(p)(p)（This is an additional update for Chapter 2 in honor of the Alliance Hierarch "Zeg C??", Three updates today）
(p)(p)"Shadow... Base."
(p)(p)Mu Fan chewed on this phrase, lost in thought.
(p)(p)Clearly, Black was thinking much further ahead at this moment—an entire industrial base covertly nestled in the shadows, relying on the military's discretion.
(p)(p)When the military thought this base was under their control, Black had already quietly taken over.
(p)(p)All of this had a single purpose—to build his own capital for venturing across the interstellar space.
(p)(p)"Even though this planet is small, it is considerably vast compared to the base. The Federation has explored less than one thousandth of its area. The specific nature of this base means the military could never station large numbers of personnel here; at most, they would tightly control the spatial passage. Therefore, this leaves me ample room to maneuver."
(p)(p)"As long as there is time, I can quietly expand the production of SCVs, and in the deeper, more secluded forests, I can establish additional bases, effectively keeping out of humanity's sight."
(p)(p)Displayed on the tactical tablet was a rotating planet, the three-dimensional view of Asteroid 131, with Area A1 occupying a minuscule portion of it.
(p)(p)The image flashed, and Black's figure reappeared on the screen.
(p)(p)"In future battles, you can rely on more than just yourself."
(p)(p)"Mu Fan, here, will become your true trump card!"
(p)(p)Finally, Black's voice faded.
(p)(p)Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
(p)(p)Mu Fan didn't say anything, but his heart was tumultuously stirred.
(p)(p)In these days while Black had been with him, this intelligent life had never forgotten Mu Fan's dreams. It had laid all this groundwork silently, all for letting him have a real foothold in this world.
(p)(p)But now, the scenario Mu Fan imagined was massively different from what Black truly intended to convey.
(p)(p)How could he know what a super smart brain from a parallel universe meant by "base"!
(p)(p)The industrial system fully managed by Black could create a productivity that would shake his worldview when it truly appeared!
(p)(p)Mu Fan looked at the metal sphere quietly facing him, "Black, thank you."
(p)(p)"In glory we share, in loss we bear."
(p)(p)Black rarely used such a profoundly philosophical phrase.
(p)(p)"You mentioned earlier that you had something to discuss with me; now you can tell me."
(p)(p)Oh, I almost forgot.
(p)(p)Mu Fan slapped his forehead and said, "Your tone before seemed very familiar with the Zeg Clan?"
(p)(p)"Not just familiar, the old Fighter knows the Zeg Clan even better than the Zeg themselves. Why suddenly bring up the Zeg; is there something going on?"
(p)(p)"During combat, like the Guards, do they ever flee the battlefield?"
(p)(p)"Impossible." Mu Fan had barely finished speaking when Black promptly denied it, without the slightest hesitation.
(p)(p)
"The Zeg Clan, aside from basic combat intelligence, does not possess any other cognitive intelligence; all their actions are controlled by the high-tier Brain Worm, who are in turn controlled by an even higher-tier entity, the lords."
Mu Fan was startled, "They don't have cognitive abilities on their own?"
"Not at all!"
Black's answer was unequivocally certain.
Mu Fan knew that although Black sometimes spoke unreliably, when he spoke in a very formal tone, it meant he wasn't lying. If his answer was decisive with no hesitation, it meant what he said was absolutely correct!
Hearing the surprise in Mu Fan's voice, Black continued, "You could imagine it this way. For the Zeg Clan, when you see a swarm, it can actually be considered as a whole unit, sharing one brain. Each combat Zeg group has a leader-type Brain Worm controlling it, and these Brain Worms are controlled by the lords, who are overseen by the Overlords, and the top of the hierarchy is the queen of the Zeg Clan. This top-down control usually involves orders being passed down through the levels. However, during critical moments, high-tier Zegs can directly control lower tiers, such as a lord directly managing the Beetle's actions, but generally, they don't bother."
Black's explanation even surpassed the Zeg data provided by the Federation military, yet at this point, Mu Fan did not notice that Black had apparently shared overly abundant information.
Mu Fan muttered to himself, "Does that mean… that guard didn't break away on his own but was under the control of a higher-tier Brain Worm?"
"What did you say?"
Mu Fan recounted the situation he had observed where the guard had fled and their encounter with the sniper jet tiger insect.
After about a second of silence, Black decisively said, "What you encountered was the Vanguard of the swarm; that temporary stronghold was a deception, just a distracting construction. Did you guys see the Fungus Blanket on the ground?"
"Fungus Blanket?"
"Also known as Insect Moss, literally, a type of biologically active flesh moss unique to the Zeg Clan, which is truly where they live! Also, the tunnel worms need a Fungus Blanket to properly establish their teleportation portals for the race. Without the Fungus Blanket, the so-called stronghold of the Zeg Clan would be a joke. Without the Fungus Blanket, these insects wouldn't even have the self-healing ability."
Hearing this made Mu Fan's heart race; if Black's analysis was correct, then the group of the Zeg Clan he had faced was not the real military body but merely a misleading Vanguard Detection Force.
And that escaped guard...
"That escaped guard was probably going to synchronize data with a Sentinel. You might not have seen a Sentinel; near where that guard was destroyed by friendly fire, there is definitely a Sentinel. That is the Zeg Clan's warning soldier type, also a data transit entity."
Black's tone remained orderly, but Mu Fan felt as if a terrifyingly vast world was slowly unfurling before him, "Within five kilometers of the guard, there will certainly be a Brain Worm, a kind of worm that isn't large in size but has a swollen parasitic body."
"So, the final conclusion is that since the Vanguard Detection Force has already reached a size of over 200 without needing a Fungus Blanket for reinforcement, it indicates that this Insect Nest is at least ten times bigger than what the Federation military had anticipated. Your troop numbers need to increase by twenty times to be about right... Hmm."
If others heard this number, they would be suffocated.
Only high-ranking military officers were aware of the predicted numbers, but the real scale being more than ten times the prediction would be astronomical.
But when Mu Fan heard it, his face showed no fear; instead, he asked seriously, "Black, why are you telling me all of this in such detail?"
At this time, the image of Black finally revealed an electronic smile, "Firstly, because you asked me. Secondly, because you will inevitably have to deal with these Zegs. Corruptors are their high-tier floating soldiers, and the core of the Corruptors is essential for making War Armor Dragon Riders; it's the energy carrier for the War Armor."
Black once again leaked some information about the War Armor, and Mu Fan narrowed his eyes, just now realizing.
In Black's words, the energy supply for this small War Armor did not come from mechanical products but from a biological core?
"Also, the old man 'Fighter' said, the sooner you kill the Zegs, the better it is for you personally. Want to know how to advance 'Dark Breath'? Hahaha, the most basic way is by killing Zegs."
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(PS: Sorry, I was in a bad state yesterday; I was out all day, didn't get home until 8 PM, ate and fell asleep within 30 minutes of typing, was woken up by family in the middle of the night to go to sleep. For the first time in two months, I slept for more than 7 hours... Woke up full of energy today, the plot will definitely be rich. The remaining two updates will be posted later.)