"Has the Sorokin really been captured?"
In the office of the leader of the Crimson Ring Star, Urranrell received a report from the fleet commander and was slightly taken aback.
The Imperial Head of State was busy with official duties, and after briefly facilitating the alliance of the Three Universal Civilizations and helping Black Star gain allies, she did not continue to pay attention to this operation.
Urranrell valued Han Xiao's desire to eliminate the Sorokin, but she didn't care much about this operation. Her mindset was like a billionaire making a small investment of a few hundred thousand, just testing the waters, accepting the outcome whether it succeeded or not. Now that she had received the team's report of success, she was pleasantly surprised.
The Sorokin that had been giving them a headache finally fell.
The existence of Sorokin has always been a thorn in the side of the Three Universal Civilizations, representing chaos and lawlessness, and has always been an enemy of order. The two sides have drawn a clear line on the surface, but at times, the Three Universal Civilizations have relied on his power.
The infamy of the Sorokin stems from his tyranny. Although he is brutal, he obviously doesn't provoke the Three Universal Civilizations for no reason. His targets are often star cluster or supercluster level civilizations. His rampage in the territories of these civilizations actually serves the interests of the Three Universal Civilizations.
On the other hand, the Fallen Ark attracts thugs and wanted criminals from all over the universe to join it, which has both advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that the power of the Sorokin has expanded as a result, making them increasingly difficult to deal with, and has also given rise to many fanatics who worship the Sorokin. The advantage is that it gathers villains from all over the universe, making it easier for the Three Universal Civilizations to monitor and wipe them out in one fell swoop, thereby indirectly reducing the security pressure on multiple star systems.
Of course, this is on the premise that the Sorokin possesses great power; if it weren't so formidable, the Three Universal Civilizations wouldn't have allowed it to exist indefinitely.
Now that Black Star has truly captured the Sorokin and helped them eliminate this troublesome enemy, the Three Universal Civilizations are happy to see this happen.
This is equivalent to capturing the leader of a terrorist group like Uncle Laden, representing a significant achievement in the counter-terrorism efforts of the Three Universal Civilizations. The greater the shadow cast by the Sorokin on the interstellar citizens, the greater the reputation gained by the Three Universal Civilizations.
Urranrell nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Black Star didn't waste my help. Well done."
"The Sorokin was more or less careless; otherwise, with his abilities, almost no one in the universe could capture him," Clottey said calmly.
He's also an old adversary of the Sorokin, and his judgment is accurate. If the Sorokin were to teleport away decisively whenever they were surrounded, then basically no one could catch them.
Unfortunately, this is only a theoretical scenario. Given the nature of the Sorokin, he would never do such a thing. The prerequisite for becoming the strongest is not being afraid of challenges. If he only knew how to run away, he would not have achieved his current fearsome reputation and accomplishments. He might have become another type of threat, and then he might have been eliminated by the Three Universal Civilizations at all costs long ago.
"Regardless, Black Star has not disappointed me."
Urranrell was increasingly satisfied with Han Xiao. The Battle of Lighthouse Star dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the Arcane Church, and now they had eliminated one of the Mortal Enemy of the Three Civilizations. Black Star had only been with the Empire for a little over a year, yet he had already brought considerable benefits to the Empire.
Not long after the Imperial fleet embarked on its return journey, everyone received a reply from the Imperial high command.
In the center of the command room, a remote projection appeared, showing none other than the leader, Urranrell. Upon seeing this, all the imperial soldiers present stood up and saluted respectfully. Han Xiao and the other seven Beyond Grade A soldiers also nodded symbolically in greeting.
"You have done a great job this time, making a tremendous contribution to the Empire. The Empire will not be stingy with the corresponding rewards."
Urranrell stood before the crowd with his hands behind his back, his words carrying a tone of praise.
Facing the empire's leader, everyone maintained their Beyond Grade A composure, merely nodding to acknowledge his praise.
"If Black Star hadn't persuaded the Federation of Light to join the plan, I wouldn't have facilitated this joint operation. I've read the report; Black Star contributed the most during the capture process. The Empire plans to use Black Star as the core of its propaganda in subsequent campaigns. Does anyone have any objections to this?" Urranrell turned to look at Han Xiao.
Capturing the Sorokin was an amazing achievement, Urranrell planned to give Han Xiao the lion's share of the credit to help him expand his influence.
"Of course not, that's simply a fact," Milizaus said with a chuckle.
Old Dragon was seriously injured in the Battle of Lighthouse Star and had been holding a grudge ever since. Now, seeing the Sorokin captured, he felt as refreshed as drinking an ice-cold carbonated beverage on a hot day. It was invigorating and made him feel even better about Han Xiao.
The others had no objections either; they were still waiting to borrow the Evolution Cube, so naturally no one wanted to compete with Han Xiao for credit.
"Then I'll thank the Empire in advance for its support." Han Xiao smiled.
"Yes, you should bring the Sorokin back as soon as possible. The Empire will keep him locked up in the most secure place."
Urranrell paused, "By the way, Black Star, you said that the souls of those sealed in the Space-Time Amber will perish during their long imprisonment, right?"
"That's right."
Han Xiao nodded, immediately understanding the leader's meaning.
"The Empire wants to study the bodies of the Sorokin?"
"Yes, the Sorokin's body has high research value. He masters various superpowers through gene chain recombination. If this ability can be deciphered, the Empire's gene technology will advance, and the production of superhumans will increase significantly."
Urranrell didn't hide anything, "Of course, we'll only begin this research after the Sorokin's soul has perished. How long do you think it will take to erase his soul?"
Han Xiao stroked his chin.
"I suggest a minimum sentence of 500 years."
Urranrell pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, it's a bit long, but we'll prioritize stability."
Five hundred years is nothing to the Crimson Dynasty; their existence has lasted many times longer, and some of their strategic plans are measured in centuries.
After exchanging a few more words, Urranrell hung up the remote communication, and the numerous Imperial soldiers present returned to their posts.
Ravenlaude turned to Han Xiao, "The Sorokin has been captured; it's your turn to fulfill the deal."
A smile bloomed on Han Xiao's lips as he raised his palm, and a stream of nanoparticles flowed, bringing the Evolution Cube that was placed close to his body to his palm.
"Don't worry, I'm a man of my word. You've all helped me get rid of a major threat, and I won't let you down."
The Three Universal Civilizations reached a consensus to announce the capture of the Sorokin only after the fleet returned. Because the battle took place in Desolate Universe Belt with no inhabitants, information was limited, so the major powers were currently unaware of the Sorokin's fate.
About two weeks later, the Imperial fleet returned safely, and the journey was smooth sailing with no unexpected incidents.
Han Xiao handed the Sorokin over to another imperial fleet that came to greet him. The empire would imprison the Sorokin in a top-secret location.
The other Beyond Grade A, having received the modifications from the Evolution Cube, were satisfied and took their leave, leaving only Han Xiao to return to Crimson Ring Star.
He contacted Fording and the other two immediately, and a month later, Han Xiao met with them again.
Having achieved all the objectives of their trip to the Central Galaxy, Han Xiao announced the end of their vacation to the three of them, then led them back to their own spaceship and set sail to return to the Shattered Star Ring.
On the spaceship, Han Xiao, using the excuse that he had missed them terribly after not seeing them for so long, gave Fording and Nero a good beating.
Fording was fine, he was used to it, and looked helpless, but Nero was very uncomfortable. Even his father had never been so enthusiastic. He was picked up by Han Xiao and rubbed until he was dizzy.
Reynold thought he would suffer the same treatment, so he took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally. However, Han Xiao turned and left, seemingly uninterested in him, which made Reynold feel a little disappointed.
After using up his luck, Han Xiao locked himself in his room and opened the panel to complete the [Mortal Enemy of the Three Civilizations] quest.
[The Mortal Enemy of the Three Civilizations] is complete.
[Your cumulative damage to the Sorokin has reached 100% (maximum limit), and you will receive the corresponding reward.]
[You gained 200e experience, you received a random reward x1, and you obtained a [Character Summon Card - Sorokin]]
[Character Summon Card - Sorokin: [Special Ability Enhancement] - Can only be used on otherworldly beings of a lower rank than yourself. Permanently enhances the target's special ability and increases their potential. Can only be used once on the same target. Usage limit: 0/3]
Han Xiao's eyes flickered.
This ability... is pretty impressive.
If a Beyond Grade A being in a civilization possessed this ability, it would be equivalent to Infinite Esper Potential Enhancement Fluid. Even if it could only be used on individuals with superpowers, it would be enough to elevate the overall strength of all superpowered individuals in the entire civilization...
This is a strategic-level capability!
Unfortunately, the one who possesses this superpower is the Sorokin, and that Sorokin is not the type to help his underlings improve their strength.
By collecting these powerful superpowers, the Sorokin have essentially eliminated some potential geniuses. If the original owners of these superpowers hadn't encountered the Sorokin, they might have become honored guests of advanced civilizations in the future.
[Additional task requirements have been completed]
[You receive an additional reward: three abilities (features/skills) of Sorokin are randomly selected.]
[Note: The Sorokin is a superhuman; some of the abilities available for extraction have been automatically adjusted based on your class.]
[You have three chances to draw. Each draw will randomly select at least one ability, and you can make a maximum of three random selections. Please select the type of ability for your first draw: Skill/Faction/Both?]
Han Xiao rubbed his hands together and chose his specialty.
He knew that his superpowers were not suited to his profession, as their sources of power were different, and that many of his superpowers could not be extracted.
Since we can choose the type this time, we should definitely make use of it. In terms of probability alone, the chance of drawing a good specialty is much higher than drawing a skill.
[Randomly selecting... Selection complete]
Please select 1-3 of the following five abilities as a reward:
[1. [Particle Structure Reinforcement] - Feat: True Damage Immunity]
[2. [Fanatical Believer] - Feat: Resistance to Abnormal Mental Statuses +20%]
[3. [Cell Division Control] - Specialty: Consumes Qi to stimulate cell division, achieving Enhanced Self-Healing, converting Qi into health at a ratio of 1:3, restoring up to 15% health per second]
[4. [Endurance Enhancement] - Feat: Physical and Energy Resistance +40%]
[5. [Combat Talent] - Feat: After entering combat, all attributes increase by 1% per minute, up to a maximum of 12%]
Han Xiao's eyes lit up. This time, he drew two template specialties, namely the first and third items.
His gaze was fixed on [Cell Division Control], a specialty that should have been transformed from the Sorokin's "Enhanced Self-Healing," with the same effect as his [Intermediate Cell Proliferation Control], only the transformation efficiency was not as high as his own one to five.
My health has now exceeded five million, but the health points converted from all my energy are less than 10% of my maximum health, which is far from the maximum health regeneration of 28% per second. Improving my health regeneration efficiency is definitely a win-win situation.
As for the ability to True Damage Immunity, he already has that, so there's no need to choose it again.
[You have gained [Cell Division Control]]
[Your [Intermediate Cell Proliferation Control] and [Cell Division Control] abilities are similar and have been synthesized.]
"Specialties can be upgraded." Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
Some feats of the same type and with the same effect have a chance to combine. For example, if you obtain a higher level of Mechanical Sense Mechanical Sense, the lower level Mechanical Sense feat will automatically disappear, which is equivalent to upgrading the feat.
[Synthesis complete]
[You have lost Cell Division Control]
[Intermediate Cell Proliferation Control] upgraded to [Advanced Cell Proliferation Control]
[Advanced Cell Proliferation Control]: Use Qi to proliferate cells and heal wounds. Qi is converted into health at a ratio of 1:9, restoring up to 35% health per second.
By combining the two specializations, the healing ratio increases from 1:5 to 1:9, resulting in a nearly doubled recovery speed, while the maximum recovery per second increases from 28% to 35%.
Han Xiao let out a breath and then proceeded to the second draw, which was still a specialty type.
Five more randomly generated feats appeared. Han Xiao browsed through them and chose one called [Soul Hot Spring], which increases mental resistance by 120% and accelerates the reduction of abnormal mental states, restoring soul damage.
Mental fortitude is a weakness, so building up mental resilience has always been an important task.
The third draw was still for his specialty. Han Xiao glanced at it and his face lit up with joy.
Among the five random options, one appears to be an adjusted version of the "Special Ability: Black Hole," which can convert a portion of the damage into the user's own stamina.
After selecting this ability, the panel prompts that [Medium Energy Absorption] can be combined with it, turning the two feats into one.
[Your [Medium Energy Absorption] has been upgraded to [High-Efficiency Energy Absorption]]
[High-Efficiency Energy Absorption]: When attacked by physical, magical, or energy attacks, damage taken is reduced by 25% and converted into Qi. The absorbed damage is not counted as resistance reduction; the remaining 75% of the damage is calculated normally. The 60% of damage reduced by resistance is converted into Qi.
Han Xiao did a quick calculation:
"Based on this calculation, my mana conversion efficiency has increased by more than 1.5 times, and the upgraded feat is equivalent to an additional 25% absolute resistance, reducing the damage I take by a quarter."
Before the upgrade, [Medium Energy Absorption] had no defensive capabilities. After the upgrade, it gained the characteristics of "Special Ability: Black Hole," which directly converts a portion of the damage into its own energy, thus avoiding some of the damage and saving the energy needed to recover that portion of health.
Assuming your resistance is 50% and you receive 10,000 points of theoretical damage, then the pre-upgrade skill effect is: you actually receive 5,000 points of damage and absorb 3,000 points of energy.
After the upgrade, the effect becomes: taking 3750 points of damage and absorbing 4750 points of energy...
The amount of energy gained is more than the amount of health lost!