Having escaped Manison's virtual domain, Han Xiao's Virtual Soul returned to the quantum network hub at headquarters, secretly relieved.
While he was no match for Manison in virtual technology battles, Manison's psychological attacks were also ineffective against him.
Not only because of its own tankiness, but also because the Mechanic is not a class specializing in mental attacks. No matter how powerful [Supreme Virtual] is, it is impossible to easily defeat a Mechanic of the same level. Moreover, the high intelligence attribute also provides some mental resistance, making it less fragile.
"However, [Supreme Virtual] is mostly used as a control skill. It took me about five or six seconds to escape from Manison's virtual realm, and I was fine."
Han Xiao observed the situation and nodded secretly.
When he was pulled into the virtual realm by Manison, Phillip lost his help. Under Manison's offensive, the firewall's thickness was reduced by nearly half again, resulting in the loss of a large amount of internal data.
Fortunately, he returned in time, took over again, and immediately stabilized the defense, turning the situation back into a tug-of-war with him slightly behind.
Both are virtual-specialized mechanics. Manison can quickly break through Han Xiao's virtual domain, and it won't take Han Xiao long to break through the opponent's virtual domain either. The [Supreme Virtual] move is not very suitable for dealing with mechanics. Mastering virtual technology can quickly break through and greatly reduce the time being controlled.
At this moment, Manison, outside the firewall, squinted at Han Xiao and slowly spoke:
"An incredible physique, unimaginable potential, a history-making growth rate... Black Star, where did you come from, you an anomaly?"
"The world is full of wonders," Han Xiao chuckled. "No need to be so surprised."
Manison shook his head. "After our last spar, I've had a suspicion, and now, after fighting you again, it's becoming clearer and clearer... Black Star, could your existence be the very essence of Cosmic Wonder?"
"Ha, maybe."
Han Xiao remained calm and unmoved.
At this moment, Resta, who was standing nearby, finally lifted the blockade and, without saying a word, immediately helped Han Xiao maintain the firewall to resist Manison's intrusion.
Meanwhile, Finit continued to chip away at the firewall, helping Manison to break in. Each attack created a small, temporary vulnerability, from which data was gradually extracted.
One side attacks, the other defends; both sides use virtual technology to fight each other. Modules are cracked and then rebuilt, in an endless cycle.
What appears to be a tidal wave of data bombarding the firewall is actually, if you magnify the perspective countless times, every inch of space where they collide is an invisible miniature battlefield, where countless jumping bytes seem to transform into soldiers, computing and cracking each other.
The two appeared calm and collected, but their minds were actually working at an accelerated pace. They personally controlled every detail of the calculations involved in each exchange, resulting in an immense amount of computation.
In the Black Star Army's Logistics Department, Reynold had urgently summoned all the mechanics in the department. Those who were working immediately dropped what they were doing, and those who were sleeping came to assemble without even putting on their pants.
Looking around at the endless Logistics Department mechanics, Reynold spoke in a deep voice:
"Gentlemen, the Black Star Army headquarters' intelligent control center has been illegally hacked. His Excellency Black Star is resisting. As members of the Legion, we cannot stand idly by; the Legion Commander needs our assistance!"
The crowd's expressions were grim; the enemy that even Black Star couldn't defeat was in dire straits.
Nobody knows why Black Star would provoke the Mechanic Emperor out of the blue.
In the world of mechanics, the reputation of the Mechanic Emperor is too great. It is basically recognized as the strongest mechanic. Now that they are going to fight against such a big figure, these Logistics Department members are somewhat apprehensive and their morale is low.
The title of "Strongest Mechanic" is not just an empty name, but a halo that comes with a "Mechanic Morale Penalty," which can cause most Mechanics who oppose him to lose confidence.
Someone couldn't help but ask, "Why did the Mechanic Emperor invade us? Didn't they have a good relationship with Black Star?"
"You're asking me? Who should I ask?"
Reynold glared at him and snapped, "Stop thinking nonsense! Remember, the Legion is in crisis. What we need to do now is help the Legion. No matter who the invader is, he is now our enemy!"
That being said, for a long time, the Mechanic Emperor was actually Reynold's idol. It was only after joining the Black Star Black Star Army and witnessing its rise that Han Xiao gradually replaced the Mechanic Emperor in his mind and became his most admired figure.
Now that he has to be at odds with his former idol, Reynold has come to terms with it.
Hearing what Reynold said, everyone in the Logistics Department calmed down and gradually became more determined. Reynold had a high reputation in the Logistics Department, thanks to his serious work ethic and rigorous research, which most mechanics appreciated.
Seeing that the Logistics Department members had regained their morale, Reynold felt a little relieved and immediately gave a loud order for everyone to get moving.
Although they have difficulty intervening in the two Peak Beyond Grade A virtual battlefields, the Logistics Department can indirectly help by using temporary permissions to replace hardware in the host library of Phillip's intelligent hub, thereby improving Phillip's computing power. At the same time, they can share their meager computing power with Phillip through hardware connections.
Meanwhile, Fleet Commander Melos, who was playing cards online and was in a winning position when his internet connection suddenly dropped, also took corresponding action.
He dispatched armed forces from various divisions of the Black Star Army to begin a carpet search of all nearby planets in an attempt to locate Manison, but this was a massive undertaking, like finding a needle in a haystack.
Meanwhile, Sylvia took the high-level route and contacted Goddora directly. Goddora readily handed over temporary secondary control of many quantum network base stations in the Garton Star System, allowing the Black Star Army to temporarily take over the quantum network control of most of the system.
Through the Discrimination Reform Movement, coupled with the recent public welfare education program, Goddora's relationship with the Black Star Army has become increasingly close. Upon learning that the Black Star Army was in trouble, the leader overruled objections and generously donated funds—after all, if the Black Star wanted them, their cybersecurity would be practically non-existent, so it was better to agree to lend them out for a while and improve the relationship.
When it comes to currying favor with powerful figures, Goddora is quite adept; it's practically a required course for every civilization in every galaxy.
Although she suspected that Manison might have his own base station, Sylvia always liked to have multiple plans, and controlling the quantum network base station in this area was also a way to cut off Manison's escape route.
Lagi didn't understand virtual technology, but he had his own methods. He gathered a bunch of people from the Ministry of Magic and went to buff Han Xiao.
Various attribute-boosting spells that enhance intelligence and spirit filled Han Xiao's status bar to the brim, requiring him to flip through pages to view them all.
However, the effects of buff spells are not constant. Lower-level spells and mages applying buffs to higher-level targets will have reduced effectiveness. The more powerful an individual is, the less effective the external buff will be.
Furthermore, many buff spells have limitations that prevent them from working once the attribute exceeds a certain threshold. For example, many percentage-based attribute amplification spells can only increase the attribute by a maximum of two or three thousand points; beyond that, they become ineffective. The higher the threshold of a spell, the more difficult it is to learn and the higher its spell level. Some Infinite buff spells or those targeting Beyond Grade A characters are basically forbidden spells, and very few people can master them.
Faced with Manison's attack, all departments of the Black Star Army spontaneously mobilized, doing what they could to provide assistance to Han Xiao in various ways.
War Realm Headquarters.
More than two months have passed since Heber went into seclusion. Apart from those wavering members, most of the senior executives are quite worried about the state of the Tyrant.
Today, Heber finally summoned Jorde to inquire about the affairs of the War Realm during this period.
Standing in front of the door, Jorde felt uneasy. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down before gritting his teeth and pushing open the door.
He had mentally prepared himself to see all sorts of things, but the scene before him was exactly the same as before.
Heber sat upright in his seat, his back still straight, and his clothes were neat. He showed no signs of dejection. The only difference was that his aura was not as imposing as before.
After giving him a careful look, Jorde swallowed hard and couldn't help but ask, "Are you... alright?"
What could possibly be wrong with me?
Upon hearing this, Heber frowned.
"You haven't shown up for so long, and you haven't inquired about the organization's affairs. We thought... we thought..."
"You thought I was crushed by Black Star?" Heber relaxed his brow, then said with displeasure, "So what if you lost? You can always get your revenge later. When did I become so fragile in your eyes?"
"No, it's just that your behavior caused us to misunderstand..." Jorde hurriedly explained.
"Snort."
Heber shook his head. He was indeed mentally devastated when he was defeated, but as Beyond Grade A, he had experienced setbacks along the way.
The damage to his reputation was indeed painful for him, but Heber quickly composed himself and noted it down in his notebook.
Looking at it from another angle... with Sisko at the bottom, he's not the worst off in the Shattered Star Ring, which makes Heber feel much better.
However, although his reputation Tyrant has been damaged, he still needs to continue developing in the War Realm, and Heber will not stop competing with the Black Star Army.
Beating me up once as revenge is enough; you want to come and beat me up every day?
Do you think I'm stupid?!
Even if only one mech soldier comes next time, I will absolutely refuse to fight!
Although Heber quickly recovered from his defeat, he also realized the gap in strength between himself and Black Star. Even if he was unwilling, he could only reluctantly admit that Black Star had far surpassed him.
Therefore, Heber's desire to compete with Black Star for the Strongest in the Star Field has diminished considerably. At least until he is confident in defeating Black Star, he no longer wants to provoke Han Xiao with force, and he has adopted the idea of "waiting until I have mastered my divine skills before beating him back."
After readily acknowledging that Han Xiao had surpassed him, Heber felt much more relaxed for some reason—perhaps because he no longer had to fight against someone like Black Star, which finally allowed his long-tense nerves to relax.
Too lazy to explain his thoughts to Jorde, Heber said impatiently, "Just tell me what's been piling up lately. Don't bother me while I'm exercising if you don't have anything to say."
"Okay, okay..."
Seeing that Heber had adjusted his mindset, Jorde breathed a sigh of relief and immediately reported on the situation during this period, emphasizing the members who had left.
"Ignore those guys who left," Heber said dismissively. "They're just wavering opportunists; there are plenty of them in the universe."
Jorde nodded, sighing inwardly. It seemed Heber was still the same as before, not caring about his subordinates.
At this moment, Heber hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Notify all the Calamity Grade Pugilist Class officers to gather here in a while. I'll teach them something. Hmph, as my subordinates, they haven't made any progress in so long, what kind of behavior is that?"
Jorde's eyes widened in surprise. He paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Understood, they will be very happy to receive your guidance."
"Hmph, I don't need flattery."
After calming himself down, Jorde took out another intelligence report and said in a deep voice:
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Just now, some breaking news leaked from within the Black Star Army. For some reason, the Mechanic Emperor's Manison has actually clashed with Black Star and is currently infiltrating the Black Star Army's headquarters' intelligent core. Their virtual battle isn't over yet."
"The Mechanic Emperor? Does he have a grudge against Black Star?"
Heber was puzzled.
"It's unclear. The outside world says that Black Star has grown too fast and its ambition has swelled, challenging the position of the Mechanic Emperor. So the Mechanic Emperor took the initiative to come to Black Star's home turf to fight it, defend its position, and make Black Star face reality."
"It sounds pretty true."
Heber frowned. He didn't know the secret of the Divine Throne Mechanic. It was an internal secret of the mechanics, and few other professions knew it. The Empire wouldn't bother to tell a muscle-bound guy such a secret.
After thinking for a moment, Heber let out a sigh and shook his head.
That bastard Black Star, he never stops. Just two months ago he almost broke me apart, and now he's gotten involved with the Mechanic Emperor again. He's such a womanizer, always stirring things up.
"Ignore them. I don't understand mechanics, and it's none of my business anyway."
Heber waved his hand, putting the matter out of his mind.
The Black Star Army headquarters, a virtual world.
The virtual technology battle between the two Divine Throne Mechanic is not going to end anytime soon; the battle has been going on for quite some time.
With the boost of [Perfect Mechanical Sense], the gap between Han Xiao and Manison narrowed further. However, with the home advantage and the external assistance from the Black Star Army's Logistics Department, he could only barely withstand Manison's virtual intrusion from afar, slowing down the rate of data outflow.
Despite Han Xiao's resistance, Manison was unable to infiltrate the entire central system, but he was able to continuously capture data during the brief moments when the firewall was breached.
The [Perfect Mechanical Sense] character card is useful, but it has a time limit, ending in a maximum of sixteen hours. However, if Manison is willing, he can invade for several days and nights in a row without any problem.
"Thank goodness we called for backup, otherwise things would have been very bad if the fighting had continued."
Han Xiao's mind raced as he waited for Maxiler, timing his move perfectly.
The two fought fiercely for a long time, and several hours later, a new Beyond Grade A mechanic finally entered the fray!
Outside the firewall, a Virtual Soul leaped from the wide-area quantum network channel and appeared in their line of sight.
Han Xiao looked closely, but was slightly taken aback.
The person who arrived was not Maxiler, whom he knew well, but another Beyond Grade A ally of the Empire.
Manison looked over, his brow furrowed slightly, and slowly said:
"Kant, it's you?"
"Hey, can't I come?"
The Virtual Soul smiled slightly. Its appearance was quite bizarre; it was a snow-white, pointed cone-shaped cylinder, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with only a tuft of green leaves growing at the top. In the center of its body was a large, bright eye, making it look like a big white radish.
This person... cough, this radish is none other than one of the three strongest Pillar of the Nation the Crimson Dynasty, the "Phantom God" Kant.
His nickname sounds like that of a telekinetic or magician, but in reality, Kant is a mechanic. His race is Shapeshifter, and his talent is to alter his physical structure, directly disguising himself as other beings on a physical level.
After advancing to Beyond Grade A, Kant underwent a species sublimation, and his talent transformed, allowing him to essentially transform into anything on a physical level. This was far more realistic and difficult to see through than a magician's illusions or a mechanic's virtual imaging.
Because of this talent, he possesses a strong ability to disguise himself and is naturally able to interact with any species; no one has ever seen his true form.
He himself is also passionate about shapeshifting, and his appearance is different every day. The presence of his shapeshifting ability even overshadows his mechanical abilities, which is why he earned this nickname.
Manison recognized Kant, and after looking him up and down, he seemed somewhat puzzled.
"What species have you transformed into today? Do such creatures even exist in the universe? You look just like a radish."
"I've become a radish," Kant blinked.
"..."
Manison was speechless. After a few seconds of silence, he abruptly withdrew all data streams and ceased the intrusion.
If it were Maxiler, Manison wouldn't be afraid, but it's Kant who's coming. Although he can handle it, it's not his home turf, so he can't be as comfortable as he thought.
Moreover, Kant's intervention must have been at the behest of the Empire. If the Mechanic Emperor were to fight two against one, it would only enhance his prestige. It would be better to simply bring in a more capable person and force Manison to leave voluntarily. The subtext is: this matter ends here, your goal has been achieved, don't push your luck any further.
With that in mind, Manison stopped, retrieved Finit into his Virtual Soul, glanced at Han Xiao one last time, and slowly spoke:
"If you weren't a mechanic, perhaps we could be friends."
After uttering those words, Manison's Virtual Soul vanished, retreating along the network.
They came quickly and left quickly, acting with swift and decisive action.
The news of this battle has already spread, Manison has basically achieved his goal, obtaining a large amount of internal data from the Black Star Army. The invasion can be considered largely successful, and this is where the outcome of the virtual battle lies.
It doesn't matter what ordinary people think. His performance in suppressing Black Star in the field of mechanics will inevitably consolidate his position in the Mechanic Faith, solidify his status as the number one mechanic, and minimize the impact of Black Star's ascension to the Divine Throne Mechanic.
Seeing Manison leave, Han Xiao frowned and shook his head.
At that moment, Kant looked over.
The Empire sent Kant not only to stop the fighting, but also to appease Black Star. The Empire currently values Han Xiao, a super potential talent, and is afraid that Black Star's mentality will be affected by this blow.
After thinking for a moment, Kant offered words of comfort:
"Don't be discouraged. You're still young. Losing to the Mechanic Emperor is normal and not too shameful. Look on the bright side; they didn't take advantage of you much. You have a long life ahead of you, so there's no need to rush."
Han Xiao glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Seeing this, Kant- like body sprouted a hand, scratched the green leaves on his head, and sighed, "I was also targeted by the Mechanic Emperor before, sigh, I performed even worse than you. Actually, suffering a little loss when you're young isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao's expression turned strange.
After glancing at the task completion notification on the panel, Han Xiao couldn't help but nod in agreement:
"You're right, it would be even better if we could suffer a few more 'losses'..."