"Hey, the main quest is out."
"Super Calamity? What is that?"
"I guess it refers to the conflict between the Three Universal Civilizations and the Association. This name seems a bit biased; how come superhumans are considered a scourge?"
The crowd whispered among themselves.
Super Calamity was supposed to be the name of version 5.0, but the version name has been changed to Black, so everyone is quite unfamiliar with this term.
This task wasn't even posted by Han Xiao himself; it was automatically generated by the panel, and it was quite similar to the main quest in version 5.0 of his previous life, except for some minor changes, such as the addition of Han Xiao's figure.
Everyone opened the panel one after another to check the task, and the task description came into view:
This is a crisis affecting the entire superhuman class. A deep-seated contradiction exists between individual power and collective civilization. Black Star chose a path of peace through deterrence, actively igniting the fuse and sparking this storm known as the Super Crisis, thus ushering in a new era. As a superhuman, one should have their own stance and ideals in this storm, Choice their own side and fighting for it.
[As a member of the Black Star Army, perhaps you are willing to stand on the Legion's side in this crisis and help achieve the Legion's great goal.]
Looking down, everyone saw that this main quest was a faction struggle. As Grade S main quest, it had a long duration and offered continuous rewards. It required choosing a faction to fight for during this storm, and everyone's faction was pre-set to be the Black Star Army. During this quest, completing each faction-assigned task would also grant additional faction contribution points and experience, which were quite generous.
"The rewards are plentiful, and the task rewards are significantly higher than in the previous version, with a substantial improvement in the base stats."
"This event, affecting the entire superpowered class, seems to have a greater impact than the previous version's 'Shattered World Development'. While the previous version also involved a mobilization of the entire universe, it focused primarily on exploration, and most events were confined to a single star system, with little impact on other regions. However, the confrontational nature of this Super Calamity appears much stronger. Superpowered individuals are everywhere in the universe; the entire interstellar society is about to be thrown into turmoil."
"Actually, I think this is a good approach. The main storyline is clearly stated from the very beginning, getting straight to the point with a clear objective."
The group chatted in small groups, their spirits high.
Although being caught up in such a major event right after logging in felt a bit sudden, the Legion players quickly accepted the reality and were even excited.
After marveling at Black Star's deeds for a while, everyone quickly turned their attention back to checking other aspects of the version update.
"By the way, fifty years have passed. The Legion should have updated a lot of its internal products. Let's take a look."
Before long, someone opened the Legion's faction shop to check the equipment and weapons the Legion provided to its members.
The equipment sold by the Legion has always been a major focus for players. Although it's a bit pricey, the quality is guaranteed, the performance is excellent, and after-sales repair and enhancement services are quite comprehensive. Many players use the Legion's standard sets, and every time the Legion's Logistics Department updates a series of equipment, it's a time when the overall combat power of Legion players collectively increases, while also saving money.
After just one glance, many legion players were stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.
The faction shop interface showed that the number of products within the legion had increased many times over compared to decades ago. There was a huge variety of equipment, devices, raw materials, and special items that had never been seen before, all of which were high-quality products that had been updated and iterated.
Many of these were new technologies from Jiebach. Han Xiao selected some suitable ones and gave them to the Logistics Department, which resulted in many new products, greatly expanding the scale of the camp's special products.
"Wow, the Legion's research has been really impressive these past few years, so many new products."
"I'm still wearing the seventh-generation suit, but now it's been updated to the twelfth generation, and the performance has been optimized so much!"
"Oh no, my old set is completely outdated. Getting a new set costs money, upgrading, polishing, and enchanting costs money, and getting a new weapon costs money again. I feel like my wallet is going to die."
Many players' eyes lit up immediately; seeing so many great items, their desire to buy was stronger than ever before.
Unfortunately, the national wars and professional leagues at the end of version 4.0 depleted the savings of most people. Most people were short of money and could only look on with envy, their longing turning into the desire to grind for gold.
Just then, the legion's internal system received an email from the legion leader.
Upon opening the email, one could see Han Xiao, representing the Legion, welcoming the return of the Immortals and stating that the current situation was sensitive, hoping everyone would exercise restraint. At the end of the email, there was a note indicating that Planet Milton, the former stage for the national war, had been purchased by the Legion and transferred to the Legion's affiliated guild, Yanhuang Alliance, as a gift.
Everyone was caught off guard by this unexpected benefit and was completely stunned and bewildered by the surprise.
"This... the legion commander just bought the entire nation's war planet and gave it to us? This isn't a hallucination, is it?!"
"Maybe this is the power of money..."
Why would Old Black do this? He shouldn't know about the national war, right?
"That's hard to say. Back then, many interstellar powers were watching us. Although they didn't know about our national war, they could definitely see that the Immortals from different forces were competing. Our Yanhuang Alliance crushed everyone else. Maybe Old Black thought we brought glory to the legion?"
"It feels possible!"
Everyone's faces were filled with excitement.
Planet Milton, as a stage for national wars, has the potential to become a main city. The fact that the legion directly bought it and gave it to the Yanhuang Alliance is equivalent to handing over the sovereignty of this main city to the hands of the Huaxia players. Normally, the right to manage such planets belongs to legitimate NPC forces, but unexpectedly it fell into the hands of the players. This gift is quite significant.
This is the first player guild to own a planet!
Many players participated in the national war at the time, but none of them expected such an extra reward from their faction. They were overjoyed and their hearts were filled with excitement.
Speaking of which, most of us Huaxia players were among the first to follow Old Black on his Planet Aquamarine adventures, so this gift might be a special gesture from Old Black to take care of his fellow countrymen.
The thought of this possibility touched even a veteran player like Frenzied Saber – it proved that Black Star has always had us in his heart!
Before long, the news spread to the forums, and countless players from other factions were instantly envious.
"Another benefit from the Black Star Army! Why is their faction so generous?!"
"Damn, I'm so envious!"
"Black Star truly lives up to his reputation as a self-made man; he's incredibly good at winning people over. I wish I could meet a leader like him in my faction."
"Waaaaah, lemons are so delicious (tears welling up)"
Upon witnessing this scene, players from several foreign clubs who had participated in national wars were momentarily stunned, their stomachs churning with acid.
The national war had been going on for quite some time, and the participants had already adjusted their mindset. Although they had lost, they hadn't suffered any substantial losses. But at this moment, these players felt as if they had been stabbed in the heart again.
Seeing the Yanhuang Alliance overjoyed to receive a planet as a gift, these foreign clubs felt nothing but regret.
If we pull one last push at the last minute and win the national war, this planet will be ours today...
Oh, I forgot, we're not part of the Black Star Army. Even if we win, the faction behind us won't buy Planet Milton as a gift...
Thinking about it this way makes me even more frustrated!
With tens of millions of players returning, the long-dormant forums instantly became lively again.
With the version just updated, everyone is busy upgrading and updating their equipment. The most urgent task is to fill their wallets. After understanding the current situation, many legion players couldn't wait to start taking action.
At the same time, in the legion commander's office, Han Xiao turned off the surveillance in the lobby, glanced at the panel, and saw that the experience bar had begun to rise rapidly for the first time in a long time. He felt very comfortable.
Ah, this is the aroma of chives!
That feels good.
"Players have spent most of their savings in the last version, and with the new version just launched, they also have a need to upgrade. Therefore, we can only stimulate consumption with new products and certain discounts to try to maintain the efficiency of harvesting experience."
Han Xiao rubbed his chin with his fingers, his eyes shining.
The upgrade cost is already extremely high. He has also accumulated some experience during the version update. According to the normal harvesting efficiency at the beginning of the version, Han Xiao estimates that it will take one and a half to three years to fill the experience pool for level 360 advancement. It is neither a long nor a short time. It mainly depends on the speed at which players accumulate experience.
If you apply your own Leek Management inexperienced investors), you might be able to speed up the process of players farming gold.
Before advancing, Han Xiao also planned to max out the Divine Transformation of the Void Branch, which would take some time to create more Universal Treasure.
The main quest this time is about faction conflict. The guild has a natural attraction for players, and since he is currently the leader of the guild, Han Xiao is not worried about being poached. On the contrary, players will gradually switch to the guild.
"With players returning, the fuse for the Super Calamity is basically in place; it remains to be seen how the Three Universal Civilizations will react."
Han Xiao pondered silently.
The Federation of Light's home planet, the Presidential Palace, the Presidential Office.
"The Immortals from all over have returned? Tsk, they're a troublesome bunch."
Standing by the window, Louis glanced back at the head of the Intelligence Department, his brow furrowing as he secretly felt a sense of unease.
"Do we need to take action?" the intelligence chief asked, looking down.
Louis returned to his seat, rubbed his chin, and said thoughtfully:
"The Immortals... Could their resurrection mechanism also be related to the Sanctuary Revival?"
Over the past year, the Three Universal Civilizations have invested astronomical sums in research on the Sanctuary Revival, and while some progress has been made, they are still far from achieving tangible results. In the realm of Information State, although the Three Universal Civilizations are at the forefront of Explored Universe, their technology is still not perfect.
The leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations would inquire about the research progress every few days, so Louis subconsciously associated the players with the Sanctuary Revival. In his view, both were bizarre methods of resurrection, and perhaps they were related.
After a moment's thought, Louis said in a deep voice, "Those Revived are completely unresponsive; we still can't get any details about their resurrection process... Let's increase funding for the Immortals research project; perhaps that's another breakthrough."
"Clear."
The intelligence chief took note of it.
Louis paused, then asked, "What's the current public opinion like?"
"The class differentiation is progressing well. Through differential treatment and one-sided propaganda, we have successfully cultivated a group of superhumans who believe that the association's ambitions are too great and have affected the order. These are mostly people who have been affected and lost benefits, thus dividing the superhuman class into two voices. The number of opponents is not large yet, but it is enough. Their existence will lead the superhumans who support the association to place even higher hopes on it, constantly pushing the association to higher pedestals, and even shouting slogans of breaking with the Three Universal Civilizations."
"Hmph, well done." Louis narrowed his eyes. "What goes up must come down. The association has been given too high expectations. Once we can inflict a small setback on the association, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort, severely damaging the association's prestige within the superhuman class and shaking the morale of more people."
The Three Universal Civilizations do not want a leading force to emerge in the superhuman class. Not only is the Super Star Cluster Alliance stirring things up, Three Universal Civilizations have also adjusted their strategies accordingly, secretly manipulating public opinion, dividing the voices of superhumans, and trying to implement a strategy of flattery to destroy them. They want to undermine the association's excessive prestige among superhumans, make them disappointed, and erode their confidence.
However, the time is not right. There is no reason to test the waters at present. Using fabricated charges is not suitable for now, as it would do more harm than good.
Louis waved for the intelligence chief to leave, and after waiting for a while, two more remote projections suddenly appeared in the room: "Mechanical Queen" Mornisa and "Guardian" Rama, both of whom were direct-line Beyond Grade A mechanics of the Federation of Light.
"You've arrived." Louis nodded, narrowing his eyes as he asked, "You requested to see me because you've found the location of the Mechanic Emperor's main body?"
The Federation of Light's elite mechanics have been searching for the location of Manison's original body for years, but without success.
Rama shook his head. "He's hiding too well; we still have no news."
"Then why are you seeing me?" Louis frowned.
Mornisa stepped forward and slowly said, "I once studied under the Mechanic Emperor (https://www. hetushu. com. com), and I am very familiar with their virtual technology style. Not long ago, my skills made a breakthrough, and I requested the assistance of the Three Universal Civilizations to help me hack into Manison's database!"
Louis paused for a moment, "What's the purpose of doing this?"
Mornisa's eyes gleamed. "I've set my sights on the technological treasure trove that the Mechanic Emperor has been researching for so many years. I want to obtain the fruits of their life's work!"
She was once a student of the Mechanic Emperor and knew better than others how rich Manison's resources were. She had been coveting Manison's technology library for a long time. In fact, the cooling of their relationship was because Mornisa had once tried to steal some of the technical data. After the incident, in order to protect herself, she became a loyal follower of the Federation of Light.
Since Manison's downfall, Mornisa has once again set her sights on his technical prowess. She wasn't confident before, but not long ago, Mornisa made a breakthrough, and her confidence returned.
Based on her calculations, she believed that with her current virtual technology, as long as she could get the help of the Three Universal Civilizations, she had a greater than 50% chance of infiltrating Manison's database... The Mechanic Emperor was powerful, but it couldn't stop others from eyeing it.
"If that's the only reason, then I won't grant your request." Louis shook his head and said, "Besides, the Mechanic Emperor has a formidable reputation; are you sure you can crack their virtual technology?"
"Heh, I remember the Mechanic Emperor has always liked to secretly infiltrate the Federation of Light's database. Over the years, who knows how many secrets they've stolen? We've tolerated them for too long. Don't you think the Glory should retaliate and destroy all the Federation of Light's secret data they've collected over the years? At the same time, we can also obtain secrets from multiple supercluster civilizations in the Ancient Star Desert from them. These are the real enemies of the Three Universal Civilizations, aren't they?"
Louis's eyes flashed; he was somewhat tempted.
The Three Universal Civilizations do not want to provoke the Association. However, merely invading the Mechanic Emperor's database is not a major event that would escalate the conflict. Although the Three Universal Civilizations are wary of the Association, they have never stopped their underhanded tactics. Moreover, the Mechanic Emperor is no longer the chairman and has always been at odds with Black Star.
At this moment, Mornisa gave a cold laugh and continued:
"As for my abilities... Heh, Black Star has plundered most of the faith of the Mechanic Faith. With this ebb and flow, the strength of the Mechanic Emperor has been declining and is no longer at its peak."
"As long as the Three Universal Civilizations assist me, I am confident that I can infiltrate their data center. Once it's done, Glory will also be able to obtain the copied technical data."
Louis's eyes flickered as he weighed the pros and cons for a moment, then slowly nodded:
"I've granted your request. I'll contact the Empire and the Arcane for you in a while. This plan is worth a try, and we can also test the Association's reaction. Let's try our best to succeed and not disappoint me."
Upon hearing this, Mornisa finally revealed a triumphant smile.
"Don't worry, I'll make you so satisfied you won't even be able to speak."