Stymied

As the Creep expanded underground, it incidentally captured many samples of native organisms. Although these were mostly basic insects and the like, they still greatly helped the Swarm understand the planet.

Rowan remotely analyzed the genetic samples of the Creep, and subsequently, some Swarm versions of native insects began to openly appear on the planet's surface.

Soon, some Swarm- like small native creatures began to appear, and some flying insects and birds also joined the ranks. These inconspicuous little things were the best scouts, and with this integrated air and ground reconnaissance, Rowan quickly located the location of the Biological Armor.

This is a large ground-level building, resembling both a fortress and a palace, covering a vast area and is truly magnificent. The entire building is painted with alternating gold and green patterns, and the surrounding greenery is also excellent, filled with various native plants.

Any normal intelligent being would immediately notice the extraordinary nature of this place. Although the building was striking and dazzling, there were no other people around it.

If you look closely, you'll find that surveillance equipment is installed in the hidden corners of those buildings and plants. Drone also occupy high ground in the sky, conducting all-weather, 360-degree reconnaissance without blind spots.

Even the fully automated garden robots working in the green belts are connected to the Epoch Clan's artificial intelligence, serving as a vigilant force.

Seeing this scene, Rowan didn't find anything strange. This was the Epoch Clan elder's palace and standard security measures; Humins had a similar defense mechanism.

Although the Epoch Clan elders number in the tens of thousands, considering their territories and status, their numbers seem not only small but also somewhat scarce. Each of them is a powerful figure in charge of a large area, so it is reasonable for them to have such a grand presence and security.

However, the architectural style is not uniform; it depends on the personal preferences of the Epoch Clan elders. Cecil's maternal clan is the Huling Pot Spirit Race, who love nature. They love the golden sun and green vegetation, so these two colors are often seen in the architecture.

In fact, the Epoch Clan is quite averse to displaying certain customs and preferences of their maternal clan. Ordinary Epoch Clan are somewhat better off, but if Epoch Clan in power reveal these things, they are usually attacked by others for it.

Because they had actually separated from their mother tribe and become a new race, they still retained some of their mother tribe's habits and were considered not to have completely severed ties with their mother tribe.

Such a ruler, when dealing with matters related to his own clan, is bound to be unfair and unjust. In the eyes of those outsiders who consider themselves part of the Epoch Clan, this is a serious act of betrayal and is absolutely unacceptable.

In reality, the connection with one's maternal clan is not so easy to sever. However, even if people cannot sever it, they will not show it in obvious ways, and may even do the opposite.

Take Humins's mother tribe, the Sher Race, for example. They prefer relatively dark environments. The rich Sher Race live underground, while the poor live on the surface. This is a very obvious racial characteristic.

However, to avoid suspicion, Humins not only made the palace very tall, but he also lived on a high floor, and even wanted to replace the walls with light boxes to make the interior bright and airy.

Cecil, for reasons unknown, openly displayed his preferences. It's worth noting that the Epoch Clan's laboratory hangs in the sky above, and over 60% of the planet's population are Epoch Clan.

They have probably already seen this, and if it is sensationalized and amplified by someone with ulterior motives, even if Cecil is an elder of the Epoch Clan, he will probably be extremely annoyed.

Rowan didn't know why Cecil was so unconventional. It was a big deal, but Rowan hoped to find out more if given the chance.

The Castle's defenses were so tight that not even insects, let alone Flying Bug, could get in. These guys were so ruthless that they installed small laser devices at the Castle's entrances, such as doors and windows, instantly locking onto and eliminating any Flying Bug that got too close.

Although these defense systems were intended to prevent those annoying native insects from harassing the important figures inside, and were not specifically designed to target the Zerg, they did, in fact, increase the difficulty of the Swarm's infiltration.

If it's no good in the air, the ground isn't much better. Cleaning robots are everywhere around the Castle, and they regularly spray insecticides and repellents to keep insects away.

The Swarm, modeled after native creatures, is identical to the native Primarch in all attributes except for its ability to provide Rowan with vision as Node Unit, in order to ensure realism and prevent any potential accidents.

Therefore, they would also be affected by the drug, or even killed. After many attempts, Rowan managed to find some gaps and successfully break through the outer defenses a few times, but the sweeping robots inside the Castle were equipped with miniature electric shock devices.

Although its output power was low, it was enough to kill any intruding native insects. The insects Rowan used to infiltrate were already somewhat affected by the first line of defense with the medicine, unable to exert their full strength. Now, encountering these sweeping robots specifically designed to target those that slipped through the net, they naturally received a thorough shock.

Both aerial and ground attacks failed, leaving Rowan with no choice but to resort to his old tricks. Although the Swarm has now roamed the stars, their traditional skill of digging tunnels has never been neglected.

However, their foolproof trick suffered a crushing defeat, or rather, the Epoch Clan truly lived up to its reputation as a race with a history of over a million years, handling everything flawlessly.

These guys went so far as to apply a layer of radioactive material to the base of the building. Because there was a radiation-shielding layer in the foundation, this material had no effect on the interior of the Castle, but it had a more potent insect-repelling effect than any insecticide.

The native insects that approached were killed by the accumulated radiation in the soil before they even reached the foundation of the building. Gradually, a death zone was formed here, a forbidden area for the native insects.

While the Swarm is not afraid of this radiation and can even absorb it, if the insects are simply made using native biological templates, their fate will probably not be much different from that of their original models.

However, if the Swarm creates creatures far beyond the capabilities of native organisms to infiltrate, even if they possess the appearance of native creatures, they will likely immediately alert the Castle's defense system.

Now is not the time to alert the enemy, but the current situation is indeed troubling Rowan.