Chapter 140 A Surprise

Han Xiao’s eyes lit up when he saw the last option.

“Oh ho, finally hit the jackpot!”

Of all the randomly drawn abilities, only the last one was worthwhile. This was one of Gaud’s template talents, while the first four were lackluster and only served as stepping stones.

This talent was a basic stat boost, and the increase was quite considerable. In his opinion, the three most useful boosts for him were the 90% base energy resistance, 30% base energy attack, and 20% stamina limit.

His Undying Body mainly excelled at an astonishing regeneration rate, and his resistance wasn’t exaggerated. However, this talent nearly doubled his resistance to energy attacks!

As his strength grew, the concentrated firepower of the mechanical army became more powerful, and the threat of Mutual Destruction also increased. The last time he used this move in the Star Cluster Alliance, he almost killed himself.

If he obtained this ability, he wouldn’t be in mortal danger even if he experienced the same situation again, and he would go further down the path of a mechanical fortress.

Without this ability, Gaud would have already been beaten unconscious by him.

Strengthening the power of his base energy attack only increased Gaud’s output, but in the hands of a Mechanic, it was amazing. It could increase the power of all energy-based weapons, and the most direct manifestation was that the power of the army’s long-range artillery fire would increase again. A 30% base increase was already very high.

So far, Han Xiao had drawn so many abilities and discovered a characteristic, which was that the template talents of other classes were greatly amplified on a Mechanic. This was the advantage of having a large army.

As for the final 20% stamina limit, there was no need to think about it. He had to get it!

His current stamina limit was more than 290,000, and it could increase by nearly 50,000, which was more than enough to obtain a new stamina bonus, or even two!

In the later stages, stamina bonuses and race sublimation were one of the main sources of attribute points, often in the thousands, which was incomparable to simply leveling up.

At his current level of stamina, each level of improvement brought an astonishing increase in attributes. Now, increasing one level could increase his total attributes by six to seven thousand, which would be distributed in different aspects according to the class and race.

The mechanism of stamina bonuses was that as mana was consumed, the attribute bonuses would decrease level by level. However, those with infinite mana and mana-blood conversion abilities had a huge advantage and could maintain the stamina bonuses at their peak level. Han Xiao, Kesuye, and Oulu were all this type of Super A Grade.

[You have gained the new talent [Perfect Energy Affinity Physique]!]

There was nothing to hesitate about, so Han Xiao naturally chose the last option without hesitation.

The next moment, a sharp pain erupted in his body. Fortunately, his nerves were strong, so he instantly controlled his body.

This talent was a change in physique. The cells throughout his body were undergoing a transformation. After a long while, the pain slowly subsided, and his perception of the outside world changed again, giving him a new feeling.

Han Xiao felt it. Without using any abilities, he could directly sense the ubiquitous cosmic free energy, as if his myopia had been cured. He could observe the outside world more clearly, and the meridians were clearer.

Moreover, his body was automatically attracting free energy, and the surrounding free energy gathered unconsciously, rubbing against his body from all angles, as if it wanted to be close to its master.

“This physique can be considered a natural genius in the hands of a normal person. The training is twice as effective, and the growth rate is extremely fast. Gaud was able to quickly step into the Super A Grade, and this talent should have contributed to it.”

Han Xiao’s whole body was full of stamina. He glanced at the attribute panel. This wave of strengthening had already allowed his energy level to break through the 100,000 mark, as expected of a template talent.

However, there was no additional notification on the panel. He did not know if 100,000 energy level was a barrier.

He did not care too much about this. According to his experience, the benefits of breaking through the energy level barrier would generally appear during the advancement. The phased progress of the 52,000 energy level and the 78,000 energy level were all this mechanism, so a low level and a high energy level meant that his potential was astonishing.

As for the effect of the Character Summon Card, Han Xiao had not tested it yet, but according to the basic mechanism of the Character Summon Card, the effect of [Energy Analysis] was definitely not permanently mastered. He had two guesses about this.

The first was that he would master the selected energy within the duration of the Character Summon Card. Once the time was up, the ability would disappear. The second was similar to Jayce’s [Mechanic · Insight] Character Summon Card. After the Character Summon Card expired, although the ability was gone, he still remembered the knowledge gained after the analysis, which was helpful for future research on this energy.

However, without the [Energy Manipulation] Esper ability gene chain, he could not convert energy by himself like Gaud. He could only simulate it with mechanical means, which would be much more difficult. The Esper ability gene chain was like a production device with idiot-proof operation. The user did not need to understand the principle at all and could directly produce products, but this production device could not be copied by others. Others could only use other means to analyze the product and find another type of production method.

It was equivalent to the Esper only needing to understand that one plus one equals two, while others had to prove why one plus one equals two. The difficulty was worlds apart.

If the special energy produced by Espers was so easy to analyze, advanced civilizations would have mass produced it long ago, and [Energy Manipulation] would not have been regarded as a perverted ability by the Crimson Dynasty.

“But at least I have four chances to use it, so there is a cost to trial and error.”

Han Xiao nodded. He was still quite interested in research.

Although I can fight thugs in close combat, I know that I am a good scientist.

After browsing the changes in his attributes for a while, Han Xiao closed the panel and then entered the quantum vision.

During this period, he did not plan to go anywhere. He only wanted to monitor the interstellar network at home and wait for the storm to arrive.

…

“Gaud and the escort fleet have all lost contact?!”

In the office of the Crimson Dynasty’s head of state, Ulan Rier, who had just received an urgent report, suddenly stood up with a drastic change in expression.

In front of her was the remote projection of the Exploration Army Marshal, Tarrokov. His expression was extremely serious as he said in a deep voice, “Yes, just a moment ago, Gaud’s escort fleet suddenly lost their remote connection with the Lighthouse Star’s intelligent core. We tried to repair the network, but all failed. Now, we can’t contact anyone from Gaud’s fleet!”

The intelligent systems of the Crimson Dynasty’s fleets in the Shattered Star Ring were all monitored by the Lighthouse Star’s headquarters. Once they lost contact, the Lighthouse Star would be able to discover which troops had disappeared in which location, forming a rapid response military system that covered most of the Shattered Star Ring.

“Where did they lose contact?” Ulan Rier frowned.

“It was at the edge of the Emerald Star Cluster in the Shattered Star Ring, near the Star Gate entrance to the third stage exploration area. We have determined the approximate range of the lost contact area based on the nearest space beacon. I have already dispatched nearby troops to investigate on the ground.”

Hearing this, Ulan Rier could only wait patiently and asked seriously, “What do you think is the reason for the lost contact?”

“There is not enough information to draw a conclusion for the time being.” Tarrokov hesitated for a moment and said, “But I personally guess that the fleet was likely attacked. Someone wanted to intercept and kill Gaud. This possibility is the greatest.”

Ulan Rier sat down again, placing her hands on her nose. Her expression was uncertain.

Before long, Tarrokov received a report from his subordinates. His expression changed slightly as he said, “Your Excellency, Head of State, the front-line troops have sent back news that they have not found any trace of the fleet. There are no abnormal traces in the area, and the surrounding passing spaceships have also said that they have not observed any abnormal situations. The fleet that Gaud was in seems to have disappeared out of thin air…”

Hearing this, Ulan Rier did not hesitate any longer and immediately contacted the Secretary-General, saying decisively,

“Issue an emergency mobilization order. Inform all high-ranking officials to immediately put down all their work and come to a meeting!”

…

More than ten minutes later, the remote projections of the dynasty’s high-ranking officials arrived in the conference room one after another. The big shots from various departments gathered together, whispering to each other, wondering what had happened that was worthy of Ulan Rier gathering them in such a grand manner.

Soon, Ulan Rier entered the room with a cold expression. She scanned the many high-ranking officials in the room and directly cut to the chase.

“Emergency situation, the dynasty’s direct Super-A Grade Gaud is suspected of being attacked and has been confirmed missing!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Every high-ranking official revealed a look of shock and surprise. They did not expect to suddenly hear such a sudden piece of news.

At this moment, Tarrokov attended and reported the situation in the most concise language.

After understanding the current situation, the many high-ranking officials present were furious!

“How dare they attack the dynasty’s direct line! They are trampling on the dignity of the dynasty!”

“Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!”

“The dynasty cannot be provoked! No matter who did it, they must pay the price!”

Everyone’s attitude was completely consistent. They were extremely furious.

They were one of the ruling civilizations, but someone actually had the guts to attack their direct line and stifle their talents. They simply did not take the dynasty seriously…

In everyone’s eyes, this kind of ignorant behavior could be summarized in one word—

Courting death!!

A high-ranking official from the intelligence department said in a deep voice, “The fleet has disappeared, so it can be determined that the enemy has succeeded. We must first confirm Gaud’s life or death. If Gaud is still alive, we must focus on saving him.”

“That’s right. Gaud is an important direct line Super-A Grade. As long as there is a sliver of hope, we must try our best to protect his life!” Another high-ranking military official agreed.

“Gaud is a Super-A Grade after all. The enemy must have put on a big show to take him down in such a short time. There must be traces to follow. I suggest immediately checking the nearby space beacons. There should be eyewitness reports of a large-scale fleet!”

“Don’t have too much hope. Since the enemy can easily cut off the fleet’s remote connection, they must have the ability to tamper with the monitoring records of the space beacons. Since the other party dares to attack the dynasty, they must have made complete preparations and will not leave obvious loopholes.”

“The enemy was able to make our fleet lose contact silently. It is highly likely that a Super-A Grade Mechanic was involved!”

“That’s right. The enemy might have left clues in the quantum network. I suggest letting the Quantum Demon Spirit Judith search. If that doesn’t work, we can ask Black Star for help. Black Star is a top-notch virtual Mechanic. There aren’t many people in the universe who can hide from his eyes!”

Everyone offered their opinions and discussed intensely for a while before the topic turned to the suspects.

A military officer said thoughtfully, “Some time ago, an unknown force spread information about Gaud’s true abilities on the internet. This might be the fuse. Someone is trying to stifle our talent, or they are greedy for this super high-risk ability.”

“There aren’t many forces with the ability and motive to do this. The Radiant Federation and the Arcane Church have always been in a competitive relationship with us. They don’t want us to get a talent like Gaud, so they might have taken action… Especially the Radiant Federation, they have the High-Dimensional Apocalypse Transporter, which can intercept and kill Gaud without anyone knowing!”

“No, now is the period of great development in the Shattered Star Ring, and we are still at war. The Radiant Federation and the Arcane Church will not lose sight of the big picture and ruin our temporary cooperation agreement for this kind of thing. Instead, the Super Star Cluster Alliance is the most suspicious. They might feel that they can no longer turn the tide of the battle, so they want to take the opportunity to eliminate a future threat before they are defeated!”

“I heard that Black Star has been attacking Manison’s Convicts technology. The Machinery Country is also suspicious! Don’t forget Nija of the Arcane Church back then, who was suspected of being intercepted and killed by Manison, causing the Arcane Church’s Omnipotent Staff to fall into the hands of the Radiant Federation… This guy has a criminal record!”

Basically, everyone present had these three guesses. These three factions had both the ability and the motive. Other than them, no force dared to provoke the dynasty and attack the dynasty’s direct line.

Looking at the passionate crowd, Becoedee’s expression changed slightly as he suddenly thought of something.

No… There was another person who had a motive.

Back then, he had instructed Gaud to analyze the Evolutionary Energy. If Gaud’s actions were discovered by Black Star, then Black Star would have a reason to take action and was also a suspect!

However… he couldn’t say it now!

The plan to analyze the Evolutionary Cube had long been stopped by Ulan Rier. Becoedee had received a hint from the next head of state and secretly found Gaud to promote this plan again behind Ulan Rier’s back. This kind of thing could not be said on the surface!

Regardless of whether Black Star did it or not, as long as his actions were exposed, not only would he be scolded, but he would also implicate the next head of state.

If it was really Black Star who did it, although he had a responsibility, his responsibility was even greater. He had acted against orders, causing the dynasty to be in the wrong first, and he had tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice.

Many calculations flashed through his mind, and Becoedee opened his mouth, but in the end, he chose to remain silent and kept this matter in his heart.

Even if it was really Black Star who did it, he would not say it now.

Becoedee understood very well that the one who had hinted at him to promote the plan was the next head of state. Both sides knew each other’s intentions, and when Ulan Rier stepped down, the new head of state would solve this case, which could increase his influence and prestige and gain the favor of the dynasty’s direct line.

However, although Becoedee had this plan, what prompted him to choose silence was actually that he did not believe that Black Star would be the real culprit.

With Black Star’s status, even if he discovered Gaud’s tricks, there was no reason for him to make a big fuss. Although he had a motive, it was too weak.

Moreover, in Becoedee’s opinion, the titles of Pillar of the Dynasty and advisor of the three great civilizations were enough to tie Black Star’s hands and feet. Black Star had tasted the sweetness, so he would be worried about losing this halo, so he would not mess around.

While Becoedee was thinking wildly, everyone quickly discussed a plan.

Seeing this, Ulan Rier’s gaze was as sharp as a knife, and she decisively made a decision.

“Immediately draft an announcement in the name of the dynasty and announce the information about Gaud’s disappearance. Tell the entire universe that the dynasty will spare no effort to track down the murderer!!”

Whoosh—

The many high-ranking officials present stood up in unison and nodded seriously.

“Understood!”

…

Shattered Star Ring, Emerald Star Cluster, border Star Gate transit station.

A figure wearing the uniform of the Endless Financial Group stood in the observation deck area, looking at the starry sky outside the window through the porthole. Not far away was the transit Star Gate, and streaks of light composed of spaceship exhaust flames stretched out from the blue space vortex, all of which were spaceships queuing to enter and exit the country.

“Calculating the time, the fleet escorting Gaud should be arriving in at most a day…”

This Endless Financial Group employee muttered to himself in a low voice.

The one controlling his body at this time was not the original owner, but Sorokin’s possessed consciousness.

According to the Crimson Dynasty fleet’s route, they should be leaving the Shattered Star Ring through the Black Star Army’s territory, so Sorokin had possessed this person a few days ago and was waiting at this Star Gate station early to observe the size of the fleet that Gaud was in at close range. Only by knowing oneself and the enemy could one formulate a comprehensive plan.

However, although he was making preparations, he was still hesitating whether to take action in his heart, as this matter was of great importance.

“If I were to take action, it would be best to do so in Black Star Army’s territory. This way, it would be suitable to shift the blame… Even if it fails, if something happens to Gaud in Black Star’s territory, he will also be responsible.”

Sorokin calculated silently.

“Di di di…”

At this moment, the communicator suddenly vibrated.

Sorokin took it out and glanced at it casually, only to find that it was an administrative notification released by the dynasty on the wide area channel, forcibly reminding every communication terminal to automatically pop up a window.

According to the provisions of the *Universal Communication Law of the Quantum Network*, only civilizations that control an area are qualified to do so. Other forces do not have this authority, especially not allowing private financial groups to use this function to promote their business.

“Tsk, it would be great if it could be used for advertising…”

Sorokin muttered to himself and clicked on the message.

However, after taking just one look, his expression froze on his face, and he stood there in a daze.

“Gaud was attacked and has disappeared?!”

Sorokin was dumbfounded, his mind full of question marks.

No, I haven’t started taking action yet!

Which chivalrous hero did my job for me?!

How fierce!

I really thank his whole family!

The sudden turn of events almost made Sorokin’s old waist flash, and he was completely dumbfounded.

Not only him, the Crimson Dynasty’s announcement filled with rage caused a huge uproar as soon as it was released. The entire interstellar society was shocked!

The matter came too suddenly, and everyone was unprepared. Sorokin was not the only one who was dumbfounded!