"Of course, besides Abaddon's Black Crusade, this miserable galaxy also went through many other major events. This millennium in particular saw wars whose scale, intensity, reach, and the populations and races involved were exceedingly rare in galactic history."
"Some say this is the beginning of destruction, the prelude to the end of all civilization. And judging by the current situation, that certainly seems true. From the Imperium of Man's perspective, the Xenos have become more active, and there are more Rebels, Pirates, and Mutants too."
The soldier who had been speaking stood up. Strangely, the Kommandos behind him acted as though they saw nothing, allowing him to move freely.
"The strategy of getting the Orks and Tyranids to wear each other down proved a failure. Although the Tyranids won at Octarius and their Hive Fleet grew stronger, the intense warfare also made the Orks' genes more active, making them bigger and stronger."
"Extraordinary leaders and wild cards have also emerged among the Orks. Ghazghkull Thraka, for instance, though his nickname, the Beast, is better known."
"Oh, and there's intelligence on the Necron Dynasties, the formation of the Ynnari, and the return of Primarch Roboute Guilliman, who launched the Indomitus Crusade..."
"Whatever you want to know, I can tell you." The soldier's voice grew eerie.
Cheng Mingrui was just about to ask for some details, especially about Guilliman's current situation. This Primarch, jokingly called the Thirteenth Son, was not only diligent in his duties and caring toward his people, but a total powerhouse too.
No, this isn't right! How could an ordinary human know so much? Even intelligence about the Necrons and Aeldari?
A green flash seemed to flicker through his mind, shattering the haze clouding Cheng Mingrui's thoughts.
He looked closely. There seemed to be a Mark of Chaos on the human's forehead, emitting a blue glow.
"Fuck!" The classic curse slipped out.
"A dialect of Ancient Terra. How interesting. An Ork boss who speaks an Ancient Terran dialect. How very interesting!"
The strange human soldier approached Cheng Mingrui, his outstretched arm growing longer and longer, as though he wanted to touch Cheng Mingrui's forehead.
"Let me see, little thing. What do you know?"
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Cheng Mingrui kept cursing inwardly without opening his mouth. His worst fear had come true! Yet some mysterious power now held his huge, powerful body completely immobile!
To escape the crisis, Cheng Mingrui kept swearing in his mind: Fuck, I can't take this anymore! Smash the Chaos Gods with one punch! Fuck, I can't take this anymore! Smash the Chaos Gods with one punch!
But it seemed to have no effect. That hand drew closer and closer to Cheng Mingrui's forehead.
Kidd, who was building a statue of Gork and Mork on the Gargant's keel, had not noticed what was happening over on the platform.
Ever since the Divine Language Kuka spoke of had spread among the Greenskins, they had become more devout. They still referred to Gork and Mork in Ork Sprache under ordinary circumstances, but when something important happened, they would address Gork and Mork reverently in the Divine Language. Good things often happened afterward.
This encouraged the Greenskins to worship Gork and Mork even more devoutly. Whenever conditions allowed, no matter what they were doing, they would first erect a huge statue of Gork and Mork.
Once it was up, they would invite Kuka and the other Weirdboys to hold a concert. Amid everyone's wild, excited revelry, golden light would surround the statue's head. This practice was called Consecration.
Consecration was also a word from the Divine Language. Cheng Mingrui had blurted it out in astonishment the first time he saw Kuka make a statue of Gork and Mork light up, and it had spread afterward.
Kidd was not a Weirdboy, but he was also very devoted to Gork and Mork. He had discovered that whenever something he built had a statue of Gork and Mork on it, construction went remarkably smoothly, and the finished product worked remarkably well. So whenever he built something big, he would personally make a statue of Gork and Mork.
After tightening the statue's last screw, Kidd happily gave it another tap. Yes, this statue was very Waaagh! too. All that remained was to get Kuka to perform its Consecration later.
The hammer struck the screw, its sound like a devout believer striking a sacred bell with an iron hammer, pouring supernatural power into the statue of Gork and Mork.
The sound waves spread through another dimension, swiftly enveloping the entire Underground Factory.
Cheng Mingrui suddenly felt that he could move. He lashed out with a punch at the human before him. The frail human body could not withstand an Ork Big Mek's iron fist and burst like a watermelon, splattering fragments everywhere.
"Hah... hah..." After the immense psychological pressure he had just endured, Cheng Mingrui stood with his fist raised, panting heavily.
"Hehehe. Well done, little thing. Very well done." An eerie voice still sounded in Cheng Mingrui's ears. "There's no need for such hostility. We can certainly make a deal. None of your actions are accidental.
"To show my sincerity, I'll give you a gift. A precious gift. Once you receive it, you'll be free to do whatever you want with it."
With that, perhaps because it no longer had a vessel, the eerie voice faded away.
"Boss, sir, what're you holding your fist up for?" the Kommandos asked Cheng Mingrui in confusion. Apparently, that eerie state had only affected him.
"Nothin'. I just don't like the look of these Humies. Kill 'em." Cheng Mingrui did not tell his underlings about the Chaos Gods. With the Warp encroaching so severely on Realspace, even casually reciting the names and deeds of the Chaos Gods was extremely risky.
"Yes, sir!" The Kommandos all saluted, then slit every prisoner's throat and dragged the bodies away.
Feeling as though he had narrowly escaped death, Cheng Mingrui dropped onto the floor, his mind tangled with countless thoughts. Ever since becoming a Big Mek and gaining more and more Boyz under his command, he had grown terribly arrogant, nothing like the cautious man he had been when he first arrived in this world.
He would have to be much more careful from now on. The 40k universe, crawling with all manner of monsters and horrors, was far too dangerous. Thank goodness he had Gork and Mork watching over him. If he had arrived as some other race, he really might have died the instant he got here!
Still, learning what era he was in had been the greatest reward of this dangerous encounter.
"Boss, what's wrong?" Clever Git seemed to notice the change in Cheng Mingrui's mood and asked with concern.
"Nothing. Just tired. I'm sitting down for a bit." The fact that a little bastard like Clever Git actually cared about him did make Cheng Mingrui feel considerably better. "Go get me some juicy Squigs. The tastiest ones. And bring some Mushroom Brew too. I'm going to have a proper feast."
"No problem, boss! I guarantee you'll eat your fill and enjoy every bite!" With a whoosh, Clever Git dashed away.
Alone, Cheng Mingrui looked up at the distant statue of Gork and Mork and prayed, "Thank you, Gork and Mork, for your protection."
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