Han Xiao looked the DarkStar Leader up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement, "Your complexion seems to have improved quite a bit."
"I've heard that the Goddora government is using radical methods to deal with Bloodline conflicts... and doing a better job than I am," the DarkStar Leader said in a complex tone.
"From the perspective of a war criminal, your information network is quite impressive," Han Xiao joked.
The DarkStar Leader shook his head. "Do you know that I'll be executed soon?"
"Hmm?" Han Xiao's eyes flickered. "Wasn't your punishment Infinite imprisonment?"
"It's been changed; it's probably a requirement from the Crimson Dynasty," the DarkStar Leader sighed.
Han Xiao's eyes shifted, and he nodded slightly.
The Crimson Dynasty wanted to suppress Krent's crimes as quickly as possible, so it naturally wanted to kill this important witness. Now that the political deal was done and the DarkStar Leader had lost his usefulness, Amethyst and Goddora did not refuse the Crimson Dynasty's request. Although the DarkStar Leader was Calamity Grade being of considerable research value, in the political casino between civilizations, he was only a slightly larger chip.
What intrigued him was that the DarkStar Leader remained remarkably calm despite knowing he was about to be executed.
"You don't hate me?"
Han Xiao was somewhat curious.
A few days ago, I might have hated you, but things are different now.
The DarkStar Leader's eyes were filled with complex emotions. "I was once lost and made a deal with the Krent, doing some dirty work for them. They promised to build a home for the Goddora hybrids in the Shattered World in the future."
When you caught me, I thought it was all over, but unexpectedly... in my most desperate moment, I saw a real turning point.
During this time, I reflected on everything from the past. The existence of the DarkStar made Goddora aware of the danger of Bloodline conflict. Eliminating my nemesis was equivalent to removing the last obstacle. To prevent a second me from emerging, Goddora finally resolved to eradicate Bloodline conflict, although their methods differed from mine. However, the Goddora government did a better job than I did...
You may not believe it, but everything I've done is to change the situation of mixed-race people. It's just that my identity forces me to choose extreme methods. The future I long for is like a phantom, forever out of reach no matter what I do. You showed me that my belief wasn't without hope, but it came at a price... and that price was my life.
I don't hate you. If you hadn't caught me, the Discrimination Reform Movement wouldn't have happened. If I can lay the foundation for my ideals with my life, I have no regrets. You've given meaning to my death."
The DarkStar Leader's tone conveyed a sense of relief and resignation, and he even revealed a faint smile.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, unmoved, and slowly said, "You died a worthy death, but don't try to portray yourself as noble. You are still a terrorist with blood on your hands."
He wouldn't pity a villain just because of his dying confession; it was merely resignation after reaching the end of his rope. If the DarkStar Leader hadn't been captured, even knowing that surrendering would change the hybrid's situation, this guy might not have been willing to give up his life.
"I know." The DarkStar Leader lowered his eyes.
Han Xiao stroked his chin, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and chuckled, "But your guess is wrong. Goddora's determination to resolve the Bloodline conflict isn't because of you. You're not as important as you think."
"Then why..." The DarkStar Leader looked puzzled. Had he guessed wrong?
"To tell you the truth, I was the one who persuaded Serre V to push forward with the Discrimination Reform Movement." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
The DarkStar Leader's eyes widened, unable to remain calm, and he abruptly stood up, his face filled with astonishment.
He didn't think Han Xiao would go to such lengths to deceive a dying man like him.
"Why did you help me...?" The DarkStar Leader's lips trembled.
Han Xiao clicked his tongue and said irritably, "Help you? Are we that close? Don't flatter yourself, okay? I have my reasons, but they have nothing to do with you."
The DarkStar Leader remained silent. It was Han Xiao who had captured him, and it was also Han Xiao who had fulfilled his ideals. His feelings were extremely complicated, a tangled mess of emotions.
In the end, all the struggles turned into a sense of acceptance of fate, and transformed into a sincere thank you.
"Thanks."
Han Xiao was somewhat surprised, nodded, and said nothing.
Having said all that, he felt there was nothing more to discuss, turned around, and was about to leave the cell.
At this moment, the DarkStar Leader suddenly spoke.
"Please wait a moment, I have one last request, and it will be my only one."
Han Xiao paused, turning back in confusion. "Is there anything else you want to say?"
The DarkStar Leader slowly said, "You rose to prominence in just ten years. I have studied all your battle records, and I believe you possess the bloodline of a warrior race, capable of absorbing a portion of an individual's abilities by killing them. That is why your strength has improved so rapidly."
"So?" Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
This is no secret; he never intended to hide it. Anyone with a keen eye will naturally discover it. However, no one knows that it's due to the player panel; they simply attribute it to his exceptional talent.
The DarkStar Leader took a deep breath.
"Rather than be executed by Goddora, I'd rather die by your hand. You are more qualified than them to judge me, and..." the DarkStar Leader said with a relieved tone, "This is the only reward I can offer."
Han Xiao was startled; a notification suddenly popped up on the panel.
[You have triggered the unique hidden quest [The DarkStar Leader's Final Wish]!]
[Mission Brief: You destroyed DarkStar, but you also fulfilled DarkStar ideals. DarkStar Leader wishes to die by your hand, offering up his power for you.]
[Mission Requirement: Kill the DarkStar Leader]
[Rewards: 150 million experience points, 1 random reward, and a random draw of two DarkStar Leader abilities (skills/feats)]
"A hidden quest...?"
Han Xiao's eyes flickered. The mission to defeat the Germinal Leader had also rewarded him with two abilities. He had obtained his first template specialization from it, which was how he began his path to becoming a BOSS template.
The DarkStar Leader is also a major boss in the main storyline. This unique quest was an unexpected surprise on this trip, and it made his heart flutter.
Han Xiao gave him a deep look, raised Tu Shu right palm, and more than a dozen lightning-like Mechanical Force shot out from his palm, disappeared into the void, and connected to the Blacklight Stealth warehouse at the dock, turning more than a dozen powerful mechanical warriors in the warehouse into Apostolization.
A continuous stream of energy flowed into Han Xiao's body through the Mechanical Force connection, causing his energy level to rise steadily. His aura seemed to solidify, and bubble-like Psionic Energy emerged from his palms, highly compressed and radiating a terrifying energy.
"I agree," Han Xiao said in a deep voice.
The DarkStar Leader exhaled, dissipating the last remaining protective energy within his body, and slowly closed his eyes.
Outside the cell, the warden was pacing back and forth, waiting for Han Xiao to come out.
Just then, a violent explosion suddenly erupted from inside the cell, and the entire prison seemed to shake!
Boom!!
The warden, who was closest to the scene, was nearly deafened by the loud noise. His expression changed drastically; thinking something had happened, he hurriedly called out, "Lord Black Star, what's wrong...?"
As he called out to Han Xiao, he opened the cell door. The moment the door opened, he saw what was inside, and his shout stopped abruptly, stuck in his throat.
All that could be seen were severed limbs and torsos, the ground and walls splattered with fragments of blood and flesh, as if a person had exploded from the inside out. A Psionic Energy shield opened in front of Han Xiao, preventing the splattered blood from touching him. A head rolled on the ground, and the warden looked closely and recognized it as the DarkStar Leader.
"You, you..." The warden was horrified.
"He begged me to kill him. Since you're all going to execute him anyway, I'll do it for you."
Han Xiao put away his shield, glanced at the warden, and walked out of the cell, leaving the warden standing there in a daze.
The DarkStar Leader was an important prisoner. Looking at the bloodstains on the ground, the warden was at a loss. He asked his adjutant to receive Han Xiao in his place, while he suppressed his discomfort and hurriedly reported to his superiors.
The warden thought he was in trouble this time, but when his superiors heard that it was Han Xiao who did it, they had no intention of investigating.
Given Han Xiao's current status in Goddora, killing a death row inmate on his own is not a problem at all. Strength is a privilege. Moreover, the DarkStar Leader was Han Xiao's spoils of war. Goddora is not so conservative as to damage its good relationship with Han Xiao over such a trivial matter.
It could be said that Han Xiao could do almost anything he wanted in Goddora.
The warden was secretly amazed by Han Xiao's influence, fearing that his behavior had displeased Han Xiao. He hurriedly returned to the dock, just in time for Han Xiao's final journey, to see him off onto the spaceship and watch him leave the prison.
Han Xiao set the spaceship to autopilot, then went to the training room, opened the panel to check the mission, and claimed the reward.
[You have fulfilled [the DarkStar Leader's Final Wish]!]
[You have gained 150 million experience points!]
[You have received a random reward x1]
Han Xiao nodded secretly. His level was too high now. Although 150 million experience points was a lot, it was just a drop in the ocean.
He stored the random rewards as usual. He now had three random reward opportunities on the panel. He was very confident in his luck, so he planned to hoard them and do a big draw after completing the [Bloodline] quest. The Mission Settlement Card wasn't a rare reward; he might only be able to get it by not touching the screen.
The final reward is the main attraction.
[You have received the reward: two abilities (skills/features) from the DarkStar Organization leader]
[Note: The DarkStar Leader is a mage; some of the available abilities have been automatically adjusted based on your class.]
[Randomly selecting... Selection complete]
Please choose two of the following five abilities as a reward:
[1. [Advanced Free Element Affinity] - Feat: Stamina Recovery Speed +80%]
[2. [Mystic Spirit Refinement] - Specialization: Your spirit has traversed one hundred Secondary Dimension realms, undergoing the baptism of time and space, increasing Spiritual Resistance by 20%, Mysticism by 10%, and Intelligence by 5%]
[3. [Mystic Energy Vision] - Skill: Mystic attribute +25%, lasts for 10 minutes, cooldown 25 minutes, consumes 450 Qi]
[4. [Painful Revenge] - Skill: You can use pain to stimulate your cellular potential and unleash power beyond your limits. Whenever you lose 3% of your health, you can deal normal damage equal to 1.5% of your health through melee attacks, consuming 300 stamina.]
[5. [Luck Curse] - Skill: You offer your luck as a sacrifice, praying for the favor of the god of misfortune. Your luck attribute is reduced by 90%, and the target's luck attribute is reduced by 90%. The duration is three hours, with no cost. This skill cannot be used again before the curse ends.]
The average quality of the extracted abilities is acceptable... Han Xiao nodded secretly.
The magician's spells are driven by magic power and are incompatible with the mechanic's, so most spells are unavailable for extraction. Only a small number of skills can be adjusted to become universal abilities. This eliminates a large number of low-level spells from the DarkStar Leader and increases the chance of extracting good abilities.
The DarkStar Leader is a BOSS -Grade SS character and possesses a template feat, but template feats are not always obtainable through draws. Han Xiao wasn't disappointed; he made his choice after just one glance.