Chapter 904: Ameth's Invitation

Chapter 904: A Mose's Invitation

Eyes fixed on the blade's tip, the tendon beneath the fingertip gliding along the edge, the cold, sharp sensation searing through nerve endings into the brain.

In the room, Roman sat at the desk, habitually stroking the ebony blade that had accompanied his assassination career, the embedded lamp's glow leaving no reflection on the weapon. His blade, crafted from a light-absorbing material, was as black as the cosmos.

Roman's eyes remained unfocused, his mood no longer as calm as the mask concealed.

Having arrived at the Black Star Legion several days prior, he moved like a ghost among the bustling legion, his solitary ways clashing with their lively atmosphere.

Roman chose to journey far to contact the Black Star Legion because the Other God had been captured. On one hand, he wished to see what kind of people the Black Star were who had defeated the Other God; on the other, he had fallen into confusion.

The Other God had stolen his innate talent, a nightmare that haunted him. Roman disliked sleep, for each midnight dream would jolt him awake with terror. Eliminating the Other God was his sole aim.

Now, the Other God had been defeated by another, robbing him of his chance for vengeance. Roman had no other hobbies, all his friends were gone, his solitary nature kept him from mingling, he harbored no ambitions, unsure what lay ahead—continue assassinating the fallen soldier Zhao's criminals? Or wander the stars with sheathed blades? Or find a planet to retire on?

Confused about life, Roman instinctively came to the Black Star Legion, resolving to serve them for a time to repay a debt. When he felt he had repaid it, he would choose to leave.

Lost in thought, the doorbell rang suddenly. Roman snapped back, instinctively tightening his grip on the blade, then realizing his position was safe, his fingers loosened.

Sheathing the black blade, he rose and opened the door—outside stood Black Star.

They stared silently for a moment, Roman finally speaking slowly:

"……What brings you here?"

"We haven't had a proper talk yet, and I happen to have time…… You stand there at the door—what, to speak with me?" Han Xiao bowed his head.

Roman paused, stepped aside, opening the door wider.

Han Xiao entered, glancing around the room, then sat on the living room sofa, raising his chin toward the opposite seat, gesturing for Roman to sit.

When Roman settled across from him, Han Xiao fixed his gaze, leaning forward:

"I've been keeping tabs on you. From your resume, you're a powerful apocalypse-class assassin. I value you, which is why I haven't rushed to assign you a position."

"Hmm."

Han Xiao tilted his head, "You don't talk much."

"Yes."

Roman gave a flat reply.

Han Xiao smiled, "Confusion isn't pleasant, is it?"

Upon hearing this, Roman's brow twitched.

"Trust me, I understand your thoughts. You're different from Shazek—he genuinely wants to repay me, but I can tell you're not the same. Your sole aim is the Other God. Now that you've lost your enemy, you don't know what to do, so you've decided to serve me for a time, right?"

Han Xiao spoke slowly. Roman's resume hadn't detailed his past, but Han Xiao, privy to pre-existing data, easily discerned his experiences and nature, thus accurately guessing his thoughts.

"……Yes." Roman exhaled, nodding.

"I can tell you're fixated on the Other God, so I guess your hatred isn't just about your homeland's destruction. You've likely faced the Other God, witnessed his horror, and he's become your nightmare."

Roman's eyes widened in surprise. These were secrets he'd buried deep, never written in his resume, rarely shared with others. How had Black Star seen through him?

Their conversation was brief. Was Black Star's insight that terrifying? After only a few meetings, he'd nearly perfectly guessed Roman's thoughts and past?

"……Well said. I've encountered the Other God—I'm a being whose abilities were stolen by him." Roman suppressed his shock, maintaining a blank expression, gruffly replying.

"Lucky you, still alive."

He knew Roman's hatred for the Other God was deeply rooted, for the innate abilities taken from him would upset anyone. Even if Roman had defied fate to gain such power, the resentment would linger.

Han Xiao consoled, "Then you must have endured much to gain your current strength."

Upon hearing this, Roman's eyes flickered with a momentary shadow, as if recalling something grim, then quickly recovered, lowering his gaze without speaking, a strange feeling creeping through his chest.

It had been so long since anyone cared about him…

If an ordinary person said that, Roman wouldn't think much of it. As an apocalypse-class being, he wasn't easily swayed. But Black Star was a top-tier A-class individual, and to him, Roman was merely a junior. When a superior showed concern, Roman's reaction deepened.

In truth, there was another layer to this… To open Roman's heart, Han Xiao had, in his words, activated the Morning Star character card.

——[Gazing Back with a Smile], Effect: Charm +688.

It turned out to be quite effective…

"All that's behind us now." Roman inhaled, suppressing the swell of emotion, replying in a gravelly voice.

Han Xiao, however, shook his head, taking advantage of the character card's lingering effect, leaning forward, whispering softly:

"You don't need to hold it in. You've grown accustomed to solitude, but you must realize, no matter what the future holds, you're no longer alone. I'm your superior. I want to understand you better."

Roman's throat twitched. Silence lingered for a moment. Internally, he resisted, but thinking of Black Star as his benefactor, he made a decision, slowly speaking his past.

It had been so long since he'd shared so much. At first, it felt awkward, but he quickly found his rhythm, immersing himself in the emotion.

He'd never had anyone to confide in, always keeping his past locked away, heavy and unspoken. Now, pouring it all out, he felt a weight lift, his mood lightening.

Han Xiao listened quietly. He already knew most of it, letting Roman speak was mainly to open his heart, raise his affection. After all, Roman had just joined, no foundation of loyalty would drop from the sky—it needed cultivation.

"That's good. I value you. If you wish, I'm always here to listen." Han Xiao nodded.

"……Thank you." Roman exhaled a shaky breath, feeling a little lighter, the fear of the Other God in his heart somewhat diluted.

Black Star, a figure of such stature, taking time to speak with him, he was a bit stunned, grateful in his heart.

"Let's end here today." Han Xiao stood, smiling, "I hope someday I can rely on you."

"Yes." Though still sparing words, Roman's tone had shifted, no longer so cold.

"Stay sharp. I'll give you a task soon—don't slack off when the time comes. Off you go."

Han Xiao headed for the door, waving as he left, back turned.

Roman leaned against the doorframe, watching Black Star's silhouette disappear around the corner, his mood lighter.

His decision to join the Black Star Legion didn't seem so bad…

……

A few days later, the logistics department's production line churned out a batch of [Black Star Legion Badge—Evolution]. Han Xiao, after charging it, officially released it.

Some idle players rushed back to the headquarters for supplies, while buyers from the ancient civilization's battlefield, far away, received deliveries via the legion's logistics.

The first batch of purchasers quickly experienced the item's effect, forums immediately filling with reviews.

Players who participated in the ancient civilization's war used it in combat, recording videos. Han Xiao opened a popular post, watching the footage.

The scene showed an airdrop battle, players clearing resistance in the city, a war bunker standing in a square, stocked with ancient emperor faction ground troops, their firepower fierce, players charged being obliterated, forced to take cover.

Players communicated, ten wearing [Black Star Legion Badge—Evolution] stepped forward, raising the badges.

"Ultra Man, transform!"

A player resembling a naive martial artist shouted, then, in an instant, ten players' bodies swelled, becoming high-level mutant beings.

"RUA!" Ten massive mutants charged out, their limbs hitting the ground, sprinting forward under cannon fire.

Their immense vitality withstood the concentrated fire, enemies suddenly seeing monsters breaking through the fire coverage, their faces clearly filled with terror, screams echoing across the sky.

Two mutants were blown apart mid-charge, the rest reached the enemy's line, flattening floating tanks, toppling the war bunker, their giant arms and claws entering a frenzy of chaos, blood and flesh flying everywhere—a surefire NSFW scene.

[To the author: Personally tested, the extreme evolution's combat effect is explosive. The mutant's flesh is over-the-top, perfect for breaching operations.]

【Mengyue: Though a bit ugly, it's definitely very useful……】

【Moonshadow Flow: The price-to-performance ratio is pretty good, but it's still expensive. Charging the energy requires an additional 5,000 Ilar, which is really a rip-off】

【Moe Moon Star: Just think about it—how can you get stronger without charging? (Black Star smiled)**】

More players, on the other hand, used the badges in the instances, as distorted beings were perfect main tanks, and using them to tank bosses was absolutely ideal.

The badge holders suddenly became the most sought-after members in group raids, with virtually every group including at least one badge holder.

Some players saw an opportunity here, pooling money to buy badges and joining raid teams as hired help, charging fees just slightly higher than the energy cost, serving those who couldn't afford badges themselves.

Players' subjective initiative was strong; forums quickly discussed various creative uses, Han Xiao watched with curiosity for a while before turning off the forum, as other matters were more pressing.

The Crimson Empire had formally settled the issue of the Evolution Totems, so Han Xiao signed a formal trade agreement with the Empire, agreeing to supply Evolution Totems long-term, with an expected delivery of one billion devices over five years, all with energy capacities lasting up to twenty years. The Empire would pay both manufacturing costs and "fuel fees."

Due to their relationship, Han Xiao wouldn't profit from the Empire itself; his profits were targeted at other civilizations. A key clause in the agreement granted Han Xiao the right to sell Evolution Totems to allied civilizations, with all earnings going to the Black Star Legion.

The Empire didn't wait for the revelation of the Erosian Legacy to unfold gradually but proactively announced the existence of Evolution Totems across the entire universe, stirring a thousand waves of upheaval, as countless civilizations erupted into frenzy!

The civilizations that had already cooperated with Han Xiao in the Broken Nebula were shocked—using Evolution Blocks for evolution slots was far less cost-effective than Evolution Totems!

Countless civilizations grew restless, and in an instant, the Legion's numbers were overwhelmed with calls from people wanting to purchase Evolution Totems.

Han Xiao had Philip post the trade agreement with the Empire, telling these civilizations that as long as they gained the Empire's endorsement, they could purchase Evolution Totems, shifting the problem and pressure to the Empire.

For allied civilizations that had already joined, Han Xiao directly traded with them, signing multiple large-scale procurement agreements, with pre-sold Evolution Totem quantities reaching tens of millions, conducting business across every star domain.

His pricing for Evolution Totems wasn't as cheap as the Ovid Badges, because this trade deal saw the Black Star Legion making a hefty profit, their cash flow suddenly overflowing!

Evolution Totems became a stable specialty product of the Black Star Legion. Such high profits naturally drew the attention of many factions, yet the alliance of the Black Star Legion and the Crimson Empire was strong enough to dispel most factions' reservations.

The larger the business, the stronger the power needed to ensure its safety, and now the Black Star Legion had the strength to monopolize this cake.

Simply stating, the Black Star Legion was the undisputed ruler of the Broken Nebula, with countless local civilizations as partners, their influence vast—this level of super-A faction had already ascended to the top of the cosmic food chain.

Moreover, Black Star, the owner of the Evolution Blocks, was known throughout the universe as extremely difficult to defeat after the Lighthouse Star Campaign and the Fall of the Erosians, with even the Necrosians and Erosians having fallen—few dared to believe they could confidently defeat him.

And Black Star wasn't alone in the Broken Nebula; the other four super-A factions in the Broken Nebula had cooperation with Black Star, their networks and connections were fearsome indeed.

Additionally, the Broken Nebula's geographical position was prime, bordering the Radiant World, where the Empire's fleet numbered over a hundred million, ready to support the Broken Nebula at any moment, and even the nominal rulers of the Broken Nebula, the Luminous Federation, turned a blind eye, with few factions daring to cause trouble there.

Under these considerations, no faction dared to take reckless actions or risk provocation, accepting the Empire's established trade rules.

Han Xiao naturally didn't forget his own people; every branch and training camp of the Legion was equipped with Evolution Totems, the Blue Star where Benitez was stationed also received free Evolution Totems, and the Necrosians weren't forgotten either—Han Xiao personally dispatched a messenger weapon to plant an Evolution Totem on their planet, accompanied by some mechanical forces to garrison the Necrosian homeworld.

Watching their rival, the Necrosians, rake in a fortune through Evolution Blocks, the Sydorans were furious. After all, people's accusations against Sydor had been gradually reduced in recent times, but seeing the Black Star Legion's prosperity, many felt deep regret, blaming Sydor for missing opportunities to develop civilization.

Internal criticism and scolding within the Sydorans made Sydor very frustrated.

The warlord Herbert was also suffering, feeling his position in the Broken Nebula growing increasingly unstable, yet he had no recourse, only watching helplessly as Han Xiao actively rallied various forces, feeling like he'd been suckered into a lemon.

And just as Evolution Totems drew widespread attention across the universe, Han Xiao received a special challenge invitation.

From Eros.