Chapter 1 Helena's Deal

The deal with Helena opened things up. The Kepler military personnel were readily available, and with the refinement and intelligence of Kepler's dregs, their combat effectiveness was highly guaranteed. Currently, mechs maintained order, which was generally sufficient. However, the appearance of aliens using Tianwu became extremely troublesome. To maintain Kepler's development, overly strict requirements couldn't be imposed. Practically speaking, being strict was useless. Peripheral merchant ships faced the risk of being plundered as soon as they left the Kepler star system.

Whether it was goods or humans, they were targets for plunder, by both orcs and others.

Kepler's current fleet didn't have the capability to pursue in stealth through space. They were technically suppressed, possibly due to the fear of violating the stealth conventions. Pirates hadn't directly invaded Kepler's star system, likely not because they were afraid, but because of the interests of the Star Alliance's order. But how long could this last?

Li Hao had some understanding of the Star Alliance, but to say he was familiar with it, especially the unspoken rules, was unrealistic. So he gathered Gaia, Kuta, and Gasmi together, incurring debt to treat them to a good meal. Human cuisine was gradually becoming popular, and the Anthem already had corresponding categories. Unfortunately, Li Hao couldn't afford it. Of course, among brothers, the focus wasn't on what they ate.

"The orcs are currently being aggressive. What should I do?" Li Hao explained the situation in Kepler, as well as the experiences of humans in other Anthems. Last time, Depuya was lucky to survive, but there wouldn't always be such opportunities. After the last incident, the orcs would probably act more cunningly. Except for a few Anthems with particularly strong order, most didn't care about such disputes. He wasn't worried about Chao Qinglong and the others. Those guys had all crawled out of the line of death, with top-notch abilities and minds. However, there were currently over five thousand humans studying in the Anthem, and some of them lacked combat ability.

Kuta, Gaia, and Gasmi exchanged glances. "It seems that in addition to Kuta, everyone in our 207th ring has their own set of problems," Gaia said with a wry smile. His injuries hadn't healed yet. Getting beaten up was one thing, but figuring out how to live in the future was a real headache. The problem was that even if Hausen left, six years was the bottom line in the Anthem. Unless he stayed, he would have to leave. But Lavitan was still around, and if Hausen gave any instructions, he would still be in trouble.

"I'm also having a hard time, being watched by Olivia every day, with no freedom at all." Kuta stood with his brothers. "Li-ge (older brother), it's been like this forever that orcs bully the weak and fear the strong. I don't think we can passively take a beating. We have to make them afraid."

"From a broader perspective, the orcs' behavior is tacitly approved by the higher-ups. This is also a way to maintain order," Gaia said. He didn't say it explicitly, but in reality, the Celestials didn't care, and the Dragon Race wouldn't interfere in open disputes between Star Alliance civilizations. What remained was the Sea Race. The Sea Race was only interested in resources, powerful but only able to protect themselves. No one dared to provoke them, and they wouldn't actively provoke others. This was also a unique characteristic.

If the Star Alliance were truly absolutely fair, and everything was handled according to regulations, then how would the superiority of the Celestials be reflected? Having an Orc Empire could instead highlight the Celestials. Of course, this was a matter for the higher-ups and didn't solve Li Hao's current situation.

The affairs of the Solar System Federation and the Lartu Empire, not to mention the people present, even their families had no right to interfere, nor did they have the qualifications, unless the benefits were so great that they could persuade the entire civilization group. What price would the Solar System need to pay to impress them?

The old noble families were well aware of this. Kuta and Gaia were very clear about this. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but they didn't have the ability.

"Li-ge, I may not have analyzed it clearly enough. I think you need to take a two-pronged approach. On one hand, the Solar System needs to be united internally. The bottom line is that the Star Alliance won't sit idly by and watch the orcs destroy the Solar System Federation. On the other hand, you need to take the initiative and deter the orcs, making them clear about the price they'll have to pay, preferably in a way that they can't figure out the depth of your strength. Orcs are greedy, but that's only when they think they can handle the situation," Gaia said. As an old Celestial noble, he was very clear about this.

"Li-ge, how confident are you in your own strength?" Gasmi suddenly asked.

"Me? In a one-on-one fight, there shouldn't be anyone I can't beat," Li Hao said.

Upon hearing this, even though they knew Li Hao was strong, Kuta and the others didn't know what to say. Of course, they knew that Li Hao's level was top-tier in the Anthem, but they couldn't judge how strong he really was.

"Anthem challenges, directly challenge the orcs. Actually, the customs of the orcs are a bit like those of us insectoids, worshiping the strong. If you can defeat a prominent orc player, such as an orc on the Heavenly Ladder, it will attract the orcs' attention at the Anthem level," Gasmi said.

Kuta blinked his big eyes. "This is a good method. I think it's feasible. It can divert attention to some extent and should alleviate the pressure on other humans," Kuta said. "Another thing is, if your Heavenly Ladder ranking continues to rise, the orcs might suspect that there is some force supporting the humans behind the scenes and might be hesitant to act recklessly."

Gaia also slapped his thigh. "This is definitely effective. Don't even mention them, we all suspect that there is someone behind you. Now the Arbiters are rumored that you and Ning Long have a thing, and that you have the support of the Star Dragon Race behind you."

Kuta also nodded. "The rumors are very detailed. Olivia has been probing several times."

Li Hao was dumbfounded. Did he really have to put on an act of pretending to have powerful backing? It wasn't impossible.

"Thank you, brothers. Let's use soup as a substitute for wine!" Li Hao raised a bowl of soup. Human wine, as a human, he could only admire from afar.

"Haha, the wine has been prepared long ago. Let's get started!" The waiter next to him had already prepared and pushed the cart in, with all kinds of drinks ready.

Li Hao was stunned. Was he about to go bankrupt?

"Li-ge, drink your fill. You've given us so much guidance, we have to show our appreciation. I've had my family acquire several restaurants in the Anthem. In the future, just put it on my tab," Kuta said, turning to the waiter next to him. "Remember, these are all my brothers, and tell the other restaurants as well."

"Yes, Young Master Kuta."

Everyone wasn't polite with Kuta. This kid's wealth had exceeded their imagination. Kuta was quite willful. If he liked you, anything was possible, but if he didn't like you, you were his enemy.

Gaia, who would get excited when there was wine, forgot his worries. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it, and there was nothing he could do. Kuta was even more cheerful. For him, the Anthem was like a trip. His family had arranged everything for him. As for the Anthem ranking, there was no need to worry at all. He had just arrived, and his family would arrange everything later. Even when going on missions, his safety would be ensured.

The more Li Hao drank, the clearer his mind became. He also had this idea. After Kuta and Gaia's analysis, he really felt that he should go all out. Whether it was effective or not, he would know after fighting. Especially the second point, which he hadn't thought of. Many people suspected the power behind him. The power behind him was blee.