บท 3: Chapter 3 Regrouping With Alan
"Dan Heng, why are you here and faster than us?" Even though March 7th had calmed down after being startled by Dan Heng, he was still puzzled by Dan Heng's sudden appearance.
"I took a different route and came from the upper floor. I saw you in the control room," Dan Heng replied calmly, glancing briefly at Stelle and Orion Astra.
"Are you checking if we're injured?" Orion thought. Although Dan Heng's actions were subtle, Orion, who could sense memory and emotions, noticed these small changes.
Dan Heng turned his head, saying, "Arlan is also in the monitoring room. He has a minor injury, but he'll be okay."
Hearing that Arlan was safe, March 7th's eyebrows lifted with relief. "You found him... Does Arlan know what's going on with this elevator?" March thought Arlan, being from the space station, might know.
Dan Heng pondered a moment before replying, "Since he's in charge of the Defense Department, he should know."
"Then let's go meet him!" March 7th looked at Orion and Stelle, seeking their input.
Orion nodded in agreement, while Stelle shrugged, showing no objections.
The group then set off for the upper monitoring room.
Orion finally had the chance to see Dan Heng in action.
Dan Heng's weapon was a spear about seven feet long. It was bronze with a thick blade, inscribed with ancient characters Orion couldn't initially decipher. As Orion focused, the once-blurry words became clear.
"Strike the clouds."
Orion's eyes widened as he realized that focusing his mental power allowed him to sense the "spiritual world" of the spear.
Dan Heng expertly struck the gap between the monster's armor with his spear, turning it into a streak of blue light that hit the target precisely.
Dan Heng's movements were precise and efficient, like a hunter quietly taking down his prey.
March 7th's performance was also noteworthy. She and Dan Heng displayed a teamwork that Orion and Stelle had yet to achieve.
March's arrows distracted the enemy, allowing Dan Heng to charge. Sometimes, March's arrows froze the enemy, enabling Dan Heng to finish them off with a single blow.
When March couldn't freeze the enemy, Dan Heng would attract the enemy's attention, allowing March to protect him with a strange light that blocked attacks.
Orion and Stelle didn't need to intervene, and they reached the monitoring room smoothly.
As they approached, the door to the monitoring room opened automatically, recognizing their identities.
Orion saw a boy sitting on the ground as they entered. He had dark skin, short white hair with black tips, rare purple eyes, and an X-shaped scar on his nose. He wore the defense uniform of the Herta Space Station with an ID tag. This must be Arlan.
When Arlan saw the group, he tensed up but relaxed upon seeing Dan Heng. He tried to get up but struggled.
Orion moved closer, offering a hand. "Don't force yourself."
Arlan hesitated but accepted Orion's help. Orion noted the name on Arlan's tag.
"Are you two together?" Arlan asked March 7th.
March 7th cheerfully replied, "Yes, we're both from the Astral Express." She gestured to Dan Heng.
"Did Ms. Asta ask you to come help?" Arlan inquired.
Dan Heng explained, "We just happened to be here. We were returning some relics to the space station when the attack happened."
Orion thought about the situation. "So, we got caught up in an attack on the space station. Dan Heng and March 7th are from the Astral Express, and Stelle is the main character. This might be my chance to join the Astral Express."
"Ah! I found it!" March 7th suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Orion's thoughts.
Dan Heng sighed, "I should have known..." and Arlan looked helpless.
March 7th looked innocent but then smiled.
Confused, Orion looked to Stelle for help.
Stelle noticed Orion's look and, understanding the situation, smiled knowingly.
Dan Heng explained that March 7th had the elevator key all along.
"Well, I have a talent for finding things," March 7th said, smiling at Orion.
Arlan interrupted, "Now that we have the key, let's go quickly. The elevator can be controlled from that console."
March 7th hurried to open the elevator while Arlan, with a grateful look, told Orion, "Thank you; I can stand on my own now."
Orion, seeing Arlan was sincere, let go.
"What's your name?" Arlan asked Orion.
"Orion Astra," he replied, feeling that Arlan might be an important character in the Star Rail universe.
"Orion Astra," Arlan repeated, committing the name to memory.
As March 7th restarted the elevator, Dan Heng took the lead.
"Wait a minute!" Arlan stopped Dan Heng. "I've only opened the elevator on the top floor. You'll need to go up."
Stelle, feeling tired, asked, "Is it really that complicated?"
Arlan apologized, "I'm sorry. For the safety of the main control module and the staff, I need to prioritize them. Please take the detour."
March 7th reassured, "We can manage. The four of us can handle it."
Orion analyzed their situation and felt confident. "Two melee, two long-range. This team is well- balanced."
Feeling uneasy, Orion glanced at his weapon, the Judgment of Shamash, and felt reassured by its power.
The group decided to take Arlan with them, and they set off quickly, encountering minimal resistance.
Arlan was impressed by the power of Orion's weapon, although he seemed concerned about the damage it caused.
They reached a room with a floating card that caught Orion's attention.
"Hey, is that a [light cone]?" Isn't that rare?" March 7th exclaimed.
"No," Dan Heng corrected. "Light Cones are Garden of Recollection technology. Created from refined memory fragments, they can contain not only memories but also experiences and abilities. Because of this, they're under heavy restriction by the Interastral Peace Corporation, but I don't know how Space Station got it."
Arlan added, "These light cones will help in battle."
March and Dan Heng looked at Orion and Stelle. Orion shook his head. "Give it to Stelle."
"Me?" Stelle asked, accepting the Light Cone after seeing Orion's determination.
The Light Cone merged into Stelle, and Orion noticed a new light in Stelle's eyes.
As they reached the exit elevator, Orion sensed danger.
"Be careful—" Orion started to warn, but an arrow interrupted him, heading straight for Stelle.
Dan Heng reacted instantly, deflecting the arrow with his spear.
A dark, centaur-like monster appeared, ready to attack again.
Dan Heng's right arm was injured, making it hard for him to fight.
Stelle moved quickly, taking the front position. March 7th, and Orion prepared their attacks.
Orion's attack hit first, followed by March's ice arrow, immobilizing the centaur.
Stelle's baseball bat, glowing with destructive power, shattered the centaur's armor.
After defeating the monster, Stelle turned to see Orion aiming the Judgment of Shamash at her.
For a split second, Stelle saw Orion's lips form two words...
Meanwhile, in another part of the space station, a woman with red hair watched the surveillance screen nervously.
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