Chapter 559: Misjudgment Transmission Matrix

"Such a robust physique... to be used on someone like you, who isn't very Force‑sensitive, is truly a waste."

The guy who unleashed Psychic Pressure, after believing he had successfully restrained Ran Min, also employed some kind of Spiritual Energy transmission, letting his voice echo throughout the rainforest.

"Buzz!!"

At the same time, in the dense forest around Ran Min, luminous red "lightsabers" began to flash.

It seems the black‑robed warriors who had fled earlier, upon seeing their leader act, abandoned their feigned retreat and prepared to jointly capture the nearly four‑meter‑tall brute before them.

"…"

The observer, watching the seemingly immobilized Ran Min, never showed any expression or demeanor from start to finish.

"Buzz!"

The "lightsaber" sliced through nearby thorns and vines; three warriors at the front rushed forward, about to cleave Ran Min.

But at that moment, the suppressed Ran Min seemed to enter a hyper‑speed movement mode, slowing everything around him while he himself fought back with his physique and Spiritual Energy.

"Boom!!"

In an instant, a faint yet discernible shockwave radiated outward from Ran Min.

This instantly blocked all the warriors' attacks, sending them flying backward, and the three at the front were "shattered" by the shockwave.

"Oh?" noticing Ran Min break free, the guy who released the Psychic Pressure exclaimed, "So you're also Force‑sensitive."

"Pretending to be divine," Ran Min scoffed, then glanced left and right before fixing his gaze at the ten‑o'clock direction.

"Rou~!!"

In less than a blink, Ran Min hurled one of his double‑edged kinetic halberds toward the ten‑o'clock direction.

"Thud! Thud!"

At the same time, Ran Min, like a high‑speed rail tank, sprinted toward the thrown weapon, trampling everything in his path.

A few of the warriors were unlucky, standing directly in Ran Min's path.

With a few "sizzle!" and "pop!" sounds, those warriors, still recovering from the shockwave, were struck by the green‑lightning double‑edged kinetic halberd—either sliced in half or split into two pieces.

However.

When Ran Min charged halfway, he furrowed his brow, then abruptly halted, sidestepped slightly, and evaded his own double‑edged kinetic halberd, which now resembled a large boomerang.

It brushed past his own weapon.

Ran Min glanced back, extended his left hand, spread his fingers, and, using the neural link between his body, armor, and weapon, halted the halberd's spin and drew it back into his left hand.

Now wielding the melee weapon with both hands again, Ran Min's expression showed a hint of seriousness.

Because he could withstand, even rebound, the opponent's thrown strike, though his physical qualities were uncertain, his reaction speed could at least keep up with those Astate.

In the multiverse, apart from Zero Three (Warhammer 40k) and Zero Seven (the Doom Demon altered from DC), few can withstand an Astate strike, especially elite Grey Knights.

As Ran Min stared into the rainforest, trying to pinpoint that guy's location, the black‑robed warriors previously flung by the shockwave had gathered behind his right side.

It seemed they intended to launch a surprise attack while Ran Min was "distracted."

Yet just as they finished gathering and were about to disperse, Ran Min, looking ahead, raised his right hand holding the kinetic halberd toward them, and then…

"Ta‑ta‑ta!"

The parallel barrels of the storm‑blaster gun instantly spewed out casings, then launched a two‑stage accelerated explosive arrow projectile.

!!

The warriors didn't have time to raise their so‑called Force shields; relying on instinct and perception, they swung their lightsabers, trying to cut through the explosive cannon formation and the high‑speed explosive arrows.

But the instant the plasma blade of the lightsaber touched the explosive arrow, it triggered and detonated the projectile's warhead.

Ri~!!! Bright enough to illuminate the whole area, like sudden daylight.

"Boom——Rumble——!" followed by a ferocious explosion that seemed to devour everything, interlaced with pale green lightning, sweeping the surroundings at a speed far beyond sound.

Spiritual Energy explosive arrow.

The projectile's warhead continuously draws the user's Spiritual Energy, compresses and stores it, and upon detonation creates a violent Spiritual Energy storm.

In terms of destructive power, once the warhead is saturated with Spiritual Energy, the user can control the yield with their will, up to roughly one hundred thousand tons of TNT.

This model of explosive arrow is among the Human Empire's many anti‑Spiritual User weapons, commonly used by Grey Knights.

Though his mind wasn't agitated, Ran Min was a bit impatient and fired more than ten Spiritual Energy explosive arrows, instantly turning the rainforest into scorched earth and reducing those warriors to ash, their very souls scorched and tormented.

At the same time, Ran Min's action was also meant to force that pretentious guy out.

Inside his energy shield, he ignored the explosion, continuously observing the surroundings.

Finally, when the aftershocks faded, the nearby flora and fauna were forced to be erased, but the line of sight became exceptionally clear.

The pretentious one, whose Spiritual Energy seemed able to suppress Ran Min, could no longer use terrain or cover to hide, appearing about a kilometer away on the scorched ground before Ran Min.

The figure stood three to nearly four meters tall, but was lanky; his arms and legs were roughly the thickness of sticks, unable to support the hooded black robe draped over him.

His skin was dry, cracked like bark, dark red overall, bearing indecipherable markings—perhaps tattoos, perhaps natural black patterns.

As for his face…

He had two rows of two pairs of eyes, with temples on both sides and irregularly sized holes, extremely unfriendly to someone with trypophobia, such as Ran Min.

Moreover, Ran Min sensed a vile stench of "Jianqi" emanating from him…

It was already "terminally ill."

Ran Min also understood why, despite the frail appearance, the opponent could match an Astate's reaction speed.

Because that Jianqi thing granted a Blessing.

Otherwise he'd either love to pretend to be divine, or look even more disgusting than the Naguo or Senei cultists.

By Ran Min's standards, Naguo cultists are merely physically repulsive, but Jianqi cultists make him feel nauseated both physically and mentally.

At this moment.

The "stick" showed a treasure‑hunt gleam, and with his gaunt hands he removed the sword hilt from his waist, swung it left and right, producing a highly unstable, flickering red‑light blade with ragged edges.

In a confident, arrogant tone, he said, "Sensitive one, I am Pasco Srilanchi, an advanced warrior of the Dark Temple Knights!"

I didn't expect you to carry so many kinds of weapons, and that you actually managed to see my true face, hehe… Being exiled to such a remote, wild region, I thought I could only slaughter some rebels who cannot sense the Force…

But now that you came knocking, I can finally unleash the pent‑up fury! Hahaha~!!

While laughing wildly, that wooden stick— or rather Pa Si Ke— leapt forward at breakneck speed, apparently intending to close the gap with Ran Min and launch a close‑range attack??

In response, Ran Min forced himself to suppress the urge to fire, and did not unleash a barrage of explosive arrows on the defensive gap Pa Si Ke exposed.

He must correct the mistake.

Because Pa Si Ke is only slightly stronger than him in Spiritual Energy, but even with the alternative Blessing obtained from the deity, his physique has grown dramatically yet still cannot truly reach the Astate level.

For example, that reckless, death‑like leap forced Ran Min to admire Pa Si Ke, abandoning his Spiritual Energy to prepare for close combat with him.

It is truly "bravery".

Fortunately, he wants to extract some details.

Seizing the moment, Ran Min, before Pa Si Ke could close in, executed the motion of just having raised his dual‑blade power halberd, and with the blade wrapped in a lightning stance, perfectly forced the opponent back.

Next.

Ran Min still restrained the impulse to split the opponent in two with a single thrust, and engaged in a "even‑strength" duel.

During this time, Pa Si Ke, convinced he held the advantage in both Spiritual Energy and physical strength, felt the thrill and satisfaction of being a strong one, and, as Ran Min had anticipated, began to babble incessantly.

With the relevant data that Bai Hou uploaded to the individual soldier system, Ran Min finally managed to piece together a relatively comprehensive history of the First Empire.

First, the 332nd Fleet branch—nicely described as a suppression force composed of the Empire's navy and army—was tasked with controlling and guarding the star system where Ke Di Sang Er resides.

In reality, the officers above colonel rank leading this unit, along with the Dark Knights under their command, were a bunch of dead‑ends—those with no prospect of promotion or political defeat—forced into the fringe regions.

The overall structure of the First Empire is much the same as that of the Human Empire.

The supreme leader and commander is a fellow named Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting, who bears titles such as "the strongest Force user" or "the most sensitive one".

Within the galaxy, multiple sectors are divided, each sector further subdivided into several regions—a setup almost identical to the Human Empire's, and likewise appoints a Sector Governor.

However, in the Human Empire the Sector Governor is an OriginalBody, a descendant of the Human Emperor, whereas in the First Empire more than half of the Sector Governors are Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting's confidants, the rest being nobles or clan heads.

Moreover, the First Empire also has a military organization highly revered by nobles, clans, and the populace—

the Dark Temple Knights Order.

This organization regards the deity (Jianqi) who led humanity out of the wilderness and into the star‑river journey as supreme, its status far surpassing that of the First Emperor.

However, at the founding of the First Empire two hundred years ago, the Dark Temple Knights Order lay dormant underground.

At that time, the ruler of the galaxy, advocating multi‑species coexistence and guided by peace and harmony, was a parliamentary republic known as the Galactic Republic.

Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting then held the position of Supreme Speaker.

But as each region and sector, under the deity's guidance, began to unleash their nature (rebellion), and the Galactic Republic's bureaucracy became overly cumbersome, Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting seized the opportunity to launch a series of actions, even a mutiny, successfully forcing the regime to transition into the First Empire.

Thus, the First Empire could officially proclaim the deity's existence to society; humans and all races began to worship the deity, offering prayers and blessings.

What drove the First Empire mad was that the deity actually responded—those extremely devout and loyal believers received Blessings.

Extended lifespan, robust bodies, and even the ability to wield supernatural power—the Force (Spiritual Energy)—caused the newly founded First Empire to fully acknowledge the deity and Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting's rule.

Consequently, the Dark Temple Knights Order rode this trend, emerging publicly with power, honor, and other attributes that were on par with, or even surpassed, the status of a Sector Governor.

Most importantly, before becoming a true Dark Knight, one must, as an apprentice studying at the Dark Temple in the imperial capital Ke Luo Sang, hold absolute faith in the deity and absolute loyalty to Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting.

After two hundred years of accumulation, excluding elite units, the First Empire alone fields twenty‑million Dark Knights, each possessing combat power at least comparable to an Empire star‑destroyer.

Thus, with twenty‑million Dark Knights surrounding and guarding him, Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting's power and status are firmly rooted within the Empire, leaving no internal force capable of threatening him.

External forces…

At present the First Empire has no intention of colonizing or controlling extra‑galactic star systems, so there is no talk of clashing with other civilizations or empires.

What could be considered external appears to be only the remnants of the Galactic Republic unwilling to accept First Empire rule, plus some clans and commoners dissatisfied with Pa Er Fu·Pa Er Pa Ting and the First Empire's oppressive rule, having assembled a rebellion numbering over a trillion.

As for Pa Si Ke and the Dark Knights under his command, there is no issue of loyalty.

But the reason they were still exiled and followed the 332nd Fleet branch here is that the Sector Governor they were assigned to monitor had, right under their noses, been funding the rebellion for over six years.

This infuriated the First Empire's Emperor, who beheaded that Sector Governor and all officials and generals involved, and consequently Pa Si Ke and his Dark Knights were also implicated.

Upon hearing this

"Thank you." Ran Min, who thrust a halberd to fling a lightsaber, said thanks for the first time.

??

And before Pa Si Ke could react, the final image his hollow eyes witnessed was Ran Min turning into …

The corpse separates.

After gathering enough intelligence, Ran Min stopped playing games with him and, using his virtually unmatched physique, instantly eliminated Pa Si Ke.

Clearly Spiritual Energy could suppress him, yet he insisted on close combat; this is not "bravery", so what is it?

———————

…

Meanwhile.

In a metropolitan area of a colony somewhere within the Zero‑Three Universe.

Below, in the sewage system, a certain unmonitored reservoir…

"Whoosh~!!"

A flash of pink‑purple teleportation light suddenly flickered?

It seemed to be a teleportation matrix capable of linking to other universes or dimensions.

(End of chapter)