Somewhere in the Shattered Star Ring, countless jump beams streaked across the quiet, dark universe.
The hyperspace movement formation is a massive fleet composed of numerous steel behemoths of the Crimson Dynasty's heavy armored warships.
The ship's heavy industrial-style hull is covered with various shipboard mechanical components, giving it an imposing and awe-inspiring presence.
This is an industrial logistics team dispatched by the Crimson Dynasty to the Shattered Star Ring. In addition to its function of transporting resources, it is also responsible for industrial construction and has the capability to set up production lines and military factories.
The conventional approach is to quickly establish a stronghold using the Crimson Dynasty's quick base expansion pack and Berserk troops.
This industrial logistics unit has two main objectives: first, to provide logistical support to the garrison in the Shattered Star Ring and enhance its armed forces.
Secondly, they will travel to the Dawn Star Cluster in the Shattered World to establish the main base for the Imperial Exploration Team.
As for transporting a batch of resources for the Black Star Army, that was a minor, incidental matter.
The three major cosmic-level civilizations possess numerous rapid military channels across star systems, using super-large stargates to connect star systems, or deploying small and medium-sized stargate routes in Desolate Universe Belt for continuous jumps.
The logistics team spent a lot of time mobilizing manpower, but the journey itself was not long. Starting from the Central Galaxy, they quickly arrived at the Shattered Star Ring.
At this very moment, along the route of the main logistics force, a small Reconnaissance fleet of only twelve light Reconnaissance ships is scouting ahead.
Below the radar 3D detection image of the Reconnaissance ship, a middle-aged man with a resolute face stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the detection image.
Tenny Armellos, an outstanding graduate of the Imperial "Journey" Higher Military Academy, Class of 0014855, ranked first in his class in average grades across 62 courses including strategy, tactics, and combat.
After graduation, he joined the Imperial Army and was drafted by the military to participate in numerous military operations. He experienced more than a thousand interstellar battles of varying sizes, and his independent command record is 170. He made many high-level military achievements and was promoted several times.
Currently serving in the 33rd Army of the Empire, holding the rank of colonel, he is an important figure among the young and middle-aged officers of the Imperial military and one of the elite personnel undergoing the transformation of the Evolution Cube on this trip.
He volunteered to take charge of the Reconnaissance work for the transport team; he disliked a life of ease and couldn't stand being idle in the rear.
Tenny looked energetic and imposing, with an aura like a burning flame, masculine and strong. His back was straight, like a flag standing upright.
A semi-circular alloy ring was pinned to each ear, looping behind the head. This was a high-end multi-functional analyzer created by the Empire, capable of communication, detection, analysis, and strategic visualization.
He wore the uniform of a high-ranking officer of the Crimson Dynasty, with a black base and red and gold patterns, and the imperial emblem in the center of his chest.
The uniforms of high-ranking officers in the Crimson Dynasty are made of nanofiber fabric, which is lightweight, tough, and provides extremely high protection. They are equipped with functions such as stress-reactive shields, deflecting shields, kinetic energy accumulation, light reflection, advanced life support, and environmental adaptation, making them suitable for both combat and daily life.
"Colonel Tenny, radar has intercepted a distress signal, coordinates T406. B189. K22, right on our path. Based on over-the-horizon observation, an interstellar travel group is under attack by a pirate crew. The enemy consists of thirty warships, and the ships are of low-level design."
His personal adjutant Kebos, snapped to attention and gave a sharp salute, loudly reporting the situation.
"Issue a regional broadcast to warn them to immediately leave our route of advance."
Tenny speaks very fast.
"... The broadcast has been made, but there has been no response."
Kebos glanced at the surveillance footage and shouted, "The enemy has intensified their offensive, intending to eliminate the interstellar travel team that has requested assistance as soon as possible!"
"Report the situation to the main force, everyone else... switch to battle formation! Level two alert! Load beyond-visual-range drag-and-shoot tactics and flanking encirclement tactics!" Tenny calmly issued the orders.
His mission was to Reconnaissance the route and eliminate any destabilizing factors. As an elite Imperial officer, he disliked unnecessary complications, and the interstellar travel team's distress call was not within his considerations. It was only because this group happened to be blocking the main force's warp path that he ordered the fleet to drive them away.
The twelve Reconnaissance warships were arranged in a fan shape and headed towards the space pirates. Once they entered beyond visual range, they began to fire in unison.
The pirate group was attacked and attempted to retaliate, but they could barely hit the Reconnaissance team. Under Tenny's command, the Reconnaissance team maintained control of the maximum firing range.
After easily destroying several enemy ships, Tenny switched tactics, directing the Reconnaissance fleet to maneuver and surround them.
Although their total numbers were less than half of the enemy's, Tenny always managed to create local advantages by outnumbering the enemy.
Under his tactical command, it was as if the space pirates were surrounded and gradually devoured.
Tenny is used to large-scale battles, and while micro-management in small-group operations is not his forte, he can still handle it with ease.
His tactical style was as steady as a mountain, unhurried and calm, like an adult playing with children. No matter what methods the group of star thieves used, he could easily neutralize them.
Even without the Reconnaissance forces releasing the bubbles (space stabilizers), the Stars pirates couldn't find a chance to escape via warp jump, and were completely disoriented and disoriented.
The tactical capabilities were worlds apart, and the spaceship performance was also vastly different. The battle did not last long, and the group of space pirates was annihilated without any surprises. Tenny's casualties were basically zero, with only a portion of the energy used to maintain the shield being depleted.
"Notify the main force, the problem is solved."
Tenny spoke calmly, having witnessed countless large-scale interstellar wars. The battle he had just fought was hardly a warm-up for him; he had done it casually, his mind completely unfazed.
"Colonel, this interstellar travel team's ship is severely damaged and unable to sustain long-distance travel. They are pleading to board." Lieutenant Kebos's voice boomed.
"Refuse." Tenny remained unfazed. "Activate the scanning probes to remotely probe the individual energy levels inside this travel fleet's ship. If no anomalies are found, release the smaller modules to serve as their vehicles."
Tenny was experienced in this; there were too many historical cases of operations using distress signals as traps. He was used to guarding against traps and scanning for hidden high-level forces.
Even if there were no problems, he wouldn't allow outsiders onto his warship. Instead, he would use the spare small cabins to drop the stranded passengers off at the nearest colony, without wasting time escorting them.
Lieutenant Kebos suddenly received a message, "Colonel, one of these passengers wants to speak with you. His identity is in the database; he's the head of a small conglomerate in the Shattered Star Ring, with a clean record. He says he knows Black Star."
"How did he know we were looking for Black Star? It seems like a clumsy trap." Tenny raised an eyebrow.
"That's probably easy to explain." Lieutenant Kebos looked at the documents and shook his head. "The news of our Empire's alliance with Black Star has spread widely around the Shattered Star Ring."
Tenny thought for a moment and said, "Connect the communication, I'll talk to him."
Normally, he wouldn't pay attention to requests from irrelevant people, but the other party mentioned Black Star, which happened to be a topic he had been very curious about recently.
Black Star is the Empire's new ally, Tenny knows that this trip is to Black Star to receive the Evolution Cube modification.
Whether friend or foe, he would thoroughly investigate his target through intelligence before engaging with them.
This stems from his military habits; he always demands to know himself and his enemy. He had already finished reading Black Star's written materials and needed more intelligence about Han Xiao.
beep.
Once the communication was established, the conglomerate leader looked both excited and nervous.
After being attacked by space pirates, he thought he was doomed, but unexpectedly he was rescued by the Crimson Dynasty and saw an opportunity to make contact with a cosmic civilization. In order to attract attention, he gave the name Black Star on a whim.
How do you know Black Star?
"More than ten years ago, I hired Black Star's mercenary group and had close contact with Black Star. It's all documented," the man replied eagerly.
"Okay, tell me from the beginning." Tenny narrowed his eyes.
Even in the Central Galaxy, there has never been an example of such a rapid rise. It can be said that Black Star has broken the historical record for the speed of advancement from an ordinary person to Beyond Grade A since ancient times.
Tenny was very curious about such a legendary figure.
Moreover, Black Star and he were both from the Mechanic Class and were both Beyond Grade A members of the same department, so Tenny had the idea of asking him for advice.
Upon returning from Planet Heber, Han Xiao brought back numerous cooperation intentions from various factions. Sylvia immediately became very busy, negotiating cooperation details with different factions every day, keeping herself extremely occupied.
Fortunately, she possessed a physique Calamity Grade; an ordinary person would probably have died from overwork in no time.
Sylvia is very diligent, which makes Han Xiao very pleased. If his affairs manager were Jenny, Jenny would probably dare to bring a Psionic Energy bomb to take him down with her.
Instead of staying home in Dragon Calm, Ames was restless and decided to travel with Han Xiao.
It doesn't matter where we go, the main thing is having an old friend of similar social standing to chat with every day, and being with Han Xiao often leads to interesting encounters.
With the Empire's elite forces still on their way, Han Xiao decided to first complete the evolution of Planet Aquamarine and the Black Spirit Race.
It would take time to gather the people of Planet Aquamarine, so this task was entrusted to Bennett. Han Xiao went to the Black Spirit Race first— the Black Spirit Race had a mental link network, making it easier to gather people.
Planet Black Spirit.
Since the Black Spirit Race established a foothold on this uninhabited planet, the planet has been officially renamed on the star map.
call--
The spacecraft broke through the atmosphere and slowly descended, the gray-green surface gradually magnifying in view.
Radar detected a cluster of life signs, and Han Xiao piloted his spaceship, easily making his way to the territory and nest of the Germinal Tribe.
The sky was cloudless.
As you pass over the vast land dominated by rocky terrain and dotted with sparse forests, a huge sinkhole comes into view.
This is a large, open-air lair, with countless entrances lining its walls, creating a labyrinthine network of passages. Originally, this was an underground lair, but the Black Spirit Race removed the earth covering its head, exposing it.
Han Xiao once borrowed a portion of the Black Spirit Race to mine resource planets. The Black Spirit Race was impacted by various interstellar cultures and began to learn about wisdom and civilization.
Because the Psychic Network possesses a highly unified collective consciousness, its efficiency in disseminating knowledge is astonishing. Over the past decade or so, the Black Spirit Race has attempted to abandon their beastly habits and begun to learn how to use tools to build nests on the ground.
This open-air lair also contains some messy piles of rocks, which are actually the prototype of a building. As the Black Spirit Race gradually emerged from underground to the surface, this place could actually be considered the prototype of a city.
In the center of the lair stands a huge, Whispering Stone totem, carved into a bizarre shape.
Han Xiao squinted and examined the statue carefully for a long time before confirming that the sculpture, with its armored body, spikes, and sharp teeth, was of him.
Han Xiao was both amused and exasperated. With so much artistic embellishment added, it was still possible to tell who it was. The stone carving skills of the Black Spirit Race were truly ingenious.
It's just that this aesthetic sense...
The spaceship hovered above the nest, and all the Black Spirit Race of the Germinal Tribe crawled out of their caves, gazing up at the spaceship.
Han Xiao stepped out of the cabin and slowly descended from the sky. The Black Spirit Race below stirred, bowing their bodies as if in worship.
Fording released his telekinesis, allowing Han Xiao to log into the Whispering Stone chat server.
As soon as Han Xiao entered the Black Spirit Race's Psychic Network, countless voices surged forth, each Black Spirit Race member's inner thoughts ethereal and clear.
"Such a powerful aura, so beautiful."
"Black Star God, you've come to see us again."
Countless Black Spirit Race chattered in the Psychic Network, expressing their love and awe for Han Xiao.
The Black Spirit Race regarded him as a totem deity, bestowing upon him the title of "god," and his reputation remained at the level of [reverence].
The leader of the Germinal Tribe rang out, his voice filled with reverence, "Respected Black Star God, what do you need us to do?"
"This is to help you evolve..." Han Xiao explained the function of the Evolution Cube.
The many Black Spirit Race were overjoyed, chanting strange prayers, believing it to be a blessing from the gods.
This message, transmitted through the Psychic Network, was communicated to all the Black Spirit Race in the nest almost instantly. They all moved, circling around Han Xiao in circles, their forelimbs on the ground, their lower abdomens raised, their posture respectful, and their assembly speed was extremely fast.
"What an efficient race," Han Xiao couldn't help but exclaim.
He had always felt that the Black Spirit Race's potential for civilization was monstrous.
They are born with a network of mental connections to coordinate group actions, possess group unity, and make collective action extremely convenient.
Furthermore, the Psychic Network can share knowledge and wisdom, making knowledge dissemination almost effortless. Perhaps an hour of communication among the Black Spirit Race is equivalent to the dissemination of knowledge by some races over decades or even centuries.