Han Xiao did not plan to reject them. After all, there were seven Calamity Grades, which was quite an amount of power. Furthermore, Jotina was a rare Beyond Grade A seed with extraordinary potential. She could be of company to Hadavy and Lothaire.
High-quality leeks uprooting themselves up and entering his vegetation field was always something Han Xiao loved to see. However, he could not agree with it too easily. The routine questioning was still needed.
“Why were you unhappy with Gorutan?”
Jotina took a deep breath. Sorrow and anger appeared on her face as she said, “In order to produce high-quality offspring, Gorutan bought countless females of different races from the black market. These females weren’t even granted the freedom to die. The only thing they could do was become a tool of reproduction.
“My mother was one of them. With my very own eyes, I watched her give birth to one offspring after another for years. She died of exhaustion in the end. The high-quality offspring were given a lot of resources and trained well, while the low-quality ones became slaves. Although we’re all related by blood, most people have no emotional connection to others. That place was like a cold and freezing graveyard. Everyone had no choice but to fawn over Gorutan. Not a single day spent there was not filled with hatred and disgust.”
Jotina closed her eyes as she was flooded by the sorrowful memories, only reopening them after a while. Then, she said with a deep voice, “My friends have had the same experience as me. We hate everything Gorutan has created, but we had no choice but to be manipulated by him and assist in his evil deeds. We lived every day in agony and frustration. We’re not afraid of dying. Only through enduring this pain and keeping ourselves alive can we find the chance to change everything. And when you defeated him, we were finally liberated.”
Then, Jotina kneeled onto the ground. The people behind her followed. The entire group kneeled as a gesture of respect.
“We hope you can take us in!”
Jotina pressed her forehead onto the ground and growled emotionally.
“Please take us in!” Everyone else shouted simultaneously as well. The shouting echoed in the room.
Seeing this, Han Xiao pondered a while and nodded. “Since that’s the case, I shall accept you to become members of the Black Star Army.”
The group exhaled with relief and finally stood up.
A smile appeared on Jotina’s face again. Her expression relaxed. It was beautiful. Like her wild personality, her emotions were also directly displayed.
Han Xiao nodded. His tone became friendly as he smiled and said, “Then, we’re all family now. Come to Black Star Palace. I want to see you guys with my own eyes and arrange roles for you. Also, if you want to visit Gorutan’s specimen…”
This time, Jotina interrupted Han Xiao. She wiped the smile off her face and said with a serious tone, “Black Star, I also have a gift as well as a request.”
“Do tell.” Han Xiao raised his brows.
Jotina nodded. “The Beast Ancestor’s organization is in shambles now. It’s a great opportunity to split it up. I’m willing to help you obtain the Beast Ancestor’s inheritance. This is my gift to you.”
“And your request?”
“I hope you can destroy the Beast Ancestor’s headquarters and all of the offspring production facilities, releasing all the females and taking in all the young offspring of Beast Ancestor. This is both my request and my gift. Although I hate Gorutan to the core, these young offspring are innocent. Their worldviews have yet to take shape and can still be adjusted. If raised properly, they can become new blood for the army.”
Jotina then looked up and stared at Han Xiao, as if she wanted to see the answer she had been hoping to see for a very long time in Han Xiao’s eyes.
Han Xiao opened the interface, and as he expected, this triggered a mission. However, it was not one mission but two.
The first mission was [Liberate Beast Ancestor’s Organization]. Just like Jotina said, it required him to destroy the Beast Ancestor’s headquarters and free those within. The rewards were Jotina’s Favorability and her Character Summon Card.
The second mission, however, shocked him.
_____________________
Ending the Darkness
Mission Introduction: Life form trafficking is the source of countless tragedies. Jotina hates it with everything she has. Destroying the practice has always been her dream her entire life.
Mission Requirement: End the life form trading industry in Galaxy.
Reward: 1 Trillion EXP, 15 Random Rewards, 3 Universe Legendary Points, 5 Blank Character Summon Cards.
Bonus Reward: [Slave Liberator] Milestone.
[Slave Liberator]: Your relationship with all Lawful Factions will forever be fixed at [Reverence].
_____________________
One trillion experience… Han Xiao was stunned.
This was the craziest mission he had ever seen, as were its rewards, and of course its difficulty.
Eliminate the life form trading industry of the entire universe?
Looking at the population of the entire Galaxy, this was a mission that was impossible to complete. If there was no demand for it, it would never have started in the first place. Even the three Universal Civilizations could not do this, so who else could?
No wonder Jotina only requested that he liberate Beast Ancestor’s organization. She most likely knew that this wish of hers would never be achieved.
Of course, Han Xiao would not expose her. He shook his head, put this matter at the back of his mind, and did not mention it.
“About liberating Beast Ancestor’s organization, you have my word.”
“Then, I’ll be willing to serve you till the end of time.”
Jotina lowered her head, and admiration appeared in her eyes.
Ever since Han Xiao defeated Gorutan, she had viewed Black Star as her idol.
Before she came into contact with Black Star, she had been anxious, afraid that the truth about her idol might disappoint her.
Also, she was afraid that Black Star might mistake her for someone who went whichever way the wind blew, seeing her actions as betraying her old master and going to the winner. She would have been very sad if that was the case.
Now, however, all those worries were gone. Black Star was totally worth her admiration.
Like electricity running through her entire body, she suddenly felt something in her heart. She was a very direct person, and her emotions were easily affected. At this moment, she felt she was in love.
Chapter 1065 - The Wolf Is Besieged and Annihilated
1065 The Wolf Is Besieged and Annihilated
Ending his long-range projection, Han Xiao opened his eyes within his palace, his emotions overflowing in joy.“Seven Calamity Grades joined, with one of them even being a Beyond Grade A seed. This wave of talents is good quality.”
He had only been interested in the resources accumulated by the Beast Ancestor and did not covet the latter’s offspring because both sides were enemies after all. Even if he were to forcefully accept the troops and force the descendants to work for him, there would always be resistance.
There was also a chance that they would not put in their best effort, and their numbers would allow them to pollute the army and form a faction, which would become a ticking time bomb.
A melon that is forcefully plucked will not be sweet.
The losses would outweigh the gains. Furthermore, the Black Star Army was already part of the Lawful Faction, so they could not go too overboard. At the same time, they did not lack manpower in the army at the moment, so he was not interested in poaching the manpower of the Beast Ancestor.
That being said, if it was those who decided to voluntarily pledge themselves to the Black Star Army, he naturally would not reject them.
“The majority of people from the rebel faction are still waiting, and Jotina’s batch is only the first wave of guinea pigs. There will definitely be more of them in the future. Even I don�
�t know the exact number.”
Han Xiao did not wish to capture all these people in one go, as each individual had their own ambitions. Some of them might not necessary chose to defect to him if they were to betray the Beast Ancestor Organization. Some would choose to resign completely, burying their lives and living in a low-profile manner.
Shaking his head, Han Xiao temporarily put this matter aside and summoned Phillip.
“Notify Herlous and Sylvia. Tell them to mobilize the soldiers of the Shattered Star Ring to send a fleet over to the Beast Ancestor’s base to free all the slaves and to destroy his offspring cultivation assembly line.”
Due to the high difficulty level of the mission [Ending the Darkness], he could not progress in it at the moment. In contrast, the other missions were quite simple, and since he had already given the other party his word, Han Xiao swung into action. With Jotina joining him, he would also have sufficient reason to send out troops.
Furthermore, since Gorutan had brought out a large number of elites, his base was quite empty. Thus, it also reduced the difficulty. As long as the fleet brought along his own avatar as a guarantee, there should not be any accidents.
This group of guys who had forsaken the darkness for the light brought Han Xiao plenty of good news. However, there was one detail that made Han Xiao sit up and take notice.
He always felt that the look Jotina had in her eyes seemed a little bit too eager…
It was like how he normally looked at Feidin.
…
In the stronghold of the Beast Ancestor’s base in the Emerald Star Cluster, after Jotina and her group broke out, the atmosphere became silent and cold. There was less chatter. They were obviously brothers and sisters, but the looks they exchanged were filled with vigilance, and more thoughts were hiding behind their poker faces.
As the people’s hearts changed, the undercurrents surged.
Jotina was the first defector, and there were still many more of the cautious rebels watching the situation. Seeing that she had a good start, more of them started to get ready to move.
Within a secret room, a group of people from the rebel factions gathered together quietly. Their leader was a prestigious Calamity Grade officer, ‘Boa Constrictor’ Schneider. While he was not at the level of the four major officers, he was still one of the more influential officers, an elite combatant who combined his Pugilist skills with his innate toxin talents.
“I believe you know my purpose behind gathering all of you.” Schneider looked around, his eyes stopping for a while on the stronger officers before continuing, “There’s news from Sister Jotina, she says that Black Star has already accepted them. They have found a good home.”
No one present spoke, waiting for him to finish.
Seeing this, Schneider said, “The loyal faction fought with Jotina and suffered heavy losses. They probably no longer wish to waste any more strength in dealing with the defectors. It’s about time for us to leave as well. I know that there are a few among us that do not wish to defect to another organization and wish to be independent. All of this can wait for when we leave. For those that are unwilling to follow and walk your own paths, we will meet again somewhere in the universe and reminisce about our familial ties then.”
After he was done, the room remained quiet for a moment before someone finally spoke out.
“That’s right. It’s time for us to leave. In another few days, it will be my troops’ turn to patrol. This is our chance, and it’s best to avoid any conflict with the loyalists.”
As soon as the silence was broken, everyone spoke in a rush. Everyone with some influence in the audience offered suggestions, brainstorming for the rebellion.
Meanwhile, a few of the loyalists were also having a secret meeting.
“Did you hear? It seems like the group of traitors from Jotina’s side joined the Black Star Army.”
“Where did this news come from? Is it reliable?”
“Many people saw their spaceship headed toward the stronghold of the Black Star Army, and after entering, they never came out. Furthermore, among that rebel faction that has a lot of hidden thoughts, there has been quite a bit of intelligence leaking out, so it should be accurate.”
One of them said in a deep voice, “If it’s true, then we can implement a bold plan. Let our people pretend to defect and enter the Black Star Army. We’ll find a chance to rescue Lord Father.”
“But… Black Star is a Beyond Grade A Mechanic. It’s hard to even be able to steal anything under his nose. Furthermore, there is no solution for the Spacetime Amber; even the three Universal Civilizations are left befuddled.”
“Lord Father has so painstakingly raised us. He’s our respected patriarch. Only we can help him now, so even if the odds are slim, we still have to try,” someone else replied firmly.
“Alright… but there’s still another problem. The defectors definitely know our allegiances, and the loyal factionists who attempt to defect will definitely be seen through.”
“This is a good question. After being together for so long, one cannot just break into the group of rebels…”
Everyone hesitated.
Jotina’s incident had provided hope to the loyalists. Some of them wanted to stage a rescue of Gorutan, who was made into a specimen. After all, he was just sealed and not dead yet.
At this time, the sound of a communicator rang, breaking the stale atmosphere in the room like a roar of thunder on a sunny day.
The leader looked at his communicator and said, “Byram has gathered all the officers to discuss our future plans.”
Everyone did not feel any surprise. After Gorutan’s fall, this sort of meeting had been held many times. Without a decision maker, the affairs of the organization could now only be decided by a large majority of the officers agreeing. However, everyone had their own plans, so there was no unified opinion.
The group of loyalists left the room, rushing toward the large conference room.
At this moment, the conference room was almost full of people. All those present were officers with a certain amount of influence, and the scene was as rowdy as a scene in a marketplace. The three factions of loyalist, rebels, and neutrals distinguished themselves clearly, all looking at each other with cold glares.
This group of loyalists immediately spotted Schneider and glared at him before finding their places.
Schneider did not care about their attitude. He had also heard the news when he was in his secret meeting and rushed over.
After waiting a while longer, all the officers were finally present. Byram was the last to enter, and he closed the door to the conference room. Under everyone’s gaze, he slowly walked up to the rostrum before looking down from his vantage point at everyone.
“What happened, for you to convene us again?” one of the officers demanded. The person in question was one of the Four Generals.
“We haven’t finished discussing the previous topic, so today, we’ll continue to discuss the future of our organization.” Byram calmly smiled before he changed the topic. “However, before that, let me introduce someone to you.”
Everyone frowned. From Byram’s attitude, they noticed something was wrong.
It was at this moment that a wave of magic appeared in the room, and a blue circle representing a transportation door appeared beside Byram.
Hum!
A foot slowly stepped out of the portal, and a strong sense of oppression soon followed. The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.
The Secret Master walked out before waving a hand to close the transportation door. With his hands behind his back, he gazed at everyone present with an expression of indifference.
The entire room turned silent.
At this time, Byram broke the silence with a smile in his voice.
“I believe everyone is familiar with the Secret Master, who is also a patron of the Galactic Black Market just like Lord Father.
“Byram, what’s the meaning of this‽”
&nbs
p; The group of loyalists immediately stood up, suppressing their anger as they questioned him.
In reality, everyone understood that Byram, who was part of the neutral faction, had already initiated a relationship with the Secret Master. Under the guise of a meeting, he had gathered all the officers so that the Secret Master could catch them all at once and control everyone.
He was going to present this stronghold and all the officers present to the Secret Master!
Byram only smiled in response. His gaze shifted to the Secret Master, and he explained, “Since Lord Father was captured, countless organizations have been watching us, wishing to divide us. Without a Beyond Grade A holding the helm, we’ve been a mess. Secret Master is an old friend of Lord Father, so he has decided to grant us asylum to help us weather our difficulties.”
Yes, spin, continue to spin your story!
Everyone cursed in their heart. The neutrals were surprised, the rebels had heavy hearts, and the loyalists were enraged.
The Secret Master took in everybody’s expressions before coldly speaking. “The situation is as thus. Gorutan and I have been partners for a long time, and I cannot just watch as his descendants split. I’ll temporarily take in the Beast Ancestor’s organization, and when the situation stabilizes, I’ll hand the rights back to you.”
F*ck your mom, what sympathy and what partners? Do you think we all have amnesia‽
Everyone gritted their teeth.
The Secret Master did not have an organization of the Black Star Army’s scale, so the warriors under the command of the Beast Ancestor were one of the resources he wished to gain.
Because he was not a direct enemy like Black Star, he would not need to worry about the issue of them taking revenge. Furthermore, he was also a patron of the Galactic Black Market, so it was more reasonable for him to receive the Beast Ancestor’s organization. His own organization already consisted of many mixed forces, belonging to the gray side, so there was no need to worry about suffering from indigestion from being unable to digest the Beast Ancestor’s troops.
This was merely an excuse for the Secret Master to embezzle the power of the Beast Ancestor, but even if the loyalists were angry, they dared not stand up against it.
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