Yiwen’s voice was very low.
Her gaze swept over the tightly closed wooden door of the room.
After confirming there were no footsteps or breathing sounds spying from outside, she finally relaxed a little.
Ella had already changed back into her previous black outfit and black robe.
The form-fitting fabric wrapped around her slender yet not thin figure.
The hood hung down, covering most of her eyebrows and eyes, only revealing a section of her sharp jawline.
After taking off that restrictive and eye-catching maid outfit, she finally felt refreshed all over.
Even her breathing became much smoother, and her tense shoulder line relaxed slightly.
She took a step forward and lowered her voice to press for more details.
“Is the Alliance created by the top players from each major profession? Is it currently the strongest and most widespread organization on the Abyssal Sea?”
Yiwen blinked.
Her tongue tip subconsciously licked over the slightly protruding canine teeth at the corner of her lips.
A trace of confusion and gravity flashed in her eyes.
She had mixed in the Abyssal Sea for many years and had seen disputes between forces of all sizes.
Yet she had never thought the Alliance would extend its hand to such a remote Transfer Station and get involved with the taboo-like topic of the Swarm.
She shook her head, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the table.
“The Alliance people have indeed docked. They are currently negotiating with the station master in the main control room.”
Dieyi, who was leaning against the wall nearby, still had that casual appearance.
One hand in her pocket, the other casually resting on her bent knee.
Her pink hair hung down over her shoulders.
Her gaze was indifferent, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.
She let out a scoff, her tone full of disdain.
“Hah, what else could it be? It’s definitely just power struggles among the upper echelons. Dogs biting dogs, a mouthful of fur. Anyway, it has nothing to do with us.”
In her view, whether the Alliance monopolized resources or slandered the Transfer Station for hiding the Swarm, it was all just profit games between player factions.
They, a group of rootless wanderers, had no need to get involved, nor any need to be frightened by it.
But Yiwen was not as optimistic as her.
Her brows furrowed even tighter.
“The Alliance’s affairs have nothing to do with us, but if the Alliance really intervenes in the 29th Transfer Station, it will be big trouble for us. Once they take over here, the alert level will be maxed out immediately. A full-site inspection is only a matter of time. Ordinary people might not see through our disguises, but there are quite a few rare-class players hidden in the Alliance… Any one of them might directly read our true identities.”
“What?!”
Ella was startled violently.
Her voice unconsciously rose a few notches.
She hurriedly covered her mouth.
Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, pounding wildly against her chest.
The four words “identity exposed” were no different from a disaster for her.
As the notoriously infamous Insect Mother, once discovered by player forces, what awaited her would definitely not be gentle questioning, but public execution.
Taking the hard way had never been her style.
Seeking advantages and avoiding harm, prioritizing survival, was the instinct engraved in her bones.
The current risk had already exceeded her tolerance range.
The first thought in her mind was only one.
Run.
Run quickly.
“Then let’s hurry up and run away!” Ella held her head with both hands, looking like the sky was falling in a collapsed manner.
“If the Alliance catches us, we’re dead! I don’t want to be beheaded! I don’t want to be hung on the city gate either!”
Although there was no city gate on the Transfer Station either.
The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became.
In her mind, she had already pictured herself being surrounded by a group of fully armed players, cold weapons pressed against her neck.
Her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
At this moment, Shuang Ling, who had been silently standing in the corner with a faint chill lingering around her, stepped forward.
She knelt on one knee.
Her lowered head raised up.
Her blue eyes were full of fanaticism and loyalty.
Her voice was powerful and resonant, breaking the panicked silence in the room.
“Your Majesty! Things have come to this point! We have no way back anymore!”
Her tone was firm, her gaze burning as she looked at Ella, as if declaring a destined victory.
“We have no ship. All around us is the vast Abyssal Sea. There is nowhere to go. Why not use this 29th Transfer Station as a starting point and begin developing the Swarm! The mere Alliance is, after all, just a bunch of lower beings huddling together for warmth. In front of the supreme power of the Insect Nest, they are nothing! You only need to release your power and create the Swarm that belongs to you. All of them will only become our food, become nutrients for the Swarm’s expansion!”
When Shuang Ling’s words fell, the entire room instantly fell into dead silence.
Dieyi raised an eyebrow.
She rarely put away her casualness.
Her gaze toward Shuang Ling gained a bit more scrutiny.
Yiwen also stopped her small movements.
Her canine teeth bit down slightly.
She obviously hadn’t expected this always silent attendant to suddenly say such a crazy proposal.
As for Zhuluo, she blinked.
But the one most impacted was Ella herself.
Her heart was almost screaming.
She wished she could cover Shuang Ling’s mouth on the spot.
Don’t bring that up now!
Every time she created one more Swarm unit, the connection between her and the Insect Nest will would deepen by one point.
The erosion would intensify by one layer.
She didn’t want to become a machine whose mind was full of only giving birth to children!
However…
Reason was cruelly reminding her that Shuang Ling was right.
They were now trapped in the 29th Transfer Station.
They couldn’t move an inch.
No ship, no supplies.
Outside was the endless dangerous Abyssal Sea.
Once the Alliance began a full-scale inspection, they would have nowhere to hide.
Compromise, hide, escape—all retreat paths were blocked.
It seemed there was only one way to break the situation left: mass-produce troops and fight back.
For the first time since the Insect Nest exploded, Ella felt life-threatening danger.
The tip of her nose turned sour, and she almost cried.
Wuwuwu… How did it become like this…
In the chaos, the strong sense of crisis instead forced her to calm down.
While her brain was madly complaining about the unfairness of fate, it was also operating at high speed, sorting out all the available clues and paths in front of her.
Sereia.
That woman who hired her as a maid might be the only breakthrough point right now.
Sereia held a high status in the Transfer Station and had extensive connections.
She must grasp a large amount of information about the Alliance and the internal affairs of the station.
It was far more reliable than them groping around in the dark.
As long as she continued to stay by her side as a maid, she could not only obtain intelligence up close but also earn wages through this job and accumulate credit points.
If it really came to the point where she had to run away, these wages might be used to buy a cheap second-hand ship.
Even if it was old and shabby, as long as she could escape this Transfer Station, it would be fine.
As for creating the Swarm…
Ella subconsciously averted her gaze, not daring to look at Shuang Ling’s burning eyes.
She temporarily didn’t want to consider it.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and her gaze slowly fell on the neatly folded maid outfit on the chair beside her.
The black and white dress, the cute hair accessory…
That outfit had once made her feel ashamed and restrictive.
But now, it had become the safest protective coloration in her eyes.
She already knew that she would ultimately be unable to avoid putting it back on.
“I… I understand,” Ella opened her mouth in a low voice, her voice still trembling a little.
“The Alliance matter cannot be handled head-on. Our current strength is insufficient. A direct confrontation would only lead to death.”
She raised her eyes to look at Yiwen and Dieyi, trying hard to put on a calm appearance.
“Next, I will continue to stay by Sereia’s side. She can contact the high-level people at the station and will definitely be able to obtain the true purpose of the Alliance’s arrival, the inspection time, and security deployment. This information is crucial to us.”
Dieyi raised an eyebrow, her tone playful.
“Oh? You still plan to continue being a maid? I thought you were just shouting about running away and had already been scared out of your wits.”
“Running away also requires a ship,” Ella pouted, no longer as panicked as before.
“Once I earn enough wages, I can find a way to buy a second-hand ship. Even if the Alliance really wants to seal the station then, we will have the capital to leave. It’s better than sitting here waiting to die.”
She deliberately avoided the words “Swarm,” yet also vaguely expressed her attitude.
Shuang Ling still wanted to say something, but was stopped by a look from Ella.
“Now is not the time to talk about that,” Ella’s tone became a bit heavier, carrying a hint of irrefutable meaning.
“The Swarm matter, I have my own plans. The most important thing now is to stay steady and not arouse any suspicion. The Alliance people have just arrived. They are definitely still in the preliminary investigation stage and won’t immediately target low-level personnel. We still have time.”
Yiwen nodded, approving of her plan.
“You’re right. Acting rashly will only bring trouble upon ourselves. Sereia’s side is indeed the best entry point. Be careful in your actions and don’t expose any abnormalities. Dieyi and I will keep an eye on the movements in the maintenance area and the port outside. See if there are any ships that can be acquired at a low price, or find channels for stowaway escape.”
“Wait, why don’t you guys have to work! Think of a way to find jobs for me too! Why am I the only one who has to work! All of you go earn money too!”