A New Wave Rises

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While the most accomplished artisans on Manros remodeled armor as they saw fit, Lu Jin designed the order of the new Manros.

Slavery would be shattered.

The nobles' property would be left to the locals to develop their hive worlds.

Manros suffered from famine, but the nobles had monopolized a significant amount of food. Distributing it would be enough to last over a decade, enough to weather the Imperium's Warp storms en route to Manros, with some left over for the Ragefang's long-term Warp voyages.

For several days, Lu Jin and Kao stayed in the Governor's mansion, learning about the local situation on Manros before designing the new Manros.

"We could perhaps recruit from the locals."

Kao thought of the Chapter's needs.

After their arduous journey, the Chapter had few members even before Lu Jin joined. After he joined, and following the incident with the Cunning Hounds and Ahriman, their numbers dwindled further.

There were only fifteen, not counting Lu Jin.

Recruitment was an urgent matter.

Lu Jin had also considered recruitment before, such as using the crew.

But the problem was that the Ragefang was short-handed everywhere. The crew, who once only needed to handle their specialized roles, now juggled multiple positions. They were critically short of personnel, and it was not advisable to recruit more for the Space Marines.

Not to mention that Space Marine augmentation might not always be successful...

"I also think we can recruit from Manros," Lu Jin said, putting down his pen and agreeing wholeheartedly. "Manros is outside the Maelstrom. Although it's somewhat affected by the Maelstrom, apart from the noble class, the other strata are relatively clean."

Kao immediately stood up, ready to undertake this task.

But Lu Jin spoke again, "However, there's no one left to serve as an Apothecary, and I can't perform augmentation surgery using Psionics like Ninos. Besides, the Gene-seed might not be sufficient either?"

In his opinion, the Gene-seed was the most troublesome aspect.

It was a necessary component for augmentation.

A Space Marine had two Gene-seeds; one could be harvested. The harvested one was typically used to augment new recruits or as tribute to the Imperium.

The one that couldn't be harvested could only be recovered after death, otherwise, the life would be lost.

"The Chapter Master before Brother Ninos, the Chapter Master during the ambush incident, felt something was amiss before taking the Chapter to see that Inquisitor. Just in case, he stored the Gene-seed, so there's no need to worry about the quantity of Gene-seed."

"As for the Apothecary... the previous Apothecary only knew how to administer injections and didn't understand augmentation. The medical bay has automated equipment, it was just damaged during the Hound attack. I'll see if I can repair it."

Lu Jin then nodded. "The communication jamming device on Manros has been deactivated, right? Study it while you're at it, see what technology was used, and if it can be replicated."

Kao immediately left to make preparations.

Lu Jin, meanwhile, turned his notebook to a new page and began drafting a plan for recruit selection.

The original selection method in the Chapter's codex was actually quite good.

Lu Jin pondered, finding no fault with it, and directly wrote on the paper: Select new recruits according to Chapter tradition.

"Chapter Master."

The communication entered Lu Jin's ear.

Since his helmet had been shattered along with his torso armor during the battle, Lu Jin could only wear a communicator to communicate with the ship.

It was Carly speaking.

She had been imprisoned in the slave dungeons. After the rebellion began, the guards at her cell door, along with the slaves, launched a revolt.

The mother and child she had taken down to treat were also rescued. No matter what beatings she endured, she never let go, holding on until the moment the rebellion began and she was rescued.

"The Navigator wishes to see you," Carly said.

Lu Jin immediately put down his work and ordered the ship to teleport him back.

Navigator's Sanctum.

Lu Jin placed his warhammer and battle axe by the door before pushing open the sanctum's entrance.

The sanctum was quite cold and a bit messy.

Due to the ship's shortage of personnel, Onaas's servants had all gone out to work, leaving no one to attend to the esteemed Navigator.

As Lu Jin entered, he found the Navigator huddled in a corner, her back to him.

"I apologize, I couldn't kill that Inquisitor, but I will find him later and eliminate him."

Onaas heard the voice behind her and felt Lu Jin sit down behind her. She suddenly felt at ease.

"I'm sorry."

Lu Jin frowned. Hearing Onaas suddenly apologize in a small voice, she choked back sobs.

"Am I too fragile?"

"Just the loss of control by one psyker, who blew his own head off, was enough to frighten me. I only saw that prophecy about the Inquisitor... I... I feel like I'm not as good as anyone in the Chapter."

The Navigator choked back sobs, eventually unable to speak another word, only weeping.

Lu Jin remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "To be honest, when I fought my way through the Greenskins and into the Navigator's Sanctum, the first moment I saw you, I thought it was over. I knew I couldn't count on you because you were too young. I even thought the ship's actual Navigator, your parents or uncle or someone, had died somewhere."

Upon hearing this, Onaas fell silent for a second, then began to sob even harder.

Next came nonsensical phrases like, "Then ask Huron for a Navigator," and "It's me who isn't worthy of the Fierce Angels."

Lu Jin chuckled, patting Onaas's shoulders. "Hey! Hey... Listen to me, just let me finish."

Onaas sobbed, her back to Lu Jin, and didn't make a sound.

"But all you've given me is surprises."

"I said the same thing before, didn't I? When you helped me deal with Aels, when you used your Psionics to observe Tyrant's Gate, you always knew what to do without me telling you, and you did things beyond my expectations."

"When I was as young as you, I was like an idiot. The only thing I liked doing was squatting under a tree and playing with mud."

"You were scared by that guy who blew up your head. Who wouldn't be startled?"

"Turn around and look at me."

Lu Jin said this as he pulled a palm-sized round box from his embrace.

Onaas obediently turned over, facing Lu Jin.

It was then Lu Jin noticed the young Navigator was holding a book.

"What is this?" she asked.

"A vanity case, maybe," Lu Jin said, looking at the incredibly exquisite box inlaid with various jewels. "I'll have Carly teach you how to put on makeup someday."

Onaas turned away again, facing the wall.

"I'll teach you. Believe it or not, I know how to do makeup," Lu Jin reached out and turned Onaas back. "See if this thing is any good."

Onaas took the vanity case, examined it for a moment, and tucked it into her embrace. "Before my parents and I left the family, such simple things were used by the maids."

Lu Jin was about to say, You're such a little kid, how can you brag so much?

But then he reconsidered.

This Navigator was indispensable for Warp travel. Within the Imperium, they were considered nobility among nobles, above ordinary people. Perhaps it wasn't bragging at all.

Lu Jin said nothing. He picked up the book and looked closely. A line of text was branded on the cover, and the words "Khorne's Husband" made him pause.

Flipping through the contents, he saw it was a record of the Manros incident from an observer's perspective, and the writing carried a tone of "the ultimate good is knowledge, the ultimate evil is ignorance."

Ahriman didn't die under Khorne's axe—a thought exploded in Lu Jin's mind.

"Who gave you this?" Lu Jin asked.

"I don't know. I woke up a while ago and found this book in my arms. I don't know where it came from, but holding it makes me feel safe."

Onaas recalled...

She had simply woken up one time to find a book in her arms. In her dreams, a voice echoed, telling her certain truths.

Lu Jin felt that Ahriman must have altered Onaas's memories.

It would be effortless for the most powerful psyker to do such a thing.

Even the ship's ability to reach the Manros system normally was likely the result of Ahriman navigating in Onaas's stead.

As for this book...

Lu Jin thought Ahriman truly was a cultured man; to craft a title that disgusted both himself and Khorne was quite sharp.

"Confiscated," Lu Jin said, tucking the book into the back of his trousers. He then stood up, ready to leave.

Onaas suddenly reached out and grabbed Lu Jin's sleeve.

Lu Jin thought she wanted him to stay longer, but seeing Onaas's eyes grow deeper and more profound, and her third eye slowly opening on her forehead, he realized the situation was not right.

Onaas's precognitive abilities had activated uncontrollably.

"The Fierce Angels incident was my mistake, but it was also yours. Abaddon hasn't even emerged from the Eye of Terror yet, and you've rushed to deploy most of your forces to the Cadia defense sector. Wasn't that a bit too hasty?"

The Inquisitor who had killed Onaas's parents argued with the black-armored Space Marine.

"That's why I brought the entire Chapter. The High Lords of Terra's new orders are to cooperate with the already assembled fleet and strike the Maelstrom," the Space Marine replied.

Huron strode into the briefing room, clad in armor, and leaned over the tactical table.

"In that case, I will forge a meat grinder, and this world, Manros, will be that meat grinder."

"You will die in battle, and Manros will pay us blood tithes."

A grey-armored Space Marine looked down at the one-armed Fierce Angel before him.

On the Space Marine's pauldron, a white shark was stained with blood.

A series of fragmented images flashed before Onaas's eyes. She opened her mouth, "War is coming! The Manros system... the surrounding areas... and the Maelstrom itself... will become a battlefield!"

"Calm down," Lu Jin placed a hand on Onaas's shoulder. "Speak slowly, no rush. Tell me everything you saw."

Onaas then recounted everything she had witnessed.

Lu Jin pieced together the entire prophecy from her seemingly delirious ramblings:

The Inquisitor was merely a vanguard. His arrival in Manros was not a coincidence or luck, but because he was tasked with a mission assigned by the Imperium's high command.

This mission pertained to an Imperium war effort against the Maelstrom.

No less than ten Chapters, millions of Astra Militarum, and countless Planetary Defense Forces would accompany the Imperium fleet to the Maelstrom's exterior for a strike against the Red Corsairs.

The Inquisitor would return to Manros, as would the Mercy Emissaries, and even a Chapter known as the Space Sharks would arrive on Manros.

From Lu Jin's perspective, the Thirteenth Black Crusade was about to begin. Logically, the Imperium should not be deploying forces for a large-scale military operation in the Maelstrom.

However, from the Imperium's viewpoint, the Chaos Lord Abaddon leaving the Eye of Terror for an expedition was merely unproven hearsay spread by Psionics-crazed lunatics. Currently, plagues were spreading outside the Eye of Terror, more akin to some Nurgle-worshipping warbands preparing to spread plagues throughout the Imperium through warfare.

And if Abaddon were truly launching an expedition, then striking the Red Corsairs to prevent them from providing support to Abaddon, or to seize territory while the opportunity arose, would be a wise move.

There was no need to even assemble forces now; the Imperium had already gathered an expeditionary fleet, preparing to reinforce the territories around the Eye of Terror, and this fleet would pass through the Maelstrom.

"This can't be real, can it?" Onaas's eyes were filled with bewilderment.

Based on experience, Onaas's prophecies were usually inaccurate. Just like when she had predicted Aels would take everyone, including the crew, and the result...

"..." Lu Jin remained silent.

He knew the details of the Thirteenth Black Crusade intimately, but his impression of the Maelstrom area was only "probably no major conflict." This was because while the storyline had focal points, once he truly arrived in this universe, everything happened and proceeded simultaneously, without a "center of attention."

It was like how the records of the Thirteenth Black Crusade wouldn't mention what a person on some agricultural world at the Imperium's edge ate or drank.

"If it's fake, then thank goodness."

"If it's real... my vision of Manros rebuilding a new order, and Chapters being able to recruit locally, will become a pipe dream."

Lu Jin managed to utter two sentences.