Chapter 14 Sacrificing Luck

Sacrificing 60% of his luck attribute (approximately 0 points) within 14 days, [Bold Explorer] activated, and the world before Han Xiao's eyes suddenly changed.

The perspective floated in outer space, with a giant planet beneath. A curved, silver-gray expanse of land stretched out in view, bending at the horizon, which was edged with a dazzling blue-white light. Embedded within it was a shining point of light—a massive photon energy tower, punctuating the backdrop of the inky universe.

Han Xiao focused his gaze. The land was a steel jungle, devoid of any greenery. Countless bizarre mechanical structures occupied every inch of space. Mechanical towers rose toward the heavens, making the giant planet resemble a mutated sea urchin, clad in steel armor, its cold, heavy style tinged with an eerie quality.

Suddenly, the perspective zoomed in, plummeting toward the ground, skimming over mechanical cities. The residents of this planet were a group of mechanical bodies, each with a unique appearance, almost no two alike. Their structures were intricate and exquisite, their paint jobs opulent, giving them an advanced look.

"All mechanical bodies... Could this be a mechanical life civilization?"

As a bystander watching this scene, Han Xiao couldn't help but think of his own Ghost Weep mechanical civilization. The two were very similar, the difference being that the mechanical civilization revealed by [Bold Explorer] was more advanced and had reached a mature stage of development.

"Is the Virtual Mutiny Virus derived from this unknown mechanical civilization?"

Han Xiao pondered as he carefully observed the things before him.

Just then, an anomaly occurred.

A dazzling flash of intense light suddenly appeared from beyond the sky. An immense torrent of radiation swept across, and the giant planet lay in its path.

A large shield covering the entire planet appeared in the outer space of the giant planet, but the moment it came into contact with the radiation, the large shield evaporated, reduced to countless energy particles.

The next moment, the unprotected giant planet had layers of its surface peeled away. In a fleeting instant, it was annihilated, and the entire planet was easily erased in the universe by this beam of radiation.

The skill ended at this moment, and the illusion before Han Xiao's eyes disappeared, returning him to his room. He frowned.

The radiation beam at the end was a high-energy directional gamma-ray burst. Perhaps it wasn't just a natural disaster but seemed to have a weaponized quality.

Gamma-ray bursts were common cosmic hazards, vaporizing planets as if it were child's play. Most civilizations nowadays had protection against them and could withstand such natural disasters, but the civilization in the illusion was highly advanced yet was utterly destroyed by a single blast, which was somewhat strange.

Normal people couldn't observe many details, but the senses of a Super-A grade life form were different. They could see many things that ordinary people couldn't. He discovered that there was something added to this gamma-ray burst. It could be a planet-destroying war weapon from an advanced civilization.

The universe was full of radiation, and it was actually quite lively and bright, but in the eyes of ordinary people, only darkness remained. Different levels of life saw the world differently. Everyone looked at the world through a peephole, but the peephole of a high-level life form was larger.

"This skill didn't bring enough information... There's no clear indication..."

Han Xiao rubbed his lips with his thumb, summarizing the information displayed in the brief illusion.

First, there was an advanced civilization suspected to be mechanical life, and they had a high-tech, large colony planet. Then, this planet was blown up by a planet-destroying weapon, proving that there was another advanced civilization that was their enemy. The opposing civilization was at least at the Star Cluster level, and possibly reached the Quasi-Universe level.

The creator of the Virtual Mutiny Virus was likely one of these two civilizations. There was too little information about the other civilization, so Han Xiao didn't consider it. He mainly analyzed the unknown mechanical civilization.

"There are many possible origins for mechanical civilizations. The common ones are the enlightenment of a Super-A grade Mechanic, but there could also be other origins, such as a biological civilization undergoing mechanical ascension, where the consciousness of the entire race is transformed into a mechanical mind, replacing their physical bodies with machines to achieve immortality... It's also possible that this civilization is in the form of an AI civilization, a world led by intelligent life forms, with the external mechanical bodies merely their vehicles for navigating reality..."

Han Xiao analyzed the situation. What puzzled him the most was the era in which this mechanical civilization existed. It was clearly not a civilization of the modern Star Sea Era. He didn't know if it was a lost civilization that existed in the Exploration Era or an unknown advanced civilization in an unexplored universe.

I still have to continue using [Bold Explorer] to collect information. Maybe I should look for targets with stronger connections as the skill's target...

Han Xiao suddenly had an idea.

He almost forgot that the triangle-shaped safe device storing the virus had already been seized by the three great civilizations. Wouldn't that be a better target!

He could also visit Harrison and the others. This group of miserable fellows had been temporarily imprisoned for releasing the Virtual Mutiny Virus. The Inspectors' promise of freedom had clearly gone with the wind. With such a great disaster, a mere Inspector couldn't make the decision. Harrison was singing "Tears Behind Bars" in jail.

The three great civilizations were considerate of these prisoners, fearing that a long prison life would cause their bodies to rust, so they conducted high-intensity interrogations on them every day to help them exercise and stay healthy.

Thinking of this, Han Xiao left a bunch of his subordinates in the room to help Philip analyze the virus code. He himself left the research department and strode to the Red Empire's office in the command center.

The three great civilizations had appointed high-ranking officials from their respective Inspector departments to preside over the affairs of the Ancient Star Desert. With Han Xiao's status in the Red Empire, he met the Inspector Minister, who was the person in charge of the Empire, without any obstruction.

The other party stood up to greet him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they both sat down.

"Your Excellency Black Star, what can I do for you?" the Empire's Inspector Minister asked.

"I've looked at the information you provided and I'm preparing to study the device that stores the virus. I hope to apply to borrow it for a while."

"This is easy to arrange." The Empire's Inspector Minister agreed directly, being very accommodating.

"Also, I want to contact the scavengers who dug up the virus. If possible, I'd like to temporarily release them."

"You can see them anytime, but letting them go... seems a little inappropriate."

"I know that you've been interrogating them, but without any results. They should just be unlucky. There aren't so many conspiracies. There's no use in keeping them locked up."

The Empire's Inspector Minister frowned, and emphasized his tone. "However, releasing the virus has caused such a great impact. This is a serious crime. Even if it's just a simple accident, they have to be held responsible. How can we just let them go?"

Han Xiao shook his head and said, "Perhaps they can help. Let them stay by my side temporarily to atone for their sins. If they really make a contribution, then it's worth it."

"... Since it's your request, then alright. However, their identities are still prisoners, and they can't move freely. They must follow you." The Empire's Inspector Minister hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

He was only relenting because of Black Star's status. If an ordinary person made this request, he wouldn't even bother with them.

"Thanks," Han Xiao said with a smile. "I have another request. I hope I can work part-time as a field agent."

"You want to go out and take action?" The Empire's Inspector Minister was a little surprised.

Han Xiao nodded, his smile fading as he said solemnly, "That's right. Marnierson and the others are in charge of the research here, so I don't need to devote all my time to it. Me staying here is a waste of resources. Currently, there are two tasks that are as important as developing the three-piece anti-virus set."

"Please speak."

"The first is to find the virus core. If we can solve the virus core, then most of the trigger mechanisms of the Virtual Mutiny Virus will be nullified, which is equivalent to destroying the other party's brain and reducing the threat of the disaster."

"This is indeed very important." The Empire's Inspector Minister agreed.

If they could control the virus core, then the progress in resolving the disaster would increase by more than half. However, the virus core was hidden too deeply, and they had no idea what kind of abnormal data it was. The three great civilizations had been unable to find it, as if they were looking for a needle in a haystack.

As he spoke, Han Xiao held up two fingers and said, "Secondly, in my opinion, it's only a matter of time before the combined abilities of the three great civilizations and many Super-A grade Mechanics can crack this virus. This isn't an unsolvable problem. The real difficulty lies in those with ulterior motives."

Hearing this, the Empire's Inspector Minister frowned.

"History has taught us countless times that the greed and suspicion of the human heart are the catalysts for disaster. If we don't control them, small problems will eventually evolve into unmanageable big problems." Han Xiao said slowly, "I believe the Empire understands that the virus itself isn't difficult to solve. The real problem is those insidious individuals in the universe. The outbreak of the Virtual Mutiny Virus is like putting the switch to a disaster into the hands of these people... With such a good opportunity here, who wouldn't want to possess a strategic deterrent weapon?"

He could see clearly that this was like an opportunity for anyone to easily obtain nuclear weapons at an extremely low cost. Which ambitious force wouldn't want to try it?

The Empire's Inspector Minister stood up and paced back and forth, saying in a deep voice,

"You're right. The higher-ups of the three great civilizations have always been worried about this. We're all on the same side, so there's no need to beat around the bush. The Super Star Cluster Civilizations have been outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant for a long time. They won't obediently listen to us. The Empire's main intelligence, Heroic Souls, has analyzed that the Virtual Mutiny Virus isn't just being targeted by the advanced civilizations within the Ancient Star Desert, but also by various forces from the outside world. They'll hire countless black market mercenaries and wanted criminals to help them smuggle the virus. This is one of the reasons why the three great civilizations have blockaded the star region.

"However, we need the Ancient Star Desert civilizations to cooperate with us in eliminating the virus, so we can't be too harsh on them, especially the Super Star Cluster Civilizations. They can reactivate their external communication base stations at any time. Whether the virus leaks or not isn't really up to us. They control the decision... Of course, they don't dare to mess around. So, the three great civilizations can only be careful and turn a blind eye to control the situation, not daring to push them too hard. That's another reason why we want to develop the three-piece anti-virus set as soon as possible—as long as we fundamentally resolve the threat of the virus technology, the small actions of the advanced civilizations will be defeated without being attacked."

As he spoke, the Empire's Inspector Minister stopped pacing, leaned on the table with both hands, and said slowly, "Your Excellency Black Star, since you're willing to go out into the field, I'll assign three Empire fleets for you to command. I hope you can capture as many ruthless bastards who disregard the safety of the universe as possible."

"Alright."

Han Xiao stood up and shook hands with him.

The other Super-A grades were focused on research, wanting to understand the virus technology, and no one was willing to waste their energy going out to arrest people everywhere. In their opinion, that was all menial labor that they shouldn't be responsible for.

But the Great Technician Han was different. He had the [Intelligent Plague] mission. If he wanted to improve the mission rating, relying on research alone wasn't enough. After all, the credit would be divided among a large group of people.

In his opinion, the most direct way to improve the mission rating was to capture those insidious stragglers everywhere.

Moreover, the special requirement was to personally destroy the virus core, so he naturally paid attention to it and didn't want to stay in the command center doing research every day.

As for research, the more others deciphered, the more he would share. When Old Man Marnierson completely analyzed the virus structure, he would just take the ready-made secondary research. That way, he could save a lot of effort and slack off to his heart's content.

After reaching a consensus with the person in charge, Han Xiao left the Empire's office and went to the prison area to visit Harrison.

The warden, knowing Han Xiao's intentions, immediately welcomed him in enthusiastically and led the way respectfully.

...

In a single cell, Harrison supported his head with both hands, lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Is this how my life will end..."

Harrison sighed.

In the month since he had been imprisoned, there wasn't a day that he didn't regret it. His initial premonition was correct. The triangle device he had dug out had indeed brought him great trouble. If he had known this, he would have never gone to that ruin.

The serious consequences of this archaeological dig had frightened him, making his hands and feet cold and his heart confused. Although it was unintentional, he felt guilty and remorseful for causing such a great disaster.

Not only had he brought disaster, but he had also ruined his entire life. The interrogators had already let slip that they, the "culprits," would spend the rest of their lives in prison.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have run out to do archaeology. Curiosity kills the cat. If I had obediently stayed at home and inherited billions of assets, I don't know how comfortable I would be living now..."

Harrison was disheartened.

Swish—

Just then, the cell door opened, and two people walked in.

"Is it interrogation time again?" Harrison sat up. He had been abused to the point where he was used to it and had a resigned expression on his face.

Han Xiao glanced at him, comparing the image of this young man with the image of the old man in his memory, and nodded as he asked, "You're Harrison."

"Huh? You're not a jailer? What are you..." Harrison raised his head, saw Han Xiao's face clearly, and widened his mouth in surprise, stuttering, "Black... Black... Black Star?!"

Now, Han Xiao's face was well-known in the universe, and his fame was astonishing. Of course, there were also some viewers who had watched the movie *Black Star: Origins* and mistook Fording for Black Star himself.

However, Han Xiao was very generous about this. After all, their looks were similar, so it was normal to be mistaken.

Speaking of which, that movie was released while he was on the road, and the response was excellent. His reputation soared, and he also made a fortune. The return rate was currently hundreds of times higher and was still rising. The staggering profits of the entertainment industry in the interstellar era were evident.

Putting aside his distracting thoughts, Han Xiao blinked and patted Harrison's shoulder hard. "You dug up the virus?"

Harrison's shoulder was sore from the pat, and he immediately came back to his senses. In front of such a great figure in the universe like Black Star, he couldn't help but feel a little restrained and nervous, nodding repeatedly.

"Alright, then you and your teammates will follow me for now."

"This... what does that mean?" Harrison was confused.

The warden next to him saw this and said impatiently, "You have to thank Your Excellency Black Star. He spoke up for you and got the higher-ups to release you. If it weren't for Your Excellency Black Star's reputation, you would be spending the rest of your life in prison."

Harrison was stunned, his face filled with disbelief.

"Your Excellency Black Star, why... why did you save me?"

"Who said I was saving you? I just think you're excavators, and maybe you can help with something. You can ask questions at any time... The warden will release you later. I'll come over to meet you first."

"I can help?"

Harrison was bewildered. He didn't know how he could help.

However, this didn't stop him from understanding that his fate had been saved by Black Star. His face was filled with excitement, and his eyes were full of gratitude. He wanted to grab Black Star's hand and thank him, but he hesitated because of the gap in their status and stood there dumbly, excited and at a loss for what to do.

In his eyes, Black Star was an angel sent by heaven to save him, shining with holy light and having a tall and mighty figure, simply his lucky male god.

Just when he thought he had fallen into the abyss, a stranger and great figure had pulled him up. Harrison's heart surged, and he felt that he had nothing to repay. He couldn't wait to give his all to Black Star.

Although it was only their first meeting, Harrison's favorability was basically maxed out.

Han Xiao smiled at him and then turned to walk out of the cell. As he turned his back, a smile appeared on his face as he looked at the battle notification on his panel, where Harrison's attribute bar was on full display.

You helping me is by merely standing beside me...

In the attribute column, the golden [Advanced Luck Aura] was prominently listed!

"The third golden chive is in hand..."

Han Xiao took a pleasant deep breath, feeling refreshed.

Yes, this must be the taste of a lucky woman... cough, someone with extraordinary luck!

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ps: (Recommend a few good books from friends, *Nine Star Poisonous Milk*, *Tomorrow's Calamity*, *Asking about the Mortal World*, all of which are popular books. Brothers who are interested can check them out. pinyin for a moment is refreshing, and always pinyin is always refreshing, or2←3)