The Legendary Mechanic, page 997
Han Xiao had a few ideas about this. Special items in the Information Form could be used as ‘molds’, but they would most likely require Universal Treasures. Normal Information Form objects might not work.
The other choice was to obtain the enhancement of some Universal Treasures with the ‘Stable’ trait. Han Xiao knew of a ready-made one, which was the church’s National Treasure with the ‘Unbreakable’ trait. It should be able to achieve similar effects.
“However, this thing is on Wuornos, and it’s a precious treasure of the Arcane Church. I wonder if they’re willing to temporarily lend it.”
Han Xiao shook his head.
The second condition was that he needed the help of the other four peak Beyond Grade As to advance.
If it was a civilization with insufficient individual strength, they might not even be able to gather enough people. However, the three Universal Civilizations should be considered prosperous in the universe, so there were enough strong people to choose from.
With his connections and the Sanctum’s cohesiveness, it was not difficult to find four assistants. This should be the easiest of the three conditions.
However, the meaning of cooperation revealed by this condition made Han Xiao feel a little emotional.
Having grown to this stage alone, it seemed like this was the limit. Advancing seemed to no longer be a matter of one person. If one wanted to become a stronger individual, they needed more external help. The development of civilization also affected whether an individual could advance further.
In the vast universe, a person’s strength was ultimately limited. Without external help, it would be very difficult to continue moving forward.
“So there is a limit to individual life forms?”
Han Xiao shook his head.
In addition, the requirement of gathering the other four classes also reminded Han Xiao of a saying from his previous life, which was that the five Super systems represented the five aspects of the true ‘God’.
The Pugilist class represented the ‘divine body’, the Psychic class represented the ‘divine soul’, the Mage class represented the ‘divine authority’, the Esper class represented the ‘divine ability’, and the Mechanic class represented the ‘divine weapon’!
This kind of statement was widely spread, but there was no actual evidence. However, after seeing this condition, Han Xiao felt that this statement might not be entirely false, at least there was some connection.
“Could it be that the new level combines the five elements?”
This thought subconsciously flashed past Han Xiao’s mind, but he quickly shook his head and denied it. He felt that he was wrong.
The difference in the Energy Attributes of the five major systems was unlikely to be broken. Even if he broke through to the level of a ‘True God’, he would probably be a Specialist, so it should be impossible for him to be omnipotent.
Compared to the other four classes, he felt that the Mechanic class that represented the ‘divine weapon’ seemed to be special.
The development history of every civilization was the advancement history of tool evolution. This represented the fire of wisdom and the sprout of civilization. To a certain extent, knowing how to use tools was the biggest difference between intelligent life and wild beasts, and to the so-called ‘Gods’, it probably had a similar meaning.
If ‘God’ only used the power of the other four elements to fight, they would not be too different from fighting with their bare hands. At most, their moves would be different, and only magic and Esper abilities would have some special effects. However, using the so-called ‘divine weapon’ was equivalent to an ordinary person picking up a sword or firearm. The threat was completely different.
For example, if there were two max-level heroes-one unequipped, and the other fully equipped with ultimate equipment. Even if their skills were different, their strength would not be on the same level at all. In the many fairy tales that Han Xiao had read in his previous life, the status of ‘magical equipment’ was extremely high. It even represented one’s strength, especially when it came to the primitive worlds.
In his opinion, the ‘divine weapon’ represented by the Mechanic class was most likely such a concept. Otherwise, the advantages of the Mechanics in the later stages would not be so obvious in front of the other four classes.
Han Xiao calmed himself down and collected his thoughts.
He had some ideas about the first two conditions, but the last condition made him a little frustrated.
The Beyonder’s Vestige came from a peak Beyond Grade A who had failed to break through and died. In the explored universe where the three Universal Civilizations were located, the only Beyond Grade As who had similar experiences seemed to be the two sisters of life and death.
However, Onicelu had said that the two sisters of the previous generation were pursuing the true meaning of death, so they had actively died. Han Xiao did not know if that was an act of trying to break through to a new level.
Even if it was true, the bodies of the two sisters from the previous generation had already been burned by Onicelu like firewood, and the two Esper Abilities that held their Information Form were inherited by Hila and Aurora. He did not know if this was considered the so-called ‘Beyonder’s Vestige’. Even if it was, how should he use it? Could it be that he needed to extract their Esper Abilities?
Wait, if that was the case, if Hila and Aurora grew to this level in the future, wouldn’t the third condition be completed for them?
“Tsk. Comparisons are odious.”
Han Xiao’s eyelids twitched.
He had once tried to use the Mark of The Underworld as a medium to revive the two sisters through Sanctum Revival, but he had failed in the end. They might still be alive, or they might have held back the Information Form and integrated it into their Esper Abilities, causing them to lose the Sanctum Revival. Now, Han Xiao had another guesswhen a peak Beyond Grade A failed to break through the new level and died, would they be able to accept the Sanctum Revival?
Perhaps the information form records in the Sanctum had changed because of this, or the ones who failed to break through had survived in another unknown way, such as this so-called Beyonder’s Vestige…
No one had stepped into the next level, and everything was filled with mystery. Han Xiao could only guess blindly. “However, the introduction said that only peak Beyond Grade As in my current state can sense the Beyonder’s Vestige. I’ll go to the Underworld later to verify it. If it’s not, I’ll probably have to search the entire universe. If it’s the worst-case scenario…”
Han Xiao’s eyes darkened.
The worst-case scenario would be that there was no such thing as Beyonder’s Vestige in the current Iteration. No one died if they failed to break through to the next level. If that happened, he would have to think of another way.
In any case, he had already decided to trigger as many conditions as possible. He had to overcome all difficulties.
After all, the remark mentioned that as long as one condition was missing, it would only be a regular Promotion, and there would be no way to break through. According to his understanding, this meant that he would not be able to obtain the bonuses of a new grade, and he would not be able to pull apart the fundamental difference like a Beyond Grade A and Calamity Grade Super.
Han Xiao calmed himself down and exhaled.
“No matter what, I have to test my perception of the Beyonder’s Vestige.”
After saying that, he calmed his mind and searched for the Beyonder’s Vestige through the throbbing of his critical state.
Very soon, Han Xiao felt that his consciousness had fallen into an indescribable mystery. It was as if there was a thick fog in front of him, and blurry shadows could be seen in the fog.
After an unknown period of time, Han Xiao suddenly caught a flash of light. His eyes widened, and he finally found this feeling. The fog dissipated, and everything became clear.
Initially, he thought that his senses would be completely empty, and he would not be able to sense much of the Beyonder’s Vestige. However, the moment he entered this perception vision, Han Xiao was shocked, and he knew that he was wrong.
Buzz!
In an instant, dozens of sensory sources appeared in his perception and spread out in all directions. However, he only knew the direction and not the distance. They were all Beyonder’s Vestiges!
Han Xiao’s eyes widened in shock.
Did this mean that there were at least dozens of peak Beyond Grade As from the unknown regions in the entire universe who had reached his level before and died because they were trying to reach a new level ?
Han Xiao had mixed feelings.
The center of the story that I knew in my previous life was the three Universal Civilizations, but that did not mean that this was the center of the universe.
No matter how strong you were, there would always be someone stronger. At the places you could not see, how many more powerful civilizations were still thriving in the universe and how many things were happening?
No one in the explored universe had broken through to a new level. Was the vast unexplored universe the same?
Is this Iteration only at the early stage?
After a long time, he sighed.
“… The universe is really vast.”
Chapter 1383: Deal |
Han Xiao sighed, calmed himself down, and shook his head.
No matter how vast the unexplored universe was, or how many powerful unknown civilizations there were, it had nothing to do with him for the time being. The most important thing was to deal with the current problem. The focus was still on the war between the three Universal Civilizations and the World Tree.
As for the problem of Iteration, it was useless to think too much about it. He could not deal with it for the time being. “Although I can sense the existence of the Beyonder’s Vestige, I only know the direction and the distance is unknown. This is like finding a needle in a haystack.”
Han Xiao pondered.
However, the perception vision was dead, but the person was alive. It was not impossible to calculate distance. After all, the direction of the perception could barely be seen as a straight line. As long as one constantly changed their positioning, through the deviation of the perception line, one could still roughly estimate which one was closer.
However, at the scale of the universe, it was unknown how long it would take to shift the direction of one’s perception. It would most likely be based on Star Systems and Star Clusters. Although this method would take some time, it was still an effective method.
The only problem he had to worry about was that if the nearest Beyonder’s Vestige was not in the vicinity of the explored universe, it would take an unknown amount of time.
“No matter what, there are at least initial solutions for all three conditions. Let’s act according to this plan.”
Han Xiao was relieved.
The three conditions were of varying difficulties. The second condition was the easiest. He just had to communicate and activate the Face Fruit[1]. As for the third condition, he did not know how long it would take. He decided to start with the first condition and contact Wuornos.
Han Xiao immediately found Wuornos’ private number and called him. In the previous battle, the two of them had gotten to know each other through fighting. After the battle ended, they exchanged private numbers.
The bell rang twice, and Wuornos’ projection appeared on the screen. He was wearing a solemn robe as if his daily prayers had been interrupted.
“Black Star? What’s the matter?”
Wuornos asked with an emotionless tone. Han Xiao smiled but did not immediately get to the main topic. “It’s been a while since we last met, and I suddenly miss you.”
“Is that so?”
Wuornos’ expression was calm, and he was not swayed. He only looked at Han Xiao calmly and did not say anything, as if saying ‘is our relationship that good?’
Han Xiao stroked his chin and said with interest, “Speaking of which, I’ve been curious recently. As the strongest member of the Direct Line, why didn’t the church let you participate in the interception battle?”
“This is an internal secret. I can’t tell you. If you’re here to persuade me to join the battle, then forget it,” Wuornos’ tone was calm, “Do you have anything else?”
Tsk, so mysterious. Is the church worried that you will die in battle and lose their National Treasure?
Han Xiao thought to himself.
Seeing that Wuornos’ attitude was neither cold nor warm, he did not continue to beat around the bush and spoke of his main goal.
“I came to you this time because I have something to discuss with you… I want to borrow the church’s National Treasure.”
Hearing this, Wuornos’ eyes flashed, but he did not reject it immediately.
“What do you want to do with it?”
“I want to try to break through to the next grade. I feel like the church’s National Treasure will come in handy.” Han Xiao did not hide this goal.
“Oh? Are you going to try to take this step? As expected of the most talented Super in history…”
Wuornos’ eyes lit up. He was not surprised but delighted. He sized Han Xiao up and smiled.
He had always thought highly of Black Star and felt that Black Star was the most likely person to open a higher level.
As long as a pioneer took a path, future generations would be able to follow it. Whether they succeeded or failed, they would become important references for future generations. Therefore, Wuornos was very happy to know that Han Xiao was breaking through to a higher level.
“From my personal point of view, I’m very happy to help you. Maybe you can become a pioneer in the path of individual strength exploration, and I can also benefit from it. There’s no reason to reject you…”
Wuornos smiled.
However, before Han Xiao could reply, he changed the topic and shook his head. “However, the church’s National Treasure is not my private property. If you want to borrow it, you’ll have to seek the Arcane Church’s approval. If they don’t agree, I won’t be able to lend it to you.”
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Hearing this, Han Xiao was not surprised and nodded.
“Of course, I understand. Help me tell the upper echelons of the church that the conditions can be negotiated. I need you to help me convince the upper echelons of the church.”
“…Alright, I’ll speak for you.”
Wuornos nodded and did not refuse.
Other than the upper echelons of the church, no one else could order someone like him to do things. However, seeing that Black Star was trying to reach a new level, he did not mind helping him. The two of them chatted for a while before Han Xiao hung up. The result of the initial negotiations was still acceptable, and Wuornos did not have any objections. In that case, he only needed to deal with the upper echelons of the Arcane Church.
Of course, the upper echelons of the church would not give in so easily. He had to take out some of the chips that they cared about. All he had to do now was wait for the church to come and negotiate.
On the other side, the Arcane Church, the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods.
After Wuornos received Han Xiao’s call, he quickly contacted the Pope.
With his identity, he could speak to the Pope directly. Very soon, the projection of the Pope appeared on the screen.
“High Priest, what’s the matter?”
The Pope was a little surprised. Wuornos seldom took the initiative to look for him. Usually, he was the one who called and gave the order. He was a little surprised to suddenly receive the call.
Wuornos had no intention of chatting and went straight to the point. “Black Star contacted me just now to borrow the church’s National Treasure. I contacted you to discuss it.”
The Pope was slightly stunned. He looked at Wuornos in surprise and almost could not believe his ears.
“Lend the National Treasure to an outsider ? Do you know what you’re saying ?”
“Black Star said we can negotiate.”
Wuornos’ tone was calm.
The Pope suppressed his emotions and asked with a frown,
“…Why does he want to borrow the National Treasure?”
“Black Star said that he wants to borrow the power of the National Treasure and attempt to break through to a new grade of individual strength.” “New grade? You mean above Beyond Grade A
Hearing this, the Pope was shocked.
This was big news. As the leader of the current Beyond Grade As, if Black Star could successfully establish a new level of individual strength, it would have an unknown and profound impact on battle with the World Tree.
In truth, because of Black Star’s record-breaking growth speed, the three Universal Civilizations were all prepared for Black Star to reach a higher grade, but they did not expect it to happen so quickly. After all, no matter how strong Black Star was, he had only stepped into the Beyond Grade A realm for a few decades. When compared to the lifespan of a Beyond Grade A, he was too young, at the stage of a baby or a kid.
“…You want to help him?”
The Pope’s tone sank.
Even if he wanted to borrow the National Treasure, he had to seek Wuornos’ opinion. Since he had come to help Black Star pass the message, he had most likely already agreed. This made the Pope a little unhappy.
Wuornos looked straight ahead and said calmly, “Why not? Isn’t it beneficial for our side to have an expert that goes beyond the norm?”
“That may be the case, but you know the significance of the National Treasure and the threat that Black Star poses…”
The Pope paused. Although he did not finish his sentence, his meaning was clear enough.
Due to the revelation of the truth behind the Sanctum Revival, the three Universal Civilizations were even warier of Han Xiao. Although the war was the most important now, they did not want to see Black Star continue to become stronger, especially since it was an unprecedented new grade. No one knew how powerful the strength at that grade was.
