Chapter 128: Setting Out and Ant-Cow Meat

"The industrial development of the Gobei world is complete, and it is time for us to depart."

At the starport, Wang Ming looked at Wang Xiaofa and the Transmigrators who were about to split their forces, speaking with solemnity. Beside them, a large number of mortal auxiliary troops were loading various equipment onto the *Dust Conqueror*. After Wang Ming's last broadcast, the auxiliary troops were working with much greater vigor.

This was the warship Wang Ming had entrusted to Wang Xiaofa, a battleship of the same class as the *Imperial Truth*. Its AI system had already been activated; unlike the *Imperial Truth*, this vessel had only a handful of mortal crew members, with most operations handed over to two AIs.

The artificial intelligence of the *Dust Conqueror* could efficiently manage all aspects of the ship. While Captain Jiang Tao and Minerva could control the *Imperial Truth* in a similar fashion, the human crew's fear of artificial intelligence meant they had never activated that function.

To accelerate world-building, Wang Ming had chosen to divide his forces. The Transmigrators would be split into two groups, heading to two different worlds. Wang Ming had set the resurrection points for the First, Third, and Fourth Regiments on Wang Xiaofa, who would serve as the supreme commander on the battlefield.

In truth, defeating the Transmigrators was simple: one only needed to kill the Transmigrator serving as the resurrection point. As long as Wang Ming was not present and the enemy possessed the force to eliminate all remaining Transmigrators, they could achieve a staged victory. However, they had best achieve their strategic objectives quickly; if they failed to meet their goals and did not manage to exterminate every Transmigrator on the world, they would truly come to understand the terror of the Transmigrators. They would then face a group of Transmigrators akin to mad dogs, whose countless power swords and bolters would utterly destroy their flesh.

"Wang Xiaofa, you are the resurrection point. You must not go to the front lines. You are to be the commander on the battlefield, do you understand?" Wang Ming looked at Wang Xiaofa and handed him the military banner. It was the Transmigrators' flag, with the golden Imperial Aquila gleaming upon the crimson field.

"Understood, Primarch. I will complete my mission." Wang Xiaofa took the banner, planting it beside him with one hand. Under the strength of his grip, the red flag rippled like flame, and the golden Imperial Aquila seemed to come alive, flapping its wings amidst the fire.

"Boss, do we really need to be this serious?" After the handover ceremony, Wang Xiaofa and Wang Ming spoke by the docking bridge of the *Dust Conqueror*. Wang Xiaofa felt Wang Ming had been overly formal. He had intended to call him "Boss," but seeing Wang Ming’s stern expression, he had settled for "Primarch."

"I just boosted the morale of the auxiliary troops; I was only being serious. Besides, you were just as serious yourself," Wang Ming looked at the Wang Xiaofa before him, responding with a mix of seriousness and playfulness to his grumbling. "This time, it is our first time splitting our forces. Do not get yourself decapitated. If you are, it will be very troublesome."

"I understand. Don't worry, I am just a resurrection point. I absolutely will not participate in head-on conflicts. Rest assured, Boss," Wang Xiaofa looked at the earnest Wang Ming and promised him.

"Hahaha, look at you. You just said I was too serious. It’s fine, don't worry. Even if you are decapitated, as long as you all don't die at the same time, I can reset the resurrection point, though it is quite a hassle," Wang Ming laughed at Wang Xiaofa’s solemn vow, speaking lightly. "Alright, I wish you and the brothers in the Tali system luck—hope you don't encounter any twisted Warp entities." Wang Ming patted Wang Xiaofa’s shoulder, offering his blessings before departure.

"Mm." Wang Xiaofa nodded, bid farewell to Wang Ming, and walked into the docking bridge toward the *Dust Conqueror*.

After seeing Wang Xiaofa off, Wang Ming returned to the *Imperial Truth*. He sat in the command chair, stroking the head of his Thanatos tiger with one hand while holding a data pad in the other, reviewing the conditions of the world he was about to visit. The First Engineer Company had completed its task and was taking the space elevator to the starport; once they arrived, the *Imperial Truth* could set off.

Thanks to the method of building while fighting, the industrialization of the Gobei world was completed quickly. Now, the original jungles of Gobei had been leveled for industrial construction, and massive factories stood upon the land. A large number of local residents had been recruited into the factories, beginning the Imperial-standard "007" work cycle ahead of schedule.

Now, let us turn our perspective back to the Warp and observe the meeting of two Warp deities.

"Your plan was useless. That brute Khorne did not achieve our purpose at all," a voice that sounded like a mixture of male and female, extremely seductive, echoed in the Warp, addressing another deity.

"No matter. It was all part of the plan. He poses little threat to us, even if that person gave him the essence," the other Warp deity replied with a strange voice that sounded like a cacophony of countless voices blended together.

"It is your turn to act next. Among the four of us, you are the only one with a chance to obtain him," the multi-voiced entity said again. "I will help you stall that man when the time comes; you must take the opportunity to drag his soul into your realm," it added.

"I will. He shall be mine." Without further ado, the deity simply answered and departed, returning to its own divine domain.

"Hehehe... all this is part of the change. You are the same; you and I are both within it," after the other deity left, the remaining Warp god muttered to itself. It was delighted, and its joy caused the surrounding Sea of Souls to shift constantly; Warp storms appeared eerily, only to vanish into nothingness just as quickly.

Back in the material universe, at the starport of Gobei, the First Engineer Company boarded the *Imperial Truth*. The ship slowly pulled away from the starport, preparing to head to the Mandeville Point. The destination was Kosciel IV. As the fourth planet in its star system, it was relatively far from its sun, and most of its surface was covered in ice and snow.

Wang Ming held the data pad, looking at the intelligence for Kosciel IV. He gazed at the white world, which resembled a flawless pearl; aside from a few areas with basic industrial facilities and cities, everything was blanketed in ice.

"Arrived at the Mandeville Point. Preparing to engage the Warp engines for transition. External viewports closing," Minerva’s broadcast announced, alerting the crew that they had arrived and would soon enter the Warp.

Wang Ming set down the data pad, watched the observation windows slowly close, and picked up his cup to sip some Mels tea. By now, the Transmigrators were accustomed to Warp travel. The journey would take about a week, and the Navigator had already plotted the optimal route.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Just as they entered the Warp, it happened to be mealtime. Wang Ming handed the data pad to Captain Leandro Ferreira and headed to the mess hall, carrying the Thanatos tiger he had named "Big Mimi."

"Boss, you're here! Come try the ant-cow I made this time!" As soon as Wang Ming entered the mess hall, the Transmigrator serving as the cook spotted him and called out.

"Fine." Upon hearing this, Wang Ming walked over. Although he still had some psychological trauma from the previous ant-cow meat, since it had been prepared, he had to try it. After all, no matter how bad the ant-cow meat was, it couldn't possibly send him into the Warp.

The Transmigrator watched Wang Ming sit down and placed a plate of ant-cow meat in front of him.

"The presentation is not bad this time," Wang Ming observed, feeling that the Transmigrator’s cooking might have actually succeeded.

"Of course! After the first failure, I practiced diligently," the Transmigrator said proudly, having spent a long time training.

"The smell is fine." Wang Ming forked a piece, held it to his nose, and confirmed there was nothing wrong with it. "Have you tried it?" Wang Ming asked just as he was about to eat.

"I tried a piece. It tastes great, not too salty, not too bland, just right," the Transmigrator replied confidently.

"Alright then..." Wang Ming looked at the confident expression and put the meat in his mouth.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey..."

After chewing a few times, Wang Ming spat the meat out directly. The mangled meat landed on the table, and amidst the shreds, a large, milky-white maggot was slowly wriggling. Wang Ming stared at the insect, then at the Transmigrator with a blank expression. This was "properly prepared"?

"I removed most of the parasites from the ant-cow meat, but I kept some. I feel like you only know you're eating ant-cow meat if you eat the parasites," the Transmigrator said, looking at the stunned Wang Ming with unwavering conviction.

"Did you leave them in by accident, or was it on purpose?" Wang Ming asked blankly.

"On purpose."

The answer felt like a thunderous slap to Wang Ming’s spirit. He looked at the maggot; the more he looked, the more it resembled a common fly larva.

"Boss? Boss? What are you doing? Don't put your hand on your sword! I'm scared!"

Warp travel proceeded as usual. Apart from one Transmigrator being chased across three decks by "Big Mimi," nothing else happened.

Now, let us look at the situation on Kosciel IV, the beautiful world of ice and snow. Kosciel IV was picturesque. Although its temperatures were not as insanely cold as worlds like Valhalla or Fenris, the extreme chill was more than enough to freeze any mortal without protective gear to death.

On the surface of Kosciel IV, there were no creatures other than the local humans. However, beneath the ice that covered 89% of the planet's surface, the vast ocean was teeming with life. A variety of marine creatures, having grown unchecked, looked incredibly bizarre. Yet, beneath their strange exteriors, they were lethal to the local humans. Without aircraft, the locals would never cross the ice fields, as creatures beneath the ice would watch those moving above with predatory intent. The locals could only reside on islands formed of hard rock.

"Hal, you know, those green monsters from the front line can't get over here. The ocean is our natural protection. Don't be so nervous." On an island outpost on Kosciel IV, a veteran PDF soldier in a heavy greatcoat spoke to a young man.

"Old Man Wahid, have you been drinking again? If Sergeant Karas finds out, you're going to get an earful," the young man named Hal frowned, smelling the alcohol on the veteran.

"You're just spouting nonsense, kid. Karas went to the front line; how could he find out? Even if he did, he wouldn't say anything. I was a soldier when he was still a snot-nosed brat. If it weren't for me... anyway, his words aren't worth half a Throne Gelt to me," Wahid replied dismissively.

"Right, right, you're the best," Hal said perfunctorily, watching the swaying old man.

"Hiccup—you know it, kid. Come on, follow me on patrol," Wahid smiled at Hal. He liked this young man; his own grandson was about Hal's age, and due to his work, he couldn't see his grandson often. He had come to treat Hal, who was always with him, like his own.

"Fine, fine, old man. Watch your step, don't slip," Hal sighed, picking up the old man’s helmet and weapon as he watched Wahid head toward the outpost door.

"Ridiculous. Who do you take me for? I've lived on Kosciel IV for fifty-nine years; you think I can slip?" Wahid retorted, walking forward on his own.

"Sigh..." Hal put on his own helmet, tied Wahid’s helmet to his belt, slung two autoguns over his back, and hurried after him.

Wahid and Hal walked through the wind and snow. For some reason, the snow was unusually heavy today, hiding things beneath its white veil.