I summoned the Fourth Scourge in Warhammer

Chapter 112 The moment the sword is drawn, terror has no basis.

In the cold, dark metal corridor, a figure is walking slowly forward.

He wore a simple yet somber outfit, with a floor-length black robe draped over his plain armor. On either side of the corridor, the busy ship's crew, upon seeing him, instantly shifted their expressions from exhaustion or focus to a mixture of awe and fear. They would immediately stop whatever they were doing, no matter how urgent, and stand stiffly at attention, offering him the standard Eagle Salute.

The rose knot hanging from his waist, reflecting a faint light in the dim light, silently explained the reason for all of this.

This is a judge.

Judge Herbert Hernampold paid no attention to these trivial matters, and his gaze never lingered on those mortals for even a moment.

He walked straight to the Navigator's Sanctuary deep within the bridge, where a guard automatically opened the heavy isolation door for him. He stepped inside and asked bluntly, "What's the situation?"

“Very well, my lord,” the navigator replied softly, her eyes still closed, her voice ethereal and distant. “The warp turbulence is weakening, and it should return to a safe level for navigation in about a month. You have come at the perfect time. May the Emperor bless you.”

Herbert nodded, his expressionless face revealing neither joy nor anger: "It seems I've had good luck this time... I just hope the planetary governor of Pedidia has already prepared the tithes owed for the past thirty years."

Herbert told a lame joke, but it was clearly not funny. A chilling silence fell over the sanctuary; no one laughed out loud, or rather, no one dared to laugh out loud in front of an inquisitor.

Herbert could clearly sense the tension in everyone present, including the navigator. Their fingers trembled almost imperceptibly on the control panel, their throats were constantly swallowing, and everyone seemed unusually focused on their work, as if looking at him would steal their souls... Herbert was self-aware enough to know that all of this was because of him.

“You don’t need to be so nervous, Miss Navigator.” Herbert tried to make his voice sound calm as he reached out and patted the Navigator on the shoulder.

The latter's body visibly shuddered violently, as if it had been branded with a hot iron.

“I’m not the kind of crazy person who pulls out a gun and kills without any basis,” he continued. “Your nervousness won’t help with the work later.”

"Yes...yes, sir." The navigator was clearly more nervous, his voice trembling.

Herbert sighed inwardly and had no choice but to abandon the idea of ​​easing the new navigator's nervousness.

Anyway... keeping them in fear isn't a bad option. At least for now, they absolutely dare not do anything that violates discipline or loyalty, which has even led to a significant increase in their work efficiency.

When he was still an apprentice judge, Herbert was puzzled. The Inquisition, as the maintainer of imperial order, the disseminator of imperial glory, and the guardian of human will, should be revered and loved by the people. Why did everyone who saw the Rose Knot look like they were about to wet themselves in fear?
Later, he understood. It was precisely because the Inquisition were the maintainers, the disseminators, and the guardians that they needed to maintain the fear others felt towards them. For the vast, ignorant masses of the galaxy, fear was the best guarantee that they would adhere to the rules and not cross the line. Fear was the reins, the branding iron, the sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's head.

What saddened Herbert was that the vast majority of the empire's territory was filled with the ignorant and unenlightened. Some might find this repulsive and repulsive, but Herbert didn't care.

When the Empire’s conventional armed forces—whether the Star Forces or the Space Marines—proved ineffective in controlling corruption and decadence within the nation, the idea that only the Inquisition could safeguard the people’s pure will no longer seem so absurd.

After all, what other choice does the Empire have? Nobles are sacrificed every day, while the future of humanity's great and bright future grows ever darker. Until the dawn breaks again, we have no choice but to rule with an iron fist and bullets, to make those aliens, heretics, and traitors who oppose our noble cause understand that the Human Empire will show no mercy when it comes to settling scores with its mortal enemies.

Just as Herbert was lost in his thoughts about fear and order, the entire ship suddenly experienced a violent, teeth-grinding shudder. The deck beneath his feet seemed to be abruptly pulled to a stop by an invisible giant hand, and the immense inertia sent all the unsecured objects on the bridge flying into the air.

Although Herbert was caught off guard, his enhanced physique and iron will allowed him to regain his balance instantly.

He ignored the gasps and panicked shouts of the crew around him and quickly left the Navigator's Sanctuary.

Herbert rushed to the main control panel on the bridge and angrily berated the pale-faced captain, "What happened? Why did you suddenly stop!"

As an Inquisitor who frequently roamed the universe, Herbert knew perfectly well that his flagship had just been gliding at a stable, constant speed. The sudden, violent shaking could only be explained by one thing—the ship had applied emergency brakes.

“Sir…” a crew member in charge of reconnaissance swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he answered, “There… there are ships blocking our way. If we hadn’t stopped, those two ships would have collided…”

"Who?" Herbert interrupted the crew member, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. Who dared to stop the Inquisitor's ship? Pirates? Aliens? No, if it were either of those, they would already be engaged in combat.

Moreover, there were other ships around, not just their own, but also the Imperial Navy. What kind of pirates or aliens would dare to attack the Inquisitor and the Imperial Navy?
"Um... you'd better come and see for yourself." The crew member pointed to the main observation screen.

Herbert stepped forward with a frown. When his gaze fell upon the starry sky composed of data and images, he knew his ominous premonition had come true.

On the main observation screen, a massive warship loomed across their path. The ship exuded an aura of savagery and antiquity, its gray armor covered in intricate runes, resembling a monstrous sea monster ready to devour its prey, its cold eyes fixed upon them.

"Space Wolf..."

Herbert spat out the name through gritted teeth, wishing at that moment that his flagship had just been attacked by pirates or aliens.

As an inquisitor, his encounter with a space wolf when there was no one else around is likely a misfortune on par with encountering a warp storm during warp travel.

(End of this chapter)