Karagan is the leader of the Ursh Empire, and in the eyes of everyone on Terra, he is undoubtedly a brutal tyrant.
He controls vast territories and armies numbering in the hundreds of millions.
Perhaps he doesn’t have the powerful technology of other warlords, but that doesn’t matter; his neighbors do.
So, Karagan simply crushed the North African Conclave and seized a powerful siege engine.
With the right time, place, and people on his side, ruling Terra was just a matter of reaching out and taking it, wasn’t it?
But recently, Karagan has been thwarted again and again by a small warlord from the Himalayas.
When the Emperor first rose to power on Terra, He claimed to be the most powerful warlord, stronger than any other on the planet, but no one took Him seriously.
“You say you’re the strongest, so you are?
I say I’m the strongest too.”
Then, as the Empire’s territory expanded and its influence grew visibly stronger, the other warlords couldn’t sit still.
“Wait, you actually have some real skills!”
Karagan couldn’t sit still either.
He would not allow such a formidable existence near him, so he immediately gathered his army, intending to strike the Empire with a major blow first.
And then he was beaten back.
Karagan looked at the intelligence report delivered to him and laughed with anger: “What do you mean a three-meter-tall angel is rampaging through the army?
Are you all just eating for free?”
Karagan sat on his throne, wearing his unique pearl armor.
This armor was born in the Golden Age of humanity, and there is no longer any way to replicate such exquisite and powerful armor today.
“Bring Lutois, Shen Kao, and Kwalton to me.”
Beneath Karagan, these equally notorious warlords formed the power core of the Ursh Empire.
Now, Karagan needed to discuss the matters concerning the Empire with them.
“My Lord, our frontline armies are retreating steadily.
Their transhuman warriors are too fierce; our cavalry, infantry, and Psyker armies are completely helpless against her.”
Watching the footage of Morningstar reaping his army on the battlefield, Karagan’s gaze was icy: “Kwalton, I don’t care about those boring details.
I only want to know how we win?”
Kwalton pondered: “My Lord, we can catch the turtle in the jar.”
“Why catch a turtle?
It’s her I need to catch.”
“Yes, that is exactly what I mean, My Lord.
Look.”
Kwalton pointed to a location on the map: “My Lord, look, based on their current marching route, they will definitely come to capture this Hive City.”
“You want to set an ambush here?”
“No, My Lord.
Given the abilities that damned woman has displayed, she might not fear our ambush.”
“So?”
“My Lord, we can deploy the red engine.”
Karagan paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: “Yes, exactly, that’s how it should be.
Let’s slaughter all those damned things.”
“My Lord, what about the enemy’s other force…”
“Everyone prepare.
I will personally lead the troops to see just how much weight this self-proclaimed Emperor has.”
…
Morningstar stared at the map: “Next, we should capture this place, right.”
“Correct, Your Highness.”
At this moment, the Imperial army was divided into two, one led by the Emperor and the other by Morningstar.
They split into two sides, attacking simultaneously in a pincer movement to divide, surround, and annihilate the Ursh Empire’s army.
But now, a massive Hive City blocked Morningstar’s path.
Anyone could guess with their heels that the enemy must have heavily fortified the Hive City, but Morningstar had no choice but to try and gnaw through this hard bone.
If she bypassed it, the front line would be stretched too far, and it would become a thorn in their side behind the lines.
Join up with the Emperor and attack together?
But the Emperor was on the other side, pinning down a large number of enemies.
“How is it?
Has the situation in the Hive City been scouted?”
“Not yet, Your Highness.”
Morningstar nodded.
Ever since learning that the chaos gods were behind the Ursh Empire, Morningstar had been on high alert, but there had been no sign of the gods interfering since then.
So, was it that the Ursh didn’t summon a Greater Daemon that time, but the chaos gods sent one themselves?
Regardless, they definitely had a connection to the chaos gods, so she still couldn’t let her guard down.
“Your Highness, the scout has returned.”
A Custodian walked in and handed a stack of papers to Morningstar.
Morningstar took them and read them carefully.
Morningstar:?
This intelligence report not only clearly scouted the defensive layout, enemy numbers and equipment, and the identity and family situation of the Hive City lord, but it also listed the dietary habits, architectural styles, and clothing culture inside the Hive City.
Wait, why do I need to know these things?
Morningstar looked up, bewildered: “Who wrote this report?”
“It was an Astartes recruit.”
…
Alpharius was looking forward to it.
It was hard enough to execute a mission for his sister, and he had put his heart and soul into it, just wanting to perform well in front of her.
Oh, wait, he was an operative, so he couldn’t exactly “perform.” No matter, as long as he could help his sister to the greatest extent, that was fine too.
You have to say, Morningstar actually felt this intelligence was quite good.
“Send a squad of mortals and a squad of Astartes to infiltrate.
Assassinate the main officers inside the Hive City and sabotage the internal military facilities.
After the mission is complete, continue to infiltrate and wait for the main force’s general assault.”
The Primarch’s brain, like a calculator, was incredibly clear.
Morningstar arranged every aspect of the infiltration work clearly.
When to act, the specific steps of the operation, where to hide during the infiltration—Morningstar arranged everything in detail.
The facts were just as Morningstar planned.
With the sound of artillery fire in the night, Morningstar led the army to begin the general assault.
The Hive City could barely form an effective organization.
The Hive City lord was assassinated, chaos ensued within the Hive City, and military facilities were destroyed.
Facing the orderly army led by Morningstar, they had no choice but to surrender or face death.
But to Morningstar’s surprise, a significant portion of the Ursh army still attacked her.
On them, Morningstar smelled that disgusting stench.
That is what the chaos gods are; when you surrender to Them, you are no longer even yourself.
Morningstar and the army behind her entered the massive Hive City before them.
What kind of place was this?
It was hard to describe.
It was filled with filth and decay.
Sewage flowed through the cracks in the roads, and insects or other animals carrying unknown germs scurried about.
Everyone here had a numb expression.
Even when Morningstar, who looked completely out of place, and the tens of thousands of iron cans behind her walked past, they only swept a cold glance before continuing to busy themselves with their work.
One could not see the vitality or even dignity of a human in them; they looked like machines made of flesh and blood.
“Custodians, accompany me to the top of the Hive City.
The rest of the Astartes, go to the locations I planned to resupply.
Do not disturb the civilians here.” Morningstar withdrew her gaze.
Some things cannot be changed overnight, but Morningstar would try, and the Emperor would try; they would go on to create a bright future.
Arriving at the top of the Hive City, the environment changed instantly.
It was filled with magnificent decorations, and Morningstar even saw fountains flowing with clear water.
One gorgeously dressed person after another wanted to approach Morningstar to chat with the new master of this Hive City, but they were all blocked by the Custodians.
Morningstar sat on the edge of the fountain.
She lowered her head and stroked the flowing water in her hand.
The corpse of the Hive City lord, who had already been assassinated, was thrown at Morningstar’s feet like a dead dog.
“Julius.”
“I am here, Your Highness.” The Custodian beside Morningstar spoke.
“Pass on my order: kill everyone in the upper levels of the Hive City who was directly involved in its administration, and dump their bodies in the residential area at the bottom of the Hive City.”
“Everyone?”
“Yes, everyone.”
When these corpses, dressed in beautiful clothes and wearing dazzling jewelry, were thrown one by one in front of these numb people, their seemingly unchanging movements finally changed.
They gathered one by one beside the pile of corpses, just looking, looking from afar.
The Astartes who was dumping the bodies spoke up: “Alright, your former lives are over.
Her Highness the Eldest Princess has executed all the nobles who once weighed on your heads.
You are no longer slaves to so-called nobles; you now have only one identity—citizens of the Empire.”
The crowd knelt down one after another, kneeling before this Astartes.
The Astartes remembered the order the Eldest Princess had given not long ago, forbidding the Space Marines from letting mortals kneel to them, and he panicked on the spot.
“Do not kneel!”
But there was no reaction; not a single person got up.
Oh no, if the Chapter Master saw this scene, he would definitely punish him.
Run!
Just as the Astartes was about to run, a loud noise made him stop his footsteps.
How loud was the sound?
Many mortals behind him were already rolling on the ground clutching their bleeding ears.
What was that?
At the top of the Hive City, Morningstar looked up, looking at that huge, sky-obscuring machine.
The machine was like a huge inverted cone floating above the Hive City, its shadow covering the entire Hive City.
Morningstar murmured to herself: “Karagan, they say you are a tyrant, but I think that’s too modest.”
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”