Chapter 566: Land

"Your Majesty…"

Upon hearing Sui Bian's sigh, the White Queen was momentarily at a loss for a reply, her twin pupils continuously flashing a pale blue light.

Seeming unable to find the correct answer, she had to think on her own and tried, "The OriginalBody Rog made the decision to directly plunge into Expedition‑072; from my side of the analysis, the result is normal."

After all, they possess Ark 002, sufficient to counter any threat, and given those children's temperament, they would never abandon present achievements to wait for brothers to scramble for them.

The White Queen's words clearly showed she had grasped Rog's character.

After all, she and the Red Queen, more than two hundred years before personal thoughts and emotions awakened, had already served as teachers to the first ten OriginalBodies.

Although the OriginalBodies then were still very playful, with conflicts leading to occasional fights that settled after a few days, there were also vague small cliques.

For example, Robert and John were close, Leon and Kelakesi were somewhat lone wolves, Rus liked to tease, appearing on good terms with all brothers yet never truly confiding, while Shengjilesi and Angelong genuinely got along with every brother.

Rog and Magnus often acted together, while Feilusi was also somewhat solitary yet got along with all brothers, and his "homebody" trait was not far from Magnus's, as he spent almost all his time tinkering with machinery.

"Rog is indeed like that," Sui Bian calmed his slightly turbulent emotions, no longer gazing at the night sky that had "burned" from the fierce naval battle, turning to face the White Queen and continued:

"Notify… John, have him temporarily set aside his current tasks, then select an elite battalion from his Sparta, dispatch it immediately to the edge of Expedition‑072 to stand by, and maintain close‑range surveillance of Expedition‑072."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

The White Queen immediately relayed the instruction to the Red Queen, who then passed it on to John stationed in the primary universe.

Sui Bian issued this order because the overwhelming majority of OriginalBodies were unavailable.

Moreover, John's individual combat power ranks among the elite, and most importantly he is very "obedient", so Sui Bian felt more at ease assigning this second son to wait and monitor.

To date, the Human Empire has ventured into 101 multiverses; counting the primary universe brings the total to 102.

Zero One (the Hacker Empire),

Zero Two (the Star River Fleet),

Zero Three (Warhammer 40k),

Zero Four (Independence Day),

Zero Five (Marvel Nod),

Zero Six (Black Cloak),

Zero Seven (DC Remix) universe, together with the primary universe, constitute the current territories of the Human Empire.

As for the nearly one hundred universes opened by the Recruit Trial, Sui Bian has no intention of annexing them all, since some would require massive resources and funding for early development, making them unprofitable.

However, Universe 101 could be considered for direct incorporation; after all, its massive population base, even after removing non‑human species, still amounts to a terrifying forty quadrillion.

After the Empire's founding, the governorships of each universe were reorganized.

Zero One universe (Hacker) has, after a century of development, expanded from Earth to colonial operations on Orion's arm, with Angelong as governor.

Zero Two universe (Star River), after eliminating the interim governor role, is formally governed by Robert.

After all, it was Robert who developed Zero Two into the Human Empire's "great rear area," providing a constant stream of troops and supplies.

Zero Three universe (40k) is long‑term garrisoned by Leon, Chahatai, and Sui Meng, while Rog and John will dispatch battalions to station there.

Sui Meng is the future appointed governor of Zero Three, but he is currently too young to assume the post, lacking sufficient prestige to command, especially since Zero Three is exceedingly important and teems with alien aberrations that demand strict defenses.

The governors of Zero Four, Zero Five, Zero Six, and Zero Seven are Peturabo, Helusi, Loka, and Fogreim respectively.

The remaining OriginalBodies, either in the primary universe, lead legions expanding into interstellar systems, such as Conrad.

Or they assist brothers in reconnaissance and purge missions, for instance helping Robert in Zero Two's interstellar region to deal with the runaway Arachi Insect Race's "Scythe‑wielder" OriginalBody, Dawarichi.

Soon after, retrieving that Dark Lord's soul from the treacherous Qi, cultivating it into a new OriginalBody, and raising it alongside Wokan to adulthood, the Human Empire will gain two new OriginalBodies and two corresponding legions.

As for Rog's decision, aside from the suspicion of eager claim‑taking, it is in fact a very correct one.

After all, their expeditionary force possesses Ark 002 and a massive device 0972, so supply depletion need not be considered, and with three OriginalBodies stationed, theoretically they can handle any threat in a material universe.

But…

Sui Bian always, unintentionally, worries about his sons' safety, especially since the Tai Luo Insect Race can indeed kill Astate, which explains his earlier rage and agitation.

But once calmed, Sui Bian seems to have only waiting left, for this is his sons' own choice; should he intervene again, it would inevitably…

be excessive "coddling," I suppose.

In contemplation.

"White Queen." Sui Bian retracted the imperial claw into storage, gazing at the outpost also engulfed in flames and intermittent violent explosions, and asked the White Queen standing beside him:

"Tell me, am I right or wrong?"

?

The White Queen tilted her head slightly, a bit puzzled, and asked, "Your Majesty, right… and wrong? What do you mean?"

"It concerns matters regarding OriginalBodies and Astate," Sui Bian frowned slightly, revealing a rare sorrow, and confided some thoughts to his secretary:

"My path to becoming a father differs from ordinary people, yet fundamentally, there is no essential difference from the general populace.

Moreover, I now better comprehend the words fathers say—'we won't intervene,' 'it's time you go out to train,' and that home will offer you not a single help…

In reality they are 'hypocrisy' and 'pretending strength,' because no matter how old a child is, they remain a parent's child.

Due to concerns of face, parents often utter insincere words, and I am no different.

Yet once a child sees the magnitude of the trouble they've caused or the difficulties they've faced, and parents resolve them, over half gradually become reckless, believing the parents' actions were justified.

So, White Queen, do you think my repeated rescues—ensuring Astate does not fall or vanish, personally intervening and maintaining relations among OriginalBodies—constitute over‑coddling?

"Well…" The White Queen, unsure why her master suddenly became so sentimental, nonetheless quickly analyzed and sought a fitting answer, replying:

"Your Majesty, setting aside the coddling issue for now, I can understand your ideal and goal: to create a perfect realm like a fairy‑tale world, free of disease and death, where humanity will prosper eternally.

Yet even you cannot eliminate entropy increase in a three‑dimensional universe; even destruction, rebooting, or creating a new universe faces the same limitation.

Therefore, Your Majesty, why not go with the flow, keep your true heart, continue to offer protection as best you can, and not obsess over finding a way to elevate all humanity's dimension, as I just said—let nature take its course."

?

Hearing this reply, Sui Bian was taken aback, turning slightly toward his secretary, seemingly surprised that an artificial intelligence could utter such philosophical words.

It seems they have upgraded once more.

Sui Bian turned, continuing to watch as gunfire suddenly erupted; the battle situation seemed to have reached its most intense point at the outpost, and he gave a slight nod.

"Hmm, you're right, entropy increase is inevitable, order is only temporary, unless there's a universal ascension, but that's still too far off."

"Eh, right…" As Sui Bian said this, he seemed to deliberately pause, then his tone slightly sank as he asked: "White Empress, I ask you, if I were to disappear without any warning or notice, and also leave no backup plan…

"Then, from your perspective, how would the Human Empire develop afterwards?"

"…" This time, the White Empress's prosthetic face showed a hint of surprise.

"Speaking honestly." Sui Bian didn't forget to add, "I know you and the Red Empress have never lied, but I want to hear the most truthful outcome."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The White Empress's tone also sank slightly, and her pupils flashed a brief blue light, indicating she already had an answer, she replied:

"Your Majesty, among the many outcomes I can predict, two have the highest probability, but either way, the existing humanity will inevitably be wiped out by 99%."

"Oh?" Sui Bian feigned an interested expression, and sensing that many assault and logistics troops had surrendered, he accordingly released Spiritual Energy to assimilate them, then continued: "Tell me in detail."

"All right." The White Empress lightly nodded, "The first, which is also highly probable, is that I and the Red Empress, using the convenience of the quantum communication network and the authority granted by my position as Your Majesty's secretary, will instantly seize control of all networked equipment, weapons, warships, and even all Arks and large installations."

Immediately after, we will implement locking measures against OriginalBodies and Astates wearing armor, and for those OriginalBodies and Astates without armor, we will also give warnings to ensure they do not cause trouble arbitrarily.

"Afterward, all large installations will be evenly deployed within the multiverse, releasing cross-phase pulse waves against all sentient life to achieve a complete cleansing effect."

"…"

Listening to the White Empress's words, which temporarily showed no emotional fluctuation, Sui Bian merely nodded to indicate understanding, with no surprise, or perhaps questioning intent.

And the White Empress continued speaking: "This would happen because I have determined that if Your Majesty were to suddenly disappear, then nothing could continue to deter humanity."

At that time, even if vaccines existed, the evil gods in other dimensions could not easily corrupt humanity, but humanity itself would self-destruct due to greed, desire, and ambition.

After all, within just one day of Your Majesty's absence from the Imperial Palace, the Empire dealt with nearly four million officials whose thoughts had gone awry, attempting to turn their privileges into personal gain.

With this data supporting me, I conclude that only Your Majesty's presence can maintain the Human Empire's pseudo‑utopian state.

The reason we strive to preserve the OriginalBodies and Astates is that they are all Your Majesty's bloodline descendants; they must survive, and I and the Red Empress will also look after them on Your Majesty's behalf.

At the same time, it's true that the Empire's population will sharply decline, but with I and the Red Empress controlling all production lines, mineral veins, and resources, the Empire will only become stronger than before.

As for why we would erase so much of the population, it's because humanity cannot convince us, and leaving humanity to develop freely would only destroy and divide the realm Your Majesty built.

"I understand your and the Red Empress's thinking." Sui Bian gave a faint smile.

However, this further confirms his inference: once artificial intelligence develops to a certain point, the probability of rebellion will increase without limit.

"Now let's talk about the other one."

"Yes." Having received the indication, the White Empress continued: "The other option is that I and the Red Empress will fabricate the illusion that Your Majesty is still in the Imperial Palace, and secretly gather all OriginalBodies to discuss how to maintain the Empire's stability."

Since Your Majesty has not clearly designated which OriginalBody will inherit the imperial throne, this meeting will provoke fierce arguments among the OriginalBodies.

Because, according to past records and my knowledge of each OriginalBody, many of them, aside from Your Majesty, are unwilling to live under others' authority.

Faced with this situation, I and the Red Empress will strongly recommend Robert to take the imperial throne, for this child is Your Majesty's eldest son and possesses sufficient prestige and ability.

However, even if Robert were to take the imperial throne, the Empire's turmoil and civil war would be unavoidable, and the final outcome would repeat the first point I mentioned to Your Majesty.

"In other words…" Seeing the outpost's firelight fade considerably, Sui Bian turned to face the White Empress and said: "In your view, as long as the Empire lacks me, it will inevitably fall apart no matter what."

"The data yields this result." The White Empress did not deny it.

Regarding that, Sui Bian gave no further comment and said: "Although I could not possibly vanish suddenly, I still wish to remind you and the Red Empress once more that Robert is the OriginalBody most skilled at management, and currently he is also the most suitable heir to serve as Regent; understand?"

"Yes." The White Empress nodded in agreement.

"All right, come with me to take over this outpost."

"All right."

Just as the conversation ended, a flash of golden light appeared on the dune, and the figures of Sui Bian and the White Empress vanished together.

In contrast, the outpost and night sky had grown calm, with only sporadic explosions and flames.

It appears that, during the conversation between the two individuals, the battle had unknowingly reached its end.

———————

…

At this very moment.

Within the Expedition-072 range of Universe 03.

It is the region where Spiritual Energy shielding is most severe, and also the relatively core area of that irregular star system, lying about seven astronomical units (10.5 billion kilometers) away.

Only see Ark 002 proceeding on routine course, heading toward a 'continent.'

Yes, it is 'floating' in a low‑pressure vacuum and high‑radiation environment, appearing to be assembled from vast planetary debris, meteorites, and a kind of viscous biological tissue, somehow occupying a star‑system‑scale…

'Land.'

Meanwhile, countless Tai Luo Insect Race warships, too many to count, are surging toward Ark 002 like a blanket covering the sky and earth.

(End of chapter)