Magical Reality Beyond Human Nature

It was not that the Galactic Alliance's decision-makers were stubborn. Many of them had survived the Hive's rampage during the old Overmind's era and had built themselves up step by step.

Their understanding of the Hive had been fixed in terror and bloodlust. They were the ones least able to believe that the Babel Swarm could coexist with the Galactic Alliance.

In the eyes of these decision-makers, every planet infected by the Hive was a fallen planet beyond control. Even if no tangible harm had yet appeared, they remained firmly convinced of it.

And in truth, that was indeed the case. Many of these infected planets no longer wished to be dragged into interstellar wars. Planetary Devastation, stellar explosions—who could endure that?

Thus, after administrative planets were infected, they all tacitly accepted that the Galactic Alliance could not protect them. Most chose to remain neutral.

The Babel Swarm was no longer bloodthirsty anyway. Whether they followed the Hive or the Galactic Alliance seemed to make little difference to these planets.

"The fleet cannot be redeployed. At present, the war machine swarm is the priority protection target," the Alliance military representative replied.

"Are we just supposed to watch?" representatives of the various powers, led by the Dias Empire, demanded.

The Alliance military representative answered, "Sacrificing a few administrative planets in exchange for sufficient strategic time is a worthwhile trade."

"Besides, the infected will not die, nor are they contagious. Their bodies are even healthier than before."

The representatives protested, "The Babel Swarm cannot be trusted."

The Alliance military representative remained calm. "It is all the same. The war machine swarm's weakness will not remain forever. Once the Alliance has made adequate preparations and completely crushes the Babel Swarm, we can begin investing resources into treating the infected."

"This is a necessary sacrifice. Compared with before, the cost is already negligible."

The Galactic Alliance representatives fell silent. Compared to the sacrifices of the past, this spore infection, where no one died and people even grew healthier, was practically as gentle as spring rain.

"We are willing to accept the Babel Swarm's spore infection and cooperate as the occupied zones of the Dias Empire did. We hope you will spare us."

The Banner Coalition sent a radio message to the Behemoth beasts in planetary orbit.

Soon afterward, the Behemoth herd replied in the same language.

"Recognizing the situation is a wise choice. As long as you remain neutral and behave yourselves like the occupied zones of the Dias Empire, the Hive will not harm you."

After the reply, the Behemoth herd dispersed, writhing through space as they released vast quantities of invisible Hive spores toward the planet.

The Banna People on the planet offered no resistance. They walked out of their homes, took deep breaths, and willingly allowed the Hive spores to enter their bodies and complete the infection.

"Why aren't they resisting? Why are they willingly accepting infection? This makes no sense. Something must be wrong here."

Neither the Overmind nor the brain nodes could understand this active acceptance of infection.

In the past, whenever the Hive infected a planet, the aliens upon it resisted with extreme ferocity. Many even disregarded their lives, throwing themselves at the Hive creatures that landed on the surface in suicidal attacks.

Compared to these aliens who now willingly accepted infection, no word other than surreal could describe it.

"In my homeland, there is a story," Lu Shang said.

"When ancient commanders surrounded an enemy in war, even if the enemy consisted only of the old, weak, sick, and disabled, they would deliberately leave one direction open. Do you know why?"

Lu Shang's question aroused the curiosity of the Overmind and the brain nodes. They thought about it for a while but could not figure it out.

So the Overmind asked, "Why?"

Lu Shang answered, "Because a complete encirclement means there is no hope of survival. Even the weakest enemy soldier is still a soldier. With a weapon in hand, they can harm the enemy. Under the shadow of death, they will unite as one, and even if they must die, they will make sure to hurt the enemy before they do."

"But if one side is left open, there is still hope of survival. Soldiers will keep fleeing through the unsealed direction. The general need only lead his troops in pursuit and kill the enemy soldiers who fall behind one by one."

"The enemy soldiers will not resist. They will only flee desperately, without even the slightest thought of turning back to help their comrades."

It was inconceivable. Such a situation had never existed in the history of the Babel Swarm.

"Cannot understand," a brain node said.

"What is there not to understand? It is merely about surviving," Lu Shang said as if it were obvious.

As he spoke, Lu Shang said meaningfully through the Hive network, "You do not think the Galactic Alliance has never used this tactic against the Hive, do you? Haven't you found it strange that so many brain nodes chosen by the old Overmind remain in the Hive?"

The Hive network fell silent.

Then the Overmind hesitantly asked Lu Shang, "You mean... every brain node chosen by the old Overmind was a traitor who betrayed the Hive?"

At once, the brain nodes selected by the old Overmind erupted. They frantically defended themselves through the Hive network.

"No, we did not betray it! We absolutely did not betray it! No!"

"Everything we did was for the continuation of the Hive!"

"Survival and continuation are the Hive's foremost needs. This was the Hive's choice!"

Betrayal could not be tolerated. There was no room for betrayal within the Babel Swarm.

Cook, the brain node who had failed to report the battle situation to the Overmind at a critical moment, falsely claimed that the attack had failed and that the Hive forces needed to regroup, while actually preparing to lead the Hive under his command in escape, had already been erased by the Overmind.

If it had been a crisis threatening the extinction of their species, Cook's actions would naturally have been correct. But now the crisis was gone and the situation was stabilizing, so the Overmind naturally had to settle old scores.

"Do not be so nervous. I do not intend to slaughter you all or accuse you of being traitors." Lu Shang laughed, then added, "Because there is no need."

The brain nodes chosen by the old Overmind were instantly speechless—so if there were a need, they could be accused?!

Lu Shang continued, "I only want to point out an objectively existing phenomenon. Just as hydrogen and oxygen produce water when they burn, life is the same. It is something objective, something material."

"The Hive lost in the past only because its enemies were better at exploiting these phenomena. Put simply, they had more brains."

"What the Hive needs now is to learn how to make better use of these laws." Lu Shang's expression turned serious.

"The Overmind has given the Hive a level-twelve psionic brain. Before the Galactic Alliance catches its breath, we need to integrate this level-twelve psionic brain into the war system."