If the Enemy Can Go, So Can I (Part 2)
As is widely known, the Imperium of Man has two major taboos, and although the future may add the Chaos Corruption, there are currently only two.
First, he has illicit Xenos; second, Abominable Intelligence.
The first point is easy to understand. After all, thanks to the relentless propaganda of the Imperium of Man, hatred of Xenos has become a consensus among every human being. It is both politically correct and a practical necessity.
After all, after the collapse of the former Human Federation, countless Xenos races flocked to this behemoth, all wanting to eat its flesh and drink its blood, and literally eat its flesh and drink its blood.
After Dog-men, there are very few creatures in the galaxy Felids are beautiful in appearance, and even a little silly and cute, which perfectly fit human aesthetics.
Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. In any era, a good appearance is always the most important thing.
Some Fury fans and perverts might say, "So what if it's Xenos? I love Fury, and even if it's Xenos, I'll still fuck it!"
Even if someone were to invite Hagiwara to their house, it wouldn't help if they said something like that, because those Xenos aren't some kind of beast-eared girl; they're definitely monsters.
The Imperium of Man's standards for Abhumans are already quite broad; even the Emperor says he only recognizes skulls. After all, if genetic testing were to be conducted, then none of them would be human.
Contrary to the first principle that the Empire vigorously promotes, the fear of Abominable Intelligence has been deeply ingrained in the human gene pool.
Whenever history is revisited, the Iron Men Rebellion is an unavoidable topic. These self-aware steel creations made the Federation, but they also eroded humanity's confidence in using Intelligent AI.
Even the Emperor didn't know the exact reason for the Iron Men Rebellion. What was certain was that Chaos was involved, but it was impossible for the Electronic Daemon to be behind it.
Others might have to ponder things, but Mordred didn't. As the Legion Commander of the Burning Legion, he directly asked his good brother Vashtorr.
Vashtorr, however, said he wouldn't take the blame; it was entirely the fault of humans. As for the so-called electronic Daemon, unless you reach his level, you'll have a hard time breaking through firewalls.
Compared to other Warp Entity that spew nonsense, Vashtorr is practically a benevolent entity. Even if he wants to cheat you, he'll clearly state it in the contract. The only problem is whether you can understand that long and tedious contract.
But when Mordred presented the Iron Men Legion plan, the Emperor's expression changed drastically, even though he had been somewhat accepting of it before.
"No, absolutely not! Don't think that just because I'm in a good mood now you can keep jumping around in front of me like that, you bastard, I think you really want to die."
The water here is too deep; you can't handle it, child.
"Yes, yes! Maybe Second Brother should just forget about it."
"Are you sure? But I believe this is the most effective method. As long as our thoughts are uploaded, humanity can achieve Mechanical Ascension as a whole and fight another War in Heaven."
If Mordred were placed 65 million years ago, perhaps a certain Silent King Szarekh, who wished to remain anonymous, would have silently given him a thumbs up.
That's right, that's what I thought back then—we had to go toe-to-toe with those Old Ones.
Fortunately, the Emperor and Horus managed to stop Mordred, and compared to this insane plan, everything before seemed so wonderful.
But Mordred still felt it wasn't enough. As Carlos's top disciple, best friend, food critic, and master.
Given his high ranking in the inheritance of the Crystal Maze, how could he not have a backup plan?
"Atlas can serve as the general reserve, to finish things off, but only if the waters are stirred up, and we need a target, a target that can draw most of the attention away from me."
"This task is extremely difficult, and I may very well bear the stigma for the rest of my life, but it is a necessary price to pay."
Mordred looked at Horus, Horus in turn looked at the Emperor eyes held only reluctance.
"Second Brother, if I go, how many people can I save?"
"Countless."
"Alright, then I will be the first to die. Father, I will always love you!"
Their eyes met, and the past thirty years seemed to flash before their eyes. Horus raised his hand, and the Centaur Ring shone brightly, telling a hymn of Fealty.
Silent tears flowed here, and the classic quotes she had heard countless times echoed in her ears. Looking at the mother-in-law and father-son duo, Mordred felt like an outsider.
He shouldn't be standing there; he should wait outside.
Mordred was shocked to discover that these two wretched mothers were his own father and brother. He felt a sense of shared fate, knowing that the empire was doomed.
"Hey Horus, don't be so pessimistic. Actually, I've wanted to say this for a while: since Chaos can corrupt everyone, why not let me be corrupted first?"
These words shattered the tense atmosphere instantly. Even within the Spirit Exorcism Dead Zone, the familiar Psychic Power slap descended from the sky, landing heavily on Mordred's head.
"Why the hell didn't you say so earlier? Were you deliberately trying to make a fool of me?"
"You didn't even ask! You just came up there and said 30 years, 30 years! Sagittarius! My father loves me, I love my father! Did you even give me a chance to speak?"
After a brief silence, the three, looking slightly awkward, sat down again, and the Emperor pulled a chessboard out from behind his back.
Perhaps because Atlas relies on releasing limited-edition figurines and making a lot of popcorn out of plastic, the chessboard doesn't have chess pieces on it, but rather some miniature figurines.
Mordred thought the Emperor was just showing off again, but he didn't say much and instead carefully observed the situation on the chessboard.
Nineteen legions and 21 figurines were evenly distributed throughout the empire, ensuring that it would not be wiped out instantly, but also resulting in a dispersed military force.
Having gained experience from the second playthrough, the Emperor made the first move, picking up the reddest and largest piece, and then picking up the fourth Piece, who had a peace sign in his left hand and a finger pointing at someone in his right, looking like a little devil, and placed it on Holy Terra.
After thinking about it, I took the Cute Duo of unapproachability.
"This is the Ultimate Wall. With Dorn and Perturabo there, Holy Terra is safe. As for that red- Ogryn, he's restless no matter where he is. I'll keep an eye on him myself."
As expected of an experienced artist, he immediately grasped the essence of the matter. Magnus just too much of a troublemaker and must be kept under close surveillance.
Next, it was Horus's turn to act. Among his brothers and sisters, he first thought of Guilliman, but when he remembered that he was now in the rebel camp, he quickly released Guilliman and instead resolutely took up the Khan.
The Khan was unlucky; after Guilliman, Horus's first thought was the Khan, and the Emperor beside him even nodded in agreement, leaving Mordred speechless.
Horus then bypassed the Lion King, hesitated for a moment before the Great Angel, seized Fulgrim and Mortarion, and knocked down Ferrus.
"High mobility and high penetration capability—if it weren't for Word Bearers being in Serenity, this would be the first thing I would think of."
As for Ferrus, though unwilling to admit it, if I were a rebel, I would eliminate them immediately. In terms of importance alone, the Iron Hands would always be the first target.
Horus was right. After eliminating Atlas and his unreasonable lunatics, the Dark Angels were undoubtedly the number one legion. The second place would then be contested between the Moon Wolves and the Iron Hands.
Although they have always been relegated to the background, the formidable strength of the Iron Hands is recognized by all legions, with its heavy firepower and armored clusters launching surprise attacks, coupled with the deep mechanization of all its members.
A veteran of the Iron Hands, capable of unleashing firepower comparable to the Terminator in a short time, this numerical monster must be taken down first.
Since the matter had already begun to be decided, the Emperor decided to go all the way and directly slapped the soldier representing the Son of the Emperor from his eldest son's hand onto Ferrus.
"Father, you're cheating!"
Mordred and the Emperor laughed in a rather wicked way, and replied in unison:
"This isn't cheating, it's called foresight!"
"That's right, I'm already prepared to hand over the Son of the Emperor to Ferrus. Right now, there's no Primarch of the Third Legion, only the First Company Captain of the X Legion."
"Old Man Huang, how about we have them change the name? How about 'Iron Phoenix'?"
"Great idea! It'll make them a couple. I'll have their wedding tomorrow."
"Hahaha" x2
Although it was somewhat shameless, Horus believed that if the Emperor really did that, his unfortunate brother might be quite happy!
As for Mortarion, which was also taken, neither Mordred nor the Emperor said much about it, even though they saw it.
Stereotypes become stereotypes because they have some basis in reality; both Mordred and the Emperor believed in Mortarion's resilience!
The illusions the Emperor once saw while stealing from Nurgle's Garden prove nothing, or rather, even if all is lost, Mortarion can still protect Angron.
Although it's a bit cruel, if we only look at the gains and losses, as long as the Primarch is unharmed, even if the entire legion is wiped out, there is still a chance to make a comeback.
As for the ordinary people beneath the chessboard, all three knew this, but none of them spoke. This was a true war, and in war, there are Undead.
The moment someone sits down at the card table, a single thought can lead to the sacrifice of countless people.
Even Horus, a staunch believer in the Great Astartes Doctrine, knew that the Legions were merely the ramming horn of the Empire's steel behemoth; the true power came from the countless Auxilia behind them.
But as Mordred said, even an old dog has two teeth; running away won't solve the problem, only taking the initiative can bring a glimmer of hope.
The chessboard play continued, and this time it was Mordred's turn to make a move. Instead of taking any other pieces, he pushed the Lion King toward Guilliman.
This isn't Mordred messing around. On the surface, the Dark Angels are absolutely role models for all Legions, a group of upright gentlemen, but that's only what ordinary people see.
But why did Horus choose Mortarion and Fulgrim instead of the Lion King?
It's because they know exactly what kind of person their big brother is. These seemingly docile Hakimi, once they lose their temper, don't care who's in front of them; they'll bite anyone they can get their hands on.
This would be a perfect opportunity to counterbalance Guilliman. If Hakimi were to run into trouble, the Smurfs' despair-inducing army-building speed would definitely be enough to suppress him.
If the Smurfs run into trouble, then the Dark Angels, who held off the entire Randan Empire's army for three whole months with just one legion, will show the Smurfs what it means for your big brother to always be your big brother.
However, this is only the worst-case scenario. Mordred estimates that this situation is unlikely to occur, since Guilliman currently has a loving mother and father.
Not to mention his boundless Overlord's Will, capable of exploding his own Warp essence with his elbow.
If it weren't for the fear of messing things up, Mordred's first choice would actually be Guilliman. After all, Horus being stuffed into a puff pastry poses a risk of unwanted pregnancy, while Guilliman might not even know how to answer a telecom fraud call.
Thinking of this, Mordred saw Koz, who was also huddled in Ultramar, and after hesitating for a long time, he ultimately did not move him.
Mordred believed that, although things had returned to normal, given the Night Lords's style, the Four Merchants would never look at them unless they were truly hungry.
The Raven Guard received the same treatment. Perhaps because they looked almost identical, Koz somehow became very close to Corvus Corax.
According to the Dog-men spy, these two often went to massage parlors together, and what's most infuriating is that they frequently kept accounts, even putting them in his name.
The civil engineering duo is in Holy Terra, and with the Emperor watching over the pony, there shouldn't be any problems. Ferrus has taken his own collar and is indirectly commanding the Son of the Emperor; given his meticulous nature, there shouldn't be any issues either.
Adding the Word Bearers remained in the Serenity, Mordred believed he could save one more. After a moment's thought, he picked up Angron.
After all, she's a healer, so she gets this special treatment. If Angron were left unattended, he might very well turn from a healer into a poison healer, making Slaanesh envious.
Seeing that the situation in front of them was reasonable, and considering the distribution plan of the Golden Dragon Fish, the three felt that this round was in the bag.
With the Ultimate Wall in front, the two of them, Civil and Wood, guard Terra, while Horus acts as bait, entering the game himself. As soon as there is any unusual movement, Atlas will be unleashed like a mad dog.
The battle force is 80 million to 1 million, the advantage is on our side, this is a victory!
The Burning Legion immediately launched a counterattack against Chaos, catching the Four Merchants off guard, resulting in a win-win situation!
Even if both fronts fail, there's still a way: have the Emperor sit on the Golden Toilet as a nuclear deterrent in the standoff—a win-win-win situation.
With this in mind, the three big guys, who already had a rough plan, jumped for Zhuge Liang. Three heads are better than one, and the three of them were full of mischief, so they quickly perfected the detailed plan.
They avoided the foolish mistake of popping champagne halfway through the meal; instead, the three drank juice, thus preventing any mishaps from happening on various levels.
Now that the plan has been approved, its execution must be maximized. Seeing that both the Emperor and Mordred were looking at him, Horus nodded firmly:
"Come on, ravage me mercilessly. Don't show me any mercy just because I'm your brother. And while you're at it, erase all memories of this period of time."
Without hesitation, the Emperor used his psychic Psychic Power erase Horus's memories and then cut off a small fragment of his soul, which carried all of Horus's memories, as a precaution.
Mordred, on the other hand, didn't use any fancy tricks; she simply tore off one of her arms and shoved it hard into Horus's mouth.
As his flesh and blood boiled and his Fel Energy manifested, Mordred's arm turned into a viscous liquid that perfectly merged into Horus's body, thus corrupting him at the very essence of his being.
Soon, Horus underwent a dramatic transformation. A thick head of golden hair sprouted from his bald head, but what was even more striking was his pair of pupils, which possessed a pure and innocent beauty.
With one eye on guard duty and the other on watch, the two, one big and one small, perfectly embody the spirit of heroes.
Horus now far superior to Alpharius, the spy chief. Not only could he infiltrate Atlas, but even if he were to infiltrate the Ogryn, no one would dare utter a single word against him.
"Second Brother, my head is so itchy, it feels like my brain is growing out."
"It's okay, dizziness is normal, it's a common occurrence. Now it's time to see your amazing wisdom, my good brother, just say it!"
"No,"
"No what?"
"I will live up to the Legion's expectations!"
Upon hearing this, Mordred burst into hearty laughter and, no longer concealing his true identity, produced a full 19 arms, the real deal.
"Come on, there's plenty of meat."