Countless humans looked up in terror at the ominous crack
Even a few glances were enough to feel their souls plummeting into an endless abyss.
Swathes of distorted energy tore through the night, shrouding the entire world in a dark purple glow.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky, pulled into giant tornadoes, forming massive, terrifying vortices that connected heaven and earth.
Accompanied by a rumbling sound, lightning flashed, streaking across the sky.
The pale white electric light illuminated countless beings that should not have belonged to the mortal realm.
The sky was weeping, and eerie whispers echoed throughout the entire planet.
Darkness spread, churning and boiling, covering everything.
Accompanied by sinister laughter, unspeakable horrors emerged from the darkness.
Even the darkness itself underwent terrifying changes.
Chaos always erodes, distorts, and destroys everything.
In the rift in the sky, a giant red eyeball appeared.
The eyeball was covered in twisted patterns and blasphemous runes.
It was like a terrifying monster peering through the gaps of a rift-cage at the adorable playthings inside.
daemons crawled out of the darkness, ravenous and grotesque, attempting to prey on the entire world.
With the appearance of these abominations, screams and cries erupted.
Countless voices blended together, a prelude to bloody chaos.
Unimaginable fear surged in the hearts of ordinary men and women.
They couldn't help but tremble all over, running in all directions, praying for the redemption of the Holy Emperor and the Primarchs.
The previously stable lumen-lamps in the fortress also began to flicker erratically.
The creeping darkness moved throughout the fortress as if it had a life of its own.
Those twisted monsters flickered into existence in various places.
They flickered like a television screen affected by unstable electromagnetic signals.
Malevolent, distorted sounds echoed in every corner.
Even covering their ears, they could easily hear those eerie whispers.
"Humans are our slaves."
"End and Death"
"Death is beside all humans."
"Death is ever-present, the end has arrived."
The darkness boiled, becoming a unified form, flowing through the fortress.
Passing through bulkheads, through the gaps in metal steel doors.
Twisted darkness entered from every possible place, corrupting the world of humans.
They shrieked, they roared.
Like black ink poured into water, they greedily corrupted the entire reality.
Clovis watched as the planetary governor Valen roared in anger, "What have you done? Traitor?"
And Valen had already been terrified by the horrific scene brought about by his own spell.
Facing the fury of the Grand Master of the Grey Knights, enough to burn him to ashes.
His usual composure from his high position had long since vanished.
His fat body trembled, his face pale, already scared out of his wits.
He stammered, "I just chanted a spell to expel ghosts, trying to expel the ghosts that have been bothering me."
"Damn fool, you've been used."
Clovis grabbed the planetary governor, his eyes blazing with unconcealed fury, "You guided the daemons into this world, you fool. Countless people will die because of you. You have betrayed the trust of the Emperor and the Primarchs."
"No," Valen cried out in despair, "I just wanted to serve the Emperor better."
Clovis' words caused him immense pain.
He had always wanted to make a greater contribution to the Emperor and the Primarchs, so why did it turn out like this??
"First, capture him, deal with the situation here, and then dispose of this wretch."
Clovis angrily threw Valen to the ground, wishing he could kill the fellow.
How dare this guy summon these abominations into the real world!!
An unforgivable person.
The creeping darkness corrupted everything.
It spread along the marble walls.
Eerie footsteps sounded, and daemons holding strange weapons or in the shape of various twisted monsters emerged from the darkness, pouncing on the Grey Knight squad.
"Fire!" a Grey Knight shouted.
Bullets and the dark tide collided, countless severed limbs flew, and both sides engaged in a fierce battle.
Clovis drew his power sword and activated it.
The powerful power field crackled, echoing throughout the dark corridor.
"You should use me. Use me, and you will easily expel those enemies."
The daemon sealed in the Black Sword - Antar - whispered.
Those eerie whispers echoed in Clovis' mind, trying to take root in his spiritual world.
The daemon - Antar - was still trying to entice Clovis to use the power of the Black Sword.
Wanting to lead this loyal Grey Knight down the abyss of corruption.
Clovis paid no mind to it, holding his power sword, and looked at the monsters emerging from the creeping darkness.
After a roar, Clovis charged forward.
His sharp blade swung, the power field tearing through the bodies of those daemons, slaying them all.
Throughout the fortress, scenes of firing were visible everywhere.
Loyalists of the Imperium were fighting against the sudden forces of Chaos.
The fortress had gathered elite forces from various Chapters, as well as the Grey Knights.
Possessing over a thousand Emperor's Angels.
Fifty thousand elite Ultramar Auxilia.
And those workers who had taken oaths also possessed good combat skills.
They quickly moved, taking up arms, trying to expel Chaos.
The auto-cannons placed throughout the fortress emitted urgent alarms when the creeping darkness solidified.
Accompanied by the twitching of the servo-skulls they were linked to, the auto-cannons then unleashed a barrage of searing attacks, tearing apart any daemonic entity that dared to approach.
The defense forces quickly counterattacked, bullets and searing lasers striking at the eerie shadows.
An Ultramar Auxilia soldier, wielding a portable melta gun, blew off half the body of a grotesque monster with a gaping maw with a single shot.
The remaining charred remains emitted a burnt smell, twitching on the ground a few times.
Before he could cheer, the next second, the Auxilia soldier's head was bitten off by a bizarre hellhound made of flesh and steel.
Crimson blood gushed out, quickly staining the floor.
The headless body fell limply, mixing with numerous other corpses.
This scene was not an isolated case, and the battle between the two sides intensified.
The sounds of combat echoed throughout the fortress.
Outside, the situation was also becoming worse.
After investigating and discovering that the planetary governor had been corrupted by Chaos, Leah had intended to lead her team back to the fortress.
But the sudden turn of events forced her to stop her original plan and first help the people of the city resist the monsters.
At the fortress, there was Celestine, Amalrich, and the Grey Knight Master Clovis.
Leah knew very well that if even those people couldn't resist the daemons, she wouldn't be able to do anything by going back.
Under Leah's command, the Stormtroopers formed a battle formation.
Steadily pushing forward.
During this process, Leah constantly tried to communicate, attempting to connect to various communication channels and contact other units.
"My Lady, strange signals are approaching us," a Stormtrooper turned to Leah and said.
Accessing the squad's shared mode, Leah saw the moving signal sources.
Those signal sources were rapidly approaching them.
"Prepare for battle, they are not on our side," Leah said in a deep voice, taking out her Inquisitor-issue boltgun.
The boltgun's caliber was not as large as the one used by those primaris space marines, making it suitable for ordinary people to use.
In such a scenario, using that small-caliber laspistol would be somewhat useless.
Leah and the Stormtroopers stood ready.
Accompanied by hoarse, strange roars.
A large group of people rushed from the alley into the main road.
They were humans.
At least, they used to be humans.
Now, it was somewhat difficult to say.
Their muscles and bones were twisted, and their bodies grew various horrifying mutations.
Bone spurs, tentacles, eyes, and so on, too numerous to mention.
Those guys looked exactly like monsters.
They charged towards Leah and the others, baring their teeth and dripping disgusting slime.
Each one of them bore the Chaos mark of Tzeentch, which made them slaves of the Lord of Change.
The number of monsters was extremely large, stumbling out of alleys or from the distance down the street.
As if there was no end to them, they kept pouring out.
"This is a long-planned conspiracy," Leah said with a grim expression, seeing the uniforms of the Ultramar Defence Auxilia among the monsters.
The Ultramar Auxilia had also been corrupted.
Just how widespread was the corruption?
If...
Leah didn't dare to think further.
Heretics were operating right under their noses,
Yet the Inquisition was completely unaware, which was undoubtedly a huge mistake.
Hopefully, the Emperor would forgive the incompetence of the Inquisition!!
"Kill them all, offer this world to the Gods."
Cultists mixed in with the monsters shouted and yelled.
Attacking Leah and the others with various crude weapons.
Leah led the Stormtroopers in a counterattack, preparing to let these traitors know the terrible consequences of betraying the Emperor.
Clang!
The sound of chains striking against armor echoed.
Amalrich wrapped his hands and his power greatsword with chains.
The other Black Templar warriors stood behind him, weapons in hand, doing the same action.
This was a ritual.
It was a tradition inherited from the first Grand Marshal of the Black Templars, Sigismund, representing the will to fight to the death.
"Those guys have really arrived, just as Celestine said."
Amalrich looked at the darkness ahead, his tone low.
The other Black Templar warriors remained silent, as if beneath that massive black armor, there was no living being, but a puppet that only knew how to fight.
The warp was pouring into the fortress frantically.
The air became cold, and the lumen-lamps flickered erratically, seeming as if they would go out at any moment.
As the darkness churned, many indistinct forms entered their vision from the edges.
They emitted piercing screams, frantically pouncing on Amalrich and the others.
"For the Emperor," Amalrich said in his heart.
Then, he charged forward, stepping into the dark tide.
The other warriors followed closely.
The two sides quickly clashed, engaging in battle.
Fighting was happening throughout the fortress.
But Saint Celestine ignored these battles and went directly into the depths of the fortress.
That was the core of the lighthouse.
Three Dreadnoughts and a squad in Terminator armor were stationed there.
"Saint."
After Celestine entered, a fully armored Terminator walked over.
"Ventris," Celestine said, looking at the fully armed Terminator.
The Terminator removed his helmet, revealing a resolute, handsome face. It was indeed captain Ventris of the Ultramarines' Fourth Company.
Ventris was a legendary Ultramarine and an outstanding hero of the Imperium.
He was born on Sara, a world that had been reduced to ruins by the Word Bearers and was still suffering from radiation damage.
Ventris grew up in the underground hive cities. As an adult, he completed the Chapter's trials and, with his outstanding combat record and loyalty, rose to the upper ranks of the Chapter.
In addition to repeatedly driving back daemons, Ventris had also ventured deep into the Eye of Terror and was captured by the Iron Warriors.
For others, this would have been a death sentence.
Yet, on the corrupted planet controlled by the Iron Warriors, he waged a guerrilla war.
Later, he even took advantage of an internal conflict among the Iron Warriors to successfully seize a ship and escape from the Eye of Terror.
Such a record alone is enough to prove how powerful he truly is.
"What's the situation outside?" Ventris asked.
"The daemons have invaded, just as the Lord predicted. Those guys want to destroy the lighthouse; they don't want the Imperium to master this kind of warp navigation technology," Celestine said.
"Those warp entities are always like this. Once humanity embraces science and reason, it's their most terrifying doomsday, not to say all, but at least the future that most daemons fear. They rely on human fear and slaughter to survive," Ventris said with a smile.
"That's true."
"Let's go. The lighthouse is ready, waiting for you to use it, Saint," Ventris said. "If successful, humanity will master a weapon against the daemons, and the Imperium will no longer be at a disadvantage in terms of military strength."
Celestine nodded and turned to look at the few Battle Sisters who were following her.
"You can wait here. Remember, if you can't defeat them, retreat."
"Understood, Saint," the Battle Sisters said.
After giving her instructions, Celestine followed Ventris into the depths of the fortress.
That was the core of the lighthouse, the most crucial location.
All the secrets of how the lighthouse could teleport items remotely and navigate ships through the warp were in the core.
The Chaos invasion came so suddenly.
But humanity was not without the ability to fight back.
Priests of the Ecclesiarchy chanted the holy scriptures of the Imperium, repelling the daemons that had not yet fully formed.
They embraced the Emperor's icons, held high censers of incense and shrines, driving back the weaker daemons, forcing those damned creatures back into the warp.
Trained psykers also united, using their talents to drive away the twisted monsters.
In outer space, the fleet, sensing the change in the situation on the surface, bombarded the black clouds covering the entire world, attempting to break the magical blockade through physical means.
After the initial setback, humanity was rapidly regaining control of the world of Pharos.
No matter how strong Magnus was, it was impossible for him to endlessly manipulate the aether remotely to besiege the planet Pharos.
The physical rules of reality were constantly trying to reassert themselves, forcing those things that didn't conform to the rules back into the warp.
In the city, Lijie and her elite subordinates advanced under the traitors' fire.
Undamaged Imperial Guard units constantly arrived from all directions to support them.
An artillery unit joined their ranks and shelled the mutants.
The roar of explosions echoed across the battlefield, creating large craters in the paved streets.
The smooth square also became pockmarked.
A large statue was hit by artillery shells, and the immense explosive force shattered half of the statue's body.
Many mutants were crushed to death by the falling debris.
The debris was often the size of a human head, plus the potential energy from the high altitude.
These stones could be said to be incredibly powerful.
Even with Tzeentch's blessings, these guys were not immortal; they had only received a slight enhancement.
If they suffered fatal injuries, they would still die.
Several heavy tanks joined the battle.
These tanks looked very old, like ancient artifacts that had been sitting for hundreds of years.
However, although the Adeptus Mechanicus was rigid and old-fashioned, their technology was always reliable.
The quality guarantee was solid.
A piece of equipment produced by the Adeptus Mechanicus could be used for one or two thousand years without any problem.
Some Chapters were even using equipment from ten thousand years ago, and it was still functioning well, without any issues.
One can imagine how reliable the Adeptus Mechanicus' technology is.
The reacting Imperial fleet also dispatched gunship and fighter formations to support various parts of the Imperium.
The strength of the loyalists grew stronger, steadily overwhelming the detestable traitors.
Large numbers of bodies piled up on either side of the streets, and crimson blood stained the ground.
Lijie stepped forward, her bolter constantly firing at the traitors.
Several heavy tanks rumbled over the broken streets and buildings, firing a shell whenever an enemy showed their head.
The cultists were retreating in defeat before the Imperium.
The daemons were also helpless; the Ecclesiarchy priests could suppress them, preventing them from fully forming in reality and assisting their allies in reversing the tide.
At this moment, in the fortress, Clovis, who had killed swathes of daemons and was rushing to other battlefields for support, had a solemn expression.
The threads of destiny in his eyes were becoming increasingly tangled.
The crisis had not been resolved but had become even more eerie and terrifying.
The aetheric storm in the warp was becoming more terrifying; the true danger was arriving.
The rift above Pharos was also slowly expanding, and the malice contained within that giant eyeball was growing thicker.
It was mocking humanity's powerlessness and the inevitable end that was coming.
In an unnamed star system light-years away, the ritual was also reaching its conclusion.
As the wizards' incantations grew more fervent.
A terrifying aetheric tornado accompanied by a brilliant, unholy light descended.
The altar was connected to the turbulent warp.
Magnus stepped out, his tall body like a small mountain, and the triumphant expression in his single eye grew stronger.
"All is ready. It is time to give my brother a gift."
Magnus spread his arms, his large blue wings infused with immense magical power raised high, fully displaying his magnificent and beautiful form.
"The stars align, the sacred number nine, will open the path across the stars for us."
Magnus' words were like rolling thunder, echoing between the void and reality.
As his voice sounded, countless aetheric runes emerged.
His force staff erupted with an intensely powerful light, and the psyker storm suddenly grew hundreds of times stronger.
Even in space, one could clearly see the storm containing terrifying magical power.
In the city, Lijie had thought victory was in sight.
The cultists and the daemons that had not yet fully formed no longer posed a major threat.
Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, a new enemy arrived.
Portals shimmering with eerie light suddenly appeared.
Figures wearing blue and gold power armor, who moved without making a sound, emerged from them.
They formed neat ranks and stepped onto the smoke-filled battlefield.
Humanity's eternal enemy, the Emperor's traitorous sons, the warriors of the cursed Fifteenth Legion, entered the battlefield.
The Fifteenth Legion, also known as the Thousand Sons Legion, had Magnus, the primarch known as the strongest psyker after the Emperor, as their gene-father.
Magnus was the first primarch to realize Horus' betrayal.
He had tried to prevent Horus' fall, wanting Horus not to betray the Emperor.
Horus, who thought he saw through the Emperor, ultimately refused him and plunged into Chaos.
To warn his father, Magnus used a sacrifice to send a psyker message to Terra.
However, his psyker message was blocked by the barrier in the Webway.
To break through the barrier, he sought the help of a powerful warp entity.
Finally, Magnus successfully breached the barrier the Emperor had built for the Webway project, creating a huge gap known as the Folly of Magnus.
Countless daemons poured through the gap, gaining powerful combat strength and becoming exceptionally active by utilizing the Webway's characteristics.
They broke through the Webway defenses jointly constructed by the Custodes, the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Sisters of Silence, and the Collegia Titanica.
The Emperor was forced to sit on the Golden Throne to stabilize the situation, ordering the Space Wolves Legion to bring Magnus back.
However, Horus corrupted the order, demanding that the Space Wolves Legion kill Magnus and annihilate the Thousand Sons Legion.
Under various misunderstandings and the provocations of traitors, the two Legions eventually clashed.
Magnus was severely wounded and led the surviving Thousand Sons to flee into the planet of Sorcerers in the Eye of Terror, his soul shattered and scattered.
After collecting all of his soul fragments, Magnus assisted Warmaster Horus in attacking Terra, attempting to retrieve his last soul fragment.
The Emperor guided him into the Imperial Dungeon, attempting to draw him back to the loyalist side.
However, Magnus angrily refused because the Emperor was unwilling to save the mutated Thousand Sons Legion and threw himself into the embrace of the Chaos powers, becoming a daemon Primarch.
On the eve of the Great Rift's appearance, Magnus retaliated against the Space Wolves, launching the Battle of Fenris.
He destroyed the Space Wolves' home world, Fenris, and used the deaths of a large number of Imperial citizens to pull the planet of Sorcerers into the material universe, preparing to repair his home world and establish an empire of sorcerers.
Under the gaze of many loyalists, a pulse of warp energy tore through reality, opening a massive rift.
Dark energy rapidly coalesced into a terrifying vortex of flame.
The mere fluctuation of that power was heart-stopping and fear-inducing.
A terrifying giant beast descended upon this world before everyone's eyes.
It had two horns on its head and massive wings on its back.
A malicious smile appeared on its one-eyed face.
"Doomsday has arrived, slaves of the Corpse-Emperor. Enjoy the final destruction."