Yaldank Planet is a bustling neutral interstellar port with a diverse mix of people, including passing merchant groups, interstellar fugitives, private armed forces, and all sorts of other characters.
On the bustling street, two tall men were strolling leisurely, occasionally walking into the shops along the roadside and looking around.
The two were none other than Han Xiao and Kasuyi, who had disguised themselves to some extent.
More than half a month has passed since the last battle with Milton Squad. Han Xiao, following the coordinates left by the Mysterious Person, brought Kasuyi to Yaldank Planet and has been there for several days, waiting for the Mysterious Person to contact him again, but there has been no response.
"It's been five or six days already, and that Mysterious Person you mentioned still hasn't shown up... Oh, by the way, I want this, thank you."
In a self-service food store, Kasuyi stood in front of a vending machine and pointed to a green can of alcoholic beverage.
"They're probably checking to see if we've shaken off our pursuers."
Han Xiao shrugged. The virtual intrusion instantly hacked the entire store, and the next second, two cans of drinks popped out of the vending machine's dispenser, skipping the payment process.
The two were unregistered and didn't even have accounts, so naturally they had no money. He could only use virtual hacking to skip out on his bill, doing something as ineffective as using a cannon to kill a mosquito. With his skill level, he wouldn't leave any clues.
"Sigh, it's been so many years since I've been this embarrassed, having to drink this kind of industrially produced, low-quality liquor..." Kasuyi pulled the tab and elegantly sipped the pale green liquid.
"We can go ten years without eating and be fine, I think you're just greedy."
Han Xiao, annoyed, downed the can in one gulp, then casually crushed the empty can into a small ball and tossed it into the nearby recycling bin.
The two spent a few days on this planet with nothing to do, so they wandered around, experiencing the local customs and culture.
At first, the two were wary of pursuers, but the enemy did not come looking for them again, which initially confirmed that the Stealth device given by the Mysterious Person was effective.
As they were chatting casually, a news item suddenly appeared on the store's virtual screen, catching their attention.
"Breaking news! The Federation of All Stars Superpower Security Department has issued two new arrest warrants, the contents of which are as follows..."
Bounty Target - Black Star, Supreme Grade Mechanic, Bounty 18e Star Alliance Credits.
Bounty Target - Kekezi, Supreme Grade Psychic Master, Bounty 16e Star Alliance Coins.
These two wanted criminals operate as a group and are extremely dangerous. They have successfully repelled a pursuit team from the Ministry of Public Security. If you discover their whereabouts, please report it immediately. Their contact information is...
Upon seeing this news, Han Xiao couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, the bounty has gone up again. Looks like they really can't find us."
Kasuyi, however, was completely exasperated.
He was furious every time he saw his name on the bounty poster.
No matter how you look at it, the imposing nickname "Void Venerable" is far more fitting for a top-tier powerhouse like myself! Why do these idiots ignore my self-proclaimed title and instead take Black Star's words seriously?!
"By the way, speaking of wanted criminals, I checked online yesterday..." Han Xiao rubbed his chin, "Our combined bounty ranks second among all currently wanted fugitives."
"This is the second one? We haven't done anything particularly heinous, have we?" Kasuyi frowned. "And this bounty isn't very high. Aren't there any more dangerous criminals around here?"
"It seems not. The Federation of All Stars was in chaos many years ago, but the security here is very good now. Most of the Beyond Grade A here are good kids. We two are the exceptions." Han Xiao shrugged.
Who is the number one most wanted criminal?
"An organization called [Eye of Insight] offers a bounty of 60 billion, but no criminal record can be found online." Han Xiao shook his head.
The two walked out of the shop and chatted as they strolled around. After a while, they suddenly noticed a shop that was bustling with activity, so they went in out of curiosity.
It's somewhat like a large board game activity center, but everyone is playing the same game: a card game called "All-Spirit Cards".
An event seemed to be taking place here, with four people playing at each game table, surrounded by onlookers. In the center of the room, there was a small platform with a display case containing three exquisite cards. The host was hyping up the atmosphere, constantly emphasizing that the winner would receive three rare, special cards.
The two men huddled around a table and glanced at it; their expressions turned strange.
"Doesn't this look familiar?" Kasuyi whispered.
"Certainly..."
Han Xiao's lips twitched slightly.
How could it not look familiar? The gameplay is exactly the same as Veyne Cards's, only the characters on the cards are different.
Why are there similar card games here? Is it the will of the universe, with card players all over the world?
Just then, the two suddenly sensed something and turned around at the same time, only to see a person in the crowd staring intently at them with an inscrutable gaze.
Seeing the two looking at him, the man reached into his pocket, slowly pulled out a green metal piece, waved it in front of them, and then turned and left.
"That was Stealth device given to me by the Mysterious Person..."
Han Xiao immediately recognized him, exchanged a glance with Kasuyi, and followed him.
The man walked and stopped frequently, glancing back at the two from time to time, seemingly leading the way. The group wandered through the streets and alleys and soon arrived at a somewhat old-fashioned airport terminal.
The guide opened a hangar, revealing an unremarkable general-purpose spaceship. He then opened the hatch, turned back, and stared intently at the two, seemingly inviting them aboard.
Seeing this, Han Xiao and Kasuyi scanned the spaceship with their senses and found nothing unusual. They then stepped onto the gangway and entered the spaceship.
Soon, the ship began to vibrate slightly, glided into the jet path, and quickly took off, with the Yaldank Planet outside the porthole constantly shrinking in the field of vision.
Han Xiao withdrew his gaze, turned to look at the silent guide beside him, and took out a green metal piece from his pocket, saying, "Now you can explain, right? Who are you? Why did you lead us onto the ship?"
Upon hearing this, the guide straightened his clothes and slowly said:
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Lucidias, a high-ranking officer of the Eye of Insight. The boss sent me to meet you."
The Eye of Insight... Isn't this the organization with the highest bounty?
Kasuyi glanced at Han Xiao subconsciously.
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he asked, "So, your boss is the guy who sent me the anonymous message?"
"My job was just to meet you two. They said that as long as you showed me the Heaven-Shielding Device, you would come with me. I don't know anything else," Lucidias shook his head.
"Heaven-Shielding Device?" Han Xiao brandished the green metal piece in his hand. "Is this the thing?"
"Yes, this is one of the core technologies of the Eye of Insight." Lucidias nodded.
"What exactly does your Eye of Insight do?" Han Xiao asked curiously.
"Sorry, without permission from above, I can't reveal too much information. If you have any questions, you can ask the boss yourself later." Lucidias refused to answer, remaining meticulous.
Han Xiao probed further with a few more questions, but the man remained silent.
Seeing that he couldn't get any information, Han Xiao stopped probing and began to think for himself.
During this time, he had speculated about the Mysterious Person's identity. The messages the mysterious person had sent vaguely revealed that the Mysterious Person knew they were outsiders.
Given the isolation of this place from the outside world, Han Xiao figured the Mysterious Person might have been someone who had intruded into this Secondary Dimension earlier. As for why he was looking for them, it was probably because this person was trapped here and wanted to find help to escape.
Considering that Federation of All Stars is still unaware of the existence of the outside world, this Mysterious Person probably hasn't revealed anything about the outside world and may have been lying in wait, secretly establishing their own power.
Han Xiao thought about it more and more and felt that this was highly likely. In this deduction, the only doubt was the Eye of Insight. Although there wasn't much information online, tracing back, the Eye of Insight seemed to have existed for a long time, and it didn't seem to have been created by an intruder.
"Since the mission prompts me to meet with Mysterious Person, the other party is probably a friend, not a foe. There's no use in speculating now; it'll be easier to just ask directly when the time comes," Han Xiao thought to himself.
After traveling for about ten days, the spaceship finally arrived at its destination, a massive mothership the size of a small asteroid, which remained hidden and wandered through space.
brush--
The hatch opened, and the two stepped onto the mothership, following Lucidias.
As they passed through various areas, the two saw a large number of staff and mechanical guards; the entire mothership was under heavy security.
After passing through a series of authentication checks, the group ventured deeper into the core area of the mothership and soon arrived at a massive metal door.
"The boss is inside. He wants to see both of you, so I won't go in."
Lucidias stopped in his tracks.
Han Xiao and Kasuyi exchanged a glance, stepped forward, and the metal door opened automatically, allowing the two of them to enter.
As soon as I entered, the door closed behind me.
Han Xiao glanced around at the room's layout; pipes extended from the floor and walls, connecting to a figure in the center of the room.
This person was tall but hunched over, with tubes inserted all over his body. He had two pairs of green eyes, one large and one small, on his left and right sides respectively, and a scar on his face that had blinded half of his eye.
Upon seeing the two book collectors, the man spoke slowly, his voice deep and hoarse:
"We've finally met... outsiders!"
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
They knew we were outsiders after all...
He had anticipated this, so he wasn't surprised at all, and Kasuyi, standing beside him, showed the same reaction.
"Since you invited us here, shouldn't you explain the situation? For example, who are you, why do you know about the existence of the outside world, what is your purpose in contacting us, and what exactly is going on with this Secondary Dimension...?"
Han Xiao had accumulated too many questions during this period, and now that he finally met someone who seemed to know the truth, he asked all his questions at once.
The Mysterious Person listened silently to the question, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he changed the subject and said softly:
"I know you have many questions, but before that, I want you to answer mine first... What era is it now? Has the Exploration Era War ended?"
Han Xiao's eyes flickered.
The fact that he asked about the Exploration Era War... could this guy be one of the First Ones trapped here?
The thought flashed through his mind, Han Xiao briefly introduced the results of the Exploration Era War, only mentioning some minor, unimportant details, before raising his question:
"You were the First Ones?"
"No, I am not." The Mysterious Person chuckled hoarsely. "I am not the First Ones you speak of, but I have seen them."
"Then who are you?" Han Xiao pressed.
"I know what you mean, you think I came in from outside... but you're wrong, I'm from here."
The Mysterious Person spoke calmly.
In that instant, numerous possibilities flashed through Han Xiao's mind.
If the Mysterious Person is telling the truth, and the information about the outside world comes from the First Ones intruded, then since he knows about the existence of the outside world, wouldn't his goal be to leave this world? Also, where did the First Ones he encountered go? Why is there no record of him online? Could it have been censored by the Federation of All Stars?
Just then, the Mysterious Person spoke again, his tone becoming serious:
"I know what you're most interested in right now, and that's precisely why I invited you... I need help to destroy this world and free myself, and that... is the only way for you to leave!"