I summoned the Fourth Scourge in Warhammer

Chapter 76 A Tribute to the Dead

When the relentless torrent of steel finally broke through the last symbolic resistance and reached the area held by Commissar Walter, the scene that greeted them was completely unexpected for all the players.

They actually held a welcoming ceremony.

The ceremony was extremely rudimentary. Two rows of soldiers stood on either side of a newly cleared passageway that still smelled of engine oil and rust. Their standard bulletproof vests were badly damaged, many of their helmets were covered in dents and scratches, and the laser guns in their hands looked like antiques dug out of a junkyard.

More obviously, these soldiers were in very poor condition. Many of them stood crookedly, their chests strained to straighten, revealing their exhaustion and malnutrition. This contrasted sharply with the armored soldiers in the middle of the road who were heading to their deaths with steady steps.

There were no colorful flags, no military music, only two rows of soldiers struggling to maintain their posture.

However, the fact that such a welcoming ceremony could be staged under such dire circumstances far exceeded the players' expectations. This was also the first time they had participated in something like this since entering the game, and they were quite interested in it.

The players curiously observed the emaciated soldiers on either side, whispering among themselves as they followed the armored vehicle slowly forward. Their eyes held no disdain, only pure curiosity; they clearly regarded it as a special game scenario set up by NPCs.

As Assassin led his company to the end of the passage, the tall and imposing Political Commissar Walter stood there. Just as Assassin was about to step forward and greet this familiar NPC, Walter suddenly took a deep breath and let out a loud shout with all his might:
"Salute to those who went to their deaths!"

With this loud shout, all the soldiers and officers around, including Walter himself, suddenly brought their feet together and gave the players a standard and forceful military salute. This sudden action startled the battle-hardened players.

Three seconds later, while the others remained saluting, Walter lowered his arm, strode quickly to a microphone that had somehow appeared and was welded to a metal frame, and took a deep breath:

"Thirty years ago, our home planet Pedithia was attacked by the despicable and shameful alien heretics."

His voice echoed throughout the repair station through the rudimentary amplification equipment, carrying a slight electrical noise, yet filled with undeniable power.

"We have temporarily lost some areas as a result. The alien heretics hoped that they could force us to surrender by overwhelming our numbers and inflicting heavy casualties, but they have greatly miscalculated! Although we have suffered a temporary setback, every soldier is still doing their best to repel the enemy's attack and inflict serious losses on them!"

"What we are facing is a total war that will exhaust all resources, a protracted war that will not stop until one side has shed its blood, a war for the life and death of the people of Peditian! In this war, whoever has the strongest fighting will, the firmest imperial faith, and the purest mind will be able to win the final victory! I believe that this final victory will surely belong to us and our Peditian mother!"

Walter's voice rose again.

"To the soldiers of the Astral Army and the Planetary Defense Force, the commanding officers and political commissars, the men and women workers, and those brothers and sisters who are still temporarily trapped in the rear but are still fighting bravely!"

"All of Peditia is watching you, believing you are the force capable of destroying the heretics; the people of the Empire, enslaved and bound by the shackles of the heretics, are watching you, believing you are their liberators! You must live up to this mission!"

"Heroes of the past, such as Marcarius, Sledo, and Saint Sabbat, are smiling down on you! The great and holy emperor is watching you! The heroic and fearless deeds of those who went to their deaths are guiding you!"

Upon hearing the last sentence, the players were all stunned for a moment.

"Holy crap? This is related to us too?" someone in the team couldn't help but complain.

"I'm a little excited to be suddenly called out."

"I must say, the feeling of being an epic hero, appearing in NPC speeches to inspire others... is quite wonderful!" Walter didn't give them much time to discuss; he raised his fist and, with his last ounce of strength, let out a deafening roar:
"Fight for the complete eradication of the alien heretics! Fight for the great and glorious Lord of mankind! Fight for our Mother Pedithea!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The surrounding soldiers erupted in fervor. They ceased their ridiculous postures, instead raising their weapons high or slamming their rifle butts into the ground with deafening roars. Some veterans, tears welling in their eyes, echoed the political commissar's shouts in hoarse voices. The long-suppressed despair, fear, and sorrow transformed in that moment into fervent fighting spirit and rekindled hope.

This pure and fervent emotion was highly infectious; even the players who had come with a spectator's mindset couldn't help but be infected by the atmosphere. They felt the vibrations of the metal floor beneath their feet, heard the deafening shouts in their ears, and felt a strange surge of pride rising in their hearts.

"For humanity!" Someone shouted first.

Immediately afterwards, the players also raised their laser guns and joined in the frenzied cheers.

"For Peditia!"

"Kill those sons of bitches!"

The fervor will subside, but once the flame of hope is ignited, it will not be easily extinguished.

After the speech, the thunderous shouts gradually subsided, replaced by a flurry of busy, energetic chatter. The rear hatch of the Chimera armored vehicle opened, and boxes of neatly stacked supplies were unloaded by the soldiers who had gone to their deaths. These included laser gun batteries, medical kits smelling of disinfectant, high-calorie nutritional paste, and purified water.

The soldiers under Walter's command stared wide-eyed at the sight of these standard military supplies, which were almost entirely familiar from their memories. They carefully took the boxes, as if handling rare treasures. Their faces, which had just been flushed with excitement, now shone with radiance at the sight of this tangible logistical support.

It was clear that after that inspiring speech and the mountain of supplies in front of them, the soldiers' morale had suddenly soared. Their previously numb and tired eyes were now being rekindled by something called belief.

Assassin and Walter stood side by side, watching the bustling scene.

"What are your next battle plans?" Walter cut to the chase without any pleasantries. "If it's inconvenient to talk about it, then forget it."

“There’s nothing inconvenient to say,” Assassin shrugged, his tone relaxed. “You can ask any of the suicide bombers. The scoundrels in the middle nest have lost their organization, and the rebellion in the lower nest was never going to be a match for us. We don’t intend to waste too much time on these chickens and dogs. In fact, Battalion Commander Nguyen thinks these guys are perfect for recruit training.”

He paused, his gaze fixed on the seemingly bottomless upper structure.

"After confirming your situation, we plan to send elite troops into Upper Nest to check on the governor's condition," Assassin said. "After all, according to that mechanical priest, the Inquisitor is coming with the Ministry of Justice. Before that, we need to see the current state of the old upper class with our own eyes. I reckon they're all long dead. How they manage this planet will be up to us then."

Walter nodded in agreement: "Given the current situation in Peditia, after clearing out the internal enemies, a period of military rule is indeed necessary before order can be restored."

After he finished speaking, a look of worry reappeared on Walter's face. He gazed into the distance, his gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of walls of the hive city and looking out at the vast and dangerous world outside.

“I just don’t know,” he said worriedly, “what’s become of those green-skinned creatures in the wilderness…”

(End of this chapter)