At this moment, Dosol had already emerged from his stealth state, unleashing the terrifying killing intent he had accumulated over hundreds of years from various alien enemies and Imperial traitors.
The giant Licker hanging from the tree naturally sensed that other "Hunters" had invaded its territory.
But a Licker is still a Licker; if no one gives it commands, its intelligence in autonomous action is too low, far inferior to that of an Alien, which is also a stealth assassination unit.
After an angry roar, the giant Licker ignored Kurt, who was right beneath its feet, and lunged directly at Dosol.
Its long, bloody tongue, tipped with sharp barbs, whipped through the air, striking at Dosol.
Not to mention ordinary people, even a fully armored Tactical Robot would be entangled by this long tongue and twisted into a pretzel.
But Dosol calmly stood his ground, making a few swings with the combat knife in his right hand, slicing the giant Licker's disgusting long tongue into several segments.
The severed parts fell to the ground, still wriggling and twitching based on basic nerve reflexes, attempting to attack everything around them.
Stepping forward, he stomped on these disgusting chunks of flesh one by one.
The giant Licker, driven mad by pain, had already rushed in front of Dosol, extending its massive, bony claws.
Even a military Humvee would be flipped over and completely wrecked by it.
The giant Licker's speed of movement seemed fast to mortals, almost impossible to dodge.
But to Dosol, a Maneater, it was simply too slow.
If Dosol had been wearing standard power armor, he wouldn't have wasted any time and would have directly chosen to tank the giant Licker's attack.
However, since he was currently wearing lightweight scout power armor, its defensive capabilities were not strong.
So Dosol still chose to sidestep, avoiding the giant Licker's swipe.
The sharp giant claws left deep gouges in the trunk of another large tree nearby, sending a large amount of wood chips flying.
The low-intelligence giant Licker continued to roar, surprisingly choosing not to continue its attack.
Closing in, Dosol's combat knife aimed directly at the obvious head growth on the giant Licker.
The brain-like tissue on the Licker's head was not actually a true brain, but rather a mass of overgrown muscle tissue.
It appeared fragile but was actually very tough, capable of withstanding light thermal weapon attacks.
However, in front of Dosol's combat knife, it was truly insignificant.
Although the combat knife is the most basic melee weapon, it neither violently tears opponents apart like chain weapons nor is it as incredibly sharp as power weapons.
Its advantages, however, are that it is easy to carry, convenient, quick, and unpretentious.
Moreover, the master-crafted combat knives used by Space Marines, forged in forge worlds, are naturally incomparable to the inferior combat knives used by the Astra Militarum grunts.
The blade itself was entirely forged from composite materials and blessed with chants by the Tech-Priests.
The blade edge was honed to a single-molecule level by the Adeptus Mechanicus' dark technology, capable of cutting through even the chitinous carapace of a Tyranid Hive Tyrant.
Let alone a mere giant Licker.
The Single-Molecule Combat Knife pierced through as if entering an empty space, directly stabbing into the giant Licker's true brain, which was concealed beneath the growth and skull.
Without needing to twist, Dosol precisely severed the motor control center of the brain.
The enormous Licker lost its ability to move and crashed to the ground.
A giant Licker, capable of rampaging through a modern army without heavy weapons, able to swat away a military Humvee with one slap.
Was thus cleanly dispatched by Dosol in just over ten seconds.
The Medical Drone overhead transmitted this entire scene back to the Alliance Command Post outside the distant forest.
Watching this, Isaac sighed with emotion.
"It has to be the Maneaters; their actions are just so clean and decisive."
At the same time, Isaac also gained a deeper understanding of the shortcomings of Lickers, these cheap biological weapons.
That is, their intelligence is simply too low, making it difficult for them to act autonomously and adapt to complex battlefield situations.
Aliens, however, do not have this drawback.
If Dosol had faced a Predalien instead of a giant Licker just now, he would probably have been delayed for much longer.
A staff member nearby suddenly noticed something and pointed at the screen, exclaiming in surprise.
"Look, Kurt seems to have escaped in the chaos."
Indeed, looking again, Kurt's figure had completely disappeared from the screen.
Taking advantage of the less than half a minute Dosol was tied up by the giant Licker, Kurt had already continued his escape, heading towards the next location.
Along the way, Kurt had already memorized the dangerous units at various positions.
The giant Licker just now was merely one of them.
Dosol retrieved his combat knife from the giant Licker's head, shook off the filthy blood, and then looked around.
Although Kurt had tried his best to cover his tracks when he escaped in the chaos, this certainly couldn't escape Dosol's eyes and other senses.
Like a shark smelling blood, Dosol successfully locked onto Kurt, who was fleeing towards another defensive line.
Dosol was becoming increasingly interested in Kurt now.
Evidently, the other party wanted to use these units scattered throughout the forest to delay him, buy time, and find a way out.
"Then let's see if you can still delay me for the next four minutes."
Dosol revealed his shark-like teeth and muttered to himself.
After stomping on the giant Licker's head, Dosol continued to stride forward, chasing after Kurt.
In the next three minutes, Dosol successively encountered two teams of Tactical Robots, five Hunters acting in a group, and another giant Licker.
These units, which could only be considered cannon fodder, were almost powerless to stop Dosol, who was like a berserker.
No unit could survive even a few rounds against the combat knife in his hand.
Feeling the increasing fatigue in his body, Kurt turned his head and found that the gray-armored figure, like a nightmare, had caught up again.
Without thinking, Kurt knew that the giant Licker had been torn apart again.
Gritting his teeth, Kurt's memorized locations along this path were almost exhausted.
But the Maneater behind him was still in hot pursuit.
Kurt didn't know yet that only one minute remained of the five minutes Dosol had given him.
Dragging his exhausted body, which was almost at its limit, Kurt ran towards the last location.
There, there was one final unit, far more dangerous than the giant Licker.
A melee T103 Tyrant, clad in alloy armor and fully armed.
Tyrants and Space Marines have many similarities.
Both are modified humans, possessing multiple sets of redundant organs, and their strength and speed far exceed those of ordinary mortals. Both can be considered BOWs, or Bio-Organic Weapons.
But similarly, the two also have many differences.
As long as enough Beta-Noradrenaline can be extracted, coupled with the various Condemned Receptors that are abundant in the Warhammer World, Tyrants can be easily mass-produced.
Currently, the Alliance's numbers of Tyrants and Pursuers have already surpassed one hundred thousand, rapidly heading toward the million mark.
Space Marines, however, are limited by the objective condition of the gene-seed, the influence of the Codex Astartes established by Gene-Seed Primarch Guilliman ten thousand years ago, and most importantly, the constraints imposed by the High Lords of Terra, making large-scale mass production impossible.
Furthermore, although the Alliance's Biological Fanatics used Precursors' Biotechnology to heavily modify the Tyrants, significantly improving their various capabilities, their critical combat intelligence remains largely unchanged.
Simply put, Tyrants can still only execute relatively simple commands, lacking the flexibility for autonomous action.
Space Marines are completely different.
These modified superhuman soldiers possess extremely long lifespans.
And throughout this long combat career, they accumulate vast amounts of operational experience.
This grants every Space Marine strong independent operational capabilities.
All in all, the current Kurt could only hope that the Tyrant would manage to hold up the Charcarodons behind him, allowing him to use this final chance to escape.
This scene was naturally observed entirely by the Medical Transport Aircraft in the air.
In the command post outside the forest, someone couldn't help but ask Isaac.
"This appears to be the first direct confrontation between a Tyrant and a Space Marine. Who do you think will win?"
Isaac shook his head.
"This kind of cricket fighting question is meaningless. There are many variables in actual combat."
After all, the Tyrant in the testing grounds was fully armed, clad in Alloy Armor, and wielding a Heavy Melee Weapon—it was an existence capable of cutting a swath through the Ork Boyz.
Dosol, this Charcarodon, was poorly equipped at the moment, possessing only Light Reconnaissance Armor, a Combat Knife in his hand, and a bolter pistol.
At least regarding the objective difference in equipment, the Tyrant clearly held the advantage.
However, just as Isaac said, this kind of simple comparative cricket fighting is meaningless.
Who wins and who loses between the two sides still remains to be seen.
Having expended the last of the ammunition in his Lasgun, Kurt leaped into the bushes in front of him.
Rough branches continuously scratched small wounds onto his body.
Soon, Kurt had reached the target location.
Upon seeing the Tyrant still standing in the clearing, Kurt breathed a sigh of relief.
But before he could relax for even a second, the footsteps following him like a harbinger of death sounded again from behind.
Not daring to slacken in the slightest, Kurt ran straight toward the Tyrant's location.
Before he could get close, the Tyrant, which had been standing motionlessly, suddenly swung the Battle Axe in its hand, hacking down toward Kurt—
O
After narrowly ducking to avoid the strike, even the calm Kurt couldn't help but feel cold sweat break out on his head.
Quickly looking back, Dosol had already stepped out of the bushes and spotted Kurt's figure, as well as the Tyrant.
"Somewhat interesting. Do you intend to use this thing to hold me up?"
Dosol muttered to himself.
He could feel the considerable sense of threat emanating from the Tyrant before him.
But clearly, as a Charcarodon, Dosol would not flee from battle.
Instantly drawing the bolter pistol from his waist, a volley of Bolter accurately struck the Tyrant's chest.
Even the armor forged from solid alloy was dented and scorched black by the exploding Bolter.
This Tyrant had already had many restrictions lifted, and without a command, it naturally shifted its target to Dosol, who had actively attacked it.
Tyrants, like Charcarodons, are accustomed to silent slaughter.
Without a sound, it strode forward, charging toward Dosol.
The massive Alloy Battle Axe in its hand swung continuously; nothing could impede its steps.
In just a few seconds, the Tyrant was in front of Dosol, raising the Battle Axe high above its head.
Then it hacked down with a crash.
The Alloy Battle Axe, accompanied by a tearing sound, cleaved toward Dosol's shoulder with an unstoppable momentum.
Let alone Dosol, who currently had little defense, even a Space Marine wearing Gravis-pattern Heavy Power Armor would be injured by this strike.
Watching the approaching Battle Axe, Dosol remained completely calm.
The bolter pistol, whose Magazine had already been replaced, continuously blasted the Tyrant's head at extremely close range.
Every Bolter Round almost hit the exact same spot.
The Helmet worn by the Tyrant was inherently less thick than the armor on its body, and under this continuous barrage, a gap instantly appeared.
Gray skin was exposed.
The Combat Knife in his hand met the descending Alloy Battle Axe head-on.
A tremendous force instantly pressed down upon Dosol.
The Tyrant, modified by the Alliance using Precursors' Biotechnology, was already comparable to, or even slightly superior to, a Primaris Space Marine in terms of various physical functions alone.
The Combat Knife was smoothly withdrawn; Dosol did not want to engage in a contest of strength with the Tyrant before him.
Because he was wearing Light Reconnaissance Armor, Dosol had an absolute advantage in terms of flexibility.
The Combat Knife continued to swing, constantly stabbing into the gaps in the Tyrant's armor.
The Tyrant's tough skin should theoretically be able to withstand even small-to-medium caliber Kinetic and Thermal Weapons, but it was somewhat insufficient when faced with the Monomolecular Combat Knife wielded by a Space Marine.
Gushing blood continuously flowed out from the gaps in the armor.
Dosol was like a patient butcher, continuously bleeding the Tyrant.
The Tyrant, meanwhile, pulled the Battle Axe out of the ground and, taking great strides, continued to hack at Dosol, this bothersome individual.
While fighting fiercely, Dosol glanced at Kurt, who was already starting to retreat far away at the edge of the battlefield.
If Dosol had used the bolter pistol in his hand at that moment, Kurt would definitely have been blasted into a pile of minced meat, and even the Medical Transport Aircraft waiting in the sky would not have had a chance to rescue him.
But after some thought, Dosol chose to give up.
Just as mentioned before, the reason Dosol was chosen by his Chapter Master to participate in this Assessment Trial was precisely because he was not as bloodthirsty as most Charcarodons, and at least would not extend his desire for slaughter to innocent mortals.
At this moment, the five minutes Dosol had allotted Kurt were nearing their end, with only a dozen seconds remaining.
"It's time to end this."
Dosol continued to mutter to himself.
He aimed the bolter pistol like lightning at the gap in the Tyrant's head armor.
Twelve Bolter rounds fired in succession.
The first three Bolter rounds were blocked by the Tyrant's tough skin.
But the subsequent three Bolter rounds gradually broke through the Tyrant's skin.
The final six Bolter rounds shattered the Tyrant's skull and completely blew its internal brain tissue into a spray of blood.
This sounded simple, but in reality, achieving it was extremely difficult.
The bolter pistol used by the Space Marine had immense recoil.
Even for an ordinary Space Marine, it was extremely difficult to make every Bolter round accurately hit the same spot.
Evidently, Dosol did not belong to the category of "ordinary" Space Marines.
The fact that he could become a Squad Leader in the Third Company was enough to prove his exceptional nature.
Taking one second to detach the empty magazine and place it on the waist of his power armor.
Dosol strode forward, beginning a true forced march in the direction Kort had previously fled.
Behind him.
The Tyrant's massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up countless leaves.
At this moment, there were still ten seconds remaining before the five-minute time limit expired.
The distance between Dosol and Kort was two hundred meters.
Like a gray whirlwind, Dosol charged straight toward Kort.
At the same time, Dosol was still silently counting down the final seconds in his heart.
Until the very last second, Dosol had caught up to Kort, just an arm's length away.
But time was up, and this five-minute chase was over.
Dosol stopped in his tracks, standing rooted to the spot.
He looked at Kort, who was still rushing away from him not far off.
Few prey could manage to escape Dosol for five full minutes.
Yet Kort, this mortal, had done it.
Although there were many reasons for this.
Including, but not limited to, the suspicion that Dosol had held back, not using his full strength or any ranged weapons.
But ultimately, this mortal, Kort, had successfully escaped the Charcarodons while remaining a mortal.
Dosol retracted his gaze and glanced at the Medical Transport Aircraft that had been following above him, already guessing the purpose of the flying machine.
It seemed he was not the only one interested in that mortal just now.
Sheathing his Combat Knife, Dosol walked toward another defensive line.
There were still many other test subjects in this forest who needed to be assessed by Dosol and the few other Charcarodons.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
Kort had no idea how long or how far he had run, but he finally stopped when the exhaustion in his body could no longer be suppressed, finding a hidden tree hollow to conceal himself inside.
After catching his breath a few times, Kort recovered.
At the same time, he couldn't help but start wondering why that Charcarodon had let him go.
Perhaps something had happened elsewhere?
Or perhaps he had met some assessment criteria?
After much deliberation, Kort still couldn't figure out the Charcarodon's true intentions.
After resting in the tree hollow for ten minutes, Kort poked his head out and began to observe his surroundings carefully.
The distinctive gunfire of the Tactical Robots constantly echoed around him, mixed with the unique roars of Lickers and Hunters.
Kort was not the only one being tested.
Of the three hundred test subjects originally airdropped into the forest, nearly a hundred had already been eliminated.
And less than an hour had passed since the test began.
The Chapter had two hundred vacant positions, but this did not mean the Charcarodons would accept the two hundred people currently alive.
Just as Chapter Master Tyberos had said, only those who survived twenty-four hours would truly pass the test.
Even if only ten people survived in the forest at the end, the Megalodon Warband would absolutely not induct the eliminated individuals into the Chapter.
A Chapter inherently only had a thousand members, and every Charcarodon had to be meticulously selected.
Only this could guarantee the Chapter's combat effectiveness.
As for the eliminated individuals, if this were in the past, they might have been taken on as mortal guards aboard the warships.
But now the Charcarodons had no use for them, and the Alliance would not allow the Charcarodons to do so either.
Of course, Kort, currently hiding in the tree hollow, was unaware of any of this.
He was currently focused on only one thing: how to survive the next twenty-three hours.
Continuing to hide in this tree hollow was definitely impossible.
This forest was full of units skilled at hunting prey; the sense of smell and hearing of the Lickers, Hunters, and Xenomorphs were in no way inferior to the Tactical Robots.
Not to mention the Charcarodons, who could be called BOSS-level units, and the Lone Wolf.
Staying in one place for too long would only attract attention and lead to passive defense.
Furthermore, Kort was currently facing many problems.
The first was the lack of weapons and equipment on him.
The Lasgun he had earlier had run out of energy and been thrown away by Kort.
He couldn't have escaped so quickly while carrying such a weapon.
Without a weapon, he wouldn't survive long in this forest.
Aside from weapons, because he had been desperately fleeing just now, Kort urgently needed energy to replenish his body.
Many more trials awaited Kort and the other two hundred-plus test subjects during the remaining twenty-three hours.
Outside the forest, in the Command Post.
"How are the wounded doing?"
Isaac looked at the command team specifically responsible for directing the Medical Transport Aircraft.
Since nearly a hundred test subjects had been eliminated in just one hour, the Alliance had to dispatch more Medical Transport Aircraft to rescue those with serious injuries.
"Currently, there have been no fatalities. All critically injured personnel have received emergency treatment, and some have already regained consciousness.
A small number of those in severe condition are still undergoing treatment."
"Understood."
Isaac nodded.
"If there is a shortage of personnel or medical equipment, report directly to me, and I will apply to other worlds."
Having said that, Isaac turned and looked at the screen.
Although there were still over two hundred people remaining after an hour, this time was enough for the Alliance staff to identify the test subjects with true potential.
This included not only Kort, who escaped the Charcarodons.
Some individuals had even killed an adult Xenomorph by using homemade traps and methods of deflecting trouble onto others.
These talented individuals were all under strict surveillance, with staff monitoring their specific situation every moment.
"I just don't know how many people will pass the test in the end."
Isaac looked out at the forest beyond the Command Post.
This assessment test was not only related to the Megalodon Warband's own recruitment of new soldiers but would also affect the Alliance's subsequent plans.
In order to deal with the Predator "Lone" Tribe that would inevitably counterattack the Alliance later, Isaac planned to request the deployment of more Charcarodons.
"Are you sure you want to send a dangerous unit like a Librarian to other worlds?"
In the Warhammer World, on Avarax, the core planet of the Universal Union, in the top floor of the Central Hive, Alexia asked with a frown.
"It's just a small test."
Marcus said calmly.
"Although the equipment situation of the Charcarodons suggests that terminator armor cannot perform short-distance Warp jumps.
This still doesn't prove that other worlds don't have the Warp, or something similar to it.
Only by sending a Psyker like a Librarian, who has a special connection to the Warp, can we figure out whether other worlds, besides Warhammer, have the Warp or similar special spaces composed of energy?
This question has always troubled the Universal Union's scientists.
Almost every world the Universal Union has touched now has top-notch monitoring laboratories, but this question has remained unanswered.
"Why do we have to figure it out?"
Alexia asked, puzzled.
"Psychic abilities aren't necessary for the Universal Union, are they? The risks of rashly conducting such experiments far outweigh the rewards."
Indeed, as Alexia said, while psychic abilities are a magical power that can make the impossible possible.
Similarly, psychic abilities also mean extreme uncontrollability.
Standing up, Marcus pulled back the curtains and looked out the window.
Originally, as a Hive City world, Avarax made it difficult to see the starry sky through the dense exhaust fumes, even on the top floor.
But after such a long period of transformation, Avarax's environment was clear enough to see the brilliant starry sky.
"The Imperium of Man, Chaos Power, Orks—
There are too many races and factions in this world that can use psychic abilities.
Psychic abilities are indeed not necessary for the Universal Union, but finding ways to deal with them is essential for the Universal Union."
Marcus said in a deep voice.
"We currently lack the technology to counter psychic abilities; this is an objective fact.
In this world, those races or factions that can use psychic abilities will come knocking sooner or later. We must prepare in advance and find ways to counteract psychic abilities as soon as possible."
The abstract information provided by Marcus was still not enough to make most of the Universal Union's high-ranking officials vigilant.
In the Warhammer World, individuals with controllable psychic abilities are inherently superior to those without them.
A mortal witch who worships Tzeentch can easily crush several Black Legion veterans into iron-clad meat, and even instantly kill ten-meter-tall Knight mechs.
And if it's a Librarian who combines both physical and psychic power, they would only be more formidable.
Psychic power is essentially an omnipotent force originating from the Warp; as long as the user is skilled enough, they can achieve true omnipotence.
Weaker Librarians can only perform basic operations like teleportation, mind-reading, brainwashing, shield construction, and releasing psychic flames and lightning.
Stronger Librarians can even predict the future, interfere with the threads of fate, and make things favorable to their side.
Even stronger Librarians, such as Mephiston, the Chief Librarian of the Blood Angels, are even more outrageous.
Time reversal, restoring a body shattered by a lance from a molecular level, pulling back a soul that has already fallen into the Warp.
They can even split into three avatars, simultaneously executing missions in the real universe and the Warp, with one person's single move sweeping away all tyranids within a hundred-kilometer radius.
In short, Marcus knew better than anyone how threatening those powerful individuals with psychic abilities were.
As the two were talking, a guard pushed the door open.
Behind the guard followed a tall, gray-armored figure.
It was Te Kahurangi, the Chief Librarian of the Charcarodons, wearing terminator armor.
Stepping forward with heavy strides, Kahurangi knelt down, striking his left fist against his chest plate, and said at the same time.
"My Lord."
Marcus nodded, signaling Kahurangi to rise.
"You should already know why I called you here."
Taking off his helmet, Kahurangi revealed his gray face, etched with the runes of the Exiled.
"Please explain in detail."
Kahurangi was very respectful towards Marcus.
"Tyberos is leading three hundred Charcarodons in fighting another xenos civilization with the Universal Union, and now, they need your help."
Marcus didn't mention the other world; Kahurangi would understand once he got there. It wouldn't be too late to discuss the specific Warp mission later.
It wouldn't be too late to discuss the specific Warp mission later.
"As you command."
Kahurangi bowed his head and replied.
"Go, the Universal Union personnel will take you to Tyberos."
Rising, Kahurangi left the room.
"You just directly faced a Librarian? Aren't you afraid he'd secretly read our minds?"
Alexia asked curiously.
"As a Librarian, he wouldn't dare read the mind of me, the Emperor's representative, and I also have my own countermeasures."
Marcus said lightly.
He was naturally referring to the skill [Energy Feedback].
Looking out the window again, Kahurangi had already boarded the Universal Union spaceship and was flying towards the world gate in space.
Not only him, but another hundred Charcarodons were also boarding troop transports heading to the "Alien vs. Predator" world.
This meant that a total of four hundred Charcarodons, almost half a Chapter, would gather together.
This force would be devastating.
Another world.
Isaac looked at the response on his RIG terminal.
"Reinforcements dispatched, one hundred Charcarodons + one Charcarodon Librarian have departed."
Along with it came a detailed plan for Kahurangi to cooperate with Alliance scientists to research whether other worlds had the Warp.
"The Warp—"
Isaac couldn't help but frown.
He had never seen the twisted power of the Warp.
But Isaac had seen the terrifying effects the god seal had caused on the Ishimura, and the Chaos Power in the Warp would only be far more terrifying than the god seal.
Isaac naturally approved of taking a small risk to find countermeasures against the Warp.
the Universal Union's efficiency was high.
Isaac didn't have to wait long; soon, several spaceships passed through the world gate and headed towards Earth.
Isaac naturally wanted to personally meet Kahurangi, the Librarian.
After assigning the forest assessment mission to others, Isaac went to the base's helipad and looked at the sky.
The drop pod streaked with a dazzling light and crashed directly to the ground.
Once the dust settled, one hundred Charcarodons appeared before his eyes.
Leading them was naturally Chapter Chief Librarian Kahurangi.
"I am—"
Isaac had just stepped forward, intending to introduce himself, when he was interrupted.
"Take me to the Chapter Master."
Kahurangi said coldly.
Kahurangi had no pleasantries for anyone other than Marcus.
A dozen minutes later, Kahurangi met his Chapter Master and handed over the hundred Charcarodons under his command to Tyberos.
"You arrived just in time. We are currently conducting the new recruit selection assessment."
Tyberos looked at Kahurangi.
"Once the assessment is over, we will require your strength."
"Yes."
The Charcarodons' recruit modification surgery is highly specialized.
Besides implanting the gene-seed and cultivating superhuman organs, just like other Chapters.
Every Charcarodons recruit must continuously undergo psychic shaping by the Librarian during the several years of superhuman organ development.
It is precisely this shaping that allows Charcarodons with different gene-seeds within the Chapter to remain united.
"However, my power seems to be severely restricted."
Kahurangi said, frowning.
He had felt this way ever since passing through the world gate.
Other ordinary Charcarodons naturally wouldn't feel anything, as they have little connection to the Warp.
But Kahurangi, as a Librarian, could clearly sense that his connection to the Warp seemed to have been severed directly.
"Are there massive deposits of Black Stone in this star system?"
Kahurangi thought of the Necrons' handiwork.
Only the Null Fields of these metal skeletons could achieve an effect close to this.
Tyberos shook his head and solemnly informed Kahurangi of the fact that this was a new world.
"That's impossible!"
Even as a Librarian, Kahurangi's first reaction was disbelief.
No one understood better than a Librarian how inseparable the Warp was from the material universe.
In the eyes of many Librarians, the material universe was merely an auxiliary ripple of the Warp.
A new world where the Warp does not exist?
Not even the most wildly delusional and ignorant person would imagine such a thing.
But after calming down, Kahurangi realized that his own Chapter Master was not someone who would lie.
"A new world, a new world without the Warp and Chaos—"
Kahurangi murmured.
He knew clearly that the current state of the Imperium of Man was inseparable from the Warp, besides its own corruption.
If it were a world without the Warp and Chaos, what would humanity develop into?
Forcing down his curiosity, Kahurangi began asking about the Xenos civilization, specifically the Predator situation.
Twenty-four hours.
This time passed quickly for everyone else.
But for every person undergoing the assessment in the forest testing ground, it was agonizing and drawn out.
The sun set and then rose again.
After a full night, only thirty of the original three hundred test subjects remained.
Everyone else had been eliminated.
Up until the final minute before the time limit, some were still being hunted by a group of Tactical Robots, or being tracked by Charcarodons.
Regardless, these thirty people passed this arduous assessment.
The Medical Transport Aircraft, which had been waiting for a long time, descended, simultaneously regaining control of the Tactical Robots or the Lickers, Tyrants, and other BWs.
And began treating the injured individuals.
Although they survived, the condition of these thirty people was not optimistic.
Some had their entire arms corroded away by Xenos blood.
Others were covered in horrific scars.
Only a very few individuals appeared to have no obvious external injuries.
However, under the Universal Union's superb medical technology, these injuries were quickly and completely healed.
Even severed arms began to be regrown, and would be reattached in a short time.
A dozen minutes later, the Medical Transport Aircraft brought everyone outside the forest.
The Charcarodons had been waiting for a long time.
"You have passed the test. This means you now possess the qualification to become a warrior of the Void Father."
Tyberos scanned the thirty individuals with cold eyes.
"But this is not achieved overnight. In the time to come, you will continue to face various trials.
Only those who pass completely will truly become one of us."
Finally, Tyberos announced loudly.
"In the name of the mako chapter master, I hereby grant you the qualification to receive the pure gene-seed."
The warriors who passed the assessment felt immensely complicated emotions.
The vast majority of these people came from the Warhammer World.
And most of them, before being discovered by the Universal Union, were just the most ordinary people in the Hive City.
No one could have imagined that one day they would qualify to become the legendary Emperor's Angels of Death.
As Tyberos's voice fell, the Charcarodons swarmed forward and immediately hoisted the thirty unsuspecting individuals onto vehicles as if kidnapping them.
"I have brought the gene-seed, and the first modification surgery can be performed immediately."
Kahurangi said this while continuing to try and re-establish contact with the Warp.
Originally, according to custom, he, as the Librarian, needed to conduct a psychic probe on those who passed the test.
But now, due to the absence of the Warp, Kahurangi's power was severely weakened, making him unable to perform this task.
Tyberos nodded silently and then departed.
Only Kahurangi remained in place, trying every means possible to unleash a Psychic Flame.
But ultimately, he failed.
"Could it be that the Warp truly doesn't exist at all in this world?"
Kahurangi couldn't help but ponder.
But he quickly dismissed the notion.
Souls are objectively real things, at least they are in the Warhammer World.
And as long as there are souls, there must be a place for them to go.
In the Warhammer World, this place is the Warp; in other worlds, it might be something similar.
"Perhaps I should first observe where the souls of humans in this world go after death."
Kahurangi stopped his futile attempts and began thinking of a solution.
Beside him, Isaac walked over. He could tell that the other party had been trying to use psychic powers, but had failed.
"Chief Librarian, I have brought a new order."
Isaac said, presenting the order from Marcus to Kahurangi.
It clearly stated that Kahurangi needed to cooperate with the Universal Union's scientists for research.
To investigate whether the Warp, or a similar energy dimension, exists in this world.
"I shall strictly obey the will of the Void Father."
Kahurangi said in a deep voice.
Isaac nodded, signaling for Kahurangi to follow him.
The two walked in another direction while conversing.
Along the way, Isaac introduced Kahurangi to the circumstances of this world.
At the same time, he was secretly guarding against the possibility of Kahurangi reading his mind.
Although the other party was severely weakened due to the lack of the Warp, caution is always necessary.
Do 'souls' exist in worlds other than the Warhammer World?
This was also an important research direction for Alliance scientists.
But perhaps due to equipment limitations, or some other reason.
Alliance scientists have never been able to prove the existence of souls.
Let alone other worlds, even in the Warhammer World, Alliance scientists couldn't capture the souls of those who had just died.
They could only watch helplessly as those souls flowed into the Warp and were then crushed into fragments by its energy tides.
At most, they could only detect some faint Warp energy radiation.
There was nothing they could do; the Universal Union hadn't mastered the technology to utilize psychic powers, and various technologies from other worlds were also powerless.
And now, this situation is about to change.
Because the true Psychic Master, the Librarian, has arrived.
Kahurangi followed Isaac towards a special building within the base.
The person in charge of projects related to souls and the Warp immediately came to greet them.
"This is Librarian Kahurangi; he will assist you in your research from now on."
Isaac briefly introduced them to each other.
Then he left.
He had other matters to attend to, and Isaac believed that Kahurangi would follow Marcus's orders and obediently comply with the arrangements.
"Take me to your laboratory."
After Isaac left, Kahurangi said indifferently.
His presence was extremely imposing, as if he were the one with the higher rank.
"Please follow me."
Let's put aside the research on the Warp and souls for now.
At this very moment, on the other side of the base.
In a biological laboratory within the Charcarodons'stationed area (stationed area).
A crucial surgery, the augmentation surgery for the Charcarodons Space Marine, was underway.
The augmentation surgery for a regular Space Marine is divided into many steps.
First, a set of gene-seed is needed to cultivate all the superhuman organs.
Then, a total of twenty-two superhuman organs are implanted into the subject's body in sequence.
The implantation of these organs is not a one-time event but will last for several years, allowing the subject to slowly adapt to the changes in their body.
The current surgery is for the implantation of the crucial first superhuman organ.
The Secondary Heart.
The Secondary Heart enhances blood supply and pumping capacity, can completely take over if the original heart is damaged, and can also actively pump various combat-enhancing hormones into the body.
This is the first, and also the second most important organ implantation surgery, only after the Progenoid Gland.
Without the Secondary Heart laying the foundation, blindly implanting other superhuman organs would only lead to the subject rapidly being drained, exhausted, and dying.
"The scions of the Void Father do not require anesthesia for the sacred gene-seed implantation!"
Before the surgery even began, the Charcarodons Chapter's Apothecary started yelling.
the Universal Union medical staff originally intended to inject anesthetic drugs into the recipient on the operating table, after all, implanting a Secondary Heart requires opening the chest, how could it be done without anesthesia?
But precisely, the Charcarodons Chapter was the kind that disliked anesthesia and preferred direct surgery.
This habit was partly due to the Charcarodons often lacking such supplies, and partly due to their ancient beliefs.
"Nonsense! There are only thirty people left, doing this will kill half of them again!?"
the Universal Union medical staff and the scientists who came to observe also refused to be outdone.
They couldn't just stand by and watch the Charcarodons waste lives like this.
The Apothecary was about to get angry and accuse these mortals of blaspheming the Void Father.
A low voice entered his ear.
"Administer anesthesia."
These simple four words made it impossible for the Apothecary to refuse.
Because this command came from their Chapter Master, Tyberos.
"Yes, Chapter Master."
Suppressing his dissatisfaction and anger, the Apothecary allowed the Universal Union personnel to inject the special anesthetic into the subject.
He then picked up various complex surgical instruments and began the Secondary Heart implantation surgery.
All preliminary physical examinations had long been completed; the first thing to do now was to open the subject's chest.
The huge and sharp scalpel cut down.
The Apothecary skillfully cut open the skin and muscles of the subject's chest.
Inside his chest was the beating heart.
If not for losing consciousness after anesthesia, the subject, if he tried to look up, would clearly see the horrifying sight of his own heart beating.
After this step, the Apothecary took out the Secondary Heart from a portable refrigeration unit.
It was an even larger heart, pulsating vigorously on its own.
It would grant the subject vitality far beyond that of an ordinary person.
The process of implanting the Secondary Heart was complex; even the Apothecary couldn't complete it entirely by himself.
At this point, the high-tech devices in the operating room, as well as the Universal Union medical personnel and scientists, could provide assistance.
Under everyone's gaze, the Secondary Heart was slowly implanted into the chest cavity, placed next to the main heart, on the right side of the chest.
Every nerve, every blood vessel, needed to be perfectly connected.
This was a lengthy process; even with an Apothecary performing the surgery and with various instruments and personnel assisting, it still required at least half a day.
However, despite the long surgery time, almost no one left.
No one wanted to miss this historic moment.
Especially the Universal Union scientists; who could refuse to learn the surgical procedure for transforming mortals into superhumans?
Under everyone's gaze, twelve hours later, the implantation of the Secondary Heart was finally completed.
This Secondary Heart, originating from Corvus Corax's bloodline and cultivated from Charcarodons gene-seed, had perfectly connected with the subject and began to beat powerfully.
Through various instrument detections, it could be observed that the blood flow rate within the subject's body was significantly accelerating, and the metabolic rate was almost several times faster than before.
Several new hormones were also being secreted, flowing throughout the body via the surging blood.
Soon, these hormones would neutralize the effects of the anesthetic, allowing the subject to awaken.
Before that, there was one final step: stitching up the open chest.
This no longer required the Apothecary's hands; a fully autonomous surgical instrument could do it.
Once the wound was stitched, the subject on the operating table slowly awoke.
"How do you feel?"
The Apothecary asked, looking down.
The subject answered honestly.
"Very good, I can clearly feel the beating of another heart inside me, as if I have endless strength."
The Apothecary nodded faintly.
"The surgery was a success. You will need one to two months to adapt to the blessing from the Void Father."
Currently, there were only three Charcarodons Apothecaries in the "Alien vs. Predator" world.
Therefore, only three Second Heart implantation surgeries could be performed simultaneously.
However, the surgical process itself was not difficult.
Let alone those top-tier scientists and medical personnel.
Even autonomous medical machines equipped with Artificial Intelligence could perfectly replicate the procedure after collecting data from a few surgeries.
To put it plainly, the difficulty of Space Marine modification surgery does not lie in the surgery itself.
What restricts the number of Space Marines are the gene-seed, the Codex Astartes, and the constraints imposed by the High Lords.
If the Universal Union were not concerned about potentially offending the Megalodon Warband, and if they had gene-seed, they could attempt the Second Heart implantation surgery themselves right now.
However, although they did not have the official gene-seed or the superhuman organs cultivated from it.
the Universal Union could use superb biotechnology to see if they could create similar products.
Of course, all of this had to be done in secret, without letting the Charcarodons know of this act of blasphemy.
"Even with the Universal Union providing you with a source of new recruits who don't require retraining, the modification surgery will take at least several years, and the Megalodon Warband can only face the enemy with a partial roster during this time."
After leaving the operating room, Isaac started talking with Tyberos.
The latter spoke in a deep voice.
"The Charcarodons will not fear any battle, even if it means fighting until the last man falls and shedding all our blood."
Isaac did not doubt whether the Charcarodons had this confidence.
Although the Charcarodons were currently understrength, four hundred Charcarodons—the strength of half a Chapter—had already gathered in this world, which was enough to deal with the incoming Predators.
Time passed quickly; a week flashed by in an instant.
At the edge of the Sol System, inside the Special Monitoring Outpost established by the Universal Union.
An abnormal spatial signal reading was keenly captured by the machinery.
The stationed personnel immediately reported this information.
Just a few minutes later, Isaac received the message.
At the same time, a Predator Fleet, far larger than the previous one, had left its faster-than-light travel state and entered the edge of the Sol System at conventional speed.
F
The fleet of the "Lone Wolf" Tribe has arrived; its size is more than three times that of the previous fleet."
During the emergency operational meeting, Isaac said in a deep voice.
More than sixty warships of various sizes were forming a battle array, heading straight for the world gate and Earth.
The goal was obvious: to retaliate against the Universal Union.
"According to the information we gathered from the memories of that Lone Wolf and the Elder, this fleet represents the entire naval strength of the 'Lone Wolf' Tribe."
Wesker also stopped his ongoing experiments and joined the meeting.
"It seems they have committed all their strength."
This upcoming battle was not only the long-sought revenge war for the Predators but also a battle the Universal Union had long waited for, intending to formally demonstrate its strength to the other Predator Tribes.
To deal with this battle, all the Universal Union's shipyards in other worlds had already gone into full production, and dozens of space docks produced nearly a hundred unyielding-class frigates and a dozen space carriers in an extremely short time.
Except for the necessary defensive forces required for the Warhammer World, the vast majority of the Universal Union's fleet had arrived here via the world gate.
The mobilization order for the war mission had already been issued to all Alliance members.
Every world dispatched a significant amount of reinforcement power.
In short, the Predators had many warships, but the Universal Union's fleet was even larger!
Coupled with various fixed orbital defense platforms, it could be said that the Universal Union already held an absolute advantage.
"How can we be sure the Predators will definitely attack us?"
Someone raised a question.
"Any rational species, upon seeing such a massive power disparity, would definitely retreat and seek peace talks."
Isaac glanced at the person who asked the question, realizing they had only recently arrived in this world and naturally did not know much about the Predators.
He explained simply.
"Do not project human values onto the Predators; they are a species entirely different from us.
The Predators place extreme importance on the honor of the Fighting Tribe, and the previous fleet's near-total annihilation was a formal declaration of war against the 'Lone Wolf' Tribe...
They will absolutely not fear this battle, even if it means the entire Tribe will be wiped out."
Although the Predators are savage and worship primitive hunting.
It is precisely because of this that the Predators are an excellent Warrior Race.
This is precisely why the Universal Union values the Predators, these alien creatures, and intends to include them as a member.
"All combat forces are ready, Sir."
Someone reported to Isaac.
"Commence the operation according to the plan."
Isaac said indifferently.
As before, Isaac did not intend for himself, an amateur, to command such a massive space war.
It was best for him to honestly remain a spectator.
"Chapter Master Tyberos, the boarding action after engagement will be entrusted to you."
Isaac looked at Tyberos, who had remained silent.
"In the name of the Void Father, the Charcarodons will destroy all alien enemies."
"Then let the war begin!"
At the edge of the Sol System, the massive Predator Fleet was charging straight toward Earth with an unstoppable momentum.
The one leading this fleet was naturally the leader of the "Lone Wolf" Tribe.
Only he was qualified to do so.
"Lord, we have detected some Space Outposts nearby. Should we destroy them?"
A Predator reported and asked the leader.
On the largest, five-kilometer-long Gigantic Carrier, sitting upon a throne made of the skulls of various powerful creatures.
The "leader," who was the strongest Hunter and also the Chieftain of the "Lone Wolf" Tribe, roared and spoke.
"Crush the creations of those Insects."
"Yes!"
Destructive laser beams shot out, sweeping toward the Universal Union's Space Outposts at the edge of the fleet.
In an instant, all the outposts were engulfed in a sea of fire, burning silently in space.
Fortunately, the Universal Union personnel inside had evacuated by spacecraft beforehand, leaving the Predator Fleet behind and moving out of range.
"Continue forward. We must utterly defeat those who dare to encroach upon our hunting grounds.
For the honor of the Tribe!"
"For the honor of the Tribe!"
The Predators of the "Lone Wolf" Tribe were burning with rage over the annihilation of their previous fleet.
Regardless of the opponent they would face next, the pride deep within their genes would ensure they were utterly fearless.
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War is nothing more than a competition of a few things.
First, morale; second, equipment; and third, material supply.
Regarding morale.
the Universal Union possesses the constant morale effect brought by the "Proof of Leadership," ensuring that morale will never collapse, making it superior to the Predator in this regard.
Regarding equipment.
Although the individual fighting capability of the Universal Union's massive fleet is slightly weaker than that of Predator Warships, it wins due to sheer numbers and a wide variety of equipment capable of handling various situations, whereas Predator Warships are only equipped with Plasma Cannons and Destructive Lasers.
Finally, regarding material supply.
the Universal Union is inherently the defender, occupying a favorable position, and can continuously obtain supplies from other worlds.
All Alliance Commanders are full of confidence regarding this unprecedentedly massive war.
"This is still the first time we've engaged in a space war of this magnitude."
The Predator Fleet was still traveling at sub-light speed, and it would take some time before they entered the range of the First Line of Defense.
Taking advantage of this time, Isaac, who remained on Earth, couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Before this, the Universal Union had encountered hostile forces possessing fleets.
From the Orks a few years ago to the Hive Fleet, all have been defeated by the Universal Union.
However, the scale of the previous few space battles was actually small, because the Universal Union was not facing the true main force of the Ork Empire or the larger main Leviathan Hive Fleet.
But this time, the space battle against the Predator is different.
the Universal Union and the "Solitude" Tribe collectively deployed nearly two hundred Main Battleships, not counting the numerous smaller troop transport ships.
The fleet strength of either side alone would be enough to cause huge turmoil across several Star Sectors, even within the Warhammer World.
And the war between the two sides will become an event remembered by all.
Not only the massive fleet in space, but the Universal Union Bases on the ground are also undergoing final emergency mobilization before the war.
Transport ships loaded with personnel and supplies soared into the sky, flying toward space.
In fact, besides the Universal Union, the humans on this Earth are the ones most concerned about this space war.
After all, this terrifying war is literally taking place right above their heads.
Since arriving in the Alien vs. Predator world, the Universal Union has made no effort to conceal its absolute power.
Massive Space Warships continuously sailed out of the world gate, clearly visible to the satellites in orbit.
Alliance diplomatic officials had long informed the governments of the world about the existence of the Predator, and explained the fact that the Predator has always treated Earth as a hunting ground, and humans are merely captive prey.
The governments of various countries quickly formed a Unified Regime, kneeling at light speed and clinging tightly to the Universal Union's leg.
Billions of people on Earth also began emergency evacuation procedures.
People in areas with complete air defense systems hid in underground air raid shelters.
Those in underdeveloped areas could only try to hide in the nearest building shelters.
Various cults that had been preaching doomsday theories began to run rampant, and various countries experienced different degrees of turbulence.
But the newly formed Unified Regime had no time to deal with these issues.
Because the war was about to begin.
"The Predator Fleet is about to enter the Smart Minefield."
In fact, considering that space does not distinguish between up, down, left, or right, "sea mines" that can only be deployed in fixed areas would seem ineffective.
But in reality, constrained by the gravity of massive celestial bodies within the Star System, the routes a battleship can choose for rapid sub-light speed travel are actually limited.
And the Universal Union had already deployed Smart Mines along these routes.
These terrifyingly powerful mines would definitely give the Predator Fleet a "surprise."
"Don't rush to detonate them; premature detonation will only expose the extent of the minefield."
The one responsible for commanding this massive space battle was naturally the old acquaintance, Dugall.
This former UED Commander is far superior to other Commanders currently in the Universal Union when it comes to commanding fleets in battle.
The Predator Fleet quickly sailed into the mine area, charging straight toward the Alliance Fleet.
At the same time, the Destructive Laser weapons on those huge carrier ships entered a charged state and opened fire with a roar.
The crimson destructive beams, though not reaching the speed of light, were still far faster than ordinary weapons.
The lasers cut a long line across the dark void, heading straight for the Alliance Warships at the very front of the defensive line.
"Evasion!"
Without Dugall's command, the warships in the line of attack began to maneuver on their own, executing evasive actions.
Facing this kind of Predator weapon, the Universal Union currently has no method for pre-interception; even Space Carriers can barely withstand a hit and must evade.
The only thing worth celebrating is that Alliance Warships are highly flexible, and as long as they are prepared in advance, the probability of avoiding such an attack is not low.
But this is war after all. Soon, a warship failed to evade in time, was hit on the hull by a laser, and was immediately severely damaged.
"Order the damaged warships to retreat for repairs, prioritizing the rescue of the crew inside."
Dugall gave the order decisively.
"Have the warships from the Second Line of Defense fill the defensive gap.
The Predator Fleet continued to charge toward the Universal Union line while unleashing the fires of vengeance.
Perhaps the Smart Mines were concealed enough to deceive the Predator Warships' scanning equipment, or perhaps driven by rage, the Predators ignored the anomalous readings on their indicators.
In any case, many warships had already sailed directly into the minefield.
"Detonate!"
Every Smart Mine carried the equivalent yield of a Tactical Nuclear Missile.
The light released simultaneously by countless Smart Mines instantly eclipsed the sun, submerging almost half of the Predator Fleet.
In the vacuum, this resembled a silent, brilliant fireworks show.
Once the light dissipated, Dugall immediately ordered the observation instruments to be magnified to carefully check the extent of the Predator Fleet's damage.
"Report: A total of ten warships were directly destroyed, and five warships were severely damaged!"
The department responsible for information gathering immediately reported to Dugall.
This sudden attack caught the Predator Fleet completely off guard.
The Predator Fleet, already at a numerical disadvantage, now had only half the number of warships compared to the Universal Union.
Aboard the largest gigantic carrier ship, which was five kilometers long.
The leader of the Tribe roared angrily, feeling disgraced by this sudden attack.
"All warships begin the attack! Completely crush those bugs who have no concept of battle honor!"
Warships opened their massive Plasma Cannon Arrays on their broadsides, fiercely opening fire on the Universal Union line ahead.
"Return fire!"
Dugall also gave the order decisively.
Space Carriers released a large number of Space Fighters. These Space Fighters no longer required pilots and were entirely controlled by the Artificial Intelligence MOSS.
The Main Ships on the First Line of Defense also began their attack.
A large volume of Smart Missiles and Railgun Shells were hurled at the Predator Fleet.