Chapter 1004: "Face"

Chapter 1004: Face

"Your Excellency Kesuye, do you think we should attend?" someone could not help but ask.

Kesuye fell silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly. "Black Star has invited everyone. This has transcended the realm of personal affairs and now hinges upon the Void Spirit Church's stance... I suspect we shall accept."

"On what grounds? The Void Spirit and the Black Star Army are hardly friends. Does Black Star truly believe his prestige carries such weight?" Tolaine fumed, his voice thick with resentment.

Kesuye shook his head, his voice drifting like mist. "I can roughly discern the leverage Black Star will wield. His pretext is maintaining stability within the Shattered Star Ring. Should we refuse, he will settle scores afterward..."

"Do we truly fear a single man?" another voice snapped in anger.

"We do not fear him, yet the Black Star Army commands vast influence in the Shining World. The Void Spirit would rather not provoke his wrath. Moreover, they must consider Cisco. He resides within the Shattered Star Ring with nowhere to flee. If Black Star seeks retribution, Cisco will bear the brunt of it," Kesuye replied calmly.

"Yet Black Star makes no effort to conceal his ambitions. If we all answer his summons, his prestige and influence will soar. The higher-ups are surely aware of this. Would the Beyond Grade As of other factions willingly allow themselves to be used as his stepping stones?" Sun Hunter narrowed his eyes.

"The Empire is undoubtedly pulling strings behind the scenes, offering their full backing. The Radiant Federation may well agree as well," Kesuye stated.

"The Radiant Federation would consent to this?" Tolaine asked, bewildered.

Kesuye cast him a glance, drawing out his words with deliberate calm. "The Shattered Star Ring, after all, remains Radiant territory."

...

Meanwhile, the Radiant Federation had also received Han Xiao's invitation and swiftly convened its myriad allies for deliberation.

"Black Star wishes to host a grand summit of Beyond Grade As. His intentions are transparent as glass. Are we truly obliged to burnish his reputation?"

Selaon crossed two of his arms while resting the other two upon the table, his expression one of detached disdain. "Though he stands at the pinnacle of Beyond Grade A, does he not overestimate himself? What, does he presume everyone must yield to his vanity?"

He was a vital ally of the Radiant Federation and a member of that venerable council of elders, wielding considerable stature within the Beyond Grade A circle, his status akin to the Empire's Old Dragon and Kant, or the Void Spirit's Sun Hunter.

Another Beyond Grade A turned his gaze toward Radiant President Baldur and the Council of Elders seated nearby, asking in a low voice, "What is the stance of your leadership?"

Baldur spoke slowly. "Preserving stability in the Shattered Star Ring is hardly detrimental to us. Even without the Empire taking the lead, I have no intention of allowing troublemakers to stir chaos. The Shining World is on the verge of development; there is no need to provoke superfluous conflicts."

"Since we never intended to cause trouble anyway, there is no need to humor Black Star's summons?" someone inquired.

"We are still weighing our options," the Chief Elder interjected, tapping his cane against the floor. "At present, there is indeed little reason to applaud Black Star. Elevating his influence would run directly counter to our decades-long strategy of suppressing the Empire."

"I, however, believe we might actually lend Black Star a hand." At that moment, a voice spoke up, unexpectedly defending Han Xiao. "In my view, our years of pressure have borne fruit. Coupled with certain peculiar circumstances, the Empire opening purchasing rights is merely a matter of time..."

At these words, all eyes turned toward the speaker, expressions shifting in varied hues.

The man was named Hetis, a newly ascended Beyond Grade A from the past decade. He had not been with the Radiant faction long, held mediocre standing, and had remained largely unremarkable. No one expected him to voice an opinion today, suggesting he possessed unknown intelligence channels.

"You claim special circumstances will force the Empire to open totem purchasing rights? What insider knowledge do you hold?" Baldur asked, puzzled.

"Merely fragmented intelligence," Hetis replied, making it abundantly clear he was evading the question and had no intention of elaborating.

Seeing this, Baldur felt a flicker of displeasure. Knowing further pressing would yield nothing, he simply asked, "Then explain why we should assist Black Star."

"It is quite simple. The Evolution Cube is the core of the Evolver Totem enterprise. Should the Empire one day open totem sales, our demands will be met. Yet if the Empire seizes the Cube, we will not only lose every opportunity but also hand them the lion's share of the profits. By comparison, it is far better to leave the Cube in Black Star's keeping.

Therefore, we can elevate Black Star, bolster his status and prestige, and add weight to his bargaining chips. This will prevent him from buckling under pressure and surrendering the Evolution Cube to the Empire."

Hetis concluded.

"It sounds plausible, but the totems remain restricted. Your words are empty air. Aiding Black Star now defies our suppression strategy and will only breed complications. Unless you can prove the Empire will undoubtedly open totem access and reveal your insider information, your proposal holds no merit," the Chief Elder countered, his logic sharp and unclouded.

"I have specialized informants. The intelligence is absolutely reliable," Hetis shook his head, still refusing to elaborate.

At that moment, Manison of the Mechanic Empire, who had been idly observing the proceedings, tilted his head and stated calmly, "Do as you wish. I shall accept Black Star's invitation."

The assembly started, all eyes swinging toward him, many faces etched with bewilderment.

"Do you not have unresolved conflicts with Black Star? Your relationship seems rather strained," Selaon questioned.

"That is none of your concern," Manison waved a hand dismissively. "I consider this a grand occasion worth facilitating. Beyond Grade As usually remain confined to their own territories. This rare chance to gather within a single star sector is perfect for a meeting."

The crowd scrutinized Manison's countenance, yet found his thoughts utterly inscrutable. Confusion rippled through them; none could fathom his true intentions.

By all logic, Manison and Black Star were rivals who should be suppressing each other at every turn. Why offer assistance? No one knew what machinations turned in his mind.

Casting a glance over the gathered figures, Manison secretly shook his head.

He harbored little fear that this event would elevate Han Xiao's influence. Ordinary shifts in prestige would not shake their respective standings within the Machine God Religion. The faithful cared only for mechanical prowess and combat records between mechanics, ignoring all else. Thus, he hardly dreaded Black Star gaining further fame.

Yet Manison had no intention of truly aiding Han Xiao. His primary aim was to use this event to indirectly elevate the standing of all Beyond Grade As across the cosmos.

Beyond Grade As, wielding immense personal power, were already titans in the universe, yet he felt their weight remained insufficient. In the eyes of advanced civilizations, their utility was largely confined to strategic deterrence and mutual slaughter. It had been so for years, and Manison sought to alter this paradigm.

If this opportunity could gather a multitude of Beyond Grade As, the mere thought of their combined strength would instill greater dread and respect in the advanced civilizations. This would yield subtle, far-reaching repercussions. Overall, it was a double-edged sword, yet for the Mechanic Empire, the benefits outweighed the risks. His vision had long expanded beyond his own domain; he intended to secure greater privileges for the entire class represented by Beyond Grade As.

In other words, Manison was consciously raising the ceiling for their entire profession, bearing a faint echo of noblesse oblige, though at his core, the calculus remained firmly rooted in profit.

Furthermore, he did not mind Han Xiao spearheading this grand assembly. Though they were rivals, they shared a common identity: both were mechanics. As Black Star's fame grew, it would draw more talents to the mechanical path, facilitating the spread of the Machine God Religion. Consequently, Manison, as the paramount figure among mechanics, would also reap the rewards.

Naturally, had he initiated it himself, the profits would be greater, but Manison was not a petty man. Since Black Star had proposed it first, he could not be bothered to steal the spotlight. Moreover, Black Star possessed the righteous pretext of maintaining sector security, whereas Manison lacked any legitimate grounds to convene such a crowd.

...

In contrast to the Void Spirit and the Radiant factions, the Beyond Grade As of the Crimson Empire were far more supportive.

"Black Star certainly knows how to work a room. His methods for extracting profit are truly formidable," Milizaus clicked his tongue in admiration.

Hearing this, those present shook their heads and chuckled.

The convergence of various factions upon the Shattered Star Ring was originally a destabilizing blight, yet Black Star had spotted an opportunity within the chaos. Seizing every crack, he intended to squeeze oil from stone, transmuting a crisis into a boon.

Everyone understood Han Xiao's motives. It was not merely to farm prestige and influence; he sought to cement his position as the undisputed spokesperson for the Shattered Star Ring's Beyond Grade As. Stepping forward in the name of the entire sector carried profound implications.

Previously, Black Star possessed power without the title. Should he succeed, he would prove to the cosmos that he held both, officially crowning himself the sector's overlord. Coincidentally, the Black Star Army had recently welcomed a new Beyond Grade A into its ranks. Striking while the iron was hot, he would ride this momentum, rendering the army's position utterly unassailable.

Setting aside long-term gains, the most immediate impact would be a severe blow to the War Domain's competitiveness. The Infinite Financial Group, which had constantly vied for business across various sectors, would suffer substantial setbacks. In the short term, they would struggle to pose any further trouble for the Black Star Army.

"Black Star truly walks unconventional paths and plays a daring game," Kant chuckled. Today, he had transformed into an adorable little black pig, no larger than a palm. He stood upright, hind legs parted, sitting cross-legged like a human, while his short front hooves awkwardly mimicked a crossed-arm posture.

"The Empire is publicly throwing its weight behind him. I wonder what Heber will make of this," Beoni remarked with a dry smirk.

Hearing this, Clotti spoke faintly. "It is not that the Empire refuses to look after him. He simply lacks the strength to warrant it."

...

Within the War Domain, Heber sat opposite a projection of Sorokin.

"The Black Star Army has added a new Beyond Grade A, and true to form, Black Star has made his move. He aims to firmly secure his throne in the Shattered Star Ring. Alas, this is an open, above-board maneuver. I have no counter. If he succeeds, the fruits of our labor over these years will be largely forfeited."

Sorokin shook his head in resignation.

He had known Black Star was not one to let opportunities slip by. True to expectations, he had capitalized on the army's new Beyond Grade A, leveraging the momentum to unleash a coordinated strike. Caught off guard, Sorokin had not even finished investigating Hila's background, leaving him utterly unable to retaliate.

Moreover, Black Star had extended invitations to every Beyond Grade A. Regardless of whether others chose to grant him face, the outcome was beyond any single individual's ability to disrupt. He could only watch it unfold.

Heber, however, did not answer immediately. He kept his head bowed, eyes fixed upon the invitation card, silent and unreadable, his thoughts a mystery.

"Your Excellency Overlord, do you intend to decline Black Star's invitation? I would advise against it."

Only then did Heber lift his gaze, speaking slowly. "Give me a reason."

"The Empire's stance is clear: they endorse this initiative. If you refuse to attend, you are openly defying the Empire, which is an unwise choice," Sorokin shook his head. "If every other Imperial affiliate attends and you alone abstain, it will be a glaring transgression. By then, your presence will matter little, but your absence will only compound the humiliation."

"I do not need your lectures," Heber snorted coldly. "And you? Will you go?"

"Naturally, I shall attend," Sorokin offered a faint smile. "After all, Black Star and I are merely commercial rivals. We harbor no blood feud, and I can hardly afford to offend him."

He had no taste for standing out; blending with the current was the surest way to conceal himself.

You shameless bastard, your skin is thick as armor... Heber could not help but curse inwardly.

“Alas, what a shame. If only you and I had been the architects of this grand assembly,” Sorokin sighed. “Perhaps we Beyond Grade As, knowing the truth behind it, find it unremarkable, but to the outside world, it would be a spectacle of dazzling prestige. Black Star commands a hundred echoes with a single call; were the Black Star Legion to go public, this tide alone would send its market valuation soaring into the heavens.”

Still, by merely attending this gathering, I should at least skim a few drops from the broth, enough to nudge the Infinite Consortium’s valuation upward by a fraction… Sorokin mused in silence.

Paying Sorokin no mind, Heber turned his gaze back to the invitation, a bitter reluctance gnawing at his heart, utterly unwilling to stand idly by as Black Star cemented his throne as the undisputed hegemon of the star sector.

Yet the bitter lesson of their last encounter had already carved the truth into his bones: he was no match for Han Xiao, utterly outclassed, with no recourse left to him.

……

The Star-Pupil Divine Clan.

“He extended an invitation even to me?!”

Cisco stood paralyzed, caught between shock and suspicion.

To speak with absolute candor, the very depths of his soul recoiled at the thought of accepting Han Xiao’s summons.

Yet herein lay the cruel dilemma: he dared not refuse.

Black Star’s might had grown too terrifying; with Cisco’s kin residing squarely within the Shattered Star Ring, a single slight to that man’s pride would invite a pretext for invasion in the blink of an eye, and then what catastrophe would follow?!

Though the blood feud between them ran deep, Cisco had spent these long years swallowing his pride, biding his time in quiet obscurity, never once striking back in vengeance; now, more than ever, he lacked the courage to provoke Han Xiao’s wrath.

What a wretched, suffocating existence for a Beyond Grade A!!

Relocate! We must relocate at once!

Cisco’s mind howled in silent fury, his composure shattering for the second time that very month.

……

Though Han Xiao’s widespread dispatch of heroic summons had never been formally announced to the public, whispers of it had inevitably slipped through the cracks.

By all logic, the inner workings of the Beyond Grade A circle should have remained hermetically sealed, yet reality proved delightfully perverse; countless interstellar media outlets across the Shattered Star Ring had somehow caught the scent, dispatching eager correspondents to pry into every corner of the Black Star Legion, hungry to chase the trail and forge a headline that would shake the stars.

The most vivid proof lay in the sudden, peculiar adornment gracing the Black Star Legion’s headquarters: a relentless pack of paparazzi, possessed of astonishing tenacity, hounding every legionnaire with a barrage of relentless inquiries.

Han Xiao made no move to halt them; the truth was plain as day. The Empire itself had surely loosened the leash on those rumors, for when one orchestrates a grand convocation, one must inevitably stir the winds of publicity to magnify its resonance to the utmost.

He had originally intended to weave that web himself, yet the Empire had eagerly snatched the task from his hands, inadvertently sparing him the labor.

With the appointed day of assembly still some distance off and the majority of the Beyond Grade As yet to make their arrival, Han Xiao entrusted the preparations to Sylvia, turning his own attention to gauging the ripples of reaction spreading through the upper echelons.

He had quietly readied a cache of leverage and persuasion to sway the reluctant, yet to his quiet astonishment, the tide turned far more smoothly than anticipated; the vast majority readily bowed to his prestige, rendering his carefully laid contingencies entirely superfluous.

“So, without my even noticing, my prestige has grown to such staggering proportions…”

Han Xiao murmured the thought inwardly, a quiet, honeyed satisfaction blooming in his chest.

After decades of navigating the treacherous currents of the cosmos, I have finally cultivated the Fruit of Prestige to its very awakening!

With the currents flowing so favorably, his mind finally settled; yet beyond the universally acknowledged boons of this grand assembly, he harbored a hidden objective, one known to absolutely no other soul:

—Legend Points!

The wellsprings of Legend were notoriously labyrinthine, yet one proven path lay in orchestrating epoch-defining feats; by gathering over half the cosmos’s Beyond Grade As for a mere symposium, Han Xiao calculated an eighty percent chance of securing a cosmic-tier Legend rating, with the tantalizing possibility of accruing political capital along the way.

Moreover, this gathering would grant him the perfect vantage to strip bare the secrets of every attending powerhouse, committing each and every attribute panel to memory!

Just as he was weaving these schemes in his mind, the chamber door swung open without warning; Hela strode in, cutting straight to the marrow with words that held no pretense of courtesy:

“Five days have passed. I’ve rested enough. Let’s fight.”

A full five days had elapsed since Hela’s return, every hour spent burning with anticipation for a clash; today, she had finally come knocking once more.

“Very well, we shall cross blades. But not within the headquarters; I have no desire to fund repairs for shattered machinery. We’ll take this skirmish to the void and fight in the open expanse.”

At her words, Han Xiao rose to his feet; he had given Hela his word long ago, and today offered him no grounds for refusal.

——

(A brief recommendation for a fellow LitRPG tale, Master of the Yellow Court; it has garnered quite the following. The author paused updates due to pressing personal matters but has recently returned to the keyboard. Interested brethren might find it worth a glance.)