"You..." The Kunde Race leader was stunned, staring blankly up at Han Xiao.
"One person can take down our Kunde Race?" This was the first time he had ever heard such a domineering self-introduction.
Just who is this stranger in front of me?!
He instinctively disbelieved it, but then he realized that he was facing a more advanced civilization with a Super System, where anything was possible, and he had to discard his outdated ideas.
He didn't know Han Xiao's status in the empire, but anyone who dared to say such a thing must be a very important person, someone he couldn't even imagine.
Thinking about it that way, this self-introduction was indeed straightforward, immediately making him understand the other person's status.
He was a prisoner with no bargaining power, yet this important figure, a complete stranger, actually stepped forward and agreed to his final request?
Why is that?!
Pity? Charity?
Or should I pretend to agree to get his cooperation?
He was filled with astonishment.
When I first made the request, I had no hope at all, but I didn't expect that someone would actually respond.
For a moment, the Kunde Race leader was incredulous and didn't know what to say.
"Are you worried I'm joking?" Han Xiao glanced at him and said slowly, "To put it bluntly, you're not worth being fooled by me. Since I promised you, I will definitely keep my word."
The Kunde Race leader couldn't help but ask, "Why are you helping me?"
Good question.
Han Xiao chuckled. "I'm a person full of human compassion, charitable, and always ready to help others. I often do good deeds. Just consider it my sympathy for the Kunde Race's plight. Anyway, processing your request is just a piece of cake for me."
Tarrokov's lips twitched slightly to the side.
Brother, have you no shame?
The Kunde Race was defeated, and you bear half the responsibility, you bastard! You're making it seem like we're the only bad guys!
That's some nerve! It could probably withstand Psionic Energy cannon... Hmm, it seems like it really could.
Tarrokov was internally grumbling, while the Kunde Race leader was deeply moved.
It's like a traveler who has reached the end of his road and is about to fall into the deepest darkness, but in the last glimmer of light, he sees someone reaching out to him, willing to lend him a hand.
"Thank you... It was my good fortune to meet someone like you at the end of my life. Unfortunately, I have nothing left to repay you with."
The Kunde Race leader clenched his fists, suppressing his excitement, his tone filled with gratitude and emotion.
"Hehe, it's nothing, I don't need anything in return." Han Xiao chuckled, a statement he himself didn't believe.
Upon hearing this, the Kunde Race leader was even more moved.
This guy named Black Star is such a kind person with the universe in his heart!
Snap!
Tarrokov covered his face, speechless.
This scene is utterly absurd, filled with the absurdity of fate. Your entire clan has been wiped out, and you're supposed to be grateful to him?!
I'm speechless. Not only do they kill people, but they also silently destroy their spirit, making the enemy grateful to the murderer without even knowing it. What a twisted sense of humor!
At this moment, Old Tar came to a conclusion:
--Black Star is indeed a pervert.
It's better to stay away from him in the future. I'm almost retired, and I don't want to be led astray by him and ruin my reputation in my later years.
Han Xiao smiled, turned and left, walking out of the interrogation room with Tarrokov, leaving the Kunde Race leader alone in the room, deeply moved.
Stepping out of the room, Tarrokov immediately turned around and looked at him, his face full of confusion.
"Black Star, what did you promise him?"
He really hadn't expected this. He thought Black Star was just there to make a cameo appearance, but he didn't expect him to do this so suddenly, and he had no idea what his motive was.
Han Xiao shrugged and smiled, "I'm in a good mood today and want to be a good person."
"So, it really wasn't just your weird sense of humor that you were joking with the book earlier?"
"Of course not, I'm very serious, okay... Wait, do you have a perverse sense of humor? Are you misunderstanding me?"
Ignoring Han Xiao's complaints, Tarrokov frowned.
"But you just stated to the Führer that you would not interfere in the Empire's handling of the matter. Now you mean you're prepared to change your stance and support keeping these prisoners?"
"Ha, nothing in this world stays the same forever. I've suddenly changed my mind, is that not allowed?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"I understand." Tarrokov nodded. "I'll report your opinion to the Führer later. As for whether the higher-ups consider it, that's none of my business."
"That's enough," Han Xiao smiled.
At this point, Tarrokov looked around and lowered his voice, "Tell me honestly, what exactly are you planning?"
"Huh? Didn't I say I'm in a good mood today?"
"Hehe."
Tarrokov gave him a look that said, "Don't try to fool me, I'm too old."
Seeing this, Han Xiao shook his head helplessly. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. The Kunde Race people have a population in the trillions, reaching the scale of a star cluster-level civilization. Although it will require a long period of cultural transformation, after the transformation is complete, such a large population will be a valuable resource. If they can be settled in my territory, I will have a massive labor force, consumers, and soldiers in the future... The empire is large and doesn't need the Kunde Race population, but for me, it is an opportunity for development."
Upon hearing this, Tarrokov smiled knowingly.
That's right, this is the Black Star I know, how could he possibly be so kind?
You truly live up to your reputation.
After careful consideration, Tarrokov felt that Han Xiao's plan was not problematic—if the Empire spared the Kunde Race people, it would need to choose a place to settle them, and population greatly affects prosperity. At that time, allies would definitely have their eyes on this lucrative opportunity. In his view, Black Star had made this request in advance.
As for agreeing to the so-called last wish... he knew Han Xiao's character too well; this was probably just a formality, used as an excuse.
While Tarrokov was thinking, Han Xiao quietly glanced at the prompts on the panel.
[You have accepted the Grade S quest [The Kunde Leader's Last Wish]!]
[Mission Summary: The Kunde Race has been defeated in the war, and the entire tribe has become prisoners of the Empire, their future uncertain. In despair, the Kunde Race leader, resigned to death, makes a final request to you.]
[Task Requirements: 1. Resettle the Kunde Race and provide them with shelter during the cultural transformation period.]
[2. To take revenge on the mastermind behind using the Kunde Race against the Crimson Dynasty]
[Failure condition: The total Kunde Race population is less than 80% of what it was at the start of the mission]
[Complete the first requirement, reward: 60e experience, Kunde Race favorability +10000 (current relationship is -1500, relationship [Hate]), random reward x2, Political Asset (Kunde Race) +4]
[The Kunde Race has entered the [Awakening Era], with a Super Awakening Rate of +10%]
[Complete the second requirement, reward: 120e experience, Kunde Race reputation +15000, 1 Specified Blank Character Card, feat - [Oath of Vengeance], feat - [Proof of Leadership], special skill - [Kunde's Wrath]]
[[Oath of Vengeance]: The more health you lose, the higher your damage becomes, stacking up to 25%. This effect resets upon leaving combat. This effect applies to summons, mechanical equipment, etc.]
[[Proof of Leadership]: When you are a faction leader, you receive a comprehensive bonus, the magnitude of which increases with the size and level of the faction, with no upper limit.]
[[Kunde's Wrath]: A status skill. Upon activation, you lose 5% of your health per second, lasting up to 40 seconds. You gain a total mental resistance bonus of 2.0x, all damage increased by 5%, intelligence decreased by 5%, charm decreased by 20%, and luck decreased by 10%. You are also immune to all abnormal mental statuses except [Rage]. Skill cooldown is 5 minutes -- let rage fill your mind!]
When Han Xiao saw the mission description, he decided he had to do it because the reward was beyond his expectations and gave him a big surprise!
That's incredibly generous!
Han Xiao's face remained expressionless, but he was secretly overjoyed.
Although the leader of the Kunde Race was not a superhuman, his status as the leader of a cluster-level civilization granted him an extremely high reward.
The first requirement, experience, and random rewards were fairly standard. What Han Xiao valued was the 4-point Political Asset reward, which, in addition to increasing experience gain efficiency, also meant having considerable influence within the Kunde Race.
The Empire wanted to transform the Kunde Race into a vassal civilization, but even with its weaknesses, it still possessed the foundation of a star cluster.
Han Xiao's statement to Tarrokov was not false; if the Kunde Race were located on his territory, their large population would provide him with many benefits.
Upon completion of the mission, the Kunde Race will enter a new era, with an increased rate of superhuman awakening. While 10% may seem small, it adds up to a significant number when applied to trillions of people. The rewards also include a substantial increase in Kunde Race favorability, raising the relationship directly to [Revered]. This means the Kunde Race will become a valuable asset to the Kund, with superhumans essentially becoming a source of manpower.
However, most of the descriptions of Grade S missions are rather brief. The first mission requires providing shelter, but it doesn't mention what level of completion is considered successful. Han Xiao estimates that it will only be considered successful after the Empire lifts its blockade on the Kunde Race, so it will take a long time and put him in a rather passive position.
The second requirement is different.
At the request of the Kunde Race leaders, the objective was to retaliate against those who exploited them, which was much more proactive.
What finally convinced Han Xiao to accept the mission was the reward offered in the second request.
The designated character card is undoubtedly a good item, but the three abilities it rewards are almost dazzling.
[Oath of Vengeance] is a very useful specialization, and it suits me very well.
For a normal person, this perk takes effect when their health is low, resulting in higher damage. When the damage bonus is stacked to its maximum, they are usually left with only a sliver of health, essentially going into a near-death Berserk.
However, given Han Xiao's healing efficiency, once the damage bonus is fully stacked, his health can be restored to full in no time. This 25% damage bonus is like a gift from heaven, practically free!
It also applies to summoned creatures and mechanical equipment, directly increasing the output of the entire mechanical army!
[Proof of Leadership] is the most powerful ability among them, and it is quite magical. In the previous life, it was very famous among players and had the title of "semi-template".
Players can also possess this ability!
Only by being a faction leader can you activate the effects of a feat, which is very much like a template. Players can also create their own armed organizations and recruit normal NPC characters, just like superhumans. Guilds themselves are also a type of faction and are recognized by that feat.
In future versions, players will have a stable way to obtain [Proof of Leadership]. In order to activate this feat, a large number of players will create their own factions or form cliques, and their careers will enter a new phase.
The bonus from a feat depends on the size of the faction. For ordinary players who lack money, time, and influence, having this feat is not very useful. Only wealthy players, studios, and large guilds can make the most of this feat, and very few people can get a considerable bonus.
In his previous life, Han Xiao, as a lone wolf, had never activated the [Proof of Leadership 'Proof of Leadership], but he knew very well the bonus it provided... was incredibly powerful!
"If I had this skill right now, the effect... I can't even imagine!"
Han Xiao was secretly excited; he now had a great deal of enthusiasm for any ability that could significantly increase his strength.
The last skill, [Kunde's Wrath], also caught his eye; it was a good skill.
A 2.0x bonus to total mental resistance is equivalent to doubling the resistance, which is extremely significant!
Mental resilience has always been Han Xiao's weakness, and any ability that can enhance mental resistance will attract his attention.
Moreover, during the skill's duration, it grants immunity to all negative mental states, which is extremely powerful, essentially making it immune to all mental control skills.
The skill consumes health, causing a 5% health loss per second, and depleting health in 20 seconds. The effect can only last for a maximum of 40 seconds. The percentage-based health loss is quite severe, and most people can only activate it for a few seconds at most.
However, Han Xiao's current healing efficiency is not low. Based on his total health, under the most ideal circumstances, the Health and Mana Conversion healing efficiency is equivalent to about 10% health recovery per second. He can hold out, and activating it for the full 40 seconds is not a problem for Han Xiao.
The only thing that puzzled Han Xiao was the skill name.
--If it's angry, shouldn't its attack power increase? Why is its survivability being improved instead?
Is this what they call impotent Fury, the legendary "Go ahead and kill me if you dare"?
"These three skills are all very useful. As long as I can complete the mission, my actual combat power can increase significantly, especially the [Proof of Leadership], the sooner I get it, the better," Han Xiao thought to himself.
The second requirement is to take revenge on the mastermind behind it all. The mission doesn't explain what level of revenge is considered successful; you'll have to figure it out yourself, just like the old Goddora Bloodline mission.
However, the generous reward was too tempting, and Han Xiao decided to try his best to complete the task.
He was extremely happy about this unexpected surprise on his trip.
After deactivating the remote projection and returning to his office, Tarrokov immediately contacted Urranrell, sending him the interrogation transcript and reporting Han Xiao's actions to the Führer.
"You mean, after inspecting the prisoners, Black Star changed his attitude and expressed support for rehabilitation?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..." Urranrell mused, "What's the reason?"
"He said it was for population resources..." Tarrokov repeated Han Xiao's words.
Urranrell narrowed his eyes and slowly nodded. "Since it's an ally's opinion, it must be given serious consideration."
On the empire's scales of interest, Black Star's position is far higher than that of the defeated Kunde Race. After all, Pillar of the Nation are rare, while vassal races are plentiful.
Furthermore, Black Star was a key contributor to this war, and his opinions would be valued by the Empire.
In fact, for the Empire, settling the Kunde Race was just a very ordinary matter and not that important. Placing them in the Black Star Army's territory was no problem. It would not only increase the population of an ally's territory, but also allow the ally to help with supervision, saving a lot of manpower.
However, Black Star is not the only ally. Whether or not to give this piece of meat to Black Star requires balancing the opinions of all parties.
As for dealing with the mastermind behind it all, it's not just the Kunde Race leaders' idea; the Empire shares the same intention.
Although the enemy in the war was the Kunde Race, the real culprits were the supercluster and cluster-level civilizations that had sent out their technology in packages, and the Empire had no habit of letting the culprits go unpunished.
Even setting aside the reasons for retaliation... the exploration of the Shattered World is not over yet. If those secretly plotting adversaries were to stage another Kunde Race affair and cultivate more indigenous civilizations to cause trouble, it would greatly hinder the Empire's progress.
Both for public and private reasons, the empire cannot easily tolerate the backers continuing to cause trouble.
Han Xiao's statement was exactly what the empire wanted.
"In that case, we need to thoroughly investigate which faction threw the spaceship at the Kunde Race."
A cold glint flashed in Urranrell's eyes.