Chapter 281

Inside the dedicated chamber.

The storage unit, having finished explaining to Sui Bian and the two AIs the history of the galaxy tens of millions of years ago, remained cold in expression, yet its tone carried a sense of desolation and sorrow as it said:

"Recoverers… no, humans, when you hear these words of mine, it means we Administrators, our Autumn Min clan have long become things of the past."

Although I cannot personally lead you, my memory, while recounting the galaxy's past to you, will also judge, based on your current level of civilization, social system, etc., whether you are worthy to receive my teachings.

Finally, please do not repeat our mistakes.

Immediately after, the storage unit, as if having finished playing a pre-recorded silent message from Aria's grand design, continued to maintain an emotionless demeanor, waiting to answer the next question.

"..."

At this moment, having heard everything, Sui Bian was in a state of shock.

He had once wondered what the past of this universe was like, but he never imagined it would be as tumultuous as the storage unit described, and he also felt what it was like for the Administrators when facing the interspatial storm, with demons ravaging the real universe…

Endless despair and exhaustion.

Compared to the Forerunners in Halo (Superweapon), this universe's Autumn Min clan is truly deserving of the title they claim, 'Administrators'.

Although both became galactic overlords, their attitudes toward other species are completely different.

One is to consolidate their hegemony.

The other is to willingly assist in secret.

Sui Bian couldn't help but feel admiration; if not for the existence of the interspatial realm, under the Administrators' regulation following the 'natural laws,' the prosperity of all species and civilizations might have already expanded beyond the galaxy.

Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs' in this universe.

Furthermore, according to the time point given by the storage unit, 66 to 65 million years ago, which was the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction on Earth, it is highly likely triggered by the Halo Pulse wave.

He calmed his emotions.

Sui Bian changed from his previous posture of leaning against the fixed table, lowered his crossed hands, and walked forward.

He came before that storage unit, his tone full of respect, and said: "Thank you for your efforts; I, my descendants, and all of humanity will take up the great work you failed to complete."

However, the storage unit, lacking any intelligence, could not understand Sui Bian's respect shown to the Administrators, and replied mechanically:

"Please state a clear command."

Seeing this.

Sui Bian paid no heed, fell silent for a moment, then asked: "I want to know the exact locations of the Ark, the Halos (Superweapon), and the remaining Shield Worlds."

"To prevent the interspatial creatures from occupying and exploiting them, the Administrators set up self-destruct programs for the Halos (Superweapon) and the Ark before activating the cross-phase pulse matrix."

"My data only contains the specific coordinates of Shield World 0314; currently, Shield World 0314 is offline." the storage unit replied.

"Self-destructed? That's good…" Sui Bian nodded slightly, then said: "I also want to know whether only we humans can access the memories and technology stored in your storage unit."

"Yes." the storage unit gave an affirmative reply.

"Alright, I understand, then…" Sui Bian said, placing his hands behind his back, and continued to ask:

"May I ask whether humanity at its current stage is qualified to receive the teachings of the Administrators?"

His words fell.

The storage unit, which always answered immediately upon being asked, this time did not respond right away.

"Chairman." The Red Empress, standing not far behind Sui Bian, reported to him:

"We have detected that the civilian network and the internal networks of the company, UEG, and UNSC are being forcibly accessed by some program; I and the White Empress tried to intercept and expel it, but could not lock onto the program."

The White Empress also stared at the storage unit and proposed: "The source of that invading program should be this memory storage unit before us; physically destroying it should stop the invading access, Chairman."

"..."

Hearing this suggestion, Sui Bian glanced sideways at the White Empress beside him, then turned back, gently shaking his head and said: "For now, pay no heed to it."

"Yes (okay)." The two AIs agreed.

Soon.

The sluggish storage unit lowered its gaze once more toward Sui Bian and said: "The scan is complete."

The scan results show that the Reclaimer civilization has successfully passed the internal consumption phase; its current societal form is consensus fusion, and it is rapidly entering the interstellar civilization era, far exceeding the expectations of the Shield World 0314 Administrators.

The search turned up Blood Demon Griffith, Fallen Goddess Aphrodite, and Arcadia archive records, indicating that humanity's actual rulers hold a hostile attitude toward the interspatial realm.

Having said that, the storage unit's gaze swept over the Red and White Empresses, then returned to Sui Bian, and continued:

Turncoats play a major role in human progress; currently there is no tendency toward defection, so the enforcement of Article 145 of the Canon Law can be temporarily postponed.

In conclusion, humanity is qualified to accept knowledge in fields such as artificial stars, celestial-level architectural construction, etc.; I will teach you in place of the administrator of Shield World 0314.

"Artificial stars, celestial architecture, very good…" Sui Bian pondered, then asked his final question: "Do you have any data on vaccines or the Flood?"

There is incomplete data.

"Hmm…" Upon receiving this answer, Sui Bian couldn't help but exclaim: "The legacy given by the administrator is truly abundant."

…

The two AIs behind him indicated their agreement with a slight nod.

Immediately afterward, they heard Sui Bian's order:

Notify Director Wang Zhaofeng and the company's entire research team to prepare; in ten Earth days, hold an academic exchange spanning ten million years.

Then, notify Chief Krause of Lockford Island to arrange the security team to escort the doctor (plague doctor) to Raccoon City; right, don't forget to tell the doctor that the company has also obtained new vaccine data.

"Understood." They both replied in unison.

After giving the instructions.

Sui Bian slowly turned around, facing the tranquil manor scene presented by the virtual window, and murmured in his heart:

The Autumn Min Empire was indeed a painful historical lesson; now it seems… necessary to dispatch agents from the Supervision Department to actively seek out demons for hunting.

He raised his right hand and flattened his palm.

With a "huh~!" sound.

On his palm, Sui Bian generated a cluster of blazing light, like the spiritual-energy flame of an extremely small star.

But he could stare directly at this 'star,' his eyes reflecting the flames, and he muttered in a low voice:

"Since you're unwilling to let the Sea of Souls return to tranquility, loving destruction and toying with people's hearts… then I'll plunder you all—just right, I'm also dissatisfied with my current strength."

——————

…

"Beep! Beep!"

Brain‑washing and piercing, it is the alarm sound most capable of shattering the beauty of a morning, echoing in a spacious bedroom.

The indoor light was dim.

But the old heavy curtains, as the alarm sound ceased, began to retract automatically to both sides, no longer shielding the seemingly sleeping master from outside light, after which the room gradually grew bright.

Thus, one could comfortably observe this bedroom, whose décor was extremely classical.

A large‑sized bed stood in the center, its head against the north wall; the floor bore immaculate white marble tiles, and a soft, light‑gray carpet lay on either side of the bed.

Not far to the left of the bed was an open walk‑in closet with sliding doors.

Directly opposite the foot of the bed stood a dressing table piled with women's cosmetics, likewise made of marble and veined with gray.

To the right of the bed was a floor‑to‑ceiling window with sliding doors.

Outside the window lay the lovely backyard of a forest‑side house, misty; looking closely at the leaves and grass, crystal‑like morning dew hung there.

Birds of various colors and sizes perched on the branches, chirping and twittering, as if trying to replace the alarm clock.

There were also raccoons, wild hares, fawns, and even fierce creatures like snakes and wolves, all gathering together on the backyard lawn.

But…

They got along remarkably well, as if the rules of survival of the fittest and the law of the jungle did not apply here.

Moreover, the antlered does of the kertelin species, their antlers radiating golden light as they strolled leisurely, and the sprites dressed in modern attire, wearing doll‑sized clothing, stood out conspicuously among this harmonious assemblage of animals.

"Eh…"

At that moment, the master of the bedroom and the whole house also flung aside the light, cool silk quilt, stretched lazily, and sat up on the bed.

Then, with a bewildered expression, they looked ahead.

In the dressing mirror, she wore a black‑strap nightgown‑style pajama, her off‑white blond hair long, fluffy and disheveled, complementing a subtly revealed perfect figure and delicate features, giving off a languid beauty.

Only someone who could gather animals in her own backyard—once the hunting goddess, now a senior employee of Umbrella, Artemis—could do that.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a moment, then swung her legs out of bed, stepped onto the carpet, slipped on her slippers, and walked toward the dressing table.

Having arrived before the mirror, she seated herself.

She pulled out a facial‑cleaning wipe, used it to clean her face, tossed the used wipe into the trash, then Artemis scanned the tabletop cosmetics that, to her, offered no real skincare benefit, selected one labeled "moisturizing," and prepared to apply it to her cheeks.

Although she is a goddess, as a deity with a definite gender, temperament, and thought patterns close to those of human women, Artemis ultimately believed those advertising claims…

What's more, it was her own company's advertisement.

Over the decades, cosmetics have accounted for one‑fifth of her salary expenditures, making a significant contribution to the company's performance.

On par with cosmetics in spending are various garments, the latest electronic entertainment products, or the artworks she's interested in, and other consumer goods that also make up a large share.

After all, she has no habit of saving money.

Of course, this also proves that she has long since assimilated into human society.

During the few days of vacation she gets each year, Artemis also leaves Titan, where she normally lives and works, to travel to Earth or to environmentally pleasant colony planets.

Setting aside her overly conspicuous hair color, she is virtually indistinguishable from a human woman.

Moreover, besides the dazzling array of cosmetics on the dressing table, there is a photograph set in an exquisite frame, and this wall also displays various other photos of different sizes in frames.

She greatly favors this kind of technology that can preserve beautiful moments, or that is worth commemorating.

The pictures hung on the walls mostly depict scenery of Earth and the various colonies, as well as the streets, alleys, and night markets of local cities, and so on.

As for the photograph on the dressing table, its content is not any scenery or location, but rather the grand scene of the company's annual meeting held beside a beach; at the picture's center stands Sui Bian, dressed in a custom‑made military uniform, delivering his closing remarks.

Having finished her hair.

Artemis rose, walked into the wardrobe, took off her nightgown, put on her undergarments, then selected a white combat outfit in ancient Greek style, fastened a black sash, and left the wardrobe and bedroom.

After nearly thirty minutes, having fully tidied up, Artemis finally left the house and arrived at the front courtyard, whose sides were likewise dense forest.

Just as she was about to step onto the sidewalk outside the courtyard…

she was immediately surrounded by the animals and sprites that had been waiting outside for a long time.

"Heh~!"

The largest of the kertelin does lowered its head obediently, apparently hoping to receive the master's affection.

"My lord! Can we please go to the base again today?"

"Yes, yes~!"

The sprites, their faces full of expectation, fluttered their translucent, colorful wings even more, buzzing incessantly around Artemis.

"Hehe~." Artemis chuckled, half‑crouched on the lawn, reached out her left hand to gently stroke the kertelin doe, but her tone toward the sprites suddenly turned harsh as she said:

"Don't think I don't know what you're plotting; it's impossible—there won't be a next time. Just stay home and keep watch."

"Ah… okay."

"Ah… what a pity…"

The rejected sprites showed especially deep dejection; they lost the power to flap their wings, one after another dropping onto the kertelin doe's back, sinking into a gloom.

Having risen again, Artemis gave a helpless smile, ignored the sprites who looked utterly forlorn but were actually just being silly, and strode straight out of the courtyard, walking toward the nearby aerial monorail station.

Arriving at the platform thirty meters above ground, she could overlook the entire forest, as well as the crystal‑clear, boundless Round Moon Lake.

And the planet where Artemis is stationed is Titan, expressly used to train Grey Knights and Ghost agents.

In the cloudless sky, Saturn—ringed and forever lashed by storms—filled most of the view, while the sun seemed comparatively insignificant.

If someone suffered from megalophobia, they might find this alien landscape unbearable.

Soon.

A maglev train entered the platform, carrying Artemis and several senior employees of Umbrella as they crossed the riverside forest, speeding toward the base built in the north.

…

Soon after.

In the dense forest, there was a large military base.

But it differed from a highly modernized base, especially the large 'temple' in the center of the base, styled after ancient Greek architecture, capable of accommodating a thousand people.

Inside the hall of the 'temple'.

Standing on the platform at the front of the hall, Artemis, with a stern expression and pacing left and right, raised his voice to ask the group of newly adult Astate below:

"Tell me, what is your duty."

Upon hearing that,

Only to see twenty people dressed in dark gray tight-fitting outfits, wearing headbands made of olive branches, holding in their right hands the Vengeance Goddess Power Lance unique to them, kneeling on one knee, and in unison responding to Artemis's inquiry:

"Torch Father's Wish."

"What is the Father's Wish?" Artemis asked again.

"Destroy the monsters."

(End of Chapter)