Chapter 1 Starlight

Brilliant starlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, reflecting in Sorokin's pupils. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the black velvet curtain of the sky, studded with diamonds.

"Gorutan is dead..."

Thinking back to just a few days ago, when he was raising a glass with Gorutan in the Beast Ancestor's palace, and now his face and voice were still vivid in his mind, Sorokin couldn't help but mourn in silence for three seconds.

Although he mostly played the role of a messenger in this matter, he also harbored the idea of secretly fueling the situation. Now that all his plans had been thwarted by Black Star's brute force, he couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration at his wasted efforts.

"It's a pity that I couldn't use Hela to provoke conflict," Sorokin shook his head. "But losing Gorutan isn't bad either."

Gorutan was a shareholder of the Infinite Consortium. Sorokin used the shareholder position to gain protection, and also used Gorutan's channels to consolidate his transactions with the interstellar black market.

Over the years, Sorokin had long infiltrated the interstellar black market through Gorutan's channels. Even if he cut off Gorutan's channels now, it wouldn't have much impact on his business. However, he couldn't take the initiative to kick Gorutan away after using him.

Now, due to this incident, he indirectly lost a major shareholder who took a cut, which saved Sorokin costs. The business channels that he had to give to Gorutan in the past could be taken back and developed normally. At the same time, he could also nibble away at the Beast Ancestor's former main business and market.

"Well, Gorutan's downfall isn't a bad thing for me. Perhaps I can use the shareholder position he left behind as a bargaining chip to gain the support of other interstellar black market protectors, and become a new interstellar black market protector."

Sorokin narrowed his eyes, secretly calculating what benefits he could gain from it.

Although he had cooperated with Gorutan, in Sorokin's eyes, business partners were not really his own people. To him, they were just partners in different projects, and their interactions were purely based on interests. Therefore, he was not sad at all about Gorutan's downfall. Instead, he was happy to have one less person to share the money with.

"However, Black Star's combat power in his burst form is indeed quite astonishing..."

Sorokin pondered to himself:

"After this incident, the Crimson Empire will probably re-evaluate the relationship between the two sides. There is a sixty percent chance that they will temporarily shelve the dispute over the ownership of the Evolution Cube, and instead compensate Black Star by opening up the sales rights of the Totem, to win people's hearts and show their intention to win him over. Well... then my transactions with the Radiant, Void Spirit, and the Empire's hardliners can be put on hold. It's time to stop the commercial targeting of the Black Star Army and withdraw the tentacles that have stretched into Black Star's territory."

The Infinite Consortium had accepted different transactions from various parties to commercially target the Black Star Army. The core reason was the Evolution Totem.

The Radiant and Void Spirit wanted to exert multi-faceted pressure on the Empire, forcing it to open up the sales rights of the Totem. Therefore, they wanted to use Black Star's attitude to influence the Empire. The goal of the Empire's hardliners was to try to put pressure on Black Star, so that he would be inclined to hand over the Evolution Cube in exchange for other cosmic treasures... If the Empire opened up the sales rights of the Totem, these two problems would be solved easily, and the Infinite Consortium would naturally have no need to continue to exert pressure.

Putting aside the consideration of interests, Sorokin also intended to avoid the limelight.

Black Star had achieved a record-breaking battle result and established his prestige. It was time for him to be rampant and domineering. If the Infinite Consortium was too outrageous at this time, it would probably incur Black Star's more fierce targeting, so it was never a bad thing to be low-key.

Sorokin didn't want to tear apart the pretense of cordiality, after all, Black Star was a local tyrant in the Shattered Star Ring. It was okay to have small-scale fights with each other, but if they fell out, it would be bad.

Even he had to deal with Black Star in his burst form seriously. He didn't want to expose his combat power and lose his disguise as a "weakling" and a "loser."

"Well, and that guy, the Traveler..."

Sorokin's eyes flickered.

"It's best to get rid of him."

…

"I didn't expect Black Star to be so decisive in getting rid of Gorutan. It seems that my reminder played a role..."

Somewhere in the free competition zone of the Shattered Star Ring, the Secret Master looked at the news broadcast on the communicator, and wrinkles appeared on his forehead, which was covered in colorful magic patterns.

He and Gorutan had been protectors of the interstellar black market for many years, and they had many open and secret struggles with each other. He had a deep understanding of Gorutan's strength. He asked himself, and he was not his opponent. Otherwise, the one who would be a shareholder of the Infinite Consortium would not be Gorutan.

At this time, seeing Gorutan being terminated by Black Star, the Secret Master was surprised, jealous, and also had the feeling of losing an old opponent, feeling complicated.

Of course, sentimentality was sentimentality. If anyone wanted to redeem Gorutan, he would be the first to kill them.

After a while, the Secret Master adjusted his mentality and thought about how to profit from it.

"The power left by the Beast Ancestor is a piece of fat. It's just right to divide it up and use it to strengthen my own power. Well, among his descendants, there are some talented guys who can be absorbed into my command to do things for me... It would be interesting to take them to Black Star to see the Gorutan specimen..."

Thinking of this, the Secret Master couldn't help but smile.

"Black Star has done great things this time. It's best to keep in touch with him more in the future... Black Star will take the lead in the Super-A Grade United Front. I should pay more attention to this matter."

…

In the Crimson Empire's territory, somewhere in the Constellation Corridor, an imperial cruiser was leisurely advancing.

On the viewing platform of the cabin, an imperial male in a low-ranking officer's uniform rested his arms on the railing, holding a communicator, staring intently, grinning foolishly.

This person was burly and sturdy, looking simple and unadorned, with a simple and honest temperament. His first impression was that of an ordinary soldier. If you didn't look at the special position mark on his uniform, it would be difficult to imagine that this was a C-grade superpower combatant of the martial arts department.

At this time, several colleagues on routine patrol came over and caught sight of this burly man. Someone opened his mouth and shouted:

"Yo, Carrot, what are you looking at, smiling so brightly?"

"Ah, I'm watching the news."

Carrot turned his head and smiled honestly.

This person was the Super-A Grade potential stock that Han Xiao had paid attention to, the peak muscle overlord of the Empire in his previous life.

More than twenty years ago, he was still a teenager, studying at the Imperial Superpower Academy, and hadn't even awakened. Now, twenty years have passed, and he has changed from a young simpleton to a middle-aged simpleton. His strength has only reached C-grade, and his growth rate is not fast, but mediocre.

Due to Han Xiao's intervention, his growth trajectory deviated from his previous life, but there was no major change. After graduating, Carrot still joined the Imperial military and has been mixed up for more than ten years, and is still a low-ranking officer combatant, and has hardly been promoted.

At this time, several colleagues came over and saw that the picture on the communicator was about Han Xiao's news, and couldn't help but laugh.

"News about His Excellency Black Star? Haha, I guessed it."

A colleague winked and joked: "Alas, it's a pity. You know Black Star, but Black Star doesn't know you, his number one fan."

Carrot: "He knows me. When I was little, His Excellency Black Star personally recruited me, he..."

Before he could finish speaking, several colleagues were already laughing so hard that they were bending over.

"Hahaha, here we go again!"

"Keep bragging, don't stop."

"The legendary talent who was personally recruited by Black Star... Pfft, I can't do it anymore, let me laugh for a while longer!"

Seeing this, Carrot was not angry, scratched his head, and just showed a helpless smile.

Ever since he came into contact with Han Xiao as a teenager, he had been paying attention to Han Xiao's news, and gradually regarded him as his idol. Once a colleague asked him the reason, he said this, but no one believed him, making him a joke and a bragging king among his colleagues.

An unremarkable C-grade low-ranking Imperial officer, Black Star would personally recruit?

Who would believe it? It sounded like bragging.

Status depends on strength. Even if Han Xiao had personally recruited him, twenty years had passed, and Carrot's growth was not worthy of the word "talent." This matter had also faded away and was not written into his resume. His colleagues didn't believe him, and he didn't have to prove himself. He didn't care whether others believed him or not, and he didn't care about being teased.

At first, because of Black Star's attention, the academy had high hopes for him. Later, they found that he was mediocre, and then gave up focusing on training him. However, Carrot didn't have too complicated thoughts, and didn't have the mentality of trying to prove himself. He just slowly exercised without rushing, and enjoyed it.

Over the years, Carrot occasionally wondered if Black Star had misjudged him, but this kind of doubt did not bother him.

The cold eyes and disappointment of others did not have much impact on him, and he didn't think there was anything to be angry about.

If he was destined to be an ordinary person, then he would embrace mediocrity. He would do his own thing and didn't have to force others to look up to him. This had always been Carrot's way of thinking about life.

Shaking his head helplessly, Carrot ignored his colleagues who were laughing at him, and looked at the communicator again. Looking at Han Xiao, who was full of sharpness in the picture, he couldn't help but burst into a heartfelt smile.

…

February 18, Star Sea Calendar 730, was a day to be recorded in history.

On this day, Black Star played a battle in the Shattered Star Ring that was rare in a hundred years. Originally, the Radiant and Void Spirit's assassination operation against Hela was likely to become the fuse for the three major civilizations to break out into conflict again, but Black Star almost single-handedly suppressed the budding of this storm, shocking the entire universe!

Even this big news suppressed the limelight of the entire Shattered Star Ring, forming a similar effect of universal silence. Even the competition temporarily stopped, and the various forces in the free competition zone briefly fell silent, watching the development of the situation.

Countless interstellar citizens knew that Black Star was a top powerhouse in the universe, but Han Xiao, as a "newcomer" who had only appeared for a few decades, had very few deeds, and there was a gap in prestige between him and old-fashioned peak Super-A Grades such as Manison and Kuther.

And this news made countless people refresh their impression of him again, his image became taller and more mysterious, and his prestige in the entire universe rose rapidly.

The events that occurred on this day were also given a name by the outside world, called the "Black Star Apotheosis Battle". It surpassed all his previous achievements at once, becoming the most representative Super-A Grade deed in Han Xiao's resume, and also became the topic of conversation for countless people after dinner.

At the same time, the super-popular Viennese card released another announcement, stating that in the next revision, they would make an epic enhancement to Black Star's character card, and would release a commemorative deck with the theme of "Black Star Apotheosis Battle". They were very skilled at riding the wave.

Other neutral Super-A Grades were also surprised by Black Star's record. Thinking of the fate of Gorutan who took the initiative to provoke him, more people strengthened their strategic policy of befriending him rather than making enemies...

Can the affairs of Super-A Grades be called following one's heart?

Just as the impact of the incident was fermenting, and countless people once again turned their attention to the Black Star Army, Han Xiao ignored the changes in the outside world. He went straight back to the Black Star Palace, and publicly released a message to the outside world, saying that he was about to go into seclusion for a period of time.

…

In the Black Star Palace, Han Xiao didn't chat with the many executives in detail after returning. He just greeted them simply, and then couldn't wait to return to his exclusive private training place, closed the door, and locked himself inside.

Fording and Nero were also among the executives who welcomed him. Han Xiao had just examined the two of them.

At this time, in the room, he opened the task list with a full hand of fragrant luck, and took a deep breath:

"Heavenly Spirit, Earthly Spirit, I hope to draw good things."

After silently praying for a while, Han Xiao calmed his mind and clicked the "Settle" option for the [Hela Rescue Battle] task.

[【Hela Rescue Battle】 has been completed!]

[You have gained 92 billion experience, random reward x4, blank character card x1]

[You have gained 1 point of Universe Legend Degree]

[Universe Legend Degree: Apotheosis Battle - You fought twelve enemies alone and achieved a shocking record, leaving a deep impression on the entire universe. From this moment on, your name will be recorded in history, and you will be mentioned together with the strongest people in history. Even if the stars shift and the seas change, your name will still be passed down and become one of the symbols of personal power!]

"As expected, this legend degree is related to this aspect."

Han Xiao was not surprised, rubbed his hands, and looked forward to the next prompt.

There were 4 unknown character cards in the reward. There were so many strong people participating in the war, he didn't know which characters he would draw.

Obviously, drawing a few losers would not be profitable. If he drew a group of fierce people, the chance of getting powerful character cards would greatly increase.

After glancing at the prompt, Han Xiao's eyes lit up suddenly, revealing a look of surprise.

[You have obtained 【Character Summon Card - Kuther】!]

[You have obtained 【Character Summon Card - Sierraon】!]

[You have obtained 【Character Summon Card - Gorutan】!]

[You have obtained 【Character Summon Card - Hela】!]