Wang Yue's Advancement and a Visitor

As the Saber Soul was being reshaped, the pain gradually disappeared.

The large amount of medicine and precious recovery products in his body began to take effect.

He never used these potions in battle, but instead used them all to enhance his own abilities.

When Lister woke up from the meditation room, his health was still at 56% and was still growing rapidly.

Blood clung to his skin, sticky and carrying the distinctive fishy smell of blood.

Lister immediately mobilized all his energy.

The blood that had adhered to his body fell off, and his body was instantly cleaned.

After infusing the large amount of saved experience points, the power of the Saber Soul grew stronger once again.

Furthermore, all of his passive abilities are also increasing as his Saber Soul Mastery improves.

The leveling process only ends when most of the experience points have been used up.

[Saber Soul Mastery (Passive, No Rank) LV180→LV230 (Currently can be further improved):...]

It was a month later when I left the meditation room.

The full impact of the fall of two World-Ending Level is only now becoming apparent.

The Machine-Slaying Federation's foreign trade volume has fallen to less than 13%, and foreign tourists now account for only 3.9%.

Faced with a choice between self-interest and life, most people would choose life.

At the same time, the range of detectable galaxies in the universe has been expanded once again.

The escape of a very small number of veteran Hegemon, as well as the departure of many ordinary forces, has further expanded this already unexplorable galaxy at the edge of the universe.

In fact, each round of World Annihilation Wars marks a new peak in the exploration and expansion of the universe and its galaxies.

Staying away from danger is the truly wise move that allows most powers and civilized races to continue to thrive.

Of course, all of this has little to do with the internal workings of the Machine-Slaying Federation, especially the Milky Way Galaxy.

Although mega-construction has slowed down, life within the Milky Way Galaxy remains extravagant.

Accompanied by a peculiar energy fluctuation, Lister continued to observe the situation within his own star system as he made his way there.

The city remains prosperous, and its internal economy is functioning well and has not been significantly affected.

Quint certainly has a talent for administration.

Within the star system near the Ninth Ruling Star, Kavin arrived before him.

At this moment, the energy tide in the vicinity has reached an extremely high level.

This unusual convergence of energy can only prove one thing—someone is breaking through to become the Hegemon.

"Is the Ruler One very powerful?"

The intergalactic teleportation array has been completed, Kavin now lives alternately in the Babylon Galaxy and Milky Way Galaxies.

Some time ago, because Lister left the Milky Way Galaxy to compete for Soul Crystals, he spent more time in the Milky Way Galaxy.

He was also one of the first to stand guard outside when Wang Yue was promoted.

"I wouldn't say it's extremely strong, but it's very well-rounded."

Thinking back to the final war form of the Overlord One, saying it's very strong is actually a bit of a stretch.

It's more about a Balance range of abilities, and even he couldn't suppress it in the first stage.

Keep in mind that this was a mechanical-type world -World Annihilation powerhouse who was on par with martial arts techniques in the later stages.

Logically speaking, it should be more than that; among the seven major powers in the original universe, it should at least rank in the top two.

Unfortunately, the Star Machine Civilization was undoubtedly the last one.

The reason is now quite clear: the entire development direction was wrong.

For a true World-Ending Level powerhouse in the mechanical realm, you still have to look to Kavin.

No wonder that in the previous game, Kavin easily destroyed the Star Machine Civilization and held a position almost equal to the Church of the End in the cosmic landscape; this is the true strength of the Mechanical System.

"What if you compare me to him?"

Kavin looked at Lister very seriously.

Since the last battle with the Ancient Machine Kingdom in the Gray Domain Galaxy, the Star Machine Civilization has become Kavin's prey.

Revenge is only one aspect; more importantly, the Star Machine Civilization, as a branch that escaped from the Ancient Machine Civilization, will have more mechanical knowledge passed down to it.

That's what Kavin needs: to pursue more knowledge and improve himself and the entire Church of Mechanical Truth.

"It's hard to say."

"The difference in rank between you is too great, and in a life-or-death battle, there are too many influencing factors."

Upon hearing this, Kavin nodded silently, agreeing with Lister's assessment.

Since breaking through the World Annihilation, his strength has been increasing at a slower and slower pace.

It took three hundred years, with the help of the Holy Grail's energy, to break through another rank, currently reaching rank 21.

In fact, among all the major powers in the universe, there is no other genius whose cultivation speed can rival Kavin's.

Most newly emerging World Annihilation powerhouses need at least a thousand years to barely break through to the first rank.

It would take at least ten thousand years to advance to level 24.

Unlike Kavin, this speed is simply astonishing.

However, in Kavin's own eyes, with Lister as a precedent, he felt that the improvement was somewhat unsatisfactory.

"Regardless, I'll leave the Ruler to you."

"No problem, no one will pay attention to the Star Machine Civilization for a while."

The decline of the Star Machine Civilization was already a foregone conclusion in the eyes of all forces.

Although a single World Annihilation powerhouse is enough to support the development of a super power.

But this world -World Annihilation powerhouse must be powerful enough.

As far as the Ruler One is concerned, it is clear that it has not yet reached that level.

"Jiji has changed quite a bit under the modification of the Ancient Machine Holy Grail, and I've completed the new blueprints for its advancement."

"However, you'll probably have to spend your own time on the forging and processing of the specific accessories."

Even though Jiji is the mother of the Zerg, its overall classification is still mechanical.

It has collected quite a few special treasures that interest it, but how to improve them remains a problem.

Ultimately, this difficult problem fell to Kavin.

They even used the precious, nearly depleted energy of the Holy Grail to perform a baptism for Jiji.

Only after undergoing this baptism can its design and upgrades be carried out based on its existing capabilities.

He received the Jiji for Chirp's promotion from Kavin.

Lister could only understand the general shape.

Since Jiji is already a living being, the upgrades and modifications cannot be directly reforged.

Their mechanical life forms are largely similar to those of the Kavin Mechanical Civilization.

By forging higher-level components and replacing them independently, the overall increase in strength resonates with the promotion.

The current challenge lies in forging these upgraded components.

Like the galaxy-level teleportation array, the blueprints were provided by Kavin early on, but the materials involved are more complicated.

It took craftsmen over a hundred years to finally find the right parts and assemble them.

While he was pondering this moment, Wang Yue finally completed his breakthrough, and the energy tide gathered even further.

The energy was converging on her in an exaggerated manner, and all life forms in the nearby star field felt the strange phenomenon of energy being drawn away from them.

However, since there was no announcement on the personal chip, they didn't pay any attention to it in the end.

They have unconditional trust in the power of their own Machine-Slaying Federation.

The energy extraction from the galaxy lasted for most of the day before it gradually began to recover.

Finally, Wang Yue emerged from the star trail on the seventh level.

In the blink of an eye, they were already in front of the two.

With the face of Lim Irwin, even in just a standard training uniform, her curves were perfectly outlined.

His face, with its perfect proportions, naturally exudes an air of aloofness and nobility.

As expected of a super family from the original Beta Civilization, a legacy of tens of thousands of years from the original Galactic Noble, their appearance was indeed impeccable.

But in the next instant, Lister's perception of Wang Yue began to blur.

The anticipated uncontrollable energy release and pressure, like that of Hoffman when he first ascended to power, that belonged to a newly Hegemon, did not appear on Wang Yue at all.

Wang Yue stood on the ring, in front of the two, her figure silent and still.

Visible to the naked eye, but difficult to perceive.

This was the first time Lister had sensed Killing Intent Wave that day.

Without holding back, he focused all his Killing Intent Perception on Wang Yue.

Wang Yue has only stepped into the Overlord Tier, but with his current level, any existing life or energy field is like a beacon in the darkness before him.

However, facing Wang Yue so close at hand, Lister's senses gradually lost their direction, feeling as if he were staring into an unfathomable void.

This wasn't a matter of "strength" in terms of aura, but rather as if... it didn't exist.

It was as if the other party could compress and concentrate all their aura, fluctuations, and even their "presence" into a point that was almost non-existent.

The control over that energy was so exquisite it was astonishing.

Lister could imagine that if he didn't consciously concentrate all his senses, the other party would completely disappear from his perception the moment he relaxed his vigilance.

[Target: Wang Yue (Milky Way Galaxy)]

[Occupation: Lord of Myriad Forms (Other Attributes)]

[Level: LV181]

[...]

[Skill: Myriad Forms (SSS) LV181: Can freely transform into the face, body shape, aura, and bloodline of others without time constraints. Can randomly master three skills of the transformed person. Skill strength is related to one's own strength.]

The Hidden One (SSS) LV181: Has absolute control over one's own perception, increasing the intensity of one's own perception by 1810%, and can reduce others' perception of one by up to 100%.

...]

[Overall Rating: S]

As expected, Class Holder from other disciplines are extreme.

Wang Yue's combat prowess in advancing to the Hegemon has not been demonstrated, and he may not even rank among the Hegemon.

However, in terms of methods and capabilities, the role they can play in certain aspects far surpasses that of ordinary Hegemons.

Wang Yue's support has been crucial to Lister's journey to where he is today.

It was only after he became Hegemon that Wang Yue gradually began to distance himself.

"Lister, Kavin, thank you for your hard work."

His voice was calm and still, like a deep and unchanging ancient well, profound and reserved.

She then gave a slight nod in greeting, her movements elegant and natural.

At the same time, his aura began to reappear, and he was no longer deliberately concealing it.

"Very strong ability to hide."

Kavin doesn't talk much in everyday conversation, and he rarely praises others for their abilities.

I was genuinely surprised by Wang Yue's ability to conceal himself.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three parted ways.

Even if Wang Yue has excellent control over her own aura, she has only just entered the Overlord Tier and needs to continue to familiarize herself with her other abilities.

As for the other matters, the fact that the Machine-Slaying Federation had gained another Hegemon ultimately did not cause much of a stir.

The Federation is no longer what it used to be; even the newly emerging superpowers are still superpowers.

Among super powers, the Overlord Tier forces are the absolute main force, but not the core.

Whether there is one more or one less person, it has a significant impact on the actual control of the power on a daily basis.

But in this time of impending war, it doesn't attract as much attention.

Two weeks later, Merrick Castle welcomed a new group of guests.

"I never expected that this castle would be exactly the same as it was before."

"The training ground and the garden stretch as far as the eye can see."

An ordinary-looking young man, from the moment he stepped into the castle, looked around with a nostalgic expression.

He wore a set of precious silver-gray exotic gold training clothes, which, although expensive, looked ordinary on him.

The only thing that caught the eye was the massive, bronze-colored Big Hammer, as tall as a person, that was slung over the back of the training uniform.

"Big Hammer Bro, you've been here before?"

Another female player standing nearby asked curiously.

Compared to this Big Hammer Bro, the female player's outfit is much better looking.

A low-grade dark red dress; although its defensive capabilities are almost zero, it is undeniably beautiful.

Her hands and chest were covered with various accessories.

Female players also don't neglect their appearance in the game.

Especially for women whose professions are primarily life skills-based and secondary, equipment defense is of little concern.

As the woman asked her question, another man standing nearby couldn't help but look at Big Hammer Bro with equal curiosity.

When pressed by the two men, "Big Hammer Bro" deliberately put on airs, wanting to joke with them and put on a little act.

"This Scourge warrior? You've been to the castle before?"

A cool, clear voice came from in front of the three of them. Lilina stopped leading the way and turned around to look at the player with the Big Hammer Bro with great curiosity.

Her dark blue Intelligence Agency uniform looked exceptionally sharp in the moment, and the silver stripes on the collar shimmered slightly with each step she took.

The three players looked at each other in bewilderment, while the woman in the red dress was speaking to "Big Hammer Bro" in the private chat.

"Big Hammer, don't overdo it!"

"You've finally managed to come all this way, don't let me kick you out for bragging."

Lilina always showed reverence in front of Lister, and her attitude and emotions were exceptionally gentle.

But when she's out in public, she's rather aloof and doesn't like to interact with people much.

Even these three players were treated the same way, merely as soldiers of the Scourge Legion.

"Ms. Lilina, I didn't lie!"

"I'm from Act 1... no... the earliest... veteran player... no, I mean veteran warrior. Before switching to blacksmithing, I was a martial arts-style hammer-wielding player."

"In the beginning, this was the Kingdom of Lucian, and Merrick Castle was the Earl's castle. Back then Count Merrick even taught the Merrick Saber Technique to outsiders."

"That's when I came in. I learned swordsmanship from Count Merrick. If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate it right now!"

All three are now players specializing in secondary professions, and all are focused on forging.

Among them, the ID "I'll Hammer Your Balls" is one of the earliest veteran players in Act I, who later switched to a secondary profession specialization in Act IV.

The other two players entered the game in Acts 5 and 6.

From that time onward, Merrick Castle, though not yet a restricted area, was closed to the public.

Nowadays, ordinary people are not allowed to enter the entire First Administrative Star.

Players cannot directly enter unless they have a quest to complete the mission.

Not to mention Merrick Castle, an absolute forbidden zone within the First Administrative Star.

The three of them were actually quite confused about why they came today.

He usually forges top-tier weapons for players, and due to his exceptional skill, he enjoys a considerable reputation among top players.

I had a pretty good time in the game, even though I couldn't directly engage in combat to enjoy the fun of battle.

However, the popularity of forging among players, along with their real-world wealth, also satisfied these players with their crafting secondary professions.

Today, I was recruited by Lilina at the last minute, supposedly at the invitation of Lord Merrick.

They still don't know what's going on. Logically speaking, even if it's a side quest, they wouldn't be looking for players with secondary professions like them.