Among the group, Ruan Mei was naturally the one most familiar with the layout of the sealed incubation sector— after all, she was the one who had engineered the Star-Devouring Swarm-King Skaracabaz.
Even Estelle couldn't compare.
The five of them walked in a line.
And of all of them, Topaz was the most miserable inside.
Ever since learning they intended to create a Breeding Emanator, she had lost all sense of safety.
Only when they ran into those adorable cat-cakes earlier did she relax for a brief moment.
But the deeper they went, the more dread pooled in her heart.
Estelle, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as nervous.
Yes, she knew how terrifying the Swarm once was.
But this time they had three geniuses at the helm.
They were indeed creating something dangerous— but the creators themselves were… reassuring.
Especially Su Ran.
She had already fully acknowledged his terrifying creative ability as something even Herta couldn't surpass.
Her goddess filter toward Herta had shattered the moment she saw Herta clinging to Su Ran's leg begging to be taught.
Was there anyone in the universe—besides perhaps the Aeons— who could surpass Su Ran?
Estelle doubted it.
Before long, they arrived at the site of Skaracabaz's incubation chamber.
The ruined tank still oozed strange fluids.
Topaz's anxiety immediately spiked.
"Hoh? Not bad at all.
Soft Girl, I'll admit—you do have talent.
This replica might not reach true Emanator level, but it's pretty damn close."
Su Ran analyzed a sample of the fluid, and visibly brightened.
Based on his simulation, the creature's potential far exceeded his expectations.
No wonder it was called a Star-Crushing Swarm-King— it genuinely had the power to destroy planets.
Of course, because it was only a replica, its numbers were severely degraded:
stability, strength, lifespan—everything was low.
But for someone who wasn't even an Emanator, Ruan Mei's results were extremely impressive.
"Really?"
For the first time, Ruan Mei's usually calm eyes showed a flicker of emotion.
Being bashed nonstop by Su Ran until now, his sudden praise caught her completely off guard.
Was he… setting her up for another roast?
"But the flaws are everywhere.
If I rebuild it using your data and modify it according to my own framework… Honestly, the amount of modification needed is basically equivalent to reconstructing it from scratch."
The praise evaporated instantly.
Ruan Mei's expression froze.
Topaz didn't have time to laugh.
A sudden wave of dread washed over her.
Something was wrong.
She slowly looked upward— and her blood nearly froze.
A massive bug hovered high above them, its wings buzzing as it prepared to dive.
A direct kamikaze strike.
Herta snapped her attention upward too.
The giant swarm-beast plummeted like a meteor.
Estelle immediately backed away in fear—
But just as the creature neared them…
It exploded like fireworks.
Instant burst.
Gone.
"..."
Ruan Mei stared blankly at the drifting remains.
"…Five seconds?
Impossible."
It had originally been able to survive fifty-six.
How could it drop to only five?
Su Ran crouched and touched the liquid residue.
"Just slightly modifying its parameters already affects its existence time.
After all, the entire Swarm content in the Simulated Universe— I'm the one who added it.
It's possible I understand breeding better than you do."
He ran his sticky, bug-fluid-covered fingers across the face of Ruan Mei's puppet.
"Hey! That's my puppet!" Herta barked, hands on hips.
"If you want to do weird things, don't do them in public!"
"Stop fooling around!
Make the Breeding Emanator—now! Immediately!"
She was furious.
That replica had only lasted five seconds!
Her excitement hadn't even had time to warm up.
And now these two were flirting?
She wanted blood, not banter!
"No rush.
Step by step."
Su Ran collected more samples.
Ruan Mei had left plenty of machinery behind in this chamber during her original experiments.
Perfect for what he needed.
"Um… may I record this?"
Topaz finally squeezed out her request.
Whether Su Ran agreed or not, she had to report this to the IPC.
"Of course you can.
But you're not allowed to record the internal parameters.
Those are my personal patents.
Ranking Queen— remember to upload it later and buy me a top trending slot."
Su Ran waved casually.
"…Why are you calling me something weird like Ranking Queen?"
Topaz felt a deep, inexplicable malice emanating from the nickname.
"But you're seriously fine with me recording all this?"
This was practically evidence of a cosmic crime!
The Swarm had once devastated countless civilizations.
Its plague had spread across entire galaxies.
Just hearing "Breeding" was enough to make most intelligent races tremble.
And he wanted… to go viral?
To trend?
"If the whole universe learns that I can create a Breeding Emanator, won't I become super famous?
I like being in the spotlight.
Becoming well-known sounds great."
…That was it?
Topaz stared at him in disbelief.
She'd expected a refusal.
Not… this.
"Don't forget—buy me a ranking slot!"
Su Ran reminded again cheerfully.
Topaz's inner thoughts:
Buy your damn ranking my ass!!!
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