215: Chapter 215 The Finale

As the Tyranid warzone entered its mopping-up phase, the Chaos battlefield welcomed its ultimate confrontation.

The fleet of Alpha-01, deep within the Warp, came face to face with that chaos prime nucleus formed from the fusion of the Four Gods.

It was an existence beyond description.

Its body was a patchwork of Khorne's crimson battle-axes, Tzeentch's ever-changing tentacles, Nurgle's festering pustules, and Slaanesh's perfect form, cycling through self-consumption and rebirth every second. Each of its breaths stirred Chaotic storms within the Warp powerful enough to tear galaxies asunder. Each of its gazes made even the most resolute Union crewman tremble from the depths of their soul.

It was not a god.

It was the essence of Chaos, the Four Gods as one, contradictions coexisting, eternally self-consuming.

Alpha-01 looked upon that existence and issued the final order:

"Activate Paradox Protocol · Ultimate Edition."

"Target: chaos prime nucleus."

All eight Source of Order-class battleships simultaneously unleashed all their energy, not to attack, but to define.

They wove a cage of order around that chaos prime nucleus, constructed from the laws of causality, C'tan principles, psychic vacuums, and zero-point energy barriers. Inside the cage was Chaos; outside the cage was order.

The chaos prime nucleus frantically assaulted the cage walls. Each impact tore a crack into the barrier. But the instant each crack appeared, the Order God-Emperor, that being transformed from the Emperor, would inject new order power from that very fissure.

He was no longer a singular individual.

He was the incarnation of the Sea of Order. Behind Him was all the order energy accumulated by the entire Human Union over five hundred years. It was the unwavering faith in order from countless New Humans across the entire galaxy. It was the resonance of every Nullifier Node, every Void Bastion, every Source of Order-class battleship.

The chaos prime nucleus struck one hundred times, one thousand times, ten thousand times. The cage walls cracked one hundred times, one thousand times, ten thousand times.

Each time, they were repaired by the Order God-Emperor.

Finally, when the force of the last impact was exhausted, the chaos prime nucleus's body, fused from the Four Gods, began to implode.

Khorne's rage could no longer tear the cage walls, for rage had been defined by order as a controllable emotion.

Tzeentch's schemes could no longer weave paths of escape, for schemes had been defined by order as logical errors requiring correction.

Nurgle's decay could no longer erode the cage walls, for decay had been defined by order as the cycle of life, not an eternal end.

Slaanesh's pleasure could no longer tempt the guardians, for pleasure had been defined by order as enjoyment permitted by order, not uncontrollable indulgence.

The Four Gods made one final, desperate attempt to merge, but the act of merging itself had been defined by order as impossible.

The chaos prime nucleus, that ultimate existence formed from the final essence of the Four Gods, collapsed within the Cage of order. The collapsing fragments were absorbed, transformed, and extracted by the Gods Flask Units.

The Four Gods of Chaos transformed from a threat into a resource.

When the Eastern Expedition Fleet and the Western Expedition Fleet returned to the galaxy simultaneously, the entire Sea of Order erupted in cheers.

No, not cheers. It was the resonance felt in the same instant by countless New Humans, a vibration from the depths of their souls. It was the Sea of Order celebrating, celebrating that the galaxy it guarded finally had no more threats, celebrating that the Human Union civilization it bore could finally take the next step.

Han Zhe stood atop the Order Sanctuary, gazing at the dark golden light converging towards him from every corner of the galaxy.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Alpha-01, Lei Huan, the Silent King, and the Order God-Emperor (as a faint golden projection) appeared behind him simultaneously.

"The Tyranid main swarm has been completely annihilated," Lei Huan's voice was hoarse but firm.

"The chaos prime nucleus has been permanently sealed," Alpha-01's voice was calm as ever.

"The Necron Dynasties have fulfilled their purpose," the Silent King's emerald light flickered slightly. "From now on, we are merely a part of the galaxy."

The Order God-Emperor did not speak. He merely gazed at Han Zhe. Within that golden projection seemed to lie ten thousand years of weariness, relief, and expectation.

Han Zhe remained silent for a long time.

So long that everyone thought he would not speak.

But in the end, he did.

"Five hundred years ago," his voice was low, yet it pierced the soul of everyone present, "we were on the ark, watching the Empire's pursuers fade into the distance. Back then, we had only one thought: to survive."

"One hundred years ago, we were in the Eye of Terror, facing the allied forces of the Four Chaos Gods. Back then, we had only one thought: to hold."

"Fifty years ago, we were in the Orkupus Passage, facing the vanguard of the Tyranid main swarm. Back then, we had only one thought: to annihilate."

"Today—"

He turned to face everyone.

"Today, we stand here."

"The Tyranids are destroyed, Chaos is sealed, the Necrons have submitted, the Aeldari are gone, the Orks are eliminated, and the Empire has been assimilated."

"From this second onward, the galaxy has no enemies."

"What does having no enemies mean?"

No one answered.

Han Zhe answered himself:

"It means we can finally do what we want to do."

He turned once more, gazing at the boundless starry sky, that human starry sky covered in dark golden light. And beyond that starry sky, the deeper, more unknown, and freer extragalactic space.

"The next step is not conquest."

"It is exploration."

"It is taking our order, our technology, everything we have learned from every enemy over five hundred years, and moving out into the universe."

"To see what lies at the edge of the universe."

"To see what civilizations older than ours have left behind."

"To see what undiscovered laws await us to define them."

He extended his hand, pointing into that boundless darkness.

"From today onward, humanity is no longer a species defined by the universe. Humanity is the species that defines the universe."

order Calendar Year 11 · Foundation Year, on that day, the largest exploration fleet in human history set sail from Terra's orbit.

Not to conquer, not to defend, not to seek revenge, but to explore.

The fleet consisted of ten million Explorer-class Scientific Survey Ships, each equipped with the Union's most advanced technology, finest scientists, and most determined Explorers.

The fleet's commander was not a soldier, but a young female scientist, Aria G-17, the Union's youngest astrophysicist, who had shocked the entire academic world with her paper 'On the Scalability of Order on a Cosmic Scale.'

Before departure, Han Zhe met with her.

"Do you know what this expedition means?" he asked.

Aria nodded. "It means humanity is no longer a prisoner of the galaxy."

"It also means," Han Zhe's gaze was as deep as the universe itself, "you may encounter things more terrifying than the Tyranids, than Chaos, than anything we have ever seen."

"Are you afraid?"

Han Zhe fell silent for a moment.

Then, he smiled. For the first time in five hundred years, a true, heartfelt smile.

"Yes."

"But being afraid doesn't mean we stop."

"Because for five hundred years, our Union has walked out of fear."

He reached out and placed a hand on Aria's shoulder.

"Go."

"Go see what lies at the edge of the universe."

"Then come back and tell us."

"We will be here, waiting for you."

Aria bowed deeply.

Then she turned and walked towards the Explorer, the ship that would soon carry her and her compatriots into the unknown.

[End of Book]

Afterword

In the long river of human civilization, there exists a group of people.

They started from a fleeing ship and, in five hundred years, conquered a galaxy.

They defined humanity with their own order.

They defeated gods with their own will.

They protected future generations with their own sacrifices.

They are called — the Human Union.

Special thanks here to Tang Yinshan's Northern Edition Wolf Horse, the drowsy Li Yao, Wu Jiafeng who loves to eat stir-fried fish, user11099589 for the likes, and thank you all for your support.