Warhammer 40: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 176 Human Slaves
Tevantias continued to stimulate the alien insect eggs in front of him in various ways.

When he injected energy and flesh into the insect eggs, the eggs immediately reacted.

As Kerrigan channeled psionic energy into him through the Zerg Swarm, Tevantias thought his attempt had succeeded.

Two worker bees emerged from their cocoons, and Tevantias became even more curious upon seeing the swarm of worker bees.

Using the numerous surgical instruments around him, Tevantias controlled the nascent worker bees and attempted to perform controlled biological modifications on them.

Sharp instruments sliced ​​through the worker bee's flesh, yet the worker bee made no struggle, while a neural control device was also implanted in the alien insect.

Everything seemed to be going so smoothly. In Tevantias's eyes, these creatures, driven only by instinct, were not as terrifying as the clowns had described.

Every Bloodcrafter is a genius in the art of flesh and blood, not to mention Tevantias, who can be called the chief.

Geniuses often share a common flaw: no matter how much they restrain themselves or how rational they are, they cannot avoid the trait of arrogance.

Tevantias believed more in his own technology than in the words of others; they were the "gods" of the biological realm, and even the messengers of the laughing gods could not comprehend their skills.

Indeed, just because the clowns felt that these alien insects were uncontrollable did not mean that they were uncontrollable.

If Tevantias hadn't believed in his own skills, he wouldn't have gotten to where he is today.

Under Tevantias's mental control, the Zerg acted exactly according to his thoughts, just like his other modified test subjects, and even more stable.

"No wonder these lowly monkeys can control this creature..."

His own works also occasionally contain elements that slip out of his control.

Just as Tevantias was about to continue exploring the characteristics of the Zerg, a worker bee suddenly transformed into a hatchery, and purple creep began to spread throughout Tevantias's laboratory.

The energy and flesh he had previously injected into the insect eggs became the energy needed by the worker bees to transform into hatcheries.

A tiny worker bee has transformed into such a massive hatchery, which is beyond the scope of the laws of physics.

This scene made Tevantias feel as if he had discovered a new world, and his eyes were even filled with ecstasy.

He stroked the ever-wriggling, multiplying incubator, which to Tevantias was an art of flesh and blood.

Meanwhile, the creep began to actively devour the dead flesh and blood alchemy materials in Tevantias's laboratory.

As the hatchery was completed, larvae were spewed out one by one, and a queen worm was the first to hatch according to Gao Yi's orders.

As a node creature of the Zerg, the Overlord only provides population in the game, but its essence is still to convey the Zerg swarm's commands to the Zerg.

What Gao Yi needed to do was to make Tevantias discover the characteristics of the King Worm, so that he would believe that by controlling the King Worm, he could control all the alien insects that would hatch afterward.

Just as Gao Yi had thought, Tevantias, who had accumulated countless years of knowledge and possessed an incredible amount of knowledge, also sensed the subtle psionic fluctuations generated when the Ohmu gave commands to the Zerg.

As different Zerg hatched, Tevantias was also amazed by the Zerg's rapid reproductive ability.

"A pure war machine!"

The more powerful the Zerg are, the more excited he becomes.

After all, in his eyes, this was already the only power he could control.

Seeing that the alien insects had gradually filled the entire laboratory, Tevantias ordered several worker bees to follow him out of the laboratory.

One laboratory is still too small... Fortunately, he has a huge laboratory in the chaotic ruins of Comoros.

"Father, I can sense that the number of Zerg is constantly increasing!"

"It seems they really fell for it!"

These Dark Eldar dared to attack his world and his people!

At that time, Gao Yi will definitely give them a surprise! His last-minute betrayal will give them a little interstellar shock.

Let them reap the bitter fruits of their own making—it's so satisfying to think about! Meanwhile, the heavily wounded Burns was being held in the slave owner's cell with a group of prisoners.

The room was filled with the stench of decay and excrement; just breathing it felt like it was going to kill you.

"Cough cough..."

Burns felt a constant pain emanating from his internal organs.

He couldn't understand the language of the Dark Elf race, but he knew that they were definitely not up to any good by giving him simple treatment.

Inside this enormous cell were nearly two hundred soldiers from the dynasty who had been taken prisoner along with him, as well as more than one hundred other humans.

However, their faces were filled with numbness.

"Commander, what do these aliens want to do to us?"

The surviving soldiers received basic medical treatment and spontaneously gathered around Burns.

"I don't know either, but we absolutely can't just sit here and wait to die! We have to find a way to escape! Let's see if there are any usable tools around!"

Burns didn't want to give up the fight, but before they could even make a move...

One of the prisoners in the same cell said to them.

"Were you just arrested? By the Divine Emperor, it's been a long time since I've seen any newcomers in this cell. Stop struggling. How could those freaks of the Dark Spirit Clan give us a chance to escape? You are just like us, now they're nothing but their property."

You newcomers will soon be facing your first gladiatorial combat. Perhaps you should save your energy now; that way, you might have a better chance of surviving the arena.

Upon hearing this man's words, Burns also approached him; the man was even wearing a worn-out Astronautical Army uniform.

This means that the other party is not some defenseless civilian of the Empire. The fact that they can become members of the Star Guard indicates that they have at least received complete military training.

"Are you also from the Astral Army? My name is Burns, what's yours? We're both from the Montgomery Merchant Ronin Dynasty! You seem to have been here for a while. Could you tell us about the situation here? Perhaps we have a chance to escape!"

"Me? Just call me Gaspar. Astral Army? Hahaha, yes, but we're just a pathetic Execution Legion. Calling us Astral Army is a stretch, isn't it? But the Empire has never seemed to value our lives. Don't struggle anymore, everything you've done is in vain."

Burns had also heard of these penal legions, which were often conscripted after committing crimes in the Empire. Although those who survived could be exonerated, how many of the penal legions actually survived?

Only a very few people can truly clear their names, and the best of the best have the opportunity to become the court's front man.

The people in the Punishment Legion are all forced to risk their lives for a chance.

"How can you just accept your fate like this? Even if you are the Punishment Legion, you are still human, you are still followers of the God-Emperor! How can you bow down to these aliens?!"

"Yes. We were all once warriors of the God Emperor, and we also sacrificed our lives for him. But here there is only despair, slaughter, and pain. Even the light of the great God Emperor cannot shine into this dark land."

Hearing the other man's discouraging words, Burns didn't hesitate to punch him to the ground; he couldn't let the other man shake his subordinate's resolve.

In such situations, a single sentence can often influence others.

The other person, seemingly having completely grown accustomed to the pain, covered their face and laughed.

“Every newcomer is just like you; those who are sent here are not ordinary people.”

Those who dared not fight were long ago killed, thrown into deep pits, or used as experimental subjects! Do you think we didn't fight back?! We were forced into the arena to fight aliens and all sorts of terrifying modified creatures.

We even fought against our former comrades, but what was the result? All the pain we endured, all the efforts we made, were nothing more than a performance to please these aliens.

Burns saw that the other person's emotions were becoming increasingly unstable, so he stopped paying attention to them.

He stood before the cell bars, peering around in an attempt to find something he could use.

Just diagonally opposite them was a warehouse. The half-open door revealed piles of metal supplies, SCVs, damaged power armor, and weapons waiting to be sold.

(End of this chapter)