The news that the Crimson Alliance had obtained a virus vaccine and was quickly emerging from its predicament spread like wildfire in a very short time, attracting widespread attention.
Most people were just watching the spectacle and secretly speculating about the vaccine's origin, but those directly involved were stunned.
Ashes Nest, the Star Moon mothership.
The projections of the Blood Clan elders appeared across the conference table, glaring angrily.
The Ashes Organization's higher-ups wore slightly embarrassed smiles, their brows furrowed, their minds in turmoil.
"Explain where the Crimson Alliance's Blood Embrace Virus vaccine came from? Didn't you previously swear that the Crimson Alliance could never develop a vaccine?"
The Grand Elder, Ulan Ross, slammed his fist on the table and roared in anger. This was the second time in a short period of time that he had breached the Grand Elder's defenses. Only he knew the depth of his shock and rage.
If we're talking about who most wants to kill the Crimson Alliance right now, it has to be the Blood Clan.
Whether driven by the dark psychology of traitors or by the interests of the clan, a Crimson Alliance emerging from turmoil and gradually returning to normalcy is nothing short of a bolt from the blue for the Blood Clan.
Anyone with a brain knows that once the Crimson Alliance resolves its internal problems and integrates its army, its next move will undoubtedly be to exact a severe reprisal.
Blood Clan are the first to be affected.
As former members of the Crimson Alliance, the Blood Clan were all too aware of the Alliance's war-making capabilities. If a real war broke out, with their meager military strength, they'd be lucky to escape with their brains splattered!
Faced with the nearly insane Blood Clan elder, Ulan Ross, and the furious Blood Pupil that were practically shoved into his face, the leader of the Ashes, Dark Moon Gelaxius, could not afford to get angry and could only passively endure it with a stiff smile.
Ultimately, the Blood Embrace Virus is Ashes's domain, and now that a major problem has arisen, it's perfectly normal for the Blood Clan to hold them accountable.
The Ashes and the Blood Clan will inevitably cooperate in the future, so it is essential to maintain good bilateral relations.
After the Blood Clan high command finished venting their emotions and the opening remarks were over, the meeting officially began.
Ulan Ross spoke coldly, "There is likely a traitor within your Ashes. Otherwise, given the technological sophistication of the Blood Embrace Virus, it would be impossible to produce a vaccine in such a short time without the original virus strain."
Ulan Ross's first words were an attempt to characterize the incident and further blame the accident on the Ashes, thus paving the way for subsequent negotiations.
Faced with such accusations, Dark Moon Gelaxius naturally wouldn't admit it, immediately shaking his head and retorting, "This was purely an accident; the Ruibete Group simply happened to develop the Blood Embrace Virus vaccine."
"Coincidence?" Ulan Ross sneered. "At our level, you actually believe in coincidences? Stop comforting yourself. This is because there was a problem within the Ashes, leading to the leakage of the virus's parent strain."
"Where's the evidence? You can't just make things up without evidence." Dark Moon Gelaxius stretched out his hand, resorting to a shameless act.
Regardless, Dark Moon believed that Ashes must never admit that the problem lay within their own ranks.
It's important to understand that the original strain of the virus is of paramount importance, and those who know the inside story are all high-ranking members of the organization.
If we accept Ulan Ross's speculation and characterize this matter, the first thing that will happen is internal turmoil within the Ashes.
At this critical moment, the Ashes must not be scattered.
Even if an investigation is necessary, it can only be conducted covertly; in short, people's hearts must not be disturbed.
Faced with the Ashes' high-ranking officials' shameless behavior, Ulan Ross was speechless. Evidence?
If I had one of those, I would have slapped it in your face at the very beginning of the meeting!
"So, this is your attitude towards cooperation?" Ulan Ross's tone turned dangerous.
This statement is actually starting to sound like sophistry.
But the Ashes cannot be ignored.
It's like when you can't reason with your girlfriend, so you just ask her a soul-searching question, "Don't you love me anymore?! How dare you yell at me?!"
What else can we do?
Life goes on, so I have no choice but to admit defeat, swallow my pride, appease them, and make do.
So, Dark Moon Gelaxius had no choice but to speak in an unusually gentle tone, "Ulan, sit down first, don't be anxious. Even if there wasn't a traitor within our Ashes, we should bear the main responsibility for this matter. It has little to do with your Blood Clan. Don't worry, we will definitely handle this matter seriously and will not cause you any trouble."
His words contained many hidden meanings.
Ulan Ross understood what Dark Moon Gelaxius meant, and his originally cold expression softened as he sat down again.
Seeing this, Dark Moon Gelaxius subtly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, the virus vaccine was developed by a little guy, do you know him?"
"I know." Ulan Ross nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Logo Campbell, the disciple of the Cartographer Madison, chairman of the Ruibete Group, and a leading figure among the younger generation of the Gendaya Royal Court, is no little fellow. In terms of status, he's only one level below us, comparable to an ordinary Demigod."
"Heh, he's just a greenhorn after all." Dark Moon Gelaxius waved his hand dismissively.
"Judging from your tone, are you planning to target Logo Campbell?" Ulan Ross's expression shifted slightly.
Dark Moon Gelaxius sneered, the darkness in his eyes almost overflowing. "He's the mastermind behind the virus vaccine, the culprit, who ruined our plans. Of course, we can't let him get away with it!"
Ulan Ross remained noncommittal about what Dark Moon Gelaxius said. He always believed that the problem lay within the Ashes, and that Dark Moon was only pointing the finger at Logo to divert attention from the real issue.
In Ulan Ross's view, Logo was just a lucky kid who happened to get the virus strain and then developed a vaccine.
As for the claim that the spies within Ashes were planted by Logo or were connected to him, that's simply impossible.
First of all, he can't get past the age barrier; how old is Logo?
Secondly, there is status.
What gave Logo the right to plant a spy within the Ashes Organization?
He had no access to Ashes's higher-ups.
Perhaps this young man will become a powerful figure who can stir up the situation in the future, but for now, he is still too inexperienced.
Throughout the entire incident, Ulan Ross leans towards the theory that an internal spy within Ashes accidentally lost the virus strain during its transmission, which ultimately fell into Logo's hands.
This guess is the most reasonable.
"So what do you plan to do?" Ulan Ross asked.
"Assassination!"
"That's possible, but how will you carry out the assassination, and how do you plan to face Madison's wrath afterward? Don't forget, there's also the Sunset Lord; Logo Campbell is also one of her men."
"So what? Do you think they're planning to wipe out our Ashes?" Dark Moon Gelaxius sneered.
Ulan Ross chuckled and shook his head. Annihilate the Ashes? How could that be? Even the combined might of numerous imperial powers had failed to achieve that.
"Then how to assassinate him? As far as I know, Logo Campbell is definitely accompanied by Epic- level guards. In addition, he is extremely cautious and his activity area is generally within the sight of Demigod. Whether it is the Sunset Lord or Jin Laken, to escape after the assassination, they must be Demigod- level assassins or Epic- level assassins," Ulan Ross analyzed.
At the end, his tone shifted, and his expression changed slightly, "Could it be that you're planning to have Dark Moon take action?"
"Ahem~"
Ulan Ross's words clearly caught Dark Moon Gelaxius off guard. Seriously? Did he Sylvain would obey orders?
Outsiders may not know, but he knows perfectly well: Three Moons of Ashes, Dark Moon first, Moon Devourer second, and Dark Moon third.
In other words, he ranks fourth in the entire Ashes Organization.
The fourth brother ordering the second brother around? Are you kidding me?
Moreover, Sylvain just been sent to Planet Saila by his Sun Eclipser, the Eclipse, and was completely unable to spare any resources.
"There's no need to go to such lengths," said Dark Moon Gelaxius, feigning nonchalance, not revealing that he couldn't persuade Sylvain to come; he couldn't lose face.
"If they didn't send Dark Moon, could it be one of the Eighteen Star Pillars?" Ulan Ross guessed again.
"No, not at all."
"Are you kidding me? You want to assassinate Logo Campbell without deploying Demigod combat power?" Ulan Ross frowned again, looking very dissatisfied.
"Don't rush. We Ashes won't have our direct subordinates carry out the assassination of Logo Campbell; we're going to outsource it," said Dark Moon Gelaxius, finally cutting to suspense.
Ulan Ross's brow relaxed. "The three major assassin organizations— Death Herald Bird, The Mechanics, and Black Spider —which one are you planning to target?"
"Not them, the Nitavie Family, ever heard of them?"
"The Nittawe, the strongest assassin clan in the underworld?"
"That's right, how does it feel?"
"If we can really get this family involved, things will be basically settled." A slight smile finally appeared on Ulan Ross's face.
The most famous Elven Plane are, of course, the three major assassin organizations.
However, when it comes to the high-end assassin market, the Nitavie Family is undoubtedly at the top.
This family has only a few dozen members, but each one is a master assassin with unparalleled skills and unpredictable racial talents. If it weren't for the small number of members, no other assassin organization would have a chance to survive.
Dark Moon Gelaxius gave a sinister smile, "This time, it's not just Logo Campbell alone, but also the Gendaya Royal Court —they're all included in the assassination target!"
"The Gendaya Royal Court? Won't that cause unforeseen complications?" Ulan Ross hesitated; the Blood Clan couldn't afford to make any more enemies.
"Don't worry, the Gendaya Royal Court can be handed over to the Dawn Empire, oh no, it should be called the Radiant Empire now," said Dark Moon Gelaxius confidently.
"The Radiant Empire? You Ashes certainly have a wide network of connections." Ulan Ross's eyes held a deeper meaning.
Dark Moon Gelaxius maintained his enigmatic smile and said no more.
After a moment's thought, Ulan Ross nodded in agreement to the decision to assassinate Logo.
Although he considered the latter just a lucky kid, the virus vaccine he developed had indeed caused a major disaster and deserved to be punished.
"Then go to Hell and repent! Some money you might have the life to take, but not the life to spend!" Ulan Ross smiled cruelly.
Ultimately, Ashes and the Blood Clan decided that Ashes would be responsible for contacting the Nitavie Clan and the Radiant Empire, and would bear 80% of the assassination hiring costs, while the Blood Clan would only bear 20% of the costs, and would carry out the subsequent assassination.
With the first matter settled, the meeting between the two sides continued.
The next discussion was simply about how to continue interfering with the Crimson Alliance, and how the Ashes would help the Blood Clan build a defense system for Planet Twilight to make up for their mistakes and as compensation to the Blood Clan.
Three hours later, the projections of the Blood Clan high-ranking members faded, leaving only Dark Moon Gelaxius in the conference hall.
As the haze spread and permeated the air, a figure quietly descended.
"Leader!" Dark Moon bowed her head.
The Sun Eclipser nodded slightly in response.
"Who do you think might be the spy?" The Sun Eclipser's tone was calm, like a still sea, but the Dark Moon sensed the turbulent undercurrents hidden beneath the surface.
With a wry smile, Dark Moon said, "The organization's top leaders have all undergone countless vetting processes and are absolutely loyal. I simply do not believe anyone would betray us. Could it really be an accident?"
The Sun Eclipser glanced at him, its scarlet pupils glowing with a blinding red light beneath the gray haze, causing Dark Moon to quickly lower its head and dare not utter a word.
"Starting today, we will conduct a thorough investigation of the organization. It's been so many years; it's time for a proper overhaul."
After saying this, the Sun Eclipser waved his sleeve and disappeared.
Dark Moon Gelaxius wiped non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, sighing inwardly, "The leader is becoming increasingly suspicious. At a time like this, we should be seeking stability, but alas... never mind, I shouldn't think too much about it. I should focus on handling the matter at hand first."
In fact, according to Dark Moon's idea, it was unlikely that there would be spies among the highest levels of the Ashes, and any investigation should be conducted in secret to avoid making everyone feel insecure.
However, the Sun Eclipser clearly did not think that way and were preparing to purge the organization with overwhelming force.
It is foreseeable that a bloody storm will inevitably break out within the Ashes Organization in the near future.
To be honest, neither Logo nor Gustavo anticipated this.
Radiant Empire.
Inquisition.
At the antique desk, the imposing Golden Lion Jiesili sat upright, head bowed, working on documents.
The door opened, and a person wearing a gray cloak walked in, followed by Dark Moon's voice.
"Long time no see, Jiesili."
Golden Lion Jiesili looked up, his sharp gaze shooting out from his golden pupils, as if capable of slicing through everything.
After a long silence, a deep, thunderous voice rang out, "What kind of trouble are you Ashes to now?"
"Don't be so harsh," Dark Moon chuckled. "Don't forget, a hundred years ago we were close partners. The skull of the Iron-Blooded King of the Gendaya Royal Court is still on display in the organization's showcase."
Golden Lion's face darkened. "Hmph, the past is the past. Don't forget we are the Radiant Empire, not on the same path as you, a lackey of an evil god."
Being called a lackey of an evil god didn't bother Dark Moon at all. After casually taking a seat, she said flippantly, "Tsk, don't speak so soon. Between powerful forces, who distinguishes between right and wrong? If someone is of use, they're a good friend, aren't they?"
After a moment of silence, Golden Lion put down his pen. "Speak, what is it?"
"How about assassinating the high-ranking officials and geniuses of the Gendaya Royal Court? Want to cooperate? As far as I know, these Three-Eyed People's so-called 'New Blood Reform ' and 'alchemy industrialization' are quite impressive. In just over a year, their national strength has visibly increased. Can you really tolerate the rise of yet another powerful enemy? Don't forget the lesson of the Winter Empire!"
Dark Moon's words were like a sharp arrow, piercing the chest of Golden Lion Jiesili. In particular, the words "Winter Empire" were a critical hit and a true injury for the proud Geya People Jiesili, causing him to clench his fists involuntarily.
If we hadn't underestimated the goblins and orcs and failed to eliminate them in the early days of the Winter Empire, we wouldn't have bred such a formidable enemy. Now, more than half of the empire's energy is tied up in the Winter Empire, many original development plans have been forced to a standstill, and the resulting losses are incalculable.
Add to that the Goblin King of the Winter Empire, who spends his days publicly criticizing the Pope through interstellar media, doing everything in his power to mock him. He is a disgrace to the monarchy, and countless Geya People are so angry at this fat and filthy goblin that they are practically fuming. Among them is Golden Lion Jiesili.
By comparing Dark Moon to the Winter Empire, he hit the nail on the head and immediately made Golden Lion Jiesili make a decision.
We must not allow tigers to afflict us!
"Tell me, what do you Ashes want to do?"
Upon hearing Golden Lion's question, Dark Moon felt relieved, knowing that the matter had been resolved.
He quickly informed the Ashes and the Blood Clan of their plans.
"The Nitavie Clan? Your attitude is certainly resolute!" the Golden Lion said meaningfully.
"There's nothing we can do. Who told that little brat to ruin our plans?" Dark Moon said lightly.
The Golden Lion leaned forward, exuding an overwhelming aura of pressure. "That's not the real reason. I'm curious, why are you Ashes so fixated on the Gendaya Royal Court? A hundred years ago, you offered the Iron-Blooded King's travel route, allowing us to successfully ambush him. Now you want to assassinate the Royal Court's high-ranking officials and geniuses..."
At this point, Golden Lion paused, then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, since the Twilight War, the situation on Planet Oklo has been stable. Although there have been frictions between various forces, the main focus has been on peaceful development, until a hundred years ago when the Empire ambushed the Iron-Blooded King and launched a blitzkrieg against the Gendaya Royal Court, which caused chaos on the planet."
If the war a century ago was the beginning of chaos, then you Ashes are the instigators of it all. What... exactly do you want to do?
Golden Lion's words grew increasingly heavy, and the atmosphere in the entire office seemed to freeze, chilling and menacing.
Dark Moon remained silent for a long time, as if his secret had been exposed. After a while, he covered his face with his right hand, lowered his head, and let out a suppressed, maniacal laugh, his whole body trembling.
"What do we want? That's a ridiculous question. We're the Ashes, the terrorist organization you call us. We bring disaster and chaos to the world, turning everything to Ashes is our joy!! How could you ask such an idiotic question? You've disappointed me greatly, Jiesili!"
"Madman!" Golden Lion gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and uttered the two words.
He even wondered if he was out of his mind—why was he talking so much to this crazy person who seemed to thrive on chaos?
Dark Moon suddenly looked up, extending her index finger and gently shaking it. "No, no, no, we're not crazy. We're martyrs, martyrs of chaos. How boring the world would be if there were only order! Chaos is what creates change, what makes this stagnant, gray world interesting and vibrant again, isn't it?"
Golden Lion no longer wanted to deal with him. Although the Ashes Organization was insane, they should still cooperate.
As for whether cooperating with the Ashes would allow them to grow to an uncontrollable level, the Golden Lion was not worried at all. He was joking. Without a complete regime and a stable territory and population, the Ashes were ultimately just a band of bandits.
"Alright, enough talk, let's discuss how to coordinate the operation!"
On the edge of the universe, on a crater-ridden planet.
On the surface, it looks like an abandoned planet.
In reality, a hidden world lies beneath the surface.
Hundreds of millions of intelligent beings live in the vast Underground Space. They are all servants of the Nitavie Clan, whose lives are completely in the hands of the Nitavie Clan. They can decide life and death with a single word and take whatever they want.
Inside a magnificent palace, hundreds of beautiful women, each with their own unique charm, lay sprawled about, each one a sight to behold.
They were either completely naked or draped in clothes as thin as cicada wings, doing everything they could to please the palace's master, Aibuer Nittawi, a dwarf who was only 1.5 meters tall and had dark, ugly wrinkles all over his skin.
Space distorted, and a figure descended.
Scanning the many beauties before him, Dark Moon remained unmoved. These beauties, who had long since lost their dignity, were no different from a pile of rotten flesh in his eyes.
His gaze quickly settled on Aibuer Nittawi, who was currently working diligently. Upon seeing Dark Moon, he not only showed no shame but also invited him to join him.
Dark Moon naturally refused, but simply waited where she was.
After a long while, the dwarf finished his business and walked over, swaying his naked body.
"Who do you want to kill?" Aibuer asked directly.
The Nitavie Clan is only good for killing people.
"The information is all inside, name your price." Dark Moon tossed out an information crystal.
Aibuer grinned, revealing jagged, sharp shark teeth.
He placed the crystal between his eyebrows, and a flood of information rushed into his mind. After about five minutes, Aibuer spoke, "5% of the profits from the dimensional black market."
Dark Moon frowned, "Too many!"
As the uncrowned king of the dark world, the largest black market in the Elven Plane is controlled by Ashes, and the profits are terrifying. Otherwise, Ashes would not be able to support such a terrifying organization.
While Planet Guta is indeed the mastermind behind Ashes, it certainly can't directly provide money on the surface. Instead, it will offer more support, such as intelligence gathering.
In a sense, the dimensional black market is Ashes's money bag.
Aibuer's offer of a 5% profit share is practically ripping people off.
Trading can continue.
The price offered by the other party is not fixed; there is considerable room for negotiation.
After intense negotiations, both sides agreed that Ashes would pay 3% of the dimensional black market profits, as well as some Rare resources urgently needed by the Nitavie Clan, in exchange for the assistance of the number one assassin family in the dark world.
The conversation ended, Dark Moon took her leave.
Aibuer sneered, his shark-like teeth quickly turning blood red. With a wave of his hand, all the women in the hall exploded, their flesh and bones Dissolution into a drop of blood, which he swallowed.
With a satisfied sigh, Aibuer issued a summons, and his clansmen, who were enjoying themselves in the underground world, quickly gathered.
Half a day later, a butterfly-shaped spaceship flew out from the barren planet, transformed into a warp-like streak, and disappeared into the vast Starry Sky.
A few days later.
The four major powers in the Xiya Archipelago are the Pure White Tower, the Doomsday Lord, the Gonis City-State, and the Redbeard Pirates.
The four major factions along the southern coast of the Dawn Continent are Sunset Jungle, Mist Swamp, Dusk Desert, and Death Rift.
And the Seven Magitech Nations in the northern part of the Tia Continent, mainly composed of Holy Stone People: Red Mountain Kingdom, Kaluo Kingdom, Mist Castle Kingdom, Morning Star Duchy, Green Meadow Duchy, White Sea Duchy, and Black Hoof Duchy.
Fifteen factions jointly issued a statement announcing the establishment of the "Angedora Bay Alliance," or "An Alliance" for short.
The An Alliance will establish institutions including the "An Alliance Council," the "An Alliance Economic and Trade Committee," the "Angedora Bay Parliament," and the "Angedora Bay Court," to handle internal and external affairs.
Logo Campbell was elected as the chairman of the "An Alliance Economic and Trade Committee" after a multi-party vote, which is commonly known as the Minister of Finance.