In the current universe, the conflict in the Shattered World is seen as a rebellion by the Super Star Cluster Alliance against the long-standing hegemony of the Three Universal Civilizations. After several months of development, the interstellar society has given the event an official name: the "Shattered World Battle".
In preparation for the Shattered World Battle, the Super Star Cluster Alliance has been making preparations for decades. During the first to third phases of exploration, they continuously sent stowaways to infiltrate the star system and establish secret stargates. While the Three Universal Civilizations were busy dealing with the Intelligence Plague, the Supercluster civilization secretly prepared war resources, avoiding detection, and established hidden warehouses in different Desolate Universe Belt, and even built a secret military communication network.
Now, all the hidden schemes have come together. The Supercluster Civilization has built a series of secret transportation networks to supply the Shattered World with blood. The secret force that transported the Soul-Switching Twins crossed starfields to reach the Shattered Star Ring through a secret stargate passage, leaving no record in public stargates or similar places.
In the temporary detention room of the main ship, Lagos, the warlord of the Modo Civilization Expeditionary Fleet, was communicating with the Soul-Switching Twins, giving instructions.
"... Gentlemen, your mission objective is Iso Hariken, the adoptive father of the Dragon Emperor, and currently a special advisor to the Black Star Army."
"Weren't we transferred here to deal with Black Star? Why were we replaced?" the elder of the Soul-Switching Twins asked shrilly.
"This is the plan to deal with Black Star. Iso is a key figure; he is very important to the Dragon Emperor, and Black Star maintains a special relationship with the Dragon Emperor. We can use this method to divert Black Star's attention from us and force him to withdraw his Black Star Army."
Lagos said in a deep voice.
Over the past few months, he and the senior officers of the Exploration Army have repeatedly analyzed the pros and cons, and ultimately chose a roundabout route to achieve their goal.
The operational plan was approved by the General Staff. Given Modo's current situation, the only way to stop Black Star would be to drag Black Star into another vortex.
The Modo Civilization also knew of Iso's reputation. This immortal being possessed extremely strong prophetic abilities and was difficult to deal with. However, compared to that, directly dealing with Beyond Grade A being was much more difficult, so targeting Iso had the highest success rate.
And it is precisely because of the power of Iso's prophecy that it is necessary to specifically eliminate it. In the past few months, Iso, together with Nero, has been searching extensively in the Shattered Star Ring and has discovered the locations of multiple transport lines of the Super Star Cluster Alliance, causing considerable losses. If the Black Star Army had not been openly targeting only the Modo Civilization and only "collateral damage" to other Supercluster Civilizations, the impact on the war would have been even greater.
While Nero's luck played a significant role, the Supercluster civilization believed that the main credit came from Iso's prophecy. Therefore, even without the need to deal with Black Star, they still had to find a way to handle Iso's problem, and now they could kill two birds with one stone.
However, the Soul-Switching Twins were deeply disappointed:
"I thought we could just go straight for Black Star, but I got my hopes up for nothing."
Lagos frowned. "If we fail to deal with Black Star, you will surely die. Wouldn't it be safer to deal with Iso?"
Upon hearing this, the Soul-Switching Twins let out a sarcastic sneer.
They live in utter darkness; why would they care about this?
Black Star is Peak Beyond Grade A, so he's bound to be difficult to deal with, but the two of them don't care about the danger of the operation at all. They only have their eyes on Black Star's vast assets and lofty status.
If they could use the Soul-Switching Device to possess Black Star's body, everything would belong to them. They would not only gain freedom but also become top-tier powerhouses in the universe, seizing the immense power Black Star had cultivated over decades and the foundation he had built.
More than life or death, the two were eager to take this high-stakes gamble, but there was no need to reveal their true feelings at this moment.
"Tell us, what exactly do you want us to do?" the younger of the Soul-Switching Twins asked hoarsely.
"Iso is now a special advisor to the Black Star Army. The Black Star Army is heavily guarded and possesses a special ability to detect hostile targets. Therefore, we will use methods such as faking supply lines as bait to lure them out and find a way for you two to make contact with Iso. Then, you will use the Soul-Switching Device to temporarily distort his mind, manipulate him into getting involved in a conflict between civilizations, and have him deliberately die to frame that civilization, thereby angering the Dragon Emperor... We will secretly push this through. You only need to focus on your own tasks; you don't need to know the other details."
Lagos explained it in a low voice.
For both public and private reasons, Iso must die, and his death should be blamed on a galactic civilization protected by a Peace Treaty, so that Dragon Emperor becomes enemies with that civilization. Ideally, Dragon Emperor should be forced to lose control and commit massacre. In this way, the advanced civilization will have to uphold the Peace Treaty, making Dragon Emperor the target of everyone's anger. Even if Dragon Emperor is not forced to do such a thing, given her nature, she will inevitably clash with that civilization.
In any case, Black Star will definitely turn around and help, and may even have to use force to protect the Dragon Emperor. In this way, Black Star Army will have another more urgent opponent, and there is a high probability that the army will withdraw.
"Understood." The Soul-Switching Twins remained noncommittal.
This wasn't the first time the two of them had done this; they were already quite adept at it and it was second nature to them.
Lagos gave a few more instructions before ending the call. The guards then closed the door again, preventing the two from moving around freely.
The Soul-Switching Twins exchanged a glance, understanding each other without needing to speak.
--This is a chance to become a free man. After obtaining the Soul-Switching Device and completing the mission, I will find a way to escape. I am unwilling to continue to be imprisoned as a tool by the Modo Civilization.
In his office, Han Xiao flipped through the report on the Shattered Star Ring, occasionally glancing up at the remote projections of Nero and Iso in front of him.
"38 Super Star Cluster Alliance transport fleets were discovered, two secret transport lines and seven secret transit resource outposts of the Modo Civilization were completely destroyed, and a quantity of daily supplies, weapons, and ammunition were seized. Eleven more suspected transport lines from other Supercluster civilizations are under monitoring... Well done."
After glancing through the report, Han Xiao smiled and offered his praise.
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching."
Nero scratched his head, grinned sheepishly, and licked his hand.
"You're the head of the Shattered Star Ring now, stop grinning like that, be serious, okay?" Han Xiao tapped the table.
Nero immediately tensed up, his smile vanished, and he became serious.
He's an adult now, but in front of Han Xiao, he always acts very relaxed, unconsciously revealing a childlike side, making Han Xiao feel like he hasn't grown up... However, in the eyes of an elder like him, his own child will always be a child who never grows up.
... Of course, it could also be because Nero's height gives him a youthful appearance.
At this moment, Iso smiled and said, "I like this kid. He has great potential. Give him some time, and he will grow into someone who can stand on his own. Besides, he's really lucky."
Han Xiao nodded and asked, "Have you made any predictions about Modo's movements recently?"
Iso shook his head. "It's still that vague sense of crisis. Three months have passed, and they still don't seem to have taken any action."
Han Xiao turned to look at Nero, "Then you should make sure to strengthen intelligence gathering efforts. Report to me immediately if there's any sign of trouble."
During this period, he analyzed the possible plans that the Modo Civilization might take and felt that the chances of them directly attacking him were very low. They were more likely to target those around him. Therefore, he strengthened the security forces around the home planet and various cadres, and in particular, he increased Phillip's monitoring of the entire legion.
Because most intelligence is reported up the chain of command and may not necessarily reach him, he lowered the importance standard for intelligence reported directly by Phillip. Although this would lead to an exponential increase in the number of things he had to deal with every day, including many trivial matters, Han Xiao didn't mind being cautious in this situation.
"By the way, what did you and Ames talk about? I'm currently traveling around with the Black Star Army. Isn't she worried that I might sneak away?" Iso asked.
"Oh, she asked me to keep an eye on you for him. If you run away, I'll catch you and bring you back," Han Xiao said with a smile.
"Tsk, I knew it." Iso's eyes widened. "Is she really that worried? I've seen far more of the world than she has; I've eaten more salt than she's eaten rice."
"Then you must be drinking a lot of salty food." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Judging from your tone, it sounds like you really intend to sneak away."
"I've been under house arrest in Dragon Calm for decades; I can't stay here until I die of old age," Iso said, arms crossed. "To be honest, I'm quite relieved to have you looking after Ames, so there's no need for me to stay here any longer. I'll consider these years as a period of self-cultivation; it's time to continue my journey."
Han Xiao wasn't surprised. Although Iso had stayed by Ames's side for decades, that amount of time was probably equivalent to one or two years for an ordinary person. This old guy was a thrill-seeking wanderer at heart and couldn't be tied to one place forever.
"Then why don't you just talk to Ames directly? If you were open and reasonable, she definitely wouldn't stop you."
"No, no, that would stop her from sending people after me, and that would be so boring."
Iso shook his head repeatedly, his tone revealing a sly "If you catch me, I'll let you have your way with me" attitude.
Han Xiao was speechless.
I suddenly really want to beat this old man up...
Aren't you afraid I'll be on guard and won't let you escape?
"Haha, I just wanted to tell you so you wouldn't stop me," Iso laughed. "She and I need to maintain a certain understanding, so I need your help to convey my meaning."
Han Xiao Ming that Iso was going to leave without saying goodbye, so he was using him as a mouthpiece. Perhaps he also wanted to get revenge, since he was the one who had brought Iso back last time, and the old man still remembered that. He was getting old and cared about his reputation.
Giving yourself a heads-up beforehand, then successfully slipping away, and the two of them are even—this is one of Iso's few quirky quirks.
"So when are you planning to slip away?"
"I'll do this one last job for you. I'll leave after the Shattered World Battle is over."
"Hey, let's see if you can escape my grasp then."
Han Xiao and Iso exchanged a smile.
Nero looked left and right, and suddenly felt like an incongruous third party.
Han Xiao gave a few more instructions, hung up the call, thought for a moment, then dialed another number and contacted Ames.
The call was connected before the first ring had even finished.
"Hey, busy man, you finally have time to chat with me again?"
Ames's soft laughter flowed from the communicator like a gentle stream.
"What have you been up to lately?" Han Xiao asked with a smile.
"Learn the knowledge you gave me."
Han Xiao exchanged for some Esper Class knowledge last time and passed it on to Ames. She has been studying it at home. Normally, Beyond Grade A doesn't have a panel, so it can't be achieved overnight. She can only slowly study professional knowledge.
The two chatted for a while, and the topic turned to recent events.
"Black Star, how long do you think the Shattered World Battle will last?" Ai and Book Moss asked curiously.
"It could take three to five years, or even ten to twenty years."
Han Xiao pondered.
The Super Star Cluster Alliance is not so easily defeated. The previous Shattered World Battle lasted quite a long time. Players encountered the Proxy War phase at the end of version 4.0. In the later stages of the war, most war zones became battlefields for regular armies. By then, it was during the version update period when players had already logged off.
This time, with the sudden outbreak of the Intelligence Plague, the Super Star Cluster Alliance is better prepared and can resist for a longer period of time. However, with his intervention this time, the battle will be shortened. The two factors are intertwined and have already changed the plot of the previous life. Han Xiao can't say how long the Super Star Cluster Alliance can hold out this time.
But the final result will most likely be no different from the previous one, ending in the defeat of the Super Star Cluster Alliance. This battle was a gamble for a sliver of hope, a gamble with a very low success rate, but the Super Star Cluster still resolutely entered the fray.
"So long..." Ames sighed softly. "I was hoping to invite you to travel to the Secondary Dimension World again, but it seems you won't have the time for the next few years."
"Again?"
Han Xiao subconsciously rubbed his lower back.
"You don't want to?" Ames tilted her head, her long hair cascading over her shoulders.
"Ahem, actually I'm not that busy. You know, we Beyond Grade A basically don't personally get involved in the Shattered World Battle. Once we wipe out the Modo Civilization, I'll have some free time, and then I can take some time to accompany you to the Secondary Dimension World..."
"And while I'm at it, let Iso slip away..." Han Xiao thought to himself.
"Then it's a date."
Ames' eyes curved into a smile.