Warhammer: Filial Piety Makes Power

Chapter 148 Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts.
In the interstellar age, travel is mostly measured in light-years. It is truly a case of "a slight error can lead to a huge mistake." Even the slightest error can lead to a dark corner that no detector can find.

The lighter the Emperor used to monitor Mordred was not some cheap knock-off, but a genuine relic of the Dark Ages, yet even so, it could not enable real-time communication across astronomical distances.

What could be done? The only option was to compensate for the quality gap with quantity, conduct high-frequency signal transmissions, and repeatedly correct the coordinates. This task was assigned to Space Wolf.

As the king's most vicious hounds, Fenris's harsh environment forged their unwavering character. Since the Great Expedition began, the Space Wolves have never failed in their mission, nor have they ever lost track of their prey.

After all, Fenris has no wolves, only dogs!

Dogs have always been man's best friend, hunting wild animals alongside humans in the primitive era. It's perfectly reasonable that space huskies also have canine blood.

While there was still time, each legion began to compile statistics to calculate the list of casualties and the spoils of war.

The First Legion undoubtedly suffered the greatest losses. The Dark Angels, originally the leader of the legions, were directly paralyzed from the neck down and never recovered their former size.

Following closely behind was Atlas, which suffered the second-highest number of casualties. Even with a large army of lizardmen serving as cannon fodder, nearly 3000 Space Marines were killed, and almost a quarter of its ships were lost.

For Atlas, whose population is small, with just over 2 to date, a loss of 3000 people is already a devastating blow. And these people were truly wiped out, leaving not even ashes, making a second resurrection impossible.

Other legions are also in trouble. Space naval warfare is not determined by individual strength. When a giant cannonball nearly ten stories high comes down, even if you hide inside a Titan, it won't help.

Compared to the loss of manpower, the losses in the surrounding star systems were even more severe. Seventeen habitable star systems were destroyed by the war, and all the humans on them were enslaved and infected by the Randan aliens. All that awaited them was viral bombs, and finally, fire to purify everything.

And this is only the known area that has been detected. The Randan Empire is extremely large. During the hunt alone, the allied forces discovered that no fewer than three sub-sectors had been occupied by aliens.

The five Primarchs did not act rashly in these enemy-occupied territories. Instead, they quietly bypassed them, believing that as long as the relocation was successful in the end, it would all be worthwhile.

"The Randan Empire must perish! There is absolutely no possibility of peaceful coexistence." The giant golden figure, enjoying the services of the alien on the Randan flagship, thought to himself.

In just this short period of observation, the Emperor had become certain of the background of the Queen Randan, and he even suspected that his opponent was acquainted with him and was also an immortal.

Whether it's the Randan Hunter, who is comparable to the Space Marines, or the Randan Warmaster, who has the same function as the Primarch, both inevitably raise suspicions.

Who exactly was that person? The Emperor didn't know; there were simply too many possibilities. The only thing he was certain of was that this immortal being had also made some kind of deal with Chaos. But what puzzled him even more was the information revealed by Athena.

The thought of this large, almost obedient alien being so respectful to her reminded the Empress of her daughter, Peturabo.

Even he had to admit that the Queen of Randan was indeed good at raising children. He had been a bit greedy back then, and he simply couldn't manage 21 Primarchs. Makado was right; he shouldn't have created so many offspring.

Especially Mordred, that rebellious son, might be happier than anyone else when he finds out he's been kidnapped.

"Father, is the food to your liking?"

A greeting interrupted the emperor's thoughts. Looking at Athena, who had personally cooked a sumptuous dinner for him, even the emotionless golden giant felt a little regretful, but only gave her a quick pinch.

"It's quite delicious, especially this grassland stew. It reminds me of one of my rebellious sons, whom you've probably met before—the monster that destroyed the Battle Moon."

"That's wonderful!" Athena, far from being angry, praised Mordred's bravery.
"If your offspring are all so powerful, each one a force to be reckoned with, completely overwhelming that useless Venus, then I will have many more brothers and sisters. Under your and Mother's leadership, the empire will be unstoppable."

Since you enjoy this dish, let me tell you a little secret: my mother taught me how to make it, and I'm the best cook among the four of us sisters.

The emperor was still not used to this intimacy, but he seized on a key clue: "Didn't you once say there were five war generals? Why are there four sisters!"

Athena was silent for a moment after hearing this, but finally replied:

“Since you are about to become my father, you also have the right to know this secret. The Empire does indeed have five War Generals. In addition to the four of us, there is also the First Son named Sisyphus.”

"The son of the first returnee?"

“That’s right, it’s the son of the First Prince.” Athena stated that this was a top secret of the Empire, known only to her mother and the War General; no one else knew about it.

“But Father, you are certainly not an outsider. Sisyphus is our elder brother and Mother’s proudest son. It’s just a pity that he is weak and sickly and has been sleeping in a static position. I have never even seen him in person. I have only heard Mother mention his name.”

Recalling the research report Mordred had handed him earlier, a bold deduction formed in the Emperor's mind: he might know what this so-called Son of the First Return was.

In the days that followed, Athena showed the Emperor around every corner of the fleet and told him about the history and culture of the Randan Empire.

Athena cherished those memories deeply, believing that bringing the Emperor to the capital was the best decision she had ever made.

There is no concept of time in the warp, but the Emperor knew that he had been here for 43 days, and in three minutes, the fleet would leave the Sea of ​​Souls and arrive at the homeworld of Randan.

The golden giant couldn't help but laugh at the thought of what was about to happen, and even Athena, who was charmed by him, became excited.

As a dark blue subspace portal opened, the fleet sailed away from Mandeville Point and reappeared in the physical world, which was the core area of ​​the Randan Empire.

"Father, our voyage has finally come to an end!"

"Yes, it's finally over. To be honest, I'm very satisfied with you on this voyage, especially your amazing wisdom. Even I have to admit defeat. Want a cigarette?"

The Emperor handed her a cigarette. Athena had heard of this kind of trinkets that humans liked, and she immediately knelt down to take it.

A spark was struck from a cool lighter decorated with gleaming gold, and two plumes of smoke slowly rose. Just as Athena was wondering why humans liked to smoke these little gadgets, a piercing alarm sounded from all around.

Seeing the Imperial fleet suddenly appear behind her, Athena was both surprised and furious, but even now, she had never doubted the Emperor; instead, she shielded him behind her.
"Father, you go quickly, I'll come... *splat*!"

Looking at the giant sword blade burning with raging flames on her chest, Athena's vision went dark. Her soul was burning wildly, and her body was gradually being consumed by the flames.

"Why? Father, is it because my behavior doesn't please you?"

“No reason why? Because I am the Lord of Humanity, and I must make humanity great again. Rest in peace. Remember to be human in your next life, and perhaps then…” Athena did not hear the last sigh. In the final moment before her life faded, she only saw a cold, dark sun and four Primarchs who had teleported in from behind her father and were frantically slaughtering their brethren.

…………

With a single sword stroke, he severed Lord Randan in front of him, then with a backhand punch, he smashed the enemy's head. After fighting such a frustrating battle for so long, he could finally have a real fight.

In the confined space, no alien could defeat the Primarch, especially Lord Johnson, who had been holding back his anger for a long time and was now taking it out on these little bugs.

Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Atlas, Ultramarines—all Space Marines from the five legions equipped with Terminator armor teleported and boarded the ship, wiping out every alien within just four hours.

As for why Guilliman wasn't brought along, it's because he lost a one-on-one fight and was beaten to the ground by Guilliman, so he had to stay on the ship to defend the base.

Because the attack happened so suddenly, the Randan aliens were unable to mount an effective counterattack. The greatest credit for this surprise attack undoubtedly goes to Athena, the Randan war commander.

The unusual behavior of the expeditionary fleet instantly attracted the attention of the Ran Dan aliens, and a large number of ships rushed over, determined to annihilate this group of human aliens.

Brilliant spears clashed against each other, and various weapons bombarded both sides' decks, engaging in long-range attacks to deplete their resources in advance.

Destruction is always easier than construction. The imperial coalition, which had already penetrated deep into the heart of the country, did not hesitate and took out their respective secret weapons to implement scorched earth tactics.

Space-warping bombs, twin cyclone torpedoes, nanoworms, extinction remnants, singularity explosive torpedoes—they were all thrown up like they were free, their only wish being to kill these damned aliens.

Although the extremely brutal space battles also took a toll on the Imperial fleet, the sheer size of the Human Empire meant that as long as they could win, it was all worth it.

With the aid of the mind network, Mordred began his extreme micromanagement, ordering the Abomination to move 5 kilometers to the left one moment and the macro gun array to drop 5 degrees the next.

Atlas has nothing but abundant supplies and ammunition. It's one thing if you can't break through planetary shields, but if you can't even break through ship-based shields, Mordred should be cursed.

Nearly a thousand super-yield hydrogen bombs were launched by Atlas in a frenzy, with a mind network providing real-time detonation. As long as the enemy showed their face, no matter how precise the location, as long as the kill radius was large enough, they could still be blown up.

Tom, who was left on the bridge, was frantically pressing the red button until his hand was almost smoking. He nearly hit a friendly ship with a shot, which drew a barrage of angry curses from Guilliman.

Seeing their home destroyed, the Randan alien gradually went mad, piloting its ship in a reckless charge, attempting to take the Imperial fleet down with it, plunging the entire starry sky into chaos.

When it comes to fighting stalemates, the Empire is second to none. The cruiser's adamantite ram tears apart any alien ship in front of it, and it will be broken in half in no time. Shipwrecks are everywhere, and you can even see your own troops boarding each other on the wreckage.

The average survival time of each aerospace fighter pilot is less than ten minutes. They are often blown up in mid-air before they run out of ammunition, and space naval warfare has entered a white-hot stage.

As a result, the souls of the dead soldiers from both sides merged with extreme emotions, creating a vortex in the warp that gave birth to countless bizarre warp entities.

The four gods turned their gazes toward them, and countless demons came to vie for the soul feast. Under the scouring of the energy tide, the veil of reality grew thinner and thinner, eventually creating numerous subspace rifts.

Chaos began to rage among the ships of both sides, and was then beaten to a pulp by the two forces who had already fought to the point of exhaustion.

"Fight! For the truth of the Empire!"

"Die! For glorious evolution."

"You bastard, hand over all your valuables, or I'll kill you. No, you're actually a rare demon."

"Guys, we're rich! There's tons of good stuff nobody wants here! Come on! Who told you to move? Get your ass up and down!"

It seemed as if some unclean thing had infiltrated. The Emperor glanced at Atlas atop his head, and upon exchanging a glance, the Black Knight leader, Brian, blushed with uncharacteristic shyness.

"What are you blushing for! Wasn't that howling bastard Mordred just now?"

"Impossible, our father was known for his refined and easygoing nature."

Knowing this bastard was unreliable, the Emperor decided to take matters into his own hands, teleporting directly back to the Emperor Dream and activating the Eternal Night Labyrinth it had brought.

In an instant, the world changed color, fragments of gods in the real universe roared, and dimensional lightning, greener than evil energy, crackled. Although sound cannot travel in the vacuum of the universe, everyone could feel a tremor from the depths of their souls.

The dimensional barrier that had been shattered by the erosion instantly recovered. Even though it was just fragments, the instinct stemming from the war in heaven allowed Him to plug the warp rift that could have attracted the ancient saints.

The laws of physics have been distorted and modified; the steel armor that should have been unbreakable has melted and boiled; the sturdy and reliable weapons have malfunctioned frequently; and the spirit of all machines sings here, praising the great power of Om Messiah.

A gigantic structure enveloped in dimensional lightning and shimmering silver-white emerged from the void, devouring more and more undead with each flap of its wings.

But just as that power was about to grow wildly, fully awaken from the dream and break free of its cage, a pitch-black sun aimed at its tight, smooth hook.

"..."

A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs, and a dragon buried in the earth is ridden by men. Known as the Void Dragon, but actually a fragment of the star god Magladros, He couldn't help but recall that sunny afternoon.

For a full 3 years, He still cannot understand why He was defeated by a primitive man, so He has been in a deep sleep ever since, having that damned nightmare every day.

However, just as the Void Dragon hesitated about whether to retreat, it suddenly felt an itch on the soles of its feet, as if something was licking it.

With a flick of its long tail, it lifted the foreign object to its face, looking at the little thing that, even after being discovered, was still clinging to the tip of its tail and gnawing on it.

A strange sense of kinship and shared origins puzzled Radros, who then turned and ran back to the Labyrinth of Eternal Night without looking back, as if he had seen something filthy.

"You damn madman, you win!"

(End of this chapter)