It's the Ultramarines, we're saved.
Mordred truly experienced what malice meant this time.
Within the vast galaxy, there are countless planets, yet the Emperor chose to go to Devon, Hive World deeply connected to the Moon Wolves.
If you were to ask which worlds within the Empire could make you laugh out loud, there are countless options. There are always some bizarre and wonderful worlds that can make you feel the diversity of life and genuinely believe the profound truth that reincarnation is truly a skill.
Looking at the empire's territory, 80% is Death World, and in the remaining 20%, if you're lucky, you can become a feudal lord; if you're unlucky, Hive City will welcome you, letting you experience what it means to live a life of freedom and tranquility.
But in terms of influence, Devon is definitely on the list, because it was in this world that the first Fealty Primarch Horus Killed in Action.
Without a doubt, even Mordred had to admit that Horus was indeed a model among the Primarchs, truly beyond reproach. If he were to be Warmaster, it would be an insult to Zhuang Sen.
It's not that Horus was unparalleled in military prowess, and his successor wasn't some common soldier who would just draw his sword and fight each other. What was important was intelligence, balance, and the ability to govern the empire.
What good is fighting ability? In this world, it's all about power. Vashtorr is such a pathetic guy, yet he comes up with a plan like luring troops into Lo, a plan that even Magnus would laugh at. It's because he has no base of support.
The three essential elements to becoming a god are: first, you must be strong, at least have a certain level of prestige, and not just be an ordinary person on the street.
Secondly, there must be believers or Native Race. Just look at the birth of the Slaanesh to understand. The Aeldari Empire was the overlord that dominated the galaxy for millions of years, and that's how they managed to raise a Slaanesh.
The third is sacrifice. Whether it's voluntary or involuntary, or just because you're itching to scratch your butt, anyone who wants to ascend to the highest godhood will inevitably perish along with the overlord. Moreover, the larger and stronger the race, the more powerful the god it sacrifices.
Look at the Old Ones. These so-called Old Ones are at least on par with the Great Old Ones in other races. The echoes of their demise, along with the remnants of the War in Heaven, directly shook three Chaos entities.
Even Slaanesh is associated with the Old Ones; after all, Slaanesh is an old artist who survived only by inheriting the legacy of the Old Ones.
"So you mean this is all a trap? But those Four Useless Ones are so afraid of this flame, I have to get it."
The Emperor was right. If you fall behind, you will be attacked. Without this force to help you, you can only be a half-player and have no power to fight against the Four Merchants.
Perhaps it was because of his long-term contact with Mordred, who, despite her usual ability to infuriate people, the Emperor could sense her care.
This meant that his unintentional actions with Malcador had taken root, and even though his emotional intelligence prevented him from saying the right thing, he still tried his best to comfort him:
"You bastard, just like you didn't want to be the Warmaster, I didn't want to be the Emperor either. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up, but when I look around, I've become the tallest one."
The window of Warp is so short. If we can't complete the expedition and build our own human Webway within this time, then it will be too late.
"Alright!"
Mordred accepted this somewhat resigned explanation, but he was not some indifferent bystander watching tragedy unfold:
"Our grand plan needs to be changed. I've now made contact with Vashtorr, and his motives are easy to guess, but I can't guarantee that those Four Useless Ones aren't involved."
As for Devon, if you ever steal the Flame, don't hesitate to blow this world up. I have a feeling our enemies aren't just the Four Merchants.
The Emperor immediately taught Mordred his secret to defaulting on debts: Old Deng, whose credit score was already negative, and Young Deng, whose credit score was about to turn negative. Why should they pay back debts they incurred through their own abilities?
It's no wonder that Zhuang Sen is the Emperor's favorite son. Mordred, being naive, only wanted to trick Vashtorr, but he didn't expect that Old Man Huang was even more unscrupulous, setting up one trap after another, teaching Mordred how to harm his allies step by step.
But the charade had to go on. To divert attention, the Emperor stripped Mordred of her Warmaster Position in front of everyone the very next day.
He was then sent to command the Moon Wolves, to be taught a lesson by Horus about how to be a subject. He was sent on the Great Crusade.
Upon hearing the news, Zhuang Sen, who was slaying Xenos, was more upset than anyone else. Mordred had said he would support him in the next Campaign for Warmaster, and it was rare to have such a good brother with such a compatible temperament. Now he was really in trouble.
As for Atlas, he just went about his business. His father not being Warmaster didn't stop them from amassing wealth everywhere. If they couldn't openly rob, couldn't they steal secretly? At worst, they could just execute a few more people who knew the truth; the little secrets wouldn't be exposed anyway.
On the contrary, the Terra officials were overjoyed. That plague god was finally gone, and they no longer had to live in fear every day. They had to set off a couple of strings of firecrackers to celebrate.
And the best part is that, since Mordred was dismissed, Atlas can no longer stay in Holy Terra, and those stubborn Imperial Fists guys are easy to fool.
The only thing that displeased them was that another legion was going to be sent to Holy Terra, apparently transferred from Macragge. But at least the Ultramarines were better than those Atlas lunatics; they were reasonable!
To celebrate this momentous occasion, fireworks and firecrackers in Holy Terra were sold out, and the area around Starport was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers to welcome the return of the Ultramarines King. Blue ribbons were even hung up.
Looking at Mordred, who was sprawled on the sofa chuckling coldly, Horus thought his brother was acting strangely after suffering a blow, and comforted him:
"Brother, don't worry. I still have some connections in Terra. I guarantee Atlas won't be purged. If they dare to attack your legion, I'll be the first to punish them."
"Hehehe, Horus, you underestimate me, Mordred. You think you can settle scores with me? They should think about how they're going to survive! Come here, I'll tell you a little secret."
As is human nature, even Primarch enjoy hearing gossip, let alone Horus, who grew up in the gang-ridden world of Cthonia.
"Although I was dismissed from my post, before that I was still Imperial Warmaster and had the authority to command legions."
Horus knew this. The reason they had been delayed in Serenity for so long was because of the handover. That was also why the main Atlas force stayed in Serenity to transport goods, while Mordred only followed Moon Wolves in a single Lunar-class Cruiser.
"But I remember it was the Ultramarines who deployed Holy Terra. Someone as Ambition as Guilliman, I have a feeling he'd sabotage things behind the scenes."
Although everyone thought Mordred and Horus were incompatible, they actually had a good relationship in private, and most of the illustrations in the Rome's She-Wolf magazine were actually drawn by Horus.
The Emperor will never know that his two most favored sons had long been in cahoots, and even the seemingly upright Vulkan was involved; otherwise, How Could Mordred have called him unreliable?
And don't let Vulkan dull appearance fool you; he's revered as the Lord of Fire, possesses top-notch forging skills, writes beautifully, and his drawing abilities are Far Ahead —even his diary is illustrated.
"Who said the ones who stayed behind in Holy Terra were the Ultramarines? Ultramar isn't just home to the Ultramarines."
"Ah, this..." Horus plopped down on the sofa. If it was that legion, forget about purging them; he'd better send a message to tell them to behave themselves.
"Would you like to try some of our Moon Wolves' specialties? These are dishes I hired from a professional chef in Terra."
"Let's go!"
Meanwhile, the nobles and officials far away in Holy Terra also saw the Gloriana-class Battleship slowing down and docking. It was blue, no doubt about it!
"Quickly, bring to light all the atrocities Atlas committed! Prince Guilliman will avenge us!"