On the other side, many of the direct subordinates' Beyond Grade A members left the venue together, their minds still replaying the image of Dilron's death.
"Black Star is truly ruthless; he killed a Peak Beyond Grade A right before our eyes without a second thought."
Rive clicked her tongue and pouted.
"He wanted to set an example, and Dilron was unlucky to be chosen as the target for this, but he deserved it."
Clottey looked straight ahead, her tone calm and collected.
"I just saw those fleeing Revived trembling with fear. Isn't Black Star afraid of scaring them away?"
"If they run again, they'll end up like Dilron, and would they even be willing to leave?"
Clottey shook her head.
At this moment, Oulu stroked his chin, his expression somewhat worried, and whispered:
"Black Star controls this channel, binding almost all Beyond Grade A with mutual benefits. The Association's power has become uncontrollable, and the problem of superpower imbalance is probably beyond resolution..."
Upon hearing this, many of the direct descendants felt a chill run down their spines, secretly worrying about the future of the Three Universal Civilizations.
Currently, it is a time of war, so Black Star provides restoration services to advanced civilizations. However, in the long run, if they are free from the pressure of external enemies, it is unknown whether Black Star will still be willing to sell restoration slots. At that time, these direct descendants may lose the benefits of the Sanctuary Revival. As one side gains and the other loses, the ratio of individual power between the two sides will become increasingly disparate.
With its independent political status, astonishing power, and the merits and prestige of participating in the war, the Three Universal Civilizations could hardly do anything anymore. They had dug their own pit, and they had to jump in with tears in their eyes. No one knew how the higher-ups should restrain such a behemoth.
"The only way to break this deadlock is probably to develop a system for Sanctuary Revival ourselves, but unfortunately, we don't know how long that will take."
Oulu sighed.
The Sanctuary Revival now possesses a more lethal allure, and even some of the loyalists among the crowd are tempted, given the vast difference in treatment between the two options.
While everyone else was worried, Hilbert remained silent, his eyes darting around.
As a "retired" who had completed his service and believed he had fulfilled his duties to the Three Universal Civilizations, he was very interested in the association's benefits. Compared to the Sanctuary Revival, the "retirement benefits" he had paid for with his life seemed insignificant.
Although he was patiently waiting for the Three Universal Civilizations' research Sanctuary Revival, based on his understanding of Three Universal Civilizations, he knew this wouldn't be a free lunch. In his view, the Three Universal Civilizations would likely formulate some terms as restrictions, such as requiring continued service to their civilizations.
However, this was under the condition of having no competitors. Now, with the association's lenient recovery as a comparison, Hilbert believes that even if the Three Universal Civilizations really manage to achieve the Sanctuary Revival, they will most likely have to "lower their prices" and dare not set too harsh conditions. The existence of the association is forcing the Three Universal Civilizations to improve their treatment.
With that in mind, Hilbert glanced at the crowd, a look of disapproval on his face.
It's ridiculous that these people are here "worrying about the country and its people," yet they don't realize that the existence of the association is also a blessing for them.
'Fighting for the benefit of the entire Super A Tier... they really have been upholding the association's principles all along.'
Hilbert's eyes gleamed with admiration.
Since I've already "retired," joining the association isn't a bad option...
Two days later, in the legion commander's office.
Han Xiao sat in a large chair, casually swiping the virtual screen to check the reactions of the various Beyond Grade A over the past two days, and was quite satisfied.
After he revealed the truth about the Sanctuary Revival, the morale of the Beyond Grade A group soared. What was previously somewhat loose became even more cohesive, with their fighting spirit unprecedentedly united, and even their training intensified.
"While only a reasonable demand for a united front against external threats can inspire such cohesion, that's enough."
Han Xiao tapped the armrest of the chair, lost in thought.
He doesn't pursue absolute control; achieving his goals is enough. Therefore, he doesn't have the idea of "taming" a portion of the Beyond Grade A. His statements so far have been sufficient. There are no more temptations, and with the example of Dilron, there's no need to continue using such methods; going too far would be counterproductive.
Han Xiao suddenly thought of something and chuckled softly:
"This must be the most united group of Beyond Grade A individuals in history. I wish they could stay united forever."
As he spoke, he shook his head and chuckled. It was ultimately an unrealistic fantasy. Internal divisions and differing ideologies meant that only interests were eternal, which meant that only interests could bind everyone together.
... Well, not everyone. Almost all the surviving Beyond Grade A have been drawn here, but there are exceptions. Pangon's group of Revenge Takers hasn't contacted the Sanctum and hasn't indicated their intention to return and participate in the war.
This group's civilization was destroyed, and their hatred ran far deeper than that of Dilron. They had long since decided to dedicate their lives to the cause of Revenge. Although the Sanctuary Revival was tempting, it could not make them give up their Revenge.
The main reason is that they are self-aware and know that as long as they do not give up their Revenge, Black Star will not be able to revive them to continue causing trouble. Pangon also does not want to come back and implicate the Association, so he simply ignores them.
The front lines didn't lack these few combatants, and Han Xiao really didn't want to revive these troublesome guys, so he just let them be and didn't specifically call them back, not wanting to give them a way out.
"Tsk, quite 'determined,' I hope you keep it up."
Han Xiao curled his lip.
This group of Revenge Takers remained steadfast in their goals and were not "tempted" by the Sanctuary Revival. However, given Han Xiao's status, he no longer felt any admiration for them. Everyone has their own ambitions, and in his eyes, there was no difference in the choices made by Pangon and the others compared to Dilron.
He was pleased that the group was sensible and hadn't caused him any trouble so far.
Sitting in this position, he bears too many responsibilities: foreign wars, class interests, and dealing with the Three Universal Civilizations. He has no time to indulge others. Everything is goal-oriented and priority is given to him. Whoever causes him trouble, he will deal with them without hesitation. All excuses and reasons are meaningless. If you ask him to understand other people's difficulties, others will not try to understand him first.
So these past two days, Dilron has been cursing and swearing in the Netherland, Han Xiao simply can't be bothered to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.
Previously, Han Xiao deliberately promised in front of everyone that he would release him later, under the supervision of everyone, before executing him. This gave the guy something to think about, so no matter how much Dilron jumps around, as long as he has this core, the guy will still work obediently without needing much persuasion.
"But this guy did provide me with an interesting ability..."
Han Xiao composed himself, opened the panel, glanced at the skill list, and his expression was somewhat strange.
Two days ago, he had already settled the mission rewards. Perhaps Harrison had used up all the good karma he'd accumulated over this period, because he hadn't gotten anything good from the Ding Panlong summoning event; it was mostly just ordinary skills, with one exception...
[[Taunting Habit]: After activating this skill, your language is more likely to cause misunderstandings. Increased favorability reduces efficiency by 50%, decreased favorability increases efficiency by 100%. When you communicate with enemies in battle, they are more likely to target you (this probability depends on charm, luck, and favorability; the lower the stats, the more likely you are to become a target). No cost. Once activated, it must remain active for at least three minutes before being deactivated; there is no cooldown.]
"No wonder this guy is so annoying, he probably never turns off this skill before, right?"
Every time Han Xiao saw this ability description and thought about Dilron's daily behavior, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
--Whether Dilron's habitual foul mouth created this ability, or whether this ability fostered Dilron's foul mouth habit... is a chicken-and-egg question.
Putting all these factors aside, Han Xiao was actually quite satisfied with the skill's effects alone.
Taunt skills are not common; in fact, they are quite rare in Galaxy. The biggest challenge for players fighting bosses is that intelligent creatures do not have a rigid aggro mechanism. To pull monsters or taunt them, players can only rely on tactical coordination, and there is basically no crude and simple forced taunt.
The ability to attract hatred is most commonly achieved through the mental guidance of mages or telekinetic practitioners, suggesting to the enemy who they are primarily targeting, but this is often mitigated by mental resilience.
"The universe is truly full of wonders; even chat-based tactics have legitimate skill bonuses... I'll have to use them more often in the future."
Han Xiao's eye twitched slightly.
My character's style is starting to resemble a proper tank more and more. I have a feeling that if this continues, my title as the chief mechanic of the Galaxy will eventually become the number one tank in the universe. How awesome is that?