Chapter 1034: "No matter how many underlings, it's still a one-on-one" - Excerpt from Mechanic's Classic Quotes

Chapter 1034: "No Matter How Many Subordinates I Have, It Always Boils Down to a One-on-One" — Excerpt from the Mechanic's Classic Quotes

With Xisco driven off by Black Star, the Secret Lord held at bay by the Dominator's avatar, and Lavendour teleporting in relentless pursuit of the mechanical forces, the situation shifted violently time and again in mere moments; it was a clash of titans, leaving the fleets of other attending factions utterly reduced to mere spectators.

Having watched until now, the remaining factions present made it clear to themselves that the Chaotic Secret Energy was no longer within their reach.

A tinge of disappointment lingered among them, yet it came as no surprise; days prior, upon learning of the Empire's and the Void Spirits' intervention, they had already known their hopes were slender.

Still, to witness firsthand the emergence of the Chaotic Secret Energy in the Emerald Star Cluster, and to behold several Super-A rank clashes, most felt the journey had been well worth the price of admission.

Thus, though Black Star had carried the Chaotic Secret Energy away, the crowd did not immediately disperse; instead, they produced snacks and watched with rapt delight as Black Star and the Secret Lord grappled there, nearly ready to shout for hair-pulling and clothes-tearing.

Only a few unyielding factions attempted to pursue the direction in which the energy had vanished, but were blocked by the mechanical legion; gazing at the dense array of psionic cannon muzzles, they could only remain behind, reluctantly. There was no help for it; one cannot twist an arm against a thigh, and Black Star's girth was simply too formidable.

While the Dominator's avatar led the mechanical legion into an earth-shattering brawl with the Secret Lord, the Imperial fleet also reacted, hastily reporting Black Star's involvement in the scramble, which instantly alarmed the operation's supreme commander, the hardline Imperial high official Bekorodi.

"Black Star is here too? And he's already secured it?!"

From the remote command center deep within Imperial territory, Bekorodi's eyes nearly bulged from his sockets, a mixture of shock and fury gripping him.

"Lord Lavendour has already caught up; he will likely clash head-on with Black Star... What shall we do?" the fleet commander asked, treading carefully.

Upon hearing this, Bekorodi's brows knitted together as if twisted into a braid, his mind wavering.

He found the situation deeply troublesome; Black Star was a vital ally of the Empire, and logically, both sides ought to avoid conflict at all costs.

Yet prior to this, the Empire had been unaware of Black Star's intervention, a fact that filled Bekorodi with a measure of trepidation.

Given the Empire's grip on the Shining World, the fact that they had failed to detect a Black Star detachment arriving here suggested that the Black Star legion, leveraging Imperial backing, had secretly cultivated considerable interests within the Shining World.

In Bekorodi's view, under such circumstances, Black Star should have been the one to yield; yet seeing the Empire present, Black Star still chose to compete, which personally struck him as a snub to Imperial dignity and a refusal to mend relations, leaving the hardline official deeply displeased.

Without a doubt, he blamed Black Star for his current predicament, finding himself trapped in a dilemma.

Should he press forward at the risk of alienating Black Star, or step back three paces and abandon the plan entirely?

"...Sir? Shall we contact His Excellency the Head of State?"

Lost in thought, the subordinate's voice broke through, snapping Bekorodi back to reality; after a pause, he spoke in a low, steady tone:

"Do not alert the Head of State. Contact Black Star for me first; I will negotiate with him."

Knowing that Ulanruier favored Black Star, he wished to keep the Head of State in the dark, believing that handling it himself was the only way to retain command of the operation.

The command center dialed Black Star's number; after three rings, the connection was accepted, and Han Xiao's face appeared on the screen, wearing a knowing smile.

"Not bad, not bad. You contacted me thirty-seven seconds earlier than anticipated."

A vein pulsed at Bekorodi's temple; swallowing his irritation, he forced a thin smile and said, "Black Star, do you remember me? I am Bekorodi."

"Hello there, good to see you again. Have you eaten?"

"I just finished dinner."

"You look quite well-rested; your sleep must have been sound lately. At your age, you shouldn't push yourself so hard; take more rest."

"I am accustomed to toil and cannot idle; over the years, I have grown used to working every day, though I have indeed slept reasonably well lately, I..."

Halfway through, Bekorodi abruptly stopped.

Only then did he realize he had been subtly led astray by Han Xiao, finding himself slipping into casual chat and nearly forgetting the purpose of his call.

Besides, we are hardly close; you clever Black Star, are you perhaps just stalling for time?

Bekorodi coughed heavily to mask his embarrassment, quickly reclaiming the upper hand and pressing the issue: "You know why I am calling. I did not expect you to have your eyes on the Chaotic Secret Energy as well. This intelligence originated from the Alien God's legacy; you should have notified the Empire, or at least filed a report on your movements. Had you done so, today's incident could have been entirely avoided. Why did you not speak up?"

Han Xiao's expression turned peculiar, his look of bewilderment as if to ask what absurd question this was.

"Not notifying you simply means I want it for myself... It appears I have no obligation to hand over all intelligence to the Empire, nor to report private operations. We are allies, not bound by a superior-subordinate hierarchy."

Bekorodi's face darkened, his features hardening into a stern, commanding demeanor, and he declared firmly: "In any case, this matter requires no debate. Listen to me. The Empire does not wish the outside world to see us clashing with an ally. This situation demands a resolution."

"Then it is simple: abandon the contest and hand over the Chaotic Secret Energy to me." Han Xiao smiled.

"Impossible," Bekorodi blurted out instinctively, but immediately sensing his tone was too sharp, he softened it slightly and said gravely, "The Empire requires the Chaotic Secret Energy just as greatly and will not relinquish it so easily."

"What do you intend to do with the Chaotic Secret Energy?" Han Xiao asked, curious.

Bekorodi fell instantly silent.

He could hardly tell Black Star the truth and admit they planned to target his Evolution Cube.

The purpose of the Chaotic Secret Energy was to accelerate Gao De's growth, pushing him swiftly into the Super-A rank domain; the ultimate goal was to decipher the Evolution Cube, for only a Super-A rank Gao De possessed the ability to analyze evolutionary energy through his unique power.

After holding his breath for a long while, Bekorodi finally managed to spit out a stiff, "It is classified."

"If you will not say, then never mind." Han Xiao shook his head. "In any case, I will not yield so readily. True, we are allies, but it is unreasonable that the moment you flash your title, I must cede everything to you. Even those Ultimate Class Knowledge fragments require me to earn them through merit; you cannot expect me to offer selfless devotion."

Bekorodi nodded. "Very well, then let us make a deal. We are willing to offer leverage in exchange for the Chaotic Secret Energy. What do you desire? Intelligence? Knowledge? Resources? Or perhaps a Cosmic Treasure? I suspect your interest in the energy is largely to transform it into a Cosmic Treasure yourself. Might as well trade directly with us. Choose one Cosmic Treasure from the previous list, and I have the authority to approve this exchange."

Originally, hiring Lavendour would have cost a Cosmic Treasure; now that the energy had fallen into Black Star's hands, Bekorodi simply redirected this transaction toward him.

Naturally, the agreement with Lavendour would not be honored; he was effectively kicked out of the picture, likely receiving only some compensatory resources at best...

Lavendour, still in pursuit of the mechanical forces, remained unaware that his employer had already written him off, and the Cosmic Treasure he had long coveted was essentially slipping through his fingers.

Han Xiao's brow arched. "What if you renege on your word?"

"If you agree, I will order Lavendour to withdraw. You will temporarily hold the Chaotic Secret Energy, then issue a public statement to quell the public outcry from this conflict, and only afterward exchange it with us for the Cosmic Treasure. So need not worry about us failing to honor the deal."

Bekorodi had no intention of playing tricks on this front; as a high Imperial official, he possessed at least that much magnanimity.

Unfortunately, Han Xiao had no intention of agreeing immediately...

If my teammate slips away, who will I be left to pummel?

"Let us discuss that later. I have not yet decided whether to give it to you; I must consider it. For now, let us compete fairly... Since you wish to keep this from the outside world, let us find an uninhabited place to settle it." Han Xiao's tone remained calm, leaving a thread of possibility open without entirely rejecting the trade.

Bekorodi's expression stiffened, seething with silent frustration.

Truly uncooperative! Refusing the offered wine only to drink the vinegar!

Having reached this point, he saw no need to waste further words; he simply replied with a curt "fine," terminated the communication, and immediately ordered his subordinate to notify Lavendour to secure the Chaotic Secret Energy at all costs.

In his understanding, Han Xiao's main body remained at the Black Star Palace; only a Dominator avatar and a contingent of mechanical forces had arrived this time. With the Secret Lord currently pinning down the avatar, Lavendour should still have a chance to succeed.

...

Within the resplendent nebula, Lavendour and the mechanical forces engaged in a relentless chase, steadily distancing themselves from the battlefield where the Dominator's avatar fought, slipping beyond the sight of all observers.

Freed from the constraints of the spatial stabilizer, Lavendour's teleportation magic grew swifter; even if the mechanical forces fled at breakneck speed, he could close the gap in an instant. Yet he chose to follow patiently, aiming to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Dominator's avatar, ensuring the avatar could not intervene in his skirmish.

After all, the combat effectiveness of the mechanical forces differed entirely depending on the avatar's presence; he had no desire to endure the avatar's devastation with his own flesh, like the Secret Lord, for after all...

I am a proper mage! Extremely fragile!

Ranged artillery is the true elegance of our kind; rolling up one's sleeves for melee combat? How dare you call yourself a mage?!

The Secret Lord, that garishly painted fellow, possessed formidable close-quarters prowess, whereas Lavendour was an old-school mage who wielded pure arcane arts; forcing him into melee would be akin to having a Mechanic rush a Martial Artist's face, resulting in a swifter demise... well, excluding Black Star, of course.

"Far enough, I think."

Steadying his mind, Lavendour cast a teleportation spell, instantly materializing before the mechanical forces; with a sweep of his hand, a top-tier staff materialized, hovering above his head as the gem at its tip ignited with blinding magical radiance.

In the next moment, heavy spellbooks manifested from raw mana around Lavendour, rotating slowly around him like a planetary ring, radiating surging arcane fluctuations.

Swish, swish, swish—the spellbooks opened, their pages flipping rapidly as a profound violet magical brilliance suddenly expanded, forming a domain that resembled a deep purple spherical energy dome, enveloping the entire mechanical force before him in an expansive area.

Viewed from within, the domain's inner walls bore a deep purple base, across which streaks of bright blue and incandescent white magical light flowed like arcane comets, rendering the entire space akin to a purple curtain adorned with azure stripes.

"The Wall of Telgar: The Deep Purple Dueling Grounds. This is a newly forged forbidden art, crafted by the arcane research division under my command."

As the spell unfurled, Ravinroud wore a smile of unshakable confidence, as though the chaotic secret energy had already fallen into his grasp.

The mech-force lightning crackling across the mechanical legion suddenly dimmed. They opened fire in all directions, yet their psionic cannons vanished into the domain's inner walls like clay oxen sinking into the sea, swallowed whole. When a contingent of mechanical soldiers surged toward the perimeter, the moment their hulls brushed the deep violet barrier, it erupted in a blinding arcane detonation, flinging them backward.

Convinced the mechanical host was trapped, Ravinroud felt the villainous soul buried deep within him stir with delight. He could not resist indulging in his traditional pastime: the grand monologue.

"This is a forbidden-tier barrier domain. It siphons all internal energy assaults outward while rendering the walls impenetrable to physical matter. Your machines will not escape. Furthermore, this realm dampens spatial tethers and energy conduction from the outside. Have you noticed? The mech-force amplification you wield over this legion has already begun to wane."

He spoke with relish, but the mechanical legion paid him no heed. They hammered the domain's inner walls with relentless physical strikes, only to be repelled time and again.

Observing this, Ravinroud shook his head with a faint smile and spoke measuredly. "Save your efforts, Black Star. I know you can hear my arcane whisper. Let us parley."

His words hung in the air for a few seconds before the mechanical host ceased their attempts. They turned their gaze toward him, opened a wide-area communication channel, and Han Xiao's voice echoed through:

"Parley about what?"

"Black Star, I hold your prowess in high regard. Yet your Dominant Avatar is absent. To clash with me now would only squander this legion. Hand over the chaotic secret energy willingly, and I shall record this favor, offering you ample compensation. As you know, we are allies. There is no need to resolve this through force."

Ravinroud offered a light smile, convinced he had already extended Black Star considerable courtesy.

But only the greenhorn yields his interests for a few flattering words. Han Xiao might be considered a mere fledgling among the Super-A ranks, yet in absolute years, he was a dashing, seasoned man. He remained utterly unmoved, giving no reply but ordering the mechanical legion to advance.

Crack-crack-crack-crack!!

The mechanical host immediately closed in, focusing their fire upon Ravinroud. He had long prepared for this; layer upon layer of arcane shields enveloped him as he darted at high speed to evade their barrage. From his hands, wave after wave of offensive spells erupted, raining devastation upon the machines.

The domain's vast expanse granted Ravinroud ample room to kite his foes. Coupled with the inherent agility of his teleportation arts, he maintained the engagement at mid-range, trading artillery fire for magical bombardment.

"Annihilating the mechanical legion is not the objective. Best to seize the chaotic secret energy and withdraw." While exchanging fire with the machines, Ravinroud kept a sharp eye on the mechanical soldiers escorting the energy.

Suddenly, a flaw rippled through the mechanical host's shifting formation. A gap opened in the defense around the chaotic secret energy, and Ravinroud's gaze instantly locked onto it.

"My chance!"

Ravinroud unleashed a spell he had long been shaping. Invisible shockwaves detonated outward, severing the mechanical host's ranks. Instantly after, he cast a meticulously prepared teleportation spell, materializing beside the energy's escorts. A violet hand of arcane energy lashed out, grasping for the sealed container of chaotic secret energy now within arm's reach.

In that very instant, a glacial, azure-blue gleam flashed in Ravinroud's peripheral vision. Its razor-sharp aura made every hair on his body stand on end.

In a heartbeat, Ravinroud hastily drew in his gut to dodge. A war spear, white-beded with gold tracery and wreathed in azure energy, effortlessly tore through his layered magical shields. It grazed the vital region of his lower abdomen, leaving him drenched in cold sweat.

—How narrow. He had nearly been minced to pieces.

Youzu, who had lain in ambush within the ranks for so long, violently twisted the spear shaft. A concussive wave of energy erupted, sending Ravinroud flying sideways!

The Youzu War Spear was a "companion weapon" that manifested alongside his transformation into an Apostle Armament. Bearing a silver-orange grade, its potency grew in tandem with the armament itself.

By now, the spear had accrued far more attributes than at its inception: multi-layered edge sharpening, supreme penetration, magic disruption, qi severing, shield breaking, hemorrhaging, cellular regeneration suppression, and more. When wielded by Youzu himself, these traits received further amplification. In his grasp, it was a terrifying mid-to-close range weapon, effortlessly piercing nearly all barriers. Ravinroud's protective wards were little more than paper before it.

Youzu flicked his spear, his streamlined frame surging forward in fierce pursuit. Seizing the opening granted by the ambush, he unleashed a fluid, relentless combo of mech-martial strikes, allowing Ravinroud no moment to catch his breath.

Before Ravinroud could parry more than a few blows, a fresh wave of perilous intent struck his back. Several concealed Apostle Armaments charged to engage. They were the close-combat specialists—Kuang Tianlie, Zhen Tianqi, Zi Tianling—who clung to him like shadows, denying him the free hand needed to teleport and create distance.

Save for the uniquely colossal armaments like Ju Jingang, nearly all were present, hidden within the mechanical host. Now they struck as one. Youzu led a contingent in close-quarters entanglement, while Yin Shanguang commanded another at range. Their roles were distinct, their coordination flawless.

With the ambush successful, Ravinroud was instantly thrust onto the defensive.

Under Han Xiao's mech-force amplification, each of these Apostle Armaments possessed combat prowess at the Super-A tier. Now that Han Xiao had advanced, his mechanical arts had strengthened further, elevating the armaments' power in kind. Even a single one could outlast a typical Super-A in prolonged combat... No need to name names; everyone knows who that refers to.

To "duel" over a dozen such armaments simultaneously... Ravinroud was beginning to buckle.

There was no room for tricks, only a crushing display of raw power. The battlefield swiftly devolved into a one-sided slaughter.

"I cannot even overcome a mid-sized mechanical legion without its Dominant Avatar? Has his strength truly reached this height?!"

Ravinroud grit his teeth, enduring the ferocious assault of over a dozen foes. His mana drained like a breached dam, his heart flooded with an absurd disbelief and a bone-deep sense of impotence.

Feeling his own frantic desperation, Ravinroud reached one undeniable certainty—this Black Star had grown stronger yet again!

In that very moment, a memory from years past surged back: his encounter with the Mech Nation...

It was precisely this feeling!

A power so profound it struck terror even into the heart of a Super-A!