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On the contrary!
The Hive's will has never regarded these insectoids as its own children since the very beginning of their creation!
Everything, the entire swarm of insects, is a tool created to satisfy her insatiable appetite!
Despite being an elite Zerg unit of the Terran, the Licater has never abandoned its utility attributes.
It will always be an insignificant pawn that sacrifices its entire being for the will of the hive.
Mother is like a treasure of Saint Gillespie, Mother is like a blade of grass of the insect hive's will.
【...】
Children, do not be deceived by their wicked sweet talk.
No matter what, you will always be a member of the Swarm, and you will always be my child.
Seemingly sensing the Licater Insect's dissatisfaction and resentment, the Hive Will attempted to soothe it.
As for the questions Licarta asked about the Hive's will...
How do I answer that?
I can't answer that!
【Whoa!】
Sensing the evasion and hesitation of the Hive's will, Likat's worldview completely collapsed at this moment.
You! You are not my mother!!!
My mother is Saint Gillespie!
【You...you're just my biological mother!!!】
The filthy family members burst into laughter.
After a brief period of deliberation, Licat chose the side that was more worthy of its allegiance.
Before it appeared a radiant angel with four forelimbs (Saint Gilles' wings also count as a pair of forelimbs). She always opened her arms to her children, providing each child with absolute tenderness and warmth.
【Mother!!!】
So it turned and walked toward Baal.
......
Several days later.
During these final weeks of preparation, Dante directed all of Sangilius's sons to complete a major upgrade to the fortifications of Baal's Three Stars—the fortresses from the Great Crusade were excavated from the sand, repaired, and put into use.
With the help of numerous sub-clusters, dense and impenetrable ground defenses were built on both Baal's two satellites and on the main star.
In addition to their impregnable surface defenses, the Blood Angels also deployed a naval fleet consisting of numerous combat barges and strike cruisers in the Void Naval Wars. Although this was still a drop in the ocean compared to the Zerg Hive fleet, their guerrilla force was enough to inflict the first wave of bombardment from the Blood Angels before the enemy could land on Baal, destroying as much of the Zerg swarm as possible.
They might be able to resist the Zerg fleet.
Once everything is fully armed, some mortals or space soldiers might have such unrealistic hopes.
But at the very moment the overwhelming shadow of the warp descends, everyone will understand that the idea of stopping the Zerg fleet's advance is nothing but wishful thinking.
"Fire all missiles!!!"
The battle began the moment the Zerg hive fleet appeared.
Torpedoes carrying nuclear warheads burst from the torpedo bays of the Blood Angels fleet, accompanied by macro cannons, light spears, and plasma cannons... The naval fleet was using everything it had to kill as many insects as possible.
This sudden attack did cause considerable losses, but under the massive size of the Zerg hive fleet and its relentless, indiscriminate attacks, the fleet began to be devoured and driven away by the frenzied swarm, leaving only a few more maneuverable ships still conducting guerrilla warfare in the void.
—But this could not stop the Zerg swarm from landing on Baal's Star Triumph.
A swarm of insects, large enough to blot out the sky, descended upon Baal's land the instant the fleet was torn apart.
The brutal tug-of-war has officially begun.
......
Angel Keep was impregnable; with the added firepower of its walls, even the Zerg swarm was cleared out, creating a no-man's-land.
As for the siege artillery fire from the Zerg swarm...
Unfortunately, the human side's Void Shield defended against almost all of the Zerg's ranged firepower.
This unreasonable long-range firepower defense system is the most troublesome thing the Zerg fleet faces.
Moreover, Dante prepared a large amount of Baal's "special products" for the swarm in advance.
Take, for example, the moat in front of them: it may seem harmless, but once the thirsty swarms try to replenish their water, the "water" will devour them first.
The Thirst Water—this eerie "water" produced by the Barts is not actually water, but a terrifying weapon capable of breaking down and devouring its ingestors. No one knows where the Thirst Water comes from, but it is conceivable that it will be an effective aid in stopping the swarm of insects from advancing.
But the swarms of insects remain endless.
Once the number reaches a certain level, even thirsty water cannot devour all the insects, leading to saturation.
Eat until you're full and spicy!
The Tyranids filled the entire moat with pure corpses, and continued their advance toward Baal's fortress walls, overcoming the barrier of the thirsty waters.
However, at the same time, once the pile of corpses was high enough, the human side, equipped with flamethrowers and high explosives, blew it into pieces.
This is the most thorough tug-of-war – exchanging ammunition for the swarm's biomass, with both sides waiting for the other to run out of ammunition first.
But why are the swarms so persistent?
Given the current scale of the devastation, every garrison soldier seems to have only one thought in mind.
Why hasn't the Zerg fleet given up yet?
......
rustling.
After the swarm successfully surrounded Angel Keep, a large number of swarms of insects gathered in a corner on the outskirts of Angel Keep that no one had paid attention to.
That was a secret tunnel-digging team composed of Licat and the Digging Python.
The Hive Fleet's strategy was simple: if overloading the Void Shield units was too costly and not worthwhile, they would send Ragnarok and Licat to dig tunnels underground into the enemy Void Shield units' power supply equipment and destroy it.
Obviously, it is more economical in terms of biological material.
"squeak--?"
But just as Licat discovered the human drainage system and prepared to dig it through from underground, as the vanguard of the probe tunnel excavation, Licat seemed to hear something it couldn't understand.
"!"
His body stiffened instantly, and then with a thud, the once lively Licat collapsed to the ground as if petrified.
"?"
Just as the serpent and the other liticats sensed something was wrong and were about to go forward to investigate...
Nalicat suddenly opened his eyes again.
It understood all of this.
Chapter 251 Chaos guards the nation's gate, Tyrion dies for the country!
So, what is the significance of insect life?
Where do insects come from, and where are they going?
Why do insects need to live?
Licatt's eyes went blank.
For the first time, it truly possessed self-awareness, unaffected by the will of the hive.
Is it possible that the Hive's will is not something it must serve?
Previously, Licarta had been influenced by the Hive Will, and its way of thinking and action logic were completely controlled by the other party—whether it was to infiltrate at absolute risk or to sacrifice itself for the greater interests of the Hive Will.
This... this wasn't actually his wish!
Just as a gene stealer suddenly realizes that the Emperor actually only has two arms, the cognitive filter that had been obscuring Licarte's mind was completely shattered at this moment.
The Tyranid swarm itself has a very high biomass consumption efficiency. It only needs a little biomass to devour and evolve carefree in the universe. It can live a very happy life without the Hive Will, instead of living for the Hive Will.
Moreover, even if they wanted to serve the will of the Hive, this devouring was still unsustainable: the swarm itself only plundered and never had the ability to produce resources—unlike the green-skinned orcs, they could not achieve a closed production cycle through photosynthesis or the raising of Skulls.
Why not consider living alone in a secluded place?
With just a little biomass, he can live happily ever after, and with his powerful pincers, preying on small creatures is a piece of cake.
Through countless evolutions over millions of years, the elite units of the swarm have developed such efficient energy utilization that they can live in solitude.
In other words, as long as they don't listen to the Hive Will that has been manipulating them, Likat can live a carefree and happy life.
Instead of risking our lives to open a path for the other party.
"grumble?"
After the unidentified ripples passed over the area, the surrounding squads of Python and Licat cautiously surrounded the creature that had suddenly lost connection to the swarm network.
Why did it suddenly lose signal?
Why can it move even without a signal?
What exactly is going on?
...Smack!
As the next wave of ripples descended, the entire group of Licat and the Digging Python collapsed with a thud.
In their daze, in the last moment before they lost consciousness, these insects seemed to hear the faint chanting of the "Centaur Golden Ring".
They...have all fallen into a deep sleep.
The first person to develop self-awareness, Licarte, fell into a state of extreme emptiness.
What should I do now?
Like a solitary sage, it is but a drop in the ocean in the face of trillions of insects. Even if it understands the world, what is the point?
Licat has finally gained a sense of self, but what can it do on this swarm-infested Baal?
What kind of insect life does it want to live?
So, they escaped and, like any unintelligent animal, spent their days eating and sleeping?
What meaning does its life have?
when.
Licat seemed to hear the chorus of the "Centaur Gold Ring" once again, resounding like a great bell from every corner of its body.
That is... the most beautiful existence in the world, and also the target that the will of the insect hive in this world tries its best to destroy.
Saint Gilles.
She was so beautiful and gentle, like a real mother—though Licat had never seen Saint Gilles, this emotion, which far exceeded the commands of the cold hive will, was something it had never felt in its short life.
Saint Gilles... is a human who could become my mother!
【Mother!!!】
Likat understood.
Isn't the great mother that it should cherish and needs to save right before its eyes?
Along with the newly awakened Digging Python and other Licater insects, Licater understood everything—it, along with the now-reborn swarm around it, left the newly excavated tunnel and returned the way they came to fight against the minions of the hive's will.
For Mother Saint Gillespie!!!
......
"A centaur, a gold ring..."
Faint, almost invisible rings of light emanated from the chorus members' bodies, spreading in all directions.
Deep beneath Angel Castle, a large number of residents from the Three Stars of Baal who were unable to evacuate are gathering.
Most of the residents were the elderly, women, and children—after all, those who were capable of carrying guns had long been positioned on the front lines as the vanguard of Angel Keep, serving as bait to lure the Zerg swarm into attacking and making them step into the thirsty waters.
An extremely cruel decision.