Chapter 114: Daxos Binary System

The worlds classified by the Human Empire as Knight Worlds are those feudal worlds with advanced technology, ruled by elites known as Knight Houses.

Most Knight Worlds were established during the "Dark Age of Technology," when humanity expanded outward from Terra.

The reasons for settling on these worlds mostly stemmed from the need for raw materials—fertile Agricultural Worlds and mineral-rich mining worlds.

The ships of some colonies carried advanced Knight Suits and their pilots in their fleets, and they became the pioneers of the Knight Worlds.

During the "Age of Strife," these worlds, like others, were cut off from the rest of human worlds by Warp Storms.

In long-term isolation, the Knight Worlds developed toward feudalism, with the noble class controlling the Knight Suits and the Knight Worlds themselves.

The first Knight House was the Taranis House of Mars, which was founded on Mars many centuries earlier than any other knights.

They knelt before the Emperor alongside the Mars Sages, signed the "Olympia Treaty," and were subsequently bestowed with the names Radiant Forge and Radiant First Knight Order.

In Ninglu's memory, the first Knight World to submit to the Imperium was Krissis.

It would be discovered in the year 850 by a Rogue Trader on a planet only a few dozen light-years from the sun.

Now, on the galactic Star Map, a world ruled by knights, located northeast of the Vostonia system, has been discovered by the Third Legion of the Eleventh Legion.

Ninglu issued an order to the 28th Fleet, designating the "Thousand Sons" to set out toward the unknown southwest of Vostonia on the Star Map.

Subsequently, he ordered the fleet to set sail, heading for the Daxos Binary System.

Ninglu sat on the Command Throne, his fingers tapping lightly on the back of the chair.

【Vickstrix Family.】

He remembered the Vickstrix Family; they were staunch followers of Mars and, during the "Horus Heresy," followed the Fabricator General to become firm rebels.

Ninglu would not abandon or annihilate the Vickstrix Family just because they would betray him in the future, for two reasons.

On one hand, he knew that if he could make the Knight World submit, Huang Laohan would surely be greatly pleased.

For him and the Imperium, this would be something worth celebrating and an excellent tool for political propaganda; a greatly pleased Huang Laohan would surely grant him rewards.

This would also be a major military achievement for Ninglu; he would be the first Primarch to conquer a Knight World, which would bring him immense political prestige.

On the other hand, memory is just memory, and the future can be changed.

Ninglu also had the confidence to subdue the Vickstrix Family; after all, this family was one of the smallest among all Knight Houses.

Before the "Horus Heresy," the number of Knight Mechs in this family was no more than about one hundred and forty.

Ninglu's gaze flickered, and he said to himself in his heart.

【To completely subdue the Vickstrix Family, showing strength is the first step.

My combat power can suppress the knights, but technology is also very important.

The Vickstrix Family firmly serves Mars; besides faith, there are also technical factors.】

Thinking of this, he made his decision.

"Gabriel, come to my private office in ten minutes of standard ship time."

Seventeen minutes later, Ninglu used telepathy to let the Techmarine, who had just become a "Knower," focus his power.

He then spoke, "Use the power I have bestowed upon you well, and hurry to study the technology of the Yuejia'er."

"As you command, Father."

While the fleet was sailing toward the Daxos Binary System, at the Imando Training Center on Terra.

Between the three towers that pierced the clouds—Iphigenia, Treon, and Morvo—there was a wide open-air training ground.

Rain poured down from the iron-gray sky, cold and heavy.

Weiershier shivered like the other boys, everyone trying their best to resist the onslaught of darkness, cold, fatigue, and tension.

But unlike the other boys, although Weiershier's body was also trembling slightly, his face was always filled with a confident smile.

For two months, he had endured tests, scrutiny, beatings, molding, humiliation, and tempering.

After experiencing one trial after another, he had overcome pain and hardship; he kept his goal in mind, and he would never give up.

The stern-faced instructor stood on the side of the formation.

He held his head high, not even glancing at the boys.

When Weiershier first arrived at Imando, he felt angry and, like the other boys, hated the instructor.

But he now had no emotions toward the instructor; the other party was merely one of the obstacles in his life.

"You will be scrutinized; this is an individual test, do not help anyone around you."

"Strike the gong."

When the crisp sound of the gong rang out, Weiershier stepped forward and ran; he couldn't help but wonder how long today's test would last.

Through observation and summary, he had long known the purpose of the assessment: each item was to find the person with the weakest ability, and while eliminating them, it also tested their training results.

To reach the Gate to Heaven, they had to constantly force themselves to improve, and at a faster rate than the others.

While thinking, he and the other thirty-three boys stepped onto the track and quickly entered their own familiar, suitable running rhythms.

Everyone had become accustomed to inhaling through their nostrils, exhaling through half-open mouths, and slapping the wet track with worn-out sneakers.

Weiershier held his head high, running at the very front, just as he had in the past.

One boy couldn't hold on from the very beginning; the injuries he had sustained in previous training had not yet healed, and his muscles had become stiff during the long wait.

After stumbling a few steps, he fell to the ground due to lack of coordination, his tears mixed with mud.

He knew he had already failed and would never be able to become an Astartes, galloping across the galaxy to serve the Emperor.

Weiershier avoided traps, leaped over deep pits, climbed over high walls, and was the first to complete a lap.

Subsequently, he saw the eliminated boy, who was sprawled on the ground in a sorry state, pounding the ground in anger; he did not pause for a moment, nor did his speed slow down, as he continued the circuit of the track.

He gradually felt the soreness in his muscles, and the scratches on his calves throbbed under the lashing of the wind and rain, but he was long accustomed to pain.

He would not be defeated by physical pain like that boy.

By the time Weiershier completed the second lap, the eliminated boy had already been helped up by attendants and taken away.

He did not know if that boy would be sent back to his original Hive City or taken somewhere else, and he didn't need to know, because he firmly believed that he would not be eliminated.

Three hours later, the first person to voluntarily withdraw appeared; his head hurt more and more, and he felt as if raindrops were pelting his body like stones, trembling violently and barely able to catch his breath.

Weiershier swept past him; had he fallen ill in the cold rain?

【Too fragile, you should have adapted long ago; this is not the first time it has happened.】

A long time passed before the second person to voluntarily withdraw appeared; he had been too exhausted yesterday to eat and could no longer suppress the cramping of his stomach.

All he wanted now was a hot drink and to gulp down enough Corpse Starch to keep himself going.

A siren sounded, and Weiershier stopped in his tracks.

————

After five standard weeks of ship travel time, the fleet led by Ninglu arrived at the Daxos Binary System.

He immediately sent a message to Bukayo Arshavin, summoning the lord to the Void Hunter to report the situation.

(End of this chapter)