From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 651 Suppression of "Divine Might" - Liberation
Deep within the dark expanse of space, a dark red planet slowly orbits along an elliptical path, like a festering wound in the universe.
That is Charles.

This once prosperous core world of the Federation has now become a purgatory ravaged by Zerg.

Thick volcanic ash covered the surface, and the intense radiation from the binary star system stained the atmosphere a sickly orange-red.

At perihelion, the entire sunlit side transforms into a boiling sea of ​​lava, while at aphelion, the lava solidifies into menacing black islands.

Despite the harsh environment, the Terran Federation launched several colonial wars for the rich heavy metal deposits here, and now only Zerg crawl between magma and sulfur.

Suddenly, space within Charles's gravitational field began to distort violently—

Swish—swish—!
Hundreds of light trails generated by warp flashed almost simultaneously, and the next moment, a fleet that could be considered terrifying in the StarCraft universe gradually appeared, with a number of at least five hundred ships.

Furthermore, the main type of this fleet is the behemoth-class battleship (Hyperion-class), with all ships deployed in a perfect wedge formation. The particle cannons on the bows are charging, with blue-white energy pulsating at the muzzles.

The smaller ships that followed completed the warp jump one after another, and soon formed a visible steel jungle within Char's gravitational pull.

In the center of the fleet, on the bridge of the Gorgon-class battlecruiser USS Busefalos, Valerian Mengsk stood quietly before the panoramic porthole.

The crown prince of the Tyrannical Empire wore a deep red robe with gold trim, and his platinum blonde hair was neatly tied up with a black headband.

His slender fingers unconsciously caressed the antique longsword hanging at his waist, and his eyes reflected the eerie light of the Char lava ocean.

His handsome face revealed no emotion, only his slightly furrowed brows betrayed his inner gravity.

The prince gazed out the porthole at the boiling sea of ​​lava, as if searching for some answer in the churning lava.

"General Warfield."

Valerian's voice was calm and restrained, but those familiar with him could hear the tension hidden within it. "I need an assessment of the number of human Empire ships."

Upon hearing this, Lieutenant General Horace Warfield, a black man standing next to Valerian and wearing custom-made CMC power armor painted in white, immediately pulled up the tactical hologram.

The elderly general's face appeared even more resolute under the glow of Charles's blood.

“According to some of the latest intelligence, Your Highness,” Warfield said with an equally grave expression, “the fleet dispatched by the Human Empire consists of approximately two hundred and forty ships.”

"."

Upon hearing this reply, Valerian said nothing, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the porthole, the rhythm like a heartbeat.

He then nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the burning earth outside the window.

The bridge fell into a brief silence, broken only by the hum of the instruments and the occasional reports coming from the communication channels.

"Lieutenant General."

At this moment, Valerian spoke again, but his voice was so soft it was almost a soliloquy, "Do you think our fleet deployed in Char is capable of directly confronting the Human Empire?"

"This"

Warfield didn't know how to answer.

The entire upper echelon of the Terran Empire now knows that the Human Empire is a massive force from another universe, and that it is suspected of having so-called "gods" assisting in its battles.

Most importantly, according to reliable intelligence, the main warships of the human empire are generally over one kilometer high, and they also have "infantry" forces like the Astartes. What can the Terran Empire use to confront the human empire head-on?

If it weren't for Arcturus Mengsk's relentless efforts to suppress genuine intelligence and smear the human empire within his territory, the Terran Empire would likely have been in chaos long ago.
No, it should be said that it's already in complete chaos.

After all, even the Crown Prince had secretly withdrawn half of the Terran Empire's fleet, so the Terran Empire's ruling group, led by Arcturus Mengsk, was about to collapse completely.

Furthermore, Warfield believed that the reason why the human empire did not send a fleet to directly bombard their Terran Empire's territory seemed to be, as the other side claimed, to be human-centered and avoid further casualties among their own people.

Otherwise, their Terran Empire wouldn't have lasted long at all.

"."

At that moment, Valerian's fingertips trembled slightly on the edge of the porthole, and Warfield's silence was more jarring than any answer.

The crown prince of the Tyrannical Empire gazed at his reflection in the blast-proof porthole—

That face, which should have inherited an empire of hundreds of billions of people, was now distorted and grotesque by Char's crimson light.

He remembered the eternally high throne in the palace of Khar, and the crisp sound of his father Arcturus striking the ground with his scepter.

Although his father did not treat him and his mother well, and he did not particularly like or agree with his father, he was still the legitimate heir.

If the human empire had not suddenly arrived, he could have used various means to "legally" seize power, win the hearts of the people, and then take over the vast empire from his father, reaching the pinnacle of power.

All the meticulously planned power grabs and all the political grandstanding to win over the people became laughable child's play in the face of the absolute power of the human empire.

When will they arrive?

Valerian's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, each syllable carrying suppressed anger.

He deliberately omitted honorifics, his left hand unconsciously tightening its grip on the antique longsword at his waist, and Valerian's tone carried a hint of resentment, clearly dissatisfied with the "high and mighty" attitude of the human empire.

As for that antique longsword from Earth, which once symbolized the "noble" lineage of the Mengsk family, it now seems as ridiculous as a child's toy.

".."

Warfield opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were organizing his thoughts, while the CMC power armor's servo system emitted a slight hum.

At this moment——

Swish-!
The physical universe outside the porthole looked as if it had been torn apart.

A jump vortex with a diameter of over 100 kilometers, like the giant eye of a god opening its eyes, cast eerie blue energy turbulence that reflected a strange, ghostly light across Char's atmosphere.

The first thing to pierce the veil of reality was the Black Sanctuary's Traveler-class Dreadnought. Its massive, blade-shaped hull resembled a moving continental plate, and the scriptures carved on its surface shimmered with a blinding blue light amidst the turbulent energy currents.

Next came a death formation of several Imperial-class battleships, their armor resembling mobile churches and temples, seemingly shimmering with liquid metal.

"My goodness!"

Lieutenant General Warfield's shoulder armor was trembling, and the secondary screen on his helmet was frantically refreshing the size readings.

The secondary gun caliber of those warships was comparable to the width of the bridge of the Busephalos, and the thickness of their armor was beyond the comprehension of the Terran Empire.

At that moment, the communications officer's anxious voice rang out from the bridge:
"Your Highness! The other side has forcibly accessed our communication channel!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the holographic projector suddenly emitted a blinding blue light.

Four tall figures gradually solidified as the particles converged—

Sigismund's black armor was engraved with scriptures, the hilt of his power sword was inlaid with skull decorations, and the high-quality bronze Terminator armor seemed to exude the smell of battlefield smoke. Fros's wing decorations scattered light dust in the energy turbulence, while Tiberius's shark tooth helmet spewed out condensed mist.

Their projections almost reached the bridge ceiling, and the hydraulic hum of the power armor sounded like the low growl of a dragon.
Valerian unconsciously took a half step back, his defensive midfielder bumping into the tactical control panel.

His towering height, which he was so proud of, made him look like a child in front of these war machines, and even breathing became difficult.

Furthermore, the prince's pupils contracted sharply, reflecting Sigismund's mask.

"According to Article 17 of the Agreement on Contact with Other Civilizations."

Sigismund's voice was like sandpaper rubbing against steel, each syllable making the bridge equipment hum: "You are temporarily conscripted into the auxiliary force."

And, no sooner had Sigismund finished speaking than Tiberius, with his terrifying height, leaned forward slightly, casting a shadow over Valerian's pale face, and then uttered an even more chilling question:

"Any objection?"

"."

Valerian's lips parted slightly, and the hem of his robe trembled silently.

The crown prince of the Terran Empire suddenly realized that his carefully prepared negotiating rhetoric and his proud political wisdom were as childish as a kindergarten game in front of these warriors who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The human empire's fleet was arrayed outside the window, and the main gun arrays of those warships seemed capable of rewriting the surface of Char with a single salvo.

He, the crown prince of the Tyrannical Empire, needed to exert all his strength just to maintain his standing posture.

Just as Valerian's Adam's apple bobbed laboriously, unable to utter a single complete syllable, the air inside the bridge suddenly froze.

The holographic projector suddenly emitted a dazzling golden light, and Athena's figure gradually solidified as the particles recombine.

This war goddess, who appears to be "only" a little over two meters tall, makes the gravity of the entire bridge seem to increase several times over.

Every line on her golden armor flowed with divine radiance, and the tip of the spear of victory cast dancing spots of light on the deck.

Valerian's knees buckled uncontrollably; he clung tightly to the edge of the tactical platform to keep from collapsing to his knees. Even more terrifying was Athena's gaze—

Those eyes, burning with golden flames, seemed to pierce through his skull, exposing every dark thought deep within his soul to the sunlight.

The prince's carefully constructed psychological defenses crumbled under the divine gaze. He felt like a dissected specimen, with every inch of his ambition laid bare for scrutiny.

"Ah, child."

Athena's soft laughter caused the temperature on the bridge to plummet. Every step she took left molten gold-like footprints on the metal deck. "Your idea is quite wonderful."

These words pierced Valerian's heart like a sharp knife, exposing all the coups, mutinies, and even all the plans to seize power that were hidden in his mind.

Suddenly, the goddess raised her hand, and the golden wristbands collided, producing a clear and melodious sound.

The entire communication channels of the Terran Empire fleet were forcibly activated in the same second, and her voice resounded like thunder across every bridge:
"This is Pallas Athena of the Human Empire. From this moment on, you are temporarily conscripted into the auxiliary force."

The lights of the Bussefaros flickered, as if the entire warship was trembling under divine might, "All actions and operations must be carried out according to our orders."

After saying that, Athena cut off the communication and leaned down to approach Valerian.

The exquisitely beautiful face of the Goddess of War was fully revealed before Valerian, yet the Crown Prince of the Tyrannical Empire dared not look directly at her.

"Child." This time, Athena's voice was so soft that only those around her could hear it, yet it was more chilling than any roar. "I know what you're thinking."

Valerian's temples bulged with veins as he realized with horror that his childhood memories were flashing back uncontrollably—

The riots of Khar, the mother's tears, the father's cold scepter.

Athena's fingertip touched his brow, and a strand of golden energy seeped into his skin through the holographic image and even across thousands of kilometers of space.

"Human empires can be very gentle."

The goddess's voice suddenly took on a seductive rhythm, and Valerian even saw a vision of himself receiving an award while wearing the uniform of the human empire.

"But I can also bear the guilt of killing for the human emperor."

As the goddess spoke, the vision suddenly transformed into the burning palace of Khar, with the corpses of countless Mengsk family members hanging from broken columns.

Valerian felt as if his lungs were being gripped by an invisible hand, and cold sweat soaked through his magnificent robes.

When he mustered all his strength to squeeze out the words "Understood, Madam," a trickle of blood even seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Athena's expression softened instantly, and her divine power receded like a tide.

She seemingly kindly straightened Valerian's askew collar, her movements as elegant as a court tutor.

“A wise choice,” Athena affirmed. “Next…”

Buzz-buzz-!
Before the goddess of war could finish speaking, a piercing alarm ripped through the stagnant air.

The holographic star map on the tactical screen was instantly covered by a dense array of red dots, while on the bridge, an officer who had recovered from his shock gave a trembling report:
"A large number of Zerg ships are approaching! Their numbers are increasing exponentially!"

Upon hearing this, Athena showed no sign of nervousness, but calmly replied:

"It seems the audience has all arrived."

Her figure began to fade away, her last words still echoing in the bridge: "Let the soldiers of the Terran Empire see what real war is like."

The projections of the four Astartes company commanders also disappeared.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Vice Admiral Warfield suddenly coughed violently, while the other crew members breathed heavily with relief, and scattered data panels lay on the bridge deck.

It seemed that the moment "divine power" dissipated, all the crew members unconsciously let go of the items in their hands.

"Your Highness."

The old general wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, only to find Valerian staring intently out the window.

Bathed in the crimson light of Char, the human empire's fleet was changing formation.

Between the gaps in the armor of those giant ships, Chinese characters that he couldn't understand yet lit up, while in the darkness further away, the swarm of insects spread like a plague, their numbers dimming even the starry sky.

Then, Valerian's trembling fingers pressed the communication button, and his voice rang out across more than five hundred Terran warships:

"All personnel, obey the command of the Human Empire."

These words drained him of all his strength, yet they also brought a sense of relief.

The view outside the window suddenly made him realize that the power game he had pursued all his life was nothing but dust in the face of true cosmic power.
(End of this chapter)