Yosef's Gift

Seeing the glass wall about to shatter, the researchers recoiled in fear.

Yosef showed no fear at all, watching the Mutated Grey Rat with great interest.

The Mutated Grey Rat shook its head, let out a shriek, and suddenly sprang forward, slamming heavily into the glass wall.

Crash!

The Mutated Grey Rat smashed through the glass wall.

Carrying sharp shards of glass with it, it shot toward Yosef like a speeding arrow!

Buzz—

The Mutated Grey Rat and the glass shards seemed to strike an invisible wall, then flew backward at even greater speed, crashing violently into the glass wall behind them.

It fell to the floor, almost completely unable to move.

The Mutated Grey Rat had just struck the Miniature Conversion Field.

As a noble lord, Yosef always carried a Miniature Conversion Field Generator on his person.

He lowered the mechanical arm he had held clenched before him, and the humming force field dissipated.

That was right—the mechanical arm was the Miniature Field Converter.

It allowed him to remain protected by a force field at all times.

That Force Field Generator was a crude imitation of the Imperium's powerful force field generator, the Rosarius, but it was sufficient.

Hiss—

The Mutated Rat shrieked again. It had gotten back up!

Such tenacious vitality thrilled Yosef beyond measure.

What a terrifying weapon!

The Mutated Rat lunged at him once more, but an inexplicable force suppressed it midway, making it struggle violently.

Before long, its struggles slowed, and it lay there without moving.

"You've come..."

Yosef seemed unsurprised as he turned to look at the Black-robed Figure nearby.

A blue Shattered Eye symbol was carved into the Black-robed Figure's forehead. His face was covered in scars, and his eyes glimmered faintly blue.

He had been the one who controlled the Mutated Grey Rat just now.

The blue light faded from the Black-robed Figure's eyes. He knelt before Yosef. "My master, your devout follower greets you!"

Yosef was plotting a great plan, and the Black-robed Figure before him was an important part of it.

For that day, Yosef had prepared for decades.

I was born to rule!

That was what he thought.

As the illegitimate fourteenth son of the Homan House's head, Yosef possessed knowledge and wisdom beyond ordinary men. He was skilled at scheming and filled with ambition.

He followed and exploited the intrigues among the Upper Hive nobles, devising countless plots and schemes.

Through them, he defeated his brothers and became the family's sole heir.

His father had placed great hopes in Yosef, believing that he could lead the family to new heights in the future.

And finally fulfill the House's long-cherished wish of thousands of years.

To that end, his father spared no resources in giving him the best possible upbringing.

Yet everyone still underestimated Yosef's ambition.

One night, Yosef personally drove a venom-coated dagger into his father's heart.

Only then did his father realize just how ambitious this heir was—and how impatient he had become!

"Take that position!"

His father stared wide-eyed, clutching Yosef's hand tightly as he left behind his final words.

Tears streamed down Yosef's face as he promised his father.

And so, he smoothly became the head of the Homan House.

What came next was the usual method no ruler could avoid—eliminating dissidents and placing loyal followers in key positions.

He firmly seized control of the Homan House!

Yosef had finally gained enough power to pursue his true ideal.

That was to fulfill the House's age-old wish—take revenge on the Grant House and ascend to the throne of planetary Governor!

The Homan House had longed desperately for that seat.

Because the position of planetary Governor had originally belonged to them!

The Homan House had been born on Earth Planet. After cultivating its influence there for many years, it gradually became a powerful noble family.

Of course, at that time, the House was not strong enough and could only temporarily submit to Earth Planet's original ruler—the Red-Eye King of the Gange Dynasty.

The Homan House served the Red-Eye King faithfully and paid enormous taxes on time.

But no one was willing to remain a subject forever. They secretly accumulated strength and waited for an opportunity.

An opportunity to truly become rulers.

Until more than three thousand years ago, the Homan House finally received that opportunity!

The Imperium had arrived.

The mad Red-Eye King refused to accept the goodwill offered by the Imperium. He even dared to murder the Imperial envoy and bombard Imperial ships?

Only one day later, the Imperium's massive fleet nearly covered the entire Earth Planet, while Drop Pods fell like meteors.

From those Drop Pods emerged Adeptus Astartes clad in crimson power armor.

They blasted the Red-Eye King, who had dared defy the Imperium and profane the God-Emperor, into pulp.

Afterward, the Adeptus Astartes wiped out the Red-Eye King's bloodline and remaining forces!

The Homan House seized this once-in-a-millennium opportunity and was the first to pledge allegiance to the Imperium.

They emptied their family warehouses to provide supplies for the Imperial Fleet.

They even held a grand banquet to reward all Imperial officials.

The Homan House swore Loyalty to the God-Emperor, accepted Imperial rule, and paid the Imperial Tithe on time!

The Imperial officials were greatly satisfied with the Loyalty displayed by the Homan House and promised to grant them the position of planetary Governor.

This news sent the Homan House into wild joy.

After enduring and plotting for a thousand years, they had finally obtained the position of their dreams!

However, just as the entire House was celebrating and preparing for the coronation ceremony, an accident occurred.

Grant, that despicable family from another planet, actually bribed the Imperial officials and stole the position of planetary Governor!

"Despicable bandits!"

When the old head of the Homan House heard the news, he was so furious that he coughed up blood, collapsed, and died.

Soon, the Grant House forcefully entered Earth Planet and ruled the planet in the name of the planetary Governor.

The Homan House was unwilling to accept this. It joined forces with other Houses, raised private troops, and incited the people to rebel.

However, the Grant House was powerful and bloodily suppressed all resistance.

Seeing that the situation had turned unfavorable, they once again drew upon their family tradition in order to preserve the Homan House's bloodline.

They became the first House among the rebels to surrender.

After executing scapegoats, the new head of the Homan House came before the gates of the Grant House.

He knelt and begged for forgiveness, swearing eternal Loyalty to the Grant House.

And so, the Homan House was forgiven.

They became subjects once more, serving the new rulers as a subordinate House.

Nearly three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye, bringing countless trials and hardships.

Perhaps everyone had forgotten that history, but the descendants of the Homan House never would!

Their family teachings told them that they must remember that humiliating history!

Whenever Yosef thought of it, he felt boundless anger and shame.

Thus, after taking control of the House, he began actively laying his plans.

He even spared no hesitation in borrowing forbidden power.

However, events changed too quickly: the harsh Imperial Tithe, the Warp Storm, the mutation in the Underhive, and the Heretic rebels.

These upheavals nearly crushed Earth Planet.

But Yosef had not forgotten revenge.

He seized the opportunity to rebel when the Grant House was at its weakest, dealing them a crushing blow!

This was the first time in thousands of years that the Homan House had become independent.

He withstood the Grant House's attacks and ruled one-third of the Upper Hive District.

Yosef believed that, with his wisdom and planning, the House's humiliating history would end in his hands!

He would surely destroy the Grant House and ascend to the throne of planetary Governor.

When that time came, he would reclaim the fallen Hive City in the Governor's name and bring Earth Planet back onto the proper path!

Now, all he had to do was advance his plan step by step according to the established timetable.

Yosef looked down at the kneeling Black-robed Figure. "Has the gift for that useless fool Ron Grant been delivered?"