On the desolate, dim plains, intense gunfire and artillery fire wove into a net.
The Thunder Warriors tightly gripped their Grenade Launchers, shouting, “Unity!
Unity!
Unity!” as they poured endless firepower toward the enemies of the Emperor.
They were a group of gene-modified monsters, about two meters tall and equipped with various heavy weapons; even as low-intelligence creatures, they were not to be underestimated.
In the center of the battlefield, where the slaughter was most brutal, countless severed limbs flew high into the air and fell like rain.
Morningstar held a sword in each hand, moving like a meat grinder on the battlefield; every enemy before her was as fragile as straw.
With every swing of her longswords, countless enemies fell, and she danced through the enemy’s bullets, artillery fire, and attacks, evading them all.
“Stay close to Her Highness!”
Ushotan shouted loudly, and a large contingent of Thunder Warriors followed Morningstar through the breach she tore in the battlefield, frantically pouring firepower into the surrounding enemies.
In a small city-state not far away, a man stood on the city wall watching Morningstar draw closer.
He asked those beside him, “Is it too late for us to surrender now?”
He was originally just the leader of a minor power, never wanting to get involved in the killing between the major factions; he just wanted to stay on his own little patch of land.
But a few days ago, a sudden phone call came, claiming to be the Princess of the Empire and hoping he would merge into the Empire.
He had cursed back at the time, thinking, ‘Who the hell do you think I am?
What’s so great about the Empire?’ He had one sentence for them: ‘You want my territory?
No way.
You want my life?
Then come and try to take it.’
Then Morningstar arrived.
He had been full of confidence, thinking his army of Modified Humans was invincible.
‘You think you can take me down with such a small force?
You’re dreaming.’
And then, his army was mostly slaughtered.
Was this even human?
The poor City Lord watched the figure who was slaughtering his army like chickens and immediately wanted to flee.
When he turned around, his heart nearly stopped.
The figure who had just been invincible on the battlefield was now standing right in front of him.
Only then did the City Lord realize how tall she was, how beautiful she was—this mythical creature surely wasn’t human.
Morningstar broke into a smile.
Normally, everyone present would have been enchanted by such a beautiful smile, but at this moment, that smile flecked with blood only inspired terror.
“Hello, City Lord Lantis, we finally meet.
I am Morningstar, daughter of the Emperor, Eldest Princess of the Empire, and commander of the current army.
I called you once, but perhaps because we hadn’t met, our conversation wasn’t very pleasant.
Now, we can have a more detailed chat.”
“Haha, Your Highness Morningstar, it’s all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding.”
Morningstar leaned down and patted the mortal’s shoulder, turning him around to look down with her.
At this moment, ranks of Thunder Warriors stood silently beneath the city walls.
As for the City Lord’s army of Modified Humans?
What was left besides the limbs scattered across the distant plains?
Lantis suddenly lost all his fight.
He took a deep breath.
“The city-state of Lantis merges into the Empire.
From now on, I am at your disposal.”
“Good.
Someone will come to coordinate with you soon.
You’ve done well as City Lord; the mortals have lived well under your rule.
Your position won’t change, and you might even be promoted in the future.
Keep up the good work.”
Morningstar patted the City Lord’s shoulder and leaped down from the twenty-meter-high wall.
Her wings beat, and she landed as lightly as a bird.
The Thunder Warriors parted to create a path for her.
“Ushotan, send a squad to procure supplies.
The rest of you, withdraw.”
The group arrived like a whirlwind and left just as quickly.
Silent, efficient, and lethal—this was everyone’s evaluation of this army…
Back in the same tent, Morningstar listened to reports while flipping through a book in her hand.
She intended to change the fate of the Thunder Warriors.
During this time, she had occasionally asked the Emperor about it.
The Emperor hadn’t hidden anything and had agreed to let Morningstar find a way to solve the Thunder Warriors’ genetic instability.
But Morningstar didn’t know how to do any of it.
There was no choice but to learn!
It was true that one never stops learning; even as a Primarch, she had to study hard.
Recently, Morningstar had been reading voraciously, studying the Emperor’s original manuscripts for creating the Thunder Warriors.
She felt like she was going to lose her hair if she kept studying.
And that wasn’t all; once the Astartes debuted, she would have to help her brothers resolve the genetic defects of their sons, or else they might turn to Chaos because of it, and there would be no one to blame but themselves.
“Your Highness, news has come from the Federation of Indonesia.”
“Oh?” Morningstar closed her book.
“Read it.”
“Archbishop Tang has sent out large numbers of troops to suppress the resistance, but the riots at the bottom of the Hive City are intensifying and are almost impossible to contain.”
Morningstar tapped her fingers on the table.
“Send out the notice: quickly recall everyone in the southern Empire who has completed their missions.
Those who can finish soon should hurry; those who can’t should abandon their missions.
Keep basic defensive forces at each outpost and assemble all other troops here.
Notify our agents within the Federation to spread word that the people in the Empire live in peace and prosperity, and that the Emperor is…
benevolent and wise.
Prepare the equipment and be ready to attack at any time.”
“Yes.”
Morningstar looked around; the Primarchs of the Fourth, Sixth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Nineteenth Legions of the Thunder Warriors were gathered around her.
Morningstar smiled.
“Don’t be impatient, warriors.
The victory we have been waiting for is coming.”
…Inside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows at the top of the Hive City, Tang looked down at the city below with a gloomy face.
At some unknown point, everything had started going against him.
Those damned!
Scum-like commoners, where did they get the courage to oppose him?
How dare they?
How dare they!
Small sparks lit up beneath Tang’s feet.
Those weren’t sparks; they were explosions.
Looking down from the top, even massive explosions were merely tiny sparks.
The army’s counterattack had begun.
Usually, rioting civilians would be quickly intimidated into silence by the army.
But today, the appearance of the army only fueled the long-suppressed rage of the people.
Their vision was simple—to survive.
To live out their lives as ordinary people.
But that damned Archbishop’s tyrannical rule had stripped away even that most modest wish.
So they rebelled; since they would die whether they resisted or not, they might as well die in a blaze of glory.
They raised their crude weapons and pushed back wave after wave of soldiers.
It wasn’t over, far from over; they were going to put an end to that sinner once and for all.
Tang glared, watching his army being pushed back time and again.
“What are they good for?
They can’t even handle a rebellion of commoners.
They’re all idiots!”
“No, Archbishop.”
Tang turned around to see the one who had spoken—the servant following him, the one who was supposed to keep his head down and remain silent forever.
He held his head high, looking directly at Tang.
There was no fear, no anger—only calmness in his gaze.
“This is not a rebellion.
This is a revolution.”