Chapter 390: Peace of Mind and Happiness?

"I understand." Angelong's eyes lit up, then he tried, "Father, as you said, it won't be long before a group of 'little brothers' join our family?"

"Hahaha, that's right, you can think of it that way." Sui Bian was made to laugh by Angelong's serious expression.

But the logic truly is that kind of logic.

Then he added, "It's still only at the theoretical stage, child; you know clones lack souls, so this project still requires further research by me and the plague doctor."

There was one point Sui Bian hadn't clarified to his son: after dealing with Helusi Lupercal, they would obtain from the system the full technology for creating OriginalBody and Astate in the "Warhammer" project, and, combined with the latest "spell" he and Magnus had researched ten years ago, there truly is a chance to clone…

No, it should be said that a second‑generation, highly refined OriginalBody belonging solely to Umbrella would be created.

At that time, Robert, John and the others will, as Angelong previously said, welcome a few—perhaps even a dozen—brothers, and Umbrella's legion will expand.

After all, with a Zero‑Two Universe the number of OriginalBodies was already insufficient; now a Zero‑Three has appeared, and there will be Zero‑Four and Zero‑Five in the future.

As for his desire to go personally to the Pious Star Zone, besides preparing to activate Grand Device 001 to announce to the galaxy, he also plans to capture two fallen OriginalBodies himself, and to teach a lesson to the hidden conspirators who caused the initial traitors Loka Aureilian and Helusi's fall.

"Hmm." After hearing his father's words, Angelong also indicated that the cloning or cultivation of the latest OriginalBody could not be rushed, and then volunteered, "Father, I heard the White Queen say that you and Rog will personally deal with the Whisperer and the Death Guard Legion."

John is rushing to the Phoenix Star Zone to confront the Emperor's Son and Fugrem, then liberate the human residents there; Kelakesi will strike directly into the Empire's rear Dark Star Zone, and Shengjilesi is preparing to oppose the Alpha Legion near the Vortex Space Gate.

So, Father, I intend to, after the situation in the Nusia Star System is fully stabilized, cooperate with Shengjilesi and his Holy Blood Angels to first secure the sector and zone around the Vortex Space Gate; after all, you also said that Alpha excels at internal infiltration, and the Alpha Legion still has two renegade OriginalBodies.

"Fine, we'll proceed according to your plan." Sui Bian nodded.

"One more thing…" At this moment Angelong looked slightly conflicted, glanced at the isotopic counterpart that the plague doctor had rendered either unconscious or unusually calm and asleep, and finally asked Sui Bian, "Father, what will you do with this isotopic counterpart of mine?"

"How do you want it handled?" Sui Bian asked Angelong for his opinion.

"Me?" Angelong stared at the isotopic counterpart for a few seconds, then replied, "Even if external factors account for most of why he looks like this, they cannot erase the fact that his body and soul are deeply sinful, so… he must die, and die completely—both body and soul."

"Then we'll do as you say." Sui Bian still had no objections.

Or, even if Angelong held the opposite thought, he would mercilessly kill and erase the irredeemably fallen isotopic counterpart.

No salvation.

Sui Bian didn't want to save him either; after all, the corrupted Angelong is not his son, so he has no duty to discipline him, and when the plague doctor says it's useless, he'll give the other side a clean, decisive end.

That could be considered a kind of alternative mercy.

"Alright, I'll head back to the Nusia Star System first."

"Go."

"Understood."

After the father‑son conversation ended, Angelong turned and left, leaving only Sui Bian alone in the observation room.

"Ah—! Mr. Sui! I need more! More children gravely ill for experiments! No, no! The material is too scarce! Let John, Angelong and the others voluntarily contract the plague!"

However, the plague doctor's excited words at that moment reverberated throughout the laboratory, and of course Sui Bian in the observation room could hear them.

Upon hearing that, Artemis couldn't help but smile faintly and shake his head, while Sui Bian feigned irritation and used the intercom to remind, "Doctor, please restrain yourself."

———————

…

Behind the territory of the New Human Empire.

The Vortex Space Gate that can link the Primary Universe and the Zero‑Three Universe lies over a star region more than 16,000 light‑years away in a straight line, and it "appears" untouched by war, looking very tranquil…

Yet it feels overly tranquil.

The most peaceful—and the most "silent"—region here is the Dark Star Zone, about four thousand light‑years in diameter.

As its name suggests, everything is hushed and silent, even the starlight is slightly dim, and the capital system called "Nostromo" sits at its core.

Nostromo's star is a red dwarf whose mass, size, and brightness are all inferior to the Sun's.

Consequently, the five planets in the system have surface temperatures far lower than those in the Solar System, the habitable zone is pitifully narrow, and only the second‑orbit terrestrial planet is suitable for humans and flora and fauna.

In contrast, with the New Human Empire's technology, colonies can still be established on the surfaces, underground, or in the orbits of icy and gaseous giants of all terrestrial planets, though the environments vary.

Second orbit.

The empire's official name is "Nostromo II," but locals call the terrestrial planet "Ghost Throne" or "Bat King's Capital," and it is the capital of the Dark Star Zone.

Moreover, the relatives of the region's lords, officials, and generals also reside on this capital planet, only slightly larger than Shensheng Tala.

It seems to consider these elites, giving their families absolute security, but in fact it serves as hostages, forcing high‑ranking officials overseeing colonies to contemplate whether they're ready for their whole families to be slaughtered before entertaining any ulterior motives.

Look closely.

Nostromo II's atmosphere is dense; the sun‑facing side is slightly overcast, yet the land and ocean remain fairly good, dominated by greens and blues, and despite extensive heavy‑industry zones, it remarkably maintains this state—truly commendable, overall surpassing Shensheng Tala by dozens of times.

The dark side is even more brightly lit.

On an ordinary planet, this would mean that after night falls, people still have leisure time and money to enjoy nightlife.

But Nostromo II is not an ordinary planet.

Descending into the atmosphere, then looking down over the city that boasts countless towering megastructures and the capital palace, it's easy to see that the streets are empty.

Yet it's not completely deserted; at intervals, ordinary soldiers drive patrols, and there are Astate units clad in deep‑blue ceramic‑steel armor, wielding bolt‑guns, their bodies free of any deformities, strolling to monitor the city.

Thus, what an outside observer sees is not a thriving nightlife but the opposite: the planet imposes curfew at night, and under this "high‑pressure" "tyranny," residents cannot leave their homes nor wander the streets.

At this moment.

In Nostromo II's low orbit, everything appears calm; artillery platforms operate normally, and vessels of all classes follow fixed routes, defending the planet flawlessly.

However, what the Imperial garrison doesn't know is that, with their technology, they cannot detect a stealth‑class warship that has activated Optical Camouflage and Psychic Shielding Effect, allowing it to slip unimpeded through the orbital defenses and enter Nostromo II's atmosphere, heading straight for the city with the capital palace.

Only by disabling the Optical Camouflage can one see that this stealth‑class warship resembles NuoWa's Gryphon and Artemis's Crescent Moon.

Though the stealth class has a rugged, streamlined shape, it is about a kilometer long, and its variable‑sweep wing structure is far more advanced, greatly reducing its impact on surrounding airflow and further lowering detection chances.

And "she" actually incorporates technology from many governing civilizations, belongs to Umbrella's Dark Crow Guard, and is the flagship of the legion's OriginalBody Kelakesi.

Hangar bay.

"All personnel, prepare for combat, repeat, all personnel…" the broadcast repeatedly echoed the mechanical female voice's reminder.

"Team Three! Quickly, load all missiles for me!"

"Team Four! Twist your plump, round hips!"

Besides the broadcast, there were also the ground crew's loud shouts.

The ground crew, equipped three meters tall and resembling a derivative of a cyclops giant mech, were busy calibrating and preparing all carrier aircraft, readying them for a battle that could erupt at any moment.

In the empty area at the far right of the hangar, a common gathering spot for carrier combat personnel, two hundred shadows gathered.

This Honor Guard of the Dark Crow legion, also Kelakesi's "bodyguards", remained silent while staff inspected their dedicated firearms, melee weapons, and Terminator power armor.

And the OriginalBody they were to protect—though in reality it needed no protection—was still the Kelakesi with flowing long hair, fair skin, clad in black‑shadow armor, whose "Altitude" resembled Angelong, standing four meters five tall, also standing at the front of the shadows undergoing inspection.

However, alongside these towering giants were also more than twenty normal‑sized "mortals"…

They were more than twenty HES units painted jet black, each wielding a modified explosive‑arrow sniper rifle, each possessing extraordinary Spiritual Energy, belonging to the "mortals" who obey only Sui Bian's orders—Ghost operatives.

Leading this Ghost squad was NuoWa, agent code X018, who has a non‑blood sibling relationship with the OriginalBody.

At this moment, NuoWa sheathed a Roman‑style short sword, attached the blade to the left side of the HES's lower back, then affixed the already calibrated custom sniper explosive arrow to the back, stood up, walked to Kelakesi's side and said, "My squad and I are ready."

"Fine." Kelakesi removed the blood‑red claw from the weapon rack, slipped it onto the arm armor, then lowered his head toward this sister who had cooperated with him and his legion many times, and whispered:

"First, please scout this world to see whether it resembles other regions of the hostile Empire, whether it succumbs to chaotic corruption and decay; if danger arises, report to me immediately."

"Don't worry." NuoWa raised her left hand, half‑clenched, tapped Kelakesi's leg armor with her protruding index finger, and smiled nonchalantly:

"Father… uh… Chairman Sui has praised me; in Spiritual Energy manipulation I am among the strongest of humanity, and besides, if I can't beat them, I can't outrun them either? Fine, leave the reconnaissance to me."

Finishing, NuoWa raised her left hand again, stretched out her index finger and waved it, then raised her voice and ordered, "Boys! Let's go."

Receiving the order, the fully equipped Ghost operatives silently followed NuoWa out of the hangar, preparing to board the custom single‑person drop pods for a covert airdrop.

Kelakesi's reason for not "pushing straight" like his other brothers—allowing the Dark Crow Guard legion and the UNSC's ten thousand warships to launch a full assault—was that he sensed a difference between the Dark sector and the other territories of the New Human Empire.

Although this sector is called "Dark," as an OriginalBody, Kelakesi still had a certain confidence in his own intuition.

Thus, he ordered the main force of the legion and the UNSC to apply pressure on the outskirts of the Dark sector, then led the legion's home world and elite troops to covertly teleport to the outskirts of the Nostromo system, activating shielding for concealment, and boarded the stealth flagship straight for Nostromo II.

As for NuoWa and her Ghost operatives, they were also deployed on the Dark Crow Guard side according to Sui Bian's orders, assisting the Dark Crow Guard in infiltration and stealth.

Kelakesi could of course scout personally, and his concealment ability far exceeds NuoWa's, yet his intuition kept warning him that the renegade OriginalBody in charge of the Dark sector, Conrad Koz, seemed to be waiting; once his feet set foot on Nostromo II's surface, the opponent would instantly detect him.

To prevent reality from unfolding as his intuition warned, Kelakesi, to be safe, chose to let his sister and her Ghosts conduct the initial reconnaissance; should trouble arise, he could teleport in directly for rescue.

———————

…

Soon after.

More than twenty single‑person drop pods equipped with Optical Camouflage silently left the stealth flagship, spreading out, and finally using an alternative cushioning method, they fell straight onto the outskirts surrounding the city.

And in the woods directly north of the city.

NuoWa had already left the black, spindle‑shaped drop pod lodged obliquely in the soil, but the pod was rapidly melting; soon, a colorless, odorless viscous liquid filled the shallow crater it created.

This is a disposable drop pod that uses bio‑mimetic muscles to maximize its stealth performance.

Gripping the claw‑arrow, activating the HES's Optical Camouflage and Spiritual Shielding, and confirming no threats nearby, NuoWa rose and walked to the edge of a low mountain's cliff to look out, while using Spiritual Perception to scan the entire city.

Strangely, the feedback she received contained fear, oppression, and…

peace and happiness?

(End of chapter)