Questions Answered and Joining Forces
An eerie silence instantly descended.
Roland poured himself another glass of wine and silently savored it.
Lister, meanwhile, kept pondering Roland's words.
Clearly, his guess was not as convincing as Colonel Roland's.
After all, given the way the Galactic Federation has acted, there's no indication that they genuinely cultivate talent or engage in philanthropy.
Rather than believing that the Galactic Federation wants to cultivate more Hegemon, it's more accurate to say that they are merely temporary beneficiaries, serving as nourishment for the stronger.
But who is truly reaping the benefits from them?
Were they the Hegemon of a Level 4 civilization?
Or perhaps a higher-level being that we've never heard of before?
Currently, there is no distinction between those at the Overlord Tier and above in the Galactic Federation.
But Lister himself knew that, based on a comprehensive evaluation of the system, there was World-Ending Level above the Overlord Tier.
Could it be that the Galactic Federation also has a World-Ending Level entity hiding in the background?
In my previous life, I played games at a very low level, and due to the long time span, I never had any experience with these things. Now, I finally have the opportunity to truly experience this real world.
After a long while, Lister finally realized that these were not the things he should be thinking about right now.
"Colonel Roland, thank you for clearing up my doubts about Soul Crystals."
"But why are you telling me that this Zerg can produce Soul Crystals?"
"Or rather... why was I chosen for this mission?"
The manipulator behind the Soul Crystal is still a long way off for him.
It's clearly unfounded for someone at only the Third Advancement of cultivation to worry about the plans of a true Hegemon at the Fourth Advancement or a World-Ending Level powerhouse.
Even if he knew, what could he do? At this point, the most important thing was for him to develop steadily and peacefully.
On the contrary, it was Colonel Roland's willingness to share information about such precious Soul Crystal resources and the great effort he went to involve him that made him even more suspicious.
Hehe~!
"Naturally, we want you to join us and share in the profits from these Soul Crystals."
"You? What organization are you from?"
Although he had only been in the Galactic Federation for less than ten years, Lister had seen far too many different organizations.
There are even countless rebel groups; these are A73's daily tasks.
If it's just about joining an organization in exchange for the Soul Crystal resources he desperately needs, Lister feels it's something he could consider.
"It's not yet an organization; it's merely an experiment by Lord Hoffman."
"Lord Hoffman? You mean Hoffman is behind this mission?"
Upon hearing the Hoffman, Lister's guard lessened considerably.
He wouldn't dare accept such a huge benefit offered to him without a reason.
If Hoffman was secretly helping out, then things started to make sense.
"Has Lord Hoffman been in the Chaotic Star Region lately?"
They probed again without making a sound.
Hehe~!
"Major Lister still doesn't seem to trust me?"
Colonel Roland smiled and shook his head again, as if he understood Lister very well, and continued patiently.
"Lord Hoffman has not returned since he left the Galactic Federation several years ago."
"Only that Kavin, who should also be your friend, right? He's the only one who came back from beyond the galaxy alone."
Upon hearing this, Lister's wariness of Roland finally dissipated considerably.
He occasionally sent messages to Hoffman over the years, but none of them were delivered or replied to.
Furthermore, the information revealed by Kavin confirms that, as the other party stated, Hoffman has indeed been staying outside the galaxy.
Roland felt he had said enough and was only giving Lister a final choice.
"I trust Lister's character, but we need your consent before we can continue this discussion on some more important information."
"If you are willing to cooperate with me and Lord Hoffman, I will provide you with more information and details, as well as more opportunities to participate in the future distribution of Soul Crystals."
"If you're unwilling, then this time, for Lord Hoffman's sake, I'll make friends with you and give you a certain percentage of Soul Crystals after the mission is completed, how about that?"
Hoffman's influence really works.
Even though he has now defected, the former lieutenant colonel of the First Army Group Federation Military District still wields more influence in the Federation Military District than he imagined.
The care Major Qi had shown in the recruit camp, and the patient attitude of Roland, who is also Quasi-Hegemon, today.
Even though Lister didn't join the Leviathan Civilization, he still benefited greatly.
Without further thought, since Hoffman was involved in, or even in charge of, this matter, he would most likely not make things difficult for him.
More importantly, Soul Crystals are indeed an indispensable resource for him.
"I'm willing to join."
"Haha, I knew you wouldn't refuse, Lister."
Only then did Roland truly burst into a satisfied laugh.
He raised his glass again and drank another glass to himself.
Do I need to sign any agreement? Or establish any contract?
"No need. What use are agreements and contracts to people like you and me?"
"And once you get involved, don't even think about getting out."
Having said that, he finished the last glass of wine in the bottle.
"Let's go, I'll take you to see the Zerg life forms we need to eradicate first."
Upon hearing this, Lister immediately rose to his feet, following Roland's lead.
Seeing that the darkness before him remained, he immediately gripped the hilt of the Shadowless Blade with one hand.
"Notification: Resolute Heart has taken effect, Merrick Saber Technique has taken effect, and the Light Barrier has been broken."
A resilient and sharp will flashed through Lister's body.
The light and shadow in the room instantly returned, and the dark gold room, the irregularly shaped crystal wine table, the bright red sofas and chairs, and everything else reappeared before my eyes.
A look of surprise flashed across Roland's eyes.
Not closing the barrier was indeed a test by him.
Although it was known that this level of restraint was insufficient to trap Lister.
But I never expected that the opponent could break through so easily, without even a little effort.
As expected of someone who caught the eye of Lord Hoffman, brought from a remote planet, just like Kavin, none of them are simple.
Such an achievement certainly justifies his Lister to this grand event.
The music was still playing in the banquet hall outside the room.
The captivating and immersive voice made it so that no one paid any attention to the two of them.
"Smack!"
Roland then snapped his fingers.
"Notification: You have been enveloped by Light Barrier and are temporarily unable to be observed or perceived by other life forms."
"Notice: The Resolute Heart '... has taken effect and can be broken at any time."
Perhaps fearing that Lister might lift the ban again, Roland quickly reminded him.
"Don't dispel the barrier yet. The place we're going to is quite secluded, and this barrier will prevent us from being detected."
Guided by Roland, the two eventually left the hall without any further incident.
Even as they swaggered past Captain Boren and his men, no one paid any attention to them.
Stepping out of the building, the dedicated airship was already parked in front of them. As the two landed, it quickly flew towards the other side of the planet.
To the naked eye, apart from the towering building specifically for hosting the party, the rest of the planet consists of low-rise bungalows, resembling an area inhabited by indigenous people.
Before long, the airship flew to increasingly remote environments, finally coming to a stop in front of a large wasteland.
Seeing this, Lister immediately unleashed Killing Intent Wave.
Sure enough, there was a giant building not far in front of them.
It cannot be observed with the naked eye or with ordinary perception, and people may even subconsciously ignore this place.
However, Lister's Killing Intent Wave different. With the extreme amplification of his Robust Soul and the enhancement of his judgment, it was generally impossible for him to hide.
"You sensed it?"
"Yes, it's not easy to find once you get here."
Roland's expression of astonishment deepened immediately.
Sensing the Killing Intent Wave from Lister, and hearing his obvious scrutinizing gaze, it was clear that he had indeed sensed it.
It's important to understand that the barrier surrounding this building is not the same as the Light Barrier he had at the party, or the one currently enveloping the two of them.
It is a specially established barrier, which is generally impossible for life forms other than those that have undergone four stages of evolution to perceive or observe.
And Lister in front of him was clearly only at the fourteenth rank...
In an instant, Lister's strength and status in Roland's mind were elevated once again, and at the same time, his views on the martial arts system also subtly changed.