The man in the video was speaking with great enthusiasm, full of passion and fervor.
Words like 'Holy Emperor', 'Great empire', and 'Best Era' flowed incessantly.
He wore an expression of singing praises and celebrating the golden age of the empire.
Hawk-tooey!
Nava spat at the image of the speaker.
They're all damn liars.
To hell with your great era.
Those damned High Lords should all die, a bunch of shameless, despicable beasts.
Nava muttered curses under his breath, full of resentment.
But he quickly fell silent.
Not far away, a man in an Adeptus Arbites uniform was watching him with hostile eyes.
Dare to express dissatisfaction with the empire?
Are you a potential rioter?
Realizing the danger, Nava stopped talking.
Those guys from the Adeptus Arbites wouldn't reason with him.
Once they deemed someone guilty, they'd act immediately, with no room for negotiation whatsoever.
Many members of the Adeptus Arbites felt good about themselves, believing they were the embodiment of justice, the enforcers of the Emperor's will.
Those who dared to defy the empire's laws were rioters, traitors, and should be executed.
Only by doing so could the Emperor's majesty be displayed and the empire's dignity be upheld.
Nava no longer paid attention to the holographic projections on the roadside; he silently led his friend's two children towards his dilapidated home.
As he walked, his joints ached faintly.
The low-quality bionic limb he'd had implanted was tormenting his fragile nerves.
The gangs had taken scrap material discarded by the Adeptus Mechanicus, repaired it, and sold it to people like Nava, who needed bionic limbs but had no money.
Those bionic limbs often had side effects and poor compatibility with flesh and blood, usually causing rejection.
In severe cases, they could make the recipients feel like they wanted to die.
On the streets, there were people like Nava everywhere.
Their eyes were filled with indignation.
Those videos promoting the High Lords and the glory of the empire were just fooling them.
Yet, due to the terrifying nature of the Adeptus Arbites, they had to keep their mouths shut and dared not speak freely.
Sometimes Nava wondered what the meaning of his coming to this world was.
When he was alive, he was cheap labor for the industrial families.
After he died, his corpse was bought by the food families and thrown into machines to be made into corpse starch.
From beginning to end, his life seemed to have no meaning whatsoever.
Nava no longer held any hope for his future.
In such times, everyone's life could be seen to the end at a glance, with no changes.
Undoubtedly, this was the worst era.
Everyone lived just to stay alive.
Nava lived in a hab-block complex made of large buildings in the underhive.
Hundreds of thousands of people lived there, spread across many levels.
Nava hadn't counted.
Anyway, he only ever went to his own floor.
In the old, creaking elevator, he had never pressed the button for any other floor.
Sometimes, curiosity wasn't a good thing.
Encountering gangs or mutants would definitely be a nightmare.
Not only would his peaceful life be shattered, but his life might also be in danger.
Passing through the dimly lit corridor, Nava returned to his home.
His room was sparsely decorated, a bare space filled with scattered clothes and some simple, almost antique electronic devices.
Those devices were often quite old.
The paint had peeled off, revealing the bright white or dull gray metal underneath.
However, the quality of these devices was acceptable.
Even after a long time, they could still barely function.
When he got home, his friend's two children were already tired from crying.
They fell into a deep sleep as soon as they touched the bed.
For their age, deep sleep was perhaps the best way to cope with sadness and pain.
Nava covered the two children with a blanket, turned on the ventilation and purification system to change the stale air.
Accompanied by the creaking sound of the ventilation and purification system, streams of less foul air were drawn in.
Then, Nava sat down on a stool and turned on the data projector on the table.
A holographic beam flickered a few times, finally becoming stable.
Nava pressed a button, and a few musical notes appeared on the holographic screen.
A melodious song began to play.
This was Nava's favorite song.
When he felt down, sad, or irritable, he would listen to this song to pass the time and soothe his mood.
As the melodious song played, Nava, slumped in his chair, looked up and stared intently at the faded, peeling ceiling.
He tried hard to pull himself out of the grief of his friend's tragic death.
In this era, people died every day.
Some were deemed rioters and burned alive in the streets by the Adeptus Arbites.
Gangs would also fight among themselves, and unlucky people would be blown to bits by their high-powered weapons.
Some lunatics would hunt civilians for credits, so they could sell the corpses to gangs to make corpse starch.
Or, like now, in the absence of food, they would starve to death and eventually become food for others.
Nava sighed. For ordinary people like him, the only meaning of life was to stay alive.
Beyond that, there was nothing.
None of the good things had anything to do with him.
Nava closed his eyes, thinking about what he should do in the coming days.
Like his friend who died tragically at the hands of the Adeptus Arbites.
He was just an anonymous worker.
The wages he received were barely enough to keep himself alive.
Now he had two children; what should he do?
He had to find a way to get some credits; that was the only way, otherwise, he would starve to death sooner or later.
Suddenly, an urgent notification sound rang out.
This was the sound of the communication device receiving a message.
Nava opened his eyes and looked at the projector on the table.
As the center of Imperial power, Terra's material standards were quite good.
Basically, everyone had a communication device.
Communication between people was mostly done through electronic mail.
The music had stopped, and the symbol for a letter was flashing on the holographic projector.
Nava reached out and clicked it, and an electronic letter appeared before his eyes.
**Citizen 4509221995003070892, you have been dismissed by the Tress Water Purification Plant.
Your remaining wages total 1520 credits, which have been deposited into your personal account via the financial system. Please check and confirm this letter promptly.**
The light emitted by the electronic letter shone on Nava's firm face, marked by the passage of time, making it look extremely pale, like a ghost from a strange legend.
The moment he saw the electronic letter, he thought he had misread it.
How could he be fired after serving the Tress family so loyally?
Not long ago, in order to get them to extend their working hours to fifteen hours, they had even kindly called them brothers of the Tress family.
Nava had been slightly moved by this.
Unexpectedly, with the extension of working hours, fewer workers were needed.
He, this 'brother', had been discarded like trash by them.
After reading it several times, Nava finally admitted that he had indeed been abandoned.
Those damned beasts should all die.
Nava cursed resentfully a few times.
Then, with a heart like dead ashes, he slumped down, accepting the fact.
Now he was fired, and the price of food was soaring.
This was a cruel world.
No one would show kindness.
Those who couldn't survive would only become food for those who could.
Nava calculated that even if he bought the lowest quality, poisonous food and meat that gangs got from the bottom of the hive, he wouldn't last long.
What's more, he had two children with him, making the situation even more severe.
Thump! Thump!
A knock sounded at the door.
Nava stood up and walked over. Looking through the peephole, he saw a man who didn't look quite sane.
He was wearing a black robe and didn't look like a good person.
While waiting for Nava to open the door, he kept looking around, very alert, as if worried about some sudden inspection.
With a creaking sound, Nava opened the metal door. He stared intently at the other man, one hand behind the door holding an iron bar.
Food was scarce, and many people had gone mad.
Nava was a little worried that this guy was a rioter who stole food or hunted civilians to sell their corpses.
He had to be prepared.
Assuming the worst of people was always the safest bet.
"Is there something you want?" Nava looked at the other man and asked in a fierce tone.
"Brother, are you interested in learning about the Brass Brotherhood?" the man said. "Don't you want to resist fate, to resist those damned tyrannical nobles?"
"We have been betrayed. The nobles manipulate prices and disregard our lives. If we don't rise up and resist, we will have no hope. Only through armed struggle can we gain freedom, can we have a glorious future."
"Get lost," Nava said without hesitation. "I have no interest in your brotherhood. Don't bother me again."
"You will need it, brother," the man said. "When you truly realize that the Corpse-Emperor cannot save you, you will beg for another path."
"Get out, cultist. Otherwise, I will report you for blasphemy against the Emperor," Nava said.
Upon hearing this, the man turned and left, disappearing into the dim corridor.
Using the dim yellow light from a flickering luminal in the corridor.
Nava watched the man walk into the darkness and disappear.
It was clear that the last sentence had been very effective, making the other party dare not bother him further.
Suddenly, a woman's figure came into Nava's sight.
She was walking from the other end of the corridor.
Walking from the darkness into the dim yellow light, allowing Nava to see her appearance clearly.
The woman was tall and thin, with large, pure black eyes, like gems.
She was wearing a slightly worn dress that exposed most of her body.
Her exposed skin was as fair and tender as milk.
Nava stared at the woman.
He recognized her; she was an acquaintance, a neighbor, a pitiful but good-looking woman.
Nava hadn't lived here for long and wasn't familiar with the people here.
This woman was the only person he had met since moving here.
The woman was sharp and also noticed Nava's gaze.
Her big eyes looked over, then sadly moved away.
Those eyes had once been full of hope and piety, as beautiful as the stars in the sky, pure and flawless.
Now, those eyes were still beautiful, but there was nothing left in them.
"Can you hurry up? I'm in a rush," a man's voice urged from behind her.
The woman nodded, then opened her door and led the man inside.
In these desperate days of food shortages, women were at a greater disadvantage than men.
To survive, they could only offer the one commodity they had, to make a living.
Those women who refused to submit to their tragic fate either died randomly or faced the torment of hunger day after day.
In the end, they often succumbed.
When starving, any morality and principles would be cast aside.
The number of women desperate for food was so large.
That they were cheap enough to be picked and humiliated by buyers for just a loaf of bread.
Nava closed the door, feeling infinite sadness in his heart.
The woman had once shown him affection.
But Nava knew deep down that he was absolutely incapable of giving her happiness, not even a stable life.
This era devoured everyone's conscience and deprived people of all rights to pursue a better life.
Nava sat silently on the stool, contemplating whether he had been right or wrong to refuse the Brass Brotherhood.
The Emperor had never opened his eyes to pity those who suffered so much.
The powerful saw them as trash and cheap labor, so arrogant that they wouldn't even grant a merciful look to those who suffered greatly.
After a long while, the sound of a man cursing came from outside.
Nava listened for a moment; it seemed the man was complaining about the woman because of the time.
Suddenly, a sharp scream rang out; it was the woman's voice.
Nava opened the door and walked out, finding the woman grabbed by her hair by the man, his thick fist landing on her delicate face.
The man was still cursing incessantly.
"You made so much money in less than two minutes, you rotten whore. Give me back my money!"
Nava walked over and stopped him.
Years of hard labor had given him a strong physique, and the burly man was easily subdued and then chased away by Nava.
The man's eyes were filled with resentment.
But facing Nava's strong and powerful body, he could only swallow his dissatisfaction and leave dejectedly.
After chasing the man away, Nava helped the woman up.
Looking at her tattered clothes and the several bruises on her delicate face.
He originally wanted to persuade the woman to give up this line of work.
But the words lingered on his tongue for a long time, eventually turning into:
"Be careful."
What right did he have to persuade others?
He was struggling to survive himself; wasn't it ironic to criticize others for their choices?
Nava walked back to his room, and just as he was about to close the door, the woman from earlier called out to him.
After a while, she came out of her home with a palm-sized piece of white bread, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
"Here, for you. I saw you with two children earlier," the woman said.
Nava wanted to refuse, but the woman spoke faster than he could.
"I know you don't want to accept my bread, but please, for the sake of the two children, take it. It's hard enough just to survive in this world."
Nava looked at the woman, and her eyes revealed a hint of past purity.
That was the most beautiful thing a person could possess.
Kindness, sincerity, goodness.
"Thank you. May He bless you," Nava accepted the bread.
He had lost his job and had two children to support.
Any help was precious, especially in these dark and desperate times.
"You're welcome. May He protect you too," the woman said, her tone full of piety.
Nava saw her pendant, a delicate Emperor charm, worn only by the most devout.
The small act of kindness gave Nava a glimmer of hope.
In these desperate dark years, the presence of a little light allowed him to persevere strongly.
Over the next few days, Nava used his remaining credits to buy food.
This food would sustain him and the two children for a week.
To do this, he had to ask the woman to help look after the children while he went out early and came back late, searching for work.
The woman didn't refuse and even gave him food from time to time, helping him through the difficult period.
With the woman's help, Nava felt another spark of hope.
There were still so many kind people in this world; things hadn't completely gone bad.
As long as he persevered, things would eventually get better.
Unfortunately, with the appearance of the warp storm, the supply of goods to Terra began to decrease, and coupled with the manipulation of certain families, prices rose ridiculously.
Many families, considering the cost, were unwilling to hire new workers.
They preferred to extend the hours of existing workers to complete the work, in order to reduce costs, extract more profit, and ensure their own survival.
After wasting several days, Nava had found nothing.
Today, after another wasted day, Nava walked into a tavern decorated with a large number of cheap neon lights.
He wanted to try his luck here, hoping to find a job that could support himself and his friend's two children. If he did, he would sincerely thank the Emperor.
Taverns were the favorite places of the underhive dwellers; they could drink cheap ale and enjoy vulgar dancing and music here.
Nava sat in a corner, listening to people talk about the hive city or matters outside the hive.
Not far from him, a projection device was broadcasting news from the Imperial Journal.
From the broadcast, Nava learned that the empire's Thirteenth Primarch, Guilliman, was approaching the Beta-Garmon system.
That was the gateway to Terra; once controlled, Terra would be forced to isolate itself from other sectors of the empire.
In that case, the nobility of Terra would become fish on Guilliman's chopping block.
A slightly pale laser beam outlined a screen, where a man was giving an impassioned speech and roaring.
"This is a shameless betrayal of the empire, a blasphemy against the Emperor's glory. He is merely an echo of the past, a monster who slept for ten thousand years and did not die."
Reports on the Primarchs were always so aggressive; the nobility hated Guilliman so much.
They called him a monster, an echo of the past.
A potential tyrant attempting to seize his father's power.
The Imperial Journal represented the attitude of the Terra nobility towards Guilliman's arrival on Terra.
They hadn't always been like this.
Nava remembered that before, the Imperial Journal had promoted Guilliman's awakening as a gift from the Human Emperor to the empire, and that people should work harder and pay more taxes to repay the Emperor.
And now, Nava didn't know why they had changed their tune.
He didn't know when it started, but the Imperial Journal's reports on the Primarchs had become very aggressive.
Traitors, tyrants, executioners who persecuted the loyalists of the empire.
An echo of the past, a potential tyrant attempting to seize his father's power.
All sorts of words representing evil were applied to the Primarchs.
They vehemently promoted the threat of the Primarchs, claiming how dark the empire would become if the Primarchs seized power.
It was clear how much the nobility hated Guilliman.
Such overwhelming propaganda made Nava feel that if the Terra nobility had the chance, they would stop at nothing to kill the Primarchs.
Even if the opponent was a Primarch, they would not hesitate to act.
Sitting in a corner of the tavern, Nava learned something from the conversations of some people.
Those nobles planned to tear down the statue of Guilliman in Imperial Square.
This was to prove that they would not bow to the terrible monster who would destroy the empire.
It was to show their firm stance of resistance.
Unless Guilliman compromised with them, they would not stop their actions against him.
Nava spent some time trying to understand the whole story.
He really wanted to know why the nobility disliked a returning Primarch so much.
Unfortunately, he didn't get much information.
Some said Guilliman was the Emperor's heir, and this time he came for the succession of the empire. The High Lords who had always been in control of the empire's highest power structure were very unhappy, feeling that the Primarch was stepping on them, so they had to resist.
Others said Guilliman was the savior of the empire, resurrected to curb the monsters hidden in the shadows.
Even more people said Guilliman was a traitor who had betrayed the loyalists of the empire, and the Terra nobility were fighting to defend the empire.
The various accounts were so chaotic that Nava really didn't have the energy to find the truth from this confusing information.
Finally, he chose a more plausible explanation.
The conflict between Guilliman and the nobility was just a power game; whoever won would control the highest power in the empire.
Of course, such matters had nothing to do with people like them at the bottom.
Everyone tacitly agreed on one point: no matter who was in power, their fate would not change.
Anyone who packaged themselves under the name of salvation would eventually become one of those hateful Terra nobles.
The High Lords had changed so many times, and in the end, wasn't it still the same?
After hearing this, Nava lost interest in the matter.
He withdrew his attention; those things had nothing to do with him. It was better to find a job first and figure out how to survive.
Nava listened to the conversations of the people in the tavern, looking for any job opportunities.
The people in the tavern were jabbering away, like prisoners just released from solitary confinement.
They talked mostly about Guilliman and various noble gossips.
These were not what Nava wanted.
He was more interested in topics like Great Devourer Worms, mutated creatures, gang fights, and psychoactive drugs.
These topics indicated that there were shady jobs looking for people.
Whenever he heard someone discussing them, Nava would listen carefully to see if anyone needed help.
Jobs in the tavern were unstable, but they did pay well.
As a native underhiver, Nava naturally understood the ins and outs of it.
To survive, people always had to learn to adapt and step into some gray areas.
After spending half a day in the tavern, Nava, relying on his strong physique and courage, got a job.
A man with a gloomy look asked him if he dared to kill someone.
After promising he would, he was hired by the man.
In a few days, he would go to a hidden underhive cave to hunt some special mutated animals.
Although dangerous, the pay was generous.
This was undoubtedly good news for Nava.
Leaving the tavern and returning to his residence.
Nava felt he should share the news with his female neighbor.
She had taken good care of him during this time.
When Nava returned to his residence, he found that something had gone wrong.
The building he lived in had been sealed off by the Adeptus Arbites.
Through the police tape set up by the Arbites, he saw his female neighbor's body lying on the ground.
Her throat had been cut, and crimson blood flowed along the uneven concrete floor, staining a large area.
Her clothes were torn, exposing large bruises on her pale skin.
It was clear that before killing her, the perpetrator had subjected her to some form of abuse.
Beside the woman, the bodies of two children also lay, their throats similarly slit, blood covering the floor.
It was hard to imagine what kind of person would commit such a cruel act against children.
An Arbites officer was methodically wiping a bloodstained dagger.
"Two little traitors flowing with traitor blood and a disgusting woman who sold her body, all of them hateful and loathsome existences. It's a pity, though, that we couldn't get any other information," the Arbites officer's tone was filled with dissatisfaction.
Clearly, dealing with such people had defiled his nobility.
The bodies of the woman and the two children were treated like garbage, placed in black body bags, and thrown onto an Arbites vehicle.
The Arbites' explanation for this was that the woman was suspected of being involved with the previous rioters.
After interrogation, they had carried out her purification.
"Be grateful, we have once again saved you from those detestable cultists,"
Before leaving, the Arbites officer grandly announced to the surrounding civilians.
Nava stood in the crowd, fighting back his tears, not wanting anyone to see his abnormality.
The moment he saw the bodies of the woman and the two children, he felt completely broken.
This was immediately followed by an indescribable rage.
That rage was so intense that if it could be transformed into real fire, it would likely ignite the entire planet of Terra.
Those damned nobles.
Damned Adeptus Arbites.
Damned Emperor.
Everything was hateful and disgusting.
Nava did not choose to return to his room; he turned and left his residence immediately, avoiding being implicated in this incident.
The Adeptus Arbites had acted against the woman and the two children, even resorting to murder.
It must have been because his friend had participated in the riot before.
He thought that matter was over.
His friend had paid the price for it, burned alive by the Arbites.
But he hadn't expected the people behind it to be so malicious.
Rooting out the problem, not even sparing the children.
Nava fled his residence. Although he wasn't familiar with the people in that residential area, there were bound to be a few familiar faces who would recognize him.
Once reported, he would be facing the enforcement officers of the Adeptus Arbites.
After fleeing the residential area, Nava hid in a dark, officially abandoned building.
There were many homeless people here, and some who were mentally unstable.
A disheveled person who looked somewhat deranged noticed Nava's arrival.
The person walked up to Nava and asked in a low voice.
"My friend, are you interested in learning about the Brass Brotherhood? Are you willing to endure such arrangements? Endure the manipulation of the nobility? Have you become so cowardly that you dare not resist the injustice of this world?"
The person spoke in a low voice.
Their words were quite similar to what the person had said last time.
Clearly, this Brass Brotherhood had developed to a certain scale.
Nava looked at the other person, "What can I do then?"
Hearing this, the person smiled.
"Maintain your anger, join us, and together let's tear apart this hateful world. Vent your anger, vent the dissatisfaction in your heart."
********
The Beta-Garmon system.
On the main deck of Macragge's Glory.
Numerous high-ranking officers of the expeditionary fleet were gathered here.
They surrounded the rostrum where Guilliman and his personal guard stood.
"This is a tragedy, and it is our failure. We promised to protect the innocent, but we did not, and they suffered because of it."
Guilliman spoke these words openly to the many generals of the expeditionary fleet.
"We cannot ignore the pleas for help from the Beta-Garmon System. They requested aid, and we responded; this is precisely the duty of rulers. If we cannot provide them with safety and the right to live, why should they pledge their loyalty to us?"
"Therefore, let us clench our fists and strike, quickly eliminating the enemies in the Beta-Garmon System, restoring peace to this system, and freeing those who suffer."
After bidding farewell to the Dark Angels and setting sail from the Fortress of Redemption.
Considering that the operational task in the Nephilim Sector did not require such a massive military force.
Guilliman took many Imperial heroes with him, preparing to head towards Terra.
Of course, the journey to Terra was not a direct one; there had to be a plan.
Guilliman's phase objective was to proceed to the Beta-Garmon System.
To control that system, effectively gripping Terra's throat.
To declare his strong control over the Sol System.
This was an act of displaying military might and authority, a low-level tactic, but highly effective.
Controlling the Beta-Garmon System would make the nobles on Terra lose confidence in opposing him.
Making it easier to push through his reforms and various orders.
Having formulated the plan to control the Beta-Garmon System and take control of Terra, Guilliman could not afford to ignore the distress signals along the way.
Abandoning crucial strategic systems desperately awaiting rescue and ignoring the pleas of Imperial citizens just to reach Terra.
That would be an irresponsible act, a reckless move that would sow seeds of trouble.
The Emperor's hasty launch of the Great Crusade ultimately resulted in him being seated on the Golden Throne, and humanity being forced to accept a dark fate.
This illustrates a point: haste makes waste.
No one knows where the next unexpected event will occur.
The war against Chaos cannot be fixated on temporary victories; it must be planned for the long term.
Only those who laugh last, laugh best.
A very famous artist once said, no matter how good you are at shooting, it's useless if you can't get the chicken dinner.
Steady progress, consolidating each step, is the true path.
Guilliman responded to the distress calls from those crucial strategic systems, using his immense military power to sweep away the enemies.
And using the opportunity to place officials and generals loyal to him in important positions within those systems.
This way, it was like a war strategy game.
Painting large areas of territory in his own color, establishing his base of power.
Imperial heroes like Calgar, Phicris, and Grey were once again dispatched by him.
Sent to worlds in need of rescue, to expel daemons and traitors, and promote reform.
Guilliman only set a rough time for them, instructing them to rendezvous in the Beta-Garmon System within the specified period.
The formidable military force heading towards Terra was divided into several streams, advancing along different routes, pushing forward Guilliman's plan.
In this way, Guilliman could create a situation surrounding Terra.
By the time all fleets converged in the Beta-Garmon System.
The entire periphery of the Sol System would be filled with officials and generals loyal to Guilliman.
At that point, even if the Emperor were to awaken, his decrees would not be able to leave the Sol System.
The main warp routes would all be controlled by those loyal to him.
The many nobles on Terra and that bunch of 'oil-heads' on Mars would, at that time, be completely within his grasp, easily manipulated.
The Beta-Garmon System was also a crucial system on Guilliman's route to Terra, listed by him as a strategic stronghold that must be controlled.
The Beta-Garmon System is an important node for warp routes leading to Terra, with several routes converging there.
More importantly, Beta-Garmon is a system that produces agricultural products for Terra.
It is easy to imagine how important the Beta-Garmon System is to Terra.
Large quantities of food are transported from here to Terra, sustaining its countless population.
Considering Bab's importance, the High Lords even appointed a Chapter called the Emperor's Hand to be responsible for routine defense.
This system typically had a company of Space Marines, an Imperial Navy fleet, and a contingent of Astra Militarum garrisoned, ensuring that if the system were attacked, it could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
Unfortunately, with the corruption of Terra's nobles, much of the military equipment in the Beta-Garmon System became mere figures on paper.
The Emperor's Hand Chapter also had a large number of personnel withdrawn due to the Great Rift, leaving only a small squad.
This resulted in a situation where, when Guilliman arrived, ready to win over the Emperor's Hand Chapter and take full control of this breadbasket of Terra.
A Chaos warband had already invaded the system.
And using complex blood rituals, opened a warp rift, letting the daemons in.
When Guilliman arrived, the system's void defenders had already perished, and the wreckage of numerous ships drifted in the void.
The bodies of the Navy personnel who fought to the last moment also floated in space.
Survivors hid in various cities, building defenses, desperately sending distress signals into the warp, hoping for support.
Guilliman answered their plea.
The fleet that emerged from the warp easily swept away the fleets of the Chaos traitors with its powerful firepower.
Tearing the blasphemous, twisted, and mutated ships of the Chaos traitors into pieces.
To comfort the innocent who had fallen in battle.
After clearing the traitor fleet from space.
Guilliman then led the massive Imperial forces, directly dropping onto the surface for combat.
With the improvement of teleportation technology.
The method by which Imperial forces landed on planet surfaces also changed.
Expeditionary forces began gradually abandoning cumbersome, large, and easily intercepted landing craft.
They basically opened teleportation portals directly from warships to the surface, using them to catch the enemy off guard.
Accompanied by flashes of light, Guilliman and many soldiers appeared on the battlefield together.
At this time, the cities had already been breached.
Large numbers of innocent civilians were being slaughtered by the Chaos traitors and daemons.
They were utterly rampant, wantonly harvesting the flesh and souls of Imperial citizens.
The traitors who were carrying out the massacre, seeing the Imperial forces appearing with flashes of light.
Expressions of astonishment appeared on their faces.
It was clear that they were momentarily unable to believe the change in the Imperial forces.
However, before they could react.
The enraged warriors began slaughtering the traitors using the same methods.
Making them understand just how terrifying the wrath of the Imperium could be.
The astonishment on the traitors' faces had not yet faded before they were torn apart by the swarming Imperial loyalists.
The Imperial loyalists surged towards the traitors like a flood.
Slaughtering the chaos warriors and cultists using their numerical and firepower superiority.
Making them taste the fear and helplessness they had once inflicted upon the Imperial civilians.
The traitors, who had just managed to breach the defenders' fortifications and seize control of the planet, were frightened before they could even celebrate by the Imperial loyalists.
Under such a rapid assault, they were completely powerless to resist.
They attempted to organize a counterattack, but were ultimately just mercilessly crushed by the flood of Imperial loyalists.
Even their daemonic allies were banished amidst screams.
The warp rift they had opened using blood rituals was also quickly closed.
The battle to reclaim Beta-Garmon soon ended.
The invaders of this system were merely a small Chaos warband, completely insufficient to contend with the vast expeditionary force.
They were quickly and decisively defeated, annihilated within the Beta-Garmon System.
For Guilliman, this was just an insignificant victory.
However, the suffering this war brought to the people of the Beta-Garmon System was extremely heavy.
Trenches were filled with bodies, piled up in the makeshift fortifications.
The sight was shocking and heartbreaking.
They had put up a tenacious last stand.
Until the enemy breached their defenses, killed them, and rushed into the cities.
The civilians were unarmed, their cold faces showing terror and unease.
Throughout the cities were bodies left by the massacres of Chaos traitors and daemons, broken and fragmented, with limbs scattered everywhere.
Guilliman ordered the bodies to be collected and simultaneously comforted the survivors who still retained some sanity.
But as he finished all this, his personal astropath, Roshan, reported a not-so-good piece of news to him.
"My lord, the closer we get to Terra, the stronger the influence of the warp becomes."
To support his point, a warrior of the Emperor's Hand who had died in the battle against the traitors was brought before Guilliman.
From the shattered power armor on the body, it was evident that the individual had endured a brutal battle.
However, what concerned Guilliman more was the horrifying phenomenon occurring on the warrior's body.
The body of the deceased space marine was covered in pulsating flesh-moss.
These were signs of warp contamination.
"I have already closed the warp rift, why is this happening?" Guilliman frowned.
In previous cases of daemonic invasion, as long as the warp rift was closed, the warp contamination that came with the daemons would also quickly disappear, corrected by the laws of the real universe.
But now, the warp contamination continued to persist after the warp rift was closed; this situation had clearly become abnormal.
"Currently, the intelligence we have is too little, the only thing we can be sure of is that the closer we get to Terra, the weaker the veil between the warp and the real universe becomes. Something is continuously pressing down on Terra, bypassing the Emperor's influence. The Beta-Garmon System is merely an outward manifestation of that power," Roshan said.
He could feel an undercurrent surging centered around Terra.
The daemons lurking in the depths of the warp seemed to be plotting some terrifying scheme.
This time, their target was Terra, the sacred homeland of humanity.
While Guilliman and Roshan were talking, the space marine's body suddenly changed.
The pulsating moss gradually swelled and slowly ruptured, giving birth to a group of clumsy, blind, ferocious flesh-spider monsters.
Countless eyes grew on their gory bodies.
The moment they were born, they displayed hostility towards the humans standing nearby, hissing from their strange mouthparts, their eyes filled with greed and savagery.
Guilliman's personal guard immediately took action, smashing them all to pieces.
For them, these monsters were ridiculously weak; even mortals could easily kill them.
But Guilliman's brow was tightly furrowed, revealing a look of concern.
Terra had the Emperor present, yet there were entities attempting to act against him.
He feared that the opponent's target was precisely the Emperor.
He had thought this was just a confrontation between him and the nobles of Terra, but now it seemed the situation would not be that simple.
Only Chaos powers of the Four Gods' level could dare to act against the Emperor.