Wizards begin with Occlumency.

Chapter 230 Retreat is the Best Policy

"vomit!"

Lanny, Tiffany, and Fried recovered quickly after treatment.

What's unpleasant is the parasites they vomit out of their mouths.

Its long, curved body, covered in red down, gives it an ominous appearance.

It looks disgusting.

The tower spirit promptly directed the medical puppet to take the three parasites for testing.

Lanny, Tiffany, and Fried also lay down in the transparent chambers, but they didn't need to undress. They were soaked in nutrient solution to receive detoxification treatment and real-time monitoring to avoid any aftereffects.

At the same time, at Link's request and with Sandra's consent, Tarling gave the remaining five people a full medical examination.

This includes blood tests and full-body scans.

As it turns out, caution was indeed necessary.

Parasites were also detected on four of the wounded.

Furthermore, the parasites on their bodies have been nourished by a large amount of vitality and have grown to an enormous size.

It was almost twice the size of the parasites that Lanny, Tiffany, and Fried vomited up.

In this situation, it is clear that induced vomiting is no longer an option.

The only option was to anesthetize the four wounded soldiers and surgically cut them open to remove the worms.

This will further prolong the recovery time.

Sandra reluctantly agreed to this approach.

To ensure the safety of our four companions, we have no choice but to accept the fact that we suffer significant non-combat casualties.

Lanny, Tiffany, and Fried need time to recover, while the four friends will need even longer to recover.

Currently, including Sandra herself, the micro legion has only five combat-ready members capable of dealing with the Zerg.

"Let's go to the cockpit."

Once she was sure her friends were out of danger, Sandra led the way out of the medical pod.

Learning about the enemy situation through holographic projection is not as intuitive as being in the cockpit/command center.

Moreover, manual operation is often more effective than relying solely on the tower spirit.

Link and three other members of prominent families from the main academy followed behind Sandra.

A witch who had never spoken to Link before deliberately walked up to him.

The witch had long, wavy golden hair that draped casually over her shoulders. She had striking features, with expressive emerald green eyes and slightly large lips painted with a fiery red lip gloss, making her resemble Angelina Jolie.

Before entering the cockpit, she turned her head and whispered to Link, "Thank you for your timely discovery twice, which saved my brother."

After saying that, without telling Link who her brother was, she blinked, gave a wink, and walked into the cockpit.

However, Link could tell from her appearance that her brother was the gaunt young man with a cold face, the leader of the combat team.

The two look quite similar, and their slightly colder temperament makes them even more alike.

Ignoring the little incident, especially the flirtatious glance, Link followed her into the cockpit.

"Warp drive repairs complete!"

As soon as I entered, I heard the tower spirit report some good news.

A fully powered interstellar warship is always a better situation.

They can fight whenever they want, and leave whenever they want; they are free to come and go.

Sandra then sat in the captain's seat, staring at the enlarged images of the Zerg on the screen, carefully observing their behavior. She found that, as Link Grand had said, most of the Zerg surrounding the "Cloudy" were like empty shells gnawed out by parasites.

Under Sandra's instructions, the offensive firepower of the "Cloudy Rainbow" was reduced by several levels and was no longer a blanket attack.

Focus only on those Zerg that have broken through to a certain distance.

Kill them one by one, instead of just shooting them down in quick succession.

Link found a seat and sat down, observing the shuttle abandoned by Sandra through the smart screen.

I switched between several different viewing angles, rotating and zooming in.

An idea popped into my head.

He did what he thought of, since the command of the "Yunni" was none of his business.

Then do something you want to do and are able to do.

As a member of the miniature legion, I should at least contribute something.

After reporting to Sandra and obtaining permission from the Tower Spirit, Link connected to the shuttle's control system.

After operating the smart device, the shuttle's self-check and disinfection procedures were initiated.

"Zzz...zz..."

Not long after, the AI ​​that had taken over all the systems of the shuttle emitted a sound that resembled a chaotic electrical current.

The results of the self-inspection and disinfection procedures are in.

No insects were found inside or outside the shuttle, but an unidentified shadow was found near the engine.

Link immediately switched his view and located the real-time monitoring footage of the unidentified shadow near the engine.

After looking at it closely for a while, the shadow looked more and more like a praying mantis.

Recalling the Zerg faction classifications, Link recognized the unidentified shadow's faction as the Shadow Mantis.

This is a Zerg race specializing in stealth, intelligence gathering, assassination, and raids.

So far, three factions have emerged on the battlefield.

This situation deserves serious attention.

Moreover, the Shadow Mantis species is quite unique.

"Report, shadow mantis spotted."

Without delay, Link immediately presented the surveillance footage and the information about the Shadow Mantis swarm he had retrieved to Captain Sandra and his three comrades.

"hiss……"

A collective gasp filled the air.

The crew-cut man, whose appearance was so ordinary as to leave no lasting impression, exclaimed in surprise: "Holy crap, a Shadow Mantis? How could this thing be here?"

According to the Wizarding World's arrangements, the Shadow Mantis clan is under the strictest surveillance.

No matter how negligent the Supreme Council's subordinate agencies may be, they cannot allow the Shadow Mantis to roam freely throughout the myriad realms.

There must be more to the story behind the Shadow Mantis's presence here.

It was this hidden story that startled the honey badger.

As is well known, although the Zerg reproduce sexually, they can store eggs in advance and induce birth when needed.

If the honey badger's vague guess was correct, the trouble they faced was getting bigger and bigger.

"Let's retreat."

The honey badger, contemplating a terrifying possibility, couldn't help but back down. "This is beyond our capabilities."

Sandra remained silent, neither saying that she would leave nor that she would not.

She knew exactly what the honey badger was thinking.

The problem is simply that the mission went wrong, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Micro Legion.

It was a major blunder by a body under the Supreme Council.

The Zerg have been playing around right under their noses, and they haven't made many valuable discoveries yet.

The task details provided are riddled with errors and are highly misleading.

Otherwise, the micro-legion would react quickly and effectively, and would also have abundant financial resources and advanced equipment.

If any other ordinary team were to carry out this mission, they would have been wiped out long ago!

Moreover, the Zerg who possess the ability to raise Shadow Mantises from their eggs must be of extraordinary origin.

Furthermore, considering the mission's world and the Zerg race, which is a branch of the royal family that once ruled the super-civilization of the Zerg world, this is the mission's background.

Anyone with a discerning eye could guess that it was most likely a direct descendant of the Zerg royal family, attempting to make a comeback and gathering strength.

A remnant of the Zerg royal family, starting as a Level 5 transcendent life form.

This identity and level are a good match for a level 5 mother nest.

It's just a level 5 target, the "Cloud and Rainbow" isn't afraid.

However, the remnants of the Zerg royal family at level 5 are not something a micro-corps can handle.

Before we even met them, seven people had already been lost.

In terms of individual strength, the micro-soldiers are utterly powerless against a level 5 Zerg!

While Sandra was pondering a solution, Link had already adjusted the shuttle's course and was heading at full speed toward the level 5 Mother Nest.

He wanted to get a closer look at the mother nest that he found so strange.

Aside from its sudden appearance, which startled everyone, the mother nest remained motionless and made no further moves.

They neither launched an attack on the "Cloudy" nor released a new Zerg army.

This behavior is quite similar to that of the Zerg golems that have been eaten away and reduced to empty shells.

The mantis in the shadows near the shuttle's engine noticed something was wrong and began attacking the engine relentlessly.

Unfortunately, the Shadow Mantis's advantage lies in its stealth ability rather than its offensive capabilities, and for a time it was helpless against the shuttle engine's protective shield.

In space, the Zerg guarding the mother hive discovered the unusual activity of the shuttle.

Well……

The shuttle remained invisible, but that was useless.

The scorpion horde of the mother hive cannot detect the invisible shuttle with the naked eye, but they can sense the special fluctuations emitted by the Shadow Mantis.

One after another, scorpion-like insectoids appeared in the shuttle's path, forming a thick defensive line, ready to intercept the shuttle.

Link directly switched the operating mode from automatic to manual driving.

After getting used to the various operations of the shuttle, Link began his "space race".

Thanks to his previous practice on the Hummingbird-class starship "Skyspin," Link's driving skills are quite good.

Maneuvering the shuttle left and right, he successfully evaded the attacks and interceptions of one scorpion insect after another.

This process is very dangerous; a slight misstep could result in a catastrophic crash and the death of the mantis.

Fortunately, all was well and no one was seriously hurt. The shuttle passed through the Scorpion Zerg's interception line without firing a single shot, and used its speed to outrun a large number of Scorpion Zerg before approaching the level 5 mother hive.

Flandre played a significant role in this matter, contributing more than half the credit.

She mobilized source power within the "small world" to enhance computing power and then shared that power with Link.

Link is able to perform a series of cool maneuvers that are almost impossible to replicate in the blink of an eye.

Sandra and her three friends, after capturing this scene through the Tower Spirit, specifically moved to the live video on the largest screen to watch Link's incredible feat in the entirety.

A single shuttle actually managed to penetrate the interception of several thousand scorpion insectoids!

How cool is that? How amazing is that?!

This visual effect is absolutely amazing.

For a moment, the honey badger didn't dare to look directly at Link, and was completely awestruck.

Link remained focused and attentive, controlling the shuttle to continue moving forward at full speed.

The Shadow Mantis could no longer focus on attacking the engine; Link's combat golems had already entangled it.

To quell external threats, one must first secure internal stability.

We cannot ignore potential hazards once they are discovered.

If, at the most critical moment, the Shadow Mantis breaks through the engine's protective shield and damages the shuttle's power system, that would be a real disaster.

As the shuttle approached the mother nest, progress became difficult.

The speed decreased uncontrollably.

This is the distortion field that comes with the level 5 Mother Nest at work.

Since the shuttle has already been abandoned, why would Link feel sorry for it?

If the power for full-speed travel is insufficient, then increase the load, even at the cost of damaging the entire power system, to squeeze out just a little more power.

The main battlefront had almost come to a standstill at this point.

Those Zerg with clear minds and agile movements returned to reinforce the mother hive, leaving behind only empty Zerg puppets.

In order to conserve ammunition, the "Cloud and Rainbow" only attacked and killed Zerg golems that crossed the red line, ignoring other motionless Zerg golems.

The bizarre stalemate thus unfolded.

If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move. If the enemy moves, then boom!

This refers to the current enemy-fighting strategy of the "Yunni".

After a difficult journey, Link's shuttle finally broke through the Twisted Field before the large number of Scorpion Insects returned to reinforce it, preparing for a close encounter with the Mother Nest.

However, before sticking the stickers, the shuttle needs to circle the mother nest once.

The Mother Nest, which withstood three planet-destroying cannon shots without damage, was clearly not something that could be harmed by the self-destruction of a single shuttle.

After going through so much trouble and overcoming so many obstacles to get to the mother nest, is it all just to set off a firework?

Link isn't that poetic or artistic, nor is he that artsy.

From the very beginning, his goal was to get close enough to scout out the situation at the mother nest.

The shuttle is like a diligent bee, circling around the mother nest, a beautiful flower, searching for a delicious part to eat.

This turn yielded results.

The mother nest only had the front half; the back half had disappeared.

The real-time images transmitted back by the shuttle clearly show that there is no large-scale damage to the surface of the mother nest.

This indicates that the mother nest separated voluntarily, rather than being partially destroyed.

No wonder Link always felt something was wrong with the Mother Nest.

It turns out it was only half-functional, incomplete, and unable to cope with the situation.

It wasn't that the Mother Nest didn't want to deal with the fierce attack from the "Cloudy" ship.

So, the question is, where did the other half of the mother nest go?

Sandra abruptly turned her head, peering through the porthole at the mission world with a wistful gaze.

She finally understood why a level 3 world could emit a beam of annihilation light.

She understood even more clearly why her presence was exposed as soon as she landed, why four team members were quietly cursed, and why seven other team members were silently parasitized.

The other half of the Mother Nest is in the mission world!

The cause of all this is the other half of the hive and the remnants of the Zerg royal family who control the hive.

"Main gun, full power, five-round rapid fire, target: the most likely location in the mission world to contain the other half of the Brood."

Sandra gave the order decisively.

The Tower Spirit controlled the "Cloud Neon" to carry out orders. First, it conducted full reconnaissance of the mission world and calculated the location. Then, it fired five Star Destroyer shots at the calculated coordinates and location from the fully charged main cannon.

If half of the mothership in space can withstand three planet-destroying cannons, there's no reason why the other half of the mothership in the mission world can't.

After the five planet-destroying cannon shots, a giant crater the size of West Lake appeared in the mission world.

The other half of the level 5 mother nest has appeared, completely unharmed.

Not far from it was a level 3 mother hive, one corner of which had been shattered by the planet-destroying cannon.

Through monitoring, it can be clearly seen that there are very few Zerg in the Level 3 mother hive, but each one is an evolved individual that is much larger and stronger than ordinary arthropod Zerg.

Beneath the level 3 mother nest lies a nearly annihilated group of ordinary arthropod insects.

The "Cloud and Rainbow" ship found its target and fired a single shot, a second shot sent it to heaven, a third shot turned it to ashes, a fourth shot was a respectful send-off, and a fifth shot was a celebration.

"good!"

Seeing such a fruitful result, Sandra couldn't help but stand up and shout.

The shot he fired in collaboration with Link truly vented the pent-up anger in his heart.

I felt instantly refreshed.

No more being stuck in limbo, feeling uncomfortable.

"They're going to run."

Honey Badger noticed that the Zerg puppets surrounding the "Cloud Neon" seemed to have received orders and began to frantically rush towards the starship, launching suicidal attacks in an attempt to draw fire from the side.

In the mission world, half of the level 5 Mother Nest and the level 3 Mother Nest have entered interstellar travel mode and are attempting to take off.

"Shoot them down."

Sandra, having gained the upper hand, was relentless.

They planned to take advantage of the cooldown of the level 5 Mother Nest's Annihilation Light to further expand their gains.

Link activated the shuttle's self-destruct program, then poured cold water on the idea:

"We should be the ones running!"

Through the shuttle's perspective, he could vaguely see a silhouette behind the level 5 mother hive.

It was like a colossal creature patiently lurking in the shadows.

They will seize an opportunity to devour people!

(End of this chapter)