by <unknown>
While he did not know who would be within the first batch of people from the Crimson Dynasty, they would naturally be elites. Maybe Han Xiao would see some ‘familiar faces’ within.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Han Xiao then ended the communication. Just as he hung up, his communicator rang once more. It was an unknown number this time.
Pausing for a moment, he answered the call, and his expression changed.
On the screen was the ugly face of EsGod.
“Black Star.” The corners of the EsGod’s mouth were curled up in a strange smile as it greeted him.
Han Xiao only stared at the screen and did not talk. He did not expect EsGod to actually contact him. Toward this reputedly fierce Beyond Grade A brute, he still had his reservations.
“I have a deal to discuss with you.”
“What is it?”
The EsGod smiled. “Rest assured, I won’t snatch your Evolution Cube. You’re different from Psyker, and you’re not as stubborn as him.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Now that the Evolution Cube is in your hands,” EsGod leisurely said, “let’s make a deal. Let me use it once, and I’ll help you with one matter.”
Han Xiao immediately narrowed his eyes. EsGod’s claim that he would not snatch the Evolution Cube was something that Han Xiao did not believe. Furthermore, making a deal with EsGod was akin to trying to scheme against a tiger for its skin.
Before he could reply, EsGod said, “I understand that your alliance with the Crimson Dynasty has just started, and you have your reservations. However, for someone like you who is bound by the rules of order, there will be a point when you require a lawless thug to help you achieve something… You don’t have to be in a hurry to answer me. When you’ve thought it through, you can call me again to give your answer.”
Smiling, EsGod shut off the communication.
Han Xiao furrowed his brows, his finger stopping at the option to delete the encrypted number of EsGod.
After pausing for a long time…
His finger swiped down.
EsGod’s number was placed in his blacklist.
He did not delete it.
…
Spaceship after spaceship landed on Planet Aquamarine, carved with various insignias belonging to different financial groups. All of them were material transport ships carrying a large amount of resources.
Bennett, together with the Aquamarine Federation, stood at the dock as they watched the mechanical workers moving the supplies one by one.
As the hometown of a Beyond Grade A, they had received even more investment and support from the financial groups.
Bennett could not help but turn his head, looking outside the door of the hangar to the huge black statue erect at the center of the city. There was a touch of relief and gratitude in his eyes.
Chapter 782. Interlude, an Unexpected Gues |
The headquarters of the Black Star Army started to get lively.
In the following half a month after the recruitment order was issued, countless spaceships flew into the headquarters to pay them a visit. All of them were candidates that had been vetted by Phillip and the alliance, and they went to the headquarters to meet Black Star and await the final review of the Army Commander.
While the fleet that had gone for the battle had yet to return to the headquarters, all the new members were orderly lined up in the satellite base’s outer layer, awaiting Black Star’s arrival. If one looked up from the surface of Planet Golden Gate, they would be able to see another ring somehow materializing around the Black Star Army’s headquarters. The headquarters seemed to have a ring of stars that consisted of spaceships shining like bright mist.
“Yet another batch of new recruits is coming in.” Within one of the metal strongholds in the headquarters, the drill sergeant, Brock, who was supervising the training of the reserve members looked out at the spectacular sight outside the porthole and could not help thinking back.
Brock had joined the Black Star Army more than a decade ago. He had witnessed the history of the Black Star Army, how it had grown from an ordinary mercenary group into the behemoth that was allied with a Universal Civilization.
With DarkStar having long been annihilated, the problem with discrimination in Godora was also beginning to settle down. The mixed Godorans were gradually returning to the embrace of the Godoran Civilization. With no goal to fight for, Brock thus buried his past and decided to conceal his identity as a DarkStar spy, completely devoting himself to the Black Star Army.
Brock, however, was unaware that Han Xiao had known of his identity since the beginning. However, with DarkStar having vanished, there was no need to settle debts with this ‘obedient’ spy, so he had left him to his work.
While working in the Black Star Army was tough, after abandoning his identity as a DarkStar member, Brock’s attitude became more relaxed. He began to fall in love with the process of grooming batch after batch of warriors and soldiers. Under the care of Han Xiao, he had served for a decade as a drill sergeant and had long become accustomed to his role.
He could be considered a veteran in the Army and was also the top person in the Godoran faction within the army. Due to the popularity of the Black Star Army in Godora, many of the Godorans chose to work in the army and formed a Godoran faction, which was just one of the many factions in the army. With the current size of the Black Star Army, there were naturally many smaller factions within.
Just as he raised his head to observe the spaceships hovering in the air, there were also three passengers in a ship staring intently at the headquarters of the Black Star Army within the huge group of spaceships outside the headquarters.
This was a small, standard spaceship commonly found in Galaxy, completely unassuming.
“Can we really blend in with them? The Black Star Army personnel won’t be so negligent, right?”
A man with thick eyebrows and big eyes had a hesitant tone as he spoke. He was a humanoid species, with smooth and bright silver skin, wearing a black cloak. Inside the black cloak, his exposed skin could be seen, covered in complicated and delicate magic lines.
“Other than that, there’s no other way about it. If we want to see that person, we can only enter the Black Star Army headquarters,” another person said. This person was a mixed race, with red, dragon-like scales on both his cheeks. He was a burly man about four meters tall, wearing a simple metal vest that exposed the knotted muscles on his arms.
“Relax, even if we really get exposed, we can masquerade as people trying our luck to join the Black Star Army. They’ll at most chase us away. There won’t be any danger.”
The last person leaned against the wall as he spoke. He wore a tight combat suit, with two pairs of arms extending from his shoulders. One of his upper arms was placed behind his head like a pillow, while the other played around with a silver alloy dagger. The lower arms were placed akimbo on his waist, giving him a lackadaisical air.
These three were not new members of the Black Star Army like the others. They had different objectives, and they seemed to be led by the silver-skinned guy who had spoken first.
At this moment, in the starry sky outside the porthole shone a sudden stream of light approaching them and stopping over Planet Golden Gate. It was the Black Star Army that had returned to the headquarters.
“Wow, so many new members.” Seeing the ring of spaceships, Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled.
“This is only the first batch of recruits. They’re all waiting here for you, Master, hum…”
In Han Xiao’s neural connected quantum network, Phillip started to bubble. His small body was lying at the extremes of Han Xiao’s field of vision, with only his head popping out in his vision.
“Humph, I suggest sending a mechanical army to test the actual combat capabilities of these new members. Unqualified people will not be eligible to join the troops of my master!”
On the other side, the usually quiet and solemn Artificial inte
lligence Sparta also revealed his body. He was wrapped in heavy armor, and his face could not be clearly seen. Only a single cold looking eye was revealed, and his voice was husky and powerful.
With Han Xiao’s [Virtual Technology] skill tree having been completed, he had studied the data structure of Risda and given his Artificial intelligence the ability to think for themselves, as well as unique personalities. This would be used to improve his computing power, as his brain would be connected to them through the quantum network at any time. This would allow him to supervise the dynamics of the Artificial intelligence without the fear of accidents happening. It was similar to taking care of a pet, just that it did not require someone to clean up their sh*t after them, and the AIs would not flare up, even helping in his daily life.
Would there be a better pet than the one stated above‽
Within the quantum network, Han Xiao’s thoughts turned into a stream of data, flowing into Phillip’s eyes. He instructed, “You can open the hangar of the headquarters now. When I dock, let all these new members come and meet me.”
“Roger, hum…”
The hangar for the headquarters opened, and the Black Star Army fleet slowly descended, sliding into the empty hangars. As for the new members who had waited for many days, they also received the notice and started to descend.
The huge spaceship ring around the headquarters split into a few dozen streams, pouring into the various hangars. Numerous mechanical assistants were activated to receive all the new members.
The majority of the new members would be directed to the spacious lobby of the headquarters. When everyone had gathered, they would meet up with Han Xiao together. As for the new members in the Calamity Grade, they would receive special treatment and would proceed to the conference room in advance to meet with Han Xiao and his officers personally.
Leading his officers, Han Xiao entered the conference room. Within were more than ten people, and their gazes all shot toward him the moment he entered. All of them stood up immediately.
“Your Excellency Black Star!”
“Army Commander!”
They all saluted, excitement filling their faces. They were the first batch of Calamity Grades to be admitted, coming from different Star Systems. This was the first time they had personally laid eyes on their new Beyond Grade A leader, which made them extremely emotional.
In the eyes of the ordinary, reaching the Calamity Grade was already something unbelievable, but when faced with a Beyond Grade A, the majority of the Calamity Grades had the same feeling as when an ordinary person faced them. Furthermore, there was also another layer of yearning and longing.
Han Xiao smiled. “Hello, everyone.”
After becoming a Beyond Grade A Super, not only had he advanced in strength, his horizons had also widened. In the past, if there were over twenty Calamity Grades who wished to join his Army, he would have been smiling from ear to ear, but right now, he was actually very calm. He could at least endure till there was no one around before he burst into laughter.
While the fame of a Beyond Grade A was appealing, a Calamity Grade could also be considered a high-end combat power. Many of the Calamity Grades were unwilling to join under other forces. Even though he was a Beyond Grade A, Han Xiao would never look down on Calamity Grades. Recruiting more than a dozen high-end combat personnel this time was the highest record ever for the Black Star Army.
Han Xiao chatted with the dozen or so Calamity Grades, motivating them. These recruits were the top combat force and would be his officers in the future.
Because the size of the army was too huge, Han Xiao did not have the time to check the attributes of every single new member. Thus, he only focused on the stronger newcomers, which were precisely these Calamity Grades.
After quietly looking through the interface properties of everyone, he secretly nodded.
While none of them have any Molding Talents, the strongest has reached the level of A+ and can be considered a mini-boss.
Turning back to look at Hila, Han Xiao said, “The Black Star Guards will serve as my elite unit, with the Calamity Grade as the threshold for entry. Hadavy is also a member of the Black Star Guards, and this is my Guards Captain, Hila. Because the Guards were only established recently, it needs to be expanded. The quota is known by Hila, and she as well as the other Black Star Guards will test your abilities and pick a few of you to enter the Black Star Guards.”
The eyes of the Calamity Grades lit up. The Black Star Guards were obviously the bodyguards of Black Star and would follow him around. The temptation of this position was not little at all, and compared to the benefits they would obtain as ordinary officers, they looked forward more to learning from the experience of a Beyond Grade A, allowing themselves to be stronger. After all, earning money at their level was pretty easy, and the attraction of material enjoyment was quite limited. What they pursued was more of a promotion in realms.
The Black Star Guards took the ten or so Calamity Grades away, and Han Xiao led the rest of his officers to welcome the new members. However, Phillip suddenly started emitting bubbles again.
“Master, hum… I discovered a spaceship with no verification. There are three people on board the spaceship who do not have an invitation. They’re not new members joining our army, nor is their data present in the database. Their identities are unknown, and they are situated in Hanger No.6. Do you want to look through their information?”
“Oh, they might be here to fish in murky waters and try to be accepted into the army. You can just chase them…” Before Han Xiao could finish, the image of the trio was transferred to his mind, and he suddenly paused, his eyes growing wider.
Seeing that Han Xiao did not reply, Phillip tilted his tiny head to the side, prompting him. “Master?”
“Hu…” Han Xiao let out a long breath, his eyes flashing as he changed his order. “Don’t stop them. Let them enter and pretend you are unaware of their identities. Just activate the surveillance within the army and constantly lock onto their positions.”
“Roger that, hum…”
After disconnecting from the quantum network, Han Xiao stroked his chin, his eyes narrowed.
“To think that these three thugs dared to show up in my territory at this moment… Hmm, it seems that the butterfly effect I’m causing is spreading. There’s an eighty percent chance that they’re here for her…”
…
The spaceship entered and stopped at the dock. The trio—Silverskin, Dragonscale, and the four-handed man—set foot on the crowded dock, looking around.
There were none of the anticipated alarms, no mechanical assistants waiting to confirm their identities, and no one coming over to escort them.
They had entered so easily!
“The Black Star Army’s security measures are too lousy, as good as nonexistent.” The four-handed man pouted. “Even my mother star that is about to be destroyed by the crazy scientists is safer.”
Silverskin was a little uneasy, softly saying, “We’ll blend in first before looking for a chance to split off and act. Don’t get caught.”
“Ok.” Dragonscale nodded.
Silverskin then squeezed his fingers as he murmured, “Hopefully, we can find the rumored Rossellin here…”
Chapter 783. Celebrities of the Future |
All the new non-Calamity Grade members gathered in the main hall of the headquarters. It was filled with people.
The roof of the hall suddenly opened. The army officers descended from the sky and landed on the most conspicuous stage in the hall. They stood in a row and looked around at the millions of new members below.
“That’s the army’s Chief Administrative Official, Sylvia. Beside her is the Fleet Chief Commander, Herlous. They’re both seniors under Black Star’s command.”
“That’s the army’s Vice-Captain Lagi. They say he’s the strongest person under Black Star’s command.”
“Hadavy became one of Black Star’s guards some time ago. He should be the str
ongest.”
“Why aren’t the Black Star Guards here?”
In the many years of fighting the secret war, the various officers of the Black Star had earned a name for themselves. The new members in the hall all recognized these officers.
This time, a flash of light appeared on the stage. Han Xiao walked out of the Void Dimension and nodded at the millions of new members.
The people under the stage focused. Facing a Beyond Grade A, most people were both excited and nervous.
“Welcome to the Black Star Army…”
Han Xiao scanned through the hall filled with people and started his speech while his thoughts drifted to the three unwelcome guests. While presenting his welcome speech, he watched the images on the surveillance cameras and focused on the whereabouts of those three people at the same time.
They had already found Rossellin.
…
Rossellin was special among the army officers. She was the Cultural Instructor. Due to her unique ability, she rarely appeared in public and usually gave people lessons in the army training camp.
After returning with the fleet, she did not follow Han Xiao to show herself in front of the new members but directly returned to her room in the training camp in the headquarters. However, on her way, she was stopped by three people.
“What do you want?” Rossellin slightly raised her brow.
Rossellin sized up the silver-skinned man, the man covered in dragon scales, and the four-armed man.
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Edmond, and these two are my friends. The buff one is Kayde, and the four-armed one is Haywal,” The silver-skinned Edmond said.
The man covered in dragon scales, Kayde, nodded as a greeting. The four-armed Haywal waved his hands.
Rossellin narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, “You’re not members of the army, are you?”
“Yes, but we mean no harm. We just hope to have a talk with you.” Edmond lowered his voice. “You’ll definitely be interested.”