Chapter 2047: Imperial Palace

The interior of the Insectoid base was vast.

Sein wandered through its passages for quite some time before finally finding his way out.

Only after emerging from the labyrinthine base did he realize that an even stranger sight awaited him beyond it.

Outside was an endless expanse of pitch-black space.

Sein was already familiar with the Insectoids and knew how their legions had arrived in Divine Descendants World.

Could I be inside the body of that pitch-black colossus of death...?

His suspicion was soon confirmed.

As Sein looked around the area surrounding the base, Insectoid creatures of every shape and size filled his vision.

Some of the winged ones flying overhead were completely unfamiliar to him.

These creatures had clearly not participated in the earlier war in Divine Descendants World.

Watching the dense swarms pass overhead and nearly blot out the sky, Sein wondered whether their main purpose was to guard the hive.

Before long, a Bladeist approached him.

He clearly recognized Sein and seemed to have been waiting there specifically for him for quite some time.

“Master Sein, you’re finally out. I was ordered by the Empress to escort you away from this place,” the Bladeist said with a smile as he stepped forward.

The life force radiating from him indicated that he was a Rank Five being.

“This place is...?” Sein asked.

“Oh, we’re inside the body of our ally, Lord Fermont the Deathspawn. Our most important hives are also housed within his body,” the Bladeist replied.

“The recuperation facility you just left was built specifically for Her Majesty the Empress. You are one of the very few outsiders ever permitted to enter it and recover from your injuries,” he emphasized.

This information was not exactly classified. Or rather, Sein now had the right to know it.

After the Empress of Blades brought him here, many areas previously restricted to outsiders had been opened to him.

In fact, Sein had not needed to collect all that life mucus just now. The next time he returned to this base, none of the Insectoids would stop him from entering that chamber.

Furthermore, thanks to the Empress’ special favor, Sein would even be able to issue limited commands to the Insectoid legions and assign them certain tasks on future battlefields.

These were all unspoken benefits—ones no one would explain to Sein directly. He would have to discover them for himself in time.

Upon learning that he was inside the body of such a formidable Rank Eight creature, Sein was immediately startled. He could not help but glance down at his feet.

Driven by a spellcaster’s instinct and curiosity, Sein had to restrain the urge to pry loose a piece of whatever lay beneath his feet for research.

Of course, the surface beneath him was not actually part of Fermont’s body. It was covered in patches of deep purple slime carpet.

On the slime, Insectoid creatures gained a five to eleven percent increase in speed, while their regenerative abilities improved by roughly three percent.

These were all precise figures Sein had obtained through his previous research. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

“Ah, so we’re really inside Fermont’s body. That’s incredible,” Sein said with a smile. “I can barely sense any death energy here.”

“After years of effort by us Insectoids, most of the death energy that once filled this place has been sealed away beneath our slime carpets. After all, we Insectoids are not creatures of death,” the Rank Five Bladeist explained.

“If you’re interested, Master Sein, I can take you to Lord Fermont’s digestive and excretory tracts. That’s where the death energy is most concentrated,” he offered with a smile. “I know mages like you would be interested in many of the tissues within Lord Fermont’s body. When you leave, you may also collect some of the death crystals that have formed inside him as souvenirs.”

Although Sein was one of the few non-Insectoids ever permitted to enter the Insectoid Empress’ hive for recuperation, he was not the first mage to venture inside Fermont’s body.

The Insectoids had dealt with the Magus Civilization for many years and had even once been members of the Magus Alliance. Naturally, they knew exactly what interested Magus World mages.

“Thank you very much!” Sein replied happily to the Bladeist’s enthusiastic offer.

“Not at all. It is my duty to serve a friend of Her Majesty the Empress,” the Bladeist said hurriedly.

A “friend” of the Empress...

Being friends with a Rank Eight overlord would naturally be a dream come true. The problem was that Sein did not even know the Empress of Blades personally.

Since the subject had already come up, he seized the opportunity to ask, “May I know where the Empress of Blades is now?”

“It was only thanks to Her Majesty’s help that I managed to escape with my life during the last battle. I would like to thank her in person,” Sein said sincerely.

The Bladeist hesitated briefly before replying, “Unfortunately, Her Majesty left shortly after returning to the hive. If you wish to see her, you may return after some time. I will announce your arrival then.”

Sein nodded in understanding. “I’d appreciate that.”

“It would be my pleasure,” the Bladeist replied.

The Empress of Blades had most likely gone to deal with Marduk’s corpse, as well as the fragments of the Ark.

Those were truly priceless treasures.

They were also among the greatest spoils gained from the war in the Divine Descendants Star Domain.

At that thought, Sein instinctively checked whether the space conch was still tucked inside his magic robe. Within it lay the Ark fragment he had placed there—a blue crystal shaped like a sharp diamond.

The Empress of Blades had clearly taken no interest in Sein’s meager spoils or personal belongings. Everything he owned remained untouched.

For the foreseeable future, this core fragment would undoubtedly become one of his main research subjects. After all, it might hold the key to uncovering the secrets behind the Magic Cube’s next upgrade.

Sein then asked, “Do you know where my angel robot, Fermera, is?”

“Oh, she’s being repaired in another area. We Insectoids have wandered through the stars for many years, capturing and assimilating technological devices from various civilizations. During this war alone, we seized a large amount of spoils from the Gallant Federation. I am sure your robot will receive the best possible repairs there,” the Bladeist replied.

As Sein followed him away from the area, another question occurred to him.

“If I return to visit the Empress of Blades, where can I find Her Majesty’s palace?”

“Oh, it’s right behind you,” the Bladeist answered.

Sein turned around. A group of peculiar Insectoid creatures flew across the sky. The dazzling white light from their hindquarters illuminated the vast, shadowy space around them.

Only then did Sein notice that, aside from the Insectoid base he had just left, countless other Insectoid structures filled the surrounding area.

Many of them emitted a faint fluorescence of their own, keeping the space from being completely swallowed by darkness.

Among these structures, the tallest rivaled the soul towers of the Magus Civilization in height.

Only within Fermont’s colossal body could the Insectoids have enough room to construct such extravagant buildings.

The Empress of Blades usually resided in the tallest of them.

It was known as the Imperial Palace.