Twinkle Fried Rice shook his head.
“The more the merrier. This way, the Pro League will have higher viewership rates.” Li Ge chuckled.
“I wonder how long the version update period would be this time,” Maple Moon said curiously.
“It shouldn’t be too long, right? Our Flickering World mission hasn’t ended yet. We will definitely get to continue the exploration during the next version,” Frenzied Sword replied. “I am truly curious to see what the Black Star Army will be like during the next version.”
The few of them chatted and suddenly saw King Admiral waving at them from afar. Frenzied Sword and the others then went over.
King Admiral chuckled and said, “Since everyone is here, let’s find a day to have a meal. We can take it to be a celebration for obtaining both the championship and first runner up.”
“Sure.” Li Ge was the first to agree.
“I remember that we did so after the previous season ended as well,” Sleepy Winter said while stroking his chin.
“That’s right. We should just make it a tradition. The champions shall be in charge of treating all the Chinese players. We can go for a vacation together.”
“Better treat us to something good. Don’t be like Long Sky and only treat us to some roadside store.”
“Dining at a roadside store is value for money,” Hao Tian said bitterly.
Everyone then cheered at the proposition, and King Admiral had no choice but to accept it.
Very quickly, all the players went offline, and the entire plaza became empty.
A notification also popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.
_____________________
Version 3.0 update activated.
Saving data… Save complete!
Player forums closed.
Update Duration: Unknown. Please wait patiently.
_____________________
Han Xiao then looked up, and the player forum button had turned gray.
“The players are all offline…” Han Xiao took a deep breath. “It’s now time to start planning for Version 4.0.”
…
At the same time, at the entrance of the Shattered Star Ring stargate, a trade fleet had just exited the stargate. The spaceship had an egg-like shape with silver armor. It looked extremely simple yet high tech. The insignia of the Limitless Financial Group was carved out on the exterior of the spaceship.
The main flagship was a gigantic flying saucer. In the command room, a tall man stood in front of the window and looked out at the view.
His figure was slim, and his skin was extremely fair. He looked very gentle and did not have the pressure of a powerhouse. He was dressed in luxurious clothes from head to toe and was emanating with the feeling of wealth.
This man was the current head of the Limitless Financial Group, Sorokin. He was one of the richest men in the galaxy.
A secretary stood beside Sorokin and said softly, “Your Excellency Sorokin, we have arrived.”
“Hmm…” Sorokin replied. “Follow our schedule and head to the Black Star Army headquarters. Get our Shattered Star Ring branch to show me information about their performance over the past five years.”
“Understood.”
The Limitless Financial Group had property everywhere, and the Shattered Star Ring was no exception. But because of the poor public security of this region, the Limitless Financial Group did not place much emphasis on the Shattered Star Ring, and their operations were not large there.
If not for the fact that he had accepted the proposition of his three Beyond Grade A shareholders, Sorokin would not have established a large scale operation over there.
Although his current goal was to make trouble for Black Star, they were not direct enemies in business competition. Sorokin was also interested in meeting Black Star.
The way he saw it, Black Star should be happy to meet a wealthy individual like him. Although one of his subsidiary organizations had been wiped out by Black Star, his identity was not revealed, and Black Star should not know that he was the mastermind behind the matter.
As such, this would be their first encounter in Black Star’s eyes.
With Black Star being kept in the dark, he would have a slight advantage.
He could also make use of this opportunity to come into contact with the Black Star Army’s immortals and complete his previous goal.
Just as Sorokin was in thought, the hatch to the command room opened, and a woman walked in. She was dressed in the manager attire of the financial group.
This woman came to Sorokin’s side and lowered her head slightly.
“Father, what are your instructions?”
She was Lovell, Sorokin’s daughter.
Sorokin had many children, and they took on various positions in the financial group.
Turning to look at her, Sorokin flipped open his communicator and sent an invitation to her.
“Take this Tyrant’s Party invitation and go to Heber. Meet him on my behalf.”
Lovell was startled and asked, “Didn’t you want to invest in the Black Star Army?”
“I will only make a decision after meeting Black Star. Before that, we cannot let go of any other investment opportunities,” Sorokin replied.
His deal with the three shareholders was a secret. Apart from himself, everyone in the financial group thought that he was making a trip to the Shattered Star Ring for an ordinary investment.
Although he was planning to use money to compete with the Black Star Army, he needed to use the money wisely. While money would allow him to snatch a larger portion of the market, he did not like suffering losses.
Sorokin wanted both the deal with his shareholders and the opportunity to invest in the Flickering World!
As long as he invested in the right target, things would go smoothly for him.
He wanted to compete with Black Star head on but also not anger the dynasty. Thus, there was a suitable investment partner in the Shattered Star Ring.
After all, the Black Star Army was not the only organization that had the right to begin construction in the Flickering World.
Chapter 921 - Level 300
Less than five minutes after the players went offline, various reports were sent from all the Black Star Army bases to Han Xiao. This was not the first time such a situation had occurred for the various officers, and although there were still some who found the matter strange, there was not a huge commotion.
To the outsiders, the disappearance of the players did not have any pattern, and only Han Xiao, who also had the player interface, could accurately grasp the time.
Version 3.0 was the true uprising of the Black Star Army in terms of manpower, strength, and status. Before the end of Version 2.0, the Black Star Army only had twenty-three bases, a few thousand battleships, and almost two hundred million Enas in savings. But now, their scale was at least a thousand times larger!
This was sufficient to prove just how great the benefits he had during the current version. He had managed to grasp all the opportunities that presented themselves to him. Advancing into the Beyond Grade A was like a carp leaping through the dragon gate.
With the current scale of the Black Star Army, although the players going offline would affect the employment missions of the army, it would not stop the ordinary operations of the army from operating.
“The version update this time will take twenty-three years, and the Flickering World will be in the fourth phase of development by then…”
Han Xiao leaned back on his chair.
To a civilization, a few decades was a short amount of time, just one or two generations. Without any outside interference, this amount of time was not enough to cause a huge change.
When all their questions could be answered and they no longer needed to fumble around in the dark for research, the Black Spirit Race would definitely be able to go from a native civilization to a galactic civilization in a short few decades for sure.
Intervening in the devel
opment of low-grade civilizations went against the Treaty of Cosmic Civilizations. On the surface, this was to restrict the development of the low-grade civilizations, but in truth, it was to reduce the conflict between galactic civilizations.
However, it was still the same logic. Regardless of how good a rule was, the rules could be bent depending on the individual bending it. With Han Xiao’s current status, as long as he did not go too far, no one would care about such a small thing. Furthermore, the Black Spirit Race was a race that worshipped him, so no one would attack him because of this matter. As long as he had his own territory, no one would bother him about such matters.
Han Xiao then took out his communicator and called the dynasty.
“Your Excellency Black Star, do you need something?”
“Of course. If not, why would I bother calling you/” Han Xiao then went straight to the point. “How much longer will it take for the first exploration phase to end? You said that it would be finished very soon two years ago, and the star maps of the three Star Clusters have already been perfected. When will the upper echelons of the dynasty announce the completion of the first phase?”
“I am not too sure about the exact time, but it should be this year at the latest.”
“Inform me if you have any news.”
“Don’t worry, chief commander Tarrokov will definitely inform you beforehand.”
Right at this moment, the other party paused for a while, and his voice became solemn.
“Right, I also have something to tell you. The Blood Gold Organization ignored the dynasty’s warning and didn’t stop robbing the Evolutionary Totem. Our allies are grumbling because of this matter.”
Han Xiao was surprised and said, “It seems like they’ve found a backer.”
“Er, it is more accurate to say that a backer found them. The Federation of Light provided them with protection and got them to hide in the Abyss of Stars. They can then manage their subordinates remotely and continue accepting employment missions.”
Federation of Light? Indeed, they can’t help but target the Evolutionary Totem. Han Xiao’s eyes narrowed. The interference of a Universal Civilization was not out of his expectations. The Federation of Light would never allow the dynasty to monopolize an item of such strategic importance.
The Federation of Light’s plan was still unknown, and Han Xiao believed that the Federation of Light would not stop at conducting robberies. Such a small amount was not enough to satisfy their needs, and there must be a bigger scheme behind it all. They would most likely attempt to force the dynasty to open the rights to sell the Evolutionary Totem.
In this regard, the Federation of Light did not have any conflicts with him. Han Xiao also wished to expand his operations.
However, the method to craft the totems had been grasped by many organizations, and the other party might also attempt to seize his Evolution Cube. Still, the probability of this happening was small.
The memory of the Arcane Church failing miserably was still fresh, and now that the technological skill for the totem had been exposed, the dynasty would definitely place a larger importance on the Evolution Cube. If it was not necessary, no one would risk starting a war with the dynasty to snatch the Evolution Cube. The losses would exceed the gains. But despite all this, he still had to keep his guard up.
“What is the reaction of the dynasty?”
“The upper echelons guessed that something like this would happen and made plenty of preparations in secret. Although the dynasty will help you to endure most of the pressure, you will still face some risks yourself. The upper echelons recommend you stay in the dynasty’s territory and operate through your machines. Even if the Federation of Light has the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device, they won’t dare teleport into the dynasty’s territory.”
“I would be safer indeed, but I cannot stay in the Central Galaxy forever. That would be no different from being imprisoned.” Han Xiao sighed helplessly.
As long as he did not hand over the Evolution Cube, he would always have to face such a dilemma. Profit would always come with risk, and if he wanted to settle this point thoroughly, he needed to let the entire universe recognize that the Evolution Cube belonged to him. His own strength was a factor, and the dynasty opening the rights to sell the totem was another factor.
Sigh, the Federation of Light is forcing me to be their spokesman…
“Thank you for your reminder. I will consider the matter.” Han Xiao shook his head and hung up.
After sitting down for a while more, he then went to the training room and opened up his interface.
With the players offline, the experience which he had stored up will be the basis for him to increase his strength. Han Xiao had accumulated a large amount of experience over the past two years, and it was enough for him to reach level three hundred.
Since he was not able to influence the dynasty, all he could do was increase his strength.
Han Xiao let out a deep breath and channeled his experience to leveling up.
_____________________
[Lord Mechanic] leveled up to Lv.21.
+360 Energy, +5 STR, +5DEX, +12 END, +15 INT.
You have received 12 Free Attribute Points and 1 Potential Point.
…
Lord Mechanic] leveled up to Lv.40 (max).
+360 Energy, +5 STR, +5DEX, +12 END, +15 INT.
You have received 12 Free Attribute Points and 1 Potential Point.
_____________________
Han Xiao’s level went from 280 to 300, and his body surged with energy.
At his current level, the amount of experience needed to level up would only snowball. Without a way to accumulate experience, choosing to level up further was not the best option.
Han Xiao placed all his Free Attribute Points into Intelligence to increase his damage and looked at the notifications on the interface.
_____________________
You have reached the upper limit of your Main Class. You have triggered Class Advancement Mission: [Erudite]
[Erudite]: Have 30 Class Knowledges reaching Lv.5 with at least 3 being Ultimate Knowledges. The strength of a Mechanic comes from their knowledge, and a Mechanic can only reach higher heights with a stable foundation.
You have reached Lv.300. You have triggered a Promotion Mission: [Abundant Energy]!
[Abundant Energy]: Reach Lv.19 in your energy level. Energy will always be required to support strength.
_____________________
“These two missions don’t seem too bad.” Han Xiao raised his brows.
Compared to the challenge-type missions, Han Xiao preferred the missions that had a requirement on his attributes. He was already planning to increase his Class Knowledge, and the [Erudite] mission came at the right time.
[Abundant Energy] required his energy level to be at Lv.19, which was 120,000 energy points. Han Xiao had always been training [Radiation Absorption], and together with his gains from leveling up twenty times, his energy level had just passed 100,000 points and had reached Lv.18. He was only about 20,000 points away from the requirement.
The energy points of most Beyond Grade As were above 100,000, so Han Xiao’s energy level was relatively low. If not for his special energy regeneration tactic, his energy level would definitely be lower.
Since he could not level up, he needed plenty of energy training manuals to fill this gap. Although the requirement was harsh, energy was an important attribute, and there would be no disadvantage for him to complete this mission.
However, despite thinking that way, Han Xiao still opened the Random Reward page.
During this period of time, Han Xiao had gotten his mechanical army to perform plenty of missions on the outside and accumulated a few Random Reward opportunities. There were more than twenty chances for him to use.
“I hope that a Mission Completion Card will come out…” Han Xiao prayed.
Even Feidin’s luck was not useful to help him this time. Luck would h
elp him to increase the chance of a high value item appearing, but the Mission Completion Card was considered a worthless item to even the players, and high Luck would reduce his chance of drawing it.
Without any hesitation, Han Xiao immediately started drawing rewards.
After finishing all his Random Reward chances, over half were common items. Apart from that, there were three Potential Points, three low grade skills, one foundation talent, one empty Character Summon Card, one ability enhancement card, one double experience card… and two Mission Completion Cards.
He only got two of them in over twenty draws. Han Xiao truly did not know if this was his good or bad luck.
The two Mission Completion Cards would be able to allow him to complete the missions immediately, but after thinking for a while, Han Xiao did not plan on using the Mission Completion Cards now as he felt that it was not worth it.
“This thing is too damn difficult to get. Since these two missions aren’t that difficult, I should save these Mission Completion Cards for the future,” Han Xiao mumbled to himself.
[Erudite] was not difficult at all, and he had already planned to increase the level of his knowledge. Although the requirements for [Abundant Energy] was harsh, he only needed to put in some effort to complete it.
He could still afford to wait for a short while and kept the two Mission Completion Cards for a rainy day. It would truly be a loss if he wasted these two ‘precious’ Mission Completion Cards.
Han Xiao then looked through his attributes. Because he did not finish his Promotion and Class Advancement missions, his Attribute Points and Potential Points had only increased slightly.
Chapter 922 - Meeting
Han Xiao opened his Profession tree for a look. The current maxed Lv.5 knowledge did not reach the required thirty to give him the title of [Erudite], but he was close to it, just requiring him to raise a few lower-tiered knowledges. The problem was having an Ultimate Knowledge of each of the three branches maxed out.
Another important source for potential points would be to reach max level for his skills, but the upgrade cost would increase exponentially with the character level and sum of all skill levels. For a non-related branch Ultimate Knowledge, it would require roughly 120 Potential Points to upgrade from Lv.0 to Lv.5.
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