Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

Velin took off his researcher’s robe, stepped forward, and draped it over Sarah’s bare shoulders.

The large men’s robe covered the girl’s petite body, but it instead accentuated a unique kind of allure.

At that very moment, the [Life Origin] in Velin’s mind, after half a year of silence, once again let out a crisp DING!

All the text on the panel faded away, replaced by lines of molten gold font.

[You have created a new bloodline. Awaiting name.]

’Creation? A brand-new bloodline?!’

He wasn’t quite sure what this meant, so he set aside the first message for now and looked down.

[System Authority has been upgraded!]

[Ability Unlocked: Extraordinary Grafting!]

’Extraordinary... Grafting?’ He tapped on the detailed description.

[Extraordinary Grafting: Select two "Plant Element" organisms to act as the "maternal" and "paternal" stock. By formulating a Magic Potion, a specific "ability" from the "paternal stock" can be randomly "grafted" into the "maternal stock’s" bloodline to create a new species. The success rate is affected by multiple factors, including bloodline compatibility, tier difference, and your personal Alchemy level.]

The power of this new ability was self-evident, and Velin felt the satisfying pleasure of an itch being scratched.

Bloodline optimization had always had one drawback: he couldn’t create something from nothing. He could turn a dog into a wolf, but he couldn’t turn it into a bird.

But [Extraordinary Grafting], to put it simply, was targeted creation.

He could now directly transfer traits that would have otherwise required lengthy induction—or might have been impossible to obtain at all—onto a target organism.

For example, he could graft the root system of a soybean onto the vine of a sea-salt potato, creating a new crop that could both fix nitrogen and absorb saline-alkali from the soil.

The grain production in Grey Marsh Territory would double again!

Velin forcefully suppressed the racing thoughts in his mind and focused his attention on the Sarah before him.

[Inspect]

[Name: Sarah (Leader)]

[Level: Level 4 Magical Beast]

[Bloodline: Unnamed (Secret Silver Tier) 35%, Mixed Bloodline 65%]

[Abilities: King Insect’s Aura, Higher Intelligence, Parthenogenesis, Stinging Carapace, Polymorphic Swarm, Psionic Network, Mimetic Form, Psychic Assault]

[Overall Evaluation: A brand-new species! Possesses the traits of both a highly social species and powerful psychic magic, with unfathomable potential.]

"Sarah, how do you feel?" Velin asked.

"Father."

This time, it wasn’t a thought in his mind.

Instead, a crisp, pleasant, and slightly unpracticed voice came from her lips.

"I feel... very good."

Sarah tilted her head, adapting to her new body and method of speech.

"My cognitive abilities have grown stronger, and..."

She extended a fair arm, palm facing up.

A mass of dark green biological tissue writhed and took shape in her palm.

"I have a new type of offspring."

Velin immediately leaned in for a closer look.

He had expected to see some kind of more powerful combat unit.

But what appeared in Sarah’s palm was something he never expected.

It was a flat, gray-black, soft-bodied insect, no bigger than half a human forearm, with no apparent offensive organs on its surface. It was ugly and harmless.

(I wonder if any of our older readers have seen that sci-fi masterpiece, *Taixing Visitor*.)

"What is this?" Velin frowned.

"I haven’t had time to name it yet," Sarah explained. "It has no combat abilities. It survives by being a parasite."

"A parasite?"

"Yes. It can attach itself to the body of a sapient being, like on the back of the neck or the spine, and sustain itself by drawing a minuscule amount of blood."

"Most importantly, it can establish a two-way psionic channel with its host, allowing it to receive and transmit the host’s thoughts, including sight and sound."

Velin’s heart skipped a beat. ’An offspring specialized in psionics?’

Sarah continued, "As the queen, I can connect to the psionic channels of all ’terminals’ within a certain range. Furthermore, I can link any number of these terminals into a network."

’This is...’

Velin found it hard to believe. ’An Otherworld version of a radio?’

He had also thought about creating some products from his past life that could change the paradigms of production and warfare, making his future development easier.

But he had never imagined... that he could achieve it with an insect.

Velin felt the same shock as seeing a caveman hip-firing an AK-47.

But he had to admit, eating a Heartstealer to gain its abilities might not be scientific, but it was very magical.

Immediately, Velin’s mind raced with its many potential uses.

In an era where information was relayed by shouting, signal flags, and messengers, what did a "radio" signify?

It meant he could imitate the tactics and strategies of modern warfare from his past life!

This applied to both frontal legion battles and special forces operations.

Real-time battlefield communication was, under any circumstances, a dimension-lowering strike capable of overturning any outcome!

Velin looked at the unnamed bloodline on the system panel and silently entered "Gestalt."

Then he looked at Sarah.

"I will name this offspring the [Hive Terminal]."

"And the network formed by their connections shall be called the [Hive Matrix]!"

"As you command, Father."

...

「Early morning, in an ordinary swamp in the Grey Marsh Territory.」

The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and the cold air scraped against the skin, bringing a stinging sensation.

In a small clearing, two teams faced off against each other.

On the left, Ola rested his great axe on the muddy ground, its heavy blade sinking half an inch into the earth.

Behind him, four Knights adjusted their tower shields. They were all clad in heavy, riveted plate armor. When the sun occasionally broke through the clouds, its rays reflected their vibrant morale.

"Does the Lord really want us to fight these skinny beanpoles?" Ola’s booming voice echoed across the swamp. "Brothers, go easy on them later. Don’t want to smash their gear to pieces!"

The five men opposite him were Barrett and his former "Gray Wolf" Mercenaries.

Their equipment was far inferior, consisting of worn leather armor paired with shortswords and crossbows.

Barrett ignored Ola’s provocation.

He just walked past his team members one by one, carefully inspecting their equipment and the blunt-tipped arrows on their backs, before finally nodding at the clerk responsible for recording the results.

The clerk then gave the order: "The drill begins!"

"In the name of the battle-axe, make it quick! Charge!" Ola roared, the first to break into a charge.

The four Knights behind him followed closely, their tower shields linked together to form a moving wall of iron.

The wooden platform began to shake, and fine splinters of wood trickled from the cracks.

They chose the most direct tactic, attempting to crush their opponents with their absolute advantage in strength.

Facing this torrent of steel, Barrett did not choose to meet them head-on.

They didn’t even form any kind of defensive formation.

Just as Ola and his men had closed half the distance, the five men scattered in five different directions.

Their movements were light and swift.

Each one vanished into the bushes and reeds surrounding the swamp, disappearing from the Heavy Armor Knights’ line of sight.

Ola froze. His "warhammer" had struck nothing but air.

"Cowards! All you know is how to hide!" he roared, but he couldn’t halt his forward momentum immediately.

He could only lead his Knights into the area where their opponents had just been standing before coming to a stop and scanning their surroundings warily.

The air suddenly fell silent, leaving only the heavy breathing of Ola and his Knights.