Maxine logged into the virtual room for the Alliance assembly and looked around cautiously with her eye. She didn't see the humanoid creatures that the hive had sent. Hmm, now that I think about it. I have no idea what they even look like. Hive creatures are so varied that it's impossible to know what to expect. They could literately be squid-faced with crab-like pinchers for hands or they could be something entirely different from what I can even imagine. Still, it's nice that they sent a draft for their peace treaty in advance to make it clear what they want. They're more than willing to trade with us, be confined to their current territory and be observed for five hundred years just to ensure peace. And if they need to expand, they'll talk it out with the surrounding territories. There's also a clause that states they will send their warriors out in the event of an invasion from hostile entities, but only if it's a legitimate threat to the Alliance. Their only demand is for any hive matriarch that is both outside of their area of influence and willing to be moved should be transported into their territory.
While she thought about that, she walked towards her seat and nodded to the representatives that she sat next to as she passed them. Thankfully, it seemed that almost everyone was present and that she wouldn't have to wait long before the meeting began.
A strange flash of light caught her attention and she finally saw the drones that the Hive sent. The three creatures that she saw were technically humanoid, but the way they looked caused Maxine to mentally cringe.
They were all insectoids and the way they each made a humanoid shape was both unique and disturbing. The first one was essentially a bipedal cockroach that looked like a large bald man in a trench coat. Unfortunately, it's face was completely static. The next one looked like an an actual attempt had been made to make it look appear human, instead of a disguise. The only problem was that it had huge eyes that took up almost a fifth of it's face. Unlike the one before it, it had a mobile mouth, but that was it. The last one was clearly an insect. It's arms and legs were vaguely human in shape and it's body was hunched over. But out of all of them, it had the most expressive and human face. Yeah, this is definitely not what I was expecting. I was hoping that they would do something very similar to what Kerrigan did and I honestly wish that they had. These things are creepy as fuck.
"The sole topic for today is for the negotiation of peace between the Alliance and the Hive," the Alliance's AI announced, "Please, begin discussions now."
"First off, I would like to apologize for unsightly appearance of our drones," the drone with the woman's face said, "This is the best we could do with what we had available. Unlike our little sister from Earth, we were not afforded access to a wide variety of insect species on Earth."
"I don't hold it against you and I'll admit that your appearances are disturbing to say the least," Maxine said as she stood up, "And I can ignore that in favor of peace. If someone as young as I can do it, the more senior members of the Alliance with their far greater experience and wisdom can surely do so as well." I wonder if this simple trick will work.
"What will it take for peace between our peoples?" an elderly elf asked as if Maxine had not even spoken. Woah, I didn't even notice that guy and for and elf to be visibly old, he must be nearing the end of his lifespan. It's literately the only time they show their age.
"We simply wish to remain free and for your 'people' to stop slaughtering our kind for our exoskeletons and organs," the drone replied.
"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your kind's organs are useful medicinal ingredients," the alchemist association representative replied.
"There are alternatives to those ingredients," Maxine pointed out.
"Yes, but they're no where near as plentiful," the alchemist association representative countered.
"We can provide those organs ourselves," the drone with a woman's face said, "We can create drones that produce multiple redundant systems and harvest their organs without killing. As for the exoskeletons, our kind sheds them periodically and we see no issue with trading them for other goods."
"I don't have any more questions," the alchemist association's representative stated.
"We have no objections to this arrangement," the mercenary guild representative chimed in.
"Nor do we," a dwarven representative stated.
"The mere fact that they are willing to modify and mutilate their kin is proof enough of their desire for peace," the high elven representative added, "And the alchemist association best recompense them handsomely for their sacrifice or they will have us as an enemy." Following that statement there was hardly a word spoken against the peace treaty, but eventually, there was a pause in the talks.
"Is there anyone else that would like to say a few words?" the AI asked after nearly three hours of discussion, "If not, we will begin the voting process."
"I have a question," the Arachne Sisterhood representative stated, "What do you consider a significant threat to the Alliance?"
"One that has the potential to destroy the Alliance without our intervention," the drone with the human face stated, "If you wish for specifics, I would say that being invaded by a large force from another galaxy cluster would be sufficient to force our intervention. I believe it's happened at least five times in the one hundred thousand." Wait, what?! I never heard of anything like that, but I don't really read that many history books. And the ones that I have read don't go further back than three thousand years.
"Thank you for answering my question," the Arachne Sisterhood representative said as she bowed her head.
No more questions were asked and the three buttons appeared on the armrest of Maxine's chair. She promptly voted for the peace treaty and she silently hoped that those present could see beyond their grudges to see the benefits of peace with the Hive.
A few minutes later, Maxine wondered what was taking so long for everyone to vote, but her patience was rewarded. "72 percent have voted for the peace treaty. This is enough for the peace treaty to be put into effect," the Alliance's AI announced.
"What?!" a particularly emotional representative shouted, "What were you all thinking?! These things can't be trusted! These things will turn on us the moment we show any kind of vulnerability!" That prick kept on trying to push for harsher restrictions to be placed on the Hive. It was obvious that he was goading them into leaving.
"If it happens, we will deal with it," the Alchemist Association representative stated, "Now calm down."
"You want me to calm down around these murderous monsters?" the emotional representative shouted.
"Is this meeting adjourned?" the Alchemist Association representative asked while ignoring the emotional representative.
"Yes, it is," the Alliance's AI announced, "You are all dismissed until the next scheduled assembly."
Maxine took that as her cue to leave. Thankfully, she realized it was the right one as she saw the emotional representative whirl around to glare at her angrily just before she managed to log out. That was close. I didn't want to have to deal with that guys accusations. It was clear from the way he looked at me that he held me responsible for the Hive's request for peace being accepted. It's a good thing that there was a special clause put into the peace treaty. So, if they get attacked and have proof of the attacker's identity, they can counter attack without repercussions, but only against the group or individual that attacked them.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she grit her teeth due to the return of the horrendous itch coming from her right eye. The rest of her still-healing burns were a minor nuisance in comparison.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
With a deep breath, she stood up and made her way to the kitchen. She saw Lucas sitting in grandma Victoria's lap as he watched TV when she walked through the TV room. When she finally reached the kitchen, Hellen was in the middle of making lunch.
"Hey, mom. Do you need any help in here?" Maxine asked.
"No need for that. I'm almost done," Hellen answered, "You could fetch your father, though. He's in his training room, but be sure to only knock on his door. Do not go in there unless he invites you. He mentioned that he was going to experiment with a new technique." I hope it isn't anything particularly nasty. In any case, I don't think it would matter. He built that thing to withstand several of his full powered strikes.
Maxine walked towards Guan's training room and pressed the intercom button on the side of the door. "Daddy, mom said that lunch is almost ready," Maxine said into it. However, he didn't answer right away as he normally did and she didn't like that. Guan had always answered her in the past when she had done this, but she knew better than to enter. I'll give him a few minutes. He might be in the middle of something that he can't stop in the middle.
She waited for a couple minutes and just as she turned to leave, Guan finally answered, "I'll be there in a few minutes, Maxine. Thank you for letting me know."
Maxine turned around and pressed the intercom button as she replied, "You're welcome, daddy. I'll let mom know."
She returned back to the kitchen and let Hellen know what Guan had said before she grabbed some plates and silverware to setting the table for lunch. Grandma Victoria appeared as she was setting the table and gave Maxine a hand. Once everything was in place, Hellen brought the lunch and Lucas seemed to appear out of nowhere to sit at the table.
Maxine shrugged and sat down at the table. A few minutes later, Guan joined them and he announced, "I made excellent progress today."
"That's wonderful," Hellen said cheerfully, but Maxine was confused.
"What exactly are you trying to do, daddy?" Maxine asked before she took a bite out of her lunch.
"I doubt you would understand, even if I explained it to you," Guan answered calmly, "But in simple terms, I'm trying to understand how our universe works down to the most fundamental laws. It's a very slow process, but I'm getting there."
"Why is that even necessary?" Maxine asked.
"It's in preparation for my ascension into the higher plane," Guan answered, "By understanding these laws, I can better combat the tribulation that I will face before I ascend."
"Neat," Maxine responded, "Find out anything interesting yet?"
"As a matter of fact, I have figured out how to create wormholes," Guan answered smoothly, "Although, it's limited to places that I've already been to and anyone below gold stage will not survive it if they were to traverse one that I've created. And those in gold stage would have various injuries."
"That's actually rather impressive if you ask me," Maxine said, "It's been theorized that only energy can survive being thrown through a wormhole."
"That's true, but cultivators project a energy field around themselves," Guan explained, "That energy field shields them somewhat from the destructive energies within a wormhole. I'm trying to make it so even someone as strong as Lucas could survive the transition."
"Good luck with that," Maxine said.
"Thank you, Maxine," Guan said with a small smile, "The bigger concern is if the wormhole were to destabilize while someone is still in it. It could in theory send you to not only a different spot than intended, but also to a different time. That is assuming that you survive the whole process."
"What now?" Maxine asked in surprise.
"Wormholes are closely related to blackholes and as you know, blackholes can effect both space and time," Guan explained calmly, "It wouldn't be much of a stretch to believe that a wormhole could do the same." That sounds dangerous.
"So, you're saying that it's possible to be thrown into another timeline?" Maxine asked cautiously.
"It's entirely possible, but it's far more likely for the person caught within the destabilized wormhole to be utterly annihilated," Guan answered, "The chaotic energies would be too much for even me to endure for more than a few seconds."
"If their that dangerous, why are you even messing with wormholes?" Maxine asked angrily.
"Because I've detected a spatial anomaly roughly two light years from Earth," Guan answered, "Based on the intensity, it could be an invasion from another galaxy cluster. I could easily hold off such a force by myself until the Alliance's forces arrive, but I'm more concerned about another possibility. It's the worst by far. A deity realm expert could be on the verge of descending to our plane. If it's someone hostile, I'll need to send you, your sister, and your mother to a safe location, so I can fight them without worry." It frightened Maxine that Guan actually looked nervous while he explained his reasoning.
"Daddy, what are the odds that it's something like that?" Maxine asked.
"Less than ten percent," Guan answered, "The truth is that spatial anomaly was most likely caused by a truly immense space-dwelling creature. And you need not worry about creatures like that. The vast majority of creatures that size are extremely gentle."
"Then, why this non-sense about using a wormhole to send us away?" Hellen asked, "And why can't you just use warp stones?"
"It's a precaution. Nothing more," Guan answered calmly, "And warp stones are limited by how much mass that they can move. Wormholes have no such limitations." He's including Kerrigan and Silky as his family. Without either of them in the equation, there would be no reason to take into consideration entities with greater mass.
"Well, how soon will you know what is causing that spatial distortion?" Maxine asked to change the subject.
"I'll know for certain in a month," Guan answered calmly.
"What a coincidence," Maxine remarked, "My eye should be fully regenerated in that time as well."
"That it is," Hellen agreed and she turned to grandma Victoria, "Mom, I forgot to ask your this earlier, but how much longer do you intend to stay here?"
"I'll be staying for another week," grandma Victoria stated and she reached over to ruffle Lucas' hair, "And I intend to enjoy every minute of it."
"Spar?" Lucas asked with a hopeful expression on his face.
"After we're done with lunch," grandma Victoria said happily. Lucas swiftly dug into his lunch. Wow, he must really like sparring with grandma.
"Well, if you guys are going to do that, I'm going to go on a solo hunt," Maxine announced, "You would be surprised how relaxing I find it to track down a large animal without spiritual sense."
"Just try to get back before dinner," Hellen reminded Maxine, "I don't know if I have enough meat left to feed your little brother."
"I'll try," Maxine said as she finished up her lunch and took her plate to the kitchen.
Immediately after, she went to her room and changed into her hide clothing since she didn't want to get blood on her every day clothes. As a last thought, she removed her eyepatch and transformed into her battle form. She tried to push further into the form she took when she became gold stage, but she wasn't able to. It was as if something was blocking her. I'm not surprised that didn't work. It is the first time I've actually tried to consciously take it on. Hopefully, it is something simple to figure out. If not, it's not that big of a deal.
She looked in the mirror and sighed in relief that her eyelids had regenerated enough that she could close that eye. It still felt awkward to use only her left eye, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it when she first lost it. She had been worried about that. She swiftly put on the special gloves and shoes that sheathed her claws and opened up a portal into a heavily forested area. Let's get to hunting.
Once she was in the forest, she trotted through the dense forest while looking for tracks on the ground. Eventually, she found a path that has been commonly used by deer of some kind. She lowered herself to examine the tracks. Well, this has been awhile since I've last done this without spiritual sense, but if I use spiritual sense, it would be too easy. Now, let's see. Some of these tracks are days old, but this one has been made within the last couple hours. And it's a big deer, probably an essence beast.
She slowly followed the most recent trail left by the deer, but within a few minutes, she felt as if someone was watching her. Unfortunately, she couldn't tell from which direction, like she usually could, and it made her little nervous. She spread her spiritual sense out, but didn't see anyone. Maybe, I'm just being paranoid, but it's still quite possible someone a lot stronger than me is spying on me. Well, no matter. Only an idiot would try to do anything with daddy being so close.
She went back to tracking the deer and growled in frustration whenever she lost the trail due to the feeling of being watched distracting her. However, she still managed to find the trail, again. It took her a few hours, but she knew that she was gaining ground on the deer by how fresh the tracks were getting.
When she finally spotted a group of crystal antler deer in the distance, she leapt up onto the tree branches above her and began soundlessly approaching them through the treetops. It took her longer than it normally would since she had to gauge the distances with only one eye when she had to make a jump to another branch that could support her weight.
When she was directly over a large buck, she withdrew one of her blades from her dimensional ring and dove down. With a single slash, she beheaded the large buck and the rest of the deer scattered. However, she wasn't interested in them.
She swiftly dismantled the body into portions that could be used and aside from the antlers, she left the head of this beast entirely alone. Next, she dug a small, but deep hole, to bury the deer's head out of respect. She placed the remaining parts into a pile for scavengers.
She cleaned herself off using a motion of her energies and opened a portal back home. At that moment, the feeling of being watched intensified before it vanished and she looked around in confusion for a moment. What the hell was that about? Maybe, daddy has an idea who was watching me. She walked through the portal back home and went looking for Guan.
However, just as she closed the portal behind her, Maxine heard a familiar voice, "I love the new look, Maxine." She spun around, but the portal closed before she could get a look at the person who spoke, but she didn't need to. She already knew who it was. Zabel Nodd, how the fuck did you evade the shadow lords for this long?