The spaceship carrying the first batch of graduates from the Black Star Super Academy traveled swiftly along the transportation network from the border Purple River Star System to the Sigmar Star System in the center of Black Star's territory, to meet with Black Star.
Over the past six years, the Black Star Army has invested heavily in territorial development, establishing its second headquarters in the Sigmar Star System —a space fortress comprised of seven mechanical fortress planets and numerous mechanical anti-satellite rings, which is widely known among Legion members as the "Black Star Palace."
The spaceship arrived from afar, reaching the location preset on the star map. The appearance of the Black Star Palace was displayed on the viewing window. Upon seeing this colossal mechanical structure, many students couldn't help but gape in awe.
This thing is far more magnificent than the Floating Dragon Island in the sky of Planet Aquamarine!
Each mechanical fortress planet is encased in several mechanical anti-satellite rings with different tilt angles, forming a symmetrical structure. The planet itself is divided into seven inner and outer orbits, all revolving around the central point, much like a miniature star system.
At the center, however, was not a star, but an extremely large metallic sphere, entirely silver-black in color, with a smooth, mirror-like surface, resembling a black star that did not emit light. Its nature was unknown.
Everyone needed to undergo routine checks. The spaceship was parked at Fortress Seven spaceport in the outermost orbit. As soon as Nero and his classmates stepped onto the dock, they saw a familiar face.
"Uncle Fording?!" Nero was overjoyed and quickly ran over to him on his short legs.
"Hello, Nero." Fording smiled slightly and reached out to pat Nero's head.
Did you come here specifically to wait for me?
"Yes, it's been about five or six years since we last saw each other. You've grown up." Fording patted Nero's head, looked him up and down, and said with a touch of wistfulness, "It's a pity you haven't grown much taller."
"... Let's not talk about that, we can still have a nice chat."
Nero's face darkened; his inability to grow tall was a lifelong source of pain for him.
With the life energy bestowed upon him by Aurora and the frequent consumption of dragon blood potions, he should theoretically be very tall. However, he doesn't understand why he is developing so slowly, even though his father Bennett's genes are not short!
Nero once suspected that the pressure of studying had worn him down, and he was full of resentment.
"Speaking of which, Uncle Fording, you haven't changed at all; you're still as handsome as ever."
Fording shook his head and smiled. "That's normal. Calamity Grade can control their metabolism, so maintaining their youthful appearance is easy for them. Six years is just a few months for an ordinary person."
At that moment, a Pugilist Class girl in a bodysuit walked up to Nero, her big eyes fixed on Fording, her face flushing involuntarily as she became nervous.
"And this is..." Fording turned to look at him.
"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Mia Molotov, my... my... cough cough, she's a female classmate I'm very close to. She's one of the best graduates in this year's Pugilist Class."
Mia, this is Fording, the guard officer under the Black Star. He's an elder who watched me grow up. You... wait, why are you blushing?
"I'm not blushing!" Mia hurriedly covered her cheeks, her voice flustered.
She was the thin, dark-skinned girl that Nero had met at the start of the Black Star Super Academy on Planet Aquamarine. As the saying goes, a girl changes a lot as she grows up. After six years of study and training, her body had matured, her face was pretty, her skin had turned a healthy Xiaomai color, and she exuded vitality.
Seeing yet another young woman captivated by his good looks, Fording looked helpless and extended his hand, "Hello, I'm Fording."
"Y-hello, it's an honor to meet me... oh no... it's an honor for me." Mia stammered nervously, hurriedly grasping Fording's outstretched hand, her face flushing even more.
Nero glanced at Fording, then at Mia, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth, like he'd just swallowed a lemon. He couldn't help but cough loudly, separating their clasped hands and abruptly changing the subject:
"By the way, where's my godfather?"
"He already knows you're here. Go to his Throne and see him."
"Throne?"
"Look, it's that Big Black ball in the center." Fording chuckled. "Speaking of which, Nero, how much have you improved these past few years? He'll definitely be testing you later, and if you don't pass... I won't plead for you."
When the topic turned to mechanics, Nero immediately shrank back, recalling unpleasant memories, and said uncertainly, "I think I've made quite a bit of progress, Godfather should be satisfied, right?"
"Ask him yourself, don't keep him waiting. We'll talk after this is all over."
Fording smiled, then turned and left.
As the Sight of Father's Back receded into the distance, Nero turned to speak, only to find Mia still staring in the direction Fording had left. He was immediately annoyed and said irritably:
"Everyone's already left, why are you still looking?!"
Mia reluctantly looked away, then excitedly poked Nero's waist. "Hey, your uncle is so charming! His smile is so beautiful, I was mesmerized!"
Nero felt a pang of jealousy and said sourly, "Why have you never looked at me like that before?"
Mia immediately looked disgusted. "How long has it been since you looked in a mirror? How dare you compare yourself to your uncle?"
"..."
Nero was speechless.
My heart aches.
After six years together, the two became very familiar with each other. Mia gradually overcame her autism and became more lively. The two often argued and bickered, but their relationship was very good, like that of siblings.
After a period of bickering, the group completed their routine checks, switched to another spaceship, and headed to the Big Black sphere in the center of the Black Star Palace.
As the spacecraft approached, a small hole appeared on the surface of the Big Black sphere, revealing the landing track, which was just large enough to accommodate the spacecraft.
The spaceship entered orbit and came to a stop. The walls on both sides of the orbit were sealed, and there was no dock.
Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, one side of the wall suddenly split open.
Rumble--
Countless nanoparticles and mechanical structures are moving, and a brand-new dock is generated before everyone, extending out a single road.
"Is this an impromptu constructed dock?"
For the students, the scene before them was nothing short of magical. As they stepped onto the dock in astonishment, they looked around and discovered that there was only one path leading to the dock, with all other directions lined with dark metal walls.
The group looked at each other, composed themselves, and had no choice but to continue along the path. As they walked, the path stretched out beneath their feet.
"Gulp."
A clear sound of swallowing saliva rose from the crowd, and everyone suddenly realized that, without them noticing, no one had spoken; everyone was completely silent.
The atmosphere grew tense, with only the stark white lights stretching along the road. With each step, the pressure intensified, giving rise to a fear of the unknown ahead.
The students, who were initially filled with excitement and anticipation at meeting important figures, now felt a surge of nervousness and awe.
Although he hadn't seen Black Star in person yet, he already felt an overwhelming sense of oppression.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the path suddenly opened up, and the group emerged from the passage into a huge circular hall.
In the center of the hall was a tiered platform, upon which sat Mechanical Divine Throne. Streams of blue-gold Mechanical Force, like electric snakes, spread out beneath the throne, spreading like a spider web, constantly flashing and leaping.
A man in black robes sat upright on the Throne, his head slightly tilted, one hand supporting his chin, the other dangling from the armrest of the throne, watching them indifferently.
A simple gaze caused all the students present to feel immense pressure and their legs to go weak.
"Lord Black Star!"
"This is the power of Beyond Grade A... How terrifying."
Many people couldn't help but swallow hard, their hearts turning back, wishing they could turn around and leave immediately, the farther the better.
Before arriving, many students dreamed of achieving Beyond Grade A, but now, most realize that they were merely paying lip service to it.
"Godfather."
Nero greeted him cautiously, secretly wondering to himself.
It's been years since I last saw him, and my godfather's aura has become increasingly impressive...
However, his appearance hasn't changed at all; he's still as young and handsome as he was six years ago.
Nero dared to joke and tease in front of Fording, but in front of Han Xiao, he found himself involuntarily becoming nervous and respectful, even though Black Star was his godfather.
What's going on? Am I that scary...? Looking at everyone's pathetic performance, Han Xiao frowned.
He glanced down at the Mechanical Divine Throne beneath him and then realized what was happening.
I almost forgot, this damn thing has the effect of amplifying one's aura, no wonder it scared these little leeks so much they were trembling.
Han Xiao withdrew his aura and stood up, and the oppressive feeling suddenly disappeared. Everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, their backs already drenched in cold sweat.
After glancing around, Han Xiao slowly said, "You are the first batch of outstanding graduates since the academy was established. Since you have chosen to serve the legion, I welcome you all on behalf of the legion..."
Upon hearing this, the tension in everyone's hearts gradually subsided, and they became excited. Receiving encouragement from Beyond Grade A person made many people feel Inspiration.
Han Xiao gave the excited students a pep talk before letting them leave the way they came, leaving only Nero and Mia behind.
Stepping down from the platform and standing before the two, Han Xiao glanced down at Nero's skull and nodded. "Being short is actually a good thing; it makes you a smaller target, which makes you less likely to be hit by enemies as a mechanic."
Nero's lips twitched.
What's wrong with these people? Why do they all keep bringing up his height?!
Although he was inwardly complaining, seeing Han Xiao teasing him like this, Nero's tense nerves relaxed, and he smiled.
"It's been so long, Godfather! I've missed you so much!"
I don't miss you at all... Han Xiao sighed inwardly.
With the Observation Mark in hand, he could spy anytime; he even knew the average time Nero spent in the toilet.
For the past six years, Han Xiao has spent most of his time in the Shattered World accumulating experience. He has used up most of his accumulated experience, raised his personal level to 303, and invested the rest in skills and crafting blueprints.
While their overall strength didn't increase significantly, their mechanical legions saw a substantial and comprehensive improvement!
This black sphere, nearly the size of a planet, is Mechanical Deity composed of a mechanical legion!
Maintaining its planetary appearance, like a black star, Han Xiao would frequently activate this skill and sustain it for extended periods to hone his mastery of the Mechanical Deity, never slacking off.
Han Xiao has also been busy building machinery, having established Secondary Dimensional Factory and continuously improving and expanding it to provide himself with a steady stream of soldiers.
In the past six years, mechanical civilization has developed rapidly. More than 80% of the surface of Planet Apostle has been completely covered by mechanical cities, and mechanical life has incubated to the eighth generation.
Due to the iterative weakening of the spark energy, the performance of mechanical life forms declined significantly after the sixth generation. As they continued to reproduce, the later mechanical life forms became more and more like "ordinary people" in mechanical civilizations, only able to serve as cannon fodder. This is a limitation that exists in any mechanical civilization.
The first generation of mechanical lifeforms were still the best elite group, among which the many apostles, including Dark Emperor, were the most powerful. Their social structure gradually moved closer to the Galaxy pattern - the universe is like this, with ordinary people making up the vast majority. The mechanical lifeforms before the sixth generation were equivalent to "superhumans" in mechanical civilization, possessing formidable individual strength and being respected by people.
The Black Spirit Race is still absorbing knowledge. Compared to six years ago, the Black Spirit Race has produced researchers who have achieved success in various fields and have begun to impart knowledge to other members of their clan. The effects of the Psychic Network are beginning to show.
Teaching normal species with textbooks is far less efficient than the direct initiation by the Black Spirit Race —it's like the difference between holding back constipation and having diarrhea.
The legion's power steadily increased, the education program progressed smoothly, more academies were established, and the first batch of students graduated— Nero's class...
Thinking of this, Han Xiao looked Nero up and down, then turned to look at Mia beside him, his eyes narrowing.
Seeing this, Nero misunderstood Han Xiao's meaning and hurriedly introduced his companion, "This is Mia, a girl in my class, she's also very capable."
"Y-hello... uh, greetings, Lord Black Star."
Mia looked uneasy; Black Star gave her a completely different feeling than Fording.
Fording was like a gentle breeze, captivating and enchanting, while Black Star instilled in her a sense of awe and made her hesitant to act rashly.
I know you have great potential.
Han Xiao had recognized this follower of Hila from his previous life a few years ago; he was a decent leek to be harvested. So, he wasn't surprised and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Thank you." Mia was flattered and surprised that someone as important as Black Star recognized her, and she was thrilled.
"Wait outside for a moment, I have something to say to Nero."
"Okay, okay."
Upon hearing this, Mia glanced at Nero and had no choice but to turn and leave.
Watching Mia leave, Han Xiao withdrew his gaze. With only the two of them left in the room, he relaxed his guard and looked at Nero with interest, teasingly saying:
"Not bad, kid, you've entered puberty?"
Nero blushed immediately and protested, "Nonsense! I... I didn't..."
"Alright, no need to explain to me." Han Xiao interrupted Nero, waving his hand. "Haven't seen you in years, let me check on your progress. If you've been so busy dating that you've forgotten about your studies, hmph."
Before Nero could object, Han Xiao nudged Nero and revealed the battle information.
Han Xiao opened the panel and looked at it, then nodded slightly.
This kid has good potential; he's already at the C+ level, and I estimate he'll reach the Grade B before he turns twenty.
Looking down at the ability panel, Han Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up as he saw what he had been dreaming of.
Nero's Mechanical Sense has finally reached the level of [Perfect Mechanical Sense]!
The chives we've been cultivating for so long are finally ripe!
'It took almost ten years to finally get him to develop this ability. It wasn't easy at all!'
Han Xiao was overjoyed, patted Nero's shoulder vigorously, and laughed happily.
"Great, very good! I'm very satisfied with your progress!"
Nero's shoulder ached from the patting, feeling as if his bones were about to shatter. He couldn't help but grimace and say, "Y-you're satisfied, that's all that matters."
Han Xiao couldn't help but rub Nero's round face, feeling happy.
I am very pleased that he did not neglect his studies because of puppy love!
The chives are ready; now we need to figure out how to harvest them!
Reynold, that stubborn guy, is completely unyielding and refuses to give any missions. But Nero is different. He has High-Level Lucky Halo destiny and has just graduated. His life is just beginning, and there are still many story missions to trigger in the future. The chance of getting [Perfect Mechanical Sense] from him is many times higher.
If all else fails... you can proactively create scenarios for Nero, throwing him into various dangerous situations and finding ways to put him through perilous situations.
According to Master Han's experience, as long as Nero asks him for something, there is a greater chance of triggering the mission.
However, we need to find a reason to do this.
The excuse of practical training seems pretty good... Han Xiao's eyes darted around.
If that still doesn't work, Han Xiao has one last trick up his sleeve: Nero's potential is even greater than Reynold's. He'll find a way to train him, and then... publicly beat him up!
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and Han Xiao's gaze towards Nero became playful, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.
'Little one, what awaits you now is true hell. You'll soon realize how happy your school days were.'
Noticing Han Xiao's ill-intentioned gaze, Nero suddenly shivered, a bad feeling creeping over him.
I felt like a malicious force had just swept over my body...
Nero scratched his head and asked cautiously:
"By the way, godfather, there's something else I'd like to ask you for help with."
Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
Wow!
Look at him, so much more sensible. He makes demands right away, he's way better than that Reynold guy.
"Tell me, what do you need my help with?" Han Xiao asked gently.
Nero was somewhat hesitant, his tone stammering:
"Mia is a martial artist, and when she gets angry, her punches really hurt. I... I want to learn how to become fleshy. Godfather, you're a master in this field, can you teach me how to take a beating?"
"Get out of here!"