Chapter 386: Molecular Disintegration! Psionic Storm! Commanding the Cosmos in the Name of Gods!
On the bridge of the Dreadnought-class battleship, Terrence wore a grim expression as he looked to Paul. "The Daelaam Protoss don't seem to trust us. If we're working with them, we'd better be on our guard."
As a veteran marshal who had participated in numerous interstellar wars across the multiverse and negotiated with many alien civilizations, Terrence could immediately sense the arrogance in Lokia's demeanor. To the Protoss, humanity was little more than ants—not even truly qualified to participate in the war. Their cooperation felt more like a condescending favor than a strategic alliance.
"With the few numbers they've got, they won't stir up much trouble. If they're so eager to charge ahead and die, let them." Paul remained indifferent. Whether it was civilizations or individuals, those who indulged in arrogance were bound to pay a heavy price.
"What worries me more is the possibility that they'll shake hands with the enemy later and turn around to attack us. That would really be a problem." Terrence frowned deeply.
After all, the Tal'darim and Daelaam were still branches of the same species—their blood ties ran deeper than any human relationship. If Neaon suddenly backed down and submitted, joining forces with the Daelaam fleet to strike against the Universal Megacorp , the losses could be catastrophic and far beyond expectations.
Terrence wasn't speaking out of pure paranoia; he'd lived through this exact kind of betrayal before. The Universal Megacorp had once intervened to quell a civil war between factions of a Trade Ring civilization. In a sudden twist, the two rival factions joined forces and ambushed the Universal Megacorp fleet, leading to massive casualties. Though Li Ang ultimately retaliated by ordering the Falling Star Spear to obliterate the system's sun, the damage done to morale and trust within the Megacorp was lasting.
So now, when confronted with a similar situation, Terrence was instinctively considering the worst-case scenario. No one could guarantee history wouldn't repeat itself.
His concerns were not unfounded. While their fleet could theoretically fend off attacks from both Protoss factions simultaneously, doing so would come with unacceptable losses. And if another Daelaam fleet arrived during their retreat, the Universal Megacorp forces could be completely bled dry.
"You make a good point. But I don't think that scenario is very likely," Paul said, after weighing all the available intel.
The first reason was simple: the feud between the Tal'darim and Daelaam ran deep. It was no trivial matter for either side to set aside their differences. If Neaon wanted to surrender, he'd have to undergo the Khala linking—merging his thoughts and memories with the entire Daelaam consciousness. But the Tal'darim rejected the Khala system entirely. They valued their privacy, their individualism. The thought of sharing a mental network and "eating from the same pot" as the Daelaam was anathema to them.
In many cases, divergent beliefs were more than enough to sever even the strongest blood ties. The Tal'darim Neaon had rallied were fundamentally defined by their rejection of the Khala.
Forcing them to adopt it would be like telling someone who's spent a lifetime eating wholesome food to suddenly eat excrement every day—it was more unbearable than death. The same principle applied to the Tal'darim.
Even if, by some miracle, the Tal'darim agreed to "eat shit" and surrender, the Daelaam wouldn't easily give up an alliance with the Universal Megacorp in order to accommodate a group of defectors. The Zerg were still the Protoss' greatest existential threat, and the Megacorp brought far more strategic value to the table than the Tal'darim ever could.
From a pure cost-benefit perspective, the decision was obvious.
Hearing Paul's analysis, both Terrence and Andrew nodded in agreement. They set aside their concerns—for now—and gave the order for the fleet to follow the Daelaam toward Neaon's base of operations: the Sigma Sector, where the ancient Worldship lay abandoned.
…
The journey didn't take long. Within a month, the combined fleets of the Universal Megacorp and the Daelaam reached the Sigma Sector. Within one of its star systems, they discovered the derelict Xel'Naga Worldship.
As Paul had anticipated, the so-called "Worldship" lived up to its name. This vessel had surpassed the definition of a mere starship—it was more akin to a supermassive stellar object.
Its sheer size had altered the gravitational field of its surroundings. Smaller asteroids were naturally drawn toward it, fusing into its ever-growing hull.
After countless years of such material absorption, the Worldship had effectively devoured and assimilated a vast number of planetary resources.
Looking at the chaotic sprawl of planetary chunks embedded in its hull, Paul was reminded of an old movie he'd once seen back at the Universal Megacorp cinema—Pirates of the Caribbean. The Worldship bore a strange resemblance to the Flying Dutchman, covered in shells, bones, and seaweed. The Worldship was like a cosmic reflection of that cursed ghost ship.
"Is this really a warship? It looks like it's as big as a damn sun!"
Even the seasoned Marshal Terrence couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. The sheer enormity of what lay before them was soul-shaking.
Until now, the Universal Megacorp 's largest warship, the Flame God, measured around 700,000 kilometers in diameter. But the Worldship? A conservative estimate put it at three million kilometers across!
Only the Xel'Naga—godlike beings—could have crafted something so colossal and mysterious.
"I doubt the original Worldship was this huge. It's probably swollen over time from absorbing so many planetary bodies. I bet it can't even move anymore," Paul said coolly.
And it made sense. The system only had a few planets remaining—most of them had likely already been consumed by the Worldship.
By now, the vessel was less of a warship and more of a massive stronghold.
Of course, anything was possible. If its weapon systems were still functional, defeating the Tal'darim inside might require strategic-level firepower. But doing so might also provoke the Daelaam.
According to Paul's plan, this battle had to be won—but not too easily. The Megacorp needed to hold back just enough to keep their full strength hidden.
"It's overwhelming... just imagining how many star systems it would take to build something like this…" Andrew murmured in awe.
"The Xel'Naga created both the Protoss and the Zerg. This ship was merely one of their tools for traversing the universe. Even the Keystone fragments we're after—those are Xel'Naga creations too," Paul explained.
He'd memorized every detail of the Megacorp's archives on the StarCraft universe. To him, the Xel'Naga weren't just ancient aliens—they were the very embodiment of cosmic law, governing the cycles of creation and annihilation.
Even their "discarded toys" were unattainable miracles to other civilizations.
And yet, the massive Worldship was nothing compared to the true treasures: the Keystone fragments. Even Amon, the Dark God, had once sought them. That's why securing the fragments was a top priority—only then could the Megacorp begin its grand unification plan.
"Still, the ship's abandoned. All we need is the fragment. Whether we beat the Tal'darim or not... that's up to fate."
Realizing how complicated the situation was, Paul had given up hope of wiping out the Tal'darim in one go.
Just then, the Infinity Night—the Megacorp's forward scout vessel—sent in a report. Captain Hawat's voice came through the comms:
[Headquarters, this is Hawat. Our long-range scanners have detected a large Tal'darim force stationed ahead. Their ships are equipped with Molecular Disintegration Field Generators.]
[The AI drones we deployed were disintegrated at the molecular level. Unless we destroy those generators, we won't be able to breach their defenses.]
The footage soon played on the command center's holographic display. AI drones deployed by the Infinity Night disintegrated into dust moments after entering the disintegration field—vanishing as if erased from existence.
The phenomenon was eerily similar to the molecular fission capabilities of the Megacorp's own MD-500 Micro Doctor units.
Clearly, StarCraft's tech level had reached—or even surpassed—the cutting-edge arsenal of the Megacorp's elite forces.
This unification mission was proving even more difficult than the ones in the Star Wars universe!
"We'll need to destroy those field generators. There's no other way through," Paul said.
These fields were likely part of the Worldship's remaining defenses. Attempting a direct assault without disabling them would be suicide—and the Keystone fragment would be beyond reach.
The team tried multiple angles using AI drones, but all failed. In the end, only a frontal assault remained as an option.
[Orders, sir? Should we engage with long-range weapons?] came Hawat's voice again.
Terrence fell silent, weighing their options. What kind of weapon could strike through a molecular disintegration field? And even if it could, would it do enough damage?
In his mind, the ideal scenario was to grab the fragment and flee. This was the Tal'darim's home turf; going toe-to-toe with them was unwise.
Paul agreed. So for now, they decided to wait and observe the Daelaam's next move.
"What's the Daelaam fleet doing?" Paul asked.
Hawat responded quickly: [They've already begun their assault—charging the disintegration fields head-on.]
Learning that the Protoss had chosen a frontal assault left Paul questioning their military tactics. Did they really only know how to charge forward?
They knew full well there was a tiger on the mountain, yet they insisted on climbing it.
After some thought, Terrence issued an order: "Stick close behind their fleet. Let's see how they handle the disintegration fields."
If Lokia and his people were dead set on rushing to their deaths, the Megacorp might as well hang back and study the results. With time, even the toughest defenses had to reveal a weakness eventually.
At this moment, the two Daelaam carriers charged headlong into the rift field without hesitation. Relying on their powerful energy shields, they temporarily withstood the violent impact of the spatial tear.
Close behind them, two Void Ray cruisers advanced under the carriers' cover, launching long-range attacks on the Tal'darim forces ahead.
To be fair, this Daelaam fleet was no slouch—they managed to resist the corrosive force of the rift fields with their shield matrices and pushed through to the vicinity of the Xel'naga Worldship.
It appeared the rift fields weren't as formidable as Paul and the others had initially imagined. At the very least, they could be endured with sufficient shielding.
Now within striking distance of the first rift field generator, Lokia immediately issued the command: "All units, attack! Tear these damn traitors apart!"
"For Aiur—!!"
With a thunderous and impassioned roar, the Protoss warriors surged forth. A swarm of automated Interceptors launched from the carriers, and the rest of the warships charged directly toward the rift field generator.
Meanwhile, the two Void Ray cruisers activated their prismatic beams, steadily wearing down the generator's outer energy barrier.
The Tal'darim troops stationed in the area quickly scrambled to mount a counterattack.
They began frantically calling for reinforcements while relying on their Photon Cannon defenses to try and intercept the Daelaam Protoss fleet.
But to no avail. The photon cannons barely managed to take out a few Interceptors before being obliterated by a relentless storm of plasma beams raining down from above.
Protoss carriers were essentially massive mobile factories. For every Interceptor lost in battle, a new one was immediately produced and launched from the rear.
In some ways, the Protoss and the Zerg shared a similar philosophy when it came to overwhelming production.
These carriers operated like enormous mechanical hives, continuously churning out Interceptors, cycling damaged ones back for repairs, and launching them into battle once more.
Indeed, Protoss Interceptors were designed to automatically return to the carrier for repairs once damaged past a certain threshold.
This system maximized cost-efficiency and ensured no resources were wasted.
Thanks to this relentless, attrition-based strategy, Lokia's forces quickly broke through the Tal'darim defense lines, exposing the rift field generator to a full barrage of drone fire.
And with time, the Void Rays' prismatic beams reached peak output, finally piercing the generator's shield.
In concert with the Interceptors' bombardment, the generator was completely annihilated.
The surrounding Tal'darim forces were helpless to stop it. Their anti-air capabilities were woefully inadequate, serving little to no purpose.
Once the first rift field generator collapsed in a thunderous explosion, the rest of the Tal'darim garrison was swept away by the tidal wave of mechanized force.
With the generator destroyed, the rift field in the area dissipated entirely.
After clearing the vicinity, the Daelaam Protoss deployed Warp Prisms, which unfurled their light wings and projected energy zones.
The rest of the fleet arrived via these warp conduits, warping into the area en masse.
This was a distinct Protoss warp technology—allowing for rapid short-range troop deployment. With it, the Protoss could execute battlefield maneuvers at incredible speed.
In addition, their automated construction drones began deploying warp beacons, bringing in pre-constructed building clusters.
In an instant, numerous structures were precisely dropped into designated locations, forming a massive forward military fortress—so fast it was almost absurd.
Terrence and Andrew watched the entire process unfold, memorizing every step. Once the war ended, they fully intended to replicate it for themselves.
Given the current technological capabilities of the Megacorp, reproducing this feat wouldn't be difficult.
Before long, the Daelaam fleet had all arrived on the surface of the Xel'naga Worldship via the Warp Prisms, and they began purging the Tal'darim forces stationed there.
The spearhead fleet, composed of the Protoss Mothership and the Void Ray cruisers, completed their weapon and shield charging cycles and set out along pre-planned routes to secure additional sectors.
So far, the Daelaam's assault operation had gone relatively smoothly—exactly as they had envisioned. The Tal'darim defenders here had proven laughably weak!
"For Aiur, eternal and undying—!"
Seeing their fleet's unstoppable momentum, the Templar and other Protoss warriors let out a triumphant, high-pitched battle cry as they charged into the Tal'darim reinforcements flooding in from all directions.
Elsewhere, led by Artanis himself, the High Templars began forming intricate gestures with their hands, summoning massive psionic storms seemingly from thin air.
Unlike the Megacorp's artificially induced weather systems, these psionic storms, though visibly brimming with lightning and gales, were fueled by devastating psychic force.
Anything caught within their radius—whether material or machine—was reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye.
Even heavily armored frontline mechs and siege colossi couldn't endure the storm's fury for long. Within moments, they'd be shattered and scattered.
Keep in mind, this was the vacuum of space—a place devoid of wind or rain. Even with advanced atmospheric weapons, the Megacorp couldn't generate something of this magnitude out of nowhere.
Yet the High Templars, like mystical elders from a xianxia fantasy, conjured heavenly lightning and summoned a battlefield-engulfing array of psionic storms.
For the Megacorp's employees—staunch believers in capital ships and big guns—this was the first time they'd felt the true terror of supernatural power.
Back at the Megacorp's central base in the multiverse, top executives were also observing and discussing the battle in real time.
V and Morgan Blackhand, both hardened veterans and former sector governors, watched with wary eyes. They clearly understood the threat posed by the psionics-wielding Protoss.
Before entering the StarCraft universe, the Megacorp's arsenal of conventional and law-grade weapons was unmatched by nearly any other civilization.
But when it came to psionic power—they had barely scratched the surface.
"V, if we were to go to war with the Daelaam, do you think we'd stand a chance?"
In that instant, Morgan Blackhand began mentally simulating countless strategies to strike the Protoss fleet. But no matter how he played it out, the Megacorp always suffered devastating losses.
Based on current power comparisons, unless humanity reached a point where it could directly manipulate laws and rewrite reality, defeating these "cultivator" types with technology alone would be incredibly difficult.
"I can't say for sure," V replied.
In terms of physical combat, he was practically invincible—a hybrid of cybernetics and enhanced organics. But when it came to psionics or Force-like powers, he was utterly untrained.
Maybe that was why the boss had placed so much faith in Paul—to serve as the Megacorp's torchbearer in the realm of psionic mastery, much like V himself had once done in another field.
To become the figurehead equivalent of an Astartes Primarch.
Li Ang , meanwhile, silently watched the hardlight monitor, not joining in on the chatter below.
He knew the reason psionic power could wreak such devastating havoc was because it didn't originate from the normal three-dimensional plane.
According to his theory of physical and void realms, what StarCraft called "psionic energy" was actually power from the Void—a higher-dimensional domain that existed beyond their material universe.
That's why those seemingly impossible psionic phenomena—storm-crafting and space-bending—didn't need to obey any physical laws.
The StarCraft universe was fundamentally different from any other Li Ang had encountered.
There existed a literal "seam" between the physical plane and the Void, where high-dimensional energy constantly bled into lower dimensions. As a species born of pure mental force, the Protoss had an innate advantage in absorbing this power.
They were, in essence, chosen beings destined to transcend.
Judging by the intentions of the previous Xel'naga, the Protoss were the first-in-line heirs. The Zerg came second.
If one were to assign titles by succession, then the Protoss were the imperial crown prince of this universe.
They inherited the legacy of the "Heavenly Dao" system left behind by the Xel'naga.
In any case, there was no reason for the Megacorp to provoke these chosen beings for now. Avoiding conflict was the wisest course.
That said, Li Ang had no intention of letting the Protoss do as they pleased forever. One of the key reasons he was collecting Keystone fragments was to help Kerrigan ascend to godhood!
Only by using the Keystone to transform Kerrigan into a Xel'naga could they defeat Amon and place humanity at the center of the Void Temple—claiming dominion over the higher-dimensional realm.
From then on, the Protoss would need the Megacorp's permission to even dream of ascending.
Let's just hope nothing goes wrong with Paul and Raynor. This move is too critical to fail, Li Ang thought.
He had already mapped out the entire plan: elevate Kerrigan to divinity through matrix control, then use her to manipulate the StarCraft universe's cosmic cycle.
With that dazzling sequence of plays, the accumulated legacy of the Xel'naga would, in effect, be transferred to the Megacorp.
Li Ang would gain control of both the Protoss and Zerg armies. As for the Terran factions like the Terran Dominion or the UED—they weren't even worth mentioning.
If they wanted to cooperate, fine. If not, the Megacorp would purge their leadership and replace them.
In truth, humans in the StarCraft universe had little meaningful influence on cosmic matters.
If it weren't for Kerrigan—the queen of lucky breaks—first transformed by the Overmind into the Queen of Blades, gaining Zerg traits and power…
Then freeing herself from Amon's control using the Keystone artifact…
Then absorbing primal essence from Zerus to gain pure physical and mental power…
And finally being elevated by the old Xel'naga Ouros to godhood…
Humans would never have even entered the conversation.
Sure, her ascension was almost entirely due to luck rather than raw power—but luck was still a kind of strength, and often a decisive one.
That's why Li Ang 's current goal was to leverage Kerrigan's destiny as the "child of fortune" to fulfill his own plan:
"To command the universe through the authority of a god."
It was the boldest operation Li Ang had ever orchestrated—and the Megacorp's only real shot at establishing a god-tier check against all other civilizations.
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