The afterglow of the setting sun cast its light upon the ruins of the hive city.
Because the heretical cult inexplicably retreated, giving up the occupied mid-hive area, the PDF quickly took over the front lines and, with renewed tension, began to set up new defenses at the entrance to the under-hive.
As for the civilians who survived the brutal street fighting during the day, having been baptized by war, their faces had somewhat shed their naivety and bewilderment, replaced by a certain resolve.
The attitude of the PDF and the Adeptus Arbites towards these people had improved significantly compared to before; they were allowed to withdraw for temporary rest and were given a portion of military rations.
Looking at the military rations distributed into his hands, Merlin found it truly difficult to swallow. This stuff… if he wasn't mistaken, it should be corpse starch, right?!
This was the regular PDF!
If even the PDF was eating corpse starch rations, then what were the other conscripted civilians eating?
"You guys… eat this stuff?"
His eye twitched slightly as he looked at the soldier beside him.
"Heh… it's good to have something to eat, Captain." The young recruit beside him, clearly not old, chuckled as he touched his buzz cut: "When governor Hadley was to live, our rations certainly weren't corpse starch, but… who made governor Hadley die? Our rations naturally dropped several grades, and now even this stuff can't be supplied normally."
Those damned upper-hive nobles, they dare to embezzle even this?
Merlin could hardly imagine that the hive city nobles could be so foolish. This was the PDF's rations!
Did those damned insects want to let the cult break through the hive city gates so desperately, cut off all their heads, and pile them up?
"Captain, aren't you eating?"
The young recruit soldier beside him swallowed, staring at the corpse starch ration in Merlin's hand, his desire obvious.
"You eat it." Merlin casually handed the ration to the young recruit, then stood up and walked towards the barracks.
"Captain, where are you going?"
The young recruit held the ration, a joyful expression on his face, as he asked his new captain.
"Don't worry about it."
Merlin felt a bit heavy-hearted. He walked directly to the center of the barracks, pushed aside the door curtain, and saw Gray staring at a map, his brows furrowed, seemingly contemplating battle tactics.
Seeing someone enter, Gray's brows furrowed slightly, and he was about to reprimand, but after seeing who it was, he forcibly swallowed his words and continued to stare at the map: "What are you doing here? You're not going to tell me you can't get used to corpse starch and want me to get you a special meal, are you?"
"Report, Commissar Gray, no."
Merlin knew that Gray was one of those old-school officers; if he didn't report, he'd inevitably get kicked.
"Alright, no need for titles in private."
Gray glanced at him and scoffed: "With your current stance, if this were Cadian, I would have kicked you already. But never mind, what do you want? Just say it directly."
Another one from Cadia?!
Merlin was a bit surprised. He had originally thought that Commissar Gray recognizing a 'demon' was simply due to some knowledge. Now it seemed that was not the case at all.
That person, in Cadia, had probably seen more demons, Chaos Chosen, and Chaos Champions than there were people in Roselle.
"I wanted to ask… why are our PDF rations corpse starch?" Merlin was somewhat angry.
This stuff was basically only eaten by scavengers in the under-hive who couldn't find any other garbage. If there was any choice, who would be willing to eat this stuff?
"It's good to have something to eat…"
Unexpectedly, Gray was quite calm. He said indifferently: "Our mission is to hold the mid-hive. As for the others… hehe, it's best not to know too much."
"You want us to hold, but what about them?!"
Merlin was truly furious.
This was no longer just a matter of incompetent allies; it was a complete and utter abandonment of the mid-hive, and even the PDF, the Adeptus Arbites, the Enforcers, and so on, were all treated as 'pawns'!
Merlin could even imagine what those useless nobles in the upper-hive were thinking.
If the PDF could stop the cult, that would be great. If they couldn't, then they would rely on the sturdy defenses of the upper-hive, waiting for the Imperium of Man's support. In the worst-case scenario… a few nobles could even take a spaceship to leave Roselle!
In short, it was one sentence… no loss!
No wonder the Imperium of Man had been on a downward trend for ten millennia. How could it restore the glory of the Imperium of Man and drive out heretics by associating with these insects?
Merlin wished he could just let the cult rush in and cut off all those nobles' heads, but reason told him that dying with the insects was meaningless!
"Is there… no opposition?"
Merlin was a little unwilling to give up and asked: "What about governor Hadley's family? Didn't they stand up against it?"
"Hahaha… Hadley? They were all killed."
Gray laughed mockingly and shook his head: "You should know about the assassination of governor Garken, right?"
Merlin nodded: "I know, but I don't know exactly what happened."
"Exactly what? You're not expecting me to tell you the truth, are you?" Gray took a drag from his cigarette and said: "I don't know any more than you do. The planetary governor was killed, and then we were urgently recalled. The last order we received was to hold the hive city, await the Imperium of Man's reinforcements, and shed our last drop of blood for the Emperor, offering our lives."
"Damn insects! Useless!"
Merlin punched the table in anger, his eyes splitting with rage: "Those useless cowards, even at this point, they're still thinking about saving themselves? If we lose, will they be able to to live?!"
He was furious at the uselessness and cowardice of the upper-hive nobles!
They clearly enjoyed the benefits of the Imperium of Man, yet at such a time, they were like turtles shrinking into their shells.
Damn them! Kill them!
Looking at the indignant Merlin, Gray's eyes held a profound meaning, "You're a smart man, kid, but… do you really want to know the reason?"
His gaze gave Merlin a bad premonition.
But after a moment of hesitation, he still nodded: "Yes!"
Commissar Gray didn't speak. He pulled out a tin box from his inner jacket pocket and, without asking if Merlin wanted one, tossed him a cigarette.
Then, he picked one up himself, took a deep sniff, then put it into his mouth, biting the filter as he glanced at Merlin.
Merlin understood and voluntarily lit it for him.
Sizzle… the tobacco sparks glowed, and he took a deep drag.
"Hoo…"
Only then did Commissar Gray seem to briefly shed the burden on his shoulders, revealing a relaxed expression as he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "That day was the Emperor's Ascension Day. The planetary governor was in a parade, however…"
He paused here, his eyelids lowered: "No one noticed that a cult psyker had infiltrated the crowd and, while no one was paying attention… killed the planetary governor."
"You should know what happened next. When we were urgently recalled from the field, we learned that the Hadley family… everyone was dead, and all their heads were cut off and arranged into a blasphemous Chaos Eight-Pointed Star."
"Wait, are you saying… the Hadley family was assassinated by the cult in their upper-hive home, and their heads were cut off?"
Merlin suddenly had a horrifying thought: "Did cult members infiltrate the upper-hive nobility and orchestrate this assassination?"
"Exactly. The remaining great families at the time thought the same as you, so they immediately closed the gates of the upper-hive."
Commissar Gray rubbed his temples and sighed: "And to this day… for fifteen whole days, no news has come from the upper-hive, except for… that final order: defend the hive city until the last drop of blood is shed, for the Imperium of Man, for the God-Emperor, for Humanity!"
"It can't be…"
Merlin's pupils contracted slightly, a chill running down his spine!
"Kid… your knowledge is still too limited."
Gray patted his shoulder, his voice inexplicably heavy, and whispered: "In your impression, nobles must be cowards, which is why they closed the upper-hive and hid inside, watching us fight desperately outside, right?"
Merlin opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
"No one… is unworthy of the Emperor."
A trace of sadness flashed in Gray's eyes as he softly said: "Even nobles, I don't know about other hive cities… but they are worthy of the Imperium of Man's title. Sacrifice… is the cornerstone of the Imperium of Man. life… is the Emperor's currency. Please use it well, do not be unworthy of yourself, do not be unworthy of the Imperium of Man, do not… be unworthy of the Emperor!"
"Don't overthink it, kid."
Gray spoke earnestly, looking at the bewildered Merlin, "This matter must never be told to anyone. The corpse starch… is because of the incompetence and cowardice of the upper-hive nobles, understand?"
Gray's actions were undoubtedly correct.
He blocked the news of what happened in the upper hive, otherwise… if the PDF, the Enforcers, and the Adeptus Arbites knew that the upper hive had long been infiltrated by a cult, and that the passages were completely sealed to prevent the danger from spreading, morale would surely collapse completely!
Rather than letting everyone fall into fear and panic, it was better to direct all the blame towards the upper hive nobles, after all… Gray knew very well that at this critical juncture, people would subconsciously believe that the nobles must have been afraid of death, which was why they sealed the hive city.
The facts proved that Gray's conjecture was very accurate.
Even Emrys, who had transmigrated, would, in his first impression, think that the nobles were all vermin, cowardly wastes who were afraid of death, which was why they sealed the hive city and left them to die outside.
But what was the truth?
It was the patriarchs of several major families who, realizing the presence of cults and the Eight-Pointed Star of Chaos within the upper hive, made a decisive decision: they issued a final order to the PDF stationed outside to hold their ground, and then, to prevent Chaos from spreading, resolutely sealed the upper hive.
It was like a giant 'can,' trapping all the upper hive nobles, Chaos, and cults inside!
Emrys wasn't sure how many nobles were willing, but… the noble who issued that order undoubtedly possessed immense resolve!
To this day, the Imperium of Man, in war and turmoil, is like a broken carriage, rattling along for tens of thousands of years; it seems like it could fall apart at any moment, yet… there is an endless stream of countless Humans willing to use their lives as cornerstones, just to keep this broken carriage moving!
Undeniably, there are many vermin within the Imperium of Man.
But, what is even more undeniable is that there are still many, many Humans who uphold the faith of the Imperium of Man, willing to die for it, inheriting the will of the Emperor!
"I'm sorry… I…"
Emrys suddenly choked up, unsure what to say.
He seemed to have understood a little why Humanity could continue for tens of thousands of years in this cesspit of a Milky Way Galaxy.
"When you get out of here, forget everything that just happened, understand?"
After unburdening his heart, Gray seemed much more relaxed, his furrowed brow smoothed out, and he chuckled, "Don't be so serious. We're all going to die, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after, but… definitely not now!"
"You… are truly powerful, Commissar."
Emrys looked at Gray, sincerely admiring him.
In such a desperate situation, he could still rally, command the army, and boost everyone's morale!
"No, the powerful one has never been me, but Humanity!" Gray said with immense pride, laughing, "Humanity is the greatest race; we pioneered the stars, we fought Chaos. It was so tens of thousands of years ago, and tens of thousands of years later… it will still be so!"
"Commissar, do you really think… we can win?"
Emrys had no idea where this Commissar's confidence came from; it seemed no matter how desperate things got, he could quickly rally and instill confidence in those around him.
"I promise you, we… no, Humanity, the Imperium of Man, will definitely defeat the heretics!" Gray looked up at the starry sky, pointing in a certain direction within the vast river of stars: "Look, that direction is my homeworld… Cadia."
Emrys followed his finger, but saw nothing.
It was normal; it would be a miracle to see anything across the Great Rift.
"There, we battle heretics! Chaos!"
His voice suddenly rose, his eyes seemed to burn with fire, and his tone heightened: "One day, I firmly believe… we will definitely go back, and fight our way back. Not now, but in the future!"
"You ask me why I have confidence?"
He turned to Emrys, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Because I have seen more desperate days. That day… my homeworld was torn apart by Chaos, a massive fleet descended, I despaired, but it was meaningless!"
"Kid, I don't know if you truly were saved by the Emperor's miracle…" Gray clenched his fist and pounded his chest: "But I am willing to believe it was the Emperor's miracle. Don't disappoint me… kid!"
When Emrys emerged from the room, he subconsciously clutched the rose knot badge, its sharp edges pricking his palm.
His face was bitter as he gazed at the pure skull on the rose knot, murmuring to himself, "Now, even if I wanted to be a coward, I wouldn't be qualified. I can't be worse than those noble wastes I've always despised, can I?"
...upper hive, Imperial Cult Dome Sanctuary.
Summoned by the Eight-Pointed Star of Chaos, tearing open the weak point between the Warp and the material universe, demons pouring out continuously were frantically assaulting this last holy sanctuary!
"Hold! You must hold!"
An old man with a weathered face, wearing a dueling sword, was roaring heartbreakingly: "We absolutely cannot let the damned Chaos invade this last pure land, and we must never surrender control of the upper hive to this Chaos!"
"No, we… we can't hold out!"
A lavishly dressed noble, his body round like a ball, rushed to the old man, knelt down, hugged his thigh, and pleaded: "Father, please… let me go, we still have a chance now!"
"Get out!!!"
The old man's eyes were splitting with rage; he drew his bolter, pointed it at the noble's head, and roared: "Whoever dares to utter another word, I'll blow his brains out! No one can retreat! We are nobles of the Imperium of Man! Facing Chaos, we must fight to the death, shedding our last drop of blood for the Emperor!"
Once this place was breached by Chaos, the control of the entire upper hive would fall into the hands of Chaos.
At that time, the Chaos demons pouring out from the upper hive, attacking from both front and rear, would directly occupy the entire hive city, and then perform terrifying Chaos rituals!
He absolutely could not let such a thing happen!
The situation faced by the upper hive was clearly more severe than that of the Middle Hive!
Countless demons were pouring out through the Warp rift torn open by the Eight-Pointed Star of Chaos. If it weren't for the powerful weapons treasured by the various noble families of the upper hive, it would have been annihilated in one wave long ago!
Yet, despite this, the upper hive was ultimately not the Astra Militarum, nor was it a Forge world; its military strength was limited, and under the frantic assault of the demons, only this Imperial Cult Dome Sanctuary remained.
"By the name of 'Meyer,' I… Canon Meyer, will not fail the Emperor!"
Canon kicked the fat man over, glared at the other nobles cowering in the Imperial Cult Sanctuary, and shouted loudly: "For the Imperium of Man! For the God-Emperor! We will fight Chaos to the death, until our last drop of blood is shed!"
The fat man, having been kicked over, slunk away from the Dome Sanctuary, however… most people didn't notice the resentment flashing in his eyes.
Why?
He was the heir of the Meyer family, the distinguished Matty Meyer, yet he had to die for the wastes of the Lower Hive and Middle Hive?!
He cowered in the shadow behind the Sanctuary, his eyes dark, angry, and resentful, watching his father, who was commanding the auxiliary legions to continuously resist Chaos. A terrible thought… gradually emerged.
It was as if a voice was whispering in his ear:
"You are the noble Matty Meyer, you should not die for those low-level wastes."
"If that's the case…"
"Why not kill the one who is stopping you?"
"Join the great Chaos, and you will no longer have to fear being harmed by the messengers of those gods, and you… will gain Eternal life, becoming an existence greater than Canon Meyer!"
Matty's breathing gradually quickened, his bloodshot eyes fixed on his father… Canon Meyer, in the great hall!
He had figured it out!
Who cares who he pledges allegiance to?
He has joined Chaos!