Han Xiao arrived at the office, where Sylvia brought Frenzied Saber and the others in. The group filed in.
"Black Star."
Frenzied Saber and the others shouted, their voices uneven, including Meat Bun, who looked excited.
As the faction grew, Meat Bun could no longer follow Black Star around. Upon learning that Frenzied Saber and the others were visiting Han Xiao, he immediately had an idea. He went to great lengths to get footage for the show, clinging to Hao Tian's leg and pestering him relentlessly until he squeezed in to join the fun. As soon as he entered, he turned on the recording.
Han Xiao's gaze swept over the crowd, then settled on Frenzied Saber. Adopting the "faction leader" expression, he nodded and said, "Long time no see, my friends."
Upon hearing this, everyone laughed. They had all been members of a high-level gaming group, and Black Star's conversation with them was different from what they expected; they felt it was special treatment.
"What important information do you have to give me?" Han Xiao asked curiously. Players don't get up early for nothing; they've probably accepted a mission from someone.
"I heard this is a kill list, and you're on it..."
Frenzied Saber explained their experience, then took out a list and handed it to Han Xiao.
Ronaldo? Never heard of that name before. And what's this "Hunters" incident...? Han Xiao frowned, flipping through the list, and sure enough, his own name was among them.
"Someone's watching me? Who could it be...?"
Han Xiao pondered. The only thing that the people on the list had in common was that they were all well-known and powerful individuals of the Calamity Grade from various regions of the Shattered Star Ring. Some of their names were so famous that he had heard of them in his previous life.
The fact that they dared to target these people, regardless of the Hunters' motives, proves that their strength is unfathomable.
"Are they targeting me because of my fame and strength?" Han Xiao pondered.
In the past two years, the Black Star Army has risen rapidly, and Han Xiao has had few opportunities to take action personally. The fact that they have targeted him means that they also regard him as one of the most powerful and well-known figures in the Shattered Star Ring.
"Did Ronaldo say anything else?"
Frenzied Saber shook his head. "That's all."
"It seems we lack intelligence; we can't verify the authenticity of this list. I'll have Phillip gather information on the recent whereabouts of the list members. Assuming there really is such a group of Hunters, he's provided too little information; I don't even know who they are."
Han Xiao shook his head helplessly.
Similar incidents of hunting down powerful individuals are not uncommon. In other words, Calamity Grade powerhouses are like rare resources in the universe. The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it, and they will always be targeted by some organizations with ulterior motives.
Currently, undercurrents are surging in the Shattered Star Ring, and the 3.0 version of the "Crimson Tide" is slowly unfolding. All sorts of monsters and demons may appear. This is not only the case in the Shattered Star Ring, but also in other star systems. The influence of the Crimson Dynasty's renewed expansion has spread throughout the entire Galaxy.
As the saying goes, the world's affairs, after a long period of unity, tend to divide, and after a long period of division, tend to unite. The three major cosmic civilizations have finally entered a period of fatigue in peace, much like the seven-year itch in a marriage. Although they are not yet divorced, arguing and fighting have become a daily occurrence. After a minor emotional outburst, they can still make up before bed, but the indirect turmoil caused by it will not disappear.
In the past, Crimson Tide was a chaotic era. Many forces that were originally hidden in the shadows surfaced, taking advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters and shift the blame to the Crimson Dynasty. The situation players face is a chaotic world where demons run rampant.
Although Han Xiao was familiar with the plot, there was more than one force targeting the strong in the Crimson Tide. Some of them were exposed in his previous life, while others had never been discovered. Based solely on the incomplete information brought by Frenzied Saber and the others, he was still unable to determine the origins of the Hunters.
On a small scale, it could be the work of some ambitious private force— DarkStar did the same thing in his previous life. On a larger scale, it could be a sign of a "Super Calamity" or the "Silver Revolutionary Army"—it's hard to say.
'However, this list at least reminded me to be careful...'
Han Xiao nodded secretly. Although he didn't know the enemy's identity, he knew that someone was watching him, so he could remain vigilant.
According to intelligence, this group of mysterious Hunters is very strong, easily surpassing ordinary Calamity Grade, and is likely at the A+ level, putting Han Xiao under some pressure.
"I should find some time to complete the job change quest. I'm level 170 now, and the advancement to level 180 is the next racial ascension, which will greatly increase my strength. Then I won't have to worry about becoming an A+ level superhuman."
Unfortunately, we had too little intelligence on the enemy, so we could only take a passive defensive stance and couldn't take the initiative to find them, which was like a ticking time bomb.
"I'll find some time to go back to Dragon Calm and have old man Iso do a fortune-telling..." Han Xiao thought to himself.
At this moment, Frenzied Saber, who had the highest favorability rating with Han Xiao among the group, spoke up again.
"Black Star, are you aware of the recent changes in the Shattered Star Ring?"
They learned hidden information from Ronaldo, which they believed was related to the plot of the next version. Now that they had finally met the faction leader, the group thought that since Han Xiao was the mission target, he might also know some information.
Frenzied Saber wanted to gather as much information as possible.
"The recent turmoil? What do you mean?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"Ronaldo told us that the Shattered Star Ring has been in chaos lately, saying that there is a supernatural force behind it all..." Frenzied Saber probed cautiously.
"I know, the Crimson Dynasty."
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
Frenzied Saber opened his mouth.
Hao Tian's face twitched.
Everyone wore a complicated expression, as if they were constipated.
It was just said that simply...
Although they got the answer, everyone felt a strange sense of disappointment. They had thought it was a big secret that almost no one knew, but when they asked the second person, the person just casually told them.
The inside story of the Shattered Star Ring, which Ronaldo seemed to value highly but couldn't understand, was just an ordinary event that didn't need to be kept secret, according to Black Star.
The process was far too easy, Frenzied Saber and the others to question the true importance of this information.
Only the Meat Bun was the most excited, its eyes sparkling.
In version 1.0, Black Star hinted at the Mutation Disaster of version 2.0, and now Black Star is hinting at information for the next version.
The group felt that Han Xiao was becoming increasingly unfathomable, as if he knew everything.
Frenzied Saber first met Han Xiao, he couldn't help but feel that he knew absolutely nothing about the character.
Han Xiao's eyes darted around, and he changed the subject, "The information you gave me was indeed valuable. I have a task for you..."
As he spoke, he quickly created a welfare mission and issued it to the players. The rewards were generous, including the chance to choose a piece of equipment for free. Frenzied Saber and the others were pleasantly surprised and hurriedly accepted the mission.
Han Xiao offered a few words of encouragement and casually increased the favorability rating by five points—his favorability rating was equivalent to a discount on a product. Then, he had Sylvia see off the satisfied Mad Frenzied Saber, Hao Tian, Meat Bun, and their group.
After everyone left, Han Xiao leaned back, crossed his legs, Warning his thigh with his fingers, and looked deep in thought.
He had been keeping a close eye on the players' movements. All the players had left their respective newbie planets and entered interstellar space, and his Black Star Army was definitely the best guiding force among them. The players from the original Planet Aquamarine were all well-fed and plump. The second professional league was about to begin, and he was quite looking forward to the performance of the Huaxia Club this time.
Most players have reached the level cap of 90, allowing them to utilize more of their class's unique characteristics and employ more varied tactics, making this tournament even more exciting than the previous one.
The better the Huaxia team performs, the more attractive the faction will become. Later, when players reach the stage where they can travel across star systems, their own faction will be able to attract players from other regions to a certain extent. Han Xiao will never think there are too many "leeks" (players who are easily exploited).
"Those stockpiled gene-editing drugs can fetch a huge profit."
Han Xiao smiled broadly, having drained countless space pirates dry, and his warehouse was now overflowing with potions.
After browsing the forum for a while, Han Xiao was about to get up and go to the mechanical modification room to play with the little cuties when Sylvia suddenly pushed the door open and entered.
"Teacher, I have an important invitation."
"Invite?"
"The Dominion civilization of the Colton Star Cluster, the Amethyst Civilization, wants to hire you."
Cluster-level civilization!
Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
The Black Star Army's business scope is limited to galaxy-level civilizations, and they have not yet had the opportunity to contact star cluster-level civilizations. Although Han Xiao obtained the contact information of an official from the Amethyst Civilization at the Tyrant's Gathering, the employment contracts issued by star cluster-level civilizations are all for designated personnel, and it is not yet the turn of the Black Star Army.
Now, having finally secured a contract with a star cluster-level civilization— the Amethyst Civilization, the rulers of Colton —and their initiative in inviting him suggests a significant event.
Completing a hiring operation for a star cluster-level civilization will greatly enhance your legion's resume.
A few years ago, Han Xiao did not make contact with star cluster-level civilizations because he lacked the strength, but now he is qualified.
Furthermore, star cluster-level civilizations are an essential path for personal growth.
In the past two years, Han Xiao has almost mastered High-End Knowledge and needs to seek the next stage of cutting-edge knowledge. Star cluster-level civilizations are an important way to acquire cutting-edge knowledge.
This is an opportunity!
Once Han Xiao calmed down, he had Phillip transfer the communication to him and encrypt the call channel.
The screen flashed, revealing a familiar face—it was Laifer, the representative of the Amethyst Civilization whom he had met at the Tyrant's Gathering.
"Black Star, it's been a while."
Laifer took the initiative to speak, and was quite enthusiastic.
Han Xiao spent some time building rapport with him before getting down to business.
"You're specifically asking to hire me?"
"That's right, your legion has a good reputation and is one of our top choices."
What exactly is the mission?
"This is an annihilation operation. The target is a fleet that is disguised as travelers, but their origins are far from simple. We are prepared to wipe out this fleet and send a warning to those behind them."
Laifer's words were rather vague, without specifying any details, leading Han Xiao to speculate about which power the Amethyst Civilization was warning.
With a slight thought, he had a general idea.
The reason Amethyst chose to resolve the matter with mercenaries instead of taking matters into her own hands was clearly not because they lacked the ability, but because the enemy's identity was sensitive, causing Amethyst to avoid using official forces.
"Are they Krent?"
Han Xiao lowered his voice. Amethyst and Krent seemed to have a good relationship, but in reality, they were just superficial brothers who secretly plotted against each other. In her previous life, Amethyst had a falling out with Krent.
Laifer chuckled, not answering the question, and changed the subject, saying to himself, "The situation in the Shattered Star Ring has been turbulent lately. Those probing and disruptive forces are getting increasingly out of line, and we must deal with them with Thunder measures."
Han Xiao stroked his chin, his eyes flashing.
Two years have passed, and the effects of the Crimson Tide have gradually intensified. Many forces are trying to take advantage of the chaos, and numerous organizations are springing up like mushrooms after rain, spreading disorder. The turmoil stirred up by the Crimson Dynasty has greatly annoyed the neutral civilization of the Amethyst Civilization. Strange events are occurring frequently in the Colton Star Cluster, and the security situation in the territory is becoming increasingly serious. Finally, the Amethyst can no longer tolerate it and is preparing to make an example of someone to deter others.
"So, Black Star, are you willing to accept our employment?"
"Let's talk about compensation first."
"Of course, what do you want?"
"Cutting-edge knowledge from the Mechanic Class," Han Xiao said succinctly.
Upon hearing this, Laifer looked troubled.
"That probably won't work. Cutting-edge knowledge is very valuable, and the higher-ups won't agree. I can only offer money..." Laifer paused, then suddenly said, "However, you are a cadre of Dragon Calm, and we respect Ames. If there is an opportunity to cooperate in the future, cutting-edge knowledge is not out of the question."
As expected, obtaining cutting-edge knowledge wasn't so easy... Han Xiao had anticipated this and wasn't disappointed.
Laifer's subtext was that this job was a pledge of allegiance to the Black Star Army. If he succeeded, Amethyst would offer him more job opportunities in the future. If he made enough contributions, Amethyst would be willing to provide him with cutting-edge knowledge. It was still a matter of building goodwill with the faction.
Cutting-edge knowledge is invaluable; it's only at this stage that we can study antimatter energy and Psionic Energy. Han Xiao didn't think there was anything wrong with Amethyst's approach. There's no such thing as a free lunch. He needed cutting-edge knowledge, while Amethyst needed a powerful unofficial armed force to do things for them privately. It was all a transaction.
Han Xiao pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I can give it a try."
"Great." Laifer smiled. "I'll send you the rendezvous point later. There are other participants in this hiring, and I'll send you the mission details as well."
"OK."
Han Xiao had no objection; this wasn't the first time he had engaged in such joint employment.