The Legendary Mechanic

Of course, Han Xiao would not go overboard.

Although his mission was to take revenge against the entire Modo Civilization, most of them were innocent. If it was not for his mission, he would not want to do something like this either.

The masterminds were mainly the leaders of the Modo Civilization, and Han Xiao planned to deal with the important officials of the Modo Civilization. As for the other members of the Modo Civilization, Han Xiao planned to observe the situation first before deciding. There was no need to be so extreme at the start.

It would still be fine if he assassinated some individuals with high potential who had yet to grow up. However, there would definitely cause a backlash if he assassinated an individual with high authority.

Furthermore, if a large number of officials within the Modo Civilization were assassinated, the Modo Civilization would not be the only party being enraged. The other Star Cluster Civilizations would also feel threatened and work together to deal with the threat.

As such, the advantage of having a backer was immediately shown. Although the dynasty would not carry out large-scale assassination operations, they did not mind their allies doing the dirty work. That was especially so since the Modo Civilization was the mastermind behind the Kunde Race affair. Although the losses of the dynasty were not large, they still suffered some losses. How would they be able to give an answer to the warriors who died in the Kunde Race war if they did not cause a storm of blood?

Furthermore, it would always be politically correct for the three Universal Civilizations to suppress these Super Star Cluster Civilizations. If not for him having the dynasty's support, he would attract trouble to himself even if he was a local tyrant.

Assassinations had never been something that could be openly admitted, but they had always been effective. However, some things could be proven by history. Regardless of whether an individual died, the wheels of history would not stop rolling forward. The only difference was whether it rolled quickly or slowly.

If the dynasty attempted to suppress the Modo Civilization in the various domains, while it would cause a Super Star Cluster Civilization to suffer, it would be difficult to cause great damage to them—unless the dynasty was willing to ignore their own losses and pay a huge price.

As for assassinations, it was an extremely cost-effective method.

Han Xiao decided to take on the dirty job. It was both for the mission reward and because the dynasty wanted to punish the mastermind.

As such, he was not afraid of the assassinations being discovered. In order to warn the other party, not only must the assassinations be known, the other organizations had to suspect that the dynasty was behind it.

This way, the other Super Star Cluster Civilizations would know that this matter would not affect them. Even if they were dissatisfied, they would not make a move.

The Modo Civilization took the initiative to create trouble, and the other party was a civilization even more powerful than them. Who can they blame but themselves for suffering the other party's revenge?

As for whether or not assassinations were breaking the rules set by the civilizations… what can they do about that?

Unless they are strong enough for others to listen to them obediently, it's a joke to think that they can get others to submit through virtue.

Han Xiao then opened the intelligence report that the Mechanic Emperor had sent him and confirmed his assassination target.

The ones in charge of the Kunde Race plan would definitely be an officer of the intelligence department. Their information was recorded in the intelligence report that Manison had given him, and Han Xiao decided to take care of these individuals first. They were not kind individuals, and getting rid of them would definitely cause some loss to the Modo Civilization's intelligence department.

"I can be considered a famous bigshot right now, and it isn't suitable for me to personally carry out assassinations. Lothaire is the most suitable choice." Han Xiao nodded.

This was not only a mission but also a form of training.

He had high expectations of Lothaire and felt that Lothaire was an individual worthy of being groomed.

…

Not too long later, Lothaire met up with Han Xiao's mechanical soldiers.

"Your Excellency Black Star." Lothaire greeted Han Xiao's Lord avatar.

Han Xiao sized Lothaire up from head to toe. Lothaire was currently dressed completely in black with his face being covered with a black scarf. Only his cold eyes can be seen.

After many years of training, Lothaire's aura had become concealed, and he could move without making any sound. When he intentionally restrained his aura, his presence would be greatly reduced.

He was an agility-focused Pugilist and had the subclass [Assassin]. Furthermore, he also had various talents to conceal himself and was a genius in this regard.

Lothaire had already accepted a new batch of assassins into the newly established Assassin's Society. He personally trained these assassins and developed them secretly.

"It has been a long time since we last met. There is a name list and some information over here."

Han Xiao knew Lothaire's personality and did not bother exchanging pleasantries with him.

After accepting the name list, Lothaire looked through it carefully, and a ball of flames burst out from his palms.

Hu!

The name list was then reduced to ash.

He is a professional assassin indeed, Han Xiao commented in his heart.

"This list is pretty long, and I will need some time to get rid of them all," Lothaire said.

"There's no need to rush. I will provide you with intelligence."

Han Xiao waved his arms before handing a long box over to Lothaire.

"This is a present for you. Take a look."

Lothaire opened the box, and a gold light flowed out from it. Lothaire looked carefully at the item in the box—the Deity Assassinator.

While waiting for Lothaire to arrive, Han Xiao had sent the Deity Assassinator over from the Flickering World.

Lothaire then studied the spear and grabbed it.

The next moment, his eyes narrowed.

A gold light burst forth from where he touched the spear.

Hum!

Golden strands of energy stretched out from his arms and very quickly approached his heart. Lothaire's eyes also began glowing with a golden light.

"Eh? This is…" Han Xiao was surprised upon seeing such a scene.

Nothing had happened when he and Nero touched the Deity Assassinator. Could it be that this weapon gave Pugilists a special bonus?

However, that was not stated in the item details, and there were other Pugilists that had come into contact with the Deity Assassinator before as well. Why was it such that this strange occurrence only happened with Lothaire?

Han Xiao waited patiently for a while before the golden light receded from Lothaire's body, and his eyes returned to normal.

"What's going on?" Han Xiao asked.

Lothaire did not reply but used his actions to answer. He let go of the Deity Assassinator, and the Deity Assassinator floated beside him. He did not make use of any Pugilist flames to control it at all.

All of a sudden, the Deity Assassinator disappeared with a golden flash, and Lothaire rolled his sleeves up to reveal a tattoo on his wrist in the shape of the Deity Assassinator. The tattoo then transformed back into a spear with a flash. This was one of the enchantments on the Deity Assassinator. It was able to be transformed into an enchantment for storage. However, it was in an unactivated state in Han Xiao's hands.

Upon seeing that, Han Xiao understood what was going on.

"You set up a soul connection with it?"

"Yes. For some reason, this weapon resonates with me."

Lothaire nodded. Stretching out his arms, the Deity Assassinator returned to his hands.

Han Xiao immediately felt his heart turn sour.

Nero's one thing. But even you aren't a human anymore, huh‽

Touching an equipment and forming resonance with it? Why can't something good like that happen to me?

In order to make the Spacetime Amber and Evolution Cube fall in love with me, I spent so much effort…

Right at this moment, Han Xiao thought about something.

"Deity Assassinator… this name…"

He suddenly realized that the name of this weapon was similar to Lothaire's experience in his previous life.

Lothaire went to assassinate EsGod in his previous life and did not return after that… As for the individual who assassinated EsGod… was he not a Deity Assassinator?

Thinking about this, Han Xiao's eyes changed.

F*ck! Nero actually dug this thing out for him?

Then, aren't I like Santa‽

"Do you like it?" Han Xiao weakly said.

"Thank you," Lothaire said emotionlessly. But looking at him play with the Deity Assassinator enjoyably, it could be seen just how much he liked the gift.

"As long as you like it. In any case, I shall leave the mission with you," Han Xiao said.

Lothaire recalled the Deity Assassinator and nodded.

…

Two months later, in a rundown bar on one of the Modo Civilization's colonial planets, the customers were in groups of twos and threes, chatting with each other casually.

Even in the interstellar era, social interaction was still a must, and bars like this were extremely common.

All of a sudden, the chattering in the bar became softer, and everyone looked at the holographic screen floating in the bar.

At this moment, the news was being played on the holographic screen, and the entire bar became silent.

"Yesterday, an assassination took place, and the victim is an important intelligence officer called Madison. He suffered an ambush when out on a business trip. He had plenty of bodyguards with him during the incident, but a spear appeared from nowhere, nailing him to the ground. The spear then disappeared, and the culprit was not seen.

"This is the fifth intelligence official that has been assassinated in recent times, and the rage of the upper echelons is at its peak. The three Kings personally signed a bounty to catch the culprit.

"The murderer always uses a spear, and we do not have much intelligence on him. Although many organizations have taken responsibility for the assassinations, we aren't clear about which organization the assassin belongs to or his motives. For the assassin to be able to grasp the whereabouts of the intelligence officers and avoid records when entering the various planets, he must have a special organization behind him. Before the exact reason is…"

After listening to the news, everyone had an ugly look on their face.

Someone said with fear in his eyes, "Just what is going on recently. Why are there so many assassinations? Plus, the targets are all the high officials. This is truly too unbelievable!"

"That's right. How many years has it been since we witnessed something like this? Even the officials have been assassinated. This is truly too much!"

Many of the customers in the bar growled with furious indignation. They could not hide the fear in their hearts.

This was not as simple as just a few officials dying. This was a matter that would cause fear to spread within society and cause social unrest!

When meeting such an incident, the Modo Civilization should have thought about locking down information. However, while they were able to control their local media organizations, they could not control the foreign media organizations.

The first report of the assassinations was made by these foreign media organizations. Furthermore, the evidence was solid, and there was nowhere to hide. As such, the entire Star Field became aware of the event, and a huge commotion was caused. Without even thinking, the Modo Civilization knew that this was the method of organization behind the assassin.

The bartender shook his head in resignation. Just when he was about to continue wiping the cups, he found a few coins on the bar counter. It was rare for individuals to still use physical cash, but it was still an acceptable method of payment.

"This is…"

The bartender scratched his head with doubt.

"Was there someone sitting there? Why can't I remember anything?"

…

At the same time, Tarrokov called Han Xiao over for a discussion.

In the office, Tarrokov showed Han Xiao some information.

"According to Aesop's prophecy, we intercepted a group of stowaways in that unexplored desolate region. After our interrogation, we verified your intelligence, and the mastermind is indeed the Modo Civilization. I will have to thank you for your aid this time."

Han Xiao nodded upon hearing that.

He had already reported his findings to the dynasty, but the dynasty had chosen to tread cautiously. The dynasty had only given tacit approval to his assassination operation but did not conclude that the Modo Civilization was the mastermind. They only confirmed the matter after interrogating the stowaways.

"We also found out who's in charge of this operation," Tarrokov said with a deep voice. "He is an intelligence officer of the Modo Civilization, and we need your help to get rid of him."

"Er… That might not be possible."

"Why?" Tarrokov asked with doubt.

"Because someone who has died cannot die again." Han Xiao shook his head and smiled. He then showed a screen of the news broadcast from the Primeval Star River. "I have already taken care of that fellow. You're too late."

"You are truly quick." Tarrokov was stunned.

"This shouldn't be your only reason for arranging to meet me, right?"

"I really can't hide anything from you." Tarrokov chuckled. "I am here to convey the intentions of the Ruler and the upper echelons."

"Good news or bad news?"

"Er, I don't know," Tarrokov said slowly. "We have already confirmed the mastermind, and the dynasty will take action. The Ruler agrees with the assassination operation to create some destruction to the Modo Civilization. You can be assured about this. If the Modo Civilization has any objections, we will protect you. However, the dynasty will not provide you with any help, and you shouldn't go overboard. It won't be good if you force the Modo Civilization into a corner."

"I know. I won't go too far." Han Xiao waved his hand. If not, I would have even assassinated the three Kings.

"Hmm, the dynasty is also going to suppress the Modo Civilization economically. However, you shouldn't be too hopeful as we won't invest too much in this. You should also know that the federation and church are still suppressing us. Furthermore, we still need to pay for the expenses of exploring the Flickering World and won't have too much energy to take care of the Modo Civilization. Thus, we are only putting up a front to warn the other Super Star Cluster Civilizations."

Han Xiao frowned. "If the warning isn't sufficient, the outsiders may see through the dynasty's weakness and exploit the situation."

The dynasty wanted to send out a warning but did not wish to pay a huge price. This was not in line with the dynasty's benefits.

The requirement of his mission was to damage the Modo Civilization. Although his assassination operation might be effective, this Grade S mission was too vague and did not display any mission progress. He did not know how far away he was from his target.

He would have to put in more effort if the dynasty did not help him.

"I understand," Tarrokov said with resignation. "However, the dynasty is facing too much pressure.

If the target was an ordinary Star Cluster Civilization, the dynasty would be able to easily take care of the other party. However, things were not so simple when dealing with a Super Star Cluster Civilization.

Han Xiao shrugged. "If the pressure is too big, you can just open up the Evolutionary Totem sales."

The Federation of Light and Arcane Church were pressuring the dynasty for the Evolutionary Totems. Since the dynasty refused to budge, the pressure that they faced would naturally increase.

In fact, it could be said that the dynasty was blocking his benefits. If he was allowed to openly sell the totems, he would be able to receive a new batch of orders and receive a never-ending stream of resources.

The individual who had the Evolution Cube in his hands would be able to grasp this huge business opportunity. As such, there were still upper echelons within the dynasty that wanted to snatch the Evolution Cube from Han Xiao so that they could receive the huge pie.

The Limitless Financial Group had not remained idle during the second exploration phase and continued to compete with the Germinal Financial Group.

"Ah, this isn't something that I can participate in." Tarrokov was not willing to talk about this and changed topics. "However, you don't have to worry about the Modo Civilization. Just because the dynasty has its hands full right now doesn't mean that we won't punish the Modo Civilization. The dynasty plans to settle the scores in the fourth exploration phase."

Hearing that, Han Xiao was excited.

The fourth phase would be when the Flickering World opened up to the outside world. This would be a good chance to settle the scores.

All the Super Star Cluster Civilizations were creating so much trouble so that they could receive more benefits from the Flickering World. However, when the Flickering World was opened to the outside world, would the Modo Civilization not be at the mercy of the dynasty when they were in the dynasty's territory?

If the dynasty was even more vicious, they might be able to make the Modo Civilization return with nothing.

The Modo Civilization would have a bleak future if they were recorded in the dynasty's little book.

Thinking about that, Han Xiao did not have any issues with their plan and thought to himself, The Primeval Star River is the other party's territory, and it won't be easy for me to take revenge on them. Things will be much easier when they are in the Flickering World.

This means that it would be likely for me to complete the second requirement during Version 4.0.

Han Xiao planned to remain low profile during this period to fortify his foundations. He could afford to wait.

Han Xiao then smiled at Tarrokov.

"Alright, I shall 'take good care' of them when they come to the Flickering World."