Chapter 215: The High‑Level Officials Who Uncover the Truth and the D Kids

Sui Bian, accompanied by two artificial intelligences, walked through the central plaza.

Whenever the Astate trainees passed by, they respectfully called Sui Bian "Father," and Sui Bian responded with a nod and a "hm."

Actually, based on the current stable version of the G‑gland analysis, his relationship with the Astate members should be…

Grandfather and grandson.

Fortunately, the Astate claim to be his "son" and treat the OriginalBodies as both father and friend, a "big brother"; otherwise the battle cries against alien races and demons would be quite something.

"Sir, agents Kennedy and BoKen have already made contact with the survivors of the 014 engineering vessel," Bai Hou reported to him at this moment:

"According to the survivors' description, the 014 engineering vessel was responsible for exploration and collection in the asteroid belt. Not long ago, they excavated within an asteroid rich in zinc a block of unknown‑element ore, roughly rectangular in appearance.

After completing the operation, their communication system malfunctioned, preventing direct contact with the outside, so they chose to head to the nearest Deimos."

At this point, Bai Hou added proactively: "Sir, among zinc's many uses is signal shielding.

Therefore the 014 engineering vessel could not directly explore the asteroid's interior from outside; they only knew the asteroid contained abundant zinc, so that 'rectangular ore' was deliberately placed inside, awaiting extraction by an interstellar intelligent species."

"Waiting to be mined? It seems Hell has long plotted against our universe," Sui Bian said in a low voice.

At the same time, he became more certain that this Hell differed from the Hell in DOOM, since the key linking the universe and the Hell plane is not the so‑called "sub‑gold energy."

But no matter which Hell it is, or how many preparations have been made for invading the real universe, none can block Sui Bian's ambition.

1998.

When he first "arrived" in this world, rather than for humanity and Earth, it was more out of resentment and self‑preservation, leading him to choose the controlling Umbrella, which dispatched the USS and the Hammer Strike Team to combat anomalies.

But as time passed, Sui Bian was no longer the man he once was; just as he told Leon years ago about the "Great Expedition," he likewise possesses "ideals" and "ambition."

Benefiting from the UEG and UNSC being placed openly by Umbrella, humanity as a whole can follow his plan and move into rapid expansion.

Umbrella provided technical and personnel consultants, helping the UEG establish numerous factories on Earth, including arms factories and shipyards, to produce individual equipment, multi‑purpose engineering vehicles similar to SCVs, various ships and light escort vessels.

Even so, within Umbrella these UEG‑made products are still collectively labeled as "externally leased" items, because various costs must still be processed openly.

Moreover, when necessary, even the lowest‑rank UNSC soldiers can receive orders and directives issued by Umbrella.

For example, when Deimos restored communications, the UNSC Marine Corps accessed the holographic display on their helmets, receiving orders from Umbrella's armament department, learning that the Astate are friendly units.

In such a situation, humanity as a whole burst forth with unprecedented efficiency.

Leaving aside the Moon, the closest body to Earth, and Mars, the colonies also include Vesta in the asteroid belt, and the moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn that exceed a kilometer in diameter.

In fact, only the surface dome on Mars is hardest to build; colonies on Vesta and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, like the Moon, are built underground, each with a permanent population of around a million.

Moreover, even if they again face a fleet of the Covenant civilization or other hostile alien forces, Umbrella does not need to fight alone as in 2003.

Because the UNSC Navy, inheriting the navies of many nations, will assume the Solar System's defensive duties, and senior officers and staff are aware of the Covenant's existence and that other civilizations populate the universe.

After all, being an organization and army controlled by the Red and White Empresses and the intelligence department, it is necessary to understand the situation humanity is about to face.

As for the inexplicable anomalies on Earth, the Greek gods, especially the interdimensional and Hell planes, the upper echelons of the UEG and UNS have no authority to know.

The current UNSC Navy has twenty‑five 600‑meter‑class light escort ships as its main force, and Deimos has deployed a fleet of five escort ships.

The fleet's warships and equipment suffered little damage, but personnel losses exceeded half due to the Hell Gate.

The fleet's officers are confident in confronting alien aberrations, yet they are helpless against the overly supernatural phenomena of Hell and demons, and the rapid opening of the Hell Gate left them no reaction time.

"Sir," at this moment the Red Empress also reported to Sui Bian:

"The Destroyer has arrived at Deimos, and the accompanying Hammer Strike Team is assisting technicians, using the Hope Vessel's stored lunar water to conduct a standard removal procedure for all of Deimos.

OriginalBody Rus and the Space Wild Wolves also disembarked from the Destroyer, tasked with assisting OriginalBody Magnus in blockading Deimos and responding to any possible demon invasion."

"Very good," Sui Bian nodded lightly.

The Destroyer is the third Azure Eagle‑class ship built by the Eastern European Shipyard, and also the Space Wild Wolves' "temporary flagship."

It is called a temporary flagship because the Azure Eagle‑class falls far short of the legion flagship Sui Bian envisions; it would need to be at least five kilometers long and fully accommodate each OriginalBody's DivineBody to barely meet his desired flagship specifications.

As for the Eastern European Shipyard, which completed three Azure Eagle‑class ships and many Precursors‑type engineering vessels, its main body relocated to Luna Base in early 2008 to continue constructing ships and warships.

Currently, aside from the Gryphon, Umbrella has seven Azure Eagle‑class ships, positioned within the Solar System inside Saturn's orbit.

Each Azure Eagle‑class ship deploys a corps‑level Hammer Strike Team, over two hundred technicians, and an OriginalBody with its legion, to promptly handle high‑risk anomalies that the UEG and UNSC cannot address.

With the UNSC shouldering the defensive burden, Umbrella ceased building Azure Eagle‑class ships and shifted its focus to next‑generation warships.

The new generation's specifications are akin to destroyers, featuring stronger firepower and defense, and can also carry more personnel.

Within Luna Base's shipyard, three destroyers are being built methodically; soon, the Azure Eagle‑class will be gradually phased out by Umbrella, then transformed into UNSC's most advanced flagship.

At this moment.

Sui Bian and the two artificial intelligences bypassed the artificial lake in the central plaza, reaching the lift waiting area in the central zone.

Few people wait for the lift here; most are average‑height staff, but the order‑keeping force is not armed security, but six fully‑armed Glory Hammers.

The legion deployed to the Moon is the Glory Hammers, the most defense‑adept legion among all.

And among the crowd.

Leon and Rog, who even without power armor tower over the six Iron Fists, dress similarly to Sui Bian, both wearing custom black military uniforms.

At this moment the brothers exchange little, as Leon always crosses his arms over his chest, perfectly mimicking Sui Bian's "no‑one‑allowed" expression, while Rog, who knows his brother's temperament, pays no mind.

Beside the two brothers are several Dark Angels who came with Leon, and Artemis and Rebecca surrounded by numerous giants in the middle.

Also injected with anti‑aging serum, always sporting sleek short hair, Rebecca—clearly a female doctoral‑type—was speaking with Artemis beside her.

As for Artemis, whose mind has long been fully assimilated by Sui Bian, she wears Umbrella's black officer uniform, starkly contrasting with her waist‑long, slightly white hair.

Calmly accepting reality and gradually assimilated by Sui Bian, Artemis no longer appears as forlorn as when she first awoke, regaining the aura befitting a goddess.

Seeing Sui Bian approach.

Leon immediately ended his clasped‑hands stance, hurried forward to Sui Bian's side, and continued to remain silently vigilant.

The Dark Angels gathered around Sui Bian did the same.

"Brother, this is Luna, guarded by me and my Iron Fists; what is there for you to worry about?"

"Also, stop wearing that stone‑cold face; I'm beginning to worry your facial muscles have completely hardened—John's expressions are more varied than yours."

"I'm the one who worries—will your mouth completely shatter?" Leon retorted.

Since he had succeeded in getting Leon to speak, Rog's teasing purpose was fulfilled, and he immediately gave Leon a light smile.

But Rog quickly withdrew his smile and, in a deep voice to the approaching Sui Bian, asked, "Father, have you gathered all the legions to confront Hell?"

It wasn't only Leon who had a connection with the Hell plane; the ones who originally were responsible for controlling and eliminating the demons of Ohae Town were Rog and the earliest four Iron Fists.

"No need," Sui Bian lightly waved his left hand and said, "Now is not the time to settle scores with Hell completely; what we need to consider now is how to close the gate."

He then continued to remind Rog, and also reminded Rebecca nearby, "Luna Base proceeds as usual; after handling the Deimos incident, we will consider the expansion of the Grey Knights."

"Understood, Father,"

"Rest assured."

Rog and Rebecca answered in unison.

"Very good."

Next, Sui Bian and his party entered the lift, preparing to go to the orbital train station above.

Seeing the lift doors close, Rog turned and left, returning to his office to continue researching how to make Luna, as well as the Earth‑Moon and Solar System defenses, even stronger.

Rebecca, with her hands placed in the pockets of her white coat, fell silent for a moment, then also turned and left, returning to the cultivation and teaching of Astate candidates.

———————

…

Inside the lift.

Artemis, who had reviewed the files on the "Spider Head" and the Hell plane, knew that Hell's nature resembled a void space, so the troops most suitable to pass through the Hell Gate and go to Hell should be the Grey Knights that she helped Sui Bian assemble,

but she had never taken the initiative to say anything.

Sui Bian then said to Bai Hou, "Tell the plague doctor to tidy up quickly, prepare to make a trip to Earth, and also inform Ke Laoze to select a batch of D‑class personnel."

"Understood, sir," Bai Hou replied.

(End of chapter)