Chapter 263

Die! Alien trash!

For humanity!

Ha! Ha!

Inside the dormitory, the war cry of Astate-metal quality echoed, along with the distinctive gunfire of the explosive-bolt gun.

Especially the scenes lacking the Gurgle People, Hyena People, and the bursting juice.

Even if they aren't human, the moment their entrails and intestines spill outward still causes discomfort among the populace.

After watching the video, the three fell silent.

Each wore an expression of utter shock, as if they couldn't believe what they had just seen.

「……」 -> just ellipsis.

The boy sitting at his own desk eased his emotions, then reached out with both hands to touch the holographic screen.

After minimizing the video, the screen before them showed the homepage of the online forum called "Human Military".

And the one with the most clicks, views, and heat, pushed to first place by netizens, was precisely the Jump Help War video posted by Umbrella's official account.

Second in heat, after the video, are the life and training photos of Umbrella's First Legion fleet.

Third is the UNSC's release of the battle situation regarding Harvest Star.

The rest is heated discussion among netizens, with some experts even beginning to analyze the gap between humanity and the Star Alliance, attaching diagrams filled with details.

A few minutes earlier, the boy preparing to browse the forum entered the homepage, happened to see the top-heat video, and called out to his two roommates who had changed clothes and wanted to attend the exhibition to watch together.

Upon opening it, the three directly realized that behind their happy, stable life lay something far beyond their imagination.

The boy ignored other posts, lightly touched the red-and-white umbrella avatar of Umbrella's official account with his left index finger, held for a second, and a small screen popped up.

"This..." Looking at the fully certified data, the boy said to his two roommates, feeling astonished:

"This is Umbrella's account, no doubt—could it be an official prank?"

The roommate by the window shook his head slightly, saying, "Even if it's April Fools' Day, Umbrella couldn't possibly be pulling a prank; it's most likely genuine."

"Let's see what the second one is," another roommate suggested.

"Okay."

The boy dismissed the small screen, tapped the second post, so the three could continue browsing.

Next

"My goodness, look at that guy's height—he's at least four meters tall!"

"One of my cousins is a member of Umbrella's Auxiliary Army, and he's always told me there are no super soldiers in the world!"

"Hey brother, could you ask your cousin how he joined the Auxiliary Army? I suddenly want to enlist…"

At this moment, outside the dormitory.

People at Umbrella University, Raccoon City, and indeed throughout the solar system and the entire territory, just like the boy and his roommates, are focused on another wave Umbrella has stirred up online.

Three hours later.

Within Harvest Star's gravitational range, amidst the cold void of the starry background…

Suddenly, fifteen jump exits unfolded, allowing the First Legion fleet of Umbrella to sail out together from the rift space.

——————— -> separator.

… -> ellipsis.

The combat force consists of two Gorgon-class battleships, two Heroic-class super-heavy cruisers, and seven Steadfast-class frigates.

The Gorgon-class ships are 2.5 kilometers long overall, with a central array of three 25-ton electromagnetic cannons, and their sides are equipped with various-caliber plasma guns.

！ -> exclamation.

The roughly one-kilometer-long Steadfast-class far surpasses the Gray Hawk-class and Paris-class predecessors in firepower, speed, and maneuverability; having joined the fleet less than ten years ago, it belongs to the newest batch of warships.

The last vessel is a four-kilometer-class support ship, responsible for repairs, treating the wounded, and transporting spare supplies.

Although the support ship's specifications are second only to the Courage Praise, "she" is equipped only with close-defense guns and a few small-caliber plasma guns, lacking further armament, and thus does not belong to the first-echelon combat vessels.

Fifteen ships of various types and grades make up the present Third Legion, the Dark Angel fleet.

Umbrella's ten fleets are similarly sized, each kept within twenty vessels.

The scale is not unprecedented and falls short of UNSC's first and second main fleets, but the legion has always pursued quality from the outset.

Auxiliary Army members are the absolute elite selected from humanity and the UNSC by the Red and White Empresses.

After completely sailing out of the rift space.

The fleet re-formed its formation and, using regular navigation, gradually approached Harvest Star.

Now Harvest Star is no longer as it once was, guarded only by a vessel over five hundred meters long, the Punishment.

This remote "farm" planet, after the Third Legion's addition, has gathered over fifty warships and vessels in its low orbit.

The ratio of military personnel to ordinary residents is severely imbalanced.

However, the tens of millions of people living on Harvest Star have never cared about the ratio issue.

Only the sense of security brought by the fleet, and the pride in humanity's formidable military strength.

Even the two enemy ships hauled into low orbit by the 045th Fleet engineering vessel give the populace absolute confidence, alongside the brave soldiers protecting them, to face any daredevil invaders.

Inside the hangar of the Courage Praise.

"This..." Looking at the fully certified data, the boy said to his two roommates, feeling astonished:

"This is Umbrella's account, no doubt—could it be an official prank?"

The roommate by the window shook his head slightly, saying, "Even if it's April Fools' Day, Umbrella couldn't possibly be pulling a prank; it's most likely genuine."

"Let's see what the second one is," another roommate suggested.

"Okay."

The boy dismissed the small screen, tapped the second post, so the three could continue browsing.

Sui Bian and his group were passing through the exclusive corridor bridge, preparing to board a large transport vessel.

Sui Bian walked ahead with his hands behind his back, nearly shoulder‑to‑shoulder with him, while Leon followed slightly behind.

Behind him were two diligent AIs and a group of elites equipped with Terminator power armor.

Merely the style and details of these elite Terminators show they are not the Dark Angels' Holy Knights, nor do they belong to any legion.

The exterior armor, likewise forged by Hephestus, is more ornate, featuring intricate engravings, and the right hand wields a power halberd resembling that of the Gray Knights.

The paint scheme is primarily black, the color that best represents Umbrella, with gold accents, and overall its style is close to Sui Bian's black‑gold armor.

"Imperial Guard."

This is the name of this special elite group.

They are the offspring personally selected by Sui Bian from the Honor Guard and company champions of the ten legions; each possesses formidable martial prowess and Spiritual Energy, existing as a one‑against‑ten force.

And this 'ten' refers to the veteran brothers within the legion; consequently, the Imperial Guard's total strength barely reaches over two hundred.

Inside the gangway.

"Chairman."

Her pupils continuously emitted a pale blue light, indicating that the White Empress was incessantly processing vast amounts of data, and she said to Sui Bian standing before her:

"The video and image data we suddenly released have plunged the entire society into fierce debate and discussion."

"But according to my covert statistics, 87% of people online readily accepted the fact of the Astate and the Original Bodies' existence without needing our explanation."

"Among the remainder, some expressed skepticism, while an extreme minority put forward alternative views."

"Alternative?" Sui Bian glanced at the White Empress out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes." She continued: "In these views, many think, why must it be so violent? Are super soldiers meant for slaughter? Isn't it too cruel… and so on."

"I see." Sui Bian looked forward again and said, "Did you intervene?"

"No, I was merely observing covertly, after all such remarks account for only an extreme minority." The White Empress shook her head slightly.

Afterward, she said with interest: "I greatly appreciate a netizen's reply; Chairman, please take a look."

As the White Empress spoke, she quickly stepped forward, unfolded her right palm, and slightly raised it.

Next, using her prosthetic, she projected a holographic screen onto her palm, showing Sui Bian one of the discussion posts on the "Human Military" forum.

The poster's content is as follows:

"The methods of these super soldiers seem a bit cruel; I always feel the hostility is excessive—perhaps the alien species are friendly, and we might have misunderstood."

And the reply that garnered far more likes than the post is:

"Buddy, having a sword and not having one are two different things; what we see is super soldiers slaughtering the alien species, but if there were no super soldiers, those being slaughtered would surely be us—indeed, all of humanity."

"At that point, within the alien species' interior, there might also be 'kind' fellows speaking up for us, saying this is too cruel—couldn't we resolve it peacefully?"

"Put yourself in their shoes—do you think the alien species would stop slaughtering our kind because of these remarks?"

"So buddy, our current ability to freely express different views was bought with the blood and lives of our predecessors; never forget the three hundred thousand compatriots of Elizabeth City."

This reply received the approval of many netizens, including the original poster.

It seems this reasoned, evidence‑based reply also convinced the poster who advocates "peace above all".

It also earned Sui Bian's appreciation.

"Indeed not bad, White Empress; you can appropriately manipulate it to draw more attention to this post," Sui Bian said.

"All right, Chairman."

The White Empress dissolved the screen and resumed following not far behind Sui Bian.

After the White Empress fell silent, the Red Empress remained silent as well, gazing at the nearby hatch ahead, when Leon suddenly spoke, voicing his doubt to Sui Bian:

"Father, how should the company formally introduce us? Should the Public Relations Department handle it?"

"Of course not." Sui Bian turned his head to look at Leon, showing a gentle smile that didn't match his appearance, and asked his third son:

"Leon, what do you think I am aiming for by using my position as a corporate board member to become a UEG legislator and gradually appear in the public eye?"

"To prepare to step into the open and lead humanity forward?" Leon ventured an answer.

"If humanity desperately needed faith, a reliance to survive in this galaxy, I would unhesitatingly shoulder that burden—but… humanity now does not need it, and that is not the future I wish for."

Having said that, Sui Bian shifted his tone, raised his left hand, and lightly tapped Leon's power armor with minimal force, continuing his explanation:

"It's because I don't want to miss the chance to personally introduce my proudest children to all of humanity—this is a one‑time opportunity."

? …

...!

After hearing Sui Bian's words, Leon froze for a moment, but quickly understood his father's intention.

Instantly, his usually cold expression showed a flicker of excitement, his eyes betraying a vague anticipation, though his tone remained unchanged as he replied:

"I understand, Father."

"Sometimes you should smile more, Leon; don't always put on a cold façade."

"Yes…"

Actually, Sui Bian's intention is quite simple.

When children achieve good grades, make progress, and learn a skill, most parents will share their joy with relatives or, via the internet, with strangers.

Although the sons are each "a bit" special, as a father Sui Bian ultimately cannot escape this selfishness.

Moreover, this is also the best encouragement and affirmation for Leon, Robert, John, and these Original Body brothers.

During the conversation.

Sui Bian, Leon, and their entourage had already passed through the hatch and entered the transport vessel whose engines were starting up.

Seeing this, the pilot sealed the hatch, and the ground crew operated the gangway to retract and fold until it kept a safe distance from the flight craft.

Once everything was ready.

The pilot flew the transport vessel off the deck, gliding slowly within the spacious hangar, passed through the air valve to reach the ship's exterior, then prepared to enter the atmosphere and head toward the surface of Harvest Star.

——————

…

Soon after.

In the northern hemisphere of Harvest Star, amidst the dense forest at dawn.

By the freshwater lake where mist rose, the Umbrella engineering team had already begun remodeling it, establishing a temporary camp.

The camp featured several simple structures, as well as a large landing pad for transport aircraft and transport vessels.

At the same time, the engineering team assisted technicians and archaeologists in excavation, clearing debris, and fully exposing the true appearance of the Metal Relic embedded in the rock wall on the lake's western shore, under the morning sun.

Overall, it formed an equilateral triangle structure.

The gap in the middle indicates a gate that leads deeper into the relic.

Before the metal gate.

Shirley and another female supervisor stood not far from the shore, observing the excavation site where debris had been thrown.

That female supervisor, with a distinctive braid, wearing a cyan-blue shirt, sporting a leather shoulder holster, and possessing an excellent figure, was Lao La Kelaofu.

"Kelaofu." Gazing at the gate where light continually seeped from the crack, Shirley asked:

"You just meant that the scale of our Harvest Star's relic might be larger than that of Meisi Ruiyin?"

"According to my experience, yes." Lao La did not deny it, and added: "But the actual situation will only be known after the chairperson arrives."

"Indeed." Shirley nodded in agreement.

"Ah…~! Ah~…!"

At that moment, a howl unique to the elite clan came from within the camp.

Hearing the noise, Shirley turned toward the camp and couldn't help but say: "These guys, just how much do they love shouting?"

After saying that, she also saw a transport vessel approaching their position in the sky.

Immediately, she reminded Lao La beside her: "Let's go, Kelaofu, the chairperson will be here soon."

"Okay."

(End of chapter)