’This feeling of being completely suffused with power... he’d only experienced it when he reached a 100% gene fusion degree.’

Graces stood up. The massive dragon wings on his back unfurled, and steam rose from his arms, which had transformed into draconic claws. A ball of fire burned in his palm.

Graces knew this was the superpower the Fire Spirit Gene Extraction Liquid had given him.

In the Empire, there were fewer than three Gene Fusion Experts who possessed superpowers. Their gene fusion degrees were all above 90%, and they were weapons cultivated by the Empire. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Now, he too controlled this power.

He clenched his draconic claw, and the fire was instantly extinguished. His beastly features then vanished, and the now-normal Graces said to the room’s system, "Turn on the air purifier."

"Of course. Activating now. The system has detected a slight elevation in your body temperature. Would you like me to call a doctor for you?"

"That won’t be necessary." After speaking, Graces went straight to the bathroom.

When he came out again, he sent a message to Lu Xia: "Fire Spirit Gene Extraction Liquid injection successful."

He knew Lu Xia would be worried about how the Fire Spirit Gene Extraction Liquid had been used.

As it turned out, he wasn’t wrong. Lu Xia did indeed breathe a sigh of relief after receiving the message. At least this way, Graces would have one more way to save his life if he ran into danger.

"Got it. Stay safe. I’ll be waiting for you to come home. ^_^"

The journey from the Imperial Star to A11 Star normally takes two days, but by traveling at full speed, they arrived at A11 Star in just a day and a half.

After proactively clearing out a wave of the Insect Race’s attack, Graces disembarked from the Starship. The garrison commander on A11 Star, Taka, came forward to greet him. "Major General Graces, I am the garrison commander, Colonel Taka. It’s a pleasure to see you here, and thank you for arriving so promptly."

"It’s my duty, Colonel Taka. No need for formalities. Please, brief me on the current situation on A11 Star as quickly as possible. Why did the Insect Race’s vanguard attack us now? It shouldn’t be their matriarch’s breeding season yet, should it?"

Colonel Taka hesitated at his words. Finally, he took Graces by the arm and pulled him aside. "Major General Graces, are you sure you want to know the truth? It would actually be better for you not to know. You’re only here to support us. Once this mission is resolved, you can return with your military honors and report your success. You don’t really need to know what’s truly happening on A11 Star."

Graces recognized this as a warning from Colonel Taka.

"Tell me. Understanding the situation here is necessary for me to plan ahead and prepare for the next attack."

Taka nodded, seemingly having made up his mind. "Then please come with me to a certain place. It would be best if you came alone."

When Graces turned to call his adjutant to follow, Taka quickly said, "The fewer people who know, the better."

Graces hesitated for a moment. "All troops, stand by here. Wait for my return."

Afterward, Graces left with Colonel Taka in a hovercar.

A11 Star was a desert planet. Oases and water sources were extremely scarce across its surface, making it unsuitable for Beastman habitation.

Yet, a military unit had been garrisoned here for many years.

When the hovercar stopped and Colonel Taka opened the door, Graces saw the entrance to a hidden, underground elevator appear before him.

Colonel Taka gestured for him to follow.

The two rode the elevator underground, and the subterranean chill was an instant relief from the scorching heat of the surface.

As the elevator doors opened, Graces saw researchers in white lab coats bustling about inside.

’To think they’d set up such a large-scale research base here, and even had troops stationed to guard it.’

’It wasn’t hard to guess who this research base answered to.’

Colonel Taka offered no explanation. He knew that upon seeing this, Graces would naturally draw his own conclusions.

Graces didn’t ask any questions. Accompanied by Colonel Taka, he proceeded deeper into the research institute.

Then, in one research lab after another, he saw containers of gestating embryos, incubating cubs, and cubs being subjected to experiments.

When they stopped at the final research lab, the researchers in white lab coats were extracting a green fluid from the bodies of cubs that looked to be three or four years old.

"What is that?"

Colonel Taka lowered his gaze, seemingly unwilling to watch the scene. "That liquid... after repeated experiments, it has been shown to extend one’s lifespan. It can also be used for cosmetic purposes, to preserve one’s youth."

"What?" Graces whipped his head around to look at Colonel Taka, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Colonel Taka didn’t repeat himself. He knew perfectly well that Graces wasn’t unable to hear, but simply unwilling to believe—just as he himself had been, when he first learned what was happening here. He, too, had refused to believe that the esteemed Her Majesty Queen of the Empire could be doing something like this behind the scenes.

Graces took a deep breath, as if steeling his resolve. "Tell me everything, Colonel Taka. What exactly is going on here? And why did it attract the Insect Race’s vanguard?"

Colonel Taka no longer tried to hide the truth. "A11 Star has always been under the direct authority of Her Majesty Queen. This underground research institute also answers only to her. I was ordered to this post ten years ago, and the institute was already here, fully operational. According to my predecessor, the institute was actually founded in the second year of Her Majesty Queen’s ascension. Its primary purpose was to conduct research for her on methods to preserve youth and beauty."

"In the course of their research, they introduced Insect Race genes as material. They accidentally discovered that combining the genes of the cubs with those of an Imperial Zerg could produce a certain liquid. Very little of this liquid is produced, but it has life-extending properties. When Her Majesty Queen found out, she approved this line of experimentation, which has led to everything you see today. All of the gestating and already-born cubs have Imperial Zerg genes. The Imperial Zerg itself was captured before it could fully hatch and has been kept here all these years without incident. Until recently, that is. The Imperial Zerg’s vital signs began to decline. The researchers here have tried everything they can think of to prolong its life, but nothing has been effective."

"As you know, Imperial Zerg eggs are not easy to come by. If we lose this one, it will be difficult to answer to Her Majesty Queen. We were planning to find a way to acquire another one, but before we could put that plan into action, the Insect Race vanguard suddenly attacked. We suspect it was triggered by a distress signal sent out by the Imperial Zerg."

Graces let out a cold laugh after hearing the explanation. "Is your garrison under the direct command of Her Majesty Queen?"

"No, my command affiliation is still with the Second Military District. Her Majesty Queen never gives us orders directly; it’s always done through her attendant."

"Then my being sent here... was that Her Majesty Queen’s doing?"

"No, you were most likely assigned here at random. The First Military District has always been responsible for off-world deployments. But now that you know all of this... I imagine Her Majesty Queen’s people have already been alerted."