Starlight shines, and the Milky Way of Light encircles the dark universe, adorning it with brightness. The glittering stars are incredibly distant, each one representing a people, a civilization, and a thought. It's like looking down at thousands of lights from an airplane flying through the night sky—vast and boundless, yet full of vitality.
Through the porthole, the outline of Planet Golden Gate gradually became more detailed. One after another, spaceships of various shapes rose and fell on this colony planet of Goddora. The atmosphere of prosperity seemed to spread even in the vacuum of space, allowing those who watched from afar to feel this prosperity.
This is a medium-sized, long-range travel ship, a common model, with a gray steel alloy hull, a conventional warp engine, and a secondary shipborne electromagnetic shield. Its official price is between 750,000 and 900,000 Enas, and secondhand ships are about 30% cheaper. If you have connections at a shipyard, you might even be able to buy it for around 170,000 Inars. The ship has a bright yellow crown painted on its side; it's a rental ship belonging to the "Crown Interstellar Travel Agency" (m•hetushu. com).
This tour group reached a long-term rental agreement with the Black Star Mercenary Group a month ago for thirteen spaceships. The rental fee was much lower than the purchase price, but it was still not cheap.
At this moment, the spaceship, temporarily belonging to the Black Star Mercenary Group, was carrying dozens of mercenaries and flying towards Planet Golden Gate —these mercenaries were new members recruited into the Black Star Mercenary Group a few months ago.
During the year of preparation, after completing the production line project, Han Xiao used the reputation of the mercenary group to recruit hundreds of free mercenaries to expand its armed forces, thereby increasing the NPC resources of the mercenary group itself. These new mercenaries were organized into different squads for easier command.
To deal with the Mutation Disaster, it's clear that Melos few companions are not enough. There's no need to control the scale anymore; the more people the better. Master Han has never been stingy with early investments; he has a lot of money in his pocket and feels uncomfortable if he doesn't spend it.
"Black Star suddenly summoned everyone; I wonder if there's some major operation in store."
"We're nominally Dragon Calm unit, so what orders has the Dragon Emperor given us?"
"I've asked around, and nobody knows what Black Star is up to, not even the higher-ups."
Everyone else has arrived; we're the last ones here. Hopefully, we won't cause any problems.
While the mercenaries chatted idly, the spaceship landed at the closest spaceport to the base on Planet Golden Gate. Stepping onto the ground, dozens of mercenaries of various appearances hurried on their way. Before long, the group stopped in front of a huge base. The base was octagonal in shape and surrounded by alloy walls filled with automated turrets, making it heavily fortified.
The architecture resembles a massive metal castle, its glossy black shell reflecting the sun's rays. Its shape is like countless steel towers pieced together, with a dozen towering metal obelisks pointing towards the sky, resembling a dozen uneven French fries. The building's structure is sharply defined, exuding a precise and Mechanical Sense. Besides the large areas of iron gray, white and red paint extends along the edges, adding a touch of beauty to this imposing base. Blue indicator lights scattered across various facilities are imbued with a technological atmosphere.
This is Han Xiao's achievement over the past year— Black Star Number One Base!
The mercenaries arrived at the door, and a complex verification interface popped up on the screen. After they proved their identities as Black Star members one by one, the door slowly opened, and the screen emitted a synthesized voice.
"Verification successful... Welcome back..."
"Phillip, how was your day?" a mercenary joked at the screen.
"Buzzing while working... No chatting allowed..."
The group entered the base. The internal terrain was not complicated. In the center was a huge hollowed-out space, with crisscrossing and staggered metal bridges leading to different areas. It was easy to see at a glance, like a honeycomb. This central area was called the "Mouthpiece" by the mercenaries.
The base was so large that even tens of thousands of people couldn't fill it, while the mercenary group only had a few hundred people, so the base seemed very empty inside.
The mercenaries chatted as they made their way to the hall, their voices echoing through the vast space with a clear, ethereal sound.
Upon arriving at the base's main hall, they found hundreds of people already waiting there, silent and solemn. The group's laughter abruptly ceased, and they hurriedly joined the crowd at the back.
The hundreds of people present were all the current members of the mercenary group, wearing armor of various styles and carrying swords, axes, hammers, spears, and cannons. They were of different heights and builds, some human and some beast, but what they had in common was that each mercenary exuded an aura of elite strength, making it clear at a glance that they were battle-hardened and not to be trifled with.
At the very front of the crowd, Black Star's subordinates lined up, leaving only their the Sight of Father's Back to the hundreds of people behind them. Melos, clad in blue and white armor, Aroshia, whose body shone with Glimmer, the Volga Three Brothers who looked like they were made from the same mold, and the three new subordinates who had joined a few months ago, while Fording and Sylvia stood a little further away.
At that moment, a spiral crack appeared in the metal floor directly in front of everyone, and a figure appeared in front of them riding an elevator. The figure was dressed in a flowing black cloak, wearing a compressed ball necklace, bracelet, earrings, and a pure black mask that covered his face.
It was Han Xiao.
A year later, Han Xiao changed into a more imposing outfit and, like the Germinal Leader, started wearing a mask—he thought it made him look cooler.
We're people with stable businesses now, so we need to raise our standards a bit. Besides, this pure black mask is a piece of mechanical equipment.
As soon as he appeared, all eyes were on him, awaiting his instructions.
"Is everyone here?"
Han Xiao scanned the crowd, his gaze sweeping over each face. These mercenaries were recruited by him personally. The reputation of Dragon Calm and the mercenary group were indeed effective. Most of them were lone wolves with considerable strength, battle-hardened, and very reliable. They could be divided into three groups: one group consisted of former free mercenaries who had not banded together, another group was Sunil Squad, and the third group was the "War Alliance" brought by one of the new officers.
After the base was completed, he did not stay at the base all the time. He took the time to travel to different planets and, following his memories and intelligence, recruited three new cadres, all of whom were famous figures from his previous life.
Sherinde, a Sunil, is a Grade B martial artist. He wears a white hooded armor robe that appears soft but is actually engraved with defensive magic. His face is hidden in the shadow of the hood, and two sword hilts hang at his waist, ready to spring out at any moment. When they first met, Han Xiao almost thought he had stepped out of the movie "XX Creed".
This person is another Grade B superhuman from the Sunil civilization who is still serving the race. When Fagorna led people away from the race, he did not include Sherinde. He is taciturn, just like his swift and unpredictable martial arts style, like an assassin lurking in the shadows, which is the opposite of Melos's open and powerful martial arts style.
Melos acted as a go-between, and Han Xiao found the lone Sherinde and extended an invitation to him. As the reputation of the Black Star Mercenary Group improved, more and more Sunil superhumans banded together to join Black Star, finding it safe and lucrative. It could also be said that Han Xiao was providing them with protection. Under Melos's persuasion, Sherinde accepted Han Xiao's invitation and joined him.
Sunil Squad was then led by Melos and Sherinde.
The second new officer, Jinda Kanglin, is a female extraterrestrial human and a Grade B gunner. She carries various heavy firearms, and the heavy machinery obscures her tall and hot figure. She adheres to the belief that firepower is paramount.
Jinda is a well-known lone wolf mercenary. In her previous life, she joined the Sky Ring Alliance and became one of its most famous and representative figures. When Han Xiao was collecting intelligence on free mercenaries, he saw her and began to plot against her. He secretly poached Jinda, who was still a free agent, from the Sky Ring Army and recruited her into his mercenary group.
Of course, the process wasn't smooth sailing. Jinda had a fiery temper, always arguing with everyone and everything, not even putting Dragon Calm in her eyes. Han Xiao devised a little scheme, deliberately interfering in one of Jinda's missions, causing a conflict between the two, which naturally escalated into a fight. Han Xiao beat her up several times before Jinda finally gave in and was recruited into the Black Star Mercenary Group.
Han Xiao promised to provide her with heavy weapons at a low price, Jinda, who was keen on collecting all kinds of firearms, immediately had no objections.
The third cadre was even more influential, a protagonist-type figure. Han Xiao had to put in a lot of effort to persuade him to join the group—just like he had persuaded Melos back then.
Harmon Collapse Rock Sonotin is a Luhan Beastmen, over three meters tall, covered in fur, looking somewhat like a bear-man, and quite cute in appearance. However, he is a fierce warrior race. The Luhan Beastmen have their own civilization, located in another star cluster, and govern through a tribal confederation system. Harmon is a candidate for chieftain of the Craggy Rock Tribe.
Although the Luhan Beastmen are an interstellar civilization, they retain a warlike, barbaric, and martial tradition. When a tribe needs to elect the next chieftain, it's not a peaceful vote, but a battle. All candidates are banished from their home planet and randomly landed on different planets, where they are required to hone their skills and form their own "War Alliance." After a set period, everyone returns to their home planet with their forces to participate in the chieftain war, facing off against the War Alliance of other candidates. In other words, it's like princes tearing each other apart for the right of succession.
Harmon is a main character whose storyline revolves around helping him seize the chieftainship of the Craggy Rock Tribe. While Han Xiao was conning Harmon, he triggered this quest. The quest was simple and straightforward, requiring players to fight from beginning to end. In his previous life, players who completed this side quest would find the process turned into a dungeon, where they could obtain Dungeon Crystal by doing daily quests in the Craggy Rock Tribe. Therefore, Han Xiao remembered it very clearly.
The way to recruit Harmon was naturally to agree to hold an ancient ceremony to become his War Alliance and help him in the War of the Chieftains in the future. Harmon was not alone; he also brought his war War Alliance to join the mercenary group, consisting of dozens of strong Luhan Beastmen warriors.
Harmon has Grade B strength. His superpower is just a simple physical enhancement ability that causes his muscles to swell dramatically. It's not that Han Xiao wants to complain, but it does give the impression that his whole body is bulging.
While his superpower is singular, Harmon is proficient in various weapons and is a highly skilled warrior. Han Xiao had once seen his attributes; he possessed six rare secondary professions within the [Warrior] system. He was all brawn and no brains, incredibly fierce. They say heaven is to the left and warriors to the right, Harmon could probably smash the right side of the picture frame with his head.
The addition of three new officers has brought fresh blood to the ranks, increasing the number of capable assistants under their command and significantly boosting the rewards for the faction.
Currently, the highest single reward has reached over 1 million experience points, and the daily total is more than twenty times that amount. This means that through faction missions, he can distribute more than 20 million experience points to players every day. Recruiting NPC members is to better attract players.
Han Xiao opened the communication terminal and glanced at the mercenary group's interface.
--
Black Star Mercenary Group
Credit Score: 1018 (High Credit Rating)
Total size: 417 people
Grade D: 47 people
Grade C: 359 people
Grade B: 11 people
Number of hires completed: 82
Main activity area: Colton Star Cluster
Resume: [The Battle of Sunil]
[Silver Spirit People Rescue Operation]
[Pursuit of the Purple Fungus Civilization Rebel Leader "Pili Pola Pa Vasasa"]
Battle of Noriosse
[78 remaining mercenary missions... [Collapse/Expand]]
Founder: Black Star - Han Xiao
Creation time: October 2, 688
Evaluation: A medium-sized mercenary group with high credibility and a good reputation. They have completed numerous high-rated hires and have cooperative relationships with many large mercenary groups. They are an armed field force under the Dragon Emperor command, with their base located on Planet Golden Gate in the Garton Star System. Their leader, Black Star, once assisted in killing a Calamity Grade superhuman in Noriosse. Their strength is unpredictable, and they are trustworthy.
--
"We've reached a certain scale. Today is the big day for version 2.0. We've waited almost a year, and we've finally arrived at this stage. We should have enough manpower now."
Han Xiao nodded secretly.
Over the past year, he has accomplished a great deal, making thorough preparations. The base now boasts a total of twenty-three production lines, and of the initial four and a half million yuan, only about one and a half million yuan remains. Most of the funds have been spent on materials, keeping the production lines running day and night to manufacture machinery, and the warehouse is overflowing with inventory.
The loan is about to exceed its one-year interest-free period. According to Rockefeller's requirements, interest will have to be paid after one year, and Han Xiao is waiting to earn it back from the players.
His panel experience had long since fallen below 100 million, but Han Xiao was still only level 116. He had spent his experience on gambling for blueprints and upgrading his skills, and he urgently needed to replenish it. He also had a Mission Settlement Card on hand. If he had enough experience, he could even advance directly to level 140. It was impossible for him not to be looking forward to it.
Gathering his thoughts, Han Xiao looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Today, I have gathered everyone here for a large-scale operation. My homeland is suffering a catastrophe. Their vision is limited to this planet, and they cannot see what I am seeing. I am their only savior."
The mercenaries below looked at each other in bewilderment.
Black Star's hometown?
Is it that indigenous planet called Planet Aquamarine?
"I will fight for you, just as you will fight for me."
Harmon raised his fist and pounded his chest, making a loud thud.
"I'm by your side, as always."
Melos nodded.
All the mercenaries in the hall responded immediately.
I checked the time; it's about time.
Han Xiao opened the panel and waited silently.
Shortly after, a new notification appeared:
[Version 2.0 enabled]
[Retrieving data... Data retrieval complete!]
[Player forum open]
Welcome to Galaxy 2.0!
After so much preparation, version 2.0 is finally here!
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he strode towards the gate, the crowd automatically parting to make way for him.
Hundreds of elite mercenaries followed closely behind him, in a grand and imposing procession.
"Set off!"