Warhammer 40: Saviors Emerging from the Bottom

"Salute!" At Charles's command, all 525 soldiers present crossed their arms over their chests to show their respect to their newly appointed commander.

Standing on the high platform directly opposite them was Xiao Yi, who had just taken over as the commander of the 13th Regiment.

The original 13th Regiment had been disbanded due to severe casualties, and its remaining members were dispersed to other units to fill their combat gaps.

The new 13th Regiment was formed with the core members of the squads that survived the decapitation operation with Xiao Yi, and the former shelter soldiers as the main members.

Of course, there were also soldiers from other units, but their numbers did not exceed fifty.

In other words, this is Xiao Yi's team, and they only follow his command. Even if Lancelot himself came, it wouldn't be very effective.

"Hmph, this old man is really bold. Isn't he afraid that I can just capture him and take control of the entire army?"

"Ah, shall we make our move now?" Aria, who seemed to be lost in thought, suddenly interjected, causing Xiao Yi, who had been full of bravado, to lose his composure.

He looked at the innocent-looking Aria with a black line on his forehead, as if asking why he was perceived as having such a negative image in her mind.

Is Xiao Yi some kind of treacherous person who betrays principles for personal gain?

Taking control of Lancelot while the command post is weakened can indeed temporarily control the Imperial army of the Nest, but then what?

Should we fight another battle with our allies and deplete the human empire's manpower?

For Xiao Yi now, this is completely unnecessary, given his current status as a hero.

Next, all he needs to do is accumulate enough merits to gain enough influence in the army and thus replace Lancelot, the old nobleman who is no longer trusted by the lower-ranking soldiers, as the new leader.

By the time the higher-ups realize that his achievements overshadow their own and eliminate him, it will probably be too late. He can then use this opportunity to launch a campaign to purge the court of corrupt officials, eliminating all the nobles around the governor who only know how to eat, drink, and have fun, and replacing them with a group of capable laborers.

If the nobles turn a blind eye to this, it will be even easier. They can simply occupy the lower and middle nests, become warlords, cut off their food and energy supplies, and force them to provide for their own noble lords.

If you don't relinquish power, you'll starve to death.

This would both reduce the damage to the capital city caused by civil war and increase the legitimacy of one's rule, thus reducing the possibility of rebellion from the lower classes.

In any case, launching a rebellion is the least profitable option compared to directly seizing command of the army.

Looking at Xiao Yi, whose expression was complicated and who didn't know what to say, Aria immediately realized that what she had just said was somewhat inappropriate.

Fortunately, no one else around heard it, so the matter was dropped.

To be honest, she didn't know why she suddenly said those words; she felt that some inner voice was guiding her.

Is it a revelation sent down by the God-Emperor?

Or is it auditory hallucination caused by overuse of psychic energy?

Just as Ailiya was pondering this question, Xiao Yi stepped forward and began his first pre-battle speech in front of more than 500 soldiers.

The content wasn't anything special; it mainly explained the basic situation of the Genestealer cult, what the consequences would be if these aliens were allowed to develop unchecked, and finally assured everyone that he would lead them to victory.

After a round of enthusiastic applause, the group set off towards their mission destination.

If the terrain ahead weren't unsuitable for tank warfare, Xiao Yi would have definitely applied for one. He had always wanted to try the feeling of riding in a tank and launching an attack.

Eleven hours later.

"Lord Xiao Yi." Robert crossed his arms in front of his chest and performed a very standard Imperial Eagle salute.

Nominally, he and Xiao Yi were of the same rank, and because he joined the army earlier, he could even be considered a senior.

But that's not how it works. The person standing in front of him now is not an officer, but a hero who has accelerated the end of the war by relying on his own great strength.

Robert had witnessed firsthand the immense power of the Plague Bearers. If Xiao Yi hadn't held back those terrifying monsters, buying Lieutenant General Lancelot time, the course of the war might have been very different.

Therefore, when Robert faced Xiao Yi, he naturally placed himself in the position of a subordinate. Of course, this was also related to his personality. As a slacker, he could just follow behind the big boss and gain experience.

Fighting for command? Only a lunatic would do that.

Looking at the Imperial soldiers who were forming ten-man squads and searching through the ruined buildings, Xiao Yi asked, "What's the situation here?"

"After the initial skirmish, the aliens realized they were outmatched and retreated into a previously abandoned residential area. In this narrow terrain, our troops were unable to fully utilize their equipment advantages, while they were able to launch continuous attacks on us thanks to their familiarity with the terrain and their agility."

Robert sighed and continued, "Right now, we can only use the most primitive method to search bit by bit, but to really search this whole place would take at least a year, and we simply can't afford to wait that long."

"Can you confirm their exact number?"

Robert shook his head; to be honest, this question was a bit difficult for him.

"That's a bit troublesome."

Gene stealers are like cockroaches in a sewer; they have an extremely strong ability to survive and reproduce. If given a year to continue developing, who knows what the situation will be like then?

Just as Xiao Yi was recalling information about the Gene Stealer Cult and thinking about how to resolve the battle as soon as possible, Robert's adjutant ran over in a panic.

"Commander, we...we've found an extremely blasphemous sculpture."

"A blasphemous idol?"

"That's right, it's indescribable. You and Lord Xiao Yi would be better off going to see it for yourselves."

"Let's go. We can't think of any way to lure the aliens out right now anyway, so let's go take a look. Who knows what useful information we might find in their work."

Robert nodded in agreement, and the two followed the adjutant to a long-abandoned church.

A dozen soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, pointing them towards the church's entrance, as if some terrifying creature was sealed inside.

As they stepped through the church doors, a statue of an emperor came into view.

The adjutant called it blasphemous because the imperial sculpture had four arms. The lower arm, which looked like the claws of some kind of wild animal, was clearly forcibly glued on with something.

The emperor's crown was replaced with a strange decoration resembling a tumor, and the entire statue was predominantly purple, making it look quite unconventional.

"What blasphemy! May the Emperor forgive me!" Robert prayed hastily, hoping the Emperor would forgive him for having his eyes defiled by such blasphemous things.