Meanwhile, news of the Beyond Grade A meeting also reached the hands of various supercluster civilizations, attracting the attention of their respective high-level officials.
The Ancient Star Desert, the home planet of the Star Arc Civilization.
"An unprecedented Energy Manipulation user... Such rumors don't come out of thin air. Investigate! Confirm the authenticity of the information as soon as possible!"
The leader of the Star Arc Civilization was heavy-hearted.
The Crimson Dynasty has developed so smoothly over the past few decades that it has practically entered a golden age, and no advanced civilization can help but envy it.
The Empire already has figures like the Dark Emperor and Black Star, and now it has produced another promising figure, Gaud, who is also a staunch loyalist. This news is undoubtedly a disaster for the Supercluster Civilization. With each additional potential talent among the Three Universal Civilizations, the pressure on the Super Star Cluster Alliance in the realm of individual power will increase.
When the Traveler was publicly executed by the Empire, although his good brother Modo was inexplicably blamed, it was impossible for the Star Arc Civilization leader not to feel resentment when he saw his loyal subject being executed live by the Empire. However, he endured it for the sake of the overall situation.
If we can eliminate Gaud and nip the future Pillar of the Nation the empire in the bud, then the Traveler's revenge will be complete, and the empire will have paid the price for its past actions...
The leader of the Star Arc Civilization had a fluctuating expression, but in the end, he sighed softly and suppressed his inner impulse.
"Forget it, the situation in the Shattered World Battle is not optimistic. The alliance is suffering defeat after defeat and is already in a difficult situation. It would be unwise to provoke Beyond Grade A to participate in the war at this time. The situation does not allow for taking risks..."
Currently, no Beyond Grade A beings are participating in the Shattered World Battle, and the Three Universal Civilizations have pledged not to use their core forces first. This is one of the few good things for the Super Star Cluster Alliance. If they break the unspoken rules and attract Beyond Grade A, their situation will only worsen.
The Shattered World Battle is the Super Star Cluster Alliance's last hope for a comeback. He naturally understands the relative importance of a Beyond Grade A versus a civilization strategy.
The Three Universal Civilizations control the resources of the Explored Universe. The strong get stronger, creating a virtuous cycle. Newcomers develop under restrictions and can never keep up with the pace of development. The gap will only widen. This is the general trend of civilization development. Killing a Beyond Grade A civilization is of no use at all.
If the Shattered World Battle were to fail completely, Revenge might bring some reward, but the risks of taking action now far outweigh the benefits, so he naturally wouldn't do it.
"Whether it's Gaud or Black Star, let them be." The leader of the Star Arc Civilization shook his head. "I just don't know what the other supercluster civilizations are thinking. I doubt anyone will take the risk; the bigger picture is what matters. As for Glory and the Arcane, it's unlikely they'll start fighting amongst themselves at this time... right?"
Somewhere in the Ancient Star Desert, a secret base of the Mechanic Emperor.
Manison deactivated the remote projector, turned on the virtual screen, and pulled up the Gaud information circulating online. Warning his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Gaud... I've never heard of this name before. He's not Beyond Grade A Seed from any star system. His sudden emergence means he's been secretly nurtured by the Empire. The last person with a similar experience was Clottey, who possessed the ability to Dark Matter Manipulation and was heavily publicized by the Empire as soon as he appeared..."
Generally, the Three Universal Civilizations would publicize the abilities of newly born Beyond Grade A beings, but the Empire is currently demanding that Gaud keep it a secret—a privilege even Clottey doesn't receive. This proves that this guy's ability is extremely unique, and the claim of Energy Manipulation might not be false. Interesting."
A look of interest flashed in Manison's eyes.
If it really was such a monstrous ability, he was actually quite tempted. If it were in the past, he would probably have tried to ambush Gaud, capture him, and turn him into Convict for some training.
But now he has decided to retire from crime. Unless there are special circumstances, he will not create any new Convict, otherwise he will not be able to gain a foothold in the association. That bastard Black Star stirs up trouble every day, constantly attacking him with his dark history. He is disgusted and wishes he could hang Black Star up and spank him.
"Let's wait and see. Gaud will definitely reveal his abilities when he wants to establish his prestige. He can't hide it anymore. Maybe before he leaves the Shattered World, someone will be eager to spar with him."
Manison suddenly narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself:
"So many Beyond Grade A and armed fleets have been staying in the Shattered World for easy manpower deployment. Now that's the most dangerous star system in the universe, fertile ground for conspiracies and intrigues... Hmm, I wonder if the Glory, the Arcane, and the Super Star Cluster Alliance will do something..."
On the other side, the Infinite Financial Group, Shattered World Branch.
"Another promising stock has emerged!"
Sorokin crossed his arms and placed them under his nose, recalling the meeting that had just taken place.
In his view, Gaud has a bright future. With the protection of the empire, he will surely grow smoothly and be destined for a future position Pillar of the Nation. The empire must have high hopes for him.
"If handled properly, it might trigger a second Tragedy of the Pinnacle..."
Sorokin secretly plotted, feeling this was a good opportunity.
If I were to unleash my hidden strength and secretly assassinate Gaud, Thunder the Empire, it should be able to stir up a huge storm, shatter the situation the Association has painstakingly created, and reignite the factional warfare.
Although he joined the association, he was the one who least wanted to see Beyond Grade A banding together. His goal remained unchanged: to make money on one hand and to reduce the number of Beyond Grade A with privileges on the other, creating a favorable environment for him.
Moreover, Black Star's potential threat was a thorn in his side. He was used to hiding his true nature and instinctively wanted to eliminate anything that might expose his true intentions.
"If we take action against Gaud, we might be able to frame Black Star and get him into trouble... However, he knows my background and will definitely suspect me, which would put me at risk as well."
Sorokin frowned slightly.
Although this idea exists, it is difficult to put into practice because Black Star has no motivation to deal with Gaud.
In his eyes, even if he took action, the Empire would suspect no one but Black Star, making it virtually impossible to frame him.
He dared not take any risks before developing a detailed plan.
"The specifics of how to proceed require further consideration."
Sorokin's eyes gleamed, and a wicked plan began to form in his mind.
Several days passed quickly, and with the help of some people, the details of the Beyond Grade A meeting were exposed. This time, it not only circulated on the black market but also spread widely in interstellar society, attracting widespread attention.
The topic of extremely dangerous superpowers has generated a great deal of discussion, sparking the interest of countless interstellar citizens. The rumors have intensified, and although there is no conclusive evidence yet, under the covert guidance of certain forces, interstellar society seems to have already concluded that Gaud's ability is "Energy Manipulation".
While the various factions were surprised, due to different considerations, no one took any action. They simply watched the Three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance silently, speculating whether they would take action.
In the eyes of all the factions, as long as these two major camps do not make any unusual moves, nothing will happen.
The changes in the outside world did not affect the Imperial Fleet's journey. It carried Gaud through space, heading towards the exit of the Shattered World.
In the ship's luxurious training chamber, Gaud floated in mid-air, his body radiating Glimmer, the sound of flowing water echoing in the air, and energy Tide were rising within his body.
After a while, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, the light dimmed, and his body returned to normal.
Gaud stretched out his hand, gently flipped his palm, and the next moment, a thin, light black energy suddenly appeared, like a small snake affectionately coiling around his wrist.
He played with the energy, a smile playing on his lips.
"Energy Manipulation truly lives up to its reputation as a 'superior ability.' In less than a month, I've already deciphered about half of the structure of Evolution Energy and can replicate semi-finished products. It's progressing more smoothly than I imagined. At this rate, I'll soon master this special energy and be able to create them at will, turning them into walking Evolution Cube..."
When a superhuman reaches Beyond Grade A, their abilities will have new effects, and Energy Manipulation is no exception. Once the structure of an energy is analyzed, it is equivalent to permanently mastering that energy, which can be converted at any time.
The objects of control are not only common types of energy, but also special energy forms such as Evolution Energy and Primordial Esper Ability Entity. Once the secrets are deciphered, they become his own skills. The more energy forms he masters, the more his strength will increase.
Moreover, Gaud also had a vague feeling that once he grew to a higher level and mastered more energy forms, he might be able to create new energy forms out of thin air!
Even with his vast experience, he couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying potential of this freakish ability!
"The Primordial Esper Ability Entity are elusive, but Black Star seems to have two. We're colleagues now, and he wants to build a good relationship with me. If I ask, he should lend them to me... That's much easier than stealing them."
Gaud felt relaxed and happy, as if the air was so fresh and the future was so promising.
When he was a wanted criminal, he could only get good stuff by robbing, snatching food from the jaws of a tiger. But now that he has switched sides to the Order, he finally feels the comfort of being a sycophant.
After a moment of reflection, Gaud opened the door and walked out of the meditation room. He was already used to the respectful salutes from the imperial soldiers he encountered along the way.
Back in the bridge command room, the captain came over to greet me.
"Your Excellency Gaud, we are nearing the edge of the fourth phase of the Shattered World. We will reach the entrance to the Stargate in two days, then use the Black Star Army's territory to quickly traverse the remaining star clusters."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work," Gaud replied casually.
"It's nothing, it's my honor to serve you..."
The captain was extremely respectful.
But before he could finish speaking, the ship suddenly jolted, abruptly exiting warp mode and coming to a stop.
Bang!
The staff present were all thrown off balance by the inertia, and some even fell to the ground.
"What's going on?" the captain shouted, gripping the table.
A crew member quickly replied, looking horrified, "Captain, the ship's AI suddenly went out of control, automatically locking the engines, applying emergency brakes, shutting down all detection radars, weapon arrays, and shield arrays, and even disconnecting from the quantum network! We can't contact any other ships!"
"Could it be an enemy attack?!" the captain roared in fury. "How dare they attack Imperial forces! Activate backup AI immediately and regain control of the ship!"
The operator quickly returned to his post, performed the operation, and was immediately shocked, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"No... this won't work! All functions of the spaceship have been frozen!"
The Imperial crew in the bridge command room were in a flurry of activity. Gaud glanced at them and then looked out the porthole, his brow furrowing.
"Could it be that the enemy is coming for me?"
Gaud looked surprised; he felt that this was the only possibility.
He had analyzed the situation long ago and concluded that the likelihood of any faction taking action against him was extremely low, given their own interests. He had thought his journey in the Shattered World would be smooth sailing, but he never expected that someone would actually take such a risk.
"It looks like the work of a virtual mechanic. Could it be that old man from the Mechanic Emperor? Tsk, does this guy really intend to capture me and turn me into Convict? He's already in this predicament, and he still dares to provoke the Empire?"
Gaud was filled with doubt and uncertainty.
Despite his surprise, he wasn't too nervous. He had too much experience with being ambushed to be afraid.
Moreover, he wasn't a true new Beyond Grade A. Although his strength wasn't what it used to be, he had inherited some things and possessed extraordinary combat power, which was one of his strengths.
If the attackers were from Mechanic Emperor, he knew he couldn't win a fight and would have to find a way to escape.
But if other forces want to kill him and treat him like a newly promoted Beyond Grade A, then they are simply courting death.
In his eyes, the only forces that currently have the motive and ability to deal with him are the Glory, the Arcane, the Super Star Cluster Alliance, and the Mechanic Emperor; it is highly unlikely that it is anyone else.
With a thought, Gaud's Beyond Grade A perception suddenly spread out, covering the entire area.
"Let me see who's trying to kill me!"