Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 850

Chapter 844: Gu Hang’s End

The troops under Taishichen’s command were about to enter the Ohmgeria star field at this time. In fact, they were well prepared, but in terms of whether it was urgent or not, it was actually a bit urgent.

Taking the initiative to enter Ohmgeria was Taishichen’s main mission. Only by facing the challenge head-on can the huge threat posed by the Zerg and the Greenskins be resolved.

The Wangyue star field, which had a major problem, had also been dealt with. The Steel Flame Furnace was replaced by Pilias, and many internal management personnel were involved from the Alliance, both in administration and technology.

Regarding the latter, the person who came was from the Alliance Research Institute.

The head of the star region government was replaced; the bishop of Comell was convicted of apostasy and replaced; the Sisters of Comell also engaged with the Sisters of the Holy Lily of Mercy and were gradually absorbed; various planets were also forcefully transformed into alliances…

The Unbreakable Line of Defense was complete and relatively stable, and the local forces in the surrounding star regions were also rapidly integrating. It could now be considered a stable base camp capable of providing support for the war effort.

Moreover, Taishichen had far more troops at his disposal than when he first arrived. There were five thousand Space Marines alone, not to mention the Titan Legions, the Knights, additional fleets, and the Sisters’ forces…

The timing was ripe.

But it was indeed urgent.

An active incursion was certainly an active one, but it didn’t necessarily have to happen now.

Taishichen had learned that the Green Orcs had suddenly increased their forces. A reconnaissance team sent into Omgeria had reported the existence of a being called the Bone Crusher King. He led a vast Orc army to Omgeria and turned the tide of the war between the Zerg and the Orcs.

This Bonebreaker King was a renowned figure.

This wasn’t the first time the Human Empire had encountered him. This Orc had appeared on the cosmic stage approximately six hundred years ago. He had brought devastating disasters to the Human Empire in numerous wars

, and humanity had rarely gained any advantage in these battles. The few victories he had achieved were merely attempts to repel the powerful Orc King.

Some who had close encounters with this Orc King and survived reported that he spoke Imperial English. His forces were significantly more organized than those of ordinary Orc tribes—which explained why, after Uru’s death, the Orc army was able to elect a new leader much more quickly than expected.

Taishichen felt uncertain about facing this renowned Orc King.

Fighting Uru alone was already a struggle, and the more powerful Bonebreaker would likely be even more difficult.

If possible, he would have preferred to wait until his forces were more robust and the integration of the five star regions was more complete before testing the waters in Omgiria.

However, time was of the essence.

What spurred his decision to enter the fray now was a message from Governor Gu Hang:

the leader of the Alliance was arriving in person.

He was initially taken aback when he received the notification.

As far as he knew, the great leader, Gu, was probably in the core territory of the Alliance, in the Dragonhawk star region. Wouldn’t it have taken him over six months to reach Omgiria?

Later, after a closer look at the notification, he realized that it wouldn’t take that long, and he wasn’t traveling by ship.

The power of psychic energy was incredible. How could Gu cover a journey of over six months to reach Western Front headquarters in just a few days?

In the words of the Chapter’s think tank leader, Modler, it was simply “inconceivable.” As an A+-level psyker, not quite at the top, but roughly on the threshold of the top, he couldn’t even fathom how Gu Hang could accomplish something similar.

Regardless, it was a fait accompli.

The journey from Western Headquarters to the Ohmgerian battlefield would be short.

According to the announcement, Gu Hang would arrive with the entire headquarters and the main force of the Western Expeditionary Force. Their

arrival would mark the official start of the Alliance’s all-out war against Ohmgeria.

As the current commander of the battlefields surrounding Ohmgeria, Tai Shichen naturally had to get moving.

He wasn’t expecting to achieve any significant results before Gu Hang arrived. But at the very least, his forces would advance into the Ohmgerian star system and capture some strongholds, serving as a springboard for the upcoming offensive.

He also needed to ascertain the current status of the war between the Orks and the Zerg within Ohmgeria. Where were the battles most intense? Who had the upper hand? Our forces weren’t going in to wade through muddy waters, but to solve problems.

Solving problems naturally required knowing where the biggest problems lay.

He had a lot to do.

…

Three months later, Gu Hang arrived as scheduled.

With him came nearly all the remaining troops of the Western Expeditionary Force:

over eight thousand Space Marines and over three thousand warships. Most notable among these warships were the two Glorious Queens.

The Alliance currently possessed a total of five Glorious Queens.

In reality, if they had gone all out, thrown everything at the wall, and aggressively launched a new production line, they could have produced even more.

However, the cost-effectiveness was too low.

The production rate of one ship every ten years or so relied on the support of a technical black box. A finished black box could only support the construction of one ship at a time. Using a mother machine black box, building a new production line, and using conventional methods to produce Glorious Queens… it would take nearly a hundred years to build one ship, which was not cost-effective.

Another point is that for every Glorious Queen he builds, to animate her and perform at her full potential, Gu Hang must forge a portion of his Warp Essence to forge a Machine Soul. Each time he does this, he loses a significant amount of his strength, a permanent loss.

He can’t build too many, or he won’t be able to sustain them.

Five is enough.

The sixth, though still under construction, has been slowed down.

Currently, one Glorious Queen is deployed on the northern front, one on the southern front, and two on the western front, each serving as a stabilizing force on their respective battlefields. The final one is at Alliance headquarters, providing a stronghold.

When Gu Hang arrives with this western force, combined with the five thousand Space Marines and two thousand warships already under Tai Shichen’s command, this will represent ninety percent of the Western Expeditionary Force’s strength.

Truth be told, the Western Expeditionary Force, as a complete unit, has never before seen such a large force concentrated in a single campaign.

During operations in the Mager Domain, they often split into dozens, sometimes hundreds, of squadrons, attacking in all directions. The Commander-in-Chief, stationed at the center, provided coordination and strategic command. Furthermore, the Western Expeditionary Force’s strength gradually increased during the conquest of the Mager Domain. Initially, there simply wasn’t enough manpower available.

Of the remaining 10%, most remained in the Mager Domain, garrisoning some worlds. A smaller portion entered two other star regions in the Forward Domain, less closely related to Omgeria, to conduct routine recovery operations.

This massive gathering, after completely crushing the Zerg and Ork forces, would practically declare the entire Forward Domain under Alliance control.

It’s unknown how long the Omgeria campaign will last, but it’s foreseeable that the final decisive battle will be short and intense.

This meant that the recapture of the Forward Domain would be far more swift than the decades-long battle for the Magre Domain.

Considering the sheer size of a single domain, it could almost be described as a blitzkrieg.

By taking the Forward Domain, combined with gains on the southern frontier, the Alliance would essentially secure control of four domains and have a presence in seven. Half of the empire’s eastern border would already be within the Alliance’s grasp.

At this rate of progress, perhaps unifying the entire Dark Side of the Empire within a century or two?

Perhaps.

Retracting our gaze from the distant past and focusing on the present, the Battle of Omgeria was arguably the most crucial engagement in the Alliance’s Dark Side crusade.

One of Gu Hang’s primary objectives in personally visiting the region was to hasten its conclusion and ensure victory.

However, this sole objective might not have been enough to compel Gu Hang to travel so far.

He came because he had another, more significant target worth pursuing:

the Bone Crusher King himself.

To create new and more sacred artifacts, the Queen of Glory must carve out more Warp Essence from Gu Hang’s Kingdom of Storms. Her own strength also depends on the growth of the Kingdom of Storms.

How does this growth work?

Gu Hang’s experience dictates two main approaches: cultivating internal strength and rapidly developing through devouring.

The former involves expanding the Alliance’s controlled territory and increasing its population. Those within his sphere of influence trust and recognize him, naturally leading to improvement.

This is known as internal strength.

Devouring, on the other hand, involves consuming other entities possessing powerful Warp Essence.

In the past, Gu Hang had devoured archdemons, neuron worms of the Void Zerg, and even the Queen.

These powerful individuals brought significant benefits to Gu Hang. Without these, Gu Hang’s strength would be somewhat less than it is now. While not significant, this small difference, if he failed to win at certain crucial points, would likely mean his future was lost.

Rapid devouring remains a path he cannot abandon.

Suitable targets for both of these goals can be found in Omgeria.

Taking Omgiria with relative perfection, allowing the entire Forward Universe to more quickly fall into the Alliance’s fold, would naturally strengthen one’s internal strength.

And within Omgiria, there were powerful Orc chieftains and the Queen of the Worm, all excellent food.

Even that alone might not have been enough to spur Gu Hang on.

However, the clear knowledge of the Bone Crusher King’s existence intensified Gu Hang’s interest.

He was the most renowned Orc in the entire universe.

According to Orcish tradition, he was arguably the most powerful.

If he were to devour him… how much more beneficial would he be? A God-like Great Demon?   No, quite possibly even more powerful than that.   Perhaps, he could truly reach the pinnacle of existence among God-

like Great Demons .   At the thought, Gu Hang couldn’t help but lick his lips.   He was greedy.   However, despite his greed, he remained calm.   While the prospect of devouring the Bone Crusher King would undoubtedly yield enormous benefits, those benefits depended on actually being able to devour him.   The war had to be won.   Gu Hang couldn’t let the Bone Crusher King escape.   Of his many appearances recorded in the Imperial record, the few times he failed were merely repulses. He was no ordinary greenskin, a foolish fool. On the contrary, his cunning far surpassed common perception. When the odds were against him, he didn’t rush forward, howling and threatening like many Orc warlords and chieftains. He diligently sought a way to escape.   ”As long as the green mountains remain, there’s no need to worry about running out of firewood.”   This was a famous ancient Terran saying heard spoken in human language by the Orc King himself.   …   When Gu Hang arrived with the main force, he didn’t take over the reins, but instead handed over strategic command to Taishichen.   Although the Chapter Master of the Dragon King’s Spears had experienced some setbacks and missteps during the previous “Unbreakable Line” campaign, after reviewing the full report, Gu Hang didn’t believe Taishichen’s own mistakes were particularly significant. Relatively speaking, the Chapter Master’s familiarity with battlefield conditions, gained from over a year, nearly two years, of direct combat experience in and around Omgiria, was far more crucial.   Gu Hang and Yan Fangxu, Commander-in-Chief of the Western Expeditionary Force, formed the headquarters, while the dispatch of frontline combat missions remained under the responsibility of Tai Shichen.   This Space Marine, whose status had risen dramatically, demonstrated his solid skills during his first briefing with Gu Hang.   He had done a good job of preliminary work.   Terran forces were advancing from all thirteen exits into the Omgiria star system.   At the three designated entry points for the main attack—Entrances 7, 8, and 9, the three exits to the Moon-Watching Segmental System—multiple worlds had already been conquered.   Engineering teams, departing from the Steel Flame Furnace, were rapidly constructing barracks in preparation for the arrival of the main force.   Meanwhile, the investigation into the fighting within Omgiria had become increasingly clear.   They concluded that the Orcs and the Zerg were on the verge of a decisive battle.   Just fifteen astral jumps away from Exit 7, both sides were facing off with heavy forces.   This was where the human side had an opportunity.   (End of this chapter)