From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 728, "The Darkness," has begun.
The air inside the underground base seemed to have solidified.

Alarms blared incessantly, and piercing red lights flashed incessantly, reflecting on the soldiers' terrified faces.

The narrow corridor was filled with the smell of gunpowder, burnt plastic, and blood, making every breath feel like it was burning your lungs.

The EDF soldiers' headsets were filled with static; the voices from the command post were intermittent, like the gasps of a drowning person, and soon disappeared completely.

Communication was cut off, local networks were disrupted, and they were left isolated and helpless.

Even more terrifying is that the enemy is not only from the outside, but the traitors hidden among them are beginning to reveal their true colors. Gunshots from behind and sudden sniper attacks cause their trust in each other to crumble in an instant.

"Damn it! They've infiltrated!"

A corporal's roar was hoarse from the explosion. He had just helped his comrade up when he saw the other man suddenly turn his gun on him and pull the trigger.

Amidst the flickering flames and spraying blood mist, the corporal's body convulsed violently as he collapsed.

The fear of betrayal at such moments is more lethal than a frontal charge by the enemy.

The soldiers in the corridor began to look around, their eyes filled with suspicion and fear.

Some people stared intently at their comrades to see if their fingers were on the trigger, while others kept backing away, seemingly ready to fire at the nearest comrade at any moment.

boom--!
A violent explosion came from the direction of the entrance, and the alloy door was blasted open with a huge gap amidst the flames and shockwave, with fragments flying everywhere.

Following closely behind, rows of armed cultists surged in like a tide.

They were clad in heavy power armor, covered in symbolic black runes, and even with their helmets on, it wasn't hard to guess the madness gleaming in their eyes.

The beam of light from the pulse rifle in his hand illuminated the narrow corridor as if it were a living hell.

Gunfire erupted, and flames, bullets, and blood mist instantly intertwined to create a hellish scene.

The EDF soldiers fought valiantly, but appeared utterly vulnerable.

Their firepower was quickly suppressed in the chaos, while the cult spies who had been lying in wait launched a surprise attack from behind at the crucial moment, causing the already precarious defense line to collapse completely.

"Hold your fire! We surrender!"

Some people dropped their weapons, raised their hands, and their voices were filled with despair.

But all they received in response was the whistling of gunfire tearing through the air.

The militants were in a bloodthirsty frenzy; their frantic prayers mingled with the sounds of gunfire, like a death knell.

They didn't care whether the soldiers in front of them raised their hands; killing had become their way of sacrificing to the "gods."

The corridor floor was stained red with blood, and mutilated limbs lay beside the walls blackened by the explosion. The air was filled with a frenzy of screams, roars, and prayers.

Soon, the resisting firing points were extinguished one by one, and the underground defense line completely collapsed.

The security door's defense system, under a series of continuous intrusions and explosive impacts, emitted a piercing metallic scraping sound before finally opening slowly.

The heavy door slid open like a coffin lid, finally exposing the "secret" hidden deep inside to the group of madmen.

It was a massive research hall, bathed in cold light. On the central platform sat the relic that had rewritten countless chapters of Dead Space history—

The Primal Divine Seal.

Its surface is covered with deep and complex cracks, like ancient runes, and it seems to be constantly writhing.

Black light seeped out from the cracks, sometimes pulsating, sometimes dancing, as if it were breathing with life.

The air is visibly distorted by its presence, and the deep humming sound is like a heartbeat echoing in everyone's ears.

"God."

A believer removed his helmet, knelt down, tears and saliva mingling on his face, his voice trembling yet filled with undisguised ecstasy.

"Lead us to integration and transcendence!"

As the first prayer was uttered, more believers began to swarm forward, kneeling around the divine seal, bowing frantically, and raising their hands high, as if they had seen the supreme holy object.

Their eyes were filled with a morbid fanaticism; at this moment, even death no longer frightened them.

The researchers in the corner were terrified, huddled together with their heads in their hands, afraid that the slightest sound would attract attention.

They watched the cultists' frenzied behavior with nothing but fear in their hearts.

Because they knew better than anyone else that this divine seal was not some sacred relic bestowed with elevation, but an extremely dangerous alien creation.

The energy waves it emits will constantly distort the human mind, causing people to fall into hallucinations and madness.

The so-called "sublimation" is nothing more than another way of describing self-destruction.

However, the higher-ups were not ignorant. The reason they sent private armed forces to raid the area was not simply for a "pilgrimage," but to create leverage within the remaining window of opportunity to change the situation.

The energy waveband released by the Primal Divine Seal itself is extremely unique. More than two hundred years ago, the Earth Federation attempted to analyze its patterns and try to convert it into usable energy.

However, they were also aware that the energy of the divine seal would bring serious side effects, so the research progressed slowly and cautiously.

However, the higher-ups had completely different ideas.

In their vision, the energy emitted by the divine seal could be weaponized, becoming a sharp blade to fight against the "Imperial Warriors".

If they can transform the divine seal into a form of forced mental interference or energy pulse, they can strike the Imperial Warrior fleet and even create chaos and casualties in near-Earth orbit.

In that case, the Earth Federation would have no choice but to go to war with the Empire, leaving them with no way out.

This is their ultimate goal.

They knew better than anyone that if the Federation chose to surrender at the last minute of the forty-eight hours, its existence would be utterly meaningless.

They will not only be abandoned by the Federation, but also wiped out by the Human Empire. Only by forcing the Federation to take the path of confrontation with the Empire can they continue to exist and gain a glimmer of hope in the chaos.

Now, the success of this raid means they have seized their only chance.

Alarms blared throughout the underground research facility, but no one could stop them in time.

Some of the surviving EDF soldiers lay in pools of blood, researchers huddled in a corner trembling, and fanatical believers were murmuring prayers before the divine seal.

Their armor reflected an eerie light, and the runes and divine symbols seemed to resonate at a certain frequency, filling the air with an unsettling tremor.

"Gods, with your power, destroy those hypocritical tyrants."

A religious leader shouted hoarsely, his hands raised high, his voice echoing through the hall.

As the man finished speaking, more believers let out screams and shouts, and the entire research hall seemed to fall into a frenzied carnival.

Unbeknownst to them, deep within the surface of the divine seal, the eerie light was growing ever more intense, like a slumbering beast being awakened. This was only the beginning.
Meanwhile, dark clouds continued to roll over the Yucatan Peninsula, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

Deep in the jungle, the air was damp and stifling, and even breathing felt oppressive.

A tactical reconnaissance team of six Imperial Warriors lay in ambush in the dense forest less than two kilometers from the research base.

The heavy titanium armor looks like a steel fortress, but at this moment it is perfectly concealed by an optical camouflage coating and refractive system, blending into the surrounding environment.

Unless they are right next to each other, almost no one would notice their presence.

Although the Imperial Soldiers' stealth skills are not as refined as their "cousin" Dark Raven Guards, nor as undetectable as Ghost Agents or the Investigation Department's Special Operations Team, they remain impeccable executors when it comes to surveillance, observation, and even the immediate response to emergencies.

Discipline and indifference constitute the entirety of these six individuals' existence.

They had been lying in ambush here for hours.

Even before the armed cultists' attack, the team's sensors had detected unusual frequency interference and energy fluctuations. They keenly sensed that the situation under the Federation's control was spiraling out of control. However, since they had not been authorized to engage in "free fire," their only duty was:
Continuously monitor and report to superiors.

Silence became their shared creed.

There was no small talk, no questions, and even breathing was suppressed under the heavy helmet.

Soon, the squad leader gathered even more unusual intelligence.

The tactical interface inside the helmet flashed an alarm, and the energy wave curve suddenly spiked, almost spiraling out of control.

The captain frowned and immediately accessed the comparison database. A few seconds later, the conclusion appeared in his field of vision, indicating that this wave was extremely similar to the red divine seal in the Ishimura incident.

What that means is self-evident.

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately reported the intelligence, his words cold and stern: "Report, there is an extremely high risk here. There is a high probability that a 'corpse mutation outbreak' similar to that of the Ishimura is occurring. The situation is critical. We request immediate intervention or an evacuation order."

A few breaths later, a brief reply came through the headset from the sergeant: "Received. Remain on standby. A small transport squadron is en route to the surface to pick you up, and will then return to the fleet. Avoid engaging any surface forces."

"Understood," the captain replied coldly, his tone completely flat.

Just as they went back into hiding—

Boom! Rumble ...
The sudden tremor swept across the earth, as if an ancient behemoth were turning over underground.

Flocks of birds took flight in panic from the depths of the dense forest, their dark shadows obscuring the gray sky. The ground beneath their feet trembled violently, the soil cracked, and tree roots twisted and snapped, as if the entire world had been shaken and torn apart.

The reconnaissance team members immediately steadied themselves, and the stabilization system of their power armor activated, firmly "pinning" them to the muddy ground.

At the same time, their gazes all turned towards the base—

Suddenly, the ground above the base bulged up and then collapsed with a roar!

It was a scene resembling a volcanic eruption, but not lava; rather, buildings and the earth itself were being overturned from the inside out.

Massive amounts of rubble, steel bars, and soil were ejected into the air, turning into deadly shrapnel that flew everywhere. Immediately afterward, an extremely terrifying suction force erupted from the depths of the collapsed opening.

Countless corpses, shattered armor, and even the still screaming armed cultists were all forcibly dragged by that suction force, struggling to fly into the pitch-black abyss.

Even the tall jungle trees were uprooted and swept into the ever-expanding collapse.

Screams, roars, and prayers mingled together, creating an extremely chaotic scene.

Some believers panicked and desperately clung to the ground or the wreckage, screaming:

"This is punishment!"

Others wore expressions of ecstasy, their eyes bloodshot, shouting:
"This is a sign of ascension! We will be accepted by the gods!"

Dragged up by the suction, they were lifted into the air and plunged into the dark, bottomless abyss like moths to a flame.

At the edge of the jungle, six Imperial Warriors silently watched everything unfold before them. Even with such a bizarre sight before them, their composure remained unshaken.

Their composure in the face of danger is not only the result of training, but also their instinct as Imperial Warriors.

However, just as everything was being sucked into the collapse opening, the ground suddenly burst open with an even more terrifying sound.

Roar--! ! !
A deafening roar, like a thunderclap tearing the heavens and earth apart, shook the entire jungle.

Deep within the collapse, a foul-smelling, scorching gas suddenly erupted, followed by a writhing, enormous mass of flesh.

It emerged slowly from the ground like an amorphous mountain of flesh and blood, its surface covered with twisted veins and protruding bone spurs. Blood-like liquid gushed from the cracks, dripping onto the ground and instantly corroding large areas of charred marks.

On the tumor, one could vaguely see human-shaped limbs and distorted faces, some of which belonged to the cultists and EDF soldiers who had been sucked in earlier.

Their eyes remained open, their mouths opened and closed silently, as if their souls were trapped within, with no way out.

"Target confirmed," the captain said in a deep voice.

The tactical interface immediately transmits the morphological data of the tumor to the fleet.

The energy fluctuation index mixed in the signal has completely exceeded the warning threshold and is highly consistent with the characteristics of the "corpse variant" caused by the red divine seal.

The six Imperial Guards did not immediately draw their spears; they understood their mission.

Observe, confirm, and report.

Discipline is more important than life, and unauthorized "free fire" is equivalent to disobeying orders under imperial law. They will not take action unless absolutely necessary.

However, they still subconsciously adjusted their posture, their weapons ready to be activated at any moment, their bodies like steel statues poised to strike.

The atmosphere deep in the jungle suddenly froze, with only the roaring and writhing sounds shaking the heavens and earth.

The giant tumor continued to gush outwards, covering the collapsed base like a monster hatching from its shell.

Its flesh and blood writhed and twisted, seemingly giving birth to more terrifying forms, while the remaining cultists writhed and struggled on its surface and in the cracks, emitting painful howls of half-human, half-beast.

The fervent prayers eventually turned into desperate cries.

The helmet sensors of the Imperial Warriors continuously detected new energy fluctuations, with the values ​​climbing exponentially. The energy image of the entire Yucatan Peninsula was being distorted by that force at a visible speed.

"Report: The target has breached the surface and continues to expand. It is speculated that the 'leader' of the mutated corpses is being generated." The captain continued his report.

A brief response came through the headset: "Confirmed. Remain on standby. You may fire at will in case of an emergency."

The moment the response ended, the six Imperial Warriors fell silent once again.

They showed no fear, nor did they hesitate; they simply stared intently at the monster in the distance—

The colossal beast, born of madness and death, raised its indescribable flesh and blood and let out a roar that ripped the heavens and earth apart.

The curtain of darkness has been raised.
(End of this chapter)