Chapter 2: Bounty
The Lord's Train came to a halt, the doors opened, and Bubu Wang boarded. This was a convenient stop to pick him up. Baha was farther away and would be collected later; moreover, as a Space System user, Baha was already heading toward Su Xiao's location.
As for Amu, when he first entered this world, his position was still displayed on the team member information. However, half an hour later, Amu's location marker grew increasingly faint and eventually disappeared.
This was, of course, not Amu's death. Amu had entered the state of Solitary Gluttony. Looking at Amu's avatar, one could see that the edges of his icon on the team list had begun to burn with a faint, ethereal Abyssal Black Flame.
"Woof."
"Mm."
"Woof woof."
"No rush."
"Woof."
Bubu Wang was still somewhat worried about Amu. He connected to the train's control system and waited for Su Xiao to sense for a moment.
"This direction."
"Woof."
Bubu Wang barked once and began precise positioning. Su Xiao could sense the general location of the Abyss Passage, while Bubu Wang, based on that general range, could begin precise positioning once they were close enough to the Abyss Passage.
The Lord's Train sped along, and before long, it arrived near a city. Since cities in this world lacked high walls or similar defenses, the train easily entered this large city. According to Bubu Wang's positioning, this city was named "Infos City." The North Port they had been at earlier was under the jurisdiction of Infos City.
How did Bubu Wang know this? The answer was that this world possessed the most advanced "Network Cluster," and the Empire's network cluster had already ascended to a "Super Intelligent Network Cluster."
Simply put, this was a super-intelligence with high intelligence that adhered to all "Network Ordinances." It was highly intelligent, but that didn't mean it possessed sapience. The prerequisite for sapience was self-awareness, and the Empire wouldn't be foolish enough to allow such a "Network Cluster" to develop a sense of self.
Theoretically, a "Super Intelligent Network Cluster" of this level was impossible to invade. The problem was Bubu Wang's abilities:
Skill 1, Mechanical Heart (Basic Passive, Lv.90): This is a Technology Side · Mechanical Branch · Basic Skill. Enhances all manufactured and controlled technological mechanical creations, and increases "Intrusion Ability Rank +1"...
Skill 2, Mechanical Activation (Passive, X): All mechanical creations manufactured by Bubuteni will have an internally activated mechanical state. While weaknesses appear, overall performance increases by 1200%.
Skill 3, Cluster Effect (Passive, X): The number of mechanical creations Bubuteni can control is reduced by 99.99%, but Bubuteni's "Intrusion Ability Rank +3." Most known technology-side racial networks cannot resist an intrusion of this rank.
Skill 4, Mechanical Sacrifice (Passive, X): All of Bubuteni's mechanical creations have their Strength, Agility, and Stamina attributes reduced by 99.99%. Bubuteni's "Intrusion Ability Rank +5."
Skill 5, My Life is Mine, Not Heaven's (Passive, X): Bubuteni's Intelligence Attribute and Charm Attribute will both add to "Basic Passive · Mechanical Heart," thereby gaining "Intrusion Ability Rank +2."
Skill 6, Intellectual Assimilation (Passive, X): When Bubuteni invades any enemy network system, he will assimilate the intelligence level of the enemy's "Network Cluster" to a certain extent, causing the enemy's "Network Cluster" to have its "Intrusion Resistance Rank -3."
Skill 9, Ah, I'm Dead (Passive, Self-Learned Skill): After Bubuteni integrates into the environment, he can enter a feigned death state, greatly enhancing the effect of environmental integration (additional Stealth Rank +2). And when Bubuteni enters the feigned death stage, the enemy "Network Cluster" he has invaded will also passively enter a feigned death state, ceasing all levels of operation.
...
Skill 2 "Mechanical Activation" allowed Bubu Wang to create the ultimate intrusion device. The unassuming military laptop he was currently controlling was, in fact, highly activated internally, with all performance aspects maxed out, capable of overloaded operation when needed.
Did you think that was all? Of course not. At the bottom of the Lord's Train's carriage was a super terminal built by Bubu Wang. If Bubu Wang's handheld terminal was the son, then that bulky, 3.7-ton train-mounted terminal was the great-grandfather.
While on the Lord's Train, Bubu Wang wasn't controlling the mobile terminal in his hand but was connected to the train-level large terminal.
If this were compared to a weapon, it would probably be at the Immortal Rank, with a rating of over 8500. Moreover, all of Bubu Wang's abilities combined resulted in "Intrusion Ability Rank +11," and also inflicted "Intrusion Resistance Rank -3" on the enemy.
With this give-and-take, Bubu Wang's invasion of this world's "Network Cluster" was truly a one-sided affair without a peep.
"Woof."
Bubu barked, meaning: 'Boss, the Empire's royal city, Star Radiance City, has noticed you. An organization called the "Imperial Special Affairs Department" has stored your information in a highly alert and highly confidential database.'
"Find out the forces behind the Mechanical God Cult, the Royal Family, and the Three Ministers."
"Woof."
Bubu Wang barked once and began to concentrate on wreaking havoc on the Empire's "Network Cluster."
Su Xiao admired the scenery outside the window. What lay hidden behind the Empire was unclear to him for now, but the old King, Roald Saint Adez, was indeed a rare wise ruler. Setting aside the Empire's booming economy, the fact that the frequency of wars in this world had decreased by 90% since his ascension spoke volumes.
Whether the old King was a hidden schemer or the ultimate boss behind the scenes was unknown. But if a schemer had hidden his true nature his entire life, to the point of being old and frail, even nearing death, without ever revealing his schemes, one must ultimately judge by deeds, not intentions.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang sent Su Xiao the useful parts of the highest-level confidential information from the "Network Cluster." Su Xiao picked up the terminal beside him to review.
Although the forces behind these three parties were powerful and held absolute authority, over several thousand years, traces were inevitably left behind. Moreover, two of them had no intention of completely hiding.
The Mechanical God Cult was indeed backed by the Gods. However, the issue was that the Gods' method of controlling their clergy wasn't through devout faith or similar means. They genuinely provided them with a complete method of Mechanical Ascension, or even gave them the opportunity to become gods.
As long as one had talent, joining the Mechanical God Cult meant having power, status, authority, and everything else in abundance. Given the vast population of intelligent beings in this world, the Mechanical God Cult never recruited members externally. Instead, one had to pass a series of rigorous assessments to join.
Therefore, Su Xiao, who was initially hostile to the Gods, was effectively hostile to the Mechanical God Cult as well.
Next was the Royal Family. Behind them was the "Soul Clock Tower."
This was a force renowned in both the First and Second Eras. One might ask, why didn't the Soul Clock Tower leave a significant mark in history like the Ancient Dragons, the Sun, the Lords, or the Gods?
Was it because they weren't strong enough? No, they were incredibly powerful. The Soul Faction of today's Arcane Eternal Star, the hegemon of the Void, was once like a twin brother to the Soul Clock Tower in the past.
The problem was that the Soul Clock Tower was too insane. Their core secret art, "Ultimate Sublimation," which involved opening "Soul Holes" on the head, caused their power to continuously rise. The price was that the more "Soul Holes" one opened, the more extreme and insane their personality became. They appeared calm and normal on the surface, but once provoked, they would erupt into explosive madness and hysteria.
If Su Xiao had to face the Soul Clock Tower behind the Royal Family, it would undoubtedly be a formidable enemy.
Needless to say, the Soul Faction of Arcane Eternal Star had likely been in contact with this world's Soul Clock Tower since very early on, perhaps even the Second Era. They must have agreed never to spread the secret art "Ultimate Sublimation" externally, as it was a foundational treasure art for both sides.
They might have even established a treaty stating that if "Ultimate Sublimation" were ever found circulating in the outside world, both sides would send people to annihilate the source.
Having clarified the backgrounds of the Mechanical God Cult and the Royal Family, the next was the force behind the "Three Ministers." This one was equally heavyweight.
One of the several major Abyss Descendants, undying and indestructible, representing the beastly "Luen Family."
They were the Three Ministers, or rather, the controllers behind the Empire's three great families.
The Gods, the Soul Clock Tower, and the Abyss Descendant · Luen Family.
Suffice it to say, the situation in this world was no longer a hellish start; it was a fully enhanced nightmare difficulty.
But for Su Xiao, this was, in a way, good news. If this world only had the Gods, then Su Xiao would be waiting for Lord Soul's pursuit. The problem was that this was a world controlled by the Gods, the Soul Clock Tower, and the Luen Family.
Arcane Eternal Star was certainly unafraid of these three parties. The key was whether it was worth it, and the situation in the Void was already enough to give Arcane Eternal Star a headache. A second, unclosable giant Abyss Passage had appeared a month ago.
Bubu Wang, while browsing this world's historical records, discovered that since the Second Era, when the original unknown major power of this world was destroyed, no "Supreme Peak" had ever entered this world. This made one wonder whether it was because this world rejected "Supreme Peaks," or... for some more peculiar reason?
This Semi-Transcendent Realm seemed more complex than imagined. Moreover, this place gave Su Xiao an exceptionally familiar feeling.
After weighing the options for a moment, Su Xiao decided to fight it out with these fellows. If he didn't seize the opportunity to grow stronger, when Lord Soul arrived, being killed in a single exchange would be entirely normal. A Supreme and a "Supreme Peak" were almost two different concepts.
Besides these secret pieces of intelligence, Bubu Wang also discovered a major event through the "Network Cluster." A month ago, this world's diviners had divined a strange object falling into this world. This object was called the [Star Heart].
Currently, the three major powers of this world were fighting tooth and nail over this [Star Heart]. Its characteristic was that if someone was about to advance to "Supreme Peak," absorbing it during the breakthrough could increase the success rate by twenty percent.
What made it even more critical was that the [Star Heart] that had fallen this time was the size of a soccer ball.
Su Xiao tried to consult Reincarnation Paradise with his current authority about the function of this [Star Heart]. It was indeed as the sages of this world had said: it could increase the probability of advancing to "Supreme Peak." Given the specifications of this [Star Heart], it was estimated to be enough for two powerful beings to use.
If it were only enough for one powerful being, the Gods, Soul Clock Tower, and Luen Family might have been able to restrain themselves, with only those qualified to step toward "Supreme Peak" coming out to compete. But since the [Star Heart] was enough for two, the conflict escalated from personal competition to a dispute between factions.
The more core issue was that, fundamentally, the [Star Heart] was a strange object for self-enhancement. It wasn't only usable by those about to advance to "Supreme Peak." Over eighty percent of power systems could use this thing.
Given the resource consumption of a Technique Type, it naturally fell within this eighty percent range. Reincarnation Paradise provided clear, relevant information. Su Xiao could use this [Star Heart] to enhance his three Grandmaster abilities, which had already entered a sealed state.
In principle, the rank of [Star Heart] was clearly higher than that of "Initial Skill Points." This made Su Xiao very interested in this object.
Just then, a notification appeared.
[Bounty has been activated...]
[Your current Space-Time Power: 20898.5 ounces.]
[Your current world: Semi-Transcendent · Primordial World · Realm of the Gods.]
[Verification complete: You have completed your first Supreme Rank world and achieved a Reincarnation Level (SSSS) evaluation. This action will increase the level of your "Hunt Bounty · Blood Pact" by an additional Lv.3.]
[Because you have completed your first Supreme Rank world, your "Hunt Bounty · Blood Pact" will receive a level increase: Base increase Lv.2 + Additional Lv.3, totaling an increase of Lv.5.]
[Re-calibrating the bounty multiplier of "Hunt Bounty · Blood Pact"...]
[Increased from a 5x bounty quota to a 300x bounty quota, with the maximum world bounty quota reaching 5000x.]
[Verification complete: You have advanced to Supreme. The reward phase of "Hunt Bounty · Blood Pact" has passed. Entering the formal phase.]
[The bounty content for the formal phase is: World Bounty / Event Bounty.]