Chapter 16: Nightmare, Section 10

“Resources, weapons, manpower, logistics, warships, bases!” The black-haired man’s voice was brief yet forceful, his gaze piercing the souls of those around him.
“I know how much power each of you here possesses, as well as the forces backing you. Money is just a number to you—meaningless. Unfortunately, the same goes for me. So these are all I can ask for. And importantly, I’m not a beggar—don’t try to fool me with trivial stuff. If you can’t provide 20 warships, over 5,000 combatants, along with the necessary equipment and logistical support, then don’t sit here at all.”
“Well…” Everyone hesitated. No one wanted to speak first.
It wasn’t out of stinginess—it was because the black-haired man’s demands were simply outrageous. 5,000 combatants plus all the related equipment and logistics? Wasn’t that asking for too much? And 20 warships on top of that! What did he think warships were—children’s toys?
“That’s impossible!!” It was the representative of the Assassins’ Guild who spoke up first, protesting loudly.
“Your demands are absurd. I really don’t know if you’re an idiot or not. But I’m sure you’re crazy!! Do you even realize how many forces are represented here? Each of them needs that much resources—enough to build a whole fleet. Do you plan to go to war with the Interstellar Fleet? Mr. Black Hair, I must say you’re the most audacious person I’ve ever met. On behalf of the Assassins’ Guild, I reject your demands!! But we will definitely get the Cmxi ore—and a large share at that! Anyone who dares oppose us will feel the wrath of the Assassins’ Guild!!”
His frantic outburst instantly silenced the room. No one expected the Assassins’ Guild, a major force on Silver Star, to be the first to stir up conflict. A tense atmosphere filled the space, and everyone’s expressions turned hostile.
The Assassins’ Guild was the largest and most powerful force on Silver Star. Though it wasn’t as large in the eyes of other factions, it had a significant advantage here. If they suddenly went berserk, the situation could get out of control. Even though over 600 warships from various factions gathered around the planet, they wouldn’t dare attack Silver Star if things really heated up.
It was the greatest commercial planet in the 31 star systems. Anyone who dared destroy it would face the wrath of all the races in the universe. Even the Interstellar Fleet wouldn’t dare risk such a situation.

But the representative of this assassin guild is really too arrogant… How can such an outrageous attitude be tolerated?
As the one directly facing this representative’s arrogant remarks, Black Hair still maintained an indifferent and aloof attitude on the surface. Not a trace of anger could be seen—just sitting there quietly, watching the man in black who kept shouting in front of him. After a long while, he finally sighed.
“If this is the unanimous decision of your assassin guild, I understand…”
With that, Black Hair stretched out his right hand and, in front of everyone, snapped his fingers gently, very gently…
“Boom!!!”
A deafening explosion shook the entire land. The very moment Black Hair snapped his fingers, a violent explosion erupted somewhere on Silver Star. A fire column hundreds of meters wide shot into the sky, visible to everyone. The clear sky instantly turned dark with clouds, and countless shrill screams spread out. In just an instant, it seemed as if the sky had changed!!
“That’s!?” Everyone stood up abruptly, their expressions shifting as they stared in the direction of the fire column. The man in black who had made those arrogant remarks was stunned, speechless as he watched the fire column.
No one knew better than him where that fire column was—it was none other than the headquarters of their assassin guild on Silver Star!!
A nightmare!! It must be a nightmare!!
Let me wake up quickly…
“There’s no need to look. You’re right. That’s where the assassin guild is.” Black Hair’s calm voice pulled everyone back to reality. He still carried that indifferent, lazy demeanor. Somehow, a glass of red wine appeared in his hand, gently swaying and emitting a dreamy amber glow.
“Twenty-three thousand assassins, five bases, seven storage warehouses. Ah, and also seventy-eight Spear-class warships recently purchased from the interstellar fleet. That’s what you have. Am I right, Mr. Christo?”
“How do you know my name!!” The man in black was even more shocked. He suddenly pointed at Black Hair, his whole body trembling violently.
“Could it be that… you’re…?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter,” the black-haired man interrupted Black-Clothed Bamboo Pole coldly. He raised a finger and waved it. “It’s just that your existence has greatly infringed upon my interests. I remember going to your headquarters a long time ago, hoping to exchange money for help. But what did you reply to me?”
“Sir… our assassin guild is merely a platform for other assassins to make deals; we don’t have the authority to give them direct orders. Please go back. No matter how much money you offer, we won’t agree to your request…” Blood-Pupiled suddenly imitated the tone of that assassin’s receptionist from before, drawing everyone’s attention.
The black-haired man also smiled coldly and took a gentle sip of the red wine in his cup.
“No direct authority? Now you see—this is just a joke. There’s an old saying in my hometown: ‘One mountain cannot hold two tigers.’ Unluckily, your guild has already blocked my path. To be honest, I’ve been busy with some trivial matters lately and didn’t want to get involved with you. But since you’re so eager to come and die, I have nothing more to say.”
“There’s no need to wait. Your companions have all been killed by my subordinates. Twenty thousand assassins—some dead, some escaped. All five bases have been destroyed. As for those seven warehouses and seventy-eight Spear-Class ships?” The black-haired man smiled. “The winner takes all. I’m more than happy to help you dispose of these luxuries.”
“Nonsense!” Black-Clothed Bamboo Pole trembled violently, unable to believe his ears. But before he could react further, a dim gray shadow suddenly appeared behind him. In the blink of an eye, it slipped into his body.
Oh, heavens… Everyone was shocked by the sudden change before their eyes. Right before their eyes, that man in black underwent a drastic transformation. His already thin body shrank at a visible pace, like a dehydrated orange. Large patches of skin peeled off, yet no blood was visible. His face twisted grotesquely. In less than ten seconds, the representative of the assassin guild turned into a mummy right in front of everyone!!!

“Thud!!” The withered corpse fell onto the platform and never moved again. Then, that gray shadow reappeared before everyone’s eyes. It slowly separated from the corpse and drifted in front of the black-haired man. Only then did they realize that the shadow was actually something like mist, capable of floating in the air. Its shape kept twisting and changing until it finally took the form of an old man.

“Black-haired… As you requested, we… have completed the task,” the gray shadow said respectfully, bowing to the black-haired man in intermittent phrases.

“Very good. You may go now. I’ve prepared enough food for you; I hope you’ll like it,” the black-haired man said casually, waving his hand lightly.

“Thank you… Black-haired… It was truly a pleasant collaboration… The Undead Clan… is at your service…” The intermittent voice continued, before the mist suddenly dispersed in everyone’s presence, vanishing without a trace.

Even at this point, the people there still hadn’t recovered from their shock. However, the last word spoken by the mist caught their attention.

“The Undead Clan…”

“Clap, clap…” The crisp sound of applause pulled everyone back to reality. The black-haired man showed his signature gentle smile once again. “Well, everyone, I’m sorry for showing you such unpleasant things. But now we can sit down and talk properly. With one annoying person gone, I believe you can think more calmly about your gains and losses. As I always say, ten tons of Cemxi ore—whomever offers the most can take it. I won’t hesitate!”

In the quiet square, the black-haired man’s voice stood out sharply. After a long while, the little boy named Li Cha suddenly flashed a childlike, innocent smile and sat down cheerfully.

“Ah, big brother, you really scared me to death. It’s okay… I can still hold up. Please give me a heads up next time before doing something like this. Otherwise, I’m afraid my great-grandmother might never see her lovely grandson again.”

“I promise,” the black-haired man replied with a smile.

“If you promise, then there’s no need. But since this has happened, don’t you think you should give us some compensation? Ah, look, I’m still shaking.” This time, it wasn’t the little boy but Betty, who hadn’t spoken since the beginning. Now, this girl dressed like a boy was holding her chest exaggeratedly, frowning at the black-haired man with an extremely resentful look.

“…” The black-haired man was speechless.

None of these people from the five major families are easy to deal with. A few simple words from them can instantly bridge the gap between two parties. If I say I have nothing to do with them now, I doubt anyone will believe me. Despite their cute appearances, the scheming in their hearts is probably beyond even the most experienced person’s comprehension.
This is really difficult… Hei Fa frowned and spoke carefully.
“Well, what compensation do you want?”