Actually, I feel that we might have caught a weirdo amongst the Fallen Apostles …
"Actually, I feel that those who are able to get within a hundred meters of your family alive will become weirdos sooner or later."
Icetis rubbed her chin. After hearing my sigh, this female hoodlum retorted without any hesitation. After being with us for such a long time, the female hoodlum who roamed the pugilistic world like the wind, relying solely on a brick, had finally learned how to retort!
Furthermore, I realized that I was in no position to rebut her words. That was because she immediately added on, "Look, recently, even me and that stubborn old man, Kenser, have been acting a little abnormal."
Was there a normal person in your group of five Protoss cops?!
"How should we deal with this fellow?"
I resisted the urge to punch this Hoodlum Goddess — In reality, I wasn't her match. I turned my head and whispered to Sandora.
No matter how I looked at it, that weirdo prisoner, who was slightly different from a normal Fallen Apostle, was still looking at us expressionlessly. However, no one believed that his expressionless face was even remotely close to being serious. However, the most important thing to do now was to think of a way to dig out some useful information from this fellow's mouth. Based on the other party's stubborn attitude, it would be extremely difficult to do so.
Torture? That was nonsense. Even if they were Fallen Apostles, they were still a branch of the Shiring Apostles. This was a bug-like race. No matter how much torture was used on them, it would only serve to tickle them. I didn't believe that there was any pain that was strong enough to make a soldier of the Empire open his mouth. Even when Sandora had turned this prisoner into a sieve, the other party didn't show any signs of giving in. Under normal circumstances, this kind of tenacious spirit was admirable. However, when it appeared on the enemy, it would only make one gnash their teeth in hatred.
Another method was to forcefully extract the information from the other party's memory core. The Shiring Apostles were a special kind of lifeform. They were essentially constructed lifeforms. Every part of their body could be viewed as a module. Not only did this provide them with unparalleled survivability, it also gave them some machine-like characteristics. One of these characteristics was that their memory cores and thought cores could be extracted and manipulated individually. In fact, they had even developed the technology to reencode and store their souls in their memory cores, allowing most of the Shiring Apostles to revive on the spot through many different methods. However, it would probably not be easy to use this method to read the secrets of the Fallen Apostles' minds. This was because all of the Apostles' memory cores were equipped with firewalls and self-destruct mechanisms. Alright, in reality, everything related to the Schilling Civilization could self-destruct. They would rather destroy it than hand it over to the enemy. This was a unique characteristic of their race. I believed that the Fallen Apostles were equally proficient in this aspect. There was no way for us to extract this prisoner's memory core without anyone noticing and complete the scan at the same time. Theoretically speaking, the memory core could only be read when it was activated. Would an activated memory core allow unauthorized data to enter? This was an unsolvable problem.
Even if it had a fifty percent success rate, we would not be willing to take the risk. Moreover, the success rate might not even be five percent.
"To be honest, boss, I didn't even have this much trouble prying things out of the mouths of the heretics. I'm afraid that the Ten Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty will not work."
Liliana looked at the commander's uniform that had been stabbed into the Olympic stadium and said weakly, "I'm afraid that there is no one in this world who can make this kind of prisoner talk."
"Indeed, this situation has never been seen before." Sandora shrugged. "In the entire history of the old Empire, I have interrogated countless prisoners of war, but the Shiring Apostles were the only exception. How to torture information out of the Empire's soldiers is a proposition that no one has ever tried before. Who would have thought that such a day would come?"
"To be honest, what's the point of you keeping this secret?" The elder sister looked at the prisoner who had been ignoring us from the beginning to the end and shook her head with a sigh. "You have already lost this battle and the fragment has fallen into our hands. Even if you don't tell us, we will be able to figure out what the fragment is for sooner or later. Whether you tell us or not, the only difference is for us to waste a little more time. "
"Then, you can continue your research."
The prisoner glanced at the elder sister and said emotionlessly.
"Do you still remember what happened before you became like this?" Sandora sighed. "I'm really curious. You clearly maintained your original consciousness and memories. How did you become like this? Is the glory of your race gone?"
"It's a necessary sacrifice for the great cause, including you." The prisoner didn't hide anything on this topic, or rather, he was more than happy to discuss it with us. "The Empire will eventually change the structure of the entire Void. We will control everything, including the Void and the Abyss. However, it's a pity that there aren't many who are qualified to do so. You have no choice but to be eliminated."
"The great cause, the great cause. Everyone knows that you are causing trouble for the great cause. Who did I offend to make you guys cause trouble together?" Lin Xue had a sharp tongue and didn't hold back in her ridicule. "Why don't you tell us yourself? Do you know what I look like?"
"I think you might have made a grammatical or semantic mistake." The prisoner pondered for a moment before replying seriously. "However, it doesn't matter. You don't need to know what the goal of the great cause is. I don't need to know either. I'm just a soldier who obeys orders and completes my mission to complete the great cause. I want the Empire to stand at the peak of the entire Void. As long as I can achieve this goal, all sacrifices aren't worth mentioning."
"Tsk, can't you change the topic? Back then, Ockham also discussed the great cause with me, but he's already dead." I grinned. We weren't unfamiliar with the 'great cause' that the other party mentioned. Regardless of whether it was Ockham at the Santu River or Silvia who had returned to the Empire's camp, both of them had mentioned this grand plan. However, even the high-ranking officers among the Fallen Apostles weren't clear about the details of the plan. It should be something planned by the final Boss of the Fallen Apostles. The other Fallen Apostles, even if they were Emperor-ranked Fallen Apostles, were only able to participate in one part of this grand plan. What was surprising was that these Fallen Apostles were actually able to fight with their lives on the line despite not fully understanding what the 'great cause' was. I really didn't know what methods the mastermind behind the scenes had used in this process.
"You won't understand how important the cause that we are currently undertaking is, so there's nothing to talk about." He was obviously a prisoner, but the other party's attitude seemed to be more upright than ours. If you didn't read the rest of the story, you would think that he was a national hero. I knew that at the very least, I wouldn't be able to get any information from him today. Thus, I turned my head to look at Sandora and said, "Lock him up for now. After dealing with the refugees, we'll move him to the Shadow City. We'll think of a way to deal with him in the future."
"Ah? That's it?" Liliana's face was filled with regret. She thought that she would at least be able to witness a sensational interrogation today. However, we realized that even though Sandora had opened up a dozen holes in the prisoner's body, the other party didn't even frown. Everyone had already given up on this plan. Thus, Liliana was extremely disappointed. "Forget it. However, can I beat him up? The aura of the Abyss on his body is making this Pope's Divine Power very unhappy! "
Prisoner of War — Alright, since he didn't say his name, we'll temporarily call him Prisoner A. Prisoner A immediately exclaimed, "Hey! How did the Shiring Apostles turn into such a creature? "
"Liliana, stop fooling around." The big sister also patted the eager black lolita before turning to look at Prisoner A. "However, you are indeed a dangerous fellow. I'll draw a circle on your body so that it'll be easier for me to track you."
Prisoner A instantly shivered. He recalled that after he was captured, the soldiers of the Empire had peeled off a certain part of his body as if they were facing a formidable enemy. A sense of danger instantly overwhelmed his heart. He looked at Liliana and said solemnly, "What you said just now still counts, right?"
Liliana thought for a moment and said, "Beat you up? Of course it counts. However, after I beat you up, big sister will still draw a circle for you. This is a double choice. "
Prisoner A instantly took her seriously. He thought for half a minute before nodding solemnly. "Then, I'll trouble you to beat me to death."
Everyone was speechless.
"F * ck, I realized something." Icetis leaned over and whispered into my ear. "As long as you don't discuss military secrets with him, he's actually quite a cute fellow …"
I thought to myself, Could this be the glorious tradition of the Shiring Apostles? Why does this Prisoner A in front of me seem to be more and more familiar?
Of course, in the end, Liliana didn't succeed in practicing the Tortoise Fist. That was because I discovered that this unlucky captive didn't seem to be hated to the point that Liliana hated him to such an extent. At the very least, it wouldn't be suitable for Liliana to casually abuse the captive. However, Big Sis still succeeded in leaving a piece of paper on the captive's body. In the spirit of the Olympics, Big Sis even drew five rings on the captive's body. I could still clearly remember the unlucky Fallen Apostle officer's expression as if he was facing a great enemy. However, this Cursed Beacon wasn't a dangerous item that could be triggered at any time. It would only activate when the captive tried to escape or destroy the Cursed Beacon. As for its power, even Big Sis herself didn't know. However, the Cursed Queen's Olympic flag, which was able to destroy an entire solar system with a bunch of glass beads, was definitely no ordinary item.
As I returned to the officers' lounge and waited for the ship to depart, I was still thinking about the bits and pieces of information I heard from the Fallen Apostle. Although the Fallen Apostle refused to divulge any critical information, it was still possible to deduce some things from certain words.
"Lass, do you still remember? That guy said that they'll control everything, 'including the Void and the Chaos Abyss.' He also said that they'll lead the Empire to truly stand at the peak or something. I feel like this sentence is quite important."
As I said this, I looked at Lin Xue. In a situation where there was a lack of information, she was the only one who could give a more accurate conclusion. Although Lin Xue wasn't the smartest among us, nor was she the one with the most strategic foresight, there was no doubt that she was the one who had the most right to speak on any issue.
"Control the Void and the Chaos Abyss, huh." Lin Xue had been using her ability frequently recently. Furthermore, she was prophesying things that could easily change the overall situation. That was why there was a rather tired expression on her face. However, she still did her best to find an answer to my question. "That Fallen Apostle provided me with some information. Right now, some blurry things are emerging … It seems like the Fallen Apostle's plan is much grander than destroying the world. I have a vague feeling that their final goal is still what they were doing before the Empire was destroyed. Yep, it might be even bigger."
"Before the Empire was destroyed?" Sandora, who was originally resting on my shoulder and pretending to sleep, opened her eyes. "You mean to say that they are going to rule the Void and become the true third Protoss?"
"In terms of strength alone, the Old Empire is already the third Protoss. There is no need for the Fallen Apostle to call the restoration of the Old Empire's strength a 'great undertaking'. There is also no need for them to be so mysterious. I'm afraid that they are currently trying to … expand their territory into the Chaos Abyss? Then, control the Void and the Chaos Abyss at the same time? In any case, they are trying to make the Empire truly unparalleled, to the point where it might even surpass the Gods. "
Lin Xue used a tone of disbelief towards the end. It was obvious that she felt that this conclusion was too inconceivable. However, she still nodded slowly. "I can see that they are currently trying to explore the essence of the Chaos Abyss. Furthermore, they are trying to create … Oh, I can't see anymore. I can't see what they are doing. It seems to be a hidden door. It might also be a passageway. In any case, they are trying to reach a certain place … When did this plan begin … Ah!"
I reached out and gently brushed past Lin Xue's eyes. "Alright, that's enough. My heart is aching."
The young lady shivered visibly. Then, she nimbly reached out and hugged my arm. She opened her mouth and bit down on my arm. "Tsk, now you finally remember that I am not your coolie?"
I discovered that many girls had the habit of biting others to vent their dissatisfaction or to express their existence. At the very least, I had no lack of such strange fellows around me. However, Lin Xue's bite didn't even hurt as much as the Mercury Lamp's bite. I was too lazy to even pull my arm out. Anyways, being hugged by the young lady like that … Yep, it felt pretty good.
At the same time, Sandora was still thinking about the Fallen Apostle. She was unable to be as carefree as us. When Lin Xue told her premonition, she frowned and poked my arm. "Ah Jun, could it be that they aren't being controlled by the Chaos Abyss? Instead, they are searching for a way to completely control the Chaos Abyss?"
"What's the difference?" Before I could reply, Icetis shrugged nonchalantly. "Although I can't interfere with your judgment as a God, as a friend, I still have to say a few words. Regardless of whether the Fallen Apostle is being controlled by the Chaos Abyss or the Chaos Abyss, they are still continuously destroying the world. Moreover, they have already caused a huge crisis in the structure of the Void. They want to destroy all of you and even the God Realm. Under such circumstances, regardless of their stance, they are absolute enemies."
Of course, Sandora understood this logic. However, after hearing Icetis's words, she still couldn't help but sigh softly.
"Your Majesty, the fleet has set sail. They will dock at the target world, Mars, in fifteen minutes," Sives reported through the regular communication link, interrupting our conversation.
It was only then that I noticed that the spaceship had entered Void travel mode. The few projectors in the lounge that originally displayed the scenery of the outside world were now pitch-black. They couldn't work in the Void.
"Don't think too much about it. I will look for Sylvia after we return. Hopefully, she can get Belavilla to come out."
I ruffled Sandora's hair and said softly.
Sandora pondered for a moment. "Hopefully, you can communicate with Sylvia normally."
Everyone was speechless.
The fifteen-minute Void travel ended in an instant. Soon, the spaceship entered the universe commonly known as the "Silent Revelation of the Academy". This universe's code seemed to be ESN7511. I didn't know what the Space Administration used to code these worlds, but they were rather difficult to remember.
The glorious and majestic Empire Admiral, along with a dozen Eternal-class motherships and other escort fleets that acted as escorts, appeared from the pitch-black sky and hovered in the orbit of Mars. Following closely behind were the twenty-two refugee transport ships. All of the spaceships were in good condition. Only one transport ship had suffered minor damage in the previous battle. However, as the damage was minor, we didn't waste any effort to transfer the refugees it was carrying to another ship and brought them over directly.
"All of the fleet's equipment has been checked," the spaceship's mainframe reported in a monotonous tone as the fleet began to approach the Mars Sanctuary. "We have contacted the sanctuary's command center. The command center has replied to welcome the royals to the sanctuary."
"Have you told them about the refugees?"
I asked casually.
"The sanctuary's command center has been informed of this operation and has conducted a quick referendum. 97% of the residents in the sanctuary have expressed their welcome for the migration. The remaining 3% of the residents are slightly worried."
"Well, that's normal. After all, humans are different from the Shiring Apostles. It's difficult for the entire race to have a unified opinion."
Sandora muttered, "Actually, I have always been unable to understand this phenomenon. It's normal to have different opinions, but on this matter, all non-authoritative members should unconditionally obey the race's request. The logic of normal creatures is really incomprehensible."
"Compared to that … the scene before me is more shocking!"
I smiled helplessly at Sandora's words. Then, I lifted my head and exclaimed, "Chestnut, why has Mars changed so much? Last year, it was a barren land! "
The holographic image before me displayed the rapidly zooming image of Mars. If I didn't know about it beforehand, I wouldn't have believed that this planet covered in green was the barren red planet in my memory. It now had a thick atmosphere, and the atmosphere was an extremely clean, bright blue color after special adjustments. The north pole of Mars was covered in a huge ice sheet. This was the water reserve that the artificial ecosystem had prepared for the next step of the planet's ocean transformation. More than half of the northern hemisphere was covered in lush green vegetation. Mountains, rivers, plains, hills, and all sorts of terrain were embellished with the color of life. It was obvious that they were the super plants that Liliana had helped to cultivate. These tenacious and highly controllable plants had taken root on the barren surface of Mars and had now become the planet's normal vegetation.
The northern hemisphere of Mars now looked like a second Earth! No, it was probably even stronger than Earth. The vegetation coverage on Earth might not even be comparable to the current northern hemisphere of Mars …
Of course, this was only the situation of the northern hemisphere's vegetation coverage. The southern hemisphere of Mars was still the same, covered in red soil. It was barren land everywhere, and only a few river systems that had just started operating were embellishing the land.
This planet was definitely suitable for colonization.
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