"Warriors!"

"Brothers!"

"Fangs!"

"We found her."

"The Emperor has found her."

"Fighting brothers of the Second Legion."

"Our genetic protogen, the master of our legion, the giver of our blood and spirit!"

"She's coming to us!"

——————

This excited, joyful, and high-spirited voice resounded through the communications network of the entire Legion through the highest priority signal channel, and was transmitted from one corridor to the last corridor of every battleship.

It was like a thunderbolt, mercilessly striking a flock of rock finches that had gathered together to keep warm in the rainstorm, not caring at all what kind of panic and chaos would be under its passion.

The vast majority of Astarte warriors learned the news out of surprise and surprise: in front of them, these civilizational killers known for their speed and rationality behave no different from ordinary people.

Hundreds of warriors were marching down the hallways, or enjoying a rare rest in their rooms, and at the very first moment of receiving this information, a pale stiffness descended on them, and the mortals beside them were horrified to see the new masters frozen in place, as if they had been carved out of place.

This stunned aftermath lasted less than a moment: in the next moment, a torrential rain of questions and agitation turned the entire communication channel into a chaotic storm, with thousands of voices and inquiries so chaotic and layered on top of each other that even the most sensitive person could not tell one from the other.

Excitement, doubts, roars, eagerness to determine the truth, subconscious emotion, and tears of joy, poetic language......

The chaos continued for a while, until an old, hoarse, restrained, yet unquestioning voice once again activated the highest priority communication channel, reaching everyone's ears.

It was the voice of William Marshall.

The commander of the Second Legion, the exemplar of all warriors, the great knight who deserves all respect and courtesy—the last title even comes from the personal promise of the Lord of Men.

The Legion Commander first repeated and affirmed the truth that made everyone's heart feel in his almost peculiar slow tone, and then his words became an elder-like authority and seriousness.

Stick to your posts, business as usual, and keep your best shape and strength: until they appear in front of the genetic prototypes.

The riots subsided, and all the corridors and halls fell silent once again, but unlike before, the tranquility now was more like the ice and snow of early spring, brewing with countless restlessness and passion.

In those places where there was no task for the time being, and there was nothing to do, the warriors who knew each other gathered in twos and whispered, as if a drop of dye had fallen into the water, and the shocking message spread in silence with incredible speed: but after only a few minutes, all the warriors who had not kept in touch in time showed their stunned faces.

Never before in the Legion has news been delivered so quickly, and never before has it been able to unite these warriors who are not familiar with each other as it is now.

Since the death of the sun, the imperial fangs of the past have been torn apart by mutual rebuke and excessive competition, and the once united fleet has turned into scattered steel tentacles, maintaining a minimum of recognition and understanding, and disappearing into the ever-expanding territory of the human empire.

It's a split, but it's not a demise.

When the fleets were separated in the dimming of the stars, in the tide of the Great Expedition, following their dreams and goals, in their never-ending hearts, there was still a united and powerful Second Legion, still standing in the infinite glory and past from the Terra Unification War to the Great Expedition, still constantly fantasizing, conceiving, and infinitely looking forward to the day when the Legion was born.

The history and glory of the Legion are passed on by word of mouth, and with it comes the firmest faith and purpose: one day, when the Legion reunites, the path they have chosen will save the once mighty Celestial Army.

Once magnificent, the Second Legion is second only to the Dark Angels, and together with the First Legion, they fought side by side in the endless purgatory of the War for the Unification of Terra, destroying countless formidable opponents: the presence of these enemies was not even allowed to be recorded, and the less lethal parts of the terrible relics they used were sorted into the Vault belonging to the Second Legion.

The alliance and tacit understanding between the two legions was an existence that the emperor was proud of, and when the first and second legions worked closely together and did whatever it took to do so, they even had the ability to truly threaten the forbidden army of Wanfu who were fighting alongside the Sisters of Silence.

It was the best time, but also the most memorable time: at the height of the Spring and Autumn Period at the end of the Unification War, the legion had as many as 50,000 soldiers, and it was even able to faintly challenge the six-winged celestial army, which was mired in internal strife at that time.

But the fall began at that time.

Along with the unknown Primordial Project of the Lord of Humanity, the Second Legion also had a small problem: their genetic seeds had certain problems that could not be explained and solved by any scientific means, and a large number of genetic seeds had become waste, unable to breed new warriors at all.

This problem has plagued the Second Legion, and to this day, their genetic seed distribution ratio is still not high, and a large number of genetic seeds are judged to be unusable, severely limiting their recruitment and expansion.

Under such blows, the Legion showed signs of decline, and as one of the most powerful legions, the numerous wars in the early days of the Great Expedition required their full strength: as a result of this, the Legion was becoming less and less able to support its once colossal tactics, and the squabbles among the various branches intensified.

Finally, there is division.

But even so, the glorious past remained in the hearts of every warrior, and it became their belief that one day, the Legion would be born of Nirvana: perhaps the Emperor, perhaps themselves, or the genetic prototype they had never met.

This conviction lasted for decades with the most painful and violent expeditions: the old soldiers left, new blood was inherited, and beneath the faces that were gradually becoming mature, rational and steady, there was always a heart full of juvenile fantasies.

What will their legion look like?

What kind of characters are their original bodies?

Countless soldiers died with such confusion and regret, and with more new blood and such longing, they took over their mantle and weapons, and held on and fought in the endless waves of the Great Expedition.

It wasn't until the voice of the Lord of Humanity, after almost a full generation, once again came to the ears of every warrior of the Second Legion.

Concentrate.

The simplest order bridged the legion together, and in a galaxy designated by the Emperor, fleets that had once diverged from each other sprung up from different directions, some of them working tirelessly across most of the galaxy to observe the battle brothers they had never met in the light of the stars.

Countless reunions have been made under the witness of this nameless star, and the friendships that have been lost for decades are once again ignited in a moment, and brothers hug each other tightly, reminiscing about their past on Terra.

But this kind of warmth is only a minority, and most of the time, when those Terra veterans come to other warships, looking for their former comrades, they will only see unfamiliar green faces in those familiar positions and ranks.

A few decades ago, when the Second Legion was falling apart after the last strife, there were only about 14,000 men in the entire Legion, and during the time when the fleets were free to develop, the entire Legion was slightly larger in number.

When the news of the discovery of the genetic prototype echoed in all the warships, the Astarte warriors gathered in this galaxy were about 18,000: among them, the First Fleet was the largest force, their strength exceeded 10,000, although this fleet led by the Legion Commander himself was mediocre and did not have more unique strength, but their stability and old spiciness were exactly the real cornerstone of a legion.

The situation of some fleets is even more miserable: for example, the Third Fleet, which pursues psionic power and skill, seems to have suffered many catastrophic psionic accidents: although this fleet still has the ability to launch conquests with the power of mortal auxiliaries, their Astarte warriors do not even have a thousand.

And the situation of the Fourth Fleet, which is in the shadows, is not much better than that of the Third Fleet, which has more than a thousand troops, but that's all.

Combined, these two fleets were only about 2,000 men, which was only half of the strength of the Second Fleet, which was willing to explore the ruins.

On the contrary, the Sixth Fleet, which is keen to get along with mortals, has a huge force second only to the First Fleet, and their merits are the least, but the soldiers of the Second Legion never take status and glory too seriously.

And these soldiers who do not belong to the mainstream of the legion also brought back another piece of information: not all the forces of the Sixth Fleet were present, and a part of the forces of the Sixth Fleet disappeared into a sudden subspace storm when passing through Damocles Bay.

That fleet had more than a thousand Astarte warriors, and was a force that would survive on its own if it didn't encounter a formidable opponent.

And they are not the only ones who have lost the fleet: the bloodiest and most reckless of the Second Legion, the Fifth Fleet, has also disappeared in a strange storm, but no one worries about them, after all, those madmen love chainsaw axes more than all weapons, they are like a group of hungry sharks, only they threaten others.

In addition, in fact, the Second Legion has a third Lost Fleet, and that fleet is the real [Lost], no one wants to mention their existence, and those veterans who have experienced the [Death of the Sun] unanimously agree that the exiled rebels have disappeared into their penal colony: the Ghoul Star Field.

But in spite of this, there are still those in the Legion who silently chant the names of the unforgivable: not sympathy, but a remembrance, the most serious inheritance of the past.

They can loathe, spurn, and despise those who were once obscure.

But it must not be forgotten.

Someone has to remember those things and pass them on, whether it's as the history of the Legion, or as a lesson in advice, or as a laugh in the glory of the future.

——————

"So, that's why you found me?"

"Not exactly."

The tall warrior in front of him was smiling flawlessly, which made Dilumudo move his shoulders a little nervously.

Dilumudo – or rather, he prefers to be called Diarmuid.

He was the unluckiest group of the legions, and when the exciting news exploded in the communication channel, he was turning off the communication and concentrating on his way through the battleship corridor, until he pushed open the door, and heard the news that made him a little shocked in the mouth of his smiling senior.

The discovery of the original genogen would undoubtedly have made any Astarte feel unprecedented excitement and real consternation: but Dilumudo still managed to control himself as much as he could, not to lose his mind for too long.

After all, standing in front of him was the legend of the Second Legion, and he was also the most skilled warrior in the entire legion.

【Knight of Bayar】

Whether or not this name was his real name was unknown, and the only thing Dilumudo knew was that when the soldiers of the other legions mentioned it, they often brought it up along with another name:

Acudona, the head of the two hundred swordsmen, the son of the greatest emperor.

Thinking of this, Dilumudo licked his somewhat dry lips, and found that the news of the original body was still rampaging through his chest, making it impossible for him to settle down safely.

He looked up at Bayar: the strongest soldier of the Second Legion was not really tall and burly, but he was very strong, he had soft blond hair that hung down on his shoulders, he was very handsome, but his features were not more aggressive, and when he smiled, anyone could not help but think of his other title: the Gentle Knight.

"You know, Dilumudo."

He smiled and spoke slowly.

"The Legion has gathered, and although there are still some fighting brothers who have not returned, it doesn't matter in the big picture, and more importantly, we are about to reunite with our Mother of Genes, so it is urgent to restore the organization of the Legion."

"A lot of long-standing positions are in dire need of new blood: you're one of them."

"But ......"

"I know."

The powerful blonde knight smiled, and he waved his hand, apparently very well investigated and prepared.

"You are not very good at socializing with others, and this even makes you worry too much about some of the shortcomings in your mind: but you need not worry about it, Dilumudo, I have already taken this into account."

"I won't embarrass you too much, but I also hope you can overcome it, after all, we are really short of manpower right now: after reuniting with our originals, we need a special force to go to the Taiping Star Domain to receive the last batch of supplies from the Eleventh Legion: these supplies were personally allocated to us by the Emperor, they are the legacy of the Eleventh Legion, and they are very large and abundant, and they are unimaginable gifts."

"With them, we don't have to worry about replenishment of supplies for a long time."

"I want you to be one of the team leaders to complete this mission."

Bayar's eyes sparkled with a sparkle that was impossible to refuse.

Dilumudo hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, but then, a question in his heart could no longer be suppressed.

"Your Excellency Bayar, what you just said is our ...... The mother of genes? ”

"Yes, Dilumudo, just like the official notice you just received, our genetic prototype is a woman, that is, the famous soul drinker, a well-deserved hero of the Randan War."

"Proud, isn't it, I've heard that the psionics of the Third Fleet have fallen into some kind of at this point."

Dilumudo breathed deeply, angry and blasphemous at his thoughts: but he couldn't help but think about it.

A female protologist, will there be some ...... Emaciated?

"Are you worried about her power?"

Bayar's eyes seem to have the power to see through people's hearts.

Facing his smile, Dilumudo, who was still a new blood in general, nodded with some difficulty.

"Indeed, I'm worried about ......"

"Worried about the power of the Primordial?!"

Before he could finish speaking, he heard the roar of an old lion.

The old voice, accompanied by some unmistakable majesty, pierced through the door that had not yet been fully opened, and broke into the room.

Dilumudo glanced at the visitor with some consternation, and then lowered his head without hesitation.

"Legion Commander."

"Don't call me that, I've never been the commander of the legion, I'm just taking over one of the knights of the legion in place of our emperor and the genetic protogen."

William-Marshall, the old Astarte warrior and leader of the Second Legion, stepped into the room, smiling at Bayar, the old man who had accompanied him throughout the war for the unification of Terra, and then sat down in front of Dilumudo.

As an Astarte soldier in his 100s, his face and body are inevitably too old: this is because his genetic surgery was affected by the war, which caused many twists and turns.

But even so, with his own efforts and skills, he has become a figure that every fighter truly respects.

"Are you worried about the power of the Primordial, New Blood?"

Marshall's gaze was like a majestic lion, and Dilumudo's forehead involuntarily left drops of sweat.

“…… Yes. ”

"Ridiculous!"

The Legion Commander clapped his sword.

"Isn't she our original body without power?"

"Is it true that we follow the original body in order to follow the power?"

"Or is it that we can't fight without a powerful genoplasm? Can't join the Great Expedition? Will we not be able to continue to carry out our duties and missions? ”

The Legion's voice was slow, but stressful, and his steady emphasis on word by word made Dilumudo bow his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Captain."

"I understand ......"

"No, you don't understand."

The Legion Commander shook his head, his old face a little unduly regretful.

"That's what worries me the most."

"And this is also circulating among the Legion, where you instinctively look down on psionic abilities and doubt the strength and majesty of a genetic mother as the primordial, even if it's a gifted kid like you."

"What do you think of our genetic protoplasm? A boastful talking point? Or is it a backer to rely on? ”

"Even if she doesn't have the strength, she is still our primordial body, and she still has enough for us to learn: whether it is the wisdom of being the heir of the emperor, or the posture that is enough to inspire every warrior and unite the entire legion."

"Remember, Dilumudo."

"Strength isn't everything."

"With power but no heart, it's just a reckless man, with a heart but no power, it's just a tragedy, no heart and no power, it's a pure coward!"

"Only by grasping the heart and strength at the same time can it be possible to step into the path of a true warrior."

"It's only then that it's possible to follow our genetic protoplasm."

"No matter how she looks."

"The original is the original and cannot be changed."

"To be loyal, to follow, to find your own life and death in loyalty and fighting, to find beliefs and things that are worth your will."

"Go ahead and do it, you gifted little one."

"There's nothing more wonderful in the galaxy."

Well, this chapter is over, and this volume will be completed before the end of the month, and then it's time for the new plot.

Let's kick Johnson away and welcome Ahriman, Perturabo and Killiman!

(End of chapter)