Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 447, Section 56: The dominant gene has been recorded! The swarm will surely thrive forever.
"Ah!"

Anvina suddenly sneezed loudly.

The Sunwell Ghost rubbed her nose, feeling suspicious and as if someone was talking about her behind her back. But it could also be a hallucination caused by too much stress, or it could be "retribution" for the bad things she had done.

Floating on the balcony of the Mantid palace in the Dread Wastes, she glanced around nervously, then whispered to her military advisor, Garold, via their mental link:
"Do you think what we're doing is a bit too much? I really feel guilty."

Garrod hesitated for a moment, clearly feeling a bit guilty.

He whispered:

"Indeed, we underestimated the destructive power of the Zerg under the 'maximum troop production' decision. But on the bright side, even without the Zerg's rampage, the Fear Wasteland, a place almost 'marinated' by Sha energy, would not allow normal life to survive here."

Even if the swarms devour this place, they will at least leave a mineral deposit for the Pandaren.

By the way, you didn't let the swarm mine the minerals too, did you?

"No."

Anvina sighed and said:

"We have to leave them something, otherwise I feel like I'm committing a crime."

After he finished speaking, both of them fell silent.

Then the Sunwell Ghost raised her head and looked at the terrifying wasteland before her.

Once, every inch of this land was shrouded in black and white Sha pollution. Apart from the Kapa Tree of the Mantid, almost no vegetation could survive on this vast expanse. At that time, the Dread Wastes was described by the Pandaren as "hell on earth." No other life form besides the Mantid could survive for more than a few days in such an extreme environment.

The Pandaren's inability to cross the Coiled Dragon Ridge to launch a counterattack against the Mantid is also due to the terrain.

The Dread Wastes, a "survival-the-fittest" environment in the material world that is probably closest to the atmosphere of the Sea of ​​No Light, would be a tough place for even the rock-form Mogu, let alone the weak Pandaren. Otherwise, Thor wouldn't have needed to build the Spine of the Dragon to defend against the Mantid's annual invasions.

If even Thor struggles with this, don't make it difficult for the Pandaren.

But now?

Now there's nothing left in the Fear Wasteland!

That's what it means literally.

The pollution from the black and white evil energy is gone, the mutated creatures are gone, the strange vegetation is gone, and even the land is gone.

Under Anvina's helpless, sighing gaze, the land was first burrowed back and forth by special insects like Oro, which were like shadow-chasing burrowing worms, breaking the earth and bedrock. Then, the hardworking worker bees dug all the way through in a "mercury-like" manner.

Just like a hardworking panda farmer harvesting crops in the field, all the nutrients contained in the broken earth are found by worker bees and transported back to the hive to be transformed into biomass.

Worker bees have the ability to detect nutrients. They can detect energy hidden up to ten meters underground. Since the swarm needs all kinds of nutrients, the worker bees will dig tirelessly until they turn those hidden nutrients into strategic resources for the swarm's reproduction.

As Anvina and Garold discussed on the Mantis Plateau, animals, plants, carcasses, shallow mineral veins, and even mud and water would be swept away with a 'scraping' motion.

This horrific looting has created the "spectacle" of the current terrifying wasteland.

This land, once heavily polluted by the Shakti, has been divided into two parts. The land still in the hands of the Mantises remains its original black and white landscape, while in the area controlled by the Shadowbugs, the gray-white color of the bedrock beneath has been revealed.

The "horizon" on the swarm's side was clearly several meters lower than that on the mantis' side, and the broken ground looked like "white bones" that had been completely devoured.

Even the bone marrow was completely removed.

If Anvina hadn't ordered the swarm to leave some rare mineral veins for the pandaren as compensation for "environmental damage," this place would probably be as cratered and riddled with unfillable excavation pits as the surface of the moon.

The reason why a few trees remain on this devastated land is not because the insect swarm is merciful, but entirely because they previously captured the "Amber Sculptor" Onshuk, allowing the Shadow Chaser Insects to master the "Amber Regeneration" technology, and they need the Mantis's Kepa Sacred Tree as a strategic resource.

Otherwise, these sacred trees would also be doomed, devoured by the insect swarm, leaving the mantis demon with not even a single piece of bark.

Currently, all the nutrients have formed a thick fungal carpet in each insect nest, which is used to feed the various insects that are hatching at an extremely fast rate.

This terrifying, "extermination-like" environmental destruction is what Anvina fears most.

She came to protect the world, not to devour it!
Given the Shadowbugs' terrifying appetite for massive troop production, if they were allowed to run rampant, the entire Pandaria would turn into this lifeless, ghostly place within a few months.

But since a terrible price has been paid, the benefits gained must also be astonishing.

Under this extreme nutrient-gathering strategy, the production efficiency of the newly built large insect hives in the Dread Wastes was N times faster than before. In just a few days, Anveena had several large insect swarms, allowing her to command them with great fanfare and surround the Mantid territory from three directions in a very extravagant "tycoon" manner.

They also sent a swarm of insects from the Dread Wastes into the Krasarang Jungle to wipe out the mantid hordes that inhabited the area.

She didn't even dare to ask the monks of Zhuhe Temple for help, fearing that she might lose control of the insect swarm from a distance and accidentally "demolish" Zhuhe Temple and Chijing Qimu as well.

When the Celestial Venerable Chijing returns and finds his home gone, how will he explain it to him?

"This troop strength is sufficient for now, more than enough for you to fight this battle on a large scale, so stop the maximum troop production tonight."

Garrod said to Anvina:

"Starting at midnight tonight, launch an attack on the Mantid territory. There are four days left in the ten-day deadline given to you by the Overlord. With the current destructive power of the Shadowbugs, it is enough to annihilate the Mantid Elder Order of Klaxevis."

Besides, didn't that Great Queen say she had a 'trump card'?

"Yes, her mother once placed an inside agent within the Elders' Order."

Anvina said:

"With the support of the Queen's faction, the inside man has climbed to the position of 'assistant priest,' which was originally a means that the previous Queen prepared to use in a desperate gamble. However, the elders acted too quickly, and the Queen did not have time to launch a suicide attack."

According to Shakshir, the inside man could assassinate the current leaders of the Elders' Order for us at a crucial moment.

This will absolutely throw the Kalasikvis into chaos.

But we can't use it yet. We have to wait for General Staghelm to send a signal. Don't you always say that war is a means to achieve strategic goals, not an end in itself?

Our objective in this operation is to force the Mantid to find Y'Shaarj's Dark Heart for us.

If it were just about devouring them, we could have done it a few days ago.

"Indeed, your strategic thinking has grown rapidly, but your tactical command is still lacking. However, this is a matter of experience and can be made up for through practice and confrontation."

Garrod asked again:

"But the Overlord has summoned the King Beast back to the Sea of ​​No Light. You will not have Agamaggan available for this battle. Losing the perfect breaker means you will have to spend some time on command."

"It's alright, the transformation of those heroes will be completed soon."

Anvina waved her hand and said:

"Their combat power can crush our former heroic comrades. Besides, our swarm has been 'reborn'!"

She raised her hand.

Under the command of the swarm's will, a "mantis dragon" that was flying over the balcony flapped its even wider elytra and landed in front of Anvina.

The once spiky wings of the dragon have been replaced by chitinous elytra, thanks to the Mantis's superior genes. They look light but have sharp, knife-like edges that can easily shred flesh under high-speed impact.

They are faster and more agile when dogfighting in the air.

Having absorbed the aerial combat experience of the Mantises, these creatures are no longer afraid of aerial battles, and the upgrade of the swarm pheromones makes their cooperation among them even closer, and their aggression will be even stronger when they enter a berserk state when they are near death.

In addition to retaining its meager venom ball spray, the upgraded dragons now have a sonic resonance chamber, allowing them to fire high-frequency sonic waves at close range, disrupting the enemy's senses and damaging their organs.

This thing is much more powerful than the original.

Anvina admired her "creation".

She used to hate insects, but now she has learned to appreciate this "numerical beauty".

After releasing the mantis dragon, she looked at the springtails and spiky bugs moving on the ground.

Both of them have also been genetically enhanced; their claws have evolved into biological blades, their bodies are more slender and agile than before, and they even have small elytra to help them move quickly and jump to kill.

Some elite individuals obtained combat genes extracted from the Cutter Ricard, which enhanced their biological blades into slender and sharp "spider-leg scalpels," making it easy for them to pierce and cut through steel.

Moreover, each attack injects "mutated eggs" into the enemy's flesh, weakening the opponent and using the enemy's flesh to reproduce its own kind. The sniper genes of the Swarm Guardian, Hysek, have been enhanced in the Spikeweed, allowing these ranged attackers to shoot more deadly spikes and even achieve rudimentary optical cloaking when standing still.

The defensive and combat genes of the Unharmed Malik are enhanced in the Warrior Bug branch, making these already savage Zerg warriors not only more durable, but also automatically mastering the Mantis's Gale Sword Technique after hatching.

Once they get close, the swift slashes from the four biological blades will be enough to open the eyes of any challenger.

These are just the powerful genes of three heroes; the Elder Order has a total of twelve heroes.

"They are all walking genetic treasures."

Anvina remarked:

"The mantids are already our meal. My heart has flown to Northrend. It is said that the spider demons of Azjol Nerub were once the priestly class of the Aqir Empire."

They are skilled in magic.

Furthermore, the Overmind now desperately needs to analyze more of the Crypt Lords' war genes in order to reduce the resources required for the Swarm to hatch Ultralisks, as each Crypt Lord can transform into a powerful Swarm Ultralisk.

How many Crypt Lords are there in Northrend?

I can't even imagine how powerful the Shadow Chasers will become after 'devouring' the Spider Demons' underground cities. But I can't give them all to the Overmind; I need to leave a few Crypt Lords as raw materials for the future 'Savior Swarm'.
Um? "

The Sunwell Ghost suddenly blinked.

As the Queen of Blades, she received a special message and then said to Garrod:
"The gene-stealers we sent to infiltrate the mantids have returned with accurate information. The Klaxxi elders have begun their rituals. Good, they've finally sensed the pressure, and they're finally embarking on the path we want them to take."

The Vigilant says that Y'Shaarj's Dark Heart will become a 'strategic wonder' for the Shadow Chaser swarm, allowing the Overmind to unlock higher life forms.

The thought that I personally participated in this 'supreme evolution' fills me with an indescribable sense of accomplishment.
"Gallord, I think I'm sick."

Anvina touched her face sadly and whispered:

"I think I'm starting to like the feeling of being the 'Queen of Blades'."

"Human nature."

Garold offered gentle words of comfort:
"I also felt this indescribable sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when I first led the warriors to defeat the demons in Suramar. The first victory is always worth remembering, but don't forget why you embarked on this path."

Especially if you really do become the Queen of Blades in Azeroth in the future.

Once you get lost in it, the disaster you cause will likely be no less than Azshara's past mistakes.

After this battle, you might need to rest, return to Silvermoon City to enjoy a peaceful life, and wait for your restless heart to calm down before embarking on the next journey. I heard that Prince Kael'thas is getting married soon; why don't you join in?
Seeing for yourself the beautiful things you've protected is enough to help you correct your course.

------

Karaksivis, the holy site of the Presbyterian Church.

This place is located on the highlands of the Dread Wastes, surrounded by several precious Kepa Trees that provide the Elders with amber, an important resource.

But the greatest secret of Klaxvith, which is like a small city of mantises, is not in the complex buildings on the surface, but underground.

Deep within the underground chamber lies a secret that the elders have been working on for the past ten thousand years.

This is a huge and ancient secret chamber. The walls and ceiling, adorned with amber, are covered with paintings depicting the evolution of the mantis demons and praising the legends of their overlord. In front of the extremely lifelike portrait of the seven-eyed black goat, five of the seven claw pillars have been "lit up," with different demonic essences forming "flames" on the pillars.

The remaining two were also lit under the personal operation of Karakshiva Iq, the Grand Elder of the Karakshi Order.

This enormous and bloated mantid elder is of incalculable age, and it never speaks of such things, but according to some fragments circulating only among the priests of the Kalasikvis, Elder Ik is very likely one of the first ancient mantid to worship the "Overlord".

It has witnessed the entire process of the mantis's evolution to the present day, and is a true "living fossil".

Because of the vast and ancient history it has endured, this elder spends most of its time lying dormant in precious amber, only being awakened at moments that determine the fate of the mantis.

Like now!

This aged mantis could no longer fly, and its movements were shaky, but it still held the blade of the Dark Empire in its amber-adorned claws, channeling the power from the remnants of the overlord's body into the corresponding pillar.

The malevolent flames of doubt, bewilderment, and arrogance were ignited one by one.

The seven flames of different colors of malevolent energy formed a mysterious resonance, and as Elder Ike retreated, all the mantis elders and heroes knelt down in worship.

They chanted ancient scriptures praising the sovereign with fervor, and the blade of the Dark Empire trembled in Ik's claws. At a certain moment, the Grand Elder released his claws, and he himself knelt down, trembling, with the help of a clever acolyte.

The weapon forged from the remnants of the Overlord hovered in the shadow of the Sha energy, and the last desperate breath of the seven-headed behemoth reunited into that supreme sound millions of years later.

"Bang, bang, bang"

A rhythmic sound echoed through the ancient hall, causing the mantises' hearts to beat in unison, eventually resonating at the same frequency.

They could feel the whispers of the ruler echoing in their ears, guiding them to a certain place.

"The Lord's heart beats again! He longs to return from the tomb."

Elder Ike, as expected of the oldest mantid priest, immediately deciphered the whisper and explained it to the other mantid priests and heroes:

"That is the essence of the Overlord's power, sealed by His enemies at the heart of Pandaria, but the Sha have shown us the way there. Once we obtain the Heart of Darkness, the Overlord will be able to be resurrected from the ancient past!"
At that time, the entire world will be generously bestowed upon the Mantis by the Lord.

We will no longer associate with those inferior beings; ah, the great cycle of ten thousand years has been for this moment.

Mantises, rejoice!

We have finally reached the end of our destiny; we no longer need to travel far.

"Holy! Holy!"

The excited priests cheered wildly with mournful voices.

The heroes were calmer, but they were also filled with excitement.

Becoming a hero requires facing death countless times. Every hero here has participated in that cruel cycle of reincarnation, where the weak die and the strong return!
They also questioned whether the Great Cycle was meaningful. Sending weak, young insects into the Ridge of the Dragons to fight to the death with the fierce Mogu and Pandaren, not to seize territory, seemed too cruel.
However, after they become heroes, and after the elders explain the ancient mission of the mantid, all doubts about the Great Cycle will come to nothing.

This is meaningful.

Only the most powerful mantid can break through the layers of obstacles set up by the evil gods known as the "Titans," only the bravest heroes are qualified to bring back the Dark Heart of the Overlord, and only the most glorious mantid are qualified to serve in the shadow of the Overlord and enjoy the majesty of ruling the world.

The mantids never cared whether they needed a larger territory, because after the return of their master, the whole world was their domain.

"Priests!"

Elder Ike called out in his aged voice:

"In preparation for the ceremony, we will create the 'Warriors of Y'Shaarj,' who will lead our most valiant warriors on a journey to welcome the return of the Lord."

Heroes!
You have fought against the relentless passage of time until now, and your moment of destiny has arrived. Come, choose seven heroes to inherit the seven powers of the Sovereign.

Become the chosen one, the ruler.

"Elder, I am not questioning your decision."

The most prestigious of the heroes, the Supreme One Korvan, whispered:
"But the Shadow Chasing Insect swarm is attacking us. They are fierce and dangerous enemies. Should we..."

"Don't worry about them."

Elder Ike shook his head and said:

"Those are just our 'brothers' who come from the same source. We have our rulers, and they have theirs. However, no matter who wins this war of the swarm, it will not be a bad thing for us."

Mantises are also part of the swarm. If we lose, we will merge into a more powerful swarm in another form and share their glory.

That was a greater and more glorious 'Great Cycle', and the powerful swarm of insects should rightfully be dominated and controlled!
Yes.

Mantises will not go extinct, children.

We're just 'going home'. We've been walking alone for too long, so long that I've almost forgotten the glory of the Yaqi Empire.

I will remain here to face the challenge of my ancient brothers, and you... need not worry, dedicate yourselves to the Lord.

(End of this chapter)