Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 631

Chapter 629, Thunder Nation Flashes

. Gu Hang had also taken note of Ye Lishia’s troubles.

Furthermore, he was somewhat pessimistic about the overall situation.

The Alliance fleet wasn’t equipped with enough ground forces. Five army groups was already the limit, and that was because the fleet had brought in numerous large-bellied transport ships to ferry the troops.

They were already on the ground.

The Alliance Army could certainly deploy more troops, but they would need transport ships from the mainland. There

was certainly enough time, but the problem was, without a fleet escort and with Varuk’s ships still surrounding them, how could the transport ships possibly get through?

A forceful attack would be sheer disregard for the soldiers’ lives and a sheer act of suicide.

In other words, Ye Lishia’s available resources for dealing with the current ground situation were inherently limited.

In contrast, Varuk’s resources were relatively unlimited.

He could continuously mobilize troops from across the vast majority of the Alfonzo Sector, which he still controlled, and particularly from the two Forge Worlds.

The Alliance lacked the necessary forces to intercept them.

While their deployment was inconvenient, at least they had a means—relying on the space domain corresponding to the portion of the ground that had been captured.

There would undoubtedly be losses, such as being intercepted by Alliance ships,

but these losses were acceptable.

Furthermore, as the Alfonzo Cult deployed more troops, their influence would continue to grow. Those on the planet already siding with the Alfonzo Cult would become even more resolute, while those sitting on the fence would become increasingly vacillating.

If the Aramita Cult, controlled by Moreau, were ultimately overthrown and short-lived, and the entire planet were to revolt, the Alliance’s land forces on the planet would be caught in a vast sea of opposition from the local forces.

Even the most formidable Alliance army would be completely overwhelmed.

This scenario hasn’t happened yet, and even with Moreau’s repression and purges, it wouldn’t necessarily escalate to such a degree.

However, as long as the war situation doesn’t improve and the Alliance fails to show signs of victory, this scenario is bound to happen sooner or later.

The Space Marines’ participation in the war has alleviated these concerns.

They have recaptured some ground-based orbital gun fortresses.

With each capture, the Alliance’s ships gained a wider range of operations. Once all were captured, and the Alliance’s ships could blanket the rebel positions on the ground with orbital firepower, their doom would be sealed.

However, the further they advanced, the more difficult it became. This was

especially true when large numbers of Alfonzo Titans and various Knight Orders landed, their combat effectiveness was immense.

Often, a single Warlord-class Titan, paired with a few Warhounds, dozens of Knight Titans, and a large force of Skitarii, could secure a fortress like a fortress.

Even if an entire Chapter were deployed, combined with the vast strength of the Alliance Army, direct combat, even if victory were possible, would be extremely difficult. Heavy casualties and a lengthy conquest were inevitable.

Titans had always been humanity’s most magnificent and powerful combat unit on the ground battlefield.

The war on the ground, at a speed unimaginable, devolved into an apocalyptic campaign.

The battlefield encompassed two hive clusters, and both sides committed a combined force exceeding 200 million, not just casualties.

Majestic Titans, heavy tanks, swarms of warplanes, the finest soldiers;

Space Marines, Battle Sisters, and Transmogrifiers…

they clashed valiantly across two hive-city clusters, city clusters the size of half a continent.

The interiors of the hives were reduced to scorched earth and ruins, and the survivors continued to fight amidst the rubble. The changing of flags in one region often meant fighting until the last vestiges of strength were exhausted, leading to a temporary lull. But soon, the next region would once again become the focus of the battle.

Through the dedicated efforts and sacrifices of the Space Marines and the Army, before the situation on Aramita deteriorated to a critical point, they would recapture all the fortresses at great cost, restore Aramita’s defenses, patch the gaps, and prevent Varuk from sending further troops to the planet’s surface.

Then, building upon this foundation, Moreau could quickly complete his internal cleansing and unify the people.

This was Yelisia’s path to a breakthrough,

but it was a difficult one.

Of course, no matter how difficult it was, she was working towards it.

However, there was a simpler solution:

Gu Hang himself.

If he could ultimately triumph in this great war in the Warp, then he wouldn’t have to worry about anything.

His confrontation with Varuk, or rather, with the engulfing shadow of the Warp, had raged since the beginning of the war, and only two months had passed.

Within the Kingdom of Storms, the battle between the Heroic Spirits and the Zerg swarms never ceased.

The fighting was no less arduous than in the southern hemisphere of Aramita.

In fact, because the Zerg swarms were endless and the Heroic Spirits were immortal, the conflict was even more brutal and ruthless.

Over these two months of endless conflict, both sides had experienced noticeable changes.

The violet earth of the Kingdom of Storms seemed less intense; the thunder and lightning that once filled the sky seemed to have become less frequent.

The shadow of the Warp that enveloped the Kingdom seemed to have thinned as well.

Both sides felt a deep sense of fatigue, yet neither was willing to relax.

However, during the ongoing confrontation, Gu Hang gradually contemplated and found a way to victory.

However, that needed to be verified.

Over the past two months, in addition to coordinating the entire power of the Kingdom of God into this endless consumption, he had also been practicing and exploring whether his proposed method was feasible.

Until now, he felt, the time had come.

Aboard the Emperor-class battleship Golden Gate, Ye Lisia received Gu Hang’s orders.

She assembled five hundred Shadow Regiment Space Marines.

This not only deployed previously unused defenses, always on board to prevent the Varuk fleet from dropping spores on board, but also mobilized personnel from the ground who had previously provided core support in many battlegrounds.

They assembled aboard the starship, all ready for battle, in an empty cabin.

They didn’t know what to do next, but they knew this was an order from the Governor. A crucial, and extremely dangerous, battle awaited them.

Once the Space Marines were ready, Gu Hang no longer delayed.

The entire Kingdom of Storms suddenly blazed with light!

Shrouded in the shadows of the Warp, it suddenly became like a raging thunderstorm, its sudden burst of light unblurred by even the thickest darkness.

At least for that moment, the entire Warp shadow shrouding the Kingdom of Storms was dispelled, illuminated.

Of course, this was merely an illusion.

The flash of light was fleeting. Like lightning, the instantaneous brilliance was indeed dazzling, almost illuminating the night into day. But if the flash lasted only a moment, darkness would naturally sweep back. Just like

now,

after the Kingdom of Storms had flashed fiercely for a moment, it ceased to linger, and the Warp shadow enveloped the kingdom once again.

Initially, the invading Zerg swarms were completely annihilated by the lightning due to the intense energy flash. But when the Warp shadow returned, an endless swarm of Zerg invaded the Kingdom of Storms once again.

It seemed as if nothing had changed.

But in reality, significant changes had occurred.

At least two things mattered:

First, such a violent flash of Warp energy was conspicuous, visible to many.

In the past, Gu Hang would have avoided making the Kingdom of Storms so conspicuous within the complex and treacherous Warp.

Being conspicuous isn’t a good thing. The evil gods and their minions are very greedy. Gu Hang, in particular, had once devoured a Great Unclean One, a move that deeply offended the oldest of the Four Evil Gods. Being too conspicuous, Gu Hang feared a dozen great demons would descend upon his doorstep.

However, for a long time, Gu Hang had quietly allowed the Kingdom of Storms to drift amidst the waves of the Warp, slowly drifting as close as possible to a golden realm.

While he wasn’t entirely sure if that golden region, that cold sun so conspicuous in the Warp, was truly friendly, it seemed much more promising.

After his kingdom flashed so violently, it was certain that the golden realm would be able to “see” his situation.

Of course, seeing was one thing, but what they would do was uncertain.

Gu Hang waited patiently for a while.

Soon, the reaction came.

Suddenly, an army emerged from within the Kingdom of Storms.

The first group consisted of an army dressed in black power armor resembling Space Marines, but with skulls and bodies ablaze with flame.

Their numbers were small, only about two or three thousand, but they were incredibly powerful.

Another group closely resembled the angels of classical legend, with wings on their backs and a golden glow. These “angels” were even smaller, numbering only a few hundred, but their combat power was even greater.

Crucially, both the burning skeleton warriors and the angels, like Gu Hang’s Heroic Spirits, possessed the ability to infinitely resurrect.

Their resurrection was self-perpetuated, unlike the Heroic Spirits, which essentially utilized the power of the Storm Kingdom to reconstruct, which in turn consumed Gu Hang’s energy.

While not numerous, it was more than enough to withstand such a large number and two full months of exhaustion.

Now, with the sudden addition of this powerful and elite group of warriors, Gu Hang found that his energy expenditure had been significantly reduced.

With the reduced rate of Heroic Spirit sacrifice, Gu Hang’s pressure naturally eased, and the Zerg was being annihilated even faster.

It might seem like a trivial difference—one side is infinite, the other immortal—but in essence, it’s a shift in the balance of mutual consumption between the two massive groups, a small but noticeable shift.

Often, even this slight shift can lead to a qualitative change.

For Gu Hang, this qualitative change lies in his ability to disregard events within the Storm Kingdom.

This doesn’t mean he won’t invest any effort.

That wouldn’t work, after all, the main force behind the endless consumption is still his Heroic Spirit.

Rather, he can withdraw and engage in activities in the real universe for a day or two, without worrying that the entire Storm Kingdom’s situation will be tipped and rapidly collapsed without his presence.

This is crucial.

Otherwise, in this endless attrition, even if he is certain of ultimate victory, it’s unclear when he will achieve victory. After two months of mutual attrition, neither side has shown any signs of weakness. A decisive victory could take a year or two.

Gu Hang doesn’t have the time to waste two years fighting Varuk.

He must still consider true victory.

And that brings us to his second goal of shining the entire Storm God Kingdom.

He found where Varuk was and figured out his background.

(End of this chapter)