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The Mara-Struck Soldiers' strength was quite decent.
They were positioned above XX Constructs but below the elite Blaze Out of Space monsters.
The only challenging aspect was their...
bizarre resurrection ability.
Even after being defeated,
the Mara-Struck Soldiers could re-emerge and continue attacking.
Caught off guard, Pascal suffered a surprise attack, leaving a wound on his mechanical exterior.
Since the internal circuitry mimicked skin sensation,
Pascal could detect any external damage to himself.
"Pascal, pain...pain..."
With one arrow piercing the enemy, March 7th lowered her bow and asked, "Are you okay, Pascal?"
After killing a Mara-Struck Soldier once, it typically couldn't recover for another round.
The remaining enemies were Wind and Lightning constructs, easily dealt with by the combined efforts of March 7th, Pascal, Stelle, and Serval.
Apart from Pascal, no one else sustained any injuries.
Bochang checked his phone, which displayed the opponent's physical status.
"Don't worry, it's just external armor damage; nothing serious."
As Pascal was a robot, minor injuries posed no significant issue.
In fact, even if completely destroyed, Bochang could still repair him, as Pascal's core data was saved on the phone. If the phone broke, it wouldn't matter either, since Bochang had also uploaded those data to the Astral Express's storage room. As long as the train remained unharmed, creating a second Pascal would be entirely feasible. The only concern might be further straining the already limited intelligence—adding insult to injury.
"That's good. Let's continue our journey," March 7th declared, stepping forward confidently.
After defeating the monsters blocking their path,
Bochang and his team hadn't walked far when they heard a commotion ahead, accompanied by sounds of combat.
"Let's move faster," said Welt-Yang.
The Trailblaze squad swiftly advanced, passing through the Stone Gate... only to witness two Cloud Knights and a fox maiden surrounded by several Mara-Struck Soldiers.
Cornered, their situation appeared dire.
"That's... Tingyun?" Bochang recognized her, although he had not yet reached this point in the game's storyline.
Tingyun wore a distinctive long dress characteristic of Xianzhou, with the most striking feature being her large, fluffy tail. Just one glance at it made Bochang feel an irresistible urge to pet it.
Realizing the situation was dire, Tingyun pondered what to do when she spotted Bochang and others rapidly approaching.
"Hey, you guys! Hurry up and help us!"
As if seeing her saviors, Tingyun's excited fox ears perked up, trembling with anticipation.
The sight of those massive robots instilled a great sense of security.
March 7th, known for his enthusiasm, charged forward without hesitation.
Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit.
To swiftly resolve the battle, both Welt-Yang and Bochang joined in.
Welt-Yang produced the Garden of Eden, manipulating gravity to control their enemies, while Bochang unleashed Dragon Blast.
With the combined efforts of March 7th, Serval, and Stelle,
they eliminated all the Mara-Struck Soldiers on the scene within less than a minute.
Robot Pascal's slow speed proved disadvantageous; it barely had time to engage before the fight ended.
The battle was swiftly concluded.
Everyone now witnessed Welt Yang's formidable strength.
Indeed, he was incredibly powerful. Without his assistance in controlling enemies, it would have been nearly impossible to defeat these monsters that could rise again after being felled within just one minute.
"See? Uncle Yang is pretty amazing, right?" March 7th placed her hands on her hips, as if boasting about her own prowess.
Stelle nodded in agreement, "Definitely impressive."
With the enemies vanquished, the Cloud Knights soldiers urged Tingyun to leave this hazardous area immediately. However...
Tingyun had no intention of departing so hastily and replied, "I understand, but what's the rush? I haven't even thanked our benefactors yet; leaving without expressing gratitude would be terribly rude."
The fox maiden began introducing herself:
She was Tingyun from Xianzhou Luofu, serving as the envoy for the Sky-Faring Commission Merchant Group.
As March 7th accurately stated, this indeed was the location where merchant ships unload their cargo.
With a smile, Tingyun began, "May I respectfully inquire about your esteemed names, honored benefactors?"
"Esteemed names? That's quite formal."
Feeling slightly embarrassed, March 7th rubbed her head and proceeded to mention the names of all members from the Trailblaze squad, except for Pascal the robot and Sophia the familiar.
Tingyun nodded thoughtfully before expressing her own concern. "I see, thank you for your noble assistance. However, there is one matter that remains unclear. The Star Ferry Sea has been completely sealed off, yet none of you hail from Xianzhou. What brings you here?"
It was immediately evident to Tingyun that the individuals on the Astral Express were not locals from Xianzhou.
Even though Welt Yang provided a reasonable explanation, the fox maiden insisted on escorting them to the Sky-Faring Commission to meet Lord Yukong himself.
While she claimed it as an escort, it felt more like being under surveillance; they certainly wouldn't be allowed to leave so easily.
[Dating Options activated.]
[Option 1: Confront Tingyun with, "Is this how you treat your benefactors?" — Completion Reward: Random item, ranging from a matchstick to a star destroyer. Note: Such items will...]
[Option 2: If not now, when would be the right time to flee? — Completion Reward: Xianzhou Wanted Notice.]
[Option 3: Use Steal on Tingyun! — Completion Reward: Tingyun's Bigshot Bag.]
"Option one."
Bochang didn't have much choice.
Three options presented themselves:
One offered a Bigshot Bag, another a wanted notice.
The outcome was clear.
Bochang asked, "Is this truly how you treat your benefactors?"
"Tingyun wishes to properly host our benefactors, but... as outsiders, without Lord Yukong's authorization, who dares to make decisions independently." Tingyun maintained a professional smile, "Fear not, Lord Yukong is very amiable. Please come with me."
The fox maiden left no room for refusal to the Trailblaze squad.
Additionally, two Cloud Knights stood watchfully nearby Tingyun.
While the Cloud Knights were not particularly strong compared to the squad members, causing trouble within Xianzhou was not a wise choice.
[Rewards being distributed—Congratulations! You have received the item 'Banana Peel', which guarantees a slip when stepped on. Note: This item has been stored in the system space and can be directly accessed for use.]
Everyone exchanged glances, their eyes converging on the team leader, Uncle Yang.
After considering briefly, Welt Yang said, "Alright."
And so...
Following a minor setback, with Tingyun piloting the star ferry, they successfully arrived at the Central Starskiff Haven.
They watched as the fox maiden went ahead to report their arrival.
Outside, March 7th grumbled, "Who knew rescuing someone would bring such trouble? If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have bothered."
"It's unavoidable. To her, we're just unidentified suspicious individuals," Bochang said with a resigned expression.
Xianzhou was different from Belobog. Blending in here proved far more challenging than it had been there. Bochang and his team could only passively follow Tingyun's lead.