63: Chapter 63 War of Unification

Thus, the Age of Strife arrived. Numerous Warlords and Techno-barbarians fought one another across Terra for the legacy of the Golden Age. They used biological, chemical, and even thermonuclear weapons—weapons of mass destruction—attacking each other recklessly, turning the ancient planet that birthed humanity into a scarred, apocalyptic wasteland.

Meanwhile, the Cult Mechanicus on Mars, who worshipped technology, soon completed the unification of Mars. Afterward, they visited Terra, only to be quickly disappointed by the anarchic, barbaric state of the world. Consequently, the Tech-Priests decided to leave these savage primitives to their own devices and returned to Mars.

"Brothers, the Cult Mechanicus is so badass!"

"Brother, I have to say you're right. But the protagonist always makes their appearance last."

"Exactly, exactly, the protagonist is the last to appear."

It wasn't until the late 28th millennium, when almost all traces of civilization on Terra had vanished, that the Emperor finally stopped hiding his identity. To ensure the survival of the human race, the Emperor realized he had to personally lead and take control of humanity's destiny. Thus, the Emperor began recruiting warriors from among these Techno-barbarians, bringing them to his laboratory hidden beneath the Himalayas for genetic modification.

Using his knowledge and psychic power, the Emperor transformed these barbarians into his first batch of super-soldiers—these super-soldiers, later known as "Thunder Warriorss," were veritable tools of war whose sole purpose was to reclaim Terra for the Emperor.

"Brothers, aren't they Space Marines?"

"They don't look like them either. Could this be the prototype?"

Compared to the Space Marines later known to most, the Thunder Warriorss were more powerful, more bellicose, and more savage. They wore Mk I Thunder Power Armor personally designed by the Emperor, which, combined with the unparalleled strength of the Thunder Warriorss, made them almost invincible.

However, their physical functions and mental states were highly unstable, and their original human emotions had not been stripped away. These factors made them unsuitable for any activity other than war—once Terra was unified, their existence would pose a threat to the stability of the state, leading to unpredictable consequences.

"Brothers, I'm getting the feeling he's going to 'kill the donkey once the grinding is done'!"

"Is that possible? A man as great as the Emperor would never be so cruel."

At the end of the 29th millennium, in his capacity as a Warlord, the Emperor personally led his unstoppable Thunder Warriorss to begin a crusade against the other Warlords on Terra. This event, generally known to later generations as the "Unification War," involved large-scale battles beyond imagination: the warfare tore through mountains and nearly split the entire continent, involving hundreds of millions of lives.

Although the Emperor himself felt regret, these sacrifices were considered necessary for the greater goal. So, the Emperor unhesitatingly carried out a "bloodbath" across all of Terra.

As mentioned before, once the unification of Terra was complete, the Thunder Warriorss were no longer fit to exist.

"Is he about to take action?"

"Brother, why have you gone quiet? This isn't like you."

According to the records of the Imperial Archives, all Thunder Warriorss died in the final battle of the Unification War—they offered their loyalty to the Emperor and completed the unification of Terra.

Unfortunately, these stories are entirely fictional. Without the slightest hesitation after the war ended, the Emperor executed these powerful warriors. To the Emperor, the Thunder Warriorss were, in the end, merely tools to help him complete the unification of Terra.