Him and their stars.

Chapter 2053 Shirley and Little Grey have both leveled up, time to go deliver them.
This was shocking news, but because Xia Li, who announced it, seemed too calm, Yu Lian, who had originally intended to be greatly alarmed, had to force himself to remain calm.

"Congratulations," Yu Lian said.

"...Considering your past character and conduct, I always feel like you're mocking me." Xia Li gave a cold laugh.

"No, I'm just saying that the past doesn't determine the present, but choices determine the future. No matter what your background is, you are still you." Yu Lian knew that his words of comfort were weak, after all, the news from the other party was indeed too impactful, and even he himself was inevitably shaken. Naturally, his usual eloquence could not be put to good use.

Yu Lian glanced at Xia Li, who was looking down at him with disdain, and felt a little uncomfortable for a moment.

To be honest, after dealing with Shirley for so many years, this is the first time I've seen her act so brazenly.

Ha, that little Shirley has really gotten herself into a lot of trouble!
However, considering that the girl was probably in a state of sadness due to a lack of self-awareness, out of humanitarianism and basic ally friendship, I decided not to stoop to her level.

He glanced at Fei Fei beside him out of the corner of his eye, only to find her looking at him with a puzzled expression. He then realized that Shirley had just been communicating with him using the swarm's mental network.

“Actually, I have the same example here.” So he immediately used his psionic abilities to set up a communication channel and added Feifei to the group as well.

After Yu Lian's brief explanation, Fei Fei naturally and silently changed the subject: "I see. From a scientific point of view, any laboratory product shouldn't be unique. So I do have someone like me! But I don't know the batch number. Xia Li, do you?"

"Your reaction isn't quite right, is it? Such a nonchalant response makes me look like a fool." The Swarm Overlord stared at the other, momentarily at a loss for words. So, the Lord 1412 she was possessing reverted to its standard model face.

“Perhaps we can talk about our ages and seniority,” Fei Fei added.

Shirley looked at the smiling intruder and felt a chill run down her spine.

She now felt that compared to this crazy woman, she, the mighty overlord of the swarm, was utterly harmless.

His eyes immediately filled with indescribable sadness and resentment as he looked at Yu Lian.

Of course, to be fair, the impact of a ten-meter-tall female giant looking at you with that kind of gaze is still quite indescribable.

Of course, after Fei Fei coughed, she quickly looked away.

Shirley, still maintaining a straight face, explained frankly, "After obtaining the password you provided, I entered Dragon's Nest ahead of time and went directly to the Shanzhu System. My father was already one of the Empire's leading biologists and environmentalists when he was young, and he worked in Dragon's Nest for several years. On the surface, he was there to further improve the natural transformation of this planet, but in reality, he was conducting research in a secret laboratory called the 'Primitive Project.' This laboratory is located in the Shanzhu System."

Feifei nodded slightly, her expression calm and composed, as if she had simply received the answer to a riddle: "I see, that way many clues can be connected. Xia Li, thank you for your hard work."

Shirley froze on the spot, still unable to accept this overly bland reaction.

"Anyway, congratulations!" Fei Fei said with a smile.

That sounded familiar. Where had he heard it before? Yu Lian fell into deep thought.

“This isn’t being sarcastic,” Fei Fei added.

Am I just a prop for you two to use in your mushy displays of affection? ... In that instant, Yu Lian sensed Xia Li's deep resentment, but only for a fleeting moment.

Feifei continued, "In fact, the Salvin family has always been a renowned scientific and industrial family in the Empire. In its more than 600-year history, it has produced no Imperial Marshals or Chancellors, but it has produced six Grand Secretaries of the Palace of Wisdom and seven Academicians of the Heavenly Palace Academy. Including a double Academician like Earl Salvin. If this 'Primarch Project' really exists, your father, the last Earl Salvin, Mr. Ladis, could not possibly be the only one involved in this project."

Yu Lian thought of another Earl Salvin he "knew," who was also His Excellency Xia Wei, a Grand Secretary of the Palace of Wisdom and an Academician of the Heavenly Palace Academy.

During that virtual world arc he experienced, he was among the first local lords to directly pledge allegiance to Queen Brunhilde, and therefore deserved preferential treatment.

During his more than sixty years as the ruler of the Galactic Empire, he served as the highest-ranking official of the Wisdom Palace, responsible not only for the scientific research management of the entire empire but also for the classification and research of various Enlightened Relics.

Therefore, in our time, the crown jewel of the scientific field is "archaeology," and this has always been the case.

However, setting aside political factors, the Earl of Hawaii, who brought the Salvin family to its peak, like his descendant Lattis, also had his main research areas in biology and genetic medicine.

In the virtual timeline, Her Majesty the Queen underwent a six-month-long medical examination and comprehensive recuperation in Sarna, with Count Hawes himself in charge of the medical affairs.

After all, she had crossed three star rings while being scorched by flames, thus earning the reputation of "the Unburnt One".

...Wait a minute, thinking about it this way, this kind of thing doesn't just happen on a virtual timeline.

In the real world, during the era of the true "immortal dragon" and "unburnt" Emperor Iwenya, Xiawei was not only the chief Grand Secretary of the Palace of Wisdom, but also served as the Privy Councilor for ten years, and was even granted the title of Duke.

Although it is only a lifetime honorary title for one generation, its prestige speaks volumes.

In the real-life era of Empress Iwenya, she was indeed one of the most powerful figures in the empire. Her historical image is that of a very insightful reformist politician and scientist, whose political status was actually higher than in the virtual timeline.

Considering that he was actually an important assistant to the wise minister Shire, such a historical change is not surprising.

...Speaking of which, I remember Yani saying that, according to the investigation results she obtained from the snakes, the financier and the real coordinator of the "Primitive Project" was none other than Chancellor Shiir himself.

Suddenly, I realized something was a little unsettling.

“According to my private intelligence sources, the Primarch Project’s laboratories were originally located in Sarna,” Yu Lian said.

"Very well, this is certainly quite 'private'." Fei Fei glanced at Yu Lian with a half-smile.

"Perhaps so, but it's not in my memory."

Indeed, not even the most basic laboratory ruins could be found on the planet Sarna. It is said that villas and robot factories were built on the original site of the laboratory.

Therefore, the best way to erase existing traces is not to raze them to the ground, but to fill in their original place with a different color, and to fill it in with a bold and vibrant color.

“As long as you understand that the past doesn’t define the future, then no matter what your background is, it won’t determine who you become.” Fei Fei shrugged. “I’m a monster like you, but that doesn’t stop me from already thinking about having children with my husband and growing old together.” “I’m not a monster,” Xia Li said irritably.

"That's not the point. The point is, if we take ethics into account, Shirley, you might have to call me 'Auntie'."

"..."

"Even though it's a joke, you can't deny it outright."

Shirley remained silent for at least half a minute, but this time there was no resentment or sorrow in her voice.

She glanced at Yu Lian with a deadpan expression and eyes that seemed vaguely familiar, then subtly changed her words: "I am indeed a monster. However, even at this point, I wouldn't lose my sense of self and reality. I am the swarm, and my purpose is the evolution of the species. For this goal, I must break free from the shackles of the past."

She paused for a moment, then repeated herself: "Yes, this is not revenge, but to break free from the shackles of the past. I can't wait to move forward. Emperor Elither is powerful, but he is not invincible!"

This time, she spoke as if she were a prospective hero. Despite being just a level 1 newbie who had just left the beginner village, she was convinced that she could definitely defeat the Demon King.

"9527 is my pseudo-lord, and also my most sensitive sensory terminal. Although it perished, as long as it can maintain its existence in the virtual realm for even a second, it is undeniably eternal for the terminal's original self. Do you agree?" Xia Li said proudly again, the ten-meter giant she possessed standing in the starry sky like a god.

"That's good enough. You've gotten a little carried away today," Yu Lian said sternly, hands clasped in his pockets.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I was a bit out of line." Shirley apologized quickly as if by reflex, and then explained, "The spirituality of the Void Realm nourished my soul and invigorated my spirit. Fragments of information in the dark formed my understanding of destiny. If half of my existence is for the Swarm, then the other half is this. Right now, I just feel that I am terrifyingly strong."

Yu Lian wasn't sure if the other party was really that strong, but she was indeed frighteningly proactive and decisive. It was as if the cowardly and timid ways she had cultivated to a high level during the years of hiding and running away were long gone.

However, Yu Lian had not anticipated that a mere insectoid psychic network could produce such an effect.

He examined the Titan No. 1412, who was possessed by Shirley, but still couldn't sense any information about a powerful being from the other party's current mental fluctuations. However, if we only consider Titan No. 1412 herself, this female Titan, who seemed like an anglerfish's tentacles as bait, actually had a very low mass, so low that ordinary sensors could hardly determine her outline.

It should be able to switch freely between physical and energetic states; only in this way could it possibly create a decoy effect against a space Leviathan.

In addition, it is easier for Shirley's will to descend.

However, this feature does indeed have a bit of the feel of a virtual monster.

Xia Li said, "I will immediately head towards Chaomen and enter the Wanfan Star Sector."

Feifei couldn't help but adopt the tone of an elder, earnestly advising, "The Empire has already deployed a fleet in Mumen in advance, so how could they possibly let their guard down in the direction of Chaomen?"

She genuinely felt that Xia Li was being too radical and began to worry about her mental state, as if she had truly become the mistress's aunt.

“Yes. That’s precisely why we need to seize the initiative in advance.” She said confidently, “My special reconnaissance-enhanced nest ship, Sonia, has already set sail. If it can pass through the gravity well and wait at the gate in advance, we can at least know the size of the enemy force blocking us.”

...So it turns out that you Zerglings also have a habit of naming your own warships.

“I have sown seeds and left lords on all the planets in Dragon Nest, but we can’t hide here forever. The slower we move, the stronger the pursuers on both sides will become. We all know this.”

Feifei nodded slightly. If Xia Li had just been reckless, she would have been worried about her mental state, but since she spoke so logically, she immediately felt half relieved.

After all, you can't make promises you can't keep, or you'll offend people.

"I will gather all my combat forces in the Chaomen star system before March 20th," she added, still brimming with confidence. If this girl were a level 1 adventurer who had just left the beginner's village, the imperial guards that might exist in Chaomen would be the first boss guarding the gate.

Yu Lian's gaze swept over the timer hanging on the side of the bridge, confirming that it was now 7:27 PM standard time on March 6th. Nearly ten days had passed since he entered the Dragon's Nest Starfield, and he had spent six hours in King Suliuka's underground palace.

However, even though only a short time had passed, he actually felt a bit like he was in another world.

Even now, I still have a slightly surreal feeling about reality.

Normal people are, after all, susceptible to the influence of virtual environments; the dislocation of time and space can directly affect a person's most basic sensory perceptions. Not to mention, there's also a perilous mental-tempering game encompassing 514 lives.

He remembered reading notes from a senior psychic, who said that each time he entered the virtual realm, he would gradually feel that the hazy, indescribable world was the one that truly belonged to him, while the sense of reality in the real material world became weaker and weaker, and his connection with "reality" also became weaker and weaker.

Then, during the ceremony to ascend to sainthood, this senior was assimilated by the illusory realm and instantly transformed into a bizarre monster with eight heads and twelve giant swinging pins.

Psionicists must be extremely cautious about the Void Realm. If you love someone, send them to the Void Realm. If you hate someone, send them to the Void Realm as well. This is, of course, the hard-earned experience of countless predecessors.

However, true strong individuals can overcome all of this, and even transform it into nourishment for their growth and evolution.

Clearly, Shirley had probably already grasped the point. This was perhaps the first time she had been in such close and prolonged contact with the virtual realm, yet she displayed an admirable adaptability and comprehension.

Needless to say, as a psionicist, Miss Dominator has already advanced to the next level.

That said, Yu Lian herself was still quite curious about the method of ascending to the next level for a being like her, what rituals and zero elements were required, and what "innate" abilities could be unlocked.

Then, a familiar voice rang in his ears: "It would be a real shame to lose such a good individual model. Anyway, it has been upgraded now. The little Bifangs have unlocked the function of autonomous counterattack shields, and the spirit particle healing room has been opened. Even if they encounter danger, there is enough space to evacuate."

It was indeed his usual ghostly entrance. But what was surprising was that this was the first time Little Grey had expressed his opinion on his military deployment.

Even if it's just a subtle hint, it's still unprecedented.

But then again, do you really think a mere robot like you can level up through the virtual realm? That place is truly the greatest treasure bestowed upon us by the spirits of the universe!

(End of this chapter)