Chapter 294: Second Purge: Underground Space

End communication.

On the bridge of the Courage Anthem.

Sui Bian turned and walked to the porthole, gazing at the breathtaking view of the Rift Space outside, and couldn't help murmuring to himself:

"Even the war and wisdom goddess Athena can fall, so Zeus and the Greek gods who ventured into the other dimension are likely already all wiped out—either dead or reduced to demons' playthings."

Since Hephestus explained to him the moment Zeus rushed into the other dimension, Sui Bian had already anticipated this outcome.

Paras Athena, who embodies war and wisdom, now delights in slaughtering living beings and toying with cruel minds, and Zeus…

The god‑father, already lecherous, may become a more fallen evil deity than Aphrodite.

Next are the Mar of the Weilin tribe.

As Sui Bian had guessed not long ago, the elves encountered by Leon, Buleiya and others differ greatly from the Aida Ling tribe he knows.

In attitude they are not the aloof, arrogant type.

However, within the entire Weilin tribe, it seems only elves like the Mar who left the group early are courteous to other races.

Moreover, the Weilin tribe's corruption gave rise to more evil deities, and like the Aida Ling tribe, they also "awakened" a lecherous evil god.

It could be a lustful demon, or even a more perverse "peddler" than that.

What catches his attention most is the ancestor that Ina calls "Eirimmir", who foresaw that he and the OriginalBody and the Astates would be key to opposing the other dimension.

Since Eirimmir could utter a prophecy, it means the other‑dimension evil god and demons have also sensed him.

After all, the permanent disappearance of the blood demon Greifen, Samiel, and numerous low‑ and mid‑rank demons inevitably draws the other dimension's attention.

Paras's attempt to corrupt John is a clear proof.

Paras knows that words alone cannot shake John's loyalty, but the deeper purpose of still doing so is to create a rift between him and his second son.

Unfortunately, the war‑and‑wisdom goddess can never comprehend that there exists a "father‑son bond" between him and the OriginalBody and the Astates, and that he treats all Original Bodies equally without any favoritism.

During the OriginalBody's childhood and youth, Sui Bian carefully taught them how to be human and patiently answered their questions…

Even without a "father‑son bond", it is not something that can be easily driven apart.

"Father." At this moment Leon stepped to Sui Bian's side, showing a rare solemn expression, and said gravely, "It seems the other dimension has now focused its attention on us and humanity."

"Indeed, I miss the tranquil days of the past," Sui Bian sighed.

He said.

He glanced over his shoulder and ordered, "Notify Kennedy and Buleiya the supervisors that before we reach Puerdon, they must ensure the safety of those two humanoid aberrations."

"Yes," the Red Queen in charge of this matter replied.

"Father, are you preparing to negotiate with those elf‑like races?" Leon asked.

"I suppose so," Sui Bian did not deny, "First we'll gather more intelligence from them; after all, not every race is as pure as Sangheli, so profit is the key. As long as they can provide substantive aid, I don't mind trying to shelter them."

"Shelter?" Leon asked, slightly puzzled.

"Yes, they came seeking shelter," Sui Bian explained, shifting slightly.

"The Mar number only twenty‑million, and now they're targeted by Paras and the other dimension. Without outside aid, the end result is either total sacrifice or being kept as Paras's pets, so they try to curry favor with us."

"Indeed, otherwise their attitude wouldn't seem so friendly," Leon agreed.

"Hmm," Sui Bian replied lightly, turned his gaze back to the porthole, and said, "The elf issue is secondary; the primary goal is to draw Paras completely out of the other dimension."

———————

…

Puerdon.

Buddapeni local time: 08/16 17:04.

Near dusk, the star still showed no sign of setting; heat and fierce battle dominated the scene.

"Tap…! Tap tap…!"

"Whoosh— Boom… Boom!!"

From above a sea of forest, the UNSC, Krig, and the Second Legion auxiliary forces operate in squads and platoons, reinforced by armored units such as Cyclops Giants to hold the encirclement.

Within the encirclement,

It is the Second Legion's Astates, i. e., the Spartas, cooperating with a few Gray Knights to swiftly carry out physical eradication, or using weapons such as "Moonlight" explosive arrows and "Round Moon Water" against demons, to deal with the corrupted ghost‑faced beasts that Paras uses as offerings.

Above the rainforest.

Airborne bastions like the Vulture and the Hawk provide fire support and suppression.

Looking across all of Puerdon, the second extermination operation rages fiercely, preparing to break the stalemate and draw Paras out of the other dimension.

And in low Earth orbit above Buddapeni,

a Zeus‑class carrier belonging to the Second Legion is docked, alongside the Gray Knights' stealth‑class flagship, the Moon‑Round.

At this moment, more than four hours have passed since John and Sui Bian finished their conversation.

Gray Knights led by Artemis have arrived in the sector and dispatched their stealth‑class warships to the colony plagued by ghost‑faced beast plague, carrying out physical eradication and "purification".

She leads a hundred Gray Knights to the vortex's core, Puerdon, since Paras once possessed this place.

Meanwhile, the Second Legion disperses to the plague‑stricken colonies, crushing them swiftly with overwhelming force.

The Zeus‑class carrier docked above Buddapeni has been requisitioned by John as a temporary flagship, as the Hope Vessel is currently under repair.

On the ground.

"Bang! Bang!" the explosive‑arrow gun fired rapidly.

"Pfft!!"

"Zzz… Zzz…"

The ghost‑faced beasts' bodies burst repeatedly, and the sounds of corrosion echoed through the dense rainforest.

Artemis, helmet unlatched and clad in a Greek‑style Terminator suit, led five Gray Knights, using Moonlight explosive arrows to clear the area.

At her waist hung a sheathed "Moonlight Curved Blade" and a hunting bow resembling the "Hunting Bow", but silver‑framed with finer, more intricate engravings.

The Moonlight Curved Blade is actually the demon Samiel's poisonous curved blade; after Sui Bian spent points to claim it, the Spiritual Energy contained in the blade's edge became pure Spiritual Energy.

Sui Bian gave this curved blade to Artemis, who renamed it the Moonlight Curved Blade.

The "Full Moon Bow," also named with "Moon" and hung on her right waist, is actually a weapon re‑forged for her by the artisan god Hephestus; the Spiritual Energy it contains, however, comes from the strongest Spiritual User among humans, Sui Bian.

Thus Artemis can be said to have "returned" to her peak.

At this moment, the hunting goddess, relying on real‑time data supplied by her Power Armor and the innate talent to "communicate" with animals, pinpoints the gathering spot of the Ghost‑faced Beasts and relays it to the Grey Knights and Sparta for extermination.

However, her expression and demeanor appear unusually solemn.

Pallas Athena.

This goddess of war and wisdom is also another of her sisters.

Reuniting with family would normally be a cause for joy and excitement, but reunion among the Olympian gods now is utterly inapplicable.

Reuniting with Aphrodite, Artemis discovers that the latter has willingly fallen, becoming the mastermind behind the chaos engulfing the border star sector, and is likewise the equally fallen Pallas.

In her recollection, Pallas was patient with humanity, often walking the world to teach humans knowledge, and even founded the first court in Athens, carefully guiding humanity upward.

At the same time, Pallas's war prowess rivals that of the war god Ares, even surpassing the long‑fallen war‑god brother; her divine power is among the highest of all gods.

Yet the once‑patient goddess who sought to lead humanity has become a chaotic evil deity who kills as if humans were weeds, revels in slaughter, and delights in cruelty.

Thinking of this.

Artemis only wishes to give Pallas a swift end, freeing her from the fate of becoming a plaything of the Other Dimension.

In contemplation.

She and five Grey Knights quick‑step through to a relatively open area within the rainforest.

Here.

A hundred Ghost‑faced Beasts form several concentric circles according to a sacrificial diagram, and whispers and corruption from the Other Dimension further warp their already coarse, ugly bodies and faces.

With no weapons in hand and even their armor discarded at their feet, they assume a posture of awaiting death.

Seeing this.

Knowing Pallas's temperament, Artemis understands that the fallen goddess no longer wishes to play pre‑battle scheming; since the human side can ignore killing the Ghost‑faced Beasts to complete the sacrifice, Pallas is prepared to accept a direct confrontation.

Thus Artemis and the Grey Knights immediately hurled several crescent‑moon grenades and "sprayed" a barrage of moonlight explosive arrows to instantly annihilate the group of Ghost‑faced Beasts.

After dealing with them, they continue onward.

While moving forward, Artemis also watches the holographic screen projected before her right eye, monitoring the situation in Pulton.

Since the second encirclement operation began, the rainforest area where the Ghost‑faced Beasts gathered has been almost cleared, yet an increasing number of anomaly reports have emerged alongside the beasts' deaths.

Examples include spontaneous rainforest combustion or mass animal die‑offs, among others.

These anomalies indicate that the gateway from the Other Dimension to reality is opening, since the Ghost‑faced Beasts offered as sacrifices are about to be wiped out.

Not long after.

Artemis and her party have already arrived at another area.

This place is neither open nor spacious, and there are no Ghost‑faced Beasts arranged in a sacrificial diagram; instead, the area is covered with a fortress of camouflaged branches and dead wood.

The entrance gate stands open.

The plasma machine guns and cannons installed inside the fortress show no sign of firing at Artemis and her group, suggesting no Ghost‑faced Beast is operating them.

Approaching the edge of the entrance.

Artemis uses the Power Armor's pulse scan to attempt analysis of the fortress interior.

Soon, the screen before her right eye provides the scan results, showing the interior is clear and that a massive underground space lies beneath the fortress.

It appears the Ghost‑faced Beasts, within the brief half‑moon after landing in the rainforest, unleashed their species' construction potential, managing to excavate a space of this magnitude.

Simultaneously, the pulse scan detects abundant biological activity within the space.

Artemis shares the discovery, then lightly waves her left hand forward, signaling the five Grey Knights beside her to enter the structure together.

Walking through the dim, gloomy interior passage, the party occasionally hears a wailing "wu…wu" and a mournful "ah—!" cry.

It is not a whisper beside the ear.

But a tangible sound.

The air is saturated with an unbearable stench of rot, causing Artemis to grimace in disgust.

Following the optimal route suggested by the scan, they reach the southern entrance of the underground space in about two minutes.

They exit the passage.

First entering their view is a massive Greek‑style temple perched atop a low hill at the center of the vast space.

However, the temple's construction material is predominantly purple and pink metal, resembling the old‑style metal armor of the Covenant Empire's armored units.

In half a month, the Ghost‑faced Beasts lacked the capability

to, for their worship of Pallas, locate sufficient marble or other stone to build the temple.

Yet within this time they managed to excavate an underground space roughly the size of ten football fields, indicating that the Ghost‑faced Beasts, to appease the "deity," could accomplish virtually any "great feat."

The temple radiates a pale blue glow from within outward, and beneath the low hill it stands, countless Ghost‑faced Beasts with wholly distorted bodies and twisted faces gather in a state of frenzy.

They kneel toward the temple, repeatedly chanting something;

"Our god will lead us to resume the pilgrimage."

"The Empire will rise again under our god's protection."

Upon hearing these, Artemis could easily guess that Pallas was indeed using this group of ghost-faced beasts, implementing corruption by means of the strong emotions and thoughts involved in rebuilding the Holy Covenant Empire.

Hearing this, Artemis easily infers that Pallas is using this horde of Ghost‑faced Beasts to resurrect the Covenant Empire's fervent sentiments and ideology, thereby effecting corruption.

Five gray knights, in order to conserve the ammunition they carried, swung the Vengeance Goddess power spears and charged into the muddled ghost-faced beast horde.

To conserve ammunition, the five Grey Knights brandish their vengeance‑god powered halberds and charge into the bewildered Ghost‑faced Beast swarm.

The gray knights then began to carry out the physical purification procedure in an orderly manner.

the Grey Knights begin methodically executing a physical purification protocol.

But the facts proved…

Even if they obtained Pallas's whisper blessing, but before the Grey Knights, this group of ghost-faced beasts were only flesh and soul, facing the fate of being cut and burned by the Vengeful Goddess's power spear.

Moreover, the Grey Knights' chief instructor was also present.

Seeing Artemis, who likewise sought to conserve ammunition, she attached the explosive-arrow gun to the outer armor of her right leg, and with her right hand drew a moonblade whose blade was wrapped in a clear green light.

"Roar!"

"Die! Weak humans!"

But before she could launch her charge, two ghost-faced beasts actively came around, one of them raising a gravity hammer, smashing toward her head.

In an instant.

Artemis reacted with extreme speed: first a left dodge to avoid the smash, then twisting her wrist to wield the moonblade, she cut in half the ghost-faced beast holding the gravity hammer.

Immediately after, she clenched her left fist and threw a seemingly casual punch at the upper body of another ghost-faced beast…

"Bang!!"—like a watermelon bursting.

(End of chapter)