As Expected of Her Majesty the Empress!

Choosing to abandon their insectoid appearance and evolve into a form more suitable for survival... actually, the Swarm's current form was already the result of evolution aimed at efficiency and better survival.

"So, are you planning to stay here then?" Having grasped [Firefly]'s situation, Silver Wolf asked a question that weighed on her mind.

"Hmm... It seems so. While this Empress title came rather suddenly, now that I have it, I can't just abandon them... As the new Swarm Empress, I have a duty to guide the Swarm onto the right path." The silver-haired girl nodded resignedly, a hint of seriousness in her tone.

Letting the Swarm evolve freely was unwise; their development would inevitably trend towards what was most advantageous for survival. Like the 'survivors' they encountered earlier, their habit of consuming raw flesh and blood was actually a vestige left over from the Swarm's drive to obtain maximum nutrients, since high temperatures destroy proteins and 'shrink' the nutritional value of food.

Although Mercy's Bane had evolved into her current form, as a former insect, she lacked a clear vision for the Swarm's future. Evolving into human form was merely a tactic to avoid being exterminated by humans. But what were humans truly like? What were the dynamics of human relationships? She needed guidance.

And the most suitable entity to guide the Swarm now was none other than the Swarm Empress.

"Alright, alright... So we come back to your old home, and end up leaving you behind... Seriously." Silver Wolf sighed.

"What about you? What are you going to do now? Wander the stars alone? If so, I have someone I can recommend."

"Huh? What are you talking about? Of course I'm staying with you!" Silver Wolf waved her hand dismissively, annoyed. "I've had more than enough of boring old space... Besides, who wants to hang out with some random person?"

Though she aimed to make a name for herself across the stars, her love for gaming meant she had little interest in actually traversing the galaxy. If possible, Ms. Silver Wolf would prefer to stay put in one place. With Aether Editing and the Corporation's network, she could go anywhere in the universe anyway.

As long as there were enough games, Ms. Silver Wolf didn't care.

"Wait, are you trying to kick me out?" Ms. Silver Wolf shot a dangerous glare, subtly glancing at the incomparably beautiful Mercy's Bane Swarm King nearby.

The latter chuckled helplessly. "How could I?"

"Of course, I'd much rather you stay by my side."

"After all, how could I manage without the universe's number one hacker, the great Silver Wolf?"

"Hmph, hmph, that's more like it." Ms. Silver Wolf, clearly susceptible to praise, blushed slightly, looking very pleased.

Then, an idea struck her, and she spoke excitedly, "Hey, since you've become the Swarm Empress, shouldn't you, like, build a faction or something next?"

"Hmm... I'm still considering that. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, I just suddenly thought, playing a real-life version of a space strategy game sounds pretty fun." Silver Wolf licked her lips, reminded of that game Jiang Qiao gave her called 'Stellaris.' Becoming the strongest hacker in the universe was a goal she couldn't abandon, but creating a faction and making it the strongest in the universe... that sounded pretty interesting too!

"Uh..." [Firefly] twitched her lips, instantly understanding the hacker girl's line of thought. Classic Silver Wolf, treating everything in the world like a game. It seemed a bit rash, but... whatever.

"In that case, let's start here, on Balmung, the former capital of the Glamoth Republic."

"And the faction's name... let's call it the Glamoth Empire!" Silver Wolf declared.

"That..." [Firefly] paused. "Why did you choose that name?"

Silver Wolf shrugged. "Hmm... Probably because naming things is a pain. Besides, didn't you tell me? That Glamoth Republic deceived you all, fabricating a great nation that existed only in 'lies.'"

"Since we have this opportunity, let's turn that 'lie' into reality. Don't you think that sounds interesting?"

"...Alright, let's go with that."

Amber Era 2157, Star Calendar 8071. The Celestial Empire of Glamoth transitioned from a lie fabricated by the former Glamoth Republic into reality.

Although Ms. Silver Wolf was pumped to start a game of 'Stellaris' loaded with a Honkai: Star Rail mod, before she could even begin, she realized just how terrible their starting planet, Balmung, truly was.

If classified according to game terms, Balmung would undoubtedly fall into the 'Dead World' category. If not for Mercy's Bane Swarm King's arrival, no life should exist here at all. And it wasn't just any dead world; its resources were completely depleted. In other words, the planet had no inherent value.

While Ms. Silver Wolf, with Aether Editing, did possess the ability for 'terraforming'... if the target was this planet, which could be classified as exceptionally large...

"...Maybe we should move the capital?"

Considering the immense effort, energy, and time required to terraform this planet, Silver Wolf pragmatically suggested this to Jiang Qiao. Clearly, Ms. Silver Wolf had no interest in grunt work, even if Aether Editing meant no physical labor was involved.

"It's not impossible... But is the environment your main concern?" [Firefly] asked.

"Definitely! This is basically a hell-difficulty start, okay!" Silver Wolf huffed. The fact that life could even exist on this cursed planet... just went to show how incredibly resilient the Swarm was!

"Hmm, indeed..." [Firefly] surveyed the surroundings and nodded in agreement. "Mercy's Bane, do you happen to have something from Yaoshi?" The silver-haired girl then recalled something and looked towards the white-haired, blue-eyed, incredibly holy-looking Mercy's Bane.

In truth, he hadn't just sensed the powers of the Hunt and Destruction on her; there was also a faint trace of Abundance. Though weak, its purity convinced Jiang Qiao its source must be an Emanator or higher.

"Yes, Your Majesty. When I escaped that planet, I managed to luckily retain a portion of the Aeon of Abundance's blessing." Mercy's Bane paused, then nodded, retrieving an incredibly dim seed from within her body.

In fact, this seed was the key reason Mercy's Bane had managed to survive Lan's arrows, the chaos of Imaginary turbulence, and even escape from the strongest Lord Ravager. Even the Swarm's ability to propagate on this planet was thanks to its existence.

Without the Abundance power provided by this seed, this dead planet wouldn't have had the nutrients to sustain the Swarm. This power from Yaoshi was what allowed Mercy's Bane to cling to life despite the lingering power of Destruction. Otherwise, she never would have lasted until [Firefly]'s arrival.

"However, its power is almost completely depleted," Mercy's Bane added, her expression regretful. Looking at the seed's withered state, it was clear it held barely any power left.

After all, Abundance wasn't true immortality... and even immortality has its limits.

A single seed from Yaoshi, surviving the arrows of the Hunt, protecting a grievously wounded Swarm King escaping a Lord Ravager, then providing sustenance for an entire planet's life while keeping the Swarm King alive... Honestly, if the seed had consciousness, it would probably be cursing its fate.

Seriously, Minos! I'm just a seed! First the Aeon of the Hunt, then a Lord Ravager, and I have to keep the strongest Propagation Emanator alive while feeding an entire planet of 'bugs'? Just watch me die already!

Jiang Qiao glanced at it. "It's enough." The girl's gentle voice held confidence and understanding.

She held out her hand, and the withered seed fell into her pale palm.

The next moment, an incredibly potent, vibrant life force erupted from [Firefly].

Under Mercy's Bane and Silver Wolf's puzzled gazes, a strange sensation flowed through them. In that instant, it felt like all life was rejuvenated, endlessly flourishing. Sacred chants echoed, ceaseless. Faintly, an indistinct figure could be seen.

Of course, Silver Wolf might only see a blur, but Mercy's Bane, the strongest Propagation Emanator, stared dumbfounded at the figure. Neither male nor female, part demon, part human...

Yaoshi, the Aeon of Abundance!

THEY surveyed the land with eyes full of compassion. Simultaneously, THEY observed the silver-haired girl who had caught THEIR attention.

...Tayzzyronth?

No, the power is Propagation, but it's not that bug.

What a strange human. Merely human, yet their mastery over Path power seems almost comparable to an Aeon's. Even stranger, this human is clearly a follower of Propagation, yet they've touched the Path of Abundance.

No words were needed. For Aeons, mere sight conveyed vast amounts of information. Right now, Yaoshi read from [Firefly]'s eyes:

Your help isn't needed. Leave this place!

Receiving this response, Yaoshi was utterly stunned, momentarily frozen. As the Aeon of Abundance, THEY were sought after by countless beings. So many across the universe spent lifetimes seeking an audience, begging for THEIR blessing. And mortal attitudes towards Aeons... even arrogant geniuses like Herta, who brazenly called Nous "Great Mechanicus Head," showed immense reverence upon actually meeting an Aeon.

Yet this person... upon seeing Yaoshi, immediately told THEM to leave...

Even as an Aeon with THEIR own will, Yaoshi felt somewhat flustered. Originally, upon seeing the planet's desolation and the life struggling tenaciously upon it, THEY had intended to bestow some blessings to help...

There was no anger; special beings like Aeons rarely got angry over specific incidents... well, except perhaps Akivili and Aha, who frequently bothered Qlipoth. Right now, Yaoshi was more flustered by the unexpected situation, feeling caught in a bind. The Path of Abundance dictated selflessness and altruism, meaning THEY should offer aid when encountering hardship. But this person was telling THEM to leave...

For the first time ever, Yaoshi experienced an emotion akin to 'grievance.'

THEY looked hesitantly at [Firefly]. Leaving isn't a problem, but you're in such a sorry state here. It doesn't feel right to leave without helping a bit. Look, how about I just help you out a little?

Reading this, [Firefly] felt annoyed. He had only intended to borrow a bit of power from the Path of Abundance, but somehow summoned the actual Aeon. Don't these Aeons have anything better to do?

...Fine.

Adhering to the principle of mutual benefit, Jiang Qiao had to concede slightly.

You can leave, but leave the power behind!

Yaoshi wasn't angered by this. THEY smiled, casually tossed an incredibly tempting fruit into the silver-haired girl's hand, and vanished. The endless sacred chants gradually subsided, leaving only the fruit in Jiang Qiao's hand as proof of Yaoshi's visit.

Silver Wolf snapped back to reality, stammering, "W-w-w-was that the Aeon of Abundance?"

Though Ms. Silver Wolf was extremely proud, she still held some awe for sublime beings like Aeons... admittedly, not much. But witnessing an Aeon appear firsthand still left Silver Wolf feeling quite excited.

"Yeah, an uninvited guest," [Firefly] sighed. "I just wanted to borrow some power from the Path of Abundance using that seed to restore the planet's ecosystem, and somehow summoned this guy."

"And got this thing." He glanced disdainfully at the vibrant, incredibly tempting fruit Yaoshi had practically forced upon him.

"What kind of fruit is that? It looks delicious..." Silver Wolf eyed it.

"Hmm, it probably does taste good," [Firefly] agreed. "But if you eat it, you might turn into a weird tree with a face~ Can you accept that?"

Silver Wolf, who had been practically drooling over the fruit, instantly recoiled, shaking her head frantically. No way! Turning into a tree just to eat a fruit... She cared about her image, thank you very much!

Unlike Silver Wolf, Mercy's Bane was filled with admiration, worship, and even fervor.

As expected of Her Majesty the Empress! Though not an Aeon like Tayzzyronth, she faced a deity like Yaoshi with such calm composure!