Hands and Tricks

Although only a small portion of the host's gene fragments had been analyzed since the fusion had just begun, Rowan was already certain that these were definitely not gene fragments from the Black Tower Race.

This is enough to show that, besides Saide, the Castle's owner, there are other living beings inside the Castle, and most likely they have been dormant Castle for a long time.

As the resolution increased, the gene fragments became more and more complete, and this newly emerging information looked very familiar to Rowan.

"The Pot Spirit Race?" Rowan frowned slightly and muttered to himself.

When the Biological Armor was first manufactured, it was designed to increase its broad applicability, allowing all races to experience the powerful Zerg technology, so its compatibility was extremely high.

This also means that the Biological Armor can be activated without any requirements regarding intelligence or other aspects; as long as it is a living organism, it can be activated.

Actually, this isn't a big deal. Sometimes, the difference between intelligent races and beasts on the same planet is much smaller than that between intelligent races on other planets. Therefore, there are absolutely no constraints on beasts activating their Biological Armor.

Rowan's biggest concern was that Saide might actually be trying to outwit thin air, or that he might have some other psychological issues that would allow him to fuse Biological Armor with a beast-like creature.

Fortunately, Biological Armor is extremely valuable, and once bound, it cannot be transferred again. Therefore, even the Epoch Clan cannot waste it on a wild beast.

Rowan had been paying close attention to Cecil's affairs, and it was only because of Cecil that Rowan had put so much effort into this planet.

During his time monitoring the Castle, Rowan produced a considerable amount of relevant data for research, including the genetic sequences of the Black Tower Race and the Pot Spirit Race.

Therefore, when the Biological Armor had only been analyzed to a very small extent, Rowan was able to distinguish that it was not a gene sequence of the Black Tower Race. Subsequently, he discovered that what was being analyzed was very similar to the gene sequence of the Pot Spirit Race.

As the resolution improved, Rowan gradually confirmed that this was indeed the genetic sequence of the Pot Spirit Race. Given the sensitive time, location, and the sensitive connection, Rowan's first thought was Cecil.

Shortly after Cecil's long conversation with Humins, she went missing from the Swarm's intelligence network. Later, through audio recordings from the Biological Armor, it was discovered that she had attended an auction.

This contradicted Rowan's previous speculation that Cecil was in hibernation, because Humins had sent messages to Cecil several times. If Cecil was not in hibernation, whether out of courtesy or due to mutual interests, he should have responded, provided there was no conflict between them. Otherwise, if Humins became aware of this slackness, wouldn't that create another potential enemy of equal caliber?

Offending a senior Epoch Clan elder for such a trivial matter is not a worthwhile trade. Besides, Cecil is also a high-ranking Epoch Clan elder; someone who has climbed to that position wouldn't do something so foolish.

But Cecil did indeed do it, and in a public place, Rowan had no idea what she was thinking. The trail then led to Castle Saide, where Cecil was lost again.

Now, a new clue seems to have emerged.

Rowan had worried that he was just being impulsive, but it wasn't actually that complicated. Saide simply bought the Biological Armor and kept it for his own use.

The reason he keeps bringing it up for observation is probably because he is a proponent of the Foundation-Inheritance Faction. It is indeed worth pondering that a leader who has always advocated for omnics would suddenly use bio-technological armor.

However, the way things unfolded put Rowan at ease. It turned out that Saide and his group were indeed up to something, which instantly cheered Rowan up.

The integration was still ongoing, but Rowan frowned in confusion.

Logically, with the integration reaching this level, the Biological Armor should be able to secretly intercept and replicate the host's visual nerve signals, then analyze them to extract images and see what the host's eyes see.

However, the current situation is somewhat strange. Because it has only been feedback from the Biological Armor, and because the Biological Armor lacks too many sensory organs, Rowan is not very good at judging the specific situation on the other side.

However, some unusual situations arose, which was within his expectations. After all, Rowan had deduced that this fusion was not an ordinary one, but rather an attempt to spy on the Swarm's technology. If that was the case, then Saide and his team must have prepared something.

Rowan was unaware of what Saide and his team had prepared, so when he discovered that the fusion process had reached a certain point but the expected functions had not appeared, Rowan instructed the Biological Armor to fuse as normal. He had previously planned for the Biological Armor to use the energy it absorbed from the host during the fusion process to evolve some sensory organs.

However, the situation has changed, and all previous plans have been put on hold. The Epoch Clan, as expected of the Epoch Clan, has somehow found a way to prevent the host from transmitting visual signals.

Rowan was already very familiar with the genetic sequence of the Pot Spirit Race. Although it was many times more complex than that of ordinary insects and birds, it was still nothing compared to the pinnacle creation of the Swarm — the Creep.

That's why Rowan was puzzled. Blocking visual nerve signals in front of Biological Armor is not as simple as blindfolding or simply poking out the eyes.

It's not something that can be determined simply by doing something to the optic nerve, unless they directly remove the optic nerve or replace it with something else.

If it's the former, given the Epoch Clan's technological level, even if they primarily follow the mechanical route, completely severing the optic nerve shouldn't be too difficult.

But if it's the latter... did Saide others replace the host's visual nervous system? For example, did the Pot Spirit Race replace it with the Black Tower Race's system? In practical terms, this is not impossible. Even when Rowan was very weak, he was able to splice gene fragments, which would then manifest in his body.

However, Rowan used his abilities and talents at that time. If it were anyone else, or even the Epoch Clan, doing this, it probably wouldn't have been so simple.

Besides, what would be the point of using something else? Are they trying to Swarm? Or are they targeting it so precisely? Rowan didn't believe in such a thing.

How could they know what was behind the door if they couldn't even open it?

Besides, this defense can only last for a short time. The Biological Armor has now fused with its host and has a source of energy. Rowan only needs to summon a few queen bees to dock with it and then slowly compare the gene sequences one by one.

They can always figure out which versions are the original versions of the Pot Spirit Race and which have been modified.