72: Chapter 72: Not a Big Knife, But a Small Knife

["Who are you sulking at after watching that play?!"]

After the Viscount and his wife left, Aria wasn't one to hold back, and immediately started arguing with Consort Cheng Yu.

["What... Can't I be in a bad mood for once?"]

Consort Cheng Yu usually tolerated Aria's temper, but today... he wanted to assert himself a little.

["Oh, what's gotten into you today? You watch one play and suddenly you're all worked up? Get over here!"]

Aria took a soft whip from a maid... Don't worry, it's just a prop, won't hurt anyone.

["I'm not coming over, I'm not coming over! Dukaria, I want to sleep in separate rooms!"]

Consort Cheng Yu fumed, "I'm human, not a beast of burden! I need rest too!"]

["Rest?" Aria sneered contemptuously. "Weren't you resting during those two hours of the play?"]

["What nonsense is this?!" Consort Cheng Yu wasn't stupid; seeing Aria charge, he knew to run.

["Come here!" Aria, a former pirate, lashed her whip and wrapped it around Consort Cheng Yu's waist. "If you don't satisfy me tonight, you'll be eating lying down for the next two days!"]

...

The Warp, "Water Extraction Point" forward base.

This place had been built into a living city by a large number of Cheng Yu's Clones.

The city was composed of numerous mobile Hive Cities, combat airships, giant armored vehicles, and some... indescribably bizarre conveyances.

Due to the instability of the Warp, the terrain here could change at any moment, so the "Water Extraction Point" forward base was always ready to relocate. Its purpose was no longer limited to obtaining drinking water.

Any Warp resources, organisms, relics, or technology were targets for the base's operations.

A very small number of Cheng Yu's Clones, driven mad by hunger, had even found wives here... Slaanesh Nuns.

In the eyes of these clones themselves, their wives were the most beautiful women in the world, but in the eyes of relatively normal clones... aren't those tentacle monsters?

["Why have you come to the base?!" The base's highest-ranking officer, Cheng Yu, was the "Sharingan" Cheng Yu who had previously brought back Imperial Consort Lady Istvaan.

He no longer had a human form; standing there, he looked like a Godzilla.

["To get promoted, make money, and support my wife, sir!" Overachiever Cheng Yu dared not lie. Only a madman would lie in front of Godzilla.

["Very good, very spirited. You are now promoted to Chief of Staff!" "Sharingan" Cheng Yu added, "Your service term is six weeks. If you survive until then, I'll approve a residence in the Upper Hive for you!"]

["Thank you, sir!"]

Overachiever Cheng Yu secretly rejoiced... Six weeks, not six years. He could tough it out.

Besides, the position of Chief of Staff was quite high. In the real universe, one war band had one staff officer, and a hundred war bands had one Chief of Staff.

But he soon realized how ridiculous his thoughts were.

After only three hours in the Warp, without drinking a drop of water, eating anything, or even taking off his protective suit... he mutated.

Normal Cheng Yu was 1.74 meters tall. Overachiever Cheng Yu had unknowingly grown 20 centimeters, becoming a 1.94-meter giant.

He hadn't noticed at first, but another clone nearby quickly jabbed him with a Psy-suppressant injection, or the Overachiever clone might have eventually grown into a giant serpent.

["Thanks, thanks a lot, brother."]

["Don't thank me. Thank His Majesty."]

It turned out to be an Ecclesiarchy Priest Cheng Yu, who handed Overachiever Cheng Yu a selection from the "Imperial Truth"—the full version was too thick.

["Maintaining faith in His Majesty helps resist the corruption of the Warp. Your psychic talent has awakened... Accept your gift and use it in service of His Majesty's cause."]

["Psychic talent... Me?"] The Overachiever clone was still processing this information when the Ecclesiarchy Priest Cheng Yu had already walked away. They preached every day near the base to any life form, including Slaaneshi creatures.

["I'd like to introduce you to our almighty, merciful, and loving Emperor,"] the Ecclesiarchy Priest Cheng Yu said, approaching a Slaanesh Nun.

The Ecclesiarchy Priest's faith was so firm that in his eyes, the Slaanesh Nun was just a tentacle monster, not the blond-haired, blue-eyed cutie she tried to appear as.

["Pleasure me, and I'll convert,"] the Slaanesh Nun chuckled.

["Alright."] The Ecclesiarchy Priest began to undress.

["I was joking... Are you crazy? Get lost!"]

The Slaanesh Nun couldn't take it. It wasn't that she wouldn't do it, but that Godzilla clone was constantly scanning the entire base. If he saw her, she was dead, and even the Lord of Pleasure couldn't save her in time.

["If you change your mind, contact me anytime."]

The Ecclesiarchy Priest Cheng Yu turned and left. The scent of incense from the brass censer under his robe made the Slaanesh Nun gag.

["Long live His Majesty! The Empire rules all directions!"]

Overachiever Cheng Yu also learned from the other clones at the base to chant this sentence whenever he had a moment... It seemed to help; chanting more cleared his mind.

In fact, the Overachiever Cheng Yu hadn't revered the original much before. He knew the original had some skills, but he was ultimately about the same age—how could he have earth-shattering abilities?

But as he kept chanting and felt the collective effect of the surrounding clones...

The image of Main Body in his mind grew taller and more unshakable.

Under this power, Overachiever Cheng Yu truly awakened his psychic powers.

Overachiever Cheng Yu's original black pupils turned azure. Not just his eyes... his entire body emitted a dazzling blue light.

["The Chief of Staff turned into a microwave!"]

["I bet his combat power will be in the millions when he fully transforms!"]

The bizarre-looking clones around him buzzed with discussion.

Almost every clone who stayed here long enough would awaken psychic powers, but most had very weak powers, often accompanied by physical mutations. So few clones wanted this "blessing" even if it was free.

["Everyone, move! He's about to explode!"]

"Sharingan" Cheng Yu suddenly appeared before Overachiever Cheng Yu and used his powerful psychic energy to stabilize the other's psychic rampage.

Alas... If someone had done that for "Sharingan" Cheng Yu when he awakened his powers, he wouldn't have become such a terrifying sight.

["Boom!"]

A massive psychic tide exploded, staggering the Cheng Yu clones and Slaanesh Nuns who hadn't dodged in time.

["Huh?" Overachiever Cheng Yu opened his eyes... "Where is this? And why is there a Godzilla?"]

["Go to your high school homeroom teacher!" "Sharingan" Cheng Yu was furious, but he couldn't vent. Memory loss was a common side effect of psychic awakening.

["I order you to recall where you were and what you were doing just now,"] "Sharingan" clone displayed his high-tier clone status to intimidate the other and stop his nonsense.

["Reporting, sir! I was just capturing an agent of the Corpse Emperor Empire, and then I ended up here!"]