Fleets are the absolute main force of each civilization. The destructive efficiency of a Beyond Grade A is naturally not comparable to that of a regular military fleet with a scale of millions. However, the power of an individual and the power of a group are not the same concept. Individuals who wield great power have irreplaceable special roles on the battlefield, just like the difference between a piece of titanium alloy and a pile of stones.
Compared to the entire fleet, the Beyond Grade A units are strong in combat power, small in size, and highly flexible. They can Head-On Engagement, easily break through the fleet's defensive formations, and penetrate the enemy lines with unstoppable momentum to carry out a series of operations such as decapitation strikes.
During the battle, Han Xiao analyzed the situation in his mind. As long as the Empire could hold on until the Star Gate was assembled, the Arcane Church would inevitably launch a surprise attack on the Star Gate in order to cut off the passage of reinforcements.
At this point, the enemy's six Beyond Grade A will likely change their tactics, shifting from a direct attack to a containment strategy. They will leave most of their forces to hold off the four members of their own Empire, while sending a smaller force to attack the Stargate, thus splitting up their operations.
This is the opportunity he's been waiting for!
Battle is the best catalyst. After fighting for so long, the pain of advancing and transforming gradually subsided, and Han Xiao gradually adapted to the changes in his body.
The method for achieving Beyond Grade A racial advancement involves presenting five options, allowing the player to select two, and then listing all the talents of these two advanced races. The player then selects one talent from each race and adds it to the Black Star Race's talent list.
Compared to previous racial ascensions, the ascension after Beyond Grade A reduces randomness and increases autonomy, allowing for better combinations.
The two advanced species Han Xiao chose this time were [Void Saint] and [Void Trickster]. In addition to a +45 stamina bonus, these two also provided him with additional attribute enhancements for his advancement.
--Strength +266, Agility +310, Stamina +454, Intelligence +537, Mysticism +372, Charisma +177, Vigor +6400!
With the Grade S bonus, [Advanced Tenacious Life], [Eternal Body], and [Extraordinary Physique], Han Xiao's health has surpassed 3 million!
His ability to withstand the enemy's overwhelming offensive was due not only to the help of his three teammates, but also to the crucial factor that [Advanced Tenacious Life] grants a temporary 10% boost to all attributes for every 40% of health lost.
The beginning was the most dangerous; he had to use the Aurora character card twice to get through the most perilous period. Only after his attribute boosts increased were he able to hold on.
On the mechanical legion side, Han Xiao's main profession has been upgraded from [Mechanic Emperor] to the new stage [Mechanic Dominator], Mechanical Affinity has increased again. With the boost from the [Perfect Mechanical Sense] character card, the combat power of the mechanical troops has been significantly improved, making them the greatest restraint against the enemy.
Among the many talents of [Void Saint] and [Void Trickster], Han Xiao specifically chose two talents that would be helpful to the current situation. In his opinion, as long as they were used well and the opportunity was seized, these two abilities would be enough to turn the tide... and the so-called "opportunity" was the moment when the enemy's Beyond Grade A combat power split up and acted separately.
Dilun and Motes, like two drills, charged through the Imperial fleet's formation, heading straight for the stargates that were being assembled, while Sagman and the other three remained to hold back Han Xiao and the others.
Milizaus could only watch helplessly as the enemy split their forces, his heart filled with anxiety. He tried to go and reinforce them, but was blocked by Sagman and his men.
Only Han Xiao separated a portion of his mechanical troops as ranged units to pursue Dilun and Motes.
The mechanical legion was too large, and Sagman and the others couldn't intercept them all. However, they weren't too concerned. With two Beyond Grade A on Dilun's side, they wouldn't be unable to deal with even a few stragglers.
Upon seeing Dilun and Motes's approach, Tarrokov immediately adjusted his formation, ordering his fleet to intercept them layer by layer, constantly blocking their advance.
Although it slowed their advance, it couldn't stop the distance between them and the stargate from gradually closing. Compared to a large fleet, the Beyond Grade A was far too agile on the battlefield.
"Black Star, this can't go on. Austin and I are losing more and more magic. We can't hold out forever. We can't let the Arcane Church interrupt our reinforcements." Milizaus was very anxious.
Han Xiao said in a deep voice, "The enemy has a numerical advantage and the initiative, forcing us to defend. If we can make them lose one of their Beyond Grade A combatants, we can reduce the pressure on us to the greatest extent and cut off their hopes."
"The enemy has consistently outnumbered us, and their coordination is excellent; we have no chance."
"No, I have a way to deal with those two lone guys, maybe I can risk it," Han Xiao said seriously. "However, the Sorokin is only chasing me right now. His abilities can hinder my movements, making him a greater threat than the others."
What is the success rate?
"If the Sorokin intervenes, there might only be a 20% chance of success, but if you're willing to invest the resources, the success rate can reach over 70%!"
What capital?
"The Sorokin's goal is evolution. His alliance with the Arcane Church must have involved an exchange of benefits. I know what he wants. If we give him what he wants..."
"I understand. Let's do it this way. Now is not the time to worry about the cost. It's better than a slow death," Milizaus agreed.
"Good!"
Han Xiao gritted his teeth, made up his mind, glanced at the Sorokin, and suddenly spread his arms, activating one of his new talents.
"Void Domain Prison!"
The four mages present simultaneously sensed a large amount of Void Dimension energy being released from Han Xiao, which quickly enveloped the battlefield where they were.
The next moment, everyone noticed that the space had become viscous and their movements had become sluggish.
After sensing it, the four mages realized that this was not a simple delaying ability. Void Dimension had descended and superimposed on this space, causing the spatial properties of this area to be temporarily altered, forming a strange domain where the distance between each other seemed to shrink to an inch, making it impossible to get close to each other no matter what.
"He used the power of the Void Dimension to rewrite this space?" Ninja frowned, trying to cast a spell to dispel the Void Domain Prison domain, but found that the flow of magic power also became sluggish.
Space-freezing skills are not uncommon, but due to differences in their causes, the difficulty of dispelling them varies. The [Void Domain Prison] talent from the [Void Saint] uses the power of the Void Dimension to form a special domain that can last for a considerable period of time, making it extremely effective against rush-in monsters.
Beyond Grade A mage who has mastered multidimensional energy can break this domain, but the problem of overlapping dimensions needs to be resolved, which is very troublesome. Even if Ninja and Taylor joined forces, it would still take some time to break it.
This move was indiscriminate, affecting not only Milizaus and the surrounding mechanical legion, but also all of them. Only two people were able to move freely: Han Xiao, who possessed the talent for the void and was adept at navigating this area, and the Sorokin who possessed the ability to Dimensional Crevice.
The Sorokin teleported again, appearing behind Han Xiao as if by magic. He punched Han Xiao in the back with a fist imbued with supernatural power, a playful smile on his lips.
"This isn't our first time fighting. You don't think this kind of tactic will work on me, do you?"
"Really? How about this then?" Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
The fist was approaching his back, but Han Xiao didn't even turn his head. Instead, he looked towards the distant fleet battlefield, his gaze fixed on Motes.
The Sorokin sensed a subtle spatial rhythm emanating from Han Xiao, and in the next instant, a flash of light appeared before his eyes, and Han Xiao had transformed into Motes.
Before Motes could even react to how he had suddenly appeared there, he was sent flying by a punch from the Sorokin.
Startled for a moment, the Sorokin immediately realized what was happening and looked abruptly towards the distant fleet battlefield. Motes in the distance had transformed into Han Xiao; their positions had instantly switched.
[Void Displacement], from the [Void Trickster] talent, consumes 15% of health and mana to forcibly swap positions with a target, with a 320-second cooldown.
The abilities [Void Domain Prison] and [Void Displacement] are new talents that Han Xiao deliberately paired together to create the current situation.
"A spatial displacement ability..." The Sorokin was somewhat surprised. He had seen this kind of ability before, and even had it himself, but his ability could only displace objects and could not be used on himself or other strong people of the same level. It was not as good as teleportation.
Sagman and the others were also taken aback. When did Black Star acquire this ability? There was no record of this information in any intelligence reports!
Everyone turned to look into the distance, and upon seeing the situation clearly, their expressions changed slightly... Motes had been switched back, which meant that Dilun was now alone, and Han Xiao had created a one-on-one situation for him!
The two were deep within the Imperial fleet's formation, far from the rest of the group, and with the Void Domain Prison controlling them, they couldn't immediately provide support.
"Black Star actually had this ability hidden." Ninja was surprised.
"Break through this area as soon as possible and send people to support Dilun," Sagman said in a deep voice.
If Dilun is entangled, the Empire can successfully assemble the Stargate. In everyone's eyes, this is Han Xiao's goal in doing this.
But no one guessed that Han Xiao's true intention was to reduce the number of members in the Arcane Church.
In the minds of Sagman and the others, Black Star didn't have the strength to quickly defeat Dilun, so no one thought that Han Xiao was creating a one-on-one situation to defeat Dilun. It might be more likely if it were Milizaus. And even if they guessed it, they didn't think Han Xiao could do it. After all, Dilun was a Beyond Grade A who was good at defense and control, and he wouldn't be defeated so easily.
In a flash, Han Xiao had already swapped places with Motes and appeared not far from Dilun. The ranged troops that had been sent to pursue him earlier gathered together, numbering about 400,000 mechanical soldiers, and opened fire on Dilun. Psionic Energy bombarded the barrier he had created with his supernatural abilities, blasting gaps in it.
Although surprised by Han Xiao's sudden appearance, Dilun was not flustered at all. He could continuously convert the seawater he stored into an energy barrier, which was very strong. In his opinion, Black Star alone could not do anything to him in a short time.
However, he had no idea how terrifying Han Xiao could be when he held nothing back.
"This is the only chance!" Han Xiao's eyes narrowed. With his opponent isolated and no other enemies interfering, only now could he have the environment to unleash his full power.
The next moment, Han Xiao reached out and aimed at Dilun, who was enveloped by the seawater barrier, and unleashed the long-suppressed Ames character card.
A powerful force field erupted, and under the relentless pressure, the seawater that had formed an energy barrier shattered. Dilun was astonished to find himself bound by the force field.
Ames Character Card: Dragon's Gaze!
Han Xiao had used Ames's character card during the Calamity Grade. Later, he obtained a new Blank Character Card and had Ames's abilities copied onto it. He hadn't encountered a situation where he needed to use it and had kept it until now.
This powerful control technique cannot restrain an opponent of the same level for too long. Dilun is using his own special ability to resist the force field and may break free at any time.
Just as Han Xiao was about to continue his actions, the Sorokin teleported in once again.
His Dimensional Crevice and teleportation abilities allow him to ignore the Void Domain Prison, making him the only one capable of disrupting Han Xiao's plans. However, he didn't come to protect Dilun; his eyes were only on Han Xiao's Evolution Cube.
"This guy is indeed troublesome." Han Xiao had anticipated the Sorokin's actions and made up his mind. He activated the prepared Evolution Cube and shot an Evolution Energy directly at the Sorokin.
"Huh?!" The Sorokin's expression changed, and he suddenly stopped in mid-air.
However, his subsequent reaction was completely different from that of Sagman and others.
Instead of dodging, the Sorokin turned around and actively met the Evolution Energy that Han Xiao unleashed. The pitch-black Evolution Energy instantly surged into his body, and a black cocoon spread across his skin.
His condition for cooperating with the Arcane Church Arcane Church was to help them seize the Evolution Cube in exchange for the right to use Evolution Cube once. At this moment, Han Xiao directly shot a wisp of Evolution Energy at him, which was exactly what the Sorokin had been dreaming of. He didn't care about anything else and directly caught it with his face.
This was precisely Han Xiao's open scheme: your target for me is Evolution Energy, right? Here you go. Do you want to continue attacking me, or do you want to get your target first?
The Sorokin was completely controlled by Han Xiao Han Xiao's move, and no one came to stop him anymore.
Taking advantage of Dilun being controlled by the Ames character card, Han Xiao used a Void Leap to get close and cast a Luck Curse on Dilun. Then, he grabbed Dilun's shoulder and ruthlessly activated the Sorokin character card!
Superpower Silence!
Just then, Ames's control field disappeared. Dilun was about to activate his ability to push Han Xiao away when he suddenly realized that he could no longer sense the presence of his ability, and his expression changed drastically.
"You..."
"Fire!"
Han Xiao abruptly activated all his burst skills, including [Gene Liberation], and roared in a deep voice within the quantum network.
The next moment, the mechanical troops surrounding them opened fire on the two of them, beams of Psionic Energy focusing their fire on them.
Dilun is a superhuman; without his powers, he is a helpless target.
Moreover, he doesn't have the ability to True Damage Immunity!
The blue light suddenly expanded and exploded!
As the light faded, Dilun was seen covered in blood, on the verge of death. The surrounding mechanical soldiers extended nanoparticle tentacles, which merged into several huge chain-like mechanical restraints, wrapping around Dilun's limbs, pulling them straight, and firmly controlling his body.
Various mechanical traps surrounded Dilun, releasing various forms of gravity and electromagnetic energy to restrict Dilun movements, while all the mechanical soldiers' cannons were aimed at Dilun, ready to fire at any moment.
Han Xiao was right behind Dilun, his arm tightly wrapped around Dilun's neck, staring coldly in the direction of Sagman in the distance. His meaning was self-evident: he was using Dilun's life as a threat!
Sagman, Sisko, and the others' expressions changed drastically!
This unexpected turn of events was completely unexpected by all of them!
Did Dilun get captured by Black Star in the very first exchange?
How could Black Star possibly possess such combat power?!
"This... this is impossible!" Sisko's eyes widened, his mind reeling.
Sagman was stunned. Only then did he realize that Black Star wasn't going to hold off Dilun, but rather to directly target Dilun and reduce their numbers!
At this moment, the two mages from the Arcane Church finally broke free of the Void Domain Prison. Both friend and foe stared at Han Xiao in shock.
How did he manage to capture a Beyond Grade A expert in such a short time?!
Sagman and the others dared not continue to attack Milizaus and his group beside them, fearing that Han Xiao would kill Dilun directly.
Milizaus and his two companions were in shock and made no move.
"This is troublesome..." Sagman felt a sense of unease. Dilun was clearly severely injured, his life in Black Star's hands, and being used to threaten them. If the battle continued, not to mention whether they could complete the mission without losing a Beyond Grade A combatant, Dilun was definitely doomed.
If it were an ordinary person, they would just abandon him, but Dilun is a Beyond Grade A combatant.
Both sides hesitated to act, fearing the consequences, and the situation seemed to have reached a stalemate.
Sagman gritted his teeth and secretly gave Ninja a wink. Ninja understood and quietly sent a telepathic message to the Sorokin.
"Sorokin, continue your mission! Use your teleportation to destroy the Empire's stargate!"
Sagman didn't want to leave Dilun, but Dilun had already been captured. If they didn't resolve this, they would be caught in a dilemma. To break the deadlock, they would have to reluctantly abandon Dilun in order to have a chance to continue their mission.
However, he didn't want to appear to abandon his teammates, so letting the Sorokin act was the best option. The Sorokin wasn't a member of the Arcane Church, so if Black Star killed Dilun because of this, it wouldn't be their problem. This was the only way to break the deadlock.
However, the Sorokin ignored him and teleported away from the battlefield, returning to the main ship of the Fallen Ark force where Harkison was located.
Hearing the noise, Harkison turned his head and was startled by the appearance of the Sorokin. Black lines were running across the Sorokin's body, like small black snakes crawling under its skin, which looked rather frightening.
"Your Sorokin, you are injured?!"
"Injured? No, no... I feel perfectly fine right now!"
The Sorokin gave a smile, and the Evolution Energy entered his body, but he suppressed it temporarily, which prevented it from forming a cocoon on the spot.
"Order the fleet to retreat immediately and disengage from the battlefield!"
Harkison was taken aback. "Ah, are we not continuing the attack?"
"Objective achieved: let the Arcane Church tie down the Imperial fleet, we retreat!"
Having obtained a wisp of Evolution Energy, the Sorokin has achieved its goal; there is no need to continue cooperation.
He's eager to find a safe place to enter his evolutionary state, so he has no time to fight alongside the Arcane Church.
The Sorokin knew this was Han Xiao's open scheme, but as long as the goal was achieved, he didn't mind falling into the trap.
Suppressing Evolution Energy would also affect his own combat power; in his view, completing his evolution was more important than dealing with Black Star.
As for credit... when did we even have that?
The Fallen Ark forces immediately ceased fire, and no matter how much the Arcane Church commander roared, he could not change their decision to withdraw from the battlefield.
Han Xiao's lips twitched as he watched this scene.
The integrity of the Sorokin truly does not disappoint...
Satisfying the Sorokin's needs was a last resort. He was the strongest link in the entire battle, and as long as the Sorokin was there, the situation would remain critical. His teleportation ability posed too great a threat to the Star Gate, and a way had to be found to remove him from the battlefield.
"Let's get through this crisis first, and then figure out how to deal with the Sorokin... He cooperated with the Arcane Church in the attack, the Empire won't let him off easily." Han Xiao was reassured and not troubled.
Meanwhile, the escape of the Sorokin also surprised the members of the Arcane Church.
"Sorokin!!" Sagman was utterly shocked and enraged, his face turning extremely pale.
In that short span of time, the situation that had been so advantageous suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse. One person was captured, another escaped, and the seven Beyond Grade A combatants were reduced to only five in the blink of an eye!
The person who instigated the reversal of the situation was none other than Han Xiao!
Sagman nearly ground his teeth to powder.