Chapter 253: They Can Take Care of Themselves

Despite the fact that Noah looked like she was about to burst into tears, she was surprisingly resilient. She quickly recovered, though her sharp tongue remained as cutting as ever.

Even though Mo Chen hadn't asked her to protect him, her shield had still been destroyed because of him. And now, seeing the mechanical structure of her exposed arm, scorched from the heat, he felt a little guilty.

So, Mo Chen rummaged through his system inventory and pulled out a piece of vibranium. Using his nano beam blade, he spent quite a bit of effort—enhanced by his Blacklight Virus's overclocking—just to cut off a small piece.

He walked up to Noah, holding out the vibranium.

"Here, take this. Consider it compensation."

"Hmm?"

Noah lifted her head, her confused gaze flickering between Mo Chen's face and the dull, black lump of metal in his hand.

"Do you think you can just hand me some random rock you picked up off the ground and fool me? Or did you actually hit your head? If so, I'd highly recommend you see a doctor."

She had no idea what she was holding.

Mo Chen was speechless.

This was vibranium. The same metal entire nations fought over, the restricted material even Wakanda didn't export lightly.

And here she was, holding it like some worthless piece of junk.

This kid… really wasn't cute at all.

"Just take it."

Before Noah could protest, Mo Chen shoved the vibranium into her arms.

"Eden has a workshop, right? Get a new shield made and toss your old one. If it doesn't work, then you can give it back."

Before she could even finish processing what had just happened, she suddenly found herself holding a black lump of metal, and it made her even angrier.

"Hey! HEY! Do you really think I'm some kind of clueless—"

Before she could finish speaking, Mo Chen had already turned and walked away.

"Wait—WHO SAID I WANTED THIS?!"

Noah instinctively started to chase after him but hesitated when she felt the weight of the 'rock' in her arms.

It didn't feel like any ordinary metal.

It was completely still—not the slightest tremor, even when she moved. The sensation was... strange.

And—it was lighter than her previous shield.

Suddenly, Noah recalled how Mo Chen had used this very same metal to block Isabel and Indivilia's attacks.

It seemed to be the same thing—just a much larger piece.

She tapped it lightly with her fingers—no vibrations, no resonance, just an unyielding hardness. Even through touch, she could feel its density.

And then she remembered something again—this was the same material that had taken direct gunfire without a scratch.

A suspicious thought crept into her mind.

Could it be… that this really was a high-quality material?

If that was the case… then maybe that guy wasn't so bad after all.

Noah wasn't the type to deny the truth—so she immediately ran after Mo Chen.

Mo Chen turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"What's up?"

Noah took a deep breath—and then, in the most serious tone possible, she said:

"Sorry. You're not a scumbag."

Mo Chen: "???"

What?

Before he could respond, Noah turned and walked away and Mo Chen stood there, stunned.

Was this… some kind of new insult?

Before he could think further, a graceful figure suddenly lunged at him. Startled, he sidestepped instinctively, barely avoiding getting tackled to the ground.

That figure—who else could it be but Isabel?

As soon as she landed, she didn't even bother retracting her light wings. She rushed forward anxiously, completely disregarding her image, checking Mo Chen from head to toe.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you feel any discomfort? If you're in pain, please tell me!"

Mo Chen hastily waved his hands, finding Isabel's enthusiasm a bit overwhelming—especially since she was running her hands all over him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

As he tried to stop Isabel from touching him all over, he suddenly saw her reaching for his waistband.

Mo Chen's face stiffened, and he immediately grabbed her hands before she could go any further.

"Hey—what are you doing?!"

If he hadn't stopped her, she would have actually pulled his pants down.

"I swear, I'm not injured!"

But Isabel wasn't listening at all.

"Please don't be stubborn! Your body is important. Should I call the medical unit? No—I must call the medical unit! Please wait, I'll contact them immediately—"

"Don't!"

Mo Chen cut her off immediately.

The last thing he needed was for a bunch of doctors to swarm him—especially when he was completely fine.

To avoid being "harassed" further, Mo Chen quickly changed the subject.

"I'm really fine. You should check on Noah and the others—they actually got hurt."

To his surprise, Isabel rejected the idea outright—without even thinking.

"They're fine. You don't need to worry."

"But their bodies—"

"It's just a few minor scratches."

"But—"

"Please, trust them. They can take care of themselves. You, on the other hand, need care."

"…Huh?"

Mo Chen was stunned.

I can take care of myself too, you know?!

Not far away, Noah—who had barely started walking away—suddenly froze in place.

Then, she whipped around, eyes wide, breathing heavily, face slightly flushed… from anger.

Unbelievable. This guy just completely threw her aside the moment some beautiful woman showed up.

And—shouldn't SHE be the one getting medical attention?!

Her entire right arm was practically burned away, and even her core had been affected!

Meanwhile, Isabel continued meticulously inspecting Mo Chen, inch by inch, confirming that he had no injuries.

Only then did she finally relax a little—though she was still insistent that he return to Eden for a proper examination.

And if Mo Chen refused to go to the medical unit?

"Then I can personally examine you instead."

"…What?"

"Commander, you are not just an individual—you represent the future of humanity. Nothing is more important than your body…"

She reached out again.

Mo Chen immediately stopped her, cleared his throat, and put on a serious expression—he had decided to have a proper talk with her.

"Isabel."

At first, Isabel froze, but the next second—she cupped her cheeks with both hands, her face turning red with both shyness and excitement, like the fiery glow of the evening sunset.

Mo Chen was dumbfounded.

I haven't even said anything yet?!

While Mo Chen was still processing this, Isabel—twisting and fidgeting in embarrassment—spoke softly.

"This is... the first time you've called my name."

Mo Chen: "…"

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Isabel pulled out a small notebook from who-knows-where.

"I need to write this down properly!"

Mo Chen: "…?"

"From now on, every year on this day, I will celebrate it: the day the Commander and I fell in love!"

"…Huh?"

Mo Chen stood there, completely stunned.

Watching Isabel's over-the-top enthusiasm, Mo Chen didn't feel happy—only deeply unsettled.

This yandere… she's even crazier than in the game.