64: Fragmentation Integration and Strategic Shift

"seagull one" dragged its scarred hull through the void between Mars and the Moon, finally returning safely to "Hope Fortress." The hatch opened, and Sun Zheng's group stepped onto Martian soil with the unconscious Shadow and that crucial shielded box.

The battle on the Moon had come at a heavy cost. Many defense facilities at the "Guanghan Palace" base were destroyed, and casualties were significant, requiring time for repairs. Shadow, due to overdrawing his strength, suffered a relapse of his injuries and was rushed to the medical center for deep treatment and observation.

But the harvest was also decisive.

The shielded box was sent directly to the highest-level isolation chamber of the Combat Laboratory. When the Engineers carefully opened the box, the pure Order Energy emitted by that irregular blue keystone fragment made the air in the entire laboratory seem to freeze.

The glimmer keystone fragment inside Sun Zheng's body sent out an unprecedented, almost hungry, intense resonance!

"Commander, energy spectrum analysis confirms that this fragment shares the same source as the glimmer keystone fragment you hold and the core keystone of the ancient ship in the Asteroid Belt, but the energy frequency and information density are slightly different, appearing to record different data segments," the Chief Researcher reported with an excited tone.

"Can it be safely fused?" Sun Zheng was most concerned about this question. The power of the keystone was vital, but it had to be controllable.

"Theoretically, yes. There is a strong complementarity and attraction between the two fragments. However, the fusion process may release huge amounts of energy and impact the fuser. It is recommended to perform it in a highly controlled environment and have you personally lead the fusion process because you have the highest affinity with the keystone."

Sun Zheng did not hesitate. Increasing his power was the key to dealing with future crises. "Prepare the fusion procedure. I'll do it myself."

A few days later, the fusion procedure started in a special energy-shielded room. Sun Zheng stood in the center, holding the original glimmer keystone fragment in his hand. The other Lunar fragment was placed in a nearby energy guider.

The moment the two homologous energy fields touched, a blinding blue light erupted! The entire shielded room shook violently! A massive flow of information and energy poured into Sun Zheng's consciousness and body like a flood breaking through a dam!

This impact was far more intense than any before! Sun Zheng felt as if his soul was about to be torn apart as countless shattered images and fragments of ancient knowledge flooded in:

A clearer vision of the "Guardian" civilization: silver ships shuttling through brilliant starports, a prosperous interstellar society... the terrifying nature of the "Reapers" (Scrin): they were not a natural race but creations of some "ultimate chaos" concept, existing to devour order and life... the truth about "tiberium": these green crystals were tools used by the "Reapers" to terraform environments, extract the life essence of planets, and create chaos, serving as the vanguard of their invasion... most crucially, a hidden piece of information about the Solar System: deep within the Oort Cloud on the outskirts of the Solar System, an extremely faint but extremely ancient "order beacon" was hidden... it was one of the last sparks left by the "Guardian" civilization and the key to countering the "Reapers"... The fusion process lasted a full hour. When the light faded, the glimmer keystone fragment in Sun Zheng's hand had disappeared, replaced by a larger, more complete blue crystal with starlight flowing inside more brilliantly. It was about twice the size of the previous one, and its energy fluctuations were even more vast and majestic.

【glimmer keystone fusion complete. Current completion: approximately 35%.】

【homeworld space upgrade: Volume expanded to 500 cubic meters. Spatial stability significantly improved, capable of accommodating higher energy level items.】

【New ability unlocked: Order Sensing (Intermediate)—Can more clearly perceive order/chaos energy sources and produce stronger resonance and guidance capabilities toward homologous creations.】

【Information unlocked: Partial "Guardian" technology tree preview (Advanced Shields, Energy Weapons, Hyper-space Theory, etc.) requires a large amount of research resources to unlock.】

Sun Zheng slowly opened his eyes, a river of stars seemingly flowing in his pupils. He not only felt a great increase in power but, more importantly, had a clearer understanding of the current situation.

The true goal of the Scrin (Reapers) was the Solar System itself! They used tiberium ore to terraform planets, with the ultimate goal of extracting some kind of energy or activating that so-called "ultimate chaos"? The Lunar Ruin and the ancient ship in the Asteroid Belt were outposts left by the ancient "Guardians" to monitor and stop them.

Now the main force of the Scrin has approached Jupiter's orbit, and their next attack is likely to be Earth! Or that ancient beacon hidden in the Oort Cloud!

Passive defense is a dead end. We must take the initiative and seize strategic control!

Sun Zheng immediately summoned all high-level Commanders and scientists for an emergency strategic meeting.

"Everyone, we now clearly understand the enemy's nature and purpose." Sun Zheng's voice was steady and powerful. "Defending Mars and the Moon won't win this war. The Scrin's next target is likely Earth or some key point on the outskirts of the Solar System."

"I have decided to adjust our strategic direction."

"Phase One: Fully accelerate technology conversion. Prioritize the development of new shield and weapon systems based on Order Energy to enhance the offensive and defensive capabilities of the fleet and bases."

"Phase Two: Launch the 'Voyage Plan.' Build new warships capable of long-term deep space flight; the goal is not defense, but active reconnaissance and strikes!"

"Phase Three: Find allies. According to the keystone's information, there may be legacies of the 'Guardians' in the Oort Cloud. We must find them; they may be the key to our fight against the Scrin!"

"Our strategy shifts from 'Planetary Defense' to 'Active Reconnaissance and Strategic Strikes'!"

"We will bring the flames of war to the enemy's territory!"