From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 731 "Ancient Spells"

The fighting on the city streets has entered a new phase.

The Imperial Warriors, Astartes, served as the vanguard and "Hammers," responsible for crushing the main force of the Necromorphs, as well as their most formidable enemies.

The auxiliary troops acted as shields and "combs," responsible for consolidating positions, clearing out the remnants, and, most importantly, protecting and evacuating unarmed, innocent civilians.

The golden imperial dragon emblem, faintly visible amidst the smoke of battle, brought a glimmer of order to this dying city.

However, the monstrous "waterfall" of blood moon cascading down continues, more threats are approaching, and the battle on the ground is far from over...

...

What the Imperial Warriors displayed on the surface streets was a thorough and overwhelming "purification".

They were like hot irons thrown into filthy waters; wherever they went, the waves of ghouls retreated and were annihilated.

Bang! Bang! Bang!
The roar of the bolt-action muskets was the main theme of the battlefield.

Each explosive bolt launched carries devastating kinetic energy and an internal explosive charge.

Hitting a mutated corpse that retains its human form will instantly blast its upper body into scattered pieces of flesh and blood, with filthy blood and tissue fluid splashing onto the broken walls and ground.

Hitting those enhanced mutants with distorted limbs and twisted forms can easily tear their tough outer skin, break their supporting bones, and turn them back into a pile of immobile rotten flesh.

The flames spewing from the gun muzzles reflected off the expressionless helmets of the Astartes—cold and efficient.

The hum of the plasma cannon overload was like the sigh of death.

The pale blue plasma cannons, leaving distorted trails in their wake, landed in the area with the highest concentration of undead variants, followed by blinding flashes and deafening explosions.

The high-temperature plasma expanded instantly, vaporizing and melting all organic matter and even metals within its range, leaving only charred, glassy craters on the ground and a pungent, burnt stench in the air.

Groups of low-level necromancy variants were instantly annihilated by this destructive energy, with no chance of transformation remaining.

Buzz—Sizzle—Sizzle!

The chainsaw sword's roar is the final note of melee combat.

When the undead break through the barrage and get close, the Astartes will draw these terrifying melee weapons.

The high-speed rotating saw teeth tore through the air with a tooth-grinding shriek. Whether it was tough tentacles, mutated bone blades, or twisted torsos, they were all easily cut and crushed like butter under a hot knife in front of the power-driven saw teeth.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, bone fragments scattered, and with each swing of the chainsaw sword, a brief vacuum was cleared in the wave of ghouls.

Amidst this bloody spectacle of carnage, there are occasionally glimpses of human warmth.

Inside the ruins of a large supermarket, shelves collapsed, goods were scattered all over the ground, mixed with congealed bloodstains.

A ragged father tightly embraced his young daughter, huddled behind a broken cash register.

The girl's body trembled uncontrollably with fear, and her father could only cover her mouth with his hand, afraid that the slightest sound would attract the wandering monsters outside that were howling inhumanly.

However, their hiding place was not perfect. Several morbidly mutated creatures with a keen sense of smell seemed to have detected the presence of living people. Dragging their mutilated bodies, they roared and crashed through the obstacles, staggering toward the corner where they were hiding.

Despair filled the father's eyes. He shielded his daughter even more tightly behind him and futilely raised a metal pipe he had found on the shelf.

Just as the necromancy's bone blades were about to touch them—

boom!
A hole was suddenly smashed through the wall of the supermarket by a tremendous force.

Amidst the flying debris, a steel giant burst in like a god descending to earth; this was a sergeant from an Imperial Warrior tactical squad.

He didn't even use a gun. A giant hand covering the Titan family reached out with lightning speed, precisely grabbing the neck of the nearest ghoul. With a slight exertion, the fragile neck bone and rotting flesh were instantly crushed, and the head exploded like a rotten watermelon.

Several other ghouls roared and pounced.

The weapon in the sergeant's other hand roared—

Buzz~ Hiss—Pfft—!
That was not a standard chainsaw sword, but a chainsaw greatsword with a more ancient and heavy design, similar to the shape of an ancient two-handed Han heavy sword.

The serrated edges of the sword spun wildly, producing a heart-stopping roar.

He wielded the greatsword with concise and domineering movements.

With a single horizontal slash, the three ferocious ghouls that pounced at him were cut in half like harvested wheat stalks, their filthy blood and entrails splattering all over the ground.

He then swung his sword backhand and cleaved a bat-like ghoul that had swooped down from the side shelf in two.

The entire process took only a few seconds, and the threat inside the supermarket was completely eliminated.

The sergeant turned around, his cold, helmeted gaze sweeping over the still-shaken father and daughter. He said nothing, but simply pointed the tip of his sword in a relatively safe direction outside the supermarket.

He then turned around again, his massive body blocking the breach. Wielding his chainsaw sword, he slaughtered the mutated zombies that had rushed to the supermarket's perimeter as if they were melons and vegetables, using steel and death to create a temporary safe passage for the father and daughter.

Soon, a squad of Imperial Auxiliary Army soldiers dressed in standard power suits quickly entered the supermarket along the path cleared by the sergeant.

"Come with us! Quickly!"

The captain, who was leading the group, spoke urgently but calmly.

They helped the nearly exhausted father to his feet, picked up the frightened little girl, formed a protective team, and quickly and orderly evacuated them from the dangerous area to the evacuation point set up at the rear.

The father looked back and saw that the giant still stood at the breach, his back like an unshakable mountain amidst the smoke and fire.

Viewed from above the city, the panorama of this war appears even grander and more complex.

The entire city was engulfed in fierce fighting.

The Imperial Astartes, like mobile fortresses and firing strongholds, steadily advanced through the horde of corpses, leaving a trail of carnage wherever they went.

The auxiliary forces, centered around them, spread like roots, establishing defenses, clearing streets, and rescuing clusters of survivors from the ruins and desperate situations, bringing them into the evacuation flow.

The EDF rank-and-file soldiers, who were initially at a loss due to the paralysis of the command system and the chaos at the top, gradually recovered from their initial panic after witnessing the powerful combat capabilities of the Imperial Warriors and the effective rescue operations of the auxiliary army.

Many of them joined the army with the initial purpose of protecting their homeland.

At this moment, their homes are being devoured by monsters, their compatriots are being slaughtered, and powerful outsiders are fighting to save them. This has awakened the conscience and sense of responsibility that have not yet been extinguished in the hearts of many people.

Despite rampant corruption at the highest levels, most of these rank-and-file soldiers still maintained a basic moral compass.

They began to organize themselves spontaneously, taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain and using the few weapons they had, such as assault rifles, machine guns, and even rocket launchers, to fire at the zombies.

They assisted the auxiliary troops in setting up roadblocks, guiding evacuation routes, and even risked their lives to rush into corners beyond the reach of the Imperial Guards' firepower to rescue trapped civilians. Their firepower may have had limited effect on the undead, but this rekindled fighting spirit and protection of the people injected a small but invaluable force into this desperate defensive battle.

Although the ground battle was chaotic, the number of undead seemed endless, and the "waterfall" cascading down from the blood moon continued to replenish their losses, making the battle a protracted and fierce struggle.

However, no matter how turbulent the waves of the corpse variants were, they could not truly shake the Imperial Warriors' defenses in the slightest.

The reason is nothing more than an absolute power gap.

The Imperial Astartes deployed to the surface with the fleet this time numbered over 15,000.
This is a destructive force capable of conquering an entire star system with a powerful alien civilization, or a gathering of heretics and chaos.

Now, this force is being used to protect a planet against the undead, who rely primarily on numbers and an atmosphere of terror, and whose individual combat abilities are fragile in the face of Astartes. The outcome was predetermined from the start.

The defensive line formed by the Astartes was like a reef on the coast, unmoved by the surging tide of corpses, and steadily "evaporating" the enemy.

Meanwhile, the battle in the near-Earth orbit has also entered a "white-hot" phase.

The Imperial Warrior fleet engaged in a fierce battle with the massive Blood Moon swarm.

The energy spears, like whips of divine punishment, lashed repeatedly at the Blood Moon's massive body, leaving deep, visible "bones"—if those twisted substances could be considered bones.

The barrage of cannon fire was like a metallic storm, continuously weakening and stripping away the surface structure of the blood moon.

The occasional silent roar of heavy weapons such as plasma cannons and hard beam cannons can instantly tear smaller blood moons apart, turning them into stardust.

The Blood Moons were not entirely passive; their corrosive energy streams, gravitational distortion traps, and summoned physical tentacles also caused considerable trouble for the Imperial Warrior fleet.

From time to time, frigates and even cruisers have suffered shield overload, hull damage, and even explosions under intense fire.

The shattered remains of both sides floated in the space, silently telling the story of the fierce battle.

However, thanks to their superior equipment, excellent tactical coordination, and the protection of the faintly visible golden psionic barrier, the Imperial Warrior fleet gradually gained the upper hand.

After paying a considerable price, nearly half of the Blood Moons were completely shattered and annihilated by the overwhelming firepower of the Imperial fleet, turning into a belt of fragments that encircles the Earth.

Although the remaining half of the blood moons were still enormous and dangerous, their originally suffocating oppressive aura had been forcibly torn open by the Imperial fleet's steel and fire.

The scales of victory are slowly but steadily tipping in favor of the human empire.

Just as the battles on the surface and in near-Earth orbit were reaching a fever pitch, the magnificent flagship, the Renwei Yonggu, itself became the new focus of attention.

On the top of its massive hull, a flat area designed specifically for special combat needs, thick external armor plates slowly slide open under the drive of a hydraulic system, revealing the airtight gate behind it.

The gate opened silently, and a giant figure clad in unique, magnificent, and extremely intimidating armor stepped steadily into this area directly exposed to the vacuum of space.

And this was none other than Sui Meng, the original genetic prototype, with his helmet closed, leaving only the imposing outline of his goggles visible.

He stood atop the ship, beneath which lay the massive war fortress that bore him, and before him stretched the boundless, yet desecrated, starry sky.

From his perspective, although the Imperial Warriors fleet had destroyed nearly half of the Blood Moon, the number of remaining crimson celestial bodies was still astonishing. Their enormous, distorted outlines filled all his vision, like a swarm of greedy sharks, surrounding Earth in the Dead Space universe, along with his fleet, attempting to devour and digest it completely with their overwhelming numbers.

The flashes of light that occasionally burst in the distance were marks of the Imperial Warriors' ships being damaged in the Blood Moon's frenzied counterattack. The horrific sight of overloaded shields, torn hulls, and exploding engines seemed to evoke a sense of tragic grandeur even through the vacuum of space.

When a fleet, especially a newly formed legion fleet, suddenly encounters an enemy of such scale and strength that far exceeds expectations, it is inevitable to suffer losses.

However, in Sui Meng's eyes, these losses were not without value.

His legion, his "children," demonstrated an iron will and remarkable growth in this sudden, hellish trial.

Instead of being defeated, they fought with increasing ferocity, using the enemy's remains to pave the way for their advancement.

This baptism of blood and fire provided this young legion with invaluable combat experience, far exceeding the value of any simulated training.

More importantly, the invasion of the Blood Moon and the ensuing zombie apocalypse thoroughly exposed the incompetence and corruption of the Earth Federation. The valiant resistance and rescue efforts of the Imperial Warriors fleet and ground forces, like a beacon in the darkness, pointed to another possibility for the terrified and helpless humanity on this planet.

They survived under the protection of a powerful and orderly empire.

This undoubtedly greatly accelerated the process of the Imperial Warrior Legion unifying the human civilization of Dead Space.

As his thoughts raced, Sui Meng's gaze sharpened beneath his helmet, clearly indicating that he had made a decision.

He could not stand idly by and watch his fleet and ground forces continue to suffer unnecessary losses. He had to break the deadlock himself and deliver a thunderous blow to these alien creations that blasphemed the stars.

He gripped his right hand tightly on his signature powered spear, its design resembling the ancient Chinese crescent blade, exuding both majesty and ferocity.

The next moment, a sudden change occurred—

Centered on Sui Meng, pure, boundless spiritual energy, seemingly originating from the very source of life, began to erupt and boil rapidly.

A dazzling golden light burst forth from every gap in his armor, instantly transforming him into a giant bathed in divine flames.

The light was not dazzling, but it carried a kind of awe-inspiring warmth and majesty, like the radiance of a star at its birth.

Immediately following, under the influence of an indescribable "great power," Sui Meng's body began to "expand" in a way that defied common sense.

This is not a simple amplification, but a temporary "sublimation" of the level of life, a reconstruction of energy and matter under extremely high power.

His bones stretched and strengthened under the tempering of psionic energy, and his muscle fibers bulged and multiplied like a dragon. The exclusive power armor covering it also stretched and deformed in sync, adapting to this rapidly growing and magnificent body as if it were a living thing.

In just a few breaths, Sui Meng, already a giant, had broken through the limits of physics, his figure climbing towards an even more magnificent scale—

100 meters...

km…

Finally, a magnificent "colossus" towering ten thousand meters high stood atop the Renwei Yonggu, its shadow even temporarily obscuring large areas of the ship's hull.

At this moment, Sui Meng's image underwent a complete transformation.

His original cloak transformed into surging golden psionic flames, burning fiercely behind him, as if he were carrying a mythical sun.

His mask became more majestic and solemn, with sharp lines like those carved by an axe, and the light in his eyes was like two miniature stars, radiating a divine pressure that made people dare not look directly at him.

The shoulder armor extends outwards, forming a ferocious shoulder guard resembling the claws of a giant dragon, with the tips gleaming coldly, seemingly capable of easily tearing apart stars.

The golden spiritual energy patterns flowing around his body formed profound and powerful Chinese characters, and each pulse of energy caused a slight tremor in the surrounding space.

He stood there, no longer merely a powerful Primarch, but more like a god of war and protection from ancient legends, descending upon this ravaged starfield with supreme authority and power.

Clearly, this is not only the ability and manifestation of Sui Meng's own genetic origin, but also the personal instruction from his mother, the goddess of war Athena, and belongs to the "colossus transformation" technique at the level of the Olympian chief god.

An ancient spell that temporarily synchronizes itself with a certain concept or a vast energy, transforming itself into something that can shake the course of a battlefield.
(End of this chapter)