Warhammer 40k: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 176: Human Slaves

Tevantias continuously stimulated the Zerg eggs before him in various ways. When he injected energy and biomass into the eggs, they immediately responded. As Kerrigan used the hive mind to inject psychic energy into them, Tevantias mistakenly believed that his own attempt had been successful.

Two Drones broke out of their cocoons. Seeing these Drones, Tevantias grew even more curious. Using the countless surgical machines around him, Tevantias restrained the newborn Drones and attempted to perform controlled biological modifications on them. Sharp instruments cut into the Drones' flesh, but the Drones did not struggle at all. A neural control device was also placed on the Zerg.

Everything seemed to be going so smoothly. In Tevantias's eyes, these creatures, which possessed only instinct, were not as terrifying as the Harlequins had described.

Every Haemonculus was a genius in the art of flesh, to say nothing of Tevantias, who could be called the chief among them. And geniuses often had a common failing; no matter how much they restrained themselves, no matter how rational they were, they could not avoid the existence of arrogance.

Compared to believing the words of others, Tevantias trusted his own skills more. They were the "gods" of the biological field; the messengers of the Laughing God could not possibly understand their art. And the facts seemed to prove it. Just because the Harlequins thought these Zerg were uncontrollable did not mean that he could not control them. If he did not believe in his own skills, Tevantias would not have been able to reach his current position.

With a thought from Tevantias, the Zerg moved completely according to his will, no different from his other modified test subjects, and were even more stable.

"No wonder those inferior monkeys can also control this creature..." Some of his own creations would, from time to time, break free from his control.

Just as Tevantias wanted to continue exploring the characteristics of the Zerg, one of the Drones began to morph on the spot into a Hatchery. Purple creep began to spread throughout Tevantias's laboratory. The energy and biomass he had injected into the egg earlier had become the exact energy the Drone needed to transform. A small Drone had turned directly into such a huge Hatchery; this had already surpassed the bounds of physical laws.

This scene made Tevantias feel as if he had discovered a new world. His eyes were even filled with fascination. He caressed the constantly writhing and multiplying Hatchery. For Tevantias, this was the art of flesh. And the spreading creep began to actively devour the dead flesh-alchemy materials in Tevantias's laboratory.

With the completion of the Hatchery, larvae were spewed out one by one. And according to Lucan's orders, an Overlord was hatched first. The Overlord was a node-creature for the Zerg. Although in the game it only provided population supply, its essence was still to transmit the hive mind's commands to the Zerg. What Lucan wanted was for Tevantias to discover the characteristics of the Overlord, to make him think that by controlling the Overlord, he could control all the Zerg that were subsequently hatched.

And just as Lucan had thought, Tevantias, with his countless years of experience and incredible knowledge base, also sensed the subtle psychic fluctuations generated when the Overlord issued commands to the Zerg. As one different Zerg after another was hatched, Tevantias was amazed by their rapid reproduction capabilities.

"Pure war machines!"

And the more powerful the abilities the Zerg displayed now, the more excited he became. After all, in his eyes, this was a power he could now control.

Looking at the Zerg that had gradually filled the entire laboratory, Tevantias ordered a few Drones to follow him out. One laboratory was still too small... Fortunately, he had a huge laboratory in the chaotic ruins of Commorragh's lower levels.

"Father, I can feel the number of Zerg is constantly increasing!"

"It seems he has really taken the bait!"

These Dark Eldar dared to attack his world and his people! When the time came, Lucan would definitely give them a surprise! A last-minute betrayal to give them a little StarCraft shock. To make them eat the bitter fruit of their own sowing... just thinking about it was exhilarating!

At this moment, the heavily wounded Burns was imprisoned in the slaver's cell with the other captives. The room was filled with the smell of rot and excrement; just breathing felt like it could kill you.

"Cough, cough..."

Burns could feel the pain still coming from his internal organs. He couldn't understand the language of these Dark Eldar, but he knew that the simple treatment they had given him was definitely not out of any good intention.

In this huge cell were also nearly two hundred other Dynasty soldiers who had been captured with him. Besides the people from the Dynasty, there were also over a hundred other humans. But their faces were filled with numbness.

"S-sir... what do these xenos want to do with us?"

These surviving soldiers had also received simple treatment. They had spontaneously gathered around Burns.

"I don't know either... but we absolutely cannot just sit here and wait for death! We have to find a way to escape! Look around for any tools we can use!"

Burns did not want to give up resistance. But before they could act, a prisoner in the same cell spoke to them.

"You... were you just captured? By the Emperor... it's been a long time since I've seen new faces in this cell. Don't struggle. How could those deviant Dark Eldar give us a chance to escape? You're the same as us now, just their property. You newcomers will soon experience your first gladiatorial fight... better save your strength now. Maybe you'll have a better chance of surviving in the arena."

Hearing this man's words, Burns moved closer. The man was even wearing a tattered Astra Militarum uniform. This meant he was not some helpless Imperial civilian. To have been in the Astra Militarum meant he had at least received complete military training.

"Are you also Astra Militarum? My name is Burns. What's yours? We are from the Mongorte Rogue Trader Dynasty! It seems you've been here for a while. Can you tell us about the situation here? Maybe we have a chance to escape!"

"Me... just call me Gaspar. Astra Militarum? Hahaha... yes. But we're just a pitiful Penal Legion. You could barely call us Astra Militarum, right? It's just that the Imperium has never treated our lives as lives. Don't struggle. Everything you do is in vain."

Burns had heard of these Penal Legions. They were often filled with criminals who had been conscripted after committing crimes in the Imperium. Although those who survived could have their crimes pardoned, how many in a Penal Legion could truly survive? Only a very small number could truly clear their names, and the best among them might have a chance to become an agent of the Inquisition. The people in the Penal Legions were all forced to gamble with their lives for a chance.

"How can you just resign yourselves to this fate? Even if you're a Penal Legion, you are still human, you are still followers of the God-Emperor! How can you bow down to these xenos?!"

"Yes... we were all once warriors of the Emperor. We were also dedicating our lives to the Emperor. But here, there is only despair, slaughter, and pain. The light of the great God-Emperor cannot shine upon this dark place."

Hearing the other party's constant defeatist words, Burns did not hesitate to punch him to the ground. He could not let him shake the faith of his own men. In this situation, a single word could often affect everyone else.

The other party, as if completely accustomed to pain, instead held his face and began to laugh.

"Every newcomer is just like you. The people sent here are not civilians. Those who dared not fight were long ago killed and thrown into a pit or became experimental materials! Do you think we haven't resisted?! We were forced into the arena to fight xenos, to fight all kinds of terrifyingly modified creatures, and even to fight our former comrades! But what was the result! All the pain we endured... all the efforts we made were just a performance to please these xenos in their eyes."

Burns, seeing the other party's increasingly unstable emotions, paid him no more mind. He walked to the bars of the cell and looked around, trying to find something he could use.

Diagonally across from them was a warehouse. The half-open door revealed a pile of metal supplies waiting to be sold, as well as the SCV and some damaged power armor and weapons.

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