Chapter 16: Undercurrents Before the War: False Unity

January 1, 2050.

The countdown to the reawakening of the Lunar "Primal Chaos" stood at less than 24 hours.

Inside the global command center on the top floor of the UN Headquarters in New York, the atmosphere was eerily tense. This was where the "Earth Alliance's" elite commanders from various nations had gathered. Giant holographic projections of Earth and a lunar model shimmered in the center, displaying the battlezone deployments for the imminent conflict.

Theoretically, all forces were under the unified command of the "Earth Alliance Supreme Command" – a joint system led by China's "Pan Gu Core." But reality was far more complex than theory.

"According to 'Pan Gu Core's' latest simulations, the 'Primal Chaos' is expected to exhibit a 20% to 30% increase in energy fluctuation and dimensional interference capabilities during this awakening. They may develop more aggressive attack patterns, such as direct psychic assaults and molecular restructuring."

Professor Lin, from China's "Pan Gu Core" team, spoke with a weary face, relaying the latest intelligence to the various allied factions. His voice was heavy, carrying an ominous premonition.

Yet, in the conference room, his words were met with something more akin to arrogant disdain than solemn consideration, save for the grave gazes of a few Chinese generals and a handful of clear-headed allies.

The American representative, a tall, sharp-eyed former Marine Corps general named Benjamin Stone, subtly curved his lips into an almost imperceptible sneer. He cast a contemptuous glance at the holographic model of the "Mortal Mechs," a design first developed by China and progressively adopted by the allied forces.

"Professor Lin, we respect 'Pan Gu Core's' algorithms, but our 'Statue of Liberty' AI and 'Thunder God' Mechs, after five years of iterative upgrades, boast firepower and defensive capabilities far exceeding your initial expectations,"

General Stone stated with a self-important tone.

"We believe that with absolute technological superiority and saturated force projection, we can swiftly suppress the 'Primal Chaos.' There's no need to be so... conservative."

"Conservative? General Stone, this isn't conservatism; it's reverence for the unknown and responsibility for lives," retorted a sharp-eyed female colonel, General Li Mingguo's aide from the Chinese side.

"The 'Primal Chaos' isn't purely material. Each time it awakens, it adapts to our attack patterns. Our last victory was achieved through precise energy containment and sacrifice, not mere overwhelming firepower."

"Sacrifice?" General Stone scoffed. "On the battlefield, sacrifice is unavoidable. But if we can end the battle in a more efficient, more aggressive manner, why not? Our 'Thunder God' Mechs are equipped with the latest 'Plasma Converging Cannons,' capable of vaporizing anything in an instant! Our 'Statue of Liberty' AI can simulate battlefields in real-time and mitigate risks!"

No sooner had General Stone finished speaking than several representatives from Asia eagerly chimed in.

"Precisely!" exclaimed the Japanese representative, a major general with a samurai-like resolute expression, pounding the table. His voice was fervent. "Our Yamato Mech Forces are also ready! We believe that before absolute will and advanced nanotechnology, any enemy can be conquered! Our Japanese 'Bushido Spirit' will burn brightly in this campaign, proving the resilience of human civilization to the entire universe!"

Following suit, the South Korean representative quickly added, with a trace of undeniable pride in his tone: "'Pan Gu Core's' caution is understood, but South Korea's 'Photon Guard' and 'Ghost Assault' units are by no means insignificant! We recommend implementing high-density, beyond-visual-range saturation strikes in key areas to quickly weaken the enemy's outer defenses. If combined with our 'Nation of Soldiers' strategy, we believe the enemy will have nowhere to hide!"

This stance was quickly followed by concrete action. Towards the end of the meeting, driven by their long-standing pro-Western, pro-American alignment, and an almost blind trust in US technological prowess, both the Japanese and South Korean representatives successively announced a startling decision: given the US's "leading advantage" in mech technology and AI command systems, and to "maximize the effectiveness of allied synergistic operations," all command authority for their mech forces would be fully transferred to the American side for unified deployment. This move was undoubtedly a pledge of loyalty and trust to the United States, while also cleverly circumventing the direct directives of the 'Pan Gu Core,' further exacerbating the fragmentation within the command structure.

This was the biggest undercurrent within the allied forces – a massive divergence in technological routes and tactical philosophies.

The Chinese advocated "overcoming hardness with softness, winning with wisdom, first containment then suppression," understanding that the divine beings, the "Primal Chaos," could not be truly killed. Conversely, Western nations, led by the US and including Japan and South Korea, firmly believed in "firepower supremacy, overwhelming force." They thought that as long as their weapons were powerful enough, they could solve any problem. Their understanding of "Primal Chaos" was still at the level of "powerful alien beings," rather than "higher-dimensional entities."

"We have our own 'private agendas'," the French representative whispered to his German counterpart. "We can't hand over all our trump cards to 'Pan Gu Core.' What if, after the war, China uses this to gain control of all core military data?"

This deeply rooted mutual distrust, like a cancerous growth, corroded the superficially "unified" allied forces.

During deployment, each nation, more or less, held something back:

The European Allied Forces, particularly France and Germany, deployed far fewer elite mechs than expected in critical positions, keeping more forces in reserve at the rear as "standby units," to prevent a "power vacuum" or "geopolitical crisis" in their respective countries after the war. They preferred to let major powers like China and the US charge ahead as "pathfinders."

India and some emerging military powers, eager to showcase their strength in this globally watched "joint operation" and gain international status, ignored "Pan Gu Core's" optimization suggestions and forcibly deployed their "star units" to "unreasonably forward positions," attempting to claim glory.

And the United States was the most arrogant and self-assured.

Not only did they dispatch the largest and most technologically advanced "Thunder God" Mech squadron, but they also deliberately integrated the primary computing core of their "Statue of Liberty" AI directly into the lunar command center, aiming to "prove their AI and tactics were the world's best in live combat." General Stone even privately devised a "rapid assault plan," intending to bypass "Pan Gu Core's" collaborative directives and launch a preemptive "decapitation strike" on the divine beings' core area.

He believed that as long as they could defeat the divine beings first, then after the war, the dominance of human civilization would remain firmly in Western hands.

General Li Mingguo, in the Earth command center, listened through encrypted lines as Professor Lin reported the undercurrents and petty schemes within the allied forces. He clenched his fists, his knuckles white. He knew this was not an army truly united and prepared to fight for humanity's survival. They were merely a motley crew, temporarily assembled by fear.

"'Pan Gu Core,' send all warnings and optimization plans to all allied command units again. Emphasize that this will be an asymmetrical war; physical strikes are not the only means,"

General Li Mingguo's voice was low, tinged with resignation, yet incredibly resolute.

"Concurrently, adjust the final tactical parameters of all our 'Mortal Shields' to the 'Highest Saturation Sacrifice Protocol.'"

He already sensed that this would be a baptism of blood and fire. And humanity would likely have to pay a price several times heavier than five years ago to truly awaken from its swamp of arrogance.

The cold winds of the moon were about to toll the funeral bell for mortal civilization, and also serve as the prelude to its awakening.