The Legendary Mechanic, page 250
“After a period of hiding, he started his revenge. He alone directed the Six Nations’ expedition against the Germinal Organization. In this war, he infiltrated the Germinal Organization Headquarters and stole all their confidential intel, bringing the Six Nations’ victory. He became a hero of Planet Aquamarine, but his journey did not end there.
“One day, he foresaw that a disaster is going to break out in Planet Aquamarine. So, he summoned a spaceship in some way and led the warriors that he had carefully selected and handpicked into the galaxy, looking for a solution…
“As before, most of our data comes from the chronicles provided by players.”
The players searched for a lot of intel during the exploration times. Han Xiao’s history had already been made public. In the things that had happened on Planet Aquamarine, Han Xiao was like a puppeteer behind doors, and many things were connected to him. In the chronicles, Han Xiao’s name was mentioned countless times. This had led the new players to know what happened in the storyline before, continuing to increase Han Xiao’s reputation.
The chronicles of Version 1.0 were enormous, but Han Xiao was still a bright star among all the storylines.
After the hosts finished talking about Planet Aquamarine, the summary of the Version 1.0 storyline had come to an end. The hosts started the next topic, which was the main theme of this episode—analyzing the new version.
“According to the intel we have, we have made a few deductions. First, in the new version, the players will definitely connect with the galaxy and be able to leave their original planet, starting to explore the universe.
“Second, other than the current thirteen novice planets, the new version will add more birth planets. Due to what we have mentioned, the new birth planets should be planets that allow the players to enter the galaxy directly. Therefore, we have made a daring guess that the difference between the new and the old novice planets is that players in the old planets will only be able to enter the galaxy after going through the new storyline, while players in the new planets can enter the galaxy directly. The price is that these players have to start with a new account, while the old planet players can continue to use their high-level account. Hence, old or new, they have their advantages.
“Third, although the new storyline of the planets is unknown, there will definitely be someone that will lead the players to the new storyline. The clues of the new storyline are definitely hidden in some characters. We suggest looking for clues from NPCs in order to guess who will lead the next version’s storyline. What role will the main character of Version 1.0 play in the new version? The clues are limited in most planets, except for one—Planet Aquamarine!
“Before Black Star left, he left behind a frozen mission—[The Last Bastion]! The mission introduction is as follows.
“Someday in the future, a calamity will strike this world, and Sanctuary Three will become the last remaining bastion for humanity. Protect this dwindling flame from the encroaching darkness. Only then will there be hope to overcome this calamity.
“The mission requirement is to protect Sanctuary Three and make sure its destruction rate is not above fifty percent. So, we have reason to believe that this mission is a hint to what will happen to Planet Aquamarine in Version 2.0. There will be an unknown calamity, and the entire planet will be affected. Black Star will definitely play a role in this disaster…”
The reason that Han Xiao had left the frozen mission was exactly to give the players direction for imagination so that he could increase his fame. In his previous life, every time there was a version upgrade, there would definitely be a wave of speculation over the new versions. This was within his expectations.
…
In Planet Aquamarine, Sanctuary Three…
With the tall, metal walls and tight air defenses, the current sanctuary was fully complete like a huge fortress standing on a desolate land. Han Xiao had been gone for more than a year, and the current manager of the sanctuary was Huang Yu. He had constructed the sanctuary as planned and had already taken in more than three million refugees. Other than those who sought protection, there were also hundreds of thousands mobile inhabitants, the Inhumans.
Countless players took Sanctuary Three as the main city, not only because there were more than enough daily missions and rewards there, but also because the decisions that Han Xiao had made when he was there had developed the players’ habit. After they developed a habit, the players liked to gather there and interact with each other.
The feeling of the residents toward the Inhumans was very conflicted. On one hand, the Inhumans like to help them do stuff; on the other hand, most people envied the Inhumans and saw them as outsiders, so there was always a sense of alienation. In the eyes of some residents, the square where the players gathered was very dangerous, and they did not dare get close.
The Inhumans had helped Bennett build many sanctuaries, but after that, most Inhumans returned to Sanctuary Three. Huang Yu could not understand why they did this, so he thought it had to be because of his boss. He felt that only Black Phantom would know the reason.
However, over the past few days, a huge number of Inhumans had migrated to the sanctuary from all areas without any warning. Huang Yu took this phenomenon very seriously.
In the sanctuary meeting room, Huang Yu asked his subordinate, “Have we found the reason?”
After he took control of the sanctuary, he had built a group of subordinates himself. The people here were all members of Dark Net and worked directly for Bennett.
“No. We gathered intel from all areas and still have yet to find out why the Inhumans have mass migrated. Currently, the number of Inhumans in Sanctuary Three has exceeded 800,000, and it’s still growing.”
“This is not a good sign.” Huang Yu was very troubled. “Although most Inhumans are peaceful, there are destructive ones as well. We have already been attacked a few times in the past year. If these Inhumans have an ulterior motive, the damage that 800,000 Supers can cause is unimaginable. If not handled properly, the Sanctuary Three that took two years to build might be gone within a night.”
Of course, there was no way for him to know that the reason that the players had gathered in Sanctuary Three was because of the speculation that Galaxy Times made from the mission that Han Xiao had left behind. Sanctuary Three would very likely be a key area in the upcoming main storyline, and there was a very high chance for it to be a safe area.
Therefore, most players had decided to go to the sanctuary before the update. This way, not only could they get into the main storyline as soon as the new version arrived, but they would be safer than those in other places.
“We have to prepare measures for this kind of hidden threat,” Huang Yu said.
“But… the order that Black Phantom left was not to use any hostile strategy against the Inhumans and not try to control their freedom, except for those who cause trouble. We’re going against his words by doing this.”
Huang Yu shook his head. “I know, but we cannot not guard against the Inhuman because of that. Black Phantom has been gone for more than a year. If he was here, I would not worry about anything at all, but he’s not. Therefore, we need to be flexible.”
“Then what do you plan to do?”
“Split them,” Huang Yu said with a deep voice. “Forbid some Inhumans from entering the sanctuary main city and chase them to the two guard cities nearby. Alumera and Black Pine are both fine. This way, even if a riot breaks out, it won’t happen in the most important place.”
They exchanged looks.
“That’s my decision. Report this to the rulers of the two guard cities, and tell them to gather an army just in case. We’ll start to split the Inhumans in three days,” Huang Yu said firmly.
Suddenly, he felt very sleepy and yawned uncontrollably.
…
In the dark conference room of a certain DarkStar mothership that was in stealth mode, the display screens were giving off a dim light.
These people were the superiors of DarkStar. Every screen was showing a blurry outline of a person and no face—it was very mysterious. Even for Godora, who had been an enemy of DarkStar for many years, they only knew a few of the superiors. DarkStar was like a mysterious fog, always hidden in the darkness.
The middle screen was DarkStar’s leader. It was blurry as well, and the voice also went through a mechanical voice changer.
“What stage have the Mutation Sources that we planted developed to?”
“Based on the time, the larval stage has passed. All Mutation Sources will enter the pupa stage, and the impacts have already been done. In an estimated time of around one year, the Mutation Source will enter the eruption stage. However, the time predicted is not too accurate. After all, we cannot control the thoughts of the Mutation Sources.”
“Maintain the observation,” DarkStar’s leader said. “Godora has obtained a Mutation Source, and we don’t know how much headway they have made in their research. The plan needs to be improved; we can’t wait for the Mutation Sources to grow on their own. After the symptoms break out, we need to take action. The details will be discussed again. Anur, how’s Ember?”
The last question was directed at Anur, one of the Grade A Supers in DarkStar, Ember’s teacher.
A voice came out of the screen that represented Anur. “I made him focus on training his power, and it’s going quite well. His strength has increased visibly. There’s more than a twenty percent chance that he can enter Calamity Grade.”
“Hmm. Rogue died in battle, and Vivira is imprisoned in Rainbow Prison, so we have an imminent need to add high grade combat power. Esper currently has the highest chance to reach Grade A, and his Esper power is very strong. Tell him I have high hopes for him… Meeting dismissed.”
The screens turned black one after another. The dark room returned to dead silence.
Chapter 441. Version 1.0 Update (3) |
In unknown chaos, the first beam of light pierced through the everlasting fog of darkness. The sense called ‘vision’ awoke the obscure consciousness. Through the ‘eyes’ of its ‘body’, vibrant colors shattered the world made of black and white. Everything was fresh and interesting.
Then, more information came. The noise, the cold air, and the pungent metal.
It insatiably wanted to feel more things, but it could only see through the eyes of this body. It tried to turn its head, but its body did not move as its mind commanded. It could only feel but not control.
It anxiously wanted to move but could not. It started crying silently like a baby, but no one could hear it.
An unknown amount of time had passed since it awoke. Through this body, it saw countless upright creatures come and go, carrying out activities that it could not understand.
I want… I want more…
After some time, the number of visions started to slowly increase.
Water fell onto the leaf and slowly rolled down it. It stared at the droplet, wondering why it did not tickle.
Roots dug into the soil, and the fertilizer brought a sense of satisfaction, like the feeling the upright creatures felt when consuming food.
Its nose sniffed, and its hypersensitive sense of smell drew out the prey’s escape route.
More and more senses brought a raging stream of data. It greedily accepted everything.
Then, a new sense was born. It felt microorganisms like a running stream. To its surprise, it discovered that this was the first thing that it could control, like an obedient army.
Is this the sense that belongs to me?
No, it’s not.
I am all; all is me.
…
In Sanctuary Three, ever since an officer breathed in some leaked paralyzing gas and ended up lying in bed for seventeen days and three hours, Emerald Grass’ alchemy room was deemed a forbidden area.
Compared to when Han Xiao left, the size of the alchemy room was many times larger with more precise devices. Rows of colorful liquid drugs were placed on the shelves. On the table were transparent glass drawers with different plants inside, all original materials used to make drugs.
“Hmm…” Emerald Grass wore a white coat, anti-corrosion gloves, and a pair of glasses, humming and blending some kind of plant drug.
Her power to control plants allowed her to feel the plants, and thus accurately control the dose of drugs.
Sweeping aside her hair, she reached out, opened a drawer, and tore off a petal. As she was going to throw it into the device and use it as the raw material, her movements suddenly stopped.
Her power sensed something peeking, but it disappeared after a very short instant, almost like an illusion. Emerald Grass furrowed her brows slightly and looked toward the source of that feeling, but it was the plant that she had taken the petal from.
“Strange,” Emerald Grass mumbled. She pondered and reached out to touch the plant again.
The instant her fingers touched the plant, a shiver passed through her Esper power sense like an electric current and stabbed her heart deeply.
Quickly pulling her hand away, Emerald Grass took a few steps back and looked at the plant with shock and suspicion.
“It’s not an illusion… there’s a very real sense of peeking when I touched it…”
If not for her power to observe the tiniest changes in plants, she would not have felt the change.
Disbelief flashed through her eyes.
“This plant, is it consciously sensing me?”
Emerald Grass suddenly thought of something. Her expression changed, and she hastily touched every plant in the room. Most plants did not change, but a quarter of the plants gave her the same feeling.
In the enormous alchemy room with not a single other person, she felt like she was surrounded by countless eyes peeking at her silently.
A shiver went down her spine uncontrollably.
These immobile plants seemed to have grown eyes, looking at and observing her.
“Something’s wrong… something’s very wrong…” Emerald Grass murmured.
…
It was late at night.
In the Internal Personnel Residential Area inside the sanctuary core area, Hila, who was in a black windbreaker, was sitting on the rooftop, looking up at the starry night.
Ever since Han Xiao left, she would go up to the rooftop occasionally and look up at the stars blankly.
In the past year, Hila had not left the sanctuary, and Aurora’s health had recovered.
“Whoo…” A four-meter-tall gigantic white bear growled softly. This bear was circling around the courtyard on its fours, and a blonde girl was sitting on its back, smiling and laughing brightly. Her voice was young, energetic, and full of life.
Aurora’s power was recovering slowly, and she was gradually growing taller. She was not skinny and tiny like before anymore; her skin became whiter and smoother with a tint of healthy redness. Bear Cub, who followed her around, was growing quickly, too. Its fur was smooth, soft, and slightly reflective. On its forehead, chest, arms, and thighs, there were scales that looked like ice crystals. It looked tough and muscular, and its tiny eyes looked both cute and fearsome.
Hila looked down, furrowed her brows, and said, “Don’t run too fast and be careful not to fall.”
“Are you looking at the moon again, Sis?” Aurora looked up.
“The moon isn’t what I’m looking at.”
“I know, you must be thinking of uncle Black Phantom.” Aurora smiled and said, “I miss him, too.”
“Who says I’m missing him.” Hila snorted. “I’m just curious about what the universe looks like. Hmm… I only occasionally guess what he’s doing in space. That guy left a strange disaster prophecy and left us afraid while he’s having fun in space.”
Aurora’s eyes moved around and blew a shining kiss, which flew to Hila’s cheeks.
Hila waved her hands and dissipated the rune of light in front of her. “Stop it.”
At this moment, Aurora’s movement suddenly stopped. Her smile froze on her face, and her body started to shiver uncontrollably.
“Si—sis…”
“Hmm?” Hila looked down. Her expression immediately dropped, and with a flash of red glow, she appeared beside Aurora in an instant, holding her in her arms. She reached for her forehead and said anxiously, “What’s wrong? Are you sick? I’ll go find that Pharmacist.”
“No…” Aurora opened her mouth with some difficulty, her tiny body still shivering. “My power sensed a very strange creature. No, that thing can’t be considered a creature. I don’t know what is that either…”
Hila was bewildered. Aurora’s power could sense signs of life—she had never seen Aurora get so horrified just because she sensed a certain life form.
“What did you sense?”
Aurora closed her eyes, her lips pale.
“It’s very tiny… but very huge too… it’s spreading…”
When her eyes reopened, they were filled with horror.
“It’s everywhere!”
…
In the Black Star stronghold hall, all the players of the mercenary group were gathered together.
“It’s about time.” King Admiral looked at the interface. “The version update will start in an hour, let’s log off here.”
“It’s safer here.” Hao Tian nodded.
“Hmm, we will experience a time skip because of the update. There will be unknown changes, so it’s best to stay in the stronghold,” Frenzied Sword said earnestly.
As one of the players from the closed beta, he knew that there would be a time skip after the update. The original characters and factions would act alone and go through various changes. When the public beta started, he had even been separated from Han Xiao because of this.
No one knew what the duration of the time skip in this version update would be, nor did they know what Black Star would become.
Frenzied Sword only hoped not to be separated from Han Xiao again. He had only narrowly found Han Xiao on Planet Aquamarine, but if they scattered in space, he would probably end up playing the game as if it was a single-player game. Therefore, staying in the Black Star stronghold was the safest choice.
