Chapter 114
Chapter 114: Undercurrents in the Shadows
Outside the planet of Cold Moon Star.
The Black Dragon spacecraft descended slowly. Awaiting its arrival were over a hundred humanoid beings, each standing three meters tall, with blue skin adorned with intricate, otherworldly patterns. These were the original administrators of Cold Moon Star.
During the transaction, these administrators had discovered that the account they were dealing with was registered with the Universe Star River Bank. Realizing they were dealing with a figure of immense importance, they dared not show any negligence. After all, the minimum requirement to open an account with the Universe Star River Bank was a staggering 100 million Black Dragon coins—equivalent to 100 billion Blue Silver coins! This was an astronomical sum far beyond their wildest imaginations.
In the Silver-Blue Empire, where the strongest individuals were only at the Universe level, few could boast such wealth. Thus, not only had the planet's warehouse managers arrived, but even the overseer of the entire region, responsible for hundreds of planets, had come to pay their respects.
Their excitement peaked when they caught sight of the Black Dragon spacecraft, valued at over 10 billion Black Dragon coins. They were eager to establish a connection with the influential figure who had purchased Cold Moon Star. However, their hopes were destined to be dashed.
Inside the Black Dragon spacecraft, Qin Mu had no intention of meeting them. Instead, he dispatched a member of the elite team to handle the formalities. Once the transaction was finalized, a massive 10,000-meter-long armed cargo ship descended onto the planet's surface.
Under Qin Mu's command, a group of Star Level 9 spirit slaves, skilled in construction, began assessing the condition of several warehouses on the planet. Cold Moon Star was relatively close to Earth—less than a day's journey through the Dark Universe. As such, it was destined to become a crucial base for a long time to come. There was no room for error.
After a thorough evaluation, it was determined that the five large warehouses on Cold Moon Star all had issues, ranging from minor to significant. Some required reinforcement, while others needed complete reconstruction. Qin Mu assigned a talented specialist to oversee the repairs, granting him the necessary authority before stepping back. These matters were best left to the experts, who would handle them far more efficiently than he could.
Qin Mu's primary concern lay elsewhere. He had placed orders through the Virtual Universe for metals to feed the Golden Horned Beast and flesh and blood from powerful creatures. To accelerate the Golden Horned Beast's evolution, he had spent a staggering 30 billion Black Dragon coins on a specialized metal that could increase its growth rate by 51 times. This supply would last the beast for a year and a half.
Under normal circumstances, it would take the Golden Horned Beast a year and a half to progress through the first three levels of the Star stage. Breaking through to the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels would take two years each, while the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels would require 12 years each. Advancing from Star Level 9 to Universe Level 1 would take over 50 years.
But with the specialized metals, the first three levels could be achieved in just 10 days! The fourth to sixth levels would take a little over a month, and reaching Star Level 9 would require only nine months. It was as if the Golden Horned Beast's growth had been supercharged.
However, Qin Mu had no intention of feeding all the metal to a single Golden Horned Beast. The second Golden Horned Beast's incubation was already underway, though the cost of nurturing a Star-level Golden Horned Beast was exorbitant—so much so that even the Swarm was feeling the strain.
In recent days, Qin Mu had revised the Swarm's energy calculation system based on the inherited knowledge of the Bug Race. Using the Star Level 1 Bug as the baseline, he established a standard unit of energy consumption:
- Star Level 1: 1 unit
- Star Level 2: 4 units
- Star Level 5: 160 units
- Star Level 7: 500 units
- Star Level 9: 1,000 units
- Universe Level 1: 1 million units (10,000 times the energy required for Star Level 9)
However, the energy required to incubate a single Star Level 1 Golden Horned Beast was a staggering 100 million units! This was an absurdly high cost, compounded by the need for rare metals. Even with the Swarm's expansion beyond the solar system, such a burden was difficult to bear. Currently, the Swarm could harvest only 1 million units of energy per day, meaning it would take considerable time to accumulate the necessary resources.
Yet Qin Mu believed it was worth it. With two Golden Horned Beast fleets, one could remain on Earth as a defensive force, while the other could accompany him, greatly enhancing his mobility and flexibility.
There was another benefit to incubating a Golden Horned Beast. A portion of Qin Mu's consciousness had been residing within the Golden Horned Beast, allowing him to experience its growth and cultivation firsthand. As one of the pinnacle species of Space Beasts, the Golden Horned Beast's innate connection to the Gold Element was unparalleled. Through it, Qin Mu had already grasped the Gold Domain and was beginning to sense the Gold Law. In just a few months, his progress in the Gold Domain had nearly caught up to his mastery of the Fire Domain.
In addition to the metals, Qin Mu had spent another 10 billion Black Dragon coins to purchase the flesh and blood of powerful creatures, ranging from Planetary to Universe level. While these creatures were valuable when alive, their worth plummeted after death. The Swarm would analyze their genetic material, extracting useful traits. Unlike the Insects, these creatures could be openly displayed in the universe without raising suspicion. In times of crisis, Qin Mu could summon them from the Golden Horned Beast's core, embedded in the Cloud-Vine on his chest, and pass himself off as a beast tamer.
Unbeknownst to Qin Mu, while he quietly awaited the delivery of metals and flesh on Cold Moon Star, an investigation into the Earth trading company on Qiu Long Star had already begun.
In a lavishly decorated conference room within the Virtual Universe, a burly man with a rhinoceros-like horn on his head sat at the head of the table, his voice thundering with rage.
"What's the situation with this new force that's snatching orders from us? Their weapons are of high quality, and their prices are lower than ours. They have a significant competitive advantage!"
A subordinate stood up and replied respectfully, "Lord Horn, we've investigated the force. They're called Galactic Trade Company, a long-established firm on Qiu Long Star. They deal in a wide range of goods, from clothing to military hardware. However, the family behind the company fell into financial difficulties and sold it. We're still investigating the new owner, but preliminary information suggests it might be a scion of a major family. The specifics remain unclear."
Hearing the name Qiu Long Star, the horned man frowned. Qiu Long Star was the central trading hub for over a hundred galaxies, overseen by a Domain Lord. Anyone who could establish a foothold there was not to be trifled with.
"A scion of a major family?" The horned man, known as Horn, was momentarily uncertain. However, with trillions of Black Dragon coins at stake, he was unwilling to back down. After all, he was a Universe Level 3 powerhouse with his own connections. In the universe, those who dared to engage in the arms trade were never without backing.
"Send someone to probe them. But don't use our own people. Hire some pirates from the chaotic star zones," Horn ordered after some thought. While he couldn't be sure of the Galactic Trade Company's backing, a cautious approach was wise. The universe was vast, and there were many in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire he couldn't afford to offend. By using pirates as proxies, he could test the waters without risking direct confrontation.
Almost simultaneously, three or four other arms dealers competing for the orders took similar actions, launching covert investigations into the Galactic Trade Company's operations on Qiu Long Star.
In the universe, peace was a luxury. To thrive in the bloody, high-stakes world of arms dealing, one needed either power, influence, or both. The notion of a peaceful rise? That was nothing more than a beautiful fantasy.
*****
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