As the saying goes, if you want to learn how to be tough, you have to get beaten up first. If you break every bone in your body dozens of times, how can you develop thick skin and flesh?
Having used this theory to send Nero away, Han Xiao began to think about whether there were any dangerous jobs he could take to obtain Nero's [Perfect Mechanical Sense].
After thinking for two seconds, Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, the infrastructure construction of the three star clusters is nearing completion, and the second phase of the Empire's exploration is about to begin. There are some things that Nero can do."
In six years, the three star clusters of Renault, Gaolu, and Crown Ring, the first phase of the Shattered World project, have basically completed their basic construction, lacking only human settlements.
Commander-in-Chief of the Exploration Forces Tarrokov, informed Han Xiao several months ago that the Empire had begun preparations for the second phase of the exploration and was holding a meeting with allies the next day, with Han Xiao among the invited guests.
If I remember correctly, in the historical context of my previous life, the Crimson Dynasty encountered some unexpected yet reasonable troubles during the second phase of its exploration, creating numerous opportunities for combat. This provided a perfect opportunity to bring Nero and his group of graduates there, euphemistically calling it "real-world combat training in blood and fire."
... With such a high level of luck, the chances of turning danger into safety should be quite high.
The thought of Nero's current state infuriated Han Xiao. "How dare you try to learn the art of tanking from me? You're a proper mechanic, for crying out loud!"
The reason wasn't even for self-improvement, but to resist domestic violence?
What a loser!
Why don't you learn from your godfather's decisive and efficient lifestyle!
While making plans, Han Xiao gave instructions to his subordinates to arrange accommodations for Nero and the other students. Then, he returned to his throne and, with a thought, issued a control command to the Mechanical Divine Throne.
Kerala--
The next moment, the dome of the room began to writhe, and the mechanical structure flowed from the inside out, as if something was trying to squeeze out from the depths.
The Mechanical Deity itself is Han Xiao's palace; within the Mechanical Deity's body, all its structures are under his complete control.
Soon, a black mechanical polygon fell from the dome and floated in front of Han Xiao. It was about one meter in length, width and height.
Han Xiao touched one of the cross-sections; it felt hot to the touch, indicating that the temperature was indeed high enough.
The item description also popped up on the panel.
[Unknown Core: A special mechanical part, its function is unknown, but it does not appear to be scrap.]
"Sigh, Universal Treasure- level machinery is indeed difficult to manufacture." Han Xiao shook his head.
In the past six years, in addition to strengthening the mechanical legion, Han Xiao has also worked hard on "quality", attempting to create equipment of gold quality (Universal Treasure level).
The Divine Throne Mechanic possess the ability to definitely meet the manufacturing requirements. However, even with the ability to forge it, they may not be able to create Universal Treasure. This thing has too many uncertainties and requires the coordination of multiple factors to reach a perfect state.
The difficulty of the first stage lies in the blueprints.
Han Xiao didn't have the blueprints for a Universal Treasure- level machine. The gold blueprints required the skill [Inspiration Creation] from the Ultimate Knowledge [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering] to synthesize, but Han Xiao's [Inspiration Creation] was currently a gray, inactive skill. The activation condition was that [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering] reached level 5.
Furthermore, [Inspiration Creation] is random. Not to mention that no players in the previous life published the combinations of blueprints for Universal Treasure, even if the combinations were known, the synthesized items might not be the same.
Since he had no blueprints, Han Xiao tried to create freely using his own technology, employing some [All Things Simulation], but he still had no clue and created countless junk items. This polygonal mechanical body was the only component that might be somewhat useful.
So every day, Master Han would examine this polygonal mechanical object, hoping to find inspiration from it...
However, it was eventually proven that this method had no effect other than providing psychological comfort.
"It's too difficult without theory and blueprints. Inspiration Creation are too random. Perhaps the Tyrkes Legacy can reliably give me gold-level blueprints, but the next inheritance blueprint level is 360, which is still a long way off." Han Xiao shook his head secretly.
Meanwhile, Nero and his group left Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity and returned to the outside world, landing on the fifth orbiting mechanical planet. Legion civilian personnel were already waiting there and led everyone to their lodgings.
Along the way, the students visited the various base buildings, quite excited, chatting animatedly as if they were on a vacation.
Not only had they arrived in the legendary and mysterious Shattered World, but they had also met the Legion Leader, Lord Black Star. These first batch of academy graduates experienced double the joy.
Many people surrounded Nero, showering him with attention; most of them were girls.
As Black Star's adopted son, Nero has always been popular, and this has become even more frequent now that he's in the Legion's territory.
"Your godfather is so handsome! He's my type; he makes me feel safe just looking at him."
"Exactly! That aura was so powerful, it made my heart pound! It was so exciting!"
"I've heard that Lord Black Star has never had a family. I wonder if such a Beyond Grade A figure has any needs in that regard."
"Could you tell us more about what kind of person Lord Black Star is?"
Nero wore an awkward yet polite smile, inwardly cursing:
--Damn, I thought you all admired me before, but it turns out you all wanted to be my godmother.
He has never been comfortable with being the center of attention. Although he has a powerful background, he has never been arrogant or domineering... Of course, this is inseparable from Reynold's torment.
In education, Han Xiao has always called Reynold the strongest. A sapling won't grow straight if it's not pruned. Reynold can make students feel the harsh realities of society even in the ivory tower. You can't argue with that.
As the ball went back and forth, Mia, who was standing next to Nero, was almost pushed out. Unable to bear it any longer, she suddenly erupted in anger!
"Stop pushing! I'll hit someone if you keep pushing!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding classmates calmed down considerably; they were still quite afraid of Mia.
Mia used to be timid and inconspicuous in class. But after being assigned to the Pugilist Class based on her talent test, she changed completely, becoming more and more straightforward and lively (and hot-tempered). During the academy's sparring matches, almost everyone had been beaten up by Mia... Among them, Nero was beaten up the most. Even if he won, he would still have a bruised and swollen face when he left the stage.
Learning martial arts can indeed cultivate violent tendencies... Everyone couldn't help but sigh once again.
They soon arrived at their lodgings and were all assigned rooms. The administrative staff said that their work would be arranged in a while, and that they should wait at the Black Star Palace for a period of time.
Everyone found their rooms, and Nero had just put his things down when there was a knock on the window.
He turned his head and saw Hadavy outside the window, piloting a hovercraft, floating above the window.
"Huh, it's you..." Nero scratched his head. He knew all the guards around his godfather, and he also had a pretty good relationship with Hadavy.
"Stop talking nonsense, get in the car." Hadavy patted the back seat.
Nero hesitated for a moment, then straddled the motorcycle. Hadavy immediately started the vehicle, and after a burst of speed, it stopped in front of a building.
"This is..." Nero looked at the sign, rubbed his eyes, and asked uncertainly, "A casino?"
"That's right, it's a casino."
"Wait! Why would there be something like this on the Legion's territory? Who opened it?" Nero asked, looking surprised.
"Who else could it be but me... cough, our beloved Black Star opened it. We guards are always by his side, and we don't have much to do, so how can we not have some fun? Let me tell you, don't let the fact that this is the Legion's second headquarters fool you; the entertainment facilities here are actually quite comprehensive."
Hadavy tossed the hoverbike aside, grabbed Nero without a word, and dragged him inside. The place was packed with people, extremely lively, and the air was thick with scorching heat.
"Why did you bring me here?" Nero asked timidly.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Hadavy led him to a Veyne Cards table, exchanged a large pile of chips, slammed them on the table with a bang, then put an arm around Nero's neck, leaned close to his ear, and chuckled lewdly:
"Hehe, I've lost several years' worth of wages here, and you're the one who's won it all back."
Reynold stayed in the Shattered Star Ring to oversee the Logistics Department, so they rarely saw each other. Fording, on the other hand, was so bothered by Hadavy that he had long since blocked him. Of the remaining people, Hadavy only knew Nero, who was a good card player.
We finally got a chance to turn things around, how could we let it slip away!
"I... I'm still a child..." Nero's lips twitched, and he looked up at the expressionless robot dealer behind the gambling table, swallowing hard.
He strongly suspected that Black Star was running this internal casino to recoup the salaries of legion members...
No wonder he's my godfather! Every mechanic who knows how to save costs is a good man!
The next day, on the Shattered World's Lighthouse Star, in the command conference room.
The alliance meeting for the second phase of the Empire's exploration was held as scheduled. One after another, remote projections gathered in the conference room, all of them high-ranking figures from the Crimson Dynasty faction, such as diplomatic officials from allied and subordinate civilizations like Krent, as well as many Beyond Grade A allies.
As soon as Han Xiao's remote projection appeared, many familiar faces greeted him.
"Yo, Black Star's here."
"Come here, sit next to me, I've saved you a seat."
Following the incident six years ago, Han Xiao gained a higher status and became quite popular within the Empire's Beyond Grade A circles.
These Beyond Grade A only need to think for a moment to understand the Empire's attitude towards Black Star. Anyone with eyes can see that he is likely to be the pillar of the next generation of Beyond Grade A combat power, so their attitude towards him has become much warmer.
Leaving aside friends like Old Dragon and Beoni, those present included Ravenlaude, Maxiler, Viru, Swordsman Fu, and others. Han Xiao also spotted Heber.
Of course, Heber wouldn't greet him; he just snorted and turned his head away, preferring not to see him.
Upon seeing Heber, Han Xiao immediately thought of the Legion's development in the Shattered Star Ring. Over the past six years, with the help of the Infinite Financial Group, the War Realm has continued to compete with the Black Star Army in various fields. While competing with each other, both sides are also encroaching on other forces, expanding their business scope considerably, and neither can do anything to the other.
The Germinal Financial Group has developed rapidly and has become the representative consortium of the Black Star Army, serving as its vanguard and competing with the Infinite Financial Group in the business field. Through outstanding performance, Enterprise and other talents have risen to senior management positions. With their outstanding work results and the support of the Black Star Army behind the scenes, the Germinal Financial Group has shown signs of becoming a first-class interstellar consortium in just six years.
The Crimson Dynasty also engaged in some business expansion within the Shattered Star Ring, indirectly providing assistance. The Black Star Army has temporarily withstood the pressure from the Infinite Financial Group, but now that the Infinite Financial Group has entered the Shattered Star Ring market, it will not easily withdraw, having become a powerful competitor that is too big to be turned away.
Han Xiao responded to each of the Beyond Grade A who greeted him, and finally sat down between Old Dragon and Maxiler, chatting casually with those around him in a harmonious atmosphere.
The Beyond Grade A individuals formed their own small circle, with representatives from other civilizations keeping their distance and no one sitting around these big shots.
Before the meeting even started, everyone was whispering and chatting, just like in a classroom before the school bell rang.
After a while, everyone finally arrived, and Tarrokov finally came late. He walked to the podium, coughed twice, and made everyone look at him.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting. Now that everyone is here, let's begin."
The room immediately fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on him.
Tarrokov pressed a button on the podium, and a huge virtual screen popped up behind him, displaying a star map of the Shattered World. Now, the green area representing the explored area had expanded, and the four star clusters of Dawn, Renault, Gaolu, and the Crown Ring were all lit up.
"Since everyone here is an old acquaintance, I won't go into too much detail. Let's get straight to the point... As you can see, the first phase of exploration and construction took us about ten years. The infrastructure development progressed smoothly and is about to come to a successful conclusion. Meanwhile, the Empire's second phase of exploration is already on the agenda."
As he spoke, Tarrokov pressed a button on the screen and circled two unexplored star clusters.
"These two star cluster regions are the targets of our second phase of exploration: the Russo Star Cluster and the Light Dust Star Cluster."
Everyone's spirits lifted.
The two star clusters are adjacent to the area explored in the first phase. The Russo Star Cluster is where Han Xiao obtained the Space-Time Amber, and it is adjacent to the Gaolu Star Cluster, while the Light Dust is adjacent to the Renault and the Crown Ring.
"The second phase of exploration covers one less area than the first phase?" someone asked.
Tarrokov nodded and slowly explained:
"That's right, there are many reasons for this. There are two more direct factors. First, we need to continue building the first phase of the area. Infrastructure construction is just the beginning. There are still many more areas to be improved, so it will involve a lot of manpower and resources."
The second reason is that starting with the second phase of exploration, we will adopt a new approach, conducting exploration and construction simultaneously. Because there is more work to be done, we have reduced the scope of the second phase of exploration.
After looking around and seeing that no one had any questions, Tarrokov tapped the table and continued, "The number of people participating in the second phase of the expedition is even greater than that of the first phase. Please refer to the list for details; I won't go into them here."
The table in front of each person transformed into a screen, listing the factions involved in the second phase of the exploration.
Han Xiao glanced at it; this was much larger than the first phase, with more affiliated civilizations and hired interstellar engineering teams joining the fray.
In the first phase of exploration, not all allies were eligible to participate. For example, weaker subordinate civilizations were not within the Empire's consideration. Now that the second phase has begun, the Empire needs to share the costs and therefore needs to bring in more allies.
Based on this development, it was opened to the public in the fourth phase... Han Xiao nodded secretly.
The first phase is the best opportunity for these Beyond Grade A allies to seize the initiative; as more people participate later, the profits will become diluted.
After Tarrokov and the others finished reviewing the list, he continued, "The precautions for the second phase of the exploration have been compiled into a manual and will be distributed to every participating faction soon. Everyone must read it. We have added some new clauses to the rules of the first phase, making the exploration process more stringent."
Upon hearing this, the numerous Beyond Grade A individuals exchanged glances and nodded secretly.
The lenient rules of the first phase of exploration were precisely what the Empire intended for them to gain additional benefits; naturally, the rules would become stricter for these subordinate civilizations.
"Fellow Beyond Grade A allies," Tarrokov said with a smile, looking over at them. "The second phase of the exploration will involve direct assignment of tasks by the Empire. You will no longer be able to choose your own targets. We apologize for this."
No one objected, and they nodded, signaling Tarrokov to continue.
As expected, the empire will eventually take control of everything... Han Xiao shook his head; this would make it inconvenient for him to utilize his full map-opening advantage.
However, having already obtained the most valuable Space-Time Amber, it didn't matter whether he chose it or not. Based on his understanding of the second phase of exploration, no matter what task the Empire assigned him now, he would most likely be conscripted to deal with an advanced indigenous civilization.
He remembered the historical background of his previous life—during the second phase of exploration, the Crimson Dynasty encountered an advanced civilization located in the Light Dust Star Cluster.
For some reason, this advanced civilization is hostile to the Empire and is not easy to deal with, even causing trouble for the Empire Exploration Army.
The first civilization we encountered was a galaxy-level indigenous civilization, but this advanced civilization has already reached the star cluster level... Of course, the star cluster level without the support of an interstellar society is an incomplete definition, but it is indeed very powerful, unlike the frogs in the well we encountered before.
If it were a normal course of action, the Empire might not have resorted to force; however, there are other forces at play behind the scenes.
Han Xiao's "Nero Trial Plan" was designed specifically for this advanced civilization that Shattered World stage.