[So, you brought back the remains of these monsters?] 】

"Because in a way, they do have a certain value, Mother, or rather, we must find value in them: after all, our warriors must not die in vain, it is unbearable."

Rana stood near the door, his demeanor deferential, his words firm, his armor even stained with blood that had not yet had time to be cleaned, and in front of him, the remains of a total of five monsters were neatly arranged, and although they were completely dead, they were still tightly bound to avoid disturbing the original body.

[Well said.] 】

The Spider Empress nodded, agreeing with the Guard's words, her eyes searching for the deformed flesh and blood fusions in front of her, but her mind was thinking about something else.

[Loss?] 】

"One of the Fighting Brothers, whose belly armor was torn open by the sickle-like claws on the back of these monsters, died of acute hemorrhage before being rescued, and the remaining four Combat Brothers survived despite fatal injuries to the head and heart."

"In particular, the squad leader, Kesper, had half of his throat corroded and both of his hearts were punctured, but after receiving timely treatment, he was no longer in danger of life, and his mind remained clear, and it was expected that after a period of recuperation, he would be able to return to combat duty."

The Spider Empress listened quietly to the Praetorian Guard's report, and there was no more consternation in her heart: each Legion's Astarte warriors inherited something from their genetic protoplasms, perhaps good or bad, but the impact and change were significant.

For the Daybreakers, Morgan, as the mother of genes, has certainly reduced their replenishment ability to a dismal level, but as compensation, the soldiers of the Second Legion have a psionic awakening probability second only to the sons of Magnus, as well as an incredibly powerful battlefield survivability.

The injuries that had been placed on the other Astarte warriors were enough to kill them in an instant, but in the case of the Dawnbreaker, they could still survive for a while: don't underestimate this moment, there are thousands of Morgan's sons, just because they struggled a few more times in their dying moments, they managed to hold on to the reinforcements of the battle brothers, and thus succeeded in escaping from the clutches of death.

In the ten years that the Spider Queen has been at the helm of the Legion, there have been countless such deeds that Morgan has become a little commonplace, so when all the reports from the Praetorian Guard Keeper poured into her ears like water, the Queen of the Dawnbreaker simply instructed her henchmen to commend the discovery of the Casbah team, and let the Chief Old Guard retreat.

[Aniah, send these things to Ophiuchus first, let her study their structure first, as well as the weak points that exist in them, and compile them into a report and give it to me. 】

No sooner had the door closed than the Spider Empress gave orders to the maid behind her, and she casually glanced at the monsters that had cost her heir's life, but her pupils did not have the blazing flame that she usually burned when she looked at her cherished research materials.

For Morgan, the distorted remains of Astarte in front of him are no different from chicken ribs: not to mention that the Astarte technology is a technology that the Spider Queen has almost understood, the greatest value of these wrecks alone, that is, the organic fusion of Astarte and alien creatures, is the bottom line that Morgan will never touch.

Everyone in the world has a bottom line: even Morgan.

The Spider Empress would never allow her offspring to appear in the slightest form of alien structure, she would never perform surgery on it, and if any of the Daybreakers dared to set foot in it, even if he was a favored one like Lana or Hecht, he would be greeted only by a merciless trial by a court-martial, and even more terrifying, by the utter rejection of their genetic mother.

This is not only because the Spider Queen has a bone marrow hatred, greed, and contempt for all alien creatures, but also for a more selfish and important reason.

In Morgan's eyes, the entire Dawnbreaker Legion is her undoubted private property, a precious treasure that she will never give up at any time, so she has a more serious desire to control all her children than attachment, and she should be able to know and control everything about her children, so that they can stay within her power completely, and no bad things such as escape or loss will happen.

And this desire for control is also the driving force behind the Spider Queen's first major project of her scientific research project as the source of Astarte technology, and only after she has eaten this technology will she fall into a state of reassurance: because she can claim to know her offspring, all of it.

However, as long as an alien organ is placed on the body of the Dawnbreaker, this peace of mind will be ruthlessly broken, and the erosion from the unknown will begin to trample on the Spider Queen's grasp of her offspring: this is something she cannot tolerate, because she knows what power [Unknown] possesses, so she is even more fearful.

Thinking of this, a hint of gloom crossed the Spider Queen's brow, and she looked at Virgo, who had easily dragged the five corpses away, and opened her mouth to throw them all out, but then she thought about it again and gave up her thoughts.

After all, these wrecks still have their uses.

The Dawnbreakers may have forgotten many of the secrets about Heydrich and his Eleventh Legion, but Morgan hadn't completely forgotten that she knew that Heydrich was still alive and that there must be a lot of things like this hidden among the dark stars of the galaxy's north.

That being the case, it would be better to study the live data readily available to look for and list their dangers and weaknesses: even if she doesn't need them, it would certainly be a good thing if they could help her Caliban blood relatives in the future.

Thinking of this, the Spider Queen's mood also changed a little, and the gloom between her brows unconsciously dissipated, revealing the moodiness buried deep in the heart of her master.

Morgan quickly finalized the plan in her mind, and temporarily revealed the matter: Virgo would record it anyway, and what she needed to do now was to think about something more important.

Something she's just experienced.

——————

When Virgo completed her mother's order, taking note of what had just happened, and returned to Morgan, she found her Creator leaning on the silver throne with her legs crossed, her left thumb and forefinger supporting her face, and her right hand being held lightly in mid-air, playing with a few wisps of ownerless psionic power.

Virgo took one look, then turned away and began to make tea, knowing that this was her mother's state of reminiscing and thinking, and that this was not to disturb her at this time.

[Aniah.] 】

Unless she calls you.

"I'm here, Mother."

Virgo responded, and as she skillfully arranged a meal, her movements were so fast that she left an afterimage in the precious brimmed tea set, and she walked to the throne with the refreshment, waiting for her mother's next words.

Morgan was looking out of the porthole: the great shadow of the Blackstone Fortress fell far behind the expeditionary fleet like a brown bear following a flock of sheep, obscuring even half of the star, leaving only a border with a faint glow.

Undoubtedly, even strangers who did not know what it was actually used for, and only saw its huge body, had to admit that the Blackstone Fortress was undoubtedly a powerful weapon of war, and its cold colossal body was a significant symbol of absolute power.

[Now, they're mine.] 】

【……】

Do you think this is an elaborate trap, Aniah? 】

Virgo looked up, and she also glanced at the figure of the Blackstone Fortress, and then looked at her mother with some strange eyes.

"Why do you think so, Mother?"

Morgan crossed his fingers.

[It's hard not to think that such a powerful being, enough to shake the stars, but without leaving any trace, or arranging any defensive forces, is as if they were specially placed here by some kind of will, so that some plans and storylines can continue to be promoted.] 】

And now, they have fallen into my hands so easily, and there are many of them, and I have hardly paid any price, nor have they been hindered in any way, and they have made people panic: if an army can appear and fight me around these fortresses, maybe I will be more at ease now. 】

Listening to Morgan's apprehension, Virgo just blinked: she understood, and her mother's persecution paranoia had flare up again.

"Maybe it's just a stroke of luck for you, Mother?"

[There is no such thing as luck in the galaxy, only a price that has not yet been fulfilled: I have always kept it that way, Aniah, and they have never gone wrong. 】

"So you are so worried: because there is no existence, come out and thwart you?"

【…… Not really. 】

The genogen muttered to herself, her gaze glazed back.

[Actually, before that, I didn't have so much worry in my heart, my daughter, but in the middle of this last Blackstone Fortress, I met a ...... Stuff. 】

"Something?"

[Yes, it is difficult to summarize in other words, and there is also unreliability in the motives and purposes for which it came to me: however, it is definitely a presence with bad intentions. 】

[That's the only thing I can be sure of.] 】

——————

It happened after Lana led his troops to rescue the Casbah team.

Although the Praetorian Guard had taken some of the Primordial Guards with him, he still left behind a sizable force, in the hundred-mile-wide chamber at the center of the Blackstone Fortress, where hundreds of the most reliable Daybreakers were stationed, the ceiling above their heads and the floor beneath their feet vanished into shadows, and behind them was a massive black pillar towering over the center of the chamber.

Surrounding this massive pillar is a complex network of rhizomes like the World Tree, radiating hundreds of bridges, staircases, platforms, corridors, and countless dark portals to every corner of the fortress, the massive entrances seem to have been made for giants, and the towering bridges that link the central pillar to the rest of the fortress are wide enough for the god's machines to pass with their heads held high.

And the genetic prototype is staying in the heart of the fortress, manipulating the most important system in the entire alien fortress: the energy grid, this system that has not yet been fully activated ensures that humans can survive in the Blackstone Fortress, so the energy grid of each Blackstone Fortress needs to be checked by the Spider Queen herself.

Morgan was absorbed in the work, but soon, an instinctive sense of danger quickly swept through her mind, and the Spider Queen slowed down her pace of work a little, whispering the most powerful spells in her mouth.

Someone was approaching, right behind her.

This reality made the Spider Empress frown, she knew that the closest heir to her was less than three meters behind her, and they couldn't ignore an uninvited guest unless they showed up.

Thinking of this, the spell in the mouth of the genogen became even more terrifying, and she slowly pressed the last button and straightened up, but instead of turning around immediately, she adjusted her state to the best.

"You don't need to be so serious and boring, great Lord of the Void."

Almost at the same moment that Morgan stopped his work, a pretentious human word came to her ears in a way that was by no means a real universe, like a monster trying to imitate human emotions, but with a hint of ostentation and stubborn showmanship.

It's like a joke rather than a formal conversation.

Morgan's brow was cold, and instead of responding to the words, she turned slowly, her fingertips already containing a terrifying power that could tear apart the world and the stars.

With a single glance, the Spider Empress caught the uninvited guest, for it had no intention of disguising itself: the guest was walking between the two Dawnbreaker warriors, but the most powerful Astarte warriors were indifferent to its presence, as if they hadn't seen it.

It was a flamboyant playmaker, half-wrapped in a reddish-blue plaid coat, with a crown of mane and feathers like a Roman helmet on its head, and long boots on its feet, which had been its face, but was obscured by a frost-white mask that grinned.

[Interesting.] 】

Morgan laughed.

[A Spirit Harlequin.] 】

The third eye of the progenitor swept over the dreadless creature of death, but only a heinous void.

[Still a spirit clown without a soul of his own: In this way, the only sad value you have is gone.] 】

The Spider Empress looked at the uninvited creature with cold eyes, and she could confirm almost immediately that this thin figure, whose soul had disappeared even of herself, was nothing more than a mouthpiece for some people behind the scenes: some wanted to talk to her, but they didn't want to show up.

Thinking of this, the Lord of the Second Legion still did not slack off the tremendous energy on her fingertips, she faced the uninvited guest, constantly scanning it with her invisible third eye, and beside them, a Dawnbreaker Legion soldier stood almost motionless, like countless exquisite marble statues.

A second later, Morgan quietly frowned: behind the soulless abominable puppet, she faintly saw a vague figure, a humanoid golden being, thin and torn apart, with curved horns on its skull.

But at second glance, she seemed to see another presence: the same comical crown as the object in front of her, with a pointed nose and chin, and an inhuman smile on her white face.

【……】

Who do you represent? 】

[Is it the mortal god who has long been broken, or the coward who is hiding? 】

The question of the genetic protogens was met with a poignant laugh of unknown significance.

"If we are destined to be strangers, why are you so persistent?"

【……】

Morgan snorted lightly, but did not let down her vigilance: from the abominable corners of the four gods, from the endless memories left by the aliens, from the hymns written by the space necrons, and even from the rich inheritance abandoned by Heydrich, the Spider Empress had already glimpsed the existence of these gods, and knew that the two most cunning individuals among them were most likely standing in front of her at this time.

West Lego, or Murphytland?

None of them are good answers.

[So, what's the point? 】

The genogen asks again, and she thinks about how to take the initiative, and if she finds that she can't take the initiative, then she won't hesitate to tear up the puppet in front of her: Morgan isn't sure if she can get the benefit of the two notorious guys, and she'd rather not try.

"When something great happens, there must always be a cheering audience: the initiative you are doing now is so important that you must have a pair of people who have already seen it, so that people in the future will know when a series of great things began."

The puppet performs an exaggerated ritual towards the genetic prototype, its voice deliberately mimicking the terroir from Avalon, and each word that pops out symbolizes a completely different emotion, and finally converges into a string of funny lines that make people want to laugh.

"It's like when a brave man in a fairy tale embarks on a journey, there are always a few elders and companions in the village who witness his departure: this is the most basic plot logic."

【……】

[If you're just here to be a spectator, then I can tell you: this show is over, and now, allow me to send you out of this theater.] 】

Accompanied by the words of the genetic primordial, the turbulent waves of psionic energy turned into dozens of breathtaking swords, enveloping the puppet, eager to tear it to pieces.

"That's a pity......"

The hateful voice was dragged into a deliberate long note, and it accelerated abruptly the moment the first sword arrived.

"But I've got a gift for you: it's enough to satisfy you."

【……】

The rain of swords stopped, and the flickering edge of cold light pressed against the tip of the puppet's nose.

What is it? 】

"Aren't you afraid of being a trap?"

The genogen smiled, and she waved her hand casually, and the surging sword rain immediately devoured one of the puppet's arms, slicing off half of its body, revealing its white bones.

[You have one more chance. 】

The Spider Queen's roughness did not provoke anger, and the low laughter of the deceitful god echoed through the dark hall, accompanied by the Harlequin Golem's unaffected posture: still so graceful and disgusting.

"Before that, let me congratulate you, Your Excellency, that you have finally obtained your third powerful weapon, which will be held tightly in your hands, and you do not need to worry about anyone snatching it, because it is clear to all that you are the best choice to keep these ancient killings, and in your hands, they are reassuring to God."

"But not everyone is happy to see you master them: you must know that just in the depths of each Vaal Sigil lies an ancient gateway to the Net, from which an overwhelming army could enter reality at any moment and grant you a war."

"In fact, as I speak to you, a large army has arrived, advancing through the tunnels, attempting to ambush your team in the corridor of the Vaal Talisman large enough to accommodate the legion."

【……】

The original frowned, and was greeted by a hard smile on the harlequin puppet's face.

"But you don't need to worry."

Its sound is chilling.

"They'll never arrive."

"The Internet has never been a paradise."

[This is your gift? 】

Morgan's words were much calmer than she had expected.

"No, it's just a gesture of kindness, a move in favor of each other, neither yours nor mine should be disturbed by these dazed fools, whose existence is like a third-rate juggler, passages that the author does not like, the reader does not read, but who have to appear for the sake of the so-called coherence of the plot, thus tormenting everyone."

"So, for the sake of the joy of all of us, I decided to delete this episode, so that these meaningless beings remain in the network forever, so that we can perform some important rituals faster."

[For example?] 】

Morgan blinked, suppressing her curiosity as much as she could, substituting listening and silence for imminent inquiry, allowing her weaknesses to be gathered as closely as possible, hidden behind her cold countenance.

"For example, I can answer those questions in your mind, those blasphemous thoughts."

The words of the visitor became softer than ever, but the meaning of the words made the original gene smile the most kindly.

[Let's talk about it.] 】

The harlequin saluted again.

"Your guesses about these ancient killings have always been correct, and the six Blackstone Fortresses you call are enough to make you a force that can subvert the galaxy, and when that great war comes, you will be the most important bargaining chip for everyone to value."

【……】

[Just chips? 】

"Who isn't a bargaining chip?"

"Even if it's a god."

【……】

[Go on.] 】

"In that great war, you will be one of the mightiest beasts, like a proud golden eagle hovering above the firmament: but if you are too short-sighted and greedy, and leave your kingdom too soon to pounce on the ground and grab prey from other beasts, then there will be only one fate that awaits you."

"The golden eagle should not leave the sky, your wings instinctively keep you safe, but once it falls to the ground, it is useless, your claws can tear apart the beast, but in the face of fangs from all directions, it is just a lack of skills."

"What you really should do is to soar above the sky for a long time, in places that ordinary beasts of prey can't reach, hunt birds and finches, recuperate, make your claws sharp, let your wings become full, because there will always be a moment when the strife of beasts of prey will end."

"Among them, there will be no real winner, and after that, your chance."

"And at that time, fate will be like a fork in the fog, ushering in a choice."

"If you choose to be in the company of the wolves under the moon, victory will be a matter of course, the gods will greet you with ecstatic cheers, and the wolf gods will be the last pedal under your feet to help you rule the galaxy."

"And if you choose to hold that torch high, the road will be extremely crazy, difficult and painful, and no one will know what the final outcome will be, but the queen of Avalon is destined not to stay by the sun, and her final destination will be the home she has chosen."

"Of course, if you don't like these two paths, you have other options, you are the loneliest person of your blood relatives, and the freest person, and all of you will be free at the same moment, free in the true sense of the word."

"Then, you're going to destroy everything."

"Your great deeds will collapse in eight terrible tribulations, which are: "

"Arrogance, stupidity, deceit, discord, murder, anger, greed, and ambition."

"When they appear one after the other, it's your chance to step into the galaxy, and that's your only chance of victory: it's a good thing for you and for me."

【……】

[You are just telling a bunch of meaningless riddles, laughing God, or I should call you a liar, you may be either of these two beings, but you don't seem to be going to tell me: therefore, you don't even want to reveal your own identity, how can I believe these words you tell me?] 】

"You don't need to believe it."

The mask on the harlequin's face seemed to reflect an unsettling glow.

"When everything moves forward according to what I have said, you will know the value of this advice and what you should do."

[I don't see how these riddles are of any use to me, and, given that I don't seem to have much of a good relationship with the race to which this puppet of yours belongs, I can even reasonably suspect your ulterior motives, can I? 】

A contemptuous smile tugged at the corners of Genomics' mouth, and her words didn't seem to surprise her.

"Yes, please keep your caution and indifference, it will be good for us: we are not friends yet, but at some point in the future, we may fight side by side, after all, we have the same opponent, and fate will not let go of a dramatic plot."

"We'll see you again then."

"But before that, please accept this humble gift, it symbolizes my kindness and greetings to you, you can keep it, after all, she has value in her own right."

The Harlequin Golem, which hadn't moved for a long time, spat out the words from its chest, and the moment that last word landed, Harlequin swung an object between his coats at the Genoplasm with a dexterity that no Astarte warrior could react to.

But such a nimble gesture was silent in the eyes of the Spider Queen, and Morgan snorted with contempt, and then she let the gift float in midair, and with a backhand finger, endless waves of psionic energy rushed towards the Harlequin, tearing it apart in the blink of an eye.

And at this moment when the alien shattered, the Lord of the Second Legion was looking at the inexplicable gift in front of her: it looked like a black-wrapped book, without a title or author, and even the number of pages in it was constantly distorted by a strange light.

What is it? 】

Looking at the harlequin with only half of the broken mask left, Morgan asked.

In front of her, the soulless puppet kept its smile as if the vicious psionic claws were not torn at its body, and a second before it was completely torn apart, behind the empty mask, there was an intermittent cappella.

"In the middle of the network, the library of classics."

"Hold on to the key and get a glimpse of it."

【……】

【……】

[I hate riddles.] 】

Morgan opened his eyes and stepped out of his memories not long ago, feeling the hardness of the silver-white throne behind her, beside her, Virgo and Tuchucha Engine were doing their work in an orderly manner, and the black book that had been given to her was placed with two alien creations.

The Genogen stood up and emerged from the riddle that she had never fully understood, recalling the biggest variable she had encountered in mastering the Blackstone Fortress, and wondering what she could do with the portals to the webs in the depths of the Ancient Fortress: or rather, how could she guard against them?

……

No ideas.

The genogen patted her head a little annoyed, although these powerful equipment were in her hands, but it seemed that it was far from the time to sit back and relax, after drinking the tea made by Virgo, the Spider Queen thought about various questions for a while, but she still couldn't figure out where the real thoughts were.

Finally, when the Legion of the Dawnbreakers transported the sixth Blackstone Fortress to the Assembled System and began their journey back to Avalon, their Mother of Genes temporarily gave up on thinking that would only cause distress.

She left the throne room and walked into another room next to her, smiling, and looking at the figure sitting at the table: a very clean figure.

[Conrad. 】

[How's today's homework?] 】

(End of chapter)