Humanity Never Surrenders

Standing before the console, the Emperor frowned and fell into thought.

Having witnessed the absurd truth of the universe, he was naturally not frightened by such words.

He was merely considering the information behind this warning.

Had the other party sent this warning to keep Petacanas from being dragged into the wars of the Age of Strife, or had this system truly fallen into hell?

"Raven, what do you think?" the Emperor asked the Raven on his shoulder through his thoughts.

"What else is there to think? I'm looking from your shoulder."

Raven said, "No matter what, let's go down and get some fries first. I really want to know whether hell's fries taste any good."

The Emperor showed the faintest smile.

"Then let's go. I'll get you some hell fries."

The expeditionary force had come to save humanity and restore mankind's glory.

Even if the Petacanas System had fallen into hell, retreat was absolutely not an option.

If there were survivors, the Emperor would spare no effort to rescue them and deliver them from that despairing hell.

If humanity in the Petacanas System had already been wiped out,

then the expeditionary force would exact vengeance upon those responsible.

The Emperor looked at the intelligence officer. "Trace the source of the message immediately."

"Understood."

Before long, a new report was delivered to the Emperor.

The warning message had been sent by an artificial satellite in low orbit around the second planet of the Petacanas System.

The Petacanas System was a typical binary star system.

One star was a yellow dwarf, and the other was also a yellow dwarf.

The tidal forces of the two stars were mutually locked, creating a stable gravitational field that allowed the planets to move steadily within the system.

The Petacanas System had five planets in total.

Three terrestrial planets and two Jupiter-like gas giants.

According to records left behind by the Golden Age, the second planet should have been the first colony developed by the original colonists in the Petacanas System.

It was the colony with the largest population and the most developed commerce.

"Order the fleet to proceed at full speed. Have the troops prepare for battle. If this warning letter is false, we will demand the local rulers submit."

"If the second planet of Petacanas has truly become hell, then we will wage war and shatter that hell."

"Nothing can stop us from restoring humanity's glory. Not even the demons of hell."

After reviewing the report, the Emperor issued new orders.

The fleet spread out through the void and advanced in a standard tactical formation.

Flames erupted from the rear of the Emperor's Grand Plan, driving its massive hull toward the second planet.

The other ships accelerated in tandem, maintaining their formation.

Several days later, the expeditionary fleet entered the second planet's orbit and hovered in the void.

All human-made structures in orbit had been abandoned and lay in deathly silence.

The floating Space Cities, space stations, and void platforms were equally empty.

There was not a single living person.

Only all manner of shriveled and decayed corpses remained.

The expeditionary force dispatched Astartes squads and Tech-Priests to investigate the Space Cities and space stations.

"These people have been dead for a very long time. According to the instruments, the bodies should date back to the early Age of Strife."

"It is only because the air in these structures is excessively dry and cold, combined with the lack of bacteria that feed on rotting flesh, that they have been preserved so well."

"Most of the corpses bear signs of brutal abuse. Evidence suggests these victims were enslaved by some kind of creature."

"This massacre was likely the work of those creatures as well."

The reconnaissance squads took many photographs.

Every one of them was horrifying.

Tens of thousands of humans had been tortured to death.

Even after so many years, terror still twisted the faces of the corpses.

The Emperor fell silent as he looked at the photographs.

Even Raven was unusually quiet.

The second planet below was shrouded in black mist.

Neither augurs nor radar could detect the situation on the surface.

"We cannot send the main army charging headlong into unknown territory. Dispatch a small force to conduct ground reconnaissance first. Once we have detailed intelligence, we can decide whether to land the ground troops."

After dispatching the reconnaissance squads, the Emperor ordered the Adeptus Custodes to prepare.

He intended to go down personally and see what terrible things had happened in this world.

What could have driven the local inhabitants to such despair that they did not even want their own kind to save them?

Waldo tried to dissuade him. "Your Majesty, would that not be too dangerous?"

"It doesn't matter." The Emperor shook his head. "Even if the ground is crawling with demons from hell, they can do nothing to me."

After a flash of brilliant light, their group was teleported to the surface.

The entire sky was dim.

Whether because of the mist or some other reason, the sun hanging in the sky was red as flowing blood.

Roar!

A massive beast with terrifying fangs and seven or eight eyes caught the scent of the outsiders at once.

It then attacked without hesitation.

Waldo acted decisively and killed the beast in a single strike.

Its huge body crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

Foul-smelling blood splattered across the earth.

The Emperor examined the beast's corpse, disgust showing on his face.

"Revolting corruption. It seems the foul power of the Warp has already poisoned this place."

Looking around, the Emperor could clearly sense many horrifying evils wandering through the wilderness.

They were the physical manifestations of delirious nightmares, with twisted forms that only the maddest artists could depict or describe.

"It truly is a hell," the Emperor murmured. "But the Warp storms have already subsided. What could have caused this planet to become so severely corrupted?"

"Big Guy, there's a town to the northwest. Perhaps we can find the answer there."

Raven's eyes were the sharpest.

He spotted the distant town at a glance.

The town resembled a medieval human settlement, surrounded on all sides by tall walls.

"Let's go." The Emperor took the first step forward.

The Adeptus Custodes spread out and advanced in standard tactical formation.

There were many fields around the town, planted with grain crops Raven did not recognize.

The crops were growing well.

It was obvious that someone tended them regularly.

Yet not a single person could be seen in the fields at that moment.

"Big Guy, why is no one working these fields?"

Raven tilted his head and asked.

The Emperor did not answer. He simply kept walking forward.

Guards armed with spears stood at the town gate.

They had human faces, but two astonishingly sharp fangs, as well as a pair of fleshy wings on their backs.

The Adeptus Custodes, who had implanted Gene Engines and activated mimetic disguises, silently subdued the guards.

"What kind of monsters are you?"

The Emperor looked down at the humanoid creatures pinned beneath the Adeptus Custodes' feet.

After hearing the question, one of them bared his teeth at the Emperor, only for an Adeptus Custodes to blow his head apart with a halberd.

Seeing their companion die miserably, the rest became obedient.

"You don't even know who we are. You must be human ancestors who slept within some ancient ruin and have only just awakened."

"Let me tell you, we are the noble descendants of the bloodkin, servants of Viscount White, who rules this vast territory. Release us at once and swear submission to the Viscount."

"Lord White may even grant you a noble transformation for the sake of your ancestral status."

The Emperor frowned. "Bloodkin? Warp-corrupted Mutants? Keep two living specimens and send them back to the warship for examination. Kill the rest."

Crack! Crack!

The heads of the bloodkin soldiers were twisted off by the brutal strength of the Adeptus Custodes.

Then, the Emperor and the others entered the town through the gate.

They found its residents hurrying in one direction.

Because the Emperor had used psychic power to alter others' perceptions, no one noticed anything unusual about them.

A group of gleaming golden Big Guys simply mingled with the crowd and moved along with it.

"Why haven't you brought any offerings? Today is Blood Sacrifice Day. If you bring no offerings, the priests will blame you."

"The last people who failed to offer sacrifices were skinned by the priests."

A boy nearby looked at the Emperor and the others, offering them a kind warning.

"It's all right. They won't blame us." The Emperor's voice was very gentle.

"Then I hope nothing happens to you." There was a trace of fear in the boy's voice. "I really don't want to hear those miserable screams again."

The residents eventually gathered in a vast square.

In the square stood an altar that gave off a pungent stench of blood.

The altar was pitch-black throughout, and no one knew how much blood had been poured over it.

"Today is once again the great day of blood sacrifice. Let us offer more blood to the God of Blood and prove our devotion."

A priest in robes shouted in a fanatical voice.

Before him knelt a row of raggedly dressed men and women with disheveled hair.

"These sinners sought to overthrow the noble bloodkin and desecrate the statue of the God of Blood. Their crimes are unforgivable. Today, here and now, these sinners must be punished."

The priest drove a dagger through the neck of one of the kneeling men.

In an instant, blood burst forth like a fountain and sprayed across the ground.

"Anyone who dares participate in resistance activities again will meet this fate."

Holding the blood-soaked dagger, the priest shouted at the people.

Then he stabbed another person to death.

"Anyone who dares disrespect the God of Blood will meet the same fate."

At that moment, a raggedly dressed woman raised her head and shouted.

"My fellow countrymen, do not fear these revolting monsters. Our ancestors once ruled the stars, while these so-called noble creatures are nothing but vermin that took advantage of our weakness."

"Humanity's will to resist can never be erased. One day, we will reclaim this world and drive these damned monsters back to hell."

"Humanity never surrenders! Long live humanity!"

The woman's shout enraged the priest. He walked toward her with the dripping dagger in hand.

"Then die, you damned sinner."