Chapter 985: Immigration and Clues

Chapter 985: Immigration and Clues

More than ten days later, the Imperial fleet and the Black Star Army jointly escorted all Kunde civilian refugees to the Odoran system within the Golu Cluster, one of Black Star’s own domains.

The handover between the Black Star Army and the Empire proceeded without a hitch, and Han Xiao chose to settle the Kunde people across this star system.

With land in hand, his mind was at ease; with a sweeping gesture, he temporarily lent over a hundred habitable planets to the Kunde for residence, distributing the populace so that each world bore an average of ten billion souls.

Given the productive capacity of interstellar society, a single planet could comfortably sustain ten billion inhabitants with decent living standards, yet compared to their former circumstances, the Kunde undoubtedly found themselves far more cramped.

Before acquiring stargate technology, the Kunde had been crippled in mobility, their cosmic transit woefully inefficient, which severely hampered population transport. Though they claimed several star clusters and established thousands of colonial worlds across a vast territory, the constraints of space travel meant most colonies held sparse populations; once settled, people rarely moved, stagnating in isolation.

At this very moment, the fleet deployed the Empire’s foolproof planetary terraforming kits, rapidly erecting rudimentary cities upon the surface before descending to ferry batches of Kunde civilians down to these new worlds.

Upon the ground landing platforms, countless Kunde immigrants obediently followed Imperial directives, stepping out of their vessels onto unfamiliar soil like tides pouring from docked airlocks, converging into a boundless sea of humanity.

Countless eyes darted left and right in quiet wonder, surveying the unfamiliar landscapes that would become their future homes.

Meanwhile, within the command hall of the Black Star Palace’s inner ring main base, countless staff clad in legion uniforms attended to their stations, while at the front of the chamber loomed a colossal display assembled from hundreds of virtual panels, monitoring the immigration progress on every planet.

Han Xiao stood at the center of the hall with his hands clasped behind his back, head tilted upward, taking in every surveillance feed at a glance.

“Relocating the entire population of a cluster-level civilization is truly a monumental undertaking,” Aurora remarked beside him, hands resting on her hips.

“With their leaders dead, the Kunde are a headless flock, left with no choice but to comply; they have been remarkably docile, which is why the migration has gone so smoothly,” Melos nodded from the side.

He had arrived with the fleet as well, and having not seen Han Xiao for quite some time, he missed him dearly, occasionally darting his eyes to steal glances at his commander’s back.

“Minimal accidental casualties. Excellent,” Han Xiao murmured in approval.

“Now that we have suddenly acquired such a vast demographic resource, how shall we put it to use?” Sylvia’s remote projection asked softly, brushing a strand of hair from her temple.

Han Xiao raised a hand to stroke his chin, speaking slowly:

“These demographic resources cannot be utilized immediately. The Empire has its own plans for them, overseeing their cultural reformation. During this period, the Kunde communication networks will be sealed off, barring them from accessing interstellar society or advancing their technology… The only suitable curriculum would be esper knowledge. We must let them grow gradually.”

“The time for these resources to bear fruit has not yet arrived. We must sustain them for now. Once the Empire lifts its restrictions, they will become the Black Star Army’s talent reservoir and a crucial source of military strength…”

“Therefore, to achieve this objective, you must weave additional elements into the Empire’s cultural reformation, conducting ideological conditioning for the legion…”

A population numbering in the trillions, far exceeding the legion’s own ranks; so many seeds of leeks, yet to reap a harvest, one must first plant them in fertile soil and nourish them. Thus, the Black Star Army’s stature must be deeply rooted in the Kunde psyche.

Though the rewards from the dying wish quest granted substantial faction affinity, conventional ideological cultivation remained indispensable, yielding twice the result with half the effort.

At this point, Han Xiao suddenly paused, his voice dropping into contemplation:

“Furthermore, disseminate the doctrines of the Church of the Mechanical God among the Kunde. Convert as many as possible to the faith.”

During the reformation, the Kunde would be unable to bypass the network firewall, effectively cut off from the outside world. No environment could be more ripe for proselytization, allowing the Church to strike at their existing beliefs as an external creed.

Without the interference of external information, the sole object of their devotion would naturally be him alone. In this way, the Kunde could become a fertile ground to power the Key of the Mechanical God Church.

For other mechanics, recruiting new believers remained the optimal method to activate the Key; though proselytization was inefficient, it was certainly better than nothing.

Manison coveted the faith of existing adherents, the richest prize of all, but beyond that, he was perfectly content to watch others preach. Seated upon the throne of the strongest mechanic, an expanding flock only benefited him; some portion of devotion would inevitably flow his way, ensuring he never lost out.

To Manison, others cultivating new believers was merely planting leeks on his behalf; he need only wait for the proper season to reap the harvest.

Thus, so long as no one sought to usurp his position as the primary deity of the Church, Manison would not intervene; he would gladly watch the congregation swell.

As the group exchanged idle remarks, an operator nearby suddenly spoke up to remind them.

“Commander, the immigration is complete.”

Han Xiao turned his gaze to the screens, the surveillance feeds confirming that every Kunde civilian had set foot on the planetary surfaces.

“That will do. Deploy the virtual sky canopies.”

At his command, vessels across every planet projected holographic firmaments that unfurled above the immigrants’ heads, drawing every eye upward.

Upon each colossal canopy, Han Xiao’s figure materialized, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he spoke, his resonant voice sweeping across the heavens:

“Friends of the Kunde, I am Black Star. From this day forward, I shall oversee your resettlement, so for a considerable time to come, you will see my face often upon your screens.”

“Today, you step into your new homes. These worlds belong to me, and you may seek aid from the Black Star Army personnel stationed on each planet at any time. Fear not for your safety.”

“I deeply regret the hardships you have endured. The Empire is hunting the masterminds who exploited you, and I will do everything in my power to find them, bring them to justice, and secure fairness for your people.”

“In short, I wish you all freedom from past sorrows and a swift embrace of your new lives.”

Han Xiao refrained from lengthy orations; he lacked the standing to demand their undying gratitude, so he kept his words measured, playing the benevolent role.

The virtual canopies dissolved into nothingness, leaving the Kunde immigrants to exchange glances as a faint ripple of unrest stirred among them.

Compared to the Empire, most harbored a tolerable impression of Black Star, though it hardly bordered on warmth.

He claims he will help us secure justice? Who knows if those are merely empty words.

Having survived such cataclysmic upheaval, the Kunde found it exceedingly difficult to trust the verbal promises of outsiders.

Concluding his brief address, Han Xiao gave a slight nod to Melos beside him, who promptly stepped out of the chamber.

Moments later, a rapid cadence of footsteps echoed from outside the hall as Melos returned, leading a group of academy graduates headed by Nilo. They had returned with the fleet and were granted an audience with Han Xiao today.

“You have arrived.”

Han Xiao swept his gaze over the cohort of students.

Tempered by roughly four months of warfare, many had shed the naivety of their first meeting, their demeanors fundamentally transformed.

Nilo, having learned from the enemy’s trap and engaged in relentless self-reflection, now carried an aura of steady composure, while Mia beside him appeared far more capable and refined.

Yet Han Xiao could not help but let his eyes drift downward, landing on the intertwined hands of the brazen couple.

“Ahem.” Noticing Han Xiao’s stare, Mia awkwardly released her grip, feigning nonchalance as she brushed her hair aside.

Originally classmates and close friends with a hint of ambiguity, their romantic tension had skyrocketed following the last incident. Though no one had explicitly voiced it, they had recently grown inseparable, behaving for all the world like a genuine couple.

Why do I feel as though I have become a matchmaker…

Han Xiao’s mouth twitched slightly. He composed himself and offered his praise:

“I am gratified to witness your transformation. You are now qualified legion warriors.”

At these words, the students instinctively straightened their spines, swelling with pride.

After offering a few words of encouragement, Han Xiao turned to Mia with a smile. “I promised to find you a Calamity-grade instructor. From today onward, Melos shall be your teacher, and he will devote himself to your training.”

Melos had already been informed of this arrangement. Utterly loyal to the legion, he harbored no complaints and simply nodded with a smile.

“Though my schedule is often packed, I will carve out time to guide you. Rest assured, I am nothing like Reynard; I prefer a more relaxed approach to instruction.”

“Thank you, Lord Black Star! Greetings, Master!” Mia’s face lit up with delight as she hastily thanked Han Xiao before stepping forward to formally greet Melos.

Witnessing this, the crowd of students behind her could not conceal their envious expressions.

Who was Melos? A high-ranking executive of the legion, one of the earliest veterans who had fought alongside Black Star from the very beginning!

To become his disciple guaranteed a future as a core pillar of the legion, undoubtedly paving a broad and prosperous path.

Yet these students were not the most envious; beside them, Nilo ground his teeth in sheer jealousy.

I would give anything for a normal instructor! Why in the world did I have to get stuck with Reynard!

Han Xiao withdrew his gaze, fixing his eyes on Nilo as he raised an eyebrow. “What is with that expression?”

“…Nothing.”

Nilo’s heart was heavy with bitterness, and he had no desire to speak of it.

He paused, a sudden thought striking him. "By the way, Godfather, I seized an enemy weapon in combat a while back. Something about it feels off, and I was hoping you could take a look."

"What seems odd about it?"

"I took it as a spoil of war from a Kunde officer during a boarding action. I had a teammate appraise it..." Nilo scratched his head. "It appears to be a high-tier enchanted magical weapon."

Han Xiao froze for a fraction of a second.

An enchanted weapon?

Such things were commonplace across the stars, yet the Kunde race possessed no supernatural system; they were a purely technological civilization, utterly ignorant of even the slightest whisper of magic.

How, then, had a Kunde officer come to wield a magical weapon?

"Let me see it," Han Xiao said, his interest instantly piqued.

"I left it in my quarters, didn't bring it with me. I'll fetch it for you in a bit," Nilo replied, scratching his head again.

At this, Han Xiao was just about to reprimand him when his communicator suddenly chirped with a rapid beep, cutting him off.

Glancing at the device, he saw the caller was none other than Iso.

Why is that wily old fox reaching out on his own accord?

Han Xiao muttered inwardly, waved his hand to dismiss the others, stepped aside, and opened the channel.

"Iso, what do you need?"

"The question is, what do you need?" Iso's face was etched with impatience. "I foresaw you contacting me, so I took the initiative to call and ask if you had business with me."

Han Xiao's cheek twitched.

Stealing my thunder, are we? That damn ability of yours is ridiculously convenient...

"You're right, I do need your help. I need you to use your power to divine the whereabouts of a certain group..." Shaking his head, Han Xiao gave a brief rundown of the Kunde situation.

Iso was equally direct. "Send me the files later. The more intelligence you provide, the more accurate the prophecy will be."

"Understood." Han Xiao nodded, paused, then abruptly shifted the topic. "How are Emes and Hela doing?"

"Gallivanting on adventures, what else?" Iso rolled his eyes. "It's not like you can't reach her yourself; why ask me? Anyway, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up. I'll let you know when the vision clears."

With that, Iso severed the connection without ceremony.

Han Xiao pocketed the communicator with a resigned sigh; an elder in the house is a treasure, and there was no arguing with that.

Yet he had no intention of relying solely on Iso. Striding out of the hall, he made his way directly to the spaceport docks and unsealed one of the hangars.

Inside rested a grievously damaged starship, reduced to a complete wreck—the very vessel the stowaways had dropped onto the Kunde world, later seized by the Empire after the war.

Han Xiao had specifically submitted a request to Tarrokov, and Old Tar had promptly dispatched personnel to deliver the craft.

The Empire had exhausted technology, magic, and mysticism on the crashed ship without uncovering a single clue, so they did not mind letting Han Xiao inspect it, hoping he might unearth something they had missed.

Iso's prophecies could only glimpse events yet to come, whereas Han Xiao's unique skill, Bold Explorer, allowed him to witness fragments of an object's past.

He figured that attacking the problem from both ends was bound to yield something.

His palm pressed against the ship's charred outer hull, pitted and scarred, the armor metal gnawed away by some corrosive fluid, devoid of any smooth grace, cold to the touch.

"Let's see what clues turn up this time."

Han Xiao exhaled a long breath and activated [Bold Explorer].

A sudden rush of air—

His vision suddenly spun violently, everything before him shattering like glass, scattering in a glittering storm.

In an instant, the fragments halted, reversed their course, and snapped back together, reshaping the world entirely.

The scene morphed into an industrial drydock, a colossal starship skeleton hovering in midair while countless mechanical arms welded components into place, the rhythmic clatter of machinery rising like a disciplined symphony.

Han Xiao surveyed his surroundings, rapidly committing every detail to memory.

The next moment, his vision fractured and reassembled once more, this time revealing the void of space as a fully formed vessel plummeted toward a planet, piercing the atmosphere like a blazing crimson meteor; he could faintly recognize it as the crashed ship in its prime.

Just then, the imagery cut off abruptly.

His original sight returned, leaving him standing once more in the hangar, his hand still resting on the fallen vessel.

[[Bold Explorer] has ended]

[Your Luck attribute is reduced by 60% for 14 days]

Han Xiao was accustomed to ignoring the skill's backlash; whether his luck dropped or not made little difference to him.

Recalling the fragments he had just witnessed, a subtle gleam flickered in his eyes.

"That vision showed the ship's construction and its crash. Though brief, it seems to have handed me a rather promising lead..."

During the drydock sequence, he had quickly memorized the environment and caught a crucial detail—every worker in the yard bore the same emblem on their uniforms.

He accessed the Imperial database and ran a cross-reference, quickly finding a match: the trademark of a shipbuilding corporation located in the Old Days Galaxy.

"Manufacturer identified..." Han Xiao's eyes narrowed.

Typically, shipyards retained the production serial numbers for every vessel that rolled off their lines. Though he did not yet know this ship's specific code, it was a solid thread to pull.

"Looks like I'll need to dispatch a mechanical detachment to the Old Days Galaxy."

At that moment, another thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"Wait, the Old Days Galaxy... that's Maison's stronghold."

——

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