Chapter 1 Office Visit

Han Xiao arrived at the office. Sylvia led Kuang Dao and the others inside one after another.

"Black Star."

Kuang Dao and the others greeted him, their voices uneven. Rou Bao was among them, looking excited.

As the faction developed, Rou Bao couldn't follow Black Star everywhere. When he learned that Kuang Dao and the others were visiting Han Xiao, he immediately became interested. He would do anything for program material, clinging to Hao Tian's leg and pestering him until he squeezed in to join the fun. As soon as he entered, he turned on the camera.

Han Xiao's eyes swept over the crowd, then settled on Kuang Dao. He loaded the "Faction Leader" expression management package and nodded. "Long time no see, my friends."

Everyone laughed. They had all been members of the high-level player group, and Black Star's conversation with them was different. They felt it was a special privilege.

"What important information do you have for me?" Han Xiao asked curiously. Players never did anything without a benefit. They probably accepted someone's mission.

"We heard this is a hit list, and you're on it…"

Kuang Dao explained their experience and handed the list to Han Xiao.

Ronaldo? Never heard that name. And what's this Hunter incident… Han Xiao frowned, looking through the list. Sure enough, his name was on it.

"Someone's targeting me? Who could it be…?"

Han Xiao pondered. The only thing the people on the list had in common was that they were all Calamity Grade powerhouses with famous names in various regions of the Shattered Star Ring. He had heard some of their names in his previous life.

Daring to target these people, no matter what the Hunters' purpose was, proved that their strength was unfathomable.

"Are they targeting me because of my fame and strength?" Han Xiao wondered.

In the past two years, the Black Star Army had risen rapidly. Han Xiao didn't have many opportunities to take action personally. The other side targeting him meant they regarded him as one of the famous and powerful figures in the Shattered Star Ring.

"Did that Ronaldo say anything else?"

Kuang Dao shook his head. "No."

"Looks like we lack intelligence. I can't verify the authenticity of this list. I'll have Phillip collect information on the recent whereabouts of the list members. Assuming there really is such a group of Hunters, he gave too little information. I don't even know where these people come from."

Han Xiao shook his head helplessly.

Similar incidents of hunting down strong people were not uncommon. In other words, Calamity Grade powerhouses were like rare resources in the universe. Great trees attract the wind, and they would always be targeted by some organizations with ulterior motives.

Now, undercurrents surged in the Shattered Star Ring. The "Crimson Tide" of Version 3.0 was slowly happening. All kinds of monsters and demons might appear. Not only was the Shattered Star Ring like this, but other star systems were also the same. The impact of the Red Empire's renewed expansion had radiated to the entire Star Field.

As the saying goes, what is divided for a long time must unite, and what is united for a long time must divide. The three great cosmic civilizations had finally entered a period of peace fatigue, like the seven-year itch between husband and wife. Although it wasn't enough to lead to divorce, arguing had become commonplace. After venting their emotions, they could still reconcile, but the indirect turbulence caused would not disappear.

In his previous life, the Crimson Tide was a chaotic era. Many forces that had been hidden in the dark surfaced, taking advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters, shifting the blame to the Red Empire. The situation players faced was a chaotic world full of demons dancing wildly.

Although Han Xiao was familiar with the plot, during the Crimson Tide, there was more than one force targeting the strong. Some were exposed in his previous life, and some were never discovered. Relying on the incomplete information brought by Kuang Dao and the others, he still couldn't determine the Hunters' origins.

On a small scale, it might just be the work of some ambitious private force—DarkStar had done the same thing in his previous life. On a larger scale, it might be a sign of the "Superpower Calamity" or the "Silver Revolutionary Army." It was hard to say.

'However, this list at least reminds me to be careful…'

Han Xiao nodded secretly. Although he didn't know the enemy's identity, knowing that someone was targeting him allowed him to stay vigilant.

According to the information, this group of mysterious Hunters was very strong, crushing ordinary Calamity Grades. They might be at the A+ level, which put a little pressure on Han Xiao.

"I should find some time to complete the class advancement mission. I'm level 170 now. Advancing to level 180 is the next time for race sublimation, which will greatly increase my strength. Then I won't have to worry about A+ Grade Supers."

Unfortunately, there was too little information about the enemy. He could only passively prevent it and couldn't actively search for the enemy. It was like a ticking time bomb.

"Find some time to go back to Longtan and have Iso the old man do a divination…" Han Xiao thought.

At this time, Kuang Dao, who had the highest favorability with Han Xiao among the group, spoke again.

"Black Star, do you know about the recent changes in the Shattered Star Ring?"

They learned hidden information from Ronaldo and thought it was related to the next version's plot. Now that they finally met the faction leader, the group thought that since Han Xiao was a mission target, he might also know some information.

Kuang Dao wanted to inquire about relevant information as much as possible.

"The recent disturbances? What do you mean?" Han Xiao raised his eyebrows.

"Ronaldo told us that the Shattered Star Ring has been in chaos recently, saying that there is a transcendent force behind it pushing things along…" Kuang Dao probed cautiously.

"I know, it's the Red Empire."

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Kuang Dao opened his mouth.

Hao Tian's face twitched.

Everyone had a constipated expression.

He just, just said it so simply…

Although they got the answer, everyone had a strange sense of loss. They originally thought this was a great secret that almost no one knew, but after asking only the second person, he just casually said it.

It was as if the Shattered Star Ring's secrets that Ronaldo valued so much but couldn't understand were just an ordinary event that didn't need to be kept secret in Black Star's mouth.

The process was too easy. Kuang Dao and the others couldn't help but wonder if this information was really important.

Only Rou Bao was the most excited, his eyes shining.

In Version 1.0, Black Star hinted at the Mutation Disaster of 2.0. Now Black Star hinted at the information of the next version again.

The group felt that Han Xiao was becoming more and more unfathomable, as if he knew everything.

Kuang Dao, who met Han Xiao the earliest, couldn't help but feel that he didn't understand this character at all.

Han Xiao's eyes turned, and he changed the subject. "The information you gave me is indeed valuable. I have a mission for you…"

As he spoke, he quickly compiled a welfare mission and issued it to the players. The rewards were generous. There was even a reward for choosing a piece of equipment for free. Kuang Dao and the others looked surprised and hurriedly accepted the mission.

Han Xiao encouraged them a few words and casually increased their favorability by five points—his favorability was equivalent to a commodity discount. Then he had Sylvia send away the satisfied Kuang Dao, Hao Tian, Rou Bao, and the others.

After everyone left, Han Xiao leaned back, crossed his legs, tapped his fingers on his thighs, and looked thoughtful.

He had been paying attention to the players' movements. All the players had left their respective novice planets and entered the interstellar world, and his Black Star Army was definitely the best guiding faction among them. The players from the original Aquamarine Star were all well-fed. The second professional league was about to begin, and he was also looking forward to the performance of the China Club.

Most of the players had reached the level 90 cap and could display more professional characteristics. Their tactics were varied and would be more exciting than the previous one.

The better the China team's performance, the more it could increase the faction's appeal. In the future, when players reached the stage where they could travel across star systems, his own faction could attract players from other regions to a certain extent. Han Xiao would never have too many leeks.

"Those accumulated gene potions can be sold for a big profit."

Han Xiao smiled. He had squeezed dry countless star pirates, and he didn't know how many potions were stored in the warehouse.

After looking at the forum for a while, Han Xiao was about to get up and go to the mechanical modification room to play with his little darlings when Sylvia suddenly pushed the door open and entered.

"Teacher, there's an important invitation."

"Invitation?"

"The ruler civilization of the Colton Star Cluster, the Crystal Race, wants to hire you by name."

Star Cluster Civilization!

Han Xiao's eyes lit up.

The Black Star Army's business scope was limited to galaxy-level civilizations and had no chance to contact star cluster-level civilizations. Although Han Xiao had obtained the contact information of an official of the Crystal Race at the Overlord Meeting, the employments issued by star cluster-level civilizations were all for designated personnel, and it was not the Black Star Army's turn yet.

Now, he finally received the designated employment of a star cluster-level civilization. The Crystal Race was the controller of Colton. Their initiative to invite him meant it was a more important event.

Completing the employment of a star cluster-level civilization would greatly enhance the army's resume.

A few years ago, Han Xiao didn't have contact with star cluster-level civilizations because he wasn't strong enough, but now he was qualified.

Moreover, star cluster-level civilizations were a necessary path for personal growth.

In the past two years, Han Xiao had almost learned all the high-end knowledge and needed to seek advanced knowledge for the next stage, and star cluster-level civilizations were an important way to obtain advanced knowledge.

This was an opportunity!

Han Xiao was determined and asked Phillip to transfer the communication and encrypt the call channel.

The screen flashed, revealing a familiar face, the Crystal Race representative, Leif, whom he had met at the Overlord Meeting.

"Black Star, it's been a while."

Leif took the initiative to speak, quite warmly.

Han Xiao exchanged some pleasantries with him before getting down to business.

"You want to hire me by name?"

"That's right. Your army has a good reputation and is one of our primary candidates."

"What's the specific mission?"

"This is a annihilation operation. The target is a fleet. They're disguised as travelers, but their actual origins are not simple. We're going to destroy this fleet and give the people behind them a warning."

Leif spoke vaguely, without explaining the specific details. Han Xiao couldn't help but guess what force the Crystal Race wanted to warn.

His mind moved slightly, and he had a rough idea.

The Crystal Race was looking for mercenaries to solve this matter instead of taking action personally. Obviously, it wasn't because they weren't capable, but because the enemy's identity was relatively sensitive, causing the Crystal Race not to want to use official forces.

"Are they Klentians?"

Han Xiao lowered his voice. The Crystal Race and the Klentians seemed to have a good relationship, but they were actually brothers on the surface, secretly stabbing each other in the back. In his previous life, the Crystal Race had torn apart with the Klentians.

Leif laughed and didn't answer the question. He changed the subject and said to himself, "Recently, the situation in the Shattered Star Ring has been turbulent. Those forces that are testing the waters and causing trouble are becoming more and more excessive. We must use thunderous means to rectify them."

Han Xiao stroked his chin, his eyes flashing.

Two years had passed, and the impact of the Crimson Tide was gradually fermenting. Many forces wanted to fish in troubled waters, and many organizations were springing up like mushrooms after the rain. The chaos was spreading. The waves stirred up by the Red Empire made neutral civilizations like the Crystal Race extremely annoyed. Strange things happened frequently in the Colton Star Cluster, and the public security problems in the territory were becoming increasingly serious. The Crystal Race finally couldn't bear it anymore and was ready to kill the chicken to warn the monkey, and shake the mountain to frighten the tiger. (idiom: punish one as a warning to others)

"What do you think, Black Star? Are you willing to accept our employment?"

"Let's talk about the reward first."

"Of course, what do you want?"

"Mechanical System advanced knowledge," Han Xiao said concisely.

Leif looked embarrassed upon hearing this.

"I'm afraid that won't work. Advanced knowledge is very precious. The people above won't agree. I can only give you money…" Leif paused and suddenly said, "However, you're a cadre of Longtan. We respect Ames. If there are other opportunities to cooperate in the future, advanced knowledge isn't impossible."

As expected, it's not that easy to obtain advanced knowledge… Han Xiao had expected this and wasn't disappointed.

Leif's subtext was that this employment was the Black Star Army's test of loyalty. If he completed it, the Crystal Race would look for him for more employment missions in the future. If he made enough contributions, the Crystal Race would be willing to provide advanced knowledge. He still had to take the path of faction favorability.

Advanced knowledge was very precious. At this stage, he could study antimatter energy and psionic energy. Han Xiao didn't think the Crystal Race's approach was a problem. There was no free lunch in the world. He needed advanced knowledge, and the Crystal Race needed a powerful non-official armed force to do things for them in private. Everything was a transaction.

Han Xiao pondered for a while and nodded. "Alright, I can try."

"That's great." Leif smiled. "I'll send you a gathering location later. There are other participants in this employment. The detailed contents of the mission will also be sent to you."

"Okay."

Han Xiao had no objection. This wasn't the first time he had done this kind of joint employment.