The fragments of the past revealed by [The Bold Explorer] brought a massive amount of information, and Han Xiao couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions, both surprised and amazed.
His understanding of the World Tree Civilization came solely from the war version of his previous life. He only knew the general outline of the World Tree Civilization's history, mainly because the information known to the player community in his previous life was also quite limited.
However, some basic facts are still clear: the rise of the World Tree Civilization is basically a history of war, constantly exploring the universe, conquering and destroying countless civilizations and races. The Three Universal Civilizations were not the first to be discovered, and from the World Tree's perspective, they were not special, just another prey on the road to conquest.
Based on the illusion he had just witnessed, Han Xiao had roughly pieced together the origins and history of this machine.
This unknown civilization is likely the overlord of a certain region in the Unexplored Universe, and its scale, as depicted in the illusion, is comparable to any of the Three Universal Civilizations. The Three Universal Civilizations occupy the Explored Universe, ruling only this region, while other civilizations exist in the vast Unexplored Universe. Therefore, the Three Universal Civilizations are constantly exploring outwards and expanding their territories.
Although the Explored Universe has entered the interstellar society era, if we broaden our perspective Infinite, the entire universe is actually still in the "exploration era".
One day in the past, the World Tree discovered this unknown civilization. It then traversed the stars, launched a massive invasion, ignited war, and gradually devoured the enemy's territory... The World Tree's invasion method was not simple occupation. Most of the time, it completely devoured the enemy's planet, like a gluttonous beast that eats everything and never gives up. Therefore, lost territory is almost impossible to recover.
The enemy either resisted the offensive or retreated step by step, shrinking their lines. The number of resource-producing planets dwindled with each battle, turning into nutrients for the World Tree, creating a vicious cycle. The Three Universal Civilizations of the past faced the same situation.
Clearly, this unknown civilization was no match for the World Tree in terms of military power, so it sought a breakthrough in individual strength. Countless mechanics volunteered to sacrifice themselves, using Beyond Grade A individual as the core, and through some peculiar fusion technology, they attempted to create an even more powerful individual.
Although the information came from illusions, Han Xiao felt that the goal of this unknown civilization was to artificially create a superhuman who surpassed Beyond Grade A, thus becoming the breakthrough point in the overall situation!
The illusion did not show whether it was successful or not; all that was known was that the final result was that the machine was destroyed, fell into Black Hole and disappeared, and did not fall into the hands of the World Tree. In the end, this unknown civilization was destroyed, and even the region of the universe where it was located was swallowed up without leaving a trace, becoming another victim of the World Tree.
"What a terrifying enemy..."
Han Xiao silently mourned for this unknown civilization for a few seconds, then sighed softly.
For a civilization to develop to a cosmic scale, it must undergo countless transformations and disasters, stumbling and struggling along the way, creating a magnificent and brilliant culture. Yet, the heritage and hard work of countless generations can be so easily destroyed and vanish into the universe.
Countless years of hard work, all gone in a single day.
Although he had witnessed the terror of the World Tree Civilization before, seeing this scene again still put Han Xiao under considerable pressure, and his mood became heavy.
If he hadn't known how terrifying the other party was, he wouldn't have tried so hard to delay the arrival of the World Tree. Even now, with many trump cards he didn't have in his previous life, he still wouldn't dare say he was absolutely certain of winning this war.
'Now is not the time to worry about that. What's meant to happen will happen, it's just a matter of time...'
Han Xiao shook his head, let out a soft breath, and refocused his attention on the machine.
"This big guy is of a very high level, probably above 400, but my feeling is that it hasn't reached a higher level..."
Han Xiao pondered to himself.
Although he hasn't reached a higher level yet, he has already gained a lot of insights, and the Divine Transformation should be an unavoidable hurdle.
This unknown civilization's approach was to force a qualitative change through quantitative change to achieve advancement, thus sacrificing a large number of mechanics. However, the life level of this machine does not seem to have been elevated.
Even though Han Xiao doesn't understand the technological principles used by this unknown civilization, it doesn't stop him from intuitively feeling that this path is wrong, more like a gamble of trying anything as a last resort.
Therefore, the total level of this thing is probably inflated, just like having multiple "secondary professions" that take up a lot of the level, but the actual combat power has not undergone a dramatic transformation.
However, there has definitely been progress, and it's possible that they've touched the edge of a higher level... It's just that they were still completely destroyed by the World Tree, which is really frightening.
"However, this machine contains the essence of a large number of mechanics from an unknown civilization. If reverse engineering is performed, it should be possible to deduce many new technologies, especially this peculiar fusion technology, which is similar to the Convict' technique but takes a different path..."
Han Xiao's eyes brightened slightly.
This machine is perhaps no less valuable than Jess's technological treasure trove, filled with the technical essence of different mechanics.
The most valuable aspect is probably this fusion technology. You might not be able to use it yourself, but you could perhaps draw inspiration from it and create something new.
Just as his thoughts were racing, Aurora, seeing that Han Xiao had been studying the matter for a long time without saying a word, couldn't help but ask out of curiosity:
"Any discoveries?"
Han Xiao snapped out of his daze, nodded, and smiled, "You've really given me a pleasant surprise this time."
As he spoke, he looked intently at Fording beside him, his smile growing even wider.
Fording really is my lucky star, to run into something like this!
He estimated that the machine had wandered around for a while before finally falling into the Explored Universe through a wormhole.
This region of the star system is Black Hole Edge, a region where large wormholes frequently occur, so this is not unusual.
The fact that this machine wasn't exposed in its previous life doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't encountered. It's also possible that it wasn't dropped into Explored Universe a wormhole. This shouldn't be related to its own butterfly effect, since wormholes themselves are highly random.
And now, Fording has run into this behemoth... Han Xiao can only marvel at Fording's luck once again; he's practically a walking, external "adventure trigger."
Aurora over and pestered Han Xiao with questions. Han Xiao thought for a moment, omitted most of the origins, and gave a vague account of the machine's nature, pretending it was a result of technical analysis.
"So, this big guy is currently in hibernation due to severe injuries?"
Aurora around, and she said eagerly:
"Should I infuse him with life force to revive him?"
Before Han Xiao could even reply, the panel suddenly activated and a notification popped up.
[You have triggered the hidden quest [Visitor from Afar]!]
[Mission Brief: You have unexpectedly discovered the remains of a strange machine from an unknown civilization. This machine, along with the remains of Tu Shu and other artifacts, still exhibits faint signs of life, suggesting that it may hold many secrets and perhaps yield some valuable information.]
[Mission Requirement: Repair the machine and revive it]
[Basic Rewards: 50e EXP, 2 Random Rewards, 1 Character Card]
[Additional rewards depend on the mission evaluation, which in turn depends on the extent of the mech's repair.]
[Note: This task may affect the development of certain events and cause unpredictable consequences. Please choose carefully.]
'Can this even be turned into a mission?'
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
This machine is currently in an unconscious state, severely damaged, and it's unknown whether it still has independent consciousness. If it is brought back to life, it will introduce many more unstable factors.
On the one hand, information about the World Tree will likely be spread widely by this guy; on the other hand, his strength is unknown and he may pose a threat. The unknown impact noted in the mission notes should be due to these two considerations.
Moreover, since this machine has regained its mobility, how can it be reverse engineered? Of course, it's easiest to study an individual that can't move. You can put it in whatever position you want!
For both emotional and rational reasons, Han Xiao did not intend to let this task disrupt his plans, and shook his head.
"No need, let's maintain the status quo for now. I'll take this thing back and study it thoroughly first."
"Alright then, just call me when you need me." Aurora had no objections.
Although she was the first person to discover the machine, she didn't mind handing over the disposal authority to Han Xiao. The current situation was sensitive, and she didn't want to cause Han Xiao any trouble.
Han Xiao nodded, walked to the edge of the narrow wound, and tried to open the Secondary Dimension Army Box from the outside.
Arcs of Mechanical Force leaped and flickered, like golden snakes dancing wildly in the sky, opening a spatial gate and releasing a large number of mechanical soldiers. This strange domain only sealed off the movement of the main universe environment, unlike the Federation of All Stars dimension which also sealed off the Secondary Dimension.
Soon, these mechanical soldiers scattered, moving across the surface of the machines like tiny ants, searching for the core device that maintained this area.
Han Xiao planned to retrieve the machine first to prevent it from drifting in space and being discovered by someone else. This space blocked conventional movement but not the quantum network; otherwise, Aurora wouldn't have been able to easily send messages back.
Scan reports were sent to Han Xiao one after another. Before long, the entire body had been scanned. Most of the mechanical devices in the body were dormant, with only a small area deep in the chest still in operation. One of the devices was the one that activated the field.
The mech soldier quickly drilled a hole in the chest of the machine and turned off the device from the inside.
Buzz!
The next moment, the domain closed, and the surrounding pitch-black space suddenly disappeared, returning to the normal starry sky.
"It's untied."
Han Xiao nodded to himself, summoned the engineering machinery team, deployed the directional wormhole guide, and set the coordinates to the Mechanical Life Civilization in the territory of the Black Star Army.
After a while, a huge wormhole appeared before them. The mechanical troops pushed the machine into the wormhole. A few minutes later, Han Xiao received a message from Dark Emperor confirming that he had received the goods.
Han Xiao then withdrew all his troops, cleaned up the scene, turned to Aurora, nodded and smiled:
"Your discovery was very helpful to me; I'll remember your contribution."
Aurora. "Is there any reward?"
"What do you want? As long as it's not too outrageous, I'll agree to anything."
"Hmm... I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I do." Aurora chuckled.
"Fine, consider it a favor I owe you."
Han Xiao shook his head helplessly, changed into the Sovereign, and teleported home immediately, eager to study the technological secrets of the fusion body.
He had a hunch that he might gain something unexpected from this machine.
Aurora and Fording Stay Where You Are, staring at each other blankly.
Half a minute later, Aurora spoke softly:
"What are you looking at? Go and set sail!"
"... Should we continue our travels?" Fording's lips twitched.
"Of course! We helped Black Star again this time, who knows what new discoveries we might make next time!"
Aurora in high spirits.
Having lived under the protection of Black Star and Hila for too long, she had always wanted to help Han Xiao. Now that she had finally made a contribution, she felt full of energy, and her enthusiasm for exploration continued to rise.
"Could we switch Nero over...?" Fording asked weakly.
He has been wandering around with Aurora for over a year, unable to return home, and has become like Yu the Great.
If I had known I'd be conscripted by Aurora and used as a tool for so long, I wouldn't have separated Morning Star. What was once a close, intimate connection has now turned into a long-distance relationship...
If you ask me how I feel, I'm extremely regretful right now!