Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but Warhammer 40k

Chapter 78 Hometown

In a corridor of the Faraway, the backup power source was no longer sufficient to maintain the normal operation of the entire giant ship.

But the strange power of the subspace still caused the lights in this area to come on.

The dim light flickered every few seconds.

Whenever the light goes out, darkness surges in from the end of the corridor, engulfing the dilapidated steel structures.

A mutated rat slowly crawled along the damp base of the wall.

It has long since deviated from its original species form.

Its once grayish-white fur has been largely replaced by mottled dark green pustules, and several asymmetrical swollen tumors are atop its back. Several thin and translucent arthropod limbs pierce through its skin and sway rhythmically with each rise and fall of its body.

It lowered its body.

In front.

A beetle the size of a fist is feasting on a piece of rotten, stinking meat.

The insect's exoskeleton exhibited an unusual purplish-black glow.

The multiple pairs of slender, spiky appendages rub against each other while feeding, producing a sound similar to a human's cry.

The mouse lowered its center of gravity and slowly closed the distance.

Severe hunger drove it to take the risk.

Unbeknownst to it, a crack suddenly appeared in the metal wall behind it.

A strange mouth protruded from it, silently approaching the rat.

But before the hunt was over, human voices could be heard in the distance.

The mouse suddenly turned around.

The two predators spotted each other at the same time.

The mouse let out a sharp squeak and turned to scurry into a nearby pipe.

The mouth inside the wall slowly closed, re-merging into the flesh and steel.

It was as if nothing had ever happened here.

Until a human voice gets closer.

My hometown used to be very beautiful.

Balu's voice came from the other end of the corridor.

"That's an ocean planet, more than 90 percent of which is ocean."

"There is very little land, and only a few places are truly suitable for human habitation. Everyone living there is a born sailor."

His voice echoed in the empty corridor.

  

Henry walked beside him, his chainsaw sword hanging at his waist.

His gaze swept over the surrounding bulkheads, which were being corroded by unknown bacteria, and every now and then an eye would sprout from them and stare back at him.

"And then? Then the Empire discovered us, and it just so happened that our battle lines were very close to those of the Zerg—"

'

"So it became a transit point, where fleet supplies, personnel transport, and war materials all had to pass through."

"At first, the governor and all the common people thought that their chance to get rich had come."

"After all, war means orders, more jobs, and a better chance of survival."

He hesitated for a moment after saying this.

"But later, the battle lines shifted."

'

The Zerg broke through from the other side, the Empire adjusted its strategy, and that planet lost its value.

"Nobody cares about a worthless planet."

"Besides the tax officials—"

1

"The Empire will not cease to collect its due obligations just because a planet has been abandoned."

"A world that can't pay taxes will be reassessed."

"Population, resources, and land."

"Everything will become an asset and then be transferred."

3

A small clump of green flesh on his shoulder moved.

Part of Anastasius's body lay there.

It now looks more like a strange pet.

"So you ran away in the chaos?" the demon asked.

Balu turned his head and glanced at it.

Everyone wants to run away.

However, most people don't have the opportunity.

"I'm lucky that I met Wesker."

Speaking of that name, Balu still felt a little guilty.

"He had just been discharged from the army, but the Empire had forgotten about him, and no one was there to take him back to his hometown—but having been drafted from the sidelines, he couldn't go back to his hometown either."

"He wanted to go back to space, and I wanted to leave that planet; we hit it off immediately."

"I didn't really understand him at that time."

"All I know is that the ships of wandering merchants are the freest places in the universe, where all sorts of people live—"

There are also foreign races, wealth, trade, and things from different worlds.

"I think that will be a new beginning."

Anastasius shook his whiskers.

That's because you've never been to the lower deck.

Balu glanced at it.

"Are you a native of the Farvore?"

'

"Born and raised on the lower deck."

"I lived there for a long time, then came up here in a daze, and then lived like this in a daze."

It swayed its body.

"Although it seems that I'm doing pretty well now."

"At least I'll never be hungry or sleepy again."

It seemed somewhat satisfied at this point.

Henry walked on the other side, remaining silent and not intervening in their conversation.

Until Anastasius turned around and faced him.

"And what about you?"

"Henry, which planet are you from?"

"Don't tell me that everyone where you were born is just like you."

"There's not much to say about this small place."

Anastasius stared at him.

"That girl—"

The demon had barely uttered a few syllables when it felt an inexplicable sense of impending doom erupting deep within its senses.

The source of danger is very close at hand.

It was Henry, who was standing next to him.

At this moment, the demon's instinct for survival frantically warned it.

If we continue to ask...

Something bad was definitely going to happen, so Anastasius wisely kept his mouth shut.

"What's wrong?"

Henry asked.

"I didn't hear you clearly."

The devil changed the subject.

"It's nothing."

"I just want to know, what brought you to the universe?"

'

Henry remained silent for a moment.

"My hometown was destroyed by chaos, and I escaped."

Balu nodded after hearing this.

"That confirms my guess. No wonder Wesker treated you so badly when we first met."

"Many of the homeless people here came here because of the chaos. They have tried to escape and they have also resisted."

"And then what?"

'

Henry asked.

"Hatred has made them part of chaos—and even if they haven't been corrupted by chaos, their hearts are already no different from those of monsters."

Anastasius flicked his whiskers.

"But you shouldn't be too scared, right? You can make that kind of medicine."