Regarding the question of 'cross-dressing,' Emrys hesitated for half a second, then decisively abandoned that bit of dignity. What cross-dressing? That was the 'Armor of Oaths'!
It had defensive capabilities comparable to, or even exceeding, power armor!
Besides... just by its appearance, outside of the Warhammer Universe, who would know this was 'cross-dressing'?
Isn't this standard European knight armor? It's cool and dashing, not to mention the 'Execution Greatsword.' Who would dare say this is 'cross-dressing' when he stands there?!
Emrys muttered, "It's not cross-dressing, it's not cross-dressing..."
Then, he quickly went up and put the entire set of finely crafted Armor of Oaths, including the Execution Greatsword, into his possession, placing them in his private space.
It was best not to take this out for now.
Otherwise, he couldn't imagine how Jackal, that old bastard, would mock him if he saw it. Besides, even if the Astartes saw it, it would be hard to explain.
As for the weapons piled up in the warehouse outside, Emrys had already thought of an explanation. He would just make up a random reason to fool them. Anyway, neither the Astartes, nor Jackal, nor Galahad would delve into it.
Emrys didn't consider the matter of lining his own pockets for the time being.
If he survived, he still had a noble title waiting for him to inherit. A mere bit of Astra Militarum equipment naturally couldn't catch his eye.
Soon, Emrys hastily tidied up the traces and returned to the front line of the manufactorum. Although the Chaos offensive had weakened considerably, the pressure on the thinly spread defenders was still immense!
Emrys, who had been feeling a bit 'proud,' witnessed the still-brutal war, which hadn't changed because of his actions, and his little thoughts extinguished.
The war continued!
In fact, blowing up a universe spaceship caused heavy losses for Chaos, which only further ignited their bloodlust!
Don't think that blowing up a universe spaceship would make Chaos afraid, or that their morale would collapse.
In the Warhammer Universe, it's rare to hear of Chaos 'morale collapsing,' especially for those whose minds have been twisted by Chaos and have completely become walking corpses. They wouldn't even consider the word 'retreat'!
The explosion did cause massive casualties to Chaos.
However, they quickly recovered order from the initial chaos, and under the leadership of the Chaos Terminators of the 'Blood Skull' warband, they launched organized, rotating waves of attacks, intending to deplete the defenders' already scarce ammunition and wear down their spirits and will!
In the war against Chaos, the most terrifying thing is not how powerful Chaos is, but that you must always hold onto your true self and guard against the insidious temptations of Chaos!
Otherwise, the brother who fought alongside you a second might become a minion of Chaos the next!
This is the most terrifying aspect of Chaos!
Looking at the raging battlefield, Emrys approached the tall, burly, and meticulous Astartes. "Ahem, Angel of the Emperor, I found a lot of weapons and equipment in the back warehouse!"
Lion frowned slightly. He originally didn't want to bother with this 'young master,' but after hearing that he had found weapons and equipment, his expression softened a bit. "Where is it? Are there any heavy weapons?"
But as soon as he asked, Lion felt a bit ridiculous.
According to intelligence, this 'young master' had always stayed in the lower hive. How could he know about those weapons and equipment?
He was about to tell one of his battle-brothers to go with him to check when he heard Emrys, like a seasoned veteran, fluently list the equipment in the warehouse.
The more Lion listened, the more pleasantly surprised he became. What they lacked most right now was heavy firepower, and he hadn't expected it to be replenished perfectly!
"Good, excellent!"
The Commander was emotionally agitated and couldn't quite control himself. He slapped Emrys on the shoulder, nearly knocking him into the ground. Emrys grimaced in pain, clutching his shoulder.
"Sorry, I got too excited." Seeing this, Lion immediately apologized and turned to the side. "Emond, lead your squad and follow him to transport the weapons!"
With Earthshaker cannons, Basilisk artillery, Armored Sentinels, Sentinel mechs, and other large heavy firepower being brought out by the Astartes, the somewhat disheartened defenders immediately let out a thunderous roar!
And those crates of bolt rounds, frag grenades, krak grenades, melta bombs, and other lethal weapons allowed the Watchers' Astartes to replenish their ammunition in time.
"The Emperor protects!"
Lion looked at the ample ammunition, his confidence renewed. He racked a bolt rifle with a click. "Today, we will drive out the heretics, leaving not a single one behind!!!"
Jackal, operating an Earthshaker cannon, had a ferocious grin. "Chaos scum, let me give you a taste of my big cannon!"
He had been suppressed for so long; was he weaker than the cultists?
No, it was because before the war, most of the heavy firepower in the entire hive city had been destroyed. Otherwise, how could the cultists have charged up? Just because they weren't afraid of death?
What a joke!
Even if you aren't afraid of death and your willpower is maxed out, can you really stop a three-hundred-millimeter artillery shell?!
The defenders, who had been holding back their anger, finally found an outlet. Dozens of Earthshaker cannons, plus the Basilisks, began a dense, covering volley directly at the Chaos scum!
For a time, the artillery let out a deafening roar!
Emrys finally understood the charm of artillery. This was just dozens of cannons. What would it be like if hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of cannons fired simultaneously?
It was so incredibly satisfying!!!
Artillery will always be the most captivating weapon in war!
a second, the Chaos Terminators were still thinking of waiting for the defenders to run out of ammunition and overwhelm the Astartes with numbers. The next second, they were met with an artillery barrage!
Boom boom boom boom!!!
The Earthshaker cannons and Basilisks were positioned at several key points of the manufactorum, roaring at the Chaos forces!
Large shells, trailing shrieking sounds, fell!
Amidst earth-shattering explosions, smoke and mud surged. Several unlucky Chaos Terminators were directly blown into the sky, their power armor mixed with shredded flesh, scattered everywhere!
"Where did they get Basilisks?!"
The Commander of the Chaos Terminators couldn't help but roar in anger.
"Is it possible... they always had them, and were deliberately waiting for us to get close before bringing them out?" A nearby Chaos Terminator, clutching his head, said in a muffled voice from inside a trench.
"Bullshit!"
The Commander of the Chaos Terminators cursed furiously, "I can be sure they didn't have these things just now! If they had artillery, would we have broken through their lines several times?!"
The cursed Chaos Terminator was also puzzled.
Yeah, if they had such artillery, even if those people were stupid, they wouldn't wait until now to use it, right?
But if not... The Chaos Terminator shrank his neck, feeling a strange chill. "Captain, do you think it's possible that... that blessed them?"
The Commander of the Chaos Terminators fell silent, his eye twitching. He slapped him on the head and roared, "Impossible, absolutely impossible! Quickly contact the leader and tell him we need assistance!"
This mission was strange in every way.
Especially since 'Khorne' had specifically named them to abduct a human named 'Merlin Emrys,' and ensure his survival!
He had lived for nearly a hundred years, participated in countless wars big and small, and this was the first time he had heard of Khorne giving such clear instructions. It was utterly preposterous!
If it weren't for this damn mission, they would have long since used the weapons on their spaceship to level this factory. Why would there be so much trouble?
Khorne, oh Khorne... he was really going to get them into trouble!
The Chaos Terminator Commander inwardly cursed 'Pyrazas' for being a foolish bastard. He didn't even know to send down a few Terminators. Couldn't he see how heavy the ground forces' losses were?
..."What I'm about to tell you, don't be afraid!"
Emrys took a deep breath, looked at Lion and Jackal, and decided to tell them the truth.
"We are Astartes. We are not afraid."
Lion proudly puffed out his chest, watching Emrys, ready to hear what else this young man had to say.
From Jackal and many local PDF soldiers, Lion had learned many 'heroic deeds' about Emrys, such as single-handedly killing a Khorne Chosen. This was why his attitude had changed from before.
After all, even among the Astartes, everyone respects the heroic deeds of mortals!
Such a miraculous heroic deed like Emrys', if nothing unexpected happened, would definitely be recorded in the family's history for future descendants to learn and remember!
"That's good. What I want to say is..." Emrys took a breath and said seriously, "All the chaos in the Roselle hive city was caused by Galarion Hadley!"
"Who is Galarion?"
"Galarion?!"
The reactions of the Astartes and Jackal were completely different.
But soon, after exchanging information, Lion frowned tightly, seemingly realizing the seriousness of the matter. "So, Galarion must be dealt with to end all this?"
"Exactly!"
Emrys said in a deep voice, "If Galarion isn't killed, more uncontrollable dangers will occur, so we must quickly kill this bastard!"
His intuition told him that Galarion was a hidden danger.
What if this bastard, cornered and feeling hopeless, awakened the slumbering Necron Dynasty? Then the problem would be huge!
All communications sent by the forces of Chaos were intercepted by the 'Frostwolf's Fang'. Of course, 'intercepted' might not be entirely accurate, as the entire cruiser was already under their control.
"Hahahahaha..."
Andrea looked at the distress call and couldn't help but burst out laughing, pointing at the screen for the Company Captain to see: "Look, those useless fools are actually sending out distress signals!"
"Tell them to hold on a little longer."
Albert glanced at the Chaplain and said indifferently, "Once we've dealt with the upper hive, it will be their turn immediately."
"Oh, and there's one more thing."
Andrea seemed quite troubled and asked, "Buttswig wants to participate in this battle. He said... if he's not allowed to go, when you return, he'll make sure you get a good taste of Fenris' ancient customs."
Upon hearing this, even Company Captain Albert, a seasoned veteran with four golden studs hammered into his forehead, couldn't help but gasp, staring at him with wide eyes: "Wait, Buttswig hasn't fallen into slumber since the last boarding action ended?!"
"Uh... no."
Andrea forced a smile, saying helplessly, "He said it's hard to wake up once, and he wanted to see how the wolf cubs were training, so he never went to sleep and has been delayed until now..."
The comms were practically exploding!
Moreover, looking at the screen full of threats truly sent shivers down Andrea's spine; he was genuinely scared!
"..."
Albert's eye twitched.
"Should we approve Buttswig's request to join the battle?" Chaplain Andrea asked cautiously, afraid of getting himself involved, as this one was a genuine 'boss'!
"What else?!"
Albert swore impatiently, "Do you want to experience Fenris' ancient customs, or do I?"
Even now.
Just thinking about that so-called 'Fenris' ancient custom', this battle-hardened veteran felt a faint ache in his groin; don't ask what happened... it was too painful!
"No!"
Andrea shook his head decisively!
Although, from every perspective, Albert didn't think such a small problem warranted 'Buttswig's' deployment, he truly didn't want to experience Fenris' ancient customs again.
Furthermore, knowing the temperament of his good brother 'Buttswig', who had been awakened with great difficulty to help them repel the boarding invasion of the Chaos warband.
Albert truly couldn't bear to let this former 'good brother' just fall back into slumber.
Since he's awake, then he might as well go 'play' a bit.
It could be considered a change of pace; anyway, given Loser's strength, Albert didn't believe it could cause any harm to 'Buttswig', not to mention all the Chapter brothers were there!
As he spoke, Albert seemed to think of something and turned to look at Andrea with a profound gaze: "My brother, I've been good to you, haven't I?"
The sudden tenderness made Andrea feel uneasy, and he stared at the Company Captain warily: "Just say what you want!"
"Cough cough..."
Albert coughed twice, then cautiously glanced left and right, making sure no other outsiders were present, before leaning in and whispering, "Look, I've served the Emperor for over three hundred years, almost four hundred now. That counts as loyal, right?"
"So?"
Andrea took half a step back, as if guessing what he was about to say, his mouth twitching slightly: "You wouldn't be..."
Albert patted his shoulder, his tone inexplicably low, serious, and grave, sighing lightly: "If that day ever truly comes, don't let your brother suffer. Just place me in the Chapter's monastery, I beg you... Andrea."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Andrea remained silent for a long time before his face turned bitter, and he looked at him helplessly, sighing: "I... will try my best, but for this matter, you should be mentally prepared. It's not something I can decide. The Chapter Master's side..."
"Don't worry, the Chapter Master promised me!"
Albert proudly raised his head and chuckled, "When I die, send me back to the Chapter's monastery. They definitely won't throw me into a coffin!"
Andrea looked at the smiling Company Captain, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
He really wanted to say that back then... the Chapter Master made the same promise to 'Buttswig', but didn't he still end up half-dead and directly thrown in?
You?
An old veteran of nearly four hundred years, and a First Company Captain, actually still hoping not to be thrown in?
Unless a Great Daemon of Chaos shatters your corpse, otherwise... Andrea mused, this matter is 100% impossible. At most, when you wake up, you can give the Chapter Master a taste of Fenris' ancient customs too!
Anyway, it wouldn't be the Chapter Master's first time.
Soon.
With Albert's approval, it was decided happily: leaving behind some brothers who didn't win the draw, the remaining twenty men, two tactical squads, including the Company Captain and the Chaplain, boarded drop pods and slammed directly into the enemy's core position!
...Meanwhile.
In the Ecclesiarchy's Dome Sanctuary, after Rosales unilaterally declared the termination of their cooperation, Galarion was furious, smashing everything around him wildly!
Misfortunes never come singly, but in battalions!
Rosales terminating the cooperation meant that he lost control of the Daemon Engines. Not only that... those useless Chaos Astartes, despite having the advantage, were actually quickly flattened!
Is there still justice?
Is there still law?
You are an entire warband, yet you were crushed by a single company. Galarion racked his brain but couldn't understand how such a rich battle could turn out this way!
He suddenly couldn't understand the situation in Loser!
From a great advantage, it instantly turned into a disadvantage, and it even looked like the Chaos forces were about to be pushed back!
"Useless! Useless! All useless!!!"
The enraged Galarion finally felt a bit of the frustration that his plan wasn't going as he imagined, as if everyone was working against him!
After his outburst, Galarion suddenly saw the shattered Imperial Saint statue. Its head was turned towards him, and its originally closed eyes, reflecting the light of the sanctuary, seemed to open.
The Emperor's eyes revealed a hint of pity.
It was as if He pitied this once-hero who had now become a minion of Chaos, or perhaps He was mocking his plan, which would ultimately fail.
"Ah ah ah ah ah—!!!"
Galarion, whether from guilt or rage, swung his steel-like claws, unleashing fierce psychic energy that shattered the head of the Imperial Saint statue.
"I will not lose!" He stared viciously and maliciously at the sky outside, completely distorted by the influence of Chaos power, two corrupted faces pulling a terrifying sneer: "I will never allow anyone to destroy my plan... Never!"
The Great Lord of Change, high in the Crystal Labyrinth of the Warp, let out a mocking, sharp laugh.
At this moment, Galarion seemed to feel an endless stream of 'blessings' pouring out from a Warp rift, forcibly injecting into his body.
"Ah ah ah ah ah..."
Galarion's twisted form grew increasingly massive!
Under the sanctuary's lights, he grew layers of hard feathers, his limbs gradually 'transformed' into those of a beast, and his flesh wrapped his lower body like a skirt.
Supreme magic knowledge flooded into his mind!
"With this power..."
Galarion's twisted, abominable, terrifying face, shaped like a ferocious beast, let out an ear-piercing psychic shriek: "Great Lord of Change, please behold the magnificent performance I offer you!"
"I'll perform your mother!!!"
A vulgar curse suddenly echoed in the sanctuary.
Before Galarion could react, a close-range plasma blast directly struck his body, and the powerful explosion forcibly blasted him away. Even his Tzeentch-blessed body was ripped apart by large chunks of flesh!
"Who's there?!"
Galarion was stunned, only letting out a painful shriek from his shattered flesh, glaring at the source of the attack.
He saw a handsome black-haired, black-eyed youth, holding a plasma gun, followed by several Astartes, boldly entering the Dome Sanctuary.
"I'm your Emrys!"
Emrys glared at Galarion, then turned and shouted at a shadow behind him: "Terminator, this bastard is the one, get him!"
As a qualified reserve 'noble', Emrys had to learn how to protect himself.
The first step was to let the 'Terminator' grand-daddy go up and chop that bastard to death!
Otherwise, Leon, the Watcher squad leader, would absolutely not allow their rescue target to participate in such a dangerous decapitation mission.
It was mainly due to Emrys' persistent pleas that Leon reluctantly agreed to let him join this beheading mission.
As for the reason, it was actually very simple. He just couldn't swallow that insult!
Even if he couldn't personally kill Galarion, he wanted to witness that bastard's head being cut off. Only then could he vent the resentment in his heart.
It was for the fallen of the 3rd Company, 175th Regiment, and for Commissar Gray!
And for the innocent Gawain siblings, and the countless lives dragged into this tragedy because of this bastard!
If it weren't for this old geezer, he wouldn't have been dragged into this either.
With his 'Golden Finger', he should have been slowly developing, then gradually stepping out of the stars to witness the rise and fall of the Imperium.
Instead of being chased and beaten by Khorne like he was now!
In short, it was all Galarion's fault, that's all!
Emrys poured all his hatred onto Galarion Hadley, glaring at the chaotic, distorted, disgusting, ugly body!
"Is that you? It's you!"
Galarion's face seemed to be torn in the middle, flesh pulling into two eerie visages, his bird-like eyes staring intently at Emrys from both sides, his initial anger turning into joy, revealing a twisted, ugly, grotesque laugh: "Excellent, excellent! You actually showed up yourself!"
He 'saw' it; it was the great 'Lord of Change' watching the 'human'!
As long as he offered this boy to the 'Lord of Change', he would gain an even greater 'blessing' and become an eternal existence transcending humanity!
"Do you see? This is the supreme wisdom granted to me by the Lord of Change!"
Galarion waved the pink arm bestowed upon him by the 'Lord of Change', and magic sparks danced!
His adamantium-hard talons pulled at the vast Warp psychic energy, transforming it into burning, surging fire, churning as if to engulf the uninvited guests who had intruded into the sanctuary.
Boom—!
However, the surging Warp flames were blocked by the Terminator's massive, door-like shield.
The other Astartes moved extremely fast, instinctively taking cover behind the sanctuary's pillars, using the cover to evade the Warp flames.
"Kid, step back a bit!"
A muffled voice came from inside the Terminator, signaling Emrys not to get involved.
Then, the Terminator advanced with heavy steps, like a siege engine, charging towards 'Galarion' with its shield raised.
The Astartes hiding behind the columns immediately coordinated with the Terminator's charge, with two of them switching their bolters to full-auto mode, unleashing a dense torrent of bullets to suppress!
For a moment, golden flames, like a gushing flood, engulfed Galarion.
Bolter rounds struck his surrounding psychic barrier, instantly igniting dazzling sparks.
Thump thump thump.
Two Astartes charged forward, their figures moving so fast they were almost there in the blink of an eye!
Galarion, suppressed by the bolter fire, naturally knew he couldn't let the Astartes get close, otherwise, beheading awaited him. So, the five fingers of his pink, bird-like clawed arm suddenly clenched, and the atmosphere was violently detonated, sending a fierce wave of air sweeping out!
The two Astartes attempting to close in on Galarion were directly thrown back by the explosive blast!
Taking advantage of the brief respite, Galarion's wings began to flap. He planned to leave here first, at least escaping the Astartes' surveillance, before dealing with that kid.
"Heretic, you won't escape!" But, with the delay caused by those two Astartes, the Terminator had already entered the fray!
His massive Power Fist, carrying a terrifying wave of air, smashed towards Galarion's face like a cannonball!
Bang!!!
Galarion was caught off guard by this punch and took it squarely.
His entire head seemed to be buzzing, and his huge body was sent flying by the punch, crashing through a pillar in the sanctuary and rolling several times in a rather disheveled manner.
"Suppress!"
The remaining three Astartes now stepped out from cover, continuously suppressing with their bolters and maintaining an attacking advance.
"Frag grenade!"
Calm, efficient, from beginning to end, their tactical formation had not changed at all.
Perhaps in a sudden skirmish, the Watchers were not considered a very strong Chapter, but if given ample time and information on the enemy, then the Watchers would show the enemy what 'Ultramarines' tactics were, what the 'Astartes Codex' was!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several frag grenades exploded at extremely close range.
The shattered shrapnel, propelled by super-high kinetic energy, deeply embedded itself into Galarion's flesh, causing him to let out a pained howl.
"Don't let it escape, block the escape routes!"
The squad leader immediately saw through Galarion's intentions and gave the order coolly and calmly.
Immediately after, he drew the plasma pistol magnetically attached to his leg, aimed at Galarion's wings, and pulled the trigger!
Want to run? Dream on!
I'll rip off your damn wings and break your legs. Let's see how you run then!
Boom!
The scorching plasma cannon disrupted the airflow, blasting open a 'tunnel'!
The superheated fireball instantly turned Galarion's wings into bare bone, completely melting away all the iron-hard feathers!
"Ah ah ah—"
Galarion had just struggled to get up when a Power Fist from the Terminator slammed into his forehead, knocking him back to the ground.
Next, what awaited him was the Watcher tactical squad's orderly, precise, and ruthless targeted elimination. From his wings to the pink arm blessed by Tzeentch, it could be said that all threatening parts were systematically removed, one after another!
Galarion had fantasized about the scene after he was blessed by the 'Lord of Change', where he would slaughter the Emperor's Angels.
But when he truly became an enemy of the 'Emperor's Angels', he finally realized why those Chaos followers of old would show expressions of near despair when they saw the Astartes!
Ruthless, cold, efficient. They were like robots, without a single mistake!
From the very beginning, letting the Terminator resist and suppress head-on, to suppressing with rear firepower, splitting squad members to distract, and then, seizing a single flaw, being pinned to the ground and brutally beaten.
Galarion's mind was still ran until now.
He couldn't understand why, even after being blessed by the 'Lord of Change', he was still being rubbed against the ground by the Emperor's Angels?
Bang!
As he pondered, a Power Fist full of rage smashed into Galarion's body.
Even though the Terminator wearing the Power Fist was cumbersome, its power was no joke. If Galarion hadn't been somewhat strengthened by Tzeentch, those two punches alone would have turned him into a pile of meat.
But even a body blessed by Tzeentch couldn't withstand the Terminator's full-power hammering!
Galarion wailed and shrieked in pain. He felt like the 'Terminator' riding on him was treating him like a punching bag, raining down punch after punch!
Blood mixed with shattered flesh splattered, a scene that, in Emrys' eyes, was somewhat bloody.
But he could only say, "Good, please hit harder!"
"Save, save me."
Galarion wailed unwillingly, placing all his hope in the great 'Lord of Change'.
He had more schemes, he could present more exciting 'performances'!
And he didn't know if Tzeentch in the Crystal Labyrinth heard this worshipper's fervent plea, but he truly displayed a 'miracle'.
Suddenly, dazzling magic sparks erupted in the Imperial Church sanctuary, and surging power stirred, sending all the Astartes, including the Terminator, flying like flies!
The Astartes' pupils inside the Terminator constricted, as if they had seen something terrifying.
Not only the Terminator, but all the other Astartes looked towards Emrys' position in unison.
A premonition of ill omen immediately welled up in Emrys' heart.
"What… what are they looking at?"
But very quickly, he knew what the Astartes and the Terminator were looking at.
An unstoppable chill, mixed with surging malice and a chilling, sharp shriek, came from behind Emrys!
In his shock, his neck seemed stiff, and he slowly turned his head.
He saw a huge daemon, about three meters tall, with two Aquila heads but a human body, wearing a long robe woven from various ornate threads, holding a crystal scepter. Its two bird-like heads were lowered, and its four eyes watched him, revealing an expression of interest.
"We… meet again, Merlin Emrys."
That daemon's single sentence sent a chill down Emrys' spine.
Damn it, I just escaped from Khorne, don't tell me I've fallen into Old Six's hands again!
Galarion couldn't help but let out a joyful laugh, looking at the Great Daemon of Tzeentch that had torn through the barrier between the Warp and the physical universe and descended into the temple.
Wait, why was the situation a little different from what he had imagined?
Why wasn't the Great Daemon of Tzeentch, which he had 'summoned,' paying him any attention, but instead going after that damned kid?
A Great Daemon of Tzeentch suddenly appearing behind him was simply a horror story!
Emrys was so scared he couldn't care about anything else. Under the effect of his power armor, his physical strength was amplified to its limit, and he sprinted towards the Terminator.
At this moment, only the Terminator's presence could give him a sense of security.
But would the Great Daemon of Tzeentch let him leave?
"Hahahahaha. You can't escape!"
The Great Daemon of Tzeentch stretched out a hand, and psychic energy, far surpassing Aeta-level, surged out from the Warp rift.
It was as if countless arms were dragging Emrys, pulling him back little by little.
"No, stop it quickly!"
The Terminator's heart turned cold. He didn't know why Tzeentch would abandon his own follower and abduct Emrys instead.
But he was certain that if this kid was really abducted, Captain Raymond would kick him to death!
However, a genuine 'Great Daemon of Tzeentch' was not like Galarion, a weakling who could be tactically outmaneuvered by a few Astartes.
"Get out, stop bothering me!"
He had the complete blessing of Tzeentch. With a wave of his hand, a raging torrent of magic directly slammed the charging Terminator against the wall of the Imperial Temple, and then, from the torn Warp rift, he summoned the fallen 'Thousand Sons' legion!
Looking at those Astartes, whose armor burned with psychic flames, like walking corpses, the Great Daemon of Tzeentch said indifferently, "Kill them."
"They are traitors from the Thousand Sons legion?!"
The veteran Terminator was horrified. He hadn't expected to encounter another traitor 'legion' here, besides the 'world Eaters' legion.
The Thousand Sons, the original Fifteenth Legion, were one of the nine legions that betrayed the Empire.
But unlike other traitor legions, some of the Thousand Sons had their flesh completely evaporated due to psychic influence, leaving only armor controlled by obsession and psychic energy.
Even if they died in battle, they would soon be resurrected by evil Chaos magic, making them arguably the most troublesome enemies!
It was precisely at this critical moment that they encountered the most difficult Thousand Sons psychic legion. The Terminator struggled to rally, crushing several traitors with a single punch, then looked nervously at Emrys and shouted, "Quickly gather, retrieve the target!"
With his experience, he immediately realized that Galarion was not important at all!
Tzeentch's real target was that kid!
The remaining five Astartes tried to break through the obstruction of the Thousand Sons Chaos Astartes to rescue the trapped Emrys.
But facing the Thousand Sons legion, who feared no death and were essentially just armor, no matter how clever their tactics, it was difficult to break through in a short time.
"Wait, wait... what about me?!"
Galarion was dumbfounded, looking at the Great Daemon of Tzeentch, whose attention was completely focused on Emrys and who ignored him. A sense of foreboding immediately arose.
"You?"
In the eyes of the Great Daemon of Tzeentch's two Aquila heads, a human-like disdain was revealed. He shook his head and let out a sharp sneer, saying, "Your so-called conspiracy is simply laughable to lord. To bestow you with this much power is already lord's greatest mercy."
To be honest, Galarion's so-called schemes and tricks were never even considered by Tzeentch from the start.
All that convoluted nonsense, only to trap himself in the end. With such meager skill, he might as well have worshipped Khorne instead.
"What?!"
Galarion felt like he had been critically hit ten thousand times.
His painstaking conspiracy, prepared for the great 'Lord of Change,' was actually deemed trash?
In an instant, he felt his faith collapse.
"No, impossible! This must be fake!" Galarion glared ferociously, as if unable to accept it, roaring hysterically, "You must be lying to me!"
But unfortunately, the Great Daemon of Tzeentch was too lazy to argue with him. He had a greater responsibility on his shoulders.
The Lord of Change had personally given the order for him to bring this kid back to the Crystal Labyrinth. If this task was accomplished, he would be rewarded with greater and more power and wisdom!
Turning to look at the trembling Emrys, the Great Daemon of Tzeentch showed a sinister smile: "Merlin Emrys, you were born to be with us. I will take you to meet the great 'Lord of Change,' and He will bestow upon you the title of 'Daemon Prince'!"
"Go to hell, I'm not going!"
Emrys glared at the Great Daemon of Tzeentch, directly pulling out his executioner's greatsword from his personal space, and growled, as if to bolster his own courage, "No one will ever shake my faith—!"
In reality, he had already shouted 'Winnie save me' and 'Emperor save me' in his heart a thousand times.
"Hmph, you have no choice!"
The Great Daemon of Tzeentch stopped wasting words. His immense psychic energy directly bound Emrys, preventing him from moving an inch.
"Put him down!"
From a distance, the Terminator's roar came. He had actually endured the psychic energy and the encirclement of the Thousand Sons Chaos Astartes, forcing his way in front of the Great Daemon of Tzeentch.
His power fist let out a roar beyond its limit, dragging a afterimage as it punched straight out!
The Great Daemon of Tzeentch, caught off guard, was actually successfully ambushed.
His huge body swayed, retreating several steps, and he felt a long-forgotten pang of pain. His two Aquila heads showed angry eyes, staring coldly at the Terminator.
But to force his way in front of the Great Daemon of Tzeentch, even with the Terminator's powerful defenses, the Chaos Terminators of the Thousand Sons had still carved out hideous and terrifying wounds on him!
"Quick, kid!"
The Terminator desperately stretched out his hand towards Emrys, trying to grab him.
But... he was just half a step short!
"You—dream on!" How could the Great Daemon of Tzeentch possibly sit back and watch him snatch away his 'achievement' right in front of him?
He waved his crystal staff, and a storm like a sea of blood appeared out of nowhere, carrying the surrounding psychic energy from the Warp, blowing the Terminator away!
Emrys had just taken half a step when he suddenly felt his whole body become as heavy as a thousand tons!
Each step he took almost exhausted all his strength, as if several mountains were pressing down on him, and he instantly broke into a sweat.
A huge shadow enveloped him from behind, accompanied by a cold, chilling, sharp sneer and mockery: "Kid, no one can save you, give up."
As he spoke, a massive psychic shock directly flooded Emrys' mind, knocking him unconscious.
The Great Daemon of Tzeentch's bird-like hand easily clutched Emrys, letting out a triumphant sneer, his two Aquila heads showing mocking eyes as he looked at the Terminator.
Then, he turned and strode into the torn Warp rift, leaving behind the Terminator's unwilling, angry roar echoing in the dome of the Imperial Temple!
"Gone… gone?!"
Even at this moment, Galarion still couldn't believe that he had been ruthlessly abandoned by the Great Lord of Change, like a worn-out shoe, without even a moment's hesitation!
Watching the Tzeentch Daemon Prince forcibly abduct the important target and then disappear into the Warp rift right before their eyes, the Terminator Veteran and the Astartes were instantly enraged!
The shattered Imperial Cult temple was filled with a chilling murderous aura!
Even the blessed Galarion inexplicably shivered, looking with terror and shock at the silent Astartes and the clenching-fisted Terminator.
"Pursue!"
The Terminator Veteran's voice was as deep as thunder, containing a chilling, sinister killing intent, and his power fist emitted a mechanical roar.
The remaining Astartes glared menacingly at Galarion, drawing their chainswords or bolters, each radiating murderous intent!
"No… why are you all looking at me?!"
Galarion had a grievance he couldn't voice. He wasn't the one who abducted that kid. There's a head for every wrong, a master for every debt; if you have the ability, go trouble the Tzeentch Daemon Prince!
But the Loyalists clearly had no desire to waste words with him.
Bang!
A bolt round struck his forehead.
Galarion was knocked back several steps by the immense kinetic energy. He didn't want to die and desperately tried to escape.
"As long as… as long as I can escape!"
He looked at the narrow doorway, completely ignoring those annoying Astartes, only focused on fleeing towards the exit!
"I can't die… I can't die here!" Galarion roared, using the torn Warp rift to unleash a psychic blast, barely repelling the surrounding Astartes.
"Leave him alone!"
At this moment, the Astartes, about to give chase, heard the Terminator's roar and turned to see that the Terminator had, by some unknown means, forcefully held open the Warp rift that was about to close!
The entire Terminator was caught in the Warp rift, and even his most robust armor sparked everywhere from the immense pressure of the closing spatial rift!
Meanwhile, the surrounding Thousand Sons psychic legion was frantically attacking the Terminator, clearly intending to blast him apart!
"…Abandon the pursuit of the target!"
Seeing this, even though the Squad Commander was extremely unwilling, looking at Galarion who was just a hair's breadth away from being intercepted, he still gave the order: "All personnel, assist the Terminator, stop these damned heretics, and maintain the Warp conduit!"
If they lost this Warp conduit, it would mean… they would never be able to find 'Emrys Valthius', who had been abducted by the Tzeentch Daemon Prince!
By then, unless the Emperor manifested, a person lost in the depths of the Warp and fallen into Tzeentch's realm could absolutely never return!
Therefore, to maintain the last glimmer of hope, the Terminator used his own body to forcefully block the Warp rift!
He had to buy time for the follow-up forces!
"Too… too good!" Galarion, who had thought he was doomed, suddenly saw a ray of hope.
Those damned Astartes had all gone to maintain the Warp conduit, which gave him an opening. He scrambled and crawled, terrified that if he was even half a step slow, he would be dragged back and beheaded!
"I will definitely not let you off!" Galarion glared at them venomously, a sinister and vicious plan gradually forming in his mind.
He would use this plan to regain his standing in the 'Lord of Change's' eyes!
"Yes, this plan will surely work!"
Galarion fled, his figure quickly melting into the shadow and disappearing from the Astartes' sight.
Although the Commander was reluctant, for now, he could only let that guy escape because they had more urgent matters!
Crack! Crack!
The Terminator's armor let out a groan of distress, unable to bear the strain!
The Astartes inside were constantly enduring the impact from the Warp, blood flowing from their nostrils, ears, and mouths. Their hearts seemed to be pumping at extreme speed, the sound even echoing throughout the entire temple.
"It's no good, get out… Tarlus!"
The Commander's eyes were bloodshot. Every Terminator was a valuable asset to the company, and the operator was an experienced veteran of a hundred battles. Seeing this veteran endure such agony, he truly couldn't bear it!
"No!"
Tarlus gritted his teeth, allowing his bones to emit terrifying cracking sounds under the pressure, yet he remained motionless, like an unyielding monument: "For… Ultramar, for the Emperor… for courage and glory, I… will never retreat!!!"
They were the Watchers!
Having accepted the rescue mission, no matter what happened, they had to stand firm here and complete the mission!
Otherwise, it would be a betrayal of the Imperium and the Emperor!
Looking at the steadfast Terminator, the Commander steeled his heart, raising his bolt rifle: "All personnel, cover the Terminator… hold until reinforcements arrive, for the Emperor… never retreat a single step!"
Crack!
The immense pressure forced the Terminator to his knees!
The surrounding Thousand Sons psychic legion bombarded this loyal and great monument even more recklessly, leaving shocking scars on its damaged armor!
The Squad Commander yelled into the comms channel: "Team 3 needs support! The target has been abducted by a Tzeentch Daemon Prince! Repeat… we need support!!!"
"Hold the Terminator at all costs!!!"
The five outnumbered Astartes completely abandoned ranged suppression, instead drawing various close-combat weapons and charging fearlessly at the frenzied Thousand Sons psychic legion!
For a moment.
The roar of chainswords mingled with loyal battle cries!
The Chaos Astartes of the Thousand Sons, though lacking flesh, were still driven by the instincts branded into their power armor, allowing them to exert their former strength!
This was a clash between Loyalists and Chaos!
Both sides engaged in a fierce melee, the collision of blood and psychic energy igniting the most primal savagery and slaughter!
A chainsword shrieked, slicing through a Chaos Thousand Son's power armor, but inside there was no flesh, only dissipating psychic energy.
Losing its support, the shattered power armor crashed to the ground, no longer moving.
The Squad Commander panted heavily, looking around. The battle was still raging. He squeezed out more strength, gripping his chainsword, and plunged into the next battlefield!
But the problem was… those Thousand Sons psychic Astartes, resurrected by evil Chaos sorcery, were dead from the start; they would soon revive!
However, the Loyalists' stamina was rapidly depleting!
Moreover, the Commander nervously glanced at the still-struggling Terminator, his worry growing heavier: "Have the reinforcements… still not arrived?!"
Optimistically, the Terminator could last three more minutes at most!
But, the question was… could he hold on?
The Commander's breathing was heavy. He once again saw the slain Chaos Space Marines revive like zombies, and a bitter expression appeared on his face: "Leon… we might not make it back. See you on the Golden Throne."
The remaining five Astartes exchanged glances, then each removed their damaged helmets. In their silent communication, they saw each other's resolute determination to die!
"For the Emperor!!!"
The Commander raised his chainsword high, glaring at the traitors.
Just as they prepared for a final desperate stand, the roof of the Imperial Cult Dome Temple was suddenly smashed through by a massive drop pod!
The huge drop pod crashed straight into the middle of the Thousand Sons psychic legion, even crushing two unlucky individuals.
The Commander stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
"Wait, a drop pod directly crashing into enemy territory, which Legion is this, so daring?!"
But soon, he knew.
The pod hatch was kicked open, and Albert, clad in wolf pelts, emerged with a sneer, slaughtering like a wolf among sheep, wielding his massive power hammer and smashing people to pieces!
"Oh, so it's the Space Wolves. No wonder they're so fierce!"
Looking at the wolf pelts on their power armor and the wolf head insignia on their shoulder pads, the Commander instantly understood.
Except for the Space Wolves, few Legions would drop a pod directly into the enemy's heartland. How to put it… it's normal for Space Wolves to be a bit wild.
"Yo, Thousand Sons?"
Albert hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise!
"Heh heh, indeed… I didn't expect to see the Legion of the Thousand Sons here." Andrea used his crozius arcanum to kill a nearby Chaos cultist, his face beaming with a smile.
But, no matter how you looked at it… both their smiles were a bit chilling, suggesting some personal animosity.
The Squad Commander shivered. He had heard of the grudge between the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons Legions.
"You, Sergeant!"
Albert cleared away the annoying Thousand Sons with a few hammer swings, then glared at the somewhat dazed Commander: "You sent the distress signal? Our Captain Raymond has already handed it over to us. Please repeat the intelligence and battle situation!"
They had received the distress signal on their way.
But the signal wasn't very good when breaking through the atmosphere, so they hadn't heard clearly and needed on-site intelligence.
Space Wolves might be reckless, but they were by no means fools!
On the contrary, any enemy who thought the Space Wolves were just brutes who charged mindlessly would be utterly lost!
Space Wolves were both fierce and cunning!
The Commander quickly relayed the intelligence, pointing at the struggling Terminator, and said: "The target was taken into this Warp conduit. It's been two minutes and thirty-seven seconds since he disappeared."
"Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds…" Hearing this, Albert's expression became somewhat grave.
After such a long time, if the Emperor didn't protect them, even if they delved into the Warp rift, it would be difficult to find the target.
"What should we do?" Andrea held the Lectitio Divinitatus, frowning deeply: "Should we abandon this mission?"
The difficulty of the mission had completely changed from its initial rescue nature… rescuing someone deep within a Warp rift was too difficult.
One misstep, and they could be permanently lost in the Warp!
"No…"
Albert's eyes were deep. He looked at the Warp rift and said in a low voice: "A human so highly valued by Tzeentch… is definitely not simple. We must rescue him!"
Then, he added: "Besides, don't forget, Andrea… who guided us here."
"It was… the Allfather and Russ."
Andrea understood his Captain's decision and closed his eyes, saying: "In that case, let 'Bootswig' accompany you, and raise some hell, Captain."
"Deploy the teleport homing beacon!"
Albert looked at the Warp rift, stretched his muscles, and grinned: "Tell Raymond on the ship that this time's spoils… we're splitting them fifty-fifty!"
"Teleport homing beacon deployed!"
"'Bootswig'… the Venerable Dreadnought, has been deployed!"