Making use

After pinching the silver thread, Zhang Han felt no different. His Swarm network did seem to have expanded by one tiny node: the woman beside him.

Then he discovered that she was not part of the Swarm at all. She was merely an ordinary life-form. Her consciousness was transparent to him in one direction, while he could selectively transmit information to her.

Chloe had not noticed at all that she was the one bound by the contract. The contract had no binding power over Zhang Han whatsoever, and as she was a small node in the Swarm network, Zhang Han could do whatever he wanted to her.

She excitedly felt her mind connect to a powerful being. Through this connection, she could sense goodwill and closeness. Even beside her mother, she had never felt this safe and secure.

The mental contract had been signed, so there was no need to keep her hand on this disgusting egg, even though resting her hand on it felt good.

Chloe took her hand off the egg and turned around, her gaze sweeping across the entire nest. She felt as though everything was in her grasp.

"My dearest friend, could you please have your guards release my knights? I promise you they mean no harm," Chloe said to Zhang Han through her Psionic Power.

Since he held the initiative, Zhang Han did not mind playing along with this princess. He ordered the entire Swarm to cease hostilities and come to his side.

By then, the Swarm reinforcements had also reached the hive entrance. Obeying the Overmind's orders, they ignored the fully armed knights around them. They moved to Zhang Han's side in perfect unison, shielding him behind them. The Hydralisks even shook their needle sacs threateningly.

Ymir climbed to his feet and brushed the dust off himself. Looking excitedly at Chloe, he asked, "Your esteemed Highness, did you succeed?"

"Yes, I succeeded. This powerful high-level magical beast has now become my dearest friend. With its help, I will fulfill the prophecy about me, step by step." In front of her subordinates, Chloe restrained her urge to laugh wildly. She displayed her confidence through her expression alone.

"Wonderful! We will follow you loyally." With that, Ymir knelt before Chloe. Seeing this, the other knights also voiced their allegiance and knelt.

Chloe held her head high and looked down at them arrogantly. These knights had always maintained a certain degree of pride, yet now that they had seen her subdue a powerful magical beast, they immediately began pledging their loyalty.

The feeling of possessing power and holding everything in her grasp was truly intoxicating.

She did not have the knights rise immediately. Instead, she continued sending mental messages to Zhang Han. "My dearest friend, you mentioned earlier that you needed my help with something. You can tell me now. Don't hesitate. As long as it is within my power, I will help you."

With the entire Swarm back, Zhang Han was now in a safe position. The surprise attack had cost him three Zerglings. One Roach had also been severely injured, and most of the creatures had suffered injuries to varying degrees.

The hive's hatching and the Swarm's recovery both required time. So Zhang Han planned to keep playing along.

"My friend, I am evolving, and this requires a great deal of food and energy. Your people have also injured all my guards, leaving them unable to hunt. So I hope your people can take over their work."

Chloe readily agreed to Zhang Han's request. She already regarded Zhang Han as her possession. Helping Zhang Han grow stronger meant helping herself grow stronger.

To give Chloe a greater sense of involvement, Zhang Han also ordered the Swarm to recognize her Psionic Power and obey her commands to a certain extent. Once he had finished all this, sleepiness once again filled Zhang Han's consciousness.

"During my evolution, I cannot stay awake at all times. So, my friend, please be sure to handle the hunting and guard duties properly. I am going to sleep." After explaining a few details, Zhang Han prepared to go back to sleep.

Of course, Zhang Han did not trust Chloe completely. Protecting the Overmind remained the Swarm's foremost task. If Chloe did anything out of line, the Swarm around her would kill her immediately.

At that moment, Chloe was excitedly ordering a Hydralisk to lift her up. Such a powerful magical beast obeyed her orders like a well-behaved baby, leaving her extremely excited and curious.

Upon receiving Zhang Han's message, she replied happily, "Call me Chloe, and I will call you Overmind. Please sleep without worry. I swear on the Normanov family name that I will protect you and let you hatch safely. Good night, my Overmind."

"Good night, Chloe." Zhang Han did not understand why this woman was so eager, but he could not concern himself with that now. He needed rest.

After Zhang Han fell asleep, Chloe followed his arrangements, leaving the severely injured members of the Swarm to recover in the nest while she led the rest of the Swarm and her high-ranking knights out to continue hunting.

As for the wounded and the ordinary knights, those with serious injuries returned to camp to recuperate. The rest helped haul prey from the lakeside.

Having fought a major battle, the knights received no rewards and instead had to work, leaving them generally dissatisfied.

But looking at the princess seated on the shoulder of a three-meter-tall Hydralisk, they could only comply. Even if they had complaints, they dared not voice them.

During the hunt, Chloe grew increasingly fond of the Swarm, though everyone else saw them as fierce, terrifying beings.

Indeed, whether it was the Zerglings' sharp claws, the Roaches' acid, or the Hydralisks' steel needles, all were extremely terrifying organs. On top of that, their appearances were ugly and vicious. Even her knights were reluctant to walk alongside them.

Yet she did not see them that way. The Swarm was loyal, obedient, and brave. They would risk their lives to protect their targets. These were all qualities rarely found in the knights who had once sworn allegiance to her.

At first, Chloe had indeed treated the Swarm as tools. She ordered them to keep the knights safe during the hunt. One Zergling actually used its own body to block a fireball spat out by a magical beast to protect a knight's life.

It saved the knight's life, but was left barely breathing.

The knights all considered themselves people of lofty moral character. Chloe had heard more than one knight declare that he would uphold knightly virtues such as sacrifice, loyalty, and courage.

Yet she rarely saw a knight who could truly live up to these things. The reason she continued to entrust important duties to Ymir, who defied her orders, was precisely that she knew he was a knight who upheld those virtues. He would always honor the vows he made.

And now, these ugly, terrifying monsters possessed the virtues that belonged to knights, which shook Chloe deeply.

At first, she had thought the Swarm lacked intelligence and independent consciousness, that they were merely tools that obeyed orders, like alchemical golems.

Only when she reached out to stroke that dying Zergling did she realize she was wrong. Through their Psionic Power connection, she sensed the Zergling's emotions.

First came the pain of its injuries, then the reassurance of being stroked, and finally the determination to protect her and carry out her orders. Had its injuries not been so severe, the Zergling would have nuzzled Chloe's hand with its head to show affection.

After that incident, Chloe grew fond of the Swarm.