"Within the territory of the Guna La Civilization, there was a black planet, a black dwarf star, the final evolution of a star at the end of its life.
After internal collapse and contraction, its diameter was reduced to the size of an ordinary planet, but because of its immense density, it possessed extremely large gravity.
If an ordinary person were to visit this planet, the enormous gravity would crush them into a pulp in an instant. Only Martial Artists of Controller Level and above could withstand such unimaginable gravity. Such a place was precisely the favorite training ground for warriors at the Controller Level.
A bald and robust Martial Artist was punching into the open plains. His expression was somewhat feral, as if enduring some intense pain. Every moment, the gravity tore at his body, yet it also made him increasingly strong.
After a few minutes, he was sweating like rain. Even a Fifth-level Controller like him could not train in such an environment for long without risk of irreversible injury.
'Master, there is a message from Mr. Bigla,' the intelligent system carried by the Martial Artist reminded him.
'That guy actually remembers his old friend?' the bald Martial Artist laughed and opened the communicator, where another Martial Artist with a somewhat strange face, covered with an exoskeleton, appeared on the screen.
'Hey, Sloda, are you still training in that godforsaken place?'
'Hmph, we free warriors haven't joined any faction, nor do we like managing civilizations. We don't have spare credits to train in those high-end places,' the bald Martial Artist replied irritably.
Not long ago, Bigla had joined the family of a Level-four Civilization and became an instructor there. Sloda imagined Bigla had made quite a bit of money.
'Come on, are you teasing me?' Sloda smiled wryly. 'Serving a Level-four Civilization's family isn't easy, with countless rules and enduring the arrogance of family heirs. It's not as gratifying as being a free warrior.'
'I quit long ago. Recently, I've taken up some mercenary tasks at the Cosmic Bodyguard Company. It's tough, but I've made good money and taken less nonsense. At least I'm a Controller. I need to live happily, right?'
'Hahaha, so you're suggesting you have something good for me?'
'Indeed, check out the High Commission tasks published by the Cosmic Bodyguard Company today.'
'Oh?' The bald Martial Artist Sloda opened his account in the Cosmic Bodyguard Company, and there was a new task notification from their branch in the Guna La Civilization. This notification also had a special symbol for emphasis, which usually marked highly sought-after tasks.
'A two-month protection mission with a hiring price of 1,000 trillion cosmic coins for a Fifth-level Transcender!' Seeing this, Sloda froze.
Normally, hiring a Fifth-level Transcender for a year would cost about 500 trillion cosmic coins. This task demanded only two months, with a return more than ten times that of usual tasks!
'A thousand units? Are they going to attack a civilization?' Sloda hesitated, 'Is this for real? Doesn't it sound like a gimmick?'
'If it were fake, would I have called you?' Bigla said. 'This task allows an advance on the commission. The employer is quite a powerful figure!'
The task had been out for less than an hour, and over 5,000 Controllers had already signed up. This meant that this employer had advanced at least 500 trillion cosmic coins, equivalent to 500 million Source Coins!
'With this high commission, isn't it a dangerous mission?'
'Hahaha, you'd think not, but this employer has only given a Source Energy User's seventh-level strength!'
'What? So weak?' Sloda thought the employer was at least a Transcender and that needing a thousand Fifth-level Controllers wasn't easy. People like them valued their lives; if the task was too risky, they wouldn't take it.
But the employer was just a seventh-level Source Energy User. What big trouble could they encounter?
'Bigla, you're really good to me!'
'Hahaha, hurry up, or the slots will all be taken!'
'I understand. See you at Gucang Civilization!'
'Tenfold commission? My God, what kind of task is this?'
'Guys, hurry, open your hiring task system. There's good work!'
'Damn it! All slots are full? Are you kidding me, a thousand Fifth-level Transcenders filled within two hours? Does the Guna La Civilization have so many Controllers with nothing to do?'
'Hahaha, lucky me, got the last slot!'
No sooner had this task been published than it spread like wildfire through the entire Guna La Civilization's domain. Tenfold the pay, and just a simple guard mission—it was quick money, and such a task wouldn't come around in a decade!
In less than two hours, the one thousand Controllers were fully recruited. Among them, over nine hundred were Fifth-level Controllers, more than eight hundred Sixth-level Controllers, eighty-two Seventh-level Controllers, twelve Eighth-level Controllers, and even one Ninth-level Controller!
Of course, the hiring price for a Ninth-level Controller was nearly a hundred times higher than that for a Fifth-level, adding only a slight increase in cost compared to over nine thousand Fifth-level Controllers total!
The Cosmic Bodyguard Company quickly arranged special channels for these thousand Controllers, ensuring they arrived at the designated Gucang Civilization for Fang Jueyu within a week!
'Undefeated, how lonely, how empty...' In Fang Jueyu's spacecraft, a song played in a loop. In the past two hours, he had saved another young Martial Artist embattled by the local families of Guna La Civilization.
Subsequently, the huge fleet behind his spacecraft gained a few new members.
'Host, there's a message from the Cosmic Bodyguard Company. All ten thousand warriors you needed have been fully hired and will be on standby at the specified location within a week!'
'Wow, that's quick, just under two hours!' Even Fang Jueyu was a bit surprised.
'Nothing odd, the number of Controllers in a top civilization is quite high, especially with your generous pay and pre-payment option. Some who heard the news late couldn't even get a slot.'
'Hahaha, time to pay!' Fang Jueyu spent a total of 1,200 million Source Coins on these ten thousand warriors. With a price increase of three to five times, he could even buy a Transcender!
'Host, considering your character, you don't seem like someone who would foot the bill yourself, right?' Xiaoyi suddenly displayed a mischievous smile.
'Of course not!' Fang Jueyu said, 'There's a saying, "the wool comes from the sheep's back." If they're ready to trouble me, they should prepare to be obliterated by me.'
'Xue Ling, have you heard of "fleecing the sheep"?'
Xue Ling shook her head, and the little ball on her shoulder also looked at him in confusion.
'Hehehe, this time, I'll teach you how to fleece the sheep!'"