I am the Emperor of Humanity across the Multiverse

Inside the bridge of a CCS-class battlecruiser:

The overall layout here was similar to the bridges of human ships. Every crew member had their own control station, each responsible for different tasks and duties. However, in terms of space, the CCS-class was noticeably more spacious.

The central control console, placed in the middle, was larger and more advanced than what was used by the UNSC or Atlas. The walls and floors had a slight curvature, different from the straight lines and sharp angles preferred by humans.

As for the captain sitting behind the central console and the rest of the bridge crew, they were all "aliens" wearing sealed protective suits and powered armor.

Even while seated, it was clear that their average height was around 2.3 to 2.4 meters. Their spines seemed naturally curved, preventing them from standing or sitting fully upright.

Additionally, they had four fingers, and their mouths were structured in four flaps. Their skin was a grayish-brown, and their eyes, like those of Earth's lizards or cats, could change based on light intensity.

These "aliens" were one of the most important species in the Halo universe—

The Sangheili.

Their home planet, Sanghelios, was harsh and barren compared to Earth.

Its surface temperature ranged from -5°C to 96°C, gravity was about 1.375g, and atmospheric pressure was 0.9, with a composition similar to Earth's atmosphere.

This caused their civilization to develop in a way that was similar to humans', yet with many subtle differences. Most notably, they valued honor, upheld credibility, and were highly militant—a true warrior race.

During the timeline of Halo Wars and Halo 2, the Sangheili displayed incredible physical prowess and combat skills, especially in close quarters combat, often emerging victorious even when outnumbered. This earned them the nickname "Elites" among humans.

Though the Sangheili were deceived by the Covenant leadership into believing that humans were blasphemers of their gods, deserving of extermination, the resilience humans showed in dire situations, and the sacrifices UNSC soldiers made to protect civilians, earned the respect and admiration of many Sangheili.

At this point in time, however, the Sangheili had not yet made contact with humanity.

Moreover—

"Wort!! Rulo naminar ya uli nayna'mi ulaha!"

A Sangheili helmsman, whose powered armor was painted silver-white, turned to face the captain, whose armor was light gold, urgently reporting in their native language.

If translated into human speech, it would be something like, "Commander! We've lost control of the ship!"

After all, they had been performing their routine duties as usual, but suddenly, the artifact (Shield World 0459) had reacted violently, opened a rupture, and pulled their entire fleet into an area between the surface and the core of the planet.

"Lekgolo."

The gold-armored captain raised a hand, signaling for everyone to remain calm. Observing the real-time dynamics displayed on the central console, the captain continued:

"While we don't yet know what exactly has happened, one thing is clear: the fleet is steadily descending, and it won't be long before we enter the artifact's interior. Hmm, this might actually be good news for us."

"Captain," the communications officer reported as they turned to face the captain, "due to the artifact's interference, we've lost contact with the Prophet of Regret. Additionally, the Jiralhanae's commanding officer is requesting to speak with you directly."

"Jiralhanae?"

Hearing this, the gold-armored captain narrowed his eyes slightly, tapping the armrest of his chair rhythmically with one of his four fingers.

"Those dishonorable brutes—why do they always interfere at critical moments? Deny their request. We'll deal with them after the fleet stabilizes."

"Understood, Captain."

The communications officer promptly cut off the Jiralhanae commander's request.

From their conversation, it seemed the Sangheili had quite a bit of disdain for the Jiralhanae, yet due to their shared alliance, they had no choice but to tolerate them.

"The fleet is about to be forced through the artifact's outer shell and into its core region. Look!"

Another crew member spoke while adjusting the live feed from the ship's front cameras onto the central console.

As the real-time images formed, the gold-armored captain and the other bridge crew members all witnessed their successful passage through the "metal soil" and into a paradise-like inner world at the planet's core.

Seeing this, the captain momentarily set aside his irritation with the Jiralhanae. With a look of awe, he left his seat and slowly approached the console, saying:

"So... this is what the interior of the artifact looks like? Everyone, it seems we are far luckier than our fellow brethren! Blessed be the gods!"

"Blessed be the gods!!"

The other Sangheili stood up, and the unique howls of their race echoed throughout the bridge.

They were convinced that the gods had intervened, pulling their entire fleet into this core world, allowing them to witness the "light" of the artifact, rather than the flood-ravaged, desecrated surface.

As the commander of this Covenant fleet, the gold-armored captain had long noticed the significant threat the Flood posed to intelligent life while secretly investigating the artifact under orders.

However, when he summarized the Flood's characteristics and the danger they posed and reported it to the Prophet of Regret, the response he received was, "Those are also creations of the gods, an important part of our pilgrimage, and must not be destroyed or eradicated!"

If the concern was to avoid triggering the artifact's defense mechanisms, like a massive counterattack from the Sentinels, the gold-armored captain could understand.

But... the Flood are an important part of the pilgrimage???

He had personally encountered the Flood, witnessing how the infection forms, through sheer numbers, overwhelmed the energy shields of a Sangheili tactical squad.

The infection forms then used their powerful tentacles to wrap around the squad members' necks and joints, targeting weak spots in their armor, before piercing through their protective suits with metallic spikes.

Once the wounds were large enough, the infection forms would burrow into the squad members' bodies and, in mere moments, transform them into part of the Flood.

How could such a grotesque and blasphemous creature be tolerated by the Prophet of Regret?

The gold-armored captain was deeply puzzled.

However, the corrupt bureaucratic system within the Covenant left him with no choice but to bury his doubts and obey the Prophet's every command.

Nonetheless, as the fleet commander, he was still able to implement certain "containment measures" within his authority.

The gold-armored captain strictly prohibited his Sangheili subordinates from making contact with the Flood, and he had his trusted officers and generals form an inspection team to imprison or execute any zealots driven mad by the pilgrimage, preventing the Flood from spreading further.

At this moment, having calmed his emotions, he sat back in his chair and gave the order:

"Send a research team and ground forces to the surface of the artifact's core for reconnaissance."

"Yes, sir."

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