Recaps

Han Xiao used the Mechanical Deity to overwhelm Heber, destroying the planet beneath them and then trapping and battering the Tyrant. Heber remained badly injured and completely suppressed as the Mechanical Deity pressed its attack.

• Manison saw Han Xiao manifest the Mechanical Deity and suspected Black Star had discovered the Mechanic Faith’s secret and possessed another Universal Treasure.
• Han Xiao formed a giant Mechanical Deity from two million machines and struck Heber with a blow that shattered Tyrant Black Star.
• Heber survived the planetary explosion and entered the Mechanical Deity’s arm, where Han Xiao’s mechanical forces trapped and attacked him.
• Heber blasted through the Mechanical Deity’s right arm, but the arm re-formed from its scattered mechanical soldiers.
• Han Xiao resumed attacking at range and in close combat, leaving Heber battered and unable to turn the fight around.

Han Xiao defeated Heber decisively, ending their duel before the Tyrant could die and establishing himself as the strongest Beyond Grade A in the Shattered Star Ring. He returned to his main body, satisfied that Heber and the War Realm would be weakened for now, and prepared to touch Fording before claiming his mission reward.

• Han Xiao stopped beating Heber once the Tyrant had lost the strength to fight, restrained him, and urged him to admit defeat.
• Heber refused to surrender, but Fosters and the Vanguard Officers shielded him and acknowledged the War Realm's defeat; Han Xiao declared their old scores settled for now.
• Han Xiao left for the Palace of Hidden Spells, and the spectators recognized him as the strongest person in the Shattered Star Ring.
• Sorokin worried that Heber's defeat would complicate his plans and weaken the War Realm's cooperation.
• Han Xiao spoke with Austin, returned his Dominion avatar to the battleship, and withdrew his consciousness to his main body.
• Han Xiao concluded that Heber would recover eventually, then went to the ship's main hall to find Fording before drawing his mission reward.

Han Xiao claimed his rewards for defeating Heber, chose a damage-reduction talent, and considered how his new status as the Shattered Star Ring’s strongest would benefit the Black Star Army. The battle’s broadcast alarmed the Federation of Light and Arcane Church, while Heber’s public defeat and Han Xiao’s Mechanical Deity drew widespread attention.

• Han Xiao entered the ship’s main cabin, where his officers praised his victory and Fording briefly let Morning Star take control to avoid being touched.
• Han Xiao claimed a Heber Character Summon Card and experience, gained a Legend Point as the Foremost Expert of the Shattered Star Ring, and chose [Legendary Fixed Damage Reduction] from five abilities.
• Han Xiao concluded that his new title would strengthen the Black Star Army’s business and planned to develop the Shattered World, mechanical civilization, and Black Spirit Race.
• The Federation of Light’s leaders discussed Han Xiao’s Peak Beyond Grade A strength and decided to reconsider their strategy concerning the Evolutionary Totems.
• Interstellar media repeatedly broadcast Heber’s defeat, making the Tyrant a subject of public attention and drawing the Mechanic Faith’s interest in Han Xiao’s Mechanical Deity.

The Mechanic Faith’s Lost Faction welcomed Black Star as a new Mechanical Deity, while Han Xiao planned his return to the Shattered Star Ring to develop his territory and army. Elsewhere, Lothaire and Edmund agreed to exploit tensions surrounding the Shattered World to spread their cause, naming it the Silver Revolutionary Army.

• The Lost Faction’s High Priest built a statue of Black Star’s Mechanical Deity and led the gathered priests in welcoming him as a new god.
• Tarrokov told Han Xiao that the Empire planned four phases of Shattered World development, with the next phase expected after five to seven years.
• Han Xiao reviewed the growth of the Black Star Army after his victory over the Tyrant and ordered Phillip to set a course for the Shattered Star Ring.
• A thin man in a low-ranking Imperial officer’s uniform watched Han Xiao on a tavern screen and said he had met him before and lost things to him.
• Lothaire advised Edmund and the others to use the Shattered World’s political tensions to quietly spread their ideas, and Edmund proposed naming their movement the Silver Revolutionary Army.

Han Xiao approved a plan to open civilian Super schools across the Shattered Star Ring and sent Nero to study on Planet Aquamarine, while privately weighing whether to act against the Silver Revolutionary Army. He then began upgrading his mechanical troops and constructing a Mechanical Divine Throne.

• Han Xiao reviewed the army’s affairs, heard that Enterprise was a strong candidate for leadership, and asked Reynold whether he would keep serving if Han Xiao killed Lothaire for harming the army; Reynold said he would accept her consequences but could not continue serving.
• Han Xiao reflected on the Silver Revolutionary Army’s founding and considered whether to let it grow or intervene, knowing its leaders would eventually have to be dealt with.
• Sylvia proposed opening civilian Super schools under the Black Star Army, and Han Xiao approved a pilot program of several hundred schools in the Colton Star Cluster, appointing Lagi as principal.
• Han Xiao contacted Rotel, the army’s Shadow Walker, about his covert operations and the planned Assassins Mutual Aid Society.
• Han Xiao visited Nero, gave him a learning enhancement device, and told him to attend school on Planet Aquamarine while spending time with Bennett and Reynold.
• Han Xiao began updating his mechanical troops and building a Mechanical Divine Throne.

Han Xiao completed new mechanical equipment and expanded his army while the Black Star Army announced plans for Super academies, prompting Nero to return to his studies. Manison decided to infiltrate the army’s database to challenge Han Xiao’s standing among the Mechanic Faith.

• Han Xiao finished and tested the Mechanical Divine Throne, then upgraded his reserve army with Tyrkes Legacy technology and created the Apostle Weapon Purple Sky Spirit.
• Sylvia announced the Black Star Army’s education program, including plans for schools in the Goddora star system and a pilot academy on Planet Aquamarine.
• Nero returned home, saw Bennett appearing older during a broadcast about the new academy, and began studying mechanical theory again.
• Sorokin saw talent leaving the weakened War Realm and paused his business attacks on the Black Star Army.
• Manison told Sorokin to send him a list of businesses to investigate, then resolved to infiltrate the Black Star Army’s database and suppress Han Xiao’s reputation among Mechanics.

A new Black Star Super Academy opened on Planet Aquamarine, where Nero befriended the orphan Mia Moloto, a future Calamity Grade powerhouse. As Han Xiao watched the students arrive, a massive influx of abnormal data began breaking through Phillip’s firewall.

• A surface civilization sent promising youngsters, including orphan Mia Moloto, to Planet Aquamarine to study at the Black Star Super Academy.
• The academy opened on its newly built floating-island campus, and Mia traveled there with the other new students.
• Nero rescued Mia when the crowd knocked her down, treated her scraped knee, and gave her a healing spray.
• Han Xiao recognized Mia as the future [Conqueror] Mia Moloto, a Calamity Grade Pugilist who had followed Hila in his previous life.
• Han Xiao reviewed his upgraded mechanical army and Secondary Dimensional Factory prototype before an abnormal data influx breached Phillip’s firewall.

Manison launched a powerful virtual invasion against the Black Star Army headquarters, forcing Han Xiao to defend Phillip while struggling to counter the Mechanic Emperor’s traps. As Manison revealed an AI lifeform connected to Resta, Resta recognized it as his ancestor.

• Manison set up portable quantum network base stations near the Black Star Army headquarters and began invading its network.
• Han Xiao recognized Manison’s attack and took over Phillip’s defenses, but Manison broke through the firewalls and planted a trap that infected Phillip’s core logic chain.
• Han Xiao concentrated Phillip’s processing power on the central node, then contacted Maxiler for help when he could not hold off Manison alone.
• Resta arrived and attacked Manison, but his data stream had no effect.
• Manison introduced a golden AI lifeform to Resta, who froze and called it his ancestor.

Han Xiao received missions to protect Resta and withstand Manison’s virtual assault, then used a stored Character Card to rescue Resta from capture. Manison pulled Han Xiao into his own virtual domain, but Han Xiao’s extreme durability let him shrug off the barrage and challenge Manison to prove he could hurt him.

• Han Xiao received the [Restart] mission to protect Resta and a Grade S mission to hold out against Manison’s virtual intrusion.
• Resta recognized his ancestor Finit, but Finit’s loyalty had been rewritten by Manison, and he infected and trapped Resta.
• Han Xiao activated a Blank Character Card containing [Perfect Mechanical Sense], strengthened his defense, and pulled Resta’s prison back through the firewall.
• Han Xiao used [Supreme Virtual] to trap Manison and rescue Resta, but Manison used the same ability to drag Han Xiao into his own virtual domain.
• Manison’s machines and AI hunters attacked Han Xiao, but his health, psychic resistance, and [Legendary Fixed Damage Reduction] let him withstand the barrage.

Han Xiao resisted Manison’s virtual assault on the Black Star Army’s headquarters while the army and its allies rallied to support him. Kant’s arrival prompted Manison to withdraw after stealing substantial internal data, and Han Xiao ended the chapter satisfied with the mission’s completion.

• Han Xiao escaped Manison’s virtual domain and resumed defending the headquarters core as Resta and Finit joined the battle.
• Reynold organized the Logistics Department to reinforce Phillip’s servers, while Melos searched for Manison and Sylvia secured Goddora’s quantum network base stations.
• Heber reassured Jorde that he had recovered from his defeat by Han Xiao and ordered him to gather the Calamity Grade Pugilist officers for training.
• After hours of fighting, Kant arrived to support Han Xiao, and Manison ended his intrusion rather than face both opponents.
• Manison withdrew with substantial Black Star Army data, while Han Xiao agreed with Kant that taking a few more losses like that could be worthwhile.

After Manison defeated Han Xiao in a virtual battle, Kant explained the Mechanic Faith rivalry and the Empire’s refusal to intervene. Han Xiao resolved to challenge Manison eventually, promised to help Resta free the enslaved AI civilization, and collected rewards from the missions tied to the confrontation.

• Kant explained that Mechanic Faith believers primarily followed the strongest mechanic, and told Han Xiao the Empire would not intervene in his rivalry with Manison.
• Han Xiao repaired Phillip, restored the Black Star Army’s network, and promised Resta he would seek a way to free the AI civilization from Manison.
• Phillip reported the extent of the stolen Army data, and Han Xiao ordered the backups restored while assessing Manison as a formidable competitor.
• Han Xiao returned to his body, reassured his subordinates, and settled the [Restart] part six mission, gaining [Intelligence Affinity].
• Han Xiao settled the Manison boss mission and received a Character Summon Card and a choice of five abilities.

Han Xiao chose Manison’s [Born Mechanical Spirit] talent and recovered from the Mechanic Emperor’s virtual attack by rallying the Army and strengthening his machinery. After the Dynasty discussed supporting him and the incident spread through the Galaxy, Han Xiao left for the Shattered World to inspect his territory.

• Han Xiao selected [Born Mechanical Spirit], reviewed his mission rewards and losses, and decided to keep a low profile while rebuilding his strength.
• Han Xiao sent an internal statement to the Black Star Army to steady its members, then returned to constructing and upgrading machinery.
• Sorokin questioned Manison about the intelligence from his infiltration, and Manison said he had only obtained part of what Sorokin wanted.
• Urranrell, Clottey, and Kant discussed placating Han Xiao and providing more resources, while Kant transformed himself into Clottey.
• News of the virtual battle spread, and many Mechanics concluded that Manison remained in a class of his own.
• After spending more than half a month at headquarters, Han Xiao assembled a fleet and departed for the Shattered World.

Han Xiao inspected the Black Star Army’s developing territory, strengthened Dark Emperor, and reviewed the progress of the Black Spirit Race as the universe entered a peaceful period of exploration and expansion. Five years later, Nero arrived at Black Gate Star and revealed that he was Han Xiao’s godson, intending to surprise him.

• Han Xiao inspected Black Gate Star and the Army’s seven star systems, planning to use a mobile star device to improve his territory.
• Han Xiao visited Planet Apostle, evolved Dark Emperor with [Apostle Evolution], and toured the developing Black Spirit Race settlement.
• Han Xiao and Manison remained quiet as the universe entered a stable period while the Shattered World was developed and the Universal Civilizations continued pressuring the Crimson Dynasty over the Evolutionary Totem.
• On January 17, 716, Nero arrived at Black Gate Star with graduates of the Black Star Super Academy and asked the garrison to tell Han Xiao he had come to surprise his godfather.

Nero and his classmates arrived at the Black Star Palace, where Han Xiao welcomed the academy’s first graduating class and privately assessed Nero’s progress. Han Xiao discovered Nero had developed Perfect Mechanical Sense and began plotting ways to trigger missions for him, but Nero asked to learn how to take a beating, prompting Han Xiao to send him away.

• Fording greeted Nero and the graduates at the Black Star Palace, and Nero introduced his close classmate Mia Moloto.
• The students followed a path formed inside the central black sphere and met Han Xiao, whose Mechanical Divine Throne amplified his intimidating aura until he withdrew it.
• Han Xiao welcomed the graduates, then kept Nero and Mia behind and sent Mia out so he could speak privately with Nero.
• Han Xiao checked Nero’s progress and found that he had reached C+ and developed Perfect Mechanical Sense.
• Han Xiao celebrated Nero’s progress and considered putting him through practical trials to obtain the ability, while Nero sensed his godfather’s suspicious intentions.
• Nero asked Han Xiao to teach him how to become tougher because Mia’s punches hurt, and Han Xiao told him to get lost.

Han Xiao prepared to use the Crimson Dynasty’s second exploration phase to give Nero dangerous combat training, while struggling to create Universal Treasure-grade machinery. At the allies’ meeting, Tarrokov announced the Russo and Light Dust Star Clusters as the new targets, and Han Xiao recognized the hostile advanced civilization in Light Dust as the likely focus of Nero’s trial.

• Han Xiao considered sending Nero into the second phase of exploration and examined the incomplete mechanical component he had made while trying to create Universal Treasure-grade machinery.
• Nero and the other graduates reached their accommodations, where Mia drove off students crowding around Nero to ask about Han Xiao.
• Hadavy took Nero to the army’s casino and asked him to win back the salary Hadavy had lost at cards.
• Han Xiao joined the allies’ meeting, where Tarrokov announced that exploration would expand into the Russo and Light Dust Star Clusters under stricter rules and direct task assignments.
• Han Xiao recalled that a hostile native advanced civilization in Light Dust would threaten the exploration army and identified it as the target of his plan for Nero.

Han Xiao agreed to support the Dynasty’s second phase of Shattered World exploration, concealed the significance of Sorokin’s spatial coordinates, and sent the Black Star Army to explore the Russo Star Cluster. Meanwhile, the Kunde Race discovered the Dynasty’s fleet and, fearing conquest, debated how to respond before their leader made a decision.

• Tarrokov asked Han Xiao to let exploration teams use his territory as a transit and supply route, warned him that a head-of-state candidate might oppose the Evolutionary Totem, and asked about the coordinates Sorokin had sought.
• Han Xiao concealed that Sorokin’s coordinates led to the World Tree and dismissed Tarrokov’s questions about them.
• The Dynasty launched the second exploration phase, and the Black Star Army began exploring the Russo Star Cluster as Han Xiao assigned Nero and Mia to separate squads.
• Han Xiao planned to send Nero toward trouble in the Light Dust Star Cluster, where the Kunde Race observed a Dynasty exploration team building a stargate.
• The Kunde Race argued over whether to contact the newcomers or strike first, and its leader stopped the debate and announced a decision.

An exploration fleet in the Light Dust Star Cluster was destroyed by a Primal Psionic Energy trap, prompting the Crimson Dynasty to declare war on the hostile Kunde Race. As the Empire mobilized, the Kunde Race evacuated most civilians and prepared its army to defend their home.

• Captain Kleber discovered a native attempting suicide and learned the species had been genetically altered to suppress its intelligence.
• A life-signal device triggered a Primal Psionic Energy eruption that consumed the planet, the exploration fleet, and Kleber; similar attacks destroyed other teams.
• Tarrokov reported more than six thousand warships and over seven million people lost, then ordered the Light Dust Star Cluster exploration suspended and declared the Empire at war.
• Han Xiao decided to send Nero and his subordinates into the conflict while keeping mechanical troops in reserve.
• The Kunde Race leader sent civilians and biological seeds away in wanderer fleets, leaving the assembled army behind to resist the Crimson Dynasty.

Han Xiao accepted the Crimson Dynasty’s summons to join the war against the Kunde Race and sent the dynasty intelligence about their territory. As the forces advanced through the Light Dust Star Cluster, they finally encountered the Kunde Race at Lighthouse Star.

• Han Xiao sent Tarrokov intelligence about the Kunde Race and issued a mobilization order to the Black Star Army.
• Nero learned he was going to war, received reassurance from his squadmates, and called Mia, who said she had also been summoned.
• Melos met Tenny Amenlos, the dynasty commander assigned to the Black Star fleet, and briefly spoke with Tenny’s acquaintance Gaud.
• Tarrokov led the assembled dynasty and allied forces toward the Kunde Race’s territory, using Han Xiao’s intelligence to guide their reconnaissance.
• After advancing for about half a month without contact, the dynasty forces exchanged fire with the Kunde Race at Lighthouse Star.

The Kunde Race launched a desperate attack on Lighthouse Star, but the Crimson Dynasty intercepted its fleet and began crushing it. Commander Yelu activated a spacetime device that made the fleet repeatedly restore itself and jump forward, and Han Xiao recognized the technology as a weapon used against the World Tree.

• Yelu led a Kunde Race fleet toward Lighthouse Star to destroy the Crimson Dynasty’s command center with Primal Psionic Energy weapons.
• Tarrokov prepared Lighthouse Star’s defenses, authorized the use of Primal Psionic Energy, and ordered the forces to capture enemy ships when possible.
• The Crimson Dynasty intercepted the fleet, overwhelmed it in battle, and boarded several Kunde Race ships as Virtual Mechanics began hacking the fleet’s network.
• Yelu ordered his forces to activate the Spacetime Shearing Device after the fleet suffered heavy losses.
• The Kunde Race fleet began restoring destroyed ships and skipping forward through space, while the dynasty’s attacks failed to stop it.
• Han Xiao recognized the spacetime technology as a trump card used by the Explored Universe against the World Tree.

Han Xiao recognized the Kunde Race fleet’s frame-skipping as crude Space-Time Shearing Technology, and the Dynasty countered it until the attacking fleet collapsed and vanished. As the Kunde Race leadership prepared a scorched-earth defense, Tenny’s forces advanced into battle, where Nero finally joined a boarding action.

• Han Xiao identified Space-Time Shearing’s effects and risks, and decided he wanted to acquire the technology for the Black Star Army.
• Tarrokov sent a Dynasty fleet with space-time countermeasures and Mages to intercept the Kunde Race fleet, which vanished after its collapse accelerated.
• The Kunde Race leadership lost contact with Yelu’s fleet and ordered preparations for the Scorched Earth Plan while sending forces to delay the Dynasty.
• Fighting spread across the Light Dust Star Cluster, and Tenny’s fleet repeatedly defeated the Kunde Race at long range while protecting the Black Star Army members.
• Tenny’s forces finally took part in a boarding action, giving Nero his first chance to fight the Kunde Race up close.

Nero fought in his first real battle, discovering that he excelled at melee combat while helping his squad defeat a Kunde Race crew. Afterward, Han Xiao asked Tenny to give Nero more combat opportunities, while Gaud examined his youthful body in private.

• Tenny assigned the Black Star Army the main combat role, and Nero boarded an assault pod with his squad to attack a Kunde Race ship.
• Nero deployed turrets to cover his teammates as they fought through the ship and killed waves of Kunde Race soldiers.
• When a teammate was overwhelmed, Nero charged into melee, rescued him, and cut through the enemy with his wrist blades.
• After the squad captured the ship, Nero told the captain he had adjusted to combat and felt closer to his teammates.
• Han Xiao told Tenny not to shield the Black Star Army from the war and asked him to give Nero more chances to fight.
• After a separate battle, Gaud returned to his room, showered, and admired his youthful body in the mirror.

Han Xiao secretly infiltrated the Kunde Race’s home-planet network, stole its database, and discovered plans to use Primal Psionic Energy against the Dynasty. Meanwhile, Nero’s scouting force entered Kunde Race territory and found a planet with signs of cities.

• Tenny assigned Nero and the other academy graduates frequent, dangerous combat missions, strengthening their squad’s bonds despite their exhaustion.
• Han Xiao infiltrated the Kunde Race’s central database, copied its data, and traced the locations of its fleets.
• Han Xiao deduced that the Kunde Race planned to spread Primal Psionic Energy across its territory and decided to report the threat to the Dynasty.
• The Kunde Race leaders ordered their forces to capture enemy Supers as research subjects while preparing to abandon their home.
• Nero, Mia, and other Black Star Army soldiers reached a suspected Kunde Race colony, where they spotted traces of cities and prepared for action.

Nero's scouting force landed on an apparently abandoned colony planet after Han Xiao's mechanical army falsified both sides' scans, but the Kunde Race fleet eventually discovered them and launched an ambush. Nero was buried beneath the collapsed underground base while Kunde Race soldiers moved to capture the isolated squads, unaware that Han Xiao's mechanical army was watching their commander.

• Nero scanned the colony planet and saw few life signs after hidden data manipulation concealed the Kunde Race fleet and falsified the scouts' readings.
• The scouting force landed and split up; Nero and Mia were assigned to investigate an abandoned military base, then separated when their radars detected two abnormal energy sources.
• The Kunde Race floating base detected the landed ships and its commander ordered the fleet to attack and capture the espers alive.
• Nero's growing unease led the captain to leave him behind with several teammates, but an artillery strike collapsed the underground base and buried Nero beneath rubble.
• The Kunde Race fleet attacked the squads guarding the ships and bombarded the military base, then sent soldiers to capture the surviving scouts while Han Xiao's mechanical army watched unseen.

After Nero rescued his squad by seizing a Kunde Race warship, he learned that Mia’s squad had been captured and asked Han Xiao for help. Han Xiao agreed in exchange for Nero’s talent and abilities, triggering a mission to rescue Mia Moloto.

• Nero escaped the collapsed base, healed his injured squadmates, and volunteered to seize a spaceship while the others held off the Kunde Race soldiers.
• With Sky Guard’s protection, Nero boarded an enemy warship, took control of it, and rescued his squad as they broke through to the surface.
• Nero learned that Mia and her squad had been captured, and his teammates stopped him from attempting a reckless rescue alone.
• Nero contacted Han Xiao, who initially refused to help unless Nero offered something in return, then agreed after Nero accepted a deal involving his talent and abilities.
• Han Xiao received the special character mission Nero’s Request, which required him to rescue Mia Moloto in exchange for a chance to learn one of Nero’s skills or specialties.

Han Xiao used Nero’s request to secure a chance to learn one of Nero’s abilities, then secretly rescued Mia and defeated the Kunde forces. After completing the mission, he chose Perfect Mechanical Sense and replaced his Basic Mechanical Sense with it.

• Han Xiao accepted Nero’s request to rescue Mia and was surprised that the mission let him choose one of Nero’s abilities as a reward.
• Mia woke as a prisoner of the Kunde, but Han Xiao’s mechanical soldier freed her and her squad, then promised to introduce her to Calamity Grade Pugilists.
• Han Xiao’s hidden mechanical troops seized the Kunde base and destroyed the pursuing battleships, rescuing Nero and his companions.
• Nero reunited with Mia and thanked Han Xiao, while Han Xiao promised rewards and promotions to the soldiers who had taken part.
• Han Xiao completed Nero’s Request and selected Perfect Mechanical Sense, replacing his Basic Mechanical Sense.