The great Chaos Lord, vanguard of the black Legion.
Harkan, known as the Death Announcer and Star-Jackal, a victorious Chaos Warmaster, has set an eighty-day deadline to present Vigilus to the Warmaster, so his goal will naturally not be merely the Siluria Hive District.
His goal is to capture the entire Vigilus and create an absolute advantage before the Chaos Warmaster arrives!
Thus, on the very next day, Emrys received a message from his family's flagship.
The combined aerial forces of Chaos Raptors and Hell Drakes completely suppressed the Imperial side, and numerous Chaos Voidships had already sailed out of Vigilus's Mandeville Point, officially joining the space war.
What was even more despairing was that, to this day, Imperial reinforcements still hadn't arrived!
The Imperial Navy was being attacked from two sides: on one side were the Orks, who were like broken rafts, only concerned with 'Waaaaagh', and on the other side were the Chaos vanguard and an endless stream of subsequent Chaos Voidships.
The Chaos Voidships' main target was currently Vigilus's only moon.
The reason was simple: that asteroid had a satellite array, and once it was invaded by the evil forces of Chaos, then the terrifying proclamation of Harkan the Star-Jackal, and the blasphemous sorcery filled with Warp evil, would cover all the hive cities on Vigilus!
Currently, Emrys' Excalibur Conqueror-class cruiser and the Space Wolves' 'Wind of Fenris' cruiser, which had just emerged from the Warp and arrived at Vigilus, along with her Primaris Commander Haldor Frostfur, were acting as mutual flanks, resisting the firepower from several Chaos Voidships, trying to keep them out of range of that moon.
"It's chaos, everything's gone to hell."
Emrys, who had just woken up from his bedroom bed and only slept for two hours, was utterly shocked by this news.
The intensity of the war was escalating, and almost all factions on Vigilus were investing greater stakes!
But ironically, the Imperium, which should have increased its stakes the most, still had no reinforcements arriving to this day.
Logically, Chapter master Marius Karl should have led several Ultramarines companies across the Warp storm and arrived at Vigilus.
But Emrys didn't know what problem had occurred in between, causing Chapter master Karl, who should have arrived at Vigilus earlier and deployed a series of strategic adjustments, to be nowhere in sight until now!
Could it be that his influence as a butterfly caused Chapter master Karl to get lost in the Warp?
Suddenly, a terrifying thought began to grow in Emrys' mind.
No one could predict the risks encountered during Warp travel; even a Primarch as strong as Jaghatai Khan didn't he also disappear in the Warp?
He was genuinely afraid that if Chapter master Karl was lost, then Vigilus would be doomed!
He couldn't really expect him to go one-on-one with the great Warmaster Abad...Pooh, Abaddon, could he?
What was the difference between this and the Nine-Headed Worm asking Ba Bo Ben to eliminate Tang Sanzang and his disciples?
Oh, perhaps the only difference was that Emrys was not even as good as Ba Bo Ben.
Knock knock knock!
Urgent knocking on the door pulled Emrys back to reality.
"Come in."
Emrys frowned. With Elsa's help, he put on a piece of clothing and moved from the bedroom to the living room.
The person knocking was Jackal, his face showing some anxiety: "Something big has happened."
In fact, from the moment Jackal entered the door, Emrys had vaguely guessed it.
If there wasn't something big, Jackal wouldn't usually come directly to the bedroom. He pinched his throbbing temples; last night, due to continuous travel, he had only rested for eight hours in almost ten natural days when converted by time: "Tell me, what's the bad news?"
"Just late last night, a large number of genestealers suddenly surged from underground." Jackal paused for a few seconds, took a breath, and continued: "As you expected, their target is the hive city's energy shield system."
"The battle has become a stalemate?"
Logically, Emrys should have felt fortunate.
Because of the Magos' order, three companies of Brass Claws were dispatched to be stationed at the hive city's energy shield system in advance.
However, many things cannot be analyzed from the surface; a deeper look is required.
If the Brass Claws had successfully repelled the genestealers, Jackal wouldn't have used 'something big' to describe it, so there was only one possibility: either the Brass Claws were at a disadvantage, or both sides were still contending.
"It's not quite as you think; the situation is worse."
Jackal's face showed some bitterness. He took a deep breath and sighed: "Just this morning, Chaos Lord Harkan, using evil Warp sorcery, forcibly tore a gap in the energy shield, and a large number of Chaos Raptor units have already poured into the mid-hive."
"Is there any worse news?"
Emrys had a splitting headache. This damned Great Rift; ever since he came to Vigilus, his headaches had become increasingly severe.
Elsa, beside him, saw this and quietly came behind him, massaging Emrys with her slender fingers, trying to alleviate the side effects of the headache as much as possible, allowing him to concentrate and think.
"Yes, because most of the cultists and Iron Hands are resisting the Ork invasion, so" Jackal's bitterness deepened: "Two companies of Brass Claws were split off to assist the cultists."
"You didn't stop them?"
Upon hearing this news, Emrys' blood pressure nearly rose.
"It was useless, I tried." Jackal, rarely, showed a helpless expression: "The Brass Claws said that compared to the hive city's energy shield being destroyed by the enemy, they were more worried about the 'Warlord Titan' stored in the manufactory being captured and corrupted by the enemy."
"Then it's fine."
Very good, a very sufficient reason. It immediately extinguished Emrys' newly ignited anger.
Compared to the danger of a Warlord Titan being captured and corrupted by Chaos, protecting the hive district's energy shield system was clearly not that important.
The Brass Claws' choice was not only without any problems but could even be described as quick to react.
After all, even if the hive city's energy shield system was destroyed, relying on a large number of cultists, as well as the Iron Hands and Brass Claws, they could still fight a protracted battle with the three enemy factions and hold out until reinforcements arrived.
But if the Warlord Titan Dominus Rex was captured and corrupted by Chaos, then it wouldn't be a question of whether they could hold it.
This thing, a single one, could crush all the defenses of the Siluria Hive District with overwhelming power.
Those six sets of void shield generators alone would be enough to cause despair!
If you merely thought that the Warlord Titan's defense was only its void shields, you would be greatly mistaken!
Its thick adamantium armor, relying solely on its armored protection, could allow a Warlord to withstand the frontal firepower of an entire legion, and its powerful weapon systems could enable a Warlord Titan to easily level a city!
So the question arises: since the Warlord Titan is so powerful, why don't the tech-priests of Stygies VIII use it?
Emrys didn't know the answer; he had no idea what those tech-priests, whose brains were filled with machine oil, were thinking.
Maybe they were afraid of the Orks? Or maybe they were worried about damage?
Of course, it's also possible that the tech-priests of Stygies VIII still didn't feel that the current situation was threatening enough for them.
In short, the tech-priests of Stygies VIII would most likely not deploy the Titan unless absolutely necessary.
But instinctively, Emrys still worried about the shield system: "I'm afraid the genestealers will soon seize the opportunity, and while the internal defenses are at their weakest, they will directly break through the Brass Claws' position in one fell swoop."
"Damn genestealers, they want Chaos and the Orks to wear down our strength!"
Jackal had participated in the Cadian Gate defense and immediately saw through the genestealers' sinister intentions.
Currently, the forces gathered in the Siluria Hive District, no matter which side, were almost all simultaneously at war with other factions.
The Orks and Chaos were fighting, the Orks were also fighting the genestealers, and at the same time, they were fighting the Imperium of Man, and the situation of other factions was basically similar to the Orks; basically, except for their own side, everything in sight was an enemy!
The entire Siluria had completely devolved into a chaotic mess, with fighting everywhere!
In such a situation, breaking through the hive city's energy shield became a tacit understanding between the three factions: genestealers, Orks, and Chaos.
Because no matter what they wanted to do, Siluria' energy shield was a stumbling block in their way.
Chaos wanted to eliminate the Imperium's living forces, while the Orks were purely for the thrill.
And the genestealers' plot was even deeper: they wanted the Orks, Chaos, and the Imperium of Man, these three factions, to fight and deplete each other, and then they would reap the benefits of the struggle!
"Knowing it, what can we do?"
Emrys sighed. He watched helplessly as the situation gradually deteriorated to this point.
Those who believed him sent companies to defend, but due to Harkan the Star-Jackal's meddling, two of the three companies were pulled away.
Those tech-priests who didn't believe him would never believe it, no matter what.
Given Drayne's wavering and peculiar attitude, Emrys dared not gamble with that medal on whether the other party was truly loyal.
Even if he was truly loyal, given Stygies VIII's fanaticism, whether they recognized the medal was another matter entirely.
"Then, what should we do now?" Jackal asked the most pressing question.
Although they were now in the core hive district and basically didn't have to worry about safety, watching helplessly as the three factions continuously tightened their encirclement, that suffocating feeling was truly unbearable for him.
But a counterattack was impractical.
The Hell Drakes constantly circling in the sky, and the blasphemous Warp sorcery, had already caused a large number of Astra Militarum to defect.
The entire Siluria looked like a crumbling building!
Just one kick from any faction could cause it to collapse; it had clearly reached a dead end, but the arrogant tech-priests of Stygies VIII still refused to face the enemy's strength.
"You try again to communicate with the Magos."
Emrys sighed, genuinely at a loss: "See if we can deploy some Ecclesiarchy forces, Astra Militarum, or even people from the Adeptus Arbites. Try to hold out for a few more days. As long as we hold, there will definitely be hope."
Despair, utter despair!
What was more despairing than Loser was that he knew what was going to happen, but he couldn't change it!
The reason was simple: he was the heir to the Rogue Trader Dynasty. He could earn respect, but he would never make the Yellow Springs Eight, the Astra Militarum, or the Space Marines obey him implicitly without needing evidence.
He wasn't Karl. Only Karl could unite the forces of Vigilus!
A deep sense of powerlessness enveloped Emrys.
Karl, my dear Chapter master, please hurry! These bugs are overwhelming me!
After Jackal left, Emrys closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, then slowly said, "Elsa, starting today, tell everyone that I have something very important to do and won't be seeing anyone."
It was a familiar feeling again... Elsa had experienced the same thing with Loser once before. Emrys had used the same excuse then and disappeared for several days.
"Do you need my help, lord?" Elsa knew Emrys harbored a big secret, but since he didn't speak of it, she wouldn't press him.
She was more concerned about Emrys.
"Not for now."
Emrys shook his head, looking at the worry in Elsa's eyes. He paused for a few seconds and then said, "Sorry, I can't explain it to you."
It wasn't that he was unwilling to take Elsa, Jackal, and others across the world. However, to transport multiple people across, the world first needed to be anchored by the Traveler. Secondly, based on the size of the objects and other factors, energy or Source Power would need to be paid before the travel could be carried out.
He was going to a new universe this time, so he couldn't take people with him before anchoring that world.
As for Uther, due to his android characteristics, he was not categorized as a 'person' by the system but rather as an item.
"It's okay."
Elsa took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and smiled gently, "No matter what you're going to do, please, please... make sure you come back safely. Everyone and I are waiting for you."
"With those words, I will come back safely."
Emrys returned to the room, checked the weapons and other supplies prepared in his private space, and after confirming everything was in order, he sat quietly in the bedroom.
"Traveler, activate!"
He decided to go to a new world. This was the only way now. Perhaps he could find a solution in a new world!
Currently, it wasn't the best time for a travel, but he was truly pushed to his limits.
While the energy shield of Siluria was still active, it could at least buy him about ten to fifteen days. He had to seize this opportunity to try and find a solution to his current predicament in a new world.
Actually, Emrys really wanted to go to the Marvel universe, but he lacked the 'authority'.
The Marvel universe was undergoing massive changes, so he couldn't cross for now. And the Alien universe and the Resident Evil universe couldn't influence the outcome of the war at all.
The only remaining option was to try his luck.
"I hope this new world can give me a surprise."
Emrys took a deep breath, and his entire being was swallowed by a 'black hole'. The room returned to calm.
A moment later, Morgana stood at the door.
Her eyes were a deep golden, as if some unknown entity was observing the inside of the room through 'Morgana's' eyes.
"Morgana?"
Until Elsa approached, her face showing surprise: "How are you here? How did you get in?"
These consecutive questions were enough to show how shocked she was!
You see, no one could enter Emrys' bedroom except her. There were Spartan warriors guarding outside, and Morgana's room should be on the second floor. How did she manage to pass through layers of defense and arrive at Emrys' bedroom door?
But the golden color in Morgana's eyes faded, and her face showed a blank, lost expression as she looked at Elsa dazedly: "I... I don't know either... sister Elsa."
Elsa looked at Morgana in shock, suddenly remembering what Hilda had said: this girl contained astonishing power. She then hesitated, "Come here, Morgana... brother has very important things to do. We shouldn't disturb him, okay?"
"Mm-hmm."
Morgana obediently walked over and took Elsa's hand.
She opened her dark eyes, raised her cute head, and looked at Elsa, as if something sad had happened. Tears glistened on her eyelashes as she said, feeling wronged, "Sister, I think I had a dream."
"What dream?"
Elsa bent down curiously, ruffled Morgana's hair, hugged the girl tightly, and smiled gently, "Was it a nightmare? Don't be scared, sister is here, I'll protect you."
"But"
Tears in her eyes, Morgana buried her head in Elsa's embrace, nuzzling her, as if crying: "But, I dreamed... that you died, sister."
Elsa held the girl, suddenly frozen in place.
Her heart pounded violently, her mind filled with chaotic thoughts for a moment, before she managed to calm down. She hugged the little girl in her arms tightly and whispered, "How... how did I die?"
"I... I don't know" Morgana wrapped her small arms around Elsa's neck, pressing her cheek against her: "I saw... you lying in brother's arms, and brother was crying... Around, around there were many people."
"Then... is he, okay?"
Elsa's heart tightened. She wasn't afraid of death, but she was worried about Emrys.
"Brother... is fine."
Morgana pouted her small lips, feeling wronged, and shook her head: "Then, I woke up scared"
"It's okay, don't be afraid."
Elsa hugged Morgana tightly, a hint of sadness seemingly flashing in her eyes. She softly said to the girl, "This matter, besides me... don't tell anyone, okay, Morgana?"
"Hmm... can't tell brother either?"
Morgana blinked her big, tear-filled eyes, seemingly asking why.
"Yes, can't tell brother either."
Elsa playfully tapped the girl's nose and smiled, "This is a secret between the two of us. We promise not to tell anyone, okay?"
"Oh... okay, I'll listen to you, sister."
Morgana hugged her tightly, still asking, "Sister, that was just a nightmare, right?"
"Yes... just a nightmare"
Elsa's eyelids drooped. She wasn't sure if Morgana's dream was a prophecy or just a dream.
But she didn't want Emrys to be in any danger.
Since Emrys was alive in the dream, then... she didn't need to tell him about this.
She didn't want to change what happened in the dream because of herself.
Even if the cost was... her life!
[Traveler, you have arrived at a New world]
[Estimated stay duration: 40 days]
[Unable to anchor this world temporarily]
[Source Power required to anchor this world: 3000 units]
[Current world exploration progress: 0%]
[Blessing: to live and Die]
[Wishing you a pleasant exploration]
The updated Traveler System felt a bit unfamiliar to Emrys.
More functions were displayed on the interface, but the location after each travel was still reassuringly familiar.
Again in a dilapidated alley, the trash next to the God Damn was almost piled up into a mountain, emitting a putrid stench, like ammonia mixed with rotten, fermented eggs, then baked at high temperatures.
Even Emrys, with his bio-armor, was brought to tears by the pungent smell; it was too irritating.
Holding his nose, he emerged from the garbage alley. A large signboard caught his eye, boldly proclaiming:
Welcome to Los Angeles.
Good, at least he figured out that he was in the Land of the Free again this time.
Emrys took a deep breath of the air; the air of the 2K era always intoxicated him so.
But unfortunately, the situation of Siluria didn't allow for such relaxation. He had to quickly figure out what kind of world this was.
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, a missile with a trailing flame came flying with a sharp whooshing sound!
"???"
Emrys, full of questions, directly used his psychic power to deflect the incoming missile with his bare hands, sending it crashing into a nearby skyscraper.
Boom!
The violent explosion directly cut the skyscraper in half, and countless collapsing debris and rubble rained down.
Flames, carried by the shockwave, shattered all the surrounding windows. The huge explosion seemed to be the curtain-raiser.
Then, fighter jets streaking through the low sky between buildings, accompanied by ear-piercing sonic booms, their tailfins trailing rolling air currents, flew directly over Emrys' head. The visible air turbulence spread out, flipping cars on both sides of the street!
What's going on?! World War 3?!
Emrys was utterly bewildered, completely dumbfounded.
He had crossed Worlds several times and was quite experienced, but this was the first time he'd nearly been blown up by a Sidewinder missile right after arriving!
In the sky, closely following were formations of roaring fighter jets.
Over the vast city, several fighter jet formations behind were tightly pursuing the one in front, tracer rounds streaking across the sky!
Good heavens, what kind of world is this, starting off so big?
Emrys was a bit stunned. Previous beginnings were usually gentler, but this time left him a bit clueless.
The fighter jets flying low through the city were clearly American products. The fighter jets chasing the lead one were also American. Two groups of fighter jets fighting each other—could it be an internal conflict?
"Could it be some civil war world?"
Emrys frowned deeply. If that were truly the case, then he wouldn't need to waste his time.