Chapter 55 Your Majesty, rest assured, the contract I signed…

Listening to Benny's outrageous remarks.

It's not just older users who feel cheated.

Even the young, thin insects didn't believe Benny.

Their insect brains were filled with anger and resentment; their antennae went limp, and the excitement they had felt upon hearing the king's command was gone.

Why would this insect tell such obviously fabricated lies?!

Each of them has inherited memories.

They all knew that Wang wouldn't even glance at them, as they were the most useless insects.

They were already very happy and content just to be able to sense a trace of the king's presence.

But these insects, who were fortunate enough to see the king, deceived him with such a clumsy lie!

How could the King possibly design that... amusement park for them, these lowly insects?

It also allows every insect to get inside!

Thinking of this, all the insects glared fiercely at the subordinate insects in front of them:

Everything in this world belongs to the king, and the king doesn't need to do anything at all!

This insect must have distorted the king's original orders!

He's a bad guy!

The world's largest rotten bug!!

Benny looked at all the insects glaring at him, clearly not believing what he was saying, and his body hair stood on end in frustration.

He waved his two insect claws vigorously, his voice impassioned:

"You have no idea how wonderful the King is!"

"The king is the best king in the world!"

As Benny spoke, his voice suddenly softened, as if he had thought of something:

"The king will smile at the insects and gently use his energy to help them heal their injuries!"

"The king never punishes any insect. Even if an insect makes a mistake, the king will only use gentle methods to teach them to correct their mistakes!"

"The king spared no effort and time to build an amusement park where all insects could enter and have fun!"

Simply repeating the king's actions gave Benny a blissful urge to cry:

Oh my god!

Meeting such a king was the greatest fortune of his insect life!

How fortunate he was to have endured two hundred years of chaos and unease, and persevered until the day the king appeared!

This is in stark contrast to Benny's blissful state.

The insects on Losi Star initially held a sliver of hope within their cores.

But as Benny spoke more and more, all the insects' vertical pupils turned into expressionless indifference.

Even the insects, which are usually the easiest to deceive, silently lowered their heads.

Some insects, disheartened, wanted to leave and continue searching for the most beautiful rock crystals as a gift for the king in the rock strata.

Benny watched as the more he spoke, the less the insects believed him, and the whole insect became furious.

In the past, his hard fists would have already pounded into every single disbelieving insect.

He wouldn't stop until he beat them all into believing him.

But the king said he hated fighting among insects the most!

I hate insects that fight and kill each other the most.

Benny took a deep breath, jumped up and down twice, and then glared angrily at each of the insects.

He snorted fiercely, using his energy to trap all the insects in place, preventing them from moving freely.

Even the lower insects know how powerful and terrifying the subordinate insects are.

Insects two levels higher than them could dispose of them at will.

Their earlier suspicions must have angered the subordinate insect.

All the insects thought he would go on a killing spree in a fit of rage, slaughtering all the insects on Losi.

But they saw that this subordinate insect merely held its head high with its two claws folded in front of its chest, the hairs on its claws trembling with its indignant breathing, yet it never laid a hand on them:

"This great insect is magnanimous and won't stoop to your level, you ignorant insects!"

Benny had no more desire to say anything more to these ignorant insects, and simply swung his claws to throw out the various materials from the folded space:

"From now on, you must build the amusement park according to my instructions!"

Anyway, once the amusement park is built, they'll know that what he said is true!

They then realized how wonderful and good the king was!

Urged on by Benny's energy, all the insects moved as he commanded.

A few days later, the amusement park was finally completed.

All the insects stared at this magnificent building, which they had never seen before, their vertical pupils filled with pride:

They are not useless insects!

They carried out the king's command!

They stared intently at the amusement park in front of them, not even daring to blink.

This is the king's building.

It would be good enough if they even glanced at it!

only……

What exactly is the purpose of all those machines in here?

Amusement park?

What is an amusement park?

Still want to play?

What does 'play' mean?

Some insects shook their brains:

Hiss—bad head, bad head!

Hiss—Don't think about random things!

Hiss—how can I find the most beautiful rock crystals?!

Benny, seeing the way all the insects on Losi Star thought the amusement park they had built had nothing to do with them, waved his large claw and proudly said:

"Now, you're all coming with me into the amusement park!"

"I'll teach you how to play these game machines!"

Upon hearing his words, all the insects stood frozen in place, as if they hadn't understood Benny at all.

What do you mean...they went to the amusement park with him?!

Can these lowly insects even enter the king's building?

Benny saw them standing there, too afraid to move, and without saying much, simply used his energy to propel them into the amusement park.

Then I demonstrated how to play each game machine to them one by one.

Watching Benny skillfully strike the stones in front of the lithograph, the insects' previously dull, vertical pupils gradually brightened:

This machine—

How interesting!

I love it!!

After Benny demonstrated it once, he randomly picked an insect and said in a nasty voice:

"Hey, come and play this stone machine!"

"Hiss—Me?" A small, thin insect pointed to itself with its pincers, its vertical pupils filled with trepidation:

"Hiss—Can I really do it?"

Benny impatiently pushed him in front of the machine and pressed the start button.

The skinny insect could no longer care about anything else and focused intently on imitating Benny's earlier actions, hitting the stone with all its might.

The more he was hit, the brighter his vertical pupils became.

The movements, which were initially somewhat weak, became increasingly powerful.

The insect looked much healthier and more energetic.

After Benny taught all the insect game machines how to play, his face was full of smugness:

"Didn't I already tell you?!"

"This is the amusement park that the king built for you!!"

"From now on, you can go in and play for three hours every day!!"

Having said this, he brandished his insect claws and shouted loudly, as if he had finally gotten his revenge:

"Now you know how good the king is!"

When all the insects heard that they could really play there for three hours every day, their eyes widened in surprise.

They hissed like madmen:

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

"Wang is the best!!"

"Wang is the best!!"

By the end, many of the insects' voices were choked with sobs.

Just when they were about to give up on themselves, the king appeared.

The King's energy, carried by the gentle breeze of the universe, soothed the core of every insect.

Wang also painstakingly designed such a fun amusement park for them.

The king said nothing, but everything he did told them that he... cared about them.

Wang cares about these weak and useless insects.

At this moment, their piety and love for the king within their insect cores had surpassed the instincts passed down from their memories.

Such scenes occur on various planets within the territory of Fidelock.

On many planets, insects are crying as they brutally beat up the dumb stone in the game console.

Each time they entered the amusement park, their love and support for the king grew stronger and more intense than the day before.

Every insect has something to look forward to before going to sleep and when it wakes up each day.

A light called hope slowly ignited their insect cores.

As they played happily, the number of core gems they forged each day increased.

The insects, which were originally somewhat thin and not very physically fit, gradually became strong and powerful.

After playing the game machine for three hours, all the insects were too tired to move.

But as time went on...

Now, every insect, after leaving the amusement park, is still full of energy and can excitedly go to find the best gift for the king.

only……

As the Zerg sell more and more core gems.

Emperor Nergard of the human empire could no longer sit still.

The Human Empire was originally the only race in the interstellar space capable of producing core gems.

Monopolizing core gems can both enrich the national treasury and enhance the status of the human empire in the eyes of other species.

Over the past two decades, humanity has amassed enormous sums of Starcoins by selling core gems.

When the Zerg first started selling the Core Gem, the Terran Empire didn't take it seriously at all.

They, like other races, believed that the Zerg could only forge core gems using Zerg power.

They even hoped the Zerg would sell more core gems.

The more core gems there are, the more insects that died during their forging.

This would reduce the threat posed by the Zerg to humanity.

However, it has already been half a month.

The number of core gems sold by the Zerg has not decreased at all; in fact, it seems to be increasing.

Emperor Nergard stood in the very center of the palace, his expression complex and somber.

Even with countless advanced high-tech devices, the empire still has to go through many difficult procedures to extract the core gem from the dull stone.

Dull stone is the most durable, yet also the most delicate.

To obtain the core gem, the force applied during each hammering must be completely consistent; otherwise, the core gem will dissipate due to resonance at the same frequency.

This is the most difficult thing for a machine to achieve.

Only human effort can ensure that the force of each impact is subtly different.

If it weren't for the accidental discovery that the spiritual power inherent in human nature could achieve anthropomorphic effects in machines, the Empire would not have been able to successfully develop the machine for forging the Dumb Stone.

Even so, it is still necessary to have someone 'correct' it from time to time.

Why have the Zerg been able to produce so many core gems in the past two weeks?

Nergard's gaze darkened:

Some things cannot be determined by mere speculation.

Does he need to know if the Zerg have really relied entirely on Zerg power to forge so many core gems during this period?

If so, how many Zerg have died from exhaustion as a result?

He needs to know the current Queen's attitude towards the Zerg under her command.

What is the attitude towards other species?

Nergard waved his hand, and a knight appeared silently.

He casually gave the order:

"Check the current status of the Zerg."

All the knights of the Order of Knights obey only the Emperor of the Empire.

The knight bowed respectfully: "Yes."

The Silverwing Clan resides on Silverwing Star, which is adjacent to Losi Star, the edge of the Zerg territory.

Given its location, Silverwing was originally an extremely dangerous planet, which could be conquered by the Zerg at any time.

However, because the insects on Losi were mostly old, weak, and disabled, and because the Silverwing Clan intentionally avoided them, a delicate balance has always been maintained between the two planets.

As a weak race, the Silverwing Clan has always been dependent on the human empire, paying tribute to the empire with treasures every year in exchange for human protection.

Upon receiving the order from the human empire, they dared not refuse, even though they were terrified.

The Silverwing Clan Chief could only send his people to carefully observe the movements on Losi Star using the observation equipment provided by humans.

They all knew how terrifying the Zerg were.

Although some of the insects here are old and some are thin, they are still insects, and still possess powerful attack capabilities and terrifying observational abilities.

Therefore, they only dared to roughly scan the current situation on Losi Star with their equipment, for fear of being discovered by the Zerg.

Seeing the scene they observed, the Silverwing Clan members suddenly widened their eyes:

Are these insects crazy?

In the observation equipment, all the insects on Losi Star were in a place that resembled a large factory, tirelessly and frantically crashing into a kind of stone.

That's... a dumb stone!

Just as rumored in the interstellar world, these insects were hammering the Dumb Stone under the command of the Queen!

But these insects seemed to feel no fatigue. Despite the prolonged beating, their movements not only did not slow down, but actually accelerated.

It was as if something was urging them to act quickly and not allow them to stop.

A member of the Silverwing Clan accidentally met the vertical pupil of an insect, and instantly felt a chill run through his body. He huddled his wings tightly around his body and dared not move.

He instinctively turned off the detection equipment.

But the gaze of that insect lingered in his mind.

how so?

There was not a trace of aversion to the hard work in that insect's eyes.

The vertical pupils, which should have been cold and devoid of any emotion, were now filled with excitement and agitation.

Just like what he's doing now, it makes him genuinely happy and joyful.

The Silverwing Clan members took a deep breath, their hearts still trembling:

The Zerg are indeed a bunch of madmen who would do anything for the Zerg Queen!

If we continue to refine the dumb stone like this, how many more years... no, how many more days can these insects live?!

And that newborn insect queen is even more cold-blooded and terrifying.

She even went so far as to exploit the dying insects on Losi, trying to squeeze every last drop of value out of them before they died.

The insects on Losi are like this, not to mention the insects on other insectoid planets.

The current situation of those Zerg is only worse than that of the Zerg on Losi.

On the other side.

The emperor of the human empire heard the report from the Knights of Favonius about the current state of the Zerg.

Nergard's slightly furrowed brow finally relaxed.

Just as I expected.

The Zerg Queen has never cared about the lives of her own people.

She treats all Zerg as disposable consumables.

That's perfect.

Regardless of the Zerg Queen's attitude towards other species, the human empire is capable of putting up a fight against the Zerg.

Moreover, the current Zerg Queen is busy purging and oppressing her Zerg forces, so she probably won't have time to cause trouble for other species.

Otherwise, how could the arrogant and reckless Queen of Insects have obtained the Dumb Stones recently by buying them instead of stealing them?

Nergard slowly walked back to his throne, which gleamed with gold, making his face appear even more majestic.

But deep in his eyes, there was a profound, dark undercurrent:

In that case, he would temporarily suspend the project of manufacturing core gems within the empire.

Perfect timing, it's about time the machine was repaired.

*

When Charlotte emerged from the treatment pod, it was already night.

Now, apart from the soldiers on guard duty, the other soldiers in the army are enjoying a relatively leisurely rest period.

She could faintly hear the surrounding soldiers discussing the insect queen.

The Zerg are the most dangerous enemy for the human empire.

Therefore, negative discussions about the Zerg are not restricted within the military.

But there can only be negative discussions.

"Did you know? The newly born queen is even more bloodthirsty and brutal than the previous queen."

"Know!"

"It is said that the Zerg are suffering terribly under her rule, even more so than when there was no Zerg Queen!"

"That's far more than that."

"I heard that the Queen of Insects forced hundreds of insectoids to work themselves to death for the sake of the gem she wanted."

"There are only a few hundred there, but I heard that thousands of Zerg have died!"

Charlotte listened to the conversation that reached her ears and walked forward expressionlessly.

Knowing that Ai Ying's identity had not been exposed by the insectoids and that she had been successfully recognized as the insectoid mother by all the insectoids, she was finally able to relax a little.

She didn't believe a single word of what the people around her were saying.

How could Ai Ying possibly torture and kill the Zerg just for her own preferences?

Back then on Carlo Star, they could only survive by posing as the Insect Queen and struggling under the pincers of the Insectoids.

Even knowing that the Zerg could kill her at any moment, Ai Ying couldn't help but imitate the Zerg Queen's tone in a harsh voice, ordering all the Zerg to take good care of themselves.

They would even drain almost all of their own blood to save a severely injured insect.

Such a fool, someone who would repay even the smallest kindness with tenfold devotion, would absolutely never do the things they accuse her of.

"Major Versella."

Charlotte finally snapped out of her daze after seeing a soldier salute her respectfully. She nodded slightly to the soldier and hurried toward the archives.

This mission she was on was fraught with peril.

She nearly died on Stormstar before obtaining the latest energy data needed by the Empire.

Thanks to this mission, she was promoted to major and also gained ten minutes of access to the paper archives under the guise of searching for her sister in the slums.

The Empire's third branch army has a certain degree of independent authority, and its archives contain many of the Empire's core confidential documents.

Paper can be easily burned, and no one can crack the StarNet's silent copying mechanism.

With sufficient protection, paper documents are safer, more reliable, and easier to destroy than electronic documents.

This time, Charlotte could only enter the outermost archive room.

However, many things will be affected by external factors as long as there is internal turmoil.

Despite being surrounded by guards, Charlotte finally reached the outermost layer of the archives.

She took a deep breath and began to look at the record of major events from the year her mother died, her face expressionless.

The core technology for the "dumb stone refining machine" has been successfully mastered and will be put into use soon.

'The Empire's Third Branch Army suffered heavy losses in a cosmic storm.'

Upon seeing this, Charlotte's hand trembled violently. She forced herself to calm down and continued reading.

'Third Branch Army General Krystal Visera died a heroic death after her plea for help on the starship went unanswered.'

'The Empress gave birth to the Crown Prince this year; the twins are healthy (unverified, incorrectly identified, to be destroyed)'

Upon seeing this, a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes:

How could there be erroneous information in such a meticulous archive room?

After seeing the above content, she frowned slightly:

Everyone knows that the Queen only gave birth to one crown prince, who is now the Crown Princess – Claudia Landis.

If it were twins, how could there have been no news of the other crown prince all these years?

It can't be because it was abandoned after it was born, can it?

Charlotte didn't think much of it, only that perhaps the archives were mistaken.

She continued searching for specific information related to her mother's sunken starship.

...

At nine minutes and thirty seconds, a red warning light was emitted in the archives room.

Charlotte recorded the evidence she found without any expression.

These records, along with the evidence she found privately, were enough to prove that Dirk McLeish killed her mother.

She would no longer call that person her father, and she changed her surname to Versella, the same as her mother's.

Nine minutes and fifty seconds.

She calmly put the documents back in their original positions, and then closed the document room door a second before the laser was fired.

*

On Merton.

Ai Ying looked out the energy window at the playground. After playing for three hours, she came out still jumping around and waving her arms, looking helpless.

These insects... they have so much energy!

Such high-intensity gaming exercise, in less than half a month, not only has it become completely accustomed to, but it has even evolved.

The dungeons in the amusement park are being used up too quickly; she's almost run out of the dungeons she's stockpiled.

She originally thought those mute stones would last at least three or four months.

But now.

Ai Ying glanced at the core gems piled up like a small mountain on the table in just one day, her eyes filled with a happy kind of trouble;

The star coins in the Zerg's treasury are now more than enough for her to rebuild all the Zerg planets according to their preferences.

However, the core gems continued to appear in abundance, without decreasing at all.

If they continue selling, the Zerg will surpass the Human Empire and become the largest exporter of core gems in interstellar space.

Most importantly, compared to the low price of the Dumb Stone and the constant supply of insect power resources from the insects, her cost is almost negligible.

Thinking of this, Ai Ying raised her head and looked at Isaiah not far away:

"Isaiah, have you signed a contract with the Darkrock Clan regarding the future of the Dumb Stone?"

Isaiah, who has successfully evolved into a bug merchant, looks much more composed than before.

His amber eyes gazed intently at the king, his insect core brimming with the joy of being valued by the king.

He nodded vigorously and said:

"Your Majesty, please rest assured."

"I have successfully studied interstellar business, interstellar business law, and interstellar codes of conduct..."

Although he could delete these things from the worm brain at any time, like garbage, if he wanted to—

However, he also discovered that, as the powerful party, he could actually exploit many of these things.

As expected, Wang had foresight.

This 'rule-abiding and reasonable' approach is much more interesting and simpler than using force to deter others.

Finally, Isaiah concluded with a smile:

"Not only was a contract signed."

"They even signed a 100-year contract in one go!"

"Guarantee legality and compliance!"

-----------------------

Author's note: I'm not afraid of the Zerg's fighting prowess, I'm afraid of their cultural sophistication!

Mwah, my darlings! Today's red envelopes are random!