"We're here!"
As soon as the Astral Express finished its jump, March 7th couldn't wait to rush to the observation window, pointing at the magnificent space structure composed of multiple ring structures outside and shouting.
Only at this moment, the Herta Space Station, which should have been orderly and brightly lit, was flickering with ominous red alarm lights in many places. Small explosions and the flickering figures of Void Rangers could be vaguely seen.
"Get ready."
Dan Heng's voice was as steady as ever, but his fingers tightened slightly on cloud piercer, his sharp gaze scanning the exterior of the space station.
"Got it, Teacher Dan Heng~"
March 7th stuck out her tongue, turned to pick up her longbow, and checked it with practiced movements.
"This time, I'm definitely going to show those hunks of metal how formidable my archery is!"
She looked at Stella, who was standing quietly to the side, patted her chest, and gave a protective smile. "Stella, just stay on the Astral Express and wait for our good news! Dealing with this Anti-Matter Legion, Teacher Dan Heng and I are professionals!"
Stella nodded, silently adding in her heart: That's right, I'm definitely not participating in the battle.
The main reason—I'm a genuine, certified weakling.
Although the "characters" in her system panel could theoretically fight, the rows of glaring "LV1"s kept her very grounded.
Sending out this group of level 1 "little ones" now would probably be like giving a Void Ranger a massage—not even enough strength to tickle them. Instead, they might get wiped out in one hit because they're too squishy, which would be way too embarrassing (even if it's the "character's" face being lost, it's basically her face too).
Therefore, strategic observation was the wisest choice.
"Stay safe."
All Stella could do was offer her sincere blessings.
She hoped they wouldn't get hurt, and also hoped... they wouldn't discover anything that would embarrass her (like a certain "original body" lying in a corner).
"Hehe, don't worry!"
March 7th's smile was full of confidence.
When the Astral Express docked steadily at the space station's emergency port, the moment the airlock opened, Dan Heng shot out like an arrow from a bow, being the first to charge into the slightly chaotic corridor.
March 7th took a deep breath and followed close behind.
As Himeko walked past Stella, she gently patted her shoulder and comforted her warmly, "Don't worry, I'll follow them to make sure things stay under control."
Welt Yang pushed up his glasses, the cabin lights reflecting off the lenses. His steady voice carried a reassuring power: "Rest assured, this is Ms. Herta of the Genius Society's space station, after all. The defense systems and emergency measures are top-notch. It's just a raid by the Anti-Matter Legion; the situation is still under control. You'll be safe staying on the Astral Express."
Stella nodded again, watching them leave.
After the door closed, the observation car returned to silence, with only the faint sounds of Pom-Pom busy in the cockpit remaining.
She walked to the sofa, sat down, and closed her eyes.
Half for rest, and the other half...
Her consciousness sank into the system panel that only she could see, calculating how to reasonably distribute those "adventure logs" as soon as possible, at least to get one or two characters out of the "scrub" category.
——————
Meanwhile, inside the space station.
Dan Heng and March 7th were advancing rapidly toward the Master Control Zone according to emergency instructions.
The scattered Void Rangers along the way were no match for them. Dan Heng's spear shadows were like dragons, and March 7th's ice arrows were precise. The two cooperated perfectly, quickly clearing a path.
"Eh? Dan Heng, look! Is that... someone over there?"
While passing a fork in the road, the sharp-eyed March 7th suddenly pointed behind a pile of scattered crates in the corner.
Dan Heng immediately stepped forward alertly with his spear, pushing aside the obstruction.
He saw a gray-haired girl with her eyes tightly shut, lying on the ground. She was covered in some dust, but there were no obvious external injuries.
Her appearance... was exactly the same as when Stella, who stayed on the Astral Express, used her "Initial Form"!
"She is..."
March 7th covered her mouth in surprise and leaned in for a closer look.
"Wow! She really looks exactly like the form Stella usually transforms into! Stella said this body's name is 'Stelle'! I didn't expect us to meet the... uh, 'original' so soon?"
This phrasing felt a bit odd to her.
Dan Heng knelt down, placed two fingers on the girl's neck, and leaned in to listen to her breathing and heartbeat, his brow furrowing slightly. "Heartbeat and breathing are very weak; she's in a coma. It might be from the blast impact or lack of oxygen. March, get ready to perform CPR, and rescue breathing if necessary."
"Ah?! rescue breathing?!"
March 7th's face turned red instantly, and she waved her hands frantically, backing away.
"I... I don't have any experience! And this is a girl's first kiss... Although saving a life is important, but... Teacher Dan Heng, you're more level-headed, you should do it! You can definitely do it!"
Dan Heng looked at March 7th's panicked expression, as if she were being sent to an execution ground, and sighed helplessly. The situation was urgent; there was no time to worry about that.
He composed himself, trying to clear his mind of stray thoughts. One hand gently supported the back of the unconscious girl Stelle's neck, while the other prepared to pinch her nose. He closed his eyes and slowly moved his face closer...
At the critical moment when his lips were less than ten centimeters from the target—
"Wait! Stop! She's awake! Her eyes moved!"
March 7th suddenly shouted in excitement, frantically pushing Dan Heng's face away.
"Ugh..."
The eyelashes of the gray-haired girl on the ground fluttered a few times, and then she slowly and dazedly opened her eyes.
Her eyes were empty at first, then gradually focused, reflecting Dan Heng's expressionless face right in front of her, and a red-faced, expressive pink-haired girl nearby.
"Who are you..."
Stelle's voice was a bit raspy, filled with the confusion and daze of someone who had just woken up.
Her Remembrance seemed like a chaotic mess, only remembering violent tremors and blinding light at the end.
"Hello! You're awake! That's great!"
March 7th immediately put on her brightest and friendliest smile, rushing to introduce herself, trying to use enthusiasm to dispel the subtle, awkward atmosphere from just now.
"My name is March 7th! He's Dan Heng! We're crew members of the Astral Express! Nice to meet you! You... your name is Stelle, right?"
Stelle blinked, looking at the overly enthusiastic March 7th, then at the cool-headed black-haired young man holding a spear nearby. Her brain seemed to be still rebooting and loading.
"Ah...?"
She let out a confused syllable, completely unable to keep up with the pace.
"Astral Express? March 7th? Dan Heng? These names... seemed somewhat familiar, yet completely unfamiliar."
Who was she? Why was she here? These two people in front of her...
And, how did she know her name?
Looking at Stelle's completely bewildered expression, Dan Heng silently raised his hand and rubbed his forehead.