A week later, a grand celebration banquet was held in the restored banquet hall of the Gemstone.
Those attending the banquet were all high-ranking officers of the Tithe Fleet and generals of the Brevis Expeditionary Force.
The banquet hall was brightly lit, and people were clinking glasses.
The officers raised their glasses in celebration of this hard-won victory.
The air was filled with the aroma of alcohol and barbecue, and laughter echoed everywhere.
Dominic sat in the main seat, accepting toasts from everyone.
He drank quite a bit today; his cheeks were slightly flushed, and he looked exceptionally excited.
He recounted the course of the battle to those around him, from the initial defeat of Carl II to the final decisive victory at Horseshoe Mountain Valley, describing it vividly.
Whenever he got to a particularly exciting part, it would elicit cheers and applause.
Lynn sat next to Dominic, watching all of this with a smile.
He rarely spoke, only occasionally raising his glass in response to others' toasts.
In the midst of his drinking, Dominic suddenly leaned back in his chair and rubbed his throbbing temples.
"Alright, the matter with Dorito is temporarily settled," Dominic said.
"Next, we should head back to Brevis."
"There's still a lot of work to be done on calculating the Tithe."
Lynn nodded. "Okay, that's exactly what I was thinking too."
" Brevis has been gone for quite a while now; I wonder how things are going."
"Don't worry, with Isolde there, there won't be any problems," said one of the Expeditionary Force generals.
"That woman is far more capable than you imagine."
Lynn smiled but didn't say anything.
He certainly knew about " Isolde's" abilities.
Without Isolde managing the governor's mansion for him, he wouldn't have been able to fight on the front lines with peace of mind.
"Then it's settled." Dominic stood up and stretched.
"We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning and head back to Brevis!"
"Tonight, let's drink to our hearts' content! Hahaha~"
Lynn didn't say anything more, but just watched all of this with a smile.
Rena sat quietly beside him, her purple eyes lowered, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelids.
Just then, Rena gently touched Lynn's arm.
Lynn turned her head and met her pair of purple eyes that held a hint of seriousness.
" Lynn, come out with me for a moment." Rena's voice was very soft, only the two of them could hear it.
Lynn nodded slightly, put down his wine glass, and stood up.
"Excuse me." He smiled apologetically at the generals beside him, then followed Rena and quickly walked out of the banquet hall.
The two walked along the cold metal corridor until they reached a deserted corner.
"What's wrong, Rena?" Lynn turned around, looked at Rena's serious face, and asked softly.
Rena walked to the porthole, looked at the starry sky outside, and said in a low voice, " Lynn, something happened to Brevis."
"Something happened?" Lynn frowned slightly. "What happened?"
"Plague," Rena uttered, her voice tinged with worry.
" The Underhive has been hit by... an unusual plague."
Lynn's expression instantly turned serious.
Brevis is a typical Hive World, where the Underhive are perpetually shrouded in darkness, overflowing with sewage, piled high with garbage, and have extremely poor sanitation.
That place was a breeding ground for all kinds of diseases, so it was not surprising that an epidemic broke out there.
But for Rena to tell him so solemnly, this plague was definitely not ordinary.
As if remembering something, Lynn continued, "What are the symptoms?"
"That's strange." Rena shook her head.
"In the early stages of infection, infected individuals may experience symptoms such as high fever, cough, and general weakness, similar to those of the common flu."
"But after the three-day incubation period, they become completely irrational, their eyes turn bloodshot, and they develop an intense craving for the raw flesh of their own kind."
"Moreover, they become incredibly strong and extremely aggressive, just like... those Plague Zombie that appeared on Dorito."
Lynn sighed, then asked in a deep voice, "Like Dorito's walking corpses?"
"Not exactly the same," Rena said.
"This plague isn't spreading as fast as the Dorito, and the infected aren't as resilient; they can even be killed with ordinary bullets."
"And it also has a certain incubation period." Rena's tone became even more somber.
"During the incubation period, infected individuals appear no different from normal people and can still engage in normal activities and communication."
"This leads to many people being infected without even realizing it, and by the time they discover it, it's too late."
"But it is precisely this difficult-to-detect incubation period that has caused extreme panic among the public, because you can't be sure whether the people around you are infected with the virus."
"Rioting is breaking out at the bottom level, and many people are trying to flee the Underhive with their families, hoping to seek refuge in the middle hive or the Uptown."
Lynn leaned against the cold wall, looking up at the flashing indicator lights on the ceiling, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
What was bound to happen, happened.
Nurgle's clutches finally reached out to Brevis.
The failure of Dorito was just the beginning.
However, he could not show any abnormality.
Dominic is still at the banquet.
Given the Imperium's normal news dissemination speed, it would have been impossible for them, far away in Dorito, to learn of the plague outbreak in Brevis so quickly.
If he acts too concerned, it will definitely arouse Dominic's suspicion.
"I understand," Lynn said to Rena via telepathy, so they wouldn't have to worry about being overheard by anyone.
"You're right, this is definitely not an ordinary plague." Lynn's voice echoed in Rena's mind.
"The plague in Dorito was spread by those three Space Hulk; they were probably the 'gift' that the Nurgle Fleet originally planned to give us."
"But this plague in Brevis must be a different kind of disease," Lynn continued.
"It looks milder than the plague in Dorito, but it's actually more insidious."
"The long incubation period was enough for it to spread throughout the entire Hive City without anyone noticing."
"But public panic might be what they really want to see."
"Chaos and fear are always the best nourishment for Chaos."
Rena nodded, a look of worry in her eyes:
"So what should we do now? If we let the plague spread, Brevis might not be able to handle it."
"Don't worry," Lynn reassured her, "I already have a plan."
"Contact the Butcher immediately."
"Have him activate all of the Dark Division's intelligence networks to closely monitor the situation at the Underhive, and immediately mark the location of any infected individuals discovered."
"Then, send him to the Underhive to find the ' Priest '."
Lynn's tone turned serious, "You have the Priest immediately establish a 'purification' sect."
" The Plague Cleansing Cult?" Rena asked.
The Priest is the Genestealer Patriarch lurking in the Underhive, and also the first Genestealer Rena planted in Brevis.
"That's right." Lynn nodded.
" Genestealer have a natural resistance to the corruption of Chaos, and their senses are extremely sharp, allowing them to easily identify who has been infected."
"Let the Priest lead his followers, under the guise of 'purifying the plague and saving the world,' to secretly divert the population of the Underhive, separating the healthy from the infected."
"As for those who are already infected and beyond treatment..." Lynn's voice turned cold.
"Execute them on the spot, then burn the bodies; leave no hidden dangers behind."
"Understood." Rena nodded. "I'll contact the Butcher right now."
"Remember, it must be done in secret," Lynn instructed.
"I absolutely cannot let anyone else discover the connection between the Genestealer and me."
"We can't let Dominic find out too soon."
"I understand." Rena gently took Lynn's hand. "You must be careful too."
"Don't worry," Lynn smiled, "I'll be fine."
Rena nodded, turned and quickly left the observation deck to contact the Butcher.
Lynn stood alone by the porthole, gazing at the dark expanse of space outside, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Nurgle...