Just as the two swords clashed, Phainon was pulled from the Light Cone’s memory.
He clutched his throbbing head and leaned against the wall.
Noticing his distress, Dan Heng gently helped him up.
“What’s wrong? Is something off with your body?”
Hearing this, the others all turned their concerned gazes toward the supported Phainon.
“It’s nothing serious.” Phainon, having recovered, gave them a smile.
“Let’s go. The elevator’s just ahead.”
After a quick once-over, Dan Heng determined that Phainon was indeed fine, and they continued forward.
Phainon, lagging behind the group, clenched his fists and looked at the figures ahead, making a silent vow.
“Whether Chrysos Heirs or the Express crew, they are all my companions. I will use my power to protect them. Wait for me, I will definitely put an end to the Black Tide’s corrosion!”
Looking at the empty surroundings, March 7th let out a long sigh of relief.
“Seems like there aren’t many monsters left in the space station. We barely saw any on the way here!”
“March…” Dan Heng suddenly looked at her with a resigned expression.
“What?!” March 7th bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“I’m just saying, my jinx can’t possibly work every single time!”
Before she could finish, an arrow laced with the power of Destruction shot straight toward March 7th, who was facing Dan Heng.
March had little time to react.
Her ice arrow hadn’t even formed, and Dan Heng’s Cloud-Piercer was in no position to intercept.
Seeing this, the memory from the Light Cone surged back into Phainon’s mind.
In the Light Cone, he had been powerless to stop the black-robed swordsman from slaughtering the Chrysos Heirs.
But here, in this place called Herta Space Station, he would never allow a companion to fall before his eyes!
The finely crafted longsword appeared in his hand.
Phainon transformed into a white streak of lightning, charging straight toward the arrow.
With a mighty swing, the arrow deflected from its original trajectory and pierced through the wall behind them.
Focusing his gaze, a metallic, centaur-like enemy roared before them.
Its piercing cry seemed to drill through their eardrums, and its nearly four-meter-tall body exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
“Watch out! It’s an elite of the Legion: Trampler!” Dan Heng summoned Cloud-Piercer and looked back at the four.
“Arlan, you’re injured. Get behind us! March, freeze its legs with your arrows. Stelle, Phainon, follow me in assaulting its front!”
Phainon didn’t hesitate.
His greatsword was already flying toward the Trampler.
“To kindle the flame and save the world, the journey begins with a single step!” The greatsword descended upon the enemy’s neck with the force of a landslide.
Under the heavy blow, even the Trampler’s massive frame was forced to stumble backward.
Seeing his bravery, Stelle raised her baseball bat and shouted, “Rules are made to be broken!”
Then, an ordinary-looking white light enveloped the bat.
With a single strike, she stunned the Trampler.
Seizing the opportunity, March leaped into the air, her hand filled with ice-element arrows.
“So you’re the one who tried to sneak-attack me, huh? Time to taste my power!”
Her delicate fingers released the taut bowstring, and several ice arrows shot toward the Trampler, turning it into a frozen statue under the assault.
“Dan Heng, now!” Knowing her attack had achieved its desired effect, March anxiously looked at Dan Heng, who had been charging up from the side.
Meeting her gaze, Dan Heng nodded.
“This sanctuary is but a vision. Break!”
As Cloud-Piercer pierced through the Trampler, it shattered free from the ice, now on its last legs.
But just as Dan Heng caught his breath, the Trampler suddenly unleashed its hidden power.
It leaped into the air, its hooves gathering the aura of Destruction as it charged straight at him.
“Trying to sneak-attack my companion again, monster?” Phainon’s eyes blazed with fury as he pulled Dan Heng behind him.
“Dawn creates the world, heaven and earth part asunder!”
With that, the longsword in Phainon’s hand shot forward with unstoppable force toward the Trampler.
Even the power of Destruction could not withstand this space-piercing strike.
With a single schwing, the Trampler’s body was cleaved in two by the soaring sword light, its severed edges unnaturally smooth.
Then it dissolved into specks of light and faded from existence.
“Phew…”
Having just gone through battle, everyone was gasping for breath.
Arlan emerged from the side, holding several bottles of water.
“I saw some water in that room over there. I figured you’d all need to rehydrate after the fight, so I brought some over.”
“Thanks, Arlan.” March 7th unscrewed the cap and collapsed onto the ground.
What, you’re wondering why March 7th is so exhausted?
Let me ask you this: isn’t it tiring for a pretty girl to draw a bow?
You can’t just look at Phainon cutting down the Trampler in one swing and say, “Oh, Phainon got MVP, March 7th was just carried to victory!” Let me ask you, who froze the Trampler so they could deal damage?
Answer me!
Sitting beside Phainon, Dan Heng placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Thanks for that back there.”
“No problem, partner.” Phainon waved his hand, indicating he was fine.
Before they could rest much longer, more Voidrangers materialized out of thin air.
Silver Tamperers floated in the air, while Reavers surrounded them on the ground, encircling the group.
“Oh, come on! Sneak attacks are bad enough, but now you’re ganging up on us? That’s just foul play!” March 7th gritted her teeth and raised her bow, the power of ice slowly gathering in her hands.
Warily eyeing the enemies, everyone braced themselves for a desperate fight.
Then, drones with four propellers appeared in the sky.
Within moments, they had eliminated the surrounding Voidrangers, leaving only wreckage behind.
“Great! It’s Sister Himeko! Let’s go!” Recognizing the drones, March 7th knew their patron had arrived.
Under the drones’ cover, the group quickly made their way through the elevator and reached the Master Control Zone.
The moment they stepped out, March spotted a figure in the crowd—a woman in a white dress with long red hair.
She rushed forward and threw herself into the woman’s arms, nuzzling against her.
“Sister Himeko, if only you’d come sooner! If you had, those… whatever-they’re-called Legion monsters wouldn’t have stood a chance!”
“It’s Trampler,” Dan Heng said, holding his forehead as he walked up slowly, looking at the girl in Himeko’s embrace.
He let out a resigned sigh.
“March, I keep telling you to look things up in the Data Bank.”
“Hehehe.” Watching their exchange, Himeko covered her mouth with a light laugh.
“Even if I’d come earlier, it wouldn’t have made much difference. My orbital cannon could blast away a whole wave, but if Lady Herta came back to find her space station in shambles because of me, she’d definitely hold a grudge.”
Turning her gaze to Arlan at the back of the group, Himeko looked him over with concern.
“Are you alright, Arlan? Asta’s been very worried about you.”
“I’m fine. The wounds just need to be bandaged. Thank you all for your help with the space station. I’ll go report to the station master now. Goodbye, everyone.”
With that, Arlan left the group.