"Oh? The treefolk have already started building their homeland?"
"They're moving this fast?"
Upon closer consideration, it made sense. Among all the species, the treefolk had the largest population and the highest reproduction rate. With the leadership of a highly intelligent lifeform, constructing a nation at record speed was not surprising.
Bai Ze also vaguely remembered that during the first round of simulation, the other four races had similarly established their empires or tribes.
Although they were ultimately destroyed by the Lich fleet, the system's auto-save functionality ensured their survival.
Currently, they should still be intact.
[Event 3: The Meteorite Insect Race has fully recovered. Under the leadership of Hyper Zetton, they have returned to space, leaving half of the forest to the treefolk while maintaining their castle-based settlement.]
[Event 4: The Meteorite Insects, having reached space, focused their attention on the southern region of the planet near the Storm Zone. They detected no escaping Liches everything is in order.]
After confirming the fourth event, Bai Ze felt much more at ease.
Next up was the opportunity to scavenge.
Though only a day had passed in the outside world, countless eras had likely gone by within the inner world. If the Liches hadn't emerged, it was safe to assume they had been completely lost within the Storm Zone.
Thinking this, Bai Ze decisively issued an order to the Meteorite Insects.
"Hyper Zetton, gather the Meteorite Insects and prepare to return to the Storm Zone. We'll survey the area to confirm the Liches' demise and collect any useful resources."
In addition to commanding the Meteorite Insects, Bai Ze also summoned Aurora.
While he didn't know much about the Liches, the Holy Wood Elf who had endured their invasion served as an excellent source of intelligence.
In an instant, Aurora was transported from the home planet, now standing on Hyper Zetton's shoulder.
The massive swarm of Meteorite Insects began advancing cautiously toward the Storm Zone.
As per Bai Ze's instructions, they moved with utmost vigilance, avoiding cosmic turbulence and asteroid bombardments while staying alert for any surviving Liches that might launch a counterattack.
"My Lord, I sense no trace of Lich's presence in this area," Aurora reported.
"If we proceed a bit further, we should reach the central zone. Unless something unexpected occurs, the Liches are likely eradicated, so there's no need to worry."
Aurora was more familiar with the aura of the Liches than anyone else. Her golden eyes scanned the surroundings, but she found no signs of heat or life related to the Liches.
"Good. In that case, let's head straight to the central zone," Bai Ze commanded.
With that, the Meteorite Insects abandoned their cautious approach and surged forward into the heart of the Storm Zone.
The scene there was utterly overwhelming.
Scattered iron debris and decayed Lich corpses floated in space, almost filling the entire area.
It was evident they had been crushed by asteroids, while a significant portion had been swept away by black holes and cosmic turbulence, making their exact locations undetectable.
Even so, valuable items were still plentiful.
"This time, we've truly hit the jackpot," Bai Ze thought gleefully.
He quickly instructed the Meteorite Insects to scour the Storm Zone for anything valuable and salvageable.
Among the treasures he coveted, most were the space elixirs.
After all, these allowed creatures to enter space unharmed even subordinate-level beings. They were invaluable.
Time passed as the entire swarm joined the scavenging effort.
Eventually, Hyper Zetton approached to report back.
"My Lord, most mechanical components have rusted and decayed, breaking apart at the slightest touch. They can no longer be used."
"However, we've retrieved a substantial amount of supplies from the Liches' interstellar ships."
Hyper Zetton opened its pincers, revealing several vials of vividly colored elixirs to Bai Ze.
[Strength Elixir: Doubles strength and combat ability upon consumption.]
[Agility Elixir: Greatly enhances speed and doubles movement efficiency upon consumption.]
[Defense Elixir: Significantly boosts physical resilience and doubles defensive capability upon consumption.]
"These elixirs seem to be stored in special materials, which is why they remain intact," Hyper Zetton added.
Bai Ze examined the elixirs carefully. Their colors indeed differed from the standard space elixirs.
However, before he could speak further, Aurora standing on Hyper Zetton's shoulder interjected.
"My Lord, I recognize these elixirs. May I request one vial of each for research?"
"If I can analyze their composition, it might be possible to mass-produce them, making these elixirs more widely available."
Bai Ze's eyes lit up.
Mass production?
"We Holy Wood Elves may not excel in combat, but our expertise in alchemy is unparalleled," Aurora explained.
"Certain elixirs may contain side effects, making them unsafe for immediate consumption. If I can study and refine them, I could eliminate any drawbacks and potentially enable large-scale production."
Aurora had considered this idea since she first saw a space elixir in Bai Ze's possession.
However, back then, their relationship was merely cooperative, and such a request would have been presumptuous. But now that she had pledged allegiance to him, she felt a sense of duty toward the home planet.
Bai Ze saw no reason to refuse.
The effectiveness of space elixirs was something he understood better than anyone else.
Without these elixirs, he wouldn't have been able to defeat the Liches.
If such a precious and scarce resource could be mass-produced, not only would it solve the issue of enabling his creatures to explore space, but surplus elixirs could also be sold for enormous profits!
"Very well. Once we return to the home planet, you may take one vial of each," Bai Ze agreed.
"Thank you, my Lord." Aurora bowed slightly in gratitude.
After a quick inventory, Bai Ze determined that while most weapons were unusable due to decay, a considerable number of elixirs remained intact among them, 30,000 vials of space elixirs.
The Liches were indeed incredibly wealthy. Despite losing numerous ships, they still left behind such an impressive stockpile.
"30,000 vials this should suffice," Bai Ze murmured.
Suddenly, Hyper Zetton approached again, holding something new in its pincers.
"My Lord, we discovered this nearby in space. It neither corrodes nor decays and emits a crimson glow. Its purpose is unclear."
Bai Ze turned his attention to the object. As Hyper Zetton opened its pincers, a piercing scarlet light radiated outward.
[Scarlet Stone (Magic): Contains immense power, seemingly the life essence of a deity. Can be absorbed and assimilated.]
[Note: The stone appears to hold ancient information. Proceed with caution when accessing its contents.]
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 450+ capters
patreon.com/LordoftheReader