A) - Infuses the user's weapons with their own blood, creating deadly blood-enhanced strikes. Each attack leaves wounds that continue to bleed, dealing additional damage over time. The user can also launch blood projectiles from their weapon or create blood-forged weapon extensions. While powerful, this ability constantly drains the user's blood, requiring eventual replenishment through Blood Communion.

Power surged through her as her own blood flowed into the weapon, transforming it into something far more lethal. The blade pulsed with malevolent energy, the crimson glow intensifying as she concentrated her essence into the edge. With renewed determination, Hualing charged again, putting her full strength behind the strike.

The resulting impact was deafening—yet when the echoes faded, the door remained completely intact, not even a scratch marring its polished surface. Undeterred, she struck again and again, each attack more ferocious than the last, her movements becoming a blur of deadly precision. But no matter how she varied her approach or how much blood she poured into her weapon, the results remained stubbornly unchanged.

Within their shared consciousness, Minghua observed the futile assault with growing concern. The situation appeared increasingly hopeless; She felt that even an S-rank fighter might not be able to scratch the surface of the huge door. If that was the case, then what chance did they have? The royal security measures were apparently designed to withstand attacks far beyond what even exceptional warriors could deliver.

"I have an idea. Let's switch," Minghua suggested through their mental connection.

In an instant, control of their body shifted. Minghua took a moment to acclimate herself to the physical sensation, closing her eyes in concentration. Her form began to change, liquefying until she collapsed into a spreading pool of crimson on the marble floor. In this transformed state, she directed her substance toward the tiny gap beneath the massive door, attempting to infiltrate the chamber by flowing through the smallest openings.

But even this creative approach proved fruitless. The room appeared to be hermetically sealed, impervious to even the most minute intrusion. Not a single drop of her transformed essence could find passage to the other side. After several failed attempts, Hualing reclaimed control, resuming her relentless physical assault while Minghua retreated to brainstorm alternative strategies.

Minghua contemplated using her authority, weighing the significant cost against their limited options. Such power would drain her considerably, and success wasn't guaranteed against such formidable defenses. Yet as their situation grew increasingly desperate, even this risky gambit began to seem necessary.

Amid her strategic deliberations, a familiar voice suddenly penetrated their consciousness: [Hualing, is that you?]

The mental transmission was unmistakable—Ambrose's voice, reaching them through their blood oath connection.

"Master, are you okay?" Hualing responded immediately, pausing her attack.

[Well, yeah, but I won't be for long,] came his reply, tension evident even through their telepathic link.

"Master, don't worry, I'll come save you!" Hualing declared, redoubling her efforts against the unyielding door, her strikes becoming even more frenzied.

[Stop it, you can't break in that way,] Ambrose instructed, his mental voice carrying clear authority despite his predicament.

Hualing's shoulders slumped visibly, disappointment radiating from her entire being.

[But don't worry, I have a plan. Though it might be a little dangerous,] he continued.

Without a moment's hesitation, Hualing responded, "Tell me, Master. I'll definitely do it." Her voice carried absolute conviction, unburdened by any concern for her own safety.

What happened next defied comprehension. Hualing stood perfectly still for a heartbeat—then suddenly exploded into a spreading pool of blood. Her entire form liquefied instantly, crimson essence spreading across the marble floor in an expanding circle.

This wasn't a technique or controlled transformation. The horrifying truth was unmistakable: Hualing had died...

…

As the princess's transformed face drew closer, her lips almost touching his, Ambrose accepted that his fate was sealed. The frail Rothschild heir, trapped in an inescapable situation with his mental strength depleted, could see no path to salvation.

But then—a sound penetrated the heavy silence of the royal chamber. Though faint, his enhanced senses detected the unmistakable impact of something striking the massive door with considerable force. The rhythmic clanging continued, each blow carrying a desperation that seemed almost familiar.

Although his Spatial Omniscience couldn't penetrate the barrier surrounding the room, physical sound still traveled through the solid matter. Ambrose's analytical mind instantly formed a hypothesis about the source. Could it be Hualing attempting to reach him?

He activated his Blood Sense skill to confirm his suspicion:

[Blood Sense](B) - Allows the lord to sense their knight's general condition and location at all times. The lord maintains constant awareness of their knight's physical state, including severity of injuries and blood loss. They can also sense the general direction and approximate distance to their knight, making separation nearly impossible. The accuracy of this sense increases with proximity.

The connection flared to life, confirming Hualing's presence just beyond the barrier. Relief washed through him momentarily, before cold reality reasserted itself. Even with her considerable strength, Hualing couldn't possibly breach these defenses. If Princess Athena at full speed—an S-rank fighter with enhanced physical capabilities—couldn't break through the weakest point of the wall, how could Hualing hope to breach the door, which logically represented the strongest structural point?

Athena paused her advance, her bestial features twisting with irritation at the persistent interruption. The momentary distraction gave Ambrose precious seconds to think.

His extraordinarily enhanced mind accelerated to a thousand times normal speed, examining and discarding dozens of potential strategies in mere moments. Countless possibilities flashed through his consciousness, each evaluated against the constraints of their predicament, until one particular avenue emerged with promise.

While his Thought Transmission couldn't penetrate the barrier, perhaps another ability could:

[Lord's Voice](B) - Creates a permanent telepathic link between lord and knight, allowing instant communication regardless of distance. The communication is completely secure and cannot be intercepted or blocked by normal means. The link also allows for the transmission of emotional states and simple mental images, helping convey complex information quickly. This connection remains active even when one party is unconscious.

The blood oath that bound them transcended normal spatial limitations. Even within this sealed chamber, their connection might remain intact. Ambrose focused his remaining mental strength, projecting his thoughts through this unique channel.

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[Hualing, is that you?]

The response came instantly, confirming the link remained functional despite the spatial dampening. After a brief exchange establishing his situation, Ambrose formulated his desperate plan.

[But don't worry, I have a plan. Though it might be a little dangerous.]

The plan was both elegant and terrible in its simplicity: Hualing would need to commit suicide. Through their blood oath, Ambrose could then revive her using his Blood Revival skill, which would manifest her physical form directly at his location—bypassing the impenetrable barriers entirely.

The risks were enormous. The revival would drain nearly a third of Ambrose's blood volume—blood that wouldn't regenerate naturally. In his already weakened state, this could prove fatal. Furthermore, even if successfully revived, Hualing would need to contend with a transformed S-rank princess immediately upon manifestation. Yet no alternative presented itself. This was their only chance.

Ambrose conveyed the plan through their mental link, half-expecting hesitation or questions. Instead, Hualing's immediate, unwavering acceptance stunned even him.

In the next moment, Ambrose sensed Hualing's life force extinguish completely. Even prepared for it, the abrupt severing of her presence shocked him. That she would end her own life without the slightest hesitation, based solely on his instruction, was both humbling and terrifying. If they survived this ordeal, he would need to properly acknowledge such extraordinary loyalty.

With Princess Athena's lips now brushing against his, Ambrose activated the final piece of his desperate gambit:

[Blood Revival]

An indescribable sensation overtook him—as though something essential was being forcefully extracted from his very core. His vision blurred instantly, consciousness wavering as nearly a third of his blood volume was mystically channeled into the revival process. Something warm and wet splashed against his face—blood or perhaps water, he couldn't tell.

His thoughts fragmented, coherence dissolving as critical blood loss devastated his already fragile system. Questions flickered like dying embers in his fading consciousness: Had the plan succeeded? Where was he? Who was he? Each thought disintegrated before completion, mental processes shutting down as his body struggled with the catastrophic blood loss.

"Master, are you okay?"

The familiar voice eventually penetrated the darkness. Ambrose opened his eyes slowly, disoriented and weak. Not Hualing's voice, but Claire's. He found himself once again in the dark expanse of his mindscape—that strange dimensional space within his consciousness. This wasn't the royal chamber, but the internal realm he occasionally visited during meditation. This time, however, he'd been forcibly pulled here through unconsciousness.

"I'm alright," he managed, though even forming the words seemed to require immense effort. "How long has it been?"

Claire's spectral form hovered nearby, concern evident in her features. "When you became unconscious, I was pulled out of your consciousness and into this place," she explained. "I can't tell how much time has passed."

This new information fascinated Ambrose, even in his weakened state. Apparently, when knocked unconscious and dragged into the dark expanse, even beings residing within his consciousness—like Claire—were expelled into this shared mindscape. He had theorized about using Parallel Thought to maintain consciousness with one mind while another was incapacitated, but this development suggested such an approach might be impossible.

Ambrose sighed resignedly. With no way to perceive events in the physical world, he could only trust in Hualing's abilities. For now, his gaze drifted upward, toward the mysterious white expanse hovering above the darkness—that enigmatic region he had glimpsed before but never fully explored. Perhaps this enforced interlude offered an opportunity to investigate this mysterious dimension further.