105: Global panic? Su Mu: Don't panic, that's just special effects!

In the real world, at this moment, it was as if someone had pressed the pause button, only to immediately plunge everything into a boiling cauldron of oil.

"Emergency broadcast! Emergency broadcast! According to a joint announcement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the Russian State Space Corporation, an unidentified ultra-high-speed object was detected in near-Earth orbit thirty-seven minutes ago! The object briefly became visible, appearing as an irregular diamond shape, before... vanishing into thin air after a violent energy outburst!"

"CNN Breaking News! The Pentagon has raised the global defense readiness condition to DEFCON 2! This is the highest level since the end of the Cold War!"

"Tokyo, London, Paris... major global financial markets have experienced a cliff-like plunge! The panic index has skyrocketed to a historical extreme!"

Social media was already inundated with countless blurry photos and videos captured by amateur astronomers through their telescopes.

That massive diamond-shaped entity, like a facet of obsidian, hovering above Earth's curvature—that "living tech tree" in the eyes of players—was, in the eyes of the real world's astronomy enthusiasts and various national space agencies, an absolute, unadulterated nightmare from the abyss.

It appeared without a sound and, after an energy reaction comparable to a small nuclear explosion, vanished completely without a trace, along with the "Gundam" it had captured.

Panic spread across the globe like a plague.

Ordinary people thought it was the prelude to World War III or the harbinger of an alien invasion. Those who truly stood at the pinnacle of power were plunged into a deeper, more profound fear and bewilderment.

China, Beijing, Xishan, the Dragon Group's underground command center.

The atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife.

"The energy reaction analysis is complete," a white-haired Senior Academician said hoarsely, pointing at the glaring energy peak curve on the large screen. "Its peak... is roughly equivalent to a 100-kiloton near-Earth nuclear detonation. But bizarrely, there is no residual nuclear radiation. The energy completely annihilated within 0.1 seconds of the outburst."

"Its acceleration curve... violates every known law of physics we have. It's as if... space itself is pliable before it."

"Most critically, according to our latest intelligence, both the US and Russia have already distributed launch keys for their strategic nuclear submarines to their respective captains. If we cannot provide a reasonable explanation within thirty minutes to convince them that it wasn't our secret weapon, then..."

The consequences went without saying.

Everyone's gaze focused on the imposing, authoritative old man seated at the head of the conference table.

The highest-ranking official of the Dragon Group, the Dragon Head.

The Dragon Head didn't speak. He simply stared intently at another document on the screen marked as Top Secret—【Preliminary Investigation into the Potential Interaction Between the Game 'Void Realm' and the Real Physical World】.

The timing of the two events was a perfect match.

He took a deep breath, picked up the red secure phone on the table, and issued an order in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Connect Mr. Su immediately. At all costs."

...In the underground control room of his private villa, Su Mu was leisurely crossing his legs, sipping a freshly brewed cup of Longjing tea.

Dozens of virtual screens in front of him displayed a cascading live feed of breaking news from major global television networks, alongside the panic-filled and speculative discussions flooding the internet.

"Tsk, it's just taking out a scout. Do they really have to act like it's the end of the world?" Su Mu curled his lip. Far from showing any tension, his face was filled with the playful amusement of someone enjoying the spectacle.

That observer was indeed a creation of a higher-dimensional civilization. Its cloaking technology wasn't just optical; it operated on a dimensional level. Under normal circumstances, no equipment on Earth could possibly detect it.

The problem was, while capturing Li Qiang's Gundam, it had to actively "lower" a part of itself into the three-dimensional Universe to stabilize the tractor beam. This very action briefly exposed its presence to Earth's observation equipment.

And afterward, the energy fluctuations from the players' battle with it—that "magic shield break" and "Gundam dogpile"—were like igniting a flare in the silent night, completely exposing it to the world's surveillance.

"Ring ring—!"

The specially made satellite phone on the table let out a piercing shriek. This was the highest-level emergency contact number he had left for the Dragon Group.

Su Mu leisurely picked up the phone.

"Mr. Su!" came the voice of the Dragon Head from the other end, thick with suppressed anxiety and gravity. "We need an explanation! Immediately! Right now! The whole world thinks aliens have arrived! If this continues, nuclear war is about to break out!"

"Aliens?" Su Mu feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow. "Dragon Head, have you been watching too many sci-fi movies? What aliens?"

"Then what was that thing above our heads?!"

"Oh, that." Su Mu's tone was as light as if discussing the weather, a sudden realization dawning. "That was just a little event my company put on to hype up the new version. Didn't expect the commotion to be a bit too loud and disturb everyone. My sincere apologies."

"...An event?" The Dragon Head on the other end of the line experienced a full five-second brain freeze.

He had considered countless possibilities. Aliens, interdimensional visitors, prehistoric civilization relics... But he never, in his wildest dreams, expected this answer.

A UFO incident capable of plunging the globe into a nuclear crisis, and you're telling me it's just your company's... promotional campaign?

"Mr. Su, this joke is not funny in the slightest!" The Dragon Head's voice carried a cold undercurrent of anger.

"Who's joking with you?" Su Mu's tone remained unflappable. He snapped his fingers, and the central core began operating at high speed. "Please wait a moment. I'll give the global populace an official explanation right now. After all, triggering a world war over our promotional event would be terrible for the company's reputation."

With that, he hung up the phone without waiting for the Dragon Head's reply.

Listening to the dial tone, the Dragon Head's hand gripping the receiver bulged with veins. Never in his life had he felt so... powerless... Three minutes later.

Just as the leaders of the world's major powers were fiercely arguing and accusing each other of strategic blackmail in top-secret communication channels,

something happened that overturned everyone's understanding.

The homepage of every major global media outlet's official website, the top ad slots on all popular social platforms, even the giant electronic screens in New York's Times Square, Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing, and London's Piccadilly Circus... were all forcibly hijacked at the same moment, displaying the same image.

It was a futuristic, tech-inspired logo—the "Void Realm" emblem, resembling an eye composed of countless rings of light.

Immediately after, a prominent line of text, in twenty-seven different languages, simultaneously appeared in the center of the screens.

【'Void Realm' V4.0 Expansion 'Sea of Stars' Preview CG, Global Premiere!】

The screen lit up.

The chilling, eerily cold black diamond-shaped ship that had terrified the world appeared prominently in the center of the frame. But this time, it was surrounded by many game-style UI interfaces and data boxes.

【World Event Triggered: The Gaze of the Stars】

【BOSS: observer (LV.??? High-Dimensional Scout Ship)】

The CG's cinematography was extremely professional, brimming with epic, cinematic quality.

In the footage, "players" clad in various fantasy and sci-fi equipment went from initial shock to fearless charges against this colossal entity.

Magic and artillery fire intertwined; dragons soared alongside Gundams.

That terrifying, unknown energy outburst captured by various nations' satellites was now rendered in the CG as dazzling skill special effects. Li Qiang's roguish roar, "Dare to steal my ride?!", was even used as a passionate battle cry, set to an passionateBGM.

At the end of the CG, when the observer was literally 'dismantled' from the sky under the siege of countless players, and its core 'alien' was comically sealed by Li Qiang using a glass bottle, the entire video abruptly stopped.

The screen turned black.

An official statement slowly appeared.

[An Open Letter to Global 'Void Realm' Enthusiasts and Astronomical Institutions of All Nations:]

[Regarding the 'Unidentified Flying Object Incident' that has sparked heated discussion worldwide in recent days, the Void Realm operations team hereby issues an official clarification: This incident was a technical preview conducted by our company for the upcoming V4.0 'Sea of Stars' expansion, to test our newly developed 'Global Synchronized Augmented Reality Projection System'.]

[The 'alien spacecraft' and related combat footage appearing in the video are all special effects. The principle involves projecting high-density information particles into Earth's atmosphere via a high-orbit satellite matrix, which combine with light to form ultra-high-fidelity projections.]

[We deeply apologize for the global panic caused by this technical test due to our failure to provide prior notice. Please believe that Void Realm Corporation is always committed to providing humanity with the ultimate entertainment experience. We love peace and firmly oppose all forms of violence.]

[Finally, the V4.0 'Sea of Stars' version is about to launch, opening up new gameplay such as 'Starship Piloting', 'Mecha Customization', and 'Universe Exploration'. Are you ready to embrace the Sea of Stars? Click the link below to pre-register now!]

At the end of the statement was a massive, shimmering golden 'Pre-register Now' button... This 'debunking letter' and that mind-blowing 'CG' detonated like a megaton spiritual nuclear bomb in the minds of the global populace.

After a brief dead silence.

"Pfft... HAHAHAHAHA! Scared me to death! I thought aliens were really attacking! Turns out it was just a damn ad by Void Realm's planners?!"

"An ad? You call this an ad?! The special effects are more realistic than a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster with a 500 million budget! Look at the texture of that ship! The lighting of the explosions! My god, what exactly does Void Realm Corporation do? Are they a game company or an arms dealer?"

"'Global Synchronized Augmented Reality Projection System'? What kind of black tech is this? Does it mean they can really project a UFO in the sky that looks exactly real? If this tech were used for warfare..."

"What warfare! The focus is the new version! Sea of Stars! We can pilot starships! And Gundams! I don't care anymore! I'm pre-registering! I'd spend my last penny to play this!"

"Stop talking, I've already started practicing sewing. When I get into the game, I'm going to sew the coolest seat cover for my Gundam the first chance I get!"

Panic dissipated completely within mere minutes.

It was replaced by an extreme, near-worshipful frenzy for the game 'Void Realm' and the mysterious entity that is 'Void Realm Corporation'!

Countless people clicked that pre-registration button.

The official website of 'Void Realm' even experienced brief lag due to the massive, instantaneous surge in traffic.

A global crisis potent enough to trigger World War III was thus casually transformed by Su Mu into an unprecedented, extraordinarily effective... game promotion campaign... Meanwhile, in the highest command rooms of major nations worldwide.

The atmosphere was even more tense and icy than before.

"Holographic projection... Do you believe it?" asked the American General, his voice dry as he watched the scenes of public revelry on the screen.

Beside him, a white-haired Chief Scientist stared intently at every detail of the diamond-shaped ship on the screen, his eyes bloodshot behind his glasses. He shook his head, then nodded, finally uttering words that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Technically speaking, with our current technology, it's impossible. But... our intelligence indicates that from its inception, Void Realm Corporation has been consistently creating 'impossibilities'."

"We analyzed that CG. Every shot, every angle, perfectly matches the footage captured by our satellites... There's only one explanation: they did indeed record the entire event. But the question is, if it was a projection, how did they manage to make our high-sensitivity detectors register genuine, tangible energy reactions and spatial distortions?"

"There is only one conclusion," said a Chinese Strategic Analyst in another conference room, enunciating each word carefully. "Either Void Realm Corporation truly possesses 'material projection' technology beyond our comprehension, meaning their technological level is at least a century ahead of ours. Or..."

The analyst paused before delivering the most terrifying inference.

"...or, that spacecraft, that battle, were all real. And Void Realm Corporation has the capability to package a real, world-destroying interstellar war as a game and make the entire world believe it."

"Whichever possibility it is..."

"This company is ten thousand times more terrifying than we imagined."

Panic had not vanished.

It had merely shifted from the public into the hearts of the world's top leaders, taking root and sprouting in a far heavier, more despairing manner.

They were forced to accept this 'official explanation' and ordered the media to follow up with reports to pacify the populace. Because they had no other choice.

Not acknowledging it as a game CG would mean telling the people, 'Aliens really are coming, but we know nothing about them, and we don't even know if they'll launch a full-scale attack the next second.'

That would only cause the world to instantly collapse.

At this moment, all major powers deeply experienced a long-lost sense of powerlessness. Before the behemoth that is 'Void Realm Corporation,' their proud armies, wealth, and technology seemed like a joke... In the central chamber, Su Mu watched contentedly as the energy bar in the backend surged once more due to the soaring anticipation of global players, a satisfied curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

Crisis? Non-existent.

For a 'game planner' holding the ultimate power of interpretation, any crisis is merely the best material to hype up the game.

He closed the clamorous news feeds and pulled up another top-secret file.

It was the small portion of uncontaminated data that Wang Wei and his team had desperately salvaged from the observer's core database.

After 'Spark's' brute-force decryption and translation, a fragmented star map was presented before Su Mu.

On the star map, a red dot marked Earth's coordinates—'Gaia-3 Planet (Low-Level Carbon-Based Civilization Testing Ground).'

And a clear route extended from the other end of the star map, from a region labeled 'Hive,' pointing straight towards Earth.

The endpoint of the route was a massive fleet composed of thousands of densely packed light points.

[Detected 'Reaper' main fleet trajectory...]

[Calculating arrival time based on its curvature speed...]

A cold countdown slowly appeared below the star map.

[Estimated Arrival Time: 299 days, 15 hours, 27 minutes, 04 seconds]

The smile on Su Mu's face slowly faded.

Outside the window, the world was peaceful. Online, players were still reveling over the upcoming 'Sea of Stars' version, dreaming of the romance of piloting starships and exploring the Universe.

No one knew that the real 'Sea of Stars' was hurtling towards them with cold, murderous intent.

Su Mu leaned back in his chair, quietly watching the countdown, his eyes as deep as the night sky.

"Two hundred and ninety-nine days, huh..."

He murmured softly.

"Time seems a bit tight."