Thought Deconstruction

Ailan, after all, was a veteran Quasi-Hegemon, and his perception was in no way inferior.

Hoffman noticed the slightest anomaly in the battle between him and Lister.

With a single wave of his hand, an invisible spatial barrier rose up.

"Boom~ Boom~ Boom~!"

A violent explosion rang out; the intensity of this attack was in no way inferior to that of a neutron cannon on a medium-sized ship.

However, Ailan was still lacking in skill and couldn't break through the barrier at all.

Amidst the explosions, Ailan began to sing again.

With his five fingers pointing forward in a loose fist, the space around Kazan suddenly materialized, solidifying as if it were glass.

"Smack!"

With a crisp cracking sound, Kazan's mechanical body was sliced into countless cubic fragments.

Even a 17th-tier Quasi-Hegemon guard mechanical lifeform is clearly weaker than Ailan.

In a single encounter, he was annihilated by overwhelming power.

But in the next instant, Ailan's expression immediately turned serious.

The reason is simple: the puppets Hoffman was manipulating had already crossed the barrier.

The blade in his hand pierced towards her with unavoidable speed.

In the end, Ailan managed to slightly tilt his body, allowing the blade to pierce only his right shoulder.

After taking that blow, Ailan's face turned completely grim.

Hoffman's puppet was instantly trapped in space.

As if to vent his anger, Ailan clenched his fist again.

"Spray! Spray!"

Two punches, one on the left and one on the right, each carrying the power to cut through space, shattered both of the mechanical doll's arms.

The chanting finally rang out once more, and the space around the doll began to materialize, solidifying like glass.

The five fingers clenched loosely once more, as if the puppet's fate was already sealed.

However, Ailan's expression suddenly changed, and his pupils widened.

The reason was simple: the robot in front of him, which should have been unable to move, was now wearing a smile.

The smile seemed eerie, subtly conveying a hint of contempt, yet it felt strangely familiar to her.

And then there was that incredibly familiar head of green hair.

Sudden!

A person she utterly loathed surfaced in her mind, and her expression instantly turned even more unpleasant.

His five fingers clenched immediately, and a sound like shattering glass rang out, but the doll was not dismembered.

It was perfectly intact, and just stood there quietly smiling at Ailan.

"Hoffman...! Damn it!"

Gritting his teeth and staring at the doll in front of him, Ailan's aura exploded completely.

A deathly chill instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.

A long string of low murmurs emanated from her mouth, and the staff in her hand emitted a dazzling incandescent light.

The puppet controlled by Hoffman was imprisoned once again.

Moreover, this time the space was no longer materialized; instead, it began to Twist in an unusual way.

As the chanting finally ended, the entire space transformed into a two-dimensional sheet of paper.

The paper figures are incredibly lifelike; it's a true game-changer.

With such a commotion, everyone present kept their eyes on Ailan while fighting.

But in the next instant, two powerful auras suddenly entered the battlefield.

It instantly dispelled the deathly silence and chill in the battlefield.

Everyone turned around again, looking towards the location from which the aura was emanating, their expressions growing increasingly serious.

Two figures quickly approached and appeared in front of the group.

A figure clad in dark silver mechanical armor, the streamlined armor gleaming with a cold metallic sheen under the starlight.

The armor's surface was covered with fine energy patterns that flickered in rhythm with the user's breathing.

The shoulder armor and arm armor are inlaid with miniature reactors, and blue-white energy flows at the joints.

[Target: Kavin Deer]

[Level: Lv169]

[Occupation: Truth Mechanic (Mechanical Engineering)]

[Health Points: 2344209/2344209]

[Strength: 661417/661417]

[Attributes: Strength: 330, Stamina: 332, Intelligence: 338, Agility: 338]

[Skill: Alchemical Mechanical Frenzy (SS-rank) LV23:...

Truth Seeking (Passive, No Rank): Continuously grasp the truth of the universe, increasing the speed of comprehending the truth of the universe by 56% and the learning and understanding of mechanical knowledge by 169%.

...]

[Overall Rating: SS]

As Kavin and Lister had predicted, Kaven had already reached the World-Ending Level combat power.

In terms of skills, he has independently learned several passive skills, making up for the original gap in his thinking attribute, and even gaining an additional skill: the Truth Seeking.

Even Lister was incredibly envious; he truly deserves to be called a genius in the Divine Revelation World.

With this skill boost, it's no wonder he can keep learning new skills.

The other person beside him had striking green hair and wore a green suit, exuding elegance and gentlemanly charm.

Exquisite features, a polite smile tinged with a hint of wickedness.

[Target: Hoffman SS-type Doll (Master Doll Status, Leviathan Civilization)]

[Occupation: Alchemist Puppeteer (Mechanical)]

[Level: Lv180]

[Health Points: 1910412/1910412]

[Strength:572232/572232]

[Attributes: Strength 360, Stamina 360, Intelligence 360, Agility 360]

[Skill: Alchemical Mechanical Bestowal (SS-rank) LV180: Alchemical Mechanical Bestowal with new spirituality, increasing health and stamina by 360% for a certain period of time, and also increasing the damage dealt by all alchemy machines by 360%.]

Alchemical Puppet Bestowal (SS Rank)...

Radiance of Alchemical Life (Passive, No Grade)

The Fallacy of the Alchemical Enigma Puppet (Passive, No Rank) LV180: The master puppet gains 180% increased attack power, defense, and health..., significant immunity to control effects, slight immunity to damage, and can freely switch to any other puppet as the master puppet. (Note: When the master puppet dies, a new master puppet will be randomly selected from the remaining puppets.)

...]

[Overall Rating: SS]

Is this the real Hoffman?

Lister knew that his human body had long since been left in the Alchemy Ruined City.

What I saw today was not a doll in its descended state, but a master doll.

Their combat power also far exceeded his expectations; they were also at the World-Ending Level, not the Overlord Tier.

As expected of one of the earliest geniuses three thousand years ago, their ability to move freely in the great cosmic era and capture the Zerg mother is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

It seems that Hoffman is currently the number one among the Quasi-Hegemon of the Galactic Federation.

Not to mention his unique passive ability, making it virtually impossible to truly kill him.

However, if this master puppet is truly lost, the accumulation of thousands of years will likely be wiped out.

The two overwhelming, World-Ending Level pressures made it difficult for the soldiers on the Federation Military District's side to breathe.

The other Quasi-Hegemon also had strange expressions. It turned out that Tolon had mentioned at the meeting that Kavin's strength was not bad.

The fact that they could single-handedly devour the entire Ninth Central Army fleet, with not a single member escaping, speaks volumes about their strength.

But after meeting them face-to-face today and feeling the immense pressure they were under, I truly came to appreciate Kavin.

Only Ailan remained expressionless, ignoring the situation, his attention completely focused on Hoffman.

"After hiding for so many years, you've finally decided to show yourself?"

"Hehe~! Long time no see, Ailan."

"Your temper is still the same as it was back then. I just greeted you, and you lost one of my dolls."

Hoffman maintained his gentlemanly demeanor, as if he were catching up with an old friend, displaying remarkable ease.

His appearance further enraged Ailan.

The two were originally roughly equal in strength within the Galactic Federation.

Just because the other party reached the 18th level first, he gained the title of "Number One Genius" and suppressed her for thousands of years.

Moreover, his hypocritical demeanor all day long disgusted her.

When she also reached the 18th rank and wanted to compete with him for the title, Hoffman suddenly caused a scandal in the Central Army Group, defected, and was wanted.

After that, her whereabouts became unpredictable, and the title of genius of the Federation Military District was passed on to her.

This gave her the feeling that she got a bargain because the other party didn't want the title anymore.

The title of "Number One Genius," which he had longed for, had fallen on his head in this way. Ailan did not feel honored; on the contrary, he felt it was an insult.

From that time onward, the Galactic Federation never again had the title of "Number One Genius" or the competition for it, as it was all secretly suppressed by Ailan.

Over the years, he has never had the opportunity to truly compete with Hoffman.

Today I've finally found my opportunity!

Just as he was about to make a move, Tolon stopped him from the side.

"Hoffman!"

"Think it through. Are you sure you want to get involved in this?"

"I'll leave the internal affairs of the Federation Military District aside, this time it's about you getting involved in Mechanical Civilization, and that won't just be a simple matter of being wanted."

Tolon's expression was serious, and he spoke as if he were speaking to Hoffman in the best interests of an old friend.

That's certainly true. Internal strife, murder, and violations of general federal laws are nothing to the Galactic Noble, let alone Hoffman, who is only one step away from becoming Quasi-Hegemon.

When the First Central Army Group was formed, it was never subjected to any significant suppression.

However, if they were to participate in today's events, the attitude of the entire Galactic Federation's top leadership would immediately change.

Hoffman, however, didn't seem to care, his smile remaining unchanged.

"I've considered the consequences of standing here today."

"Think about it again. It wasn't easy to get to where you are today."

"It's clear you've been doing quite well outside the galaxy these past few years. Is it really worth taking such a big risk for something as trivial as Kavin?"

Tolon continued his persuasion, though Lister felt his approach was somewhat soft.

Although Tolon is a very patient person, he is never ambiguous when it comes to combat.

It's unclear whether their current attitude stems from a genuine close personal relationship, giving Hoffman a chance, or from genuine fear.

System notification (Tolon's message): Today is not the time for the final battle. Hoffman and Kavin are both exceptionally strong. We may not be able to defeat them in a nine-on-six fight. Let's find an opportunity to retreat later.

Just as he had predicted, Tolon secretly sent messages to the nine Quasi-Hegemon present.

Those who received the message immediately understood the situation.

Today's sudden decisive battle was indeed somewhat unexpected.

Even Kavin alone, along with his four Quasi-Hegemon bodyguards, might not have an advantage, let alone with the arrival of Hoffman, a contemporary of Ailan.

This was also a legendary figure from the Galactic Federation in the past.

Even though it has kept a very low profile for nearly a thousand years and is no longer known within the Galactic Federation, everyone, as a Quasi-Hegemon, still knows its significance.

With nine against six, the advantage doesn't necessarily lie with them.

Moreover, as originally planned, Tolon had a backup plan.

Everyone is now prepared to leave at any time according to the plan.

Only Ailan looked extremely grim when he received Tolon's message.

Completely disregarding the situation, he flashed past Tolon in front of him.

"We've fought this far, what's the point of retreating?!"

Full of discontent, Ailan seemed completely out of control upon seeing Hoffman.

Years of pent-up resentment, and now the power of the number one person after the Galactic Federation, which has Hegemon for thousands of years.

She had already become somewhat blinded, and no longer considered the fact that the other party's aura was much stronger than hers.

What I hate most is your smiling face!

"Today, I will show you who has always been stronger!"

A disagreement could easily escalate into a fight.

A long string of low murmurs rose again, and the space around Hoffman began to confine him once more.

But the chanting stopped abruptly the next moment.

His brow furrowed involuntarily as he realized that his spatial confinement seemed to have struck an invisible barrier and bounced back.

Clearly, this tactic was completely ineffective against the real Hoffman.

Her green hair flew wildly as the energy surged.

As the sleeves of his suit fluttered, dense alchemical runes were revealed on his arms, now shimmering with an eerie green light.

Only now, with the energy flowing in, can one truly feel the difference between this arm and that of an ordinary person.

"After thousands of years, you still only know this one move."

Hoffman chuckled softly, then suddenly plunged his fingertip into his temple, causing a small patch of flesh to burst open, and green blood spread from his fingertip down his arm.

"Alchemy Thought Deconstruction (SS-Rank)" activated.

Instantly, Ailan's expression turned serious, and she knew in her heart that something was wrong.

She felt an unstoppable surge of powerful energy rushing into her mental world, followed by a violent mental shock.

The staff in his hand suddenly trembled violently, as if out of control, and emitted strange colors.

All spatial restrictions on the entire battlefield were lifted.

At the same time, Ailan's expression became complicated, sometimes smiling, sometimes in pain, as if he had entered a state of madness.

"Ailan ~!"

"Ailan ~!"

Tolon shouted twice from behind, but failed to wake her.

Her thought process is being constantly deconstructed.

Seeing this, Tolon didn't dare to delay. Although he didn't like Ailan, he was still his teammate.

With a single finger extended forward, a beam of purple energy shot towards Hoffman, attempting to interrupt his movements.

However, he was interrupted by Kavin, who also unleashed a purple beam from his Kavin.

Both being mechanical engineers and members of the Leviathan Civilization, they were naturally familiar with the Leviathan Civilization's signature skills.

The two beams of light collided head-on.

The next moment, Tolon's expression changed, and he immediately realized that the situation was not good.

Kavin's energy beam was significantly stronger than his own, and it was now aimed directly at him, pressing down on his own beam.

Seeing this, he quickly withdrew his attack and dodged at an extremely fast speed.

But as he dodged, Ailan behind him inevitably suffered; the beam of light pierced her neck, tearing through her flesh.

Instantly, Ailan's face contorted in pain, and his frenzied state intensified.

His body, which had been stiff, began to twitch, and he released his grip on the staff.

Until a certain moment, as if the time was ripe, Hoffman elegantly adjusted his tie.

Ailan's eyes widened in horror as she realized she was following Hoffman's movements and getting ready as well.

Everyone's scalp tingled instantly!

How long has it been? Just one exchange, and their strongest warrior Ailan, is completely under the enemy's control?

They have completely lost their autonomy, like dolls.