24: The Economics of Corpses

Real World, Holographic Operation Pod.

"Pshhh—"

Accompanied by the ear-grating sound of pressure releasing from the spinal nerve connector, Li Cang abruptly pulled himself out of the deep-dive state.

His body twitched violently inside the life-support pod, like a drowning man finally breaking through the water's surface.

He gasped for air, greedily swallowing the stale atmosphere inside the pod, which carried a faint scent of ozone and the fishy smell of nutrient solution.

In the bottom-right corner of his retina, the row of red countdown numbers that had been like a death sentence finally stopped flickering.

[Remaining Life Support Time: 48:00:00]

[PVP Tactical Deduction Settlement Complete]

[Victor: Imperium of Man]

[Loot List:]

[genesis points (GP)]: 3,000 points (Promotion Match Victory Reward).

[Win Streak Bonus]: 1,000 points.

[S-Rank Evaluation (Devastating Blow)]: 2,000 points.

[Wager Earnings]: 1,000 points.

[Current Account Balance: 7,000 GP.]

"Seven thousand..."

Li Cang's skeletal fingers lightly tapped the armrest, making a dull thudding sound.

In the eyes of a novice at the Black Iron rank, this was a massive sum of money enough to drive anyone mad.

It was enough to buy a full standard "Elven Magic Tower" starter pack, or light up several practical livelihood technologies for one's civilization to give those miserable subjects a full meal, or even exchange for a powerful T2-tier Hero Card.

But in Li Cang's calculations, this was merely a pitifully thin band-aid.

He clicked open the [Unit Card Pool: Terra/Human Branch].

The [Thunder Warrior Legion] icon, which had once flickered with golden lightning, had now turned into a dull, lifeless black and white.

A bright red, shocking stamp was plastered over the icon:

[Organization Depleted / Re-recruitment Required]

[Severe Warning: Card durability has reached zero.]

[Biological Alarm: Gene chain completely collapsed. All members of the First Company confirmed to have 'self-destructed' due to over-exhaustion.]

[Resurrection/Reorganization Cost: 2,500 GP / per Company.]

"Too expensive."

Li Cang shook his head, his voice raspy.

Thunder Warriors were strong—absurdly strong.

In T1 or even T2-level ground combat, they were practically invincible meat grinders.

Tearing apart mechs with bare hands, tanking bolt shells with their bodies—every time they deployed, it was a visual feast.

But as a Commander, Li Cang had to face a fatal flaw—they were disposable items.

They had no "recovery mechanism."

Dead meant dead; once the genes collapsed, not a single usable organ remained, leaving only a puddle of radioactive biological waste.

If Li Cang spent 2,500 GP now to resurrect a company of Thunder Warriors, even if he won the next battle, after deducting combat losses and maintenance fees, he would still be losing money.

It was like using diamonds to crack walnuts; the walnuts break, but the diamonds get scratched too.

"This is the first trap the Warhammer universe sets for novices."

Li Cang whispered to himself, "In this desperate world, if you can't establish a closed loop—letting the dead serve the living, letting war sustain war—you will never win."

He didn't need more Thunder Warriors. They were the sword of the Unification War, but not the foundation for conquering the galaxy.

He needed a more stable, durable, and 'cost-effective' vehicle of violence.

"System, open the [civilization forge]."

As the command was issued, the surrounding holographic scene shifted instantly.

It was no longer a smoke-filled battlefield, nor that dark preparation hall.

In its place was a massive virtual biochemical laboratory colored in rust, permeated with a high concentration of disinfectant and formalin.

This was the system's visual operation interface, the Creator's operating table.

Countless streams of green code intertwined in the air into double-helix shapes, while massive gene incubation tanks drifted in the void.

Li Cang reached out a pale hand and grabbed a test tube emitting a faint golden light from his inventory.

[Ur-Khasis Gene-stock]

Source: Nadvak Campaign Loot.

Characteristics: Extremely high genetic stability, powerful tissue regeneration capabilities.

Next, he grabbed a yellowed, ancient scroll from the unlocked nodes of the tech tree, which looked as if it were made of human skin.

[Progenoid Gland Theory]

Source: Ancient Eugenics Database Fragment.

Characteristics: A biological black box capable of recording, storing, and replicating the host's genetic information.

Finally, he looked at that dim, scrapped [Thunder Warriors] card.

Though there were no living warriors left, the most precious things remained—combat data and the original genetic template.

"Go in."

Expressionless, Li Cang tossed these three items together into the analysis tank at the center of the forge, which was churning with blood-colored liquid.

"Begin deduction."

"Objective: Find a more economical, durable, and 'sustainable' vehicle of violence. I don't want a one-time nuclear bomb; I want bullets that can be infinitely recycled."

Vroom—!!!

On the massive holographic screen, countless red gene chains began to collide, break, and recombine frantically.

[Analyzing genetic logic...]

[Warning: Thunder Warrior genetic sequence is extremely active and possesses intense aggression.]

[Warning: Ur-Khasis genetic sequence is showing rejection reactions.]

[Fusion simulation in progress... Failure... Failure... Failure...]

The simulated experimental subjects underwent terrifying mutations time and again.

Some turned into skinless lumps of flesh, some had bones piercing through internal organs, and some even self-cannibalized at the embryonic stage.

Li Cang watched all this coldly, his eyes showing not a single ripple of emotion.

He wasn't doing scientific research; he was balancing books.

"The reason Thunder Warriors are strong is that they don't need a 'future'. Their organs run on overload; they trade lifespan for output."

"The reason Nadvak's Ur-Khasis are stable is that they stripped away 'ferality' and 'self', turning into docile livestock."

"I want the middle ground."

Li Cang's fingers moved rapidly in the void, like a mad film editor.

"Cut the peak segment representing 'explosive muscle power' from the Thunder Warrior gene map—I don't need them tearing apart tanks with their bare hands; that's a vehicle's job."

"Cut the redundant segment representing 'hive mind' from the Ur-Khasis—I don't need insects that only follow orders; I need soldiers with tactical minds."

"I don't need gods."

Li Cang whispered to himself, his eyes glinting with a chillingly rational light.

"One hero like Arik is enough. Heroes are too expensive, and heroes think, suffer, and question."

"What I need are tools. Parts. Standardized industrial products."

He pulled the weight of [Stability] to the maximum, [Lifespan] to medium, and [Individual Combat Power]... he gave it a heavy cut.

But that wasn't enough.

Flesh alone was not enough; it needed the shackles of the soul.

"System, add [Jon's Believer's Oath] as a mental anchor."

This was a rare-grade logic material.

It was the final legacy left by Jon, the Mortal who died for the Imperium, containing an absolute, fanatical faith in the Emperor.

For gene-enhanced warriors, fanatical faith was the best anesthetic and the strongest lock of loyalty.

[Restructuring...]

[Attempting to establish a second heart... Failure. Current resources are insufficient to support a dual-core system.]

[Attempting to establish bone-strengthening organs... Success.]

[Attempting to establish multi-lungs... Success.]

[Attempting to establish neural nodes... Success.]

The red warnings on the screen gradually decreased, and more green approval items appeared.

Finally, an organ model that wasn't fully formed and even looked somewhat crude floated before Li Cang.

It wasn't as perfect as the mature nineteen-stage surgical modifications of later generations, nor did it have as many complex functional organs.

It only had a few core functional zones: reinforced bones, reinforced muscles, and... a gland located at the neck that pulsed slowly like a tumor.

proto-gene-seed.

This gland could record the host's genetic data.

When the host died in battle, it would be like a ripe fruit that could be recovered and then planted into the body of the next recruit.

The dead would give birth to the living.

[Logic Confirmed: proto-gene-seed - Alpha Type]

[Characteristic Analysis:]

Mass-Producibility: Implantation success rate increased from the Thunder Warrior's 1% to 30%. This means there's no longer a need to stack thousands of human lives to produce a single warrior as before.

Degradation: Individual combat power is only 60% of a Thunder Warrior (Power Level T1.5). They can no longer solo mechs like Arik, but they are enough to crush Mortals.

Recyclability (Core): After a warrior falls in battle, if this gland can be recovered, the cost of recruiting a new soldier is reduced by 50%.

"This is it."

A satisfied curve finally hooked at the corner of Li Cang's mouth.

Although combat power had weakened, it solved the most central "economic problem."

This was an army that could be "passed down."

As long as the recovery was done well, this army would be endless.

"Confirm blueprint."

"Name it... [Legion I Prototype]."

Li Cang did not use resounding names like "Space Marine" or "Dark Angels."

Because they weren't that yet.

They were just a bunch of thugs carrying Chainswords and wearing crude power armor, a transitional product between Thunder Warriors and Astartes.

They didn't have that divine halo; they only had the coldness of executioners.

[Blueprint generation complete.]

[Consumption: Ur-Khasis Gene-stock (Depleted), Jon's Believer's Oath (Depleted), 1,500 BP.]

Li Cang watched his blueprint points instantly hit rock bottom without a hint of heartache. He immediately turned to the [Unit Recruitment] interface.

With a blueprint, one still needed a "base body"—that is, people.

"Purchase [Terra Wasteland Refugees (Base Card)]."

"Quantity: 500 units."

"Cost: 500 GP."

These were just the cheapest blank units, without any combat power, and likely carrying radiation sickness and malnutrition.

But before the "gene seed," they were the best wetware.

"Load [proto-gene-seed] plug-in."

"Load [Crude power armor] plug-in."

"Load [Chainsword/Bolter Mixed] plug-in."

[Materializing...]

[Total Cost: 1,500 GP.]

With the crisp sound of gold coins dropping into the bag, Li Cang's account once again approached zero.

[Current Balance: 300 GP.]

He was a pauper once more.

But in his card slot, a new card emitting an iron-gray light was slowly rotating, radiating a heart-palpitating chill.

On the card face, it was no longer the lightning-clad, invincible, and highly individualistic Arik Taranis.

In his place was a phalanx.

One hundred warriors wearing pitch-black power armor, their helmets seamlessly sealed, holding black Bolters.

Their faces couldn't be seen; they had no individuality, no expression.

Standing together, they were like a silent black wall, a mobile tombstone.

They didn't have the wild overbearing aura of the Thunder Warriors, but instead possessed a deathly stillness and discipline like precision instruments.

[Card Name: Legion I Prototype Company]

[Power Level: T1.5 (Elite Grade)]

[Quantity: 100 people]

[Tags: [Deathly Stillness], [Array Combat], [Gene Recovery], [Purge Protocol]]

"Compared to the roar of 'Thunder'..."

Li Cang looked at this card, his gaze deep, as if seeing a future mountain of corpses and sea of blood through the card's surface.

"I prefer the silence of the 'First Legion'."

...Just as Li Cang finished the construction and was about to take a breath, the entire operation pod suddenly shook violently.

Red warning lights flared again; it was a mandatory system announcement pop-up, directly overlaying all operation interfaces.

[Server-wide Announcement: The first round of the qualifiers is halfway through.]

[Warning: A large number of civilizations have been detected with stagnant development and passive avoidance of combat.]

[To stimulate civilization evolution, the system will open the 'Mandatory Interaction Phase'.]

[Event Name: Resource Plunder War]

[Rules:]

All surviving players will be randomly deployed to [Public Sector: Alpha Centauri System].

Within this system, there are a large number of [Neutral Resource Points] (Adamantium Veins, ancient ruins, energy wells).

Unlimited PVP combat between players is permitted.

Plunder Mechanism: Defeating an opponent or occupying an opponent's resource point yields double point rewards.

Li Cang narrowed his eyes, the blood-red announcement reflecting in his pupils.

It was here.

This was the "sustaining war through war" opportunity he had been waiting for.

It was also the system's "Battle Royale" to force all the rats out of their holes.

He glanced at his remaining 300 GP.

This amount wasn't even enough to give the power armor a full maintenance check.

If he didn't want to be eliminated at this stage, if he didn't want his oxygen tube pulled in reality, he had to go and seize.

And his "First Legion," those silent executioners, were waiting hungrily for the first blood sacrifice to announce their birth.

"Alpha Centauri..."

Li Cang pulled up the star map, looking at the star system closest to the Sol System.

"Very well."

Li Cang's finger hovered over the [Deploy] button.

He didn't press it immediately, but instead turned to look at the name in the status bar that had turned dim and was marked as [MIA] (Missing in Action)—Arik Taranis.

That once-unrivaled King of Thunder now could only lie quietly in his grave.

"Arik, watch closely."

Li Cang whispered, as if saying goodbye to an old friend.

"Though they aren't as strong as you, as dazzling as you, nor do they have that frenzy of yours that can tear everything apart."

"But they will finish what you left unfinished, completely."

"They will plant the Imperium's banner in every corner of the galaxy."

[Confirm Deployment.]

[Target Locked: Alpha Centauri - Planet 'Proxima'.]

[Matching encounter opponent for you...]

Light flashed.

Li Cang's figure disappeared from the operation pod.

Accompanying him was that company of silent legionaries clad in pitch-black armor, born for slaughter and recovery.