Chapter 269: Release the Clearance Corps and

In the classroom.

Outside the window, the scenery shifts from dusk to night, and the blackboard switches back to the usual key points of knowledge.

"Those OriginalBodies are really tall…"

"I've decided: after graduating high school I'll enlist!"

"Count me in!"

The students, whose minds are no longer on studying, discuss the previous press conference while packing their personal belongings into their backpacks.

The female teacher, dressed in a teal qipao, also tacitly permits the students' classroom chatter; she times the upcoming dismissal precisely, steps back onto the podium, and raises her voice to remind them:

"When you get home today, study well; don't let the war on Harvest Star affect your grades. The war isn't your concern yet—while you're still young, focus on learning. Got that?"

"Got it! Teacher Yi!" the students shout.

"Mm." The teacher nods lightly, then looks at the boy sitting in the corner and says, "Don't forget to copy the key points thirty times, Wei Erhaimu."

"Yes… Teacher Yi," the boy named Wei Erhaimu replies softly.

"Ding—!" The dismissal bell rings on time.

The students slung their backpacks and left; Wei Erhaimu and a few boys in the back row sprinted out of the classroom, vanishing from sight.

"Sigh…"

Looking at the open automatic doors, Teacher Yi sighs and shakes her head.

Meanwhile on Harvest Star.

On the central square of the capital Oldga, crowds of civilians gather all around.

The marine corps and support troops tasked with maintaining order are deliberately "surrounded" by the civilians—not as a protest, but as a reverent salute.

Only heard:

"Come on!"

"Give those Star Alliance folks a harsh lesson!"

"Thank you for your fearless dedication!"

Amid the sea of people on the streets, the civilians' cheers echo loudly.

Also maintaining order, alongside the marines and support troops, are Astate units belonging to five legions, equipped with Thunderhammer V and wielding blast‑arrow guns.

Harvest Star, once the least populated, now becomes the first colonial world where OriginalBodies and Astate "walk among humans".

This fills the people with unparalleled confidence and resolve.

Leaving the surface.

In near‑Earth orbit now gathers an unprecedented mixed fleet in human history.

There are fifty‑two aircraft carriers over two kilometers long, plus battleships, cruisers, frigates and destroyers; counting all support vessels and supply ships, the total exceeds 1,200 ships.

That's about one‑fifth of all warships humanity possesses, concentrated around Harvest Star, causing the military‑civilian ratio there to become severely imbalanced again.

Compared to the mixed fleet, they are like ants, and countless air‑boats and transports shuttle between their mother ships and the surface, preparing for the upcoming "Counter‑offensive Expedition".

However, Umbrella's Third Legion and the UNSC 045 Fleet will remain stationed on front‑line Harvest Star until the war between humanity and the Star Alliance Empire ends.

Moreover, increasing numbers of personnel, resources and equipment are being shipped to Harvest Star, which will become humanity's logistical hub.

Amid the uniformly sharp, orderly human warships, there is one outlier: a sleek purple battlecruiser belonging to the Star Alliance.

That battlecruiser is docked beside Sui Bian's flagship.

Inside the massive hangar of the ship Courage Anthem, a beetle‑shaped purple transport is also docked.

On the left side of the transport stand Sui Bian and his OriginalBody sons, two low‑profile AIs that stay silent, and over thirty elite who have re‑equipped their armor.

Mu Er, now restored in golden armor and no longer as disheveled as a few days ago, clenches his right fist to his left chest, bows slightly, and says to Sui Bian with proper respect:

"Thank you, Chairman, for your understanding. We will do everything we can to awaken more of our people and stop this war sparked by the prophet's selfish desire."

"By your words, I should be the one thanking you, Captain Lin Mil," Sui Bian replies with a faint smile.

"Regardless, you are a benefactor of our Sangheli tribe, and I hope our next meeting is as friends, not foes."

Mu Er finishes, turns toward the transport with its hatch open, lifts his head and lets out a short "Awo", signaling his subordinates to board quickly.

Soon.

Mu Er and his crew pilot the transport through the airlock, leaving the hangar toward the nearby battlecruiser.

"You who revere martial arts, hmm…"

Staring at the blue‑glowing air‑valve membrane, Rus, hands on hips, ponders, then bursts into laughter: "Ha ha," he says.

"I wonder how much they can drink! If we pit them against the wolf pups, it'd be fun, right?"

Hearing that,

As the elder brother, Robert habitually reminds, "You're nearly ninety, be steady; remember you're the OriginalBody of the Fourth Legion, Rus."

"Give up, Robert," Rog says, placing a hand on Robert's shoulder and shaking his head: "Rus is beyond help; his brain's been soaked in alcohol."

"I…," Rus approaches Rog, feigning a victorious air, and laughs: "Rog, you're jealous we get to go to war, huh? Ha ha ha!"

"Heh, my duty is defending the Solar System, far more important than any expedition," Rog scoffs.

At that moment, another brother approaches, his face lit with a sunny smile, and says:

"It's been over a decade, and you two are still the same, nostalgic for the days back on Earth."

This short‑haired OriginalBody, handsome as Shengjilesi and muscular second only to Rus, has a way of soothing his brothers' spirits.

He's the "good old guy" among them.

He is Angelong, the OriginalBody of the Clearance Corps, the eighth‑oldest of Sui Bian's offspring and also of the Eighth Legion.

The five legions commanding the mixed fleets for the Counter‑offensive Expedition are the Extreme Legion, Sparta, Space Wild Wolves, Holy Blood Angels, and Angelong's Clearance Corps.

Admiral James Cart's UNSC 1st Fleet will operate together with Robert's Extreme Legion.

The most defense‑skilled Honor Iron Fist, and the most Spiritual Energy‑skilled Tutmoss, guard the Solar System with a population of 23 billion.

The Iron Hand continues to guard Zhi Yuan Star of the "Forging World", while the Dark Crow Guard patrols the frontier.

The four OriginalBodies left on duty, to appear openly, each brought their own Honor Guard to Harvest Star.

Soon after, Rog and Feilusi will return to their respective posts.

When Angelong approached, Rog stopped his chatter and said, "Fine, may you win your battle, and capture those ostrich priests for the doctor (plague doctor) as research material."

"Then I'll take your good wishes! Hahaha! If we can reunite after the war, Rog you scoundrel will have to drink hard!!" Rus laughed heartily.

Not far away.

Sui Bian crossed his hands in front of him, gazing at his sons who hadn't reunited for at least twenty years with a faint smile, too lazy to scold the already frantic Rus.

After all, his sons normally have to "wear" the OriginalBody, the "mask" of the legion's supreme commander.

Only at this moment can they shed all pretenses and fool around with their brothers.

Sui Bian couldn't help recalling seventy years ago, when he took his sons, barely over two meters tall, to the Raccoon City zoo, leaving the staff bewildered.

Seeing the staff's "Are they thirteen?!" expression, the father realized he could no longer take his sons to public places.

By this count, the OriginalBodies have been detached from normal human society for seventy years.

"Chairman." At that moment, the Red Queen interrupted Sui Bian's recollection: "The cruiser piloted by Murlin Mir and other Sangheli has entered Rift Space."

"Father."

Hearing the Red Queen's report, Shengjilesi, who stood beside Sui Bian, said with slight worry, "Only Kelakesi and the others—are they being too reckless?"

Upon hearing that.

Ending his reminiscence, Sui Bian looked up slightly and said to his youngest OriginalBody son, "No, you and Robert's group only need to deal with the chaotic enemies, capture as many Sangheli as possible, and utterly crush the Covenant Empire."

"Yes, father, rest assured." Shengjilesi nodded.

"Of course I'm at ease." Sui Bian gave a faint smile.

Then he turned to the other side and said to Magnus and Leon, who stood beside him and had not joined the banter with Rus and Rog,

"Leon, Magnus, you two prepare for a raid; once the Covenant Empire falls into chaos and Robert's forces launch a full assault, you will head straight to the Colins System."

"Yes." The two OriginalBodies replied in unison.

Magnus lifted his left hand to pinch his jaw, frowned slightly, and said, "With Rog and the champions under my command, the Solar System is unbreakable, but what exactly did the Forerunners leave in the Colins System?"

"We'll find out when we get there." Leon shrugged indifferently, though his cold demeanor hinted a trace of worry, and said to Sui Bian:

"Father, Magnus and I will complete the investigation as soon as possible."

Without Spiritual Perception, just by Leon's look, Sui Bian knew his third son worried about his safety, so he couldn't help but smile and said:

"I have no worries here; if the Covenant Empire truly dares a desperate surprise attack on Harvest Star again, I'd be thrilled…"

At that point Sui Bian's tone shifted, growing firmer, and he warned, "You all should beware of possible special insect races."

Three days earlier, he had already briefed Leon and Magnus on the characteristics of the Flood, ensuring they could handle any Flood that might appear during their investigation of the Colins System.

As for Colins, it is a system marked on the relic star map, about 350 light‑years from Harvest Star.

But Colins lies outside human territory, in an unknown domain never explored by humanity, deep within the Covenant Empire's realm.

The Red and White Queens, based on the Covenant's displayed technology level, surmise there is a high probability they have either completed standard colonization of the Colins System or built a research station there.

The types of Forerunner relics Sui Bian could imagine fall into two broad categories.

First, the Forerunners built some kind of outpost, base, and "library" on Harvest Star, Meisi Ruiyin, and naturally formed terrestrial planets.

Second are "artificial" celestial bodies.

As the definition of "artificial" goes, they are various celestial‑class warships, objects, and weapons constructed by the Forerunners.

If Sui Bian remembers correctly, the Halo's diameter is ten thousand kilometers, which is only a "small" Halo; the "large" Halo spans thirty thousand kilometers.

The lotus‑shaped "Ark" that devours and dismantles other terrestrial planets to build the Halo reaches a diameter of 130,000 kilometers, about ten times Earth's.

Beyond these super‑celestial bodies, the most common throughout the galaxy are "Shield Worlds."

Shield Worlds appear similar to ordinary terrestrial planets, with surfaces suitable for life, especially human habitation.

Beneath the surface lies an inverted underground world, its core a miniature artificial star that supplies energy and light to the entire Shield World.

It is called a "Shield" because the Forerunners built them to shield their race against the annihilating Halo Pulse.

Regardless, the Forerunners have vanished; if Leon and Magnus find Forerunner‑built bodies in the Colins System, there is a chance they will encounter the Flood.

Even if the probability is low, Sui Bian will still share Flood intelligence with his sons.

After hearing the warning, Leon and Magnus both wore much more solemn expressions, keeping their father's words in mind.

——————

…

In the unknown domain.

It contains a dazzling galaxy and colorful nebulae that "pervade" deep space, making the galactic view of this domain exquisitely beautiful.

Against this breathtaking backdrop, a Covenant Empire fleet is sailing through this domain using conventional engines.

Calling it a single fleet may be inaccurate, because from a human perspective, this armada resembles a mix of multiple fleets of varying sizes, duties, and ranks.

It is comparable to the five mixed human fleets preparing a counter‑offensive, but in scale…

Yet it far exceeds any human mixed fleet; the number of warships is incalculable, but at least four thousand.

Even excluding vessels under 800 meters, if those are included the total warship count reaches a staggering 13,000.

The most numerous are the "Cockroach"‑type cruisers invading Harvest Star, and the Murlin Mir flagship that matches human carriers.

Yet the fleet includes a hundred super‑carriers over 30 kilometers in size.

If we ignore mass and consider only numbers, size, and population, the Covenant Empire absolutely overwhelms humanity.

Moreover, those hundred super‑carriers are not the fleet's most prominent; the central "Giant Mushroom" flagship, protected by the fleet, is about 350 km wide and nearly 500 km long.

Rather than saying it's a flagship, it's more like saying it's an artificial small celestial body, and it is also the Holy Covenant Empire's "capital"—

City of Universal Love.

(End of chapter)