Fasereni launched into a rapid-fire barrage of words, using vivid and lifelike adjectives and encompassing a wide range of postures. Nouns included Sivadi's ancestors, parents, wife, and descendants. Han Xiao listened with great interest and felt a special connection to the conversation. It turned out that even aliens enjoyed mates with their families when they cursed.
Sivadi was stunned by the scolding and couldn't get a word in edgewise. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he was trembling with anger.
As a high-ranking military officer of the Holy Stone Civilization, besides my superiors and my wife, who dares to insult me like this? I... I'll endure it!
Glancing at Han Xiao beside him, Sivadi suppressed his anger. He was in the wrong this time, so he would give him face!
Porter looked surprised. He thought he was rough enough, but he didn't expect that Fasereni, who was usually quite rational, would be even more irritable than him.
Having vented his anger, Fasereni finally caught his breath and demanded, "Why did you harm us?!"
Sivadi, expressionless and in a stiff tone, explained, "You misunderstand. We did intend to provide support, but plans change. DarkStar has set up a blockade, leaving no chance of breakthrough. Therefore, the support force failed to arrive at the designated location on time; this was an accident."
"We tried to contact you after we arrived at the location, but you didn't respond at all. How do you explain that?!"
"DarkStar forced our support team to retreat. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, we withdrew without engaging in firefight. We originally intended to contact you to change the rendezvous point, but DarkStar released a short-term signal jamming to our fleet, cutting off communications. This was to prevent us from notifying you of the change in situation. Coincidentally, DarkStar used this information to capture you. It's not surprising that you misunderstood us."
Sivadi spoke with such conviction, not even blinking, demonstrating his extensive experience. Given his status, he wouldn't normally need to explain so much to a group of mercenaries, but Black Star was an exception; his backing was untouchable. It was all because of Han Xiao that Sivadi took the initiative to explain, feigning sincerity. "Due to our operational errors, a negative outcome occurred, for which I deeply apologize. In any case, I have explained the facts, and I hope you will understand..."
Before Fasereni could say anything more, Han Xiao stepped forward and took over the conversation, saying with a smile, "So that's how it is. I really misunderstood you. This was all a misunderstanding caused by differences in intelligence among the parties. There's no need to apologize; it's not your fault."
Sivadi's eyes lit up, and he said with relief, "It's great that you understand... Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, I won't keep you any longer. You can deal with these DarkStar people as you see fit."
After saying that, the Holy Stone Fleet withdrew, and the Black Raven also left from another direction. The fleet that blotted out the sky was gone, and the outer space of the planet became empty again.
"You don't actually believe that commander Siva is just making excuses, do you?" Fasereni said.
Han Xiao shrugged. "How could I possibly believe Lie that doesn't stand up to scrutiny?"
Goya stepped forward and sighed, "Don't pursue it any further. Even if we know it's just an excuse, there's nothing we can do about it. After all, he's a border officer of the Holy Stone."
When you're on opposing sides, it's normal for someone to stab you in the back or for you to stab them in the back.
Mercenaries believe in making money through harmony. The other party represents a great civilization with great strength. They were just tricked, and it didn't escalate to the level of hostility. It wasn't worth doing this either, as the higher-ups of their respective legions would definitely not agree. They themselves couldn't retaliate, so they had to swallow their anger and suffer in silence. In fact, everyone knew the truth, but they still acted amicably and pretended nothing had happened.
For a moment, everyone was somewhat depressed and sighed.
Han Xiao smiled without saying a word, outwardly feigning compliance, but secretly he had already made a note of the Holy Stone Civilization in his little notebook. He wouldn't let it go so easily. Using violence was too unsophisticated and not worth it. Since you tricked me, it's only fair that I trick you back.
'Hmm... When I have some free time, I'll find an opportunity to abduct their main character, without anyone noticing. I'll also gain another subordinate—killing two birds with one stone.'
Han Xiao stroked his chin, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Cut off the fuel supply from under the cauldron, secretly advance through the Chencang pass—brilliant!
Far away on the Streamer, Sivadi, who was feeling quite pleased with himself, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and shivered.
After the battlefield was cleared, the wreckage and parts were recovered by the mercenaries. Several DarkStar members, including Sarota, were tied together, and several vice-legion commanders gathered around the prisoners, whispering among themselves.
Han Xiao walked over and asked, "Are these all the prisoners?"
"Yes, all the escaping ships were destroyed; only these survivors remain."
Upon closer inspection, Han Xiao noticed that the Ashes were not among them. He thought to himself, "Looks like he was blown up in his spaceship; he must be dead."
He immediately felt a pang of regret. He had finally encountered an enemy with legendary qualities, and whose abilities were precisely countered by the Book of Shadows. If he could kill Ashes himself, he might be able to extract the template feat, but instead, he would die at the hands of a third party without receiving any reward.
"What are your plans to do with them?"
"It's best to hand over the DarkStar and the _Book_ people to Goddora. We've already contacted Goddora; they're happy to take in prisoners and are willing to pay a reward afterward," said the deputy commander of the Sky Ring Legion.
It would actually be more appropriate for either the Holy Stone or the Black Raven to take over the prisoners, but neither side wanted to get involved. Just now, Sivadi pretended to be generous and let them handle the prisoners, but in reality, he had no intention of taking on this hot potato.
Upon hearing this, Sarota struggled violently to her feet and roared, "Kill me!"
Those from DarkStar who fall into Goddora's hands have only one fate—life imprisonment in Rainbow Light Prison.
Rainbow Light Prison only holds arrested DarkStar members. The prison is very mysterious. All DarkStar members who are imprisoned there will lose their faith in DarkStar after a period of time and become loyal to Goddora. DarkStar believes that this prison continuously brainwashes prisoners, distorts their minds, and turns them into traitors, making them Goddora's lackeys and tools.
The organization is deeply wary of Rainbow Light Prison. Rumor has it that the reason Goddora doesn't execute DarkStar 'DarkStar war criminals is that she wants to brainwash them so that their former comrades will kill each other. Her intentions are malicious!
Sarota wasn't afraid of life imprisonment; he was afraid of his mind being warped. He would rather die than betray his beliefs!
A mercenary delivered a powerful kick to the back of Sarota's head, knocking him unconscious and silencing him.
"I'm also going to Goddora's colony, and it's on my way. How about giving me a ride?" Han Xiao said.
"Haha, it's nothing."
The mercenaries spent several hours sorting through and recovering everything of value before the fleet finally set off. Ships took off one after another, and the combined fleet departed in a grand procession towards the neighboring Garton Star System.
The matter came to an end, and the planet returned to peace, with only its ravaged surface serving as a reminder of the fierce battle that had taken place there.
Everything that happened here was recorded in the Shattered Star Ring Express. A day later, news programs on other channels also used the Shattered Star Ring Express footage for secondary broadcasts, and its influence gradually grew.
The most eye-catching scene was naturally the Dragon Emperor displaying its power, which was repeatedly broadcast on various channels. However, the second most attention-grabbing character was Han Xiao, overshadowing the attention that DarkStar had lost.
Countless viewers became acquainted with a mercenary named Black Star. He was the only member of the Dragon Calm faction to operate outside the region, essentially acting as an agent of the Dragon Emperor's will. His influence far exceeded his own, and his background was incredibly powerful. Black Star's name and information quickly spread throughout the major forces of the Shattered Star Ring, making him one of the targets of attention.
Throughout the Shattered Star Ring, citizens of all races, and viewers of the program, all remembered the name Black Star, and all sorts of rumors spread by word of mouth.
New information has emerged that the three major legions and their partners have proactively reached a cooperation agreement with Black Star. The previously unknown Black Star has suddenly become a hot newcomer in the mercenary industry, and his vast network of connections is the envy of many struggling mid-to-low-level mercenaries.
In just a few days, Black Star's fame spread far and wide, and its reputation soared!
In the past few days, Han Xiao's panel has been showing notifications of increasing popularity from time to time. The regions vary and cover multiple star clusters in the Shattered Star Ring. The value has increased by 37 points and is still growing.
This surprised him somewhat, and he only realized what was going on when he saw the interstellar news.
No wonder his fame skyrocketed after the incident; he was on TV! This fame was an extra benefit brought to him by Ames's influence, saving him a lot of time grinding reputation, which is crucial in the early stages of faction development. He became famous overnight, giving him a higher starting point.
A few days later, in the Garton Star System, the combined fleet made a stopover on Goddora's colony, "Golden Palace."
Goddora's architecture is beautiful, favoring curves and arcs; curved surfaces and fan shapes are ubiquitous, and the color scheme is predominantly gold and white, both magnificent and pure. Goddora cities are generally low-rise and winding, reflecting a "traditional and retro" aesthetic. The only towering buildings are the mage towers, the Gaol Tower, the government headquarters, and military outposts. There are no metal vehicles on the streets; instead, there are shimmering magical tracks that accelerate people, making them as fast as cars, and eliminating traffic problems. In addition, people ride strangely styled mounts, which are even more expensive and rarer. Flying vehicles are also related to magic; there is a facility called the "Flying Emblem Rental Station," where, for a fee, one can rent an item imbued with various flying spells from a book. Many people then fly around in the sky, their semi-transparent magical wings flapping to propel them far away.
The pedestrians wore various robes, mostly Goddora people whose skin was as if it had been dusted with gold, making their colors somewhat striking. The pace of life in a city could be seen from the speed at which the pedestrians walked; the Goddora people moved slowly, leading a rather leisurely and unhurried life, adhering to the Goddora style. Generally speaking, magical civilizations do not develop as rapidly as technological civilizations, which also affects the pace of life, resulting in huge differences in social structure, aesthetics, and culture.
Han Xiao walked alone on the street. He had come to the Golden Palace to find the appraisal master, to open the Whispering Bead, and to see what was inside that made DarkStar take it so seriously.
The spaceship remained at the dock, but Han Xiao didn't delay and headed straight for the target location.