"Compared to not being able to go out for the next three days, unable to find food, and ending up freezing or starving to death at home," Ethan said calmly, "No matter how cruel it is, it can't be more cruel than a bunch of people starving to death in their homes. Go on."
["Mm, actually it's very simple."]
The Queen Bee said, ["The hatching of sun worms requires energy."]
["But since they are eggs, they themselves can't directly obtain energy, so a flesh field is needed to plant the eggs and incubate them."]
["If you let them hatch slowly on their own, it would probably take about half a month to a month."]
["But if the body used for planting has sufficient energy and rich nutrients, it would take about a day, at fastest half a day, to successfully hatch them."]
"Flesh… flesh field?", Ethan felt a faint sense of unease and said, "Can this be an animal?"
["In theory, any living being will do,"] The Queen Bee continued, ["But that living being must be either non-elemental or fire-elemental. It's best if it's obedient, so it can quickly take in a large amount of energy during the process of incubating the sun worms, which helps speed up their hatching."]
"It needs to be a non-elemental living thing?", Ethan scratched his head and said, "Then do you think rabbits or goats would work?"
["No, their energy is too weak,"] The Queen Bee waved her antennae and said, ["If it's a rabbit, it probably wouldn't even be able to support one egg before having all its life energy drained. Let alone so many sun worm eggs."]
["As for larger animals like goats, they could support the hatching of a few eggs. But since they are herbivores, and they can't digest things like spirit stones that can rapidly replenish energy, they also wouldn't be able to last until the eggs hatch. So that probably won't work either."]
"Then what about Hell Tyrannosaurus Dogs?"
Actually, Ethan already had a guess in his heart, but unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to say it.
'Too cruel!'
["That won't work either."]
The Queen Bee flapped her wings and returned to the hive as she said, ["Hell Tyrannosaurus Dogs are dark-elemental. Once sun worms are implanted into their bodies, they will immediately explode and be destroyed."]
["I believe Master already knows what's needed, so I won't say more."]
["If Master has already decided, remember to provide that flesh field with enough food, preferably energy-rich, fire-elemental food. That way, it can not only speed up the hatching of the sun worms, but even improve their quality."]
After the Queen Bee finished speaking, she said nothing more.
Because her mind was connected to Ethan's, she could easily sense his emotions. Naturally, she knew that her master already understood what she meant.
But her master had fallen into hesitation… After all, the most suitable flesh field was actually humans themselves. Coincidentally the same race as her master. So it was only natural that he found it hard to decide.
Thus, the Queen Bee chose to return to the hive, leaving more space and time for her master to think.
"Is this the only choice?"
Ethan licked his slightly dry lips. In fact, when the Queen Bee mentioned "flesh field," he had already thought of a suitable candidate.
There's a saying… Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.
Although he had always seen himself as a ruthless, profit-driven merchant rather than some saint, this was the first time he felt that doing this, might be too cruel to the enemy.
Ding!
[Private chat +1]
Right at that moment.
Ethan received another private message.
["Ethan, did you capture my people?"], The one who sent the message was the lord of Region One, Shakun. He directly sent a private message questioning Ethan, ["If you did, I advise you to release them immediately! Otherwise…"]
What Ethan didn't expect was that this private message actually came from that idiot general of Region One.
He had always wondered how this guy even became a general.
Until, those soldiers who were captured told Ethan the reason.
This General Shakun had inherited his father's position, becoming a local tyrant ruling over the Copper Triangle. On top of that, the surrounding territory was already under the control of his private army. So even if the soldiers were dissatisfied with him, their families' lives were in his hands, and they could only be angry but not dare to speak out.
["General Shakun, you're a really strange person, you know?"], Ethan was amused by him, ["You're in Region One, I'm in Region Seven. I'm really curious, how exactly did I go and capture your people from Region One? What do you think I am, able to fly or burrow underground?"]
["You think I'm an idiot, talking nonsense with my eyes open?"], Shakun raged, ["My soldiers from Region One accidentally entered your Region Seven territory and were captured by your people. Some soldiers even witnessed it on the spot, and you still dare to say it wasn't you?"]
'Heh!'
'He's even learned how to fish for answers.'
But the more Shakun spoke like this, the more Ethan was certain this wasn't his own idea.
Most likely, that adjutant who had come to negotiate with him last time and got completely played was standing beside him right now, figuring out how to question Ethan.
["I haven't heard anything about this at all,"] Ethan naturally refused to admit it, ["And my people already came back. They didn't see any soldiers you're talking about. Maybe your people saw wrong."]
["Enough!"]
Shakun seemed impatient and said bluntly, ["I won't beat around the bush with you anymore! I sent my people over to find you, and up until now there's been no report. Meanwhile, nothing has happened to you at all."]
["That means my people have already been captured by you!"]
["I'm not here to negotiate with you. I'm here to warn you!"]
["I've already formed an alliance with the lord of Region Ten, Chomu. He has a way to turn all my soldiers into warriors. So I advise you, don't go against us."]
["Return my people obediently, and at the same time, you must compensate me sufficiently. Otherwise, I'll lead two hundred warriors over and flatten your entire Region Seven."]
["Do you hear me?"]
["So scary! So scary!"], Ethan patted his chest and said, ["General Shakun is so mighty, this humble one is terrified! I'll return your people to you tomorrow. Just wait, General Shakun!"]
["Stop being sarcastic with me. If I don't see them tomorrow, just you wait!"]
After Shakun said his final sentence, he stopped talking.
And as Ethan looked at what Shakun had said, he just found this person… Really hilarious.
He sent people to invade his territory, got them captured, and still had the nerve to openly demand their return.
When he couldn't get them back, he resorted to threats, even revealing his own trump card.
'Heh!'
Originally, Ethan had been worrying about what excuse to use to let that soldier carrying the Flower of Misfortune return, to offer flowers at General Shakun's grave.
Now Shakun had practically paved the road for him.
Ethan even felt like he should properly thank Shakun. Really considerate.
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