On a brand new commercial street, colorful neon lights flickered, reflecting on the smooth ground and refracting a scene of prosperity.
This commercial street had only been built for two years, yet it had already become a popular place for people to relax and socialize. The shops along the street were dazzling, with boutiques selling novel gadgets and snack stalls emitting tempting aromas.
"Tiros Meteor, are you planning to participate in the Space Marines selection? Do you really want to become the Lord of the Divine River's Angel of Death?"
A young man curiously asked his companion, who naturally had a fierce look.
There was a hint of surprise and doubt in the young man's eyes. He knew very well that although Tiros looked fierce, was tall and burly, and gave off an unapproachable vibe, he was actually extremely gentle.
Tiros Meteor slightly raised his head, his gaze firmly fixed on the distance, as if he saw himself fighting battles among the stars, and slowly said:
"That's right. Now, under the guidance of the great Lord of the Divine River, we do live a life of abundance, safety, and stability. But for me, these peaceful days always feel like something is missing.
I seem to be born longing for that kind of stimulating life, hovering on the brink of life and death, like licking blood from a knife's edge. Moreover, becoming an angel of the Lord of the Divine River, expanding his territory, conquering more planets, and rescuing all suffering humanity from dire straits as soon as possible—this is a dream that has always burned deep within my heart."
As Tiros spoke, his clenched fists trembled slightly, and his eyes gleamed with a fervent light, like a burning flame.
This kind of thinking of Tiros was shared by many young people today.
Back then, when Alpha Star was first unified, the Federal Government, in order to stabilize the situation, implemented two consecutive years of severe criminal law and high-intensity anti-terrorism warfare.
During that time, every corner of the city was filled with a tense atmosphere. The Federal Army, like a torrent of steel, eliminated all unstable elements and ambitious individuals one by one.
Afterward, the government meticulously formulated a strict 50-year plan, carefully divided into 10 smaller 5-year plans to be gradually implemented.
Under this system, all able-bodied individuals were incorporated into a unified work plan.
Every day, people engaged in work according to predetermined arrangements, while also enjoying free food, medical services, and a certain quota of consumer goods.
The entire Alpha Star, with the massive large-scale quantum computer cluster at the core of the planetary government's central hub, meticulously planned and allocated all productivity, resident consumer goods data, and industrial construction needs like a precise clock.
The entire planet operated efficiently in a planned economy model, like a huge and orderly machine life.
Of course, in order to add some economic flexibility, the government also allowed the existence of small shops run by families or partners. They were like lubricants in the large machine of the planned economy, small but indispensable, serving as a beneficial supplement.
On weekdays, except for holidays, everyone had only 2 days off per week, and the daily working hours were strictly controlled to 8 hours.
Although ordinary workers also had skill level assessments and promotion mechanisms, the trajectory of life seemed to have been planned out long ago, and the future days were so peaceful that their end could be seen at a glance.
This relatively mundane life was undoubtedly a torment for those young people full of passion and ambition, and for ambitious individuals.
Thus, joining the military became a popular path for them to realize their ideals and showcase their talents.
However, at this time, the Astra Militarum, which had reached a scale of 50 million, and the 2 million Planetary Defense Forces, had limited promotion opportunities, making it difficult for them to stand out.
The newly established Navy and Space Marines units not only recruited a large number of people but also had bright prospects, opening a door full of hope for them.
However, the selection criteria for the Lord of the Divine River's Custodian Guard were extremely strict; only those with qualified gene matching were eligible to inject super genes, which undoubtedly deterred many.
After successfully unifying the entire planet, Lin Yu stood at a high point in the Hive City, looking down at the severely polluted land outside the Hive City, his brows furrowed tightly.
The sky was covered by haze, and the turbid air seemed like a heavy curtain pressing down on the earth. The rivers emitted a pungent stench, flowing with colorful sewage, and various garbage floated within them.
Humans could only crowd into the narrow Hive City, like birds trapped in a cage. Seeing this scene, a sense of discomfort surged in Lin Yu's heart, and he resolved to change all of this, transform the entire planet, and purify all the pollution.
To this end, Lin Yu set a short-term goal for the entire Federal Government—to transform the entire planet into an Ideal City that balances industrial productivity and Gaia environmental standards.
Guided by the concept of "merging the world into one city, and building one city into a world," he leveraged the Great Clock's powerful computing and planning capabilities to meticulously design the grand blueprint of the Ideal City, then earnestly handed it over to the planetary government, awaiting them to turn the plan into reality step by step.
In a futuristic laboratory, the lights were bright and soft, and various precise instruments flickered with a faint blue light, emitting a slight hum.
Lin Yu stood in front of the huge laboratory screen, staring intently at the constantly flowing data on the screen, a hint of anticipation in his eyes, and asked:
"Great Clock, among the one hundred Space Marines reservists who just entered the experimental capsule, approximately how many will successfully upgrade to Divine River Space Marines?"
The Great Clock's calm and steady voice resounded in the laboratory:
"According to precise calculations, all one hundred of them possess the potential to successfully upgrade to Divine River Space Marines. Under the effect of the gene vaccine, their physical fitness is already strong enough, and they have all undergone arduous training, their willpower also tempered to be sufficiently firm.
As long as they grit their teeth and persevere in the subsequent gene enhancement process, not giving up easily, there will be no possibility of failure."
Hearing this answer, a hint of excitement flashed in Lin Yu's eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and he said excitedly:
"Excellent! Once this batch of 3-meter-tall big guys completes their enhancement, our warrior ranks will gain a batch of heavily armored, highly agile, and high-attack powerful units.
Moreover, this also fits the Warhammer characteristic, doesn't it? Without Space Marines, the entire system always feels incomplete."
As Lin Yu spoke, he unconsciously clenched his fists, as if he had already seen the Divine River Space Marines sweeping across battlefields.
The Great Clock continued to reply:
"Yes, after this batch of Space Marines completes their enhancement, their single-arm strength will be 50 tons, and their neural reaction speed can reach milliseconds, even reaching microseconds for short periods under extreme bursts.
Such Divine River Space Marines should be comparable in strength to the Imperial Custodian Guard or the Emperor's early Thunder Warriors in your memory, and even stronger in some aspects.
However, compared to a Primarch who has not awakened in the Warp, there is still a significant gap.
Furthermore, they do not have superhuman organs implanted; instead, their super-strong organs grow naturally through gene fluid enhancement, making their survivability relatively weaker."
Lin Yu nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and said:
"Hmm, but that's enough. Currently, the Imperial Astartes Legions are scarce in war equipment, and most are impoverished.
We can equip the Divine River Space Marines with more advanced gear to compensate for some of the gap. By using the thought acceleration function of the simulation pod for more simulated combat training, I believe we can make up for deficiencies in combat skills to a certain extent."
Lin Yu's eyes were full of confidence, as if he had already seen the Divine River Space Marines gaining the upper hand in confrontations with Imperial Space Marines.
"Good, then we will continuously expand the scale of the Space Marines in the future, striving to completely crush the Imperium in terms of both quantity and quality."
Lin Yu clenched his fists, saying with full confidence, his tone revealing an unquestionable determination.
Time flew by, and three years later, the Divine River Space Marines had successfully formed a full legion of ten thousand. Dressed in specialized power armor, they stood neatly on the training ground, like a steel Great Wall.
The Divine River Mark I power armor gleamed with metallic luster in the sunlight, reflecting dazzling light. The eyes of every warrior revealed determination and confidence, as if ready to meet any challenge at any time.
At the same time, twenty thousand reservists were undergoing intense training, sweating profusely on the training ground, performing various high-intensity physical and skill training, eagerly awaiting gene fluid injections to become members of the Divine River Space Marines and contribute their strength to the great cause of the Lord of the Divine River.
