Imperial First-Generation Gene Engine

The Emperor remained in the laboratory for a long time.

When he emerged, a rare look of joy appeared on his face.

When Malcador and Waldo came to report on their work, the Emperor showed them his achievement.

The Imperial first-generation Gene Engine.

It had been optimized from the basic version of the Gene Engine from the Super God Universe.

Once implanted, it could comprehensively enhance all of the user's physical attributes.

"It really worked."

Malcador flipped through the materials the Emperor had given him, his tone excited.

Combined with the original Astartes plan, the Gene Engine would give the Human Empire a formidable force of warriors.

The entire starry expanse would become humanity's possession.

The conquest of the galaxy was within reach.

"We have Mr. Raven to thank for all of this."

The Emperor gave the credit to Raven perched on his shoulder.

"This was all your own hard work, Big Guy."

Raven shook his head repeatedly.

He did not dare claim the credit.

The Emperor smiled, then changed the subject and asked about the war preparations.

"Everything is ready, Your Majesty."

Malcador opened a holographic display.

Although Terra had been mired in chaos for years, some spaceports still remained operational.

The main routes consisted of those within the Solar System and a handful of surviving safe interstellar corridors.

In the name of the Terran Senate, Malcador requisitioned every usable vessel.

He assembled a vast fleet to launch an assault on Luna.

"Since everything is ready, let us begin."

The Emperor looked toward the sky, where the moon hung on the horizon, its cratered surface clearly visible.

The Gene Cult had to submit and serve him.

At the Emperor's command, the Thunder Warriors were assembled.

They were enormous in stature, clad in crude, heavy bronze armor.

They wore crimson helmet crests, and the capes behind them snapped in the wind.

Lightning banners flew high, snapping in the gale.

Perched on the Emperor's shoulder, Raven spotted Wushoutan, the Thunder Lord.

He wore a suit of bronze power armor.

The edges of his armor were painted blood-red and covered in battle scars.

His helmet bore heavy ornamentation, its mouth grille shaped like a ghostly face.

A heavy broadsword and a boltgun hung at his waist.

A scale-like battle mantle draped over his thick breastplate.

The lightning insignia of the Thunder Warriors was engraved upon his pauldrons.

The Thunder Legion had once been the vanguard of the Great Crusade, the embodiment of the Emperor's will to unify.

Children played at capturing Gene Cult sorcerers and Mutants with toys modeled after their heavy armor.

Poets sang their legendary tales with reverence and gratitude.

Raven mourned the fate that awaited these brave warriors.

But he quickly realized that the Emperor's cruelty was necessary.

The Thunder Warriors' instability had reached a critical point.

If they were allowed to continue existing, they would inflict irreparable losses upon the Empire.

"Death, slaughter."

Without warning, one Thunder Warrior in the ranks went mad.

Consumed by rage and memories, he could no longer distinguish reality.

He swung his weapon at imagined enemies.

Several ordinary people assigned to serve the Thunder Warriors were killed on the spot.

Flesh and blood flew everywhere, creating a horrifying scene.

The others, unsurprised, subdued the out-of-control Thunder Warrior and dragged him away.

It was clear this was not the first time; it happened frequently.

The Thunder Warriors' mental states were worsening.

As time passed, more and more members lost control.

Yet the Thunder Warriors' past achievements and honors made them widely admired and beloved.

The casualties caused by their episodes could not be handled like ordinary incidents.

If they caused a large-scale massacre while out of control, no matter how it was dealt with, it would be a heavy blow to the Empire.

Raven asked himself sincerely: if he were in the Emperor's position, he too would abandon the Thunder Warriors without hesitation.

No one could have everything. Choices had to be made.

When the Emperor appeared before the assembled army, many people shed tears of excitement.

The Thunder Warriors beat their breastplates in unison, paying tribute to the Empire's ruler.

"The unification of Terra is not the end, but a beginning. Humanity shall shine among the stars once more."

The Emperor pointed at the moon in the sky. "Our first target for conquest will be Luna. It has remained lost for far too long. In the name of unification, it must return to the Empire's hands."

"..."

The Emperor's speech was deeply stirring, and the people present were quickly swept into a frenzy.

"Let us fight for unification, fight for humanity."

The Emperor's final words drove the atmosphere to its peak.

"Unification!!"

"Unification!!"

Deafening cheers rang out, resounding through the heavens.

The horns of war sounded.

The Thunder Warriors and other troops marched into the shuttles in orderly ranks.

They were first transported into Terra's orbit, then boarded transport ships at the spaceports for Luna's low orbit.

Before long, a massive army had been deployed above Luna.

The Gene Cult quickly realized that Terra was invading them.

Shields rose over their cities, and their orbital defense systems activated.

Countless plasma beams and railgun shells were fired, illuminating the dark, frigid void.

Some ships were struck, their plasma reactors detonating with the brightness of newborn stars.

The explosions tore the vessels apart, and those aboard were either consumed by the blasts or hurled into the void.

Yet compared to the vast army the Empire had assembled, such losses were negligible.

They did not even cause the Imperial commanders to flinch.

"Begin."

The Emperor gave the order to attack.

Drop pods were launched, passing through Luna's thin atmosphere and falling toward the ground like meteors.

Boom!

Boom!

The drop pods slammed into the ground in flames and with immense force, throwing up dust all around them.

Bang!

The pod doors flew open.

The Thunder Warriors roared as they charged into battle.

"For unification, for humanity."

Wushoutan, the Thunder Lord, raised his broadsword and shouted.

The other Thunder Warriors answered with the same cry.

They pounced upon the monsters fused from machinery and flesh, tearing them to pieces.

This was a cruel and savage war.

The Thunder Warriors quickly seized a landing zone.

Using that foothold, follow-up vessels landed continuously.

They delivered troops to the battlefield, supported the vanguard, and expanded the front.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Hundreds of missiles descended from the sky toward the landing zone.

Most were detonated, raising one bright mushroom cloud after another.

The rest struck the newly deployed shield, sending ripples across its surface.

The enemy attempted to destroy the landing zone with a devastating strike.

Unfortunately for them, the shield generators were already active. Their plan was doomed to fail.

Once the landing zone was secured, the Thunder Warriors began to advance.

The first defensive line soon fell.

Inside a palace strewn with enemy corpses.

Wushoutan, the Thunder Lord, and his bodyguards gathered there to discuss their next tactical arrangements.

"The Adeptus Custodes haven't come down. This is highly unusual. They've always distrusted us and assigned people to monitor us on every battlefield, but this time, they haven't."

Vizula, a blood-covered bodyguard, spoke with anger.

"Doesn't that just mean we've earned their trust?"

"Kaibu, the Thunder Legion never earned the Adeptus Custodes' approval even when we were stable. Now that more and more of us are losing control, they've suddenly accepted us? That joke isn't funny."

"Enough, Vizula. His Majesty has his own arrangements. We need only obey."

Ushotan cut Vizula off and would not allow him to continue.

"My lord, there is no point deceiving ourselves. We have been betrayed. The Emperor wants us to exhaust ourselves here."

"He has discarded us as one would discard a useless tool."

"We gave everything, only to end up like this."

Vizula was deeply agitated.

This was betrayal, a betrayal of the Thunder Warriors.

"I said enough, Vizula. Do not say such things again. You once swore an oath of loyalty. You swore to fight for him until death. If any of you intend to break that oath, do not blame me for showing no mercy."

Ushotan forcefully suppressed his subordinates' doubts.

"Continue fighting according to the plan. Take Luna."

Vizula was furious, but he still obeyed the order.

The others also fell silent and went about their assigned tasks.

After everyone had left, Ushotan opened a private communication channel to the Emperor.

"Was this your intention, Your Majesty?"

The Emperor gave no response, a cold form of acquiescence.

"We have always known something was happening. We knew you were trying to create new warriors to replace us, but we still held onto illusions."

"Now it seems those illusions have been shattered."

Ushotan laughed bitterly at his own naivety.

He knew the Thunder Warriors would be replaced sooner or later.

They were powerful, but not stable enough.

If the Emperor's ambitions had extended no further than Terra, the Thunder Warriors would have received a good ending.

But Ushotan had followed the Emperor for so long that he knew this man would never be satisfied with a single planet.

"I will not break the oath I once swore. The Thunder Warriors will take Luna for you. This is the last thing we can do."

Without waiting for the Emperor's reply, Ushotan closed the private channel, switched to the legion's communication channel, and cried out to his brothers.

"For unification, for humanity—advance."

I adjusted the timeline slightly. The Thunder Warriors were eliminated once before the Emperor attacked Luna. Later, when the Astartes rebelled, the Thunder Lord also took part in the rebellion. The First Legion made its debut, and the Thunder Lord was killed by Constantine.