The formation was the Thousand Sons Legion's most reliable combat structure, designed to share the power and abilities of every sorcerer involved.
A fragmentation bomb exploded right in front of Ahriman, and the shield he instinctively cast barely managed to take the hit. Ktiseth, one of the Thousand Sons Sorcerers, frantically cast a summoning seal.
The temperature of the surrounding air dropped, and frost formed immediately. Hordes of Chaos Daemons were summoned from the Warp through dark pacts and spells. Even the Rubric Marine whose head Yuji had smashed was restored good as new.
"A heart as solid as a rock, unyielding and unwavering!" Warmaster roared, running and shooting. When his Bolter ran dry, he drew the greatsword from his back and charged. Psychic shields couldn't block melee weapons.
But the Daemons could.
Enslaved Daemons rushed the Warmaster, their shadow-emitting weapons clashing with his giant sword, creating a hell of a racket. The barrier between the Warp and reality hadn't been fully broken, so the Daemon's projections were running on fumes and quickly fell into a disadvantage.
After a wide swing missed, the Warmaster seized the moment when the opponent dodged and smashed a fist into its head. With a bang, he caved in the Daemon's skull. The creature's body dissipated like black smoke, its soul banished back to the Warp.
"There are way too many of them," Ctesias said, his voice laced with panic.
"Son of Dorn? Son of Horus? And the smell of the wolf cub!" Ahriman could feel the attackers' bloodlines, and his heart sank like a stone. The roar of gunfire was relentless, and the distant thrum of a Valkyrie engine meant the entire city's military forces were being mobilized. If the battle wasn't resolved quickly, the endless waves of Imperial soldiers would surely wear them down.
"Death to the traitor!"
Warmaster, the Iron Warrior, rushed forward with his chainaxe screaming, swinging it down with brutal force. To avoid the attack, the Thousand Sons Sorcerers had to abandon the Mandala formation and bail out.
Bang!
The giant axe hit the ground, carving a large crack in the spot where they had just stood. The attack was so fast that their foresight was almost useless.
Without the protection of the Mandala formation, several Rubric Marines were instantly riddled with bullets. One was blown to pieces immediately.
"For the Luna Wolves! For the Emperor!" Turtle chanted the Great Crusade slogan and slashed at Ahriman with his chainsword.
"Son of Horus?" Ahriman was stunned for a moment before he dodged the attack.
"I'm a Luna Wolf!" Turtle shouted, attacking again. The chainaxe roared as it tore through the air.
Ahriman used the knowledge of the Black Crow School to peer into the threads of fate. But, to his horror, the predictive ability that had once made him invincible hit a brick wall. When fighting in the past, Ahriman could always see various possible futures and choose the most advantageous one.
But now, he saw nothing but static. He ducked awkwardly to avoid the swinging axe. The next second, his visor was cracked by a vicious knee strike. The brutal force instantly shattered the lens, leaving his face bleeding.
Ahriman was mortified. He had relied too heavily on the Black Crow School's predictive abilities. Losing the ability to see the future left him feeling like a fish out of water in close combat. But he was a veteran of the Great Crusade, and he quickly got his head in the game.
When Turtle attacked again, Ahriman used his scepter to block the opponent's axe blade. Then, a lightning bolt appeared out of thin air and struck Turtle, sending him flying.
Ahriman raised his scepter and surveyed the battlefield, realizing the situation was going south fast. A Tzeentchian beast in the distance was skewered by a sharp blade, then chopped to shreds by a battleaxe and banished back to the Warp with a mournful wail. Valkyries and gunboats in the air were raining fire on the ground. The concentrated gunfire formed an exaggerated barrage that instantly punched through the enemy's armor. The Rubric Marines and Daemons were being steamrolled, and Ctesias and the other Thousand Sons Sorcerers were in deep trouble.
The Corpse King had too many foot soldiers.
"You have to come with us." Ahriman looked at Yuji, slamming his scepter into the ground. Psychic energy exploded, and time around him instantly froze. The members of the Emperor's Cattle Regiment couldn't even twitch, held in place like statues.
Ahriman stepped forward, ready to take Yuji by force.
The next second, a golden light suddenly erupted from Yuji's body. The imprisoned time shattered. Daniel appeared beside Yuji, bringing Arale with him. Arale's appearance was becoming increasingly human, her body made of precious, active nanometal. This nano-active metal was an improved combination of Necron active metal and Golden Age nano-metal, giving it incredible recovery capabilities. Even if only one atom remained, it could continuously absorb energy and restore its original form.
The moment she landed, Arale wasted no time, knocking several Daemons aside. With a wave of her hand, an invisible force burst out and instantly pulverized a Daemon.
Daniel looked calmly at Ahriman. "Ahriman?"
When the news of Ahriman's invasion reached him, Daniel had been supervising reconstruction work at a distant site, discussing the new city with several player-designers. Realizing his player was in danger, he immediately used his skills to warp over.
"You are the 'Saint,' the Claw of the Corpse King..."
Before Ahriman could finish his thought, Daniel launched his attack. Violent thunder and lightning appeared in an instant, engulfing the battlefield. Ahriman's eyes widened.
Only his father, Magnus, could wield such terrifying psychic power. Ahriman was forced to hunker down, concentrating all his spiritual energy into a shield to resist the lightning storm. But he couldn't hold out for long before he was blown away and crashed heavily to the ground.
The same fate met the other Thousand Sons Sorcerers, Rubric Marines, and Daemons. Daniel's psychic technique was crude, but his raw power was off the charts—even Ahriman was outmatched.
"Kill him!" Ahriman pointed at Daniel, urging the Daemons to charge.
Daniel swung his sword and bisected the first Daemon that rushed him. He grabbed the throat of a winged Daemon and slammed it into the ground.
Ahriman didn't continue the fight. He used his scepter to rip open a brilliant, radiating Warp entrance.
"No! My MVP! Don't you dare go!" Warmaster shouted.
The other players fired at Ahriman, but all their shots were blocked by the psychic shield. They could only watch as Ahriman and his cohorts walked toward the Warp entrance.
"Ahriman, do you not think of me as your brother anymore?" Yuji yelled.
Yuji's words made Ahriman, who was about to step into the Warp, turn and look at him.
"I will return." The voice was dark; Ahriman was clearly fuming. Yuji had played him for a fool several times, and now he was trying to pull another stunt.
"Just close the Warp entrance, and I'll go with you," Yuji shouted.
Ahriman stumbled, his body visibly twitching with anger. Did this guy really think he was born yesterday? Ahriman didn't look back but left at an even faster speed.
Daniel swung his sword, and the shining blade instantly pierced the body of the Daemon in front of him. The Daemon howled and dissolved into ashes. The other Daemons and Rubric Marines who failed to leave were smashed into pieces and scattered under the fierce gunfire.
The Warp rift closed completely, as if it had never existed.
Yuji, Warmaster, and the other players stood where the Warp rift had been, beating their chests and stomping their feet, lamenting loudly. Ahriman was gone, and their dreams were dashed. Capturing Ahriman would have guaranteed them the MVP title. Ahriman was worth his weight in gold compared to Balfmeier, the Lord of Dark Flame.
"Damn it! We were so close to snatching him up!" Warmaster gritted his teeth, utterly heartbroken. "We wouldn't have to listen to the Daemon Hunters bragging anymore; we could've rubbed their noses in it!"
"Who would have thought Ahriman, the great Sorcerer, would cut and run? He's got no backbone! Shouldn't he have fought to the bitter end?" Turtle also limped over, having taken a serious loss for zero payoff.
"Next time, we can't let him slip away," Yuji clenched his fists. "He'll be back."
I didn't expect these guys to sneak in. Daniel thought. Fortunately, no major damage was done.
"We still need to find a way to prevent these traitors from infiltrating and sabotaging us."
Arale came over, switching from combat mode to daily mode. Her body's anthropomorphic module was activated, and she transformed into a human woman in a navy uniform. "Master, Fleet Commander Sha has a message for you."
"Connect," Daniel nodded.
A light curtain appeared out of thin air, and Sha's figure materialized inside.
"Saint." Sha performed the Imperial salute.
"What is it?" Daniel asked.
"We've detected a signal from an Eldar vessel. They claim to be from the Craftworld of Ulthwé and are here to assist us under the orders of the Prophet Eldrad. I need to confirm with you whether to allow them to pass."
Daniel remembered that before leaving Macragge, he had spoken with Eldrad, hoping the Farseer would send help. He thought it would take forever, but who would have imagined they would arrive so quickly?
"Allow them to pass and receive them as guests. Make sure no department shows them hostility." The psychic abilities of the Eldar were the strongest in the galaxy. If they wanted to prevent Chaos infiltration or attack from those traitors, they needed to pick their brains.
"Understood, Saint." After Sha nodded, the communication closed.
Daniel glanced at the players, who were still howling but occasionally peeking at him from the corners of their eyes. He immediately understood what they were angling for.
"Give them rewards, Arale."
"Yes, Master."
Reward for Emergency Response: Ahriman, a minion of the Chaos God—the Lord of Change, suddenly infiltrated Sintila with the intent to wreak havoc.
You successfully stopped him, which pleased the Guide greatly. He has decided to reward you. Rewards: 15,000 Contribution Points, 50 Honor Points, 70 War Score.
After receiving the rewards, the players immediately broke into happy smiles, completely forgetting the grief they had felt moments earlier. Daniel was speechless. These little leeks were as persistent as ever when it came to rewards.
After shaking his head for a moment, Daniel asked Arale to issue another task.
Mission: Investigate.
Ahriman, a minion of the Chaos God—the Lord of Change, has infiltrated Sintila. His conspiracy is unknown. The Guide is concerned he will cause sabotage, and the threat must be nipped in the bud.
Please help the Guide investigate Ahriman's intentions in the Calixis Sector and stop his plot. Inquisitor Kaidin will be in charge of this matter. Report to him immediately to accept the mission. Rewards: 25,000 Contribution Points, 1,000 Honor Points, 1,500 War Score.
Seeing the new tasks, the players happily took off.
Daniel returned to the construction site via Valkyrie and explained the subsequent tasks to the supervisor and the player-designers. He then set out to return to low-Earth orbit, preparing to meet the Prophet of the Ulthwé Craftworld. He needed to discuss how to prevent Chaos infiltration and invasion.
The Warp, Crystal Maze.
"Ahriman truly is a wise guy."
Watching Ahriman flee in panic, Kairos stared at the hot mess of his fate-line and was utterly enraged. He thought Ahriman would lie in wait, plan carefully, and make a big splash. Instead? He saw the Pure Thousand Son, got as excited as the Prince of Pleasure seeing a train pervert, rushed in too fast, got beaten to a pulp, and fled in embarrassment.
"Fine, I'll do it myself! I will weave a perfect plan to plunge the entire Calixis Sector into the abyss of Chaos, exhausting the Corpse King's minions until they finally collapse and offer their loyalty to the gods."
"First, I'll seize the opportunity presented by the chaos in the Calixis Sector and guide those cults to sow corruption throughout the Beast Garden. I'll let those twisted individuals lurk everywhere until the fateful moment, when they will erupt all at once and destroy everything the Damned's servants have created."
"Falling from a place full of hope to utter despair, tumbling from heaven to hell—the wails of this 'Saint' will surely be thrilling."