With the support of fresh forces, the advance of the Pioneer Party Ancient Emperor Party some resistance.
The fact that a free armed organization led by one of the Beyond Grade A Seed members of this Shattered Star Ring has intervened in the civil war and helped the Ancient Emperor Party is surprising, as the incident happened suddenly and without warning. All forces paying attention to the civil war situation were taken aback.
Is the Shattered Star Ring going against the Black Star Army? Although the Black Star Army is not a single dominant power, this move is still surprising. It seems like they want to directly confront the Black Star Army.
The Black Star Army is full of powerful warriors. What gives four mere Calamity Grade warriors the audacity to interfere with the Black Star Army's war mercenaries? Even if one of them is Beyond Grade A Seed, he is still no match for the Black Star Army.
Meanwhile, Han Xiao, who was forging iron at headquarters, received a message from Phillip. He had initially doubted his suspicions, but this news confirmed his thoughts.
Moreover, upon seeing this armed group, he also discovered the identity of the person behind it.
"So it was them..."
Han Xiao suddenly realized.
The leader of this armed organization Beyond Grade A Seed, is named Luther. He has been active as a free superhuman in the Shattered Star Ring and is quite famous locally. However, Luther's true identity is actually an elite member of the interstellar super conglomerate [Infinite].
The harmonious interstellar society brings endless business opportunities and has given rise to a large number of interstellar conglomerates. The Infinite Financial Group is an anomaly among them because its current leader is a Beyond Grade A.
Not every Beyond Grade A is keen on building an armed force. Beyond Grade A managers have varying levels of management skills, and the current head of the Infinite Financial Group is a Beyond Grade A who loves money and is good at making money. His name is Sorokin, and he holds a rather special position in the universe.
Sorokin the position of leader of the conglomerate and developed the Infinite Financial Group to its current scale.
This super conglomerate is now a leader among business organizations, operating in military, civilian, technological, trade, intelligence, service, manufacturing and other businesses. It has a presence in almost every industry, with numerous subsidiary brands and operations spanning multiple star systems. It is deeply integrated into the lives of interstellar citizens and is a well-known super enterprise. This behemoth-level conglomerate also has business dealings with three major cosmic civilizations.
The Infinite Financial Group is a neutral faction that has long been publicly listed across the universe. Its assets are extremely large, and its symbol of power is the Möbius strip.
On the other hand, the Infinite Financial Group's armed forces are also formidable, backed by enormous financial resources. The Infinite Financial Group maintains affiliated forces in various star systems, which are equivalent to the consortium's military power. The organization led by Luther is such an existence.
Moreover, due to the factional nature of commercial organizations, the Infinite Financial Group's Beyond Grade A combat power is not limited to Sorokin alone. Sorokin wins over Beyond Grade A allies by sharing shares, making some well-known Beyond Grade A individuals in the universe long-term shareholders of the Infinite Financial Group, including several Ancient Ones. Through regular dividends, Sorokin receives resources, military support, and other forms of support from these Beyond Grade A forces.
Money paves the way; the vast network of interests and connections of the Infinite Financial Group across the universe is as unfathomable as the ocean.
In comparison, although the Black Star Army is also Beyond Grade A force, it has a shorter development time and its current scale is far smaller than that of its counterpart.
Luther's identity was only revealed in later versions, and at this stage, no one in the Shattered Star Ring knows that Luther is a member of the Infinite Financial Group. However, Han Xiao is different; he knows Luther's background inside and out, so he immediately understood who was interfering in the affairs of the Gular Civilization.
This is his unique advantage; in his presence, many "secrets" are not secrets at all.
"The Infinite Financial Group's interest in the player phenomenon explains why," Han Xiao thought to himself.
In its previous life, the Infinite Financial Group was a large faction that players could join. Its headquarters were located in the Sea of Star Spirits. Many Sea of Star Spirits players joined this consortium in the mid-game. Not only were the resources and benefits abundant, but there was also a career advancement system within the consortium, as well as regular formal position salaries.
Even now, a significant number of Sea of Star Spirits players have been recruited by the Infinite Financial Group, and the Infinite Financial Group enjoys considerable discussion on the Sea of Star Spirits forum.
Han Xiao guessed the other party's motives; they were probably there to spy on his vegetable garden.
"Hmm, they probably think my Immortal Army is similar to the players they recruited, so they sent someone to test the waters. The Infinite Financial Group may have discovered some of the players' behavior patterns, such as that if you make a request to a player, even if it's unreasonable, the player might do it. It's like accidentally issuing a mission, so they had the Ancient Emperor Party ask the Legion for help to test the Legion players' reaction?"
With a quick glance, Han Xiao guessed almost exactly what was going on.
"If I remember correctly, the Infinite Financial Group was also an active force in the Shattered World version..."
Han Xiao's eyes flickered.
Each star system has its own major powers, which will all gather in the Shattered World in version 4.0. They are all competitors, and the Infinite Financial Group, a large and powerful conglomerate, is one of them.
It seems I'll inevitably have to deal with them in the future...
Han Xiao pondered for a moment, then called the Guard Squad into the room.
Soon, Hila led her team into the machine workshop.
"I have a task for you."
Han Xiao waved his hand, creating a virtual screen in front of everyone, displaying information about Luther and the others. "This armed organization has intervened in the civil war of the Gular Civilization, supporting the Ancient Emperor Party. The enemy has gained four more Calamity Grade combatants. I need you to go and support the front lines. Try your best to take down these four guys. By the way, this guy named Luther is a Beyond Grade A Seed. Hila, Hadavy, be careful."
"Understood." Hila nodded.
"I know Luther." Hadavy crossed his arms and tilted his head. "I sparred with him a long time ago. He's a very skilled martial artist. Strange, I remember him being very low-key. How come he suddenly started opposing the Legion?"
Who knows?
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow; he didn't intend to tell anyone that he knew the other party's background.
If the Infinite Financial Group thinks they're secretly testing us, then let them continue to think that way.
"Alright." Hadavy didn't say anything. He and Luther had a past relationship, but since Luther had chosen to help the Legion's opposing side, he wouldn't let him off the hook.
As the guards left the room, Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he opened a Secondary Dimension portal, summoning his Apostle Weapon.
"Dominion."
Dark Emperor squatted down, his head level with Han Xiao's.
Han Xiao slowly said, "You will lead a group of mechanical troops to the Gular Civilization. If Hila and the others fail, find an opportunity to eliminate Luther and the other four Calamity Grade. Phillip will then transmit the enemy's data to you."
He couldn't do much against the Infinite Financial Group, and they weren't even on opposing sides, but eliminating Luther and his group was no problem. It aligned with the Black Star Army's position; these people were hired by the other side, so killing members of the Legion was inevitable, which indirectly increased the Black Star Army's casualties.
Since the Infinite Financial Group coveted his Immortal Army and attempted to test him by sending its affiliated forces to kill his troops, Han Xiao decided to take this opportunity to eliminate the consortium's henchmen. Pretending not to know their true intentions would also serve as a warning to the Infinite Financial Group and prevent them from escalating their actions and thinking they could test him at will.
Boom!
The spaceship crashed on the surface of a barren planet, tumbling and plowing up large swaths of earth, leaving behind a deep trench.
Once the spaceship stopped tumbling, Luther crawled out of the wreckage, covered in dust and dirt.
One by one, figures descended from the sky; it was Hila's Guard Squad, each bearing minor injuries, and they stared coldly at Luther.
Luther's injuries were more severe. He clutched his bloodied chest, and through his pale ribs, his beating heart could be faintly seen. He tried to increase his cell activity by using his strength to grow granulation tissue from his wounds, slowly healing himself, but it was a drop in the ocean.
"Black Star really thinks highly of me, actually sending the entire renowned Guard Squad to deal with me. Cough cough... Heh, even if I die in battle, it will be an honor for me." Luther's face was pale, but there was no despair on his face. Instead, he seemed quite carefree, indifferent to life and death.
The two sides met on the battlefield. Hila and her companions relentlessly Pursuit, having already killed three of his comrades, leaving him alone and nearing the end of his rope.
Hadavy shook his head. "I don't understand why you accepted the Ancient Emperor Party's offer of employment. If it's for money, why go against the Black Star Army? You killed members of the Legion, and Lord Black Star will definitely send experts to deal with you. You must know that."
"I don't have the habit of explaining myself to others." Luther took a deep breath, gathering his strength, preparing for a desperate fight.
Hadavy hesitated for a moment, then advised, "Surrender. Lord Black Star is actually quite easygoing and values talent. You are a Beyond Grade A Seed. If you are willing to join the Legion, Lord Black Star will not make things difficult for you."
"Ha, I'm not interested. It's either kill me or I kill you. I'm not going to make a third choice."
"Is this necessary?" Hadavy frowned. "We don't have any deep-seated hatred between us. You finally became Beyond Grade A Seed, why do you have to throw your life away?"
Bang!
Luther's response was to stomp on the ground, causing the ground, which was a hundred meters in diameter, to crack open. He instantly charged towards Hadavy, his fist, wreathed in flames, blasting out like a cannonball.
Hadavy, maintaining his Hardening ability, took the blow head-on. The blast of energy from the fist tore through his body, tearing the earth behind him and creating a massive rift valley amidst the rumbling tremors. Further away, a brownish-yellow mountain collapsed into rubble, falling into the deep valley.
The numerous guards fought with all their might, battling fiercely for a long time, completely altering the landscape of the surrounding thousands of miles, leaving behind crisscrossing ravines and numerous pits and craters.
Although Luther was a Beyond Grade A Seed, he couldn't withstand such an onslaught. In the end, he was exhausted and his spirit was crushed by Hila. His strong body lost its soul, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. Gravel stuck to his lifeless, wide-open eyes.
Hila remained expressionless, and with a flick of her wrist, wisps of gray mist flew out from Luther's body, were absorbed and transformed into nourishment to enhance his Power of the Dead.
Hadavy sighed deeply... What a pity for such a fine man.
The Guard Squad cleaned up the battlefield and left the desolate planet in their spaceship. Not long after they left, Dark Emperor appeared in outer space with a ranged force.
"The guards officer has already killed the target; we don't need to intervene."
Dark Emperor, who had been monitoring the battlefield, nodded and led the ranged troops back.
"Luther is dead?"
In the conference room, the senior members of the Ancient Emperor Party looked astonished.
Although they knew the reinforcements were no match for the Black Star Army, it was still surprising that a Beyond Grade A Seed was killed so quickly.
At that moment, a high-ranking official shuddered, realizing he had been possessed by Mysterious Person.
In reality, this Mysterious Person is Sorokin, the head of the Infinite Financial Group. He is busy with affairs every day, but he has the ability to multitask and process multiple things at once. What is possessing him at this moment is only one of his consciousnesses.
Sorokin, controlling the possessed individual, pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Gentlemen, it seems our cooperation must come to an end."
The leader of the Ancient Emperor Party was startled. "You..."
"The Black Star Army's reaction was more intense than I expected. My original intention was merely to test and observe, but the cost exceeded my expectations. If we continue to cooperate, the costs will be too high, and this investment is not worthwhile," Sorokin said calmly.
Beyond Grade A Seed are very rare, and Sorokin was somewhat saddened by Luther's death.
Sorokin was unaware that Black Star already knew his secrets. According to his original calculations, Black Star Army would not have responded so forcefully. He did not expect Han Xiao to send out the entire Guard Squad.
Therefore, Sorokin was hesitant to act rashly. Although he was very strong, he couldn't possibly come and fight Black Star personally over such a trivial matter. He was also unwilling to risk more subordinate forces for an experiment. Han Xiao's tough stance forced him to temporarily abandon the idea of testing the Immortal Army.
He had already prepared follow-up plans for testing the Immortal Army ' reaction, but now those plans had to be shelved.
However, he wasn't one to suffer losses. Even though Black Star had killed his men without his knowledge, he wasn't going to let it go so easily.
Of course, Sorokin did not intend to retaliate militarily. The Arcane Church had tried it before and lost everything. He did not believe that the high-level combat forces he mobilized could surpass those of the Arcane Church.
Past experiences have shown that Black Star is an ambitious person. Sorokin believes that as long as Black Star continues to expand slowly, he will eventually run into the Infinite Financial Group... That day may not be too far away. He is working on establishing connections with the Empire, hoping to obtain a ticket to the Shattered World as soon as possible, and progress is going quite smoothly.
Before anyone could speak, Sorokin's possessed consciousness departed.
The leader of the Ancient Emperor Party had an unpredictable expression.
In the blink of an eye, several months passed. Han Xiao stayed at headquarters manufacturing machinery, while also keeping an eye on the changes in the situation of the Gular Civilization.
Since Luther's death, the Infinite Financial Group seems to have gone quiet, making no further moves.
Han Xiao thought about it carefully. The Infinite Financial Group was hiding their identities to avoid being recognized by him. After all, the consortium was a neutral business organization, not a private armed force. If the cost they incurred made the other party feel bad, they would stop.
Without further support, the Ancient Emperor Party plummeted from heaven to hell, plunging into dire straits once more, and the civil war returned to the control of the Pioneer Party and the Black Star Army.
Seeing that the Infinite Financial Group had given up its probing, Han Xiao also withdrew his attention. This was just a minor incident that was bound to occur during the process of using the players. As the players grew stronger, there would always be people eyeing them.
The experience provided by players is the foundation of his rapid growth, and there is no room for negotiation on this point. If he doesn't take a firm stance, others will only push their luck.
After resolving this minor incident, Han Xiao turned his attention to something more important.
He had been in seclusion for several months, and today, his sixteen-month period of experiential punishment finally came to an end!