Chapter 3: The Nether forces are practically the destroyers of civilization; they do not preserve any intellectual creations, whether mystical or technological in nature, and will destroy them all.
Initially, Su Xiao believed that the Nether forces' invasion of this world was merely to seize the Abyssal Jar, the three Withered Hearts, and something held by the Empire.
Now, it seems this is only part of the Nether forces' intentions.
Su Xiao set these thoughts aside for now. If Platinum Capital didn't attack tonight, he would assault it by dawn. With a total of 280,000 Demon Beasts, this was already a formidable force.
Su Xiao had a lingering suspicion: Did Wu Ying Suo La Luo's decision to retreat to Platinum Capital indicate that something was there?
Nether energy was indeed powerful, but as a supernatural energy invading this world, without a power source or similar, the Corrupters would struggle to display such combat prowess.
In other words, there might be an energy channel directly connecting to the Nether's main base within Platinum Capital, or perhaps an energy relay device. Otherwise, the method of opening Dark Holes everywhere was far too unscientific.
Destroying that "Energy Relay Device" would bring numerous benefits. Once done, he would launch an assault by dawn. Constantly being on the defensive was not Su Xiao's style.
Su Xiao checked the notification that had appeared earlier. Upon seeing it, his mood, which had been lifted by the recent victory, suddenly turned from sunny to cloudy.
[Reminder: You have obtained 5,000 Soul Coins.]
This was the reward for first place from a minor settlement of the Reputation Leaderboard this morning. Receiving 5,000 Soul Coins was a good thing; the problem was that his reputation value was now only 27 points.
Who the hell would have thought that this thing could turn a negative into a positive? Damn it, "redemption weakens by three points" was an understatement. This was far more than a three-point loss. If there were no specific rankings after 100th place, the throne of last place would undoubtedly belong to Su Xiao.
However, Su Xiao saw this situation as normal. First, in the eyes of the people and the World Consciousness of this world, although he was still a notorious villain, compared to the Nether forces, his reputation was indeed much better.
This time, he had crushed the Nether forces. The outside world still viewed him as a villain, but they had silently reclassified him from "the enemy's villain" to "our side's villain."
A villain on one's own side—how could that be called a villain? It was called acting without restraint. Please don't laugh; once people become beneficiaries, their moral standards generally loosen considerably.
Su Xiao was currently facing this situation. The newspapers and media in New Star City had collectively lost their memory, forgetting how they had slandered Su Xiao just a few days ago. Now, they unanimously praised the achievements of the Sun Holy Nest. Of course, in their descriptions, New Star City was definitely the better side.
Su Xiao wasn't worried about being at the bottom of the Reputation Leaderboard. He would continue to fight the Nether forces later, and at most, he would climb back up with positive reputation points.
If Su Xiao charged to first place with positive reputation points, it would be a massive blow to the second through fifth places, and the humiliation would be equally strong.
It was like a 1,500-meter race at a sports meet. A contestant first ran a large lap in the wrong direction, then suddenly "changed their mind" and started running correctly, ultimately winning first place. Faced with this situation, the second through fifth place contestants would definitely cover their faces and hastily withdraw, refusing to admit they had ever participated in this race for the rest of their lives.
[Reminder: You have successfully repelled the first wave of attacks from the Nether Faction. Your Main Quest: Sixth Ring has been activated.]
[Due to the exceptionally unique circumstances of this world, this quest is optional. The Hunter may choose one of the following quest branches to continue completing this Main Quest.]