Him and their stars.

Chapter 2132 Witnessing Unparalleled Achievements
So why do these psychics go mad when the emperor's fate is grim? What's the rationale behind this? Where's the logic?
So, who exactly instilled this idea in me?
However, this matter is no longer important.

At the critical moment, Amya raised her hand, and a Hive missile slid out from her sleeve, whistling as it slammed directly into the Star Official's face.

This girl was crippled from the waist down, but her hand movements were still as fast as those of a highly skilled psionicist.

With just these hand movements, they are twenty times faster than elite armored grenadiers.

At the same moment, the prosthetic components in her waist, abdomen, and back also began to operate at an extremely high frequency, emitting almost inaudible high-frequency vibrations, transmitting the instantaneous explosive force to the girl's stiff lower body. As a result, her half-crippled body still exhibited a more agile and swift evasive ability than an ordinary person... well, only three or four points faster than an ordinary armored grenadier.

Fortunately, the star-seeing officer on the other side was also taken aback by the actions of the ancient woman, and was momentarily stunned, which allowed the target to avoid the vortex at the last second.

In an instant, the missile struck the officer's face, and the resulting explosion covered his head and face. However, the somber, bloodthirsty voice still erupted from the smoke and dust.

"Why hide? Miss Agnes? Why hide? You should have died four years ago at the War God Festival!"

Amya's prosthetic body carried her backward, as if she were riding a skateboard.

After the brutal riverside battle at the War God Festival, Amy suffered a backlash from overuse of her psychic powers. Her psychic circuits were damaged, rendering her almost unable to use any techniques, and her spine and leg nerves were also severely damaged.

Doctors had predicted that she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

However, in her second year of studying at Wisdom Palace University in an electric wheelchair, a kind person provided her with complete prosthetic organs and assistive mechanical units, enabling her to stand up again.

She can now command her prosthetic core to perform all major movements through her thoughts. The only drawback is that the degree to which the movements are completed depends on the performance of her prosthetic body, but not on her physical abilities.

Faced with this star-gazing officer who suddenly ambushed her, can she escape alive on her own?
"You said it yourself, that your people's peace today is thanks to the conscience of those above. Aren't you willing to repay that kindness?" The delirious Xingjian continued to ramble on, as if creating mental pollution.

“I never said that!” Amya shouted. “I am the Secretary-General of the Imperial Capital University Students’ Union, and I am also a prospective Lady-in-Waiting of the Dragon Palace. I am a retainer of His Majesty. I cooperated with the officials to evacuate students from various universities to the Wisdom Palace for refuge. You have no right to do that!”

"I didn't?" He seemed taken aback for a moment, then immediately admitted, "I really didn't."

Amya had already put some distance between them. She looked towards the end of the park path.

This is Wisdom Palace University, with security comparable to any key department in the Empire. In the past, the surveillance system would have already detected the energy fluctuations here and dispatched a large number of security robots. But now, he couldn't sense any such activity at all.

Did he disable the surveillance cameras?

No. The Star Seer doesn't have that authority; it's Amy, the university student secretary-general, who has the right to intervene in security. The current situation suggests that psychic energy is somewhat clouding the surveillance system's senses.

As an imperial astrologer, he should be quite adept at this kind of conceptual manipulation. He should have been prepared for it long ago.

How careless of me! But if I were still the person I used to be, I definitely wouldn't have been able to ignore these safety hazards. If it were me in the past, with diligent practice, I would surely have mastered many conceptual operations.

Amya was very disappointed, so she only hesitated for less than a second.

She stared at the contorted star-gazer and shouted, "You have no right to execute me! This is absolutely not your authority!"

“But for the future of the Empire, your sacrifice is necessary, Miss Amya.” The Star Judge, whose body began to contort, inexplicably calmed down, yet his voice sounded all the more sinister and cruel:

"Although you weren't the leader of this operation, you were a key organizer and witness to every activity. Your participation allowed you close access to all the consultations. However, a clever lady like you is always too unpredictable, so we had to use some methods to get your cooperation. Rest assured, your free will will be preserved for a long time to come."

Amya said she didn't understand.

However, she never expected this madman to be like the villains in movies, who would feel in control and go on and on to explain his entire plan in detail.

The only thing she understood was that even if she were infected, she would probably still be conscious.

Isn't that even more terrifying?

Is it more terrifying to become a puppet after death, or to become a doll while alive?

The dark psychic energy, like living tentacles, instantly spread out and coiled around Amy. Space seemed to solidify under this invisible force; the air became viscous, making it difficult to move.

Amya was eventually torn open by the dissipating psionic energy, a sharp, piercing pain shooting through her skin like a burn. Although she avoided a direct impact, her mind still felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and a wave of intense dizziness washed over her.

The girl raised her hands again, and two special pocket pistols slid out.

"It's no use." The Star Seer slowly approached, the vortex of spiritual energy in his hand condensing once more, even larger than before.

"You are brave, madam. Your cybernetic body has given you a rare fighting ability despite your disability. However, in the face of an absolute difference in psionic power, your cybernetic body and your weapons are nothing more than exquisite toys. Ha, I won't ask how you obtained the modifications, or what your relationship is with the Thirteen Workshops and the Omnic Brotherhood. At this point, none of that matters."

"Don't you know everything?" Amya pulled the trigger repeatedly, but the bullets that were fired instantly froze in mid-air, as if they had fallen into an invisible curtain.

"You will witness firsthand how I bestow this Palace of Wisdom, along with the Empire's technological treasures, upon the future leaders of the Empire. Only then will the Empire truly be great. I apologize, Ms. Amya, but I am fulfilling my duty."

Amya knelt on the ground, breathing heavily. Her bones and joints, as well as the prosthetic units inside her body, emitted a faint hum of overload.

She felt as if the air around her had turned into an impenetrable wall, her strength rapidly draining from her body, to the point that she could no longer even grip the guns in her hands. Those two pistols, weighing no more than a kilogram each, seemed to have been given a hundred times the mass.

Her vision began to blur, and she could only see the star-gazing officer's hand about to strike.

In the past, this would have been utter despair.

However, Gumeya even managed a slight smile on her face.

She had seen the light, so she would never despair again.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!

Then, behind the Star-Viewing Official, in the flowerbed surrounded by all sorts of exotic flowers and plants, a plant that was originally inconspicuous but had broad, thick leaves suddenly swelled up.

The emerald green trunk shot up like a giant python, and the flower bud at the top, which had been closed, suddenly bloomed in a fraction of a second, revealing sharp teeth inside that shimmered with an eerie phosphorescence and were covered with sticky mucus!
That's not an ornamental plant at all, but a carnivorous predator disguised as a beautiful, large flower bud! Just like those adorable creatures that love to devour zombies and protect your yard.

When the grotesque maw opened, the "head" was already much larger than its previous budding state. The Star Seer's entire attention was focused on Amya, completely unaware of the attack coming from behind. As a seasoned psionicist, he was completely oblivious to this deadly attacker.

At that moment, as the enormous, gaping maw lunged at him, Hoshimi finally made the necessary response. He twisted his body and performed a tactical leap, avoiding the monster's attempt to devour his head.

However, the man-eating flower was even faster. Its thick stem moved as fast as a venomous snake hunting its prey, and in a flash, it bit into Hoshino's ankle. Immediately afterward, there was a loud "crack".

The psionicist's ankle was bitten off.

Then, the carnivorous plant adjusted its angle and perfectly caught his lower body.

The astrologer glanced at Amya before him, and from behind his mask let out a heavy sigh, trembling with pain: "Let me tell you! This hurts a lot."

"Crack... Glug..."

The sickening cracking of bones and the wet, gurgling sounds of swallowing echoed sharply in the silent garden.

The stem of the man-eating flower twitched violently a few times, as if its throat was digesting food.

Amy watched as the predator, having successfully ambushed her, finished its meal, watching the "stem" that resembled an esophagus cease its wriggling. The grotesque flower also retracted its open petals, concealing its gaping maw and layers of sharp teeth, and quickly contracted.

In just a few seconds, it returned to its harmless, large flower bud shape, only now it seemed to have swelled slightly.

It left no trace of blood, nor any broken masks or pieces of clothing. So, what had just unfolded—a scene so perfectly straight out of a horror movie—seemed like a hallucination.

Amy looked at the empty ground in front of her and sniffed.

Well, the smell of blood was gone from the air, but there was a faint spiritual fluctuation.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her, almost making her faint. However, just before losing consciousness, the prosthetic unit implanted in the back of her neck suddenly delivered a mild electric shock to her spine. She shuddered and then immediately straightened up perfectly.

Amy took a step back and quickly reloaded her two pistols, but before she could raise her hand, a remarkably lifelike human face appeared on the carnivorous plant's now thicker trunk: "Weren't we working together perfectly? Amy, don't worry, I won't hurt you. I didn't hurt you when we met ten years ago, and I won't now either. But now, my little Amy, after only three years apart, you won't even call me 'teacher'?"

“Indeed, you have been kind to me, Lady Thorn.” Amya finally withdrew her weapon. “Without your guidance, I wouldn’t even have been able to participate in that War God Festival. Although if I had been fortunate enough to grow up, I might have become your vessel, but that didn’t happen.”

"The Thorn Witch's vessel comes with conditions. Amya, I am a human supremacist, and if I were to change bodies, I would only use human ones." The carnivorous flower's enormous form began to deform and twist, quickly transforming into a tall woman dressed in a silver imperial gown, who at first glance appeared to be a noblewoman. Around thirty years old, in the prime of her life, she possessed a graceful figure, an exquisitely beautiful face, and a bewitching, fatal charm.

If the Star Seer were still alive, he would be greatly surprised.

This woman—no, the "Thorn Witch" who once established a cult in a certain star sector of the Empire, was later wiped out by the glorious Imperial Army and disappeared without a trace, and was later wanted by the Empire with a large sum of money—who else could she be?

This guy is a veteran psionic terrorist and a top-tier wanted criminal in many countries.

In addition, she certainly has the ability to change her appearance, but occasionally she still has a few fixed appearances. Her current appearance as a beautiful imperial lady is one of them.

"Gumia is very beautiful, but I've been human for so long, and I'll only choose a human in the future. Don't flatter yourself, little girl," the Thorn Witch laughed.

The girl, Gumia, thought that since this witch had evolved to the point where she could eat people at any time, she probably really needed to change bodies.

She added, "However, now... thanks to my current boss, I've also gained some control over the swarm, so I should be able to survive longer this time. Phew, I also have to thank my current organization for that."

The witch patted her belly and said to Amya, "This Star Seer is named Kanari, and he is one of the assistants of the High Priest of Norddos. He is under the orders of the chief Star Seer to oversee the defense preparations for the University City. However, he is actually a confidant of King Tamil and hopes to obtain your backup data for his lord."

Amya suddenly realized. Compared to King Su and King Wei, King Tamil was relatively low-key, but he was the wealthiest of the eight chosen kings and controlled a large number of factories and research institutions. It was perfectly reasonable for him to want to obtain some cutting-edge information from the Palace of Wisdom.

That said, King Wei is the scientist among those chosen to be emperor, and he has always had a good relationship with the Thai King. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the Thai King wants to help his ally by taking risks... Of course, this possibility is unlikely; it is more likely that he is seeking leverage for his own cooperation.

Although the Tamil king doesn't have a very strong presence, he is still in his prime, and he has no shortage of ambition, ability, and connections. How could he not be tempted by that crown?
"If Lord Yulian's prophecy of 'bloodshed' truly comes true, then the change of imperial power will be a natural consequence, and this city will inevitably fall into the hands of King Suruika sooner or later. This is certainly something King Tamil does not want to see," the Thorn Witch said. "Of course, this was all told to me by the Kanari Star Official. This is the first time I've ever obtained memories from a person's brain through their digestive system, so I don't know if there will be any errors. I hope I can adapt in the future."

In terms of achievements, prestige, popularity, and of course, appearance, Queen Suruka has already gained the upper hand in this (potential) game of vying for the throne, but she will also certainly be the one who is jointly resisted by the masses.

"And you, Amya, your mission is actually to protect this university town and deliver it to King Su, isn't it?"

Gu Meiya did not deny it: "This is an order I received directly from His Majesty the Emperor. I am still a lady-in-waiting of the Dragon Palace, and I must fulfill my responsibilities. His Majesty ordered me to protect all the students and faculty members who remain, as well as to back up the database. I must do my best."

The Thorn Witch praised, "You have a clear sense of right and wrong; that's why I thought highly of you before. However, does His Majesty the Emperor know that you also left a backdoor for the remnants of the Earth Student Council?"

“His Majesty didn’t say anything, perhaps that’s tacitly agreeing. I will hand these things over to King Suliu, and if His Majesty… I will also serve the royal family in the future. But no one says I can’t leave some backdoors in the information.” Amya argued confidently, though it didn’t sound very convincing.

"You have a clear sense of right and wrong. You're a good child. If it weren't for fate, I would have passed on my mantle to you. You are far superior to my unworthy disciple, Wanda." The Thorn Witch admired you even more.

Who is Wanda? Amya was a little curious, but now was not the time to ask.

"Is that all he's going to do to me? Even if he kills me, he can't take over this university town."

"Invade your mind, making you act in a way that benefits him while you remain clear-headed. You will not only be his mole, but also his eyes and ears. Amya, you are the student secretary-general, you have connections with all the student councils, and even the intelligence department left behind by Master Yu. Through you, it won't be long before he gains full control of the security of this university town. And even if it fails, it won't really delay anything."

Based on this? Based on this messy plan?
Seeing the ancient Meya girl lower her eyelids, the Thorn Witch laughed: "In these turbulent times, what does the disappearance of one ancient Meya girl matter? She's your emperor's head maid, but what about the emperor himself?"

Amya interrupted, "So, you've come here representing the will of the person behind you?"

"Besides her, there's also the snake. I'm still one of the thirteen members of the 'Snake of the World.' However, the snake and the alliance represented by my boss's wife have already re-established a certain degree of alliance."

The actions of these cosmic rulers are truly ugly!

"Don't worry, little Amya. Now that I'm here, you and your classmates and teachers are safe. Now, let us witness here how the Alliance and the Serpent, together with that great man, will establish an unparalleled achievement and mark the beginning of a new era."

Her eyes flashed with a cold light of extremely complex senses, and one of her eyes even uncontrollably changed shape, twisting into a strange compound eye: "First, it started with the swarm of insects. They were merely the vanguard of that great one."

Almost simultaneously, Amy's headset beeped with an urgent alert: "Fist of Glory internal alarm! Fist of Glory internal alarm!"