[Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor] Chapter 77/78 (Patreon)

Eden stood on the balcony of Spire Manor, overlooking the brightly lit King's Court district. The entire district had come alive, preparing for the war that would decide everything.

It had all happened too soon.

For days, Eden had been waiting.

Waiting for the Defense Forces to be fully expanded, waiting for the new weapons developed by the Adeptus Mechanicus to roll out.

But most importantly, he was waiting for the people's hope to materialize.

After the Emperor's Ascension Day holy rites, he had regained more of his power and could now use new abilities.

At present, Eden's abilities included:

Psychic perception

Creating illusions

Teleportation

Blessing

The latter two, teleportation and blessing, were new abilities he had recently unlocked.

He had already tested the power of teleportation, even using it to solve the food crisis in the King's Court.

However, he had never used his blessing ability.

Both the Chaos Gods and the God-Emperor wielded this power to create powerful servants to serve them.

Examples included the Chaos Gods' Greater Daemons and the Emperor's Living Saints.

Such examples were numerous.

They could even bless ordinary mortals, twisting them into terrifying creatures.

Blessing was an extraordinarily powerful ability, a privilege exclusive to deities.

Now, Eden also possessed this power.

He could use it to create powerful warriors or living saints.

However, the cost of blessing was immense. Not only did it require choosing the right candidate, but it also consumed vast amounts of energy.

That's why the Chaos Gods set so many trials, to select the best vessel.

But Eden had no such luxury.

He could only control the small territory of the King's Court district, with very few suitable candidates to choose from.

The bigger problem was energy.

To perform a single blessing, he needed at least one million hope points!

After food supplies were restored in the King's Court, Eden had passed several laws to improve the lives of its citizens, attempting to cultivate their hope as much as possible.

He had done everything he could.

Yet even now, he had only gathered just over 800,000 hope points.

It wasn't enough to use the blessing ability.

Eden felt regretful.

If only he had more time to gather enough hope points, he could bless a powerful warrior.

That would give him a much greater chance of defeating the Hoffman family and destroying the Chaos creatures!

Unfortunately, time was not on Eden's side.

Tomorrow was the day of the final battle, and he wasn't entirely sure he could win.

After all, the enemy had a Chaos-spawned embryo, nearly ready to be born.

This battle would be a life-or-death struggle.

If he lost...

He would lose his only territory, the millions of followers who served as his fuel, and possibly even his mortal body.

After that, he would have no choice but to slink away into the Warp.

He would become a weak, low-level god, with no potential for growth.

That was something Eden absolutely could not accept.

If only there were a faster way to gather hope points...

As Eden pondered this, a brilliant idea struck him.

He immediately summoned Bayev and gave him the order:

"Announce the final battle to the entire King's Court. Tell them the reasons behind this war and our determination to win. Tomorrow, all families and friends—everyone—is welcome to see off our soldiers as they march to battle!"

When the sun rose, the King's Court's Royal Guard, Defense Forces, and Enforcer units gathered at the Holy Square, ready for deployment.

All combat forces would be mobilized.

Soon, Eden, clad in golden power armor, stood before his soldiers.

He looked out at them, giving his final pre-battle speech:

"Citizens of Urth!

The enemy's claws have reached our home, seeking to destroy everything we hold dear! Now is the time to fight, my unyielding warriors!

You stand in the light of the God-Emperor, your courage burning as bright as the stars! Let us raise our weapons high and defend our homeland..."

His powerful voice boomed through the mechanical speakers, inspiring the soldiers in the square and resonating throughout the King's Court.

At the end of his speech, Eden drew his power sword and raised it high, its blade instantly igniting with flames!

"For the God-Emperor, victory is ours!"

"Victory! Victory! Victory!"

The soldiers roared, their blood boiling with passion!

"Move out!"

With the motivational speech over, Eden immediately gave the order to march.

As assault ships took off, ground forces began moving as well.

The Defense Forces' armored tanks and combat machines led the way, followed by the main combat units of the Defense Forces and Enforcers. At the rear were artillery and long-range sniper squads.

They moved down the main road of the King's Court, heading toward the Hoffman family's territory.

The people of the district had already heard the news of the final battle.

The sudden announcement shocked everyone.

The King's Court had only just restored its food supplies, and things were starting to prosper.

How had it come to a life-or-death battle against the Hoffman family so quickly?

And the Hoffman family had become terrifying heretics, aiming to kill everyone!

Though the people were frightened and worried, they had hope.

They hoped that under the leadership of the Governor, the King's Court could win this final battle.

That they could eradicate the heretics once and for all, so everyone could be freed from suffering.

Gradually, the citizens gathered.

They lined the sides of the main road, watching with anticipation as the soldiers marched away.

Family and friends of the soldiers called out their names, offering precious food or charms for protection.

Many others prayed in silence.

They prayed that the great God-Emperor would protect the soldiers of the King's Court and let them win the battle and return alive!

These soldiers carried the hopes of everyone!

This plan worked—hope was gathering!

Eden could clearly feel the hope surging in from the main road, and from all across the district!

The hope points rose to 950,000 and were still slowly increasing.

It still wasn't enough.

But there was no other way.

The final battle had already begun—he had to win!

The army would divide into three groups.

They would use their overwhelming numerical advantage to attack the Hoffman family from all sides, drawing their firepower.

Eden, meanwhile, would lead Carter and the Royal Guard aboard the largest assault ship.

Their mission was to find the source of the Chaos power and eliminate it before it fully manifested!

Half a day later...

When the King's Court's self-propelled artillery fired the first shot into the Hoffman family's territory, the entire upper hive erupted into the sound of battle.

All around, forces clashed as the fires of war spread.

The soldiers roared as they fired, their bullets and lasers cutting through enemy lines.

The self-propelled artillery thundered, bombarding the enemy's rear.

Armored tanks crashed through buildings, charging toward critical enemy targets.

Assault ships dodged the barrage of anti-air fire, dropping powerful bombs on enemy positions.

This... was the final battle!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 78: Sacrificing Everything for the Governor!

In the Hoffman family's mansion, the sounds of artillery boomed outside while screams echoed within. Blood spilled across the floor, pooling at Yusef's feet.

"Why are you doing this, child?"

Old Hoffman, a frail, white-haired elder in red robes, looked at Yusef, trembling with sadness in his eyes.

"To live up to your teachings..." Yusef replied emotionlessly.

Behind them, the slaughter continued.

Masked soldiers wielding blades butchered the members of the Hoffman family one by one, sealing their bodies in containers.

Old Hoffman sighed deeply.

Of course, he knew.

This was the child he had raised.

He had pinned his greatest hopes on Yusef, his fourteenth, illegitimate grandson.

To the point of using a data link to transfer the entire legacy of the Hoffman family into Yusef's mind when he was still an infant.

He had engraved the family's shameful three-thousand-year history into Yusef's consciousness.

By the time Yusef could walk, Old Hoffman was already teaching him the art of scheming, nurturing his ambition.

On Yusef's sixth birthday, Old Hoffman ordered him to brutally murder his best playmate, teaching him that the best heirs of the Hoffman family needed no emotions.

The only reason he lived was to erase the shame of the Hoffman family and claim the position that had eluded them for millennia.

Old Hoffman's education was successful.

Yusef had grown into exactly what he wanted: exceptional and ambitious.

Through a series of calculated schemes and bloodshed, Yusef had risen to become the head of the Hoffman family, launching a revenge campaign against the Grant family with notable success.

The price was the deaths of dozens of family members, including several of Old Hoffman's grandchildren and Yusef's father, his eldest son.

But Old Hoffman believed it was all worth it.

Revenge always came with pain and despair, that was the price.

Under Yusef's leadership, the Hoffman family would achieve vengeance and rise to new heights!

But over time, things began to exceed Old Hoffman's expectations.

Yusef's desire for revenge was far stronger than he had imagined—he was willing to pay any price.

To avenge the Hoffman family, Yusef had even turned to Chaos, using his own sister's body as a vessel to nurture a Chaos embryo.

He had slaughtered the peasants under Hoffman's rule to feed the growing Chaos creature.

While difficult to accept, Old Hoffman could endure it if it meant success.

But now, Yusef planned to sacrifice the entire Hoffman family, including himself, to the cursed Chaos creature!

That price was too high for Old Hoffman.

If the Hoffman family no longer existed, what was the point of revenge?

Looking at Yusef, the heir he had placed all his hopes on, Old Hoffman suddenly felt a twinge of regret.

He had created a monster, and the cost had been unbearable.

"Do it…"

As the cries of his kin fell silent, Old Hoffman quietly accepted his fate.

Thrust!

Yusef stabbed Old Hoffman in the chest.

It was the same knife Yusef had used years ago to slowly torment his best friend to death.

Old Hoffman coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth.

With a final look of expectation in his eyes, he gave Yusef his final instruction:

"Child, don't let our sacrifice be in vain…"

If everything was now beyond saving, then they would offer the lives of every Hoffman to strike the fiercest blow against the Grant family!

This was Old Hoffman's final thought.

As long as Yusef succeeded, his life's efforts would not have been wasted.

Old Hoffman would not have failed!

By the time Yusef pulled out the knife, Old Hoffman had taken his last breath.

"The old fool… I'm Yusef. How could I ever lose?"

Yusef muttered, tears streaming down his face.

But they were tears of excitement.

He trembled with anticipation.

Today, once he sacrificed the blood and bones of the Hoffman family to complete the ritual, the offspring of the Thousand-Eyed Master would descend!

Yusef gave the order for all combat units to hold off the King's Court forces at any cost.

He only needed a little more time.

Once the ritual was complete, the Grant family—and everyone in the King's Court—would die!

"Come on, boys! Attack!

Kill those damned cyborgs!"

On the Hoffman family's second line of defense, gunfire and explosions echoed.

Arye stood atop a damaged armored tank, wielding a massive, customized machine gun, raining bullets on the enemy.

Shell casings piled up like a mountain around him.

Seeing the enemy suppressed, Arye charged forward, leading his troops in an all-out assault.

As always, Arye led the charge through a hailstorm of bullets.

Rounds whizzed by, but none hit him.

This was the legendary Arye, blessed by the God-Emperor, the Unkillable One who always led the charge!

As Arye and his men surged forward, the Hoffman soldiers fell one after another.

Though the Hoffman soldiers had undergone nerve modifications and showed no fear of death, they were no match for the King's Court forces, who held both numerical and technological superiority.

Especially when it came to equipment.

The soldiers of the King's Court were armed with advanced laser rifles, which outperformed the Hoffman family's outdated weapons in both speed and accuracy.

However, halfway through the advance, something terrible happened.

The Hoffman soldiers injected themselves with a special Chaos serum, transforming into monstrous abominations.

These creatures charged at Arye's Defense Forces, tearing through one soldier after another!

"Damn heretics!"

Arye roared, rushing into a swarm of monsters to save one of his men.

But just as a monster lunged at him, a blast from an energy cannon vaporized it.

"Damn slippery kid, you finally showed up," Arye spat.

It was Kaes, leading his long-range sniper squad.

They were armed with the latest energy cannons developed by Sage Moss, powerful and precise, though their slow charging speed limited them to support roles.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Arye launched an assault on the monsters, with his men following suit.

They had to use their bodies to hold off the abominations, allowing the sniper squad to lock on and take them out.

No one backed down; this was a battle they couldn't afford to lose. Their home was right behind them.

And their sacrifices would not be in vain.

They would be honored as war heroes, their names etched onto the stone beneath the God-Emperor's feet as symbols of loyalty.

Their families would be cared for, and their children would have the chance to enter the Loyalist Academy.

They would give everything for the Governor!

The soldiers used their bodies to block the monsters, giving the sniper squad time to lock on and blow both monsters and men to pieces.

Similar scenes were playing out everywhere.

The King's Court forces continued to push forward, gradually breaching the Hoffman family's third line of defense.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of anti-aircraft cannons fired, blowing up assault ships one after another.

With the decoy drones' help, Eden's assault ship finally broke through the anti-air defenses, reaching the core of the Hoffman family's territory!

(End of Chapter)