Planet Master

The exploration of the Cerulean Planet’s civilization of their own star system had been increasing rapidly in the early stages. It was because of the distance between planets at a certain time was the shortest and the spaceships were equipped with a Warp Engine to be able to reach the destination as quickly as possible.

But the civilization still did not retract the Dyson Swarm on the Violet Sun since it was the biggest contributor to the energy production facility for not only the Cerulean Planet but also Futuro and Bultar.

As for Ghowul, there was something strange on the planet so most of the people there were still under the Artificial Dome for living, unlike in the other planets.

But then a biological spaceship came to Ghowul which was already approved by the Hinon Federation.

“This is Ghowul.” The Queen of the Gling Swarm perceived things from the biological spaceship and saw the planet in the inner ring of the star system.

Beyond Ghowul was where the Asteroid Belt was located.

But the Queen focused on her duty. She had to investigate the anomaly on the Ghowul planet.

As the biological ship slowly came into orbit, it sent out several flying Glings to the atmosphere of the Ghowul planet as a scout.

The Queen kept managing her units and her units obeyed her order through the Hive Mind absolutely. The flying Gling slowly came to the surface of the planet.

But when they were just one thousand meters from the ground, something could be seen throughout the entire planet and the entire ground.

The ground was filled with fluorescent green color and there were signs of living beings. The Queen ordered the flying Glings not to land but to keep flying to the nearby Artificial Dome.

“So this is the very reason why Ghowul is so hard to inhabit.” The Queen saw with her own eyes the thing on the ground.

According to the reports of the Hinon Federation, that fluorescent thing was fungi. Its spore could affect living beings, changing them into something else. Something that the civilization could not quite put into words.

“Let’s make use of the fungi characteristic. Maybe this is the planet where the Glings will thrive.” The Queen wanted to do something for her subordinates by using the fungi and see how that went.

Then she sent the landing forces. One hundred Gling, ground unit and the most basic Gling Crawlers.

Upon landing, the spire was formed and the spores from the fungi flew on and even covered the entire Crawlers, causing them to be strangely changed genetically.

The Queen felt something in the Hive Mind, as if one hundred units were struggling against something they had no idea how to handle the problem that was not slaughter and battle.

Then they started to show sign of perforation, their limbs were injured and violet blood flowed to the surface of the soil. Then they formed a cocoon which slowly covered the Crawlers.

The Queen frowned as she felt a fluctuation in the Hive Mind like a stone being thrown into the pool of water, creating small waves one after another.

She could also feel that the bodies of the Crawlers were going to be strengthened with this.

“This thing probably overwrites the consciousness of the living being but the Glings under me have little to no consciousness.” The Queen concluded that from her first observation, as well as the information from the Federation.

As the Crawlers were suffering various degrees of flesh damage, the spore started to get deeper into the bones of the Glings, causing more damage. But within that damage was a restorative power which started to work.

Then the Crawlers were starting to grow red appendages from their spine. These red appendages were strong enough to shatter the bedrock on the surface of the soil.

They let out a feral roar as the Queen attempted to connect them properly into the Hive Mind. If she did not do this, then there was a possibility that they would escape her grasp.

The mind power of the Queen superseded and overwrote whatever the fungi wanted to do.

“They are completely different lifeforms from my Crawlers but since I can control them, that means this is still technically my unit. From the way the red appendages destroyed the bedrock, I can assume that they are strengthened in their physical capability.” The Queen concluded her first attempt at landing but got a surprise instead.

Then she also noticed that the Crawlers were extremely irritated and wanted to devour flesh after the transformation.

The Queen then contacted the scientists who were nearby. Informing them about this was actually a cooperation between her and the civilization.

“Are you saying that your Gling can actually be more powerful there?” the scientist asked for confirmation.

“Do you think I am lying?” The Queen retorted.

“Of course not. But it means that we need you to supervise that planet on our behalf. Other living beings were changed completely into what we named ‘Ghoul’.” The scientist said this.

The first time the landing people arrived at Ghowul, they used some small animals to try to see what kind of environment Ghowul planet was in.

Unexpectedly, the animals changed into something different. They became extremely aggressive and irritated at the slightest provocation. They even attacked the people who landed and had to be quarantined to be studied by the scientists.

Seeing this directly, however, made the Queen realize that the fungus and the spores it released were actually changing the genetic structure of the living being. This place was to her a paradise for Glings.

Unfortunately, she could not move other Glings to this planet. Furthermore, the resources needed to maintain a large unit were not available on this planet.

As she thought about that, the ‘Ghoul ' unit then started to chew on the fungi on the ground. They literally ate the fungi which caused their transformation in the first place.

“Just as I thought about the resources to maintain the unit, the solution appears.” The Queen was secretly delighted but did not show it.

“What do you mean? Don’t tell me, your new unit is actually eating the fungi? The fungi on the Ghowul Planet overturned our previous understanding of the living situation on the other planet exploration and is an exception. But to think that it can be consumed after the living beings exposed to the spore is a surprise for sure but a welcome one.” The scientist was actually given a place in the Hive and the two had a conversation.

“Perhaps your race’s luck rubbed off on to mine.” The Queen replied to the human scientist.

“Do we even have such luck, though? That’s not scientific to me.”

“Luck is what your language tries to convey things that happened to be in your favor.” The Queen replied helplessly. She knew that the Human Race’s luck was extraordinary, even though they currently only had three Star Children.

“I will probably send most of my units to the Ghowul Planet and get that enhancement. If my units become a Ghoul, I think my race’s strength will increase dramatically. That place is perfect for my race.” The Queen said with a confident tone.

“Well, then I can report what you planned to do, right?” The Scientist asked for her confirmation.

“Sure. Just report it as it is.” The Queen was not worried that her movement would be stopped. The colony at Ghowul could change the planet’s environment but the fungi remained.

This discovery was actually surprising since before they met with the fungi, they assumed that Ghowul was like any other planet. But after this encounter, the scientists wanted to be sent to Ghowul to study the fluorescent fungi.

But then the Federation got a report that the Queen of the Gling swarm wanted to move to Ghowul Planet due to the compatibility of her race with the fungi there.

The Hinon Federation then let the permission for her to move her race’s units to the Ghowul Planet and would become its dominant race there.

Chikara who had seen this, became so happy that she showed off her race’s progress to everyone.

“Look! They have found a suitable planet in which they could propagate and get stronger.” Chikara exclaimed which was heard by everyone in the Planet Master Space.

“Yes. I can see that. Congratulations on finding the perfect environment for your race.” Dian was the first to congratulate her. He knew that Chikara was actually quite easy to please, especially when he praised her race.

“Thank you for allowing this to happen.” Chikara said with a heartfelt feeling.

“No need for that. We have more pressing issue that need to be addressed.” Dian said with serious expression and tone.

“We have conquered the inner ring of the Virya Star System but not the outer ring. I plan to let the civilization venture out from the Asteroid Belt that separates the inner and outer rings. I am allowing you to go to Ghowul precisely for this task. Can you do it?” Dian explained and then asked for her consent.

Chikara had never been delegated greatly important task so hearing that Dian wanted to give her an important task made her slightly nervous.

She would be spearheading the expedition of the outer ring which meant that the exploration risk and reward fell on her. Chikara fell silent for a moment before she replied.

“I am willing to take this task. Please let me do it!”

Seeing that Chikara was willing, Dian then nodded with a serious look and then said.

“Then I leave the outer ring to you to explore. Any result will be borne mostly by you.”

-

Year Two Hundred and Ninety-One of the Father God Calendar.

Chikara had ordered the Queen to send the biological spaceships to the outer ring of the Virya Star System.

They first needed to break through the Asteroid Belt, which stretched and demarcated the inner and outer rings.

The one who was on the biological spaceship was a unit the Queen entrusted with most of the operation. The Queen decided to create a unit that shared her characteristics the most. Not by genetics but something deeper.

“For the Queen.” The being had six slender fingers and claws, long limbs, and a wide mouth with serrated teeth. Overall, this entity was terrifying to look at.

To give him consciousness and share the same fate as the Queen, he would make sure that the Queen’s order would be done. Her wish was his command.

“Send the flying units around the Asteroid Belt. Make sure that our route will not be interrupted by any object.” He sent it through the Hive Mind.

“Where are you now?” the Queen sent through the Hive Mind. The entity shuddered and kneeled.

“Your Majesty, we are on the way through the Asteroid Belt. We are trying to get a safe route through it and are progressing. Do you have any additional orders?”

“Not for now. If you encounter anything, you can just directly contact me and inform me.” The Queen told the entity.

“It would be my honor to be able to contact you directly.”

Then the entity perceived the entire fleet of biological spaceships. This was the fleet that the Queen had created specifically for the expedition on the outer ring.

Currently, they were three-fourths of the way, almost reaching the end of the Asteroid Belt.

From the Hive Mind, the entity could feel that the flying units were spreading to find the safest route. After four hours, the flying units managed to find a safe route through the Asteroid Belt and ordered the fleet to follow the leading biological spaceships.

Soon, they were free from the annoying debris of the space rocks.

“We finally got out.” The entity then checked the fleet’s condition and found that there were injuries to varying degree. Small floating rocks that were orbiting the Violet Sun was moving and inevitably hit the biological spaceships.

Fortunately, the biological spaceships were able to regenerate the damaged part so the so-called damage was actually negligible. But it consumed some of the spaceship's resources.

“Now then, according to the information being told by the Queen…I should head in this direction.” The entity knew that the direction was more of a reference.

Fortunately, the biological spaceships were equipped with the ability to feel the presence of the nearby planet due to its bigger gravity field than most celestial objects. That was how the fleets of Glings were able to go into the planets in the outer ring.

Although the civilization had been sending the probes to even the outside of the Virya Star System, they had never personally gone there, even with the spaceship, due to the distance and the Asteroid Belt, which was considered a dangerous zone to be in.

The most the civilization could do was to send spaceships to the periphery of the Asteroid Belt to do deep space mining.

That was why this would be the first time that a manned crew reached the outer ring of the star system.

“By the order of the Queen, spread out to the location of the planets.” The entity then ordered the fleet to spread out to different location of the planets.

With each new discovery, the previous understanding was corrected and even closer to the truth as new information came to the civilization.

That was why the previous understanding that the planets in the Virya Star System did not have multicellular lifeforms was finally replaced by the possibilities that there were other lifeforms on the other planets but it was just their inability to perceive them.

While the other biological spaceship headed further to the outer ring’s outer periphery, the entity had chosen the inner periphery’s planet location for his destination.

And so, he flew toward the planet in fast speed. There was an organ that allowed the biological spaceship to be able to Warp from one place to another, functioning like a Warp Engine.

With that, even the outer ring’s planet was still within reach, just took a lot more time than the inner ring.

Soon, the entity could feel the closeness of his biological spaceship to the destination planet. The planet had a faint ring surrounding its equator. The first impression for the entity that looked at the planet was that it was filled with various colors of brown.

From the light brown line to the dark brown spots, the entity knew that it was the gases of the planet’s outermost atmosphere.

After what felt like an eternity, the entity had finally arrived at the destination.

As per usual operation, the entity sent the flying Glings to test the planet’s situation. The Glings were covered by the mucus that functioned similarly to the astronaut’s suit. That was why they could fly in the void and even go freely in deep space.

“It should be almost three months in the Cerulean Planet’s time.” The entity commented before he contacted the Queen once again to announce his location.

“My biological spaceship has arrived on the destination planet.” The entity commented.

“You have? What is the situation there? Can the Gling live there?” the Queen asked.

“From the preliminary situation, exposure to the gases of the planet caused the flying units to be changed to various degrees. Some are small but the others changed so much that they become another kind of unit. Your Majesty, try to contact them.” The entity recommended the course of action to the Queen.

The Queen then found the units under the entity and tried to understand the capabilities of this unit. Unexpectedly, these units which had been changed into another kind, became so powerful. They could spit strong acidic fluid and their resilience became as good as the transcendent units in her garrison.

No, Strong did not do these units justice. They were like a giant in the sky and their regeneration was as great as the transcendent unit too.

This made these units hard to kill while they also hit hard. This planet was perfect for cultivating the flying units of her race.

Ghowul became the perfect place to cultivate the ground units, while this planet was for the flying units. The Queen then reported this to Chikara, and she became so happy that she giggled for some time.

If the ground units changed into a Ghoul, then the flying units changed into a Silisk. Chikara also realized that this change was truly beneficial to her race.

“What should I call this transformed state?” Chikara wondered as she whistled happily.

She thought about it long before deciding what kind of name she should give. Unfortunately, she did not have a good idea about the name of the transformed unit.

“Is anyone willing to give me an idea about how to name my improved units?” Chikara then asked the others.

Mazdari who was looking at the Futuro Planet and his race was the first to notice.

“Improve? So fast. What kind of luck do you have that you can develop your race further?” he asked.

“Just a bit of fortuitous encounters. So, do you have an idea?” Chikara smiled as she asked this question.

“I don’t know. I am not good at naming things.” Mazdari said while sighing.

“I also don’t know so don’t ask me.” Leif replied.

“If you don’t know, who am I supposed to ask!?” Chikara was a bit indignant but suppressed her excitement.

“What about the ones who have changed be the focus of your development?” Frie came and quickly offered a solution.

“What does that have to do with the name of my improved units?” Chikara furrowed her brows.

“You primarily develop them into something else. They have become your main units to help the civilization. Therefore, how about calling those who have changed into another form a Primarch Gling?” Frie said with a slight smile.

“Primarch?” Chikara tried to absorb the words into her being.

She then chuckled and smiled widely. She looked like she had accepted that name.