Chapter 500: with translation of chapter title

Next.

Ark 002 was authorized by Sui Bian, and then with the Red Queen assisting the expeditionary force in operation, it immediately generated three pseudo-wormholes each with a diameter of about ten thousand kilometers.

Then, major devices 012, 013, and 014 passed through these three pseudo-wormholes and instantly arrived at a vortex star system that is as far as 420,000 light-years from Tai Luo Ke Er, and each docked at one of the three points of this vortex star system.

Just after the transmission was completed, the three major devices detected movements of the Tai Luo Insect Race, and immediately activated the cross-phase pulse wave at maximum power, bathing the entire star system in icy white light in the blink of an eye.

Thus, the vortex star system fell into complete silence, from microorganisms to the Tai Luo Insect Race's living fleets, all annihilated in the white light.

If Sui Bian or Magnus were to again apply Psychic Gaze or Spiritual Perception to this star system, they would no longer hear the screech of fingernails on a blackboard or the annoying noise of metal plates.

At the same time, such a large-scale cross-phase pulse wave indeed attracted the Tai Luo Insect Race from 'nearby'—several hundred thousand to nearly a million light-years away—swarming in, using alternative gravity technology for faster-than-light travel, and rushing wildly toward the vortex star system.

It seems Rog's guess was correct.

Tai Luo Ke Er, or the reason the Milky Way suffered the Tai Luo Insect Race's invasion, is definitely due to the cross-phase pulse wave from Major Device 001 thirty years ago when it purged the Sincere Star Region.

However, before the guess was confirmed, the expeditionary force led by Rog, Shengjilesi, and Sui Meng had already split into ten routes, likewise using the Ark's pseudo-wormhole navigation technology to instantly reach the ten star systems with the most severe Spiritual Energy shielding, attempting to search for the Tai Luo Insect Race's origin.

As for Tai Luo Ke Er, which serves as the expeditionary force's logistics supply base, it is currently undergoing reconstruction by the Engineering Department, and surviving personnel will, according to their wishes, either choose to remain in Tai Luo Ke Er to continue living or be sent to other colonies to start new lives in other universes.

Furthermore, to help surviving personnel return to normal life as much as possible, Umbrella has even diverted substantial subsidies for their resettlement.

In terms of defense, Tai Luo Ke Er has the 17th Battalion of the Glory Fists, the 22nd Battalion of the Holy Blood Angels, and the fleet of the 12th Battalion of the Assaulters responsible.

Furthermore, the 17th and 12th Battalions are stationed on Ark 002 to ensure the Ark encounters no mishaps, while the 22nd Battalion remains on the surface of Tai Luo Ke Er.

Because the Ark itself is a weapon capable of annihilating a star system, there is absolutely no need to leave excessive garrison defenses.

However, the progress of searching for the Tai Luo Insect Race has been rather slow, for when Magnus again used the Spiritual Energy amplification device to scan the entire Zero-Three Universe, he found that nearly 10% of star systems had already fallen into 'darkness'.

10%

This indicates that the Tai Luo Insect Race has devoured no fewer than hundreds of millions, even billions of intelligent species.

Of course, this is merely speculation, but the fact that they have swept across over ten billion, nearing twenty billion—scale comparable to the various star systems of the Milky Way—is a fact plainly before everyone's eyes.

The diameter of the Zero-Three Universe is theoretically not much different from that of the main universe, roughly around a hundred billion light-years, and this number continues to expand infinitely.

Moreover, whether the universe is flat with zero curvature or open with negative curvature, its edge extends infinitely, and a physical body can never reach the edge of the universe.

Within the Zero-Three Universe, vortex, barred spiral, elliptical, and irregular star systems together number approximately 180 billion.

And the discovery via Spiritual Energy scanning that 10% of star systems have fallen into 'darkness' does not indicate that the Tai Luo Insect Race has devoured them and continues to linger in those 10% of star systems?

However, Magnus found that after the Tai Luo Insect Race launched a full-scale cross-phase pulse wave from Major Devices 012, 013, and 014, it merely attracted Tai Luo Insect Race from within a million light-years, giving a 'come to feed' signal, while the remainder of the Tai Luo Insect Race throughout the universe essentially remains in a 'dormant' state.

To be frank, when Rog, Shengjilesi, and Sui Meng learned that the individual numbers of the Tai Luo Insect Race in the Zero-Three Universe could not be counted at all, they were briefly shocked.

Mainly, the OriginalBodies couldn't help imagining what it would look like if the Tai Luo Insect Race of the entire Zero-Three Universe were to jointly erode the Zero-Three Galaxy.

But after the shock subsided, the three OriginalBodies realized their imagination was unrealistic.

Furthermore, the Tai Luo Insect Race 'nearby', due to the simultaneous activation of the three major devices, redirected their original aim at the Milky Way, temporarily leaving the galaxy without any threat.

If they were to set Ark 002 to 'automatic cruise' mode, shuttling instantly between star systems via pseudo-wormholes and continually building major devices by consuming Earth-like planets…

If they then applied to their father for more already-built Arks from the main universe, the number of major devices would increase exponentially, and before 'long', they could purge the Zero-Three Universe's 10%.

Moreover, with their father as the ultimate backing, after the brief shock, the three OriginalBodies focused on executing the core directive of the expedition——

Attempting to find the source of the Tai Luo Insect Race.

Society continues to pay attention to Tai Luo Ke Er, with donations of funds and materials never ceasing, and also monitors Rog's progress as war marshal of the expedition.

Regarding the reconstruction of Tai Luo Ke Er, the White Queen calculated that optimistically it would take six to nine years, while Zax Redfield's Intelligence Department must also assist the expeditionary force and UNSC in thoroughly eradicating residual worm eggs.

However, regarding the search for the source, the Red Queen said it cannot be calculated, and one must rely on the luck of the three OriginalBodies to encounter it by chance.

Upon hearing this, Sui Bian almost dispatched John and the Sparta Corps, because in terms of luck, no OriginalBody could surpass the 'Chief'.

But regardless, societal attention will also gradually wane as Tai Luo Ke Er's reconstruction proceeds.

In the end, only hundreds of millions of military enthusiasts will remain, continuing to discuss the Tai Luo Insect Race and awaiting the expeditionary force's completion of its core directive—namely, fully clarifying the origin of the Hive Mind—after which they might once again become the focus of society.

Thus, the crisis of Tai Luo Ke Er, and indeed of the Zero-Three Galaxy, is considered completely resolved.

However, there is a senior Umbrella employee, also a senior-level staff member, who, because Tai Luo Ke Er shifted from leisure and semi-retirement, was forcibly pulled to the front lines……

Three Earth days before the expeditionary force mustered.

Main Universe Time: January 2, 2210.

Arcadia Local Time: 08:14.

Inside the residence of the Kennedy couple atop the megastructure apartment in Metropolitan District 01…

"What?"

Wearing black pajamas, with his center-parted hair somewhat disheveled and stubble on his chin and lips, it was clear that Leon S. Kennedy had just woken up; after reading via the holographic screen floating on the desk the details of the order transmitted by the White Queen and personally issued by Sui Bian, this legendary intelligence officer could not help muttering to himself:

"Temporarily place the Intelligence Department head under Ada, while I myself need to go to the Zero-Three Universe??"

Just then, the study's automatic door opened.

Immediately afterward, Ada, wearing a scarlet cheongsam-style pajama that outlined a near-perfect figure, with black hair falling no lower than her shoulders, walked into the study holding a cup of steaming coffee.

Seeing her husband unusually not gazing at her but instead worrying over the holographic screen, Ada set the coffee on the desk and asked, "How is it? Is this a direct order from the Chairman?"

"Ah… you look yourself."

Leon raised his left hand and waved, turning the holographic screen toward Ada, and meanwhile took a sip of coffee.

After reading the order, Ada propped her right elbow on her left hand, while her left hand lightly pinched her jaw, pondering for a moment……

"Hehe~." For some reason, she suddenly burst out laughing.

??

Seeing his wife laugh for no reason, Leon became even more perplexed.

Then Ada chuckled lightly and explained, "Honey, this order reminds me of our first collaboration, when you, following the Chairman's command, stayed in the Middle East to search for relics, didn't you?"

"This… indeed yes…" Leon realized.

That's right, just as Ada said, not long after Umbrella dealt with the 'Ibris Devil (Mist)' incident about two hundred years ago, Leon followed Sui Bian's order and remained wandering in the Middle East for a full year.

He may have forgotten how beautiful the exotic scenery of the Middle East is, but he can never forget the taste of hand-grabbed chicken rice and white garlic sauce.

At first it seemed pretty tasty, large portions, lots of food, "very satisfying", but after eating such food for a year, it almost gave Leon an "oil-dead".

What's more vexing is hailing a taxi……

Looking back at the past and then at the present, Leon always feels that the chairman has not yet given up on "targeting" him, right?

Whenever they encounter a task like searching for unknown relics, the various colonial heads of the Archaeology Department will, through various channels, come to ask him for his opinion.

Now that's fine; this time it's not running all over Earth, but directly having him, in the unfamiliar 03 Galaxy, go search for the so-called "unidentified relics"?

How to find it?

Leon only felt completely clueless, and given that the order came from his direct superior, he basically had no way to refuse.

Seeing her husband's worried face, Ada also wiped off her smile, slowly walked up behind Leon, made an embrace-from-behind posture, and spoke softly:

"Don't always wear a frown; it's bad for your health. As for home and the kids, I'm here, and moreover, the chairman has given you sufficient authority to pick the elites from the company and the legion, so you can go ahead with peace of mind."

"Mm... I understand, fortunately I have you, Ada."

After a word of comfort from his wife, Leon finally put away his frown; however, when his wife continued speaking, it made Leon tremble all over, and all he heard was:

"By the way, honey, the kids stayed overnight in the dorm yesterday, so now the house is just us two~."

"I know... I know..."

Leon gave a perfunctory reply while extending both hands to manipulate a holographic keyboard with tangible feedback, and through his own supervisory authority, called up the elite list recorded by the Arcadia Intelligence Department, saying:

"But I need to first select the personnel who will accompany me on the mission."

"Alright." Ada, who understood the deeper meaning of her husband's words, immediately released her arms, and finally, not forgetting to poke Leon on the head with her finger, then walked out of the study still wanting more.

"Hah..."

Seeing the study's automatic door close, Leon finally let out a heavy breath, relaxed a bit, and then focused his attention on selecting personnel.

This time, Sui Bian indeed gave him sufficient authority.

For example, he can mobilize the Arcadia local Intelligence Department's emergency team, and also "borrow" all legions, all battalion headquarters' Astate and auxiliary forces, but the number of Astate may not exceed six, and the number of auxiliary forces may not exceed thirty.

Although it seems stingy, in practice, placing six Astate and thirty auxiliary forces on some 0.7 to 1.0 level civilization planets is enough to overturn those civilizations' original order.

Working together with the Arcadia emergency team, even if they encounter the Tai Luo Insect Race, they can still come and go freely.

Soon after, he selected six centenarian veterans from the Sparta, Dark Crow Guard, and Tutmose legions, and the thirty auxiliary forces also belonged to the battalion where those six veterans were stationed.

After spending nearly an hour and a half to complete the selection, he dispatched the deployment orders to the respective battalions, informed the three battalion commanders that he was preparing to form a special task force, then Leon took another deep breath, closed the holographic display, stood up, walked out of the study, and prepared to discuss some matters with Ada.

But……

For some reason, Leon's back as he walked out of the study always gave him a feeling of "a brave warrior who goes and never returns"?

———————

…

"Glug~~glug~~"

Under the blazing sun in broad daylight, yet the dense forest was cool and shady, echoing with the calls of unknown birds or unknown creatures.

"Hiss~... hiss~..."

At this time, an animal resembling a moose in shape and appearance, with fur completely reddish-brown, was walking along, cautiously observing its surroundings.

It seemed to think there was no danger nearby, so it relaxed its vigilance a little and began to leisurely graze.

"Roar!!!"

"Rou!!!"

Suddenly a roar, along with the sonic boom produced by the object's rapid movement, interrupted the feeding of that "moose"…

No, it should be said that a fleeting afterimage flashed past, and that moose was already severed into two pieces, without even giving it time to react, flee, or scream.

"Boom!!!"

Furthermore, that afterimage forcibly tore the moose apart, and the moment it touched the ground behind it, it kicked up a cloud of dirt and dust.

After everything returned to calm.

Then one could see a huge, muscular beast with similarly reddish-brown fur—a "giant bear"—chewing on the moose carcass in big bites, and behind the giant bear was a shallow pit.

It appeared that all the previous movements and sounds were produced by this giant bear, but the speed and power it displayed indicate that it is definitely not an Earth creature.

After eating its fill, it proceeded to patrol its territory, and also took a post-meal stroll along the way.

When the giant bear walked out of the forest to its favorite cliffside to lie down and rest a bit, little did it know that there were several "human" silhouettes in the distant woods.

They came into view.

Only the six "human" silhouettes on this side of the forest were seen wearing dark earth-colored clothing, with belts around their waists, carrying daggers, wrist blades, and quivers, and bearing long or short bows—these were the "hunters".

Among this group of "hunters", three of them took out arrows and nocked their bows, tightly aiming at the already asleep giant bear, while the other three bent low and detoured to the other side, preparing to launch a pincer attack.

However, the arrowheads of these "hunters" were not metal, but rather diamond-shaped "stones" emitting a faint green light……

(End of chapter)