Sometimes, you really can't judge a person's—or perhaps an item's—true combat power by appearances alone.
Take Bai Ming, for example. On the surface, she looked refined, calm, soft-spoken, and gentle—like a perfectly normal, good-natured woman.
But once the battle began, she was several times fiercer than even Dan Heng.
Mounting the Trampler and hammering its head in? For her, that was just another standard move.
So, when judging someone's fighting ability, first impressions were absolutely unreliable.
After all, even a beautiful mermaid might suddenly unleash a devastating combo chain and summon half a dozen allies to finish you off.
Never judge a book by its cover.
That was the lesson here.
And the strange machine hovering before Bai Ming clearly fit into that category—it was something whose true strength couldn't be measured at a glance.
At first, it didn't look all that impressive.
By Bai Ming's estimate, it was about the size of a large drone.
Well, maybe that was underselling it a bit.
If you took a normal drone and stretched its proportions both horizontally and vertically by about 1.75 to 2 times in Photoshop, that'd probably be more accurate.
Still, Bai Ming was puzzled.
"What is this thing even for?" she wondered aloud.
If it were meant for aerial photography, that'd make no sense inside a space station. And if it were a combat unit, it looked oddly unequipped.
No guns, no missiles, not even a visible energy cannon. The only notable feature was its thick, almost indestructible shell—it looked like even smashing it with a sledgehammer for days wouldn't leave a dent.
"How is this thing supposed to fight?" she muttered skeptically.
Still, since it didn't show any hostility toward her, it had to be an ally, right?
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend!" Bai Ming reasoned optimistically. "And worst case… it can serve as cannon fodder."
But just as that thought crossed her mind, the "cannon fodder" began to move.
At first, it started to spin—slowly.
Not the kind of blinding rotation that screamed "death machine," just… a steady roll. It looked like it was simply rolling itself up.
Bai Ming tilted her head, curious what it was trying to do. The answer came almost immediately.
The machine suddenly accelerated, zipping forward with incredible agility. And when it reached the Trampler—
Its rotation erupted into a blinding blur.
The sound was like a roaring chainsaw, followed by a blinding flash of sparks.
In the next instant, the Trampler—who had just been matching Bai Ming blow for blow—was split open by a massive, glowing gash across its chest.
Electrical discharges burst throughout the chamber as the creature staggered, trembled, and finally collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Bai Ming stood frozen, wide-eyed.
She hadn't expected that.
But the machine wasn't done yet.
After felling the Trampler, it continued spinning at high speed and darted straight toward the other summoned enemies.
One after another, a cascade of brilliant white light and crackling electricity followed wherever it passed.
Within seconds, the horde that had surrounded Bai Ming's group was annihilated—leaving behind a clear path straight to the elevator.
The machine came to a halt right in front of them, hovering calmly as if silently saying:
"Go. I'll handle things here."
Before Bai Ming could even process what had happened, March 7th grabbed her hand.
She didn't look surprised at all—if anything, she seemed to have been expecting this.
"Bai Ming, let's go!"
"Huh?!"
Still half-stunned, Bai Ming blinked.
"What about Arlan?!"
"It's fine! Dan Heng's got him!" March 7th called back.
Dan Heng nodded from afar, Arlan leaning against his arm for support. "You two go first," he said evenly. "We'll catch up."
"Oh… okay…" Bai Ming murmured, still dazed.
"Come on! No time to waste!"
March 7th tightened her grip on Bai Ming's hand and dashed down the cleared path, pulling her along.
---
Inside the elevator.
March 7th and Bai Ming arrived first, breathing hard. Thanks to their agility, it hadn't taken long to reach the platform entrance.
Dan Heng, however, was moving slower—he had to support the injured Arlan, which slowed him down considerably.
Fortunately, the mysterious machine hadn't stopped fighting. It stayed behind, intercepting enemies and shielding Dan Heng's group with its own body, ensuring their safety.
Watching the way it fought, Bai Ming couldn't help but sigh in awe.
"Truly amazing…"
"Bai Ming," March 7th's soft voice drew her attention.
"Hmm?" Bai Ming turned to look at her—and blinked. "Wait, why's your face red?"
"Because…" March 7th met her gaze directly. "I wanted to thank you."
"Huh? Thank me?"
"Yes!" March 7th nodded earnestly. "What you said earlier—when you told me you'd protect me—it was really cool!"
"Eh? R-really?"
"Really!"
Hearing that, Bai Ming's heart fluttered. She rubbed her cheek awkwardly and turned away.
"It was nothing, really! I just… wanted to say it because it was you, March!"
"Because it's me…?" March 7th asked softly.
"Yeah!" Bai Ming smiled, looking straight at her. "I really want March—"
Then she stopped herself abruptly, remembering her earlier vow not to blurt out a confession again.
March 7th tilted her head. "You want what?"
"Nothing!" Bai Ming quickly stuck out her tongue playfully. "Forget it!"
Trying to change the subject, she pointed at the machine still fighting outside. "By the way, March, that thing—what is it? You guys act like you've seen it before."
"Oh, that?" March 7th followed her gaze and smiled. "That's something Himeko made!"
"H-Himeko?!" Bai Ming exclaimed in disbelief.
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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