"For... Equilibrium!"
The hooded man muttered, then suddenly looked up, revealing a mechanical face. Crimson electronic eyes flickered with streams of data as he stared fixedly at the four people before him.
"Equilibrium? What is he talking about?"
March was startled by the hooded man's sudden outburst. Her longbow instinctively came up in front of her. Her pink-and-blue eyes looked to Dan Heng, full of confusion. This person... he couldn't be one of those "Cyber Psychos" the people of Punklorde talked about, could he?
"Stay on alert. Keep an eye on the Stellaron's movements behind him."
Himeko released her drone, setting it to reinforcement mode to begin circling the entire area.
"You... are you the trial-takers?"
Waves of data flashed across the hooded man's eyes. Then, hundreds of monsters from Punklorde materialized beside him and launched a fierce attack on the four of them!
"Do we have to clear out mobs every time we fight a boss? Is there a way to glitch past these pre-boss minions..."
Stelle lifted her lance, a weary look on her face. She felt that ever since arriving here, she hadn't met many normal people and had spent most of her time fighting one monster after another... Although every Trailblazing experience was different... these monsters were all the same!
"I'd like to know that too. Maybe it's a tradition among Punklorde's programmers? Using one set of models as a family heirloom?" March guessed, swinging her longbow, her expression unfazed.
"Little March... have you forgotten that you're actually a Preservation unit?"
Himeko, who was busy operating her toolbox and drone, looked at March, who was rapidly transitioning from an archer to a berserker, and sighed helplessly.
"Ah! Ahaha... I totally forgot. Sister Himeko! Take my blessing! Biu!"
March scratched her head awkwardly, then cast a shield on Himeko as a gesture of goodwill.
She had gotten used to fighting in melee recently and couldn't switch back on a whim...
"Sigh..."
Himeko sighed helplessly. Did anyone even remember how well-behaved Little March was at the beginning?
"..."
Dan Heng, who was charging into the fray and slaughtering his way through the monster horde, looked down at his rather thin outerwear, then glanced at March with a hint of confusion.
Shouldn't he be the one getting a shield first?
It wasn't strictly necessary, but you had to protect the main DPS!
Alright, it seemed that after they got back, he would have to play fewer video games with that guy. His recent combat strategies had been completely muddled... It was probably time to delete him from his friends list.
"Wait a minute."
In the middle of the fight, Dan Heng suddenly realized something.
Those Stellaron Hunters... where were they right now?
---o---
"I'm telling you, are we really going to cooperate with this woman? Aren't you afraid she'll turn on you with the IPC later on?"
Having just left the Old District's frontline camp in the Neon Metropolis, Silver Wolf looked at the nonchalant Kafka, her eyes filled with incomprehension. Making a deal with a former Galaxy Ranger, current gang leader, and part-time orphanage director... was this really a good idea?
"Relax, she's not that kind of person. In fact, she's the key to revitalizing Punklorde right now. Little Wolf, you don't want to lose your peaceful hometown in the future, do you?"
Kafka turned her head with a smile and spoke to the still-confused Silver Wolf.
"Tsk, you're so persuasive. Don't persuade me next time. Also, you're making him go do grunt work... is that really okay? Without your Spirit-speak to restrain him, he won't lose control on the spot?"
Glancing at the distant Old District battle lines, Silver Wolf asked with great curiosity.
"Relax. His Mara-Struck state has been suppressed quite well. He was scolded so badly by that Dragon Exalt before, and all he did was break a few game consoles, right?"
Kafka shrugged as if there was nothing to worry about.
"So those weren't your game consoles? Fine, you'll have to compensate me with a few new ones later!"
Silver Wolf pouted, looking thoroughly displeased.
"Alright, alright, I'll compensate you. We'll just deduct the money from Blade's salary. It's not like he spends it anyway."
---o---
Neon Metropolis, Old District Defense Line.
"Burial!"
The members of Phantom Light cowered behind the defensive line, staring in terror at the "monster" on the battlefield, who was currently brawling with those accursed monsters.
"Holy cow, where on earth did the boss find such a monstrous heavy hitter? This one guy's damage output is almost equal to our entire gang."
A member of Phantom Light exclaimed in amazement.
"What are you idiots blabbering about over there? Slacking off to watch the show, are you? Get your asses in gear and fight! If you don't clear out this wave of monsters today, every single one of you will be drinking my ginger beer mixed with milk powder! And you're not resting until you finish it!"
Jack, seeing these little brats pointing and commenting on their "foreign aid," immediately took off the leather shoe he had been wearing for five days straight and started whacking the slackers with it!
"Hey! Hey! Boss Jack! We're sorry! Put your shoe back on!"
"Can that stuff even be drunk..."
"One more word out of you and I'll use my shoe as your cup!"
"We're sorry, we're sorry!"
---o---
"So, how do I get out of here?"
In the void, Wende was boredly using his Chaos energy to perfect the world he had casually sketched out. Yin and Yang complemented each other, forming all things in this world: mountains, seas, plains... whatever he could think of, he created.
Compared to boringly sculpting a world here, Wende was more eager to get out, end this wretched trip to Punklorde, and then go back to the Express to sleep for three days and three nights...
[Oh ho, so now you're asking? Why didn't you ask earlier?]
The system screen appeared before Wende with a very punchable attitude.
"Sigh... If you don't know, just say you don't know. Don't pop up just to taunt me, okay?"
[Tsk, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're a young man, don't be so hostile, alright? I've only said a few words to you, and you're already...]
"I don't want to play with stale memes. Do you really want me to say those two words?"
Wende stared at the system screen with dead fish eyes, his expression blank.
[So annoying.]
"Stop adding drama. How do I get out of here?" Wende said impatiently.
[Sigh, how would I know? Maybe if you continue creating your little toy world, you might think of something and be able to get out?]
The system screen's reply was ambiguous, but it successfully shifted Wende's attention back to the construction of this world.