Him and their stars.

Chapter 2052 Shirley's Secret

In this way, Xia Li, who had maintained her cowardly and timid persona for many years, truly displayed astonishing courage at this moment.

In any case, Yu Lian himself was quite shocked.

However, given the overwhelming numerical disadvantage, such courage was indeed merely symbolic.

The tragic battle ended three minutes into the video.

Although those giant crab-like insects could fly freely in the void and their plasma cannons looked to have at least the power of a destroyer's main gun, their mobility was truly questionable.

When Imperial fighters approached, the flying turrets of these Zerg swarms were simply targets for slaughter.

Especially those powerful Titanium Blade fighters, they charged into the swarm of insects like heavily armed knights, leaving trails of blood in their wake after an invincible charge.

Of course, there were also unevolved dragons that still retained their mobility and tried to resist, but their effect was roughly equivalent to a motley crew of unarmored conscripts trying to block armored soldiers.

For some reason, Yu Lian looked at the swarm of insects being slaughtered by the Imperial Army and suddenly felt a little heartache—not the kind of sorrow and grief one feels when compatriots and comrades sacrifice their lives, but a more subtle emotional change, as if his own blood, oh wait, his cells had been taken away and squandered.

Yu Lian knew that this was a mindset very much in line with the swarm's dominant force, but he himself was an upright human being.

So, on the other hand, why is Shirley so brave?
There are only about two or three thousand of these insects in the video. They might be very large on the ground, but they would be much smaller than a virus in space. If they really wanted to hide, how could Shirley not be able to hide with her stealth abilities?

Could it be that they've gathered enough biological resources and built a large enough army during these past three months of fighting, and now that they're well-fed, they're getting cocky?
That shouldn't be the case! Shirley, if she's really gotten carried away, then she definitely needs to be educated and disciplined by her allies.

Of course, there is some positive information about this battle. At the very least, the reconnaissance perspective has indeed gotten much closer to the Imperial fleet.

That's why Yu Lian could clearly see two completely different creatures in the distant carrier group, surrounded by those menacing fighter jets.

Oh, there are actually two dragon boats?
Another one has arrived? Did it come with the internal security forces? This is truly chilling to think about!

"Could it be that the Privy Council thinks Mr. Sobek is dangerous, so they sent over a dragon boat?" Fei Fei said, her interpretation naturally full of malice.

"Indeed, the Sobyk fleet only has one dragon ship right now, led by one of the Four Heavenly Kings," Gongsun Qing said slowly and maliciously. "Heh, I hope they start fighting now. Yes, they must fight!"

"That possibility cannot be ruled out. There are many factions within the Empire. The Imperial Guard, the Imperial Guard, the feudal lords' armies, the local militia, the regional guards, the territorial armies, and of course, the Knights of the Stars." The young Queen shrugged, her face full of regret, helplessness, and sorrow, plus a hint of schadenfreude that no normal person could ignore.

Has this girl really forgotten which side she's on?

While the above statements may sound quite intriguing, they are unfortunately almost impossible to come true.

As a hegemonic militaristic nation, the Galactic Empire's military system, though complex and full of checks and balances, would never allow infighting to break out as long as the most powerful person could still speak out.

"It's simply for troop reinforcement," Yu Lian said.

Of course, due to some inexplicable intuition, Yu Lian was certain that the scene he was seeing must have come from a special dragon-like insect with enhanced stealth and reconnaissance capabilities.

Observers of the vast universe know that the dragon-worms can evolve into devourers specifically designed to seize air superiority. Their advantages lie in their thick hides, low cost, and the ability to spread their attacks; once arrayed, they can effectively annihilate enemies in aerial combat. However, to assume that this is the only evolutionary path for the dragon-worms would be a gross underestimation of their power.

Even lords with only partial authority will adjust the evolutionary direction of their insects according to the situation and circumstances, based on their judgment, which is not much smarter than AI.

If it's an insect that was personally evolved by Shirley in this timeline and enhanced, its observation and stealth abilities would definitely be enhanced to the extreme.

However, even if the stealth ability was fully maxed out, it was still too close to the Imperial fleet.

Yu Lian's concerns were certainly not unfounded.

At the fifteenth minute of the video, a faint ripple of a special force field appeared on the screen. Accompanied by this shimmering rhythm, the Astral Knight riding the Quadragon suddenly appeared in the center of the void.

The knight was of medium build and carried an unremarkable dark red spear. Despite its relatively somber color, it stood out remarkably in the deep void, exuding an imposing aura.

Beneath him was a phantom beast over a hundred meters long, its entire body and face covered in a golden-gray color, with three pairs of eyes that were as clear and beautiful as jewels, seemingly reflecting countless stars.

This is an old dragon that has lived for at least five hundred years, and its physical functions and spiritual energy have reached their peak.

As for the psionicist sitting on its back, he was naturally not wearing armor, or even basic protective clothing. Due to the distance, his face was no longer clearly visible under the cover of the light blades; all that could be seen was that he was of average build, yet he seemed to possess the imaginary grandeur of an endless mountain range.

He and his dragon seemed to have jumped directly into the middle of the scene through space.

Or rather, it leaped directly in front of the scout bug.

The blurry face hid behind the light, only its eyes were bright and sharp.

He was separated by thousands of light-years and two hours of time, as if he were looking directly at Yu Lian on this side of the screen.

Those were familiar golden eyes, typical of the Dawn Royal Family. To an outsider, they would certainly appear domineering, but Yu Lian saw neither a lion nor a dragon hidden in those eyes. Instead, he saw a more familiar retreat, as if a lion concealed a… well, that's too vulgar a word.

However, this was merely a fleeting moment, almost imperceptible to onlookers. Immediately afterward, a dark red light burst forth on the screen, freezing the shared vision of the swarm at this final, breathtaking display.

"Who is this?" Fei Fei looked at Yu Lian, a playful smile playing on her lips. "I have a feeling you two might know each other."

“It’s our old friend, Duke Géribean.” Yu Lian was initially a little nervous, but when he guessed the other party’s identity, he immediately felt relaxed.

Feifei couldn't help but chuckle, but still said cautiously, "But, we can't let our guard down. After all, she is the chief of the court. If things had progressed normally, she should have become a demigod before us. To be fair, if this duchess can become a demigod with her current mindset, her future achievements will at least be no less than those of Lady Mei."

Indeed, if someone can still climb to the peak even after having their Dao heart shattered by Yu Lian, they must have achieved complete enlightenment.

"I will try my best to be steady and cautious." He glanced at the young girl beside him, who was choosing an emperor. Even though she knew that her army had already arrived at Mumen and was less than a week's journey away, she showed no sign of relief.

Since the "representative of the ally" was still waiting in planetary orbit, Yu Lian didn't contact the other departments on the planet. Instead, he led everyone back to their loyal flagship in the most efficient way possible. Naturally, having reached the level of demigods, everyone had their own unique concept and understanding of efficiency.

This battle-hardened commander didn't even use the "Sky Jade," he merely moved slightly and returned to the bridge of the Silent Ship, which was a full 10,000 kilometers away from the surface of the planet Liewang.

With his current abilities, as long as a spatial anchor point is set in advance, a force field jump can cover a straight distance of tens of thousands of kilometers. There is no need to use the kind of powerful move that requires half a year of preparation, nor is there any need to use the power of a conceptual artifact.

In the blink of an eye, the four of them returned from the lush green waters outside the royal mausoleum to the magnificent, palace-like bridge of the Silent Ship.

As soon as he landed, Yu Lian heard a full and lively breath, filled with emotion, surprise, and a strange sense of security: "Hey! Good! I'm back! Indeed, the virtual realm is interesting at any time, and it's also interesting for robots."

This should be very important information, but it's probably not the most important thing for Yu Lian right now.

The moment he entered the bridge, he saw a flying object, or rather, a giant cicada pupa, hovering not far from the porthole. Its reddish-brown shell was covered with rocky deposits and extended dozens of tentacles of varying lengths and thicknesses, sharp and sturdy enough to pierce the armor plates of a warship.

Is that Lord 1412?

As for Captain Nemo and his officers, they lined up and saluted him, as if they had been prepared all along.

They were already used to the Commander's elusive and unpredictable manner of action.

"Congratulations on achieving the great and exalted position of demigod! Your Excellency, and Madam! I will be able to witness the birth of miracles again! This is truly, truly... yes, this is the blessing I have accumulated over several lifetimes! Even if I only witness the birth of miracles with my own eyes, my descendants for eight generations will feel honored."

“Perhaps we just failed,” Fei Fei said with a smile.

“That’s impossible. Madam, when you and your comrade return, you will surely be the victors. Besides, I have indeed seen divinity in you.”

It's still the same exaggerated performance, but it's still this blatant flattery that doesn't feel greasy—it's truly a racial talent that you can't help but admire.

Of course, perhaps only Yu Lian felt it was "sincere".

Anyway, Gongsun Qing next to her already showed a disgusted expression, but considering that Feifei had shown a satisfied expression because of the title "Madam", what could she, as the head maid, say?

Immediately afterwards, the captain seamlessly transformed from a sycophantic flatterer into a capable professional soldier, and began to deliver the following report:
"Your battle at Twilight Gate is over. The Zerg allies who launched the surprise attack have been completely wiped out. However, the enemy fleet is still outside the secret gate of Dragon's Nest. Our sensors are still operational and will detect the warp information immediately. The main fleet led by the Overmind has left the Shanzhu system and is heading towards the Chaomen system."

All of the above was, of course, what Lord 1412 told Captain Nemo.

"However, just to be on the safe side, I have already notified all departments on the surface to evacuate immediately. I apologize, but since you should have been deep inside the underground palace at that time, I was unable to contact you and had to take this expedient measure. However, this order was also approved by Brigadier General Bonaparte and Colonel Wayne."

He looked at Yu Lian cautiously, as if he was genuinely afraid that his arbitrary decision would offend Commander Yu.

Yu Lian was indeed a little unhappy. He considered himself a very open-minded officer, and felt that after working with Captain Nemo for so long, the other party should already be aware of his style.

But now, this cautious attitude doesn't show off his power; instead, it seems like he's criticizing his character.

Is this due to overthinking? Or has he become uncontrollably domineering after reaching demigod status? Or is there some deeper reason?

Yu Lian concealed his meaningful scrutiny behind a warm smile: "Please prepare for the rendezvous. My intuition tells me that although everyone's expedition is only halfway complete, it should have yielded considerable results."

The captain quickly took his leave as if he had received a supreme order, while Yu Lian also focused his attention on the Zerg Lord, whom the captain referred to as Lady 1412.

At that moment, a woman whose skin was covered with insect carapace appeared outside the bridge porthole.

Putting aside its towering height of at least ten meters, its posture and face are unremarkable but perfectly conform to the standard modeling of normal human aesthetics.

If this were placed in a big-budget game, any queen-like boss who is a creature of insects would have to look like this.

Of course, although she does have a face that's so unrecognizable that you'd forget it once you see it, she is indeed a stunning beauty who perfectly embodies the golden ratio.

Her back was connected by almost invisible fibrous tissue, one side to an insect ship 200 kilometers away from her own ship, and the other side to the floor-to-ceiling porthole on the front of the bridge.

Are you anglerfish?
Was it placed in space to hunt Leviathan?
Yu Lian really wanted to make that comment, but before he could even open his mouth, a vivid, arrogant expression flashed across the face of the female giant model outside the porthole, instantly making her very recognizable.

Needless to say, Shirley returned once again.

“I understand now. The lords are individual units of the matrix, and you are Agent Smith.”

She could have done this in her past life, but it was never as smooth and effortless as it is in this life.

Shirley and the (previous life) ruler are actually different souls, or at least the will representing the subject's behavioral logic is different, but she has already surpassed the previous ruler.

She licked her lips and said proudly, "This is my Tier 3 warship, the Special-Class Induction Ship, which can be used to hunt space Leviathans. I've eaten over a dozen Star Dragons recently thanks to them. Dragon meat tastes really good!"

So it really is an anglerfish?

She added, "Furthermore, my ambush at Mumen was not a suicide mission; it was based on very profound strategic considerations."

Oh, so instead of focusing on devouring and evolving, you're resorting to military strategy?

"The deeper information I sensed in the virtual realm helped me resolve some of my doubts. Thank you."

"what is this about?"

"My mother is a genetic candidate of the Dawn Royal Family."

(End of this chapter)