“An opponent with the power to destroy a star—we wouldn’t even have a chance to resist.”
“Fourth-level starcapable… no, it should be close to fourth-level. Otherwise, facing…”
Lin Zhen muttered to himself.
He had long sensed that Dark Dust’s strength was extraordinary, far greater than Yun Ruoxi’s when he’d met her a month ago.
Now, after hearing Luo Tuo’s explanation, he finally understood the enemy’s true level.
“Even if she’s only close to fourth-level, we’re no match!” Luo Tuo said excitedly.
“Even with the Crab Wall, there’s nothing in the Dark Swamp that can stop her. We have to notify the National Guardian Crab General immediately to halt this monster.”
“Calm down.”
Lin Zhen rubbed the terminal on his wrist.
“Even if we’re no match, do you really think you can escape from a star energy user approaching fourth-level?”
Luo Tuo’s breath caught, and his expression turned dejected.
He knew Lin Zhen was right.
Unless Lin Zhen and the others were willing to sacrifice themselves to cover his escape, and the enemy lost interest in him, he wouldn’t get away.
And who in this world would sacrifice themselves for a stranger?
“Don’t give up hope just yet.”
Lin Zhen moved his right hand away from the terminal on his left wrist, his eyes flickering as if he’d received some news.
“The Dark Swamp is making such a big commotion. The Guard Army can monitor the high altitudes—there’s no way they don’t know what’s happening here, right? I’m asking you, if they send out a distress signal, how long until reinforcements arrive?”
A glimmer of hope flashed in Luo Tuo’s eyes as he answered quickly.
“That’s right! I must have panicked—I even forgot about Officer Brody. There’s always a National Guardian Crab General stationed at the Starport. If they receive the message and come by spaceship, it’ll take at most ten minutes.”
Lin Zhen murmured softly.
“So… we just need to hold out for ten minutes?”
He looked at the pitch-black mecha—Dark Dust—emerging from the block of ice and now standing before them.
Ten minutes…
If his guess was right and the enemy’s goal was really to capture him alive, not kill him…
Then if he threw everything he had, holding out for ten minutes might not be impossible!
‘I’ll bet on it.’
“Luo Tuo, take my companions to find the Guard Army. Have them activate the Crab Wall and give me full support,” Lin Zhen said.
“Support you? You’re going to…” Luo Tuo understood, but still asked incredulously.
“I’m going to…”
Lin Zhen lowered his eyelids, his gaze cold and sharp.
“Hold him off for ten minutes.”
“A Zhen, you can’t take him alone!” Zi Jiu shook her head and stepped forward. “Let me stay with you.”
“Count me in. We advance or retreat together,” Anvil said through gritted teeth.
“I can’t afford to lose anyone else.”
Aili gripped two massive blood rings, one in each hand.
Lin Zhen looked into the distance.
Perhaps because the mecha itself had been affected by the low temperature, Dark Dust’s body was half-covered in frost, emitting cold air, and its movements were much slower than before.
That gave him a little time to explain.
“Listen to me.”
Lin Zhen lowered his voice, speaking just loud enough for the four of them to hear.
“Dark Dust’s target is me! Doctor Forefinger wants her to capture me alive!”
“As long as I’m here, I won’t be in mortal danger. But if you all stay with me, that changes!”
“But what if you get caught…” Aili hesitated.
Lin Zhen took a deep breath, then said.
“If I do get caught, then you all have to keep fighting to rescue me and Xiao Xi.”
“That’s why I need you to leave this place…”
“One spark must not be extinguished! A single spark can start a prairie fire!”
“Is that a translation, or the original line?”
“And here I thought the Production Team had someone from our prison.”
“Just figured that out? ‘Starfall’ is full of our elements. Sometimes the Chinese version is even better than the foreign one.”
“Understood.”
Aili nodded. It wasn’t Lin Zhen’s “single spark” speech that convinced her, but the sudden realization that staying here wouldn’t help—only bringing enough strong reinforcements could defeat the enemy.
“Alright, then leave now. I’ll hold him off!”
Lin Zhen raised his right hand, pointing his index finger at the sky, and walked deliberately toward Dark Dust.
Step by step, he moved slowly, as if waiting for something.
Just then, the altered ending theme of Starfall quietly slipped in, signaling that the third episode was drawing to a close.
While the audience lamented the wait, they also teased Lin Zhen for showing off so blatantly for the first time in two seasons.
“Gotta wait another week. The progress bar is in danger!”
“??? You’re the Grand Master of Heaven’s Mandate too?”
“Lao Zhen’s such a show-off. I can’t take it.”
“I’m begging you, please.”
“Begging won’t help. You have to get in line.”
“I’m waiting for the BGM boost. What are you waiting for?”
“Lin Zhen, assembly line worker #3! 2025 Doll Factory Assembly Line Rising Star, Show-Off Production Line!”
“This way!”
Luo Tuo scanned the battlefield, then led Zi Jiu, Aili, and Anvil around from the side.
Along the way, they couldn’t help glancing at Dark Dust—and accidentally met the gaze of the crimson light mass on its visor.
Their hearts raced in panic at being seen, their limbs turning cold as if a terrifying beast had locked onto them. They feared Dark Dust might stop them from leaving.
But luckily, in the next second.
The two crimson light masses shifted away from them and landed on Lin Zhen.
Capture Lin Zhen, kill Chatosi—the Canary AI’s orders were clear: prioritize Lin Zhen.
So whether they left or not didn’t matter.
Of course.
Yun Ruoxi was also happy to see Aili and the others go.
Her persona was a weapon for gaining traffic, but now it had become an invisible shackle.
Until everything was over.
She couldn’t do anything out of character.
So if Aili and the others really tried to fight to the death, she wouldn’t be able to hold back like before.
She wouldn’t actually kill them, but to crush their will to fight, she’d have to break their arms and legs.
Even though she could heal those injuries.
But unless necessary.
She really didn’t want to be so cruel to her former companions.
Still, at least they were leaving.
Even though she had turned everything upside down even before the second season began, the plot was still roughly following the rough outline. That was good.
Yun Ruoxi breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Lin Zhen, who had assumed the overly showy pose of pointing one finger at the sky.
This guy…
After five years, had he become such a flashy peacock?
He was already twenty, a grown adult…
Well, he was the protagonist, so he had to show off a little.
Let me see how you’ve grown in these five years, and what special trump card you have as the protagonist that makes you confident you can hold me off for ten whole minutes.
Yun Ruoxi didn’t dare let her true emotions leak through this body, so she let her excitement show on her doppelganger instead.
Besides, there was no shot of her doppelganger now.
In the jungle, the gray-haired girl—Yun Ruoxi’s doppelganger—rubbed her lips with a slightly twisted expression.