Chapter 620: Provoking the Orcs

The deal with Helena has effectively opened up the situation. Kepler's military personnel are ready-made, and thanks to the Kepler dregs and the AI, their combat effectiveness is quite guaranteed. Currently, it is mechas maintaining order, which is sufficient for general situations, but it becomes extremely troublesome once aliens using Dimension Power appear. To maintain Kepler's development, one cannot be too strict; to be practical, being strict is useless anyway. Peripheral merchant ships have to risk being plundered the moment they leave the Kepler Star Sector.

Whether it is cargo or humans, both are targets for plunder; there are Orcs, and there are others.

Kepler's current fleet does not possess the capability for deep-space pursuit; they are technically suppressed. Perhaps out of fear of the Deep-Space Convention, the pirates have not directly invaded Kepler's star sector. I fear it is not that they dare not, but rather the interests of the Star Alliance order, but how long can that be maintained?

Li Hao has a certain understanding of the Star Alliance, but to say he is very familiar with it, especially the unwritten rules, is clearly unrealistic. So he pulled Gaia, Kuta, and Gasimi together and treated them to a good meal on credit. Human food is currently becoming increasingly popular, and there are already corresponding categories within the Sacred Song, but Li Hao cannot afford them. Of course, between brothers, the point is not what they eat.

"The Orcs are currently aggressive; what do you think I should do?" Li Hao explained the situation in Kepler, as well as the encounters humans have had in other Sacred Songs. Last time, Depuya was lucky, but there won't be such an opportunity every time. After the last commotion, I fear the Orcs will act even more insidiously. Except for a limited few Sacred Songs with particularly strong order, most Sacred Songs do not really care about such disputes. What he worries about is not Chao Qinglong and the others—these guys have all crawled out from the line of death, and both their abilities and mentalities are top-tier—but there are currently over five thousand humans learning in the Sacred Song, and a portion of them do not possess combat capability.

Kuta, Gaia, and Gasimi looked at each other. "It seems that in our 207 Ring, except for Kuta, every family has its own difficult problems," Gaia said with a bitter smile. His injuries haven't healed yet; being beaten up is one thing, but how to get through the future is the real headache. The problem is that even if Haosen leaves, six years is the time limit for the Sacred Song; unless they are retained, everyone must leave. But Lavitan is still there, and as long as Haosen gives a word of instruction, it will still be difficult for him.

"I'm in a tough spot too, being watched by Aoliweina every day, with zero freedom." Kuta stood with his brothers. "Li Ge, the Orcs have been bullying the weak and fearing the strong for more than a day or two. I don't think we can just passively take a beating; we have to make them afraid."

"From the big picture, the Orcs' behavior is tacitly approved by the upper echelons; this is also a way to maintain order," Gaia said. He didn't explain it very thoroughly, but in reality, it is that the Celestial do not care, and the Dragon Race will certainly not intervene in the open disputes between Star Alliance civilizations. What remains are the Sea People; the Sea People are only interested in resources. They are powerful but only capable of self-preservation; no one dares to provoke them, and they will not take the initiative to provoke others. This is also a kind of uniqueness.

If the Star Alliance were truly absolutely fair and handled everything according to rules and regulations, then where would the superiority of the Celestial be reflected? Having an Orc Empire actually serves to set off the Celestial. Of course, this is a matter for the higher-ups and cannot solve Li Hao's current situation.

As for the affairs between the Solar System Federation and the Lalutu Empire, let alone the people present, even the families they belong to have no right to intervene, nor do they have the qualifications, unless the interests are great enough to allow them to persuade the entire civilization group. What price would the Solar System need to pay to move them?

Old-school nobles are very clear about this aspect. Kuta and Gaia have very clear lines of thought regarding this, but it is not that they don't want to, but that they lack the capability.

"Li Ge, perhaps my analysis isn't clear enough. I think you need to take two steps. On one hand, the interior of the Solar System must be united; the bottom line is that the Star Alliance will not sit idly by and watch the Orcs destroy the Solar System Federation. On the other hand, you must take the initiative to strike and provide a deterrent to the Orcs, making them understand the price they will have to pay. It's best if it's the kind that makes them unable to fathom your depth. Although the Orcs are greedy, that's only when they feel they can handle the situation," Gaia said. As an old Celestial noble, he is very clear about this set of rules.

"Li Ge, how much confidence do you have in your own strength?" Gasimi suddenly asked.

"Me? In a one-on-one fight, there shouldn't be anyone I can't beat," Li Hao said.

Once these words were out, although they knew Li Hao was very strong, the three of them—Kuta and the others—didn't quite know what to say. Of course, they also knew that Li Hao's level in the Sacred Song was top-tier, but they couldn't judge exactly how strong he was.

"Sacred Song challenge—launch a challenge directly targeting the Orcs. Actually, the Orcs' customs are a bit like us Insectoids; they worship the strong. If you can defeat their heavyweight contestants, such as the Orcs on the Heavenly Ladder, it will attract the attention of the Orcs at the Sacred Song level," Gasimi said.

Kuta's big eyes blinked. "This is a good method; I think it's feasible. It can draw their attention over to a certain extent, which should alleviate the pressure on other humans," Kuta said. "Another thing is, if your Heavenly Ladder ranking continues to rise, the Orcs might suspect that there is some power supporting humans behind the scenes, and they might hesitate to act."

Gaia also slapped his thigh. "This is absolutely effective. Don't talk about them; even we suspect if there is someone behind you. Now the Arbitration is even spreading rumors that you and Ning Long have a thing, and that you have the support of the Star-Casting Dragon Race behind you."

Kuta also nodded. "It's being spread with such vivid detail; Aoliweina has probed me about it several times."

Li Hao was left between laughter and tears. Could he really pull off a "fox borrowing the tiger's might"? It wasn't impossible.

"Thanks, brothers. I'll toast you with soup instead of wine!" Li Hao raised a bowl of soup. As a human, he could only watch the wine from afar.

"Haha, the wine was already prepared. Bring it on!" The waiter on the side had long been prepared and pushed a cart in; all kinds of wine and drinks were already ready.

Li Hao was stunned. Was this the rhythm of going bankrupt?

"Li Ge, drink to your heart's content. You've given us so much guidance; we have to show our appreciation. I've had my family acquire several restaurants in the Sacred Song; from now on, just put it on my tab whenever you come," Kuta said, turning to the service staff on the side. "Remember, these are all my brothers. Give instructions to the other restaurants as well."

"Yes, Young Master Kuta."

The group did not stand on ceremony with Kuta. This kid's extravagance had exceeded their imagination. Kuta was quite willful; if he liked someone, anything was fine, but if he didn't like someone, they were an enemy.

Gaia, who would drink happily whenever there was wine, even forgot his troubles. He was the type to let things take their course; there was nothing he could do anyway. Kuta was even more cheerful; to him, the Sacred Song was just like a trip, and his family had already arranged everything. As for the Sacred Song ranking, there was actually no need to worry at all; he had just arrived, and his family would arrange everything later. Even if he went on missions, they would ensure his safety.

Li Hao's mind became clearer the more he drank. He also had this idea. After Kuta and Gaia's analysis, he really felt he should go all out. Whether it would be effective or not, he would know once he fought, especially the second point, which he hadn't thought of. Many people suspected the power behind him. Behind him is Bleem, which essentially has no deterrent power, but since Bleem can receive missions from the Anthem Intelligence Center as a team, being misunderstood like this is normal. Now he just needs to find a master; the Star-Casting Dragon Race is undoubtedly a great banner.

And Ning Long is very interested in the Dimension Power on him; this misunderstanding can indeed be fermented. Anyway, he won't take the initiative to admit it, but he won't deny it either. Of course, what he needs now is to attract a wider range of attention so that the Orcs will associate him with the Dragon Race. He feels he should find an opportunity to get close to Xilian as well; the Seventh Art Federation Cthulhu Family is also no small matter. The combination of the Star-Casting Dragon Race and Cthulhu is enough to make the Orcs uneasy for a while. He doesn't ask for complete deterrence; as long as it has an effect, it's fine.

The group was having a blast, but Li Hao couldn't sit still. This matter had to be done early. He checked the time; it was almost time for the customary battle time in the Sacred Song. He let Kuta and the others continue while he went out for a trip, planning to come back later to continue drinking. He had already rushed to the Zhanzheng Center.

Kashika was not surprised by his arrival at all. Ever since Li Hao tasted the sweetness, he had been very passionate about the Zhanzheng Center; after all, eating leeks too much can also boost virility.

"Kashika, I want to set up a challenge. What conditions are needed?"

"Any Sergeant Major can do it. As a Ladder Sergeant Major, you will get a relatively high-priority opportunity," Kashika said. "But the conditions for the challenge must be set well, otherwise it is very easy to be targeted by opponents."

"Is there anything more conspicuous? It's best to let all the Orcs see it!" Who else could understand better than the managing Kashika? So, having friends outside saves a lot of detours.

"Sacred Song Announcement is divided into national level, civilization level, theater level, and the highest all-Sacred Song announcement," Kashika explained. "But this kind of behavior is not very good; it carries a very strong targeting nature."

Li Hao was happy; that was exactly what he wanted. "I want an all-Sacred Song announcement. How much does it cost?"

"This requires a Ladder Sergeant Major to be able to launch it. You are just qualified; it's one million per time," Kashika said strangely.

"That's fine. Can I pay on credit? Let's start with one... five times!" If you don't risk the child, you won't catch the wolf. Li Hao decided to go all out.

Kashika revealed the strange, stunned expression of the Mechanical Race. "It's possible, but if you must do it, I suggest you split it into five time slots; don't put them all up at once."

"Good, Kashika, I'll listen to you. By the way, I want to fight the Orcs. Is there any way to make the Orcs swarm over, the stronger the better!" Li Hao said. "What do the Orcs care about?"

"The Orcs are a species with very strong vanity, especially when comparing themselves to species weaker than them; they will emphasize their sense of superiority. But are you sure you want to do this? You will become the public enemy of all Orcs?"

"What do you think? It's already come to this, and you know the conflict between us and the Orcs. Just do it; I'm only afraid they won't come," Li Hao said.

"Give me an announcement title, and I'll operate it for you."

"I am the father of all Orcs; those who don't submit, come and fight!" Li Hao's drunkenness was also coming up. "Is this effect enough?"

Kashika widened his eyes. "This is not a question of whether it's enough. Once launched, is it necessary to be so excessive? That... you know, the Orcs' lives are relatively chaotic; many don't know who their own father is..."

(End of chapter)