After the battle, this city—whose name Xia Jin didn't even know—fell under the control of the Swarm.
Most of the city's civilians were still reeling from the shock.
Especially after a sweep by the Swarm, while it wasn't exactly a river of blood, almost everyone who showed signs of resistance had been thoroughly eliminated.
The final count showed that the city's total population, including soldiers, had decreased by sixty thousand.
The remaining people were relatively safe for now.
Following this, Xia Jin sent over individuals who had been completely transformed into Zerg units to take over management of the city.
Xia Jin did not interfere with the specific administration; as long as they didn't resist the Zerg and maintained basic public order, they were free to live their lives. The Zerg even modified some beneficial plant genes and handed them over to the locals for cultivation.
...
At roughly the same time, Xia Jin, who was near the main hive, received information that excited her.
The research on the World Tree leaf had yielded results.
“I have extracted some elven genes from this leaf. They contain a very special energy that ensures the purity and uniqueness of the elves. In fact, elves are a very unique life form; their physical appearance is very close to humans, but their internal tissues are completely different. They don't even have reproductive capabilities like humans.”
“Wait, what? No reproductive capabilities? You mean... they can only be born from the tree?”
This was quite a fascinating point.
An entire race of girls, human-like but more beautiful, and unable to reproduce...
Why did it feel like this combination of traits would easily lead people to certain thoughts?
“My Queen.”
Brain Bug No. 1 seemed a bit speechless.
“After extracting the elven genes, we can produce a new bug that closely resembles an elf. Externally, we can add a chitinous shell to increase defense while keeping it aligned with your aesthetic preferences...”
Xia Jin gave him a look that said, “You really get me.”
In truth, however, she didn't want the Zerg to become something strange.
Weren't hideous insects cute enough?
Why bother with an elven appearance?
“Wait, no, damn it, something's wrong with me.”
Xia Jin shook her head violently.
To think that hideous insects were cuter than beautiful girls—she was beyond saving.
Xia Jin took a deep breath and looked at the nutrient solution she was becoming increasingly fond of, feeling that she was truly drifting further down a path of corruption.
“It's not a complete elven appearance. We haven't fully decoded their genes yet. In fact, nearly half of the body is still Zerg-like, with only the facial features and some body parts... anyway, they are very beautiful. Based on your memories, Your Majesty, they should fit your aesthetic standards and can serve as a small number of specialized units within the Swarm.”
“How is their strength?” Xia Jin asked the critical question.
“Similar to the current elven race. Strictly speaking... there's no difference at the same tier. But considering the cost, I suggest manufacturing them exclusively as Tier 5 units.”
“Fine, let's do that. The standard Tier 5 units will be elf bugs. Also, create a few individuals with a complete elven appearance; they can be useful for future interactions with humans.”
“Yes!”
Brain Bug No. 1 set to work.
Currently, the primal brain bug couldn't provide much help in evolutionary research, acting at most as a “computer” to help Brain Bug No. 1 with some simple calculation tasks.
But that was enough.
Brain Bug No. 1 truly functioned as the brain of the Swarm, handling the details of almost every single insect simultaneously. Only the gnoll front had been delegated to Brain Bug No. 2.
However, this delegation was still under constant monitoring. Even if Brain Bug No. 2 were to suddenly die, Brain Bug No. 1 would seamlessly take over command of the swarm.
Above Brain Bug No. 1 was Xia Jin, the absolute wielder of power. Though she seemed hands-off, her consciousness was constantly linked to every single insect. She didn't interfere when things were fine, but if anything happened, she would essentially know about it instantly.
In a way, the current Queen's abilities were already very close to those of the former Overlord.
Incidentally...
Xia Jin's predecessor was a pure insect. If they were to meet, the other party's feelings would likely be even more complicated than hers.
Xia Jin waited for a while until the Zerg genes were fully modulated. At that moment, a long-haired elven beauty—a bug—was born.
She perfectly matched Xia Jin's aesthetic.
The lower body was insectoid, but it didn't look disgusting at all; instead, it had a strange sense of coolness.
A chitinous shell covered her snow-white skin, and her exquisite features made Xia Jin wonder for a moment if a virtual character had come to life.
This one had standard black hair and a bit of a mature woman vibe.
Her figure was incredibly good, with her chest size likely being a D-cup.
“Uh... why am I focusing on that?”
She shifted her gaze and looked seriously at the creature's body.
The bow in her hand was connected to her flesh.
She could even sense magical power emanating from her.
“Brain Bug No. 1, how did you get her to master magic without analyzing the nature of magic itself?” Xia Jin asked.
“It is simply a replication. When her memories were formed, we first kept her disconnected from the Swarm network, allowing her to be instilled with relevant memories while her mind was free. Learning magic under these conditions clearly avoids being influenced by the Zerg consciousness, so it happened naturally. However, limited by her mental energy, her magic is at most at the Tier 5 level.”
“That's enough.”
Xia Jin had seen just how destructive Yan Yu's arrows could be.
If the elves didn't have such small numbers and a lack of peak power, they wouldn't be forced to live in the tiny Glowing Forest.
Rate on N.U.
