186: Chapter 186 Energy from the Same Source

Su Mingyuan took a deep breath and pressed the communication button: "Connect me to Zhang Wei, Commander of the Giant World Construction Corps."

A few seconds later, the screen switched, and Zhang Wei's weary face appeared on the display.

"Group Leader Su." Zhang Wei saluted.

"Zhang Wei, are the God-level Giants still within your monitoring range?" Su Mingyuan asked.

"Yes, our drones have been tracking them." Zhang Wei nodded. "Those seven giants are still standing in place, and more and more ordinary giants are gathering around them, now exceeding thirty thousand."

"Very good," Su Mingyuan said. "Switch to thermal imaging."

The screen turned red.

The bodies of the God-level Giants were orange-red in the thermal image, but their chest areas were the brightest, resembling a burning furnace.

"Temperature readings?"

The technician stared at the screen, their throat bobbing: "The chest area... two thousand two hundred degrees."

Someone in the conference room gasped sharply.

Two thousand two hundred degrees—that was a temperature capable of melting steel.

"Activate the energy detector."

A waveform chart popped up on the screen, the curve starting to jump and then skyrocketing frantically.

Numbers refreshed on the screen: one hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred...

The technician's hands tapped rapidly on the keyboard, their forehead covered in sweat: "The readings are still rising... seven hundred... one thousand..."

"Damn it," another technician nearby stared at the instrument. "The detector is about to overload."

"Abnormal energy concentration..." The technician swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "It's one thousand times that of an ordinary giant."

The conference room fell silent for a few seconds.

One thousand times.

This number was too exaggerated.

Elder Qin looked toward the head of the crystal core research group: "Pull up the crystal core energy waveform, as well as the energy waveform detected at the palace in the Zerg World, and place the three curves together for comparison."

"Yes."

The young researcher's fingers danced across the keyboard, and the screen began to split.

The first curve appeared—the crystal core energy waveform. Low frequency, high intensity, with peaks exceeding the measurement range.

The second curve—the energy waveform of the Zerg World palace. Almost identical in form.

The third curve—the energy waveform inside the God-level Giant.

The three curves were displayed side by side on the screen.

Everyone in the command vehicle held their breath.

The three curves almost completely overlapped, like three photocopies, with only the tiniest differences, yet their overall form, frequency, and intensity were all identical.

"Similarity calculation complete." The researcher pushed up their glasses, their voice trembling: "The similarity between the crystal core energy and the energy inside the God-level Giant is... 89%. The similarity with the energy of the Zerg World palace is... 93%."

Deathly silence filled the conference room.

No one spoke.

Only the hum of operating equipment and someone's hurried breathing could be heard.

The energy detected at the Zerg World palace, the God-level Giants of the Giant World, and the crystal cores of the portal—the essence of the energy in all three was identical.

Su Mingyuan stared at the three curves, his back covered in cold sweat.

What did this mean?

It meant these anomalies were not isolated events. They were connected to one another, or rather, they came from the same source.

"Elder Qin, Group Leader Su." Zhang Wei's voice came through the screen, breaking the silence: "I request nuclear weapon support from the Main World."

His face appeared on the display, the sweat on his forehead dripping down to his chin.

"Although these things are still two thousand kilometers away from the Forward Base, given their size, if they start moving... conventional weapons will be hard-pressed to work. I need Dongfeng missiles as a backup measure."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Once they head toward the base, we must have the ability to stop them."

Elder Qin did not reply immediately.

He stared at the seven standing giants on the screen, gently tapping his fingers on the table.

"Initiate the emergency voting procedure," Elder Qin said, his voice very deep.

The screen split again, and seven windows lit up simultaneously.

All seven members of the steering group were online, their faces filled with gravity.

"Everyone, you have all seen the situation," Elder Qin looked toward the crowd. "Zhang Wei, front-line commander of the Giant World, requests nuclear weapon support from the Main World. Now, I need to hear everyone's opinions."

The elderly man in military uniform spoke first, his voice very heavy: "I agree with the support request."

He paused, his fingers tapping the desktop: "First, transfer the Dongfeng missile fleet over and prepare them to launch at any moment. Although those giants are still two thousand kilometers away from the base, with a size like that, no one knows how fast they can travel."

"I oppose rashly using nuclear weapons," said one of the bespectacled group members. "The Zerg World just used thirty, and now we're going to transfer nukes to the Giant World again. Nuclear weapons are being used much too quickly."

He paused, tapping his fingers twice on the table: "Tianmen Base doesn't have many left in stock. If we continue to send reinforcements, we'll need to transport them from other nuclear bases. By then, large-scale movements of nuclear weapons will arouse the vigilance and criticism of other countries."

"Then what if these giants launch an attack?" the military representative countered. "Two thousand kilometers sounds far, but to a four-hundred-meter-tall giant, it might only take a day to walk it. The Forward Base has hundreds of thousands of construction personnel and over one hundred thousand soldiers. We cannot risk their lives."

"That's why we need support," Zhang Wei said. "Once the Dongfeng missiles are in place, they can be launched at any time."

...

The debate lasted for a few minutes.

Elder Qin listened the entire time without interrupting.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, once, twice, the rhythm very slow but steady.

Finally, he raised his hand.

The conference room quieted down.

"My opinion is as follows," Elder Qin said, his voice not loud but carrying great weight. "First, immediately mobilize the Dongfeng missile fleet of Tianmen Base, pass through the portal within fifteen minutes, and enter the Forward Base in the Giant World."

"Second, do not carry out a nuclear strike for now."

Zhang Wei wanted to say something, but Elder Qin raised his hand to signal him to wait.

"I know what you're worried about, Zhang Wei. But the situation now is very complex." Elder Qin stared at the three overlapping energy curves on the screen. "If we attack rashly, it may trigger an even greater chain reaction. We need to figure out what the source of these anomalies is."

He paused: "But we must also prepare for the worst. Therefore, once the Dongfeng missiles are in place, they will remain on standby at all times. The moment these giants move toward the base, launch immediately."

Zhang Wei fell silent for a few seconds, then finally saluted: "Understood."

"Third," Elder Qin continued. "Mobilize more observation equipment. I want to know every move these giants make. In addition, accelerate the production of mechas and the training of pilots, ready to support the Giant World at any time."

"Fourth, expand the combined arms brigade positions at the Forward Bases of the Zombie World, Giant World, and Zerg World to twice their scale. Artillery, tanks, armored vehicles—transfer everything that can be transferred over."

Order after order, clear and resolute.

Not a single one of the seven steering group members raised an objection.

"Execute immediately," Elder Qin said.