Chapter 233: Clash

"Roar!"

The red-armored Elite couldn't understand a word Leeman was saying, but from the tone, it judged that this giant with overwhelming combat prowess didn't harbor any immediate malice toward it.

However!

To be captured so easily without putting up a fight would be a blatant violation of the honor of the Sangheili!

After a brief moment of contemplation, the red-armored Elite suddenly exploded into action, tightening its right fist and striking toward Leeman's side.

Yet—

Clang!! Leeman didn't even budge.

The Elite's full-force punch failed to leave the slightest mark on the mithril-forged power armor.

"Hahaha! Come on, buddy, don't be ridiculous!"

Leeman laughed heartily and then, with the index, middle, and thumb of his right hand, "carefully" pinched the inner side of the Elite's shoulder armor. He effortlessly lifted the 2.4-meter-tall Sangheili until their eyes were level.

At this point, Leeman's tone shifted, becoming more serious:

"Buddy, I know you can't understand me, but if you don't behave, I won't hesitate to remove your limbs. 

Atlas has the most advanced biotech, so even if we can't heal you right away, we can always fit you with some cybernetic limbs."

"Roar..."

The red-armored Elite felt powerless.

It understood that no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't possibly stand a chance against the giant before it. Leeman's words were clearly the final warning.

Eventually—

"Yanqung ee yeh (I understand)," the Elite muttered in resignation, accepting reality.

"Hahaha! Now that's the spirit of a good pal!"

Leeman's jovial demeanor returned immediately.

He released the Elite, granting it freedom once more. Then, turning to the Thunder Warriors, whose actions were driven by his father's psychic influence but who possessed a certain degree of autonomous intelligence, Leeman commanded:

"Kill any hostile or threatening targets except for the Sangheili and Unggoy."

The twenty Thunder Warriors nodded in acknowledgment.

Immediately—

Thud, thud!

They spread out and advanced swiftly, preparing for battle, heading toward the gravity lift of the CCS-class battlecruiser.

As for the red-armored Elite, it lowered its head and followed behind Leeman.

Having surrendered, the Elite, as a Sangheili warrior, accepted the reality that it had been outmatched and was now a captive.

Of course, it could try to strike again when Leeman let his guard down.

But the Elite doubted that it could land a killing blow in one strike. Besides, as a warrior who valued honor and loyalty, it wasn't the type to flee, so it quietly followed Leeman.

Not long after—

Bang! Bang-bang!!

The sharp crack of 0.75 and 1.0 caliber rounds echoed through the dense forest.

Occasionally, there were low-intensity explosions, and bursts of muzzle flashes lit up the woods.

Covenant combat teams, having responded to the Brutes' distress signals and hearing the commotion, had now engaged the Thunder Warriors.

But to be precise, it was a one-sided massacre by the Thunder Warriors.

The Covenant only provided advanced personal equipment to the Sangheili, while Brutes, Jackals, and Grunts had to rely on visual targeting for their shooting under normal circumstances.

Meanwhile, the Thunder Warriors, even relying on visual cues alone, far surpassed the entirety of the Covenant races. And with helmets equipped with dynamic tracking and pulse scanning, the Covenant forces never even saw their "enemy" before being struck by precise, explosive bolt rounds.

Splatter—splat!!

Any Brutes or Jackals hit by the explosive bolts first had their bodies ripped open, followed by tiny shrapnel and metal fragments shredding them to pieces.

Even Brutes with higher ranks, equipped with power armor and energy shields, couldn't withstand more than one or two rounds of explosive ammunition.

As for the Jackals, who liked to hide behind energy shields, their arm strength wasn't enough to withstand the shockwaves and explosions from the bolts. Their arms either fractured, twisted, or their entire bodies were flung backward upon impact.

The Grunts, sensing danger, quickly opted to flee, waddling away in a panic.

But as the Thunder Warriors approached the CCS-class ship's docking zone, the resistance became noticeably stronger.

Moreover, due to being inside the planet's core, the Beacon of Fire couldn't provide effective logistical support, leaving the Thunder Warriors' ammunition supply running low.

"Click!"

At that moment, one of the Thunder Warriors, with chest armor marked as 014, fired his last explosive bolt.

He holstered his bolter on the magnetic rack on his left thigh and freed his right hand, gripping the hilt of a sword hanging from his waist. His palm's hidden interface linked with the sword's handle—

Buzz! Buzz!!!

The sound of a rapidly spinning chainsaw blade echoed outward from 014's position.

He now wielded a massive greatsword, at least 1.8 meters long, rectangular in shape, with a protective casing that concealed the rapidly spinning chain of blades beneath it.

This was one of the weapons developed by Atlas's research division at Samuel Young's direction for both Thunder Warriors and Astartes—

The Chainsword.

While the Atlas chainsword didn't have a disruptor field like the iconic human weapons in Warhammer 40k, its blades were made of Dwarven steel, guaranteeing both sharpness and durability.

The chainsword was also powered directly by the fusion reactor in the Titans' power armor, so there was no need to worry about "running out of juice."

Now, with no more long-range capability, 014 sped up his run.

Thud! Thud!

Despite his bulky frame, his movements were surprisingly agile.

014 dashed through the dense forest and emerged into an open, overgrown area.

The gravity lift, emitting a faint pink glow, was positioned here, with the massive CCS-class cruiser casting a shadow over the space, blocking the light from the artificial star and making the area feel dim.

Of course, this area was heavily guarded by Covenant forces.

In addition to the standard combat teams, there were also defensive outposts with makeshift gravity lifts, and over a dozen hover tanks that resembled blue beetles.

But that wasn't all. Near the gravity lift stood several "heavy infantry," each nearly four meters tall.

"Yaaa!!"

The Grunts and Jackals screamed in panic, realizing 014 had suddenly appeared.

"Roar!!"

The high-ranking Elite commander, clad in bright red armor, waved its hand, signaling all units to open fire on 014.

Bang! Bang-bang!! 

Rii~zzzuu!!

In an instant, an array of plasma cannons of various sizes and colors rained down on the Thunder Warrior, who moved so swiftly he seemed to leave afterimages in his wake.

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