The void.
The rift zone radiated continuous waves. It was a loathsome passage formed by the authority of the Chaos Gods.
The entire passage was composed of dark-red energy. Looking in through the entrance, one could see chaotic warp power tangled throughout its interior, with lingering souls darting everywhere.
A forest made of living arms could be seen faintly within.
In the past, if the Imperium's high command had seen such a passage, they would absolutely have treated it as a grave threat and immediately requested aid from the Segmentum capital or Holy Terra.
It meant the arrival of an endless daemonic tide. The entire sector would become a living hell under Chaos corruption.
And the reality matched that expectation. At the exit of this passage, the terrifying roars of daemons rang out without end, making the Imperial officials on the ship platform go weak in the knees.
Such vast daemonic pressure was enough to drown their poor agricultural sector.
Yet none of them left, nor did they organize a fleet to guard the rift's exit. The surrounding area was filled entirely with engineering teams, and banners welcoming the Savior floated through space.
As for the Imperial Navy fleet, it was on alert farther out, seemingly preventing other spaceborne forces from attacking this passage exit.
This was utterly unprecedented.
A Chaos passage had appeared within a sector, yet the local Governor had not mobilized armies and psykers to destroy it. Instead, he was protecting it.
"Emperor above, when exactly will the Savior and the artifact arrive?"
The local Governor took a deep breath. He wanted to move farther away from this area, but in the end, he did not. That would be dereliction of duty.
According to the supreme order from the Royal Court, this place was to serve as a transfer station for the artifact, so they had to make all reception preparations. Even the stationed fleets from nearby sectors had all rushed over.
Moreover, the great Savior, the Emperor of the Imperium, would be visiting their tiny agricultural sector for the first time.
This was an earth-shaking event. The welcoming work had to be handled properly.
Of course, the Governor also knew that His Majesty the Savior was exhausting himself to save the galaxy and deal with the Dark King's calamity. Their little agricultural sector could not be of much help.
All the locals could do was provide some supplies and regional specialties to the relevant engineering personnel.
That way, they could recover their strength more effectively and better complete their mission.
"By the Savior's protection, we were lucky the Black Calamity didn't reach us.
"The Hopes Sector suffered a disaster. Their losses were severe. The economic zone they had just finished building is completely gone, and many people died."
As the Chief of Staff spoke, lingering fear rose in him. He began giving thanks again for the protection of the Savior and the Sun of Hope.
The Governor nodded at those words, also shaken.
The Hopes Sector really had been too unlucky.
The rift formed by the Black Calamity had happened to pass right through their newly built economic zone and the Governor's estate, destroying the entire region in an instant.
That Black Calamity was so terrifying that half of the main planet involved vanished all at once. Everyone inside was swallowed and disappeared without a trace.
If the Governor had not happened to be out on an inspection tour, he likely would have been annihilated along with the aides and administrative officials in his estate.
It was even deadlier than an attack by xenos or heretics.
If xenos or heretics attacked, the local storm army group and Imperial Navy fleet could still resist. But the Black Calamity was different. It could swallow an entire fleet along with everything else.
The Black Calamity was so terrifying that it was simply an irresistible disaster.
Thinking of this, the Governor and the other sector administrators could not help feeling afraid again. Perhaps this was why His Majesty the Savior had gone so far as to ally with and command Chaos daemons to participate in disaster relief.
Although the Black Calamity had not descended upon their agricultural sector, the news coming from the affected sectors was already frightening enough.
That loathsome disaster struck at random. No one knew whether it would fall on their heads next. Even more terrifying, it had no warning and no method of defense.
Reportedly, as the Dark King awakened, the Black Calamity would spread to every region of the galaxy and the Warp. When that happened, they truly would have nowhere to run.
It was nothing short of an extinction-level disaster.
The Governor and the other sector administrators fell silent. Even though they had already discussed the Black Calamity many times, whenever the topic came up, they still felt a trace of despair.
The void was dark and heavy, as if the Black Calamity might descend at any moment and tear open the heavens.
Then swallow them all.
"By the Sun of Hope, our great Majesty has already found a way to eliminate the Black Calamity. Before long, everything will be settled."
The aged voice of the sector Archbishop rang out.
He was not afraid because of the Black Calamity. Instead, his voice was full of devotion.
"After the reception is complete, the Ecclesiarchy will hold a blessing ceremony in the cathedral.
"When the time comes, I hope all of you will attend, so we may pray together for our great Majesty and for the Imperium."
When the Governor and the other sector administrators heard this, much of the worry in their hearts faded. They all agreed that they would personally attend the blessing ceremony to pray for the Sun of Hope to protect their agricultural sector.
This was why the Savior had reformed and preserved the Ecclesiarchy.
Its role in soothing people's hearts was irreplaceable. It was also an important measure for redirecting the Imperium's faith.
The New Ecclesiarchy no longer possessed governing authority as it had in the past, nor could it interfere with government affairs. In general, it had begun worshiping the Sun of Hope.
Its faith and doctrines were gentler, leaning toward spiritual comfort, teaching people to do good and worship the great, one and only Savior.
As for the Emperor, while he remained an indispensable sacred figure in the New Ecclesiarchy's epics, he was no longer the main object of worship.
The figure that had once been the Imperium's primary image of faith would slowly recede with time, becoming one of the legendary stories surrounding the Savior.
In truth, within the Imperium's main controlled regions, signs had gradually appeared among newborn children that they recognized only the Savior and no longer knew the Emperor.
As long as education kept pace, this massive faith-redirection project could be thoroughly completed within several centuries.
Just as the Governor and the others' emotions eased somewhat, an even more terrifying daemonic roar came from within the Chaos rift passage, shaking the soul.
What followed was a foul, bloody wind that made the shielding field on the platform crackle.
Clearly, the intensity of the Chaos warp power was already close to exceeding the threshold.
Such a high concentration of Chaos power made their hair stand on end.
"Savior preserve us. The heretical daemons in the passage won't attack us, will they?"
The Chief of Staff's face turned pale. To welcome the Savior at the first possible moment, they were far too close to the passage.
If the Chaos daemons launched an attack on this platform, even the Space Marines would struggle to provide support in time.
It was not just the Chief of Staff. Even the Governor and the others' expressions changed. The Archbishop gripped his staff tightly and quietly prayed for the Savior's protection.
Behind the platform, the people also began to stir uneasily.
No matter what, in human eyes, Chaos daemons remained extremely threatening, especially when there was no army protecting them.
But no order to retreat had been given, so no one left without permission. They remained firmly in place, whispering to one another or gripping the weapons they carried.
Imperial subjects did fear heretical daemons somewhat, but they were not terrified out of their wits like the people of the old Imperium.
They knew daemons were physical entities in the galaxy. They had flesh and blood. They could be knocked down and killed by weapons. When humans faced daemons, they would no longer be slaughtered helplessly as they once had been.
The Governor still stood firm. He did not move even a step, staring straight at the Chaos rift passage.
As the highest official here, he could not be frightened by Chaos. Even if danger truly came, he would fight alongside the warriors.
Since the Governor had not retreated, the others dared even less to run. Moreover, courage and resilience were among the important assessment criteria for Imperial officials.
If they fled in the face of battle and were labeled cowards, they would easily fail their evaluations and lose their positions and power.
They might even receive a personal visit from the Inquisition.
This was also one of the reasons the Imperium had become increasingly fierce in recent years. A weak general made a weak army. If the Imperium's high-ranking officials were this fierce and dared to rush toward the front lines, how much worse could the commanders, warriors, and subjects below them be?
"The Sav… the Savior! His Majesty the Savior is here!"
Suddenly, a sharp-eyed official saw the scene within the passage and could not help shouting.
In an instant, the crowd stopped stirring and became excited.
The Savior was like an invisible sun, illuminating the entire galaxy, sheltering everyone, and dispelling the gloom and fear in people's hearts.
In short, His Majesty the Savior had arrived, so the sector was safe. The heretics and xenos would not dare cause trouble.
For a time, everyone endured their discomfort and turned their gazes toward that hateful rift passage, wanting to witness the great Savior's figure at the first possible moment.
If they could see his true face, that would be even better.
This was an honorable moment worthy of being written into a family chronicle. Countless noble beings dreamed of meeting the Savior even once, so their families might become even more honored.
That was also proof of loyalty and faith.
In truth, the task of welcoming the Savior this time was an extremely glorious matter. Many high-ranking figures from the surrounding sectors and even the wider Segmentum had wanted to come and participate.
Unfortunately, because of the latest orders, all Imperial officials had to remain stationed locally to respond to the coming Black Calamity. That was why they had not come, and instead had merely sent respectful communications of greeting.
But right now, the Savior had no attention to spare for such things. Most likely, he would not even look at them. They would be intercepted and filed away by the secretarial departments.
The Governor and the people stared fixedly at the passage, hoping that the Savior's figure or transport would appear and allow them to witness that sacred sight.
???
Yet the next moment, they were all dumbstruck, even somewhat lost.
"Savior above, this… this is…"
The Archbishop took a deep breath. Even he was at a loss for words as he looked at the scene.
Everywhere they could see, there were Chaos daemons. The heart-stopping roars of those daemons came in wave after wave.
Yet those loathsome beings' roars were extremely rhythmic. They sounded more like work chants.
Inside the rift passage, at the very front, were dozens of Greater Daemons of Chaos.
Any one of those beings would be enough to unleash a bloody disaster across a sector.
The Greater Daemons' massive bodies were covered in red banners and flags praising the Savior. Thick iron chains covered in runes were wrapped around them.
They seemed to be dragging some heavy object, and the effort was clearly tremendous.
On both sides of the passage were even more Chaos daemons, packed densely together. They too were bound with iron chains, desperately hauling forward. Every step they took was extremely difficult.
These Chaos entities were like barge haulers from some feudal world.
They advanced through a terrible environment. The slightest carelessness would send them falling into the Chaos storms on either side of the road, where they would be swept away screaming.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Custodians were mixed in among the daemonic masses, occasionally lashing out with whips or issuing orders, urging the daemonic "haulers" to speed up or adjust direction.
Those terrifying heretical daemons looked like the Savior's slaves.
The Governor and the others were stunned by the sight.
"As expected of the great Savior. He can even command daemons. He will become the supreme ruler. The galaxy and the Warp will become humanity's territory!"
When the Archbishop saw this scene, even more worship appeared in his eyes.
Without question, this further magnified the Savior's majesty and shaped an even greater, more omnipotent image.
There was no doubt that an Emperor of the Imperium capable of commanding xenos and heretics would win even more awe and worship from the people.
"Long live the Savior!"
The Governor's eyes shone, and an indescribable power surged through him.
He had been born lowly, on a world ravaged by Chaos, but had luckily passed into the Schola Progenium on Erth. From there, he had climbed step by step to where he was now.
In his homeland, people feared daemons immensely. They did not even dare discuss them, as if they were an untouchable taboo, an invincible unknown existence.
After receiving his education at the Schola Progenium, the Governor learned that daemons were not invincible.
Humanity could conquer them.
He watched everything before him, tears glinting in his eyes.
This was humanity.
This was the Imperium that would dominate the galaxy and the Warp.
So what if they were Chaos daemons? So what if they were Greater Daemons? Under the rule of the great Savior, did they not still have to obediently carry heavy loads and perform hard labor?
Magnificent, my Savior. Magnificent, my Imperium!
Of course, the emergence of these thoughts was also due to the Imperium's atmosphere becoming more open-minded.
If this had happened during the Great Crusade or the old Imperium, there was a high chance it would have been considered the act of a traitor to humanity, or that of a tyrant abusing evil powers.
The Emperor himself had once suffered backlash from such conservative ideas.
The Primarchs had each wondered, when they saw the Emperor using psychic power and beginning to meddle with the Webway in the Warp, whether he intended to use evil powers to rule humanity or become a god.
There was nothing to be done about it. That was the Emperor's own choice. He had desperately sealed off knowledge of the Warp and psychic power, attempting to block Chaos through ideological censorship, but in the end he still suffered a crushing defeat.
Eden had learned from that lesson. After the Great Heresy, the truth could no longer be blocked, so rather than suppressing it, it was better to make use of it. He even proclaimed that the Warp had been humanity's territory since ancient times, only stolen away by the Chaos Gods.
He could also make use of the Warp's idealistic nature to reduce the influence of those chaotic energies on humanity.
This approach had been very effective. It strengthened humanity's resistance.
Now, when humans faced warp power, they would no longer be corrupted and driven mad at every turn. The more one feared that thing, the greater the damage it caused.
Those Beastmen were also made of flesh and blood, yet they had survived in the Warp all the same, breeding litter after litter until they had nearly become the Warp's cockroaches.
Many times, they served as the Chaos Gods' vanguard troops and cannon-fodder legions.
Of course, Beastmen did not appear very often in the wars between humanity and Chaos daemons, but that was mainly because the cost of teleporting them was too high.
In the wars between the Chaos Gods, Beastmen appeared in great numbers.
In short, the thoughts and plans of the Savior, this Emperor of the Imperium, regarding humanity were also changing as his understanding of the Warp deepened.
Through various methods, he was trying to let humanity slowly adapt to and accept the existence of the Warp, and to use the Warp to support development.
That was the inevitable outcome.
According to the latest research views, the galaxy and the Warp were already closely connected and could no longer be avoided. Humanity could not simply cover its eyes and ears and pretend not to see.
Unless humanity chose to pack up and flee, leaving the galaxy completely.
Some Tech-Magi who studied the Warp even declared that the Warp was a precious resource for humanity and could provide infinite energy.
In short, the Warp was a treasure, and humanity needed to use it well.
Of course, these latest studies and ideas had not spread widely. Most humans were temporarily unaware of them. They were only subtly influencing the entire Imperium through continuous experiments and technological development.
The platform where the Governor and the others stood moved closer and closer to the rift passage.
They were very curious. What exactly were the Chaos daemons dragging with such difficulty?
Yet the next moment, everyone saw a radiant, glittering Savior's honor banner. It even bore the sacred image of His Majesty the Emperor of the Imperium.
It was extremely imposing, and extremely flashy.
That honor banner was several kilometers long. They saw it immediately.
The Governor became excited as soon as he saw the honor banner representing the Savior.
He suddenly realized what was happening and quickly turned to issue orders to the honor guard.
"Quick, quick, quick! Keep playing the music! Keep dancing!"
(End of Chapter)
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