The Emperor's statue, towering at a height of fifteen meters, was gilded in gold. Every intricate detail of his power armor, the Emperor's Claw, and the Emperor's Sword was meticulously carved by Terminators and Hex robots acting as sculptors. However, the statue's head bore a golden helmet that obscured the Emperor's face.
"Oh my God! Brother, is that the legendary Human Emperor? He's so tall!"
Even though she had never seen the Emperor's face, Carrie couldn't hide her excitement at the sight of the majestic statue. During the Church's rule, she and her brother had neither the freedom nor the means to visit a church, let alone admire such splendor.
Back then, only high-ranking believers or knights of the Church were allowed into the sanctuaries to worship the statue of Jesus Christ and marvel at the ornate murals. Children like Carrie and Clonto, who barely had enough to eat, could never dream of stepping foot in such places.
But under Imperial rule, not only were privileges abolished, but everyone was allowed access to the newly restructured "Imperial Cathedral." More importantly, they could now eat meat regularly and no longer worried about survival.
Listening to his sister's exclamation, Clonto nodded slightly. Being more mature than his peers and his younger sister, he understood that the Emperor's statue had likely been artistically exaggerated. The real Emperor, he reasoned, could not possibly be fifteen meters tall. However, his limited reading of the Codex Humana revealed that the "Imperial Angels"—the Astartes—were the Emperor's progeny, each over 2.3 meters tall.
Thus, it stood to reason that the Emperor himself would not be "short" by any means.
Inside the cathedral, aside from the grand statue at the forefront, the walls were adorned with exquisite murals. Unlike the Church's murals that glorified God, Heaven, and Jesus, these depicted the unembellished history of the Empire.
One mural showed the Emperor in his "mortal" phase, rising from the wilderness, founding Atlas, and opening the first spatial gate to other universes. Another showed him cradling the newly descended Sanguinius and Guilliman.
Simple wooden benches lined both sides of the cathedral, allowing visitors to rest while observing. Unlike the Church, the Empire did not impose mandatory rituals or prayers.
However, at this moment, the hard-light screen near the Emperor's statue began playing footage of an intense battle.
The video depicted the colossal Athena hurling her Spear of Victory with immense force. The spear pierced through the Bloodied Wall, which erupted in golden light.
Following the explosion, the Dark Angels' 1st Company, accompanied by 800 Greek demigods and Grey Knights, led an endless Imperial army charging toward the golden light.
The footage was an edited compilation of recordings from the Jerusalem Campaign, skillfully integrated by Selene and the AI of the Dark Angels' 1st Company. The result was a cinematic masterpiece that rivaled anything produced by Atlas Entertainment.
"Whoa!"
"My God!"
"She really is a goddess…"
Seated on the wooden benches, the townsfolk stared wide-eyed, utterly absorbed in the action-packed scenes. Under Church rule, they had never experienced entertainment of this caliber. Even in the heartlands, entertainment was sparse and reserved for the wealthy and powerful.
Now, faced with a war film-like display, the townsfolk couldn't look away. Among the captivated audience were Clonto and Carrie, who joined the growing crowd of viewers.
Through the footage, most locals developed a deeper admiration for the Empire and the Emperor. Athena, capable of transforming into a 200-meter giant and single-handedly crushing the Hellish armies, served the Empire and the Emperor without hesitation.
Furthermore, the Empire had transformed their lives within a month. They couldn't help but contrast this with the Church, which had used rhetoric like "suffering is a blessing" to justify their hardships.
The Church had promised salvation from God, yet it was the Empire that delivered them from despair. The demons and Hell that had plagued their world for nearly a millennium were utterly powerless before the Empire's armies.
"An all-powerful, supreme God?" scoffed one viewer quietly. "Just a coward hiding in Heaven."
Compared to Athena, God wasn't even worthy of mention.
As the townsfolk enjoyed the Jerusalem Campaign footage, a small number of "locals" watched with a different intensity. Their apparent fascination masked the resentment glinting in their eyes.
Standing at the cathedral's edge, members of the Inquisition had already identified these individuals as potential threats. Since the town opened to outsiders, the Inquisition, reconnaissance teams, and forward units had monitored those entering, especially known fanatics and nuns loyal to the Church.
The Inquisition refrained from immediate action, hoping to use these zealots to uncover evidence of Heaven's interference and a potential path to the Heavenly Realm.
As the footage progressed, Athena and her forces were shown reaching Jerusalem. The corrupted Hellgate, cleansed by Athena's psychic energy, stood prominently in the frame. Athena, accompanied by Greek demigods and Grey Knights, crossed the Hellgate into the abyssal realm beyond.
The crowd, including Clonto and Carrie, thought the video would end there. Instead, the screen transitioned to reveal a scene of the Dark Forest and the ferryman Charon, rowing souls across the River of Lamentation.
!!!
The townsfolk were stunned. Familiar with the Bible compiled by the Church, they recognized the Dark Forest instantly. Traditionally, only the Church's holy knights could withstand the Hellgate's heat and corruption to perform sacred missions in Hell. Yet Athena, the demigods, and Grey Knights—all "living beings"—had ventured into Hell and fought their way through.
The footage showed Athena's effortless annihilation of Hell's native creatures—the Greedy Wolf, Ambitious Lion, and Hedonistic Leopard. Each fell swiftly to the Spear of Victory, reforged by the Emperor's hand and imbued with pure psychic energy.
As the scenes of conquest unfolded, the townsfolk's awe of the Church and its teachings diminished further. These so-called invincible lords of Hell knelt, begged, and pledged loyalty, only to be executed by Athena without hesitation.
The final clip showed Garan Clovis and his squad defeating Satan himself. With the Emperor's psychic possession bolstering Garan, the climactic battle underscored the Empire's might.
By the end of the video, the townsfolk were visibly swayed. They saw the Emperor and Athena as figures of genuine miracles, in stark contrast to God and Heaven, who offered empty promises.
While most townsfolk embraced their newfound faith, the fanatics and nuns seethed silently. They rose after the video ended, blending into the departing crowd with copies of the Codex Humana in hand.
However, one nun remained seated, her body trembling and cold sweat dripping from her forehead. A forward operative, clad in a nano-suit and monitoring invisibly, immediately alerted the staff to evacuate the townsfolk and warned the combat units stationed nearby.
Before the evacuation could begin, the nun began convulsing violently. Her eyes rolled back, and her body rapidly swelled. Within seconds, her clothes tore apart as a blood-red, pulsating mass erupted, transforming her into a grotesque living tumor.
!!
Grabbing his sister's hand, Clonto bolted toward the cathedral's square, dragging Carrie along as chaos erupted behind them.
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