The Legendary Mechanic c1-1385

by Chocolion, 齐佩甲

  The players present were mostly senior Chinese players who had strong feelings for the army. They had come to see it as their home faction long ago.

  For example, in order to protect the army and Black Star, Fly Free was even willing to give up their advantage in the final just to tip everyone off. He knew that just a few of them were far from enough to make a difference, so he wanted to unite the army players’ power, have them come together to find a way, and expose the Mechanic Emperor’s ‘conspiracy’!

  Hearing this, the people present were reminded of the past and suddenly felt a burning flame of faith in their hearts.

  Fly Free reached out his hand. The others understood this gesture. They all reached out their hands and stacked them together. They looked each other in the eyes and saw the strong sense of responsibility in everyone’s gaze.

  “Now, it’s our turn to save the army commander!”

  Fly Free immediately opened to forums to start writing a post. Without hesitation, he gave it this title…

  ‘Revelation of the Century! The Unspeakable Secret Between Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor!’

  The fleet rested for half a day on Planet Black Gate. Then, it very soon started to head toward the venue of the Black Star Cup finals. Inside the cabin, Han Xiao chatted with Sylvia about business for more than half a day, and only then did Sylvia leave.

  Alone in the room, Han Xiao comfortably sat in his chair, casually opened up the forums, and started his daily idiotic players observation time.

  “Let me look at the happy meal today…”

  Han Xiao hummed in a great mood as he entered the forums, but he was instantly stunned.

  With a glance, the titles were all along the lines of ‘Extremely Urgent, Please Share! The Army Commander’s Identity Has Become A Mystery!’, ‘Mechanic Emperor’s Horrifying Conspiracy!’, ‘Danger! The Black Star Army’s Owner Might Have Changed!’, and ‘Please Save the Army Commander!’. The entire Flickering World panel was filled with posts similar to those.

  What in the world is this?

  It’s not even been a day since I last looked at the forums. What happened?

  Confused, Han Xiao opened the most viewed post. The original poster was surprisingly an ID he knew, the captain of Gold Team, Fly Free. The post started directly with a high-resolution screenshot, the introduction of the Black Star Character Summon Card. As soon as Han Xiao saw the (Billion Mechanic Empire-Manison) ability, he had a rough idea of what was going on, and his lips started twitching uncontrollably.

  You can’t be serious. I have thousands and thousands of abilities, and he somehow copied this ability to the Blank Character Summon Card? How lucky can these people be? Speaking of which, I’ve only just returned. When did they use the Blank Character Summon Card on me? Was it at the docks?

  He continued reading. As he expected, Fly Free explained what happened.

  “Comrades of the army, I’m Gold Team’s Fly Free. About an hour ago, we discovered a shocking secret! “Not long ago, when the army commander returned to his territory, our team was in the crowd, and we planned to use one Blank Character Summon Card to copy Black Star’s ability. Initially, we planned on using it as the trump card in the upcoming Black Star Cup final. However, as everyone can see from the screenshot, never could we have expected to get the Mechanic Emperor’s ability from Black Star! This completely appalled all of us!

  “We could not understand the situation. After some discussion, we came to a shocking conclusion. The army commander now might be the Mechanic Emperor in disguise! His goal is to replace Black Star and take over our army!

  “In the end, we decided to immediately publicize this crucial information. We need everyone to unite, find the truth, and destroy this conspiracy! Comrades, the future of the army is in our hands!”

  Han Xiao looked like he was constipated.

  I mean, this deduction isn’t complete nonsense, but why do I still feel like these people are mentally challenged?

  He looked at the responses below, which had already exploded. Countless people expressed their doubts.

  “Is this real? Is this screenshot photoshopped?”

  “It has to be. Youngsters are trying to come up with big news every day.”

  “Are you guys trying to make the news and attract some attention while it lasts because you know that you have no chance at winning?” “Bullsh*t.”

  “It’s over. Someone is going to have to change his name into Mechanic Emperor’s Big PP.”

  Facing the doubts, Fly Free responded to these comments.

  “I know everyone definitely has doubts. On the day of the final, we’ll use this Character Summon Card and display it, so everyone will believe that we need to save the army!”

  Save your ass! Han Xiao ground his teeth and returned to the panel, quickly browsing through the related posts. He realized that other than those who doubted it, there were also quite a number who made posts to seriously analyze the possibility of it being true.

  [Reinhard: Perhaps it’s true. The Mechanic Emperor totally has motive. Didn’t the two of them fight with each other some time ago in the Ancient Star Desert? Could it be that the Mechanic Emperor attacked the army commander after that?]

  [Pikachu: If this one is fake, then where’s the real army commander? Did he die?]

  [Wolf Flame: That shouldn’t be possible. After all, just think about how tanky the army commander is. I think that Mechanic Emperor might have just exiled him, and he can’t come back anytime soon, which is why Mechanic Emperor dares disguise himself as Black Star!)

  (Hippo: Are you guys all going with the story that the army commander has been swapped by default? Why can’t Black Star have learned the Mechanic Emperor’s ability somehow?]

  [Smelly Feet Slayer: That’s too unlikely. This is the first time in so many years that the Blank Character Summon Card has gotten an ability from Black Star with a suffix.]

  [Zero Square Foot of Zero: Could it be that they’ve made some kind of deal to teach each other their abilities?)

  [My Dog’s Name Is Lagi: Hmm, so… if we use Blank Character Summon Cards on Mechanic Emperor now, we might get ‘Indestructible Body-Black Star’?]

  You really are a genius… Han Xiao’s teeth were almost starting to hurt from all the grinding.

  (Ice Tornado: Wait, there are other possibilities too! Could it be that Black Star was taught by the Mechanic Emperor from the beginning?)

  (Blueberry: Holy sh*t! That does sound possible. If Black Star has been Mechanic Emperor’s secret disciple since long ago, that’ll explain his extremely quick rise!)

  (Shadow Song of Execution: If that’s true, their conflict some time ago might just be a show. They appear to be on opposite sides, but they’re actually on the same side! What a plot twist… I figured it out! The Mechanic Emperor is planning something huge, and he’s playing a gigantic match of chess!)

  Figured your ass out!

  Veins popped up on Han Xiao’s forehead.

  (Blood Rose: No, my curiosity can’t be suppressed any longer. What happened between Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor?]

  (Paradise Disco: Just a tiny question, will I get killed if I ask the army commander directly? Although I’m not afraid of that…]

  (Bun-Hit-Dog: Ah, my eyes see through all. A storm is brewing. This secret might lead to a new enormous main storyline… I have a feeling that the theme of the next version is going to be the Black Star Army’s split! I’m going to have plenty of material again!]

  What split! You’re the one that’s going to split!

  Han Xiao had a feeling that if he caught these players and shook them hard enough, he would most certainly hear the sound of liquid flowing in their empty heads.

  Then, he suddenly saw a new post. The title was ‘Army Rescue Operation-Recruitment Post’.

  He clicked in and saw that it was a post from Free Sh*t again.

  “Brother and sisters, the Black Star Army has accompanied us over four versions. This is o
ur faction, and we can’t allow others to rob what we’ve worked so hard for!

  “However, sadly, the army’s officers will not believe what we say. Only us players can see the evidence.

  “Because of that, I’ve decided to start a righteous mutiny. When the closing ceremony of the Black Star Cup is broadcast live to the entire universe, I’m going to step out and expose the Mechanic Emperor’s real identity to everyone! “Therefore, I need all of your power! “Although we’re far from being able to match Beyond Grade As, we can use our lives to show the entire universe the Mechanic Emperor’s conspiracy! “All heroes who are willing to participate in the operation, leave your name under this post and contact us. “Comrades, unsheathe your swords. We’re the only ones who can save the army now!

  “Even in death, I’m still a member of the Black Star Army!

  “Mechanic Emperor Manison, show us your HP bar!”

  Han Xiao was completely astounded.

  He looked down, and the comments of this post were growing by the hundreds each second. Countless people were thrilled and signed up for it.

  What the hell? Are they planning to backstab me?

  Should I feel a headache now, or should I feel touched?

  This proves that what I’ve done in the past four versions has been very effective. I’ve already built a strong emotional bond with the Chinese players. The fact that these players are willing to go this far for me, it’s really touching.. Touching my ass!

  What kind of turn of events is this?

  He looked at the post again for two more times and clenched his teeth.

  “Frankly, this post did indeed make me quite heated… Damn it, smaller brains do indeed occupy less space in the brain to give room for more stupidity!”

  Chapter 1136 - This Is Love

  Han Xiao could not help but rub his temples. Players were the incarnation of anarchy. Even though they were already members of his own faction, they could still not be fully controlled. Although their intentions were good, what they did would always end up causing all kinds of strange things to happen.

  The atmosphere of the entire forums got carried away by this topic.

  After being frustrated for a while, Han Xiao suddenly laughed.

  “These guys really can’t seem to stop causing problems… but this might not be a bad thing.”

  He pondered for a while and suddenly realized that he did not have to stop the players.

  Not to mention that the players were communicating on the forums and there was no way he could use that as evidence to catch them, this was not a bad thing for building a sense of belonging for the army.

  If not because the senior players loved and cared about him, they would not try to ‘save’ him.

  He did not have to operate a universal armed force like a tinker, fixing any problems that appeared. Instead, letting the players cause some trouble during the closing ceremony would even bring the Black Star Cup more attention, and he did not even have to plan anything.

  The players were led by Fly Free, who wanted to backstab him in the name of justice, but this was completely harmless in Han Xiao’s eyes. He was happy to put on a show with them.

  The Black Star Army’s public image in the universe was basically an ally of justice recognized by everyone. The people were extremely forgiving toward the army, so even if something like this happened during the Black Star Cup closing ceremony, it would not affect the army’s reputation. Instead, it would feel interesting to most people. The Black Star Army basically had the public opinion armor. Actually, Han Xiao figured out easily that he did not have to explain any rumors spreading among the players to anyone, they were non-issues to him.

  I’m the faction leader, a top warlord in the universe, and I didn’t really get swapped. If I even have to explain myself in the face of such a weird accusation, it will be a joke.

  The evidence of the players’ doubts was the Character Summon Card, which actually seemed to make sense from their perspective. However, as long as they could see the big picture, this kind of suspicion would not be able to stand its ground at all. If the Mechanic Emperor really disguised himself as him, there would be way too many flaws in that theory that could not be explained. For example, why did none of the other Beyond Grade As sense it? Why did the three Universal Civilizations not notice it? How could the army’s artificial intelligence, Phillip, not respond to it at all? And if he was the Mechanic Emperor, how could the Mechanic Emperor use his secondary dimension army box?

  No one in the entire universe could disguise himself as another peak Beyond Grade A perfectly. Even a shapeshifter like ‘Illusory Deity’ Kant could not.

  The players did not understand what seemed like common sense to anyone who could see the big picture, so maybe their accusation would be an interesting topic for galactic residents to discuss over meals. Only completely clueless people would believe it. Their evidence that was on the interface was something that did not exist to ordinary people. Han Xiao knew very well that the main reason the players believed this theory was that it was still fresh. Once the blind passion faded and they saw that everything was continuing as usual, this kind of ridiculous rumor would collapse on itself.

  All important people would be involved in strange and wild rumors. There was no need to explain himself, so he decided to give the players some room for imagination.

  Han Xiao’s eyes gleamed.

  To the players who only cared about the benefits of the faction, it did not matter who owned the faction. Therefore, being willing to expose the Mechanic Emperor’s ‘conspiracy’ while bearing the risk of being punished by the faction was basically a sacrificial act.

  Then does it mean that the more people who take part in this mission, the more united the army is?

  Furthermore, since the players used this reason to cause trouble, the Mechanic Emperor will be the one getting the negative image here!

  Having thought of that, Han Xiao smiled and summoned Phillip.

  “Phillip, watch the Immortals of the army closely for some time. Report any and all situations to me.”

  “Okay, hum!”

  “By the way, invite the Beyond Grade As to come and watch the ceremony in my name while you’re at it. Send one to the Mechanic Emperor too.”

  “Hum… Will the Mechanic Emperor come?” Phillip tilted his little head with confusion.

  “How would I know? Just send it to him. It’s best if he comes. I’ll have a chance to provoke him again.” Han Xiao giggled. “Alright then, hum…”

  Seeing Han Xiao’s evil smile, Phillip obeyed him without asking anything.

  “Black Star invited me to attend an event?”

  At a secret base somewhere in Primeval Star River, Manison, who was trying to simulate the Virtual Mutiny Virus, stopped and looked at his artificial intelligence with confusion.

  “Yes, he’s invited you to attend the Black Star Cup closing ceremony.”

  What’s wrong with this guy?

  What makes Black Star think I will give him face after what happened?

  Manison could not understand it at all.

  Is he trying to fix our relationship?

  Or make me lose face in public?

  “I’m not going. Reject it,” Manison replied and continued to reverse engineer the technology. “Okay, message sent.” Manison replied with a soft grunt and then stopped what he was doing for a moment. “By the way, remind me to watch the stream on the day of the Black Star Cup closing ceremony.”

  Although he did not plan to give Han Xiao face, he still wanted to find out what Black Star was attempting to do. There was definitely a reason he had received an invitation.

  While the discussion about whether Han Xiao was ‘real or fake’ raged on the forums, the last two finals of the Black Star Cup started as scheduled.

  Countless audience platforms floated above the venue planet, covering the sky. They were all fully occupied by army members and spectators who had bought live tickets.

  The a
udience platform specially made by the army was in the form of an oval shaped cabin. All the walls were transparent, so the spectators inside could see the outside from any angle. The walls also had the function to zoom in.

  These audience platforms were also protected by transparent energy shields that could block all kinds of impacts and radiation so that there would not be any spectators lucky enough to get hurt. They could also fly at Mach speed twenty-four to ensure the spectators would be able to keep up with the Calamity Grade battles. With the advanced technology the platforms had, the spectators inside would also not feel any turbulence even when flying at such a high speed and always feel as if they were on the ground.

  Today, Han Xiao personally came to watch the competition at the venue. He arrived at the extremely crowded venue and hovered in front of the various audience platforms.

  As soon as he showed up, he felt like electricity was running through his skin, as if he was being stared at by countless people from behind.

  Han Xiao was not surprised. He knew this was the countless players in the audience seats using ‘Detect’ on him. In the eyes of the players, Han Xiao’s detailed attributes were still all question marks, but the players’ goal was to see the color of Han Xiao’s name. The result of that was still green, which showed that Han Xiao was on their side, and they started chattering. “Let’s begin.” Han Xiao was not concerned about the players’ discussion. He turned and signaled the host to start the finals. The host coughed and said with a loud voice, “Greetings, everyone. Today is the last day of the official Black Star Cup competitions. There will be a total of two finals, the duel finals of the Calamity Grade group and the Square Scrimmage final of the Immortals group. Without further ado, the first match today will be the fight between two Calamity Grades. Contestants, please enter the venue…”

  As soon as he said that, Hadavy and Jotina appeared. After a brief introduction, the two of them went to their own positions and waited for the match to start. Their battlefield was the surface of the entire planet. As time passed, the atmosphere became more and more tense. The moment the host announced the start of the match, two silhouettes left afterimages in their place and clashed.