Half a month has passed since the battle to destroy the warp base. The War Realm seems to be somewhat wary, and the two sides have not yet broken out into large-scale conflicts. They have been engaging in small skirmishes. Amethyst has no new missions for Han Xiao, so he is wandering around with his fleet, waiting for orders.
During this time, Han Xiao had been studying the spoils of war, which turned out to be a satellite fortress.
There were nine satellite fortresses at the time. After the base station was destroyed, the other satellite fortresses were captured by the fleet. Han Xiao also got a copy from Morred and brought it back for research.
The blueprints for this large mechanical satellite are very valuable; its model is "Firm Shield" Military Satellite Fortress.
For the past two weeks, Han Xiao has been slowly deriving the blueprints. Although he lacks the necessary cutting-edge knowledge, which prevents him from obtaining complete blueprints, he has also acquired useful branch technologies, such as the stellar-level shield generator used in the jump base station. This shield structure can also be applied to Psionic Energy shields.
Although it was impossible to recreate the complete satellite fortress, Master Han created a scaled-down version of the fortress blueprints. Although smaller in size, it had the same functions as the original, only with less powerful effects.
Satellite fortresses are primarily strategic assets, not weapons used in combat between superhumans. Han Xiao plans to convert some of the Black Star bases located on administrative planets into satellite fortresses, at least to give them a degree of mobility.
Han Xiao also captured the special armor of the elite Myriad Beast Soldiers in the War Realm, and turned it into his own blueprints, making initial improvements.
In the mechanical modification room, Han Xiao stood in front of a row of display cases, gazing at the different models of mechs inside.
"The Myriad Beast Soldiers Armor, Sunil's Sergeant-level and General-Grade Armor, my Snake-type Mech, and various other standard mech blueprints... If we combine them, we should be able to get some high-quality mid-level mech blueprints."
Han Xiao stroked his chin, lost in thought.
He planned to create a special series of armor exclusively for the Black Star Army, to serve as the Legion's new standard equipment.
This was not a sudden whim, but rather a plan he had been preparing for a long time.
Because of his two stunning achievements, his fame across the entire star field skyrocketed, much to his surprise. Originally, Han Xiao thought that with the players gone, the Black Star Army could only seek stable development. But war is indeed the greatest opportunity. The recent surge in popularity of Beyond Grade A Seed made him keenly aware that he had encountered a good opportunity, and some pending development goals could be put on the agenda.
He had always wanted to reform the legion's power structure, transforming it from a mercenary group into an armed force like those in the War Realm. A set of armor belonging to their own faction was like a uniform... a culture that would help improve faction cohesion and was more effective than a simple legion emblem.
However, most mercenaries are used to being free and undisciplined, and are all mobile talents. If the business is forcibly transformed, some talents who are unwilling to be loyal will be lost. After all, mercenaries have never had to worry about finding another job and will not easily dedicate their loyalty to a mercenary group.
However, his recent achievements have created an image of him as "very likely to become Beyond Grade A". The upper limit of an armed force depends on the strength of its leader. The cohesion of an ordinary natural Calamity Grade organization is incomparable to that of Beyond Grade A Seed organization.
For example, in the War Realm, if it had developed to its current scale without Tyrant, it would inevitably be rife with contradictions. Internally, with all those in power at the Calamity Grade, they would be at odds with each other, leading to internal conflicts and factional struggles. Externally, without Beyond Grade A leader, even with such a vast power, no one could control the situation, resulting in a lack of cohesion and a disorganized mess that would inevitably split apart.
Therefore, the leader who can suppress everything determines the upper limit of armed forces.
Han Xiao is currently at the height of his fame, and his reputation has exceeded the normal range of Calamity Grade. Through his connections, he has learned that many intelligence organizations even call him half Beyond Grade A, and there are countless forces that believe he can truly become Beyond Grade A. Interstellar forces are not blind; he has battle records as evidence, and no one will underestimate him for no reason.
As the status of faction leaders rises, the Black Star Army's appeal undergoes a radical transformation. Even mercenaries know that following a potential Beyond Grade A powerhouse offers a brighter future, thus significantly reducing the number of talents lost during the faction's transformation.
Moreover, given his current status, he can even attract more new talent.
"Due to my own growing fame and influence, the Black Star Army presents an excellent opportunity for large-scale expansion."
Han Xiao was in high spirits. He had originally intended to develop his power with the support of the Amethyst Civilization, but he was pleasantly surprised. With the reputation he had built up, it seemed that he could exceed his power development plan during the update period.
It seems that strength is still the most important thing after all!
"This expansion is an opportunity to elevate the Black Star Army's level. There are many goals to achieve: first, a transformation of its power; second, a massive expansion of its manpower; third, an increase in its armed forces; and fourth, becoming a long-term partner of Amethyst... Hmm, once the first three are completed, the fourth goal should be achievable naturally."
"Of course, the most important thing is my own strength. After dealing with these trivial matters, I need to take some time to obtain the Silver Inheritance Blueprint, complete the job change quest, and get to level 200 as soon as possible. The stronger I am, the faster the legion will develop."
Han Xiao pondered for a moment, then quickly made a list of goals in his mind.
Before the war began, he hadn't expected to deliver such a crushing performance, and even to ignite public opinion. Now it seems that his initial development plan was too conservative.
This wave of public discussion about himself is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he doesn't take advantage of this storm to take off, he'll be letting down his codename.
Knock knock knock!
Just then, someone suddenly banged loudly on the door of the modification room.
"Who is it?" Han Xiao snapped out of his daze, wiped the drool from his mouth, and then opened the door.
A muscular, hairy abs came into view. Han Xiao looked up and saw Harmon was over three meters tall, standing outside the door.
"Lagi's back, he wants to see you," Harmon said in a muffled voice.
"Oh, I thought he'd give me an excuse that the spaceship and the book warp engine were broken, and then drag it out until the war was over before coming back," Han Xiao clicked his tongue in amazement.
Harmon scratched his fluffy head and let out a long "hmm," as if the muscles in his brain couldn't process the meaning of the sentence.
"Oh right, why are you the one who came to deliver the message? Where is Melos?" Han Xiao suddenly remembered this.
Generally speaking, whenever Sylvia is not around, Melos is his male secretary, who is more efficient and a reliable adult male.
"He wants me to lie and say he's training and cultivating." Harmon's tone was straightforward, and his whole aura exuded a sense of "recklessness."
"Hmm..." Han Xiao's lips twitched, speechless. "Then what is he actually doing?"
He's playing cards.
Han Xiao sighed, "Playing cards every day, is this the legendary Hu Shi spirit?"
"Okay, I understand. I'll go see Lagi now."
Han Xiao closed the door and walked a short distance before remembering something. He turned back to ask Harmon, "By the way, how many years until your tribal chieftain selection war?"
Harmon is one of the heirs of the Craggy Rock Tribe of the Luhan Beastmen. His side quest is to join his War Alliance and help him become chieftain.
If I remember correctly, this should be a side quest in version 3.0, but just in case the plot changes, Han Xiao is prepared to ask again.
Upon hearing this, Harmon counted on his fingers for a moment, then said hesitantly, "I think there are still eleven years and three days left."
The average lifespan of Luhan Beastmen is around 250 years, which is quite long. The selection of chieftains is a grand event, and candidates are usually given more than ten years to form their War Alliance, because a single selection often determines the chieftains for the next two hundred years.
Han Xiao looked helpless. "Luckily you had a companion, otherwise I suspect you would have missed the selection battle and lost your right to inherit..."
Harmon glared, then blew on his lips in displeasure, his thick lips trembling and leaving a blurry afterimage.
"Purr--"
Without appreciating Harmon's ventriloquism, Han Xiao went straight to the bridge and immediately spotted Lagi, who had been waiting for a long time. He smiled, walked up to him, and patted Lagi on the shoulder.
"You're back."
"Yes, I didn't die on the way," Lagi muttered. "I think I used up all the luck I have left in my life."
Han Xiao froze.
You're such a bad omen!
No matter when or where, Han Xiao found it an eyesore to see Lagi's overwhelming aura of a loser.
"Cough, do you remember what I said before I left?" Han Xiao said helplessly.
"Remember."
Lagi nodded. "You said you'd reduce my workload and give me a raise."
"No, I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!" Han Xiao gritted his teeth. "I said when you come back, you'll be my deputy commander!"
"Oh, then I remembered it wrong." Lagi said without changing his expression.
"... Really?"
Han Xiao looked suspicious. "I have a feeling you did this on purpose."
Upon hearing this, Lagi's face fell, and he muttered to himself, "You don't trust me... Sigh, I should have known. Someone like me has no credibility whatsoever."
That's enough.
Han Xiao felt a headache coming on, his cheeks aching. He said helplessly, "Since you have no objections, I'll announce to the entire legion that you're the first vice commander. Oh, and I'm also going to announce your past record. You were once the leader of the Secret Church of the Red Robe's Forbidden Sorcerer, and that will elevate your status. No one will object to you. Do you have any questions?"
Lagi nodded, indicating he had no objection, and emphasized, "Don't forget, you promised me the deputy commander position is a nominal one; the workload won't increase."
You remember it very clearly, don't you?!
Han Xiao wanted nothing more than to pull out his gun and shoot Lagi. "Serves you right for being so cheeky!"
The appointment of the deputy commander was quickly issued and transmitted to the communicators of hundreds of thousands of official members of the Black Star Army.
Open the Black Star Army's mercenary group profile page, and under the "Leader" section, the long-vacant position of vice-captain finally has its first name— Lagi Schwar.
Lagi had only recently joined the legion, and many of the lower- and middle-ranking mercenary members didn't know him. They opened Lagi's resume with curiosity, doubt, and surprise, and were immediately taken aback.
This newly appointed vice-commander is not only an A+ superhuman, but he was also the former leader of the Secret Church of the Red Robe's Forbidden Sorcerer faction, and the fourth disciple of "Sorcerer" Austin?!
Lagi's past record is indeed impressive. Few outsiders know about Lagi's entanglement with Austin. To everyone else, it seems that a core member of Beyond Grade A force has defected to the Black Star Army!
Han Xiao was at the height of his fame, and his every move attracted countless eyes. Not only were the legion members shocked, but the major forces that were paying attention to him were also astonished.
A core member of the Sorcerer family serving as the vice-commander of the Black Star Army —is this a powerful alliance?
The perception of the Black Star Army has subtly changed among countless people, including its members— Black Star's recent achievements and the Black Star Army's expansion momentum seem to reveal an unstoppable rise.
Everyone could see that Black Star was trying to use his rapidly growing influence to support the Black Star Army, hoping to join the ranks of the major figures at the Star Domain level!
A problem that arose suddenly aroused the interest of various forces:
--If Black Star is to rise to power, what will Dragon Calm do?
After all, the Black Star Army is nominally Dragon Calm's field armed forces. Now that Black Star has demonstrated Beyond Grade A potential, if he truly realizes that potential, given Black Star displayed ambition, will he continue to remain subordinate to Ames?
Although it remains to be seen whether Black Star can become Beyond Grade A, his ambition is not so easily suppressed. His soaring status will inevitably change Black Star's mind and cause his ambition to swell. This is what is meant by "praise to death."
Thinking about the many possibilities for the future, countless people are filled with excitement.
If the announcement of the deputy commander's name had already attracted attention, then Han Xiao's next announcement caused an earthquake.
--The Black Star Army has issued a massive recruitment order to the entire Shattered Star Ring region!
Han Xiao plans to leverage the "Beyond Grade A Seed" trend to recruit a large number of talents.
He believed that there were plenty of people willing to bet on him becoming Beyond Grade A powerhouse.
Joining at this time is more valuable than joining an existing Beyond Grade A force. It's like having a partner in the early stages of a startup, with the potential to become a core member of Beyond Grade A force in the future. Even if you lose the gamble, you only lose some time, and the loss is within an acceptable range.
This is a high-stakes gamble with the potential for huge profits!
With the Black Star Army raising its arms in a rallying cry
The Shattered Star Ring consists of more than ten star cluster regions.
Countless powerful individuals, countless forces
I'm tempted.