Chapter 258

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

At the edge of the Kal II Star System, an abandoned star domain floated with countless pieces of space debris.

The Precept Ruler hovered silently in the darkness, its hull covered in scorched impact marks and cracks flashing with sparks — scars left from the last hasty retreat.

Before the bridge's porthole, Luna stood with her back to the officers behind her, gazing at the distant space station that had just been reclaimed into the Imperium's territory, her nails digging deep into her palm.

She had lost.

Lost utterly, a crushing defeat.

She had meticulously planned this expedition for so long, mobilized nearly all the elite forces her clan could muster, even personally piloting a Knight mecha deep into danger.

She had thought she could seize Kal II in one stroke, firmly grasping this strategic key point in her hands.

But in the end, she had merely made a wedding dress for Lin En.

To this day she still could not understand how Lin En had done it.

What method had he used to infiltrate the Greenskins' lair undetected, spark a civil war between two Ork Warbosses, and even maneuver her into the scheme as well?

Finally, when she and Sisi, Chandler fought until both sides were crippled.

Lin En arrived with his expeditionary force, in the posture of a victor, calmly harvesting all the fruits of victory.

According to intelligence transmitted back by scouts, Lin En's expedition fleet suffered a total casualty rate of less than ten percent.

While her fleet's casualty rate had already exceeded sixty percent.

Five cruisers, two sunk; escort ships lost over half; ground forces nearly annihilated.

Of the three million clan private soldiers she brought, fewer than one million would return alive.

"Adult, what do we do next?" the deputy officer behind her asked cautiously, voice carrying fatigue and fear.

"Kal II has already completely fallen into Keli Feng's hands, our supplies are running low, staying here any longer, I'm afraid..."

Luna did not turn back; her gaze remained fixed on the direction of Kal II, eyes full of reluctance and a trace of wariness.

She recalled the harsh words she had let fly before departure.

Yet now, she did not even have the face to approach Kal II.

Just then, a sorcerer in a black gown, his face painted with strange Yi Su runes, hurried to Luna's side.

"Adult, urgent news." The sorcerer's voice was as grating as a crow's scream.

"Word from Brevis: the Imperium's Tithe Collection Fleet has entered the Calixis Star System."

"Tithe?" Luna spun around, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

"Yes, Adult." The sorcerer nodded, pulling a flesh-and-blood codex from his robes.

The codex opened itself without need of hands.

"I used the 'Thousand Eyes' to scry; this Tithe Fleet is abnormally massive in scale."

"I estimate this Tithe will be heavy enough to make Brevis unable to bear the burden."

Luna took the codex, watching the fleet phantom emerge on its pages, a cold smile surfacing in her eyes.

Excellent.

Heaven truly helps me!

Lin En, you think you've won?

Taking Kal II is merely your first step.

The real trouble is only just beginning now.

Especially with the Thirteenth Black Crusade erupting, the Cadian Gate destroyed, the Great Rift unfolding — the entire Menglong Star Domain has been turned into a porridge.

The Imperium's war machine operates madly; tithe collection on every world has become unprecedentedly harsh.

Brevis was poor to begin with, just endured a Greenskin invasion, suffers food shortages, population plummeted.

Now forced to produce massive resources to pay the Tithe, it will die or be flayed alive.

This is absolutely the best opportunity to ruin Lin En.

As long as the Tithe goes wrong, Lin En's position as Governor will be untenable.

Then she will ally with those nobles dissatisfied with Lin En, strike at the right moment, and surely drag Lin En down from the Governor's throne.

Therefore, she must immediately rush back to Brevis.

More critically, the clan's industries and assets are still on Brevis.

She does not believe that greenhorn Lei Ou can protect the clan's interests before those rapacious Imperial Tax Collectors.

That fool — it would be a miracle if he doesn't squander the family fortune.

"Relay my command." Luna's voice turned firm once more.

"All warships, prepare immediately; in ten minutes, conduct Warp travel, return to Brevis."

"Adult, Warp turbulence is rampant right now, Warp travel is extremely dangerous..." the deputy officer hurriedly tried to dissuade.

"Dangerous?" Luna gave a cold laugh.

"I am Yi Su's Champion, blessed by the Lord of Change — Warp storms cannot harm me!"

"Yes, Adult!" The deputy officer dared not speak further, immediately departing to convey the order.

The Precept Ruler's engines roared, blue exhaust flaring in the darkness.

Luna looked once more toward Kal II's direction, her gaze ice-cold.

Lin En, we'll meet in Brevis.

This time, I'll make you pay a painful price.

In the Warp, Yi Su's blue flames enveloped Luna's fleet, shuttling through the distorted Chaos energy.

As the Lord of Change's "favored one," Luna's Warp travel success rate was far higher than that of an ordinary Imperial fleet.

She avoided all deadly Warp storms and Chaos pirate ambushes, and in less than ten hours, exited the Warp and arrived at the Brevis Star System.

And at this time, only half a day had passed since Lin En's Lightning Frigate arrived in Brevis orbit.

At the Brevis orbital starport.

On the bridge of the Lightning Frigate, Lin En gazed at the familiar blue-gray planet below, his brow still tightly locked.

Just then, Lena's voice rang out in Lin En's mind.

"Lin En, down there... there are so many happy emotions."

Lena's voice carried a childlike curiosity.

She had never been interested in, nor could she understand, human joy, anger, sorrow, and joy.

But this time, she could clearly sense that the entire Bravius Main Hive was shrouded in a vast emotion of joy.

In this dead-air Hive World, forever filled only with despair and pain, this emotion was the second time she had felt it.

The first time was when Lin En formed the Vanguard Army, conquered the Green Skins outside the Forbidden Wall, and returned in triumph, making the slum's famine no longer so severe.

"And there's also the taste of hope," Lena added, though it was very faint.

Lin En froze for a moment, then understood.

"It's because of the news of Kal II." Lin En smiled, a warm current surging in his heart.

He had originally thought the news hadn't yet been transmitted back to Brevis.

Unexpectedly, Isud had already made the news public.

Lena tilted her head, poking her tiny head out from Lin En's sleeve, looking at the smile on his face.

She didn't understand why humans would be happy because of others' happiness, but she knew that as long as Lin En was happy, she was happy.

"As long as you're happy." Lena lightly rubbed against Lin En's arm.

Lin En's heart warmed, and he reached out to rub her little head.

Indeed, his originally tense nerves from the Tithe, after sensing that pure joy and hope below, had relaxed considerably.

These three months, he had borne immense pressure, leading the Expeditionary Force on the expedition to Kal II.

Countless days and nights, he had exhausted his mind and energy, advancing step by careful step, all for today.

He had not failed the people of Brevis, nor had he failed Lena.