A surge of purple light pulsed through the energy field before it disappeared entirely, plunging Brent into darkness. Rather than fear, he felt relief. His entire being ached from the constant pressure exerted by the Zone Barrier, even after he had gotten the skill Mental Resistance to help cope with it.

He could only assume that with the Zone Barrier dropping, Mike had probably won the battle, which would mean he would hopefully be set free soon. All he had to do was wait.

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System Administrator watched as the anomaly was transported through the core of the planet, which was now thousands of times larger than before the Hive had arrived. The scene left a bad taste in their mouth, as they had never had to initiate Phase 3 before. It marked a clear delineation from the normal assimilation of a planet, as resources were now actively being expended to expunge the anomaly. A key example being the energy field that was currently transporting the anomaly through rock, magma, and all other physical obstacles.

While Phase 3 wasn’t uncommon in the billions of planets being assimilated each cycle, it did require following proper protocols for reporting the incident. The Hive Queen, may she spawn forever, was ever protective of her cultivation resources, and avoiding the procedures her Spawnliness had put in place was a one way ticket to being harvested like any of the billions of lifeforms that System Administrator had helped acquire for her themself.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Not only would hiding the information be considered a waste of resources, but it could potentially trigger the war that had been brewing among the ruling factions of the multiverse for several millennia. The Hive’s cultivation method was considered evil by most, but due to its strength, it was tolerated. Afterall, although other factions would rail against them verbally, they were unwilling to actually go to war for the sake of unenlightened planets whose resources were inconsequential to most. Thus, as long as the Hive followed the accords set forth in the third age, their cultivation method was permitted.

Fortunately, there was still time to get rid of the anomaly through the proper methods. Phase 3 and 4, while embarrassing, ultimately wouldn’t make much of a difference in the Hive at large. No, that would only come if Phase 5 was reached, and then System Administrator’s only chance of a comfortable retirement and maybe a status advancement would truly be eliminated.

Turning away from the screen projecting the anomaly, System Leader marched towards their personal chamber. Sector Assimilator would not be happy to hear that Phase 3 had been enacted, and System Administrator’s only scapegoat was Junior Administrator, who was from the same Hive faction as the current ruling Grulthar.