Chapter 863 Red-Named Monster, Please Stop!
The dynasty’s search mission in the Shattered Star Ring lasted longer than anyone expected. Three months went by in a flash, and the Beyond Grade As of the dynasty were still waiting there.
However, the dynasty’s pursuit mission did not yield many results as a Beyond Grade A in disguise was far too nimble. Over the past three months, the dynasty had only caught many of the Arcane Church’s spies and a few suspected traces of Sagman and the others. The Beyond Grade As were unable to find any of the Arcane Church’s Beyond Grade As when they took action.
These Arcane Church’s spies were naturally interrogated and were unable to keep any secrets under the various methods of the Universal Civilizations. However, the Arcane Church had various preventive measures up their sleeves, and these spies did not know the exact locations of Sagman and the others. They only headed to a certain location at a certain time, and some of these messages were there as a smokescreen for the dynasty. The amount of useful information was extremely little.
When the Arcane Church decided to make use of their spies in the Shattered Star Ring, they were prepared to lose them.
Apart from the Shattered Star Ring, the Crimson Dynasty and Arcane Church were not idle in the other Star Fields. Plenty of skirmishes had broken out between the two over the past three months, and the relations.h.i.+p between the two was extremely tense.
In summary, the Crimson Dynasty ferociously sought an explanation, but the Arcane Church refused to give in. The way the outside world saw it, war was about to break out.
But as upper echelons of the dynasty, Han Xiao and the others received inside news from Tarrokov. The Arcane Church had privately contacted the Crimson Dynasty, and both parties were already discussing how to settle this matter. The two parties were only putting on a show for the outside world and would not actually end up fighting.
The Arcane Church also had no choice but to give in. Two of their Beyond Grade As had been captured by the dynasty, and they had to find a way to get them back. If not, none of their allies would be willing to fight for them in the future. The party that the Arcane Church hated the most was not the Crimson Dynasty but the Federation of Light.
The actions of the Federation of Light in the Shattered Star Ring couldn’t be hidden from the Arcane Church. The Federation of Light tried to hit them when they were down and even aided the dynasty in searching for Sagman and the others. Although the cooperation between both parties was only limited to the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device, the Arcane Church was still furious.
The Shattered Star Ring was the Federation of Light’s territory, and they had deep foundations. Their intervention had resulted in many of the Arcane Church’s spies being exposed.
The conflicts between the civilizations were mainly for benefits, and supporting Beyond Grade As was also for this reason. The Arcane Church hoped to use diplomacy to resolve this problem and pay a ransom for Dylan and Mercer.
The army and various weapons were the basic strength of a civilization, and a Beyond Grade A was like a special weapon that served as a powerful deterrent. In the exploration era, the Beyond Grade As that were captured would either be converted to their own use or executed.
However, the Galaxy Calendar era was more peaceful than before, and the galactic civilizations were currently in a state of peace. No one was capable of shaking the position of the three Universal Civilizations, and the military activities of the past gradually became diplomacy.
Thus, it was not impossible to pay a ransom. As long as one was willing to pay a sufficient price, everything could be discussed. The three Universal Civilizations would see their Beyond Grade As fall into enemy hands from time to time, and there was thus a tacit agreement between the three civilizations and also an unspoken rule. However, this unspoken rule was only restricted to the three Universal Civilizations. The Super Star Cl.u.s.ter Civilizations did not have such a privilege.
Han Xiao could not be bothered with that. He had already received his Contribution Points, and since he handed the captive over, the dynasty could choose to do whatever they wanted.
He had remained within the headquarters of the Black Star Army during the past three months, and even if he was summoned by the dynasty, he would only send Psionic Prime and his mechanical army out.
Maximiler was the same as him and also sent out his long-distance troops. The best advantage of this was that he could slack at home.
Maximiler was a Mechanic that belonged to the Energy Branch, and he chose to stay at the Black Star Army so that he can have an exchange with Han Xiao. Both parties had a good conversation with each other over the past three months and became much closer.
Han Xiao originally thought that Ames would come and look for him, but Ames returned to Floating Dragon Island after destroying the stargate and did not mention the matter again. She had a carefree att.i.tude.
What a reliable ally.
Over the past few months, Han Xiao had spent most of his time crafting new machines. With his new [Endless Material Combination] knowledge, he was able to create many baffling materials to increase the attributes of his machines. The strength of his mechanical army would be increased this way, and he would also pose a greater threat to Beyond Grade A Supers.
Manison was able to deal with Beyond Grade As even with his long-distance troops, and he could fight many different Beyond Grade As at different locations. That was the true battle tactic of a Mechanic, and Han Xiao was still lacking in this respect. However, he still had a long time to acc.u.mulate his strength. After all, he had only been a Beyond Grade A Super for around a year.
After the Planet Lighthouse battle, the damage to his mechanical army was not small. If not for his mechanical army restraining the enemy, they would all have been in danger for sure. Thus, Han Xiao made use of this opportunity to create a new batch of machines.
The endless stream of Enas from exploring the Flickering World came into Han Xiao’s pockets, so Han Xiao was extremely wealthy. One of the reasons he had created such a large organization was so that he would not need to worry about the cost of constructing machines.
The three new Apostle Weapon slots were given to Silver Flash, Giant King Kong, and Mad Sky Hunter, who each had their own weapons and special attributes.
Silver Flash’s long-distance attack was improved, and his weapon was a transformable Planetary Obliteration Cannon called [Spreader of Destruction].
Giant King Kong was like a main tank meat s.h.i.+eld with his weapon being strengthened armor. It could be taken off like ordinary armor and could even be transformed into a gigantic s.h.i.+eld. It also had the ability to repair itself and was called [Divine Giant Armor].
Mad Sky Hunter was a beast-shaped Mechanical Life, and his body structure was different compared to the others. He had a pair of wings stuck on his back, which had a length of ten meters when fully opened, and he looked like the combination of a leopard, wolf, eagle, and dragon. His weapon was a strengthened hyperdrive module which gave him the ability to flicker and was called [Hunting Module].
Han Xiao gave the slots of the Apostle Weapon to the Mechanical Lives that were created earlier on. They had grown for a period of time already and were more reliable. Furthermore, he tried to give the slots to the different models of Mechanical Lives so that his Apostle Weapons would have a greater variety.
Over the past three months, Han Xiao had released a faction mission that got many of the players to look around the Shattered Star Ring.
An unexplored Star Field would not have as much activity as the discovered universe. After staying in the Flickering World for such a long time, the players could truly feel the silence of the vast universe. They would usually travel for a few Star Zones without seeing anybody, and it was easy for them to feel just how small they were in the universe. They could have a change of pace after returning to the Shattered Star Ring, and many of the players gradually became energetic again.
Exploring a new Star Field naturally had its own benefits, and the players knew that the Flickering World was definitely a huge event. However, after exploring the Flickering World for some time, the sense of novelty was gone, and a portion of them preferred to remain in the Shattered Star Ring. There were numerous NPCs in the Shattered Star Ring with plenty of different things to do.
Han Xiao would not force the players to do anything. Although he always joked that the players were laborers, he was extremely clear about the players’ personality. Sometimes, their benefits would have to give way to their interests, and this was what the majority of players chased after.
He would not restrict the players’ freedom and would only issue a mission and the relevant reward. As for whether or not the players wanted to complete the mission, it did not have anything to do with him. After all, they players still did not know that the Flickering World would become the most exciting place in the universe during the next version.
On the forums, Bun-Hit-Dog transformed the battle on Planet Lighthouse into a video to let all the players who were not present watch it to their heart’s content.
All the players were extremely curious and shocked after watching the video. This was the battle between eleven Beyond Grade As, and it was the first time the players had witnessed such a scene.
Something worth mentioning was that Han Xiao began selling the Dungeon Crystal in the faction store after the battle. Although the dungeon was not one that the players could complete at their current level, he was certain that the players’ curiosity would overcome them, and this was a good business opportunity.
Indeed, the sales of the Dungeon Crystal were extremely high, and the average survival time of the players was about forty-seven seconds.
The players were all curious about the strength of a Beyond Grade A and wanted to know the true strength of their captain. The players now had a deep understanding of this.
The ordinary cannon fodder mechanical soldiers that had the boost of the Mechanical Force was like a boss-level monster to the players. They could easily dice the players up like vegetables, and the players did not even have the ability to fight back.
Looking at the battlefield, there were millions of such mechanical soldiers…
After going through this bitter journey, the players were clear about Han Xiao’s strength.
Ever since Version 1.0, Black Star’s danger level had always been ‘Fatally Dangerous’ because the highest danger level had been limited to ‘Fatally Dangerous’.
…
Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on the door of the machinery modification room, and Han Xiao, who was currently adjusting his a.s.sembly line, stopped working.
Phillip opened the door, and Lagi and a Forbidden Sorcerer clad in red robes walked in.
“Paying my respects to Your Excellency Black Star.” The Forbidden Sorcerer bowed. “Master Austin sent me to collect the materials.”
“Alright, I have already prepared them. Wait a moment. I will get some men to help you carry it onto your s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p.”
Han Xiao then waved his hands and got Phillip to contact the logistics department to prepare a few cartons of amber b.a.l.l.s for the other party.
This was one of the conditions that he and Austin had agreed upon. Since the darn old man had kept his promise, he would not go back on his word.
The Forbidden Sorcerer then bowed and took his leave.
Han Xiao was about to get back to work but realized that Lagi was still standing by the side without the intention to leave.
“Why are you still here?” Han Xiao raised his brows.
“You despise me?” Upon hearing that, Lagi spoke with a bitter expression. “Indeed, someone like me will never be liked no matter where I go. Even my boss doesn’t like me. I’d better jump s.h.i.+p…”
“Nonsense. Since when did I despise you?”
Han Xiao felt his head ache and said with exasperation, “Just what do you have to tell me? Go back to slacking off if you don’t have anything and stop disturbing me.”
“Sigh, you didn’t use to have such an att.i.tude. You were so respectful back when you asked me for an enchantment,” Lagi said with sorrow. “Indeed, you no longer think highly of me…”
Just what is with this insecure att.i.tude of his today‽
Han Xiao restrained the urge to punch Lagi and said, “Say whatever’s on your mind. Don’t disturb me if there’s nothing!”
Lagi then shook his head and said, “I am actually here to make a suggestion.”
Han Xiao’s eyes immediately widened in shock the moment these words were said.
Just what is going on? Wasn’t my vice commander just for show‽
Since when did he learn how to give suggestions?
Did the sun rise from the wrong side today? Wait, an artificial sun can rise from any direction.
“What suggestions do you have?” Han Xiao asked carefully. He was like a hunter that had met a deer in the forest, afraid that he may scare his prey away.
“I heard from His Excellency Milizaus that all of you failed to find anything over the last few months.”
“And then?” Han Xiao nodded. Milizaus was a Mage and seemed to like Lagi for some reason.
As the vice commander of the army, Lagi was also an individual with status. He had encountered Milizaus frequently in recent times and sought advice from Milizaus. Even if it was for Han Xiao’s sake, Milizaus would not reject Lagi.
“With the Shattered Star Ring being so large, it will be impossible for us to find a Beyond Grade A if he wants to hide. I think that we should give up the search and let the Crimson Dynasty find them on their own. There’s no need to waste our manpower and resources,” Lagi said.
“How strange. Why do you suddenly care about such a matter? Did you eat Emerald Gra.s.s’ medicine by accident?” Han Xiao asked with doubt.
“As the vice commander of the army, it is only normal for me to bother about the development of the army,” Lagi said with a bitter expression. “In your heart, it seems like…”
“Stop!”
Han Xiao felt his head ache upon hearing Lagi’s words.
In fact, most people would have such a reaction after spending enough time with Lagi, and Han Xiao decided to call this symptom ‘Lagi Syndrome’.
Han Xiao smiled and tried to say with patience, “Alright, I heard your advice and will make a decision based on the circ.u.mstances. Can you leave now?”
“… You indeed despise me.”
“Scram!”
…
In some large, neutral s.p.a.ce harbor, Taylor and Sagman were hiding within the crowd on the street. Both of them had currently disguised themselves with magic into two ordinary looking civilians of the Aso Clan. This was a type of human-shaped living being with blue skin, purple eyes, and three fingers on their hands.
They walked into the harbor and had their ident.i.ties checked. Their status as galactic residents was verified with a card, and they successfully pa.s.sed through the checks.
Their current disguise came from the Arcane Church’s spies that they had met not too long ago, and their ident.i.ties had truly existed. They had also obtained tens of other ident.i.ties that they could easily switch into.
Entering the harbor, they looked around and noticed a few suspicious individuals at the corners. They were sizing up the pa.s.sersby and had an extraordinary aura.
Upon seeing that, they communicated with their consciousness.
“Spies who are here to search for us.”
“There are even spies over here. The dynasty has truly exhausted a great deal of resources in order to find us.”
“Who knows how Ninjia is doing…”
After escaping from the Flickering World, the four of them split up into three groups. Ninjia escaped alone with the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, Sagman and Taylor travelled together, and Psyker travelled alone by borrowing the strength of the Star Pupil Holy Race.
During this period, the Crimson Dynasty and Federation of Light spies were scattered all around the Shattered Star Ring. Sagman and Taylor felt every step of the way to be extremely precarious, but thankfully, they received aid from the Arcane Church’s spies.
They were both extremely frustrated in their hearts. As Beyond Grade A Supers, they would be respected wherever they went. Despite having such strength, they had to avoid these weak spies and hide like mice. It was truly too frustrating!
They had switched between plenty of s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps. They had arrived at this harbor not too long ago, and a new s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p was waiting for them in the harbor.
As they walked, some commotion could be heard from the pier, and this little commotion did not escape their senses.
Turning around to take a look, they saw a group of galactic warriors walking in their direction with the Black Star Army insignia on their chest.
The crowd immediately let out a path for them and stared at the Black Star Army warriors with awe.
As a new Beyond Grade A organization, the members of the Black Star Army had such special privileges.
Sagman frowned. “They are from the Black Star Army.”
“The subordinates of Black Star are all extremely queer. Avoid them.”
They changed directions.
At the same time, the group of Black Star Army warriors casually looked around.
Right at that moment, a member of the group looked in the direction of Sagman and Taylor and nudged his teammate.
“Strange, I saw two red names just now, and they disappeared in a flash. I wonder if I saw wrongly.”
“This is a neutral harbor, so could they be galactic pirates?”
“Shall we go over to take a look?”
“Er, alright. Since we are here to hand in the mission, we can fight some pirates and earn a quick buck.”