68: Chapter 68 The Second Empire

During the entire Great Crusade, the number of Ultramarines exploded to a staggering 250,000. Aside from the Luna Wolves Legion, no other legion could match the Ultramarines in the number and speed of world conquests during the Great Crusade.

"250,000? I remember the promotional video saying that the Blood Angels gathered most of their successor and parent chapters' forces and only totaled 29,000."

"In ancient times, wouldn't this be a fierce general holding the frontier in his hands?"

"Is the next part of the plot going to be marching to the capital to protect the throne?"

Even after conquering a world, they would follow Guilliman's teachings to rebuild the newly conquered worlds, turning them into complete worlds with full defense systems, capable of industrial production, and planetary trade.

The 13th Legion's combat doctrine is to achieve victory through diverse tactics and overwhelming power, and the Invictarus Suzerains are the most special existence among the Ultramarines. They are independent of the Legion and serve as the personal bodyguard of Guilliman and the Tetrarchs of Ultramar.

They wear ornate Artificer Power Armor and wield weapons once used by the Legion's greatest heroes. They are not only veterans of a hundred battles but also an outstanding military and political academy; many future Ultramarines senior officers come from the Invictarus Suzerains. It can be said that every warrior here is the pride of the Legion and a symbol of Guilliman's ideals.

"Wait, according to movie logic, shouldn't the flashier the outfit, the weaker the character?"

"This isn't a movie, just watch. Hearing about it makes me really want to wear it."

"Exactly. I've only been a Grey Knights once; the rest of the time I've been in the Astra Militarum. It's so frustrating."

"If you ask me, with so many Space Marine at the Battle of Baal, we might as well get to be a Blood Angels for once."

"But unfortunately, these warriors, who should have pursued higher honors, shed their last drop of blood in that shameful betrayal..."

In that shameful rebellion, the entire galaxy fell into chaos, countless worlds were destroyed, and the human race was once again plunged into endless warfare, with the fruits of the Great Crusade ruined.

"So what exactly was that betrayal?"

"Argh! I hate riddle-makers the most. Brother Gao, come out and face your death."

"Brother Gao, I despise you. Don't start being a riddle-maker just for some traffic."

Due to the turbulence of the Warp, Guilliman mistakenly believed the Emperor was dead. Therefore, he made a decision that went against the Emperor: he used this xenos technology located on the planet Sotha—the Pharos Beacon—to concentrate loyalist Space Marine scattered across the galaxy in the 500 Worlds of Ultramar.

"Guilliman was hiding such good stuff."

"No wonder he's called the Avengers Son. Hiding so many things—I wouldn't even dare to imagine it if it were me."

This included the Dark Angels Primarchs Lion El'Jonson, the Blood Angels Primarchs Sanguinius, and the comatose Salamanders Primarchs Vulkan.

Guilliman proposed the establishment of Second Empire to carry on the legacy of the Empire. Although the Primarchs fiercely opposed this, because the Emperor's fate was unknown, no one was willing to be the Emperor of this Second Empire.

Ultimately, under pressure from Guilliman, Sanguinius took over as the Emperor of Second Empire, Lion served as the Lord Protector of Second Empire, and Guilliman served as the Regent of Second Empire. But little did they know, at this time on Terra, the Empire was experiencing a life-and-death crisis..."