Khorne, as the God of War, is truly impartial, especially when humans display fearless courage, actively engaging in close-quarters combat with daemons using bayonets; he joyfully bestows various blessings.
Such actions undoubtedly made the battles of the Chaos Daemons even more difficult.
After all, they already had a headache fighting humans, and now these humans had received Khorne's blessings, greatly enhancing their close-combat abilities.
The World Eaters were even more infuriated, as they distinctly felt that their main god's attention seemed to be diverted from them by something.
And when they saw the red glow on the PDF soldiers, their eyes widened further in rage, burning with fury.
Who could they complain to?
They came to this planet for Blood Sacrifice to the Blood God, Offer Skulls to the Skull Throne, yet their own main god actually bestowed blessings upon the people of this planet to fight against them.
The World Eaters felt a headache, and the Chaos Daemons felt even worse.
Originally, when they attacked, the opposing PDF soldiers were better equipped than them, and their combat power was already comparable.
Now they had even received blessings from their own boss.
This made the Chaos Daemons exclaim, 'Good heavens, so they're not people, huh?'
Are they not people?
Oh, they're not people, well then.
The Chaos Daemons were all burning with rage, while the human side, under Khorne's blessing, became even more valiant and skilled in combat.
All PDF soldiers wore master-crafted carapaces; although these armors were not as good as the power armor worn by Space Marines, nor as good as the power armor of mortals.
But they also granted them a certain combat effectiveness, allowing them not to fall into a disadvantage in close combat with Lesser Daemons.
Coupled with the enhancement of phase bayonets, they could almost effortlessly cut through all Chaos Daemons.
This led to daemons suffering the baptism of gauss rifles, laser guns, and bolters during long-range attacks, and upon closing in, they would be directly cut open by human soldiers with phase bayonets.
The battle lasted for more than three full days, with the World Eaters leaving behind over 2000 Space Marine corpses, and an unknown number of daemon losses.
Their cultist units and auxiliary forces were completely wiped out in the battle, and they had not even managed to reach the Underhive.
They were blocked by these PDF soldiers right here in the Underhive.
The two sides engaged in a bloody battle here for 4 days, and they couldn't even get past the Underhive of a single hive city!
Such a result gave the Chaos Lords of these World Eaters Warband some ominous premonitions, so they gathered together once again.
"It seems we won't win this battle with just our Warbands."
"We only have two choices before us now: one is to retreat immediately, and the other is to request reinforcements from the Warmaster. You all consider it."
As Chaos Space Marines of the Khorne faction, honestly, they did not want to admit defeat.
But the facts were laid bare; Khorne not only admired those with courage but also those with wisdom.
If one clearly knew their combat power was inferior yet stubbornly persisted without seeking other reinforcements to alleviate their pressure, then how could such a person earn the favor of him, Khorne, the God of War?
Karusuo's words were consistent with the Khorne faction's values, and the other Chaos Lords of the World Eaters Warband also did not voice any objections to this matter.
They all expressed their opinions through silent agreement.
"Phew—"
"Since everyone's opinion is so unified, then I will request reinforcements from the Warmaster."
Karusuo made his decision.
As for them secretly launching an attack on an Imperial World without Abaddon's permission, which was no different from betraying Abaddon, they did not take this matter to heart.
So what?
What could happen?
They were truly over 10,000 Chaos Space Marines; surely Abaddon wouldn't really abandon them, would he?
a psionic communication from the World Eaters Warband, relying on Warp fluctuations, began to transmit a request for reinforcements to Abaddon's Black Legion.
With the aid of the Warp, the World Eaters' message transmission speed was far greater than that of the regular Imperium, so Abaddon quickly received the message from the World Eaters.
Abaddon, bald with only a topknot, looked at the message he received and let out a contemptuous laugh.
"A joke! These fellows secretly went looking for trouble, and now that they can't win, they still have the nerve to ask me for reinforcements?"
"I've never heard such a ridiculous joke; where did they get such an idea?"
After saying this contemptuously, Abaddon shifted his attention to what he truly cared about.
"Kabe, have you investigated whether there are any forces attacking those World Eaters? Their only purpose is to clear the way for our Black Legion."
He didn't care about the fate of the World Eaters Warband; after all, disobedient fellows were useless.
What he cared about more now was who had targeted the Black Legion?
Falkus Kabe shook his head.
"Apologies, Warmaster, as of yet, we have not discovered anyone watching our Black Legion.
The World Eaters Warband's operations have been relatively smooth, with no forces attacking or intervening against them."
"The only thing that's a bit off is the planet they targeted, which is called Misty Star Domain 108 Worlds. The resistance on that planet is extremely strong; we've detected at least 10,000 Space Marines stationed there."
Abaddon's face showed no change at these words.
He had already been severely beaten before, and he didn't know where the Imperium got so many Space Marines, so he was not surprised by this point.
"We'll consider the Space Marine issue later.
Where the Imperium got so many Space Marines is a question worth pondering, but this cannot be considered important intelligence.
After all, haven't we already encountered a sufficient number of enemies?"
"That's true," Falkus Kabe nodded in agreement.
Indeed, no one knew where the Imperium got so many Space Marines, but their intelligence indicated that a large number of Space Marines had appeared in the Imperium.
Moreover, the Black Legion had encountered quite a few of them, so this didn't seem to be valuable intelligence.
"Warmaster, if this Space Marine intelligence cannot be considered important, I think we have no other intelligence."
"According to our previous intelligence, the only problem with that planet is that there are 10,000 Space Marines; as for anything else, there's nothing."
"Warmaster?" Falkus Kabe, as if remembering something, weakly offered a suggestion.
"You said, could it be that Tzeentch made a mistake somewhere? After all, things are constantly changing; perhaps Tzeentch just wanted to tease you, it's not impossible, right?"
Falkus Kabe said this as if he was comforting himself or Abaddon.
After all, there were already so many Space Marines; if they weren't the cause, then what exactly would be the crisis leading to their demise?
"No, this is impossible."
"The Lord of Change has no reason to tease me like this. After all, this matter is too important, and doesn't our attack on the Imperium of Man align perfectly with their wishes?"
Abaddon was no ordinary person; after all, he was the one who launched 13 Black Crusades. He didn't need to comfort himself with such meaningless methods.
He was the Warmaster, the Warmaster of Chaos!
The chosen of the Four Chaos Gods; the last one to achieve this was his father.
So he didn't think Tzeentch would use such a matter to trick or intimidate him, because didn't his actions just align with the needs and hopes of the Chaos Gods?
With Abaddon's stance, Falkus Kabe found it difficult to say anything further.
After all, what Abaddon said made a lot of sense.
Indeed, the Four Chaos Gods had no reason to treat Abaddon this way.
Abaddon's Black Legion's actions in striking the Imperium also perfectly satisfied the needs of the Chaos Gods.
"Alright, Warmaster, let's refocus our primary attention back to the main issue."
"The World Eaters haven't probed what's watching our Black Legion, and they seem to be losing against the local Imperial Army. Should we send reinforcements?"
"After all, if we want to probe the enemy's situation, we must send enough troops."
"These World Eaters are too weak. I didn't expect them to be so easily bogged down on a planet. If we don't send troops, I estimate they might not last long before having to flee."
Falkus Kabe chose to redirect the conversation back to the question of whether to support the World Eaters.
Just as Abaddon wanted to use these World Eaters to probe who was watching him in the dark, these World Eaters indeed needed help before the goal was achieved, otherwise their deaths would be meaningless.
Abaddon fell silent. Frankly, he wasn't prepared to help these World Eaters.
After all, these guys set a bad precedent.
He hadn't directly sent troops to eliminate these World Eaters, which was already considering they had some value.
Now he actually needed to send troops to support these fools. Wasn't this purely slapping his own face?
Wasn't this equivalent to encouraging the Warbands under him, telling them that they could act freely?
This was not a good thing; it was purely setting another bad precedent, so Abaddon did not want to set this bad precedent.
But he had no choice, as these World Eaters were related to the situation of the enemy he wanted to probe.
"Warmaster, please don't hesitate. The World Eaters Legion has suffered heavy losses, which means the Khorne faction's power is imbalanced."
"If you want the Legion to continue to exist, then balancing the factions within the Legion is something you must do."
"In my opinion, since the World Eaters have deployed over 10,000 men, the other several Warbands of the Four Chaos Gods also need to be deployed."
"Warmaster, you also said that the enemy has targeted the entire Black Legion."
"If that's the case, it means that the deployed troops will surely not survive."
"The losses on the World Eaters' side have already led to an imbalance between the Khorne faction and other factions. In that case, we might as well go all out and have the other factions also send out 12,000 men!"
"Although doing so will undoubtedly cause heavy losses to our Black Legion, it can also maintain the balance of the troops."
"Moreover, as long as you issue this order, a quarter of our Black Legion's forces will have been deployed. Surely with such a large force deployed, Tzeentch's prophecy might also be completely fulfilled, allowing us to see exactly what enemy it is."
As the saying goes, bystanders see clearly, while those involved are confused.
Abaddon, as the target, his thinking was not as quick as that of his trusted subordinate.
In the end, Falkus Kabe, fearing Abaddon would not be decisive enough due to concerns about troop losses, added another sentence.
"Warmaster, don't feel bad about the loss of troops. Now that so many Space Marines have appeared in the Imperium."
"Sooner or later, some of them will fall to Chaos. When that time comes, we will simply take them in. Your renown has already been broadcast throughout the Warp and the galaxy."
"When new Space Marine Chapters fall to Chaos, we can naturally take them into the Black Legion."
Falkus Kabe considered everything thoroughly, so Abaddon no longer hesitated and directly accepted his suggestion.
"I hope so, then do as you say!"
Anyway, things had reached this point. If troops weren't sent, the World Eaters would have died in vain, and it would lead to an imbalance of power.
Since that was the case, then just send out the troops.
Just as his subordinate said, the Imperium had so many Space Marines, and sooner or later, some of them would betray the Imperium again.
As long as someone betrayed the Imperium, as the Warmaster of Chaos, would he still fear not having enough troops?
Under Abaddon's command, one massive fleet after another was again dispatched from the Black Legion.
The other three factions of the Four Chaos Gods also dispatched large fleets, with each faction sending at least 12,000 Chaos Space Marines.
Most importantly, unlike the World Eaters, they didn't just bring a small number of auxiliary troops; they also brought a large number of auxiliary troops. The auxiliary troops of the four forces combined brought the number of cultists to 600 million.
In addition, some corrupted titans of Chaos and large combat units like Hellbeasts also joined this operation.
This was the true scale an apocalyptic-level war should have.
Nearly 60,000 Space Marines, over a hundred million various cultist armies, and large combat units like Chaos titans.
Such a scale of war truly lived up to the name 'apocalypse'.
The Black Legion's army had just emerged from the Warp node when it was detected by Noah's fleet.
"Grand Marshal, the Warp node where the black legion's warships appeared has been detected. We should be able to enter the node and then use our scanners to determine their exact location in the Warp."
Dos immediately reported this situation to Noah, his face filled with excitement.
After being out for so long, watching their own planet being attacked by the Black Legion of Chaos, it was finally their turn to counterattack.
"Since the enemy has been found, there's no need to report to me. Order the troops to launch an attack and prepare to eliminate that so-called Abaddon and his Black Legion!"
"This farce has gone on long enough; it's time for it to end!"
"Order a portion of the PDF troops from other planets to prepare for battle on Nairus. The Space Marine Chapters should do the same; a portion of Space Marines from each planet should be deployed here for training."
"Without war, it's impossible to become elite troops. Let each of our forces send some representatives here for training."
"Order the Patrol Fleet currently patrolling the Solar Starfield to return to our world now and prepare to eliminate those black legion's warships!"
"The forces of World 28 do not need to be mobilized. Their forces are a bit too overwhelming; if they are mobilized, the war will end too quickly and won't serve the purpose of training."
Noah issued a series of orders. Since the Black Legion's position was about to be pinpointed, there was no need to stay here any longer.
However, the problems here also needed to be resolved. With the Chaos Forces coming to their doorstep, it was a good opportunity for his troops to get some proper training.
An army cannot become an army without experiencing battle. This opportunity was perfect for controlled training of his legions.
"Understood, I will immediately transmit your orders to all the Worlds!" The soldier responsible for communications immediately began relaying Noah's order throughout the Misty Star Domain 108 Worlds.
Speaking of which, one must mention the splendor of the 108 Nebulous Star Systems under Noah.
Unlike any other world in the Imperium, their administrative efficiency was extremely high; these worlds were mobilized immediately after Noah's orders were issued.
Each world immediately dispatched one million PDF troops and was in the process of selecting more powerful PDF forces from their own worlds and planets, preparing to send them to the war for experience.
The Space Marine units stationed on each planet each sent out one grand company of Space Marines, ready to provide support.
The number of Space Marines stationed on the 108 worlds totaled 1.08 million, and sending out 1/10 of them meant 108,000!
A force of 108 million PDF troops and 108,000 Space Marines was preparing to join an apocalyptic-level war.
At the same time, each world would dispatch two Warlord-class Titans and one Emperor-class Titan as colossal combat forces, with all other tanks, artillery, and the like fully equipped.
The Battle of Naelrus was set to become the largest apocalyptic-level confrontation between the Imperium and Chaos forces since the Battle of Cadia.
Such large-scale war preparations and troop movements naturally caught the attention of the Lion, who was in the Nebulous Star System, preparing to lead the Imperial army against Chaos.
Lion El'Jonson, one of the Primarchs of the Imperium.
He was the Primarch of the First Legion, the Primarch of the Dark Angels, and he had once led his forces to personally destroy his homeworld.
However, during the Horus Heresy, he rendered great service to the Imperium by destroying the last stronghold of the rebels, forcing them to go all-in.
And now, after ten millennia, he had returned to the Imperium.
By this time, he had begun to gather the military might of the Imperium and had even pardoned the Dark Angels who were in exile, turning them into the Risen.
Originally, Lion had intended to find a planet, raise the banner of resistance, and make it the brightest star in the Nebulous Star System, thereby restoring the morale of the Imperial army.
But in a series of events, he heard about the 108 worlds of the Nebulous Star System.
The name "108 Worlds of the Nebulous Star System" was similar in spirit to the "500 Worlds of Ultramar," which piqued Lion's interest.
At the same time, as soon as his interest was piqued, he received new intelligence: ten warbands of the World Eaters had launched a joint attack.
Tens of thousands of Chaos Astartes had jointly attacked an industrial world.
Naelrus, a planet that had gathered a large number of Chaos Space Marines, and was called one of the Nebulous 108 Worlds—Lion was certain that a large-scale war would break out there.
Therefore, he came.
Behind him were the twelve Risen he had gathered during this time.
Lion and his retinue appeared directly in the hive city, the planetary capital of Naelrus.
Moreover, they appeared directly in the upper hive.
Their ability to appear directly there was naturally inseparable from Lion's Primarch abilities.
After the group appeared in the upper hive, they were astonished by the scene before them; the orderly city was completely different from any other world in the Imperium.
The iron-clad city made Lion somewhat puzzled at this moment, but now was not the time for confusion; he needed to find the governor of this planet, reveal his identity, and command this battle.
The Lion had finally matured; he did not go directly to the front lines to participate in the battle but instead prepared to take over command.
However, it was clear that even though he was the Primarch of the First Legion of the Imperium, upon arriving in an unfamiliar world, he didn't know his way around. He needed a guide to take him to the planetary capital.
When their Primarch was in a predicament, Kaelen, the captain of the Risen squad, naturally stepped forward.
He looked around on the very clean street, then saw someone who looked like an Administratum official, walked quickly over, and grabbed him.
The Administratum official, feeling someone grab him, didn't get angry; instead, he turned his head and looked at the person who had grabbed him with a slight smile.
Then, this Administratum Adept saw a very strange sight.
Kaelen and his companions all wore dark hoods and black cloaks, concealing themselves in black cloth to avoid being recognized by the Imperial populace.
But in the eyes of the Administratum official, this was clearly someone with a secret.
The moment he saw Kaelen, the Administratum official's brain quickly started working.
"This looks like trouble," he thought. "Otherwise, what good person walks around with such a black cloak, covering their entire body?"
"I must find a way to notify the PDF or the Space Marine units to apprehend them."
The Administratum official secretly used his personal device to notify the Space Marines, while he himself prepared to stall the enemy.
Because after he reported them, he saw that behind this fellow were twelve more individuals in black cloaks—this was clearly a gang!
No one knew what these black-cloaked individuals intended to do.
But allowing them to quietly infiltrate the upper hive meant their combat strength should not be weak; who knew what kind of trouble thirteen people could cause?
He had to stall them, even if it meant dying here.
He was an Administratum official selected by the Grand Marshal; he had been trained at the Grand Marshal's training class.
He had a duty to stall these individuals, who might be detrimental to humanity, for the Grand Marshal and for the Manifest Destiny of Mankind.
Kaelen, however, had not expected his actions to arouse the Administratum official's suspicion.
He, on the other hand, acted as if nothing was amiss, preparing to strike up a conversation with the Administratum official.
He intended to ask the official to lead him to the location of the governor's capital.
"Sir," Kaelen's voice, muffled and low through his mask, said.
"We mean no harm. We need to go to the governor's Mansion; we have urgent matters to discuss with His Excellency, the governor. Please lead the way for us."
"This matter concerns the outcome of this war; please prioritize the greater good of the Imperium."
The Lion's arrival, at least at this moment, absolutely could not be revealed.
And since he and his companions had not yet rejoined the First Legion, their Astartes identity could not be used, so he could only speak in such an obscure manner.
He thought what he said should be acceptable, but his words, falling into the Administratum official's ears, took on an entirely different meaning.
"Indeed, their target is the governor's Mansion! Are they attempting a decapitation strike or to sow chaos? They must not succeed!"
"The Manifest Destiny of Mankind must not be corrupted by these traitors!"
The professional smile on the face of the Ministry of Interior official seemed welded in place, and the vigilance in his heart towards these individuals thoroughly intensified.
At this moment, the Ministry of Interior official became even more certain that these individuals were definitely up to no good, ill-intentioned.
While subtly confirming the small icon on his data-slate that read "Support Responded," he replied with an even more enthusiastic tone:
"Of course, of course! The governor's Palace is heavily guarded and the paths are complex; it is my honor to lead you distinguished sirs!"
He deliberately emphasized the words "heavily guarded," attempting to serve as a warning and deterrent, while simultaneously turning his body slightly, pointing towards a wide but not the most direct avenue.
This road would have fewer pedestrians and would also be further from the governor's Palace, making it more suitable for dealing with these individuals.
The flames of war couldn't directly reach the civilians, so the damage caused by this route could be minimized.
"Please come this way. This avenue leads to the Central Administrative District. Although it's a bit further, the road is flat, allowing you to better appreciate the magnificent sight of our Naelrus Upper hive."
"And although the journey is a bit longer, the advantage of a flat road will allow us to quicken our pace, and perhaps we can even reach the governor's Palace faster."
His intention was clear: to buy time and lead this group of suspicious individuals into a pre-arranged encirclement.
Cain frowned slightly; he was not unaware of the other party's unusual behavior.
Moreover, he also felt that the other party's words made a lot of sense.
After all, they were all Space Marines; if they accelerated their pace, their speed on a flat road would indeed be much faster than on less accessible paths.
He glanced back at Lion, whose face beneath his hood showed no expression, only a slight nod, indicating to proceed.
The Angels of Absolution squad, like silent specters, clustered around Lion, following the official whose heart was tense but whose steps were "composed."
The team moved forward in silence for about five minutes, the bustling scenery of the hive city flashing past on both sides, surprisingly orderly, yet also permeated with an invisible tension.
Suddenly—
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
Sharp whooshing sounds echoed from all directions! Dozens of scorching plasma beams and bolter rounds instantly sealed off all space in front, behind, and to the sides of the team.
Plasma and lasers precisely struck the ground in front of the Angels of Absolution's feet, scorching out smoking craters, forming a warning line of fire, yet strangely not a single shot directly aimed at the group.
Almost at the same instant, countless PDF soldiers, clad in finely crafted carapace armor and even infantry power armor, emerged from the tops of the tall buildings on both sides of the street and from shadowy alleyways.
Their muzzles were steadily aimed downwards.
Amidst the low rumble of engines, six Baneblades and eight Crusher medium tanks designed by Noah smashed through the decorative walls at the street corner, their massive muzzles rotating to lock onto targets.
Even more chilling heavy footsteps echoed from both ends of the street.
Four squads of twelve Space Marines each, twenty-four in total on each side, appeared like moving steel fortresses, marching with uniform, oppressive steps.
The Space Marine Captain leading them, his helmet's optical lens flashing red, spoke through his power armor's vox-caster without a trace of emotion:
"In the name of the world of Naelrus, the Naelrus Chapter, and the governor! Drop to the ground, hands on your heads, and disarm all weapons and disguises!
You have ten seconds to comply with the order; any deviation will be considered a hostile act, to be killed without mercy!"
The 48 Space Marines raised their gauss rifles, aiming directly at Lion El'Jonson and the twelve Angels of Absolution behind him.
As long as these individuals dared to make any resisting or aggressive moves, these Space Marines would immediately open fire, and the PDF nearby would do the same.
Here, the PDF surrounding them this time numbered a full regiment of over 3,000 men.
Cain and the Angels of Absolution almost instinctively moved instantly, forming a perfect tactical formation to shield Lion in the very center.
Their hands were already on the hilts of the weapons hidden beneath their cloaks; a deathly silence emanated from them, standing in stark contrast to the grim aura of the surrounding army.
With just a single command from the Primarch, this bustling upper hive district would instantly transform into a bloody slaughterhouse.
However, Lion moved.
He gently pushed aside Cain, who was blocking him, ignoring the countless deadly weapons pointed at him, and slowly stepped forward.
His movements were unhurried, as if he were not in an encirclement of gunfire, but rather inspecting his own courtyard.
He walked to the charred line of fire created by the plasma blasts and stopped.
His gaze swept over the battle-ready PDF soldiers, passed over the steel behemoth-like tanks, and finally settled on the forty-eight Space Marines.
Then, he raised his hand and slowly removed his hood.
The hood slid away, revealing a face that seemed to have stepped out of myth.
Resolute as rock, majestic as the Emperor himself, those deep eyes held the calm of a ten-thousand-year-old glacier and the wisdom of endless wars.
Without a single word, the unique, immense presence of a Primarch and the genetic-level pressure, like a tangible tsunami, surged and spread.
In the very first moment, the PDF were affected; after all, this was the aura of a Primarch, and they were more or less influenced, but they still firmly pointed their weapons at Lion.
The will of mortals should not be underestimated either; one cannot belittle the fighting spirit they generate to protect their homes; they too are resolute.
And like the PDF, the Space Marines also did not lower their weapons; they still held their weapons, intently watching the individual who had revealed his face.
"I am Lion El'Jonson, Warmaster of the First Legion of the Imperium, the Emperor's eldest son!"
"I have returned—"
"Your vigilance and reaction speed are worthy of the world you protect."
Lion, for once, did not Stingy his praise and admiration.
It was undoubtedly commendable that the mortal forces of the Imperium could put up such firm resistance and react so quickly.
Cain hadn't noticed the Ministry of Interior official giving a warning; how could Lion not have noticed? He simply wanted to go through this deliberately, to observe the reaction speed of the army here.
To be honest, he was quite satisfied to be surrounded by this force so quickly.
Especially after he revealed his face, and the aura of a Primarch was displayed, these soldiers could still firmly point their weapons at him, which made him even more satisfied.
What good soldiers, such brave soldiers, worthy of this prosperous world.
And this prosperous world was also worthy of him, not in vain did he cross several star sectors to come here and protect this world of the Imperium.
Although the Lion King had revealed his identity, the local Nairus PDF and Space Marines still did not put down their weapons.
Their weapons remained firmly pointed at the Lion King, unaffected by his words.
Who knew if his words were true or false? Who knew if he was deliberately trying to deceive them?
They were the planet's defense force and could not so easily trust anyone.
The PDF soldiers steadfastly continued to point their weapons at the Lion King, while the Space Marines recalled a previous order they had received.
An order from the Grand Marshal.
All personnel are to search for the Empire's First Legion Primarch, Lion King Lion El'Jonson—
All Space Marine troops knew this order, and they had committed it to memory, preparing to search for this Primarch.
Now, a fellow claiming to be a Primarch had appeared, which naturally gave them a very strange feeling.
However, since the other party had come to them, there was no reason not to verify his claim.
The 48 Space Marines exchanged glances, and then the Sergeant leading this Space Marine squad stepped forward.
"Why should we believe your words? What evidence can you provide to prove it?"
"You must give us a portion of your body tissue. We need to verify your genes and confirm your identity," the Sergeant said.
They had to confirm Lion's identity; otherwise, what if he was an enemy?
They could not bear such a great responsibility.
Moreover, he was just a Primarch; what could he influence?
If the Grand Marshal had not ordered them to find Lion and send him back to Terra to help Guilliman with his work, they would not be looking for Lion.
The Empire currently had only Guilliman handling state affairs, which was truly too arduous.
So Noah was trying to bring Lion back to work with Guilliman.
"Presumptuous!"
Before Lion could say anything, Kain, who was beside him, could not hold back.
To demand a Primarch's gene tissue for gene sequence authentication was nothing short of blasphemy!
"Which parent Chapter's successor Chapter do you belong to? Whose son are you, that you dare to utter such blasphemous words!"
In his anger, Kain did not forget to ask which parent Chapter the Space Marines opposite him had originated from and which Primarch's son they were.
Parent Chapter, Primarch, son—this was communication among Astartes. For these ordinary Space Marines, they did not understand what the other party was ranting about.
Parent Chapter?
The Nairus Space Marine Chapter had no parent Chapter.
They were a Space Marine Chapter established on this planet, responsible for its defense.
Primarch?
The only Primarchs they knew were the Lion King Lion, whom the Grand Marshal had ordered them to find, and the imperial regent Guilliman, who was working on Terra.
They knew nothing of any other Primarchs. So how should they answer the question about Primarchs?
Son?
This was easier to answer, but their entire Chapter had 10,000 Space Marines from 10,000 different families.
How could they give a unified answer to this? This was not something to be answered.
It was infuriating.
Therefore, under such questioning, the Sergeant could only reiterate his demand.
"I apologize, we cannot answer your questions, and we do not understand what your questions mean.
Currently, we have only one request: hand over a portion of your body tissue for gene sequence verification. Otherwise, we cannot confirm the truth of your words."
The Sergeant remained stern, insisting that Lion provide his body tissue for gene sequence identification.
However, since the other party might indeed be the Lion King, he still offered an explanation.
"Now the great enemies of chaos have invaded Nairus. There must be no accidents from the governor's side; this would plunge the Empire's command into chaos."
"We must not take risks. We cannot accept our home being destroyed by the great enemies of chaos. If the great enemies of chaos occupy Nairus, we would rather destroy this planet completely. If it does not belong to humanity, then it shall never belong to chaos!"
The Sergeant spoke thus.
His resolve and firmness of will were evident to everyone else; these were very determined words.
This planet must not suffer any mishaps.
Lion could see that if the great enemies of chaos occupied this place, then the words spoken by the Space Marine Sergeant opposite him would absolutely come true: they would destroy this planet.
Lion raised his hand, stopping Kain, who was about to erupt.
His all-seeing eyes gazed at the Sergeant and all the Nairus defenders behind him, who still clutched their weapons, unyielding.
Far from feeling offended, he saw in that stubborn, even "blasphemous" demand a quality he had not seen in the Imperial Army for a long time.
Absolute, unwavering loyalty and sense of responsibility, no matter the cost.
The object of their allegiance was not some lofty individual's title, but "humanity" itself and the world beneath their feet.
This pure and extreme will to protect reminded him of... himself, and his sons who had once sworn to protect Caliban.
Lion was old, after all; in ten thousand years, he had indeed aged, but this aging had also matured him.
He was no longer the Lion of old.
No longer the stubborn, self-willed Lion King of the past, he now listened to others' opinions and respected them.
Especially these soldiers who, at all costs, defended their homeland and Imperial territory.
"Calm down, Kain." Lion's voice was low and authoritative, instantly causing the Emperor's Children Captain to quell his anger, stepping back half a pace, but his vigilant gaze remained fixed on the Space Marines opposite.
The Lion King turned his gaze back to the Sergeant. "Your vigilance and persistence are commendable; in dark times, suspicion is the cornerstone of survival."
He said slowly, then extended his bare right hand, which was covered in battle scars but still strong and powerful.
"Take the sample you need. Verify it with your most rigorous methods. But be quick; chaos will not give us much time."
His cooperation, instead, stunned the Sergeant and the surrounding soldiers.
They had anticipated resistance, battle, and even the other party's furious display of chaotic essence, but they had never expected such frank cooperation.
The Sergeant was silent for a moment, then nodded to a Tech-Sergeant beside him, who held a precise instrument. The Tech-Sergeant stepped forward quickly, his movements extremely swift and professional.
He used a sterile sampler to gently prick Lion's fingertip, and the needle, almost without any resistance, pierced the Lion King's skin, collecting a few drops of blood.
Immediately, the Tech-Sergeant retreated and began to operate a portable gene sequence analyzer connected to a data-slate on site.
The entire process was highly efficient, taking no more than ten seconds.