Chapter 1 Your Idea

Staring at Troy’s fearful and respectful expression, Han Xiao chuckled and asked, “Are you saying that you ended up where you are today because you were framed, and you’re innocent?”

Troy swallowed and forced himself to say, “I was plotted against by my political enemies. Many of the charges were placed on me.”

Han Xiao gave a long “Oh” of understanding, noncommittal. “You want to seek refuge with me now, under my banner, and for me to protect you?”

Troy said cautiously, “I dare not ask for your protection. I only ask that you allow me to leave the Central Starfield through the Star Gate with the Black Star Army’s fleet. I am now wanted by a Star System level civilization. Without help, I cannot use the Star Gate.”

Han Xiao shook his head and laughed. “The various civilizations of the Star Cluster Corridor are all controlled by the empire. Don't you know that I am an ally of the empire? You are now a wanted criminal of an empire’s affiliated civilization, and you rudely come to me. It would be good enough if I didn’t arrest you on the spot. You still want me to take the risk and take you to the Shattered Star Ring? You just say so casually and hope that I will help you for free… Do you think I look like a philanthropist?”

“No, no, you misunderstand.” Troy waved his hands repeatedly. “Although I want to come here for refuge, I am also sincere in joining the Black Star Army. Your deeds of rising in the Shattered Star Ring have spread throughout the universe. I have admired you for a long time. If you don’t mind, I am willing to serve you in the future and be loyal to you.”

“Oh?” Han Xiao rested his elbow on the table, folded his hands at the tip of his nose, stared straight at Troy, and slowly said, “You say you are innocent, do you think I believe it? Your ambition failed, and you were wanted by civilization, so you want to find me as your backer and use my name to pay for the price of your failure. Are things really that good?”

In fact, this guy wasn’t innocent at all. During his years of ruling Sordrian, he secretly planned many conspiracies, plotting for greater power. After the matter was exposed, he was suppressed by civilization. Although his political enemies exaggerated the charges, he wasn’t clean either. Neither side was a good bird.

Troy's description of the incident was not a problem, but he changed the reason and deliberately concealed some of his own factors, not telling the whole truth. He wanted to pass the blame, reduce the severity of his guilt, and create an image of being forced to do so, trying to lower Han Xiao’s guard.

However, this set was useless to Han Xiao. Sordrian was one of the earliest newbie planets in the Star Cluster Corridor. With the information dug out by the players, Han Xiao knew the ins and outs too well. Troy couldn't hide it at all.

Moreover, Han Xiao checked the forums and browsed the chronicle posts recorded by the Star Cluster Corridor players, which recorded a hidden mission—when Troy escaped, he arranged for people to plant high-energy explosives in the government building of Sordrian’s capital city, enough to raze dozens of blocks, regardless of the casualties of staff and civilians. He was very vicious, but this triggered the players’ hidden mission. The trap was destroyed by the players, and Troy’s backhand failed, but it also proved that this guy was not a good thing, being petty and unscrupulous.

Under Han Xiao’s gaze, Troy’s expression froze, and he was secretly anxious. If he hadn’t been desperate, he wouldn’t have been so hasty. He gritted his teeth, abandoned his face, and suddenly prostrated himself at Han Xiao’s feet—in interstellar common culture, this action represents a major rite of surrender.

“What is your status? Who would dare to deceive you! It was my unclear expression that caused your misunderstanding. I apologize to you and hope you will save my life. I am willing to serve you forever.”

Han Xiao secretly curled his lips, knowing Troy’s thoughts well. He was just in trouble and desperate. It happened that the army was recruiting people, so he wanted to come here for refuge, trying to use clever words to deceive the world. If he failed to do something, he wanted to find a backer to help him bear the consequences. There was no such cheap thing.

Daring to plot against him, if Troy didn’t have a special role, he would have had someone arrest Troy to exchange for a bounty. He wouldn’t refuse money that was sent to his door.

Han Xiao stood up, looked down at the back of Troy’s head, “I don’t need you to serve, and I don’t need your gratitude. I am too lazy to catch you. Just pretend I haven’t seen you. Now disappear from my sight immediately. Don’t let me see you again, otherwise…”

*Swoosh!* The door slid open, Hela walked in, staring coldly at Troy, clearly telling him to get out.

Troy’s face was pressed to the ground, unable to see his expression. After two seconds, he stood up, patted the hem of his clothes, as if trying to dust off non-existent dust, his head drooping, his eyes looking at the ground at a forty-five-degree angle, not daring to look at Han Xiao’s eyes. Under Hela’s sharp gaze, he remained silent, clenched his fists tightly, and walked out of the room step by step, being escorted away from the branch satellite.

After he left, Han Xiao’s expression relaxed, revealing a strange smile.

“I don’t know if this idle chess piece will come in handy…”

Deliberately letting Troy leave, the great Mechanic Han had other purposes. As a main storyline NPC of one of the newbie planets, Troy still had a plot on him. According to the development of the previous life, Troy escaped with nine deaths and one life, and finally thrillingly escaped the pursuit.

Because he was wanted, he fled into the border gap of the Central Starfield and survived there. Later, he was absorbed by the Fallen Ark and became a member under the command of the Otherworldy Deities, not even considered a cadre. But because he was once a main storyline NPC of a newbie planet, he was noticed by the players and recorded this information.

Important early NPCs became ordinary characters in the later stage and were regarded as easter eggs by players. That was how Han Xiao remembered Troy’s encounter.

Therefore, before Han Xiao let Troy go, he quietly placed an eye on him.

The Otherworldy Deities were immune to observation marks, and Troy came to him, which gave Han Xiao an idea. If Troy joined the Fallen Ark as usual in the future, then he could monitor the actions of the Otherworldy Deities by the way.

Although he didn’t know whether this mobile eye would take effect or when it would work, since it was just an idle chess piece that he dropped casually, Han Xiao was just trying. After all, there was no good way to deal with the Otherworldy Deities now. If it succeeded, he would earn something; if it didn’t, he wouldn’t lose anything.

…

Forty days passed in a flash.

Han Xiao had been stationed on Gilman Star, waiting for the branch to recruit people. During this period, he was not idle. He was expanding the Mechanical Army every day, and using the newly acquired Ultimate Knowledge, he slowly transformed Mechanical Life. Led by Youzu, the first generation of Mechanical Life under his command reached three thousand…

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get a few more, mainly because there were several reasons. First, the cooldown of [King’s Teacher] was a bit long, measured in days, and this was the prerequisite skill for using [Spark of Awakening].

Second, although [Spark of Awakening] could be cast in groups, the upper limit of the targets that could be cast in groups was not many. When the skill was upgraded to the maximum level, it could only be used on a dozen targets at most at a time. Moreover, he discovered that the initial level of Mechanical Life that accepted group casting was not as high as that of Mechanical Life that accepted single casting. Single and group consumed the same amount of skill, and distributing it to more targets would reduce the energy received by each individual.

Third, he was using it too frequently, and his kidneys couldn’t take it anymore…

This also strengthened his idea of developing a mechanical civilization. Simply using [Spark of Awakening] was not efficient in creating mechanical life. His HP and MP recovered quickly, but his stamina needed to be restored through rest. A formed mechanical civilization could produce troops on its own, which was not only faster but also more worry-free and labor-saving, without him working day and night.

During these forty days, the recruitment of the Gilman Star branch finally came to an end.

There were many Super A Grade forces in the Central Starfield. The Black Star Army’s appeal here was not as high as in the Shattered Star Ring. The new members recruited by the Gilman Star branch during this period were only more than 10 million, and the growth rate gradually slowed down, tending to saturation. Compared to the Super A Grade forces in the Central Starfield, this scale was small, and the branch had just started.

Among them, more than 4 million new player members joined, accounting for about 85% of the total number of players in the Star Cluster Corridor. Through the army’s benefits and word-of-mouth on the forums, most of the players in the Star Cluster Corridor came from the surrounding star systems to join.

Among these four million players, most chose to become members of the army’s mercenary division. Army members were divided into two types: one was the backbone, who obeyed the army’s orders, and the other was semi-incorporated members, who served the army but were free themselves. Mercenaries were a typical example of the latter.

The mercenary system was already loose. The mercenary division retained by the army did not violate the rules of interstellar mercenaries, and most of the players in the Star Cluster Corridor were just coming for the benefits and treatment. Acting as mercenaries was more free for them. They exchanged resources for working for the army, and the relationship was simple, and they would not be completely bound by the camp.

Han Xiao was not surprised by this. The players in other star systems had not been in contact with the army for long, and feelings had to be cultivated slowly.

He gave the players in the Star Cluster Corridor plenty of time to make a choice. Among the more than 4 million player members, 700,000 accepted the main storyline of the Flickering World and applied to follow the army to the Shattered Star Ring.

Most of the 700,000 people were ordinary players, and there were also factors of mobilization by club guilds. The remaining millions of players decided to stay in their birth star system for the time being to continue exploring and observe the situation of these cross-star system players.

The first batch had taken away 700,000 leeks. Han Xiao was quite satisfied with this number.

Today was the day of departure. A huge Black Star Army transport fleet was ready to go, and 700,000 players had already boarded the ships one after another.

At this moment, players in various star systems were paying attention to the movements here through the forum’s broadcast posts.

The first cross-star system case was of interest to every player, and it might serve as a reference for their future cross-star system travel. Therefore, this became the most watched action in the history of the Black Star Army, and the heat it stirred up among the player groups broke the previous record!

On each transport ship, many players were talking to each other, excited.

“I wonder what it feels like to cross the star system. What’s the difference between it and ordinary Star Gates?”

“It’s a bit reluctant to leave now. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“Will the players in the Shattered Star Ring bully us?”

“What do you think will happen if you jump out of the spaceship when crossing the star system…?”

“Guard! That’s the guy!”

In the bridge command room of the main ship, Hela stood with her arms crossed against the wall, Aurora sat in the main driver’s seat and operated non-stop, and Fording stood beside her with his head lowered, watching.

Hadaway sat on the sofa, holding a blue crystal cube wine bottle in his hand, shaking the mercury-colored wine in the bottle, gulping it into his mouth, choking until his face turned red. On the table was a Wein card game. The rule was that whoever lost had to drink. There was a pile of empty bottles beside his feet. Sitting opposite him was old man Iso, who had been dragged over and looked helpless. His expression made you suspect that he just wanted to drink.

Ames stood in front of the viewing window with her hands behind her back, looking at the surrounding fleet. Han Xiao, Hela, Iso, and other close people had accompanied her for more than a month, and she was quite comfortable staying here on vacation.

Han Xiao stood in front of the star map, the target location had been set long ago. When everyone had boarded the ship, he immediately sent an order to the fleet.

“Set off.”

*Rumble—*

The thrusters spewed flames, and the warships rose into the air one after another.

“Finally setting off!” Many players on the ship were refreshed, and countless people paying attention on the forum widened their eyes.

The fleet slowly left the Gilman Star branch and began to accelerate, carrying 700,000 leeks that had been uprooted, heading towards the Shattered Star Ring.