Chapter 238: with translation of chapter title

"How you handle it is up to you, but do it quickly; I still need a more detailed report from you."

Robert did not reject the request put forward by NuoWa.

He knows that this sister, also adopted by Sui Bian, has Spiritual Energy that ranks just below their OriginalBody.

And in terms of proficiency in using Spiritual Energy, she is even stronger than her older brother, since Robert does not, like Magnus, waste excessive effort on researching Spiritual Energy.

Since NuoWa said this colonist is useless, it shows she has already learned the secret of the colonist race.

"Rest assured."

NuoWa twisted back, gradually withdrew the smile, and fixed the eyes on the colonist seated opposite, whose mind was being tormented by Spiritual Energy to the brink of collapse.

In fact, under normal circumstances NuoWa would never mistreat enemies, but as the first to arrive at Elizabeth City, NuoWa personally sensed the desperation and pain of 360,000 compatriots before death.

Thinking of those…

"I just want this guy to experience what it's like to have billions of ants bite his marrow all at once," NuoWa said in a low voice.

…

The corridor outside the interrogation room.

John, who also liked to stand with his hands crossed in front, unfolded his powered armor helmet and waited in silence.

Suddenly, his peripheral vision glanced to his left.

The left side of the corridor was empty, but a few seconds later, Bai Lun walked around the far corner and entered John's view.

At this moment, Bai Lun had already changed into a brand‑new black combat suit, with stray bangs apparently meant to conceal the scar on the face.

Bai Lun approached John, then lifted the head and, in the same tone as reporting to superiors, halted and saluted:

"Two hundred sixty‑three soldiers from West Africa, the Third Defense Corps, have completed their preparations and request to join the upcoming fortress liberation operation, sir."

He heard the words.

"Captain," John withdrew his peripheral glance, continued staring at the tightly sealed metal door of the interrogation room, and said to Bai Lun:

"Your current task is to rest; if needed, we will inform you."

"Yes, sir."

Having received the reply, Bai Lun lowered the right hand and then turned and left.

Hours earlier, Bai Lun, who had arrived at the front‑line base with a transport aircraft formation, conveyed all the fortress data Bai Lun knew to the UNSC and Umbrella.

But during the several years they moved underground, fortresses worldwide fell one after another, and with communications completely crippled a year ago, Bai Lun could not determine exactly how many remained.

Moreover, having lost higher command, they naturally regarded the arriving rescuer John as their superior.

Even after learning that their "superior" came from Earth in another universe, they quickly accepted the fact.

Because they had been at war for over a decade with colonists also from other universes.

"Swish—."

Soon after Bai Lun left, the automatic doors opened swiftly, allowing Robert to bend down and walk out of the interrogation room.

Glancing at the space behind Robert, where the colonist in the interrogation room had already lost all signs of life, and noticing that NuoWa, whose Optical Camouflage had been activated, had left, John asked:

"Where is the colonist's leader?"

"New York," Robert replied.

At this moment, four technicians in white uniforms arrived, entered the interrogation room, and prepared to handle the colonist's corpse.

The two brothers then left together.

Walking in the corridor, John briefly asked, "Shengjilesi go, or me?"

"Don't rush, brother," Robert raised his hand and patted John's shoulder pad. "The leader must be killed, but I need to first request some permissions from my father."

"Permissions?"

John was somewhat puzzled, but he nodded without further questioning.

———————

…

Saturn.

This giant gas planet, adorned with brilliant rings, has dozens of satellites of varying sizes orbiting within its gravitational sphere.

Among the many moons, one is rather special.

Its radius is only 900 km larger than Mars's, it possesses a dense atmosphere, extensive forests, and a blue lake in the northern hemisphere.

This is Umbrella's exclusive colony and the base for training Gray Knights and Ghost operatives, Titan, Saturn's moon.

Surface phenomena all indicate that its terraforming progress is faster than Mars's.

After all, before Umbrella installed planetary environment modification devices, Titan's atmosphere already had higher pressure than Earth's, and with Saturn's magnetic field as protection, Titan's surface modification is much easier than Mars's.

Only the towns for habitation and the training base still require artificial gravity.

In low Earth orbit, a hundred kilometers above the lake, the Zeus‑class carrier Courage Anthem, Umbrella's flagship, which has not activated Optical Camouflage, is "docked" here.

Inside a compartment at the front of the vessel.

Sui Bian, having removed his uniform jacket, sat behind a fixed desk and, via the holographic screen on the desk, reviewed the data Robert transmitted about another Earth and the colonist race.

"Ah…"

After reading, Sui Bian shook his head and sighed unabashedly, feeling compassion for the plight of humanity in that world.

"."

The two artificial intelligences standing at his sides still tilted their heads slightly in confusion as before, while striving to compute and analyze in order to grasp what emotion truly is.

Sui Bian ignored them, leaned his head back against the chair, and stared at the metallic gray ceiling, "calculating."

According to the system's data, that world currently has about 830 million humans, while Ti Si Bai Lun reported that when they moved into underground fortresses in 2026, the population had already shrunk to 5 billion.

It shows that in the four years from 2026 to 2030, another 4 billion people fell along with the underground fortresses they inhabited; behind those numbers are living lives…

Sui Bian gently closed his eyes, no longer overthinking, and steadied his mind.

As for the colonist species.

In the information obtained by NuoWa using Spiritual Energy to interrogate, it indicated that their total number was only 3 billion.

By manufacturing portals to invade Earth and even other civilizations, the purpose is very "simple": to satisfy their endless aggression desire.

And collecting genes of different species, manufacturing, and perfecting biological weapons such as monsters for invasion actually has nothing to do with efficiency.

The true reason is that the colonists enjoy watching their monsters mercilessly slaughter life, the bloody scenes.

They even edit the "exciting" footage, just like human civilization's TV dramas and movies, to enjoy.

The colonists responsible for invasion also regard the destructive invasion action as a game, because no matter how many monsters die, to them they are just numbers.

However, the colonist species is also quite "bully the weak, fear the strong".

Once the scout monster troops dispatched are easily wiped out, the colonists will without hesitation close the portal.

NuoWa discovered through the colonists she killed that they had attempted to close the portal at the frontline base, but the result was helpless.

After witnessing Umbrella and UNSC, especially Shengjilesi's Divine Body, the colonist leader based in New York then submitted a withdrawal request to the colonists' homeworld.

The homeworld side temporarily gave no reply.

"Sir." At this moment, the White Empress said: "Original Body Robert sent a communication request."

"Connect."

"Okay."

Sui Bian opened his eyes, and the screen content on the desktop was switched by the White Empress, showing him Robert in his personal office and his second son John.

"Father." Seeing the connection established, Robert immediately said: "Please grant me permission to use three nova-level nuclear bombs, and also permission to directly command Ghost agents; I want to send a few 'big gifts' to the colonists' homeworld and their two important colonial planets."

"Approved." Sui Bian without hesitation granted the eldest son's permission: "Hong Hou, quickly prepare the three nova-level 【items】 to be transported to the frontline base."

"Yes, sir." Hong Hou nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your father's support." Robert said delightedly.

Sui Bian then lightly moved his left hand and said: "Remember, all actions must be premised on resolving that leader in New York."

"Please rest assured, father."

"Hmm, go."

"Yes."

"End communication."

"Screen dissipates."

"The cabin regains tranquility."

Sui Bian rose and left, went around the desk, walked to the virtual window on the left side of the cabin, and watched the virtual rainforest scenery, falling into contemplation.

"I don't know if it's his illusion."

Starting from Robert dispatching two legions and reconnaissance troops to Morocco, Europe, Middle East, etc., his Spiritual Energy seemed to show an extremely weak increase.

If not an illusion, then the increase is as weak as dropping a drop of water into a vast ocean, the total amount hardly showing any change.

"Could it be...?" Sui Bian said as if thinking of something.

"White Empress, how do the survivors placed in the frontline base react to different universes' Earth, Astate, Original Body, and Divine Body?"

"The survivors have accepted the fact of different Earths, but many survivors who witnessed the Original Body Shengjilesi's Divine Body have begun praying containing keywords such as angels, Father God, etc." White Empress replied.

"Indeed it's prayer..." Sui Bian muttered to himself, confirming his guess.

"Original Body..."

"Father God..."

"Hmm..." Sui Bian, with the same demeanor, sighed and continued: "Please notify Artemis to come over."

"Okay." White Empress responded.

"Splash~ splash~!"

Meanwhile, outside the virtual window, the rainforest was drizzling fine rain, thin water droplets sliding over leaves and falling.

"Waited patiently for a moment."

"Whoosh—."

"Boss, what do you need?"

With the automatic door opening, Sui Bian heard Artemis's laughing inquiry.

Turning around, he saw Artemis in military uniform, loose long hair, with a faint smile walking into the cabin until stopping before him.

Upon discovering his awakening, Artemis had already worked for Umbrella for over ten years.

She is responsible for selecting suitable Astate recruits to join the Grey Knights, and also responsible for producing the Water of the Full Moon, so the company also pays her salary on the first of each month.

Even if one is a "god", money is needed to better adapt to modern society.

"I have a question." Sui Bian asked: "Does the divine power of you Olympian gods change due to human prayer?"

"Prayer?" Artemis blinked, then carefully recalled and slightly shook her head.

"The influence is tiny, almost none, but I can indeed hear some devout believers' prayers; if it truly endangers life, I might help them overcome the crisis, but the vast majority are just folks satisfying their own greed."

"Nowadays... there will no longer be devout believers of the hunting god." At the end, Artemis shrugged indifferently.

"Is that so..." Sui Bian pondered.

But after only a few seconds, he no longer dwelled on "Father God", "prayer"; Sui Bian believes humanity's future cannot possibly be as dark as another Earth.

"Splash... splash..."

Outside the virtual window, the rain gradually ceased, sunlight filtered through leaf gaps shining into the shade, also lighting the whole cabin.

———————

…

Earth of another universe.

New York.

Once the most prosperous city in the United States, it has now become an existence even more "strange" than Paris.

Greyish clouds blocked the midday sun, and the seawater reeked bloody red.

Although it lacked Paris's "embryo", famous districts like Manhattan and Brooklyn nevertheless had several towers resembling "ant hills", as well as a large number of flesh-colored, giant mushroom-shaped buildings.

A crisscrossing network of narrow passages connected the towers and mushroom-shaped buildings, while the ground was overgrown with tentacle-like, blue-light plants.

Looking closely at the passages between the buildings, one sees that what swarms within are not Beast Entities, but four-armed, two-legged colonizers, while the craft flying above the city are also tumor-shaped and of unknown propulsion.

New York has been completely assimilated, turned into a colonial city where they reside on Earth, seemingly devoid of any human trace.

The only thing preserved is the Empire State Building, New York's iconic structure, which the colonizers have simply modified.

Unaware that it itself was being targeted, the leader regarded this nearly four-hundred-meter-tall building as a trophy of its successful conquest of Earth.

Replacing the Statue of Liberty is a portal with a radius of up to a hundred meters.

The colonizers precisely use this large portal, piloting tumor-shaped craft, to travel back and forth between their mother star and Earth.

Now, the craft only make the return trip, with no outbound journeys.

The colonizers fled their dwellings en masse, heading to the airport-like structure west of the Empire State Building, then boarding the craft to pass through the portal and return to their mother star.

Not long ago.

The mother star finally responded to the leader's withdrawal request, and forcibly ordered all colonizers residing on Earth to rush to the nearest portal for evacuation.

After completing the evacuation, the colonizers will close all portals except the one in the Sahara, to prevent the mother star and other colonies from facing human attacks.

The source that prompted the mother star to issue this order was Shengjilesi, piloting the Divine Body.

Regardless of whether their giant beasts could fly, this Original Body shot them down with a single arrow, reducing them to ashes.

This is no longer a "god" they can contend with; fleeing is the best option.

And at this moment, the Empire State Building.

A colonizer stood on the edge of the roof, gazing down at New York with its two eyeless pairs, looking toward the portal; its silhouette seemed to reveal a hint of "reluctance".

After all, "this one" is the leader responsible for invading and assimilating Earth; it wished, before departing Earth, to stand here and take one last look at New York.

Ri~————！

Suddenly, a piercing blue light flashed beneath the Empire State Building.

?

This caused the leader to involuntarily look downward, and then…

Boom—————！

The last thing it saw was endless blue.

I might take a day off tomorrow.

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(End of chapter)