"Huh?"
Hel looked at Niv in disbelief, only to see her wearing a mischievous, triumphant expression.
Like a little fox that had just stolen a chicken, Niv chuckled softly before explaining seriously:
"Actually, the reason the Mechanical Elves are so small is that their bodies carry partial goblin and dwarf bloodlines.
This makes their natural height shorter than other elves."
"But don't they also have giant and elf bloodlines?"
Hel blurted out, but Niv shook her head and clarified:
"Giants give them strong physical abilities, elves give them exceptional magical talent, and goblins give them intelligence."
"So only the dwarves gave them their unmatched short stature, huh?"
Hel finally understood what Niv meant and responded accordingly. Niv even seemed to ponder for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright then."
Hel, somewhat speechless, helped the last Mechanical Elf dry off. She patted the little girl's small bottom and set her aside, letting her leave Hel's lap reluctantly.
Hel then pulled out several sets of clothes from her spatial ring and, together with Niv, dressed the Mechanical Elves.
Once everything was settled, Hel said:
"Most things here are taken care of. Let's go check out the subway station."
"Okay."
Hel held Niv's hand and led her to the Biotic City's subway station.
The enormous platform had only four passages. One of them was the one Hel and Niv had entered from.
Of the remaining three passages, one led to the Goblin Imperial City, and the other two led to B-class cities.
B4: The Bioweapon Factory, a city not highly valued by Edwina, similar to B5 Research Institute. The two had not had contact for over a hundred thousand years.
The remaining B6: The Desire Energy Factory, was the city most closely connected to Biotic City.
Back when the two elf races rebelled, almost all low-tier elves born from the mother trees over the past three thousand years had been sent there.
The Desire Energy Factory continuously supplied energy to Biotic City.
"Most elves in the Desire Energy Factory are first- and second-tier," Niv said, pulling up data to explain to Hel.
"Considering their ages, the rebellious elves sent there long ago are mostly at the limit of their lifespans.
They were confined in energy extractors for years, unable to improve their cultivation.
So ultimately, only the new elves born over the past three thousand years remain there."
Niv preemptively explained this to Hel to avoid disappointment over the lower-than-expected elf numbers.
"No worries. We can send two avatars to check it out later," Hel said.
She instructed Niv to send one of her avatars with a little magister to the Desire Energy Factory.
The situation there was already recorded in Biotic City: no stationed soldiers, only elves and some alchemical laborers.
After defeating the elves in battle, Edwina destroyed the city's Ascended Brain to completely control it, so the city was largely defenseless.
If Niv went there, she could easily take control with her permissions.
"B4 Bioweapon Factory probably has a large garrison like B5 Research Institute. But Niv has obtained higher permissions, so controlling it is easy," Hel said, looking at one of the passages.
She decided to send two Death Elves as Niv's bodyguards.
"Master, it takes about an hour to reach the Desire Energy Factory from Biotic City, and at least three hours to reach the Bioweapon Engineering site," Niv reported.
"Okay. In the meantime, let's secure the passage to the Imperial City," Hel said, heading to the largest distant passage.
This was the underground tunnel leading to the Goblin Imperial City. Because it hadn't been used for years, a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the floor.
Hel raised her hand, and hundreds of Death Fruit Flies flew out.
Then came Death Dragonflies, each carrying an underground worm.
They flapped their wings rapidly, swiftly diving into the depths of the passage.
Although Hel didn't want to involve herself with the Goblin Imperial City for now, she needed to prepare in case someone came.
This reconnaissance setup was only part of her plan.
After the insects disappeared from sight, Hel followed them deeper into the passage.
About a hundred meters from Biotic City, Hel waved her hand. A swarm of embers emerged from her spatial ring.
Under her psychic control, they compressed and condensed.
Eventually, a massive rock, forty meters thick, formed in front of Hel.
She gently touched it, and the rock gradually turned a dark indigo, matching the color of basalt bricks.
The huge rock in front of her consisted of all the basalt bricks she could find in Biotic City's warehouses.
Even a Saint-tier expert would need some time to break through it.
This time buffer allowed Hel to receive alerts immediately if the enemy sent anyone.
She could then evacuate everyone from Biotic City and destroy the underground passage to B5 Research Institute.
By the time enemy experts arrived at the wall, Hel would likely have already evacuated everyone.
She had deployed hundreds of Death Fruit Flies to monitor any disturbances in the tunnel.
If anyone left the Imperial City, Hel would instantly sense their movements and respond in advance.
However, she didn't send the flies too close to the Imperial City, only two hundred li in that direction, allowing surveillance without risking detection.
Once this was arranged, Hel returned to the platform, just as the train to the Desire Energy Factory reached its destination.