[Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor] Chapter 118/119 (Patreon)

As Eden hesitated, the last foraging party of the void survivor tribe returned, armed with crude spears.

"Father!"

Tia ran excitedly to hug the robust man leading the group.

The elderly shaman approached him and asked:

"Duke, did you find the fungal clusters?"

Duke shook his head.

"We searched farther than ever before, but it's as if the fungi have vanished entirely.

The cursed creatures are growing more numerous. We barely made it back alive..."

Hearing this, the shaman sighed in despair.

Duke, however, clenched his fists, his resolve unshaken.

"After we resupply, we'll venture even farther until we find the fungi!"

Tia grabbed Duke's hand, her voice brimming with pride:

"Father, you don't need to risk your life anymore. I've found the deity!

He will take us to paradise, where no one will ever go hungry again."

She turned to Eden, her gaze filled with hope.

"Isn't that right, great deity?"

Duke noticed Eden standing on the platform and gasped.

"Great deity, is this true?"

Realizing he might have offended the divine, Duke quickly lowered his gaze, swallowing his words.

Eden hesitated, uneasy under Tia's expectant gaze.

The truth was that he planned to lead the void survivors not to paradise but into battle.

As Eden remained silent, Tia's eyes began to glisten with tears, as if the deity had refused to grant them salvation.

"Great deity..."

The elderly shaman trembled as he knelt before Eden.

"You see it yourself—the fungi are disappearing, and we've starved for far too long. If you don't save us, we will all perish from famine."

Faced with their pleading eyes, Eden hesitated before deciding to reveal the truth—albeit with careful phrasing.

He told the void survivors that paradise had been invaded by dreadful demons.

He had come to find powerful warriors to help him repel these invaders.

Eden also explained the risks of this battle, warning them that many might perish.

The void survivors erupted with fervor.

Wielding their spears, they vowed to fight for paradise.

The paradise they had dreamed of for generations could not be allowed to fall to demons.

"Great deity, we are willing to fight the demons!"

"Yes, we'll fight!"

"Kill those accursed demons!"

For these void survivors, battle was a way of life. They had fought endlessly against Chaos creatures to protect their tribe and gather food.

Combat was etched into their very blood.

Seeing their indomitable spirit, Eden agreed to lead them to paradise, promising them plentiful food and superior weapons and armor.

When Eden consented to guide them, the void survivors wept with joy, their long-awaited prophecy finally fulfilled.

They would journey to the paradise they had dreamed of for generations!

After gathering their belongings and families, the void survivors assembled.

Eden used his Hope Energy to open a Warp portal leading to Urth.

Full of hope, the void survivors stepped through the gateway to paradise.

As the portal closed, over 20,000 void survivors found themselves standing in the Holy Plaza of the King's Court.

They marveled at the magnificent buildings surrounding them, adorned with the timeless beauty of Imperial architecture.

When they saw the towering golden statue of the Emperor, they were awestruck.

"This is the deity's statue!"

The void survivors knelt in reverence, praising the miracle before them.

It was natural for them to mistake the Emperor's statue for Eden's likeness.

After all, when the statue was restored, Eden had instructed Bayev to slightly adjust the face to resemble his own.

Eden ordered the logistics team to treat the void survivors with utmost hospitality, providing them with the finest food.

He then headed to the military office to review the battle plans.

Upon arriving, Eden received good news:

Webby had successfully calculated a route through the tunnels!

It was an abandoned and concealed passage, minimizing the chances of detection by the Genestealers.

"Father, I did great, didn't I?"

Webby beamed with pride, seeking praise.

Having spent so much time interacting with Kaul, Moss, and the tech-priests, it was becoming more human-like every day.

"You did amazing! Truly my precious little helper!"

Eden praised it wholeheartedly.

A war council was soon convened, attended by Eden, Bayev, Webby, Carter, Arye, Kaes, Kaul, Doni, and Duke, who represented the void survivors.

The council decided to select 3,000 of the strongest void survivor warriors for the operation.

With extensive discussions and calculations led by Webby, the final battle plan was established.

Eden approved the plan to launch a decapitation strike targeting the Genestealer Patriarch.

The King's Court assembled an elite force of 2,000 Guards and 3,000 void survivor warriors, fully armed by Kaul.

In the tunnels:

"Warriors, move out!"

As the massive iron gates of the tunnel district creaked open, Eden, clad in his modified golden power armor, led over 5,000 troops into the dark passageways under the cover of night.

They would navigate the calculated route to the underhive, striking the heart of the Genestealer lair.

The mission was to execute the Patriarch before the Genestealers could muster their horde.

Failure would mean being surrounded by millions of Genestealers, leaving no escape.

The beacon was already lit.

The Tyranid fleet could arrive at any moment—be it years or mere days.

This desperate gambit to slay the Patriarch was Urth's only chance of survival.

For many, this battle would be a one-way trip.

In the underhive:

The district was a sea of revelry.

The Genestealers and their cultists held grand gatherings, embracing, sharing food and drink, and celebrating without restraint.

The offspring of the Genestealers and their followers indulged in brazen acts in the open.

In one corner of the hive, Gallia and his family joined the festivities.

Gallia had been told he no longer needed to fight on the frontlines and could now enjoy the final moments of salvation.

As people danced in the streets, Gallia and his wife Eve captivated everyone with their graceful movements.

After the dance, Eve held their young son, looking lovingly at Gallia as they cherished their family time.

"How wonderful… If only Eden were here too," Eve thought wistfully.

Under the cult's influence, the Genestealers and their followers firmly believed that the great Emperor would descend from the heavens to redeem the planet.

When that moment came, they would be freed from all suffering, achieving ultimate liberation.

For now, they smiled in blissful anticipation—

Ready to welcome the Day of Ascension.

(End of Chapter)

Aaahhh—

Screams of humans echoed through the vast, dim sewer chamber.

Crunch, crunch.

The four-armed Genestealer Patriarch, towering nearly five meters tall with a grotesquely protruding cranium, chewed on a cultist it had just picked up, blood dripping from its maw.

On the ground, several Genestealer cultists gazed fanatically at the monstrous being they worshipped.

The Patriarch required vast quantities of fresh blood daily to sustain its body, and the cultists were the ideal sustenance.

The High Priests, under the guise of serving the "great entity," regularly selected the most devout cultists to be offered as sacrifices.

The cultists even competed for this so-called honor.

Once chosen, they would fast for several days, cleanse themselves, and present themselves to the Patriarch.

After a few bites, the Patriarch spat out the half-eaten remains.

"Disgusting humans… absolutely vile!"

Its cold gaze swept over the groveling humans, filled with disdain.

These pitiful creatures were far from satisfying.

Suddenly, an idea crossed the Patriarch's twisted mind, and it broke into a sinister grin.

It released the cultists from its psychic control and induced overwhelming terror instead.

Freed from their mental illusions, the cultists now saw the Patriarch in its true, horrifying form.

They screamed and trembled, attempting to flee, but their legs buckled beneath them.

"This is what makes them delicious~"

The Patriarch grabbed another cultist and swallowed them whole, savoring the renewed taste of fear.

One cultist managed to crawl away, stumbling toward the exit.

But the Patriarch's spiked tail impaled him through the chest, lifting him into the air.

"How dare you flee in the presence of the great one?"

With a crushing grip, it turned the cultist into a gory pulp, disdainfully tossing the remains to the others.

It then flicked its tongue, snatching a blade from a nearby Genestealer guard and throwing it at the cultists' feet.

"I'll give you a chance to live.

Attack me or kill your comrades. Achieve either, and you may survive."

The Patriarch slouched back onto its rusted iron throne, lazily extending its tail toward the cultists, inviting their attack.

One cultist hesitated before picking up the blade. Summoning his courage, he raised it toward the tail.

But under the Patriarch's cold gaze, his resolve faltered, and he turned the blade on his fellow cultists instead.

The others scrambled to grab weapons, attacking each other in desperation.

The Patriarch watched its orchestrated bloodbath with amusement, reveling in the spectacle.

After a gruesome fight, only one burly cultist remained standing.

He trembled as he asked cautiously:

"Can… can I leave now?"

The Patriarch gestured dismissively, indicating he could go.

Relieved, the cultist dropped the blade and began to walk away.

But as soon as he turned, the Patriarch's barbed tongue pierced through his back, yanking him into its gaping maw.

Chewing loudly, it muttered through a mouthful of flesh:

"Foolish humans… I lied."

It delighted in its cruel joke.

Such cowardly and ignorant beings were only fit to be food.

After swallowing the remains, the Patriarch lounged back on its throne.

Suddenly, it snapped upright, its eyes gleaming with excitement.

"The Great Hive Mind has received the signal—they are coming!"

The arrival of the holy devourers signified the Day of Ascension.

It envisioned itself and all life on the planet— even the vile Chaos spawn—achieving divine unity.

Just as the Patriarch basked in its imagined glory—

Boom!

A massive explosion rocked the chamber, shaking the very foundations of the sewer.

Gunfire and artillery blasts erupted all around.

"Those damn humans… dare defy the holy union?"

The Patriarch roared with fury.

Using the Hive Mind, it issued a command to all nearby Genestealers:

"Kill every intruder!"

It also summoned reinforcements from distant sectors, determined to eliminate the threat and preserve the sanctity of the Day of Ascension.

The idea that the invaders could disrupt its plans? Laughable.

This planet was firmly under its control.

As its command spread through the Hive Mind, a purple tide surged through the underhive.

Millions of Genestealer warriors from surrounding districts converged on the chamber, while even larger forces prepared for war.

Above the sewer in the street district:

Fierce battles raged as Kaul, Arye, and Kaes led 2,000 warriors through the pipes to establish a defensive line.

Their task was to hold off the Genestealer forces converging on the surface.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several advancing Genestealer warriors fell under a hail of bullets.

"Fools! You'll never breach the mighty defenses I've constructed!"

Kaul, draped in his crimson robes, hovered above the battlefield on an anti-gravity platform.

His many mechanical arms, each equipped with different weapons, unleashed relentless firepower on the Genestealers below.

Suddenly, one of his mechanical limbs fired a cannon behind him, demolishing half a building and burying the Genestealer gunners inside.

Kaul's trusted servo-skull, heavily modified with advanced weaponry, led a swarm of lesser servo-skulls, raining laser fire down on wave after wave of Genestealers.

Kaul alone held the line on one front.

On the ground, Arye hefted a massive machine gun, unleashing a torrent of bullets on the enemy.

Kaes manned a small energy cannon, picking off the Genestealers' heavy artillery.

Though the surface district wasn't heavily populated by Genestealers initially, reinforcements began to pour in, increasing the pressure on Kaul's forces.

Some defenders started to fall.

"Hold the line!"

Arye roared, rallying his troops to fight even harder.

Governor Eden's orders were clear: they needed to hold the line for at least 15 minutes—or longer if possible.

Within the sewer tunnels:

Brutal close-quarters combat unfolded as 3,000 void survivor warriors blocked key passageways.

Their mission was to hold back the stronger first- and second-generation Genestealers.

Clad in alloy armor and wielding shields and spears, the void survivors fought fearlessly against the demonic xenos.

"Tribesmen, defend the beautiful paradise with your lives!"

Duke, standing at the front with a massive shield and spear, confronted the charging Genestealers.

Though fear gripped him momentarily, he steeled himself. He had vowed to fight to the death for paradise.

When the Genestealers reached him, Duke shut his eyes and bashed forward with his shield, sending several flying.

Following up with his spear, he swiftly dispatched those still on the ground.

Duke paused, astonished. These demons seemed weaker than the Chaos beasts he had fought before.

And with his new alloy armor, he felt even stronger.

"For paradise!"

His fear dissipated as Duke roared, charging into the Genestealer horde with newfound confidence.

The other void survivor warriors soon realized their own strength, crashing into the enemy ranks with increasing ferocity.

In the depths of the sewer chamber:

On the rusted iron throne, the Patriarch's face darkened.

The ambush was sudden and unexpected.

It sensed its defending forces being blocked, while the true invaders drew ever closer to its lair.

The battle had begun.

(End of Chapter)

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