At this moment, it seemed the system granted full clearance, revealing everything without reservation: "The Lord of the Rings Space Battlefield (Decisive Battle) is the most brutal resolution mode within the Blood Battlefield series. It forcibly cuts into the timelines of the most intense battles from The Lord of the Rings, resulting in a unique engagement. The specific battle will only be disclosed upon entry, but it will undoubtedly involve the defense of Helm's Deep, the defense of Minas Tirith, and, of course, the final confrontation at Mount Doom. Which precise moment we enter will only be revealed once we are inside."

Fang Senyan instantly understood: "So, in that case, any relationships established during previous adventures in the Middle-earth world become completely void?"

"Completely void is not necessarily true. Once the battle commences, plot characters and heroes belonging to the same faction will default to a neutral, detached stance. However, relationships that were complex and previously established within this world will influence their degree of favorability. Furthermore, based on the degree of exploration and influence achieved in that world, one can immediately possess honor points for relevant factions upon entry, which can be used to purchase equipment and items that cannot be carried out of that specific world."

Fang Senyan considered this calculation rather advantageous. If this translated, it would be akin to someone in the Avatar world being able to purchase a mechanized exoskeleton suit right at the start, or like being gifted a Vanguard Shield at the beginning of a DOTA match... it granted an overwhelming first-mover advantage.

For someone like Fang Senyan, who excelled at meticulous planning, securing an advantage at the starting line often meant rapidly pulling away from the competition later on!

At this point, Fang Senyan once again calculated carefully and felt time was slipping away. If the next world proved to be extremely perilous, requiring large-scale team warfare, much preparatory work needed to be arranged in advance. Anything that could provide an immediate boost to his own strength needed to be prioritized.

First, he listed several pieces of equipment salvaged from the last world for sale. To put it plainly, war was indeed a massive drain on resources. Since being prepared averted future disaster, securing hundreds of thousands of Universal Points right now was undeniably sound strategy.

Secondly, before departure, Fang Senyan knew that San Zai was agonizingly close to obtaining the ability known as "Destiny." Therefore, he paid close attention to this matter. If San Zai could also acquire the fate-manipulating power from Final Destination, it would undoubtedly amplify the entire team's capabilities significantly.

Next, the migration of Fogsong Sister and her contingent of Sunstrider Elves was brought forward onto the agenda. The inter-planar passage had been secured, and the C-Noah Space was being quite accommodating. Fang Senyan only needed to sign an Alliance Contract—a tier above a Vassal Contract—with her to allow the Sunstrider Elves to relocate.

Although the Alliance Contract was a rare item, for Fang Senyan, who now possessed the shopping clearance of a "Commodore" rank, it was plainly displayed in the rank-privilege store, requiring only five Merit Points.

The remaining uncertainty lay in the destination for the migration.

Specifically, when an entire race like the Sunstriders moved out of the world of The Lord of the Rings, they needed a place to reside. Currently, there were two options. One was to leverage the Space’s immense capabilities to fabricate a suitable world specifically for the Elves, a process which, naturally, carried a substantial cost.

The other option was to find a location on Earth for the Sunstriders to inhabit. This option entailed minimal cost, but finding a place naturally suited for Elves would likely prove difficult. Given that Elves probably wouldn't even tolerate the environment of PM0.025... still, Fang Senyan felt compelled to try, hoping to secure a universally agreeable location. Even with slim hopes, effort was warranted.

Beyond these matters, the Dark Gold Necklace Fang Senyan wore was also acting peculiar. Since absorbing two souls, no powerful soul seemed interested in it anymore...

And as for the matter of rank advancement, he was uncertain how Prince Pomparu was progressing. If 'Blood Major General A' could actually wear the required gear, even if it didn't guarantee unstoppable rampage, the safety coefficient would at least double.

In the battle against the Queen of Blades, Fang Senyan had obtained her blood (the process omitted, rely on your imagination). If the Queen of Blades couldn't be considered a protagonist, then no one could. Thus, the required blood samples for the item Chris Redfield's Lucky Bracelet had finally been fully collected...

Resolving these issues would immediately translate into tangible strength gains for the team. Moreover, Reef and Zi both planned to leverage their personal connections to recruit members to address the current personnel shortage, but Fang Senyan halted them. Recruiting now meant they were the suppliers and the recruits were the demand; the negotiating positions would be unequal. It was certain that the bloody back-and-forth combat on the battlefield would be brutal, and then they could recruit from the surviving Contractors, showcasing their benefits—that would be when the Ace Team got to choose them.

After formulating this series of plans, Fang Senyan still felt a lingering haze, something indistinct and difficult to articulate.

Fortunately, because this particular Blood Battlefield was of unprecedented significance, those who had agreed to participate received an additional concession: several extra days for preparation. This allowed more opportunities to refresh the inventory in the Rank Purchase Store, perhaps even stumbling upon an auction, or affording time for last-minute training.

Fang Senyan certainly thought along these lines, so he headed to the Rank Store. Regrettably, he didn't find anything particularly valuable. However, at that moment, a specific thought struck him, and he dialed a contact number.

Yes, this person was the peculiar Contractor he had met previously in The Lord of the Rings and later encountered at an auction—the one who called himself a "Miner" from the Neutral Faction! Fang Senyan shared a passing acquaintance with him and decided to try contacting him. To his surprise, as soon as the connection was established, he realized the other party seemed to have been looking for him as well. They immediately found common ground.

Following the method the Miner provided, Fang Senyan walked to the west side of the Nightmare Space. As previously mentioned, while the Nightmare Space was vast, it was finite, comparable to the interior of ten ten-thousand-ton passenger liners. In this western area was a seemingly useless room. Fang Senyan entered and indeed found a black patch on the floor. He stepped onto the area and spoke the password the Miner had given him: XD9981.

Instantly, Fang Senyan sank downward, immediately arriving in a private chamber the size of a telephone booth. A line of text appeared on the screen directly facing him: "You are about to enter the Public Communication Zone. Please pay a teleportation fee of 10,000 Universal Points. If you require the Space to guarantee personal safety, you must pay... Merit Points."

Fang Senyan was not one to be stingy; he accepted all options. Then, everything went black. When his vision cleared, he seemed to be inside an ascending elevator. The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and he was met with a spectacle of dazzling prosperity. Fang Senyan felt as if he stood on the bustling streets of Beijing's Wangfujing or Shanghai's Lujiazui, alive with endless traffic. However, the sky above was pitch black, filled with countless stars, indicating this was an exterior space base, protected only by a semi-transparent glass dome.

Fang Senyan glanced at the room numberplate beside him, noting that the location agreed upon with the Miner was close by. He strolled over and found it to be a rather petite coffee shop. Upon entering, the famous saxophone tune "Home" was playing softly. The interior was exquisitely decorated, artificially recreating the atmosphere of a small bridge over flowing water, with several stalks of green bamboo.

The Miner was seated at a coffee table in the corner, his eyes lightly closed, seemingly savoring the tranquil, water-like mood and ambiance created by the lingering music. When Fang Senyan approached, the Miner smiled faintly and gestured for him to sit.

After they were seated, a tall, strikingly seductive female server brought over a coffee pot, a grinder, a small silver alcohol lamp with an exquisitely engraved pattern, and a small pot of boiling water. She looked like a flight attendant, her smile exceptionally sweet.

She selected some high-quality beans, tossed them into the grinder, and began turning the small wheel, occasionally brushing strands of hair from her face. When the coffee was brewed, the taste was indeed excellent. The Miner tipped her with a paper bill and waved her away.

Observing the currency the Miner used, Fang Senyan suddenly had an epiphany: "I know what you people are! You must be the result of a compromise between the Nightmare Space and the Empire. The Space looks down on the Empire people's weak constitutions, yet needs the Empire to gather various resources. Therefore, as a compromise, they recruited you Empire individuals as non-combatant Contractors."

The Miner smiled: "Your guess is close. And because we are non-combat members, we can access secrets that you, the combat Contractors, cannot uncover."

Fang Senyan chuckled as well: "May I interpret your meaning as: non-combat Contractors also cannot access the secrets known only to combat Contractors?"

The Miner gave a wry smile and nodded: "Precisely. That is why I requested your presence—to combine what we know and reconstruct a true, approximate account of the events. Because recently, there have been changes and anomalies within the Space that you cannot even imagine!"