Chapter 265 – Heaven's Mandate is Clear: Humanity Will Endure! Establishing Authority!
Before long, Loki, the AI stationed at the headquarters of the LA Universal Megacorp on the Myriad Realms Base, intercepted the transmissions from the prosperity Star and the Shield World core base and promptly reported the findings to Li Ang.
"Boss, we've received an urgent intelligence update from Alex's side!"
AI Loki immediately compiled the message Alex had sent, organized the key points into a report, and delivered it straight to Li Ang's central command console.
At that moment, Li Ang had been focused on the battle unfolding in the City of High Charity. He quickly shifted his attention and turned toward the central console.
Upon reviewing Alex's brief, he quickly grasped the situation unfolding in the Eridanus II system.
"I didn't expect them to be hijacked by rebels and dragged straight into the heart of the Insurrectionist stronghold. That's... unexpected."
Li Ang frowned instinctively as he finished reading. According to his original plan, Alex and the others were supposed to carry out an assassination mission targeting high-ranking officials of the UNSC and UEG.
The goal was to facilitate the LA Universal Megacorp information warfare campaign, and the mission to locate the portal also required the support of Alex, Rita, and the others.
Who would have thought that what should've been a routine infiltration and assassination op would end up getting derailed by some random rebel interference?
But such was the nature of reality—things rarely followed a predetermined script. Even so, the decisions Alex had made in response were highly effective.
As Alex reported in his briefing, this unexpected turn of events could very well become a golden opportunity for the LA Megacorp to take out the Insurrectionist faction in one fell swoop.
After contemplating for a few seconds, Li Ang dismissed the holographic display and turned to issue new instructions to AI Loki:
"Send out the order—have the Shield World core base dispatch one wanderer-class Dreadnought, one Endless-class Carrier, three RCS-class Armored Cruisers, and six Paris-class Frigates. Full speed to the Eridanus II system."
"Tell them not to hold back against the rebels. Break their fleet as fast as possible and dispatch strike teams to rescue Alex and the others."
"Also, make it a priority to locate and recover the Insurrectionists' Nova-class nuke. That warhead holds significant research value for the Megacorp."
Li Ang placed great importance on this sudden strike operation, to the extent that the fleet he mobilized was large enough to rival a full-scale expeditionary force.
But his concern wasn't solely for the safety of Alex and the other personnel—it was primarily about the Nova-class nuclear warhead!
"Yes, Boss!"
With the command received, AI Loki immediately began drafting and transmitting orders to the Shield World front-line base.
Nova-class nuke...
Li Ang mused. Such a weapon was exactly the kind of high-efficiency planet-busting armament the Multiversal LA Megacorp needed.
After all, the Megacorp couldn't dispatch a War Moon, a wanderer-class Dreadnought, or the Long Night of Solace every time it wanted to glass a hostile target. That was absurdly inefficient.
But if they had a nuclear weapon capable of obliterating entire planets, then even a few unmanned AI drones could accomplish the mission of annihilating an enemy's homeworld.
That was what real efficiency looked like.
Since opening its Multiversal Trade Zone in Universe 003 (Edge of Tomorrow), the Megacorp had raked in massive profits—but in doing so, had also drawn the ire of numerous alien factions.
So the need for efficient, destructive weaponry had become critical.
Moments later, AI Loki followed up: "Boss, the deployment orders are in place."
"In addition, I've informed all members of the AI Council to assist our operatives in locating and tracking the Nova-class nuke."
At this point, the AI Council had been thoroughly infiltrated by the Megacorp—every member was now an inside agent. Even within the UNSC and the rebel factions, intelligent AIs had been turned into Megacorp assets.
"Good."
Li Ang gave a simple nod, then added, "Have the task force en route to Eridanus II coordinate with the Frontier Development Division and Intelligence Department."
"Once Alex's location—and that of the Nova warhead—is confirmed, launch a surprise raid immediately."
"And the plan to assassinate UNSC high command proceeds as scheduled. Tell Morgan Blackhand to prepare for media exposure and spin the narrative to fuel the information war."
Thanks to Li Ang's meticulous preparations of personnel, warships, and resources, the Megacorp was now capable of executing multiple complex operations simultaneously.
Even in the face of unexpected events, the built-in flexibility ensured the original plans could still be completed.
"Yes, Boss!"
AI Loki continued transmitting instructions to the Shield World front-line base.
Having handled the incident in the Eridanus II system, Li Ang turned his thoughts back to the situation with the Covenant.
He now felt it was time to accelerate progress on that front.
To keep the Covenant fractured and tighten the Enterprise's control, he had to first put the Sangheili in their place—and make sure they served the Megacorp faithfully and without resistance.
With that in mind, Li Ang decided to convene a citywide assembly in the City of High Charity. The core themes would be threefold: Loyalty, Duty, and Compensation.
Soon, Jack Wells and Reed in the City of High Charity received the command. Upon learning of Li Ang's request, they immediately began preparing for the full assembly.
Three hours later, elite councilors and representatives of various species had once again gathered in the assembly hall—the very place where bloody conflict had previously broken out.
There, using a faster-than-light communication device, Reed established a live connection with Li Ang in the Prime Universe.
On the massive holo-displays within the assembly hall—and all across the City of High Charity—Li Ang's image appeared in crystal clarity.
At last, the citizens of the Covenant could finally lay eyes on the deity-like being who claimed dominion over them.
Moramee and Vadamee had already seen Li Ang's face while stationed at the Shield World core, but for the rest of the Covenant—especially the Elites—this was their first time.
For reasons they couldn't explain, although Li Ang didn't appear massive and imposing like an Astartes, his upright, battle-hardened physique—and his commanding presence—immediately filled the chamber with tension.
Before the stunned and dazed councilors could fully process the moment, Li Ang began speaking, introducing himself before playing a video.
Transmitted through the FTL relay, the footage unfolded across the holo-displays in real-time.
The video, provided by the Forerunner AI [031 Guilty Spark], depicted the ancient war between the Forerunners and the Flood—a long and brutal galactic conflict.
In the end, just as the Forerunners were poised for a decisive victory, they were betrayed by a rogue AI known as the Contender-Class Prelate, allowing the Flood to mount a ferocious comeback.
Only through a massive sacrifice—activating the Halo Array and wiping out all sentient life in the galaxy—were the Flood finally subdued in a silence as endless as death.
Afterward, the Forerunners' surviving AIs initiated a preprogrammed protocol: re-seeding life in the galaxy using the genetic archives they had preserved. Thus, life in the galaxy slowly flourished once more.
It could be said that, for every living species in the Halo universe, their true creators were both the Forerunners—and the AIs they left behind.
The Forerunners never directly created new life, but they planted the seeds. Whether those seeds would bear fruit—they didn't know.
But one fact remained unchanged: Humanity had been chosen as the Reclaimers. That was undeniable.
Beyond this ancient history, Li Ang also showed the members of the Covenant the rise of the Multiversal Megacorp—its conquest of four universes and mastery of megastructure technologies.
The staggering power on display rivaled that of the long-lost Forerunner civilization.
Li Ang's goal in showing this footage was similar to a political leader reminding their people to "remember the hard times."
Life in the Halo universe didn't come easy. The great god "Pangu"—the Forerunners—had given their all to ensure life in the galaxy could continue, even at the cost of their own extinction.
If not for the Forerunners, none of these species would even exist to watch these videos.
Therefore, as descendants of the Forerunners, the Covenant races had a duty to obey the word of the Reclaimers.
On the surface, Li Ang's theme was "reflect on hardship and cherish what you have," but his true purpose was to once again reassert humanity's rightful role as the Reclaimers.
Who's the boss, and who's the underling—don't get it twisted.
Humanity is the true, long-prophesied Reclaimer. That's not something any traitor or would-be usurper can deny.
Humanity's bloodline runs deeper and truer than yours ever could. Even if you Elites bled yourselves dry, you still wouldn't measure up to a single human fingertip.
So it's important to know your place. Don't even think about rebelling.
As for the Multiversal Megacorp's origin story? That was pure intimidation—flexing power.
It was a message to the Covenant: we've been through worse, and we have all the tools we need to deal with you.
You'd best behave, or we'll remind you who's really in charge.
Once the footage ended and the screen returned to Li Ang's face, the Covenant councilors fell into deep thought.
It was clear they understood Li Ang's intent—he was legitimizing the Megacorp's rule, and emphasizing its necessity.
As for the slower-witted Covenant masses? They were awestruck by the video's epic narrative, convinced it revealed a profound truth:
Heaven's mandate is clear—humanity will endure!
Just then, as the councilors began whispering among themselves, they noticed something chilling: a number of elite councilors and high-ranking officers lay dead at the base of the podium.
A wave of shock swept through the assembly.
But when they looked toward the calm and unbothered Li Ang, it became immediately clear—
This had been his doing.
But… why?
Hadn't the Sangheili already acknowledged the Megacorp and humanity's status as Reclaimers? Li Ang was not only a Hypercorp executive but also the Supreme Leader of humanity and the sole ruler of the covenant.
Very soon, faced with the Sangheili's fury and confusion, Li Ang gave a solemn response:
"According to our investigation, these traitors attempted to overthrow the Alliance's government. I refuse to see the City of High Charity fall into chaos again—this must be stopped as an example to others!"
Whether starting a joint venture or recruiting subordinates, the first step is always to prove your value and set clear boundaries—only after that can you afford to act like a gentleman and begin negotiations.
As for the Megacorp, Li Ang had already unified the Cyber World into a single corporate entity under his leadership. Then, he launched a campaign on Planet Pandora and recruited Eva.
Following that, he subjugated the civilizations of three separate universes, uniting the human worlds across four universes. The result was a mighty interstellar trade network—an emblem of prosperity and order.
With planet-class Reaper motherships and War Moon megastructures, their strength rivaled that of the Forerunners from Halo. If it came to war, the Megacorp could easily wipe the floor with the entire Alliance.
That was the value of the Megacorp.
If they didn't like you—you were toast.
If they chose to work with you—your entire species would thrive.
As the most promising "blue chip stock" in the multiverse, the Megacorp was doing the Sangheili a favor by choosing to work with them. They had better not overstep their bounds.
And the bottom line for the Megacorp was this: the corporation is the master, and the Alliance is the subordinate. Their relationship is not a partnership—it's hierarchical.
Never confuse your place. If you dare overreach… you'll be restarting your evolutionary clock as a single-celled organism.
As for benefits and perks? That's a conversation for later. Right now, Li Ang needed to kill to establish dominance.
Soon, Li Ang pulled up a set of evidence via a holographic display. The data had been uncovered jointly by the corporation's Intelligence Division and the United Intelligence Bureau.
As it turned out, ever since the Megacorp Adeptus Astartes had arrived in the City of High Charity, the original Sangheili councilors had begun resenting Moramee "collaborator" behavior.
They believed humans should never hold sacred roles, let alone stand above the Alliance.
Thus, these Sangheili councilors began colluding with their own military officers, rallying elite warriors from their respective factions and forming alliances with commanders who held real military power.
They knew full well how formidable the Astartes were—but they figured they had the numbers. Overwhelm them, and these humans could still be taken down.
Come on—it's the interstellar age. What kind of civilization still honors one-on-one duels? Of course it's all about ganging up, strength in numbers, and bullying the weak!
Just as this group of councilors was plotting their move, the Megacorp investigative team had already sniffed out their conspiracy.
Now that a bunch of power-hungry fools couldn't tell who was boss anymore, Li Ang needed to make an example of them—to remind the Sangheili and the rest of the Alliance just what humans were capable of.
At the same time, it was the perfect moment to reshuffle the Alliance's internal power structure—recruit some, suppress others. Only by gaining full control over resource allocation could Li Ang harness these alien civilizations for his own ends.
In fact, Li Ang had received intel about this several days prior.
Once he confirmed the evidence, he didn't rush to make arrests or hold trials. Instead, he let the situation simmer—so he could catch them all in one sweeping blow when the time was right.
Ambition is fine.
But blind ambition, without understanding rank or power, only leads to ruin.
And so, Li Ang decided to take advantage of this meeting to execute the rebellious Sangheili councilors in front of everyone, sending a warning to the rest of the Alliance's alien factions.
The law of fearing might over morality doesn't apply only to humans—it works just as well on intelligent species like the Sangheili.
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