The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 328 – The Highest Respect for a Civilization Is Total Annihilation!

"Everyone, this is the transformation metal used in the creation of Transformers. It's a miraculous material we've never seen before, possessing a range of unique properties."

In the high council chamber of the Megacorp, Chiji Fox presented a mass of silvery-gray metal to the department heads.

The substance, resembling liquid mercury, floated mid-air under the pull of a small gravitational field, clearly visible to all present.

"Transformation metal has an inherently unstable molecular structure," Chiji Fox explained steadily, "so conventional manufacturing methods cannot be used to mold it into specific items."

He got straight to the point as he continued his briefing:

"But if used in tandem with transformation gears, it can be programmed to edit its special DNA-like structure and take on any form we desire."

As he spoke, Chiji Fox made a series of editing gestures. The metallic mass followed the motion of the gears and swiftly reshaped itself.

In the blink of an eye, a Cantao Division-pattern smart assault rifle materialized before everyone's eyes.

Then, with another command gesture, the weapon morphed again—this time into a chainsaw sword!

All around the council chamber, the Megacorp executives burst into murmurs of excitement and amazement at the sight.

But to the Megacorp, using transformation metal to build Transformers wasn't the true objective.

The real value lay in creating grand-scale transformation megastructures, or mech warriors hundreds, even thousands or tens of thousands of meters tall—or embedding it into a Chrysaloid Beast's hide to create a shape-shifting Chrysaloid!

Such a wondrous material would naturally be prioritized for Megacorp's military units and industrial production zones before even considering civilian use.

"As you've all seen, transformation metal has phenomenal plasticity. We can issue transformation commands as if we were casting spells or performing sorcery."

"However, the material does have some serious limitations."

Chiji Fox brought up a holographic display, revealing a research video.

In it, his research team ran experiments showing that no matter what form the metal transformed into, its physical properties remained unchanged.

"The melting point, hardness, and ductility of transformation metal are fixed. This means it's not an indestructible material."

He then compared its physical attributes to those of common metals like copper, iron, gold, and silver. In many cases, the transformation metal proved no more advanced—sometimes even inferior—to the alloys already used by the Megacorp.

This also meant it couldn't perform tasks that exceeded its physical limitations.

That's precisely why, in the original Transformers movies, some Transformers could be killed by human weapons: the metal simply wasn't as invincible or powerful as it appeared. At best, it was only marginally stronger than conventional steel.

Upon hearing this, the previously excited council members—including Alt himself—fell into a disappointed silence.

After all, every material used in the Megacorp's megastructures was built to the highest durability standards. For instance, the main body of the Quantum Slingshot Megastructure was forged from ultra-durable Durasteel.

But compared to Durasteel, the hardness of transformation metal was woefully insufficient. It simply couldn't support the construction of megastructures or celestial-scale space installations.

Unless, of course, they could acquire "Skeletal Metal" from the Primus or the Unicron only then would it be possible to construct something akin to a Transformers-style "Death Moon."

"So what you're saying is, with the current transformation metal, we can't achieve the material properties we need, and it's impossible to build the megastructures or planetary warships we envisioned."

V, a senior councilor seated at the head of the chamber, furrowed his brows as he voiced the question.

Up until now, he had held high hopes for the material. But it seemed its applications were far more limited than expected.

"Correct."

Chiji Fox responded without hesitation, calmly affirming V's observation despite the subtle note of disappointment in his voice.

He went on:

"Furthermore, we're facing a critical issue."

"That is, both Earth and Cybertron in the Transformers universe possess extremely limited quantities of transformation metal. Even with full-scale mining, total annual output wouldn't exceed ten tons—likely far less."

Cybertron's transformation metal was self-generating—as long as the Prime Originator remained alive, the planet would continue producing it, albeit slowly.

Earth's, however, was entirely different. The metal there originated in the time of the dinosaurs, left behind by the Creator Civilization using a device called the 'Seed.'

These 'Seeds' detonated and converted the planet's base matter into transformation metal—material that Quintessa later used to create the Twelve Knights.

What remains of Earth's transformation metal are leftover scraps—remnants of what Quintessa didn't use up.

Unlike Cybertron, Earth lacks the incubation vats needed to regenerate the metal over time. It simply doesn't replenish on its own.

Currently, the total leftover transformation metal on Earth barely amounts to 80,000 tons. That's nowhere near enough to produce anything significant.

Divide that among every citizen of the Megacorp, and you'd barely have enough to make a pair of chopsticks each.

"Transformation metal is an incredibly unique substance, but for it to truly contribute to the Megacorp's development, we need quantities in the billions of tons."

"That's a staggering figure. Relying on the deposits on Earth and Cybertron will never get us there."

"On top of that, the current metal still doesn't meet our required durability thresholds. A qualitative breakthrough is needed before it can be used in the construction of megastructures."

Chiji Fox sighed inwardly. Both the quantity and quality of the transformation metal fell short of requirements.

Without solving these two issues, Li Ang's dream of building a colossal transformation megastructure would remain a fantasy.

"How about we recycle some Transformers? Melt them down and use the metal to build a few prototype warships."

One senior councilor suddenly offered up this half-baked suggestion.

Chiji Fox and several other members exchanged speechless glances and rolled their eyes. If the Autobots or Decepticons heard this, it would trigger an instant revolt.

Besides, even if they scrapped every Transformer currently aligned with the Megacorp, it wouldn't matter—there were only a few tens of thousands of them at most. That wasn't even enough to build a single patrol cruiser, let alone a planetary-scale megastructure.

As the chamber sank into frustration over how to increase both the quality and quantity of transformation metal, Li Ang quietly waited for the discussion to subside before speaking up.

"Our top priority right now should be the Creator Civilization's Seed technology. If we can reverse-engineer and improve it, there's a chance we can mass-produce an upgraded form of transformation metal."

His proposal directly addressed both the supply and performance limitations—and also served as a clear signal to all departments: the campaign against the Creator Civilization was critical.

"Well said."

Chiji Fox picked up the thread of the conversation smoothly. "We'll be establishing contact with Quintessa, the leader of the Creator Civilization, very soon."

"First encounters between civilizations often begin with warfare. Whether we gain the upper hand in future negotiations will depend on the performance of the Frontier Division's troops."

"I hope V and Director Jack can bring us good news from the frontlines."

This was the only viable path forward. But obtaining the Seed technology from Quintessa would depend entirely on how well the Frontier Division performed.

"No problem. I don't care who Quintessa is—headquarters just needs to give the order, and I'll execute it to the letter!"

Jack Wells growled confidently. It wasn't arrogance; after countless galactic battles, Jack's courage had been tempered to the point where he feared no opponent.

Even if it meant dying in battle for the Megacorp, he had no regrets.

"Do we have any intel on the Creator Civilization's fleet or Quintessa's forces?"

Unlike the bold and reckless Jack, V focused on intelligence. Planning optimal battle strategies required data.

Striking where the enemy was weakest was V's specialty. And the more he knew ahead of time, the fewer casualties his forces would suffer.

Unfortunately, Intelligence Director Alex shook his head. At present, they had no concrete information on the Creator Civilization's forces.

They could only speculate based on accounts from Megatronus, Optimus Prime, and Megatron—suggesting that Quintessa's armies likely included star-spanning mercenaries.

"We've rated the Creator Civilization's combat strength at Class S. Just in case, I've arranged for the Logistics Division to equip you with a neutron annihilation shipborne weapons system."

Alex answered V's query.

Neutron Annihilators were strategic-grade weapons—deploying one required signed authorizations from at least three Megacorp departments or a direct order from Li Ang himself.

Normally, the Frontier Division wasn't permitted to use such devastating force.

V simply nodded. After all, Neutron Annihilators represented the absolute top-tier of Megacorp's strategic arsenal.

If even this level of firepower proves ineffective, then it would only mean that the technological gap between the Megacorp and the Creator Civilization is far too vast.

In that case, the Megacorp would be left with only one option—drag the Creator Civilization's forces down to the surface and fight a terrestrial war.

"If we manage to acquire the Seed technology, what kind of output could we expect for transformation metal?"

This question came from Zuma—one that cut straight to the heart of the issue.

If the Megacorp was about to pour astronomical resources into a war against the Creator Civilization, they had to first assess whether the spoils of war were worth the cost.

If the returns couldn't even begin to match the expenses, it would be better not to fight at all.

Fortunately, Chiji Fox had long since gathered this intel and responded without hesitation:

"According to Megatronus's reports, one ton of regular mineral matter can be converted into roughly 0.8 tons of transformation metal through a single Seed detonation."

"Even if we can't improve the Seed technology, just that high of a conversion rate makes this war worth fighting!"

His tone was firm and resolute.

In any matter-conversion process, some loss is inevitable. But to turn ordinary minerals into rare transformation metal while only losing 20% of the mass?

That's a staggering return on investment.

Especially since the Megacorp's biggest surplus at the moment is minerals—just the black hole mining zones alone had ten deployed matter decompressors.

Not to mention countless extraction operations in multiple universes. Mineral stockpiles were the last thing the Megacorp needed to worry about.

Even if the Seed technology couldn't be improved to produce harder transformation metal, the current quality was already enough for many Megacorp engineering projects.

Take the planned overhaul of Kaitain City in Universe 005 (Dune), for instance. The planet's crust was composed primarily of iron—physically quite similar to transformation metal.

If the crust was replaced with transformation metal, the timeline for building the second Ideal City would be cut down by a factor of hundreds, with massive savings in both time and labor.

Granted, the material wasn't suitable for celestial-level megastructures or military battleships—but for factories, large-scale architectural complexes, and public structures, it was more than sufficient.

Suddenly, every executive in the chamber began nodding in agreement. This was a war that had to be fought—and it had to be fought until Quintessa surrendered the Seed technology.

As the internal high-level meeting of the Megacorp drew to a close, far across the galaxy, a new force of Transformers was sharpening their blades in preparation.

---

Deep Space – Bounty Hunter Shipyard

Inside a shapeshifting battleship, a Transformer let out a hearty laugh.

"Haha! My beloved Mother of Life has sent me another juicy contract—looks like we're going to war with those Creator bastards again!"

The speaker was Lockdown, a notorious lone-wolf bounty hunter in galactic pirate circles. He ran his own small operation—complete with a shipyard, warships, and an armory.

Though his assets were nowhere near the scale of a colossal civilization like the Creators, Lockdown had always done well for himself, thanks to his stellar professional capabilities and a steady stream of jobs from high-profile clients like Quintessa.

[Objective: Locate the Ancient Staff on Earth in the Solar System!]

As he examined the mission dossier on his central holoscreen, Lockdown narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. The Solar System… that was where a lot of Transformers were holed up.

Especially the Decepticons.

Before turning solo, Lockdown had once fought alongside the Decepticons. But after years of being denied access to high-level resources and power, he abandoned them.

Since going independent, he had amassed a sizable fortune—and even acquired his own industrial assets.

Shipyards. Warships. Resource zones. Even slaves.

Today, Lockdown was one of the most feared bounty hunters across the galaxy, working for all sorts of factions. Thanks to his quality work and efficiency, he consistently earned five-star reviews.

"Earth, huh…"

He kept reading the mission brief from Quintessa, and as his eyes moved down the screen, his expression turned increasingly agitated.

Shock. Disbelief.

"The Autobots and Decepticons in the Solar System have submitted to the humans? That's impossible!"

According to Quintessa's intel network, she was now fully aware of the Autobot and Decepticon defection—and of Optimus Prime serving as humanity's guide.

That information had been included in Lockdown's contract briefing.

But he couldn't wrap his head around it. To him, Earth's humans were nothing more than fragile little "monkeys."

Flesh and blood couldn't possibly compare to the steel and circuitry of Cybertron's warriors!

"Megatron and Starscream aren't the type to bow their heads so easily. How the hell did humans make them submit…?"

He was baffled. Human technology was so primitive they couldn't even survive on the Moon for more than a few days—how could such weaklings tame the Decepticons?

"Tch. Must be some Creator trickery again—manipulating the humans behind the scenes."

He muttered darkly. The fact that this contract came from Quintessa meant the higher-ups of the Creator Civilization were likely behind whatever plot this was.

So now they were coming to him for cleanup duty.

"Fine. I've been itching for a real fight anyway."

He didn't even finish reading the contract or look at the promised compensation.

After so many missions with Quintessa, he knew she always paid extremely well.

This one would be no exception.

"Turn the ship around—set course for the Solar System!"

His optics flashed a fierce red glow. Grinning, he launched the ship from the dockyard, fired up its dark matter engine, and jumped into FTL.

In the vast darkness of space, the battleship accelerated rapidly—until it vanished in a burst of faster-than-light propulsion.

---

Universe 006 – Transformers Universe – Solar System – Earth

[Official Megacorp Directive: All Transformers currently stationed on Earth must relocate to the Main Universe—Ideal City—within seven Earth days.]

[Failure to comply will result in immediate classification as enemies of the Megacorp, and will be met with total annihilation.]

[Transformers stationed at the Moon and Mars bases must also proceed to designated evacuation points as shown on the map and transfer into Universe 001.]

[Repeat: All Transformers must evacuate immediately…!]

Following the finalization of war plans against the Creator Civilization, the Megacorp began broadcasting evacuation orders across Earth, the Moon, and Mars.

Their goal was to clear the battlefield, so that humanity—acting as an independent civilization—could face the Creators in an all-out interstellar war.

They weren't bringing the Transformers into this for one simple reason: Quintessa might use their core DNA programming to seize control from within.

If that happened, the Megacorp would be caught between enemy fleets and their own internal forces.

To prevent this catastrophe, Li Ang ordered the complete withdrawal of all Transformers from the Solar System, leaving behind only Megatronus and human forces.

After days of nonstop global broadcasts, the evacuation proceeded smoothly. Most Transformers were already transferred into the Main Universe or Universe 001.

When humans there saw the majestic Transformers up close, there was no fear—only admiration. People crowded around them, snapping photos with awe-struck excitement.

To keep these celebrity warriors busy and out of trouble, the Megacorp's PR department organized a massive media campaign—enlisting all the Autobots and Decepticons to film a 10-part movie series titled Transformers.

Filming would be completed before the war ended, and a full line of IP merchandise was already in development.

Meanwhile, the Frontier Division of the Megacorp deployed a half-light-year-wide antimatter cloud at the edge of the Solar System.

These "cosmic mines" would serve multiple purposes:

– Deal a heavy blow to incoming Creator fleets

– Stall their advance

– Buy the Megacorp enough time to finish their full-scale war preparations

After all, a pre-war mobilization on this scale required enormous effort and time. Fleet transport, interuniversal reinforcements, megastructure positioning—none of it was fast.

With no idea when the Creator Civilization would arrive, the antimatter field was their best chance at slowing things down.

Now, the entire Solar System was a frenzy of activity. Warships and freighters zipped back and forth in constant motion.

AI drones and robots bearing the Megacorp insignia filled space, constructing defensive lines across the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Mercury.

Orbital defense cannons and surveillance outposts sprang up across planetary surfaces.

Even the Covenant forces from Universe 004 (Halo) had arrived, lending their might to the upcoming conflict.

The Megacorp had gone all-in on this campaign—borderline militaristic overkill.

In addition to the main assault force stationed in the Transformers universe, Li Ang had deployed a Second Legion behind the Stargate, with the Third Legion—his ace-in-the-hole—standing ready.

From the Inheritance flagship to the Death Moon Megastructure, every asset was committed.

Because to Li Ang, the highest respect one can pay a civilization… is to wipe it out completely.

Until he had full clarity on the Creator Civilization and Quintessa's true capabilities, Li Ang had no intention of showing mercy.

If it took a single combo to overwhelm the enemy—then that combo would be deployed with absolute finality.

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