Mission Report

Rowan had considered these factors, which is why he invented the method of concealing military forces in the open. When the Telo Civilization army pressed in, Rowan almost thought his secret would be exposed prematurely. Fortunately, the Telo Civilization were rational, and no conflict broke out, thus preventing the secret from being revealed.

After finishing up the expansion, Rowan's next task was to prepare for the "head tax," a name given by the outsiders to describe the researchers who had been "sold" to the Epoch Clan.

The Swarm's researchers will certainly be under close surveillance, and too many cannot be sent. But don't forget that the Swarm can also invite the Riken Race. After years of development, the Swarm Intellect has secretly gained considerable influence among the Riken Race. When the time comes, mixing some of their own people into the "head tax" will be a piece of cake.

The Swarm's infiltration techniques are unparalleled. Given the right opportunity and method, it might be possible to find some like-minded individuals who share the Swarm's philosophy.

--

Inside a rest cabin on the Telo warship, Bular sat at a table, carefully recalling and recording every detail of the mission.

"The mission location is the Zerg base on planet A11 in the Rat-folk Star System, which is also suspected to be the Zerg's headquarters. However, since we have not been allowed to visit other planets, we cannot confirm this speculation at this time."

"There were three Zerg we met, two males and one female. They were all the Zerg we encountered throughout this mission."

"Observation revealed that they were wearing a protective suit of armor, suspected to be a personal Exoskeleton Armor. However, suspiciously, the armor was extremely form-fitting, with no signs of it being worn."

"After discovering this anomaly, I informed my Adjutant and several negotiators. In the days that followed, we made numerous close-up contacts, observations, and even touches, but we still couldn't find any point where the armor was attached to the body. Furthermore, we never saw the Zerg remove this armor, not even inside the eco-pods they created."

"It is speculated that this armor is most likely an innate feature of the Zerg. If this speculation is true, then it can be concluded that either the Zerg have a very short evolutionary history and retain some primitive characteristics, or the Zerg are extremely warlike, value cautious combat, and frequently engage in similar actions, thus preserving their ancient characteristics."

"The final guess is that this armor was created using advanced technology. When the Zerg's biotechnology developed to a certain level, they restored and improved some of their ancient features. This guess is the most likely, but regardless, based on the Zerg's external characteristics, they are a ferocious and warlike race."

"The Zerg are suspected of being able to survive in space. Although not directly observed, this is speculated based on footage captured by external monitoring of the spacecraft. The video clip has been extracted and is numbered 4121. The video shows a Zerg member appearing directly on the planet's surface without wearing any protective mask."

"Hypothesis 1: The Zerg armor possesses a field protection function, capable of forming a protective field on the face to shield the head from the harmful effects of the cosmic environment. Internal air sacs in the armor directly inject survival gases into the respiratory system to sustain life. Considering the Zerg have developed multiple field technologies and possess extremely advanced biotechnology, this hypothesis has a high probability of accuracy."

"Hypothesis 2: The Zerg are a space race, capable of completing internal circulation without relying on external gases, either naturally or through modification. However, considering that even the Epoch Clan has not yet mastered this technology, this hypothesis is extremely unlikely."

"In the past month, the Zerg have not been observed replenishing their food and water in person, nor have any similar objects been found in their ecosystem. Therefore, it is impossible to guess the types and range of the Zerg's diet."

"The Zerg negotiator in charge this time identified himself as Major General Danton, but considering that the other party uses the Riken Language, the description of his rank may be inaccurate."

"The reason is that the Zerg's living environment is extremely rudimentary. No monitoring equipment was detected through visual observation, and the hidden receivers in their protective suits did not capture any electronic signals. Furthermore, the Zerg were not wearing any communication devices, and there was no private or veiled communication during the negotiations."

"But during the negotiations, the other party could make decisions on many things after only a little thought. This suggests that they have enormous authority, which is highly inconsistent with their claimed rank of Major General." As he wrote this, Bular touched his own shoulder insignia. Both were Major Generals, so how could the difference be so vast?

"During the mission, we visited several Zerg facilities, which generally felt very primitive and backward. We didn't see any products that could be linked to modern technology. Furthermore, we didn't find any other Zerg, not even any signs of life. If they weren't intentionally avoiding us, then the Zerg population on this planet is extremely small. Considering that this star system has the largest Zerg garrison and is suspected to be Zerg main base, yet the Zerg density is so low, we speculate that the Zerg is extremely small."

"In contrast to the sparse number of Zerg, their Biological Weapon are extremely numerous, which the Zerg call 'insects.' Most of them are Octopus Monster- shaped, varying in size from a meter or two to hundreds of meters, and they are the most numerous. These insects, regardless of size, are extremely lazy and do not need to perform any work. They usually float in the planet's orbit like inanimate objects."

"Besides these, there are many other kinds of insects. Through observation, they are all very hardworking, possess rudimentary intelligence, and can complete simple repetitive tasks, working day and night without stopping. But strangely, no supervisory or management personnel were found in any of the facilities. Even stranger, the insects never made a mistake, and everything was in perfect order. We suspect that they are not simply ordinary Biological Weapon."

"All images of the Zerg and insectoid creatures have been commissioned to be drawn and preserved by artists." The team that Bular assembled was extremely professional, with members possessing a variety of skills. For example, his Adjutant and a negotiator were qualified as senior artists, making it easy for them to draw a sketch of the Zerg.

"Most areas of the Zerg territory are covered with a purplish-gray, fleshy carpet-like substance resembling a plant. The Zerg call it 'Creep,' which creates a comfortable living environment for Zerg. However, this Creep has appeared in several previous Zerg wars, and after discussion within the team, we speculate that its function goes far beyond this."

Bular paused briefly at this point, deep in thought. Before he arrived, his superiors had instructed him to thoroughly investigate the Zerg market and see if there were any unique products. After all, relations between the two sides were currently relatively friendly, and they naturally wanted to maximize profits during this honeymoon period.

As a civilization with a unique biological trajectory, the Zerg must have many distinctive "specialties." However, during Bular's mission, he didn't see a single Zerg market.

This task, which had received special attention, had yielded no results whatsoever, leaving Bular somewhat troubled.