by <unknown>
In addition, there were also miscellaneous items, such as golden blueprints left by the previous Beyond Grade A mechanics or magic equipment forging diagrams from mages and so on.
The dynasty had a lot stashed away and wanted to exchange their unused stuff for the Evolution Cube.
As for what the dynasty did not study or understand, it would naturally not be included in the list. Han Xiao initially wanted to take advantage of this loophole, but it was a pity that the other party did not give him a chance.
After patiently waiting for a while, Bekorodi asked, “How is it? Have you made your decision?”
“Oh…” Han Xiao breathed out before shaking his head. “This is too sudden, and I’ve not thought about it properly. I can’t give you an answer now. Give me some time to consider.”
“That’s fine.” Bekorodi nodded, and his tone grew a little heavier. “I believe, after serious consideration, you will make the best choice and not disappoint the dynasty’s faith in you. I hope you can make your decision before the Flickering World opens.”
“We’ll see depending on the situation.”
Han Xiao nodded before standing up, following the secretary out of the room.
Leaving the government building, he headed toward his small base that was used for storing his machinery while thinking about the pros and cons.
The first would be with regards to the interest. If he handed over the Evolution Cube, he would receive three Universal Treasures. According to the list, he should obtain all combat related Universal Treasures, but there was always the opportunity to acquire another strategic level Universal Treasure instead. Han Xiao had always felt that it was pointless to only have combat-related treasures.
It would be good if they gave them away for free. However, that was just his wishful thinking.
There were also other benefits, namely that the Black Star Army would not have to stand on the cusp of the storm, and Sorokin’s Limitless Financial Group would not continue to make trouble for him. There was also no need to worry about any potential attacks from both the federation and the church, which could mean a long period of stable development… given that their previous grudges were not counted.
Han Xiao also assessed the effects of losing the Evolution Cube.
This was a unique strategic-level Universal Treasure, and while it possessed no combat power, its effect could be reflected in all aspects of development for a faction. If this were to be handed over to the dynasty, the Black Star Army would lose its faction’s special product, and its attraction to players and other characters would inevitably decline. A good example would be Silver Shadow. The latter would not have been so interested in him if not for the Evolution Cube.
With the Flickering World as a foundation, his interest group derived from the cube at the start had also stabilized, but the business of the Evolution Cube was still an important pillar in the army’s finances.
Handing over the cube was tantamount to transferring the frightening profits of the Evolutionary Totem to the dynasty. The expansion and maintenance of the Black Star Army required a huge amount of funds to constantly flow in, and without the transactions of the Evolutionary Totem to support them, the army would shrink and even slow its expansion.
While they had to abide by the covenant and seek the dynasty’s permission to use the Evolution Cube, he still possessed its ownership. Once his ownership was lost, the meaning would be different.
This would mean that other organizations would no longer need to cooperate with the Black Star Army, instead directly bypassing them to work with the dynasty. The Black Star Army would be kicked out of this game, which would impact their various businesses. The financial losses were not limited to just the transactions of the Evolutionary Totem.
Moreover, if he wished to use the Evolution Cube in the future, he would have to buy the right with money or contribution points.
At the same time, without the uniqueness of the Evolution Cube, the Black Star Army would also drop in influence. No matter how good his prestige was, he could not provide people with what they wanted.
To sum it up, the growth of the Black Star Army would become several times more difficult if he handed the cube over.
Han Xiao did not know if the dynasty had any hidden intentions to restrict the Black Star Army from growing. Did they feel that it was enough to allow his organization to grow to such a point? By reason, it would not be the case, but the thoughts of those above were always hard to speculate.
The Mechanic Empire was a good example. While the Federation did not regret it, if they had a chance to start over, they might not wish for the Mechanic Emperor to grow to such an extent, making him difficult to control.
But if he were to reject the dynasty’s suggestion, there would also be trouble.
From Bekorodi’s words, Han Xiao smelled a different meaning within… Was the dynasty eager to obtain the Evolution Cube so that it could sell the totems publicly?
After the Flickering World opened, countless organizations would enter and inevitably cause friction with the dynasty. If they began selling the totems openly, the pressure would decrease, and their control of the Flickering World would become unbreakable.
If that was the case, then rejecting the proposal would mean disrupting the strategic deployment of the dynasty, which was tantamount to him being ignorant of the bigger picture.
Bekorodi had already displayed the ‘sincerity’ of the dynasty, with polite words, and even shown a sincere attitude. However, in reality, this was merely a facade, and they were forcing him to hand over the cube. If he rejected, the upper echelons of the dynasty would feel that he did not know what was good for him, incurring dissatisfaction.
Han Xiao believed that if we refused to hand the cube over, the dynasty would not give up easily and would likely take some unknown follow-up measures.
It was impossible to steal from an ally, but underhanded moves would be set down one after another.
“What a difficult problem for me…”
Han Xiao sighed, unable to choose.
When the Evolutionary Totem appeared, he knew that the future would be troublesome, but the dynasty had helped him bear the pressure and had lasted for twenty years. Finally, this trouble had still appeared.
“I need to carefully think about this. I’ll contact Urranrell in the next few days and find out about her stand.”
…
Not long after Han Xiao left, a figure walked into Bekorodi’s conference room. It was Gaud.
After accumulating enough military merits over the years, Gaud had been sent back to the dynasty, formally focusing on his training with the same batch of Calamity Grades with potential.
The birth of a Beyond Grade A was full of uncertain factors. Even a Universal Civilization could not mass produce them, so the basic method was to spread the net as wide as possible and cultivate a large number of Calamity Grades.
Due to the huge talent pool as well as their advanced training methods, the conversion rate would not be null, but their output was also not fixed. It was the method through which Dark Lord Clotti had been trained by the dynasty into a Beyond Grade A.
Gaud was wearing a special dynasty officer uniform but with no rank markings on it. His figure was still skinny, no different from the him over a decade ago.
“You’re here, sit.” Bekorodi glanced at him before nodding.
Gaud sat at where Han Xiao had originally sat and lightly smiled. “How was the discussion?”
“No idea. It would be good if Black Star agreed. That would save us a lot of trouble.”
“With such good conditions, I believe he will not reject it. Black Star is a smart person, and smart people know their circumstances.” Gaud smiled.
“It’s difficult to say. Based on the character analysis by Heroic Soul, Black Star is a typical profit-seeker. Three to one may not be able to impress him, and the probability of rejection is at sixty-three percent.” Bekorodi shook his head. “Let’s not mentio
n him. In short, whether he agrees or not, we still need your ability to analyze the principle behind the evolutionary energy.”
“Haha, I’m waiting to be sent.” Gaud laughed.
“I know that your abilities are unprecedented, but how confident are you that you can use your abilities to analyze the Evolution Cube? Don’t wait till the end before telling us it’s impossible.”
“Right now, there’s no chance, but if I reach Beyond Grade A, I would probably have a seventy to eighty percent chance.”
“So, when can you reach Beyond Grade A?” Bekorodi asked.
Gaud only smiled.
Seeing this, Bekorodi knew that there was no answer to this question and shook his head. “So long as you know it in your heart, that’s fine. If you can unravel the mystery of the Evolution Cube, this would be a great contribution to the dynasty. In addition to your promotion, the Dynasty Ruler will also pay more attention to you.”
He firmly supported the Evolution Cube being handed over and could only rely on Sorokin to put pressure on Black Star, but because of the Black Star Army and Germinal Financial Group’s cooperation, there were not many results. It was only when Gaud appeared that Bekorodi saw a new hope.
As a direct potential Super cultivated by the dynasty, many factions were attracted to Gaud, but the one he was closest to was Bekorodi’s Hawk faction. They had invested in him from an early stage.
After pausing for a while, Bekorodi’s words turned sharp.
“Let’s set this aside for now and talk about the Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy. This is information revealed by EsGod’s legacy, and this mysterious energy is very dangerous. If you cannot become the host, even a Calamity Grade can be annihilated. Isn’t your idea too risky?”
“There’s no risk.”
Bekorodi frowned. “Are you sure that your Esper Ability will allow you to control the Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy at the Calamity Grade?”
“It can. Furthermore, this power will allow me to reach Beyond Grade A much faster,” Gaud replied.
“Humph, you’d better be right,” Bekorodi said in a deep tone. “Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy was from EsGod’s legacy, but it did not fall into the hands of the dynasty. The fact that you obtained it from other sources and handed it to us is good. When the time comes, if there are any other organizations that want to fight for the Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy, the dynasty will also interfere. I’ve already submitted your application, and the whether the dynasty will allow you to use the Primal Chaos Mysterious Energy in the end is up to them.”
“That’s right.” Gaud laughed.
Chapter 997. A Simpleton“s Killing Move |
After releasing his doppelganger, Han Xiao’s consciousness returned to his main body, and the scene in front of him changed back to the room where his Divine Mechanical Throne was located in Black Star Palace within the Flickering World.He took off the Evolution Cube that he wore around his neck, looking carefully at it. The small silver square reflected the gleam of light.
“It’s been twenty years since I got you from Psyker’s hands…”
Han Xiao touched the cube, and from the icy cold touch, a sense of intimacy rose from his heart.
According to the incomplete legacy of the Evolutionary Civilization, Han Xiao had long resonated with the Evolution Cube, forming a soul connection.
If he passed this over to the Dynasty, he also did not know if the dynasty would request for him to cut off his soul connection, letting someone else like Dark Lord Clotti form a connection.
Shaking his head, he buried this thought before putting the Evolution Cube back around his neck. He left the room to find Feidin.
From the surveillance shown by Phillip, Han Xiao found Feidin as well as the other older officers in the recreation area. He took a floating vehicle, arriving outside the Black Star Guards’ exclusive recreation room.
As he walked in, he could hear Hadavy’s delighted voice.
“… I can feel it. A few days ago, my Esper Ability rose a bit once again. There have been some minute genetic changes in me, and I feel that a small corner of the door to Beyond Grade A has opened.”
Aurora turned to look at Feidin. “How many times has he said this?”
Feidin laughed. “About two hundred and thirty-three times.”
“That’s right. Every day, you talk about how you’re about to reach the Beyond Grade A realm, but it’s been a decade, and there’s still no change,” Aurora added.
“You may not believe me, but every time I finish sparring with the Army Commander’s Apostle Weapons, I show some improvement, even if it’s only a small bit.” Hadavy snorted.
“Spar? More like being beaten up.” Feidin waved his hands in dismissal.
“So what if it’s being beaten up? My Esper Ability is like that.” Hadavy was not angry. “At least I can now last longer than all of you. After all, I can be considered Black Star’s trump card.”
Now that he was already a peak Calamity Grade Super, only the powerful attacks of a Beyond Grade A could stimulate his cells to improve further.
After the first of his Apostle Weapons, Psionic Prime, was born, Han Xiao had handed the task of beating up Hadavy to his Apostle Weapons. With the improvement in his abilities, the combat prowess of the Apostle Weapons naturally increased. Since they were able to fight against Beyond Grade A Supers, they could naturally thrash Calamity Grades. Thus, Hadavy would always run over to them to seek abuse.
Because of his superior defense, he could remain in the hands of the Apostle Weapons for a long time, surpassing other guards. After receiving more than twenty years of beatings, Hadavy had been steadily progressing, and his combat power had significantly improved. As a Beyond Grade A seed, he had always boasted about being the top warrior in the army.
This moment, everyone heard footsteps and turned around to see Han Xiao walking in. They all stood up in respect.
“Sit, I just came over for a look.” Han Xiao waved his hands before walking over to Feidin, his hand grasping his shoulder.
“Again‽” Feidin spoke in resignation, only using his hand to hit Han Xiao’s chest as a token of resistance.
After so many years, he had already gotten used to it. The friendship of men was simple—the more they touched each other, the better their relationship would get.
With the rise of Black Star’s prestige, there were more and more officers who felt cautious about Han Xiao. In the army, only a few old friends, including Feidin, could be so casual in front him.
After Han Xiao was satisfied that he had gotten enough luck, he turned around to look at Aurora before asking, “How’s the accumulation of life energy?”
Aurora smiled, and the entire room seemed to be wrapped with sunshine. “It’s quite huge, and I can feel that as long as I train for another half a year, I’ll step into the Calamity Grade.”
Upon hearing that, Han Xiao nodded.
Aurora’s Esper Ability was that of life, and thus, her life energy was increasing every moment, resulting in the transformation of her body. Not only would her physical fitness become better, her genes would also naturally optimize, and she would maintain her youth forever.
At Grade B, her abilities were upgraded in a different manner. It was difficult for her to train her life energy; she had to wait until the total amount reached the standards of the next level.
This approach had its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage was that progress would be slow. Every day, only a certain amount of life energy would be generated based on one’s level. Because Aurora had created many life potions, her life energy had not yet reached the Calamity Grade, so she rarely did so anymore.
But the benefit in this approach was that there was almost no bottleneck for her in the long term. As long as her life energy reached a certain standard, she could advance, which meant that it was only a matter of time for her to advance to Beyond Grade A, but it might take hundreds or even thousands of years.
Speaking of which, Hila
functioned through grabbing the life energy of others to strengthen herself, while Aurora shared her life energy with others and slowed down her own growth rate. Both their abilities and advancement modes were diametrically opposite.
“That’s right, uncle, when will my sister return?” Aurora could not help but ask that.
“I don’t know.” Han Xiao shook his head. “A few days ago, I sent out news to them, but they didn’t reply, nor did they pick up my call. They might have run off to some dangerous place where there’s no signal.”
“Sigh, it’s been so many years. I miss my sister.” Aurora scrunched up her face, looking a little depressed.
“Me too.” Han Xiao nodded.
“Me three.” Hadavy added on.
The duo immediately glared at him, with an expression of ‘what has it got to do with you’ on their faces.
Hadavy crossed his hands and coldly snorted. “She left twenty years ago and is still hogging the title of Captain. Feidin is only a stand-in, and I’m still the deputy, without being able to challenge her position.”
“Oh, it’s like that.” Aurora sighed in relief, patting her bouncy chest. “I thought you had something for my sister.”
“Your sister is so aloof. How could I like her…” Noticing Han Xiao’s gaze, Hadavy trailed off and coughed, mumbling in a small voice, “And how could I dare?”
When he first joined under Black Star, Hadavy did not have many qualifications, so he was willing to serve under Hila as a deputy despite being a Beyond Grade A seed.
However, so many years had passed, and Hadavy was considered an old-timer now. His capabilities had improved, and he had influence and qualifications. Furthermore, Hila had been gone for twenty years straight, so he felt that he had the right not to be under any other Calamity Grades. He wished to have a higher position, becoming the captain of the Black Star Guards.
