“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Naval guns roared in unison, large-caliber shells rained down like hail onto the pre-designated sea area, triggering an endless series of water columns, and the shockwaves of the explosions created massive ripples on the surface.
“Whirr—Boom!”
Strategic bombers swept across the high altitude, dropping simulated bunker-buster bombs; a colossal explosion rumbled from deep beneath the sea, dull like thunder, causing the surface to violently tremble.
Deafening explosions, the roar of engines, the static of communications, the piercing shriek of alarms… converged into a grand symphony of humanity’s most Peak modern military might, showcasing a terrifying power capable of destroying small to medium-sized nations.
Officially, it was declared a “routine” exercise to demonstrate resolve in maintaining regional peace and stability and to test multinational coordinated combat capabilities.
However, the precise targeting of the exercise area, the unprecedented intensity of the exercise, and the bizarre phenomenon of abnormally abundant yet rapidly depleted fishery resources in that sea area just before the exercise, had already stirred up enormous waves in the international community.
Major media headlines were filled with sensational titles:
“Strongest Military Exercise in History! Five Great Powers Draw Swords in the Pacific Ocean!”
“Pacific Ocean Powder Keg? Mariana Trench Becomes the Focus!”
“Deep Sea Anomaly Triggers Great Power Game? Military Exercise Hides Secrets!”
“Fishery Resources Depleted Overnight! What Happened in the Mariana Trench?”
Conspiracy theories ran rampant.
Online forums and social media were flooded with various speculations: alien bases, awakening of prehistoric behemoths, secret weapon tests, and even a rehearsal for the end of the world…
Panic spread like a plague in some coastal countries, supermarket shelves were cleared out, and some wealthy individuals began booking underground shelters.
Some well-connected multinational fishery giants and energy companies keenly sensed an unusual atmosphere.
They attempted to obtain “observation” or “research” permits to enter the core area of the exercise through various channels, even leveraging national-level connections.
The CEO of “Abyss Vision,” a globally renowned deep-sea exploration company, even contacted a high-ranking naval official of a major power through personal connections, hinting at a willingness to provide enormous “sponsorship” in exchange for a research vessel entering the edge of the exercise area to “collect data.”
However, all requests, regardless of their origin or how tempting the conditions, were rejected by the five great powers in an extremely firm and highly consistent tone:
“Top military secret, unauthorized personnel strictly prohibited!”
“The exercise area poses extremely high safety risks; unauthorized entry is at your own risk!”
“Any attempt to interfere with the exercise will be considered a hostile act!”
This unprecedented joint blockade, like an iron curtain falling, further added to the bizarre and mysterious nature of the event.
International public opinion was in an uproar, and diplomatic undercurrents surged, but the unwavering determination shown by the five great powers deterred all covetous parties.
That sea area, covered by steel warships and deadly exercises, became the most mysterious and dangerous forbidden zone on the Blue Star.
*
*
Deep in Texas, underground at the “Lone Star” Chemical Plant, Command Center.
In stark contrast to the grimness of the Mariana Trench and the clamor of the Blue Star international scene, the atmosphere here was as oppressive as solidified lead, filled with confusion and despair.
Mark Howard’s hands clutched the edge of the cold alloy control console, his knuckles white from the excessive force, trembling slightly.
His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the real-time footage transmitted on the central holographic screen—the joint fleet of the five great powers unleashing devastating firepower on the target sea area, missiles raining down, artillery fire continuous, and fighter jets roaring.
In a small window beside it, scrolling subtitles displayed international news about fishery anomalies, capital giants being rejected, and various panic-inducing reports.
“One month… a whole month…”
Mark’s voice was hoarse, thick with exhaustion and a nearly collapsing bewilderment; each word seemed to be squeezed out of his throat.
“Joint military exercise? Top secret? Blockaded sea area? This is not my script at all! There’s none of this in the script! None!”
He slammed a fist onto the control console, the alloy surface emitting a dull “thud,” leaving a clear indentation of his fist.
“Boss…”
Sarah Connelly’s voice carried a hint of imperceptible tremor as she quickly brought up another set of data projections.
“Edge data transmitted by satellites and submersibles… the water temperature, ocean currents, geomagnetism in that sea area… all are abnormally off the charts! The heat source signal near the Mariana Trench is so strong… so strong it’s like there’s an active volcano continuously erupting on the seabed! And the energy reading fluctuation pattern doesn’t conform to any known geological activity! Also… the rumors from the fishermen who were driven out, privately circulating about ‘a huge dark shadow moving on the seabed,’ ‘the seawater turning red and dark,’ ‘hearing strange humming sounds’… they’re becoming more and more frequent.”
“Dark shadow? Red light? Humming?”
Jackson’s brows furrowed, his thick fingers unconsciously tapping the table, “Could it be… that thing came out early? But the timing is wrong! According to Boss’s memory, the passage should open on January 1st! And this military exercise… is this even an exercise? This is clearly a war mobilization!”
“The exercise is a cover!”
Jackson suddenly looked up, a hint of horror flashing in his eyes, “They are blockading! They are preparing for war! They know there’s something down there! And… they know that thing is about to come out! This scale, this attitude… they definitely know more than us! More than all of us!”
“Rebirth…”
Mark muttered, the thought gnawing at his heart like a poisonous snake, making him feel a cold chill.
“I’m not the only one… there must be other Rebirth! And… damn it, they’re on a higher level than me! He laid out plans in advance, changed history, and possibly… gained control of part of the national power! Otherwise, this level of joint action cannot be explained! It cannot explain how they could pinpoint the location so precisely, and blockade so resolutely!”
He looked around at the few faces also filled with shock, confusion, and a hint of despair—Sarah, Tom, Rick, Jackson, his comrades who had shared life and death with him in the blood and fire of the apocalypse before his Rebirth, now also had the same confusion in their eyes.
His proud advantage of foresight seemed so ridiculous and insignificant in the face of this enormous chess game stirred by unknown forces.
The titan guardian he had poured all his resources and countless efforts into building, now stood silently in the mech bay, its massive steel body now more like a huge irony, a silent mockery of his blind self-confidence.
“What… what are we even fighting against?”
Mark’s voice dropped, filled with an unprecedented sense of powerlessness, his shoulders sagging slightly.
“Are my memories… still real? Is this battle… still necessary? The mechs we painstakingly built, in the face of a power that can mobilize national machinery, in the face of an existence that can make the five great powers jointly blockade the sea area… what do they even count for?”