Chapter 205 - 133: All the Benefits Are Mine
And so, the eyeballs fled.
Ding Dong: "Ah~ my territory doesn’t have any units or heroes that can summon wood-type creatures. Looks like I can’t research this. Forget it, I’ll just give them the cremation special too."
Opal Hass: "I just sent a few soldiers to move an enemy corpse. The eyeball on its back really isn’t doing anything!!"
Opal Hass: "Does that mean it’s fine as long as we don’t attack them?"
Lin Yu: "I don’t know, I haven’t tried. In any case, those eyeballs don’t look like anything good to me."
Lin Yu: "Besides, the races of the enemy soldiers invading our territories are all different, but the eyeballs on their backs are all the same. The most likely explanation is that these eyeball-like creatures are the real invaders we’re facing."
Ding Dong: "CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!!! Younger Brother Lin’s theory is the same as mine. That’s what I was thinking too."
Ding Dong: "Brothers in the group, let’s do a headcount. See if the invading creatures everyone is facing have this eyeball on their backs. That way we can confirm that the eyeball creatures are our enemies this time."
Qian Duoduo: "No need for a headcount. I can already confirm it on my end. The invading creatures my subordinates are facing all have these eyeballs on their backs."
Yun Qihao: "Same here. It seems the eyeballs are indeed our enemies this time."
Ding Dong: "If they’re the enemy, then it’s simple. Don’t care what abilities they have, just kill them and we’ll talk later!!"
Zhang Jing: "I agree. I’ve already started the cremations anyway!!"
Opal Hass: "I still think that since this is a new species, we have an obligation to probe their abilities as much as possible to accumulate more information on other races for the Empire. Besides, the Empire offers rewards for discovering new races and providing information on them. Don’t you guys want that?"
Yun Qihao: "The Divine Hall doesn’t have any information on these eyeball creatures either. Although I also think we should gather some information, looking at them... I think I’ll stick with the cremation special."
Qian Duoduo: "I just built a new blast furnace. It hasn’t started producing new alloy steel yet, so let’s just use it as a crematorium for these eyeballs!"
Qian Duoduo: "Opal Hass, the Empire’s reward for information on hostile races isn’t that high. It’s not worth the risk. The rewards for beneficial races are high, but I don’t think these eyeballs are the kind of beneficial race we can ally with."
Opal Hass: "Fine, I’ll go research them myself. When I’ve gathered enough information and received the Empire’s reward, I’ll make you all green with envy."
Yun Qihao: "Go for it, I support you!! The Empire’s progress depends on ambitious young people like you!!"
Lin Yu: "Go for it!!"
Ding Dong: "Go for it!!"
...
Meanwhile, after leaving the small group’s chat channel, Opal Hass sent a private message to Mei Yuan, wanting to ask about the progress of his research.
Opal Hass (Private): "Hello, I’d like to ask, how is your research coming along?"
Mei Yuan (Private): "Aha, a fellow like-minded lord at last!"
Mei Yuan (Private): "My research has discovered that these eyeballs have the ability to augment their host’s stats."
Mei Yuan (Private): "I even tested it on a hero. The hero went up a whole rank, it was awesome!"
Opal Hass (Private): "That powerful? I’m going to try it!!"
Mei Yuan (Private): "To be safe, you should test it on a regular soldier. I was a bit too aggressive. I’m still shaken up thinking about it, I almost lost a hero."
Opal Hass (Private): "\(^o^)/~, thanks!!"
After exiting the chat channel, Opal Hass immediately ran to the isolation chamber where the Half-beastman corpse was being kept. Standing outside the chamber’s glass, he directed his territory’s residents to conduct an experiment.
These eyeballs attached to the Half-beastman’s back were extremely quiet as long as they were not attacked. But the moment they were, they would erupt violently, counter-attacking their aggressor. Their attack power was simply too weak, however, to harm the territory’s fully-armed testers.
’Tsk, these eyeballs are too weak. They’re not nearly as scary as those guys made them out to be!!’
Opal Hass couldn’t help but think.
Then, following Mei Yuan’s advice, he sent a regular soldier inside, ordering him not to resist and to let the eyeball merge into his back.
"How do you feel?" Opal Hass asked through the glass.
"My Lord, nothing in particular. I just feel a bit hyper, and I think my physical fitness seems to have improved a little."
Opal Hass checked the soldier’s system information.
[Name]: ...
[Attack]: ...
...
[Status]: Symbiotic Augmentation.
[Symbiotic Augmentation]: Rank +1 (Effective below Legendary rank)...
When he saw the [Symbiotic Augmentation] status, Opal Hass’s eyes began to gleam. Although it could only augment ranks below Legendary, it placed no restrictions on whether the symbiotic partner was a hero.
’In other words, if I have an Excellent-rank hero accept one of these eyeballs, I can get an Extraordinary-rank hero.’
At this thought, Opal Hass grew excited. There were quite a few Excellent-rank Random Hero Summon Scrolls for sale on the market. However, because the stat bonuses of Excellent-rank heroes were too low—only double that of an Excellent-rank soldier—they were basically just super soldiers with a few extra skills. Coupled with their high price, their cost-effectiveness was terrible. Even lords desperate for heroes wouldn’t bother buying them.
But, if you could spend the money for an Excellent-rank hero and get an Extraordinary-rank hero, the value would be immense.
To verify his idea, Opal Hass sent an Excellent-rank hero into the isolation chamber and had him proactively initiate symbiosis with an eyeball.
And just like that, he obtained an Extraordinary-rank hero. According to the system information, there were no hidden dangers whatsoever.
"Hahaha~~~" Opal Hass couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"Those self-righteous fools... once I report this discovery to the Empire, I’ll be an Imperial hero. The Empire will surely shower me with rewards, and my family might even rise to a new level."
"Hmm... that guy Mei Yuan seems to know about the eyeballs’ function too. I have to find a way to get rid of him, or make him work for me."
Opal Hass (Private): "I tested it, the effect is great. Where is your territory? I was wondering if I could find you to discuss this in private."
Mei Yuan (Private): "No, no, my location is very remote. Let’s just keep communicating online."
Opal Hass (Private): "Sigh, to be honest, some things aren’t well-suited for online discussion. It’s better to talk in person. My coordinates are 123.321.555. What about you?"
Mei Yuan (Private): "That’s a bit far. My territory is at 987.789.365. Let’s just stick to online communication!"
Opal Hass (Private): "Alright, then. If you discover anything else, remember to let me know."
...
Opal Hass (Private): "Sibel Aishan, the coordinates 987.789.365 are relatively close to you. Go check it out for me. If you find a territory there, harass him while he’s dealing with the invasion. Try to get him killed and sent back to Cuiwei Star!"
Sibel Aishan (Private): "Yes, boss!!"
Having arranged his little scheme, Opal Hass became even more pleased. Now, he would be the only one who knew about the eyeballs’ ability. As for worrying that Mei Yuan might report the eyeball matter first after being sent back to Cuiwei Star—that wasn’t a concern. He had special means to contact his family on Cuiwei Star. When the time came, he would just have them "take care of" Mei Yuan, framing him as a traitor.
After all, the lords participating in this competition were the most susceptible to being tempted into betraying the Human Race. A lot of them were dealt with every year; one more wouldn’t make a difference.
’Oh, right. I also need them to exaggerate the dangers of the eyeballs. That way, no one else will dare to experiment. Then all the benefits will be mine!’
[Cuiwei Star Experts Group]
Opal Hass: "Everyone, I just tried it out. I don’t know what the principle is, but I had a soldier from my territory proactively merge with it. Although the soldier’s stats and rank were boosted, the eyeball took control of him."
Opal Hass: "It’s too dangerous!!"
Lin Yu: "That scary? I’m going to go try it."
Ding Dong: "What the—! Younger Brother Lin, are you nuts? He just said it was dangerous and you’re going to try it?"
Zhang Jing: "As one of our group’s pillars, don’t do anything rash!!"
Opal Hass: "Don’t try it, it’s too dangerous!"
Lin Yu: "Don’t worry, it’s fine. I have plenty of soldiers in my territory!"
...