Chapter 188: A New Zerg

Bai Quan said without hesitation: "Antimatter reactors are definitely included."

"But there was no other way at that time. If you didn't bring something powerful out, a giant dock would not be so easy to defeat."

"Anyway, even if you really took the antimatter reactor away in the end, it would be fine as long as you don't show it off everywhere."

Chen Ming blinked his eyes, and he suddenly realized that Bai Quan didn't seem to know that he had the technical patent for the antimatter reactor.

But he didn't take the initiative to mention it.

Although Bai Quan didn't say it explicitly, if all the special operations team members were dead, the problem of what to do with the antimatter reactor should not be a difficult problem to solve.

But as soon as Bai Quan finished speaking, he suddenly brought up a topic that he would bring up from time to time during this period.

"If you are interested in these experimental things, why not join us?"

"You also know that our 14th Corps has many self-developed improved models of spacecraft."

"I can directly take the initiative to bring you to our research institute and give you access to these spacecraft blueprints. Even if you haven't mastered this technology yet, I can let you get in touch with it in advance."

"And there is a new type of spacecraft that is about to be launched recently. It is still in the testing stage. I can also find a way to get you one."

Bai Quan has become a little accustomed to recruiting Chen Ming on a daily basis. He still refuses on a daily basis: "I still don't like being restricted. At least I have to wait until the decision I made fails before considering the issue of turning back."

But even if he refuses, Chen Ming is still very interested in the new type of spacecraft that Bai Quan mentioned, and asked; "So can you tell me about the capabilities of the spacecraft you mentioned?"

Bai Quan also felt some of Chen Ming's speechlessness when he heard what he said just now.

But he also knows the truth that you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.

Reveal a little bit of what can be revealed, there will always be a day when Chen Ming really takes the bait.

Bai Quan thought for a moment and said, "Before, when you were still with Yu Hui, Yu Hui's headquarters sent that device to the Yu Hui Star Region in the Galo Star Region."

"The technology used to transport the device is similar to the technology used by our new spacecraft. This thing directly allowed the device to cross the entire empire, and we had no way to intercept it."

Chen Ming had previously learned from the people who had contacted him in the 14th Legion that Yu Hui's headquarters had sent a device to the Galo Star Region, but the specific transportation method and route were not clear.

I didn't expect it to cross the empire directly.

If it's really like what Bai Quan said...

Is it really just impossible to intercept it?

I'm afraid it can't even be locked.

This thought suddenly flashed through Chen Ming's mind.

Because if it's just impossible to intercept, this kind of thing that crosses the empire will definitely be surrounded by a bunch of military fleets and escorted all the way to the Galo Star Region.

When the thing reaches the destination and is received by Yu Hui, all the Yu Hui near the final landing point of the thing will be killed and the thing will be taken away.

He didn't even need Chen Ming's help to report his previous position at Yu Hui's place.

But if even the position could not be captured, and people could not even see it, then what Bai Quan said made sense.

It made sense that the 14th Corps could only give him a rough date when the equipment was delivered.

This is indeed a unique technology.

In that case, the new spaceship Bai Quan mentioned seems to be quite awesome.

What does a spaceship that cannot be locked and intercepted by normal means look like?

Chen Ming was aroused by Bai Quan's words and asked, "Since the new spaceship is coming out, it means that this technology must not have been studied recently."

"Why couldn't it be intercepted before? In fact, you couldn't locate it."

Bai Quan was not surprised that Chen Ming correctly guessed some situations that he didn't mention at all.

"Because this technology was initially researched in the direction of spacecraft, there must be less research in other areas."

"And as I just said, there will be new spacecraft soon, not already, so..."

"I can't say more, let's talk about your future, about the mechanical race."

"Okay."

Chen Ming also knew that some things were beyond his current status, so he took the opportunity to get off the ground and didn't continue to ask, waiting for Bai Quan's next words.

Bai Quan seemed to be reminiscing, and after a while he said: "Although I used to fight with Yu Hui for many years, I have also fought with the mechanical race."

"The combat style of the mechanical race is similar to that of us humans, both of which are relatively complex and changeable. Depending on the enemy they face, they will encounter different tactics."

"So you can't just rely on experience, you have to analyze it based on the actual situation."

"Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't have experience."

"But one thing is constant, the mechanical race will definitely fight to the death when fighting with humans, and will definitely beat themselves to the point where they can't fight at all."

"And they are different from Yuhui. Yuhui will capture humans and use them to trade with us for something."

"But the mechanical race will just kill everyone."

"Don't hold back on the mechanical race, at least not before you completely defeat them."

Bai Quan's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, but Chen Ming didn't say anything, and nodded silently to accept Bai Quan's suggestion.

"Also, you are going to fight a mechanical colony, and ground combat is also a problem."

"I don't have much experience in ground combat, you can only do it yourself, and try not to stay on the ground for too long."

"By the way, when you fight with the mechanical race later, you can record the whole process, or broadcast it to me in real time like you did before at the pirate space station, and I can teach you something based on it."

This may expose Chen Ming's current position, and may also expose the queen of insects, but Chen Ming did not directly refuse, just said: "We'll see when the situation comes."

"Well, then I wish you good luck."

"In fact, I suddenly feel that your permission to simulate space combat is useless, you are all for real."

Chen Ming smiled and said: "There will always be a time when it will be useful. I can't fight with the mechanical race every day, right?"

"Well, let's continue the class, and the things you want should still be sent to Wu An as before, right?"

"Yes."

The morning class ended shortly after Chen Ming and Bai Quan talked.

In the blink of an eye, a few days passed.

The several devices Baiquan promised to use for the layout have been sent to the boss, and Chen Ming used his psychic power to transform them back to his spaceship.

Since it takes some time to debug and prepare for the installation of the equipment, Chen Ming still patiently waited while studying and observing the mechanical race every day.

It was this waiting time that was longer than Chen Ming imagined.

Until another week passed.

When Chen Ming had already prepared several devices and was ready to fight against the mechanical race warships.

The cocoon where the queen was dormant finally moved.

It was almost late at night, and Chen Ming was planning to go to rest.

He stopped immediately after discovering the changes in the cocoon, and instead controlled the insects in the insect nest to the place where the queen was dormant to observe the queen's situation.

At this time, the gray-green and black cocoon originally covered with growth organisms was gradually overflowing with some purple viscous liquid.

Gradually covering all the growth organisms that covered the surrounding ground when the queen was cocooning.

Not only covering, these purple viscous liquids are taking root in these growths, swallowing them all.

Chen Ming immediately asked the mechanical tribes that were originally protecting the cocoons to stay away from here.

To avoid being affected by the purple liquid of the Queen Worm.

After waiting for about half an hour, the area around the Queen Worm's cocoon was completely covered by these purple viscous liquids.

And the cocoon in the center of the area finally cracked at this time.

Soon, several tentacles completely tore open the cracks on the cocoon, pulling the biomass spacecraft, whose image had changed again, out of the giant cocoon.

The second evolution of the Queen Worm was completed.

Although its overall appearance was still covered with a hard shell, the color changed from the original black to dark purple, and there were a lot of purple fungi on the shell.

The originally smooth shell looked like it was covered with mold, and people who didn't know it would definitely feel sick at first glance.

But just a few breaths after the Queen Worm was exposed to the air.

The purple color of the carapace faded, and the fungi outside the carapace were taken back into the Queen's body.

The entire biological spaceship returned to its appearance before the Queen's evolution, with only slight differences in some details of the appearance.

But it is obvious that after having these fungi, the shell of the biological spaceship definitely has a stronger protective performance than before.

The change in appearance is actually not too important.

The really important thing is that Chen Ming sensed the psychic fluctuations from the Queen's body.

It was not the psychic fluctuations caused by Chen Ming's psychic power acting on the Queen, but the psychic fluctuations that emerged from the Queen's body.

And this psychic fluctuation is very restrained, completely different from Chen Ming's psychic power.

It is more like the psychic fungi eaten by the Queen.

Chen Ming has basically relied on himself to explore all the psychic matters to this day.

So it is not clear what the psychic fluctuations on the Queen's body are.

When Chen Ming communicated with the Queen, the information sent by the Queen was also very vague.

The Queen of Insects was not very familiar with the spiritual power it had just acquired.

It was just like when Chen Ming first acquired spiritual power.

It was not a big problem.

As time passed, the Queen of Insects would become familiar with its spiritual power and would know what its spiritual power was used for.

So Chen Ming was not in a hurry to figure out the Queen of Insects' spiritual power right away.

Instead, he paid attention to other major changes in the Queen Worm, except for the spiritual power.

That is, the purple liquid composed purely of fungi that spread out from the Queen Worm.

After spreading, the purple liquid gradually lost some moisture and turned into a common fungus-covered appearance.

It was just wider and thicker than the mold that Chen Ming occasionally saw on food, and it had more biological activity.

And when the Queen Worm returned to the nest, it directly sprayed this purple fungus on the entire nest again, covering the entire nest with a thick fungus blanket.

And all the insects that came into contact with these fungi were absorbed by the fungi in an instant, turned into nutrients, and gathered on the Queen Worm.

Chen Ming no longer needed to recycle old insects through the digestive organs.

These fungus blankets are the Queen Worm's current digestive organs.

In the process of digesting the original insects in the insect nest.

Chen Ming also saw that around the Queen Worm's body, things similar to insect eggs wrapped in translucent dark purple films gradually appeared.

A new generation of Zerg with psychic and fungal abilities is being cultivated by the Queen.

This is a new and huge change in the Queen, or the change of the Zerg.

They have changed from oviparous to this method of reproduction similar to budding.

Using the ability of fungi to cultivate Zerg individuals, the overall reproduction rate has increased significantly.

And the Queen has not abandoned its original reproduction method. When necessary, it can still produce eggs with larvae.

It does not mean that fungal blankets are required for reproduction, but fungal blankets can speed up this efficiency.

It will not take long, at most two days, for the Queen to completely replace the insects in the nest, which now covers an area far larger than the size of the city.

As long as the Queen finishes the breeding of the new nest, the reproduction rate of the Zerg will definitely increase exponentially.

In addition, Chen Ming also discovered that the fungal blankets on the ground are not just organs for eating and cultivating larvae.

When adults hatch, they can connect to the fungal blankets produced by the combination of Zerg biomass and fungal genes on the ground through some special organs on their limbs.

Directly absorb nutrients from it.

Although the efficiency is not high, and the nutrients that can be stored in a fungal blanket are limited, if there are too many insects absorbing nutrients at the same time, the fungal blanket under their feet may be sucked dry.

But the situation that can make a large number of Zergs demand a lot of nutrients at the same time must be in battle, and there will be deaths in battle.

The dead bodies can be directly digested by the fungal blanket and converted into nutrients, which can immediately be supplied to other Zergs that are still fighting.

Although it cannot completely free the Zerg from the limitations of food and energy crystals, it has greatly alleviated the problems that the Zerg originally faced in long-term combat.

It seems that Chen Ming’s previous practice of feeding the queen worm with fungi is correct.

The queen worm, including the entire worm nest, has undergone extremely obvious evolution and enhancement of its capabilities, allowing Chen Ming to attack the mechanical city later.

Seeing such a Zerg, Chen Ming suddenly thought of a question.

Will fire be more effective against Zerg?

Chen Ming remembered that when the queen worm controlled a bunch of insects to run to the mechanical city to cause trouble for him, she was killed by the concentrated fire of the mechanical silkworm artillery.

At that time, the Zerg did not show much resistance to fire, or all carbon-based organisms should not have resistance to fire under normal circumstances.

So after the Zerg combined the genes of the fungal organisms that were also afraid of fire, would they...

Chen Ming was a little worried.

So he thought about it and felt that he had better test it now.

Chen Ming specifically asked the Queen of the Zerg to give him a few Zerg and a small piece of fungal carpet.

Then Chen Ming directly built a mechanical body of the mechanical family near the Queen of the Zerg, the Blazing Silkworm, which Chen Ming had successfully mastered the manufacturing technology of during this period.

This mechanical family has two attack modes, one is the flamethrower mode with long-term output at close range, and the other is the long-range fixed-point artillery shooting mode that Chen Ming had seen last time.

Chen Ming deliberately fired it empty first and tried the flamethrower mode he had never seen before.

When he saw the Blazing Silkworm, which was ten meters long and about five meters high, sprayed a fierce flame that completely covered the area 30 degrees and 100 meters in front.

Chen Ming silently asked the Queen for a few more bugs and a few more fungal mats.

Then he started the test.

Although the test process was a little bumpy, the result did give Chen Ming more confidence in the subsequent battles.

To be honest, Chen Ming found a planet that the mechanical race had just colonized not long ago.

The Queen woke up from evolution and had great changes. She even had a way to fight against the strongest attack method of the mechanical race against the Zerg.

Although this delay was a bit long, it was not a problem.

In this case, if Chen Ming did not do something quickly, it would be a shame for his preparations during this period.

At the same time, another piece of good news came from the distant empire.

On the boss' side, the Stardust-class cruiser mothership of Tachyon Technology that Bai Quan promised to send some time ago, this spaceship that best reflects Chen Ming's spiritual power, has arrived with the spiritual awakening nerve.

It has been sent to the boss's colony, and under the boss's arrangement, a residual glow core belonging to Chen Ming has been installed.

The cruiser was completely handed over to him.

It only takes a few more jumps for the cruiser to reach Chen Ming.

Of course, Chen Ming still notified Bai Quan first, and used Bai Quan's relationship to cover up the traces of the jump to avoid being tracked.

Although it is not good to disturb people in the middle of the night, Chen Ming finally can't wait any longer.

And Bai Quan seems to be very busy, at least when Chen Ming found him, he seemed to be still working.

Although he is not very friendly to Bai Quan, the fact that he has not rested yet does make Chen Ming feel a lot less guilty about disturbing others in the middle of the night.

And twenty minutes after the Stardust was sent to the boss.

It carried Chen Ming's awakening nerve, and after several jumps, it came to Chen Ming's side.

Chen Ming immediately went to the Stardust and found the awakening nerve stored in a special storage container in the captain's room of the Stardust.

And this awakening nerve, like the one Chen Ming had eaten before, was stored in a slightly curved cylindrical object like a medicine bottle.

As long as Chen Ming wanted, he could take it out and absorb it at any time.

However, Chen Ming was not in a hurry for the time being, but opened the panel of the Stardust.

[Ship panel]

[Ship name: None]

[Type: Stardust-class cruiser]

[Radiant energy capacity: 0/24000]

[Radiant energy dissipation: 1800]

[Fuel reserve: 99%]

[Front weapon: Tachyon lance]

[Port side weapon: Large "Defender" point defense energy cannon]

[Starboard side weapon: Large "Defender" point defense energy cannon]

[Tail weapon: Large "Guide" heat-seeking flare launcher]

[Flight deck (first floor on the port side): 400/400 (0)]

[Flight deck (second floor on the port side): 400/400 (0)]

[Flight deck (first floor on the starboard side): 400/400 (0)]

[Flight deck (second floor on the starboard side): 400/400 (0)] Layer): 400/400 (0)]

[Armor: Tachyon Cruiser Standardized Armor]

[Engine: Tachyon Cruiser Antimatter Experimental Engine]

[Built-in Cabin: ...]

[Important Equipment: Control System Module (Operational), Landing Module (Operational), Hyperspace Channel System Module (Operational), Unmanned Aircraft Auxiliary Control Module (Operational), Ship AI Overclocker (Operational), Full-angle Shield Module (Operational), "Meteorite" Network (Operational), "Meteorite" Real-time Target Positioning System (Operational), "Meteorite" Target Feeding System (Operational)]

Chen Ming quickly scanned the panel, skipping the built-in cabins that were completely unimportant or even unnecessary to look at.

He locked onto the two lines of Engine and Important Equipment.

Chen Ming saw the three words "Antimatter" clearly in the Engine column.

No wonder, the radiation capacity and radiation dissipation of the Stardust class are much higher than the Supreme Point and Brilliant class that Chen Ming often uses and often looks at.

The Radiant's radiation capacity is 18,000, and the radiation dissipation is 1,000.

As a non-combat ship, the Supreme Point's radiation capacity is slightly lower, 15,000, but the radiation dissipation is okay, 1,200.

But obviously it is not as good as the 24,000 and 1,800 of this Stardust-class ship.

It can only be said that it is an indisputable fact that Tachyon Technology is excellent in the design of the energy system of the spacecraft.

But the three words "antimatter" still surprised Chen Ming.

I don't know whether Baiquan did it on purpose, or Tachyon Technology saw that the military needed it, so it took out the experimental antimatter engine.

Or... the Empire has begun large-scale testing of antimatter reactor-related technologies.

In short, this matter has no harm to Chen Ming.

Since the antimatter reactor has been supported by the government, and even the military and the neighboring company have related technologies, there is almost no possibility of problems with the equipment in actual application.

Even eating can cause choking to death. The probability of Chen Ming's engine being damaged by psychic energy is definitely lower than the probability of choking to death.

So Chen Ming took a closer look at the antimatter engine and considered whether to collect patent fees from the company.

Then he turned his attention to the column of [Important Equipment].

The most important one is the three-piece set of Meteorite.

All of them are based on Stardust and provide auxiliary functions for the total of 1,600 "Meteorite" unmanned fighters that can be launched on the ship.

Taking into account the fact that Meteorites are similar to Terminators and have more powerful self-destruct functions, these 1,600 Meteors are equivalent to 1,600 expendable destroyers.

Chen Ming remembered that the largest destroyer of this type was the Bull Runner, and it could barely be considered a carrier-class ship.

It can actually carry a total of 320 fighters.

Now, a Stardust can carry more than four times that.

With this ship, Chen Ming can go out without any small boats in the future, and leave all the pressure of the small boats to the Stardust.

Anyway, small boats are basically cannon fodder in cruiser-level battles. Instead of using the afterglow boats equipped with gamma-class afterglow cores to fill the line, it is better to use these ships that can directly self-destruct when necessary.

I just don't know if the operation of this Stardust-class will give him a feeling of adrenaline surge like the rainstorm.

Chen Ming exhaled, without thinking too much, but turned off the panel first.

He still has plenty of time to get familiar with the Stardust-class.

He now needs to put the consciousness of the newly awakened Queen Worm into its body that he had previously sent to the planet of the Mechanical Tribe.

Originally, Chen Ming thought that he needed his help to update the genes in the Queen Worm's body.

After all, the Queen Worm's body was left behind by the Queen Worm before, and it has now evolved once.

But when Chen Ming expressed this intention, the Queen Worm directly took the initiative to transfer its consciousness to the old body on the planet.

Then, Chen Ming saw that the body had spiritual energy fluctuations, and countless purple hyphae grew on it, devouring the body in reverse and forming a cocoon.

Relying on absorbing the energy crystals left by Chen Ming before, after a period of time, a brand new Queen Worm's body broke out of the cocoon.

It hibernated deep underground and began the breeding process.

Chen Ming didn't understand, but he was shocked.

In short, after this, the Queen Worm needs to breed a nest that can pose a sufficient threat to the Mechanical Tribe.

And the nest needs to be transferred to a proper distance from the Mechanical Tribe city.

This gave Chen Ming enough time to familiarize himself with the new spaceship and absorb the new spiritual nerve.