"That… why do you think Arlan will come to save us? At a time like this, the pressure on the Security Department should be the greatest, right?" Stelle thought for a moment before asking.
According to the normal storyline, Arlan should be the one waiting for them to rescue him at this point.
Uh… it seems like a lot of the plot has already been violated earlier.
"The pressure on the Security Department is indeed great, but Captain Arlan is very strong. Clearing out the Legion's Voidrangers is only a matter of time," Dan Heng explained.
"…The signal, is it from here?"
"Y-Yes, Captain, but the access control here seems to be malfunctioning. We can't open it…"
"Hm, I understand."
Bang!
A conversation suddenly came from the other side of the door. After a brief silence, a crisp shattering sound rang out, and a specially reinforced security door was cleaved open by a heavy sword. As the dust settled, a dark-skinned figure with white hair slowly stepped inside.
"…I'm here."
Arlan's expression was calm, his heavy sword emanating an undeniable chill, as if he were a god of war.
Stelle's lips twitched: What a reversal of the natural order…
When Arlan stands out, he's actually pretty cool.
"Arlan, the Legion's main forces are still here. We're counting on you," Dan Heng said.
"You guys, take the others and leave. The Legion, I'll handle."
"Be careful. There are still a lot of Voidrangers over there," Stelle reminded.
Arlan nodded. "I'll take care of it."
What an inexplicably invincible vibe…
After bidding farewell to Arlan, the trio headed toward the Main Control Segment. The journey was eerily quiet. Apart from the somewhat troublesome process of restarting the elevator's operating system, not a single Voidranger appeared to disturb them.
It felt a bit too smooth.
"By the way… is Arlan really going to be okay on his own?"
Having restarted the elevator's operating system, Stelle asked with some concern. Only when she entered the game and saw those Voidrangers with her own eyes did she realize just how terrifying these enemies—usually treated as roadside fodder to be cut down—truly were.
They were monsters without pain, without fear, their entire bodies designed as weapons of slaughter.
"Don't worry. This is, after all, Herta Space Station. To serve as the security captain under an Emanator's command, Arlan's strength is unquestionable," Dan Heng explained.
"But… the Legion's numbers are enormous. For Arlan to clear this place so thoroughly in such a short time does seem a bit strange."
Stelle shrugged helplessly. Just as she was about to step into the elevator, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly struck. A massive figure emerged from the space ahead, lunging straight for her vitals!
It was a Doomsday Beast!
I'm done for!
The thought had just surfaced in Stelle's mind when her body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the wall.
"Stelle!"
March 7th's beautiful eyes narrowed, her gaze turning sharp. A long spear materialized in her hand, and she immediately engaged the Doomsday Beast in combat.
Dan Heng, meanwhile, rushed to check on Stelle's condition. His bronze gourd appeared in his hand, ready to heal Stelle if needed.
"My whole body feels like it's falling apart…"
Stelle's small face crumpled in pain as she struggled to get up from the ground. SHe had to admit, the body of a Stellaron vessel was remarkably durable. A blow like that would have sent an ordinary person straight to the emergency room.
"Are you okay?" Dan Heng asked.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Stelle picked up her bat, gritting her teeth. "Let's go help March!"
"Okay…"
Dan Heng responded with a single word, then suddenly froze, his expression sharpening as he stared intently in the direction they had come from.
"Dan Heng? What's wrong…"
Stelle noticed this and followed his gaze, only to freeze in place as well.
A few minutes earlier.
"Sorry, Blade, Sam's making a lot of noise, so we can only rely on you to clear out the Legion's fodder," Firefly said with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Along the way, it had mostly been Blade doing the heavy lifting. The moment he saw a Voidranger, he'd dive in and start trading blows without a word. His fighting style was extremely straightforward and brutal.
Voidrangers generally weren't very intelligent. Their combat style revolved around trading injuries for kills, with no concept of "death," only a relentless drive for destruction.
Blade's fighting style was similar. Since he couldn't die, he abandoned defense entirely for an even simpler and more efficient approach. He silently traded blood with the enemy—one stab from them, one fatal slash from him.
By the end of it, only Blade's clothes had suffered.
"…Hmph, stop wasting words. Hurry up and find her. Once we confirm her safety, we leave immediately," Blade said coldly.
"Mm."
The two pushed forward relentlessly until they neared the central elevator. Then, a loud thud rang out, as if something had crashed into the wall next to them.
—"Stelle!"
A cry of alarm came from behind the wall, causing Firefly's gentle face to darken instantly.
Stelle? What happened to her? Was she in trouble? Who did this? Do they have a death wish?
And who was the person speaking just now? That single word carried urgency, anger, concern…
No, no, no, the priority now is ensuring Stelle's safety, right? Even though Sam's commotion would be loud, the situation didn't seem to allow for hesitation. Should she just activate Sam and crash through? A few centimeters of reinforced wall—nothing she couldn't smash through easily…
Beep!
Blade paused for only a moment before immediately locating the access panel for the central area and pressing the switch.
"You can get in from here," Blade said, unusually verbose.
"…"
"Firefly."
"…Huh? Haha, sorry, Blade, I spaced out for a second."
"…Tch, try to stay focused during the mission, or you'll only hold your teammates back. Do you understand?" Blade scolded with a stern face. "Not just for me, but for all of us—for the Stellaron Hunters."
"Sorry, you're right to call me out."
The two cautiously stepped through the door. Once inside, Blade instinctively scanned their surroundings for threats. Then, his gaze locked onto a certain unforgettable cold-faced dragon.
"Phew, it looks like Stelle is still safe. With those two from the Astral Express protecting her, one Doomsday Beast shouldn't be a problem," Firefly said, letting out a relieved breath. "Blade, shall we go?"
"…"
"Blade?"
"…Hmph, hahahahaha, hahahahaha!!"
Firefly: ???
Wait, what's going on? Firefly followed Blade's line of sight and saw Stelle and Dan Heng.
Her heart sank, realizing the situation was bad. Before this mission began, Kafka had repeatedly warned her—absolutely, under no circumstances, should Blade and Dan Heng from the Astral Express cross paths. If they did, no ordinary person could suppress Blade's Mara-Struck state.
"Blade, calm down! You just said we need to stay calm, or we'll hold our teammates back!" Firefly grabbed Blade's arm, trying to pull him outside. "Calm down!"
Blade laughed maniacally. "Is that so? Unfortunately…
"When the Mara flares, I become someone else entirely."