Inside the broken incubation tank lay a massive insect egg, quietly nurturing a reborn Swarm-King.
Unlike Ruan i, who preferred to grow her creations directly to completion...
Su Ran chose the path that aligned perfectly with the instincts of a Swarm creature:
Breeding.
When the creature hatched, that would be the mont the Emanator would truly be born.
"Why complicate things?"
Ruan i asked, genuinely puzzled.
Direct growth was the fastest.
It consud less energy, less ti.
And did not weaken the product.
What was the point of this... naturalistic incubation?
"Of course it matters," Su Ran replied.
"It’s the Emanator of Tayzzyronth—the Swarm Aeon.
If you want it born at full potential, it must follow its Destiny.
Only a Swarm birthed through true reproduction is a genuine Swarm."
Ruan i’s artificially grown King had form and function, but lacked what mattered most—
a natural-born connection to the Path of Propagation.
Data could imitate instinct, but it could never replace instinct.
Born instinct > Installed instinct.
Nature > simulation.
"But then," Ruan i countered, "a naturally born Swarm-King would follow instinct above all else.
How would it obey you?
A being driven by pure biological imperative cannot be controlled."
It was common sense.
Even she wouldn’t dare claim to fully ta a creature of Propagation.
"Easy.
I’ll just make it think I’m Tayzzyronth."
Su Ran shrugged.
"Swarm creatures require a leader.
As long as I’m recognized as the apex, the entire colony will follow."
He wouldn’t forcibly rewrite its mind— that would violate its Path, and likely kill it.
The only solution was persuasion... very aggressive persuasion.
"Wait... doesn’t that an—"
Herta narrowed her eyes.
"—that you might actually beco the new Swarm Aeon soday?
Another Tayzzyronth?"
Su Ran froze.
He had not thought about that.
Was it possible that one day, after gathering enough Swarm... after being worshipped instinctively by trillions of insects...
Would he be forced onto the empty throne of Propagation?
The current universe had only one kind of follower on that Path— mindless bugs.
An Aeonless Path couldn’t produce Emanators.
So the Swarm had been stagnating for ages.
But if they gained a leader with a brain?
That could be a problem.
A very big one.
Su Ran quietly shoved Ruan i’s face away again.
"I don’t know."
Whatever.
Future problems can stay future problems.
Then he turned back to Topaz:
"Did you buy the trending spot like I asked?"
The egg was stable.
The new Swarm Emanator was almost guaranteed.
He was satisfied.
Ti to handle more important business—becoming internet famous.
"Mr. Su Ran..."
Topaz inhaled deeply.
"Your behavior is extrely dangerous.
If I help you boost this online, you’ll beco the enemy of the entire universe."
She refused him imdiately.
If he truly beca a universal threat, the IPC’s attempts to recruit him would fail catastrophically.
But the recordings— she already transmitted back to headquarters.
The upper executives were currently panicking, strategizing how to recruit him.
Shares?
Authority?
A full board seat?
Anything was possible.
And if negotiations failed, they might even consider force—
A stupid idea.
Because with a Genius Society mber Erudition Emanator potential Swarm Emanator...
Who could stop him?
If he fled and went into hiding, the IPC would sleep with one eye open for the rest of eternity.
After hearing Herta speculate that Su Ran might eventually beco the next Swarm Aeon...
Topaz had no desire to see the IPC do sothing suicidal.
A Swarm Aeon with actual intelligence was a terror beyond comprehension.
"But I think becoming a universe-wide villain would be pretty cool,"
Su Ran said seriously.
"You’ve seen the bounties on the Stellaron Hunters, right?
If I beca an interstellar criminal, my bounty would be higher, wouldn’t it?"
The more he spoke, the more excited he sounded.
Topaz, anwhile—
The more he spoke, the more furious she beca.
"Bounty...?"
She let out a small, incredulous laugh.
Was this man for real?
Did he genuinely think the IPC Most-Wanted list was so kind of popularity ranking?
He wanted to trend so badly he was trying to farm his own bounty?!
"You want a number?"
Topaz asked, half angry, half amused.
"Fine.
How about 100 billion credits?"
That was already more than the entire Stellaron Hunters combined
(except Elio—alive capture only).
"100 billion...
sounds a little low."
Su Ran frowned.
"Does Nanook have a bounty?"
Topaz: ARE YOU INSANE.
The Stellaron Hunters could theoretically be captured.
Except Elio, who was too much of a wildcard.
But Nanook?
The Aeon of Destruction?
Did he really expect the IPC to put a price on a god?
Topaz’s internal voice:
Do you think the IPC is omnipotent?!
—------------------------------
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