At this moment, the robotic "Automaton Direwolf" felt a threat from behind, but it was too late to react. First, a wooden sword pierced its lower body, immobilizing it. Then, its head felt like it was buzzing—well, it would have if it had a real head. But Stelle's bat still managed to knock its head clean off, sending it flying as brilliant fireworks erupted from the mechanical head.
In that instant, the head wasn't a head anymore: it was a firework display for everyone to enjoy.
The final blow came as March 7th's ice arrow froze its body, and in the blink of an eye, the once formidable machine was reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
Wait, not just yet—it hadn't become scrap just yet because Pei Guang was already disassembling it, gathering any useful materials!
Pei Guang, eyes gleaming with joy, looked at the now dismantled machine: "Give me a moment: I'm going to salvage its usable parts~"
Despite the three powerful attacks, most of the robot's components were damaged, but that didn't bother him. As long as something looked usable, he would take it. Additionally, he specifically checked the robot's internals for any fuses, taking those as well if he found any.
The speed of the trio's actions left Seele and Bronya, who were watching from not far away, speechless.
Seele: "So this is… their combat style?"
Dan Heng nodded: "From a rational standpoint, their combat style… is rather unique."
Seele: "But what if they had to face an enemy head-on?"
Dan Heng recalled the Doomsday Beast that Pei Guang somehow managed to defeat back at the Space Station. Reflecting on that event, he offered an odd evaluation.
"He has a record of defeating planet-level creatures head-on, but you've seen his usual combat style…"
Bronya: "..."
Seele: "Forget it~ There's no point in thinking too hard about it. All we need to know is that he's incredibly strong. Let's move on."
Although the scene they just witnessed sent Seele's mind into a brief whirl, after seeing it once, she was sure that she'd get used to Pei Guang's combat style in the future. Nothing he did could surprise her anymore—absolutely nothing!
Pei Guang, having finished gathering materials, looked around to ensure there were no enemies nearby, then called out to Stelle and March 7th: "Let's keep moving! The sooner we complete the mission, the sooner we can act freely!"
March 7th: "Yay!"
Stelle: "Yay~"
March 7th looked at Stelle: "How long has this echoing symptom been going on?"
Stelle retorted: "Weren't you the one repeating things earlier?"
March 7th: "That was just a slip of the tongue!"
Stelle: "Mine too!"
March 7th: "…"
Pei Guang: "It's no big deal. It's human nature to echo each other. Let's head to the next location. Let's go! We're the Trailblazer Squad, after all!"
Seeing Pei Guang raise his wooden sword, Stelle and March 7th followed suit, lifting their bat and bow. Dan Heng and Seele, caught up in the lively atmosphere, raised their weapons too—one with a scythe, the other with a spear. Bronya, observing this, felt the urge to join in, but she didn't have any weapon with her.
Noticing Bronya's reluctance, Pei Guang glanced at his backpack and pulled out a rifle. "I just picked this up earlier. See if it suits you!"
"Thanks…"
Bronya took the rifle from Pei Guang, smiling as she raised it alongside the others.
It was peculiar—despite her extensive experience in fighting Fragmentum creatures, which had made her accustomed to combat, this was the first time she felt truly at ease. It wasn't because of anyone's power but rather a simple sense of reliability, reassurance, and confidence in the task at hand.
Just like Dan Heng had said: "You don't need to think too much: just follow his lead."
But after taking only a few steps forward, the entire group stopped in their tracks.
"Wow, that's beautiful…"
Looking at the vast mining area before them, Pei Guang swallowed excitedly. What is the most appealing thing to a player? Is it a buttery-smooth plot, steamy storylines, treasure chests by the roadside, or mineable minerals?
For the people here, these minerals were a symbol of survival. But for Pei Guang, they were irresistibly tempting. Even more so, the locals had already dug out the minerals and left them neatly on the side?
While many players might not enjoy mining, there isn't a player who wouldn't appreciate pre-mined resources. Although Pei Guang had picked up plenty along the way, seeing such a large quantity of minerals made it impossible for him to resist grabbing them all.
As he collected the nearby minerals, he noticed two large robots and a little girl down in the mine.
"Oh! So that's what's going on?"
Following Pei Guang's gaze, March 7th asked curiously, "What's up? Can you figure something out from this?"
Pei Guang, deep in thought, replied, "You wouldn't believe it, but if it were just robots, I wouldn't be sure. But with a little girl involved, this setup is all too familiar."
Stelle: "Go on."
Pei Guang pondered aloud, "What's the story in this newbie area? It's an apocalypse! It's been established that the Supreme Guardian here has lost hope and is set on wiping out the last vestiges of human civilization. And what does a little girl represent in a post-apocalyptic world? Innocence!"
Stelle: "Why not a little boy then?"
Pei Guang countered: "A boy could work too, depending on the story. Generally, when there's a kid involved, the plot becomes predictable. If I'm not mistaken, these are the Geomarrow Mines, where the conflict between the Underworld and the Vagrants comes to a head. Their conflict is bound to escalate into a battle, and most kids with a decent education are quite innocent—especially those raised by machines. This little girl is definitely hoping to stop the fighting and bring everyone together peacefully."
Seele: "Wait, wait, why would a child raised by machines be pure? That guy named Svarog doesn't seem like a good influence."
Pei Guang replied, "Use your head—what kind of malice could a robot have? If it does harbor malice, it's either going to destroy everything or be destroyed by humans. For a machine, right is right, and wrong is wrong—unless it wakes up and digs through the entire world's browser history. Otherwise, it will judge right and wrong based on the moral compass of its creator."
"And kids raised by machines wouldn't have all those cunning tricks. To them, fighting is wrong, and wrongs need to be corrected. My guess is that this little girl saw you guys fighting with the Vagrants and couldn't stand it, so she had the robots help out."
Stelle and March 7th didn't react much to this conclusion, but Seele let out a surprised "Ah!" Is this really a conclusion you came up with while thinking hard? It seems like something that's impossible to figure out by thinking!
Pei Guang looked at Seele: "Don't believe me? You'll see soon enough whether I'm right or not. I wouldn't bet 100%, but I'm at least 70-80% sure."