Massive planetary air defense arrays are placed like stars in each outpost world, dangers from the entire chaotic star sector are blocked from the impregnable fortress built by the Iron Warriors, subspace routes to Terra and the various casting worlds have been reopened, and each supply world scattered in the star sector is also connected to each other, symbolizing the end of the heavy work of the Fourth and Twelfth Legions.

Another barren land has sown the seeds of civilization, and the oppressed humans in the entire sector have returned to freedom under orderly regulation, re-liberated from the rule of tyrants under the will of the Lord of Mankind.

With the Forge World Salem at its core, it will also serve as an outpost for the Human Empire to launch an expedition into the depths of the Maelstrom.

At the same time, the Twelfth Legion's Genetic Prototype has also officially announced her ownership of the Forge World of Salem as her logistical world during the Great Expedition, and the Titan Legion [Ember Pack] from the 13th Expeditionary Fleet has also been housed here.

Although the Cult of the Mechanics from Mars was slightly unhappy with this, after learning that the Cult of Mechanics in the Foundry World of Salem had sworn allegiance to the Genetic Primordial, most of the discontent that had been circulating among the Technopriests immediately disappeared.

Because in the unwritten rules of the Human Empire, any land that has been recovered by the Gene Prototype itself is entitled to control and rule it - just like Robert Killiman's Ultramarines, the Thirteenth Legion is based on Killiman's home planet Maculag, launching a great expedition to the eastern side of the galaxy and absorbing all the worlds he has recovered.

In the course of the Expedition's growing progress, the worlds controlled by the Ultramarines have reached hundreds, including countless casting worlds.

With a huge number of troops and the excellent rule of the genetic prototype Killiman, their actual strength has completely surpassed that of the Dark Angel who was greatly injured in the Randan War, and this overly strong strength is almost the benchmark of the Human Empire's perception of the Astarte Legion.

Since there is such a precedent, the Cult of the Mechanics did not pursue Elaine's ownership of the Forge World of Salem too much, but only appointed those of the Cult of the Mechanics Expeditionary Force that traveled with the 13th Expeditionary Fleet to stay in the sector and exchange with the great sage of the Mechanic Paganism, Redjak, the ancient knowledge and precious STC that had survived the entire Age of Strife.

When the expedition team accompanied Redjak into the historic Temple of Machinery, the Astartes, who were on surveillance duty, immediately sent back an urgent notice of Level 1 Alert to the Resolute.

Something terrible has been discovered.

……

"Report: Unknown chaos has arisen in the depths of the temple, and Aisha Franco, the apothecary of the 88th Company of the Children of the Mountains, has issued a warning for help... In the warning, he claimed to have witnessed the presence of incomprehensible filth, and the accompanying Iron Warriors 786th Flying Group had lost communication with its commander, Volker. ”

Looking at Astarte, who was half-kneeling in front of him, Elaine's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

In addition to the extra trouble that Perturabo had added to her, there was now another rather urgent matter that was crowding out her computing power.

Originally, she wanted to treat it as a trivial matter like a space pirate encountered in a hive world, and simply send reinforcements.

However, the source of information for help comes from Salem's mechanical temple that connects to the core of the planet.

Prior to this, she had reviewed the entry permits of Redjak and the Techno-Priests of the Mechanicus Expeditionary Force, and approved a group of Children of the Mountains and Iron Warriors to accompany her—adding some places to the mission that would have been a task that did not require the Iron Warriors' to be absent from her seemingly solemn and nonchalant acceptance of Perturabo's 'teachings' in order to keep the old-fashioned and delicate brother from feeling alienated from her sister.

It would have been a clever move to get some respite from Perturabo's 'intimate teaching'.

Now, however, the news of Astarte's call for help has added fuel to her busyness.

If it weren't for the fact that Pertulabo was dealing with the logistics world of Olympia at this time to open up subspace routes in the Gorgotan Star Zone, I am afraid that there would be another item on her task list at this time to appease her brother.

Obviously, this is not good news.

Elaine knows that there are pawns from the Chaos Gods on this planet, which is one of the reasons why she claims ownership to the outside world.

She didn't think Redjake would touch it, but... The unpredictable fate will never easily let go of the chess pieces that break free from its shackles.

Because of Redjak's loyalty to herself, Elaine didn't really care about the millennia legacy of the Age of Discord in Salem, and she didn't want to explore the precious treasure that her loyal ally had to protect at the cost of her life - not to mention, according to her knowledge of the Curse: it would be the first Dark Forged world to be loyal to Warlord Horus in another timeline.

Because in the core of the planet that forged the world Salem, there is a parasitic demon called 'Salam'.

Born from the weapon forged by humanity when it first tried to take another life, the bloodthirsty demon was imprisoned at the heart of the forged world at an unknown point in time, until the Great Rebellion grew to its zenior, and the Lord of Steel came to the planet to retrieve the mad Angelon, and unleashed the sadistic demon again—

A faint tingling of familiarity kept coming through Elaine's mind, which meant that another son of the mountains had fallen into an irretrievable abyss.

Indescribable feelings resurfaced in her heart.

… Yes, fate has never spared itself - no matter which fork in the road she takes, there is always the possibility of meeting her.

"Go tell the Originals."

She sighed softly.

"Mother..."

"Go - inform the Native Guards."

The Astarte seemed to sense Elaine's sigh and seemed to want to say something, but his throat was choked by an indifferent command.

He had never seen the Mother of Genes look like that.

In the past, their mothers often showed a gentle air.

Now... But it is like a beast that eats people.

……

The sound of the gate opening and closing brought Elaine's thoughts back from her endless thoughts.

The genogen set its eyes on the chainsaw axe of the 'blood child', and the chaos of thoughts had overwhelmed the sorrow that burst out.

She could feel the madness and anger of the heir who had fallen into the abyss, and she could feel the sadness and despair that had been experienced so many times.

Elaine had pondered the meaning of her father's gift: perhaps it was a reward for a warrior who broke free from a tragic fate, or perhaps it was also a sympathy for the Lord of Mankind in the face of a tragic fate.

During that short but long time together, the father and daughter had countless discussions about the turbulent future, and even many of the details that could be avoided... The corruption experienced by the wolf god, the redemption of the phoenix and the iron hand, the weathered steel... There are many more regrets that can be changed.

Elaine even exhausted the vast amount of computing power stored in Superman's brain in a heated argument, preparing endless plans for her father to refer to for her brothers in crisis.

Just to completely defuse those potential crises before they arise.

However, the Lord of Mankind only sighed.

As if in the face of an endless fate that needs to be changed, the divine power and talent of the genetic prototype are only small pebbles thrown into the lake—after a few ripples ripple in the sea of souls of the Supreme Heaven, they will disappear again in an instant.

Whenever the daughter's poignant question mentions the inevitable rebellion, the Lord of Humanity simply repeats the crucial word:

[The Great Expedition. 】

It was a word of great significance to the race of 'humans', a word that symbolized the imminent extinction of the myriad aliens among the stars.

This is an unavoidable word about the dream of a human emperor.

In fact, the seemingly cold and unsympathetic father did not refuse his daughter's proposal.

On the contrary, he couldn't agree with Elaine's courage to face his fate.

Therefore, the Lord of Mankind sought to forge the pair of axes that symbolized Anglon, and they were also the two most important things for Elaine - the blood son (heir) and the blood father (emperor).

They will serve as a secret between the two and as proof of the father-daughter vow.

Elaine closed her eyes and stroked the slowly turning, sharp teeth of the chainsaw axe.

"I'm going to make a change... Father. ”

She murmured.

……

……