"The Human Empire is a terrible regime, but even so, it is infinitely better than Chaos."
Scalp shouted, "Stop being so stubborn, lay down your weapons and surrender, and you will receive a fair trial."
"Go to hell, you bastard, you damn traitor!" Jonah yelled furiously, "No one can judge me! All the Emperor's lackeys should die!"
He stood up from behind cover, raised his laser gun, and tried to shoot Scalp.
"Foolish."
Scalp reacted much faster than Jonah.
Before the other party could pull the trigger, he fired decisively, blowing off the other party's head.
"This can be considered your deserved end," Scalp walked to Jonah's corpse, delivering a final judgment on his life.
Although Jonah had promoted him, after witnessing this guy's cruel methods against ordinary people, he truly couldn't feel a shred of pity or mercy.
If the other party had been willing to surrender, Scalp naturally wouldn't have acted personally.
But if they resisted stubbornly, there was only one path: death.
He also considered it revenge for the tragically deceased citizens of the Human Empire.
The few surviving guards were killed, and Scalp, along with the rebels, shut down the fortress's defense system and opened the gate.
The Players of the Emperor Niuma Battle Group leaped out from their hiding places, rushing over obstacles and seizing the opportunity to charge into the fortress.
Titus's squad followed closely behind.
They hadn't forgotten their original intention and had been tracking the Worm People, vowing to completely eradicate this xenos threat from the Human Empire.
They learned from several captives that the xenos assisting the Colin Family and their servants had hidden in this fortress, so they joined the God Chosen in their operation.
The rebels, learning of the internal traitor, quickly rushed over, attempting to establish a defense line to block the invading Imperial forces.
"Kill in the name of the Emperor! Kill in the name of Guilliman!"
Titus was born to kill.
He held his bolter, continuously firing at the traitors on the other side of the corridor.
The gunshots and his footsteps were in perfect sync.
The helmet's sensor module outlined the poor souls rushing towards him with a dim orange silhouette, displaying them as low-threat targets.
Titus precisely calculated the damage.
One bolt round was enough to slaughter several pitiful mortal rebels; there was no need to waste them.
The bolter continued to roar.
Soon, the corridor was filled with shattered corpses.
The guys who dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground begging for their lives were ignored by Titus.
He moved past them at an extremely fast pace, heading deeper into the fortress.
Dead men are worthless; only the living can atone.
The Human Empire had other plans for these guys.
They would pay everything to atone for their sins of betrayal.
"Holy crap, as expected of a double God Chosen, his killing speed is too fast!" Tenjiro, following behind the killing squad, exclaimed.
"This guy's shooting skills must be at the Hall of Fame level." Zhuge showed an envious expression.
"Practice hard, and we can definitely reach the Hall of Fame level too," Sea Turtle said, "The Warmaster is the best example."
The Warmaster, who had just secured a kill, tilted his head to look at Sea Turtle.
An invisible big question mark appeared on his bright yellow helmet.
"Warmaster? This nickname is a bit too outrageous, isn't it?"
"You damn bastards, all you know is giving people nicknames, right?!"
"......."
The rebels inside the fortress were vulnerable and collapsed like a mountain.
The Imperial forces swept through them, quickly taking control of the main areas.
Titus and the Deathwatch squad led by Celtic, using their rich hunting experience, followed the traces left by the xenos and found a large hall deep underground.
The traitors who had sided with the xenos and the Worm People were attempting to construct a Warp formation here that could transmit across star systems.
Entering the Warp without any protection was tantamount to a death sentence.
But facing the Human Empire's relentless advance, they had no choice but to resort to this risky method.
Unfortunately, they were still a step too late.
Titus and the others were too fast.
They hadn't even completed the preparations for the ritual when the other party charged in.
.......
Several metal columns supported the marble-domed ceiling.
Suspended lumen-lamps illuminated the entire space, as well as the crowd gathered there.
Hundreds of people in black robes were gathered in the hall.
In their center was a raised platform, upon which stood several tall figures, also in black robes and hooded.
Those figures turned and looked at Titus and the others who had rushed in.
Terrifyingly, these people had no faces; beneath their hoods were black, writhing worms.
Their horrifying appearance instinctively triggered a feeling of trypophobia in people.
"Damn it, I'm definitely going to have nightmares now." Wan Lao felt completely unsettled upon seeing the appearance of the Worm People.
The Warmaster also felt his hair stand on end, "What kind of monsters are the Human Empire's enemies!"
King of Mount & Blade: "I finally understand why the Emperor wants to exterminate these xenos. Just looking at them drains SAN points. How can anyone cooperate with them?"
Twisted person: "According to the data, the Worm People also seem to like enslaving humans and feeding on human mental emotions."
"Don't say anymore, just neutron bomb them directly. My brain is too fragile to look at these things."
"......."
"Stop them! Buy time for our master!" A woman stepped forward, pointing at Titus and the others.
She was Ms. Bossy, the representative of the Eternal Conglomerate.
The next second, the cultists screamed and charged at Titus and the others.
"Fire!" Titus's voice was cold.
The other members of the killing squad and the Players executed the order.
Ten seconds of bolter fire eliminated the threat posed by these Heretic cultists.
Ms. Bossy watched this scene with a pale face.
Vibrant cultists turned into scattered, broken limbs in a matter of seconds, and the pungent smell of blood permeated the air.
Titus's expression remained unchanged throughout.
He had nothing to say to these traitors.
They had made their choice, and he simply showed respect and ensured they received their deserved end.
After killing the Heretic cultists, the killing squad and the Players raised their guns and began firing at the Worm People on the raised platform.
The Worm People's bodies were composed of countless maggot-like worms that could fuse with each other and were covered in a viscous liquid.
Bang! Bang!
Bolter rounds struck the Worm People's bodies, liquid splattered, and they let out sharp wails of pain.
Only the one standing at the very front remained unharmed.
An invisible, unknown force field blocked all incoming bolter rounds, causing only faint ripples on the force field's surface.
That Worm Person let out a threatening hiss.
Then, it suddenly pounced on Olfa of the killing squad with incredible speed, intending to hunt down this Deathwatch veteran.
Scalp, standing nearby, rushed over and pushed Olfa, who hadn't reacted, out of the way.
The next second, the Worm Person shattered Scalp's armor, surged inside, and devoured his flesh and blood.
Boom!
The self-detonating bomb implanted in Scalp's body activated.
The terrifying explosion instantly sent that Worm Person flying, slamming it against the hall wall, sickening fluids splattering.
"Damn it, you wretched food!"
Even with the protection of a special shield force field, sustaining the explosion's damage at such close range still severely wounded that Worm Person.
"Die, xeno!" Olfa raised his gun, glaring at the Worm Person in front of him.
If that God Chosen hadn't stepped forward, he would have been the one to die.
"Your decaying Human Empire will eventually fall, just like the many empires of the past, swept into the dustbin of time."
The Worm Person's voice was hoarse, uttering a malicious curse.
"But we are immortal. We will eventually witness your destruction."
"Immortal? Don't even dream of it. We will definitely find your home world and turn everything to ash!" Olfa finished speaking and pulled the trigger on the other party.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bolters roared.
That Worm Person was blasted into pieces, utterly dead.
"No! You damn executioners!" Ms. Bossy watched her master die, filled with agony.
Celtic wanted to end this shameful traitor with a single shot, but Titus reached out and pushed his gun barrel down.
Darius, the Tech-Priest nearby, seized the opportunity to fire a tranquilizer dart, capturing this heretical traitor alive.
"Why didn't you kill her?" Celtic asked.
"These Worm People aren't the only ones. We need to find their nest and wipe them all out in one go."
"Keeping this woman alive will give us more information."
Titus explained to Celtic,
"The Worm People are dead, and their servants are almost all dead or wounded.
Fred Colin has been captured, and the surviving rebels have chosen to surrender.
This small-scale battle has finally settled."
Meanwhile, in a high-end residential area on Reality,
A 26-year-old young man, with fair skin, whose greatest hardship in life had only been drinking iced Americanos, lay on the living room sofa, wearing a gaming helmet.
Suddenly, he sprang up in a 'carp jump' motion, sitting upright.
After taking off his helmet, he instinctively touched his face and hands,
Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did he breathe a sigh of relief.
The sensation of being gnawed by the Worm People was too real, making him feel as if he had actually been eaten.
After exhaling, the young man casually picked up his phone nearby and opened WeChat.
Mom: "A-Wei, let me introduce you to Auntie Wang's niece next door. She's very much a homebody like you and a good girl."
Dad: "You little rascal, I told you to go work at our family company, but you're always either catching a cold or having a fever."
"It seems the ancestral smoke from the Li family's grave has all been used up on me, otherwise, how could I have a rascal like you?"
"It's okay if you don't work, just don't hang out with those good-for-nothing friends, don't break the law, and definitely don't touch anything you shouldn't. Remember to come back for dinner this weekend; I'll have someone make some of your favorite dishes."
Li Wei didn't look at anyone else's messages,
He only read his parents' and replied to them.
"Mom, stop thinking about blind dates. It's fine if I spend the family's money alone. Your son is so stupid; he'll be ruined if someone tricks him."
"Dad, the ancestral grave smoking must be because of me, otherwise, how could I be such a lazy bum?"
"OK, I'll definitely be back this weekend."
After replying, Li Wei tossed his phone aside,
Looked at the helmet, and found that he still needed to wait an hour before he could revive using Faith Points.
He went to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of electrolyte water, chugged it, and then walked towards the study.
Li Wei's study was very spacious,
One wall of shelves was filled with books,
"Horus Rising," "False Gods," "Galaxy in Flames," "Necronomicon," "Pacific Rim," "Jedi Dawn: Into the Void," "Old Republic: Deceived," "Halo: The Fall of Reach"...
All were science fiction-related books,
The shelves on the other wall displayed models,
Warhammer, Cthulhu, Jedi Knights, StarCraft, and other famous characters were all present.
Li Wei went straight to the computer and joined the Warhammer Niuma Battle Group chat.
Midnight Lord asks if your scalp is itchy: "Brothers, who gets it? I was eaten alive by the Worm People!!"
...
Malz Hive City.
Alex looked at the star map projection floating before him, then turned to Inquisitor Kadin beside him.
"Is this the coordinate of that unknown Star Gate?"
"Yes, we interrogated those traitors several times and used neural devices for lie detection, confirming the authenticity of this information," Kadin nodded.
After the battle ended, the Titus Squad handed over Fred Colin, Ms. Bossy, and other important traitors to the Inquisition.
Under the Inquisition's numerous interrogation methods, these traitors couldn't hold out for long and revealed everything they knew.
"You've done very well," Alex nodded, "Thank you for your hard work."
"It is our honor to be able to share your worries," Kadin said sincerely.
He then withdrew.
Alex looked at the star map projection.
This unknown Star Gate is located at the edge of the Calixis Sector.
The Warhammer Universe also has Star Gate technology.
The Solar System's Pluto Gate and Elysium Gate were built by humanity during the Golden Age.
They allow starships to ignore the Mandeville Point safety regulations and freely enter and exit the Warp.
Besides the Star Gates built by humans in the Golden Age,
There are also some Star Gates built by races even older than the Eldar.
These can complete Warp travel more quickly.
Some Star Gates not only allow starships to freely enter and exit the Warp but can also establish a stable Warp route between two Star Gates.
Star Gates are not as good as the Webway, but they are more advanced than ordinary Warp travel.
The Webway isolates the Warp, opening a path in a special dimension between Reality and the Warp.
Star Gates are merely a supplement to Warp travel, allowing starships to reach their destinations more safely and quickly.
At this stage, the Webway is a distant dream for humanity.
Even if the Eldar were allies of humanity, they would not teach humans how to use the Webway, let alone acquire the technology to build it.
Of course, even if the current Eldar were willing to teach humans how to build the Webway, they probably couldn't.
Because they themselves don't know how.
If Star Gates could be mastered, they would also ensure Warp travel.
Using them on important routes could increase safety and speed.
At this moment, a golden light screen appeared.
[Mission: Acquire Star Gate Technology.
Star Gate technology is more advanced than ordinary Warp travel. Acquiring it will allow humanity to establish a fast transit network based on the Warp, revolutionizing interstellar travel.
Reward: Star Gate 1.0 Technology, massive Faith Points.
]
Alex gazed at the mission light screen floating before him for a moment, then turned to look around.
He always felt that some old homebody, slumped at home, was constantly monitoring him 24/7.
Otherwise, how could he explain that every time a new discovery was made, a new mission would appear immediately?
The Star Gate 1.0 technology reward was quite good.
If Star Gates could be popularized, it would certainly accelerate the Empire's transportation efficiency and further reduce its transportation costs.
Of course, potential risks must also be considered.
If a Star Gate were opened, would it create a Warp rift, inducing sustained infiltration of Aetheric tides into the Reality universe, thereby leading to Chaos Daemon invasions and other events?
"Cortana," Alex called out.
"Master," Cortana's projection appeared.
"Help me call Old Bird and Wu Mou over; I have something I need them to do."
Normally, these two guys stayed on the Imperial Glory, siphoning Cortana's computing power for their research work.
These two damn internalizers, playing games but still slacking off at work, needed to be sent out to do some actual labor.
"Yes, Master, Cortana will call them for you immediately. Is there anything else you need to instruct?"
"No, that's all."
Cortana's projection flickered a few times and then disappeared.
Half an hour later, two iron giants nearly four meters tall walked into the hall where Alex was.
Since seeing the various black-tech weapons on Cawl,
Old Bird and Wu Mou had gone further and further down the path of mechanical ascension.
They had more and more mechanical prosthetics installed on their bodies, making them much larger than ordinary Players.
They called it: 'Knowledge is Power.'
The more knowledge, the stronger the power.
Even in the Warhammer Universe, too many mechanical prosthetics implanted can cause self-cognition disorder and related personality disorders,
Which is known as Cyberpsychosis.
Fortunately, during the class transfer, the Emperor made targeted enhancements for different Player professions.
Those who liked combat were given gene enhancements and battlefield intuition, becoming Astartes.
Those who liked piloting mechs and fighters usually had enhanced neural reactions, battlefield data processing, and machine spirit affinity, etc.
Those who preferred using their brains and chose the mechanical path had their brain nerves and soul stability enhanced.
The Emperor strengthened the brain nerves and souls of these mechanical enthusiasts like Old Bird and Wu Mou,
Allowing them to bear more mechanical prosthetics and maintain self-cognition.
"Guide."
"Guide."
Both Players' throats had been modified,
Producing mechanical and cold voices.
Alex surveyed the two, and upon seeing the firearms implanted in them, his mouth twitched slightly.
These two would probably count as monstrous units on a tabletop, wouldn't they?
"I have a mission that requires you to take people to complete."
Old Bird and Wu Mou exchanged glances, revealing expressions of curiosity and eagerness.
"It is our honor to serve you, Lord," Old Bird replied.
"The Inquisition has interrogated some valuable intelligence from those traitors, including the coordinates of an ancient and unknown Star Gate. I need to send people to investigate this matter."
"Star Gate?" Old Bird repeated with a questioning tone.
"Yes, a Star Gate," Alex nodded, "It might be left over from humanity's Golden Age, or it might be from an even older race. Regardless, we should firmly grasp it in our hands."
"That sounds interesting," Wu Mou showed an expectant expression, "Is the Guide preparing to entrust this to us?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" Alex asked.
"Of course not!" Old Bird shouted, "It is our honor to serve you, and we will definitely live up to your expectations."
Alex nodded. "Very good. Once Scalp revives, you can depart."
"Upon reaching the specified coordinates, if you find a Star Gate, scan it and submit the data. That will complete your mission."
As soon as he finished speaking, a mission popped up in Old Bird and Wu Mou's data logs.
Mission: Acquire Star Gate Technology.
Star Gate technology is more advanced than ordinary Warp travel. Acquiring it will allow humanity to establish a fast-transit network relying on the Warp, revolutionizing interstellar travel.
Basic Reward: 100,000 Contribution Points, 15,000 Honor Points, 35,000 Faith Points.
Commission Reward: Awarded based on the completion of the mission.
After accepting the mission, the two Players returned to the Imperial Glory to form a team and await Scalp's resurrection.
Alex provided them with a research vessel and several frigates to ensure their smooth completion of the mission.
Old Bird and Wu Mou were very quick.
They had always served as technical consultants and maintenance supervisors for the Imperial Glory.
They had a group of Mechanical Priests assisting them.
Upon hearing that they were going to research something new, these Mechanical Priests became as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
They scrambled to sign up, almost coming to blows.
The promotion rules within the Adeptus Mechanicus require mastering a sufficient amount of technology.
And profound knowledge often requires a great price to obtain.
Gaining brand new technology means being able to exchange it with others, thereby mastering enough knowledge.
This is also why members of the Adeptus Mechanicus are so fond of archaeology and digging up Necrons graves.
Because once they unearth something novel, they can exchange it with other Sages for knowledge and grow rapidly.
Within the Adeptus Mechanicus, there are many examples of Priests being rapidly promoted to Sage due to excavating rare STC fragments.
Just as Old Bird and Wu Mou selected suitable helpers and formed a research team, Scalp came to find them, followed by Warmaster, Tenjiro, and other Players.
The Emperor Niuma Battle Group also received a mission to protect the safety of the research team.
After all, the Warhammer Universe is fraught with danger.
Without some combat power, research simply cannot be conducted.
After confirming the necessary supplies, the group set off directly for the Warp Star Gate.
Not long after they set sail, Moriou the Sage, the person in charge of the Las Forge World, sent a communication request to Alex.
This Sage was once the head of the Oculum Manufactorum, and due to his meritorious service in resisting the Adeptus Mechanicus traitors,
After reclaiming the Las Forge World, he was promoted to be in charge of the entire Forge World.
As for the Dragon Lords and the Council that originally managed the Las Forge World, they were dismantled by Alex.
Those with merit were assigned new positions, while those without were sent to less important worlds to serve as maintenance Sages.
"Accept request."
As Alex's words fell,
The projection device placed beside him hummed.
The Cogitators embedded in the wall, neatly arranged, showed signs of pain and their bodies twitched slightly as data surged into them.
Static-like beams leaped, outlining an iron mountain covered in cables and prosthetics.
Alex had once thought this iron mountain was some kind of mechanical device,
Until he saw something resembling a head on it.
"Saint," Moriou the Sage's voice came from a brass speaker.
His head, atop the mountain-like mechanical body, looked somewhat comical.
"Moriou the Sage." Alex nodded.
"The item you entrusted us to build, we are honored to say, is complete," Moriou the Sage said.
"That fast?"
Alex was somewhat surprised.
The speed they demonstrated was overly exaggerated, making it feel a bit unreal to him.
Although, before entrusting them, he had repeatedly emphasized not to delay progress and not to engage in meaningless repetition.
But he had also prepared himself mentally for slow progress and the need to constantly urge them on.
Who would have thought that right after defeating the rebels, they would deliver such good news?
"The Lighthouse is a great creation of the omnissiah, and we naturally dared not delay, gathering the power of several Forge Worlds to prioritize its construction," Moriou the Sage explained.
Before setting out, the Saint handed over the Lighthouse technology to them.
Declaring it to be the wisdom of the omnissiah,
He instructed them to build a brand new Lighthouse on the Atoma Hive City World,
To Guide ships and establish an instant communication network between star systems.
Moriou the Sage, having obtained the new technology, was overjoyed.
He immediately mobilized all factories that had resumed production to produce related components,
And transported them to the Atoma World for assembly.
Other Forge Worlds in the Calixis Sector also participated in this project,
The requirement was that the Las Forge World must share the omnissiah's wisdom with them.
Moriou the Sage agreed to this request, which is why he was able to gather all the forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus in the Calixis Sector in such a short time to build the new Lighthouse.
"Very good. May the omnissiah bless you," Alex said with a satisfied expression. "I will also remember your contributions."
"Serving you is our honor, Saint."
Moriou the Sage was very humble.
The Saint sharing various technologies with them, allowing them to glimpse more truths, was already a supreme grace.
How could they dare to claim credit for it?
"Proceed with the activation immediately and integrate it into the current communication network," Alex said.
"Understood. Praise the omnissiah, we will follow your will."
Having received Alex's permission, Moriou the Sage immediately went to preside over the activation ceremony.
With three chimes, the colossal Lighthouse device suspended in low orbit around the Atoma World was activated.
The huge quantum engine roared, and a violent tremor instantly swept across the massive platform.
Ecclesiarchy followers, led by chanting monks, recited the "Lectitio Divinitatus" in unison, channeling a torrent of faith into the Lighthouse to protect it from demonic corruption.
A bright beam of light shot into the depths of the void, disappearing into the Warp.
Navigators in several star sectors near the Calixis Sector saw this beam of light immediately.
On the Imperial Glory.
"Master, the Lighthouse on the Atoma Hive City World is online."
Cortana reported to Alex immediately.
"Very good. With this new Lighthouse, it won't matter if the Imperial Glory leaves," Alex said.
Previously, the Calixis Sector only had the Imperial Glory as a Lighthouse.
Once it moved, all star systems had to be informed promptly,
So they could correct their reference coordinate systems to navigate correctly,
Otherwise, there would be huge discrepancies.
Now with the new Lighthouse, it would no longer be so troublesome.
Ships performing Warp travel could simply use the Atoma Lighthouse as a reference.
In addition, instant communication no longer needed to rely on the Imperial Glory; the Atoma Lighthouse could perfectly replace it.
Thus, the Atoma Hive City World, as the capital planet of the Calixis Sector, became even more justifiable.
Soon after the Atoma Lighthouse was activated,
Maintenance personnel on the Pharos Lighthouse and the Macragge's Honour discovered this brand new Lighthouse.
"Has another area been lit up?"
Guilliman, who was preparing the Indomitus Crusade on Terra, received the news immediately.
"Establish contact immediately and see what their current situation is."