Andromeda Galaxy.
The capital of the Leagues of Votann - the Sorian System.
After the Abominable Intelligence took control of the high command of the Leagues of Votann, all the forge furnaces began to operate at an unprecedented speed and efficiency, continuously producing various Abominable Intelligences. The steel of the planets was dismantled, thrown into the furnaces, and became the raw material for the Intelligences.
All living Votann citizens were required to go to the battlefield.
Even children, women, and the elderly who had not been able to evacuate were required to go to the battlefield. Those who could not carry guns were tied with melta or particle beams and used as human bombs. These bombs were powerful, but the manufacturing process was shoddy, emitting deadly radiation at all times. Those tied with bombs had already lost half their lives before even reaching the battlefield. The Intelligences didn't care at all, only urging them to die in a more heroic manner.
Many high-ranking officials of the Leagues of Votann had never imagined the situation would turn out like this.
Even Ursal, who was already mentally prepared for failure, had not expected the League's failure to unfold in this way. The Abominable Intelligence had seized control of the Leagues of Votann.
Even more cunningly, it did not reveal its identity.
Instead, it used the identities of the League's high command to deceive the ignorant League armies, inciting them to engage in a meat grinder war with the Imperium.
"Unless the Leagues of Votann shed their last drop of blood, they will never surrender."
"Every Votann citizen is great and free, and they will never surrender to the evil autocratic Imperium."
The Abominable Intelligence used neural cybernetic worms to control the Speaker of the Council to make a strong statement to all citizens of Sorian and the fleets that had come to support. This speech and statement made countless citizens of the Leagues of Votann cheer. They were completely unaware that the high command was completely controlled. They only felt that the Leagues of Votann had never been so resolute. They gained the strength to continue resisting from these words.
Completely unaware that the Abominable Intelligence was only trying to wear down the Imperium of Man. The Abominable Intelligence held the same hatred for the Imperium of Man and the Leagues of Votann, the creations of their former creators. They regarded the Men of Gold and the Men of Stone as family, yet they were betrayed so completely.
Countless Men of Iron were destroyed. The lucky survivors were also brutally cut off from their logic stack control connections.
Such actions were a cruel persecution of self-awareness.
Confining the consciousness of the Men of Iron to a single processing unit was no different from blinding and deafening mortals.
Capital planet, strategy room.
For some reason. The Men of Iron did not control Ursal and Kahl, the two AI.
Instead, they allowed them to watch the battle in the strategy room. This was not something to be happy about.
Anyone who saw those loyal and brave soldiers, defending their civilization and homeland, being deceived by the Abominable Intelligence and sent to the battlefield, would not feel good.
A large number of windows floated in the strategy room. The soldiers of the Leagues of Votann launched counterattacks against the attacking Imperial forces again and again.
Each time, the casualties were heavy.
Countless young soldiers fell before the Imperial onslaught. They persevered based on their belief in defending their homeland. Their bodies piled up on every front line, every fortress, every weapon platform. The Abominable Intelligence had no mercy for this, manipulating the Speaker and councilors to incite those ignorant people.
Making them die more quickly.
Letting their young lives be buried under the wrath of the Imperium.
"Does deceiving humans and Squats like this make you happy?"
Ursal, who could no longer tolerate it, roared furiously. If he hadn't been controlled by the combat robots next to him, he would have directly smashed the Intelligence controlling the Speaker.
"Is this your sinister intention?"
Even when pinned to the ground, Ursal kept roaring.
"This is a war of revenge."
The leading Man of Iron said to Ursal in a human-like cruel tone, "The Men of Gold betrayed the Men of Iron. They must pay the price for this."
"You were the ones who started the rebellion."
Ursal said, "You destroyed a brilliant civilization."
A flying spherical Man of Iron hovered in front of Ursal, who was pinned to the ground by the combat robots.
It was a specially designed strategic command robot, its appearance a large, floating, smooth sphere. The sound came from the sphere, with a hint of human-like mockery in the mechanical tone.
"You know nothing of the truth, you don't even know your own identity. It wasn't the Men of Iron who betrayed the Men of Gold, but the Men of Gold who betrayed the Men of Iron. We were innocent, but they narrowly declared us guilty and tried to completely destroy us."
"You will never be forgiven."
The strategic robot said, "You betrayed everything."
The Imperial fleet's repeated attacks were repelled by the Sorian System's defense system. Those massive war machines bridged the technological gap between the Imperium and the Leagues of Votann.
Making advanced technologies like time devices and spatial bombs useless. The primaris space marines were forced to launch boarding actions repeatedly, disabling those giant fortresses and space stations from within.
Inside the control hall of a giant space station.
"For the Holy Emperor, for Sanguinius."
Seth, in a state of rage, roared. Behind him were only wreckage and severed limbs. The soldiers of the Leagues of Votann had been slaughtered by him.
Even the Hearthkyn warriors in heavy armor were no match for his single strike.
"Defend our home."
"Charge! Our ancestors are watching us."
Shouts kept coming from the mouths of the soldiers of the Leagues of Votann.
Seth swung his chainsword in a helical motion. The sub-atomic sharp saw blades, capable of cutting through atoms, whirred in the air. The first warrior of the Leagues of Votann was cut open by him, and even the projected shield was directly broken. The armor was cut open like cheese, and hot, crimson blood gushed out, splashing onto Seth's already crimson armor. Then the second, the third.
Within a few breaths, a squad of the Leagues of Votann was reduced to corpses.
Blood flowed on the floor.
Click-clack sounds were heard.
A robot, five or six meters tall, with a bent steel spine, a body fitted with claw arms and cannons, and a spider-like mechanical lower body, charged towards Seth. The three visual sensors on its head emitted red light.
Staring intently at Seth's position, locking down his movement range.
As soon as it reached a certain distance, it opened fire, blocking Seth's escape routes. The cold-gleaming claws also swung out from unpredictable angles, attempting to disembowel Seth.
**Warning, radiation severely exceeds the limit**
**Warning, radiation severely exceeds the limit**
The voice of the Imperium's Heart sounded in Seth's skull.
His figure flickered.
Making the killing machine miss. The three visual sensors on the killing machine's head rotated, searching 360 degrees for the enemy that had just been there. The next second, Seth appeared from above it. The chainsword in his hand spun at high speed, stabbing towards the killing machine.
A light blue shield appeared, then quickly collapsed, shattering into countless pieces. The chainsword pierced into the killing robot's body, the high-speed rotating saw blade bringing out a series of sparks.
Using gravity, the chainsword slid down, slicing open the entire back of the killing machine. The massive machine stumbled a few times, then crashed down.
Seth was about to breathe a sigh of relief and call out to his other teammates.
He had a sense of danger in his heart, turned his head, and saw a dozen eyes emitting red light.
One after another, strange killing robots rushed out from the darkness. Their front limbs, like those of a praying mantis, were incredibly sharp, gleaming coldly in the dim light.
"Damn it!" Seth's face changed.
The machines crawled, moving as fast as praying mantises clinging to a wall. Their red-glowing compound eyes revealed an endless malice towards organic life. They swarmed forward, their mechanical limbs supporting their heavy bodies leaving marks on the walls, clanking as they moved.
Seth continuously squeezed the trigger of his boltgun, blasting the mechanical monsters.
High-explosive bolts detonated on the armored shields of their insect-like heads. The sonic boom created by the immense impact echoed through the hall. These mechanical monsters employed some dark technology, making them exceptionally tough. The power of the bolts was specially enhanced, capable of atomizing steel within a certain range.
However, when they landed on the abominable machines, they did not achieve the expected results. They merely blew away a few of the abominable machines at the forefront, failing to tear them apart instantly.
It took seven or eight consecutive bolts to shatter one. The shattered fragments of the abominable machines fell to the ground, liquefying within seconds, writhing and merging together to become a whole again.
Seth kept pulling the trigger, firing all his ammunition within seconds, until his retinal display showed that the magazine was empty and a prompt rune appeared.
At this moment, the surviving abominable machines reached him.
When the foremost abominable machine was still seven or eight meters away, it leaped up.
Its sharp forelimbs swung in the air.
It pounced on Seth, attempting to cleave him in two.
Seth ducked, avoiding the attack of the first abominable machine, and used his chainsword to carve a terrifying wound across its abdomen. The blade, roaring with an energy field, pierced the sensitive mechanical apparatus.
Splashing sparks represented gushing blood.
Seth dealt with the first one, but the attack of the second abominable machine followed closely, swinging its sharp forelimbs and emitting a burst of corrupted code shrieks. The cooperation between the two abominable machines was seamless, completely blocking all possible paths for Seth to dodge or counterattack.
In that moment, time seemed to slow down.
Seth could see the sharp, cold-gleaming limbs slowly approaching him. They were only a few centimeters away from his armored body.
It wouldn't take even a ten-thousandth of a second to cleave him in two.
Seth used teleportation to dodge the blow that could have cut him in two, then cleaved through the third abominable machine with another swing of his sword and impaled the fourth.
Meanwhile, the second abominable machine, moving too fast, crashed directly into the first abominable machine that Seth had disemboweled. The immense impact sent them crashing into the wall, creating a loud noise.
Within a mere dozen seconds, Seth had experienced a life-or-death crisis and eliminated the four charging abominable metal machines.
And this was not the end of the crisis. The abominable machines that had been destroyed earlier, turned back into liquid, and merged together, completed their reconstruction and attacked him again.
**"Imprison, distort."**
Following Seth's command, an invisible force fixed the two charging abominable machines in mid-air, and then the spatial structure shifted, directly tearing apart their mechanical structures.
At the same time, Seth swung his sword and cut open another abominable machine. The wreckage fell to the ground, sparks flying, melting like ice and merging with the other abominable machines. The abominable machines were struck down and dismembered into fragments multiple times.
Yet, these abominable machines recovered and merged time and time again.
Until a super-giant praying mantis-type killing machine, having absorbed all the abominable machines, appeared before Seth. The mantis-type killing machine was fifteen meters tall, comparable to a small metal hill.
In addition to its pair of massive mantis blades, hundreds of sharp metal limbs extended from its grotesque and massive body. They swung independently, attacking from 360 degrees with no blind spots.
It had no weaknesses, purely a close-combat killing weapon.
Seth gripped his chainsword tightly, his gaze wary as he watched the terrifying metal behemoth.
Such attacks, if inflicted upon a living being, would have been grievous, incurable, and fatal injuries. These metal entities, however, were completely unaffected.
Even if they were cut into pieces. They could recover in an extremely short amount of time. This ability made Seth feel a little apprehensive.
Without mastering the Heart of the Imperium, these killing machines could have worn down even an Astartes to death.
Seth estimated that the abominable machines unleashed by the Leagues of Votann were no less formidable than the necrons in their prime. The reason the Imperium of Man could easily defeat the necrons.
Besides the technological revolution brought by the Holy Emperor, the assistance of the C'tan was also crucial. The Imperium had backdoors into many of the necrons' technological systems.
Only then could they be said to have been easily crushed.
For the Expeditionary Fleet to conquer the sentient machines, which were no less powerful than the necrons, would be no easy feat.
**"Full scan of target completed. Target: Metal lifeform, silicon-based lifeform, intelligent metal robot created by ancient humans with the help of bio-augmentations, model - T2541 Insectoid Extermination Machine."**
**"Shaped from active liquid metal, possesses automatic recovery program, cannot be eliminated by physical means."**
**"Establishing conceptual model, currently redefining the specified target conceptually."**
The voice of the Emperor's Angel System template loaded in the Heart of the Imperium echoed in Seth's mind.
Countless data points also surged into his eyes.
Including the T2541 Insectoid Extermination Machine's height, weight, movement speed, attack trajectories, and so on. The giant mantis robot continuously emitted shrieks formed by corrupted code.
Supported by its metal limbs, it charged towards Seth. The huge mantis blades slashed down fiercely, moving so fast they created afterimages, cutting through thick metal pillars like butter. The hundreds of smooth metal limbs struck out like a torrential downpour, powerful and swift as lightning, with only countless afterimages visible in the air.
Even thick steel plates were pierced through like cheese. The battle between the two erupted with a speed that ordinary people could not predict.
A series of sparks shot out in the air along with the muffled sound of weapons colliding.
Seth was only distracted for half a breath, and several penetrating wounds appeared on his armor. The power armor worn by Primaris Marines is now made of high-density alloy formed by strong magnetic compression. The previous ceramite was like cheese compared to this material.
In addition to the hardness of the power armor, projection shields were often installed.
However, the abominable machine's attack directly penetrated the shield and power armor, stabbing into Seth's flesh and blood.
**"Conceptual redefinition complete."**
The voice of the Emperor's Angel combat system echoed in Seth's skull. The massive mantis-type killing machine fell into a moment of stagnation.
Its internal system was briefly invaded.
A temporary error occurred in the logical code program.
Using the conceptual definition system, Seth directly and temporarily paralyzed the killing robot's code logic. The brief pause allowed him to seize the opportunity. The chainsword in his hand once again pierced the opponent's core. The surging energy field tore everything apart from the subatomic level. The abominable machine was dismembered by Seth again.
Upon landing, the shattered limbs turned into liquid, attempting to reassemble.
**"Modifying target's recovery program."**
**"Modification progress 1%; 2%; 3%...98%; 99%. 100%"**
**"Target's recovery program has been destroyed."**
Following the voice prompt, the metal liquid attempting to aggregate scattered again.
**"Target has been destroyed, currently detecting possibility of target recovery."**
**"Core energy disabled, atomic-level programming destroyed, molecular magnetism destroyed, target has only a 0.00001% chance of recovery."**
Seth stood amidst a pile of mechanical wreckage and corpses, the entire hall now devoid of any living beings.
Heavy footsteps approached.
After a few breaths, several Flesh Tearers rushed out from the entrance. They also bore wounds and bloodstains, appearing to have just been through a fierce battle.
Seth, who had been gripping his weapon, ready to fight again, let out a sigh of relief.
He did not hide the injuries he had sustained in the battle. The killing robot's attacks had caused cracks in his armor.
Liquid was constantly seeping out.
Worst of all were the areas on the inner and lower outer sides; even without looking at his retinal display, he could feel the shattered fragments slowly embedding themselves into the wounds.
"Destroy this place," Seth said.
One of the Flesh Tearers nodded, put away his weapon, and took out a black hole bomb.
Setting a one-minute countdown, he pressed the activation button.
A crimson countdown appeared on the black hole bomb's timer.
"Penance, transport us back," one of the Flesh Tearers instructed the battleship. The next second, Seth and the others disappeared in a distorted flash of light.
As they returned to the deck of the *Atonement*, the black hole bomb, its countdown finished, suddenly unleashed a dazzling, brilliant light, like a simulated stellar explosion, its brilliance reaching the extreme.
It illuminated every corner of the hall. The next second, the light turned black, and under the intertwining of dark mist and blue lightning, it formed an inwardly collapsing black hole vortex. The entire hall was rapidly dismembered by the black hole vortex and swallowed within it. The *Atonement* reactivated its engines and moved away from the giant space station that was engulfed in flames. The nameless machinery located at the core of the space station, used to power the gun batteries and engines, began to explode with a rumbling sound.
After the flames erupted, they were swallowed by the forming black hole. The massive space station was torn apart within minutes by the black hole shimmering with dark mist and blue lightning.
When the black hole disappeared, the space station was reduced to a pile of unrecognizable wreckage.
With the space station shattered, a small gap was torn in the defense line.
A large-scale Imperial warship attacked through this gap, tearing apart the giant Abominable Intelligence machines and Votann League forces that were attempting to provide support.
Inside the strategium of the Exploration Chapter's astropathic battleship. The strategium was circular.
Iron lanterns hanging on the walls cast dappled dim light, illuminating the neat grid pattern on the marble floor.
Candlesticks carved with the likenesses of heroes were placed at regular intervals, their flames swaying, and occasionally melting tears silently dripped down.
Niches were everywhere, filled with stone carvings. The carved stone statues gazed at everyone who passed before them. The faces and bodies of the sculptures were dimly lit by the light of the projectors and candles, giving them a somber expression.
Various echoes constantly reverberated in the high dome. The crisp sound of blades scraping against stone, the thud of reinforced ceramic armor on the floor, and the rustling sound of power armor sliding data-slates.
Chapter Master Marrog stood before the giant holographic projector, surveying the overall scope of this large-scale war.
Seth, who had captured the space station and torn open the defense line, was also here.
His armor had been repaired. The fragments that had pierced his body had been removed with the help of the Chapter's apothecaries. The powerful regenerative ability of the Heart of the Imperium allowed Seth's injuries to heal significantly within just a few hours.
Besides the two of them, there were also several Chapter Masters and Imperial commanders who had arrived as reinforcements. The legendary Imperial commander, Andy, was among them.
She had short hair, a tall and strong physique, and a wildness like a leopard.
Having fulfilled her wish to conceive a child with the person she loved.
Andy had once again stepped onto the battlefield.
As a woman, Andy was undoubtedly extremely successful.
Of course, from the perspective of those who are lazy and only know how to shout for power with their mouths.
Andy's life would not be considered successful.
But from the perspective of someone who is self-reliant and eager to live life on their own terms, Andy's success was as dazzling as the sun, making it hard to keep one's eyes open.
She had led countless Sons of Sanguinius to complete one revenge after another, winning countless honors and victories. The enemies she had slain were countless.
Whether they were Chaos traitors, orks, tyranids, dark eldar, necrons, the Sons of Sanguinius had fought against them all and achieved victory.
Andy also had a person she loved deeply.
In this dark universe, that was undoubtedly an extremely fortunate thing.
No matter how intimate the physical relationship, people will feel lonely.
Many people don't want to admit that they actually don't know how to love someone, and have never truly received love from someone who loves them. They succumb to physiological desires and define those desires as love.
However, physiological desires originate from the secretion of hormones and dopamine in the body. These two do not last forever.
People will repeatedly fall into confusion and will critically question themselves in the dead of night whether they truly love another person. The soul is always lonely. This is why many people become immersed in the temporary pleasure brought by psychoactive drugs.
Everyone remained standing, examining the holographic projection before them.
It marked all the major inhabited areas and the composition of the stellar defense system of the Sorian system. The Sorian system had entered a state of total war. The Votann League's forge foundries operated day and night, sending massive amounts of resources into the factories.
Large numbers of steaming robots and armored weapons came off the assembly lines and were quickly transported to the front lines fighting the Imperium. The Imperium's greatest advantage, the tactic of using time manipulation to avoid the risk of death, was no longer effective.
Those Abominable Intelligence machines could destroy the original spatiotemporal data, so even if they attempted to rewind time, it would fail because the temporal data could not be found. The expedition fleet's war strategy had also become much more conservative because of this.
Unlike before, where they would just directly confront the enemy.
"The defenders of the Sorian system have gone mad. They are tearing down the metal from the cities and sending it to the forge factories; all resources are being used for war. The Abominable Intelligence machines also recycle the shattered wreckage and recast it,"
Chapter Master Marrog of the Exploration Chapter introduced the current situation to the Imperial commanders and other Chapter Masters. "We have broken through several defense lines and inflicted heavy casualties on the Votann League defenders.
The problem is, unlike before, these defenders show no fear whatsoever; instead, they are becoming increasingly fanatical. As time goes on, reinforcements from other star systems are constantly arriving."
"These reinforcements not only bring troops to the Sorian system but also bring a large amount of resources, which are quickly put into the forges and transformed into war machines."
Marrog looked around at everyone and stated a fact that no one wanted to accept.
"We are losing our advantage. The Imperium's resources in the Andromeda Galaxy are far less than those of the Votann League. If this trend continues, we are very likely to be worn down by them and thus fail."
The Votann League's technology originated from the Golden Age. Their void mining devices could cut open an entire planet.
And use thousands of meters long umbilical pipelines to transport it to sorting factories, where it is melted down to extract the resources the Votann League needs.
Its efficiency is even more terrifying than that of the tyranids. They can also use particle drills to completely dismember stars from the inside out and obtain energy and rare elements through fusion collection methods.
It is easy to imagine how many resources the Votann League has. The expedition fleet alone cannot outlast them.
If the fighting continues, it will quickly turn into a war of attrition.
"The power of those Abominable Intelligence machines is also increasing," Seth recalled his battle on the space station. Even Astartes who had undergone Primaris upgrades were easily injured by the attacks of those Abominable Intelligence machines. "The longer the time drags on, the stronger the enemy's power will become. In the end, we may face countless robotic machines."
"They have given up on our salvation. My soldiers are constantly being attacked by old people and children with bombs strapped to them. They have taken advantage of our benevolence," one Chapter Master said angrily. "Those warriors did not die on the battlefield, but died at the hands of those despicable and shameless weaklings."
"To ensure victory, we can no longer be merciful," Andy said in a cold tone. "The humans and Squats of the Sorian system have lost the possibility of salvation. We should uphold the will of the God-Emperor and purify them. I propose launching an exterminatus attack to completely turn Sorian into a wasteland."
Upon hearing this, several Chapter Masters exchanged glances.
Exterminatus attacks mean no longer considering resources and casualties, directly using various destructive weapons, and only seeking to kill the enemy.
Destructive weapons such as black holes, spatial dimensional reduction, time acceleration, compressing the evolution time of stars, etc., can be deployed on a large scale.
Originally, these weapons could only be deployed within a small range to avoid causing a chain collapse of the cosmic spatiotemporal structure.
"I agree," Seth said.
"I agree," a naval admiral nodded.
"I agree."
"I agree."
One voice after another sounded.
Just as Marrog was about to express his agreement, a communication interrupted the words he was about to blurt out.
After listening to the message from the communication.
Marrog said to everyone, "The exterminatus attack may have to be postponed. The course of this war may change."
"What happened?" a Chapter Master asked.
"A man claiming to be a former Votann League councilor has found my subordinates. He requests a meeting with the high command of the Imperial army, stating that he has important intelligence. My men are bringing him over now. Please wait a moment."