Far away in the warp, Fulgrim heard Guilliman's words.
He felt a sweetness in his throat, almost spitting out a mouthful of old blood.
After ten thousand years, he didn't know what level Guilliman's strength was at.
But this venomous tongue skill had definitely surpassed Dorn's of old.
"Guilliman!" Fulgrim roared.
As a daemon Primarch, his every move possessed terrifying power.
Accompanying his roar, visible immense sound waves shattered the two daemonettes standing beside him, leaving a horrifying mist of blood in the air.
Fulgrim was almost driven mad with rage.
Guilliman was too shameless and despicable.
Meanwhile, on Vitoria, Fulgrim's wrath manifested in another way, upon the corrupted planetary governor, Anna.
The air grew cold and eerie, and the sinister whispers became even more terrifying.
"You will never enjoy the joy of victory, Guilliman," Fulgrim bellowed through Anna's body.
"Get back, Fulgrim. Next time, remember to send your master out. I dislike speaking to lackeys; it does not befit my noble status," Guilliman said, then thrust the Emperor's Sword into Anna's body, reducing her to ashes.
Guilliman's resonant voice, using Anna as a medium, reached Fulgrim's Palace of Excess.
Such contempt.
Such disregard for him.
Guilliman's actions caused the fallen daemon Primarch to unleash an immense roar.
He swore to make Guilliman pay a heavy price.
The daemon Primarch's rage was so intense that it even stirred up a massive storm in the warp.
Unfortunately, such a display could only be considered impotent rage.
To interfere with the material universe, he had to act personally.
Mere shouting couldn't affect the material universe.
Fulgrim walked out of his Palace of Excess.
He would gather his lost sons and make Guilliman pay the heaviest price.
This time, Guilliman wouldn't be so lucky.
Fulgrim swore that this time, he would absolutely kill Guilliman.
The kind that was absolutely dead.
Even if the Emperor came, he couldn't save him.
On the parade ground of Vitoria.
Guilliman looked at Anna's scattered dust, silent for a moment.
No one else spoke either.
During such an important celebration, for a corrupted planetary governor to appear.
This undoubtedly showed that the Imperium had long been riddled with holes by Chaos.
Everyone looked at Guilliman.
Vordius thought the Primarch would be furious.
Calgar, Sicarius, Phicris, Ventris, and others all thought the Primarch would be angry about this.
But unexpectedly, Guilliman smiled.
He looked up again, towards Phicris, "It seems you'll have to find a new Crown Bearer."
"Understood, lord." Phicris was stunned for a moment, then quickly saluted, turned, and went to find a new Crown Bearer.
Watching Phicris turn and leave, Guilliman turned back to the cameras and the parade below.
This was undoubtedly a very embarrassing situation.
One second, Guilliman was about to show off his strength.
As a result, Chaos slapped him across the face with a *slap*.
Shouting loudly, 'Guilliman, your lackey has betrayed you and joined me.'
Wasn't this a slap in the face?
If not handled well, the effect of the parade would likely be greatly reduced.
Guilliman secretly swore that Fulgrim must be captured and burned at the stake.
Following Guilliman's movements, servo-skulls, cherubs, and numerous hovering recording devices all turned their lenses.
"Alright, I have to admit the situation is bad. Many of our officials have been corrupted by Chaos, which is why I have to push for reforms and slow down. Our enemies are not just xenos and Chaos, but also corrupt bureaucrats and disgusting nobles. I don't even know if they are my assistants or enemies hidden by my side."
"They are excellent at disguising themselves. Shouting the Emperor's name, every word 'loyalty', every word 'sacrifice for the Imperium'. The facts prove that they have long been completely corrupted, becoming the claws and lackeys of Chaos."
Guilliman's tone carried a hint of sadness, "They are clearly against me under the banner of the Emperor, and they disguise themselves as people close to me, trying to approach and corrupt me.
I apologize to you, and I also apologize to those citizens who believe that I, as a Primarch, am omnipotent. I have been cultivating such an image to give you confidence and firmly resist Chaos and darkness."
"But today's events show that I am just an ordinary person. Although I am a gene-primarch with powerful strength, my soul, my heart, and the blood flowing within me are all ordinary.
I cannot achieve every victory, nor can I prevent Chaos from corrupting the ambitious. I can only grope for my own methods, trying bit by bit to pull humanity out of the darkness."
Accompanied by Guilliman's voice, the entire world fell silent.
Thousands of ordinary people were watching Guilliman's speech.
The primaris space marines were arranged by chapter, forming squares.
The Mechanicus war machines were all operating at minimum power to avoid making any sound that might offend the Primarch.
Tech-priests and numerous servitors were also watching Guilliman.
The Primarch's voice echoed throughout the world.
Through electromagnetic signals, it spread to the fleet suspended in low orbit.
It resonated in every city.
It resonated in every corner.
People watched his speech on holographic projections and display panels.
Guilliman's self-deprecation made them feel a trace of sadness.
The enemies humanity faced were too powerful, and the Imperium was plagued by internal and external troubles.
And Guilliman was alone.
He was isolated and helpless.
He didn't even know who was trustworthy and who wasn't.
"I need your help and trust. Nothing is more precious than trust. For a long time, the powerful and merchants have long usurped the Emperor's name, exhausting the citizens' trust in the Imperium.
I have been trying to restore it, to make the Imperium regain my father's great dream, and to let humanity live a stable and happy life."
"The Imperium can never be saved by one person alone; it requires the efforts and sacrifices of millions. I once again make a request to Vitoria, and even to every galaxy and planet across the entire Imperium that hears my voice.
Please stand with me, save the Imperium of Man, and expel those villains who use my father's name but commit despicable acts."
"This is a war I cannot win alone. I need every human to be brave, every human to understand the meaning of fighting the enemy, to understand the horror of Chaos. Only then can we truly win this war."
"During the Great Crusade, that is, ten thousand years ago, when my father and I were reunited, he said that he launched the Great Crusade because he had a dream."
"He wanted to create a world where humanity was free from disease, slaughter, chaos, and conspiracy. In this world, everyone could enjoy incredibly prosperous lives. People would be immersed in knowledge and spiritual refinement, rather than fighting and scheming for power and wealth."
"My father made many efforts for this, but Horus destroyed everything, the Chaos Gods destroyed everything, those shameful traitors destroyed everything. They caused my father to have to sit on the Golden Throne, enduring terrible torment that no one in the world could endure for a second."
"I failed in a mission and was forced into slumber. When I awoke, I saw your ignorance and foolishness, trapped in the quagmire of war, living in a dark age. My heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.
Everything that happened in this galaxy had deviated from my father's original intention. You had entered a terrible abyss of hell, and countless people suffered for it. Things should not have developed this way."
"I am trying to change, to reshape this dream. But now, I realize that I can never do this with my strength alone."
"Only when every human who wants to change unites can we create the realm of my father's dreams."
"Today, standing here, I just want to ask if you are willing to make a change, to join me in reclaiming the Emperor's lost dream and creating his perfect realm."
Guilliman looked at everyone and made his final inquiry.
The entire world fell into silence.
Everyone looked at Guilliman blankly.
They didn't know how to respond.
They were so humble and lowly, were they truly worthy of walking alongside the great and holy Primarch?
Just as there was a moment of silence, a heavy voice rang out.
Calgar knelt on one knee, looking at his gene-father, "Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, Lord Macragge, Calgar is willing to reclaim the Emperor's lost dream and create that perfect realm with the great Primarch."
Guilliman looked at Calgar, showing a hint of relief.
Calgar's action was like the last drop of water that breaks the dam of a flood.
Sicarius also knelt on one knee, "Captain of the Ultramarines Second Company, Lord of Ultramar, Sicarius, is willing to reclaim the Emperor's lost dream and create that perfect realm with the great Primarch."
"Grand Master of the Grey Knights, Vordius..."
"High Admiral of the Imperial Navy..."
"High Commander of the Imperium."
"The Imperium..."
Following closely behind, Ventris, Vordius, and many high-ranking officials of the Imperial Crusade also knelt on one knee, swearing to advance and retreat together with the Primarch.
On the fleet, captain Brech of Macragge's Glory, captain Iser of the *Silver Arrow*, and many other Imperial captains and numerous crew members also knelt in turn, making their own vows.
Fabricator-General Kren performed the highest level of Mechanicus reverence.
Behind him, numerous tech-priests and servo-skulls had all knelt on one knee.
The pilots of numerous Knight Titans also controlled their Knight Titans to kneel on one knee.
This was a gesture of respect reserved only for a Knight High King.
And at this moment, the attitude of the Knights was clearly revealed.
They would follow the Thirteenth Primarch to their deaths.
Korvus and many other Chapter Masters also all knelt on one knee on the Triumphal Plaza, and behind them, numerous battle-brothers also knelt on one knee, showing their most fervent loyalty to the Primarch.
Subsequently, came the numerous citizens, who also knelt on one knee, performing the Aquila salute.
If there was one person in this world worthy of their infinite loyalty, it was only Guilliman.
There was no rehearsal, no prior notification.
Every person who had witnessed the Primarch's heroic bearing and heard this speech expressed their loyalty to a supreme human leader in their own way.
They would follow him to their deaths, until the moment their lives ended.
Even those nobles who had once insulted Guilliman and hated him immensely were now kneeling on one knee, tears streaming down their faces.
Guilliman witnessed all of this and also showed a hint of a smile. "Even if surrounded by dark enemies and with the gods running rampant, if humanity is united, we will surely expel the gods and achieve victory."
Human souls are closely related to the warp.
What happened on the planet Vitoria also caused repercussions in the warp.
Human will was gathered together by Guilliman.
Tens of thousands of hearts united to overcome difficulties.
This will was weak, yet very dangerous.
The gods had to turn their gaze from their great games and look at the material universe.
A trace of worry appeared in one of the eyes of Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways.
The threads of fate became chaotic, intertwined into a tangled mess.
The Vitoria incident foreshadowed the outbreak of an unprecedented crisis.
Once Guilliman controlled the entire Imperium of Man and, like today, gathered the will of all humanity, the consequences would be unimaginable.
It might be an even greater threat than the Emperor posed.
The Emperor's plan was merely to weaken the gods of the warp, allowing humanity to escape the interference of the primordial annihilators and achieve transcendence.
But Guilliman was completely different.
He promised people a future, and people trusted him and attached themselves to him.
This was a sworn covenant.
At that time, it would no longer be the gods' game.
Instead, it would be a full-scale war between the material universe and the warp.
Guilliman had to declare war on the gods of the warp to create an absolutely beautiful world for his vow.
Relying on his exceptional talent and ability for public speaking.
Guilliman salvaged the situation caused by Fulgrim.
He also made the troops participating in the parade and the many citizens of the Imperium even more excited; everyone was so impassioned.
His speech was transmitted throughout the galaxy by numerous astropaths accompanying the fleet's expedition, using a chorus.
Every world that received the astropathic message was inspired by this stirring, passionate speech and the Primarch's charisma.
An unprecedented tide of war had already taken shape.
Vast armies were mobilized from all corners.
Numerous Imperial loyalists swore to march forth.
They would defend the dignity of humanity with their lives and cleanse the galaxy of all enemies of mankind.
Meanwhile, numerous Forge Worlds, such as the Ultramar Sector and the Charadon Sector, would fully dedicate themselves to producing unprecedentedly powerful wargear.
New invincible fleets would sweep across the galaxy, quelling all turmoil.
Magnificent and colossal engines of war would also be unleashed, daemonstrating the might of humanity and utterly destroying all enemies of mankind with irresistible force.
Every loyalist would fulfill their duty.
A total war spanning the entire galaxy had already begun.
In the face of humanity's raging fury, no enemy of mankind would be able to remain untouched.
Facing such a terrifying tide of war, what awaited was certainly not the end of the Imperium.
Humanity would ultimately stand firm against the dark tide, welcome the dawn of the future, and declare the defeat of numerous hostile forces.
The path ahead was difficult and arduous, fraught with war.
But guided by the great Primarch, humanity would be fearless and face it with resolve.
Two weeks after the speech.
The Imperial fleet withdrew from the Vitoria system.
Reconstruction efforts would be handed over to the Mechanicus.
They would rebuild the cities and establish a brand new Vitoria.
All buildings would be re-evaluated, and the many savants of the Mechanicus would use rational data to replan the city.
To ensure that the lives of the Imperial citizens were not too terrible.
Many Vitoria citizens reluctantly watched Guilliman's flagship depart.
Watching the massive fleet initiate Warp engines at the edge of the system and jump away.
Many shed tears over this.
This was very likely the last time they would see the Lord Primarch in their lives.
The galaxy was too vast.
And Guilliman's status was so noble and special.
For ordinary people to see him even once was an immense honor.
But they also knew clearly.
Throughout the galaxy, the suffering worlds were countless.
Those places needed the Primarch's help more than they did.
As they watched the Primarch depart, they also secretly swore in their hearts.
The world of Vitoria would stand with the Primarch.
Even if it meant declaring war on the gods.
Even if it meant becoming enemies with countless xenos in the universe.
Even if it meant pointing their swords at hell.
Vitoria was willing to fight a bloody battle for the Primarch until the last person had shed their last drop of blood.
The Conni system, is a system with a stable single star.
A giant red star hung in the void, like a scorching iron ball, providing slightly insufficient but very stable light and heat.
This star had a total of four offspring: two gas giants and two terrestrial planets.
The gas giants also had five or six habitable natural satellite worlds.
It could be considered a system with very good conditions.
Humanity had been developing this place for a long time.
Before the Great Crusade, humanity had already established a colony on this planet.
And they had preserved a lot of technology during the Age of Strife, waiting until the Emperor launched the Great Crusade, at which point they decisively joined the Imperium, becoming an important navigation node and logistics world for the Great Crusade.
The Conni system was located at a stable intersection of Warp routes.
This provided them with numerous opportunities for commercial exchange, which in turn made the Conni system rapidly wealthy.
In addition to providing port services for Warp ships passing through.
The people here would also mine the minerals from the gas giants to exchange for resources from other systems.
On the two gas planets, many city-sized orbital mining platforms were suspended.
There was a large volume of aircraft traveling between these mining platforms, making it very prosperous.
There were also networks of giant cable conduits and data cable conduits between the orbital mining platforms.
These networks formed intricate void traffic lines.
Connecting the mining platforms to each other.
Forming a cohesive whole.
Conni I and Conni II were typical garden and agricultural worlds, with beautiful environments.
Among the many Imperial worlds, the Conni system could be considered a very good habitable system.
Prosperous and developed, with a beautiful environment, clean governance, and a quite good cultural atmosphere.
However, all of this vanished after the Great Rift began, and it started to gradually descend into the abyss.
As Cadia fell and the Eye of Terror expanded, tearing apart the entire galaxy.
A massive rift also suddenly appeared around the Conni system.
People watched as the sky was torn open, fissures appeared, emitting unnatural light.
The night sky was no longer the cold white light of the stars, nor the strangely charming moon.
A terrifying rift, like a scar on the cosmos, replaced the former night sky.
The light from this rift was constantly changing.
Sometimes it would turn purple.
Sometimes it would turn green.
Sometimes it would become some deeper, mottled, unspeakable color.
The only thing they had in common was that these lights were all malevolent, without exception.
From the day the rift appeared, eerie whispers echoed throughout every corner of the planet.
Riots, chaos, and slaughter, among many other events, occurred endlessly.
The activities of sorcerers also became more frequent.
The number of mutant babies in hospitals was increasing.
People's emotions became extreme and easily spiraled out of control.
The Enforcers were overwhelmed, doing their utmost to maintain order on this world.
However, their efforts had little effect.
The enemy was too powerful, possessing extraordinary strength.
And they had nothing but courage.
"Don't look up, or I'll kill you."
Molly, wearing an Enforcer uniform and helmet, shoved the handcuffed man in front of her, issuing a stern warning.
"A new era has arrived, and we will embrace it. Don't be foolish anymore."
The man looked at the Enforcer and revealed a hint of a mocking expression.
With the appearance of the Great Rift, the Aetheric power became increasingly turbulent.
Now, people could obtain extraordinary power through simple rituals.
Many believed this was a brand new era.
An era belonging to the extraordinary, belonging to magic.
It was the era of the gods' return, walking among mortals once more.
"Before the new era arrives, I'll kill you first," Molly said. "Don't imagine you can defile my mind with your heresy. No power in this world can be obtained for free."
"This is a gift from destiny, only those with strong minds can obtain it. How can you say it's for free?" The man turned his head to look at her, unable to see the woman's face, only his own reflection on the silver visor of her helmet.
She must be beautiful, at least her voice was pleasant.
The man thought this to himself.
"Stop talking," Molly said.
She escorted the man, preparing to return to the Enforcer Precinct, where all crimes would be judged.
"I don't understand why you have to be like this? Are you jealous of my talent? Jealous that I can wield mystic power while you can do nothing?" the man chattered incessantly.
"Jealous of you?" Molly kicked him in the joint, making him fall directly to his knees.
The man let out a cry of pain.
His knee hit the hardened concrete surface, making him grimace in pain.
"Don't you know why you were arrested? You killed a family of six, not even sparing a three-month-old child, even flaying him. People like you deserve to die."
Molly pressed her laspistol against the back of his head, then grabbed his hair and pulled back, the cold Enforcer helmet revealing a faint red glow characteristic of electronic detection equipment.
"This is your final warning, quiet down, prisoner. Otherwise, you won't wait for judgment; you'll be executed."
After speaking, Molly lifted the man up and continued walking forward.
"I truly don't know, I don't remember anything. I've been framed," the man pleaded. "I didn't kill anyone."
"Surveillance footage and the fingerprints on the victims don't lie. You are the murderer," Molly said.
The man pleaded, "I only remember falling into a confused sleep, and when I woke up, you said I was the murderer. Who knows if that blood and those fingerprints weren't tampered with by you to frame me? You're jealous of my talent, just like petty people are jealous of the gifted."
"Shut up." Molly punched the man, making his face contort in pain.
She had had enough of the man's incessant chatter and just wanted him to be quiet.
Just ahead was a giant overpass.
There, they would be briefly exposed under the sky.
Molly checked the last scan information, which showed green, safe.
To ensure safety, she also retrieved real-time monitoring information, which was also green, safe.
Citizens, workers, and gang scum came and went.
Some, seeing the prisoner, quickly walked away; minding one's own business was a good habit.
But there were also some, bursting with curiosity, who watched Molly holding the prisoner, talking among themselves and whispering.
Molly didn't pay attention to this.
She led the man onto the overpass, followed closely by several Enforcer soldiers.
The overpass was fifty meters long; it was just a very short distance.
Being cautious, there should basically be no problems.
Strange wind sounds echoed in her ears. Molly tried hard to suppress her urge to look up at the sky, and the other soldiers did the same.
Meanwhile, the man beside her, his eyes slowly became glazed over.
In his ears, the sound of the wind turned into a beautiful song.
Blending into the sound of the footsteps of the surrounding pedestrians.
Blending into the breeze that rustled his clothes and the overpass railing.
Blending into the sound of the Enforcers' armor rubbing.
Blending into his own heartbeat and breathing.
It was a beautiful, alluring song.
Look up, look up, look up.
The voice in the song enticed the man.
The man's consciousness was hazy, and he slowly looked up at the sky, revealing a fanatical expression.
"Merciful Father, please accept me into your embrace."
"Get your head down, you bastard!" Molly screamed in terror.
She drew her weapon, but it was too late.
The man's pupils turned a mottled color, and a violent gale whipped up.
Grotesque tentacles tore through his clothes, and strange bone spurs grew out in an unnatural manner.
The man gazed at the corrupted void.
Light from the rift in the deep void descended upon this world, enveloping him.
A terrifying roar, like that of a beast, erupted from his throat.
Molly raised her gun and fired, and the soldiers beside her also raised their weapons.
The sound of gunfire erupted, unleashing firepower capable of tearing apart a giant beast onto the mutating man.
However, in the next second, the sound of wailing rose.
The man's eyes streamed blood tears, and his eyeballs fell out.
His body rapidly decayed within seconds, becoming soft and emitting a foul odor like mud.
His speed was like lightning. As Molly prepared to fire a second shot, a tentacle lashed out, knocking her weapon away directly.
Then a bone spur pierced her combat suit, tearing her apart.
The brutal battle ended in just a few seconds.
When the support forces arrived, they only saw wreckage everywhere and screaming Imperial civilians.
The monster that attacked the Enforcers had vanished without a trace.
And this was just the beginning of the unrest.
Chaos had begun.
The Warp, where storms raged and currents surged.
It was full of danger, where the soulless lurked in the shadows, waiting for prey to show weakness.
They craved blood and flesh, longing to obtain human souls to alleviate their eternal hunger.
A troop transport fleet was navigating through it.
The navigators cautiously avoided risks, searching for the safest path.
Inside the barracks of a ship.
"No!"
Accompanied by a painful groan, Minka awoke from a nightmare.
Every time she fell asleep, she would return to the Battle of Cadia.
Witnessing the endless war that took place on the world of Cadia.
Blood stained the ground and the sky red.
Cities turned to ash amidst smoke and flames.
Countless bodies piled up.
Those once familiar people and things also vanished without a trace with the fall of Cadia.
Under the impact of the Blackstone Fortress, the Cadian Gate, second only to Holy Terra, ultimately fell.
The entire planet was torn apart, countless fissures appeared in the ground, and loyalists died in droves.
This was a memory that could never be forgotten.
No one had expected the final mad act of Abaddon the Despoiler.
The massive Blackstone Fortress directly impacted the planet Cadia.
Instantly reversing the battle situation that was originally heading for victory.
Countless daemons broke free from restraints, surging out from the Eye of Terror, vast in number, uncountable, overwhelming, forming a terrifying tide of daemons that swept over everything.
Minka's 101st Regiment received orders from command to retreat and preserve their remaining strength.
However, the number of troops committed to the Battle of Cadia was immense.
More than two-thirds of the Cadian Regiments had been recalled.
Along with forces supported by various factions.
The Imperium simply could not evacuate everyone.
Coupled with the ferocious advance of the daemon tide and traitors.
It was destined that a large number of loyalists would die on the Cadian battlefield, creating an opportunity for those who survived to evacuate.
The 101st Regiment selected a group of newcomers and had them evacuate with the Imperium.
Minka, who had only joined the army two months prior, was among them.
"The war was lost, someone had to die."
The platoon leader patted Minka's shoulder and said with a smile, "You have to survive, and then fight your way back, let Chaos know they didn't defeat Cadia."
"Greenhorn, you have to survive."
"There are only so many left in the 101st Regiment; someone has to survive, right?"
The other comrades also smiled, as if what they were about to face was not a horrific massacre, but a picnic.
Minka would never forget the scene of those people smiling at her in their final moments, shouting for her to live on with the will of Cadia.
Minka stood up, her bare feet on the cold metal floor.
Looking up, countless empty bunks stretched out along the barracks hall.
The unmade beds proved that those people had long since returned to the Emperor's embrace.
In the past, the barracks hall would certainly have been lively.
The soldiers of the Cadian 101st Regiment would seize every moment of leisure for a few rounds of poker, or some other form of entertainment.
Now, there was silence.
No longer any hint of the past's hustle and bustle.
Minka walked past those bunks, unable to hide the sadness in her heart.
As she walked out of the room, footsteps could be heard.
Minka followed the sound and saw it was the sentry on duty.
Even on a troop transport ship, they had to be ready for battle at any moment.
In the current galaxy, caution was the surest way to survive.
"Who's there?" The sentry looked warily towards Minka's position.
"Minka?" The other person clearly recognized Minka and called out her name immediately.
"Yes, Sergeant Valdi," Minka said, stepping out.
"Can't you sleep?" Valdi asked, looking at Minka.
"A little. Where are we now?" Minka said.
Valdi looked down at the data-slate in his hand. "We'll be entering realspace in 20 minutes, arriving at our destination - the Conni system. I suggest you get some sleep quickly; we have a tough fight ahead."