The Little Overmind

"The position of Hierarch of the Daelaam is a weighty responsibility. He must be impartial and selfless, balance internal divisions, and shoulder the mission of leading the Protoss back to revival."

When Augustus noticed that all the Protoss's eyes were now focused on the matriarch Raszagal, this Dark Templar, who had lived for a thousand years yet whose figure seemed to remain in her prime, stood up.

Raszagal's words resounded far and wide through the power of Psionics and spirit; her authority needed no human intervention.

"I accepted the archbishop's appointment simply because fate and circumstances demanded that I stand in this position. A thousand years ago, I understood that without a leader, my people would perish."

"But I want to reiterate that I am only temporarily serving as Hierarch of the Daelaam, and this position should be rotated periodically. I will remain loyal to my duties and will not show favoritism to any Protoss."

"Chieftain, who else but you can shoulder this heavy responsibility?" Tassadar said.

"I am nearing my end, like a candle flickering in the wind," Raszagal said. "This era belongs to the younger Protoss, to Tassadar, to you."

Augustus watched quietly as a group of Protoss, hundreds of years old, received instruction from Raszagal as juniors, and felt a strange unease in his heart.

"I remember Angus Mengsk saying something similar to me, but he's not going to dump all the mess he's made on me before he goes bald, never," Augustus said to Artanis.

"Your father?" Artanis saw Angus Mengsk's image reflected in Augustus's surface thoughts. "What a great man he must have been to have raised you."

"No, you're completely wrong." Augustus shrugged, unconsciously recalling the time when Angus confronted him during his student days.

"Perhaps... you just lack more communication and understanding." Artanis finally blurted out this sentence after holding back for a long time. As an Aiur Protoss, he couldn't understand the endless conflicts and disputes among his people.

While Augustus and Artanis were speaking, all the Templar Knights and Dark Templar present had already stood up to hear Raszagal announce the final appointment:

"The bishops of the Council of Light and Shadow will soon be selected from among the various tribes, with the Firstborn and the Nerazim each making their own choices. Tassadar will be appointed as the high-ranking executive officer of Daelaam, commanding the Fleets. To reclaim Aiur, Shakuras needs to allocate more resources to build a new Fleets. The Aiur Protoss must respect the traditions of the Nerazim."

With no more Protoss questioning the matter, everything else fell into place naturally, and Augustus prepared to bid farewell to Artanis and return to Haj.

"This meeting is now adjourned. My fellow priests, executive officers, and consuls, go and finish the work you have not yet completed."

Some of the Dark Templar participated in the meeting also left the meeting hall. They showed little interest in the content of the meeting from beginning to end, only paying attention when Raszagal was speaking. It was as if no one except the matriarch could attract the attention of these Dark Templar masters.

The executive officers and governors also rose to their feet without the slightest hesitation. The Daelaam had many pressing tasks and missions to complete, and heavy responsibilities lay on their shoulders.

"Do you see, Artanis? Don't be blinded by this harmonious facade. It may seem nice to unite the Dark Templar and the Templar Knights forces, but the Protoss Empire has never experienced internal strife before, while the Daelaam is now riddled with contradictions," Augustus said to Artanis.

Maintaining internal harmony and unity is no easy task.

"The Protoss Empire is not without its share of conflict, Augustus. A rebellion by the Ancient Purifiers once brought about a protracted war," Artanis said.

"But we have never had any experience dealing with internal divisions—in the Khala, all the Protoss are of one mind, so there are no conflicts."

"This is precisely what you should be trying to resolve. The best way to resolve internal conflicts is to create a common enemy," Augustus told Artanis. "Ultimately, conflicts arise from many sources."

"The Khala is the root cause. Your race doesn't believe in Protoss without Khala, but the Dark Templar despise it deeply."

"The Dark Templar of Shakuras have all severed the neural bundles that every Protoss is born with, unless our scientists find a way to reconnect them."

"Why not try to emulate the Dark Templar? They can live just as well without the Khala." Augustus looked at Artanis.

"How could you think that? The nerve bundle is our second life. Losing it would plunge a Firstborn into unimaginable depression, a terrible depression and sorrow that would ultimately take the life of Protoss." Artanis was shocked by Augustus's words and felt deeply displeased.

"If the arbitrators heard this, they would definitely purify you and your mind with a purifying beam."

Artanis believed that Augustus had no intention of being an enemy of him and his people, but the proposal still seemed absurd to him, like telling someone that they must give up their right to speak and communicate for the rest of their lives to survive in society.

"So you're not the arbitrator, Artanis," Augustus said to Artanis, forcing a smile.

"If one day, I mean, if you have to give up Khala, then please don't hesitate at all."

"Without Khala, what do we have?" Artanis couldn't help but ask.

"We humans have a saying: 'Give me liberty or give me death,'" Augustus.

"Augustus Mengsk, if you have any time, I hope you can stay here a little longer." At this moment, Tassadar walked towards Augustus from beside Chieftain Raszagal. This highly respected Protoss Executor, who had been highly respected since the Battle of Aiur, wore flowing blue robes and carried a spindle-shaped Psionics amplifier on his back, which resembled a divine aura.

" With Zeratul not here, perhaps only you can answer my questions." Tassadar had always been candid about his confusion, not considering it shameful.

"I heard you're about to return to the core world of the Koprulu Sector, at which point we won't have as many opportunities to discuss philosophy."

"Executor, several massive Swarm Behemoth suddenly appeared in Shakuras's synchronization orbit, and at least one complete hive is approaching near-Earth orbit." At that moment, a Templar Knights hurriedly approached Tassadar.

"How could the Zerg possibly know Shakuras's coordinates?" Artanis felt uneasy.

If this were merely a Swarm that had deserted after the death of its Overmind, it would certainly pose little threat to Shakuras. But no one knew whether it was an ominous sign of an even more terrible catastrophe.

Augustus followed Tassadar, who realized the gravity of the situation, toward Raszagal, while the newly appointed Hierarch of the Daelaam had already received news of the Zerg invasion of an unknown Fleets before Tassadar.

"Shakuras is more than capable of withstanding an invasion of this magnitude," Vorazun said to Augustus and the others who had arrived.

"The Templar Knights will eliminate these enemies," Artanis declared firmly.

"It's not that simple." In that instant, Augustus had already considered many possibilities. "Which insect hive is this?"

"Chieftain, the newly appeared Behemoth does not seem to be carrying a large number of Zerg; the folds and cavities on its skin are empty." A Dark Templar brought out a Protoss projection device made of Void Crystal and Dark Metal.

Based on Augustus's understanding of this Protoss device, it was roughly equivalent to a tactical control console on a battlecruiser. The console could obtain information about the enemy Fleets's deployment through space radar scanning and sensor arrays, but the Protoss technology was clearly much more advanced.

In the blink of an eye, one after another, Titans composed of countless reddish-brown folds, vesicles, chitinous armor, insect eyes, and tentacles appeared on the rising Psionics projection. Millions of Overlord and Mutalisk flew around the Behemoth like dark, oppressive clouds.

These Zerg creatures had thicker carapaces and more spikes than those Augustus had seen, and some rare individuals were even surrounded by a dark red glow.

"This is a Zerg hive that has never been seen before," Tassadar concluded after just one glance.

"The largest of them is a Swarm Leviathan, whose mainframe is attempting to contact us using more than three different Psionics signal frequencies," the Dark Templar said.

"What are they here for? To feign weakness? But the Firstborn will not be so careless." Artanis couldn't understand the intentions of these Zerg.

"I'm more curious about who the Cerebrate of this hive Fleets are," Augustus, staring intently.

Although the most powerful Cerebrate, Daggoth, ruled over most of the Cerebrate after the Overmind's death, a portion still refused to obey the orders of anyone other than the Overmind. At least one Swarm left Aiur to search for a way to revive the Swarm on its own.

"Establish a Psionics communication link with this Leviathan," Raszagal said.

"The renowned Marshal Augustus Mengsk, seeing you among the Protoss is not surprising at all."

To the surprise of all the Protoss, the creature inside Leviathan was a humanoid alien monster. Augustus was only standing at the edge, the monster recognized him at a glance.

He had a large and strong physique, with well-defined pectoral and abdominal muscles covered by sturdy organic armor and a spiked exoskeleton. His golden eyes and terrifying, horrifying green face, speckled like seal skin, sent chills down one's spine.

Snake-like spiky tendrils extended from the top of his head, resembling living insects, while the sickle-shaped appendages extending from his back resembled the segmented legs of a spider.

Augustus recognized him immediately; it was Gabriel Tosh, who had repeatedly escaped from his grasp and been resurrected—a Haj trapped in a twisted and abominable body, a child whose body had been forcibly elevated to this state.

"Hello, Tosh," Augustus said slowly, looking at him. "I tried to save you, but I failed in the end."

"Haj's boy is dead. He's become a hideous, bloodthirsty monster, and my job is to bury him with my own hands."

"I don't need you to save me." Tosh's eyes gleamed with a golden light. "You are a hero to humanity, while I am nothing but a despicable monster."

"Don't block my way, Augustus Mengsk. My enemy is the Terran Confederacy, not you. My grandmother's death must be avenged with the blood of millions of Terrans."

Although Tosh has been completely transformed into a monster, he still retains human emotions, and more than Augustus originally thought.

"Protoss, I am the great Prince of Blades," Tosh proudly declared to the Protoss.

"That name is really unremarkable," Vorazun said.

"I've come to form an alliance with you." Augustus could see Tosh's brow bone, which was covered by the exoskeleton, twitch.

"I bring you news of great significance: the Cerebrate Daggoth has ordered several Cerebrate to re-merge into a new Overmind in Char. Once they succeed, the Swarm will once again sweep across the universe and destroy your home."

"A new Overmind?" Tassadar and the Protoss Templar Knights nearly choked on their own breath—if they had tracheas.

They had just paid a huge price to kill the Overmind, but now someone was telling them that a new Overmind was about to be reborn in Char.

Augustus learned of this from his domesticated Cerebrate Alpha —although humanity still couldn't figure out how Cerebrate could communicate across such vast distances. Humanity hadn't yet informed the Protoss, as this information needed further confirmation.

As is widely known, the Cerebrate Alpha is a despicable liar, and all of this is likely a fabrication.

"I came here seeking the power of the Protoss Dark Templar to help me kill that newly born Overmind," Tosh continued.

"If what you're saying is true, Prince of Blades," Tassadar said, "Then why did you tell us this?"

"Once that newborn Overmind awakens, I will become its servant again." Tosh let out a crunching laugh, "God and the Goddess of Death will guide me, not some mere, inexperienced Overmind."

"Don't you obey the Overmind's commands?" Augustus thought to himself, even at this point, Tosh still believes in God, and God and the native gods of Haj don't seem to belong to the same pantheon at all.

"I only obey the commands of the past Overmind," Tosh said with a smile.

"An alliance." Raszagal scrutinized the sinister face that had just been heard from.

"Even if the Protoss don't ally with you, they can still kill that newly born Overmind."