Due to the earlier incident of covering for March 7th, Bai Ming received a base reward of 240 Crystals, plus the 100 Crystals from the initial trigger—making a total of 340 Crystals!
Adding the 20 Crystals she already had left, that came to 360 Crystals in total!
360 > 280!
That meant one thing—she had just enough for a pull!
If the goal was to boost immediate combat power, then the choice was obvious: the Focused Supply banner. There, she could potentially obtain a new weapon or a high-tier Stigmata—both massive upgrades for her current situation.
But wait… she was still mid-battle.
Could she really gacha pull right now?
Luckily, Bai Ming's concern turned out to be unnecessary. Even while fighting the Trampler, she could still access her system interface.
A stroke of luck amidst chaos!
Bai Ming leaped up and landed squarely on the Trampler's horse-like body.
"You bastard! You actually tried a sneak attack and you even targeted my March 7th!"
While shouting in anger, Bai Ming's hands moved instinctively, opening the gacha interface with practiced ease. As a seasoned Captain, she could probably do this blindfolded.
Crystals -280!
The familiar shimmer of a summoning circle appeared before her. Her heartbeat quickened.
A 5-star!
Her first ever 5-star Stigmata appeared before her eyes.
[Congratulations on obtaining Marco Polo (Top) ★★★★★]
[Marco Polo (Top) ★★★★★]
Skill — Journey: Increases Physical Damage. When the combo count meets the requirement, Physical Damage is further increased.
Set Skill — Million Traveler
2-piece (Link Envoy): When the combo count meets the requirement, Branch or Charged Attacks deal additional damage.
3-piece (Miracle Tome): When the combo count meets the requirement, periodically restores HP.
"My first 5-star Stigmata!" Bai Ming gasped.
"And it's a perfect fit for [Valkyrie Chariot · White Comet]!"
Although it didn't grant a special Kiana-exclusive bonus like [Roland (Bottom) ★★★★], the damage boost alone was incredible. Without hesitation, Bai Ming equipped it immediately.
"This time, I'm gonna beat you to a pulp! How dare you bully my March 7th!"
The effect of [Marco Polo (Top) ★★★★★] activated instantly.
With each swing, Bai Ming's [Gun Kata] combo built up at lightning speed.
The more hits she landed, the stronger her attacks became—until her strikes resounded with heavy, bone-crunching impact.
The Trampler could barely withstand it.
In the eyes of the others, though… Bai Ming's actions looked downright terrifying.
There she was—glowing in radiant gold, sitting astride the Trampler's body, furiously slamming her baseball bat down again and again on its head. Each strike echoed through the chamber like thunder.
It was brutal. It was relentless. And it looked disturbingly like she was playing whack-a-mole—with the Trampler as the unfortunate "mole."
March 7th: "..."
Dan Heng: "..."
Arlan: "..."
The three exchanged silent looks, unsure how to even react. Someone who could cross a repulsion bridge, take a weapon hit to the face, and now beat a monster senseless with a bat…
Well, at this point, nothing about Bai Ming surprised them anymore.
Unconsciously, though, all three raised their internal estimate of her strength—again.
Back to Bai Ming—
The power of the Stigmata was undeniable.
With [Marco Polo (Top) ★★★★★] equipped, she delivered hit after hit, not giving the Trampler a single chance to counterattack.
Her bat connected with thunderous precision until the once-mighty creature staggered, barely holding itself up.
Victory was within reach—
But then, the golden radiance surrounding Bai Ming abruptly faded. The [Valkyrie Burst] duration had ended.
The force field vanished, leaving her momentarily exposed.
The Trampler seized its chance, letting out a furious roar as it reared up and violently shook its equine body. Bai Ming was thrown off and sent rolling across the metallic floor.
Now free, the Trampler let out a bellow that was far more fearsome than before.
A howling gale tore through the chamber, shaking the walls of the space station.
All four of them—Bai Ming, March 7th, Dan Heng, and Arlan—shielded their eyes from the violent wind.
When the roar finally subsided, deep blue light began to gather in the air. The energy twisted and condensed into humanoid figures—dozens of them.
Seeing this, March 7th immediately drew her bow. "Hey, hey, hey! Calling in backup because you can't win fair and square? That's just dirty!"
Despite her bravado, her feet were instinctively retreating. One or two enemies she could handle. But this many? No chance.
Just as panic threatened to set in, Bai Ming stepped forward and raised her arm.
"A-Qi, stay behind me." Her tone was calm, confident. "Don't worry—I'll protect you."
"Eh…"
March 7th stared at her, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she held her bow tightly.bShe wanted to say something—but before she could, a new sound filled the air.
The whirring of rotating machinery.
From above descended a complex flying machine, its rotor blades spinning with red lights flashing in rhythmic pulses. It wasn't targeting Bai Ming and the others—it was aiming straight for the newly arrived enemies.
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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.
patreon.com/deadlygoober