Chapter 117: Father

Let us rewind time to a few hours earlier.

In the Dome Cathedral of the State Religion, incense curled and filled the air before the majestic statue of the Divine Emperor, and blessed scriptures of holy prayers hung everywhere.

Outside the Dome Cathedral lay piles of corpses.

Some were demons, some were noble private soldiers, and many were young nobles of courage—all who had given their lives for the Empire!

The entire Dome Cathedral was shielded by a powerful void barrier, reinforced with automated cannons, thermal melters, and other heavy weapons, which is why the demons had failed to breach it.

The priests of the State Religion chanted the Holy Scriptures all day long.

This was to prevent the influence of Chaos from seeping into the Dome Cathedral; the Emperor’s glory and blessings would eradicate as much of Chaos’s corruption as possible.

Karno knelt before the Divine Emperor’s statue, praying devoutly.

The distress signal had been sent to the Military Department before the Upper Nest was fully sealed—but… you know how it is. With the Empire’s administrative efficiency, unless a miracle occurred, by the time reinforcements arrived, Loser would almost certainly have fallen into Chaos’s hands.

Yet despite knowing this, Karno remained resolute, vowing to stand and die with Loser, refusing to surrender even an inch of Imperial territory to the evil Chaos before his last drop of blood was spilled.

“Father… I’ve come to understand.”

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

Karno, still praying, slowly opened his eyes, maintaining his posture without turning around.

Seeing the old man ignore him, the fat Ma Di grew nervous. Glancing left and right at the empty space, he seemed to gather courage and raised his voice: “Father, I… I think you’re right. As nobles, we must bear our responsibility—to defend the Empire’s territory for the Emperor and the Divine Emperor!”

Karno seemed surprised, turning to look at his son—for the first time in his life, he truly examined him: “You… are serious?”

Ma Di had been a top-tier noble of the Nest since childhood, raised in luxury. Karno had once been deeply disappointed in him, believing such a son could not possibly be his blood. Yet now, after this ordeal, Ma Di’s sudden transformation had unexpectedly earned his respect.

“Yes, yes, Father.”

Ma Di kept his head down, afraid of revealing the madness in his eyes. He suppressed his voice, clenching his fists: “Since I inherited the name ‘Mayer,’ I must become a hero of the Empire—like you, like Governor Galken!”

“Good, good, good!”

Karno’s eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, he felt he had never betrayed the Emperor’s grace: “This is my son! This is the courage befitting the bloodline that bears the name ‘Mayer’!”

He gazed at his son, a smile forming on his face.

“Father… I… I want to hug you. May I?”

Ma Di asked, his voice trembling with fear.

Hearing this, Karno felt a surge of guilt. He had paid too little attention to Ma Di, raising him with harshness, and now he was forcing him to his death.

Under this guilt, Karno lowered his guard—indeed, when dealing with his own blood, he never guarded himself.

Karno was old. Even the Empire’s life-extension surgeries could not stop his aging, and after days and nights of commanding bloody battles, he was utterly exhausted. His mind and senses were far duller than in his youth.

As a result… this veteran who had once fought across the stars failed to notice the hidden madness in Ma Di’s eyes!

“Come here, my child…”

Karno stepped forward willingly, embracing his bloodline. Tears welled in his eyes, but he held them back: “Child, it is your turn now… don’t blame me. This is the honor the Emperor has granted us. After death, we shall return together to the Golden Throne!”

The nobles remaining in the cathedral had either been forced to die in battle or executed. Those left now… were only women and children.

Ma Di was his last descendant!

Yet for the Empire, Karno had no choice. He forced himself to endure the pain and send his own son into a certain death.

“Father…”

Deep hatred filled Ma Di’s eyes. Quietly, he drew a poisoned blade hidden beneath his round belly.

“Hmm?”

Karno gazed at Ma Di with affection.

But then—a searing pain in his abdomen. The sharp blade plunged deep, twisting violently, shredding his intestines and organs.

Karno’s pupils shrank sharply. He saw Ma Di raise his head, revealing a twisted, grotesque face—full of hatred, fury, like a demon’s grin—as he laughed wildly: “Father… the one who should die… is you, not me!”

Karno clutched his stomach, his face filled with disbelief. He staggered backward and collapsed before the Divine Emperor’s statue. His slashed abdomen spilled intestines and blood…

“Ma Di, you…”

He spat out a mouthful of blood. Only now did he finally understand what had happened. His pupils filled with boundless rage: “MA DI!!!”

Ma Di still trembled, but his twisted face held an inexplicable sense of relief: “Hahaha… die, you old bastard! Do you think I’d die with you? I’m joining Chaos! Do you understand?!”

“Monster!!!”

Suddenly, Karno surged to his feet.

He was old, but the combat instincts still embedded in his body, his countless battles across the galaxy, and his iron will unleashed a final burst of strength!

Karno drew his dueling sword and slashed like lightning—before Ma Di’s terrified eyes.

His motion was slightly unrefined.

Far from the perfect form he once had in the Imperial Guard, but still more than sufficient to kill a worthless fool.

“No, don’t, Father!”

Ma Di screamed in terror, rolling desperately to dodge the first strike—but the sword still carved a bloody gash across his neck.

“Save… save me!” Ma Di’s fat body could not evade the second blow. He placed all his hope on some Chaos entity, begging for salvation.

But sadly… the Chaos entity paid him no mind.

Swish!

Clean. Precise. One stroke severed his neck.

A fat, pig-like head rolled away, eyes wide, pupils frozen with deep terror and confusion.

As if asking… why hadn’t the Chaos he pledged to saved him?

Karno, having slain Ma Di with his own hands, collapsed onto the red carpet before the Divine Emperor’s statue, gasping for breath, his strength spent—but his gaze remained resolute: “No… I cannot die yet. Not now!”

“A splendid sword technique.”

Suddenly, a low, aged voice echoed from the shadows of the cathedral, carrying a tone of admiration—as if familiar: “I never expected, after decades, your swordsmanship had not declined, Karno.”

Karno’s pupils shrank instantly. He turned toward the voice. His face, already pale from blood loss, turned even whiter.

He… recognized that man!

“What? Don’t you recognize an old comrade?”

The figure stepped from behind the pillar, slowly removing his hat, revealing an extremely aged face. He smiled at the stunned Karno: “Long time no see, my dear brother… Karno Mayer.”

Looking at that face, Karno felt ice flood his body. A bone-chilling cold surged through him. His lips trembled, his chest filled with rage, and he roared with bloodshot eyes: “It’s you—Galken Hadley!!!”

“It is I, old comrade.”

Galken smiled, looking down at Karno—his face twisted by poison, barely clinging to life—from above.

Bad news… I’m going to have hemorrhoid surgery these next few days. Updates won’t stop—hope it doesn’t hurt too much…