by <unknown>
These creatures had strange appearances, but they all carried the characteristics of a void species and wore specially-made armor.
Sweeping a glance, Han Xiao felt a sense of familiarity.
He was no stranger to these strange-looking creatures.
There were Void Prowlers and Chaos Observers as the Reconnaissance Troops, riding Void Hunters, Void Star Pursuers, and Void Walkers. Lined up in ranks were the Void Disciples, the Void Executioners, and the Magomado Blades. The ranged troops consisting of Void Witch Spirits and Chaos Arcane Bodies were placed at the back. These were all the race options he had encountered with each promotion.
In the center of this army was the behemoth troop. There were ten huge Margola Void Beasts, covered in armor and carrying countless void creatures. There were even three Void Dragon hatchlings, of which the three strongest void creatures rode on them.
Their leader was a Void Duke, about a few hundred meters in height, his body covered in a tangible blue-violet energy. He was covered from head to toe in huge black armor and held onto the reins of the void dragon with one hand, a mysterious black longsword in the other. Void Dukes could change their forms at will, and this Void Duke was currently assuming a humanoid form.
This was a Void Army Regiment!
“It seems like we accidentally ended up in the territory of a Void Duke.”
Seeing the group, Ames furrowed her brows.
She was an old visitor to the secondary dimensions, so it was not the first time she had encountered such a scene.
The Void Dimension was a naturally formed secondary dimension, and it spanned across an extremely vast area. The difference in dimensional attributes compared to the main universe had resulted in the spawning of the countless void species. In addition to naturally growing, the void species could strengthen themselves by swallowing each other, thus forming a complete chain of weak and strong. In this situation, the higher void creatures eventually segregated their territories, forming armies to fight against each other.
The Void Duke was one of the top void creatures, boasting their own powerful army. Their goal was to swallow other Void Lords or Void Dukes. Not only did they thrive on war, but using the unique features available to them, they had developed a special technology applied to the Void Dimension.
The Void creatures not only fought against each other, they were also hostile toward foreign life forms. One reason was because foreigners usually tended to kill them for materials, and secondly, the Void Corruptors could use their blood to convert the foreigners to become a new source for their troops. Thus, when encountering visitors from different dimensions, they would not be lenient.
“They treat us as prey.”
As countless malevolent gazes landed on them, Han Xiao narrowed his eyes before releasing his Beyond Grade A aura. His momentum swept the area around him like a gale.
Boom!
The tyrannical aura caused the void army to stagnate.
The Void Duke’s longsword slashed outward, sending a spiritual message filled with shock.
“Beyond Grade A creature of the main universe‽”
The prestige of Beyond Grade As resounded even within the secondary dimensions.
Han Xiao revealed his identity. “I’m an ally of the Crimson Dynasty, the leader of the Black Star Army. I go by Black Star.”
“Black Star? Never heard of you.”
Because information exchanges between the main universe and the secondary dimensions were limited, most of the void creatures were not concerned about the news from the main universe. However, the big names like the Crimson Dynasty were still known to the Void Dukes, as the reputation of the three Universal Civilizations had also spread throughout the secondary dimensions. The higher beings of the Void Dimension had considerable wisdom and knew to not provoke the three Universal Civilizations.
“Outsider, I’m the Void Duke Kirkmond. Leave my territory immediately.” He pointed with his longsword, indicating their expulsion.
The Beyond Grade A life forms from the main universe were not so easy to provoke. Although the Void Dimension had successfully killed some invading Beyond Grade As before, they were all done by the strongest Void Dukes. The casualties on both sides were equally heavy, which resulted in those Void Dukes being swallowed by others instead. Kirkmond was merely a Void Duke in the middle ranks and did not want to get himself into a conflict with a Beyond Grade A for nothing.
Seeing this, Ames did not wish to blow up the matter any further and patted Han Xiao. “Let’s go. There’s no need to entangle with them.”
Sweeping his gaze across the vigilant Void Army, Han Xiao suddenly had an idea and switched to his Void Form. The aura around his body changed completely.
Seeing this, Kirkmond jumped up in shock.
“You’re also part of the Void‽”
“That’s right. I’m not a creature from another dimension but one of your kind.”
After Han Xiao entered the Beyond Grade A realm, he had transformed into an exclusive race, but the void bloodline he originally had did not disappear, merely merging into the exclusive race.
According to his degree of evolution, Han Xiao’s Void creature ranking was high. He had reached the level of the Void Archangel, which was similar to the rank of Void Duke.
Kirkmond’s attitude took a 180-degree change, filling up with envy and greed while hiding behind a fawning attitude.
When encountering a Beyond Grade A of another species, even if they killed the other party, there were no benefits to them. However, if the other party was a Beyond Grade A void creature, then he could swallow their bloodline and obtain an evolutionary boost.
However, the difficulty in killing the latter was also greatly increased. The void dimension was the home of the void creatures, and the higher one’s void dimension life level, the higher their degree of control over the Void Energy. Han Xiao was akin to a fish in water there and would not be affected by the suppression of void energy.
The power system of the Void Dimension differed from the main universe. The void life forms possessed various racial talents, and through continuous evolution, they would activate their innate abilities to exert a great combat strength. This sort of strength could not be replicated by others, so it could not be classified as one of the major Super systems and only classified as a special life form.
However, the void creatures could also take the initiative to master the super system of the main universe, and their representatives were relatively well known.
“Do you know Kasuyi?” Kirkmond could not help but ask.
“We’re quite familiar with each other.” Han Xiao nodded.
Hearing this, Kirkmond felt proud.
Kasuyi was a celebrity within the Void Dimension, publicly recognized as one of the strongest void creatures to exist. He had raked up vast achievements while still within the void dimension, conquering a large number of Void Lords and Void Dukes and ruling a vast territory in the center of the Void Dimension. No one could contend with him then, and while he was generally more active in the main universe, his reputation within the Void Dimension still remained unmatched.
And right now, Kirkmond had encountered a new Beyond Grade A void creature who was even familiar with Kasuyi, piquing his interest. After all, Kirkmond himself did not possess the qualifications to even come into contact with Kasuyi.
“Black Star, come over to my place to be my guest.” Kirkmond directly issued an invitation. There were few formalities within the Void Dimension, so they did not beat around the bush.
“Alright, I’ll go and have a look.” Han Xiao had similar intentions. Since he had managed to meet this Void Duke, it would be good to exchange some intelligence. Furthermore, since he planned to travel and explore this time, he was not afraid of having his time delayed.
The Void Dimension had many good things, such as the Void Maharaja that Austin had once given him, allowing his bloodline to be purified further. While Han Xiao had already reached the
pinnacle Beyond Grade A realm, there might be something that could help him strengthen his void talents. There was no harm in trying his luck.
Speaking of luck, Han Xiao could not help but think about the luck halo [Caretaker of the Stars] that Ames had.
While he did not bring Feidin this time, Ames’ had pretty good luck as well, which could be able to carry him forward.
“This is a guider. Follow me.”
Kirkmond shook his fingers, sending out a cloud of void energy that contained the information on the coordinates over to Han Xiao.
The next moment, the surrounding void army all flickered and disappeared. In the Void Dimension, none of the inhabitants flew normally. They had all mastered the craft of Void Travel.
Seeing this, Ames shook her head in resignation. “You actually exposed your identity to the Void creature. The last time Hila and I came to the secondary dimension to train, neither of us dared to do so, or else we would not have made it back.”
“Those with skills have bigger balls,” Han Xiao joked.
While the secondary dimension still posed some risks to ordinary Beyond Grade As, it was not much to a pinnacle Beyond Grade A.
The duo then followed the guider and shuttled through the void, soon arriving at Kirkmond’s base camp.
This was a magnificent city that was suspended in space. The entire body of the city was made out of translucent crystals, and its radiant internal energy core could be seen, surrounded by a rich layer of gray-blue void energy.
Within the Void Dimension, natural materials were scarce, so crystals were generally obtained through special techniques of refining the omnipresent Void Energy. To build a city like this, the expenses were naturally gargantuan.
This huge city had many barracks, so rather than calling it a city, it would be more accurate to call it an army camp. Han Xiao and Ames went to the main hall in the center of the city, and Kirkmond greeted the both of them.
He had shrunk his body to match Han Xiao’s size. After they sat down, he impatiently asked, “Black Star, where were you born?”
He thought that Han Xiao had grown up as a native of the Void Dimension. However, Han Xiao did not hide it and explained that he was someone who had acquired a void bloodline and had always been active in the main universe.
The two of them chatted with each other, exchanging information. Han Xiao talked about the situation in the main universe, while Kirkmond talked about what the Void Dimension was like.
In his previous life, the players had a limited understanding of the secondary dimensions since they only came into contact with it in the later versions. Furthermore, many of the secondary dimension life forms did not have a habit of recording their history, so Han Xiao also lacked information about the void dimension in the current era.
After some exchanges, Han Xiao developed a general understanding of the current power balance of the void dimension. It was not ruled by a single entity but by many strong powerhouses.
The Kasuyi family dominated and occupied the entire central area but had no intention of unifying the void dimension, nor did they possess the ability. Powerful Void Dukes constantly sprang up like bamboo shoots after a downpour, fighting each other in separate areas. In addition, there were a large number of chaotic areas such as the wilderness, where chaos reigned, constantly breeding new void creatures that would freely hunt each other in the area.
After chatting for a while, Kirkmond finally came to the topic of Han Xiao’s reason for going there.
“I actually have no goal. I just intend to roam a bit around the secondary dimensions. My first trip was to the Void Dimension, and I coincidentally met you.” Han Xiao spread open his hands.
Hearing this, Kirkmond thought for a while before saying, “Since you have nothing to do, you can help me out.”
There was no such thing as politeness or etiquette in the Void Dimension. While it was the first time they had met, Kirkmond did not bother standing on ceremony with them.
“What do you need?” Han Xiao was curious.
“I’ve always wanted to kill Bagdora. He’s also a Void Duke, his territory similar to mine. We’ve already had more than a hundred battles against each other. If you’re able to help, I can eradicate him, swallowing his core and taking over his army troops.”
Han Xiao raised his brows. “Then, what can you repay me with?”
“I can give you half of the cores of the Void life forms left on the battlefield. In addition, if you need any specialties of the Void Dimension, I can find them for you.” Kirkmond waved his hand, giving his bottom line without any attention for negotiation skills. “Furthermore, you can obtain my friendship. When you need help in the main universe, you can open a Void Path, and I will bring my army to help you fight.”
Hearing that, Han Xiao was excited.
When he previously evolved into the [Void Pathfinder], he had obtained the racial talent of [Void Path], which could temporarily open a door to the Void Dimension.
He had never utilized this ability before because the summoned void life forms would not differentiate between friend or foe. However, if he could form an agreement with Kirkmond, then he would be able to use this ability to summon a void regiment to fight for him.
The same was true for Kasuyi. He could use his natural ability to call out the Void army under his command. This was where he had obtained his moniker [Void Overlord], but he seldom used this ability since his true body was too strong and did not require reinforcements.
While Han Xiao was not a summoner, this talent could also achieve the effect of a summoning.
At this moment, a notification popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.
_____________
You have triggered the mission: Void Duke’s War Employment!
Mission Introduction: Void Duke Kirkmond has taken a fancy to your combat abilities, and hopes to hire you to fight for him and eradicate his enemies.
Mission Requirements: Defeat Void Duke Bagdora’s Army
Reward: 12 billion experience, +3,000 Kirkmond Favorability, 1 Character Summon Card
Additional Reward: Triggers the Milestone Mission: Void Conqueror
Void Conqueror: Milestone competition conditions: Destroy eight Void Dukes and their organizations (void life forms at the same life form level are accepted). At the same time, achieve a Favorability rating of Respect (3,000 Favorability) in at least four Void Dukes’ factions. Reward will be given after Milestone is completed.
Milestone Completion Reward: If you possess Void abilities, their base effects will have a slight increase, and you will obtain 500 – 2,000 Free Attribute Points. You will also obtain +1 Legendary Point, +20 Favorability on all void life forms, and +1 God’s Trait Transformation Point. This will only be given if the [God’s Trait Transformation] talent is activated.
_____________
Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled.
The rewards were pretty good this time. He could even obtain a God’s Trait Transformation point. After creating both Universal Treasures, he had thought that he would have to wait till he underwent another Promotion to obtain more points.
Looking at the introduction, it seemed like only those Beyond Grade As who had reached the level of God’s Trait Transformation would then trigger this extra point reward. If other people accepted this mission, they would not see the last message.
Han Xiao was overjoyed.
Not only did he manage to obtain a mission, he could even get a large number of Void specialties promised by Kirkmond. This sort of business could be done. To Han Xiao, it was just going back to his old mercenary days.
“Deal, I’ll help you.” Han Xiao smiled. “However, now’s not a good time. I still have things to do, so let’s put this off until I return.”
He had already decided to accept the employment, but his priority was still to obtain the Holy Light Particle. This was non-negotiable; thus, he would only come over to help Kirkmond after he was done obtaining the Holy Light Particle.
“No problem!” Kirkmond was overjoyed, immediately agreeing.
Since he had fought the other party for so many years, waiting a while longer was not a problem.
Ames was not interested in their conversation. After growing bored of listening to them, she took out the revive token to fiddle in her hand. She had also obtained this from Hila.
At this moment, Kirkmond glanced over subconsciously and suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on the revive token.
“Huh?” Ames’ brows rose, and she clenched her fingers over the token. “What are you looking at?”
“Er, could you pass the thing in your hand to me for a look? I felt a very familiar aura from it.” Kirkmond was not polite at all, his tone carrying a little suspicion.
Han Xiao realized something, quickly taking his own token out and asking, “I have something similar. Does it have the aura you’re familiar with?”
“Yes, but it’s very weak. Could you pass it over to let me scrutinize it?” Kirkmond nodded.
Han Xiao thought about it before flicking the token over.
Kirkmond’s palm transformed into energy to envelop the revive token. After carefully looking at it, he replied with an uncertain tone, “I seem to have felt a similar energy fluctuation within one of the secondary dimension layers…”
Han Xiao’s expression changed immediately.
This revive token contained the effect of [Death Rejection—Awakening]. Based on his inference, this was a new ability developed by Hila. Using delicate power control, she had combined Aurora’s life energy with her own Power of the Dead to form an entirely new type of energy.
Hila had also mentioned that when she was attempting to form a remote connection with Aurora, she experienced some difficulty in that a secondary dimension layer kept absorbing most of the energy transmitted between both of them. Hila initially planned to do a field trip to the area, but she did not have the time to come this trip.
So, is it a coincidence that I came across the target Hila was looking for?
Han Xiao could not help but look at Ames.
Compared to Feidin, I think touching you might be better now…