Read The Legendary Mechanic - Chapter 1121 - Special Consultant online free - Novel Full
Chapter 1121 Special Consultant
Han Xiao left the virtual brainwave amplifier, returning to the command center. As the spaceship landed and Han Xiao stepped out from the hatch, he immediately saw Sidreun and the other inspectors waiting for him on the platform.
Sidreun took two steps forward before bowing slightly. His attitude showed a lot more reverence than before.
"Your Excellency Black Star, the three heads are waiting online for you."
Han Xiao's actions in destroying the virus core had won him over.
"Alright, I'll head over now." Han Xiao smiled as he nodded. He was not surprised and had long expected the three Universal Civilizations to approach him.
He swept the area with a glance, realizing that the other Beyond Grade A avatars were not present. "The others?"
"They have yet to descend at the moment, but all their missions have been completed, so we are enough to wrap up the backend." With the virus core eradicated, the Virtual Mutiny Virus was thus stopped at the first generation. With the three sets of antivirus kits, the three Universal Civilizations' original plan to cleanse the virus could now continue. Since the next step did not require the Beyond Grade As, their missions could be said to have been completed.
The Mechanic Emperor was even more unlikely to come back, or else it would be awkward if they saw each other, not knowing if they should fight.
Han Xiao followed the trio to a remote conference room on the top floor of the headquarters. Walking into the room, he glanced to see three huge virtual screens standing in front of them. They were the remote projections of Urranrell, Bader, and the Pope.
Sidreun and the others nodded to show their respect before retreating and closing the door. Only Han Xiao was left in the room.
Urranrell was the first to speak.
"Black Star, you've achieved a great merit this time, pinpointing the real danger of the Intelligent Plague for us. Without your intel, countless people would have been killed and injured in this disaster. We're grateful for you for your contribution on behalf of the universe."
"Maintaining the order of society is everyone's responsibility," Han Xiao replied perfunctorily as he looked at the three of them. This was still the first time he had spoken to all three heads of the Universal Civilizations. He had practically reached the very forefront of Galaxy, as few had such an honor in the universe, with those receiving this treatment being the most dazzling great people of each age. Speaking of which, he was only familiar with Urranrell and had not had much contact with either Bader or the Pope.
The three of them took turns to speak, praising Han Xiao for his contribution but did not say much about his act of destroying the virus core.
After listening to their praise, Han Xiao then finally heard the Pope move onto the main topic.
"For such an achievement, we will definitely not be stingy with the reward…".
Han Xiao secretly rolled his eyes. He knew that the three leaders had definitely reached a consensus before speaking to him.
Not out of his expectations, the three of them coincided with each other, introducing the reward. Among them, resources and policy support counted for the majority. The federation and the church expressed their willingness to help the Black Star Army in the Star Fields outside the Shattered Star Ring and the Flickering World, allowing them to expand their businesses and sphere of influence.
The development of the Black Star Army in the other Star Fields had been relatively difficult, as their hands could not stretch too far at the moment. With the joint support of the three Universal Civilizations, the development would be much smoother.
Han Xiao understood the meaning behind this
– it was to allow him to catch up with the Mechanic Emperor's organizations, allowing the two of them to better compete with each other. At the same time, this support would mean that the three Universal Civilizations were sharing their own interests with him, so as to deepen their relationship and avoid any conflict with him like what happened between them and Manison.
Furthermore, the three Universal Civilizations promised to open a portion of the Universal Treasure blueprint library to Han Xiao, which would allow him to purchase a portion of the Gold Grade blueprints using money and his Contribution Points.
Originally, most of these blueprints were not for sale. However, during his conflict against the Mechanic Emperor, the three Universal Civilizations saw the gap in strength between the two parties, so they were willing to provide some benefits to aid Black Star in reducing the gap. Generally speaking, such privileges were only awarded to those of their direct line. These treatments could be regarded as a manifestation of their trust in Han Xiao.
Of course, support still had its limits, and they would not give everything away for free.
Han Xiao's eyes sparkled, and he was unexpectedly surprised.
If this was the case, other than his own research and Awakening Point methods, he now had a new channel to purchase Universal Treasures. Because of his (Spirit Instrument] skills, there were additional benefits to this reward for him, and in his opinion, this was better compared to those business support they would provide him.
At this moment, Urranrell slowly said, "We've also jointly decided to hire you as a Special Safety Consultant for the Federation of Light, the Crimson Dynasty, and the Arcane Church."
Han Xiao was stunned.
A Special Safety Consultant for the three Universal Civilizations?
This was new to him.
If that was the case, then he would also form a relationship with both the federation and the church, turning from an ally of the dynasty into a cross-faction character.
It seemed like there was no Beyond Grade A who had been given such an honor before in history. He might be the first and likely only one.
After thinking about it, Han Xiao could guess the intentions of the three Universal Civilizations.
Firstly, they wanted to build his momentum, and the second reason was that the other two wished to earn money through investing in him just like advertising sponsors. Black Star would carry a part of their labels with him. The third intention would be for the development union, which would mean that the three Universal Civilizations were currently adjusting their attitudes toward the Beyond Grade A development union.
Why does this feel like in the martial arts novels that I read in my previous life, about how the court would secretly support one of their own in order to become the Master of the Martial Community, thus allowing them to control the pugilists? I'm becoming more and more like a villain, Han Xiao grumbled in his heart.
While he thought this way, he did not refuse the position of the Special Safety Consultant and politely nodded.
"I'm honored to be offered this position."
For the Mechanic Emperor to engage in rebellion, it was not just because of the methods employed against them but also contained his own selfish will. Han Xiao did not have that idea; for him, there was more than one way to protect the Beyond Grade As. In his opinion, no one could truly be alone in the universe. The right way was to seek cooperation amid their struggles.
Furthermore, the three Universal Civilizations would be the main force in dealing with the World Tree Civilization. What he wanted was to make their cooperative relationship equal, not to backstab the three Universal Civilizations.
The majority of people in the Beyond Grade A Association also thought the same way. His position as a Special Security Consultant for the three Universal Civilizations would now act as a halo, which could attract members with the same idea. This would further separate him from Manison.
Thinking of this, Han Xiao once again had a fresh perspective.
Why does it feel like we're Professor X and Magneto?
While he had become a Special Consultant, his roots were still as a pillar of the dynasty, and his relationship with the other two civilizations was a lot more superficial.
"These are the general rewards. Black Star, do you have any specific needs?" Han Xiao thought for a while before saying, "I hope that I can purchase the Ultimate Knowledges of other systems and be able to pass it on to others."
The moment he spoke, the eyes of the trio changed, and silence fell.
This was a sensitive issue and one that the Development Union had been negotiating with the three Universal Civilizations.
The issue of lifting the monopoly on Knowledge.
There were so many Beyond Grade As, and if they gathered together, they would definitely be able to gather all the Ultimate Knowledges of every Class. The key lay in their right to disseminate the knowledge, as the three Universal Civilizations prohibited any sort of private teaching
Now, Han Xiao wished for them to release their grips on this issue, which was in line with the requests of the Beyond Grade As. However, it would harm the interest of the three Universal Civilizations. Seeing their expressions, Han Xiao said, "Hila is still serving as my Deputy Army Commander. I have to help her gather knowledge of her Esper System, and there are also people with extraordinary potential under me that I hope can master some Ultimate Knowledge to improve their combat power."
The three of them exchanged glances, and after being silent for a long time, Urranrell finally spoke.
"You may exchange three Ultimate Knowledges for Hila, but you are only limited to passing one Ultimate Knowledge per person for others. At the same time, you have to submit a list for filing and limit the number of people who are able to learn this."
The three Universal Civilizations finally made some concessions on this issue, but this was only limited to Black Star himself, while others did not have this treatment.
After the various deals were negotiated, the three Universal Civilizations' leaders went offline, and Han Xiao left the meeting room, stopping by to greet Sidreun before returning to his territory.
Just as he walked into his exclusive office area, he saw Harrison nervously standing at the door, waiting for him. Han Xiao did not stop, however, instead walking on.
Harrison immediately rushed up, stammering, "Your… Your Excellency Black Star, I have something to ask…" "Speak."
"I would like to ask, what are we going to do after the Intelligent Plague is over?"
Hearing this, Han Xiao turned to glance at him, only to see Harrison's expression of anxiety. He immediately knew what was on the latter's mind.
"What, are you afraid you'll go back behind bars?"
"Yes, that's right." Harrison appeared a little frazzled. While he had followed Han Xiao for a few months, he was still guilty. This charge had not been lifted, so he was afraid he would have to continue sitting behind bars and had come to ask Han Xiao for help.
"Relax, you've made a great contribution this time, and I won't leave you in the lurch." Han Xiao patted his shoulder.
Harrison was flattered, but at the same time, he was a little dazed.
I made a great contribution?
Why didn't I hear anything about it? "Then… What will happen to me in the future?"
"I will ask the three Universal Civilizations to withdraw the charges against you and restore the freedom of you and your companions, but you can no longer be scavengers."
"Thank you very much!" Harrison had an expression of gratitude.
It was nice to regain his freedom. It did not matter if he could not be a scavenger. After unearthing the Virtual Mutiny Virus, Harrison was already traumatized and planned to go back and inherit his family fortune.
"Don't rejoice too early. I'm not saving you for nothing. You'll need to continue your current job scope and do exploration under the funding and surveillance of the Black Star Army."
"This…" Harrison hesitated. "Not willing?" Han Xiao stared at him. "Then I hope you'll get used to your prison life as soon as possible."
"No, no, no!" Harrison immediately grabbed Han Xiao and helplessly replied, "We can do it."
Black Star was their last hope, so he had no other choice. Besides, obtaining financial aid from a behemoth such as the Black Star Army would mean that they did not have to worry about everything like before.
Han Xiao hummed in agreement, but he was smiling in his heart.
Want to go back and inherit the family business? Dream on!
Once you enter my leek field, don't even think of running away. Just work hard for me!
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Chapter 1122 Changes and Announcements
After the three Universal Civilizations completed the operation, they notified the various organizations in the Ancient Star Desert to reopen their quantum networks. The quantum network was only disconnected for half a day, yet it brought about huge economic losses to the entire Star Field. The various organizations were all wondering what the three Universal Civilizations had done during the period when their quantum network was disconnected.
Through intelligence gathered from all walks of life, they quickly found out that a group of Beyond Grade As had gathered for an operation, and they all were dumbfounded.
The Super Star Cluster Civilizations were all suffering from PTSD from the three Universal Civilizations, and thus, they were always on the lookout about this turmoil. Upon learning of this matter, the upper echelons held another meeting
"It turns out that the Virtual Mutiny Virus had such a mechanism. If it was leaked out, it's unknown how many people would have been killed or injured… It's a pity that we were kept in the dark, and the core has now been destroyed by Black Star."
Many of the upper echelons displayed fear and regret.
They were afraid of the threat of the Virtual Mutiny Virus itself. They thought that the three Universal Civilizations had controlled the situation, but they did not expect it to be just an illusion. If they did not manage to find the virus core, then disaster would have swept across the entire universe.
What they regretted was that they did not know the goals of the three Universal Civilizations in advance, and in order to cooperate, they developed a wait-and-see attitude, finally resulting in the virus core being handled by the three Universal Civilizations. The Virtual Mutiny Virus thus became a disappearing voice. Because the ship had already sailed, the three Universal Civilizations no longer concealed the information, so the Super Star Cluster Alliance discovered this matter.
One of the executives sighed in relief. "Luckily, Black Star destroyed the virus core. If we'd let the three Universal Civilizations obtain such weaponized information technology, then our situation would have been much worse."
"You're wrong. Black Star destroying the virus core does us more harm than good. Even if the technology was obtained by the three Universal Civilizations, they would only use it in order to maintain order. But for us, this sort of technology would be enough to allow us to threaten them, and it would allow us to shorten the gap between us and them. Now that this technology has disappeared, we have lost this opportunity forever," someone retorted.
"It would have been good if the Mechanic Emperor had succeeded…"
Many of them sighed.
They had hoped that Manison would succeed, as there was a high chance the Mechanic Emperor would ally with their Super Star Cluster Alliance in order to maintain his competitive advantage in hoarding profitable goods. In this manner, they would also have had an opportunity to find ways to obtain the virus technology through him.
However, this hope of turning the tables was now destroyed by Black Star, and they could not help but greatly regret it.
"Black Star, this fellow, really…" One of the superiors paused, not knowing how to describe Han Xiao, before finally speaking dejectedly. "He's too wasteful."
Glancing at the other upper echelons with varied expressions, the Star Arc Civilization's leaders solemnly said, "The results cannot be changed. What we need to think about is how to deal with the current situation."
"In the Flickering World, the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance will definitely have a battle. What we lack now is preparation time. Originally, the Intelligent Plague would have taken up all the energy of the three Universal Civilizations. The longer they are held up, the better. But now that the disaster is about to disappear, the three Universal Civilizations will soon be free to deal with us."
"The virus core was discovered by Black Star, and it was also eliminated by him. Because of his actions, the time for the three Universal Civilizations to solve the Intelligent Plague was greatly reduced… Hey, it's Black Star again!"
Most of the upper echelons were very dissatisfied. The exposure of Traveler before was due to Black Star, and now he had once again disrupted their plans.
But while they were angry, they could not do anything. They hoped to be low-key at this point to avoid trouble, so why would they go and provoke Black Star?
The leader of the Star Arc Civilization looked through the intelligence and suddenly exclaimed, "Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor had a disagreement on the issue of dealing with the virus core. The two of them had a fight and officially turned against each other. What do you think about this?" "The battle report shows that Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor reached a tie…" An intelligence department's chief frowned. "If Black Star arrived in his main body, it is still possible, but both sides were using avatars. Our artificial intelligence has constructed countless models and analyzed the results, showing that in the case of this battle, Black Star's win rate was as low as 0.0027%. He is not yet an opponent of the Mechanic Emperor. The tie was because the other Beyond Grade As forcibly interfered, which meant that they were instructed to do so. Thus, we can judge that the three Universal Civilizations hope to create an equivalent character to compete against the Mechanic Emperor."
The leader of the Star Arc Civilization narrowed his eyes. "This means that after this battle, Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor will part ways, and the Beyond Grade As will be divided into two factions. One faction will support Black Star, and the other, the Mechanic Emperor. There might be an opportunity in this…"
"You mean…" "After operating his business for so many years, the Mechanic Emperor is already considered a semi-independent state, almost rid of the three Universal Civilizations control," the leader of the Star Arc Civilization said. "However, against the three Universal Civilizations, he will still require some external help, and that help… can be offered by us."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and they nodded.
Everyone would have a time when they sorely needed help. The Mechanic Emperor was such a powerful figure, so if the Super Star Cluster Alliance helped him right now when he was in a difficult position and not trusted by the three Universal Civilizations, they might have a chance to become his secret partner.
In this way, to a certain extent, they can prevent the Beyond Grade A union from reaching a new cooperative relationship with the three Universal Civilizations, and they would also add obstacles to Black Star, who often caused them trouble.
On a desolate planet in the Primeval Star River, there was a hidden base underground.
Electricity arced in the darkness, and a pair of eyes emitting sparks opened, reflecting a silhouette sitting on the ground. This figure stood up, his robe rustling in the silence of the room. The next moment, he turned on the light, revealing his appearance, which was the true body of Manison.
After the battle, he had released his Lord's Descent and had not been in contact with others for quite a while. During this time, he had been secretly operating his organizations in the various Star Fields, ready to deal with the suppression of the three Universal Civilizations.
Manison knew better than anyone what sort of measures the three Universal Civilizations would take against him.
"This day has arrived a lot sooner than I expected…"
Manison let out a sigh of relief before his tone turned a little unpleasant as he snarled.
"That kid, Black Star, spoiling my plan!"
If it were not for Black Star, releasing news about the virus core, he would not have had to take the risk to try and obtain it.
Manison had also found clues about the virus core and concealed his tracks without reporting it to the three Universal Civilizations, all so that he would have the opportunity to swallow the Virtual Mutiny Virus, secretly obtain this technology, and make a fortune.
In his opinion, Black Star also had this opportunity, with even more clues than he had, but in order to reduce the damage of the disaster, he sought out the three Universal Civilizations to share his intelligence!
If not for this, he would not have had to compete against the three Universal Civilizations in full view. If he had missed out on this opportunity, then he would never have obtained the chance to get the Virtual Mutiny Virus technology.
Everything was due to Black Star!
He had taken the risk, but Black Star had actually destroyed the virus core in the end, making everyone fight for nothing. Manison could still recall the moment Han Xiao crushed the virus core, and this made his heart ache. Since he dared run the risk of offending the three Universal Civilizations to rob the virus core, it was naturally because the item was worth it.
As a top-notch Virtual Mechanic, with an AI civilization under him, if he obtained the full Virtual Mutiny Virus dataset and improved on it, there would be a violent chemical reaction. Coupled with his own strength, it would be enough to create a new version of the universe!
Apart from this, as long as he placed the core in his own artificial intelligence incubation room, cultivating generations of viruses in advance and placing them out to penetrate the universe, he would be everywhere at once!
At that time, the Intelligent Plague would be a toddler compared to him!
Even if the three Universal Civilizations obtained the technology, there was still a chance. Manison could still hack in and steal the technology at the risk of being discovered.
But now, the opportunity for him to reach the apex had been ruined by Black Star. Manison could not help but want to deem Black Star as a 'criminal' on the spot.
Manison shook his head. With things as they were, there was no use dwelling on it. It was better to deal with the matters in the present.
After this matter, the relationship I have with the federation will become even more strained. The three Universal Civilizations will scheme to cut off my wings, but fortunately, I've managed to get rid of as many attachments as I could over the years. I've also obtained independent channels and cultivated a large number of hidden forces. Many of my businesses can easily be transferred into hidden ones…
Since a long time ago, Manison felt that there would come a day where he would turn independent, and thus prepared for a rainy day. He dared to take the risk today because he was not afraid of falling out with the three Universal Civilizations.
Moreover, given the current situation, neither side would be completely opposed to the other, since the three Universal Civilizations still had some restraining fear toward him.
Manison had calculated his risks before he acted, thus taking the opportunity to reveal a few of his cards. The tens of millions of Lord's Avatars that he revealed were enough to make the three Universal Civilizations hesitate in dealing with him, fearing the repercussions of their actions on the innocents. As long as they could not find his body, he could always appear once more.
The three Universal Civilizations will want to support Black Star to compete with me. I guess I'll lose my funding from the federation, and I'll now have to make new friends… Manison narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
After the virus core was eradicated, the disaster relief efficiency of the three Universal Civilizations was rapidly accelerated, and the anti-virus kit was re-promoted as part of the anti-virus plans.
Without the virus core, the first generation of the Virtual Mutiny Virus had no leader and lost all coordination. The three Universal Civilizations just had to scan and lock down each node before clearing them at the same time. They would then go online immediately with a dedicated firewall. The viruses in the Ancient Star Desert were solved quickly, and the damage done by the Intelligent Plague was quickly rectified.
It had been several months since the outbreak of the Intelligent Plague, and the Star Field had been blocked out of signal for the whole time, leading the universe to be concerned about the status quo of the Ancient Star Desert. As the news was blocked for a long time, more and more rumors started circulating in the universe, spreading faint panic.
Now that the disaster was under control, the three Universal Civilizations finally issued an announcement to the entire universe to reassure the citizens of Galaxy.
In the announcement, the three Universal Civilizations specifically shared the entire experience of hunting down the virus core. As soon as the official news bulletin was released, it immediately attracted the attention of countless organizations within the explored universe.
Han Xiao's deeds were also propagated around the universe following the deliberate announcements by the three Universal Civilizations, causing a huge uproar!
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Chapter 1123 Damaged Blueprint
Following the development of the Star Field, more galactic residents had begun pouring into the Flickering World. The various industries had been rapidly improved, and a large number of planets were transformed into transit stations or tourist destinations.
As the entrance of the territory of the Black Star Army and the gateway toward one of the top ten stargate traffic routes in the Flickering World, Planet Black Gate had an amazing number of daily visitors. Numerous entertainment facilities had been built on the planet's surface, confusing day and night and causing the place to be constantly noisy. Every moment was extraordinary, as one could see visitors from all Star Fields and races present. Murica Street was a famed entertainment street, with casinos, pubs, shops, and departmental stores present. The area was full of feasting and pleasure seeking, with people constantly coming and going without rest.
"It's been a while since I last came here, and it's getting more and more prosperous."
Maple Moon dragged Frenzied Sword along as they walked through the bustling street, looking curiously around at the strange passersby.
Seeing their emblems, showing them to be high-ranking warriors from the Black Star Army, everyone showed varying degrees of awe in their eyes, giving way to them. On the bustling street, there seemed to be an invisible wall around them.
"Stop browsing. We're here to submit our mission." Frenzied Sword could only speak helplessly.
At this moment, the giant screen on the wall of a building in the distance lit up, showing a news screen.
"Now, we'll broadcast an urgent piece of news. The Federation of Light, the Crimson Dynasty, and the Arcane Church are jointly issuing an announcement to report on the progress of the Intelligent Plague to the entire universe…"
Hearing the first official news about the Ancient Star Desert in days, the pedestrians on the street stopped suddenly, as though someone had pressed a 'freeze' button. They all looked up at the screen and stopped to watch.
Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon both stopped as well, curiously looking at the screen.
They saw the scene of a diplomatic press conference on the giant screen. The spokespersons of the three Universal Civilizations all stood side by side and read out the announcement.
"The Intelligent Plague has troubled us for several months. We contained the disaster within the Ancient Star Desert and carried out a special disaster relief operation. Because this matter concerned the security of the entire universe, it attracted great attention from all walks of life. Thus, we're hereby making a special report today to announce the progress of our tripartite governance of the Intelligent Plague."
"The Virtual Mutiny Virus is a highly dangerous information data virus that can rewrite the underlying logic of any artificial intelligence, turning machinery into an exterminating organism. The virus has an amazing permeability, spread, and threat, and it is an information warfare weapon that has been lost in time. We thought that the threat came from the virus itself, but it was only recently discovered that the virus core was the true threat…"
The representatives described the mechanisms of the virus core, highlighting the danger of its self-evolution adaptability, using exaggerated words to describe the consequences of the disasters.
Hearing this, the people listening on the streets shuddered involuntarily. Because of the news blockade, the galactic residents had little understanding of the Virtual Mutiny Virus. Now that they understood the real horror behind the virus, they could not help feeling a panic in their hearts, frightened by the lethality of the virus.
At this moment, the spokesperson changed the conversation, saying, "If Black Star had not discovered the threat of the virus core, we would still be in the dark. According to our artificial intelligence's simulation, the anti-virus plan we made without the knowledge of the virus core would have had a success rate of no more than 0.1%. It is very likely that the virus would have leaked out in the end, leading to disasters sweeping across the entire universe. Countless creatures would have died in the disaster, and the interstellar era would have regressed catastrophically. "This discovery by Black Star allowed us to avoid this result, so his merits are huge, as he has indirectly saved countless people."
Many of them breathed out a sigh of relief, still feeling the jitters at the thought of their escape from disaster, and thanked Black Star for changing their fates. The representative then continued. "Because of Black Star's intelligence, we planned an operation, and the entire Star Field was disconnected from the network to chase down the core of the virus. Everything was going well. However, when the virus core was captured, some twists and turns occurred…"
"The virus core was captured by the Mechanic Emperor Manison, but he refused to turn it in regardless of the safety of the universe, in an attempt to reverse-engineer the complete technology. In order to maintain the peace of the universe, Black Star seized the virus core, destroying it and completely eliminating this technology. He eliminated the possibility of a re-emergence of this Virtual Mutiny Virus so that the whole universe would always be out of the shadow of this disaster.
"But the Mechanic Emperor was unwilling to fail like this. Thus, he attacked Black Star, and the two of them fought to a tie. He was finally driven back by Black Star."
Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon could hear the commotion of the people around them on the street.
This speech first raised the issue of the operation, triggering the anxiety of the population, then made a comparison between both the Mechanic Emperor and Black Star, distinguishing between them. It deliberately promoted Han Xiao's actions protecting the galactic residents, implanting an image of Black Star with boundless love for the residents, making the galactic residents thank him for his contribution.
In contrast, the Mechanic Emperor was portrayed as a selfish careerist who disregarded the overall situation. Because he ignored the interests of the galactic residents, he was regarded as a villain, and his image discredited.
The representative summarized the entire happenings at the end.
"Today, the management of the Intelligent Plague is now in its final stages. The disaster is under control, and the virus will be completely eliminated in the next few days. The blockade surrounding the Ancient Star Desert will be lifted. In this incident, the merits that Black Star has rendered are irreplaceable, and thus, the three Universal Civilizations have decided to jointly award the title of Special Safety Consultant for the three Universal Civilizations to Black Star as a reward."
Special Security Consultant to the three Universal Civilizations?
Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon looked at each other, surprised.
Didn't the federation and the church have something against our Black Star Army? They've now turned their status as enemies into friends. Were they 'taken down' by the Army Commander?
Then, won't we have two more strong and sturdy thighs to hug?
The news ended, but the enthusiasm of the people had just been aroused. They fervently discussed the topic, creating a buzzing in the streets.
"Thanks God for His Excellency Black Star. He's really a great person."
"Among all of the Beyond Grade As, only Black Star is working for the welfare of our ordinary people. Just like the previous Holy Light Emissary cultivation plan, he's given us ordinary people a chance, an opportunity to turn someone into a Super. Now he is determined to destroy this virus technology because of our safety. For this reason, he even went to war with the Mechanic Emperor. If I were a woman, I'd definitely fall in love with him."
"Sigh, I never expected the Mechanic Emperor Manison to be that sort of person. To think I used to worship him."
"For such a great merit, no wonder the three Universal Civilizations invited Black Star to be a Special Security Consultant. It seems like no one has ever been awarded such an honor, right?"
"Frankly speaking, other than Black Star, I cannot think of anyone who would be more qualified for this position."
At this moment, from the opposite street came out a wave of cheers. Someone ran over and exclaimed, "Hurry, there are a few wealthy merchants who've bought the entire bar's stock. They said that they were thankful for Black Star's accomplishments and are offering free drinks to everyone!"
Hearing this, the people on the street swarmed over, and when they passed Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon, they no longer avoided them. Rather, they enthusiastically greeted them, using all kinds of weird etiquette to show respect to the people of the Black Star Army.
Feeling the warm atmosphere, Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon felt a sense of pride flowing in their hearts. They strongly felt the sense of camp identity.
The two of them hurriedly went to the forums, and the forums had already exploded as the news swept across the board.
Their Army Commander had only disappeared for a few months, but he immediately made such big news as soon as he appeared. The three Universal Civilizations exaggerated the whole thing, making it seem as though Black Star was their savior, leaving the players extremely excited.
Glorious Tomahawk: Damn, so we were in the frontal camp?
Cloud Dragon Li: Second Battalion Commander, take out my spaghetti to let Black Star try[1]
Intelligent Cold Monarch: Be reasonable, this time, the Army Commander can be described as… handsome!
Gallery Sister: Black Star is still Black Star. He never lets us down!
Fawkes: Where's 'Galaxy Times'? Come out to get beaten up. You said that it's gonna be a mission, so why did it become a cutscene instead?
Daydreamer: Am I the only one that cares about how the Army Commander and the Mechanic Emperor tied?
Throughout the posts on the screen, there was basically a wave of praise. Some of the older players gave the newbies a run down on the deeds that Black Star had done, such as solving the Mutation Disaster, destroying the DarkStar organization, and so on.
Even after several versions, Han Xiao's image in the eyes of the players was still magnificent, and this time, his merits once again raised the players' perception of him, giving birth to a consensus.
Black Star is really a noble man! In addition to faction interests, if the leader of a faction had a charming personality, the players would also have a sense of identity.
As soon as the public announcement was released, everyone that was concerned about the progress of the Intelligent Plague was relieved.
This achievement allowed Han Xiao's reputation to rise to the top for a while, whereas Manison's reputation was struck down by the deliberate suppression.
At the same time, Han Xiao's fleet had just passed through the dynasty's military stargate, leaving the Ancient Star Desert. He also saw the official announcement of the three Universal Civilizations.
"Tsk, the three Universal Civilizations' representatives are really skilled in the act of raising one while kicking down another."
Han Xiao read the news happily. He just loved it when people praised him.
At that moment, he suddenly had a thought and opened his interface to take a look.
With the three Universal Civilizations basically completing the elimination of the first-generation Virtual Mutiny Virus, only an unsuspecting ending was left. Thus, when the announcement was made, the Intelligent Plague mission finally changed to 'Completed'.
The mission can finally be turned in.
Han Xiao turned his head to look at Harrison, whom he had brought onto the spaceship, rubbing him before choosing to accept the mission completion reward.
S-Ranked Mission: Intelligent Plague has been completed!
Mission Rating: S (Perfect)
You have obtained 300 billion experience, x8 Random Rewards, 35,000 Crimson Dynasty Contribution Points, 15,000 Federation of Light Contribution Points, and 15,000 Arcane Church Contribution Points.
You have gained x2 Political Assets (The Crimson Dynasty), x1 Political Asset (Federation of Light), and xi Political Asset (Arcane Church).
You have obtained x4 Legendary Points.
Star Field Legendary Point (Ancient Star Desert): (Black Market's Giant Croc] – Through various means and methods, you temporarily unified the black market organizations of the Ancient Star Desert, leaving behind a frightening legend.
Universe Legendary Point: [Intelligent Plague's Curer] – The Intelligent Plague is a universe level disaster on the level of complete annihilation. You accepted the invites from the three Universal Civilizations to treat the disaster and finally made a unique contribution to successfully solve the disaster. The whole universe will remember your achievements and contributions!
Universe Legendary Point: (Galaxy's Guardian) – You had to choose between selfish desires or righteousness. For choosing the latter, your choice has maintained the peace of the universe and affected the evolution of the entire universe. Perhaps this is a turning point in your destiny. You are always watching and guarding Galaxy, and the people all know it. Universe Legendary Point: (Special Security Consultant for the Three Universal Civilizations] – You have been invited to become a special consultant for the three Universal Civilizations. This is unprecedented, and no matter how the situation evolves, you will leave behind a rich and colorful stroke in history.
Dungeon Copy Created: Intelligent Plague (Simulated Disaster)
Han Xiao nodded. The rewards up to this point were still within his calculations. After all, this was an S-level mission, and he had even achieved a perfect evaluation. The rewards were bound to be huge. It was just that Han Xiao got stunned the moment he continued reading.
Given that your mission rating has achieved S, you have received extra reward You have received a new skill: Blueprint – Domino Virus (Damaged)!
You have completed the special mission requirement: Personally destroying the virus core Generating a related specialty… generation complete.
You have received a new talent, (Virtual Purification, Restore]!
"What?"
Han Xiao's eyes widened, staring blankly at the reward of (Blueprint: Domino Virus (Damaged)].
This was not an extra reward for the completion of the special mission requirements but a normal reward obtained when the S ranked mission reached the highest rating. This meant that only those who had made great contributions in disaster relief could obtain this reward.
After toiling so hard to resolve the intelligent plague, the mission actually gave me a damaged blueprint of the virus technology, allowing me to recreate it…
He suddenly felt a great wave of irony.
I didn't expect that, after so many twists and turns, this virus technology was actually not destroyed and has landed in my hands… even though it's a damaged remnant.
Looking at the content of this blueprint, Han Xiao's expression was conflicted. He did not know if he should be happy.
[1] This phrase originates from the movie Al, loosely translated as Bright Sword.
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Chapter 1124 Spy
The mission reward was the incomplete version of the Domino Virus blueprint, so a lot of key content was missing. A lot of deduction had to be done to put the blueprint into production, and the results of those deductions might not be the same as the original version. It's very troublesome to deduce complete blueprints at this level from the incomplete version. Sure, I can use Awakening Points to speed it up, but that seems a bit wasteful. I'll be better off slowly working my way through it.
Fate was really unpredictable. He had thought that the Domino Virus was destroyed, but the technology still ended up in his hands. The entire outside world thought that he had destroyed the Domino Virus, so there was no way Han Xiao could just expose the fact that he had this technology. Otherwise, the results would definitely be the exact opposite of the treatment he was receiving now.
Furthermore, the core material of it was a thousand mutated artificial intelligence lives, which was not easy to find. Manison had a lot of them, but it was certainly not realistic for him to purchase any from him right after having a fight with him. Plus, Manison might notice something even if he could purchase any from him.
Therefore, this technology could not be shown to the world for a very long time. He might only use it when facing enemies like the World Tree civilization.
Now that I think about it, it seems logical for Mechanic Emperor not to use the Domino Virus during the World Tree war in the previous life.
Han Xiao suddenly figured it out.
Unless the situation of the war was totally one-sided and unwinnable, even if he could obtain the upper hand with this kind of weapon, he would still be surrounded by trouble after victory.
Perhaps, in his previous life, the Mechanic Emperor saw the Domino Virus as something similar to the Hand of Death System. When the three Universal Civilizations really had no way of winning the war, only then might he release the Domino Virus. He would then use his tons of Lord's Avatars and mechanical armies to utilize guerrilla warfare tactics against the World Tree Civilization.
Han Xiao recalled something else. In his previous life, having considered the possibility of losing the war, the three Universal Civilizations executed the 'Tinder Operation'. They sent a large group of wandering fleets out and far away from the explored universe. At the same time, they built tons of refugee shelters deep inside the secondary dimensions, which stored intelligent life forms, crops, and flora and fauna samples, ensuring that the civilization could be rebuilt after losing the war.
He wondered if the Mechanic Emperor had his eyes on those refugees. Could his plan have been to start anew after losing the war, escape faraway, and build a world in which he was the god of creation?
If his final goal was to rule the entire world, this might really seem like the most feasible path.
Han Xiao let his imagination run wild for a while before focusing on the matter at hand again. He closed the introduction of [Blueprint: Domino Virus (Incomplete)] and looked at the related talent he had just obtained.
(Virtual Purification-Restore) could purify the artificial intelligence target that was infected by viruses. The Virtual Mutiny Virus, for example, rewrote the fundamental logic of machines into killing organic life forms, and this talent's effect would clear that modification and restore the target's normal fundamental logic.
Simply put, if those artificial intelligences were considered hypnotized when their fundamental logic was modified, this ability would wake them up. At the same time, this ability was not limited to the Domino Virus; it could restore any type of virtual virus.
Han Xiao's eyes sparkled. This is going to be very useful in virtual battles. The Mechanic Emperor is probably going to cry when facing this.
If his control of the mechanical army was taken away, he could just use this talent and directly regain control from the enemy.
However, given his current strength, there was almost no one who could take away his control of his mechanical troops. The only one Han Xiao could think of was the Mechanic Emperor.
Speaking of which, Manison controls his artificial intelligence civilization through rewriting their fundamental logic too, like what the ancestor of that civilization, Finette, is experiencing. This talent is going to give him a huge problem.
Han Xiao scratched his head and thought of the [Reboot) series mission that had been collecting dust for a very long time at the bottom of his mission list.
It looks like I just got the key to liberate that artificial intelligence civilization.
If I find an opportunity to use this on Manison's AI civilization, his Indestructible Mechanic Empire might totally go out of control.
Also, since a portion of Manison's elite forces were created by transforming living bodies, he might have used virtual means to twist their minds, so (Virtual Purification-Restore] might be effective on them too. When a certain level was reached, virtual methods that could be used on living things would actually have a lot of similarities to soul-related spells.
To take it one step further, this might even be effective on the World Tree, even more so than the Domino Virus…
Recalling how the World Tree operated, Han Xiao pondered.
The blueprint and the talent were the biggest rewards he had obtained. Universal Grade S missions sure gave generous reward.
He also received a total of four Political Assets that came from all the three Universal Civilizations. This meant that after this incident, his words would carry weight even in the federation and the church. At the same time, the EXP bonus he received increased once again.
Han Xiao glanced at the (Intelligent Plague (Disaster Simulation)] Dungeon. This was a special type of Dungeon. It no longer worked through intercepting a part of this incident but through selecting a certain area, and the dungeon would simulate what happened in this area during the Intelligent Plague outbreak. The difficulty depended on the area.
For example, if the selected area was the Black Star Army headquarters, the difficulty would almost be impossible. If the area was a normal colonial planet of a normal Star System civilization, the difficulty would be around Grade B or Grade C. If the area was a sealed battleship, it might turn into a horror movie.
This Dungeon should have a good market, especially for the Mechanics. Han Xiao saw quite a good business future.
Also, the large amount of EXP awarded to him filled up his empty wallet, and the total 65,000 Contribution Points for the three Universal Civilizations could not only be used to exchange for Ultimate Knowledges but also Gold blueprints. The three Universal Civilizations had already opened this option up to him.
Speaking of Gold blueprints, Han Xiao suddenly thought of the Holy Accord and the federation. These two were making deals with him, but it was put aside temporarily because the Intelligent Plague suddenly erupted. There was no need to worry about the federation; they definitely would not forget about it. What he was mainly concerned about was the Holy Accord organization. The date they previously agreed on was voided, and Oathkeeper did not leave any means of contact, so he could only wait for Oathkeeper to come looking for him.
After going through the rewards, Han Xiao closed the interface and contacted the headquarters. The fleet had already left the Ancient Star Desert and could now communicate with the outside world freely. He had been out for a few months, so he wanted to know what was going on in the army.
The communication got picked up very soon. Sylvia's projection appeared before him, wearing exquisite makeup on her elegant face and a simple work uniform that highlighted her exceptional curves. She seemed to be in the middle of a meeting, and she was surprised to see Han Xiao.
"Teacher, you finally got released?"
"Erm, yeah." Han Xiao gave her a weird expression. Why did you say it in a way that sounds like I just got out of prison?
"I've seen the news. The decision you made was marvelous." Sylvia praised him. "The entire army is now praising your virtue, and the army is more united than ever. The director from that time wants to sign the contract for five more follow up movies. Since you're not here, I didn't reply to him."
"Tell him yes, and Feidin will still be the lead, so he has something to do."
Han Xiao waved his hand. Suddenly, he realized that Sylvia was wearing a pair of frameless spectacles, adding a well-educated lady vibe to her, so he asked, "Why are you wearing spectacles?"
Sylvia blushed a little. She took off the spectacles and showed them to him. On the inside of the glass was a single-sided screen. Embarrassed, she said, "Meetings are sometimes boring, so I use these to watch shows…"
"… Have you gotten close with Lagi recently?"
"Nonsense, I hate him the most!" Sylvia firmly denied it.
Han Xiao did not want to make a fuss about his subordinates slacking at work, so he changed the topic and asked, "By the way, how's the Black Star Cup going?"
"Well, due to the impact of the Intelligent Plague, the audience rating of the Black Star Cup decreased somewhat, but it's maintained its popularity. At this point of time, most of the secondary competitions are already finished. The army's elites in various areas have already been selected… er, the card players don't count." Sylvia paused momentarily. "Currently, only the finals of a few important items are left. They're the battles of the various Grades…"
Han Xiao listened to Sylvia's report while nodding and saying, "Not bad, not bad."
He did not have many forms of entertainment in the Ancient Star Desert, so he was looking at the forums every day and paying attention to the Black Star Cup. As the competition carried on, the only ones left were the elites of elites. The players had made a name for themselves among the NPCs, so they felt a strong sense of achievement and became very passionate about the event. The popularity of Black Star Cup remained high and comparable to the official Pro League.
Him not being present did not impact the Black Star Cup at all, only causing disappointment to some people who wanted to produce his Character Summon Card when facing crucial matches.
"Teacher, the closing ceremony of the Black Star Cup needs you to make a speech, don't forget. Will you make it back in time?".
"Hmm, definitely." Han Xiao then changed the topic and asked, "Has anything major happened in the army recently? How's the situation in the Flickering World?"
"There are more and more people entering the new Star Field, the explored area of the free competition zone has already extended to the center of the various Star Clusters, and the territory of the Super Star Cluster Alliance has been increasing. Other than that, there are no other changes. Deputy Army Commander Hila is also slowly exploring with the fleet… By the way, she took leave some time ago, saying she had to go to the secondary dimensions, and told me to inform you."
"Got it." Han Xiao nodded. Ever since Hila inherited the Underworld dimension, she had been going there every few days. Now that a few months had passed, the Underworld dimension had probably stabilized. He wondered if Hila was sucked dry.
As Hila was brought up, Han Xiao was reminded of another matter.
"How's the Holy Light Emissary plan going?"
rec
"Very smoothly. Other than recruiting ordinary people, we've also recruited many people to cultivate the Holy Light Seeds and let Aurora harvest them after the seeds mature. These people have already signed contracts before starting work, so there won't be any problems."
"Very good, increase the number of cultivators as much as possible," Han Xiao said. He was hoping Aurora could grow fast by harvesting leeks, so of course, the bigger the leek field, the better.
Then, he paused and said, "I've made a huge contribution this time. The three Universal Civilizations have decided to work with me and provide heavy support in multiple major Star Fields…"
Han Xiao explained the details of the support the three Universal Civilizations were about to provide, and Sylvia soon turned moody.
"So, my workload has increased again?"
"Tsk, buddy, your resolve isn't strong enough." Han Xiao criticized her with a serious tone. "You need to have a more positive mindset. Having a wider work scope and heavier workload means you now have more power in your hands, right?"
As if I'd believe you! Sylvia chuckled with absolutely zero emotion.
Hearing her laughter, Han Xiao nodded with satisfaction. Just look at how happy she is, her face is basically covered with joy.
He then glanced at Sylvia's hairline and was relieved.
After his many years of experience, the hairline of his subordinates was equivalent to their durability. It looked like this student of his could still last quite a long time.
The two of them chattered for a while, and Sylvia suddenly thought of something.
"By the way, yesterday, there was a political talk show that wanted to invite you as their guest to discuss this Intelligent Plague incident. Do you want to go?"
"What show?"
"That 'Ruden's Show' that's quite popular."
"No, no." Han Xiao waved his hand.
With the three Universal Civilizations helping him to promote himself, he did not have to do it personally. Keeping a certain amount of mystery and distance would be more beneficial for his reputation.
"Alright, I'll refuse him then."
Han Xiao gave Sylvia a few words before hanging up.
The Intelligent Plague was a sudden incident. Without it, the three Universal Civilizations would definitely be preparing to deal with the Super Star Cluster Alliance. Now, this had been postponed. The Intelligent Plague had given the Super Star Cluster Alliance time to catch their breath.
After the three Universal Civilizations were done with the Intelligent Plague completely, they would then start fighting with the Super Star Cluster Alliance like they did in his previous life. This time, the Super Star Cluster Alliance was more prepared, so the fight would definitely be more intense. The results of that would decide the path the universe took.
As a semi-independent force, his fight with the Mechanic Emperor in the development union would definitely be dragged into this storm too. He had to prepare early.
Hu!
While he was thinking about this matter, the sound of the air moving abnormally suddenly appeared beside him.
Han Xiao looked up and saw clusters of black flames appearing out of nowhere, forming a man wearing a black coat whose face could not be seen clearly, which suddenly appeared before him. It was indeed the Holy Accord's Oathkeeper's spiritual projection. Han Xiao looked around and saw that all the crew in the bridge command room including Harrison did not react to Oathkeeper at all, as if they could not see him.
"We meet again, Black Star," Oathkeeper said. His voice sounded right in Han Xiao's mind. They had formed a mind link.
"You're on time, coming here right after I've left the Ancient Star Desert." Han Xiao caressed his chin and asked through the mind link, "Speaking of which, why can you use your spiritual projection on me directly? Do you know my whereabouts?"
"This is the specialty of my Esper Ability," Oathkeeper said slowly. "There are no two exactly the same souls in the world, especially strong individuals. Souls are very easy to identify. As long as I record the characteristics of your soul, I can trace the target in a higher dimension and use spiritual projection on you right away. Of course, it's only limited to that. I can't figure out where the target is in the real world."
Han Xiao was not surprised.
The Beyond Grade A leader of a mysterious organization that had stayed hidden for so many years definitely had some tricks up his sleeves.
"You contacted me to continue our trade previously, right? Trading a part of two Primal Esper Abilities and two Universal Treasure blueprints for a part of the Holy Light Particle."
"That's right," Oathkeeper replied with a deep voice.
Due to the Intelligent Plague, the deal was postponed for a few months, which he was actually happy about. He had used these few months to focus on finding the spy in the Holy Accord.
Sadly, the act of looking for a spy made everyone in the organization uneasy and worried, but he did not even find the slightest trace of a spy.
It was either that the spy hid too well, or Black Star's information did not come from a spy.
Day by day, Oathkeeper became more suspicious about whether a spy really existed. Hence, he temporarily stopped the investigation.
"Then let's decide on another date…" Han Xiao suddenly thought of something and asked casually, "By the way, you guys have a long history, so you should know about a lot of secret information, right?"
"Depends.""Then… have you guys heard about the Sanctum?"
"…" Oathkeeper was totally unprepared and was startled by this question. His mind was filled with shock.
This is a test, right? This must be a test!
Didn't you say you don't know our purpose the last time?
Liar!
His initially shaken resolve became extremely firm once again.
There's definitely a spy!
Find him! Find him no matter what!
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Chapter 1125 Information About the Sanctum
Oathkeeper tried his best to suppress the shock in his mind and keep his mind frequency stable, so Han Xiao would not find out he panicked.
He observed Han Xiao's expression and mind frequency, but he could not see any mockery from him, only curiosity.
Did Black Star ask about the Sanctum because he knew the Holy Accord's plans, or did he hear about this name somewhere else? There were not that many people who knew about the Sanctum throughout the entire universe.
Oathkeeper's emotions were like a tiny boat in the raging sea. He maintained his cool as much as possible. He acted casual and asked, "Where did you hear about the Sanctum?"
"Someone told me." Han Xiao casually liedno way he was going to tell the truth.
"Who?" Oathkeeper continued asking. "There are very, very few people in the entire universe that know about the existence of the Sanctum. Even advanced civilizations might not."
Since Black Star had mentioned the name 'Sanctum', Oathkeeper knew that Black Star definitely had some kind of knowledge about it. If he acted like he did not know about the Sanctum, he might lose out on the opportunity of finding out how much Han Xiao actually knew.
"Well… if I say it's intuition, will you believe me?"
Han Xiao had no choice but to use the jack of all trades of excuses. Although it was not very convincing, he did not plan to convince Oathkeeper anyway.
However, to his surprise, Oathkeeper nodded softly and did not continue asking any more questions. It was as if this was the right answer. Oathkeeper then said, "This is indeed a simple way of sensing the Sanctum, but it's not within one's control, and it's very blurry. Only individuals who reached a certain level in the hierarchy of life can maybe, somehow, possibly build an extremely weak link with the Sanctum, occasionally witnessing its blurry outline when connected with the universe. However, your senses are countless dimensions apart from it, and you will never come into contact with it. The most you'll experience will only be mumbling beside your ears in the ancient language…"
Han Xiao was stunned.
Excuse me, what's going on buddy? What's with this theology explanation?
Hearing what Oathkeeper was saying, Han Xiao did not know if he should believe him. He really did have no idea of what the Sanctum was, and he had only brought it up today with the attitude of trying his luck. However, it looked like the Holy Accord really did know about the Sanctum.
"Stop the nonsense. Can you say something that I can understand?"
Han Xiao could not take it anymore and interrupted.
Oathkeeper went silent for a moment, seemingly hesitating over whether he should expose any information. After contemplating, he decided that sharing some basic information would not hurt, so he slowly said, "The Sanctum… is an ancient existence. No one knows when it appeared. It might be even more ancient than the three Universal Civilizations. One can only sense or even come into contact with it during special timings using specific methods."
Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.
He had finally met someone who knew anything about the Sanctum, so he was not going to give up the opportunity.
"Then, what is the Sanctum? Where is it?"
Hearing this, Oathkeeper looked at Han Xiao with a strange expression. Seeing that Han Xiao did not look like he was faking it, he asked, "You don't know?"
"Why would I ask you if I did?" Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. What he knew about the Holy Accord was limited only to the surface; he really did not know about the Holy Accord and the Sanctum's connection. Therefore, he had no idea that he coincidentally asked the right question and horrified Oathkeeper.
Hearing this, Oathkeeper finally was relieved and glad.
It seems like Black Star really doesn't know about our plan. Did I misunderstand? Could there be no spies and Black Star got the information from somewhere else?
While thinking that, Oathkeeper continued speaking. "The Sanctum is not in the material world, nor is it in the secondary dimensions. In fact, it does not have a geographical location. I don't know how to define the Sanctum either, but I think it's more like a phenomenon."
"A phenomenon?" Han Xiao asked curiously.
"Yes, a phenomenon."
Han Xiao waited for Oathkeeper to carry on, but Oathkeeper had no intention to.
The two of them looked at each other, and the conversation got cut off. Seeing this, Han Xiao knew that Oathkeeper was not willing to continue on this topic, so he changed the question and asked, "So, what's inside the sanctum?"
The two of them continued to look at each other.
"How many Sanctums are there in total?"
This time, Oathkeeper replied. "Six."
Han Xiao was a little stunned. This answer was not what he expected.
He asked a few more questions such as how to find the Sanctums, how to open the Sanctums, and so on. Without exception, Oathkeeper said nothing about any of that.
This guy definitely knows more, but he's just not willing to share any key information. Hence, the Sanctums are definitely something very important… although I still don't know what their uses are.
This thought flashed past his mind. Seeing that he could not obtain any more information from Oathkeeper, Han Xiao ended the Sanctum topic and went back to their deal. They decided on a new date, location, and method of the deal and agreed on it.
Having achieved what he had come for, Oathkeeper's silhouette exploded, turned into flowers of black flame, and dissipated.
Han Xiao sensed around, made sure that Oathkeeper had left, then caressed his chin and started pondering.
The Holy Accord organization seems to know about a lot of secrets. I might have to think of a way to get more information from them. The only way of contacting them now is when Oathkeeper contacts me, so I'm a little passive in this respect. During the deal, I can try tracing their emissary… By the way, there are six Sanctums?
are
Han Xiao was confused. This was different from what he had guessed. He originally thought there were only five Sanctums. Why six?
However, Oathkeeper was very ambiguous on this matter and was not willing to share any more information.
He had an idea.
After the deal is done, I can consider bringing up their intention to revive the Primordial Ones. Maybe I can use that in exchange for information about the Sanctums, counting it as the price for keeping my mouth shut.
Inside the secret temple in the Holy Accord organization base, Oathkeeper, who was floating in midair with his legs crossed, deactivated his spiritual projection. The clusters of flames floating around him went back into his body.
"How did it go?"
Law and Fay were waiting below and looking up at their boss.
"Black Star was friendly. The deal has been reestablished," Oathkeeper said slowly. "Prepare our chips. The method of the deal remains the same as planned, so we won't be tracked by Black Star."
"Understood." The two of them nodded.
Oathkeeper nodded and said with a tone that was a little grave but had some anticipation in it, "Due to the information state disturbance Destiny's Child talked about, the promised day has been brought forward. After we acquire the Holy Light Particle, we'll prepare to activate the Third Sanctum and the awakening ceremony. Thousand Shadows' Esper Ability is the foundation of the fusion. We have no time to wait for him to completely transform, so we'll have to start finishing it."
While speaking, Oathkeeper's eyes looked like they were staring deep into the universe.
"It's time to fulfill my promise and welcome the return of history."
"The spy…" The two of them brought the matter up at possibly the worst timing. Oathkeeper's emotions were interrupted. He ground his teeth and said with frustration, "Humph, stop looking for one. I might have been mistaken."
In the Underworld dimension, the shattered black floating islands had assembled together into a black land. It looked like a flowing desert, sometimes with tall mountains, sometimes with deep cliffs. Its terrain kept changing
In the sky, heavy black clouds covered the sky, some darker and some lighter. A pale white sphere of light floated in the middle of the sky like a moon. Its gently silver light penetrated the clouds, illuminating the land. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful.
More than half a year had passed since Hila started to refill the dimension's core energy. The broken space walls there were already repaired, and the chaotic space streams were blocked out. It was no longer in a horrible and heavily damaged state. This was what the Underworld dimension should really look like.
At the heart of the Underworld was a red lake. There was no wind, only high tides. When looking at it more closely, this was made of highly condensed and almost liquid formed energy. It was indeed Hila's death energy.
At this time, the piercing bright red had tints of faint black. This came from the Underworld and was applied on Hila through the Mark of the Underworld. Her connection with the Underworld enhanced the strength of her Esper Ability tremendously. This was the inheritance of the former death energy Esper, which was given to Hila and made her much stronger.
Above the bright red lake, Hila was floating in midair with her legs crossed. She was surrounded by faint red energy, her eyes were closed tight, and her eyelashes were shaking. She was releasing her energy and giving it to the Underworld.
At this time, Onicelu appeared beside Hila.
"Your connection with me is stronger." Hila opened her eyes and said with an expressionless face, "How much have you recovered after absorbing my energy for a few months?"
"About three percent, more than enough to fight against the chaotic space streams of the secondary dimensions." "So little?" Hila frowned.
"After all, the energy of the Underworld comes from two Esper Abilities. If the vital energy Esper reaches Beyond Grade A and feeds the Underworld energy together with you, it will cause resonance and increase the speed of the Underworld's recovery tremendously. You're the only one now, so of course, it won't be as efficient," Onicelu said with a smile.
"I see…" Hila suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, since the Underworld is stable now, can the souls of the Hero Spirits be released?"
"Well, they can be, but it's too early, so I don't suggest you do that." Onicelu shook her head. "This is the graveyard of Hero Spirits. There are a lot of souls here. Their activities will consume the energy of the Underworld. The stronger the Hero Spirits were when they were alive, the more energy they will consume, which will decrease the speed of the Underworld's recovery even further. Before the Underworld recovers to thirty percent and the stable way of putting them to sleep is recovered, it's best to keep them sleeping."
"So, you're saying there's not enough power output now?"
"You can say that."
Hila sighed. Although the Underworld was powerful, there was a long way to go till it reached its peak, so it would take a very long time before she could summon Hero Spirit warriors like the founders.
This time, Hila suddenly got curious and asked, "Speaking of which, the Underworld can let the souls of the past temporarily awaken and let them come to this world again, so are there any other ways to let dead people appear in this world again?"
Hearing this, Onicelu searched her memories for a while then said with uncertainty, "When Nerkese and Eros, the two old masters, were still alive, I seem to recall hearing them speak about a special phenomenon related to the dead reviving.""Really? What's that?" Hila asked.
"It's something called the Sanctum, I think… The two masters had an argument because of it once, and they hardly brought it up after that. It seems like someone invited them on a mission related to the Sanctum. I don't know the details, but they rejected it."
"So, what is the Sanctum? Is it similar to the Underworld?"
"No idea. I don't know much about it. I only overheard their conversation. However, from what I've heard, the Sanctum is very powerful, and reviving the dead is only one of its functions." Onicelu shook her head.
"I see…"
Hila shook her head. She was only casually asking, so she was not too concerned. However, Onicelu thought about it for a while and said, "If you're very curious, there are some Hero Spirits of Primordial Ones in the Underworld. They might know something. However, if you wake them up, you won't be able to force them to go back to sleep." "Never mind then. I'll think about it when they can go back to sleep after being woken up. There's no hurry."
Hila shook her head.
She memorized the information about the Sanctum and planned to share it with Black Star to discuss it.
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Chapter 1126 Stuarts Peace Prize
The three Universal Civilizations' official announcement quickly spread across all the Star Fields and resolved the panic and unease of the galactic society brought by the Intelligent Plague. Although most civilizations and races were displeased with how the three Universal Civilizations did some things, they still had strong trust in the three Universal Civilizations when it came to matters that involved the safety of the entire explored universe. They could always make people feel assured.
Before the impact of the announcement was gone, the three Universal Civilizations officially opened up the Ancient Star Desert in less than a month, connecting this Star Field with the galactic society once again. The first-generation Virtual Mutiny Virus was mostly wiped out. The three Universal Civilizations installed special firewalls in various Star Fields. Without the virus core, these viruses could no longer cause a problem. They would completely disappear with time, so the threat was already defused.
Word from the Ancient Star Desert got out along with it, revealing many more details than in the three Universal Civilizations' announcement. The passion and interest of the galactic residents rose once again.
Han Xiao paid attention to the public opinion of the galactic society on the way back. It was almost all compliments of the three Universal Civilizations and the Beyond Grade A Mechanics with him at the top of it, mixed with criticism of 'Mechanic Emperor' Manison and complaints about the order of the area.
During the Intelligent Plague, the various Star Fields were not peaceful. Most problems were caused by local rebellious forces attempting to incite panic but were all stopped by merciless methods. As for those mercenaries who tried to smuggle the virus out of the Ancient Star Desert, most of them entered the prisons of the three Universal Civilizations, while the rest all became wanted criminals.
Public opinion was going in an excellent direction. There were not many negative opinions, or the negative opinions were censored
Like sharks that smelled blood, the galactic media groups of the various areas swarmed to the Ancient Star Desert and visited the various planets, digging for more detailed information about what happened during the pandemic. In a short time, they produced a large number of themed shows to compete for attention, which was approved by the three Universal Civilizations behind the curtains.
Their power came from obedience. The three Universal Civilizations had just done something great and heroic—this was the time the media's compliments and discussions were needed so that their positions as the rulers would be firmer and receive more recognition. The Black Star Army fleet carrying Han Xiao and the others had only arrived at the Shattered Star Ring through the dynasty's military stargates when the dynasty sent someone to contact Han Xiao right away.
"An award ceremony?"
Han Xiao heard this from the dynasty's exploration marshal, Tarrokov.
"That's right. Led by the three Universal Civilizations, the explored universe has once again defused a universal disaster. This will undoubtedly be written in the history books. As for the heroes who aided in defusing the disaster, we'll be hosting a large-scale award ceremony to emphasize what they've done and reward them. Of course, you're on the invitation list." Han Xiao was not unfamiliar with this. Although he felt this was a rather formal event, he knew that events like this had to be held.
"Okay, where will the award ceremony be held? When? I'm not going to have to make a trip to the Central Galaxy, am I? I've only just returned to my headquarters."
"The three Universal Civilizations will be hosting the award ceremony together, so to keep up with the times and make it more convenient for all the Beyond Grade As to attend, it's been decided that it'll be held in the new Star Field, the Flickering World. The date is in three months, so there's plenty of time."
"Convenient, indeed." Han Xiao nodded. Suddenly, he kept his voice down and asked with a mysterious tone, "Tell me, have you guys finished preparing to target the Super Star Cluster Alliance? When are you guys going to do it?"
"I don't think this is a suitable time to talk about that…" Tarrokov coughed. He also kept his voice down and said, "Anyway, the three Universal Civilizations will only consider redistributing the Super Star Cluster Alliance's territories after the fourth phase of the free competition zone's exploration finishes, not taking them back but sharing them with free organizations and other civilizations… Maybe an excuse similar to the 'New Star Field Anti-Monopolization Exploration Regulations' will be made as the reason."
Pot calling the kettle black… Han Xiao curled his lips. This was what happened in his previous life, so he was not surprised. "Speaking of which, before you opened up the Ancient Star Desert, did you guys do anything to the Super Star Cluster civilizations there?"
"We really didn't this time, and you understand why… However, although we did not make an attempt on them, we left a lot of eyes and ears behind, closely monitoring the whereabouts of the military and resources of civilizations like the Star Arc Civilization, all to prepare for the conflict that might occur soon," Tarrokov explained.
"Tsk, evil," Han Xiao joked.
"You're one to talk." Tarrokov rolled his eyes. "Don't think I don't know. I heard quite a lot of rumors from the intelligence department that you left quite a lot of things in the Ancient Star Desert's black market." "You and I both." Han Xiao did not mind.
The two of them were already old friends who had known each other for many years. They joked around for a while and prepared to end the communication.
This time, Tarrokov suddenly thought of something and said, "If you have the time, you can go and watch this show. My colleagues in the public opinion management department seem to have sent some of your information over."
After the call ended, Han Xiao received a link from Tarrokov.
An episode of a political talk show appeared on the virtual screen. It seemed quite recent. This was a show similar to Ruden's Show, but it was more authentic and official. It was called Focus Talk, targeted at people with higher positions in society.
This episode was about the Intelligent Plague. It analyzed the impact the Intelligent Plague had on the Ancient Star Desert. Han Xiao fast-forwarded for a while and finally saw his name.
A well-dressed Godoran was speaking fluently on the show. The subtitles below said this was an advanced researcher of galactic society, a scholar.
"… Before Black Star left Planet Aquamarine, the Godoran Civilization had already heard of him. With our very own eyes, we saw this powerful neighbor, the Black Star Army, rise step by step. We even fought alongside them. The Black Star Army has gotten past the growing stage, and it's not difficult to notice they're trying hard to take on more responsibility in society from the recent Black Star Cup, the Holy Light Emissary project, and the Intelligent Plague.
"Although Black Star is a universe-level warlord, his principles are different from the others. Currently, he controls a large number of resources, and instead of simply keeping all of them to himself, he seems more passionate about using these resources to maintain and improve the environment of the universe. The other Beyond Grade A warlords make us feel afraid and fearful, but toward Black Star, we mostly feel admiration and reverence. He gives us a completely different image, reducing the instinctive fear the galactic residents have toward those strongest individuals in the universe. Perhaps this is this source of his extraordinary affinity…"
While Han Xiao was enjoying his compliments, the images changed, and his deeds flashed past the screen one after another, accompanied by a serious narrator summarizing the events. It sounded quite like an official news segment.
Very soon, the recent events were brought up. This show was able to get their hands on the exclusive first-hand video footage of the confrontation on Planet Magnetic Cloud and played it to the entire universe.
So, this was the promotional material the dynasty sent.
The video captured him fighting Manison in a third-person view. He heard himself saying that sentence again, and it got a close-up.
"… This universe has an end no matter how enormous it is, but ambition has no limits."
Han Xiao stared at the screen and smirked.
He had to admit that at this instant, he looked very handsome in the video.
The dynasty probably sent this video out because they felt that this scene was beneficial to improving his public image.
The next moment, the narration ended, and the scene changed to a grand office. The interviewer changed into someone very famous too. The subtitles showed that this person was the president of the Stuarts Committee.
Kraber Peterhius, a tenured professor of the Federation of Light's Advanced Supreme Science and Technology Institute, principal of the Truth Academy, winner of 'Stars' and Heller's Eye medals… There were so many titles that the subtitles had to keep rolling down to display all of them.
The Stuarts Committee was not some little organization but had an extremely long history and superior position. Its founder was the founder of the Energy Rank theory, Professor Stuarts Ona, traditionally known as the 'Father of Supers'.
In his late years, he founded an award under his name. It was used to reward professionals who had made a huge achievement in various areas. The committee was the organization that managed and assessed the award. It was similar to the Nobel Prize in Han Xiao's past life, but this was even more impressive and had been going on for thousands of years.
Every year, the three Universal Civilizations and the advanced civilizations would provide sponsorships. The Stuarts Award maintained absolutely neutral. The assessment of their award was affected by any political or economic factors. The award was given out once every three years. It could not really be considered the most anticipated event, but it was very prestigious. Kraber stroked his neatly combed gray braided beard, smiled at the camera, and said, "Black Star is an extremely powerful individual, as well as a respectable scientist. Not mentioning his capabilities, I also respect his philosophy. I'm a scientist, too, and I know very well of the overflowing desire and curiosity we scientists have about the unknown. No one knows better than me how much perseverance it takes to personally destroy unknown technology. I admire Black Star, and I believe he deserves to be the first shared Special Safety Consultant of the three Universal Civilizations more than anyone.
"I can let you guys know a little bit of information from behind the curtains. The Stuarts Committee has already received a lot of members' nominations for Black Star's Peace Prize. As a nominee of this year's Stuarts Peace Prize, Black Star has received a lot of support. From my personal perspective, I have high hopes for him. He's made a huge contribution to the universe."
Kraber did not hide his admiration for Han Xiao at all. At the end of the interview, he made a brief summary.
"In the future, when we look back and study this history, we might see the choice Black Star made today as the turning point of this era. He might have affected the path of the entire world."
Han Xiao let out a deep breath.
He had heard of the Stuarts Award, but something so high class, of course, had nothing to do with the players in his previous life.
If I win the Stuarts Peace Prize of this year, it'll probably be another Universe Legendary Point. The dynasty really isn't holding back on promoting me.
Han Xiao chuckled in his mind. He was very satisfied with how the three Universal Civilizations promoted him.
With so many honors gifted to him, they could be seen as a defensive aura that could deflect damage. If anyone attacked him, that person would certainly become a public enemy and lose a lot of reputation. Even if the federation and the church wanted to do something to him again, they would have to first dirty his image, otherwise even they would have to think twice about if the reputation drop was worth it.
Beep beep… At this time, he received a communication request.
Han Xiao looked at it, and to his surprise, it was a call from Ames.
As he picked it up, the projection of the beautiful Ames, who was wearing a black dress, appeared before him. Her arms were crossed, and her lips were slightly lifted.
"I saw the video. You copied me."
"Haha, just suddenly thought of it."
"Looks like you paid attention to what I said." Ames narrowed her eyes with overflowing happiness in them. Clearly, she was in a very good mood.
"I remember most of the things you said." "You really are getting better at talking…" Ames then chuckled softly and said, "I'm not doing anything at home. Have time to visit me?"
"Missed me?"
"Are you coming or not?" Ames slightly raised her brows.
"You've already invited me. How can I possibly not go? Wait for me to arrange my schedule. It's on the way too."
"Hmm, I'll wait for you at home."
Ames stepped forward and raised her hand to touch Han Xiao's cheeks. Sadly, it was just a projection. She then smiled and ended the communication as her projection disappeared.Han Xiao touched his face and shook his head with a smile.
"It's not good to go empty-handed. I should take some gifts…"
It just so happened that the three Universal Civilizations had opened up more resources to him, so he could acquire an Esper Ultimate Knowledge and give it to Ames.
He could then give it to Hila afterward too, killing two birds with one stone.
Also, he had something he had to ask Aesop too. Maybe that knowledgeable old man knew something about the Sanctum, Holy Accord, Oathkeeper, or Manison.
Furthermore, Han Xiao had a feeling.
He felt that if he went to see Ames now, he might receive something surprising.
While thinking of that, Han Xiao looked outside the window, and Harrison just happened to walk by.
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Chapter 1127 Prophecy
Dark blue tail flames extended from the deep cosmic space and brought light to the dark universe. The trail stopped at the dock of the Floating Dragon Island, which was orbiting Planet Aquamarine.
Although they had a lazy leader, Floating Dragon still expanded to having five islands and close to a hundred million residents. Most came from Planet Aquamarine. Staying on Planet Aquamarine's surface meant they had to be ruled by the Aquamarine Federation, but Floating Dragon was a neutral island with no regime, so it was freer. Plus, they could experience galactic society while still being close to their home, so it was a good holiday destination, which was why the tourism industry of Floating Dragon was booming.
The Black Star Army fleet parked on the main dock and immediately attracted the attention of countless people. When Han Xiao walked out from the cabin with a group of subordinates in the Black Star Army uniform, people instantly swarmed over with excitement.
"It really is Black Star!"
"You make us proud!"
"Can you give me an autograph? My grandfather loves you!"
Han Xiao was surrounded by the crowd and could hardly move.
Hearing the noisy yells and feeling the passion from everyone, Han Xiao used his classic smile, which was quite effective and made the crowd even more thrilled.
Most of the people there were born on Planet Aquamarine. They were taught about Black Star from a young age and were almost all admirers of Black Star. Lately, due to the three Universal Civilizations' promotion, his reputation had become extremely positive. He was almost worshipped by Planet Aquamarine's people as an almighty God. This time, the Floating Dragon soldiers who had been waiting for quite some time walked over, split up the crowd, and opened a path.
Jenny approached with an expressionless face. She then said in a tone that completely lacked any emotion or sincerity, "Welcome to Floating Dragon, Your Excellency Black Star."
"You don't sound like I'm that welcomed," Han Xiao joked.
"No, I'm thrilled." With her eyes opened wide, she moved aside and made a 'please' gesture. "Follow me."
The two of them left with their subordinates, leaving the crowd on the dock watching them disappear in their sights. Quite a number of people shot knowing looks at each other. Gossip about Black Star and Ames had been passing around in the Shattered Star Ring for decades, and that was even more so on Planet Aquamarine. Almost everyone knew about it.
There was a reason it started in the first place. Black Star frequently visited Floating Dragon, and Dragon Emperor moved her base to Black Star's home planet. If someone were to say there was nothing between the two of them, not a single person from Planet Aquamarine would believe it.
Han Xiao and Jenny walked at the front and led the others through one street after another, receiving thrilled looks from countless passersby and chatting here and there. Han Xiao glanced at her. "You seem to be in a good mood today."
"Why do you say so?" Jenny wondered.
"Your attitude to me isn't as bad as before."
"…Humph." Jenny snorted softly. "If you liked it, I can go back to that."
She had never liked Black Star, partly because he gave her tons of work and partly because of Ames. However, after watching the recent news, although Jenny never mentioned it, she actually did admire Black Star somewhat. If she continued to be so cold to Black Star, she would not feel good about it.
"Tsk." Han Xiao shook his head. "I liked you more when you were defiant."
Jenny secretly rolled her eyes and did not bother responding to Han Xiao. At this time, they arrived at a junction and heard the sound of dense footsteps, as well as the clear and loud sound of metal rubbing against metal. They looked over and saw a group of Floating Dragon warriors in dark gold heavy armor pushing several creatures from different races that had their heads covered in black cloth. They hastily passed by on the street not far away from them. The pedestrians around quickly stepped out of their way like they were horrified.
These warriors were covered by armor from head to toe, including their faces. They gave off a cold-blooded merciless vibe while walking. There were two symbols on their chest armor. One was Floating Dragon's symbol, and the other was a symbol Han Xiao had never seen before.
"Who are those people? I don't recall seeing them the last time I was here." Han Xiao was curious.
"They're the Hunters. They recently split from Wilsander's law enforcement team and became an independent division," Jenny explained briefly.
Harrison saw that the creatures that were being escorted had dried blood marks on their clothes, so he asked, "What are they going to do to those people?"
As soon as he asked that, Han Xiao and Jenny both turned and glanced at him with a strange expression.
"Wh—What?" Harrison was a little terrified and nervous from being looked at by the two of them.
Jenny did not bother about him but looked at Han Xiao. "Black Star, where did you get this newbie from again? He doesn't seem to know when to speak."
"Don't say that. Harrison is a great kid. He's helped me a lot." Han Xiao did not mind it and smiled. "I like it when you're being mean. It just feels right."
"Humph." Jenny sized Harrison up, waved her hand, and said, "Since you're so curious, why don't we go and take a look? It's not that far anyway."
"Er… can we?" Harrison looked at Han Xiao.
"Go take a look then." Han Xiao nodded. Although he was Harrison's boss now, he would still try to satisfy the tiny requests of someone with Advanced Luck Glow.
The group of them followed after the Hunters and came to the edge of Floating Dragon Island. The translucent light gold protective shield separated them from the vacuum of space right outside. A large crowd had already formed around, but the Hunters did not mind it at all. They did not chase the bystanders away and focused on their tasks. They lined up the people blinded by black cloth in a row and made them kneel down. They then opened up a small part of the light gold protective shield. As an opening was created on the gold shield, the group of people who had no armor got sucked out instantly. They were exposed to the cosmic space and started to struggle in agony, like fish jumping around on the cutting board.
Very soon, these people struggled less and less. A layer of white snow appeared on all of them, and their bodily functions were destroyed by the vacuum. Their faces were hidden under the black cloth, or their twisted facial expressions would have shown as well.
The next moment, the Hunters raised the firearms in their hands and fired simultaneously.
Green beams shot out from their guns, shattering those people who were about to turn into ice sculptures into pieces that drifted out into cosmic space.
"Is this an execution?" Harrison opened his eyes wide. "What crime did they commit? Isn't this too cruel?"
Although he had never come to the Shattered Star Ring, he did some slight research about Floating Dragon when he heard their schedule had changed.
As the Black Star Army's galactic pirate happy little house was too famous, the galactic pirates in the Shattered Star Ring all transferred their business elsewhere. Floating Dragon, too, stopped letting galactic pirates in. This place had become an orderly safe and free city.
He had expected the atmosphere in Floating Dragon to be very positive, but to his surprise, Floating Dragon shockingly carried out death sentences right before countless spectators. This was not something that would happen in an orderly city at all. Furthermore, open execution was a special trait of places that were ruled by terror. He did not expect to see something so violent here at all.
"Cruel? Look around you," Jenny said with a displeased tone. "Which one of them thinks it's cruel?"
Harrison turned and looked around. To his absolute shock, all the people around looked happy, and some were even clapping.
Jenny looked at Han Xiao and snorted. "One's enemies increase with one's fame. In recent years, there have been multiple infiltration cases on Planet Aquamarine. These culprits are spies and rebels of different organizations. They have advanced technology, and their goal is to infiltrate Planet Aquamarine, through messing up your mother planet, causing damage to you… Some had their eyes on Floating Dragon and attempted to build secret strongholds here or make use of the geographical location of Floating Dragon to launch destructive weapons at Planet Aquamarine. Hence, we formed the Hunters, who exclusively clear out these spies… Black Star, we've helped you block quite a lot of pressure."
Hearing this, Harrison finally understood. Most people around were from Planet Aquamarine. No wonder they were so glad. These people were criminals who were planning to attack their mother planet, so not only was publicly executing them not cruel but even beneficial to making the people feel assured.
"Thanks." Han Xiao smiled. Ames had moved Floating Dragon there because she wanted to help him stop these evil people.
"Just a thanks?"
Han Xiao thought for a moment and said, "I'll bring you some special magic potions that stimulate hair growth for you next time as a present then."
"… Go find Ames yourself!" Jenny's face turned green. She suppressed her impulse of yelling at Han Xiao right on the spot and left straight away.
Seeing this, confused, Harrison mumbled on the side, "Your Excellency Black Star, you stand at the top of the universe. Why is this woman so disrespectful toward you?"
"I've known her for decades, and we've always been like this. There's no point making the difference in positions so clear between friends." Han Xiao waved.
"I see, you're really generous…" Harrison praised Han Xiao subtly and asked, "What's her name then?"
"You don't know? Jenny is the Chief Administrator of Floating Dragon. She's the Dragon Emperor's sister and good friend. You should know that from your internet research."
"I didn't go to so much detail… but I see, her name is Jenny. I think she's quite pretty…"
"… When did you go blind?" Han Xiao suddenly stopped in place, sized him up, and said with a surprised tone, "Have you fallen in love with her?"
Harrison slightly blushed and reluctantly said, "I wouldn't call it love. I've only met her once, after all…"
"Oh, got it, you lust for her body."
Harrison was speechless and did not know what to say.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. He did not know much about Jenny's private life in his previous life, but he knew that Harrison remained single all the way till he sacrificed himself during the World Tree Civilization war.
Although Jenny might be more than a hundred years older than Harrison, she maintained herself very well and looked like she was just thirty.
Furthermore, age was just a number; love was what mattered. This was a win-win. This might work out!
Having thought of that, Han Xiao patted Harrison's shoulder and giggled.
"Go for it if you like her. I'll be your shield. Quickly conquer her and adjust her personality. I don't mind her personality because we're old friends, but with the way she is, she'll definitely get beaten up often if she ever goes out."
Harrison blushed even more. "What should I do? I have no experience…"
"Hmm? You're the second-generation owner of a big financial group, but you have never been in a relationship?"
"I liked reading books more back then…"
"Shameful!" Han Xiao was hurt. "You've wasted being born with a silver spoon!"
While the two of them chatted about nonsense, they arrived before Ames' palace. Han Xiao told Harrison and the rest of his subordinates to wait at the stronghold while he tidied up his clothes and stepped into Ames' palace.
He walked all the way to the garden filled with rare greenery. Ames was lying sideways on the long bed in the middle of the garden. Her black dress looked like a blossoming black flower. She was using her force field to play with the revive token that Hila had given to her by making it fly around the garden. The table beside her was filled with food and drinks.
Hearing footsteps, Ames retrieved the coin, turned to look at Han Xiao, smiled, and patted on the mattress.
"You're here. Quick, come and sit. I've waited a long time for you." Han Xiao walked forward, grabbed a crystal blue wine glass on the way that was filled with wine, sat at the edge of the mattress, and took a sip. "Old Man Aesop made this again?"
As soon as he said that, he felt a pair of white arms above his shoulders.
Ames placed her chin on his shoulders from behind and asked curiously, "What did you do in the Ancient Star Desert? The news has little detail. I want to hear it from you."
Han Xiao was not surprised by her intimate actions. During the trip to the secondary dimensions, the two of them had spent months with each other alone. Their relationship had become much closer. Although Ames hated to have any physical contact with others, he was an exception.
"Forget that for now. I've brought you a present."
Han Xiao snapped his fingers. A virtual screen popped up and displayed a list of the Esper class Ultimate Knowledges.
"The three Universal Civilizations have allowed me to acquire Ultimate Knowledges and teach them to others, but there's a limit. Pick one you want. I'll get it for you."
"So nice?" Ames blinked. "Let me guess, you're not just giving this to me exclusively. You'll also teach this knowledge to other Espers, such as Hila, right?"
"Of course." Han Xiao nodded.
"Now that sounds like you more," Ames smirked slightly. She looked at the screen and pointed at one item with her long finger. Han Xiao glanced at it. "This doesn't seem like the most suitable one for you." "Didn't you say there's a limit to the number of knowledges you can exchange? Never mind me, as long as it's suitable for Hila and Aurora." Ames smiled.
"You're too concerned about them." Han Xiao sighed.
"They're my only students. They're like my children. Who else will I care for if not them?" Ames casually slammed Han Xiao's chest, making a loud 'bang' sound like beating on a drum. "Quick, tell me stories. I want to hear them."
Han Xiao finished up the wine. He casually picked up the crystal blue fruits on the table and tossed them in his mouth. He then started to talk about every detail of his experience in the Ancient Star Desert.
After telling stories for more than half a day, Ames finally let Han Xiao go with satisfaction and made him promise to continue tomorrow.
Han Xiao left the palace and was about to look for Aesop, but Aesop had already surprisingly come looking for him at the army stronghold.
Han Xiao returned to the stronghold and saw Aesop sitting in the hall right away, accompanied by Harrison and the others.
"Old man, I was just about to look for you. Did you foresee something again, so you came to find me?"
Han Xiao sat opposite Aesop and joked with him.
"Stop messing around. I'm here to speak about something serious with you today." Aesop put down the glass in his hands. His tone was rather serious.
"How rare." Han Xiao was a little curious. "What do you want to speak with me about?"
"Lately, my passive foresight has been triggering very frequently. I think it's better to tell you some of the things."
Aesop raised one finger and said with a deep voice, "First, I saw a special existence landing on Planet Aquamarine, and I've seen his appearance clearly."
"Since you know what he looks like, why not just go tell Bennett and let him cross-reference it with the planet surveillance to find this person?"
"That's the problem…" Aesop frowned. "I've looked all over Planet Aquamarine. There's no record of this person anywhere. There are no witness reports of this person too… It's like this person doesn't exist."
"Is your prophecy wrong?" "No, I've never felt as strongly about a prophecy. I can't exactly explain why, but I can say with full certainty that this prophecy is reliable."
"Then what else is special about this person you saw?"
Hearing this, Aesop glanced at Han Xiao.
"According to my prophecy… you seem to have already crossed paths with him very long ago."
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Chapter 1128 No Such Person Found
"Crossed paths? Show me what he looks like."
Han Xiao was curious.
Aesop took out the communicator and showed a 3D portrait.
This was a pale-skinned man who looked like he was from Planet Aquamarine. Han Xiao sized him up for quite some time but did not seem to find this person in his memories.
"That's weird, I've never seen this person before. Anyway, I'll let people look for this person on Planet Aquamarine."
Since he was part of Aesop's prophecy, this person was definitely involved in something important. He did not know if it was a good thing or not that this person had arrived on Planet Aquamarine. After all, Planet Aquamarine was his mother planet, so he had to worry about its safety.
"What you just said was the first thing. What's the second?"
"I've foreseen history repeating itself." Aesop frowned slightly, a little confused.
Han Xiao's eyes sparkled. "You're saying…"
"In my visions, many people who died long ago reappeared in the world. I even saw some of the Primordial Ones."
Could it be the event of the Holy Accord reviving Beyond Grade As? If Aesop felt this future too, then the trigger of that would most likely be his deal with Oathkeeper.
"Hmm? You don't seem surprised about this prophecy?" Aesop wondered. "I have some knowledge about this." Han Xiao rubbed his chin and asked, "By the way, do you know about…"
He briefly asked Aesop about the Holy Accord, Oathkeeper, the Sanctums, and all those related matters, hoping that an Eternal like Aesop who traveled around would know something others did not. Sadly, Aesop shook his head and expressed that he had not heard about those things.
However, when mentioning Oathkeeper, he seemed to recall something. "This higher dimension spiritual projection ability that completely ignores distance you've mentioned is not common. It might sound easy, but it's extremely difficult to do. Most spirit-related Esper and Psychics Abilities won't be able to achieve it. If this is not his own Esper Ability, then it's quite similar to a legendary Primal Esper Ability Entity-Soul Flame."
Having heard the term Primal Esper Ability, Han Xiao knew this was probably the case, so he asked, "What else do you know?"
"Soul Flame is one of the Super High Risk Esper Abilities. There have been no witness reports of it for many years… Oh, but you should already know that, so I won't go over that. Tell you something you don't know, in my early years wandering the universe, I seem to recall that I once had a prophecy. That prophecy warned me that if I did this one thing, a person who used the Soul Flame would suddenly appear and try to control me, making me help him search for something. Hence, thanks to that prophecy, I avoided that thing and stopped it from happening. That guy might be the Oathkeeper you spoke of, and this is the only information I have about him."
After communication for a while, Han Xiao realized that this was all Aesop knew about Oathkeeper, so he stopped asking him and remembered the name 'Soul Flame'. He planned to go back and ask the Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy and Holy Light Particle. They were both members of the Primal Esper Ability family, so they might know more.
Furthermore, Primal Esper Ability Entities had existed for a very long time. If the two of them knew whose hands Soul Flame last ended up in, he might find out more about the Holy Accord organization. "Since you have some knowledge about this, I won't say too much." Aesop pointed a third finger and said with a serious tone, "There's one last prophecy. I saw that a universal-level disaster is now brewing somewhere we can't see."
"Are you talking about the Intelligent Plague? Then your prophecy might have expired."
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Aesop asked. "I saw wormholes that were millions of miles large opening in cosmic space one after another, countless fleets swarming out from within, and the occurrence of a galactic war comparable to the exploration era. No one will be able to avoid it."
Han Xiao's eyes turned solemn. That sounds like the invasion of the World Tree Civilization.
Prophecies occurred for a reason. There were definitely some causes or changes that caused Aesop to have this prophecy. This meant that the World Tree storyline had progressed.
Han Xiao immediately thought of the wormhole coordinates from the past, which was outrageously difficult to pin down and required absolute accuracy.
He had made limited progress, so was the dynasty able to find something?
Looks like I'll have to find the time to ask around about it. Back when EsGod accidentally obtained the wormhole coordinates, I already knew that the World Tree storyline would change… Han Xiao shook his head.
Aesop stood up, stretched his waist, and casually said, "I've delivered the prophecies to you, so I'll leave the rest to you. I'll also notify you if there are any new prophecies."
He deliberately told these prophecies to Han Xiao but not Ames because it would not make a difference even if Ames knew; she would only see it as a story. Only Black Star would do something about it.
Han Xiao was about to send Aesop out the door, but Aesop waved and told him there was no need to. However, he suddenly stopped at the doorstep, as if he had thought of something, turned around, and said, "By the way, I've got to tell you something. While I was waiting for you, I did some prophecies on your subordinates to kill time. This kid called Harrison has quite a bright future. His string of fate is very thick, and it's deviated from its original path."
Then, Aesop opened the door and left. Han Xiao turned to look at Harrison, who was completely at a loss. Han Xiao was not surprised.
He had dragged Harrison with him, so of course, his string of fate had deviated. The World Tree war would very likely erupt earlier, and it was uncertain if Harrison would sacrifice himself like he did in Han Xiao's previous life.
Han Xiao committed the three prophecies to memory. Although they were all quite blurry, Aesop did indirectly provide some key information to him, so he had more clues.
Currently, the best thing to do was to look for that person Aesop spoke of first. Han Xiao gave the portrait of the target to Phillip and told him to monitor the entire planet. He then summoned the Black Star Army members who were stationed on Planet Aquamarine and sent them out to search all over the planet.
With his power on Planet Aquamarine, he could find even a tiny mouse if he wanted to, not to mention a person.
My name is Rody Anchor, 48 years old, a citizen of Ice Forest City, Maple County, Planet Aquamarine. My house is on No.107 Morning Light Street, Block B 1511. My ID is 77054591A62H. I'm currently working at the Fero Organization Subdivision three streets away. I'm the vice-manager of the operation department.
My parents are survivors of the old era. They died during a riot caused by the Mutation Disaster. Back then, I was just an ignorant child. The disaster caused the majority of the city's residents to flee. The shops were robbed clean, and burnt cars were everywhere on the roads. I lived a few weeks in a waste of a city like this and was finally found by the Black Star Army's rescue team. Thanks to that, I was brought to life in the Sanctuary.
After that, His Excellency Black Star got rid of the Mutation Disaster, and I was sent to Public Orphanage No.87. After receiving therapy from Ms. Martha for six years, I finally got over my childhood trauma. My social anxiety, depression, and other illnesses were cured.
After that, my life felt like it was fast-forwarding. Went to school, graduated, entered society, participated in rebuilding Planet Aquamarine, kept changing jobs, kept moving houses, had one girlfriend after another, experienced two failed marriages… The tides of the fast-developing times dragged me along with its extremely quick pace. Like everyone in the same era as me, I worked hard to contribute to society and the new era. With my very own eyes, I witnessed the unbelievably quick development progress of Planet Aquamarine after it connected with the galactic society.
However, as I grew older, my ambition started to shrink. Instead, I started to miss my parents more and more. Five years ago, I decided to quit my job in a large company in Black Star City and returned to my parents' home, Ice Forest City. My home city had finished being rebuilt. I bought a house in this city, found a new job, and started living here.
The new job is very relaxing. The intensely competitive environment I experienced in the capital does not exist here. Life is like a quiet lake. I meet the same people every day. I'm old now, and I have noticed I've grown a liking for a slow life. Very quickly, I fell in love with this peaceful life.
Galaxy Calendar Year 731 July 16th, I can still vividly recall that sunny morning. I woke up early and washed up, as usual, preparing to take out the leftover dinner from the previous day and heat it up as breakfast.
However, when I was brushing my teeth, I suddenly realized that I could not see myself in the mirror!
Horror gripped my heart. I had no idea what happened. I cowered in the corner of the washroom and looked around anxiously as if a monster was going to jump out any minute. I spent more than a minute in that state, shivering in the corner. Then, I finally found the courage to sprint out of the washroom. Without even having the guts to put my shoes on, I hastily grabbed my keys and rushed out of my house, pressing the elevator button rapidly like a mad man.
I lived in a condominium that's thirty-three floors high. It had four elevators. At the morning peak period, the elevators always automatically went up to the top floor before slowly descending, stopping on almost every floor. Usually, I would watch the morning news while waiting for the elevator, but seconds felt like years at that time. I almost wanted to pry the elevator door open and pull the elevator down.
Finally, the lift arrived at where I lived, floor fifteen. The door opened, and it was completely filled with people. Usually, when I came across something like this, I would always greet my neighbors inside with a smile and wait for the next lift. However, I completely threw all that aside at that time. I grabbed onto the door and screamed at them, describing what had just happened to me.
However, I quickly realized no one was looking at me. No one was listening to me. It was as if I did not exist!
As I was drowning in panic and fear, the people inside noticed that the lift door was not closing, so the person standing by the buttons rapidly pressed on the closing button impatiently. Someone even reached out and tried to slap the door, and that person's hand just happened to land on my arm.
Something happened that made me even more horrified—this person's hand easily passed through my arm like I was just an illusion.
Before my brain could even react to it, my sight started to ripple, and I saw an illusion. A lady in the lift did not hold on to the communicator in her hand properly, and it dropped onto the floor.
At this instant, an immense pain erupted in my body. I lost control of my body, fell onto the floor, and started twitching all over. My sight quickly turned blurry, and a powerful sense of drowsiness rushed up to my brain.
The moment before I passed out, I faintly saw a communicator that was exactly the same as the one I saw in the illusion earlier, and I saw it drop onto the floor inside the lift.
The next second, I lost consciousness.
When I woke up again, it was already night, and I was still lying on the floor outside the lift. A sense of overwhelming weakness pervaded my body as if I hadn't eaten or slept for two whole days.
The extremely strong sense of hunger seemed to have chased away my fear. I dragged myself back home and ate up almost everything in my fridge, finally regaining some strength. During which, I tried using the metal cutlery and the camera to see my reflection, but everything failed without exception.
After that, I tried my best and barely calmed down. After multiple tests, I've realized that I'm non-existence to everyone, and I can't touch anyone either. However, I can influence some objects that are not in contact with any form of life.
Therefore, I tried driving, stealing, creating accidents, and so on. Most of my actions that will have a direct influence on others will be interrupted by me suddenly passing out. However, many of my attempts at stealing worked, and no one noticed. It's only thanks to that was I able to live till now, or I would've starved to death long ago.
The illusion that causes me to faint happens frequently. I've realized that I seem to be able to see a certain period of time into the future, but I can't activate or deactivate that power. When this power activates, I faint and feel weak after. I'm guessing that the cost of using this power is my stamina.
I thought of the Mutation Disaster. My body has definitely gone through some kind of terrifying mutation. I've lived for about three months in this state. Initially, I was terrified, but then, for some time, I felt happy, and after that, I felt lost and alone. I can't interact with people in real life, so I tried communicating with people online.
However, no matter what method I use to leave a message, it all still seems to get ignored by others. I've sent messages to my friends, but I never get a reply. No one from my company has even called to ask why I haven't been going to work. It's like everyone has lived with the fact that I've just simply evaporated. I don't understand why. Therefore, I've written this diary, hoping that someone sees it and comes to help me. My address is Maple County, Ice Forest City, No. 107 Morning Light Street, Block B 1511. I'll be waiting at home for you.
Planet Aquamarine Public Announcement Channel, post 'Help! I've disappeared!'
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One day later, on Floating Dragon Island…
"No such person has been found?"
Han Xiao received the search report from Phillip and the various army members, frowning "Master, hum… Not only are there no traces of this person in the surveillance footage, I even crossed referenced the photo with all ID photos of the residents registered in the Aquamarine Federation. Still, no match found." "We've scanned the entire planet using all kinds of vital sign detection devices, including every spot, and we could not find the target either," the army warrior who was in charge of the field search said. "Is this person really on Planet Aquamarine?"
Han Xiao tapped on the table, turned to Harrison, and asked, "What do you think?" "Me?" Harrison pointed at himself with surprise and said with some hesitance, "How about we make a search notice?"
"Alright." Han Xiao nodded. Initially, he did not know anything about this person in Aesop's prophecy, so he did not want to alert him. However, since they could not find him now, making it public would not hurt. Anyway, he was right there, so he was not worried about anyone causing any problems.
He had to see what connection he had with this stranger.
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Chapter 1129 High Dimensional Information Form
Four days passed very quickly, but the search notice sent through the Aquamarine Federation's official news did not receive any response. Either no one saw the target, or the target saw it but decided not to come. There were also no witnesses.
Left with no choice, Han Xiao could only have his subordinates continue searching. He also used (Bold Explorer) on the portrait Aesop had provided, only to see some images, but he had no idea what they were supposed to represent -a bunch of string crossing cosmic space.
After another round of searching, spaceships returned to the Floating Dragon's dock one after another. Many Black Star Army members walked out the hatch unhappily.
After searching for so many days and still not finding the target, continuously repeating a task that had a 'result' long ago would make anyone frustrated and annoyed. The army warriors were not exceptions. Harrison was in the crowd too. Suddenly, he caught sight of Jenny. His heart skipped a beat. He hesitated for a moment, walked over, and found the courage to finally speak with her.
"Jenny, I'm Harrison. We meet again."
Jenny was dealing with a group of financial group investors. Hearing someone call her name, she turned, casually nodded, and said, "It's you. What is it?"
A few days ago, Han Xiao and Ames had hosted a small party that all the important officers attended. Han Xiao had introduced Harrison to her back then, but she did not have a very good impression of him. She only remembered that this was a talkative, curious, and immature kid.
"Ca-can I speak with you?" Harrison stuttered.
"Now?" Jenny frowned slightly, waved, and said in a displeased tone, "I'm very busy now. Can't you see I have guests to attend to?"
Then, she looked away from Harrison and left with the investors. She was distant and cold.
Harrison opened his mouth but did not dare disturb her more. Dejected, he followed the others and headed to Dragon Emperor's palace to report to Han Xiao.
However, when he was about to leave the dock, he suddenly saw that someone was lying on the floor not far away. This person's clothes were ragged, and Harrison could not see his face. The pedestrians around did not notice him, as if they could not see him.
"That's odd. Is that person sleeping on the floor? Why isn't anyone doing anything about
it?"
Harrison was curious.
The Black Star Army warrior beside him heard his question and looked over in the direction he was looking. He then said with a confused tone, "Where?"
"Right there… can't you see?" Harrison was stunned.
The army warriors around all stopped and looked over. They stared in that direction for a few seconds before turning around and looking at Harrison with the same weird expression. "Buddy, better go have your eyes looked at." Harrison was lost. His overflowing curiosity instantly started burning. He left the crowd and quickly approached the person lying on the floor. He hesitated for a moment before giving this person a light push.
"Wake up."
This person did not react at all as if he had fainted.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Harrison turned this person over.
The instant he saw the look of this person, his eyes widened with shock.
"You're saying that… this is the person we're looking for?"
Half an hour later, Han Xiao rushed back to the base from the Dragon Emperor's palace, came to a secret interrogation room, and looked across the table with a strange expression.
"Yes, I found him on the dock. He seems to have fainted and still hasn't woken up." Harrison stood by the side and pointed at the seat on the other side of the table.
Han Xiao looked at the empty seat with a frown. He then said with a serious tone, "You're not pulling my leg, are you? There's no one here."
Harrison scratched his head and said with a confused tone, "I don't understand why either. It seems like I'm the only person who can see him, and no one else can. But I can assure you, he looks exactly the same as the target we're looking for."
"Where did you find him?" Han Xiao wondered. "You might not believe me but…" Harrison shrunk his neck and said, "I picked him up on the streets."
Han Xiao was speechless.
What else can I say?
If not because Harrison happened to see this person, even if he was standing right in front of me, I would not have seen him.
No wonder you became an explorer. This is what talent is, able to find good stuff anywhere you go!
Doubtful, Han Xiao pondered for a moment and sent a message to Aesop and asked him to come over. Then, he told Harrison to describe what this person looked like.
Harrison took a step forward and looked down at what seemed to be empty space in Han Xiao's eyes. "He looks very weak. He's so skinny that there's basically only skin and bones. His clothes are ragged and torn, and there's a lot of dust on his body like he hasn't cleaned himself for many days…"
Han Xiao told Phillip to draw out the appearance of this person according to Harrison. In comparison, what he described was much thinner than the portrait Aesop provided. One would not even be able to tell they were the same person if the two portraits were not placed side by side.
Aesop soon arrived. As soon as he entered, he looked at the empty seat, smiled, and said, "You guys are quite efficient to have found him this soon."
Han Xiao was frustrated.
Why am I the only one who can't see him? How does this even work? If not because he knew Harrison's personality, he might have thought that these two were working together to trick him. Thinking of that, Han Xiao reached out and waved at the space in front of him. He could not sense that he had touched anything at all.
"Army Commander, your hand passed through his body…" While Harrison was explaining, he suddenly said with surprise, "Wait, he's suddenly twitching, like you're electrocuting him."
"Quickly wake him up."
Han Xiao pulled his hands back, frowned, and brought up the surveillance footage of the room. He realized that no type of detection device could detect the existence of this person.
Clearly, he was not simply invisible. It seemed like only some people were able to see and touch this person. What similarities did Aesop and Harrison have? If he really had to say, it seemed like both of them were quite lucky… Could it be that only those whose Luck was high enough could see this guy?
Then I'd better wash up and go to sleep.
While he was making guesses, Harrison suddenly yelled, "He's awake!"
Han Xiao regained focus and forced himself to talk to the seat. "Tell me who you are."
The atmosphere became silent. Han Xiao did not receive a response even after a few seconds, but he did see Harrison and Aesop listening closely to something.
"Did he speak? Looks like I can't hear him either." Han Xiao sighed. "Tell me, what did he say?" Harrison scratched his head and repeated, "He said his name is Rody Anchor, born on Planet Aquamarine…"
Hearing this, Han Xiao quickly connected to the Aquamarine Federation's database and did a precise search of documents under this name. However, the result was still that no such person existed.
"Now this doesn't make sense at all. Since he's a resident of Planet Aquamarine, there's no way there aren't any documents at all about him. Either they were wiped by some kind of abnormal power, or something is stopping me from finding out his identity. Could it be that anyone who can't see him won't be able to find out any information about him in any form? But I can still hear what Harrison is saying about him…"
Han Xiao searched through his memories. Suddenly, he thought of a special form of existence.
This situation looked like the traits of a High Dimensional Information Form!
The explored universe had limited knowledge of the term 'information form'. Their theories remained unproven and unclear. It was said that any and all individuals carried various forms of information such as height, weight, smell, mass, and so on. These forms of information fused into the conditions that made the individuals detectable.
'High Dimensional Information Form represented a specific form of existence, where physical attributes of something were removed and only the 'concept' of this information was left. These 'concepts' formed a certain kind of existence, similar to physical life forms, energy life forms, and so on, becoming a new form of existence… Whether it existed or not depended on the observer.
To those special groups of people who could sense and observe this cluster of information, it would be something that had a physical form and could be touched. However, to those who could not observe it, they could not obtain any information on High Dimensional Information Forms through any channels, as if it did not exist. Like spirits that roamed the world, they would not be able to have any information exchange with each other. There were many names for this phenomenon, such as 'Information Closure', 'Information Isolation', and 'Unobservable Entity'.
At the same time, 'Information Closure' was not limited to the senses of life forms. It was also effective on technological and magical methods of observations. This was why some documents that were supposed to exist could not be found.
This was because, including Virtual Technology, all these detection devices were also carriers of information, tools to obtain and save information. At their roots, they were no different from life forms using their organs to sense the world. 'Information Closure' worked on both life forms and these tools… This was also the reason it had the 'High Dimensional' prefix.
However, after those people who could observe High Dimensional Information Forms obtained the information, the information they obtained would become their own information, so they could describe the existence of High Dimensional Information Forms to others. This was the only form of information flow. However, even if others obtained this information, they would still not be able to sense the High Dimensional Information Forms.
Looks like he's still not a complete High Dimensional Information Form, or he would not have to consume food…
His situation feels like he's only half transformed, causing the information he carries to mutate and his 'existence' to be wiped. However, he has yet to completely become a High Dimensional Information Form, which is why he can still interact with some objects… These traits are more similar to him awakening a related Esper Ability but temporarily being unable to control it.
Why would a totally normal person suddenly become like this?
There has to be a cause, and maybe that's why Aesop saw him in his prophecy!
Han Xiao tapped the table and said with a deep voice, "Tell him to tell me everything that happened."
For now, the only thing he could do was have Harrison and Aesop relay Rody's situation. Han Xiao understood the situation very quickly and explained what had happened to this person with the Information Form Theory.
This person's name was Rody Anchor. He had always lived on Planet Aquamarine. Some time ago, he mutated and gained some traits of a High Dimensional Information Form. He tried to communicate with others in many ways, but everything failed, so he had no choice but to do nothing for a few months.
A few days ago, he had seen the search notice that the Black Star Army had put up. Overjoyed, he had sent countless messages to the army's mailbox but never received any replies. He had no choice but to board a spaceship and come to Floating Dragon, hoping to find Han Xiao.
Every time a life form passed through his Semi High Dimensional Information Form body, he would passively read part of the information of that life form, bringing the illusions that felt like foresight, which led to him fainting. With his current body, if he wanted to do anything to someone, it would be equivalent to him trying to rewrite someone else's 'form of existence' on the information level, interfering with reality using information state disturbance, which required more energy than he could afford. Hence, he would faint halfway every time. It was a self-protection mechanism. Therefore, he dodged all passersby on the way there. However, when he arrived at the Floating Dragon's dock, even without coming into contact with anyone, he suddenly had foresight visions again, so he passed out. This was how he appeared in Floating Dragon and was coincidentally discovered by Harrison.
Han Xiao captured the key information and pondered. "He awakened foresight… Maybe his information form mutation came from his sudden ability to see the future?"
"Maybe," Aesop said with a deep voice. "The ability to see the future can be seen as the ability to sense, process, and deduce information. The terms us foreseers use are strings of fate, cause and effect, and so on. This is because foresight ability requires one to connect with a lot of strings of fate, so it's not impossible for it to cause someone to undergo Information Form mutation."
Now, this is the blindspot of my knowledge… Han Xiao had a slight headache. "Old man, your prophecy says I crossed paths with him long ago. Is this referring to me saving his life because I resolved the Mutation Disaster?"
According to Rody's past, Han Xiao thought of this possibility.
"How would I know?" Aesop shrugged. "If prophecies were that accurate, do you think I'd have been caught by you in the past?"
Han Xiao was hesitant.
He did have an idea regarding how to find out what was going on with Rody, which was to activate the combat information, but he first had to be able to touch this person.
In order for a normal person to observe a High Dimensional Information Form, it looks like one has to have a strong information connection with the target… He seems to be able to touch dead objects. So, it's not as impossible as real High Dimensional Information Forms… Hmm, I can't see the clothes he's wearing either, which means his clothes are assimilated too. Maybe I can start from there…
After some pondering, Han Xiao took out a mechanical suit, linked with it using Mechanical Force, and tried touching Rody. However, Rody passed through it without any difficulty. Since this mechanical suit was connected with Han Xiao through Mechanical Force, it was like Han Xiao was touching it, so it could not touch Rody.
Han Xiao then deactivated the Mechanical Force link and let Rody try to touch it again, but it still failed.
"Artificial intelligences are observers too," Aesop hinted.
Han Xiao then pulled out the artificial intelligence controlling the mechanical suit too. After several experiments, when all connections including the virtual links, fundamental authority, and everything else were removed, Rody finally successfully wore the mechanical suit.
The next moment, the mechanical suit disappeared right under Han Xiao's nose.
Seeing this, Han Xiao tried finding the mechanical suit using methods such as Mechanical Force, Virtual Technology, and so on, but everything failed. This mechanical suit just disappeared into thin air.
Then, Han Xiao told Rody to take off the mechanical suit, and it appeared on the floor again.
After running a few more tests, Han Xiao sighed and said, "He's basically an information black hole… I'm almost out of ideas."
Aesop crossed his arms, frowned, and asked, "Are there really no other ways?"
"It's too difficult to find a flaw." Han Xiao was a little frustrated.
Those who could not observe Rody had no way of creating any information link with him. Combat was a form of information exchange too, but even if he attacked him, he would probably still be completely unharmed. He would only take damage from a weapon that was completely unaffected by any observer, a 'neutral' weapon.
If not because this guy can't influence any other life forms who aren't able to observe him, he'd be a terrifying infiltrator…
Han Xiao clenched his teeth, looked at Harrison, and gave it his last try. "Ask him, does he have anything that he wants me to help him do?"
Harrison nodded, listened to Rody for a while, and said, "Your Excellency Black Star, he hopes you can help him to get out of this state." The moment he said that, Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
A notification popped up on the interface.
You have triggered the mission (Destiny's Child—Sub-body Transformation)! Mission Introduction: Rody Anchor, an ordinary man who lived an ordinary life, has undergone a unique mutation. He hopes you can help him to deal with this problem…
Mission Requirements: Solve Rody's mutation and find the root cause of it.
Reward: 2 Random Rewards, 80 Rody Favorability, 2 Character Summon Cards.
Before he could take a closer look at the mission, a skinny and weak middle-aged man appeared in Han Xiao's sights, sitting on his chair and looking at him with a face filled with hope.
It was indeed Rody, and he appeared all of a sudden.
It-it worked?
Han Xiao was surprised.
He did not have much hope initially and did not expect this method to really work. Being able to see Rody meant that he now had an official information connection with him, and the source of that was definitely not just Rody's request.
Han Xiao was absolutely certain that if a mission was not triggered on the interface, even if he knew about Rody's request, he would still not have been able to see him.
Therefore, the interface became their connection!
However, this was not what shocked Han Xiao the most. It was the name of the mission.
Destiny's Child!
Isn't this one of the trump cards of the Germinal Organization in Version 1.0? Although I've never seen it, I once got his Character Summon Card.
How is this related to Destiny's Child? Isn't that guy dead?
So, this is what Aesop meant when he said we crossed paths before!
Han Xiao's mouth twitched. Thousands of words were at the tip of his tongue, but they all became one word. "…Damn!"
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Chapter 1130 Questioning and Information
Shock and doubt appeared in his mind.
Decades had already passed, but Han Xiao still had vivid memories about it. He used to think Destiny's Child was just simply a Foreseer who ended up dead due to the Germinal Organization's explosion, turning into dust.
Now, however, it looked like Destiny's Child had more unknown secrets. Not only did it play an important role in Planet Aquamarine, but now it was related to the High Dimensional Information Forms.
Initially, he felt that having him, Hila, and Aurora, three outrageously talented members, was already the limit. To his absolute shock, Destiny's Child, who had died long ago, was not as simple as he thought! The Germinal Organization was filled with mad talent!
If the Germinal Organization leader suddenly revived and appeared right in front of him, he probably would not even be surprised.
What in the world is the Destiny's Child?
Han Xiao was stunned. He could not stop worrying without finding out the truth.
"… Army Commander?" Harrison suddenly prompted.
Han Xiao regained focus.
Aesop shook his head. He thought he understood why Han Xiao was silent and explained, "Even the three Universal Civilizations don't know much about the Information Form Theory, so I understand that this request might be too difficult for you." Rody was instantly frustrated and said with despair, "Then what should I do? If even His Excellency Black Star can't help me, who can? Please, help me to convince His Excellency Black Star. I-I really don't know what to do!"
Hearing this, Han Xiao waved and said, "Don't worry, I'll try to help you."
"That's great. Thank you, Your Excel… Hmm?" Rody showed appreciation subconsciously, but he was suddenly stunned halfway. He stared at Han Xiao with his eyes widened with shock.
Aesop and Harrison were startled too. They looked at Han Xiao with surprise.
"Army Commander, you can see him now?"
"Hmm, I can."
"But earlier you… have you found a solution? But you didn't do anything!" Aesop could not understand why.
Han Xiao coughed and lied, "Real High Dimensional Information Forms can choose who can observe them. Maybe his strong will triggered that trait, so he actively created an information link with me… To put it simply, he removed me from his blacklist."
Harrison's eyes were filled with confusion.
How does that work?
Aesop thought about it for a while before accepting it. "That actually makes some sense. He might have inherited that trait, only he can't control it freely, but subconsciously, he might be able to…"
Han Xiao looked at him with a smile and supported the old man in his mind.
That's it. Please keep guessing. Help me convince you yourself. Like a drowning man holding onto the last straw, Rody suddenly pressed on the table with both hands. He stood up and said while his entire body was shivering from excitement, "Thank you so much! You're really just like what they say in the news. Not only a great man of Planet Aquamarine but a great man of the entire universe! You're so noble! To be frank, in my forty-eight years alive, there's only one person I ever admired, and that person is you! You've been my role model from a young age, the light of my life, the motivation of my advance, encouraging me to grow…"
Han Xiao uncontrollably smiled with recognition. He loved to hear people say these facts about him.
However, very soon, he wiped off the smile on his face and signaled for Rody to calm down.
"You don't have to be so appreciative. Honestly, I'm only helping you because I'm interested in your mutation and want to study it. As for whether I can cure you, I can't make any promises."
"I understand. I don't have anything else I can repay you with. I'll do my absolute best to cooperate with your studies." Rody nodded rapidly.
Han Xiao nodded with satisfaction. There were no free meals, and Rody knew that, which made things easier. He stood up, circled around Rody, sizing him up closely, and suddenly thought of something
That's right. I've already established an information connection with him, so I should be able to sting him now.
As this thought appeared, Han Xiao immediately acted.
He raised his finger. Electrical sparks flashed, and nanoparticles formed into a tiny metal needle.
Then, he cautiously stung Rody's arm with the needle, using as little force as a normal person would use to pick up an ant, afraid of using too much strength and squeezing the ant to death.
Then, Han Xiao looked at the interface right away. As expected, combat information appeared, and he could see all of Rody's attributes.
The target was just an ordinary person, so there was little information. All of Rody's abilities were ordinary people abilities. There were only about two lines of information, completely different from how Supers had pages and pages of information.
Only one abnormal piece of information attracted Han Xiao's attention. There was a special status in Rody's status bar, and it had the exact same name as the name of the mission.
(Destiny's Child-Sub-body Transformation): The Primal Esper Ability Entity Destiny's Child has caused an information state disturbance, creating all kinds of 'sub-bodies' randomly in the entire universe. You're one of the chosen ones. A mutation is going to occur to your body. The traits of Information Forms will gradually develop in you, and you'll randomly obtain part of Destiny's Child's abilities. During the transformation, not only will your body change, but your personality will too. When this process ends, you might lose the majority of your desires and emotions, you might lose your memories, or you might believe in made-up life experience. A brand-new personality will be born in your body.
Current Transformation Progress: 37.1%
Han Xiao's eyes opened wide. He had captured the key information. "Destiny's Child is a Primal Esper Ability Entity? Randomly creating sub-bodies all over the universe?"
This was surprising for him. On the Super High Risk Esper Ability list, Destiny's Child was not included. In his previous life, no players obtained any related information about it. Could this be an undiscovered or unpublicized Primal Esper Ability?
Looking at the introduction on the interface, Han Xiao had a lot of thoughts.
If that's how Destiny's Child's works, what was in the Germinal Organization back in Version 1.0 should have been a sub-body, not the Primal Esper Ability Entity itself… Rody has yet to completely transform. Once he fully becomes a Destiny's Child sub-body, his personality will be replaced. Maybe that's another form of death.
Although Han Xiao now knew that Destiny's Child's true identity was a Primal Esper Ability Entity, there were still a lot of unsolved mysteries. Perhaps, Ah Ho and Ah K, who were also Primal Esper Ability Entities, would know something
Han Xiao told the few of them to wait a while in the room while he went to another room, closed the door, and opened up the secondary dimensional army box, summoning the Mysterious Energy Host. At the same time, he sent Aurora a communication request and contacted the Holy Light Particle too.
"Black Star! How have you been? We have to chat more if you haven't been busy!"
The Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy looked very happy. He did not have a master, and he was dying of boredom being inside a metal carrier that had no soul.
"I have something I'd like to ask you guys," Han Xiao said. "Do you guys know about a Primal Esper Ability Entity called Destiny's Child?"
Considering that there might be different names, Han Xiao even described part of Destiny's Child's characteristics, which he deduced from the interface.
Hearing this, the Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy and Holy Light Particle suddenly became silent for quite a while.
"This guy… I seem to have seen him before?"
"Odd, did I sleep too much? I feel like I know him, but I just can't recall…" It felt like the feeling of suddenly realizing someone looked familiar, but they just could not recall who it was.
"According to the information I have, Destiny's Child is heavily related to Information Forms. Maybe that's why you two can't recall it." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and made a guess.
The two of them tried recalling for a while longer, then Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy said hesitantly, "You might be right. We can't recall any more information about it. All we can recall is that there seems to be a Primal Esper Ability Entity in our memories who can switch between a physical form and High Dimensional Information Form. It has the ability to foresee the future, interfere with reality, and so on. It might be the Destiny's Child you're talking about."
Looks like I can't get more information from the two of them…
Han Xiao then changed the topic and asked, "Then, do you guys know about Soul Flame? It's a Primal Esper Ability Entity too."
"I know this one!" The Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy quickly responded as if worried the Holy Light Particle would take away its chance to speak. "This guy is sneaky. I haven't met him many times, and the last time I heard about him was during the exploration era. He seems to have chosen a Primordial One as a master. After that, he disappeared for many years."
Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.
According to Aesop's intelligence, Oathkeeper might very well be the master of Soul Flame. He might even be the Primordial One whom Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy mentioned. As long as he knew Oathkeeper's identity, he would be able to expose him. "Do you remember who that Primordial One was?" Han Xiao quickly asked.
"I only remember his nickname, (Soul Emperor] if I'm not wrong, a powerful spiritual Esper… but he should've died in battle."
Tsk, this nickname doesn't sound like someone who's easy to mess with.
Han Xiao noted it in his mind and planned to ask the dynasty for information about this 'Soul Emperor'.
As for something as mysterious as Destiny's Child, the dynasty might not have records of it.
Since Destiny's Child is a Primal Esper Ability Entity, and the Holy Accord organization is the professional at studying Primal Esper Abilities… asking them might be a good choice.
Han Xiao nodded in his mind. He decided that after his deal with the Holy Accord was complete, he would ask Oathkeeper about Destiny's Child. Maybe he could get some information from him.
Speaking of which, could Destiny's Child be in the Holy Accord organization's hands? Hmm, it's possible but not very likely. Destiny's Child can trigger disturbances, meaning it should be free and not locked up… Hehe, no point thinking so much. It won't hurt if I only ask Oathkeeper.
Han Xiao smirked.
As for whether Oathkeeper will be able to take it…
Hmm, I think his mind should be quite strong.
As he had already asked everything he wanted to, he was about to hang up the communication when he suddenly thought of something and said to the Holy Light Particle, "By the way, I'll have to cut off a part of your body after some time and use it to make a deal with someone. I'm telling you first so you can be mentally prepared."
The Holy Light Particle suddenly stopped in midair and was stunned.
The Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy was stunned for a minute too. He then suddenly started gloating and laughing loudly. "This day has finally come for you! Who asked you to laugh at me? You can't escape the same fate, hahaha!"
The Holy Light Particle did not respond out loud. I'm so tired. I feel like I won't believe in love anymore.
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Chapter 1131 I'm Leaving Her to You
Once Han Xiao had digested the information he had just obtained for a while, he pushed open the door and returned to the interrogation room. Aesop, Harrison, and Rody all looked over.
"Your Excellency Black Star, I…" Rody hastily wanted to ask, but Han Xiao raised his hand and stopped him.
"I already know about your situation. Come with me for the time being. I'll try to solve your issue."
Han Xiao pondered over what to do about Rody.
Rody was now only a work in progress; he had yet to complete transforming, so he could not control his abilities. He might only become like the Germinal Organization's Destiny's Child after completely transforming. However, once the transformation was complete, Rody's personality would be taken over by a brand-new personality, so he could be considered dead by then in some senses.
A stable and controllable Foreseer would be much more useful than this half-assed Foreseer who fainted occasionally. However, since he had accepted the mission, he did not want to just let the transformation happen. Hence, Han Xiao decided to think of ways to prevent Rody's transformation as much as he could… And if he could not prevent it, he would not mind getting a new Destiny's Child.
Judging from Rody's current state, controlling his whereabouts was a necessity. Han Xiao told Phillip to empty a new private lab on the spaceship and told Harrison to take Rody there, put him into a restoration cabin, and inject hypnosis drugs into him so that studying him would be easier. Rody had no choice but to hold on tight to his only hope and cooperate fully.
After the two of them left, Han Xiao and Aesop were the only ones left in the room. They looked at each other.
"I saw you left for a while earlier. Have you already discovered something?" Aesop asked with curiosity.
"The source of this guy's mutation might be because he was affected by a certain special Primal Esper Ability…" Han Xiao briefly talked about Destiny's Child's information and his experience in the Germinal Organization.
"Destiny's Child… never heard of it," Aesop murmured.
"That's normal. I don't know much either."
Aesop coughed and said, "I don't know much about your past experience, but assuming that the Destiny's Child you met in the past is also a random product of the Primal Esper Ability Entity like Rody, why would two sub-bodies appear on Planet Aquamarine? If it's really random over the universe, do you think this is really coincidental?"
That's nothing. I've seen things that are more coincidental…
This thought flashed past Han Xiao's mind, but he did not show it on his face and agreed. "It is very coincidental indeed."
"Following this logic, if the mutation occurs on the information level, I think that Planet Aquamarine might be special in some way. Maybe it has a special string of fate or something… I'm not saying this out of the blue. I've seen many people who are born with a different string of fate to others…"
Midsentence, Aesop stopped, sized Han Xiao up, and said, "… That's right, someone like you came out of Planet Aquamarine, as well as Hila, another Beyond Grade A. The rise of the two of you caused your mother planet to be unique. Maybe that's the reason."
Han Xiao wanted to say something, but he did not say anything in the end, only patting Aesop's shoulders.
Smart people are indeed easy to trick. You convinced yourself before I said anything.
"Thanks. Without your prophecy, I would have never noticed this."
Jokes aside, Han Xiao was quite appreciative of Aesop's warning.
"You don't have to thank me. Floating Dragon and Planet Aquamarine are neighbors now. I'm just ensuring the safety of the surrounding residential environment. Plus, among the people I know, my prophecies will have the most impact in your hands. I believe in your abilities and morals." Aesop waved his hand.
Hearing this, Han Xiao could not help but realize how much things had changed.
In the past, Han Xiao really envied Aesop's powerful connections. However, as he continued to rise, without him realizing, he already now had the highest position among the people Aesop knew.
Aesop was willing to discuss anything with him. He had become reliable in his eyes.
Aesop sighed and said, "I've lived so long, and I consider myself to be knowledgeable. Yet, you're still the most shocking person I've ever met in my long life. I've never seen anyone as magical as you. The first time I saw you, although I felt that you had a bright future, I would never have expected you to reach heights countless people are never able to reach in just a few decades. History might forget me, but it'll never forget you."
"… Why the sudden compliments? You're flattering me," Han Xiao joked but revealed an expression that said, 'Don't stop.'
"Maybe it's because I'm getting older, so I like to say these things more and more." Aesop sighed and earnestly said, "Thank you for helping Floating Dragon all these years." Seeing this, Han Xiao wiped off the smile on his face and slowly said, "My achievement cannot be separated from the help I've received from Floating Dragon. Without Ames' protection in the past, things would not have gone so smoothly for me. Therefore, you don't have to thank me. Anything I've done for Floating Dragon is what I should do as repayment."
Just like creating a business, having sponsors would be much easier than starting with nothing. When he was weak, Floating Dragon had helped him a great lot. Therefore, even though his position in the universe was far superior to Floating Dragon, he still held respect for the people of Floating Dragon and never considered himself superior when speaking with them. Plus, he had never stopped helping them.
"Having the opportunity to help someone like you might just be Floating Dragon's luck." Aesop's expression was complicated. He said with a low tone, "Ames is like my daughter, but as you know, the only thing I can do is foresee. I'm not powerful like you guys; you can protect her better than me now… "I've lived for many years, and I've never asked for anything from anyone, but I'm asking you today, protect Ames. I'm leaving her to you. I hope that even after hundreds and thousands of years, you'll still remember what I said today."
Then, he gave Han Xiao a meaningful look, pushed the door open, and walked out the room. His slightly bent back disappeared at the end of the corridor.
"Old man…"
Han Xiao watched him leave and exhaled slightly. He understood what Aesop meant.
Although Aesop was an Eternal, he was getting old, and he hardly had any combat capability. Even though he could see the future, what he could do was limited. He was far from being almighty.
He foresaw the storms that might occur in the future, and the disaster he saw made him feel worried, something he had not felt in a very long time. He was afraid that he was not capable of protecting Ames, so he planned ahead and was willing to put down his pride to privately ask Black Star to always be the protector of Floating Dragon. This was a form of insurance. In Aesop's eyes, Black Star was the only one who had both the capability and motive to protect Ames, so he was the best candidate he could find.
Ames would absolutely never say these things, so Ames knew only he could say it, and he had to say it. This was why the old man came to him first unlike before-he got scared by his own prophecy. "The old man suppressed his nature of looking for thrills and stayed for decades in such a boring place, Floating Dragon. Although he's grounded by Ames on paper, if he wanted to leave, he definitely could. And now, because he's worried about Ames' future, he ignored his pride and came to ask me for something…"
Han Xiao smiled.
In his previous life, Ames caused Floating Dragon to be destroyed for the sake of revenge. Looking at it now, Aesop was certainly worth
However, this time, I'm here. I won't let the same thing happen to Floating Dragon.
Tidying up his emotions, Han Xiao returned to the office and summoned Phillip.
He still remembered about searching for where Soul Flame ended up in. Using his authority, he found the information about the Primordial One 'Soul Emperor' and quickly browsed through it.
Soul Emperor's real name was Rovell Sissock. He also had other nicknames such as the King of Souls and Master of Secrets. He was a Primordial One. Before becoming the master of Soul Flame, he was already a powerful Beyond Grade A spiritual Esper.
This person was born in an advanced civilization that was already a powerful civilization in the exploration era.
Back then, Beyond Grade As had only just appeared. Compared to other abilities, spiritual Esper Abilities were more difficult to deal with. The technology at that time could not give birth to any spiritual barrier devices that could stop Soul Emperor, so he could easily penetrate the shields and armor to kill or control the people in spaceships. He made a name for himself in the exploration era war very quickly. After obtaining Soul Flame, like a tiger growing wings, he won countless battles for his civilization in the war using his individual strength and received countless honors and medals. He was seen as the hero and protector of the entire civilization.
However, as all the advanced civilizations started to study the Beyond Grade As, the era when the Primordial Ones were invincible quickly passed. Battles became tougher, and Beyond Grade A casualties started to appear.
Soul Emperor was no exception. Although he was still powerful even among the Beyond Grade As and he was still one of the strongest forces in galactic battles, since he would be targeted every time he appeared, it became tough for him to contribute as much as he did before. He could no longer decide a battle on his own.
Plus, his civilization suffered multiple losses in other battles. The civilization's overall strategy was heavily affected, and the situation gradually grew worse. Because of that, Soul Emperor's fighting style became aggressive. Sometimes, even if it meant he had to suffer heavy injuries, he would still try to turn the battle around. Although it was not enough, this showed how much he wanted to contribute to his civilization and how loyal he was. The Primordial Ones back then were unlike the Beyond Grade As now. Most of them did not have the mindset of putting themselves first. In the exploration era war, the fate of individuals was almost totally tied with the fate of civilizations.
Over the long years of war, the turning point quickly came. The civilization Soul Emperor belonged to faced multiple enemies on the main battlefield, which spanned two Star Systems. The civilization dispatched a large number of military forces, and a decisive battle began.
Countless fleets fought intensely on many battlefronts. The situation changed every second. At the peak of the battle, this civilization was faced with a choice…
Soul Emperor was being targeted and surrounded. He was exhausted and needed reinforcements urgently. Meanwhile, an extremely crucial battlefront also requested immediate backup.
If the fight on this battlefront was lost, it would cause chain reactions and might cause the entire war to slip into the abyss of defeat. However, if they were able to win on this battlefront, they would obtain a huge strategic advantage and have much higher chances of winning. This was also the reason the enemies kept sending troops into this battlefield. At this point of time, this civilization had already dispatched most of its forces into the battlefield and had very few fleets that were available to be deployed. They knew that if they sent reinforcements to both sides, there might be a chance they could save Soul Emperor, but they would definitely not be able to guard the crucial battlefront.
That was where the choice lay… which side they should send their reinforcements to.
To the civilization, this choice did not seem difficult at all.
They abandoned Soul Emperor and decided to put all the reinforcements into that crucial battlefront. The results were just as they expected. They successfully won the fight on that battlefront, obtained a decisive advantage, gradually forced the enemies to retreat, and finally won this war.
Soul Emperor was sacrificed. This civilization said he fought to his last moment and that his death was what led to their victory. The entire civilization mourned for him and paid their respects, hosted his funeral in the highest regards, and gave him the 'Valverde Golden Tower' medal, which represented the highest honor of the civilization. The civilization then also built the Soul Emperor's hero monument on its mother planet to remember him.
However, in the exploration era war, one thing that was never in shortage was enemies. The crucial victory this civilization acquired could not be their amulet forever.
In the end, this civilization never became a winner of the exploration era. It was destroyed by a stronger civilization, its race was almost extinct, and it became a loser that was eliminated. That was the brief life of Soul Emperor. He was marked as 'Killed In Action' in the documents.
All this happened too long ago, and the exploration era was a chaotic time, so the three Universal Civilizations' database only had rough data of Soul Emperor, nothing too detailed. As Soul Emperor's civilization was eliminated, a lot of information about him was buried by history.
After seeing the documents, Han Xiao started pondering. He was not surprised about how the civilization treated Soul Emperor. He was used to it. He was now only interested in the whereabouts of Soul Flame.
"Soul Emperor is the last Soul Flame master known by the world. Is this guy Oathkeeper? Either Soul Emperor faked his death, or Oathkeeper is someone else who took Soul Flame away from Soul Emperor. If that's the case, there's a chance he's one of the Beyond Grade A enemies of Soul Emperor in that battle, but there's also a possibility it's someone else…"
This time, Han Xiao suddenly thought of the Primordial Ones who got revived in his previous life. They did not seem to include Soul Emperor. Han Xiao's eyes sparkled. "It seems that there's quite a high chance Soul Emperor faked his death…"
Han Xiao pondered. Quite a number of Primordial Ones were revived in his previous life. If he waited for those people to be revived, he could ask someone who knew about it…
However, at this time, Han Xiao suddenly thought of something and was instantly stunned.
Wait a minute!
People who know about it… are not only those Primordial Ones revived by the Holy Accord! The Underworld dimension Hila inherited is also storing the Hero Spirits of Primordial Ones!
Now this is excellent…
Han Xiao's eyes widened.
Is this fate?
Or has collecting people who have Luck Glow really changed my luck too?
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Chapter 1132 Plenary Meeting and Provocation
"There are a lot of souls of powerful individuals of the exploration era war stored in the Underworld dimension, not just the Primordial Ones, but also Supers of various races, mostly Calamity Grades. They're all antiques…"
Han Xiao's eyes sparkled brightly.
These people were not just combatants. They were also the people who witnessed the various times of the exploration era and reliable sources of first-hand information. They possessed a lot of ancient secrets.
"Aurora can only make bodies for these Hero Spirits and turn them into combatants when she's Beyond Grade A. Speaking of which, the Underworld dimension is kind of similar to the Indestructible Mechanic Empire… Although the Hero Spirits can't have bodies now, it shouldn't be a problem just communicating with them. I wonder how much Hila has repaired the Underworld."
Han Xiao still remembered that he had an Underworld dimension mission. Once the Underworld was fully recovered, he would receive a (Mark of The Underworld).
"I shall find a moment to ask Hila if what I'm thinking is right…" Hila was now in the secondary dimensions, so it was not easy to contact her. However, she should return in the next Beyond Grade A plenary meeting. Han Xiao planned to ask her then.
It just so happened that the next plenary meeting of the development union was not far away, so he did not have to go to the secondary dimensions to find her.
He suspected that Soul Emperor faked his death and Oathkeeper was Soul Emperor, but he had yet to decide if he was going to test Oathkeeper the next time they met.
Beep beep!
This time, Harrison sent him a message saying Rody had settled in.
"Okay."
Han Xiao was very content.
My intuition was right. I did indeed get surprised when I returned to Planet Aquamarine this time. I discovered the secret of Destiny's Child, acquired a semi-transformed sub-body of it, and obtained some key information from Aesop.
However, Aesop's prophecy made him feel pressure too. Storms were secretly brewing.
The stronger he got, the more secrets he came to know, and the more he could sense the hidden chaos and instability under the peace and prosperity of the explored universe.
Han Xiao pondered.
"I've got to think of a way to ask about the Crimson Dynasty's study of the World Tree Civilization wormhole coordinates…"
After he spent a few days on Floating Dragon as a guest and visited Bennett, Han Xiao and his fleet departed again and headed to the Flickering World.
At the dock, Ames stood. The stream from the thruster of the spaceship made her black dress sway like a cluster of black fog. She had brought along the Floating Dragon officers and watched the Black Star fleet leave, disappearing from sight.
"He left again."
Ames exhaled slightly and looked down on the data storage device in her hands. This was a gift Han Xiao had given to her before he left. Inside was an Esper Ultimate Knowledge.
She turned around and saw Jenny's conflicted expression. She was squeezing tightly on a syringe in her hands. That was a gift from Han Xiao too.
"What's wrong? What did he give you?" Ames was curious.
"…Nothing!"
Jenny forced out a ferocious smile and hid the magical hair growth potion behind her back.
Aesop stroked his beard, smiled, and said, "Black Star gave me a gift too. I'm starting to like him more and more."
Beside him, eight fist-sized sphere-shaped weapons swiftly flew around.
This was a product personally built by Han Xiao. He named it 'Explorer-Multifunctional Life Guarding Formation'. It had a full set of functions, including combat, defense, enhancement, life-sustain, stealth, healing, hyperdrive, radiation block, and many more. It was perfect for solo explorers.
With this set of devices, it was equivalent to carrying around a guard team, logistics team, and a galactic carrier. Even an ordinary person would be able to survive for a very long time in Grade B dangerous environments. They would even last quite a while against Calamity Grades with a chance of retreating unharmed. It was expensive to build and very powerful. Just one set was enough to wipe out ordinary surface civilizations, and Han Xiao had given a total of ten sets to Aesop.
Ames blinked and suddenly said, "I heard that you privately asked Black Star to protect me."
Stunned, Aesop grabbed his beard and said, "Who told you?"
"Who else?" Ames' brows raised.
"Tsk, this Black Star, doesn't even know to keep it a secret for me…" Aesop had a slight headache. He nodded with resignation and said, "That did happen, yes. I foresaw that a drastic change is going to happen. My capability is limited. Only Black Star has the ability to…" Before he finished, Ames interrupted him and said with a slightly heavy tone, "I'm a Beyond Grade A. I can protect myself. Next time, discuss it with me first before thinking for me. I don't like others making decisions on my behalf."
"Alright, alright, I've overstepped." Aesop raised two hands and expressed that he did not want to argue.
Seeing this, Ames nodded. She then smiled faintly and softly said, "… But still, thanks, I appreciate it."
She knew that Han Xiao had told her about it because he did not want Aesop's kind intentions to not get recognized.
Furthermore, Han Xiao was the only one who could mention this. Aesop was never going to tell Ames and ask to be appreciated; he was not that kind of person.
Aesop figured out Han Xiao's intentions too, and his tiny bit of unhappiness disappeared. He was a little touched and appreciative. His impression of Han Xiao was even better.
The fleet travelled for ten days and finally entered the Flickering World through the military stargates. On this day, the Beyond Grade A Association hosted another plenary meeting. Due to the fact that the Mechanics had been dealing with the Intelligent Plague for quite some time, they had missed quite a number of meetings. This was the first meeting for Han Xiao and the others in a while.
In the development union's headquarters on Planet Finn, Han Xiao's remote projection landed outside the conference room in the army commander's gold-edged black cape, looking respectable. There was still some time till the official start of the meeting, so not everyone had arrived yet. People gathered in small groups outside the conference room and chatted casually.
One of the purposes of the development union was to build a platform that was convenient for Beyond Grade As to communicate with each other. Other than official meetings, their private communications were just as important.
As soon as he appeared, the space outside the venue instantly turned quiet. Everyone looked over with various expressions on their faces. The atmosphere was a little odd.
This time, Milizaus and several dynasty allies approached. "Yo, Black Star, you've finally returned," Milizaus said loudly.
Han Xiao turned and looked over with a smile. He then greeted Beyoni, Silver Shadow, and his other friends one after another.
After a round of greetings, Milizaus praised, "What you did in the Ancient Star Desert really made me see you in a new light. Sadly, I'm not a Mechanic and could not witness it with my own eyes." "That's right. To think that we could not participate in such a historic moment, what a shame." Viru looked regretful. "If I was there, you wouldn't have fought alone. I'd definitely have fought Manison with you," Beyoni said. Lotus Swordsman was merciless. She said coldly, "Nonsense, if you were there, you'd be the first one to die. You're a burden just like Kohler."
Kohler frowned. Why bring me into it? I didn't say anything!
"Not a big deal. It's not worth mentioning, hehehe…" Hearing compliments from everyone, Han Xiao waved humbly.
One consequence of him destroying the virus core was that the allies saw that his position had increased again, and he was more trusted by the three Universal Civilizations, so they all came to give their compliments.
This time, Milizaus looked left and right, lowered his voice, and said, "Everyone thinks you're now totally opposed to Manison. The president and the vice president having different philosophies will definitely lead to arguments. The atmosphere in the association now is very sensitive."
"No wonder everyone was looking at me strangely earlier." Han Xiao smiled and was not surprised.
"Today is the first time you and Manison will attend the meeting together after the two of you confronted each other, so most people are now waiting to see what will happen." Han Xiao shook his head and said, "Don't worry, the development union's purpose to the outside world is to solve conflicts between Beyond Grade As, so Manison will definitely not publicly disobey the rules. Otherwise, the foundation of the association will be damaged, and that's unacceptable for him. Therefore, he has to set an example. The most he'll do is cause trouble for me verbally. There's no way he'll use the association's powers to cause problems for me. As for me, I have even less of a need to provoke him…"
After all, I grabbed even Mechanic Emperor's trump card. I'm not the one who lost anything.
Han Xiao giggled in his mind but did not say the second half of the last sentence.
Milizaus said slowly, "Yes, that's for the best. Don't provoke him. Actually, after Manison expressed his goal, there aren't that many people supporting him in the association anymore.
"What he did this time was too risky. Many people don't agree with it. Had he succeeded, we would all have been dragged down by him too. Therefore, quite a number of them are unhappy with Manison now. "On the other hand, there are a lot of members supporting you. Most people hope to use the development union to stick together in groups and obtain better safety assurance, as well as more benefits. But to completely oppose the three Universal Civilizations? That's too unrealistic; not many are willing to take the risk! Therefore, since you stopped Manison and also built a closer relationship with the three Universal Civilizations, many people are appreciative of you and recognize you for what you've done, and they stand on your side." Hearing this, Han Xiao looked around, and in many eyes around the room, he saw friendliness.
"Hmm, as expected," Han Xiao responded. He had figured all this would happen long ago.
At this time, a raging voice suddenly sounded from beside.
"Black Star, you're such an *sshole!"
The people looked at the source of the voice, Secret Master was walking over to him with a blaming expression on his face.
"What did I do to you?" Han Xiao was confused.
"Still playing dumb!" Secret Master was furious. "You messed up my black market forces in the Ancient Star Desert during the Star Field lockdown!"
"I was just following orders to prevent the virus from leaking." Han Xiao blinked.
"Do you think I'd believe you!" Secret Master said with rage.
Only after the three Universal Civilizations stopped the lockdown did he know that his forces in the Ancient Star Desert had become a mess because of Han Xiao. He almost vomited blood.
"You really have misunderstood me," Han Xiao explained slowly. "The three Universal Civilizations wanted me to control the black market to prevent the virus from leaking. Since it was an abnormal situation, I had to use an abnormal method, so I had no choice but to be aggressive. Furthermore, the Intelligent Plague has already been dealt with, and I've moved out of there. It's the three Universal Civilizations that are trying to continue to control the Ancient Star Desert's black market. I only took on this sinful job for the sake of the safety of the universe. Even if I didn't do it, someone else would have, right?"
Secret Master clenched his teeth. "… The thickest thing I've ever seen is your skin!" He did not really want to blame Han Xiao. He knew that the three Universal Civilizations would not compromise even one bit in the face of such a large disaster. At this matter's roots, he could only blame himself for being so unlucky that the location of the virus outbreak happened to be the Ancient Star Desert.
Secret Master also realized that ever since he crossed paths with Black Star, he kept getting unlucky.
I'd better stay away from Black Star so that I won't get affected if he's struck by lightning one day!
As they were chattering, another remote projection arrived. It was Manison, who was at the center of the storm.
Buzz!
In an instant, the entire place became silent.Everyone looked over at Manison and Han Xiao with eyes that had various emotions.
The only similarity these eyes had was that they were all looking forward to a show.
Manison turned around and calmly looked Han Xiao in the eye.
As if the fight between two of them never happened, Manison slowly greeted Han Xiao with a calm expression. "We meet again, Black Star."
"What a coincidence, Mechanic Emperor. I thought you'd be too ashamed to attend the meeting today." Han Xiao chuckled.
At this point in time, he felt he looked more like a villain than Manison.
On the side, Milizaus rubbed the dragon horn on his head with confusion.
… Didn't you agree not to provoke the Mechanic Emperor? Did you completely forget what I literally just said?
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Chapter 1133 Confrontation
Manison did not get baited. He sized Han Xiao up and nodded. "You're quite humorous. I'm the development union president. I wouldn't miss the meeting even if you might."
Han Xiao stood with his arms crossed and said, "As the president, what you did doesn't really live up to your position though. Not everyone supported you, yet you made the personal choice of kidnapping their interests and gambling with it."
The moment he saw Manison, he completely forgot about not provoking him. In fact, all he wanted to do now was provoke him.
Knowing about the side the association was leaning to, he deliberately tried to bring up the dissatisfaction of the people around, which proved to be quite effective. Many people looked at Manison with even unfriendlier eyes. They were all important people, so none of them liked having anyone else make decisions for them.
The two of them had now clearly drawn the line and gone back to being competitors. Damaging Manison's reputation was not the main goal; satisfying his guilty pleasure was… Wait, it seemed like it was supposed to be the other way round.
The allies of the federation present felt the most awkward. Manison was still the federation's ally on paper, but they did not want to be on Manison's side either. Those who supported Manison before were feeling uneasy.
Manison completely ignored how the people around him looked at him and coldly said, "I've finally seen through you after this. The purpose of us creating the association was to gain more power and not be controlled by advanced civilizations. You claim to be thinking for the Beyond Grade As, but you're actually just a dog of the three Universal Civilizations. Everything I do is for the Beyond Grade As in the long run, and it's impossible not to take risks… Sadly, you want to suck up to the three Universal Civilizations and not lose your reputation among the Beyond Grade As, so you chose to destroy our hope. In my eyes, that's nothing but a selfish act of an opportunist. I will never have any hope in you anymore."
"Oh, I didn't expect the great Mechanic Emperor to have to resort to bullsh*tting. Being old surely has benefits. Even your way of twisting the facts is so skilled." Han Xiao did not mind at all and said, "Sadly, the audience's eyes are clear. The things you're trying to frame me for won't stick. Everyone has their own opinions about the truth. As the vice president, I have a duty to stop you from forcing everyone to take one path till the end."
"Hehe… do you really think of yourself as the hero just because you're wearing the coat of public opinion the three Universal Civilizations have weaved for you?"
"You've got a lot of things to say now, but I'm very curious, will you have the face to attend the award ceremony sometime soon that'll be broadcast to the entire universe?"
"Why not? If not for me, how could the three Universal Civilizations have discovered the virus so soon? How could the special antivirus program have been invented so quickly? Without me, the Intelligent Plague would still be running rampant even now. In terms of contribution, I'm not much inferior to you, but the three Universal Civilizations never said a single word about it. How obvious are their intentions?"
As the conversation got a kick start, the two of them started to argue without holding back.
They started arguing… and the various Beyond Grade As watched with popcorn from the side.
After arguing for a while more, Manison looked around and said coldly, "I didn't come to argue with you today. The purpose of the association is to solve conflicts between Beyond Grade As. As the president, I have to set an example, so don't worry, although we have our differences, I won't do anything to you."
"You say it in such a nice way. I think you're so busy dealing with the three Universal Civilizations and simply don't dare to mess with me anymore," Han Xiao said with a mocking tone. Manison narrowed his eyes and said, "You seem to think that our tie was real. We both know the truth, but you seem to have misunderstood something. Do you really think you can fight on par with me?"
"That's the truth, not a misunderstanding." Han Xiao chuckled and said with a taunting tone, "If you don't approve of it, I'm available anytime."
He had gotten quite a lot of good stuff from Manison, including even his core Unique Talent, so he even wanted to fight Manison more.
"The purpose of the development union is to solve physical conflicts between Beyond Grade As. I won't lower myself to your level."
Manison turned and walked into the venue with an expressionless face, no longer bothering with Han Xiao.
Seeing this, Han Xiao secretly curled his lips.
Old Man Manison really is patient. If I provoked him like this in the past, he would have undoubtedly come looking for me to have a talk with a forty-mile-long sword in his hands.
However, the Mechanic Emperor should feel frustrated too. He was so certain he could defeat me, but he was forced to stop at a tie by the three Universal Civilizations, and now he has to patiently wait for the opportunity to regain his position. Until then, he will have to watch his reputation get weakened with his own eyes.
I, however, not only acquired his core Unique Talent but also secretly acquired the incomplete blueprint of the virus technology that he dreams of having. I even got a new ability that counters him… but in his mind, my strength is still the same as when we fought.
If I fight him again, I'll certainly give him a 'surprise'.
While Han Xiao was smiling in his head, Kasuyi came over and said, "I've not seen Manison get forced to do something for a very long time. You're one of the very few people who can give him a loss." Han Xiao turned to look at him and said with surprise, "I thought your relationship was quite good with Manison, but you seem quite happy."
Kasuyi smiled with narrowed eyes. "Hehe, don't misunderstand, I have known Manison for many years, and we are indeed quite close friends. However, he's him, and I'm me. To be frank, I don't agree with what he tried doing either. Even if you didn't stop him, I would've drawn the line with him after the incident."
Han Xiao nodded. "Without this matter, the Mechanic Emperor and I might still be friends. Sadly, our philosophies are too different. I only hope this did not affect the relationship between us."
"Don't worry, your conflict with him won't affect our relationship. I don't mind differences in philosophies because I think everyone has something they want… However, although Manison's method was not the most righteous, he did say one thing right. The three Universal Civilizations are just using you to damage him, and when you're no longer of value too one day… his present might become your future."
"I know my lines. You don't have to worry about that.
While the two of them spoke, a third voice appeared. "Therefore… while we're still being used by advanced civilizations, we'll have to quickly get any benefits we can. This comes from my personal experience." The two of them looked over and saw Sorokin, who had come too. Sorokin added his almost symbolic fake smile to the conversation and greeted the two shareholders.
"Oh, it's you." Han Xiao glanced at him. "What other ideas do you have?
"You're flattering me, Your Excellency Black Star. I'm just an ordinary Beyond Grade A. I'm in no place to take part in such a big topic. I don't have any good ideas. I'm just giving my suggestion from the perspective of a businessman, hoping to provide Your Excellency Black Star with some ideas to deal with the current situation." Sorokin's tone was passionate.
Han Xiao crossed his arms and sized Sorokin up.
"It doesn't look like you're just here to have a chat. What do you want?"
"Haha, nothing can escape Your Excellency Black Star's eyes indeed," Sorokin said with a bright smile. "I'm hoping to talk about a partnership with you…"
Han Xiao listened to him for a while and finally understood what he meant. He was not even surprised about how shameless Sorokin was.
He had become the consultant of the three Universal Civilizations, so he now had support from all three of them. Sorokin saw a business opportunity, so he wanted to forge a deeper partnership with him, a shareholder. Han Xiao had gotten this shareholder position basically by robbing it, and Sorokin was not happy about it at all initially. However, now that he saw he could profit from it, he instantly put all that behind him without hesitation and came to speak with Han Xiao. The beef between them was not even cleared, yet he could act as nothing happened.
Over the past few months, Han Xiao had been busy dealing with the Intelligent Plague, while Sorokin had been dealing with how displeased the three Universal Civilizations were with him. After paying a hefty price, he was finally able to mitigate the damage.
Not only that, through some flashy moves, Sorokin was able to prove that his stand was the same as that of the three Universal Civilizations, as well as connect with some of the officials of the federation and the church who had real power. He also used his director position in the association to build new profit networks.
Han Xiao suddenly thought of something. "By the way, Manison is also a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group, so won't the things he did affect you too? Can the three Universal Civilizations allow him to continue being a shareholder?"
"Well, it did have some impact. However, that doesn't stop me from continuing my partnership with him, and the scheduled dividends won't stop for him either." "The three Universal Civilizations allow that?" "Firstly, my financial group is private and legitimate, so I have the right to freely choose who's in my financial group. Secondly, hehe…" Sorokin giggled but did not say anything and gave Han Xiao a knowing look.
Then it occurred to Han Xiao. No wonder the three Universal Civilizations did not mind the two of them having a partnership. They were using the Limitless Financial Group as a way of acquiring information about Mechanic Emperor's forces. This had to be one of the terms Sorokin had to provide to regain the three Universal Civilizations' support. Of course, he did not want to develop a deeper partnership with Sorokin, so he never gave any direct answers to any of Sorokin's questions and just dragged on the conversation.
The people chattered for a while, and it was finally time to start the meeting. They swarmed into the venue and sat on their seats.
Han Xiao did not continue insulting Manison. Following the theme of this meeting, the two of them dealt with matters one after another just like the usual plenary meetings.
However, although the two of them were minding their own businesses, the atmosphere was still very strange. After what happened outside the venue earlier, most people were influenced and acting completely normal would be quite difficult. Very soon, the last topic arrived. Manison looked around at everyone and said with a deep voice, "Due to the sudden outbreak of the Intelligent Plague, the conflict between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance was postponed for more than half a year. Now that the plague has been dealt with, these two sides are about to start fighting. Our Beyond Grade A Association needs to pick a side.
"As all of you know, the three Universal Civilizations have been holding tight to the Ultimate Knowledges. The terms they gave was to have us deal with the Super Star Cluster Alliance in their place, which I don't intend to agree to. Therefore, I suggest we hold our original stand and do not take part in the war between advanced civilizations."
The people nodded. Although they were unhappy with Manison, this decision was agreed upon by most of them previously, so there was not much argument.
As for the direct members of the three Universal Civilizations, they usually did not express their opinion at times like this. After all, there would be no point even if they did.
However, this time, Manison turned to Han Xiao and suddenly asked, "Vice President, what do you think?"
Han Xiao's eyes flickered, and he started pondering. He noticed what the Mechanic Emperor intended to do.
He was now at the center of public opinion. The reasons behind the three Universal Civilizations' recent compliments of him might not exclude them wanting him to become the representative of the development union who stood on their side. Not only did they hope he would compete with Manison, but they also hoped that he would speak for them in the association.
However, one of the very purposes of building this association was to help the Beyond Grade As escape from the faction lock the advanced civilizations had set up for them, so they did not have to murder each other as tools. On this matter, Han Xiao realized that no matter which side he picked, he would still be negatively affected.
Supporting the overall agreement of the people present was not a problem on the association's side, but although the three Universal Civilizations would not be surprised about it, they would feel somewhat disappointed, which would reduce the support he would receive. The other allies could make this choice because they were the 'crowd', while he was the 'representative' whom the three Universal Civilizations had high hopes for. The impact was different despite the choice being the same.
If he spoke for the three Universal Civilizations and encouraged everyone to deal with the Super Star Cluster Alliance, it would be even worse. He would look like he had completely taken the side of the three Universal Civilizations and become the 'dog' that the Mechanic Emperor claimed he was, which would undoubtedly displease everyone. Furthermore, the philosophy he represented would look different. It would turn from peaceful co-existence to sucking up to the three Universal Civilizations, which completely went against the purpose of the association and was exactly the same as the original path everyone was taking.
Han Xiao looked up. Everyone present, including the direct members of the three Universal Civilizations, was focused on him. They clearly knew what impact this decision he made would have, so they waited for him to make a stand.
Manison's question could not be considered dirty or anything. It was just rightfully using the opportunity.
"Of course, I agree with everyone. That's why we gathered here in the first place… However, I'm going to deal with one of the Super Star Cluster civilizations. I have some private beef with them," Han Xiao said calmly. He was very realistic, so he would not pick the wrong side at times like this.
When the three Universal Civilizations were praising and supporting him, Han Xiao had known a moment when he had to prove to the other Beyond Grade As he did not 'change his heart' would come.
Hearing his answer, the people were satisfied.
After the business was done, the plenary meeting ended, and the Beyond Grade As went offline one after another.
Han Xiao, however, did not leave immediately. He dragged Hila, who had been only watching, to the said, found a room, and closed the door."You've returned." Hila sized Han Xiao up and said, "You seem to have lost weight."
"I should be the one saying that to you. How's the Underworld?" Han Xiao smiled.
"It's getting stable and slowly recovering… By the way, I have something to tell you. It's about the Underworld too."
"What a coincidence, I have something I want to ask you about the Underworld too, but you go first."
Hila nodded.
"Okay, have you heard about the Sanctum?"
Han Xiao's face was filled with shock. He subconsciously pressed his hand on his chest where his heart was.
At that moment, he finally understood how Oathkeeper felt.
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Chapter 1134 That Must Be a Fake Black Star
"Where did you hear about the Sanctum?" Han Xiao asked with a shocked tone. "The Underworld told me…" Hila briefly repeated what Onicelu had said. Seeing Han Xiao's reaction, she said, "Humph, so you knew about the Sanctum long ago but didn't tell me."
"Ahem, that's because I didn't know everything about it either, and I'm still privately investigating." Han Xiao coughed and quickly worked his brain.
Hila's message gave him a surprise. He initially only wanted to ask the Underworld Hero Spirits about Soul Emperor, but he was also able to acquire new information about the Sanctum.
According to Hila, someone once invited the two sisters to participate in an operation targeted at the Sanctum. This meant that some Primordial Ones possessed more information about the Sanctum, only that those two sisters did not go in the end. After that, for some unknown reason, the information about the Sanctums seemed to be cut off. Fewer and fewer people knew about it.
Furthermore, Han Xiao also acquired an important piece of intelligence from Hila-one of the Sanctums' functions was reviving the dead. This was the first function of the Sanctums he had discovered, and it finally opened the mysterious curtain for a bit.
The Holy Accord organization, revived Primordial Ones, the Sanctums…
Han Xiao finally felt like all these things were connected.
No wonder Oathkeeper was acting that way…
Previously, he did not connect the two of them because he did not know the exact use of the Sanctums. Now, he finally had a clearer image of the Holy Accord organization.
One of the rewards of My Primal Esper Ability Collector Milestone Mission was the Third Sanctum Ability Fragment, which means these two are connected in some way. Then the true goal of the Holy Accord organization in collecting Primal Esper Abilities should be to open the Sanctum and revive people from the past… Seeing that Han Xiao looked like he was deep in thought, Hila frowned and asked, "Was this information useful to you?"
"Useful, very useful." Han Xiao regained focus and said, "Actually, I've been secretly collecting information about the Sanctums, and you've helped me a lot this time. Great job." "As long as it's helpful for you." Hila stopped frowning and nodded. She then asked, "Then what were you going to tell me earlier?" "Haha, I happen to want to ask the Underworld Hero Spirits some questions, and now I have one more question to ask." "Do you need me to awaken the Hero Spirits right now?"
"That'll affect your growth, won't it?"
"As long as you need me to, I don't mind it." Hila did not hesitate at all.
"You don't have to do that. The Underworld is inherited by you after all. Don't only think of me." Han Xiao shook his head, sighed, and said, "Let's not rush. We'll talk about it when the Underworld recovers."
"Alright, just tell me when you need it. I'll help you anytime," Hila said softly.
"We'll talk about it then." Han Xiao nodded, changed the topic, and smiled. "By the way, I brought you a present this time. You should like it."
Hila's eyes sparkled. "What is it?"
"I've made an agreement with the three Universal Civilizations, and I can now acquire three Esper Ultimate Knowledges for you. I brought one for you this time. I'll let Phillip send it to you later."
"Okay." Hila smiled faintly. She was very satisfied with this present, even more glad that Han Xiao still remembered about her even when he was out on business.
Han Xiao only logged off after chatting for quite a while more.
His sight returned to his body, which was in the main ship's command room.
The fleet was advancing in the Dawn Star Cluster of the Flickering World. They would reach the edge of the Garu Star Cluster in a few days and return to the army's territory.
Standing beside the enormous floor-to-ceiling porthole, Han Xiao looked at the stars passing by outside and thought back to the meeting earlier.
Manison's risky actions caused him to lose support in the association, and his connections were damaged. Without any accidents, during the next election in fifty year's time, it's going to be very tough for him to have two consecutive terms.
However, that old man Manison isn't one to wait for doom to arrive. He's now busy dealing with the three Universal Civilizations' pressure, but he won't stay passive like that. He'll certainly come up with other plans to improve the situation he's in. Given his philosophy, it's impossible for him to admit he was wrong and go back to the arms of the federation. That would only cause even more problems. The situation can no longer go back to what it was before for him.
He might regain his position as an independent faction like he did in my previous life, but this time, the duration of that will not just last throughout the Calamity of the Supers versions. He will become completely alone. Even if the alliance he had with the federation was not dismantled on paper, the three Universal Civilizations would not give him any more important responsibilities.
Manison's actions caused him to no longer have a Universal Civilization backing him up. However, he could back himself up, so he had the confidence to do this.
If not because Han Xiao had told the three Universal Civilizations about the virus core to reduce the damage caused by the disaster, Manison would not have taken the risk and would still be a comfortable ally of the federation.
Thinking of that, Han Xiao opened the interface and looked at [Key of Adeptus Mechanicus].
The impact of their battle was clearly visible. As the Machinery Faith believers on Planet Magnetic Cloud spread this news as much as they could, the news of him fighting Manison that ended up in a tie was spread in the Machinery Faith very quickly. This had shaken a small part of people's faith in Manison, and Han Xiao attracted a new group of believers.
After the recent events, the bonus of (Key of Adeptus Mechanicus] had increased by quite a lot. The range of bonuses provided by this talent was comprehensive, basically covering all bases of mechanical abilities. Currently, his Machinery Affinity was about 600%, and he also received hundreds of Attribute Points other than in Luck. Furthermore, his ability in the armed, virtual, and many other classifications also improved depending on the believers' preferences. Other than that, his efficiency in building, repairing, and enhancing machines was also improved by a lot. He could also use various machines more efficiently.
The bonuses of the talent were so comprehensive, and the bonuses were still increasing as his believers increased. Han Xiao did not know if there was even an end to it. "The bonuses I'm receiving aren't the most important part…" Han Xiao chuckled.
His [Key of Adeptus Mechanicus) receiving more bonuses meant he had taken away the Mechanic Emperor's believers, so the Mechanic Emperor's bonuses from this talent decreased.
The more I get, the less Manison has.
As this carried on, Manison's advantage over everyone else would decrease.
I might not have earned the most, but Manison definitely lost the most.
After travelling for several days, Han Xiao and the fleet finally arrived at the entrance of the army's territory, Planet Black Gate. He planned to rest there for half a day and then head to the venue of the Black Star Cup. While he was not around, the construction in the army territory had carried on steadily. The Black Star Cup was going smoothly. The members who were eliminated went back to their posts, and the eliminated players returned to the fourth stage free competition zone in the Flickering World to continue to occupy strongholds… Everything was going well.
Currently, most of the matches of the Black Star Cup had already ended. Only the last two most popular matches were left. They were the duel finals of the Calamity Grade group and the square group finals of the players group. The two contestants of the former were both elite Black Star Guards. One was the old bootlicker Hadavy, and other was the newbie bootlicker Jotina. Both were Beyond Grade A seeds, and they stood out from the various Calamity Grades of the army.
Not considering Han Xiao and Hila, these two were recognized as among the strongest in the army.
Originally, both Lagi and Lothaire would also be qualified enough to fight for the top place among Calamity Grades, but Lagi, being Lagi, had already given up in the qualifiers.
As for Lothaire, it was not suitable for him to appear in front of the public due to his job, so he did not participate in the Black Star Cup.
As for other Calamity Grades, none were a match for Hadavy and Jotina. Even Feidin and Nero could not make up for the difference in direct strength with their Advanced Luck Glow.
As for the square groups contestants on the players' side, they were Frenzied Sword's Team Rivervale, King Admiral's Team Dynasty, Rainy Kim's Team Thunder Storm, and a group of very highly skilled players' Gold Team.
Only one of the Chinese clubs entered the finals of the Pro League, but this was different because the rules of the Black Star Cup were less strict, more random, and more dramatic compared to the official league. Usually, the big clubs would always face attacks from the other three sides at the same time in square scrimmages. Hence, Long Sky, Temple of God, and Fried Eggplants with Fish all got eliminated by their passionate fans.
The fleet docked at Planet Black Gate.
As soon as Han Xiao walked down from the spaceship, he saw Sylvia welcoming him on the dock. A security perimeter was set up. The crowd watched from behind it with curiosity, including some army warriors and players. Not only that, they even held up a set of banners. The left one said "Holding loyalty with iron shoulders", the right said "Carrying lives with a merciful heart", and the middle said "Welcome home, hero of the universe"!
"What the hell…" Han Xiao's eyes opened wide with shock. He turned around, walked back to the cabin, closed the hatch, and opened it again, making sure he was not seeing things.
Did I open the hatch wrong?
While he was being stunned, Sylvia approached him, saluted with the officers, and yelled as if they were afraid the others could not hear them, "Welcome back, Army Commander!"
Han Xiao's mouth twitched. He did not even have to ask to know that this was definitely Sylvia's idea.
Never mind when others praised him, but his own subordinates doing it was too embarrassing, not to mention the fact that this was a public area.
Han Xiao dragged Sylvia aside and whispered with a speechless expression, "What's with the welcome?"
"This welcome ceremony is necessary so that the entire army knows you've returned victorious. It's beneficial for enhancing the members' sense of recognition," Sylvia said with a serious tone, but her barely-suppressed grin sold her heart out.
Speechless, Han Xiao quickly dragged Sylvia toward the dock exit and changed the topic.
"The Black Star Cup is coming to an end. How are the preparations for the closing ceremony?"
As this was a business matter, Sylvia wiped the smile off her face and said, "It's all been settled. When the time comes, you'll have to make a speech and compliment the winners of every contest."
"There are so many items. How many people is that going to be?"
Sylvia rolled her eyes. "You asked for this, hero."
"Alright, I'll be there," Han Xiao said with resignation.
"Also, I suggest that you watch the last two matches live at the venue. Since you've returned, it's best for you to show up at the finals to show how much you care about the competition."
"Well, I'm in no hurry. Might as well."
The group hastily left the dock. In the crowd, a group of players were looking at Han Xiao with extended necks. Many people around them recognized that these people were the Gold Team, which had entered the finals of the square scrimmage. They were all highly skilled players, and their excellent performance during the Black Star Cup attracted quite a lot of fans.
After watching Han Xiao leave, the members of Gold Team all turned to look at their Mechanic teammate, who stood in the middle.
"We actually really got to meet Black Star by waiting here." "How was it? Were you able to create the Character Summon Card?" "What ability did you get?"
Their goal of gathering there was to get their Mechanic teammate, who had a Blank Character Summon Card, to copy Black Star's ability. It would be a trump card for the finals.
As Beyond Grade As were very difficult to find, they were initially planning to just copy from a Calamity Grade. However, the army commander coincidentally returned, and no one was a better target for the Blank Character Summon Card than Black Star.
"Don't be so impatient. It's still randomizing."
This Mechanic teammate displayed his interface and looked at it nervously with everyone else. After about two to three seconds, a notification finally popped up on the interface. The group hastily looked at it.
You have received (Character Summon CardBlack Star).
Ability: (Billion Mechanic Empire-Manison]
Uses: 0/1
Everyone was at a loss.
What's going on?
Wasn't the target Black Star? Why is the ability from the Mechanic Emperor?
At this point, the few of them suddenly trembled. They exchanged looks and saw horror in each other's eyes. They felt they had just discovered a gigantic secret.
There was only one explanation for this situation!
The army commander had been swapped!
That Black Star must be fake!
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Chapter 1135 People, It Is Our Turn to Save the Army!
An hour later…
Inside a dark room, the tiny dark green candle was the only source of light. The flame swayed and flickered, illuminating the faces around the table, leaving shadows on the wall. It looked quite scary and creepy.
Above the candlelight, an interface that was displayed to the people around was floating, showing the introduction of the Black Star Character Summon Card. Gold Team's captain was 'Fly Free', a top non-professional player who started playing all the way back in Version 1.0. He looked worried and troubled as he said in a low voice, "I didn't expect to discover such a big secret. Guys, what should we do now?" "What else? Publicize it!"
"But this is the trump card we're going to use in the finals. If we make it public, won't we have exposed ourselves?" "Oi, priorities! Compared to the safety of the entire army, the competition is no longer that important!"
As they were arguing, a female player gently raised her hand and said, "I have a question. Why don't we turn on the lights, instead of this one candle?"
"This kind of dark and mysterious environment is needed for something this important. That's how they play it in the movies."
Another team member scratched his head and asked, "I understand that and all, but why only light one candle?"
"We might be the only ones who've discovered the truth. The atmosphere has to be serious, understand?"
Another teammate gave a long "oh" and then said, "I see, but why only light one candle?"
"Enough!" Fly Free could not take it anymore. He stood up and stopped the replay. Then he went to turn on the light and pulled the rest back on track.
After acquiring the Black Star Character Summon Card, the fragile hearts of all the Gold Team members were shaken. They quickly returned to the stronghold to discuss what they should do.
On dealing with the issue, the opinions of the team were split in two. One side felt they should keep the secret till after the finals; another side felt that the matter was too important, and they should immediately publicize it on the forums to warn the army players that their faction boss might have been swapped.
Although they had worked hard to finally enter the Black Star Cup finals, after discovering this secret, the competition did not seem that interesting anymore. Their attention was completely absorbed by the mystery of the army commander. The Character Summon Card had a 'Black Star' prefix, but they had no way of knowing if this was also part of the target's disguise. After all, the prefix of Character Summon Cards usually only displayed the target's current identity. It did not have the natural ability to see through disguises.
For example, if they used a Blank Character Summon Card on Sorokin or Oathkeeper, it would only be displayed as 'Sorokin Character Summon Card' or 'Oathkeeper Character Summon Card', not their true identity.
Therefore, this 'Manison' suffix was clearly more convincing!
Boom!
Fly Free slammed the table heavily and said with a firm tone, "I think we should immediately publicize this information. We would never have a chance of getting into the finals of any official league, but the Black Star Cup gave us this opportunity. Even if we lose in the finals, we're still top four, and we'll still have gained a lot of fame. Without the Black Star Cup, all this would not have happened. We cannot forget where we came from. The reward of the competition is nothing compared to the safety of the entire army!
"Plus, throughout the versions, just how many benefits has the army commander brought us? How many of us love this character? He might be in danger now. How can we ignore that! The chance of saving the army lies in our hands!"
The players present were mostly senior Chinese players who had strong feelings for the army. They had come to see it as their home faction long ago.
For example, in order to protect the army and Black Star, Fly Free was even willing to give up their advantage in the final just to tip everyone off. He knew that just a few of them were far from enough to make a difference, so he wanted to unite the army players' power, have them come together to find a way, and expose the Mechanic Emperor's 'conspiracy'!
Hearing this, the people present were reminded of the past and suddenly felt a burning flame of faith in their hearts.
Fly Free reached out his hand. The others understood this gesture. They all reached out their hands and stacked them together. They looked each other in the eyes and saw the strong sense of responsibility in everyone's gaze.
"Now, it's our turn to save the army commander!"
Fly Free immediately opened to forums to start writing a post. Without hesitation, he gave it this title…
'Revelation of the Century! The Unspeakable Secret Between Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor!'
The fleet rested for half a day on Planet Black Gate. Then, it very soon started to head toward the venue of the Black Star Cup finals. Inside the cabin, Han Xiao chatted with Sylvia about business for more than half a day, and only then did Sylvia leave.
Alone in the room, Han Xiao comfortably sat in his chair, casually opened up the forums, and started his daily idiotic players observation time.
"Let me look at the happy meal today…"
Han Xiao hummed in a great mood as he entered the forums, but he was instantly stunned.
With a glance, the titles were all along the lines of 'Extremely Urgent, Please Share! The Army Commander's Identity Has Become A Mystery!', 'Mechanic Emperor's Horrifying Conspiracy!', 'Danger! The Black Star Army's Owner Might Have Changed!', and 'Please Save the Army Commander!'. The entire Flickering World panel was filled with posts similar to those.
What in the world is this?
It's not even been a day since I last looked at the forums. What happened?
Confused, Han Xiao opened the most viewed post. The original poster was surprisingly an ID he knew, the captain of Gold Team, Fly Free. The post started directly with a high-resolution screenshot, the introduction of the Black Star Character Summon Card. As soon as Han Xiao saw the (Billion Mechanic Empire-Manison) ability, he had a rough idea of what was going on, and his lips started twitching uncontrollably.
You can't be serious. I have thousands and thousands of abilities, and he somehow copied this ability to the Blank Character Summon Card? How lucky can these people be? Speaking of which, I've only just returned. When did they use the Blank Character Summon Card on me? Was it at the docks?
He continued reading. As he expected, Fly Free explained what happened.
"Comrades of the army, I'm Gold Team's Fly Free. About an hour ago, we discovered a shocking secret! "Not long ago, when the army commander returned to his territory, our team was in the crowd, and we planned to use one Blank Character Summon Card to copy Black Star's ability. Initially, we planned on using it as the trump card in the upcoming Black Star Cup final. However, as everyone can see from the screenshot, never could we have expected to get the Mechanic Emperor's ability from Black Star! This completely appalled all of us!
"We could not understand the situation. After some discussion, we came to a shocking conclusion. The army commander now might be the Mechanic Emperor in disguise! His goal is to replace Black Star and take over our army!
"In the end, we decided to immediately publicize this crucial information. We need everyone to unite, find the truth, and destroy this conspiracy! Comrades, the future of the army is in our hands!"
Han Xiao looked like he was constipated.
I mean, this deduction isn't complete nonsense, but why do I still feel like these people are mentally challenged?
He looked at the responses below, which had already exploded. Countless people expressed their doubts.
"Is this real? Is this screenshot photoshopped?"
"It has to be. Youngsters are trying to come up with big news every day."
"Are you guys trying to make the news and attract some attention while it lasts because you know that you have no chance at winning?" "Bullsh*t."
"It's over. Someone is going to have to change his name into Mechanic Emperor's Big PP."
Facing the doubts, Fly Free responded to these comments.
"I know everyone definitely has doubts. On the day of the final, we'll use this Character Summon Card and display it, so everyone will believe that we need to save the army!"
Save your ass! Han Xiao ground his teeth and returned to the panel, quickly browsing through the related posts. He realized that other than those who doubted it, there were also quite a number who made posts to seriously analyze the possibility of it being true.
[Reinhard: Perhaps it's true. The Mechanic Emperor totally has motive. Didn't the two of them fight with each other some time ago in the Ancient Star Desert? Could it be that the Mechanic Emperor attacked the army commander after that?]
[Pikachu: If this one is fake, then where's the real army commander? Did he die?]
[Wolf Flame: That shouldn't be possible. After all, just think about how tanky the army commander is. I think that Mechanic Emperor might have just exiled him, and he can't come back anytime soon, which is why Mechanic Emperor dares disguise himself as Black Star!)
(Hippo: Are you guys all going with the story that the army commander has been swapped by default? Why can't Black Star have learned the Mechanic Emperor's ability somehow?]
[Smelly Feet Slayer: That's too unlikely. This is the first time in so many years that the Blank Character Summon Card has gotten an ability from Black Star with a suffix.]
[Zero Square Foot of Zero: Could it be that they've made some kind of deal to teach each other their abilities?)
[My Dog's Name Is Lagi: Hmm, so… if we use Blank Character Summon Cards on Mechanic Emperor now, we might get 'Indestructible Body-Black Star'?]
You really are a genius… Han Xiao's teeth were almost starting to hurt from all the grinding.
(Ice Tornado: Wait, there are other possibilities too! Could it be that Black Star was taught by the Mechanic Emperor from the beginning?)
(Blueberry: Holy sh*t! That does sound possible. If Black Star has been Mechanic Emperor's secret disciple since long ago, that'll explain his extremely quick rise!)
(Shadow Song of Execution: If that's true, their conflict some time ago might just be a show. They appear to be on opposite sides, but they're actually on the same side! What a plot twist… I figured it out! The Mechanic Emperor is planning something huge, and he's playing a gigantic match of chess!)
Figured your ass out!
Veins popped up on Han Xiao's forehead.
(Blood Rose: No, my curiosity can't be suppressed any longer. What happened between Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor?]
(Paradise Disco: Just a tiny question, will I get killed if I ask the army commander directly? Although I'm not afraid of that…]
(Bun-Hit-Dog: Ah, my eyes see through all. A storm is brewing. This secret might lead to a new enormous main storyline… I have a feeling that the theme of the next version is going to be the Black Star Army's split! I'm going to have plenty of material again!]
What split! You're the one that's going to split!
Han Xiao had a feeling that if he caught these players and shook them hard enough, he would most certainly hear the sound of liquid flowing in their empty heads.
Then, he suddenly saw a new post. The title was 'Army Rescue Operation-Recruitment Post'.
He clicked in and saw that it was a post from Free Sh*t again.
"Brother and sisters, the Black Star Army has accompanied us over four versions. This is our faction, and we can't allow others to rob what we've worked so hard for!
"However, sadly, the army's officers will not believe what we say. Only us players can see the evidence.
"Because of that, I've decided to start a righteous mutiny. When the closing ceremony of the Black Star Cup is broadcast live to the entire universe, I'm going to step out and expose the Mechanic Emperor's real identity to everyone! "Therefore, I need all of your power! "Although we're far from being able to match Beyond Grade As, we can use our lives to show the entire universe the Mechanic Emperor's conspiracy! "All heroes who are willing to participate in the operation, leave your name under this post and contact us. "Comrades, unsheathe your swords. We're the only ones who can save the army now!
"Even in death, I'm still a member of the Black Star Army!
"Mechanic Emperor Manison, show us your HP bar!"
Han Xiao was completely astounded.
He looked down, and the comments of this post were growing by the hundreds each second. Countless people were thrilled and signed up for it.
What the hell? Are they planning to backstab me?
Should I feel a headache now, or should I feel touched?
This proves that what I've done in the past four versions has been very effective. I've already built a strong emotional bond with the Chinese players. The fact that these players are willing to go this far for me, it's really touching.. Touching my ass!
What kind of turn of events is this?
He looked at the post again for two more times and clenched his teeth.
"Frankly, this post did indeed make me quite heated… Damn it, smaller brains do indeed occupy less space in the brain to give room for more stupidity!"
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Chapter 1136 This Is Love
Han Xiao could not help but rub his temples. Players were the incarnation of anarchy. Even though they were already members of his own faction, they could still not be fully controlled. Although their intentions were good, what they did would always end up causing all kinds of strange things to happen.
The atmosphere of the entire forums got carried away by this topic.
After being frustrated for a while, Han Xiao suddenly laughed.
"These guys really can't seem to stop causing problems… but this might not be a bad thing."
He pondered for a while and suddenly realized that he did not have to stop the players.
Not to mention that the players were communicating on the forums and there was no way he could use that as evidence to catch them, this was not a bad thing for building a sense of belonging for the army.
If not because the senior players loved and cared about him, they would not try to 'save' him.
He did not have to operate a universal armed force like a tinker, fixing any problems that appeared. Instead, letting the players cause some trouble during the closing ceremony would even bring the Black Star Cup more attention, and he did not even have to plan anything.
The players were led by Fly Free, who wanted to backstab him in the name of justice, but this was completely harmless in Han Xiao's eyes. He was happy to put on a show with them.
The Black Star Army's public image in the universe was basically an ally of justice recognized by everyone. The people were extremely forgiving toward the army, so even if something like this happened during the Black Star Cup closing ceremony, it would not affect the army's reputation. Instead, it would feel interesting to most people. The Black Star Army basically had the public opinion armor. Actually, Han Xiao figured out easily that he did not have to explain any rumors spreading among the players to anyone, they were non-issues to him.
I'm the faction leader, a top warlord in the universe, and I didn't really get swapped. If I even have to explain myself in the face of such a weird accusation, it will be a joke.
The evidence of the players' doubts was the Character Summon Card, which actually seemed to make sense from their perspective. However, as long as they could see the big picture, this kind of suspicion would not be able to stand its ground at all. If the Mechanic Emperor really disguised himself as him, there would be way too many flaws in that theory that could not be explained. For example, why did none of the other Beyond Grade As sense it? Why did the three Universal Civilizations not notice it? How could the army's artificial intelligence, Phillip, not respond to it at all? And if he was the Mechanic Emperor, how could the Mechanic Emperor use his secondary dimension army box?
No one in the entire universe could disguise himself as another peak Beyond Grade A perfectly. Even a shapeshifter like 'Illusory Deity' Kant could not.
The players did not understand what seemed like common sense to anyone who could see the big picture, so maybe their accusation would be an interesting topic for galactic residents to discuss over meals. Only completely clueless people would believe it. Their evidence that was on the interface was something that did not exist to ordinary people. Han Xiao knew very well that the main reason the players believed this theory was that it was still fresh. Once the blind passion faded and they saw that everything was continuing as usual, this kind of ridiculous rumor would collapse on itself.
All important people would be involved in strange and wild rumors. There was no need to explain himself, so he decided to give the players some room for imagination.
Han Xiao's eyes gleamed.
To the players who only cared about the benefits of the faction, it did not matter who owned the faction. Therefore, being willing to expose the Mechanic Emperor's 'conspiracy' while bearing the risk of being punished by the faction was basically a sacrificial act.
Then does it mean that the more people who take part in this mission, the more united the army is?
Furthermore, since the players used this reason to cause trouble, the Mechanic Emperor will be the one getting the negative image here!
Having thought of that, Han Xiao smiled and summoned Phillip.
"Phillip, watch the Immortals of the army closely for some time. Report any and all situations to me."
"Okay, hum!"
"By the way, invite the Beyond Grade As to come and watch the ceremony in my name while you're at it. Send one to the Mechanic Emperor too."
"Hum… Will the Mechanic Emperor come?" Phillip tilted his little head with confusion.
"How would I know? Just send it to him. It's best if he comes. I'll have a chance to provoke him again." Han Xiao giggled. "Alright then, hum…"
Seeing Han Xiao's evil smile, Phillip obeyed him without asking anything.
"Black Star invited me to attend an event?"
At a secret base somewhere in Primeval Star River, Manison, who was trying to simulate the Virtual Mutiny Virus, stopped and looked at his artificial intelligence with confusion.
"Yes, he's invited you to attend the Black Star Cup closing ceremony."
What's wrong with this guy?
What makes Black Star think I will give him face after what happened?
Manison could not understand it at all.
Is he trying to fix our relationship?
Or make me lose face in public?
"I'm not going. Reject it," Manison replied and continued to reverse engineer the technology. "Okay, message sent." Manison replied with a soft grunt and then stopped what he was doing for a moment. "By the way, remind me to watch the stream on the day of the Black Star Cup closing ceremony."
Although he did not plan to give Han Xiao face, he still wanted to find out what Black Star was attempting to do. There was definitely a reason he had received an invitation.
While the discussion about whether Han Xiao was 'real or fake' raged on the forums, the last two finals of the Black Star Cup started as scheduled.
Countless audience platforms floated above the venue planet, covering the sky. They were all fully occupied by army members and spectators who had bought live tickets.
The audience platform specially made by the army was in the form of an oval shaped cabin. All the walls were transparent, so the spectators inside could see the outside from any angle. The walls also had the function to zoom in.
These audience platforms were also protected by transparent energy shields that could block all kinds of impacts and radiation so that there would not be any spectators lucky enough to get hurt. They could also fly at Mach speed twenty-four to ensure the spectators would be able to keep up with the Calamity Grade battles. With the advanced technology the platforms had, the spectators inside would also not feel any turbulence even when flying at such a high speed and always feel as if they were on the ground.
Today, Han Xiao personally came to watch the competition at the venue. He arrived at the extremely crowded venue and hovered in front of the various audience platforms.
As soon as he showed up, he felt like electricity was running through his skin, as if he was being stared at by countless people from behind.
Han Xiao was not surprised. He knew this was the countless players in the audience seats using 'Detect' on him. In the eyes of the players, Han Xiao's detailed attributes were still all question marks, but the players' goal was to see the color of Han Xiao's name. The result of that was still green, which showed that Han Xiao was on their side, and they started chattering. "Let's begin." Han Xiao was not concerned about the players' discussion. He turned and signaled the host to start the finals. The host coughed and said with a loud voice, "Greetings, everyone. Today is the last day of the official Black Star Cup competitions. There will be a total of two finals, the duel finals of the Calamity Grade group and the Square Scrimmage final of the Immortals group. Without further ado, the first match today will be the fight between two Calamity Grades. Contestants, please enter the venue…"
As soon as he said that, Hadavy and Jotina appeared. After a brief introduction, the two of them went to their own positions and waited for the match to start. Their battlefield was the surface of the entire planet. As time passed, the atmosphere became more and more tense. The moment the host announced the start of the match, two silhouettes left afterimages in their place and clashed.
Boom!
A shockwave expanded. The two of them instantly started attacking each other. Their movements were extremely quick as they moved across the planet's surface. Everywhere they passed, they would leave cracks and deep claw marks hundreds of meters long on the ground.
TIL
Boom!
Violent Pugilist flames continuously landed on Hadavy, shattering all the hills and forests around like a dragon crawling on the land. Disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis erupted. Hadavy was a hardening-type Esper, while Jotina was a Pugilist. Both of them were good at melee combat. The battle between them was violent and savage, basically just the clashing of muscles and muscles, like two beasts fighting each other. To be more precise, Jotina was attacking, and Hadavy was enduring the attacks. The battle would only end when the one enduring the attacks could not take it anymore or when the one attacking got exhausted.
The impact of a Calamity Grade battle was exciting and beautiful for most of the spectators, but in Han Xiao's eyes, the movements of the two of them were like a slow-motion video. He could easily count how many times Hadavy's skin rippled after he got punched.
With Han Xiao's current level, battles of Calamity Grades had absolutely no suspense. Hence, he decided to look at the forums while occasionally glancing back.
Under the eyes of countless people, the result was finally decided after the two of them fought for a very long time. The surface of the planet looked like it had been hit by a meteor shower. It was tragic. In the end, Hadavy was victorious. Although he was covered in bruises and wounds, Jotina had collapsed from exhaustion first.
After decades of combat training, or rather, getting beat up, Hadavy's defense was now extremely high. In combination with his two Molding Talents, True Damage Immunity and Low Strength Attack Immunity, there was not a single person tankier than him in the Black Star Army other than Han Xiao
"Haha, I'm the pillar of the army who His Excellency Black Star personally trained for decades. You're still too young."
Hadavy was very proud as he wagged his finger at Jotina, who was on the ground.
If not for his bruised face, this would have been quite convincing…
"Damn it!"
Jotina was not satisfied with the loss at all. She slammed the ground and created a crack dozens of meters wide.
She could not win the championship, which meant that Black Star would not notice her strength. Black Star not noticing her strength meant she would have less time to communicate with Black Star during the award ceremony. Less time to communicate with Black Star during the award ceremony meant it would be more difficult for her to build feelings. More difficulty building feelings meant the chances of her carrying out reproductive activities with Black Star would be lowered. As a new member of the army whose goal was to sleep with Black Star, she was extremely unhappy.
Han Xiao watched as the two of them were sent to have their injuries taken care of. He touched his chin and started pondering.
In my previous life, Hadavy did not reach the Beyond Grade A realm, and Jotina even died at the hands of Beast Ancestor, but now they're both under my command. I've trained Hadavy for decades. His chance of reaching Beyond Grade A, well, isn't zero. It's just that his ability is too monotonous. Even if he does become a Beyond Grade A, he'll probably be at the lowest level like Kohler and Beyoni…
As for Jotina, other than her wild and open personality, Han Xiao quite liked her.
In terms of just potential, the chance of Jotina becoming a Beyond Grade A was probably even higher than Hadavy. However, it would be basically impossible for her to reach Beast Ancestor's level. Han Xiao felt that the limit of Jotina's growth was probably somewhere around the level of 'Star Slasher' Viru, or 'Tyrant' Heber…
Not very strong but not among the weakest. As Han Xiao was reminded of Heber, he started thinking of him. Ever since Heber was defeated by him, he had been keeping a much lower profile and quietly growing in the Shattered Star Ring. Speaking of low profile, Han Xiao was reminded of Psyker again. He felt that this guy's presence had gotten even lower in the universe. He might want to visit the Star Pupil Civilization some time. After all, he was now the Special Consultant of the three Universal Civilizations, so visiting Psyker would be totally within his duty.
While his thoughts ran wild, Black Star Cup's logistics department entered the venue and started using tons of industrial devices to operate on this almost destroyed planet.
After a new venue was built, the host announced the start of the last final. Rivervale, Dynasty, Thunder Storm, and Gold's teams entered one after another, greeting the spectators.
However, all the players' eyes were focused on Gold, even including the other three teams. Clearly, they were waiting for their proof.
"Captain, should I use the Character Summon Card now?"
Fly Free looked around the entire place and firmly said, "Use it! This is the perfect time to prove we were not lying."
The Mechanic player took a deep breath, opened the interface, and activated the Black Star Character Summon Card. Then, he enlarged his status bar and made it public.
Of course, as the interface was displayed, ordinary people would not be able to see it. Only the players could see the name of the effect given by this Character Summon Card.
Black Star Character Summon Card—[Billion Mechanic Empire-Manison)!
"It's true!"
The players became excited. Some even stood up and made the other spectators confused.
Han Xiao floated in midair with his arms crossed and listened to the discussions of the players from the feedback of the cameras inside the audience platforms. He smirked.
After a while, many players calmed down and looked up at Han Xiao's back view. All kinds of emotions appeared in their eyes. Originally, since this was the last final, it should have been the center of attention. However, many players were in a state of shock and confusion and could not focus on the match. The NPC spectators were as excited as usual, cheering for the four teams, completely ignorant of the emotional rollercoaster the Immortals were going through Han Xiao did not focus much on the match either and was looking at the players' comments on the forums. The match ended very quickly. Dynasty was the winner, and Gold Team was the first to get eliminated.
Gold Team had exposed their trump card in advance, so as expected, they got focus fired. Furthermore, (Billion Mechanic Empire) was not very powerful in the hands of the players
yet.
The players did not have those high-level Mechanic abilities and could not benefit from the specific bonuses. Furthermore, the duration was only a short hour, so the most powerful production and invention abilities of this ability were completely useless. The only things the player could benefit from were bonuses to their Intellect, Machinery Affinity, and Mechanic ability levels. These were just the basic bonuses. Though strong, it was not so powerful it would immediately turn the tide. This ability was totally wasted in the hands of the players. Only peak Beyond Grade A Mechanics would be able to fully utilize the power of (Billion Mechanic Empire).
"… All the events of the Black Star Cup have now ended. Thank you for watching, and thank you, army commander, for attending the matches today. In three days, we're going to host the closing ceremony of the Black Star Cup. The army commander will be personally congratulating all those who've achieved great results in the Black Star Cup. Ladies and gentlemen, see you then!"
The host then left the venue and ended the broadcast.
The spectators also left the venue, including the players. They kept looking back at Han Xiao while leaving.
Han Xiao smiled and watched them leave. He saw the players' reactions clearly. He uncontrollably raised his brows and felt anticipation for some reason.
I would like to find out how important I am to the players and how many are willing to sacrifice themselves for me.
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Chapter 1137 Die! Mechanic Emperor!
It was as if a tide of sacrificial spirit was sweeping across the Black Star Army players.
As the Character Summon Card was proved to be real, the forums temporarily became the intelligence center of Operation Saving Black Star. Many army players gathered in groups and expanded their teams here, making posts under Fly Free's Operation Command Center.
Many senior players who had played since Version 1.0 had a sense of responsibility and faith; they felt they had to do something to solve the crisis of the army falling into the hands of the Mechanic Emperor. Crowds gathered, and even some professional players such as Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon took part. Operation Saving Black Star had become a large event held by the army players themselves.
Of course, there were also those with other motives among the participants. Some just wanted to make the news bigger, some wanted to show their loyalty so Black Star would notice them after 'returning', and some wanted to try to trigger hidden missions. The atmosphere on the forums was like a war was going on. Everyone thought they were making a difference. However, the majority were just rubbernecking and adding spices. There were not only Chinese players in the army anymore. There were also a ton of international players who joined only in Version 4.0. Most of them were just watching with excitement.
Even among the Chinese players, there were also some who did not think it was worth risking the time and effort they had spent in the Black Star Army and did not take part.
Everything happening on the forums over the past three days was witnessed by Han Xiao. Operation Saving Black Star had absolutely no secrets to him.
Although these players were planning on how to backstab him the next day, not only did Han Xiao feel angry about it, but he even found it interesting
At this time, Phillip popped out and said, "Master, hum… There are a few Immortals who want to see you. They said they have found out that the Immortals are planning a mutiny, so they want to report it to you."
"Oh?" Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.
Traitors?
Hmm, come to think of it, since they're players, it'd be weird to not have traitors.
"Tell them to come here," Han Xiao ordered.
After staying for a while in the office, a few players in flashy armor came in. They were clearly foreign players judging from their IDs. "Yo, army commander." An Ice Demon Race player who seemed like their leader greeted Han Xiao in a very hip-pop style.
Han Xiao acted like he had no idea. He looked confused and asked, "You said that the Immortals are planning on a mutiny? Tell me, what is this about?"
"Yo, here's what it is. We're all good people, but some Immortals are ambitious people. They're not happy with your ruling now, so they plan to use a ridiculous excuse to incite the army. Wow. At tomorrow's award ceremony, they'll attack you definitely." Han Xiao rose his brows. "What excuse?"
"From what I heard, they said you're the Mechanic Emperor in disguise. Ain't that funny? Hahaha."
"Interesting." Han Xiao sized him up, smiled, and said, "Got it, I'll investigate the matter. If it's true, you'll all be given rewards."
"Hehe, I'd like more Contribution Points." This person was very straight forward.
Han Xiao acted as if he did not hear them. He waved and told them to leave. This time, Phillip reported again, saying there were more people who wanted to see him.
He did not reject any of them and patiently spoke to one group of traitors after another. Most of them were foreign players, and what they said was mostly the same, exposing Fly Free and the others' plan and twisting their motive, claiming the motive of the mutiny was ambition. After sending off the last group of them, Han Xiao smiled.
"Some of these are pure opportunists, but the rest are probably the spies the foreign professional guilds have placed inside the army. Hehe, they're trying to cause more problems."
He had always known that there were spies of foreign guilds in the army, and this was unavoidable. The motive behind Fly Free and the other senior players' actions was positive, but these spies definitely did not have positive motives.
Han Xiao knew instantly that these spies were trying to make the situation worse. On one hand, they wanted the Chinese players to be heavily punished, so the Chinese guilds would be affected too. On the other hand, they also wanted to reduce his trust in the Immortals so that the army players would receive fewer benefits.
Clearly, the foreign players did not care if he was really the Mechanic Emperor or Black Star. If he was the Mechanic Emperor, he would be alarmed, discover the mutiny in advance, and take action. If this was all a misunderstanding and he was still Black Star, reporting the mutiny to him would also be an act of loyalty. They thought they were killing two birds with one stone.
Without the forums, Han Xiao might have fallen for it. However, Han Xiao already knew everything about this through the forums, so he easily saw through these spies' plan to use him.
Looking at these traitors' satisfied expressions thinking their plan had worked, Han Xiao looked normal but was laughing inside.
I'll let you guys laugh for a while and deal with you after the ceremony.
Han Xiao tapped the table and ordered, "Phillip, secretly dispatch the mechanical soldiers in the warehouse and put them around the venue, especially the VIP area, audience seats, and the news stand. The moment anyone attacks the guests tomorrow, arrest them immediately."
This order was not targeted at Fly Free and the others. Their target was only him, and their motive was to protect the Black Star Army, so their plan did not consist of hurting the innocents.
However, there would most likely be some people who would use this opportunity to cause problems, damaging the army's reputation by hurting the audience. Han Xiao was quite sure that only those foreign pro guilds would do something like this.
Han Xiao did not want to stop Fly Free and the others from 'expressing their loyalty', but he was not going to watch people with ulterior motives damage the army.
Speaking of which, Version 4.0 is in its middle stages now, about to step into the late stage. The national war will probably occur the same time as the Super Star Cluster Alliance battle, just like my previous life. I wonder if those alliances formed by player organizations will still be founded.
Three days passed very quickly. The competition planet had already been turned into an open stadium for the award ceremony.
The main stage was a large floating platform. Only the most important guests were sitting there. It was surrounded by many smaller platforms, where the audience, media, and the winners of various items were seated.
Spherical shields shrouded the venue, blocking the cold wind in the sky and unrelated people from disrupting the closing ceremony. The inside of the shield had a virtual screen that made the venue look like a closed theater.
All kinds of spaceships floated in the exterior atmosphere. The formally dressed spectators, guests, and contestants arrived at the venue on the carriers provided by the army, found their seats, and sat down. Very soon, the venue became crowded. It was a true festival.
Fly Free and his team sat in the contestant seats, looked around, and occasionally exchanged looks with the players on the same floating platform.
Fly Free's shoulder was tapped. He turned around and realized it was the Rivervale team's captain, Frenzied Sword.
"When do we move?" Frenzied Sword lowered his voice. As a real loyal follower of Black Star, he also took part in the operation.
"It's still early. No hurry. Just like the plan, when it's our turn to receive the reward, everyone just wait for my signal and move at the same time," Fly Free said quietly. "How many people do you think will be with US?"
"Although a lot of people signed up on the forums, it'll be amazing if even one tenth of them actually do carry out the plan." Fly Free shook his head.
"Okay, we'll be waiting for your signal."
The players who were taking part in the Saving Black Star Operation communicated privately. On the other side, there was also another group of people planning for a different operation.
On a floating audience stand, a player with the ID of 'Winter Wolf' asked his friend beside him through a private channel, "Are our men scattered out yet?"
"Yeah, don't worry. Our men are scattered throughout the platforms. Some are very close to the celebrity guest seats. When those Chinese make a move, we'll be able to act in the midst of all the chaos. We'll definitely cause quite a lot of destruction."
"Good." Winter Wolf nodded and said with a low voice, "The Black Star Army faction is too strong. We have to weaken it. This is the first field operation our Northern Battlefront has carried out since its secret founding. We have to make it count to open the path for our national war plans."
"Understood."
At the same time, Han Xiao was welcoming the Beyond Grade A remote projections at the VIP seats on the main stage.
With his position and reputation, almost seventy percent of all Beyond Grade A members of the development union came to watch the event. They all sat at the frontmost seats. Han Xiao casually chattered and laughed with them.
As the seats at the venue were fully occupied, all the lights gradually dimmed, only leaving the main stage brightly illuminated.
Seeing this, the noisy venue quietened down. Everyone's eyes were on the main stage.
Sylvia walked up onto the stage. She was not in her uniform, instead wearing an expensive and elegant purple bare-back dress. She wore light makeup, making her face even more exquisite and beautiful than normal. Her hair was tied up, showing her long and snow-white neck. Her silver earrings swayed lightly, reflecting light from the venue. The bright but not blinding light colored her stunning and marvelous.
She took one look around and said, "Guests, contestants, and viewers behind screens, welcome to the closing ceremony of the first Black Star Cup. I'm the army's Chief Administrative Official, Sylvia."
Then, Sylvia paused as stated in the script. Han Xiao smiled and applauded her. The people around followed his lead. Very soon, the venue was filled with roaring applause.
Seeing this, Sylvia then said, "As the army expands, the number of members continues to grow. The initial purpose of the Black Star Cup was to select the elites of the various professions inside the army so that the new members who are capable but not senior enough can have an extra path to rise up. At the same time, it gives the older members a chance to improve themselves. Now, the Black Star Cup has come to a fulfilling end. To our pleasant surprise, we realized just how many elites the army has in various professions…"
Sylvia started reading the script. The image was broadcast to the entire universe through the media cameras present. Of course, the Black Star Cup closing ceremony did not consist of only giving out the reward. The detailed order of the ceremony went Sylvia's speech; the Black Star Cup organizing committee's speech; the winners of various items going up onto the stage to accept their reward and each giving a speech; then last but not least, the army commander's concluding speech. There were also a lot of performances and shows in between.
The army had invited many galactic celebrities, such as singers, actors, and the like. All those invited were extremely famous.
Usually, normal events would be honored to be able to invite just one of those celebrities, given how famous they were. However, the Black Star Cup was way too high class. These celebrities were the ones feeling honored to take part in the closing ceremony. This was an entertainment event hosted by a universal-level warlord, so it was an extremely excellent opportunity to build connections with people at the highest level of the society. In order to obtain a spot in the performances, the companies behind many celebrities even had intense fights.
Han Xiao was invited to the stage very soon to give the awards to the winners personally along with some words of encouragement. The remote projections of the two Vice Commanders, Lagi and Hila, stood beside him. They did not speak and only nodded at the contestants to show encouragement.
However, the reasons behind the two of them not speaking were different. Hila did not like talking, so she did not speak, while Lagi's voice communication function was cut off by Han Xiao so that he could not speak.
The award ceremony had breaks, which were filled by the celebrity performances. As the closing ceremony was about halfway through, Han Xiao felt as if his face was twitching from smiling too much, and the spectators' palms were also getting red from clapping too much. Finally, it was time to give the award to the outstanding contestants of the Immortals' Square Scrimmage.
Here it is… Han Xiao focused.
The people walked onto the stage. Fly Free clenched his teeth and walked up. His back gave off a vibe as if he was walking up to an execution ground.
"Congratulations, you're all talents of the army…"
Han Xiao read the script once more, gave Fly Free a glance, smiled in his brain, and took two steps back, giving the stage to the contestants to speak.
No one on the stage stepped forward; they all looked at Fly Free.
Fly Free nodded at everyone and walked to the lectern with heavy steps. The entire venue was extremely quiet. Everyone's eyes were on him, waiting for his speech.
The players all subconsciously straightened their backs and became nervous, paying attention to every movement of Fly Free.
Fly Free took a deep breath, prepared himself mentally, and spoke. "I'm very proud to have achieved good results in the Black Star Cup, but that's not what I'm going to talk about today… Just a few days ago, we discovered a shocking secret—the army commander who's standing on this stage now is not Black Star! He's someone else in disguise!"
Hu!
we
It was like bombs were being set off everywhere.
All the spectators, army officers, guests, celebrities, and even the Beyond Grade As present were completely startled by this sudden change. They looked at this guy and could not respond.
W-what's going on?
"I'm a member of the Black Star Army. This is my home. I will only ever recognize Black Star as our army commander. I won't allow anyone to disguise as our dear army commander to control the army!" Fly Free's tone became firm as he yelled, "Today, right here, I'm going to use my life to expose this guy's conspiracy to the entire universe! Save our leader!"
As soon as he said that, Fly Free turned around, flames erupted all over his body as he charged toward Han Xiao, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Mechanic Emperor! Die!"
At the same time, in a secret base at an unknown location, Manison's hands trembled, and popcorn splashed all over the floor.
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Chapter 1138 Players Not Causing Trouble Have No Soul
"Go!"
A sudden change occurred. With a loud shout, the audience platforms erupted into chaos. About one fifth of the players suddenly moved. Silhouettes rose into the sky and headed right toward Han Xiao on the stage. They were all heroic players who had answered the call.
Like a taut string suddenly snapping, the rest of the players became excited about what was going to happen.
In the crowd, Winter Wolf's eyes sparkled. He quickly ordered in the channel, "The chance is here! Let's go!"
The next moment, several hundred players suddenly moved again and were about to attack the audience platform around them.
Winter Wolf flew up from his seat. Layers of frost condensed on his skin as he dashed right toward the celebrity seats.
Excitement appeared on Winter Wolf's face as the reflection of many celebrities' shocked faces entered his sights. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and was about to activate his Esper Ability and release an ice storm to turn these celebrities into ice sculptures.
At the same time, the heroes who were rushing toward the main stage also noticed this group of people who were using this opportunity to attack the innocents. Shock and rage appeared on their faces.
This was not in their plan at all, and subconsciously, some people were about to turn around and stop Winter Wolf and the others guild spies from hurting the innocents.
All these changes happened in an instant. As chaos was about to erupt, a bright electric light blasted in the middle of the venue!
Snap!
Countless bolts of Mechanical Force lightning shot out like a spider net. The mechanical soldiers that were hiding in the various audience platforms activated instantly and pounced at the players who were causing trouble around them.
These mechanical soldiers were all 'Restrainer – Modified' that could disassemble into advanced restraining suits and capture the target alive. Now that they had received Mechanical Force bonuses from Han Xiao, their attributes completely exceeded the players who were Grade B at best.
Buzz!
Black silhouettes crisscrossed everywhere, and electrical sparks flickered. All the players who were rushing toward Han Xiao from all over the place were suddenly controlled by the Restrainers' electromagnetic chains and the restraining devices, unable to move like birds without wings. Fly Free and the rest of the contestants who were on the main stage were instantly blown away by the exploding energy, falling down at the edge of the stage. The group of them were just about to climb up and continue to charge when Han Xiao softly flipped his hand over. A powerful energy shockwave pressed onto them and slammed them all flat on the ground. The next moment, the metal floor turned into robes made of nanoparticles under the effect of Han Xiao's Mechanical Force, tying Fly Free and the others up tightly.
Before the guests had time to react, the sudden danger was resolved by Han Xiao, who was prepared.
Whew, fortunately, I'm prepared.
Han Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The players were not even at the Calamity Grade, so they were no different from ordinary people to him. They would not be able to cause any threat to him with numbers, but if they were to attack others, the ordinary spectators would definitely be hurt.
Even if he could react quickly, he could not ensure there were no casualties. However, since he was prepared and the players did not know, he was able to restrain all the players the moment they started to move, and no guest was hurt.
This operation was caused by Fly Free leading the momentum; that was all. These people were no different from a group of brutes with no proper unity and plan. Furthermore, most of the participants only took part on impulse, which was a common occurrence among the players. Plus, the time to prepare was too short, so there was no way they would be able to come up with a detailed plan.
The entire operation felt like a suicide mission.
"His responses are way too quick!" Winter Wolf could only feel a flash before his eyes, and he was captured without being able to resist at all. He was shocked.
He struggled to turn around and take a look and saw that all his friends had been captured by mechanical soldiers and restrained, unable to move.
Sh*t, not even one person died… Still, what we did was enough to anger the army and reduce its trust in all the players, which will in turn make the players in this faction receive fewer benefits…
Winter Wolf was a little regretful that his plan had failed to reach the optimal results, but judging from their goal, this was not a total failure.
These changes happened quickly, and the danger was resolved even quicker. The guests present and the spectators from the various Star Fields were stunned for quite a while before realizing what had happened.
Wait a minute, did we just slip past the gate of death?
"What just happened?"
"Looks like the Black Star Army's men started a rebellion?"
"They said Black Star isn't Black Star. Why do I have no idea what that means?"
"That startled me. To think it wasn't a performance!"
As the guests finally realized what had happened, they became surprised. It had all happened too quick; they did not even sense danger arriving, and it was already resolved. They did not feel scared at all, only surprised and confused.
All the people started discussing the incident while staring at Han Xiao with confusion.
Many army officers quickly came to Han Xiao and stood around him, staring at those players with extremely hostile looks.
Hila stepped forward, her face filled with murderous intent as she yelled, "Arrest all of these rebels. Escort them away and interrogate them thoroughly. I want to know who ordered them to do this!"
"Hey, don't get all tensed up. I still have some questions I want to ask them. Plus, I think the guests would like an explanation too."
Han Xiao pulled Hila back and signaled for the officers to step back.
Feeling the confused and curious looks of the people around, he calmly raised his finger. Nanoparticle robes then separated from the metal ground and slowly flew to before Han Xiao, holding Fly Free and the others.
Deliberately showing a somewhat confused expression, Han Xiao curiously asked, "What did you mean by what you just said? Why would you think I'm the Mechanic Emperor in disguise?"
Fly Free was quite frustrated. The sudden act of so many people had absolutely no impact, and they were instantly wiped out. They had become prisoners of the 'Mechanic Emperor'.
However, at least he yelled what he wanted to say to the entire universe, so his goal was achieved. What was left in his heart was only self-sacrificial emotions, so he yelled, "Mechanic Emperor! No matter how good your disguise is, I know you're fake!"
"Do you have any evidence?" Han Xiao raised his brows.
Only players could see the Character Summon Card screenshot, so this evidence would not work on NPCs. Furthermore, that particular Character Summon Card had already been used to prove what they said, so this reason was not convincing at all.
Fly Free had guessed he would face this question long ago, and he knew he would not be able to convince anyone but the players. He was prepared to insult the 'Mechanic Emperor', so he shouted, "Your vibe!"
"Huh?" Even Han Xiao was stunned for a moment.
"Humph, our Black Star army commander is a man of justice and honor. Just looking at him will make people uncontrollably admire him. But you, Mechanic Emperor, you ignored the safety of the universe for your own sake, attempting to keep the source of the Intelligent Plague for yourself! Your despicable vibe has exposed you!"
"The Mechanic Emperor is despicable?" Han Xiao deliberately raised his tone.
"Very despicable!" Fly Free was not afraid at all. "Who is Black Star? He rose in just a few decades and can already fight you on par. You call yourself an Ancient One? All the years you've spent alive have gone down the toilet! Compared to our army commander… you are nothing!" Quite many Beyond Grade As touched their nose awkwardly… Why does it feel like we're being insulted too? Han Xiao's face twitched. He had to do everything he could not to laugh.
Beautiful!
That's right, buddy, keep going!
"So… this is the reason for your mutiny?"
"It's not a mutiny! Don't even think about twisting our motive! We've fought and bled for the army; we're inseparable from the army! Only Black Star has the right to lead us. If anyone else attempts to put their hands on it, we'll definitely retaliate! Even if you kill me today, I'll still continue yelling these words in my grave-never compromise!"
Fly Free said it with so much emotion that even Han Xiao was almost touched.
The infectious words made quite a number of senior players' blood boil. The emotions from many versions rushed to their heads. They were fearless, as they would not die anyway, and they started shouting. "This is the Black Star Army! F*ck off, Mechanic Emperor!"
"Black Star will shine forever!"
"Captain is the best!" "Immortals will never be slaves!"
The voices echoed in the venue. The faith inside these words moved many viewers.
So, is this what it's like in the armed forces? How beautiful.
On the other hand, the Beyond Grade As were all at a loss.
From their perspective, this was beyond ridiculous.
At this time, Kant suddenly said, "Actually, I can somewhat understand the mindset of these Immortals…"
The others turned to him with expressions of disbelief.
Kant coughed and said, "I've recruited some Immortals. Most of the time, they're quite normal, but sometimes, they'll show signs of being mentally challenged and do things I cannot understand at all…" "Such as?"
"… There was one guy who asked me directly to turn into a naked female human. I accidentally killed him… three times."
Kasuyi agreed. "I have some Immortals under my command too. Even I can't understand what's in their heads. Someone actually tried to steal my undergarments. Do you believe that?"
"I recall hearing a theory. Experts say that the Immortal Race's undying trait caused their minds to undergo synchronized mutation, which makes them have intermittent manic episodes, delusions, logic disorders, and other mental disorders."
"Oh, then it makes sense…"
Suspecting that their boss was fake just because the vibe was not right? What kind of normal person would ever do that?
However, when it was the Immortals who did something like this, the people would instantly accept it. It seemed that no matter what outrageously weird things the Immortals did, the others would not think of it as abnormal.
As soon as the topic was brought up, many Beyond Grade As who also had Immortals under their command started chattering. Very soon, they came to the pleasant agreement that the Immortals had mental issues, and they really respected Black Star for being able to effectively manage the Immortals, who were so unpredictable.
Secret Master snorted and said, "What are you all talking about? This clearly was directed by Black Star to deliberately embarrass the Mechanic Emperor. My eyes have seen through it all."
"It's a shame the Mechanic Emperor isn't here. His expression would be a sight to behold." Milizaus chuckled.
They then imagined what it would look like and giggled with glee.
While they were chatting, Han Xiao had many exchanges with Fly Free, insulting the Mechanic Emperor from head to toe in all styles.
"Come, kill me." Fly Free looked heroic.
Seeing that it was about enough, Han Xiao said, "Although for some reason you are so sure that I'm the Mechanic Emperor in disguise, you really are mistaken… The Mechanic Emperor isn't capable of disguising as me. He's far from it."
Hearing this, Kant laughed and said, "Wouldn't we know if he's Black Star or not? You guys are too young and naïve. At least get some solid evidence before you act."
We do have solid evidence… but only we can see it.
Seeing the reactions of Han Xiao and the other Beyond Grade As, Fly Free and the others started to get shaken. They started to doubt themselves. Those who did not fully believe in the theory that this Black Star was fake started agreeing The effects of Character Summon Cards would not be fake, so the possibility of another theory was higher-Black Star had learnt the Mechanic Emperor's ability somehow.
Seeing that they were pondering and hesitating, Han Xiao waved and said, "Escort them away for now. I'll have a proper talk with them after the closing ceremony ends."
He did not do anything to them for the time being. Dealing with these people was the army's internal affair, so it was not suitable to handle it there.
The Restrainers took all the players who caused problems out of the venue. After Sylvia came up to calm everyone's emotions down, the Black Star Cup closing ceremony continued. However, most people's attention was no longer on the ceremony but on this tiny incident.
The closing ceremony was initially just a standard affair, but then it immediately sparked more conversations, attracting more attention. Han Xiao's goal of using Fly Free and the others was achieved.
There were no other twists and turns to the closing ceremony till it ended. Everything that happened there was broadcast to the entire universe through the media groups.
The actions of Fly Free caused a new meme to be born in the galaxy-'Pointing at Black Star to insult the Mechanic Emperor'.
After the stream ended, Manison's expressionless face was reflected on the now dark screen.
His eyes were narrowed, and a tint of irritation flashed past his pupils. Mistaken? As if I believe you! This is clearly a show you directed!
I knew you did not invite me for nothing. It was just a plot to embarrass me in public.
Manison clenched his fists.
Black Star, you're too much!
One day, I'm surely going to cut you up and turn you into a Felon!
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Chapter 1139 Compliments from the Big Boss
As the closing ceremony ended, spaceships took off one after another, sending the audience away.
Han Xiao told Sylvia to take care of the guests who had come to show their support in his place, while he led the various officers and Black Star Guards to the main ship in orbit. All the players who had caused trouble were temporarily locked up there, waiting to be dealt with.
Swoosh!
The cabin opened. Han Xiao and the officers swarmed in and immediately saw the intense situation inside. The players locked there were separated clearly into two groups—the majority of the players led by Fly Free surrounded the spies led by Winter Wolf.
Herlous stepped forward and demanded, "What's going on?"
The guard quickly approached and replied, "Your Excellency, they have been arguing for a while now. It seems like they're having an internal conflict."
"An internal conflict between a group of rebels?" A Black Star Guards snickered.
Although Fly Free gave a great speech during the ceremony and expressed that they did what they did for the sake of the army, most of the army officers did not buy it at all. They felt that this was just an excuse for their mutiny. Attacking the army commander in public and attempting to disrupt the ceremony did not look like things someone would do for the sake of the army at all. The army officers did not know the details like Han Xiao, so they would not be easily convinced.
Han Xiao knew what was going on, but he did not explain it. He walked to the players, did not speak, and just looked at them with an expressionless face.
Seeing that Han Xiao had arrived, the two groups stopped arguing and looked at him.
After seeing Han Xiao's reaction and listening to the Beyond Grade As' explanation, the 'loyal' players led by Fly Free were starting to feel shaken, doubting their speculation, but they had yet to fully change their minds. They still felt that this might be a show the 'army commander' had put on to prove his fake identity was real.
Therefore, many people quietly started video recording at this moment, capturing his expressions and actions while they were in private. If he acted completely different from before, something was definitely wrong, and they would upload the video to the forums to once again warn the other army players. They had yet to give up exposing the 'Mechanic Emperor'.
Fly Free stepped up and said with a fearless tone, "What do you plan to do with us?"
"No hurry, I want to hear your explanations again," Han Xiao said casually with a normal tone.
"What else is there to say? We've already expressed our intentions very clearly," Fly Free yelled.
Without any changes in his expression, Han Xiao calmly said, "Even if this was a misunderstanding, your actions will still be punished. Have you thought of the consequences of all this?" "Of course."
"Even so, you still decided to take the risk for
me?"
"It's for Black Star. As for whether you're really him, we still don't know yet." Fly Free crossed his arms.
"Then how do you explain attacking the audience? Was that for the army commander too?" Hadavy said coldly.
Fly Free's expression turned stiff and then to rage. He turned and stared at Winter Wolf and the others angrily. "Our plan was only to expose the imposter. We're not the ones who attacked the audience. These people are not with us!"
Winter Wolf looked shocked. "What are you talking about? Isn't this a secret mission you gave us? Now you're trying to deny all of that?"
"Still bullsh*tting!" Fly Free was furious. "I did not plan this at all. Why did you guys do
it!
"Tsk, you totally asked us to do it, and now you're throwing us away after using us?"
Winter Wolf did this on purpose to make the Black Star Army think they were together. This way, they could transfer the blame for attacking the audience to Fly Free and the others, and the Black Star Army's trust in the Immortals would be reduced.
The two groups of players started arguing again. These guild spies had made agreements before; they all insisted they were on the same side. The 'loyal' players felt that their motive was repugnant and were furious. Elegant and kind greetings of each others' parents and ancestors kept coming out of their months. If not because of the Restrainers, this would have turned into a brawl.
Seeing this, many army officers curled their lips and looked unconcerned. They felt that this was just a show the Immortals had prepared in an attempt to prove they were innocent.
Hila turned to Han Xiao and softly said, "Black Star, more and more Immortals have joined the army. I think it's time to tighten our control over them, to prevent things like this from happening again." Someone added from the side, "That's right. We've been too lenient with the Immortals.
Hearing the army officers' discussion, the joy of his plan working flashed through Winter Wolf's eyes.
However, at this time, he suddenly saw Han Xiao looking over with a faint smile.
"You're the leader of these people, right?" "Me?" Winter Wolf was shocked inside but acted confused.
Han Xiao snapped his fingers. The Restrainers surrounded the hundreds of players who attempted to attack the audience, leaving the rest of the players alone. "I have video recordings of everyone who attempted to attack the guests. I won't accuse anyone unjustly," Han Xiao said slowly. "As punishment, you will be locked inside Spacetime Amber, and you basically shouldn't think about ever coming out again."
"Unfair!" Winter Wolf yelled and looked at the others. "We're with them! Why are you only catching us!"
"Bullsh*t!" Fly Free and the others were furious.
"Stop arguing, I knew about what was going on long ago." Han Xiao waved. His expression suddenly became serious as he said, "While you guys were plotting, someone told me about it. I could have actually stopped you guys long ago, but I let you act during the closing ceremony. Do you know why?".
"You knew long ago?"
The people's expression changed. They then thought about it for a moment and realized that there was nothing strange about that. Having traitors among them was totally normal.
However, Black Star not stopping them in advance was something they did not understand, so they were curious about it.
"I briefly know your motive, and I don't really believe you guys would start a mutiny." Han Xiao stopped into the crowd. He patted some people on the shoulder and dragged Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon out from the crowd. He smiled and said, "You're all pillars of the army from the earliest days, and I remember all of you, especially you two. We've known each other for decades. Although we haven't interacted much recently, I'd never doubt you
guys."
ve
The people were stunned and greatly surprised. They did not expect Black Star to say something like this, not to mention remembering them.
In this instant, many people felt very touched.
Especially Frenzied Sword and Maple Moon, the two of them were stunned for a few seconds and suddenly looked extremely excited. They were so touched that they were almost ready to sacrifice their lives for Han Xiao right in this moment to show their loyalty and appreciation.
Franky, Han Xiao was quite touched to see these two participate in this little incident too. The two of them were professional players now, yet they took such a big risk to take part in this. They must have deep emotions for him…
Looking at everyone's excited expression, Han Xiao smiled. Then, he turned to Winter Wolf and the others, and his expression instantly turned cold and fierce.
"Ever since the army's expansion, I've known of spies of other organizations managing to infiltrate the army. The reason I didn't stop you was that I was hoping to lure out these spies of the army using this opportunity, and it looks like that worked. I can clearly differentiate the army's pillars from the spies, so don't try to fool me."
Hearing this, Winter Wolf opened his mouth wide with disbelief all over his stiffened face.
Oh my god. Even this got seen through? Are NPCs this difficult to fool?
They were already mentally prepared to have their accounts permanently 'banned' when they acted. Since they were all employees who received salaries from the various professional guilds, they did not care that much about their accounts. However, now that their plan had been seen right through, it would mean that their sacrifice was completely meaningless, and the plan had failed miserably, which would be a huge loss.
Not wanting to listen to any more words from those spies, Han Xiao took out the Spacetime Amber and sealed the hundreds of them one after another, turning them into more samples. Even if they logged off, their bodies would remain inside.
Looking at this, Fly Free and the others were both touched and excited.
Han Xiao did not explain too much, but him taking out the Spacetime Amber and acting in this way immediately changed Fly Free and the others' minds. They were now basically certain he was the real Black Star.
Possessing Han Xiao's Universal Treasure was one reason, but it was more because Han Xiao had washed away the crime they were framed with committing, and he did not blame them for it. They were very appreciative of that and felt a sense of satisfaction.
"As for you people…" Han Xiao turned around and briefly smiled. "Though I do believe you, rules are rules. Your actions have caused trouble, so there must be punishments. The punishment shall be… you guys have to carry out some missions to make up for what you did, and you will not be able to enjoy the army discounts for three months. What do you say?"
"We deserve it. I have no objections." Fly Free waved his hand.
The rest also agreed. Although they were punished, they felt good about it.
Compared to what had happened to Winter Wolf and the others, this punishment was nothing. The contrast was too strong.
Han Xiao waved and ordered the Restrainers to back off, letting the players leave.
After the players left, Herlous said, "Black Star, is that it?"
"Didn't I punish them?" Han Xiao raised his brows.
"What kind of punishment was that? It's basically the same as nothing. When the others see that the punishment is so light, won't they keep attempting to do the same thing?"
"Don't worry, I know what to do."
Han Xiao waved and smiled in his head.
VAT
He knew that these players were definitely recording, and they would certainly upload the video to the forums. His actions earlier would not only make the players admire his judgment but also make the faction's sense of recognition go through the roof. It was the exact way of gaining people's hearts.
The method of dealing with Winter Wolf and the other spies was a warning. He was expressing that he could differentiate between friends and foes. With friends, he could be lenient, but if anyone attempted to harm the army, he would be merciless and give them a free lifelong ride inside the Spacetime Amber.
"As long as you have a plan." Hila nodded.
She extremely rarely doubted Han Xiao. Since Han Xiao had made his decision, she did not express any more doubts and deactivated the remote projection after bidding Han Xiao farewell.
Everyone left one after another. Han Xiao looked at the hundreds of amber samples in the place and pondered. Winter Wolf, I have an impression of this guy. He seems to be a pillar of the Northern Battlefront… Looks like these guild alliances will still appear. The national war is probably about to begin.
In his previous life, a large-scale national war erupted in Version 4.0. It was also called the First World Server War.
It was called the national war, but it was not purely based on nations as factions. As the method of playing Version 4.0 mainly revolved around the players grouping up, as the version developed, the players gathered in bigger and bigger groups. In the end, some professional guilds and non-professional guilds created large guild alliances to form official organizations.
For example, there were ones consisting of mainly Europeans such as Northern Battlefront, Denland, and September Conference; some consisting of mainly North and South Americans such as Galactic Business Alliance, 5C Alliance, and Plateaus Eagle; and the Asian ones such as Southeast Asia War Alliance, Golden Alliance, and Northern Tropic of Cancer Light.
These alliances were not just grouped in nations. The different guilds of one nation might belong to different alliances. Other than the guilds, the casual players would also join different alliances based on their likings.
In Han Xiao's previous life, the army did not exist. The World Server War was not only targeted at one nation but at each other. However, as the Black Star Army was way too strong this time, they became the common target.
Part of what triggered the national war was that the factions were developing. The factions the players of various nations belonged to started to grow into more advanced factions. For example, the conflict between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Civilizations in the Flickering World became one of the fuses of the national war.
The root of conflict between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance was territory distribution, and the intensity of the conflict gradually escalated. The conflict did not start with direct confrontation between their direct armies; the agent war was also a very important part of it. The Immortals were one of the agents. They fought nonstop in the free competition zone.
"The national war is a great opportunity to harvest leeks. However, because of the army, it's definitely going to be very different. I wonder what it will be like…" Han Xiao caressed his chin.
At the same time, Fly Free and the others who had left the cabin quickly uploaded the recording to the forums with excitement.
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Chapter 1140 This B*stard Has No Virtue
During the closing ceremony, Fly Free and the other 'loyal' players carried out the operation. After that, almost all the army players were waiting on the forums for what would happen to them.
To many neutral players, these people were reckless and impulsive, so they would certainly suffer heavy consequences. God only knew how severe the faction's punishment would be.
However, when the private recordings from Fly Free and the others were posted, it shocked quite a number of people, and the post instantly garnered millions of views.
The video recorded the full process of Han Xiao's private meeting with them. Seeing how confident and clear-minded the army commander was, the atmosphere on the forums instantly changed into one-sided praise.
(Fly Free: From today onward, the army commander is my brother, and anyone who dares to touch my brother shall feel my wrath! That's all. Who's with me? Who's against me?]
[I'm The Northern Gods' Idiot: 1.]
[Raylei's Gaze: Our Army Commander was way too cool…]
[Mechanic Emperor's Small PP: Although we're just bullsh*ting most of the time, it isn't too much to use the word 'amazing' to describe what the army commander had done today, is it?]
(The Frog Has Seen Through Everything: Honestly, the chances of these spies successfully framing the others shouldn't be low at all. It would have at least led to a thorough investigation from the army. But Black Star's judgement is way too impressive, seeing through the differences between the two groups right away and providing decisive and accurate solutions. Those who really had ulterior motives got their accounts banned, and you guys, the loyal pillars, only got symbolic punishments. This row of decisions by the army commander is quite amazing.)
[Tomorrow Won't Be Better: Sigh, to think that Black Star still remembers us old timers from Version 1.0. It's so touching. Praise Black Star!)
(Bun-Hit-Dog: I'm a newbie who just joined this version. Is the army commander actually this amazing? Wow, how interesting. I'll have to binge watch Bun-Hit-Dog's must-see Black Star Series now.]
[I Love The Dawn: You dog, remember to use your smurf account next time when you do promotion acting as a noob…]
The video got uploaded to the forums as Han Xiao expected, so his goal of getting the hearts of the players was already achieved. Not only did his decisions make him have more 'leadership appeal', but the sense of recognition a lot of army players had for the faction also went through the roof. This nostalgia-inducing, fair, and wise series of decisions he made had planted a seed in the many players, forming a bond with the army. Although Han Xiao did not deliberately explain his identity in public, his actions had already indirectly cleared the players' doubts. The focus of the forums at this point was no longer if Han Xiao was fake or real but why Black Star had the Mechanic Emperor's ability.
There had always been a rumor among the players about Black Star being able to replicate and imitate other characters' abilities, and this rumor was finally proven true.
The majority of the players felt that this special talent Black Star had was the key reason he could grow stronger so fast, being able to 'steal' abilities from opponents. In some respects, the players' guess was very close to the truth. However, no matter how much they guessed, they would never know the truth.
Furthermore, as this theory lacked solid evidence, for the NPCs, it only passed between the players and was not convincing enough for normal people even if they heard about it.
As the one who single-handedly initiated this event, Fly Free became famous overnight. He was seen as the number one loyal member of the army. He expressed his intention to form a Black Star Fan Group on the spot and to communicate with the army commander about making it a team Black Star Guards with only Immortals.
The atmosphere on the forums was festive. Other than praise for Black Star, there were also many who were laughing at Winter Wolf and the others.
[Mario's Little Mushroom: Tsk, some people just can't bear to see others live a good life and will try their best to pull you back using all kinds of dirty and filthy methods, yet they're not ashamed but honored by it, acting as if it's all for everyone's own good. They're the best definition of the word 'hypocrite'.)
[Master of Bondage: Hehe, sadly for them, our army commander is wise and fair. He won't be deceived.)
However, while all this went on, the Northern Battlefront surprisingly stepped up and announced they were responsible for it. It instantly triggered a verbal war on the forums and attracted the focus of the players. That was how it should be. Compared to praising Black Star, the players were still more interested in arguing with others online.
While the forums were heated, the influence of the Black Star Cup was also fermenting in the galaxy. Army members backstabbing Black Star sparkled a lot of conversations and discussions, leading many galactic residents who were not originally interested to curiously find out about the details of the incident.
Not long after the closing ceremony ended, on behalf of the army, Han Xiao made an official announcement to the entire universe to explain this incident, answering their questions while satisfying their curiosity.
He basically publicized Fly Free's insults toward the Mechanic Emperor on that day with some exaggeration and more details so that the galactic residents could properly enjoy watching it. At the same time, the announcement emphasized that he really hoped the Mechanic Emperor would not be angry about this. This was just someone's most sincere true opinion from the deepest part of his heart. It did not represent the army's opinion. The army would always respect the Mechanic Emperor, even if he was an evil man. At the same time, he hoped that the Mechanic Emperor would uphold his position as an elder and not take the words of such young people seriously.
The galactic residents were just happily watching on, while the Beyond Grade As who attended the event only had one thought about Han Xiao in their hearts.
Wow, you b*stard, you really have absolutely zero virtue!
We like it!
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Read The Legendary Mechanic - Chapter 1141 - New Blueprint and World Tree Progress online free - Novel Full
Chapter 1141 New Blueprint and World Tree Progress
Word of the Black Star Cup incident spread around the universe rapidly. Tons of insults toward Manison appeared, but Manison did not respond at all. He completely ignored Han Xiao.
The popularity of news could only last a few days usually, which was even more true in the galactic society. News about the Black Star Cup lasted for a while in after dinner conversations, then followed the pattern and gradually faded out of popularity.
However, the army elites who became famous during the Black Star Cup gained a solid reputation that did not fade away. The base members had seen more army officers. The members in various Grades were given a position on the list of the strongest individuals.
For example, among the Calamity Grade officers, Hadavy was publicly recognized as number one, and Jotina number two, and so on according to the results they achieved in the Black Star Cup. As for those who did not participate or forfeited, the public were unaware of them.
After the closing ceremony ended, Han Xiao returned to Black Star Palace to deal with all sorts of affairs and settled Destiny's Child's sub-body Rody down to carry out all kinds of studies.
Initially, he wanted to try and have 'Second Generation EsGod' Evans make an attempt to absorb Destiny's Child' sub-body, but after some pondering, he abandoned this plan.
Firstly, it was still unconfirmed whether the sub-body transformation of Destiny's Child was considered an Esper Gene awakening or a physical mutation phenomenon. Evans' Esper Ability could only target the former and not the latter.
Secondly, Destiny's Child was very mysterious, and the Information Form was a very deep and complex territory. Han Xiao was not sure if Evans would suffer from any side effects after absorbing it. He might even turn into a new sub-body, so he did not want to take the risk.
"I'd better ask the Holy Accord organization. They're the experts."
Inside the lab, Han Xiao looked at Rody, who was sleeping inside the cabin, and shook his head.
The extent of how mysterious Destiny's Child was exceeded his abilities. He was not an expert in this area. He had yet to find a way to resolve Rody's sub-body transformation. The only thing he could do for now was to use regular Information Form Restrainers to stabilize Rody's body and slow down his transformation speed as much as possible. Han Xiao touched his chin. Speaking of which, the new date of the deal with the Holy Accord organization was quite soon. As long as he completed the trade, he would be able to freely spill the secrets of the Holy Accord without any worries.
For this, he had already operated on the Holy Light Particle in advance. After that, the Holy Light Particle had shrunk completely inside Aurora and isolated itself.
"Including the two Universal Treasure blueprints from Holy Accord, as well as two from the federation, I'll have seven Gold blueprints…"
Han Xiao opened the interface and looked at it. Some time ago, he had released the last too Beyond Grade A captives of the federation and received the bailing fee for them-two new Universal Treasure blueprints.
One was equipment for the Mechanical Deity. It was called 'Titan Spinal Center'.
The Mechanical Deity was formed by assembling countless mechanical soldiers, so it could change into any shapes or forms, basically like a pile of mechanical slime. What connected all the parts of the Mechanical Deity was Mechanical Force and special magnetic fields that acted as the neural network of the Mechanical Deity. The bigger the Mechanical Deity was, the more energy it consumed.
As the name suggested, Titan Spinal Center was a tool that acted as the body center. It would be installed inside the Mechanical Deity. Following the user's mind, it could become a full bone structure in different forms. Human forms, beast forms, and all kinds of forms included. It would support the Mechanical Deity's body. Controlling the Mechanical Deity with Mechanical Force through this device, which built a neural network for the Mechanical Deity, would largely decrease the energy cost and extend the duration one could use the Mechanical Deity.
As Universal Treasure Grade class-exclusive equipment, of course, it also provided all kinds of bonuses. The Titan Spinal Center could comprehensively enhance the basic strength of the Mechanical Deity, making it strong and faster than other Mechanical Deities of the same size. Also, it enhanced various abilities as well as the user's Machinery Affinity.
Not long ago, during the fight with Manison, Manison's Mechanical Deity that was equipped with tons of Universal Treasure Grade equipment made Han Xiao very jealous. He felt like he was like a blank piece of paper in comparison, and the Celestial Punishment Edge in his hands did not feel as powerful anymore. Therefore, he decided to obtain more Mechanical Deity equipment, as the Mechanical Deity was the strongest trump card of Mechanics at this level. For others, it was a temporary last resort because its cost was too high, but for him and the Mechanic Emperor, they could both use it as a regular combat method. Hence, the more exclusive items the Mechanical Deity had, the better.
The other Gold blueprint was a special device called 'Mechanical Territory'. From its effects, it seemed similar to Beyoni's Land of the Fire Core and the Extinguish Army's Land of the Ice Core. It was even somewhat similar to the Evolution Cube.
This was a large device that could increase the machinery production efficiency, mechanical life form enhancement chance, machinery power output, and so on within its range. It was a territory-type equipment. To Beyond Grade A Mechanics, the best way to use it was to put it in their machinery civilization or the Dimension Factory. It was basically like the machinery version of Evolutionary Totem. However, the requirements for building it were rather tough. The fundamental principle of this device was the Secondary Dimension Theory, by forming a territory that had special operating rules within its range like the advent of a secondary dimension. Therefore, the core material of it was the core fragment of a secondary dimension-the higher the quality, the better. Furthermore, depending on the fragment, the product would also possess a small part of the secondary dimension's special traits.
There were countless unstable new secondary dimensions born every day, so core fragments were by no means in shortage. The only problem was the harvesting of it since the dimension might collapse after its core fragment was taken. Nonetheless, with money, these were all non-issues.
Han Xiao had an Evil Convergence core fragment in his hands, so he could use it on this.
"Two new blueprints, both with quite good effects. Most importantly, after I successfully build the finished products, I'll be able to get two more God's Trait Transformation Points… In addition to the deal with Holy Accord, I'll obtain four in total."
Han Xiao was excited and almost wanted to immediately isolate himself inside the factory for days on end.
Beep beep!
At this time, his communicator rang.
It was surprisingly a call from the dynasty's Exploration Army Commander, brother Tarrokov.
"What's up, Old Tar?" Han Xiao glanced at him and went back to what he was doing. The two of them were very close, so there was no need to be formal.
"I've got some news regarding what you previously asked me to ask around about," Tarrokov said.
Han Xiao's movements paused.
Not long ago when the two of them chatted, he had asked Tarrokov to ask around the dynasty's science institute about their progress on the study of the wormhole coordinates EsGod left behind. He was worried that that was the trigger to Aesop's prophecy. "What about it?"
"They have made several breakthroughs." Tarrokov's answer made Han Xiao's heart skip a bit.
"… Any details?"
"They've already confirmed which area this wormhole coordinates led to in the unexplored universe, but they have yet to find the accurate location, only a rough range." Hu, so they did not fully discover the World Tree or get discovered by the World Tree. That's still fine.
Han Xiao was secretly relieved but also troubled.
The later the three Universal Civilizations came into contact with the World Tree Civilization, the better it would be for him. This was his biggest wish at this point.
He did not dare expose the existence of the World Tree Civilization because given the three Universal Civilizations' character, once they knew there was a powerful civilization in the unexplored universe, they would undoubtedly make contact with it actively and prepare for it in advance.
Emphasizing the danger of the World Tree Civilization would not work either, and explaining why he knew the details was not even the biggest problem. The problem was that the three Universal Civilizations might become more cautious and wary because of his reminder, but they would certainly not give up making contact. If they knew that there was a dangerous advanced civilization in the unexplored universe, they would not wait till the other side found them but would surely attack first.
Therefore, no matter how he leaked any accurate information about the World Tree Civilization and what method he used, it would only make the time when the two sides made contact come sooner.
EsGod was already sealed, so no one but him knew anything about the World Tree in the explored universe. He was the only one who could influence the World Tree version's overall path, and he had to be cautious.
"How did the dynasty react to this?"
Unsuspecting, Tarrokov said, "The upper echelons did not react to it much. The study project of these wormhole coordinates isn't a secret, which is why I could ask around about it in the first place… EsGod has been captured for decades. He's already in the past. Most of the studies about him are not important right now."
"Then, what does the science institute plan to do?"
"Continue to search for the accurate coordinates, of course. Although we don't know why EsGod treated this set of coordinates so importantly, the science institute will most likely do what was already done before. They will try to activate a wormhole with a fixed coordinate, throw a few detectors over, and wait for the results to come back."
Han Xiao hesitated before subtly saying, "I think that this kind of study should be stopped temporarily. The unexplored universe is full of danger, so no one knows what they'll find there. Now is the crucial time when the three Universal Civilizations are competing with the Super Star Cluster Alliance. If an incident similar to the Intelligent Plague happens again, it's going to be very bad for the dynasty."
Tarrokov looked at Han Xiao suspiciously and said, "Everything you said is filled with concern about this project. Do you know something?" "If I say it's my intuition, will you believe me?"
"Hehe." Tarrokov fake laughed, expressing he was absolutely not convinced, then continued casually. "I'll pass on your suggestion. As for whether they listen to it, it doesn't have anything to do with me."
"That'll be enough."
"Alright, I'll go do my things then. Also, don't forget to attend the three Universal Civilizations' award ceremony in two months' time."
"Hmm."
Han Xiao nodded, turned off the communication, and Tarrokov's remote projection disappeared.
After a short pause, he gave the order to the team escorting the Holy Light Particle that they could depart now and head to the agreed location to carry out the deal with the Holy Accord. It was located in the free competition zone of the Flickering World.
"The day of the deal is about to arrive."
Inside a certain secret base of the Holy Accord organization, Oathkeeper opened his eyes and looked at the officers below him.
"Was the emissary carrying out the deal dispatched?"
"He was sent out long ago, absolutely loyal and reliable."
"I don't just want loyalty but also capability. I know Virtual Mechanics all too well. Black Star will certainly use the opportunity to attempt to track us, so we must be prepared. Has the emissary's escape route been prepared properly?"
"The Black Star Army's forces are too powerful in the Flickering World, so it's not suitable to spark any conflict. We've already equipped the emissary with Information Form Invisibility Coating. As soon as he gets his hands on the item, he'll activate the coating and evaporate from the spot." "What about the guards?"
"There are guards but not many, only to prevent accidents from happening on the way there… After all, any number of guards will be meaningless in the Black Star Army's territory."
"Hmm… not bad." Oathkeeper nodded with satisfaction and said, "As long as the Holy Light Particle is acquired, we can start to fuse the Third Sanctum Key and start the preparations for the awakening ceremony. Therefore, after we complete the deal, we'll fully enter 'The Darkest Time' and completely cut off any of our connections with the outside world… I'll meet Black Star one more time after the deal is completed, probably for the last time. There most likely won't be any need for us to cross paths in the future."
"Understood!"
Hearing the subordinates' response, Oathkeeper grunted and started daydreaming.
Honestly, if not for the deal, he did not even want to see Black Star's face.
Even till now, he was still confused about who leaked their information. Did the spy or traitor exist at all?
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Chapter 1142 Flawless Deduction
The deal location agreed by Han Xiao and Oathkeeper was a certain transit station planet in the Flickering World's Dawn Star Cluster.
Feidin was appointed as the deal emissary, representing the army to wait and meet with the Holy Accord organization's emissary there. The entire process would be monitored by Han Xiao from the headquarters.
Oathkeeper had also used spiritual projection long ago to meet with Han Xiao. The two of them both maintained communication to ensure that this deal would be carried out smoothly, clearly showing sincerity. Inside the office, a virtual screen hovered on the table and played the footage from the surveillance camera. Inside the footage was a prosperous area with a lot of people. Feidin stood beside the wall of a building wearing a mask, looking at the pedestrians passing by. The Holy Accord emissary had yet to arrive at the designated location.
"When will your man arrive? We've been waiting for almost two hours." Han Xiao leaned back in his seat and looked at the screen with boredom.
"Soon."
"You've said that seven times already."
"… Really soon this time." A while after, a man also in disguise finally appeared on the screen carrying a silver alloy suitcase. He walked right toward Feidin. The two of them met, but neither carried on to the next step.
"Is he the emissary?" Han Xiao asked.
"That's right. What you want's in the suitcase." Han Xiao nodded, contacted Feidin, and told him to exchange the item. Oathkeeper also used his ability to give the same order. The two people on the screen received the order and exchanged the items right away, then backed off a few steps to check them. An armor suddenly appeared on Feidin's body, shrouding both him and the suitcase. The next moment, with a flash of light, he disappeared right on the spot and suddenly appeared in Han Xiao's office.
"Here's the stuff."
The armor opened up, and Feidin placed the suitcase on Han Xiao's table. This was the King mechanical suit Han Xiao had temporarily lent to Feidin. The Throne was in his hands to ensure he would take the item right after the deal was completed.
Han Xiao opened the suitcase, and cold air flew out. Inside were two cylindrical containers that contained two clusters of Primal Esper Ability Entities. One was green, and the other was blue. There was also a data storage device beside the two containers. Han Xiao turned it on and looked at it. It stored the data for two Gold blueprints. Everything Oathkeeper had promised in the deal was there. This time, a notification also popped up on the interface.
Primal Esper Ability Entities Acquired: 4/4
[Primal Esper Ability Collector] Milestone requirements met.
Effects: When you fight Espers, all your attributes will increase slightly. -12% to 20% damage received from Espers. You have received 1 (The Third Sanctum) Ability Fragment.
The mission is completed, which means these two were real.
Han Xiao was relieved. He waved at Feidin.
"Go back."
The three-minute duration had yet to end. He activated the King again and sent Feidin back to the location of the deal.
Oathkeeper turned and looked over. "Black Star, how is it?"
"Hmm, there are no problems. What about you?"
"What you gave me was indeed part of the Holy Light Particle."
Han Xiao raised his brows and extended his hand.
"So… nice deal?" Although Oathkeeper's spiritual projection had no physical form, he still made the gesture to shake Han Xiao's hands and said, "Nice deal."
The next moment, the Holy Accord emissary on the screen seemed to have activated some device and disappeared all of a sudden. "Oh? Your man fled really quick. Are you that worried about me?" Han Xiao asked with a joking tone. "Caution is a necessity." Oathkeeper did not deny it.
Seeing that his emissary had followed the plan strictly and left the scene, Oathkeeper finally heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed his tense nerves.
This deal was extremely important for the Holy Accord, and he was worried about a lot of things. Most importantly, he was worried about Black Star not fulfilling their agreement and attempting to chase the Holy Accord emissary by any means necessary. Now it looked like Black Star had no such plan, and the deal was carried out smoothly. With the Holy Light Particle, the success rate of opening the Third Sanctum would basically reach their expected percentage. Oathkeeper suppressed his excitement and said, "I will remember Your Excellency Black Star's generosity. Since the deal is complete, it's time for me to leave."
Every time he made contact with people like Black Star, it was a risk. The more he spoke, the more information he might leak.
Luckily, there was no need to ever make contact with Black Star anymore in the future. All Oathkeeper wanted to do now was immediately turn off the spiritual projection and never meet Han Xiao ever again.
Since Oathkeeper had always contacted Han Xiao using the method of spiritual projection, this meant that only he could contact Black Star while Black Star could not contact him. As long as he never contacted Black Star ever again, Black Star would never have the chance to see him in the future. At this time, Han Xiao suddenly smiled and said, "Don't be in such a rush. Who knows when we will meet again? Let's chat for a while. Also, I have some questions I'd like to ask you before you leave." Oathkeeper's heart skipped a beat. Oh, come on, why do you have questions again? You asking questions make me panic, every time! Oathkeeper tried to be patient and said with a cautious tone, "… Ask on then. I'll answer as much as possible." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.
Just like Oathkeeper, he had nothing to worry about now that he already had what he wanted from the deal.
After he acted like he was pondering for a few seconds, he decided to start from the questions that would probably shock Oathkeeper the least. "Do you… know about Destiny's Child?" Oathkeeper's eyes turned around, and his entire body became stiff.
Animal! What have you discovered again? He started into Han Xiao's eyes, hoping to figure out what he was thinking. However, Black Star's clear eyes were filled with sincerity, as if he was really just asking casually. Unable to calm his emotions down, Oathkeeper suppressed his shock and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking me? Did something happen?"
"Well, there's no need to hide it really. I once met a special individual who called himself Destiny's Child. Sadly, he died in a nuclear explosion. Then, not long ago, I came across a similar individual. After some investigations, I discovered that there seems to be a Primal Esper Ability called Destiny's Child that exists in the universe. It seems to be able to transform some life forms into special sub-bodies. You guys happen to be the experts in studying Primal Esper Abilities, so I came to consult you."
"That's it?"
"What else? But from the way you reacted, your Holy Accord organization seems to know quite a lot of things." Han Xiao sized Oathkeeper up and wondered, "Could it be that Destiny's Child is in your hands? The way your emissary disappeared earlier does seem similar to Information Form-related technology. That was invented by you guys too, wasn't it?"
Oathkeeper was having a headache. He regretted his overreaction earlier. It was like he was infected with Black Star PTSD.
"It's not, nonsense."
"Really?"
"Nope." Oathkeeper denied it completely. "Alright then, I don't really care if it's in your hands I just want to know some information. You guys specialize in studying Primal Esper Ability Entities, so you guys definitely know something, or you wouldn't have asked me back earlier." Han Xiao tapped on the table, his tone casual. He looked like he believed what Oathkeeper said, but actually, he was about sixty percent sure that Destiny's Child was in the Holy Accord's hands from Oathkeeper's reaction. Nonetheless, Oathkeeper would certainly not admit to it, so the Great Mechanic Han decided to not continue asking. The most important thing was to ask about the mechanisms of Destiny's Child.
Oathkeeper pondered with resignation, selected some information, and said, "Destiny's Child is a very ancient Primal Esper Ability. We don't know much about it either. Most of what we know came from the other Primal Esper Ability Entities. It's said that Destiny's Child's ability is related to the changes of Information Form and strings of fate, and it has an unbelievably powerful foresight ability. "Strings of fate are also called 'cause and effect' in some cultures. Like a huge net, if you touch one of the strings, the vibrations will certainly pass onto more strings. Therefore, every time it uses its ability, Destiny's Child will have to read a lot of information and carry out an analyzing process similar to computing large groups of data. It is able to calculate the various possibilities and results that a certain event can produce, then use that to foresee the future.
"In this process, in order to read the so-called strings of fate, it will release special Information Form particles to collect information, and these particles will often cause information state disturbances. They will produce partial projections of themselves in random information bodies, take over part of their information, and that is how the sub-bodies are born. The targets are mostly life forms.
"Some Primal Esper Ability Entities say that Destiny's Child can turn into a High Dimensional Information Form. If it doesn't want to be discovered, no one can discover it. That is why no one had been able to capture it even till now… Therefore, you having met two sub-bodies is purely because you were lucky." Han Xiao's eyes sparkled, and his thoughts spun quickly. The information of Destiny's Child Oathkeeper provided was almost identical to the mechanisms he had speculated it would have. However, he felt that Destiny's Child's ability did not stop there. Just foresight? Probably not! Since Destiny's Child could produce sub-bodies, could it produce something else? Or even change the direction the strings of fate would take? There were many forms of the so-called 'information state disturbance', even physical mirages. Han Xiao did not forget how the Domino Virus that caused the Intelligent Plague appeared. In Version 1.0, the information he obtained from the Germinal Organization said that the ability of their Destiny's Child was 'influence' over the future, not just 'foreseeing' the future. Han Xiao once thought it was only because the natives were not knowledgeable enough, but now that he thought about it, that might not have been a misunderstanding. Han Xiao asked a few more questions, to which Oathkeeper said he did not know, clearly not willing to expose more information.
Seeing this, Han Xiao had no choice but to change the topic. He narrowed his eyes and casually said, "By the way, last time you told me about how your spiritual projection ability works. After that, I did some research. There seems to be a Primal Esper Ability called Soul Flame that fits what you said."
Hearing this, it seemed like this was no secret. Oathkeeper surprisingly nodded and said directly, "That's right. I'm the master of Soul Flame."
"Hmm, I did some further research following this information, and it seems like the last Soul Flame master in the universe was a Beyond Grade A Esper nicknamed Soul Emperor. His name was Rovell Sissock… Do you happen to know him?"
Then, Han Xiao stared closely at Oathkeeper, wanting to see every slight reaction he had. However, Oathkeeper did not look surprised at all this time and said, "I've heard about him too, but I don't know him."
Han Xiao frowned in his mind. Unlike the question about Destiny's Child, Oathkeeper did not have any strange reaction to this question. He did not know if this was because Oathkeeper was completely mentally prepared about it, or Oathkeeper did not care about his identity being exposed, or he guessed wrong and Oathkeeper was not that Soul Emperor who might have faked his own death. Han Xiao then asked, "Since Soul Flame once spent time with this master, it must know more. Help me ask it then…"
Han Xiao felt weird as soon as he asked this. It sounded like asking a man to ask his current girlfriend about how her ex-boyfriend was.
"About what?" Oathkeeper did not agree nor disagree. "Hmm, I'm very curious about after Soul Emperor died, who took Soul Flame, and how did you obtain it?"
Oathkeeper's tone became slightly more serious, and he said, "Don't you think these questions are too personal?"
"As a man of science, is it wrong for me to be curious?" Han Xiao used a very justifiable excuse. Oathkeeper shook his head with resignation and said, "Alright, I know you're curious about who I am, and you think I'm Soul Emperor or one of the Beyond Grade As who killed Soul Emperor back then and took Soul Flame. But you've guessed wrong. I'm none of them. I did not rob Soul Flame from anyone. When I met it, it was already free, and it took me some effort to acquire it."
"Then can you help me to ask it, what did it experience after Soul Emperor died?" Han Xiao then asked.
"…It's not willing to say." Oathkeeper shook his head. He suddenly paused for a moment before saying, "However, it told me that Soul Emperor did not die in battle. Since you've already looked at information about him, I won't go into detail. Anyway, during Soul Emperor's last battle, his body was indeed destroyed. However, due to the specialty of his Esper Ability, his soul did not die and escaped. As for where he went, Soul Flame has no idea either."
Han Xiao pondered. He did not know if what Oathkeeper was true, but from his tone and the content, it did not seem like a
lie.
In Han Xiao's previous life, Soul Emperor did not revive, which meant that there was a very high possibility he was still alive. If Oathkeeper was not Soul Emperor, then who was? Could it be that he had run into the secondary dimensions and was never able to come back?
"Do you have any other questions? If not, I shall leave."
Oathkeeper was getting impatient.
He did not want to continue chatting with Han Xiao. He had more important things to do now. All his mind was focused on the awakening ceremony. The promise of many years was finally going to be fulfilled, so he did not want to wait another second.
To him, chatting with Han Xiao for a while was already very respectful, or he would have directly deactivated the projection and left right after the deal was complete. He would never come into contact with him again in the future anyway, so he did not mind being rude. "Alright, you do indeed have more important things to do. I won't delay you." Han Xiao stood up, did a farewell gesture, and deliberately sighed. "Sigh, buddy, I have quite a good impression of you. After you leave this time, god knows when you'll contact me again. I won't say much. When you revive the Primordial Ones, remember to send my regards to them."Oathkeeper's movement to deactivate the spiritual projection stiffened in an instant.
The entire spiritual projection suddenly trembled like radio noise, which represented the extreme emotional turbulence Oathkeeper was going through. The sudden shock made Oathkeeper's spiritual frequency lose balance, so much so that he suddenly lost full control of his ability! He opened his eyes wide with disbelief.
How can you possibly know about our top secret?
I have already investigated all the upper echelons. There are no spies at all!
When this thought appeared, Oathkeeper was suddenly stunned. Wait, I've fallen into a thinking blind spot. There's actually one upper echelon left who has not been investigated! Someone once said, when you have eliminated all possibilities, no matter how unbelievable and impossible the last possibility is, that's the truth.
Therefore…
Am I the spy?
Oathkeeper's brain exploded.
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Chapter 1143 Purpose and Partnership
"H-how did you…"
Oathkeeper's heart was heavily shocked, and his mind was in a bit of a trance. He was filled with questions.
Black Star definitely knew this secret all along but had been hiding it, and I was totally fooled. This b*stard is so evil! Seeing Oathkeeper was appalled, Han Xiao looked surprised. "Hmm? Why are you still here? Weren't you leaving?"
"I know you don't want to leave me, but since you're in such a hurry, you'd better go back quickly."
"Act-Actually, I'm not in that much of a hurry. We can chat for a while… a while more…" Oathkeeper laughed awkwardly. This dog is definitely doing this purposely! How can I leave before I find out the whole truth? Han Xiao's words made Oathkeeper immediately give up on wanting to leave as soon as possible. Instead, he insisted on staying and making sure his questions were answered. "Since you're so enthusiastic, it'll be rude for me to refuse you then." Seeing that Oathkeeper looked emotionally unstable, Han Xiao stopped kidding and invited him back to his seat.
Oathkeeper took a deep breath and cautiously asked, "So you know about our goal. Where did you hear about it?"
Black Star directly pointed out the Holy Accord's purpose, so he knew that there was no point in hiding it anymore. Furthermore, he felt that Black Star definitely had a motive, or he could have hidden the fact that he knew about this. Deliberately exposing their goal did not seem like something an enemy would do. He wondered what Black Star was planning. "I have my intelligence channels." Han Xiao gave a perfunctory answer, clearly expressing that he would never reveal his sources. Oathkeeper did not hold any hopes for it anyway. If he was in Black Star's position, he would not expose who the spy was either. Oathkeeper had no choice but to clench his teeth and accept that. He said, "Since you already know our goal, what are you planning?" He put himself at the lower position, which he had not done in a very long time. If he was facing an ordinary Beyond Grade A, Oathkeeper would most likely have thought of killing him. However, facing Black Star, he really did not have complete confidence he would be able to-Black Star was too damn tanky.
On the other hand, if Black Star wanted to, he could leak this intelligence out any time he wanted. Since his weakness was in Black Star's hands, he had to be cautious.
"What do you think I'm planning?" Han Xiao smiled faintly.
"I don't know." Oathkeeper had several guesses, but he did not dare to say them out loud.
From the way he looked at it, there were only a few reasons Black Star would do this, including extortion or interrupting. It was not like Black Star only did this to scare him out of boredom… right? "Why not take a guess?"
"… I have no guesses."
"Tsk, you're so boring." Han Xiao shook his finger. "Why are you so nervous? Since I did not reject your deal, don't you understand my stance?" Oathkeeper's eyes flickered. "You're saying… you don't plan to stop us?"
"Why should I?" Han Xiao crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes, and said, "I'm the leader of the Black Star Army and the three Universal Civilizations' Special Consultant, but I'm also the vice president of the Beyond Grade A Association. If you'd paid attention to the Meeting of the Gods a few years ago, you'd know that the Mechanic Emperor and I have come to an agreement…"
Oathkeeper hastily thought back. Suddenly, a flash of insight passed through his mind and cleared the fog. "You're saying… there are too few Beyond Grade As?"
"That's right. The Mechanic Emperor and I both said that. Now you understand." Han Xiao smiled.
Oathkeeper suddenly felt that everything made sense now, and most of his questions got answered.
No wonder despite knowing our goal, Black Star still chose to let it happen. This might be the only chance of tremendously strengthening the Beyond Grade A level in the short run, so it fits his goal. However, Oathkeeper still had some questions.
"I thought you were on the side of the three Universal Civilizations. I didn't think you'd do this."
"That's just because of the promotions recently. Of course, in terms of overall stand, I'm on the same side as the three Universal Civilizations, but that doesn't mean I've become their vassal. I stand against Mechanic Emperor only because his methods are too radical, but we both have the same wish for the total number of Beyond Grade As."
"So, you plan to work with us on a deeper level?"
"That's right. I won't stop you from executing your plan, but I have my demands too. I hope that the Beyond Grade As you revive will all be on my side."
Oathkeeper nodded before shaking his head. "This isn't that simple. They all have their own minds. Even if I'm the one who revives them, they won't become my puppets."
"By the way, I've always wondered, why do you guys want to revive the already dead Beyond Grade As?" Han Xiao asked.
He had been curious about this question in his previous life. Logically speaking, the Holy Accord organization should have been very ambitious since they revived so many extremely strong individuals. However, the Holy Accord and the Revivors only appeared to fight the World Tree Civilization during the World Tree war, and they seemed to appear just because they had no choice. God only knew what they were doing before.
As for that group of Beyond Grade As who were revived during the Calamity of the Supers, he was still unsure whether they also came from the Holy Accord. "Because of a promise, an oath…" Oathkeeper's voice became low and spoke in a storytelling tone. "Tell me about it." Han Xiao was very curious.
Oathkeeper stayed silent for a moment, seemingly hesitating over whether he should leak more information. Then, he thought of his position, and he had no choice but to slowly explain. "The Holy Accord was founded toward the end of the exploration era by some of the Primordial Ones. Our purpose is to revive those who died in the war… Although when we talk about that history now, we say it quite casually, but Black Star, you should understand the frustration of the Primordial One. They spent their lifetime breaking through the limits of individual strength, only to be used as new tools of war, killing each other, dying one after another. "Even if they did not want to take part in the war, the unstoppable tide of the era still dragged them in. You can do some research. How many Primordial Ones met a good end? "At the same time, because we've evolved to a new level, countless people envied us, feared us. You know what it's like. When an individual becomes too powerful, the masses will surely be wary about the individual. This has never changed… We're just the extreme minority in the universe who are both admired and feared.
"Among the Primordial Ones, some regretted being born in the chaotic war era and hoped to go to the prosperous peaceful era, but they were limited by their life span. Some regretted dying in the war. Even after they were scarified, they tried to be reborn in the future. Therefore, many people started to look for ways to revive them secretly, and these people were separated into different factions. "Some of those people created the Holy Accord organization, and that's our origin, also our promise…"
"I see…" Han Xiao started pondering.
He could understand why the Primordial Ones hoped to get through the exploration era using the method of getting revived in the future—they had reached the absolute peak of individual strength in the galaxy, yet they had become mere tools of war. At that time, there was no room for Beyond Grade A organizations. Other than the extremely few exceptions, most of them could only become the warriors of civilizations; maintaining a neutral stance was an extravagant wish. Anyone would feel frustrated in their position.
Furthermore, as the Beyond Grade As had just appeared, no civilization did not want to study them further. The environment the Primordial Ones were in was extremely harsh, far less free, safe, and comfortable compared to the modern Beyond Grade As.
The Primordial Ones had thought of all sorts of ways of reviving, and the Underworld might have been one of them, but very few chose to use that method. After all, not everyone was willing to become a subordinate of the sisters who were the former owners of the Underworld, and they were not that reliable either.
No wonder Onicelu said that the two sisters were once invited to take part in a plan related to the Sanctums that probably had something to do with the Holy Accord organization. However, the two sisters rejected it; they did not seem to want to be revived.
Han Xiao caressed his chin and pondered. "So, how do you plan to revive those Beyond Grade As?"
"I-I can't tell you that." Oathkeeper shook his head. Han Xiao said with a dissatisfied tone, "Humph, I can guess even if you don't say it. It probably has something to do with the Sanctums. Come on, I've already made my stance clear. Show some sincerity." Oathkeeper hesitated for a while before nodding solemnly. "Yes, it's the Sanctums. I really can't go into further details now. After I fulfil the promise, I'll share the method with you." Han Xiao curled his lips and changed the topic. "Then let's talk about our partnership. I can provide convenience for your plan and keep it a secret for you, and you will have to give me some things in return…"
Han Xiao then stated his requirements. Resources and intelligence were not the most important. What he mainly wanted to obtain was the way to revive the dead through the Sanctums, as well as a part of the special technology the Holy Accord organization had, while at the same time being on the good side of these Revivors.
Whether Oathkeeper was willing or not, he had no choice but to trust Han Xiao and accept him as a partner. Otherwise, if Han Xiao leaked any of their secrets, there would be even more trouble. Oathkeeper had no certainty that Black Star had no ulterior motives, but he was not to be trifled with either. He did not want to fight now, but he would not be afraid to fight if he had to. The two of them negotiated for a while and settled on the partnership agreement. Oathkeeper had no choice but to leave a stable communication channel so that Black Star could contact him anytime and not just wait for him to contact him.
After all this was complete, Oathkeeper went offline with a belly full of questions. He might have to see a therapist after he returned.
Han Xiao stayed in the office, crossed his legs, caressed his chin, and pondered.
Everything he told Oathkeeper was true but not the whole truth. He did indeed want to increase the number of Beyond Grade As. One reason for that was to make the Beyond Grade As' position more important across the universe while increasing his position in the association, and another was to deal with the World Tree. Aesop's prophecy and the progress of the dynasty's Science Institute led to him having no choice but to prepare in advance and find more helpers.
At the same time, he was also very curious about how the Holy Accord revived the Primordial Ones and wanted to find out more about the Sanctums' functions. Furthermore, he did not wish for the Holy Accord organization and a group of Beyond Grade As to hide out of sight. He suggested this partnership to have a stable means of contacting them, so he could monitor what they were doing.
The last motive was that the Great Mechanic Han wanted to try triggering a mission. He felt that the chance of that was quite high.
And as he expected, a notification did pop up on the interface.
You have triggered the hidden mission (Return to the History Stage] Mission Introduction: You found out from Oathkeeper that the Holy Accord organization's goal is to revive some of the Beyond Grade As who've died in history. You have chosen to work with Oathkeeper. Mission Requirements: Assist the Holy Accord organization to successfully complete their awakening plan. Reward: 25 Favorability of all the revived Beyond Grade As, 1 Legendary Point. Remarks: This mission is a Series Origin Mission. Once accepted, you will have a higher chance of triggering more hidden missions in the same series.
"Series Origin Mission, meaning this mission is the entry point to a storyline… makes sense. If I did not work with the Holy Accord, what happens afterward would have nothing to do with me." Han Xiao accepted the mission without hesitation.
He had a feeling that this series mission might be related to many version main storylines.
In a certain secret base of the Holy Accord organization, Oathkeeper retrieved his spiritual projection and took a long breath. He was still a little stunned, digesting what had just happened. Law and Fay were standing below and saw Oathkeeper's expression. "Boss, how was it?"
"Did Black Star complete the deal, or did he change his mind?"
Oathkeeper regained focus, straightened his facial expression, and said reluctantly, "From now on, Black Star is temporarily our ally." Law and Fay's eyes widened with confusion. What happened? Why so sudden? The Holy Accord organization has never had a partner. This is the first! Wasn't this just a simple trade? Why have Black Star suddenly become our ally? We've heard a lot of Black Star's excellent skills in making friends. Did the boss fall to him too?
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Chapter 1144 Butterfly: Can You Not Make Me Flap My Wings Every Day?
In the dedicated factory for the Army Commander in Black Star Palace, Han Xiao walked in with a suitcase, placing it on the table. He opened the lid with a click, taking out the two cylindrical containers containing the Primal Esper Ability Entities, and held them in his hands.
The emerald green Primal Ability was sticky in texture like a liquid, whereas the sky blue Primal Ability was like a cloud of light mist with icy debris.
The emerald green one was known as 'Natural Spirit Power', which could control various plants and greatly accelerated their growth. It could also call on beasts and possessed various powers of nature, just like a druid. Its frontal combat capability was slightly weaker, but it could extract and synthesize toxins from a variety of plants, which was good for research. The Holy Accord had utilized this ability to cultivate various magical plants and toxins.
The sky-blue entity was named 'Frost Authority', which not only allowed it to manipulate the cold but could also temporarily turn ice and snow into ice golem warriors like a Magic Colossus. It could also produce ice armors and weapons, move with the frigid winds, spreading death through the lack of heat… It was said that a sufficiently powerful host could even allow it to freeze molecular motion for a short amount of time, creating the effect of freezing time and space. These two abilities are actually pretty good. After all, they're composite Primal Esper Abilities, but their effect is second. The main thing is to activate my milestone, Han Xiao thought to himself.
The (Primal Esper Ability Collector] milestone allowed him to be strengthened when facing an Esper, allowing him to gain innate advantages. The effect was impressive.
As for (The Third Sanctum) fragments rewarded by the mission. While it seemed useless at the moment, Han Xiao felt that they would come into handy after he obtained the method to open the sanctum from the Holy Accord.
Who should I hand these abilities to?
Han Xiao searched his mind for candidates.
The first choice should be to give it to Evans, as with his talent, he should be able to ignore the issue of adaptability like EsGod and easily master the Esper Abilities.
However, thinking about it, Han Xiao rejected this idea. Right now, Evans' first mission would be to level himself up and develop his own combat style through absorbing various abilities. If he gave Evans the two Primal Esper Abilities, he would not have any energy to concentrate on his research.
Moreover, with Evans' current level, he had no chance to fight, and the Primal Esper Ability would only be used for display. I should first look for a suitable host among the officers of the army. The last resort should be Evans.
Putting away the two Primal Abilities, Han Xiao opened the data storage and took out the two Gold Grade blueprints that the Holy Accord had given him to look through.
The blueprints provided by the Holy Accord were all relatively old technology, which were likely to have been preserved from the exploration era and not improved on much. One of the blueprints was called 'Psionic Obelisk', which had the effect of energy conversion and formation of energy barriers. What separated it from general psionic shields was that it had an extraordinary resistance to energy attacks and could absorb a portion of damage to restore its shield durability.
But this was only its basic function. The core function of the Psionic Obelisk was to provide a large field of energy that could be borrowed at will without a transmission pipeline. In simple terms, this item could increase the energy concentration of an area to become denser and more active.
Thus, this Psionic Obelisk was equivalent to a magic weapon which could increase the aura concentration of a place, similar to man-made blessings.
Because the Obelisk provided free energy that could be borrowed without any restrictions, it would be no different from what the surface civilization deemed as sacred objects or wonders. The extremely active energy factor would allow individuals to have more ways to utilize energy and also a higher probability of giving rise to other super systems. At the same time, obtaining a large-scale infusion from the obelisk could result in temporary transformations, allowing an ordinary person to possess combat power. The effect of the Psionic Obelisk could be said to be somewhat similar to the Evolutionary Totem, but their focus was different. The former focuses on increasing the overall energy concentration within the area, while the latter focused on optimizing the genes of the individual. Comparing the two, the Evolutionary Totem was rarer. But this little toy still had its uses. Putting it in each base of the army could improve the training efficiency of the members, spawning more powerful players and at the same time allowing him to sell it for his business. Even if the sales volume might not match up to the Evolutionary Totem, it would still be a good cornucopia.
Because the Holy Accord paid attention to its secrecy, they did not sell their Psionic Obelisks. All of these blueprints were merely accumulating dust in the warehouse. They were not good at mechanical technology, and since they made most of their money through their Esper Ability technology, they chose to provide Black Star with a path to fortune.
In actual fact, the blueprint that the Holy Accord wanted to take out was not this one. Oathkeeper, however, felt that Black Star was an unfathomable person, so he changed it to a better blueprint in hopes that it would serve as a 'protection fee' of some sort.
The other blueprint was named Getta Hadoken. While it sounded like a pugilist technique, it was actually a sort of compounded attack device.
This device required a combination of the Armed and Energy Branches. It had a complete set of complex equipment, but it was not assembled together like a firearm, scattered instead like an external carrier. Through special methods of energy gathering, compression, and transformation, this would launch a powerful attack, and the issued attack was known as 'Getta Hadoken'.
This equipment was also not a one-trick pony. According to the different operating routes of the device, the Getta Hadoken had many variations, including close, medium, and long ranged combat. Dozens of supporting operation routes were recorded in the blueprint, each operation route representing a method of attack. Each of them had their own unique names with the same prefix of 'Getta'.
"Rather than calling it a blueprint, this thing seems more like a pugilist manual for Mechanics. It seems like this is best suited for Mechanical Pugilists."
Han Xiao scratched his head.
With the Psionic Obelisk and Getta Hadoken being added to the other Gold grade blueprints Titan Spinal Center and Mechanical Territory obtained from the Federation, he finally obtained everything he was owed.
With the blueprints in hand, the next thing to do was to turn them into real objects.
"The public commendation ceremony for the three Universal Civilizations is about two months away. It's a good time to seclude myself and produce the four finished products, obtaining more God's Trait Transformation points… I've been in the limelight too much recently. It's better for me to stay low-key for a short period of time, to digest my influence and stabilize the reputation."
Han Xiao made up his mind, gearing up and hurriedly entering his manufacturing state.
In one of the secret training bases in the Crimson Dynasty, a group of officers were operating equipment in a room full of instruments. One of the walls of the room was a huge transparent viewing window. Two of the senior officers were standing in front of the viewing window; one of them was the supervisor of the base, and the other was the drill sergeant.
The two of them looked down the window, to see an inverted pyramid-like space below. A man was seated at the deepest point hundreds of meters down, releasing strong energy fluctuations and glowing energy particles. It spread around the walls before gathering back on top and falling back down, forming a cycle.
This was a special training facility for Supers that could improve the efficiency of their cultivation. At this time, the person within the facility was Gaud, and the instrument room was actually the monitoring room. The operators present were all paying attention to the energy fluctuations readings of Gaud.
"His progress is fast. This is a good seed." The drill sergeant stared down at the silhouette below as he nodded in satisfaction.
"That's right. He's the most likely talent to reach Beyond Grade A in his class. Not only does he have potential, but his own abilities are extremely powerful. Maybe one day he'll take on the position of Lord Clotti," the base supervisor praised.
"Black Star is still in line. It won't be his turn that soon."
"I'm just guessing, and besides, Black Star is not of direct descent."
The two of them conversed softly.
Gaud had already been training for many years, and he was making rapid progress. All sorts of barriers were easily passed, as though he had no bottlenecks. This sublimation in his life level in such a radical way was obviously dangerous, but he gave people the feeling that he was extremely familiar with this path.
In the eyes of both of them, even if Gaud's talent was not as good as Black Star, who had broken all records, he was not too far off.
The drill sergeant gazed at the instrument's readings, before exclaiming in amazement, "At this rate, I estimate he'll enter the Beyond Grade A realm in two to eight years. This is the most efficient person I've seen… if we exclude Black Star."
"It seems like we're witnessing yet another rise of a Beyond Grade A." The supervisor laughed, "The upper echelons have already sent down people twice. It seems like they're very concerned with the progress of Gaud."
It was a feat to be able to cultivate a Beyond Grade A of direct descent, so as long as Gaud completed his promotion, the supervisor would also experience a 'promotion'
After idly chatting a bit more, both men went back to work topics.
"Has the list of new trainees this semester been compiled?" the drill sergeant asked. "It's been completed. I was preparing to hand it to you." The base supervisor called up a virtual screen to show a list.
VA
This secret training base would select talents from the dynasty for a targeted training every once in a while. If there was potential, the dynasty did not mind raising even an infant all the way to the Calamity Grade, branding them a direct descent of the dynasty. Thus, they not only recruited Calamity Grades but also divided them based on different ranks and classes according to their Grade.
The lower their grade, the more intense the competition. In Grades below the Calamity Grade, there existed an implementation system. Either one passed the assessment, or they would pack up and return to the army.
If you cannot make it, then leave. Don't continue to occupy the pit even if you cannot sh*t.
The name list was quite long, and every one of them was accompanied by a resume and record. There were countless people with varying honors; they were the elites of each fleet.
The drill sergeant looked carefully, and when he came toward the end, he was taken aback. He saw that among the group of elites with gorgeous resumes, there was a person with almost no merits on his resume, and his bearing in his photos gave off a silly air without any class.
"Karlot? Where did this guy come from? Why would the top pick a completely ordinary fellow to come in?"
The drill sergeant had an expression of befuddlement, even scrutinizing Karlot's resume, but the whole thing basically screamed 'ordinary'.
While this secret training base did not only recruit elite students, they had to have some characteristics. How did such a guy who was indistinguishable from a grunt get in?
Could it be through connections?
Don't tell me that even the dynasty's upper echelons are also corrupted now!
The drill sergeant was heartbroken.
"I didn't understand as well, so I specifically went to inquire." The supervisor hesitated. "It seems that Black Star publicly expressed optimism about this person many years ago, but so far, there has not been any outstanding performance from him. The upper echelons plan to give him a chance to see if you can train him."
"So, it turns out it's like this…" The drill sergeant frowned. "I feel that this is a waste of space. So many years have passed. If he had the potential, then he would have shown it already. What's the point of cultivating him with the mentality of a gambler now?"
"If you strongly object to this, I'll help you pass him on." The supervisor could not care less. It was not him who was going to teach the students any way.
The drill sergeant frowned as he pondered, finally shaking his head. "Forget it. Since they've decided from above, I'll follow the orders and give him a chance… but I won't deliberately give him any slack. If he cannot pass the assessment, he'll still be eliminated."
There was no such thing as fairness in education here. The drill sergeant only liked the top students and was too lazy to spend energy on the poorer students. He even thought that it was a waste of time to look at them. Concentrating the resources on those top students with outstanding talents was the solution to maximizing resource efficiency.
"That's not bad." The supervisor glanced at the list before saying, "Then I'll put him in the most elite class and give him the most powerful opponent, so he won't stay long. I estimate that he'll leave in the first quarter."
The supervisor had the same mentality. It would not help his political performance to train a poor student into an elite. Only when an elite was trained into a top-tier combatant would they then gain merit.
Thus, he did not mind using his power within the rules to eliminate those poor students with insufficient talents to the greatest extent, in order to free up more places to recruit better potential stocks.
In his eyes, this was the proper use of limited resources, and the survival of the fittest was a natural law.
Within the Crimson Dynasty's Science Institute was the Wormhole Position Project Office.
The Science Institute was divided into many teams with different complex projects. The wormhole positioning was a large project, and any suspicious wormhole data collected by the dynasty was analyzed here.
The wormhole data left behind by EsGod was just one of the goals of the research team of this project, and it was a sample that was not so important.
As the research team leader was calculating the wormhole model in the laboratory, his secretary hurried in.
"Leader, the approval from above has been sent over. They rejected our batch of applications for the wormhole test."
"Rejected?" The team leader was surprised. "Isn't it just a procedure? Why did they stop us this time?"
After deducing part of the coordinates for a wormhole data, a directional shuttle test would usually be performed, and several multifunctional detectors would then be thrown through the wormhole for an on-site inspection and position to establish a more accurate coordinate system. This would allow them to test if there was any deviation in their data deduction, which was a conventional method of experimenting.
The team leader was quite interested in this batch of test samples, which included the wormhole data left by EsGod.
He did not care much about what was on the other side of the wormhole, and the reason was mainly because the sample was extremely difficult to calculate. After finally determining the scope, he was eager to know if his calculation was right.
The secretary pushed up his glasses, hesitantly replying, "I don't know the details, but it seems like this was a suggestion from His Excellency Black Star. The upper echelons thought his words made sense, so the review standards for most scientific projects have temporarily been tightened."
"What is this about Black Star again?"
"He seems to have mentioned something about the Super Star Cluster Alliance being ready to move. Once a conflict breaks out, the three Universal Civilizations will not have any time to take care of anything else, so it is best to reduce the possibility of any random risks. The management accepted his proposal about our wormhole project."
The team leader could not help but grumble, "Black Star is only a half-baked scientist. Isn't he just causing us more trouble?"
At this moment, one of the researchers carefully asked, "Team leader, then… do we still do the shuttle test?"
Hearing this, the leader huffed in annoyance. "What do you want to do? Without approval from the upper echelons, do you dare study in private? You're really good, not even respecting your superiors. I must correct your teaching. Come here, take this uncalculated wormhole data and do the calculations! If you can't figure this out, then your holiday this year is cancelled!"
"… Eh, so we actually have holidays?" The researcher in question scratched his head in confusion. Then, where have all my past holidays gone?
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Chapter 1145 The Third Sanctum and Awakening Project
In the Central Galaxy, the Abyss of Stars, the Shadow Realm…
The planet filled with dark gaseous air was still suspended here, as though it had existed since ancient times.
Streams of light could be seen a distance away from the planet, and a fleet arrived.
The dark planet suddenly became restless, the energy flowing on its surface rumbling and setting off a wave thousands of feet tall. Like shaking off a full body of lice, shadow servants appeared from the waves, ready to launch an overwhelming attack any time.
The spaceship at the head of the fleet suddenly released a burst of black-colored soul flames, which spread rapidly and quickly swept across the dark planet. The next moment, the pitch-black planet turned quiet, and the countless shadow servants returned to the black ocean, merging into the surface of the planet and disappearing.
Oathkeeper stepped out of the spaceship, hovering in space and staring at the dark planet in front of him whilst speaking through mental fluctuations.
"The date has been brought forward. We must perform the ceremony immediately, otherwise we will not be able to keep up with the agreed date…"
"But I haven't completely transformed all the materials yet…" "There's no more time. If I miss the date of this appointment, even if I enter The Third Sanctum, I will not be able to bring anyone back. There's no set cycle to this date, and I am not sure how many years it will take till the next date. We cannot miss this opportunity."
"… Alright, I'll try my best."
Oathkeeper nodded before turning to the fleet and commanding, "Prepare to synthesize the final key."
As he spoke, the fleet moved. They spread out in the four cardinal directions, docking at different positions of the dark planet and forming a specific formation. The armor plates at the bottom of each spaceship shifted to reveal a circular device which let off a hazy light. These lights linked with each other to form a translucent energy cover, encapsulating the planet within.
A silvery white cannon muzzle then appeared from all of the spaceships, aimed toward the dark planet.
In the mental network built by Oathkeeper, the voices of the officers could be heard. "The 12th-level energy stabilization and compression force field has been constructed, and the target has been covered."
"Transmitter has been activated. All Primal Esper Ability Entities have been loaded and sequenced."
"Information Form template is loaded. The reconciliation process has been calibrated. The preparations are complete."
"All standby, wait for my orders," Oathkeeper solemnly said as he raised his palm.
Everyone stared at Oathkeeper's palm, holding their breath. Law and Fay as well as the other officers clenched their fists, their chests rising and falling
Seeing that the mission of the Holy Accord over these years would end with the wave of this hand, everyone had some sort of fluctuations in their mood.
Looking around, Oathkeeper slightly closed his eyes, waving his hand resolutely. "Begin!" Just as he spoke, it was as though they had pressed a start button on a sophisticated instrument. All the operators present had practiced this process thousands of times without any mistakes, and they started to synthesize in strict accordance with the steps of the ceremony.
Bang, bang, bang! The silvery-white cannons shot out colorful beams of light, each beam representing a Primal Esper Ability Entity, which was submerged into the dark planet.
Thousand Shadows' abilities was the base behind the synthesis. Through its own ability mechanism, it began to compress and fuse the many Primal Esper Ability Entities. The dark planet changed in an instant, the energy of different entities shuttling and flowing in the black sea on the surface of the planet, as though painting on the canvas.
Various energies of a different nature reacted fiercely, and the color of the dark planet turned brighter, gradually transforming into an incandescent ball, like a super large light bulb.
The force field covering it shuddered violently as it withstood the impact. It flickered uncertainly, trembling as though it would be disintegrated at any time. At this moment, the information form template came into play. It was as if an invisible big hand began to knead the ball of light, changing its shape and shrinking its original volume. Under everyone's eyes, it slowly decreased from a huge planet to a circle not past a hundred meters in diameter. However, the energy density was untold times higher in that slowly spinning circle, so dazzling that it could hardly be seen directly. "Success!"
Seeing this scene, the members of the Holy Accord cheered.
Oathkeeper suppressed the excitement in his heart, loudly saying, "Put in the other keys and open The Third Sanctum!"
The troops acted again, taking out the 'keys' they had gathered before and putting them into the center of this white ball through the traction field. It seemed that there was a special force present within, holding up these objects and making them rotate around the light circle.
When the last 'key' was thrown in, the circle suddenly emitted a bright light, projecting a picture in the cosmic space not far away, like the reflection of the world in a mirror.
Within the picture, there were six vague doors of light, which were also slowly rotating. They did not look far away, but they appeared untouchable, just like a mirage, as though they were in another world.
This scene only lasted for a moment, and five of the light doors suddenly disappeared, the remaining one growing rapidly as though turning from illusory to reality. The edge of the doorway was still shaking slightly and seemed quite unstable. There was only the radiance of the door within the passage, and nothing could be seen on the other end.
"This is the portal to The Third Sanctum. According to the information handed down, the time flow inside is strange. It's not long to the agreed date, and I've to go in early now…" This thought passed Oathkeeper's mind, and he took a deep breath, prepared to fly across the door of light.
At this moment, the white halo that was transformed from the dark planet suddenly trembled violently, and the black mist separated itself, turning into a face. Its mouth opened and let out an unwilling roar, which exploded in everyone's mind.
Buzz!
The sudden changes made the passage of The Third Sanctum turn fuzzy and illusory again, as though it was about to disintegrate any time.
"Thousand Shadows!"
Oathkeeper snapped his head around, his eyes spraying raging Soul Flames that instantly hit Thousand Shadows, burning the mist into nothingness.
This blow completely killed off the remaining consciousness of Thousand Shadows, and now, it was truly dead.
"He indeed counterattacked at the last moment…" Oathkeeper was not surprised and secretly sighed.
The Holy Accord initially wanted to wait until Thousand Shadows' consciousness was completely swallowed up before performing the ceremony, but the agreed date was pushed forward, so they had no time to wait.
While Oathkeeper could have easily destroyed Thousand Shadows' consciousness before, under normal circumstances, Thousand Shadows and its ability were one, unable to be forcibly separated. If he killed it, then even the ability itself would be wiped out, removing this Primal Esper Ability Entity forever from this world.
The synthesis ritual was able to eliminate anything superfluous to them, so Thousand Shadows had taken this chance to counterattack. It was only then that it briefly separated, giving Oathkeeper a chance to kill it.
It was just that even though Oathkeeper reduced the influence of the Thousand Shadows to the minimum, it still had a negative impact. Everyone saw that the portal to The Third Sanctum was turning unstable.
Without any delay, Oathkeeper rushed into the passage of The Third Sanctum, only leaving behind a sentence. "Before I'm back, Law and Fay will be the temporary leaders. Keep a low profile until I bring the rest back."
The next moment, the passage toward The Third Sanctum collapsed, and the many keys disintegrated.
Other than the Primal Esper Ability Entities, the other keys were basically a one-time use, and what the Holy Accord had spent many years gathering all disappeared into smoke.
As Oathkeeper disappeared, the locators that he specially carried on his body all became invalid, as if they no longer existed in this world.
A little more than a month later. In an asteroid belt somewhere within the Flickering World, two figures, one black and one red, shuttled through it, fighting fiercely.
"Torrent-Getta Hadoken!"
A bright blue ray was emitted, and the asteroids that were along the ray's path were instantly vaporized and annihilated, leaving behind a blank path.
The red figure teleported to avoid the attack before backhandedly fanning out a red energy wave to retaliate.
The space around them flickered as the two of them continuously exchanged blows. They were Han Xiao and Hila, who were enjoying a routine spar.
The two of them fought against each other many times, so they knew each other's bottom line. Following Han Xiao's hit to Hila's abdomen with a heavy knee drop, he smashed her down so she could not stand up before landing a heavy neck chop with his palm, ending the battle.
"Cough cough cough…" Hila kneeled on a small star as she grabbed her neck and coughed. She said in a muffled tone, "I lost
again."
"There's no need to be discouraged. Your progress is already fast enough. The Underworld is really a good thing." Han Xiao felt a little jealous.
Since acquiring the Underworld secondary dimension, Hila's growth rate also began to skyrocket. The faster the Underworld recovered, the stronger her Esper Ability would get.
Thus, in Han Xiao's recent battles with Hila, he had gone as heavy as he could. If he relaxed, Hila would complain that he was going easy on her.
"My improvement is not as fast as yours." Hila stood up, pointing at the floating device beside Han Xiao. "Your new machinery is not bad. Even I cannot eat a few shots of this thing."
"I'm after all a Mechanic. Our systems are different."
Han Xiao smiled as he stowed the Getta Hadoken away.
In the past two months, he had succeeded in creating all four new Gold Grade items from the blueprints. With (100 Million Mechanic Empire-Manison), the success rate and efficiency of creating Universal Treasures had been greatly improved, which greatly saved costs.
The Evolutionary Totem could easily be mass produced, but it was difficult for the Psionic Obelisk. However, Han Xiao managed to produce a batch of finished products, which had been installed in many of the army bases, while the Mechanical Territory was only provided to his Machinery civilization.
The scope of application for the Titan Spinal Center was limited to the Mechanical Deity. Only the Getta Hadoken was the most practical. It was not only adapted to a variety of fighting environments but could also combine various tricks and utilize weapon-like combos, winning the favoritism of the Great Mechanic Han.
The attack strength of the Getta Hadoken depended on the Power Output of the energy core as well as the strength of his own input. It would have an attack enhancement effect, which would increase one's original attack power by a set percentage. Its lethality was impressive-other than concentrated firepower, the Mechanic usually did not have any other methods that could dish out high damage, and the Getta Hadoken made up for this gap to a certain extent.
Every time Han Xiao used this weapon, he could not resist shouting out the name, as though this would increase the strength further.
The two Primal Esper Ability Entities were also dealt with. The Natural Spirit Power found its host, namely Emerald Grass, the director of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute in the Logistics Department. Her abilities were extremely compatible with it, and she succeeded in adapting to the Entity. As for Frost Authority, it did not manage to find a host, so Han Xiao allowed it to remain as a Mysterious Energy Host for the time being.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Han Xiao casually said, "After a while, the joint award ceremony of the three Universal Civilizations for the Intelligent Plague will be held. Do you want to attend?"
"I didn't participate in clearing the Intelligent Plague. Why would I go?" Hila shook her head. "In fact, you're the one who's going up to receive the award. Are you prepared?".
"There's nothing much to prepare. Isn't it just some ceremonial words? I'll make some up." "Whatever." Hila rolled her eyes. She was normally dignified and grave, almost never engaging with her subordinates in idle chatter. She would only talk more when she was with Han Xiao. "Speaking of which, it seems like the free competition zone is a little weird nowadays." "Why?"
"The fourth exploration phase is estimated to be around eighty percent complete at the moment, and the expansion of the Super Star Cluster Alliance is growing bigger, no longer just content with exploration but also starting to invade and seize the other territories of the surrounding organizations on a large scale. They not only encompass the central zone of the free competition zone and multiple resource rich planets—they've also established a stargate transportation system, connecting multiple borders, obviously with strategic intentions."
Han Xiao did not find that weird as he replied, "It's normal. The Super Star Cluster Alliance is now in preparation. It's estimated that the three Universal Civilizations will soon have a formal conflict with them. They wish to obtain a piece of land to act freely in the Flickering World, and the three Universal Civilizations are unwilling to allow the Super Star Cluster Alliance to do so. With the excuse of free competition and anti-monopoly, the contradictions between the two parties cannot be reconciled."
"Oh… there's also some strange movements of other organizations, including many non-legal Immortal organizations. It seems like they're preparing to move as well."
"Alright, I'll pay more attention to this." Han Xiao nodded. The World Server war was imminent, with the Super Star Clusters seen in the shadows of this event.
Both of them chatted a little more before returning to their respective fleets. Hila returned to the free competition zone, while Han Xiao's destination was toward the planet where the three Universal Civilizations would hold the award ceremony, located in the Dawn Star Cluster, which was the gateway to the Flickering World.
After arriving and announcing his identity, the fleet, led by the Dynasty Guards, took the VIP channel, skipping past the other guests, and docked at the port.
As soon as Han Xiao disembarked, he saw Tarrokov waiting for him.
Both of them walked closer, reaching out for a strong handshake."Have you been waiting for long?"
"Not at all, Your Excellency Black Star. You came early."
"Hehe, I have a good sense of time." After a few greetings, Tarrokov lowered his voice. "Because of secrecy, I could not inform you earlier, but I can now say that the leaders of the three Universal Civilizations are attending this meeting, so you have to be prepared."
Han Xiao's brows jumped up. "You mean…"
"That's right. They'll appear in person this time, personally giving you the award."
Han Xiao felt surprised.
I thought that I would just be here to parade around once. To think that it would be such a huge event.
It seems that the three Universal Civilizations have set their hearts on pushing up my fame!
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Chapter 1146 Presenting Honors and Difficulties
After waiting for several days on the planet, Han Xiao witnessed the increase in the planetary security levels. A regular military force arrived, taking over the responsibility of protecting the planet, sealing the line defense, and making it nigh impenetrable.
Around half of the planet had entered martial law, and various advanced defense measures had also been arranged to prevent long-range strikes from threatening the celebratory planet.
While the Intelligent Plague broke out in the Ancient Star Desert, and it was more reasonable for the ceremony to be held there, the three Universal Civilizations took into account the fact that many of the Beyond Grade As were currently in the Flickering World and changed the venue, quoting symbolic significance. After all, this was another major exploration result of the galactic civilization after so many years. The leaders of the three Universal Civilizations attended the ceremony together, which was a rare scene. Due to their sensitive identities, such an event would generally be held in the Central Galaxy rather than other Star Fields. Even with careful security, life was unpredictable, so leaving the Central Galaxy was undoubtedly a risky move.
Han Xiao was sure that there would be some organizations with ulterior motives moving around. While the three Universal Civilizations had a mature operating system, such that their government would not be disturbed much even if their leaders were assassinated, there would still be some temporary chaos, which could be what these people were looking for.
Of course, if an organization really dared do this, then they would no longer have a place in the explored universe, as they would be hunted until every last one of them was dead. The relationship with the faction would forever be at 'Hatred'. Moreover, with so many armies and Beyond Grade As gathered in a place, the success rate of an assassination was negligible.
But well, this does not hinder them from scheming some deliberate framing.
Han Xiao suspected that the three Universal Civilizations might engage in a self-directed act, pretending to have some outsiders assassinate them during the ceremony, before using this to put blame on their targets to get an excuse for a crusade.
This method seems familiar, as though I've seen it somewhere before…
Could it be that I'm the one that inspired them?
Han Xiao had experienced a 'back stab' not too long ago, so his memory was still fresh. At this moment, his thoughts could not help but be biased toward this aspect, and his imagination was running wild.
With his understanding of the three Universal Civilizations, it was not impossible that they would do such a thing. The chances of it happening was probably around twenty percent, and he could not ask Urranrell for verification just like that.
During the few days he stayed on the planet, he did not contact the head of the three Universal Civilizations but rather sat in the officially arranged guest house just like everyone else, waiting silently.
On the day the ceremony was held, Han Xiao and the guests were all transported to the ceremony site in official vehicles. The venue was a large hall decorated in the style of the dynasty. One could see countless invited guests lining up to enter the venue, but no loud noises were heard, only the rustling of quiet conversations. The entire atmosphere was quite serious.
Han Xiao's seat was arranged at the front table, with Kasuyi, Kant, and the other peak Beyond Grade As.
After greeting, Han Xiao sat down next to Kasuyi, glancing at the people, before whispering, "Mechanic Emperor didn't come?"
"He's here, but it's just his avatar." Kasuyi gestured toward the back.
A steel lump was sat at the edge of the venue, but even if it was covered in a layer of iron, Han Xiao could smell Manison's aura on it.
"He won't cause trouble during the ceremony, right?" Han Xiao blinked.
"Manison is not that crazy yet," Kant replied.
Today, Kant appeared as a handsome middle-aged galactic human, with a tall nose, deep eyes, and sharp facial features.
Han Xiao glanced at the security personnel at the edge of the venue before whispering, "I keep thinking that this won't go so smoothly. Maybe there might be an assassination."
"With so many of us Beyond Grade As here, who'd have such big guts?" Sun Hunter said.
"It might be a self-directed act…" Han Xiao winked.
Secret Master could not help but roll his eyes at Han Xiao as he coldly snorted, "Enough with that. You think the three Universal Civilizations are like you, to perform such a lowly act?" "So what if it's lowly? What matters is that it's useful." Han Xiao clicked his tongue. "Wanna bet?"
"You dare bet!" Secret Master was stunned.
Aren't you clear what sort of luck you have?
If one were to liken my luck to a flawless gemstone, then yours would be like the moldy green moss along the wall of a stinking ditch. How dare you bet with me, a master of luck? Are you feeling that charitable?
"Alright, then what are you going to give me?"
"I'll bet Sun Hunter. If I lose, then I'll give him to you. How about that?" Han Xiao reached out his thumb and finger, pinching the tiny guy's head and pulling him up. "Huh?"
Sun Hunter, who was being dangled in midair, had the expression of the confused Nick Young meme.
What the f*ck does it have to do with me? Watch out before I blast your ass.
Secret Master was speechless, immediately patting Han Xiao to put Sun Hunter down. He apologized before whispering angrily to Han Xiao, "Who uses another person as a gambling stake? His Excellency Sun Hunter might be a little pocket-sized, but how can you make fun of his size."
"We have a good relationship, don't worry."
Han Xiao flicked his finger, bouncing it against Sun Hunter's head, earning him an angered glare from the other party before he sheepishly smiled and gave it up. He had always wanted to do so in his past life, and he had finally ticked it off his bucket list. With all of them being on equal footing, this little joke was harmless, but if it was an ordinary Beyond Grade A that did this to Sun Hunter, the person could probably apply for disability protection.
"Since you don't like this bet, then I'll change to something else." "What?"
"I know you have some issues with me, so let's do it like this. If you win, I'll stand still for ten minutes and let you vent your frustrations. If I win, you do the same. Fair?"
Secret Master simply shut his mouth and turned his head away, not wanting to speak with Han Xiao any longer.
Forget about it, who here doesn't know of your Indestructible Body's tankiness? Fair my grandpa, I still want to live for a long time.
The group at the table chatted for a while, and suddenly, a group of officers strode into the venue, surrounded by their respective leaders. The venue immediately calmed down as the atmosphere turned solemn.
The Dynasty's Ruler Urranrell, the Federation's President Bader, and the Arcane Church's Pope swaggered to the high platform of the venue under the eyes of everyone present, sitting at the specially arranged seats with the podium next to them.
Han Xiao had only seen Urranrell personally, and this was his first time meeting Bader and the Pope. While both of them had different temperaments, they possessed the same aura of power like Urranrell, causing everyone to turn serious subconsciously.
However, the focus of his observation was not the two leaders, but the personal guards around them, all of which were of the same stature as the Dark Lord Clotti.
On Bader's side was a male with a white complexion and similar body structure to humans, except that he had a straight horn on his forehead, forcing him to keep his hair to an appropriate length. His hair color was golden and was tied into a twisted braid that hangs down to the waist. He seemed to have some elf blood as he had long ears, deep purple eyes, and a well-proportioned mouth but did not have a nose. The part that was his nose that was supposed to be flat was strangely not ugly
—it instead appeared harmonious with his features.
This person wore a robe that was dotted with light gold and ice blue colors, revealing an elegant nobleness and gentle temperament. This person was the Personal Guard of the Federation, the peak Beyond Grade A 'Golden Ring' Oulou.
Oulou's ability was to borrow the power of a specific secondary dimension. It sounded like the dead Traveller's ability, but his combat power was not the same. This guy was at the same level as the Dark Lord, able to fight Kasuyi hand to hand and not lose.
Han Xiao turned his head to the other side.
Next to the Church's Pope was a huge guy, not the kind that got to this size through training but rather naturally huge, as though he had some giant blood running within. This was the Chief Guard of the Church, the one who was stationed at the Temple of God, 'God's Chosen' Wuornos.
tas
Compared to Oulou's glamorous outfits, Wuornos' looks and temperament were low-key, as if he was just an ordinary middle-aged man with wrinkled eyes. He wore a silver-gray priest robe, and if not for the robe, one would probably not recognize him if they threw him into a crowd of people. "Oulou and Wuornos…" Han Xiao softly muttered.
Both of them were just like the Dark Lord, generally only following the Head of State, hardly participating in activities other than their duties.
Glancing at Han Xiao, Kasuyi leaned over and casually said, "This is your first time meeting them, right? Here's a piece of advice, you can joke with Oulou and fool around, but don't go and provoke Wuornos."
"What's with that?" Han Xiao was curious.
"While Oulou is the chief guard, his personality is different to Clotti's, warmer and not so indifferent. Other than occasionally showing some superiority, he's not bad. However, Wuornos… heh, just don't mess with him."
"You're making me more curious. You're the ally of the Arcane Church. Do you know some gossip?"
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. I can only say that he's the Beyond Grade A publicly acknowledged to be the strongest, and naturally, there's a reason." Kasuyi blandly smiled.
At this time, Urranrell stood before the podium, surveying the scene before speaking.
"Dear friends and guests, today, we're holding a grand award ceremony to commend all the heroes who made great contributions in the Intelligent Plague disaster. The ceremony will honor every hero with an outstanding meritorious service. "First, on behalf of the three Universal Civilizations, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the heroes of the universe who will be receiving the Medal of Honor as well as the honorary titles, and I extend my highest respect to them. "We've gone through many ups and downs, and today, we have united as one and once again eliminated another new disaster.
"Since the establishment of the galactic society in the last years of the exploration era, generations of heroes with a sense of responsibility have given up themselves to overcome difficulty after difficulty, shaping the cornerstone of today's galactic society. While many have passed away, their glorious deeds will always spread from generation to generation.
"Only by crossing new mountains can we see a wider distance. Under the leadership of the three Universal Civilizations, we have overcome obstacles, constantly explored the unknown universe, and expanded our territory. Now, we're in the Flickering World, a milestone achievement and a fruitful result of our external exploration.
"Such an achievement cannot be achieved with the cooperation of the entire galactic society. It's this bond of order that connects us and creates a never-ending pioneering spirit. Anyone who tries to disrupt this order and unity will become the enemy of the entire universe…"
The media was broadcasting Urranrell's speech to the entire universe. When she finished speaking, there was a tsunami-like applause in the venue. Han Xiao and the other Beyond Grade As also gave face to clap a little.
Han Xiao heard that in Urranrell's words she emphasized the importance of collectivism, on the correctness and achievements of the leaders of the three Universal Civilizations, vaguely throwing arrows at the Super Star Cluster Alliance as well as the Mechanic Emperor. While she did not explicitly mention anything, everyone knew who the so-called 'people who disrupted galactic civilization and society' were.
Bader and the Pope also gave some short speeches before entering the formal award process. One by one, the heroes came to the stage, accepting the honors and making a speech. Some also answered questions from the reporters.
Before long, the ceremony approached the end. There was only one person left, and everyone's eyes were focused on Han Xiao.
"Black Star limited the outflow of the virus during the disaster and discovered the true character of the virus core at the critical moment, reversing our erroneous strategy and allowing us to reformulate our plan. He alone changed the course of the disaster. He later captured the virus core and destroyed it, completely eliminating any hidden dangers, putting an end to the crisis of a second outbreak of the Intelligent Plague, saving countless lives. His contribution is huge and thus needs to be rewarded."
After Urranrell spoke, Han Xiao stood up, stepping onto the stage and shaking hands with the leaders. Numerous news media reporters in the audience took videos and photos, turning the stage white with their flashes.
"Black Star has many good qualities. He is determined, resolute, flexible, and strong in principle…" Bader gave a series of praise, finally coming to the conclusion. "In view of his achievements, we have decided to jointly award him the Galaxy Medal."
The moment he finished speaking, everyone in the audience paused.
The Galaxy Medal, which was the highest symbol of honor jointly set up by the three Universal Civilizations since their establishment, was the golden glory of the explored universe. There were only a few winners of this medal in history.
While many of them had this expectation in their hearts, they were still shocked to hear it. They always felt that although Black Star had great achievements, there was still a certain distance from this medal. Now it seemed that the factor behind this medal was if the three Universal Civilizations would support them.
But no matter what they thought, the honor was real, and the audience burst into applause.
Pa pa pa…
Amid the warm applause, Urranrell took out a star-like dazzling medal, placing it in her palm, while the other two held it by the edges, handing it to Han Xiao.
This image seemed to freeze, and the flashes under the stage flickered, recording this historic scene.
The commotion lasted a long time, and it took dozens of seconds before all movement gradually ceased.
Han Xiao reached out to accept the medal, pinning it on his chest before shaking hands with all three of them once more. He came up to the podium, clearing his throat.
"Many thanks to the Crimson Dynasty, Federation of Light, and the Arcane Church. To be able to receive this award is an honor for me. As part of the explored universe, I have the responsibility and obligation to maintain our stability and prosperity…".
Reading from his prepared script, Han Xiao raised his head to gaze at the clock on the venue before smiling. "Since I'm the last person, it means that the ceremony is about to end. I won't do a lengthy speech. Everything is about the same, and I feel that everyone here is already tired of hearing it…"
The audience let out laughs.
Han Xiao smiled as he nodded. "In short, what sort of person I am can be seen from my actions. I believe that society has its own views of me, and I don't need to repeat it, so let's skip that and go to the questions… Anyone?"
Hearing this, many of the reporters raised their hands enthusiastically, hoping for him to point at themselves.
Just as Han Xiao was about to pick someone, one of them stood up on his own and began to speak.
"Your Excellency Black Star, I heard that the Mechanic Emperor Manison also made a great contribution to the Intelligent Plague. Without him, the three Universal Civilizations would not have been able to find the location of the virus core. Thus, it can be said that a third or even half of your Galaxy Medal belongs to Manison… but for this award ceremony, the Mechanic Emperor did not obtain anything, and you seem to have forgotten about it and ignored his merits, accepting the medal with a peace of mind. What do you think of this?"
The originally enthusiastic venue suddenly seemed to have been doused in cold water, instantly quieting down.
Everyone moved their eyes subconsciously to Manison, who had been sitting indifferently at the edge of the venue.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes a little as he sized up the reporter. He saw the cold smile on that person's face, obviously wishing to embarrass himself and the three Universal Civilizations in public.
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Chapter 1147 Only Interested in Causing Sensational News
The moment he started to ask his question rashly, the meaningful gazes of Urranrell, Bader, and the Pope immediately landed on him.
The reporter's chest had his nametag, and he was called Porters, belonging to a news group in the Primeval Star River. His position was not low, otherwise he would not be responsible for the interview of the three Universal Civilizations on behalf of his media. Having participated in many press conferences for the three Universal Civilizations, his performance had been normal. To suddenly get into trouble, naturally someone had to put him up to it.
Han Xiao's thoughts spun. At first, he suspected the Mechanic Emperor, but he quickly banished that thought.
The Old Man could not wait to pretend to be an ostrich right now. The more low-key he was, the better. This behavior of hiring people to question for himself was actually in some manner a self-damaging act… Manison was not so humorous and would not do such disturbing things.
Thus, the most likely suspect would be the Super Star Cluster Alliance, who contradicted the three Universal Civilizations most openly. Not only did they wish to sow discord, they also wished to badmouth the three Universal Civilizations in public. It cost little to do so.
All they had to take out was a sum of Enas, which would be astronomical in the eyes of ordinary people, and the reporter would naturally be tempted. In such a grand scene, the negative impact of an untimely question would be further magnified.
The identity of a reporter acted as a shield for him, allowing him to add fuel to the fire. The three Universal Civilizations naturally did not wish to worsen the situation, and thus, they would not capture him or threaten him afterward. As the ruling party, a pawn was just a pawn to them. They had to show some class and go straight for the orchestrator behind the scenes.
The surrounding reporters look at Porters in surprise and agitation.
"Have you lost your mind!"
"Quick, apologize and sit down!" "You don't want to be in this business anymore!" Those who knew him whispered in low voices, wishing to pull him down, but Porters stood firm, staring straight at Han Xiao with a spirit of getting to the bottom of the matter.
Han Xiao pressed both of his hands on the podium, slowly saying, "Dear reporter, I don't seem to have invited you to ask your question."
"So, are you avoiding the question now?"
Porters turned a deaf ear to them, his gaze sharp and his bearing aggressive. Oh, there's a hint of a western reporter's flavor in his attitude.
"You guys, only thinking about sensationalizing news every day," Han Xiao said with a smile that was not a smile. "I believe that the galactic society has a unified view of the Mechanic Emperor's behavior, but looking at you, it seems like you wish to fight for him, huh?"
"I'm just asking the questions that the public might be curious about, based on the professional ethics of a reporter." Porters straightened his back, with a conscientious attitude.
"Alright. This question is a little more sensitive. While I did not call upon you, I can answer this one." Han Xiao tapped his fingers on the podium, his tone casual. "Manison did indeed make a contribution. This is an undeniable fact, but your statement is wrong. In fact, Manison discovered the problem of the virus core earlier than I did. This medal should have belonged to him, but he deliberately chose not to report it because of his selfishness. If it was not for me who revealed it, he would not have revealed this key information. In this manner, the three Universal Civilizations would always have been kept in the dark, and the universe would still be shrouded in the shadow of the Intelligent Plague."
"So, you're admitting that the Mechanic Emperor should be sharing the Galaxy Medal with you? You also think that it's unfair he has not been awarded the medal?" Porters pressed on. "I only admitted that he has credit due in this area, not that he deserves the Galaxy Medal. Don't distort my meaning at your own will. Moreover, Manison's final decision is enough to make everyone here re-evaluate his motives."
"Your Excellency Black Star, please don't digress. We are not talking about the Mechanic Emperor's choice, only his objective achievements." Porters was skilled in such evasive methods.
"No, they are not separable. Part of my credit comes from my plan to stop the Mechanic Emperor. If he did not do anything at that time, my credit would be limited. If you think based on this logic, technically, he might deserve half of the Galaxy Medal. Hmm, that actually makes sense… but seriously, if we were to hand him a medal, then those not in the know would believe that he has done a good thing, and those who have worked hard for the universe would feel that this is unfair. I believe the three Universal Civilizations only made such a decision after great thought." "But the Mechanic…"
"I've answered your question. You may sit down now. There are still others waiting to ask their questions. Please do not flout the rules time and again, or I'll have to ask you to leave."
Han Xiao indifferently cut off Porters.
The other party's goal was to create trouble, so whatever he said would make the atmosphere uncomfortable. He would only stop at his own explanation, never thinking of making the other party speechless. As long as an earnest attitude was shown, most viewers would naturally listen to it, and continuing to argue would not only be pointless but also damaging to his image. Seeing the nearby guards already eyeing him, Porters could only sit back down in anger.
Ignoring the contempt, disgust, and complicated gazes of his peers around him, Porters suppressed the fear in his heart and tried his best to make himself look calm. He controlled the trembling in his hands and feet, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Hu… I fulfilled the requirements.
Most likely, the President of my broadcasting station is going crazy now. Luckily, it's not my problem anymore. I'll immediately resign once I return. Whether the station gets suppressed or not isn't my problem. Why would I still work when I've gotten my remuneration?
Dreaming of the future, Porters felt that a beautiful life was waving its hands at him.
The memory in his mind was extremely clear. Not too long ago, a few mysterious people suddenly contacted him, offering him a huge sum of money to make him launch a verbal attack during today's occasion.
He knew that the moment he did this, his career would come to an end. Even if the three Universal Civilizations were too lazy to deal with him, the people below would act spontaneously and demand that the media industry ban him.
He was mentally prepared for this. Not only was the amount raised enough to move him, but the other party also had huge backing. The moment they looked for him, he could not reject their offer, so he did not have much choice to begin with.
While his actions would invite investigations and industry bans for him, his employer not only gave him money but also promised to arrange an escape route, allowing him to change his face and move to their territory to live, thus avoiding the grasp of the three Universal Civilizations.
For the rest of his life, he would be a rich man and enjoy his limitless fortune… This was what Porters was looking forward to.
Seeing that there was nothing wrong with Black Star's answer, the atmosphere in the field quickly recovered. The reporters continued to enthusiastically ask questions, pretending that the episode just now did not happen.
From start to finish, Urranrell and the other two's expressions did not change one bit. Manison also remained silent, with no intention to interrupt, as though his soul had already left the venue, thinking about what he should get for dinner.
No one else came to make trouble again. Han Xiao answered a few friendly questions before returning to his seat. The three Universal Civilizations' leaders then spoke for a bit more before the award ceremony ended successfully.
The guests left the area one after another, while the three Universal Civilizations' leaders left the scene under the escort of their guards. Han Xiao also left by the VIP passage after exchanging a few words with the other Beyond Grade As.
The moment he walked out of the venue, he received a call from Sylvia.
"Army Commander, I watched the live broadcast. What should I do with that reporter, Porters?" Sylvia immediately got to the point.
"What do you intend to do?"
"Get rid of him?"
"Let's not. We can only get rid of our anger, and it will even give the Super Star Cluster Alliance an excuse to gain a bargaining chip. The three Universal Civilizations will definitely not allow him to continue living his original life. That's enough."
"So, we just sit still and do nothing?"
"Let me think…" Han Xiao thought for a while before an evil grin stretched across, "Monitor the flow of funds for all his accounts. The Super Star Cluster Alliance will definitely find a way to launder the money and put the reward into his account. The moment he receives a large amount of income, hack his account and donate all his money, including his savings."
"Let him work for nothing? Heh, evil enough. I like this idea."
Sylvia's eyes gleamed, and she immediately cut the call.
Han Xiao left the quantum network, not even putting Porters in his heart. He was not willing to stoop to such a low level to deal with a tool.
He quickly threw this matter to the back of his mind, stretching out his hand to take off the Galaxy Medal and examine it closely.
The item details on his interface showed that this medal would bring to him a Universe Legendary Point, (Galaxy Medal Awardee), as well as a bonus effect of solidifying the relationship between him and the three Universal Civilizations at (Respect). This was equivalent to 3,000 Contribution Points.
"The number of faction points cannot beat even one Legendary Point."
Han Xiao nodded in satisfaction. He did not have much hope for this kind of medal anyways, so it was a surprise to obtain extra gains.
At this moment, two dynasty non-commissioned officers walked out and stopped in front, as though they were there just for him.
"Your Excellency Black Star, the three heads have invited you to meet with them."
Han Xiao's feet stopped, and he nodded. "Lead the way."
At the same time, in the temporary base of the Flickering World for the Super Star Cluster Alliance, the messengers of each ally met secretly in the round table conference room through remote projection.
A virtual screen was suspended, playing the live broadcast of the award ceremony.
After watching the live broadcast, many of them shook their heads.
"The effect was only so-so, not the level of influence we hoped for."
"An ordinary reporter can only reach this level. I told you not to hold high hopes."
"A little effect would be good. Right now, the prestige of the three Universal Civilizations has been consolidated once again, and hitting them will only bring us a weak effect."
"This is only a trivial matter after all. Strength is still the most important principle."
"That's right, so let's forget about this topic and return to the more important things. Come… what did we discuss previously?"
"We talked about the various support for the organizations. It's time to act collectively, like with those Immortals Organization. This time, we're attacking preemptively. We cannot wait for the three Universal Civilizations to take action before fighting back." "The stowaways we sent out in the first phase of the exploration can now be officially activated. The three Universal Civilizations control the gateway to the Flickering World, while we're alone. If we wish to obtain a steady stream of supplies and reinforcements, we must count on these buried chess pieces."
"The first batch of targets to occupy have also been selected. Our regular army will not move, and all the agents will first take action. Before the three Universal Civilizations formally intervene, we'll try our best to seize the territory within the free competition zone."
"What did the Beyond Grade A Development union say?"
"They basically choose to maintain neutral, but Black Star claims to have a private grudge with the Modo Civilization, so his attitude is currently unknown."
"Troublesome guy… Hey, messenger of Modo, wait until the conflict officially breaks out. We might not have the energy to take care of you guys, so you will have to come up with your own plans. If you really can't do it, sacrifice yourself to hold Black Star back. The overall situation is the most important."
"Okay…"
"Everyone, the success or failure of this operation will determine the future of our respective civilizations. To gain further opportunities or to be ruled forever… at all costs, we can only succeed!"
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Chapter 1148 The Participation Requirements of the Three Universal Civilizations
Han Xiao followed the two dynasty non-commissioned officers through the tightly guarded corridors to a large office, which had been refurbished for the three heads of state. Right now, the door of the innermost reception room was closed.
The Secretary of the Dynasty Ruler put down the work on his hands, approaching them with a respectful tone.
"Your Excellency Black Star, the three Rulers are still in discussion. Please wait for a moment."
"Alright, I'll sit by the side."
Han Xiao casually found a place to sit down, while the Secretary assigned people to bring refreshments for him before sitting opposite Han Xiao.
In order not to let Black Star feel left out, the Secretary turned into an escort and started talking
Having spent decades in the dynasty, Han Xiao knew quite a few of the high-ranking officials, and this was not his first time talking to the secretary. As they talked, the topic shifted to the little incident that had happened just now.
"Your Excellency Black Star, what do you think of that reporter?" the Secretary asked.
"Just an unlucky sod."
"Indeed." The Secretary laughed. "The moment he was selected, his life was destined to be affected. It's understandable why he would choose to gamble for the greatest benefits in the end."
"Eh, I thought you'd have to maintain political correctness in your position. You should have said that he should have immediately reported the orchestrator."
"Hehe, we pay attention to political correctness, but we also have to be practical. The upper echelons will never like a person who only knows how to blindly shout slogans." The Secretary shook his head. "He's not our citizen, nor is there any patriotic factor about him. The probability of expecting him to actively expose the other party is low. Tell me, what would he get in return?"
"A tiny reward, maybe a medal?" Han Xiao casually joked.
"Haha, you're quite humorous… However, these are extravagant hopes. What he'll get is likely a downgrade of his position. He was originally a big-name reporter belonging to a news group, who was responsible for attending our official events, so it should be considered a top-level position. But if he exposes this matter, there won't be preferential treatment for him… You also understand that the civilization is a huge system, with each department not just working for the civilization but also looking out for their own political achievements. So, why would the news department take such a risk to allow a suspicious person to remain? They will have a good talk with the news channel's upper echelons, then that guy will likely be shifted elsewhere."
"Doesn't that mean that the person would be worth taking care of?" "Is there a need? It's easier to swap with a new person. Is he working in a non-replaceable role?"
"Oh, that's a little cold blooded. Aren't you afraid of making people disheartened?" Han Xiao raised his brows.
"Haha, do you think we will surround and protect a small reporter so that others will see our care and increase their confidence in cooperating with us? So, in the future, it's more possible for them to seek us out to expose others?" The Secretary laughed. "Isn't that a good thing?" Han Xiao was interested.
"Different levels have different logics in dealing with matters. At our level, many times, the policies for dealing with such matters run contrary to ordinary people's thinking logic. It's basically a combination of many factors." The Secretary blinked. "If it's a higher position or character, even an organization with a certain power, we may make concessions as you mentioned.
"But for a small reporter? We will not waste our time on him. Our war with the Super Star Clusters on public opinion has always been going on in the dark, and this is not the first time such matters have happened. If he has no contacts and is totally unable to fight for the protection that we have planned… he's not an important figure, so we shall not focus so much on him."
"I didn't know this in the past, but your words are really bold." Han Xiao sized up the Secretary once more.
"It's just the truth. My authority might be huge, but the resources available to exercise them are also limited. In the end, it boils down to a question of distribution." The Secretary smacked his lips as he said, "It's no good for them to proactively expose it, so it's better to agree to the orchestrator behind the scenes. At least, you can obtain a large sum of money, and the things you do are within your scope of normal duties. You have not crossed the line… After all, questions asked by the journalists are from their own free will. We cannot change that."
"Can you really not?"
"… At least in name. There is no official budget for friendly questioning, so we can only rely on hard authority to make others more self-aware." The Secretary smiled. "But authority is not always useful. There are not many reporters who dare make things difficult for us. Some do it for performance; some are instructed. All sorts of scenarios have been experienced before, but how could there always be the same root issue?"
Han Xiao stroked his chin before suddenly saying, "Why do I feel that your words carry a deeper meaning?"
"Haha, I've been seen through. My idea was actually to test you out and see how you intended to deal with this journalist, Black Star… With your swift and vigorous means, you've probably already deployed your measures." The Secretary laughed.
What vigor and resoluteness, you might as well just say that I'm petty… Han Xiao secretly scolded but casually revealed his plan.
"It's good that you did not fall for the trick. It seems that my reminder was unnecessary." The Secretary smiled.
"… It's really tiring to talk to you. Don't hide things, just tell me directly." Han Xiao was helpless.
"Hehe, we hope to downplay it and not impose any personal threats on the journalist, so we need your cooperation. If this person's life is threatened, it'll easily turn into a fuss…"
"I think it's useless even if you don't wish to do anything. The people behind might choose to silence him, which will also allow them to smear the blame on you."
The Secretary folded his hands as he replied, "I understand, and there is indeed such a possibility, but the probability is low… First of all, such accusations are not damaging enough for us to make trouble. If someone tries to place the blame on us, there will be flaws, and it would be easy to reverse the case back onto them. Furthermore, how many would care about a journalist's life or death? The moment the news is spread out, those with a discerning eye would immediately see through the issue of the problem. In addition, those who are likely to care about the news are also journalists themselves, and spreading the news will only spoil the image of the media industry… With so many factors, this is why we chose to downplay it."
Hearing this, Han Xiao did not agree nor disagree. The higher one's level, the wider their knowledge. The progress of his own methods over the years came, to a certain extent, from his exchanges with the people of different classes, influenced by their own methods.
After chatting a while longer, Han Xiao suddenly recalled a certain matter and changed topics.
"Urranrell's term should be almost over, right?"
In his previous life, after the end of the Flickering World storyline, the Crimson Dynasty Ruler changed. The day was almost here.
The Secretary paused a bit before subconsciously lowering his voice. "I cannot share the specific details yet."
"Alright then, let's just talk about you. If Urranrell were to retire, your position would also have to change, right? Any news for you?"
"The moment the Ruler retires, my term as Secretary will also come to an end. The change of position has not been decided yet, but I'll definitely be one of the foreign delegates for the government, likely within the same rank as well…"
Just as Han Xiao was about to pursue the topic, the doors to the reception room opened.
The Secretary stopped talking at the right time, gesturing for Han Xiao to enter. Seeing this, Han Xiao walked into the reception room. The first thing he saw was the three leaders behind their desks, with the various Beyond Grade A personal guards beside them.
As the door closed, Han Xiao casually greeted them.
Dark Lord Clotti nodded slightly, with no intention to speak.
It was instead Oulou who swept Han Xiao from head to toe before slowly saying, "You caught quite a few of my friends previously. It's a pity I was not there, or else you would not have succeeded."
"Good day to you too. Pleased to make your acquaintance." While he sensed the hostility in Oulou, Han Xiao remained indifferent, keeping a slight smile without trying to provoke the other party. "Humph." Oulou snorted and did not continue talking, only raising his head slightly and showing an arrogant posture.
The first impression this guy gave off was really just arrogance. While Kasuyi had mentioned that Oulou was more moderate, this was in reference to the Dark Lord, who was known for being cold. Han Xiao did not expect Oulou to be enthusiastic toward him, especially given the fact that he had captured a few Federation allies not too long ago.
Wuornos did not even open his eyes to look at Han Xiao, as though he had fallen asleep.
Among the three, Han Xiao was the most curious about Wuornos. In his previous life, both the Dark Lord and Oulou had entered the main battlefield during the World Tree War and had perished. Only Wuornos had not been dispatched. Furthermore, his previous records were also few and between, making him extremely mysterious.
Even in normal times, when it came to Beyond Grade A powerhouses, Wuornos was rarely counted because he basically did not move against anybody, a weirdo just like Sorokin. However, their reputations lay at the two extremes.
At this moment, the Dynasty Ruler Urranrell spoke. "Black Star, how does it feel to have the Galaxy Medal?"
"I'm flattered." Han Xiao was expressionless.
"But you don't seem too satisfied?"
"… I've been seen through. Yes, I'm actually a little worried."
"What are you worried about?"
"If I ever make new contributions to the universe in the future, will I then get a second or maybe a third Galaxy Medal? I feel that I might have to open a warehouse to store this stuff. It might even have no space in the future to store all these medals. What a headache." Han Xiao sighed.
Urranrell was perplexed. Can you please speak coherently? "Let's skip the polite remarks. You're not just looking for me to encourage me, right? Just tell me if you have something." Han Xiao spread out his hands. After putting up a front for the whole day, he did not wish to be polite anymore. Bader sighed before speaking. "Then let's get straight to the point. I believe you've learned from your channels that the dispute between us and the Super Star Cluster Alliance is about to begin. For the Black Star Army, as the leader of the private armed forces in the Flickering World, we require you to provide a certain amount of assistance." "Hmm?" Han Xiao frowned.
The three Universal Civilizations had been trying to get the Beyond Grade A Association to help them deal with the Super Star Clusters, even using the monopoly of Class Knowledges as a bargaining chip, but the union had never agreed. There had not been any unnecessary actions for a period of time, but now it had started once more. "You should be aware of the results of the Beyond Grade A Union's vote some time ago. I thought we already gave our answer," Han Xiao said.
"That's right. We know that the Beyond Grade A Association plans to abide by its neutral stand, but that is your own agreement, not our request," the Pope drily said.
Urranrell also added, "Black Star, we hope that you'll work with us on this matter."
The Crimson Dynasty originally allocated its territory to the Beyond Grade A allies, hoping that they could contribute at this time. But the development of the union exceeded their expectations, and now, their original allies wished to remain neutral. Of course, they were displeased.
While the territory of the Black Star Army was given as a reward for meritorious service, there was also a motive behind giving it away, and if it could not achieve the effect they wanted, they would not call it quits so easily.
"I thought that we had reached a common consensus on this issue, but it seems that you have misunderstood my position." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
"Don't misunderstand. We understand your intentions, but this is not beyond the scope of our agreement." Bader interjected.
The three Universal Civilizations had created momentum for Black Star because they wished to gain a spokesperson for them within the union. They wished to utilize Han Xiao as a link to influence the entire Development Union. Such a juncture like this would be when the spokesperson came into play-on the Super Star Cluster Alliance's side, they had their Beyond Grade As, so the three Universal Civilizations would not easily allow their allies to go on strike.
"If I do this, I'll deviate from the united front and lose the bigger picture because of small gains." Han Xiao waved his hand.
"Relax, we've taken this into consideration and have chosen an entry point for you…" The Pope leaned forward. "Since you've publicly expressed your personal grievances with the Modo Civilization, just use this as a reason to move a little. You can use these reasonable excuses to get more of the Beyond Grade As to intervene in the storm without damaging your reputation."
We
"Will it not be damaged just because you say so? Don't start." Han Xiao waved his hands again. "Then we each take a step back. We will not force you to participate in the event throughout, but if the Super Star Cluster Alliance's Beyond Grade As takes action, I hope that the Development Union will respond. Since you have shouted about regulating all Beyond Grade A conflicts, it should be implemented to the end. This perfectly falls within your jurisdictions."
Han Xiao immediately understood the intentions of the three Universal Civilizations and put on an embarrassed face as he explained, "But in such a situation, those who are willing to help the Super Star Clusters are definitely of their direct line. Since you also have your own direct Beyond Grade As, isn't it appropriate for both direct lines to fight? It will not be suitable for the union to take action as it will make us biased."
Bader deepened his tone in dissatisfaction, "If you put it like this, then what do we need you allies for?"
Han Xiao frowned, and he raised his tone, not ready to be outdone. "If you have the ability, just cancel all the Beyond Grade A ally contracts now."
Bader was rendered speechless.
You're good, I'll shut my mouth now.
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Chapter 1149 Eve of the Incident
After rebuking Bader, Han Xiao felt much better.
While he might have become the Special Consultant for the three Universal Civilizations, his previous grudges against the church and the federation had yet to disappear, so being impolite to them felt pretty good.
Seeing this, Urranrell took over and solemnly said, "Black Star, this matter is of utmost importance. I hope that you can assist us in proposing it to the union."
Toward his own ruler, Han Xiao would naturally hold himself back a little. However, he remained firm. "The Development Union should not and cannot favor any party. If we act according to your requirements, when your direct lines step forward, will we need to restrain them as well? Can you accept mediation? If we treat you the same, will you be offended? You understand what I mean. I personally have a reason to deal with the Modo Civilization, so I declared that in advance. This is not against the united front, but it's better for the association itself to remain neutral."
He knew what the three Universal Civilizations were planning. The purpose of the Beyond Grade A Association was to mediate with all Beyond Grade A conflicts. The three Universal Civilizations wished to take advantage of this and turn the association into an indirect third-party ally.
If the Super Star Clusters take out their direct Beyond Grade As, then we will fight you, but if the three Universal Civilizations take out theirs, then we'll pretend we did not see anything
In this manner, the final result would make people mistake the development union as the dog of the three Universal Civilizations.
Han Xiao naturally would not agree to this. He was the Vice President of the Beyond Grade A Association as well as a common ally of the three Universal Civilizations. His identity now was sensitive, and both sides needed him, so he could not go down the wrong path.
The three Universal Civilizations had an advantage in terms of the number of their Beyond Grade As, so they definitely would not agree to being treated fairly.
Sure enough, after hearing Han Xiao's statement, the leaders rejected the proposal. As a ruler, it was impossible to give an external union a higher law enforcement power than themselves.
The Pope slowly spoke. "Black Star, let us be open. We understand your position very well. The Mechanic Emperor wishes to create opposition, but you are different. You don't wish to separate the Beyond Grade A group from us. It's not as though you are refusing cooperation with us, so we are optimistic that there is actually some room for negotiation. Just say what you want." "That's right. My aim is to form an cooperative partnership between the Beyond Grade As and the advanced civilizations, not just being your vassals or sheltered under you. As for the premise of equality… you have to at least let go of most of the shackles against the Beyond Grade As, such as the monopoly of Class Knowledge."
"Isn't that what we proposed before? To use the removal of knowledge monopoly as a bargaining chip in exchange for the development union to deal with the Super Star Cluster Alliance, but you refused."
"How should I put it? Using this as a deal is actually a threat or coercion in the eyes of many of the Beyond Grade As. Another purpose of this union is to bring all the Beyond Grade As together and not continue to force them into factional disputes. Thus, most people hope that the three Universal Civilizations will unconditionally let go of many restrictions including the monopoly of knowledge as well as reform the alliance system. Only after this will we then be willing to talk about the new cooperation conditions. This is an issue with the order it is being done…" Han Xiao explained. The union could technically be likened to a strike, aimed at improving the welfare of the entire class and fighting for better treatment for themselves, so they would be quite united before the benefits were obtained.
"Assuming we do this, what form of new cooperation do you hope to achieve?" The Pope threw the question back. "To be honest, the opinions within the union have also not been unified as of now, but the majority suggest reducing the nature of allies and strengthening the employment relationship. That is to reduce compulsion and increase our freedom. The cooperative relationship should also be no longer limited to one, and it should be in the form of employer and employee. In addition, we will not be affected by the aftermath between faction battles…"
Han Xiao repeated the expectations of the development union. There were too many twists and turns in this, as the needs of the advanced civilization allies and the free Beyond Grade As were basically different. When different positions fought, it would be difficult to come to a result that everyone was satisfied with.
The three leaders shook their heads. Neither side could make any concessions, so the talks could only come to an end without any common goal reached.
Walking out of the reception room, Han Xiao sighed in resignation.
Following the rise in his position within the universe, the choices he faced every day were becoming increasingly critical. Every decision could have a profound impact on his own development, and if he did not pay attention, it would easily deviate from the tracks he envisioned and become difficult to remedy. Only through experiencing this would one then be able to understand the danger involved.
The moment Han Xiao left, the three leaders shared a glance.
"It seems like there's no need to count on the development union to provide assistance. Black Star was not perfunctory at all. He has a clear conscience when accepting rewards and can reject without feeling guilt at all. Heh, his principles are really strong." Bader sneered.
"Enough. This was not our main objective in building momentum for him as well. This was something we expected. It would be too simple if such a small reward moved a pinnacle Beyond Grade A."
"There's no problem for Black Star to cherish his feathers. We cannot lose sight of our long-term goals just for some short term gains. We still need him to act as a link to guide the development of the union… It's just that their requirements now are still a little whimsical."
"The Beyond Grade As can't be without restrictions. If their shackles are completely removed, it will be a hidden danger in the future."
"We don't have the time to deal with this now. Shelve the negotiations and observe Black Star a little longer. No matter what, having him in the top position is better than the Mechanic Emperor."
Under the vigorous propaganda of the three Universal Civilizations, the various Star Fields broadcast the award ceremony, causing extensive discussions among the numerous galactic residents.
Among the hottest topics was Han Xiao himself. Some people thought that the Galaxy Medal he obtained was well-deserved, while others thought that his merits were not great enough when compared with the previous Galaxy Medal winners.
But in any case, the facts could not be changed. If one were to count Han Xiao's deeds of catching EsGod, stopping the disaster, fighting the Mechanic Emperor, and contributing to the stability of the universe, most people would hold a positive attitude. However, the enthusiasm for the discussion of the award ceremony in galactic society lasted for only a few days before a sudden change attracted the attention of the entire universe.
Just a few days after the end of the award ceremony, the largest armed conflict so far broke out in the free competition zone. Many of the organizations launched attacks on multiple planetary strongholds without warning, as if they had agreed beforehand.
The free competition zone suddenly fell into chaos.
Hong long long long!
The earth rumbled continuously, and a series of heavy ground combat vehicles tens of meters high advanced. Wherever they passed, mountains and forests fell, bunkers shattered, and ground defense lines were breached.
Troops of armored soldiers raised their weapons and fired frantically at the intruders. The muzzles ejected intense beams of light. However, a group of vigorous and powerful figures shuttled through the artillery fire, easily decimating the troops. The small team easily shredded the defending front, and the mud thrown up by the vehicles and explosives buried the corpses of the soldiers.
This was a resource-rich planet located in the middle of the free competition zone. It was originally discovered by a vassal Star System level civilization under the three Universal Civilizations, and they established a stronghold here. However, they were ruthlessly attacked today.
Their attacker was a large fleet bearing a common logo of a snowflake shaped emblem with two spears staggered at the bottom. This represented the organization known as 'Northern Battlefront'. Established in the free competition zone, they had no major records, but no one expected them to come and attack a planet occupied by a Star System civilization without warning.
The Northern Battlefront fleet had dispatched tens of thousands of Grade B players as well as a large number of warships and ground combat equipment. It did not take long for the defensive forces of the stronghold to fall into a full retreat as they were unable to withstand the Northern Battlefront's offensive.
This was because the Northern Battlefront was actually a player-formed organization, created by a large number of guilds banding together. They also recruited many solo players with capital, so they had a good foundation to support a certain level of interstellar warfare. After all, they had gone through four versions in Galaxy, so the guild had accumulated quite a lot of money.
There were tens of millions of active players in Galaxy, of which the Black Star Army probably recruited a little more than ten million and was the largest player faction. The rest of the players were scattered among various organizations, with equally large numbers each as the guilds could afford to recruit them.
Within the stronghold was a group of players from the three Universal Civilizations stationed on guard, with probably about one or two hundred of them. However, they were soon overwhelmed by the army and could not withstand the waves of attacks.
A warship of the Northern Battlefront was suspended high in the sky, and within the command room, the leader of the Northern Battlefront looked down on the battlefield with a smile.
"Victory is before us. Quickly deal with the enemies. We still have other strongholds to conquer."
He was the leader of the Northern Battlefront that was jointly elected by the many guilds forming the coalition, and he was responsible for the operation this time. His ID was 'Fire of Northern Sea', and he was the president of a large club in Europe.
"Where shall we hit next?" asked another senior who was part of the guild.
"Whichever is nearest. We'll carve a path for ourselves."
Fire of the Northern Sea waved his hand energetically.
The Northern Battlefront had communicated with the NPC organizations and reached an agreement with the Super Star Cluster Alliance, acting as an agent to help the Super Star Cluster Alliance conquer the various strongholds.
Every time they occupied a stronghold, they would get additional rewards, and they did not even need to struggle in occupying the planets. The Super Star Cluster Alliance was responsible for initiating the war, and the high resource sharing provided to them was equivalent to a steady stream of funds. At the same time, the Super Star Cluster Alliance would provide resource support to them during the campaign, such as material purchase discounts and other benefits.
It was not just the Northern Battlefront; even the Galactic Business Alliance and the 5C Alliance, other player made alliances, had also reached an agreement with the Super Star Cluster Alliance to temporarily fight for them.
The conflict between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance was an open secret, and the Super Star Cluster Alliance would not be afraid of the three Universal Civilizations and the Black Star Army like the smaller factions. The clubs of various countries saw this opportunity and hopped on the bandwagon to participate in this national war.
Them starting a national war was not just for entertainment but more for profit.
By doing so, they could utilize this channel to cozy up to someone powerful such as the Super Star Clusters, recruit more players through the wars and strengthen their organization, and obtain resources. Furthermore, they would fulfil the main storyline of faction war and perform some off-field preparations for the Pro League this season, easing the dominance those in the Black Star Army had.
And now, due to the Super Star Cluster Alliance being the preemptive one, the Northern Battlefront and the other guild alliances took the chance to attack and expand their territory in the free competition zone for the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
Fire of Northern Sea opened the star map, watching the real-time expansion of the Super Star Cluster Alliance's territory in the free competition zone as he excitedly clenched his fists.
"This is an unprecedented event. The Black Star Army has too great an advantage in the Flickering World. Only if the Super Star Cluster Alliance wins will we be able to turn the tides and obtain equivalent resources to them!"
This similar war scene appeared on multiple planets in the free competition zones. In addition to the player alliances, other private armed organizations also robbed territory for the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
Around 2,400 planets were invaded on the same day, most of which were resource rich planets, transportation hubs, or other strategic locations. At the fourth exploration phase, the maps were basically complete, and the Super Star Cluster Alliance could accurately select the high value targets. Facing the sudden problem created by the Super Star Cluster Alliance, everyone was left shocked! "Galaxy Chronicles—The First World Server War
"On February 25, 732, the three Universal Civilizations held an award ceremony for Black Star, awarding him the Galaxy Medal.
"On February 29, 732, a large-scale armed invasion broke out in the free competition zone of the Flickering World. The Super Star Cluster Alliance instructed multiple armed organizations to expand their territory, which eventually became the fuse for official conflict between them and the three Universal Civilizations. This was the prelude to a national war and went down in history as 'Eve of the Incident'."
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Chapter 1150 Anti-Trust Regulations, Main Storyline of Counterfeiting
In the free competition zone, Emerald Star Cluster, Planet Rosende…
This was a resource rich planet located within the inner ring of the Star Cluster. It was occupied early on by a Star Cluster level civilization named 'Thunder Horn'. They had transformed it into a temporary base camp for their exploration army, and the planet was heavily guarded and well stocked with materials and troops.
Right at this moment, the leaders of the Thunder Horn Civilization Exploration army were gathered in the conference room of the headquarters.
"The two stronghold planets in the central region were invaded successively and breached by the different organizations employed by the Super Star Cluster Alliance. What are your thoughts?"
The chief commander pressed his hands on the table, his sharp eyes looking at all the officers present.
Bang!
A high-ranking commander with a bristly beard slammed the table as he angrily shouted, "Is there still a need for discussion? Immediately gather manpower for a crusade! My troops are guarding one of the strongholds, and they have been almost completely wiped out. We must fight back!"
Another tall and thin officer with a calmer temperament stroked the lightning-shaped blue horns on his head. This action was similar to a human stroking his beard. He slowly said, "I feel we should wait and see for now. The Super Star Cluster Alliance's actions have a strategic intention behind. Even if we take our stronghold back, we will be attacked once more. Furthermore, the central region is currently in chaos due to the trouble caused by the Super Star Cluster Alliance, and it's too dangerous to hold onto our land." Now that the fourth exploration phase had been completed, the four Star Clusters in the free competition zone were divided into regions, with dozens to hundreds of Star Systems for each Star Cluster. According to their locations, they were divided into the outer edge area, inner ring area, central area, and finally the core area for a total of four layers.
At present, the main strategic goal of the Super Star Cluster Alliance was to completely control the core and central areas, having a stable rear base that could allow them to utilize space transmission methods such as stargates to maintain their supply and transportation channels.
While this would cause them to be completely surrounded, there was no other way for the Super Star Cluster Alliance. Since guerrilla tactics were not suitable for them, they could only resort to sieging tactics. "Then, what are we going to do? Are we going to obediently pass the stronghold to them and let my men die in vain?" The hot tempered bristly beard lashed out. "Chief commander?" The calm officer turned his head. "I believe your thoughts align with mine."
The Chief commander looked up when he heard this and replied, "I'm also in favor of waiting. The situation now is not clear." "They've already started fighting. What's not clear about that?" the hot-tempered officer shouted.
The Chief commander patiently explained, "In this storm, we're not the main characters. The three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance are the true protagonists and chess players. While the fourth exploration phase is called the free competition zone, we're only forces that have come to pan for gold and occupy land, the chess pieces that took the initiative to enter the chessboard. We are far from being able to influence the overall direction, so we must wait for the three Universal Civilizations to respond."
"So, we have to count on the three Universal Civilizations to take action for our forces in trouble, to start a war against the Super Star Cluster Alliance, huh?"
"Of course not, the three Universal Civilizations will not enter the fray so easily. After all, the principle of the free competition zone has not been torn apart yet. The Super Star Cluster Alliance has employed so many people. Other than strengthening itself, it was also to stick to the rules of the game. Everyone would use their agents to compete, and it will reach a more intense level once the two armies start fighting officially. However, this is not the time yet."
The calm officer nodded. "That's right. Chess pieces like us can only wait for the orders of the players. When the three Universal Civilizations show a reaction will be when we choose our sides, then we will no longer be alone and will have a large number of teammates."
The other senior officers also nodded.
While they were unwilling to be pawns, the moment they chose to enter the free competition zone, it was tantamount to them consenting to being in the game. This was the rule formulated by the three Universal Civilizations. Of course, there would also be no shortage of benefits. Only by being a pawn could they obtain the benefits of the Flickering World, and how much they got depended on their ability.
Beep beep beep… At this moment, a virtual screen popped up at the center of the conference table. On it was an announcement issued by the three Universal Civilizations to the entire universe. The title jumped out in everyone's eyes.
"Supplementary Regulations on Anti-Monopoly within the Flickering World Fourth Exploration Phase."
It's here!
The eyes of the Chief commander flashed, and all of them immediately read the report.
The content of this announcement could be roughly summarized into a few points. Firstly, it defined the Eve of the Incident as the beginning of malicious competition and monopolization, and they believed that the Super Star Cluster Alliance was violating the 'Regulations on Free Exploration'. Secondly, it ordered the Super Star Cluster Alliance to immediately stop the malicious expansion behavior, strongly condemning them on behalf of the civilizations in the universe. Thirdly, if the Super Star Cluster Alliance still did not repent, they would begin sanctions and redistribute the territory occupied by the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
In the appendix of the announcement, there were plans to implement the sanctions and redistribution. The Crimson Dynasty and the other two universal civilizations expressed that they were unwilling to destroy the 'Free Exploration Regulations', so they encouraged the organizations and forces in the free competition zone to launch a siege against the Super Star Cluster Alliance. They would then be given special support based on merit.
At the same time, in their distribution plan, they stated that they would not reclaim the planets that the various forces snatched from the Super Star Cluster Alliance. As a reward for helping them against the Super Star Cluster Alliance, they would reclaim their territory as appropriate after the event… In short, they were dangling a carrot to draw forces to attack the Super Star Cluster Alliance and increase the difficulty of the latter to woo agents over to their side.
One could either choose the three Universal Civilizations or the Super Star Cluster Alliance. There was no third option. If one wished to stay neutral, the end result would be to see their territory gradually being eroded away by the Super Star Cluster Alliance. This was also the scheme of the three Universal Civilizations, as they were confident that no one would silently get robbed.
And in the one in ten million possibility that people really chose to give up their territory than to get involved in the storm, the three Universal Civilizations would just send regular troops into the area, and after going through the Super Star Cluster Alliance, they would no longer reallocate the territory back to the other forces, instead occupying it.
As for the third party Beyond Grade A organizations, they were a special existence within this storm. Only they had the capital to remain neutral, and at the same time, the three Universal Civilizations as well as the Super Star Cluster Alliances would avoid their territory to a certain extent.
This was the influence brought about by the establishment of the Development Union, which was different from the trend in his past life. The butterfly effect had already begun to take effect!
Of course, this was based on the premise that the majority of the Beyond Grade As would keep to watching as much as possible. Their forces could also take the opportunity to expand, but taking advantage of this battle had to be controlled to a degree.
"An insidious strategy." The chief commander coldly snorted before suddenly increasing his volume. "Have the organization leave with the fleet for the central area. The time is right. We now have enough indirect allies."
Everyone stood up, giving a military salute.
"Understood!"
Meanwhile, at the Black Star Army's frontline stronghold in the Emerald Star Cluster, the outbreak caused an uproar among the army players. A large number took to the frontlines to explore, causing the dining hall to be filled with a wave of black as all the players in combat uniforms gathered. "What's happening? I went for a business trip a few days ago and didn't come online, but how did the world change so drastically? What are these guild alliances doing?" "The Super Star Cluster Alliance wants to unify the free competition zone, but how did the Northern Battlefront and the Galactic Business Alliance come on board?"
"I read the forums, and they seemed to have gotten the main storyline mission from the Super Star Cluster Alliance."
"But we don't have a related mission. Does that mean that you have to be in the Super Star Cluster Alliance faction in order to obtain the mission?"
"That might not be so. Haven't some people analyzed the current situation? The three Universal Civilizations will definitely not let this slip. Since we're in the Black Star Army, we should naturally stand on the side of the three Universal Civilizations."
Just as everyone was discussing the matter, the announcement of the three Universal Civilizations popped up on the floating screen in the main hall, attracting everyone's attention.
After reading the report, the atmosphere started to heat up once more.
"Haha, see what I said. Such a huge plot cannot just be a unilateral main storyline." "So, this is a faction war, with the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Clusters on opposite sides?"
"We're going to fight a national war!" The players were excited. But after a while, their interface still remained silent, leading to everyone feeling confused. "This can't be. Didn't they say it was a faction battle? How are we not involved in the main storyline?"
"Could it be that we have to trigger it ourselves? But who do we look for?"
"We're members of the army, so maybe we have to wait for the army to issue an official announcement for the mission?" Just when everyone was in a state of uncertainty, the Phillip subprogram on everyone's communicator suddenly popped up, issuing a notice.
Black Star Army Expedition Order.
In view of the contradiction between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance, the army has decided to carry out an armed crusade against the Modo Civilization Exploration Force. The reasons are detailed in the appendix 'Kunde Civilization' (Expand/Collapse). Only the Modo Civilization will be targeted, and there is no need to bother about the other Super Star Cluster Alliance Civilizations. If there are any forces that prevent our actions, you are allowed to retaliate. The primary strategic goal is to expel and kill the Modo Civilization and its affiliated organizations. All troops cannot deviate from this strategy.
As soon as the announcement popped out, a mission notice was seen on the interface of all the players present.
Except for the specific requirement, there was no difference from the main storyline missions obtained by the Super Star Cluster Alliance players.
Seeing this, many of them smiled with joy. "That's right. We really need the army to issue an announcement before we can activate the main storyline mission." "So, there's a grudge between the Modo Civilization and us?"
"Sigh, one look and you're the sort that did not read the background story of the version update. The Modo Civilization conspired to use the Kunde Race in the Flickering World to annihilate everyone. They're such low people and deserve to be beaten up."
The countless army players could not wait to immediately enter the central area.
However, what they were unaware of was that the task they triggered was actually problematic and was not the main storyline of the battle between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
The ordinary vassals of the three Universal Civilizations or Super Star Cluster Alliance mercenaries would not specify which civilization to fight; the players would improve their Mission Rating so long as they helped their forces expand. The missions for the army players, while in the same model, was simply to attack the Modo Civilization.
Because of the united front, the Black Star Army and the other Beyond Grade As could not respond to the call of the Crimson Dynasty and did not have the initiative to get involved in the storm. Thus, the army players would not have the main storyline of the fighting between the two factions!
"It's all thanks to my wit…" Han Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the excited reactions of the players on the forums.
As early as when the development union required all its members to be neutral, Han Xiao had guessed that the Black Star Army would not be able to join the main storyline of the battle between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance. As the vice president, if he wished to maintain his status and power, he had to be subject to the collective resolution of the united front.
He had guessed the follow-up impact at that time and thus deliberately left the Modo Civilization as a goal so that the three Universal Civilizations and development union would feel that this was a private vendetta. In this manner, he could justifiably imitate a war mission and make the army players mistakenly treat it as the main storyline. While the mission was simpler than the actual main storyline, the players could only accept it. If there was not even a counterfeit main storyline, then the large number of players would be disappointed and might even switch factions to participate in the national war. There was no doubt about it. After this mission release, the negative impact would be minimized. While the specific missions were different, at least they would be able to enter the national war, which was enough for most players.
At the same time, this could show a contrast with the other Beyond Grade A organizations. Most of them would not be able to participate in the main storyline, but the Black Star Army had a fake main storyline. This would attract some players from the other factions to switch over to his side.
On the other hand, the players in the national wars during his previous life had a lot of room for free play. While they got to fight side by side, it also meant they just waged their own wars without caring for each other. The main point of him creating the main storyline was to integrate all his players to go against the Modo Civilization, having a greater chance to complete the mission [Kunde Race Leader's Last Wish)! In this manner, the hidden danger was basically solved. "United front, united front…" Han Xiao muttered helplessly.
Right now, the united front had become a new shackle to him. While it could be maintained at present, as this clause affected the interests of more members, problems would inevitably rise. It was estimated that the three Universal Civilizations also had plans to drag down the unity of the Beyond Grade A group.
To be honest, as far as he was concerned, he felt that the chance of reaching an agreement between both the development union and the three Universal Civilizations was low. There was a strong conflict of interest between the two sides' demands.
As far as the union was concerned, because of their different needs, the collective resolutions drawn currently were naturally not the best plan. It could only be said that it was a plan that no one strongly opposed. The development union wanted the three Universal Civilizations to unconditionally lift the monopoly of knowledge, before talking about other cooperation. In the eyes of the Beyond Grade As, this was a reasonable request because their current source of Ultimate Knowledge was obtained through meritorious service. They had paid enough for many years and collected all the Ultimate Knowledges, but they were not allowed to pass it on to others.
Only by breaking the monopoly of the three Universal Civilizations could the shackles of their factions be lifted. In this manner, the union itself would be responsible for the spread of knowledge, so current and future Beyond Grade As would no longer need to work for the three Universal Civilizations to obtain Ultimate Knowledge. After all, most people were originally not citizens of the three Universal Civilizations and had no responsibility toward them. In this manner, those who wished to join the three Universal Civilizations would only be looking for a strong backer and not for an ulterior motive. However, Han Xiao knew that the chances of the three Universal Civilizations allowing this was slim.
Unconditional? Even he himself thought that this was bullsh*t!
But as the Vice President, he had an obligation to convey the collective resolutions, and at the same time, he could not represent so many people to make claims, so he could only convey the meaning of the association truthfully. Based on Han Xiao's own ideas, it was not a bad option to agree to the deal proposed by the three Universal Civilizations, which was to deal with the Super Star Cluster Alliance in exchange for them lifting the monopoly on knowledge. However, many of them disagreed. Firstly, they did not wish to undermine their original intention, and secondly, they did not wish to take the risk to get involved in this turmoil. Everyone had a different viewpoint and position… If the two sides remained in this deadlock, Han Xiao concluded that the final result would be that the Beyond Grade A Association would not be able to bear it and start imparting knowledge privately, which would give the three Universal Civilizations an excuse to attack them. "This is difficult… but it's nothing to me." Han Xiao shook his head.
First of all, he had already obtained his Ultimate Knowledges. In fact, he did not care about the problem of the monopoly of knowledge.
Secondly, he knew where the turning point of this matter would be, so he did not care about the problems exposed at this moment. "Wait till the Calamity of the Supers or the World Tree appears, then I'll be able to break the existing pattern. Now is not the time… Speaking of which, I'm not sure if the Holy Accord has succeeded yet."
Han Xiao smirked.
Temporarily dropping this thought, he picked up his communicator to give someone a call. In the turmoil caused by the Super Star Cluster Alliance, the Beyond Grade As would mostly not be involved, but there would be a small number of people involved in their own private affairs. One of them would definitely be Sorokin.
Their interests were in line this time, and perhaps they could work together quietly this time to turn the Modo Civilization into pigskins.
Furthermore, Han Xiao already had a bold guess about Sorokin's identity.
"Now's a good time to verify it…"
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Chapter 1151 Little Kid Soro, You've Revealed Yourself!
In the Limitless Financial Group's Flickering World branch, a huge virtual star map was suspended in the center of the top-level office, and the picture showed the current pattern of the free competition zone. The Super Star Cluster Alliance was occupying a large majority of the core and central areas of the four Star Clusters. Their territory was represented by the red dye spreading and encroaching upon the blue area representing the other forces.
Sorokin stood with his hand propping up his head, staring at the star map as his eyes flickered.
"After this Crimson Tide, the advanced civilization conflict will affect the structure of the entire universe… There will be business opportunities everywhere!"
After solving the problem of Traveler, the Limitless Financial Group turned back to hug the thighs of the federation and the church once more. As such, they definitely had to contribute toward this turmoil, and at the same time, this was a reasonable opportunity for him to make a fortune in war. As the head of the financial group, Sorokin would definitely not miss it.
"The middleman during the war can promote the business of selling materials, arms, and other resources. Those forces standing on the side of the three Universal Civilizations will definitely need to replenish their materials. This is the number one business opportunity… but it's only a small profit. The true profits are outside of the chessboard, and I also need admission tickets. I should be eligible though…"
Sorokin was muttering to himself, feeling a little excited.
If he could obtain the real benefits of this incident, the size of the Limitless Financial Group could move up again, and a skyrocketing share price would not be a dream.
Beep beep!
Just as he was fantasizing, his personal communicator rang. It was a call from Black Star.
Seeing the caller, Sorokin's expression changed.
He subconsciously trembled a little upon seeing Han Xiao's name now.
But he quickly adjusted his mood, putting on his signature smile as he answered the call. "Your Excellency Black Star, my dear partner, why have you contacted me today?"
"I have a cooperation deal." Han Xiao did not beat around the bush. "The conflict between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Clusters has finally broken out, and it's my chance to settle accounts with the Modo Civilization. Everyone knows that I'll deal with Modo Civilization, so we should have the same interests here, right?"
Sorokin's eyes gleamed as he smiled. "That's right. Ignoring my relationship with the federation and the church, Traveler sold me out, so he and the Modo Civilization have a debt to settle with me."
He still thought that the Modo Civilization was the backer of Traveler. He completely believed the lie Han Xiao weaved at the beginning and had decided to settle his accounts with Modo Civilization.
"Since we have the same goal this time, there's a basis for cooperation. You're a commercial organization and are not suitable to intervening in armed conflict. Thus, I need you to provide funds and materials on a large scale, okay?"
"The Black Star Army's influence in the Flickering World is much larger than mine, and you still need me to supply war funds?" Sorokin raised his brow.
"The more, the merrier. I'll never find them enough." Han Xiao did not feel embarrassed at all.
While he was not lacking in funds, it was definitely more comfortable to spend the money of others than his own.
Sorokin gritted his teeth in secret, cursing his shamelessly while his smile remained unchanged. "Yep, I'm happy to fund your war activities against the Modo Civilization."
"I'll ask the clerk to send a list of supplies over later. Just follow it."
"…Okay." Sorokin gritted his teeth.
"There's another thing. With your foresight, you must have seen the new business opportunities."
Sorokin hesitated a little, having a bad premonition. "You mean…" "Stop pretending. The conflict between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance reaches everywhere. Although the free competition zone is the target of competition, the three Universal Civilizations will not just gaze there and will inevitably open up a second front to turn the tides. They will target the foundations of the Super Star Clusters in the explored universe through putting political, economic, and other sanctions to pressure them… and here are the huge business opportunities."
The Flickering World was the center of the storm, and the main stage of the armed conflict. However, there would be another battlefield outside this chessboard, which was the three Universal Civilizations exerting pressure on the Super Star Clusters themselves, making them too tired to cope, which indirectly served as a way for the Super Star Cluster to give up their advantages in the free competition zone as soon as possible. This business opportunity lay in the economic sanctions. Targeted by the three Universal Civilizations, the business community of the Super Star Clusters would experience turbulence, and a large number of companies would be unluckily hit. This was a good opportunity for other universal financial groups to enter the market, biting off a piece of meat from the Super Star Clusters.
The Limitless Financial Group was close to the three Universal Civilizations, and being a top financial group would naturally give them the qualifications to enter the market and feast on it. Han Xiao was eyeing this opportunity, preparing to take a share.
At the same time, this plan would also better allow him to complete the mission of the Kunde Race. The remaining mission requirement was for him to cause huge losses to the Modo Civilization. Killing the opponent's army was one way, and destroying the financial stability of the Modo Civilization was another direction.
Moreover, the scene of the death of the Kunde Race leader was still vivid to him. From an emotional point of view, Han Xiao also wished to beat Modo as badly as possible.
Sorokin was a little unwilling. "I haven't decided to intervene yet. Besides, you're already a guest of the three Universal Civilizations and can enter the venue without me. Why use my channels?"
"Your channels are more suitable." Han Xiao smiled without any shame. While the Germinal Financial Group under his banner could independently enter the market, compared with the Limitless Financial Group, his business scope was still a lot smaller. It would not be as easy as utilizing the Limitless Financial Group's channels. In this way, not only could he borrow someone's strength to develop, he would also not feel the pinch. Of course, for Sorokin, this was akin to grabbing his business. He felt as though he had swallowed a fly, and he felt an urge to command his factory to begin manufacturing punching bags with Black Star's face on them so that he could vent his frustrations.
"That's not too good…"
Sorokin was unwilling and wanted to avoid the request.
However, Han Xiao's tone suddenly changed, becoming more subtle. "Speaking of which, I recently found a historical figure that interested me when I was looking up information."
Sorokin was taken aback for a moment, wondering why Han Xiao changed the topic all of a sudden.
He suppressed his impatience and pretended to be curious. "Who?"
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, staring interestedly at Sorokin as he spoke. "Rovell Sissock, one of the Primordial Ones with the name of Soul Emperor. Have you heard of him before?"
"… I have, but why has he aroused your interest?"
"Oh, I was collecting Primal Esper Ability Entities a while ago, and this one called the Soul Flame caught my attention. When I checked its information, I found out that its last host was someone called the Soul Emperor. It didn't matter much to me, but not long after, I happened to run into the current host of the Soul Flame, and he told me some astonishing news. It turns out that the Primordial Soul Emperor did not die in a war as the data showed. His soul managed to escape, and he hid himself. Due to his special ability, he might just have survived to the present day… and I also discovered that his ability is very similar to yours. Don't you think it's magical?"
"Haha, it's just a coincidence… but a Primordial One that's survived to this day? It's really a bit powerful."
"I agree. I feel that it's a coincidence… Yes, let's get back on topic. We're working together to intervene in this matter, and it's actually a win-win situation. Isn't it good to get a larger share together?"
"Oh, that makes sense. Alright, you've convinced me. We'll put it as such. When the time comes, I'll open up the channels to help the Germinal Financial Group enter the venue."
"Haha, I wish us a happy cooperation, and I won't continue to disturb you."
"Alright, to a happy cooperation."
The moment the call ended, the smile on Sorokin's face vanished.
Ka-cha!
An electric spark flashed as the communicator was crushed into a piece of scrap iron.
"This guy has discovered my secret!"
Sorokin looked suspicious.
'Soul Emperor' Rovell Sissock was indeed his earliest identity!
Although he did not reveal anything when he spoke just now, a storm was actually brewing in his heart.
Were it not for his psychological qualities, Sorokin would not have been so calm after someone had called out his previous identity, and his expression would have revealed the answer.
Sorokin did not believe that Black Star was absolutely certain of being able to see through his identity. It had to be because of some certain intelligence he had that allowed him to make an association, so he asked to test him out.
With so much time in between, he had already gone through many identities. The other party could not possibly have real evidence on him.
Just purely from an identity viewpoint, it did not matter even if he knew that Sorokin was the Soul Emperor. He had no grudge nor grievance with the Soul Emperor identity. Even if there were any enemies, they had long since disappeared in the long river of history. What Sorokin was afraid of was the chain reaction caused by the exposure of his identity. If the three Universal Civilizations and Beyond Grade As knew that he was actually a Primordial One who had survived to this day, they would definitely be jealous. Then, how could he maintain his weak image, continuing to be a pig to eat a tiger?
Furthermore, he was quite sure that he was the only Primordial One who had survived so far. The three Universal Civilizations would definitely move when they heard the news. Just thinking about it made him shiver.
Now that the bargaining chips were in Han Xiao's hands, Sorokin could only accept Han Xiao's proposal, much to his chagrin.
"While Black Star does not have any proof on his hands, if I allow him to continue his investigation, he'll definitely find out all the identities I've used before…"
Sorokin's expression changed slightly.
The identity of Soul Emperor being blown was okay, since it was a positive one, but the other identities he had used were not so clean.
It was to the point that when the Beyond Grade As had received a cleansing, his shadow was behind it!
While any traces were practically cleaned up over the years, if someone managed to uncover it, the consequences would be unimaginable! Right now, he only wished to let Black Star think that the Soul Emperor identity was enough to blackmail him, so he would not pursue it any further.
"Even if I change my identity again, there'll always be a risk for exposure. Only by getting rid of Black Star can I get it over and done with…"
Sorokin's expression was uncertain.
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Chapter 1152 The Worrying Cancer of the Universe
When the anti-monopoly regulations of the three Universal Civilizations were released, the effect was akin to war mobilization. The four Star Clusters making up the free competition zone began to surge as all the watching forces made their choices.
Only a small number of forces were unwilling to get involved, and they thus reluctantly gave up on their investment that had lasted for several years, withdrawing from the competition. Most of the forces were unwilling to get out, and they deployed forces to stand on the three Universal Civilizations' factions, engaging the agents of the Super Star Cluster Alliance in frontal battles within the inner and central ring Star Clusters.
Just like how the civilizations predicted earlier, when the fourth exploration phase was close to being completely over, the trend of free development would gradually reverse to frequent armed looting. With the outbreak of large-scale conflicts, the flames of war spread rapidly. Under the attention of the entire universe, the free competition zone entered a state of war.
The armed forces of the majority of organizations launched a blockade, immediately curbing the expansion trend for the Super Star Cluster Alliance. The four Star Clusters opened up countless battle fronts, in which the stronghold planets on the edge of each faction's territory continued to repeat the process of losing and recovering, appearing on the map as though sharp teeth were constantly chomping up and down.
The Emerald Star Cluster was divided into fourteen battle zones, most of which were located in the inner and central ring regions. The bridgehead of the Super Star Cluster Alliances scattered in the outer edge area was under the most intense siege, with their strongholds quickly falling. However, the majority of people present just wished to seize more territory. Thus, the intensity of the war was still under control, where everyone tacitly banned the use of Planetary Obliteration weapons, focusing mainly on their fleets and surface combat. After all, if they blew the planet up, there would be no territory left to grab. Thus, the surface combat weapons and the role of Supers were very important.
The large-scale war also represented the rapid depletion of battleships, ammunition, weapons, and equipment. Demand determined the market and gave a large number of opportunities to the financial groups to make money during wartime.
The financial groups in the Flickering World sold various war resources. This included the Black Star Army's Germinal Financial Group whose orders were skyrocketing. The logistics department's assembly line was in full operation, shipping boxes of arms to the free competition zone.
On the other side, at Han Xiao's order, the armed forces of the army assembled at the army's frontline exploration stronghold, attacking the Ferdinand Star System, where the Modo Civilization was located.
At present, the regular forces of the Super Star Cluster Alliance had yet to be activated, and their agent forces were used as the outer defense lines. The Black Star Army's forces advanced straight, deep into the defense line, exchanging fire with the agents belonging to the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
In the inner ring sector of the Emerald Star Cluster, a stronghold on the edge of the Super Star Cluster Alliance was attacked by a large armed organization under the Super Star Cluster Alliance, and their main force was temporarily stationed there.
And today, this planet was raided by the advanced forces of Black Star.
With the stronghold as the center, a hemispherical sky-blue energy shield was inverted on the surface, covering tens of millions of kilometers. Above the shield was an intense interstellar war. The defense fleet was struggling to resist the attack of the Black Star Army's fleet, slowly being smashed to pieces.
Small spaceships acted like hummingbirds, wandering throughout the crisscrossing light cannons in the battlefield, up and down, left and right, using thrilling maneuvers to avoid the artillery fire while shooting their assault capsules from time to time, smashing through the enemy battleships. The capsules would penetrate deep into the ship's armor to help the players land on the enemy ship.
The blue tail flames of the rear thrusters from the heavy assault battleship formation left traces of light on the dark battlefield, shining as though they were a swarm of meteors. Supported by the powerful dark matter engine, the assault ship array chopped through the formation of the enemy, tearing the defense fleet into pieces. Bit by bit, they shattered the enemy's coordinated defense.
With the Army Commander being one of the best Mechanics in the universe, the ship manufacturing technology of the logistics department was naturally outstanding. The performance and firepower advantage of their battleships were similarly dominant. The dense energy beam easily penetrated the defensive lines of the stronghold defenders and hit the protective shield like a torrential downpour, creating a series of cobweb-like glowing cracks.
In the headquarters of the shaking ground base, the atmosphere was extremely tense, and the base commander stared at the durability of the shield anxiously.
"The reinforcements aren't here yet?"
"Commander, the other allies are unwilling to fight against the Black Star Army, and they refuse to come to our rescue. Only the nearest Modo Civilization has sent troops, and they are coming through the Hyperdrive Base Station at the moment."
"Damn it, these b*stards… Notify each captain that they cannot allow the Black Star Army to break into our base! Once they send in their immortals en masse, we're finished!" the base commander screamed.
The nickname for the players, the Cancer of the Universe, had spread throughout the galaxy, and they were unanimously known as the King of Ground Warfare. If a battle was maintained within a fleet, they could hold out for a period of time. However, the moment the Immortals broke through the ground defense line, there would only be one outcome: a one-sided defeat.
Faced with the Cancer of the Universe—who were not afraid of death, could resurrect, and disregarded their lives—there was no soldier that would not feel jealous. When confronted with such an opponent, no matter how many casualties the enemy created, it was useless. The ground army would have no morale to go to war.
There was no need to even mention the tens of millions of Immortals that the Black Star Army sat on. Now that they were rushing toward the battle zone controlled by the Modo Civilization, it was basically a walking meat grinder.
Even the agent forces of the Super Star Cluster Alliance hurriedly stayed away from the direction the Black Star Army was taking out of fear, not daring to obstruct them. Their goal was clear; they were there just for Modo, and no one wanted to waste their troops for nothing.
"Commander, the durability of the base's protective shield has fallen below twenty percent. Three of our energy furnaces have overheated and are expected to break in eleven minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Please give instructions!" the operation team leader said in a flustered tone.
The base commander gritted his teeth while looking at the retreating fleet. "Prepare the reserve fleet to take off at any time to seize air supremacy. Preheat all anti-aircraft turrets and activate all missile wells. The moment the shield is broken, fire immediately. All Machinery divisions, armored divisions, and Supers, get ready for ground combat…"
A series of orders were issued, and the soldiers and vehicles quickly got in position, looking up at the battlefield in outer space. From time to time, soldiers could be heard gulping nervously in the communication channel.
In this tense atmosphere, every second seemed like a year. Under the horrified gazes of the base soldiers, the blue shield covering their heads exploded into light motes.
The next moment, a series of whistling sounded ensued.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Airdrop capsules with shields passed through the net of firepower, dropping down one by one onto various locations within the base, emitting white smoke.
The moment the hatch slid open, teams of heavily-armed Grade B players stepped onto the ground, blatantly charging toward the ground troops.
The quickly approaching Immortals looked akin to the Devil himself in the eyes of the base soldiers. They mustered up their courage and rushed up with an angry roar.
Boom!
Two torrents on the ground clashed!
The Grade B realm was already considered the backbone of the universe, and the moment they came into contact, the more than a hundred thousand players smashed the armored divisions onto the ground, frontally crushing them. The vehicles piled up or exploded, the light of the flames flickering off the players' mechanical suits.
The player waves swallowed the area one after another, flooding the battlefield composed of steel and flesh, causing huge casualties.
It was not that there were no players besieged to death, but the troops of the base saw that every player who they tried their best to kill was resurrected on the battlefield the next moment. Their work was an act of futility.
Despair took hold of every soldier's heart, and the seeds of fear blossomed, forming their deepest nightmare.
Very quickly, the first soldier whose mentality collapsed fled in a panic. This was akin to a signal that caused more to desert their troops and run.
"They're all devils!"
"This is a losing battle. Just run!"
"I don't want to die!" Desperate shouts rang out from the communication channel, and the base's defenses quickly collapsed.
The base command originally wished to go into battle to inspire morale but was shot with a super long-ranged concentrated energy projectile by a Cannon Master and was immediately turned to ash.
At this moment, the cosmos not far from the planet flashed, and the support fleet of the Modo Civilization appeared at the warp point. Seeing the state of the battle, they knew that it was too far gone.
"We've arrived too late. They've already been attacked by the Cancer of the Universe. There's no saving them."
The captain ordered the fleet to turn around immediately.
Bang! The conference table was pounded hard.
"Tell me, how do we deal with the Black Star Army?" Roddick, the Commander of the Modo Civilization Expedition Fleet, was furious. His roar echoed throughout the conference room.
Before the war, the Black Star Army could not attack the Modo Civilization alone due to the help of the Super Star Cluster Alliance. But now that the latter was too occupied with its own war, this was the best time to start.
This was supposed to be the surrogate war phase, where the Super Star Clusters would only watch the situation, but because of the Black Star Army, the Modo Civilization had to move out in advance, losing their qualification to wait and watch. They had fallen into a disadvantage. "Most of our allies are unwilling to fight head-on with the Black Star Army. We can only resist it personally, not allowing him to enter our territory."
"The other Super Star Clusters will not sit back and watch our line of defense being breached. They will provide support."
"Even so, their support will be limited. The goal of the Black Star Army is clear-us, and us alone. Everyone is worried that intervening too much will cause the Black Star Army to drag them down as well." Everyone discussed their thoughts in low volumes, and the atmosphere in the room was gloomy.
If it was any other armed organization, the problem was not that serious. After all, the Modo Civilization was still a Super Star Cluster Civilization and had sufficient armed forces.
However, with the current limitation to the war intensity, Supers were very important. The Immortals of the Black Star Army were too devious. Even if they could stop the Immortals for a while, they would not be able to withstand the casualties.
"We can only let the Immortals deal with other Immortals. We have also recruited many Immortal organizations. As long as they are given enough money, they can be dispatched to resist the Black Star Army," Lagos proposed. "We can only do this for now."
It was a loss for them to take out their normal Supers, whom they had painstakingly cultivated, to fight against the players. Only Immortals could fight against Immortals.
Roddick was gloomy. "Unfortunately, we'll need to force the Black Star Army to withdraw if we want to get out of this situation."
"What should we do, reconcile with Black Star?"
"That's impossible." Roddick decisively shook his head. "Only by getting rid of Black Star himself will the army fall apart… Unfortunately, it's not possible for us."
"Well then, if we change the direction, it's okay to cause Black Star some trouble so that he has no time to take care of us."
"You have a plan?"
"Not at the moment," Lagos shook his head thoughtfully. "But I may have a way to deal with Black Star…"
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Chapter 1153 Arrangements
Roddick's eyes flashed, and he asked, "What's your idea?"
"What do you think Black Star's weakness is?" Lagos beat around the bush.
Hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought.
"Black Star has amazing strength. His fleshy body is tough, his foundation is huge, and his influence is at the peak…" Roddick's expression was unsightly. "I can't think of any weakness."
"I'll rephrase, what does Black Star care about?"
"His troops? But we can't shake his foundation at all… His mother planet? It's heavily protected. There's no way to strike, and this sort of small problem is not enough to make Black Star feel overwhelmed… His officers? As far as I know, all important members of the Black Star Army are equipped with the transmission device similar to a Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device, which cannot be blocked. It's impossible to threaten Black Star with this…"
The more Roddick spoke, the more he despaired. In his opinion, unless the upper echelons intended to encircle and suppress Black Star without considering the casualties, there was nothing that they could do to the opponent.
Lagos shook his head.
"Black Star is indeed powerful, but we're overthinking it. Get rid of your inner doubts and re-examine him. There are still some ways to achieve our goal, which could be divided into direct and indirect routes."
Hope welled up back in Roddick. Over the past few years within the free competition zone, Black Star had become a tumor to him. "Hurry and explain." "The direct route is simple. Start with Black Star himself. While you cannot destroy his body, his soul is definitely not as tough as his Indestructible Body."
After hearing this, Roddick was immediately discouraged. "So what? Even if Black Star's soul is relatively weak, it's not something we can target. You should at least be at the level of a pinnacle Beyond Grade A to affect him."
"No, no, no, look at this file."
Lagos swiped his finger on the virtual screen, releasing a confidential file.
Glancing over, Roddick muttered to himself, "Marwell Project File, Number 023, Project name: [Soul Swap Twins)… What's this?" "This is a confidential file sent to me by the superiors not long ago. I don't know much about this Marwell Project, but according to the description, this plan is one of the civilization's secrets to cultivate special Espers.
Everyone nodded, not finding it surprising.
Because they coveted the position of hegemons that were held by the three Universal Civilizations, the Super Star Cluster Alliance had always known to hide its trump cards, and they had formulated many secret special talent training plans. After the Tragedy of the Pinnacles, there were even more plans. Some of the Beyond Grade As of their direct line that were hidden in the secondary dimensions were the products of their training plans.
This matter was considered a semi-open secret among the advanced civilizations, and the three Universal Civilizations also knew something about it, but they were unaware of the details behind each plan.
"You're saying these two can deal with Black Star?" Roddick expressed his doubt. "Impossible. These twins are not even at the Beyond Grade A level. Can they even hurt him?"
"You also subconsciously fell into a misunderstanding. It's not just another Beyond Grade A that can hurt one! While the twins are weak, they are the only qualified ones to be able to utilize a Universal Treasure that is classified as a Space Wonder. It possesses a miraculous effect toward the Soul and has never appeared before. It might work on Black Star."
Roddick hesitated a while before gritting his teeth. "Since there's no other way, apply to the upper echelons for them to dispatch the twins to help… What's the indirect route?" "For the indirect route, we start from the people around Black Star. Throughout his life so far, the people he has acknowledged are few. Among them, his relationship with the Dragon Emperor is more subtle. If something goes wrong with the Dragon Emperor, he might temporarily throw everything aside and restrain the Black Star Army."
Roddick was taken aback. "Why use the Dragon Emperor as a target?"
"An officer like Hila will definitely be heavily protected. Compared to her, the chances of targeting the Dragon Emperor are higher."
"Didn't you say that he will have equipped the people he values with the teleporters. The Dragon Emperor can't be defenseless, so how do we deal with her?"
"What I'm talking about is not a siege. She's a Beyond Grade A and cannot be easily attacked…" Lagos took a deep breath. "But imagine, the Dragon Emperor's temper suddenly changes, and she begins to commit heinous crimes. It's impossible for Black Star to turn a blind eye toward her actions."
"You mean…"
"I have two plans. One is to let the Soul Swap Twins go to Dragon Emperor and distort her thoughts, so the success rate is more straightforward. The second is to find a way to get the Dragon Emperor trapped into a vortex of anger, causing her to perform heinous crimes such as randomly killing innocents and breaking the peace treaty. Black Star will have no choice but to divert his attention."
"The first one can be thrown aside. How do we go about the second plan?"
"It can be blaming her or causing her to go crazy. According to the data, she has a very obvious weakness…" Lagos' eyes flickered. "As for specifics, some consideration is needed."
Hearing this, Roddick's eyes lit up. It seems like this is pretty reliable!
Among the battle zones of the four Star Clusters, the Ferdinand Star System of the Emerald Star Cluster was the most eye-catching. The reason was the Black Star Army being so powerful that it tore through the outer line of defense formed by the agent forces, pointing directly to Modo Civilization, which was located in the central area.
While the Black Star Army only stated that it would target the Modo Civilization, this would inevitably affect the whole scenario. The current behavior of the army had a profound impact on the overall battle situation of the Emerald Star Cluster, and the outer defense circle that was constructed by the Super Star Cluster Alliance now showed a gap.
Using the attacking direction of the Black Star Army as a breakthrough point, a large number of organizations in the faction of the three Universal Civilizations chose to follow them, trying to enter the Modo Civilization territory through this gap, which was in the hinterlands of the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
The Super Star Cluster Alliance could only plug up the gap with their reinforcements. Even if the agents' forces were not willing, they had to come to curb the advancement of the three Universal Civilizations' forces headed by the Black Star Army.
The Modo Civilization also had to supplement a part of their armies to cooperate with the Northern Battlefront to block the Black Star Army, barely restraining them around the fifth to seventh Star Zones on the frontline.
This front has also turned into a war vortex of the Emerald Star Cluster, attracting a large number of armed fleets to gather and turn it into a meat grinder. The Ferdinand Star System had become the most intense area of this current battle.
The war in the Flickering World was in full swing, and the three Universal Civilizations were not idle either. They promulgated measures to impose multi-domain sanctions on all the Super Star Cluster Civilizations, eroding the national power of each Super Star Cluster on the political and economic level, so they could not concentrate on this war.
Thus, there were also a large number of business personnel from the Germinal Financial Group that had joined the fleet returning to the explored universe and travelling to the various Star Fields.
In the spaceship, the current vice president of the Germinal Financial Group, Iapetus, looked out of the porthole, the brilliant tail flame reflected in his eyes as he muttered to himself, "In the blink of an eye, over twenty years have passed…"
Touching his little moustache, a complicated look flashed past his eyes. The image of him being taken away by Black Star was still vivid. In a flash, Iapetus had turned from a youngster with a slight talent in business to a strong, experienced businessman. He had even risen to the position of vice president.
At first, he was reluctant, but he felt more at ease as time passed. In order to get promoted, he had worked hard to showcase his value. Right now, he was already accustomed to working for the army, helping them to seek more benefits.
Every time he thought back to his past, Iapetus felt as though it was all a dream.
Originally, he was just the head of a small financial group. He had never expected to become an important civilian officer under the Black Star Army, boarding the top stage of the universe.
By obtaining the opportunity created by turbulent times, they would shake the economic stability of an advanced civilization, not only earning huge profits but also affecting the state of the universe. This was one of the top achievements of the galactic merchants!
Those who could do this were definitely hegemons in the universe.
Without Black Star as the guide, he might only have made his name in the small pond of a Star System. It would be difficult to imagine doing things he had done in his current life.
If asked whether he felt gratitude to Black Star, there was indeed some, but Iapetus sighed more at how much his destiny had changed after meeting up with Black Star.
At this moment, the secretary walked in, holding a digital document in his hands. "Vice President, the Limitless Financial Group has drawn up a cooperation agreement and needs your signature."
"Oh, bring it over." Collecting his thoughts, Iapetus glanced through the document once before signing his name.
He was clear that this was a trip with a mission.
Cooperating with the Limitless Financial Group to take a share of the economic sanctions was only a superficial reason. He had two underlying missions to perform. The first was to focus on combating the Modo Civilization in the economic field, and the other was to help the intelligence personnel monitor the material and military movements of the Super Star Clusters.
The lifeline of the Super Star Cluster Alliance in maintaining this war lay in their logistics and transportation. The moment their backend assistance stopped, the troops in the free competition zone would just become a lone army looking to be defeated. Thus, the Army Commander privately gave him a task to allow him to pass through the Super Star Cluster and detect the transportation lines of these civilizations.
As long as they could control or cut off the transportation lines, the troops in the free competition zone would just be a group of turtles within an urn.
After more than twenty years of contact, Iapetus was aware that Han Xiao was farsighted. He knew well that his Army Commander was already making arrangements and that he was just one of the chess pieces that needed to be placed in a suitable position.
Meanwhile, in an exploration base of the Black Star Army, a group of players gathered in a private room, making a hubbub of noise.
"It's been almost twenty minutes. Why were we called over?"
"You guys were also notified by Phillip?"
"That's right. I don't know why we're here."
Everyone there had just arrived at the exploration base, ready to join the next fleet to attack the Modo Civilization, but they had suddenly received a notice from Phillip, asking them to come to this room to standby.
This situation was generally a sign of a mission trigger. Only a few would refuse, so there were about two thousand people within the room. They were basically part of the group that had joined the Black Star Army since its inception, and some were even members of the Chinese clubs.
Suddenly, a strange noise sounded in the room.
Buzz!
A virtual projection appeared, which immediately attracted everyone's attention. Many of them gasped. "Black Star!"
The projection that appeared was Han Xiao.
Looking around at the curious faces, Han Xiao nodded in greeting.
"Everyone, it was I who asked you to come here. You are all veterans who have been fighting with the army for many years, which makes you trustworthy. I have picked the best out of all of you, and there's a secret mission I hope to entrust to you." Upon hearing this, everyone present widened their eyes.
We're players specially selected by the Army Commander?
Ah, a hidden mission!
"What would you need us to do?" some of the bolder players shouted.
Han Xiao smiled.
"I require you all… to act as spies!"
He then released the 'Secret Mission' he had prepared earlier to the players present. All those on scene lost focus in their eyes as they turned their attention to the interface.
Since many of the foreign clubs had planted their spies there, Han Xiao was prepared to give them a taste of their own medicine. He was going to send some players to pretend to join those guild alliances to inquire about news. He had also conveniently planted a few spies in the Modo Civilization to investigate the transportation lines as well.
For this reason, he would conceal the files of these players in the army, 'washing out' their identities and creating a scenario not unlike that of Infernal Affairs[1]. This was nothing difficult for a Beyond Grade A.
He did not wish to discover the Modo transportation line to completely ruin the hope of the Modo Civilization but to better encircle and fight their reinforcements. He realized that the Modo Civilization would not give up on their desire in the Flickering World that easily. As long as they could survive, the Modo Civilization would insist on sending in troops and continuously throwing soldiers into this meat grinder.
Not only would it allow him to complete his own mission, it would also keep the Black Star Army in a state of intervention. After all, once Modo was gone, the Black Star Army would no longer have an excuse to intervene in the war.
This was just one corner of the strategy. Han Xiao was secretly laying out many traps, preparing to weave a large web to cover the Modo Civilization, turning it into a prey in the web with nowhere to escape. For this reason, he even secretly contacted a person he had not talked to in a long time, a dangerous antisocialist and a powerful demagogue, a person who was perfectly useful for such situations in his mind…
Rossellin!
It was not difficult for him to imagine what sort of changes would take place within the Modo Civilization…
(1) Infernal Affairs, or Tlač, is a 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller film.
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Chapter 1154 Dilemma of the Silver Revolutionary
On a colonial planet of a certain Star System level civilization, within a rented temporary stronghold, the senior officers of the Silver Revolutionary Army gathered together, most of them with a melancholic look.
The current leader, Edmond, frowned. "While the competition in the Flickering World has caused turbulence in the universe, the efficiency of our publicity program is far from expected. It could even be said that progress is stagnant."
The Silver Revolutionary Army had predicted this conflict in the Flickering World, so they wanted to take advantage of the turbulent times as an opportunity to grow their team. But when the conflict broke out, the spread of their ideals did not go as easily as they thought.
One of the men wearing glasses pushed his glasses up as he spoke. "Based on our survey, the popularity of the three Universal Civilizations in the universe is 1,174.1% higher compared to the same period as predicted by our mathematical mode. In other words, the three Universal Civilizations have obtained more trust from the people in this period. The turmoil of the Flickering World should have allowed the galactic residents to see their domineering attitude, but it did not drastically deteriorate the image of the three Universal Civilizations, unlike what we predicted."
"How could this be…"
"The root cause of this deviation lies in the sudden Intelligent Plague incident not too long ago… This disaster scared countless galactic residents, and the three Universal Civilizations responded in a timely manner. It only took about half a year to resolve it, and this extreme universal crisis allowed the galactic residents to see the power of the three Universal Civilizations, which is what they wanted.
"Black Star also played an important role in this, and it can be said that if not for his achievements, along with the Mechanic Emperor's ambitions attracting hatred, the three Universal Civilizations would have lost a large wave of popularity in this Flickering World incident. Right now, their foundations are still stable."
Hearing this, the senior officers of the Silver Revolutionary Army could not help but reveal bitter expressions.
The conflict of the Flickering World should have been a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to develop, but now, it seemed that this opportunity would no longer meet their expectations, as the effect was ninety percent lower than expected.
Without this, everyone felt that their future was quite gloomy, and they lamented in secret, complaining about how the Intelligent Plague had destroyed their plans.
But everyone was unaware that this Intelligent Plague should have been the important event in their rise. Due to the butterfly effect Han Xiao caused, this had become an obstacle to their development.
Edmond turned his head to look at the dignified woman who was leaning on the sofa not too far away and asked, "Mentor, how do you see it?"
Everyone gazed at her. While they were all in the upper echelons, they subconsciously understood that Rossellin was their true spiritual pillar.
Rossellin swilled her wine glass as she indifferently replied, "Since development is now blocked, take your time. The hearts and wills of people are ephemeral like smoke, and the current support may change in the future. Be more patient."
"This…" One of them opened his mouth in hesitation. "You don't have a way to solve this problem?"
Hearing this, Rossellin laughed. "Haha, do you think I'm omnipotent? I can only follow the general trend to plan out details. I can't change anything with my own strength." As she spoke, Rossellin stood up, walking to the front as she smiled. "Since there are difficulties with our development now, I plan to take out some time to work on something else. Black Star sent me a request a while ago." Everyone got a shock.
"You still maintain contact with Black Star?" Edmond was surprised.
"Why not?" Rossellin casually shrugged. "After all, I was an officer under him for a period of time. He didn't stop me from leaving, so I technically owe him a favor."
Edmond's expression turned serious as he solemnly replied, "Right now, we're plotting against the three Universal Civilizations. Who's Black Star? An important ally of the three Universal Civilizations! How can you still maintain contact with him!"
"To be precise, it was Black Star who contacted me." Rossellin did not think much of it. "Besides, I think he's well aware of what we're trying to do. He probably thinks of us as a joke."
Edmond's expression was grave as he paced around the room. He finally said hesitantly, "What does Black Star want you to do?"
"He wants me to go to the Modo Civilization and intensity their social contradictions." Rossellin clicked her tongue. "He really trusts in my abilities…"
One of the Silver Revolutionary Army members was shocked. "How can this be? It's one thing not to expose us, but he even asks for your help to fan the hatred in another civilization. Isn't he someone who cares for the masses?"
Rossellin laughed derisively. "How could a man who broke into the decades-long established foundation be as kind-hearted as the news says? It's just that he knows how to maintain his image and give the dirty work to others. Now, it's my turn to work as well…"
With that, she did not wait for the rest to reply, pushing open the door and leaving the room.
Black Star's request for her was to try and provoke the internal conflicts within the Modo Civilization, and she was given free rein. Rossellin already had a vague idea of how she should act. In her opinion, Modo Civilization was made up of three main races, and thus, it was very suitable for implanting radical split thoughts. Speaking of which, she herself originally wanted to revolutionize the lives of the three Universal Civilizations' citizens but ended up turning around to revolutionize the lives of people in the Super Star Clusters, who were supposed to be her supporters.
Rossellin did not mind it, however. Unlike most of the upper echelons in the Silver Revolutionary Army, she did not believe that she needed to do something big. Be it against the three Universal Civilizations or the Super Star Clusters, as long as she could create upheaval in society, she did not care who the opponent was.
Within a certain asteroid belt in the explored universe was the secret base of the Assassin's Society.
Ding ding dang dang!
Hundreds of assassin apprentices in training suits were practicing in the open-air training ground. Only the sound of weapons colliding could be heard.
In the stands of the training ground, several instructors stood with their arms folded, supervising the practice of the apprentices while Lothaire stood at the very front, staring with indifferent eyes. It had been almost twenty years since Han Xiao ordered him to secretly form the Assassin's Society. Over the years, he had left a frightening record of assassinations on the black market and secretly recruited many assassins, constantly training new people. Now, the organization had reached a certain scale.
Beep beep.
His communicator rang.
Lothaire glanced at it before walking off. "Stop the training, assemble the staff, and prepare the spaceships. We're heading off."
Several of the officers showed curious expressions.
"Where are we going?".
"New mission. We're going to Modo."
Lothaire concisely spoke as his figure disappeared down the passage. He had no interest in authority and always kept in his mind that the organization he established was a sharp blade that Black Star hid in the dark, stabbing the target Black Star pointed to.
In the Primeval Star River, within the Modo Civilization's secret base…
Ta, ta, ta! Heavy footsteps sounded in the corridor outside as a person slowly approached a door.
With a creaking sound, the door was opened, and dazzling light shone in.
A group of soldiers stood at the door, with only their silhouette seen against the light. The commander said in an emotionless tone, "Soul Swap Twins, there's a mission."
There was no response at first, only deathly silence.
But this silence did not last long. A rustling sound came from a corner where the light could not reach, and a humanoid creature enveloped in shadowy fog walked out of the darkness. There was a baby-sized figure lying on his shoulders, wrapped in the same shadowy fog. Both of them only revealed a pair of blood red eyes, and no one could see what sort of species they were. Obviously, some kind of abnormality had happened to them, and the only telling factor was their size. These two were the Soul Swap Twins. The person with a normal growth was the elder brother, while the infant was the younger one. "Modo allowed us to go out again?" The younger one lying on the shoulders spoke with a hoarse voice, not unlike that of an old man.
Seeing the two, the officer immediately replied, "Same old rules. Immediately get on board with us. You can only get in touch with the Soul Swapper once you get to the mission location."
"Who are we dealing with this time?" the elder brother asked with some resentment.
"Black Star!"
Hearing this name, both twins shared a look, inexplicable fluctuations in their eyes.
There was no tension but rather a faint excitement and greed, as though they had discovered a treasure.
At this moment, the officer took out a magical orb, saying, "The target has an ability to make predictions. This magic orb is inscribed with a magic circuit that will cover your aura, so when it's worn on the body, it can effectively interfere and mislead any prophetic abilities."
After the magic orb was given, the group of soldiers stepped forward, leaving the room with the Soul Swap Twins. Each soldier had a tense expression, their footsteps subconsciously speeding up, obviously wishing for the twins to be boarded as quickly as possible.
Even if they did not have the Space Wonder called the Soul Swapper, the twins were still quite dangerous, spending most of their time in prison.
While their realms were not high, long term contact with them would cause people to have more hallucinations, lowering their Sanity values.
At the same time, Aesop raised his head to look out of Floating Dragon Island in suspicion.
Aesop closed his eyes, directly activating his abilities. His thoughts seemed to pass through the dimensions until he locked onto the territory of the Modo Civilization.
"The feeling comes from Modo Civilization. What sort of abnormalities? It seems like they've used a masking device. The perception is vague, and the specific possibility of a future cannot be seen either…"
Aesop frowned uneasily.
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Chapter 1155 Chess Player
In the Army Commander's Black Star Palace office, the bright and shining star map sand table was suspended a meter above the ground, like a flat picture scroll, and the blue light reflected on Han Xiao's face.
The star map sand table was a miniature map of the explored universe, of which two areas were illuminated. One of them was the free competition zone of the Flickering World, while the other was the Modo Civilization's territory within the Primeval Star River.
In these two areas, there were many scattered light spots. Above each spot was a head or influence emblem, which represented the identity of the light spot. These included people such as Lothaire and Rossellin.
Han Xiao slowly paced around the sand table, moving the light spots representing Lothaire and Rossellin to the Modo Civilization area as he whispered to himself, "Rossellin and Lothaire are in place. Iapetus is almost there with the Germinal Financial Group as well…"
This scene was akin to a chess player, with the star map as a chessboard and the forces deployed as chess pieces, constructing a game of encirclement and suppression against the Modo Civilization.
Because of the development union as well as the constraints of the image created by the three Universal Civilizations, he could not move personally. Thus, in the free competition zone, if he wanted to mess around, he needed someone to do the dirty work for him.
This time, Han Xiao formulated a strike plan based on the military and economic fields. The frontal battlefield was simple-just fight and consume the forces and resources of the Modo Civilization.
As for the economic field, that was the highlight, taking advantage of the opportunity of war and sanctions that would shake the domestic market of the Modo Civilization. With the large number of financial groups and organizations that would close as a result, the Germinal Financial Group under his command would cooperate with the Limitless Financial Group and other business giants to enter and hunt down these assets, sucking the lifeblood of the Modo Civilization.
The partners Han Xiao found for the Germinal Financial Group were not just limited to the Limitless Financial Group. Since the Black Star Army represented a huge community of interests, Han Xiao had a lot of connections with the heads of various financial groups. He contacted a bunch of people, putting forth his cooperation requests through relying on his twin heavyweight identities of the Black Star Army and the three Universal Civilizations' ambassador. Faced with such an opportunity, there were few financial groups that would refuse such a deal.
With his current influence and status, even if he merely remained in Black Star Palace, he could still leverage resources of a terrifying scale.
As for what would happen as a result of this chain reaction, the Modo Civilization might not regress but would definitely be hurt through this attack.
In contrast, all the partners of the Germinal Financial Group would be able to make a fortune out of it.
"This feels more and more as though I'm the leader behind the scenes in the triads." Han Xiao snickered before sighing. "I'm only missing one last link, which is a supervisor for the Shattered Star Ring, who is needed to locate their supply lines as well…"
The Shattered Star Ring bordered the Flickering World, so the Super Star Cluster Alliance would definitely use this to their advantage to send reinforcements and supplies to the Flickering World. However, the Shattered Star Ring was his backyard, and the army would definitely know of any movements made by the Super Star Cluster Alliance there. It would definitely be possible to trace their transportation lines.
The Super Star Cluster Alliance was definitely aware of this point, so they would use various means to cover up the fleet, fighting a battle of wits. For them, maintaining the concealment of their supply lines was vital to winning the
war.
"Sylvia and Herlous are both in the Flickering World, and the highest-ranking officer left in the Shattered Star Ring is Lagi. I worry about his way of doing things…" Han Xiao shivered involuntarily and decided to change to another person. "Hila and Sylvia cannot return for the time being… Oh, Nero has already grown up. It's time to make him take more responsibilities."
The Shattered Star Ring was still the base camp of the Black Star Army, and the task of monitoring the Super Star Clusters should not be too difficult. It was a good time to let Nero handle this and temper the kid.
Right now, Nero was at his peak. He had the ability but lacked the experience. Han Xiao had always hoped to train Nero into a unique talent. Aside from the close relationship, Nero himself was also a protagonist-level character, with amazing potential and worthy of training as a core member.
If he could train out a better worker than Sylvia, that would be for the best. Not only would he be more worry-free, but Nero was also a man and would not care about his hairline. Added with his various fatigue resistances, he was strong and could literally be worked to death.
"That's right. Aesop is also good at finding people. I can invite him as a consultant and let Nero temporarily act as his assistant…"
Han Xiao stroked his chin as this idea took hold.
An elder in the family was akin to having a treasure. Getting Aesop to come forward would not only increase the chances of finding the Super Star Cluster Alliance transportation line but also allow Aesop to pass on his precious life experience to Nero, killing two birds with one stone.
He just did not know if Aesop would willingly step up and help. That old fellow should be desperate for something to do, after being trapped in Floating Dragon for over a decade.
Beep beep!
Just as he was thinking about it, his communicator rang. Glancing at it, the corners of his mouth curled up.
Speak of the Aesop. That old man probably foresaw that I was going to call him and thus decided to be preemptive. As he thought that, Han Xiao answered the call. "Old man, you saw that I was going to find you?"
"I've come for something else." Aesop did not beat around the bush, immediately speaking. "I foresaw that danger's coming from Modo Civilization. They've made some movements lately targeted toward you. You have to be careful, as they used a shielding device and I cannot get a clear prediction." "Oh, I understand." Han Xiao nodded, not feeling surprised at all.
With him already targeting the other party, the Modo Civilization would definitely do something to try and restore the situation. Even without Aesop's reminder, he knew that the Modo Civilization would inevitably counterattack. It was not surprising for them to use a shielding device, as he still had someone with the title of (Oracle) protecting him.
"You'd better be more cautious. While I might not have gotten a clear prediction, I have a bad feeling about this," Aesop stressed.
"Alright, I'll keep my eyes peeled."
Han Xiao began to recall the various trump cards that the Modo Civilization had in his previous life, beginning to deduce how they would carry out their counterattack against him.
"Just take it seriously. You said you were looking for me as well?" Aesop changed the topic.
Hearing this, Han Xiao told Aesop his plans. "To invite me as a consultant… I have no objections, but you've got to ask Ames for this. If she's not afraid that I'll take the chance to run off, I'm alright with that."
Aesop thought about it and did not reject it in the end.
He had been 'trapped in Floating Dragon for so long and had already given Ames to Black Star as though he was sending off his daughter to be married. He had nothing else to worry about now, so his adventurous spirit had begun to resurface once more.
"I'll find time to speak to her." Han Xiao laughed. While his relationship with Ames was close, he still needed to observe his manners and pay a visit if he wished to borrow one of her people.
After chatting a while more, Han Xiao turned off the communicator, sizing up the star map as he nodded in satisfaction.
In this manner, the layout was basically complete. He did not need to interfere anymore; he just needed to wait for his pieces to act and let things develop as planned.
Han Xiao opened the interface.
More than half of Version 4.0 has passed. According to my current experience accumulation efficiency, I should have enough to reach level 340 before the end of the version, undergoing my next sublimation.
He had originally almost saved up enough experience, but because of his battle against the Mechanic Emperor, he had been forced to change his experience into Awakening Points in one go, adding nearly ten thousand Intellect points. After so much time had passed, his experience was slowly accumulating once more.
The God's Trait Transformation points obtained through producing four new Universal Treasures had already been used by him. Now his God's Trait TransformationMachinery had reached level nine, bringing to him a considerable bonus. As long as one more God's Trait Transformation Machinery point was obtained, there would be a qualitative change as with every five stacks.
According to Han Xiao's estimation, when he reached level340 and transformed his God's Trait Transformation Machinery to level ten or more, alongside the new talents from the Kunde Race Mission and some new Mechanic Universal Treasures, he would be able to suppress the Mechanic Emperor.
At that time, even if the Mechanic Emperor did not come to provoke him, he would go and fight with him, rewriting the 'tie' battle record that they had!
As the days passed, the battle in the free competition zone intensified. Under this chain reaction, turmoil broiled in the universe, raising surging winds and storms.
The three Universal Civilizations began imposing extremely strong sanctions on the Super Star Clusters. The latter was still resisting all pressure, and various negative reactions had already started appearing in each civilization.
Among them, the Modo Civilization suffered the most. Not only did they suffer heavy losses due to the Black Star Army in the free competition zone, but the country also gradually turned chaotic. Assassinations got more frequent, with the victims all being successful people from all walks of life, causing panic among the populace. It also seemed that someone was deliberately inciting negativity among them, causing the social conflicts to further amplify.
At the same time, their economy was also impacted. A large number of their companies went bankrupt, and many people became unemployed. Even if the Super Star Cluster Civilizations had many huge businesses, when having their revenue robbed by several financial group giants, it would be impossible for them not to suffer losses.
If it was in peacetime, with just the power of the Black Star Army, it would be impossible for the Modo Civilization to even be swayed. However, the three Universal Civilizations were the main force behind the sanctions this time, which burnt out the Modo Civilization. This environment provided Han Xiao with an excellent opportunity to mess them up.
In just three months, the Super Star Cluster Alliance's plan was in full swing, but with their investment regardless of cost, the overall war in the free competition zone had achieved some advantages… except for the zone where the Modo Civilization was located.
Meanwhile, a fleet with no emblems arrived at the Inter-Star Field Stargate linking to the Shattered Star Ring. It was the secret force dedicated to transporting the Soul Swap Twins.
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Chapter 1156 Nation Saving Plan
The conflict of the Flickering World was seen as a resistance by the Super Star Cluster Alliance toward the three Universal Civilizations' hegemony. The Galactic Society eventually gave this resistance a formal name – The Flickering War.
For this Flickering War, the Super Star Cluster Alliance had prepared decades in advance. From the first to third exploration phases, they had continuously sent stowaways into the Star Field, establishing secret Stargates. While the three Universal Civilizations were preoccupied with the Intelligent Plague, the Super Star Cluster Alliance had started to prepare war resources, avoiding eyes and ears to establish hidden warehouses in the barren universes at different locations. They even managed to build secret military communication networks.
And today, all of their hidden hands had been connected. The Super Star Cluster Civilizations had built a secret transportation network to deliver lifeblood to the Flickering World, and the secret force that transported the Soul Swap Twins also utilized this secret stargate to arrive at the Shattered Star Ring, leaving no record in the public stargates.
In the temporary detention room of the spaceship, Lagos, the warlord of the Modo Civilization Expedition Fleet, was communicating with the twins to explain the mission.
"… Your mission objective this time is Aesop Hurricane, the adoptive father of the Dragon Emperor and the current Special Consultant for the Black Star Army."
"Didn't the superiors call us over to deal with Black Star? Why is it another target now?" the elder brother of the twins said.
"This is part of the plan to deal with Black Star. Aesop is a key figure, and his position is important to the Dragon Emperor. With the relationship between Black Star and Dragon Emperor, we can use this strategy to shift Black Star's attention away from us," Lagos solemnly said.
In the past few months, he as well as all the other upper echelons of the exploration army had repeatedly analyzed the pros and cons, finally choosing this method to save their nation.
This battle plan had received approval from the various members of the Military Strategy Department. According to Modo's current situation, if they wanted Black Star to stop, they could only do so by throwing him into another vortex.
The Modo Civilization was also aware of the name of Aesop. This long-lived man had a strong power of Prophecy and was thus difficult to deal with. But in contrast to going head on with a Beyond Grade A, it was easier to attack Aesop.
It was precisely because of Aesop's predictive abilities that he had to be specifically targeted. In the past few months, Aesop had paired up with Nero to search the Shattered Star Ring. They had discovered the location of multiple transportation lines dedicated to the Super Star Cluster Alliance, which caused a substantial number of problems for them. If it were not for the fact that the Black Star Army only targeted the Modo Civilization, the overall damage to them would be even larger.
While Nero's luck also played a huge part, in the eyes of the Super Star Clusters, the main point was still Aesop's Prophecy that did the work. Thus, even if they could not deal with Black Star, they had to get rid of the problem that was Aesop.
However, the Soul Swap Twins were terribly disappointed.
"I thought that I would be able to directly attack Black Star. I rejoiced for nothing."
Lagos frowned. "If you went directly against Black Star and failed, you would die immediately. Isn't targeting Aesop the safer option?"
Hearing this, the Soul Swap Twins displayed sarcastic smiles.
The way they spent their lives was as good as not living. So, why would they care about it?
Black Star was a pinnacle Beyond Grade A, and he would definitely not be easy to deal with, but they did not care about the danger. They only looked at his huge assets and lofty status.
If they could utilize the Soul Swapper to occupy Black Star's body, all of that would belong to them. Not only would they gain their freedom, but they would also become a top powerhouse in the universe, taking away the foundation of power and strength that Black Star had developed for decades. Compared to their lives, the twins wanted to gamble on this, but there was no need to express their hearts at this time.
"Tell us the process," the younger brother of the twins said hoarsely.
"Aesop is currently a Special Consultant for the Black Star Army," Lagos explained. "He is highly guarded, and he has his ability to find any hostile targets, so we will use some forged transportation lines as bait to lure the snake out of its hole. Then, we'll find a way to allow you to make contact with Aesop. You can then use the Soul Swapper to temporarily distort his thinking and manipulate him to intervene in the conflict of a certain civilization, before asking him to commit suicide. This will anger the Dragon Emperor into pinning the blame on the civilization… We will help to secretly propagate this. All you need to do is to be responsible for your own mission."
Be it for official or private reasons, Aesop had to die, and his death would be blamed on a Star System level civilization that was protected by a peace treaty. This was for the Dragon Emperor to form some hatred toward the civilization, forcing her to lose control and cause a slaughter due to her anger. Even if the Dragon Emperor did not give in to her grief, she would inevitably have a conflict with the civilization due to her temperament. No matter what, Black Star would turn back to help, and to protect the Dragon Emperor, he might even have to resort to using force. As a result, the Black Star Army would gain another opponent and would have a high probability of withdrawing its armies.
"Understood." The Soul Swap Twins were noncommittal.
It was not the first time they had done such a thing
Lagos instructed them some more before cutting the communication. The guards then closed the door again to prevent them from moving around.
The Soul Swap Twins glanced at each other, understanding each other's meaning without needing to speak. This was a chance for them to become free men. The moment they obtained the Soul Swapper, they could escape after finishing their mission. They were not reconciled to spending their lives as tools.
In the office, Han Xiao read the report of the Shattered Star Ring, from time to time looking up at the remote projections of Nero and Aesop in front of him.
"Discovered thirty-eight Super Star Cluster Alliance transportation fleets; completely destroyed two lines of the Modo Civilization and seven secret resource bases, seizing daily supplies, weapons and ammunition. Another eleven suspected transportation routes of the other Super Star Cluster Alliances during the monitoring…" After browsing the report, Han Xiao smiled and praised them. "Well done."
"It's all because of your tutelage." Nero scratched his head as he laughed dumbly.
"You're now the chief in charge of the Shattered Star Ring. Don't laugh so stupidly. You have to be more serious, understand?" Han Xiao rapped on the table. Nero immediately straightened his expression.
He was already an adult, but in front of Han Xiao, he behaved in a very relaxed manner, naturally revealing his childish side.
At this moment, Aesop smiled as he said, "I like this kid. He has a lot of potential. Given enough time, he will become quite a unique character. His luck is pretty good." Han Xiao nodded and asked, "Any forecasts so far from your Prophecy?".
Aesop shook his head. "It's still the same foggy sense of danger. Three months have already passed, but they have not seemed to move."
Han Xiao turned back to Nero. "Take note to increase the collecting of intelligence. At the first sign of trouble, report to me."
During this period of time, he had analyzed the possible plans of the Modo Civilization and felt that the probability of them attacking him was quite low. It was more likely that they would choose to start with the people around him, so he had strengthened the protection around his mother planet as well as various officers and increased Phillip's monitoring of the entire army.
Because most of the information was actually reported up by level and might not be able to reach him, he lowered the standard of importance for Phillip to directly report to him. While this might cause his workload to increase, it was a trivial matter for such a period.
"By the way, what did you say to Ames?" Aesop asked. "I'm running everywhere with the Black Star Army right now, but she does not seem to be afraid that I'll suddenly leave."
"Oh, I told her that I'm watching you for her. If you run away, then I'll bring you back." Han Xiao laughed.
"Tsk, I knew it." Aesop's eyes narrowed. "Is she that unconfident of me? The stuff I've seen, how could she know more than me? I've probably eaten more salt than the amount of rice she has eaten."
"Then you must feel thirsty a lot," Han Xiao joked. "From your tone, it seems like you were really intending to slip away." "I've been under house arrest in Floating Dragon for decades. I can't possibly stay there until the end of my life." Aesop folded his arms in front of him. "To be honest, with you taking care of Ames, I feel reassured. There's no need for me to remain here. I took those years of staying as a rest, and now I'm ready to continue my travels."
Han Xiao did not find it weird at all. For a long-lived species such as Aesop, a decade or two was just like a year or two for a normal person. This old man's desire for adventure was carved deep into his bones, and he could not settle down in one place forever.
"Then, why don't you just tell Ames directly? If you are honest and truthful, she definitely won't stop you."
"No, no, then she won't send people after me. That would be so meaningless."
Aesop shook his head, revealing a gleeful tone akin to someone goading another party to catch him.
Han Xiao was speechless. I suddenly have the desire to beat this old man up…
"Aren't you afraid that I have preparations made to prevent you from slipping away?" "Haha, even if I tell you, you won't stop me." Aesop smiled. "I want to maintain a tacit understanding with her, so I'll need you to help convey my meaning." Han Xiao understood. This meant that Aesop was planning to leave without saying goodbye, and he planned to use Han Xiao as a microphone. This was also a way to get back at him. Previously, it was Han Xiao who had caught Aesop, making the latter lose face. Giving himself a reminder before successfully slipping away would settle their debts.
"Then, when are you preparing to leave?"
"I'll help you with this last task, and once the Flickering War is over, I'll leave."
"Hey, when the time comes, I'll see if you can escape from my palm." Both of them shared a laugh.
By the side, Nero suddenly felt as though he had become a lightbulb. Han Xiao gave him a few more instructions before hanging up. Thinking about it, he then called Ames. Only two rings had passed before the call connected.
"Oh, busy man, you have the time to chat with me now?"
Ames' laughter was like a clear spring bubbling through the communicator. "What are you up to?" Han Xiao smiled.
"Practicing the Knowledge you got for me."
Han Xiao had managed to exchange a Knowledge of the Esper Class, passing it to Ames. She had been studying it diligently. Because ordinary people did not have an interface, they could not do it overnight but had to slowly pore over the research.
The two of them chatted a little before focusing on the trending topic.
"Black Star, how long do you think the Flickering War will last?" Ames was curious.
Han Xiao contemplated. "At least three to five years, a decade or two at max."
The Super Star Cluster Alliance would not give up so easily. The previous Flickering War lasted for quite a long time. The players were only contracted as agents around the end of Version 4.0, and in the later stages, most of it was reduced to cutscenes as the players went offline.
This time, because of the sudden emergence of the Intelligent Plague, the Super Star Cluster Alliance was more prepared and could resist for a longer period of time. However, with his own intervention, the course of the battle would be shortened. The two factors both affected each other, changing the plot of his previous life. Thus, Han Xiao also found it hard to say how long the alliance could support itself this time.
But the final result should be the same as in his previous life, where it would end with the failure of the Super Star Cluster Alliance. This battle was for them to gain a glimmer of hope, a gamble with a low success rate.
"So long…" Ames sighed. "I originally wanted to invite you to travel to the world of the secondary dimensions, but it seems like you don't have the time in the next few years."
"Again?"
"You're not willing?" Ames tilted her head, her hair spilling over her shoulders like a waterfall.
"Cough cough, I'm actually not that busy. You also know that us Beyond Grade As cannot personally enter the Flickering War. After destroying the Modo Civilization, I'll be free, and I can accompany you to visit the secondary dimensions…"
… as well as allow Aesop to slip away. Han Xiao finished in his mind.
"Then we have a date." Ames' eyes curled up as she smiled.
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Chapter 1157 Soul Swapper
Somewhere within the Shattered Star Ring, three small battleships with the Black Star Army emblem were cruising in the starry space. All three battleships were blitz-class shuttles, exceptional in speed.
The responsibility of this force was to track down any suspicious transport fleets. In the command room of the lead spaceship, the captain carefully stared at the star map in front of him, which marked the patrol route of the squad. Once a suspicious unit was found or a new mission assigned, it would be displayed.
"I heard that a couple of days ago, there seemed to be traces of a suspicious transport fleet in the neighboring Star Zone. However, the clues were intermittent, and we seem to have lost it. Do you think they will come over to our sector?" A nearby officer made some idle talk.
"It would be great. If we can track down the suspicious fleet, it will be our credit. We have been patrolling here for a few months and have not even performed a proper mission. If we're not lucky, we probably won't get any merit," another person said with some envy.
Because the patrol mission was dull and boring, the captain did not stop his subordinates from chatting as he thought the same. While he was only a bottom-rung member in the army, he had the desire to progress. As long as he accumulated enough merits, he could acquire the army's elite training qualifications and invest in himself, which would be beneficial to his promotion.
Beep beep!
At this moment, a red dot of light rippled on the star map, and a notification was heard. This was a field inspection mission, which meant that their space buoy had intercepted a suspicious unit.
"Mission!"
The captain's eyes brightened as he thought that an opportunity had come for him. He immediately ordered the fleet to change directions, heading toward the marked coordinates.
The spaceships immediately turned around, and their engines released a roar as they shot toward the depths of the starry sky.
After flying for a period of time, the team arrived at the target location. Opening the detection device, thirty or forty spatial folds appeared on the radar's view.
These were the traces left by hyperdrive transitions. Each trace represented a spaceship. At this moment, the traces had yet to disappear and extended out, pointing out the course of these dozens of spaceships in disguise.
"A total of forty-one hyperdrive jump tracks have been spotted. Follow the traces and catch up!" The captain did not hesitate.
The squad was now energized, and they followed the trail of the hyperdrive engines, tracking them for around two hours before a barren asteroid leapt into view.
The trail ended here, which meant that the target exited the hyperdrive mode at this point.
The vice-captain glanced at the radar before speaking. "Report, the target has disappeared. They might be on the planet to collect resources or hiding in ambush behind the asteroid. Awaiting instructions."
The captain deliberated for two seconds before saying, "No. 2, perform a scan on the planet surface. No. 3, round to the back of the planet. No.1, maintain position. Keep the engines ready, prepared to move at any moment."
"Roger that."
The three spaceships immediately separated, and it did not take long for the results to arrive.
A docked fleet was found on the planet's surface. Their emblem represented a local commercial organization, and they were currently collecting the underground gas resources. The scale of this fleet was exactly the same as the number of transition traces, which was the target of this team.
"Send out a wide area communication, asking to check the identification codes," the captain ordered.
The transportation fleet of the Super Star Cluster Alliance utilized various methods to hide as they travelled, and one of the most common ones was to pretend to be the troops of other organizations. If the tracking team of the area happened to come across any of such fleets, they would generally ask to check the identity of the other party, guilty until proven innocent.
However, the authority to check the identities of any transit fleet was actually only given to the Civilization Security Team. The Black Star Army, as a private armed organization, did not have the right.
But in this world where authority was decided by one's fist, the Black Star Army's motive of tracing the transportation fleets of Modo Civilization resulted in many of the civilizations allowing it, unwilling to cause trouble. Most of the civilizations of the Shattered Star Ring did not have any issues, closing one eye to this. Occasionally, the tracking team would uncover a genuine transport party, and the enemy would strike at them first, but this was an unavoidable risk. Thus, the tracking team generally did not fight, only maintaining communication with the intelligence department. This way, even if the tracking team was killed and disconnected, it could still send back messages and allow the department to know the identity of the target enemy.
At this time, the tracking team sent a communication request to the transport fleet, but the other party did not respond.
The captain immediately turned vigilant. "Something isn't right. Immediately prepare to report…"
Before he could finish speaking, his brain spun, and his vision turned chaotic. This state only lasted for a second before he regained clarity. But the scene in front of him froze his whole body, and fear erupted from his heart.
He saw that his surroundings had turned into a prison, and his body was firmly fixed in a confinement chamber, unable to move.
He was lost for words.
I was in the command room a second ago. How did I end up here?
Before he could make sense of his situation, his brain spun yet again. His surroundings changed, and he was now situated in a transparent glass room, with a swarm of black beetles next to him.
Looking through the transparent walls, he was terrified to see giants walking outside the room without even looking at them. He could not even see how tall these giants really were.
Everything seemed to have been magnified countless times over in his vision.
"What the hell…" the captain murmured subconsciously, but rather than hearing his voice, he only heard a slight hissing sound.
He paused before lowering his head to look at himself. A chill ran down his spine, and he dared not believe his eyes.
His body had actually turned into that of a black beetle, just like the bugs around him!
In that instant, he seemed to have understood.
It's not that the world has gotten bigger… I've shrunk!
At this moment, a deep-orange jet of flames blazed in the sky, filling the entire glass capsule and turning his thoughts into a blazing white cloud.
Boom!
With just a breath, all the black beetles were burnt to ash.
Wer u
An operator in a white lab coat removed the flamethrower used for the experiment. Taking a look at the residue within the glass capsule, he gave an 'OK' signal.
The team leader nodded before saying, "Reporting to the commander. The targets have been eliminated."
"Hmm."
In the flagship, the commander nodded as he looked out of the porthole at the scene outside.
Two of the spaceships, No. 2 and 3, had already been reduced to fireworks. Only the commanding spaceship managed to escape and leave the scene.
In this escaped spaceship, all of the members were shells, replaced by a different soul!
"The plan was a success."
The commander lightly nodded before looking to the side. There was a smoky crystal-colored mirror floating in the air, about fifty centimeters in diameter and only three centimeters thick.
The Soul Swap Twins stood in front of this mirror, their palms submerged inside the surface of the mirror up till their wrists, as though it was being swallowed.
This mirror was the marvelous Universal Treasure named the Soul Swapper!
"It's done. Stop right now!" the commander bellowed.
Hearing this, the Soul Swap Twins slowly withdrew their palms. The soldiers around them immediately moved forward, taking away the Soul Swapper and placing it in an extremely sophisticated safe, away from the Soul Swap Twins.
Seeing this, the twins glanced around the surrounding mechanical turrets protruding from the walls and ground that were aimed toward them before laughing nonchalantly.
These turrets were safety devices to prevent them from moving. They were remotely and intelligently controlled, since the soul swapper only worked on the souls of living creatures. It was useless against machinery. The commander then retracted his gaze, looking in the direction that the shuttle was fleeing, and whispered, "The Death Warriors prepared in advance have already penetrated the enemy. With our bait, it should be enough to catch the person…"
"A squad in the Thousand Lights Star System was ambushed on their way to track a suspicious fleet. Two of their spaceships were destroyed, and only one of them got out alive…"
At the Black Star Army headquarters in the Shattered Star Ring, Nero whispered after reading the report. He looked up at the several officers in the room, asking, "Everyone, what are your thoughts?"
Mia was decisive. "The situation is obvious. The transport fleet attacked them, so it is likely from the Super Star Cluster Alliance. We should immediately mobilize troops around the incident site to track the target."
"I feel that this is a little strange. The Super Star Cluster Alliance normally do not make any head-on attacks because their identity will be exposed once they fight. Most of the time, they try to get rid of the tail instead. The reason for their attack is only if the chasing troops were not discovered early, allowing them to accidentally catch up… but once they attack, they will not leave any of them alive. The previous cases were all like this," Tomar muttered.
He had already been studying magic under Lagi for decades. While his teacher was a salted fish, he still could not resist Tomar's gifts for magic, so he had slowly worked his way up into one of the officers of the Black Star Army. His relationship with Nero was good, and he was currently in Nero's team.
"Maybe the surviving spaceship escaped in time. However, the Star Clusters must also have known that the information was leaked, so did they decide not to waste their energy in pursuit?" Mia guessed. "That would make sense." Tomar did not doubt much as well.
"Let's ask the survivors for any details first."
Nero thought about it before ordering his assistant to contact the captain of the surviving spaceship. After a moment, the communication came through, and the captain of the tracking team appeared on the screen.
"Recount your experiences. I want to know the details."
The eyes of the captain on the screen flashed. He nodded, revealing an expression of lingering fear and anger as he recounted his experience.
The soul in this body had already been replaced by a Death Warrior prepared by the Modo Civilization. The effect of the Soul Swapper was not simply just transferring the souls of the two bodies but also allowing the invading soul to inherit most of the target's memories. This was because the brain of the body was still present, just like a library.
However, this memory would not naturally merge with the new soul. It needed to be sorted and read slowly, and there would naturally be parts missing. Generally speaking, the older memories would be more easily forgotten, while the most recent memories would remain complete.
There usually existed some sort of exclusivity to prevent different souls and physical bodies from merging. Methods like reincarnating in a new shell and seizing souls could also be done by some Espers or Psychics, such as Feidin or Chen Xing, but with lower success rates.
The Soul Swapper would greatly increase the success rate of the transfer of souls, bringing it close to a hundred percent under normal circumstances. However, this was affected by the strength of the target and the strength of the user. At the same time, using the Soul Swapper to complete the soul transfer would greatly reduce the chances of rejection of the body and soul.
The soul transfer was only one of the functions of the Soul Swapper. This mysterious thing had many other functions.
After listening to the report, Nero gave a few words of encouragement and prepared to end the conversation.
At this moment, the 'survivor' suddenly put on an angered and sad expression as he shouted, "We're now the nearest unit to the enemy. I hope to be able to continue this mission, continue pursuing the troops to avenge my friends!"
"Sure."
This request was reasonable, and Nero had no reason to refuse. Hanging up the communication, Tomar spoke out again.
"Nero, now that the target knows that he has been exposed, he'll definitely change his plan. Instead of going to the transportation line, he will escape separately. I suggest using the second plan."
This sort of scenario was not the first. The moment their transport forces were exposed, they would be treated as abandoned children. Even if they continued to track them, they would not be able to discover the secret stronghold of the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
"That's right." Nero turned over to look at Aesop. He said in embarrassment, 'This… Your Excellency Aesop, we'll have to trouble you once again."
"No problem." Aesop waved his hands, as though it was nothing.
The so-called second plan was to borrow Aesop's ability to let him go to the location of the incident, using the relevant clues as a medium to make on-the-spot predictions, seeing the multiple possibilities and grasping more clues.
In order to obtain a clearer prediction, more information was needed. This method was effective, so over the past few months, Aesop had not just stayed in the headquarters but also conducted many field visits under heavy protection. This method had allowed the Black Star Army to discover many targets.
Nero nodded and loudly declared, "Let's not delay further. Prepare the spaceship immediately and take His Excellency Aesop to the location."
In a certain Star Field, on a certain planet, at a certain base, Manison stood in front of a virtual screen with his hands behind his back, staring at the contents of the screen.
This was the secret information from the Primeval Star River base camp, coming from the spy he had planted in the Modo Civilization many years ago.
Only a brief message was written.
The Soul Swap Twins were transferred from the base, and the Soul Swapper was taken from the warehouse by the army. The destination was unknown.
"Soul Swapper… If I my guess is correct, the Modo Civilization must intend to use this Universal Treasure to deal with him. Maybe I can…" Manison muttered to himself, an inexplicable light in his eyes.
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Chapter 1158 Parasitism and Sudden Change
A few days later, in the Thousand Lights Star System of the Shattered Star Ring, a Black Star Army armed fleet flew out of the stargate. There were thousands of battleships of various models. In the middle of it was a very large, conspicuous flagship.
Inside the command room, the Calamity Grade officer nodded at Aesop and said, "Your Excellency Aesop, we're here."
"Quickly get to work then." Aesop nodded calmly with hands behind his back.
Usually, Nero would arrange at least two Calamity Grade Supers as Aesop's bodyguards, at least a thousand battleships, and Black Star's mechanical army and Lord's Avatar. When in danger, Black Star would be able to arrive at any moment. He was very well protected.
"The tracking team nearby have all been called here to search the area. They have yet to find anything for the time being. Let's go take a look at where it happened." "Sure." Aesop had no objection.
The fleet advanced quickly through Star Zones, soon arriving at the planet where the battle happened.
The ground location where this Super Star Cluster Alliance transportation fleet once stopped was already occupied by the army warriors who arrived a few days ago and guarded as the crime scene.
A small ship carried Aesop and was launched out from the bottom of the flagship, crossing the cordon that the army had deployed at the exterior atmosphere of this planet.
When the hatch opened, Aesop stepped onto the ground in a light protection suit, surrounded by a group of bodyguards. There were dim depressions on the ground in front of them, clearly the marks left by a battleship stopping and taking off. Aesop quickly walked to it, squatted down, and closely observed these marks while occasionally touching them with his hands. After he walked around the entire crime scene, he finally stopped and closed his eyes as if he was meditating
This process lasted for about two minutes before Aesop opened his eyes and clapped. "I saw some transportation spaceships sailing through the universe. The organization symbol on them has already changed to something else. This Super Star Cluster Alliance fleet should've changed into different disguises and gone in separate directions. I'll draw out these organization symbols for you later, so you can search the fleets of these organizations in the nearby area."
"That's great. That's extremely helpful. The great prophet Aesop never disappoints. Your efficiency is amazing, and receiving your help is our great honor," the fleet commander said, clearly having learned how to bootlick from Hadavy.
"Just a small matter." Aesop waved. "However, this is not enough. If you guys can seize one of their battleships or capture their men, I will be able to obtain more accurate leads and search for their original destination."
"Don't worry. With the intelligence you've provided, catching them is just a matter of time. Unfortunately, we'll have to trouble you to stay in this area a short while longer. We'll need you when we seize the enemy ship."
"Hmm, that's no big deal. I happen to want to take a walk outside too."
Aesop did not mind and wrote down what he had seen in the prophecy, all the organization symbols of the enemy's disguises. The fleet commander immediately gave the order and sent this information to all the tracking teams.
The group of them returned to the fleet and was about to depart for the army base of this area and standby when the fleet commander suddenly received a message. He looked down at the communicator, and his eyes gleamed.
"Your Excellency Aesop, you're such a lucky star! I've only just sent out the crucial information you provided, and there's a tracking team that's already found the target. They happened to be resting at a city planet and discovered the suspicious transport spaceship that matched your prophecy. Plus, that ship is alone."
"That's surprisingly quick." Aesop smiled. "Looks like we're still in luck. This team that discovered the enemy did a good job."
"Let me take a look… Oh, the one we've discovered is the only surviving spaceship from before. I remember they were searching everywhere for these guys. Now they've finally got their revenge." The fleet commander smiled. "I told them to standby and keep an eye on the enemy spaceship, to wait for us to arrive and not scare them away."
The fleet departed immediately and hurried all along the way, reaching the destination very soon.
A light purple and bright silver planet hovered in space outside the porthole. The surface of it was filled with colorful galactic cities
This was a rather prosperous colonial planet. It belonged to the ruler of the Thousand Lights Star System, the Light Rune Civilization.
The Black Star Army would not do whatever they wished without restraint when they were in city planets that belonged to a civilization like this one. The main reason was that there was no need to. Most of the civilizations in the Shattered Star Ring had a good relationship with the Black Star Army, so the army would not offend them for no reason.
"The tracking team is still surveilling the enemy spaceship. They're not moving. What do you think?" the fleet commander said.
"Did they see any of their crew?" Aesop asked. "The tracking team has already requested to look at the surveillance footage from the officials and shared it with us. According to the surveillance, that suspicious spaceship sent a total of forty-three crew members out. They seemed to be purchasing daily supplies and all returned to the ship not long ago… We've come just in time. Any later and they might have departed."
"Okay! We must seize this transport ship," Aesop said slowly. "Inform the officials to work with us, evacuate the locals, and lock down their departure path so that they can't take off."
The Black Star Army members had a lot of privileges in the Shattered Star Ring. Even if it was just a middle to low-level army member, as long as their identity checked out, they would be able to request official support from the various civilizations if they were on their planet. This was all thanks to the connections Han Xiao had built. It was part of the faction privileges. The fleet arrived around the dock very quickly and formed an encirclement, while some Supers entered the dock with assistance from the officials, closing in on the target hangar.
Aesop and the fleet commander waited in the flagship in the outer atmosphere and monitored the operation remotely.
On the screen, the Super team charged into the hangar. Very soon, sounds of intense crossfire erupted from within, and flashes of energy cannon attacks flickered inside the hangar, leaving burn marks on the silver alloy walls.
The sound of the battle lasted for about a few minutes. The report from the operatives at the frontline came.
"Report, we only have three team members suffering from light injury, no casualties. The enemy ship contained a total of 271 crew members, who resisted, hiding in the battleship. We killed 209 targets, and the rest saw that there was no way out and ended their own lives. We were not able to capture anyone alive."
"Shame, I was hoping to interrogate them." The fleet commander shook his head. "Never mind, these low-level crew members probably don't know much either. Seizing their transport ship is enough. Your Excellency Aesop, please." Aesop nodded. He landed on the dock with his guards and came to the hangar where the battle happened.
He looked at the seized transport ship. Its exterior appearance was almost undamaged. There were only some burn marks on its exterior armor.
He stepped forward, pressed his hand on the bottom of the spaceship's armor, closed his eyes, and activated his ability.
At the same time, in a rented temporary stronghold in a galactic city not far from this airport, the Soul Swap Twins were using the Soul Swapper hovering in front of them. Dozens of Modo Supers surrounded and aimed their weapons at them. There were also quite a number of portable cannons around.
There was more than one Modo Civilization spaceship that had arrived on this planet, but they had secretly turned the tracking team into their people, so they had all kinds of ways to remain undiscovered.
The commander walked back and forth on the side nervously.
"Have you locked onto the target?"
The elder brother of the Soul Swap Twins' hand was devoured by the mirror of the Soul Swapper. He casually stirred it and said, "Yes."
"Can you sway him out?" "Tsk, us brothers are just Grade C Supers. Aesop is a Grade B. The success rate of us swapping his soul out of his body isn't one hundred percent."
"To be safe, use the second plan," the commander said.
"Okay."
The Soul Swap Twins focused their energy into the Soul Swapper. Black ripples appeared on its mirror sides as it was activated.
At the same time, Aesop, who was far away at the port, suddenly opened his eyes, and his pupils shrunk abruptly to the size of a needle.
He felt like countless voices had suddenly rushed into his brain and fused into a deafening noise that echoed in his mind. His head was hurting immensely.
He wanted to raise his hand to hold his forehead, but he could not move his body at all.
The aide-de-camp beside him saw that he was acting unnaturally and asked, "What's wrong?"
Aesop's expression changed several times. It became stiff for a moment but then returned to normal.
He coughed, lowered his voice, and said, "Nothing, I've already completed the prophecy." "What clues did you get?" Aesop's eyes gleamed, and he said, "I've discovered the real destination of this Super Star Cluster Alliance. It's a secret resources stronghold in a desolate universe belt. The coordinates are…"
He gave the coordinates, and the aide-de-camp hastily wrote it down.
"Hmm, this is enough information. Let's return to the spaceship."
Then, Aesop turned around and left without waiting for his aide-de-camp to reply. The bodyguards beside quickly followed.
On the other side, inside the temporary stronghold where the Soul Swap Twins were at, the commander asked, "Was it successful?" "Hmm." The younger brother of the Soul Swap Twins replied with a husky voice, "We have swapped the many soldiers' souls over. They've successfully become parasites in Aesop's soul." The main function of the Soul Swapper was to swap souls, but there was no such rule as one for one. Stuffing many souls into one body or just swapping the soul out of the body and turning the body into an empty shell, there were many possibilities.
Unlike with Feidin and Chen Xing, it was a type of puppet manipulation using parasites. The souls of many soldiers and Aesop were fused together temporarily like puppet strings injected into Aesop's soul. Aesop's mind had become fuzzy, and he could no longer think normally. He felt that all his actions came from his heart and did not realize what was wrong with him at all… Putting it simply, it was similar to how someone might go crazy when drunk.
"Aesop's bodyguards won't realize, right?" someone asked. The commander shook his head and said, "Don't worry, the Soul Swapper's powers are extremely stealthy. No one will be able to notice it other than Beyond Grade As who excel in the mind or soul related abilities, not even Calamity Grades… Of course, peak Beyond Grade As might notice something wrong too, but Black Star's main body isn't here, and he won't monitor such a small matter with Lord's Descent. So, there's nothing to be afraid of."
After the commander said that, he clearly looked more relaxed. He turned to the Soul Swap Twins and said, "Your mission is complete. What comes next won't involve you. Put down the Soul Swapper."
The Soul Swap Twins exchanged looks and laughed creepily at the same time.
"Hehe, sure."
As soon as they said that, a change occurred!
A black shockwave expanded. Other than the commander, all the soldiers' eyes rolled and fell to the ground, not moving.
The Soul Swapper had silently swapped everyone's soul out!
At the same time, the infant-sized younger brother opened his mouth and sucked one soul after another from the Soul Swapper, swallowing them.
The commander instantly reacted to it. He was shocked and furious.
He did not expect the Soul Swap Twins to dare to do this even when they were targeted by so many weapons. Had they really given up living?
However, at this time, a powerful energy erupted from the Soul Swap Twins. Feeling this energy level, the commander's expression changed drastically.
"Grade B? We ran a check on you right before we departed. Aren't you guys Grade C?"
The older brother of the Soul Swap Twins laughed out loud. "Hehehe, people grow!"
The two of them had always been acting weak, making the Modo Civilization think they were Grade C Supers. The method they used was not just simply hiding their real strength but a hidden ability they had never told anyone about-their energy could move freely between the two of them without any restrictions. This was related to the mutation these two brothers went through.
If they focused most of their energy on one of them, he would temporarily become a Grade B. If they spread it evenly, they would be able to fool the Super Grade Detection Devices of the Modo Civilization. The two of them had been planning their escape for many years, deliberately controlling their growth speed to stay at this level, all for an opportunity like today.
The Soul Swap Twins laughed creepily and said with a confident tone, "Think about it, we're now Grade B Supers. These cannons won't be able to kill us instantly. The Black Star Army's men have yet to go far. If a battle breaks out here, it will definitely attract their attention. So, think thoroughly about whether you want to attack us because your plan is at risk of being exposed!"
The commander was startled. He quickly yelled at his comrade who was controlling the cannons, "Wait, don't fire."
"That's right. Play nice, and your plan will be able to continue."
The Soul Swap Twins snickered. They chose to do this now exactly because of this reason.
The commander suppressed his rage and questioned, "What do you want?"
"Simple, Modo have been using us as tools for many years. We've contributed enough, and now is the time we take back our freedom… Hehe, I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, we just want to escape. We didn't sabotage the plan with Aesop. Take this as the last mission we'll ever execute for Modo. We don't owe you anything anymore.
"As for this treasure, it naturally belongs to us, so we'll be taking it away. Anyway, no one but us can use it."
The Soul Swap Twins sneered. The shadow shrouding their body devoured the Soul Swapper and absorbed it into them.
Then, the two of them stepped back to the wall, activated their ability, turned into two piles of ink-like shadows, and disappeared. The commander was furious beyond imagination, but he still did not dare do anything
He was not only worried about alarming the Black Star Army, which was not far away, but also because he was not confident enough to stop the Grade B Soul Swap Twins. He had no choice but to watch the two of them leave with the Soul Swapper.
It was dead silent in the room. The only sound was his heavy gasps for air.
"Quickly report this to the upper echelons. We've lost control of the Soul Swap Twins. They've escaped!"
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Chapter 1159 Destiny's Child's Prophecy
"The Soul Swap Twins escaped!"
Lagos was shocked to receive the notice from the army emissary and looked worried. However, he was not worried about this but its influence on their plan against Black Star.
"Are you able to capture the Soul Swap Twins?"
The military emissary shook his head and said, "The Shattered Star Ring isn't our territory. The Black Star Army and the local civilizations' surveillance network is all over it. We can't carry out a large operation. The target can use the Soul Swapper and swap bodies. It's too difficult to find them, so we most likely won't be able to capture them."
"The plan…"
"Don't worry. The plan continues." The military emissary smiled. Seeing this, Lagos looked confused. Why don't the upper echelons look worried at all about losing a special Universal Treasure?
"You don't seem worried…"
The military emissary shook his hand. "Don't worry, there's no need to send people after them. They'll return on their own."
"You're saying…" Lagos had a rough guess.
The military emissary changed into a serious expression and said, "This information isn't really that confidential. The upper echelons have told me to tell you not to worry about the Soul Swap Twins and continue carrying out the plan as usual. The person in charge of the Marwell project got a Beyond Grade A Mage to secretly plant a mental trap in them long ago and built a hidden sub-personality that's completely loyal to the Modo Civilization. Once triggered, the sub-personality will take over, and they will obediently return themselves."
"I see…" Lagos nodded subconsciously. He then frowned and wondered, "But if that's the case, why not take over the Soul Swap Twins' consciousness completely? Why take the risk?"
The military emissary did not mind and continued explaining. "Controlling the Soul Swap Twins is very easy. No matter how special they are, they're just low level Supers. Do you really think that there have never been such experiments even though the Marwell project has been going on for so many years? We've basically tried everything you can think
of.
"However, the results proved that the Soul Swap Twins can only use the Soul Swapper when they have complete self-control and clear consciousnesses. Other than that, any attempt to control the Soul Swapper through controlling the Soul Swap Twins won't work. Even after just the simplest brainwash, the Soul Swapper won't recognize the two of them as qualified users. Therefore, we can only do it this way."
"Why is that the case?" Lagos wondered. "Hell if I know. It's as if the Soul Swapper has chosen the Soul Swap Twins. It's probably related to the mysteries of the soul. It's all very non-scientific really. And that's the reason we consider the Soul Swapper a Space Wonder. If we could figure out how it works, there would be no Soul Swap Twins…" The military emissary snorted. "Though strange, the two of them are very weak and are no threat. They're only feared because they can use the power of the Soul Swapper. It's like a child holding a gun."
"Understood." Lagos nodded.
"Hmm, good that you know. Anyway, you don't have to be concerned about the Soul Swap Twins. Just be worried about Black Star."
Then, the military emissary cut off the communication, and the screen turned black.
Lagos turned off the virtual screen, exhaled, and smiled with relief.
Although there was a tiny hiccup, to him, the plan targeted at Black Star being carried out smoothly was the most important.
At a certain desolate universe belt in the Shattered Star Ring, a secret resources stronghold of the Modo Civilization was being attacked by the Black Star Army's armed fleet.
The images of this battle were transmitted into the main control room in the Thousand Lights Star System's base. Aesop and a group of officers were remotely monitoring the battle.
Not long after, the battle ended. The Black Star Army fleet had annihilated all enemies and was picking up the loot.
"Great! We've destroyed another secret stronghold of the Modo Civilization!" Nero was watching the battle with a smile. "This is all thanks to His Excellency Aesop's accurate prophecy, which helped us find the enemy base."
With their boss leading the praise, the officers present all expressed how impressed and appreciative they were of Aesop.
"No big deal." Aesop was not in the best mood and just waved slightly. "Haha, a great job is a great job. Don't have to be so humble. I'll have some people take you back so that you can have a proper rest," Nero said with a smile.
"No need, I'm planning on taking a walk outside. I won't be going back to the headquarters for the time being." Aesop shook his head.
Nero was surprised. "How long do you plan to stay outside then?"
"About a month."
"So long?" Nero hesitated a moment. "I suggest you come back as early as possible. There might be new missions…"
"What's with all the bullsh*t? I don't even have the right to take a walk outside anymore? Am I just a tool now?" "Er, that's not what I meant."
Aesop narrowed his eyes and coldly said, "Also, take these troops and bodyguards away. I don't like to be disturbed when taking a walk."
"This…" Nero looked troubled. "I can't just remove them for no reason. What if an accident happens?"
Bang!
Aesop slammed the table and yelled, "What, you think I need your protection? Or are these people here to surveil me? I'm telling you right now, remove these people, or I'll go back to Floating Dragon immediately! Is it your place to control me? Do you have any idea what my relationship with Black Star is?"
Nero's expression froze, and he was rather unhappy inside.
This old man is usually easy to talk to. What's wrong with him today? Did he swallow a bomb, or is it that time of the month?
However, unhappiness aside, Nero did not dare talk back to Aesop. After all, Aesop was there to help and represented Floating Dragon. Plus, Aesop was his senior and the Dragon Emperor's foster father, as well as his godfather's good friend.
Aesop did not want to return to the headquarters, and it was not like he could force him or kidnap him. Otherwise, even if his godfather might not blame him, Aunt Ames would not be happy about it for sure.
Nero barely forced out a smile and said, "Since you like to be alone, I won't have the guards follow you."
"That's better."
Aesop turned, glanced at the officers around, and said casually, "You all heard that?"
While the two of them argued, the people in the room all stopped what they were doing and stood in place, frozen. Hearing what Aesop said, they could only nod. "Good, that's all. I'll go back to my room," Aesop said monotonously. He turned around and left with hands behind his back.
Watching Aesop disappear from their sights, dissatisfaction showed on many people's faces. "Who does this old man think he is? So arrogant," a Calamity Grade bodyguard said with a frown. "As if I'd be willing to protect him if not for the army's order." "Exactly, this old man is in over his head." Another person was rather unhappy too.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. He's my senior no matter what. Maybe he's just not in a good mood today. Let's not force him if he's not willing to do so." Nero frowned slightly. He said a few words and hung up the communication.
To be frank, he had been a little tempted to report this to Han Xiao. However, Aesop had just made a big contribution, so if he reported him just because his attitude toward him was a little off, it would be too petty of him, like a kid crying to his father when just slightly unhappy. His godfather hoped he could be independent, and him doing that might disappoint his godfather. "I'm not angry… I'm not angry…"
Inside the headquarters office, Nero softly murmured to himself. Then, he started to really feel his emotions gradually calming down, as if he was meditating. He had a subtle feeling that he seemed to have learned some kind of special trick to keep himself calm.
"Godfather! Godfather!"
More than a half month later, Han Xiao, who was in the Flickering World's Black Star Palace, received a communication request from Nero. He was startled by Nero's loud voice right after he picked it up.
"Calm down, what's wrong?" Han Xiao moved the communicator a little further away and picked his ear with his pinky finger.
"Aesop is missing!" Nero's tone was anxious.
Han Xiao's movements paused for a second. He frowned and said, "What do you mean by missing?"
"It means he's missing! We have no idea where he's gone, and we can't find him."
"Didn't you send people to follow him? How did he go missing?" Han Xiao asked.
"I…" Nero explained what had happened with a regretful tone. Aesop had shown displeasure toward the bodyguards, so the bodyguards did not follow Aesop closely around so that Aesop would not be disturbed. However, when they were resting on a city planet, the bodyguards discovered that Aesop had gone missing. "Also, they've discovered a video message Aesop left inside his room."
"What did that old man say?"
"He said it was a message for you, telling you to remember your promise from not long ago." Nero played the video of Aesop saying that.
Having figured out the whole picture, Han Xiao caressed his chin and wondered.
About a month ago when he chatted with Aesop, Aesop had mentioned that he planned to leave the Shattered Star Ring and continue travelling, and he had come to an unspoken agreement with Han Xiao. This was the first possible reason for Aesop going missing that popped up in Han Xiao's mind.
However, with some thought, Han Xiao felt something was not right.
That's weird. The old man clearly said he'd only leave after the Super Star Cluster Alliance issues are over and he's done helping me with it. By leaving now, it means he didn't keep the promise. Was he just unable to endure it any longer?
Han Xiao was wondering but it did not show on his face. He nodded at Nero and said, "Got it, I'll deal with this matter. You can put it aside."
"I… sigh, alright then." Nero wanted to explain himself but gave up after pausing. He sighed and hung up the communication. Han Xiao stood up from his chair, softly tapped the table twice, and suddenly pulled Phillip out.
"Master, hum… What is it?"
"Bring up the records of Aesop's whereabouts in the last month."
Although Han Xiao felt that Aesop might have run away deliberately, it was better to check through with caution in times like this.
Very soon, Phillip found the records. Han Xiao closed his eyes and browsed them quickly in his mind.
"Hmm, doesn't seem like anything is wrong. He even successfully destroyed a secret stronghold of the Modo Civilization more than ten days ago. Everything seems normal," Han Xiao murmured.
No part of these records seemed abnormal, but he still had a strange intuition that something was off.
The intuitions of Beyond Grade As were always rather accurate. Considering what Aesop had said some time ago about facing some kind of danger in the future, he had a bad feeling about this.
"I have to find him and make sure things are fine."
Initially, his agreement with Aesop was that he would only symbolically chase after Aesop if he ran away but actually let him go. If he really captured Aesop, Ames would definitely be more cautious and monitor Aesop even more closely, and Aesop would probably not have the chance to escape again.
However, out of caution, Han Xiao decided to catch Aesop for real this time. Anyway, the old man did not keep his side of the bargain, so he would still have the moral high ground even if his intuition was wrong.
Having made his decision, Han Xiao gave an order to Nero and told him to command the Shattered Star Ring troops to use all the resources to search for Aesop. Then, Han Xiao walked out of the room and entered a secret lab.
Inside the lab was a translucent hibernation cabin where Rody was locked inside. Around it were Information Form restrainers. It was the Destiny's Child sub-body that had yet to fully transform.
Aesop's foresight is strong. If he really has made up his mind to escape, unless Nero or Feidin go after him personally, it really won't be an easy task to capture him with just my subordinates. However, now I have a reliable foresight talent in my hands…
Han Xiao chuckled.
In the past, he was only a fake 'Foreseer', so he could only rely on superstition and luck to capture Aesop. However, this time was different. He had a real foresight master in his hands.
Foreseers could see the multiple possibilities of the future. When their abilities clashed, it was basically something like 'I foresaw that you foresaw what I foresaw'; whoever could see further would win.
Although Rody was only half transformed and could not control his ability fully and the focus of the prophecy was basically random, with the uniqueness of Destiny's Child, he should be able to have a few rounds with Aesop.
Han Xiao operated on the hibernation cabin for a while, and Rody awakened shortly after. He opened his eyes slowly with confusion and was dazed for quite some time before gaining focus. Seeing Han Xiao outside the cabin, he shrunk his head and said softly, "Your Excellency Black Star?"
"You're awake." Han Xiao opened the cabin door and said with a smile, "I need your help for something. I have to borrow your foresight ability."
"Huh? But I can't control this ability yet." Rody panicked a little.
"Just do your best… Do you remember that old man who can see you too? The tall, skinny one, the one who spoke for you."
"Yes." Rody nodded. He had a strong impression of anyone who could see him.
"That guy is playing hide and seek with me. I need to find him now. Keep saying his name in your head, then touch me and try to trigger a prophecy that's related to him."
"W-what if the prophecy isn't related to him?" Rody asked softly.
Han Xiao smiled but said with an indisputable tone, "Then try until it is!"
Rody shivered.
He could not control his ability yet. He had to come into contact with the person and would certainly faint afterward. After which, he would wake up feeling extremely weak, and that did not feel good at all.
At this moment, Han Xiao's smile looked like a devil in his eyes. "Ready?"
"Y-yes."
Rody knew he was in no position to object. He swallowed his saliva and started to rapidly repeat Aesop's name in his mind, hoping he would overperform and succeed in one try.
He extended his shivering hand and touched Han Xiao's arm.
The moment they touched, Rody started to tremble all over his body like he was being electrocuted.
"Ah!"
A few seconds later, his eyes rolled up, and he fell onto the ground. He had fainted.
Han Xiao was not surprised. He took out an emerald green potion from his pocket and injected it into Rody.
He could observe Rody now, which meant he could touch him. Rody fainted because he was just an ordinary man, and he could not afford the energy consumption of his ability, so giving him some potions would speed up his awakening… This was the result Han Xiao had obtained after more than a dozen tests.
As expected, not long after, Rody's eyelids shook, and he slowly opened his eyes. His blurry vision started to clear up as he saw Han Xiao's large body squatting in front of him, staring at him with burning emotions in his eyes.
"Tell me, what did you see?"
Rody shrunk his neck with fear, recalling the images he saw in his dreams. He looked at Han Xiao's expression and said cautiously, "I-I saw that you and a black-dressed woman were dragged into a war. Countless battleships exploded in your hands, and a corpse lay under your feet…"
"A corpse?" Han Xiao was stunned. The storyline of the previous life flowed up his mind, and he said subconsciously, "Aesop's?"
"Yes, his."
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. In his previous life, Aesop's death was what caused the Dragon Emperor to lose control and start a slaughter, which went against the peace contract between Universal Civilizations and led to her being hunted.
Is this the world correcting the timeline, or is it because of some reason I'm unaware of? Han Xiao crossed his arms, scratched his chin, and pondered. Interesting. It feels like someone is plotting something in the dark…
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Chapter 1160 Dragon Emperor's Inverted Scale
On the Modo Civilization's mother planet, the Modo Three Kings were having a meeting with the military upper echelons.
"Message from the frontline. Aesop has started moving. The plan is going smoothly."
"Our first choice is to have Aesop leave the Shattered Star Ring and take part in the conflict between the civilizations of another Star Field. This way, when Aesop dies, Black Star would have no choice but to go to another Star Field to deal with this, leaving his headquarters…" "Aesop's foresight ability is great, but he might not be able to escape alone given the long years Black Star has been operating his forces in the Shattered Star Ring. Therefore, we'll have to help him."
"Hmm. If he really can't make it out, we'll have to choose a local civilization of the Shattered Star Ring to frame."
The upper echelons discussed their options.
At this time, the Modo Three Kings received a secret message and suddenly said, "Meeting temporarily dismissed. Take a half hour break."
The people were surprised but had no objection and all left the conference room.
After everyone left, the Modo Three Kings were the only ones left in the room. This time, a virtual communication screen appeared on the table, and a soft laugh sounded.
"Hehe, I'm honored to meet the three of you for the first time."
"Mechanic Emperor!"
The Modo Three Kings looked solemn.
Just now, the Mechanic Emperor had contacted the Modo Civilization and specifically asked to discuss a partnership with the Three Kings. Hence, the secretary had come to relay the message, and the Three Kings had decided that they would listen to what the Mechanic Emperor had to say.
The entire universe knew what an extremely awkward situation the Mechanic Emperor was in. Many Super Star Cluster civilizations saw the opportunity to woo him and wanted to work with him secretly, but Manison never gave a clear answer, nor did he reject them totally. Therefore, the leaders of the Super Star Cluster civilizations monitored Manison's current attitude closely.
"Your Excellencies, I know you're busy, so I'll cut to the chase… I've considered the proposal you made before, and now I'm planning to initiate a partnership with the Modo Civilization," Manison said calmly.
"What kind of partnership?"
"Us secretly working together against the Black Star Army. What do you guys think?".
The Three Kings exchanged looks but did not agree to it immediately. Instead, they asked back, "There are so many Super Star Cluster civilizations wanting to work with you. Why choose Modo?"
"Hehe, it's simple. I have no interest in stepping into the conflict you guys have with the three Universal Civilizations. Black Star is my only target, and you guys happen to be the most suitable partner for that. He's our common enemy, so I have a sensible reason to step in and interfere."
"We'll need more details."
"The shared battlefront requires the Beyond Grade A members to remain neutral, so taking part in the war is looked down upon. However, despite being the vice president, Black Star used personal beef as an excuse to start a war with the Modo Civilization. Therefore, as the president myself, I can do the same thing, using my beef with Black Star as the excuse to work with you guys against the Black Star Army. That way, even if it's found out, there's nothing anyone can say." Manison's tone was casual but clearly showed his determination.
The Modo Three Kings pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement to what he was saying.
Although they hoped the Mechanic Emperor would join the Super Star Cluster Alliance faction to fight the three Universal Civilizations, they were well aware the chances of that were very slim. Nonetheless, it was acceptable for Modo Civilization now that the Mechanic Emperor had decided to target only Black Star. Black Star was the one who had caused them to be in such a horrible situation, so getting rid of him surely was a good thing.
"So, you plan to send troops to help us fight the Black Star Army?"
"Not really." Manison shook his head slightly. "My forces in the Flickering World are not as strong as Black Star's, and fighting the Black Star Army directly goes against the purpose of the development union…"
"How do you plan to cause damage to Black Star without sending troops?"
"There are plenty of ways. Damaging his reputation for one," Manison slowly said. "The three Universal Civilizations used me as the negative example to build his reputation, which has already affected my position in the Machinery Faith and damaged my interests. I have to think of ways to damage Black Star's reputation, and that is why I've decided to work with you guys. "What I can do is secretly provide help. For example, have the forces I secretly planted in the Flickering World and Shattered Star Ring do something. After all, your troops are being closely monitored, and my men can move freely in the dark."
Hearing this, the Modo Three Kings frowned.
If the Mechanic Emperor was not planning to participate directly in the battle, his impact would be very limited.
However, thinking about it, there was no way they could make the Mechanic Emperor sacrifice his own troops for their Super Star Cluster civilization. After all, they had never had much of a relationship prior to this, and the Mechanic Emperor was not in the best situation himself.
Furthermore, the Mechanic Emperor was right; the Super Star Cluster's troops were being way too closely monitored. On the other hand, the Mechanic Emperor had planted a ton of subsidiary forces in many Star Fields that formed intelligence and resource networks, which might come in handy.
"…Okay, we'd be happy to work with you. We'll discuss the details later."
"Sure, I'm looking forward to it." Manison smiled faintly and cut off the communication.
The Modo Three Kings finally relaxed and looked at each other. They all saw the same thought in each other's eyes.
If they got Manison's help to transport Aesop out of the Shattered Star Ring, the success rate would be much higher than if they did it themselves.
Although the three of them had yet to decide whether or not to let the Mechanic Emperor take part in this operation, another layer of insurance would never be a bad thing. If they had no way of sending Aesop out of the Shattered Star Ring, it would not be too late to ask the Mechanic Emperor to help. Furthermore, if Aesop died in the Mechanic Emperor's hands, they would achieve their goal all the same, with greater results than they could have hoped for!
However, while the three of them were having these thoughts, they had no idea that Manison's motive of proposing this partnership was anything but pure. Although he did want to cause problems for Black Star, it was not his main goal.
His sources showed that the Modo Civilization had moved the Soul Swapper out, so it was definitely going to be used on someone, most likely Black Star. Therefore, Manison wanted to use Black Star as an excuse to work with Modo, attempt to take part in the related operation to obtain more information, and find the whereabouts of the Soul Swapper.
Robbing the Soul Swapper was his true goal! After all, he would not incur any losses even if he failed, so it was worth a try.
In the cabin, two bodies shrouded in darkness laid on the ground, one large and one small. They were completely stationery like vegetables. It was the Soul Swap Twins.
Two normal-sized Spacehumans stood on the side, one male and one female. They were stretching their bodies, and the dark Soul Swapper hovered beside them.
"This body is a Pugilist with a strong physique. It feels quite good. It's been long since I've felt this healthy." The male rubbed his neck with a comfortable expression.
"Stop dawdling," the female scolded. "This is just a temporary shell. Quickly pick up our original bodies."
The man and woman were the Soul Swap Twins who had changed their bodies. The elder brother was Jill Emmerson, and the younger brother was Warren Emmerson.
The Soul Swapper worked on them too. They could swap their own souls into someone else's body. After swapping bodies, their Esper Ability would not be swapped too, and they would only be as strong as the new body. For example, if they swapped into a Grade D Super, they would also become Grade D. However, their souls would be unaffected and remain at Grade B, so their ability to use the Soul Swapper would not be affected either.
Their right to use the Soul Swapper came from their soul and had nothing to do with their bodies, so they would be able to use it even if they were in the body of a dog.
This ability was one of the reasons the two of them were confident in escaping successfully
—they could keep switching bodies and be very difficult to find.
"Elder bro, although we're free now, we haven't got rid of that…" Warren pointed at his own head.
"Hmm, that mind trap is a problem. Luckily, the Modo Civilization probably thinks we can't even detect it."
Jill curled his lips with disdain.
The mind trap the direct Beyond Grade A Mage of the Modo Civilization planted into their souls would not disappear when they changed bodies.
Accordingly, given their Grade B strength, not to mention defusing this mind trap, they would not even be able to notice it at all. They should have been in the dark all along… However, the Soul Swapper had the function to check the state of a soul.
All Space Wonder level treasures had a certain 'absolute' aspect. Not to mention a mind trap set by an ordinary Beyond Grade A, even if it was set by a peak Beyond Grade A, as long as it was targeted at the soul, the Soul Swapper would discover it. This was similar to the Spacetime Amber's 'absolute' aspect; as long as its fundamental mechanism was not figured out, even ten peak Beyond Grade As attacking it together would not damage it in the slightest.
It would be a wild dream for the two of them to defuse a mind trap set up by a Beyond Grade A, but including a Space Wonder in that equation would make things different. Even though the two of them could not use the Soul Swapper to its fullest potential, they still had an emergency method to deal with this problem.
The Soul Swapper did not have the ability to 'purify souls', but the two of them planned to gather mind energy far beyond their own power by absorbing a large number of souls and slowly chipping away at the trap in their minds.
This plan would require a lot of souls, which meant they had to kill a lot of people. But clearly, they had no choice, nor did they care.
"Elder bro, what's our plan?"
"Let's go to some place where no one recognizes us, take over a body with high potential, and slowly grow stronger. When we're at Calamity Grade or even Beyond Grade A, we will be able to go anywhere we want in this universe!"
Jill knew that 'keeping a low profile and cultivating' was the right path. Flames of ambition sparkled in his eyes.
In his heart, becoming the only ones who could use the Soul Swapper was both lucky and tragic.
The lucky part, of course, was that the Soul Swapper only recognized the two of them as users, as if they were chosen.
The tragic part was that, because of that, they were imprisoned by the Modo Civilization for many years, they became the subjects of countless inhumane experiments, and their personalities became twisted.
However, the tragic dark days were in the past now. The future was full of hope, and the Soul Swapper had brought them infinite possibilities… From now on, they were free!
In Floating Dragon Island, water vapor filled the magnificent palace. Deep inside the layers of fog, there was the sound of water flowing.
Hu!
The thick fog was suddenly disturbed, and a tall silhouette suddenly appeared beside the wardrobe shelf in the palace. The King mechanical suit automatically fell off and disappeared, leaving Han Xiao standing there.
e
The sound of water in the room paused for a split second, and a force field shockwave fused with water vapor suddenly rocketed toward him. Han Xiao stood still and let it land on his chest, creating a loud noise, but his body did not move at all.
"You startled me. Next time, tell me before you teleport here." Ames' voice came from the fog.
Han Xiao's vision penetrated the fog and saw a magnificent black, crystal bathtub in the middle of the room. Ames tied up her hair with a piece of white cloth and faced away from him, sitting in the tub. He could only see her snowy neck and moist shoulders that were tender like the skin of a child.
"Bathing?" Han Xiao snapped his fingers. "Quickly finish up. There's something I have to tell you."
"What is it?" Ames turned her head slightly, showing her elegant side face with water droplets hanging from her long earlids that blinked softly.
"It's about Aesop. He's missing."
"… Give me a minute."
Ames did not mind Han Xiao watching and stood up directly. She heated up her body temperature, and the water vapor quickly evaporated from her skin.
She walked out of the bathtub, casually pulled the black dress over to her with a force field, and donned it with a spin. She then took off the white cloth in her hair and let it fall.
Beyond Grade As' bodies would never get dirty; bathing was mainly for the purpose of enjoyment. All they had to do was adjust their temperature to that of an ordinary person, and they would be able to enjoy the feeling of taking a warm and comfortable bath. This way, they did not have to look for lava.
"Let's go. We'll speak outside." The two of them walked out of the palace and came to the garden. Ames sat down on the chair and stared at Han Xiao with a weird expression.
"I allowed Aesop to go and help you, but you let him escape. That's a little irresponsible of you… Did you deliberately let him go? You're so bad."
"Ahem, you're overthinking it." Han Xiao coughed unnaturally and said without changing his expression, "Didn't I come to notify you instantly?" Ames held her chin and joked, "Looks like even the universally famous Black Star still loses to a great prophet."
"He's a friend after all. It's not like I can really imprison him or something." Han Xiao smiled casually before putting on a serious expression. "Enough with the jokes. My intuition tells me that there's something wrong. Aesop might not have left on his own will."
"Oh?" Ames frowned, and the smile disappeared on her face. Shocked, she said, "Did someone kidnap him?"
"I don't think so. I arranged more than enough guards for him. If they'd kidnapped him physically, I'd definitely have found out." "Does that mean someone controlled his mind?"
"That's the problem. I've had Aesop's guards carry around all kinds of psychological guarding devices, mind wave detection devices, and energy radars on them. If someone used soul magic, a psychic Esper Ability, or anything of the sort on him, it would have triggered an alarm, even if it was from a Beyond Grade A. However, none of these devices responded… Therefore, I suspect that Aesop might be controlled by an unknown method."
Although the soul and mind were not areas Mechanics excelled in, it did not mean he had absolutely no knowledge of them. He was just not as good as those who were experts on the subject.
"What method?" Ames asked.
"I don't know either. We'll only find out after we find Aesop and check him." Han Xiao shook his head.
In fact, if this conspiracy theory was right, he was very curious about how Aesop fell for it. It was completely undetectable, so he had no idea what method was used.
"I'll find him with you." Ames narrowed her eyes, and dangerous emotions flickered in her eyes. "Who dares to target my people? Do they think I'm dead!"
"Don't get so riled up. This is just my guess. We'll have to investigate further." Han Xiao comforted Ames.
He had come to give Ames a heads up so that she would be mentally prepared, preventing the situation of her emotions going wild like it did in the previous life.
Han Xiao knew Ames' personality quite well. Sure, she looked like she did not care about anything usually, but her family and friends such as Aesop, Jenny, Hila, and Aurora were her inverted scales. Once threatened, she would turn into a raging dragon, leaving all rules and laws behind, and retaliate, no matter who the enemy was, not giving the consequences any thought at all.
This time, Han Xiao told Phillip to send a message. A few seconds later, the King mechanical suit appeared beside him again. The helmet opened, and inside was Feidin.
"Army Commander, I'm here."
Han Xiao nodded and explained to Ames, "Aesop's prophecy ability is very suitable for hiding. It won't be easy catching him using regular methods, so we'll need some luck."
He was not just going to bring Feidin along for this but also Rody. Teleporting the three of them there using the King mechanical suit would save a lot of time, and he could use the Black Star Army's troops right there in the Shattered Star Ring.
"All of Floating Dragon's resources are available for you to use. You don't have to care about anything else. I just want Aesop." Ames gave the right to command to Han Xiao without any hesitation and then stood up with a poker face. "We'll leave now!"
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Chapter 1161 Finding a Needle in a Haystack Is Where We Excel
The universe was extremely enormous. Even if one had extraordinary individual strength, without a force large enough, one would not be able to achieve much in the galactic society.
The Black Star Army was among the top armed forces in the Galaxy. They had manpower, resources, money, ships, and everything. As soon as Han Xiao's highest order was given out, the Black Star Army's men in the Shattered Star Ring started executing the order immediately. They searched through one Star System after another and locked down all kinds of transportation hubs to find Aesop's whereabouts. The Floating Dragon Island's troops were also mostly dispatched.
Clearly, such a big movement could not stay hidden. It quickly attracted the attention of the entire galactic society. With just a little research, they knew that Dragon Emperor's elder had gone missing. To search for just one person, the movements of the Black Star Army indirectly affected dozens of Star Systems.
Such a deep search impacted the operation of some public facilities, which some galactic residents had slight problems with. However, given that it was from the Black Star Army and even the local civilizations did not do anything about it, of course, the ordinary residents did not dare do anything too. Other than dispatching troops everywhere, the Black Star Army also issued a bounty for Aesop through the local media channels, making use of the power of the people.
A large monetary reward would be given to anyone who could provide any real leads to Aesop, such as witness reports, transit records, and many more. If anyone could capture Aesop alive and give him to the army, the reward would be an outrageous 135 million Enas. Ordinary galactic residents would not be able to even spend all this money in their lifetime. It was also humongous for some medium to small armed organizations.
As the saying went, with a high enough reward, people would step up sooner or later. Some medium to small organizations joined the search team, and a ton of free mercenaries started looking too. Even some galactic pirates and scavengers were searching secretly, hoping to acquire the reward and clean their ledgers. The local galactic residents of the Shattered Star Ring also kept an eye out.
For the time being, Aesop had become the focus of countless organizations in the Shattered Star Ring.
In the past, Han Xiao was on his own and hardly had any forces; being able to capture Aesop was mainly thanks to Feidin's luck. Decades later, his army had grown into a giant. There was no need to play hide and seek with Aesop like he used to; he just had to make use of his resources, and it would become extremely difficult for Aesop to go anywhere.
Even though Aesop's foresight ability was very powerful, all he could do was move with extreme caution and stealth in this kind of situation, not daring to appear in front of ordinary people.
Of course, these were just the basics. Han Xiao's core method of finding him was Rody's prophecy, alongside Ames, Feidin, Nero, and Harrison's luck, on top of his own Virtual Technology continuously calculating the possible coordinates Aesop might head to so that he could narrow down the search area.
Dark red sandstorm shrouded the sky like a red piece of cloth placed over the entire planet.
Through the low visibility sandstorm, a man in a heavy protective suit was walking alone on the red desert. The raging storm drummed his body like hammers.
This man walked a few hours like this when, suddenly, a meteor-like spark of light penetrated the sandstorm and plummeted toward this man. He stopped and looked up, an approaching small spaceship reflected on the ally mask of his protective suit. Hu!
The spaceship slowly landed before this person and released an air force field with a fifty-meter diameter, blocking the sandstorm and creating a clean area.
The hatch opened. This person stepped onto the spaceship without hesitation, dusted off the sand all over his body, and took off the heavy protective helmet. An old face appeared. It was Aesop.
"You're the ones here to fetch me?" Aesop patted the helmet.
"Yes, we'll be responsible for getting you out of the Shattered Star Ring." The captain approached him. "Don't worry, we're professionals, certainly reliable." Aesop nodded with approval and said, "The single person space cabin that sent me here has yet to be destroyed. Go destroy it on while you're at it. If it lands in Black Star's hands, it'll be a prophecy medium. Don't leave any clues like that."
Due to the Black Star Army's lockdown over the Shattered Star Ring, he could hardly go anywhere. He was barely able to find a space cabin and landed on this desolate planet and waited for quite a long time before this spaceship arrived to pick him up.
"No problem." The captain nodded.
The spaceship took off, came to a desolate desert area not far away, and discovered the metal space cabin that was half buried in the sand.
Bang!
Two explosive light beams shot out of the spaceship and destroyed the spaceship. The flame only lasted for an instant before being extinguished by the raging wind, leaving only metal fragments shattered around that were gradually buried by the sand. After completing this task, the spaceship turned around, rose up, and took off into space.
At the same time, Manison, who was in the Primeval Star River, received the message. He opened the surveillance footage, and it showed Aesop in this spaceship.
"They finally picked him up…"
Manison looked at the screen.
For confidentiality purposes, this spaceship that had gone to receive Aesop had hidden its organization symbol. It actually belonged to an organization called 'Milder Armed Transport', one of the secret organizations Manison had planted in the Shattered Star Ring.
Not long ago, the Modo Civilization had officially pulled him into the plan, shared some information with him, and asked him to help.
Modo Civilization only did so because of the lack of a better choice. The lockdown of the Black Star Army was too tight, so they could not make any moves in the Shattered Star Ring and could not secretly transport Aesop out at all. They were almost discovered multiple times. Hence, they decided to borrow the Mechanic Emperor's men and have him take over the 'delivery'.
"Modo must have used the Soul Swapper on Aesop and made him escape deliberately."
Of course, in the information the Modo Civilization provided, the existence of the Soul Swapper was not mentioned. They only said that they controlled Aesop using some kind of mind control method and did not explain further. However, they did not know that Manison had known about the Soul Swapper since long ago, so he understood what was used on Aesop instantly.
Manison had no plan of stopping Modo's mission. He even planned to cooperate with it fully.
Although Aesop was one of the Ancient Ones, he had quit the organization long ago. The Ancient Ones were mainly Eternals. Beyond Grade As were a part of it, but not all members were Beyond Grade As. There were quite a number of unique members with special abilities but weak combat capabilities just like Aesop.
Although Manison did know Aesop, they were not friends, so he did not mind Aesop dying.
On this matter, his interests aligned with Modo. There was a chance using Aesop's death to plot against Black Star would force him to disobey the Peace Treaty of the advanced civilizations. This way, Black Star's reputation would be severely damaged, and the great image the three Universal Civilizations had been building for him would collapse. That was exactly what Manison hoped to see, so he was willing to cooperate.
However, all of this was just the cherry on top. Manison's main goal was still the Soul Swapper.
"Aesop is now in my hands. He's definitely come into contact with the Soul Swapper at a relatively close range. Through searching his past whereabouts, the rough search area can be determined. Through cross-referencing the records, the Modo Civilization's secret fleet that transported the Soul Swapper can be found. The person who's now controlling Aesop's body should be one of the Modo Civilization's men. Maybe I can hypnotize him and question him."
He did not know that the Soul Swap Twins had already escaped. He thought that the Soul Swapper was now being transported back by the Modo Civilization, so his search direction was already inaccurate.
Not long after the spaceship transporting Aesop left, another fleet visited this dark red desolate island. The Black Star symbol was engraved on their exterior armor.
Inside the command room of the main ship, Han Xiao, Ames, Feidin, and the rest gathered. This was a fleet commanded by Han Xiao personally.
"Hmm, this is the planet, exactly the same as it is in the prophecy. It's also one of the locations that overlapped between the areas chosen by Feidin, Harrison, and Nero."
Han Xiao looked down at the planet's surface.
Rody's prophecy did not work all the time, but any information that he gave was crucial, and Feidin and the others had the help of the Advanced Luck Glow. Under Han Xiao's instructions, they randomly selected some coordinates in the various search areas, and Han Xiao focused the investigation on the places where their choices overlapped.
Although they had yet to get any leads, Han Xiao was still confident in this method.
What he did not know was that he had only just missed Aesop multiple times. This method was indeed very effective. In a way, luck was truly invincible.
"Scan this planet. Report any abnormalities to me."
As Han Xiao gave the order, spaceships departed from the fleet one after another and circled the planet using all kinds of detection devices to scan the planet without missing a spot.
Normal readings showed on the screen before Han Xiao. There did not seem to be any abnormalities. However, after quite some time, some exciting news finally came from one of the spaceships. "Sir, we have discovered an extremely weak radiation signal in the desert. The sources of it are scattered and buried a few meters under the ground. Do we dig?" "Dig!"
The image on the screen quickly changed into the view from this battleship. The suction device at the bottom of the ship sucked out plates of burnt black metal fragments that looked like parts of a destroyed machine.
"Report, radiation source found. Analyzing… analysis complete. This should be the wreckage of a type of space cabin that was destroyed by an explosive energy cannon. Affected by the energy, a certain amount of radiation was left in the wreckage that's gradually weakening. The radiation will completely disappear in a few days."
"Looks like we're not too late." Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.
If they had arrived a few days later and the radiation had disappeared, they would not have been able to find this wreckage. With this, not only could it act as a medium for Rody's prophecy, it could also be used with [Bold Explorer). One could see the future, and one could see the past. Very soon, this pile of space cabin fragments was transported to Han Xiao. Han Xiao picked one fragment up, looked at the burn marks on it, and said, "It doesn't look like an attack, more like a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence, probably not wanting to leave any clues to us… Unfortunately for them, we're lucky." Han Xiao grabbed the fragment in his hand and activated (Bold Explorer).
Ripples appeared in his vision, and his vision instantly changed. He saw a space cabin falling down from the sky and landing on the surface of this planet. The hatch opened. A man wearing a heavy protection suit walked out from it and slowly walked away.
Although he could not see this person's appearance, he felt it was most likely Aesop.
Like time had been shortened, not long after, a spaceship appeared above the space cabin, launched two explosive light beams, and shattered it into pieces. The images stopped abruptly here, and Han Xiao's sights returned to normal.
This footage was short but quite informative. "This is indeed a space cabin left by Aesop. A spaceship appeared after to destroy the clue, which means it was here to fetch him…"
Han Xiao recalled the appearance of the spaceship in the footage. It was not a common model but a high-speed spaceship known for its hyperdrive speed. It was expensive to build, and not just anyone could afford it.
"Phillip!"
"I'm here, hum… Please give the order, master."
"Search all the people and organizations in the Shattered Star Ring who possess the Featherlight Grade spaceship. Don't leave anyone out, and focus on any organization that has a stronghold near this area." "Ah?" Phillip batted his large eyes and made a pitiful expression. "That's a lot of data, hum… It'll occupy a lot of computing power, hum…"
Han Xiao gave him a stare and said, "Then hurry up!"
Phillip reluctantly took out a progress bar from his pants, placed it upright beside him, and created a large box filled with paper. He then jumped in and started searching. The progress bar started moving at the same time.
After quite some time, the progress bar finally finished. Phillip's head extended out from the box. He spewed the pieces of paper out from his mouth with an illuminated piece of paper in his hand. He then filled his mouth with air and angrily said, "Humph! Found it, hum! Take it, take it!"
"A lot of tricks you have."
Han Xiao rolled his eyes, switched into quantum network vision, and retrieved the search results.
A large amount of data instantly flew into his head like a tsunami, blocked by the dam built by Han Xiao's brain capacity and computing power that did not even shake in the slightest. He quickly started browsing through it.
"A total of thirty-seven million and thirty-one matches… Hmm, let me take a look."
Han Xiao quickly filtered in his brain, browsing through all of the records in less than two seconds and memorizing all of it. Only Virtual Mechanics would be able to use this 'dumb method' to lock onto suspicious targets… When he had the ability to filter the entire haystack, finding a needle would not be that difficult anymore.
Most of it was data with no value, but one organization that was emphasized had attracted Han Xiao's attention.
"Milder Armed Transport… I seem to have an impression of this name."
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. He searched through the mind palace inside his brain, and the memories came up. … I got it! This organization is one of the Mechanic Emperor's subsidiary organizations that was exposed in my previous life.
Han Xiao's expression became solemn.
Although he had no final confirmation, his intuition told him that this was most likely the organization that transported Aesop away.
Doesn't this mean that old b*stard Manison is involved in this too?
Han Xiao was not planning to question the Mechanic Emperor. It would be a waste of time anyway as he definitely would not admit it.
All kinds of thoughts flashed past his mind. Han Xiao turned to the others and said with a low voice, "Have people monitor the Milder Armed Transport closely… No, monitor all the organizations I'm going to name. I want to know their recent movements, but don't startle them. Monitor them extra closely, and don't make any moves without my order!"
Han Xiao had always known some of the organizations that the Mechanic Emperor had secretly planted in the Shattered Star Ring. Originally, he did not want to let the Mechanic Emperor know this, but now that he seemed involved in this matter, Han Xiao decided to take measures and monitor all of the subsidiary organizations that the Mechanic Emperor had in the Shattered Star Ring!
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Chapter 1162 Unlucky Modo
Ten days later, somewhere in the Shattered Star Ring, a spaceship flew, dragging a long trail of flames. Within the cockpit, Aesop was looking at the Shattered Star Ring star map with countless red marks that represented dangerous areas with a grave expression.
The captain stood to the side, hesitated for a moment, and said, "There aren't many routes left for us. We're about to hit a dead end. If this carries on, we probably won't have a way to get you out of the Shattered Star Ring. Do you have any plans?"
Aesop pressed his hands on the table so heavily veins appeared on the backs of his hands. He growled, "Aren't you guys professionals? Why is this happening?"
Confused as well, the captain smiled bitterly and said, "We don't know either. We haven't left any clues behind, and we've been moving very stealthily, but the Black Star Army has been able to put up accurate encirclements around as if they are aware of where we are. We have no idea how or where they obtained such accurate information… Could this be the ability of foresight? Aren't you a prophet? Why didn't you notice it?"
Aesop clenched his teeth and had nothing to say.
He did indeed use his ability along the way, and it certainly helped them to dodge some of the troops. However, no matter how many times they got rid of the Black Star Army, the Black Star Army would be able to catch up again soon after. Even though the Mechanic Emperor's subsidiary organizations kept changing their carriers, it had absolutely no effect.
Furthermore, it was not Aesop who was controlling his body now, just the collective consciousness of a group of Modo soldiers. They were unable to use the foresight ability to the fullest. The secret stronghold location that was deliberately given to the Black Star Army was not acquired by prophecy; they knew where it was to begin with and leaked it on purpose so that the others would not suspect him.
Originally, Aesop's target was to head to the edge of the Shattered Star Ring. However, under the pursuit of the Black Star Army, he had no choice but to keep hiding and was forced to change the route. He was still going in circles in the Star Field, and the situation was getting worse by the minute.
"If there really isn't a way out…" Aesop looked at the star map, pointed at a planet nearby, and clenched his teeth. "Then cancel the plan of leaving the Shattered Star Ring. Take me to this planet."
The captain looked in the direction Aesop was pointing. His expression changed slightly, and he said, "Planet Mountain Ash? That place has always been chaotic. Are you sure?"
"Yes." Aesop nodded without hesitation.
This was a colonial planet currently belonging to a local Star System civilization. However, due to its history, this planet had very aggressive and sharp societal conflicts.
Originally, Planet Mountain Ash had a native intelligent species of its own that developed into a surface civilization that had been prospering. However, when they ventured into the universe, they were discovered by the local Star System civilization. Due to the treaty that forbade them from interfering with a lower civilization, the local Star System civilization only observed them at the start and did not interfere much. It was similar to the relationship the Godoran Civilization had with Planet Aquamarine back then.
However, Planet Mountain Ash was located at the borders of two Star Systems. The local Star System civilization had frequent physical conflicts with its neighbor, and both of them wanted to expand their borders. Therefore, they both hoped to make Planet Mountain Ash theirs. An unspoken rule of the Peace Treaty was that only Star System civilizations had real assurances. Despite surface civilizations being included in this treaty on paper, there would always be advanced civilizations that did not obey it secretly. Of course, they still had to look like they were obeying the treaty on the surface. Hence, the local Star System civilization could not possibly directly attack the surface civilization, so they resorted to two methods. The first was to contact Planet Mountain Ash in the name of technology exchange, deliberately leaking some technology and then framing the Planet Mountain Ash civilization for stealing it. The second method was to secretly incite the split of the surface civilizations, then providing 'war support' to some of the governments in crucial times, leaving the army on Planet Mountain Ash using the excuse of settling rebellions. The enormous difference in their strengths meant that there was no way a surface civilization could fight with a Star System civilization. Using these two methods, the local civilization gained control of Planet Mountain Ash without much suspense.
The ongoing societal conflict came from the retaliation of the Planet Mountain Ash civilization. There were frequent riots and demonstrations of all sorts. Hence, the local Star System civilization implemented policies to stabilize their ruling, occasionally sending official troops in to suppress these civilian activities on Planet Mountain Ash. This was why the environment of the planet had been chaotic.
In the universe, planets like Planet Mountain Ash were not a rarity. Laws created the seemingly peaceful galactic society, but under the surface, the rule of the jungle still applied. It was just not that bloody and naked anymore rarely causing the extinction of an entire race.
Aesop needed a planet exactly like this. If he could die in the hands of the Star System civilization's troops, the Dragon Emperor would be furious at the local Star System civilization, and the plan would be considered a success! "Alright, since you've made up your mind, I'll find a way to secretly send you in."
The captain did not try to dissuade Aesop any longer.
He was a base member of the Mechanic Emperor's subsidiary organization who was unaware of the whole picture. He was only responsible for completing the transport mission that was given to him. Whatever his employer said, he would follow, and he knew nothing else. In fact, he did not even know that his top boss was the Mechanic Emperor. "Remember, it has to be stealthy," Aesop said and enlarged the image of Planet Mountain Ash on the star map. A complex emotion flashed passed his eyes.
Looks like this is where I die…
His mind was shaken for a split second before becoming firm again. As the collective consciousness formed from multiple soldiers' souls, he did not fear death and was absolutely loyal to Modo.
Sacrifice himself in exchange for a chance for the Modo Civilization to take a breath, this was his mission!
However, while he was in an emotional state, no one on this ship knew that there were dozens of advanced spaceships secretly following them from not far behind.
It was the fleet led by Han Xiao!
The fleet was equipped with state of the art stealth devices of the logistics department. They had already been following the spaceship Aesop was on for close to half a day, but they had never been discovered.
Inside the main ship command room, Ames looked at the spaceship in front and wondered, "Where do you think he's going?"
Han Xiao glanced at the star map with his arms crossed and said, "Probably Planet Mountain Ash."
"Why would he go there?"
"How would I know?" Han Xiao shrugged.
Through monitoring all the secret organizations that the Mechanic Emperor had planted in the Shattered Star Ring, the search of the Black Star Army became much smoother. He was able to fully lock onto Aesop's whereabouts a day ago and followed behind it secretly. He did not immediately act because he wanted to see what backup plans the Mechanic Emperor had.
Speaking of which, if the Modo Civilization insisted on using their own forces to transport Aesop, Han Xiao really might not have been able to catch him this easily. He still did not know that the mastermind behind this was the Modo Civilization.
However, the Modo Civilization thought that the Mechanic Emperor's troops were more hidden, so they chose to borrow his forces, which achieved the complete opposite effect. To Han Xiao, most of the subsidiary organizations that the Mechanic Emperor had in the Shattered Star Ring had no secrets. It was like he had 'maphacks'. "Do we go catch him now?" Ames turned to look at Han Xiao.
"We don't have to go through so much trouble. Just make him come to us." Han Xiao smiled, snapped his fingers, and sent an invisible set of data.
Boom!
Aesop was studying the star map when he suddenly felt the spaceship tremble. It seemed like it had suddenly shut down its engine and stopped moving
He looked up at the captain with a shocked and nervous expression.
"What's going on? Did the spaceship malfunction?"
"I-I don't know."
The captain was confused. He then displayed his superior home appliances repairing ability and slammed the control table a few times, but it did not respond at all as if the artificial intelligence of the spaceship had died.
Whoosh!
The hatch suddenly automatically opened. Everyone was startled. The spaceship was in the middle of cosmic space. If the hatch opened, everyone inside would be sucked out.
However, that did not happen. The outside of the hatch was quiet. The people inside looked out the porthole with confusion, only to still see the dark cosmic space outside.
"What's going on?"
Aesop and the rest came to the hatch and looked out. The moment they saw what was outside, Aesop's entire body froze, and terror filled his face.
Outside was an enormous metal interior of a ship. Black Star and Dragon Emperor were standing outside the hatch with a group of their subordinates, staring at him with a faint smile.
Aesop's eyes opened wide. His mind went into chaos.
Where is this? Why am I here?
Did I open the door the wrong way, which caused me to see illusions?
Han Xiao smirked and said, "You really can run, huh? But not even saying anything before you leave? That's cold, old man."
This was his doing. He easily hacked into the spaceship and took over control without anyone noticing, then made it turn around and fly into the main ship.
He left misguiding imagery on the portholes, so the people inside had no idea what happened. Ames took a few steps up, narrowed her eyes, and said with a displeased tone, "Humph, you made us look for you for so many days! Don't you have anything you want to say to me?"
Seeing this, Aesop lost all hope.
It's over! The plan's failed!
Damn it, I was so close!
Now it's all gone down the drain!
He was filled with frustration.
No, there's still a chance! Black Star and Dragon Emperor both think I'm Aesop himself. I can still continue to disguise myself as him!
Aesop had yet to totally give up. He wanted to keep trying. He suppressed the tsunami of shock in his heart and forced out a smile, faking an embarrassed expression. "Well, you found me… Black Star, didn't we agree you'd let me go? Why have you gone back on your words?"
Han Xiao did not reply to him but instead turned to Ames and said with a smug tone, "See, I was right."
Hearing this, Ames sized Aesop up and nodded heavily with approval. "You're right, his smile isn't despicable enough. He must be a fake!" Aesop was completely stunned. His brain went blank.
What, they can actually see through my identity from such a small detail?
Damn! What kind of laughable reason is that! Like hell I'll believe it!
Aesop's smile became more and more stiff. He had a bad feeling but still persisted and said, "What are you guys joking about? Alright, I admit I was wrong for sneaking away. I'll accept any kind of…".
Before he finished, Han Xiao suddenly shouted, "Still faking it?" Aesop was shocked. He was filled with despair.
At this moment, he knew that he had long been exposed. Black Star was only toying with him!
The next moment, he clenched his teeth, suddenly pulled out a weapon, and aimed it at his own head. He pulled the trigger without any hesitation.
The plan had failed, and he had no way of escaping, so he immediately chose to end his own life. This way, he could prevent Black Star from finding out who was behind all this, while at the same time, he would get rid of the prophet Aesop, making his last contribution to Modo!
Boom!
However, he was just about to raise the firearm when a light beam flashed past his eyes. Nero, who was prepared for this, instantly blasted the firearm out of Aesop's hand.
Then, the army soldiers swarmed over and pressed Aesop to the ground, making him unable to move.
Seeing this, Ames breathed a sigh of relief, deactivated the force field in her hand, and looked at Aesop, who was still struggling, with complicated emotions in her eyes. She then turned to Han Xiao and nodded as a sign of appreciation. "Thanks. Things would've become troublesome without your help."
"It's no biggie. Aesop is my friend too."
Han Xiao waved his hand.
Ames smiled and softly punched Han Xiao's chest but did not say anything. She knew that without Han Xiao's help, there was no way she could have found Aesop this easily. In the end, something irreversible might have happened, and Aesop was her irreplicable family. She could not imagine what she would do if that happened.
Words were not enough to express her appreciation. She looked at Han Xiao; he gave her a feeling of assurance and reliability.
This time, the captain who was shivering on the side carefully said, "Erm… Your Excellency Black Star, you've found your man. Can we go now?"
Han Xiao glanced at him, snorted, and said, "Leave? Stay here and don't resist. I'll let you guys go when you've told me everything you know."
Although these people were the Mechanic Emperor's subordinates, they probably did not know anything. Han Xiao did not plan to do anything to them. This would be entered into the Mechanic Emperor's ledger, and it was far from over.
Then, Han Xiao came to Aesop, squatted, and looked curious.
"Alright, now let me see what's going on with you, old man…"
Han Xiao ordered the soldier beside the press down hard on Aesop. Nanoparticles slipped out of his sleeve and formed a thin, black needle.
He held it in his hands, aimed at Aesop's butt, and pressed it in like a nurse injecting a needle into a patient. "Huh!"
A very strange yell sounded.
Han Xiao plugged out the black needle and looked at the combat information on the interface. He quickly browsed through Aesop's status, and his expression became confused.
"Soul Swapper? What is that?"
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Chapter 1163 Clues
(Soul Parasite: This character is infected by an exterior soul parasite, and his mind is being controlled by it. Source: Soul Swapper. Duration: Unknown.
Aesop's current status appeared on his status bar.
Han Xiao noticed the words 'Soul Swapper' instantly. Clearly, this was the thing that secretly bypassed his detection devices and got to Aesop. He wondered what device this was.
He searched through his memories and was certain he had never heard of this name in his previous life.
"Soul Swapper, I wonder what its specific functions are. It sounds like a machine…"
While he was softly murmuring, Aesop suddenly froze, covered in sweat. His eyes widened with overwhelming shock.
What did I just hear? Did the exact words 'Soul Swapper' come out of Black Star's mouth?
How does he know about the Soul Swapper? Where did this information get leaked!
Of course, the Modo soldiers' souls inside Aesop's body did not know Han Xiao got this information from the interface, so the first thought that came to mind was that this information got leaked somewhere. His mind went blank with despair.
Han Xiao noticed his abnormal reaction and thought, He's responding strongly to it, which means this Soul Swapper must be something very important.
Since he now knew the symptoms, the matter was no longer that complicated. It was clearly more suitable for someone with expertise in the soul area to handle it.
Han Xiao stood up and called Feidin over, pointing at Aesop.
"The old man got infected by a soul parasite. Take a look."
"Sure." Feidin nodded. A ripple psychic energy was released from between his eyes and entered Aesop's mind.
The others waited on the side. About twenty seconds later, Feidin retrieved his psychic energy and looked hesitant. "What is it? Is something wrong?" Han Xiao raised his brows.
Feidin frowned slightly. "There is indeed another cluster of collective souls inside his mind. Not really strong, Grade B at most, so I can deal with it. The problem is, this cluster of parasite souls has already perfectly fused with Aesop's own soul with close to no rejection. I have hardly ever seen anything like this…"
"So, you're saying there are risks?" Ames asked.
"There are indeed. They've fused too deeply, so the difficulty of removing the parasite is as high as doing an extremely precise operation on his soul. There's no room for errors. Once something goes wrong, Aesop's own soul will be damaged too…" "You don't have to force it if you're not confident. I can ask Kasuyi to help. He'll definitely give me face."
Han Xiao was not surprised. He was in a similar situation back when he fought seven-eyes, so he was somewhat experienced. Aesop's situation was much less severe than
his.
Feidin shook his head. "It's not that I'm not confident. I can eliminate the parasites, but I can't do it without wiping out their souls. This is why I'm confirming, do you want to do some interrogation first before curing Aesop?".
The soul swap of the Soul Swapper had close to no side effects, which most Supers were unable to do. To most Supers, the soul was a mysterious territory that could not be messed with.
Feidin, for example, could not even divide his own wife out of his soul and could only make love mentally every day. So, of course, he could not get rid of the parasite while still ensuring it stayed alive.
"I see, then don't cure him just yet." Han Xiao responded without hesitation.
The parasite was currently his biggest source of intelligence, so he had to interrogate him no matter what. Curing Aesop could be done after that.
C
As for the fact that Aesop's body would still be the one getting tortured during the interrogation… Ha, there was Aurora's life energy potion anyway. As long as there was no risk of Aesop dying, there was no problem.
The conversation between them was open, so the Modo soldiers inside Aesop's body heard it too and were in incomparable despair.
He wanted to keep all the intelligence he knew hidden, but he was well aware that there was nothing he could hide in the face of a Calamity Grade who specialized in souls.
Without the Soul Swapper, the body became a prison, and he was locked inside Aesop's body, unable to do anything but accept his fate.
"Leave the interrogation to me." Feidin waved and told the army soldiers to lead Aesop to the interrogation room.
Feidin was a kind person who did not like interrogations, but in the face of such a despicable enemy, he did not mind using more extreme methods.
The soldiers around cleaned up the scene and took the captives away. This time, Ames came to Han Xiao and softly said, "We've got who we came for. What are you planning to do now?"
"Ask the parasite who sent him, then come up with a plan depending on that. No matter what, this isn't over," Han Xiao replied casually.
All he knew now was that the Mechanic Emperor was part of this. He did not know if there were any other organizations behind it. Although they were not able to reach their goal, he was not going to let this go so easily.
He even planned to use this as the clue to search for information about the Soul Swapper, to see if he could obtain it and study it.
"Okay. If you're going to retaliate, count me in." Ames's tone was indisputable and firm.
"… I'm guessing they came for me. You don't have to drag yourself into this trouble. I'm here." Han Xiao shook his head.
He knew the risks involved, and he did not wish to involve Ames. He also did not want Ames to step into his conflict with the Mechanic Emperor. Battles between peak Beyond Grade As were still too dangerous for her.
"What do you mean? I'm not one who's afraid of trouble. If they dare to target my men, I'll have to show them I'm not easy to mess with!" Ames frowned before smiling once more. "Also, you helped me, so I have to help you too. That's what an ally should do. Even if you reject me, I won't give up." As she said that, a notification popped up on the interface.
You have triggered mission (Ames' Rage]!
Mission Introduction: Due to her family being hurt, Ames is enraged. She hopes to take revenge on the mastermind of it with you.
Mission Requirements: Take revenge on the mastermind together with Ames.
Reward: 250,000,000 EXP, 40 Ames Favorability, 10 Aesop Favorability, 30,000 Floating Dragon Island Contribution Points, 2 Random Rewards, 1 Character Summon Card.
Bonus rewards will be given depending on the Mission Rating.
Han Xiao scanned through the mission. This kind of mission was becoming less and less significant to him nowadays, but it still counted. Anyway, it would not be too much trouble, so he accepted it.
Mainly because he saw how firm Ames' eyes looked-she was clearly not going to give up. Instead of letting her take the risk herself, he might as well be by her side, so she would at least not do something as extreme as she did in his previous life.
About an hour later, Feidin came to the command room and gave the report in his hands to Han Xiao.
"The interrogation is done. All the information is in here. Nothing is missing."
Han Xiao took the file and browsed through it. The content was extremely detailed. It included the Modo Civilization's goal for this mission, how the Soul Swapper worked, the existence of the Soul Swap Twins, and so on. Everything was laid out clearly. With Feidin's psychic scan of the Modo soldier's soul, he had obtained everything he knew.
"Hmm, so it's Modo. I knew it was Modo." Han Xiao sneered. After reading the file, Han Xiao finally understood what was going on. This was within his expectations.
The only thing that surprised him was the Soul Swapper that was shockingly a Space Wonder grade treasure. The Modo Civilization had such an amazing device in their hands, yet it was not exposed at all in his previous life.
Nonetheless, this was not too surprising. Advanced civilizations all had trump cards. Some were extremely well hidden and not displayed to the public. Of course, Han Xiao had no memories of the Universal Treasures that the players in his previous life did not come into contact with.
Now that he knew, he started having ideas.
"There's no reason to let such a good thing slip."
Han Xiao was very tempted.
One reason was because of how magical the Soul Swapper was, and another was to prevent Modo from using the Soul Swapper on him again in the future. One way or another, he had to make Modo lose this trump card.
At the same time, Han Xiao became more alert too.
"I can't underestimate any advanced civilizations. God knows when they'll bring up another strange trump card by surprise…" Han Xiao closed the file and pondered. "By the way, have you eliminated the parasite yet?"
"Not yet." Feidin shook his head.
"Okay, don't cure Aesop just yet. Although we've acquired everything he knows, the parasite is still useful. He's an important piece of evidence."
The Modo Civilization is the mastermind, and their goal is to force the Black Star Army to retreat. While the Mechanic Emperor worked with Modo secretly most probably because he wants to cause problems to me, I can work around that… With the use of some choice words, I can make this into the Mechanic Emperor choosing to stand on the side of the Super Star Cluster Alliance against the three Universal Civilizations.
As long as he reported this to the three Universal Civilizations, old b*stard Manison's situation would be even worse. This was not just personal. Han Xiao made a daring assumption. Since the Mechanic Emperor's men came into contact with Aesop too, could he have known about the existence of the Soul Swapper too and was looking for it secretly, hoping to obtain it?
If that was the case, Manison would become Han Xiao's competitor. If he told the three Universal Civilizations about this and had them keep a close eye on the Mechanic Emperor, the Mechanic Emperor's forces would be affected, and it would be more difficult for him to find the Soul Swapper, which was beneficial to Han Xiao.
"Since the three Universal Civilizations are on my side, it would be a waste not to make use of that. It's worth trying." All kinds of thoughts flashed through Han Xiao's mind. He analyzed the situation and felt that this was doable. Therefore, he walked to the side, took out the communicator, and called Urranrell's private number.
After a while, the communication got picked up, Urranrell's face appeared on the screen.
"Black Star, I'm in a meeting. What is it?"
"I've discovered a piece of intelligence recently. It's about the Mechanic Emperor…"
Han Xiao explained what had happened, naturally adding some 'color' to it, while also displaying evidence such as Aesop to prove he was not making it up.
Hearing this, Urranrell's expression became serious.
"You're saying that, after the Intelligent Plague, not only did the Mechanic Emperor not regret it and change for the better, he even got worse and secretly joined the Super Star Cluster Alliance, executed confidential missions, and is helping them to fight the three Universal Civilizations?"
"Yes, that's right."
Han Xiao agreed with it without any change of tone, clearly experienced with framing others. "… Okay, I get it. This is a very important piece of intelligence. I'll inform the federation and the church to quickly come up with a solution."
Urranrell nodded solemnly and quickly hung up the communication.
Seeing this, Han Xiao smirked.
As the saying went, one's happiness was built on another's pain. The unluckier Mechanic Emperor got, the happier he was.
Old Manison, don't blame me for this. This treasure and I are fated. You already have so many Universal Treasures. Don't fight me for this one.
At this time, Nero walked in.
"Godfather, where do we start the search?"
"Hmm, before Aesop got attacked, he made one last contact with the Modo Civilization's troops. Start with that," Han Xiao said.
Since he now knew that Modo was the mastermind, it was clear when Aesop got infected, and that would be a clear lead. That secret transport fleet of the Modo Civilization had to have been carrying the Soul Swapper, and they would have to return through secret stargates and transport the Soul Swapper back. Hence, he had to find them as soon as possible. This time, Han Xiao suddenly thought of something and said, "By the way, I remember that one ship survived among the tracking teams that coincidentally found the Modo Civilization's fleet. Go capture them immediately."
Having uncovered the functions of the Soul Swapper, he speculated that there might be spies in those teams, and the spies were most likely in that tracking team that survived.
"Hmm? This spaceship has lost contact?" Manison was a little surprised to receive this report from his subordinate.
There seemed to be only one explanation for this situation, that Black Star had caught up with Aesop and hacked the spaceship of his subsidiary organization. "Weird, how did Black Star get this information?" Manison frowned slightly.
The focus of his work recently had been on searching for the Soul Swapper, on which he had already made some progress, but he was also paying attention to Aesop.
From the way Manison looked at it, the subsidiary organizations he had left in the Shattered Star Ring were very well hidden. With their help, they should be able to easily get Aesop out of the Shattered Star Ring. However, the reality was completely different. It was as if Black Star knew the whereabouts of his subsidiary organization like the back of his hand. He could follow them anywhere they went.
Manison thought that his subsidiary organizations were very well hidden, which was why he felt the odds of success were high if he worked with the Modo Civilization using that.
However, now that he looked at it, Black Star seemed to already have eyes on his subsidiary organizations, and there was a risk of them being all exposed. If worst came to worst, more than half of the forces he had operating in the Shattered Star Ring would be completely obliterated. It would be a huge loss!
Manison clenched his fist before slowly letting go. He did not look too happy.
"No matter what, now that Black Star caught Aesop, he'll know about the Soul Swapper, so he has become my competitor… I have to speed up now. My losses will only be made up for if I get the Soul Swapper!"
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