Chapter 252: Imperial Expedition! An Offer You Can't Refuse! The Covenant! Loyalty!
"So these are the warriors of the Forerunners... such overwhelming power!"
The elite guards spectating the duel couldn't help but exclaim in awe. None of them had expected David to display such terrifying combat prowess.
Although their commander, Moramee, wasn't on the same level as a rising elite like Vadamee, he was by no means weak.
At the very least, among all Covenant warriors, there were probably fewer than three who could take down Moramee in a single blow during a one-on-one battle!
David's ability to defeat their commander so effortlessly made it clear—this was an opponent whose strength was beyond anything they could hope to challenge.
"Tch."
David let out a faint click of his tongue and stepped up to the unconscious Moramee. After confirming his condition, he turned his gaze to the rest of the elite guards standing before him.
Raising his energy spear with a challenging stance, he looked ready to spar again, eager to test himself further against these elite warriors.
However, these guards weren't fools like Moramee. After witnessing David's power firsthand, none of them were dumb enough to charge in blindly.
As members of the elite clans, they valued honor—but not to the extent of ignoring the value of their own lives.
Especially since this was a warrior of the Forerunners—a divine being! Admitting defeat under such circumstances was only natural.
Immediately, the elite guards dropped into a half-kneeling position, just like the Unggoy outside the fleet, displaying their submission to David.
Vadamee, meanwhile, silently lifted the unconscious Moramee, looking as though he had expected this outcome all along.
"Lead the way."
Now that he had subdued both the guards and the Covenant commander, David addressed Vadamee once again.
Though Vadamee couldn't understand his language, he was sharp enough to grasp David's meaning from his tone and gestures.
Under Vadamee's guidance, David and his team continued their steady march toward the command center, carefully recording the layout of every corridor along the way.
…
While David was bringing the Covenant fleet's headquarters under control, a massive interstellar fleet emerged near Shield World 0459!
This fleet was led by an Infinity-class supercarrier, accompanied by 16 RCS-armored cruisers and 20 Courage-class ultra-heavy cruisers.
The fleet exited slipspace and held position steadily in the star system where the Shield World resided.
It was clearly the second wave of reinforcements dispatched by LA Megacorp.
And at the helm was none other than the corporation's executive, Li Ang , who had arrived in person to inspect the operations of David, Morgan, and the others.
As for the day-to-day affairs at Ideal City's headquarters, those had been temporarily handed over to the Transcendent AI Europa and Secretary-General Lucy.
At the moment, under Morgan Blackhand's command, the Long Night of Solace had already formed a defensive perimeter around the Shield World.
This was to prevent any unauthorized ships from approaching.
Before long, the Infinity-class carrier linked up with the Long Night of Solace.
Inside the carrier's central command hub, Li Ang stood at the control console, reviewing live data transmitted from the ground forces—monitoring the sealed Flood containment zones on the surface and the majestic Forerunner structures of the Shield World.
This was Li Ang first personal entry into Universe-004, the Halo universe. When the Rich Planet was secured, he had remained far in the rear, directing operations without ever setting foot on the ground.
At the time, he knew there was no need to risk himself.
But now, the situation had changed! Catherine Halsey had discovered a trove of Forerunner relics on the Shield World—countless priceless artifacts had been catalogued.
Among them were a wanderer-class dreadnought, a World Seed, and even a terminal interface for the Forerunner's Librarian AI network!
If Li Ang could obtain knowledge of neurophysics from the Librarian, the ultimate mysteries of the Halo universe would unravel before his eyes.
As the supreme leader of LA Megacorp, there was no way Li Ang could entrust the acquisition of such assets to anyone else.
He had to ensure these resources didn't fall into the hands of someone with hidden ambitions who might use Forerunner technology to secretly build their own star-spanning faction.
His presence alone would be enough to keep any schemers in check.
Another reason Li Ang had chosen to personally lead this expedition was to evaluate the administrative capabilities of managers from LA Megacorp Ruled Cities and other conquered universes.
After all, he couldn't oversee the main universe and its many sub-realms every moment of the day.
He needed a team of capable executives who could handle things in his stead.
Thus, his departure also served as a test for Lucy and the rest of the leadership team.
"Boss, our fleet has successfully docked!"
Just then, the captain of the Infinity-class vessel reported through the intercom.
"Good."
Li Ang nodded and activated the holographic communications panel. The face of Morgan Blackhand, captain of the Long Night of Solace, appeared on screen to deliver his report:
"Boss, David's team has successfully subdued the Covenant research fleet. All Covenant personnel have been detained."
"But for safety, I recommend dispatching additional troops for security, in case the Covenant soldiers try anything."
"Also, the Forerunner AI, 031 Exuberant Witness, is about to open the entry passage. Once it does, we'll be pulled inside the Shield World's gravity field, avoiding direct contact with the Flood."
After hearing the report, Li Ang gave a slight nod. He then asked if anything else of note had occurred.
"There are no anomalies inside the Shield World for now. With David and Reed stationed there, nothing escapes their notice."
With that, Li Ang exchanged a few final instructions with Morgan before ending the call.
He then ordered the Infinity-class captain to move the fleet closer, positioning them directly within the Shield World's gravitational field.
"Yes, boss!"
After finishing the series of commands, Li Ang left the command deck and strolled alone through the ship's main corridor.
Though David, Reed, and even Halsey had been providing non-stop updates throughout their mission, Li Ang still couldn't shake a sense of unease.
The Forerunner AI—031 Exuberant Witness—continued to puzzle him! Logically, an AI that had existed for tens of thousands of years should've long since gone rampant, but this one remained perfectly sane.
After much deliberation, Li Ang concluded that the Forerunner's AI technology might have circumvented the typical limitations of smart AI, allowing certain constructs to maintain stable behavior indefinitely.
He planned to assign Halsey and Alt Cunningham—both experts in AI research—to conduct a thorough investigation.
For now, Li Ang 's top priority was to fully seize control of all assets and authority within the Shield World, as well as claim the elite and Unggoy prisoners already captured.
These Covenant captives were extremely valuable to the corporation—they would be the key to dismantling the Covenant from within.
…
Twelve hours later, the interior of the Shield World was now filled with massive corporate warships.
Countless reconnaissance drones and surveillance devices flitted through the air.
Under the command of David and his fellow Astartes warriors, the Covenant cruisers had been fully seized and brought under complete control.
Since most Covenant warships had been reverse-engineered from Forerunner technology, humanity had no trouble operating their control systems.
At this moment, the artificial sun inside the Shield World dimmed according to its pre-programmed "sunrise and sunset" cycle.
Nocturnal creatures inhabiting this metallic planet emerged to hunt and forage—life and machinery running on remarkably similar routines.
Yet on such a tranquil and serene night, engineering teams from LA Universal Mega Corporation were hard at work building a planetary base.
Tens of thousands of department workers and countless Hex-series robots bustled in and around the massive base, busy with construction tasks.
Clad in mechanical exoskeletons, corporate employees directed AI robots at various locations to carry out the building operations, occasionally even handling the transport of materials themselves.
From time to time, dazed-looking Sentinels would appear. These unintelligent AI units used surveillance tools to observe human activity out of curiosity.
However, lacking self-awareness, they could only use basic scanning protocols to determine whether human behavior posed any threat to the Shield World's structural integrity.
Fortunately, after their scans, the Sentinels concluded that constructing the base did not constitute destructive activity, and so they left the humans alone.
They resumed their patrol routines, vigilant for any signs of the Flood within the Shield World.
To further accelerate the base's construction, Li Ang had even rerouted the Stargate originally stationed at Prosperity Star directly into the Shield World's interior.
This move drastically reduced material transport costs and accelerated the construction speed of the Shield World base, helping Universal Corporation firmly establish a foothold there.
Meanwhile, deep inside the prison sector of an RCS-class armored cruiser, Covenant soldiers—now stripped of their weapons and power armor—lounged lazily in their cells.
The Grunts, in particular—naturally inclined toward idleness and indulgence—felt right at home in prison. They slumped down where they pleased, eagerly waiting for corporate staff to deliver their next meal.
Having just gorged themselves, the Grunts were now fast asleep in their cells, the picture of leisurely satisfaction.
Compared to the chaos of the battlefield, this species far preferred a life of feasting and frolicking, spending their days eating, drinking, and copulating with their mates.
In their view, that was what life was truly about.
The honor of warriors? The Forerunner ruins? Worthless. Surviving and staying alive—that was success.
And from a Grunts perspective, being a prisoner on a corporate warship wasn't half bad!
They had food, water, and guaranteed safety. As expendable grunts, they used to suffer constant abuse from their "allies" like the Jackals and Brutes—even when there was no enemy around, they risked being tortured or eaten alive by those beasts.
So the Grunts much preferred life under the Corporation. At least here, they had a chance of staying alive.
On the other hand, the elite prisoners weren't nearly as content. Strong and brimming with energy, these warriors couldn't stand being idle.
They were the "Teddies" of the Covenant—restless and demanding.
Before arriving here, they had assumed David would assign them dormitory-style quarters. But when the massive doors slammed shut, they realized the truth.
They'd been tricked—this was a prison!
"Let us out—!!"
"Damn it! How can you treat us like this?!"
…
Roars of defiance echoed from within the cells. But no one understood their language, and the corporate staff merely thought they were howling out of boredom.
Still, the elites didn't scream all day. When it came time to eat, they were quite orderly and well-behaved.
Being carbon-based lifeforms like humans, most Covenant species required similar nutrients—proteins, carbohydrates, water, and so on.
The meals provided by corporate staff were the same standard rations given to employees. For the elites, they were a rare gourmet treat.
After finishing their meals, some elites, too proud to admit defeat, resumed yelling. Others, more pragmatic, simply shook their bowls and begged for second helpings.
From rebellion to reluctant submission—all it took was free food and lodging.
As for the elite officer Vadamee, who had once guided David, and the Covenant expedition's commander Moramee, along with several elite guards, they were imprisoned in a special containment area.
Unlike the rowdy elites or the carefree grunts, these individuals remained silent.
Clearly, they understood that no amount of resistance would change the fact that they were now captives at their enemies' mercy. At this point, Moramee could only hope that the leader of this mysterious force might one day ally with the Sangheili.
Now huddled in a corner, Moramee seemed lost in thought—perhaps reflecting on the shame of being defeated by David in a single duel, or perhaps pondering how to preserve the lives of his subordinates.
One thing was certain—Moramee had no desire to become David's enemy. On the contrary, he hoped to leverage this mysterious force to help the Elites reclaim control of the Covenant.
Seeing Moramee remain silent, Vadamee considered saying something comforting. But afraid his superior might blame him for failing to prevent their capture, he decided it was best to say nothing at all. Better to stay quiet than make things worse.
Tap.
Tap.
Just as Vadamee was about to doze off, he suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps outside. Instantly, he realized that the Astartes warriors had returned.
The elites who had been yelling in protest fell silent, turning warily toward the newcomers.
Even the previously sleeping, well-fed grunts immediately perked up, sticking their heads out to peer down the corridor.
Besides the familiar Astartes warriors, there were now others present—individuals in black uniforms who looked like Forerunners!
At the head of the group walked a man whose figure wasn't nearly as imposing as the Astartes, but whose presence radiated a commanding aura that instantly signaled to the elites that this was someone important.
He was none other than LA Universal Corporation's executive— Li Ang !
Following behind him were Dr. Halsey, who had recently joined the Corporation, and alt Cunningham, the new director of the research division.
Upon reaching the prison holding Moramee, Li Ang glanced at the matrix devices affixed to Moramee and Vadamee's necks, then locked eyes with them.
In that instant, both Moramee and Vadamee felt a jolt in their hearts, as though Li Ang 's gaze alone exerted a natural pressure.
There was no need for introductions—they knew at once that he must be the leader of those armored warriors.
Before Moramee could open his mouth to speak, the matrix devices on their necks activated, flooding their minds with a torrent of information.
These matrix devices were designed to extract and implant data into a subject's brain.
All Covenant warriors, including the elites and grunts, had been forcibly fitted with these devices by David before being imprisoned.
As the highest-level administrator of the matrix, Li Ang could implant or extract information at will with nothing but a thought.
At this moment, he was transmitting to Moramee and Vadamee the history of LA Universal Corporation's rise, the activation of the Stargate, and their grand plan to unify the Halo universe.
In just an instant, Moramee and Vadamee had mastered the human language and absorbed a wealth of knowledge via the matrix.
After a brief silence, the elite commander Moramee and officer Vadamee each dropped to one knee and declared in fluent human language:
"Ripa Moramee pledges loyalty to LA Universal Corporation!"
"Thel 'Vadamee pledges loyalty to LA Universal Mega Corporation and to the Reclaimers!"
Clearly, after Li Ang 's data transmission, both of them had learned the truth about the Forerunners and now understood their new purpose.
Moments later, the Grunts and elites in the other cells also realized the true identities of Li Ang and David's group.
They followed suit and shouted in unison: "We pledge loyalty to LA Universal Corporation! Covenant! Loyal!"
With the upgraded matrix system, control was no longer limited to individuals— Li Ang could now synchronize control across entire groups.
As long as someone was connected to the matrix, their consciousness and memory could be freely rewritten and reshaped by Li Ang .
In essence, Li Ang could manipulate the minds of any lifeform connected to the system and bend them to his will.
However, Li Ang refrained from recklessly altering memories. That could easily cause fatal glitches or destroy the subject's brain. Simple data input and output carried no such risk.
And the reason Li Ang could command loyalty with a single thought was because he had already laid the most attractive offers before each Covenant faction.
For the unggoy tribes, the terms were clear: formal employment as an "outsourced unit" of the Corporation. While this didn't include full employee benefits, they would still receive basic compensation.
Food, shelter, and freedom from abuse. With enough merit earned in battle, they could qualify for official employment—even a job in ideal City!
Of course, that promise was mostly just bait. Given the grunts' individual capabilities, surviving until retirement was already an achievement.
Let alone accumulating enough merit to gain full status.
Still, if a particularly gifted and lucky grunts did manage to reach that level, then they deserved it.
LA Universal Corporation never overlooked talent. Any being who made outstanding contributions—be it even a slimy little slime creature—would be duly rewarded.
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