Chapter 1 Mountain Stronghold

Morning.

Somewhere in the wilderness of Maxibell, a mountain range stretched into the distance. A mountainside on one of the peaks had been hollowed out by Han Xiao's mechanical troops, creating a cave. The entrance was equipped with fully automatic environmental camouflage, disguised as a natural rock face. To outsiders, the entrance was invisible. At the same time, energy detection shielding devices were deployed, isolating the many satellite probes that Siderum had placed in outer space. This prevented the planet's owners from detecting the energy reactions here using satellites, creating an invisible area on the radar.

Inside the cave, the mountain's belly had been emptied out. Han Xiao unfolded a portable, small-scale mechanical fortress here. Roughly ten stories high, the mechanical floor covered thousands of square meters. Countless mechanical structures spread across the mountain walls, supporting the mountain body and transforming this place into a mechanical stronghold. Densely packed floating sentinels served as light sources, making the cave as bright as day.

After picking up the Evolution Cube last night, Han Xiao analyzed his situation and decided to leave the city of Maxibell and establish a temporary, hidden base in the wilderness of this planet. This was to prevent Siderum from detecting any movement from their use of the Evolution Cube. After Hela brought Aurora over to join them, Han Xiao took the three to this location and used the compressed balls he carried to establish a small base.

He never lacked this kind of temporary base-type equipment.

Now that they were settled, Han Xiao took out the Evolution Cube and explained his deduced origins and consequences to the three. Hela and the others had been initially baffled by Han Xiao's sudden actions, but after hearing about the origins of the Evolution Cube, they were all shocked.

The three curiously examined the small black cube in Han Xiao's hand. Aurora was purely curious about the so-called cosmic treasure, while Hela was interested in the Evolution Cube's ability to make people stronger.

Fording, however, looked worried. "This is the legendary Evolution Cube? We actually picked it up. What do we do now? Should we return it to Sisko? Will he suspect that we stole it?"

He had visited Austin with Han Xiao and knew that this was Sisko's possession.

Han Xiao said helplessly, "I haven't decided yet."

"You don't want to keep the Evolution Cube, do you?" Fording advised. "If we do that, we'll become Sisko's enemies. You've already provoked the Overlord. If we add Sisko to that, that's half of the Beyond Grade As in the Shattered Star Ring that you've offended…"

Han Xiao interrupted him. "Let's talk about that later. Now that the Evolution Cube is in my hands, let's use it first."

"How do we use it?" Hela asked impatiently.

"If I remember correctly…"

Han Xiao turned the small black cube over and over, examining it. Every surface was as smooth as a mirror, with no buttons. He tried inputting his Qi force, but it disappeared without a trace.

After a pause, Han Xiao pressed down on each of the Evolution Cube's corners with both hands, simultaneously applying force. The eight corners were pressed in. The next moment, streaks of light lit up the surface of the black cube, and then a spherical black energy shield popped out, enveloping the small cube and suspending it in mid-air.

"The first step is correct…" Han Xiao was pleased.

The simplest way to use the Evolution Cube was to enter it when it was in its original form. But when the Evolution Cube was in portable mode, it was necessary to open the container in a specific way to reveal an opening and release the internal Evolution Cube energy.

The first step was to put the container into an activated preparation state, which was what Han Xiao had just done. At this time, the container had not yet opened.

Next, the container would pop out an energy shield, which was actually a cover similar to a password input screen. A series of specific "switch symbols" had to be drawn on it to open the container—this was equivalent to a password. Compared to the Secret Language Bead, this method was already very simple.

In his previous life, many players had exchanged contribution points in the Arcane Church for the qualification to use the Evolution Cube. They watched the Arcane Church open the Evolution Cube in person, and some people recorded it. Han Xiao had also seen it before. The process was not a secret to him. Some people even posted a summary of the Evolution Cube's password, which was a total of forty-two fixed symbols.

Han Xiao didn't remember the symbols that clearly. Fortunately, his Intelligence Attribute had increased so much, and his memory structure had long since become a bookshelf. All his memories were stored in categories, and he could directly retrieve and view the memories he wanted. This kind of thinking mode could be mastered by ordinary people with training, and it was even easier for a Mechanic with extremely high Intelligence and a vast brain region. Otherwise, it would be difficult to remember a huge number of blueprints.

He thought for a while and gradually recalled the forty-two switch symbols. He used his fingers to trace them on the energy shield of the container, leaving behind golden marks, and quickly finished drawing the password. However, the container retracted the energy shield and fell to the ground, obviously failing to open. He was slightly stunned.

"Right, the password set by the Arcane Church might not be the same as the one set by the Otherworld God." Han Xiao suddenly realized, feeling a bit of a headache. If he couldn't open the container, he could only blow it up and let the Evolution Cube return to its gigantic original state. Such a commotion would be too great and would be immediately discovered.

Han Xiao frowned and pondered, "But maybe not. The Evolution Cube belongs to a lost civilization, and the technology to create portable containers also belongs to this civilization. It's very advanced, and ordinary people can't decipher it. Perhaps the Otherworld God's subordinates can imitate and create containers, but it should be difficult to improve the technology."

"These forty-two switch symbols might be the container's fixed initial password. As for why it didn't open the container… maybe the technique is wrong, or I didn't draw it accurately enough?"

He didn't know that he had guessed the truth. This set of symbols was indeed the fixed activation password for the portable Evolution Cube and could not be changed. It was not only used to open the container but also the key to activating the Evolution Cube's energy.

This set of passwords was top-secret information from the Evolver civilization's remaining data. Currently, only the Otherworld God possessed it. Even Ekolin and the others didn't know how to open it, precisely to prevent their subordinates from being greedy, betraying them, or leaking the information.

The Arcane Church in his previous life was not afraid of leaks because no one could steal their things, so Han Xiao was one of the very few people besides the Otherworld God who knew the activation password.

He tried more than thirty times, slowly adjusting the shape of the symbols according to his memory to make them more accurate. Finally, on the thirty-seventh time, the Evolution Cube produced a new reaction.

Small holes appeared in the center of each face of the cube, releasing ribbon-like streams of black particles that surrounded the small cube and floated in mid-air.

"It's open!" Han Xiao was overjoyed.

He glanced at everyone and took a deep breath, extending his palm and releasing mechanical force toward the Evolution Cube.

Whoosh—

The next moment, the streams of black particles surrounding the Evolution Cube seemed to have found a target for release and surged toward Han Xiao, continuously seeping into his body from his skin.

Itch!

This was Han Xiao's only feeling.

The tingling seemed to originate from the depths of his soul. Skin, muscles, bones, blood vessels, organs—everything itched, but when he reached out to scratch, it didn't feel like his own body was itching, making it impossible to alleviate the symptoms.

At this time, the panel's prompts began to flood the screen.

[You have used the Evolution Cube (Golden Quality)!]

[You have gained the permanent special enhancement—[Gene Optimization·Evolution Cube]!]

[Species is being detected… Detection complete. Your current species is: [Void Chaser]]

[Your gene structure is being adjusted to the optimal state for [Void Chaser]. Please do not interrupt the evolution process…]

[First optimization successful. Your potential aptitude has increased. You have received Attribute Completion: Strength +6, Dexterity +4, Endurance +8, Intelligence +5, Mystery +4, Charisma +3, Energy +30]

[Your Energy Level is higher than Lv0. Second optimization judgment successful. Your potential aptitude has increased. You have received Attribute Completion: Strength +8, Dexterity +7, Endurance +11, Intelligence +7, Mystery +5, Charisma +6, Energy +40]

……

[Your Energy Level is higher than Lv14. Sixteenth optimization judgment successful. Your potential aptitude has increased. You have received Attribute Completion: Strength +64, Dexterity +67, Endurance +72, Intelligence +76, Mystery +61, Charisma +43, Energy +240]

When he leveled up to Level 238, his Energy Attribute had broken through the 40,000 mark, earning the 【Lv14】 bonus.

Each additional Energy Level would grant a new layer of gene optimization's Attribute Completion, so the stronger one was, the better the effect of using the Evolution Cube for the first time. The completed Attributes depended on many factors, such as cell activity, lifespan, and species—among which species had the greatest influence. The Evolution Cube optimized based on the race itself. If one's own species was stronger, the first benefit would be greater.

The second time the Evolution Cube was used, the new Energy Level was not calculated, but each layer of the optimization process was repeated, but the Attributes that were completed would be greatly reduced, each time less than the last, until there was no effect. Only by sublimating into a new species could some benefits be regained, but it would be far less than the effect of using the Evolution Cube for the first time.

Han Xiao endured the itching and quickly calculated. This series of gene optimizations provided him with extremely terrifying Attributes. Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, and Mystery all increased by more than 500 points, Charisma increased by nearly 400 points, and Energy increased by more than 2,100 points.

This wave of surging Attributes even exceeded the total bonus Attributes of Energy Level 14!

In total, the increased Attributes reached more than 3,000 points, which was equivalent to raising Han Xiao's own Attributes by one-third. The effect was extremely outstanding!

The 【Void Chaser】 had great potential. He himself was also very young, with extremely high cell activity, plus his profound Energy realm, which allowed him to achieve such a terrifying increase!

When he advanced to Emperor Mechanic and leveled up to Level 238, his Energy Value had already reached 32,600 points. Now that he had used the Evolution Cube, his Energy Value had suddenly increased by nearly 2,000, reaching 34,450 points.

Even though Han Xiao was unbearably itchy, he couldn't help but reveal a look of joy. This wave of gene optimization was too worth it.

However, the panel's prompts had not ended.

[For using the Evolution Cube for the first time, you have received 16 layers of gene optimization. Experience required for leveling up +40%, lasting for 16 months.]

Han Xiao nodded secretly. Players using the Evolution Cube would experience an experience penalty. After all, the Attributes gained were equivalent to leveling up dozens of times. It was like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, and it was impossible to have no price. The principle was that the stronger the body, the more difficult it was to level up. Each time the Evolution Cube was used, a 40% experience penalty would be incurred, and the duration would depend on the number of gene optimizations received.

This was nothing to him. A mere 40% experience penalty, when neutralized with his 30% bonus from political assets, would only leave a 10% penalty. Han Xiao relied on the experience from his leek fields to level up, so it was just a matter of waiting a little longer. Exchanging 16 months of experience penalty for a huge increase in Attributes was undoubtedly a bloody profit. This was permanent combat power that took effect immediately.

Moreover, the stronger the Attributes and the higher the Energy Value, the greater the chance of breaking through to Beyond Grade A at Level 240.

At this time, the panel popped up the last few prompts:

[You have met the special condition: When using the Evolution Cube for the first time, you have obtained more than ten layers of gene optimization]

[You have triggered a special effect]

[The next time you advance, you will receive an additional chance for species sublimation]

[Gene optimization is complete]

The black particle streams stopped pouring in and returned to the Evolution Cube.

Han Xiao hurriedly bent over, squatted down, and gasped for breath, quickly calming his breathing. Only then did he feel the expanding sense of power in his body, giving him the illusion that he could unleash all his energy and blow up the planet beneath his feet.

Fording hurried forward to support him and asked, "How was the effect?"

Han Xiao waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be supported. He stood up on his own, feeling refreshed. Seeing Hela looking at him eagerly, he couldn't help but smile.

"I've tried it. The side effects are very small. You can try it too."

"I'll go first."

Hela nodded first.

Han Xiao didn't hesitate, opening the Evolution Cube again and letting the black particle streams surge toward Hela.

From an outsider's perspective, the black particle streams wrapped the user into a black cocoon. After a while, Hela broke out of the cocoon, like a metamorphosis and rebirth, her eyes filled with red light that slowly faded away.

"Sis, how do you feel?" Aurora asked curiously.

Hela clenched her fists. Her sharp eyebrows suddenly softened, revealing a rare smile.

"I feel great now."

Han Xiao smiled upon seeing this. He was happy to share the Evolution Cube. In his hands, it was just right for improving the combat power of his core members.

Soon, two more black cocoons appeared next to the Evolution Cube, as Fording and Aurora took turns enjoying the cleansing of gene optimization.

Han Xiao stood aside, watching the two evolving, and suddenly realized a problem.

If the Evolution Cube returned to Sisko's hands, he wouldn't know the opening symbols and could only destroy the container, releasing the Evolution Cube and turning it back into its huge original state.

It seemed… that only he knew how to use the Evolution Cube in its portable state.

As this thought arose, Han Xiao's eyes flickered.

Perhaps there was a basis for cooperation…

Not long after, Fording and Aurora also completed their gene evolution, each experiencing the changes in themselves.

"Alright, what do we do next?" Fording immediately raised the question. Now that the Evolution Cube had been used, it was time to think about what to do next.

Han Xiao's answer was unexpected.

"You stay here."

The three were stunned.

"Could it be that you want to…" Fording asked in surprise.

Before he could finish, Han Xiao nodded. "Siderum has blockaded Maxibell. Maybe Sisko will come after us. I can protect myself against a Beyond Grade A, but you can't. We should split up. You stay here, and I have a way to leave this planet."

His plan was to use Void Dimension Warp to leave Maxibell alone. In this way, he could test how accurate Siderum's or Sisko's detection methods really were.

No matter how he dealt with the Evolution Cube, he would inevitably face risks. It was better to act alone, so he didn't need to worry about Fording and the others.

To be honest, the Evolution Cube was a hot potato, but now that it was in his hands, Han Xiao was unwilling to hand it over just like that.

Risks and opportunities coexisted. These were analyzed situations, but without a doubt, keeping the Evolution Cube in his hands was the way to maximize profits.

As for whether he had the ability to keep the Evolution Cube… How would he know if he didn't try?

So Han Xiao decided to take the Evolution Cube alone into the desolate universe belt to accumulate experience for Level 240.

Although he didn't know the specific details, he felt that the facts should be similar to his speculation. The most likely pursuer would be Sisko, whom he had never dealt with before.

Han Xiao had no prejudice against Sisko. He even respected such a hero of the race.

Originally, the Evolution Cube only had an effect on individuals, but the descendants of powerful individuals would also inherit certain gene optimization effects. Then, letting newborns use the Evolution Cube would complete a virtuous cycle. This was how Sisko and his descendants had evolved the Star Pupils into what they were today.

Even now, the Evolution Cube was still very important to the development of the Star Pupils…

However, what does that have to do with me?

I'm not one of the Star Pupils!

It wasn't me who stole your cube!

I picked it up!

Han Xiao had already made a decision. At least, he had to fight Sisko once. If he couldn't beat him, then he would talk about other things!