Alex performed the aquila salute towards the Emperor's statue in the Praying Sanctuary and prayed.
As the praises to the Emperor echoed, a glowing portal appeared beneath the Sanctuary's dome.
Two Cherubim, flapping their wings, flew out.
They carried a metal box, and the anti-gravity turbines embedded in their bodies hummed.
The box's surface bore the double-headed eagle emblem and intricate flame patterns.
The Cherubim placed the box before Alex.
"Your mission was excellently completed, God Chosen," one of the Cherubim said in a raspy voice. "He is very pleased. Please continue to complete the missions given."
"I will do my best," Alex nodded.
Upon receiving the reply, the Cherubim did not linger, flapping their wings and flying into the still-open glowing portal.
As before, Alex placed his hand on top of the box.
Light emanated from his hand, spreading along the patterns on the box's surface, eventually illuminating the entire double-headed eagle and numerous flame emblems.
The sound of gears turning, mechanical pistons moving back and forth, and the sizzling of a killing field being unlocked all sounded together.
The box slowly opened, revealing its contents.
A golden Iron Halo lay quietly inside the box.
A golden light screen automatically appeared, displaying information about the halo.
[Name: Angelic Iron Halo (Epic)
The Iron Halo is part of the Space Marine's armory, an ancient relic, and a special badge of honor, worn only by Space Marines who have demonstrated extraordinary initiative or courage on the battlefield.
It contains a powerful deflection field that can deflect high-velocity bullets and beams, allowing the wearer to survive intense hails of gunfire.
"If you want to fight on the battlefield without a helmet, with the Emperor's gaze constantly upon you, this thing is standard equipment."
"Everyone in the world is the Emperor's currency, but with this thing, they are no longer the Emperor's currency, but the Emperor's gold coins."
]
"It's a good thing, I guess. The chance of getting my head blown off is lower."
Alex leaned down and picked up the Iron Halo.
This item was usually only worn by outstanding veterans above the rank of Company Captain.
Alex ordered a nearby servitor to come and assist him in putting on the halo.
His power armor already had an interface reserved for it; he only needed to plug it in to activate it.
As the servitor moved, the Iron Halo was activated.
The air vibrated with an invisible ripple, emitting a hum.
Immediately after, the Iron Halo released a faint glow, like a divine halo encircling the back of Alex's head.
It made him look like a deity from mythology.
Players entering and exiting the Praying Sanctuary widened their eyes at this sight.
"Woah, the Guide got new equipment again?"
"Damn it, he's so handsome."
"Brother, why do you have a bit of a Treasure Island accent?"
"He's so handsome I want to cry. Why does the Guide get all the good stuff?"
"The developers are unfair, making fools of us Players. Why do NPCs have it, and we don't?"
"This is too much! Brothers, let's unite and demand that the developers give us wings and Iron Halos too."
"I can't take it. I want to bear the Guide's children. He's too handsome."
"Sister, listen to my advice: you can't handle him. Think about what happened to the mouse hole that tried to resist the drilling machine!"
"You're so perverted..."
"Are you trying to say, 'I like it very much'?"
"Get lost! I would never like a pervert."
"......"
The handsome Alex made the Players drool continuously.
This once again raised the question in their minds of who the main character of this game really was.
Alex paid no attention to these young Players. After admiring his new equipment for a while,
he boarded a gunship and left the Imperial Glory, heading for the Angel Keep, which was being rebuilt on the surface of Baal.
At this time, Angel Keep was still a scene of bustling activity.
A large amount of engineering machinery was at work, rebuilding the magnificent Angel Keep fortress.
Players and Mechanical Priests drove special hunting machines,
searching for 'Thirsty Ones' everywhere,
and confining them to a certain area to prevent them from damaging the fragile ecosystem.
Purification teams systematically cleaned up high-radiation areas, reducing them to levels acceptable for the human body.
Climate regulators, as huge as mountains, adjusted Baal's weather, making it less scorching and dry.
Lakes and lush green woodlands once again appeared on Baal's surface.
It was imaginable that in the coming years, it would transform into a beautiful paradise.
The transport shuttle docked at the landing pad.
Dante, having received the news, came with a group of Blood Angels to greet him.
As soon as Alex stepped out, Dante led the Blood Angels in saluting him.
"Saint."
"Saint."
"......"
"No need for formalities. By the way, how have your discussions about Primarisization progressed?" Alex asked.
"Unanimously approved," Dante replied.
"Unanimously approved?" Alex was a little surprised. "Did Chapter Master Seth not object?"
"Chapter Master Seth not only didn't object, but he also showed extreme enthusiasm. He agreed to all the decrees and policies you issued and promised that the Flesh Tearers would do their utmost to execute and implement them."
Dante's words surprised Alex even more.
This... this... it felt a little off.
It was well-known that the Flesh Tearers Warband was the most resistant to Primarisization,
and had even questioned whether Guilliman intended to become the Emperor!
Why were they so cooperative now?
Could he have been possessed by Tzeentch?
Alex instinctively thought of those blue-feathered birds.
If something inexplicably becomes very strange, don't be confused; just curse those blue-skins, and you'll be right.
But then he thought, he himself was here; it was impossible for them to bypass him and corrupt the people around him!
If they could casually corrupt Imperial heroes while he was present and blessed by the Emperor,
then there was no point in fighting this war.
He might as well go back, clean his backside, and beg those lords like Kharbanda to be gentle.
Something must have happened to cause such a significant change in the Flesh Tearers Warband.
Alex showed no sign of abnormality. "No objection is naturally for the best. Let's push for Primarisization as quickly as possible."
"I will support you with a batch of Sons of Sanguinius. They are very powerful, but still a blank slate. You can shape them with your own traditions."
"Thank you for your generosity, Saint," Dante said.
"Once Baal is rebuilt, I must set off for Terra."
Alex's words stunned Dante, who felt a sudden emptiness in his heart, an indescribable panic.
"You're leaving Baal?"
"I promised the Primarch that once I rescued you all, I would return to Terra to help him push for deep reforms," Alex explained.
"You can complete your work on Baal. The Imperial Glory can transmit your will to Terra."
Dante said,
"The Imperium Nihilus also needs someone to oversee the big picture. If you leave, what will happen to those tormented worlds? Those Imperial citizens in despair need your salvation."
Dante had some words left unsaid:
If you leave, how will we fight the Black Rage and the Blood Thirst?
The Sons of Sanguinius had already lost one father; they didn't want to lose another.
"This reform is very important, Dante. It concerns the future of humanity. We must allow the Imperium to be reborn to reshape this galaxy."
Alex was very patient.
"Therefore, I must personally go to Terra to oversee things and ensure everything is foolproof."
"As for the Imperium Nihilus, it indeed needs someone to manage the overall situation."
"Guilliman and I have discussed this many times and believe you are the most suitable, Dante."
"Terra will appoint you as the Regent of the Imperium Nihilus, responsible for commanding all Imperial forces north of the Great Rift."
Dante's face showed a struggling expression. After a moment, he made up his mind and said firmly, "I am very old, Saint."
"So, are you planning to tell me you're retiring?" Alex asked.
"As long as there is an enemy of the Imperium alive, I will not rest, but I cannot bear such a heavy burden," Dante explained. "Only you can serve as the Regent of the Imperium Nihilus. I do not have that ability."
"Is it that you lack the ability, or that you simply don't want me to leave?" Alex saw through Dante's thoughts.
Dante's old face flushed, a little embarrassed. "Perhaps both."
"The Sons of Sanguinius have always been plagued by the Black Rage and the Blood Thirst. If you are not here, I don't know how many will be lost again."
"Don't worry," Alex comforted him. "My ability is more like a reset, transforming Sons of Sanguinius deeply afflicted by the Black Rage and the Blood Thirst back to their state before symptoms appeared."
"This way, it can be maintained for a long time. They only need to return to my side periodically to effectively control the Blood Thirst and the Black Rage."
"The Imperium has mastered instant communication technology. This is a good start. As long as we develop it seriously, we will have more new technologies, tightly linking the entire galaxy together."
"Moreover, I possess the ability to appear beside any God Chosen at any time. So even if I go to Terra, I can return to Baal and to your side at any moment."
Alex spent a considerable amount of persuasion to convince Dante to accept the position of Regent of the Imperium Nihilus.
Dante holding this position was much better than anyone else.
He was strong in combat, could command battles, and listened to him.
He could lead troops to save planets in despair and implement reform policies to drive Imperial change.
By then, with control over both the economy and the military, if those worms dared to disobey, he would educate them with an iron fist.
......
In the Angel Keep's Sanctuary Hall,
survivors and refugees gathered here, undergoing orderly inspections.
Tyranids / Tyranid contamination was too strong.
These innocent people, fighting without protection, were very likely to have been corrupted by Tyranid and needed centralized inspection as a precaution.
Yuji's body trembled in the queue.
It was a hot day,
but he felt very cold, with something moving inside him.
"It's colder here than a desert night," Yuji said, trembling.
"Dad... Daddy," his simple-minded son, Ers, stammered his name.
"Don't call me that, you idiot!" Yuji vented his dissatisfaction on Ers.
Ers lowered his head in fear.
At that moment, Yuji's heart softened again, and he pulled Ers into his embrace.
"It's alright, I'll be fine. If something happens to me, you go back and sell water properly. Don't listen to others about going on adventures or anything like that. I want you to live well."
Yuji was sometimes impatient and rough with Ers,
but he knew very well that he didn't dislike the child; he just hated his own incompetence.
Two years ago, Ers was a smart and strong young man.
At that time, they lived in the town of Angel's Descent.
Yuji and his wife, along with his mother-in-law and the intelligent Tiels, lived in a humble home.
It is said that the town where the Angels descended was the first place Sanguinius was discovered.
Therefore, the Angels built a huge statue of Sanguinius there for people to pilgrimage to.
The Yuji family relied on selling water in the Angel Descent Town to make a living.
Baal II is a desert world with scarce water resources, where every drop of water is precious.
The selling price of water was high, but the cost was also high, so they could only earn meager profits.
But the Yuji family still survived by selling water.
Their life was simple and poor, but it was stable.
Until Tiels, full of hope, went to participate in the Angel selection.
He was sent back and became an idiot.
To solve this problem, Yuji borrowed a lot of money to treat Tiels, but there was no improvement.
During this time, Yuji's wife passed away, and his mother-in-law also got cancer.
Whenever he saw the clumsy Tiels, he would feel that it was his incompetence that prevented him from curing his son, and that led to his once happy family being torn apart.
But he didn't want to admit it, so he could only torment himself and Tiels in this way.
Weeks ago, the Angels gathered on Baal to fight the approaching Tyranids / Tyranid swarm.
Yuji and Tiels, father and son, were also conscripted.
They were forced to stand on the front lines as bait.
They were to lure the Tyranid into the moats around Angel Keep,
allowing the 'water-thirsty' creatures to die from absorbing all the water.
As for Yuji's cancer-stricken mother-in-law, she calmly took Baal II's unique poison, ending her life, which had only one or two months left.
Tiels was no longer intelligent, but he was still the kind Tiels he used to be.
Several times, Yuji was in danger, and it was Tiels who saved him.
Without Tiels, Yuji knew very well that he would have died on the battlefield long ago.
But even so, he sometimes couldn't control himself and would use malicious words to hurt Tiels.
However, he was also tormented by such behavior.
The inspection was very fast.
Soon it was Yuji and Tiels' turn.
"No corruption symptoms, still a gene adapter, previously participated in the selection, eliminated due to minor brain trauma, trauma can be cured, recommended to be included in the new recruit list."
Tiels' inspection report came out quickly.
"Congratulations, child, you will become an Angel," said the priest in charge of the inspection.
Hearing this, Tiels' eyes lit up.
"Father, did…did you hear that? He…he said I would become an Angel."
"You'll be…be proud of me, won't you?"
Yuji nodded. Seeing Tiels' appearance, he recalled his own roughness and impatience, and felt guilty.
"Yes, I will be proud of you."
Hearing this, Tiels became even happier.
Just like when he was a child, when he received praise, he smiled foolishly.
Yuji suddenly realized something: Tiels had never changed.
He had always been the same Tiels who loved his father and mother above all else.
But as a father, he had been so impatient, venting his incompetence and pain on this child, using malicious words to hurt him.
Tiels had only lost his intelligence; he hadn't done anything to hurt anyone else.
"It won't be like this anymore."
Yuji silently swore.
But the next second, he fell into hell.
His inspection report showed that he was contaminated by Tyranids / Tyranid organic matter and had to be Purified.
Fate is so cruel; only when people want to make amends do they realize they no longer have the opportunity.
"I'm sorry, Tiels. Live well."
When Yuji was taken away by the Purification team, that was the only thing he could say to his foolish son.
Tiels looked bewildered. He wanted to chase his father, but the priest stopped him.
"This is a kindness, and it is your father's choice. He does not want you to witness his death."
"Come with me. Receive treatment, and you will become my brother."
Tiels watched his father disappear from his sight, tears welling up in his eyes, and then he was led away by the servants.
Meanwhile, on the other side,
Yuji thought he was doomed, but then a turning point arrived.
He and other contaminated people were gathered together.
"You have another choice. The MC Dynasty needs infected individuals for experiments," Little Fatty, who was in charge of the inspection task, said to the NPCs in front of him.
"Those who are willing, step forward. I will take you to the MC Dynasty's laboratory. In that case, you might have a certain chance to survive and gain greater power."
Yuji stepped forward.
No matter what, if he participated in the experiment, at least he would have a chance to survive.
Perhaps, one day, he could see his son, Tiels, again.
… … … …
Deep beneath Baal,
the ancient ruins of the Golden Age were incredibly dim.
Only the muzzle flashes of guns and the explosions of bolter rounds provided a bit of bright light.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bolter rounds were dense like a tide, landing on the monsters' bodies, tearing their bodies apart.
The Players cooperated closely, shooting with bolter guns from a distance and hacking with chainswords up close.
The hall was quickly filled with the smell of blood, and broken limbs were scattered everywhere.
The monsters had sharp claws and astonishing combat abilities, but they had a fatal flaw:
they fought individually and didn't know how to cooperate.
There were many monsters in the hall, but the Players still relied on cooperation to wipe them all out.
After resolving the battle in the hall, the Players continued to explore deeper.
Passing through a dark corridor, they finally entered a huge laboratory.
It was very spacious, with only a gene pod labeled '0'.
"Undoubtedly, this is the Boss," Warmaster said, surveying gene pod 0.
Inside, a mutated creature was also sleeping, looking larger than those in the hall outside, covered in bones, with a pair of black wings on its back.
"Do you think we should strategize or something?" Twisted person asked.
"Why think so much? Just rush it! In this game, even a Greater Daemon can be killed by bolter rounds. How could a mere mutant defy the heavens?" Wrist Bro said carelessly.
"Let's be cautious," Warmaster said. He pointed to Tenjiro and Twisted person. "You guys take the riot shields and provide ranged fire support."
Then, he pointed to Wrist Bro and a few others. "You guys spread out your positions; don't get instantly wiped out by one attack."
After arranging the tactics, Warmaster walked in front of gene pod 0.
As he approached, the indicator light on gene pod 0 lit up.
The mutant immersed in the nutrient solution suddenly opened its eyes.
A terrifying power erupted, and with a loud bang, the gene pod shattered.
"Such powerful psychic energy!!" Tenjiro looked surprised. "Could this guy be the experimental subject who gained the power of the Black Angels?"
"Ants, feel the power of the new era! I am God."
Mutant 0 walked out, its crimson eyes sweeping over everyone, full of arrogance and malice.
Its wings, like black asphalt, intertwined, and its feathers turned into sharp spikes.
"That's the vibe, definitely a Boss," Wrist Bro said, looking excited.
"Kill it, and this dungeon should be cleared."
"I'm so looking forward to what rewards we'll get."
"It should be biological research data and relics from the Golden Age. I hope there's an STC."
The other Players also showed excitement one by one.
Mutant 0: "......"
Why does this situation feel a bit off?
Why aren't these old-era human ants afraid of him!!
In their eyes, there was greed, curiosity, but no fear.
These humans definitely have a problem.
Forget it, why think so much!!
Kill them all, then go to the surface and rampage, establish his own dynasty.
It's time for this world to usher in the rule of God.
"Feel the wrath of God."
Mutant 0 launched an attack.
A blood-red shield enveloped its twisted body.
Its huge wings constantly grew, transforming into weapons that could be manipulated at will.
However, the strength of these humans exceeded his imagination.
They possessed speed and strength that mortals did not.
Their weapons were immensely powerful, their combat skills exquisite.
And some even mastered special abilities, specifically to break his blood-red shield.
After an intense battle,
Mutant 0 successfully killed a few humans, but he himself was beaten to his knees by the opponents.
"This God is a bit of a weakling!!" The scarred Warmaster grinned and said, "Brother, stand up again! I still like how arrogant you were just now, calling yourself God—so cool, so cute."
Mutant 0: "(╥╯^╰╥)"
This is too much bullying of a mutant.
How could these damned humans be so strong!!
"Stop playing around, kill it, and move on to the next dungeon as soon as possible."
Tenjiro condensed a violent Aetheric force, instantly piercing Mutant 0's head and completely erasing its existence.
A smoking, charred hole appeared on Mutant 0's forehead, and then it fell to the ground, lifeless.
After defeating the Boss, the Players began searching the ruins for loot.
The ruins contained not only mutants but also many relics from the Golden Age.
Among these relics, a golden toaster was placed on a high platform in the deepest part of the ruins, protected by a special stasis field.
"Could the game developers be playing a prank? The biggest gain from this dungeon is this toaster?"
Tenjiro looked at the toaster suspended in the stasis field, feeling a bad premonition.
The corners of the Players' mouths twitched slightly; they also felt the malice of the game developers!!
"This is not just an ordinary toaster, but a high-tech creation built based on the law of energy-to-matter conversion."
A hoarse mechanical voice sounded out of nowhere.
The Players all raised their guns, pointing towards the source of the sound.
A round robot walked out of the darkness.
"Greetings, guests. I am Wednesday, the butler of BR01 Laboratory. I mean you no harm, please lower your weapons."