“Assuming we do this, what form of new cooperation do you hope to achieve?” The Pope threw the question back. “To be honest, the opinions within the union have also not been unified as of now, but the majority suggest reducing the nature of allies and strengthening the employment relationship. That is to reduce compulsion and increase our freedom. The cooperative relationship should also be no longer limited to one, and it should be in the form of employer and employee. In addition, we will not be affected by the aftermath between faction battles…”
Han Xiao repeated the expectations of the development union. There were too many twists and turns in this, as the needs of the advanced civilization allies and the free Beyond Grade As were basically different. When different positions fought, it would be difficult to come to a result that everyone was satisfied with.
The three leaders shook their heads. Neither side could make any concessions, so the talks could only come to an end without any common goal reached.
Walking out of the reception room, Han Xiao sighed in resignation.
Following the rise in his position within the universe, the choices he faced every day were becoming increasingly critical. Every decision could have a profound impact on his own development, and if he did not pay attention, it would easily deviate from the tracks he envisioned and become difficult to remedy. Only through experiencing this would one then be able to understand the danger involved.
The moment Han Xiao left, the three leaders shared a glance.
“It seems like there’s no need to count on the development union to provide assistance. Black Star was not perfunctory at all. He has a clear conscience when accepting rewards and can reject without feeling guilt at all. Heh, his principles are really strong.” Bader sneered.
“Enough. This was not our main objective in building momentum for him as well. This was something we expected. It would be too simple if such a small reward moved a pinnacle Beyond Grade A.”
“There’s no problem for Black Star to cherish his feathers. We cannot lose sight of our long-term goals just for some short term gains. We still need him to act as a link to guide the development of the union… It’s just that their requirements now are still a little whimsical.”
“The Beyond Grade As can’t be without restrictions. If their shackles are completely removed, it will be a hidden danger in the future.”
“We don’t have the time to deal with this now. Shelve the negotiations and observe Black Star a little longer. No matter what, having him in the top position is better than the Mechanic Emperor.”
Under the vigorous propaganda of the three Universal Civilizations, the various Star Fields broadcast the award ceremony, causing extensive discussions among the numerous galactic residents.
Among the hottest topics was Han Xiao himself. Some people thought that the Galaxy Medal he obtained was well-deserved, while others thought that his merits were not great enough when compared with the previous Galaxy Medal winners.
But in any case, the facts could not be changed. If one were to count Han Xiao’s deeds of catching EsGod, stopping the disaster, fighting the Mechanic Emperor, and contributing to the stability of the universe, most people would hold a positive attitude. However, the enthusiasm for the discussion of the award ceremony in galactic society lasted for only a few days before a sudden change attracted the attention of the entire universe.
Just a few days after the end of the award ceremony, the largest armed conflict so far broke out in the free competition zone. Many of the organizations launched attacks on multiple planetary strongholds without warning, as if they had agreed beforehand.
The free competition zone suddenly fell into chaos.
Hong long long long!
The earth rumbled continuously, and a series of heavy ground combat vehicles tens of meters high advanced. Wherever they passed, mountains and forests fell, bunkers shattered, and ground defense lines were breached.
Troops of armored soldiers raised their weapons and fired frantically at the intruders. The muzzles ejected intense beams of light. However, a group of vigorous and powerful figures shuttled through the artillery fire, easily decimating the troops. The small team easily shredded the defending front, and the mud thrown up by the vehicles and explosives buried the corpses of the soldiers.
This was a resource-rich planet located in the middle of the free competition zone. It was originally discovered by a vassal Star System level civilization under the three Universal Civilizations, and they established a stronghold here. However, they were ruthlessly attacked today.
Their attacker was a large fleet bearing a common logo of a snowflake shaped emblem with two spears staggered at the bottom. This represented the organization known as ‘Northern Battlefront’. Established in the free competition zone, they had no major records, but no one expected them to come and attack a planet occupied by a Star System civilization without warning.
The Northern Battlefront fleet had dispatched tens of thousands of Grade B players as well as a large number of warships and ground combat equipment. It did not take long for the defensive forces of the stronghold to fall into a full retreat as they were unable to withstand the Northern Battlefront’s offensive.
This was because the Northern Battlefront was actually a player-formed organization, created by a large number of guilds banding together. They also recruited many solo players with capital, so they had a good foundation to support a certain level of interstellar warfare. After all, they had gone through four versions in Galaxy, so the guild had accumulated quite a lot of money.
There were tens of millions of active players in Galaxy, of which the Black Star Army probably recruited a little more than ten million and was the largest player faction. The rest of the players were scattered among various organizations, with equally large numbers each as the guilds could afford to recruit them.
Within the stronghold was a group of players from the three Universal Civilizations stationed on guard, with probably about one or two hundred of them. However, they were soon overwhelmed by the army and could not withstand the waves of attacks.
A warship of the Northern Battlefront was suspended high in the sky, and within the command room, the leader of the Northern Battlefront looked down on the battlefield with a smile.
“Victory is before us. Quickly deal with the enemies. We still have other strongholds to conquer.”
He was the leader of the Northern Battlefront that was jointly elected by the many guilds forming the coalition, and he was responsible for the operation this time. His ID was ‘Fire of Northern Sea’, and he was the president of a large club in Europe.
“Where shall we hit next?” asked another senior who was part of the guild.
“Whichever is nearest. We’ll carve a path for ourselves.”
Fire of the Northern Sea waved his hand energetically.
The Northern Battlefront had communicated with the NPC organizations and reached an agreement with the Super Star Cluster Alliance, acting as an agent to help the Super Star Cluster Alliance conquer the various strongholds.
Every time they occupied a stronghold, they would get additional rewards, and they did not even need to struggle in occupying the planets. The Super Star Cluster Alliance was responsible for initiating the war, and the high resource sharing provided to them was equivalent to a steady stream of funds. At the same time, the Super Star Cluster Alliance would provide resource support to them during the campaign, such as material purchase discounts and other benefits.
It was not just the Northern Battlefront; even the Galactic Business Alliance and the 5C Alliance, other player made alliances, had also reached an agreement with the Super Star Cluster Alliance to temporarily fight for them.
The conflict between the three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance was an open secret, and the Super Star Cluster Alliance would not be afraid of the three Universal Civilizations and the Black Star Army like the smaller factions. The clubs of various countries saw
this opportunity and hopped on the bandwagon to participate in this national war.
Them starting a national war was not just for entertainment but more for profit.
By doing so, they could utilize this channel to cozy up to someone powerful such as the Super Star Clusters, recruit more players through the wars and strengthen their organization, and obtain resources. Furthermore, they would fulfil the main storyline of faction war and perform some off-field preparations for the Pro League this season, easing the dominance those in the Black Star Army had.
And now, due to the Super Star Cluster Alliance being the preemptive one, the Northern Battlefront and the other guild alliances took the chance to attack and expand their territory in the free competition zone for the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
Fire of Northern Sea opened the star map, watching the real-time expansion of the Super Star Cluster Alliance’s territory in the free competition zone as he excitedly clenched his fists.
“This is an unprecedented event. The Black Star Army has too great an advantage in the Flickering World. Only if the Super Star Cluster Alliance wins will we be able to turn the tides and obtain equivalent resources to them!”
This similar war scene appeared on multiple planets in the free competition zones. In addition to the player alliances, other private armed organizations also robbed territory for the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
Around 2,400 planets were invaded on the same day, most of which were resource rich planets, transportation hubs, or other strategic locations. At the fourth exploration phase, the maps were basically complete, and the Super Star Cluster Alliance could accurately select the high value targets. Facing the sudden problem created by the Super Star Cluster Alliance, everyone was left shocked! “Galaxy Chronicles—The First World Server War
“On February 25, 732, the three Universal Civilizations held an award ceremony for Black Star, awarding him the Galaxy Medal.
“On February 29, 732, a large-scale armed invasion broke out in the free competition zone of the Flickering World. The Super Star Cluster Alliance instructed multiple armed organizations to expand their territory, which eventually became the fuse for official conflict between them and the three Universal Civilizations. This was the prelude to a national war and went down in history as ‘Eve of the Incident’.”
Chapter 1150 - Anti-Trust Regulations, Main Storyline of Counterfeiting
In the free competition zone, Emerald Star Cluster, Planet Rosende…
This was a resource rich planet located within the inner ring of the Star Cluster. It was occupied early on by a Star Cluster level civilization named ‘Thunder Horn’. They had transformed it into a temporary base camp for their exploration army, and the planet was heavily guarded and well stocked with materials and troops.
Right at this moment, the leaders of the Thunder Horn Civilization Exploration army were gathered in the conference room of the headquarters.
“The two stronghold planets in the central region were invaded successively and breached by the different organizations employed by the Super Star Cluster Alliance. What are your thoughts?”
The chief commander pressed his hands on the table, his sharp eyes looking at all the officers present.
Bang!
A high-ranking commander with a bristly beard slammed the table as he angrily shouted, “Is there still a need for discussion? Immediately gather manpower for a crusade! My troops are guarding one of the strongholds, and they have been almost completely wiped out. We must fight back!”
Another tall and thin officer with a calmer temperament stroked the lightning-shaped blue horns on his head. This action was similar to a human stroking his beard. He slowly said, “I feel we should wait and see for now. The Super Star Cluster Alliance’s actions have a strategic intention behind. Even if we take our stronghold back, we will be attacked once more. Furthermore, the central region is currently in chaos due to the trouble caused by the Super Star Cluster Alliance, and it’s too dangerous to hold onto our land.” Now that the fourth exploration phase had been completed, the four Star Clusters in the free competition zone were divided into regions, with dozens to hundreds of Star Systems for each Star Cluster. According to their locations, they were divided into the outer edge area, inner ring area, central area, and finally the core area for a total of four layers.
At present, the main strategic goal of the Super Star Cluster Alliance was to completely control the core and central areas, having a stable rear base that could allow them to utilize space transmission methods such as stargates to maintain their supply and transportation channels.
While this would cause them to be completely surrounded, there was no other way for the Super Star Cluster Alliance. Since guerrilla tactics were not suitable for them, they could only resort to sieging tactics. “Then, what are we going to do? Are we going to obediently pass the stronghold to them and let my men die in vain?” The hot tempered bristly beard lashed out. “Chief commander?” The calm officer turned his head. “I believe your thoughts align with mine.”
The Chief commander looked up when he heard this and replied, “I’m also in favor of waiting. The situation now is not clear.” “They’ve already started fighting. What’s not clear about that?” the hot-tempered officer shouted.
The Chief commander patiently explained, “In this storm, we’re not the main characters. The three Universal Civilizations and the Super Star Cluster Alliance are the true protagonists and chess players. While the fourth exploration phase is called the free competition zone, we’re only forces that have come to pan for gold and occupy land, the chess pieces that took the initiative to enter the chessboard. We are far from being able to influence the overall direction, so we must wait for the three Universal Civilizations to respond.”
“So, we have to count on the three Universal Civilizations to take action for our forces in trouble, to start a war against the Super Star Cluster Alliance, huh?”
“Of course not, the three Universal Civilizations will not enter the fray so easily. After all, the principle of the free competition zone has not been torn apart yet. The Super Star Cluster Alliance has employed so many people. Other than strengthening itself, it was also to stick to the rules of the game. Everyone would use their agents to compete, and it will reach a more intense level once the two armies start fighting officially. However, this is not the time yet.”
The calm officer nodded. “That’s right. Chess pieces like us can only wait for the orders of the players. When the three Universal Civilizations show a reaction will be when we choose our sides, then we will no longer be alone and will have a large number of teammates.”
The other senior officers also nodded.
While they were unwilling to be pawns, the moment they chose to enter the free competition zone, it was tantamount to them consenting to being in the game. This was the rule formulated by the three Universal Civilizations. Of course, there would also be no shortage of benefits. Only by being a pawn could they obtain the benefits of the Flickering World, and how much they got depended on their ability.
Beep beep beep… At this moment, a virtual screen popped up at the center of the conference table. On it was an announcement issued by the three Universal Civilizations to the entire universe. The title jumped out in everyone’s eyes.
“Supplementary Regulations on Anti-Monopoly within the Flickering World Fourth Exploration Phase.”
It’s here!
The eyes of the Chief commander flashed, and all of them immediately read the report.
The content of this announcement could be roughly summarized into a few points. Firstly, it defined the Eve of the Incident as the beginning of malicious competition and monopolization, and they believed that the Super Star Cluster Alliance was violating the ‘Regulations on Free Exploration’. Secondly, it ordered the Super Star Cluster Alliance to immediately stop the malicious expansion behavior, strongly condemning them on behalf of the civilizations in the universe. Thirdly, if the Super Star Clu
ster Alliance still did not repent, they would begin sanctions and redistribute the territory occupied by the Super Star Cluster Alliance.
In the appendix of the announcement, there were plans to implement the sanctions and redistribution. The Crimson Dynasty and the other two universal civilizations expressed that they were unwilling to destroy the ‘Free Exploration Regulations’, so they encouraged the organizations and forces in the free competition zone to launch a siege against the Super Star Cluster Alliance. They would then be given special support based on merit.
At the same time, in their distribution plan, they stated that they would not reclaim the planets that the various forces snatched from the Super Star Cluster Alliance. As a reward for helping them against the Super Star Cluster Alliance, they would reclaim their territory as appropriate after the event… In short, they were dangling a carrot to draw forces to attack the Super Star Cluster Alliance and increase the difficulty of the latter to woo agents over to their side.
One could either choose the three Universal Civilizations or the Super Star Cluster Alliance. There was no third option. If one wished to stay neutral, the end result would be to see their territory gradually being eroded away by the Super Star Cluster Alliance. This was also the scheme of the three Universal Civilizations, as they were confident that no one would silently get robbed.
And in the one in ten million possibility that people really chose to give up their territory than to get involved in the storm, the three Universal Civilizations would just send regular troops into the area, and after going through the Super Star Cluster Alliance, they would no longer reallocate the territory back to the other forces, instead occupying it.
As for the third party Beyond Grade A organizations, they were a special existence within this storm. Only they had the capital to remain neutral, and at the same time, the three Universal Civilizations as well as the Super Star Cluster Alliances would avoid their territory to a certain extent.
The Legendary Mechanic c1-1385 Page 816