Astonishment Across the Sea of Stars, Beauties Stunned
The Interastral Peace Corporation's starship, painted with understated silver-gray diplomatic markings, was sailing smoothly along its planned route to Jarilo-VI.
Inside the bridge, Topaz and Aventurine each sat comfortably in their command chairs, with several light screens floating in front of them, displaying the latest data analysis and negotiation plans regarding Belobog.
Although the atmosphere was not relaxed, it maintained a professional calm.
Topaz tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest, deliberating on a bottom-line clause regarding concessions in energy trade.
Aventurine closed his eyes to rest, seemingly simulating various negotiation scenarios in his mind.
Sudden...
Ugh!!
A piercing, top-priority emergency communication access alarm shattered the tranquility of the bridge!
The piercing buzzing sound startled the two of them, causing them to jump up from their seats almost simultaneously!
"What's going on?!" Topaz demanded sharply, his gaze sweeping sharply over the operator at the control panel.
The operator also looked stunned and flustered, his fingers flying across the control panel.
"Unclear! Signal source unidentified! Priority... priority is a mandatory broadcast that overrides everything! The system has been forcibly interrupted! Cannot be blocked!"
Before the words were even finished, all the loudspeakers on the bridge, including their personal communication terminals, were simultaneously activated by an irresistible force!
A cold, calm voice, yet imbued with supreme authority and a will to destroy, resounded like thunder from the heavens, echoing throughout every corner of the warship.
It reached everyone's ears clearly:
[Announcement to the myriad realms of the stars:]
[My Lin Hai, the Lord of Belobog.]
[The Interastral Peace Corporation, acting perversely and wreaking havoc on the cosmos, deserves to be punished.]
[Starting today, we declare full-scale war.]
Those who obstruct me are like this star.
Immediately afterwards, the navigation data on the main screen was switched instantly!
The image shows a close-up of a huge, barren planet suspended in the dark universe.
Then, a blurry yet enormous phantom hand, seemingly composed of pure energy, condensed in the starry space and pointed towards the planet!
There was no sound, no explosion.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone on the bridge, the massive solid planet, as if erased from a canvas by an eraser, crumbled inch by inch from its edges and completely disappeared into the vacuum!
The broadcast has ended, and the signal has been forcibly cut off.
Inside the bridge, there was a deathly silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
The Topaz and gravel stood frozen in place.
The color drained from his face at a visible rate.
Topaz's fingers were still pressed against the armrest, his knuckles white from excessive force.
A good ten seconds passed before Aventurine suddenly gasped for breath, as if he had just woken from a nightmare, his voice dry and hoarse like sandpaper rubbing together:
"What was that just now? A hallucination? Or... some madman's interstellar prank?!"
Topaz didn't answer immediately; she rushed to the control panel: "Immediately! Analyze the signal source! Trace back the information encoding! Confirm the source! Quickly!"
The technician's fingers trembled as he operated the equipment.
A few minutes later, a preliminary analysis report appeared on the screen.
The tech officer's voice was filled with disbelief and terror. "Report... the signal source is multi-layered encrypted, but the core identifier... points to the highest-authority channel of the Xianzhou Alliance in Luofu! The energy signature... highly matches the ultra-high-energy reaction previously detected in the direction of Belobog..."
"... Preliminary image analysis... not composite! That destroyed Shattered Star III abandoned planet... our deep space monitoring station... has confirmed it... is gone!"
"The Xianzhou Luofu... the Lin Hai..." Topaz murmured to himself.
She swayed slightly, then steadied herself by grabbing the edge of the control panel.
She and Aventurine exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of absurdity in each other's eyes.
Declare war?
What about Interastral Peace Corporation?
With the strength of a single city?
And they even brought in the Xianzhou Luofu?
Even...
He casually destroyed a planet as a declaration?!
This has gone beyond madness; it's... a complete upheaval of the cosmic Order!
"His assessment of his own strength... is probably several orders of magnitude higher than our worst-case scenario..." Aventurine's voice deepened, "The power to destroy planets... that kind of power..."
"The company's think tank model needs to be completely overhauled and rebuilt!" Topaz forced herself to calm down, but her rapid speech revealed her extreme inner turmoil. "All our previous strategies, from deterrence to negotiation, were based on flawed premises! He's now demonstrating a capability capable of annihilation! This is no longer a sphere of influence dispute!"
"So what should we do now?" Aventurine looked at Topaz. "Continue with the original plan to go to Belobog? Face to face... to verify the authenticity and strength of his declaration of war?"
His tone carried a hint of gambler's madness and probing.
"Are you crazy?!" Topaz vehemently denied.
The voice suddenly rose, "Going there rashly without knowing his true intentions and condition is tantamount to walking into a trap! If he truly possesses that kind of power and is determined to wage war, we will be the first hostages and bargaining chips delivered to his doorstep! We might even be... sacrificial offerings!"
"But this is also the fastest way to obtain firsthand, authentic intelligence!" Aventurine argued, his eyes sharp. "The company's remote observation is always shrouded in mystery! Only through close contact, even... provocation and probing, can we truly uncover his true intentions! High risk, high reward!"
"Reward? What if his answer is to shatter our warship with a single finger?!" Topaz retorted without backing down. "Our most important task now is not to take risks, but to immediately bring this top-level, disruptive intelligence back to headquarters intact! The board of directors must reassess the overall strategy! Our personal judgment is insignificant in the face of power at this level!"
Inside the bridge, the two high-ranking envoys of the company had, for the first time, such a huge strategic disagreement concerning their very survival.
One advocates for aggressive probing, while the other advocates for an immediate retreat.
The argument escalated in silence, the air seeming to freeze.
Outside the window, the starry sky remained serene.
The steam from the hot spring had not yet completely dissipated.
In the Underworld, in this private rest area.
The warm yellow light enveloped seven stunning figures who had just finished bathing and were only wearing light nightgowns.
The air was filled with moist moisture.
The pleasant scent of the shower gel.
A relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
In this warm and leisurely moment.
The broadcast crystals embedded in the walls of the rest area, as well as their personal communication terminals, were simultaneously and forcibly activated by an irresistible force!
That voice, imbued with supreme majesty, accompanied by the horrifying image of a planet collapsing, reached the ears of every woman and entered their eyes.
[Announcement to the myriad realms of the stars:]
[My Lin Hai... From this day forward, I declare full-scale war on the Interastral Peace Corporation...]
The relaxed smiles on the seven women's faces vanished.
They exchanged glances, both seeing the same surprise in each other's eyes.
"This... this is Lin Hai's voice?" Seele was the first to react, pointing to the now-darkened broadcast crystal, "He... he declared war on the entire Interastral Peace Corporation?!"
"He casually... wiped out a planet..." Bronya murmured, "His power... has actually reached this level..."
Sparkle snapped out of her daze, her face beaming with extreme excitement.
"Declaring war! And broadcasting it throughout the entire starry sky! How exciting! This is the kind of spirit a man from Sparkle should have! This is going to be a good show!"
Kafka leaned back on the soft couch. "Heh... this is serious."