"Now you should have confidence in my abilities, right?"
Han Xiao snapped his fingers, and the mecha on his body folded and retracted, merging into his body.
Joy took a breath, suppressing the frustration of being thoroughly thrashed, pondered for a moment, and then said seriously:
"... You are indeed the strongest Beyond Grade A I've ever seen, but what you're about to do is far beyond what one person can accomplish. You might be able to protect yourself, but others don't have your abilities. For Beyond Grade A to unite and become a force on par with the Three Universal Civilizations is extremely difficult!"
"In the end, you're still unwilling to take even the slightest risk." Han Xiao curled his lip.
Joy said in a deep voice, "I have witnessed the Tragedy of the Pinnacle. The three Beyond Grade A Association Three Universal Civilizations are not making a move now not because they are truly afraid of you. Don't be misled by the current stalemate. With the current strength of the Super A-level Association, it is not enough to compare with the Three Universal Civilizations. They are just seeking a low-cost solution to the problem. If they were willing to spend any amount of money, the Three Universal Civilizations would have the ability to destroy the entire Explored Universe. They could blow up all star systems into Desolate Universe Belt and wipe out all life."
Han Xiao shook his head slightly, "You don't need to exaggerate. Unless the Three Universal Civilizations have gone mad, this situation is impossible. So your assumption is meaningless. Who would immediately ask for euthanasia for a minor illness? Seeking peace through struggle is currently the most suitable path."
"The Three Universal Civilizations allow the existence of Beyond Grade A beings, but they absolutely do not want us to unite..." Joy hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "You possess the precious Sanctuary Revival, why insist on using it for such a dangerous undertaking? With your strength, you could easily operate independently, treating Sanctuary Revival as a business, cooperating separately with the Three Universal Civilizations and each Beyond Grade A being. After all, the revival can only be performed once, so everyone would be happy, and no one would be offended. Wouldn't that be better?"
Han Xiao glanced at him and said calmly, "Everyone has their own ambitions."
He wasn't surprised that Joy thought that way; most hermits wanted to live in seclusion, yet they also wanted to enjoy the Sanctuary Revival without taking any risks.
"Is there really no way to talk?" Joy was somewhat disappointed. After hiding for so many years, he really didn't want to be exposed to the eyes of advanced civilizations.
Han Xiao shrugged, offering no reply; his meaning was clear.
Joy hesitated for a moment, but still wouldn't give up, and advised:
"Black Star, if the Three Universal Civilizations truly develop the technology for Sanctuary Revival, that will be the day they turn against you. The Three Universal Civilizations will inevitably try to monopolize this technology. At that time, the Association's advantages will vanish. As long as the Three Universal Civilizations eliminate you and then revive you first, they will not have to fear retaliation... So I think you should not go down this path."
Han Xiao frowned slightly and said bluntly:
"Do you need to tell me this? You might think that it would be safer to join the Three Universal Civilizations after they have successfully completed their research. But think about it, the Three Universal Civilizations will not have the same lenient standards for choosing revival targets as we do. They possess such a powerful weapon, and they will no longer indulge Beyond Grade A as before. If Beyond Grade A are unwilling to become tools for consolidating their rule, they are not qualified to enjoy the Sanctuary Revival."
Otherwise, what do you think the Association's rebellion is for? Only with the Association's existence can Beyond Grade A retain maximum freedom. If you don't contribute now, when will you? Hesitating and fearing this and that... Don't be naive, okay? There's no such thing as a sure thing. If you need the Sanctuary Revival, you must give something in return. If you're not interested, stop wasting my time and continue escaping reality. Just obediently prolong your life until the day you die."
Joy's expression froze, her heart conflicted, and she said sullenly, "That's not what I meant. Can I think about it some more...?"
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao gave a nonchalant snort, took out several encrypted communicators, tossed them to the four, and said, "My contact information is stored here. Let me know when you've made a decision. The situation is still stable, you have plenty of time to consider, but I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer. Always trying to stay away from the changes of the times will only lead to passively accepting the predetermined outcome. If you don't even put in the effort for yourself, who else can you expect?"
After saying that, Han Xiao waved his hand, recalling the mechanical legion to the Secondary Dimension Army Box. Then, he switched to the Sovereign and disappeared on the spot with a teleportation, having no intention of visiting the Kingdom of the Four Gods again.
Seeing this, Joy and the other three looked at each other in bewilderment. After a while, one of them cautiously spoke up.
Is Black Star getting impatient with us?
"It seems so... Joy, you seem to have offended someone."
"Did we offend Black Star?"
The four were filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
They were conflicted. On the one hand, they wanted to avoid all risks and ask Black Star about everything in detail, seeking a 100% guarantee of safety. On the other hand, they were worried that asking such questions would displease Black Star.
Having just witnessed the opponent's combat power, the group felt somewhat subconsciously apprehensive when facing Han Xiao.
Joy's expression shifted, and he gripped the communicator tightly, saying helplessly, "Black Star isn't wrong. My request might have been a bit excessive... Let's discuss it ourselves and not bother him for now."
With a flash, Han Xiao was teleported back to his office at the Black Star Palace, took off his mecha, and exhaled.
"It was a worthwhile trip... I wonder if these people will agree."
Han Xiao stroked his chin, feeling curious.
He has a lot of experience dealing with Beyond Grade A, and when it comes to dealing with this kind of indecisive, lazy, and reclusive person, a gentle approach is less effective than showing a strong stance.
These people have been living in seclusion for too long, have lost their ambition, and have dulled their edge. They are also quite soft-hearted, and gentle persuasion is less effective. Instead, a more forceful approach to guide their mindset can help them make a firm decision.
He knew Joy quite well; this guy was the type who wouldn't admit defeat until he was faced with a tough situation, indecisive and hesitant. It was practically impossible to persuade him to join the association on the spot. Even if he discussed it with _Tu_Shu, the other party would still hesitate and keep asking questions, arguing endlessly. Rather than that, it was better to abandon a hardline attitude, guide their inclination, and let them worry about the consequences themselves.
After all, the association has plenty of talent and doesn't urgently need these four people to join. It's not that the association is begging for help; rather, the association is begging the Tu Shu to help them.
Han Xiao himself wasn't interested in the four people's strength, but rather in their identities.
"If they're willing to join, it could indirectly send a signal to all the recluses in the Secondary Dimension World, perhaps drawing out more of these old hermits and bolstering the association's influence," Han Xiao thought to himself.
In his view, it would be great if this move succeeded, but it wouldn't be a pity if it failed, since it would just be icing on the cake.
Han Xiao didn't take it to heart, turned around, opened the panel, glanced at it, and settled the task directly.
[You have gained 650e experience]
[You have gained the special ability [Secondary Dimension Adapted One]!]
[[Secondary Dimension Adapted One]: When fighting in Secondary Dimension World, you gain a 3%~6% bonus to attack power, resistance, ability strength, and all attributes (this effect also applies to mechanical soldiers, summoned creatures, and other auxiliary combat forces)]
"The effect is not bad; three percent is better than nothing."
Han Xiao nodded, knowing full well that he only looked at the lower limit.
A prompt to extract a capability also popped up, asking him to select an object.
Han Xiao recalled the battle information. Among the four, there were two mages, one telekinetic, and one martial artist. Their template feats were basically class-specific and impossible to obtain through gacha pulls. So he simply chose Joy as his partner, since she at least had some feats that increased intelligence.
[You have received a reward: Draw one of Joy Ryan's abilities (feats/skills)]
[Note: Joy Ryan is a mage, which is not a good match for your class. Some of the abilities you can draw will be adjusted accordingly.]
[Randomly selecting... Selection complete!]
Please choose one of the following five options as your reward.
[1. [Melee Combat Mastery] - Feat: Melee skill level +1, melee attack power +25%, melee attack frequency +25%, melee parry rate +20% -- As a qualified battle mage, being proficient in melee combat is a very reasonable thing.]
[2. [Air Shockwave - General Version] - Skill: A common combat technique for superhumans. Compresses energy and releases it outside the body to form a shockwave. It has low destructive power and inflicts different negative statuses depending on the energy attribute (if the class is Pugilist Class, it will automatically replace it with the martial arts External Wave skill). Cooldown: 24 seconds. Consumes 120 energy.]
[3. [Continuous Staff Strikes] - Skill: When using a staff-type weapon (such as a magic staff), unleash a series of attacks in an instant, gaining an additional 6%~12% attack power bonus. The number of attack hits depends on the agility attribute, with a maximum of 12 hits. Cooldown: 44 seconds. Cost: 80 Qi, 270 Stamina]
[4. [Danger Intuition] - Specialty: You develop a strong sense of alertness when you are about to be attacked.]
[5. [Ancient Ones] - Specialty: A long life brings you invaluable spiritual wealth, Intelligence +20%, Mysticism +10%, All skill levels +2]
"This..."
Han Xiao's lips twitched; he didn't know what to say.
[The Ancient Ones], why is it always you?
This guy, whose talent is so persistent, just how much does he love me?
Do you really want to turn me into an "old person"?
Han Xiao glanced at the other options and found them utterly cringeworthy. He was speechless at the thought of a mage possessing a [Melee Combat Mastery] feat, completely disrespecting their fragile class.
With five options and a bunch of duds, you can only choose the best among the worst; there's no need to hesitate about which one to choose.
[You have gained a new specialization: [The Ancient Ones]!]
A cool sensation washed over Han Xiao, jolting him awake. He felt his thinking speed had increased considerably, as if he had received a mental massage, which was extremely comfortable.
Compared to the four hermits, this expertise was the greatest gain of the trip, finally leading to a happy ending with the [Ancient Ones] with whom he had been destined to meet many times but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Now, without using Old Manison's character card, we can reach the power level of a fully charged state, making us even more formidable.
Furthermore, the character cards still have a function, and it's estimated that, similar to the Dual Mechanical Sense, a situation like the Dual Ancient Ones will arise...
"This was a good deal."
Han Xiao, beaming with delight, composed himself before closing the panel and sending a message to the Oathkeeper, informing them that the problem was solved.
The unexpected incidents involving Kotlin and Joy startled him, but fortunately, everything turned out alright and was handled smoothly without any leaks.
However, this also slightly increased his sense of urgency.
"The longer it drags on, the more likely unexpected things will happen. We need to speed up the process of gaining experience..."
Han Xiao summoned the Legion program, glanced at the Legion players' movements, and then opened "The Leek Management"...
"The player base is currently too large, the legions aren't making any major moves, and the number of daily mercenary missions is limited, making it difficult for players to accumulate experience... It seems best to 'fertilize' the system, creating more job opportunities for players to accelerate their experience gain. We also need to improve the legion's internal welfare system to better harvest their labor output..."