From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 691 Rewards based on merit
The golden vortex of transition continues to expand, and the quantum arcs leaping at its edges ionize all the space debris floating nearby into dazzling bands of plasma light.

As the curvature of space fluctuated violently, the first ships to pierce the dimensional barrier were none other than more than a dozen Imperial-class battleships. These steel behemoths, which were more than ten kilometers long, were painted in black and gold, and the Imperial Guard insignia etched on their sides gleamed coldly in the energy turbulence.

As they unfolded in a wedge-shaped array, the macro gun array at the bow was being calibrated, and the subatomic glow flowing inside each gun barrel illuminated the surrounding void as a deep blue through the heat sink.

The ships that followed presented a completely different aesthetic style.

More than twenty super-heavy cruisers, painted in black and silver, burst into the sky. Their sharply angled armor plates were covered with hydraulically driven auxiliary mechanical arms. These moving metal structures made the entire fleet look like some kind of precision-operated industrial creation.

Most striking are the legion insignia on the sides of each warship—

The giant hand relief, made of liquid metal, refracts the unique cold luster of the alloy when the ship turns.

These ships belong to the Eighteenth Legion of the Human Empire, the Iron Hand, whose genetic prototype is Ferus, the second youngest of all his brothers.

When more than 500 ships of various types completed their jump, the entire fleet formed a perfect formation in near-Earth orbit.

The force field generators released by the supply ship group construct a honeycomb-like energy network around the array. The hexagonal force field units continuously adjust their deflection angles, deflecting the occasional UED railgun fire into deep space.

At the center of this metallic swarm, the "Humanity's Glory," stretching over thirty kilometers, was slowly adjusting its posture. On its bow ram, Chinese characters engraved in relief flowed with tangible energy, and golden streaks of light outlined the contours of even more Chinese characters in the vacuum.

And on the lunar orbit, on the bridge of the flagship of the UED Sixth Fleet:
A naval admiral's knuckles tapped out a dull echo on the tactical platform, while the flashes of explosions outside the porthole turned his iron-gray sideburns deathly white.

The reflection on the retina is stunning enough without the aid of any electronic devices.

Stellar-level energy sources are rewriting the gravitational constant, and when those black-gold painted behemoths unfold their energy wings, the force field disturbances even cause dust storms to rise from the craters on the far side of the moon.

"Radiation readings exceed the threshold!" The sensor operator's voice trembled with fear. "Main gun charging spectrum analysis shows... God, General, if the enemy ships unleash a salvo, not only our entire Sixth Fleet, but the moon itself could be utterly destroyed!"

Upon hearing this, the general's gaze froze on the holographic tactical map.

The light representing the Steel Hand fleet is breaking away from the formation constructed by the Imperial Guard fleet and launching encirclement maneuvers. The thrusters of numerous cruisers are drawing perfect curved trajectories in the vacuum.

When a cruiser suddenly accelerated and cut into the flank of the Sixth Fleet, a large amount of coolant leaked from the gaps in its armor plates, forming a "crystal" trail several kilometers long against the backdrop of lunar dust.

Such flashy maneuvers, which disregard tactical intentions, are nothing short of blatant tactical humiliation.

"We've lost contact with the defenders on Earth's surface!" The communications officer suddenly ripped off his headset. "They...they broadcast a surrender statement on the public channel."

The admiral turned his gaze to the other porthole.

There, the main gun arrays of the three Imperial-class battleships were turning in sync, and within those gun barrels, which were over a hundred meters in diameter, some kind of counterintuitive golden energy was breaking through a critical point.

"start up."

Seeing this, the admiral's Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly realized that his voice was hoarse beyond recognition. "Activate the final agreement. All personnel and ships shall surrender."

As the ram of the "Humanity's Glory" began to gather energy from the core of the sun, the various sensors of the UED fleet nearly exceeded their limits.

The Chinese characters engraved on the metal surface shone like supernovae at this moment. Every stroke, from beginning to end, pulsated with a power that could rewrite the laws of physics. Faced with this power beyond comprehension, the Sixth Fleet had no choice but to surrender directly.

Meanwhile, inside the bridge of the Glory of Man;

The bronze-colored bridge dome is supported by alloy beams with mortise and tenon joints, and the inscription of the Code of Humanity is engraved on the beams, which shimmer with a matte bronze-like sheen under the deep blue holographic projection.

The black metal bricks paving the ground are engraved with continuous patterns. Whenever the golden boots of the Imperial Guards step over them, those patterns will ripple briefly with gold. This seems to be an external manifestation of the "nerve system" of the entire flagship.

Twelve dragon pillars are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the bridge. The dragon eyes are made of crystals of pure flowers, which flicker with the energy fluctuations of the ship.

The main control panel is shaped like a bronze tripod, with a holographic projection of the solar system suspended in the three-legged tripod design, and data flows in the air in the form of seal script characters.

The Imperial Guards stood silently at their posts, their three-meter-tall golden armor contrasting sharply with the bright red cloaks behind them, the red tassels on their helmets resembling still flames.

Sui Yang, the ruler of the main universe empire and emperor of mankind, stood in front of the giant observation window.

The arched window frame features an antique-style crackle pattern, dividing the starlight from the outside world into countless diamond-shaped spots that fall onto the black and gold armor.

Its body, over five and a half meters tall, stood as immovable as a mountain. The energy patterns at the joints of its armor resembled the starlight of the Hetu and Luoshu diagrams, flickering with its breathing.

The face beneath the short black hair has long lost the expressions of joy and anger it had a hundred years ago; now it resembles a bronze cauldron weathered by time, majestic, ancient, and unfathomable.

Standing beside Sui Yang is the goddess of war, Athena, whose golden armor appears exceptionally exquisite next to the emperor. The tip of the spear of victory hangs down to the ground, generating tiny arcs of electricity when it touches the floor tiles.

Her posture as she looked up at the star chart was like that of a child gazing at the starry sky, filled with a touch of pure curiosity. However, the tactical rehearsal data stream flashing in her pupils revealed that the Goddess of War was essentially a sophisticated killing machine.

Standing on the other side of Sui Yang was another Primarch—

Ferrus.

The Primarch's magnetic boots left spiderweb-like stress cracks on the Dark Brick, and the Primarch's armor was practically a mobile arsenal.

The mechanical arms extending from the shoulders are equipped with miniature thermal cannons, molecular decomposers, and gravity winches, respectively. The main weapon platform on the back folds up like a tortoise shell, and unfolds into a large-caliber cannon capable of shattering asteroids.

The Primarch's cold and aloof appearance was exactly like his father's.

Ferrus, with his back to the giant porthole, was looking down at the four company commanders.

The company commanders, kneeling on one knee, cast shadows of varying depths on the floor tiles.
Gao Zan, the company commander of the Flame Lizard Third Company, wore a dark green Terminator armor that resembled bronze covered in patina. The Flame Lizard emblem on his shoulder armor was cast using the lost-wax casting process, making each scale clearly visible.

The Wailers Company Commander Malakin Forros's exclusive titanium armor gleamed like a bird flying across metal under the lights. His pair of foldable metal wings were now folded behind him, each feather a deadly vibrating blade.

Tiberius's shark-tooth Terminator armor reeked of blood.

The sharp teeth adorning the shoulder armor are not sculptures, but actual trophies pulled from the mouths of some kind of space predator, preserved in a ferocious, tearing state even after preservation treatment.

Sigismund's black armor resembled the smooth, unadorned texture of dark iron, and the company commander knelt on one knee in the most impeccable Imperial salute. At that moment, an eerie silence fell over the bridge, broken only by the faint electronic hum of the planetary orbits on the holographic star map.

Sui Yang's gaze passed through the observation window. The UED Sixth Fleet was arranging itself in a surrender formation in space. The warships had their engine rooms completely exposed and their turrets were locked back to the locked position, like snakes with their fangs removed displaying their soft bellies.

Thump~ thump~.

At this moment, Sui Yang turned around, and the joints of his black and gold armor emitted a humming sound like a bronze chime.

The boots rolled over the cloud and thunder patterns on the dark floor tiles, and those ancient patterns lit up with a brief golden glow, like a swarm of fireflies startled.

As he raised his left hand, the energy flow flowing through the gaps in his armor suddenly brightened, illuminating the battle scars on the armor of the four company commanders in minute detail—medals left from battles fought across different universes.

"Get up, children."

The Emperor's voice carried a reverberant effect from multiple audio tracks, with a low-frequency fluctuation similar to the oscillation of a star's core hidden beneath the surface of a gentle tone.

The sound penetrated the soundproofing layer of the power armor and triggered subtle resonances between Astartes' bones. This is also a physical manifestation of the homologous resonance of the gene seed.

The synchronized movements of the four company commanders rising at the same time were breathtaking.

The Terminator armor's hydraulic system depressurized in sync, creating a brief white fog barrier inside the bridge.

Through this mist, one could see that every face looking up held an expression of utmost devotion—

Gao Zan's pupils dilated, and the capillary network at the edge of his iris turned red from excessive excitement. Under his control, Fros's metal wings unfolded unconsciously, and the feather-like vibrating blades rubbed against each other, producing tiny sparks. Tiberius and Sigismund seemed to have no excessive reaction, but their flushed faces said it all.

It was clear that the emperor was preparing to reward those who had rendered meritorious service.

“I have read the battle reports from the Koprulu Sector.” Sui Yang’s gaze swept over everyone, lingering briefly on the deepest wounds in each person’s armor—the highest honor for a warrior’s scars. “The Zerg’s acidic blood has corroded numerous star systems, the Protoss’s psionic matrix has torn apart even more Terran Empire fleets, and you have reshaped humanity’s territory with steel and fire.”

As the emperor looked at Gao Zan, the living crystal on the dragon pillar suddenly turned emerald green and said:

"So, child, besides the standard rewards for your merits, what else do you need?"

Upon hearing this, the Flame Lizard company commander hesitated for only a moment before immediately punching his chest, the sound of armor clashing echoing across the bridge:
"Your Majesty, please place Agriya and Haven under the jurisdiction of the Flame Lizard Triad."

The company commander's shoulder armor hummed unnaturally, as if he were too excited. "Although the area has suffered a full-scale attack by the Zerg, after a complete eradication and reconstruction with the full support of the Imperial Engineering Department, it should still be a very habitable Earth-like planet."

"permit."

Sui Yang naturally had no objection to this.

Furthermore, he only glanced at Gao Zan and realized that the reason why the other party wanted two colony star systems was not just what was said on the surface, but he did not point it out.

When Sui Yang nodded, the holographic projection of the bronze tripod on the main control panel immediately marked the two star systems.

The gear emblem of the Engineering Department appeared at the edge of the star map, signifying that the Imperial Engineering Department would fully cooperate with the renovation project.

Then, as the Emperor's gaze turned to him, Forros's exclusive titanium armor automatically entered standby mode, its metal wings folding into a penitent stance. The company commander, whose face bore the handsome features of Saint Gilles, spoke in a deep voice:
"It can be handled according to the 'Expeditionary Military Merit Law'."

Then, Forrest paused, and added, "If His Majesty grants my permission, the next time the portal opens..."

"The weeping ones will continue to lead the way." The Emperor's interruption carried a prophetic certainty.

At that moment, a member of the Imperial Guard suddenly adjusted his stance. The screen inside his helmet displayed that a "supernova explosion" had occurred just as the Emperor was saying those words outside the bridge.

As Sui Yang turned his head, Tiberius stepped forward, the shark-tooth shoulder armor clanging against each other with a metallic sound, and said in a deep voice, seemingly impatient:

"Your Majesty, our Man-Eating Shark Squadron needs the technology and equipment of the Forerunners to comprehensively upgrade our entire fleet. We need earth-penetrating warheads capable of tearing through planetary crusts! We need them!"

"allow."

Sui Yang's monosyllabic reply caused all the dragon eyes of the Panlongzhu to turn scarlet.

Clearly, the human ruler of the main universe has already granted Tiberius's request for "the shark to open its mouth wide".

When the Emperor finally looked at Sigismund, the lights on the entire bridge suddenly went out.

The Black Sanctuary's company commander stood at attention with perfect posture, but the blade of his unsheathed greatsword was vibrating rapidly, as if the blade was entangled with the Emperor's spiritual energy field.

"We are merely following orders, Your Majesty, Black."

“Ten exclusive greatswords.” Sui Yang raised his right hand, and ten miniature star-like golden spots suddenly appeared on his palm. “Forged only from the core of a terrestrial planet, soaked in holy oil extracted from pure flowers, and blessed and sung in the Temple of the Goddess of War for twenty years.”

? !
Upon hearing these words, Sigismund's breath stopped.

He could clearly sense that the energy contained in any one of those light spots was enough to pose a great threat to the heretics and demons of the Chaos type.

Even more terrifying, those weapons were emitting "encrypted signals" that only the Black Templar gene seed could receive, and that seemed to be a combat program "written" by the Emperor himself.

"The rest"

Sui Yang suddenly turned to Athena.

The Goddess of War immediately unfolded a holographic star map of the 18th Galaxy, marked with numerous unconquered star systems, saying, "It's up to you to decide."

The bridge fell silent.

The vital signs of the four company commanders simultaneously showed "abnormalities"—

Gao Zan's body temperature soared, Fros's tear ducts began to secrete fluid with excessive salt content, Tiberius trembled slightly, and the vibration frequency of Sigismund's greatsword had long exceeded the upper limit of normal human hearing.

In this silence, only the faint calibration sound of Feralus's mechanical arm could be heard, and the stern-faced Primarch seemed to be recording how his father "communicated" with the Astartes, using it as a reference for his own work.
(End of this chapter)