Chapter 955: Undercurrents Surging Again and Again

Chapter 955: Undercurrents Surge Once More

A colossal black hall of metallic machinery stood atop a solitary peak. Above it, two mechanical floating islands shaped like armillary spheres rotated slowly, while a blood-red artificial sun hung in the firmament like a bloodshot eye, casting its gaze over this desolate expanse.

Surrounding the solitary peak, countless massive mechanical mining platforms sprawled across the land, forming a heavily industrialized ring-shaped mechanical city centered around the black hall. Countless tiny black dots, like ants, swarmed through the city—these were the myriad followers of the Mechanic Faith clad in power armor. Undulating heatwaves rippled through the metropolis as armored transport vehicles roared along the broad avenues, their armor plates clanging against each other in the turbulence. The clamor faded into the distance with the exhaust fumes, while the air grew thick with the scent of metal, motor oil, and industrial smog, imbuing the city with a profound industrial texture.

This was a branch of the Mechanic Faith, situated on a renowned planet of ancient battlefield ruins in the Star Desert. Day and night, these mines excavated subterranean mechanical wreckage, sending it to the clerics of the Mechanic Faith for reverse engineering and the deciphering of lost technologies.

At the city's center stood the black hall, the temple of the Mechanic Faith. Every peak bearing a mechanical temple was revered as a Holy Mountain. Eight obsidian-like floating staircases extended upward from the eight directions at the mountain's base, connecting to the grand doors of the temple. By doctrine, barring emergencies, ordinary followers seeking to worship must climb a path of pilgrimage on their own two feet, forbidden from using any flying vehicles.

Flanking these eight pilgrimage paths stood mechanical statues and metallic steles. The statues depicted discarded ancient machinery of various models, evolving gradually from archaic to advanced, while the steles were inscribed with sacred doctrines.

The fusion of machinery and theology possessed a unique and captivating allure.

The Mechanic Faith was a loose sect rather than a unified religious order. Their commonality lay in the worship of mechanical technology and powerful mechanics. Yet, guided by differing philosophies, the sect had fractured into numerous factions, each specializing in distinct domains: the Mechanical Bio-Faction focused on bio-augmentation, the War and Destruction Faction fanatical about super-lethal weaponry, the Firepower Supremacy Faction believing that bigger is better and more is good, the Virtual Faction devoted to cognitive technology and mind alteration, and the Natural Transformation Faction fond of terraforming planets, among others.

This particular branch belonged to the followers of the Lost Faction, also known as the Archaeological Faction. Passionate about seeking and restoring lost ancient mechanical technologies, they were one of the oldest factions within the Mechanic Faith.

At this very moment, within the main hall of the mechanical temple, the clerics of the local branch had gathered, joined by a multitude of clerics from other branches via remote projections. They formed a circle, and at its center, a virtual screen scrolled through combat footage of Black Star and the Dominator.

"You have all witnessed it. A new Mechanical Deity has descended upon the world, spreading the gospel across the universe."

Clad entirely in luxurious heavy power armor, with only his head exposed, the High Cleric of the Lost Faction raised his arms, his tone akin to that of a pilgrim in rapture.

"How magnificent, how beautiful!"

"What a glorious creation this is..."

"It has been so many years since a Mechanical Deity descended; I can barely recall the last time."

The clerics murmured among themselves, their eyes flashing with excitement and fanaticism.

"Silence." The High Cleric pressed his hands downward, his face stern, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

The crowd fell silent at once, their gazes turning to him in unison.

The High Cleric produced a mechanical scepter resembling a twisted branch and pressed a button. Instantly, a metallic altar rose from the floor behind him.

He turned and ascended it, his back to the assembly, facing the opposite end of the grand hall. In a deep and resounding voice, he proclaimed loudly:

"By the ancient doctrine, in the name of the First God, Nifkad, I proclaim to all followers of the Mechanic Faith that we bear witness to the birth of a new god. From this day forth, we shall worship the new deity. Mortals, remember well the name of the new god..."

Reciting the prayer, the High Cleric opened the altar's control panel and inputted the combat footage and parameters. In the next instant, the entire temple trembled violently!

Rumble—

Right before the assembly, countless streams of metal and nanobots surged from the ground, intertwining and assembling into a statue. It was an exact sculpture of Black Star, the Mechanical Deity.

Beside the statue of Black Star stood other figures, including that of Manson. These were the Mechanical Deities of past eras, standing tall beneath the soaring dome of the temple.

The largest and most prominent among them was the mechanic named Nifkad. He was the First, the very first Mechanical Deity worshipped by the Mechanic Faith. Indeed, it was he who established the doctrine of worshipping Mechanical Deities.

As the original Throne Mechanic, Nifkad discovered the effects of the Key of the Mechanic Faith and thus intervened in the sect's development. The Mechanic Faith's evolution into its current form was largely shaped by his influence. The subsequent Throne Mechanics worshipped here were, in truth, merely reaping the benefits of his legacy.

The Mechanic Faith did not need to communicate with the objects of their worship. Sometimes, worshipping you had nothing whatsoever to do with you.

However, only a living Throne Mechanic could grant the followers the blessing of feedback. These deceased Mechanical Deities of past eras held only commemorative value. Nowadays, the vast majority of the Mechanic Faith's followers worshipped the Mechanic Nation, Manson.

Now, the rise of Black Star had torn a small rift in this steadfast faith, a development that even Manson could not prevent.

Facing the statues of past deities, the High Cleric and the crowd behind him prostrated themselves in worship, completing the ritual.

"Welcome, Black Star!"

...

"I keep feeling like someone's talking about how handsome I am behind my back..."

Inside the warship's cabin, Han Xiao pinched his nose, suddenly struck by a premonition.

"Hey, hey, don't zone out while talking to me," Tarrokov said through the communicator, his face a picture of helplessness.

Han Xiao snapped back to reality and quipped, "Sorry, I was just thinking about what to eat tonight. Where were we?"

"You still need to think about it? As if I don't know you only eat nutrient paste."

"Ho, who leaked that secret!"

"Alright, back to business." Tarrokov shook his head, speechless. "I can let you in on a secret: the Imperial High Command's development plan for the Shining World is already in its fourth phase. Only the first phase will give you all ample time for construction. After that, more external capital will be introduced, with construction and development proceeding simultaneously."

"In other words, only after these three star clusters have completed all construction will the Empire launch the next phase. The window for us allied factions to lay the groundwork in the Shining World ahead of time is closing," Han Xiao mused, stroking his chin.

Tarrokov gave a noncommittal reply. "In any case, the development progress of the three star clusters has exceeded expectations and is going very smoothly. We estimate completing the construction plan in five to seven years, at which point the second phase of development will commence."

Five to seven years, that's a decent timeframe... Han Xiao nodded silently to himself.

When version 4.0 began, the Shining World was in its fourth phase of development. That meant his Shining World main quest still had several stages to go, and completing the Exploration Pioneer milestone wouldn't be a problem. He had chatted with Tarrokov precisely to glean some insider information.

After chatting a while longer to maintain their rapport, Han Xiao ended the call and fell into deep thought.

Over a month had passed since the defeat of the Dominator, and the repercussions were gradually manifesting. During this period, the number of newcomers applying to join the Black Star Army had surged by forty-three percent, and the total investment from major consortiums had risen by roughly thirty-five percent. Meanwhile, on the War Domain front, the momentum of expansion had been dealt a blow, gradually slowing its pace.

The Wein Card, a bellwether for news trends, had made adjustments, issuing a statement announcing an epic buff to the Black Star Army deck and a comprehensive nerf to the War Domain deck for the next version. It also updated the Star Domain's Strongest commemorative card set, adding Black Star to the roster, showcasing a masterful knack for riding the wave of popularity.

Several Super A-Class friends had also sent their congratulations, notably Sorokin, which once again refreshed Han Xiao's understanding of just how thick his skin could be.

It turned out that being shameless could truly bring one immense joy...

Now that the Black Star Army had cemented its status as the strongest in the star domain, the competition with the Infinite Consortium had settled into a prolonged stalemate, with neither side able to gain the upper hand in the short term. As for himself, having completed his level 300 advancement, his accumulated experience was insufficient for the next tier. Thus, his focus for the foreseeable future would shift to the construction of his territory.

Having roamed the Empire's domain for so long, he had basically met all the potential talents worth seeing. Han Xiao currently planned to return to the Broken Star Ring for a while. First, to hold court at headquarters, digest the impact of this battle, and fine-tune the details of territorial construction. He would also use Mechanical Seed Proliferation to convert more primordial mechanical lifeforms, accelerating the development of mechanical civilization.

Second, leveraging the logistical capabilities of his main base, he would set about building secondary dimensional factories and a new generation of mechanical legions. Although they could be built within the Empire's territory, the legion only had branch facilities there, making the efficiency far inferior to that of the main base.

"Philip, set the course. We're heading back to the Broken Star Ring."

"Understood, hum!"

...

"The strongest in the star domain? Heh..."

In a retro-styled tavern with few patrons, a tall, thin man sitting by the wooden bar looked up at Han Xiao's figure on the virtual screen. A playful smile graced his lips as he gently set down his glass.

The man was a cosmic human, his skin bearing an unhealthy pallor, as if he had long endured malnutrition and a life devoid of sunlight. His features were utterly unremarkable, the kind of face that would vanish instantly in a crowd.

Staring at Han Xiao on the screen, a look of reminiscence surfaced in the tall man's eyes.

"To have a pillar of the nation like Black Star is truly a blessing for the Empire," the bar owner remarked, wiping a glass while looking up at the screen with a sigh of emotion.

"Indeed, a true blessing for the Empire. If the chance ever arises, I'd love to see him again."

"You've met Black Star before?" The bar owner's interest was piqued.

"Something like that. Come to think of it, he even took a few things from me back then. Heh, though I doubt he'd remember someone like me... a mere nobody."

The tall man smiled faintly, stood up, grabbed his coat from the adjacent seat, and turned toward the door.

"Running a tab again?" The bar owner set down his glass, his tone clearly familiar with the man.

"Yeah, same as always. I'll settle it next month when my pay comes in."

Tossing off a casual reply, the tall man walked out of the bar and slipped on his coat... a uniform of a low-ranking Imperial officer.

...

Somewhere in the Sea of Stars.

In a room, a dozen or so individuals of various species crowded around a long table, engaged in a heated, clamorous discussion. On the table lay over a dozen printed physical books, their covers bearing no titles.

“Start from the Central Stellar Sea? Have you lost your mind? Seeking death isn't done this way!”

“The star regions too remote lack sufficient influence; the territories ruled by super-star-cluster-level civilizations should be the most suitable for development.”

“We can only use physical books to propagate our ideology. The quantum network is monitored by countless civilizations; not only would we fail to enjoy its conveniences, but we would also attract unwanted attention.”

“If you ask me, we should wait and see for a while longer. Perhaps now isn't the right time...”

Listening to their discussion, Roselyn, leaning against a sofa not far away, let out a yawn.

Edmund turned to glance at her, pondered for a moment, then tapped the table to quiet the crowd before turning to face Roselyn.

“If you have any thoughts, share them as well.”

Roselyn offered a faint smile. “You all look like a mere rabble to me.”

Hearing this, many present frowned, somewhat displeased.

Edmund, however, waved a hand, not the least bit angered. “You are right. We haven't achieved anything yet, so naturally we are just a rabble. I hope to hear your opinion.”

Roselyn clicked her tongue, sat up straight, and spoke slowly, “The current cosmic environment is relatively stable. The friction between the three great civilizations will not temporarily escalate into open conflict, yet undercurrents swirl beneath the surface. Every civilization is on high alert, and the reason lies in the Shining World and the Evolver Totem. At its core... my manifesto has already made it abundantly clear: the root of the problem still lies in the internal strife of the three great civilizations themselves, and their opposition to the numerous star-cluster-level civilizations.

“The Shining World is an opportunity to reshuffle the deck. While the entire universe's attention is focused on it, we can develop in secret, propagating our ideology in a low-key yet steady manner, wrapping it in the guise of religion. First, we lie low, then we wait patiently for the right moment.”

“What moment?” someone asked.

Roselyn replied indifferently, “The star-cluster-level civilizations hope to gain channels for advancement through the new star regions, but the three great civilizations will undoubtedly keep the profits of the new star regions firmly in their own hands, leaving only meager scraps for these super-star-cluster and star-cluster-level civilizations. Since the Era of Exploration, the three great civilizations have suppressed them for far too long. Everything has its limits, and eventually, a critical point will be reached. Those star-cluster-level civilizations cannot wait forever. After all, civilizations that abandon progress are the minority. To be given hope only to lose it again might ignite the conflict. Thus, the Shining World has the potential to become the spark, and that is the soil for our development.”

Edmund nodded. “I think the same. Now is the perfect time; we cannot keep putting off our cause.”

Hearing this, the others all nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Roselyn gave a scornful chuckle.

To be honest, she looked down on the people before her. Among them, there were rabble-rousers like Edmund, who stubbornly clung to their twisted ideologies, ambitious schemers harboring ulterior motives, and herself, who feared the world wouldn't be chaotic enough.

Breaking the restrictions imposed by the three great civilizations on the developmental channels of other races? It sounded nice, but she didn't care. Overthrowing the three great civilizations themselves was her true motive, and the sheer thrill of it excited her—no faction was more suited to be an opponent than the three great civilizations.

Edmund might firmly believe in his ideology, but in her eyes, it was merely a convenient point of entry.

In this interstellar era of abundant resources, no one would worry about survival again; the struggle for profit was the eternal theme. This was a revolution not sparked by survival. Roselyn saw in it the insoluble contradiction between the three great civilizations and the super-star-cluster-level civilizations, and she could perfectly well borrow Edmund's ideology to go with the flow.

The world often stands on the edge of a cliff, struggling to maintain its balance. All it lacks is someone to give it a push, like pulling the lever at a railway switch to divert history onto another unknown path... If there is no such era, then try to create one. As for herself, she simply wanted to dance to her heart's content on the stage.

“If we are to begin our cause, we need a name,” Edmund said in a deep voice.

Roselyn glanced at his silver skin and smiled with amusement.

“Why not... call it the Silver Revolutionary Army?”