"Alas, the Expeditionary Army commander was beheaded, yet Black Star abandoned the offensive, clearly intending to whittle down our army bit by bit. But the three kings refuse to give up the competition for the Shattered World. What's the point of continuing to commit troops? Not allowing Beyond Grade A to participate is pure suicide. Black Star has proven that he has the ability to behead commanders anytime, anywhere."
In a private, small meeting room, several top-ranking officials sat on a sofa, complaining incessantly.
Just now, news came back that the Expeditionary Army commander had been killed. The Three Kings of Modo convened a meeting of the high command. In their anger, they quickly promoted a new commander directly within the Expeditionary Army and ordered the military to send more troops to provide support.
While many officials present outwardly expressed no objection, their inner opposition gradually grew. Consequently, after the conference, several powerful officials who held opposing views met privately.
In the room, Maruko, the highest-ranking official, was the Number Three- command of a mainstream political faction within Modo, wielding considerable influence. He slowly began to speak:
"This can't go on. With Black Star as an opponent, Modo has almost no chance in the Shattered World. Giving up as soon as possible is the wise choice. Continuing to drag it out will only increase the pressure on Modo until he can't bear it anymore."
"That's true. These days, things aren't peaceful back home either... Several unofficial organizations from the Three Universal Civilizations have launched so-called peace movements on multiple colonies, using armed marches and strikes to incite anti-war sentiment and force us to withdraw our troops. Many industries have been severely affected. There are also malicious individuals spreading racial separatist ideas, attacking the system, and inciting hatred. They've even managed to reverse our years of education on harmonious coexistence among different ethnic groups, successfully instilling discriminatory ideas in some people. Given time, this will surely give rise to a new resistance... Furthermore, some important figures from various sectors have been assassinated by mysterious forces. We're beset by internal and external troubles."
Someone sighed and murmured.
Maruko shook his head. "Modo started its strategic planning for Shattered World decades ago, investing countless resources. It's understandable that the Three Kings are unwilling to give up immediately. However, the situation has changed, and adjusting our strategy is our primary choice. Since we can't solve the Black Star problem, continuing to invest resources in Shattered World is a meaningless waste. We should be determined to cut our losses."
"That's right, the Three Kings' idea is to hold out until the end. If the Super Star Cluster Alliance succeeds, we can also get a share. But the hope of holding out until the Super Star Cluster Alliance makes a comeback is too slim. Black Star will not sit idly by and watch this happen. Don't be fooled by his current stalling tactics. If we don't keep sending reinforcements to feed him, he will definitely launch a general offensive and drive us out," another person said.
Maruko took a sip of his deep amber-colored liquor and lowered his voice:
"Actually, from the very beginning, I didn't think the Super Star Cluster Alliance could complete the Shattered World strategy. It was likely to fail; they were just going to gamble with other Supercluster civilizations. In that case, it would be wiser for Modo to extricate itself as soon as possible, get rid of the pressure from the Three Universal Civilizations and the Black Star Army, and restore its national strength as soon as possible."
"That's right, that's right."
The people in the room all agreed wholeheartedly.
Maruko narrowed his eyes. "The greater the losses Modo suffers, the more opposition there will be. Perhaps we should start preparing for impeachment proceedings now..."
Upon hearing this, the group was taken aback. They had only been complaining, but they hadn't expected Maruko to actually take action.
But on second thought, this might not be a bad idea.
Modo is a civilized regime formed by the union of three civilizations. The supreme leader, the Three Kings of Modo, represents one ethnic group, but their thoughts and political views are cross-ethnic. Therefore, the political environment of Modo is very complex and is also full of factions.
Due to the special nature of its political system, the Modo naturally needs to implement checks and balances. The three kings cannot do whatever they want. There are similar institutions like parliaments and congresses to restrain their power. If the development path during their term does not conform to the interests of the majority, or if they are involved in any scandals, they can be impeached and removed from office, and a new leader can be appointed.
However, this situation rarely occurs in the history of Modo. As long as each of the Three Kings of Modo does not cause widespread resentment, they can pass through their term peacefully.
"If the three kings persist in their ways, Modo will be gradually hollowed out, and its future will be bleak. If they really go down this dark path and [illegible], then impeachment and removal from office will be the only option."
Maruko said in a deep voice.
The group exchanged glances, some resolute while others hesitated, and they all lowered their voices to discuss the possible methods.
At this moment, the war opposition within Modo gradually rose, and began to plot how to betray the Three Kings. The root cause was that Black Star's strength made some of Modo's top brass feel hopeless, and they could not see any possibility of turning the tide.
Within the territory of the Modo Civilization, a silver-white stealthy high-warp spaceship hovered in a nebula, slowly navigating, its outer armor unmarked.
Inside the cabin, Rotel and several members of the Assassins Mutual Aid Society sat around a virtual screen, browsing the information displayed. The screen was filled with a dense array of portraits—influential figures from various sectors of the Modo Civilization civilization. Some had red crosses drawn above their heads, indicating successful assassinations.
"Modo is in complete chaos. Several industry heavyweights have been assassinated, and the local management systems on a few colonies are nearly paralyzed. Our work has been remarkably effective," an official said coldly.
"Um."
Rotel kept his eyes glued to the screen, seemingly searching for his next prey.
The Assassins Mutual Aid Society been operating in Modo for several months, causing considerable chaos and being pursued and wanted by authorities. While on the run, they continue to commit crimes.
"Our actions these days have been too aggressive, and we've lost quite a few men. It's time to lay low for a while," one official advised.
Rotel nodded, then shook his head, and said, "Hide for now, then do something big."
As he spoke, he stretched out his finger and tapped one of the avatars on the screen.
The officials present followed the finger's pointing finger, their expressions freezing on their faces, their eyes gradually revealing extreme shock and disbelief.
The person Rotel had chosen was none other than one of the Three Kings of Modo!
"You want to assassinate the supreme leader of a supercluster civilization?" An official stared wide-eyed in horror. "Are you insane?!"
"They have three leaders; losing one is no big deal," Rotel said calmly. "I'll handle it myself."
"Do you know what kind of act this is? If we succeed, the Modo Civilization will definitely fight us to the death. Moreover, there is absolutely no chance of success. The Three Kings of Modo are heavily guarded, and there is no chance to get close. Besides, they don't leave their home planet, so it's impossible for them to assassinate us." Someone said urgently.
Rotel offered a rare explanation. "First, Modo has always been our sworn enemy. Second, while the Three Kings of Modo have many guards, none are openly recognized as Beyond Grade A personal guards; at most, they are only Calamity Grade, which is no more than my limit. Third, Modo's home planet doesn't have the Psionic Energy Restriction Belt of the Three Universal Civilizations' home planets, so infiltration is entirely feasible."
Assassinating the Three Kings of Modo seemed like an impossible task at first glance, but after careful analysis, he realized that it wasn't entirely without a chance. After all, while the Three Kings were leaders, they weren't the sole possessors of personal power. Especially since he possessed the [Godstabber], even if the Three Kings had Beyond Grade A magical defense runes, this weapon could still penetrate them. The main problem was that regardless of whether the assassination succeeded or failed, it would be difficult to escape unscathed.
Everyone was utterly astonished, as if they were seeing Rotel for the first time. Even though they were all assassins who had killed some important figures, in their eyes, this was still an incredibly audacious plan.
"You make it sound easy, but in practice, it's practically suicide!"
"Anything is possible. Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of luck." Rotel narrowed his eyes. The others present were unaware of his thoughts, and he had no intention of explaining.
Because of Lothaire's involvement with the Three Universal Civilizations, racial divisions within Modo are gradually rising. At this time, if one could assassinate the three kings of one race and find a way to shift the blame onto the radicals of the other two races, it might exacerbate the conflict and cause this trend to erupt rapidly, with the outcome not hard to imagine.
The methods were a bit underhanded, but as a spy-like assassin, Rotel didn't care whether the methods were moral or not; he only cared about whether they were effective and whether they could achieve the goal. You could say he would stop at nothing.
Having been in the business for decades, he was no longer just a simple assassin. He had gradually learned to analyze the big picture. Although Black Star had not given specific instructions on what to do, Rotel was well aware of Black Star's goal. He was happy to use a more flexible approach to inflict greater damage on Modo, which would be more powerful than a simple assassination.
Of course, assassinating the supreme leader of Modo and framing him for racial hatred is just an idea; it's extremely difficult, and the Assassins Mutual Aid Society alone has no chance of accomplishing it.
However, the influence of the Three Universal Civilizations within Modo was a natural advantage, Rotel intended to create a trigger so that they could take advantage of the situation, just as the ideology they incited had given him the idea of assassinating the Three Kings of Modo.
Boom!
A red figure tumbled and crashed onto the barren planet like a shooting star, creating a crater on the surface.
Blood trickled from Hila's mouth, her body embedded in the ground. Just as she pulled herself out, Han Xiao suddenly appeared above her, delivering a powerful, heavy whip kick to her abdomen.
Bang!
The Power of Death that had just begun to gather was kicked away, and the shockwave exploded out with a loud bang.
Heavy Strike in the abdomen, Hila arched her body like a shrimp and was sent flying dozens of kilometers, leaving a long ravine in her wake.
"Want to keep hitting me? I've been beating you for eleven hours. If I remember correctly, you've been on the verge of death three times and passed out five times."
Han Xiao stood with his arms crossed, his face showing helplessness.
"Hmph, do you want me to praise you for being so fierce...? Fine, let's call it a day, but don't forget, this is only the third sparring match." Hila wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, rubbed her stomach, and stood up.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao's eyelids twitched involuntarily.
He was currently fulfilling his original agreement to spar with Hila thirty times, and there were still twenty-seven times left. Just thinking about that number made Han Xiao feel a little pain in his back.
This is somewhere near the Black Star Palace; he's been back from the Free Competition Zone for several days now.
Modo did not send any Beyond Grade A troops to deal with the decapitation operation, and it is highly unlikely that he will take any risks in the future. In addition, Han Xiao has left behind enough mechanical troops and Dominion clones, so he did not stay on the front line and turned around to return directly to the base camp using the Sovereign.
Han Xiao originally intended to focus on studying the technology of Convict and Immortal Mechanical Soldier at home, but Hila was insatiable and insisted on sparring with him.
Because of the agreement, he couldn't renege on his promise, so he had no choice but to play with Hila for a few days. Although Hila was a tough punching bag and felt good to play with, Han Xiao couldn't take it anymore after a while.
Having obtained the exclusive [Virtual Technology Innovation - Manison], the research on the technology of Convict and Immortal Mechanical Soldier is progressing smoothly. However, there are still many key technical points to overcome before a complete breakthrough can be achieved, which will take time. Therefore, Han Xiao did not use awakening points to accelerate the research progress. With the bonuses from his various skills and expertise, he should be able to derive the blueprints.
Just then, Hila flew back from afar and asked, "How do you think of my progress?"
"It's alright," Han Xiao said casually.
"Tsk, what a perfunctory tone. You're so patient with the teacher, but so casual with me? Don't you want to spend time with me?" Hila raised an eyebrow.
"What do you think?" Han Xiao glared at him.
You masochist, don't you have any self-awareness? You're always looking for a fight with me, forcing me to beat you up. I'm tired too, okay?
Because of her passion for battle, Hila's strength improved rapidly, especially after obtaining the Netherland, which gave her even greater potential for advancement.
Once Aurora reaches Beyond Grade A, the Netherland will be able to unleash the "Heroic Spirit Rebirth" ability, at which point Hila will be able to reach her peak strength.
Han Xiao also learned from the Land Goddess of the Netherland that if Aurora's life ability reaches the Beyond Grade A, it will undergo a qualitative change, allowing her to create a living but soulless body to serve as a vessel for the Heroic Spirit Rebirth in the Netherland.
Perfectly, this ability can be used in conjunction with the Soul-Switching Device. Han Xiao relayed this explanation to Fording, promising that Aurora would create a physical body for Morning Star.
Hila gave a light hum and changed the subject, saying, "There are still twenty-seven sparring matches left. I need one the day after tomorrow, so remember to make time for it."
"You're too hard to satisfy! Can't the interval be a little longer?" Han Xiao was annoyed.
"No way! I finally managed to get you back from the teacher, I want you to spend all your time with me."
A smile flashed in Hila's eyes as she turned and returned to the spaceship, piloting it back to its original location.
Han Xiao shook his head helplessly, becoming increasingly certain that Hila was a masochist.
Sparring is supposed to be about testing your skills, but knowing there's such a big gap in ability, why do you keep asking me to fight? Isn't that just asking for a beating?
Hadavy is much better. We were both asking for a beating, but he knew better than me. Even after getting hit, he could still smile. Unlike Hila, who had that cold face like I owed her money...
Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've been licked by Hadavy, and I actually kind of miss it.
Han Xiao wasn't in a hurry to go back. He had the mechanized troops retrieve some of the shattered soldiers. While cleaning up the battlefield, he casually opened the forum, intending to browse through some funny jokes from netizens and relax.
But as soon as he opened the Shattered World section, his eyes were drawn to a pinned post.
Invitation to the World Server Guild War!