Although they called it a "centaur," what appeared before them was something far more terrifying.
Its body was sheathed in armor-like plating that gleamed with a cold metallic luster. A turquoise crystal embedded in its left knee pulsed with strange light, its energy radiating through the creature's massive frame.
From its equine body rose a towering, humanoid torso clad in the same dark metal. It looked less like a mythical creature and more like a walking war machine.
Light flickered across its form as it let out a guttural roar and charged straight toward Bai Ming.
"March 7th, help me!" Bai Ming shouted, gripping her baseball bat and rushing forward to meet the charge.
The instant she clashed with the creature, an overwhelming pressure bore down on her. Its front hoof struck the bat with a force that sent vibrations all the way through her arms.
Just from that one impact, Bai Ming instantly knew—this wasn't an ordinary foe.
It was leagues above anything she'd faced before!
"Bai Ming, duck!" came March 7th's sharp voice from behind.
Without a second thought, Bai Ming dropped low and rolled to the side.
A crisp whoosh split the air—March's arrow shot past her, trailing icy blue frost as it struck the creature's raised hoof.
"Direct hit!" March 7th cheered, pumping her fist.
Dan Heng, however, didn't share her enthusiasm. His eyes narrowed. "No. It's not over yet."
And he was right.
The frost spread quickly at first, but within seconds, the creature's violent shudder shattered the ice into glittering fragments.
"Eh?! It broke free?!" March 7th exclaimed, her mouth falling open. "But that was my special shot!"
"Of course it could," Dan Heng said calmly, his gaze steady on the monster. "This isn't a Reaver—it's a Trampler."
"Trampler?" March 7th echoed, blinking.
"It's a product of the Antimatter Legion's 'War Forge,'" Dan Heng explained. "They combine fragments of fallen warriors and ancient beasts into new lifeforms. It has a warrior's intellect, a beast's strength, and its screech can summon Voidlings."
March 7th's expression turned serious. "Got it. Smart and loud. Great."
Meanwhile, Bai Ming couldn't help muttering, "You even know that? What are you, Dan Heng—the encyclopedia edition Pokédex?"
"Huh?" March 7th tilted her head. "Bai Ming, what did you say?"
"Nothing!" Bai Ming quickly waved her hands.
Before they could say more, the Trampler reared back and unleashed a deafening roar.
The air itself rippled. The sound was so intense that it felt almost visible—like waves crashing outward from the creature's chest. Every console, every metallic wall, trembled violently under the sound.
Bai Ming winced. "If we had a high-def screen here, that thing would've shattered it! That roar could fry a graphics card!"
And just as Dan Heng had warned, the Trampler's screech tore open two black rifts beside it.
The rifts pulsed like miniature black holes, expanding until two Void Rangers: Reavers emerged from within, their forms crackling with dark energy.
"Great," Bai Ming muttered. "Now it's a party."
Three enemies.
Dan Heng tightened his grip on his spear, the weapon glowing faintly in response. "Arlan," he called back, "stay behind us. Protect yourself."
Arlan nodded silently. His injuries made fighting impossible, but he could at least stay out of the way.
That left three combatants—Bai Ming, March 7th, and Dan Heng.
A balanced team: Tank, DPS, and Support.
…Well, mostly.
"March 7th, Dan Heng—I'm going in!" Bai Ming shouted, slamming her bat against her shoulder like a rallying cry.
"Got it!" March called back, already drawing another arrow of ice.
With a burst of speed, Bai Ming charged the Trampler head-on. Dan Heng moved in perfect sync, intercepting one of the newly spawned Reavers, while March stayed back to snipe the other.
Activating her [Battle Suit: White Comet], Bai Ming felt her systems hum with power. She adjusted her combat settings—switching [Time-Space Dodge] to [Branch: Time-Space Flicker], drastically shortening her evasion cooldown.
She launched into a flurry of strikes. Her bat slammed down on the Trampler's armored head—once, twice—sparks flying from each hit.
When the creature retaliated with a vicious swing of its hoof, Bai Ming triggered [Limit Evasion] at the last second, slipping through space as the attack whooshed past her face.
In that instant, time itself seemed to distort—[Time Fracture] activated, slowing the Trampler's movements to a crawl.
Bai Ming grinned. "Perfect. Time to farm damage!"
To an outside observer, she looked like a madwoman attacking at point-blank range, chipping away at the monster's armor bit by bit. But for Bai Ming, it was her specialty—death by a thousand scratches.
So what if I can't one-shot you? she thought. I'll just grind you down instead!
The Trampler, however, had other ideas. After enduring her relentless assault, its eyes flashed with rage.
With a loud snort, it conjured a massive, spectral crossbow out of thin air.
Its string drew back with a deep hum, energy crackling along the arrow as it locked onto a new target—
March 7th.
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A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon. Set up for my web novel will be 2 chapters for every book a day and if you go to my patreon you'll see the set up there.
patreon.com/deadlygoober