Read The Legendary Mechanic - Chapter 856 - Fakisen"s Plan online free - Novel Full
Chapter 856 Fakisen"s Plan
As hyperdrive streams of light dashed across the dark cosmic space, the traces left by the Arcane Church fleet in retreat awoke the dynasty's surveillance buoys one after another, not hiding their movements even a little bit.
Inside the Glorious Sun Grade main ship, the five Beyond Grade As including Sagman and Psyker gathered and looked at the fleet commander, Rogue, whose eyes never shifted away from the star map.
"Planet Lighthouse is at the edge of the Dawn Star Cluster and very close to the desolate universe belt. If we continue to retreat at full speed, we will get out of this security perimeter very soon," Rogue said with a deep voice.
The transmission of energy and light took time; given the sheer size of the universe, plenty of remote detection methods had delays. Transmitting real-time information through quantum communication technology was one of the more common methods used. However, the universe was way too large. There was no way the dynasty would be able to deploy surveillance buoys in every corner of the cosmic space. The security perimeter usually spread out from the stronghold planet as its center with diminishing density of surveillance buoys as the distance increased.
At this time, the Arcane Church had already escaped to the exterior security perimeter of Planet Lighthouse and was entering deep into the desolate universe belt. With absolutely no time to spare, clearing out the buoys was meaningless; they would be located in the end anyway. Therefore, Rogue did not mind the fact that their route was exposed to the dynasty. After all, he was not going to go straight to the secret stargate.
The plan was to enter stealth mode in an area with little to no buoys in the desolate universe belt so that they could get rid of the dynasty's direct surveillance. They would then split into hundreds of groups to make detours before heading to the secret stargate.
This way, a large number of the groups would be considered as abandoned. The moment their fleet departed, the location of the secret stargate had shifted. The original secret stargate location was abandoned, but this information was not updated on the star map. The only people who knew about this were the core members such as Rogue and the Beyond Grade As. This was to prevent the other groups from leaking the location of the secret stargate if they were captured by the dynasty.
Of course, these other groups were not completely abandoned; they were smoke screens. When Rogue, the Beyond Grade As, and the core groups successfully escaped, only then would these other groups be told the real location. That way, even if the location of the secret stargate was exposed, the impact would be much smaller. After all, they could destroy the stargate anytime to prevent further damage or even make those groups return from the desolate universe belt—their time was not precious at all.
"Quickly, the risks we're taking increase every minute we spend in the Flickering World," Sagman said.
"If all you can say are useless and meaningless things that everyone knows, you'd better stop speaking. Thanks to you, the risks we're taking now are completely meaningless!" Rogue did not hold back at all. His tone had traces of rage.
He had just reported the battle results to the Bishops, which had earned him a massive scolding. With the thought of his future not being the brightest in mind, he could not help but feel a rage boiling inside him. Hence, he was not in the mood to hold his emotions back toward these Beyond Grade As who had caused this operation to fail.
Getting so bluntly yelled at, Sagman's skin tightened. He thought about it for a second but did not say anything. It was true that the Beyond Grade A battlefield was what had decided the outcome and led to this failure, so he was indeed somewhat to blame.
The other four did not say anything either. They were now all on the same boat fleeing in the dynasty's territory, so no one had time to mind Rogue's disrespect.
Psyker's face looked the worst. Thinking of the fact that his friend, Dylan, was now in the dynasty's hands made his mood extremely horrible. He could not be bothered with anything else.
Seeing that no one spoke, Rogue snorted and said, "The dynasty is definitely dispatching troops to block our escape route. However, you need not worry too much; this is just a fake route. Also, most of the dynasty's fleet nearby went to support Planet Lighthouse, and it will take some time for the more distant strongholds to send out fleets. Therefore, even if we happen to be blocked, we can easily eliminate whoever's on the way. The only thing we need to worry about is the dynasty's Beyond Grade As chasing after us. According to the current situation, Tarrokov will wait for the reinforcements to arrive before making moves. Pity, I almost thought we could lure them in and set up a trap…"
While Rogue analyzed the situation, Sagman and the others were discussing the situation privately through psychic communication.
"Given the size of the fleet, we'll still be just as conspicuous even if we split up. Maybe we should leave the fleet and take mini spaceships. That's stealthier," Taylor said.
"We can consider that, but let's talk about this after the main fleet splits up."
When fleeing, the survivability and stealth of a Beyond Grade A acting alone far exceeded moving together with the fleet. As individuals with great powers who were not affected by the harsh environment of space, if they randomly hid on a desolate planet, no one would be able to find them.
This was especially true for Ninjia and Taylor, who had mastered forbidden spells. Without the enemies' interference, their teleportation spells were among the best abilities for escaping.
Rogue was worried that they might be chased by the dynasty's Beyond Grade As, so he wanted to keep Sagman and the others around. What he did not know was, Sagman and the others were also thinking about using the main fleet as bait to draw the dynasty's attention.
In another direction, the Fallen Ark's fleet was also retreating at full speed.
Due to the sudden rupture, EsGod's fleet had cut off contact with the Arcane Church. Without any communication channel, the two of them did not know each other's whereabouts at all and only focused on escaping on their own.
However, EsGod had one advantage. They had forced their way in from the exterior security perimeter, so they had deliberately destroyed quite a number of surveillance buoys on the way. This had caused some areas to be blind spots, which assisted in their escape.
Inside the main ship's command room, Fakisen looked away from the star map and turned to the EsGod doppelganger beside him.
EsGod's main body had already found an enclosed room to undergo evolution, and no one knew how long that would take. Before EsGod started his evolution, he had created some doppelgangers to protect himself and monitor the movement of the fleet.
EsGod was wary of everyone. Even his helpful assistant who had accompanied him for a hundred years, Fakisen was no exception. In times when his main body was the weakest, the only person he really trusted was himself.
"He still doesn't trust me…"
Fakisen's spike-filled tongue licked the blood-red metal mask that covered the upper half of his face, making an annoying scratching noise. Air pumped out from his nose like he was sneering.
Right in front of EsGod's doppelganger, Fakisen lifted his dry brunch-looking four arms. Purple fog flew out from his dark purple skin, forming a sphere in midair.
Then, he summoned a subordinate and gave the orb to him. "Empty an ordinary battleship, remove its energy core and AI system, and leave it as an empty shell. Put this orb inside that spaceship, then abandon it and let it drift around on the path we passed by. The dynasty troops chasing us will discover this spaceship."
The EsGod doppelganger turned to him and said coldly, "What are you trying to do?"
"Hehe…" Fakisen's laughter was eerie. "I'm planning to contact the dynasty…"
Bang!
The moment he said that, the EsGod doppelganger immediately grabbed him by his neck and lifted him up, pressing him against the wall.
"Are you selling me out?"
Although his throat was grabbed by EsGod, Fakisen was not afraid at all. Instead, he laughed even louder. "Hahaha, I'm planning to work together with the dynasty. If they can give us information about the Arcane Church, we can send some of our people to intercept them. They're pawns anyway. We're the closest to the Arcane Church. With our help, the dynasty will be able to drag the Arcane Church back more efficiently."
"There's no need for that," the EsGod doppelganger said coldly.
"No, there definitely is a need. The dynasty surely wants to fight the Arcane Church more than us. There are many Beyond Grade As over there, which makes them much more valuable. If the dynasty can capture them, the Arcane Church will lose close to half of their Beyond Grade As. The dynasty will not give up such an amazing opportunity to cause damage to the Arcane Church. And when the dynasty puts their focus on the Arcane Church, Your Excellency EsGod, the pressure you face will be much smaller. Hehehe."
Fakisen's tone was filled with mockery as he continued, "After fleeing at such a crucial moment, the Arcane Church is definitely going to hold a grudge against us for it. When we return to the Central Galaxy, we're going to face both the Crimson dynasty and the Arcane Church. If we do this, not only will the dynasty be less furious at us, the Arcane Church will be weakened too. This means that the Beyond Grade As you'll have to face will be much fewer. Furthermore, if the Arcane Church do suffer such an enormous loss, they probably won't have chance to come make trouble for us any time soon."
The EsGod doppelganger asked, "How do I know you're not going to sell out my location?"
"Hee, if Your Excellency is not assured, please leave an EsGod doppelganger in that empty spaceship all you like, to monitor the communication between me and the dynasty. If you think I sold out your location… Hehe, I'm right here. You can kill me anytime."
The EsGod doppelganger stayed silent for a while before suddenly saying, "I'll leave a doppelganger behind to negotiate with the dynasty. You don't have to participate in it."
Although this idea Fakisen had was strange and sudden to him, he thought it did indeed make sense. After all, even if the negotiation went south, it would just be a doppelganger getting eliminated.
"Hehe, that'll do too."
As the EsGod doppelganger let Fakisen go, he landed on the ground, rubbed his neck, and called a subordinate over. He broke the fog orb that he had just made apart and absorbed the fog back into his body. Then, he acted as if nothing had happened and continued to observe the star map.
No one could see Fakisen's eyes under the blood-red mask that covered the upper half of his face, and no one knew what he was thinking… Speaking of which, no one actually knew how he saw with his eyes covered.
The intense battle at Planet Lighthouse had ended, but this whole thing was far from over. Under Tarrokov's command, the dynasty's fleets started their pursuit of the Arcane Church and the Fallen Ark's fleets.
Before the shock, confusion, and curiosity of the army players who flocked to Bun-Hit-Dog's posts broadcasting about the battlefield's turn of events dissipated, a new mission popped up on everyone's interface.
Before this, the Black Star Army players only knew that Planet Lighthouse was attacked, there were around ten Beyond Grade As fighting, and their army commander Black Star was one of them. As for the identity of the attackers, the cause of this incident, or anything else, they had no idea at all.
This mission, however, explained all this and brought even more shock to the players.
The Crimson dynasty Order: All Out Pursuit
Mission Introduction: In order to obtain the Evolution Cube and cause conflicts, the Arcane Church worked together with the Fallen Ark and attacked the dynasty's outpost in the Flickering World. There were seven enemy Beyond Grade As. However, with the help of the dynasty's ally Black Star, Milizaus, Beyoni, and the friend invited by Black Star, Austin, we successfully defeated the enemies! Currently, these two fleets are now fleeing in the Flickering World. All forces are hereby dispatched to pursue the enemies and uphold the dynasty's dignity—Crimson Dynasty Exploration Army Chief Commander, Tarrokov.
Mission Requirements: Chase after the Arcane Church and the Fallen Ark's fleets, find out their whereabouts, and eliminate their men to the best of your ability.
Rewards will be given after the mission ends depending on your performance.
Knowing what had happened, the Shattered Star Ring page on the forums exploded.
"The Arcane Church attacked the Crimson Dynasty? Are the Universal Civilizations going to start a war with each other‽"
"No wonder as many as eleven Beyond Grade As appeared in one huge fight. That's the reason behind it. Is the Army Commander okay? Is he still alive?"
"Their target is the army commander's Evolution Cube, so this was actually caused by the army commander, huh?"
"Damn, targeted by a Universal Civilization yet managed to force them away, awesome!"
"The Black Star Army is the Crimson dynasty's ally. Does that mean that the army is now also the Arcane Church's enemy?"
"I've got a feeling that something huge is going to happen!"
This time, Bun-Hit-Dog snatched up the first-hand information. Under his post, countless players came to comment. Dozens of new comments were appearing every second, which made him extremely excited…
Following Black Star was indeed the right choice. There was explosive news every now and then!
After the initial shock, many players were thrilled. After experiencing three versions, they had discovered some patterns—the things happening in Galaxy were connected, and they influenced each other. This was an extremely orderly system. One could actually use logic to predict some of the possible incidents that might happen in the future through the intelligence and news of the various areas.
This incident involved the three largest civilizations, so it was not a small matter by any means. If the two sides went at each other, the storyline would definitely be huge.
Some people speculated that this attack might have been an early sign of a future main storyline.
Or it might even be the main storyline of the next version.
It was not impossible.
As this kind of speculation spread on the forums, some people made different speculations saying that this might be connected to what would happen during the version update period and would only appear in the next version in the form of a background introduction. Many also agreed with this.
Due to Han Xiao's past actions, the Chinese players in the Shattered Star Ring had developed a habit of guessing the large-scale storyline of the versions. The Australians and Russians from the Constellation Corridor joined in on the discussion, too, mixing into this atmosphere filled with excitement.
While all kinds of speculations circulated the forums, the Black Star Army were not just occupied with arguing on the forums but also took part in the pursuit.
Although most people were too far away and could not make any contributions, the army players were used to participating in large-scale Faction Missions together as a whole. Furthermore, this mission did not have a failure condition, so they would probably receive the minimum reward as long as they made an effort to chase after the enemies.
The Flickering World was still in a state of information lockdown; its network was not fully connected with the known universe yet. Other than the ones involved in the matter, the other forces in the outside world still did not know what had happened in the Flickering World.
The players were the first group of outsiders that knew about these secret pieces of information. This time, the forums displayed its unique information advantage—while the outside world did not have a clue about this matter, almost all the players knew about what had happened on Planet Lighthouse!
The forces of the three civilizations were spread across the entire explored universe. Their influence was incomparable. No matter which Star Field the players were in, they could all feel the intense and uptight atmosphere. They all looked forward to seeing what kind of tremendous impact this incident would cause after the outside world knew about it!
On the other side, Tarrokov's main fleet took off from Planet Lighthouse to chase after the Arcane Church. The five Beyond Grade As—Han Xiao, Milizaus, Beyoni, Heber, and Ravenlaude—were working together on this very rare occasion.
Not long after departure, the high-level official who was responsible for the dynasty's logistics contacted Han Xiao upon Urranrell's request, giving him more than enough face by asking him personally about what Ultimate Knowledges he wanted.
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Chapter 857 Apostle Weapon and Ultimate Knowledge
"Alright, we will send these two knowledges to you as soon as possible. Remember to receive it." The Logistics officer then hung up.
Han Xiao left the quantum network and played with the black handgun in his hands while waiting for the arrival of the knowledge.
The handgun in his hands looked like a backward firearm, but it actually made use of dark energy with a mini energy furnace within it. It was mainly sold to the players as a long-ranged weapon but was no more than a toy gun to Han Xiao. It was pretty useless and was mainly made into such an appearance for old times' sake.
As his strength grew greater, Han Xiao's memories of the time when he was weak grew deeper. The many scenes of him fighting back on Planet Aquamarine flashed through his head. He was already a powerful character in the universe and had come a long way from the time when he found it difficult to kill even an ordinary warrior. He now had the ability to even destroy planets, and the number of things capable of killing him was decreasing.
"It has already been more than twenty years…" Han Xiao had a complicated expression on his face.
Psionic Prime stood beside Han Xiao and asked, "Master, what are you thinking about?"
"I only taught about the past." Han Xiao then turned around to look at Psionic Prime.
"I realized that you are becoming more and more curious."
Psionic Prime nodded his metal head. "Although I can obtain knowledge from the web, the emotions of a living being are boundless, and I am only able to understand some things after experiencing it personally. Thus, I enjoy communicating."
"This is a good thing. I'll need you to help me manage a Mechanical Life civilization in the future. You are the first Mechanical Life that I created, and if nothing goes wrong, you will be the leader in the future. As the leader of a civilization, you must learn to understand others and understand the thoughts of other Mechanical Lives."
Han Xiao then paused for a moment, and a helpless look could be seen on his face. "Enjoying communication is a good thing, but you should change your habits when talking on the web…"
Han Xiao used his Virtual Technology skills to keep a record of the Mechanical Life's web data. He realized that many Mechanical Lives including Psionic Prime enjoyed having side accounts to chat with the citizens of the various civilizations.
It would not matter if it was just a normal conversation, but most of the Mechanical Lives would have a few hundred or thousand accounts to chat with others at the same time with the contents of the conversation being extremely explosive. The most common one would be having dirty talk by mimicking the opposite gender.
In his eyes, the majority of the Mechanical Lives were like problematic children. They were like sponges absorbing the evil and kindness of numerous living beings, forming various different personalities.
Sizing Psionic Prime up, Han Xiao thought for a moment before saying, "Stand in front of me."
Psionic Prime obeyed obediently.
Han Xiao sat on the sofa, and a bluish gold Mechanical Force appeared on his palm.
"You are my first child, and after a long period of observation, I am satisfied in your potential. Are you willing to become my Apostle Weapon and obtain even greater strength?"
"I am willing to accept everything of yours, master." Psionic Prime knelt before him.
"Then accept this bestowment. Also, do not call me master in the future…"
Han Xiao's lips curled up slightly.
"Call me Lord."
The next moment, the special Mechanical Force in his palms, which contained the 'Power of Lord's Dominance', entered Psionic Prime's body. This was the skill of the Lord Mechanic, [Apostle Life Creation].
Hum!
Psionic Prime's energy furnace began surging and bolts of bluish-gold Mechanical Force extended out from within the mechanical body as though the bolts of electricity were alive.
The magnetic field that contained a strange aura enveloped Psionic Prime's body, and the mechanical structures and parts within Psionic Prime's body began to change. The surrounding alloy began to shake as though they were about to be sucked into Psionic Prime's body.
Han Xiao then stretched out his arms and sent a large number of nanoparticles toward Psionic Prime. These nanoparticles revolved around Psionic Prime like a star ring. The revolution gradually picked up speed, and the nanoparticles transformed into a metal sea that entered Psionic Prime's body to provide raw materials for the upgrade.
Han Xiao then sat down on the couch by the side and played with the dark energy handgun while admiring the scene before him. The special effects of [Apostle Life Creation] were much more dazzling than [Emperor's Gift].
There was a limited number of slots for his Apostle Weapons, a mere ten or so.
After a while, Psionic Prime's transformation had finally ended, and his appearance had transformed greatly.
Psionic Prime was even taller than before, about four meters tall. He had many new components, and his armor had many complicated but beautiful engravings on it.
With a round crown like metal on his head, Psionic Prime held onto a long, staff-like mechanical spear in his hands.
"How do you feel?" Han Xiao asked with a smile.
"I thank the Lord for your bestowment. I can feel my new strength," Psionic Prime said with a deep voice and held up the spear in his hands. Psionic energy then gushed out from his energy furnace, and he burst forth with energy.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and suddenly lifted his handgun, opening fire at Psionic Prime.
Boom boom boom!
A couple of dark energy laser beams struck Psionic Prime but were blocked by a layer of psionic energy. At the same time, the battle notification was triggered.
Han Xiao then looked at Psionic Prime's attributes, which were displayed on the interface, and nodded with satisfaction.
Psionic Prime was currently at level 215, and his various attributes were strengthened. He was now at a boss level, and his strength had exceeded all his other Mechanical Lives.
Without Han Xiao's Mechanical Force boost, Psionic Prime still had the strength of a Calamity Grade, and with the boost from his Mechanical Force, Psionic Prime would be able to exchange blows with a Beyond Grade A and would no longer be cannon fodder. His strength was similar to EsGod's doppelganger.
The spear in Psionic Prime's hand was a special Apostle Weapon from [Apostle Life Creation] and was called 'Psionic Prime Spear'. It could also split into a floating state and even enlarge or shrink. It had many different forms and could even be transformed into a psionic energy form. It could be used for both long- and close-range battle, and both a Mechanical Pugilist and Cannon Master was able to use it. The level of the weapon was above 200, and it was of the silver orange grade. The strength of the weapon would be increased when being used by Psionic Prime.
Apart from this, Psionic Prime also obtained a special 'Apostle Characteristic' and 'Apostle Authority'. His Apostle Characteristics were 'Stable' and 'Leader', which could strengthen the Mechanical Life around him during battle. His Apostle Authorities were 'Psionic Control' and 'Battle Boost', which gave him better control over psionic energy and higher combat power.
A satisfied smile could be seen on Han Xiao's face.
The strength of an Apostle Weapon was extremely impressive, but it was a pity that [Apostle Life Creation] had a long cooldown of a month. It meant that he would only be able to create twelve Apostle Weapons in a year. Of course, because of his talents like [Machinery Emperor] and [Elementary Grade Mechanical Sense, he could create more than twelve Apostle Weapons.
"Familiarize yourself with your new energy, my new Apostle," Han Xiao said with joy.
"I will not let the Lord down." Psionic Prime said.
Beep beep.
Han Xiao's communicator rang at this moment; the Crimson Dynasty had finally sent the two Ultimate Knowledges over.
Han Xiao spent twelve thousand Contribution Points to choose two Ultimate Knowledge.
Armed Branch: [Endless Material Science]
Control Branch: [Virtual Creator]
One of them belonged to his Virtual Mechanic branch, and he only needed eight Potential Points. The other was an important knowledge to Mechanics, and the Mechanic from any branch would try to learn it.
Resources and energy had always been the two largest bottlenecks to a Mechanic's technological skills, and the Armed Branch had a material-related knowledge at all levels. This allowed a Mechanic to combine more powerful materials and increase the basic attributes of a Mechanic. This was a core knowledge of the Mechanic Class.
Learning these two knowledges required thirty-two Potential Points and Han Xiao had thirty-three Potential Points on him.
Han Xiao smiled and immediately learned the two knowledge.
Learning…
Successfully learned! You have learned [Endless Material Science]!
Learning…
Successfully learned! You have learned [Virtual Creator]!
You have received the talent [Material Pioneer]!
[Material Pioneer: The probability of success for merging new materials is increased, and the abilities obtained from special materials have been increased. For example, the self-recovery ability of machines when using memory alloy will be increased.
You have received talent [Virtual Lord]!
[Virtual Lord: Your various Virtual Technology skills have been strengthened greatly. The total bonus is 2.5. When you enter the quantum network vision, your consciousness can jump to different quantum network nodes and increase your range greatly. You can let Virtual Life Forms submit to you. You have mastered all the various Virtual Technology skills, and the quantum network is your fortress.
You have acquired [Ultimate Material Refinement]!
You have acquired [Endless Material Combination]!
[Endless Material Combination: You can combine the specialties of any materials and attempt to create new material recipes. The higher the grade of the material and the more complicated the recipe, the lower the success rate. The basic success rate is determined by INT and Machinery Affinity. When you craft a new recipe, the strength of the new material will be increased.
You have acquired [Virtual Life Evolution]!
[Virtual Life Evolution: You can transform an AI into a Virtual Life Form. A Virtual Life Form has more powerful infiltrative and defensive abilities.
You have acquired [Virtual Soul]!
[Virtual Soul: You soul can transform into a Virtual Life Form and live within the quantum network. Total level, INT, and Virtual Technology skills will determine the strength after transformation in the quantum network. This effect can be cancelled.
When you use your Mechanical Force to connect to a target, you can temporarily virtualize your target's soul and pull it into the quantum network. Success rate is determined by total level, INT, MYS, and LUK. If successful, the target won't be able to control their body temporarily, and attacking the target in the quantum network will cause mental damage.
Cooldown: 15 min.
Han Xiao looked through the notifications and nodded with satisfaction.
"The effects of these talents are extremely powerful. Endless Material Science allowed me to improve the quality of my machines and create new materials. Virtual knowledge allowed me to have new battle tactics."
With the two Ultimate Knowledge in his hands, Han Xiao was extremely satisfied. He did not make use of his remaining six thousand Contribution Points to exchange for new knowledge but kept them for the Political Asset effect.
Just when he was about to go to the battle room to test Psionic Prime's new strength, his communicator rang. Tarrokov was calling him, revealing some information which truly baffled him.
Han Xiao replied with an odd expression.
"You're saying that EsGod wants to work with the dynasty temporarily and send some manpower to help us stop the Arcane Church?"
"That's right. Our forces that chased after the Fallen Ark troops captured an empty battleship with EsGod's doppelganger inside. He didn't fight back and allowed himself to be captured, saying that he wanted to talk to us."
Tarrokov was truly surprised.
Han Xiao frowned and felt that this matter was truly suspicious. There was no need for EsGod to do this. EsGod was extremely mobile, and he was not one to bother about his subordinates. Thus, he would be able to escape even without the help of the dynasty. Furthermore, the dynasty's main target was not him. Why would EsGod bother making such an unnecessary move to anger the Arcane Church? Could it be that he thought that he would be able to make the dynasty happy by doing so?
After thinking for a moment, Han Xiao asked, "Chief commander, what are you planning to do?"
"Er… EsGod wants information about the Arcane Church's coordinates, and it won't really matter if we give it to him. The Arcane Church's fleet will leave our security perimeter very soon, and we will lose track of them very quickly. This piece of news isn't secret, and it won't matter who we tell.
"Even if EsGod isn't truly sincere, we wouldn't suffer any losses. But if he really wants to let Sagman and the others be his scapegoat, we will definitely earn big. As for him working together with the Arcane Church to ambush us, we can always settle the score in the future."
"Then let us go according to your plan."
Although Han Xiao felt that EsGod's decision was extremely strange, Tarrokov was the commander. Since Han Xiao could not think of a problem, he would not interfere in Tarrokov's decision.
Right at this moment, Tarrokov said, "There is something else. EsGod's doppelganger would like to meet you."
"Meet me? Alright. Since the dynasty fleet that is giving chase to EsGod doesn't have any Beyond Grade As, I will split out a portion of my mechanical army to meet him and also monitor his doppelganger in the process."
Han Xiao was certain that EsGod probably wanted to 'thank' him for the evolution energy.
After pausing for a while, he continued.
"As for the Arcane Church fleet… even if they leave the security perimeter, I have some means to locate them…"
As a Virtual Mechanic, how can he not leave something behind for the Arcane Church fleet during the battle. Although the firewall of the Arcane Church fleet was strong, he still had the ability to leave a little something behind.
Han Xiao's eyes gleamed.
Choosing to learn the [Virtual Creator] knowledge at this moment was to chase after them!
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Chapter 858 Ames" Actions
After giving chase for a while, the star map showed that the Arcane Church fleet had left the security perimeter and begun to split up. Tarrokov had temporarily lost contact with the Arcane Church fleet. Because of his previous conversation with Han Xiao, he invited Han Xiao to the main flagship so that Han Xiao could lock onto the locations of the enemy vessels through his Virtual Technology.
Han Xiao walked through the corridors of the main flagship, straight to the command room, with Hila and the others following behind him.
All of the dynasty's commanders who he met along the way gave him a respectful salute. Han Xiao's achievements in this battle had earned him the respect of all the participants in the battle. It could be said that their lives had been saved by Black Star, and they were naturally grateful to him.
Han Xiao responded with a smile and turned around to see Hila frowning. He then looked down at her neck only to see a bandage on her neck, which extended down her collarbone. He then asked with concern, "Are your injuries alright?"
Hila shook her head. "Such light injuries will recover in no time at all. You do not need to worry."
After the battle, she did not allow Aurora to waste her life force to treat them and chose to recover naturally.
"Does it still hurt?"
"A little bit. The painkillers aren't too effective." Hila frowned. Although she had a stubborn personality, there was no need to act tough for such a small matter.
"Then I need to congratulate you for being alive." Han Xiao chuckled.
Their group then arrived at the command room, where Tarrokov was waiting for them. Upon seeing Han Xiao's arrival, he immediately came forward to welcome him. He then pointed at a location on the star map and said, "This is the last position where the Arcane Church was seen. We have currently lost track of them. Black Star, we shall rely on you."
Han Xiao nodded and closed his eyes to enter the quantum network viewpoint.
In the darkness, nodes began to light up in the quantum network with some near and others far. An endless stream of information was being transmitted by the nodes, and an illusory wave of information floated toward him.
The star map appeared in the quantum network in the form of nodes, and Han Xiao could easily zoom in or out. In the quantum network, distance was completely negligible since he could jump from node to node easily. The improvement from [Virtual Creator] strengthened him in all aspects and greatly increased the range of his abilities.
The quantum network viewpoint seems more detailed than before.
Han Xiao immersed himself in this new feeling for a while before getting to work. He then slowly connected to the nodes to feel the subtle traces that the Arcane Church had left behind in the quantum network.
His brain rapidly processed a large amount of information, and Han Xiao opened his eyes abruptly.
Pa!
A few hundred red dots suddenly lit up on the star map before them. These were the Arcane Church battleships that had concealed themselves.
The locations of all the divisions were marked, and nothing could hide from him!
Tarrokov was overjoyed. "Good job!"
"Haha, I didn't do much." Han Xiao backed out from the quantum network viewpoint and chuckled.
If it was before he learned [Virtual Creator, the traces of his infiltration would probably have alerted the Arcane Church's artificial intelligence, and they would have cleared it up.
But after learning the Ultimate Knowledge of the Virtual Mechanic class, he had received a huge upgrade and could easily create a backdoor into the Arcane Church's system without being detected. This was why he had chosen to learn [Virtual Creator].
Tarrokov stroked his chin and said, "Now that we have their coordinates, the enemy's movements will be transparent to us, and we don't need to worry about losing them. Hmm, the enemy has split up their forces, and a portion of them are probably going to be sacrificed. If this is the case, it is very likely that these pawns being sacrificed have fake information about the location of the stargates and wish to distract us. The true location of the stargate should be in the fleet that contains those Beyond Grade As. Black Star, are you able to lock onto the enemy commander and Beyond Grade As' positions? I suspect that they are not on the main flagship."
"I can, but I need to infiltrate the enemy's surveillance equipment. The risk of being exposed will be increased, and we may lose their locations. Are you sure you want to take the risk?" Han Xiao replied. The security of a Universal Civilization naturally should not be underestimated.
After thinking for a while, Tarrokov shook his head. "We should continue to maintain our current state. As long as we have their coordinates, we can try to capture their entire fleet in one fell swoop. Give EsGod a portion of the intelligence first."
Han Xiao nodded and did not say another word. His consciousness then entered his mechanical army. The mechanical army that he had sent out was almost going to come into contact with EsGod's doppelganger.
A small fleet was currently approaching the meeting point together with an empty spaceship. They had been waiting for a long while, and beams of light suddenly appeared from the darkness of space and stopped before them.
Both fleets came into contact with each other and verified their identities. The Black Star Army then approached the empty spaceship.
A large number of dynasty soldiers were currently pointing their weapons at the exit of the spaceship, waiting for the Beyond Grade A envoy to take over from them.
For a bunch of ordinary soldiers to monitor EsGod's doppelganger, even if EsGod did not fight back, they would still have an immense sense of pressure. It was as though they were facing a beast that could kill them at any moment. Thankfully, their helpers had finally arrived.
Whoosh!
The hatch to the spaceship opened, and Psionic Prime walked in with his spear. Behind him was a group of Mechanical Lives and a large number of mechanical soldiers.
Psionic Prime then looked down at the dynasty's soldiers and said, "I am the first Apostle of Lord Black Star, Psionic Prime. I am here to take over the mission from all of you and shall watch over EsGod's doppelganger."
"We shall hand him over to you." The group of soldiers heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly handed over the mission before leaving the empty spaceship hastily.
Psionic Prime then brought his troops along to the empty spaceship. EsGod's doppelganger was currently present.
Behind him, Silver Flash looked at the gigantic Psionic Prime and said angrily, "The Lord is too biased. Why does he get to be the first Apostle Weapon?"
"Stop complaining. Psionic Prime is the first child, so this can't be helped," a Mechanical Life Protector called 'Gold Sovereign' said. He belonged to the first batch of Mechanical Life and had a cold personality.
In front of them was a beastman-type mechanical soldier called 'Mad Sky Hunter'. He turned around and said, "The Lord has his own considerations, and we only have to give our absolute loyalty. Since the Lord bestowed Psionic Prime with such strength, it means that there is a limited number of Apostle Weapon slots. Perhaps only a small portion of us will be able to transform into Apostle Weapons."
Psionic Prime listened to the discussion behind him without saying a word and arrived at their destination in the spaceship.
The energy core in this empty spaceship had already been removed, and the spaceship was currently short on power. EsGod's doppelganger was leaning on the couch, and he faced Psionic Prime's mechanical army.
"Black Star, you're here," EsGod's doppelganger said with a smile.
"I am Psionic Prime. The Lord does not want to meet you now. You can just let me know what you want to tell him."
EsGod's doppelganger sized Psionic Prime up and said with a teasing tone, "Apostle Weapon? Black Star didn't have such an ability the last time we fought. It seems like he received a great reward from the current battle. Alright, I do not have any interest in talking to you. Get Black Star out to see me."
Psionic Prime then held his spear up and pretended that he did not hear anything.
Upon seeing that, EsGod raised his arm out, and his arm stretched out like rubber, sending out a punch that was too fast to follow with the naked eye!
Clank!
His fists were imbued with Esper energy and crashed onto Psionic Prime's spear, generating a small shockwave.
Without saying anything, Psionic Prime channeled his energy into his spear, and the spear entered its released mode.
A psionic energy wave then shot out from the spear!
Swoosh!
EsGod's doppelganger had a stunning speed, and he avoided the attack nimbly. However, the couch that he was sitting on was sliced in two, and the entire wall of the spaceship was also sliced cleanly in two.
The mechanical troops and EsGod's doppelganger thus drifted into space and faced each other in a standoff. The dynasty's spaceships by the side immediately aimed their cannons at EsGod's doppelganger.
Psionic Prime stood at the very front, and a surge of Mechanical Force descended on his body from afar. Psionic Prime's body exploded forth with a blinding light. The other mechanical troops did not receive the boost from the Mechanical Force and retreated under Psionic Prime's orders.
EsGod's doppelganger looked at the surge of Mechanical Force and knew that Han Xiao was definitely paying attention to the situation. He knew what Han Xiao's intention was and could not help but sneer.
Han Xiao wanted him to fight the Apostle Weapon to test the strength of the weapon.
"Humph, on account of the fact that you allowed me to evolve, I shall play with your Apostle Weapon for a while."
The next moment, EsGod's doppelganger made his move, and his arms stretched out toward Psionic Prime like a cannonball. He launched ferocious attacks, leaving behind a series of afterimages.
This doppelganger did not have any powerful Esper Abilities and only had a few abilities to strengthen and modify the physique. However, this EsGod doppelganger still had the strength of a Beyond Grade A and the ability to suppress all Calamity Grades.
Psionic Prime then brandished his spear to fight EsGod, and both their figures weaved around in space.
Psionic Prime and EsGod's doppelganger were evenly matched with each other in the head-on confrontation!
Psionic Prime's spear was imbued with blue psionic energy, and EsGod was like a lump of clay, capable of changing his form to avoid various different attacks. At the same time, EsGod's attacks were also avoided by Psionic Prime by splitting his body up and transforming into various mobile floating guards.
The mechanical troops watching by the side could not help but be surprised.
They were originally no more than cannon fodder in the face of a Beyond Grade A, but Psionic Prime had the strength to fight a Beyond Grade A head on.
"Is this the strength of an Apostle Weapon?"
Silver Flash and all the other Mechanical Life earnestly yearned for such strength.
Both parties clashed time and time again, and both of their figures retreated together.
At this moment, the Mechanical Force on Psionic Prime dissipated, indicating that it was the end of their spar.
EsGod's doppelganger then stopped fighting after noticing that since he was there to talk.
All of them returned to a Black Star Army spaceship that was by the side. EsGod sat down, and Han Xiao's long distance projection appeared before him.
Upon seeing that, EsGod's doppelganger said with a smile, "Black Star, it is all thanks to you that I've been able to evolve this time."
Han Xiao then snorted. "You wanted to see me just to say something like this?"
"Of course not." EsGod's doppelganger waved his hands and chuckled. "I wanted to ask you if you managed to come up with any results after researching that set of wormhole data."
This fellow indeed chose to expose the data on purpose so that he could borrow my connections to help him research the data… Han Xiao's eyes narrowed.
However, EsGod still thought that he was the only one who knew about the existence of the World Tree Civilization and felt that he had an upper hand in intelligence.
Up until now, EsGod still thought that Han Xiao only researched the wormhole data to be careful but did not know that Han Xiao was also aware of the World Tree Civilization's existence.
Han Xiao naturally would not destroy EsGod's illusion as this was the only way to prevent EsGod from being wary.
"Long story short. These are the coordinates that the dynasty wants me to pass to you." Han Xiao then got Phillip to show a portion of the data. "If you really want to help the dynasty stop the Arcane Church, the dynasty may reconsider how they should deal with you."
EsGod's doppelganger did not bother responding and started to view the intelligence report.
Upon seeing that, Han Xiao said, "However, I cannot understand why you suddenly chose to work with the dynasty. Angering the Arcane Church has no benefits to you."
"You don't need to worry about this." EsGod did not even bother raising his head.
Han Xiao stroked his chin and fell into thought.
He had always felt that this was not EsGod's intention but he was fooled by someone else.
Although EsGod would be able to curry favor with the dynasty by doing so, Han Xiao felt that his intention was to make use of this opportunity to increase the Arcane Church's losses. It was as though his targets were Sagman and the other Beyond Grade As.
"If they manage to succeed, who will benefit the most? The Crimson Dynasty? The Federation of Light? Or maybe those Super Star Cluster Civilizations?"
Han Xiao let out a deep sigh.
After the Arcane Church fleet split up to escape, Rogue, Sagman, and the others changed their spaceships and abandoned the main flagship. They then disguised themselves as a small fleet and were currently making their way to the true position of the secret stargate.
Rogue felt that such a method would be able to confuse the dynasty's forces, but the following event had shocked him.
A portion of their escaping fleet suffered from an ambush. However, the ones ambushing them were not just the dynasty's fleet but also the Fallen Ark fleet!
"Is EsGod mad? Why is he attacking us‽"
Rogue panted heavily with an ashen expression and bloodshot eyes.
"That darn EsGod actually arrived at an agreement with the dynasty. This fellow really wants us to help restrain the dynasty for him!"
Sagman was also extremely frustrated. It was one thing for EsGod to go back on his word, but he had even gone a step further to attack them. Although he did not have any expectations in EsGod, he could not help but be enraged by EsGod's actions.
Psyker then looked at the star map and suddenly said, "The situation is strange. They are accurately ambushing our divisions. Is it because that division was unlucky to run into the dynasty's defensive line, or has the dynasty grasped our coordinates?"
Everyone's expression changed greatly the moment these words were said.
Psyker gritted his teeth. "Black Star is a Virtual Mechanic, so he may have done something."
Mercer also gritted his teeth and thought to himself, What kind of bullsh*t Mechanic is he?
Upon hearing that, Rogue immediately activated the automatic artificial intelligence scan on the spaceship, but there were no traces of Han Xiao's infiltration.
"Black Star's infiltration can't be detected…" Sagman felt his head ache. He was extremely knowledgeable, and he knew that a Virtual Mechanic capable of bypassing a Universal Civilization's firewall was not easy to deal with.
Although none of them were certain that Han Xiao had managed to lock onto their positions, they decided to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
"The dynasty's encirclement isn't complete yet, so this is our only chance to escape," Rogue said. "Inform our forces to split up again. I want to see a million divisions. Also, cut off half of the fleet's quantum network connection!"
He wanted to seize the opportunity before the encirclement was formed to use even more divisions to confuse the dynasty. Forming a million divisions meant that each division would only have a few battleships, and it would be impossible for them to fight back. This was akin to sacrificing even more people.
Cutting off half of the fleet's quantum network connection meant that these divisions would become deaf and blind. It would be impossible for them to communicate with the other fleets, so they could only escape according to the star map. The only advantage of doing so was that they would be able to prevent their locations from being spotted. Rogue was prepared to cut off his own quantum network connection, and it was akin to giving up command.
Because of Han Xiao's methods, Rogue had no choice but to make such a decision. It was akin to abandoning everyone in exchange for their survival.
Ninjia looked at him coldly and said, "Sir, you will definitely have to face court martial if you do so."
"Hahaha…" Rogue laughed. "After the failure of this mission, what kind of a future will I have?
"If not for Black Star turning the tables on all of you, would I have failed?
"Do I hate all of you? Of course I do!
"But all of you are still the high-level combatants of the Arcane Church.
"These soldiers and troops can be easily drafted and hired again, but all of you are different. It is impossible to easily replicate the existence of a Beyond Grade A, and you still have the Universal Treasure Ten Thousand Deity Scepter in your hands…
"My top priority is to cover your escape. Your lives are more important than any of ours!
"When I was in command school, my lecturer told me that I shouldn't be a commander if I can't be merciless. Having perfection in all aspects is an impossible dream, so we have to make sacrifices in order to complete our objective. Everything that isn't important can be abandoned…
"I have already thought things through! Who cares about the court martial? My only mission is to protect the strength of the Arcane Church!"
Rogue panted heavily after saying such a 'moving' speech.
Sagman and the others all narrowed their eyes.
As Beyond Grade As, they would not be easily taken in by the words of others, and Rogue's intention was not able to escape their eyes.
The five of them looked at each other before looking at Rogue.
"Then let's go according to your plan," Sagman said slowly.
Above Planet Aquamarine, Floating Dragon Island had a lot more facilities a few months ago. There were plenty of spaceships flying in and out, and it was extremely prosperous.
In order to set up their main camp, Floating Dragon no longer allowed scavengers and galactic pirates to land on the island and chased away all the gray organizations on the island. Of course, there was a portion who did not dare approach the stronghold of the Black Star Army and took the initiative to escape.
The organizations entering Floating Dragon were mainly proper financial groups, and under Floating Dragon's influence, Planet Aquamarine also gained support from quite a few financial groups.
In Floating Dragon Palace, Ames was currently seated on her throne.
Ames looked down at the representatives who had come to visit, and her face remained completely expressionless; no one was able to tell what she was thinking. In truth, however, she was just daydreaming.
Sigh, all these troublesome matters will be taken care of by Jenny anyway.
Ames' mind had already drifted elsewhere.
I wonder how Hila and Aurora are doing. Tsk, Black Star is truly annoying. You took both my students away and don't even send some news back.
Beep beep.
At that moment, her communicator, which was floating nearby, rang. Ames then grabbed it with her force field and was a little surprised upon seeing who the caller was.
Curious, Ames picked up the call and Austin's figure appeared. "Austin? Didn't this fellow go and search for materials? Why have you called me?"
Austin smiled and said, "Ames, I have a piece of information that may be of use to you."
Ames raised her brows. "Interesting. When did you start selling information? Isn't that Black Star's hobby?"
Austin smiled profoundly and informed Ames about the battle at Planet Lighthouse.
Ames was seated lazily at the start, but she began to gradually sit up straight with unstable force field energy floating around beside her, bringing about a huge pressure to the financial group representatives below.
"… that's about everything." Austin finished his description and added, "I am only informing you about this because you are Black Star's ally. Just as I expected, you aren't aware of this matter, and Black Star hid it from you. Haha, I think he doesn't want you to be dragged into this storm."
"Stop nagging. I know what you mean. Humph, in any case, thanks for the information."
Ames hung up and shut her eyes as though she was in deep thought.
Aesop, who was by the side, had heard the conversation and shook his head. "The prophecy was real. Thankfully, I reminded Black Star. If not, he might not have been able to escape this time. Black Star hid this matter from you because he doesn't want you to be involved in the matters of the Universal Civilizations. However, Austin intentionally informed you about this because he wants to muddy the waters. Ah, he is truly a little brat who wants the world to fall into chaos."
Upon hearing that, Ames opened her eyes and said, "I am his ally, not his subordinate. What rights does he have to stop me from participating?"
Aesop had a knowing look on his face. He then shook his head and asked, "What do you plan to do?"
"Contact the Crimson Dynasty envoy Zoel. The Crimson Dynasty is probably going to mobilize their forces in the Shattered Star Ring to attack the Arcane Church's forces and stargate…"
Ames then stood up.
"Black Star, Psyker, Heber, and Austin, everyone is in the Flickering World…
"Thus, I am the only Beyond Grade A in the Shattered Star Ring now!
"I can go wherever I like!"
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859 Return Gift!
More and more dynasty fleets were being gathered, and the desolate universe belt outside of the Dawn Star Cluster was starting to be locked down. The encirclement was forming, and the gaps for the Arcane Church fleet were slowly closing.
With the aid of Han Xiao's coordinates, the dynasty managed to capture even more battleships. After Rogue ordered for a million divisions to be formed, these divisions no longer had the ability to break through after being discovered by the dynasty and could only be wiped out or captured.
Not too long later, tens of thousands of battleships fell into the hands of the dynasty, and the Arcane Church members on board the battleships could only become captives.
However, Rogue's method had indeed slowed down the dynasty's speed greatly.
If they wanted to hide something, the best method was not to lock it up in a safe but to hide it within a sea of bait. This was the situation that the dynasty was facing.
In the main flagship, Tarrokov was having a virtual meeting with Han Xiao and the others to analyze the situation.
"According to the statements of the captives, the enemy commander Rogue adopted the method of abandoning their forces to confuse us. Furthermore, half of their battleships have disconnected from the network and escaped from our surveillance. They are now lone armies trying to escape in the dark. We have managed to capture the Glorious Sun Grade flagship but were unable to find Rogue and the others. They should be hiding within the fleet that's cut off from the network."
Han Xiao stroked his chin and said, "It seems like they noticed my infiltration and chose to cut off their tails to escape. Heh, this commander is somewhat capable."
"Black Star, do you have any ideas?"
"As long as those troops connect to the quantum network for even an instant, their locations will be exposed." Han Xiao shrugged his shoulders.
When he left behind the infiltration software, he had not learned [Virtual Creator] yet and was restricted by the firewall. If he had his current standard back then, it would not be as simple as infiltrating their system. He would have been able to bypass their defenses and use a virus to control the artificial intelligence of the enemy's battleship. Even if the enemy cut off connection from the network, he would have been able to force the enemy's artificial intelligence to reactivate it.
"I can try to tell their fortunes," Ravenlaude said. "However, the Arcane Church has two Mages, and they have definitely set up a force field to block their destiny lines and prevent others from spying on them."
"Just give it a try since it doesn't require money." Han Xiao raised his brows.
Ravenlaude snorted, and a purple light appeared within his palms. A light blue crystal appeared in his palm with a gray cloud within it.
The crystal then floated in front of him, and Ravenlaude tapped his forehead. Indigo light then flashed in the crystal, and an image gradually appeared in the gray cloud.
Everyone then stretched their necks to take a look, and Ninjia's face appeared within the crystal. He then looked at Ravenlaude as though he had noticed something.
Ka-cha!
The next moment, the crystal, which was not cheap, split in two.
"It was blocked indeed," Ravenlaude said with resignation.
Everyone then looked at him as if him being a disappointment was expected.
Ravenlaude had thick skin and even asked if he could claim his losses.
Tarrokov decided to ignore him temporarily.
"The enemy has chosen to split up their forces with every division being much smaller than before," Heber said with a deep voice. "Rogue's fleet is probably the only one capable of breaking through our obstruction. The moment a Beyond Grade A takes action, they will be discovered by our people. However, we have not had any such reports, which means that they have not met our troops."
"They are truly lucky." Beyoni snorted.
Eh? Luck… Han Xiao then blinked, and an idea came to his head. He then turned around to look at Feidin with a burning gaze.
"Feidin, if I asked you to choose, which direction do you think Rogue would escape in? You are pretty lucky, and your guess may be right."
Feidin did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Black Star, it is one thing for you to tease me usually, but how can you do so in front of outsiders? You shouldn't joke about this, right?"
"What are you talking about? I am not joking at all," Han Xiao said seriously. "You can also see that we are facing a huge problem that cannot be solved. Why don't you give it a try? Who knows what will happen?"
Seeing Han Xiao's insistence, Feidin could only helplessly point at a few spots on the star map casually.
"Hey, don't blame me if I am wrong."
Han Xiao chuckled and said, "Chief commander, why don't you search the few directions that he pointed out? We may really be able to find Rogue."
"This is too childish!" Aurora could not help commenting.
However, she looked up and realized that Tarrokov and the other Beyond Grade As had calm expressions on their faces as though they did not find it strange.
"I see," Tarrokov said. "Relying on instincts isn't a bad choice right now."
Milizaus and the others nodded in agreement.
They were all experts with a great deal of experience and believed in intuition as well.
Luck was a part of strength!
Rogue's fleet only had ten or so small spaceships, and after cutting themselves off from the network, they had lost contact with the other divisions. They did not know how many of their divisions had been captured and could only choose to escape.
"We aren't too far from the secret stargate, and we haven't met with any dynasty fleets," Rogue said, looking at the star map. "As long as we go past the barricade set up by the dynasty, we will be able to arrive at the stargate."
"Looks like our luck isn't bad," Taylor said.
"It isn't entirely luck," Rogue replied. "We intentionally misled the dynasty's fleet about our direction, and thus, the lockdown in this direction is thinner."
Sagman nodded slowly and replied, "According to our current speed, we will be able to…"
Whoo!
Before he could finish, the alarm suddenly went off.
"Alert! Radar scan detected. Our disguise has been seen through. Please prepare for battle!"
Everyone nodded and saw a dynasty fleet approaching them from the radar.
"Dammit!" Rogue slammed the control panel.
Their concealment mode could hide their location, but the enemy radar would still be able to pick them up at close proximity. A dynasty fleet that was in detection mode had just gone past them and thus detected their presence.
Rogue then turned around and shouted at Sagman and the others, "The enemy has fifty battleships. Please get rid of them quickly!"
Although the battleships of the Arcane Church were slightly faster, the Crimson Dynasty's technological skills also belonged to the Universal Civilization grade and would not be thrown off so easily.
If they tried to continue their escape, the surrounding dynasty fleets would also detect their location. Therefore, they had no choice but to wipe out this fleet that had spotted them.
Sagman and the others nodded solemnly.
Aided by the five Beyond Grade As, Rogue's fleet easily wiped out their enemy but also revealed the existence of Sagman and the others.
"The dynasty already knows that we are in this direction and will definitely attempt to prevent us from escaping. We must escape before the enemy Beyond Grade As arrive…" Rogue clenched his fists tightly.
Because their location had been exposed, Rogue's fleet had to endure many layers of restrictions and could no longer attempt to escape stealthily. They could only forge a bloody path out and were extremely pathetic.
They originally wanted to speed up but ended up being slowed down by the layers of battleships.
Tarrokov, Han Xiao, and the others received news and immediately changed direction to give chase.
The distance between both parties was decreasing as they approached the stargate.
This time, Rogue and the others were charging straight toward the location of the secret stargate, and the dynasty's fleet had finally discovered the secret stargate. Thus, an intense battle broke out with the Arcane Church fleet that was stationed at the stargate.
Rogue and the others eventually managed to arrive at the stargate by relying on the strength of the five Beyond Grade As.
The Arcane Church fleet was currently engaged in an intense battle with the dynasty fleet, and reinforcements were coming from the other side of the stargate endlessly.
From afar, Rogue and the others witnessed the battle. Hope of their escape was right before their eyes, and they could not help but grow excited.
Rogue connected to the quantum network again and contacted the fleet stationed by the stargate. Following which, they then charged straight into the rear of the dynasty's fleet and joined the battle to kill their way to the stargate.
However, Tarrokov led the main fleet and arrived at this moment. Han Xiao and the others immediately spotted Sagman's group of five, who were trying to use their strength to break through the dynasty's formation.
"Do it!"
Without any hesitation, Han Xiao's group of five left the spaceship and charged straight toward Sagman.
Rogue was the first to notice this, and his face turned ashen.
The Beyond Grade As still had a chance to escape into the stargate with their strength, but he had no way of escaping!
He had even abandoned his fleet mercilessly, but he still was not able to escape‽
The powerful energy reaction attracted the attention of Sagman and the others, and their expressions changed greatly.
"They caught up!"
"We cannot be tied down by them!"
Sagman's group of five did not even dare turn around to fight back and sped up toward the stargate. They only wanted to arrive at the stargate before Han Xiao and the others could catch up to them.
They knew that it would be impossible for them to escape from the Flickering World once they were tied down by experts of the same level.
Five brilliant rays of lights were escaping with five chasing behind them.
"Attack the stargate!"
All those who had long-range attacks in Han Xiao's party began opening fire at the stargate.
Various Beyond Grade A attacks bombarded the stargate, and cracks appeared on the protective shield covering the planet. It would not last for long.
Sagman and the others gritted their teeth and took the initiative to block the long-range attacks. They would rather get injured to reduce the damage of the stargate and borrow the strength of the attack to speed up their escape.
It was now the Arcane Church group's turn to protect the stargate, and they were in an extremely pathetic state.
The mechanical army caused the greatest damage, and Mercer was the most pathetic. He was not like the others and did not have any long-range energy shields. He could only use his own body to endure the attacks, and his speed was gradually slowing down.
Sagman and the two Mages were the fastest and charged straight into the stargate first. Psyker followed close behind them, and he used his psychic energy to receive a wave of attacks from the mechanical army, spitting out blood as he entered the stargate.
Four of them escaped through the stargate, and only Mercer was left on the battlefield. Han Xiao and the others finally caught up when he was not too far away from the stargate.
Heber charged forward and held onto Mercer. They then tangled with each other, and Mercer's flying trajectory was thrown off course by Heber's intervention. He smashed into the weakened protective shield and crashed into a corner of the stargate.
Han Xiao then waved his hands, and a portion of his mechanical army charged into the stargate as scouts.
The next moment, he lost contact with the mechanical army, and it was destroyed.
The whirlpool in the stargate then disappeared, and it was shut from the other side.
Upon seeing that, Milizaus snorted. "The four who escaped destroyed the other end of the stargate. Humph, it seems like they have abandoned Mercer."
"At least we caught one," Ravenlaude said with a smirk.
Everyone then turned around to look at Mercer. He was currently surrounded in all directions and had no way to escape.
Heber was currently locked in a fierce battle with the crazed Mercer.
Upon noticing their gazes, Heber said with a deep voice, "This is my prey. Don't intervene."
Since it was impossible for Mercer to escape, they did not mind watching a one-on-one fight to observe both of their strengths.
Han Xiao then cheered, "How energetic, Little Ty-Ty."
"Stop calling me that!"
Heber decided to just ignore Han Xiao and focus his attention on dealing with Mercer.
After finally getting a chance to capture a Beyond Grade A, he would not give it up.
The stargate had already been destroyed, and the enemy did not have any way out. This battle was already as good as over.
At this moment, Tarrokov joined in the conversation and announced with a satisfied look, "Four escaped with one left behind. Rogue has also been captured, and our results aren't too bad. Even if Sagman's group of four can escape from the Flickering World, they will still have to face another wave of attacks."
Escaping from the Flickering World did not mean that they would be safe.
The Crimson Dynasty arranged for troops to block them in the Shattered Star Ring. The Black Star Army, Bloodshed Land, Klent, and all the other allies of the dynasty had also made their move, not to mention the restless Federation of Light.
Their life of escaping had not come to an end, and they would still have to go through the vast Shattered Star Ring.
Upon hearing that, Han Xiao said, "I just infiltrated the database of the stargate and obtained coordinates of the stargate on the other side."
Tarrokov's eyes lit up.
"This way, we will be able to uproot this secret stargate for good, and it will be much easier for us to lock onto their location. Black Star, good job!"
Han Xiao smiled and turned around to look at the battle between Heber and Mercer.
Capturing Mercer was only a matter of time.
Heaving a sigh of relief, a cold light flashed past Han Xiao's eyes.
This was the second Beyond Grade A captive that they had caught!
Would the Arcane Church be satisfied with his return gift?
At the same time, in some part of the desolate universe belt was the exit of the Arcane Church's secret stargate.
Sagman's group of four looked at the stargate that had been destroyed by them and fell silent.
"Mercer… wasn't able to escape…"
Sagman gritted his teeth so hard to the point his teeth almost cracked.
If they had succeeded with their mission and gotten rid of Milizaus, Beyoni, and Black Star, the dynasty would only have had three Beyond Grade As left, and they would have been able to escape easily.
But now…
They had lost the entire battle because of a moment of carelessness!
"We can't stop here," Ninjia said. "Black Star will definitely be able to find this location. Hurry up and leave."
Sagman then snapped back to his senses and said with a dark expression, "Let's go. We must take the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter back."
It had been a long time since they were reduced to such a pathetic state!
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Chapter 860 Invitation and Announcemen
The remaining soldiers of the Arcane Church were all captured by the dynasty.
The stubborn Mercer and Heber were locked in an intense battle with their fists raining down on each other and Pugilist flames shooting out in all directions like the sparks from the clash of weapons.
A Beyond Grade A Pugilist had grasped the true essence of speed and strength, and their movements were like lightning, which came with numerous afterimages behind them. Milizaus and the others rarely fought in close range, and they admired the battle from the side.
Both of them fought until they were tired and riddled with injuries all over. Heber's situation was slightly better, and he held onto Mercer tightly, bringing him onto the spaceship.
Bang!
Mercer's dense body was thrown onto the ground, and the half unconscious Mercer could not get up again.
Heber then took a deep breath to stabilize his surging blood. He then pointed at Mercer, who was by his feet, and said, "I took care of him."
Clapping could then be heard in the room, and Tarrokov gave him a round of applause with a polite smile on his face.
With Black Star one-shotting Dylan during their most desperate moment right before this, none of them thought highly of Heber defeating an opponent who was already defeated before this in a carefully engineered one-on-one fight. In fact, they all felt that it was truly too slow. However, none of them dared say it, afraid that they would offend Heber.
Han Xiao was different, and he was not afraid of Heber. With his drink in his hand, he said while sucking on the straw, "How slow, Little Ty-Ty. Why did you take so long?"
The Pugilists had spent quite some time fighting each other, and the battlefield had already been cleared up. The spectators had already gone to find some drinks and snacks while watching the battle between the two Pugilists.
"Humph." Heber could not be bothered with him.
No matter what, the achievement of defeating Mercer belonged to him, and no one would remember the details of how it happened. They would only know that he defeated another Beyond Grade A, and having the title was sufficient.
Tarrokov then got everyone to come over and said, "Now that Heber is here, let me repeat myself again. I have already informed Her Excellency Urranrell about the battle results, and Her Excellency is extremely satisfied with our results. The Arcane Church fleet has been wiped out, and the dynasty has two Beyond Grade As in their hands.
"With such chips in our hands, the dynasty will have the upper hand, and Her Excellency will announce this matter to the universe and inform all the large and small organizations about the Arcane Church's actions and also the price that they had to pay."
The battle in the Flickering World did not last too long, and the dynasty was still locking down news about it. The outside world was clueless about it, but announcing it to the entire world was only a matter of time.
If the Arcane Church managed to escape safely after the ambush, the dynasty's prestige would be heavily hit. However, things were different now, and not only was the Arcane Church's fleet completely wiped out, two of the six Beyond Grade As of the Arcane Church had been captured. The dynasty's prestige had gone up another level, and the upper echelons were extremely satisfied with the actions of Han Xiao and the others.
The dynasty would not miss such an opportunity to promote their own Beyond Grade As. Han Xiao would be the main focus of the promotion, and the dynasty was prepared to spread news about how he single-handedly turned the situation around.
Increasing the prestige of their allies was akin to increasing the dynasty's prestige. This was a win-win situation.
When they were watching Mercer and the Tyrant have a wrestling match, Tarrokov had already informed Han Xiao about the matter. As such, Han Xiao only nodded slightly to indicate that he acknowledged those words.
The chief commander then said, "On the other side, there are still four Beyond Grade As who escaped into the Shattered Star Ring, and the dynasty will chase after them. However, the situation in the Shattered Star Ring is different from the Flickering World. The dynasty hopes that all of you will temporarily head to the Shattered Star Ring to hold the fort so that you will be able to respond quickly."
The Flickering World was currently the dynasty's territory, and the other organizations did not have any foundation in this place. Thus, the dynasty was able to cast a large net to chase the enemy down without any interference.
However, the situation in the Shattered Star Ring was different, and the various organizations had complicated relationships. The Arcane Church also had various spies in the Shattered Star Ring, and the four Beyond Grade As no longer only had a single escape route. They could easily choose to split up and disguise themselves as ordinary galactic residents.
Furthermore, with the sheer size of a Star Field, searching for the enemy was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
Of course, as the ones being hunted, Sagman and the others would face danger at every turn, and they would be experiencing much more pressure.
Because the enemy opened the gap with the stargate, the dynasty's Beyond Grade As were unable to continue giving chase and could only choose to hold down the fort in the Shattered Star Ring. After all, the enemy would definitely try to hide themselves, and they would only be able to fight back after discovering the enemy's tracks. If not, they would just be wasting their time.
Han Xiao then smiled and said, "The Shattered Star Ring is the Black Star Army's main camp, so I sincerely welcome all of you to be guests in the Black Star Army. All of your food and accommodation shall be taken care of by me during this period."
Heber immediately said after hearing that, "The Shattered Star Ring is also my territory. The Black Star Army has only been around for a few years, and there is nothing fantastic about them. All of you can come to my Bloodshed Land instead."
Everyone present was a Beyond Grade A Super and had incredible influence. As locals, both Han Xiao and Heber wanted to pull them into their own territory as guests and increase their prestige.
Milizaus then chuckled. "Since Black Star has invited me, I shall go over to his place."
Beyoni also nodded, "Alright, you promised to host me back when we were in the Central Galaxy. Let's make use of this opportunity."
They had spent one month with Han Xiao on Planet Lighthouse and also fought together in a desperate battle a while ago. They were naturally much closer to each other.
"Black Star, I shall also go over to your place," Maximiler, who only had his projection around, said. "We can make use of this opportunity to have an exchange in Mechanic skills."
"Sounds good." Han Xiao agreed.
Maximiler was a Mechanic and would naturally be more interested in someone of his own Class rather than a muscular man.
Everyone ignored Heber's invitation, and Heber felt a little embarrassed. He then turned around to look at the remaining Ravenlaude.
Ravenlaude's mouth cramped up, and he said helplessly, "Then… I shall go to Bloodshed Land."
Since everyone was going to the Black Star Army, he also wanted to join in the fun and see if he could find an opportunity to borrow the Evolution Cube. However, he felt his head ache upon seeing Heber stare at him and could only go against his own wishes.
Heber's expression became slightly better. At least not everyone had ignored him.
He then looked at the three people beside Han Xiao and felt a little defeated.
He had held the Tyrant Party in the Shattered Star Ring for many years and felt that his network was pretty large. However, the experts of the same level in the other Star Fields did not think too highly of him, and he felt that he lost out to Han Xiao in this respect.
Tarrokov then coughed and interrupted the conversation.
"Because of the increased difficulty in searching for the enemy, the dynasty has decided to cut off the enemy's path of retreat and ambush the Arcane Church's stargate stationed in the Shattered Star Ring.
"The Shattered Star Ring envoy Zoel is already mobilizing our forces, and he will launch an attack after the dynasty makes an announcement regarding this matter."
"It seems like we won't be able to arrive in time for this." Han Xiao nodded. "Neither party has any Beyond Grade As to help. Can the dynasty deal with the Arcane Church's forces?"
"You're wrong. We have a Beyond Grade A combatant." Han Xiao was stunned for a moment. "Could it be that the dynasty invited Beyond Grade A allies from the other Star Fields? Wouldn't it take too much time? The Arcane Church will also be able to send out Beyond Grade A combatants if this is the case."
"No, our Beyond Grade A combatant is a local in the Shattered Star Ring."
"Local? Heber and I are in the Flickering World. Austin is still rushing back and won't be able to make it in time. There's no need to talk about Psyker…"
As he said that, Han Xiao suddenly realized something, and his face darkened.
"Did you guys seek help from Ames by using my name‽"
"Black Star, don't misunderstand us. We didn't do that. The Dragon Emperor took the initiative to approach Zoel and requested to participate in the operation," Tarrokov said. "I only found out recently, and Zoel has already agreed to it. With all of you absent, she is the only Beyond Grade A in the Shattered Star Ring and will be able to aid us greatly."
"How did she find out about the matters over here?"
"This… I don't know about that." Tarrokov shook his head.
Han Xiao frowned and walked to the side to contact Ames.
Ames' figure floated up on his communicator, and she sized Han Xiao up upon seeing him before saying with a smile, "Eh, the busy man is finally willing to call me."
Han Xiao did not bother beating about the bush and asked, "Let me ask you, did you contact the dynasty to enter this storm?"
"Why? Do you have an issue?" Ames smirked.
Han Xiao nodded and said, "You shouldn't have. This isn't a good thing for you."
"How long have you known me?" Ames asked with a calm voice. "To me, there are only things that I wish to do and those that I don't wish to do. You are my ally, and since you were ambushed, what kind of ally would I be if I don't help? Humph, you still tried to hide the matter from me. If not for Austin informing me about the matter, I wouldn't have known that you encountered such danger in the Flickering World."
So, it was that darn old man Austin… Han Xiao then said helplessly, "It isn't that I am hiding the matter from you. I just haven't told you yet. I don't need to inform you at the very first moment, right?"
Ames snorted. "… I really wish to beat you up sometimes. It is a pity that you are much stronger than before, and I'm not confident that I can beat the current you."
Han Xiao stroked his chin and said helplessly, "Don't change the topic. The dynasty will be able to attack the stargate even if you don't participate. There's no need for you to do so. You are not a member of the dynasty and do not have the dynasty's protections. Your situation will be tough if you anger the Arcane Church."
"Really? What about Austin? You don't seem to think about him," Ames said with a mocking tone.
"Is that even the same?" Han Xiao shook his head. "Austin owed me a favor, but you don't. Instead, I am the one who owes you a favor. Besides, both of us are allies, and I have to think on your behalf."
"Tsk, it turns out that you still know how to speak like a human." Ames teased him a little before getting serious. "Alright, you don't need to continue. You should know that even Aesop wouldn't be able to convince me otherwise if I make a decision."
"Alright then…"
Han Xiao was a little helpless but also touched. When he was weak, Ames had also stood up for him like this. Now that they were already on the same level, she still chose to do so, and those memories surfaced in his head.
"Then take care of yourself."
After hanging up, Han Xiao contacted Zoel.
Zoel's face appeared, and he said with a friendly expression, "Haha, Your Excellency Black Star. It has been quite some time. I have heard about your merits in the Flickering World. Good job!"
Zoel was the one who had introduced Han Xiao to join the dynasty. Now that Han Xiao had rendered merits to the dynasty, he would also receive some reward and was in a good mood.
"Zoel, I have something to ask of you…" Han Xiao then said his request.
"It's nothing much. Don't worry, I will inform the garrison commander to prevent the Dragon Emperor from fighting at the most dangerous location."
"Alright, I will return to the Shattered Star Ring soon, and we can have a gathering at the headquarters of the Black Star Army. Milizaus, Beyoni, and Maximiler will also be around."
"They are all bigshots." Zoel's eyes lit up. With his current position, he would only be able to meet the Beyond Grade As in the Shattered Star Ring, and there was no chance for him to meet the Beyond Grade As of the other Star Fields. This was a good opportunity for him to get to know them.
After ending the call, Han Xiao returned to Tarrokov's side and used the Spacetime Amber to seal the struggling Mercer with the aid of the others.
Following that, the fleet changed directions and headed toward the stargate located in the Dawn Star Cluster. It would take them a few days to return to the Shattered Star Ring.
Han Xiao had originally thought that he would have to remain in the Flickering World, but never had he thought that he would be able to return to his main camp because of this interlude.
In truth, his physical location did not matter as the Black Star Army would continue their exploration of the Flickering World.
Opening the forums to take a look, the player's [The Crimson Dynasty Order: All Out Pursuit] had not ended yet. There were still many Arcane Church troops scattered all around and also plenty of Fallen Ark troops that had not escaped.
Compared to Sagman's group of four, Han Xiao would rather deal with EsGod. However, the dynasty's attention was currently on the Arcane Church.
Without aid from his teammates, Han Xiao was not confident about killing EsGod.
I can only wait for the Crimson Dynasty to announce this matter to the universe and carry out a large scale counterattack before trying to persuade them about my previous suggestion, Han Xiao thought to himself. The Political Asset should have some influence on this, right?
The day after catching Mercer, the dynasty called for a press conference, and Ruler Urranrell personally revealed the entire incident to the universe.
Countless galactic media groups broadcast the press conference, and the scene of the press conference spread throughout every Star Field.
Regardless of whether it was a variety channel or family channel, every channel showed the press conference of the dynasty.
The captains of various spaceships, customers of bars, travelers in transit stations, and many others all had their eyes glued to the press conference.
Many galactic residents were listening to the Crimson Dynasty's announcement at the same time.
The galactic residents only knew that the Flickering World was a new Star Field that was currently being explored and did not know anything else. However, a battle between eleven Beyond Grade As had actually broken out in this unexplored Star Field with the Arcane Church and the Crimson Dynasty fighting each other head on! Both Universal Civilizations also simultaneously announced that they were entering war time alert!
This announcement was like the explosion of a psionic bomb!
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Chapter 861 Changes and Spies
A Universal Civilization that wanted to make use of public opinion as their weapon had sufficient rights to borrow the galactic media groups to spread their voice. The influence of a Universal Civilization covered the various Star Fields, and their influence could not be matched by the Star Cluster civilizations, which were restricted to their own region.
Ruler Urranrell then described the entire process in detail before releasing an official document that recorded the entire event in detail to the public.
The document emphasized how the Arcane Church was blinded by their greed for the Evolution Cube and ignored the fact that the Flickering World was under the control of the dynasty. They had even worked together with the infamous Fallen Ark and ambushed the dynasty's troops, which caused massive losses to the dynasty. The dynasty strongly criticized such an action and reserved the right to pursue the matter. They announced that they were going to stop all activities with the Arcane Church and enter war-time alert.
The dynasty's announcement was extremely solemn and strict, making the galactic residents feel that the dynasty had suffered astronomical loss. But after viewing the document and understanding the exact process of the matter, they were shocked to realize that the dynasty did not suffer too much of a loss but managed to repel the enemy instead. They had even captured two of the enemy's Beyond Grade As in the Flickering World.
Black Star's contributions were greatly emphasized within the document, and his battle results were being promoted. The dynasty wanted to help Han Xiao raise his prestige and deal a heavy blow to the Arcane Church. The Arcane Church was the background for Black Star's contributions, and Black Star was obtaining his prestige by standing on top of the Arcane Church. The greater the spread of this incident, the heavier the blow dealt to the Arcane Church.
News of Black Star capturing Dylan created a huge commotion after spreading out. Han Xiao was a new Beyond Grade A who had created a sensation just a while back, and most of the galactic residents were somewhat familiar with him.
Who would have thought that in less than a year, the newly ascended Black Star would be able to capture an expert of the same level as him?
Killing or capturing a Beyond Grade A alive had significant meaning in the universe. The Beyond Grade A level was already the peak, and if an individual was capable of subduing this peak, their fame would be propelled up to the next level.
Han Xiao had previously fought Psyker and Heber, and the result of the battle was only a draw. Although it could be considered a Beyond Grade A incident, it was not too shocking.
But this time, he had personally defeated a combatant at his level, and it could be said that Han Xiao's status in the universe had stabilized after this battle.
The document also pointed out that Heber had captured a Beyond Grade A Super, but before Black Star's merits, it seemed extremely ordinary. After all, the galactic residents were able to understand the difference. One managed to capture the enemy while being at the absolute disadvantage while the other fought the enemy in a one-on-one battle when the enemy was surrounded. The two events could not be compared.
Apart from the shock of the event, many were worried about the influence of this matter. If the Crimson Dynasty and Arcane Church broke out into open war, the situation in the galaxy would become tense again.
For the past ten years, the Crimson Dynasty and the Federation of Light had been at a standoff. Now that the Federation of Light had become low profile, the Arcane Church decided to walk up the stage.
Ever since the Flickering World was discovered, the galaxy had been unstable.
Regardless of how slow witted the galactic residents were, they were able to see that the three Universal Civilizations were having conflicts around this new Star Field.
After the dynasty made their announcement, the various Super Star Cluster and Star Cluster Civilizations immediately activated their intelligence net to gather information.
Black Star had become the focus of all these organizations, and many organizations became wary of him.
The Beyond Grade A allies of the three Universal Civilizations had always been the target for research of the various organizations. However, Han Xiao was different from the other Beyond Grade As that had joined for a few decades. He had joined the dynasty less than a year prior, and information was limited. However, many organizations had no choice but to adjust his threat to the level of the three pillars of the dynasty and label him as a target to pay close attention to.
The Arcane Church then revealed the various methods that Han Xiao had displayed in the battle through their various hidden intelligence agencies, and all the organizations now knew that Black Star had two Universal Treasures in his hands. There was no need to talk about the Evolution Cube since it was the reason for the battle.
However, the other Universal Treasure was actually able to block the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter and seal a Beyond Grade A. With such methods up his sleeves, Black Star had a special strategic position and could not be considered an ordinary Beyond Grade A combatant.
There were naturally those with greed as well. The Arcane Church intentionally revealed such information so that many organizations would eye the Universal Treasure in Han Xiao's hands. They had indeed succeeded, but the other organizations did not dare to take any reckless actions since even the Arcane Church had failed.
Black Star's battle merits were a true deterrent to many organizations.
A few days later, the dynasty began their counterattack, and Arcane Church's stargate located in the Shattered Star Ring suffered from an ambush. An intense battle broke out, and it was said that the energy reactions of the battle could be felt from a Star Zone away.
After Sagman's ambush failed, the Arcane Church had guessed that the Crimson Dynasty would attempt to destroy their stargate located in the Shattered Star Ring. Thus, they had already begun mobilizing their reinforcements and had even mobilized other Beyond Grade A combatants.
However, in order to secretly send out six Beyond Grade As, the Arcane Church had gotten their other Beyond Grade As to attract the attention of the public in various locations. As such, it would require some time to mobilize them, and the dynasty managed to seize that window.
Ames was the only Beyond Grade A present in the Shattered Star Ring, and she participated in the attack before the Arcane Church's reinforcements could arrive. Her Force Field was a sharp weapon in galactic warfare and could easily disrupt and penetrate the formation of the army stationed at the stargate. Furthermore, she was also able to use her Force Field to destroy the stargate and cut off the enemy's route of retreat.
Following which, the dynasty began monitoring all the public stargates and sent out their spies to monitor the Arcane Church's movements.
However, as a Universal Civilization, the Arcane Church had many other ways to deal with that.
Old Medal Bar was located in the seventh junkyard of some galactic transit station in the Shattered Star Ring. Although it seemed like a public bar that was a little tattered on the surface, it was actually the gathering point of a black-market merchant with the nickname of 'Night Bat'.
There was no absolute order in the universe, and there would always be shadows when light existed. The galactic black market was the biggest shadow in the galactic society.
There would always be needs when there were people, and there would always be smugglers when there were needs. Every region in the universe had their own black markets. Some were businesses that the government chose to look away from, and others were gray regions that were not controlled by any civilizations.
In the black markets of the Shattered Star Ring, Night Bat was not a bigshot. On the contrary, he was an unknown character who mainly collected scrap. He made use of such a disguise to smuggle some military machines.
There was no need for him to behave sneakily. Almost all the locals knew that Old Medal Bar was his black market gathering point, but because of its small size and the items being sold being relatively safe, no organization paid close attention to him. In this galactic transit station, there were hundreds of such black merchants.
Today, a freight captain arrived at the Old Medal Bar, and this captain had been working together with Night Bat for a long time. He would sell some scraps to Night Bat with some smuggled goods hidden within the scraps. Night Bat personally invited him to the underground chamber under his bar to be a guest today.
Only Night Bat and this freight captain were left in the office.
The freight captain then lit a cigarette and blew out a mouthful of smoke. He took out a sheet of paper and pushed it toward Night Bat.
"This is the list of scraps."
"Thanks."
Night Bat was a skinny man with a fawning smile on his face. Everyone would think that he was a crafty merchant upon seeing his face.
"The goods have been delivered. I'll make a move now." The freight captain stood up.
"Aren't you going to have some fun? I heard that Red Widow on Gray Shed Street has some new mixed-blood elves…"
"Mixed blood elves… forget it. Have you heard? The Crimson Dynasty and Arcane Church have begun fighting in the Shattered Star Ring. The situation in the outside world is far too unstable. I will return home after this trip and wait for them to finish their battle before coming out to do business."
The freight captain seemed a little tempted but decided otherwise and left the room.
Night Bat followed behind him and called for his subordinates to shift the scraps on the cargo ship.
With everyone being busy, no one would notice subtle changes. No one noticed that Night Bat had suddenly grown a few centimeters taller with his body shape changing slightly. One of the workers of the freight captain had also experienced such a subtle change.
After half a day, the goods were finally unloaded, and the cargo ship left the planet.
The cargo ship was set to autopilot, and the captain received news of iron eating bugs being spotted in the warehouse.
This was an extremely common bug that would destroy the internal structure of a spaceship. It had to be cleaned up immediately the moment it was spotted.
The captain went to the warehouse, and more than thirty workers had flamethrowers in their hands to burn the ten or so centimeters bugs into ashes.
"Captain, we have already stabilized the situation and are checking the damage. Some goods show signs of being bitten," a worker reported.
Upon hearing that, the freight captain became anxious. All the goods in the warehouse were his customers' orders, and he would have to pay for them if they were damaged.
He was only an ordinary individual in the universe and was not able to afford such goods.
"Bring me to take a look!"
They entered the depths of the warehouse.
Right at that moment, the worker suddenly took out a silenced handgun and aimed it at the captain's head.
"You…" The captain was shocked.
The worker then opened fire decisively
Pap pap pap!
Three bullets shot through the skull of the freight captain. This was definitely a fatal injury to an ordinary individual.
The freight captain landed on the ground with blood flowing out from his body.
This worker wiped his face and took off a mask-like item to reveal Night Bat's appearance.
Night Bat had a cold expression on his face without any trace of his 'cunning merchant' aura.
He took out the access card and communicator from the captain's body and carried the captain's body back to the region where they had been burning bugs.
When Night Bat walked out from the darkness, the situation was already completely different. Only five of the thirty plus workers were left, and they all had silenced handguns in their hands. There were more than twenty corpses on the ground, and they had all been shot dead.
They looked toward Night Bat and greeted him. "Captain."
They were all spies trained by the Arcane Church. Night Bat had disguised himself as a black market merchant for many years to manage an insignificant smuggling business. A portion of his team had been disguised as workers and worked for this freight captain.
After smuggling for so many years, they had secretly gathered sufficient parts to build a new stargate. These workers had secretly loaded up the stargate equipment onto these spaceships when they were unloading the goods previously.
After remaining hidden for such a long time, they had always been waiting for their organization to summon them. The Arcane Church activated these spies at such a moment, and their mission was to obtain an insignificant looking spaceship and meet up with the Beyond Grade As to help them escape with the stargate equipment.
Night Bat's team was not the only one with such a mission; similar scenes were playing out all around the Shattered Star Ring.
These usually insignificant characters had begun to take action.
Beyond Grade A was the peak of individual strength, but no one would be able to call themselves the protagonist of the universe. The universe was far too big, and every character had their own role to play. Even an insignificant individual could influence the bigger picture.
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Chapter 862 A Devastating Number
The dynasty's Beyond Grade As returned to the Shattered Star Ring from the Flickering World through the stargate located in the Dawn Star Cluster. After another period of flying, Han Xiao returned to the Colton Star Cluster together with Milizaus and the others.
During the period that they were travelling, the Crimson Dynasty and Arcane Church were in a confrontation in the Central Galaxy, and the situation was extremely tense.
On the Shattered Star Ring's side, the dynasty's forces located at the borders of the Flickering World had thoroughly investigated the secret stargate exit coordinates provided by Han Xiao, but it was already empty.
When they heard this news along the way, everyone knew that the following job belonged mainly to the intelligence personnel, and they would not be able to do much.
In the spaceship, Han Xiao, Milizaus' avatar, Beyoni, and Maximiler were gathered together, looking out at the Black Star Army headquarters outside the window.
Gigantic battleships were taking off and landing on the gigantic planetary grade fortress, and metal buildings loomed everywhere.
The officers present at headquarters had also received news of their arrival and came forward to receive them.
As the hatch opened, Han Xiao and the others disembarked from the spaceship and were greeted with a sea of people. The warriors of the army were lined up neatly and gave a salute in unison.
"Army Commander!"
Upon seeing that, Han Xiao was stunned for a moment and slightly confused.
Why did they arrange for such a grand ceremony? While it was a spectacular scene, he did not remember giving such an order.
In front of the soldiers, Sylvia pushed Lagi forward.
As the vice commander, Lagi had no choice but to step forward. He then cleared his throat and said with a less monotonous voice, "Cough cough, we welcome the Army Commander's return."
Han Xiao's face contorted slightly, and he asked, "What are you guys doing? It has only been a few months since we last met each other. Why bother with such a solemn ceremony?"
"Sylvia said that the entire universe now knows that you have defeated a Beyond Grade A head on, and we can make use of this opportunity to foster the cohesiveness within the army," Herlous said softly.
There was another reason that he did not mention. Sylvia knew that Han Xiao was inviting the allies of the dynasty over as guests and thus created such a scene to build up Han Xiao's image.
Of course, Lagi felt that this was completely pointless but couldn't convince Sylvia otherwise.
Han Xiao did not really like such a display and did not feel that it was necessary for the army to boost his image. However, he would not nitpick something so small. Since he had given his subordinates authority, he would allow them to have their own thoughts. He then instructed, "Arrange a room for these three Excellencies."
"It has already been arranged," Sylvia said.
Right at this moment, Lagi sighed. "I heard that Austin joined in the battle, and this resulted in huge losses for the Forbidden Sorcerers. Is this true?"
"Yes." Han Xiao nodded.
"Sigh, another few familiar faces have disappeared. Thankfully, I switched sides…" Lagi shook his head weakly. "However, it is meaningless to talk about this. In a few more years, all our bodies will rot, and we will become…"
"Alright, I know that we will all become dust. You can keep quiet now," Han Xiao interrupted.
After stopping Lagi from embarrassing himself, Han Xiao turned around to look at Milizaus and the others.
"I have some matters to handle. You guys can go and rest. You can inform my men if you have any needs. I will go and find you guys later."
"Okay."
Milizaus' group of three had no issues with that. Since they were in the territory of another, they would listen to Black Star's arrangements.
Watching the three enter the headquarters, Han Xiao walked toward his office to meet all his officers and asked them about the recent situation.
The army was already on track, and together with him having sufficient prestige, no one in the Shattered Star Ring would dare provoke them.
Furthermore, the galactic pirates and scavengers had begun avoiding the territories of the Black Star Army, which improved the security of many regions.
It was time for the logistics report, and Reynold gave his report calmly. After listening to his report, Han Xiao did not ask about the matters of the army but about Nero's studies.
"He is extremely talented, and his learning speed is extremely fast. He finished reading all the theory books that I gave him."
He was probably forced to read them by you, right?
Han Xiao's mouth contorted slightly, and he asked, "Where is he?"
"Right outside." Reynold then brought Nero in.
After not meeting him for a while, Nero had already grown up. He now had thick eyebags around his eyes and looked extremely sleepy.
Nero was no longer as energetic as before, and he greeted Han Xiao weakly.
"Hello godfather."
"You…"
Seeing his pathetic appearance, Han Xiao felt a tinge of pity.
Reynold, you are truly a demon! Look at how you tortured this kid.
It seemed like he must hide Nero well from the players. If not, those darn players might end up triggering an 'assassinate Reynold' type mission.
Shaking his head, Han Xiao got Nero to stand in front of him. He then pricked Nero slightly to activate the battle notification and viewed Nero's attributes.
Wait a moment, this…
Looking at the interface, a look of surprise could be seen on Han Xiao's face.
In Nero's talent section, a new talent that had not been there before appeared. It was [Middle Grade Mechanical Sense]!
My guess was correct! Nero has an Advanced Luck Glow and has the right to obtain a Molding Talent. He can even learn a talent like Mechanical Sense!
Although it was only [Middle Grade Mechanical Sense] at the moment, he had a chance of learning Reynold's [Perfect Mechanical Sense] if he continued!
There was finally a new point to break through to Reynold, and Han Xiao was truly excited!
Thinking about that, Han Xiao stroked Nero's head and said with concern, "Your appearance looks extremely poor. Are you too tired from studying?"
Nero then glanced at Reynold, and his body trembled slightly. "No… not tired at all…"
"Don't need to be afraid. You can just tell the truth with me around."
Looking at Han Xiao's compassionate eyes, Nero felt a sense of courage welling up in his heart. He then began to openly complain about Reynold's crimes.
"Godfather, he doesn't even treat me as a human. The sheer amount of homework that he gives isn't even meant for a human! I have less than three hours of sleep every day, and it is interfering with my development. I… I am still a kid!"
Han Xiao then looked at Reynold and snorted. "Is this the truth?"
"Since the Army Commander handed Nero over to me, I will not let you down," Reynold said with a strict appearance. "I will definitely groom him to become a great Mechanic!"
"Sigh, I know that your intentions are good, but you must pay attention to your method." Han Xiao shook his head.
Upon hearing that, a glimmer could be seen in Nero's eyes, and he felt a trace of hope in his heart.
Godfather is speaking on my behalf!
Does this mean that my hellish life will end today‽
His body trembled with excitement, and he was like a man dying from thirst in the desert who saw an oasis.
At this moment, Nero suddenly felt as though a sacred halo could be seen on Han Xiao's body.
Han Xiao took out a bottle filled with dragon's blood. This was Milizaus' blood that he had gathered from the battlefield. He then said to Reynold, "Give this dragon blood to Emerald Grass and get her to research a body strengthening medicine."
The next moment, Han Xiao turned around and looked at Nero with a smile.
"Reynold didn't think things through. How can you learn properly without a strong body? Medicine developed from dragon's blood will be able to replenish your energy, and your development won't be affected no matter how late you sleep. Don't worry and follow Reynold. You must learn properly."
Nero's smile froze in place, and his eyes widened.
In his eyes, the sacred glow on Han Xiao's body seemed to have become a demonic aura, and his godfather's smile was like a demon's grin.
Tears welled up in his eyes and were about to burst forth.
Nero cried his heart and lungs out.
Godfather is also a demon!
Wuwuwu… father, mother, I don't want to live in space anymore. I want to return home!
As Reynold heard that, his eyes lit up, and he nodded with praise.
You are indeed the Army Commander that I respect. You are also a demon.
Han Xiao then got Sylvia to comfort Nero. It was a pity that Rossellin had gone to become a revolutionary. If not, she would have been able to easily fix this mental damage.
Following which, he then used a blank Character Summon Card on Reynold to replenish the number of times he can use Perfect Mechanical Sense. The blank Character Summon Card was slightly different to the previous reward, and he only had a single chance to use it.
Who knew how long it would take for Nero to learn the [Perfect Mechanical Sense]? Han Xiao had always kept his guard up ever since the Planet Lighthouse battle and was worried that the Arcane Church might become desperate. As such, he had to keep a trump card prepared.
After settling his internal affairs, Han Xiao went to find Milizaus and the others and led them on a tour of his headquarters. He also contacted Tarrokov to discuss the dynasty's pursuit mission.
The dynasty's forces present in the desolate universe belt near the Shattered Star Ring were smaller than their forces in the Flickering World. Together with the fact that the enemy had made use of a secret stargate, the dynasty was not able to set up a defensive line in time. By making use of that small opening, Sagman's group had successfully avoided the dynasty's surveillance and escaped into the Shattered Star Ring.
"According to the spatial fluctuations left behind, we believe that Sagman's group of four have decided to split up. This has increased the difficulty of our search." Tarrokov's projection floated beside them and walked together.
"It will be akin to a drop of water entering the ocean when they enter the Shattered Star Ring. It will be incredibly difficult to find them," Beyoni said.
"That's right. Her Excellency also thinks so." Tarrokov nodded. "According to reliable intelligence, the Arcane Church has activated many of their spies in the Shattered Star Ring to save these four Beyond Grade As. Every Universal Civilization has many spies located in the various Star Fields disguised as workers from various occupations, and it is incredibly difficult to see through them. It is an important source of information, and it will be much easier for Sagman and the others to escape with their help."
"Hidden spies… If we can get a list of the spies, we will be able to track them." Han Xiao stroked his chin.
"That's impossible." Tarrokov shook his head. "Such a list will be stored in the main database of the Universal Civilization and protected by a Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanic. The firewall will be extremely powerful, and it will be impossible to infiltrate them."
"Will those spies contact the higher ups?"
"The spies of a Universal Civilization will report directly to the intelligence agency, and a single encrypted command can allow them to willingly remain hidden for ten years. They do not have any higher ups."
"I see. Then forget it." Han Xiao shook his head and decided to forget about this matter.
Tarrokov then said, "Although it is incredibly difficult to capture them, we cannot give up halfway. We may have some unexpected rewards as well and uproot some of the Arcane Church's spies. We can attempt to completely wipe out all the hidden pieces that the Arcane Church has in the Shattered Star Ring! If they want to plant new spies, it will take them a few decades for sure."
"Hmm, this is fine as well. Rather than attempt to chase after four extremely nimble Beyond Grade As, we might as well uproot the Arcane Church's spies," Maximiler said.
Capturing two Beyond Grade A captives was already a satisfactory battle result.
They were worried that the Arcane Church might truly become desperate after losing even more Beyond Grade As and end up in a large-scale assassination attempt toward each other's Beyond Grade As.
There was an example of such an incident. During the exploration era a thousand years earlier, there was a historical incident called the Saint Menason Incident.
At that time, the leaders from the three Universal Civilizations were not the present ones, and an important Beyond Grade A called 'Saint Menason' from the Federation of Light was ambushed by two Beyond Grade As from the dynasty. Their target was to snatch the Universal Treasure in Saint Menason's hands. However, the Federation of Light called even more Beyond Grade A combatants to counter-ambush the two Beyond Grade As and snatch the Universal Treasure back.
The two dead Beyond Grade As had many friends, and a huge chain reaction was created.
Because of this, the Federation of Light and the Crimson Dynasty began to push the blame onto each other politically.
Nine months later, the dynasty's Beyond Grade As worked together and washed the organizations that belonged to three Beyond Grade As from the Federation of Light with blood. They also got rid of two of the Federation of Light's Beyond Grade As, and only one managed to escape. During this period, the biological brother of an Arcane Church Beyond Grade A also died in the battle because he was a guest at the ambush site.
Because of this, the Arcane Church was dragged into the matter, and another series of assassinations unfolded. The three Universal Civilizations began to assassinate each other's Beyond Grade As, and more and more people died. In the eyes of a civilization, a Beyond Grade A combatant was a strategic weapon, and they would not allow other Beyond Grade As to live if their own had died. As such, the conflict between the civilizations grew deeper and deeper.
During this incident, the three Universal Civilizations sacrificed many Beyond Grade A Supers, and the turning point of the incident was what the civilizations called the Saint Menason Incident. There was actually a mastermind behind the scene, and it was a Super Star Cluster civilization at that time. The three Universal Civilizations then claimed that they found solid evidence to believe that these Super Star Cluster civilizations were fanning the flames from behind the scenes and wanted to make them lose some Beyond Grade As.
Following which, the three Universal Cis then wiped out all the Beyond Grade As of that Super Star Cluster civilization and their allies before the entire incident came to an end.
At that time, around half of the Beyond Grade As in the known universe were killed. A few neutral Beyond Grade As were unable to avoid the matter and were forced to join the three Universal Civilizations.
As for whether the mastermind behind the matter was truly the Super Star Cluster civilization, only the three Universal Civilizations knew. In any case, that was how it was written in history.
Although their Beyond Grade As were dead, the civilization was still around. While the three Universal Civilizations were much more peaceful in the Galaxy Calendar era, the majority did not wish to see history repeat itself. After that incident, the number of Beyond Grade As being sacrificed was reduced greatly.
"Don't worry, even if we can't catch Sagman and the others, there is a target that won't be able to escape," Tarrokov said with a smile.
"Psyker right?" Han Xiao also smiled.
The Star Pupil Holy Race was in the Shattered Star Ring, and it was impossible for Psyker to escape. Even if the dynasty adhered to the Peace Treaty and did not attack the Star Pupil Holy Race, it would be impossible for Psyker not to return forever.
If he had killed Han Xiao successfully and snatched the Evolution Cube back, Psyker would have had the protection of the Arcane Church and would not have been in such a passive state.
For now, however, Psyker was truly in a pathetic state.
Han Xiao only had a single thought toward Psyker's current situation.
There's no hope. Let's move house.
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Chapter 863 Red-Named Monster, Please Stop!
The dynasty's search mission in the Shattered Star Ring lasted longer than anyone expected. Three months went by in a flash, and the Beyond Grade As of the dynasty were still waiting there.
However, the dynasty's pursuit mission did not yield many results as a Beyond Grade A in disguise was far too nimble. Over the past three months, the dynasty had only caught many of the Arcane Church's spies and a few suspected traces of Sagman and the others. The Beyond Grade As were unable to find any of the Arcane Church's Beyond Grade As when they took action.
These Arcane Church's spies were naturally interrogated and were unable to keep any secrets under the various methods of the Universal Civilizations. However, the Arcane Church had various preventive measures up their sleeves, and these spies did not know the exact locations of Sagman and the others. They only headed to a certain location at a certain time, and some of these messages were there as a smokescreen for the dynasty. The amount of useful information was extremely little.
When the Arcane Church decided to make use of their spies in the Shattered Star Ring, they were prepared to lose them.
Apart from the Shattered Star Ring, the Crimson Dynasty and Arcane Church were not idle in the other Star Fields. Plenty of skirmishes had broken out between the two over the past three months, and the relationship between the two was extremely tense.
In summary, the Crimson Dynasty ferociously sought an explanation, but the Arcane Church refused to give in. The way the outside world saw it, war was about to break out.
But as upper echelons of the dynasty, Han Xiao and the others received inside news from Tarrokov. The Arcane Church had privately contacted the Crimson Dynasty, and both parties were already discussing how to settle this matter. The two parties were only putting on a show for the outside world and would not actually end up fighting.
The Arcane Church also had no choice but to give in. Two of their Beyond Grade As had been captured by the dynasty, and they had to find a way to get them back. If not, none of their allies would be willing to fight for them in the future. The party that the Arcane Church hated the most was not the Crimson Dynasty but the Federation of Light.
The actions of the Federation of Light in the Shattered Star Ring couldn't be hidden from the Arcane Church. The Federation of Light tried to hit them when they were down and even aided the dynasty in searching for Sagman and the others. Although the cooperation between both parties was only limited to the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device, the Arcane Church was still furious.
The Shattered Star Ring was the Federation of Light's territory, and they had deep foundations. Their intervention had resulted in many of the Arcane Church's spies being exposed.
The conflicts between the civilizations were mainly for benefits, and supporting Beyond Grade As was also for this reason. The Arcane Church hoped to use diplomacy to resolve this problem and pay a ransom for Dylan and Mercer.
The army and various weapons were the basic strength of a civilization, and a Beyond Grade A was like a special weapon that served as a powerful deterrent. In the exploration era, the Beyond Grade As that were captured would either be converted to their own use or executed.
However, the Galaxy Calendar era was more peaceful than before, and the galactic civilizations were currently in a state of peace. No one was capable of shaking the position of the three Universal Civilizations, and the military activities of the past gradually became diplomacy.
Thus, it was not impossible to pay a ransom. As long as one was willing to pay a sufficient price, everything could be discussed. The three Universal Civilizations would see their Beyond Grade As fall into enemy hands from time to time, and there was thus a tacit agreement between the three civilizations and also an unspoken rule. However, this unspoken rule was only restricted to the three Universal Civilizations. The Super Star Cluster Civilizations did not have such a privilege.
Han Xiao could not be bothered with that. He had already received his Contribution Points, and since he handed the captive over, the dynasty could choose to do whatever they wanted.
He had remained within the headquarters of the Black Star Army during the past three months, and even if he was summoned by the dynasty, he would only send Psionic Prime and his mechanical army out.
Maximiler was the same as him and also sent out his long-distance troops. The best advantage of this was that he could slack at home.
Maximiler was a Mechanic that belonged to the Energy Branch, and he chose to stay at the Black Star Army so that he can have an exchange with Han Xiao. Both parties had a good conversation with each other over the past three months and became much closer.
Han Xiao originally thought that Ames would come and look for him, but Ames returned to Floating Dragon Island after destroying the stargate and did not mention the matter again. She had a carefree attitude.
What a reliable ally.
Over the past few months, Han Xiao had spent most of his time crafting new machines. With his new [Endless Material Combination] knowledge, he was able to create many baffling materials to increase the attributes of his machines. The strength of his mechanical army would be increased this way, and he would also pose a greater threat to Beyond Grade A Supers.
Manison was able to deal with Beyond Grade As even with his long-distance troops, and he could fight many different Beyond Grade As at different locations. That was the true battle tactic of a Mechanic, and Han Xiao was still lacking in this respect. However, he still had a long time to accumulate his strength. After all, he had only been a Beyond Grade A Super for around a year.
After the Planet Lighthouse battle, the damage to his mechanical army was not small. If not for his mechanical army restraining the enemy, they would all have been in danger for sure. Thus, Han Xiao made use of this opportunity to create a new batch of machines.
The endless stream of Enas from exploring the Flickering World came into Han Xiao's pockets, so Han Xiao was extremely wealthy. One of the reasons he had created such a large organization was so that he would not need to worry about the cost of constructing machines.
The three new Apostle Weapon slots were given to Silver Flash, Giant King Kong, and Mad Sky Hunter, who each had their own weapons and special attributes.
Silver Flash's long-distance attack was improved, and his weapon was a transformable Planetary Obliteration Cannon called [Spreader of Destruction].
Giant King Kong was like a main tank meat shield with his weapon being strengthened armor. It could be taken off like ordinary armor and could even be transformed into a gigantic shield. It also had the ability to repair itself and was called [Divine Giant Armor].
Mad Sky Hunter was a beast-shaped Mechanical Life, and his body structure was different compared to the others. He had a pair of wings stuck on his back, which had a length of ten meters when fully opened, and he looked like the combination of a leopard, wolf, eagle, and dragon. His weapon was a strengthened hyperdrive module which gave him the ability to flicker and was called [Hunting Module].
Han Xiao gave the slots of the Apostle Weapon to the Mechanical Lives that were created earlier on. They had grown for a period of time already and were more reliable. Furthermore, he tried to give the slots to the different models of Mechanical Lives so that his Apostle Weapons would have a greater variety.
Over the past three months, Han Xiao had released a faction mission that got many of the players to look around the Shattered Star Ring.
An unexplored Star Field would not have as much activity as the discovered universe. After staying in the Flickering World for such a long time, the players could truly feel the silence of the vast universe. They would usually travel for a few Star Zones without seeing anybody, and it was easy for them to feel just how small they were in the universe. They could have a change of pace after returning to the Shattered Star Ring, and many of the players gradually became energetic again.
Exploring a new Star Field naturally had its own benefits, and the players knew that the Flickering World was definitely a huge event. However, after exploring the Flickering World for some time, the sense of novelty was gone, and a portion of them preferred to remain in the Shattered Star Ring. There were numerous NPCs in the Shattered Star Ring with plenty of different things to do.
Han Xiao would not force the players to do anything. Although he always joked that the players were laborers, he was extremely clear about the players' personality. Sometimes, their benefits would have to give way to their interests, and this was what the majority of players chased after.
He would not restrict the players' freedom and would only issue a mission and the relevant reward. As for whether or not the players wanted to complete the mission, it did not have anything to do with him. After all, they players still did not know that the Flickering World would become the most exciting place in the universe during the next version.
On the forums, Bun-Hit-Dog transformed the battle on Planet Lighthouse into a video to let all the players who were not present watch it to their heart's content.
All the players were extremely curious and shocked after watching the video. This was the battle between eleven Beyond Grade As, and it was the first time the players had witnessed such a scene.
Something worth mentioning was that Han Xiao began selling the Dungeon Crystal in the faction store after the battle. Although the dungeon was not one that the players could complete at their current level, he was certain that the players' curiosity would overcome them, and this was a good business opportunity.
Indeed, the sales of the Dungeon Crystal were extremely high, and the average survival time of the players was about forty-seven seconds.
The players were all curious about the strength of a Beyond Grade A and wanted to know the true strength of their captain. The players now had a deep understanding of this.
The ordinary cannon fodder mechanical soldiers that had the boost of the Mechanical Force was like a boss-level monster to the players. They could easily dice the players up like vegetables, and the players did not even have the ability to fight back.
Looking at the battlefield, there were millions of such mechanical soldiers…
After going through this bitter journey, the players were clear about Han Xiao's strength.
Ever since Version 1.0, Black Star's danger level had always been 'Fatally Dangerous' because the highest danger level had been limited to 'Fatally Dangerous'.
Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on the door of the machinery modification room, and Han Xiao, who was currently adjusting his assembly line, stopped working.
Phillip opened the door, and Lagi and a Forbidden Sorcerer clad in red robes walked in.
"Paying my respects to Your Excellency Black Star." The Forbidden Sorcerer bowed. "Master Austin sent me to collect the materials."
"Alright, I have already prepared them. Wait a moment. I will get some men to help you carry it onto your spaceship."
Han Xiao then waved his hands and got Phillip to contact the logistics department to prepare a few cartons of amber balls for the other party.
This was one of the conditions that he and Austin had agreed upon. Since the darn old man had kept his promise, he would not go back on his word.
The Forbidden Sorcerer then bowed and took his leave.
Han Xiao was about to get back to work but realized that Lagi was still standing by the side without the intention to leave.
"Why are you still here?" Han Xiao raised his brows.
"You despise me?" Upon hearing that, Lagi spoke with a bitter expression. "Indeed, someone like me will never be liked no matter where I go. Even my boss doesn't like me. I'd better jump ship…"
"Nonsense. Since when did I despise you?"
Han Xiao felt his head ache and said with exasperation, "Just what do you have to tell me? Go back to slacking off if you don't have anything and stop disturbing me."
"Sigh, you didn't use to have such an attitude. You were so respectful back when you asked me for an enchantment," Lagi said with sorrow. "Indeed, you no longer think highly of me…"
Just what is with this insecure attitude of his today‽
Han Xiao restrained the urge to punch Lagi and said, "Say whatever's on your mind. Don't disturb me if there's nothing!"
Lagi then shook his head and said, "I am actually here to make a suggestion."
Han Xiao's eyes immediately widened in shock the moment these words were said.
Just what is going on? Wasn't my vice commander just for show‽
Since when did he learn how to give suggestions?
Did the sun rise from the wrong side today? Wait, an artificial sun can rise from any direction.
"What suggestions do you have?" Han Xiao asked carefully. He was like a hunter that had met a deer in the forest, afraid that he may scare his prey away.
"I heard from His Excellency Milizaus that all of you failed to find anything over the last few months."
"And then?" Han Xiao nodded. Milizaus was a Mage and seemed to like Lagi for some reason.
As the vice commander of the army, Lagi was also an individual with status. He had encountered Milizaus frequently in recent times and sought advice from Milizaus. Even if it was for Han Xiao's sake, Milizaus would not reject Lagi.
"With the Shattered Star Ring being so large, it will be impossible for us to find a Beyond Grade A if he wants to hide. I think that we should give up the search and let the Crimson Dynasty find them on their own. There's no need to waste our manpower and resources," Lagi said.
"How strange. Why do you suddenly care about such a matter? Did you eat Emerald Grass' medicine by accident?" Han Xiao asked with doubt.
"As the vice commander of the army, it is only normal for me to bother about the development of the army," Lagi said with a bitter expression. "In your heart, it seems like…"
"Stop!"
Han Xiao felt his head ache upon hearing Lagi's words.
In fact, most people would have such a reaction after spending enough time with Lagi, and Han Xiao decided to call this symptom 'Lagi Syndrome'.
Han Xiao smiled and tried to say with patience, "Alright, I heard your advice and will make a decision based on the circumstances. Can you leave now?"
"… You indeed despise me."
"Scram!"
In some large, neutral space harbor, Taylor and Sagman were hiding within the crowd on the street. Both of them had currently disguised themselves with magic into two ordinary looking civilians of the Aso Clan. This was a type of human-shaped living being with blue skin, purple eyes, and three fingers on their hands.
They walked into the harbor and had their identities checked. Their status as galactic residents was verified with a card, and they successfully passed through the checks.
Their current disguise came from the Arcane Church's spies that they had met not too long ago, and their identities had truly existed. They had also obtained tens of other identities that they could easily switch into.
Entering the harbor, they looked around and noticed a few suspicious individuals at the corners. They were sizing up the passersby and had an extraordinary aura.
Upon seeing that, they communicated with their consciousness.
"Spies who are here to search for us."
"There are even spies over here. The dynasty has truly exhausted a great deal of resources in order to find us."
"Who knows how Ninjia is doing…"
After escaping from the Flickering World, the four of them split up into three groups. Ninjia escaped alone with the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, Sagman and Taylor travelled together, and Psyker travelled alone by borrowing the strength of the Star Pupil Holy Race.
During this period, the Crimson Dynasty and Federation of Light spies were scattered all around the Shattered Star Ring. Sagman and Taylor felt every step of the way to be extremely precarious, but thankfully, they received aid from the Arcane Church's spies.
They were both extremely frustrated in their hearts. As Beyond Grade A Supers, they would be respected wherever they went. Despite having such strength, they had to avoid these weak spies and hide like mice. It was truly too frustrating!
They had switched between plenty of spaceships. They had arrived at this harbor not too long ago, and a new spaceship was waiting for them in the harbor.
As they walked, some commotion could be heard from the pier, and this little commotion did not escape their senses.
Turning around to take a look, they saw a group of galactic warriors walking in their direction with the Black Star Army insignia on their chest.
The crowd immediately let out a path for them and stared at the Black Star Army warriors with awe.
As a new Beyond Grade A organization, the members of the Black Star Army had such special privileges.
Sagman frowned. "They are from the Black Star Army."
"The subordinates of Black Star are all extremely queer. Avoid them."
They changed directions.
At the same time, the group of Black Star Army warriors casually looked around.
Right at that moment, a member of the group looked in the direction of Sagman and Taylor and nudged his teammate.
"Strange, I saw two red names just now, and they disappeared in a flash. I wonder if I saw wrongly."
"This is a neutral harbor, so could they be galactic pirates?"
"Shall we go over to take a look?"
"Er, alright. Since we are here to hand in the mission, we can fight some pirates and earn a quick buck."
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Chapter 864 Whereabouts Exposed
Amid the bustle of the neutral space harbor, the duo headed toward the storehouse while planning their route of escape.
"We have a few plans. Two of the most stable plans are to borrow the aid of the spies and escape through the stargate or continue hiding out identity and slowly travel through the Shattered Star Ring."
"Both plans have their risks. If we want to travel through the Star Field, the Seoul Star Cluster and Colton Star Cluster are regions that we must avoid."
"There is another method that would be to try our luck. There is a wormhole cluster in the middle of the Shattered Star Ring, and we can make use of the unstable wormholes to escape into another Star Field."
Just when they were discussing the matter, they suddenly felt people following them from behind. Their footsteps paused, and they turned around to take a look, only to see the few Black Star Army members that they had spotted earlier following behind them.
Taylor was stunned for a moment. "Why are the members of the Black Star Army eyeing us?"
"Don't make a commotion and see what they want to do. It may just be a misunderstanding…" Sagman frowned and pretended that he did not spot anything.
After going down a few split paths, the number of people in the surroundings decreased, but the Black Star Army members were still following them. Only then did they confirm that these Black Star Army members had their eyes on them. It seemed as though they wanted to find where their spaceship was docked.
The duo looked at each other.
"What should we do? Did they recognize us?"
"Doesn't seem that way… but we should get rid of them just to be safe. We can then change into another disguise."
"This is a neutral harbor. Don't make too big a commotion or let others notice that we are the culprits."
"Alright. I will make them disappear without a trace."
On the other side, the players were following behind and chatting in their party chat.
"Both of the red names are Fatally Dangerous. Will we be able to win?"
"It's alright. The army will give us the bounty for catching the pirates, but we can also request aid from the nearby members of the army."
These players had already used their detection skill on Sagman and Taylor, but their names were not revealed. Instead, their disguised names appeared. However, the other party were red names from a hostile faction.
It was not too strange for them to meet a red-named monster out in the galaxy. The majority of them were galactic pirates or scavengers. Thus, these players only thought that they were galactic pirates. It was not that they could not talk to the red-named characters, but it would be extremely easy for them to be attacked since the other party was hostile toward them.
The Black Star Army was in the same camp as the Crimson Dynasty. With the Crimson Dynasty being in open confrontation with the Arcane Church, all members of the Arcane Church became red names for the players in the Black Star Army.
Just when the players wanted to continue tailing the two, their bodies disappeared, and they were suddenly waiting to be revived.
"Eh? Why did I die?"
"Me too. Why didn't we even see the attack?"
The players were all taken aback and hurriedly opened the interface to see the battle notification. Although they were not able to see how the enemy attacked, the interface would show the damage that they took and the attacker's name. It was one of the two red named characters, and he seemed to have used a mental attack to one-shot all the players.
It would not be much if this was the case. However, what truly shocked the players was that they suffered 84,000 damage points!
They almost thought that they had read an additional zero!
Just what kind of strength was this?
Just what was the level of the red-named character who attacked them? Was he a Calamity Grade‽
The players were all extremely curious.
"We seem to have met a fantastic character."
"This is a large fish. Coming into contact with them will definitely trigger a hidden storyline, right?"
Just as they were discussing, one of the players suddenly asked, "For them to easily deal 84,000 damage… do you remember the Planet Lighthouse dungeon we fought yesterday?"
"Wait… I think I understand something!"
The players came to a realization. This party did not join in the Flickering World exploration mission and had been performing missions for the Mercenary League in the Shattered Star Ring. Thus, they had immediately seized the chance to experience the battle the moment the dungeon was released. They still had a vivid memory of how they died an unknown death at the hands of a Beyond Grade A.
Furthermore, damage of such a level seemed to be at the Beyond Grade A level in the dungeon!
This meant that the two Fatally Dangerous red-named characters might not be just Calamity Grade Supers but Beyond Grade A!
Thinking about the mission recently issued by the army to find the Arcane Church's Beyond Grade As…
The players suddenly realized that they might have met the targets.
After using a spell to get rid of the Black Star Army members, Sagman and Taylor found the warehouse and flew out from one of the docks.
They purchased an extremely common model that could be found anywhere.
Following that, they looked toward the neutral harbor and heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that there were no Black Star Army fleets pursuing them.
Taylor began to relax.
With the large difference in strength between both parties, they had been able to get rid of the few Black Star Army warriors without anyone noticing. It seemed like their identities would not be exposed.
In order to be safe, they decided to change into their next set of identity and purchased a new spaceship again.
However, they just could not understand why the Black Star Army members would suddenly follow them.
Indeed, all the subordinates of Black Star were extremely strange.
Ka ka ka!
In Han Xiao's workshop, a few mechanical arms were currently assembling a human-shaped machine, and it was gradually being formed.
The robot that left the furnace was burning hot, and it was quickly cooled down by the coolants being sprayed on it from the sides.
This step was completed extremely quickly, and the next step would be to apply a coat of paint.
Han Xiao waved his hands and said, "Phillip, conduct a test."
"Understood, hum… RX001 generation mechanical body. Nickname 'mammoth'. Conducting the first test…"
The nanoparticles then flowed around the body of the robot.
The test was very quickly concluded, and the data from the test was presented to Han Xiao.
Han Xiao looked through the numbers of the test and nodded with satisfaction.
He was not creating a mechanical soldier this time but a host for his [Lord's Descent] skill.
Han Xiao had already tested the effect of the [Lord's Descent] skill. During his tests, he realized that there was a difference when he used the different mechanical soldiers as a host. The difference was largely due to the attributes of the mechanical soldier and the materials used to craft it.
He realized that mechanical soldiers were not the best hosts, and using [Lord's Descent] on Mechanical Life was not ideal. A Mechanical Life had its own consciousness, and it would be counterproductive to have two consciousnesses in a single body. Furthermore, the consciousness of the body might be damaged if he sent out too much energy.
Thus, after a series of calculations, Han Xiao decided to create a special mechanical container to serve as the host of the [Lord's Descent] skill to fully maximize the effect of this skill.
At the same time, if he used [Lord's Descent] on the same target multiple times, there was a chance to have a soul connection, which would probably strengthen the effect of the skill. He was not prepared to treat this container as a disposable product but a long-term host.
This host was created from many precious materials, including a new material that he had forged with [Endless Material Combination] called 'First Generation Black Star Alloy'. It was able to endure high energy, temperature, and pressure and also had the ability to repair itself. It was able to absorb various types of materials and could take a heavy load. These were the conditions required to endure [Lord's Descent].
Han Xiao then knocked on the outer armor of the 'Mammoth' host, but not a single sound was given out as though all the vibrations had been absorbed by the alloy.
"Not bad. It has the ability to absorb energy and repair itself. Only then will it be able to enjoy my energy conversion and cell regrowth talents during Lord's Descent."
Just as he was about to test the actual effect, Phillip's voice rang in his head.
"Master, hum… a member of the army would like to report to you their whereabouts of the Arcane Church Beyond Grade As. According to the priority system that you set, I skipped past Sylvia and reported the matter directly to you."
Han Xiao's eyes sparkled and said, "Oh? Someone actually managed to find a clue? Quickly let me take a look."
The next moment, a report from the players could be seen in front of his eyes.
Although they were not able to reveal information like 'red-named characters' and were only able to give a vague description about them being killed, Han Xiao was extremely clear about the players' characters and did not doubt the player's advantage when it came to information.
"There is a large chance that they are the Arcane Church's Beyond Grade As. Since there are only two of them, it means that they must have split up. Hmm, these two fellows have changed their identities, and this will not be their only identity. Now that the players have alerted them, they will probably switch to another identity. However, this information can also help us achieve a breakthrough."
Han Xiao was extremely excited. The biggest difficulty of the dynasty was that they were unable to lock onto the whereabouts of the four and could only search blindly.
Although the players had alerted the two and were unable to tail them, it had at least narrowed their location down to a specific region and would be extremely helpful to the dynasty. They dynasty would not have to search blindly and could narrow their search.
"In this respect, the players seem to have an advantage. Hmm, I know…"
After thinking for a while, Han Xiao opened the interface and issued a mission to the players.
The Crimson Dynasty Search Operation: Region Investigation
Mission Introduction: The Black Star Army has received clues that the Arcane Church's Beyond Grade As have appeared in the Fleur Star Cluster, Three Wood Star System, Star Zone 9, Furnace Neutral Harbor. The members of the army should head over to the region and report any new clues to the Army Commander, Black Star.
Mission Requirements: Search the region and find the target.
Tip: The target is in disguise, so you should pay close attention to Red Named characters that are Fatally Dangerous. If they are moving as a pair, it is very likely for them to be the targets.
This will be a Prize-Pool Mission. Accepting the mission will require 200 Experience, and those who discover clues can split the Prize Pool.
Prize Pool: 10,000,000 Experience, 3,000,000 Enas.
Accumulated Reward: 0
After checking that there was nothing wrong with the mission, Han Xiao issued it to the players.
He was currently a wealthy tycoon. In the past, he needed to risk his life for a few hundred thousand Enas, but he could now give out a few million Enas without even batting an eye.
The Black Star Army had extremely deep pockets. There were many financial groups who wanted to help the Black Star Army become listed on the market, but he had rejected them all temporarily.
As for the players who provided the intelligence, Han Xiao was not stingy and gave them rich rewards through the interface.
"Right, duplicate a copy of this intelligence and send it to Tarrokov."
"Roger, hum…"
Following which, Han Xiao asked, "Is the battleship of those members still present in that neutral harbor?"
"Yes, hum…"
Han Xiao raised his brows and entered the quantum network.
"Alright. Phillip, infiltrate the database of the harbor."
Phillip was able to easily access the database of many different locations.
Asking the players to help him was only one approach. Han Xiao was also prepared to use his Virtual Intrusion to check the records of the harbor and find information about the disguises that the two had on. He would then dig through the history of those two individuals, and he might be able to find more useful information.
The galaxy was in the quantum network era, and every galactic resident would leave some traces on the net—where they were born, where they worked, where they went, and so on. Everything was recorded, and there was no such thing as privacy before a Virtual Mechanic.
Although the four from the Arcane Church were Beyond Grade As, there was no Mechanic among them, and it would be impossible for them to use Virtual Technology skills to clean up their traces in the quantum network.
This gave Han Xiao a chance.
"Perhaps they will change their identities, but I doubt they will switch spaceships halfway during the flight. I should be able to locate them based on the records of the spaceship."
Han Xiao nodded in his head.
As long as the targets exposed themselves, it would not be so simple to escape from the hands of a Virtual Mechanic like him.
Thinking about the advice that Lagi had given not too long ago, Han Xiao had a strange look on his face.
That was truly some sh*tty advice…
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Chapter 865 Falling into the Trap
Following the data link channel that was built by Phillip, Han Xiao's consciousness warped through the quantum network, and the nodes appeared in front of him.
Sweeping through, Han Xiao confirmed his target and entered one of the databases.
The defenses of the artificial intelligence within such interstellar nodes were practically nonexistent before one who had grasped the Beyond Grade A Mechanic knowledge [Virtual Creator].
Under his control, Phillip easily entered the back door of the harbor's database, copied the relevant data, and quickly found the disguised identities of Sagman and Taylor. He found the two in the wide area quantum network, as well as the record of all activities of the identity so far.
"The two of them are unassuming galactic residents, and the last time they appeared on the log was…"
Browsing through the information, he saw that their record was seamless and estimated that they should indeed be real people. The actual owners should have died in outer space, and their identity was then collected by the Arcane Church's spies.
Since there were countless interstellar travelers who died within the universe each year, it provided the gray forces with a large number of fake identities. Han Xiao remembered that there were large-scale sales of this identity by intelligence organizations on the black market.
"If not for the fact that the players had noticed it, no one would notice two ordinary people with such innocuous resumes in the vast universe." Han Xiao shook his head as he smiled.
Upon checking the ID of the spaceship that the two people used, he discovered that it was still docked within one of the lots, which meant that the spaceship should have been abandoned. The two of them had probably gotten on a new one after reaching this central port, and Han Xiao had to trace the new ID of the spaceship they used.
"Since they bought a new spaceship, then there has to be transaction records of them within the port… but the accounts of the people they impersonated did not show any movement of funds, so it is likely that they used a different account… Phillip, check which supplier the spaceship originated from. They could have made a transaction there. From there, we can trace it to their secret account."
"Master, hum… there's no information about the origin of the spacecraft in the port database. This information is generally stored separately in the shipyard's independent database."
"Oh… then mark all the network nodes of the shipyard, ship market, and black market in this port."
"Marking complete. There are 1,374 nodes, hum…"
"Hack into all of them." Han Xiao waved carelessly.
The moment the command was given, Phillip immediately mobilized huge computing power, and the more than a thousand quantum network nodes were invaded one by one. The colors changed from a peaceful white to green with control authority, akin to a virus infection. Han Xiao's control range within the port expanded rapidly.
Before long, Han Xiao had gained control of the more than a thousand databases. and all the backdoors were opened by him while the other party knew nothing about it.
With his current Virtual Technology expertise, so long as he could establish a link, he could easily spread his control over a whole planet's network, taking over the entire planet remotely.
Phillip's processing system had been strengthened countless times by Han Xiao, and his computing power was now extremely strong. In a few moments, he had completed the data search and discovered the origin of the spaceship as well as Sagman's purchase history, together with his spending accounts.
In this way, they gained an additional tracking clue. If this secret account was utilized elsewhere, even if they changed their disguise, they would be exposed.
However, Han Xiao was still unsatisfied. He wanted to trace the early transfer records of this anonymous account, as he was sure that the money had been sent through the Arcane Church. From this, he would be able to latch onto their other spies and secret accounts. As long as he continued to follow the trail, there would be more clues.
From this small breakthrough, he might be able to lock onto a portion of the Arcane Church's identities.
The moment the mission [The Crimson Dynasty Search Operation: Region Investigation] was released, it received the attention of the enthusiastic players. Millions of them accepted this prize pool task and gathered from all directions to move toward this area.
Initially, they were akin to headless flies and could only blindly search due to the lack of knowledge. Thus, some people went off to perform other missions.
But the situation had changed. With a mission area demarcated, the chance of completion would be greatly increased, so countless players flocked over.
The prize pool of ten million experience was no small sum, but what drove the players was the prize money of three million Enas. When they took one normal mission, the amount received would not be more than a hundred thousand Enas.
To have such a big sum of money in front of them, three million, they could not resist the temptation!
There were even players fantasizing. If they completed the objective alone, would they not gain the whole reward?
The requirement to enter this mission was only two hundred experience. With such low investments and high potential returns, the players did not think too much, and the crazy accumulation of experience in the prize-pool became the factor that pulled in even more players.
For a period of time, the players poured into the area, and the probability of interstellar citizens meeting members of the Black Star Army increased significantly.
Within the interrogation room of a dynasty battleship, a group of captured Arcane Church spies were firmly tied to a chair, and the dynasty soldiers guarded the entrance to the room with guns.
This group had been captured based on the intelligence of Black Star. He had dug out some information from the secret accounts of Sagman, and the dynasty had been able to select new targets.
Shua!
The door to the interrogation room opened, and a man with a smile on his face strolled in. He wore the trench coat of a dynasty officer and black gloves.
Standing in front of the captives, he softly laughed.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm a psychic, one of the Senior Officers of the Crimson Dynasty's Intelligence Department. My name is… heh heh, there's no need to tell you guys. Anyways, we'd better hurry up. I'll be digging some information from your brains today. Please cooperate, else you will burn out your brains, and I won't be responsible for that."
As he spoke, he walked up to one of the captives, placing his palm on the head of said captive.
Boom!
The captive began to struggle violently, as though suffering from epilepsy.
A few seconds passed, and trails of blood leaked out from all seven orifices on his head. The captive's mouth was slack, and tears, snot, and saliva mixed with the fresh blood dripped onto the ground. He looked miserable as he continued to convulse.
"Thank you for your cooperation." The smile of the Intelligence officer got even wider, and he walked toward the next person.
Looking at him approach, the rest had expressions of horror, as though saying, Don't come over!
Screams of misery sounded out. "Argh!"
Looking at this scene, the guards at the door subconsciously tightened their grips on their weapons.
Very quickly, the intelligence officer's job was completed. He took off his gloves, placing them in his pocket before leaving.
As he was walking out, he tapped one of the soldiers' shoulders and jerked his head toward one of the captive spies who was foaming at the mouth.
"Don't clean up the scene. There's still some use for them. I require their genetic code to verify their identities as spies."
"Un… understood." The guard swallowed with difficulty.
The officer then took out his communicator, reporting to Tarrokov.
"There're a few of them who have come into contact with Beyond Grade As, and we have confirmed that they were Taylor and Sagman. I've confirmed that all of them match with the identities of spies from the Arcane Church, as well as the tasks entrusted to them.
Tarrokov shook his head. "Are there any you suspect to be true personnel that personally received the instructions?"
"Yes."
The espionage was based off the command from the Arcane Church, and the missions they received were all different. A large portion of them were giving misleading or false information, and only a small portion were really in contact with Sagman.
Because Han Xiao had locked onto the area where the two of them were, the dynasty could rule out many of the misleading locations, and the spy with a mission location around where the two of them were located was thus the suspected actual personnel, so they could also narrow down their scope of operations even further.
Only when they discovered the actual personnel involved could Tarrokov then implement a plan, which was to impersonate the espionage agent of the Arcane Church. Because Sagman was in contact with the Arcane Church, they would not trust anyone other than the person who was actually in charge of this mission.
Impersonating was difficult but not impossible, as long as they caught the person in charge. Even if the Arcane Church were to discover it later, it would be too late.
Following the search of the Black Star Army, Sagman and Taylor found many irregularities, as though they had been grasped in the palm of someone.
They immediately took all sorts of measures, but it was as though a large net had been spread toward them, trapping them before being slowly tightened.
Their every move seemed to be monitored, as if an assassin was hiding behind them.
While they did not know where the problem lay, but when they thought about it carefully, they realised it was most likely the fact that Black Star was following them through the quantum network, and their spaceship and purchases had likely been tracked.
Thus, the two of them decided to abandon their spaceship, float around in the universe with their fleshly bodies for a period of time. When they had left their spaceship at a distance, they then transferred to another spaceship operated by their spies, and donned on a new disguise.
The situation improved for a period of time, and Sagman as well as Taylor both thought that they had shaken Black Star off.
But they were unaware that the dynasty had already completely locked their position and quietly started to tighten the circle, following them. When the Beyond Grade As of the dynasty arrived, that would be the time to reel in the net.
Within the wormholes of the Shattered Star Ring, the Fallen Ark fleet led by EsGod was roaming about.
On the flagship, Fakisen spoke to the main body of EsGod. "Your Excellency EsGod, are you sure we are leaving the Shattered Star Ring through this method?"
"And if we don't?" EsGod laughed. "Who will lend us their stargate?"
At this moment, EsGod had already completed his evolution and was full of vitality. Fakisen could feel a deeper level of pressure from him, coming from a higher life form.
EsGod, who possessed information from the Evolutionary Civilization, had gained a lot from the evolutionary energy, and no one could tell how much he had improved.
Fallen Ark had only established a temporary stargate between the desolate universe belt and the Flickering World, and there were also no stargates present in the Shattered Star Ring. Furthermore, they had borrowed the Arcane Church's stargate to travel from the Central Galaxy to the Flickering World, and they naturally could not use the same gate when returning.
From the beginning, EsGod had been prepared to leave the star field through the wormhole group of the Shattered Star Ring, one of the reasons being that it was where he had first discovered a certain fortuitous encounter.
"The transmission locations of these unstable wormholes are completely randomized, and we don't know where we'll be thrown. The risk is too great. We can just slowly proceed along the desolate universe belt, avoiding the crowd for a period of them." Fakisen tried to dissuade him.
EsGod turned a deaf ear, looking at the unstable wormholes constantly emerging and disappearing outside the porthole. "Just look at how disorderly and chaotic this scene is. This is the true meaning of the universe, and only in this disorderly state can it contain endless possibilities."
EsGod then turned to Fakisen, casually asking, "Any intelligence on the remaining Beyond Grade As from the Arcane Church?"
Fakisen nodded. "The dynasty is pursuing the remaining four with all their might and did not put much energy into chasing us. The Black Star Army, Bloodshed Land, and Klent Kingdom are also the heads of the Shattered Star Ring, so the dynasty will probably catch one of two of them."
"It seems like the Arcane Church will suffer great losses this time." EsGod blandly eyed Fakisen. "Are you happy?"
"Of course." Fakisen laughed. "The moment they contacted me, I was already picturing this scene."
"Ah, I'm afraid it is not just this reason…" EsGod laughed but did not pursue the exact reason. He then turned back to face the wormhole, leisurely commanding, "Let's enter."
The Fallen Ark fleet slowly traversed into the wormhole and vanished.
A stream of light shot through the universe. It was Sagman and Taylor's spaceship.
"There are only seven more hours before we reach the next public stargate. We're nearing the border of Shattered Star Ring. The dynasty has little control over the next star cluster. The spies are also already in place and are waiting to assemble the stargate. The moment we move to a different area, the dynasty will not be able to find us so easily anymore," Sagman said.
Taylor nodded, his expression finally easing a little.
They had hidden high and low for almost three months, and this sort of life was stifling for them. Finally, they had hope of escaping unscathed.
Sagman sighed. "It's a pity that Mercer and Dylan were captured. Out of six of us, only four of us can return… no, maybe only three. Psyker's base is within the Shattered Star Ring, and sooner or later, he will have to come back and face the pressure from Black Star and Heber."
At this point, neither was in the mood to talk further. Their mission that they were so confident in had actually put them in such a sorry situation.
At this point, the artificial intelligence of the spaceship suddenly sounded, and it was a familiar voice.
"If you have the time to be concerned about others, you'd be better off using that time to worry about yourselves."
The duo jumped, their expressions changing.
This voice… Black Star‽
The next moment, the spaceship suddenly shuddered, and the artificial intelligence of the spaceship killed the hyperdrive function, causing the spaceship to come out from hyperdrive.
Even the ordinary engine was turned off, so the spaceship simply floated in the universe.
The magic interference traps that Milizaus and Ravenlaude had placed in the void in advance completely enveloped this area. All spacetime abilities were blocked.
Streams of light shot out from eight directions, wrapping around Sagman and Taylor's spaceship.
Milizaus as well as the Beyond Grade As from the dynasty were all on the scene, and each occupied a position, staring at them like tigers toward prey.
"We're surrounded!" Taylor's face drained of color.
Sagman's face twitched violently, his expression mixed with incredulity and fury. He suddenly noticed a mechanical army blocking their path ahead.
Standing at the front were the four Apostle Weapons lined up in a row—Psionic Prime with a crown and a spear, Giant King Kong with its hulking body, Silver Flash with its gleaming hand-cannons, and Mad Sky Hunter with its arrogant bearing.
Standing in front of them was a figure, but it was not Han Xiao. It was the mechanical host, codenamed 'Mammoth'. At this moment, Han Xiao was utilizing [Lord's Descent] to project his consciousness and will into this mechanical host. Its tough mechanical body looked dazzling with the blue-gold Mechanical Force arcing around it.
This mechanical host had seemingly transformed into Han Xiao's avatar, sharing his attributes, skills, and expertise. It practically possessed a Beyond Grade A combat power at this moment.
"Surrender." Two dark streams of energy flowed from Milizaus' nostrils, who was in his dragon form.
While he was unwilling to chase and fight so hard, the dynasty had already locked onto the enemy, and he and the rest of the Beyond Grade As could not openly defy the dynasty's orders.
Sagman's eyeballs darted around before finally landing on Han Xiao's machinery.
After being played by Han Xiao a few times, he had already gone beyond the point of anger.
Seeing this, Han Xiao leisurely replied, "In this situation, your odds of escape are close to none. We just want to capture you guys alive. How about surrendering?"
Sagman breathed out loudly before suddenly smiling. However, his smile was full of viciousness.
"When did you hear that a Beyond Grade A does not fight and just surrenders?"
"Maybe today?" Han Xiao's brows rose.
While he said that, his posture slightly lowered, preparing for battle. Several other Beyond Grade As were also prepared to move, ready to follow Han Xiao's lead at any time.
With his gaze fixed to the front, Sagman suddenly spoke to Taylor. "I'll try to hold all of them back; you look for an opportunity to escape. They only want to capture one of us. If one more of us can escape, that will be a bonus."
"Don't be stupid. They came prepared. I can't run." Taylor let out a bitter laugh before taking out his staff. "I'm better off staying and fighting with you. Even if we can't change the result, I can't let myself be caught without dignity."
Sagman nodded before murmuring, "After this battle, I don't know when we'll next be free."
They then looked at each other.
Boom!
The next instant, the spaceship shattered, and the duo rushed out toward the Supers of the dynasty.
Galaxy Chronicles (Official Revised Edition)
In the Year 705, on the 27th Day of the 9th Month on the Galaxy Calendar, the Arcane Church and Fallen Ark teamed up to launch a surprise attack on Planet Lighthouse within the Flickering World. Their goal was to snatch the Evolution Cube and kill the Beyond Grade A allies of the Crimson Dynasty—Beyoni, Black Star, and Milizaus.
'Magus' Austin intervened in this battle, and the Arcane Church used the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter to hit Milizaus, but it was later countered with some special sealing means by Black Star.
Black Star later captured the Beyond Grade A Super of the Arcane Church, Dylan, netting great achievements. The Arcane Church was forced to retreat and entered an escape phase, where the dynasty began hunting them down.
In the same year, on the 3rd Day of the 10th Month, just as the Arcane Church's fleet left the Flickering World, fleet commander Rogue and Mercer were captured.
In the Year 706, on the 21st Day of the 1st Month, with the assistance of the Federation of Light, the Bloodshed Land, Black Star Army, Klent Kingdom, Purple Crystal, and more, the Crimson Dynasty finally successfully intercepted the Beyond Grade As Sagman and Taylor in the Shattered Star Ring. After a bloody battle, they were both captured by the Crimson Dynasty.
At this point, the pursuit from the dynasty came to an end, and the fleet of Arcane Church was completely annihilated. Four Beyond Grade As were captured, and only two escaped. This became known in history as 'The Battle of Planet Lighthouse' and 'The Attack of the Arcane Church'.
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Chapter 866 The Curtains Close
The Arcane Church had a foreign embassy on the mother planet of the Crimson Dynasty, and its ambassador paid a visit to the political core of the dynasty, Tarunamir Palace, to discuss the remuneration regarding Mercer and Dylan.
The negotiations had already been going for several months. Before this, the officials of the dynasty were initially adamant on not releasing them, but now they were becoming more open to certain conditions.
"With regard to Article 53 of the remuneration, my side still has something to add…"
As the ambassador continued to talk, the officials of the dynasty nodded, occasionally interrupting. Regarding this matter, they did not have any veto power, and they were actually just the spokespersons for the upper echelons. Their attitudes were the attitudes of the upper echelons themselves.
After a while, the communicator of one of the dynasty officials rang, indicating that there was a message. The ambassador paused and waved to the official to read the message before he continued.
The official in question opened the communicator, but after glancing at the news, they immediately put the communicator down.
Seeing this, the ambassador was about to continue but was suddenly halted by a hand from that official.
"Let's stop here for today. As for the previous terms and conditions, please return and make a new set."
The ambassador jumped up. "Didn't we already discuss the terms? Why the sudden…"
He was cut by the official's wave. The official stood up, looking down at the ambassador with a smile that revealed some complacency and superiority to the ambassador.
"Go back and wait for the news from your upper echelons, or you can take a look at today's news. You'll naturally understand."
After three months, the Crimson Dynasty and the Arcane Church had some new developments.
On this day, the dynasty issued a new piece of news to the entire universe, announcing that they had succeeded in capturing the two Beyond Grade As of the Arcane Church, which meant that they now had four captives.
The counterattack of the dynasty was as fast as lightning, causing many of the organizations in the universe to feel awed. Seeing the heavy bleeding of the Arcane Church this time, some people felt schadenfreude, some rejoiced, and some felt the bitter hatred against common enemies.
This news caused a sensation in over a dozen star fields. In the eyes of countless interstellar citizens, the Beyond Grade A Supers were akin to deities that were only spoken of in legends. However, there were actually four of them who were knocked down to the earth and turned into prisoners.
This sort of capturing of Beyond Grade A had not happened for a long time. Countless citizens felt that they were observing a piece of history that would be passed down in time.
But on the forums, the players were focused on another matter.
Now that the search and capture mission had ended, the players received their reward. Within the army communications system, Phillip issued a general message, praising their contribution, which proved that their contribution was not small in allowing the dynasty to capture the Beyond Grade As.
The few players that first discovered Sagman and Taylor publicized their reward on the forums, and this allowed the other players to understand that the trend of this big event plot was inadvertently changed by them participating.
From Version 1.0 to Version 3.0, the players gradually found that they were having more and more influence on events, and they were becoming more involved in Galaxy. Generally, the players only felt their existence when challenging the storyline during the time when they were on the beginner planets.
However, this time, what they had re-written was a galactic war between two Universal Civilizations, of which the scale was much larger and grander.
The feeling of involvement was more memorable and rewarding compared to just purely receiving the mission reward.
This event was also recorded by the players into the Shattered Star Ring chronicles.
Every player was given the right to edit the chronicle, which caused no small headache for the officials. Thus, the officials would filter the events and organize them, and the trivial matters would be placed within the appendix. Only events that were worth mentioning would be placed within the main post. The players who wrote entries could sign their names on it and receive rewards in return, which was a glorious accomplishment.
Within another star cluster in the Shattered Star Ring, spaceships that snaked like a serpent were lined up in front of a stargate. Among them was an ordinary, unassuming spaceship.
Within that spaceship, the virtual screen was showing the news—the dynasty announcing the results of the pursuit operation, in which two Beyond Grade As were captured alive.
Beep!
The virtual screen was switched off.
Ninjia put down the remote, holding his forehead with one hand. His expression was complicated.
"Sagman and the rest have all been captured by the dynasty…"
Among the four that escaped from the Flickering World, two of them had already been caught. Psyker's situation was also terrible, so he was technically the only one who could safely make it out of the Shattered Star Ring. A sense of sorrow permeated Ninjia.
When he thought back to their departure, the six of them had been full of confidence. To think that in the blink of an eye, their entire force had collapsed, and the majority had even been captured. What a tragic end.
He had heard that the upper echelons of the Arcane Church were originally discussing the ransom payment with the Crimson Dynasty, but now that the latter had two more chips in hand, the price offered by the church would have to be increased. Furthermore, the Crimson Dynasty would definitely not allow the Arcane Church to redeem all of them, so there would be someone who experienced a long period of time within the prison.
"At least… I managed to bring the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter back…"
Ninjia slightly shook his head. Now that things had come to such a point, he could only use this to comfort himself and the church.
"Thank goodness it was Ninjia who held onto the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter. He did not let the dynasty take that away as well…"
In the Arcane Church's meeting of Bishops, many of them sat there with bitter expressions. One of them tried to comfort the rest, but he only received looks of helplessness.
One of the bishops spoke up. "We activated our espionage network in the Shattered Star Ring, yet they failed to bring all of them back. The price we paid this time far outweighs the benefits obtained. Even Sagman and Taylor have fallen into the dynasty's hands, adding to their chips. We need to offer a large ransom payment now because the dynasty will definitely not be polite to us."
The ransom payments demanded between universal civilizations would not just simply be money but included political, military, and economic conditions.
The bishops were enveloped in sorrows during this meeting. None of them had any time to feel anger.
Dylan, Mercer, Sagman, and Taylor did not just represent themselves, for they had their own Beyond Grade A organizations with immense influence. The strong were plenty there, and with their leaders being captured, these Beyond Grade A organizations would definitely go into turmoil and panic. In order to stabilize their allies, the church had to withstand no small pressure.
In addition, because of the attention paid by the other Beyond Grade As, the Arcane Church not only had to redeem them but had to redeem them quickly, before their Beyond Grade A allies lost faith in them. If their allies lost faith, it would cause their recruitment of Beyond Grade As in the future to be much more difficult.
After all, the older Beyond Grade As would die, and new Beyond Grade As would always be born. Because of the long period of time that a civilization could exist, the Beyond Grade As under them would constantly undergo a shuffle. From a long-term perspective, the reputation and credibility of a civilization was important.
As for the newer generation of Beyond Grade As, the Crimson Dynasty had an overwhelming advantage…
As the record holder for the fastest time taken to reach the Beyond Grade A stage, Black Star undoubtedly had potential to go further. Furthermore, in the last battle, he had shown off his edge, much sooner than the observing forces had expected.
One could see that the strength shown by Black Star would definitely become one of the strengths relied on by the dynasty in the near future. The most frightening part was his age. Among all the Beyond Grade As, he was the youngest, which was enough for him to serve the dynasty for hundreds or even thousands of years.
In other words, for a few hundred years, they probably would have to constantly see this wretched guy's face.
The moment they thought of how the Crimson Dynasty had gotten their hands on such valuable stocks, the envy of the Arcane Church rose so high they seemed to have reached the heavens.
They also wanted to kill Black Star, but their attempt this time had left them with tragic losses, and thus, the Arcane Church had decided to temporarily give up on the Evolution Cube.
Before eliminating the impact that this storm caused, the Arcane Church did not intend to make trouble for Black Star. In fact, they did not even wish to see him.
The Arcane Church admitted that they had flopped this time.
This debt would be written down and remembered by them to be collected later.
There was still time!
"Sagman and the rest were caught."
In a dimly lit room, the Beyond Grade As of the Arcane Church were gathered through remote projection. Around the table were six empty spots.
Because of the matter this time, the Beyond Grade As of the Arcane Church had gathered to discuss the resultant waves caused by the news.
"Initially, when the Arcane Church came to me to take on this task, they only saw the disparity of combat power and thought that it was impossible to fail. However, I felt that there was some danger, so I rejected it, and they had Mercer take my place. Now that I look at it, it was good I did not accept the mission." One of them could not help but attempt to be wise after the incident.
"It's a pity that I'm being watched by too many organizations and am unable to even move in secret. If I had taken part in this mission, the results would not have been the same," another said blandly.
The Arcane Church also had Beyond Grade As on the level of the three pillars of the Crimson Dynasty, but their strongest Supers did not participate in the operation this time. Because they were too strong, the surveillance on them was naturally higher, and any movement from them would have attracted the attention of many eyes. Furthermore, the Arcane Church had thought that the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter would be enough to handle them and only approached Sagman and rest, whose strength was lower compared to the strongest few.
"However, no matter how we put it, Sagman had the numerical advantage, yet they were still unable to snatch the Evolution Cube. Black Star's ability could be considered an unexpected factor this time, and it seems like we have yet another strong opponent."
"Hmm… in another decade or so, the three pillars of the dynasty might just turn into the four pillars…"
With his allies in the same camp having suffered at Black Star's hands, the impressions of the Beyond Grade As present toward Black Star had become even stronger than before.
"How about it? What ideas do we have? Are we going to wait for the Arcane Church to redeem them, or do we try to save them?"
"Let's maintain silence and wait. If the Arcane Church can solve the problem, there's no need for us to complicate matters. Furthermore, from the intelligence provided by the Arcane Church, Black Star seems to be able to seal up Beyond Grade As. Although I don't know what sort of Universal Treasure that is, it is something that cannot be broken so easily."
Everyone nodded. They were still feeling trepidation toward Han Xiao's second mysterious Universal Treasure.
Based on normal procedures, the dynasty would bring the four captives back, and to save them, the most important thing would be coordination.
However, intelligence from Arcane Church said that Black Star was able to seal up Beyond Grade As. With the intelligence capabilities of the church, this would not be an unfounded rumor.
Without coordination to break out the prisoners from both inside and outside, the operation would become a lot more difficult.
While the Beyond Grade As were friends with Sagman and the rest, they were not so close that they would willingly brave hell and high seas for them.
A pale blue vortex appeared, and a huge fleet of spaceships slowly appeared from within the vortex, emblazoned with the logo of the dynasty. They slowly left the stargate, leaving behind traces of flames from their tail as they flew, and within them, there was a battleship shaped like a huge dragon.
The light from the stargate illuminated the bodies of the battleships, leaving mottled spots of light and shadow on their angular hulls. They revealed a series of armor cracks and depressions, as well as varying degrees of damage to the outer armor.
Several spaceships from the Black Star Army were suspended near the stargate and slowly faced the heavily armed main flagship of the fleet. The damage suffered by the main flagship was particularly terrible, with a large portion of its armored plates torn out. The holes filled with nano-repair materials showcased the intensity of the battle.
The spaceships docked with the main flagship, and the mechanical structures around their doors locked with each other to complete the link.
Whoosh!
The cabin door slid open, and Han Xiao walked into the flagship. Escorted by the dynasty soldiers, he arrived at the heavily guarded imprisonment zone, where two restraint cabins were placed.
The inner wall of the restraint cabin was made up of an extremely tough alloy, which made it difficult to escape from the inside. The internal structure also automatically adjusted to the prisoner's body shape before fixing in that position. In the middle layer were devices to provide high voltage and electromagnetic fields to restrain the captive and weaken transmission of energy. Right now, they were holding Sagman and Taylor.
While the restraint cabin could not totally restrict the Beyond Grade As, the duo were suffering from heavy injuries and had no strength to struggle free. Furthermore, Heber and Beyoni were on watch.
Han Xiao went there in person because he wanted to utilize the Spacetime Amber, sealing both parties up.
"Lord." The Apostle Weapons walked over.
"You did well." Han Xiao nodded before recalling the mechanical host.
Because he had utilized [Lord's Descent] on the mechanical host to engage Sagman and Taylor, it had suffered quite a bit of damage and would require some degree of repair.
The duo had nowhere to run and gave it their all. This was especially so for Sagman, as the destruction he wrought while going all out dealt some degree of damage to almost everyone there. He was eventually pinned down by the Beyond Grade A Supers of the dynasty.
Tarrokov's long distance projection came up and greeted him. "You've come. We were waiting."
"Let them out." Han Xiao commanded the dynasty soldiers to unlock the restraint cabin, and taking out the Spacetime Amber, he sealed Sagman and Taylor.
"This is a lot safer, with no risk of getting into trouble." Tarrokov tapped the amber ball in satisfaction.
Ravenlaude could not help but look at Han Xiao. He realized that the Spacetime Amber was effective, and his expression sank in envy.
Tarrokov then commanded the two soldiers to take the amber balls away while he led Han Xiao and the rest to the conference room.
After they had taken their seats, he looked toward Han Xiao. "Her Excellency is extremely pleased with our progress. Upon learning of Black Star's accomplishments this time round, she arranged a special award."
Han Xiao nodded. He had spent quite the bit of effort during this pursuit operation and provided a lot of intelligence. After capturing the two, he had received a notification saying that he had obtained 4,500 Dynasty Contribution Points.
It did not end there. Tarrokov had told him in private that his accomplishments would allow the dynasty to be biased toward him when dividing the territory of the Flickering World, allowing him to claim bigger swathes of land.
This emergency was not only neutralized but turned from danger into an opportunity, so the upper echelons had an extremely good impression of Han Xiao.
"The operation has ended, and the spies of the Arcane Church will also be hunted down, but this job will be taken over by the Intelligence Bureau as the dynasty has another task for you," Tarrokov said. "Next, the dynasty requires all of you to escort the four captives back to the Constellation Corridor, to prevent the Arcane Church from intercepting them along the way."
Everyone nodded. They had to be cautious and not lose these chips because of their carelessness.
"However, that does not include Black Star and the Tyrant."
Everyone turned over, and even Han Xiao and Heber looked surprised.
"What do you need us for?" Heber asked in a deep voice.
Tarrokov opened the star map, magnifying it, before stopping at the territory of the Star Pupil Holy Race.
"I need you two to take a portion of the dynasty fleet and head toward the Star Pupil Holy Race."
"Capture Psyker?" Heber frowned.
"No, you guys are going there to demonstrate dominance and pressure them." Tarrokov shook his head in response. "Psyker's situation is different because he is the leader of a civilization, and his camp is based in the Shattered Star Ring. Initially, the dynasty planned to deal with him, but now that we've caught Sagman and Taylor, the Ruler cancelled this plan. Just treat it as leaving some face for them."
"Oh, that's not too bad," Maximiler said. "We already have four captives, and Psyker has nowhere to run. If we continue to hammer at them, this might backfire on the dynasty."
The rest of the Beyond Grade As captured did not have any roots in the Shattered Star Ring, so they could only blame their bad luck. But Psyker could run but not hide since his base was in that area. If the dynasty forcefully tried to drag away a civilization's leader, this would result in a backfire, and the Arcane Church would also not watch blindly as that happened, or else they would lose the trust of their allies.
The dynasty was originally not afraid of such a consequence, but now that they had new captives, there was no need to poke the hornet's nest. Thus, they decided to wrap up while the going was good.
Of course, not capturing Psyker did not mean that they would condone his actions. There was still a need to suppress the development of the Star Pupil Holy Race, and if they could even chase this Arcane Church allied force out of the Star Field, that would be best.
The Crimson Dynasty had mobilized millions of battleships to pioneer the Flickering World, and now they were transferring part of its fleet to the Shattered Star Ring. The armed forces available in this Shattered Star Ring long exceed that of the other two universal civilizations, and even if the Federation of Light was the nominal ruling power here, all was useless before strength.
A pity. Han Xiao's brows furrowed. He felt it a regret not to be able to capture the other party, as he was interested in Psyker's body structure. However, every time he saw Psyker, he just wanted to poke the guy's eyes.
However, since he had taken away the national treasure of the Star Pupil Holy Race, both parties were like fire and water. Now that he still had to go over to the other party's territory and swagger, this attitude seemed to be bordering on arrogance.
Seems like I'd better bring more people, in case I get beaten up…
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Chapter 867 Demonstration
The action plan was finalized. The dynasty troops would split into three sections; Milizaus and his group would take the captives back, Tarrokov would remain to command the fleet, and Han Xiao and Heber would clean up any loose ends by going to the Star Pupil Holy Race together.
Watching the dynasty's fleet leave, Han Xiao turned to look at Heber on the virtual screen of his spaceship and smiled.
"We're going to be partners again this time. When we arrive at the Star Pupil Holy Race, I hope you can live up to your namesake and be more tyrannical."
"Humph."
The virtual screen turned dark as Heber cut the connection, not deigning to speak with him. From the porthole, one could see the Bloodshed Land's troops turn and leave, morphing into rays of light.
Han Xiao clicked his tongue before calling Sylvia.
"Get Herlous to send a fleet to this meeting point. I've gotten Phillip to transfer the coordinates over to you."
"Roger that."
With this simple conversation over, Han Xiao cut the call. He realized that Sylvia was getting more and more capable, with him practically not needing to worry any longer.
"It feels as though I'm becoming more and more like Ames, turning into a arm-flinging shopkeeper[1]…"
As he played with his communicator, he could not resist bursting into laughter. He realized that if he were to turn into Ames, then Sylvia would become his Jenny.
To think that the heroic Mechanical Lady Knight of his past life had turned into an army affairs officer and head secretary. He did not know which the players would find more attractive, though he knew that Sylvia's favorability within the players was currently quite high.
This moment, Mad Sky Hunter took the initiative to lean over to Han Xiao, nudging him with its head. Han Xiao's mouth curled, and he proceeded to stroke the brain portion of Mad Sky Hunter, causing it to let out happy noises as it lowered its head, just like an actual pet getting petted.
Mad Sky Hunter would only behave like this in front of Han Xiao, its creator. As a beast-type Mechanical Life, its mannerisms had deviated a little from the norm. Upon accessing its web records, Han Xiao discovered that other than the combat resources, it had also downloaded dozens of pet videos from the internet. Most likely, it was attempting to learn how to behave like a pet, but its actions coupled with its sleek, glossy demeanor only served to give Han Xiao goosebumps.
If he really did pet it, the feeling he would get from his hands would be just plain weird. However, if he did not pet it, it would seem like he was not showing respect to its hard work.
Silver Flash stood coldly by the side, secretly showing disdain.
Humph, boot-licker!
Thinking about it, Han Xiao dialed Ames, and her elegant face soon appeared in front of his eyes.
"What do you want?"
"I have a mission here, which is to go to the Star Pupil Holy Race to bully Psyker. Are you interested?"
Ames supported her chin with her right hand, and her sleeves dropped down, revealing dazzling white skin. She blinked.
"I've realized that you seldom chat with me these days unless you have some business."
"Are you coming or not?"
"Let me check my schedule." Ames lifted her eyes, gazing past the screen toward someone by the side. She slowly asked, "Jenny, is there anything on Floating Dragon that I need to do?"
It took a long while before a brittle voice coupled with grinding teeth sounded.
"There is… but have you ever done it?"
Hearing this, Ames directly waved her hand. Han Xiao could not see what happened, but Jenny's voice seemed to have disappeared. Maybe… she got attacked by Ames' force field.
"Looks like I'm free. I'll head over." Ames looked like she was smiling yet not smiling, as though nothing had happened on her side.
"Sure." Han Xiao nodded his hand, choosing to ignore whatever had just happened.
"This is the mission assigned by the dynasty, so I believe it won't be just you."
"Yeah, Heber is involved this time, together with a few dynasty fleets."
"Heber is going too?" Ames narrowed her eyes. "Humph, I don't want to even see him. I'm not going. You can have fun with him."
Ames immediately cut the call off.
Han Xiao blinked in surprise, staring at the black screen in confusion.
Does she have that great a misgiving toward Heber, to just go back on her word like that‽
It seemed like he had underestimated how badly Heber failed in his attempt to use an iron-blooded man's method of courtship.
While the Crimson Dynasty was ferrying the four captives back, and their prestige was sweeping across the universe, the Star Pupil Holy Race within the Eternal Night Star System greeted an unexpected visitor.
Psyker held the highest authority here, and the Cabinet of ministers assisted him in managing government affairs. Some of the key personnel were high-levelled officials who held real power. This system obviously had drawbacks, but this was not a problem for Psyker. His strength and prestige granted him the right to speak, and because of his psychic ability, he was able to differentiate between thoughts and emotions, so no one could override him.
During this time, Psyker was not within the government, so the cabinet was in charge of daily matters. However, the two parties did not completely cut off their connection. While Psyker was on the run, he kept monitoring the affairs of his race. It was just that he was not at home, nor was he able to reveal his face openly. However, the public opinion surrounding him recently let many of the citizens in the Star Pupil Holy Race feel trepidation.
In particular, the dynasty catching Sagman and Taylor had attracted the worry of the Star Pupil Holy Race. They were afraid that their leader would also be snatched away and frightened that the Crimson Dynasty would turn toward the Star Pupil Holy Race for revenge.
Filled with all kinds of worries, a minority of people were secretly cursing Psyker.
Were you so free that you had to go and muddy the waters, making it so messy now!
This public opinion had been widely circulated among the Star Pupil Holy Race. A small group of people faced threats to their own security, so they were dissatisfied with their leader, Psyker. As for Psyker's past credits, it did not make a difference in their judgement because people tended to take things that were given to them for granted. It was a pity that Psyker did not succeed, or else the direction of public opinion would have been the opposite, praising him.
However, the extreme views of the minority would not be able to affect the stability of the civilization. Psyker's control over his race was not just made up of glue, and even if the future was unknown, the government was still operating.
The cabinet set down instructions to let people preach online that Psyker was in this situation in order to recapture their clan treasure, in order to shape Psyker's image of taking risks personally for the dignity of their race. This severely suppressed a batch of dissatisfied remarks.
At this moment, in the main hall of the cabinet, many key officials were discussing whether to enter a higher level of wartime emergency, inviting Psyker back and using troops to protect him.
A great number of senior military officials were participating in this meeting, each holding their own opinions and arguing fiercely.
At this moment, one of the officials received an intelligence report and suddenly had a change in expression, slamming the table as he read out the report.
"Border Post 17 has detected a large dynasty fleet with tens of millions of battleships, including Black Star Army and Bloodshed Land troops.
"What‽"
All the members present were shocked and horrified.
Did the worst situation happen, and the dynasty troops had really chosen to kill their way over?
Before they could react, the second report arrived.
"The other party has stopped at the border and did not forcibly intrude. They are now negotiating with the border officer. Black Star and Tyrant are commanding this fleet, and their intentions are unknown."
The hearts that were in the cabinet members' throats slowly fell back down. They stared at the officer with grudging eyes.
Could you not speak in such an emotional tone? You nearly scared us to death!
After their shock subsided, everyone's senses came back online.
"That's right. With such tens of millions of battleships, it doesn't seem like they came here to declare war."
"What's their intentions? Could it be that they're going to force us to hand over our leader?"
"This… What do we do then? Won't we still clash with them that way?"
All the people present had on difficult expressions.
Very quickly, the third report was sent over.
"Black Star and the Tyrant have said that they came over to visit the Star Pupil Holy Race, and they wish to talk to Psyker."
The cabinet members looked at each other.
With such a mighty army, they're saying that they've come here for a visit. Do they think we're fools?
The fleet clearly did not come with good intentions.
"If we reject their request, do you think they will wait outside the border, or will they resort to violence?" one of the cabinet members asked.
Everyone simply stared at the person wordlessly.
Do you think that the troops and Beyond Grade As sent out by the dynasty are here for sightseeing? Giving them the cold shoulder is akin to refusing a toast and choosing the forfeit instead. How could they possibly take it lying down?
Brother, how did you get into the cabinet? Did you pull strings?
"This matter is already out of our scope of authority. Report to Leader Psyker and let him decide."
The cabinet then contacted the escaping Psyker.
Not long after, the communication was linked.
Surveying the scene, Psyker noticed their heavy expressions and asked, "What's happened?"
"Leader, the Crimson Dynasty has come to pressure us…" One of the officers explained the matter once more.
After he finished, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was waiting for his response.
Psyker took a deep breath, closing his eyes. After a while, he slowly opened them.
"Receive them. I'll rush back right now."
"But they are targeting you!"
A few of the people had panicked expressions, but they secretly heaved sighs of relief.
If Psyker had chosen to run and not come out to take responsibility for this matter, there would have been no way for them to clear up this mess.
"Their method of doing so is just to force me to return. Black Star and Heber understand me. They know that I would not leave my race and escape." Psyker's expression turned calm. "There's no point in running, and I have to face them sooner or later. This is the price of failure."
Those present all revealed faces of indignation.
"Don't worry, the dynasty already has four captives. Them visiting the Star Pupil Holy Race might not be to capture me." Psyker shook his head.
He did not dare return, other than to observe the situation, because he expected the dynasty not to take the risk to violate the Peace Treaty. While his base was situated there, the dynasty would definitely not go head to head against him just to capture him. He just did not wish to put his race in danger, so he was not willing to accept the protection of his civilization's troops. However, to prevent any problems, he did not move too far away and had always been hovering near his territory.
"Understood. We'll open the border and escort them to one of the planets," one of the commanders solemnly replied.
The security of one's territory was important, but they also had to take the initiative to open the border and meet with more aggressive guests. The dynasty's faction was undoubtedly exerting pressure, and everyone was placed in a state of unease.
Before long, the Star Pupil Holy Race sent troops over to the border to welcome them, and other than a large portion of the Crimson Dynasty troops remaining at the border, Han Xiao and Heber brought some troops and followed the Star Pupil Holy Race troops to a colonial planet.
The Star Pupil Holy Race evidently did not want to let too many people discover this matter, so the spaceships stopped directly within the inner administrative area of the planet. Before the emissary that was qualified to receive the two arrived, the local lord of the colonial planet performed the reception work himself.
After disembarking from the spaceship, Han Xiao and Heber were led to the reception room. Following from behind, Han Xiao could see that they were on edge, and beads of sweat could be seen trickling down his neck.
The surrounding soldiers were also nervous and alert, staring at Han Xiao and Heber with a death gaze while gripping their weapons tightly.
Heber was used to such fear coming from people and took large steps with his Vanguard Officials following close behind. This group often gave off a strange impression, as though they were going to shout out "Fitness is key!" at any given moment.
On Han Xiao's side, he was observing the architectural style of the Star Pupil Holy Race casually, with Hila, his Black Star Guards, and the four Apostle Weapons behind him.
They both had brought their own Calamity Grade elites, as well as many officers from the Crimson Dynasty.
Upon arriving, everyone took their seats, and the local lord wiped his sweat, carefully saying, "The Emissary is on his way. Please hold on for a moment."
Heber was akin to a tiny mountain as he sat on the sofa. He had a pressuring aura, his arms folded as he asked, "When will Psyker return?"
"This… this… I do not know…"
The local lord was pressured by his momentum to the point his throat was locked in place. He barely managed to speak, his sweat beginning to flow again like a waterfall.
Han Xiao casually picked up one of the fruits on the table, which looked like a melon that was dyed blue. He bit into it and chewed a few times, before wiping his mouth and flicking it toward Heber.
"I've tried it. There's no poison, so you can eat in peace."
Heber's face twitched.
I'm over here trying to posture, yet you threw me the fruit. You're totally spoiling this atmosphere!
Furthermore, I'm a pugilist. Why would I need a mechanic like you to test for poison‽
The fruit was already thrown over, and it would not be good to let it drop on the ground. Thus, Heber could only catch it and then fling it to one of his Vanguard Officials behind him.
This time, Heber could not be bothered to speak and only closed his eyes. Han Xiao did not press the issue either, half closing his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of Aurora massaging his temples.
The atmosphere thus quieted down.
While the surrounding guards were at the ready, after seeing the nonchalant attitudes of the duo, they had to suppress their rage.
Atrocious, these people are not showing the Star Pupil Holy Race the slightest respect!
Especially Black Star, this evildoer. Not only did he steal our clan treasure, he actually dared run over to our territory. How arrogant!
The guards held onto the weapons tight, almost wanting to shoot at Han Xiao. However, their reasoning stopped them.
The situation was more important than the people. The dynasty was going whatever they wanted in the Shattered Star Ring, and their backer, the Arcane Church, had also suffered losses, so they naturally would not dare make any rash moves.
Very soon, the surrounding guards swapped shifts, and Calamity Grades took over as the guards. They stared unceasingly at Han Xiao and Heber as though meeting their mortal enemies.
After a period of time, hurried footsteps could be heard from the door, and an emissary soon walked in with a few of his subordinates.
"Your Excellency Black Star, Your Excellency Heber, Crimson Dynasty emissaries, I'm the person in charge of welcoming you. You may refer to me as Jed."
Jed slightly bowered, but his tone was neither arrogant nor humble.
Heber opened his eyes again and again asked, "When will Psyker arrive?"
"We're not too sure ourselves. The leader has his own schedule and may take as little as several days to half a month. Please wait for a while. We'll provide accommodation if both of you wish to stay," Jed blandly replied.
Boom!
The pressure around Heber's body intensified, and the room seemed as though a formless hurricane had been born within it.
He coldly stared at Jed as he spoke,
"Don't try to play dumb. Psyker has always been hovering around the Star Pupil Holy Race and will not be too far away. I'll give you three days. If I do not see him in person, you can handle the consequences yourself."
Jed only felt his breathing become labored. He was pressured to the point he could hardly breathe and could only nod with difficulty. "I'll convey your intentions to the upper echelons…"
At this time, Han Xiao opened his eyes, gesturing for Aurora to stop, before looking interestedly at Jed.
"I just took a gander around your network and realized that your side seems to be very keen to block off the news. Not many of them know that we came over for a visit."
Upon thinking of Han Xiao's ability, Jed's expression changed. "What do you intend to do?"
"It's no good to withhold information like that. Let me help you guys."
Han Xiao smiled, and with a thought, the data packet that Phillip had prepared was immediately sent to the major media channels of the Star Pupil Holy Race and forcibly promoted.
It could be roughly summarized as…
'The dynasty fleet comes to settle accounts, Star Pupil Holy Race trembles in fear!'
'Black Star and the Tyrant show up, but Psyker dares not meet them!'
'Psyker flees due to his crimes, leaving behind his race!'
All of the articles showed the Star Pupil Holy Race in a cowardly light and how Psyker did not dare take responsibility, which made the citizens of the race feel suffocated, cracking the prestige of Psyker.
With his current Virtual Technology skills, this news instantly broke the barriers of public opinion that were silenced and swept through the entire network of the Star Pupil Holy Race.
Psyker had brought him a huge crisis this time, and now that he had come over on behalf of the dynasty to apply pressure, Han Xiao would naturally not be polite. Only when Psyker showed himself would he then command Phillip to stop.
Jed walked to the side, and after exchanging a few sentences with the upper echelons, he approached Han Xiao with a strict expression.
"Your Excellency Black Star, please stop such behavior, or else…"
Bang!
Before he could finish, Jed's head was captured by a large hand and ruthlessly slammed on the table.
The entire table cracked!
The person holding onto his head was a Vanguard Official of Bloodshed Land, Fosters. He coldly commented, "Watch your attitude when you speak to us. If there's a next time, I'll break your head apart."
The moment the grip was released, Jed stumbled and retreated, a furious expression on his face.
However, he had no choice but to swallow this injustice. He took out his handkerchief to wipe off the blue blood flowing down his head.
When the Calamity Grades saw them being so arrogant, their faces got uglier, and the rage smoldered within their hearts. However, because this impacted the entire race, they chose not to move, instead keeping the resentment within their hearts.
Han Xiao raised his eyebrows as he gestured at Heber. He seemed to be saying, If you compare viciousness, you're still more vicious.
Look at how much bullsh*t you have to say, Heber seemed to reply with a look.
Meanwhile, the news caused a sensation on the internet. Countless citizens burst into anger, some scolding the dynasty for taking advantage and others smearing the name of their leader. Some of them were also worried that Psyker would never return. There were innumerable emotions.
Countless people wished to recapture their national treasure, so the hatred the Star Pupil Holy Race had toward Han Xiao was not light. Han Xiao did not care about the hostility, though, as the more hostile they were, the more it meant that Psyker's prestige was affected.
Jed did not speak, but one of the guards could not take it any longer and suddenly lashed out at Han Xiao.
"Don't you have a conscience! After stealing our clan treasure, you dare come here and flaunt it!"
After this sentence was spoken, everyone turned over.
A chilling gaze passed through Hila's eyes, and she was just about to move. However, Han Xiao gestured for her to hold back and turned to look at the guard.
"What's your name?"
"Lalem!" The guard was obviously out of control and extremely emotional.
"Hmm, ok, then what would you have me do?"
"Of course, you should return our national treasure!"
"Okay." Han Xiao nodded, taking out the Evolution Cube and throwing it into the guard's hands. "Catch."
Everyone from the Star Pupil Holy Race was stunned, staring incredulously at the Evolution Cube.
"You, you…"
"Didn't you say you wanted it? Now it's in your hands." Han Xiao smiled. "However, I have to warn you. If you walk out of this room, it means that you have snatched the Evolution Cube, and that would mean that the dynasty would send their expeditionary fleet over. Are you ready to handle that?"
The guard's face turned purple in anger and humiliation.
"You're just relying on your backer! Do you have any morality in your heart‽"
Lifting his hand, Han Xiao retrieved the Evolutionary Cube, shaking his head as he spoke. "You all claim that it's your national treasure, but this thing was not created by you. Just by using it for a long period of time, it becomes yours, huh? This is the inheritance of the Evolutionary Civilization, and you guys are the same in that you picked it up, holding on through strength. It never belonged to you, yet you call it your 'national treasure'… There's also another point. I did not snatch your Evolutionary Cube. It was you guys who lost it, and I picked it up. I merely refused to hand it over to others, just like you guys so many years ago. This question of stance should not be used as an excuse for morality. That would be so meaningless."
"Bullsh*t. We've used the Evolution Cube for so long and can be considered its owner. Leader Psyker has always been connected to the Evolution Cube, so of course it's ours!" the guard raged.
"This does make sense, but since you guys failed to guard your belongings, it was stolen by EsGod. I didn't steal it; I merely chose not to return it. Furthermore, because this item was not the creation of your civilization, I have no mental burden toward withholding it for myself… If you guys can snatch it back from me, I can't do anything about it, but your strength is insufficient, so anything else you say is meaningless. I gave you a chance, but you didn't dare take it away. Let's just forget about it."
Han Xiao shook his head. He had never been a kind person, and he had another motive here, which was to resolve the hidden danger of the Evolution Cube once and for all. He planned to use pressure to force the citizens and Psyker to lift their psychic link with it!
As for right or wrong… Psyker had endangered his life many times. Now that things had gotten to this point, there was no need to worry about this issue.
"You, leave." Jed waved toward the guard. While he was also furious about losing the 'national treasure', he was more realistic and knew that the dynasty had come to pressure them. It would be a pipe dream to make them hand over the Evolution Cube.
Having witnessed this little spat, Heber threw a glance over to Han Xiao.
"You're not too bad at being evil yourself."
"As to you."
Han Xiao rolled his eyes in response.
One needed to be more arrogant when posturing to apply pressure. For someone like him, who was used to being low-key, this was difficult to do.
[1] He's referring to a leader that only delegates work but never does any
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Chapter 868 Lock On Removed
The Star Pupil Holy Race fleet in the surroundings immediately gathered toward the planet and awaited their orders. At the same time, the defensive fleet at the border was also strengthened.
After waiting for two days, Psyker finally reached the border.
"Your Excellencies, Leader Psyker has already reached the border and will be here soon."
Jed heaved a sigh of relief.
His appearance was much frailer than before. Over the past two days, he had stayed in the room together with Han Xiao and Heber. He had suggested that the two go to a guest room, but Heber and Han Xiao did not even reply to him. Furthermore, they did not allow him to leave either, so Jed could only accompany the two in the room over the past two days. He did not even dare sleep, and his mental state was already on the brink of collapse.
To a Beyond Grade A Super, two days was no big deal at all. They could easily close their eyes, and two days would be over in a flash. Furthermore, the guards of the Star Pupil Holy Race present were all in the Calamity Grade and would not be affected too greatly. Only someone like Jed who was an envoy from the government would feel fatigue.
If they went to the guest room, the pressure that both of them had accumulated would be gone. As such, they chose to sit here for two days to increase the pressure on the Star Pupil Holy Race.
After waiting a while longer, a commotion could be heard on the outside, and both of them could feel a powerful energy source approaching them.
Heber opened his eyes and nodded. "He's here."
The door opened, and Psyker walked into the room slowly. Everyone's gaze was then focused on him.
The guards present all heaved sighs of relief and stood up straight as though they had found their backbone.
"Eh, isn't this Little Psy-Psy? The hero has finally appeared," Han Xiao teased.
Psyker walked over to the two. Jed, who was originally seated, immediately gave up his seat for Psyker.
"Didn't both of you want to meet me? I'm back. Get straight to the point," Psyker said with a deep voice.
The next second, Han Xiao's arm suddenly transformed into a mechanical arm, and he swung it out toward Psyker.
The table and sofa in front of him was pushed away, and his palm sent Psyker flying into the wall.
Bang!
The entire room erupted!
"What did you do‽"
The faces of the guards all changed, and they wanted to take action to help their leader.
Right at this moment, Hila and the other Black Star Guards also sent their auras toward the guards in the surrounding with the intention to warn them. The Bloodshed Land's Vanguard Officials did the same.
Just when the situation was about to erupt, Psyker's voice sounded from under the mechanical arm.
"Don't move."
The mechanical arm was retracted, and Psyker dislodged himself from the alloy wall with his Psychic energy. He then looked at Han Xiao without any intention of fighting back.
"I almost took your life. Do you have any issues?" Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
"… No."
Psyker took a deep breath and knew that Han Xiao wanted to take him down a notch. He then told his subordinates not to act recklessly and got them to bring a new table in.
The members of the Star Pupil Holy Race in the surroundings clenched their fists with aggrieved expressions.
They were able to understand why Psyker chose to give in but could not help but feel disappointed. On one hand, they were enraged at their own weakness, and on the other hand, they felt humiliated on behalf of their race.
Although all of them knew that the dynasty was there to seek an answer from them, they were all hoping that Psyker would be able to deal with such a situation and turn the tides. However, the unacceptable truth was that their leader was there to suffer humiliation.
The Crimson Dynasty emissary, who had not said a word so far, then said calmly, "You participated in the attack on Planet Lighthouse, and four of the six Beyond Grade As who participated have already been caught. The dynasty needs you and the Star Pupil Holy Race to give us an explanation."
"What kind of explanation?" Psyker asked.
The dynasty's emissary then tapped his bracelet, and a holographic screen appeared. A contract appeared on the holographic screen.
"You have to give a public apology and sign this compensation contract to prove your sincerity. The details of the contract are all within it. If you don't agree, please follow us to accept your judgement in the dynasty or wait for the Arcane Church to pay a ransom."
"Compensation and apology?" Psyker murmured under his breath. He had not been idle over the past two days and had been thinking of what the dynasty's intention would be. This was not out of his expectations at all.
The dynasty emissary did not bother keeping the matter a secret and read the entire contract out. There were many outrageous demands, and the members of the Star Pupil Holy Race watching by the side became more and more enraged.
There were only two options placed before Psyker at the moment. First, apologize and pay compensation. Second, become a captive. Of course, there was a third option, which was to fight back. However, the dynasty would not show him any face if he chooses the third option.
The dynasty did not necessarily need that little compensation but needed the enemy to give in.
After listening to all the terms, Psyker nodded and said, "I accept the contract. I will make a public apology for my actions."
He was not too bothered about the astronomical compensation. He was working for the Arcane Church, and although he had failed, the Arcane Church would not let him suffer the cost of the compensation. If they did not do that much, nobody would want to help them in the future. Thus, the compensation would be paid by the Arcane Church, so there was no need for the Star Pupil Holy Race to spend money.
As for a public apology, this was also something that the Arcane Church would want to see. The Arcane Church would never apologize to the dynasty, but since they wanted to redeem their people, they would have to give in somehow. Thus, the Star Pupil Holy Race giving in would be a representation of the Arcane Church's attitude.
Even if the Arcane Church was the backer of the Star Pupil Holy Race, the Crimson Dynasty was also a Universal Civilization. With both parties in conflict with each other, the Star Pupil Holy Race definitely had to give an explanation.
Psyker understood this clearly, but most members of his race did not.
In the eyes of the others, their leader had accepted such humiliating conditions without any hesitation. This made the faces of all those present turn ugly, and the look in their eyes became complicated.
The way they saw it, Psyker seemed to be protecting himself and betraying the benefits of the race without any hesitation. Of course, they knew that this was far from the truth, but they could not help but think that way.
Although they knew that Psyker did not make a mistake in his decision, many of them could not help but feel anger and humiliation.
Right at this moment, Heber said, "Psyker, leave the Shattered Star Ring together with your people. You know that we and the dynasty will not allow you to develop. Your best option is to leave."
Having one less Beyond Grade A in the Shattered Star Ring would benefit everyone else. Heber and the dynasty had the same thought.
Psyker shook his head and said, "Regardless of how tough the situation is, we will not leave our homeland as long as we can overcome it."
"Humph." Heber did not say anything else upon hearing that.
At this moment, Han Xiao piped up. "The following matter will be between us. You have given an explanation to the dynasty, but you also need to give an explanation to the victim."
Psyker turned around and asked, "What do you want?"
Han Xiao smiled.
"I want the Evolution Cube."
Everyone was stunned.
"Haven't you snatched it already?" Psyker asked doubtfully.
"No, you misunderstood me," Han Xiao said calmly. "I want you to get rid of the psychic connection that you have with the Evolution Cube and announce to the universe that you have given it to me."
Psyker's expression changed abruptly.
He finally understood what Black Star's intention was!
The members of the Star Pupil Holy Race originally thought that Black Star had stolen their national treasure, so if he publicly announced that he had given the item to Black Star, he would no longer have any right to criticize the other party. At that time, the members of his race would divert their humiliation to their leader and vent all their anger on him. His status as a leader would also fall greatly.
"You b*stard…" Psyker gritted his teeth.
"Because of the Evolution Cube, you tried to deal with me time and time again," Han Xiao said. "The ambush this time was also because of the Evolution Cube. If I do not make you give up on the Evolution Cube, something like this will happen again. I haven't settled the score regarding the Avitan Souls trying to blow up Planet Aquamarine yet. Take a look at this video first."
Han Xiao then summoned a holographic screen, and the scene of the guard called Lalem criticizing him was played. Phillip had recorded the entire scene.
Psyker's face became extremely ugly after the video was completed.
Han Xiao raised his brows and said, "She provoked a Beyond Grade A, but I wasn't too calculative with her. I don't wish to hear bullsh*t like that again, so I decided to make use of a solution to settle this matter once and for all. What do you think?"
Psyker suppressed his anger. "What if I disagree?"
"You can also choose to disagree." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and released his aura. "However, are you still my opponent? Have you ever thought about what would happen to your Star Pupil Holy Race without you as their leader?"
At this instant, Psyker realized that the Black Star in front of him was no longer the one who had fought him to a draw. He then thought about the scene of Han Xiao capturing Dylan and felt a trace of fear.
However, he was still reluctant to give up the Evolution Cube. He had formed a Soul Connection with the Evolution Cube, and his psychic energy was strengthened as a result. Without the Universal Treasure, his own combat strength would fall, and his status would also be lowered in the Arcane Church.
The dynasty emissary then said calmly, "Black Star's intention is the dynasty's intention. If you don't agree, we can add it into the contract."
Han Xiao had not discussed this matter with the dynasty yet, but this matter was not disadvantageous to the dynasty at all. Thus, the emissary's support was extremely normal.
Upon hearing that, Psyker's clenched fists loosened, and he said softly, "… I agree."
Bang!
A Calamity Grade Star Pupil Holy Race guard finally could not restrain his anger any further and hammered down on the wall.
The other guards were angered to the point their bodies were trembling. Han Xiao and the others had completely ignored them.
Han Xiao nodded and took out the Evolution Cube. The silver cube floated in midair and attracted everyone's attention.
Heber's throat also twitched slightly, but his subordinates did not notice.
"Then, please show your sincerity and undo your psychic connection."
Psyker shut his eyes and released his psychic energy to come into contact with the Evolution Cube. Gritting his teeth, he cut off the connection with the Evolution Cube.
The next moment, his body trembled, and his mind could clearly feel that the bridge between him and the Evolution Cube had been broken.
The ability to locate the cube had also disappeared.
"It's done," Psyker said with a soft tone and tried to conceal his sadness.
Han Xiao retrieved the Evolution Cube. The senses of a Beyond Grade A were extremely sharp, and he could clearly feel the aura latched onto the Evolution Cube disappearing.
I finally got rid of this hidden threat… Han Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. Although the Spacetime Amber had a similar effect, he would still have to use the Evolution Cube from time to time, and this would get rid of all troubles for good.
However, he still passed the cube over to Feidin to take a look. Although Feidin was only a Calamity Grade, his luck was unrivaled.
"Don't worry, your dynasty also has Beyond Grade A Psychics, so it will be extremely easy to tell. You don't have to worry that I will leave anything behind," Psyker said with a depressed tone. "I have fulfilled your conditions already. Do you have anything else? Please leave the territory of the Star Pupil Holy Race if there's nothing else."
The dynasty emissary then stood up and said, "Alright, we shall not disturb you any further. The dynasty will be watching you and waiting for your announcement."
Psyker gnashed his teeth but did not say anything.
"Don't blame me." Han Xiao also stood up. "You have to pay the price for failing. At least you are still alive."
"I will not always fail," Psyker said.
"You also won't be alive all the time." Heber then walked out of the room with the dynasty emissary behind him.
Walking out of the door, Han Xiao turned around to look at Psyker. "Rather than being angry at us, you should take care of all your troubles."
Psyker ignored those words and asked, "How is Dylan?"
"You still have the time to care about others? It seems like you have a pretty good relationship with him." Han Xiao smirked. "Don't worry, he is safe… very safe."
Han Xiao then waved his hands and left.
A while later, Psyker received a report that Han Xiao and the others had left the planet.
After a long while, Psyker raised his head and sighed.
"Get the government to hold a press conference. I will make a personal appearance."
Jed hesitated for a while before reminding him, "Black Star used his Virtual Technology skills and infiltrated many of our media websites, posting many rumors about you. Should we deal with that first?"
"That isn't necessary. Black Star will stop after he leaves. Although he is a vicious individual, he won't always play such petty tricks," Psyker replied. "After I make an announcement, all of you will know that these rumors aren't considered anything."
Upon thinking about the effect of his announcement, Psyker could not help but feel depressed.
However, he did not have a choice. Even if he approached his backer, they would not come into conflict with the dynasty because of Psyker's reputation.
His personal reputation was not at the top of the Arcane Church's priority list.
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Chapter 869 Federation of Light, Do You Think I"m Invisible?
Their spaceships left the Star Pupil Holy Race territory and met up together with the dynasty's fleet before disappearing into space.
The dynasty emissary turned around to look at the two beside him and smiled.
"Psyker has been extremely cooperative, and the mission has been a success."
Heber waved his hands with an expressionless face to indicate that this was a small matter.
He was also able to increase his prestige by flaunting his might before another Beyond Grade A. Furthermore, since the Star Pupil Holy Race had agreed to apologize and pay compensation, this matter would definitely be recorded in history, and his name would be included. This was a pretty good reward for him.
"Psyker lost big this time. He will probably remain stagnant for a long time." Han Xiao smiled.
With the hidden trouble of the Evolution Cube gone, he was in a good mood.
"That's right. Psyker will have to deal with the aftermath of this event and the other competing Star Cluster Civilizations. He will have to remain low profile for the next few decades for sure," the dynasty emissary added. "I have to report my success to Zoel. Your Excellencies, let's say goodbye here."
Heber and Han Xiao nodded. After recording the number of this emissary, they both returned to their spaceships and left.
"I will also be leaving." Heber sent Han Xiao a message before leaving with his Bloodshed Land troops. He was prepared to return to the Flickering World and overlook the exploration mission.
The wedge between them had not been resolved, and it would be difficult for them to have a good relationship. But after experiencing this incident together, the relationship between the allies of the dynasty had improved.
Han Xiao put his communicator away and ordered Phillip, "Return to the Black Star Army headquarters."
"Roger, hum…"
The Black Star Army battleship then sped up and entered warp-speed hyperdrive.
It was time to handle the Evolution Cube slots that he had promised the civilizations in the Shattered Star Ring. The dynasty would also send a batch of new elites for the Evolution Cube. Han Xiao was planning to take care of these matters before continuing the exploration of the Flickering World.
The influence of this event was truly large, and he had a battle record of capturing another Beyond Grade A. His personal prestige was increased to the next level, and for a long period of time, there should not be anyone making trouble for him. This should continue until the end of Version 3.0.
The only hidden trouble that worried him was EsGod.
The space coordinates of the World Tree Civilization were like a time bomb. An advanced civilization who grasped the coordinates would know how to test waters and protect themselves. However, it was impossible to predict what someone like EsGod would do.
It was a pity that EsGod managed to receive the evolution energy this round and become stronger. Without finding some companions, it would be truly difficult to deal with EsGod.
To the Crimson Dynasty, the Arcane Church was their true competitor that they needed to pay close attention to. They would only deal with EsGod after reaching an agreement with each other.
It was not easy to deal with EsGod. If they sent too few experts, they would not be able to win. If they sent too many experts, the other party would just escape. The dynasty had tried to deal with EsGod many times before but were not able to kill him. This time, they probably only intended to get rid of EsGod's comrades.
Furthermore, the intelligence of the dynasty showed that EsGod had left the Star Field through a wormhole, and his whereabouts were currently unknown. Thus, it was pointless to think about dealing with EsGod at this moment.
Han Xiao decided to wait for the experience penalty period to be over before increasing his level. He would only have a greater chance of success if he could increase his strength.
"There is less than half a year until the penalty is over…"
Han Xiao greatly anticipated that moment.
A few days later, Psyker finally appeared publicly within his race and called for a press conference.
With the recent rumors, the citizens of the Star Pupil Holy Race were extremely anxious, and they all stayed in front of the television to watch the news.
Time seemed to pass extremely slowly.
It was finally the time for the life broadcast, and everyone felt their heart tighten up.
Psyker's figure appeared on the screen, and he said with a solemn voice, "Citizens of the Star Pupil Holy Race, my colleagues of the government, I am Psyker. I shall give an official explanation regarding the recent storm…
"In the past few months, news about me has been spreading throughout the universe.
"First, I have to express my deepest apology to everyone. It was because of a mistake that resulted in me being trapped in a dilemma and dragging the race down. I am guilty and embarrassed by this, but a mistake is a mistake, and I shall not defend myself.
"A few days ago, the Crimson Dynasty paid a visit and sought an explanation from me. I did not escape like the rumors on the net but rushed back immediately to negotiate with the Crimson Dynasty's emissary. Both parties have already arrived at an initial agreement.
"On behalf of the Star Pupil Holy Race and myself, I will apologize to the Crimson Dynasty for the recent event and adhere to the compensation terms as follows…"
Psyker then read out a list of compensation terms before continuing.
"I also apologize sincerely to the victim Black Star and am willing to give compensation because of this event.
"There is a fact that cannot be avoided. The Evolution Cube is the item of another civilization and not one that belongs solely to the Star Pupil Holy Race. Because of some unexpected reasons, we lost the Evolution Cube, and the one who should be blamed is EsGod, not Black Star. We have already enjoyed the benefits of the Evolution Cube. I will let go of all rights to the Evolution Cube here and transfer it to Black Star as compensation.
"My citizens, our Star Pupil Holy Race has experienced phenomenal economic, cultural, and other forms of achievements. We have fallen into a valley, but there will always be new opportunities to greet us after every calamity. I hope that everyone will continue working together and maintain your optimism to go through this tough period together.
"I hope that everyone can understand our choice and not forget our humiliation today.
"Finally, I wish everyone a happy life."
As his speech was finished, the screen darkened.
An intense eruption exploded from every corner of the Star Pupil Holy Race.
Many individuals were thoroughly shocked by the press conference!
A civilization had to give in publicly and even pay compensation. They could not help but feel a sense of humiliation.
Furthermore, this disaster was a result of Psyker's mistake, and the entire race had been dragged down by him.
Furthermore, Psyker had even openly abandoned their national treasure and given it to the demon Black Star?
The way they saw it, this was akin to them giving away the Evolution Cube because they were not able to snatch it back!
Such humiliation!
The press conference immediately created a huge sensation, and every corner of the Star Pupil Holy Race was filled with curses toward Psyker. The prestige that he had built up over the many years had gone down the drain, with some even calling him a disgrace to their race.
All the close aides of Psyker stood before him with ugly expressions.
"Your Excellency Psyker, should we really not control the negative public opinion on the web?"
Psyker shook his head and said, "That isn't necessary. The citizens need an avenue to vent the humiliation and anger in their hearts. When they are done venting it, they will remember the contributions that I have made, and we can guide the public opinion back in the right direction subtly when the time comes."
"This isn't beneficial to your prestige," someone said with concern.
"There will definitely be a rebound effect when it reaches the peak." Psyker sighed. "Regardless of worship or hatred, it will definitely slide in the other direction when it reaches the peak. When public opinion reaches the peak, there will be more and more people speaking up for me. That will be far more effective than trying to manage the situation now."
"Is this really good?"
"There isn't anything bad about it." Psyker let out a long sigh. "My previous contributions cannot be an excuse for my mistake. The greater my radiance, the greater the shadow. My mistakes have naturally been highlighted. I do not want everyone to praise my good deeds. This humiliation will be motivation for our citizens."
"We are only afraid that you will be disappointed in us," one of his aides said.
Psyker was the leader of the Star Pupil Holy Race, but after becoming a Beyond Grade A, Psyker himself was no longer part of the Star Pupil Holy Race. This was a shadow in the hearts of many.
"Don't worry. I will never forget my mother clan."
Psyker shook his head. As a Beyond Grade A, his ideals would not be so easily shaken.
"The world is complicated, and I will never judge the world by looking at a small corner of it. The words of a small group cannot represent the entire race. At the very end, all these people will realize that regardless of how they curse, I will still be their leader, and this is something that they are unable to change.
"As for the current storm now…"
As Psyker spoke with a smile, a trace of fatigue could be seen in his eyes.
"Fire will burn out, and the storm will end eventually. We just need to do our job and wait for it to cease naturally."
"The Star Pupil Holy Race has given in."
On the mother planet of the Arcane Church, Psyker's press conference was displayed in the conference room. The Bishops then fell into a moment of silence.
After a long while, one of the bishops said with a hoarse tone, "This way, the dynasty's attitude should ease up slightly, right?"
Psyker had cut off his connection to the Evolution Cube and lost the ability to locate it. The Arcane Church had also decided to give up on the Evolution Cube for good.
"How is the discussion with the dynasty coming along?"
"The dynasty only agreed to allow us to ransom Mercer and Dylan. Their price is extremely high."
"Hmm, pay the ransom for both of them first. This will satisfy the allies who are watching. As for Taylor and Sagman, the dynasty will not allow us to ransom them back too quickly, but our allies will understand."
"Where is Ninjia?"
"He has already escaped through a secret stargate set up by our spies. He will be back soon."
"Thankfully, the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter is with him."
The Bishops then heaved a sigh of relief.
Of the six Beyond Grade As that they had sent out, four had been caught, one did not have anywhere to run, and only one managed to return to the Central Galaxy. Thankfully, the only one who returned was the one with the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter.
The Ten Thousand Deity Scepter was even more important than a Beyond Grade A in the eyes of the upper echelons. New Beyond Grade As would be born over time, but every Universal Treasure was unique.
Not losing the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter was their biggest consolation.
Because the Crimson Dynasty was searching the entire Shattered Star Ring, the spy could only construct the secret stargate in a desolate universe belt near the Shattered Star Ring.
A spaceship was currently rushing toward the stargate with Ninjia inside.
The stargate appeared within his sights, and Ninjia heaved a sigh of relief.
After entering this stargate, he would be able to skip past a few Star Fields and return to the Central Galaxy. After running for his life for such a long time, he could no longer endure such a life.
Hum!
Right at this moment, the spaceship trembled, and the engine of his spaceship was suddenly turned off.
"What's going on?"
Ninjia was startled, and he tried to control the spaceship. However, all his orders were completely useless, and the spaceship did not react at all.
The body of the spaceship suddenly shook.
Rumble!
A gigantic pressure crushed down from all directions, and the spaceship was reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
Bang!
A spherical protective shield then appeared from within the wreckage of the spaceship. Ninjia covered himself with a magical shield and held onto the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter while observing his surroundings carefully.
Could it be that the dynasty had discovered the stargate and set up an ambush‽
Right at this moment, a voice rang in his head.
"It truly wasn't easy to find you, 'Divine Spell' Ninjia. Hand over the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, and I can let you go."
As the voice sounded, the universe around him lit up with the light of hyperdrive, and many silhouettes appeared before him, filling the entire region.
Many pairs of expressionless eyes were fixed on Ninjia.
At the very front was a tall figure with his entire body shining with electrical bolts. The engravings on his body showed that this was a mechanical host.
Ninjia's expression changed abruptly upon seeing the person before him.
"Manison‽"
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Chapter 870 Manison"s Interes
Blood trickled down in rivulets, flowing on the metallic surface like crimson snakes and converging into a pool of blood.
Ninjia was sprawled on the ground, covered with bruises and bloodstains. Underneath him was a huge mechanical suction cup in the shape of a triangle, lit with a faint blue light. It was this huge gravitational force that fixed him to the ground.
His hands, feet, and torso were also bound by heavy-looking black alloy rings. This was a special mechanical shackle. With a strong interference field attached and through the use of spatial conversion technology, it could disperse the energy released by the target.
At the same time, four pipes protruded from the ground on both sides, inserting into his spine and injecting nano worms that interfered with his pneumatic operations, causing his nervous system to go haywire, affecting his control.
Ninjia could only barely lift his neck. His vision was blurred but was fixed toward an area full of mechanical limbs, where a dense number of mechanical soldiers were surrounding him.
Both parties were currently on the surface of a steel fortress, a mobile base brought by Manison, and there were marks of battle and broken mechanical parts scattered everywhere.
Because space was locked by Manison's spatial stabilizer equipment, along with magic jamming to render teleportation invalid, Ninjia could only fight.
However, with the numerous equipment and machinery he had with him other than the host he utilized for [Lord's Descent, there were still four other Apostle Weapons, which made it such that Ninjia was not his opponent.
"I was waiting for you to utilize the scepter, but you did not. Now I can see why…"
Manison caressed the amber sealing the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, feeling the energy insulation properties and letting out sounds of praise.
"To dare snatch even our Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, Manison, are you not afraid of angering my Arcane Church‽" Ninjia gritted his teeth.
"Don't be mistaken. I'm not interested in the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter; I'm just doing the Federation of Light a favor."
Manison eyed Ninjia before waving his hand.
A silver Apostle Weapon walked over, its body as smooth as a mirror without any sort of mechanical seams.
The Apostle Weapon squatted down, turned its fingers into spikes, and inserted them into Ninjia's body. After which, its entire body turned liquid and flowed into his body through the wounds.
Next, Manison released the shackles. However, the Apostle Weapon within Ninjia's body suppressed his ability to control his body, and he could only glare at Manison.
"What do you want to do to me‽"
"The Federation of Light allowed me to kill you and destroy the evidence. However, your body is still useful to me."
Manison threw out a compressed orb, which transformed into a restraint cabin, locking Ninjia within.
After confirming that he could not escape, Manison turned his head, gazing at the amber-sealed Ten Thousand Deity Scepter. An interested look appeared in his eyes.
"Oh, what a special new material, and it seems like Black Star has mastered the manufacturing method… I'll find an opportunity to contact him."
"Lost contact? Explain to me, what does it mean by lost contact‽"
The upper echelons of Arcane Church quickly received the news that Ninjia, who was supposed to pass through the stargate a while ago, had lost contact with them!
This gave the Bishops a big scare. They had thought that Ninjia had gotten away from danger and could successfully bring the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter back. To think that an accident had occurred.
Since they could not contact Ninjia, the worst possibility was that he had been ambushed and killed.
But even if he was attacked, he should have been able to send news back, or the Arcane Church should have discovered some abnormalities.
There was only one explanation for this… The attacking party had a Virtual Mechanic who was able to tamper with the data and prevent any communication.
The first suspect that the Arcane Church thought of was Black Star.
However, Han Xiao had been at the Star Pupil Holy Race not too long ago and was still en route to his headquarters. There was an alibi… but they did not forget that Han Xiao could command troops from a distance to complete the attack.
"If Black Star is the murderer, is he being supported by the dynasty? They have already captured four of our people and forced Psyker to apologize. Is this not enough?" someone wondered out loud.
"The possibility is not high. Both sides are in negotiations, and we have reached a preliminary conclusion. The dynasty knows that it is not beneficial to continue chasing and fighting them. If they take away our Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, it will force us to flip the table. I'm afraid it is not worth it for them."
"Could it be that Black Star wants the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter and decided to move on his own?"
"But… if we think about it closely, this will give Black Star more problems than benefits. He has already obtained a huge benefit from this matter, and there is no need for him to also steal the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter. He will not be able to use it either, and just having it with him will cause numerous problems. The only way would be to give it to the dynasty. However, what we've checked about Black Star shows that he is not someone who enjoys taking risks, and he is still in his honeymoon period with the Dynasty. He would not do such a thing behind the back of the dynasty."
The Bishops frowned. Everything pointed to the fact that Black Star was not involved.
Could it be that there were people who wanted to fish in muddy waters?
To be able to attack Ninjia, one had to fulfil two criteria. One was a strong enough intelligence network to be able to track Ninjia, and the second was to possess the ability of a Beyond Grade A Mechanic to be able to silently kill him off.
Thinking about this, a plausible answer floated up.
The Bishops present all lurched.
"Could it be… the Federation of Light‽"
The Shattered Star Ring was still their territory, and while it looked like they did not care, it would be careless for them to ignore their intelligence system. After operating for so many years, their network would naturally be seamless, and their intelligence gathering would trump the dynasty's, who were newcomers in the region.
While the Crimson Dynasty did not spot Ninjia's traces, the Federation of Light did. This explained everything.
The faces of the Bishops were green. The more they thought about it, the more it felt as though the Federation of Light was the culprit.
From the start, when they loaned out the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device, that bunch of robbers had intended to fish in muddy waters.
This time, not only did the Arcane Church lose a lot of their Beyond Grade A combat power, they had also strained their relationship with the Crimson Dynasty. To the Federation of Light, this was their best chance.
The Bishops realized that this meant that their entire expedition had been captured and annihilated, and they almost spat blood.
Federation of Light, f*ck your mom!
At this time, the virtual screen on the conference table appeared, showing the command of the pope.
"Stabilize the situation with the Crimson Dynasty and redeem our allies… We'll settle the scores with the Federation of Light at a later point."
The Bishops exchanged glances, and within each gaze, they could see depression and helplessness.
Yesterday, they thought that at least the scepter was returning. Today, they once again received bad news. This feeling of falling from heaven to hell made them extremely uncomfortable.
It was a total loss.
Without evidence, the Federation of Light would never admit it. After all, both sides were of the same strength, so they would not be threatened.
They could only take things one step at a time.
On the mother planet of the Federation of Light, President Bader put down the communicator, smiling at the elders present.
"Manison has achieved the objective. The Ten Thousand Deity Scepter is ours."
At his words, everyone revealed smiles of success.
The Chief Elder fiddled with his cane, praising, "Indeed worthy of being one of the strongest Ancient Ones. The Mechanic Empire is still as reliable as ever."
Bader nodded with a smile. Manison was an ally whom he deeply valued, not because of his frightening power but because of their ability to appear at long distances and wipe out all evidence, perfectly completing secret operations.
"The Arcane Church will suspect the Crimson Dynasty and may even suspect us, but they have no evidence. Besides, they will not tell the world about theft of the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter."
"According to our intelligence, the usage of the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter is simple. It's just that we do not have the necessary skills to repair it. However, we can use it as a trump card with limited uses, as it can greatly damage a Beyond Grade A… Cough cough, just don't use it in front of Black Star."
"While it may infuriate the Arcane Church, we've earned big by obtaining the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter. This is also a chip to deal with the Arcane Church in the future."
Many of the elders revealed smiles as they discussed their success.
"Manison said that the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter is sealed by the special material. When he returns, I'll have the research team crack it."
Bader's tone was confident; he did not doubt that the seal could be removed at all.
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Chapter 871 Business Snatching Mid-Version
The little secret between the Arcane Church and Federation of Light was not made known to Han Xiao.
After leaving the star system of the Star Pupil Holy Race, Han Xiao's fleet did not stop, returning to the headquarters of the Black Star Army.
In the previous gathering that the Tyrant hosted, Han Xiao had signed a few agreements with a large number of civilizations in the Shattered Star Ring and had also publicly sold access to the Evolution Cube in exchange for cooperation with the major civilizations.
This year was the first year of cooperation, and because Han Xiao would remain in the Shattered Star Ring for this period, he prepared to handle the slots purchased by the various civilizations this year and complete them.
In the past years, the civilizations had conducted numerous internal selections, confirming the list of elites who would undergo evolution, and had been waiting for this day. Upon receiving the notice, the teams were dispatched, and many elites from each civilization gathered at the Black Star Army headquarters.
Using the Evolution Cube as a bridge to reach better relationships with multiple star cluster and star system level civilizations was a key step in the expansion plan for the Black Star Army.
In Han Xiao's blueprint, maintaining this sort of cooperation network for a long period would form a large network using the Black Star Army as a transit point. By that time, the power and influence of the Black Star Army would truly cover the entire star field, so Han Xiao paid a lot of attention to the cooperation in the first year.
Furthermore, there was an additional benefit. The people picked by the civilizations would all be elites, and there would definitely be well-known characters or protagonists within.
Letting them take the initiative to gather was better than him looking for all of them himself.
This is probably the alternate reality version of keeping the talents in the world for my own usage… Han Xiao mused to himself.
Spaceships of different styles landed at the Black Star Army headquarters, and elites of all races poured out as the hatches opened. They were led to the accommodation area under the guidance of the reception robots, causing the dock to be extremely lively.
These elites were all leaders back in their respective civilizations, and the majority were either Calamity Grades, military officers, potential Calamity Grades, or scientific researchers. All of them sized up the other elites as they disembarked, their expressions wary.
"This is the Black Star Army talked of in legends."
Pamela opened her three large, watery eyes as she curiously took in her surroundings. She hailed from a star system level plant-based civilization, with her race called the Flower Sprite Tribe. Her body was covered with a layer of green leaf-like epidermal tissue, and she exuded a strange fragrance. It was said that every individual had a unique fragrance, just like how humans were differentiated by fingerprints. Body fragrance, appearance, and physique were the aesthetic standards for this race.
According to their aesthetics, Pamela would be a rare beauty, and at the same time, she was an elite researcher who was chosen to undergo evolution.
As Pamela and her party observed the dock, a small hovering robot flew in front of them, speaking in Phillip's voice.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Black Star Army, hum… Our Commander is still en route. I'll be responsible for escorting you and arranging your accommodation. In the meantime, if you have any needs, please contact me directly, hum…"
The leader of the Flower Sprite Tribe was a Calamity Grade, and he calmly nodded. "Understood."
"Please follow me."
The reception robot flew through the huge crowd, leading the way.
The group followed close behind, looking around on the way and discussing in a low voice.
"People of all civilizations have come. I even saw a few Star Cluster level Civilizations."
"All of them are elites of their races. This is a grand event. Let's go pay a visit to some others. After all, it's a rare chance to socialize."
Hearing the discussions coming from behind, the reception robot turned around and addressed them. "During this waiting period, I'll take you to visit the headquarters, hold banquets, and provide a platform for everyone to communicate with each other, so please don't worry about not having a chance."
"This looks a little like the Tyrant's Party… but the people here are not representatives of a few civilizations but rather a large number of elites…" The eyes of the Calamity Grade leading the team moved around, and they seemed to understand something.
Pamela hesitated before asking, "So, so… will we have a chance to converse with His Excellency Black Star?"
"There will be a banquet for everyone to celebrate after the evolution process is completed. If you're willing to stay, then you'll be able to converse with our Army Commander," the robot replied.
"That's… that's great." Pamela's skin color turned green, which was the same as humans blushing. She looked expectant.
"Yo, shy because you're about to see your idol?" One of her colleagues teased.
Pamela did not reply, her face so green that it was turning indigo.
Every Beyond Grade A would have a few fans in the universe, even those infamous thugs such as EsGod.
The deeds of Black Star were widely circulated in the universe. As a native of a planetary civilization, he had established the Black Star Army from scratch and rewritten the fate of his homeland by himself. Such a legendary existence had attracted a large number of admirers within the Shattered Star Ring, and Pamela was one of those who were impressed with his deeds.
"I don't know what sort of spouse Black Star likes…" Pamela appeared a bit dazed.
"Hello, are you being serious? Do you not know about reproductive isolation?" Her colleague was surprised.
"I'm a biological genetic engineer. Do I need your reminder?" Pamela snapped back in resignation.
The Calamity Grade leader frowned and turned back to say, "Don't forget our purpose here, and don't provoke His Excellency."
"Can't I have expectations?" Pamela grumpily replied.
She did not know, however, that the reception robot was recording every word they spoke and passing it on to Sylvia.
In her office, Sylvia received the report, and after sweeping over it, she coldly snorted.
"Number 237…"
After which, she put a mark on the file before throwing it into a folder labelled 'Banquet Seating Arrangement (Corner List)'.
Way before the date that Han Xiao set, all the civilizations that were supposed to undergo evolution had arrived. Except for Klent, the other Shattered Star Ring civilizations were there. Not only were civilizations belonging to the Shattered Star Ring there—even a new batch of elites from the Crimson Dynasty had arrived.
While waiting, these organizations did not just idle but took this rare chance to network and exchange contacts. The atmosphere quickly became friendly.
All the elites present could see that Han Xiao was taking advantage of the situation to gather all the influential people in Shattered Star Ring and start his own banquet. In other words, he was trying to snatch the Tyrant Heber's businesses, using the Evolution Cube as a cover to form his own 'party', in order to expand his influence!
Although everyone understood this, no one had any issues with it. They were also willing to communicate with other races for their needs.
As for Black Star and the Tyrant's competition, no one dared breathe a word. Both sides were not good to provoke, and it was better to just go with the flow.
A few days passed, and Han Xiao finally arrived back at the headquarters. After resting for a few hours, he informed everyone to gather to proceed with the ceremony.
Following batch after batch of people, the clean and gleaming main hall quickly became packed. Reynold received the news and took the mechanics of the logistics department to widen the hall on the spot so that it would not be overcrowded.
The space fluctuated slightly, and Han Xiao stepped out of the void dimension, suspending himself above everyone's head. The Evolution Cube slowly rotated around him.
Everyone looked up at the floating Han Xiao, and there was a small commotion as everyone broke out in whispers.
"Black Star is here."
"This is the first time I've seen a Beyond Grade A from up close. The energy contained within his body is just terrifying. I started sweating when I felt it."
"The thing beside him is probably the Evolution Cube. Not too long ago, I heard that Psyker relinquished his control over this Universal Treasure… Such a small thing was actually the source of so much trouble, and even a few Beyond Grade As from the Arcane Church were captured."
"Black Star does have the ability to keep this Universal Treasure. A year ago, I thought that his Evolution Cube would be snatched away quickly, but it turns out that I was wrong."
The elites of the various races all had awe in their eyes. No matter how proud they were normally, in front of Han Xiao, they did not have the ability to be confident.
Before Han Xiao rose up, other than the Purple Crystal Civilization, the other Star Cluster civilizations had tried to suppress Han Xiao, but at the Tyrant's Party, all of them could not help but lower their heads to seek cooperation.
Just because Han Xiao had recently reached Beyond Grade A, everyone had entertained a brief thought of suppressing him.
However, the recent matters had proven Black Star's ability, consolidating his position in the universe. This dispelled the last bit of hostility the star cluster civilizations had. They completely gave up on their fantasy. Now that Black Star had completely taken off, playing small tricks were useless.
Looking at the gazes below of respect and admiration, Han Xiao secretly nodded to himself.
The recent storm had brought him benefits in that he was able to successfully launch this program to create a consortium of interests. This had saved him a lot of time.
On his way back, Han Xiao had briefly scanned through the name list of the elites as well. Not out of his expectations, there were a few well-known personalities of various civilizations from his previous life.
However, this was not the time to come into contact. After completing their evolution, Han Xiao then intended to befriend these 'old acquaintances' during the specially organized banquet.
Most likely, these people all had some kind of storyline. While he might not need them, the players needed them…
In short, these elites were walking bags of fertilizer.
Various thoughts flashed by as Han Xiao surveyed the scene. He smiled before speaking in an interested voice.
"Before we begin, there's something I need to do… Heber, there's no need to hide. I know you're in there."
The moment this sentence was spoken, everybody jumped. They stared left and right but did not discover him.
The Tyrant's here too?
Everyone fidgeted, but no one stepped forward. Seeing this, Han Xiao's brows furrowed. "Stop lying to yourself. I've already discovered you. Since you won't come out, do you want me to drag you out? You will only lose face."
The commotion got louder, but still, no one stepped up.
Han Xiao looked over everyone with narrowed eyes before suddenly bursting into laughter. "Hehe, it seems like Heber really didn't sneak in. Then we can begin."
Hearing this, everyone's expression stiffened.
"He was actually joking…" Countless people's mouths twitched.
Is it really good to ridicule the Tyrant like this, even guarding against him coming over? That guy is after all a Beyond Grade A! He wouldn't do something so low class… right?
Perhaps Black Star and Tyrant have a good relationship now, so they can ridicule each other…
Everyone could only think this way.
Han Xiao then activated the Evolution Cube, and with a thought, the black evolutionary energy spewed out, enveloping the entire room. The elites present all turned into black cocoons.
"It's done." Han Xiao clapped his hands and instructed Phillip, "Monitor their evolutions. Remember to invite them to stay for the banquet later."
"Roger, hum…"
Han Xiao did not wish to wait there for nothing. He stored the Evolution Cube and left the hall full of black cocoons, returning to his room.
He was going to change his clothes. He awaited the banquet that was to come next.
On the way, Han Xiao casually read through the forums.
Now that the matters of the Arcane Church had drawn to a close, the long-term gains from this event would gradually manifest over time, such as Urranrell's appreciation of him and his importance to the dynasty.
The situation was already settled. What happened next would be between the Crimson Dynasty and Arcane Church, which was not his concern.
In the short term, no trouble would come looking for him, so Han Xiao had the capacity to focus on the players.
From the perspective of the players, Version 3.0 had been going for about a year and a half, which was the mid-version phase.
In this year and a half, the players had experienced the secret war, the Crimson Tide, the rise of Black Star, the Flickering World, and the Battle of Planet Lighthouse, which were all major events. More and more players at the level cap of 120 had appeared, and more and more players would continue to reach this goal as time passed.
During the mid-version phase, the new Pro League would be released. There was still some time before the opening, so players had time to upgrade, learn new skills, and change equipment. However, on the forums, the league officials had already begun the preparations, advertising widely and attracting the players' attention.
From his memory, Version 3.0 was particularly spectacular.
Players would possess the strength of Grade Bs in this version, and the Mechanic profession would also slowly start to rise. A large number of newcomers would emerge, including Maple Moon, as professional players, causing a new injection into the pro scene.
The ratio of Mechanics in the Shattered Star Ring was the highest among all the other star fields, and the Black Star Army also sold the highest number of machines as well as blueprints. With the bonuses offered throughout the version, Han Xiao believed that the Shattered Star Ring's Mechanics would bring great glory in the Pro League this time.
To him, the best benefit would be that it would attract more people to take the Mechanic profession or allow the older players to create Mechanic smurfs.
If that was the case, he would generate more income as the 'mentor' of the Mechanic profession.
"What a pity. With three versions out, the good days are almost over." Han Xiao shook his head with some emotion.
Based on his experience from his previous life, Version 3.0 was a watershed. It symbolized that players had formally entered the mid-stage of the universe, and it was where their influence truly began to manifest and expand.
The nicknames 'Cancer of the Universe' as well as 'The Fourth Calamity' were tagged toward the players after Version 3.0!
It was also the source of Han Xiao's psychological shadow.
For now, the players were in a period of imminent transformation. After this version, the players' strength would exceed a certain point, and the more things they could do, the more they would be inclined to cause chaos. This was inevitable!
Version 3.0 was the last stage where players could be easily controlled.
Thus, Han Xiao placed his bets on the Flickering World. He might be able to use it to gain some advantage during the faction wars in the next version.
Just as Han Xiao was about to proceed with the banquet, on the other side of the star cluster, Heber also received some news.
As a competitor, he was always paying attention to the moves of the Black Star Army.
Heber thus discovered Han Xiao's sinister intentions.
"Relying on the Evolution Cube, Black Star is building a platform for the elites to converse. He's trying to take away the influence of the Tyrant's Party and gain even greater influence in the Shattered Star Ring…"
As he read the intelligence, Heber grew visibly annoyed.
The Tyrant's Party was the byproduct of his many years of effort. Now that Han Xiao had come out to compete with him, he was furious yet unable to stop it.
Furthermore, upon realizing that Han Xiao had mocked him in front of all the various civilization elites, Heber's mind finally blew.
Dammit, why!
Are we even on good terms?
To ridicule me like that in public, smearing my brave warrior image, this is pure evil!
You're taking advantage of me!
One of these days, I'm going to make sure you can't even defend yourself!
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Chapter 872 Banquet and Reques
The duration of everyone's evolution process differed. As the cocoons slowly broke one after another, people groggily woke up, sensing the changes within themselves.
The Evolution Cube raised one's life level, and the normal people were unlike players in that they could not get used to their new changes immediately. Their way to improvement was through long hours of extended practice, where many streams flowed to form a river. It was usually only when they broke through to a new realm that such a drastic change occurred.
Thus, most of the people present were satisfied with the effect of the Evolution Cube, especially the Calamity Grade Supers. The stronger their body, the better the effect of using the Evolution Cube.
"What a novel experience." Pamela curiously observed the changes in her body. As a biological genetic engineer, she could feel the process more acutely, and her professionalism surfaced. "This is a pure evolution at the genetic level, not environmentally induced mutation but rather optimization. One's original racial characteristics amplify the advantages of the genes, and their strengths are strengthened. If there are no sequelae, it is practically perfect.
"The source of this power is unknown. It's like a divine blessing… The cells seemed to have received some sort of radiation. Is the essence of evolutionary energy a special kind of radiation?"
While she was muttering, the reception robot came up to her and said, "Congratulations. In order to celebrate your evolution, the Black Star Army will be holding a banquet tomorrow. The Army Commander and the officers will attend, and you're welcome to participate, hum…"
Every race that had completed their evolution would receive an invite from the reception robots. The Flower Sprite Tribe leader suppressed his excitement and nodded. "We will be there."
"The invite has been sent. On it is the time and place. I'll remind you again closer to the time. Also, please remember to dress formally."
"Understood." Everyone else nodded in agreement.
The purpose of their trip was completed, and everyone in the room was in a good mood. Practically all the elites accepted the invitation, opting to stay and attend the banquet.
It was to be held the next day, so everyone proceeded back to their accommodation.
After resting for a day, the elites took off their battle suits and armor, donning the formal attire of their respective civilizations, and proceeded to the banquet venue.
In the commander's room, Han Xiao also donned a suit, looking at himself in the mirror.
The man in the mirror was tall and well-built, wearing a compressed orb necklace and a thick black cloak with white borders on his shoulders. The emblem of the Black Star Army was embroidered on his back, lined with the dark-red fur of a rare beast. The neckline of the cloak had three silver magnetic clasps that could be joined to wrap around the body. It matched with the black top and pants provided.
Han Xiao could not help but comment, "I would like to know who designed this suit. Is the person treating me like a crow?"
"I designed it based on your usual attire, hum…"
"It seems like I will need to modify the data collection algorithm," Han Xiao muttered to himself.
After washing his face, Han Xiao opened his door to find all his officers outside in their formal attire waiting for him.
Sweeping his eyes over them, he looked at everyone's designs.
Han Xiao interestedly sized up everyone. "All of you look pretty good."
"It's been a while since I wore my robes. It's a little awkward." Feidin adjusted his neckline, looking a little helpless.
Because Han Xiao normally did not host such events, few of them had seen each other in formal attire.
Hila frowned. "You know I have no interest in these activities. If I have time to attend a banquet, I'd rather be training."
"Just training itself wouldn't help. You need to rest and relax at times." Han Xiao waved his hands. "Recently, because of the problem with the Arcane Church, my nerves have been stretched out, and now that this problem has finally been solved, I can relax for today. Don't think about training anymore."
"I don't like conversing with strangers." Hila shook her head.
"Uh… these people are all the elites of their civilizations. They're probably formidable characters, and if you get to know them, you could organize a spar."
"That sounds good." Hila's eyes flickered.
Han Xiao chatted with his entourage while he walked, all the way until they arrived at the banquet. There were already a lot of people within, and it was boisterous.
The banquet hall was a special hall designed for this purpose, and its decorations were opulent. Tables were filled with full, and innumerable delicacies were delivered like flowing water. The foods were complex and catered toward the tastes of different races.
The elites of all races were present, and various styles and designs of clothing were on full display, dazzling the eyes. It fully demonstrated the diversity of the interstellar society.
Han Xiao led his people to the front, where he attracted all gazes.
"Ahem, on behalf of the Black Star Army, welcome to the evening banquet…"
Clearing his throat, Han Xiao smiled as he spoke. As the host, he had to give some pleasantries before the banquet could formally begin.
After giving a brief speech, the atmosphere at the banquet grew much warmer. Many people took the initiative to approach Han Xiao and chat with him enthusiastically.
The majority of people had stayed behind in order to converse with Han Xiao. It was not every day that one had the means to come into contact with a Beyond Grade A.
Very quickly, a crowd was surrounding Han Xiao. With a smile on his face, and seemingly not bored of the small talk, he continued to access everyone present.
In just this short period, he had seen many of the 'acquaintances' he knew in his past life. All of these people were famed personalities that the players from Shattered Star Ring had met in various regions while adventuring.
Some of them were very cheerful and sociable, while some wore hooded cloaks as though they were trying to hide themselves. One of them was even mumbling to himself, as though he was neurotic.
While, in front of Han Xiao, these characters' fame was not worth mentioning, in front of the players, they were all big-shot characters.
As for all the elites that came to talk, Han Xiao collected all their contact details. This gave them a pleasant surprise because they did not expect a Beyond Grade A to be so easy to approach.
Collecting their contact information was akin to collecting their potential storyline missions for Han Xiao. In addition, these elites all had considerable power in the respective civilizations, which could be regarded as networking.
While conversing, Han Xiao heard someone calling him from behind in a shy tone.
"Your… Your Excellency Black Star, I'm Pamela from the Flower Sprite Tribe, a biological genetic engineer."
Han Xiao turned back and smiled. "Is there anything you need?"
"I… I'm one of your admirers. I would like to know you. Could you accept my communicator number?" Pamela looked excited. She had watched him from the side for a while and realized that Han Xiao did not reject such requests. Thus, she had gathered up her courage to talk to him and exchange contact information.
Feeling her impure gaze on him, Han Xiao laughed dumbly.
Am I being picked up now?
What a rare occasion.
"Ok. Send it to me." Han Xiao did not reject her. A biological genetic engineer was worth him befriending.
Although it was impossible for these elites to jump ship, he could still recruit them if he ran into some special situations in the future or request their aid.
"Thank you!" After exchanging contact details, Pamela behaved as though she had just obtained his autograph, her face full of joy as she hugged her communicator close to her chest.
Not far away, Sylvia saw this entire scene and lightly snorted. "Humph, airhead."
As the banquet progressed, the guests became more absorbed in the atmosphere and relaxed more.
Batch after batch of guests exchanged their contact information with Han Xiao before being content enough to retreat. Han Xiao finally managed to get a breather and sighed in relief as he grabbed one of the alcoholic beverages from a floating tray. He drained half the cocktail, which held a blue gradient, to moisten his throat.
The cooling yet spicy alcohol flowed into his throat, and there was an aftertaste of sweetness. Han Xiao felt rejuvenated and smiled.
Walking to a corner, he slowly drank whilst surveying the scene.
After working for so many years, the Black Star Army had finally reached its current scale, which gave Han Xiao mixed feelings.
"What are you reminiscing about?" Hila carried a deep red cocktail as she walked over.
"How did you know?" Han Xiao raised a brow.
"I've known you for so long. How could I not understand? Seeing your eyes, I know that you're recalling something," Hila blandly replied.
"Speaking of, I just recalled something. Twenty years ago, back on Planet Aquamarine, when I just… cough, just lost my memories, you were the first friend I met, and the earliest."
"That's right. In the blink of an eye, it's been so many years." Hila followed Han Xiao's gaze and looked around the entire venue. "Those years, I struggled in despair and never thought that I would step into the universe one day and have such a future. Now, looking back, it seems like those days on Planet Aquamarine belonged to a past life."
"Thinking back, I endured for a good half a year in the Germinal Organization base. It was lucky that you left the base once in a while, or else I would never have escaped."
"It's good that you know this." The corners of Hila's mouth curled up.
Han Xiao laughed as he reminisced, but suddenly, his laughter stopped, and he shook his head. "There are so many things that happened after. You felt that you owed me, so you always chose to fight for me. However, your ability is not only at this level, and you have the potential to reach Beyond Grade A. One day, you will obtain this power, and at that time, will you still fight shoulder to shoulder with me?"
Hila hesitated for a while before shaking her head. "I don't know."
"An honest answer. Promises are the most unreliable thing. Who can predict the future properly?" Han Xiao shrugged and raised his glass. "At least, you're still by my side now. To our friendship, cheers."
"You sound so old fashioned."
"Please, we're already in our forties… although if we look from the perspective of our life spans, we're just little brats."
"You're the little brat."
Hila's expression was disdainful, but a smile still hung on her lips as she raised her glass to clink Han Xiao's.
"Cheers."
They both took a sip of their drinks.
Han Xiao wiped his mouth. He was about to say something else, but a guest suddenly walked over, as though he wished to talk, yet there was a hesitant look.
Seeing someone approached, they both stopped talking, and Han Xiao took the initiative to ask, "Is there something?"
"Your Excellency Black Star, I'm Ceselin from the Gulal Civilization. I have a matter that I would like to discuss privately."
Gulal Civilization? Han Xiao quickly searched on his quantum network.
This was a Star Cluster Civilization that seemed to have been embroiled in civil strife for a long time. Their internal issues were serious and had evolved to the point of military division.
This Ceselin was a Calamity Grade elite belonging to the current ruling party of the civilization. Not only was he one of the strongest guardians but also an army commander with high power.
"What do you want to talk in private for?" Han Xiao raised his brow. "Can't we talk here?"
Ceselin shook his head. "It's not suitable in a public venue."
"You must at least tell me your intentions."
Ceselin paused for a moment before solemnly saying, "This is a request. Please believe me. I come with sincerity."
Han Xiao stroked his chin, smelling the possibility of a mission.
To have a mission bring itself to me, it's quite worthwhile to listen to it…
As he thought of this, Han Xiao passed his glass to Hila before turning to walk toward a side entrance. There were private conference rooms located along the corridor there.
"Follow me."
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Chapter 873 S Grade War Hire
Both of them left through the side entrance, walking along the hallway to a conference room. Phillip locked the door as they entered. The soundproofing system here was good, completely isolating the noises from the banquet.
They sat down facing each other, and Han Xiao snapped his fingers. The simulated mechanical waiter stepped forward to pour two glasses of amber mead for them, adding a few cubes of ice before placing the glasses on the table in front of them.
"We can speak now." Han Xiao swirled his glass, and the fragrance of the liquor wafted out from the mouth of the glass.
Now that he was a great character within the Shattered Star Ring, no longer did he need to actively search for missions. People would naturally come knocking to request his aid.
This phenomenon was not only limited to himself. Players could also achieve this if they managed to carve out a name for themselves within a certain star system. NPCs would then also seek help from them from time to time.
"It's like this. My request is about the future of the Gulal Civilization…" Ceselin sat on the edge.
I guessed it. If it wasn't something of that magnitude, who would come and disturb a Beyond Grade A? Han Xiao's expression, however, remained unchanged, and he lifted his hand, gesturing for him to continue.
"Before this, please allow me to briefly explain the current situation of my civilization." Ceselin solemnly spoke. "The Gulal Civilization has always been in a state of military division, and the three main parties have formed their own military regions and are opposed to each other. They are the Ancient Emperor Party, the Pioneer Party, and the Descendant Party. The current ruling party representing the Gulal Civilization government is the Ancient Emperor Party, and my teammates and I are members of this party."
As one of the edges of the explored universe, the Shattered Star Ring had a complicated situation due to the lack of control. Some civilizations were stable and peaceful, whilst some faced external and internal problems. The situation of internal military division such as the Gulal Civilization would be considered quite serious.
"Okay, I understand. So, what is your request?" Han Xiao asked.
"I beg the Black Star Army to lend the war efforts and end the split of the Gulal Civilization, letting us find peace."
"I understand. You wish to apply for war employment and have my people assist the current ruling party to suppress the other two, right?" Han Xiao raised a brow.
However, Ceselin shook his head and gave an unexpected answer.
"No, I hope for Black Star Army to assist the Pioneer Party in overthrowing the Ancient Emperor Party and suppressing the Descendant Party."
This was getting more interesting. Han Xiao sized Ceselin up. "You're someone of the Ancient Emperor Party, yet you are helping the Pioneer Party to speak. Are you a spy?"
Ceselin shook his head. "That's not the case. I was born on a colonial planet of the Ancient Emperor Party and even joined their army. I've never joined another party."
"Then, why? For benefits? Did the Pioneer Party give you any advantages?"
"That's not true either. My position in the Ancient Emperor Party is high, and I'm even a War Hero. The Pioneer Party would not try to pull hardcore members like me over, and whatever they can give me, the Ancient Emperor Party can do so as well."
"Then why?"
"Ideals," Ceselin gravely replied. "I'm more inclined toward the ideology and beliefs of the Pioneer Party. The Ancient Emperor Party is decaying, and only the Pioneer Party will be able to lead the civilization to greater hope."
"I get it." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. "You're a traitor. The Ancient Emperor Party has given you both authority and standing, even allowing you to obtain the power of the Evolution Cube, yet you decide to stab them in the back and overthrow them?"
"From their viewpoint, I'm indeed a traitor, but from the viewpoint of the Pioneer Party, I'm someone who has thrown away the darkness and embraced the light. One's perception is based on their viewpoint, so I'm only looking at this objectively and not caring about one's judgement," Ceselin replied in a low voice. "Back when I was young, I was also passionate and wanted to serve the nation. However, my thoughts were not mature, and like many others, I was just keen to maintain the orthodox Ancient Emperor Party. Since I was born on the colonial planet, my position was largely determined from birth… but after so many years, I've become skeptical of their ideals and behavior, and my beliefs have become more and more shaken."
Han Xiao looked at him silently. Before Phillip presented him with the complete information on Gulal Civilization, he would not just take anyone's words at face value.
This time, Ceselin's tone became more animated, and it even hid some anger.
"Due to its position, the Ancient Emperor Party wanted a totalitarian rule and has done many bloody things under wraps to our people. I've participated in many of them and have seen the darkness of politics, the bloodshed of domination, and the confinement of thought. My house is filled with medals awarded by the party, and I used to like to look at the past glories. However, when I stare at them now, my nose fills with the sickening smell of blood."
Han Xiao stroked his chin. "So, you decided to betray the party that groomed you?"
"To be specific, it was only after I began to doubt myself that I finally freed myself from the shackles." Ceselin took a sip of his drink and sighed. "I've always been bound by my identity, and when I woke up, I realized that the three parties were only the standpoints of internal division of our civilization. The so-called opposition is meaningless, and what we should be concerned with is the future of our entire civilization. Whoever can bring prosperity should be supported. I chose to follow the idea of freedom and the judgement of my heart, so I chose the Pioneer Party, which the majority of citizens support. They will be able to bring Gulal Civilization further."
"So, in this way, you believe yourself to be noble?" Han Xiao raised his brow.
"I never thought of myself that way." Ceselin shook his head.
"… Regarding your choice, I cannot give any comment because I'm an outsider," Han Xiao slowly said. "I just want to know. You mentioned that you have never joined the other parties. So, on what basis can the Pioneer Party talk to me about cooperation?"
"I'm not representing the Pioneer Party. I'm just making a request to you personally."
Han Xiao laughed at this. "What makes you think you can persuade me to intervene in a civil strife that I do not care about? You haven't even reached a consensus with the Pioneer Party, and let's not talk about whether the other party wishes for me to intervene. Just how are you even going to afford the war employment wages? Why should I kick aside the Ancient Emperor Party that I'm working with now to help you? What can you bring me?"
"I know that it's very abrupt to bring this up as an individual, but I have no choice," Ceselin replied. "The Ancient Emperor Party has assigned me the mission of applying to you for war employment. They are ready to use force to eradicate the other two parties and take back all the divided land."
"So, it's like that." Han Xiao understood it.
The Ancient Emperor Party wanted to resolve the strife once and for all, but they did not wish to be controlled by an advanced civilization. Thus, instead of asking for help from the Star Cluster civilizations, they planned to hire foreign aid in the form of interstellar mercenaries. In the Shattered Star Ring, the most representative of the mercenaries were the Mercenary League, Bloodshed Land, and Black Star Army.
Since the Black Star Army was also the head of the Mercenary League and an ally of the dynasty together with Bloodshed Land, as long as the Black Star Army was hired, the mercenaries of Shattered Star Ring would not be employed by people wishing to oppose the Black Star Army. After all, with the current might of the army, no one wished to send themselves to die, and mercenaries that are cooperating with each other would not send their people to opposing sides.
In the mercenary world within the Shattered Star Ring, the Black Star Army had already reached the highest level of influence and reputation.
As the ruling party, the Ancient Emperor Party had already attached themselves to the Black Star Army. As long as aid was received, the Pioneer Party that Ceselin looked upon fondly would be destroyed, so he could only brave this risk and boldly make this request of Han Xiao.
Man, of all the people you chose to be the emissary, you chose an emissary that is a backstabber… Han Xiao's mouth twitched. Could this be the legendary plot of 'I didn't choose this, but now I wish to be on the good side?'
Han Xiao shook his head. "Let's be practical. Which party is in power has no impact on me. Since the Ancient Emperor Party is cooperating with the Black Star Army, they will definitely offer a good price. And since you came here in a rush to find me, that means nothing is set in stone on your side… Forget it. I don't wish to say any more unpleasant words. Let's consider this conversation over."
Han Xiao put down his glass and stood up, walking toward the door with a dissatisfied mood.
While the words from Ceselin were nice to hear, it was true that he could not bring out any substantial remuneration. Han Xiao did not care about the struggle of a party in an unfamiliar civilization. The Black Star Army had retained its mercenary business after the transformation and did not change into a charity overnight.
Violation of professional standards was a behavior without any professional ethics. Without practical benefits, he wished to use only his mouth to influence a Beyond Grade A?
If he had such a fantasy, he should just die in that fantasy!
"Please wait." Ceselin immediately stood up. "Just as you mentioned, whichever party it is has no influence toward you. The Pioneer Party can also maintain a cooperative relationship with you. I hope that you will help the Pioneer Party. The Gulal Civilization can also become stronger, which will be more rewarding for you. The Ancient Emperor Party has decayed, and the Pioneer Party is the only righteous one now."
"What does your righteousness have to do with me?" Han Xiao did not bother turning back. Waving this so-called banner of justice was useless in front of others.
His kindness only existed to people he knew. Toward strangers, this was greatly limited. His coldness was created with the times, and with all the matters experienced, he would not easily allow people to sway him.
"Please help the Gulal Civilization!"
Dong!
A weird sound was heard, and when Han Xiao turned back, he saw Ceselin prostrating on the ground. A Calamity Grade actually begged him for help.
However, glancing at him, Han Xiao remained indifferent and prepared to push open the door.
At this moment, a mission notification appeared on his interface.
You have triggered an S-ranked Mission (Gulal Civilization: The Flames of Pioneer!).
Mission Introduction: The Gulal Civilization is a galactic civilization that has been plagued with internal strife. The civilization has not progressed for many years and has even deteriorated. In order to break this deadlock, Ceselin, who is an upper echelon of the Ancient Emperor Party, has decided to support the Pioneer Party and has made a request to you.
Mission Requirements: Overthrow the rule of the Ancient Emperor Party, eradicate the Descendant Party, and support the Pioneer Party to become the new rulers of the Gulal Civilization
Failure Condition: The destruction of the Pioneer Party
Reward: After completion of the task, the reward will be determined by the Mission Rating.
S-ranked mission? Han Xiao's footsteps paused. A coup d'état of a galactic civilization was as good as engaging in total war. It was indeed deserving of its S-rank difficulty, as players would find it difficult to control the direction of an internal war.
Of course, it was different for him. The influence of the Black Star Army was huge, so he was naturally qualified to intervene in this war. This mission was not difficult for him.
But while thinking about it, Han Xiao did not stop there and walked out of the room, leaving Ceselin in the room looking lost.
The S-ranked mission was indeed attractive, but it was unreasonable to aid the Pioneer Party just because of the mission. It was unreasonable to assume that the Ancient Emperor Party would not have a mission, as Han Xiao immediately saw with his experience that this would be a series of missions.
Han Xiao was prepared to speak with all the upper echelons of the Gulal Civilization and activate the missions of each party before deciding.
He was never the kind that had an obsessive compulsion to complete every mission that he saw.
An S-ranked mission's war employment was no trivial matter. While the Black Star Army had a certain level of strength, it did not mean that they could just ignore the resources of a galactic civilization.
Han Xiao was clear that although their status was high, it was mainly because of him. After all, the development time of the army was limited, and its military force, while able to participate in a star system level war, was still far from being able to control a star cluster level war.
Han Xiao did not really require the mission reward and did not care for the remuneration of a star system civilization. Toward this, his main concern was the players.
Such a war employment task naturally was not his to interfere—a Beyond Grade A joining a star system level war was being too much of a bully and was also incongruent to his name and reputation. Furthermore, he planned to quietly stay at the headquarters and construct more machinery while biding his time for the experience penalty to pass. Thus, this mission would definitely be given to the players.
Players were the most suited for such missions since they would reduce the casualties of his mercenaries.
Since the battle in Planet Lighthouse had just ended, there would not be any big events for a period of time. The players could only do side missions, and while the Flickering World had its benefits, it was too boring for the players. Thus, he planned to create an event for the players to fill up their spare time, catering to the players in the army.
In addition, this would give the players more rewards before the Pro League, as the rewards from an S-ranked mission would be richer than the norm.
By helping the players grow faster, it would attract more people to his faction. Han Xiao had always done it this way.
At this moment, Phillip started bubbling in the quantum network.
"Master, hum… I've found the information on the Ancient Emperor Party you requested."
Han Xiao's consciousness entered the quantum network to read the intelligence.
In this regard, Ceselin did not lie. The Ancient Emperor Party was indeed unpopular, and its government was rotten. The people were suppressed by them and did not dare speak.
The Descendant Party was also not any better; in fact, they were worse. However, the Pioneer Party was not as good as Ceselin made out. Still, compared to the other two, it was the most acceptable.
After reading, Han Xiao nodded to himself.
Now that he had seen the truth, with actual information, he had an idea in his heart.
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Chapter 874 Isolation
Han Xiao did not contact the Gulal Civilization immediately. The banquet was still ongoing, and it would be rude to ignore the guests.
Returning to the banquet, Han Xiao collected more communication numbers. The relaxing time passed in a flash, and the banquet quickly approached the end. The guests all bade their farewells and left the venue.
Han Xiao saw Ceselin among the throng of people leaving, his footsteps hurried but nothing strange from his expression. His display toward Han Xiao this time had brought nothing but ruin.
However, Han Xiao did not intend to snitch someone to such a small star system civilization. He was a Beyond Grade A and had no obligation to report to such people.
As the guests left, the mechanical waiters appeared to clear up the messy venue.
This was the first year of holding the evolutionary banquet, and both the scale and influence were limited. It would need a few more years before its reputation would sound in the Shattered Star Ring and become a practice.
After leaving the venue, Han Xiao did not idle but met up with the elites of the Crimson Dynasty separately. These people were more important, so they received special treatment. They did not talk about business but rather just chatted idly to improve their relationship.
All these people in the Crimson Dynasty had varying levels of influence, and making more contacts would allow him to help expand his network in the dynasty, as well as his speaking rights.
Because of the battle at Planet Lighthouse, Han Xiao's fame and status in the Crimson Dynasty had increased, and he found that the elites' attitude was now even more awed than the previous batch; they no longer treated him as a normal Beyond Grade A ally.
Everyone had a great chat, and only after Han Xiao sent them off did he return to his room and got Phillip to contact the upper echelons of the Gulal Civilization.
He did not disclose Ceselin's backstabbing but indicated that Ceselin had offered him war employment and completed his mission, leading him to call to discuss this matter.
The Ancient Emperor Party did not suspect anything and offered a price for his war employment efforts, including remuneration, military supplies, machinery materials, and long-term mining rights for their resource rich planets.
Normal mercenary groups would only obtain remuneration, military factory borrowing rights, procurement channels, and other rewards, but due to the nature of the Black Star Army being vastly different, they were able to obtain resources such as mining rights.
Unsurprisingly, the Gulal Civilization civil strife turned out to be a mission series. After he contacted the Ancient Emperor Party, a similar S-ranked mission appeared, the only difference being the name of the mission titled 'Protect the Orthodoxy'. The mission objective was to aid the Ancient Emperor Party in suppressing the other two parties and reclaim their territories.
Without giving the Ancient Emperor Party confirmation, Han Xiao cut the call, stroking his chin as he contemplated.
"Both are S-ranked missions, so the reward should be the same… Oh, there should be some minute differences. Because the Ancient Emperor Party is the strongest, suppressing the other two will be the easier option. If I help a weaker party ascend, the reward should also be higher."
After thinking about it, Han Xiao had Phillip search for the leader of the Pioneer Party's number. Ceselin was just an unexpected factor, and Han Xiao was prepared to just leapfrog ranks and talk straight to the leader.
With the military division within the Gulal Civilization, the Pioneer Party had a clear territory, so it was easy to find the required number.
The call was quickly connected.
"Hello, may I know who you…" The leader's secretary appeared on the screen, but in mid speech, the person exclaimed upon seeing Han Xiao's face. "Black Star‽"
With Han Xiao's current fame, only bumpkins would not recognize him. As someone who was an official of a star system civilization, they would not fail to recognize this face.
"Connect me to your leader." Han Xiao calmly spoke.
"Oh oh, I'll divert the call now, you… no, sir, please hold on," the secretary stammered. While they were not the ruling party, the leader of the Pioneer Party was not someone that any Tom, Dick, and Harry could meet as and when they liked. However, Black Star was obviously an exception.
Not long later, the leader came online. He found it difficult to hide the surprise in his eyes. He was waiting for an important call, but he suddenly received news that Black Star was on the line, which gave him quite the shock.
How come Black Star, who had never had any dealings with them, suddenly called and asked to speak with him?
"Your Excellency Black Star, may I ask… what business do you have with me?"
"I've heard about the situation in your Gulal Civilization, and not too long ago, the Ancient Emperor Party requested me for a war employment, wishing to borrow my strength to annihilate the other two parties. Are you aware of this?"
"Is this true‽" The leader's expression changed. While he did not know this, he had been waiting for a report from his spy, who had reported some movements from the side of the Ancient Emperor Party. He had guessed that they would seek aid, but this report was now directly confirmed by Black Star.
The Pioneer Party leader also knew the importance of such a matter and immediately panicked. He quickly recovered though. If Black Star had accepted the employment, then there would have been no need to inform them. Black Star must have a reason for calling them.
In a flash, the leader understood Black Star's thinking. "Your Excellency Black Star, no matter what price the Ancient Emperor Party offers, we'll double it and will not go back on our word."
Since the other party had already made his intentions clear, there was no need for pleasantries. The Pioneer Party immediately gave his offer. In fact, he also wished to receive the aid from the Black Star Army, but it was nigh impossible since the Ancient Emperor Party had long forged a connection with the Black Star Army through their business dealings.
What a good fellow, he actually treated me like a warmonger… Han Xiao's brows twitched, but from the perspective of the Pioneer Party, this was natural since he did not know about Ceselin.
After thinking about it, Han Xiao did not choose to reveal the existence of Ceselin. After all, he had provided him with this mission. Before he took the initiative to jump over, his merits and fame would be hidden.
After pondering for a while, he nodded to the nervous expression of the Pioneer Party leader.
"Good, then it's settled. When the time comes, I'll look for someone to allow you to sign the employment contract."
He ended the call.
Staring at the darkened screen, the leader of the Pioneer Party slumped in his chair, looking out of sorts, as though he had just woken up from a dream.
Without any warning, he suddenly obtained the help of the Black Star Army, such a behemoth?
"Could it be that Black Star is really trying to be a warmonger? He doesn't have to do this." A seed of suspicion bloomed in the leader's mind.
But Black Star clearly had no dealings with his Pioneer Party, so why did he choose them?
"There must be some underlying factor…"
The expression of the Pioneer Party leader flickered.
It was just that Black Star did not reveal anything, and it was not a good time for him to ask. However, the Pioneer Party leader did not wish to be kept in the dark. He decided to slowly dig out the reason. There had to be someone involved that had made Black Star seek employment from him.
On the other side, Han Xiao put his communicator away. His part had come to an end; he only needed to send someone to get the contract finalized before sending out the mission to his faction. The rest would be completed by the players and his members, which did not require his concern.
He had chosen to help the Pioneer Party, not because it had any relation with Ceselin, but because it was indeed the best among the three. Only when he could protect his own interests would he think about sowing good karma. This had always been his work ethic.
On the other hand, the Pioneer Party looked more righteous. Many players loved such a scenario, so it would satisfy their emotional and ethical needs.
Thus, after considering all these factors, he had chosen to give up on the Ancient Emperor Party and Descendant Party, and help the 'righteous' Pioneer Party. This would be conducive to enhancing the players' sense of identification with the army.
A few days later, the elites left the Black Star Army headquarters.
The Gulal Civilization's spaceship also left the port, heading into the universe. Ceselin looked back at the Black Star Army headquarters disappearing, his crestfallen expression hard to hide.
Two days prior, the Ancient Emperor Party's leader had contacted him, praising him for his effort and explaining that Black Star had contacted them. They were expecting the Black Star Army's aid soon.
"I didn't manage to convince Black Star… The Pioneer Party…" Ceselin was depressed, and he did not think that he alone could reverse the current plight of the Pioneer Party.
At this moment, his teammate suddenly held out the communicator and exclaimed, "Guys, come look! The Pioneer Party just announced that they've employed the Black Star Army and are formally launching an offensive!"
"What‽"
Everyone was stunned and took out their communicators as well, Ceselin included. The more he read, the more emotional he got.
This… this… what happened‽ Did my words… really have an impact‽
Ceselin was so moved that he found it difficult to restrain himself. His actions had really ushered in a turning point, causing Black Star to make a different choice. If he did not take the risk this time, Black Star would most likely have agreed after the Ancient Emperor Party made their request.
No matter what conditions the Pioneer Party had offered Black Star or how he thought, there was still the fact that he had played a part in this.
Just like the split in train tracks, he was the one who pulled the wrench and steered fate away from its original track.
Ceselin turned back to look in the direction of the Black Star Army, and while he knew that Black Star did not need his gratitude, he still revealed a thankful expression.
He was not aware if Black Star had revealed his identity or chosen to bury this issue. He only thought that he was doing the right thing and did not think to claim credit from the Pioneer Party.
Within the machinery factory, Han Xiao released the faction mission that he had on hand before opening the forums to have a look.
The players were already used to such war employments, and since it was such a large-scale collective action each time, they had always welcomed such big events.
While this time was a star system level war, helping a party to destroy its competitors, being able to have their own teammates, and not facing against the entire star system civilization made the difficulty more manageable for the players. The players in the army were excitedly signing up and calling for more support through the forums.
After a few glances, he confirmed that the players' reactions would not have problems and closed the forums. The matters afterward would be settled by the players, so he did not need to worry.
This war employment would likely last until the late to end stages of the version, which gave the players a lot of stuff to do.
This way, I'll have more time to construct my mechanical army.
Han Xiao let out a deep breath.
He had to tide past the experience penalty period, as well as face off against EsGod, sealing his mouth for good. This was the important matter. Because of that, Han Xiao decided to isolate himself in the factory and no longer paid attention to the matters outside.
EsGod was already strong enough. Since he had even obtained an evolution, his combat ability would be off the charts.
Thinking of this, Han Xiao could not help but feel pressure.
To kill this fellow, he had to put in a lot of effort.
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Chapter 875 Unable to crack The
Half a month later, within the President's Office of the Federation of Light, Bader alone. In front of him was a projection of a normal galaxy human, of moderate height and wearing a large white robe. He had lots of wrinkles on his face. Despite his apparent age, however, he looked spry. His eyes especially were glowing like two luminous stellar bodies. His beard stretched down to his chest, and his hair was also kept very long, tied up with silvery magnetic bands.
This projection was the true appearance of the Mechanic Empire's Manison. His expression was calm, and he was conversing with Bader.
"My troops have sent the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter to the designated scientific research station and completed the handover." Manison's voice was old but full of 'magnetism'.
"Many thanks." Bader was smiling and nodded. "The promised reward will be sent to your Mechanical Race."
As long-term allies, Manison's strength and his achievements had granted him a high position in the Federation of Light. Bader was full of respect toward Manison and had always been serious in ensuring that both parties had a good relationship.
After all, Manison had already assisted several Presidents of the Federation of Light before Bader. Of course, there were also reasons for that; compared to the Arcane Church and the Crimson Dynasty, their rate of change for leaders was much higher.
Manison nodded and changed the topic. "There's another matter."
"Please speak."
"When you decide to come into contact with Black Star, remember to call me."
Bader lurched.
What's this curveball? Why do you think that we'll contact Black Star?
After this incident, Bader did not dare look down on Han Xiao. However, he was also not prepared to send emissaries over to contact Black Star. The latter was allied to the Crimson Dynasty, and unless there was a special reason, a Beyond Grade A would not jump ship. Thus, Bader had no intention of contacting him.
After thinking about it, Bader just thought that Manison was interested in Black Star and agreed. Being Beyond Grade A Mechanics, they would naturally have topics to discuss. It was nothing strange.
"If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up." Manison nodded and cut the connection.
Seeing this, Bader waited for another ten seconds or so before contacting the Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanic under their employment.
"Any abnormalities in the data quantum network?"
"No."
Hearing this, Bader relaxed. While he trusted Manison, he still had to take precautions. After all, Manison was not directly under the Federation of Light but rather an ally from the Ancient Ones. He might be the strongest mechanic alive in this era, so every time he connected remotely, Bader would have Virtual Mechanics monitor the network so that Manison would not open some backdoor.
At the same time, in the distant Primeval Star River, Manison opened his eyes as his consciousness retreated from the quantum network. He smiled.
"The material sealing the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter has reached the level of a Space Wonder. The Federation of Light… is going to have a headache."
When Manison took up the task, he knew that he would come into contact with the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, so he had taken along some research equipment to study the material while en route.
However, this Spacetime Amber isolated all forms of energy, and even detecting its parameters was impossible to achieve. It appeared as 'non-existent' on a lot of his research equipment, and only when utilizing his space research equipment did he then discover that the spatial and temporal coordinates of the Spacetime Amber were weirdly distorted, fixed at a constant value.
He had tried to break apart the amber by disturbing the spacetime coordinates, but the Spacetime Amber also isolated any influence toward its surrounding spacetime coordinates.
Manison had not managed to discover the material structure of this amber. It appeared to be a physical object, yet when observed under a microscope, it appeared as a universe of its own, an area without any movement.
Since there was no particle movement, and time seemed to not exist, which was the theory behind freezing.
Manison thought of the past, during the time of the exploration era where the three Universal Civilizations had changed the physical constraints of the universe near their mother stars, forming a closed and safe area. The Spacetime Amber seemed to be of a similar principle, only stranger. It was as though this material was a condensed secondary space independent of the universe.
Due to his knowledge, he concluded that this was a material on the level of a space wonder.
After his research, he had ruled out the possibility that the Spacetime Amber was a technological advancement. He did not think that Han Xiao would have such an ability at the moment, so he became interested in the treasure that could create such a material.
Other than Black Star, it was unlikely that anyone could break this.
Thus, Manison was sure that the Federation of Light would try to contact Black Star, and it would also not be long from now.
"At that time, I can take the opportunity to know him. Oh, he seems to have bullied my people some time ago."
Manison narrowed his eyes, and it was unknown what he was thinking.
Not too long ago, Manison had sent the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter to one of the Federation of Light's research bases, and it was currently being fixed in a huge machinery cabin. Outside was a pile of research instruments, and many researchers were fully concentrated on the task.
This was an all-in-one material analyzer, which was able to analyze the various parameters of the object without destroying it. This was a standard product used by researchers from advanced civilizations, and the Federation of Light's would naturally be even more advanced. So long as it was an object, its components could be easily analyzed.
The research head stood by the side, his eyes never leaving the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter.
Bader had set down an order that they had to crack the seal for the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter. The research team head knew the seriousness of this job and thus had personally gone to supervise it.
Being in charge of a research base, the head would not be any ordinary person. He was one of the bigwigs in the Federation of Light's top research institute and had made many various major scientific research contributions. He had even been awarded the Medal of Honor by the President.
"Reporting! The equipment has been calibrated, and the substance analyzer is ready. Permission to begin?"
"Let's begin." The head nodded.
The researcher pressed a button, and the substance analyzer started to operate, letting out a droning noise. Everyone watched the screen carefully, where the data was changing rapidly.
After a few moments, the artificial intelligence came to a startling conclusion.
"Data error. Substance is unable to be analyzed. The target has energy insulating properties, and the detection rays cannot penetrate it."
The substance analyzer was rendered useless? The head was a little surprised, but such incidents were not unseen. This meant that what they had on hand was a problematic object.
The research facility would naturally not only have one type of analyzer. The head ordered the amber to be run through all the tests, and the number of analyzers that could pick up the Spacetime Amber was pitifully low, which left them still clueless about it.
Since Manison was able to discover the anomaly within the spacetime coordinates, they naturally could deduce the same. Both sides came to the same conclusion—there was no method to crack it.
If even a normal analysis did not work, why talk about cracking it?
The research head got more and more mystified, and his head began to hurt. All conventional methods were ineffective, and he did not know where to start.
Just what sort of toy was this‽
As a researcher, he was full of curiosity and had a mentality of challenging the unknown. However, interest was one thing; his mission was another.
Thinking about Bader's request, the head groaned.
He had a premonition… the president's hopes would soon be dashed.
This object had completely exceeded all their imaginations.
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Chapter 876 Great Mechanic Han in Seclusion, Do Not Disturb
"Can't be broken‽"
In the president's office, Bader received a detailed report from the research department, and a look of disbelief could be seen on his face.
He had never doubted the technological skills of the Federation of Light and felt that breaking the seal of the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter would be a piece of cake. He could not have imagined the research department giving him such a 'surprise'.
"Space Wonder grade material that seems to have the ability to solidify space…" Bader read the report again in detail.
He suddenly thought about something, and he immediately entered the intranet of the federation to pull out a secret document. This file was 'Grade 16', and it belonged to the secret category in the Federation of Light. In the Federation of Light, there were a total of twenty different grades.
Grades 1 to 5 contained information that could be revealed to the public such as annual reports. Grades 6 to 10 were restricted documents that most government officials could view. Grades 11 to 15 were confidential documents where a log of who viewed them would be recorded with some details being removed if the viewer did not have enough security clearance. Grades 16 to 19 were secret documents that only the upper echelons could view. Finally, Grade 20 contained top secret documents that would almost never be revealed to the public.
"Confirming your identity… Welcome, President. You have Grade 19.5 authority and have the right to view the entire document."
Bader then began to read the document.
Spacetime Freezer!
This Primordial One had worked for the Federation of Light during the exploration era, and the Federation of Light had kept a file on him, which included a lot of detailed information about him and a breakdown of his Esper Ability. After Bader read the report of the Spacetime Amber, he immediately thought about this Primordial One as their abilities were similar.
The leader of a Universal Civilization had received special training and would be extremely familiar with their own civilization's history, confidential documents, and technological skills. Thus, Bader was able to easily remember the existence of the Spacetime Freezer.
"[Spacetime Freezer] Frogo has the ability to freeze spacetime, and his ability can be ranked as a [Super High Risk Esper Ability]. He can freeze time and space at a set location or target and create a huge influence for Beyond Grade As. The effects of his ability far exceed a Mage's spacetime spells, and there was once an incident of an entire planet being frozen [See Appendix B-004]. There were many records of him freezing the enemy battleship fleet, resulting in the enemy being unable to fight back, and he turned the tides of a few hundred battles [See Appendix B-027]…
"According to our investigations, Frogo needs to exhaust his energy to maintain the spacetime freeze on a region [See Appendix A-001 for the exact breakdown of numbers]. If the supply of energy is broken, the spacetime seal will disappear. The usage of the Esper Ability can be adjusted, and Frogo can freeze the space around him for defense. It can provide defense against most energy and physical attacks, but it is unable to block mental or soul attacks. After further testing, although his Esper Ability can seal a soul, it cannot prevent a soul from moving, and this proves that Frogo's Esper Ability isn't perfect.
"Frogo sacrificed himself in the battle of Planet Millennium [See Appendix B-1940, and his body disappeared."
Bader frowned and thought to himself, Their abilities are extremely similar indeed. Could there be a link between the two? However, even Frogo himself didn't have the ability to manifest the frozen spacetime into a physical object. Just what is going on?
He naturally did not know that the Spacetime Amber had been floating around in the universe for many years and had absorbed the radiation from the universe to mutate into a different object. Mutation happened because of the change in gene structure of an individual. Frogo's Esper Ability was not perfect, and although it was able to freeze spacetime, he could not defend against mental attacks. However, the mutated Spacetime Amber did not have this weakness, and even a mental attack would not be able to pierce the amber that it created.
After thinking for a while, Bader decided to send a copy of this information to the research head and hope that it would be helpful.
Breaking the seal of the Spacetime Amber was far more difficult than he had imagined. Bader had chosen to snatch the Arcane Church's trump card, but they were not able to use it despite snatching it for themselves. It was no more than an ornament for them.
Thinking back, it seemed as though the Arcane Church would not have been able to break the seal even if they retrieved it.
This should have been a problem for the Arcane Church to have a headache over, but it is now our turn to suffer. I thought that we would offend the Arcane Church greatly, but we only snatched something that the other party wouldn't even be able to use…
Just what was the point of us snatching this item ‽
It seems as though we've suffered a loss!
Bader was truly in a terrible mood.
No wonder, Manison thought that I would send someone to meet Black Star. He also noticed that this item is extremely weird. It seems like I must find an opportunity to contact Black Star.
Bader shook his head. He was not willing to treat the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter as just an ornament.
At the same time, he could also allow the descendants of the Spacetime Freezer to be the emissary. As members from the same race, they might be able to detect some clues and find out if the Universal Treasure in Black Star's hands was related to their ancestor.
The Arcane Church was also feeling frustrated.
After a series of negotiations, the Crimson Dynasty had already agreed to allow the Arcane Church ransom back one of their Beyond Grade A. After paying a huge price, the Arcane Church finally got back Dylan. They actually wanted Sagman, but the dynasty did not agree. The first one to be returned would be the weakest one for sure.
However, Dylan's Spacetime Amber seal was not released, and the dynasty wanted to get the Arcane Church to deal with it on their own. The main reason for doing so was so they could verify if the Spacetime Amber seal was truly as troublesome as Han Xiao made it out to be.
Naturally, the Crimson Dynasty still did not know that the Federation of Light had stolen the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, and Urranrell wanted to use Dylan as an indicator to see whether the seal on the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter was broken.
The dynasty made use of an excuse that Black Star was currently in seclusion and did not wish to be disturbed. Helpless, the Arcane Church could only get their own research personnel to attempt to break the seal.
The result was naturally the same as the Federation of Light, and they were unable to do a thing to the Spacetime Amber.
The Arcane Church was also extremely frustrated but also a little thankful.
They were frustrated that the dynasty had scammed them once more, and they would have to pay the price to invite the dynasty to unseal Dylan. However, they were thankful because the Federation of Light would probably be helpless toward the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter as well.
Although their own Universal Treasure had been stolen by the Federation of Light, the other party was only able to look at it through the seal but unable to use it.
If not for the grudge between them, the Arcane Church might have praised Black Star.
The Federation of Light and Arcane Church began paying close attention to the other party's research as a result. They wanted to see if the other party had any progress while also trying to spy on each other to 'copy the answer'.
With the Arcane Church taking a step back, the conflict between both parties was no longer as heated, and their soldiers were also recalled from the borders. The galactic organizations paying attention to this event heaved a sigh of relief.
The explored universe gradually calmed down.
The Federation of Light and Arcane Church temporarily took a step back, and the Super Star Cluster Civilizations that wanted to exploit the opportunity also became low profile. No one wanted to provoke the Crimson Dynasty at such a moment and wanted to wait until the storm passed.
The Black Star Army arrived at the Star System where the Gulal Civilization was located.
The outpost planet of the Pioneer Party was already within their sights, and the Black Star Army landed according to the instructions of the base. The warriors of the Black Star Army disembarked from the thousand-meter-long battleships and gathered at the port.
Apart from the army's warriors, there were a few million players participating in this mission. A War Employment Mission was a huge event, and it was much more interesting than exploring the Flickering World. Thus, most players accepted the mission and joined the civil war in this Star System Civilization with the identity of mercenaries.
Half a month ago, the Pioneer Party announced that they were working together with the Black Star Army, and news of the Black Star Army's interference stirred up a huge storm in the Gulal Civilization. The Ancient Emperor Party and Descendant Party were immediately thrown into internal chaos with a small portion of their upper echelons escaping or defecting to the Pioneer Party. The remaining members of the party decided to seize the initiative, and both parties joined hands to attack the Pioneer Party's territory.
There was no need for the three parties to make any preparations before the war as all three parties had always maintained war readiness. The three parties had split up the Gulal Civilization's land into three regions and lined up troops to guard their own territories. The commander only needed to give the order for war to begin.
Thus, the entrance of the Black Star Army also signaled the beginning of the war between the three parties.
The officers of the Pioneer Party first had a discussion with the commander of the Black Star Army's fleet, and the players were given a new list of missions to choose from.
The Pioneer Party provided a military star map with the nine Star Zones of the other two parties being marked out.
The majority of the Black Star Army manpower was sent back to the Flickering World, and the remaining manpower was left to guard their bases. Thus, not many mercenaries were sent to complete the mission, and they did not have an overwhelming advantage in strength. As such, it would be difficult to complete this mission in a short period. With their objectives of exterminating the enemy army and capturing the enemy's planets, the Black Star Army needed to push the battle line forward slowly to capture the enemy territories.
The colonial planets, resource rich planets, and military bases were the missions that the players could choose. As such, there were many opportunities for ground battles. This was a civil war after all, and they would not choose to bomb the enemy's planet to capture it. As such, the players were immediately put to good use. The greatest place to utilize a few million Grade B players was a ground battle!
After looking through the mission introduction, the players all grew excited. They had experienced many different events already and instantly knew that this mission would be the most exciting one. Fighting together with a battleship was extremely troublesome, and the players preferred fighting monsters on the ground instead. Furthermore, they were the main characters of this employment mission, and they only needed to enjoy the battle to their heart's content.
The size and levels of the enemy had been indicated, and the players could make their decision carefully. The levels of the enemies were also extremely clear. The enemy could be roughly broken down into a few different groups: cannon fodder soldiers, Grade C high grade monsters, Grade B elite monsters, Grade B mini-bosses, and a few Calamity Grade bosses that had their own names.
All the players were extremely satisfied with the mission. This was the main reason they joined the mission—to fight as they wished!
They finally did not have to just watch from the side!
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Chapter 877 The Mysterious Individual Watching the Players
For one month later, the Pioneer Party defended against the attacks of the Ancient Emperor Party and Descendant Party while counterattacking with the Black Star Army. The three parties tried to break through the holes of the enemy's defenses, which resulted in a jagged territorial line on the star map.
At this moment, a colonial planet that was near the border of the Ancient Emperor Party was being invaded. The Pioneer Party and Black Star Army fleet were engaged in an intense battle with the defense fleet of the planet. At the same time, the cities on the planet were being attacked from the sky with their protective shields being bombarded and drop pods being launched at the holes created.
A hemispherical light screen covered the capital city of this colonial planet and endured the never-ending attacks from the sky. Multicolored explosions could be seen on the surface of the light screen, and the protective shield began to flicker unsteadily.
Upon considering the many reasons for a civil war, the local army closed off all the underground sanctuaries and prohibited their civilians from entering. The many inhabitants of the city could only tremble in their own homes, and the ground troops of the city gathered together and looked up at the sky.
Ka-cha!
The protective shield of the city finally could not endure the waves of attacks and began to crack before everyone's eyes.
The next moment, densely packed black dots could be seen appearing from the sky, descending from above like meteors.
The anti-air cannons of the city immediately opened fire toward the drop pods, and balls of explosions could be seen in the air.
A portion of the drop pods were destroyed in the sky, but many managed to land in the city.
The army of players emerged from the drop pods and sprang into action.
Every one of them had a detection device on them to scan and indicate all hostile targets who had a weapon. The descending army was already extremely used to such missions and began clearing up the enemies in the city.
Battles erupted in every corner of the city, and the players began exchanging fire with the ground troops. Although they had a disadvantage in terms of numbers, the players were almost all Grade B Supers, and a large majority of the enemies were ordinary soldiers.
Grade B Supers were mid-ranked combatants in the galaxy with all of them having the combat strength of an entire army. Destroying a building was a piece of cake, and the players were not ordinary Grade B Supers. They were not afraid of coming under fire and could fight without any worry.
The ground troops were extremely shocked to realize that these galactic mercenaries could charge forward while enduring heavy fire without any fear of death. They were able to easily cut through their formations and massacre their troops.
From the map, the black dots that represented the player army rapidly weaved through the city, and the red dots that represented the enemies disappeared quickly.
At the center of the city, the government building had already been attacked by seven parties of players.
In some room of the government building, an Ancient Emperor Party Grade B Super knelt on the ground with his eyes wide open in shock. The individual in front of him pulled out a blade from his throat, and blood splattered everywhere.
Life was drained from his body, and he collapsed into a pool of his own blood.
"This fellow's level is pretty high. I've only got thirty-seven percent of my health left." Frenzied Sword shook off the blood on his blade.
The silver black armor that he was wearing now was Mechanical Pugilist equipment with various hidden mechanical weapons hidden all around.
The entire room was littered with corpses, and the members of Rivervale and his teammates were beside him. They had just worked together to get rid of everyone in the room and were now repairing the durability of their equipment while searching for their spoils of war.
Outside the door, the sound of intense fire could be heard. This Grade B officer that they had killed seemed to be pretty important, and a large number of enemy troops were drawn to their location. Maple Moon was keeping guard outside the door, and she used her mechanic traps and electromagnetic artillery tower to return fire. The defenses of a Grade B Mechanic were not something that ordinary soldiers would be able to overcome. They were all suppressed in a corner of the corridor, and their few attempts to charge forward ended with a ground full of corpses.
Maple Moon usually enjoyed playing with Rivervale, and Frenzied Sword was also willing to bring along a reliable Mechanic. The two of them had a pretty good relationship.
When the Mechanics came into contact with compression technology in Version 3.0, they became the most popular choice to form a party with. Mechanics no longer had to slowly build their machines, and their preparation speed increased greatly. Regardless of whether it was to fight a dungeon or complete a mission, every party would generally have a Mechanic. Of course, every Mechanic had a different set of equipment and was able to deal with different circumstances.
Evil Sword injected himself with a serum to recover his health and casually said, "I wonder how many Grade B enemies there are in this city."
"We should have taken care of most of them." Frenzied Sword looked at the battle map. "The soldiers in the city have been mostly wiped out. Hao Tian and the others have already killed four Grade Bs downstairs."
"How lucky. We only managed to kill two along the way," Evil Sword said with envy.
Grade B Supers were elites that could provide them with plenty of experience. Furthermore, every Grade B elite had a name and would give them additional rewards for the mission. Apart from experience, they were able to collect an additional bounty from the Pioneer Party, and all the players were extremely passionate about killing Grade B enemies.
To a first-rate party, perhaps it would be impossible to solo a Grade B elite, but a party of five was able to easily win against an ordinary Grade B Super. Even if a mini-boss Grade B enemy was difficult to deal with, it was still within the capabilities of the players.
A Star System Civilization would only have ten or twenty Calamity Grade Supers, and they would only appear in key battles. Thus, the millions of Grade B players were basically invincible in the other colonial planets.
Not too long later, the army in this city was completely wiped out, and the players returned to the spaceship before being sent to a new battlefield.
"Another three colonial planets were taken down by the Black Star Army's immortals."
The upper echelons of the Ancient Emperor Party looked at the star map, and worry could be seen on their frail faces.
"The immortals of the Black Star Army are far too scary, and it is impossible to restrain them," one of the officers said. "Up until now, a total of twenty-one colonial planets have been seized by them."
If the enemy only had a fleet of battleships, they would not feel such a headache. The Ancient Emperor Party was completely helpless against the immortals.
The total number of immortals was probably more than all the Grade Bs in their civilization, and these immortals could not even be killed.
The upper echelons of the Ancient Emperor Party could only watch as the players capable of reviving captured their colonial planets one after another.
The immortals of the Black Star Army had always been famous in the Shattered Star Ring, and it was their chance to experience it personally this time. Everyone present could not help but feel despair.
Such an enemy was truly far too frightening. Anyone capable of having such a trump card would definitely have a place in the universe!
With the participation of the Black Star Army, the Ancient Emperor Party could no longer see much hope. It would be impossible for them to win if they continued fighting, and the Pioneer Party would probably emerge victorious in another year or so.
However, it was equally impossible for them to surrender. No one would be willing to give up a Star System Civilization. They had already held on for a year, and holding on further might give them a chance to turn the tables around. As they fought back, the upper echelons of the Ancient Emperor Party had been trying to find reinforcements and plan their retreat.
"That b*stard Ceselin actually defected to the Pioneer Party and even took all his subordinates away. I never imagined that he would be a traitor!" The Ancient Emperor Party leader gritted his teeth. "He must have done something to get the Black Star Army to help the Pioneer Party. If not, there isn't an explanation for their sudden intervention!"
Upon mentioning Ceselin, a look of hatred could be seen on everyone's face. If not for his betrayal, they would not have been reduced to such a pathetic state!
"This traitorous b*stard! We have never treated him badly before. We have given him both authority and wealth. Just what is he dissatisfied about, and what right does he have to betray us!"
The Ancient Emperor Party leader slammed the table and said with heartache, "He actually told me that our ideals were different. What a joke! Look at what he did. Just for his so-called ideals, he actually sacrificed so many of his fellow brothers. Does he really think that his actions are extremely noble‽ We have been ruling the civilization extremely well, and this civilization will lose their rightful rulers just because of him! Dammit!"
Upon hearing that, the upper echelons by the side listened with helpless expressions.
Others might have had the rights to say such words, but they knew that they did not. All of them were extremely clear about what their Ancient Emperor Party had done over the past few years.
The way they saw it, their leader must have been angered silly and was just venting his anger.
Right at this moment, the Ancient Emperor Party suddenly stopped cursing, and his entire body froze in place. He then suddenly regained his cool and stood up slowly, with his tone being completely transformed into a different persona.
"It seems like everyone is extremely frustrated. Maybe I can be of some help."
All the upper echelons were stunned for a moment, and they stood up abruptly.
Was their leader's mind being controlled‽
The leader of a Star System Civilization would usually be protected by a Calamity Grade spell and psychic energy. This was to prevent him from being controlled by another. At the very least, it would be impossible for a Calamity Grade Super to control the leader of a Star System Civilization without any traces in front of a crowd.
Just who did this?
Could it be a Beyond Grade A‽
"Who are you‽" a military officer said with caution and sent a message to get all the Calamity Grades to rush over.
"You don't need to worry. I did not come with ill intentions. I do not have any intention to tell you my identity," the Ancient Emperor Party leader said emotionlessly. "All of you only need to know that I will provide you with resources and manpower to fight the Black Star Army."
The upper echelons were still doubtful as they looked at each other. However, regardless of whether this was true or false, they decided to play along. At the same time, they were also worried that their comrades might have been controlled. After all, this mysterious individual indeed had the ability to do so.
"What do you want?"
"Don't worry. I do not want anything."
"Then, why are you helping us?"
"I am not bothered about your Gulal Civilization, but I am interested in the immortals of the Black Star Army. Furthermore, the longer all of you can survive, the more I can observe them," the 'Ancient Emperor Party leader' said. "My suggestion will only provide all of you with benefits. Do you accept?"
Everyone looked at each other before nodding hesitantly.
"Very good, I will get my people to contact all of you soon. Right, I can give you a suggestion. All of you can try employing the immortals of the Black Star Army."
Everyone was stunned.
"The Black Star Army is our enemy. You are asking us to seek aid from our enemies? Just what is the meaning of this?"
"Ordinary logic doesn't seem to be applicable to the immortals. How will you know without trying?" the 'Ancient Emperor Party leader' said with a teasing voice.
The Ancient Emperor Party leader then suddenly trembled, and his eyes fell into a daze. He then suddenly snapped out of his daze.
"Has the person controlling me left‽"
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and immediately went forward to support their leader.
"Do you still remember what you said when you were controlled?"
"I remember everything. My body was controlled, but my senses were still present."
Right at this moment, the Calamity Grade Supers arrived, and after hearing what had happened, they began to check the leader's condition.
"How is it?" the Ancient Emperor Party leader asked.
"The enchantments used to guard your mind were destroyed in an instant. These enchantments are capable of defending against a Calamity Grade Psychic for ten minutes. The one who controlled you is definitely a Beyond Grade A."
The expression of the Ancient Emperor Party leader changed slightly. A Beyond Grade A had a huge significance to a Star System Civilization.
There were only five Beyond Grade As in the Shattered Star Ring, and only Psyker and Austin had the ability to infiltrate the mind.
Though, it might not be these two but a Beyond Grade A from another Star Field.
Thinking about the words of the mysterious individual, everyone could not help but have a strange look on their face.
To think that they would gain support through such a strange method. This was something that they had never imagined, but at least they now had some hope.
Although they did not know who the other party was, since he was also a Beyond Grade A, he should not be afraid of the Black Star Army.
"Right, he even asked us to seek aid from our enemy. Isn't this a joke‽ Does he think that the Black Star Army will turn around to help us?"
Everyone was the most puzzled by this suggestion. It was obviously a meaningless action, and they truly did not understand the point of doing so.
The Ancient Emperor Party leader nodded. "Since we do not have any way of retreating, why not we give it a try?"
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