The near self-destruction of the Arasaka white whale aircraft carrier battle group in an extremely short period of time was like a silent spiritual tsunami that swept through the global elite, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all informed corporate giants and political leaders.
Previously, the Guard Corps summoned by Osiris crushed Arasaka's ground forces with an overwhelming advantage. While shocking, the shield technology, energy weapons, and unimaginable individual combat power it displayed were still within the realm of what could be explained by a 'technological gap'.
After the initial shock, the R&D departments of various major corporations could at least try to analyze, understand, and even dream of one day reverse-engineering it.
But this time, the fate of the Arasaka fleet completely overturned their understanding.
There were no overwhelming aerial dogfights, no dazzling energy beam clashes, and not even large-scale energy bursts detected.
All that existed was the sudden, incomprehensible madness that erupted within the Arasaka fleet, and ultimately, the tactical nuclear missile they themselves launched, which annihilated their own main force.
This completely transcended the frameworks of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and even any known military theory.
"Virus attack?" In the command center of Militech Headquarters, a senior technical consultant, facing inquiries from top brass, shook his head, his face pale: "No, General, that doesn't explain it. What kind of virus could simultaneously plunge all systems, from the command network to individual cyberware, and even the launch control system of a nuclear missile, into the same self-destructive frenzy in an instant?
Fifty years ago, Bartmoss caused the 'NetCrash', destroying the Old Net, but he would never have been able to so casually make an entire fleet physically annihilate itself."
This unknown brought with it the most primal fear.
Originally, when President Myers decided to "transfer" the actual administrative power of Night City to Osiris, there were considerable murmurs of dissent within Militech and among the opposition parties in the NUSA Congress, who viewed it as a sign of weakness towards an entity of unknown identity, damaging national dignity.
However, after the news of the Arasaka fleet's annihilation was confirmed by multiple sources, all dissenting voices vanished overnight.
The painful memories of the Unification War were still fresh; it was this very white whale battle group of Arasaka that intervened at a critical moment, forcing the then-victorious NUSA army to halt at the outskirts of Night City, ultimately having to sign a truce agreement and recognize Night City's independent status.
This fleet had been an unremovable thorn in the side of the NUSA and Militech, a symbol of corporate power superseding that of the nation.
Now, this thorn had been casually removed by Osiris in a way they could not comprehend.
In the face of absolute, incomprehensible power, so-called "dignity" and "questioning" seemed utterly ridiculous.
Some Militech shareholders even privately expressed that if this "Archmagos" truly intended to rule the world, they wouldn't mind "changing bosses." After all, the current NUSA was no longer the superpower of yesteryear, merely a second-rate nation barely maintaining influence through the nationalization of Militech; adapting to circumstances was the way to survive.
However, thoughts of awe and submission were always accompanied by deep apprehension.
Unavoidable questions lingered in everyone's minds: Who exactly was Osiris? Where did his terrifying technology originate? Was he truly from Earth? Or was he, perhaps, a representative of some extraterrestrial civilization?
More importantly, with such power, what was his ultimate goal? Was it truly just for Night City?
The same shock and apprehension also reverberated in the heartlands of other global corporate giants.
At Kang Tao CN Headquarters, the executive meeting room was silent.
They had a cooperative relationship with Osiris, gaining tangible technological improvements, and considered their ties close.
But at this moment, this "closeness" sent a chill down their spines.
A supervisor responsible for technical analysis, dressed in a neat white lab coat, pointed at the final images of the fleet on the screen, his voice dry: "The technical support we received previously, I'm afraid... is merely the tip of the iceberg.
What he showed us is what he was willing to let us see. To be able to so thoroughly dominate electronics and machinery, our 'ally' may be far beyond our imagination in its true nature."
Some radical internal proposals regarding "deepening technological penetration" or "gaining more control" were quickly suppressed, replaced by a tone of "maintaining the status quo, absolutely avoiding provocation."
But covertly, the search for the source of Osiris' technology and the analysis of his weaknesses were elevated to a higher level of secrecy.
Upon learning the news, the directors of Petrochem immediately strengthened the physical isolation and cybersecurity levels of all global refinery facilities and oil pipeline control systems.
They controlled the world's energy lifelines, and their systems also heavily relied on automation and network control.
Osiris' methods showed them a possibility—their industrial empire, on which they depended for survival, might be even more fragile than Arasaka's fleet in the face of some unknown attack.
Superficially, they sent carefully worded dispatches to Night City expressing "respect for the status quo," but privately, plans for "de-automation" and "manual redundancy" backups for critical infrastructure were urgently activated.
The unease felt by the elites of Biotechnica at this moment was far more acute and piercing than that of other corporations.
Unlike other giants, they had a somewhat unpleasant past with this mysterious Archmagos due to certain short-sighted actions.
Although the conflict had not escalated to an irreparable point, that old grudge, like a buried thorn, began to ache faintly after Osiris demonstrated the terrifying means to make the Arasaka fleet self-destruct.
This realization brought not only apprehension but also a sense of dread stemming from past actions.
They secretly congratulated themselves that the past conflict had not escalated to an irreversible point, and at the same time, they realized with utmost clarity that they might have walked on the brink of destruction.
They immediately adopted the most low-key wait-and-see stance, and all exploratory actions that could cause misunderstanding were halted.
Concurrently, security measures for their core gene banks and cutting-edge bio-research bases were elevated to an unprecedented level.
This was not merely to guard against unknown risks, but more like a subconscious, defensive posture attempting to atone for past mistakes, fearing that the Archmagos might one day recall old grievances and casually "purify" the very foundations of their existence.
The oligarchs of european Banks, in assessing the situation, acted with more prudence and greater unease than other corporations.
They controlled the lifelines of global capital and deeply understood the fragility of order.
Osiris' existence, and the unknown means he displayed capable of making a fleet self-destruct, represented, in their view, the most fundamental threat to the existing financial system.
Could an entity capable of disregarding physical rules and directly twisting mechanical logic also use similar methods to plunge global banking systems and trading networks into paralysis or chaos in an instant?
This possibility, even if only a slight one, was enough to keep them awake at night.
This profound fear even suppressed their impulse to take extreme measures.
Internally, there were indeed radical factions who proposed pre-emptive solutions—for example, influencing the ESA through affiliated forces to use the mass accelerator deployed on the moon to launch an orbital strike on Night City.
However, this proposal was quickly rejected by more cautious voices.
The core concern was that they had no certainty of being able to completely eliminate Osiris with a single strike.
If the operation failed, even if it only disturbed him, how terrifying would the retaliation be?
A power capable of making a fleet self-destruct, if turned against the global financial network, would have unimaginable consequences.
They dared not gamble on Osiris' retaliation threshold.
Therefore, superficially, european Banks, like other corporations, maintained silence and a wait-and-see attitude.
But covertly, their actions were more thorough.
They not only significantly reduced their asset risk exposure in Night City and its surrounding areas but also accelerated the implementation of an extreme emergency financial plan that was highly isolated, even partially reverting to the era of physical certificates, in the hope of preserving core capital and operational capabilities in the worst possible digital catastrophe.
For them, Osiris was already an ultimate source of risk that had to be constantly vigilant against, yet never dared to easily provoke.
In summary, Osiris, at the cost of the Arasaka fleet's annihilation, proclaimed an undeniable truth to the world—he possessed power that transcended the current understanding of civilization.
This forced all factions, whether harboring ulterior motives or attempting cooperation, to temporarily curb direct hostility and excessive ambitions, outwardly displaying immense awe and submission.
But beneath that seemingly calm surface, undercurrents never ceased to surge.
Apprehension bred vigilance, and awe nurtured schemes.
Each party was re-evaluating the situation and adjusting its strategy.
They were all waiting, waiting for a potential opportunity to arise, or waiting for this "Archmagos" to reveal his next intention.
And before that, silent observation and cautious avoidance became the unspoken consensus among the giants.