Reborn as Humanity’s Emperor Across the Multiverse

In the outer frontier star system of the Chaotic Galaxy—

If you were to "overlook" this star system, you would find it primarily composed of twelve planets orbiting a massive blue giant star.

This star, approximately five times the size of the sun, burns fiercely, emitting an intense bluish-white light that bathes the outer edges of the system in a faint, cold blue hue.

The first five orbital planets resemble Mercury—barren and desolate wastelands.

The surfaces of these planets have been eroded by relentless stellar winds, stripping away their atmospheres and exposing their scarred rocky crusts.

Extreme heat, cold, and radiation wreak havoc on these worlds, making life utterly impossible—these planets are like deathly wastelands devoured by the star.

However, the planets on the sixth to ninth orbital paths have relatively dense atmospheres and magnetic fields, offering them some protection from the blue giant's lethal radiation.

But even with these advantages, their environments remain harsh.

The sixth planet is a seemingly endless desert, where even the simplest life forms struggle to exist.

The seventh and eighth planets resemble an enlarged and desiccated version of pre-terraformed Mars, where rock and dust dominate the landscape. Rare traces of riverbeds have long been buried by the arid climate.

It seems that every terrestrial planet in this star system is plagued by storms and droughts, creating an endless hellscape.

Yet, when the view extends to the ninth orbital path, a planet of stark contrast emerges.

This terrestrial planet appears cloaked in thick layers of ice and snow. Its surface is covered in vast glaciers and snowfields that stretch to the horizons.

The cold and silence of this planet complement the severe conditions of the entire star system, adding a distinct and eerie "beauty of dead silence" to this corner of the chaotic galaxy's frontier.

And it is on this planet that a joint task force led by Colonel Janes Thompson is about to conduct reconnaissance—

Its name: Quikonto.

The history of Quikonto dates back several centuries before Atlas first ventured into the Halo Universe. At that time, it was one of the Covenant Empire's key colonies, managed and developed by the Sangheili elites.

With advanced technology and the rigid societal structure of the Sangheili, this planet once became a shining jewel in the Covenant Empire.

However, about a century ago, Quikonto experienced a disaster that changed its destiny.

It all began when the Sangheili governor of the planet unexpectedly declared rebellion, openly challenging the Covenant's rule.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the Covenant Empire.

For the Sangheili, who regarded honor and loyalty as their highest virtues, such a betrayal was an unforgivable crime.

What puzzled the elite leaders and generals at the time, however, was that the governor's rebellion quickly garnered the full support of the Sangheili population on Quikonto, as well as the surrounding star systems. These followers also publicly broke ties with the Covenant.

Enraged and humiliated, the Sangheili leadership ignored the deeper reasons behind the rebellion. They could not tolerate even the slightest hint of betrayal.

Rather than investigate why the governor chose rebellion, or why so many Sangheili responded to the call, they refused any form of negotiation. Instead, they swiftly mobilized their main fleet and launched a full-scale assault on Quikonto.

Yet the military operation did not proceed as planned, nor did it end quickly.

The rebel forces on Quikonto displayed an extraordinary level of combat effectiveness. On the ground, the Covenant's elite troops suffered unprecedented heavy losses.

Frustrated and outraged by this stalemate, the Covenant leaders ultimately decided to employ the most extreme measure—

"Glassification."

This strategy involved unleashing the full power of the fleet's plasma cannons in a saturation bombardment of the planet's surface.

This devastating attack "glassed" over 70% of Quikonto's surface. Civilians, rebels, and underground bunkers alike were incinerated by the plasma flames.

The once-thriving colony was reduced to a dead wasteland, leaving only a few regions spared due to their unique terrain. 

But the ecological damage was irreversible, turning Quikonto into a "land of the forgotten."

To cover up the entirety of the Quikonto rebellion, Covenant leadership conspired to destroy all related archives, sealing off all information about the planet.

The glory of Quikonto, along with the secrets behind its rebellion, were buried in this desolate world.

In truth, the Sangheili governor's reason for rebellion is not hard to deduce: he likely discovered that the Prophets had used the Forerunner relics to deceive all the Covenant races.

He may have realized that the so-called "Great Journey" did not lead to glory and salvation, but that he and his fellow Sangheili had been manipulated as the Prophets' enforcers—tools clearing obstacles for a group of hypocritical, greedy rulers.

Upon recognizing the true nature of the Prophets, the enraged governor chose to "revolt."

Unfortunately, without the assistance of someone like Samuel Young, equipped with extraordinary psionic abilities and supported by intelligent AIs, the rebellion lacked the leverage to challenge the Covenant effectively. A century ago, the Brutes were far from being suitable replacements for the Sangheili, and so the rebellion failed to spark an internal Covenant civil war.

As the years passed, Quikonto cooled, transforming into the "frozen world" it is today.

Even before the Covenant Empire completely collapsed, Quikonto had already lost its strategic significance. Ironically, because the Covenant leaders had deliberately hidden and forgotten about it, the planet became a refuge for many who the Covenant considered "heretics" or traitors.

Although the atmosphere had long become inhospitable to Sangheili, Brutes, and other Covenant races, the remaining resources on Quikonto could still support the construction of a massive underground city capable of housing millions, even tens of millions of inhabitants.

Based on data extracted from leftover Covenant archives and limited available information, intelligence agencies have hypothesized about Quikonto's current state.

However, these hypotheses remain unverified. To confirm the planet's actual conditions, on-site investigations are necessary.

Both the Inquisition and the Investigations Department have placed particular emphasis on this operation.

They suspect that if Quikonto's underground city does indeed host millions of inhabitants, then in the aftermath of the Covenant Empire's collapse and the ensuing chaos, this dead world may have become a breeding ground for extremist factions.

Many of these extremists likely harbor ambitions of restoring the Covenant Empire. The intense ideological fervor they generate could even attract the gaze of Chaos Gods, destabilizing the Warp in the region and rendering it exceptionally dangerous.

Thus, Quikonto has been designated as a high-priority target for monitoring and investigation by multiple departments.

Meanwhile, the silence of the galaxy's outer edge is broken by a warp jump.

Whoosh—flash!

A bluish vortex bursts into existence at the edge of the star system, briefly glowing before vanishing within seconds.

From a distance, the phenomenon could be mistaken for the dying burst of a star near the end of its life or the accidental flare of a neutron star, whose light had traveled across hundreds of years to reach this system.

Without highly sensitive equipment scanning the area across all frequencies, it would be nearly impossible to detect a stealth-class Imperial Navy vessel concealed in the void, quietly entering the system.

The vessel, a Diana III-class stealth ship, activated its warp drive and sped directly toward Quikonto in the ninth orbital path.

Before long—

Maintaining its cloaked state, the Diana III reached Quikonto's dark side, synchronizing its speed with the planet's rotation. It "parked" approximately 2,000 kilometers above the surface in a low orbit.

At this stage, the Diana's presence—whether cloaked or not—could still be detected by Quikonto's forces.

However, the mission was to "proceed discreetly," not conduct a completely "undetectable" infiltration.

Had absolute stealth been the goal, the Inquisition and Investigations Department would not have dispatched over a thousand armed personnel, as well as numerous bio-mechanical war machines.

The purpose of this deployment was clear: if anomalies or suppressive fire were encountered, the task force was prepared to engage in direct confrontation.

At the same time, four thousand Grey Knights had withdrawn from the *Trench Crusade* universe and been divided into 100 squads of four. These teams were assigned to support various corps within the Halo Universe and reinforce critical colonies such as Earth-08, Reach, and Mars.

The Empire's holdings in the Halo Universe were deemed vitally important, and the Inquisition required the Grey Knights—experts in combating Chaos—to serve as a "buffer" against demonic incursions. Their mission was to hold the line and buy time for reinforcements to arrive.

Elsewhere, Vulkan's Salamanders had also deployed ten companies to support various colonies across the galaxy.

To guard against Chaos launching surprise attacks on the core universes, the Custodian Guard had not mobilized en masse. Instead, a small detachment of one hundred Custodians was temporarily stationed on the "hub" world of Harvest in the Halo Universe.

Should it be confirmed that the Halo Universe was Chaos's primary target, this small Custodian force would also provide limited but decisive support.

Back aboard the Diana III, preparations were nearing completion.

In the ship's hangar, Charlie and over a thousand Marines were positioned according to the operation plan, boarding four Pelican-class dropships and three Luna-class heavy transports.

Meanwhile, the ODST units and Colonel Janes Thompson's special forces teams were loaded into drop pods in the drop bays.

They would land on Quikonto's surface ahead of the main forces, paving the way for their deployment.

Specialized bio-mechanical war machines were also being readied for deployment

 via drop pods.

Inside one of the Luna-class transports, several armed agents were seated alongside Charlie and the other Marines.

Charlie observed the agents through the feed on his helmet display.

The agents were dressed in nano-combat suits similar to those worn by the Joint Reconnaissance Task Force (Advance Team). Silent and focused, they meticulously checked their weapons and equipment, exuding a calm confidence borne of extensive combat experience.

It was clear they were using their secure, encrypted communication channels for internal briefings or tactical discussions.

Though their expressions were hidden beneath their helmets, the agents' composed and professional demeanor gave Charlie an inexplicable sense of security.

This composure and focus stood in stark contrast to the Marines, whose unease was evident in their tense postures.

"Attention, all units."

The voice of Colonel Janes Thompson suddenly echoed through the comms, breaking the heavy silence in the cabin.

"Our target below is believed to be the entrance to an underground city, and it's a key objective for this mission."

Jens paused for a moment, ensuring that every word was clearly heard by all personnel.

He continued, "Marines, you are to follow the agents' instructions at all times. This is not just an order—it's essential for the mission's success.

Whether you're part of the special forces team or ODST, full cooperation is mandatory. No exceptions. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," came the unanimous response.

"Good. Deployment begins in thirty seconds. Stay alert."

With that, Jens cut the comms, and the cabin fell silent once more.

Yet the tension in the air grew even heavier.

The countdown displayed on the right side of Charlie's helmet screen ticked down to zero, signaling that the ODST, special forces, and various bio-mechanical units had already been launched from the Diana III's drop bays.

The Luna-class transports carrying Charlie and the others were next, sliding along mag-lev rails before exiting the hangar through plasma-sealed airlocks.

Charlie observed the outside world through multiple shared feeds on his helmet display.

The scene outside the transport was vast and silent. Quikonto's dark side loomed below, cold and mysterious like the maw of an abyss.

Even for seasoned soldiers, the oppressive stillness carried an undeniable weight.

On the display, the silence was soon broken as streaks of light suddenly pierced the darkness below—

These were the fiery trails left by drop pods as they burned through the atmosphere during reentry.

In the brief moments the pods were visible, they etched brilliant but fleeting streaks across the void before vanishing into the shadows below.

Shortly after—

Boom. Boom.

The transport began to shudder as it descended into Quikonto's atmosphere. The vibrations were not severe but were enough for Charlie to feel the rapid movement as they approached the planet.

The darkness outside gave way to light as orange flames flared around the transport's hull.

Charlie shifted slightly in his seat, closing his eyes as the tremors coursed through his body. He focused on the sensation of the transport's descent, counting each second as they neared the surface.

When the turbulence finally subsided and the transport stabilized for landing, Charlie knew the mission had officially begun.

—

Meanwhile, Colonel Janes Thompson had already landed on the seemingly endless ice field.

Jumping from his drop pod, Jens gripped his hard-light rifle and used his suit's enhanced capabilities to scan his surroundings.

At first, he thought their large-scale drop operation might provoke an intercepting attack or at least reveal some defensive fire. But the area remained eerily quiet, and he began to wonder if this operation might end up as a wasted effort.

Then, his helmet sensors picked up something faint—

Gunfire.

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