All Beings Corrupt, All Beings Eternal

Though the priest tried to reassure everyone with confidence, he knew they couldn't hold out much longer. The Sonic Array Communication had worked briefly before cutting out again, and what truly terrified him was that before the riot, he'd seen the Rogue Trader Ludwig heading deeper into the Voidship with his Praetorian Guard.

Before leaving, Ludwig had come to the chapel to pray, but during that prayer, the priest noticed the Rogue Trader was in a terrible state—a weak expression and frequent coughing that should never have appeared on his face. With powerful implants and the best medical care, ordinary illness or fatigue shouldn't have touched him.

He'd also vaguely heard the Master of Discipline, who was with the Rogue Trader, mention searching for something. But what could possibly be worth the Rogue Trader's attention in the Lower Deck? At the very least, he could have sent a squad of soldiers—why go himself?

Down there, there were only blasphemous mutants and scum.

The priest forced himself not to dwell on it. At the time, he had no right to question the Rogue Trader's decision, especially with more pressing matters at hand—holding out until reinforcements arrived.

At the start of the riot, the chapel had soldiers guarding it, and the influx of Enforcer Squads and Shipworkers gave them enough manpower to fight off the Walkers outside.

But the large numbers also brought severe strain. Food was running low, ammunition was nearly spent, and the Shipworkers weren't professional soldiers. Without proper weapons, engaging those carrying the Walker Plague in close combat was just throwing away lives.

He'd seen with his own eyes the dead rise again, turning into mindless monsters.

"Everyone, don't believe him anymore! We're doomed... the Great God-Emperor has abandoned us, the Rogue Trader isn't coming to save us! Don't you know what the nobles are like? The noble lords don't care if we live or die!

They'll cut off our heating and let us freeze to death. Those Enforcer Squads will break our legs without hesitation over the smallest thing and short our rations! We're just tools they can use up as they please—our lives mean nothing to them!

Just wait... soon the priest will lead the soldiers in a breakout, leaving us here to die, to distract those monsters outside. It's over, we're all finished!"

The man's despair broke him, and his words stirred chaos in the crowd.

The prayers stopped abruptly.

The surviving Shipworkers all turned to the priest, their suspicious eyes showing they were wavering.

Some even started to chime in!

"Soldiers! Arrest those people! How dare they slander the Great God-Emperor! Unforgivable!

The Great God-Emperor is perfect! It was He who granted us the Holy Light, who led us out of the darkness and created our home! He endures endless torment and suffering to protect us! Compared to what He bears, what we suffer now is nothing!"

Hearing the slander against the Great God-Emperor, the priest erupted in fury. More than the traitors, he couldn't tolerate humans questioning the Great God-Emperor.

The soldiers pushed through the crowd and grabbed the man. No matter how he struggled, how could he overpower a soldier?

These Shipworkers usually only ate Corpse Starch, their physical condition far inferior to the soldiers'.

Amid desperate screams, the soldier ended his life with a single shot.

But death didn't quell the crowd's unrest—it only made the already tense people more terrified.

Faith began to waver... If someone looked at the holy chapel from outside, they would see it slowly dimming.

The plague's Toxic Fog, held back by the Great God-Emperor's light, began seeping inward.

Outside the chapel, more and more figures appeared.

A horde of Walkers, mixed with many Nurgle Cultists, shambled toward the chapel. The Chaos Cultists even hauled out an autocannon and Hellguns, but this time, there was a special group at the front of the Walkers.

Their bodies no longer looked human. Pustules, sores, and calluses had transformed their original forms.

Unlike the Walkers, they still retained their consciousness.

A thick stench of decay emanated from them, maggots writhed in their rotting flesh, and swarms of flies buzzed around them.

"My brothers, do you see? The False Emperor's followers are killing each other, their faith crumbling. But we are like brothers. The great Grandfather has given us power, and we must bring His blessing to everyone on this ship."

"Praise Grandfather! All rot, all eternal!"

The Nurgle Cultists prayed in unison, each holding a bowl of dark green soup. Their voices carried into the chapel.

"Listen, people in the chapel! Embrace Grandfather! We're not here to bring you pain—we're all from the Deep Hold, brothers, sisters, kin. We've relied on each other.

I'm here to bring you release. Drink this soup, and you'll never feel hunger again, never suffer from disease. Have you forgotten huddling in bed, enduring hunger and cold?

Have you forgotten your loved ones dying in agony, crying out for treatment that never came? A single Med-Injector could have saved them, but the nobles watched us die!

None of that will happen again! In Grandfather's blessing, we'll all gain eternal life—a world of equality, a beautiful garden, a world of our own! We'll find eternal peace at Grandfather's side!"

But no matter what the Nurgle Cultists said, their current appearance was too horrifying for any normal human.

These were no longer human bodies. They were alive, but only because of the supernatural diseases within them.

The priest gave up trying to calm the chaotic crowd and began organizing the remaining soldiers for defense. Looking outside, he saw the entire chapel surrounded, airtight. He knew that even if he wanted to break out, it was impossible. He also refused to let the Great God-Emperor's chapel be defiled—he would rather fight to the death here!

"Warriors of the Great God-Emperor, take up your weapons! Distribute arms to those willing to fight, and drive the rest to the back!"

"Great God-Emperor, Your power is unmatched. I beg You, save us from our enemies, inspire us, help us overcome them, show us the path to victory. I ask that we may triumph in Your eternal name."

The priest began his pre-battle prayer, ready to prove his loyalty to the Great God-Emperor with his life.

The battle erupted without warning.

The soldiers inside the chapel opened fire, but shots that would kill a normal man did little damage to these Nurgle Cultists.

They had even lost all sense of pain. Maggots filled their already rotting bodies.

"My brothers and sisters, go save these lost souls. When Grandfather's blessing enters their bodies, they'll know everything we've said is true!"

With that, swarms of flies carrying deadly plagues flew from their bodies toward the people in the chapel, and the Walkers began their charge.

"For the Great God-Emperor!"

"For Grandfather!"

"Quick! Move it! The Sound Array on the Lower Deck is being jammed—the church hasn't responded in ages!"

The map had already been uploaded into the combat suit's system, with real-time route guidance on the visor leading the team forward.

Along the way, scattered traitors posed no real threat to this squad, easily smashed aside. Any cabins or rooms with survivors were marked, and their location data was shared with follow-up teams.

With extra Psionic Crystals in hand, Gao Yi built another Barracks. Doubled production meant the second batch of CMC Combat Suits had already arrived on the Lower Deck and been issued.

But the poor Voidship's upper decks were a different story. To scrape together resources, Pavian had gone almost mad—missing railings, stripped Warship Bulkheads, anything that didn't affect the ship's normal operation was torn down by his Servitors and tossed into the Barracks.

He didn't stop at his own section either; his reach extended to other decks.

What was once a grand, solemn warship interior now had gaps everywhere—missing here, missing there. Crew and officers from every deck filed complaints to Gao Yi about Pavian's behavior. Some even claimed Pavian had ripped out their beds and chairs. Gao Yi had no choice but to rein Pavian in, telling him to show some restraint.