Chapter 644: Artwork

Buzz—! Buzz—!

The airdrop pod was like the World War II era, when bomber formations carried out saturation bombing of the ground, giving the metal surface that had endured nuclear flash a thorough "clean‑up".

But the airdrop pod wasn't a bomb, and since the metal surface no longer had any resisting force, the pod's passengers and pilots didn't need to perform a "free‑fall" descent; they activated anti‑gravity protocols and landed almost perfectly smoothly…

That turned out to be an excellent thing for ground crew and logistics staff, at least there was no excessive repair work.

Tap~tap~!

The pod doors burst open.

Thud, thud.

Magnetic boots made contact with the metal surface.

Nearly a thousand Spartas clad in slim Terminator‑style suits, equipped with Thunder‑God Hammer Mark 12 power armor, plus ten thousand auxiliary troops outfitted with the latest Helunding power armor, and the HellParatroopers who insist on "using mortal bodies to oppose all beasts" all streamed out of the airdrop pod, weapons in hand, heading toward the pyramid cluster deep within the isolated island.

And that's not all.

As the Spartas and auxiliary troops began to gather in squads, platoons, and companies and launched their charges, countless transport vessels also arrived at the landing zone.

"Charge! Charge! Charge!"

"Swing your fat butts! Tear the *** off those metal skeletons! Then shove it back into their unchewable mouths!"

"General! I don't think those metal aberrations have ***, General!"

"Silence, soldier! Your duty is to obey orders!"

"General! Yes! General!"

The moment the transport's hatch opened, more auxiliary troops and hundreds of thousands of marines roared out of the cabin, joining the heavy carriers, mobile artillery, and ground mechs also ferried by the transport into the area, forming a wave that followed the earlier airdrop forces in their assault.

Swish! Swish!

Nearly ten thousand carrier‑borne aircraft, attack planes, and flying mechs skimmed low over the assembled troops, then sped forward to help the main force deal with various threats and hazards.

At the same time, over a hundred airborne bastions were on a "leisurely cruise," using large‑caliber cannons and ample "robust" missile stockpiles to bomb the assembling army of undead.

If you look closely at the already‑assembled main force of the 1st Battalion, the vanguard isn't a Sparta but a female auxiliary soldier with obvious gold‑colored paint and a power pack that bears a glowing iron ring.

Moreover, the short‑haired female auxiliary, shouting loudly "Die! Die! Shreds," slammed the trigger of her specialty blast arrow gun, spraying antimatter explosive arrows at the distant Space Death Spirits.

Boom! Boom!

In the distance, white flashes rose, followed by mushroom clouds and shockwaves.

It seems this female auxiliary is venting her inner fury onto the aberrations.

In fact, the auxiliary's name is Tis Byron, one of the first "mortals" to join the Sparta Corps, famed for having apparently beheaded a Chaos Astate whose strength was at the level of a battalion champion.

Moreover, her recent kick at a soldier sounded not like a Sparta Corps shout but like a Space Wild Wolves war cry, such as the earlier "tear the *** off those metal skeletons" roar.

Also, the Chaos champion she beheaded a century ago was known to collect ***.

Of course, it's not Tis Byron herself who, under Chaos influence, harbors a deep grudge against ***, but rather, since the Empire's upper echelons relaxed restrictions on artificial intelligence research and allowed sophisticated AI to serve the corps and battalions, the general who commands the 1st Battalion and oversees the entire Sparta auxiliary forces and marines has become increasingly irritable.

Now, she vents all her lingering resentment onto the Space Death Spirits.

As the ground and air main forces completed their assembly and then dispersed to charge the nearest metal pyramid, an elite strike team was already low‑flying through silent streets, launching an assault on what appeared to be the island's core and, visibly, the largest pyramid.

In fact, that strike team consisted of Wokan, An Na Jin, and three hundred warriors who command the glorious centurions, all equipped with flight packs attached to their power armor.

Few in number, yes, but the most elite; in terms of strength and equipment value, this strike team can fully stand up to all the forces that have landed on the island.

Of course, such a stand‑off requires throwing the OriginalBody outside, because in theory a single OriginalBody cannot be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of Astate; at most it can be delayed, unless it meets an opponent of equal strength or level,

Currently, the main landing force of the 1st Battalion is like a wasp sting, drawing ninety percent—or even more—of the defending forces.

This lets the strike team advance at low altitude, weaving between buildings with little resistance.

After a short time, they reached the apparent core of the island and the towering metal pyramid, whose peak rose a hundred kilometers above the surface.

A view from above.

They resembled a cluster of insignificant, almost invisible specks, arriving at the massive plaza on the pyramid's southern side.

Zoom back the view.

"Hoo… hoo…~"

Helmet‑less An Na Jin looked around; aside from the seemingly endless plaza and the boundlessly tall pyramid, only the whistling wind that brushed his ears during the rapid flight remained.

Silence…

Stillness…

Besides them, there was nothing else here, not even a hint of resistance or obstruction, as if…

…as if the enemy had opened the door, welcoming them in?

An Na Jin's sixth sense told him that their smooth arrival was not due to the 1st Battalion's main force drawing attention.

Just as An Na Jin was about to speak up, he heard the commander of the warrior guard say over the comms:

"All personnel, increase vigilance, prepare to accelerate, and breach the target interior in the shortest time to determine whether our true objective is present inside.

If it exists, then loot and return; if no trace of a true objective, withdraw immediately—this place is very strange."

"." The warriors all responded with silence.

"Understood." The two young OriginalBodies replied.

Next.

The group again increased their flight speed and rose slightly, entering the outward‑extending entrance tunnel, racing toward the pyramid's interior.

The tunnel was extremely spacious, with a vertical diameter of about six kilometers, allowing escort ships and destroyers to navigate freely.

When they reached the faint green light at the tunnel's end and passed straight through, they discovered the pyramid's interior lacked multiple levels, appearing hollowed out.

Moreover, they beheld a "work of art" whose length, width, and height each spanned dozens of kilometers…

Brilliant Star Map.

(End of Chapter)