Chapter 158: Warhammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Tyranids

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

After the ceremony, Lei Ou was taken to a familiar room.

This was Lin En's office when he was at the Forbidden Wall.

Lei Ou changed back into that Brevis PDF General uniform.

It was still the same clothes, but wearing them felt completely different.

There was less of the former noble air, and more of a steadiness weathered by wind and frost.

He stood by the window, looking at the Forbidden Wall outside.

The door opened.

Gus walked in, holding two teacups.

He put one cup on the table, held the other himself, and sat down on the sofa.

"Sit."

Lei Ou turned around and sat down opposite him.

Gus took a sip of tea and spoke:

"Luna Saint Saint Galus City has officially taken control of the Saint Saint Galus City Family's power.

She has the support of the Machine Cult, most Holy Knights, and the Knight Auxiliary Army."

Lei Ou's eyes dimmed for a moment.

He knew what that meant: he had lost his family.

The family that had given birth to him and raised him, the family he was proud of, no longer belonged to him.

He was not like those other whimsical noble youths who felt the halo restricted him.

He knew that without this halo, he was just an ordinary commander, or even just an ordinary soldier.

So the pain of this loss truly could not be ignored.

Gus looked at his expression and put down his teacup.

"But rest assured, the Governor said that as long as he is not here, the first command authority over the Forbidden Wall will always be in your hands."

Lei Ou raised his head.

"Thank you." His voice was sincere.

But the feeling of loss remained; having lost his greatest harbor, he truly could not be happy.

Gus stood up, walked to his side, and patted his shoulder.

"What if," he stared into Lei Ou's eyes,

"there is an opportunity to bring the Saint Saint Galus City Family back onto the right track—would you seize it?"

Lei Ou's pupils contracted violently.

He stared at Gus without speaking.

But that desire almost overflowed from his eyes.

Gus sensed Lei Ou's desire and nodded.

"Luna plus the Machine Cult indeed control most Holy Knights and family armed forces.

But under your grandfather's years of rule, a large portion of people do not recognize her.

Those old-school Holy Knights and their loyal vassal legions, and those who cannot stand the Machine Cult meddling."

Saying this, he took a sip of tea.

"They are all waiting for someone."

"Someone with enough 'qualifications,' someone who can return to lead them and bring the family back onto the right track."

Lei Ou understood.

"The Governor Sir also said," Gus smiled.

"If you want to prove who is the true legitimate heir, then come to Saint Saint Galus City Castle and settle it—whoever wins is the legitimate one."

Lei Ou fell silent.

He was thinking.

Doing this would hurt the family's foundation.

If the two factions fought, no matter who won, it would cause irreversible damage to the family.

But it was still better than letting the family be destroyed by Luna.

That woman corrupted by the Chaos Evil God, colluding with the Machine Cult, wanting to trade an STC for forbidden knowledge.

Letting her continue to control the family, Saint Saint Galus City would sooner or later become a true traitor.

Lei Ou hesitated for only zero point two five seconds.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked toward the direction of Saint Saint Galus City Castle in the distance.

That castle, where he had grown up since childhood, was his home.

He spoke, his voice low but carrying the persistence of having made up his mind:

"My father often said."

Gus listened intently.

"A knight wrapped in horsehide upon death is glory."

Lei Ou turned around; in those eyes there was no hesitation, no dejection, only flames burning fiercely.

"Who would have thought we'd be harmed by villains, leaving the clan with no place for me."

He set down the teacup, slamming it so the table shook.

"Why not drive the tiger to devour the wolf."

He stopped in front of Gus, extending his hand into a fist.

"When I rise again, I will......"

Gus looked at that hand, then at that face.

On that face, the former nobility had completely faded, replaced by a heroic spirit he had never seen before.

"All heroes under heaven bow their heads!"

Even though the Forbidden Wall was in turmoil, the Green Skins in Brevis didn't stir up any waves.

The Green Skin troops scattered across the Ice Plains, numbering from a few hundred to a few thousand, still roamed about, looking for a chance to fight.

But every time they just showed their heads, they would be targeted by Wildmen Cavalry who appeared from who knows where.

Those Wildmen faithfully carried out the work Lin En gave them: find Green Skin remnants, mark their positions, and finally bring the Frost Priest to summon Cold Soldiers.

Cold Soldiers surged out from the Ice Lotus, attacking the green pathogen like white blood cells with a fierce assault.

No suspense or surprises, only one-sided slaughter.

Lin En occasionally checked the footage of those battles through Lena's link.

The Cold Soldiers cooperated more and more seamlessly, and their tactics grew increasingly efficient.

This was thanks to the Bug Race's special memory recovery ability.

If Lena wished, she could receive the combat experience of every Bug Race member.

Through countless real battles, the Bug Swarm could constantly develop fighting methods better suited to themselves.

Sometimes Lin En even felt that these creatures bred from Bug Race genes were truly the ideal army.

No fear or hesitation, only absolute obedience to orders.

And in these unceasing battles and biomass recycling, Lena's Affection Level finally broke through seventy.

An ordinary night.

Lin En was reviewing documents in the Governor's Office.

Every stack was at least one meter high.

After glancing at the mountain of documents, he rubbed his brow and continued toiling away.

"Isud" sat in the corner, quietly reading a classic borrowed from the State Religion.

She had recently become very interested in history and culture, especially ancient texts imbued with religious color.

The Miniature Shredder Worm curled up in Lin En's sleeve, showing only a pair of tiny compound eyes, lazily dozing off.

Suddenly, Lin En felt something transmitted from the Tearing Worm, gentle as a feather brushing across water.

He lowered his head, looking at the little fellow in his sleeve.

The Tearing Worm's compound eyes opened, looking at him.

In those eyes, things seemed different again.

"Lena?" he silently recited in his heart.

"Mm." That clear and cold female voice responded, "I'm here."

Lin En waited a while, wanting to see if there were any changes.

When breaking through fifty, Lena learned to think independently.

When breaking through sixty, she began to become more and more like a "person," able to ask questions proactively and feel various emotions.

But breaking through seventy Affection Level didn't seem to bring any particularly obvious changes.

If one had to say, Lena was more like a human now.

Her language was more natural, her reactions more sensitive, and her rapport with Lin En had reached the point where they could understand each other without communication.

Lin En looked at her, suddenly remembering something.

How long had he and Lena known each other? From that dark pipe in Necromunda until now, nearly a year, right?

In one year, a Bug Race Warrior who only knew devouring and killing had become what she was now.

He lowered his head, looking at the tiny Tearing Worm in his sleeve.

The little fellow also looked at him, its compound eyes bright and sparkling.

"What are you thinking about?" Lena asked.

"Thinking about you." Lin En answered honestly.

The Tearing Worm's compound eyes narrowed, and several pink bubbles rose above its head.

Lin En smiled.

Soon, Lin En discovered he also began to understand Lena's thinking more deeply.

As his consciousness connection with Lena grew closer.

Sometimes he could even vaguely perceive what Lena's true thought pattern was behind those simple languages and emotions.

It was a vast, cold, efficient Gestalt Consciousness.

Like all Bug Races, Lena's thought core was "Devouring."

That was the fundamental meaning of Bug Race existence, just as humans need to breathe and eat—not a choice, but a "must"!

In such a thought pattern, there was no distinction between good and evil or right and wrong, only efficiency.

Devour the weak, evolve oneself.

It was the same form of consciousness as the Hive Mind.

Lena's thoughts could almost be described with the two words "empty void," but Lin En found something different.

In the depths of those empty instincts, Lin En perceived something different.

It was not an instinct any Bug Race should have.

There was only one name.

"Lin En Ke'er Wa Na."

When he perceived that name, his heart was struck hard as if hit by something.

It was not simple love and dependence; Lena still could not understand such complex human emotions.

But it was even more complex than those emotions.

Lin En lowered his head to look at the small Tearing Worm in his sleeve, looking at its bright compound eyes.

He couldn't help but smile.

He reached out his hand and gently stroked the Tearing Worm's head.

The little creature rubbed against his finger, emitting a faint, satisfied purring sound.

"Lena," he said in his heart.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Lena did not understand the meaning of those three words, but she gained an unprecedented sense of satisfaction from them.

An Affection Level that required a massive amount of Biomass to budge even slightly actually rose a little because of these short three words.