Why didn’t the Star Abyss Empire directly intervene in this artifact dispute?
Do they find it too demeaning, or do they genuinely not care...
While Li Ming’s body processed various Evolutionary Theories, his mind was still capable of pondering other matters.
Civilizations of the empire level and ordinary civilizations are entirely on different levels; even advanced civilizations are unattainable for the latter.
The situation had now become clear: only Princess Asimara could locate that ancient site, and since the formation of the United Fleet, it had attracted many people’s attention.
Everyone wanted a piece of the action, and she likely had the support of the Star Abyss Empire behind her.
But it was definitely only certain individuals; others didn’t want her to succeed, and some were even plotting to reap the benefits for themselves.
They say there are interstellar treasures and civilization crystals within, and that’s probably not just a baseless rumor.
Li Ming mused and gradually calmed down.
The overwhelming scale of the United Fleet’s armada was etched into his memory, along with its main cannons capable of nearly piercing through planets.
Even A-level lifeforms could hardly escape. Trying to meddle in these affairs was still too far-fetched for him; any slight mishap could result in an unknown death.
"The remaining balance of metal energy is over four million. There are a few commonly used items that could be upgraded..."
Shaking his head, Li Ming examined his Control Bar. There was nothing that needed upgrading in combat aspects at the moment, and that amount of metal energy was far from enough to reach A level.
[Soul Mask—B level: On some indigenous planets, the wielder is seen as a deity.
Control Effect: Concealing Blessing—300%
Control ability—Psychic Screening: Distorts one’s form under the detection of B-level lifeforms and similar-level surveillance equipment, also granting the "Shadow Trace" ability.]
The damaged mask had long turned into a complete and polished mask, made of dark grey metal and exuding a chill metallic sheen, hugging closely to the facial contours, extending from the forehead to the chin, and covering the ears to form an enclosed protective structure.
The eye area was equipped with transparent high-strength synthetic radiation crystals, merged with pale gold patterned energy channels to form a radiant field.
Upgraded using Shadow Mother Ore as a reinforcement material and costing nine hundred thousand metal energy, this "Shadow Trace" ability allowed him to hide even better in darkness.
It should be comparable to Seraad’s Mimicry ability. Without special means, it would be difficult for an A-level life form to see through it under normal circumstances.
There was also the commonly used Anti-interference Communicator, upgraded to—
[Mind Resonance Crystal—B: The Power of the Mind is still one of the most mysterious forces in the interstellar space.
Control Effect: Sharp Perception—300%
Control ability—Mind Communication: Your voice can appear within the minds of life forms within a hundred thousand meters range and grants the "Vibration Break" ability.]
The cost-effectiveness was high; even after using the so-called "Sighing Mother Ore" for reinforcement, it only required five hundred thousand.
He received an offensive capability; initially, he wanted abilities leaning towards "mind" aspects, like hypnosis or seduction.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have any Mind-related Mother Ore at hand, but this ability was still admirable. Mental shockwaves during moments of interference could prove deadly.
And then there was the Locator, upgraded into Heavenly Eye, which was a bit more expensive, costing six hundred thousand metal energy, with a Control Effect suitable for a professional [Scout].
It had two abilities, [Sharp Perception: A 100% boost to perception] and [Extreme Olfaction: A highly sensitive sense of smell].
He tried it and nearly suffocated from his own scent, taking a while to get used to it.
Of course, he wouldn’t use up Controlled Objects to acquire this profession; he could make use of it when necessary.
[Locator: Select a target within a hundred thousand meters range to lock onto their position continuously and vaguely understand the target’s information.]
It could not only lock onto targets but also probe the enemy. Li Ming tried it and could vaguely understand the life form’s level and abilities of the target.
The lower the life form’s level was to his, the easier it was to gather information; the higher it was, the harder it became.
After upgrading these three frequently used items, he had exhausted his stock of Mother Ore.
Given his current relationship with Ulrich, it would be difficult to freeload more.
"If only I had a wall of Mother Ore..." Li Ming murmured, often envisioning the wall of Mother Ore in Ulrich’s treasury.
He had visited Ulrich’s castle a few times, but never had the right opportunity.
The best scenario would be to achieve a permanent solution. He also needed the Material Reorganization Machine and had to figure out how to make a clean getaway.
A-level life forms were very powerful, far beyond his ability to confront. Even using a Thermal Nuclear Fusion Bomb would at best allow him to hang on to life, not to face it head-on.
The best chance would be to take advantage of the chaos, but such opportunities were too scarce, if not non-existent.
"This is a bit troublesome..."
The next day, Saber came cautiously again, breathing a sigh of relief only after confirming that Li Ming had no issues, and then he sincerely exclaimed,
"Even the cunning Collector was played by you like a fiddle."
Li Ming waved his hand and threw out the metal arm from yesterday. He had hidden it in folded space; Ulrich would need to see ghosts to find it.
Saber brought the left leg today and asked, "How long will you need in total? I won’t wait here to avoid any accidents."
After several repairs, both the Star King and Saber’s trust in Li Ming had increased. The sudden visit from the Collector last time had truly scared Saber, so he decided to be more careful.
"No need, don’t go yet." Li Ming shook his head, sensing the increasingly tense situation in the Land of Stars; he was done playing with this guy.
Saber looked bewildered, having been pushed out the door by Li Ming and left to wait outside.