Chapter 404: Dialogue Among Gods! Celestial Navigation Spire! Dimensional Jump!
During the intense battle, the armed Zerglings completely avoided direct confrontation. They first lured enemy Zerglings into attacking them, then allowed their AI-controlled hard-light cannons mounted on their backs to automatically return fire.
Thanks to the AI system's precise calibration, the hard-light cannons remained frighteningly accurate, even amid heavy turbulence.
In this way, the flanking armed Zerglings formed a perfect arc of death. Their interlaced crossfire net resembled a dense noose, slaughtering the Zerglings caught within it.
Watching this unfold, Li Ang nodded repeatedly in approval. Whatever else could be said, the Universal Megacorp had certainly gained an edge when it came to basic troop deployment.
Taking control of the Zerg on Char was now merely a matter of time.
"You've done well. If you need anything, don't hesitate to contact Director Alt Cunningham." Li Ang took note of the brilliant young scientist, Ariel Hanson.
Another bright talent had joined the Science Hub Department.
This inspection tour didn't last long. After gaining a clear overview of the situation, Li Ang returned to the Prime Universe.
Taming and modifying the Zerg, rallying the army to battle Amon, developing the psionic tech system, reorganizing rear resources, reshuffling personnel...
Everything was progressing in an orderly, methodical manner.
——
Six years later.
Freshly returned from Universe 003 "Edge of Tomorrow," Jim Raynor felt a little worn out. As the commander of the Raiders Corps, things hadn't exactly gotten easier since he joined the Universal Megacorp system.
In fact, life had become more exhausting than when he was running things solo.
Back in the day, Raynor's enemies were just the Terran Dominion and the Zerg. If he couldn't win, he'd just retreat—setting up shop wherever he landed. Life was rough, sure, but at least it was free.
Now, within the Megacorp system, he faced an Infinity cascade of missions. The Raiders were dealing with enemies from countless civilizations across the multiverse.
Over the years, the Megacorp's unification campaigns had indeed brought progress, but they also created complications for this colossal civilizational machine. Friction was inevitable—some conflicts simply couldn't be avoided.
To suppress and pacify the various factions, and to stabilize the growth of the Megacorp's interdimensional trade zone, the job often fell to specialized enforcers like the Blade Runners, corporate agents, and internal investigators.
The longer Raynor worked within the system, the more he realized that most of the time, the problems weren't coming from the outside—they were internal.
With devastating strategic weapons like the Flame God Armament and the Neutron Eradicator, the Megacorp had already become the undisputed dominant civilization across multiple universes.
Add in figures like Quintessa and Megatronus—both beings of quasi-divine power—and very few dared to cross them.
Yet even so, rebellions still occurred, sometimes even from members of the earliest trade union cohorts.
"You must be beat. Good timing though—Birchworld's finally finished. Let's go check it out when we get the chance."
Panam Wells approached with a smile, clapping Raynor on the shoulder. He looked visibly tired too, clearly just finished with a tough mission of his own.
Not long ago, Panam had completed his final organ augmentation surgery, officially becoming a Primarch-class Astartes warrior—and passed his personal trial.
Currently, the Megacorp's internal Astartes count had reached over a thousand, most of whom were either rising young generals or senior high-command elites.
Thanks to his contributions under Paul's leadership, Panam had climbed the ranks swiftly and now stood poised to inherit his father, Jack Wells's, position.
He was one of the most successful representatives of the Megacorp's second-generation leadership.
"Yeah. I heard Birchworld's going to serve as our backup rear-base. Is there a new operation coming up?"
Raynor, ever perceptive about high-level developments due to his background with the Terran Dominion—and his experience rebelling alongside Arcturus Mengsk—turned his attention to Panam.
After all, suddenly constructing a pocket universe the size of half a star system could only mean something big was brewing.
"What else could it be for? Must be connected to Universe 009."
Panam shrugged. In truth, he didn't know much more than Raynor. What he did know was this: as the unification campaign continued, their upcoming missions would only get harder.
Back then, no one could've imagined things like psionic power or the Force. It all sounded too fantastical—like something out of a dream.
But ever since Li Ang's "Void Realm–Physical Universe" theoretical framework was introduced and refined, interdimensional civilizations had gradually come to accept these strange new forms of power.
Nowadays, Force-users and psionic warriors had become the core combat strength of the Megacorp's Expansion Division. And in time, even more supernatural warriors were likely to emerge.
Naturally, their adversaries would become even more formidable as well.
Raynor nodded thoughtfully. Then he asked, "Do you know what the operation codename for Universe 009 is?"
He'd studied the Megacorp's history and knew that every unification operation had a specific codename associated with its target universe.
For example, his own—Universe 008—was codenamed "StarCraft."
He still didn't know how the naming conventions worked, but he had to admit—they did offer a rough gauge of that universe's danger level.
Raynor couldn't help but feel uneasy wondering whether Universe 009 would harbor some terrifying godlike entity like Amon.
"No clue," Panam replied. "But I'm sure the official mission briefing isn't far off."
Even if the upcoming unification was going to be the hardest one yet, he firmly believed that the Megacorp's Supreme Chancellor would lead them to ultimate victory.
Faith is more precious than gold.
Whether it's a regime's stability or a stock market's momentum, participants' confidence in the future outweighs any policy or reform.
And right now, after multiple victorious expeditions under Li Ang's leadership, humanity's trust in the Megacorp had reached an all-time high.
No matter how dangerous the next universe was—they were confident they could take it.
"What are you two chatting about? Our application got approved—get on board already!"
Chani's voice rang out as she stepped down from a Thunderhawk shuttle, beckoning Raynor and Panam over.
"Visitor passes for Birchworld don't come easy, you know. Without connections, you wouldn't even get on the list. Don't waste any time." Chani urged them.
"Coming!" Panam jogged up to her, glancing around curiously. "Where's the captain? Didn't he come with you?"
By "captain," he meant Paul Atreides—now serving as the Commander of the Multiverse Vanguard. He was a top-level executive with real authority.
Yet Paul still led missions from the front lines when it mattered.
"He's still vacationing in Universe 005—'Dune,'" Chani replied. "His sister, Alia Atreides, is joining the Megacorp's Research Division to take over the spice project."
"Probably won't be back for a while."
Chani spoke honestly. The first time she met Paul's sister, Alia was just a three-year-old girl. In the blink of an eye, she was now a grown woman of eighteen.
Most likely, she'd be inheriting her mother Lady Jessica's mantle and continuing spice research.
"I see. Well then, let's go!"
As the Thunderhawk's hatch sealed shut, Panam and the others sped toward the Birchworld star system.
——
Universal Metropolis – Night City – Megacorp Headquarters
Li Ang and Amon were deep in conversation—a dialogue that had spanned an incredible length of time. They discussed everything from the origins of life to the end of the universe, simulating countless models in the process.
Their discussions even drew in Megatronus and Unicron , both of whom shared their perspectives.
Despite the breadth of the discussion, no concrete truth was reached.
Amon believed that only by completely destroying the current cosmic order could one break free from the shackles of the universal model—and transcend the cycle of rebirth.
For billions of years, the Xel'Naga had been like pre-written lines of code—doomed to repeat the cycle of life Infinityly within the Void, with no end in sight.
Unicron believed the universe to be a nesting doll of infinity, opening dimensional gates to devour other universes in an attempt to grow stronger.
But most of what it encountered were desolate, forsaken realms—cosmic graveyards abandoned by gods. So what if one transcended dimensions? It was just a never-ending spiral carved into finer and finer fractals.
Megatronus chose silence. Even he had no answer. Not even his own creator, the Supreme Primus, might have known.
"To test your hypothesis using an entire universe is a bit too extravagant, don't you think? I, for one, wouldn't be willing to pay that price."
Li Ang looked at Amon, who now manifested in the form of a human. Ever since Kerrigan's ascension to Xel'Naga and her defeat of Amon, Li Ang had used the Matrix to preserve Amon, this higher-dimensional being.
Though Amon's physical form remained sealed in the Void, its consciousness had been uploaded into the Matrix.
"One day, the Universal Megacorp will rise to the level of a god-tier civilization. When that day comes, I'll use the Aether Resonance Engine to conduct an end-of-the-world experiment—and give you the answer you seek."
Having just taken over the StarCraft universe from Amon, Li Ang now held the deed, so to speak. And since all Amon desired was a final truth, Li Ang was willing to indulge its curiosity.
"Very well. I'll wait here for your answer."
Amon's gaze remained calm and steady. It bore Li Ang no deep hatred, and their interests didn't even truly conflict.
If Amon had only wanted power—to become the sole god of the StarCraft universe—it would've achieved that long ago.
The corpses of the Xel'Naga in the Void Temple of Ulnar had already paved the way for Amon to become a supreme god.
But Amon simply wanted to destroy the existing order in search of a higher truth.
Since Li Ang was chasing the same thing, Amon was content to wait in silence inside the Matrix. After all, to a being like it, there was no difference between the Matrix and the Void.
Li Ang said nothing more and exited the Matrix.
He returned to his office and glanced over the briefing sent by Governor David Martinez.
Most of the report focused on new developments in psionic technology.
Ever since Kerrigan ascended and assumed control of the Void, the issue of psionic leakage had been contained. With her assistance, the Megacorp rapidly completed the theoretical framework for the psionic tech system.
The Zerg, under the guidance of scientists like Dr. Ariel Hanson, had now entered a path of ultimate evolution.
The Protoss were next in line as candidates to become the new Xel'Naga—but whether they could ascend still depended on Li Ang's approval.
Under the Megacorp's control, even the origin of psionics had been tightly sealed off by Kerrigan.
Whether Protoss or human, anyone who wished to practice psionics first had to register with the Megacorp and receive cultivation clearance.
Any rogue practitioners siphoning off [psionic essence] without authorization would be hunted—or eliminated—by the Megacorp's Ghost agents.
Morally questionable? Absolutely. But Li Ang had to control the number of Xel'Naga.
After all, the first one to reach five-star three-cost units in a TFT match will always lock the shop to block everyone else's upgrade path.
Let others ascend after you? Not a chance.
"A new journey begins."
Li Ang let out a long breath. Over the past few years, he had been painstakingly reorganizing the power structures, resource allocations, and personnel arrangements across the multiversal landscape.
The main goal was to weaken and balance the entrenched aristocracies within each branch of the Megacorp.
The Universal Megacorp's trade alliance had absorbed countless civilizations—many of which had a nasty habit of forming cliques and inner circles.
Outwardly, everyone claimed to share the spoils fairly—drinking together, eating together—but behind the scenes, they all played their own games.
The unification campaigns had moved forward too quickly, with minimal casualties. The excess energy had nowhere to go, so people channeled it into politics and power games, scheming for private gain.
Yes, every single universe in the multiverse was technically Li Ang's private property—but slogans like "All lands under heaven belong to the king" were little more than hollow words.
Without concrete benefits, no one would pledge their loyalty to the Megacorp.
Fortunately, under Li Ang's leadership, humanity still held an overwhelming edge in this collaborative civilizational showdown. Even when a few cannon fodder elements stepped out of line, the impact was minimal.
So long as the Megacorp—this colossal engine of civilization—kept surging forward, its sheer momentum would help Li Ang brush off these petty nuisances.
---
[Universal Megacorp Phase IX: Birchworld — UNLOCKED]
[Universal Megacorp Phase X: Celestial Navigation Spire — LOCKED]
[…]
At that moment, Li Ang pulled up his system interface. The instant he saw "Celestial Navigation Spire," all the frustration in his chest dissipated.
"Celestial Navigation Spire—!"
Excitement surged within him. This was a monumental development.
The so-called Celestial Navigation Spire was actually a megastructure capable of universal-scale navigation. Its purpose? To allow fleets to freely traverse high-dimensional, low-dimensional, and standard three-dimensional realms!
The jump duration lasted no more than a blink, while the distances covered spanned the breadth of the entire universe. The levels of dimension it could cross approached the very edge of cosmic possibility.
If the Emperor of Mankind from Warhammer 40K were to see this, he'd probably burst into tears of joy—dragging his ancient, paralyzed legs off the Golden Throne just to sing and dance.
"Magnificent."
But after the thrill faded, Li Ang thought of a crucial issue.
In the Megacorp's dominion over the multiverse, most universes still operated in basic three-dimensional space. Their hyperspace acceleration channels lacked the elaborate higher-dimensional structures—no 7D, 8D, or 10D weirdness.
Things like a 4D timeline axis, 5D parallel overlap state, 6D parallel observational states, 7D causal observation space, 8D law-archive space, or 9D chaos-consciousness undefined spaces—
—were nothing but fancy gimmicks that simply didn't exist!
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