When Stelle saw Blade, she was utterly dumbfounded once again.
Honestly, she'd been dumbfounded more times in this single hour than in the entire past month.
Who wrote this plot? I swear, it's like I'm stuck in an early morning class—why would Dan Heng and Blade run into each other at this exact moment?
On one side, a Doomsday Beast; on the other, Blade. This difficulty spike is a bit much!
"Hahahaha, Imbibitor Lunae, it's been so long, I've missed you dearly!"
Blade grinned, grabbing the black sword at his chest. With a forceful swipe, blood sprayed out, coating the entire blade.
"Death's omen approaches!"
Dan Heng's expression grew solemn. He twisted open his gourd, and streams of water rose automatically, transforming into water dragons that swirled around him. The next moment, Blade's Shuhu sword came whistling through the air, aimed straight at Dan Heng's face.
Clang!
The sword's edge met the water streams, producing a metallic clash. Dan Heng let out a muffled grunt and took a step back.
"Stelle, I'll hold him off here. Please go help March!"
Dan Heng moved nimbly, constantly dodging Blade's attacks. "Your combat talent isn't weak. This time, I'm counting on you."
Hearing this, Stelle instinctively tightened her grip on her bat. This version of Dan Heng had clearly been nerfed, though the exact reason was unclear. What was clear was that Blade had surpassed him in combat strength.
In the current situation, Stelle had somehow become the key to the battle.
But was she really going to do this? Fight with a bat? Honestly, Stelle didn't have much experience in actual combat, let alone against elite enemies like these…
Wait, didn't she still have that cheat-like passive ability?
According to that mysterious voice from before, this passive ability was supposed to help her safely navigate through any plot.
…SHe'd have to take a gamble.
Stelle gripped her bat tightly and stepped toward the Doomsday Beast. Her pace quickened, eventually turning into a sprint as she charged at the beast's massive form with all her strength!
In the game, the sense of scale wasn't as direct, but up close, the four-to-five-meter-tall Doomsday Beast exuded an overwhelming presence. Even "Martial March 7th" couldn't gain a decisive advantage in a short time.
Bang!
Whether by coincidence or not, the moment Stelle swung her bat, the Doomsday Beast staggered from March 7th's attack, its head aligning perfectly with the bat's trajectory—
Roar!
The Doomsday Beast let out a wail, immediately shifting its target and charging at Stelle.
Buzz!
In that instant, Stelle felt a warm current surge from deep within her body. The sensation spread through her in a flash, transforming into pure physical strength that flowed into the bat in her hands.
Thud!
Stelle swung instinctively, and the Doomsday Beast's massive body was sent flying, crashing heavily below the elevator bridge before collapsing into a mass of nothingness.
?
Was that me?
Stelle looked at her hands in confusion. When that surge of power coursed through her , she'd felt a resonance from the Stellaron within.
Was that what gave her the strength? But why? According to the original plot, a Stellaron vessel shouldn't have the ability to harness Stellaron power.
Was this her cheat ability?
Stelle began to understand—perhaps the Stellaron was the foundational mechanism ensuring she could "smoothly navigate the plot."
After all, even a genius like Herta couldn't claim to fully understand a Stellaron. Its miracles were numerous: freezing an entire planet, reviving the Ambrosial Arbor cleaved by Lan, serving as the core of Ena's dream…
Each was a feat that pushed the limits of major antagonists across various worlds, yet no one had ever seen the Stellaron's true limits.
Was this some kind of plot-hole-fixing tool? Stelle thought with a wry smile.
"Phew, thanks, Stelle."
March 7th's pink-blue eyes flashed with surprise, her usually cold voice softening slightly. "You were a huge help. We'll talk details later—rest for now. I'm going to help Dan Heng."
While fighting the Doomsday Beast, she hadn't forgotten to keep an eye on her companions. Noticing Dan Heng being pursued by Blade, she'd wanted to assist, but the Doomsday Beast was too troublesome to disengage from quickly.
March 7th didn't know Blade personally, but she'd seen his picture on the Interastral Peace Corporation's wanted list, with a bounty of 8.13 billion credits.
For those bloodsucking capitalists to offer such a price, Blade's danger was undeniable.
"Together."
Stelle gripped her bat tightly. SHe was all-in now—protagonist aura or not, she wasn't afraid of dying.
"Thanks."
The two exchanged a glance and flanked Blade from both sides.
With their assistance, Dan Heng's pressure eased significantly. Even with Blade's exceptional martial prowess, he began to struggle.
This version of March 7th's combat skills were on par with the old Dan Heng, while the nerfed Dan Heng was only slightly weaker than Blade.
As for Stelle, under normal circumstances, her attacks were negligible, but whenever Blade countered, her strength and speed inexplicably surged, allowing her to push Blade back head-on.
Slash!
Under the trio's combined assault, March 7th seized an opening. Her spear struck with precision, piercing straight through Blade's chest!
"…Hahahahaha! When will death come? I'm growing impatient waiting."
Despite being impaled by March 7th's spear, Blade didn't rage but laughed, his eyes gradually consumed by madness. "This splendid scene, though I seek it, I cannot attain…"
Stelle's expression changed. "March, Dan Heng, fall back!"
The two might not understand the significance of Blade's words, but Stelle knew exactly what they meant—this was Blade's ultimate ability line!
Without a moment's hesitation, March and Dan Heng retreated. Almost simultaneously, a torrent of violent sword energy materialized, crimson blade light blooming like a spider lily. The razor-sharp energy left jagged scars on the alloy floor!
If that had hit anyone, it would've been a one-way ticket to the underworld to report to Ena.
"Imbibitor Lunae! You can't escape!"
Blade was enveloped in crimson malevolent aura, gradually consumed by it. Sprouts of vibrant growth even began to spread across his body!
Stelle: ?
Blade finding Dan Heng for a fight in the starter zone and going Mara-Struck from excitement—who came up with this plot? I swear, it's like I'm in an early morning class with no tutorial time!
The key issue was, Blade couldn't turn into a Mara-Struck monster now!
Every Stellaron Hunter was a critical piece in the chessboard of [Destiny]. If Blade went offline prematurely here, Stelle couldn't even imagine how explosively the plot would derail.
"Let your body and mind cool off a bit."
At that moment, a voice brimming with reassurance rang out. A figure appeared behind Blade, somehow passing through the malevolent aura. Holding an oddly styled cane, they lightly tapped it against Blade's forehead.
Stelle: "…Am I supposed to just get used to these bizarre plot twists now?"