Those Not of Our Kind Will Inevitably Have Different Hearts

In the interstellar age, travel is mostly measured in light-years. It is truly a case of "a slight error can lead to a huge mistake." Even the slightest error can lead to a dark corner that no probe can detect.

The lighter the Emperor used to monitor Mordred was not some cheap Lighter, but a genuine Dark Age of Technology Legacy, yet even so, it could not enable real-time communication across astronomical distances.

What could be done? The only option was to compensate for the quality gap with quantity, conduct high-frequency signal transmissions, and repeatedly correct the coordinates. This task was assigned to Space Wolves.

As the king's most vicious hounds, Fenris's harsh environment forged their unwavering character. Since the Great Crusade began, the Space Wolves have never failed in their mission, nor have they ever lost track of their prey.

After all, Fenris has no wolves, only dogs!

Dogs have always been man's Fealty friend, hunting the Beast alongside humans in the primitive era. It's perfectly reasonable that space huskies also have canine blood.

While there was still time, each legion began to compile statistics to calculate the list of Killed in Action and the spoils of war.

The First Legion undoubtedly suffered the greatest losses. The Dark Angels, originally the leader of the legions, were directly paralyzed from the neck down and never recovered their former strength.

Following closely behind was Atlas, which suffered the second highest casualties. Even with a large army of Lizardmen serving as cannon fodder, nearly 3,000 Space Marines Killed in Action, and almost a quarter of its ships were lost.

For Atlas, whose population is small, with just over 20,000 to date, a loss of 3,000 people is already a crippling blow. And these people were truly wiped out, leaving not even ashes, making a second resurrection impossible.

Other legions aren't faring much better. Space naval warfare isn't determined by individual strength. When a giant cannonball nearly ten stories high comes crashing down, even hiding inside Titan won't save you.

Compared to the loss of manpower, the damage to the surrounding star systems was far more severe. Seventeen habitable star systems were destroyed by the war, and all the humans on them were enslaved and infected by the Zaidan Xenos. All that awaited them were Virus Bomb, and finally, fire to purify everything.

And this is only the known area that has been detected. The Randan Empire is extremely large, and the Allied Forces discovered no fewer than three sub-sectors occupied by Xenos during the hunt alone.

The five Primarch did not act rashly in these occupied territories. Instead, they quietly bypassed them, believing that as long as the relocation was successful in the end, it would all be worthwhile.

"The Randan Empire must perish! There is absolutely no possibility of peaceful coexistence." The Golden Giant, enjoying the services of Xenos on the Rangdan flagship, thought to himself.

After observing for only this short period, the Emperor was certain of the Single Empress's background, and he even suspected that his adversary was acquainted with him.

They are both Perpetual.

Whether it's the Zaidan Hunters, who are comparable to Space Marine, or the Zaidan Warmasters, who have the same role Primarch, they all inevitably raise suspicions.

Who exactly was that person? The Emperor didn't know; there were simply too many possibilities. The only thing he was certain of was that this Perpetual had also made some kind of deal with Chaos. But what puzzled him even more was the information revealed by Athena.

The thought of this large, alien Xenos that was so respectful and almost obedient to her reminded the Emperor of her daughter, Perturabo.

Even he had to admit that the Randan Empress was indeed skilled at raising children. He had been a bit greedy back then, as he simply couldn't manage 21 Primarch. Malcador was right; he shouldn't have created so many offspring.

Especially Mordred, that Rebellious son, might be happier than anyone else when he finds out he's been kidnapped.

"Father, is the food to your liking?"

A greeting interrupted the Emperor's thoughts. Looking at Athena, who had personally cooked a sumptuous dinner for him, even the emotionless Golden Giant felt a little regret, but only for a fleeting moment.

"It's quite delicious, especially this grassland stew. It reminds me of one of my Rebellious son, whom I guess you've met before—the monster that destroyed the Battle Moon."

"That's wonderful!" Athena, far from being angry, praised Mordred's bravery.

"If all your offspring are so powerful, each one a force to be reckoned with, completely overwhelming that useless Venus, then I will have many more brothers and sisters. Under your and Mother's leadership, the empire will be unstoppable."

Since you like this dish, let me tell you a little secret. Actually, my mother taught me how to make it, and I'm the best at it among the four of us sisters."

The Emperor was still not used to this intimacy, but he seized upon a crucial clue. "Didn't you once say there were five Warmaster? Why are there four sisters!"

Athena was silent for a moment after hearing this, but finally replied:

"Since you are about to become my My Father, you have the right to know this secret. The Empire does indeed have five Warmaster. In addition to the four of us, there is also the First Returned Son named Sisyphus."

"The First Returned Son?"

"That's right, it's the First Returned Son." Athena stated that this was a top secret of the Empire, known only to her mother and the Warmaster; no one else knew about it.

"But Father, you are certainly not an outsider. Sisyphus is our elder brother and Mother's Proudest Scion. It's just a pity that he is frail and sickly, and has been sleeping in the Stasis Field. Even I have never seen him in person, but have only heard Mother mention his name."

Recalling the research report Mordred had handed him earlier, a bold deduction formed in the Emperor's mind: he might know what this so-called First Returned Son was.

In the days that followed, Athena showed the Emperor around every corner of the fleet and told him about the history and culture of the Randan Empire.

Athena cherished those memories deeply, believing that bringing the Emperor to the capital was the best decision she had ever made.

There is no concept of time in the Warp, but the Emperor knew he had been here for 43 days, and in three minutes, the fleet would leave the Sea of Souls and arrive at the homeworld of Rangdan.

The thought of what was about to happen made the Golden Giant want to laugh, and even Athena, who was being charmed by him, became excited.

As a dark blue Warp portal opened, the fleet sailed away from Mandeville Point and reappeared in the Physical World, which was the core area of the Randan Empire.

"Father, our voyage has finally come to an end!"

"Yes, it's finally over. To be honest, I'm very satisfied with this voyage, especially your amazing wisdom. Even I have to admit defeat. Want a cigarette?"

The Emperor handed her a cigarette. Athena had heard of this kind of trinkets that humans liked, and she immediately knelt down to take it.

A cool lighter adorned with Radiant Gold sparked as two plumes of smoke slowly rose. Just as Athena was wondering why humans enjoyed inhaling these gadgets, a piercing alarm blared from all around.

Seeing the Imperial Fleet suddenly appear behind her, Athena was both shocked and furious, but even now, she had never doubted the Emperor.

Instead, she shielded him behind her:

"Father, go quickly, I'll come—plop!"

Gazing at the massive, blazing sword blade on her chest, Athena's vision went dark; her soul burned madly, and her body gradually incinerated.

"Why? Father, is it because my performance doesn't please you?"

"There is no reason why. Because I am the Master of Mankind, and I must make mankind great again. Rest in peace, and remember to be reborn as a human in your next life."

Perhaps by then...

Athena didn't hear the last sigh. In the final moment before her life faded, she only saw a cold, Black Sun and four Primarch had teleported in from behind her father and were frantically Slaughter their brethren.

With a single sword stroke, he severed the lord of Zaidan in front of him, then with a backhand punch, he smashed the enemy's head. After fighting such a long and unjust battle, he could finally have a real fight.

In the confined space, no Xenos could defeat the Primarch, especially Zhuang Sen Lord of Knights, who was already furious and was taking it out on these little bugs.

Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Atlas, and Ultramarines —all the Space Marine equipped with Terminator Armor from the five legions teleported and boarded the ship, wiping out every Xenos within just four hours.

As for why Guilliman wasn't brought along, it's because he lost a one-on-one fight and was beaten to the Four, so he had to stay on the ship to defend the base.

Because the attack happened so suddenly, the Randan Xenos were unable to mount an effective counterattack. The greatest credit for this surprise attack undoubtedly goes to Athena, the Randan Warlord.

The unusual behavior of the Expeditionary Fleet instantly attracted the attention of the Randan Xenos, and a large number of ships rushed over, determined to annihilate this group of Humanoid Xenos.

Radiant Light Spear clashed against each other, and various weapons bombarded both sides' decks, engaging in beyond-visual-range attacks to deplete their resources in advance.

Destruction is always easier than construction. The imperial Allied Forces, which had already penetrated deep into the heart of the country, did not hesitate and took out their respective secret weapons to implement scorched earth tactics.

Space-warping bombs, twin Cyclone Torpedo, nanoworms, Extinction Relic Machine, singularity explosive torpedoes—they were all thrown at the top of the barrel, as if they were free. They just wanted to kill these damned Xenos.

Although the extremely brutal space battles also took a toll on the Imperial Fleet, the sheer size of the Imperium of Man meant that victory was all that mattered.

With the aid of his Mind Network, Mordred began his extreme micromanagement, ordering the Abomination to move 5 kilometers to the left one moment, and the Macro Cannon array to drop 5 degrees the next.

Atlas has nothing but abundant supplies and ammunition. If you can't break through Planetary Shields, fine, but if you can't even break through ship-based shields, Mordred's name should be written backwards.

Nearly a thousand super-yield hydrogen bombs were launched by Atlas in a frenzy, with Mind Network providing real-time detonation. As long as the enemy showed their face, no matter how precise the location, as long as the kill radius was large enough, they could still be blown up.

Tom, who was left on the bridge, was frantically pressing the Red Button until his hand was almost smoking. He nearly hit a friendly ship with a shot, which drew a barrage of angry curses from Guilliman.

Seeing their home destroyed, the Randan Xenos gradually went berserk, steer its ship in a reckless charge, intending to perish together with the Imperial Fleet.

The entire starry sky was in complete chaos.

When it comes to waging a stalemate, the Empire is second to none. The cruiser's Adamantium tears apart any Xenos ship in front of it, and it will be broken in half in no time. Shipwrecks are everywhere, and you can even see your own troops boarding each other on the wreckage.

The average survival time of each aerospace fighter pilot is less than ten minutes. They are often blown up in mid-air before they run out of ammunition, and space naval warfare has entered a white-hot stage.

As a result, the souls of the dead soldiers from both sides merged with extreme emotions, creating a vortex in the Warp and giving birth to countless bizarre Warp Entity.

The Four Gods turned their gazes in this direction, as countless Daemon rushed to vie for the soul feast. Under the scouring of the energy tide, the veil of reality grew ever thinner.

This ultimately creates Warp Rift.

Chaos began to rage within both ships, only to be utterly crushed by the two forces, who had already fought to the point of madness.

"Fight! For the Imperial Truth!"

"Die! For glorious evolution!"

"Hand over all your valuables, or I'll kill you—no, it's a rare Daemon."

"Hey guys, we're rich! There's tons of good stuff nobody wants here! Come on! Who told you to move? Get your asses up right now!"

It seemed as if some unclean thing had infiltrated. The Emperor glanced at Atlas atop his head, and upon exchanging a glance, the Black Knights leader the Khan, blushed with unusual shyness.

"What are you blushing for! Wasn't that bastard Mordred from Ghost Mordred just now?"

"Impossible, our father is known for his refined and easygoing nature."

Knowing this bastard was unreliable, the Emperor decided to take matters into his own hands, teleporting directly back to the Emperor's Dream and activating the Eternal Night Maze it had brought.

In an instant, the world changed color, fragments of gods in the Realspace Roared, and Dimensional Lightning, greener than Fel Energy, crackled. Although sound cannot travel in the vacuum of space, everyone could feel a tremor from the depths of their souls.

The dimensional barrier that had been shattered by the erosion instantly recovered. Even though it was just fragments, his instinct from the War in Heaven allowed him to plug the Warp Rift that could have attracted the Old Ones.

The Physical Laws have been distorted and altered; the steel armor that should have been unbreakable has melted and boiled; the sturdy and reliable weapons have malfunctioned frequently; and the spirit of all machines sings here, praising the great power of Omnissiah.

A gigantic structure enveloped in Dimensional Lightning and shimmering silver-white flesh emerged from the void, devouring more and more undead with each flap of its wings.

But just as that power was about to grow wildly, fully awaken from the dream and break free of its cage, a Black Sun aimed at his tight, smooth hook.

"...

A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs, a dragon buried in the earth is ridden by men. Known as the Void Dragon, but actually a fragment of the C'tan Mag Ross, I couldn't help but recall that sunny afternoon.

For a full 30,000 years, he still couldn't understand why he was defeated by a primitive man, so much so that he fell into a deep sleep and has been having that damned nightmare every day.

However, just as the Void Dragon hesitated about whether to retreat, it suddenly felt an itch on the soles of its feet, as if something was tickling it.

He flicked his long tail, lifted the foreign object to his eyes, and looked at the little thing that, even after being discovered, was still clinging to the tip of its tail and gnawing on it.

A strange sense of kinship and shared origins puzzled Ross, who then turned and ran back to the Eternal Night Maze without looking back, as if he had seen something filthy.

"You damn madman, you win!"