March let out a breath of relief, lowering her bow."Whew, Himeko! What took you so long? That last wave of Antimatter Legion came at us like a swarm of locusts! Ever tried shooting locusts with a bow?"
Himeko gave a small smile, adjusting her coat."What's the difference? My orbital cannon could've wiped them out in one shot… but I couldn't exactly blow up the space station. Herta wouldn't be too thrilled about that."
She turned toward a young man clutching his side."Arlan, are you alright? Asta's been worried sick."
"I'm fine," Arlan replied, wincing slightly but standing tall. "A quick patch-up should do. Thanks for asking. I'll report the situation to Lead Researcher Asta immediately. Goodbye."
Himeko watched him go, then approached two newcomers—Fan and Stelle."Nice to meet you both. I'm Himeko, navigator of the Astral Express."
March grinned and added, "In other words, she's the one who decides where we go."
Himeko smiled. "March hasn't been too much trouble, has she?"
Fan shrugged, his tone light. "Not really. She makes a pretty good shield when things get rough."
March laughed. "Hey, I have to protect the weak, you know"
"I'm not weak," Fan shot back. "I just… don't have a weapon, like I said."
But in the back of his mind, Fan couldn't forget—he had the Minecraft mechanic. Without weapons or armor, he was fragile.
Himeko glanced over her shoulder."Come on. Asta's been worried about all of you."
Together, the group made their way to the command center, where Asta stood in front of a glowing console, her expression tense.
"Projectile radar tracking: normal. Telemetry signal frequency: unusually high… Maintain at normal levels!" she called out.
The team assembled behind her just as the console pulsed again.
"Our measurements predict the Legion will unleash over ten waves of continuous attacks," Asta warned. "Everyone, brace yourselves!"
March stepped forward, her voice light but reassuring. "Asta, we're back."
Asta turned, her face lighting up with relief."Thank goodness you're safe. Arlan filled me in on what happened in the storage zone… and about his injury. Thank you. All of you."
Dan Heng stepped forward, ever direct."What's the current situation on the space station?"
Asta quickly explained the tactical layout, incoming threats, and remaining defenses. Meanwhile, Fan's eyes caught a flicker on his interface—[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Starter Pack Acquired]
His eyes widened, a grin creeping onto his face. Finally.
[Trail Pack – One-time-use ability booster. Temporarily gains a single ability of your choice for 10 seconds. Once used, cannot be reactivated.]
He tapped the notification eagerly.
[temperory enchance card unlock can be used on a ability to enchance it for 6 seconds]
Fan's heart skipped a beat. With this, he could supercharge something like Power Word: Kill—instantly kill a high-HP enemy, just like in Baldur's Gate 3. The possibilities were endless.
a harsh alarm blared through the command center. The room fell silent.
A projection display blinked to life.
A massive, Antimatter Legion monstor loomed on the station's barrier, monstors hand trying to break through the barrair.