Chapter 966: Second Phase Exploration Goes Live

Chapter 966: The Second Phase of Exploration Goes Live

As the old saying goes, if you wish to master the art of the flesh shield, you must first learn to take a beating; only after shattering the bones in your body dozens of times can your skin grow thick and your flesh toughen.

Having dismissed Nilo with this theory, Han Xiao began to ponder whether there were any dangerous tasks recently that could be used to scheme for Nilo's [Perfect Mechanical Sense].

After thinking for two seconds, Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.

"That's right, the infrastructure construction of the three star clusters is nearing completion, and the Empire's second phase of exploration is about to begin. There are indeed some things Nilo can be put to work on."

Over the course of six years, the basic infrastructure of the Reynold, Golu, and Crown Ring star clusters, the first phase of the Shining World project, had been largely completed, lacking only the presence of people.

Talrokov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Exploration Army, had notified Han Xiao a few months ago that the Empire had already begun preparations for the second phase of exploration. Coincidentally, a meeting of allies was to be convened tomorrow, and Han Xiao was among the invitees.

If he remembered correctly, in the historical background of his past life, the Crimson Dynasty encountered some unexpected yet reasonable troubles during the second phase of exploration. There would be plenty of combat opportunities, which was perfect for dragging Nilo and the other graduates over, euphemistically calling it "practical combat training in blood and fire."

...With a high-tier lucky fate, the chances of turning danger into safety should be quite high, right?

Thinking of Nilo's current state, Han Xiao felt a surge of anger. Here he was, perfectly fine, yet he actually wanted to learn the way of the flesh shield from him. You are a proper Mechanic, for heaven's sake!

And the reason wasn't even for self-improvement, but to resist domestic violence?

How pathetic!

Why not learn from your godfather's swift and decisive way of life!

While calculating this, Han Xiao sent out orders to have his subordinates arrange accommodations for Nilo and the other students, then returned to the Divine Throne. With a thought, he issued a control command to the Mechanical Divine Throne.

Clatter—

The next moment, the dome of the room began to writhe, the mechanical structures flowing from the inside out, as if something was about to squeeze out from the depths.

The Mechanical Deity itself was Han Xiao's traveling palace; within the body of the Mechanical Deity, all structures were controlled at his whim.

Soon, a black mechanical polyhedron fell from the dome, floating in front of Han Xiao, measuring about a meter in length, width, and height.

Han Xiao touched one of its facets; the touch was hot. The fact that he could feel the heat meant the temperature was indeed high enough.

The interface also popped up with the item description.

[Unknown Core: A special mechanical part. Its function is unknown, but it doesn't seem to be scrap.]

"Sigh, Universe Treasure-grade machinery is indeed difficult to craft," Han Xiao shook his head.

Over the past six years, besides strengthening the Mechanical Army, Han Xiao had also put effort into "quality," attempting to craft Golden-grade (Universe Treasure-grade) equipment.

The abilities of a Divine Throne Mechanic absolutely met the manufacturing requirements. However, even possessing the ability to craft it did not guarantee the creation of a Universe Treasure. The uncertainty was too great, requiring multiple factors to align and coordinate into a perfect state.

And the first hurdle was the blueprint.

Han Xiao had no blueprints for Universe Treasure-grade machinery. Golden blueprints required the skill [Inspired Creation] brought by the ultimate knowledge [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering] to synthesize, and Han Xiao's [Inspired Creation] was currently a grayed-out, inactive skill, with the activation condition being reaching the maximum level 5 of [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering].

Moreover, [Inspired Creation] was highly random. Not to mention that in his past life, no player had published the combinations for Universe Treasure-grade blueprints; even if the combination was known, the synthesized item might not be the same thing.

Because he lacked blueprints, Han Xiao tried to freely create using his own techniques, employing a certain degree of [Simulation of All Things], but still had no clue. He had crafted countless pieces of scrap, and this polyhedral mechanical body was the only component that might be somewhat useful.

Therefore, every day, the Great Technician Han would fiddle with this polyhedral mechanical body, hoping to find inspiration from it...

But it was ultimately proven that this method had no effect other than psychological comfort.

"It's still too difficult without theory and blueprints. Inspired Creation is too random. Perhaps the Telxus legacy could steadily give me Golden-grade blueprints, but the next legacy blueprint is level 360, which is still a long way off," Han Xiao shook his head secretly.

...

On the other side, Nilo and his group left Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity and returned to the outside world, landing on the fifth orbital mechanical planet. Civilian personnel of the legion were already waiting there, leading the crowd to their accommodations.

Along the way, the students toured the base buildings around them, quite excited, chatting away as if they were out on a sightseeing tour.

Not only had they come to the highly mysterious Shining World of interstellar rumors, but they had also met His Excellency Black Star, the leader of the legion. These first batch of academy graduates felt double the joy.

Many people gathered around Nilo to curry favor, mostly girls.

As Black Star's godson, Nilo had always been very popular, and now that they were in the legion's territory, this situation was even more frequent.

"Your godfather is so handsome. I just love that type; looking at him gives me a sense of security."

"Exactly, that aura makes my little heart pound. It's so thrilling."

"I heard His Excellency Black Star has never had a family. I wonder if big shots like him, who are Beyond A-Class, have those kinds of needs."

"Can you tell us more about what kind of person His Excellency Black Star really is?"

Nilo wore an awkward yet polite smile, inwardly cursing:

—Damn, I thought you used to admire me, but it turns out you all just want to be my godmother.

He had never been accustomed to the feeling of being the center of attention. Although his background was solid, he had never been overbearing or bossy... Of course, this was inseparable from Renard's torment.

In terms of education, Han Xiao always considered Renard the best. A small tree won't grow straight if not pruned; Renard could make students feel the harsh beatings of society while still in the ivory tower. One had to admire it.

Amidst the pushing and shoving, Mia, standing next to Nilo, was almost squeezed out. Unable to bear it any longer, her temper erupted explosively!

"Stop pushing! Push me again and I'll start hitting people!"

Hearing this, the surrounding classmates calmed down considerably; they were actually quite afraid of Mia.

Mia used to have a timid personality and was inconspicuous in class. Unexpectedly, after her talent was tested and she was assigned to the Martial Arts Department, her whole persona changed. She became increasingly straightforward and lively, or rather, irritable and shrewish. During the academy's sparring competitions, almost everyone had been beaten by Mia... Among them, Nilo was beaten the most. Even if he won, he would come off the stage with a black eye and a swollen face.

Studying martial arts really does cultivate violent tendencies... everyone couldn't help but sigh again.

They soon arrived at the accommodations, where everyone was assigned rooms. The civilian personnel stated that their work would be arranged in a while, and for now, they were to stand by at Black Star's palace for a period.

Everyone found their respective rooms. No sooner had Nilo put down his things than a knock came at the window.

He turned to look, and outside the window was none other than Hadaway, piloting a hover motorcycle, floating outside.

"Huh, why is it you..." Nilo scratched his head. He knew all the personal guards around his godfather, and his relationship with Hadaway was quite good.

"Stop talking nonsense, get on quickly." Hadaway patted the back seat.

Nilo hesitated for a moment before straddling the motorcycle. Hadaway immediately started the vehicle, and after a swift, wind-chasing ride, they stopped at the entrance of a building.

"This is..." Nilo looked at the sign, rubbed his eyes, and said uncertainly, "A casino?"

"That's right, a casino."

"Wait! Why is there such a thing in the legion's territory? Who opened it?" Nilo looked astonished.

"Who else could it be? It was opened by me... cough, by our beloved Black Star, of course. We personal guards stay by his side and usually have nothing to do. If they don't let us find some fun, how is that fair? Let me tell you, don't let the fact that this is the legion's second headquarters fool you; the entertainment facilities here are actually very complete."

Hadaway tossed the hover motorcycle aside and, without another word, dragged Nilo inside. It was packed with people and extremely lively, the air floating with a scorching heat wave.

"What did you bring me here for?" Nilo asked timidly.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Hadaway dragged him to a Vane card gambling table, exchanged a huge pile of chips, slapped them on the table with a smack, and then wrapped an arm around Nilo's neck, leaning in to whisper with a grin:

"Hehe, I've lost a few years' worth of salary here. I'm counting on you to win it back."

Renard was staying in the Broken Star Ring to oversee the logistics department, and they rarely met. Fodin, unable to bear the harassment, had long since blocked Hadaway. Among the remaining people, Hadaway only knew Nilo as the one guy who was good at cards.

Having finally seized the opportunity to turn the tables, how could he miss it!

"I-I'm still a child..." Nilo's mouth twitched. Looking up at the expressionless robot dealer behind the table, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

He highly suspected that Black Star, acting as the banker and opening this internal casino, was just used to recycle the salaries of the legion members...

Worthy of being my godfather! Every mechanic who knows how to save costs is a good one!

...

The next day, at the Command Conference Room on Lighthouse Planet in the Shining World.

The rendezvous for allies of the Empire's second phase of exploration was held as scheduled, with remote projections gathering one by one in the conference room, all of them heavyweights from the Crimson Dynasty faction, such as high-ranking diplomats from allied and vassal civilizations like the Kalort, along with numerous Beyond Grade A allies.

The moment Han Xiao's remote projection materialized, many familiar faces greeted him.

"Well, well, Black Star is here."

"Come, come, sit next to me, I saved a seat for you."

Following the events six years prior, Han Xiao had secured a higher standing within the Empire's Beyond Grade A circles and was quite popular.

These Beyond Grade A beings needed only a moment's thought to grasp the Empire's attitude toward Black Star; anyone with eyes could see he was destined to be the pillar of the next generation's Beyond Grade A combat power, so their demeanor toward him had grown considerably warmer.

Not to mention friends like Old Dragon and Beoni, those present also included Lavraud, Maxiel, Viru, Swordmaster Fu, and others, and Han Xiao even spotted Heber.

Naturally, Heber had no intention of greeting him; he merely snorted and turned his head away, preferring to ignore what vexed him.

Seeing Heber reminded Han Xiao of the Black Army's development in the Broken Star Ring; over the past six years, with the aid of the Infinite Financial Group, the War Domain had continued to compete with the Black Star Army across various fields, and while they clashed, both sides were simultaneously encroaching upon other factions, vastly expanding their scope of operations until neither could overcome the other.

The Sprout Financial Group had developed rapidly, becoming the representative financial entity of the Black Star Army and its vanguard, competing with the Infinite Financial Group in the commercial sphere; through outstanding performance, Intrepis and other talents had ascended to executive positions, achieving remarkable results, and with the Black Star Army's backing, the Sprout Financial Group showed signs of becoming a first-rate interstellar conglomerate in just six short years.

The Crimson Dynasty, too, had undertaken some commercial expansion in the Broken Star Ring, indirectly offering assistance; the Black Star Army had temporarily withstood the pressure brought by the Infinite Financial Group, but since the latter had entered the Broken Star Ring market, it would not withdraw easily, having become a formidable and entrenched rival that could not be driven away.

Han Xiao responded to each Beyond Grade A who greeted him, eventually taking a seat between Old Dragon and Maxiel, chatting amiably with those around him in a harmonious atmosphere.

The Beyond Grade A formed a small circle of their own, while representatives of other civilizations kept their distance, with no one sitting near this gathering of magnates.

With the meeting yet to begin, everyone was whispering and chatting amongst themselves, much like a classroom before the school bell rings.

After a while, when everyone had finally assembled, Tallekov arrived late, strolling up to the podium and coughing twice to draw everyone's attention.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting; since everyone is here, let us begin."

The hall instantly fell silent, all eyes focusing upon him.

Tallekov pressed a button on the podium, and a massive virtual screen immediately sprang up behind him, displaying the star map of the Shining World, where the green zones representing explored areas had now expanded, illuminating the four star clusters of Dawn, Reynor, Golu, and Crown Ring.

"Since we are all old acquaintances, I shall spare you the introductions and proceed directly to the matter at hand... As you can see, the first phase of exploration and construction took us roughly ten years; the infrastructure has progressed smoothly and is nearing a successful conclusion, while the Empire's second phase of exploration has now been placed on the agenda."

As he spoke, Tallekov tapped the screen, highlighting two unexplored star clusters.

"These two star cluster regions are the targets of our second phase of exploration, namely the Ruso Star Cluster and the Light Dust Star Cluster."

The crowd's spirits lifted.

The two star clusters were adjacent to the first phase's exploration zone; Ruso was where Han Xiao had obtained the Space-Time Amber, bordering the Golu Star Cluster, while Light Dust shared borders with Reynor and Crown Ring.

"Is the second phase's exploration area one cluster smaller than the first?" someone asked.

Tallekov nodded and explained slowly:

"Indeed, there are multiple reasons for this, with two rather direct factors: first, we must continue constructing the first phase's territory, as infrastructure is merely the beginning, with much more to be perfected, thus tying up a vast amount of manpower and resources.

The second reason is that, starting from the second phase, we will adopt a new approach, conducting exploration and construction simultaneously; since there is more work to be done, we have reduced the scope of the second phase."

Looking around, Tallekov saw no further questions, so he tapped the table and continued, "Furthermore, the personnel participating in the second phase will be greater than in the first; please refer to the list for specifics, which I shall not elaborate on here."

The tables before everyone transformed into screens, listing the factions involved in the second phase of exploration.

Han Xiao took a glance; the scale was much larger than the first phase, with the newly added forces being more vassal civilizations and hired interstellar engineering teams.

Not all allies were qualified to participate in the first phase of exploration; for instance, the weaker vassal civilizations were not within the Empire's consideration, but now, with the second phase commencing and the Empire needing to share costs, it was gathering more subordinates.

Judging by this trend, by the fourth phase it would be opened to the public... Han Xiao nodded silently.

Only the first phase offered their Beyond Grade A allies the best opportunity to seize the initiative; the further along it went, the more people would participate, and the more the profits would be diluted.

Waiting for everyone to finish reviewing the list, Tallekov continued, "The precautions for the second phase of exploration have been compiled into a manual, which will soon be distributed to every participating faction; you must read it, as we have added new clauses to the first phase's rules, making the exploration regulations stricter."

Hearing this, the many Beyond Grade A exchanged glances and nodded silently.

The lenient rules of the first phase were precisely the Empire's way of allowing them to reap extra benefits, whereas for the vassal civilizations, the rules would naturally be much stricter.

"Esteemed Beyond Grade A allies," Tallekov looked over with a smile, "for the second phase of exploration, the Empire will directly assign tasks, so you will not be able to choose your own targets; please understand this."

The crowd had no objections, nodding to signal Tallekov to continue.

As expected, the Empire would ultimately control everything... Han Xiao shook his head; this would make it inconvenient for him to leverage his advantage of revealing the entire map.

However, having already secured the most valuable Space-Time Amber, it mattered little whether he chose or not; in any case, based on his knowledge of the second phase, no matter what task the Empire assigned him now, he would most likely be conscripted to deal with a native advanced civilization.

He remembered the historical background of his past life—during the second phase of exploration, the Crimson Dynasty encountered an advanced civilization located in the Light Dust Star Cluster.

For some reason, this advanced civilization harbored hostility toward the Empire and was not easy to deal with, even causing trouble for the Empire's exploration fleet.

During the first phase, they had encountered a galaxy-level native civilization, but this advanced civilization had already reached the star cluster level... of course, a star cluster level without the support of an interstellar society was an incomplete definition, yet it was indeed formidable, unlike the frogs in the well they had met before.

Had they engaged through normal diplomatic contact, the Empire might not have resorted to force, but behind the scenes, other forces were at play.

The "Nilo Trial Plan" devised by Han Xiao was precisely targeted at this native advanced civilization of the Shining World.