The battle was not over yet; the ice plains were littered with burning mechanical wreckage and fleeing Orks.
Sorine leaned against the ramparts of the Forbidden Wall, her gaze sweeping across the battlefield before settling on the purple figure suspended in mid-air in the distance, and she sighed softly.
The downfall of the Big Mek Erko was entirely within her expectations.
The Orks have always been like this, supported by the Waaagh! Field that fuels the wildness of their entire army.
It must rely on a living, and sufficiently powerful, warboss.
With the leader dead, the force field that made the younger generation even stronger will instantly collapse, and their morale will be severely damaged.
This group of ferocious Xenos instantly transformed back into a mob that only knew how to fight amongst themselves and flee in disarray.
The scene on the ice field right now is the best proof of this.
The once fearless Orks were now either clutching their severed limbs and howling in agony, or carrying machetes and running wildly.
Some even fought over a single tooth ( the Orks currency).
Occasionally, a few burly men would try to regroup the group, barely raising their axes and uttering half a "Waaagh".
They were then engulfed by Allied artillery fire.
On the other hand, the situation was completely different for Lynn.
Sorine's gaze returned to the floating purple figure, and she was reminded of the " Ripper " on his shoulder.
The Tyranids are the perfect tool of war.
They have no individual will, no fear, no betrayal; their sole mission is absolute obedience to the dominant consciousness.
The "thing" beside Lynn was so powerful that it sent chills down her spine.
Kill Erko?
For that Ripper and Lynn, it was probably as simple as kicking a stray dog to death on the roadside.
Sorine felt a chill run down her spine as she recalled the purple beam of light that had pierced the heavens and earth.
She chose to submit to Lynn's tyranny and did not resist to the end.
Now, she doesn't know if her decision was right.
Is it a glimmer of hope for Brevis, or something even more terrifying than the Orks?
In mid-air, Lynn maintained the " Descent of the Chosen " pose.
Its purple eyes gazed down at the white ice field beneath its feet, its body still shrouded in lingering Psychic Power, exuding an aura of unassailable majesty.
But in reality, he only had one thought in his mind.
"Damn, I feel so weak."
That " Annihilation " attack was absolutely awesome!
The purple beam of light annihilated the light, instantly melting through the iceberg, vaporizing Erko, and even carving a kilometer-long trench in its wake.
Being handsome comes at a price.
Lynn felt completely drained, her limbs were weak, and her head was spinning.
Although the energy for that Psychic Power blast was supplied by Rena, he, as the launch vehicle, was essentially a humanoid cannon barrel.
The tearing sensation of high-pressure Psychic Power flowing through his body's meridians, coupled with his current exhaustion, was more unbearable than any pain he had ever experienced.
"Are you alright, Lynn?" Rena's voice came through the mind connection, cool yet tinged with worry.
"Okay, okay." Lynn gritted his teeth and forced a smile; a man can't say no.
In fact, his calves were trembling, and his vision was blurring intermittently.
Millions of eyes are watching.
He is everyone's pillar of support; he absolutely cannot fall at this time.
Lynn held on for a few more minutes until cheers erupted and the Orks completely collapsed before slowly landing.
Just as his feet were about to land, his knees buckled and his body lurched forward.
He quickly braced himself with his scepter, the metal tip piercing the frozen soil with a click, stabilizing his body.
No one noticed that his hand holding the scepter was trembling violently.
Rena noticed his embarrassment, and a faint energy flowed over to him.
Lynn felt a warmth in her heart and, with that strength, slowly straightened her back.
The outcome of the battle is no longer in doubt.
With Erko dead, the remaining Orks were like headless flies, chased and slaughtered by the Savage cavalry like sheep.
The ice field was littered with green remains and abandoned weapons.
Leo, clad in Power Armour, charged forward wielding Chainsword, his body stained with Orks blood.
Hammond stood on the Forbidden Wall, calmly directing the operation.
With them around, he doesn't need to worry about clearing out the remaining enemy forces.
So his only thought now is to go back to bed and get a good night's sleep.
The news of Erko's death spread to every corner of the Brevis Hive City in just one day.
From the mansions of the upper-class nobles to the dwellings of the middle-class workers, and down to the passageways of the lower-class commoners, everyone was talking about the young governor.
First, slay the mountain fat man, Guga; then, slaughter the mechanical enemy, Erko.
The powerful and wealthy may not realize how difficult it is to defeat them, but they do know one thing.
This new governor is quite something.
But more than admiration, what aroused the hearts of many powerful and influential people was unease and panic.
After Erko's death, everything Lynn did challenged their long-held beliefs.
They subdued the two major clans of the Icefield Savages, relocated tens of millions of refugees to the area within the Man River, and used the " Dragon of Frost's Kin " to hunt down the remaining Orks.
Doubts circulated among the nobility.
What do the refugees eat when they come in?
"Won't those savages cause trouble?"
"The governor-general wields too much power; what if he harbors disloyal thoughts?"
These voices grew louder, and some even secretly joined forces to try to put pressure on Lynn.
But these voices were quickly suppressed by the Ecclesiarchy.
Three days after Erko's death, Archbishop Goodwin preached publicly at the largest altar in Brevis, raising the Emperor icon before tens of thousands of Imperium subjects:
" The Emperor's choice is based on Emperor own considerations."
"To question the Chosen One is to question the Emperor himself; that is heresy!"
Goodwin's words were like the Rock thrown into a lake, instantly silencing all doubts.
No one dared to openly question the Emperor, and even less dared to continue questioning Lynn while bearing the label of "heretic."
When everyone had their own thoughts, the happiest person was Carter.
This man, who had served as Chief Archon for twenty years, was constantly ridiculed as the " Governor's Loyal Hound."
He was conscientious in his duties, but never achieved any real success.
But during this time in the Upper City Council Hall, he seemed like a different person.
In the past, he was always relegated to the most secluded corner of meetings, where he would quietly drink tea.
When the nobles discussed the distribution of grain and the division of power, they never consulted him.
Representatives of the Twelve Star Families often mocked him, saying he had the strength but only knew how to curry favor with those useless governors.
But now everything has changed.
One morning, Carter pushed open the doors of Parliament.
The once noisy hall fell silent instantly, and all the nobles' eyes were fixed on him.
Gone is the mockery and disdain; only awe and obsequiousness remain.
Some of the more apprehensive dignitaries even stood up, only daring to sit down after Carter gestured for them to do so.
"His Excellency Carter has arrived. Please take a seat!"
A nobleman who had previously mocked him immediately stood up and obsequiously led him to a seat near the center of the hall.
"Sir Carter, this is the food rationing plan for this week. Please take a look."
"Sir Carter, we have some thoughts we would like to ask about the resettlement of refugees."
Hearing the respectful greetings coming one after another, Carter remained expressionless, walked to his seat, and sat down.
He took the teacup offered by the servant, took a sip, and then looked up to survey the entire room:
"You're usually quite talkative, why aren't you saying anything now?"
The entire room fell silent.