Merciful Governor, Master of Resurrection Coins

On the ground.

Inside a gestation chamber nestled within an underground factory.

Countless bodies were on display.

All were naked and fitted with oxygen masks.

Behind every body, ten identical "resurrection coins" stood in wait.

Precision instruments were beeping rhythmically.

[Resurrection Protocol initiated.]

[Gestation Chamber 13, Lifeform 3 lost, Lifeform 4 lost, activating Resurrection Protocol.]

Beep, beep, beep.

The harsh sound echoed through the empty chamber.

Immediately after, the individuals in the third and second slots of the third and fourth rows were fitted with complex instruments that pierced their foreheads.

[Data backup.]

[Data loading, do not disturb.]

[Holy Baptism.]

Electric currents surged in.

Less than a minute later.

The transparent doors of the gestation chambers opened.

Two humans were pushed out from the cloning pods.

Although these cloned bodies had no history of physical activity, they had been kept in a state of constant readiness. Even upon immediate revival, they felt no discomfort, no different from waking up from a nap. These blank vessels were pure, white paper; once the data was overwritten, they could return to the battlefield instantly.

"Hoo!"

"Dead again?"

"Looks like I have seven resurrection chances left. Once those are gone, I'll have to pay to buy more."

"That's not bad. My resurrection count was used up long ago. It's a good thing I signed a 200-year employment contract. I have a work subsidy, so any deaths during active duty are reimbursed."

"That's true. Alright, the gear is here. Time to head to the front. Killing one is breaking even, killing two is a massive profit. As long as we win and secure the first-entry rights, we can earn residency in the Perfect City, gain priority access to various resources, trade military merit for the Empire's most precious goods, and even ensure our descendants have nothing to worry about."

"The merciful Governor holds the resurrection coins."

As they spoke, the conveyor belt had already prepared their personal gear and weapons.

Pale green energy weapons, connected to small fusion power units.

These weapons were provided by the Gamma World. After the war, Governor Cisrain would reclaim them. Although the Gauss Kinetic Rifles they used lacked the power of the sniper rifle Talon wielded, the Disintegration Rays they fired could still break down any matter. Even Chaos forces would be disintegrated in a heartbeat upon being struck by the beams; not even their Power Armor could withstand such rays.

Facing the enemy, they felt no fear, only excitement.

After all, this was a golden opportunity to make a name for themselves.

For an ordinary person to soar to greatness here, only the battlefield could provide the means—unless, of course, one had access to a Synapse Condenser.

Furthermore, it didn't matter if they died. The Governor kept their data backups. They could die one second and be revived from the gestation chamber the next, ready to re-enter the fray. Even their descendants could pay to activate their backups if they had the credits.

[Resurrection Protocol activated.]

[Resurrection Protocol activated.]

After a round of high-pitched praise for Governor Cisrain, the two humans took their weapons. [Human genetic verification successful, weapons enabled.]

Outside, there were already a dozen others just like them. They were like robots on an assembly line; after restarting the Resurrection Protocol, they would take up their weapons once more, fighting the enemy with their fearless, death-defying tactics.

To them, death was not terrifying.

Not having a resurrection coin—that was terrifying.

"Kill them all!"

"These mortals are truly loyal to their False Emperor!"

A Chainsword cleaved through the body of a living man on the outer perimeter fortifications.

Someone piled up the skulls of the corpses, using Chaos sorcery to profane the material universe, letting the four gods of the Warp admire their masterpiece.

The first line of defense.

It was on the outermost planet, where the temperature difference between day and night could reach two hundred degrees.

These Chaos Space Marines entered the battlefield like a pack of wolves into a colony of mice.

The mortals were completely unable to track the movements of the Chaos Space Marines.

The enemy appeared and vanished like ghosts.

They could only rely on the advanced auxiliary targeting systems of their armor to land any attacks.

But the weapons in their hands were almost useless against the enemy.

"They're too fast. Execute Plan B."

"Blow up their ships. Don't let them return. Reduce the pressure on the Governor."

"Then head to Ozrax to support the Governor."

These Chaos Space Marines had just descended, hoping to get up close and personal with these mortal soldiers and enjoy the hunt.

But upon realizing they couldn't beat them, they stopped fighting altogether. They either detonated themselves on the spot or charged toward their Battle Barges, while the missile bases on the ground locked onto their ships.

Immediately after, their Battle Barges were detonated.

A caught-off-guard Chaos Space Marine had his arm blown clean off by a mortal's armor self-destructing.

"Damn it, are these guys all lunatics?"

They would self-destruct at the slightest provocation.

They didn't even fear death.

Those ignorant, wretched minions of the False Emperor.

"These guys..."

They had seen fearless soldiers before.

But they had never seen anyone who, upon realizing they were losing, would simply blow themselves up on the spot.

They even destroyed their own Battle Barges just to prevent them from retreating.

The first line, the second line, the third line.

Scenes of sacrifice and self-detonation occurred constantly.

Their purpose as a defensive line.

Was to keep as many of those enemies outside the perimeter as possible, to alleviate the pressure on the rear battlefields.

And after they died.

Cisrain would initiate the Resurrection Protocol, upload the backup data into their clones, and the soldiers would return to the final battlefield.

To deal with this war.

Cisrain had even brought out all his cloning pod resources and weapon production lines.

If he won, he would have a chance to catch his breath.

By then, the Oceanic Planet and the Tangle Planet.

Would become his mines, the greatest capital for his further expansion.

Massive amounts of xenos equipment, Necron technology, foundries, and naval ports could all begin frantic construction in that breathing room.

And if he lost?

Sorry, I don't know the meaning of the word "lose"!

Before Cisrain, one point after another was being overrun. Those men were sacrificing themselves one by one, and the number of people reviving from the production lines was growing ever larger.

Let them break through.

He had set up so many locations specifically to lure these Chaos Warband Space Marines in.

Even if he only lured away ten percent, it would be enough.

As long as it reduced the pressure on his final decisive battle.

"Governor, the enemy fleet has already breached our defensive lines."

"I know."

"Governor..." Brown watched Cisrain leave once more. He looked at the people around him. "Everyone, follow the Governor. We must ensure the Governor's safety, even if this world must be abandoned."

"Bring me my Power Armor."

"But Lord Brown, you are a scientist, and..."

"And I'm not skilled in combat, is that it?" Brown snorted. "In this world, there is only one person who cannot be sacrificed, and that person is definitely not you, nor is it me."

Couples on other planets: Look, a shooting star.

Couples on Cadia: Look, a Chaos drop pod.