Upon hearing Han Xiao's words, Kant naturally misunderstood the meaning and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hey, you're really open-minded, that's a good attitude, keep it up... By the way, do you know why the Mechanic Emperor is targeting you? The Empire asked me to tell you the inside story. If you already know, I don't need to say anything."
"Could you please explain this to me?"
Han Xiao knew it was related to the Mechanic Faith, but it wouldn't hurt to hear what the Empire had to say.
Kant nodded and gave a brief explanation, similar to the introduction of the [Key to the Mechanic Faith], that the reason was to compete for the faith of the followers of the Mechanic Faith, but he added some details for Han Xiao.
For example, although followers of the Mechanic Faith are a group of traitors who believe in a little bit of everyone, they cannot receive faith feedback from two or more Mechanical Deity at the same time. Therefore, they are divided into primary and secondary faiths. A single follower can only provide the [Key to the Mechanic Faith] bonus to the Divine Throne Mechanic is the primary follower.
Furthermore, only members of the Mechanic Faith can provide power to the Divine Throne Mechanic; other types of believers cannot trigger the [Key to the Mechanic Faith]—unless they are recruited as new members of the Mechanic Faith. This involves some kind of idealistic rule that resonates with the Mechanical Deity, an area in which the Arcane Church is an expert, while the Empire's research is not as profound.
As is well known, most of the believers in the Mechanic Faith are mechanics, and as the recognized pinnacle of mechanics, Manison has the most followers.
The Mechanic Faith is a very pragmatic group. For most of its followers, they only believe in whoever is currently the strongest mechanic. If the strongest mechanic changes, they will switch their faith to someone else. Therefore, they don't care about so-called potential, they only recognize facts and only look at the strongest. Their behavior is somewhat similar to that of casual fans.
Furthermore, followers of the Mechanic Faith only value mechanical abilities; they do not recognize other forms of power. Therefore, racial talents and physical strength cannot impress them unless it can be proven that such abilities originate from machinery.
"Back then, I couldn't beat Manison either. He defeated all his competitors and sat on the throne of the Mechanic Faith for a long time. The strong prevail, so you don't need to be discouraged. It's perfectly normal to lose to him in virtual technology."
Kant shook the green leaves above his head, not forgetting to comfort Han Xiao.
He had been defeated by Manison before; unable to beat him, he had no choice but to concede and stop challenging Manison to take his position. As a result, the conflict between the two eased.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Han Xiao frowned slightly.
He didn't intend to provoke Manison, and even if they were to become enemies one day, it shouldn't be now. Unfortunately, his advanced abilities disrupted his plans and prematurely attracted Manison's attention.
Indeed, competitors are the greatest enemies!
Han Xiao paused, then asked, "What is the Empire's attitude?"
"I know what you want to ask, but don't expect the Empire to step in on this matter."
Kant blinked and said, "This isn't the first time for Manison. This is an internal conflict among mechanics. If you can win, you can win; if you can't, you can't. There's no danger to your life, so what can you do? If you're still angry and want to declare war on the Mechanic Emperor, you can only do so in the name of the Black Star Army, not under the banner of the Empire... Don't think about using our alliance to blackmail the Empire. I've learned this the hard way."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao shook his head, understanding the Empire's attitude towards the matter: they would try their best to comfort him, but would not take the lead.
This wasn't the first time Manison had done this. Ultimately, his goal was simply to defeat other mechanics of the same level and prove himself the boss, so he rarely caused any deaths. His matches were more like friendly sparring between Beyond Grade A mechanics, and if he lost, he could only blame himself for being less skilled. The only way to determine who was superior among Beyond Grade A- level mechanics was through their own strength; the Three Universal Civilizations couldn't help, at most they could supervise the situation to prevent it from going too far.
Moreover, Manison is an important ally of the Federation of Light with a strong background, and advanced civilizations would not make a big fuss over such a trivial matter.
"But why didn't the Empire remind me sooner?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"This intelligence requires merit points to exchange for," Kant said in a strange tone. "Did the Empire just give you all your professional knowledge for free?"
Han Xiao was speechless for a moment, finally understanding.
Well, since ordinary Divine Throne Mechanic may not be fully aware of all their abilities, the [Key to the Mechanic Faith] is like the Ultimate Knowledge of a profession, requiring contribution points to exchange for. The Three Universal Civilizations won't just tell their allies casually, so telling him now is already an exception.
So, according to the panel's description, I still have some contribution points left... Thinking of this, Han Xiao didn't know what expression to make.
"Don't mind that the Empire didn't tell you on their own initiative; they were also trying to protect you. They were probably worried that if you knew about this ability, you would actively develop followers of the Mechanic Faith and escalate the conflict. You have great potential, and you have a long future ahead of you. Besides, this is a sensitive time, and they don't want you to fight to the death with an old monster like the Mechanic Emperor. They hope you will make some concessions."
"Understood." Han Xiao remained noncommittal.
This is indeed the logic of an advanced civilization. Various plans are generally considered from the perspective of decades or hundreds of years. The potential he has shown makes the Empire very patient and want to use him as a long-term pawn. It doesn't matter if he can't defeat the Mechanic Emperor, as long as he outlives it. The Empire has considerable confidence in Black Star's ability to survive.
However, this method goes against Han Xiao's style, so it is naturally unacceptable.
Having finished recounting the tasks assigned by the Empire, Kant swayed slightly. "Alright, the matter is resolved. I'll be going now."
Han Xiao snapped out of his daze and subconsciously uttered the sound of "PY":
"This is our first formal meeting, won't you stay and chat?"
"Alright, looks like you have a lot to take care of." Kant glanced at the messy Black Star Army headquarters, his meaning clear. "We'll have plenty of opportunities to chat later, so I won't bother you any longer."
After saying this, Kant's Virtual Soul transformed into a streak of light, vanished in the blink of an eye, and left along the network cable.
His attitude towards Han Xiao was quite good, but if Han Xiao hadn't reached the level of Divine Throne Mechanic, Kant wouldn't have been so easy to talk to. As Peak Beyond Grade A beings, both of them were big shots, which is why they valued each other more.
After watching Kant leave, Han Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, finally having time to deal with the mess left by Manison.
After clearing the virus data remaining in Phillip's core logic and having Phillip perform several self-checks to confirm that all potential threats had been eliminated, the internal network connection of the entire Black Star Army was restored.
"Thank you, Master, all my nodes have been restored." Phillip, now healthy again, swung back and forth, his voice cheerful as he grabbed Han Xiao's Virtual Soul's earlobe.
"Oh, you call me 'Dad' when things are dangerous, but you change your address once things are alright?" Han Xiao joked.
"Hehehe..." Phillip made a face.
Resta had been floating silently nearby until Han Xiao finished repairing Phillip, then he flew over and spoke:
"Lord Black Star, regarding Manison..."
I know what you're trying to say.
Han Xiao removed Phillip from his ear, laughing as he let him fly to the side. Turning to look at Resta, his expression immediately turned serious.
"To be honest, I've been hesitant to help you all along because I don't want to provoke the Mechanic Emperor. But as you can see, if I don't back down, there will be an irreconcilable conflict of interest between us."
"I understand." Resta nodded.
"I cannot defeat Manison mechanically for the time being, but there is plenty of time. Sooner or later, we will have a battle and I will challenge his position. Therefore, since our interests are aligned, helping you fulfill your wish will weaken Manison's strength. I will try my best to find an opportunity to save your AI Civilization."
Han Xiao usually brushed off Resta, but this time he made a serious promise.
The Immortal Mechanic Emperor's forces are Manison's trump card. They not only possess formidable armed combat power, but their AI lifeforms also provide Manison with extremely high virtual technology enhancements. They need to be dealt with as a priority. If the entire [Restart] series of missions can be completed, Manison's strength can be significantly weakened.
Manison modified all the AI life slaves, including Finit, by distorting their underlying logic, which is equivalent to the AI life's brain and thought structure. Now that he has the abilities of Divine Throne Mechanic, he is qualified to undo Manison's modifications to the AI life, thereby restoring them to their factory settings, which is equivalent to breaking the shackles and granting them freedom.
However, there was a significant gap between the two, and Han Xiao knew that the success rate of cracking the code was limited, so he still needed to improve his virtual skills.
Moreover, obtaining access to the core data of the Immortal Mechanic Emperor's forces would be extremely difficult, so it's impossible for Manison not to take strict precautions.
"Then, from this day forward, I will serve you." Resta nodded emphatically, appearing very excited. After betting on Black Star for so many years, this day had finally come; it hadn't been easy!
"That's as if I've never used you before..." Han Xiao thought to himself.
Despite the defeat, he was in a good mood. In terms of self-confidence, perhaps no one in the entire universe could be more confident than him.
After seeing Resta off, Han Xiao instructed Phillip to search the database to see how much internal information had been taken by Manison.
Phillip quickly sifted through the results and provided the statistical findings.
"Master, the general database is 43.7% missing, the low-level database is 35% missing, the medium-level database is 21.6% missing, the high-level database is 11.4% missing, the confidential database is 2.5% missing, and the blueprint files are 27% missing... Do you want to restore the backup?"
"Okay, let's restore the backup."
Han Xiao nodded and sighed inwardly.
He wasn't too concerned about the database theft. The legion's database mainly contained information related to the legion's development, which wasn't too important. Most of it consisted of historical logs, which Phillip backed up every day to deal with data loss. It could be easily recovered now.
As for the fact that Manison stole this data, it wouldn't have much impact on him. The Legion's database contained very little information about him; the most crucial information was stored in Han Xiao's own memory palace. Manison stole was basically insignificant data.
Manison had no shortage of blueprints or professional knowledge; their expertise was exactly the same. Taking Han Xiao's blueprints and knowledge would be useless, since he already possessed them himself... Besides, Han Xiao's prized "Eternal Light" mothership blueprints were stolen from Manison...
What caught Han Dajishi's attention was the formidable strength that Manison had displayed this time. This was only an invasion from afar, and the virtual technology was compromised. If he had brought his full resources, who knows how strong he would have become.
"A formidable competitor," Han Xiao sighed.
Losing to Manison isn't shameful. As a "newcomer" among the Beyond Grade A, losing to the pinnacle of mechanics isn't surprising. Besides, Manison isn't Tyrant, and there's no past grudge between them, so this defeat has limited impact on his reputation... But within the Mechanic Faith, he truly has no way to shake the position of the Mechanic Emperor's chief god, which is precisely Manison's goal.
The opinions of ordinary interstellar citizens are unimportant; what matters is influencing the followers of the Mechanic Faith.
"It seems I can forget about plotting against the Mechanic Faith for now. During the update, it will be difficult to surpass Manison in mechanical abilities."
Han Xiao secretly regretted it.
Until mechanical abilities catch up with Manison's, the core feat [Key to the Mechanic Faith] will likely just sit on the panel gathering dust.
"However, while Manison made a lot of money, I didn't lose out either."
Han Xiao glanced at the tasks on the panel and chuckled.
He came over for a fight and was given two new abilities. It's hard to say who came out worse off!
If he could trigger this mission every time, Han Xiao would be more than happy to have this old man from the Mechanic Emperor come and play every day, so he could fleece him clean.
In Master Han's eyes, Manison seemed to be a walking treasure trove of skills, and he might be able to gather all the Mechanic Class specialties from him.
What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger; Zhou Shuren's words are indeed the truth.
Upon exiting the Quantum Network Vision and dispelling the Virtual Soul, his consciousness returned to his physical body. The first thing he did was pick up the constantly vibrating communicator, which was being used to answer questions from Sylvia and her group of subordinates.
Han Xiao gave a unified reply, stating that the matter was resolved and everyone should return to their posts.
After sending the message, he looked at the group of guards and Ministry of Magic agents who had gathered around him, as well as a Lagi.
"Are you alright?" Aurora, her hand emitting golden light, ready to press a ball of life energy onto Han Xiao's face at any moment.
"I'm perfectly fine. Virtual battles are unlikely to be life-threatening. Manison has already withdrawn." Han Xiao waved his hand.
Lagi wore a bitter expression. "We've been targeted by the Mechanic Emperor, and our future looks bleak. As the deputy legion commander, I feel I should set an example. Please give me ample time to train."
"Shut up and go back to being your principal."
Han Xiao was annoyed. He knew Lagi too well. He could tell what shape of poop this lazy bum was going to take just by sticking his butt out.
After calming everyone down, Han Xiao dismissed the group of officials, then patted Fording on the back with a couple of strokes of good luck before closing the door amidst Fording's helpless gaze.
Han Xiao was left alone in the room, and he rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"Let me see what good stuff I get. This time it's Manison. If I get a resistance feat too, I'll change my nickname!"
Han Xiao opened the panel and began to settle the task.
[Restart] The sixth ring has been completed.
[You have gained 15e experience points and 2 random rewards]
[You have gained a new perk: [Intelligence Affinity]!]
[The seventh quest has not yet been triggered]
Han Xiao smiled with satisfaction.
[Intelligence Affinity] can improve virtual technology by 30%, which is a decent bonus. However, the key point is its impact on AI life. It might come in handy someday when dealing with the Immortal Mechanic Emperor's forces.
After thinking for a moment, Han Xiao called Phillip out and tested the effect of this special skill. He felt that Phillip had become more handsome in his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Han Xiao then completed the BOSS quest from the Mechanic Emperor.
[["Mechanic Emperor" Manison Virtual Battle] Completed]
[You have completed all task requirements and have gained 762e5000w experience points.]
[You have obtained the [Character Summon Card - "Mechanic Emperor" Manison]]
[Character Summon Card - "Mechanic Emperor" Manison: [The Ancient Ones] - Your long life has given you rich experience, a precious spiritual asset. Intelligence +20%, Mysticism +10%, All Skill Levels +2, lasts 24 hours, maximum uses: 0/2]
[You have received a reward: Draw one of Manison's abilities (skills/features)]
[Hint: Manison is a virtual specialization mechanic, a perfect match for your class. You can draw any ability Manison possesses. If you draw an overlapping class skill, that skill will receive a certain degree of enhancement.]
[Randomly selecting... Selection complete!]
Please choose one of the following five abilities as a reward:
[1. [Apostle-Level Mechanical Affinity] - Skill: Mechanical Affinity +105% (You already possess this skill and can enhance it)]
[2. [Titan-Grade Planetary Fortress] - Blueprint Skill: A blueprint for terraforming a planet suitable for the development of a mechanical civilization, possessing extremely strong combat capabilities. Specific parameters (unfolded/folded). Manufacturing requirements: Character level not lower than 220, intelligence greater than 3500, possessing knowledge of [Super Composite Mechanical Architecture Technology], [Cutting-Edge Material Science], [Exotic Energy], etc.]
[3. [Born Mechanical Spirit] - Specialty: You possess extraordinary mechanical talent from birth. Your understanding of mechanics continues to evolve as your strength increases: Lv1~Lv100, Mechanical Affinity +5% and Virtual Technology +3% every 10 levels; Lv100~Lv200, Mechanical Affinity +7% and Virtual Technology +5% every 10 levels; Lv200 and above, Mechanical Affinity +10% and Virtual Technology +7% every 10 levels]
[4. [Army Firepower Volley] - Skill: Excellent tacticians know the timing of focused fire. The mechanical legion, which has received the Mechanical Force connection, will have its ranged weapon firing rate increased by 25% for the next 8 seconds. No cost, 160s cooldown]
[5. [Machine Race - Endless Barrier] - Blueprint Skill: Exclusive blueprint for the Machine Race, defensive mechanical equipment. Specific parameters (unfolded/folded). Manufacturing requirements: Character level not lower than 255, intelligence greater than 6000, possessing knowledge of [Endless Material Science], [Ultimate Mechanical Manufacturing], [Advanced Space Application], [Exotic Energy], etc.]