Published at 20th of August 2026 7:42 am

Chapter 1944: No Greater Calling

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Silence descended in the hall once again.

The crimson moon gradually glided across the night sky, giving way for the distant sun to rise.

"What? Say something!" Adam pressed. "Do you think my friends would be conscripted?"

The corner of Luca’s lips twitched. "You are worried about your friends? Don’t you see how highly unusual your case is?"

No. Adam did not see.

How would he know?

Luca rubbed his face, still a little dumbfounded by how this man before him had bypassed all of Myrrandor’s security and landed in the middle of the Sea of Storms.

He suddenly thought of something and couldn’t help but frown.

"You have a strong backing or something?" he asked suspiciously.

"I am from the Outer Universe!" Adam exclaimed, utterly speechless. "The only backing I have is myself!"

To put things into perspective, if the Greater Universe was a bustling metropolitan city, then the Outer Universe was the impoverished slums that resided beyond the city walls.

Could a slum dweller have a powerful backing?

The question itself was ridiculous!

"How very strange," Luca murmured, his eyes narrowing.

He could tell that Adam was telling the truth. Either that, or Adam was an extremely gifted liar, and he had been fooled.

"Well?" Adam pressed again.

Luca looked at him for a long moment, studying him deeply. At last, he helplessly sighed.

"Look," he began, "you have to understand that Myrrandor is the birthplace of our God-Emperor. It is a planet that holds immense cultural and historical significance in the Imperium."

Adam nodded in understanding.

"So naturally, strict security measures have been established around the planet’s orbit to prevent unauthorized arrivals," Luca continued, his tone solemn.

"That is why Carina has been transformed into a docking hub, so to speak, for those arriving from other parts of the known universe. Even someone like me has to pass through proper security channels to set foot on this world, which we humans regard as our holy land."

Adam turned contemplative, his brows furrowing.

"So you see how you teleporting directly inside Myrrandor is an anomaly?" Luca continued.

"Yes, but..." Adam began, hesitating. "Couldn’t there have been like... you know... some kind of malfunction in the teleportation array? I mean, it’s possible, isn’t it?"

Look shook his head. "In theory, yes. But in reality?"

His voice was full of certainty. "The chances are so small they’re practically nonexistent."

He looked Adam straight in the eye.

"Do you really think the Imperium would leave something like that to chance? Especially when it comes to Myrrandor?"

His voice turned utterly solemn.

"This is the birthplace of the God-Emperor, Constanine. Every teleportation array, every checkpoint, every security measure has been refined over countless generations. A failure of such a scale would be unthinkable!"

Adam fell silent, his brows drawing together into a deep frown.

Meanwhile, Luca continued to stare at Adam, his eyes slowly narrowing as they gleamed with hints of suspicion.

"What about the ones who traveled with me then?" Adam asked after a long moment of silence.

"If their case is similar to yours, then they might be scattered across Myrandor," Luca said sensibly.

"If not..."

"Then what?" Adam pressed.

"Contrary to what most people here believe," Luca began in a solemn voice. "Those who arrive from the Outerverse aren’t ordinary people."

He leaned forward slightly.

"To even reach Myrrandor, most of them have already risen to the top of their respective worlds. They’ve survived countless life-and-death battles, fought wars, and overcome trials that would kill lesser Magi. They are battle-hardened, experienced, and proven."

Adam couldn’t help but grimace as he saw where this was going.

"People like that are exactly what the Imperium needs," Luca continued. "Why would the military let such talent go to waste? Unless an influential faction sees something in them and claims them first, the chances are very high they’ll be conscripted into the Imperial Army."

Adam could already tell that most of those who had traveled with him would have ended up being conscripted.

What about Anna? Will she have been conscripted as well? How will she even manage such brutal environments?

He could not help but worry about her.

"What about women?" he asked quickly. "Are they conscripted as well?"

"It is not uncommon." Luca shrugged. "But the overwhelming majority of both the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy are made of men."

"Do you have someone who..." he let his words trail off.

"Yes." Adam nodded, his expression grave. "My sister."

"I see." Luca nodded. His suspicions lessened ever so slightly, but they remained nevertheless.

"And then what?" Adam asked suddenly. "What happens after they’re conscripted? Are they immediately sent to battle?"

"No." Luca shook his head.

"They train. Not for months, but for years. They’re taught the doctrines of the army, military discipline, battlefield tactics, large-scale warfare, and how to fight alongside soldiers from countless different worlds. Every recruit is drilled in the Imperium’s laws, traditions, and chain of command until they become second nature."

He paused before continuing, "Only after they’re deemed ready are they deployed. Some are sent to reinforce frontier garrisons. Others join expeditions to reclaim lost worlds. And those with exceptional talent are assigned to the fiercest battlefields, wherever the Imperium needs them most."

At this point, Adam had risen to his feet and begun pacing.

He was genuinely worried about Anna.

Although she had participated in the Great World War back on Tron, that conflict was insignificant compared to the cosmic battlefields the Imperium fought upon. If she had truly been conscripted by the Imperial Army, then she would have been thrown into a war unlike anything she had ever experienced.

Luca watched Adam pace for a moment before speaking carefully.

"You’re worried about your companions."

That wasn’t a question.

"Constantine, to fight for the Imperium is the highest honor a human can attain."

His voice was calm, yet filled with unwavering conviction.

"To stand beneath the God-Emperor’s banner is a privilege that countless people pray for but never receive."

By now, Adam had turned his back toward him, facing the fading crimson world outside.

"If they fall in battle, then they shall have offered the greatest service possible to mankind. They will attain paradise! And if they survive... they will continue building His divine kingdom here in this universe, reclaiming world after world until all of humanity stands united once more."

Luca looked at Adam’s solitary figure, half covered in shadows, the other half bathed in crimson light.

"There is no greater calling for a human."

Silence descended once again.

Adam was grateful that he was facing the window outside.

Otherwise, Luca would have seen the darkness that had settled over his face, a look so cold and feral that Adam hadn’t even bothered concealing it with the Faceless Mask.

Just how deeply has the Imperium conditioned its people?

Adam thought, his heart twisting in rage and helplessness.

To glorify death so willingly...

He despised it.

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