Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 606

Chapter 604, Parasitic Infection

Before the parasite infection, Gu Hang insisted on waiting for a shipbuilding cycle because the Alliance’s war potential surpassed the Iron Armor, a fact that could not be changed. This prevailing trend gave Gu Hang confidence. No matter what happened outside, he remained unmoved, ensuring strategic fortitude.

However, strategic fortitude doesn’t mean having a plan, or simply insisting on it regardless of any changes in the situation.

The issue of war potential must be reassessed due to the arrival of new intelligence.

Considering the Zerg swarm, who could dare to deny the Iron Armor, which was expanding across the Magrayne Sector?

After receiving Gu Hang’s warning, the Empire panicked. They were sending personnel to verify the accuracy of the intelligence and to ensure it wasn’t just Gu Hang’s nonsense. Both the Martian and Holy Terra governments were en route to meet with Sebastian Moreau.

But honestly, sending envoys wasn’t crucial. The journey was long, and even if they hurried, it would take a year to arrive. Waiting until confirmation was complete before taking action would likely mean the opportunity was lost.

This intelligence confirmation was only important once Gu Hang was proven to be lying. Now, all parties in the Empire had to act according to the accuracy of Gu Hang’s intelligence.

The most significant development was the reinforcement of the northern front. The Inquisition, originally only joining in the fun, offering assistance, had now taken a keen interest. They dispatched more Argent Watch and a treasure trove of anti-Zerg technology to reinforce the front lines, escorted by numerous Inquisitors and Stormtroopers.

The main focus was on strengthening the northern offensive, hoping to help Marshal Mathieu Leroy quickly eliminate the Zerg swarm there and formally launch the offensive against the Ironclad’s core areas.

Simultaneously, a large number of their personnel were moving to the Magere Sector to investigate and perhaps even prevent the Ironclad Chapter from unleashing the Zerg swarm there, devouring worlds one by one, as Gu Hang had speculated.

The Sun Fleet, which had been assembling, finally set off. Some ships hadn’t arrived yet, and some Astra Militarum legions weren’t fully staffed, but the situation had reached this point, and there was no time to wait.

They halted their assembly and hastily set out for the Tianwang Realm, continuing to secure the connection between the Tianwang Realm and the Spider Realm while also launching an attack on the Magre Realm. With follow-up troops still en route, they would have to replenish their forces later.

Honestly, it was a risky decision,

but fortunately, nothing bad happened.

Lu Salilius, Captain of the Ortopis Chapter, personally led the team in opening the astral tunnel from the Tianwang Realm to the Magre Realm. The Ironclad Chapter had indeed captured this area first, but their remaining forces were insufficient, and even the two worlds connecting the tunnel had not yet been fully pacified by the Ironclad. Under the Ortopis Chapter’s powerful attack, they were quickly repelled.

Chapter Captain Salilius then further dispersed his forces, seizing control of dozens of worlds around the astral tunnel connecting to Tianwang, striving to establish a strategic buffer zone and provide a relatively secure base for the entire force.

At the same time, they also dispatched ground forces into these worlds. The Inquisitors of the Anti-Xenophobic Order were particularly crucial. They needed to assess whether the surfaces of these planets had been invaded by the Zerg.

The truth was, they had.

They found signs of Zerg corruption on nearly every world.

This was extremely dire news, and even Gu Hang, mentally prepared, was still devastated.

Had even the worlds of the Magre Realm near Tianwang been infected? The Ironclad Chapter had only recently arrived on these worlds! Their actions were far too swift.

Even more worrying was that if even these outlying areas were affected, what about the worlds already captured by the Ironclad? Or even the core strongholds like the Princess Realm?

Of course, one couldn’t just assume the worst. Amidst this bad news, there’s a relatively bright spot: the corruption on these worlds isn’t too severe. It’s generally just cults fostered by Iron Armor, or organizations using the Imperial State Religion as a cover to secretly spread the Zerg’s corruption. Zerg eggs parasitize humans, breeding symbiotic parasites that alter their physical form and, ultimately, their minds.

Those infected are essentially hopeless, and they’ll spread the disease further, infecting even more people.

Fortunately, the number of infections is relatively small, and manageable.

The worst-hit worlds were simply overrun with infestations, with several Void Zerg digesters and incubation tanks hidden beneath hives and in the mountains and jungles, producing a number of Zerg armies.

But even on the worst-hit worlds, at least the local political institutions remained functioning. After the Ironclads were driven out and the Empire nominally reclaimed these worlds, the local forces, supported by the Empire and especially by the Inquisition, understood the true nature of the so-called sects that the Ironclads had previously suppressed and refused to deal with. Fearing their impending fate, they also launched self-rescue operations. Local forces

rallied, with Imperial forces as the guide and vanguard, local defense forces as the backbone, and the primary goal of a nationwide fight against the Zerg infestation. A massive global operation was launched.

After receiving this intelligence, Gu Hang breathed a sigh of relief.

Captain Lu Salilius of the Ortopis Chapter was a reliable and clear-headed man.

Gu Hang feared that with such a top-tier Space Marine as their commander, they would become insane. Many Space Marines believe themselves above mortals, unconcerned with them, single-mindedly focused on annihilating the Imperium’s enemies. As a result, when it comes to actual action, they’re impulsive and muddled, leading to disastrous outcomes.

Fortunately, Salilius isn’t like that.

His approach aligns perfectly with Gu Hang’s.

To combat the corruption of the Zerg, both strong and weak, and prevent the swarm from ultimately devouring entire worlds, the Imperial Central Army can’t rely solely on its strength.

If that were the case, even with thousands of worlds in a single region, dispersed forces would be a drop in the bucket and incapable of solving the problem.

The only way to have a chance of victory is to mobilize the indigenous forces of these worlds, making the inhabitants aware of their existential crisis and inspiring them to fight on their own.

The Central Army’s primary mission is to drive out the Ironclad forces, end their occupation, and prevent them from suppressing any attempts by the Ironclads to defend themselves.

Secondly, they must address stubborn resistance and facilitate the local resistance.

Simultaneously, they must provide substantial supplies and support to the indigenous forces on each world, strengthening their capacity to resist.

Seeing that Salilius was doing well in all these areas, Gu Hang felt relieved.

In fact, he was prepared to do the same.

The Alliance’s army had already entered the Jingjie and Alfonzo star regions.

With this, Gu Hang finally ended his previously maintained strategic fortitude.

Even though the shipbuilding cycle in the rear was almost complete, he couldn’t wait any longer.

Every time a world was taken sooner, there would be fewer Zerg swarms to face in the future.

(End of this chapter)