Chapter 379: The Great Apparatus 001, 002 and 003

Outside the metropolitan area.

The giant temporary base, built by the local Dianka engineering team and the engineers who arrived with the Sparta fleet, is responsible for receiving wounded soldiers and civilians, helping to ease the pressure on the metropolitan hospitals.

Among the medical staff gathered in the base, most come from the Sparta auxiliary forces and the UNSC fleet's medical officers and nurses, and their skill is unquestionably top‑tier.

In a modular cabin on the far east side of the base, there are no imagined whimpers like "Ah… it hurts…," "Ow… ow…," nor the shouted pleas "Doctor! Save me, doctor! I don't want to die!".

Reality is entirely different from imagination; there is no groaning, no shouting, no pungent smell of medicine or blood, only cool air‑conditioning and comfortable beds.

The patients lying here are all auxiliary troops from Sparta's 16th Battalion, and fully intact bodies are extremely rare; most have missing arms or legs, severe burns, some even reduced to "human sticks."

The enemies the auxiliaries face are chaotic Astate beings empowered by a dark god; once their shields fail and a warhead pierces their powered armor, they usually die outright, though a few lucky "big‑heads," such as the auxiliary lying in this cabin, survive by chance.

With cutting‑edge nanotech and professional medical staff conducting examinations and treatment, they have long left the life‑threatening stage, and even the most tormenting pain and itching have been eliminated.

After full recovery, Umbrella will also reimburse the cost of biological prosthetic limbs and bodies.

As for biological prosthetics, Umbrella uses the patients' blood and genes to replicate the missing parts, far superior to mechanical limbs, with no rejection, so the patients can "return to their original state" in no time.

However, even with the Ark's comfortable environment and the company's generous benefits and subsidies, the patients' enthusiasm remains low.

After all, no matter how advanced medical technology becomes, being wounded is still miserable—physically, mentally, and most importantly, they can no longer join the main force for an expedition to a parallel universe.

Although superiors have not yet transmitted any expedition information, given humanity's habit of avenging grudges, an expedition is inevitable.

But they're wounded! They can't personally punish the traitors, which is… extremely unsatisfying.

Beyond the lackluster morale, the patients temporarily staying in the cabin are also full of doubt and confusion: the one who first stopped their pain wasn't the professional medical team, but a powerful Spiritual User, and while receiving this Spiritual User's Spiritual Energy treatment, they also sensed a…

a maternal radiance?

It evokes that distant childhood memory when, after being mischievous, reckless, or accidentally injured, the pain makes you burst into tears, and your mother pulls you into her arms to soothe your emotions and steady your mind.

At this moment, the Spiritual User is inside the main facility at the center of the base, continuing to use "her" Spiritual Energy to assist the medical staff in treating severely wounded civilians and soldiers, alleviating their suffering.

And this Spiritual User is Hera, who single‑handedly raises a shield to protect the Dianka metropolitan area.

At that moment, four Sparta auxiliaries clad in CMC Commander‑type power armor stride unimpeded into the facility, silently waiting outside the critical care observation room.

Seeing this, without the nurses needing to ask, Hera, who possesses acute perception, already knows the four auxiliaries' purpose, so she turns and leaves, continuing to emit Spiritual Energy to ease the physiological and psychological pain of the critical patients.

Just after leaving the observation room, one auxiliary, in a very cold tone, reminds Hera, "Please follow us."

"Fine." Hera gives a faint smile and nods, completely indifferent to their attitude, and "her" gaze unintentionally shows a hint of expectation, even…

nostalgia?

Next, the four auxiliaries, each about 2.1 m tall under the CMC Commander‑type augmentation, escort the 1.77‑m Hera in the center, silently walking out of the facility.

Immediately after, Hera boards an atmospheric transport craft with the auxiliaries, flying away from the temporary base toward the kilometer‑high altitude.

Finally, the transport craft docks inside a Zeus‑class flagship belonging to Sparta Corps' 1st Battalion, and among the many giants on the flagship's hangar deck is John, whom Hera has been constantly thinking of.

When the transport lands and opens its side doors for the auxiliaries and Hera to exit, John leads a squad of warrior guards to approach the enigmatic Olympian goddess, whose allegiance remains unclear.

…

In contrast, Hera, who had been calmly smiling and serene, finds her jaw lift as John draws nearer, and "her" eyes instantly become moist, tears gathering at the corners, her expression equally sorrowful.

???

What's going on?

Seeing her like that, John steps closer, stops, and looks down at Hera, deeply puzzled.

Along with a group of warriors and the four escorting auxiliaries, they are all bewildered, wondering whether their OriginalBody had, in past battles, casually slain some relative or offspring of this goddess.

But that makes no sense.

The auxiliaries might not know, but the centenarian warrior guard knows their OriginalBody only killed the fallen goddess Pallas Athena, and Hera's "husband" Zeus was slain by their father with a single sword.

Their OriginalBody and this goddess should…

have no deep grudge, right?

Hera's tears pour down like a breached dam, unstoppable, streaking across her flawless white cheek, dripping onto the metal deck, and the Olympian deity's tears faintly glimmer with a golden hue.

Then, "she" slows her steps, moving toward the nearby John, slowly raising both arms, her voice trembling as she calls, "Child… my child…"

Child?!

Upon hearing Hera's words, everyone present freezes instantly, some unable to react.

Fortunately the warriors wear helmets; otherwise a group of giants, whose usual demeanor is cold, composed, and unflappable, would have shown gaping mouths and wide‑open eyes.

However, the most surprised is John, whom Hera called "child."

…

At this moment, the Sparta OriginalBody also shows a hint of shock, but its expression quickly returns to normal, and it hurriedly steps back two paces, evading Hera's approach, then asks in a lowered voice:

"Child? Please explain why you address me that way."

While speaking, John is still restraining his anger; had his father not reminded him that Hera might be a potential human ally, he might have actually fired a shot at her…

After all, who would have thought she'd call him "child"??

Seeing John step back and sensing his anger, Hera finally realizes "she" has overstepped, quickly regains composure and suppresses her sorrowful demeanor.

"Ahem… sorry." After clearing her throat, apologizing while trying to smooth over the earlier lapse, Hera regains the aura befitting a goddess, scans John up and down, and can't help praising:

"Truly worthy of being the second son of humanity's ruler; in both appearance and ability, you are a war god of mankind…"

Speaking, Hera's gaze unintentionally flicks to the Fear Spear behind John and his fiery red cloak, then meets John's eyes, offering an explanation:

"John, your appearance, your divine power (Spiritual Energy), especially your unsmiling demeanor, all make me inevitably think of my already‑sacrificed son."

"My already‑sacrificed son…"

Hearing that, John's anger eases a bit, and he immediately grasps her meaning; clearly, Hera is treating him as Ares.

But John still finds it puzzling that the hunting goddess, so close to his father, never mentioned any resemblance between him and Ares.

Nevertheless, Hera may be longing for Ares to the point of illness, and together with his Fear Spear and the full war‑god armor his father bestowed decades ago—both symbols of Ares.

A moment of silence.

John still wears a cold expression, but his tone is no longer hostile or guarded; in a deep voice he says, "I understand your longing, madam, but I am not Ares; please keep that in mind."

"Just now, it was my fault." Hera also shook her head apologetically, and without waiting for John to continue the topic, she proactively stated her purpose: "Besides, please you and your father rest assured; I saw Dianka in danger, so I chose to appear voluntarily to help Dianka overcome the crisis."

I also know that Artemis and Hephestus are currently assisting you and your father in consolidating humanity's great undertaking. As for me, I am very grateful to your father for 'helping' Zeus, and for the fallen gods gaining liberation.

"You mean you are willing to cooperate with us humans?" John said indifferently.

"That's right." Hera did not deny, and also said: "Given the current situation, humanity indeed needs more strength to maintain territorial stability."

"Thank you." John nodded, then turned and walked toward the bridge, facing away from Hera as he said: "Please follow me; my father will speak with you directly."

"All right." Hera readily agreed.

———————

…

Forty-two hours later.

Dianka local time was July 15, 07:16.

Within these two days, the rebel side had no major movements, only dispatching small fleets, under the empowerment of chaotic forces, attempting to sneak through the vortex space gate.

However, these small fleets were all destroyed by the three thousand Spartan warships and the Leodanian.

Although spiritual energy stealth is extremely effective, humanity's 'play' with optical camouflage is even more 'played' to perfection; despite the essential difference between these two stealth types, with current human technology, it is easy to detect warships of this stealth level.

In fact, the lack of major movements is also related to the subspace navigation technology used by humanity in Warhammer 30,40k; even if the rebels have chaotic force empowerment, two days is simply insufficient to complete any kind of deployment.

In contrast, humanity of the main universe…

At that moment, within the spatial range of the vortex space gate, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of jump exits suddenly appeared in succession.

Only to see corresponding numbers of different lengths, widths, and specifications of 'steel behemoths' departing from the rift space; such a scene is absolutely unprecedented in human history.

There are seven jump exits over three hundred kilometers in diameter, four of which are respectively intended to facilitate the home worlds of the Glory Fist, Dark Crow Guard, Cleansers, and Holy Blood Angels reaching this side of the vortex space gate.

The other three have diameters reaching an astonishing 4,400 kilometers, allowing three 'ring'-shaped, yet distinct celestial-level 'vessels' to mingle among the human warship fleet.

These three 'rings' are exactly the Grand Devices 001, 002, and 003 mentioned by Sui Bian and the White Empress, and are also the Umbrella-recreated Halo of the Administrator civilization.

It is a Halo belonging solely to humanity.

Back then, Robert, Leon, and other OriginalBodies, after resolving the Titanium Empire and Green-skin crises, brought back the Terra Shield for their father; its memory storage contained the complete technology for building Halos and Arks.

After Umbrella fully mastered these two technologies, the Feilusi Foundry Star Region took charge of production; over six years, humanity now possesses nine Halos each with a diameter of four thousand kilometers.

However, the Ark's progress is somewhat slow.

Although the human Ark is a replica, an imitation of the Administrator civilization, smaller in every aspect compared to the original, it is still capable of swallowing an Earth-like planet, then autonomously constructing a Halo, or serving as an Ark for various celestial-level structures and warships.

The human Ark's diameter is half that of the Administrator Ark, yet even that diameter reaches seventy thousand kilometers, a 'blossom' that still requires six years to build—a 'space lotus'.

Furthermore, while developing the Halo and Ark projects, Umbrella did not neglect to implement corresponding defensive measures.

Humanity has long mastered the complete technology of shield worlds; as for the home world's diameter being 'only' a hundred kilometers, that is because there is no need to build it to the thousand-kilometer scale—maintaining consistent firepower suffices.

Besides powerful firepower and a considerable degree of self-sufficiency, shield worlds can also resist the cross-phase pulse waves emitted by the Halo matrix.

Spear and shield must both be possessed.

Therefore, the Anbu Lei La Engineering Department is working around the clock, installing sufficient numbers of 'protective stance' generation devices in near-Earth orbit of colonized planets such as Earth, Mars, and Venus.

For example, present-day Earth first deployed sixty-four such generators, and continues to expand intangible, formless protective stances.

Numbered and authorized aircraft, space shuttles, and warships can freely enter and exit; if an unauthorized unidentified object, or an extremely fast asteroid, it will directly 'collide' with the protective stance, utterly unable to endanger the surface.

Moreover, this protective stance technology originates from the Administrator civilization; not only can it serve as a planetary defense mechanism, but it can also resist the 'extinction flash' emitted by the Halo, avoiding the scenario where humanity, in a crisis, fully activates the Halo matrix and ends up sharing the same doom of mutual annihilation.

(End of chapter)