More than thirty warships built with galaxy-level technology faced off against mechanical lifeforms and mechanical troops who received Han Xiao's Mechanical Force enhancement through the [Quantum Non-Distance Transmission Channel]. The outcome was without suspense.
The battle ended in the blink of an eye. This Great Cosmos Corps's fleet was utterly powerless to resist and was completely annihilated. The flagship was blown up into a firework in space.
Before the main ship exploded, Qiqijia saw that things were not going well and tried to escape in the life pod in a panic. However, the life pod was shot and blown up by the Red Fire Group halfway. He wanted to break through the encirclement with his own extraordinary combat power, but he was kicked by Dark Emperor and left with only a bloody skin, and was caught and brought back.
Dark Emperor and his men faithfully carried out their orders, destroying the warship and capturing more than a dozen high-ranking prisoners, including Qiqijia. As for the other millions of warriors of the Great Cosmos Corps, they were annihilated along with the spaceship.
Inside the spaceship, Qiqijia and the crew were bound hand and foot by electromagnetic chains and lay on the ground. The shadow of the mechanical lifeforms loomed over them, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The crowd stared in utter terror at the towering mechanical beings around them, trembling all over. The mechanical beings were expressionless, and the crowd could not discern the thoughts of these metallic creatures. They were filled with dread, wondering what would happen to them next.
Qiqijia, however, was stunned; he still couldn't believe it.
Their powerful fleet was so easily destroyed by these strange creatures?!
Moreover, he was completely powerless against these monsters.
The Great Cosmos Corps values strength above all else. While some members are superhumans, they lack systematic knowledge of superpowers. As a result, each superhuman is extremely rare within the Great Cosmos Corps and holds various important positions. Qiqijia, for example, became the leader of a squad due to his outstanding combat prowess.
He originally had great confidence in his own combat strength, but that confidence was completely shattered by Dark Emperor's kick, causing his mentality to collapse and him to question the meaning of life.
What kind of monsters are these metallic creatures? He plundered everywhere, but he had never seen such a life form before.
"You... what exactly are you?!" Qiqijia's teeth chattered.
"I am Dark Emperor, the first generation of Black Star's kin, and the leader of the Black Star Army's mechanical forces." Dark Emperor spoke slowly, his emotionless electronic voice sending chills down everyone's spines.
"Black Star Army..." This was the second time Qiqijia had heard this name today.
When he first heard it, he didn't take it seriously, thinking they were just a group of natives. But now, his contempt had long since vanished along with the fleet, leaving only panic and fear.
Qiqijia swallowed hard. What exactly was the background of this "Black Star Army"? How could it be so powerful? He had never heard of this force before and found it extremely mysterious.
Seeing Qiqijia Jiamu standing there dumbfounded, his face a mixture of fear and confusion, Dark Emperor tilted his head, raised his finger, and shot out a cone-shaped beam of light, forming a virtual screen in front of everyone.
On the screen, images and text scrolled by, all depicting the deeds and experiences of the Black Star Army.
Before the battle began, Phillip had already hacked into the enemy's spaceship. The language of the Great Cosmos Corps had been entered into the database, which is why they could communicate at this time. In addition to language, the information stored by this fleet had also been packaged and copied. The enemy's virtual technology was extremely crude, and there were no secrets in front of Phillip. He could come and go as he pleased, entering and leaving at will.
"This is..." As the Black Star Army unveiled its mysterious veil, Qiqijia and the others gradually opened their mouths wide, dumbfounded. The origin of the Black Star Army brought them unparalleled shock, and everyone's worldview shattered into pieces.
Goddora, DarkStar, War Realm, Amethyst Civilization, Crimson Dynasty... There are so many forces in the universe? How come they've never even heard of them?!
Beyond Grade A? In Qiqijia's mind, Atimo was already the strongest in this universe. He couldn't imagine how anyone could possess power far exceeding Atimo's.
Qiqijia had initially hoped that Atimo would lead a large army to Revenge them, but now, seeing only the tip of the iceberg of the Black Star Army, he had only one thought left for Atimo:
--Please don't come any closer!
"They captured prisoners?"
Han Xiao, who was directing his fleet to explore another resource planet, received a message from Dark Emperor and immediately retrieved the copied data from Phillip's database.
Han Xiao was taken aback after glancing at it.
I knew it! There were no hidden galaxy-level civilizations in this area. It turns out it was just those idiots from the Great Cosmos Corps. They actually had a branch here... Han Xiao suddenly realized.
"I didn't expect the target of this hidden mission to be this group. They didn't encounter the Empire this time, but instead ran into me... It seems they're still quite unlucky." Han Xiao chuckled to himself.
The Great Cosmos Corps's territory is mainly located in the central part of the Gaolu Star Cluster. According to the normal exploration progress, it would take at least several more years to explore that location, but now they have encountered this group of people ahead of schedule.
Having wiped out one of the enemy's fleets, they would definitely investigate thoroughly. Although this group couldn't pose any threat to him or the Empire, ignoring them wasn't his style.
Han Xiao paced back and forth, pondering for a while, when suddenly his eyes lit up.
"By the way, this group plundered many planets, so they must have information about them. Even if some planets were destroyed, they are still ruins that can provide exploration points. This intelligence is very valuable to the Empire and can be considered an achievement."
If we obtain this intelligence, the total exploration points for the main quest will definitely skyrocket, potentially boosting our rating by one tier. Furthermore, this is a remarkable exploration achievement, which the Empire will commend, making our exploration appear more successful than our War Realm.
"This is a good opportunity." Han Xiao's eyes hardened. Although the Great Cosmos Corps was very weak, the intelligence they had accumulated was very useful.
He turned on the communicator and bypassed Seniko to contact Commander-in-Chief Tarrokov directly.
"Black Star, what brings you here?" Tarrokov was somewhat surprised. He usually consulted with Seniko about ordinary matters, but Han Xiao had come directly to him. Was there something special going on?
"Commander-in-Chief, I have made a new discovery." Han Xiao said slowly, "A few days ago, my legion's soldiers discovered a damaged beacon on Planet Pangurid. After repairing it, I followed the beacon's link backward and sent a force to contact an unfamiliar local force..."
He recounted the information on the Great Cosmos Corps, emphasizing, "According to the data, this force lives by plundering and operates in the central part of the Gaolu Star Cluster. They seem to have a lot of territory. In my opinion, the planetary data they have accumulated can be of great help to our exploration."
"I see."
A glint flashed in Tarrokov's eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded and said, "If I'm not mistaken, this can indeed give us a lot of information about planets at once. That's a considerable achievement. You bypassed Seniko, are you trying to get my permission to start a war?"
Han Xiao remained noncommittal.
The Empire's Exploration Code stipulate that the primary approach to dealing with natives should be peaceful contact. To wage war against a star system-level native power requires the Empire's approval. Unauthorized destruction of native civilizations would incur the Empire's displeasure, since the star system belongs to the Empire, and allies are currently merely manpower to assist in its exploitation.
Therefore, to the Eliminate the Great Cosmos Army, you need the Commander-in-Chief's permission to complete the procedures and avoid any negative consequences.
Han Xiao had no qualms about wiping out the Great Cosmos Corps. This group lived by plundering and had enslaved dozens of indigenous races; they were essentially space pirates. As a space pirate hunter, he felt an urge to take action whenever he saw a space pirate.
Tarrokov thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I will draft an order and issue it to the Black Star Army, stating that your actions were my decision, and that the task of seizing intelligence is now yours. There's no need to keep these people alive."
"Okay." Han Xiao nodded.
"I will report it truthfully. The Black Star Army discovered this intelligence; this is your achievement, and the credit naturally belongs to you." Tarrokov smiled, sending a signal of goodwill.
After a pause, Tarrokov suddenly changed the subject, his words carrying a deeper meaning, "Of the three star clusters developed in the first phase, Renault is sandwiched in the middle, with a superior geographical location and seemingly the richest resources. Therefore, the Imperial high command attaches the greatest importance to the development of the Renault Star Cluster."
Why are we suddenly talking about another star cluster? Isn't Renault the area they're exploring in the War Realm...? Han Xiao was slightly taken aback.
Tarrokov continued, "As for the Gaolu Star Cluster... because there are many Desolate Universe Belt, the Imperial high command has the lowest expectations for Gaolu, which is why few people choose to explore Gaolu... But if the exploration of the Gaolu Star Cluster goes smoothly, it will be a pleasant surprise for the Empire."
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he understood. Tarrokov was revealing the internal winds of the empire, giving him a certain warning.
The Empire values Renault more, so it pays the most attention to Renault. More achievements are needed in the War Realm to meet their expectations. As for exploring Gaolu independently, as long as the results aren't too bad, it's a pleasant surprise, making it relatively easier to gain merit and appreciation within the Empire—a situation with both advantages and disadvantages.
Seeing Han Xiao deep in thought, Tarrokov smiled slightly and dropped the subject. He deliberately reminded Han Xiao Han Xiao that besides befriending him, it was also to motivate the Black Star Army, which was one of his duties as Commander-in-Chief.
After exchanging a few casual words to build rapport, the call ended, at which point a notification popped up on Han Xiao's screen.
[[Beacon of Unknown Origin] Completed!]
[You have gained 3 million experience points and 70 personal exploration points.]
[You have obtained 1 [Bold Explorer] skill shard (2 shards are required to synthesize)]
"Having obtained one fragment is at least a starting point; now it's time to try and acquire the second fragment."
Han Xiao was in a good mood; this was an unexpected surprise, and Maple Moon was truly lucky.
The panel prompts are not yet finished.
[You have triggered the faction quest [Eliminate the Great Cosmos Army]!]
[Mission Brief: The Great Cosmos Corps is a plundering force entrenched in the Gaolu Star Cluster, committing heinous crimes and committing countless evil deeds. We hereby request the Black Star Army to eliminate this force. -- Commander-in-Chief of the Empire Exploration Army Tarrokov]
[Note: This is a sub-task of [Shattered World], and will reward exploration points.]
[Note: This is a faction-based quest. You can complete the following requirements during this quest.]
[Enemy Kill I: Kill 10 ordinary soldiers of the Great Cosmos Corps, reward 750,000 experience points, 3 exploration points]
[Enemy Kill II: Kill 10 elite warriors from Great Cosmos Corps, reward 1.5 million experience points and 6 exploration points]
[Kill Enemy III: Kill 10 spaceship operators, reward 2 million experience points, 9 exploration points]
[Ship Destroyer I: Destroy one escort warship, reward 3.6 million experience points, 12 exploration points]
[Capture the King First I: Kill 1 high-level combatant, reward 5.5 million experience points, 24 exploration points]
[Capture the King First II: Kill 1 leader, reward 7 million experience points, 30 exploration points]
[Capture the King First III: Kill "Great Emperor" Atimo, reward 22 million experience points and 60 exploration points]
[After the task is completed, a score will be given based on the number of targets completed and the performance, and additional rewards will be given.]
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat. This faction mission was issued by the Empire to the entire Black Star Army, which meant that players from other legions could also accept it, except for him.
Han Xiao originally planned to send out expeditionary mechanical troops to crush and annihilate the Great Cosmos Corps, but he changed his mind at this point.
Since the player is willing to accept this mission, let them do it. Taking a little more time is not a big problem. This Great Cosmos Corps is not very powerful, so it's just right for the player to deal with it.
The players' average combat power is gradually increasing, so he decided to let them Eliminate the Great Cosmos Army on their own. Apart from the spaceships, he didn't plan to have any legion NPCs accompany them this time.
This is the first military operation involving only players!
This enriches the events players experience while exploring the Shattered World, giving them a better experience. However, most players still prefer combat to simple exploration.
The people in the Cosmos Corps all have walking experience. Letting players kill them is just like fertilizing leeks. It is still the early stage of version 3.0, and there are no full-level players yet.
Moreover, players need to replenish ammunition during battles, and they need to repair equipment when its durability is reduced. Repairing equipment costs money, and even small gains are still gains. With such a large player base, these small gains add up to a significant amount, and the profits are not much less than those from mining resource planets.
Han Xiao never neglected the legion's arms business, as it was all about profiting from war.
"Let the enemy gather together and launch a preemptive strike; that will save some time..."
Han Xiao's eyes darted around, and he contacted Phillip, giving some instructions to Dark Emperor.
Central region of the Gaolu Star Cluster, headquarters of the Great Cosmos Corps.
An adjutant rushed to Atimo's feet, his voice trembling, "Your Great Emperor, we have lost contact with Chief Qiqijia's forces!"
A cold glint flashed in Atimo's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "What's going on?"
"They... they planned to invade the beacon's location, but they encountered enemy forces en route and were annihilated..." the adjutant said tremblingly. "Those enemies called themselves the Black Star Army and sent us a message."
"The Black Star Army..." Atimo frowned, "What did they say?"
The adjutant, trembling, turned on the device, unfolded the screen, and played the message.
The image of Dark Emperor appeared on the screen, with Qiqijia crawling on the ground and trembling at his feet.
"I am Dark Emperor, the mechanical commander of the Black Star Army. Listen up, people of the Great Cosmos Corps! The Black Star Army will raze all your territories, kill all your warriors, and take everything from you. Tell your leader, Atimo, that the Legion Commander will drink from his skull."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dark Emperor's arm suddenly transformed into a sharp blade shimmering with Psionic Energy light, and slashed across Qiqijia's neck in a flash.
Pfft!
Blood gushed out, and Qiqijia's head was severed from his body. His head rolled around, and the headless corpse lay on the ground, still twitching.
The Dark Emperor spoke emotionlessly, "Prepare for war!"
After that, the screen went black, and all the information had finished playing.
Atimo had been watching the video indifferently, but when Qiqijia was beheaded before his eyes, his eyes flickered.
"Your Great Emperor, this is a provocation..." the adjutant asked cautiously, "What should we do?"
Atimo slowly stood up.
"Summon all fleets, all combatants, all high-ranking officers..."
Atimo said in a chilling tone, "This time, I will personally lead the expedition!"
"They want war, then I'll give them a war!"
[[Beacon of Unknown Origin] Completed!]
Maple Moon was teaming up with Meat Bun and others to run a dungeon and was fighting a boss when a message popped up on the interface saying the quest was complete. She froze, completely surprised.
"It's only been a few days and the task is already finished, and I haven't even done anything yet!"
Maple Moon looked surprised.
She handed the beacon over to the Legion as advised by the mission, and there's no doubt that this was the faction's doing.
It was definitely the right decision to hand the items over to the Legion.
"Don't just stand there! Get the situation under control!" Not far away, Meat Bun was being swung around by the BOSS, smashing his teammates away one by one.
Maple Moon ignored him, lost in her own thoughts.
She had been thinking about it for the past few days. The only requirement for this mission was to make contact with an unknown force, so there must be further developments. She immediately opened the faction mission list, and her eyes lit up.
As expected, there was a follow-up mission, and it was a large-scale side mission issued by the Empire!
"The Great Cosmos Corps, what a cringeworthy name... So it's a raider force. The mission objective is to eliminate this force. Looks like it's a group mission; there will definitely be many participants."
Maple Moon pondered.
"Help, me, ah..." The BOSS pressed Meat Bun to the ground and punched him in the face again and again. Meat Bun could only shout out one word each time when the BOSS withdrew his punches. His cries for help sounded very rhythmic.
The last layer of blood disappeared, and the Meat Bun turned into a white light and cooled down.
Maple Moon snapped out of her daze, looked up, and tossed out a large pile of compressed balls, which were then laid out on the field by a series of machines.
A large number of mechanical constructs overwhelmed the BOSS, and before long, the BOSS, which still had half of its health remaining, was single-handedly defeated by Maple Moon, who displayed great power.
After playing three versions, she discovered that she had a talent for this, and her PK skills became stronger and stronger. Moreover, this version was the strong period for the Mechanic Class, making it much easier to clear dungeons. Mechanic Class above level 100 were welcomed by most dungeon teams, and she was definitely the carry in Meat Bun's team.
The group exited the instance and returned to the legion's warship.
"Why are you distracted..." Meat Bun said with a reproachful look, "I wasn't supposed to use a resurrection attempt."
"Look at the faction quests."
Meat Bun opened the faction panel with a puzzled look and saw the mission "[Eliminate the Great Cosmos Army]", and was immediately pleasantly surprised.
He then opened the forum and found that Legion players were already Inspiration.
While the main storyline exploration is full of unknowns and quite interesting, players spend most of their time on the spaceship, with very few opportunities for combat.
Most players were itching to play, and usually they could only do dungeons. Now that the main quest finally offered a chance to fight, all the legion players were excited.
Eliminating a force doesn't sound like a small task.