The Legendary Mechanic, page 956
He finally understood why Han Xiao was so wary when he mentioned the World Tree.
Although it was just a glimpse, he almost felt like he was about to collapse. The pressure of facing a high-level existence was deeply engraved in his heart.
Kasuyi dispelled the thought of spying on the memories and exerted more strength, bombarding the Holy Tree Emissary with his psychic energy. Not long after, the Holy Tree Emissary’s consciousness was shattered, and his body exploded into pieces. In the only remaining exploration ship, Orwell lit a cigarette and took a puff. He looked at the artillery fire outside the window and shook his head helplessly. “Tsk, tsk… I hope my luck will be better next time.”
The next second, cannon fire drowned the spaceship, and a loud explosion occurred. All the crew members, including Orwell, turned into seeds and returned to the arms of the World Tree.
At the same time, in the World Tree Civilization… “What a powerful Psychic. He killed Manny so easily.”
Tedrian and the other Executive Officers’ faces tightened.
They had been watching the entire process through the mental network.
“Did you see how the Psychic arrived? It’s similar to the teleportation method that the outsider used last time,” the Heart Tree King calmly said. “There’s a seventy-percent chance that this unknown civilization is the hometown of that outsider.” The Subduing Tree King nodded. “This is good news.”
They had already felt the pressure from that outsider the last time. If they met another enemy at this time, they would also doubt if they could fight on two fronts and eat two prey at the same time.
However, now that they had almost confirmed that the two of them were the same enemy, it was a relief. If that was the case, the exploration team had discovered the enemy’s nest when they had no clue about it. It was simply a blessing!
“The standard of this Psychic should not be as high as that outsider, but it’s still powerful enough. Ordinary Holy Tree Emissaries are far from being his match. This is indeed a civilization with extremely developed individual strength,” Tedrian muttered.
The Heart Tree King nodded and slowly said, “The other party’s strategy is very clear. They plan to build an interception circle here. It’s obvious that it hasn’t been built yet, so we can destroy it… Next time, we’ll choose to teleport to the coordinates at the back and have the troops build a temporary base there as a guide point. When the time comes, we’ll gather a large force and launch an all-out attack.” “We don’t have to do what we did in the past. Should we first find out more information before launching an all-out attack?” The Subduing Tree King glanced at him.
“Of course, we have to collect intelligence, but if we only focus on this, it will be too conservative and inflexible. It’s best to adjust the plan according to the situation. Probing information is one thing, but it’s also important to take the opportunity to disrupt the enemy’s deployment. There’s no conflict between the two. If we let the enemy build an intercepting circle comfortably, we will have to spend more than ten times the cost to break through. We might as well take action now and destroy the enemy’s plan.”
The Heart Tree King narrowed his eyes. The World Tree Civilization was pragmatic, and he did not have a habit of waiting for others to finish preparing before attacking.
Chapter 1333: Assemble |
In the command room of the main base of the intercepting zone, reports of successful interceptions were being sent back one after another. Simon and the others were surrounding the real-time star map to control the entire situation, while the Beyond Grade As were on standby. The ten Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Devices outside the window were still in a state of preheating, ready to move at any time.
At this time, a light flashed in the corner of the room. Kasuyi, who had changed into a King suit, returned to the room with Han Xiao’s Mechanical Force wrapped around his body, immediately attracting the attention of others.
“You’re back? How do you feel?”
Han Xiao raised his brows and took back the King from Kasuyi.
Because the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device was only responsible for one-way teleportation, the intercepting troops would naturally not take another set of teleportation devices. Thus, Han Xiao lent the King mechanical suit and had the other Beyond Grade As take one when they went out. He would then use Mechanical Force to pull it back after they were done, increasing the efficiency.
“The Beyond Grade As of the World Tree are quite powerful.” Kasuyi nodded solemnly.
“However, I was trampled to death by you… I feel like you’re indirectly praising yourself.” Sun Hunter was suspicious.
“Ahem, I’m evaluating him as an ordinary Beyond Grade A, so don’t include peak Beyond Grade As,” Kasuyi muttered. “The other party’s psychic energy is stronger, and that light green energy seems to have greatly increased his mental strength. His strength should be able to match 1.6 times Psyker’s.” “That’s quite good. The dynasty has Kohler, and you guys have Psyker. This kind of bottom… basic combatant is more convenient for us to compare our strength,” Lotus Swordsman said.
Luckily, the two of them were not there, so no one jumped out to refute. Everyone nodded.
“You’re talking about the increase in combat strength brought about by the World Tree Union. Basically, all the Beyond Grade As of the World Tree Civilization enjoy this amplification. It’s equivalent to having a Space Wonder-level Universal Treasure,” Han Xiao explained.
“So, the average combat capability of the enemy Beyond Grade As is higher than ours?” Manison’s Lord’s Avatar asked.
“You can say that.” Han Xiao spread out his hands. “However, the high-end combat power should be about the same. The Five Tree Kings and their Ten Leaf Executive Officers are all extremely strong. The Thirteen Ancestral Spirits and the high-level Holy Tree Emissaries are extraordinary. There are also the high-level military commanders who are in charge of fighting outside all year round. We can still fight them.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Secret Master shook his head.
Kasuyi frowned and said, “Speaking of which, I tried to pry into the other party’s memories just now, but I felt a high-level pressure. If I did not retract my psychic energy in time, I might have been heavily injured… Is that the power of the World Tree?”
“That’s right; that’s the World Tree. Don’t use your mental power to detect the memories of any member of the World Tree. They are all connected together and are protected by the World Tree. Their thoughts are also monitored. If there are any deviations, they will be corrected to prevent spying or possession,” Han Xiao explained. “They’re like slaves, never able to betray their master…” Kasuyi sighed before asking curiously, “Then, how did you get the information from them?”.
“Is there even a need to ask? I’m stronger than you guys,” Han Xiao said honestly.
Everyone was speechless.
Although it is the truth, why do we want to hit you so much?
The others ignored Han Xiao and asked Kasuyi all sorts of questions. Although everyone present had read the information about the one hundred World Tree experts that Han Xiao had collected last time, they were still very curious about Kasuyi’s combat experience.
Han Xiao did not mind. He shook his head and walked over to Simon and the others. As he listened to the orders from the upper echelons and staff officers, he looked at the changes in the real-time star map.
The star map was densely distributed with light dots, each representing an intercepting team. Their movements changed and were drawing forks in some places, which meant that they had successfully intercepted the enemy. There was a circle of light around the forks, as well as lines that extended out, representing the possible routes of the other World Tree exploration forces.
“The interception situation is not bad, thanks to your intelligence,” Simon said when he saw Han Xiao walking over. “We’re just helping each other.” Han Xiao did not mind.
Simon nodded, then sighed. “However, the intercepting circle is still too passive. We can only try our best to prevent the World Tree exploration team from entering our territory, but we will lose if we keep defending. As long as the enemy takes a wide enough detour, there will be some that slip through the net sooner or later. We can only think of ways to delay this moment.”
“That can’t be helped. After all, the opponent is the World Tree.” Han Xiao shrugged.
“…That’s right. This civilization is practically born for war. If it were any other opponent, we wouldn’t have to be passive like we are now. What a troublesome enemy.”
Simon was helpless.
The three Universal Civilizations were also tyrannical civilizations. If the enemy was not a war machine like the World Tree, with their current intelligence advantage, they might have already thought of a way to take the initiative to attack… However, there was no strategy that could be used in all situations. Taking the initiative to attack also depended on who the opponent was. If they ignored the actual situation of the opponent and used the example in the tactics manual, they would most likely suffer heavy losses. After all, they were not like the World Tree Civilization, which could fight without any heartache. With the example of the Kama Republic, the World Tree was not most powerful in their aggressive attacks but their encroachment.
Furthermore, Han Xiao’s intelligence had already shown that the main body was the foundation of the World Tree. If this was a real-time strategy game, the World Tree Territory would at most be a sub-base. The main base would still be in the fog of war, and the three Universal Civilizations would expose the location of their main base and be under attack. It would not be worth it to exchange their main base with a sub-base, not to mention that the enemy troops were even faster.
After sorting out his emotions, Simon took out his pocket watch and said, “The intercepting circle is still in the construction phase, and we’re short on manpower. How long will it take for the fleets of your Beyond Grade A Association to arrive?”
“Soon. They’re gathering toward the teleportation point,” Han Xiao replied. Currently, the Flickering World was rapidly turning into a war zone, and the unrelated parties were leaving at high speed. The Federation of Light took out a large pile of Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Devices and set up a gathering point in the Dawn Star Cluster to send the rest of the troops over. The fleets of the Beyond Grade A organizations such as the Black Star Army were rushing there.
Simon nodded. “It should be as fast as possible. The more manpower we have, the sooner the interception circle will be completed. The longer we can keep the World Tree outside of our territory, the better.”
The interstellar era emphasized efficiency. Advanced space travel capabilities reduced the time needed to travel, and many things could happen every day. However, at a higher level, many things required a long period of evolution.
Over the next few days, the three Universal Civilizations’ intercepting troops played hide-and-seek with the World Tree’s Exploration Group No. 274. The exploration teams were wiped out one after another, but because of the detours, the battle line was getting longer and longer. At the same time, the reinforcements of the Beyond Grade A organizations arrived at the intercepting area and quickly entered the construction of the interception circle. The wormholes were quickly built and connected together like a huge net, forming layers of barriers. The area expanded rapidly every day and spread further.
The intercepting zone was already the frontline, and more Beyond Grade As arrived one after another after settling their matters. The number quickly approached a hundred.
At the observation tower of the main base, Han Xiao stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the bright galaxy. He seemed to be thinking about life, but he was actually browsing the forums to see the reactions of the players who had arrived at the frontline.
Just as he was focused on reading the post, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from afar. Han Xiao closed the interface and looked back. It was Hila and Aurora.
“You guys are here too?” Han Xiao glanced at them.
“Just arrived.” Hila’s expression was calm.
“I knew that with your personality, you definitely wouldn’t miss such a battle.”
Han Xiao shook his head.
He did not force the two sisters to participate, nor did he force them to stay behind. After all, the two of them were Beyond Grade As, and they had to respect each other’s wishes. If they came willingly, he would not stop them. Furthermore, the two sisters were indeed exceptional combatants.
“Since we have to fight the enemy together, we naturally can’t stay out of it. With our current strength, I don’t feel comfortable receiving protection,” Hila said slowly. Han Xiao looked at Aurora. “What about you?”
“Ah? Since my sister is here, I will definitely follow. What if she gets beaten to death? Also, my ability should be very useful.” Aurora smiled.
“She might be safer here than me.” Hila snorted. This was one of the reasons she did not stop Aurora from following her.
“With you around, the safety of the other Beyond Grade As will be guaranteed.” Han Xiao nodded at Aurora.
“Don’t misunderstand, we have other plans. This is a good place to strengthen the Underworld.”
Hila waved her hands.
“This is indeed a good opportunity.” Han Xiao nodded in agreement.
With the Underworld, even if the warriors below Beyond Grade A died, they would have a chance to be reborn. The meat grinder of war had always been a treasure ground for collecting souls. As long as the Underworld could store them, it would not be a problem.
However, the World Tree warriors were bound together, and they would not lose their souls even if they died. They would probably not be able to capture them, and the Underworld would most likely only be able to retrieve the dead warriors from the three Universal Civilizations. Furthermore, Han Xiao did not dare let the two sisters take the risk to capture the members of the World Tree. If the World Tree connection was not broken because of this, the coordinates of the Underworld would probably be exposed. It would not be good if the World Tree followed the clues and attacked the Underworld.
However, this did not affect the strategic importance of the Underworld. In Han Xiao’s eyes, the Underworld had the ability to change the entire situation, and its effect was not inferior to the Sanctum Revival. In some ways, it even exceeded it. It was a pity that Aurora’s powers were not strong enough. If she was allowed to grow for a few decades or even a century, the power of the Underworld would be even higher.
Han Xiao turned back to look out of the window and said in a deep voice, “I have a feeling that the World Tree will not sit back and watch us deploy our defenses. They will probably organize a large-scale attack very soon, and it will be the first time the three Universal Civilizations and the World Tree are fighting a large-scale battle.” “Is this your intuition?” Hila raised her brows.
“No, it’s just a prediction based on the style of the World Tree.” Han Xiao stroked his chin and sighed. “No matter what, you have to protect yourselves. I might not be able to take care of you in this universe-level war.”
“I will take care of myself,” Hila replied calmly.
In the territory of the World Tree Civilization, endless fleets were laid out in the universe, and streams of light were still coming from afar, turning into new troops that integrated into the group, expanding the scale of the army.
The executive officers nodded inwardly.
Once the Heart Tree King decided to launch an attack, they immediately gathered all the armies and waited for orders.
Due to the superior nature of the mental network and the fast movement in the territory, the efficiency of the World Tree Civilization in gathering troops was extremely astonishing. Very soon, they formed a large expedition army with a fleet of eight billion battleships, ready to attack at any time.
An executive officer turned to look at the two tree kings. “Your Excellency Tree King, when will the assault begin?”
The Subduing Tree King did not speak but turned to look at the Heart Tree King.
“The scale is still not enough. Gather more people,” the Heart Tree King said slowly.
“The required scale is…” Tedrian asked tentatively.
“This is the first time we’re fighting, so let’s take this as a greeting. The size of our fleet should be at least fifty billion, or else it will be hardly presentable. If they can’t even withstand such a small attack, then we can adopt more daring tactics in the future.”
Heart Tree King’s tone was so calm that it was as if he was only throwing out a small chip on the gambling table.
However, he paused and said, “Right, we have to consider the possibility of that outsider joining the battle. That person is not easy to deal with…”
Chapter 1334: Intelligence Advantage |
The intercepting operation was still ongoing. As the enemy had only brought one Holy Tree Emissary, with the rest of their troops lacking individual strength, Kasuyi was the only one who took action. The other Beyond Grade As did not have the chance to take action and merely continued to wait.
In the compartment of the command room, almost a hundred Beyond Grade As were gathered there, doing their own things. Some were supervising the situation, some were resting with their eyes closed, some were dealing with matters, some were chatting casually, and there were even some who were playing cards in such a serious setting.
“Speaking of which, it has been some time since the two of us sat down to chat.”
Kant looked at the direct descendants of the three Universal Civilizations and sighed.
When the three Universal Civilizations were targeting the association, Han Xiao did not allow the direct Beyond Grade As to participate in the meeting. After the lockdown was lifted, due to various things being delayed, the three Universal Civilizations had yet to regain the normal treatment that the direct Beyond Grade As of the three Universal Civilizations received in the association. Therefore, the time they spent on standby in the main base was when the members of the association and the direct Beyond Grade As finally got to sit together and chat.
