The serious atmosphere turned somewhat peculiar, but between the themes of "Death" and "blindness," the two quickly snapped back from their initial distraction.
Wei Huan inspected Mu Zhong's eyes once more. The large, clear eyes—perhaps nourished by the blood or purified by the Holy Light—were now bright and brilliant, like a moon on a clear summer night. Wei Huan pulled Mu Zhong up and said firmly, "Don't go looking at things recklessly from now on."
Mu Zhong gave a soft laugh, his voice gentle. "Alright."
The two couldn't stay in the room any longer and headed out. Everything appeared normal; no one knew that Mu Zhong's eyes had been injured. The AI Butler had summoned Xia Yu discreetly, and she had come and gone under the AI's coordination, making the chances of anyone spotting her or knowing her purpose nearly zero. This wasn't a lack of trust in the crew; it was simply that news of a leader being injured during a grand victory celebration would cast an unnecessary shadow over the joy. Furthermore, explaining the injury would mean revealing the 'Book of Death', and the secret of "True" items would spread.
Both Wei Huan and Mu Zhong agreed the time wasn't right for that.
As they took the elevators down, Wei Huan used the direct line to the Captain's office, while Mu Zhong took the one to the plaza. From his office, Wei Huan watched as the crew swarmed Mu Zhong. The atmosphere was festive and loud, like a New Year celebration. Wei Huan felt relieved he hadn't gone down; he had never been fond of handling such scenes. Mu Zhong, however, was in his element, smiling with effortless charm and composed grace.
Soon, Elder Ju arrived, and Mu Zhong helped the elder toward the bridge, followed by the vehicle's entire management team. Captain Fang and his adjutant were also invited. Knowing his work was about to begin, Wei Huan stood, straightened his clothes one last time, and walked out to meet them.
The timing was perfect. Everyone was at their stations but hadn't quite sat down. Wei Huan's appearance caused everyone to stand again—some watched him with deep respect, others bowed, and many looked at him with a fervent, almost frenzied intensity. Amidst these gazes, Wei Huan stepped forward to help Elder Ju into the seat of honor beside the head of the table.
Next came the "distribution of spoils"—or rather, the allocation of battle loot. This expedition to the Dark Beast Plane had been incredibly fruitful. The resources Wei Huan had scavenged were worth dozens of times the total value of all challenge resources humanity had obtained to date. And that was only the rarest, most expensive material; had the warehouses been large enough, Wei Huan's "scorched earth" scavenging style would have left the Dark Beast Plane barren after a few visits.
Mu Zhong brought out his spatial warehouse, and a projection appeared above, listing names, quantities, and usage instructions. "Iron Heart" was being remarkably generous, not only handling the logistics but also revealing functions and refining methods for materials that humans hadn't even begun to research yet—another way of leaning toward humanity by exploiting loopholes in the main system's detection.
Elder Ju stared at the virtual screen for a long time, his eyes shining as he reached the final word. This data was a monumental fortune. To have these priceless secrets thrown before him alongside the raw materials made him feel as if humanity had been struck by a blessing from the heavens. He knew clearly that humanity wouldn't just win the civilization challenge against the Dark Beasts; they were on the verge of a total technological and spiritual takeoff.
"Good, good, good," Elder Ju repeated before falling silent. He wasn't there to manage the vehicle; he was a mentor, there to guide Wei Huan in becoming a leader. Initially, he thought he was just training a vehicle captain; now he realized why the state had sent him here. Wei Huan was already on the path to becoming the "Leader of the Human Race." With the highest combat power, a massive stockpile of resources, and unprecedented prestige, the unification of the Blue Star's human race was not far off.
The meeting proceeded with meticulous note-taking and resource cataloging. A higher-level meeting would later determine the final distribution. Then, they began the "post-action review." Every event, monster, and environmental factor from the first day in the Dark Beast Plane was cross-referenced with the system recordings. Some things—like the sheer, existential dread radiating from the Twin Celestial Pillars—couldn't be captured on video; they had to be described.
The review was tedious, so Wei Huan escorted Elder Ju back first. On the way, Elder Ju talked about Wei Huan's impending promotion to General and his appointment as the Commander-in-Chief of the Blue Star Alliance Pioneer Army. He spoke of the quirks and capabilities of various national commanders—General Meyer of Aosam, Commander Grayson of Tula, and Commander Kanijev of the Great Bear Nation. Wei Huan had worked with them before, but Elder Ju's insights gave him a deeper understanding of his future subordinates.
"You don't need to fully understand who they are deep down," Elder Ju advised. "What matters is who they are willing to become in your presence. As for the politics between nations and fleets, Mu Zhong is an expert in that. The Mu family has always been capable and orderly, if perhaps a bit too content with their lot. But Mu Zhong is the brightest gem on that thousand-year-old tree. With him assisting you, you will be spared much trouble."
Wei Huan nodded. "I am with him until death."
Elder Ju smiled. "Then it is perfect. Your bond is now linked to the fate of our race."
---
Late that night, after leaving Elder Ju, Wei Huan headed to the plaza. Mu Zhong was still busy, but he waved Wei Huan over. "The veterans have finished the Dark Energy Cultivation Room. Perfect timing—let's go see it."
"So fast?"
"It's been six hours since you left with Elder Ju. In this era of extraordinary power, everything moves faster."
They walked toward the flowerbed containing the sprout of the World Tree. Wei Huan looked around, confused. "Where is it?"
Mu Zhong pointed upward. Above them, a bridge had been constructed connecting the surrounding structures to a circular room suspended in mid-air. "An aerial pavilion," Mu Zhong explained. "The vehicle's floor space is full, so the veterans suggested this 'Hanging Pavilion.' If we get more cultivation resources later, we can add more pods. It'll stay like this until the next vehicle upgrade."
Mu Zhong led Wei Huan into the room. Inside, the space was surprisingly vast—large enough to house the ten-meter Dark Source Crystal with plenty of room to spare. The ceiling was high and the lighting dim, as the Dark Source required a specific environment. Mu Zhong left quickly; even with his affinity for natural energy, the dense dark aura here was uncomfortable for him.
Wei Huan, however, felt as if he were soaking in a warm bath. "Research the 'Book of Death' while you're at it," Mu Zhong said. "I'll handle the rest."
After Mu Zhong left with a lingering, affectionate kiss, Wei Huan turned to the black crystal. He summoned the 'Book of Death', which floated into his hand and opened to the first page.
The comparison was startling. The "Dark Source" was theoretically a fountain of pure energy, but compared to the 'Book of Death', the difference was night and day. If the Dark Source was a pool of molten iron radiating heat, the 'Book of Death' was a refined, forged crystal of that iron—heavy, real, and profound.
The Dark Source was for cultivation—energy to be consumed. The 'Book of Death' was an application—a result, a weapon.
Wei Huan stared at the black runes. The energy that would have blinded Mu Zhong felt like a welcoming light to him. He couldn't quite read the characters yet—they blurred into a river of light like moonlight on water—but he felt his affinity for Nether Power reaching new heights.
He tossed the book, and it returned to its position floating over his shoulder. He sat before the Dark Source and entered the Professional Temple, descending into the Great Tomb within his mind.
He expected a massive change due to the 30 points of Dark Mastery, but at first glance, everything looked the same. His vision range remained at 12 miles, and his micro-perception was still about a meter. 'What exactly is Dark Mastery?' he wondered.
He summoned Dot Mom and climbed onto her back. Facehuggers swarmed to form a throne of bone for him. As he moved through the tomb with his eyes closed, he felt the change. The Nether Power that used to flow past him like a river now swirled around him, entering his soul with ease.
He began to experiment with condensing the Nether Mist in his Soul Sea. Under the influence of the 'Book of Death', the mist turned to liquid and finally into a solid black bead. It wasn't a "Golden Core" in the traditional sense, but a new way to manipulate power—from gas to liquid to solid.
Though he eventually let it return to mist for its flexibility in commanding his 130,000 undead, the quality of his power had surged. His Mana limit was pushing toward 30,000.
Wei Huan lost himself in the cultivation, absorbing the Dark Source's energy until he felt a sense of restlessness. He opened his eyes, only to see a scene that was completely unexpected.