Once Sui Meng's image was withdrawn, Dead Space Earth entered near-complete "silence."
Holographic screens, space communications, small floating displays, corner projection booths—
All information channels seemed simultaneously muted by an invisible hand, people hesitantly raising their heads as if awaiting new judgment.
Astronomers briefly abandoned telescopes, economists stopped curve extrapolations, military and civilian interpretations collectively disarrayed—fear spread like fog, rapidly saturating all social strata's daily life.
In Earth's various Federation command centers, cold screens reflected generals' exhausted, tense faces.
EDF (Earth Defense Force) chiefs of staff argued fiercely in sealed conference rooms...
Should they immediately launch strikes?
Should they claim acceptance of opponent's terms to buy time?
Statistical data showed the opposing fleet's scale and energy distribution far exceeded Federation existing combat capabilities.
Rash warfare would leave Earth Defense Forces facing immeasurable casualties with key infrastructure at destruction risk.
But surrender would instantly eliminate Federal government legitimacy and all military and intelligence agencies' existential value.
"We cannot simply show weakness."
An elderly naval admiral said through gritted teeth, "First stabilize key orbital frontlines, cautiously probe opponent intentions while preparing for war at full capacity,争取 outer space strategic depth...
Or rather, first use war to break the situation, then leverage war results to exchange for more benefits—only then is the optimal moment to consider surrender."
His words were like effective coolant injected into the room's agitation.
Meanwhile, Unitology's high-level meetings fell into another darker calculus.
Sect leaders gathered beneath massive light domes, whispering.
Sui Meng's appearance was both opportunity and threat—grassroots followers were already celebrating "divine arrival" on streets, essentially recruiting massive converts for them.
But if the Empire decided to directly take over Earth, Unitology's doctrines, organization, and power would be reshaped, divided, or completely replaced.
Thus, leadership quickly formed two strategies.
Publicly raise "welcoming divinity" banners to consolidate popular support while secretly contacting allies within Federation, attempting to create chaos, delay Federation's unified front, and secure negotiation leverage.
In cities, markets reacted first.
Earth's financial networks experienced brief panic after Sui Meng's appearance—stock and bond flash crashes, severe currency exchange fluctuations, hoarding purchases of energy and food reserves—all made ordinary citizens feel unprecedented vulnerability.
Credit systems strained short-term, forcing Federal financial management departments to announce emergency liquidity support, restricting large "cross-border" transfers to prevent capital flight.
Outside shopping centers, queuing crowds shifted from fear toward anger—seeds of protests and riots quietly germinating in numerous metropolises.
At higher gaming levels, intelligence and counterintelligence networks initiated covert, lethal operations.
Federation intelligence agencies didn't underestimate opponents.
They knew Imperial Martial weren't simple colonial forces—technology and organizational capabilities behind those giant vessels meant complete power restructuring.
Thus, special task forces quietly assembled.
Special fleets, cyber raiders, several psychological warfare experts—their missions were probing the Empire's true intentions, finding exploitable vulnerabilities, and when necessary, creating strategic counterattacks.
Meanwhile, Imperial Martial likewise didn't passively wait.
Sui Meng commanded from his near-orbit flagship, deeply knowing he must simultaneously pressure politically and militarily.
Both displaying sufficient deterrence to force Federation leadership's compliance while winning popular support through civilization and order.
His fleet didn't blindly attack but implemented three-step strategy:
First step: blockade and control.
Imperial Martial fleets with highly coordinated orbital deployments cut numerous supply routes while establishing mechanized checkpoints near major satellite orbits—any unauthorized navigation would be dissuaded or directly detained.
This wasn't immediate militarization but showed Dead Space Earth under control and order's name that "takeover wasn't barbaric invasion but orderly integration."
Second step: psychological warfare and propaganda.
Sui Meng utilized networks sending unified messages throughout the Solar System—the Empire brought not destruction and war but rescue and hope.
In footage, he described with calm, capable, even slightly warm tones the Empire's short-term medical, ecological restoration, food, and energy support, emphasizing Imperial integration would eliminate Earth's long-standing corruption and inequality.
Information flows were precisely targeted at low-income communities, conflict-dense areas, and Unitology-influenced residential zones, rapidly winning those groups' favor and expectations.
Third step: demonstration actions.
Imperial Martial didn't hide technological advantages—they displayed Shield-7 ecological restoration projects in near-earth orbit, then dispatched medical and engineering teams establishing supply points near lunar orbit under "rescue" pretexts, also dropping batches of infrastructure equipment and medical resources to Earth.
Through this series of "prior benevolent acts," Imperial Martial attempted constructing moral legitimacy, paving ways for deeper integration.
But Earth Federation wasn't "persuaded" by these measures...
Accurately speaking, though Earth Federation knew their combat capabilities couldn't oppose Imperial Martial Legion, those elites still considered initiating war to maximize benefits and secure more political negotiation leverage.
Several Federal rapid reaction forces were recalled to near-earth orbit, readiness levels raised, nuclear warheads transferred to launch platforms.
In Federation's view, if Imperial Martial continued arbitrarily "invading" surface and lunar areas, nuclear deterrence would be considered the final bottom line.
Among civilians, resistance and cooperation tug-of-war also intensified.
Cities saw spontaneous militia organizations—either supporting Federation and Unitology or embracing the Empire's "new order."
Social media flooded with true-false indistinguishable videos and "eyewitness testimonies"—
Some claimed seeing Imperial Martial robots distributing food among crowds, others spread rumors about the Empire secretly executing resisters.
Unitology leadership grew even more anxious amid such information warfare—many struggling followers treated Sui Meng's appearance as miracles, while moderate factions began advising followers to remain calm, awaiting more detailed intelligence.
Most dangerous pawns were often those "gray forces" belonging neither to government nor any organization's control.
Smuggling gangs, mercenary networks, politically-business colluding private militaries.
They began reorganizing at astonishing speeds, attempting to profit from chaos.
Hedge funds bet in shadows, weapons smugglers signed protection agreements with local powers, city black markets bustled unusually.
Sui Meng also didn't ignore these factors—legions' agents and elites would concentrate on striking these potential obstruction nodes while through secret agreements, recruiting or dismantling some local armed forces, exchanging minimal costs for maximum stability.
Under circumstances changing almost every minute and second, Sui Meng focused on steady advancement.
He also signed multiple temporary agreements authorizing Imperial engineering and biological departments to directly enter Dead Space Earth's designated infrastructure nodes for maintenance and repairs—all actions conducted under "humanitarian aid" names.
Meanwhile, he ordered fleets maintaining high alert—once EDF or Unitology launched uncontrolled offensives, Imperial Martial would respond with overwhelming force.
Sui Meng understood very clearly under Athena's careful tutelage that true integration relied not merely on military force but required letting integrated parties see benefits, feel order, efficiency, and security.
Within Federation internally, conservative and hardline faction divisions also expanded.
Some generals increasingly agreed with limited military conflict exchanging for negotiation table leverage.
Others inclined toward secretly contacting Imperial Martial, seeking compromise on face and practical benefits.
Diplomatic channels opened then closed, espionage activities rapidly renewed, international court and united parliament arguments filling forums.
Earth Federation—or rather Dead Space humanity's internal division brought uncertainty...
A disintegrating Earth was harder to manage than external integration.
Twenty-four hours after transmission gate opening:
Sui Meng stood quietly on Human Majesty Forever Solid's bridge, distant Earth appearing like sapphire contours.
He knew true "trials" had just begun—this wasn't merely military conquest but cultural, institutional, faith, and soul remaking.
The Empire wanted integrating Dead Space universe not only mastering Markers' physical forms but covering old wounds with new systems, replacing chaos with order, suppressing fear with hope.
If Earth Federation continued maintaining observation, Sui Meng would disperse his fleet into military, engineering, and propaganda three major groups, separately interfacing Earth's key nodes.
He ordered compiling detailed "takeover blueprints"—from energy, communications to food supplies, then judicial and local governance temporary frameworks—all to be systematically laid out by Imperial Martial.
Meanwhile, Sui Meng also authorized task forces conducting "physical persuasion" on Unitology, high-ranking officers, and key enterprises like Concordance Extraction Corporation following father's example, minimizing public conflicts, reducing full-scale war outbreak possibilities.
On Earth, through night and day alternations, hundreds of billions of citizens still spied on unknown futures.
Some knelt in worship, some gripped weapons tightly, some distributed leaflets, some busied transferring assets in shadows.
They didn't know Sui Meng's true trump cards, nor could they predict how long Imperial Martial Legion deployed in near-earth orbit would take changing their fates.
But one point was clear—this moment in Dead Space human history would be recorded—
Not on some territorial boundary lines but in spiritual and orderly remaking, like stone sculptures, forever imprinted...
Soon after, above the Yucatan Peninsula, dusk's blazing sun slowly sank toward horizons, sky covered by blood-red clouds as if drawing curtains for impending rainstorms.
Surface restricted zones were surrounded by dense defensive installations—railguns and automated fire towers in orderly arrangements, watching surrounding desolate jungles and coastlines.
Air filled with salty ocean breezes mixed with dry grass and limestone scents, occasional night birds emitting low calls, adding even more "sinister" urgency to this region.
Inside outer guard posts, two EDF sentries conversed quietly.
"What do you think higher-ups will decide?"
The younger soldier gripping assault rifle, tone carrying undisguised unease.
"What else? Either bite the bullet and fight or kneel down."
Another sneered, spitting chewed gum, "But with opponent fleet scale, if we really fight, we can't even touch decimals."
Their voices were low yet still revealed soldiers' powerlessness and confusion—and they didn't know danger was approaching like shadows.
Suddenly—
Whoosh—!
Tearing light beams shot from darkness, watchtower top instantly exploding, fire and metal fragments scattering everywhere—sentries couldn't cry out before being swallowed by shockwaves.
What followed were dense explosions and gunfire as if entire night sky was simultaneously ignited.
Unitology's private military forces, like phantoms spawned from shadows, their long-prepared assault suddenly erupted at this moment.
Heavy armored vehicles thundered from dense forests, bodies painted with Unitology's dark red and black symbols like blood marks on ancient altars—high-power plasma rifles and portable missiles poured like sudden rain, precisely striking EDF fire points.
Even more chilling for defending forces was abrupt betrayal before their eyes.
"You—what are you doing!?"
An EDF sergeant just wanted rallying subordinates, yet his longtime follower raised his gun barrel, cold bullets cutting through night winds, instantly striking him down.
Chaos spread like wildfire.
Originally orderly defense lines instantly collapsed—portions of EDF soldiers fell under disbelieving gazes as their "comrades" turned out to be Unitology infiltrators.
With perfect coordination between inside agents and external assaults, restricted zone outskirts quickly fell to complete loss.
Explosions shook ground, firelight dyeing night sky hellish—Unitology elite forces weren't blindly charging but rather strictly trained religious legions—vanguards used armored vehicles and energy shields opening paths, covering rear assault teams.
Mid-level squads skillfully cut EDF communication nodes, blocked roads, ensuring defenders couldn't form effective counterattacks.
As for infiltrating follower agents, they precisely created panic amid chaos, assassinating commanders, destroying ammunition depots, completely dismantling defensive systems.
Screams, shouts, and gunfire interwove into bloody compositions, permeating scorched and explosive smells nearly suffocating.
Even though ambushed EDF soldiers valiantly resisted, they gradually lost positions amid chaotic fire and betrayal.
"Hold the entrance! Absolutely cannot let them approach underground base!"
A captain roared, his armor already marked with multiple scorched traces, yet eyes remained determined.
He led remaining forces holding defensive walls before underground entrances, yet soon dense energy fire blasted defense lines full of holes.
Unitology armed followers appeared especially fanatical in firelight reflections—faces concealed by helmets, yet roars erupting from throats revealed incomparable devotion and madness.
They chanted Unitology scriptures, treating this bloody battle as divine will's continuation.
Finally, surface restricted zone defenses completely collapsed, remaining EDF defenders forced retreating to underground passages, attempting to delay time with heavy alloy gates and narrow corridors.
On surface, Unitology armored forces had completed assembly before underground entrances, heavy armor-breaching devices beginning deployment.
Metallic grinding sounds, energy cutter hums—like death's prelude.
In firelight, followers' gazes burned intensely as if already seeing that original Marker buried deep underground—their raid's objective, also the "sacred relic" they believed could turn the tide...
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.