The dynasty's search in the Shattered Star Ring took longer than expected, and three months passed in the blink of an eye. The Beyond Grade As of the dynasty had also been stationed in the Shattered Star Ring for a long time.
However, the dynasty's search did not yield much results. The Beyond Grade As who had infiltrated the galactic society to disguise themselves were too secretive and nimble. In the past three months, the dynasty had only caught a lot of spies from the Arcane Church. Occasionally, they would find traces of Sagman and the others, but the dynasty's Beyond Grade As were all in vain.
These spies from the Arcane Church were interrogated and questioned about the whereabouts of Sagman and the others. With all kinds of methods, even the spies of a Universal Civilization could not hide their secrets. However, the Arcane Church had taken precautions, and these spies did not know the exact location of Sagman and the others. They only followed orders and headed to a certain location at a certain time. Some of the information was just a smokescreen to mislead the dynasty.
When the Arcane Church decided to use the spy network in the Shattered Star Ring, they were already mentally prepared to lose them.
Apart from the Shattered Star Ring, the Red Empire and the Arcane Church were not idle in the other Star Fields either. In the past three months, there had been many border conflicts, and the relationship between the two sides was tense.
In conclusion, the Red Empire was aggressively demanding answers, and the Arcane Church was not in the right. At least, in the eyes of the outside world, it seemed like a war was about to break out.
However, as the upper echelons of the dynasty, Han Xiao and the others received insider information from Tarrokov. The Arcane Church had contacted the Red Empire privately not long ago, and the two sides were already discussing a solution behind the scenes. The attitude of the two sides was just for the outside world to see. In reality, they would not actually fight.
The Arcane Church had no choice but to admit defeat. Two of their Beyond Grade As had been captured by the dynasty, they had to get them back no matter what. Otherwise, who would be willing to risk their lives for them? If they insisted on fighting, they would only make the Radiant Federation laugh their heads off. What the Arcane Church hated the most now was not the Red Empire but the loser Radiant Federation.
The Radiant Federation's actions in the Shattered Star Ring could not be hidden from the eyes of the Universal Civilizations. Just like the dynasty, they were also searching for Sagman and the others. Although their cooperation was limited to the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device, the Arcane Church was still very angry.
The Shattered Star Ring was the territory of the Radiant Federation and had a deep foundation. Their interference had caused the Arcane Church's spies to be exposed on a large scale.
The friction between civilizations was basically for the sake of benefits, and worshiping Beyond Grade As was also for this purpose. The Arcane Church hoped to resolve this dispute through diplomatic negotiations and ransom Dylan and Mercer.
Fleets and various high-tech weapons were the basic military strength of a civilization, and Beyond Grade As were special weapons with a deterrent nature. In the exploration era, the Beyond Grade A combatants of the enemy would either be turned into their own or killed directly.
However, the Galaxy Calendar was gentler than the exploration era. After all, compared to the past, the current galactic situation was more or less stable, and no one could shake the ruling position of the three Universal Civilizations. The battlefield gradually shifted from military to political, cultural, economic, and diplomatic aspects, and the smell of blood was not as strong.
Therefore, it was not impossible to ransom Beyond Grade As. As long as they were willing to pay a huge price, anything could be negotiated. Because in the long years, the three Universal Civilizations had all had Beyond Grade As fall into each other's hands, and such a situation might happen again in the future, they all tacitly agreed to ransom Beyond Grade As. However, this treatment was only limited to the three Universal Civilizations. The Supercluster civilizations did not have the right to ransom Beyond Grade As.
Han Xiao did not care about this. He had already received the Contribution Points, and since he had handed the captives over, it was up to the dynasty to decide what to do with them.
In the past three months, he had been staying in the Black Star Corps headquarters. Even if he was summoned by the dynasty, he only sent Psionic Prime to lead the mechanical army out. He himself stayed in the headquarters and did not go anywhere.
Maximiler was the same as him. As a Mechanic who could send long-range troops out, the biggest benefit was that he could stay at home.
Maximiler was a Beyond Grade A Mechanic from the Energy Branch, and he stayed in the Black Star Corps headquarters as a guest to exchange technology with Han Xiao. The two of them had a lot of fun talking, and their relationship became much closer over the past three months.
Han Xiao originally thought that Ames would come and find him, but after Ames finished the stargate, she returned to Floating Dragon Island on her own and did not mention this matter. Her attitude was like she had only done what she wanted to do, and this small matter was not worth mentioning, so there was no need to thank her.
This tacit understanding made Han Xiao feel very comfortable. What a reliable ally this was.
In the past few days, he had spent most of his time building machinery. With the newly obtained [Endless Material Science], he could synthesize all kinds of incredible materials and use them to increase the basic performance of many machines. This would increase the strength of the Mech Legion and create more pressure on the Beyond Grade As.
The Mecha Empire could deal with Beyond Grade As with their long-range troops alone, and they could fight against multiple Beyond Grade As at different locations at the same time. This was the orthodox combat style of a Mechanic. Han Xiao's strength in this aspect was still lacking, and he still needed a long time to accumulate. After all, he had only been a Beyond Grade A for about a year.
During the battle on Planet Lighthouse, his Mech Legion had suffered quite a bit of damage. If not for his Mech Legion holding back the enemy, everyone would have died. Han Xiao used this time to replenish his mechanical army.
Developing the Flickering World had brought him an endless amount of Enas, so he was now very rich. One of the reasons he had built such a large organization was so that he would not have to worry about the cost of building machinery.
Han Xiao gave the three new Apostle Weapon slots to Silver Flash, Giant King Kong, and Mad Sky Hunter. The three of them awakened their respective Apostle Weapons, characteristics, and abilities.
Silver Flash's long-range damage was increased, and his Apostle Weapon was a modified version of the Star Destroyer Cannon. It was a weapon exclusive to him, and it was called [Destruction Spreader].
Giant King Kong's specialty was to be a meat shield for the main tank, and his Apostle Weapon was a strengthened version of the mechanical armor that covered his entire body. It could be dismantled like armor and could also be transformed into a giant shield that could repair itself. It was called [Giant God Battlesuit]. Giant King Kong's body shape and this armor made Han Xiao think of a certain comic character called 'Celestial Group' in his previous life. Their appearances were sixty to seventy percent similar.
Mad Sky Hunter was a beast-type mechanical life form, and his body structure was different from others. It was twisted and angular, and there was a rough and barbaric charm in its beauty and complexity. A pair of mechanical wings were attached to his back, covering a range of tens of meters. His overall appearance was like a combination of a tiger, a leopard, a wolf, an eagle, and a dragon. His specialty was to be fast and agile. His Apostle Weapon was a strengthened hyperdrive module with the ability to flicker continuously, and it was called [Hunting Module].
Han Xiao's Apostle Weapon slots were usually given to mechanical lives that were relatively early. They had already grown for a period of time and were more reliable. Furthermore, he tried his best to give the slots to different types of mechanical lives to diversify the abilities of his Apostle Weapons.
In the past three months, Han Xiao had given out faction missions, and many players had returned to the Shattered Star Ring to participate in the search.
The undeveloped Star Field was not as lively as the explored universe. After staying in the Flickering World for a long time, the players had a deep understanding of the vastness and silence of the universe. Often, they would not see anyone even after passing through a few Star Zones. It was very easy for them to feel that they were so small and lonely. Returning to the Shattered Star Ring could change their mood, and many players felt that the world had become lively again.
Exploring an unfamiliar Star Field was indeed very epic. The players of the Shattered Star Ring also knew that the Flickering World was definitely a huge event. However, after actually exploring it, the novelty would fade. In comparison, some of them were more willing to stay in the Shattered Star Ring. There were countless NPCs in the galactic society, and there were many different ways to play and events.
Han Xiao did not force this group of players. Although he occasionally joked that the players were coolies, he knew the nature of the players very well. Sometimes, benefits would give way to interests, and this was what most of the normal players were after.
He would not forcefully restrict the freedom of the players. All he did was give out missions and rewards. As for whether the players would do it or not, it was none of his business. After all, these players still did not know that the next version of the Flickering World would be the most lively place in the universe.
On the forums, Pork Bun edited the video of the battle on Planet Lighthouse into a video. Some of the scenes that were not filmed were added in the dungeon, which attracted a new wave of attention.
Everyone was very curious, and after watching it, they were shocked. A battle between eleven Beyond Grade As, this was the first time the players had seen such a huge scene.
It was worth mentioning that after Han Xiao obtained the right to create the dungeon for the battle on Planet Lighthouse, he created Dungeon Crystals and sold them in the faction store. Although the difficulty of the dungeon was far beyond what the players could bear, he knew that the players were curious about the battle between Beyond Grade As, so he saw this as a business opportunity.
As expected, the sales of the Dungeon Crystals for the battle on Planet Lighthouse were very high. According to the statistics, the average survival time of the players in this dungeon was about forty-seven seconds.
The players were mainly curious about the strength of the Beyond Grade As. What they wanted to know the most was the true strength of Army Commander Han Xiao, and the players now had a deep understanding of this.
An ordinary cannon fodder mechanical soldier with the Mechanical Force bonus was equivalent to a boss-level monster to the players. Killing a team of ten players was as easy as chopping vegetables. They had almost no room to retaliate, and even breaking through the defense was difficult.
Looking at the battlefield, Black Star seemed to have tens of millions of such mechanical soldiers …
After experiencing this torturous journey, the players had a clearer understanding of Han Xiao's actual strength.
Since Version 1.0, Black Star's danger level had always been 'Extremely Fatal' because the highest was only 'Extremely Fatal'.
…
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door of the machinery modification room. Han Xiao, who was adjusting the assembly line, stopped what he was doing and asked Philip to open the door.
Lagi and a Forbidden Sorcerer in a red robe walked in.
"Greetings, Your Excellency Black Star." This Forbidden Sorcerer bowed. "Master Austin sent me to receive the materials we agreed on."
"Okay, I've already prepared them. Wait a moment, I'll get the workers to move them onto your spaceship."
Han Xiao waved his hand and asked Philip to contact the logistics department and give them the few boxes of amber balls he had prepared.
This was one of the conditions he had agreed on with Austin. Since the old man had fulfilled his promise, he naturally would not go back on his word.
The Forbidden Sorcerer bowed again, chatted for a while, and left.
Han Xiao was about to continue adjusting the machine when he realized that Lagi was beside him and had no intention of leaving.
"Why are you still here?" Han Xiao raised his brows.
"You don't like me?" Hearing this, Lagi frowned. "As expected, people like me won't be liked anywhere. My boss doesn't like me, so I should just jump ship …"
"Nonsense, when did I ever dislike you?"
Han Xiao had a headache and hurriedly stopped him. "What do you want to tell me? If there's nothing, hurry up and go back to slacking. Don't disturb me."
"Sigh, you didn't treat me like this in the past. When you asked me to enchant you, you respected me so much …" Lagi sighed and said bitterly, "As expected, you don't like me anymore …"
What's with that resentful tone of yours?!
Han Xiao's eyelids twitched, and he resisted the urge to hit him. "If you have something to say, say it. If you don't, don't disturb me!"
Lagi shook his head and said, "I'm actually here to give you a suggestion."
As soon as this was said, Han Xiao's eyes widened, and he looked at Lagi as if he had discovered a new continent.
What's going on? Isn't my deputy captain a decoration?
Since when did he know how to give suggestions?
Could it be that the sun is rising from the west … oh, artificial sun. It can rise from anywhere.
"You … what suggestion do you have?"
Han Xiao could not help but lower his voice. He had a strange feeling of being careful, like a hunter meeting a deer in the forest. He was afraid of scaring the prey away, so he slowed down his breathing.
"I heard from His Excellency Milizaus that you've chased after him a few times without success."
"And then?" Han Xiao nodded. Milizaus was a master of secret techniques, and for some reason, he seemed to admire Lagi a lot.
As the deputy captain of the army, Lagi was also someone with status. Recently, he had been in contact with Milizaus frequently, asking him for some secret techniques. Even if it was because of Han Xiao, Milizaus would not reject him.
"The Shattered Star Ring is so big. If a Beyond Grade A is determined to hide, how can we find him? I think we should give up on the chase and let the Red Empire find him themselves. We shouldn't waste manpower and resources," Lagi said.
"That's weird. Why are you suddenly concerned about this? Did you take the wrong medicine from Yi Yeqing? "Han Xiao was confused.
"As the deputy captain, isn't it normal for me to be concerned about the development of the army?" Lagi had a bitter expression. "It seems like in your heart …"
"Stop!"
As soon as he heard Lagi speak, Han Xiao felt a headache coming on.
Speaking of which, most people who had been in contact with Lagi for a long time would have such a reaction. Han Xiao decided to name this symptom 'Lagi Syndrome'.
"Alright, I've heard your suggestion. I'll take it based on the situation … Can you leave now?" Han Xiao smiled, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
"… You really don't like me."
"Scram!"
…
In a large neutral spaceport in the Shattered Star Ring.
On the bustling dock street, Sagman and Taylor blended into the crowd. At this time, the two of them used magic to disguise themselves and turned into two ordinary-looking Aso Clan members. They were humanoid creatures with blue skin. The most eye-catching features were the purple circles around their eyes, their palms only had three fingers, and each of their ears had four auricles.
The two of them walked into the spaceport and did an identity check at the gate. Through facial recognition and a magnetic communicator card, they searched for the identity database of galactic residents. The screen showed that there were indeed people there, and the two of them successfully passed through the gate.
Their disguises were from the Arcane Church's spies who had come into contact with them not long ago. Their identities were real, and they had also obtained dozens of fake identities that could be changed at any time.
After entering the spaceport hall, the two of them looked around and realized that there were a few suspicious people in the corner of the hall. They were sizing up the passersby and had an unusual aura.
Seeing this, the two of them communicated telepathically.
"It's the spies searching for us again."
"There are even spies here. In order to hunt us down, the dynasty has really used a lot of resources."
"I wonder how things are on Ninjia's side …"
After escaping from the Flickering World, the four of them split up into three groups. Ninjia fled alone with the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, Sagman and Taylor teamed up, and Sisko made use of the Star Pupil God Race's influence to move alone.
During this time, the Red Empire and Radiant Federation's spies were all over the Shattered Star Ring, and Sagman and Taylor were having a hard time. Thankfully, they had the help of the Arcane Church's spies, which allowed them to hide their tracks and not be discovered.
The two of them were very depressed. As a Beyond Grade A, they would be respected wherever they went. He clearly possessed great power, but now he actually had to avoid these weak spies, hiding here and there like a mouse, fleeing in panic … This was too depressing!
The two of them changed spaceships many times along the way, and they changed spaceships almost every time they arrived at a new place. They had bought new spaceships at this spaceport not long ago with clean Enas and were currently storing them in the spaceport's hangar. The two of them were preparing to set off again.
As they walked, a slight commotion could be heard from one of the docks, and this small commotion could not escape their senses.
Looking over, they saw a group of Black Star Troopers in armor walking out of the tunnel. The emblem of the organization was engraved on the chest of the armor like a black star radiating light. It was the emblem of the Black Star Corps.
The crowd parted to form a path, and their respectful gazes focused on this group of Black Star Corps Troopers.
As a new Beyond Grade A organization, the members of the Black Star Corps would be surrounded in many places and receive special treatment.
Sagman frowned. "They're from the Black Star Corps."
"Black Star's subordinates are very strange. Avoid them."
The two of them retracted their gazes and hurriedly left in another direction.
At the same time, this group of Black Star Corps Troopers walked through the crowd, enjoying the respectful gazes of the passersby.
At this time, a member of the army suddenly looked in the direction that Sagman and Taylor left. He was a little confused and nudged his companion beside him.
"Strange, I think I saw two red names over there, but they disappeared in the blink of an eye. I don't know if I saw wrongly."
"This is a neutral spaceport. They might be galactic pirates or something."
"Shall we follow and take a look?"
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