The reserves at the new ore vein location proved to be genuinely enormous. Ever since their arrival here several months ago, mining operations had continued without interruption, running constantly at maximum capacity.
It had been multiple months of continuous extraction, yet the vein showed absolutely no signs of depletion. The base operated at full production every single day. Massive quantities of energy crystals and high-energy vespene gas were being systematically mined and immediately fed into various manufacturing processes.
Of course, the alien Zerg had launched harassment attacks during this period, attempting to disrupt their operations. But each assault had been easily repelled and defeated with minimal casualties.
"Perhaps we can expand our exploration range significantly," Captain Locke suggested thoughtfully. "We could also include active elimination of Zerg presence as part of our operational objectives."
The base's development had been progressing at a remarkable pace—changing with each passing day. Large numbers of military units and combat vehicles had dramatically strengthened their overall defensive capabilities.
The presence of Marcus and General Zod had given them genuine confidence to actively fight against the alien Zerg swarms rather than simply defending passively.
"But shouldn't this matter be discussed with Mr. Marcus and General Zod first?" someone asked with obvious confusion. "Wouldn't launching offensive operations require their cooperation?"
"Of course that's necessary," Captain Locke replied without any hesitation.
If they wanted to carry out this type of aggressive mission, they absolutely had to notify Marcus and negotiate proper terms with both him and the Kryptonians. Otherwise, even if they could technically defeat the Zerg forces, they'd inevitably have to pay an absolutely devastating price in casualties and material losses.
"I'll communicate with them personally about this matter," Locke assured his officers. "But before those discussions, we still need to prepare appropriately. We must be ready to eliminate the Zerg when the opportunity arises."
Humans, Zerg, and even the Protoss existed in states of mutual hostility throughout known space. Eliminating these hostile forces was part of the fundamental responsibility each human carried—especially regarding the Zerg, whose existence threatened all sapient life.
"First, dispatch Vulture scouts on extended patrol routes," Locke ordered. "I want confirmed intelligence on Zerg movements and hive locations."
"Understood, sir!" his subordinates responded in unison.
Captain Locke stood and departed the command center. Their planned offensive actions would absolutely require support from Marcus and the Kryptonians.
He made his way to the rest area where Marcus's group had been provided accommodations. The Kryptonians were currently studying various complex mechanical devices—equipment so sophisticated that even Captain Locke, who was thoroughly accustomed to advanced technology, couldn't immediately comprehend what specific purposes these devices served.
"General Zod, could you spare a moment?" Locke called out.
Hearing the captain's request, General Zod immediately set down whatever component he'd been examining and walked toward him with obvious relief.
The Kryptonians had been working on restoring Krypton's environmental transformation device. As long as they could successfully restore this particular piece of technology, they'd be able to utilize high-energy crystals as a power source to transform planetary environments into conditions optimally suited for Kryptonian biology.
However, all this technical work left General Zod feeling thoroughly confused and frustrated. He wasn't a scientist—he was a military commander. Even though he'd studied these subjects during his training, that education only helped him understand the theoretical function of these devices. At best, he could provide basic assistance to actual scientists.
Now that Captain Locke had called for him, Zod welcomed this opportunity to escape from the technical research that gave him such persistent headaches.
"Captain Locke, what did you want to discuss?" Zod asked.
"It's like this," Locke began. "We're planning to dispatch exploration teams to survey the surrounding territory comprehensively. We want to map the area as thoroughly as possible to prepare for subsequent operational phases."
Captain Locke explained their upcoming activities in straightforward terms.
"What else are you planning beyond simple mapping?" General Zod asked, sensing there was more to this proposal.
"Here's the situation," Locke continued. "We're planning to conduct aggressive exploration operations while actively searching for Zerg hive locations and concentrations.
You understand as well as anyone that we humans and the alien Zerg are mortal enemies—this isn't some minor territorial dispute. Since we've confirmed Zerg presence on this planet, we have an absolute obligation to eliminate them. If these alien insects are allowed to develop unchecked, it will become a catastrophe not just for this world, but potentially for the entire Terran Dominion."
These words made General Zod fully understand the situation. These humans had set their sights directly on exterminating the Zerg presence here.
He'd honestly assumed these people would avoid provoking the swarm unnecessarily. After all, the numerical disparity between the human colony and the Zerg population was absolutely massive—seemingly insurmountable.
However, Zod also understood Captain Locke's strategic reasoning perfectly well. The Zerg's evolution and reproduction rates were simply too rapid and efficient. If they weren't eliminated as quickly as possible, it wouldn't take long before this entire planet transformed into a Zerg paradise—an infestation that would spread exponentially.
Moreover, Zod had heard Captain Locke mention that the Zerg possessed capability for space travel and interplanetary colonization.
If the swarm was permitted to develop unimpeded, not only would this planet become completely overrun, but other worlds throughout this region of space would also fall to the infestation. That would represent an existential disaster—not just for humanity, but equally for the Kryptonians trying to establish themselves here.
The Kryptonians did possess formidable combat capabilities individually. But if they found themselves facing an endless, self-replenishing tide of Zerg, even they would eventually be worn down through attrition and ultimately become nothing more than biomass and genetic material for the swarm to consume.
If it were simply ordinary death in combat, they could accept that fate with honor. But what genuinely worried Zod was the possibility that the Zerg might devour their genetic information and begin evolving based on Kryptonian DNA.
Zerg creatures possessing Kryptonian biological abilities... the concept was absolutely terrifying to contemplate.
"I understand your concerns," Zod said after considering everything carefully. "You want me to assign personnel to join your exploration teams—to patrol the surrounding environment and locate primary Zerg concentrations, correct?"
"Exactly right. We're critically short on personnel and genuinely need your assistance," Captain Locke confirmed with a nod.
The two leaders immediately found themselves in complete agreement. The Zerg absolutely had to be eliminated before they became an unstoppable threat.
"Then it's settled. Now I need to go speak with Mr. Marcus about this as well," Locke said.
He bid farewell to General Zod and walked toward Marcus's personal quarters.
Dong dong dong...
"Who is it?" came Marcus's voice from inside.
"Mr. Marcus, it's me—Locke."
"Locke?" Marcus stopped whatever work he'd been engaged in, came to the door, and opened it. "If you're not leading your people in production operations, how do you have time to visit me?"
Although they'd been established at this location for several months now, Locke and his personnel had been producing continuously without pause—staying extremely busy every single day.
"It's like this, sir. We're planning to..." Captain Locke proceeded to explain their entire operational proposal in detail.
Marcus listened carefully and understood exactly what Locke was requesting. Essentially, they wanted to eliminate the Zerg presence on this planet systematically—which honestly wasn't a particularly significant issue from Marcus's perspective.
"Alright, that's acceptable," Marcus agreed readily. "If you encounter anything your forces can't handle, come find me directly and I'll intervene."
After receiving Marcus's positive response, Captain Locke felt tremendous relief wash over him. Now he could finally proceed with aggressive operations without constant worry.
With the Kryptonians providing tactical support and Marcus serving as their ultimate guarantee of safety, they could pursue their objectives freely. In fact, they were even planning to construct a Thor combat walker. Once manufacturing was complete, they'd be far more effective when engaging Zerg forces.
However, Thor walkers weren't simple projects by any means. They didn't possess complete design blueprints for Thor construction. They could only attempt reverse-engineering principles from the Viking fighter's ground mode to develop their own Thor variant.
"I have to say they're worthy of being mortal enemies," Marcus observed with interest, watching Captain Locke's departing back. "They actually want to completely eliminate all Zerg on this entire planet."
Marcus honestly didn't particularly want to involve himself deeply in the ongoing conflicts between humans, Zerg, and Protoss. After all, these factions had been fighting each other repeatedly across decades and countless worlds. In the end, the entire conflict ultimately centered around Kerrigan—a human woman who'd been transformed into a Zerg—who eventually united all three factions to fight against Amon, the fallen Xel'Naga who represented both the beginning of all these tragedies and the one who sought to end the infinite cycle of reincarnation.
"Wait a moment," Marcus murmured thoughtfully. "Since this universe is also fundamentally connected to the Void, does that mean the specific void dimension where Amon is currently hiding exists as a surface layer of this reality's void structure?"
The more Marcus considered this possibility, the more plausible it seemed. After all, the final climactic battle had been fought directly within the Void itself against Amon's forces.
Even Kerrigan had accepted the Essence of the Xel'Naga after that battle, merging both pure form and pure essence to become an entirely new Xel'Naga—transcending her previous existence entirely.
"If I told them that all their efforts are ultimately futile without dealing with Amon, would these people be scared completely senseless?" Marcus wondered with an amused smile.
He found himself genuinely looking forward to potentially witnessing their final decisive battle within the Void. That would certainly be spectacular to observe.
Returning to his seat, Marcus resumed his ongoing work.
He'd already completely mastered the fundamental principles of Riven mod creation. However, it remained extremely difficult to create Riven mods with specifically desired properties rather than random characteristics.
For this extended period, he'd been researching methods to add particular attributes to Riven mods deliberately. Without exception, every attempt had failed—until very recently. The mod crystal currently in his hands had been crafted just a short time ago, and he only needed a few final steps to complete it properly.
"I don't know if what I'm attempting will actually succeed," Marcus thought, his concentration intense.
Thinking carefully through each step, Marcus initiated the final modification sequence. A faint light flashed through the crystal, and the Riven mod was successfully completed.
"Finally! This time it actually worked!" Marcus exclaimed with genuine excitement.
Picking up the completed Riven crystal, Marcus examined it with barely contained enthusiasm.
[Garuda: Ability Strength +121%, Damage vs. Zerg +65%, Ability Duration -48%]
That's right—the Riven crystal Marcus had been painstakingly developing wasn't designed for weapons at all. This was a Riven mod specifically created for Warframe enhancement.
The power contained within this crystal surpassed many standard mod crystals. Even more significantly, it featured a special attribute that Marcus had successfully added through his research: a substantial damage bonus specifically against Zerg creatures.
It could be said that successfully creating this particular mod crystal had laid the foundation for Marcus to enhance all his other Warframes with similar specialized modifications.
Moreover, through his recent intensive research, he'd discovered methodologies to continue improving his crafting techniques.
Perhaps in the future, he could not only create more powerful Riven crystals, but also deliberately engineer their specific properties rather than relying on randomization.
"I knew it could be done," Marcus said with satisfaction. "Even animal companions have Riven mods available for them, so logically Warframes should definitely be compatible with custom Rivens as well.
But this damage bonus against Zerg... that particular attribute really exceeded my expectations."
Thinking about the implications, Marcus couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"Well then~ Now the Zerg are going to have some serious problems!"
As the Queen of Blood, Garuda was designed to be completely immersed in slaughter and killing. The razor-sharp metal talons mounted on her arms provided clear evidence of this violent purpose.
These were ferocious claws capable of tearing apart any enemy with brutal efficiency. Under Garuda's control, they could transform into deadly airborne blades that would shred everything within visual range.
"Let's wait until Captain Locke actually requests assistance before conducting field tests," Marcus decided. "For now, I should focus on extracting more Aya Essence from the energy crystals I've accumulated."
Over these past months, the human colony's production capacity had become relatively abundant. Not only did it fully meet their own manufacturing requirements, but they'd also been providing substantial resources to support the Kryptonians. Even Marcus had received considerable quantities of energy crystals as compensation for his protective services.
These energy crystals didn't hold tremendous personal significance for Marcus. Aside from using them to extract Aya Essence, they served no particular purpose for him.
"They've given me so much of this material," Marcus observed. "Beyond what I need for Aya extraction, the remainder can serve as general resources. After they eventually find their way back to the Koprulu Sector, they can sell these surplus crystals and convert them into currency."
As he spoke, Marcus released concentrated void power. The Aya extraction energy spread outward from his hands, enveloping a large collection of energy crystals in shimmering energy.
Before long, he'd successfully extracted seven additional Aya Essence samples. Combined with the two he'd retained from previous extractions, he now possessed sufficient materials to craft two more complete Warframes.
"Actually, forget it for now," Marcus reconsidered. "I don't urgently need just one or two additional frames. It would be better to wait until I've accumulated enough Aya Essence to craft everything remaining in a single session."
Marcus chose not to begin Warframe creation immediately. He planned to collect significantly more Aya Essence, then agree to craft all remaining frames together. That way, his standard Warframe collection would finally be complete.
However, there was one particular project that remained constantly on Marcus's mind. He planned to create an entirely independent, completely original Warframe—something that had never existed before. This represented an extremely important undertaking, and he'd developed fairly concrete ideas about how to proceed.
He'd already determined the thematic foundation for this new armor design. Since he already possessed Wukong and Nezha in his collection—both inspired by Chinese mythology—Marcus had decided to continue developing in that particular cultural direction.
Using Yang Jian as the primary inspiration, he would create armor designed entirely from his own imagination and specifications. Marcus had also settled on the frame's designation: it would be called Erlang.
Marcus had been researching and conceptualizing this particular Warframe for quite some time. The prototype design had fully formed within his mind at this point.
Like Khora, Erlang would have his own combat companion.
The only significant difference was that Khora's companion was Venari—a feline-like Kavat creature.
As for Erlang, Marcus planned to make his companion the Aethund—a Kubrow designed to resemble a massive, powerful canine.
Of course, the companion was just one aspect. Marcus had carefully considered the ability suite for this new Warframe extensively.
The first ability would be called Revelation.
Before the Revelation's penetrating gaze, everything would be revealed with perfect clarity—there would be no place for enemies to hide. The Revelation could also release devastating beams of concentrated light when attacking, sweeping across enemy formations with overwhelming force.
The second ability was Aethund.
The Aethund would actively assist the Warframe during combat, and possessed three distinct operational modes with different capabilities.
The first mode was Devouring Sun and Moon, which would help the armor absorb all incoming attacks and transform that absorbed damage into enhanced combat power for the Warframe itself.
The second mode was Afterimage, which would create spectral duplicates that could bite enemies and leave tracking marks for pursuit purposes.
The third mode was Celestial Aethund Manifestation, which would transform the companion into an enormous ethereal dog head capable of swallowing enemies and trapping them in place completely immobilized.
These three modes represented the Aethund's capabilities for cooperating with the Warframe's primary combat functions.
The third ability was called Demon Binding Chains.
This ability would release mystical chains to bind targets in place. The Demon Binding Chains would also suppress the target's abilities and force them into submission.
As for the ultimate ability, it was called Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive—a prominent polearm weapon with exceptional reach.
This ability could combine with previous abilities to produce different synergistic effects.
For example, when wielding this legendary weapon, any enemy previously marked by the Aethund would trigger an instant teleportation—Marcus would appear directly behind that target and execute them with a single devastating strike.
It could be said that except for some minor mechanical details Marcus hadn't yet finalized, this Warframe design was essentially complete and ready for actual crafting.
"After I've crafted those remaining standard frames, I'll immediately begin shaping this custom design," Marcus decided.
Marcus held tremendously high expectations for Erlang After all, this would be the very first Warframe he'd researched and designed entirely on his own—his first genuine attempt at original creation.
If his research methodology proved successful and viable, then he could potentially craft even more powerful custom Warframes in the future.
At that point, forget merely completing the original fifty-plus standard frames—he might eventually be capable of crafting an entire celestial pantheon of divine warriors.
While Marcus was engaged with these ambitious projects, Captain Locke had also begun taking concrete action. Large quantities of powerful weapons and advanced equipment were being issued to the exploration teams. The current reconnaissance forces were significantly more capable than they'd been previously.
The hunt for the Zerg was about to begin in earnest.
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