Chapter 1 The Fallen Ark Stops Firing

The Fallen Ark ceased firing, and millions of tetrahedron spaceships transformed into streaks of warp light, departing from the Beacon Star battlefield. They vanished in the blink of an eye, displaying a well-honed and exceedingly proficient style of abandoning their comrades.

With the departure of Heretic God and his forces, the situation of the battle abruptly shifted.

Having lost their powerful outside support, the number of warships on the side of the Arcane Church was nearly halved. Meanwhile, the Beacon Star garrison had recovered all their outer fleets and contracted their defensive line. The fleet sizes of both sides were now evenly matched, and the Arcane Church could no longer maintain its suppressive force.

"Damn it..." Sagman gritted his teeth as he watched this scene, his heart filled with helplessness, and he had no mood to blame Heretic God for betraying the alliance at the critical moment.

He knew that although the two sides cooperated, the Arcane Church's upper echelons did not place much hope on Heretic God. It was precisely because the higher-ups had reverse confidence in Heretic God's integrity that they assembled six Super-As, armed with the Pantheon Scepter, to launch a surprise attack, intending to resolve the battle before Heretic God entered the fray.

In fact, according to the Arcane Church's calculations, the success rate of Sagman and the others' operation was indeed very high. Six against three, they had the initiative. As long as they used the Pantheon Scepter to render Milizaus unable to fight, the plan would be eighty percent successful, and capturing the three Empire Super-As alive would not be impossible.

However, unexpectedly, Han Xiao's precautionary measure took effect. Austin, the outside support who was secretly observing, intervened, turning the three-on-six situation into a four-on-six.

Although it was just one additional person, it greatly reduced the Arcane Church's overwhelming superiority.

More importantly, the Pantheon Scepter, this ultimate weapon, was actually countered by Black Star using strange methods, and even sealed away!

If that hadn't happened, we would probably have captured Black Star, snatched the Evolution Cube, and retreated with the fleet by now… The thought flashed through the minds of Sagman and the other four, making them even more frustrated.

Observing the current unfavorable situation, Sagman felt a severe throbbing headache.

If it were just Heretic God's retreat, leaving them six behind, there would still be a chance to complete the mission.

Because Heretic God's participation was not entirely useless. After fighting for so long, Milizaus's injuries worsened, and his combat power significantly declined. Austin's Temple of Mysticism was damaged to some extent, with many magic circuits malfunctioning, causing a large number of magic arrays to fail. Beoni was also in poor condition, leaving only Black Star who was still standing strong… but his mechanical legion had also suffered heavy losses.

And the condition of their six was still good, at least they preserved more of their combat power than Han Xiao and the other three. If they continued to fight, the chances of winning were still very high.

However, Dillon's capture by Black Star directly derailed Sagman's plan.

In this battle, Black Star demonstrated new abilities that were not present in the intelligence reports. Sagman had to admit that he was indeed wary of Black Star, unsure what other trump cards this guy was hiding.

"What do we do now?" Nija frowned, inquiring in the psionic communication network.

Sagman's gaze swept across the vast interstellar battlefield, taking in the scenes of fleet engagements. He saw the Arcane Church's fleet transition from a gradual advance to a stalemate, unable to break through the Empire fleet's multiple defensive lines to attack the stargate they were assembling.

His face was grim, his tone as if chewing on steel, spitting out bloody iron slag, "...Notify the commander, we're retreating!"

"You're abandoning Dillon?" Sisko's eyes were unfriendly.

"Sagman is right." Nija nodded. "Dillon was captured, Heretic God retreated, turning it into five against four. The opponent also has a hostage in hand. The quick resolution plan has failed. We are left with only two options: one is to continue the entanglement, and the other is to retreat decisively.

The opponent is not in good condition. Continuing the entanglement, without a doubt, we can definitely win, but time is a problem. We have lost two combatants, and it will be difficult to resolve the battle in the short term. Don't forget, the Shattered Star Ring is Empire territory. We have no roots here, only the secret stargate as a retreat route. The longer we entangle, the greater the risk."

Taylor Di also interjected, "Moreover, Heretic God wants to use us as a rearguard. We can't let him succeed."

"Then Dillon..."

"The risk of saving him is too great, and it is likely to provoke Black Star to kill him. We can only abandon him. At least he can save his life. Afterwards, we can only rely on the Arcane Church to negotiate with the Crimson Empire." Nija shook his head. Even if the Empire is willing to exchange hostages, the Arcane Church will definitely suffer a great loss, and the Empire may not be willing to hand him over.

His good friend was held in Black Star's hands, not knowing what kind of treatment he would receive from the Empire. He felt extremely terrible that he was powerless.

"While the Empire is still building the stargate, we retreat." Sagman paused, his tone complex. "Notify the higher-ups, this operation... has failed."

As soon as these words came out, everyone's mood was low.

Six against four, and they were countered with one of them captured. What a loss of face!

An operation that was originally foolproof had actually failed, and the Pantheon Scepter was also badly damaged. What would the Arcane Church higher-ups think of them?

Every step in reversing the situation was almost all made by Han Xiao. If gazes could kill, Sagman and the others would have stabbed him full of holes.

Although they didn't want to admit it, they knew that they were forced back by Black Star!

Sisko exchanged a long look with the seriously injured Dillon, his eyes filled with apology.

Seeing his gaze, Dillon knew that he had been abandoned. His heart ached. The feeling of being treated as a pawn was unpleasant. Thinking about his treatment after becoming a prisoner, his heart continued to sink.

The effect of the Super-Energy Nullification had passed, and Dillon's abilities had recovered. However, the attacks that included true damage had all landed on his body. Without the constant defense barrier of psionic energy, his body was not strong enough. He was severely injured and his combat power plummeted. If Han Xiao hadn't wanted to capture him alive, he felt that he might even have been killed. He couldn't help but feel lingering fear.

At this time, Han Xiao was close at hand, and the arm around Dillon's neck contained explosive power. Dillon was not a martial artist. Although his physical fitness far exceeded the Calamity Grade, it was not enough at the Super-A Grade level. In addition, with various mechanical traps, Dillon couldn't break free at all. Moreover, the mechanical troops were aiming at him. Rashly resisting would be joking with his own life and Black Star.

Sagman and the other five retreated toward the Arcane Church's fleet, entered their respective spaceships, and began to retreat with the Arcane Church's fleet. The retreat was organized and did not reveal any flaws.

Relying on superior mobility, the Arcane Church's fleet gradually broke free from the entanglement and slowly distanced itself from the Empire fleet.

Milizaus and the other three came to Black Star's side, and Beoni had a sense of relief after surviving the crisis:

"Fortunately, you captured one of the enemy's Super-As, otherwise they wouldn't have retreated so easily... This guy is the Arcane Church's 'Sea Spirit' Dillon, his combat power is not bad. You actually captured him at once. What means did you use on him?"

Han Xiao gave Beoni a strange look, "Believe me, you are no stranger to this move."

When they cooperated with Heretic God in the Central Starfield, Beoni was hit by a genuine Super-Energy Nullification, and the memory was still fresh in his mind. However, he would never have thought that Han Xiao was also using this ability.

Super-Energy Nullification is the bane of espers. Probably not many espers in the entire universe can defeat Heretic God in a one-on-one fight. Han Xiao has a total of two uses for the Heretic God character card.

He used one on Dillon. Next time, Han Xiao planned to save it for Heretic God himself.

Before the start of the war, his random rewards included two blank character cards, but he did not use them on Heretic God. After all, Heretic God had collected too many abilities. The possibility of drawing Super-Energy Nullification a second time was too slim. Drawing some messy abilities would be of little use to him. He still wanted to keep it to copy Leonard's Perfect Mechanical Sense.

On the other side, Milizaus looked at Sagman and the others retreating, and asked in a deep voice, "Sagman and the others have run away, should we pursue them?"

"Don't count me in if you are going to pursue." Austin adjusted his mage robe and said lightly: "Black Star, I have repaid the favor I owed you. Now you owe me a big favor."

"I know." Han Xiao said helplessly. To be honest, if Austin hadn't been so principled and carried out his promise, the Empire side would definitely have lost someone.

Austin nodded with satisfaction, then turned to glance at the badly damaged Anti-Magic Army. A look of heartache appeared in his eyes. These were all his elites, and it was very difficult to train them.

As for the badly damaged Temple of Mysticism, Austin didn't feel bad at all. It would only take some time to repair. He didn't care about the cost of the materials... As a noble mage who had risen above petty interests, making money was as easy as breathing.

Austin was not an Empire ally, so it was not appropriate to ask others. Milizaus then looked at Beoni, "What about you?"

"Don't look for me for risky things." Beoni refused directly.

Just kidding, they had finally survived this crisis. The enemies had retreated, and he didn't want to be in danger again. It was better to stay here and wait for reinforcements.

"You are really cowardly." Milizaus despised him.

"I'm the squishiest, I'm afraid of death, okay?" Beoni snorted and turned to look at Han Xiao, "Are you going to pursue them?"

"What do you think?" Han Xiao's mouth twitched. Austin and you are not going, why would I chase after them? Do you think I want to die?

"You're not going..." Milizaus suddenly changed the subject, his tone as if he was relieved, "Then I'm relieved."

The three of them looked at him at the same time.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen the hole in my chest? I'm the most seriously injured. Do you still want to force me to chase after them to get beaten up? Can't you be considerate of an old dragon?"

Han Xiao was speechless.

You're not going yourself, why did you even ask...

But that was indeed the case. Apart from him being full of energy, the other three were not in good condition. The risk of pursuing was too great, so it was no wonder they were unwilling.

At this time, Tarrokov also contacted the few, his tone surprised.

"Black Star, you captured a Super-A Grade from the Arcane Church?"

"As you can see." Han Xiao turned to look in the direction of the flagship, casually caressing Dillon's head, which was wet and slippery. It was quite round.

"Very good! You have made the Arcane Church pay the price, so we have a bargaining chip in our hands!"

Tarrokov's tone was excited for a moment, then he became serious again, "The Arcane Church is retreating. I will send troops to track them. You stay with the main force and wait for orders. Do not pursue the enemy without permission."

"Don't worry, even if you beg us, we won't go." Han Xiao said helplessly.

"That's for the best." Tarrokov nodded.

They had resolved the Arcane Church's surprise attack. Not only did they not lose their high-level combatants, but Black Star had also captured the enemy's Super-A Grade, making a great contribution. The results were amazing.

Tarrokov did not want the few to pursue with the team. The stargate was being assembled near Beacon Star. This thing needed to be calibrated with spatial coordinates, and it could not be moved and used at the same time. If the Arcane Church made a feint, and then suddenly counterattacked after leaving the Beacon Star range, it would be an act of luring them in deep, which would increase the risk and may bury the advantage that Black Star had worked so hard to create.

Tarrokov was not in a hurry to pursue the Arcane Church to expand the results of the battle. As an old general, he liked to play it safe.

Therefore, he only planned to send scout troops to track the Arcane Church, locking onto their escape route. As for Black Star and others, they should honestly stay on Beacon Star and wait for reinforcements to arrive. This was the safest way and would not give the enemy any chance.

Following the Fallen Ark, the Arcane Church fleet also left the battlefield and disappeared from view.

Tarrokov sent a small force to track them, and the remaining main force guarded the engineering troops, assembling the stargate step by step.

The enemies retreated, the flames of war finally subsided, and Han Xiao and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They flew to their respective warships to count the losses of their respective troops.

At the same time, Tarrokov contacted the Empire's higher-ups to report the results of the battle here.

...

Central Starfield, the Empire's homeworld.

Since the intelligence that Beacon Star had been attacked by the Arcane Church was transmitted back, it had caused a sensation among the Empire's military higher-ups.

Ulan Riel directly summoned all the military generals in the conference room. Those who were not present participated in the meeting with remote projections. Everyone gathered together, and they were all excited.

The first battlefield situation that Tarrokov transmitted back showed that they were facing seven Super-A Grades and the combined forces of the Arcane Church and the Fallen Ark. The difference in strength was too great, and the situation was extremely critical.

The military higher-ups in the room had already analyzed the battle situation. Including Ulan Riel, most people believed that Beacon Star was beyond saving. Eighty percent of the time, it would be completely annihilated by the Arcane Church, and the three Empire Super-A Grades would either be killed in battle or captured alive by the enemy.

At this time, everyone was discussing what response the Empire should make to this matter.

"Your Excellency the President is right. The Arcane Church and the Radiant Federation have joined forces to attack our army, killing Marshal Tarrokov and three Super-A Grade combatants. We must carry out iron-fisted retaliation."

Many military higher-ups spoke out in agreement. Tarrokov had a high reputation in the military. This time, he was likely to have sacrificed himself. Many old comrades had flames of revenge burning in their hearts.

Ulan Riel also nodded expressionlessly.

At the first moment she received the news, Ulan Riel decided to carry out retaliatory attacks against the Arcane Church.

The Empire's dignity had been provoked and suffered heavy losses. In this case, they must not let it go, otherwise the Empire's prestige would be swept away and its allies would be alienated.

Most of the Empire's soldiers were hardliners, and the majority agreed with retaliatory counterattacks.

However, even the Empire, a powerful civilization with iron-blooded traditions, had different voices. There were still a few people present who did not agree with excessive retaliatory strikes. It was not that they opposed counterattacks, but they believed that the Empire's troops were being restrained by the Shattered Star Ring, and the intensity of the counterattack should not be too intense. If they really provoked a universe-level war, it would make the Empire's situation even more unfavorable.

Just as everyone was arguing, a new remote projection suddenly appeared in the conference room. It was Tarrokov.

The military higher-ups present immediately stopped talking and focused their attention on him.

"Your Excellency the President, Beacon Star has been defended. The Arcane Church and the Fallen Ark forces have been repelled by our side. The battle is over, and battle damage is being counted. Milizaus, Beoni, and Black Star are all safe and sound." Tarrokov nodded to everyone present.

Hearing this, all the military higher-ups present were slightly surprised.

"You repelled all the enemies?" Ulan Riel raised her eyebrows, a hint of subtle surprise flashing in her eyes, "Tell me the details."

Tarrokov nodded and briefly explained the battle process, without any embellishment.

While listening, everyone's faces changed several times. They all noticed the great contribution that Black Star had made in this battle: secretly arranging outside support from Austin, resisting the Pantheon Scepter, capturing Dillon... Almost all of the Arcane Church's methods were neutralized by Black Star.

It could be said that if Black Star had not done these things, the Empire's three Super-A Grades would probably not have survived, and the enemy would really have succeeded.

Many of the Empire's military higher-ups exchanged glances, and their impression of Han Xiao became more profound.

He could reverse such a desperate situation. This new Empire ally... seemed to be a bit fierce.

Ulan Riel narrowed her eyes. This battle was triggered by Black Star. She was originally a little dissatisfied. It was obviously not cost-effective to lose two Empire Super-A Grades for Black Star alone.

However, the results that Black Star had achieved made her speechless, and even captured one of the opponent's Super-A Grades in return, giving the Empire a bargaining chip in hand.

There was no way to criticize this result. It dispelled the resentment in her heart, and she couldn't help but feel admiration for Han Xiao.

However, Ulan Riel would not show it on her face. She remained expressionless and nodded slowly.

"Send down my order, mobilize all the Empire's fleets in the Shattered Star Ring to pursue and kill the enemy... And the forces of the Shattered Star Ring will also take action. If necessary, they can directly attack the Arcane Church's stargate outposts in the Shattered Star Ring, and try to eat them before this force returns to the Central Starfield."

"Also..." Ulan Riel paused, "Have Black Star speak to me directly later."

At the same time,

The Arcane Church higher-ups also received the fleet's battle report...