As he spoke, he sent out a Faction Mission to the players through the interface. Tens of thousands of players received the notification simultaneously.
____________________________
You have triggered Faction Mission [Black Star Army: The First Battle].
This is the first large-scale mission for the Black Star Army. There will be a war in the interstellar regions, and those who fight with the army would be awarded 500 Faction Favorability.
_____________________________
The rewards that he could hand out were limited, so Han Xiao only chose to issue a reward related to Favorability. However, this was only the first mission, and when he met with the Godoran troops, he would naturally get a formal war employment mission.
At that time, the players would also trigger sub-missions through him, receiving experience and monetary reward. That would be the true substantial benefit.
This was also the original intention of Han Xiao adopting the mercenary regiment model. As his own reward quota was not enough, he would borrow the tasks of the employer to supply his faction with resources. Basically, he was akin to a human resource intermediary or even a pimp.
Only the first batch of players would make it in time for the war.
“There’s a battle the moment we enter the interstellar region. This is going to be fun!”
“What a unique coincidence.”
The crowd could not help but burst into excitement, discussing fervently.
Han Xiao finally surveyed the entire area.
Bennett, standing by his side, expressed his gratitude to Han Xiao. He had decided to stay there to continue managing the Sanctuary.
As for Hila and Aurora, they had already decided to leave Planet Aquamarine. After this incident, Han Xiao would be sending them over to Floating Dragon Island for further studies. Thus, they would leave together. The two sisters did not have any luggage, just whatever was on themselves.
Emerald Grass had also decided to join Black Star to see the galaxy. However, she was different. She brought hundreds of boxes of her medicinal ingredients with her, with the group of prisoners from Bell of Death Island who had finished the training helping her carry them. They were almost totally covered by the boxes.
Han Xiao paused for a moment before saying aloud.
“Now, let us depart!”
The spaceships suspended above slowly lowered themselves, unfolding the gangway.
The tens of thousands of player mercenaries stepped onto the spaceships with boiling blood.
Almost all the clubs and professional players were within the first batch of players leaving. They secretly cheered to themselves. While you guys are still building sandcastles here on the planet, we are off to explore space!
The officers also boarded the BlackLight Stealth, with Han Xiao being the last on.
As the hatches closed, with the BlackLight Stealth at the head, the twenty or so mercenary spaceships took tens of thousands of players as they disappeared into space. The last rays of sunlight disappeared with the spaceships, signaling the end of dusk and the heralding of the night.
The people on the planet raised their heads, looking at the fleet until they disappeared from view.
“Black Star…”
The emotions of countless people were surging wildly.
It was as though they had witnessed a legendary departure.
…
Nagakin’s spaceship had been waiting outside the atmosphere for a long time. They would take the Black Star Mercenary Group to join with the other mercenary groups, which would require a few days.
This was the first time that most of the players had entered the galaxy, and they were extremely excited. Through the interstellar communicators, they learned more about the structure of the galaxy. Because the spaceship was equipped with sufficient facilities, the players were able to familiarize themselves with everything, repeating the actions that Frenzied Sword and the others had done in the past.
However, on the forums, this event was sensational. The first batch of players to reach the interstellar regions raised a huge ruckus, and numerous foreign players came over to watch the news, curious and envious.
This group of players were a key part of Han Xiao’s plans. By bringing players into the galaxy in advance, it would allow them to quickly develop their own forces, further enriching his own pockets. The Godoran war mission was an opportunity to allow the players to understand the mercenary industry and the forces that occupied the galaxy. At the same time, the ability of the Black Star Army would allow them to refresh their impression of him, improving his reputation.
The Black Star Army was no longer the small-scale mercenary group of the past but had been promoted into a large-scale legion. As long as their reputation spread, the missions would flow in ceaselessly.
This first battle was also good to allow the players to familiarize themselves with the playstyle of interstellar battles.
…
A few days passed, and the spaceships of the Black Star Army as well as Nagakin arrived at the meeting place. The combined fleet of the mercenary group was watching as they moved slowly through the universe.
Han Xiao’s spaceship was ushered in, and he immediately received a communication request. The other party was the Sky Ring Army Commander, Gureja. The two of them had cooperated many times before, and their relationship was not too bad.
“Black Star, why are you here as well?” Gureja, complete with a beard that resembled steel bristles, asked in a surprised tone.
“Godora also hired me to take part in the war.” Han Xiao laughed.
“Haha, I thought you only acted as a middleman. To think that you would come here personally. It seems like we’ll be fighting side by side again.”
Gureja let out a loud laugh. Their last mission on Planet Golden Gate had been a success because Han Xiao had helped in the dark. He remembered this favor.
Han Xiao shrugged in response. “Godora can afford the expense, so I’m here.”
“That’s right. You’ve gotten quite close to Godora recently. Do you know what this strategic operation is about?” Gureja asked.
Godora had prevented any information from leaking, only keeping the mercenary groups on standby. They did not disclose the fact that this was a complete offensive against DarkStar, so all the mercenaries there were in the dark.
“Since Godora did not tell you guys, I can’t either. It’s a secret.”
“Ha, you indeed have close relations with them.” Gureja did not press the issue, instead changing topics. “All of the captains are having a meeting on Sky Ring at the moment, assigning tasks. You’ve come at the right time.”
“Hmm, then I’ll head over now.”
After hanging up the communicator, Han Xiao piloted the BlackLight Stealth to enter the array leading to the Sky Ring Army. Sky Ring was a flagship, built to resemble a mountain.
After docking the spaceships, Han Xiao led his officers to board Sky Ring. There were already mercenaries from the Sky Ring Army stationed at the entrance to greet them, taking them into the great hall.
The great hall was spacious, with a circular sofa placed in the middle. A dozen Army Commanders sat on the sofa, each occupying a position. Their respective officers would stay behind their factions’ leader.
The moment Han Xiao walked into the great hall, everyone turned around.
Aurora pulled on the clothes of Hila, carefully whispering, “Sister, the life force of all these people is really huge.”
The mercenaries present came from various star systems and star zones and were all outstanding in their own regions.
For example, the Sky Ring Army had Gureja and another Calamity Grade Super, whereas all the other commanders were at the Calamity Grade as well. Furthermore, those officers that were selected to come along with them were also all strong. This could be described as a gathering of the strong.
Hila’s expression was grave. The gazes of those mercenaries gave her huge pres
sure, as though everyone present could easily deal with her.
However, at this point, a few of the army commanders smiled and passionately greeted them. The atmosphere calmed down.
“It’s… it’s Black Star!”
“We’ve not seen you for a while.”
“Brother, come, sit beside me.”
At least half of the commanders there had ties with Han Xiao or had worked with him before, so they were familiar with him.
There was a smile on Han Xiao’s face as he replied to each and every one of them.
Situated in the midst of powerful allies, he felt more secure.
Herlous and the rest also began to greet the mercenaries whom they knew. The two sisters did not know anyone, so they did not speak a word.
Hila secretly scrutinized the group of mercenaries.
Are all these people Han Xiao’s counterparts? They look formidable!
As Han Xiao walked toward the sofa, one of the commanders, code named ‘Underworld Feather’, shifted before patting the seat beside her, gesturing for him to take a seat.
Just as Han Xiao was about to sit, a commander who was short in stature opened his mouth, his tone harsh.
“Black Star, with just a small number of people in your mercenary group, you’ve come here to have fun?”
The laughter of everyone present suddenly halted.
Han Xiao paused for a moment before looking over. The speaker was foreign to him, and they had not worked together before. Most likely, he had been called over by another mercenary group.
Who was he?
True, his own expansion had happened not too long ago, so it had only just been filed with the Mercenary Alliance. News had not yet spread.
Han Xiao now understood.
That was to say, in the eyes of all those large mercenary groups, he was just a small-scale group with little over a hundred members.
Chapter 581 - Refreshing Everyone’s Understanding
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Phillip’s scan quickly located the origins of this person.
The person talking was an Army Commander called Justin. He was a Mage, and the Expeditionary Army that he led was a large mercenary group in one of the Star Systems within the Colton Star Cluster. He was a comrade who had been called there by the Purple Gold Army.
The top-notch mercenary groups within the Shattered Star Ring had their own circle, and Han Xiao had paid close attention to the various famous mercenary groups in the region. In the past, he did not have any dealings with the Expeditionary Army.
As Floating Dragon’s Field Team, Black Star had gained a place within this circle because of the Dragon Emperor’s fame. Justin had also heard about Black Star before and knew that despite the small size of the Black Star Mercenary Group, they were a special bunch.
While the other large mercenary groups were willing to network with Black Star due to Floating Dragon, he did not have such an interest. When roaming in the mercenary world, he had seen far too many things. So what if the Dragon Emperor was powerful? Justin felt that both of their jobs were completely different. He did not wish to provoke the Dragon Emperor but was too lazy to network with her.
To him, Han Xiao was no more than a fellow mercenary who he had heard of before. He did not have anything against Han Xiao but could not help but speak the truth and doubt the size of Black Star’s Mercenary Group.
While Black Star had a large network, they were about to take part in a war, which carried a huge risk. As an experienced mercenary, Justin doubted that his comrade had the strength to fight alongside him.
If a third-rate mercenary was hired and caused the battle line to collapse, everyone would be affected.
The way Justin saw it, Black Star was no more than a third-rate mercenary who was there to join in the fun. All of them had to shoulder the burden of the war, but what kind of a burden could Black Star shoulder? Their remuneration was earned through placing their lives on the line, but Black Star would be able to earn his by slacking off at the back. Thus, Justin was not too pleased.
“Since we are going to participate in a war, every Army present has over a hundred battleships and a few ten thousand mercenaries invested into the battle,” Justin said with a deep voice. “How many troops can you bring out?”
The other Army Commanders looked at Justin before looking at the standing Han Xiao and did not interrupt.
None of them present were aware that the battle in which they were about to participate was a result of Han Xiao’s actions. With a lack of information, they naturally thought that Han Xiao was only making use of his network to earn a quick buck.
While they did not say anything, all of them felt this way.
“Army Commander Justin, your doubts are justified and understandable,” Han Xiao replied with a calm expression. Everyone present had some kind of status, and it was not wrong for them to voice their doubts.
It was also the best opportunity for him to refresh the understanding that those Army Commanders had of the Black Star Army. Since they were about to fight together, he naturally had to display sufficient strength to put all of them at ease.
“All of your understanding of me is a little outdated. My Black Star Army has already expanded, and we are no longer the same as before. We now have more than ten thousand mercenaries, and they all have the strength of Grade C at least.”
“More than ten thousand Supers‽”
Justin’s eyes widened in shock, and the other Army Commanders were also dumbfounded.
Such a scale was something that even they found frightening.
Just a while ago, the Black Star Mercenary Group had only been a middle-sized mercenary group. How did they grow so rapidly?
Many of them doubted the validity of Han Xiao’s words, and Han Xiao immediately got Phillip to pull up the registration file of the Black Star Army.
Justin did not say another thing. Black Star did indeed have the right to participate in this war with those numbers.
At this moment, Han Xiao’s gaze swept past everyone present and said, “Everyone knows about the immortals under my charge, right?”
Everyone nodded. It was no secret that Black Star had a couple of immortal mercenaries under him.
Han Xiao smiled and added, “These new recruits are all immortals.”
The entire room fell silent.
“They are all immortals‽” Gureja stood up abruptly and broke the silence.
All the other Army Commanders also snapped back into their senses.
All of them understood the significance of those words. This meant that the mercenaries would never be ‘expended’, and the Black Star Army would always maintain its size. Furthermore, they would be able to take on risky missions without the slightest bit of hesitation and would not need to worry about deaths or compensation!
This was like their dream team!
More than ten thousand low grade Supers would be enough to rank any Mercenary Group at the top. If those Supers were immortals, they could only imagine what kind of a stir this would create in the mercenary world.
They would be the best cannon fodder… no, partners!
Many of them could not help but think about Han Xiao’s other identity.
The Black Star Army was also the Field Team of Floating Dragon!
These immortals would be the strength of Floating Dragon after their expansion!
Just when Justin was tongue tied, he heard Han Xiao’s voice.
“Army Commander Justin, these are the forces that I have brought for the battle. Are you satisfied?” Han Xiao asked.
Justin’s mouth cramped up and had nothing to say.
“Or do you doubt my personal strength? If you have any doubts, we can have a little spar.” Han Xiao raised his brows. He was not angered by Justin doubting him, but since he wanted to display his strength, it was best for him to take on a harder stance.
Gureja coughed and resolved the situation. “Black Star single handedly fough
t off three Calamity Grade Supers recently and tanked a main cannon. While the news may have been exaggerated slightly, I believe that the majority is still the truth. I believe no one here will doubt your combat capability.”
Justin then stood up with a solemn expression with his height only up to Han Xiao’s waist. Raising his arm out toward the sofa, he invited Han Xiao to take a seat.
“I apologize for my doubts previously. Please take a seat.”
Just when Han Xiao was about to take a seat, he interrupted Han Xiao’s actions with his words. Now that he understood the strength of the Black Star Army, Justin naturally admitted his mistake and invited Han Xiao to take a seat.
The moment Justin took a step back, the other Army Commanders nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere became lively again.
Han Xiao sat beside Underworld Feather, and Herlous and his other officers sat behind him.
After he sat down, Underworld Feather handed him a bag of snacks.
“You want?”
“What is this?” Han Xiao looked into the bag, which was filled with a pile of black dried meat.
“Dried lizards. I made it myself,” Underworld Feather said with her brows raised.
Han Xiao hesitated for a moment before picking up a piece and eating it. He then asked curiously, “What kind of lizards did you use to make this?”
“I once completed a mission to wipe out an entire lizard tribe.” Underworld Feather picked up another piece and ate it merrily.
Han Xiao placed the second piece that he had just picked up back down.
She was truly too ferocious.
Underworld Feather was a female Dark Elf and had all the characteristics of one. Her chest and ass were well developed, and she had the beauty of an elf. Her physique was strong and healthy, and she looked like a lazy panther. She had inherited the cold blooded and blood thirsty nature of the Dark Elves. Despite looking tender and flirtatious, no one dared underestimate her. She was like a female dragon.
The Dark Underworld Army that she led had the background of a civilization, and her backing was a magic civilization led by elves belonging to the Colton Star Cluster.
The Legendary Mechanic c1-1385 Page 353