Level Two Energy

"So, the magic cores of high-level magical beasts are the Tier 2 energy stones we've been desperately searching for..." A heavy weight lifted from Ye Luo's heart. Tier 2 energy was not only the essential fuel for upgrading the Zerg Hive in the later stages but also a prerequisite for evolving more powerful, advanced Zerg strains.

Furthermore, once the Zerg Hive evolved to Tier 3, it could summon a new unit: the Overseer. Evolved from the Overlord, this unit not only possessed superior battlefield surveillance capabilities but also held a very special skill: Hatch Mimic!

A Mimic is a lifeform created when an Overseer fully observes a target's biological structure, social habits, individual personality, race, civilization, and technology, then encodes this information into its DNA to alienate a lifeform identical to the target!

This alienated lifeform is completely different from the ones Ye Luo creates using parasites. Parasites directly hijack the body of a living target and extract a portion of their memories based on the gap between the host and the parasite! Setting aside the difficulty of achieving a perfect parasitic bond, it is also very easy to detect such hosts through scanning methods. After all, no one would consider it normal to have a giant bug living inside their brain...

In contrast, a Mimic is a lifeform gestated by completely imitating the maturation process of the target species. For example, if Ye Luo wanted to mimic a human, the Mimic would simulate the gestation and birth process; if he wanted to mimic a turtle, it would simulate the egg and the hatching process. Once the Mimic rapidly matures, it is identical to the target in every way, save for the Zerg genetic fragments woven into its DNA! Unless one belongs to a highly advanced civilization, it is impossible to distinguish them from the actual target.

Under Ye Luo's instruction, the magic cores were quickly transported to the nearest Zerg Hive, and Ye Luo felt the Tier 2 energy in his mind surging upward.

"Alienate Overseer!" Since Overseers must be evolved from Overlords, Ye Luo issued the command directly to an Overlord descending above Morton.

The Overlord was immediately enveloped in fleshy tissue, and a minute later!

"Greetings, My Emperor!" Another burly man joined Ye Luo's ranks of heroes.

"Excellent. From today on, you shall be called Ye Yan!" Ye Luo looked at the sturdy man before him with great satisfaction.

Ye Yan said excitedly, "Thank you for the name, My Emperor!"

"Ye Yan, what is your special ability?"

"My Emperor, every ten days, I can disguise myself as a target, becoming identical to them while possessing a combat level equal to the base heroes. I can also summon two Mimic guards, who will possess combat power one level lower than mine. Additionally, I can summon up to ten Mimics; they will possess normal intelligence and thought, allowing them to blend into any required environment with great subtlety!"

"A natural-born spy. Very good!" Ye Luo patted his shoulder. A plan immediately took shape in his mind. Under his instruction, the nearest Zerg Hive immediately alienated one hundred Overlords, which then evolved into one hundred Overseers.

A standard Overseer costs 100 Tier 1 energy and 20 units of Tier 2 energy to alienate. A regular Overseer can maintain five Mimics simultaneously while retaining human-level intelligence. One hundred Overseers, plus their Mimics, meant six hundred spies indistinguishable from the real thing. As soon as they appeared, Ye Luo ordered them to infiltrate the various territories of the Keren Kingdom.

In their respective territories, they were to learn the local culture, integrate as much as possible, and keep a close eye on local talent...

Once this was done, Robert's speech outside had just concluded.

For the people of Morton, declaring loyalty to a magical beast was something previously unimaginable. However, after experiencing the terror of the beast-led slaughter, the fact that they could preserve their lives and their current civilization left many feeling genuinely fortunate.

Of course, there were many who could not accept this. They seized upon the charge of Robert colluding with magical beasts to incite others not to trust him, claiming their once kind and people-loving lord had been corrupted by the beasts. Regarding such rhetoric, Robert didn't even need to act; a few Zerglings leaped from the rooftops into the crowd, snatched the agitators away, and there wasn't a second dissenting voice to be heard...

When Robert arrived at Ye Luo's room, his face was haggard. In a single day, the people had been through much, but for this lord, he had endured even more.

"Ye, Lord..." Robert suddenly didn't know how to address Ye Luo.

"Just call me by my name," Ye Luo waved his hand dismissively. As the Zerg Emperor, let alone the Keren Kingdom, even the entire planet held no weight in his eyes. His only purpose here was to accumulate energy and level up. Once he could alienate Zerg units like Starship Carriers, he would immediately head into the vast universe. He was merely a passerby here, so he didn't care about titles.

"..." Robert took a deep breath. He looked at Ye Meng and the others beside Ye Luo, recalled how they addressed him, and sighed. "I will still address you as Your Majesty, just like them. Your Majesty, I have pacified the people's emotions, but from the looks in their eyes, I can tell they still cannot fully accept Your Majesty's rule..."

Ye Luo waved his hand nonchalantly. "Rule is just a matter of carrots and sticks. I believe you will handle that well. Now, let's discuss the next issue..."

A magic core suddenly appeared in Ye Luo's hand. "How many magic cores like this are there in the entire Morton main city?"

Robert took the core, examined it briefly, and said, "This is a Tier 6 magic core. Are you looking for cores Tier 6 and above, or only Tier 6?"

Ye Luo took the core back. It was the one with the lowest energy reaction he had pulled from the box, the bare minimum for Tier 2 energy. Anything lower would only convert into Tier 1 energy. "Above. Tier 6 and above, including Tier 6!"

"Magic cores of Tier 6 and above are considered strategic resources. Although my Morton territory is poor, there is still one box of such cores in my warehouse. If you need them, I will have someone fetch them immediately!" Robert replied without hesitation.

Ye Luo rubbed his nose. "Actually, this core is one from that very box..."

Robert paused, then gave a wry smile. "Since Your Majesty has already obtained that box, I have no others here..."

Ye Luo immediately corrected him. "No, I am not asking about your warehouse, but the entire Morton main city..."

Robert looked up, his brow furrowed. "The number of magic cores in Morton main city is indeed no less than what was in my warehouse, especially in the city's two magic shops. However, the hearts of the people have only just stabilized. Furthermore, following your previous words, I promised the people that you and your magical beasts would not infringe upon their rights. If I go demanding magic cores before the words have even faded, I fear..."

No less than the warehouse? A smile tugged at the corner of Ye Luo's mouth. That previous box of cores had provided him with a full 13,000 units of Tier 2 energy. Subtracting the 2,000 needed for the Overseers, he still had 11,000 on hand. If the city had at least as much as the warehouse, didn't that mean the Tier 2 energy in his possession was about to double?