The Last Sentinel

"【Daxia Entertainment】Tengyi Online Game Carnival Phase 2 Grand Opening! This carnival differs from the previous online game super player selection. This time, the designated game for Tengyi Games Group is 【P社·Stellaris】. According to insiders, this selection is not an individual competition but a guild system. The company headquarters will select the top ten strongest Stellaris guilds. Each participating guild will have 150 official members and 50 reserve members, for a total of 2000 slots (Note: "2,000" is a reasonable expression here; it could be changed to "2,000" for greater precision, but the original sentence is grammatically correct and will not be corrected according to the rules). Although the number of participants has increased this time, the rewards have not diminished; in fact, they are even more generous than the first one. All 【P社·Stellaris】 players are welcome to participate enthusiastically…"

A single news item instantly stirred up a massive wave in the otherwise calm society of Great Xia.

After all, the rewards for the first carnival were the highest in the gaming industry, with a minimum of tens of millions and a maximum of hundreds of millions (after tax).

Now, only six months after the first phase, the second phase has begun, and the rewards have been even better!

Has Tengyi's headquarters gone mad? Has a spendthrift son appeared on the board? How can they be so willing to throw money around like this!

On Paradox Interactive's forum, the popularity of the "Stellaris" section instantly soared to nine figures, with trending posts scrolling by wildly.

"[Focus on the Carnival] Is this a conspiracy or a reward? I now strongly suspect that the organizers want to gather us all together and then carry out a mass execution!"

"【Conspiracy! BlizzCon is a Plot Trap】I bet you can guarantee that this BlizzCon is a trap, a surefire way to gather up all of us most outstanding, inhuman interstellar war criminals and execute us all! As everyone knows, every single veteran Paradox Interactive player, if you line them up and shoot them, not one of them is innocent! They're all utterly inhuman, no, completely devoid of humanity! We're the pigs, and the organizers are the ones behind this Plot Trap. This wave is designed to wipe us all out! Everyone, don't go!"

"【Carnival Controversy】Is the person upstairs suffering from persecution complex? If the official team really wanted to target you, they would have come to your door to check your water meter. Would you have the right to spout nonsense in the game? Besides, we're just playing the game. Even if our thoughts are a bit extreme, that's only within the game. In reality, we are all law-abiding citizens. Why would the official team bother with a Carnival scam?"

"Hey buddy upstairs, stop talking nonsense. You think I won't recognize you just because you've taken off your alias? You're from the second-tier Star River Righteous Path: Prosperous Dynasty, right? Log in! What are you doing hiding in your lair all day?!"

"Who do you think you are, you piece of trash from the Summit of Stars! Shut up and get in the game!"

"Who dares to insult my Peak of Stars? The Pillar of Creation? No, it should be the World-Shaking Clouds! You bunch of bastards! I'll settle this with you in the game!"

"A circus is a circus. We've lost so many times, yet we keep trying. How dare you speak like that!"

"Who are you calling a circus! Meow Meow Rider! A bunch of whales together can't even beat a second-tier, poor Yanhuang Iron Brigade. They're being chased and hacked down by Dudu Wangu, and Huang Wuhen even stole your sister-in-law away..."

In front of the screen, a young man in dirty mechanic clothes sat on the repair bench, scanning the posts on the screen, and couldn't help but curse, "Those bastards from Jingshi Liuyun, you were nowhere to be seen during S1, but now you're all coming out to stir up trouble."

Just then, a phone rang.

The young man answered the phone, and laughter came from the other end, "Old Huang! Did you see the news? Tengyi Group has launched the second Super Game Carnival! The prize money is even more outrageous than the first time, and this time it's specifically for our [Stars] game! Most importantly, it's a guild selection competition! What do you say, want to join in?"

The young man said, "Come on, I haven't touched [Stellaris] for almost five years, my skills are outdated."

The other side said, "No way! The brothers are all here, the management of the Eternal Domination Guild hasn't disbanded, and the Thirteen Protectors can be regrouped anytime. Back in the day, we dominated the S1 server, the pinnacle of single-guild dominance! Whether it was the Genesis system or the Cluster system, no one dared to challenge us one-on-one! If we go for it this time, we'll definitely have a chance!"

The young man said, "Stop kidding! I really can't. I have two sons now! I don't have time to play games with you guys!"

The person on the other end said, "This time, just by participating, you can get a guaranteed prize of ten million! The Cluster Star System, the Genesis System, and the Astounding Clouds have all participated! Peach from the Cluster Star System, Zhongyu, Xuan Zong and Huan Zong from the Genesis System, Datun, Xiaobai, Wanlong, and Zhanhuo from the Astounding Clouds in Beijing, as well as Xinghe Zhengtu, Shengde Taira, Yanhuang Tielu, the Circus, and even the wealthy and powerful group of Meow Meow Riders have signed up. Our [Unrivaled Through the Ages] dominated S1 back then, but we didn't fight against them in S2 and S3. Don't you feel regretful?"

The young man said, "Forget it, I'm thirty years old already, past the age of playing video games!"

The person on the other end said, "This time it's a guild registration system. I'm the vice president of [Eternal Domination]. I've registered you. Just wait, the Tengyi Group headquarters will be visiting you soon. My brothers and I are waiting for you!"

The call ended, the young man sighed, and turned to start repairing the car.

At this moment, a rumbling sound resounded throughout the heavens and earth. The man was stunned for a moment. Why did the sky turn dark?

Looking up again, a streamlined vortex-jet spaceship slowly descended, its silver-blue flying fish shape and terrifying size—the size of a basketball court—seemed like something out of a science fiction movie.

Soon, a guiding light projection appeared below the spaceship, and dozens of armed soldiers in black combat suits surrounded the young man.

The young man was somewhat bewildered, and hesitantly looked at one of the leading captains, "Y-hello, this is a car repair shop, we can't repair spaceships..."

The captain glanced at the young man, then looked at his watch and read, "[Starry Sky S1 - Unrivaled Through the Ages] Guild and Legion Leader, Huang Wuhen?"

The young man asked, "Who are you?"

The captain continued, "[Unrivaled Through the Ages] Legion Commander Huang Wuhen, known for his profound knowledge of astronomy and geography, his literary and martial prowess, and his ability to adapt to any situation, has shattered the illegal organization of the Holy Roman Empire and expelled two factions and three alliances from Ireland to the Khitan, from Athens to Philadelphia, from Rome to Constantinople, from Hearts of Iron to the Stars Universe. At his peak, he planted his flag at the pinnacle of S1, was invincible, and claimed to be the most loyal hound of the Ming Dynasty. His catchphrase is that Class A is just the limit for war criminals, not the limit for me, Huang Wuhen. My fleet is still here, so what right do you have to judge me? Forget about sociological and moral issues, just tell me whether I won or not!"

Huang Wuhen's face stiffened with embarrassment. "This person, you may have the wrong person. I am actually a kind person, not as extreme as you say."

The captain added, "He suffers from mild schizophrenia; he has two different personalities in and out of the game. Yes, that perfectly matches the description."

"Mr. Huang Wuhen, we are the offline public relations team of Tengyi Group. Your vice president, Huang Wuji, recommended you and your guild, [Duduan Wangu]. After discussion among the group's senior management, [Duduan Wangu]'s S1 performance meets the requirements of the game's Super Carnival. You and your guild are exempt from the preliminary stage and will directly enter the qualifying rounds."

Huang Wuhen declined, saying, "No, I don't want to participate..."

The captain handed over a card. "There are ten million in this card. It's your resettlement allowance. Whether you participate or not, this ten million is a gift from the Human Alliance. Spend it as you please."

Huang Wuhen accepted the black crystal card, then hesitated and said, "Even if I don't participate, the money is still mine?"

The captain thought for a moment, then slapped his forehead. "I forgot, you're the legion commander and guild leader, you're worth 50 million! Please change your card! Also, your wife and son will receive a gene boost, directly increasing their lifespan to the maximum of 200 years! All of this is free! You'll get it even if you don't participate!"

Huang Wuhen's eyes widened. "Lifespan increased? This..."

A team member behind him said, "Reporting to the captain, Huang Wuhen's father's terminal illness has just been cured at our base, and his lifespan has been extended to two hundred years."

The captain raised his hand and said, "Mr. Ara, please confirm!"

Huang Wuhen's face turned pale, and he quickly dialed the number.

Ten minutes later.

Huang Wuhen's eyes burned with fervor as he bowed ninety degrees to the captain before him. "Thank you so much, sir, for saving my father! I will do whatever you ask!"

"No need to be so polite." The captain patted Huang Wuhen on the shoulder. "Just come with us."

Huang Wuhen said, "I still need to pick up my son from school..."

"Someone will pick you up. Come with us, time is of the essence!"

"good!"

The spaceship vanished instantly, and the blue light dissipated.