The sound of warships in the sky and the violent explosions coming from the direction of the tribe prompted a group of hunters who had only set off not long ago to hurry back. They all looked in horror at the flying monster in the sky, which was as huge as a mountain.
The hunters rushed back to their tribe. Although their family members were still trembling with fear, no one was injured. Seeing this, the hunters were somewhat relieved and began to ask their family members what had happened.
Duki looked around and suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. His good friend Rosso was nowhere to be seen in the crowd. He became anxious and hurriedly asked someone for directions.
"Those people spoke a few words to Rosso, and then they took him away... Before they left, he told us not to be afraid, saying that those people meant no harm..."
"Where did they go?" Duki asked in shock and anger. He didn't care what Rosso said; he only knew that his good friend had been captured by a group of dangerous monsters, and he couldn't stand idly by.
The villager pointed shakily in a direction; the legion members did not return to the spaceship but instead walked into the forest.
Without a word, Duki grabbed his weapon and sprinted off in that direction. The hunter beside him shouted to stop him, but he paid no heed, his only thought being to rescue his good friend from the "monster."
Seeing this, the hunter captain was afraid that Duki might be in danger, so he quickly gave him a few instructions and then followed after him.
The towering giant elf darted swiftly through the forest, incredibly agile. Duki, following the footprints in the mud, ran for a while and finally caught up with the legion members.
At this moment, many players are wielding their weapons to chop down trees, clearing a space to plant a portable mini base expansion pack and form a small stronghold.
As per mission requirements and legion instructions, teams that come into contact with the natives are to build a base near each tribe to facilitate communication with them.
"Hmm? There's a life signal." Frenzied Saber chopped down an ancient tree with his chainsaw. At the same time, the radar detected Duki's presence, as did the other legion members.
Duki crouched among the treetops, completely unaware that he had been exposed. He observed the "monsters" covered in metal and spotted Rosso surrounded at a glance, his face lighting up with delight.
"Haa!" The next moment, Duki pushed off with both legs and fell from the air. His powerful jump landed not far in front of Rosso. He rolled to his feet, kicking up a cloud of dirt.
Following his countless hunter training exercises, he thrust his spear into the lower body of a metal monster in front of him, delivering a fatal blow.
Snap! The wooden spear struck the metal-covered groin area and broke as expected.
The attacked legion member lightly kicked out, afraid of killing the native and causing the mission to fail.
However, in Duki's eyes, the kick was so fast that he couldn't react. He barely managed to raise his wooden shield to block it, but an overwhelming force came crashing down on him.
Boom! The wooden shield exploded, turning into a shower of sawdust.
Duki was kicked dozens of meters away, rolling on the ground a dozen times. His arm was in excruciating pain, hanging limply, almost unable to be lifted. He felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't help but vomit a large mouthful of sour stomach acid. He lay on the ground, unable to get up, staring at his attacker with utterly terrified eyes.
"Don't kill him! He's my friend!" Rosso cried out urgently, then looked at Duki and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?!"
"Cough cough... I'm here to save you..." Duki could barely stand up, his voice weak. He was just an ordinary human being, and the fact that he hadn't died after being kicked by Grade C legion warrior was because the other party had held back 99% of the force.
"Oh, I don't need your help. They mean no harm; they're all my friends. You should leave now."
Left with no other option, Rosso then pleaded with the legion members. He had already learned the general situation from them over the past few days. Although he didn't understand many of the terms, it didn't prevent him from confirming that these people were not enemies.
Hearing Rosso call him back, Duki, who was lying on the ground, raised his head and saw Rosso communicating with the creatures in a seemingly harmless manner, without needing any help.
Rosso's face lit up with joy upon receiving the reply. He said, "I pleaded for you, and they've decided to let you go. Go back to the tribe quickly. I'm doing fine here. Just wait for my news. Don't act impulsively again."
"Let me go..." Duki repeated, looking up at Rosso with extremely complex emotions in his eyes, as if he were getting to know his good friend who had always been out of place and unpopular since childhood.
A sense of loss rose in his heart, Duki's trembling hands clenched into fists, squeezing the ground, and dirt squeezed out from between his fingers.
Just then, the hunter captain finally arrived, warily observing the numerous legion members. Upon seeing Duki lying on the ground, he was startled. Rosso hurriedly stopped him and explained a few words. The hunter captain, still somewhat doubtful, picked up the temporarily incapacitated Duki and ran back.
Rosso watched the two men walk away, breathed a sigh of relief, and didn't think much of it.
Ground forces landed one after another, making contact with all the tribes at the same time. To the Pangurid Giant Elves, these warships that stretched across the sky were like gods descending to earth.
Their peaceful lives were shattered, and all the natives they came into contact with were filled with fear and wariness of the extraterrestrials who had descended from the sky.
According to the Exploration Code, the legion members established outposts near each tribe, selected one or more representatives from the tribe, taught them how to use translators, and used them to convey their intentions.
At the same time, Han Xiao didn't let the others sit idle. He sent ground mining troops to land at various resource points, build mining bases, and use various excavation equipment to drill into the ground and open up mineral veins.
Vast swathes of forest were cleared away, replaced by cold, metallic structures, and bases sprang up Planet Pangurid.
With a large workforce and interstellar mining equipment, Han Xiao doesn't need to do anything personally. He can simply command from the main ship in high orbit around the planet, which is quite leisurely.
"Lord Black Star, you've discovered a resource planet containing rare resources?"
Upon receiving the news, Seniko, the commander of the Imperial squad, was overjoyed.
At this time, most of the teams are conducting a full-scale exploration of the first star sector. Each team has arrived at the planet they are to explore. Most of them are quite ordinary, containing common resources found in the universe, and are not very valuable. There are very few resource planets with an estimated value of more than 6 billion Enas.
Planet Pangurid is considered the most valuable planet discovered so far in the first star sector.
"Yes, I've already updated the planet information in the database. There's also an indigenous civilization here, and my people are making contact with them," Han Xiao said.
Seniko thought for a moment and said, "I see. Then you'll be in charge of developing that planet. I'll send a small team to help."
According to the rules, Han Xiao can temporarily share mining rights for any planet discovered by the Black Star Army.
If the Imperial fleet discovers a resource planet first, Imperial allies have limited rights to intervene, as allies generally benefit most from mining the planets they discover. Therefore, the Seniko forces are both allies and competitors.
After chatting for a few minutes and hanging up, Han Xiao opened the panel. The main quest of Shattered World displayed a number of prompts, such as discovering a rare resource planet and an indigenous civilization, which earned him a considerable amount of personal exploration points.
The players who followed him to Planet Pangurid have received the most points among all players so far, and new points will continue to be added as the exploration progresses.
On the forum, players exploring various planets shared their scores, and those who saw the scores of players exploring Planet Pangurid were filled with envy.
"You still earn the most by following the legion commander."
"What a pity, many of the mission slots for following Black Star were snapped up by those big guilds. I didn't manage to get any of the remaining slots; I'm just unlucky."
Although players explore different planets and are divided into teams that are far apart, they can communicate and share information with each other across distances on the forum, making it a very lively place.
Among the players Han Xiao led were a large number of players from clubs and guilds, including the four major powerhouses and top-tier guilds, as well as many professional players.
Turning off the control panel and looking at the glowing dots representing the legion's forces scattered across the planet's various regions on the map, Han Xiao suddenly asked, "How's their contact with the natives going? Has anyone resisted?"
Aurora shook her head. "There are over ten thousand tribes on this planet, and the Pangurid Giant Elves have a population of around ten million. Our warriors used intimidation to instill fear in them, so there have been no casualties so far... well, there seem to have been some accidental deaths, but the number does not exceed one hundred."
Han Xiao nodded. The natives of this planet were still in the early stages of civilization, with a small population. The initial contact resulted in the deaths of no more than one hundred people, which was still within acceptable limits.
"Let the ground troops appease those tribes and gradually educate them. This is only the first day; it's a long-term process. Let our people not be impatient for quick results... Even if the natives resist, they won't cause us much damage, so try not to use violence against them."
The fact that there is no resistance now does not mean there will be none in the future. The natives simply haven't realized what they are going through yet. One day, a sense of belonging to their homeland Germinal, and then someone will definitely rebel.
Fortunately, the natives were too weak, and their resistance was futile... which also protected them.
Han Xiao knew that there were some indigenous civilizations in the Renault Star Cluster that barely reached the star system level, which were much more difficult to deal with Planet Pangurid. If they were to encounter them in the War Realm, it would be enough to give them a hard time for a while.
Indoctrination of a group of natives would take far too long, at least decades or even centuries, and he certainly wouldn't linger on one planet for that long. He was only laying the foundation now; once the imperial forces arrived, the indoctrination work would be handed over to the imperial professionals. He only needed to leave some troops here to mine resources, and then he could move on to explore the next planet.
Representatives from various tribes returned to their communities with the goodwill of the Black Star Army, expressing that they had no intention of harming them, and also brought back food seeds suitable for the planet's climate.
With assurances from the tribal representatives, the Pangurid Giant Elves gradually lost their fear of the extraterrestrial visitors, transitioning from dread and apprehension to familiarity, and subsequently developing a strong sense of curiosity.
Each settlement next to a tribe functions as a school, open to the indigenous people. Because the translator has collected the indigenous language, normal communication is now possible, and some bolder indigenous people are taking the initiative to try to study at these settlements.
The outpost taught various life skills, including agriculture and handicrafts, and distributed seeds and food free of charge. After learning these skills, some indigenous people returned to their tribes to try them out and began planting crops.
Through their studies, the various tribes learned about the origins of these extraterrestrial visitors and the existence of the Black Star Army and the Crimson Dynasty.
The legion members taught the natives basic astronomical knowledge and the legion's history. The natives could not imagine that such a powerful force existed in the sky, capable of traversing the universe with ease.
All of this was beyond their comprehension; in their eyes, the existence of the Black Star Army was like an incredible miracle.
Russell's life improved in the Greenstream Forest Tribe.
After becoming the tribe's representative in communicating with the extraterrestrial visitors, Rosso continued to learn and bring knowledge back to the tribe—he was very talented in this regard. Thanks to his efforts, the tribe began to communicate frequently with the Black Star Army, learning new things and changing their way of life.
Russell was astonished to find that all the tribesmen who had previously treated him coldly had now begun to respect him. In the tribe, his status suddenly surpassed that of the chief, and he became the most respected person, with everyone showing him great awe.
These indigenous cultures were not yet fully formed, and they did not have the concept of abandoning traditions; they were all attracted by novel knowledge.
In the past, the tribe respected hunters the most, for they brought back food so the tribe could have enough to eat. But now, the most respected people are those who go to the settlement to learn and bring back knowledge. They bring back food and seeds so everyone can eat more easily, they bring back knowledge of handicrafts so clothes are more comfortable and tents are warmer, and they also bring back a weapon called the crossbow, which is given to them for free by the settlement. With this weapon, hunting has become much easier.
Hunters are warriors in their tribe, responsible for protecting the tribe. However, in the face of the legion members, hunters are powerless to fight back. The tribe's trust in hunters gradually diminishes, and although hunters are still respected, they are gradually becoming marginalized.
Looking at Rosso surrounded by his tribesmen, Duki felt a mix of emotions.
This used to be his Glory. Although he and Rosso were good friends, he had a latent sense of superiority, believing that he was protecting Rosso. But now, their positions have been reversed. Rosso, who was once disliked by his tribe, has become respected, while he, the young hunter who was originally highly regarded, has gradually been neglected and ignored.
Duki's sense of disappointment grew stronger, and he became depressed.
After dealing with his tribesmen, Rosso saw Duki and hurried over, asking with concern, "How is your injury?"
"... I'm fine." Hearing Rosso's concern, for some reason, Duki found it grating and felt a little irritated. He gave a cold reply, turned around and walked away, as if they were strangers.
Rosso was bewildered by Duki's coldness. Duki used to be very cheerful, but after being injured by the Legion members, he became taciturn and seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, unwilling to communicate with him.
He didn't understand why.
Meanwhile, frustrated, Duki decided to leave the tribe and run wildly through the forest.
Feeling the wind blowing in his face through the woods, his mood gradually lightened.
After traveling a long way, Duki decided to go to his secret base. He accidentally discovered a cool spring in the forest, where he would occasionally come back to bathe and relax. Every time he finished bathing, he felt refreshed.
However, upon arriving at his destination, the sight there stunned Duki.
The spring water disappeared, replaced by a bottomless pit. Around the pit were several metal buildings, where legion members were active, operating strange instruments to dig into the soil.
"What... what are you doing?!"
Duki was shocked and furious. He was very hostile to these extraterrestrial visitors. He gripped his weapon and was about to approach when suddenly, a legion member swiftly blocked his way.
"This is a mining area, not open to outsiders. Leave immediately."
"Where's the spring water? Where's my spring water? What have you done?!" Upon hearing this, Duki's anger surged, and he shoved the legion members in front of him, trying to rush into the mining site.
Bang!
A strong force came and Duki was pushed away, falling several times, clutching his stomach, looking pained.
"Sorry, please don't interfere with our resource extraction. If you have any needs, you can go to the stronghold near the tribe. This place is not open to outsiders." The legion member shook his head.
"Why can't I go through? This is the place I found..."
Duki clenched his fists, his face contorted with rage. Just then, he saw the extraterrestrial visitors digging up a huge pile of glittering crystals from where the spring had originally been, and they cheered with joy.
Seeing this, Duki seemed to understand that the group of people had drained the spring to dig out these crystals from beneath it.
Looking up, he saw that all the trees around him had been cut down, and the woodland had been replaced by metal. He, a giant elf who could run freely, was being turned away by visitors from outer space. Thinking about all the things he had experienced these past few days, a nameless sorrow welled up in his heart, but he didn't know where this emotion came from.
In a daze, Duki seemed to have a feeling.
This should have belonged to them...
For the first time, he came to this realization—this forest, this land, this planet, was their home.
"Uncle, is this... not a good idea?"
In the main ship in the sky, Aurora suddenly speaking.
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"
Hila, who was standing nearby, also looked over.
Aurora pursed her lips and whispered, "What we're doing... isn't it essentially invading the natives' homeland...?"
"I understand what you mean." Han Xiao waved his hand. "Our approach is one of education, bringing knowledge to the natives and making them more civilized. It's different from simple invasion."
"But..." Aurora mustered her courage, "This planet was originally their home. These natives have no ability to defend their home. They can only watch helplessly as we invade their home. Isn't it a bit... bullying for us to be here mining their resources?"
"They should be thankful they couldn't fight back, otherwise even more people would have died."
"But..."
"Sigh, no need to say anything more." Han Xiao interrupted Aurora, saying helplessly, "Do you think they have a choice?"
"Actually, we can avoid the planets inhabited by natives and explore other unknown planets..." Aurora blinked.
Han Xiao shook his head, walked to the porthole, looked at the universe outside, and sighed.
"You're being too idealistic. When this planet... no, when this star system was discovered by the Three Universal Civilizations, the fate of all life in the star system had already changed. They no longer had the right to develop freely."
We can avoid planets inhabited by natives, but once the Crimson Dynasty opens its Shattered World, do you think other predatory civilizations will let them go? They are destined to lose many things. Letting outsiders share their home and accept the Empire's indoctrination is already a good ending... The weak cannot have it all.
Aurora fell silent, her heart conflicted. Because of her life-related abilities, she was quite sensitive and had a strong empathy for other life forms.
She sympathized with the natives' plight—even though the current Pangurid Giant Elves didn't understand its significance—yet she couldn't refute the law of the jungle in the universe.
Hila remained calm. Unlike her sister, she believed that weakness was the original sin and rarely showed much compassion.
Han Xiao paused, then continued, "There's no need to delve too deeply. While exploiting their resources isn't exactly noble, you must understand that no group has an obligation to help another develop. The Empire brings civilization because the native Hetushu•com•com's homeland is rich in resources; it's essentially a transaction... albeit a tyrannical one that the natives have no right to refuse."
In its previous life, after many years of development, Planet Pangurid became a trading hub. The natives split into two factions. One faction accepted education and became interstellar citizens, learning various knowledge and technologies and beginning to advance their technological path. This allowed their civilization to quickly leapfrog the primitive stage and develop rapidly. They had their own city on Planet Pangurid, and because it was connected to interstellar travel, their people could travel between stars from time to time.
The other faction rejected indoctrination and chose to maintain their primitive way of life. This faction was hostile to the interstellar people and their compatriots who were part of the indoctrinated branch. They tried to resist, but to no avail. In the end, they decided not to have any contact with the outside world and to live in the deep mountains and forests, still accompanied by wild animals, and no one bothered them.
The Pangurid Giant Elves race thus split into two branches. However, every year, people from the original branch, yearning for civilization, would leave their mountain tribes and join the civilized giant elf cities.
"Compared to the exploration period, this is already quite good," Fording remarked from the side.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao nodded.
The pioneering of the Shattered World is actually a microcosm of the history of exploration, but the difference is that the Three Universal Civilizations now have enough power to dominate the universe and suppress all those who resist, so they have the confidence to take gentle measures.
During the exploration period, when different civilizations discovered each other, their first thought was to eliminate each other, leading to endless wars and heavy casualties—a period far darker than the present.