Chapter 297: After the Purge

Budapeni local time: 08/17 00:04.

Nearly seven hours have passed since John stepped on Parras' head with one foot.

The gunfire and explosions in the rainforest have long ceased, indicating that the encirclement operation has also ended.

However, the residents of cities and towns still obey the curfew, and the streets are patrolled only by law‑officer‑assigned bomb‑proof vehicles or airships.

Above Budapeni in low Earth orbit, docked are the Zeus‑class temporary flagship of the Second Legion, matching Puerdon's rotation speed, and Artemis's flagship Round Moon.

Inside the Round Moon.

In a large isolation chamber frequently used by ship technicians, a fallen god servant whose armor is embedded in its skin is being held.

Its legs and arms have been cut off, the wound is carefully sealed by technicians specializing in interdimensional handling with composite sealing film to prevent blood loss, and it lies on a pristine multifunctional operating table.

It tries to struggle, but its neck and waist are bound by titanium‑fiber metal ropes, forcing it to writhe grotesquely like a worm.

The entire isolation chamber's deck and walls are equally white and minimalist, suffused with Umbrella style, and in the corner stand four Grey Knights guarding.

These four giants wielding Revenge Goddess‑powered halberds, helmets on, silently watch the fallen god servant.

Swish~!

The chamber hatch suddenly opens.

Artemis, still clad in her dedicated Terminator power armor, and a group of technicians in white sealed suits pass through the hatch, use the disinfection corridor where Moonwater serves as disinfectant, enter the isolation chamber, and walk slowly to the fallen god servant.

!

Seeing among the newcomers the former Hunting God, the fallen god servant grows even more feral, as if it wants to devour Artemis alive.

At this moment, a technician opens a silver refrigeration unit, extracts a tubular container filled with pale‑red liquid, and inserts it into a syringe.

Immediately, aided by other colleagues, they peel off the sealing film on the fallen god servant's right arm, thrust the syringe needle through the wound into its body, inject the pale‑red liquid, and reseal the opening with film.

The procedure appears to be some kind of experiment.

After about half a minute, Artemis, who had been watching the whole time, notices the fallen god servant struggling to maintain its shape, its body swelling as viscous liquid repeatedly batteres all the film.

Finally…

With a "Boom~!" the fallen god servant bursts like a ruptured vesicle, slime and tissue spilling from the operating platform.

Seeing this.

A technician recording the scene with a holographic screen immediately switches the display and manipulates it.

Then several spray nozzles beneath the chamber ceiling emit a mist of Moonwater.

The rotting body emits intermittent "Sizzle…" sounds, quickly liquefying into a clear puddle.

Even so, once the spray nozzles retract, the technicians still carry out "cleaning" and "disinfection" procedures.

Artemis lets out a light sigh, opens the hatch, leaves the isolation chamber, passes through the disinfection corridor, and heads toward the bridge via the outer passage.

Her sigh was not for the fallen god servant's pity or sympathy, but for the disappointment of another failed experiment.

The injected pale‑red liquid is a custom formulation developed by the Plague Doctor for her and six other god‑servant mentors, based on the human "vaccine".

After the encirclement operation ended, the Grey Knights captured four fallen god servants for experiments; now all four test subjects have had their bodies explode.

Artemis's purpose is not to cure them, because once they fall into Rift Space they are doomed to become waste, absolutely incurable.

What she truly intends is to interrogate them about what happened to Zeus's army, what befell the other gods besides Parras.

However, the four fallen god servants keep silent, saying nothing; after all, they are god‑servant soldiers under Parras.

Discipline is strict.

Even in ruin, this cannot change; no information can be extracted, so Artemis authorized the use of the "vaccine" for a trial.

Although the result was a failure, the experimental data have been retained for the Plague Doctor to develop more Rift‑space drugs.

As for the Parras skeleton recovered by the Second Legion and transferred to the Round Moon, it will also be handed to the Plague Doctor as experimental material.

Thinking of this, Artemis remains composed, not grieving the "relative"'s death; she only feels relief that Parras is freed and that more lives are spared from this "relative"'s poison.

"Sir."

At this point Artemis has not gone far when a bridge crew member reports over the comms:

"Third Legion, the Dark Angel fleet is about to enter Puerdon's gravity range."

She hears the words.

Artemis stops, turns, walks toward the hangar, and replies, "Copy that, ready a Thunder."

"Yes."

Shortly after the conversation ends.

Outside the Round Moon.

In Puerdon's sunward gravity field, over forty variably sized jump exits suddenly appear, and the Dark Angel fleet sequentially exits Rift Space.

When the jump exits vanish, the fleet expands its spacing at normal cruising speed, preparing to approach Puerdon's low orbit.

A Thunder Transport Plane departs the Round Moon, while another Thunder and a large transport vessel exit the temporary flagship's hangar, all heading toward the Courage Anthem, which is surrounded by warships and vessels at its center.

——————

Courage Anthem hangar.

Ground crew wearing fully sealed pressure suits are coordinating and guiding the escorting Viking fighters to exit the hangar one by one.

At this moment, two Thunders and a transport vessel whose paint scheme differs markedly from the Dark Angel's sequentially pass through air‑valve membranes into the hangar interior, then, assisted by ground crew, line up and land in the designated docking area.

Not far from the docking area.

A group of guards wearing black‑gold Terminators stands there, along with numerous Dark Angel Honor Guard holy knights.

Most conspicuous are Leon, clad in powered armor with the Lion King Sword and Cassius Gun attached to his back, and Sui Bian, hands clasped behind his back, accompanied by his two AI secretaries.

Sui Bian silently watches as the Thunder and transport vessel open their hatches.

Then Artemis, John, Leon and Buleiya, escorted by a few Warrior Guard members and an emergency team, walk out of the cabin.

Among them, the emergency team also "escorts" a Mar elf named Ina, walking toward Sui Bian.

Approaching, he stopped. John reported first: "Father, the situation in the border fortress star sector has stabilized, and with the aid of the Grey Knights, the Kirahani tribe and the demons from Rift Space have also been exterminated, expelled, and purified."

"Hmm, well done." Sui Bian said with a faint smile, then turned his head toward Leon and said with a teasing tone:

"Leon, sometimes I wonder whether it's just your bad luck—no matter where you go, emergencies erupt everywhere—or whether trouble actively seeks you out, following you around in chaos?"

"Well… it must be bad luck," Leon laughed self‑deprecatingly, then added, "Especially when it comes to transportation."

Seeing this, Sui Bian smiled without replying, no longer rebuking his veteran subordinate, and turned to Ina, still in a patient gown and eyed warily by the emergency team, asking Buleiya:

"Supervisor Buleiya, how is that companion's condition?"

Upon hearing the question, Buleiya immediately reported: "Physiological condition is stable; based on tests and observations, their self‑healing ability is extremely strong, yet they remain unconscious and cannot be interrogated."

Before anyone could continue reporting, Ina spoke up, interjecting: "Honorable human authority, on behalf of the great ancestor Ailinmir, I sincerely invite you to the Mar star system to discuss alliance matters with her."

"Invitation?" Sui Bian fixed his gaze on her, showing a very friendly smile, and said:

"Some things are better said directly; I dislike beating around the bush, and I also dislike those who enjoy riddles… or entire races.

Little girl, you Mar people are seeking an alliance with us humans… no, you should be seeking shelter instead.

If you want to show sufficient sincerity, your so‑called great ancestor should come to Puerdon on their own, right?"

He said.

Without waiting for Ina's response, Sui Bian shifted slightly, glanced at Lai'ang standing behind him, who had remained silent, and ordered:

"Lai'ang, please help the little girl named Ina, go to the Mar star system and invite that great ancestor over. Remember to be courteous."

"With pleasure, Father."

Lai'ang gladly agreed, leading a group of Holy Knights forward, taking over the "escort" duty for Ina from the emergency team.

Then, Lai'ang looked down at the bewildered Ina and said coldly: "Please come with us."

"Um… but…" Ina, after regaining composure, was conflicted, having not expected Sui Bian's attitude to be so forceful.

But she looked at the Holy Knights gathered around, then glanced up at the expressionless Lai'ang, who seemed to refuse communication…

In the end, Ina reluctantly nodded, and was escorted by the giants toward a Thunder Transport Plane belonging to Dark Angel, its engines already running and ready.

She entered the cabin.

The hatch closed.

The pilot maneuvered the Thunder Transport Plane off the deck, following instructions to pass through the air‑valve membrane.

Outside the ship.

The Thunder Transport Plane quickly moved away from the Courage Anthem, heading straight into another Zeus‑class carrier.

Then this Zeus‑class ship detached from the Dark Angel fleet, accompanied by an Achilles‑class carrier, two Gorgon‑class battleships, six Resolute‑class destroyers, and a supply vessel.

A total of eleven vessels left the fleet, and upon reaching a safe distance, they opened a jump portal, continuously entering Rift Space without pause, racing toward the Mar star system over a hundred light‑years away.

Meanwhile, inside the hangar of the Courage Anthem,

Leon internally gave a wholehearted thumbs‑up to Sui Bian's firm stance.

Although the Mar people displayed a decent attitude, seeming to sincerely seek an alliance with humans, their fondness for riddles truly displeased Leon.

If they had been clear the first time they contacted him, four wouldn't have died and one wouldn't have been gravely injured.

"Leon, you and your agents, in cooperation with Supervisor Buleiya's intelligence division, will assist the company with post‑incident work."

Hearing Sui Bian's order, Leon stopped pondering the "riddle people", regained his composure, and, together with Buleiya, saluted Sui Bian, saying: "Yes, Chairman."

"Hmm," Sui Bian lightly replied, raising his hand in return.

He lowered his hand.

After Leon, Buleiya, and the others turned and left, preparing the transport craft to return to Puerdon's surface, Sui Bian finally said to his second son:

"John, more evil gods may soon try to corrupt you and even your brothers."

"I could never betray, Father," John replied immediately: "I have already hunted down that Paras; if any brother does betray, I will act without hesitation to free both you and the brothers."

But before John could finish, Sui Bian waved his hand, cutting him off, seemingly indifferent to Paras's scheming, and instructed:

"There's no need to utter ominous words. What I mean is, when the evil gods and demons realize they cannot sway your brothers and learn of the vaccine's existence, they will devise more tricks and ambushes; you must always be ready.

Alright, Puerdon and the border star sector still await your wrap‑up, and the public also needs you, the OriginalBody Governor, to provide an account of the incident. Moreover, I will remain here for a short while, so go ahead with your duties."

"Yes, Father," John agreed.

The OriginalBody, without lingering, led the warrior guard away, heading back toward the temporary flagship of the Second Legion.

Meanwhile, Sui Bian released an invisible Spiritual Energy pulse that swiftly enveloped all of Puerdon, conducting a covert "thorough scan" and simultaneously providing protection for the planet's humans.

Although he has always upheld the principle that "humans must rely on themselves," guiding humanity toward self‑strength and independence without restricting its development, he could not restrain his release of Spiritual Energy on site to ensure everything functioned properly.

Even though Umbrella now uses moon‑water and various recent medicines and inventions from the Plague Doctor, it has the capability to completely eradicate the remnants of Rift Space.

It may be his obsessive‑compulsive tendency.

While releasing Spiritual Energy, Sui Bian finally found a moment to glance aside and, with a light laugh, asked the ever‑silent Artemis:

"You've already lost two close relatives at the hands of the OriginalBody's subordinates; don't you feel any resentment?"

"Am I such a petty god, boss?" Artemis flicked her ponytail lightly, also smiling, and replied:

"The true Paras and Aphroditae have long since fallen, and those children merely helped them break free from their bonds. I haven't even had time to thank them, so how could I harbor resentment?"

"By the way…"

Artemis said, then removed the full‑moon bow attached to her powered armor waist, handed it to Sui Bian, and reminded: "The purge consumed a great deal of Spiritual Energy; please replenish it for me."

Everyone, tomorrow it's pleasant to go to a Chinese medicine clinic for a massage; my lower back and spine are acting up again.

The incident caused by Paras Athena is nearing its end; next we will discuss matters with the Spirit Tribe, and in a few days a new storyline will begin.

Finally, there's the call for Sui Bian to "proclaim himself emperor"; to put it simply, he differs from the emperor, being rational yet still humane.

As long as it keeps humanity safe, he will do it.

Finally, thank you all for your support—thanks for subscribing, donations, recommendation votes, and subscriptions!

(End of chapter)