Some thought that what had happened to Dynasty was regretful—if they did not face Rivervale and Long Sky consecutively, both the champion and the first runner-up teams might have been Chinese teams.
Due to the outstanding performances of the teams that they admired, countless players were praising how exciting this season was nonstop. After watching the entire season, they discovered one phenomenon.
During the finals, the Chinese teams did not lose even once to a team from another country!
Hence, some people found new words to praise their teams.
“The only ones that can beat us are ourselves!”
Han Xiao did watch the events after the match such as the award ceremony, the analytics of the season, and so on. Seeing that Long Sky were the winners, he had a rough guess about the future situation.
The Chinese teams had achieved extraordinary results in this season, and this would have a long-term effect. He knew his countrymen well. No matter what competition it was, as long as a fellow countryman was the champion, it would definitely pique their interest. Hence, there would be many new Chinese players in the next version, far more than in his previous life.
The Shattered Star Ring division, where the champions were from, was the headquarters of the various Chinese clubs. Therefore, many new Chinese players would choose to be born in the novice planets in the Shattered Star Ring. These freshies would become the new blood of the Black Star Army in the next version!
The current player count was far from the peak. The amazing results obtained by the Chinese teams would also affect Han Xiao very positively-good results meant more newcomers for the Black Star Army, which also meant that the quantity and quality of his leeks would be increased.
In this season, the Chinese teams had used various Black Star series mechanical devices. These were basically advertisements for the Black Star Army. Similar to how the American teams chose Planet Winterfrost to showcase the advantages of the Demon Race so that many players would feel that Demons were very strong, the Chinese teams’ performance made many feel that the Black Star Army was very strong. The machines used by the Chinese teams brought Han Xiao quite a lot of attention.
Season two of the Galaxy Pro League had ended, but its popularity lasted for a long time afterward. However, after most of the players had their fill of fun, they finally focused on other issues.
The end of the Pro League meant that Version 2.0 was about to end as well.
Speculation concerning the storyline of the next season became a hot topic on the forums once again.
In the Shattered Star Ring, Bun-Hit-Dog’s video was mentioned, the one that consisted of Han Xiao’s conversation with Frenzied Sword and the others. The video hinted that the next version would be related to the Crimson Dynasty and sparked a lot of discussion.
“What could the Crimson Dynasty’s goal in the Shattered Star Ring be?”
“Who knows? Anyway, in the next version, we will definitely be more involved in the fight between the organizations in the galaxy.”
“Maybe it’s the same as the start of Version 2.0, having to face a huge disaster as soon as we log in. I’m guessing that the Crimson Dynasty is the final boss.”
“I’m not really interested in the storyline. All I’m interested in is what will happen to our Black Star Army. After the last version update, Black Star became the faction that guided us into the universe. I wonder how the Black Star Army will change after this update.”
“I hope it won’t disappear. We farmed so many Contribution Points for so long. If the Black Star Army is gone, it will all have been for nothing.”
Due to past experiences, many players were curious about what the Black Star Army would become in Version 3.0.
The Chinese players basically looked at the Black Star Army as their main faction. Furthermore, it was one of the biggest reasons that the Chinese teams were able to achieve such results in the Pro League. Therefore, this issue received a lot of attention.
Han Xiao had been keeping an eye on the forums too, but even he could not give a clear answer to this question.
“The new version is about to arrive. This time, the gap is ten years…”
Han Xiao shook his head. Under the Crimson Tide, this would be a very tough ten years. Klent’s secret war and the third round of (Prey)… there would be all kinds of danger.
In his previous life, when Version 3.0 started, the secret war between Klent and Purple Crystal was at its climax. That was when the players came into play. This meant that the secret war might go on during the entire time before the version updates.
The Black Star Army would spend the next ten years in battles. There would be both risks and opportunities.
When the players returned after ten years, Han Xiao did not know what would have become of the Black Star Army.
There would be many alliances forming in the next version. They would be the hidden competitors in recruiting the players. In Version 3.0, the Black Star Army would no longer be the ‘guiding faction’. Han Xiao had been wondering how to make use of the next ten years to increase the attractiveness of the Black Star Army.
The current players had spent a lot of time and energy on the Black Star Army throughout the version, so they would not change factions easily. Keeping the old players was not an issue as long as Han Xiao operated the Black Star Army properly during the version update.
What he needed to go for was the new players in Version 3.0. Other than the effect brought by the Pro League, the Black Star Army had to have at least the same amount of resources as the other alliance factions.
The players’ achievements during Version 2.0 and the profit made from the players were the only assets that Han Xiao had to get through the following ten years.
The Pro League was the last opportunity to harvest leeks for Version 2.0. Near the end of the version, the players would bank their fortune and wait for the next version.
As soon as Version 3.0 arrived, the Black Star Army would rocket in terms of strength!
After all, the players in Version 3.0 would be able to level up to Grade B.
Millions of Grade C Supers and millions of Grade B Supers were completely different.
Beep beep!
This time, the communicator suddenly vibrated.
“You have a new message, hum…”
Han Xiao took out the communicator. It was a message from Ralph, telling him to go to the mother planet of the Purple Crystal Civilization. Section Zero had confirmed all the organization members and summoned the leader of all those organizations to officially announce the creation of Section Zero.
“This organization is formed at last.”
Han Xiao’s eyes gleamed.
The Blacklight Stealth stopped at the port of the Section Zero headquarters, which was on the Curved Blade garrison satellite orbiting the Purple Crystal Civilization mother planet. Han Xiao followed Dodder, the foreign affairs emissary, into the garrison satellite and came to the hall.
At this time, more than two hundred rather well-known people were gathered there. The moment that Han Xiao walked in, those people all turned and looked over with different expressions on their faces.
Before Section Zero was officially formed, most of the people there did not know who the other members were. Due to what had happened with Black Star a few months ago, many had guessed that Black Star had joined Section Zero, so not many of them were surprised.
“Not bad, Black Star is a reliable comrade.”
Many had the same thought in their mind and nodded at Han Xiao.
Han Xiao saw some familiar faces in the crowd, including chest hair monster Jayne and do-nothing Gadeli, who had once fought alongside him, and some organizations that had followed him to eliminate Albert’s gang.
Among them, the ones that had the biggest organizations were the Arc Light Organization leader from the Severide Star System, the Hero Group leader from the Skywalker Star System, and the New Phylen Rebels leader from the Rain Star System.
Other than those, there were also many other organizations that were much bigger than Han Xiao’s. His Black Star Army was above average.
Ralph stood before the crowd. His face was serious, and his tone was formal.
“Everyone is here. As you all know, the purpose of Section Zero is to protect the Colton Star Cluster and guard against the Klent Kingdom’s invasion. The enemy you’re about to face is the Tyrant’s Bloodshed Land. Due to reasons that all of you know, we and Klent can’t use our official armies. The Colton Star Cluster’s safety is in your hands.
“You will all become important allies of one another, cooperate with each other, fight alongside each other, and guard against the Bloodshed Land’s invasion together.
“I hereby announce the official creation of Section Zero!”
This time, a notification popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.
New Faction (Section Zero] activated!
Favorability: 1,500/3,000
Current Relationship: Friendly
In the hall of Black Star Base No.1, many players had gathered.
It was the day of the version upgrade, and the update would start in less than two hours. Many players gathered in different bases before logging off. The players were now experienced with this and knew that the best choice was to wait in a stronghold in groups before the update. Base No.1 had the most players.
This was because Long Sky, Dynasty, and Rivervale had all decided to log off there. Many players had gone to look at those players.
After Hao Tian was done speaking to the passionate fans, he bade farewell to King Admiral and Frenzied Sword.
“I’m logging off.”
King Admiral smiled and said, “Little Hao, let’s have dinner in a few days. Call Fried Eggplants With Fish and the others too.”
“Sure.” Hao Tian nodded.
Li Ge heard and asked, “Hey, what about me?”
“If you’re that shameless, we welcome you to come without an invitation.” Second Prince curled his lips.
“It’s decided then, see you there,” Li Ge said in a serious tone.
Frenzied Sword was stunned. He remembered Li Ge to be very proud, what happened?
Compared to the Temple of Gods, which did not achieve any notable results in two consecutive seasons, Long Sky had finished top four and champions, while Dynasty was second and third. Therefore, Li Ge could not maintain the confidence to be proud anymore. He did not want the Temple of Gods to be forgotten, so he could only put away his pride and hang out with these people. That way, he could at least benefit from all the attention that they were receiving.
“By the way, Sword, bring your team over for the dinner too. It’s on me.” Hao Tian suddenly recalled his buddy Frenzied Sword.
Frenzied Sword was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. He had been dreaming of becoming a god tier player, and now, he finally felt that he was one foot into Hao Tian and the others’ circle.
Twinkle Fried Rice’s eyes sparkled. “Since so many people are coming, we might as well invite Thunder Storm, Fanatics, Nine Gates, and all those teams as well. We should all celebrate for a few days.”
Li Ge immediately supported this idea. All the teams gathering together would definitely be huge news. He would benefit from it, too.
Hao Tian thought about it and said, “Okay. Anyway, we did not celebrate enough after winning the championship. Let’s enjoy ourselves during the holidays.”
They chatted for a while happily and logged off one after another. The players around also turned into white lights and disappeared.
Very soon, the hall became empty.
At the same time, Han Xiao, who was on rushing back, saw a notification on his interface.
Version 2.0 Update Activated!
Saving data… Save complete!
Player forums closed.
Update Duration: Unknown. Please wait patiently.
“And so it begins…”
Inside the Blacklight Stealth cockpit, Han Xiao had a melancholic expression on his face.
Ten years…
A spaceship left the desolate region, and the countless stars ahead were reflected on the porthole.
Stephanie looked at the bright stars ahead and smiled.
“We’re finally here, the Shattered Star Ring.”
Chapter 653 - Ten Year Plan
“With all the players disappearing, the size of the Black Star Army will be reduced considerably, and there is a need to make new plans.”
Han Xiao began to carefully think about how he should resolve this matter.
He was still less than thirty years old, and when Version 3.0 was released, he would be almost forty.
Han Xiao did not worry about his age. He was a Grade A Super, after all, and had injected himself with longevity medicine before. Living two to three hundred years should not be an issue at all. In ten years, his appearance would still be the same, young and suave.
Han Xiao already had a brief outline for the development of the Black Star Army over the next ten years.
“My main focus should be to accumulate strength. Without the players to bring me a long stream of benefits, the main focus of these ten years should be to convert all the benefits that the player’s brought me in Version 2.0.”
His assets from Version 2.0 included the twenty-three bases in the Garton Star System, almost two thousand battleships and over seventeen million Enas in savings. Furthermore, the numerous employment missions that the players had completed had also greatly increased the fame of the Black Star Army.
NPC mercenaries were different from players. Every death meant that he would have one fewer mercenary. While hiring freelance mercenaries was a solution, grooming fresh blood for his Black Star Army was more important. Han Xiao decided to increase the investment in the training camps so that he could ensure a constant flow of new mercenaries and also reduce his costs.
Apart from the mercenaries at the bottom rung, Han Xiao also needed to groom the officers at the top. With the current level of the Black Star Army, Grade B Supers were no longer rare and could only be considered the middle rung. They truly lacked Grade A Supers at the very top. Currently, the only two Grade A Supers were Han Xiao and Lagi.
“Hmm, I need to try and recruit new Grade A Supers while grooming those with potential such as Herlous, Feidin, and Reynold. I wonder how many Grade A Supers I will be able to groom over the next ten years.”
Han Xiao stroked his chin. In his previous life, Sylvia had already been a Grade A Super in Version 3.0. These ten years should be Sylvia’s growth spurt, and Han Xiao needed to stimulate her growth further so that she could transform from a capable female secretary into a competent helper.
However, accumulating their strength did not mean that they would have to remain low profile. The secret war started by Klent would be the largest conflict on the outside, and there would be opportunities hidden within risks. Han Xiao would naturally participate in the war.
In order to obtain Cutting-Edge Knowledge, Han Xiao had joined Section Zero to farm favorability points with Purple Crystal. This was one of the most secure paths. Cutting-Edge Knowledge was something that he could not lack. Even if it was not a Class Advancement requirement, Han Xiao would still want to obtain it.
At the same time, he was killing two birds with one stone. As long as he could render huge merits in the secret war, he would have the right to become a long-term partner of a Star Cluster civilization like the Bloodshed Land. This would then be the stimulus to restructure the Black Star Army and allow the Black Star Army to take another step forward in the Colton Star Cluster.
With the accumulation of resources from Version 2.0 and the support that Purple Crystal gave to Section Zero, Han Xiao would be able to accumulate his strength. If he wanted to receive more resources from Purple Crystal, he would have to achieve a higher status in Section Zero and render large merits.
All the first-rate organizations such as Arc Light, Hero Group, and New Phylen were both his reliable allies
and his competitors. They were extremely large organizations that received greater support and resources. If Han Xiao wanted to receive more resources, he would have to prove his superiority.
“Currently, both parties have not begun to fight, and there is still some time to prepare before the war. Apart from the development of the organization, my own strength will also have to take another step forward. The amount of experience that I have accumulated should be enough to bring me up to level two hundred.”
The strength of his organization was only an external force; his own personal strength was the most important.
Ten years was enough for Han Xiao to convert all of his experience points into combat strength. As for whether or not he would be able to reach beyond Grade A, Han Xiao was not too sure either. He did not know the level requirement for beyond Grade A.
If he used the gap between Grade B and Grade A as a reference as well as the increase in his strength as he leveled up, Han Xiao estimated that he would need to be at least level 240 before reaching beyond Grade A.
The accumulated experience might not be able to take him to beyond Grade A, but Grade A+ was definite.
As long as he could find a few more powerful skills and talent, he should be able to defeat the majority of Grade A Supers.
“I am currently at level 170, and the Class Advancement Mission is delaying me. If I want to obtain Cutting-Edge Knowledge to complete my Class Advancement, I need to farm 6,000 favorability points with Purple Crystal and improve my relationship with Purple Crystal to ‘Reverence’.”
After deciding on the general direction to take, Han Xiao returned to his base and began issuing orders.
First, he shrank back the range of operations. Without the presence of the players, the efficiency of the Black Star Army would be greatly reduced.
At the same time, Han Xiao took out a large amount of funds to purchase raw materials and spare parts. He got the various military factories to construct small sized spaceships. The logistics department under Reynold’s lead was no longer the same as before, and its scale was many times greater. They could already construct their own spaceships. Although they were only capable of building small assault spaceships, the Black Star Army was still able to save a great deal of money. This was one of the preparations before war erupted.
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