Ling Cage: Enhanced Nanosteel Suit at the Start

Page 185

Throughout the entire lunar base, all remaining lighting systems, screens, and indicator lights were forcibly switched from red, representing alarms, to a dark blue, representing the highest authority.

Countless voices simultaneously rang out from the remaining broadcasters scattered throughout the battlefield; it was Chen Xin's emotionless, synthesized voice:

[Control over the Moon Palace's entire weapon system is complete.]

[Target locked: Xuanyuan Mirror.]

[Wu Gang's railgun array, calibration complete.]

[Surface defense matrix, targeted charging.]

[All Jade Rabbit series armored vehicles have been deployed, and weapon systems are locked onto the target: Xuanyuan Mirror.]

In an instant, both the space pirates and the moon guards were horrified to see the surrounding turrets raise their muzzles, the energy weapons that the moon guards could still use were raised uncontrollably, and even in space, the huge orbital cannon platforms adjusted their angles and, without exception, all pointed at the Xuanyuan Mirror in the center of the battlefield.

One after another, red laser beams shot in from all directions, densely focusing on Xuanyuan Jing's plain white robe, making him look like a conspicuous bullseye.

The entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Everyone still fighting involuntarily stopped what they were doing and stared in awe at this incredible scene.

Xuanyuan Jing raised his hand, watching the beams of light fall into his palm, and fell silent.

The composure and majesty on his face finally faded, his heart sank, he closed his eyes, opened them again a few seconds later, as if he had aged hundreds of years in an instant.

Chen Yuan laughed and said, "The technology I control is above that of the Moon Palace. You have no other choice."

Xuanyuan Jing slowly lowered his hand, and the suffocating energy pressure around him receded like a tide.

He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the barriers of space, as if he could see the silent control room at the bottom of the crater, and the gravedigger lying motionless on the ground.

The tide has turned; the Moon Palace... has lost.

We lost not because of a lack of strength, but because of a lack of technology.

He stood there, silent for a long time.

The surrounding cannons remained locked on him, and a suffocating tension filled the air.

Finally, Xuanyuan Jing sighed deeply and turned his gaze back to Chen Yuan, who had just finished repairing his body and was breathing heavily.

"Cease the war!"

Xuanyuan Jing said calmly, his tone no longer hostile, "Let's... talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" Chen Yuan asked.

Xuanyuan Jing looked around at the ruins and corpses, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes: "Let's talk about... the future of the Moon Palace, and the new era you mentioned in your letter."

……

A moment later, beneath the highest observation dome of the Guanghan Palace, beyond the transparent alloy glass, lay the eternal starry sky.

Inside the dome, the smell of gunpowder seemed not to have completely dissipated, and Chen Yuan and Xuanyuan Jing stood facing each other.

Xuanyuan Mirror stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Earth. The outline of his homeland was reflected in his deep eyes, complex and unfathomable.

All the weapons in the Moon Palace had been unlocked, but an invisible tension still lingered between the two.

"Now, we can talk."

Xuanyuan Jing spoke first, his voice calm and unreadable, "You went to great lengths, even risking everything, to attack the Moon Palace. What did you seek? Was it merely revenge, or was it to plunder its technology and resources?"

Chen Yuan did not avoid his gaze and said frankly, "For survival, for the future. Personal grudges and struggles for resources are insignificant in the face of the survival of the race."

"Survival? Future?"

Xuanyuan Mirror suddenly laughed, "The Moon Palace is the future. We have preserved the highest technology and the best genes of the old world. As long as we are here, human civilization will continue. As for Earth, it is just a place infected by the Mana ecosystem and no longer suitable for human habitation."

Chen Yuan said in a deep voice, "Although Earth has become a wasteland, it is not that we cannot change it. The surviving humans on Earth used their flesh and blood to fight against the Devouring Beasts and built settlements on the ruins. They may not have your advanced technology or your comfortable environment, but they have the will to survive that never fades even in dire straits. They are also human beings."

Chen Yuan had to shatter the other party's illusory sense of superiority.

Xuanyuan Jing was silent for a moment, then his tone softened slightly: "I acknowledge their resilience, but acting on emotions won't solve the problem. The horror of the Mana ecosystem far exceeds your imagination; it's a planetary-level cancer. Rather than investing endless resources to fill a bottomless pit, it's more rational to concentrate our efforts on ensuring the continuation of the spark and abandon Earth."

"Rationality? Abandoning your homeland and cowering here, is this your rationality?"

Chen Yuan's expression turned cold: "I absolutely disagree with your idea, Xuanyuan Jing. Don't you understand? The Mana ecosystem is not static; it is evolving and expanding. When it has devoured all the life essence of the Earth, and when it can no longer draw any nutrients from the Earth, where do you think its next target will be?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the Earth outside the window, where the scarlet lines separated by the atmosphere seemed to writhe like living things.

"It will come here, right here, on the moon. Although I don't know what means the Mana ecosystem has to cross such a long distance, I'm sure they can."

Chen Yuan's voice struck Xuan Yuanjing's heart like a heavy hammer, "By then, the Moon Palace will be just another lonely grave, a last granary surrounded by a horde of starving beasts. Do you think you can rest easy then?"

Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Jing fell silent; what Chen Yuan said was not impossible.

The expansion of the Mana ecosystem was already evident in Old World records... but they have always been unwilling to face this worst-case scenario.

Xuanyuan Jing frowned deeply. Chen Yuan's words were like a thorn, piercing into a blind spot in his thinking that he had been deliberately avoiding.

At that time, the Mana ecosystem will launch its own attack... and with their current technology and power, they will be unable to resist it.

Seeing his wavering expression, Chen Yuan intensified his offensive: "Unity is our only way out. It's not about who is dependent on whom, or who dominates whom, but about true solidarity. The survivors on the ground have valuable experience in surviving harsh environments and the most direct understanding of the Mana ecosystem. The Moon Palace has almost unlimited energy, advanced technology, and a complete industrial system. Only by complementing each other's weaknesses can we have a chance to turn the tide of this war."

"Unity? Easier said than done."

Xuanyuan Jing finally turned around and faced Chen Yuan directly, his eyes filled with scrutiny. "Earth's forces are fragmented, and morale is low. I estimate that not many of us will survive. The Moon Palace is not a monolithic entity either. Moreover, who will lead this so-called alliance? The allocation of resources, the sharing of technology, the ownership of command... every single issue is enough to cause this alliance we have just established to fall apart."

“I have already united most of the humans still alive on Earth. Now it’s your turn. I need a force that can suppress all voices and coordinate the overall situation. It can be either you or me.”

Chen Yuan met his gaze without flinching. "If you believe you can, I can assist you. If you believe the Moon Palace should take the lead, I can persuade the Earth forces. But if you cannot shoulder this responsibility..."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Then I'll do it."

Chen Yuan must demonstrate absolute determination and ability; there can be no retreat at this moment, otherwise all the previous sacrifices will be meaningless.

Chapter 257 Integrating All Forces

Xuanyuan Mirror stared intently at Chen Yuan, as if trying to see through his soul.

What he saw was no longer an intruder, but a fellow traveler burdened with a heavy mission, whose eyes burned with a resolute determination beyond his years.

After a long while, Xuanyuan Jing slowly exhaled a breath, a breath that seemed to contain decades of pent-up frustration.

"You... have great courage."

For the first time, his tone carried a hint of almost equal recognition: "Perhaps we are too immersed in the glory of the past, too afraid of losing this last pure land, and have lost the courage to face the future."

“You’re right, the moon isn’t absolutely safe. The Mana ecosystem… is our common enemy.”

He seemed to have made up his mind, and his voice became firm, "Moon Palace, you can join your Shadow Society, but you must promise to lead us to destroy the Mana ecosystem."

The tension in Chen Yuan's heart finally eased a little.

But he knew that this was not enough.

"It's not just about joining."

Chen Yuan walked to his side and looked at Earth with him. "We need to integrate our forces. The Moon Palace's industrial capabilities must serve the ground battlefield. We need more armor, more weapons, and more energy cores."

"can."

Xuanyuan Jing nodded, "The Moon Palace's factory and Helium-3 energy source can be fully opened."

"besides."

Chen Yuan pointed to his feet, "The moon will become our strategic foothold and strongest rear base for our counterattack against the Mana ecosystem. I have a space teleporter that can transport troops and supplies on a small scale, but only one person can pass through at a time, and it takes time."

Xuanyuan Jing's eyes flashed, and he understood Chen Yuan's intention.

"it is good."

Xuanyuan Jing nodded. "I will order all resources of the Moon Palace to be concentrated, and all of the Moon Palace's technology warehouses and armories will be opened to the joint command."

He turned to Chen Yuan, extending his left hand. At this moment, he no longer adopted the posture of a ruler of the Moon Palace, but rather an ally seeking common survival.

"Chen Yuan, the fate of the Moon Palace is now in your hands."

Chen Yuan also extended his hand and shook hands with him.

At this moment, the hands of the moon and the earth, separated for decades, representing the elites of the old era and the survivors of the new era, clasped tightly together.

A new alliance, integrating lunar technology and Earth's power, was born with the sole objective of combating the Mana ecosystem.

……

In the following period, Chen Yuan integrated all the forces on Earth and the Moon, incorporating them all into the Shadow Society. Those at the fifth rank became cadres, and those at the sixth rank and above became elders, each with their own responsibilities.

In addition, all of Chen Yuan's men joined forces to carry out a thorough cleanup of the surrounding Devouring Beast hordes.

The lunar landing-class and lunar patrol-class warships of the Moon Palace could not be transported back to Earth via space teleportation devices, so they had to consume energy to return directly to Earth, which took several days to arrive.

Half a month later, in the ruins of an old civilization.

The steel skeletons of skyscrapers once resembled the bones of a giant beast, piercing the scarlet sky at an odd angle.

Piles of broken concrete and rusted vehicles were stacked up, and the air was filled with an extremely strong, cloying, and putrid odor characteristic of carmine.

This is a dense lair of snake dogs and earth howls. Countless scarlet lights flicker deep within the ruins, and even deeper still, an even larger shadow lurks.

The Shadow Society mobilized in full force to launch an encirclement and kill.

"The orbit is stable and the airdrop window has opened."

"South Heavenly Gate teleportation sequence confirmed. First batch of assault units, launch."

In near-Earth orbit, the dozen or so main fleets resembled a silent pod of giant whales. With hatches opening beneath their hulls, thousands of airdrop pods ignited their thrusters, leaving trails of blue ion contrails as they precisely headed towards the pre-designated core area of ​​the battlefield.

It was the ruins of a massive circular transportation hub, which had collapsed!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The drop pod crashed into the ground like a meteorite, kicking up clouds of dust. The hatch exploded open in fractions of a second, releasing fully armed Allied military vehicles and soldiers in various types of exoskeleton armor. They swarmed out and quickly established a ring of defenses using the wreckage.

The Devouring Beasts on the ground were all attracted by the huge noise, and surged out like a tide from every crack and every dilapidated building. They let out high-frequency hisses, and on all fours, they pounced on the soldiers who appeared at an astonishing speed.

Further away, some larger four-legged beasts with ominous red lights flashing under their necks began to lower their bodies, their vocal sacs on their necks glowing a blinding red light as if they were being charged.

"Attention all units, watch your back and feet, don't be ambushed."

A voice as steady as a mountain rang out through the global communication channel; it was Mark speaking.

He is now the captain of the Shadow Order, leading hundreds of Shadow Soldiers to carry out Chen Yuan's orders.

Mark unleashed his full royal pressure, suppressing the Devouring Beasts as much as possible. This pressure, originating from the top of the Mana ecosystem, was like encountering a natural enemy to low- to mid-level Devouring Beasts.