Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Han Xiao had originally thought that the Subterranean Mutants needed to set up their nests near the mines and would not move. However, Herlous’ report had completely refreshed his understanding of these Subterranean Mutants. They could actually move house as well!
They had just gained the high ground and were about to extract all the crystals but found out that the other party had run away with all the crystals!
“They actually took the initiative to escape? Could it be because of our last raid on their nest?” Han Xiao tried to work out what was going on.
The entire nest had surrounded him back then, but he had still been able to escape while killing many of their brethren. Although he had only killed a few thousand Subterranean Mutants, all the other mutants who were telepathically connected could clearly feel the pain of death. As such, he single-handedly terrified the tens of thousands of mutants.
Fearing the strong was an innate instinct. As such, the mutants of the first nest treated him as their natural enemy and decided to all migrate away. Their telepathic connection provided the mutants with an extremely efficient way to make such a decision.
“That should be the case.” Han Xiao rubbed his head and felt that his guess was probably right. The Subterranean Mutants behaved just like animals. They would retreat if they faced a danger that they could not resist.
Such a situation immediately gave him a new plan.
The Sunils wanted to get rid of the Subterranean Mutants mainly to wipe out the Prophecy Stone Mines that the Subterranean Mutants were protecting. However, recent events had proven that the Subterranean Mutants were capable of digging up the mines and shifting them away. Since those mines were able to be shifted, the contradiction had been resolved.
As long as these Subterranean Mutants left the planet with the Prophecy Stones, the problem would immediately be solved. This way, the Sunils would not need to wipe out the Subterranean Mutant race, and it was a win-win situation for both parties.
Han Xiao immediately frowned and understood the difficulty of such a task. While this is a great idea, it was not a very feasible one. He would have to catch the Subterranean Mutants that numbered in the billions one by one and choose an uninhabited planet. He would then have to prepare a large number of spaceships to transport them all. This would require much more manpower and resources.
If they could migrate, the Sunils would have left by now.
Obviously, the Sunils did not have such strength and were not willing to abandon their homeland.
Thus, the likelihood of exterminating the Subterranean Mutants seemed higher, and it would get rid of their problem once and for all. To the Sunils, protecting the Subterranean Mutants was just a waste of resources, and destruction was the simplest.
“If I want to use migration as an alternative to elimination, I will need an external force like a large financial group to step in…”
Han Xiao’s brows were furrowed. Just what was the meaning of migrating all the Subterranean Mutants? Could the benefits of an undeveloped race exceed the cost to migrating them? If the benefits did not outweigh the costs, the value of saving them would reduce greatly.
According to their employment terms, protecting the mutants was completely unnecessary.
Furthermore, Han Xiao knew that the Sunils would definitely favor extermination.
Thus, this meant that the survival and death of an entire race would be determined by a thought of his.
Should he save them or not?
Han Xiao began hesitating. Even if the Sunils detected this other possibility, they definitely would not take the initiative to mention it. Thus, as long as Han Xiao did not suggest this alternative, the Subterranean Mutants would definitely be exterminated.
Originally, he had been no more than an executioner to complete the employment contract, but after realizing this alternative, his role had changed. He was no longer a simple mercenary but the individual who could decide the fate of an entire race. The pressure of the decision lay squarely on his shoulders.
When he had no other choice, Han Xiao would not feel the slightest bit of guilt. However, things were different now. A weak race did not have the ability to control their own life or death, but he had the authority to determine the fate of an entire race.
After pondering for a long while, Han Xiao let out a long sigh and ordered, “Herlous, continue the operation and attack another nest.”
“Understood.” Herlous hung up the call.
Han Xiao then called Sylvia over. He got her to overlook the construction team and left the construction site to find Feidin, who was enjoying nature in the forest.
In the lush forest, Feidin was seated underneath a tree with his formless psychic energy creating ripples in the air. This was the phenomenon of a Psychic cultivating.
Psychic energy was the combination of both energy and mental energy and there were some Espers who had such abilities. However, the Psychics were ranked as one of the top five Super systems because they had a complete training system. As long as one had the talent, one would be able to grasp psychic energy through training alone and didn’t require the mutation of genes.
“Why are you here?”
Upon hearing Han Xiao’s footsteps, Feidin opened his eyes and revealed a courteous smile. However, a distant look could be seen in his eyes.
Feidin truly felt disgusted with the current employment mission of the Black Star Army. Wiping out an entire race had touched his bottom line, and his attitude toward Han Xiao had changed because of this.
“I wish to seek your help. It is the same request as before. I hope that you can attempt to communicate with the Subterranean Mutants,” Han Xiao said slowly.
“Didn’t I reject you already? My answer is the same,” Feidin replied without even thinking. He knew that this war was not wrong, but he did not wish to be the accomplice of a massacre.
Han Xiao was not too surprised. Based on his understanding of Feidin, he knew that Feidin was a kindhearted individual.
“You misunderstood me. The same reason isn’t the same as before…” Han Xiao then briefly described his idea of a migration before saying with a smile, “If we can establish a bridge of communication, this hypothetical situation may become reality.”
Feidin’s eyes brightened up, and he stood up abruptly. “Are you serious‽”
“You know my reputation.” Han Xiao smiled.
Feidin looked at Han Xiao and revealed a warm smile that would cause youthful girls to shriek in excitement. “I didn’t misjudge you after all. Let’s go. I will do my best to help you.”
They smiled at each other.
Seeking help from Feidin was Han Xiao’s decision. He had decided to protect the Subterranean Mutants.
It was not out of the kindness of his heart but his desire for growth.
The benefits of the Sunil employment would be gone after the completion of the mission, but migrating the Subterranean Mutants would leave him with future benefits. This was akin to planting two different kinds of crops in the same piece of land.
The Subterranean Mutant race was a race with great potential, and there was a chance for them to develop into a new NPC resource. There was value for Han Xiao to make such an investment. While the initial investment would not be a small amount, Han Xiao had the capital at the moment to have a few additional investments.
Telepathic communication would resolve the problem of communication. If the Subterranean Mutants could come to an agreement with him and willingly leave Planet Sunil, he would not need to capture them one by one, and it would save him a lot of trouble.
However, the Subterranean Mutants might not be able to understand the concept of the galaxy and planets. They had not even explored the entire planet before. Thus, the only solution would be to let those Subterranean Mutants feel the threat of death and control them with fear.
Thus, massacres still could not be avoided.
Apart from this, there was another reason. The accomplishment of saving an entire race was much greater, and the players would enjoy playing the role of being saviors much more. Thus, this would help create a better sense of belonging to the Black Star Army.
Of course, his Favorability with Feidin was also another reason. Han Xiao did not want the crops planted in his backyard to escape from him.
…
Half an hour later, the expedition forces set up a temporary camp, and their illumination equipment lit up the dark underground world. The Sunil armed forces were currently on guard outside the camp.
Herlous had already received his next order and led the army to the coordinates of the second nest.
As they approached the nest, the vanguard forces met a large group of around three hundred mutants.
“Woah, they are much uglier than in the pictures.”
Many players revealed looks of disgust with some players turning pale. The Subterranean Mutants that had the appearance of bugs looked like monsters with unpardonable sins in this superficial generation.
These Subterranean Mutants also spotted the expedition forces and gathered together as though they were curious about these creatures that they had never seen before.
Tuk tuk tuk!
The next moment, the cannons were fired!
The Sunil soldiers remained expressionless as they fired their cannons without any hesitation. The cannon fire broke the silence of the underground world and illuminated the darkness. The dense wave of cannon fire landed on the bodies of the Subterranean Mutants and reduced them to meat paste.
“Advance!”
The sergeants of the various squads roared, and the Sunil force marched forward in neat rows and synchronized steps.
Rumble!
Right at this moment, a rumbling sound could be heard from the direction of the nest, and the ground began to tremor. It was the sound of thousands of beasts approaching them.
“Defensive formation! Hold your ground!”
The Sunil forces adjusted their formation swiftly and prepared themselves for the impact.
Boom!
A black wave flooded over from all the different tunnels. The second nest was also home to millions of mutants.
Right at this moment, Herlous’ voice thundered.
“Black Star mercenaries, all weapons free!”
The army of players charged out, and rainbow-colored lights covered the entire battlefield.
Boom!
Both waves collided with each other, and war broke out!
…
At the same time, Han Xiao arrived at the Sunil research facility with Feidin and borrowed the few Subterranean Mutants that they captured alive previously.
The ten or so Subterranean Mutants were locked up separately and were not allowed to come into contact with each other. A small pile of Prophecy Stones was placed in the middle for them to establish telepathic connection.
“You are the expert; I shall hand them over to you,” Han Xiao said.
Feidin smiled and released his psychic energy.
The Subterranean Mutants used the Prophecy Stones as a communication hub. As long as a Psychic could tune his psychic energy to the same frequency as the mutants, he would be able to communicate with the mutants.
After a period of adjustment, Feidin’s eyes lit up. “Success!”
Just as he said that, his expression immediately became weird.
“What’s wrong?” Han Xiao raised his brows.
“Er… things are slightly different from what I expected,” Feidin said with a weird tone. “Accept my mental connection. I will pull you into the conversation.”
Han Xiao nodded and did not reject Feidin’s mental connection.
The instant he accepted the connection, his vision was split into two. One was the real world, and the other was a vast white colored space without an end in sight. This was the telepathic space, and he could cut off the connection at any time.
The Subterranean Mutants and Feidin were also in this space, and their locations were the same as in reality. They all took on the appearance of glowing bodies, and only their silhouettes could be seen.
Before Han Xiao could even react, he could hear the mutants chattering away.
“Eh? Another one of our brethren.”
“Why do they look slightly different? They’re too ugly.”
Han Xiao was stunned for a moment and never expected the Subterranean Mutants to treat him as one of them. The mutants must have thought that the only ones who could enter this telepathic world were their own kind.
These Subterranean Mutants then changed the topic and began to chat among themselves.
“Why are we locked up?”
“I don’t know. Also, you asked this question before.”
“Those long creatures look so strange. They actually feed us food and take away our feces.”
“Haha, I understand! Our feces must be their food!”
“I see! I understand too! So, the more we excrete, the more they will feed us!”
“How sick, there are actually those who eat feces.”
“Hehe, I just had a nice, big sh*t. They will definitely have a full meal.”
“Woah, how amazing.”
Just what is this nonsense… Han Xiao listened until his mouth cramped up. However, this conclusion was truly sensible from the perspective of the mutants.
He had thought that these mutants would be filled with hatred but never expected their conversation to be so casual and light-hearted…
