The Lion King is Wounded by Chaos's Sneak Attack

What has been the greatest impact on the Empire during the 10,000 years since Mordred's disappearance?

The first thing that will be presented to us is the 2000-year Warp window.

During the Great Crusade, the Imperium of Man acted like mad dogs, biting indiscriminately, all in an attempt to seize the last window of opportunity before the Slaanesh were born and claim the galaxy.

This strategic direction was undoubtedly correct. If the Empire had not wiped out most of the Xenos in the Four Great Sectors during the Great Crusade, it would not have reached its current size and would not have lasted for 10,000 years.

Two hundred years may seem like a long time, but for the empire at that time, it was incredibly short. The task of eliminating Xenos, conquering the world, developing resources, advancing technology, and most importantly, the Webway Project— a grand plan that should have started over a thousand years—was ruthlessly compressed into these two hundred years by the Emperor, ultimately leaving behind a mess.

Fortunately, the Primarchs did not disappear after the Great Heresy. After 500 years of repairs and rebuilding, and with one Primarch, humanity entered a true Golden Age. However, this Golden Age was the final swan song of the Imperium of Man.

As far as the Primarch is concerned, this empire was conquered by the Emperor and his many brothers, so he will certainly dedicate himself to nurturing it.

But for imperial officials, there's always someone taller to hold up the sky. My ancestors endured all the hardships of this life when they unified Terra with the Emperor, so now it's time to enjoy the good life.

And you Primarchs aren't greedy for this or that, you're just like saints, what are we supposed to do?

Therefore, when the Primarch was around, human nobles and officials were in two opposing camps with him. Even if they had ideas, they dared not show them, since the Primarch truly had the ability to manage the Empire with his Super Brain.

If we kill everyone then, and persist for a decade or so, we can elect a new batch of officials. Even without these old fogies, the empire can still function.

However, with the departure of the Primarch, the Ambition, now free from restraint, began to engage in underhanded tactics.

The High Lords Council was indeed Fealty, but that did not mean they were not corrupt. With the political structure designed by Guilliman, as long as it operated stably, even if it became rigid, it could still keep the Empire safe. However, the result was that in order to fight for power and profit, the High Lord took over the work that should have been done by their subordinates. They had to make decisions on everything, big and small, and the model of letting the top set the direction and the bottom carry it out completely collapsed.

These insects, lacking the abilities of the Primarch, were exhausted to death, resulting in a massive buildup of bugs that turned the Empire into a mountain of code so rubbish that even a Chaos Gods would shake his head in disbelief. The most absurd thing was that it could still run.

In order to further dominate the empire, these insects also mythologized the Primarch, since the Primarch was no longer around, so they might as well obediently become old gods.

To say that everyone is an insect is impossible; the empire is not lacking in heroes with lofty ideals.

For example, Macarius, the Lord Solar, reclaimed the entire T'au Star Sector with a mortal body and reached the Edge of the Astronomican in less than ten years, making him even Long Aotian than Long Aotian.

If this record were from the Great Crusade, the four Primarchs—Johnson Horus, Feralus, and Mordred—wouldn't even bother vying for War Commander; they'd be better off retiring early on for the sake of dignity.

However, beneath this magnificent achievement lies the Taiping Rebellion that continues to this day, making the T'au Star Sector anything but peaceful and completely collapsing the empire's already precarious finances.

The entire T'au Star Sector was in complete chaos, filled with warlords of all sizes. Eighty percent of these warlords were former subordinates of the Lord Solar, while the remaining twenty percent were Chapter that had participated in the expedition.

As for why the Space Marines also became bandits, it was entirely out of necessity. The Empire of 40k was completely different from the Empire during the Great Crusade.

Despite its small Atlasian, at the height of the Great Crusade, boasted 400,000 Spartan Warriors, hundreds of millions of Auxilia, and tentacles connecting various legions, possessing a massive logistics network spanning the entire galaxy.

If the Adeptus Mechanicus is the Empire's partner, then Atlas is a giant state-owned enterprise headed by Mordred, fully supported by the Emperor, and jointly owned by various Legions.

In order to support this unprecedented Great Crusade, nearly half of the Iron Warriors became Grinder Boys under Atlas's control, and each legion had to send one-tenth of its troops to liaise with Atlas.

Whenever the Legion conquers an unknown star system, Atlas selects a suitable planet as a secondary mining base and uses it as a base to expand outwards.

Most importantly, Mordred not only ensures her own survival but also allows others to live. Everyone gets a share of this lucrative opportunity, even the rival Adeptus Mechanicus is left wanting more.

The soldiers on the front lines don't need to worry about anything; you just need to do your job.

And that's not all. After you finish fighting the Xenos and return to your base, you'll find a bunch of red envelopes by your bedside. If the war is too intense, you'll get all your allowances from the past ten years or so, and you'll get promoted just like that. If you're lucky, you might even become a local governor.

This is just for Auxilia; it's even easier for Space Marine. In addition to material rewards, Mordred will also erect a statue for you based on your combat performance to commemorate your achievements.

When the soldiers returned to their barracks after a day of fighting, they saw these rewards that were both prestigious and substantial. The 17 rounds per second of the Bolter was just the limit of the Machine Spirit, not their limit.

Everyone should shout, "We have lived up to the Legion's expectations; Warmaster always be in good health!"

This is the second major impact of Atlas's disappearance: the complete collapse of the Empire's logistics system and existing technology.

Mordred and Atlas disappeared so suddenly that, in the extremely short time that they descended into madness, nearly half of Atlas chose to end their own lives.

This was only one-sided; what was even more tragic was that with Atlas's disappearance, the memories that arose because of Mordred were gone.

Luther didn't know why he had become like this, and thought it was because Zhuang Sen's filial piety had gone awry and he had cast a spell on him.

Corvus Corax forgot about the hidden dangers back home, causing a series of internal conflicts on the Salvation Star, and even forgot the Mordred had given him.

Luojia forgot the Titan Training Method and reverted to being that worshipful girl, ultimately getting herself into trouble and almost killing herself.

Guilliman, on the other hand, was a heavyweight. No one knows what he was thinking. Mordred had forgotten his memories, but he hadn't forgotten to Split the Legions. In the end, he even wrote Mordred's name on that piece of toilet paper.

Mordred's plan was that each Chapter would need at least 2,000 men after the Split the Legions, and the parent legion would maintain a basic strength of 50,000 men. But Guilliman only remembered the idea of splitting up the legions!

But that's not all. You should know that Atlas's main business is recycling scrap metal, which provides logistics for all the legions of the Empire, achieving a perfect cycle of self-sufficiency and self-production.

However, after Atlas disappeared, the Empire acted utterly recklessly, as if to say, "Who says you can't fight a war without logistics? Do you still have Fealty?"

It sounds abstract, but it's true. To this day, the Empire still doesn't have a complete logistics system, and even Ogryn knows that you can't rely on that bunch of useless people in the Department of the Munitorum.

To solve this problem, in the interstellar age of the Empire, the great Lord Regent, His Highness Robert Guilliman, came up with a unique idea: a nostalgic version of the game.

After the Split the Legions, the military-agricultural system was implemented with the Chapter as the core. This was similar to the Ming Dynasty's garrison system, where 30% was used for defending the city and 70% for farming, which was reminiscent of the King Zhou's enfeoffment of princes.

Although it sounds great, it's ultimately about self-development. Whether you live well or not depends on yourself. If you're bad, practice more; if you can't handle it, don't play. Then no one can blame anyone else.

Then comes the more abstract part: farming requires technology, so where can you find that technology? The answer is that large, established Adeptus Mechanicus societies are fine, but smaller Chapter can only cooperate with those Mechanicus. In good years, things are relatively stable, but if you're unlucky and there's a natural disaster or Xenos Chaos, then you're doomed.

And that's not all. The High Lords Council has the right to command all Chapter. You can't pretend you don't see it. You have to participate in battles and pay taxes. And that doesn't even include certain underhanded dealings.

If you disobey, you're a traitor. To prove your Fealty, you'd better go on Penitent Expedition. And that's only if you're lucky.

If you're unlucky, they'll frame you for a crime you can't even remember how you died. A prime example is the Celestial Lions, whose Chapter Master was assassinated in public and had his head cut off and paraded through the streets.

Chaos guards the nation's gates, Genestealer die for the country. This saying sounds abstract, but even more abstract is the fact that the empire, this cesspool, has driven away countless once- Fealty warriors.

In short, it's not without reason that Guilliman is criticized by everyone, even some Ultramarines, to the point that now no one pays attention to Guilliman's idea of launching an Indomitable Expedition.

You, Ambition Guilliman, played your part well back then, making us feel like dogs with a single Benevolence Decree. Now you remember us? Why don't you just die?

They even said they'd replenish our Gene-Seed and perform Primaris Surgery for free. Isn't this just an attempt to turn us all into alternative Ultramarines?

The slogan of fighting for the Empire is no longer mentioned. The longer Space Marine lives, the more disappointed they become. Perhaps only when death approaches will they remember the Golden Age known as the Great Crusade.

The more I think about it, the more powerless I feel. Instead of thinking so much, I might as well just drift through life and get myself a cool trench coat.

Yes, that's right. This is Mordred's third major impact: her terrible fashion sense has not only not been forgotten, but has become synonymous with imperial fashion.

Among the many Chapter, the Ultramarines are disliked by everyone, but their Scion Chapter, Emperor's Scythes, is widely praised, simply because they have a cool cape.

This idea was so deeply ingrained in the minds of the Space Marine that after Azrael guaranteed that the mission would be accomplished, every member of the Second Company would receive a tactical cloak that was both cool and showcased their unparalleled prestige.

Sammael, the then Grand Master of Ravenwing, immediately declared that he had nine ways to complete the mission—nine!

"Boss, we've reached the airspace above Kamas, and the Bird Servant Array has confirmed the target, but I've also detected the Silent Oath's radiation signal. This is very strange."

"What's so strange about it? Don't you want a cool cape? I bet the Chapter Master wants to see this little secret disappear."

Remember, we, the First Legion, No Secrets. Besides, I noticed this old man's hands were itching for some reason, and he seemed more energetic than usual."

Upon hearing this, the group of Dark Angels nodded in agreement, indicating that they shared the same feeling—a strong urge to blow something up, and their mood was improving. They believed it must be the Emperor's intervention.

Patting his adjutant on the shoulder, Sammael walked to the control panel. With an excited heart and trembling hands, driven by some indescribable and wonderful emotion, Sammael abandoned the Orbital Bombardment.

After all, they're not crazy; there's no need for the entire planet's Civilians to be sacrificed for them. Of course, they'd choose the targeted elimination Lance.

"Look! This old man is walking alone into the dense forest! It's like heaven is helping us!"

"Boss, should we also blast those traitors to smithereens?"

Upon hearing this, Sammael slapped his lieutenant Garen on the head. "Kill, kill, kill! All you know is killing! What traitor? If it weren't for the Fallen Angels, what would Ravenwing be for?"

You're still too young, lad. The Empire isn't just about fighting and killing. You need to find your place. Our job is to capture Fallen Angels. Without Fallen Angels, what are we supposed to do?

Learn from this, we'll have to figure out how to sneak them away later. But what you said makes sense, this time increase the anesthetic dosage by eight percent, and while we're at it, strip them naked.

Once we hand over the clothes, we can apply for another batch of supplies—we can benefit from both!

Garen couldn't help but nod inwardly, thinking to himself, "No wonder he can be Grand Master; his skill in taking advantage of the chaos is something I could never achieve."

He flipped open the safety pin, stared at the large, red ignition button, and Sammael, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, raised his right fist and shouted:

"Hey ha, for Atlas!"

"Hmm, why did I call for Atlas? Never mind, launch!"

"Spare his life!"

"What?"

Seeing the communication network suddenly taken over, Sammael heard the voice of Chapter Master Azrael, and instinctively loosened his grip, pressing the launch button.

Meanwhile, based on the guidance of the little man in the robe in his dream, Zhuang Sen confirmed that the white-bearded old man was his father. Although he didn't know why his father was being so mysterious and treating him like a child, Zhuang Sen decided it was best to ask him for clarification.

For some reason, Zhuang Sen had recently been feeling uneasy, his body instincts were warning him, but when he looked around, he didn't find any danger.

As they entered the jungle, this unease did not disappear; instead, it intensified, to the point that Zhuang Sen stood frozen in place, wanting to see what was going on.

"Something's not right. This unease is so intense, yet there's nothing around that could threaten me. Huh? Why is there a red dot here?"

Just as Hakimi couldn't resist the cat toy, the Lion King couldn't resist the bright red dot of light either, and went straight to the crimson dot that had fallen from the sky to examine it closely.

Looking up at the sky, at the fine pillars of light descending from above, the Lion King couldn't help but nod in approval:

"This is a guidance beacon. Judging from the model, it's Alpha CZ75 Pattern. This thing should be used for guiding Lance to correct firing, to test the light transmittance of a planet's atmosphere, and to carry out surgical-like precision bombing, specifically designed to destroy high-value targets in the inner layer of a planet."

Although this kind of guiding laser does not fall under the Legion's code of conduct and is rather useless in use, as long as it is paired with a good gunner, it can hit the target every time, and there is no way to escape.

That's good. This is much better than those stupid kids who just blindly blast things. They even know how to guide the enemy in advance. They clearly know how to fire artillery.

Look at this laser architecture! It's even disguised as a grinning dog's head to attract targets—what a clever idea!

"Wait, high-value targets?"

Looking around, all I could see were tall shrubs and insignificant black humus soil, hardly qualifying as a high-value target. The only thing that could be considered a high-value target was...

"Boom!!!"

Three minutes and twelve seconds later, a dense swarm of Thunderhawk streaked across the sky and flew towards the dense jungle that had been evaporated into gas.

Looking at the land before him, completely scorched into a shard of glass and filled with a thick, toxic fog, Azrael's heart sank. He collapsed to the ground, crying out in a hoarse voice:

"Father, how could you leave us? How can I live without you! Hehe, chirp chirp chirp!"

Mordred thought he had misheard, turned around and saw that the kid wasn't upset at all, so he immediately slapped him.

"Hey kid, I advise you to pull back. After the Primarch Killed in Action, his offspring will suffer a massive mental shock. Are you sure you're grieving?"

If Zhuang Sen sees this, even I can't save you.

Azrael was stunned. He had never died a Primarch before, so how could he know that it had this characteristic? He immediately turned to look at his good brother Ezekiel.

Don't be fooled by the Ezekiel is one of the Empire's three great Librarian, and like Mephisto and Dignis, he's a powerful figure with extraordinary abilities. But his age is a factor, and he simply can't possibly be as knowledgeable and experienced as Mordred, a millennium-old monster.

Finally, he gave a vague reply that the leader was probably not dead, and quickly punched the Chapter Master in the nose to make him cry more convincingly.

But this unease quickly dissipated, as someone discovered part of the Lion King, and that person was none other than Sammael, who had just fired the cannon.

The good news is that the Lion King is still alive; the bad news is that Lion King won't live much longer.

Looking at the blond, handsome man whose lower body had vanished, with a smooth, clean cut, leaving only 2.5 strands, Mordred had a strange sense of déjà vu; that's how he returned to the Empire back then.

However, compared to his good brother who was already emitting a fragrant aroma of roasted meat, Mordred was more concerned about the offspring in front of him. Although they had never met, he could tell from just a glance that these unlucky things that were bombarding the Primarch were his offspring.

It's so similar, so incredibly similar. In Mordred's eyes, Sammael not only has the Khan's ruthlessness and cunning, but also Tom's abstract and silly nature; he's practically his own son.

These Ravenwing Warriors also sensed the connection between their bloodlines, especially after Mordred's arrival, which gave them a clearer understanding of the situation:

"Businessmen, business partners!"

"Good boy!"

Before the family reunion, a traditional event, could even begin, a loud bang was heard as a Heavy Bolter flew in and embedded itself directly in Mordred's skull.

"Traitor, die!"

A loud shout rang out, and taking advantage of the thick fog, before anyone noticed, Zabriel stealthily arrived and launched a deadly attack, slashing at Mordred's head with his sword.

The dazzling disintegration caused a buzzing sound in the air. Zabriel was confident that he could decapitate his opponent with a single sword strike, and then lead the lion's mangled body away.

This was his decree as an uncrowned champion, and also the lingering influence of the first interplanetary warrior manufactured by the Emperor.

This man, with his numerical prowess, has never feared any warrior, not even Qin Xia, who is known for his speed. He can still overpower the champion. This is the uncrowned champion, this is the First Legion.

"Too slow, too slow!"

Accompanied by the gunshots that had just rang out, Zabriel charged forward recklessly amidst the sounds. This physical strength, breaking the speed of sound, was the source of Zabriel's confidence.

The nerves, pushed to their limits, reacted at incredible speed, allowing Zabriel to see the Librarian gesturing as if to summon Psychic Power storm. He rose and drew his sword, but was caught off guard by Sammael, who was drawing his spear from the ground. Azrael spun around and fled, trying to escape the scene.

Wait, why is he running away?

Before Zabriel could finish pondering this question, he saw the blond giant, who had been 10 meters away from him, suddenly appear in front of him as if in a frame-by-frame animation, holding a bomb that had been disassembled into tiny parts.

Zabriel wanted to retaliate, but he couldn't keep up with Mordred's speed at all. Fortunately, the man in front of him was a bit stupid and actually grabbed his command sword.

"Die, you fool!"

Then Zabriel knew nothing more. His once indestructible Command Sword was crushed into pieces, and the Command Bag behind him was disarmed. Like grabbing a kitten, he was tightly entangled by a ferocious tail.

All of this happened in an instant. When Zabriel came to his senses, he was stunned to see the Command Sword broken in two in his hand.

Dude, this is a dismantling field, a dismantling field that can cut steel like cheese. You just come up and smash it to pieces with one slap? Is that reasonable?

"Judging from the crest on your body, you should be from the Third East Second Destroyer, a deacon of the Order of the Three Keys, belonging to the Dreadwing, so you must be Zabriel."

Come and take off your helmet! I was awarded a medal for doing this for you back in the day, so please remember me!

At this moment, just like at that moment, these words sounded somewhat familiar to Zabriel, as if he had been opened up a week ago, and now he was being opened up again.

Zabriel tried to resist, but he was no match for the powerful. His Mark III action armor instantly activated, detached from his body, and was removed on the spot.

Perhaps seeing the last piece of clothing on his body slowly disintegrating, Zabriel hurriedly shouted:

"Warmaster, it's Xiao Zha, isn't it? Have you forgotten the time Qiu Zuo treated you to a meal?"

"Oh, I think I heard someone calling me an idiot."

Dying Memories began to attack him. Without any deliberate reminders, under the threat of public death, Zabriel immediately recalled all his memories of Mordred, especially the characteristics of this Warmaster.

Are you saying "be careful"?

Holy crap, he can read minds.

"How could someone who can't read minds do something so intrusive and violates privacy? It's like how someone who doesn't know you're the son of a tech warlord only found Old Man Huang, who was recruiting cannon fodder in Terra, because of your handsome appearance and the trick of using a shooting armor to escape."

"...

"Your Highness, do you think there is any hope?"

"Yes, of course we have them. We were just worried about not having any witnesses."

Mordred ripped off the Lion King's tattered cloak and tossed it to the now-naked Zabriel. Surrounded by a group of Dark Angels, Mordred then gave him a piece of parchment.

"Write: The Lion King was wounded by Chaos's sneak attack, Dark Angels was credited with saving his father!"