Chapter 93: The Second Visitor from the Storm

After Oneka Siam had been banished back to the Warp, everything aboard the ship became much easier to handle.

In the AI control room, Wang Ming used his Federation citizen card to officially take over command of the "Starry Sky." With the help of the artificial intelligence, the remaining crew members were located. Once they were found, the traversers used the ship's schematics to track them down and clear them out. However, unexpected incidents sometimes occurred during these clear-outs. Some crew members mutated on the spot, attacking the traversers with their twisted flesh, but with flamethrowers and melters, these enemies were swiftly dealt with.

The traversers noted that this round of mutations among the crew was particularly severe, even more terrifying than Darcy Oak's previous transformations—as if someone were taking revenge on them.

In the ship's waste disposal bay, bodies burned under the extreme heat of promethium. Wang Ming and the traversers stood in silence, watching the flames consume the corpses through the glass doors of the incinerator.

"Perhaps... I should say a prayer for them," one of the traversers said, his gaze fixed on the fire. This was Feng Fan, the one who had recited the "Imperial Litanies" over loudspeakers on Laphis and had been blessed by the Emperor.

"Do it. May their poor souls return to the Golden Throne," Wang Ming replied. The other traversers nodded in agreement, though they all knew well that the souls of those blessed by the dark gods had likely already been devoured.

"The God-Emperor above, may He bless your souls to return to the Golden Throne, may He grant you mercy," Feng Fan intoned. The words of the "Imperial Litanies" echoed through the space, and as Feng Fan prayed, Wang Ming and the other traversers joined him in silent recitation.

The sacred words resounded, dispelling the taint of Chaos lingering in the ship's air, though they could never banish the shadow in Wang Ming and the traversers' hearts nor their anger toward the Warp.

Meanwhile, in the ever-shifting Warp, Oneka Siam looked at the handful of human souls it had collected, considering that it hadn't come away empty-handed after all. But as it prepared to consume them, a psychic attack shattered it entirely, scattering its essence. The human souls drifted toward the source of the attack, finally absorbed into a great blue sphere of light—their pitiful spirits at last returned to the Golden Throne.

Of course, Wang Ming and the traversers knew nothing of what transpired in the Warp. After Feng Fan's prayer concluded, Wang Ming contacted the Figure King, handed over the "Starry Sky" to him, and exchanged it for some phase swords.

"How long has it been? At this rate, I'll soon have an entire fleet from you," the Figure King joked aboard the "Imperishable Starfire," the strike cruiser of the First Company. Though the words were meant in jest, his mechanical voice made them sound a bit cold.

"Heh, this was just a lucky find. Do you think these warships grow on trees?" Wang Ming replied with a forced laugh.

"If there's anything else, contact me. I'm leaving now," the Figure King said, and, perhaps finding the conversation dull, left without another word.

After the Figure King departed, Wang Ming and the traversers returned to Mers' starport aboard the Imperishable Starfire, making their way back to the "Imperial Truth."

Upon his return, Captain Jiang Tao reported to Wang Ming about Hu Jin's contact with the Astartes chapter.

"Commander Hu Jin has made contact. They call themselves Space Marines from the First Company of the 'Fangs of the Wolf.' Their strike cruiser carries forty-nine Astartes and one thousand fifty-eight mortal crew. They arrived at Mers after being lost in the Warp and request resupply. Also, Captain Wang Ming, the Fangs of the Wolf Astartes wish to meet you."

Jiang Tao briefed Wang Ming on the chapter's situation and current status. Wang Ming nodded thoughtfully, surmising that this must be an unknown successor chapter of the Ultramarines. Yes... definitely Ultramarines.

"Grant them permission to dock for resupply at Mers, and approve their request to meet," Wang Ming instructed. He understood well that the so-called meeting was likely an attempt by the Fangs of the Wolf to see a true Primarch for themselves.

"Understood. The orders have been relayed to Commander Hu Jin. Additionally, Captain Wang Ming, there are three mortals among them who have specifically requested to see you," Jiang Tao continued, quickly passing on the orders and reporting the rest.

"Requested by name to see me?" Wang Ming asked in confusion. Being sought out by name by three mortals seemed suspicious. Either those four had sent someone again, or the Emperor was recruiting for him once more.

"Yes, Captain Wang Ming. They said the Emperor sent them, and that you are their fellow countryman," Jiang Tao replied.

Hearing this, Wang Ming was almost certain these three were unfortunate souls duped by the Emperor, sent to seek him out by imperial command.

"These are the recruits from your last conscription. Due to a minor error on my part, they were teleported to a Death World by mistake. Now I've sent them over to you," a sudden voice echoed in Wang Ming's mind as he reached this conclusion. It was Niels.

Startled by the Emperor's unexpected mental intrusion, Wang Ming leapt from his desk chair. No matter how many times it happened, he could never get used to the Emperor's sudden appearances in his head.

"Come on, Your Majesty, can't you give me a warning? You're going to scare me to death!"

Wang Ming quickly composed himself and, under Jiang Tao's puzzled gaze, continued the conversation with the Emperor in his mind.

"Next time, I promise. Next time for sure," the Emperor assured.

"Somehow I doubt that," Wang Ming replied inwardly.

"Impossible! I am the Emperor, Master of Mankind. I would never deceive you," the Emperor answered with perfect seriousness.

"Fine, then. By the way, which Death World did these three come from?" Wang Ming inquired, wanting to make arrangements for them.

"Krieger Death World. All three have survived the crucible of war, and they were already bound to your system when they crossed over. I didn't perform any surgeries on them during their transit, so you'll need to handle their modifications yourself," the Emperor replied, bringing Wang Ming great delight. They had crossed to the Krieger Death World and survived its wars without dying even once. These three traversers had combat skills surpassing all the others in the expeditionary legion.

"Damn, Emperor, are you sure this was a mistake and not deliberate on your part?" Wang Ming wondered. The Emperor, make a mistake? Even if he did, it wouldn't be so precise as to drop traversers on Krieg, would it?

"Don't sweat the details. You've got the high-quality soldiers you wanted, I'm off now," the Emperor replied, leaving Wang Ming with a remark that all but admitted the truth.

"Still denying it. When did I ever tell the Emperor I wanted elite troops?" Wang Ming mulled over the Emperor's parting words, finally concluding this was all intentional.

"Captain Jiang Tao, arrange for Commander Jose to bring those three mortals to meet me," Wang Ming instructed. Jiang Tao relayed the order at once to Jose, who was maintaining his weapons.

Jose, receiving the command, made his way to the Fangs of the Wolf's strike cruiser, explained the situation to Hu Jin, and brought the three traversers from Krieg over.

Before Wang Ming's desk, the three unlucky traversers from Krieg stood silently, clad in Death Korps gear and gas masks, saying nothing as they stared at Wang Ming.

They stared at him for a long while. Just as Wang Ming was wondering if they'd been warped by the culture of death on Krieg, they finally spoke.

"Odd changes, even remains the same?" one asked in a slightly hoarse voice, speaking in Chinese.

"Check the sign against the quadrant," Wang Ming replied at once, recognizing the secret code.

The three visibly relaxed, then, with lightning speed, shed their gear and gas masks, leaving only their field uniforms. They flopped onto the sofa in Wang Ming's office as if a tremendous weight had been lifted.

"Not easy at all! Finally found the organization! Emperor above!" one of the traversers exclaimed, sitting down opposite Wang Ming.

Through their conversation, Wang Ming learned their names and the story of their desperate journey through this grim universe.

Wang Ben, Bai Qi, and Zhang Liangjie—these three hapless fellows—had arrived just in time to catch the tail end of Krieger training. After taking equipment and serial numbers from the dead, they survived over three months of the training's final phase. Then they were shipped off to a war zone on some planet, and after surviving countless near-death experiences, managed to board the Fangs of the Wolf's strike cruiser. As they navigated their way using the Emperor's holy expletives echoing in their minds, the Great Rift opened. After three months of Warp travel, they finally reached Mers and met Wang Ming.

Listening to their account, Wang Ming immediately noticed something odd—the timing of the Great Rift's opening didn't match his own experience. He wasn't sure if the Rift's expansion was delayed depending on distance, but if it had really happened instantaneously, then the Emperor must have sent them into the 40K universe ahead of time.

Wang Ming pondered these details in silence, simply watching Bai Qi as he finished his story.

Afterward, Wang Ming arranged for them to undergo Astartes augmentation surgery. Though they were technically too old for the procedure, the Emperor had already bound them to Wang Ming's system. With unlimited resurrection at their disposal, if the surgery failed once, they could just try again until it worked.

Yesterday it was only a suspicion; today it was confirmed—the author has surely been blessed by Nurgle.