The Power of the Empire

It hadn't been long since humanity quelled the Iron Men rebellion.

A terrifying storm erupted in the Warp.

Faster-than-light travel lanes were severed.

Warp travel consequently became fraught with peril.

Ships attempting warp jumps disappeared.

Human civilization fractured, leaving many colonies isolated.

The Petacanas System was no exception.

It was cut off in the vast sea of stars, unable to contact any other system.

Messages sent to other star systems vanished without a trace, receiving no reply.

Fleets sent out for exploration occasionally sent back news, but it was always bad.

The number of mutants and wild psykers surged, causing social unrest.

The local government, for the sake of social stability, decided to suppress these destabilizing elements.

However, there was significant public opposition.

As the suppression operations began, protests and demonstrations erupted in cities across the system.

Various human rights organizations emerged, demanding that the authorities respect mutants and wild psykers and not convict them arbitrarily.

Some councilors, seeking to win votes, chose to speak out for mutants and wild psykers.

They claimed they were also human, compatriots, and deserved respect.

Thus, the Petacanas System lost its best window of opportunity for stability.

As the Warp storm intensified, people discovered that mutants and wild psykers found it difficult to control their powers.

They were even less able to resist the demons lurking in the Warp.

They became vessels for those terrifying monsters.

Nightmarish anomalies eroded reality like volcanic ash.

Unholy light flashed in the darkness, and vile creatures stalked the veil.

Drooling fangs and hideous compound eyes peered into reality.

By the time people realized the terrible threat posed by mutants and wild psykers and urged the government to act, it was too late.

Terrorist supernatural events broke out frequently across the world, and social order nearly collapsed.

During this chaotic period, a man received a blessing from a Warp demon.

He called himself the Progenitor of the Bloodkin, gaining the ability to control dark blood magic, as well as a unique transformation ability.

He could transform ordinary people into Bloodkin with long lifespans who wielded dark magic.

This unique transformation enticed many high-ranking officials, who secretly pledged loyalty to him in exchange for the chance to be transformed.

The Bloodkin rose rapidly, becoming the most powerful force in Petacanas.

The planetary government attempted to eradicate the Bloodkin but failed due to a traitor selling military secrets, suffering heavy casualties.

At this point, the military was no longer able to curb the mutants and wild psykers.

The government, facing the onslaught, also appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

When the planetary governor was skinned and displayed gruesomely to the public.

The planetary government's authority completely crumbled.

The entire world entered an era of chaos.

Eventually, most cities fell into the hands of monsters.

The space cities in low Earth orbit held out the longest and resisted the most fiercely.

But under the onslaught of the Bloodkin and those monsters, they eventually fell.

The residents of most space cities were massacred.

The warning messages sent by satellites in orbit were left from that time.

To prevent humanity from returning and threatening them again.

The Bloodkin completely blockaded human technology, causing the technological level of this world to regress to the Middle Ages.

Later, various systems in the space cities began to fail one after another.

The Bloodkin, not knowing how to repair them, chose to abandon these space cities and retreated to the surface.

Lucina revealed everything she knew.

She did not hide the matter of the resistance army.

Under the leadership of the Cursed, humanity had been resisting the rule of the Bloodkin.

The Bloodkin controlled dark blood magic, and only the Cursed were immune to its effects.

Thus, the leaders of the resistance were all cursed individuals.

Lucina fell into the hands of the Bloodkin because she was betrayed during a propaganda effort for the resistance organization.

After understanding why this world had become the way it was, the Emperor asked another question.

"The Warp storm has subsided, so why does this world still retain such a dense concentration of Aether?"

Lucina shook her head, "I don't know, but I can introduce you to the wise men and leaders of the resistance. They might be able to answer your question."

The Emperor did not refuse the offer.

With their help, the Emperor soon met the so-called leaders and wise men of the resistance.

They were an Untouchable woman, stronger than any man and resembling a berserker, and a tall, thin, and frail wizard.

Due to the long-term suppression by the Bloodkin, the resistance lacked a systematic command.

Each regional resistance had its own leader.

They fought independently, with the liberation of humanity as their highest mission. They could be described as a group of noble people.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, outsider. My name is Veronika."

The resistance leader bowed to the Emperor and introduced herself.

"I am the master of the Human Empire, and I have come to save this world. The rule of those monsters is about to end, and the people of this world will usher in a glorious future."

The Emperor's attitude was humble and polite as he introduced himself.

He then demanded that Veronika and all the resistance fighters pledge their allegiance to him.

"We only pledge allegiance to the true savior," Veronika said. "Unless you can truly defeat that Progenitor of the Bloodkin, you will not have our loyalty."

"That will be no difficult task," the Emperor said.

"Then prove it to us," Veronika said. "When you sever the head of that Progenitor of the Bloodkin and end the bloody reign of the Bloodkin, this world will offer you its loyalty."

"I shall," the Emperor said. "Before we officially begin our campaign, could you inform me why the Aether in this world is so potent?"

Veronika did not know the answer to the Emperor's question.

However, the wizard beside her had done some research on the matter.

"The reason the Aether in this world has not dissipated might be the doing of that Progenitor of the Bloodkin."

"I had the fortune to scout the Progenitor of the Bloodkin's palace with other resistance wizards. There was a dense dark power there."

"He must have made a pact with those terrifying entities, offering sacrifices periodically to satisfy the hunger of those evil beings with the death and despair of the offerings, thereby maintaining his rule."

"Only by killing that Progenitor of the Bloodkin and expelling the demons that blessed him can this world return to its former peace."

Just as the Emperor was about to inquire further about the Progenitor of the Bloodkin, a resistance fighter rushed in, reporting an urgent matter.

"Baron White, the Bloodkin who rules this region, is leading many Bloodkin here, intending to kill all the resisters and maintain the Bloodkin's rule."

This news caused panic.

"Let's retreat first. We have no hope of victory against the Bloodkin army," Veronika said.

"Perhaps you should witness the might of the Empire, and then you will know how fortunate it is to join the Empire."

Instead of fear, the Emperor enthusiastically invited Veronika and other resistance leaders to a high ground to witness how the Empire achieved victory.

The high ground offered an excellent vantage point, overlooking the entire battlefield.

The Bloodkin army was vast and imposing, with fluttering banners and finely crafted weapons.

Some also had wings, flying through the air.

Upon seeing the Bloodkin army, Veronika and the other resistance leaders turned pale with fear.

Just as they were considering whether to turn and flee, the golden warriors accompanying the Emperor entered the battlefield.

The Golden Armored Warriors were so dazzling that everything else paled in comparison with just a glance.

This was not a war, but a slaughter, an overwhelming massacre.

Twenty Golden Armored Warriors, wielding Halberds crackling with electricity, swept through the enemy ranks.

They mowed down all the Bloodkin soldiers in their path like grass, cleaving them into pieces.

They were tireless, like perpetual motion machines.

They could leap hundreds of meters and hover in the air briefly.

The winged Bloodkin fell like raindrops, quickly forming small hills on the ground.

Veronika and the others could not count how many Bloodkin were killed, nor could they discern the process of their demise.

The speed was too great.

When the battle ended, the once-proud Bloodkin army had become piles of broken corpses.

The pungent smell of blood permeated the entire battlefield.

Tattered Bloodkin banners burned, emitting plumes of black smoke.

The head of Viscount White was impaled on a spear, standing in the center of the battlefield.

His pale face was etched with lingering fear.

The Emperor looked at Veronika and the others, a smile gracing his lips.

"This is the power of the Empire."

The Raven added a voiceover from the side.

"Hee hee hee, mortals, surrender."

Alright, the update is late. The story that was supposed to end still has one chapter left unwritten.

I feel like I wrote like a piece of shit, it's so frustrating.

Sad.

Continuing to ask for your support.