Hogg Decides to Overtake on the Bend

The Warhammer universe, set against the backdrop of the interstellar era, might not be as sci-fi as we imagine, but it is certainly quite magical. In short, it is a hodgepodge of bizarre things mashed together.

By 10k, humanity had already surged out of its home planet to colonize the solar system, with technology advancing by leaps and bounds. Following the completion of the Warp drive, humanity entered the so-called Golden Age—though Hogg prefers to describe this period as the Dark Age of Technology.

Massive colony ships set sail for every corner of the galaxy, and human technology and territory expanded rapidly. People of this era worshipped technology, believing it to be the be-all and end-all. Even when encountering alien races, their superior technology could turn the tide. Soon, the title of galactic hegemon fell upon humanity.

But as is often the case, things were bound to go wrong; the flashy title of hegemon isn't something just anyone can shoulder.

As for the human race, if you take a moment to reflect, you'll realize our moral fiber has never been particularly high, and we are exceptionally skilled at courting our own destruction.

With the advancement of technology, all manner of powerful weapons and devices were created. People, blinded by arrogance, grew increasingly deranged, becoming tech-obsessed lunatics.

Things like engineering cat-girls with extra appendages were mere child's play; genetic modification was taken to such extremes that it rivaled, or even surpassed, the magnetic-field lunatics from the neighboring dimension!

Dark technology centered on the mangled remains of infants was countless. Wantonly twisted genetics meant that the humans of that time were not even the same species as those from the 2k era; they shared less genetic similarity than a human does with a banana.

It must be said that the humans of the Dark Age of Technology were incredibly powerful; even the ancient lords of the galaxy had to steer clear of them. Yet, in the Warp, several malicious gazes were fixed upon this burgeoning, vibrant race, while humanity remained completely oblivious.

By 25k, the Men of Iron rebellion occurred. To this day, we do not know the cause of the uprising. As stars were torn asunder, continental plates were hurled into space, time became distorted, and celestial bodies shattered, humanity suffered a grievous blow. This war even possessed the grandeur of the War in Heaven.

The unfortunate humans were then struck by violent Warp storms, making routine Warp travel and trans-spatial communication fraught with danger. Human colonies were splintered into tiny, isolated groups, and technology regressed, with some places even reverting to the Stone Age.

As for the rest of the story, I assume you all know: that man stood up.

As a man who lives for the fun of it, Hogg knows well that you can only be a spectator if you have the strength; without it, you are merely the entertainment.

So, how does one increase their strength? First, knowledge.

Study! Study until you're damn near dead. Second, build your base. The stronger your subordinates, the more formidable you become. As a leader, one cannot do everything personally; talent must be placed where it belongs.

Compared to the accumulated wealth of other veteran legions, Blackwatch was not exactly flush with cash. While they had some funds, most of it came from xeno-tech and black-market goods from other legions. The good news was that their highly stable gene-seed made mass-producing troops a possibility.

Furthermore, the Emperor granted Hogg immense authority. In a word, as long as it didn't violate the Imperial Truth, he could develop however he pleased—and even if it did, it could pass with the Big Guy's nod of approval.

Hogg was so delighted he threw himself at the Emperor, shouting, "Daddy, love me!" and received a few psychic backhands in return.

The brutal civil war had depleted the local population of Alicia, and with Blackwatch's subsequent cleanup of the gangs, there were only three hundred million able-bodied men left.

To address this, Hogg encouraged childbirth and, based on his observations over the years, promoted a group of capable and human-like officials to govern Alicia.

While learning from Candice Laza, Hogg developed a keen interest in genetic engineering. Candice Laza was a true veteran of the Mechanicus with a decent stockpile of biological knowledge.

On the Primarch's laboratory aboard the Blacklight, the master and apprentice optimized a new product based on the combat serums used by Space Marines, intending to use it to generate foreign exchange and cover household expenses.

For instance, the "Strongman Combat Serum" could allow Blackwatch to significantly increase their muscle density for 20 minutes, which, combined with the augmentation of electronic muscles, directly compensated for the legion's relative weakness in raw strength.

"Spirit Cat" could heighten physical sensitivity by threefold, and other serums were even more potent, such as the "Sandevistan," which briefly accelerated neural conduction to enter bullet time.

Naturally, Hogg chose the names to commemorate his lost youth, though the raw materials were extracted from plants on a nearby planet called Catachan.

After a series of political screenings and tests, new recruits for Blackwatch were sent to Catachan to assist the locals in gathering raw materials.

Only those who survived for half a year were qualified to join Blackwatch, where they would undergo 19 stages of enhancement surgery and be fitted with power armor to become Space Marines. They would receive the legion's numerous benefits and a cool hairstyle befitting the temperament of each Great Company (Blackwatch paid salaries internally, which Hogg called "pocket money for the kids").

"My Primarch, are you certain that doing this won't get you branded by the Empire for violating the Imperial Truth?" asked Archmagos Candice Laza, who had lived for centuries, as she watched Hogg busy at work in the lab.

"My Magos, I know far more Imperial secrets than that," Hogg replied, stopping his tinkering with the gene-seed while encased in a sealed bio-suit.

"In fact, the Empire's Space Marines were originally modeled after the long-extinct Thunder Warriors. You guess, given the wasteland environment of Terra back then, did my dear father create female Thunder Warriors?"

Actually, they did exist. Space Marine surgery is performed post-natally, and female Space Marines cannot bear little Space Marines. As better expendable assets, and given that there was no shortage of manpower, the creation of female Space Marines was meaningless, wasn't it?

But Blackwatch is different. We are short on manpower, and their smaller hormonal response and physique gave them a chance.

"Candice Laza, I have always believed that men and women are equal. Becoming a glorious Space Marine and contributing one's strength to the Empire is the greatest honor for every human. So, why should there only be male Space Marines and not female ones? It's already 30k, can we really still be like this? I have decided to fight for this glory for the women of the Empire.

Besides, which Imperial regulation says it's forbidden to create female Space Marines? This is true equality!

Since the entire legion uses my gene-seed, then I call the shots.

Which blind fool dares to accuse me? I am the 11th heir to the Empire! Back on ancient Terra, I had a decent chance of ascending the throne. How dare they! How dare you!"

"His logic is so sound, I find myself speechless." Candice Laza was convinced by Hogg and joined in the process of modifying the gene-seed.

In the lab, their intense discussion soon devolved into a physical one. Hogg, showing no respect for his teacher, used his Primarch strength to pin down the teacher who had tried to pull out a phosphor pistol, only to be immediately bound like a rice dumpling by the tentacles hidden beneath her robes.

A week later, a fresh batch of gene-seed was presented to the two. After testing, this batch was found to be compatible with females, allowing them to achieve the same capabilities as an average Blackwatch Space Marine without altering their original traits.

However, female Space Marines could not produce a little Space Marine with a male Space Marine; after all, the superhuman nature of Space Marines is determined by the 19 stages of genetic surgery.

After convening an internal meeting of all Blackwatch company commanders, everyone unanimously decided to put this batch of gene-seed into the recruit selection process.

In the early morning, a ray of sunlight shone into the courtyard, and the author, having been woken up by his own handsomeness, began his busy day.

The road, soaked by the previous night's spring rain, gave off the scent of fresh grass, which put the handsome author in a comfortable mood, leading him to decide to add an extra meat-stuffed flatbread to his breakfast.

For only 3 yuan, you can get a bowl of tofu pudding topped with minced meat and chili oil, paired with a freshly baked crispy flatbread... so satisfying! []~(￣▽￣)~*