Meanwhile, Rena's evolution continued unabated.
In the deepest cave of Twin Peaks Mountain, Rena floated in a warm bed of biomass liquid.
Her body was over seven meters tall, with a wingspan of nearly twenty-five meters, and complex energy circuit patterns appeared on the surface of her scales.
Her eyes were closed, her consciousness connected to the entire Brevis swarm network.
Combat data for each Frost Soldier, assassination records of the Assassin, and death information for the Orks.
All the information converged in her mind, was analyzed, and conclusions were drawn.
Then the data is fed back to Rena Number Two to optimize the gene sequences of the next batch of units.
And as the swarm expanded, her Psychic Power grew stronger.
This is a perfect positive cycle.
The only drawback is...
A wisp of her consciousness pierced through hundreds of kilometers, connecting towards the main nest.
There, Lynn was dealing with a host of troublesome noble affairs.
Through the Ripper's senses, Rena sensed Lynn's exhausted mental state.
I noticed his agitation as he dealt with people in the council chamber, and I saw him occasionally rubbing his temples while reviewing documents late at night.
She wanted to help him.
But she knew it wasn't the right time yet.
"Wait a little longer," she murmured to herself, "Until I'm a little stronger."
Compared to the simple carnage on the ice plains, the scene at the main hive was completely different.
Gus's "work style" spread like wildfire throughout the Uptown.
The news of the complete annihilation of the Winter Family and Holstein Family spread like wildfire throughout every noble estate.
But what truly terrified the nobles was the manner of their deaths.
The elderly father of the Winter House was reportedly shot in the head while making beef noodles for a customer.
Lady Stella of the House of Hosten was supposedly "pursued" by Gus himself, and then killed by him.
Arumi Holstein himself committed suicide in solitary confinement after witnessing his wife's betrayal.
The details have become increasingly outrageous, but the core information remains the same.
"Don't mess with the governor, or Gus, who's even more terrifying than the governor, will come knocking on your door."
So, for the dinner invitations that followed the following week, no one dared to miss them.
The next group of guests arrived with the remaining assets of their families, keeping their heads down the entire time and not daring to utter a single word.
They would enter, sign the documents, and leave immediately, never staying a minute longer than necessary.
Gus stood in a corner of the banquet hall, looking at the silent nobles, a satisfied smile on his lips.
That's more like it.
Lynn looked over from the head of the table and nodded slightly.
But at the same time, Lynn also knew that while violence could subdue people temporarily, it could not subdue their hearts.
True rule requires a true change!
Sure enough, after receiving "sponsorship" from hundreds of nobles, someone finally stepped forward.
Callum St. Garus.
This lord, who was in charge of the internal affairs of the St. Garus Family, never participated in council disputes and only managed the family's internal affairs.
But this time, he made a rare public appearance and delivered a speech in the Noble Council that was moderately worded but clear in its stance:
" The St. Garus Family has no right to comment on the Governor's actions."
"But if this continues, Brevis's foundation... may be shaken."
The translation is, "Don't go too far!"
With the St. Garus Family's words of support, the nobles, who had been trembling with fear, suddenly became more assertive.
Hundreds of families began to secretly connect and band together for mutual support.
They met together to discuss countermeasures and finally reached a consensus:
We can't let him continue like this!
"Yes! Let's unite and collectively refuse to attend the dinner!"
"If he dares to force us, we'll... we'll..."
"Let's start a civil war!"
These words were spoken with great conviction, but after they were spoken, everyone fell silent.
civil war?
Fight a civil war against that man who killed two Orks Warboss, commands tens of millions of Vanguard, and is hailed as "God's Chosen" by the masses?
But the words have already been spoken, and there's no going back.
The next day, the joint letter was delivered to the Governor-General's office, with strong wording:
"If Your Excellency continues to act arbitrarily and undermines the foundation of Brevis, we will have no choice but to take all necessary measures to uphold the legitimacy of the Imperium!"
Lynn finished reading the letter and smiled dismissively.
Less than half a day after the news spread, the Governor's Mansion hall was packed with people.
This was the first time since Lynn returned from the main hive that almost all of his core subordinates had gathered.
The people were divided into four groups.
The first group sat in the seats closest to the head of the table. There weren't many of them, but they all carried a sense of indifference.
That was the original crew from the Song Offering, Lynn's core "own people".
Most of them had already been infected by the Genestealer and were under the control of a portion of the Rena network.
Their loyalty to Lynn and Rena needs no question.
The second wave was led by Carter.
The " Governor's Loyal Hound " sat upright in his chair, his expression serious.
Standing behind him were more than a dozen high-ranking officers, all of whom were his old subordinates whom he had personally trained.
Their loyalty to Lynn stemmed from their trust in Carter.
The third group sat on the left side of the hall, led by President Trevor, with several representatives from the Mid-City Trade Union beside them.
These men, all of working-class backgrounds, looked slightly cramped sitting in the ornate chairs, dressed in clean work clothes.
But there was no fear in his eyes, only anticipation.
Lynn gave Midtown orders, Lower City food, and workers dignity.
They will remember this kindness.
The fourth group was the smallest, consisting entirely of seasoned officers who represented the Vanguard.
Leo himself is still at the front line of the Forbidden Wall, and only sent a trusted confidant.
But his attitude was clear: whatever Lynn wanted to do, he would support him unconditionally!
When Lynn entered the hall through the side door, everyone stood up and bowed.
He walked to the head seat, turned around, and scanned the entire room.
Carter's gaze was steady, Trevor's was fervent, the officers' gazes were resolute, while the "one of their own" remained as calm as ever.
He nodded.
"It seems everyone is prepared."
He spoke, his voice not loud, but everyone who heard it was deeply moved.
"This is a step we have to take for Brevis's sake."
"It's a failure," he paused for a moment, "I will take the blame alone."
"You can pin the blame on me, saying you were forced or misled."
" The Imperium will believe in you."
Carter jumped to his feet. "Your Excellency! We,"
Lynn raised her hand to stop him.
"But if it succeeds..."
His gaze swept over everyone, and his voice carried a hint of warmth.
I will not keep this glory to myself!
There was a three-second silence in the hall.
Then, Carter was the first to stand up and give a standard Aquila Salute.
"Loyalty!"
President Trevor immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said in a deep voice, "Loyalty!"
Officers, union representatives, and elderly people Song Offering —everyone stood up at the same time.
"Loyalty!!"
The sound echoed in the hall, lingering for a long time.
Lynn looked at these people and nodded repeatedly, a complex emotion welling up inside him.
He recalled the dark pipes of Necromunda, and the fear he felt when he first activated the system.
He recalled Cassius's empty, golden-flame-filled eyes, and the hesitant voice of Rena when she first called his name.
We've come this far.
It wasn't for any grand ideal.
He was simply trying to survive, but he didn't mind helping those who believed in him, within his means.
"Okay," he said.
"Then, let's begin."