The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Accompanying Sosiarch on his inspection of the two planets were the sages from Uran Huda. After a simple calculation, their team concluded that developing Naysun I was a worthwhile endeavor. Its proximity to the star would facilitate the use of solar energy by large facilities, reducing the planet's dependence on external energy sources. This would perfectly offset Uran Huda's ever-increasing demand for minerals due to its rapid industrial development.

Since they said so, Sosiarch had no objections and entrusted the development of Naysun I to Uran Huda.

Naysun II was much the same, with a high surface temperature and thin atmosphere, highly enriched in heavy elements, but not as extreme as Naysun I. At least, servitors with protective gear could still walk on the planet's surface. The development difficulty here was relatively small, and the collection stations and orbital stations of Griffin IV were still operating before the handover.

Uran Huda was also unreserved, directly taking over the management of all facilities under Sosiarch's authorization. They had a comprehensive development plan for the future. Of course, these plans required not only Uran Huda's efforts but also the efforts of the two hive worlds under the Star Knights, after all, Uran Huda was not nearby, and the resources developed here were also needed by the two hive worlds.

After inspecting the two resource planets, Sosiarch immediately set off for Naysun V.

As the second civilized world in the system, the natural conditions of Naysun V were slightly worse than those of Naysun IV. Because it was farther from the star, its ground temperature was much lower than that of Naysun IV, which made it difficult for the world to support itself. Furthermore, after the world discovered a large number of rare mineral resources, with the help of the Outer System Trade Association, many cities dedicated to mining and primary industry were born, which led to a rapid expansion of the planet's population. The cities also expanded and became hive cities, and the environment of the entire planet was further destroyed, so Naysun V had to be supported by agricultural worlds in neighboring systems.

In comparison, the natural environment of Naysun VII was better preserved, and the climate was more moderate. After becoming a Star Knights' base and being exempt from tithes, the huge organic farms of Naysun VII actually allowed the planet to become self-sufficient—of course, this was also due to the planet being able to transfer some industries, especially heavy industry, into orbit, and this was also due to the assistance of the Astartes chapter and Xia Mingcongda. Other planets would find it difficult to do this, not only because of the massive engineering involved, but also because of the greater political problems.

Since prior notice had been given, when Sosiarch's flagship arrived in the orbit of Naysun VII, all the upper-level figures, including the planetary governor, were personally waiting in the cleared airport reception hall.

After a period of meaningless small talk, Sosiarch directly boarded a simple airship prepared by the planetary governor to begin inspecting this world that already belonged to the chapter.

After entering the atmosphere, Sosiarch found that the air quality of this world was indeed worthy of praise. The clouds were almost all gray-white, and one could imagine what the people on the ground saw when they looked up—no sunlight, eternal haze.

The vast majority of people can only survive half-dead in pressure and drudgery. The vast majority of people may not live past seventy, and the meaning of all this is only to produce more resources and materials for the operation of the Imperial machinery and the wars throughout the galaxy—of course, there are also the rulers' 'little' private desires and enjoyment.

Sosiarch sighed softly. He couldn't find the answer, and even now, he needed this flesh machine to continue operating.

Although high above, unable to see any specific life, Sosiarch knew what was happening within the dark metal walls of this giant hive city.

Compared to the pure sky, forests, and mountains of Naysun VII, this was simply a hellish scene, a high-industrial pollution nightmare clogged with smoke and ash.

At first, the view was just a blur, but as the airship's huge exhaust vents blew away the haze, he saw the true appearance of this ice-cold world—the exhaust towers of giant power plants spewed out an endless stream of gray smoke, and between them were even wider and taller cooling towers. Cold mist swirled around the massive, monster-like facilities, and the city's layered blocks, guard towers, and communication masts appeared in dark gray against the white backdrop.

The instant he entered the clouds, Sosiarch felt as if he had plunged from the bright and beautiful surface of the water into the dark depths below.

In such an environment, humans are merely raw materials, components, and resources in an eternal feast, and no one knows when this feast will end. It has already lasted for ten thousand years.

Most importantly, I know that the basic needs of human survival—food, sleep, reproduction, laughter, and dreaming—can only be barely satisfied here.

What can save a person from such a predicament?

Sosiarch's gaze passed through the industrial wasteland outside the hive city and finally rested on the increasingly close silhouette of the hive city.

He knew that hundreds of billions of creatures lived there, crammed into crowded and luxurious residential units like rats in the sewers. He also knew that regardless of whether they were men or women, they had to work more than a dozen hours a day in various roaring factories, producing goods or weapons that could be exchanged for profit in poorly conditioned assembly lines. He knew even more that besides work, the only thing they could do was to return to their small rooms, which were probably less than ten square meters, after being exhausted, and get a little flickering light from the cheapest luminescent lamps.

Sosiarch knew these things. During the Great Whirlpool Expedition, he knew that the same thing happened on at least a hundred worlds. Almost all the hive cities in the Imperium were like this, enveloped in smoke, nothing but dens of drudgery and despair. The meaning of human existence had also become meaningless.

Sosiarch never doubted the excuse of not knowing because one had not seen it. There was only feigned ignorance.

In all directions of the hive city, large turrets stood in the blurry mist. The entire conical city did not resemble a place of human habitation but rather a magnificent steel mountain. Different areas were separated by alloy walls, and every so often, there was a Gothic spire between the walls. They were all equipped with platforms and void shield generators, casting uneven silhouettes on the dim earth.

I thought in my heart.

What can make people's lives no longer futile?

Sosiarch adjusted the focus of the observation window, and his vision swept over the land that was almost completely covered by drifting mist. Hundreds of square kilometers around the city were filled with large pits that could accommodate a Titan. These were open-pit mines that had already been completely mined. Some had been filled with wastewater and turned into giant chemical lakes, while others had become the homes of scavengers and wandering tribes that even the hive city could not tolerate.

As the airship slowly descended, Sosiarch saw the spire of Carin Hive City, which pierced through the clouds, through the observation window—this was also the capital core of the planet.