Caliban at sunset, unconsciously, began to rain lightly.

Gray clouds emerged from the edge of the burgundy mountains, and a huge transparent bead curtain hung down, and the staggered rain moistened the ruined land, whether it was civilization or barbarism, it was indulged in silence in this moment.

And the Lord of Mankind, it was in the mist of the rising rain that he strolled out, and thousands of silver threads rippled in his slightly dim golden light, but they could not stain the perfect face like a marble sculpture with half a cent of water.

The ruler of the empire was alone, he did not lead his servants and forbidden army, nor did he alarm the bureaucrats of this ancient land, even the huge [Emperor Dream] was left at the very edge of the galaxy by him, he walked unhurriedly in the drizzle, like an idle old man with interest.

[Hats off to the Lord of Mankind.] 】

Less than a hundred and fifty meters in front of the Emperor, his blood heir, his only daughter, lord of the Far Eastern Frontier and the Second Legion of Astarte, stood in the foggy drizzle, saluting him respectfully.

By this time, the Primordial had taken on her most serious outfit: a Primordial Warframe handcrafted for her by the palace craftsmen on the Holy Terra, each part of which had undergone the strictest blessings, and which took as long to make as long as a mighty Glorious Queen-class battleship.

Compared to her brothers, Morgan's Power Armor was lighter and more agile than similar creations, but even so, she still didn't like it: the Lord of Avalon wasn't used to the feeling of being heavily armoured, which gave her an unreal sense of bulkiness.

But this time, in the face of the emperor, the genetic prototype instinctively chose to be fully armed, and she also tied a cloak over her armor and covered her forehead and hair with a hood, leaving only her eyes in the shadows, staring intently at her genetic father.

And all this Morgan did was seen by the emperor, and the Lord of Mankind did not show any expression or attitude, he just pursed his lips slightly, and the mixture of bronze and burnt tan skin and unpredictable pupils made him look a lot more serious.

+ You don't need to be so restrained, my son. ＋

He spoke.

+ This is not an occasion where we need to be serious, and there is no meeting or war waiting for us. ＋

Morgan could tell that her Father of Genes seemed to be trying to squeeze out a smile that could be called genuine, but it seemed more difficult for the Lord of Humans than it was to burn an entire orc empire.

The genogen lowered her head again, and two strands of silver hair were captured by gravity, sticking out of the hood and rubbing against the Spider Queen's earlobe.

[I think we're going to take it seriously: after all, there are some first-time collaborators here who need to know your status and identity.] 】

Morgan added a noticeable accent to [First Collaboration].

As soon as the words landed, she took a step to the side, and immediately after, the black watchmen who had been standing behind her, sheltered from the rain in the shadow of the genetic prototype, were clearly placed in the center of the human lord's field of vision.

The ruler of the empire stared at these dwarf alien creatures, and for a moment, the air became quiet, and even the sound of falling rain was gradually amplified, isolated from the authority of the Lord of Mankind.

Morgan straightened up, and she looked at her genetic father, intently at every change in expression on his face, and at the slight changes in the psionic aura around him: a different kind of anticipation and cruelty, unconsciously igniting in her heart, like a wildfire in the dry season.

She had some expectations: what would her father, the initiator of the Great Expedition and the slayer of all the Alien Realms have planted in her heart with a gritty hatred for the Alien Race, and what will his own attitude towards these apparently non-human [collaborators]?

If the Emperor had raised his hand to kill the Black Watchmen in the next second, and had scolded Morgan for his slack, she thought, she would have willingly accepted the scolding.

……

But in the end, the Emperor's actions disappointed the Spider Empress.

Although the silent staring of the Lord of Humanity and the Black Warden continued in the fog, Morgan clearly saw that in the realm of the soul, her genetic father seemed to have a good conversation with these aliens, and almost the first moment they looked at each other, the Emperor took the initiative to start the conversation.

【……】

Although this result did not exceed Morgan's expectations, after all, whether it was rational or practical considerations, the Lord of Avalon was well aware of the importance of the emperor's actions, but in those blue pupils, there were still some small flames that were gradually extinguished.

The genogen lowered her head, losing interest in the exchange in front of her, and just quietly waited for it to end, maintaining a humble and indifferent face like an acolyte standing beside the lord.

In her silence, the friendly negotiation between the Lord of Humanity and the Xenomorph lasted for about ten minutes, and judging by the Emperor's slightly furrowed brow, the outcome was not smooth.

The Black Watchmen didn't leave, they turned and walked out into the endless forest behind them: Morgan knew that in the deepest part of the forest, there was a military fortress that had been corrupted by time, the headquarters of the former Sirius Knights, and one of the many hubs that suppressed Ouroboros.

Beyond that, it's the place where the subspace artifact is kept.

The Lord of Humanity followed first, followed by Morgan.

The deep forest in the rain is not a wonderful place to stroll, it is full of rain, the pungent smell of decay, and from time to time there will be large pieces of rain and dew wrapped in broken leaves, although they will be blocked by psionic shields, but the chaotic sound is disturbing.

Morgan and her genetic father walked silently for a while, their iron boots treading on the wet earth, but not stained with a single piece of dirt, and the figures of the Black Watchers hanging at the end of their vision, leaving only a series of vague footprints guiding their final destination.

+ Have you been here? ＋

Halfway through, the Lord of Humanity, who had walked in front, spoke first.

[Not really. 】

Morgan shook his head and added his reasoning

[After knowing that Ouroboros has begun to emit chaotic influences, considering that I don't know its abilities and can't get more information from the other two subspace artifacts, I naturally don't have the ability to perfectly solve this subspace artifact, so, for the sake of safety, I decided to wait for you to come.] 】

+ This is the right thing to do. ＋

The Lord of Humanity nodded.

+ In any case, it is a creation of a subspace, and its history is far older than we think, and until I see its power with my own eyes, even I am not willing to use its psionic power in its area of influence, I would rather walk to its hiding place. ＋

The emperor's approval made the genogen blink, and the previous doubts gathered in her mind again: Morgan hesitated, but finally chose to ask.

[If the power of these subspace creations is so threatening, why do you still attach so much importance to them?] 】

+ Because of the network. ＋

The Lord of Mankind is concise and to the point.

[What the hell is that?] 】

Morgan frowned, unable to find any detailed answer to the word that the Emperor had so much to say: though she had asked her loyal advisor Taracin and her Comorian lark, none of them could give a satisfactory answer.

The Emperor did not directly answer the question of the genoplasm, he asked a rhetorical question.

+ I remember, you've been using the Tuchucha engine? ＋

+ That combat operation in the Gothic Star Field, being able to cross half a galaxy from the frontier of the Far Eastern Star Domain to the Hazy Star Domain was based on your skillful use of the Tuchucha engine, right? ＋

【……】

The Spider Empress was silent for a moment.

[It was just a massive blunder when I was experimenting with the Tuchucha engine, and I was going to go to the Triple Star Zone: I thought you would acquiesce to my use of it temporarily.] 】

The Human Lord's pace slowed slightly, and it almost strained Morgan's two hearts together: for a moment, she even saw the future of the Black Fortress that she was forced to hand over all of it.

+ How does it feel to use the Tuchucha engine? ＋

Fortunately, the emperor doesn't seem to notice: or doesn't care?

Morgan's chest heaved.

[Very amazing: its existence has almost completely rewritten the rules of naval warfare, it can turn defeat into victory, let defeat turn into annihilation, and whoever masters it will have absolute control of the infinite void. 】

[But even so, I still don't dare to use it too much, because its capabilities are completely beyond my control, and I can't entrust the fate of the fleet to such an alien creation.] 】

The Emperor nodded, he didn't seem to hear Morgan's voice.

+ The importance and significance of the network to the empire is like the Tuchucha engine for the void warfare, or even better, mastering this treasure is mastering more possibilities for the future and destiny. ＋

Morgan raised an eyebrow, her almost subconscious retort.

[I don't think that the future and destiny can be reversed by a treasure, if it is a breakthrough technology, or a great spirit, it is more likely. 】

＋…… ＋

The Emperor stopped.

He turned his head and glanced deeply at Morgan with his dark eyes: there were countless emotions written in his eyes that the Spider Queen couldn't understand, and although she had always been a master of playing with emotions and hearts, she was not qualified to her genetic father.

+ You are very similar to Machado. ＋

In a trance, Morgan seemed to hear fleeting laughter: it seemed to be acknowledgment and relief, helplessness and bitterness.

+ Right thoughts, Morgan. ＋

+ But no one is omnipotent. ＋

+ So do I. ＋

The Lord of Humanity moved on, and they never mentioned the topic again.

——————

+ Makado has given me the Psionic Code that you have written, and he has a high opinion of your writing. ＋

As they were about to step out of the deep forest and even see the ruins of the ancient fortress of the Knights of Sirius, the Lord of Humanity, who had been silent for a long time, spoke again: another topic that made Morgan's eyelids jump.

The genoplasm had to adjust its somewhat stiff muscles, barely squeezing out a smile capable of making a calming sound.

[The psionic code you mentioned, at the beginning, was just a reference document that I prepared for my think tanks and psionics, and I did not intend to let it spread on a large scale within the empire. 】

[But how did Lord Machado know about that book?] 】

+ It was given to him by Riemanrus, the Wolf King is full of praise for your books, and Machado has always had a good relationship with Riemanrus, and they are very much in agreement on this point. ＋

【……】

Thank you, Ruth.

Morgan sighed inwardly.

Although she did have the idea of using the Psionic Code to lay the foundation of public opinion, this matter itself was only the icing on the cake, far from the core of her actions.

After all, the Spider Empress is well aware of how much suffering the proliferation of psionics has brought to humanity in the past, and she also knows that the current empire in general still maintains hostility towards psionics, so she has always kept a low profile when it comes to subspace.

Even if it was to spread the psionic code she had written, it was only through the blood advantage of the genetic prototype that it was recommended and gifted to her other brothers, and then used their own influence to spread it to a wider area.

As for discussing the question of psionics and psionics with the emperor face-to-face, it was never in Morgan's future plan, because the words of other people, even other primorans, were at most only "suggestions" and "complaints", and what came out of the emperor's mouth was a [command] that no one could object.

[That...... Have you read that book? 】

+ Of course, it's not complicated after all, is it? Great as a bedtime read. ＋

The Emperor's soft smile may have been a kindness, but to Morgan's ears, it was enough to make her soul feel like she was falling into an ice cave.

+ Overall, your psionic code is well written, and although there are misunderstandings and omissions in many places, it is still a work worthy of recognition and praise. ＋

+ It's not meant for everyone to know it exists, and it's not for mortals to read, but if it's a newly awakened psyker, or a think tank of the Legion, then it's not a bad thing to have a book like this one on your own. ＋

【……】

Morgan's eyes narrowed, and before she could breathe a sigh of relief in her heart, she sensed something important in the words of the Lord of Humanity.

[Do you think the think tank system is worthy of recognition?] 】

+ Any institutionalization, standardization, and attempt to bring the chaotic reality back on track is something I should affirm and encourage: the system itself is never a bad thing, but corruption, degeneration, and rigidity are. ＋

The Emperor laughed, and he reached out to remove the somewhat overgrown branches: though these things did not hinder him at all.

+ The Great Expedition is the land of mankind with blood and fire, but if we cannot build a tower of civilization on this land, then the expedition will lose at least half of its meaning and value. ＋

Morgan lowered her eyes, she didn't answer the emperor's words, she didn't even understand why the emperor talked to her about these things: if you want to talk about life and the meaning of empire, then Horus and Killiman are obviously more suitable people to talk to, right?

+ Looks like we're coming. ＋

The Lord of Men paid no heed to the silence of his heir, his steps were slow and steady, and as soon as he stepped out of the deep forest, he stepped into the desolation of the castle: before he knew it, the sudden drizzle had stopped, and the stars that had climbed the ridge tossed their light on the golden armor of the Emperor, making him look so holy even in the night.

As they got closer and closer to the Ouroboros' hiding place, whether it was the Lord of Humans or the Genogen, their faces were a little serious and cold, and the mountain range that rose like a crouching beast quickly broke into view, and the caverns on the ridge swallowed a terrible cry.

That was their destination, and it was at hand: the Black Watchmen were gathered at the foot of the mountain, their diminutive bodies huddled together, and occasionally stepping on the robes of their comrades, looking like a flock of penguins gathering to keep warm.

There were more robed villains gathered here than Morgan had seen first, and there were more than twenty of them, and with their gathering, the subspace energy around them was also declining at a speed visible to the naked eye, and even the cave where the Ouroboros was imprisoned was filled with angry and unwilling roars.

+ Will you come with me? ＋

The Emperor flicked his wrist and seemed ready, then turned his head and suddenly extended an invitation to his daughter.

Morgan opened her mouth, but before she could reply, her genetic father seemed to think of something, shook his head, and made a decision for her.

+ Forget it, you stay here, it's a good thing for you to stay unknown with these things. ＋

Then I will wait for your triumph. 】

The genogen bends down and salutes.

+ This is not a war again. ＋

The Emperor seemed to be laughing, and he whispered something quickly, and strode away, and most of the Black Watchers followed in his footsteps, and the incongruous procession soon disappeared into the mountains.

Only Morgan and the only remaining black watchman remained in front of the long-ruined knight's fortress, the genetic prototype standing in the night, her blue pupils shining like stars, first accumulating a huge wave of thought, and then moving her bored gaze to the little one beside her.

She recognized it: although the alien creatures looked almost identical, through the only difference in psionic abilities and intuition, Morgan thought it was the robed little man who had been guiding her before.

So, with a wave of her hand, a nameless wind blew through and blew the robed figure to the ground, bowing its head silently: when it was lifted on all fours, and waved its arms, expressing its silent displeasure to her, the Spider Queen smiled heartily.

That's right, that's it.

Morgan exhaled a long cool breath in the starry sky.

[You were also left behind?] 】

The robed little man nodded.

[Because of insufficient qualifications? 】

Nod again.

[That's really unfortunate.] 】

The genomorph let out a sarcastic laugh, and instead of paying attention to the aliens that were swaggering at her, she looked up at the vast stars hanging in the Caliban sky, the Empire's dome project had not yet progressed here, and the light of the stars would not be stopped by steel and alloy.

【……】

Morgan licked her lips, and she muttered to herself in a voice that could dissipate in the wind.

[It seems that every time I meet the Emperor, his attitude towards me has changed and strangely changed: if I have met my genetic father three times so far, each time it makes me a little uncomfortable. 】

[The first time, I was still afraid of him, and he was more of a temptation or disadvantage to me: it was up to him to prepare the gifts, but in any case, it was the strangest conversation we had ever had. 】

[Listening to my other brothers, their first meeting with the emperor was far less complicated, either they knelt down and called Daddy, or they got some gifts, experienced certain things, and even made certain promises, and then knelt down and called Daddy. 】

[And when it comes to me, the situation has become so strange: no, if the claims of those subspace creations are true, then the emperor's attitude is not surprising, I am indeed a supernumerary product that needs him to test. 】

But if I'm completely different from the other primordials, then how did he create me?] 】

【……】

Morganmore rubbed her chin at her fingertips, she couldn't think of an answer to the question, and she wasn't sure if the Emperor would answer her doubts: if she told her genetic father about the question along with Vashtor's visit, might she be rewarded?

[As for the second time we met, I was a little open, after all, I didn't have any big secrets at that time, and the Star Handmaiden was just a leftover thing for him to play with, but it was my father of genes, because he wanted to hand over Conrad to me to educate, and there seemed to be some signs of compromise between words. 】

[But that doesn't mean that his attitude towards me has changed.] 】

【…… That's right. 】

[If he asks me about Conrad's education, how shall I answer him: What have I made Conrad's education? A duplicitous person who likes to see people and talk about people? An academic psychopath who spends all his head full of knowledge on putting pressure on others and arching fire? 】

[A paranoid ...... Mortal? 】

【……】

[Damn, even I can't describe Conrad now.] 】

[Is this a failure of education?] 】

【…… That's it. 】

[At the very least, I taught Conrad to eat well, bathe regularly, and sleep as regularly as possible, and stuffed his mind with countless books on law and sociology, so that his first choice with mortals was not to make them all into fur coats.] 】

[I'm not sure how long his bloodthirsty appetite will last before he leaves me, but it should be enough: big deal, let's try it at a chance, and ask the legal department to choose a suitable test site for him before he returns to Nostramo, and leave this little matter to Orion.] 】

[I'm too lazy to think more about this guy's problem.] 】

Morgan's arm lay across her chest, while the other covered her lips, a broken voice squeezing out of her throat, a dim glow that allowed her to make out the passage of time.

From the distant cavern, the sound of the wind seemed to bring some kind of ancient roar, and the sound of endless flames burning to increase filth, which spoke of a fierce battle, one that Morgan did not want to set foot in.

[As for this conversation......]

【…… Tut. 】

[Although I hate to admit it, I do have some secrets that can become weaknesses, whether it is the Blackstone Fortress or the Psionic Codex, they have become my private property at the same time, but also become a new way for others to attack me, which is inevitable.] 】

[For example, as long as there is one Magnus and Mortarion, then I will never be able to sit back and relax on the issue of the psionic codex, and even without them, would the emperor still have the same indifference as he is now when I promote the rune system that is closely related to mortals?] 】

【…… No. 】

[If the Psionic Code can still bring him benefits, he will most likely ignore its flaws: after all, for the sake of practical benefits, he is now fighting side by side with a group of real aliens, and if this scene spreads, I don't know how much turmoil it will cause. 】

The genogen snorted, her brow furrowed, the dissatisfaction that lingered in her heart.

This dissatisfaction did not affect the cold logic of the genetic protogen, and she continued to recall the conversation with the Emperor, after all, every word that the Lord of Mankind spoke, every tiny expression that appeared, was enough to make her heart ponder for a while.

Morgan never felt that her relationship with the emperor was "father and daughter", they were more like kings and courtiers, and they lacked the feeling of running in with each other, only a strong alliance of common interests and common enemies: such an alliance was firm and cold.

Genogen believed that if she ignored this fact, like Horus, and blindly longed for her father's recognition and affection, then she was destined to bring shame on herself, after all, the emperor's love was limited, and Horus, Dorne, and Vulcan had already separated too much.

And she didn't need the nourishment of this affection: from the moment she became self-aware, she struggled for many years in a vortex of coldness and lies, until the Dawnbreakers appeared in front of her, and in the meantime, she lived a good life, didn't she?

On the contrary, after getting rid of the false cover of family affection, she got another kind of trust from the Lord of Mankind: after not sticking to the so-called father-daughter relationship, the emperor and Morgan, who had already seen through each other's essence, were able to communicate and exchange interests between them in a simpler and more effective way.

Morgan gained autonomy from the Far East in this exchange, as well as acquiescence and neglect of many minor issues: whether it was the promotion of the psionic code, or the Legion of the Sun Titans, who had actually been loyal to her, or even the redistribution of certain inheritances of Heydrich in the future, all of which were based on this acquiescence and neglect.

Of course, the last point still needs to be fought with the emperor.

After a long thought, Morgan made up her mind, and she took a moment to think about the reason why the Emperor was so kind to her this time: it could be a bigger mission waiting for her, or it could be a reward for her collecting the three artifacts of subspace.

If it was a reward, she would have liked something more practical, such as a solution to the Dawnbreaker's genetic problem, or a promise of her fifty years of freedom from drafting: honestly, either way, she wouldn't be responding to any of Divine Terra's actions anytime soon after this expedition.

Feeling the blood dripping inside, the genogen couldn't help but purse her lips, she forcibly forgot about this topic, and began to think about other things, such as the next master plan for the Far Eastern Frontier, such as the system construction of the Dawnbreaker Legion, such as the battle situation of Johnson and Luthor in the northern galaxy, and many more heavy topics......

Before you know it, the Spider Queen has become a person who can't be idle.

As she thought, the stars moved with the passage of time, and by the time the brightest star had slowly climbed out of the ridge and all the way to the top of the sky, the time had come to the second half of the night, and the summer sun had even shown its first rays of dawn too early.

As the light stinged Morgan's eyeballs, the Emperor's figure appeared at the end of her vision: he looked imperceptibly tired, but his armor and countenance remained as bright as new, and the Black Watchers followed him, their numbers unchanged.

It seems, everything is going well.

【Have you succeeded?】 】

Morgan took a step forward.

+ Sort of. ＋

On the right hand side of the Lord of Humanity, there are still traces of flames.

+ Go back to your battleship and transport the remaining two artifacts to my flagship, the Ouroboros will stay here for the time being, its situation is a little more troublesome than I thought, and it may be a big job to deal with it. ＋

+ Thankfully, we still have time. ＋

Morgan nodded.

Are you planning to do something about the Internet right now?] 】

+ It won't be now. ＋

The Lord of Humanity glanced at his right-hand daughter and examined her pupils.

+ What's wrong? ＋

[I'm just thinking that in the fleet of the Great Expedition, there has always been a rumor: they say that you will return to Holy Terra for some reason, and when that time comes, you will choose a ......]

+ Commander? ＋

[Yes.] 】

Morgan saw a smile on the lips of her genetic father, almost instinctively, called nostalgia: it seemed that the Lord of Humanity did have a heart for the word battle commander, and it was no wonder that he had made such a politically dangerous position.

+ How? Are you interested in the commander? ＋

[No, absolutely not. 】

Morgan shook his head.

[I'm just curious: Will the chief dispatcher of the Great Expedition like the Battle Marshal be personally certified by you, or will all of our genetic protogens be elected together?] 】

The Emperor laughed.

+ Morgan, my son. ＋

+ Since the position of War Commander is to help me dispatch the military forces of the entire galaxy, then his first factor is to make all the legions able to respect his authority. ＋

+ Therefore, of course, he will be an elected position: whatever twists and turns may occur, whatever the outcome may be, I will not intervene directly, and I will respect your will and choice, and appoint the heir who is respected by the majority of the primitives. ＋

【……】

[Sounds like a promise?] 】

+ It's not a sound, that's a promise, my child. ＋

+ Remember it, but don't forget. ＋

(End of chapter)