Chapter Eleven: Kardia Stands Unyielding!

"Conscription" and "Shop"—two new options emerged after the fragments of the system fused. Wang Ming first opened the "Conscription" option with a thought.

[Conscription Function: In the hopeless universe of 40K, only those from Earth can truly be trusted. The conscription function will select qualified 'compatriots' to join your legion and fight for humanity. As long as the host survives, 'compatriots' can be resurrected infinitely.] (Let the evil gods feel the wrath of the Fourth Calamity.)

Upon reading the explanation for "Conscription," Wang Ming instinctively glanced at Niels, the Emperor's avatar beside him, who was whistling nonchalantly. "This conscription system is definitely something the Emperor added," Wang Ming thought to himself. They're treating traversers like E-demon armies—so what does that make me? The Grand E-demon?

As for the Emperor's claim that the passage home was sealed, Wang Ming remained skeptical. Who could say whether it was truly blocked, or if this ancient relic simply wanted him to stay and work for him? Wang Ming then tapped into the "Shop."

[Shop Function: The host can earn points by killing enemies; the amount depends on their strength and rank. System protection protocols have been detected and activated, unlocking shop items. The host may freely take goods from the shop.] (Host, this is all I can leave you now. I cannot stand against the evil gods of the Warp. Forgive me—I cannot accompany you in this hopeless universe any longer.)

"Damn, this system is actually quite something!" Wang Ming felt a surge of sorrow reading the system's final words regarding the shop. This shop was likely the last inheritance the system left to protect him.

Browsing the shop, Wang Ming saw everything from a simple beam rifle to interstellar warships; even STC templates that would send any Mechanicum devotee into raptures.

He skimmed through the items quickly and closed it. Though the shop's offerings were terrifying, Wang Ming had no idea how to use most of them. Even handing them to the Mechanicum wouldn't make much difference. Most high-tech goods were relics of the Golden Age, and those oil-heads probably wouldn't know what to do with them.

After closing the system, Wang Ming stared into the Eye of Terror, pondering how best to kick the backsides of the Four Gods.

Above Cadia, Mechanicum transports shuttled survivors to safety, establishing temporary positions at evacuation points to protect them from the chaos traitors and other enemies still lurking on the planet.

The war on Cadia's surface never ceased, even as the Blackstone obelisk suppressed the Warp energies and banished demons. Chaos Astartes and cultists continued their bloody struggle against the warriors of the Imperium across Cadia's soil.

In truth, most Cadia natives opposed evacuation. Cadia was their homeworld; they did not want to see it handed over to the traitors of Chaos. Yet with the orbital Blackstone Fortress about to descend, staying behind would only mean futile sacrifice.

Life is the Emperor's currency—use it well.

All Cadians knew this. It was a bitter truth. Many, before boarding the evacuation transports, filled their pockets with Cadia's stones and sand—a token of their unwillingness to part from their homeworld.

Suddenly, a massive blaze appeared on Cadia's horizon: the Blackstone Fortress burning as it entered the atmosphere.

As the Blackstone Fortress crashed into Cadia, the planet fractured. Cadia broke apart into enormous shards, and the Eye of Terror, no longer suppressed by the Blackstone obelisk, began a furious expansion. A horrifying warp rift spread from the Eye of Terror, cutting across the galaxy, unleashing torrents of warp energy into the material universe.

The "Eternal Night" had begun.