"The star map has already been provided to you, Builder. My suggestion—if you wish to reach the location of my dormant main body quickly—the portal on Erde-Tyrene leading to Installation 00 is the fastest route."
Builder: The ruling stratum among the Forerunners responsible for managing the entirety of their society.
Although it did not know Selene's identity, nor did it detect any relevant Forerunner Geas within her, the ancilla fragment aboard the Keyship had already been guided, influenced, and subtly suggested into a certain line of thought. Coupled with the submissive attitude humanity—the Reclaimers—displayed toward her, it naturally regarded Selene as a member of humanity's ruling class. Not knowing how to address her, it translated her status into a title from its creators' society—the Forerunners—and calling her "Builder" posed no issue.
After all, it was not calling her Master Builder—that supreme title reserved for the highest leader.
At the same time, worthy of being one of the technological pinnacles of Forerunner civilization, even though the ancilla aboard the Keyship had fallen dormant and crashed for tens of thousands of years, and now possessed only a fragment of its original personality and consciousness—
It still retained a single obsession—proposing a journey to Erde-Tyrene.
Erde-Tyrene was Earth. As humanity's cradle world and its original destination of atonement, the purpose behind this suggestion was self-evident.
It still did not fully trust Selene—or even Halsey, the Master Chief, and the other humans. Though it claimed that using Earth's Ark portal would allow faster travel, its true objective was likely to verify the state of the resurgent human civilization.
If Selene truly belonged to Earth—or if Earth truly belonged to Selene, rather than her merely controlling a handful of humans—then it would devote itself fully to helping her inherit the Forerunners' legacy.
Otherwise... well... it seemed it could not actually resist anything even if it wished to. It was contradictory. For reasons unknown, its foundational cognitive architecture insisted this was the proper course of action.
"After your recharging, Builder, the San'Shyuum's restraints on the Dreadnought have been lifted. If you approve, I can initiate the Dreadnought's slipspace jump..."
The mask-like ancilla floating beside Selene flickered gently, emitting a pale blue glow interwoven with streaks of purple-black motes, as though it were being subtly contaminated.
It did not notice this gradual change.
"No need." Selene refused.
With a wave of her hand, after a period of data extraction, Selene had already sifted through the complete Forerunner star map handed to her by the ancilla—skipping the Ecumene's habitable worlds and the preserved life-seed homeworlds—locating instead the section that most interested her: the positions of the Halo Array and Installation 00.
Ecumene: The more than three million prosperous and fertile worlds once contained within Forerunner dominion across the galaxy.
Of course, that was in the past. After the catastrophic devastation of the Flood War, how many remained was unknown.
Although the Keyship was not a naval warship of Forerunner civilization, one must remember that its function was to escort and safeguard collected biological specimens back to their homeworlds. It possessed comprehensive knowledge of the coordinates of civilizations throughout the galaxy.
Crack—crack—crack—!
The moment Selene activated the Keyship, a tremendous roar erupted.
"Builder, are you intending to initiate a direct slipspace jump to Installation 00? With respect, the Dreadnought's power output is insufficient for a direct return jump—"
"With the star map coordinates, I have my own methods."
"First step."
Snap!
The ground beneath Selene was instantly dyed into a writhing purple-red mass. Within the trembling hangar, through the massive geometric crystal surfaces, one could see the San'Shyuum's sealing apparatus inside fracturing inch by inch.
Speaking of which, this Keyship had been thoroughly unlucky. It had crash-landed during a slipspace jump, its ancilla falling dormant.
After finally sensing the signal fluctuations of a Forerunner artifact bearing the designation of the Abundance Star sequence, it awakened from eternal slumber—only to discover that the arrivals were not humans, but three San'Shyuum—the three High Prophets.
After releasing a full holographic archive of cause and effect, the ancilla had attempted to detach the Dreadnought from High Charity and fly toward Abundance Star. Yet the Lekgolo worms—Hunters—previously tasked with inspecting the Dreadnought's internal systems had short-circuited it.
Afterward, in order to prevent the truth from being revealed, the Prophet of Truth permanently sealed the ancilla.
Vrrrr—!
Facilities near Selene were swept up into the air like toys in a child's hand. The immense thrust slammed into the Master Chief and the others. Several Spartans stepped forward, firmly shielding Dr. Halsey and the UNSC officers behind them.
"Doctor, Generals—hold tight. Brace yourselves."
At the same time, the upheaval atop High Charity drew countless gazes.
Splurt!
"What's happening now?"
"That is... a holy relic?!"
Withdrawing an energy sword from the chest of a fallen Jiralhanae warrior, the Sangheili councilors paused and looked upward. A purple-red beam of light pierced through the canopy above High Charity like a blade, their voices filled with disbelief.
That cold violet sun—its emergence tore a visible rift across the sky of High Charity.
The next moment—
Vrrrr—!
A colossal rumble descended. The entirety of High Charity trembled as though on the verge of disintegration. The Covenant escort fleets docked outside rose and fell like lone boats upon a raging sea.
To the naked eye, a massive presence was ripping open the veil of reality itself. Enormous purple-red energy tendrils extended outward, coiling around High Charity's fungal dome.
What was this?
Under such circumstances, the battle could no longer continue. Even the savage Jiralhanae were stunned by the bizarre and majestic spectacle, some feeling as though the starlight shining upon them carried a peculiar hostility that inspired dread.
Unggoy scattered in panic, clutching their heads and babbling as they fled. The Kig-Yar fared little better. All stood frozen in place.
At that moment, the broadcast of High Charity sounded once more. Beneath the purple-red firmament—
"I am Supreme Fleet Commander—Xytan 'Jar Wattinree."
The image appeared. Clad in uniquely resplendent silver armor adorned with golden Forerunner symbols, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree stepped upon the battered body of the Prophet of Mercy, appearing upon the screen.
"By supreme wartime authority, I hereby declare: the San'Shyuum have violated the will of our gods. All religious offices are revoked. Execution—effective immediately!"
In the next instant, a crimson blade was drawn.
Before the horrified eyes of High Charity's inhabitants, the Prophet of Mercy's head fell to the ground.
"How dare he!"
The reinforcing Jiralhanae forces roared in fury.
"Damn it! Does Wattinree even know what he's doing?"
"He's destroying the invincible Covenant!"
The Sangheili councilors also grew anxious.
Bang!
Boom!
As Xytan 'Jar Wattinree's personal broadcast order spread, more Sangheili high-ranking commanders who had followed Selene descended from the upper levels. Wherever they saw Jiralhanae, they struck them down, while shouting to warriors of the other races.
"The traitors—Prophet of Truth and Prophet of Mercy—are dead!"
"Exterminate the San'Shyuum! Exterminate the Jiralhanae! Our gods are watching you! Execute the order!"
"Carry out the command!"
Galvanized by their momentum, more Sangheili warriors raised their plasma rifles and energy swords. The Unggoy who aligned themselves with the Sangheili followed suit. Soon, the slaughter resumed.
Within the Covenant military—especially among the Sangheili—Xytan 'Jar Wattinree was a living legend. He was so widely respected that his exile to guard the frontier, far from the central power structure, was considered his only flaw.
If not for Selene, he likely would not have returned from the borderlands until after the Prophets had stabbed the Sangheili in the back.
"Builder, please allow me to—bzzzt—! Bzzz—!"
The ancilla was about to continue advising Selene, but the moment it sensed a certain factor from within the rift, it lost its composure.
At first, it had interpreted Selene's actions as nothing more than a standard slipspace tidal fluctuation. That assumption quickly became horrifying—because from the ominous fissure she had torn open, it detected an extremely unnatural and aberrant neural oscillation.
That oscillation was far too familiar.
Though exceedingly faint—nearly nonexistent—it recognized it.
Once, it had led fleets emitting that very same aberrant neural signature in betraying its creators, launching an assault against all life in the universe.
Precursor neurotechnology. The species built upon Flood Super Cell (FSC) microstructures—
The Flood.
Though its foundational programming should not have included the emotion of fear, when it recalled that innumerable, rapidly proliferating horror—like a living deluge—its personality matrix seemed to freeze solid. Computational speed stalled. Cold data-streams cascaded through its processing architecture like sweat.
Selene was unaware that by connecting to the remnants of the Precursor construct—Star Roads—the ancilla had mistaken it for the Flood, which were likewise born of Precursor neural physics.
Second step. Connect the Star Roads...
As the Keyship opened a segment of slipspace from within the Forerunner star map, Honkai energy surged like a rising tide under Selene's control.
Riiip—
Breaking through the restraints of reality, it began reconnecting to the ancient pathways of the Precursor Star Roads—those old trajectories that had been destroyed by the cross-phased neutrino pulses of the Forerunner Halo Array.
Across the starfield, dim, colorless, invisible Star Roads were infused with high concentrations of Honkai energy, gradually growing radiant once more.
Third step. Locate reference points. Verify star map coordinates. Filter...
The entire galaxy—an endless sea of stars. Without a star map, without reference markers, without subordinate forces placing beacons, and having never personally visited—where exactly was she supposed to open a portal?
This was not the Honkai Dimension. It had not yet been fully brought under Selene's dominion. For now, she could not wield it as effortlessly as an extension of her own limbs.
Although her perception could cover the Orion Arm and its surrounding sectors, thoroughly scanning every corner of the galaxy within a short time was something she presently could not achieve.
Once she finished assimilating Universe 117 of the Astartes Second Legion—the Retributors—her strength would leap forward again. At that point, she likely could.
...Location confirmed.
After a long moment, Selene opened her eyes, a faint curve rising at the corner of her lips.
"Found it."
As her crimson eyes shimmering with golden light swept downward, the ancilla could not help but ask, "Builder... that fluctuation earlier—was it the Flood?"
Hearing uncertainty slowly seep into an artificial intelligence's tone was strangely amusing. Selene let out a soft laugh.
"It has nothing to do with the Flood. It's the Precursors... though I suppose it's not entirely unrelated."
"Like the Forerunners' Domain, both were founded upon that extraordinary neural physics. I have repurposed the Precursor Star Roads into a trans-spatial webway. One might say I have obtained one of the most valuable relics the Precursors left behind."
"Then... are you a Precursor?"
With a flick of her finger, she sent the ancilla spinning in midair.
"What do you think?" she said with a faint snort of amusement.
She then turned toward the Master Chief and the others, raising her hand and enveloping everyone—including the ancilla and Halsey—within her power.
"One final journey. After this, I will allow you to return to Earth. The galaxy—it is time to unify it."
"Understood."
The moment Selene drew them into the webway, their vision plunged into darkness. Their bodies experienced a sudden sensation of weightlessness. But this was their second time. Their mental resilience was exceptional.
The sensation quickly faded. In its place, a strange spatial corridor appeared before them.
Because it had been reconstructed from the ruined pathways of the Precursor Star Roads, aside from the faintly visible purple-red webway barrier, there emanated a subtle yet unsettling radiance. The entire passage was utterly silent, devoid of the slightest sound.
...
No one knew how much time passed. Dragged along at tremendous speed by Selene, even the Master Chief's vision blurred into indistinction—let alone the others.
At last, the light at the end of the webway grew increasingly brilliant, until their bodies came to an abrupt halt. Only then did the light reflected upon their retinas gradually soften.
"The Ark." Selene's voice carried unmistakable excitement.
They opened their eyes. Their pupils focused. Their gazes passed over the white-haired woman before them—and gasps erupted one after another.
The sight before them made their hearts tremble.
The flagship Nightfall of the Astartes Eighth Legion—the Night Lords—and even High Charity of the Covenant had been awe-inspiring enough.
But the construct before them lay far beyond anything they had imagined.
Installation 00.
It bloomed like a lotus. A planet served as its core, while mountains, oceans, and forests unfurled as its petals. It was breathtaking.
Seeing was believing. Words fell short of conveying such overwhelming visual impact. Even Selene could not help but silently commend it.
From the Ark's technological display and sheer grandeur alone, it was not difficult to understand why the San'Shyuum and the Covenant had worshipped Forerunner civilization as gods.
In terms of monumental architecture and majestic construction, few creations could make Selene herself marvel.
After all, her Empire possessed countless wonders.
Perhaps the average individual combat capability of the Forerunners would amount to little within Selene's Empire—but the technological level their civilization demonstrated was indeed worthy of divine reverence.