by <unknown>
After some thought, Han Xiao’s eyes became firm.
“This means that these people are very likely to be able to summon EsGod’s doppelganger like the DarkStar leader did!” If this was really the case, it would be quite a tough situation.
Back then, he had been able to exile EsGod’s doppelganger because of the terrain advantage and Harrofal’s help, which he did not have now.
“I’m much stronger than before. After completing the Promotion after level 220, my health is almost double that of seven years ago. Plus, I have the Void Star Pursuer talent [Cosmic Environmental Adaptation], which greatly increases my defense. Even if I must face an EsGod doppelganger directly, I won’t be in as much of a disadvantageous position as I was seven years ago… Hmm, if it’s just a doppelganger, EsGod might not be able to threaten my life. Aurora’s potions also give me the equivalent of many lives…”
Han Xiao quickly analyzed the situation. As he realized that the situation was not that horrible, he was slightly relieved.
Fortunately, Version 3.0 had begun, and he had already gained enough experience from it to become stronger once again. If he had been the same as seven years ago, EsGod’s revenge would indeed have been very threatening to him.
After looking at news of Harrofal’s death carefully again, Han Xiao sighed and could only mourn for this old friend of his that had once fought alongside him.
This time, a new mission suddenly popped up on the interface.
You have triggered Grade A Bounty Mission [Harrofal’s Revenge].
Mission Introduction: Harrofal is an important member of the Tyla Civilization. He was murdered, and the killer has caused an extremely horrible impact. The Tyla Civilization has issued a bounty. Anyone that avenges Harrofal will receive a huge amount of reward.
Mission Requirements: Kill or capture the bounty target—Orozen.
Reward: 236,000,000 Experience, 8,000,000 Enas bounty, +1,800 Tyla Civilization Favorability.
To a Version 3.0 player, the difficulty of this mission is way above their abilities. No wonder the rewards are so good… Han Xiao tutted.
No players in Version 3.0 would be able to complete this mission. Missions with this kind of difficulty would only appear in at least two more versions.
However, Bounty Missions were not restricted by versions. Many people were wanted by civilizations or black markets. Even the players now would be able to accept Bounty Missions for Calamity Grades or even Beyond Grade As, just that they would certainly not be able to complete them.
For example, many Shattered Star Ring organizations had secretly issued bounties for Han Xiao on the black market, which totaled about ninety-two million Enas. This was an outrageous bounty for even major galactic pirates. However, most bounty hunters knew the limit of their capabilities, so no one would accept this kind suicide mission.
“The requirement is to avenge Harrofal…” Han Xiao murmured. “There’s no need to waste energy tracking the culprit; that is Tyla Civilization’s job. A Star Cluster civilization has more resources to track the culprit. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack for me. If EsGod’s subordinates are looking for revenge, they will most likely come for me. I will just have to wait.”
After contemplating for a while, Han Xiao made up his mind. He was not planning to break his tempo of farming talents because of this mission.
If EsGod’s subordinates were not coming, it would save him some trouble, but if they were indeed after him, he did not mind getting rid of the mission target. He was rather confident in this. After all, the outside world did not know that he had made another breakthrough in terms of strength.
According to the combat experience from seven years ago, he would just about be able to endure the pressure from an EsGod doppelganger.
Of course, being confident was one thing. The Great Mechanic Han would not be less alert because of it.
“I still have to be cautious…”
At the same time in a certain area in the Shattered Star Ring, three curved spaceships slowly flew between an asteroid belt in stealth mode. There were signs of a battle on these ships. Nano Robots were repairing their armor.
Inside the main ship, Colin, Orozen, and the rest were looking at the data records of a wormhole detector. This was a device that they had received from Harrofal. Inside was the many years of data of studying the wormholes, among which was the data of the time when an EsGod doppelganger fell into the wormhole.
“Hmm… the dates align. This is the data that His Excellency EsGod wants.” Orozen grinned, showing a few fangs. “The memories I read are indeed correct.”
Orozen’s Esper ability was the rare ‘Race Strengthening’, which enhanced his Racial Talents as a member of the Blood Race. He had the ability to read the memories of the target whose blood he consumed. These people did not kidnap Harrofal to interrogate and torture him but to let Orozen suck his blood and get the intelligence they wanted. Harrofal’s cause of death was his blood being drained dry completely while he was still alive.
“But due to your stupidity, the Tyla Civilization discovered your identity,” Colin said coldly. “The entire Star Cluster civilization is now searching for us. Maybe they will be able to discover that we’re members of the Fallen Ark. If not because you’re still a little useful, I would’ve killed you.”
Orozen did not care at all. He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and said lazily, “So what? The Tyla Civilization won’t be able to catch up to our spaceships. Plus, this is the Shattered Star Ring, not the Central Galaxy ruled by the three Universal Civilizations.
“Is it necessary to be this careful? Might as well have some fun. So what if an organization in this remote Star Field discovers who we are? Can they go to the Central Galaxy to fight Fallen Ark?
“Plus, even if they really dare to go there, they will only end up being demolished by His Excellency EsGod.”
Colin snorted. “If any accidents happen during the operation, I will make you pay.”
“Instead of worrying about something so unimportant, how about sending the data back first?” Orozen shrugged and snickered.
Colin did not continue hanging onto the fact that their identities had been partially exposed. Through the super-long- range quantum communication device, he sent the wormhole data back to the Fallen Ark.
This way, the first mission given by His Excellency EsGod was complete.
Colin was rather satisfied with their efficiency. After planning for more than half a month, they had successfully kidnapped Harrofal and retrieved the data right away. The mission was going smoothly.
Since they had obtained the data, there was no need for them to find Black Star.
This team had three EsGod doppelgangers in their hands, which were all given different abilities. Colin did not want to waste any of them on Black Star—these were all important trump cards that EsGod had given them to steal the Evolution Cube.
Stealing the Evolution Cube from Psyker was the most important mission of this trip. Comparatively, kidnapping Harrofal was a walk in the park.
Colin clapped his hands and said with a deep voice, “The data has been sent. It’s time to get down to business. Psyker is a Beyond Grade A, so we need a detailed plan and a suitable opening.”
The three spaceships changed direction and headed to the Star System where Psyker resided.
In a desolate universe belt outside the Central Galaxy, the main army of the Fallen Ark was resting in their secret stronghold.
In the main ship, an officer woke EsGod up from his sleep.
“Your Excellency EsGod, the team we sent to the Shattered Star Ring had sent back the data you wanted.”
Upon hearing the officer’s report, EsGod woke up. The black vortex under his hood turned into a face. He then smiled strangely and said with a husky voice, “Good… good. Have the research team analyze this wormhole data and find the place that the other side of the wormhole was connected to at that time. I want to know the coordinates o
f that place in the universe.”
“Understood.”
“Hmm…let me think. Right, I told them to bring the Evolution Cube back. Have they succeeded?”
“They have yet to send any information related to that. They should still be on the task.”
EsGod slowly nodded and mumbled, “I have finally discovered where the Evolution Cube is. The Arcane Church has been looking for it for so long. They have no idea that the leftover records of the Evolutionary Civilization have always been in my head. I’m the rightful heir of the Evolution Cube. It can help me achieve a higher level of evolution. Psyker has no right to such a treasure…”
Chapter 745. 745 Tomar |
745 Tomar
“My name is Tomar Tykin.
“I was born in Yellow Leaf Town of the Ocean Boundary Kingdom. I was adopted by the only orphanage in the town before I could remember, where I spent my childhood.
“I can still remember when I was six years old, I saw a few slightly older children from the town doing weird things to older sister Shanna in an alley two streets away from the orphanage.
“Sister Shanna was the oldest child in the orphanage. She always took care of everyone, and we all saw her as our older sister. She had freckles on her face. I think that she looked very pretty and gentle when she smiled with the dimples on her cheeks. I always dreamed of her when I was little.
“I thought that they were bullying older sister Shanna, so I picked up a stone and threw it at the forehead of one of them. Then, they beat me up. After growing up, only then did I know what they were doing to Shanna back then.
“After that, older sister Shanna left the town without saying goodbye. I don’t know where she went.
“Then, the guy whose forehead I hit went to the orphanage to complain. The head of the orphanage scolded me. I asked him why my parents didn’t have my back. He said that my parents died long ago. They went into the mountains to harvest things and met demonic spirits.
“Only then did I know that I had no one to rely on in this world.
“When I was ten, I left the orphanage and became an apprentice at the carpenters’ workshop in town.
“When I was fifteen, my teacher got a job that needed him to go to Stone Heart City, which was nearby. He brought us there, and after working there for half a month, we finally finished the job. On that night, Pilly cheekily said that he was going to take me to a good place. Pilly was the senior apprentice of the carpenter workshop, a few years older than me. Then, we went to a pub in Stone Heart City called ‘Honey’. That was the first time I ever drank. In that place, I saw Sister Shanna, whom I had not seen for many years.
“She was working in the pub. She had thick makeup on her face, and she smiled more than before. But her smile looked fake to me. It reminded me of the smiley-faced dolls I carved hundreds of times.
“Her job was to take food to the guests. When she passed by, there were always people who placed their hands on her body. Every time that happened, she smiled more clearly and even faker. I remember that she was still very young, but I noticed that she already had wrinkles at the edges of her eyes.
“Pilly said that I was an adult now. He had already paid, so Sister Shanna would take me to the second floor and help me to become an adult. Only then did I realize that she had become a prostitute, and her business was quite good.
Many people paid for her.
“I remember how my mind became blank. I fought with Pilly but lost. He was taller and tougher than me. I was pressed on the floor and beaten up badly. Sister Shanna did not come to help. I don’t know if she recognized me.
“After that, I was thrown out of the pub. My eyes swollen, and my body hurt, but I did not want to return to the hotel and wandered around the streets.
__On that night, I met a wizard.
“Sometimes, I can’t help but admit how unpredictable life can be. When I was a kid, I never thought that I would become a wizard in the future.
“Over the next five years, I learned all kinds of spells and ways to make magic potions in Stone Heart City. Mister Lanley always praised me, saying that I’m talented. I don’t know if he meant it… Anyhow, I stepped into another hidden world. My old life became distant and unreachable.
“The others set a goal for me—to beat a person called Vosumede. Although I didn’t know him, everyone said that he’s my enemy.
“When I was twenty, I met four people who called themselves deities. I never thought that this would be the turning point of my life.
“Their appearance changed everything. They easily completed the goal that us wizards in the gathering point had spent fifty years fighting for. I saw my enemy, Vosumede, for the first time, and then he was casually killed by the deities.
“The deities chose me and brought me to the Kingdom of Deities. I thought I would then become a faithful believer, but everything that happened after overthrew my knowledge of everything.
“We boarded a huge metal box, and this box could actually fly. When we entered the sky, I realized that my world was actually a ball!
“Why is it a ball? I don’t understand!
“The God of Luck told me that the world I was in is called Nalun. It’s something called a planet. Outside the planet is a place called the universe. In the universe, there are countless planets like Planet Nalun.
“I was really shocked, more shocked than when I realized the existence of deities. I never could have thought of something like this even in my wildest imaginations.
“However, the God of Luck then told me that them being so called deities was just a joke. They were just visitors from the universe, and I’m the only one from Planet Nalun to enter the galaxy. I could not believe that this had happened to me!
“He said that his name was Feidin, and he told me what the real world was like. This completely shattered my past world view.
“Feidin said that they were all members of the Black Star Army. That guy who tricked me is the leader of the army. I have never seen someone this shameless before…
“Nonetheless, I felt gratitude toward him. If he had not chosen me, I would have forever been an ignorant native like Feidin said, never getting to know the truth of the universe. His Excellency Black Star changed my entire life.
The Black Star Army seems to be a very strong organization in the universe, and I became a member of the Black Star Army… Alright, I’m used to things like this. Just like back in the gathering point, I once again joined an organization out of nowhere.
“For many days, I was confused and lost. While Feidin taught me the general knowledge of the world, he told me that if I don’t know what to do, I should take helping my mother planet as my life goal—this is the destiny of a pioneer of a civilization.
“Honestly, I like this destiny.
“Mister Feidin helped me a lot. I think he’s a good man. He looks nice when he smiles, like Sister Shanna in the past.
“After a few days, I was sent up to another spaceship. They were sending me to the Black Star Army headquarters to learn magic. They said that I’m talented. Sigh, why does everyone think I’m a magic genius? Isn’t magic very simple?
“I was handed over to a person that looked miserable and depressed. He said that he would be my teacher from now on.
“Honestly, I don’t think he’s a suitable teacher. He told me, ‘Magic is actually not that useful. Just learn something so that I can say I’ve done my part.'”
Three months later, on Planet Macipher…
This was a well known, neutral planet in the Shattered Star Ring, located at the edge of the Star Field and not ruled by any civilization.
At this moment, Han Xiao’s spaceship was hovering above Planet Macipher.
Three months had passed since his trip to Planet Nalun.
In those three months, the biggest battle up till now had erupted in the secret war. As the Crimson Dynasty leaked rumors about the negotiation starting to come to an end, Section Zero and the Bloodshed Land began an all-out war
to delay the time. The two sides gave up all conservative strategies and fought head-on.
The warfare was tragic. In just the short three months, the Calamity Grades that died on both sides added up to close to a hundred.
Han Xiao did not participate, and Purple Crystal allowed that, but the Black Star Army had to fight given how many resources they had consumed.
The army was led by Lagi and Herlous. The players were given suicidal missions, so the number of casualties of lower- middle combatants was kept to an acceptable range. As for the high-level combatants, without their leader, Black Star, many Calamity Grades were injured. However, Han Xiao told Aurora to make some super strong recovery potions that saved lives in crucial times. Thanks to that, none of the high-level combatants of the army died.
During all that, Han Xiao took Hila, Aurora, and Feidin to travel all around the Star Field to do side missions. Tomar was the only protagonist character that he had been able to woo. This leek was given to Lagi to slowly cultivate. Han Xiao had obtained five new talents in the past three months.
Three of them were common talents, and two were rare talents. All of them were useful in some way. His actual combat capability increased to a certain extent. However, the most important thing that he received was not those talents but the Experience that he had been hoarding throughout the three months.
The senior players and new players of the army provided him with plenty of Experience. According to his calculation, that Experience was more than enough for him to level up to above level 235. He was getting closer to level 240.
The speed of getting Experience is faster than I expected. It seems to be because these new players are starting to learn Advanced Knowledges as well. At this rate, in about half a month, my Experience would be enough for me to reach level 240…
Inside the spaceship, Han Xiao was rather excited.
He had yet to use the Experience on leveling up—this was mainly because he wanted to use the Experience as a trump card for dealing with the possible revenge of EsGod’s subordinates.
