At this moment, Samuel Young's gaze wasn't fixed on the hardwood desk's holographic screen. He was contemplating the immense augmentation of Garan's physical strength through his psychic abilities.
Frankly, his actions bore an intrinsic similarity to how Warp Chaos Gods bestowed "psychic blessings" upon devout followers with exceptional individual strength, according to their whims or unique rules. The difference, however, was that he could roam freely through the material universe, whereas those Chaos Gods and demons were unable to leave the Warp in their true forms.
This realization caused a slight furrow between his brows.
From what he could observe, the Warp's incursions into the material universe seemed to have subsided after the New Mombasa incident in the Halo universe. The Daemon of Tzeentch that initiated the incursion was dealt with jointly by Mortarion and Corax and subsequently absorbed by Samuel himself.
Evidently, the Chaos Gods and their demonic minions had taken notice of his peculiar nature. Unlike typical incursions where demons could act without true consequence, this particular daemon's essence, including all traces left in the Warp, had been erased entirely. Such a complete eradication naturally alarmed them.
Nevertheless, Samuel was not naive enough to believe they would give up. Likely, they were scheming a larger, more destructive incursion. It could target the primary universe or other realms like Halo, Edge of Tomorrow, or Pacific Rim—universes that had become logistical strongholds of the Human Empire.
However, Samuel only hesitated briefly before turning his attention back to the unified actions of the Trench Crusaders. After all, time in the Warp flowed differently from that in the material universe. Perhaps the next incursion would happen tomorrow, or it might take a century or even a millennium. The Warp's denizens—those cowering entities—would eventually attempt to convert more intelligent lifeforms into their devout followers.
For now, though, the threats posed by the heavens and hells of the Trench Crusaders universe were more immediate and tangible.
Despite the Human Empire's inability to acquire real-time information about the Hell dimension through conventional communication means, Samuel had already discerned its state through Garan's perspective. Hell's overlords, including the Lord of Hell, Satan, had become "things of the past."
Beelzebub and Asmodeus, for example, were slain by Athena wielding her 1911 firearm and the Spear of Victory. The essence of these infernal lords became an excellent "nourishment" to further expand Samuel's psychic energy reserves.
Simultaneously, Samuel could clearly sense that the Flower of Purity was rapidly "assimilating" the Hell dimension. Even without Garan's direct vision, Samuel could vaguely "observe" the scenes of Limbo, the first layer of Hell. In less than two months, the Hell dimension of the Trench Crusaders universe would become his personal asset.
In other words, Samuel would become the new Lord of Hell.
In the numbered "13" Trench Crusaders universe, humans who committed acts deemed evil by the Lord of Hell or the deity they worshipped in life would be judged guilty and sent to one of the nine layers of Hell to endure eternal punishment.
Once the Flower of Purity fully assimilated the Hell dimension, would Samuel be able to decide the fate of souls according to his own will?
If he were to codify in the Imperial Constitution, Criminal Code, or Codex Humana: "Perpetrators of these crimes, deemed heinous by the Human Empire and its citizens, will be sent to Universe 13's Hell for eternal suffering," it could effectively deter career criminals from disrupting society and harming ordinary citizens.
Career criminals often fearlessly weigh risks and rewards. For them, the potential payoff is worth the risk. If successful, they could reap massive profits and live worry-free for decades. If caught, they face nothing worse than death.
Despite the Human Empire's efforts to ensure that every citizen's basic needs—food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—are met, some people remain "lazy and entitled," dreaming of quick wealth through illicit means.
Furthermore, advances in nanomedicine, prosthetics, and cybernetics have rendered known and unknown diseases far less daunting for the Human Empire. Common citizens with cancer, for instance, can undergo nano-treatment at government hospitals, with 70–95% of costs covered by health insurance.
Annual premiums for this universal insurance range from 100 to 600 credits, offering coverage across the galaxy. Consequently, the Empire's average life expectancy now ranges from 110 to 130 years, with retirement set at 75.
The Empire's institutions—labor laws, market regulation, and civil arbitration—also stringently monitor private enterprises to prevent issues like wage theft or unpaid overtime. While these issues are not entirely eradicated, reports or complaints trigger investigations by AI-backed enforcement bodies.
Such social stability, combined with affordable housing and cars thanks to price controls, prevents the speculative bubbles that plagued Earth's economy in the early 21st century. The Empire's vast star territories and vibrant entertainment industry further enhance the happiness of its citizens.
Yet, some individuals' "innate wickedness" persists. Crimes like robbery, rape, human trafficking, and drug trade have slightly increased as the Empire's population swells.
Strict laws may deter some, but when consumed by overwhelming emotions, criminals still inflict irreversible harm on law-abiding citizens.
However, if these inherently wicked individuals knew their crimes would result in actual damnation, their fear of Hell's eternal punishment might compel them to pause, even in the heat of the moment. Death would no longer signify an escape but the beginning of unending torment.
Samuel felt that once the Flower of Purity assimilated both Hell and the temporarily inaccessible Heaven, these dimensions might transform under his psychic influence into entities resembling the Warp.
In truth, Selene's decision to plant the Flower of Purity in Hell alongside Garan Clovis and others had been a "fortunate accident" with unexpected benefits.
After a moment of silence, Samuel's hands deftly operated a keyboard and mouse far larger than standard size, issuing an order to the "13" forward base: to eradicate all pseudo-deities exploiting human faith energy in the universe, particularly those proclaiming themselves as gods.
Having issued the command, Samuel shifted his focus to the latest developments in Universes 14, 15, and 16. He first opened the relatively simpler reports from Universe 15, the Alien universe.
There, a joint reconnaissance force led by "Little Strong" Gary Sanderson and Logan Sigurd's Wild Wolf 14th Platoon had successfully seized the colonial stronghold of Lethe's Moon. However, realizing they couldn't contend directly with human forces, the Xenomorphs fled deep into the rainforest covering 50% of Lethe's surface.
Their exoskeletons provided thermal insulation, making them undetectable by conventional reconnaissance. Additionally, the rainforest teemed with wildlife, providing the Xenomorphs with an endless supply of biomass for sustenance and new hosts for their breeding process.
Occasionally, the Xenomorphs raided villages and towns via subterranean drainage systems, severely disrupting local life. Consequently, Sanderson submitted a request for reinforcements comprising bioweapons and mechanical armies.
Samuel pondered briefly before approving the deployment of 20,000 new clone soldiers, 1,000 heavily armed tyrant-class units, and 200,000 hellhounds, supplemented by 100,000 Terminators and Hunters from Mars foundries and Terminator universe factories.
Provisions, weapons, and power supplies were also prepared for shipment to the Universe 15 forward base. Logistical allocation was left to Sanderson's discretion.
The strategy involved bioweapons and machines systematically sweeping the rainforest, confining the Xenomorphs' movements until they could be concentrated and annihilated via orbital strikes.
Though not all Xenomorphs would likely be eradicated, continuous monitoring using Forerunner sentinels and elite elves from Universe 7 would ensure long-term containment and safety for Lethe's Moon's residents.
Despite the option to personally purge the Xenomorphs with overwhelming psychic energy, Samuel refrained. The Empire must remain self-reliant and capable of progress, even without its Emperor.
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