I am the Emperor of Humanity across the Multiverse

June 10th.

On Reach, deep in the desert, at the Atlas operations base.

Two Silver Gull II transport ships slowly lifted off, and as they exited the canyon, the pilots activated the optical camouflage, making the aircraft disappear from both visual and radar detection.

Inside the cabin:

"Everyone, listen up." Ada projected her hologram into the cabin, addressing the elite investigators. "This mission has no orbital support. Once the Silver Gull II drops you off in the outskirts of New Alexandria, you will need to infiltrate the target on foot and initiate a quick strike.

After capturing the target, you must retreat on foot and find an opportunity to board the Silver Gull II for extraction back to the base.

Any questions?"

The group, including Leon, responded with silence.

Seeing no objections, Ada simply said, "Good luck, everyone," before her hologram faded, leaving the cabin in silence once more.

Leon, seated next to the right door, flipped open the display on his arm and continued reviewing the mission briefing on his personal computer.

Their target was the ONI headquarters, located in the heart of New Alexandria: the Olympic Tower.

Two days earlier, they had successfully captured Catherine Halsey and transported her to the Atlas forward base on Harvest via instantaneous teleportation.

Shortly after, they received word from the base that "Dr. Halsey is now one of us."

Leon had always thought that geniuses like Halsey were usually rigid and stubborn, unlikely to switch sides so easily.

Maybe the boss had used some kind of supernatural power?

Leon couldn't help but remember the strange, scientifically inexplicable events they had encountered when their boss led the investigators into the temple of the Death Goddess Hecate.

Now that Halsey had joined Atlas, she provided critical intelligence about ONI, including the location of the terminal housing the AI Melissa, which contained all classified data and files.

Though Halsey couldn't pinpoint the exact floor of the terminal room, her rough estimate was enough for Leon and his team to risk a raid on the Olympic Tower.

At this stage, Atlas was in desperate need of a smart AI, especially for tasks like reverse-engineering and decryption.

Ada had planned this quick assault and retreat operation, banking on the complacency of ONI, who believed the rebels wouldn't dare attack their headquarters.

"Hey," Leon lowered his arm when he heard a sudden sigh from Mike, seated nearby.

"What's wrong?" Leon asked quietly.

"Live ammo," Mike replied, holding a magazine loaded with 8mm needle rounds. "I just hope no unlucky souls run into the line of fire. But if they do, well, we have to prioritize the company's interests."

"We'll do what we can," Leon said, patting Mike on the shoulder. "The fact that the director approved the use of Gauss rifles means the company has already started an underground war with the UNSC. Mercy and compassion will only get you killed and put your teammates in danger."

"I know." Mike shot Leon a sideways glance. "I was just thinking out loud. No need for a lecture. Anyway, how's it going with the director?"

"What do you mean?" Leon was puzzled.

"You know, when you two were undercover in the city. Did you…?"

Mike left the sentence unfinished but made a suggestive "clap" gesture with both hands.

"Not a chance." Leon sighed, shaking his head. "The way the director looks at me, like she could kill me… Wait, why am I even telling you this?!"

Realizing he was getting caught up in the conversation, Leon quickly stopped talking, worried that someone else might hear and spread rumors to the director.

"Ah, seems like you've finally wised up," Mike chuckled, giving Leon a nod, almost like a proud father.

"Enough with the nonsense," Leon replied in exasperation, adjusting his gear and sealing his helmet's visor. "Focus on the mission—that's what really matters."

"Ha! You're right," Mike laughed, following suit by closing his own visor, preparing for the upcoming action.

Not long after, the pilot's voice came through their helmet displays, reminding them to "engage stealth mode."

Zzz—Zzz—

Accompanied by faint electronic sounds, Leon, Mike, and the others activated their personal optical camouflage systems.

Soon after, the two Silver Gull IIs landed in the forest on the outskirts of the city, deploying over sixty genetically enhanced Atlas investigators, who quickly set off on foot toward their target: the Olympic Tower, located in the city center.

——

As the headquarters of ONI, the Olympic Tower was heavily fortified.

Disguised as pedestrians and vendors, ONI agents covertly monitored the surrounding area. Heavily armed UNSC Marines guarded the main entrance, while sniper teams from ONI's Black Ops were positioned at nearby vantage points, ready to eliminate any threat at a moment's notice.

However, both ONI and the local residents were confident that no rebel group would be foolish enough to attack the Olympic Tower.

The risk outweighed the potential reward.

Besides, the tower was home to hundreds of ONI agents, making any rebel attack akin to suicide—delivering themselves as easy targets for the agents to bolster their quarterly performance reviews.

But then…

"Ting—Ting—!!"

The distinct, sharp sound of Gauss rifles shattered the calm.

Thud! Thud!

The 8mm needle rounds, known for their extreme penetration power, easily tore through the UNSC Marines' armor at the main entrance, piercing their shoulders, legs, and forearms, all non-lethal areas.

"Ah!"

"My knee!"

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Wuuu—Wuuu—!!

As gunfire and screams echoed, the Olympic Tower's deafening alarms blared.

Simultaneously, fireproof and riot-proof barriers descended, sealing off the main entrance and critical access points.

However, the Atlas investigators, who had already infiltrated the tower, used directed metal-hydrogen and plasma breaching charges to blow through or melt the barriers, clearing their path forward.

Chris and his special operations team plowed through ONI defenses, quickly reaching the terminal room where the AI Melissa was housed.

After forcibly taking the AI, Chris's team withdrew from the tower and regrouped with Leon, Mike, Maggie, and the others, who had been acting as a distraction. Together, they sprinted through the densely populated, building-filled streets of New Alexandria, disappearing before the UNSC could react.

As Ada had anticipated, the quick assault and rapid retreat were perfectly timed. By the time UNSC forces arrived at the Olympic Tower, the investigators were long gone.

Hours after Ada used Ark teleportation to transfer Melissa's terminal device to the front-line base on Harvest—

In low orbit around Harvest, a fleet consisting of one Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser, six Paris-class frigates, and twelve Fidis-class corvettes initiated slipspace travel, entering the blue-hued slipspace corridor and heading for Shield World 0459, several hundred light-years away.

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