Chapter 1225 - Speculation and Attack (1/2)

“An Energy Control Esper… this kind of rumor would not appear out of nowhere. Investigate the reliability of this information as soon as possible!”

The Star Arc Civilization was severely worried.

In the past few decades, the growth of the Crimson Dynasty had been way too rapid and smooth. It could be considered their golden era. Not a single advanced civilization was not jealous.

The dynasty already had people like Dark Lord and Black Star, and now Gaud, whose potential might be infinite, had appeared, not to mention he was even a direct member of the dynasty. This news was undoubtedly a nightmare for the Super Star Cluster civilizations. With every new talent the three Universal Civilizations acquired, the Super Star Cluster Alliance faced more pressure in the individual strength territory.

Back when Traveler got publicly executed by the dynasty, although their good brother Modo took the blame for it for some reason, it was impossible for the Star Arc Civilization leader not to be furious watching their own loyal member getting his execution broadcast live by the dynasty. He had only held back and did not do anything because the big picture was more important.

If he could eliminate Gaud and erase the dynasty’s future National Pillar in advance, it would be like avenging Traveler and making the dynasty pay for what they did…

The Star Arc Civilization leader’s expression shifted rapidly. In the end, he sighed and suppressed his impulses.

“Forget it. The state of the Flickering War is not positive at all. Our allies are getting defeated time and again. We’re already in a difficult enough situation, forcing them to send Beyond Grade As into the war too isn’t a wise choice. There’s no room for risk-taking in the current situation…”

Currently, no Beyond Grade A was part of the Flickering War. The three Universal Civilizations promising not to dispatch any direct Beyond Grade As was one of the very few great things for the Super Star Cluster Alliance. Once they broke the rule and made the three Universal Civilizations send in Beyond Grade As, the situation would become much worse for them than it already was.

The Flickering War was the hope for the Super Star Cluster Alliance to turn their situation around. Between a Beyond Grade A and the overall strategy of the entire civilization, of course, he knew which was more important.

The three Universal Civilizations had control over the resources of the explored universe. The strong became stronger, forming a positive cycle. Those who came after had to grow under restrictions, unable to catch up to their growth speed no matter what. The difference would only grow bigger, and killing a single Beyond Grade A would not change that at all.

If they lost the Flickering War completely, taking revenge might be considered as a form of collecting some interest. Now, however, the risk of acting far outweighed the benefits, so of course, he was not willing to do it.

“Be it Gaud or Black Star, let them do whatever.” The Star Arc Civilization leader shook his head. “I wonder what the other Super Star Cluster civilizations think. No one should want to take this risk; the big picture is more important. As for the federation and the church, they’re not likely to fight internally now… right?”

…

Somewhere in the Primeval Star River, Manison deactivated the remote projection, turned on the virtual screen, and brought up Gaud’s information that was circulating on the internet. He tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers and pondered.

“Gaud… a new name, not a Beyond Grade A seed from any Star Field. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere, which means he’s been secretly trained by the dynasty all this time. The last person who appeared in a similar way was Clotti, who has the ability to control dark matter. The dynasty heavily promoted his strength as soon as he appeared…

“Usually, the three Universal Civilizations promote the abilities of their direct Beyond Grade A members. However, the dynasty has asked Gaud to keep it a secret instead. Even Clotti did not receive this treatment, which means this guy’s Esper Ability is extremely special. The rumor of him having the Energy Control Esper Ability might not be fake. Interesting.”

A tint of curiosity flashed past Manison’s eyes.

If Gaud really had such an overpowered ability, he could not say he was not tempted. If this was before, he would have most likely tried to ambush Gaud and capture him to make him into a Felon.

Now, however, he had decided to quit that profession. Unless it was a special situation, he would no longer make new Felons, or he would not possibly be able to have a high reputation in the association. That b*stard Black Star had been bringing his dark history up all the time, and he was really annoyed by it.

“I shall see how things go first. If Gaud wants to build a reputation in the future, he’ll definitely have to display his ability. There’s no way for him to hide it. In fact, someone might already plan to spar with him before he even leaves the Flickering World.”

Manison suddenly narrowed his eyes and murmured, “There are so many Beyond Grade As and armed fleets in the Flickering World. It’ll be easy to dispatch forces. That place is the most dangerous Star Field in the universe now. It’s the land that nourishes conspiracies and plots… Hmm, I wonder if the federation, the church, and the Super Star Cluster Alliance will do anything…”

…

Meanwhile, in the Limitless Financial Group’s Flickering World subdivision…

“Another high potential stock…”

Sorokin crossed his arms and recalled what happened in the meeting earlier.

From the way he looked at it, Gaud had a bright future and would definitely be able to grow smoothly with the dynasty’s protection. It was almost certain he would become the National Pillar of the dynasty in the future. The dynasty had very high hopes on him.

“If things go well, I might be able to trigger a second Tragedy of the Pinnacles…”

Sorokin contemplated. He felt this was a great opportunity.

If he used the real strength he had been hiding and secretly assassinated Gaud, making the dynasty furious, he should be able to start an enormous storm that would shatter the situation the association had been working so hard to achieve. Thus, the bloody slaughtering between factions would start again.

Although he had joined the association, he was the last person who wanted to see the Beyond Grade A be united. His goals had never changed—one was to earn money, and another was to reduce the number of Beyond Grade As, creating an environment that was beneficial to him.

Furthermore, Black Star had always been a hidden problem. He instinctively wanted to get rid of anything that might expose his true identity.

“If I target Gaud, maybe I can think of a way to pin it on Black Star and cause him trouble… But he knows my secrets, so he’ll definitely suspect me. It’ll be risky for me too.”

Sorokin frowned slightly.

Although he had this idea, it was tough to actually execute it, as Black Star had no motive to target Gaud.

In his eyes, even if he made the move, Black Star would be the last person the dynasty suspected. The framing had almost no chance of working.

He did not dare take the risk before coming up with a detailed plan.

“I have to carefully think on what to do exactly.”

Sorokin’s eyes flickered.

…

A few days passed very quickly. Under the influence of some people with motives, the content of the Beyond Grade A meeting got leaked. It did not only circulate in the black market this time but throughout the entire galactic society, attracting widespread attention.

The appeal of Super High Risk Esper Abilities related topics was very high. It piqued the interest of countless galactic residents. The rumors got more and more widely known. Although there was still no solid proof, under the secret influence of some organizations, it was as if the galactic society had already confirmed that Gaud’s ability was ‘Energy Control’.