Han Xiao was somewhat surprised, looking completely bewildered.
These assault ships were clearly his spoils of war, so why did Battet suddenly want to interfere?
Many guesses flashed through his mind, but he ruled them all out. A few small assault ships were far from enough to make Goddora envious. Did Battet need these ships to expand his gains? It seemed unlikely. Based on their previous performance fighting side by side, Battet, although he didn't care about Planet Aquamarine, had basic respect for him. It seemed unlikely that he would turn against Bartt over such a small amount of spoils.
Battet's expression was natural, showing no sign of guilt, which piqued Han Xiao's curiosity. He emphasized, "Are you sure these assault ships are your spoils? I seem to remember shooting them down myself."
"That's true." Battet nodded and said, "But according to regulations and procedures, all losses suffered by DarkStar on disaster planets are considered spoils of war for us Goddora. This is a basic requirement for us to protect disaster planets."
"Rules and procedures?"
"Oh, this is the disaster relief operations manual prepared by the War Bureau."
Are I supposed to follow the rules set by Goddora?
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. "You abandoned Planet Aquamarine at a crucial moment, which allowed the enemy's assault team to enter the atmosphere. In the end, I was the one who repelled the enemy."
Battet shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's not about giving up, it's just a tactic to put pressure on the enemy. After all, it's too late to send reinforcements. The battlefield is ever-changing, and we can only act according to the opportune moment. If my fleet hadn't tied down the DarkStar's main force, you would have faced several times the number of enemies. Even in terms of effort, we had to contribute more... I hope you can cooperate with me."
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
Indeed, without the Goddora fleet engaging the enemy head-on, they would have faced more than just a small commando unit, making it difficult to achieve their current results. Goddora, having come to protect the planet, naturally wouldn't want to give their efforts for nothing; even spoils captured from the disaster planet had to be handed over to them.
It sounds reasonable, but if he is to abide by Goddora's so-called "rules and procedures", the premise is that he also belongs to the protected Planet Aquamarine regime. However, although Han Xiao is protecting Planet Aquamarine, he is an independent force. Goddora's so-called rules have no effect on him. Obedience is impossible, and there is no need to swallow his anger.
"There seems to be something you haven't grasped. I am an interstellar mercenary group, the Dragon Calm Field Armed Forces, not some indigenous planetary regime you can order around." Han Xiao's eyes narrowed, and he slowly said, "So, what gives you the right to order me around?"
Battet's face stiffened, and he stared intently at Han Xiao, his expression shifting several times.
This was a simple clash of positions. The two stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Battet wanted to be tougher, but in front of the renowned Black Star, he couldn't adopt a condescending attitude. After all, Han Xiao's status in the interstellar world was far beyond his reach. One was a well-known cadre under Dragon Calm, while the other was just an ordinary commander in the Goddora War Bureau.
The situation attracted the attention of those around them. Mercenaries, Goddora soldiers, and players all gathered around. The players, in particular, had already turned on their recording functions. Standing in the most conspicuous position was Meat Bun, always at the forefront of the news.
"What happened?" Just then, Nagokin arrived after hearing the news.
Battet reluctantly recounted the process, convinced he hadn't made any mistakes. He'd followed the procedures in the manual to seize the spoils, but Han Xiao wouldn't listen, leaving him in a difficult position. However, things were better now; the high-ranking official Nagokin had arrived, Battet a sense of security and a sigh of relief.
After hearing the story, Nagokin looked displeased and shouted angrily, "Battet! Are you an idiot?!"
"Huh?" Battet was taken aback.
"If Black Star hadn't joined the war, we would have just watched the DarkStar fleet slip away. Who do you think captured the DarkStar command ship for us?!" Nagokin loudly reprimanded Battet. He held a higher position and had the right to reprimand others. Nagokin was already somewhat dissatisfied with Battet's previous disobedience, and now he was taking the opportunity to vent his frustration.
Black Star's status and strength are not to be underestimated. Nagokin is unwilling to let such a trivial matter affect his good relationship with Black Star. His status is higher than Battet's, so having him represent Goddora's higher-ups to reprimand Battet is a good way to save face for both sides.
Battet had thought Nagokin would speak up for him, but instead he sided with Black Star. He was immediately annoyed and didn't want to interrupt Nagokin, so he looked embarrassed.
After scolding him, Nagokin turned to Han Xiao and said, "This is a misunderstanding."
"I guessed so," Han Xiao chuckled.
"Do whatever you want with your spoils. We won't interfere. Goddora never mistreats its friends." Nagokin nodded, gave a knowing look, and pulled Battet away.
Seeing the commotion subside, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The conflict between the two Protector had kept everyone somewhat tense. Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, Goddora people leave, and without saying much, called the mercenaries to board the assault ship to check the damage.
Only those with strength can earn respect. If he were an unknown figure today, Nagokin wouldn't have spoken up for him. Han Xiao was very clear about this. He wouldn't feel grateful to Nagokin for such a trivial matter. These Goddora people were basically all the same: arrogant, opportunistic, bullying the weak and fearing the strong... Come to think of it, most civilized regimes are like this, so it's not surprising.
Nagokin's current attitude proves that his actions have finally earned him a position that Goddora takes seriously, a remarkable achievement. Han Xiao, however, will not become arrogant because of this and will remain calm. He knows very well that status requires the support of power, and as long as the power is strong enough, others will automatically give you the respect you deserve.
The minor conflict that occurred here quickly spread to the Six Nations through various channels. When the high-ranking officials of the Six Nations saw Goddora's respect for Han Xiao, and thought about their own marginal status, they couldn't help but yearn for Han Xiao's position even more, and were once again convinced that their decision to agree to Black Star's request was the right one.
On player forums, some people have reconstructed the attack by asking the Goddora people and mercenaries for information. Naturally, they don't like DarkStar for causing them to lose progress in the main quest, and Goddora's abandonment of them at a crucial moment makes them even more unhappy.
Only Han Xiao's performance did not disappoint the players. He not only repelled the enemy but also captured the DarkStar commander. While he may not have single-handedly turned the tide, he was certainly a pillar of strength. Players already had a very positive impression of Han Xiao, and after these posts appeared, his image was elevated even further. As the saying goes, there is no harm without comparison; it's all thanks to the contrast with his peers.
This reliable persona has always been popular, and coupled with his good temperament, pleasant appearance, pleasant voice, and handsome looks, Han Xiao felt that he could attract a large number of female fans this time!
Actually, he didn't mind the burly man picking his toes. What difference does it make what kind of fan he is? He accepts all comers.
However, this did not lead to an increase in the number of players wanting to join the Black Star Mercenary Group... because almost everyone originally wanted to join. After such a long period of operation, the Planet Aquamarine market has basically taken on Han Xiao's shape. All that's left is to maintain it and continuously improve players' positive feelings towards him.
If we want other player channels, we need to open up new markets, and now is certainly not the time.
While the impact of this incident was spreading among the player community, Han Xiao inspected the condition of the nine assault ships. The mercenaries had gone too far, causing serious internal damage, and the intelligent systems also needed to be replaced with the Buzzing Monsters. The ships could only be used after the repairs were completed.
Fortunately, the wreckage of those assault ships that crashed in different locations on Planet Aquamarine were all materials, so Han Xiao didn't need to spend money to buy them.
The crash sites are scattered across a large part of the planet; some landed in the sea, and some on land. These locations can be located using the spaceship's radar. Han Xiao Faction a group of mercenaries to salvage the wreckage in transport ships, and all the debris could be recovered in two or three days.
Han Xiao did not travel with the team. After being promoted to a virtual mechanic, he was able to fuse many valuable blueprints. He stayed in the Sanctuary to prepare to manufacture some new machines.
After this attack, DarkStar will not be visiting Planet Aquamarine again for a while, and he estimates that he can relax for a period of time.
The ruins of the Germinal Base on the Andia Continent.
Not long ago, a fiery meteor fell from the sky and crashed heavily into the scorched earth, churning and carving a trench hundreds of meters long. When the dust settled, only the wreckage of a broken assault ship remained, burning fiercely. It was DarkStar spaceship that had been shot down by the mercenary group and happened to have landed here.
A skeleton sat not far from the crash site, slowly stood up, and staggered toward the spaceship wreckage.
The Mutation Source attached to the cervical spine sensed the high-intensity energy reaction within the wreckage, which was the spaceship's energy core.
The nuclear radiation from the Germinal Ruins had already been largely absorbed by the Mutation Source, so the fallen spaceship was practically an airdrop to him.
The skeleton crawled into the cabin through a hole in the ship's hull and, following the senses, found the leaking energy core.
Countless filamentous black tentacles extended from the Mutation Source, binding the energy core tightly like a spider dealing with its prey. The air began to distort, and high-intensity energy flowed continuously into the Mutation Source along the tentacles, which constantly switched between expanding and contracting states.
The spaceship's energy core stores a massive amount of fuel. As the Mutation Source absorbs it, the fuel disappears rapidly. The Mutation Source's absorption rate gradually increases, like a whale gulping down water, and the Mutation Source begins to make a "thump-thump" sound, like a heartbeat.
The energy core emitted its final buzz and fell silent. The light gradually dimmed until it disappeared. The Mutation Source retracted all its tentacles, and the skeleton remained frozen in place.
Suddenly, the Mutation Source violently spewed out countless black sludge droplets, which splashed outwards. The sludge was extremely thick, with a paint-like texture. The Mutation Source continued to guzzle for a long time until the sludge almost covered the entire room before this bizarre behavior slowly stopped.
The next moment, all the ejected slime seemed to come alive and began to flow. The skeleton was in the center of the room, and all the slime rushed towards the skeleton, climbing up the soles of the feet.
The last clump of slime clung to the skeleton, which had been completely transformed. It was no longer a solitary skeleton, but a dark black human body. The slime seemed to have solidified and formed flesh and blood, making the body look very robust. Facial features slowly emerged, with eyes, nose, mouth, and ears moving around on the face before finally finding their proper place.
If Han Xiao were here, he would notice that this person's appearance vaguely resembles the leader's, only without the disfigurement.
The monster opened its mouth wide and made meaningless noises; it actually possessed vocal cords.
The Mutation Source consumed a huge amount of energy, causing its growth rate to jump dramatically. Its main body no longer passively converted all the absorbed energy, but could control a portion of it to proliferate. Therefore, a small Mutation Source could spray out a room full of slime.
The Mutation Source simultaneously shares the senses of countless creatures, understands various life forms, and uses the skeleton as a basis to assemble the structure of the human body. This monster is not a host, but a simulated body. Apart from being entirely black and lacking sexual characteristics, it is almost indistinguishable from a human body. The Mutation Source is encased within the simulated body.
The simulator lowered its head, looking at its own body through its own eyes, curiously touching it. It shared all the senses of the infected, yet this was a body it controlled itself. This sense of control was completely different, giving rise to a strange feeling...
Free!
The original intelligence of the Mutation Source was primarily driven by instinct, but now, its chaotic thoughts are beginning to shed their dust and gradually become clear.
It's like a two- or three-year-old child suddenly gaining memories one day, and the world before their eyes becomes completely different.
"Air, hands, body..."
The simulator emitted indistinct sounds, and a vast amount of memories stored from countless shared senses surged like a raging storm, quickly bringing on a feeling of drowsiness.
The simulator staggered out of the spaceship, moved away from the area, and wandered aimlessly in one direction until its the Sight of Father's Back disappeared on the horizon of the wasteland.
Meanwhile, in another region of Planet Aquamarine, the DarkStar Infiltration Team's instruments detected a surge in the energy index of the Mutation Source, sending a chill down the spines of all its members.
The manual explains the meaning of this situation: it means that the Mutation Source has reached energy saturation and is about to begin the next stage of evolution!
The Mutation Source evolved ahead of the previous storyline!