Having understood Han Xiao's motives, Melos's expression softened. After a pause, he asked the question that had been troubling him, "What does my future hold?"
"You..." Han Xiao picked at his ear, clicked his tongue, and said, "You sacrificed yourself fighting against Calamity; you died a truly tragic death."
"How... how terrible?" Melos's face stiffened.
Han Xiao picked up the wine glass, clenched his fist, crushed it into pieces, and shrugged. "That's about it."
Melos was skeptical. "Although I'm not one of those Grade A powerhouses, the beasts on this planet aren't strong enough to kill me."
"In the clips I saw, Forest City was breached by the beast horde. You held the breach, fought fiercely until you were exhausted, and were torn apart by the beast horde."
Melos looked surprised. He knew himself too well. Protecting his people was a responsibility he should take on, but he absolutely did not have the belief to fight to the death. If faced with a fatal crisis, he would run away immediately. How could he have become so resilient?
"How long later?"
Han Xiao shrugged. "Do you think I'm Supreme Spirit worshipped by the Arcane Church? I'm just an ordinary precognitive being, not omniscient or omnipotent."
He knew he shouldn't act too far ahead of his time as a prophet; this was for his own protection and also to keep Melos in suspense.
Han Xiao was clear about Melos's growth trajectory; he would become a selfless racial hero in the future. As a "protagonist-type character" in the process of growing up, Melos was still relatively green at this time, unlike Bennett, who was already mature.
Seeing Melos's furrowed brow, Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he said, "What I saw was only a fragment of the future developing according to the existing trajectory. If additional factors intervene, the trajectory will change. Given the current situation of the Sunil Race, it will only become increasingly difficult to resist the Calamity, but that kind of future can be avoided."
This statement relieved Melos. Han Xiao's claim that his precognitive abilities were limited made Melos more convinced. Melos was more likely to doubt whether charlatans who pretended to be omniscient were just trying to fool him.
"You say you have a solution?" Melos asked earnestly.
"Sunil is in a bad situation right now. The Calamity is just the surface danger. The escape route of Goddora is not safe. DarkStar is also watching us from the shadows. If you rise again, you may be attacked by DarkStar..." Han Xiao gave a brief analysis, and Melos's expression gradually became serious.
Surrounded on all sides, this was the crisis facing Sunil. Like a fish on a chopping block, he was at the mercy of others. Melos couldn't think of a solution, feeling only a bleak future, and couldn't help but ask, "So, Sunil has no way out...?"
"Of course not. The way out has always been obvious; it's just that you subconsciously haven't thought of it that way," Han Xiao said with a chuckle.
"Obviously obvious?" Melos was somewhat surprised. He frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "You mean... destroy DarkStar?!"
If we take down DarkStar, the biggest threat will be eliminated, but we simply can't do it! Isn't that obvious?
Melos's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Han Xiao to have such a big appetite. In his opinion, this idea was utterly insane and ignorant of one's own limitations.
Han Xiao said, "DarkStar destroyed the homelands of many civilizations and is infamous throughout the Garton Star System and even the entire Colton Star Cluster. Compared to you, its power is like that of a giant compared to an ant. But it is not invincible, otherwise it wouldn't have been hiding from Goddora all this time. You have been ignoring this possibility simply because your fear of DarkStar is deeply rooted in your hearts, so you don't even dare to think about it and feel that you can never do it."
"It was impossible to do in the first place. The DarkStar's power was too vast and extremely mysterious. I clearly remember every scene of the DarkStar's attack on us: the overwhelming number of warships, countless laser beams, the planet's crust shattering, lava eruptions..."
Han Xiao interrupted him, shaking his head and saying, "DarkStar has just as many enemies, and potential allies are everywhere. Apart from this path, you can only rely on Goddora. If you're willing to give up, you won't resist the Calamity. I didn't say we should deal with DarkStar now; this is just the ultimate goal. Before that, we can only accumulate strength and keep a low profile."
"You really dare to think of that..." Melos shook his head, "The hope is too slim, I don't think it's a good idea."
Han Xiao smiled slightly. He didn't intend to impress Melos with such a broad vision; he merely offered a grand goal to expand Melos's thinking. So, he changed the subject, "Let's put DarkStar aside for now. Regardless of whether it can rise in the future, we must at least solve the current difficulties. Sunil's biggest problem right now is exploring this planet and resolving the Calamity. Regarding this, I have a very substantial solution."
Melos perked up. DarkStar and such were too distant; the Calamity was a real disaster, and he was more concerned about that. He quickly asked, "Do you have any ideas?"
"I can bring many superhumans."
Melos had thought he was about to hear some profound insights, but it turned out that Han Xiao's method was similar to the Sunil people's hiring of mercenaries. The "many" that Han Xiao mentioned was, in his opinion, at most, only a few thousand people.
Melos was immediately disappointed, his disappointment evident on his face. He sighed and said, "Being merely a superhuman isn't enough."
"Not enough books?" Han Xiao smiled mysteriously. "What if it were hundreds of thousands of superhumans?!"
Hundreds of thousands?!
Melos had a look on his face that said, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" How could a little mercenary from a surface civilization possibly gather so many helpers? And they were all superhumans, one in a million!
Is it my simplicity that limits my imagination?
"I can bring a horde of people more terrifying than Calamity! They are fearless in the face of death, valiant warriors, and not only Calamity, but also able to help you explore the planet and mine the Whispering Stone veins in peacetime. All they ask for is a meager reward."
At this moment, Han Xiao revealed his true intentions with a smile! This was his ultimate goal for this trip! He had his eye on the NPC resources of the entire race!
If the players are the seeds, then these NPC factions are the soil!
The Sunil Race is just the beginning; Master Han's plan is extremely far-reaching!
In the later stages of version 2.0, under the guidance of an interstellar force, players from Planet Aquamarine began to enter interstellar space. Han Xiao wanted to replace that interstellar force and become the guide.
Upon entering the vast interstellar space, players are completely clueless, making them the easiest targets for manipulation. Providing them with guidance similar to that of a beginner's village can lead them to their next activity area, giving them a head start. Han Xiao aims to make his faction a transitional system for players when they change maps, a necessary step in their journey!
If successful, they could bring all the players on Planet Aquamarine under their control!
He has already left a deep impression on the players of Planet Aquamarine, giving him an innate advantage!
In order to guide players' interstellar careers, besides rewards, there is another thing that cannot be ignored: NPC resources.
Although the interstellar space is vast, new players need a transition period. They need a stable area of activity to develop themselves, and ideally, there should be one or more storylines to guide their actions. This is precisely why Han Xiao values NPC forces, which not only have NPC resources but also come with their own storylines.
The Black Star Mercenary Group offers numerous rewards and even has a promotional video featuring Meat Bun, making it very attractive... but that's not all!
Faction rewards have a cap, which is an implicit limitation on the number of players. However, if you reach an agreement with some factions and guide players to do quests and fight monsters here, you can bypass this limitation and use other NPCs to provide benefits.
Since the strategy involves utilizing other NPCs, it's crucial to highlight the role of your own faction and let players experience the advantages of the Black Star Mercenary Group Black Star Mercenary Group will grant players better benefits based on those alliance relationships. Or, if unlocking new maps requires prerequisites, joining the Black Star Mercenary Group can send players to better maps for development, with your faction acting as a "key"... Through various maneuvers, create similar effects, making players feel that the Black Star Mercenary Group not only offers abundant rewards but also various indirect advantages.
The unique nature of mercenary groups allows members to operate separately and travel across different maps, which is an advantage for their faction.
Players gain access to mission areas, allied factions receive assistance, their own faction develops, and they themselves reap the benefits—it's a win-win situation! Players are like human resources, the factions that need help are the clients recruiting, and their own faction is the middleman providing manpower. The difference is that all these human resources belong to their own "middleman" faction.
Or perhaps the industry has developed to a certain stage, and thus franchising has begun...
These are just considerations from a profit-driven perspective; another perspective involves sentiment.
Mercenary groups themselves lack historical depth and a sense of weight. However, by "helping" NPC factions, players can experience the storylines of these factions, enhancing their immersion. The mercenary group becomes the link connecting these storylines, sharing the joys and sorrows with the players and accumulating their own deeds. This gradually increases the players' sense of belonging to the mercenary group, which is a strategy of leveraging existing resources to achieve new goals.
Players need not only benefits, but also a good story before they can gradually immerse themselves in the role and develop a sense of belonging to a faction. Therefore, Han Xiao decided to create a common enemy, and DarkStar was the most suitable target. Working together to fight the same enemy is the easiest way to generate a sense of belonging, and Sunil, who shares the same hatred for the enemy, is a very suitable ally.
Furthermore, by introducing players to different NPC factions' territories through mercenary groups, players can develop a vague sense of territory, which can also be integrated into the attraction of their own faction.
The emotional investment—a sense of belonging and belonging—brings long-term benefits that can even surpass the appeal of the reward itself.
Players represent chaos, and Master Han has always been committed to shaping himself into "one of their own" in the eyes of players, becoming a shadow that runs through their lives. Developing a faction is the core key to achieving this goal.
His plan is incredibly ambitious and will take time to realize; this is just the first step.