A is in StarCraft, just disembarked from the Zerg Prince spaceship.

************

......

In the latter half of the night, the capital city fell into a deep silence.

Speaker Invika returned to his residence from the palace.

The lights that would never go out in the capital were completely shut out by the heavy curtains.

A solitary lamp casts a dim light on the desk in the study, illuminating Speaker Invika's hand resting on the desk.

He reached out and activated the secure communicator on the corner of the table again.

The communicator lit up with a pale blue standby light.

This time, instead of dialing the anonymous number, he opened another page, hovered his finger over it, and then lowered it to verify his fingerprint.

There was no beeping; the central screen lit up silently.

Secret command input.

Special permissions activated.

A complex control interface pops up and floats above the desktop.

Countless blue dots, representing nodes of the Liernia Customs network, completely cover the central star, like a dense nebula, constantly twinkling above it.

The golden lines represent the data deluge of the central AI, connecting these nodes and then dispersing them in all directions to weave a star network that runs through Liernia.

The checkpoints of the Imperial transportation system are now clearly exposed to the sight of Councilor Invika.

The Insect King gave him a secret order.

Now he can command all traffic checkpoints on the central star to open their doors wide.

With the Crown Prince not yet enthroned, the Insect Emperor is the supreme ruler.

In matters outside of legion affairs, the Insect Emperor's orders take precedence over the Crown Prince's orders.

Having obtained communication permissions for the transportation system node, he reached out and quickly zoomed in and dragged the nebula node diagram.

There are countless navigation routes to the central star.

The interface changed rapidly as he operated it.

And the most crucial one—

His fingers stopped.

At a specific route node connecting the outer ring outpost of the Imperial Capital Star with the inner ring barrier hub.

Outer post customs, inner barrier customs.

This route is the only way to enter the central star.

A one-way encrypted communication window is forcibly popped up above the customs node.

He clicked "confirm".

The window opened, and instantly appeared the image of a young female soldier wearing the standard gray uniform of the outer sentry guards, with shoulder insignia indicating the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He was in the guard post's duty room, with a flickering control panel screen in the background, and a look of surprise on his face.

The signal source is not an official channel.

What kind of insect could force the communication interface to be opened in the sentry's office?

"Outer outpost customs office." Invika's voice rang out, brief, flat, and without inflection, carrying an unquestionable authority and a bone-deep sense of oppression, completely different from when facing the Insect King or Orion.

He did not reveal his identity, but in the corner of the communication window, a crimson badge with a golden iris on it, representing the highest authority, was silently flashing, more intimidating than any self-introduction.

The young officer's pupils constricted sharply, and he reflexively straightened his back. "Outer outpost customs office, please give instructions!"

Royal coat of arms.

He avoided asking questions about the identity of the communicator.

Never ask what you shouldn't ask.

Invica's gaze, though across the virtual screen, was as if it were physically fixed on the officer's face, observing his reaction:

"The Insect Emperor's Secret Order. Highest Priority."

"Between 8:30 and 8:45 tonight, a non-identified, unresponsive spacecraft marked as unnamed will enter your node's monitored airspace."

"Command: During the passage period of this spacecraft, cancel all active scanning and identity verification protocols, shut down all automatic defense turrets and traction beam arrays, and guide it through your node without obstruction to enter the inner ring buffer zone of the central star barrier."

"Maintain complete silence throughout the process. Leave no record whatsoever."

The female soldier's face turned deathly pale instantly, her expression filled with immense shock and fear.

Disable scanning? Deactivate defenses? Allow unidentified spacecraft to pass?

What absurd orders these are! Every single one of them is enough to send him to a military court!

This sounds suspicious. If he actually does this, and something goes wrong one day, like a terrorist attack on the central planet, he's finished.

He immediately retorted, "Sir! This violates core security regulations! Without the Supreme Security Department..."

"The Insect Emperor's secret order, top-secret level." Invica's voice suddenly dropped, each word like a heavy hammer, interrupting his doubts.

His icy tone carried an invisible, suffocating pressure: "Lieutenant Colonel, your duty is to execute, not to think, much less to question."

"If even the slightest leak of the secret order or the contents of this communication is made, including to your direct superiors, you will bear the consequences, and your family will also be unable to bear them."

The female soldier trembled slightly, her forehead beaded with cold sweat: "But—"

"No buts. Disobeying the Insect King's orders will result in immediate beheading, including your entire family."

The struggle and fear in the eyes of the young female soldier were like boiling water.

A few minutes.

Ultimately, it was replaced by utter despair and obedience.

He's probably going to be made a scapegoat.

He lowered his head, with a resolute air of desperation:

"Yes, sir. Outer outpost customs, time window 20:30-20:45, when the marked anonymous starship passes by, deactivate scanning, disable defenses, guide it through without obstruction, and leave no record."

Invica's face remained expressionless, as if he had merely heard a trivial report: "Very good. Lieutenant Colonel Serenz, your family will be proud of you."

He didn't utter another syllable, but gently tapped his hand in the air.

"Sizzle—!"

The communication window, along with the young female soldier's deathly pale face, disappeared.

The interface switches to the next node.

The customs center is located within the central star barrier.

An image of a middle-aged female soldier with sharp eyes and epaulets indicating she is a colonel appears.

The background is an even larger and more complex holographic star map of the command center.

Speaker Invika repeated the clearance order.

The colonel's brows furrowed instantly, and he recognized the communicator almost immediately.

Unlike the young insect who trembled with fear, he frowned and stared sharply into the camera: "Your Excellency Speaker, this order is extremely risky. I need written confirmation from a higher level."

"Confirmed?" For the first time, Invica's voice carried an extremely subtle, icy mockery. "Colonel Hawell, now that you've recognized my identity, are you questioning the authenticity of the secret order, or are you questioning His Majesty the Insect King's authority?"

He came to deliver a message: how many worms in the empire are higher than him?

The Insect King's secret order is set in stone. If you don't obey, are you disrespecting the Insect King, or do you suspect him of treason?

The icy pressure emanating from the screen almost froze the air.

"I am not—"

"Yes, ma'am. Don't do anything unnecessary, or you know the consequences. Your family, your future, or even more importantly, some things that shouldn't be brought up."

How many insects are completely clean on their bodies? Not many.