Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Chapter 295 Joining the fun.

"So... how does this work?" Rex asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and unease. "You said she's already full of se.... uh... that energy." He hesitated, catching himself before he could finish the sentence.

A cold shudder ran down his spine as he glanced at the Lady in White. Her smile was serene, but there was something unnerving about it, something that made the air around them feel cold.

"Ehem," Rex quickly corrected himself, his voice faltering slightly. "I mean, she's already full of life energy, right? So... what's next?"

The Lady in White tilted her head with her expression softening, though her piercing gaze never wavered. "There's nothing more for you to do, my dear. My sister and I will handle the rest. For now, I'll send you back the same way I brought you here. Just close your eyes, and the next time you open them, you'll be exactly where and when you were before you arrived."

Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire

Rex and Nyra exchanged a glance, their faces a mix of relief and lingering doubt. Slowly, they closed their eyes. The Lady in White leaned forward, her lips brushing their foreheads in a gesture that was both tender and otherworldly. In an instant, their forms dissolved into shimmering silver dust, scattering like stardust into the void.

As the last traces of their presence faded, another figure emerged from the garden's ethereal glow. A woman adorned in a flowing green dress, her head crowned with elegant deer antlers, stepped gracefully beside the Lady in White. Her presence was calming, yet her expression carried a hint of concern.

"Are you certain about this, little sister?" the Lady in Green asked, her voice gentle but firm. "You're not in the best condition to be expending so much energy. This could... destabilize you further."

The Lady in White's smile didn't falter, but her eyes hardened with resolve. "Sister, I won't hear another word of it," she said with her tone, leaving no room for argument. "And don't you dare bring it up again."

She paused for a few seconds, her gaze drifting to the endless expanse of the garden. "It's true that this will strain my body; perhaps even risk the void consuming me entirely. But there's nothing a mother wouldn't do for her child. Besides," she added, her voice lightening, "thanks to a little one of yours little ones who visited recently, I have just enough energy to spare for the ritual."

The Lady in Green raised an eyebrow, her antlers catching the light as she tilted her head. "A child of mine? The only one I recall visiting you was the one you shared your eyes with, and that was years ago, little sister."

The Lady in White chuckled softly, her laughter like the tinkling of distant chimes. "Oh my, has it really been that long? Time slips away so easily when you've lived for millions of years. I've never been good at keeping track."

The Lady in Green sighed, her expression being a mix of exasperation and fondness. "You truly are something else, little sister." She waved her hand, and a delicate table fashioned from white roses materialized between them.

Plates of food appeared, their aromas rich and inviting. "But tell me," she continued, but this time her tone was growing serious, "What will you do with the life force leaking from that young girl? She's not like us. That energy could be fatal for her."

The Lady in White took a sip from a glowing chalice, her movements elegant and unhurried. "Oh, that's hardly a concern," she replied with her voice carrying a note of mischief. "There's someone else who will be taking that energy?"

The Lady in Green froze, her eyes widening in shock. "Wait! hold on! Don't tell me you did what I think you did!" She exclaimed, her composure slipping for the first time.

But the Lady in White simply continued to sip her drink; her expression was serene and unreadable while the air between them crackled with unspoken tension, the weight of her actions hanging heavy in the silence.

The transition was instantaneous; with one blink and one breath, they were back. Rex and Nyra opened their eyes to find themselves standing on the mist-shrouded planet, exactly where they had been moments before. It was as if no time had passed at all, the world frozen in the same eerie stillness they had left behind.

"Rex...? Is something wrong?" Lyra's voice trembled, her words barely above a whisper. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, her hands clutching her sister's lifeless form.

Rex turned to her with his expression softening. "Mmm? Oh, no, there's nothing wrong," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. He reached out and gently patted Lyra's head; his touch was warm and steady. "Cheer up, Lyra. Your sister is fine; she just needs to rest now. Let's order a full retreat of the troops to the frontline."

Lyra's eyes widened in disbelief. "W-what!? How can you say she's fine!? She's full of holes!" Her voice cracked as she glanced down at her sister's body, expecting to see the gruesome wounds that had haunted her moments ago.

But instead, Nyra's skin was smooth and unblemished, her chest rising and falling with the gentle rhythm of sleep.

Rex stood tall with a faint smile playing on his lips as he took a deep breath. His black wings, once dark as the void, began to shimmer and shift, their feathers turning a radiant white. He raised his voice, commanding and unwavering, cutting through the chaos of the battlefield. "ATTENTION, REMAINING LEGIONS! Retreat to the frontlines! now!"

His words echoed across the battlefield, and the surviving units of the Blood and 201st Legions immediately began to fall back. Their movements were precise and disciplined, even as they laid down suppressing fire against the relentless tide of Harvesters that swarmed like a plague.

With the twins in his arms, Nyra cradled gently against his chest and Lyra clung to his side. Rex spread his white wings and took to the sky. The mist parted around them as he soared toward the plateau, the twins weight barely noticeable in his grip.

"Cleo," Rex spoke into his communicator, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Something's happened down here. We need a transport ship to evacuate the twins. And for now, we'll have to pause the army mobilization. I'll explain everything once I'm there."

There was a brief pause before Cleo's voice came through, calm and efficient as always. "Understood. The transport ship is already on its way for evacuation. ETA is 10 minutes."

"Thank you, my wife," Rex replied with a hint of warmth breaking through his otherwise composed tone. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

As he flew, the mist swirling around them like a living thing, Rex couldn't help but glance down at Nyra's peaceful face. She looked so serene, so alive, despite everything they had been through. Lyra, still clutching his arm, stared at her sister in awe, her earlier despair replaced by a fragile hope.

The battlefield faded into the distance below them, the sounds of gunfire and screeching Harvesters growing faint. Ahead, the plateau loomed like a beacon of safety amidst the chaos. And above it all, the faint hum of an approaching transport ship signaled the beginning of their escape.

Several weeks had passed since the harrowing events on the misty planet. The flow of materials required to keep the factories running at full capacity continued, though not without new challenges.

Pirates had discovered the supply route and begun targeting the convoys, but the Kaelzars patrols proved more than capable of repelling their attacks, leaving the raiders battered and retreating.

During this time, two major developments had shifted the balance of the operation. The first was the arrival of Carlos with his formidable dreadnought and the 198th Legion. Their presence added significant firepower and strategic depth to the mission.

Not to be outdone, Lilla had also joined the fray, bringing with her the Holy Fleet and the devastating might of Ys Destroyer. Their combined forces now formed a formidable alliance, though the dynamics between the leaders remained as unpredictable as ever.

The second major event was the unintended consequence of Lilla's involvement. Once word of the operation on the misty planet spread thanks to the pirates, it seemed the entire galaxy took notice.

Pirates, mercenaries, and even a noble from one of the megacorporations with apparently too much time on their hands had descended upon the region, drawn by the promise of opportunity or simply the thrill of chaos. The once-isolated operation had become a crowded battleground, with fleets from every corner of the galaxy vying for position.

Despite the growing presence of outsiders, Rex's forces had remained relatively quiet. The reason for this became clear when, shortly after returning to the Cleopatra, Rex collapsed.

Advanced medical scans revealed it was nothing more than extreme physical and mental exhaustion. The solution was simple: rest. For days, he lay unconscious, his body and mind recovering from the strain of the mist planet's ordeal. When he finally awoke, it was to a world that had grown far more complicated in his absence.

But not all news was good. While Rex recuperated, Nyra began to experience troubling symptoms. Fatigue, dizziness, and prolonged periods of sleep plagued her. When she did wake, it was only to eat, and even then, she often vomited shortly after.

Her condition was a source of growing concern, especially for Lyra, who hovered anxiously by her sister's side.

"Sis, this isn't normal," Lyra said with her voice tinged with worry as she gently patted Nyra's back. Nyra was hunched over the toilet, her body trembling as another wave of nausea overtook her. "We should ask Master what's going on. This can't just be exhaustion."