Chapter 418: The Unobtainable Is Always Tempting (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Tu tu tu tu!
The pro players who landed with the airdrop cabins raised their high caliber armor-piercing cannons and fired at the dark green Magic Colossuses around them. Fire sparkles exploded on the Magic Colossuses’ body, and thick clouds expanded from the explosions. Under this nonstop storm of iron, these Magic Colossuses that could face the charge of the knights head-on were now shivering and backing up continuously, unable to move forward a single step, as fractured shards fell from their bodies.
In nine months, they had experienced dozens of battle missions. They had very rich experiences in facing such magic combat puppets. Although their numbers were much fewer than the army, they took control of the battlefield very quickly.
Herlous drew his Battleship Slicing Blade, smashing a Magic Colossus with every slice very efficiently. Aroshia and the Volga brothers stood beside Han Xiao and did not move.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and observed the battlefield while standing still. He was not preparing to attack; Herlous and these players were more than enough to deal with the enemies. The capabilities of these people under him were up to standard, so he was having a good time doing nothing as much as he could.
To put it simply, this incident was about a villain who wanted trouble appearing on this planet, so they had invited him to deal with it. There were hundreds of similar incidents happening every day in the Shattered Star Ring. The motive of the villains was also very varied. They experienced it many times, so they were used to it and were familiar with the process—land in airdrop cabins then clear the scene. Han Xiao did not even need to command anymore.
He was proud of his team’s progress!
Nine months had passed, and he had deliberately controlled the size of Black Star, keeping it the same size as before. But as their resume grew, they had built a good name for themselves. When he carried out cooperative missions with Sky Ring, Blades, Purple Gold, and other large mercenary groups, not only were they able to force their way through most easy missions, they also always had a very dependable performance when facing difficult problems. They built the image of a dependable partner in no time at all. Originally, most large mercenary groups wanted to build a relationship with him because of his Floating Dragon background. But they slowly acknowledged and respected Black Star’s abilities. When they needed external reinforcements in the Colton Star Cluster, Han Xiao was almost always among their first choice.
When a Mercenary Group’s Credibility Rating reach a certain level, they would receive additional benefits. They would be listed among groups that had good Credibility Ratings in the area and automatically send some emergency hires in the area exclusively to Black Star. That was how they had become the reinforcements for Planet Dawn.
Actually, he had just completed a guarding request two days ago. As per their habit, they were supposed to rest for some time in Juberly Hub. However, he saw it was an emergency event from Planet Dawn, so he decided to cancel the holiday and come to their aid. This planet was one of the infection targets in the [Mutation Disaster] mission that was yet to be activated. Hence, he came to take a look.
Planet Dawn’s development level is low magic level, yet to achieve the stage of magic being industrialized. They focus on individual powers. Although they sent some supposedly grade B ‘ascenders’ to Godora, their society’s knowledge of the galaxy is very limited, not even as good as Planet Aquamarine...
Every civilization had their own name for the universe. Planet Dawn called it the ‘higher world’ and ‘ascending’, showing that their civilization was more focused on individuals. Furthermore, most of the people did not know of the situation in the galaxy. They only knew that it was a higher level world. The king not spreading the knowledge was also part of the reason.
DarkStar deployed the mutation source here as well. Now that nine months had passed and the Version 1.0 update was near, it was time to visit the other planets where the Mutation Disaster would occur in Version 2.0 so that he would be mentally prepared.
“Black Star, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Lin Ge walked over and greeted Han Xiao with a pleasing and respectful tone. With the people of Black Star taking part in the battle, he was not worried about the situation at all. Hence, he took the opportunity to create a connection with Han Xiao.
“Hello.” Han Xiao extended his hand out and gave him a handshake.
Lin Ge was a little flattered. He thought the top-level people of the industry would be very arrogant and did not expect Han Xiao to be so friendly.
The two of them were chatting over there as Rex crawled up from the ground on another front. He picked up his shield and spear, caught his breath, and joined the battle again. He did not even have time to communicate with the reinforcements. His army had a chance to catch their breath, so they gathered again and cooperated with the players.
Magic Colossuses broke apart one after another. With the strong help from the players, the battle ended very quickly. The rest of the soldiers hurriedly bandaged their wounds and recovered their physical strength as fast as they could.
Rex came before Han Xiao and Lin Ge. His face was solemn, and he did not say any useless words. “The door to the altar will open now that these Magic Colossus have been destroyed. Rezar’s sect is gathered there; there are more enemies waiting for us. We have no time to waste, please follow us and move forward immediately.”
Rex saw Lin Ge’s respectful expression toward Han Xiao between the breaks of his battles, and from that, he knew that this new reinforcement was someone important. Therefore, his tone had respect and alarm in it. The guests from the higher world were always mysterious in his eyes.
He could not help but look at the airdrop cabins, guessing how the people from the higher world landed in these things. He wondered what the principle behind these things was.
“Ok, let’s end the chitchat here and start moving forward.” Han Xiao nodded and agreed since it was a request from the employer.
After the alliance army had a brief moment to rest and regroup, they hastily looked for the entrance in the ruins. They were able to find the entrance to the underground altar very quickly.
This was an abandoned underground city, built into a secret stronghold by Rezar and used for many years. They surged in and followed the corridor down. The underground city was not large, so the tunnel was narrow. Rex’s troops had a high number, so they had no choice but to leave some of their people on the surface.
Han Xiao and the others followed behind and moved outside the army. This was a very serious situation in Rex’s eyes, but to him, it was very simple. Find the target BOSS, kill it, the end.
...
At the underground altar in the deepest area of the underground city, the scene of the army entering appeared on the magical mirror. The hundreds of believers’ face changed instantly.
“Sh*t, why is another group of warriors from the higher world here? Our plan is ruined. The Magic Colossuses did not kill enough people; the blood is not enough to activate the altar! We’re done for!” The superior believer was panicking.
Rezar was not calm anymore. His face became very grave. He stared at Han Xiao and the others in the mirror, and a sense of envy, yearn, and jealousy appeared in his eyes.
These people all came from the higher world...
Soon, very soon.
I will become someone of the higher world, too.
Rezar had always felt that the people who were trapped on planets were pitiful. The believers thought that Rezar carried out this plan to become the strongest Mage. He ridiculed this idea. These foolish believers did not know the vastness of the universe, and their sights were so narrow.
Pitiful!
Maybe in the eyes of galaxy residents, the universe was nothing much, but for people who could only look up at the sky and draw out the universe with their imagination, being able to enter the galaxy was exceptionally attractive. Furthermore, he knew that there were other civilizations and races in the universe. His curiosity and desire for knowledge was like a flame in his heart that could not suppress.
This was the exploration instinct of intelligent species, wanting to advance, wanting to step onto the peak of mountains and take in the beautiful view. When something was yet to be obtained, it would always be very tempting.
Rezar’s target was only going to the higher world. He could sacrifice everything and not care about the consequences at all for it. However, the higher world mercenaries that suddenly arrived had changed the plan that he had spent so much effort to prepare.
If not for those people, his plan definitely would have succeeded.
A heavy shade of mania appeared in his eyes.
“Mentor, what do we do‽” the superior believer asked anxiously.
Rezar looked down at the panicking believers. This was a sect that he had spent dozens of years building. A hint of cruelty appeared on his face. “Lend your flesh to me...”
A bright red light suddenly burst out from his magic staff. The pillars on the altar were glowing in blood red. A complex glowing magic array appeared on the floor. This time, all noise disappeared. The believers’ eyes suddenly swelled, and their faces turned blue-black as if they were suffocating. They scratched their throats, but their bodies were out of their control. They fell to the ground one after another, struggling frantically as their body twisted into countless strange positions.
That superior believer’s face was filled with agony; his eyes were filled with disbelief. He crawled up the altar while struggling. His shivering hand wanted to grab Rezar’s robe, but before he could do so, his eyes burst. Blood gushed out onto the floor, turning into a long, thin line of blood like a red earthworm, ‘crawling’ down to the bottom of the altar.
Hundreds of believers died together. The blood in their bodies was sucked dry by the magic array. They turned into dry corpses with opened mouths and sunken faces. The altar that absorbed the blood, on the other hand, became smooth like gray jade.
Although rowdy moments earlier, the scene was now dead silent.
There was finally enough blood.
Boom!
The ceremony activated.
The enormous amount of magic power constructed a special magic array smelled like blood.
Behind the altar was an Origin Water vein. The underground Origin Water that was slowly flowing suddenly started to boil, and tiny spots of light appeared on the water surface like fireflies. It was all visible magic power. The light spots suddenly combined into a few light dragons, absorbed by Rezar frantically through his face organs.
Rex finally arrived with the troops five minutes later. They saw the altar and the dried corpses on the floor from far away. When they clearly saw Rezar absorbing the magic from the Origin Water, Rex’s face turned grave.
“No, the ceremony has started! We have to stop him immediately!”
Just as Rex was about to order his troops to charge forward, the sound of magic buzzed from around the altar. Defensive arrays appeared on the walls one after another. Colorful lights covered the altar. There were almost a thousand layers of defense spells, and they were all extremely tough. The floor trembled, and twenty new Magic Colossus climbed out of the ground and stood beside the altar.
Rex’s expression changed immediately.
They would not be able to break through so many defensive spells and Magic Colossuses. He had thought that he could stop the ceremony once he found Rezar, but they were now blocked outside.
Rezar had planned too far ahead; he could not allow accidents to happen, so he naturally had a large number of defensive measures. As long as he could stop the enemy for just a short time, he would be able to complete the magic absorption ceremony.
The magic that a thousand miles of Origin Water contained was enormous. This ceremony had been passed down from the Ancient Age, and it constructed a magic fountain inside the body. Only then was it able to contain so much magic, so he could break through his strength limit.
“It’s the end of the Southland territory if he completes the ceremony. We have to destroy these defensive spells as quickly as possible. Follow me and charge...”
He had yet to finish when someone suddenly pressed on his shoulder and stopped his sentence.
Rex turned back and saw that Han Xiao walked past him and stood before the troops.
“You’re too slow, let me.”
Han Xiao’s tone was unwavering and had the confidence of a professional. Different from the Planet Dawn troops, his face was always calm and relaxed, not bothered by these defensive measures at all.
Clank!
Next moment, compressed orbs shot out one after another and expanded quickly. About a hundred different models of artilleries surrounded Han Xiao. The cannon tore the layers of spells apart instantly. To him, these defensive spells were as weak as paper!
In nine months’ time, although Han Xiao did not change his combat style, he did make enhancements. He had increased his machinery and enhanced their power. In less than ten seconds, the twenty Magic Colossuses were torn into pieces.
The firelight lit up the underground city like it was in daylight. The explosive power that he showcased made these soldiers dumbfounded. Rex was shocked, and he mumbled, “Such strong power, even stronger than the ascenders in the legends. Even the Kingdom Tribune Mages are not this strong. Is this the power of the higher world warriors?”
He heard the secrets from the Kingdom Tribune Mages before that the warriors from the higher world were completely different from them, who only used magic. They had all kinds of strange abilities. Now, he had finally witnessed it.
The cannon shattered the defensive spells and the altar easily, and the ceremony was instantly stopped.
Rezar fell to the ground, shocked and furious, overwhelmed with disbelief. He had never thought that the defensive measures that he had spent so many years on would be completely obliterated in a matter of seconds. The strength of this higher world mercenary was far beyond his expectations.
However, Rezar’s face changed the next moment. He felt a strong magic power inside his body, crushing that limit in his body. A new power was born.
His eyes widened, and tears rolled down his face.
“Success... I succeeded...”
Although the ceremony had stopped not long after it stopped, the magic that he had absorbed had already helped him break through that limit. He had finally reached the standard that Godora had set; he could head toward the higher world as he had been yearning for.
The increase in power made Rezar have a false sense of confidence like he could defeat everyone with just a wave of his hands, but he did not want to stay and fight. He was about to turn around and activate the explosion runes. While the underground city collapsed, he would then leave through the hidden tunnel. His heart was filled with excitement; his lifelong wish was going to come true.
However, plans very rarely worked out.
Noticing the rapidly increasing energy reaction, Han Xiao raised his eyebrows.
“Yo, broke through to grade B, but...”
The next second, the Void Dragon mechanical suit covered his body. Han Xiao moved beside Rezar as if teleporting. He gripped his head and smashed it heavily into the ground.
Bang!
Before Rezar could react, his head had already struck the ground. His staff slipped out of his hand and rolled far away. The power that he had just gained did not have any effect at all. The feeling of being strong only lasted a few seconds before it was shattered instantly!
“Does it make a difference?”