at the same time.
Juberly Hub, formerly a temporary stronghold of the Black Star Mercenary Group.
Dozens of Glimmer flashed, and the professional players who had followed Han Xiao appeared one after another. They were Frenzied Saber, Hao Tian, Meat Bun, and others. They had all logged off here when the version was updated.
High-level players are accustomed to opening the control panel immediately to check version changes. As professional players, they are most concerned with practical factors such as personal attributes and equipment.
After confirming the increase in the level cap, the group exchanged glances, then looked around and were immediately taken aback.
The outpost was deserted, with only the monotonous lights shining forlornly, reflecting a faint white light on the metal walls and floor. Although the entire outpost was spotless thanks to the cleaning equipment, the open doors and the silent atmosphere were enough for the player to realize that the outpost had been uninhabited for a long time.
Everything in every room had vanished, including Black Star's private warehouse and mechanical modification room. If it weren't for the fact that even the furniture was gone, they would have thought the base had been broken into.
"Why is there no one here? Where is Black Star?" Frenzied Saber wondered.
"I wonder how much time has passed. It seems they are no longer here," Hao Tian said in a deep voice.
"It's also possible that they're all dead." Li Ge pondered, drawing angry glares from everyone. His consideration had historical reasons. He remembered that their Temple Club's affiliated guild had encountered the tragedy of its quest posting location being razed to the ground during the closed beta.
"How stupid. Just look at the faction information." Maple Moon her eyes at them. As a member of the mercenary group, she could check the basic faction information to know the situation of the Black Star Mercenary Group. There was no need to guess.
However, what the players don't know is that they can see faction information because Han Xiao deliberately added this information to the faction interface. This was to make the players' progress in the mercenary group clear at a glance, thereby increasing their sense of belonging. Master Han has always been consistent; all the conveniences he provides to the players are for the purpose of making money more easily.
Upon opening the mercenary group interface, the information leaped into view, leaving the expert players astonished.
"The faction has grown in size, now there are over four hundred people, and more jobs have been completed... Oh, look at the reviews, it says the Black Star Mercenary Group's base is currently located on Planet Golden Gate, so the mercenary group has moved... But where is Planet Golden Gate?" Frenzied Saber said.
"It's not over yet! Look at this! Black Star actually killed a Calamity Grade superhuman in Noriosse! Holy crap, that's amazing..." Meat Bun was about to exclaim in amazement when he suddenly realized something was wrong. "Wait, what's Calamity Grade- level?"
At this point, the players were unaware that the Grade A was also known as the Calamity Grade, and had never heard of this term before... but it sounded pretty awesome.
In any case, players can only look up to those with power above the Grade C level.
The group of expert players were somewhat stunned—what exactly had the Black Star Mercenary Group gone through while they were away?
Just then, the doorbell of the stronghold suddenly rang. The expert players were startled and before they could react, Tai Erzi had already given up thinking and opened the door. Standing outside was a triangular snake-headed man.
"Are you members of the Black Star Mercenary Group?" the snake-man asked.
The expert players exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
"I am a captain of the Crown Touring Group. Lord Black Star instructed me to take you to Planet Aquamarine." The snake-man flicked his tongue. "Please follow me."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces immediately showed surprise. They hadn't expected Black Star to send a ship to pick them up. Was this some kind of high-profile gesture?
The Mutation Disaster drastically altered the global landscape, bringing the rule of Six Nations to the brink of collapse, plunging most of their territories into chaos, and causing governments to lose control.
Because the Mutation Virus makes everyone susceptible to infection, including public officials, all levels of government are paralyzed. If a regime loses those who serve it, it loses all its power and becomes a mere shell of its former self. The Six Nations are sliding into this abyss.
Society is composed of people in every link and class. The essence of forming order is to make people willingly obey. There are many factors, such as law enforcement agencies, the military, the economic system, cultural traditions, moral concepts, mainstream values, etc., all of which are to make people understand the consequences of breaking the rules, so as to restrain their behavior. However, the Mutation Virus destroys people's normal logic and fear. When they are sick, they do not consider the consequences at all, and these factors lose their function. The seemingly unbreakable order becomes fragile porcelain overnight.
chaos.
This is the most apt definition of today's social landscape.
Unable to trust any living beings, only cold, lifeless machines remained as the only reliable things.
After the catastrophe broke out, the Six Nations governments put aside their past grievances. Faced with disaster, their own interests were no longer important. They had no choice but to join forces. At this time, the senior leaders of the Six Nations were holding a video conference.
"Twenty days ago, we jointly requested assistance from the Goddora Civilization. Goddora said they would come as soon as possible, but so much time has passed and they still haven't shown up!"
The Mutation Disaster was like a virtuous woman wearing a chastity belt; no matter how much they pleaded, they couldn't pry open the door. The Six Nations realized that the technological level of Planet Aquamarine was insufficient to resolve this calamity, and no means would be effective. So they reported the disaster situation. The Six Nations had a channel to contact Goddora, hoping that a more advanced civilization would come to their rescue.
However, no spaceship has arrived yet, which has greatly worried the leaders of the Six Nations. They have been constantly urging them to hurry up, but all they have received are formulaic responses from artificial intelligence.
In truth, the Six Nations were unaware that the Mutation Disaster event wasn't limited to Planet Aquamarine; it was happening all over the Garden Garton Star System star vying for attention. Goddora was also in a state of chaos and utter confusion. Han Xiao hadn't yet revealed that this was a conspiracy by DarkStar, so Goddora remained oblivious and didn't take it very seriously.
"We can't control when Goddora arrives, and now there's a new situation: not long ago, the Inhuman, who had disappeared for over a year, reappeared."
"What a coincidence! Maybe they brought the Mutation Virus!" someone said angrily.
The Six Nations have always doubted the origin of the Inhuman, believing they are not of their kind, and prejudice and discrimination have never disappeared.
"No matter what, most of the Inhuman are superhumans, and they might be able to help. Whoever it is, I just want to wake up from this nightmare as soon as possible. In this situation, I don't even dare to see my wife, afraid that one day I will lose control and hurt her." An official said with a worried expression.
"Although Bennett has released the inhibitor formula to the world, only Third Sanctuary can produce it stably. He said he can't allocate more drugs to us, but I don't believe him. They must be hiding more inhibitors."
Upon hearing this, the current leaders of the Six Nations fell silent. They all knew that everyone present coveted the inhibitor.
When a disaster strikes and you have the only thing that can protect you from it, that thing becomes more important than its original purpose. Everyone has to obey the orders for the inhibitor. Even if Bennett has no other intentions, Third Sanctuary has become the center of the world, with countless people rushing there.
The Six Nations desperately wanted to control the inhibitor to unite the people and restore their crumbling regimes. However, if they tried to seize it, the hard-won stability would be shattered once again, posing even greater risks. A single misstep could lead to irreparable consequences. Was consolidating their regimes more important than the survival of the entire civilization?
Some people can't convince themselves, while others can, but regardless of which side they're on, their convictions aren't very firm, and they waver between the two.
"If we really have to do this, we'd better do it as soon as possible..." Raylen's leader said in a deep voice, "Time waits for no one."
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Hundreds of thousands of players remained in Third Sanctuary to adapt to the new version and participate in the main storyline.
Despite the large number of players, the Sanctuary was currently filled with an almost endless stream of missions. The most rewarding missions were naturally the official ones issued by Bennett, which were limited in number each day. Other missions were triggered by different characters, and the countless refugees stranded outside the Sanctuary had all sorts of requests that could not be completed. What seemed like tedious and boring work to outsiders was done with great enjoyment by the players. They were serious, enthusiastic, and each one of them was like a model citizen, making the Sanctuary's own guards feel ashamed.
Most of the missions reward progress in the [Mutation Disaster]. After two days of action by all players on Planet Aquamarine, the total progress reached 730,000. It should have been more, but the damage caused by the Mutation Disaster each day reduces the total progress. Players must keep accumulating progress, otherwise they will fall behind.
Although the mechanism of the Mutation Virus is unclear, players don't care. As long as there is a quest guide, they just focus on doing it.
Since version 2.0 will enter interstellar space, players know that this main storyline is just the first major plot of the new version, not the whole story. Players on other planets will basically have the same experience, starting with a crisis, but the events are different. The Planet Frostwinter is the most ridiculous. As a garrison planet of the Extinguished Legion, it was actually attacked by troops. How infuriating!
In comparison, players on Planet Aquamarine progress into the main storyline the fastest, although the specific circumstances are vastly different from those in the previous life.
The forum's activity level was no different from before the update, and even more active. With the new version's launch, many players were sharing information, and posts were being refreshed at a rapid pace.
Bennett stood on the city wall, looking down at the bustling Sanctuary. Hundreds of thousands of Inhuman were everywhere, solving the urgent manpower shortage. Seeing this, his brow relaxed a little.
"Fortunately, we had the help of these Inhuman. I didn't expect the influence left by the Black Phantom to still be protecting us." Bennett sighed, his tone complicated.
Hila stood behind him, leaning against the wall, expressionless, silently watching the endless refugee camps outside the city.
"Ahhh--"
Suddenly, strange screams erupted from the refugee camp, and countless people fell ill simultaneously without warning—this was the terrifying aspect of the Mutation Virus, which could break out at any moment.
The refugee camp, which had been barely maintaining order, instantly descended into chaos. Millions of infected individuals, their eyes bloodshot, engaged in a brutal brawl, creating a spectacular scene. The cacophony of sounds mixed with the deafening roar of the surrounding environment was deafening.
A small number of refugees who had not yet developed symptoms sat on the ground, trembling with fear, while the guards on the walls of the Sanctuary were also stunned.
Bennett's expression suddenly changed, and he gripped the wall with both hands, leaving fingerprints on the concrete.
"With so many people gathered here, if a mass outbreak occurs, the consequences will be extremely serious. By the time the symptoms subside naturally, the death toll will likely have already exceeded one million!"
Many players stopped what they were doing. This was the first time they had witnessed a mass outbreak of illness, and they were filled with shock and uncertainty. Some of them turned on the recording function.
They had witnessed war before, but this was the first time they had ever seen a massive brawl involving millions of people. The refugees used almost no weapons, fighting hand-to-hand with their fists and teeth like wild beasts—it was extremely savage and bloody.
"We must stop it, or many people will die. Let our people move in and knock out all those who are sick!"
Bennett immediately gave orders that every infected person had a chance to be saved; he couldn't stand idly by and watch so many people kill each other before his eyes.
Rumble rumble--
Just then, a loud tremor came from afar, growing louder and louder. Looking into the distance, one could see countless wild beasts rushing towards them in a vast and mighty procession.
The beasts of Planet Aquamarine are also infected with the Mutation Virus. The already dangerous wild environment has become even more difficult to survive in. Moreover, unlike the human disease, the infected beasts, although Berserk, will form groups and act as a unit. Sometimes they will fight each other, and sometimes they will attack cities.
The pack of beasts charged into the edge of the refugee camp, and a massacre broke out. Refugees were torn apart and trampled by wild animals, their bodies mangled. The scene was bloody, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. It felt like a heavy cavalry charge into an unarmed crowd and slaughtered them.
Smack
Bennett crushed a section of the wall, exclaiming in shock and anger, "This is terrible! A pack of beasts has arrived at this time! We must save them quickly! If we leave them here, all the refugees will die!"
At this moment, the players' task list changed, and the total progress of [Mutation Disaster] began to plummet, losing 10,000 points in the blink of an eye. Everyone simultaneously triggered an emergency collective task, which required them to save as many refugees as possible outside the city, with a reward of 50,000 to 200,000 total progress points. The fewer people who died, the higher the reward.
However, the progress is being lost at an extremely rapid pace. If we don't rescue people quickly, we're afraid most of the progress we've made in the past two days will be wasted.
"Hurry out of the city and rescue them!"
Looking for a team, anyone is welcome, just need a full group!
The hundreds of thousands of players in the Sanctuary panicked and rushed to the scene to rescue the fighting refugees, knock out the sick, and send them into the Sanctuary.
Besides the rescue team, Bennett sent some players to slow down the beast horde. The horde was huge, numbering at least Three Hundred Thousand, and couldn't be killed off quickly. The only option was to delay them and try to rescue as many refugees as possible.
Hila had already charged into the horde of beasts, unleashing a torrent of dark red energy. One after another, three- or four-meter-tall beasts fell to her hands. The players around her were also fighting the beasts, their blood splattering all over her as she battled fiercely.
Killing was her forte; combat was ingrained in her very being, as natural as eating and breathing. Yet this battle left her with mixed feelings—once a ruthless executioner, this was the first time she was fighting to save complete strangers, and she felt uneasy about it.
Rumble rumble--
The scene was chaotic. The refugee camp area was caught in the middle. On one side, the beast horde was advancing, causing heavy casualties, while on the other side, players were rescuing people. Both sides were advancing towards the center of the area at the same time, chipping away at each other's territory. The sick refugees did not know to escape and continued to kill each other, creating a complete mess!
The situation was chaotic, and even Bennett, with his abilities, felt overwhelmed. His palms were sweating as he nervously watched the situation unfold.
"There are too many beasts, attacking at least four times per second. We simply can't withstand the damage!"
"Damn it, I'm totally devastated! I've been crushed by a butt!"
"There are gaps everywhere, it's impossible to stop them!"
Players struggling to hold off the horde of beasts were overwhelmed, with one player after another dying. Although they could revive, they still had to run out of the Sanctuary, which wasted time. Time was the most precious resource, and every second the overall progress was rapidly declining, causing the players great anxiety.
call out--
Just as the situation was turning sour, a piercing shriek suddenly came from the sky. Even in the midst of the chaos and noise, the sound was clearly heard by everyone, and countless eyes instinctively looked up at the sky.
Hundreds of egg-shaped metal capsules fell from the sky, enveloped in flames that ignited as they pierced the atmosphere, like hundreds of fire meteors, crashing right in front of the Sanctuary's entrance.
Bang bang bang!!
The metal capsules landed one after another, creating cracks all over the ground with a loud crash. The next moment, the capsule doors popped open with a hiss, and people walked out of each capsule.
The group of people were all wearing armor and carrying weapons, and their clothing styles were all different. They were obviously extraterrestrial visitors who did not belong to Planet Aquamarine. Everyone gathered around with curious and surprised eyes, and immediately realized that these metal eggs were airdrop pods.
These uninvited guests are warriors from space!
Just as everyone was wondering about the intentions of this Stars people, one of the masked men in black, who seemed to be the leader, waved his hand, and hundreds of space warriors moved at the same time, charging towards the beast horde.
Boom boom boom--
The Space Marines unleashed their formidable fighting prowess and immediately took over the battle. The seemingly unstoppable horde of beasts was halted as if it had crashed into an impenetrable wall!
With just a few hundred people, their impact far exceeded that of the tens of thousands of players in the surrounding area!
A look of horror flashed in Hila's eyes. She was on the battlefield and felt it most deeply. Almost all the Space Marines put more pressure on her than Bennett, Bennett was basically the strongest person on Planet Aquamarine at present.
This means that any one of these Space Marines is stronger than Bennett!
With the intervention of unknown reinforcements, the crisis was alleviated, leaving only the masked man in black standing motionless at the gate. Bennett jumped down from the city wall, approached the masked man, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you helping us?"
Bennett had seen captured Goddora investigators before, so seeing aliens now wouldn't make him lose his mind.
But the next second, his barely maintained composure turned into astonishment.
"Long time no see, Bennett. Why are you so surprised? What, you thought I wasn't coming back?"
Han Xiao raised his hand, slowly took off his mask, revealing his face, and smiled slightly, feeling that he was very handsome.
Bennett froze, unable to believe what he was seeing, his lips trembling, his shocked expression quickly turning into ecstatic joy.
Hila some distance away, suddenly widened her eyes.
The moment Han Xiao removed his mask, almost every player was stunned. Then, a surge of joy at their long-awaited reunion welled up within them, and their morale soared. This familiar figure was like a stimulant, injecting a torrent of passion into all the players present. They were so excited that their scalps tingled, their tails tightened, and their hearts pounded!
"It's him! Black Star is back!!"