After thinking for a moment, Zernos decided to surrender.
He can accept death, but not real death.
For any Eldar, the loss of their soul to Slaanesh is more cruel than any form of torture.
His soul box had been tampered with and couldn't be returned to; but at least his connection with the Comoros wasn't directly severed. The protective function of the veil was still in effect, so he and his subordinates weren't all instantly drained of their souls.
But if they die, then it's all over. Unable to be resurrected from the Soul Box, their souls will fall into the hands of Slaanesh.
We might as well surrender.
Although falling into human hands doesn't guarantee survival, those most fanatical racial purists in the universe are extremely hostile towards all aliens.
However, Zernos also had some understanding of humanity. Among humans, various alien species did have a certain priority in terms of extinction. In fact, some races, which were quite different from humans, such as dwarves, orgins, halflings, beastmen, and mutants, were also accepted by the human empire.
They are categorized as 'demi-humans' and suffer severe discrimination, even being wiped out in places with high levels of fanaticism. However, in relatively enlightened or chaotic areas, these demi-humans have a certain space to survive.
Furthermore, organizations like the Astral Army and the Inquisition might even recruit these demi-humans into their forces.
The Eldar are definitely not demi-humans, but in terms of appearance, they may look more like humans than some demi-humans.
Furthermore, the Eldar are highly intelligent. Even the Dark Eldar, with their cunning and cleverness, are at least capable of communication, unlike the Greenskins and Voidlings who only know how to mindlessly engage in killing and eating; they are also different from the Chaos traitors and demons.
Furthermore, some imperial caravans that have obtained special licenses will even maintain stable trade with the Eldar.
This makes surrender negotiations possible.
Of course, under such circumstances, how could the alliance possibly accept a conditional surrender?
The Alliance gave the Dark Eldar pirates an ultimatum, demanding that they lay down all arms and surrender unconditionally.
This is the only way to surrender.
Zernos readily accepted.
Subsequently, the human marines, accompanied by Space Marines, boarded the ships, took control of all the vessels, and disarmed all living units such as the Dark Eldar, Blood Slaves, and Xenomorph mercenaries, sending them to ships specifically used as prisons.
The interrogation began.
I thought it would take some effort, but in reality, these dark elves who surrendered voluntarily were very cooperative and answered all my questions.
Where else in the Spiderweb Universe have they set up veiled spiritual gates? On which planets have they deployed spies? What are their methods of communication? How will they capture them?
They told us all this information.
Besides these, they also shared whatever information they had about the Dark Eldar and the Comoros.
I don't feel any psychological burden at all.
Such a cooperative attitude is just asking for death.
The most important person to be interrogated was Zernos Bloodcurse, the raiding captain himself.
He is a mid-to-high-level member of the Blood Curse Clan.
In the past, the Inquisition had captured Eldar before, but prisoners of this caliber were still quite rare.
The Exile Order was quite interested in him.
However, Martini was the one who interrogated him first.
Martini extracted a bombshell from Zernos.
Regarding the prophecy, why they came to the Spiderweb Space, and the Blood Curse Clan's all-out sabotage strategy against the Infinite Chapter...
Martini was deeply moved after hearing this.
He immediately realized the value of this intelligence.
He paced back and forth for a moment, then instructed Zernos, "Later, some judges will interrogate you. You must tell them everything else, but don't tell them these things. Can you do that?"
Zernos, speaking in a strange accented Mandarin, retorted, "Won't they kill me? I know them, the Exile Order, the Inquisitors. They're very cunning, and I might not be able to keep the secret. If they find out I'm hiding something, I'll die."
"If you tell, you'll die too," Martini said. "You have no choice, alien."
After saying that, Martini offered him some words of comfort: "I'll be there during their interrogation, providing you with some cover and assistance. I also believe that you aliens are masters of lies and deception, and you'll get through it. As long as you do as I ask, I guarantee your life, and maybe there'll even be a chance to let you go back to Comoros."
I hope you will keep your promise.
...
Zernos doesn't actually believe anyone's promises.
However, as Martini said, he had no choice.
Moreover, revealing all the information so easily served two purposes: firstly, to demonstrate his value and gain favor by cooperating in order to survive; secondly, it was also a malicious means for him to retaliate against his family and his fellow Comorians.
If his family betrayed him, then this is revenge;
If it was another family that obtained his Soul Box in order to attack the Blood Curse Family, then it would be the Blood Curse Family's fault. Who told them not to protect my Soul Box?
Even if his final fate was still death, and he was destined to fall into the hands of Slaanesh and suffer eternal torment, he hoped that the information he revealed would lead to the same end for more of his kind.
This was the only consolation.
...
Zernos passed the subsequent interrogation without incident.
The Exile Order was very interested in him, but their main interest lay in intelligence about the Dark Eldar and the Comoros. They did ask why the Eldar were raiding the Spiderweb Space, but that wasn't important. In their view, it was normal for Dark Eldar pirates to appear anywhere and carry out raids.
With his attention elsewhere, and with Martini providing cover, and given Zernos's skill in concealing his true intentions, he successfully passed the interrogation.
The inquisitors began to discuss how to deal with these dark Eldar.
A significant number of people believe that these aliens, whose intelligence has already been drained, should be purified.
But Martini stopped him from doing so.
His explanation was that there might be other intelligence that hadn't been gathered yet, which could be investigated slowly. The Alliance's witcher prison was built to Inquisition standards and was perfectly suitable for holding these aliens.
It might come in handy in the future.
After calming down his colleagues from the Anti-Foreign Religious Society, he immediately reported to his superiors and requested a private, direct conversation with Governor Gu Hang.
...
"Thank you for the intelligence. Well done, Judge Martini."
After listening to the report, Gu Hang praised the judge's achievements without reservation.
He suppressed his discomfort and spoke a few more words to Martini before hanging up.
"Are you alright?" his wife asked with concern.
Ye Lixia was right next to him, and she could see that Gu Hang, who had been in a perfectly normal state, turned quite pale after hearing the report, and even had some cold sweat on his forehead.
This is unusual for Gu Hang.
Only on previous occasions, when witnessing Gu Hang confront powerful psionic opponents, had I seen Gu Hang in a similar situation.
"Huff..." Gu Hang breathed heavily, gently stroking Ye Lixia's hand, and said, "I need to be by myself for a while."
Ye Lixia was very sensible and wouldn't say anything presumptuous or try to show off at a time like this. She simply gave Gu Hang a slight hug, then turned and left, leaving Gu Hang alone in the office.
At this moment, Gu Hang rolled his eyes and immersed his mind in his divine kingdom.
Here, the waves are already raging.
Violent lightning flashed fiercely across the entire divine kingdom.
The spirits looked up at the unusual sight and began to discuss it amongst themselves.
Gu Hang's Storm Kingdom is indeed a land of lightning. However, under Gu Hang's control for a long time, the lightning did not roar out of control like this. It should be quite stable, with only occasional flashes of lightning and not much thunder.
But now, the constant roaring thunder not only illuminates the sky, but the rumble of thunder echoes throughout the entire divine kingdom.
Gu Hang is not incapable of controlling it, he just doesn't have the mind to do so right now.
Go away, it won't kill anyone if you just disappear for a while.
His mind was completely focused on the scene unfolding in the very center of the kingdom of God, amidst the dark clouds and the thunder and lightning.
The image was somewhat blurry and indistinct, but that didn't prevent Gu Hang from clearly seeing what was on the screen:
prophecy.
He encountered Robert, a legendary figure of the Empire, one of the Emperor's sons, and the genetic father of the Infinite Legion.
It was only natural that Gu Hang could recognize him. His portrait was widely circulated throughout the Empire. In the state religion, he was a high-ranking religious and mythological figure, a son of God, and an object of worship; in the Empire's official propaganda, he was also the mighty general who laid the foundation for the Empire; and among the Space Marines, especially in the propaganda of the Infinite Legion, the largest warband of the current generation, their Gene Father was also the most famous of all the sons of God.
And this figure, in the cloud image projected by the Storm God Kingdom, sat quietly on his throne. Stasis fields were released from the devices at the four corners of the throne, a faint blue light enveloping his body and the entire area, stopping time there and freezing him forever in the moment before his death.
Gu Hang had seen this scene in a picture book as well. It should have been a work praising Robert's achievements. At the end of the book, with a sorrowful writing style, there was a picture of Robert sitting quietly in a static force field, just like what Gu Hang saw now.
But the difference lies in the fact that in the picture Gu Hang remembered, there were kneeling people beside the throne. They looked at the Son of God with eyes full of reverence, sorrow, and expectation.
However, what is shown in the cloud layer of the Storm God Kingdom is a bloody and brutal battle taking place next to the throne.
On one side is the Infinite Warband.
They wore a distinctive solid indigo armor, and many of them had rather elaborate engravings, medals, and shoulder armor decorations.
These items clearly demonstrate their identity, especially their past achievements.
Moreover, they are not merely decorative items that serve no purpose in battle. On the contrary, these sacred ornaments, imbued with the spirit of their past exploits, possess the power of faith and can genuinely make the Space Marines who wear them even stronger.
Some strength boost; some luck bonus; faster reaction time; more agile body; attacks that would normally penetrate armor are deflected... These are all rather mystical, but they can indeed produce similar effects.
Gu Hang also noticed that most of the Infinite Warriors fighting here wore helmets with golden eagle-shaped visors.
This is also highly symbolic, representing these Infinite Warriors, the most famous unit in the Chapter: the Ever Victorious Army!
In the past, during the Legion era, the Ever Victorious Army was the personal guard of the Father of Genetics, the most glorious honor guard in the Ultra 500 Worlds. Unlike ordinary honor guards that were merely for show, they were truly capable of being deployed on the battlefield. Their heroic figures often played a decisive role on the battlefield and earned them great merit.
Even now, the Ever-Victorious Army is the most elite force in the Infinite Warband, serving as the Warband Commander's personal guard.
With so many undefeated armies around, then...
Sure enough, Gu Hang saw a valiant warrior.
The current Chapter Master of the Infinite Chapter – Caleman.
He was covered in blood, but he fought on relentlessly.
The fact that they were able to penetrate the home planet of the Infinite Warband—Ultraman Planet—and, despite the Infinite Warband's all-out defense, even reached the very core of Ultraman Planet, the location of the Father of Genes whom the warband had guarded for ten thousand years, shows just how critical the situation had become.
And who is the person who accomplished all of this?
They were Space Marines dressed in black armor.
However, their paint scheme is significantly different from that of the Empire's Space Marines.
Beside them, there were a few demons, each of which looked very powerful, fighting alongside them.
Without a doubt, these are a group of Chaos Space Marines, the origins of the Empire ten thousand years ago, and the greatest traitors.
The victorious army, led by Clement, fought with extraordinary bravery. However, their numbers were far too few. Conversely, their enemies seemed endless.
If this continues, the Infinite Warriors will likely be defeated.
Just then, a portal suddenly opened at the top, and a mixed army descended to assist the Infinite Warriors in launching a counterattack against the Chaos traitors and demons.
Their composition is very complex, and their clothing varies.
But that doesn't mean they are weak.
Among them were Black Crusader Space Marines clad in black armor, Inquisitors from the Demon Inquisition and their bounty hunters, Mechanicus elites led by a Mechanicus sage in battle stance, and a fighting nun unit led by a living saint with wings on his back…
If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad, but Gu Hang also saw a group of strange humanoid troops dressed in red armor. Although they didn't show their faces, Gu Hang still recognized their identity from their equipment style—the Elven race.
They are not the Dark Elf race, but the proper White Elf race.
Their arrival stabilized the battle lines, but it was not enough to turn the tide of battle.
At this moment, a leader of the Eldar, an Eldar female warrior, wearing a suit of armor, approached the throne under the escort of the Mechanicus sage.
They seemed to have spoken to the Commander of the Kellerman Warband about something, and there was an argument, but in the end, to Gu Hang's astonishment, he saw the static force field be shut down, and the armor in the Eldar's hands seemed to come alive, floating and unfolding its structure, quickly attaching itself to the Son of God's body, and then rapidly closing itself in.
Beneath the close-fitting azure armor, the emperor's son rose from his throne.
He mentioned the Emperor's Sword, which had been silent with him in the static force field for ten thousand years.
In an instant, flames burst forth from the sword!
Robert strode down from the throne, and both Imperial and Eldar warriors automatically made way for him.
The Son of God, wielding the divine sword, swiftly and fiercely cut down traitors and demons.
The image then gradually dims and eventually disappears.
The abnormal lightning and thunder in the Storm God Kingdom gradually subsided.
The heroic spirits who had also witnessed these scenes whispered among themselves and discussed the matter animatedly.
Not everyone can understand all of this, but that doesn't stop them from recognizing that it's probably a big deal.
Gu Hang waved his hand slightly, and a voice reached the hearts of every heroic spirit.
"Keep it a secret."
The heroic spirits all stopped what they were doing and bowed in Gu Hang's direction.
Gu Hang was at ease with the Heroic Spirits. Heroic Spirits were essentially the outward manifestation of his power; they wouldn't betray him or leak secrets.
What Gu Hang cared more about was what the scene in the clouds of his divine kingdom was telling.
He fully understood the content: the planet Ultra would be attacked by the Chaos Enemy, and Robert, the Emperor's heir and the genetic father of the Infinite Warband, would awaken.
But this isn't history, is it?
I've never heard of such a thing happening.
Is it now? Or is it in progress?
It's possible, but unlikely.
The Alliance is still doing business with the Infinite Starfield; everything there is peaceful, except for the raids by Dark Elf pirates in the surrounding area. There's been no news of any unrest. Even if the Chaos Army launched an attack on Planet Ultra, it would take time; it's impossible for them to have penetrated the core area without any warning.
Is that the future?
Are we seeing things that will happen in the future?
Very likely.
Gu Hang didn't know why he saw these images. However, he hadn't forgotten that the trigger for seeing them was that Judge Martini had told him the prophecy he had uncovered during his interrogation.
After hearing the prophecy, he felt his divine kingdom in turmoil, with waves surging in the warp, and these images appeared in his divine kingdom.
The imagery combined with the prophecy made Gu Hang realize the truth:
It seems that the Blood Curse Clan within the Dark Eldar were right in interpreting the prophecy.
The youngest evil god—the Emperor.
The Emperor is certainly not an evil god, but in the eyes of the Dark Eldar, he is.
Robert was the emperor's most rational son.
That makes sense.
After returning from the divine realm to the real universe, Gu Hang sat alone in his office for a long time.
He was pondering what this major event he had just learned about, which might happen in the future, meant, and how he could utilize it.
Should we tell the Infinite Chapter? Should we tell Holy Terra?
This is said to happen in the future, but how far in the future will it happen?
What role will the league play in this? What will its situation be?
"A great era is about to begin..." ..