With Manison gone, the operation to capture the core of the Virtual Mutiny Virus has finally come to an end.
Han Xiao deactivated the Mechanical Deity, disbanded the combat troops, and left some logistics and maintenance teams to assist the Three Universal Civilizations in cleaning up the battlefield.
He and Manison deliberately moved the battlefield away from the planet, restraining their troops from firing in the direction of the planet, but the aftershocks of the battle still had a significant impact on Cloud Magnet Planet.
The earth looked as if a layer had been scraped away by a file, and the scraped-off "flesh" turned into sandstorms. From outer space, the surface was covered with marks left by falling objects, pitted and uneven. The most conspicuous of these were the trenches left by the Trident of Manison, which transformed the wilderness into a large spiderweb-like network of rift valleys, stretching for hundreds of miles.
The settlement of the Mechanic Faith was affected to some extent. The protective shield flickered, but it was not destroyed. However, the violent earthquake caused a large number of buildings to collapse, and the surrounding land subsided by one or two meters. The city shrouded in the shield became a towering island, which looked quite conspicuous.
Seeing this, Han Xiao had an idea and controlled his Dominion avatar to descend towards the settlement.
Everyone came to Pursuit the virus's core, and a battle ensued. Although they discovered the Mechanic Faith on Cloud Magnet Planet, they hadn't had time to make contact until now.
Manison had warned him that he didn't want to see other Beyond Grade A come into contact with the Mechanic Faith, but now that he had once again turned against the Mechanic Emperor, Han Xiao naturally put his words out of his mind.
Han Xiao slowly descended and stopped above the settlement's protective shield.
A dozen or so figures followed, including Kant and the other Beyond Grade A mechanics.
Han Xiao didn't stop him; we're not Mechanic Emperor.
A few seconds later, the protective shield opened on its own, and Han Xiao and his group landed on top of the mechanical temple in the center of the settlement. All the priests were excited and formed a circle around them, creating quite a stir.
"Look! Mechanical Deity, alive!"
"So many Beyond Grade A mechanics, I really want to touch them."
Do you think they'd agree to take a photo with us?
The priests whispered excitedly, their hearts filled with elation.
This must be heaven!
Normally, only the Mechanic Emperor would take the initiative to contact them; few other Beyond Grade A mechanics would come over, as if they had no interest in the Mechanic Faith at all, making them feel that these Beyond Grade A mechanics looked down on them.
They generally don't actively seek out their objects of worship, worshipping only themselves, so their interactions are limited. But now, seeing so many living, breathing Beyond Grade A mechanics in person, everyone was overjoyed, excited yet reserved, wanting to rush over but also afraid of displeasing the "gods."
Finally, the High Priests stepped forward and said:
"I am the High Priests of this Mechanic Faith settlement. Fellow Beyond Grade A Mechanics, on behalf of the Mechanic Faith, I welcome your visit."
Han Xiao knew how to deal with a group of believers, so he didn't say any pleasantries or need for a formal introduction. He simply glanced at the collapsed buildings in the distance and asked with concern in a leader-like tone:
"I just had a fight with the Mechanic Emperor. It was quite intense. Are you all alright?"
"It's alright. We have heavy armor for protection, and the residents have already taken refuge in air vehicles. There were few casualties, and the loss of the city is negligible. We can just rebuild it."
Seeing Black Star's consoling gesture, the High Priests's spirits lifted, and his face beamed with joy.
My idol is so kind and attentive to me!
I have no regrets in my life!
"Let's move to another planet. The damage to Cloud Magnet Planet is quite severe, and I expect there will be frequent natural disasters in the future," Han Xiao added with concern.
"No, no, no, we must stay here and pay homage to the traces left by you and the Mechanic Emperor." The High Priests shook his head like a rattle-drum.
With Cloud Magnet Planet in such a state, a normal person would move to another planet to live on. But the Mechanic Faith the Machine God is not normal. To them, the battle between Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor here has made Cloud Magnet Planet a "battleground of gods," which is of great significance. They are too busy visiting it every day to move. Moving? No way!
"Alright then, since you're already here, I'll lend you a hand." Han Xiao pointed his finger, and a virtual screen appeared out of thin air, displaying a flat map of Cloud Magnet Planet. He said kindly, "The damage to your settlement is partly my fault. Pick a location, and I'll help you rebuild a city."
The many priests immediately widened their eyes, unable to believe that the high and mighty Mechanical Deity could be such a kind person.
"No, no, I wouldn't dare trouble you with such a trivial matter Black Star," the High Priests hurriedly declined.
"Don't be so polite. We're practically family. I've always known about the existence of the Mechanic Faith. I've heard that you've always worshipped me as a god. Although I've never had any contact with you before, since you venerate me as a god, I won't hesitate to offer you my protection."
Han Xiao didn't beat around the bush; he practically said, "I'm a reliable backer, so hurry up and lie down on my pectoral muscles."
Upon hearing this, the High Priests was somewhat tempted. Their faith was not swayed by material interests, but there was no need for them to refuse the gifts from the "gods."
After discussing it, the group finally selected some locations on the map to choose as the site for their new settlement.
Han Xiao glanced at it and saw that it was indeed the rift created by the trident. He wasn't surprised and deliberately smiled, "That's good. The weapons that I knocked down from the Mechanic Emperor are smashed here."
As soon as he finished speaking, the curiosity of many priests was piqued.
They had been watching the battle between the two Mechanical Deity, only to find that they stopped fighting halfway through. Later, they heard Kant say on the wide-area channel that the two were evenly matched, and then the Mechanic Emperor ran away. Everything happened so fast that they were still completely confused.
"Lord Black Star, why did you and the Mechanic Emperor go to war, and what was the outcome? Uh... please forgive my intrusion if this is a sensitive topic."
The High Priests couldn't help but ask, even though he knew it was somewhat abrupt, but his heart was itching like a cat scratching, and his curiosity just wouldn't stop, like a fanatic's fervent thirst for the latest gossip about their idol.
"This isn't a secret; it'll be revealed sooner or later. There's no harm in telling you. You know about the Virtual Mutiny Virus, right?"
"I know, I know."
The High Priests nodded repeatedly, he not only knew it, he was intimately familiar with it.
"That thing isn't just a simple virus; it's an information weapon with a core control mechanism, capable of constantly evolving and updating. It can also jump between the virtual and physical worlds, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. We, the Beyond Grade A, responded to the call of the Three Universal Civilizations precisely to cooperate in the Pursuit..." Han Xiao briefly explained.
The assembled officials stared wide-eyed in shock, realizing that the Virtual Mutiny Virus that had plagued the Ancient Star Desert for so long was such a powerful technology, and their hearts pounded with fear.
"And then, did you succeed?" The High Priests, engrossed in Han Xiao's story, hurriedly pressed for an answer.
"We captured the core, but disagreements arose in how to handle it. Manison, disregarding the risks, wanted to retain the core and research the technology independently, while I, for the sake of cosmic peace, seized the virus core and destroyed it. The Mechanic Emperor was furious and wanted to teach me a lesson, so we fought. I'm sorry to say that you were also involved."
Han Xiao was telling the truth, but he slightly changed the details to highlight the part where Manison "did not care about the safety of the universe and went his own way".
Kant and the others glanced at him, knowing that this was a smear campaign against the Mechanic Emperor, but no one stopped them; almost everyone was happy to see it happen.
"And the result..."
"Just as you heard, the fight between me and the Mechanic Emperor was evenly matched. They realized they couldn't beat me if we continued, so they wisely ran away, not wanting to fight me any further."
Kant and the others glanced at Han Xiao again and nodded.
--Good, keep it up, keep going, don't stop.
"So that's how it is..."
The High Priests sighed contentedly, like a fan who had had his fill of gossip.
Black Star was initially suppressed by the Mechanic Emperor, but the situation was turned around after the outbreak of the Mechanic Faith. However, the Machine God Cult has always only recognized the result. Regardless of whether Black Star has burned his potential, as long as he uses his mechanical abilities to fight against a powerful enemy and achieve a result, they will recognize Black Star's record of fighting to a draw with the Mechanic Emperor. They believe that the two are now evenly matched and can't wait to spread the news throughout the cult and share the gossip.
At the same time, the High Priests felt a pang of regret.
He wasn't a twisted fanatic, but hearing that such a powerful technology as the Virtual Mutiny Virus had been destroyed by Han Xiao still made him feel a little heartbroken.
However, he admired Black Star's heroic act even more because of this. Despite having the virus core within easy reach, Black Star had the well-being of all people in mind and destroyed this powerful technology for the greater good, eliminating any chance for any force to obtain it and ensuring that the virus would never again pose a threat to the universe. This was truly admirable.
The Mechanic Emperor wanted to research the virus in order to master the weapon; the safety of ordinary people was not within its consideration. Although the High Priests could understand the Mechanic Emperor's actions, he always felt that it was inferior to Black Star. Unconsciously, the Mechanic Emperor's image in his mind was not so lofty and mysterious anymore, while Black Star's image was elevated considerably.
Rumors are always distorted; the inside information revealed by these bigwigs is more credible... many priests thought to themselves.
Han Xiao and his group came here to publicize their draw and, incidentally, to smear the Mechanical God Kingdom, so that the members of this Mechanic Faith could vigorously promote it internally and undermine the faith of the Mechanic Emperor.
The Mechanic Faith is a bunch of traitors who blindly follow whoever is stronger; they don't have any die-hard fans. With their track record as evidence, it's not difficult for them to poach members.
Having achieved their goal, Han Xiao and his group interacted with the local believers, deepening their understanding of the Mechanic Faith. They then left the planet, dispelling the Dominator's Descent and leaving only the engineering machinery troops behind to build a new settlement for the Mechanic Faith.
"The Mechanic Emperor has withdrawn."
The live stream ended, and the leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations turned their gazes toward each other.
"Although there were some setbacks, the operation was still successful, and the threat at the core of the virus has been resolved. Black Star's intelligence was correct, and he also contributed greatly to the operation. If it weren't for him, we would have suffered a great loss. His achievement can be described as turning the tide, and he must be commended," Urranrell said first.
Bader and the leader of the Arcane Cult nodded silently, without objection. This was a disaster threatening the entire universe; past grievances should be put aside for now, and those who had rendered meritorious service would be rewarded.
"Moreover, Black Star had to burn its potential to fight in order to disrupt the Mechanic Emperor's plans, so we must provide adequate compensation," Urranrell added.
Bader cursed under his breath for being shameless and retorted, "That's just not fair. Handing over the virus core to us would still disrupt the Mechanic Emperor's plans. Black Star might not do it for reasons of maintaining cosmic order, but it's more about his distrust of us. He's still not on our side. I think a reward is fine, but compensation is out of the question."
"That's not the case." Urranrell shook his head. "Black Star had his own considerations in destroying the virus core. It was both a way to protect himself and avoid taking sides, and also to cut off the source of the disaster. But through this action, we finally see his previously ambiguous stance clearly... He chose order. Even if Black Star isn't one of our core members, his stance aligns with our interests, and we should give him more trust."
Bader frowned and remained silent.
Seeing this, Urranrell said in a deep voice, "Actually, we haven't lost anything by destroying this technology. The main reason for monopolizing the virus technology is to prevent it from leaking out. With our own strength, we can already suppress the Explored Universe. Without this Virtual Mutiny Virus, we are still the overlords. On the contrary, we have lost a variable that could threaten the universe."
She made no attempt to hide her intentions, clearly aiming to secure more benefits for Black Star. Before Bader could say anything more, the Arcane Leader suddenly spoke, slowly saying:
"We need to consider how to deal with the Mechanic Emperor. His stance is dangerous. If Black Star hadn't pointed out the core characteristics of the virus, he would have kept the intelligence hidden forever."
Manison's appetite is growing ever larger. Although he didn't succeed this time, he has already shown his ambition. We can no longer tolerate his arbitrariness and must find a way to weaken him, such as his business, his position, his belief in the Mechanic Faith, and his influence in the Development Federation. Therefore, we need to elect a suitable candidate as his opponent and continuously seize the resources of the Mechanic Emperor."
"You mean Black Star should replace the Mechanic Emperor?" Bader asked reluctantly.
"Indeed, he is the best candidate. Although he is not one of our core members, his stance is trustworthy, and he will not do anything to disrupt the order. It is better for Black Star to grow stronger than for the Mechanic Emperor to continue to act recklessly. Therefore, it would be best to let Black Star fight against the Mechanic Emperor and complete the division... If Black Star leads the Development Federation, that would be even better. We would not have to worry about the Beyond Grade A group taking radical collective actions."
The group exchanged opinions and reached a consensus.
As for Black Star, we should not only reward him, but also vigorously publicize his deeds throughout the universe. This is both to build momentum for Black Star and help him seize the resources of the Mechanic Emperor, and to promote this correct value that is conducive to order.
As for the Mechanic Emperor, we must suppress it forcefully and not let it continue to roam freely.
Putting everything else aside, at least we need to pinpoint this old guy's true form first. Manison isn't Black Star; his true form is his biggest weakness.
The Dominion's clone's vision disappeared, and its gaze returned to its main body.
Han Xiao slowly opened his eyes. His main body was still inside the virtual brainwave amplifier, while the consciousnesses of the others had not returned to their clones here. He was the only active person in the space.
"Finally, the core of the virus has been dealt with."
Han Xiao opened the panel, and the special requirement to personally eliminate the virus core was displayed as completed.
However, the [Intelligence Plague] mission is not over yet. The full rewards for this mission will only be calculated after the Three Universal Civilizations have eliminated the first generation of the virus in the Ancient Star Desert.
Meanwhile, ["Mechanic Emperor" Manison, the Mechanical God War] can be settled. He and Manison fought for half a day and had already achieved the highest rating.
With Fording, Nero, and Ames not around, I'll have to make do with Harrison.
After going out to find Harrison, and giving the boy a good rub under his bewildered gaze, Han Xiao finally settled his rewards with a satisfied expression. His gaze skipped over the experience and character card notifications and went straight to the skill draw interface:
[You have received a reward: Draw one of Manison's abilities (skills/features)]
[Hint: Manison is a virtual specialization mechanic, a perfect match for your class. You can possess any of Manison's abilities. If you draw an overlapping class skill, that skill will receive a certain enhancement.]
[Randomly selecting... Selection complete]
[Please choose one of the following five abilities as a reward]
[1. [Blueprint - Mechanic Emperor's Three Sacred Halberd] - Skill: Universal Treasure -level melee weapon specifically designed for Mechanical Deity. An excellent creation developed by Manison after summarizing various weapon technologies. Specific parameters (folded/unfolded), manufacturing requirements: Character level not lower than 310, intelligence greater than 20,000, possessing knowledge of [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering Lv5], [Endless Material Science Lv5], [Eternal Energy Lv4], etc.]
[2. [Perfect Mechanical Sense] - Specialty: Total Mechanical Affinity 1.4x, Mechanic Class Skill Level +4, Mechanical Force -enhanced Mechanical Quality Increased by 1~2 Tiers (maximum not exceeding Pink Rare Quality)]
[3. [Blueprint - Convict] - Skill: A high-level mechanical combatant independently developed by Manison, a powerful war weapon created using biological modification and mechatronics technology. It requires living superhumans as materials; the stronger the original individual, the higher the performance after modification. Specific parameters (fold/unfold). Note: Requirements for transforming Beyond Grade A living individual into Convict: Character level not lower than 340, intelligence greater than 32,000, and possessing knowledge of [Endless Material Science Lv5], [Mechanical Life Spark Lv5], [Eternal Energy Lv5], [Virtual Creator Lv5], etc.]
[4. [Ancient Ones] - Specialty: A long life grants you rich experience, a valuable spiritual asset. Intelligence +20%, Mysticism +10%, All skill levels +2]
[5. [Billions of Mechanic Emperor - Manison] - Specializations: Intelligence +15%, Total Mechanical Affinity +1.2x, Mechanic Class Skill Level +2, Skills such as [Mechanical Fusion - Granting], [Emperor's Gift], [King's Army], [Life Creation], [Apostle Creation], [Dimensional Factory], [Apostle Evolution], [Mechanical Life Seed Proliferation], [Mechanical Civilization Enhancement] +6, Your Mechanical Production Efficiency +5000%, Quality of Mechanical Creations You Produce +10%~40%, Your Common Blueprint Research and Manufacturing Ability +36%, Gold Blueprint Manufacturing and Research Ability +12%]
[When fighting any mechanical entity, you gain a 10% bonus to all attributes, take 15% less damage, deal 10% more damage, and your stamina and energy consumption decrease by 25%.]
[Note: You are the supreme ruler of billions of machines; you are the kingdom of machines!]
Glug.
Han Xiao was somewhat stunned, his Adam's apple bobbing as he subconsciously swallowed.
Has Lady Luck finally decided to pull down my pants...?