Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 161 Dilemma and Gamble
Horanion faces a similar predicament, with few options.

Human pressure, like the force of the tide, slowly tears the aliens toward the abyss.

At the most critical moment, someone threw out a rope, giving them a final hope of escape.

Will Horanion seize it? Like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood, even in his panic, he would never dare to let go.

They would struggle desperately, grabbing onto anything they could touch, even a floating straw.

The alien council argued fiercely, expressed their opinions, and voted to make a decision.

The opposition cited the cunning of human prisoners as an example: they had repeatedly deceived their guards and even attempted to riot.

Even worse, some bribed Horanion to gain positions in the mines and establish gangs or other armed forces.

Humans are untrustworthy; cunning flows in their veins, and they will do anything to survive.

The opposition's opinion is realistic: the human prisoners cannot be returned.

Those pitiful slaves have now become the lifeline of the race, and we must hold on to them tightly.

Even if humanity launches an attack, two billion humans will perish, severely humiliating humanity's powerlessness.

"What if it's someone from the same clan?"

The heated arguments in Parliament fell silent in response to the sudden inquiry; Horanion remained silent.

What if?
This damn "what if" is the most vulnerable point of intelligent beings, an unavoidable stroke of luck for any living being.

When intelligent beings are in dire straits, they will face death with equanimity and die with courage.

But this is not the end of the world. There is light shining through the darkness. Just try to grasp it, and the future is not out of reach.

The opposition's warnings were drowned out by the cheers of the peacemakers, and the debate over survival became a sacrifice for peace.

The hardline opposition was powerless to refute that vague "what if".

The one who swayed the council was the commander of the plundering fleet, whom humanity released as a gesture of goodwill.

The commander stood tall and proud, towering over the central platform of the parliament, enjoying unprecedented attention.

It recounts what it saw and heard, describing in words the power of humanity and incredible technology—the warp drive.

The emergence of the jump engine caused a stir in the Horanion Council, with high-ranking members whispering amongst themselves.

The main reason for the limited development of the Horanion is that the race cannot escape the black hole cluster.

The natural barriers of the universe that nurtured the race, the cradle that protected them from attack, are also the shackles they cannot escape.

With a warp drive, where in the vast universe can't we go?

They're just putting on a show of peace talks now, submitting themselves to humanity, but as exchanges deepen, they'll steal the jump technology and then disappear!

Even the usually hardline opposition is now wavering.

The sudden news about the warp drive was so shocking that Horanion was dizzy.

The Horanion Council passed a near-unanimous resolution to return human prisoners in exchange for peace.

Alien races place bets, wagering "trust" heavily at the table of destruction and survival.

Holanion gambled everything for a future soaring to new heights, clinging to a slim chance of "what if".

"My lord, we are willing to return humanity in exchange for peace talks."

In the communication footage, the alien's body lies low, its glands secreting mucus in a fawning manner.

"I have a feeling you're plotting something?" Doom looked suspicious, his eyes scanning the alien back and forth, his tone full of disbelief.

Horanion felt a stinging pain on his skin; the gaze of that majestic human seemed to pierce him deeply through digital signals.

"We will immediately offer our sincerity..." It was as humble and fearful as dust, afraid that its actions would displease the human leader and bring about the extermination of its race.

As the alien's voice faded, the oracle array displayed joy, and the shield and gravitational field of the artificial world descended.

"My lord, this is the sincerity of our tribe."

Horanion was cautious and dared not say much, quietly awaiting his trial.

It felt incredibly panicked and humiliated; its home world was now like a defenseless lamb.

A few salvos of shoulder cannon fire from the human fleet would be enough to destroy the entire Horanion civilization.

Descending the shield and gravitational field is a test for humanity, a warm-up before a high-stakes gamble.

"Ah~" Doom sighed, a regretful look in his eyes as he slowly shook his head: "I cannot refuse an old man's request."

"Aliens, prepare for peace talks. Don't make any moves; my fleet can destroy you at any moment!"

In the end, Doom's eyes sharpened like knives as he warned Horanion and agreed to peace talks.

“We have even greater sincerity to offer in the future.” The slug’s energy glands flickered, and it was very excited. Humanity’s honesty and trustworthiness have allowed the race to take its most difficult first step.

"I'll go down and prepare." It dragged its body slowly backward, the sigh of the human before it lamenting that there was no reason to start a war.

The tribe must prepare quickly to avoid giving the humans in front of them a pretext to launch an attack.

As the holographic image faded, Doom smiled; the plan was almost a success.

The artificial world beneath the bridge deck was completely unprepared, luring the fleet into an attack.

The aliens' attempts were simplistic and clumsy; their shallow culture lacked the war philosophy of "give before you take."

The pressure from the fleet, the demands of the military alliance, and the sweet bait thrown out.

One step after another, one link after another.

Once all the human prisoners have been evacuated, it will be the day of Horanion's destruction.

Humanity, who has traversed the cosmos for millennia, is now teaching a lesson to the young alien race: between races, it is only a matter of life and death!
As for tuition fees, humanity won't ask for much; the Horanion will simply commit genocide.

To demonstrate their sincerity, Hollanian's negotiators boarded a cruiser to negotiate with Sergeant William.

Sofia believed that the aliens should not board the Royal Majesty, and that the negotiations should be conducted with people coming and going to avoid possible terrorist attacks.

After much deliberation, a cruiser was chosen as the meeting place for the two sides to hold their talks.

Through the holographic image, Doom saw the heated debates at the negotiating table, the back-and-forth tug-of-war over each treaty, and the multiple compromises between politics and military affairs.

He couldn't help but admire Sergeant William's toughness and the seriousness of the military alliance.

Even though it was a performance, they took it seriously, making the act seem real and constantly lowering Horanion's guard.

The aliens were completely absorbed in the negotiations; their usual discussions were no longer about the survival of their race, but about how to use the humans they had to gain more power.

One side demands an exorbitant price, while the other side tries to negotiate a lower price.

After a month of negotiations on Terra, and with the First Fleet impatiently urging them, the two sides finally signed an agreement.

Doom clearly sensed that time was passing rapidly outside the stellar graveyard, and that the endless tug-of-war in the negotiations had to be ended.

Within his telepathic connection, the Doom Slayer's soul fluctuations were increasing, at a rate more than ten times the normal rate.

Doom glanced at the contents of the treaty signed by both parties and it seemed to be quite comprehensive.

He wouldn't waste his energy trying to understand anything deeper.

Before long, the contract that Horanion had painstakingly secured would become worthless.

As a witness, Doom signed his name at the end of the final negotiation meeting.

The representatives from all three parties were very satisfied and cheered in the meeting room.

The return of the humans officially began. Horanien respectfully invited the humans, who had been enslaved, out of the country and bid farewell to his human lord.

The comical behavior of being arrogant at first and then obsequious was something the human captives couldn't quite get used to.

Two billion people are continuously boarding spaceships, being transported away from the black hole cluster, and heading to the human world.

The massive population migration lasted for three whole months, with the decks of warships packed with people constantly being transported back and forth.

While waiting idly, Doom instructed Genetic Offspring and Night Guardians in combat skills at the Royal Majesty Arena.

On the training deck, multi-service joint exercises were conducted, yielding remarkable results, and the gap between superhumans and ordinary people was bridged, increasing mutual understanding.

"Sir, in three minutes, the last group of humans will leave the alien world."

Gates faithfully reported to Doom that after five months, the fleet was finally ready to leave.

"Thank you for your hard work," Doom said to it. Gates was cold-blooded, efficient, and ruthless, but also a responsible and dedicated man.

“This is my duty.” Gates lowered his body, and his two mechanical tentacles slowly bowed.

Doom nodded to it, then turned his gaze to the stone craftsman: "Victor, how's your gift coming along?"

“I guarantee it will be amazing.” Viktor grinned, summoning a holographic image to demonstrate his plans.

"Within three months, the stealth reconnaissance ship deployed a large number of extinction weapons, enough to destroy the aliens."

Seeing the holographic image reflected in his eyes, Dum nodded in satisfaction with the stonemason's plan.

Using their stealth capabilities, the reconnaissance ships deployed modified stone golem weapons around all of Horanion's facilities.

The weapon, covered in camouflage, hovers silently in the track before being activated.

“They will love my gift.” Victor’s chubby face broke into a smile, his eyes almost squeezed into slits by his fat.

(End of this chapter)