Chapter 71: War Hammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Bug Race

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

The convoy stopped at the designated area of the square.

Lin En took a deep breath, adjusted his collar, and got out of the car first.

"Isud" followed closely, her hand still held by Lin En, and Lena's consciousness was temporarily suppressed under Lin En's comfort.

Gus, Dou Dou, and the others got out one after another, with escorts on both sides of Lin En.

Lin En looked up, looking ahead.

From the square ground to the main door of the church were over a hundred steps, wide enough for twenty people to walk side by side, made of pure white stone.

At this time, both sides of the steps were filled with solemn State Religion Acolytes and Combat Nuns clad in combat armor.

They held scriptures or weapons, their gazes devout and firm, forming a sacred honor guard.

Offering blessings to the new Governor.

At the end of the steps, on both sides of the church's great doors, stood those two silent Knight Mechas.

That oppressive feeling of looking down from above became more concrete and heavy as the distance closed.

Lin En took the first step.

His boots struck the pure white stone steps, making a crisp sound.

"Isud" took his arm and followed.

Gus followed behind, feeling his heart rate accelerate and sweat constantly breaking out on his palms.

The gazes cast by the surrounding Acolytes seemed to carry a tangible weight.

That was faith, mixed with scrutinizing gazes.

Incense, wax oil, and the smell of stone permeated the air, giving an indescribable, unique "oppression" belonging to religious places.

With every step up, the surrounding air felt heavier, as if an invisible force was squeezing the soul.

Several people became nervous in unison.

But the most nervous one had to be Gus.

Only he knew clearly what they were about to face.

State Religion Mass!

This was not just a simple welcome ceremony and a perfunctory transfer of power.

It was the most core, most sacred, and most "dangerous" part of the Governor's inauguration ceremony.

It was not just a change of secular power, but also an "Ultimate Assessment" of the Governor's identity as a "human" and loyalty to the Emperor!

In the ceremony, the Archbishop would personally guide, verifying the new Governor's human identity before the Emperor's statue and under the eyes of countless believers.

This verification was absolutely not simple gene verification or verbal oaths.

It involved psychic power, and the deep essence of faith and soul.

And in Gus's cognition, Lin En was a pure "Heretic".

He had personally seen the terrifying Insectoid Alien on Lin En's shoulder, and seen the Biological Armor covering Lin En's entire body.

And the scenes on the Xian Ge Hao where Insectoids submitted to Lin En.

Lin En was absolutely not human!

He had even suspected that Lin En was actually a humanoid Tyranid!

How could such a Heretic existence possibly pass the State Religion's verification?

Once an abnormality was discovered in the Mass...

Gus dared not think of the consequences.

Their entire group would definitely be turned into Blood Mist on the spot!

The higher he walked, the heavier his steps felt and the more rapid his breathing became.

Sweat had already soaked through his innermost lining.

He even had a ridiculous thought that he also wanted to reach out and grab Lin En's arm in front, drawing some false sense of safety from him.

His hand had just stretched out halfway.

Lin En seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, without looking back, he backhanded and heavily slapped away Gus's hand.

The movement was casual, like swatting a fly flying by.

Gus awkwardly drew his hand back.

He muttered in a low voice: "What the heck, my wife is being held by you, can't you hold me too?"

Lin En: "…"

He opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.

Does this Gus really have no problem with his brain?

Finally they finished the long stone steps.

Lin En stood before the church's huge archway, and several senior Clergy came forward to welcome them.

The leader was an old Bishop without hair.

"Governor's Excellency Kerry·Feng, Lady Isud·Ke La, and all attendants, may the Imperial Light guide your path."

The old Bishop's voice was gentle, and he performed a standard Eagle Salute.

"May His radiance endure with us forever." Lin En returned the salute, his posture flawless.

"Mass begins shortly; please follow me."

Under the old bishop's guidance, Lin En's group stepped into the cathedral's main hall.

Instantly, the clamor outside was isolated.

Replacing it was an extreme grandeur, solemnity, and sanctity.

The interior space of the church was vast enough to make one dizzy.

Twenty-one giant pillars supported the hall, their bodies carved with scenes of the Primarchs' valiant battles and scripture.

On the dome was an epic mural depicting the Emperor unifying Terra, glowing with golden light under the illumination.

The air was thick with incense, the scent of expensive Brewis Resin burning, able to calm the mind and suppress human desire.

A deep red carpet covered the ground, extending all the way to the enormous Emperor's Holy Image at the end of the main hall.

By now, the long benches on both sides of the carpet were already filled with people.

Nearly every noble of note had attended this mass.

They wore their most formal attire or uniforms, expressions varied, gazes neatly fixed on Lin En's party just entering.

The gazes were complex and indiscernible.

Curiosity, scrutiny, calculation, contempt, and a very few, anticipation?

Lin En felt countless gazes pressing down on him, wanting to dissect the meaning in every subtle expression and movement of his.

His expression unchanged, he held Isud's arm, walking step by step along the red carpet toward the Emperor's Holy Image.

Footsteps echoed in the spacious hall, accompanied by the low organ music and the choir's chanting.

Lin En was like falling into the center of a deep-sea whirlpool.

Pressure came like a tide from all directions, enveloping him.

Finally, they reached the area directly before the holy image.

Behind the Preacher's Platform carried by believers stood an old man in ornate red vestments, holding a scepter.

He was aged, dignified.

Most striking was his eyes.

A pure white, without pupils or other impurities.

At this moment, this pair of pure white eyes was looking at Lin En.

Archbishop Goodwin.

Highest leader of the Brewis Diocese, having served as Archbishop for over three hundred years.

His eyes had mutated under the bath of devout faith and the glory of the State Religion.

Possessing some ability to see through falsehood and gaze directly at essence.

In his "vision," Lin En's image was completely different from ordinary people.

Not flesh and skin, but the essence of the soul.

Lin En's soul......

Goodwin's pure white pupils flickered.

"Complex."

Too damn complex!

The main soul structure was not singular, but one bright one dark, mutually intermingling, entwined together.

Around this bright-dark intertwined soul body, chaotic multicolored radiance was wrapped.

This represented his fate would be entangled with all sorts of unknown things.

Most prominent was a thick, inseparable purple radiance.

It was not merely wrapped around the outside, but almost "fused" with Lin En's main soul body, like a symbiosis formed from some wondrous affection.

Goodwin, having lived over three hundred years, had never seen such a complex and contradictory soul composition.

Even traitors who defected to the Chaos Great Enemy and simultaneously believed in multiple Evil Gods had souls not as complex as Lin En's.