Super Mechanic: God of Superpowers!

Chapter 177 The Battle for Leeks

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ye Xiu took the opportunity to slip into the Godora camp.

The guards in the core area kept the players at bay, which conveniently allowed them to talk privately.

As soon as they sat down, Ye Xiu started talking about the progress of disaster relief.

"Thanks to your intelligence network, all the affected planets are now stable."

Nagokin pulled out a data panel as he spoke, "The research department is working on the antidote development progress."

After they had finished discussing the important matters, Ye Xiu changed the subject: "I saw you guys were hiring when I came over?"

"Haha, you found out." Nagokin was quite nonchalant.

"After observing them for a while, these extraordinary individuals do indeed have amazing potential. With such promising talents, we naturally want to cultivate some of our own people."

Ye Xiu stroked his chin noncommittally, then continued, "Indeed, I've been dealing with supernatural beings for quite some time."

"Even you investigators couldn't figure out their background at first, but after seeing that their behavior was similar to that of normal people, we gradually got used to it."

"In terms of potential, they are indeed not to be underestimated."

Nagokin's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had found a breakthrough, and he said, "By the way, you have a high reputation in the Inhumans' circle, could you lend a hand?"

He noticed that the alien mercenary group did not recruit all inhumans, but had a selection mechanism, which indicated that the other party did not have the ambition to monopolize them.

Furthermore, Ye Xiu's consistently calm attitude further confirmed his judgment, which finally reassured him enough to ask for help.

Ye Xiu's expression suddenly became subtle—what kind of logic is this?

Not only did they blatantly poach my people, but they also wanted me to teach them how to poach their employees.

He nodded without changing his expression: "Offering suggestions is fine, but don't have too high expectations. After all, these extraordinary people are not my personal property; they have their own judgment."

Nagokin pondered for a moment and pressed on, "What magic does your mercenary group possess that makes Inhumans so eager to join you?"

"It's pretty much what you're doing now," Ye Xiu chuckled.

"It's nothing more than introducing the organization's background, analyzing the interstellar situation, and mentioning benefits and compensation."

"The rest is up to the individual to choose. You should promote Godora's advantages more, and sooner or later someone will be tempted."

"That coincides with my thoughts," Nagokin nodded.

He firmly believed that his strategy was sound, but the opponent had simply taken the initiative.

Since the direction was correct, he decided to proceed step by step.

Compared to mercenary groups, joining an interstellar civilization is obviously more attractive; all that's needed is time for the effects to develop.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ye Xiu took his leave and shook his head and chuckled as soon as he stepped out of the camp.

Ye Xiu remained completely unfazed by Godora's standard tactics for recruiting players.

By cultivating relationships with players over a long period of time, the mercenary group has not only clearly established its character design, but also fostered a sense of belonging through a serialized narrative.

How could Nagokin possibly shake such an emotional bond through last-minute efforts?

In terms of resources, he has exclusive access to the interstellar mercenary group;

In terms of sentiment, he has a meticulously crafted mercenary legend;

In terms of fun, there are all sorts of hidden missions and Easter eggs.

His overwhelming advantage in every aspect made it impossible for him to even feign anxiety.

Watching Godora clumsily copy marketing tactics, Ye Xiu could only pat them on the shoulder and say: You guys are still green when it comes to harvesting player resources.

With thorough preparations and a strong sense of confidence, Godora's camp had no chance of winning even without intervention.

In fact, Ye Xiu had already planned that players could be registered in both factions at the same time.

The real moment to choose sides will come during the interstellar expedition; there's no need to rush into a showdown now.

When the crucial moment arrives and a choice must be made between three options, leveraging accumulated advantages and the herd mentality, one's side can definitely generate snowballing popularity.

Which player would give up their mobile base that has its own main city function?

At that time, you'll probably hear the echo of even a pin drop on Godora's side.

However, Ye Xiu always believed in the principle that "advantages should snowball and grow bigger and bigger," so he stroked his chin and began to think of new tricks.

After all, they are still allies in name only, and it would be unwise to break ties directly.

Although the competition is limited, players have all sorts of tastes, and there's no guarantee that someone will prefer a niche approach.

As long as your mercenary group reaches the required size, there's no need to demand a 100% conversion rate.

What's more, after the mission is over, a new recruit training base can be set up on Aquamarine Star. Isn't that just a ready-made field for leeks to be harvested?

"We need to keep increasing our appeal."

Ye Xiu casually twirled the electronic pen, and suddenly the Sky Ring Alliance's ranking system plan popped up on the screen.

His eyes lit up: That's it! Why not create a clear promotion ladder?

Just like supermarket membership cards with different tiers, you can upgrade by accumulating enough points, and the higher the tier, the bigger the discount.

The more players invest, the less willing they are to quit. Isn't that the most natural form of user stickiness?

He acted immediately and designed a six-tier promotion system.

I originally wanted to get some cool titles like "Starry Sea Ranger" or "Galactic Warrior".

However, on second thought, I remembered the Sky Ring Alliance's simple and brutal "fourth ring" and "fifth ring" system.

In the end, the more down-to-earth terms "Bean Master," "Bean Maker," and "Bean King" were chosen.

Just like how spicy hot pot is divided into mild, medium, and extra spicy, anyone can understand that instantly.

Listening to the clattering of the keyboard on the light computer, Ye Xiu whistled triumphantly.

When it comes to naming things, he's always felt that it should be like hot pot dipping sauce—the simpler, the better.

Looking at the newly released ranking system, I can almost see players frantically completing tasks to accumulate points.

The sixth level of the Alien Mercenary System is considered a top-tier title, known as "Interstellar Thirty-Six Bean God".

Of course, this position is not a fixed seat but a dynamic ranking.

Once the basic requirements for becoming the "Bean King" are met, the top 36 players in the real-time rankings will receive a prestigious title.

Moreover, the accompanying benefits are several levels higher than those of the lower-level employees.

This rotating seat is essentially a money-burning arena designed by Ye Xiu for major guilds and big spenders—to secure a place among the thirty-six gods, one must continuously invest.

Although players can view their rank through their personal mercenary profile.

However, interstellar communication devices are not yet widespread, so everyone can only use their armor to look up information.

To determine a mercenary's rank, three key indicators are considered: personal credit score, current faction favorability, and total historical contribution value.

Credit score is accumulated slowly by accepting commissions; the more tasks you complete, the faster it increases.

The faction affinity is easy to understand; newcomers start at the lowest "bean" level.

To advance to "Bean Master", you must first raise your faction affinity to "Friendly".

That is, accumulating 1000 contribution points.

However, even if you use up all your contribution points after being promoted, your level will not drop.

The most crucial element is actually the total contribution value system.

For example, if you have 3000 points in your account, spend 1000 and have 2000 left, but your total contribution value will always show as 3000.

This value records all the points you've accumulated since joining the group.

To advance from a Bean Beginner to a Bean Master, you need to accumulate 20,000 points, which is quite a high threshold.

As soon as the new ranking system went live, players started figuring out how to play it, and they actually discovered a system loophole:

It turns out that when the faction's favorability is below Friendly, 50 Inar can be exchanged for 100 contribution points;

However, once the favorability rating exceeds the friendly rating, the exchange rate jumps directly to 500 Inars for 100 points.

The smart person immediately realized what was going on.

As long as you keep your current contribution value below 1000 points, you can increase your total contribution at the most cost-effective rate!

Players who discovered this trick practically set off fireworks in celebration, thinking they had found a shortcut to getting freebies.

In fact, this was all part of Ye Xiu's plan; he was hoping that the players would think they had gotten a bargain.

The logic is simple: when your current contribution is close to 1,000, you have to spend your contribution points quickly in order to maintain the preferential exchange rate.

The items in the contribution shop must be purchased with additional Inar.

This creates a vicious cycle of consumption traps: "accumulate contribution points - exchange for goods - accumulate contribution points again".

The other two rating indicators are both very strict requirements: credit score requires completing tasks, and there are no shortcuts to improving faction favorability.

The so-called loophole in total contribution value is actually a psychological tactic employed by Ye Xiumai.

They deliberately left a seemingly clever backdoor, luring players into willingly jumping into a pay-to-win vortex.

There are many new mercenaries now, and only a few dozen high-end players who joined early are close to reaching the level of a Master.

Based on the progress bar designed by Ye Xiu, it's estimated that even in two or three more versions, it will be difficult for anyone to reach the highest level.

This was originally a plan prepared for long-term operation.

"The mercenary group's development blueprint has only just begun."

Ye Xiu slumped in his swivel chair, swinging his toes as he watched the contribution value data on the monitor screen refresh rapidly, a sly smile playing on his lips.

As long as you recruit enough players, their combat power can be converted into your own power.

He had enough patience to wait for the seeds to take root and sprout.

drip-

An emergency message suddenly popped up on the communicator.

He casually swiped open the virtual screen, and his previously nonchalant gaze suddenly froze.

News of the long-dormant Dark Star organization launching a surprise attack on three mutated calamities is flashing across the screen.

Ye Xiu's back straightened instantly, and his fingertips unconsciously gripped the armrest of the seat.

"They really did make their move after all."

Two months have passed since the outbreak of the alienation disaster, and Dark Star has remained inactive. This unusual calm makes people feel that something is missing.

Now that the missing piece of the puzzle has finally been put back in place, the entire Garden Galaxy is in an uproar because of this news.

All interstellar citizens knew that Dark Star, as Godora's old adversary, would never let this chaotic feast pass by.

Although there is no evidence yet to suggest a direct link between the Alienation Catastrophe and the Dark Star.

But since they chose to get involved, Godora had no choice but to turn her main focus to this arch-enemy.

The nature of the situation has fundamentally changed.

In the first wave of attacks, the three Godora rescue teams stationed on the disaster planet suffered heavy losses.

Faced with the sudden appearance of the Dark Star fleet, they were caught off guard and had no chance to resist.

Interestingly, Dark Star did not take the opportunity to destroy these three planets.

Instead, it was like a precise surgical operation, specifically targeting rescue forces.

By the time the support fleet arrived, the enemy had already withdrawn, leaving behind only a devastated disaster relief site.

Nearly 80% of the rescue efforts were lost.

Despite Godora immediately raising the alert level and dispatching regular troops to guard the various calamities.

But Dark Star's second offensive still arrived as scheduled.

This time, the two sides clashed head-on in interstellar space. The energy shields flickered under the bombardment of particle cannons, and photon pulses resembled a rainbow bridge spanning the starry sky.

However, when the battle reached its climax, the Dark Star Fleet once again calmly withdrew.

All that remained were the wrecked disaster relief facilities and the distraught Godora garrison.

Compared to Godora's vast territory, Dark Star's most troublesome advantage has always been its elusive combat style.

Their military bases are like hidden reefs in the deep sea; no one knows from which star system the next attack will erupt.

This cat-and-mouse game kept Godora constantly on her toes.

They must maintain daily defenses across a vast star field, while also remaining constantly on guard against the fangs that may be revealed at any moment.

After launching two surprise attacks, Dark Star clearly saw the disaster relief forces as easy targets.

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However, Godora could not withdraw its rescue team because of this—to retreat in the face of battle would be tantamount to showing weakness to the enemy, which would completely go against their style of doing things.

Furthermore, the disaster relief operation has already begun, and abandoning it halfway would not only shake the foundation of the regime but also lose the support of the people.

The situation isn't so bad right now that we have to take this step.

This long-awaited confrontation between the two arch-enemies caused an uproar throughout the Garden System, instantly topping the trending topics list for the Colton Cluster.

"Dark Star will not give up easily. The next wave of attacks could come at any time. Sooner or later, we will have to face their firepower."

In the shelter's conference room, Nagokin tapped the table with a solemn expression.

Of everyone present, only Ye Xiu and Han Xiao truly understood the situation. Bennett and the leaders of the six countries listened attentively, but their faces showed confusion.

Since the first wave of attacks, Aquamarine has been on high alert.

The Godora fleet, which arrived five days ago, is hovering outside the atmosphere, with a defensive network of 120 warships on standby around the clock.

Nagokin is currently preoccupied with preventing disaster relief and recruiting Inhumans, focusing entirely on defending against the Dark Star.

I've met with Ye Xiu seven or eight times in the past few days.

This emergency meeting was primarily intended to prepare shelters and governments for potential threats.

Although Aquamarine has virtually no power to fight back in the face of interstellar war, at least everyone should know where to retreat in times of crisis.

"We were tied down by the disaster relief mission and were completely put on the defensive."

"Dark Star clearly intends to exploit our dispersed forces to defeat us one by one and slowly deplete our military strength."

Nagokin slammed his fist on the conference table and said, "The most troublesome thing is that we can't predict which planet they will target next."

Ye Xiu nodded slightly.

This was indeed Dark Star's tactic, but it was just one link in their elaborate scheme.

Through the Alienation Disaster Plan, these guys aim not only to shake Godora's military power, but also to dismantle the entire ruling system from its very foundation.

After all, if the disaster-stricken planet were truly destroyed, Godora wouldn't have to go through the trouble of disaster relief.

Their strategy is to use a blunt knife to slowly cut through the enemy, dragging them down on the front lines of the rescue effort.

Bennett and the others turned pale, not so much out of fear, but because they knew there was no use in worrying.

"How do you plan to break this deadlock?" he asked, rubbing his temples.

"The Warfare Bureau is mobilizing troops from other star sectors, and the second and third reinforcements are already on their way. We are instructed by higher command to continue disaster relief efforts while simultaneously strengthening vigilance."

Nagokin suddenly stopped speaking at this point. In fact, there had been proposals from higher authorities to forcibly relocate disaster victims.

However, considering the risk of the alien progenitors infiltrating the spaceship, coupled with public pressure, they ultimately had to abandon the plan.

I heard that some hawkish officers in the War Bureau are eager to take action, thinking that this is a good opportunity to lure the enemy out and take advantage of the situation to severely damage the main force of Dark Star.

"So now all we can do is wait?" someone couldn't help but interject.

Nagokin's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally nodded heavily.

In fact, there was a secret order hidden above—if the situation turned unfavorable after engaging the Dark Star Fleet, the priority was to preserve combat power and withdraw from the battlefield.

Even if the attacked planet is destroyed as a result, Godora can only accept her fate.

Ye Xiu rubbed his chin. Although the Dark Star's attack route was completely unpredictable, he knew that the enemy fleet could jump over at any time.

Thankfully, I had just been promoted to the Calamity level, and I had Lao Han, a technical expert, as my backer.

This time, I might be able to grind another wave of reputation in the Shattered Ring.

"It's a pity this isn't a ground engagement."

He stared at the holographic star map and muttered to himself.

Space fleet battles are a hundred times more dangerous than one-on-one duels; it's no longer about hand-to-hand combat with superhumans.

Instead, he faced an overwhelming barrage of planet-destroying artillery fire, which made his temples throb.

However, thinking about the technological superpowers I've copied over the years, I finally felt a little more confident.

As soon as the operational meeting ended, Ye Xiu immediately summoned the mercenary officers.

While demanding that all personnel enter a state of combat readiness, he personally oversaw the transfer of all strategic materials from the spacecraft's cargo hold to the underground bunker.

Those rented civilian spaceships weren't even equipped with shields. If they were actually deployed to the battlefield, they'd probably need repairs after just one salvo. It would be better to keep them as logistics transport teams.

So, the only ones left that can be deployed in combat are the Blacklight Lurkers squadron.

Although there are fewer than ten ships in total, each one is equipped with an antimatter torpedo launcher.

Meanwhile, the shelters began evacuating people and constructing protective fortifications under limited conditions.

Although the refugees, unaware of the truth, cooperated with the instructions, the unease permeating the air almost solidified into a tangible reality.

Thinking of the progress bar for the "Alienation Disaster" in the game system, Ye Xiu rubbed his temples and sighed.

Each Dark Star raid causes the mission progress to plummet. With the current equipment level of the players, they probably won't even be cannon fodder in the space battlefield.

"What if those lunatics change course and wreak havoc on other star systems?"

However, he nipped the thought in the bud as soon as it came to mind.

In the pitch-black universe, the Dark Star Fleet, led by the "Crimson Gole," is sailing silently.

More than two hundred assault ships surrounded them like a pack of wolves, their streamlined hulls covered with particle acceleration tracks.

Inside the command cabin, Nokap stared at the holographic sand table with his hands behind his back, his pupils reflecting the shimmering star map of the Ninth Sector.

This commander, who personally destroyed over a hundred enemy ships but only lost 40% of his forces, is now eyeing his new prey.

"Arrival time?"

"Target contact will be made in seventeen hours."

Before the adjutant could finish speaking, a certain blue planet in the virtual projection suddenly glowed with blood-red light—the coordinates of Aquamarine were flashing at a high frequency.

In the Andia nuclear blast zone, rusted metal debris is embedded diagonally in the scorched earth.

In this death zone where even radioactive cockroaches cannot survive more than three days, a charred skeleton is seen moving unsteadily.

The skeleton, which should have turned to ashes, was not only intact, but also had clumps of wriggling black mud stuck to its cervical vertebrae.

Countless mycelial tentacles spread along the bone seams, manipulating the corpse like puppeteers.

This is the alien progenitor that has evolved into its juvenile stage.

It crossed oceans to reach this nuclear wasteland, greedily absorbing the dense radiation energy in the air.

For it now, this is much tastier than bioelectricity.

This area is known as the Dead Zone, where the carcasses of the beasts that the mutated protozoan inhabited lie dead on the edge of the restricted zone, forcing the protozoan to move deeper into the ruins.

The manipulated skeleton was the remains of the first leader of the Sprouts.

Choosing this body was simple: purely because of its powerful life potential.

This body was a masterpiece dug by "him" himself.

In a dimension invisible to the naked eye, the nuclear contamination at the core of the ruins is being frantically devoured by the alien progenitor.

In a microscopic view, its cell division rate increases by hundreds of times.

The newly formed material continues to vaporize, transforming into a controllable energy form, thus completing the cycle of matter and energy conversion.

The skeleton moved mechanically, its greedy consumption causing the radiation intensity to decrease at an imperceptible rate.

The Nokap fleet lies hidden in the shadows of a barren planet, just a short jump away from Aquamarine.

This is the last safe zone where the concealment device is active; any further ahead would enter the gravitational field detection range of the Godora military radar.

Just like in the dark depths of the ocean, trackers can only judge threats by the movement of the water.

When two gravitational fields get too close, like violently churning undercurrents, no advanced stealth technology can hide from them.

Over the years, Dark Star and Godora have been engaged in an arms race in the field of counter-reconnaissance and detection.

Inside the command ship, Nokap was checking data with the intelligence officer: "Aquamarine Star's defense deployment?"

"A medium-sized fleet of 120 standard frigates is stationed in outer space, sent from Naderban Base."

"The ground-based infiltration team reported that there is also a relief fleet led by Nagokin, a high-ranking official in the War Bureau, and that martial artist possesses Cataclysmic-level combat capabilities."

"Cataclysmic" Nokap tapped the control panel lightly with his fingertips. "Abandon the boarding action plan. Other factions?"

"The Alien Mercenary Group and the Black Star Mercenary Group, which are stationed in Longtan, are also on the planet's surface, each with more than ten ships."

Upon hearing the name of the alien, the commander remained completely unmoved.

However, they are opponents who require filling out more lists of casualties.

The tactical panel flashed with a stream of precisely calculated data, eventually settling on the fourth operational plan.

"Everyone on high alert! Those bastards could come out from any direction at any moment!"

On the outer orbit of Aquamarine Star, the thunderous roar of Batte, commander of the Godora escort fleet, made the communicator buzz.

The short, stocky officer had just wiped the sweat from his brow when the radar operator suddenly shouted:

"An unidentified fleet has appeared at position C-02-07! They've stopped at the edge of firing range!"

Barthes lunged toward the observation window, where only the stars twinkled in the pitch-black expanse of space.

The two fleets were like hunters locked on with guns drawn, locked onto each other at a deadly distance.

A piercing alarm suddenly tore through the silence, and thousands of emerald-green ions pierced the darkness, casting an eerie green light onto the observation window.

The Nokap fleet launched a salvo beyond visual range!

(End of this chapter)