by <unknown>
Emphasizing the danger of the World Tree Civilization would not work either, and explaining why he knew the details was not even the biggest problem. The problem was that the three Universal Civilizations might become more cautious and wary because of his reminder, but they would certainly not give up making contact. If they knew that there was a dangerous advanced civilization in the unexplored universe, they would not wait till the other side found them but would surely attack first.
Therefore, no matter how he leaked any accurate information about the World Tree Civilization and what method he used, it would only make the time when the two sides made contact come sooner.
EsGod was already sealed, so no one but him knew anything about the World Tree in the explored universe. He was the only one who could influence the World Tree version’s overall path, and he had to be cautious.
“How did the dynasty react to this?”
Unsuspecting, Tarrokov said, “The upper echelons did not react to it much. The study project of these wormhole coordinates isn’t a secret, which is why I could ask around about it in the first place… EsGod has been captured for decades. He’s already in the past. Most of the studies about him are not important right now.”
“Then, what does the science institute plan to do?”
“Continue to search for the accurate coordinates, of course. Although we don’t know why EsGod treated this set of coordinates so importantly, the science institute will most likely do what was already done before. They will try to activate a wormhole with a fixed coordinate, throw a few detectors over, and wait for the results to come back.”
Han Xiao hesitated before subtly saying, “I think that this kind of study should be stopped temporarily. The unexplored universe is full of danger, so no one knows what they’ll find there. Now is the crucial time when the three Universal Civilizations are competing with the Super Star Cluster Alliance. If an incident similar to the Intelligent Plague happens again, it’s going to be very bad for the dynasty.”
Tarrokov looked at Han Xiao suspiciously and said, “Everything you said is filled with concern about this project. Do you know something?” “If I say it’s my intuition, will you believe me?”
“Hehe.” Tarrokov fake laughed, expressing he was absolutely not convinced, then continued casually. “I’ll pass on your suggestion. As for whether they listen to it, it doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
“That’ll be enough.”
“Alright, I’ll go do my things then. Also, don’t forget to attend the three Universal Civilizations’ award ceremony in two months’ time.”
“Hmm.”
Han Xiao nodded, turned off the communication, and Tarrokov’s remote projection disappeared.
After a short pause, he gave the order to the team escorting the Holy Light Particle that they could depart now and head to the agreed location to carry out the deal with the Holy Accord. It was located in the free competition zone of the Flickering World.
“The day of the deal is about to arrive.”
Inside a certain secret base of the Holy Accord organization, Oathkeeper opened his eyes and looked at the officers below him.
“Was the emissary carrying out the deal dispatched?”
“He was sent out long ago, absolutely loyal and reliable.”
“I don’t just want loyalty but also capability. I know Virtual Mechanics all too well. Black Star will certainly use the opportunity to attempt to track us, so we must be prepared. Has the emissary’s escape route been prepared properly?”
“The Black Star Army’s forces are too powerful in the Flickering World, so it’s not suitable to spark any conflict. We’ve already equipped the emissary with Information Form Invisibility Coating. As soon as he gets his hands on the item, he’ll activate the coating and evaporate from the spot.” “What about the guards?”
“There are guards but not many, only to prevent accidents from happening on the way there… After all, any number of guards will be meaningless in the Black Star Army’s territory.”
“Hmm… not bad.” Oathkeeper nodded with satisfaction and said, “As long as the Holy Light Particle is acquired, we can start to fuse the Third Sanctum Key and start the preparations for the awakening ceremony. Therefore, after we complete the deal, we’ll fully enter ‘The Darkest Time’ and completely cut off any of our connections with the outside world… I’ll meet Black Star one more time after the deal is completed, probably for the last time. There most likely won’t be any need for us to cross paths in the future.”
“Understood!”
Hearing the subordinates’ response, Oathkeeper grunted and started daydreaming.
Honestly, if not for the deal, he did not even want to see Black Star’s face.
Even till now, he was still confused about who leaked their information. Did the spy or traitor exist at all?
Chapter 1142. Flawless Deduction |
The deal location agreed by Han Xiao and Oathkeeper was a certain transit station planet in the Flickering World’s Dawn Star Cluster.
Feidin was appointed as the deal emissary, representing the army to wait and meet with the Holy Accord organization’s emissary there. The entire process would be monitored by Han Xiao from the headquarters.
Oathkeeper had also used spiritual projection long ago to meet with Han Xiao. The two of them both maintained communication to ensure that this deal would be carried out smoothly, clearly showing sincerity. Inside the office, a virtual screen hovered on the table and played the footage from the surveillance camera. Inside the footage was a prosperous area with a lot of people. Feidin stood beside the wall of a building wearing a mask, looking at the pedestrians passing by. The Holy Accord emissary had yet to arrive at the designated location.
“When will your man arrive? We’ve been waiting for almost two hours.” Han Xiao leaned back in his seat and looked at the screen with boredom.
“Soon.”
“You’ve said that seven times already.”
“… Really soon this time.” A while after, a man also in disguise finally appeared on the screen carrying a silver alloy suitcase. He walked right toward Feidin. The two of them met, but neither carried on to the next step.
“Is he the emissary?” Han Xiao asked.
“That’s right. What you want’s in the suitcase.” Han Xiao nodded, contacted Feidin, and told him to exchange the item. Oathkeeper also used his ability to give the same order. The two people on the screen received the order and exchanged the items right away, then backed off a few steps to check them. An armor suddenly appeared on Feidin’s body, shrouding both him and the suitcase. The next moment, with a flash of light, he disappeared right on the spot and suddenly appeared in Han Xiao’s office.
“Here’s the stuff.”
The armor opened up, and Feidin placed the suitcase on Han Xiao’s table. This was the King mechanical suit Han Xiao had temporarily lent to Feidin. The Throne was in his hands to ensure he would take the item right after the deal was completed.
Han Xiao opened the suitcase, and cold air flew out. Inside were two cylindrical containers that contained two clusters of Primal Esper Ability Entities. One was green, and the other was blue. There was also a data storage device beside the two containers. Han Xiao turned it on and looked at it. It stored the data for two Gold blueprints. Everything Oathkeeper had promised in the deal was there. This time, a notification also popped up on the interface.
Primal Esper Ability Entities Acquired: 4/4
[Primal Esper Ability Collector] Milestone requirements met.
Effects: When you fight Espers, all your attributes will increase slightly. -12% to 20% damage received from Espers. You have received 1 (The Third Sanctum) Ability Fragment.
The mission is completed, which means these two were real.
Han Xiao was relieved. He waved at Feidin.
“Go back.”
The three-minute duration had yet to end. He activated the King again and sent Feidin back to the location o
f the deal.
Oathkeeper turned and looked over. “Black Star, how is it?”
“Hmm, there are no problems. What about you?”
“What you gave me was indeed part of the Holy Light Particle.”
Han Xiao raised his brows and extended his hand.
“So… nice deal?” Although Oathkeeper’s spiritual projection had no physical form, he still made the gesture to shake Han Xiao’s hands and said, “Nice deal.”
The next moment, the Holy Accord emissary on the screen seemed to have activated some device and disappeared all of a sudden. “Oh? Your man fled really quick. Are you that worried about me?” Han Xiao asked with a joking tone. “Caution is a necessity.” Oathkeeper did not deny it.
Seeing that his emissary had followed the plan strictly and left the scene, Oathkeeper finally heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed his tense nerves.
This deal was extremely important for the Holy Accord, and he was worried about a lot of things. Most importantly, he was worried about Black Star not fulfilling their agreement and attempting to chase the Holy Accord emissary by any means necessary. Now it looked like Black Star had no such plan, and the deal was carried out smoothly. With the Holy Light Particle, the success rate of opening the Third Sanctum would basically reach their expected percentage. Oathkeeper suppressed his excitement and said, “I will remember Your Excellency Black Star’s generosity. Since the deal is complete, it’s time for me to leave.”
Every time he made contact with people like Black Star, it was a risk. The more he spoke, the more information he might leak.
Luckily, there was no need to ever make contact with Black Star anymore in the future. All Oathkeeper wanted to do now was immediately turn off the spiritual projection and never meet Han Xiao ever again.
Since Oathkeeper had always contacted Han Xiao using the method of spiritual projection, this meant that only he could contact Black Star while Black Star could not contact him. As long as he never contacted Black Star ever again, Black Star would never have the chance to see him in the future. At this time, Han Xiao suddenly smiled and said, “Don’t be in such a rush. Who knows when we will meet again? Let’s chat for a while. Also, I have some questions I’d like to ask you before you leave.” Oathkeeper’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, come on, why do you have questions again? You asking questions make me panic, every time! Oathkeeper tried to be patient and said with a cautious tone, “… Ask on then. I’ll answer as much as possible.” Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.
Just like Oathkeeper, he had nothing to worry about now that he already had what he wanted from the deal.
After he acted like he was pondering for a few seconds, he decided to start from the questions that would probably shock Oathkeeper the least. “Do you… know about Destiny’s Child?” Oathkeeper’s eyes turned around, and his entire body became stiff.
Animal! What have you discovered again? He started into Han Xiao’s eyes, hoping to figure out what he was thinking. However, Black Star’s clear eyes were filled with sincerity, as if he was really just asking casually. Unable to calm his emotions down, Oathkeeper suppressed his shock and asked, “Why are you suddenly asking me? Did something happen?”
“Well, there’s no need to hide it really. I once met a special individual who called himself Destiny’s Child. Sadly, he died in a nuclear explosion. Then, not long ago, I came across a similar individual. After some investigations, I discovered that there seems to be a Primal Esper Ability called Destiny’s Child that exists in the universe. It seems to be able to transform some life forms into special sub-bodies. You guys happen to be the experts in studying Primal Esper Abilities, so I came to consult you.”
“That’s it?”
“What else? But from the way you reacted, your Holy Accord organization seems to know quite a lot of things.” Han Xiao sized Oathkeeper up and wondered, “Could it be that Destiny’s Child is in your hands? The way your emissary disappeared earlier does seem similar to Information Form-related technology. That was invented by you guys too, wasn’t it?”
Oathkeeper was having a headache. He regretted his overreaction earlier. It was like he was infected with Black Star PTSD.
“It’s not, nonsense.”
“Really?”
“Nope.” Oathkeeper denied it completely. “Alright then, I don’t really care if it’s in your hands I just want to know some information. You guys specialize in studying Primal Esper Ability Entities, so you guys definitely know something, or you wouldn’t have asked me back earlier.” Han Xiao tapped on the table, his tone casual. He looked like he believed what Oathkeeper said, but actually, he was about sixty percent sure that Destiny’s Child was in the Holy Accord’s hands from Oathkeeper’s reaction. Nonetheless, Oathkeeper would certainly not admit to it, so the Great Mechanic Han decided to not continue asking. The most important thing was to ask about the mechanisms of Destiny’s Child.
Oathkeeper pondered with resignation, selected some information, and said, “Destiny’s Child is a very ancient Primal Esper Ability. We don’t know much about it either. Most of what we know came from the other Primal Esper Ability Entities. It’s said that Destiny’s Child’s ability is related to the changes of Information Form and strings of fate, and it has an unbelievably powerful foresight ability. “Strings of fate are also called ’cause and effect’ in some cultures. Like a huge net, if you touch one of the strings, the vibrations will certainly pass onto more strings. Therefore, every time it uses its ability, Destiny’s Child will have to read a lot of information and carry out an analyzing process similar to computing large groups of data. It is able to calculate the various possibilities and results that a certain event can produce, then use that to foresee the future.
“In this process, in order to read the so-called strings of fate, it will release special Information Form particles to collect information, and these particles will often cause information state disturbances. They will produce partial projections of themselves in random information bodies, take over part of their information, and that is how the sub-bodies are born. The targets are mostly life forms.
“Some Primal Esper Ability Entities say that Destiny’s Child can turn into a High Dimensional Information Form. If it doesn’t want to be discovered, no one can discover it. That is why no one had been able to capture it even till now… Therefore, you having met two sub-bodies is purely because you were lucky.” Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled, and his thoughts spun quickly. The information of Destiny’s Child Oathkeeper provided was almost identical to the mechanisms he had speculated it would have. However, he felt that Destiny’s Child’s ability did not stop there. Just foresight? Probably not! Since Destiny’s Child could produce sub-bodies, could it produce something else? Or even change the direction the strings of fate would take? There were many forms of the so-called ‘information state disturbance’, even physical mirages. Han Xiao did not forget how the Domino Virus that caused the Intelligent Plague appeared. In Version 1.0, the information he obtained from the Germinal Organization said that the ability of their Destiny’s Child was ‘influence’ over the future, not just ‘foreseeing’ the future. Han Xiao once thought it was only because the natives were not knowledgeable enough, but now that he thought about it, that might not have been a misunderstanding. Han Xiao asked a few more questions, to which Oathkeeper said he did not know, clearly not willing to expose more information.
Seeing this, Han Xiao had no choice but to change the topic. He narrowed his eyes and casually said, “By the way, last time you told me about how your spiritual projection ability works. After that, I did some research. There seems to be a Primal Esper Ability called Soul Flame that fits what you said.”
Hearing this, it seemed like this was no secret. Oathkeeper surprisingly nodded and said directly, “That’s right. I’m the master of Soul Flame.”
“Hmm, I did some further research following this information, and it seems like the last Soul Flame master in the universe was a Beyond Grade A
Esper nicknamed Soul Emperor. His name was Rovell Sissock… Do you happen to know him?”
Then, Han Xiao stared closely at Oathkeeper, wanting to see every slight reaction he had. However, Oathkeeper did not look surprised at all this time and said, “I’ve heard about him too, but I don’t know him.”
Han Xiao frowned in his mind. Unlike the question about Destiny’s Child, Oathkeeper did not have any strange reaction to this question. He did not know if this was because Oathkeeper was completely mentally prepared about it, or Oathkeeper did not care about his identity being exposed, or he guessed wrong and Oathkeeper was not that Soul Emperor who might have faked his own death. Han Xiao then asked, “Since Soul Flame once spent time with this master, it must know more. Help me ask it then…”
Han Xiao felt weird as soon as he asked this. It sounded like asking a man to ask his current girlfriend about how her ex-boyfriend was.
“About what?” Oathkeeper did not agree nor disagree. “Hmm, I’m very curious about after Soul Emperor died, who took Soul Flame, and how did you obtain it?”
Oathkeeper’s tone became slightly more serious, and he said, “Don’t you think these questions are too personal?”
“As a man of science, is it wrong for me to be curious?” Han Xiao used a very justifiable excuse. Oathkeeper shook his head with resignation and said, “Alright, I know you’re curious about who I am, and you think I’m Soul Emperor or one of the Beyond Grade As who killed Soul Emperor back then and took Soul Flame. But you’ve guessed wrong. I’m none of them. I did not rob Soul Flame from anyone. When I met it, it was already free, and it took me some effort to acquire it.”
