The Bigshot's Superstar Wife-Chapter 117: More...

The battlefield trembled beneath their feet as the warships above opened fire, their artillery striking the ground with pinpoint precision.

Athena could feel the heat of the explosions as zerg carcasses were incinerated, the shrieks of the creatures fading into the background of relentless gunfire.

Despite the reinforcements, she knew better than to relax. This was only one battle. The war was far from over. Mors stood beside her, his energy sword still glowing with residual heat.

His gaze remained locked on the level-eight zerg, which had retreated to a higher vantage point, seemingly unbothered by the destruction surrounding it.

The creature’s glowing eyes flickered in a way that made Athena uneasy. It wasn’t just another mindless drone. It was watching. Thinking.

"Why isn’t it running?" Athena muttered, wiping blood from her arm.

Mors remained silent for a moment before speaking. "It’s not afraid."

Athena gritted her teeth. "Then we should finish it now."

She adjusted her grip on her blade, ready to charge, but before she could move, the zerg let out a strange clicking sound, its mandibles opening and closing rapidly.

Then, it spoke again.

"…Not yet… but soon."

A cold chill ran down Athena’s spine. It was warning them.

And before either of them could react, the creature let out one final shriek and disappeared in a flash of speed, its dark form vanishing into the depths of the war-ravaged terrain.

Athena cursed. "Damn it! It got away."

Mors clenched his jaw. "Let it run. We’ll see it again soon."

The warships continued their assault, clearing out the last of the zerg swarm. The battlefield was soon covered in smoke, the air thick with the scent of burning flesh and metal.

Athena exhaled sharply, her muscles aching from exhaustion. She had been in life-or-death situations before, but this was on another level.

She could feel it in her gut, this battle had changed everything. A transmission crackled through their earpieces.

"This is Colonel Evera of the 42nd Fleet. We’ve secured the sector. Major General Mors, Lady Athena, report back to base for debriefing."

Mors turned to Athena. "You heard them."

Athena sighed, shaking out her sore arm. "Yeah, yeah. I’m coming."

They made their way to the nearest landing zone, where a sleek black military transport ship awaited them.

The moment Athena stepped inside, she let out a long breath, finally allowing herself to feel the exhaustion creeping in.

Mors sat across from her, his expression unreadable.

The tension from the battle still lingered between them, but there was something else beneath it, an unspoken understanding.

Athena leaned her head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling. "That zerg… the way it talked, the way it thought… We’ve never seen anything like that before, have we?"

Mors shook his head. "No. And that’s what worries me."

Silence stretched between them as the transport lifted off, heading toward the secured military base near the border.

Athena closed her eyes for a moment, replaying the fight in her mind. The way the zerg studied them, the way it tested their abilities… It wasn’t just a battle. It had been a message.

By the time they landed at the base, Athena’s exhaustion had settled deep in her bones, but she forced herself to stay alert.

The debriefing room was already prepared for them, a large holographic map of the battlefield displayed in the center.

Several high-ranking officers stood waiting, their expressions grim. Colonel Evera greeted them with a nod. "Major General, Lady Athena. Good work out there."

Mors took a seat, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Let’s skip the formalities. What do we know about the zerg commander?"

A younger officer, a data analyst, stepped forward. "Based on the combat footage, we have identified the level-eight zerg as an evolved Tyranid-Class Alpha."

"It’s one of the few recorded instances of a zerg displaying both high intelligence and combat adaptability."

"Unlike traditional zergs, which operate in hives, this one appeared to be making independent decisions."

Athena frowned. "So, what? Are we dealing with a leader-type?"

"Potentially," the analyst replied. "It’s unclear if it was acting alone or if there are others like it."

Mors folded his arms. "There are definitely others."

The officers exchanged uneasy glances. The idea of intelligent zergs was beyond terrifying.

Up until now, humanity had fought them as a mindless horde, using superior technology and strategy to outmaneuver them. But if the zergs were learning, evolving…

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.

The balance of power was about to shift.

Colonel Evera let out a sigh. "We’ll need to investigate further. For now, we’re keeping all forces on high alert."

Athena nodded, but she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

As the debriefing wrapped up, Mors turned to her. "You should rest."

Athena snorted. "Like hell I can sleep after that."

Mors smirked slightly. "I wasn’t asking. That’s an order."

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. He was right. Her body was screaming for rest. But even as she made her way to her assigned quarters in the base, her mind refused to settle.

She lay on the cot, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts racing.

The zerg weren’t just evolving. They were planning something. And Athena had a terrible feeling that she was about to find out exactly what.

Athena turned onto her side, pressing her fingers against her temple as the dim lights of her quarters cast long shadows against the walls.

Sleep should have been her priority, but her mind wouldn’t rest. The image of that zerg, the way it spoke, the way it watched them, kept replaying in her head.

Her instincts, honed through years of survival and battle, screamed at her that this was only the beginning.

She exhaled sharply and sat up, rubbing her face. She glanced at the bedside table where her optical brain rested, flashing with an unread message. With a swipe, she opened it.

A secure transmission from Elara.

[Elara: I heard about the attack. Are you okay?]

Athena smiled faintly. Leave it to Elara to worry, even from halfway across the galaxy. She typed back a quick response.

[Athena: I’m alive. But things are getting worse. I’ll tell you everything when I can.]

She set the device down, leaning against the wall. The zerg were changing. They were thinking.

And if humanity wasn’t careful, they wouldn’t be fighting a war of survival anymore. They’d be fighting a war they couldn’t win.