Chapter 1020: Guanghui: Don't Blame the Brother for Being Inhuman, Blame the Sister-in-Law for Being Too Charming

Chapter 1020: Radiance: Do Not Blame Your Brother for Losing His Humanity, Only Blame the Sister-in-Law for Being Too Enchanting

Every soul carves its own path through the dark, and in the eyes of the great advanced factions, Sorokin was a marvel unto himself.

Though originally hired in concert by Radiance, the Void Spirit sect, and the interstellar black market, he gradually wove his threads through the shadows, transforming into a ubiquitous broker of secrets, his network sprawling wide.

Under his deft orchestration, the results of Gorutan’s probing of Hela swiftly reached the hands of Radiance and the Void Spirit, immediately commanding the attention of the high command and summoning their respective allies to council.

The Void Spirit sect’s primary stronghold in the Free Competition Zone lay within a distant star cluster, yet now the projections of nearly all their Super A-class allies gathered in one place, joined by several high-ranking officials bearing the weight of official doctrine.

As the intelligence regarding Hela passed from hand to hand, the complexion of every attendee shifted.

“Hela’s ability can actually shorten the lifespan of a Super A-class?!”

Tolien shot to his feet, his face draining to a sickly green.

No martial artist by trade, he had never perceived the microscopic ebb and flow of cellular vitality, and only now did the true horror of his encounter dawn upon him.

To have dueled Hela, suffered defeat, and unknowingly forfeited countless years of his life was a loss so catastrophic it felt as though his very foundation had shattered.

Tolien’s remorse curdled in his gut; how could fate have cursed him with such an adversary?

To fight and lose one’s years in the process was a burden no soul could bear; even the most battle-mad berserker would tremble at the thought. If he had known, he would have refused to clash with Hela under any circumstances... no, if he had known, he would never have sought to assert his dominance over the Dragon Throne!

I shall retreat into myself.

The assembly cast him a glance of pity, observed a silent three-second mourning, and then left him to his solitude as they turned to their own deliberations.

“I never imagined this fledgling Super A-class possessed such a grotesque ability, bearing a striking resemblance to the Death Force listed among the ultra-high-risk anomalies.” The Sun Hunter, a diminutive figure, lounged carelessly atop the table yet somehow projected the imposing aura of a seasoned warlord. “I recall this belonged to one of the Primordials; to think it has resurfaced.”

“Indeed, the archives ring a bell, but what was the name again...”

Ksuya interjected, his voice measured. “Nigos, the Weaver of Death. She has a sister known as the Mother of All Things, capable of disseminating vitality.”

“Precisely, those two. Quite renowned among the Primordials, born of disparate civilizations and sharing no blood, yet destined to cross paths across the boundless cosmos. Their perfectly complementary abilities forged a sisterhood beyond kinship... Ah! What a legend steeped in artistic grace, echoing the spirit of the Exploration Era. Simply flawless.” A Super A-class member sighed, his face awash with reverence.

This man was named Lawrence, a man of the arts as his secondary pursuit, dressed in a riot of clashing colors that delivered a simultaneous assault upon both the eyes and the stomach.

“Wait, were they not blood sisters?” someone asked, scratching his head.

“They were not. After so many centuries, external rumors have long since warped into myth; our archives hold the unvarnished truth.” A high-ranking official spoke up, unable to resist steering the conversation. “Gentlemen, might we return to the matter of Hela?”

[Photon] Sagman nodded, his voice grave. “The Death Force is an ultra-high-risk ability, capable of harvesting life itself. If we allow Hela to mature, and should she one day lose control of her power as Wan Ying did, it would spell catastrophe for the entire cosmos.”

“That is merely secondary. The paramount issue is... she belongs to the Black Star Legion. She is our enemy.” [Sea Spirit] Dilun ground out through clenched teeth.

“Such a power is profoundly dangerous. If left unaddressed, once Hela reaches full maturity, our campaigns against the Black Star Legion will be perpetually shadowed by this unique threat.” [Realm Gate] Tailerdi stated.

These Super A-class veterans, who had bled in the Lighthouse Star campaign and tasted defeat at Han Xiao’s hands, harbored the deepest animosity toward the Black Star Legion, dreaming constantly of trampling Black Star beneath their boots.

Xisco hesitated, then offered a slow nod. “Quite right. For us Super A-class, the prospect of shortened lifespans is truly terrifying.”

The Sun Hunter cast him a sidelong glance. “I do not believe you need trouble yourself with that particular concern.”

“Hmm?” Xisco blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

“Judging by the combat prowess Hela displayed against Gorutan, should you ever cross blades with her, you would likely be slain outright. Thus, the lifespan reduction would be entirely moot for you.”

“...”

Xisco felt the profound malice of the universe wash over him, turned away, and joined Tolien in their shared retreat into silence.

“Enough with the jests.” Ksuya spoke lightly, his gaze shifting to the officials. “What is the high command’s stance within the Void Spirit?”

The officials exchanged a glance before speaking with solemn gravity. “The high command’s directive is to attempt to woo Hela, to turn her into our ally. Should that fail, they request your intervention to eradicate her.”

A flicker of understanding passed through the assembly as they grasped the Void Spirit sect’s design.

Mortals would be obliterated by Hela in a single strike, rendering the lifespan curse useless against Catastrophe-class beings and below... She was a weapon of mass destruction, meticulously calibrated for the apex Super A-class combatants.

Beyond the immediate threat, her existence would poison future recruitment; should Hela stand in a rival faction, even in mere idleness, fledgling Super A-class warriors would hesitate to pledge allegiance, unwilling to face her, thereby crippling alliance expansion.

Though aligned with the Black Star Legion, Hela had not yet formally pledged to any advanced civilization. The Void Spirit sect coveted her for their own arsenal, a strategic depth Gorutan had entirely overlooked. Only if they could not claim her would they resort to her destruction.

Moreover, nearly every Super A-class present had already plumbed a deeper layer of implication.

—If Hela’s deterrent power exclusively targeted the Super A-class, did the Void Spirit sect also intend to wield her as a leash upon the entire echelon?

Under ordinary circumstances, such a notion would never have taken root, but every attendee had participated in Han Xiao’s Council of Gods, where Old Ma had tirelessly preached the doctrine of a unified front, making it impossible to resist the parallel.

A sudden hush fell over the chamber, and within many hearts, a quiet turmoil stirred.

Ksuya’s expression remained impassive as he surveyed the room. “I believe we should initiate the courtship of Hela forthwith, while deferring her eradication for careful deliberation. Though we are all gathered within the Shining World, making mobilization convenient, our movements will inevitably draw scrutiny. Furthermore, slaying Hela will provoke Black Star. It would be prudent to first observe the Radiance Federation’s maneuvers; do not forget they possess this same intelligence and will undoubtedly act upon it.”

“Understood.” The high-ranking official nodded. “The ledger with Niga remains unsettled, and we harbor no desire to cooperate with Radiance on this occasion; observation is indeed warranted... However, when the time comes for us to strike, we expect your prompt and vigorous support.”

“Without question!” With the exception of Xisco, the unfortunate veterans of the Lighthouse Star campaign voiced their assent in unison; they had longed for vengeance against the Black Star Legion, and at last, the opportunity had arrived.

Ksuya remained silent, his eyes glinting with unreadable calculation.

...

Meanwhile, within the Radiance Federation, an identical council convened, yet the discourse diverged sharply from that of the Void Spirit.

“Hela’s ability is undoubtedly perilous, yet confronting her will inevitably enrage the Black Star Legion, a trade-off that yields poor returns.” Haidis remarked.

A council elder furrowed his brow. “In the grand scheme, is it not Hela who poses the greater threat? Provoking the Black Star Legion for that sake would be entirely justified.”

“Are you certain?” Haidis countered. “Have you forgotten the Scepter of Myriad Gods?”

The words hung in the air, causing the assembled council elders of the Radiance Federation to pause, sinking into deep contemplation.

“The Scepter of Myriad Gods wields equal, if not greater, threat against the Super A-class, taking precedence over Hela in my estimation. I believe this presents a golden opportunity; should we leverage this moment to broker a deal with Black Star, compelling him to unseal the Chrono-Amber, it would be a venture guaranteed to yield immense profit.” Haidis expounded with practiced eloquence.

At that moment, Manixon offered a quiet concurrence. “Precisely. We must weigh Black Star’s disposition; the Scepter of Myriad Gods is of paramount importance.”

All eyes inevitably turned toward him; some wore masks of surprise, while others exchanged knowing glances.

Many Super A-class members recognized that Manixon’s stance, while ostensibly grounded in the Scepter’s value, was profoundly shaped by the lingering echoes of the Council of Gods.

As the chief architect of the Super A-class unified front, Manixon placed greater weight on Han Xiao’s influence within the Shining World, hoping Han Xiao would establish an intelligence exchange network for their coalition; thus, he refused to provoke him into abandoning the cause.

Indeed, had Han Xiao not convened the Council of Gods to address the plight of the Super A-class, the Radiance allies would likely have acted without a moment’s hesitation—a case of unintended consequences bearing fruit... Could it be that even this fell within Black Star’s meticulous calculations?!

After a moment of reflection, the Chief Council Elder tapped his cane against the floor. “Indeed, should we manage to break the Scepter’s seal, we could temporarily set aside the Hela dilemma... yet success is virtually impossible.”

Pausing, he continued slowly. “The Void Spirit sect will undoubtedly pursue a strategy of initial courtship followed by eradication. We could warn Black Star, but our leverage lacks sufficient weight. With the Empire backing him, he requires no military aid from us. Moreover, as an agent of the Empire, he will inevitably fear that once the Scepter is released, we might turn it against him... Weighing all factors, he will never agree to such a transaction.”

Hearing this, the assembly nodded in agreement; were they in Black Star’s position, they too would refuse to arm an adversary, but the crux of the matter was that Radiance’s offered bargaining chips were simply inadequate.

In truth, Radiance had long sought to cultivate a rapport with Han Xiao, eager to shatter the Scepter’s seal and liberate it from its current state of being an untouchable relic.

Yet the Evolver Totem, a strategic cornerstone dictating the fate of civilization, outweighed the Scepter by countless degrees; thus, Radiance was forced to shelve the matter, prioritizing a confrontation with the Crimson Empire and the Black Star Legion.

And now, the Hela predicament had illuminated a potential avenue for negotiation with Black Star.

“Therefore, we require a bargaining chip of substantially greater weight.” Haidis’s eyes gleamed. “For instance... Hela herself.”

A subtle stir of realization rippled through the room.

“You propose we capture Hela alive, then leverage her in exchange for Black Star unsealing the Scepter.” The Chief Council Elder mused for a moment, sensing considerable potential.

Such an approach would avoid outright bloodshed, prevent permanently alienating Black Star, and secure the Scepter’s liberation; far surpassing conventional diplomacy in success probability, it offered remarkable flexibility and appeared to be a sound strategy.

Should it succeed, Radiance would emerge as the supreme victor, finally able to strip the Scepter of its constraints and mold it to their will, while the Void Spirit would be left utterly devastated...

Hmm, though whether the Void Spirit suffers a loss hardly concerns us.

Let the fellow Daoist perish, not the humble monk!

Realizing the implication, the gathered crowd couldn't help but cast a sidelong glance at Haidis, who had offered the suggestion.

—You truly are a devilish little thing.

The Chief Council Elder cleared his throat. "Hela excels at combating living entities, which makes a Mechanic the ideal candidate to face her. Your Excellency of the Mechanic Nation, you..."

"I have no interest in bullying a freshly minted Super A-rank," Manixson cut in.

As a Mechanic with countless alternate identities, he certainly feared no shortened lifespan from Hela's retribution, yet he harbored no desire to prey upon a novice Super A-rank. Old Manixson now fervently wished for an influx of new talent; suppressing them was the last thing on his mind.

"Very well, then someone else shall go." The Chief Council Elder shook his head in resignation, fully aware that they held no authority over Manixson.

At that moment, another Super A-rank couldn't help but shake his head. "So many Super A-ranks targeting a single individual... the last one to receive such treatment was, if I recall correctly, the Alien Deity?"

"A newcomer facing such scrutiny can only blame her own misfortune."

...

The Free Competition Zone was descending into a chaotic dance of demons, and the movements of leviathans like the Black Star Legion drew intense scrutiny from external factions. Before long, news of the armed clash between the Black Star Legion and Gorutan spread like wildfire.

With their chosen stronghold, Phiri Star, reduced to rubble, the Black Star Legion was forced to detour and seek new territory. Gorutan fared no better, having lost numerous subordinates. Both sides eventually withdrew, settling for a tentative stalemate.

The outcome of Hela's duel with Gorutan was hardly surprising; she was no match for a Super A-rank at their zenith. Yet, rumors persisted that Gorutan had sustained injuries—a feat far beyond the reach of an ordinary novice Super A-rank. Consequently, numerous factions quietly revised Hela's combat ratings in their archives, concluding that among this cohort of new Super A-ranks, she might well be the strongest.

Intelligence regarding Hela's capabilities circulated exclusively among the Three Great Civilizations and a handful of elite powers. The outside world remained oblivious, unaware of the undercurrents already churning within the upper echelons.

Emboldened by the precedent set by the Black Star Legion and Gorutan, rival external factions shed their restraint. They clashed openly, vying for resources with little regard for the Empire's stance.

The chain reaction triggered by this skirmish saw armed conflicts multiply rapidly across the Free Competition Zone, causing law and order to collapse like an avalanche. Yet, overall, the Fourth Phase still harbored countless uncharted territories, leaving ample room for exploration. Thus, the intensity of the clashes remained moderate, falling far short of the apocalyptic peaks of a past era.

Meanwhile, guilds of legion players who had broken away from the main force began to exercise their own agency, stepping into the fray of the Free Competition Zone as formalized organizations!

...

In a remote border system of the Emerald Star Cluster, a modest fleet drifted forward at a leisurely pace. Its outer hulls bore the distinct emblems of various factions, unmistakably belonging to several guilds. Once the legion completed its registration, members were permitted to customize their organizational names and insignia, and these guilds promptly displayed their own crests with unapologetic pride.

This convoy included the official guilds of renowned top-tier clubs such as Changkong, Jiangcheng, and Baoyu, moving in unison.

By this stage of the game, players' earning efficiency had improved markedly. With a bit of grit and savings, purchasing a standard spacecraft posed no difficulty. The guilds of premier clubs boasted even deeper coffers, and coupled with Han Xiao's desperate thirty-percent fire-sale discounts, numerous guild organizations had successfully acquired their own small fleets.

At that moment, the core members of each guild convened aboard Changkong's warship for a strategy meeting, accompanied by several professional players who had joined the expedition.

"We are not far from Hak Star now; we should arrive within half an hour. Let us review our plan," said Bikong, the president of Sky Domain, the official guild of the Changkong Club, in a leisurely tone.

Flash Fried Rice summoned a digital memo and read aloud: "Hak Star is rich in resources and currently occupied by seven minor factions: three conglomerates, two private militias, and two harvesting detachments from galaxy-level civilizations. Unable to dislodge one another, they merely vie for the most fertile extraction sites. Our objective is to establish a foothold on Hak Star, forge alliances with the conglomerates, and construct a resource hub to lay the groundwork for future development."

"The crux of the matter lies in how we negotiate with these conglomerates," Mingyue Changzhong remarked.

"Leave that to me," Fengyue volunteered. "I know exactly what to say."

The others nodded in agreement, offering a few words of encouragement.

Guided by Han Xiao's overt and covert directives, the legion players were the first to grasp the core mechanic of this new phase: interacting with NPC factions under the banner of formal organizations.

Having weathered numerous updates, players had long learned that NPCs behaved indistinguishably from real persons. Every word and gesture provoked reactions, and outcomes were wildly unpredictable, boasting an off-the-charts degree of freedom. Consequently, negotiations demanded polished rhetoric, with higher charisma stats significantly smoothing the path to success.

Every guild inevitably harbored a natural negotiator, and Fengyue, a narrative-focused player, took particular delight in engaging with NPCs.

The legion's new regulations granted these guilds a degree of semi-autonomy. Empowered by such vast freedom, they began to exercise their own initiative, independently analyzing intelligence, hunting for opportunities, and each pursuing their own flashy strategies.

Staying with the main force offered safety but imposed strict limitations on movement. Many players harbored the conviction that it was better to lead a small flock than to trail behind a greater one.

This was precisely the scenario Han Xiao desired. He had issued numerous incentive quests for independent operations, hoping to scatter the legion players across the cosmos, infiltrate new territories, expand their influence, and uncover fresh profits, rather than merely having them follow in his wake to sip the broth.

These guilds had chosen to band together to amplify their collective weight. By opting to bypass the main force and compete among minor factions on Hak Star, they aimed to maximize their inherent advantages.

Currently, guild players predominantly operated at the B-rank tier, which constituted a solid backbone force in the cosmos and carried considerable sway over minor factions. As subsidiary organizations of the Black Star Legion, these guilds could leverage the legion's formidable reputation, which granted a substantial influence bonus against smaller powers, thereby bolstering their negotiating leverage with NPC entities.

After a short while, the fleet gradually decelerated as Hak Star loomed larger. Scattered defense squadrons hovered in the outer void, each answering to different factions.

Upon spotting the players' fleet, Hak Star's defense forces shifted into combat readiness, advancing with caution and transmitting a communication request.

Kuangdao patted Fengyue on the shoulder and murmured, "It's in your hands."

Fengyue exhaled sharply, making his lips tremble in a rapid blur as a warm-up, brimming with eager anticipation.

"Relax, just watch me talk them into submission!"

——

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