Tulip defeated KEY 3-1 to become the first team to advance to the semifinals.
Most strong teams held back their trump cards in the group stage, but Team KEY's trump card was revealed in advance due to the match between Frenzied Saber and Key of Solomon. Although [Gate of Howling] is strong, the time from the group stage to the finals is enough for other teams to think about counter-strategies. Tulip is strong and stable, and also has a trump card, which it only used in the quarterfinals. Just as Key of Solomon predicted, his team was caught off guard. If Key of Solomon hadn't performed exceptionally well in the third match, the result would have been a crushing 3-0 defeat.
Team KEY was eliminated in the quarterfinals, a result far from their goal of winning the championship, which infuriated Key of Solomon.
Meanwhile, the Black Star Mercenary Group arrived at the planet where the supply convoy was located, preparing to escort it.
A fan-shaped, flat, pale gold interstellar spaceport floats in the outer space of a Goddora colony, endlessly orbiting its orbit. Its alloy hull radiates a hazy magical Glory. Various types of spaceships are docked here. The seller, Teril Terrell, is waiting for Han Xiao to arrive. He is a well-known businessman in the Garton Star System, running a department store group with a long-term partnership with the Dragon Calm logistics department. Han Xiao has carried out numerous supply escort missions and is acquainted with Teril.
The group arrived at the airport terminal, and shouts could be heard in the distance.
"Haha, Black Star of Dragon Calm, we meet again."
Teril, a Goddora, was a chubby man with a warm smile. He strode forward and gave Han Xiao a greasy bear hug, laughing, "I'll have to trouble you again this time. All the supplies Dragon Calm needs have been packed and the list is ready. Do you need me to check them?"
He led Han Xiao and the others to the side, where metal boxes were piled up like a small mountain; these were all supplies purchased by Haier.
"Having cooperated so many times, I don't doubt your credibility. However, this is Jenny's request, so let my people count it." Han Xiao handed the list to Maple Moon, casually assigning her the task of checking the goods.
"I understand, I understand." Teril rubbed his hands together and laughed heartily.
Escorting supplies is a daily task, rewarding 150 points of favorability with the Dragon Calm faction. Han Xiao knows Teril, and because of his Dragon Calm status, Teril gives him some discounts, so he often buys things from Teril in private, trusting his reputation. However, since he is working for the Dragon Calm now, it is best to be careful.
In interstellar virtual networks, logistics is a problem when purchasing supplies. Apart from advanced civilizations that have made long-distance teleportation equipment widely available to civilians, interstellar logistics are usually contracted out to specialized courier groups, or sellers cooperate with travel groups to airdrop packages along the way. There are many scavengers in Shattered Star Ring, and some low-level space pirates specialize in robbing logistics ships, so commercial teams usually hire mercenaries as guards... which is similar to escorting goods.
Maple Moon quickly checked the quantity, and it was correct. Han Xiao nodded and said, "No problem, let's set off now."
"I've already arranged for a travel ship to dock at Port 5468." Teril turned to his entourage and said, "Daike, you take some men and load the supplies into the cargo hold, then go with Black Star to Dragon Calm to hand over the goods."
The man called Daike nodded and instructed the workers to transport the boxes to the port. He was an ordinary manager at the Terrell Group, with an unremarkable appearance.
As everyone stepped onto the ship's gangway, Teril stood on the dock and called out, "Give my regards to Jenny."
Han Xiao waved his hand, walked into the spaceship, and after the hatch closed, he wrote up a security mission and handed it to some players, asking Melos to take them to the cargo hold to take turns protecting the supplies, while he led the others to the spaceship's passenger cabin.
A turbulence struck, and the spaceship rumbled into the air. It was a small travel spaceship, without any other passengers, chartered by Teril specifically to transport supplies to Dragon Calm.
There weren't many people on board. Besides a dozen or so crew and logistics personnel and mercenary group members, there were also more than a dozen workers from the Terrell Group. Daike was their leader. Han Xiao had seen him a few times before but hadn't really interacted with him. However, he noticed that Daike had brought a girl with him on board this time.
"You're Black Star?"
In the cabin lobby, just as everyone sat down, the girl next to Daike spoke up, tilting her head and looking at Han Xiao curiously.
Han Xiao glanced at her. She was a human girl from outer space, not very old, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old. She was only up to Han Xiao's chest, with short dark brown hair, fair skin, a high nose bridge, and a delicate appearance. Her bright eyes were full of youthful vitality.
"Uncle Daike often tells me stories, including about your deeds." The girl's gaze swept over Han Xiao, with a scrutinizing air.
Daike coughed lightly. "This is a friend's daughter. Her family... cough cough, asked me to look after her for the time being. She's been pestering me to come sailing with me, so I brought her along. Lord Black Star, is this alright?"
"It's nothing." Han Xiao shook his head, looked at the girl, and chuckled, "What's your name?"
"Sylvia."
"That sounds nice. Which planet is your hometown?"
Sylvia pouted, "Are you checking my household registration, old man?"
"Uncle..." Han Xiao was speechless. He was clearly young and handsome, and the other man was talking nonsense.
Sylvia glanced at Han Xiao sideways, then changed the subject, scoffing, "I've heard that you mercenaries have no principles, fighting for whoever pays the highest price. I'd like to know, doesn't the money you earn by selling your souls burn your hands?"
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, Daike nervously tugged at Sylvia, scolded her, and then hurriedly apologized to Han Xiao, "She's just being silly, please don't take it to heart."
"It's alright, they're just young people, it's understandable." Han Xiao waved his hand, his words having virtually no effect on him, so he naturally didn't care. He laughed and said, "This little girl is quite bold. Since she knows we're a bunch of thugs, she still dares to rebuke us to our faces. She's got some guts."
"I'm not a little girl!" Sylvia said, her face flushed with anger, and she puffed out her chest.
"Hmm... it is indeed quite large, but there's still room for development." Meat Bun looked down, a chuckle on his face, when he suddenly noticed Han Xiao staring at him without saying a word. He quickly stopped smiling, lowered his eyes, and sat up straight.
After the group was secured with their harnesses, the spaceship quickly entered warp mode, allowing them to move around freely. Sylvia, lively and active, ran around the spaceship curiously, exploring its structure and exclaiming in amazement. Sometimes she would lean against the porthole, gazing in wonder at the streaks of warp light outside.
Daike said with a wry smile, "This is her first time on a spaceship. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
"As long as it doesn't affect the mission, it's fine." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes as he watched the girl's lively the Sight of Father's Back disappear into the distance.
Sylvia... that name sounds familiar.
He didn't let go of any suspicion. He returned to his room, pondered for more than ten minutes, and finally found an image in his memory that matched the name.
"[Mechanical Female Knight] Sylvia?"
Han Xiao was taken aback. He hadn't expected that the girl he had unexpectedly encountered was a person with a name and a background. Moreover, in the storyline of his previous life, Sylvia was quite famous, especially among the players.
Sylvia is still a young girl who hasn't fully grown up. Han Xiao recalls what she looked like when she "grew up" in his previous life: long flowing hair, heroic and dashing, wearing a long and lightweight mechanical armor, with a cape trailing behind her, like a knight.
What's a key indicator of a female character's appeal? Her doujinshi!
There are many doujinshi featuring Sylvia, and her beauty is only one factor—after all, there are too many beautiful female creatures in the Galaxy. The bigger reasons are her background, identity, personality, and storyline.
Beauty had never been Han Xiao's focus. He secretly recalled Sylvia's background, but it was a long time ago, and he could only remember the general details for now:
"Sylvia's father was Pursuit and killed by a mercenary group. She was very young at the time, so she embarked on a path of Revenge. She moved between several factions, learned Mechanic Class knowledge, became a space pirate, Pursuit that mercenary group."
In that version's timeline, due to the Crimson Dynasty's renewed expansion, everyone in the various star systems felt insecure. Large mercenary organizations from the various star clusters of the Shattered Star Ring, emulating the mercenaries of the ' Shining Silver Arm ' star system, spearheaded the formation of the ' Shattered Star Ring Allied Army,' becoming a massive mercenary alliance with hundreds of millions of members and tens of thousands of spaceships of various types, capable of participating in large-scale space battles. Sylvia was then the Mercenary Alliance's mortal enemy.
Players participated in the Mercenary Alliance event at the time, and in their eyes, Sylvia was a notorious villainous boss. Many players received missions to Pursuit Sylvia, but all failed, as Sylvia was very strong.
After opposing the Mercenary Alliance for a period of time, Sylvia frequently appeared in the player's field of vision. Later, seemingly by chance, she discovered that her father was actually a villain. She doesn't remember the specific details, but she learned that her father's death was his own fault. She then disappeared for a while. When she reappeared, she had changed her ways. She was no longer a space pirate but a member of the Freedom Rebels of the Shattered Star Ring. She helped people in distress, spontaneously fought against villains, and performed many famous deeds. She refused any form of reward or employment. All her actions were spontaneous, similar to a superhero... well, commonly known as being "redeemed" and turning over a new leaf.
While Sylvia isn't the main character in any particular event, she's a well-known figure, much like Hila. She frequently intervenes in many events within the Shattered Star Ring, and players wandering the wilderness may occasionally encounter her fighting villains, offering their assistance. She's beloved by many in the Shattered Star Ring... but these events all occur after version 3.0."
Han Xiao shook his head. Sylvia's experience of turning over a new leaf and her transformation from a cynical person to a chivalrous hero contain a lot of material for stories, such as... ugh, why would I want to think about that?
"I never expected to run into a future celebrity..."
Han Xiao stroked his chin.
For some reason, I felt a strange sensation, as if I had overlooked some important information.
The Floating Dragon Island is currently located in the Ryan Star System of the Colton Star Cluster. There is a small stargate along the way that allows for jumping, and the journey takes about ten days.
Master Han builds machinery every day and trades with players.
He didn't pay close attention to the league, only looking at the results. The top four teams were determined. Long Sky faced the number one ranked Devil, Mojie, and lost 1-3, stopping in the quarterfinals, which was a bit of a pity. Dynasty defeated Rose Knight 3-2, securing a spot in the top four. Japan's Yamata fought a fierce battle with Australia's Kangaroo Boxing, and finally won 3-1. The teams that entered the top four were Tulip, Devil, Dynasty, and Yamata.
The subsequent group draw was crucial. Perhaps it was the prayers of countless Huaxia viewers that worked, but the opponent for the Dynasty in the semifinals was none other than the Yamata Team. Compared to the steady Tulip and the invincible Devil, Yamata was undoubtedly an easy target, and the chances of defeating them were the greatest. The Huaxia section of the forum was almost a scene of universal celebration.
In the individual competition, Kings and Generals made it to the quarterfinals, while Frenzied Saber was eliminated in the round of 16. However, he was already very satisfied. He was overjoyed to have reached the second round of the international league, and his performance far exceeded his initial expectations. Compared to his ranking in his previous life, he had made great progress. In his previous life, Frenzied Saber could only make a name for himself in the regional league and was not even qualified for the international league. Now, however, he had secured a place in the round of 16 of the first international league individual competition. Frenzied Saber had gained the most, and his status among Huaxia players had jumped from obscurity to that of a superstar.
Ten days later, the spaceship exited the warp drive and was only half a day's journey away from Dragon Calm.
It was lunchtime. I walked out of the mechanical modification room and into the food room, where people usually ate. There were many people eating here, and they were eating portable space food. I can't say whether it tasted good or not, but it had a certain flavor.
Melos beckoned to him at the bar, and Han Xiao went over.
"Want a drink?" A bottle of wine sat in front of Melos, his face flushed from the alcohol.
I'd almost forgotten you had a drinking problem.
Han Xiao sat down, and the bartender handed him a new glass. Melos chuckled, picked up the bottle, and poured Han Xiao a glass.
He shook his head, picked up his wine glass, and was about to take a sip when he suddenly stopped, a strange sense of unease rising within him.
Han Xiao frowned slightly as he looked at the item descriptions on the panel.
[[Spiked liquor]: Effects unknown]
Bang!
The loud crash startled everyone, who put down their food and looked over in surprise.
Han Xiao grabbed the bartender by the collar, pinned the panicked bartender to the bar, and said coldly, his face expressionless:
"You poisoned me?!"