Chapter Sixty: Mears

After eight months of arduous travel, the Imperial Truth and its two transport ships finally emerged from the Mandeville Point of the Moers star system. Although the Imperial Truth and its companions had exited the Mandeville Point, they still required more than a day of sub-light travel to reach Moers itself.

“So, how did all of you cross over?” In the mess hall of the Imperial Truth, Chen Wei picked up a piece of roasted Golok meat with his chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and asked Wang Lei and the other transmigrators dining beside him.

“How did we cross over? Isn’t it always a truck accident?” Wang Lei replied; he had been hit by a truck on his way to the supermarket and then transmigrated.

“A truck? What truck? I was painting chess pieces when I crossed over. And I didn’t even finish painting them,” said another transmigrator seated beside Wang Lei, recounting his own experience.

“Your crossings sound so normal. I was using the bathroom when I suddenly transmigrated,” chimed in another, whose method was more peculiar.

“Hey! Boss!” While everyone discussed their experiences over their meal, Wang Lei spotted Wang Ming entering the mess hall and waved him over.

“What’s up?” Wang Ming responded and walked over to Wang Lei.

“Boss, how did you cross over?” Wang Lei asked. The surrounding transmigrators were curious too, for Wang Ming had arrived with a system.

“I? I got drunk, and while I was lamenting my life by the roadside, the Emperor pulled me over,” Wang Ming explained to the circle of transmigrators.

“By the way, do you all remember the exact date you crossed over?” Wang Ming suddenly recalled an important question.

“November 13th!” Almost simultaneously, the transmigrators around Wang Ming all spoke the same date.

“Damn…” After everyone stated this eerily consistent date, a strange feeling rose in the hearts of all present.

“Chen Wei, you were in the third batch, right?” Amid the silence, Li Peng turned to Chen Wei beside him.

“Yes,” Chen Wei replied, though he already had a rather outlandish answer in his mind.

“The third batch was recruited after we moved from Macragge to Terra, but we had already stayed in Macragge for several months. Yet all the transmigrators’ crossing date is November 13th,” Wang Ming recounted.

“In other words, during the months after our crossing, Earth’s time barely moved,” Wang Ming concluded.

The flow of time in the 40K universe differed from that of Earth; while the transmigrators spent months in the 40K universe, hardly any time passed on Earth.

“That’s actually not so bad. It’s a blessing, really. When we eventually find a way home, we’ll return to the very day we crossed, and our families won’t have to grieve over our sudden disappearance,” Wang Ming said, looking at the silent group.

Since ancient times, the people of Huaxia have cherished their families and homeland dearly. For many, their greatest sorrow upon transmigrating was the fear that their sudden absence would devastate their loved ones.

“Honored Primarch, we have received a communication from Thomas Peckhart, planetary governor of Moers. He is requesting assistance,”

Just then, Leandro Ferreira, acting captain of the Imperial Truth, informed Wang Ming of the contact from Moers.

“All right, brothers, we’ve got work to do,” Wang Ming said, rising to head for the command room.

The doors of the Imperial Truth’s command center opened, and Wang Ming entered together with Wang Xiaofa. Their arrival prompted all crew members within to salute them with the Aquila gesture.

“What’s the current situation on Moers?” Wang Ming nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to Captain Ferreira for details.

“Honored Primarch, we have received the planetary governor’s communication. Shall we connect now?” Leandro Ferreira replied.

Upon entering the gravitational range of the Moers system, the Imperial Truth had intercepted persistent pleas for aid via radio and astropaths since the onset of the Moers Great Rift.

“Connect,” Wang Ming instructed Ferreira.

The communication was quickly established, and a somewhat weathered man appeared on the command center’s main screen.

“Great Lord Astartes, greetings. May victory always be with you.” As the video connected, Thomas Peckhart addressed Wang Ming and Wang Xiaofa, instinctively using the formal terms for Space Marines.

“How is the situation on Moers?” Before Peckhart could finish his formalities, Wang Ming cut straight to the point.

Peckhart, relieved to be able to raise the matter he most wished to discuss with these Astartes, hurriedly outlined the current state of Moers.

As Peckhart spoke, Wang Ming’s brow furrowed ever deeper.

Moers was now more complicated than before the Great Rift. The lower hives of its two main cities, Thanatos and Sisyphus, had already begun to fall to Chaos cultists. The planet’s own defense force, the Moers Guard, was locked in endless skirmishes with the cultists, using the mid-hives as a buffer.

Additionally, in the eastern rocky wastelands of Thanatos, signs of awakening among the Necrons had begun to appear. Scattered Necron figures had been spotted in the wilderness, causing the deaths of several miners.

To the west of Sisyphus, in one of Moers’ rare vegetated regions, Ork beasts had been sighted. Fortunately, these brutes’ technology remained at the Iron Age level, and the Moers Guard had initiated operations to cleanse them.

Meanwhile, Tau forces based on Moers’ moon, Diana, occasionally visited the planet to engage in “friendly exchanges” with the local humans.

In summary, Moers had devolved into utter chaos, with nearly every major faction—save the Eldar—making an appearance. The planet was a boiling pot, all but overrun with turmoil.

“We will arrive at Moers in about one Terran day and will support the ongoing conflict,” Wang Ming said to Thomas Peckhart after considering the situation.