The gentle voice of the Twin Elven Twins sounded distant to Borken as if it came from another world. This hall was located in the deepest part of the entire flesh-and-blood construct, and countless neural links were connected here from various parts of the huge alien body, transmitting vast amounts of data into Borken's mind. This included not only the perception of the flesh-and-blood construct and the monitoring of the entire battlefield, but also the dark priests who were fusing in the depths. Although all the dark priests had been adjusting the direction of thought assimilation in the past, compared to the true 'fusion', they still had different minds. Integrating and sorting them into one was a difficult task for Borken.
The attack from the Deep Blue Well came. It was the counterattack of the ancient ghost hiding in the steel fortress. High-intensity energy beams were focused on the top of the construct as if to destroy the organs that fired the 'Bomb of Calamity'. Several organs used to open shields activated energy barriers in time, and although they were quickly burned by the overload, the attack from the Deep Blue Well was successfully blocked.
Then, the damaged organs began to self-repair as an astonishing amount of biomass was transported from the depths to the upper layer and converted into layers of extra shells. Borken carried out these operations with precision like a machine. This was a power and ability that he could not imagine as a human, and now it was all for him. In the interval between waking and dreaming, he thought about his current existence … He felt like a god.
A group of spiritual waves from afar reached the construct. Borken read the signals of the mass death of the mutants and the biochemical chimeras, as well as the powerful impact unique to the 'Heavenly Fire Crash'.
It was Cecil's people. They had advanced to the Scorched Plains in the north and were building their purification facility there. The wasteland legion there only had the most basic killing instinct and lacked heavy units. They only lasted less than a day in the face of the mortal army's attack. It was expected. They were cannon fodder in the first place. The only regret was that the cannon fodder played a much smaller role than expected.
A certain nerve node in the 'brain' emitted a dim red light. Borken's will turned into a spiritual wave and quickly transmitted along the underground network of roots to the north. There were no dark priests to carry out command tasks there, and the end of the network of roots was only connected to a large nerve node with basic intelligence. The nerve node buried deep underground could carry out the most basic control on the mutants and the biochemical chimeras within a certain range. In general, it was to maintain those basic units from being completely 'wild'.
In this way, the wasteland legion deployed in the remote areas could at least play a role in blocking and delaying the mortal army.
After issuing the order to regroup and engage in delaying tactics, Borken's consciousness once again focused on the battlefield before him. The Church had given up all external achievements so far, more than 70% of the wasteland, and everything that could be given up, just for the battle before them. But in fact, this was not the future that Borken had in mind.
He wanted to tame this planet, build an isolated 'eternal land of peace', and use the Deep Blue Net to destroy the current civilization on this planet and turn it into a planetary shield. But he never thought to achieve all this at the current price. He did not want to face the ancient specter in the center of the wasteland head-on because the price was so high that even he could not bear it. When the Elven Twins proposed this plan, he wanted to refuse, but when he looked around the wasteland, he found that there was no other choice.
How did the situation become like this step by step? Borken briefly wondered as the incessant 'voice' in the spiritual realm weakened. But before he could focus on the question, neural signals from various parts of the construct interrupted his concentration, and he had to continue to focus on maintaining the battle and unifying the minds. A powerful feeling of wielding great power and standing above all things appeared in time, weakening Borken's desire to question his present form.
So … powerful, just like … a god.
Very good, this is very good. Although he had sacrificed the Church that he had painstakingly built for centuries, he now had unparalleled power and an eternal body. Such great power — with just a thought, he could create a power that could destroy the world, and as long as his will remained, this body could infinitely recover … If the world eventually fell into a sea of fire in the eruption of the Deep Blue Net, he would undoubtedly be the only surviving individual. And after that, an eternal paradise of peace would descend upon this planet. As the only and most powerful lifeform on this planet, he would have many things to do by then …
Borken smiled as he planned that grand future. When that day comes, should he first create loyal servants? Or should he first build a magnificent palace for himself?
Rayna stood next to the ugly plant in the center of the hall, looking at the shriveled and twisted bark with a creepy 'expression' that looked like a smile. She could not help but smile as well. At her fingertips, strands of almost transparent 'lines' spread out in the air. These lines intertwined and weaved around Borken's canopy, his roots in the depths of the hall, and the bony arches and chitin domes around the hall. They were densely packed and layered like a spider web.
From the beginning, Borken had turned a blind eye to these spider webs growing in his' brain '.
"He has fallen into a dream, a very good dream. Under the tough appearance, our grand patriarch is still a weak mortal after all," Rayna said softly, the smile on her face widening. "It seems that he is not as great as he thinks."
"As a mortal, his will is actually strong enough," Firna's voice came from the side. "Until just now, his subconscious was still resisting, trying to let his reason return. At this point, he can still have doubts and thoughts. This is already beyond our expectations, isn't it?"
"… At least there is something redeeming about him," Rayna said faintly. Then she looked down as if she wanted to see through the thick bony, wooden barriers, and biomass chambers to the deepest part of the flesh-and-blood structure. She wanted to see the darkest and most terrifying part of this creepy 'creature'. "The fusion process of the last batch of dark priests has begun. But they are resisting fiercely, and they have been trying to awaken Borken's main consciousness."
"The moment they entered the fusion chamber, the smart ones among them understood," Firna said in a low voice. "But their resistance is meaningless. This structure has already grown to the point where the mortal will cannot compete with it. The shouts of the dark priests in the mental network will only be regarded as the whistling of the wind and annoying whispers by Borken … if he is still 'Borken'."
Rayna moved her fingertips, and the 'spider webs' around the hall became a little denser than before. At the same time, she frowned. "… But these 'noises' have some impact. They are affecting the power of the structure. The mortals are very close. We have to break the barrier of the Deep Blue Well before they arrive. The power of the structure is not enough now. Find a way to silence those noises."
"I will deal with it," Firna said faintly. She turned and walked toward the exit of the hall.
…
The advance of the Alliance army was getting faster and faster day by day. After pouring the power of the entire Lorien Continent into this land, the war machine of the mortals began to show its amazing power. The cannons wiped out the army of the mutants, the chariots crushed the wasteland army, and the powerful army spells made the whole land steaming. The warriors of various countries and races swept across the plains and mountains of the former Kingdom of Gondor like a gale. Behind the army, purification towers rose from the ground, and the barricades extended like blood vessels in the wasteland from all four directions towards the Deep Blue Well.
In the process, the influence of the barricades finally began to show. Although it was still a long way to go before it finally closed, in many areas of the wasteland, the environmental change was already an indisputable fact.
The polluting clouds were receding, the toxic substances in the air were decreasing, and the chaotic magic energy above the surface was gradually calming down. In some areas, the observers found plants that were stubbornly growing in the cracks of the rocks. The seeds of these plants flew into the wasteland with the airflow after the collapse of the Great Wall and took root in the disappearing land. They began to grow in the warm spring and became the first 'residents' of this land after seven hundred years of desolation and silence.
At the edge of the wasteland, at the foot of the Great Wall, which was traditionally regarded as a buffer zone for the polluted area, the observers even found a large area of land that had completely returned to normal. Even ordinary people who did not carry any protective gear and did not have any special powers could live peacefully and cultivate fertile land in these purified areas.
The war was not over yet, and the future of the mortal world was uncertain. But even if the dust had not settled, the world was still moving forward.
Carrie Perlow ran across the courtyard like a gust of wind, her long skirt fluttering on the edge of the flower bed and the lawn. The servants and maids by the road saw the young lady running over from afar and had already retreated to the porch in advance. Some servants who were more familiar with Carrie could not help but shake their heads with a helpless expression on their faces.
Miss Carrie was optimistic and kind. Her lively character was in sharp contrast to her serious father. However, she lacked stability and ladylike demeanor. When Viscount Perlow sent her to Cecil to study, although part of the reason was that the empire gave a 'task' to the young nobles, part of the reason was that the viscount hoped that his daughter could hone her temperament in a foreign country and become more mature in the process of living with other nobles. But judging from the results …
Miss Carrie, who returned from Cecil, had grown in all aspects, but she had regressed a lot in terms of ladylike demeanor. She had even learned a lot of 'Cecil style', which was very strange in the traditional view of Typhon. This really made people wonder what was being taught in the 'Imperial College' in Cecil …
"Carrie!" Viscount Perlow's voice suddenly came from the front of the courtyard, with a trace of displeasure in his voice, "What does it look like to run in the courtyard?"
The tall and thin Viscount Perlow, who was wearing a formal suit and a beard, frowned at his daughter who was running towards him. His tone was displeased and helpless. His daughter had finished her study and returned to China for a while, but this unstable girl still seemed to have no idea about the future plan. Her mind was full of impetuous and radical ideas. At the same time, she was not willing to enter the parliament to become a member, nor was she popular with men. Her marriage seemed to be in the distant future. As for inheriting the title and inheriting the family business … it was still too early.
Viscount Perlow was no different from most ordinary fathers when it came to "having a headache because of the future of his children".
However, Carrie did not seem to notice the dissatisfaction in her father's voice. She held a newspaper tightly in her hand and handed it to her father. "Father, look at this!"
"What's the fuss …" Viscount Perlow muttered as he took the newspaper. His eyes soon fell on a black-and-white picture on the front page. It was a plant, which looked like an ordinary wildflower on the roadside. However, the words next to it made his eyes change slightly. "A plant found in the wasteland … the pollution is subsiding … a purification zone found in the peripheral area?"
"This is a photo sent back from the No. 27 Forward Base of the Winterwolf Knight Regiment!" Carrie smiled brightly, and there was even a trace of inexplicable pride in her voice. "It's the unit where Marianne is. She found this flower, and the article specifically mentioned it!"
"Marianne … Marianne, the daughter of Count Riven?" Viscount Perlow quickly found the corresponding name in the aristocratic pedigree. After a moment of shock, he frowned. "She can already make meritorious deeds and even spread them back to the country for people to praise. Look at you — you are still classmates! You … "
"Father, I want to tell you something else," Carrie suddenly said without waiting for her father to finish. "I heard today that there's a wasteland reclamation plan in the enclave southwest of Winterwolf Fort …"
"A wasteland reclamation plan? The enclave southwest of Winterwolf Fort? "Viscount Perlow was stunned." That's not a polluted area … "
"That's no longer a polluted area!" Carrie said with a bright smile. "The Obsidian Newspaper published the news today, announcing several border areas that have been confirmed to be completely purified. It's still unknown how the Gondor wasteland will be distributed later, but those border enclaves are 100% the territory of the Empire. Now the pollution has subsided, and the army has pushed the frontline into the depths of the wasteland. The wasteland reclamation operation in those places will begin soon. I talked to Dana today. Her father, Count Yuven, has mentioned this to her. I want to go to the border with her … "
Viscount Perlow's expression finally became serious. He stared into Carrie's eyes and said slowly, "Carrie, you know what you're talking about."
"Yes, I know." Carrie stopped smiling and stood in front of her father in a serious manner. "I want to do the same thing as my ancestors. Father, my classmates in the academy are all doing what they think is the most important and right. Fendil Werder joined the wasteland expeditionary army and experienced the first battle. Eliven Franklin went to the Western Front not long ago as a research assistant. Marianne is fighting under General Andesha … Father, I don't know how to fight, and I don't have excellent grades in magic and magic, but I know how to explore and manage the territory. Since a long time ago, the Perlow family has been excellent pioneers. When you told me that, you were very proud.
"I don't want to be a member of the Parliament who only knows how to raise his hand. There are many smart people there, and I don't want to get married so soon. I haven't met the right person yet. I don't want to inherit the family business so simply and be an ordinary noble who spends a lot of time on balls and banquets … As His Majesty mentioned in his speech last time, we are facing a special and difficult period. The Empire needs every one of her people to do their duty and play their role …
"Didn't you just say that Marianne has already made meritorious contributions? Now I want to … "
"Okay, I agree."
Viscount Perlow's voice came faintly, suppressing the rest of the words that Carrie had been working on for a long time.
(End of Chapter)
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