Chapter 3: Thank You for Saving Me
Clang—!
Alan, wielding a heavy sword, blocked an incoming attack, producing a crisp metallic clash.
"I'll hold them off! You all go on ahead!" he shouted to the personnel behind him.
They fled in panic.
Alan exhaled and faced the several enemies before him.
Then he tossed aside his heavy sword and pulled out the massive gun strapped to his back.
"Try this on for size, you monsters!"
He aimed at the enemies and pulled the trigger forcefully.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom—!!!
The gun roared, like the furious bellow of a colossal beast.
Bullets tore through the enemies like a hurricane, ripping them into shreds.
Apparently, whatever "hot-blooded value" was, Alan had plenty of it.
...
...
Meanwhile, Gu Tang woke up.
After all, it was just a nap; he couldn't sleep for too long.
"Phew... Did I fall asleep?" He removed his headphones, rubbed his eyes, and walked towards the door.
"Time to think about how to meet the Trailblazers. How can I make a good first impression?" he pondered, opening the door.
Standing there was a peculiar humanoid figure.
Its body was covered in black metallic armor, with purple flames blazing behind its head, and sharp blades welded onto its arms.
Negative particles pulsed through its body, exuding an aura of danger and destruction.
It was a soldier of the antimatter legion, a humanoid weapon known as a "Voidwalker."
"Hmm? A new recruit?" Gu Tang asked, looking at it.
Its response was a slash, the sharp blade aimed directly at his neck.
Clang—!
The Voidwalker's arm blade clashed with Gu Tang's neck, shattering instantly. The broken blade fragment flew off.
"You... insolent creature." Gu Tang frowned and slapped it.
Bang!
The Voidwalker's head exploded, fragments scattering as if there were explosives inside.
The headless body fell at Gu Tang's feet.
"Wait a minute, on closer inspection, isn't this an antimatter legion soldier?" Gu Tang finally realized something was wrong.
The space station seemed to have been invaded.
At that moment, a dozen more Voidwalkers appeared around the corner of the corridor, charging towards Gu Tang.
"Hmph..."
Gu Tang grabbed one Voidwalker's arm, shoving its blade into its own neck.
He then clenched his fist, raised it, and smashed downwards, driving another Voidwalker's head into its chest.
Rip—!
The harsh sound of tearing.
Gu Tang had ripped off a Voidwalker's head and hurled it like a cannonball.
Boom—!
The head pierced through three Voidwalkers in succession, fulfilling its purpose before smashing into the wall and shattering into fragments.
These antimatter legion soldiers were as fragile as paper before Gu Tang.
A casual punch or kick was enough to utterly destroy them.
In the distance, a Voidwalker with a different form was wielding a heavy cannon.
While Gu Tang was busy with the front line, it managed to charge up for a few seconds and fired.
Bang!
The smoke-trailed projectile traced an arc, aiming for Gu Tang.
But Gu Tang caught the shell mid-air and hurled it back into the cannon.
Boom—!
The subsequent explosion consumed the Voidwalker's body, the chain reaction obliterating the remaining soldiers into debris littering the corridor floor.
The battle ended with only Gu Tang left standing amidst the wreckage of enemies and the lingering smoke of the explosions.
"It seems something unfortunate has happened..." Gu Tang concluded.
Then, a communication signal came through.
Amidst static and interference, the voice of the station master, Asta, broke through: "Gu Tang... emergency... hurry..."
"Asta, what's the situation? Have you evacuated to a safe place?" Gu Tang quickly asked.
Unfortunately, his voice didn't seem to get through, with only Asta's intermittent voice reaching him: "I've sent the Trailblazers to assist you... quickly... meet them..."
Click, the communication cut off.
Gu Tang blinked.
Huh? My potential friends are coming already?
He looked at the fragments of the Voidwalkers on the floor, the battle marks on his body, and the various cracks on the floor and walls.
"This! This won't do!" Gu Tang clutched his head, muttering to himself.
He had decided he must present himself as a knowledgeable and wise scientist.
But in his current state... he looked more like a berserker!
"I need to clean this up quickly!" Gu Tang rushed back to his room, opening all drawers, closets, and any containers he could find.
Then he gathered up all the Voidwalker fragments and stuffed them inside, locking them tight.
"Damn, too big, can't fit them all." The hands and feet of the Voidwalkers took up too much space.
Gu Tang proceeded to break off the limbs and crammed them into the closet.
Anyone who has had to clean up after a murder would know that handling the scene is the most troublesome part.
Luckily, the space station was in chaos, so he didn't need to clean the hallway; he could blame it on the invaders.
Then, Gu Tang noticed something fortunate.
In the corner of the corridor, a Voidwalker still showed signs of life.
Barely alive, but alive nonetheless.
"Great, great, let me give you a little praise." Gu Tang quickly dragged it into his room.
Footsteps approached from a distance.
Gu Tang's ears twitched.
That sound... not Voidwalkers, but a man and a woman.
Damn, the Trailblazers are here, and so fast.
Gu Tang gritted his teeth, shook the Voidwalker by the neck, and muttered, "Hey! Wake up! Remember the bond with your comrades!"
A few shakes almost killed the Voidwalker.
But the destruction will in its mind urged it to stand, clinging to its last breath.
"Good, just like that!" Gu Tang took a few steps back.
Swish—
The door opened!
Gu Tang dropped to the floor.
A man and a woman burst into the room.
They were met with a wrecked room.
A scientist lay on the ground, his white coat tattered, clearly having been attacked.
In the center stood a ferocious Voidwalker.
"Damn you!"
The girl drew her bow, releasing an ice arrow.
The Voidwalker had no chance to explain; it was instantly frozen.
Then the young man's spear struck, ending its life.
"Are you alright?" The girl with pink hair rushed to Gu Tang's side, extending her hand.
"Thank you for saving me. If you had been a little later..."
The Voidwalker would have really died.
Gu Tang took the girl's hand and stood up.
Her palm was warm, quite unlike someone who fought with ice.
"Don't worry! We'll take care of the invaders soon. Oh, by the way, I'm March 7th, and this is Dan Heng."
March 7th energetically patted her chest, introducing herself.
Gu Tang examined the two.
March 7th had short pink hair, adorned with a four-leaf clover hairpin, wearing blue and white clothes, and holding a mechanical longbow.
For some reason, this outfit seemed familiar to Gu Tang.
Her crystalline eyes, blending light blue and bright purple, radiated pure beauty.
Lively, cheerful, friendly... the essence of youthful charm and sweetness was fully embodied in her.
The other—Dan Heng, from his name to his attire, was clearly from the Xianzhou.
Black hair framed sharp, calm green eyes, exuding a steady, unshakeable calm.
His upright posture, combined with the long spear in his hand, radiated heroic spirit.
"Hello, Dan Heng, March 7th. I'm Gu Tang, a staff member of the space station. Thank you again for your help." Gu Tang nodded to them.
Thus, Gu Tang successfully met up with the Trailblazers.