Chapter 1 The Dust Settles

With Manison gone, the operation to capture the virtual mutiny virus core finally came to an end.

Han Xiao deactivated his Mechanical Deity, retrieved his combat troops, and left behind some logistics and maintenance teams to cooperate with the three Universal Civilizations in cleaning up the battlefield.

He and Manison had deliberately shifted the battlefield and restrained their troops from firing towards the planet, but the aftermath of the battle still had a considerable impact on Cloud Magnet Star.

The earth was like a layer being scraped off with a rasp, and the "flesh" that was scraped off turned into a sky full of wind and sand. From outer space, the surface was covered with traces of objects falling from high altitude, riddled with potholes. The most conspicuous of these was the gully left by Manison's trident, transforming the wilderness into a vast web of rift valleys stretching for hundreds of miles.

The Mechanical Deity Sect's settlement was also affected to some extent. The shield flickered, but it wasn't destroyed, though the violent earthquake caused a large number of buildings to collapse, and the surrounding terrain sank by a meter or two. The city covered by the shield became a conspicuous, towering island.

Seeing this, Han Xiao had an idea, and he controlled his Overlord Avatar to descend towards the settlement.

Everyone had come to hunt down the virus core, and then the battle broke out. Although they had discovered the Mechanical Deity Sect on Cloud Magnet Star, they had been too busy to contact them until now.

Manison had warned him that he didn't want to see any other Super A Grades contacting the Mechanical Deity Sect, but now that he had fallen out with the Machinery Country again, Han Xiao naturally threw his words to the back of his mind.

Han Xiao slowly descended and stopped in the sky above the settlement's shield.

A dozen figures followed, namely Kant and the other Super A Grade mechanics.

Han Xiao didn't stop them; he wasn't the Machinery Country, after all.

After a few seconds, the shield opened on its own, and Han Xiao and his group landed on the top of the Mechanical Temple in the center of the settlement. All the clerics were excitedly forming a circle, stirred up.

"Look, a Mechanical Deity, alive!"

"So many Super A Grade mechanics, I really want to touch them."

"Do you think they'd agree if we asked for a group photo?"

Many clerics whispered excitedly, overjoyed.

This must be heaven!

Usually, only the Machinery Country would take the initiative to contact them. Few other Super A Grade mechanics came over, as if they had no interest in the Mechanical Deity Sect, making them feel that these Super A Grades looked down on them.

They generally didn't actively contact their objects of faith, but worshiped on their own, so there was limited interaction. But now, seeing so many living Super A Grade mechanics in person, they were overjoyed, excited and restrained, wanting to pounce on them but afraid of displeasing the "gods."

In the end, the High Priest took the initiative to welcome them and said,

"I am the High Priest of this Mechanical Deity Sect settlement. On behalf of the Mechanical Deity Sect, I welcome all of you Super A Grade mechanics to visit."

Han Xiao knew how to deal with a group of believers. He didn't say any polite words, let alone superfluous self-introductions. He directly glanced at the collapsed buildings in the distance and asked with a leader-like tone,

"I just had a fight with the Machinery Country. The battle was quite intense. Are you all right?"

"We're fine. We all have heavy armor, and the residents have already taken refuge on flying vehicles. There were no casualties. The loss of the city is nothing. We can just rebuild it."

Seeing Black Star's gesture of concern, the High Priest was invigorated, his face full of joy.

My idol is showing concern for me!

My life is without regrets!

"It's better to move to another planet. The damage to Cloud Magnet Star is quite severe, and there will probably be frequent natural disasters in the future," Han Xiao added.

"No, no, no, we must stay here and admire the traces left by you and the Machinery Country." The High Priest shook his head like a rattle.

Cloud Magnet Star had been beaten into this state, and normal people would move to another planet, but the Mechanical Deity Sect was not normal. For them, Black Star and the Machinery Country fighting here made Cloud Magnet Star a "Land of Divine War," which was very memorable. They wouldn't have enough time to admire it every day, so move? No way!

"Is that so? Alright, since I'm already here, I'll help you out." Han Xiao pointed a finger and conjured a virtual screen, displaying a flat map of Cloud Magnet Star. He said amiably, "Your settlement was damaged because of me, so pick a location. I'll help you rebuild a city."

Many clerics immediately widened their eyes, unable to believe that the high and mighty Mechanical Deity was so kind.

"No, no, we wouldn't dare. How could we trouble you with such a small matter, Black Star?" The High Priest hurriedly declined.

"Don't be so polite. We're practically family. I've always known about the existence of the Mechanical Deity Sect, and I heard that you've always worshiped me as a god. Although I haven't contacted you before, since you respect me as a god, I won't be stingy with my protection."

Han Xiao didn't beat around the bush. He was practically saying, "I'm a reliable backer, so hurry up and lie down on my pectoral muscles."

Hearing this, the High Priest couldn't help but be tempted. Their faith wouldn't shift because of material interests, but there was no need to refuse the gifts of a "god."

After some discussion, everyone pointed to a few spots on the flat map and chose the location for the new settlement.

Han Xiao glanced at it. It was the rift valley that the trident had created, which wasn't surprising. He deliberately smiled and said, "That's great. The weapon that the Machinery Country was smashed by me with is right here."

As soon as he said that, many clerics' curiosity was piqued.

They had been watching the battle between the two Mechanical Deities all along, and they found that they stopped fighting halfway through. Later, they heard Kant say on the wide-area channel that the two had fought to a draw, and then the Machinery Country ran away. It all happened too fast, and they were still confused.

"Your Excellency Black Star, why did you and the Machinery Country fight, and what was the result? Uh... if it's sensitive, please forgive my offense."

The High Priest couldn't help but ask. Although he knew it was a bit abrupt, his heart was itching like a cat scratching it. His curiosity couldn't be stopped, like a fan's fervent desire to know the latest gossip about their idol.

"It's not a secret, and it'll be made public sooner or later. It's fine to tell you. You know about the virtual mutiny virus, right?"

"Yes, yes."

The High Priest nodded repeatedly. It was not just knowing, but being so familiar it was practically transparent.

"That thing isn't just a simple virus, but an information weapon with a core control, capable of constantly evolving and updating, and it can jump back and forth between the virtual and physical worlds, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. We Super A Grades responded to the call of the three Universal Civilizations to cooperate in hunting it down..." Han Xiao briefly explained.

The eyes of the clerics widened, their faces shocked. Only then did they realize that the virtual mutiny virus that had plagued the Ancient Star Desert for many days was such a powerful technology, and they were terrified.

"And then, did you succeed?" The High Priest asked eagerly, immersed in Han Xiao's narration.

"We caught the core, but there was a disagreement on how to deal with it. Manison disregarded the risks and wanted to keep the core to study the technology himself, but for the sake of universal peace, I snatched the virus core and destroyed it. The Machinery Country was very angry and wanted to teach me a lesson, so we had a fight. I'm sorry that you were affected."

Han Xiao was telling the truth, but he slightly changed the details, highlighting Manison's "acting arbitrarily regardless of the safety of the universe."

Kant and the others glanced at him, knowing that he was smearing the Machinery Country, but no one stopped him. Almost everyone was happy to see it happen.

"So the result..."

"It's the same as what you heard. I and the Machinery Country were evenly matched. He felt that he couldn't win even if he continued to fight, so he sensibly ran away and didn't want to continue fighting with me."

Kant and the others glanced at Han Xiao again and nodded.

—Good, keep up this state, keep slandering, don't stop.

"So that's how it is..."

The High Priest sighed contentedly, like a fan who had heard enough gossip.

At first, Black Star was suppressed by the Machinery Country, and only after he erupted did he reverse the situation. However, the Mechanical Deity Sect had always only recognized the result. Regardless of whether Black Star was burning his potential or not, as long as he used his mechanical abilities to achieve a result against a powerful enemy, they would recognize the tie between Black Star and the Machinery Country. They believed that the two were now on par with each other and couldn't wait to immediately announce it widely within the sect and share the gossip.

At the same time, the High Priest also felt a little regret.

He wasn't a twisted fanatic, but when he heard that such a powerful technology as the virtual mutiny virus had been destroyed by Han Xiao, he still felt a little heartache.

However, he also admired Black Star's feat even more. Although he had the virus core at his fingertips, he had the common people in his heart and destroyed this powerful technology for the sake of righteousness, eliminating any chance for any force to obtain this technology from the root and preventing this virus from ever harming the universe again, which was admirable.

The Machinery Country wanted to study the virus in order to master the weapon, and the safety of ordinary people was not within his consideration. Although the High Priest could understand the Machinery Country's actions, he always felt that he was inferior to Black Star. Unconsciously, the Machinery Country's image in his heart was not as tall and mysterious as before. On the contrary, Black Star's image had been elevated a lot.

Rumors are always distorted, but the insider information revealed by these big shots is more credible... many clerics thought to themselves.

Han Xiao and his group came here for the sake of promoting the tied result and incidentally smearing the Machinery Country, so that this group of Mechanical Deity Sect members would vigorously promote it internally and pry into the Machinery Country's faith.

The Mechanical Deity Sect was a group of traitors who believed in whoever was stronger. There were no die-hard fans. With the battle results as evidence, it wasn't difficult to poach them.

With the goal achieved, Han Xiao and his group exchanged a few words with the clergy here to deepen their impression of him in the Mechanical Deity Sect. Then, they left the planet and deactivated Overlord's Advent, leaving only the engineering mechanical troops here to build a new settlement for the Mechanical Deity Sect.

...

"The Machinery Country has retreated."

The live broadcast screen closed, and the three Universal Civilization leaders retracted their gazes and looked at each other.

"Although there were some twists and turns, the operation was still successful, and the threat of the virus core has been resolved. Black Star's information was correct, and he also contributed greatly to the operation. If it weren't for him, we would have suffered a great loss. His achievements can be described as turning the tide, and he must be rewarded," Ulan Riel said first.

Bader and the head of the Arcane Church nodded silently, without objection. This was a disaster that threatened the entire universe. Past grudges should be put aside for the time being, and merits should be rewarded.

"Moreover, Black Star had to burn his potential to fight the Machinery Country in order to destroy the Machinery Country's plan. We must give him sufficient compensation," Ulan Riel added.

Bader cursed inwardly and retorted, "That's not right. Turning the virus core over to us would also destroy the Machinery Country's plan. Black Star didn't do that, perhaps out of consideration for maintaining the order of the universe, but more out of distrust for us. He's still not on the same side as us. I think a reward is fine, but compensation is out of the question."

"That's not the way to put it." Ulan Riel shook her head. "Black Star destroyed the virus core for his own reasons. It was both to protect himself and avoid clearly taking sides, and to cut off the source of the disaster. But through this behavior, we finally saw his vague stance that he had always had... he chose order. Even if Black Star isn't our direct member, his stance is consistent with our interests, and we should give him more trust."

Bader frowned and said nothing.

Seeing this, Ulan Riel said in a deep voice, "In fact, we didn't lose anything by destroying this technology. The main purpose of monopolizing the virus technology was to prevent it from being leaked. With our own strength, we can suppress the explored universe. Without this virtual mutiny virus, we are still overlords, but we have one less variable that can threaten the universe."

She didn't hide anything, making it clear that she wanted to seek more benefits for Black Star. Bader still wanted to say something, but the head of the Arcane Church suddenly spoke, slowly saying,

"We need to consider how to deal with the Machinery Country. His position is very dangerous. If Black Star hadn't revealed the characteristics of the virus core, he would have kept the information hidden.

Manison's appetite is getting bigger and bigger. Although he didn't succeed this time, he has already shown his ambition. We can no longer tolerate him doing whatever he wants. We must find a way to weaken him, such as his business, his status, his Mechanical Deity Sect's faith, and his right to speak in the Development Union. Therefore, we must elect a suitable candidate to be his opponent and constantly take away the Machinery Country's resources."

"Are you saying we should let Black Star replace the Machinery Country's position?" Bader was reluctant.

"That's right. He's the best candidate. Although he's not our direct member, his position is trustworthy and he won't do anything to disrupt order. It's better to let Black Star grow stronger than to let the Machinery Country continue to be unscrupulous. Therefore, it's best to let Black Star and the Machinery Country fight and complete the differentiation... If Black Star leads the Development Union, that would be even better. We don't have to worry about the Super A Grade group taking radical collective actions."

Everyone exchanged their opinions and reached a consensus.

For Black Star, not only should he be rewarded, but his deeds should also be vigorously publicized throughout the universe. This would both build momentum for Black Star, help him compete for the Machinery Country's resources, and promote the correct values that are beneficial to order.

As for the Machinery Country, they had to suppress him vigorously and couldn't let him be so carefree anymore.

Putting aside everything else, at least lock down this old thing's main body first. Manison wasn't Black Star, and his main body was his biggest weakness.

...

The vision of the Overlord Avatar disappeared, and his vision returned to his main body.

Han Xiao slowly opened his eyes. His main body was still in the virtual brainwave amplifier. The consciousness of the others had not returned to their avatars here. He was the only active person in the space.

"Finally, the virus core is solved."

Han Xiao opened the panel, and the special requirement to personally eliminate the virus core was marked as completed.

However, the entire [Intelligent Plague] mission had not yet ended. The mission's total reward would not be settled until the three Universal Civilizations had cleared the first generation of viruses from the Ancient Star Desert.

And [“Machinery Country” Manison • Mechanical Deity War] could be settled. He and Manison had fought for half a day, and he had already achieved the highest rating.

With Fording, Nero, and Ames not around, he could only make do with Harrison.

He went out to find Harrison and rubbed him up in the other party's terrified gaze. Only then was Han Xiao satisfied and settled the reward. His gaze skipped over the experience and character card prompts and went straight to the skill extraction interface:

[You have received a reward: Extract one of Manison's abilities (Skill/Talent)]

[Prompt: Manison is a mechanic specializing in virtual specialization, perfectly adapted to your profession. You can have any of Manison's abilities. If you draw a duplicate profession skill, the skill will be strengthened to a certain extent]

[Randomly drawing... Drawing complete]

[Please select one of the following five abilities as a reward]

[1. [Blueprint • Machinery Emperor’s Holy Trident] - Skill: A universe treasure-level melee weapon specially used for Mechanical Deities. An excellent work developed by Manison after summarizing various weapon technologies. Specific parameters (fold/expand), manufacturing requirements: Character level no less than 310, Intelligence greater than 20,000, possessing [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering Lv5], [Endless Material Science Lv5], [Eternal Energy Lv4] and other knowledge]

[2. [Perfect Mechanical Sense] - Talent: Total mechanical affinity coefficient 1.4x, Mechanical skill level +4, Mechanical quality of Mechanic Force bonus increased by 1~2 levels (up to pink rare quality)]

[3. [Blueprint • Thrall] - Skill: Manison's self-developed advanced mechanical soldier. A powerful war weapon made using biological modification and mechanical biochemical technology. Requires a living transcendent as material. The more powerful it is, the higher its performance after modification. Specific parameters (fold/expand). Note: The requirement for transforming a Super A Grade living body into a Thrall is that the character level is no less than 340, Intelligence is greater than 32,000, possessing [Endless Material Science Lv5], [Mechanical Life Spark Lv5], [Eternal Energy Lv5], [Virtual Creator Lv5] and other knowledge.]

[4. [Ancient One] - Talent: A long life gives you a wealth of experience. This is a valuable spiritual wealth. Intelligence +20%, Mystery +10%, all skill levels +2]

[5. [Billions of Machinery Country • Manison] - Talent: Intelligence +15%, total mechanical affinity coefficient +1.2x, mechanical skill level +2, [Mechanic Fusion • Impart], [Emperor's Gift], [King's Teacher], [Spark Awakening], [Apostle Creation], [Dimensional Factory], [Apostle Evolution], [Mechanical Spark Proliferation], [Mechanical Civilization Enhancement] and other skill levels +6, your mechanical production efficiency +5000%, the quality of your mechanical creations +10%~40%, your ordinary blueprint research and manufacturing ability +36%, gold blueprint manufacturing and research ability +12%]

[When you fight against any mechanical body, you gain 10% to all attributes, take 15% less damage, deal 10% more damage, and consume 25% less of your Stamina and Energy]

[Note: You are the co-owner of billions of machines, you are the kingdom of machines!]

*gulp*

Han Xiao was a little dazed, his throat rolled, and he swallowed subconsciously.

Is Lady Luck finally willing to pull down my pants...