Chapter 131: Arrival at Kessel IV

“Name and prophecy.”

Inside the psychic suppression chamber, the Eldar prophet was bound tightly and laid on the floor. Before her, Wang Ming and Hu Jin looked down imperiously, their voices carrying a weight that struck at the very soul, instilling a deep fear within the Eldar prophet.

As for how this Eldar boarded the ship, Wang Ming knew well—it was certainly not through any simple psychic spell.

“Monkey, I am here to warn you. Soon you will reach a world where I see souls wailing in darkness, where offspring are torn from their fathers, where a frozen world will burn!”

Though frightened, the Eldar prophet still spoke her prophecy. Her Gothic was imperfect, tinged with a distinct dialect reminiscent of a higher officer’s manner.

“What nonsense?”

Wang Ming stared at the Eldar on the floor, utterly baffled. Souls wailing? Separation? Worlds burning? Could she be more precise? Stop speaking in riddles! Riddlers are not welcome aboard the “Imperial Truth”!

“Listen carefully, alien. First, we are called humans. Put aside your arrogance. Were it not for your membership in the Death God’s army, I would have cut you down already. Second, speak clearly and precisely—what is really happening? Don’t give me riddles. I know you understand the prophecy well enough.”

Wang Ming grabbed the prophet’s head, pulling her face up to his, speaking face to face. In her eyes, his black pupils were like cosmic black holes, seemingly pulling her soul into oblivion, crushing it mercilessly.

“Or, I can find out your prophecy another way—through our Space Marines, madam. Surely you don’t want your brain eaten?”

His voice was like a demon’s roar, terrifying in the Eldar’s eyes. Wang Ming held her gaze steadily, seeing the unmistakable flicker of fear.

“I’ll ask once more—name? Prophecy? Madam, you should count yourself lucky to be Eldar, and a member of the Death God’s army at that. I’m not overly hostile toward your kind. If you were any other alien, I’d have hacked you to pieces and then let the Space Marines feast on your brain for memory. Finally, I’d feed your corpse to my pet.”

Seeing her trembling with fear, Wang Ming released her. She collapsed, her delicate face hitting the metal floor. He never found these aliens beautiful; their original forms had subtly shifted his perceptions.

Wang Ming favored humans, not aliens. He regarded Eldar as a human might regard monkeys—with indifference.

His earlier kindness to the Eldar girl was no more than the tenderness one shows to a stray kitten or puppy—mere pity. Had she been a human child, he would have personally torn apart the alien that killed her relatives.

“I... I...”

The Eldar prophet looked at Wang Ming, unable to speak. She understood from his tone and actions that this man might kill her regardless of the Death God’s army’s authority. She had seen his pet—the massive, armoured monster—and she had no desire to be fed to such a beast.

“Oh, right, the soul stone. Nearly forgot that. Hu Jin, after you feast on her brain, take her soul stone and keep it company with the demon in your blade.”

Wang Ming suddenly remembered, speaking to Hu Jin.

“Ah, yes, yes, the demon in my blade loves Eldar souls very much.”

Hu Jin nodded knowingly, drawing his demonic greatsword.

“My name is Elyse. I foresee your soul wailing in darkness, you will be separated from your genetic offspring, and a great chaos will corrupt you alone. The world you approach will be engulfed in flames of war!”

The Eldar prophet finally spoke plainly, abandoning riddles as Wang Ming and Hu Jin’s questioning pressed her.

“See? That’s better than playing riddler,” Wang Ming said approvingly, nodding. He was very satisfied with this answer.

“Alright, release our ally. After all, she is our ally. But keep the psychic suppressor on her—she’s still very dangerous. Captain Jiang Tao, assign a combat Iron Man to follow her 24/7. We must keep her safe.”

Having gathered the intelligence he needed, Wang Ming ordered the Eldar prophet released. Without her psychic powers, on this ship housing 3,100 Astartes, countless human auxiliaries, various peculiar Iron Men, a mechanical ecclesiarchy generating endless machine oil from the “Imperial Truth’s” devices, two immortals, and one genetic original, Wang Ming was confident the Eldar couldn’t cause trouble.

“Th-thank you, human.”

The Eldar stammered politely, her fear now tempered with manners.

“Polite, are you? Come on, take a look around—we’re very hospitable.”

Wang Ming gently lifted her by the head from the floor. The restraints had been removed by Captain Jiang Tao.

She wobbled a few steps before steadying herself. Under the watchful eye of the combat Iron Man, the Eldar prophet left the psychic suppression chamber but dared not venture further than the observation room. After witnessing Wang Ming’s terrifying nature, her former arrogance was gone.

Wang Ming glanced at her trembling figure, then left with Hu Jin. He had no concern; Captain Jiang Tao’s constant surveillance ensured her safety.

“My soul will wail in darkness, I will be separated from you all, and the world we approach will be covered in war. Hu Jin, what do you make of it?”

Walking down the corridor, Wang Ming asked.

“Well, looks like Chaos is stirring things up again. Judging by the prophecy... Boss, your death is gonna be really nasty.”

Hu Jin pondered aloud.

“Whatever. As long as it’s not some overly sinister nonsense, I don’t care.”

Wang Ming was indifferent; he was used to dying. As long as it wasn’t some extra-dimensional hellish thing, he was fine.

“But isn’t that exactly it? Boss, if your soul’s wailing, isn’t that hellish?”

Hu Jin analyzed further, sensing Wang Ming was in for a brutal ordeal.

“How many times has the Emperor tortured my soul? That fake Warp essence He created used to drain my psychic energy daily. I’m numb to it now.”

Wang Ming waved off Hu Jin’s worries calmly. His moans had long been exhausted by the Emperor’s spiritual attacks. What more could happen? He didn’t believe anything could be worse than the Emperor’s torment.

Prophecies in the 40K universe were peculiar—accurate and inevitable. Once a prophecy was made, it was unchangeable.

For example, an Eldar who foresaw being slain by a Space Marine might attempt to kill that Marine preemptively with an army of Eldar warriors, but would ultimately be cut down himself, fulfilling the prophecy exactly.

“Whatever happens, it’ll happen. Just wait.”

Wang Ming looked at the operating room’s door. He and Hu Jin entered; a young man was ready to become an Astartes.

“Orte, don’t be so nervous. Once we exit the Warp, your surgery will start. You can get some rest.”

Wang Ming spotted Ort Peckhart anxiously sitting in a chair as he entered, and approached him. The young man was indeed nervous.

“No need, Lord Original. I’m ready.”

Ort Peckhart looked at Wang Ming with determination. His tension was excitement, not fear.

“Still have two hours. Let Minerva do a body check first and assess the genetic seed growth.”

Wang Ming nodded and patted Ort’s head. He was very pleased with this young man. Unlike others who relied on connections or blessings from the Emperor, Ort was the only recruit trained in the auxiliary army barracks. He had fought in battles alongside human auxiliaries and was a true warrior.

“Body check completed. The genetic seed is developing well. All physical indicators are normal. Ready for surgery at any time.”

Minerva’s hologram appeared beside Wang Ming, displaying Ort Peckhart’s vital signs.

“Captain Wang Ming, the ship will exit the Warp and reach the target system in one hour. Strange—we shouldn’t arrive this soon. My Warp monitoring devices and the navigator detected a brief Warp turbulence. I believe that caused our early arrival.”

The “Imperial Truth”’s arrival time was highly abnormal. A journey that should have taken a week was nearly complete in a day, as if something had influenced the Warp travel.

“Five possibilities. Which one exactly doesn’t matter. Someone’s messing with us, that much is certain.”

Wang Ming shook his head helplessly at Minerva’s hologram. He already knew who was behind it—the five Warp gods.

After an hour of travel, the “Imperial Truth” emerged from the Warp into the Kosel system. Captain Jiang Tao immediately pinpointed Kosel IV and engaged the sublight engines toward the planet.

“How’s the surgery?”

In the operating room’s observation chamber, Wang Ming asked Minerva, who floated nearby.

“Very successful. No mutation or rejection. The twenty-two organs integrated perfectly.”

Minerva had completed Ort’s surgery. The powerful adaptability and vitality granted by Wang Ming’s genetic seed ensured the operation’s success without complications.

“Good. Prepare to deploy. Upon arrival at Kosel IV, split the regiments. Each company will lead human auxiliaries to disperse into cities across the planet. This battle will be tough.”

Wang Ming looked at Minerva. Through the Eldar’s prophecy, he knew he would act alone this time. Even the Transcenders couldn’t resurrect by his side, so he decided to scatter them to maximize efficiency.

“Understood. Orders have been sent.”

Minerva uploaded Wang Ming’s commands to commanders at all levels.

The “Imperial Truth” reached orbit over Kosel IV within half a day and slowly docked at the starport.

Kosel IV’s starport was still under Imperial control. The staff erupted in cheers upon seeing the Imperial Aquila emblazoned on the ship’s hull. Imperial reinforcements had arrived in just a few years; the Ministry of Internal Affairs had been remarkably efficient.

After docking, the staff lined up at the airlock, eager to welcome the reinforcements to the war-weary planet. They had been exhausted by the Green Skins; Imperial aid was a beacon of hope.

The airlock doors opened slowly. Staff craned their necks to see inside, some even standing on cargo loaders to get a better view beyond the crowd.

Clang, clang—

Amidst the sound of steel striking steel, a giant clad in golden armor emerged. His golden power armor shimmered with a sacred glow under the lights. Beside him walked several Emperor’s Angels, who appeared like mere mortals compared to his towering presence.

At the sight of the giant, every human felt an inexplicable affinity—as if their souls were cleansed and comforted.

It was as if the legendary Lord of Humanity walked among mortals. All who saw the giant knelt on one knee, uttering every praise they had ever known in their lives.