Chapter 45: Trani Submits

The bronze-skinned Commander did not dare look Ninglu in the eye, keeping his gaze fixed on his chest, staring at the specks of deep purple bloodstains.

"I am... Vieri Barera, the Trani... Warrior Leader... Our Patriarch was killed by evil Xenos during negotiations, and I am acting as Patriarch for the time being."

As a high-ranking member of the Trani, Vieri had had contact with Vostonian representatives and barely managed to grasp Wosuotuniya Low Gothic.

As he spoke, he gradually recalled more.

Ninglu had previously perused the data on the Cradle of the Sea; the locals called their people Sicilians, in memory of their ancient home on Terra.

Trani was the largest branch of the Sicilians, occupying Castello Island and establishing a small kingdom consisting of one town and nineteen settlements.

"Thank you for your rescue; without your arrival, we would have become souls under the blades of the Xenos."

Vieri said gratefully; without the arrival of the giant before him, Trani might have already been annihilated.

"The invading Xenos are called the Fulao; they have established a nomadic Imperium among the stars—to put it more bluntly, they are pirates in space."

"I can tell you that one Capital Ship and five escort ships of the Fulao escaped; they know the path to this world, and they will come again."

"There are even more terrifying Xenos and evil, sinister things in the universe; this beautiful world will yet suffer catastrophe."

Vieri was stunned; he thought of the Xenos the giant called Fulao, whose warriors were stronger than tribal warriors and who also possessed evil Wizards—if not for Malena, Trani would have already been annihilated.

When they invaded again, could Trani survive this ordeal?

He looked worriedly at the tall Shaman, hoping to receive comforting revelation from her.

Malena's tea-brown eyes became deep, and her tone was ethereal, as if an ethereal voice were emanating from another dimension.

"He is right; I see flames burning... a sea of blood rising..."

Ninglu keenly noticed the colorful light radiating from Malena, with tiny, faint threads floating within it.

【A familiar feeling... it is the Warp, Fate Silk; she is performing divination.】

He also noticed a flash of strange color within the colorful light; just as he was about to capture this trace, the colorful light dissipated.

Ninglu pondered for a moment, understanding in his heart the scene he had just witnessed.

【Malena is a psyker, performing divination just now, and the Emperor endowed this body with keen perception—it is supernatural perception, not just on a physical level, but involving the Warp.

But the Emperor does not like psychic powers; he did not implant knowledge of this aspect into the Gene Memory, only hoping I would rely on instinct to use it vaguely.

This means that if I invest some energy in this area, I will soon be able to develop capabilities in Warp perception.】

Ninglu then thought of the words Guilliman would tell Felix in the future: "Deep within the souls of all of us, there is a fragment from the Warp."

【I should moderately explore this ability and integrate it with the combat power and extraordinary abilities of a Primarch.】

As his thoughts wandered, Malena parted her red lips, her voice returning to a solemn and magnetic tone.

"I see a broken fragment in the dim future; it is shrouded in black mist, but I believe it must have something to do with you."

Ninglu looked at Malena, who was pale from the divination; he did not want to waste time bickering, so he said directly.

"My name is Ninglu, from Vostonia, ruler of four Hive Cities."

"I will also unify Vostonia and become the monarch of that world."

Vieri frowned; he knew that Vostonia not only had major noble families but also the servants of the Omnissiah, those Mechanicus members who served Mars.

He subconsciously wanted to refute the arrogant words, but the confidence in the giant's words, as well as his resolute tone, seemed to contain a certain power, just like a prophecy—another kind of prophecy, different from the Shaman's.

"If the Sicilians submit to me, I will provide you with protection."

Ninglu gripped his Heavy Halberd lightly; if Vieri refused, he would use force directly until the Trani people recognized reality.

The output of the Cradle of the Sea was crucial to Vostonia and to the kingdom he intended to build; without food, the fires of rebellion could erupt at any time.

The Cradle of the Sea, which he had classified as an Agricultural World, must be under his control.

Cold sweat seeped from Vieri's forehead; he felt a mountain-like pressure. Having witnessed the giant's god-like combat power, he knew that if he refused, there would be only one outcome: Death, even if Malena could not save him.

But he also remembered the responsibility he bore; as the leader of Trani, he should consider the entire tribe.

【If I refuse, the entire tribe will be annihilated immediately.

If I agree, we will temporarily escape the crisis, but in the future, we may suffer a crisis even more miserable than extinction; he might enslave us.】

Just as he was struggling internally, Malena spoke.

"Vieri, submit to him; I think the hope in that future shrouded in black mist is what he brings."

The Shaman's words overcame the last of Vieri's persistence.

"Shaman Malena, I believe in your prophecy."

"I, on behalf of Trani, offer you my loyalty."

"A wise choice," Ninglu said in a serious tone, making a promise, "You will not regret today's choice."

He immediately issued an order, "Reorganize the Trani warriors; we are going to clear out all the Fulao Xenos on this world."

There was no need to requisition food; the supplies the Fulao had plundered had not yet been transported to their ships. Based on what he had seen, he estimated that, combined with potential spoils from other large islands, it would fill the holds of his fleet.

Woyiqiehe had already, under his orders, organized pilots and crew to begin transport.

As Vieri executed the orders, Ninglu cast his gaze toward Malena.

"You are a Shaman?"

"Yes, my lord."

"What deity do you worship?"

Malena smiled, and she raised her hand to gesture.

"Please, come with me."

Maria and the others watched Malena vigilantly, gripping their weapons tightly; a Shaman was a Wizard, and to the Vostonians, Wizards were dangerous and evil existences.

Ninglu followed behind Malena, walking all the way to the seaside.

The Nü-Shaman looked ahead, "What the Trani people believe in is the Coral Sea; however, not everyone can feel His presence, but I believe you certainly can."

Ninglu walked to the seaside, his eyes looking at the azure sea.

His gaze pierced through the seawater, seeing the diverse and colorful corals on the near-shore beach.

Some wound and stretched like deer antlers, others were as round and plump as mushrooms, and there were even tree-shaped corals standing tall, resembling a tropical rainforest on the seabed.

In the deep blue seawater, the coral reefs displayed various colors such as pink, emerald green, and pure white, as if they were nature's most exquisite palette.

Ninglu immediately knew the reason why this sea area was named as it was, but he felt that there was a deeper meaning hidden in Malena's tone.

He did not ask, his black eyes quietly gazing at the sea, and there was nothing unusual in his Spirit Vision.

Ninglu used the method of Meditation to calm his mind, and he tried to find the wondrous feeling he had when he previously discovered the strangeness of Malena.

(End of this chapter)