The situation is now clear: three people are out there plotting to attack us, while three others are holed up at our base guarding the house.
With only one eye available, Han Xiao faced a problem: how to maximize his profits.
He was thinking about how to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop, while also completing as many [Prey] missions as possible. These hidden Grade A missions that could extract abilities were rare, and with a bit of luck, they could greatly enhance his strength.
"There seem to be only six enemies. We need to figure out a way to wipe them all out without alerting them," Han Xiao pondered. "The situation has reversed; the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark. This is our biggest advantage, and we need to make good use of it."
Should I deal with Shana and her two companions first, or should I attack the enemy's main base first...?
"The trump cards I can use include the Black Star Army, my connections in the mercenary world, Ames's support, and the various forces behind the targets on that list. If the enemy has captured many powerful individuals and is holding them in their headquarters, I can easily persuade those forces to unite against the enemy... However, the enemy's individual strength is formidable, and their advantage lies in their mobility; if any of them escapes, it will be a problem."
Han Xiao shook his head, feeling that they couldn't attack the main camp under these circumstances. After all, the three remaining soldiers had combat strength that was suspected to be A+. Even if he summoned the Dragon Emperor, the enemy would still have time to notify their teammates. If they alerted the enemy, the three soldiers outside would know that the fountain was gone and would likely scatter and escape. At that time, he could only capture Shana at most, and wouldn't be able to capture the other two.
After thinking it over, he also rejected the plan to split the troops into two groups. It would be more difficult to operate and there would be more uncertainties. If the troops were split into two groups, how to allocate the combat power on both sides would be a big problem. After all, the enemy was not a weakling that could be easily bullied, and there was no guarantee that they would have some kind of strange escape ability.
"How about this..."
Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
To attack the enemy's main base, at least all enemy members must be gathered together so that they can be wiped out in one fell swoop.
If we take down Shana and the other two, we'll lose our vision. If we capture any one of them, the enemy will worry about being exposed and might move their base as a precaution. Once they run deep into the Desolate Universe Belt, it will be very difficult to catch them.
Han Xiao thought for a moment and decided to only defeat Shana and her two companions, causing them to fail again. They would inevitably return home, and then all six of them would be together. He could then quickly gather his troops, push the high ground in one fell swoop, and ensure that none of them could escape. He could also rescue any Grade A experts that the enemy had captured.
To maintain secrecy, Han Xiao decided to wait for Shana and the other two to come to him, as taking the initiative would reveal that he could locate them.
He felt that the roles of hunter and prey had been reversed, and he was like a hunter patiently hunting in the jungle, waiting for the prey to step into the trap.
"However, I need to find some help first."
Han Xiao opened his contacts; the names of countless faction leaders were densely packed, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The home planet of the Amethyst Civilization, the "Scimitar" garrison satellite, and the official office of the Section Zero.
Laifer stared intently at the communicator, his brow furrowed, as if he were struggling with some difficult problem. His secretary dared not disturb him.
In reality, the communicator was playing a space entertainment program, and he was slacking off at work.
There was nothing he could do; the task of recruiting private forces was the job of the foreign affairs envoy. Even though forming a united force was urgent, he could only wait for the foreign affairs envoy's decision. The war hadn't even started yet, so there was no use in being anxious.
Suddenly, a communication request popped up on the communicator, interrupting the program.
Laifer remained expressionless and answered the call; it was Han Xiao's call.
"Black Star, it's rare for you to reach out to me first."
"I've seen your notification. How many people are there in Section Zero now?"
Not long ago, Amethyst announced the name of the united force to all collaborators, collectively known as Section Zero, and Han Xiao also received the message.
However, this organization was still in its infancy at this time, with its lineup not yet fully established, and members unaware of each other's teammates. The interface had not yet displayed a notification about the new faction, [Section Zero].
"The members of Section Zero are currently classified. Once it's officially established, we'll gather all our collaborators, and then you'll find out."
In the past, the 3.0 Allied Forces factions that players encountered were organizations that were perfected during version updates, but this time, they have been involved in them from the creation stage.
Han Xiao chuckled. He vaguely remembered which factions were involved in the Section Zero at the end, but he felt that this time there should be a chance to change the plot.
"I have a way to help Section Zero recruit more powerful individuals."
Laifer's eyes lit up with interest. "Tell me about it..."
The Light Rune Civilization, the ruling power over the Thousand Lights Star System, has been a staunch supporter of the Amethyst Civilization Light Rune Civilization the many galaxy-level civilizations in the Colton Star Cluster. Its civilization level surpasses that of ordinary galaxy-level civilizations, and it maintains an alliance with Amethyst.
Recently, Kemas, the head of the homeland defense department of the Light Rune Civilization system, has been very troubled.
All of this was because Kernid, the strongest official of the Light Rune Civilization, disappeared during his vacation, enraging his superiors who ordered him to find Kernid's whereabouts.
Kemas was under pressure from above and naturally wanted to find Kernid. Not only that, Kernid was his biological brother, born of the same mother. Without Kernid, he wouldn't be able to hold onto his position. All these factors made Kemas more anxious and eager than others.
However, so far, no clues have been found. Kemas even applied for assistance from the Amethyst Civilization, but still to no avail. He's been so worried lately that he's practically losing his body hair.
"Beep beep..."
At that moment, the office's internal communication line lit up, and the secretary sent a call request.
"Sir Kemas, an external line requests to speak with you."
"Who is he?" Kemas suppressed his agitation. His secretary was in charge of screening call requests, and the fact that this caller was asking him for help meant that the guy on the other end of the phone was someone important. The secretary didn't dare to make the decision on his own.
"He is the leader of the Black Star Army, Black Star of the Garton Star System."
"Oh, it was him."
Kemas had heard of this person before; he seemed to be doing quite well in Goddora. He was a little puzzled as to why Black Star wanted to see him, but he couldn't be negligent. He straightened his hair and had his secretary transfer the communication over.
A virtual screen appeared, showing Han Xiao's face.
"Kemas? I haven't got the wrong person, have I?"
"It's me, Black Star. What can I do for you?"
Han Xiao stroked his chin. "A while ago, I heard from Amethyst that you were looking for a guy named Kernid."
"Yes."
Kemas, unsure of Han Xiao's intentions, remained expressionless and gave a brief reply.
"If I told you I might know his whereabouts, would you be willing to cooperate with me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kemas's expression changed drastically, and his breathing became heavy, as if he were in heat.
The Star Beast Organization is a special armed force based in another star cluster, and is one of the allies of the star cluster-level civilization in that star cluster.
This organization is well-known in the Shattered Star Ring for its ability to tame various dangerous interstellar beasts. They dislike expansion and mostly remain neutral and friendly, but they never sell or rent their beasts, offering them only to allied cluster-level civilizations.
It all stems from the leader, Gorila's, supernatural ability. He possesses a terrifying affinity for wild beasts, capable of enslaving all kinds of animals, and the effect lasts for a long time. Being constantly enveloped in the aura of his supernatural ability also has a chance to stimulate the evolution and mutation of wild beasts.
However, during this time, the Star Beast Organization was shrouded in gloom, and their leader had disappeared.
The deputy leader dispatched countless people to search, but the chaos caused by the Shattered Star Ring confused everyone, and he couldn't find any clues. He was almost driven to despair.
If their leader is gone, they'll shut down.
The Star Beast Organization was extremely aggrieved. All they did was enjoy keeping pets and stay at home, never provoking any enemies. Yet, someone still attacked them. Was this a distortion of humanity or a moral decay?!
Just when they were at their wits' end, the deputy leader received a message from Han Xiao.
"I am Black Star of the Colton Star Cluster. You may have heard of me, or you may not; it doesn't matter. What matters is that I may know the whereabouts of your leader. Are you interested in cooperating with me?"
The same scene played out in various parts of the Shattered Star Ring. Han Xiao called each of the targets on the list one by one, contacting the forces behind those missing powerhouses.
He had a vast network of connections, so finding the communication methods of these forces was easy. His series of phone calls triggered a simultaneous action from numerous factions.
As for those on the list who haven't been arrested yet, he could only say sorry for bothering them.
While he was secretly gathering helpers, Shana and her two companions also traveled in a stealthy spaceship to the Black Star Army's headquarters in the Garton Star System.
On the ship, the three were discussing tactics.
"Black Star might be on guard this time, so I still don't think we should deal with him immediately." Eilet shook his head. He had originally advocated for a quiet approach, but Albert had spoken, he had no choice but to comply.
"Actually, not necessarily. I didn't reveal much information. Black Star might think I'm just seeking revenge. For a leader of his stature, this kind of thing is quite common."
Shana shook her head. She didn't think her mistake had such a big impact. In her opinion, Black Star must also be completely clueless about her origins.
"In any case, caution is paramount." Eilet pondered for a moment. "Rumor has it that Black Star is nearly immortal, and his subordinates are all undead. A war of attrition is his advantage. We need to devise a tactic to end the battle quickly."
Should we wait until he's alone before making our move?
"Perhaps not. Black Star has already experienced the attack last time, so he'll definitely be extra careful when he's alone. We should take him by surprise."
How to do it?
"Hmm... I've got it. He doesn't recognize me or Adrian. I'll use spells to conceal my presence and disguise my appearance to blend in with their mercenaries and attack at close range. The two of us will subdue him, and then Shana, you can imprison him and retreat immediately. The three of us working together should be able to finish the battle quickly."
"So, we can take action inside his base?"
"Yes, that way he won't be on guard. The mercenaries in the base won't be able to stop us. He won't have any Calamity Grade helpers like last time."
Adrian said in a deep voice, "Understood. A Thunder strike, giving him no time to react."
Eilet's head.
Shana thought about it for a while and agreed that it was indeed a good tactic, so she had no objections. She couldn't see any chance that Black Star could escape from their grasp.
On the other side, the Blacklight Stealth were heading towards Dragon Calm.
"Oh, I see."
Han Xiao suddenly realized.