White Lion's declaration, 'I follow Trigg,' was like a colossal stone dropped into the deep waters of the Alliance, its ripples quickly escalating into a monstrous tidal wave.
Trigg's prestige and power, bolstered by White Lion, a living, primordial beast that recognized only his strength, instantly soared to a suffocating height.
The conservative elders who once dared to argue with Trigg in the council now sat in their seats, silent as cicadas in winter.
Their eyes darted away, having lost even the courage to meet Trigg's gaze.
White Lion's cold, golden vertical pupils and undisguised threat hung over their heads like the Sword of Damocles.
No one wanted to become the weak prey in this beast's maw.
The military's attitude was even more nuanced.
A faction of hawkish generals completely sided with Trigg, seeing him as the sole strongman to lead the Alliance to ultimate victory.
They fanatically executed Trigg's every command, regarding White Lion as the Alliance's ultimate deterrent force.
Another faction, while equally awed by White Lion's power, felt deep unease about Trigg's increasingly inflated, almost dictatorial authority.
They privately worried that the Alliance was sliding towards a military empire centered on Trigg's will, but the immediate threat prevented them from making any moves, leaving them to suffer between loyalty and vigilance.
The most significant change was the internal reallocation of Alliance resources.
Resources that previously required lengthy debates and multi-party compromises to mobilize could now be deployed with the highest priority in the shortest time, simply by Trigg's word, or even just a command from his increasingly silent but more formidable adjutant.
Trigg's orders became the most efficient pass.
Trigg was well aware of all this.
His deep eyes scanned the faces that were outwardly respectful but hid resentment or fear, and the cold curve of his lips seemed to carry a hint of imperceptible mockery.
He no longer concealed his assertiveness.
At the highest strategic meeting, he directly rejected the conservative faction's assessment report on the 'Scavenger Plan' as being too risky, dismissing it as the ramblings of cowards.
When a quartermaster attempted to explain that certain critical materials required coordinated distribution, Trigg merely gave him a cold glance.
"Coordination? At a time when Primordial Aberrations are devouring the galaxy?"
"Delay is aiding the enemy! According to my list, top priority, delivered within 24 hours. If you can't do it, find someone who can!"
His commands became increasingly direct, even brutal.
He demanded that the scientific team produce a final suppression plan for the potential activity of the Titan Remnant within 72 hours, regardless of how many forbidden databases they needed to access or how dangerous the theoretical derivations might be.
He ordered the engineering fleet to complete the modification of the engineering ships and the deployment of the spatial stabilization anchors a week ahead of schedule, forcing engineers to work three shifts, risking their lives under high pressure and the cold gaze of Trigg's personal guard.
He even, on one informal occasion, in front of several core council members, gave an order to White Lion.
"Next time the council meets, if anyone questions my decisions, you… yawn when they speak."
White Lion's massive head nodded, his golden vertical pupils sweeping over the council members, and a chilling, ambiguous growl rumbled in his throat.
The council members instantly paled, not daring to utter another word.
Trigg was declaring in the most blatant way possible:
He made the rules, and power was his only reliance.
The vast machinery of the Alliance was being forcibly wound tighter than ever before, operating with unprecedented efficiency, solely to execute his grand and perilous 'Scavenger Plan'.
The target starfield for the Scavenger Plan was deep within a cosmic region filled with colossal celestial debris and bizarre spatial turbulence.
The Alliance fleet, like a torrent of steel, crushed the silence of the void, with capital warships escorting the core: several specially modified engineering ships.
These behemoths were like mobile space fortresses, their core housing giant circular structures—the launch ports for the spatial stabilization anchors.
Further out were numerous super-heavy restraint force field generator platforms, resembling giant spiders extending energy conduits.
And at the very front of the fleet, a deep purple Viltrum dreadnought, the Unyielding, stood like a steadfast pillar.
On the Unyielding's broad bow armor platform, a colossal figure stood proudly.
White Lion.
He no longer appeared weak; after consuming the vast quantities of high-energy matter provided by the Alliance, his body seemed even more condensed, his snow-white fur gleaming with a metallic luster under the starlight of the starship engines, his mane moving as if by itself, like burning flames.
His golden eyes pierced the void, fixed intently on the core of the starfield ahead, shrouded in a massive shadow.
There lay the remnants of the Titan civilization.
It was not the wreckage of a single warship, but more like… a broken continent.
An unimaginably vast, irregularly shaped, dark-gold mass, its surface covered with strange geometric patterns, silently suspended in the center of a chaotic spatial vortex.
It exuded an ancient, heavy, deathly aura, yet subtly hinted at an indescribable vitality.
Merely gazing at it made one feel a profound sense of insignificance and weight deep within their soul.
"Spatial readings are extremely chaotic! Gravity anomaly index is off the charts!"
The monitor's voice trembled slightly.
"Extremely faint, non-standard model energy pulsations detected within the Remnant… unable to parse!"
The head of the science team spoke with a grave voice.
"Primordial Aberrations clusters are rapidly increasing in density in the outer starfield around the Remnant! They seem to be… guarding? Or perhaps… being attracted?"
The intelligence officer's report intensified the tension.
Trigg stood at the foremost point of the Unyielding's bridge, his gaze fixed on the colossal Remnant in the distance, like a cosmic tombstone.
He felt White Lion's battle intent, a mix of excitement and vigilance, transmitted through their mental link.
"Activate the spatial stabilization anchors."
Trigg's voice was cold and clear, like a drawn blade.
"Target the space around the Titan Remnant, full power, suppress the turbulence."
"Engineering fleet, deploy the restraint force field generator matrix, blockade all possible escape routes, increase force field strength to theoretical maximum."
"Main fleet, establish a circular defensive array. Any Primordial Aberrations attempting to approach, regardless of size, are to be eliminated."
"White Lion!"
Trigg's gaze turned to the white giant on the bow platform.
"Prepare."
Boom—!!!
The circular structure at the core of the colossal engineering ships erupted in a dazzling blue-white light!
Several thick, pure energy anchor chains shot out, not at the Remnant itself, but aggressively plunging into the raging spatial turbulence around it!
Like divine pillars cast by a giant to stabilize the sea, the furious spatial turbulence, under the interference and suppression of these energy anchor chains, began to smooth out, as if forcibly calmed by an invisible hand!
Simultaneously, countless super-heavy restraint force field generator platforms lit up, their massive energy conduits connecting to weave an invisible, colossal net that covered the entire starfield surrounding the Remnant!
The intensity of the force field was so high that space itself visibly warped, and light refracted strangely within it!
"Spatial stability increased to operational range!"
"Restraint force field matrix fully deployed! Blockade complete!"
"Outer Primordial Aberrations clusters are beginning to assault the defensive line! Engage!"
On the outer perimeter of the fleet, the light of gunfire instantly illuminated the dark void!
Laser beams, plasma torrents, and kinetic projectiles rained down on the twisted, silently screaming Primordial Aberrations!
Explosions erupted one after another!
Just as the Alliance fleet was fully suppressing the perimeter and stabilizing space, the colossal Titan Remnant seemed to be agitated by this sudden 'disturbance'!
Hum… hum… hum…
A low, deep vibration, as if from the very beginning of the universe, ignored the vacuum's impedance, reverberating directly through the hulls of all ships and deep within the bones of every living being!
On the dark-gold surface of the Remnant, the strange geometric patterns seemed to come alive, glowing with a faint yet profoundly deep light!
"Warning! Ultra-high energy unknown force field detected erupting from the Remnant's core! It's impacting the spatial stabilization anchors!"
"Restraint force field generators' load is rapidly increasing! Some nodes are overloaded!"
"The Remnant… the Remnant is moving! Not physical displacement, but… spatial slippage! It's trying to break free!"
Even more terrifyingly, an indescribable whisper, laden with the accumulated weight of endless ages, began to echo in the minds of all who attempted to probe the Remnant!
It was not sound, but a pure torrent of information, chaotic fragments of space-time, the desperate wails of long-vanished civilizations, mixed with maddening Primordial Aberrations corruption!
Crew members with weaker wills immediately felt splitting headaches, their minds becoming hazy, and some even began to experience terrifying hallucinations!
"Mental contamination! Activate full fleet mind-protection force fields! Highest level!"
The research staff leader sharply ordered, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
White Lion let out a restless growl on the bow platform; he seemed to have extremely strong resistance to this type of mental contamination.
But the heavy pressure emanating from the Titan Remnant itself, as if it would crush everything, made him feel an unprecedented challenge!
His claws dug deep into the ship's armor, his golden pupils locked onto the Remnant, battle intent and vigilance soaring to their peak!
Trigg stood on the bridge, his eyes devoid of any panic, only chilling calm and an almost greedy focus.
He felt it!
The power contained within this Remnant!
The key to resisting Primordial Aberrations!
The immense power that would allow him to completely control the Alliance, and even reshape the cosmic order!
"Increase stabilization anchor power! Even if nodes burn out, spare no expense!"
Trigg's voice was decisive.
"Restraint force field, activate phase lock program! Pin it to this space-time coordinate for me!"
"White Lion!"
Trigg's command was like a cold steel needle piercing the beast's consciousness.
"It's your turn! Tear open its shell, find the core!"
"Use your power to tell this dead thing who is the current master!"
White Lion responded with a roar that shattered the void!
His massive body leaped violently from the bow platform, not relying on thrusters or engines, but a pure burst of power that tore through space, transforming into a meteor, and fiercely slammed into the colossal Titan Remnant that was attempting to break free and emit ancient whispers!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.