On the dock, the players dispersed. The guidance mission given by Han Xiao had ended, and they decided to explore the Black Star Corps Headquarters on their own to understand the facilities there.
The players knew that in Version 3.0, this Planetary Fortress would be their base camp.
The Black Star Corps Headquarters was extremely large, and the players did not feel crowded at all. They quickly dispersed and merged into the normal members of the Black Star Corps.
Mad Blade, Hao Tian, and a few other pro players that they had good relationships with moved together. Pork Bun and Maple Moon followed beside them. The group walked and stopped, observing the NPCs that they passed by while discussing the Main Storyline Mission that they had just received.
"The storyline of the new version is very exciting. We actually have to experience a large-scale galactic war between two Star Cluster civilizations. I looked at the forums, and the foreigners from the other Star Fields did not receive the Main Storyline Mission as soon as they entered the game like us. They are still exploring," Mad Blade said curiously.
"This is not the first time. In every version, the Main Storyline Mission of our Shattered Star Ring appears first. This should be a specialty of ours." Twinkle Fried Rice shrugged.
"Indeed, it was the same for us in Version 2.0. We received the Main Storyline as soon as we came online. The other Star Fields received it a few months to a year later than us." Hao Tian nodded.
"From the looks of it, Black Star should be a main NPC again in Version 3.0. He has been through three versions, and all three Main Storyline Missions have something to do with him," Pork Bun said as he stroked his chin.
"Not just three versions …" Mad Blade was excited. "I saw this NPC character during the closed beta. I did not expect him to become so powerful."
Pork Bun's eyes sparkled. "Black Star has so many scenes, and I don't think the other Star Fields have a storyline character like him. Only Black Star is an NPC that must appear in every version, and it has lasted for three versions. I feel that Black Star is probably the main character of the entire Shattered Star Ring storyline. He is the Child of Destiny on our side … That's right, this content is great. My next video will definitely be popular!"
Currently, Han Xiao was extremely popular among the Chinese players. Furthermore, the video just now had introduced his achievements in the past ten years. This was the time when the players' interest was at its peak. Bun-Hit-Dog felt that he could use this opportunity to make a new video for Black Star using the 'Shattered Star Ring Main Character' as an entry point.
In the previous two versions, the players had experienced many epic storylines in the galaxy. They had seen all kinds of NPCs, and many of them were popular among the players. However, until now, the NPC that left the deepest impression on the players was Black Star. Even the players in the other Star Fields knew his name. At the moment, Han Xiao was the most popular NPC among the players.
Creating articles, videos, and fan content about Black Star was a business opportunity in the eyes of many players.
The 'Black Star Series' was the work that made Pork Bun famous. It was still a must-watch series for new viewers. Since it was serialized, it had created many memes that were widely spread.
Because this series had brought a huge amount of popularity, Pork Bun was the one who did the most to create the image of Han Xiao. However, because of the huge business opportunity of Black Star, there were also other video producers who saw the popularity of Han Xiao and followed the trend to create all kinds of videos about the Black Star Corps.
However, Pork Bun had dominated the market as early as Version 1.0, and he was the 'authentic' in the eyes of the players.
It could be said that the players' love for the Black Star Corps was largely due to Pork Bun's videos. Everyone was a member of the Black Star Corps, and they had seen the faction grow through their own efforts. It was made into a television series, and they were very immersed in it.
Video producers like Pork Bun used the popularity of the NPCs to gain benefits, but they did not know that Han Xiao was also using them to gain benefits. No matter how strong an NPC was, they had to be spread through various forms of entertainment in order to be recognized and accepted by more players and become a popular character.
The group agreed with a few words before returning to the main topic. They continued to talk about the main storyline of the new version. This was what the professional players cared about.
"Speaking of which, with our strength, we shouldn't be able to affect the outcome of a galactic war of this level, right?" Mad Blade said.
Maple Moon nodded and said seriously, "Hmm! I just checked. The representatives of the two sides in the secret war are the Bloodshed Land and Section Zero, led by the Black Star Corps. The leader of the Bloodshed Land is called Heber, one of the four Beyond Grade As in the Shattered Star Ring. His strength is even higher than a Calamity Grade. There's no need to talk about the army. With both sides being so powerful, the number of people participating in the war is probably in the hundreds of millions. Even if all the players participate, I don't think it will have much of an impact on the outcome of the war … "
Hao Tian pondered and analyzed. "If that's the case, the secret war is only the background of the new version. Our main area of activity should be the small battlefields in the war. As for the war itself, our participation will definitely not be high."
"I'm afraid it's just another cutscene …" Twinkle Fried Rice smiled bitterly.
"But that might not be the case …"
Mad Blade's eyes turned, and seeing that everyone was looking at him, he explained, "Think about it. In the past three versions, the upper limit of our level has been continuously increasing. The level of the storyline has gone through the changes of the Planet Grade, Star System Grade, and Star Cluster Grade. There is a stable system for the combat strength in the galaxy. For example, Grade C is the basic quality of the Black Star Troopers, and Grade B is the backbone. This system will not change because of the version updates, and our continuous increase means that our position in the galaxy, as well as our influence on the storyline, will also increase with the version updates!
"Now that the level cap is opened to 120, the first batch of players should be able to reach Grade B. According to this theory, our importance in the new version will definitely exceed the previous two versions. Therefore, I feel that in Version 3.0, we will be able to participate in the storyline to a greater extent, and there will definitely be new changes to the gameplay."
Everyone tilted their heads and pondered. Aiyo, this b * stard does make some sense.
Pork Bun's eyes sparkled. "Can I copy … pfft, quote this analysis?"
"I beg of you, please be a human." Twinkle Fried Rice was speechless.
"By the way, although we have triggered the main storyline, how are we going to participate in the war? Are we going to follow the army's arrangements or accept missions on our own?"
At this moment, Mad Blade and the others suddenly realized that the surrounding Black Star Corps members were suddenly gathering in a certain direction. Their communicators vibrated as well. Philip had sent out a notification, asking all the members of the headquarters to head to the headquarters square. He had something to announce.
Mad Blade and the others mixed into the crowd and arrived at the square. At this moment, there was a sea of people there. The other players had also arrived and were mixed into the crowd, waiting together with the Black Star Corps members.
The ground in front of them bulged and turned into a high platform. Virtual screens appeared above the square, broadcasting the scene on the platform so that the people in the distance could see it clearly.
More than twenty officers of the army appeared on the platform, and many of them were familiar faces. The players below whispered among themselves.
"Ten years have passed, and the officers of Version 2.0 are still here. How comfortable."
"There seems to be quite a number of new officers."
"Oh, is that beauty Sylvia?"
"Sh * t, it's the feeling of a chicken's movement!"
"I'm being polite. What about you guys?"
"Humph, so what if she's a beauty? I'm a scholar … The Dragon Emperor's Licker Club will never be a slave!"
"The law of history tells us that licking until the end will leave us with nothing."
Seeing the NPCs that they were familiar with in the previous version, many players were relieved. They habitually used Scout on the officers, but other than learning the officers' names, everything else was a question mark. All of them were extremely dangerous, and they were all capable of fighting.
It was only now that the players had a firsthand experience of the Black Star Army's strength.
Buzz!
The space in the center of the platform rippled, and a figure appeared out of thin air. It was Han Xiao.
The more than a hundred thousand players present finally saw Han Xiao after ten years. He was still wearing that familiar outfit, but he was taller and had a more stable aura.
Mad Blade and the others realized that many of the Black Star Corps members around them had looks of admiration on their faces.
From this detail, they were even more clear about the position Han Xiao held in the hearts of his subordinates. Pork Bun turned on the camera function and started to record crazily to collect material.
Including the players, countless people in the square stared at him. Han Xiao cleared his throat, and his voice was transmitted through the machine.
"In half a month, we will cooperate with Section Zero and launch a large-scale counterattack against Bloodshed Land. At that time, we will conscript a large number of people to participate in the battle. Other than the warriors that have already been conscripted, the army will accept applications from other members to participate in the battle. Other than the remuneration paid by the Amethyst Civilization, the army will also provide additional subsidies to those who participate in the battle. The exact amount will depend on their role. Please check the announcement in the army's internal system for more details …"
When they were still a mercenary group, they only needed to share the employer's rewards with the members under them. Now that the Black Star Corps had completed its transformation and become a private armed organization, they needed to pay their official members a salary. It was equivalent to raising an army. Participating in the battle was an extremely risky job, and they even needed additional subsidies. War was all about money.
Luckily, the Black Star Corps was no longer the same as before. They had many ways to earn money, such as mining resource planets, selling goods, hiring, and the resources provided by the Amethyst Civilization. Their assets were able to sustain their current scale.
Mad Blade came to a realization. "So, this is how we participate in the battle. We need to apply in the army."
"Only by participating in the battle can we increase our Main Storyline Mission Rating. However, we can choose to not participate in the battle. So, this is not a forced storyline mission."
The players started to discuss excitedly, and the square became noisy.
At this time, Han Xiao looked around, smiled to himself, and continued, "I'm not sure.
"All participating members will enjoy a fifty percent discount on the various products produced by the army. In half a month, all participating members will gather at the headquarters and head to the battlefield on a fleet. If you have any questions, you can ask the sub-artificial intelligence of the army's program."
Everyone was stunned.
Fifty percent discount?
Fifty percent discount on all faction products?
What the f * ck, there are actually such additional benefits?
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