Chapter 932: Super A-Level Potential Stock (Revised)

Chapter 932: The Super A-Class Potential Stock (Revised)

Meanwhile.

In the Central Star Sea, within the borders of the Empire.

An unmarked flotilla of small vessels hovered above a colossal azure world, a renowned interstellar metropolis within the Crimson Empire, teeming with prosperity and a vast populace.

Drawn from the Black Star Legion’s branch in the Constellation Corridor, the fleet had been summoned by Han Xiao upon his arrival in the Central Star Sea, intended for a prolonged stay within imperial territory to utilize its mechanical foundries, allowing him to forge automata at will along his journey.

The Crimson Empire was aware of Han Xiao’s presence in the Central Star Sea, knowing his visit merely served to lay low; thus, he was spared the necessity of reporting to the Crimson Ring Star, granted free rein across the realm barring classified military zones, with the imperial high command turning a blind eye to his movements.

While cultivating his physical refinement techniques, Han Xiao wandered the empire seeking out figures destined for future renown, and his arrival at this metropolis was solely to pay a visit to one particular soul.

Advanced civilizations invariably prized the education of their progeny; across the empire’s vital colonial worlds stood official academies, nearly all premier institutions of higher learning boasting unparalleled resources, where each annual admissions cycle became a spectacle captivating the entire civilization.

Among them, the Esper Academies were the aspirational pinnacle for over ninety percent of interstellar citizens; espers and mundanes belonged to distinct strata, as if inhabiting separate realms, and while every ordinary soul yearned to wield transcendent power, those lacking innate talent would inevitably project that longing onto their offspring.

The Empire’s Sixteenth Comprehensive Esper Academy, a premier institution and a landmark of this world, was precisely Han Xiao’s destination; within his memories, a future direct-line Super A-Class of the empire would eventually graduate from these very halls.

Cross-referencing data from his past life, Han Xiao knew this direct-line Super A-Class had been admitted between the years 709 and 712 of the Star Sea Calendar, coinciding with the early days of the 3.0 to 4.0 version update—precisely the present moment.

Unmarked and unassuming, the fleet’s arrival stirred no planetary upheaval, merely prompting a discreet notification to the academy’s administration; the principal promptly abandoned all duties to personally greet the empire’s distinguished guest.

At that very hour, within one of the academy’s sprawling campuses, Han Xiao walked alongside Aurora along a tree-lined avenue, his features concealed behind a virtual disguise that masked his true identity, while the principal trailed closely behind, escorting them through the grounds.

Cultivated canopies obscured the artificial sun above, fracturing the sunlight into scattered fragments of gold; beside the path, a shimmering stream wound its way, where a few lower-year students leaped across the surface, playfully testing their nascent powers, while on distant meadows, young lovers of various races whispered sweet nothings, and overhead, scholars clutching textbooks glided on personal flyers toward class, the very air thick with the effervescent breath of youth.

“How wonderful…” gazing at the scene, a thread of yearning and envy wove through Aurora’s eyes.

Her childhood had been a descent into hell, entirely devoid of such ordinary, nurturing passage into adulthood.

The life of a normal person feels so distant from me now… Han Xiao glanced at her, a sudden melancholy settling in his chest.

Looking down, Aurora’s profile seemed bathed in dawn light, her long lashes trembling softly, her aura rendered pure and sacred by the very nature of her abilities.

“Lord Black Star, the Martial Arts division lies just ahead.”

The principal’s voice broke the silence, drawing Han Xiao’s gaze from Aurora to the horizon, where a sprawling complex of towering structures stretched outward, dotted with visible spherical gravity chambers suspended in the air, each housing martial students deep in cultivation.

After a leisurely stroll through the academic zone, the trio paused outside a classroom where a cohort of new martial students attended a cultural lecture; peering through the window, Han Xiao’s eyes locked onto an unremarkable male student of the Cosmic Human race seated in the center, whose plain, slightly earnest visage struck him with profound familiarity.

Carrot, a direct-line Super A-Class of the empire in later iterations, who would succeed the “Dark Emperor” Clotilde after his demise, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the Super A-Class tier… A fragment of past-life memory flickered through his mind, casting an inexplicable glint in Han Xiao’s eyes.

Noticing Han Xiao’s hesitation, the principal frowned in confusion, following his line of sight to fixate on the same freshman, and ventured cautiously, “Lord Black Star, do you know this new student?”

Han Xiao shook his head. “I sense considerable potential in him.”

The principal scrutinized the boy once more, yet detected nothing extraordinary, harboring quiet skepticism; nevertheless, dismissing the opinion of a Super A-Class was unthinkable, so he discreetly accessed his communicator to pull up the student’s file, only to discover that the freshman had yet to awaken any esper genes and ranked at the very bottom of his cohort in physical assessments.

Most academy freshmen began as mundanes; the institution administered trials to cull promising talents for cultivation, granting them an eighteen-month grace period, after which those failing to manifest esper abilities would be politely dismissed.

“I would like to speak with him shortly,” Han Xiao stated.

“V-very well,” the principal hesitated, then acquiesced.

Han Xiao took a seat in an empty classroom; after a brief wait, the dismissal bell chimed, the corridor erupting into clamor, and soon the door swung open as the principal ushered Carrot inside.

“Please, sit,” Han Xiao offered with a smile.

“Why have you summoned me? I-I haven’t done anything wrong,” Carrot stammered, standing rigid with awkwardness, his words stumbling over themselves.

Hailing from a family of ordinary petty merchants, he had been sent to the academy solely because his parents hoped he would become an esper, thereby securing the exclusive social benefits that would elevate their business; honest and pliable since childhood, Carrot had blindly taken the entrance exam, miraculously passing by sheer luck, which had sent his family into raptures, leaving him deeply cherishing this hard-won opportunity.

As a freshman entirely uninitiated into the esper world, Carrot had only glimpsed the principal once during the opening ceremony; to be personally summoned today plunged him into anxious turmoil, convinced he must have breached some hidden regulation.

“Haha, you’ve committed no offense. I simply wished to meet you,” Han Xiao chuckled at his words.

Only then did Carrot exhale in relief, staring at Han Xiao’s unfamiliar face and asking curiously, “Y-you… who are you? I don’t know you. Why do you wish to see me?”

“Well, I am Black Star. You may have heard my name. I am a Super A-Class ally of the Crimson Empire, and I believe you hold great potential. Would you consider joining the Black Star Legion?” Han Xiao asked, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.

Though this visit aimed to greet a future powerhouse, Carrot’s current status was far too humble for formal alliance or patronage; yet if he could pluck such a promising prospect from the soil, Han Xiao would not hesitate to wield the spade.

Witnessing this, the principal’s confidence in his own judgment wavered; poaching a student outright was improper, yet he dared not protest, consumed instead by bewilderment over what hidden merit could possibly warrant Black Star’s personal attention.

“What is the Black Star Legion?” Carrot’s eyes widened in utter confusion; he rarely followed interstellar affairs, knowing only the emperor’s name and little else of the wider cosmos.

Han Xiao’s lip twitched, and he exchanged a glance with Aurora, who reluctantly took over to patiently explain the matter.

Carrot remained only half-comprehending. “So… you are mercenaries?”

“…You may think of it that way,” Han Xiao sighed helplessly. “If you join the Legion, you will receive superior training and greater benefits. I…”

Before Han Xiao could finish, Carrot shook his head like a rattle drum. “I won’t go. Father only wants me to become an esper to improve our family’s livelihood. He forbids me from going out to fight and kill. If he finds out, I’ll certainly be beaten.”

Hearing this, Han Xiao found himself caught between amusement and exasperation; it was a refreshingly novel excuse.

The cosmos was indeed filled with those who sought only the perks of esper status, yet possessing power inevitably shifted one’s mindset; Han Xiao could understand Carrot’s perspective.

In his past life, Carrot had been a late-blooming protagonist of the steadfast, honest type, somewhat clumsy and slow to mature, yet ultimately ascending step by step to the apex of power, where in his prime, he could effortlessly crush ordinary Super A-Classes without breaking a sweat.

Upon graduation from the official academy, military and governmental agencies would recruit; those who declined further study or enlistment would simply depart, but it was only then that Carrot had found his resolve, defying his family for the first time to join the military and ignite his legendary path; the Carrot of now, in Han Xiao’s eyes, remained but an innocent child.

Every Super A-Class was singular; to abruptly alter Carrot’s trajectory risked derailing his development, for unlike Hela, who possessed a foundational reservoir of esper potential, Carrot’s path was far more fragile.

Seeing no response, Carrot scratched his head and asked tentatively, “If there’s nothing else, m-may I go?”

“Very well.” Han Xiao shelved his thoughts, nodded with a smile, and decided to leave Carrot be for now; the time to pluck him had not yet come.

Nevertheless, he had indirectly aided the boy; by showing favor to a student, the principal would undoubtedly prioritize his training. It might be wiser to linger longer, foster familiarity, and gradually weave a debt of gratitude into a tighter bond.

Watching Carrot depart, Han Xiao bid the principal a temporary farewell and returned to his vessel in outer space.

The moment he stepped into the cabin, his communicator chimed; it was a transmission from Sylvia.

“Teacher, the Infinite Consortium is making moves!”

Han Xiao’s eyes sharpened. “Elaborate.”

Sylvia swiftly recounted the Consortium’s maneuvers in the Shattered Star Ring; Han Xiao’s brow furrowed as memories of his exchanges with Sorokin surfaced, and clarity instantly dawned upon him.

“Their advance into the Shattered Star Ring is a facade. Targeting me is their true aim.”

“Teacher, are you saying…”

Han Xiao mused, “Outwardly, the Infinite Consortium merely conducts commerce, but in truth, they are propping up the War Domain to act as our rival, directly stifling our expansion. I had been awaiting the pressure from the Evolutionary Totem, only to discover it takes this form. Someone undoubtedly directs the Consortium from the shadows, most likely tied to Radiance and the Ethereal.”

His constant vigilance had paid off; the current situation peeled back the layers, allowing him to grasp the full scope of the conspiracy.

“What should we do? There’s no way to neutralize this tactic!” Sylvia’s expression grew grave.

Han Xiao felt a pang of difficulty; in the realm of commerce, the Infinite Consortium reigned supreme. While the Legion’s core operations remained untouched, he could not halt Sorokin’s targeted acquisitions of their partners, nor the ensuing ripple effect where corporate allies, fearing the Consortium’s gaze, might sever ties voluntarily, trading profit for security.

It was a textbook strategy of leveraging one’s strengths to exploit an enemy’s vulnerabilities.

“Hmm, the Infinite Consortium operates as a monolith. To counter them, we must consolidate our scattered capital into a unified front. This is not entirely without merit; external pressure fosters internal cohesion. Perhaps we can use this crisis to forge ironclad loyalty among some partners. Notify them, encourage a coalition akin to a merchant syndicate, bound by mutual defense to withstand the Consortium’s hostile takeovers.”

“That is a sound approach,” Sylvia reflected, nodding in agreement.

“Sigh, this merely mitigates their tactics rather than dismantling them. It is only damage control.” A cold glint flashed in Han Xiao’s eyes. “In due time, I will dispatch my mechanical shell stationed at headquarters to the War Domain to find Herbert… and have a—very—pleasant—chat!”

With the strategy settled, Han Xiao terminated the transmission, his expression darkening swiftly.

Sorokin’s maneuver was a strike at the roots; by executing this precisely as the Black Star Legion rode the momentum of the Shining World’s opportunities, he deliberately sought to hamstring their progress and deny them peaceful expansion.

The profit consortium’s blueprint had taken years to take shape, and now Sorokin intended to reduce those hard-won achievements to ashes!

Cloaked in the guise of legitimate commerce and shielded by the War Domain’s jurisdiction, the Empire lacked grounds to intervene, leaving Han Xiao unable to strike openly or resolve the matter through force.

While Sorokin’s machinations could not fracture the legion’s core, they were a venomous and repugnant affair, one that strangled the very promise of its future.

He had nearly reached out to Sorokin for answers, yet the impulse withered as swiftly as it bloomed; a man of such seasoned cunning would only weave a labyrinth of pretexts, cloaking his maneuvers in the bland veneer of legitimate commerce, and having already crossed that threshold, he would scarcely tremble at any displeasure.

Given the manner of Sorokin’s likely reply, Han Xiao saw no merit in making the call only to nurse his own grievances.

Herbert’s assent to the alliance was likely but a calculated gambit to swell his own dominion; he cared little for the bruises he might leave upon me, but once I had breached the three-hundredth level, I would seek him out and have a thorough reckoning.

Han Xiao’s countenance darkened as he flexed his fingers into a tight fist.

If Sorokin remained beyond his reach, there was no shortage of other avenues to visit upon Herbert his displeasure.

Was he not so vain about his reputation? Did he not fancy this bargain a windfall? Then let him not take offense when I came to trim the gilded edges of his standing.