Amid the vast forest surrounding the mines, a Protoss city of considerable scale rose from the ground. Its flashy golden buildings stood in neat rows, brimming with technological sophistication.
Six Protoss Nexuses automatically began their mining operations. Each Nexus came with twenty-four Probes and could automatically produce another twenty-four every day, all without consuming additional resources.
The quantity of Crystal Minerals began to rise steadily. A total of 144 Probes could mine 14,400 units of Crystal Mineral each day. After all, reality could not be confused with a game; the mining speed was that absurd.
Ten thousand engineers swiftly got to work as well. Forges, Stargates, and Robotics Facilities operated day and night, while the Phase-smiths organized the data Rohana had uploaded in the Robotics Bay and Fleet Beacon.
Shen Jun appointed Kerasul as Minister of Research. The Protoss system had never possessed anything resembling a research department, because researchers did not hold high status. Even after Artanis elevated engineers into the Templar class, there had never been a government body devoted solely to technological research.
But Shen Jun established a research department. Not only would he raise the status of Khalai engineers to equal that of Templars, but any senior researcher who earned the title of Phase-smith would hold status equal to, or even higher than, a High Templar.
With this move, Shen Jun would completely secure the loyalty of the Khalai engineering community.
Zeratul had killed that Trigonian, so the Trigonian base on Giant Elephant Star had no idea what was happening at this Crystal Mineral mine. According to the data obtained from the dead Trigonian, there could not be more than a hundred Trigonians on Giant Elephant Star. Shen Jun, who had recently grown rather inflated, no longer regarded the Trigonians as a threat.
His ambition had already spread to this planet with its perfect ecosystem.
Eradicating the Trigonians was imperative. Diving equipment was therefore urgently needed, and Shen Jun discussed it with Kerasul. They would rush out a thousand sets of lightweight battle armor capable of withstanding water pressure below ten thousand meters within three days, equip the entire Shadow Guard with them, and have Zeratul and Vorazun lead the troops to Trigonians' City.
Tassadar served as commander-in-chief of thirty thousand Templars, with Selandis as his adjutant. Their task was to sweep outward from the mineral deposits, destroy the cities of the Elephant Man civilization, and drive away large numbers of Alien Beasts.
Zeratul commanded twenty thousand Nerazim, while Vorazun led the Shadow Guard, which consisted of all the Dark Templars. For now, the Shadow Guard would head to Trigonians' City, while the remaining Dark Zealot Legion would split into two forces and advance toward the other two mineral deposits. Shen Jun intended to seize Giant Elephant Star's resources in one stroke.
Gao JianGuo... ahem, Alarak, remained the Highlord of the Tal'darim and had no adjutant. Alarak was proud and scheming, unwilling to trust others easily. Still, this guy had been warped in just before his death during Amon's second arrival. Rohana's timing had indeed been excellent. If it had been that treacherous First Ascendant from earlier, Shen Jun would have eliminated him immediately.
Shen Jun found Alarak and asked him to select several Alien Beast species with superior genes. Shen Jun thought the Trigonians' Alien Beast control devices might be useful, so he had Kerasul find people to study them and see whether they could replicate a batch. He hoped to assemble a massive Alien Beast army to serve as cannon fodder in landing operations.
In the past, Protoss cannon fodder had been war machines such as Immortals and Dragoons. However, Shen Jun did not have enough resources to sustain such extravagance. It was simple: the resources required to produce one Dragoon were enough for him to warp in another Robotics Facility. At full power, a Robotics Facility could produce at most a hundred Dragoons per day, but the resource consumption was astronomical. Alien Beasts made an excellent replacement.
But how could someone as proud as Gao JianGuo possibly give Shen Jun a pleasant expression so easily? He said that not even the Hierarch had ever made him submit, so why should a mere human make him obey? Yet his body was honest, and he still went to help Shen Jun select Alien Beasts with superior genes...
Thus, the Protoss' first truly meaningful base in the Super God Universe was completed.
Late at night, Shen Jun stood in the small council chamber deep within the Twilight Council. In the old Protoss society, only the highest-ranking Protoss had been qualified to enter this place. Now, it was merely an ordinary office.
Alarak's attitude made Shen Jun ponder for a long time. Indeed, he was currently the Protoss leader chosen by Rohana. It was precisely because Rohana's Overmind had been installed inside Shen Jun that the Protoss obeyed him. Moreover, the current Protoss could not withstand any internal strife, and having Shen Jun unite the three factions was the best choice.
But he truly was not Protoss. If the Protoss grew powerful again one day, his position would become extremely delicate.
"Rohana..."
A flash of resolve passed through Shen Jun's eyes. Since the danger lay in the fact that he was not Protoss, then... he would turn himself into a Protoss!
I'm done being human!
As for whether he could retain his human body... Shen Jun no longer cared. He was in an unfamiliar universe, on an unfamiliar planet. Staying alive mattered more than anything else. What did it matter whether he looked human?
People like Ge Xiaolun, Liu Chuang, and Zhao Xin from the Super Soldier Squad were still Chinese in name, but the genes in their bodies had long since become Super Genes of the Deno Civilization. Could they truly still be considered human?
"The Zerg possess genetic modification technology. They transformed Kerrigan from a human into a Zerg. Although the Protoss do not focus on biotechnology, they should not lack similar genetic modification technology... right?"
"...Have you truly made up your mind?"
Rohana hesitated for a moment before replying.
This reaction delighted Shen Jun. Rohana had indeed recorded such technology.
"Of course. You know Zagara, right? The Broodmother under Kerrigan. Back when Kerrigan was turned back into a human by the Terran Empire using a Xel'naga artifact, the Zerg did not rebel because her form had changed. They still revered her as the Queen of Blades. Zagara once said that the Queen of Blades was a will; her form was not important."
At this point, Shen Jun changed the subject. "But afterward, she still chose to return to the body of the Queen of Blades."
Rohana understood the meaning behind Shen Jun's words, so she replied, "Understood, Commander. As you command. Please move to an open area now."
Shen Jun left the Twilight Council and went to an open little square, waiting for Rohana's next instruction.
A warp beam descended, and a genetic modification device resembling a cultivation pod appeared before Shen Jun.
Without needing any prompt, Shen Jun entered the device on his own. Its interior was comfortable, and its size was unexpectedly a perfect fit for him.
"Commander, Protoss rarely undergo genetic modification, so the genetic samples I possess are very limited. There is only one sample that suits your status."
"Oh? Is it Artanis's? Or Adaris's? Don't tell me it's Raszagal's?"
"Neither... It belongs to an old friend of mine. His name was Adun."
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