Chapter 53: Meeting – Section 10

There were so many transition gates that they immediately filled up a vast expanse of cosmic space upon appearing, and they continued to expand. Seeing this, the astonished crew didn’t need any explanations. The fleet immediately made an emergency turn and activated the hooks on the Snake Teeth vessels.
Yet they were still a bit late.
The appearance of the enemy was clearly planned. First, they used a transition gate and successive ships sent to their deaths to draw the Black-Haired Fleet’s attention, then suddenly appeared from behind. Both the timing and location were perfect. Even though the Blood Wolf crew had done their best, it wasn’t easy to release all the Snake Teeth vessels before the enemy showed up.
On top of that, the Thor Fortress occupied a crucial position in the fleet to counteract the black hole. No matter how quickly the fleet reacted, its speed had to be taken into account. After all, the Thor Fortress was renowned for its powerful firepower, leaving it far behind in terms of flexibility. So, by the time the enemy’s transition gates were fully formed, the Black-Haired Fleet still hadn’t reached its attack position.
With a long sigh, Black-Haired realized he had lost the advantage.
Sure enough, just as the first Snake Tooth vessel detached from its hook, the enemy fleet came into sight.
It was still a dense array of black crystal giant ships.
But this time, unlike before when they emerged one after another through the transition gate, they appeared all at once—thousands of transition gates providing ample pathways. Thus, in just a few minutes, a fleet of thousands of giant ships appeared before Black-Haired.
Among these massive black crystal warships, one red super-giant ship stood out sharply.
It was a colossal vessel that resembled a castle. Compared to the already enormous black crystal ships, its size was even more terrifying. Its height alone reached nearly ten kilometers. Entirely red in color, its shape resembled a helmet with a pointed top and a rounded bottom. At its very top, a crescent-shaped spike was clearly visible. Countless tiny holes on its hull flickered intermittently, emitting a cold glow.
“The Emperor of Moore!” Monkey was stunned. “How could he be here?”
“What? The Emperor of Moore?” Blood-Pupil was also shocked, then horrified. Although he had dived into the Moore Empire alongside Black-Haired, he had never seen this greatest tyrant in the universe due to his responsibilities managing the 76 Star Station.
As the two spoke, the expressions of the others in the cabin changed instantly. Staring at that enormous ship in the distance, they all wore expressions of disbelief.

Could it be that within that giant vessel was the terrifying emperor who conquered half of the universe and wiped out countless races—the Emperor Moore? How could he appear here? The man with black hair remained expressionless. After observing carefully for a while, he slowly nodded. “Indeed, only a hero like him could devise such a strategy.” He glanced at the officer in charge of communications, and his voice sounded calm. “Establish a communication link.” “Yes,” the officer replied, startled, and immediately got to work. In just a moment, the Emperor Moore’s gentle voice filled the cabin. His first words were… “Count Beck, you really made me wait quite long.” “Your Majesty, Count Beck has disappointed you,” the man with black hair said, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his lips. “No, no, no… How could I be disappointed?” The Emperor Moore seemed in high spirits, even with a hint of laughter in his voice. “Not only am I not disappointed, but I’m also greatly surprised. If not for this, I wouldn’t have realized how capable Count Beck really is. Let me see… one, two, three, four, five, six… Wow, Count Beck, in just a short while, you’ve destroyed over twenty of my Leech Giants. Such efficiency—even that old man Zi Yan couldn’t achieve that.” His tone was casual, but the meaning behind it was far from it. In this universe, perhaps only the Emperor Moore would consider twenty-plus Black Crystal Giants to be anything significant. Of course, if one had to count, the man with black hair would also qualify. After all, they weren’t his ships, were they? With a light smile, he didn’t respond. He knew the Emperor Moore would never dwell on such trivial matters. To use an expression he’d heard before, that man could handle hundreds of thousands of things per second. A few Black Crystal Giants were nothing but toys. Sure enough, after a moment of casual banter, the Emperor Moore’s voice suddenly grew somber. After a long pause, a clear sigh came through the channel. “Beck, it’s been a long time since we last met, hasn’t it?” “Almost a year,” the man with black hair replied with a smile. “Yes, a year,” the Emperor Moore sighed softly. “The last time we met, you were still a sharp and ambitious young man. Now, I see you as an extraordinary hero. I was quite upset for a while after you disappeared, but it seems I was overreacting. Count Beck is indeed Count Beck—no matter where he goes, he manages to carve out his own path.” “You flatter me, Your Majesty.”

“Is that a compliment?” Emperor Moore smiled gently. “I’m afraid we both know the answer. It’s just a fact, isn’t it? I just didn’t expect our meeting to take place in such an unpleasant atmosphere.”
“I didn’t expect it either,” Blackhair replied cheerfully. He then gave a signal to the monkeys and the others. They immediately nodded slightly and vanished outside the cabin door.
Watching them go, Blackhair’s smile grew even wider. After thinking for a moment, he spoke up directly.
“Your Majesty, this doesn’t seem like the time to reminisce, does it? If possible, could you tell me what’s going on? Stop using such friendly tones. You know we’re both smart people. Playing emotional games is really pointless.”
“Hehe… You’re still the same as before.” Hearing Blackhair’s words, Emperor Moore burst into laughter—loud and joyful. It took a long time before his laughter subsided, and his tone changed as well.
“Good. It seems you’re ready. But before telling you what you want to know, I have one more question.”
“Count Baker, would you be willing to return to my side? You’re the most talented person I’ve ever met, so I won’t treat you like those worthless scum. State any conditions you have—without hesitation, I’ll fulfill them.”
“Wow…” With Emperor Moore’s words, chaos erupted in Li Feng’s cabin. Almost all the Blood Wolf warriors couldn’t believe their ears. Their expressions were stunned, like puppets.
Any condition… Was this a dream? No way—this was Emperor Moore’s promise! With his power, what couldn’t he do in this universe? In fact, if Blackhair asked for anything now, Emperor Moore would get it for him.
Such treatment, such respect… Probably no one else in the universe would dare to ask for such things. Emperor Moore was truly an extraordinary ruler. Such a promise was hard not to be moved by.
And in truth, Blackhair was also somewhat touched.
Everyone knows their own worth. Blackhair knew what kind of person he was. If possible, he really didn’t want to fight against a powerful force like the Moore Empire, let alone be at odds with a fearsome ruler like Emperor Moore. It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing—it was the sheer risk involved that made him hesitate.
So when Emperor Moore made this offer, it surprised Blackhair. What value did he have to deserve such high regard from this emperor, even to the point of making such a serious promise?

Does that mean that as long as one agrees to return to his side and continue to serve him, even humans can be spared?
The atmosphere in the cabin suddenly became heavy. Black Hair remained silent for a long time, quickly calculating the pros and cons in his mind. Just as he was struggling to figure it out, the officer on duty nearby suddenly spoke up.
“Report: The enemy fleet shows signs of movement.”
“Hm?” Black Hair frowned and looked up, only to find that the enemy’s formation, which had remained unchanged since leaving warp drive, was now changing. The ships in the front were fine, but those behind were quietly arranging themselves on both sides, as if stretching out the formation from afar.
No… That’s not a change in formation. It’s…
They’re trying to encircle us!!
Black Hair was shocked, but his expression didn’t change at all. He simply gave the officer a brief order. “Tell our Snake Teeth on both sides to move in the same direction. Allow them to get close enough to force the enemy to fail to form their formation.”
“Understood,” the officer replied loudly, and a series of orders were sent out.
At that moment, Black Hair spoke to Emperor Moore again.
“Your Majesty. Is this game really that fun?”
“Of course it is.” Seemingly aware that Black Hair had seen through his intentions, Emperor Moore laughed immediately, no longer looking as solemn as before.
“Ah, Beck, you’re really stupid. Even if you figured it out, wouldn’t it be better to stay silent? Being quietly erased by me is far better than being severely damaged in a loud battle. Although it will take me some effort, you’ll suffer even more. Why can’t you understand my intentions?”
“You’d better keep such intentions to yourself,” Black Hair’s voice turned icy cold. Having seen through Emperor Moore’s malice, he had completely lost trust in him.
“Hehe.” Hearing Black Hair’s reply, Emperor Moore laughed, with a hint of helplessness in his laughter.
“Since that’s the case, I’ll have to use my last resort. We’ll talk again later. By then, I’m sure you won’t refuse anything I say, right? My dear Count Beck?”
“Or… Black Hair?”