Chapter 447: The Road to Heaven, Untaken

“The year 2552—The final confrontation between the Unified Earth Government and the Covenant. Arcadia… That means those ’ostriches’ in the Covenant have already found the location of Reach.”

Inside a luxurious chamber near the flagship bridge of the Imperial Navy’s sub-fleet, Selene stood with her hands behind her back, holding a letter. She gazed out the floor-to-ceiling viewport at the shimmering alien sea, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun.

The sunset cast its glow upon the pristine blue waters, while a gentle sea breeze stirred golden ripples across the surface.

Wave after wave lapped against the untouched golden coastline. As colossal constructs roared through the sky, a skyline of rising construction sites stretched toward the horizon.

Amidst the vast open fields, surrounding the ancient ruins of the Precursors, Imperial researchers and engineers bustled about in great numbers, filling the air with the clamor of scientific and industrial endeavor.

From the Imperial Navy’s ships in orbit, thousands of massive engineering vehicles had descended, immediately beginning the transformation of the landscape. Hills were leveled, ravines filled, forests cleared—thunderous engines roared, and heavy transport ships stirred up rolling clouds of dust as they ferried equipment to and from the surface.

This was the beauty of industry, a wild and relentless symphony of progress.

“The Battle of Reach is imminent.”

Tearing her gaze from the alien vista, Selene drummed her fingers on the nearby table and let out a slow breath.

Having reviewed the intelligence reports from both Budo and Konrad Curze, she now had a clear grasp of the ongoing situation in the galaxy, as well as the recent movements of both the Covenant and the Unified Earth Government (U.E.G.).

She paced back to the tea table, skimmed over a few more lines of the document, and then casually tossed it aside before reclining into a plush sofa.

The chamber’s furnishings—doors, desks, and ornate screens—were all crafted from precious woods such as golden nanmu, agarwood, and purple sandalwood. Every detail of the room exuded an air of opulence.

Even the sofa she lounged upon was made from the fur of a Super Danger Beast from the Empire’s frigid northern territories, while its stuffing consisted of down plucked from a rare airborne predator.

Before her, a crystal table was laden with fine wines, exotic fruits, and delicate pastries.

Gazing up at the crystal chandelier above, Selene murmured, “Spartan soldiers.”

Though her posture was relaxed, her ingrained etiquette, drilled into her since childhood by Sebas, ensured that even her laziness maintained an air of dignity.

After all, aside from Sebas, no one in the Empire dared to correct Selene’s minor lapses in decorum.

“Aside from the low success rates of the Orion Project and the Spartan-II augmentations, later iterations such as Spartan-III and IV reportedly had much higher survival rates…”

To Selene, even the strongest Spartan-IIs were hardly remarkable. Whether they could even defeat a freshly recruited Imperial Auxiliary soldier was questionable, let alone an Astartes warrior.

On the Imperial homeworld and within the war-torn realms of the Honkai Dimension, the baseline for physical strength had continuously risen due to the subtle but persistent influence of Honkai energy.

Even though this influence was slow and weak—unlike the rapid empowerment given to the Imperial Guard or Astartes via Selene’s expansionist conquests—the improvements were real. Over time, they would only become more pronounced.

Pausing for a moment, Selene uttered another name, “Dr. Catherine Halsey.”

The real asset wasn’t the Spartans’ bio-enhancement technology—it was the people, the scientists, the technological expertise, and the industrial system of the Unified Earth Government.

“Someone, come here.”

“Your Majesty.”

The ornately carved doors swung open, and a golden-armored Imperial Guard entered. He softly shut the doors behind him before cautiously stepping forward, stopping ten paces away from Selene, and kneeling respectfully on one knee.

“Summon the Fleet Commander and the Forge Director to meet me.”

Seated cross-legged on the luxurious sofa, Selene’s fair skin shimmered with a vibrant, healthy glow, exuding an aura of refined grace and nobility.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“It is time to introduce ourselves to humanity—the descendants of ancient humans created by the Precursors…”

Selene had already infiltrated the Precursor’s Star Roads. The only step left was to gradually claim them while minimizing collateral damage.

Another key legacy of the Precursors—the Domain—was also present on this planet, embedded within its ancient ruins.

Beyond the Star Roads, the most remarkable Precursor construct was the Domain—an immense repository of knowledge and experiences spanning over a billion years, containing knowledge predating even the birth of many galactic civilizations.

The Forerunners believed that all Precursor structures contained links to the Domain. It was vast enough that individuals could access it from almost anywhere, and it was inherently sentient.

Regardless of the Forerunners’ interpretation, what mattered was that the Domain housed an unparalleled wealth of scientific knowledge.

Later, the Forerunners used it to store their own knowledge and memories, amassing an immense trove of Forerunner technology.

Unfortunately, like most Precursor relics, the Domain within the Milky Way was destroyed during the final days of the Flood War 100,000 years ago, obliterated by the cross-phased neutrino pulse unleashed by the Forerunner Halo Array.

Selene lamented the loss.

Yet, despite her regret, she understood the Forerunners’ reasoning. The Flood was, after all, a creation of the Precursors, engineered through their mastery of neurotechnology. The Star Roads, the Domain—all shared the same fundamental architecture based on this technology.

In their moment of desperation, the Forerunners had no choice but to destroy it.

After all, the Domain had become the lifeblood of Forerunner civilization. Its destruction only hastened their downfall, ensuring they would never reclaim their former glory.

Now, within the Milky Way, only Forerunner Shield Worlds and Halo installations held the faintest remnants of Precursor relics. All others had been entirely erased, leaving only Forerunner ruins in their wake.

To study Precursor history, Selene had to venture all the way to the Large Magellanic Cloud.

The planet beneath her feet was home to the largest, most well-preserved Precursor ruins discovered in recent times. The Imperial Science Bureau and the Forge Department had already begun their research efforts, establishing what seemed to be a permanent research base.

Other sectors with discovered Precursor remnants had similarly been occupied by Imperial forces.

Selene’s final objective here—the extermination of the Flood—was already well underway.

Even before returning to her flagship, Selene had been relentlessly pursuing signals emitted by Graveminds, hunting down dormant Flood clusters before they could awaken. Those she found were incinerated to ash before they could react.

Countless Flood-infested worlds were purged in the process.

After issuing further instructions regarding the Flood’s eradication, Selene set course for the Milky Way once more.

…

Reach, Underground Interrogation Room, Command Tower Base.

Clang!

Nathaniel’s attack landed—a strike infused with the legendary Naval Martial Art known as “Tekkai”—Iron Body, an unyielding technique said to break all who dared challenge it.

Tekkai—Iron Body—the defensive technique of the Rokushiki, which hardens the user’s body through rigorous training, granting it the resilience of steel.

Despite its reputation within the Navy and organizations like CP9 and CP0 as an impenetrable defense, history had shown that it had never truly been invincible.

Now, it had been officially incorporated into the Sacred Selene Empire’s infantry training manual. In the Imperial Capital’s boot camp, the instructor for “Rokushiki” was none other than former Marine Admiral Zephyr, also known as “Black Arm” Zephyr, famed for his vow not to kill.

Zephyr’s life had been plagued by tragedy—his family slaughtered by pirates, his training ship ambushed, leaving him maimed and his cadets massacred. When his sworn enemy was later granted the title of Warlord of the Sea, Zephyr had abandoned the Marines, forming “NEO Marines” with the sole purpose of exterminating all pirates.

When the Blood Angels of the Ninth Astartes Legion launched their crusade against the pirate-infested world, Zephyr found himself aligned with their cause. Under the decree of “Archangel” Sanguinius and the Imperial Governor, pirates were to be eradicated entirely—those imprisoned in Impel Down were executed without exception. As for active pirates, any who dared raise a Jolly Roger were met with immediate slaughter.

This policy resonated deeply with Zephyr. With pirates culled like weeds, he saw his mission fulfilled and disbanded NEO Marines, retiring to his homeland.

It was not until his old friends Sengoku and Kuzan, both serving in the Imperial military, invited him back that he returned. In gratitude, the Empire restored his lost arm.

Now retired from the frontlines, he found purpose once more as the chief Rokushiki instructor for the Imperial boot camps—returning to his roots, his skills put to their fullest use.

Boom!

A thunderous crash echoed as interrogation room furniture was flung aside, splintering into debris. Outside the reinforced bulletproof glass, Admiral Parangosky wasted no time. Vigilant as ever, she swiftly sprinted toward the alloy-sealed exit.

As she ran, she barked orders, her voice sharp and commanding: “Target is out of control! Authorization granted for heavy firepower—lethal force permitted! Seal off this sector, eliminate them all—leave no survivors!”

She knew all too well the power of these bio-enhanced warriors. Having studied the Spartans’ incredible feats, Parangosky understood that giving them any room to maneuver would be a fatal mistake. They had to be contained and eliminated immediately.

“Deploy the Seventh Hangar Bay defense forces—neutralize the rogue bio-soldiers! Order the orbital defense platforms to either board or destroy that ancient ship—control must be secured!”

Her face darkened further as she added, “One more thing—Catherine Halsey has colluded with Outer Colony insurgents. Arrest her! Effective immediately, Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey is relieved of all duties—carry out the order at once!”

Inside the interrogation chamber, a squad of towering, power-armored giants landed with a thud. Without hesitation, they raised their bolters and opened fire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Boom! Boom! Crack!

Under the relentless barrage of 0.75-caliber bolt rounds, the supposedly indestructible reinforced bulletproof glass shattered in mere moments.

Splurt!

Shards of glass, propelled like a deadly barrage, tore through the unfortunate personnel still inside. Their bodies were flung into the air like ragdolls before crashing onto the blood-soaked floor—lifeless.

“You can’t escape! Resistance will only make things worse. This is the United Nations Space Command—this is Reach. Where could you possibly run?”

One of the wounded officers, clutching his blood-soaked abdomen, slumped against the wall and spoke through gritted teeth.

“You’re loyal. A brave man. I’ll grant you a whole corpse.”

A towering warrior, clad in white and blue-trimmed armor, carrying a chainsaw axe, radiated an unmistakable aura of menace. He let out a low chuckle.

“A chainsword—far inferior to your master-crafted lightning claws, but it will suffice.”

“Praise the Empress! Move out!”

Taking hold of the chainsword, and with a raspy oath, the warriors swiftly departed, led by Nathaniel, in pursuit of the fleeing Parangosky.

As the blast doors at the end of the corridor rapidly sealed shut, Nathaniel’s pace remained undeterred. Raising his left hand, he commanded, “Tekkai—Shatter!”

A surge of force erupted simultaneously. A deep violet-red glow surged across the vambrace of his left forearm, its metallic sheen exuding a sense of impenetrable hardness.

Boom—!

With an explosive impact, the blast doors were sent flying, their debris carving through the air like deadly shrapnel, leaving gruesome craters in the opposite wall. Blood splattered as the shockwave tore through the area, leaving bodies crushed beneath twisted wreckage.

From afar, Nathaniel caught sight of Parangosky’s burly form vanishing into the corridor’s depths. He sneered, “Run? Do you really think you can escape?”

Just then, explosions erupted throughout the facility.

Nathaniel knew that their teleportation beacons had been activated. Not only had every Night Lord prepared a personal beacon, but even the cages holding the Covenant prisoners had been rigged with them.

“For Selene!”

Their battle cries echoed as they advanced.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Each step they took reverberated with the weight of their armored forms, the combined mass of their power armor, weaponry, and sheer physique causing the ground to tremble as if under the march of heavy tanks.

In mere moments, they had smashed through multiple UNSC defensive lines, emerging into a vast underground transit hub.

Countless military vehicles and heavy weapon platforms were arrayed in defensive formations, with UNSC troops standing at the ready. Upon sighting the first giant emerge, one of the officers shouted an order.

“Drop to the ground! Lay down your weapons! Disarm your power armor and surrender immediately—otherwise—”

Boom!

Before the ultimatum could be completed, a heavy bolter round ripped through a standing armored vehicle, igniting a massive explosion.

“Open fire!”

Ratatatatata!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Inside an elevator, frantically pressing the close button, Parangosky stared at the bloodbath displayed on the screen. A cold dread spread through her limbs.

“Damn it! How did it come to this? Where is Halsey?!”

————————————————————————————————————–

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep