According to the Adeptus Mechanicus's estimates, the vast galaxy contains 400 billion stars and nearly 100 billion planets. To date, the Imperium of Man's territory spans approximately 100,000 light-years, with millions of worlds subjugated to the Emperor's rule.
However, these worlds are not interconnected; communication can only be established through the Warp.
Once an incident occurs, these worlds lose contact with the Imperium.
It takes a long time for them to be rediscovered.
There's also another possibility: they might never be found again.
In the vast galaxy, too many places are outside human control.
Many Xenos empires are hidden in these places humans have never set foot in.
Among them, some Xenos empires are discovered by the Imperium due to certain events and are swiftly destroyed and eradicated.
The creatures on those planets are exterminated, and the environment is transformed to be suitable for human habitation.
Hundreds of years later, once the ecological transformation is complete, a group of Imperial citizens will be relocated to the planet, achieving substantive control.
However, there are also some Xenos races that, from their birth to their destruction, were never discovered by the Imperium.
The galaxy is truly too vast, with too many areas humans have never explored.
After the fall of their homeworld, the Qiqandi have been active in the Void Land, an area beyond the Imperium's control.
The Hunter Demon Battle Group's fleet concluded its long Warp journey, traversing turbulent storms to arrive at the Kreitai Bay Area, as described by the Xenos mercenary, Kilke.
Accompanied by a strange sense of distortion, numerous warships bearing the double-headed eagle emblem entered Reality.
The warships switched to conventional power engines, flying at sub-light speed through the void towards their destination.
Soon, a massive fortress marked 'Void Land' appeared within the detection range of the warships' bird's-eye view instrument.
After the fall of their homeworld, the Qiqandi have been drifting aimlessly through the stars, wandering everywhere, becoming a nomadic race.
Currently, they are staying in a void fortress called Void Land.
Void Land is an ancient void artifact, comparable in size to a small asteroid.
Its past history and information about its creators have long since been lost to the river of history with the passage of time.
The Xenos races residing and traveling here are merely transient visitors, not its true masters.
Numerous strangely shaped warships hovered around Void Land, which had already become a marketplace for various races to communicate and trade.
They brought goods or slaves from all over the galaxy, trading here using Imperial currency or directly bartering.
Soon, these Xenos discovered the Imperial fleet sailing towards Void Land, immediately causing great panic.
"Humans, humans are coming."
"It's an entire fleet, run!"
"The Destroyer God's minions are here."
"May the Gods protect us."
Someone screamed in terror, then packed their belongings and fled in a hurry. One Xenos vessel after another set sail at top speed, accelerating, trying to leave Void Land.
They sailed towards the vast, boundless deep space.
There, they would open a Warp entrance and use Immaterium to escape the Destroyer God's minions.
Many warships collided with each other during their escape, causing accidents, but they didn't bother to assign blame, only accelerating their escape.
"It seems we're not welcome."
Zigman looked at the tactical projection showing the panicked Xenos vessels fleeing, a speechless expression on his face.
Look how scared these guys are!
"Didn't they say humans have a hard time surviving in the galaxy? Xenos races always want to enslave humans."
Don't Eat Beef also poked his head over, looking at the projection with a curious expression.
"To be honest, among many races, your human reputation is much worse than that of the Gods."
Kilke's explanation made Zigman, Don't Eat Beef, and other Players show curious expressions.
"Why do you say that?" Bai Lang asked, puzzled.
"In your view, there are four Chaos Gods in the galaxy, but for most races, there are five Chaos Gods," Kilke said.
"Five? Nurgle, Tzeentch, Khorne, Slaanesh, and who else?" Bai Lang counted on his fingers while reciting the names of the four Chaos Gods one by one.
Kilke, hearing Bai Lang's words, his brown fish-like face twitched with fear.
How dare this guy call out the names of the Gods directly?
Such foolish behavior could attract the attention of the Gods!
"Don't call out the names of the Gods directly," Kilke warned, his voice filled with dread.
"Why?" Bai Lang looked puzzled, and as he spoke, he even started singing an off-key tune.
"Khorne, Khorne, is a big simpleton, brainless, only knows how to chop, chop, chop."
Kilke: "..."
These guys are truly born rebels!
The more you tell them not to do something, the more enthusiastic they become!
Inquisitor Rostov's expression also changed slightly.
The God Chosen have no reverence for the Gods; as expected, they are the loyal ones personally chosen by the Emperor.
"Besides the four Gods we know, there is one more God." Kilke interrupted Bai Lang, not wanting him to continue uttering blasphemous words about the Gods.
After all, these humans can provoke the Gods, but the Qiqandi cannot.
If the Gods can't punish these God Chosen, and instead turn to punish them, that would be an undeserved calamity.
Humans have the Emperor's protection; the Qiqandi do not.
If the Gods are displeased, they will be finished.
"And this last God is your Emperor, whom other Xenos races are accustomed to calling the Destroyer God."
"And you are considered the Destroyer God's minions."
The galaxy has five Chaos Gods, and among them, the most terrifying Chaos God is the Emperor.
As for the other Chaos Gods, even if targeted,
if one exerts all their strength, there's a possibility of defeating the opponent and achieving victory.
But once targeted by the Imperium of Man, there is no other option but to flee.
Even if one exerts all strength to defeat the invading human army, it's futile.
The Imperium of Man will invade again and again,
and the scale of the army will become increasingly exaggerated until all resistance is completely crushed.
For this reason, in the eyes of many Xenos races, the Imperium of Man is the embodiment of destruction, the minions of the Destroyer God.
Preferring to provoke the Chaos Gods rather than humans has become the survival strategy for many races.
Before the rise of humanity, the galaxy was indeed chaotic, but many races also worshipped the Chaos Gods.
After humanity's rise, the worship of the Chaos Gods was swept away,
and many Xenos races were exterminated.
Worshipping the Chaos Gods is a path of no return; once embarked upon, there is no possibility of turning back.
Ultimately, the entire race will be unrecognizable.
But waging war with the Imperium of Man is an absolute dead end.
On the first day of discovery by humans, on the second day, an Imperial fleet will arrive to'send warmth.'
This is also why Void Land fell into chaos.
Such a massive human fleet,
whoever doesn't run must be out of their mind.
"So that's how it is." Bai Lang showed an expression of sudden realization. "So, should we fire a few shots?"
"Forget it, this time, we don't have the mission of eradicating other Xenos empires." Zigman shook his head. "Let these guys go. The galaxy is so big, humans can't monopolize it."
"What a pity, I thought we could reap a harvest." Don't Eat Beef expressed some regret.
Kilke, hearing this, clicked his tongue in his heart.
If they wanted to reap a harvest, these Xenos merchants trading in Void Land would probably suffer heavy casualties!
"Please allow me to contact my kin." Kilke thought of something and requested Inquisitor Rostov.
"Otherwise, they might panic and flee out of fear."
"Go ahead." Inquisitor Rostov looked at Zigman. After he nodded, he handed the communication authority to Kilke, allowing him to use the ship's communication system to contact his kin.
"Run!"
"The devils are coming."
Terrified screams echoed throughout Void Land. The residents here cried and fled, fearing that if they ran too slowly, they would be massacred by the Imperium of Man.
Those walking bipedal apes are too terrifying.
They issue extermination orders at the drop of a hat, and if you dare to resist, they immediately issue an enhanced extermination order.
Just showing the Aquila emblem and telling stories of the Imperium of Man can scare little children into stunned silence, afraid to cry out.
The Qiqandi had originally planned to run too.
After all, such a large-scale human fleet,
a few rounds of macro-cannon broadsides could send them to meet the Gods.
As they boarded their ships and prepared to set sail, they received a communication from Kilke.
"They are here to help us reclaim our homeland."
When the Qiqandi elders received this message, they were completely bewildered.
The Imperium of Man is coming to help them reclaim their homeland!
Is this the kind of reclamation where they lead the way, find their homeworld, and then both they and the invaders are eliminated together?
The Qiqandi were all in a state of unease.
Humanity's fearsome reputation preceded them; countless races had been exterminated.
Cooperating with the Imperium of Man, let alone reclaiming their homeland, whether they could even save their own lives was an unknown!
But at Kilke's repeated insistence, the elders still agreed to a meeting and talks.
However, for safety's sake, they put forward several demands:
First: The Imperial fleet is not allowed to approach Void Land too closely. Second: The meeting must take place on a ship they designate.
Third: Neither side is allowed to carry weapons.
In addition to these demands, the elders also had a portion of their kin board ships beforehand, preparing for evacuation.
No one could guarantee what terrible things humans might do!
If they were to renege on their word and launch an attack,
the Qiqandi fleet would definitely not last two rounds before being completely destroyed.
"We agree to all the conditions you've proposed."
Zigman weighed the options and finally agreed to the conditions put forward by the Qiqandi.
Subsequently, arrangements were made for the meeting between the two sides.
Zigman and Inquisitor Rostov, as negotiating representatives,
went to meet with several elders of the Qiqandi to discuss the specific details of the cooperation.
"I never thought that one day, we would actually have to help a group of Xenos re-establish their nation."
Inquisitor Rostov, as an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos,
had spent his entire life dealing with Xenos.
Of course, during this time, they also cooperated with Xenos, employing Xenos members with special abilities.
But he always upheld a bottom line: not allowing Xenos races any opportunity to grow stronger.
As long as he believed that the actions of Xenos would cause harm to the Imperium, he would eliminate them without hesitation.
But now, the God Chosen were going to assist a Xenos race in reclaiming their homeworld.
He had always thought himself quite the Heretic,
but now it seemed his level of heresy was not even one ten-thousandth of that of the God Chosen.
"Times are changing, Inquisitor," Zigman said. "We cannot cling to old ways of thinking. The Emperor, if He knew, would not object."
"According to records, the Emperor would not tolerate the existence of Xenos," Rostov said. "During the Great Crusade, the most Xenos were exterminated."
"No matter how many Xenos were exterminated, some races passed the review and could coexist with the Imperium of Man," Bai Lang said. "The Emperor had zero tolerance for religion, even going so far as to deal with His own sons for it."
"If it were according to the Emperor's original vision, every single member of the Ecclesiarchy would be dragged to the stake."
"Let's change the topic!" Rostov felt that such a topic was too sensitive.
Questioning the legitimacy of the Ecclesiarchy?
Even an Inquisitor couldn't withstand the retaliation of fanatical believers!
If he expressed doubts today, the next day, the Adeptus Arbites would find his corpse.
The Inquisition could apprehend suspected Ecclesiarchy members,
but questioning the legitimacy of the Ecclesiarchy would inevitably lead to catastrophic consequences.
"So, don't always apply the Emperor's past ideals and methods to the present. Many things have changed, and we must also learn to change."
While chatting, Zigman and Rostov took a transport ship, leading the negotiation team to the meeting place decided by the Qiqandi elders. The meeting place was very simple.
Neither side carried weapons, and they walked into the venue, mutually wary.
The elders of the Qiqandi tribe looked similar to Kilke.
They were walking barrel-shaped bipedal creatures with four arms, bodies covered in mottled brown skin, and fish-like heads.
They had flat noses, two rows of sharp teeth, and large, flat feet with membranes between their toes.
"Welcome," the leading Qiqandi elder bowed to Zigman, Rostov, and the others.
Rostov stepped forward.
As an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos, he had extensive experience in negotiating with Xenos.
"We are also pleased that you are willing to sit down and talk. I presume Kilke has already explained the whole situation to you."
"We will assist you in reclaiming your homeland, and in return, you will provide us with clues to the Old Ones' ruins."
Through the efforts of Inquisitor Rostov,
the Imperium of Man and the Qiqandi tribe reached an agreement.
The Imperium would help the Qiqandi tribe reclaim their homeland and allow them to maintain sovereignty over the star system where their home world was located.
The two sides would sign a peace treaty.
The Qiqandi tribe would not engage in activities to subvert the Imperium of Man and would not harbor traitors or Xenos creatures who resisted the Imperium.
In return, the Imperium of Man would grant the Qiqandi tribe normal vassal rights, allowing them to conduct legitimate commercial activities within the Imperium's territory.
The two sides quickly reached an agreement on various issues and planned to send troops to reclaim the Qiqandi tribe's home world.
However, the Qiqandi elders still had not let go of all their wariness towards humans.
They divided their people into two: one part would go deep into the Void Land to await news, and the other part would return to their home world with the Imperium of Man.
After reaching the agreement, the fleet set sail for the Qiqandi tribe's home world, Alvin.
After a week-long journey through the Warp, the Imperial fleet arrived at its destination.
Accompanied by the twisting and flashing of the Void Land, the massive fleet entered the Reality universe through a ripped Warp rift.
As the Warp rift closed, the warships shut down their Geller Field, activated their Void Shields, and engaged their conventional engines for propulsion.
With bright light erupting from the sterns of the warships, they sailed towards the fog-shrouded Alvin World.
The auspex continuously expanded its scanning range and eventually discovered some Xenos warships and space stations above Alvin World's orbit.
"Those are Nuwu Yao warships. Their military strength is even greater than when they invaded Alvin World."
Kilke identified the warships from the tactical projection.
The Nuwu Yao were the race that invaded Alvin and drove the Qiqandi tribe from their home world.
According to intelligence provided by the Qiqandi tribe, the Nuwu Yao were one-eyed amphibious humanoids,
a race that worshipped the Chaos Gods and specialized in using psychic powers.
The Nuwu Yao had huge barrel-shaped chests, short but powerful legs ending in three-toed clawed feet, and long, strong arms that almost reached the ground.
Their bodies were broad and robust, with powerful muscles hidden beneath a layer of surface fat, which made them appear soft.
They had large, hairless heads with loose, potato-like surfaces and a single amber or milky-white eye without a pupil.
They possessed a strong and powerful tail, and their fur was smooth and tough, ranging in color from light green to light olive green.
"Followers of the Gods?" Zigman showed a playful expression, then turned to the captain and gave an order, "Open fire. Quickly eliminate these pawns of the Gods' void forces, then let us land and cleanse the surface."
In orbit above Alvin World,
Xie Er, the overall commander, watched the arrival of the Imperial fleet, his face pale, almost collapsing to the ground.
"How did the Imperium of Man find us?"
No Nuwu Yao could answer the overall commander's question; their faces were all filled with terror.
Xenos races discovered by humans, without exception, would encounter extremely terrible things.
"It seems there are some fish-headed race's sailboats in the Imperium of Man's fleet. They must have led the humans here."
A scholar stepped forward and stated what he saw and his conjecture.
"Fish-headed race, how dare they! Although we took their home world, they shouldn't cooperate with humans, should they?"
Xie Er's lips trembled, hating the Qiqandi tribe.
They had already given them a way out, so why did they still turn to humans?!
Didn't they know how terrifying humans were?
"What should we do now?" A Nuwu Yao asked.
"Immediately issue a warning," Xie Er said. "Tell all cities to activate their magic arrays and prepare to deal with these pawns of the world-destroying gods. Nuwu Yao civilization is built on the application of psychic powers."
If classified by the Players, this race is a very typical magic civilization.
The military strength of the Nuwu Yao tribe surged,
also because after the Great Rift opened, the Aetheric Winds became stronger,
and the Nuwu Yao tribe benefited from this, gaining stronger military power.
War erupted in the Void Land,
human warships forged from steel fired torpedoes and missiles the size of cargo containers, as well as beams of light that illuminated the Void Land.
Xenos warships forged from unknown crystals fired beams of light imbued with strange, equally deadly power.
Both sides exchanged blows in the Void Land, attempting to send each other to hell.
Occasionally, explosions would appear in the Void Land, and huge ships would disintegrate.
"How are these Xenos ships flying?!"
Bai Lang looked at the crystal warships and sailboats in the Void Land battlefield through the observation window, his tone surprised.
The Nuwu Yao tribe's warships completely defied the laws of physics, yet they could travel and fight in the Void Land.
"The Warhammer Universe is idealistic; as long as they believe they can fly, they can fly," Don't Eat Beef said. "Look at their ships, they look exactly like the warships of magic civilizations in fantasy novels."
"Indeed, very similar. However, Warhammer 40k is a big hodgepodge, with Cthulhu, the Foundation, it's not strange to stitch in some fantasy elements," Zigman also commented.
"Playing Warhammer 40k is really cost-effective. It's just one game, but it feels like playing a dozen games!" Bai Lang laughed.
Inquisitor Rostov and his servants, standing by, exchanged bewildered glances.
They couldn't understand the conversation of the God Chosen.
Even if they tried to record these words with equipment,
all they would get was a jumble of garbled text.
Just as the Players were chatting excitedly,
a priest walked over and bowed to Bai Lang and the other Players,
"Respected God Chosen, the enemy's command center has been locked."
Zigman nodded, "Then tell the Teleportation Hall to prepare. We are going to board and finish this quickly."
With the strength of the Imperial fleet, winning the void battle was only a matter of time,
but Zigman still decided to board to hasten the end of the campaign.
When Zigman and the other Players arrived at the Teleportation Hall, the relevant equipment had been activated and was emitting a low hum.
"Initiate teleportation immediately," Zigman said to the Tech-Priest in charge of the Teleportation Hall.
As soon as he finished speaking, the humming of the many devices suddenly intensified,
and brilliant light enveloped them.
With the flash of teleportation and the distortion of the surrounding environment,
the next second, the Players appeared inside the enemy's command center.
The strangely shaped Nuwu Yao were astonished to see the humans appear and stood frozen in place.
It wasn't until the Players pulled the triggers of their boltguns,
and the roaring bolter rounds tore through several armored Nuwu Yao, that they finally reacted.
"Protect the overall commander!"
Well-equipped Nuwu Yao Imperial Guard, wielding staves, immediately formed ranks,
shielding Xie Er, the overall commander, behind them.
Every member of the Imperial Guard was a top-tier mage proficient in both magic and combat, with formidable individual combat power.
The Imperial Guard jointly cast powerful psychic spells, summoning terrifying lightning and flames, attempting to crush the boarding human forces. However, the unleashed flames and lightning dissipated in the air just as they were about to reach these humans.
"What's going on?"
A Nuwu Yao sorcerer showed a look of surprise.
Before he could figure out the reason, those armored humans approached them with ghostly speed and swung the blades in their hands.
Then, he felt a pain in his neck, and everything around him began to spin. A headless corpse appeared in his field of vision, blood spurting, still holding his favorite staff.
"Was I beheaded?"
The Nuwu Yao sorcerer belatedly realized what had happened,
but before he could think further, a strange roar sounded in his ears,
and his soul was dragged into the Warp, falling into boundless hell.
"For the Emperor!"
Bai Lang shouted, stepping over the headless corpse and pouncing on the next Xenos.