Boulder floating in the void had transformed into a war god symbolizing slaughter and destruction, freely rampaging through the enormous Chaos fleet.
"For the Nameless One! For the Emperor!"
Boulder's voice echoed across the vox network — clear, powerful, and brimming with vibrant confidence.
It reminded Lion of himself from ten thousand years ago. He had been exactly like this back then.
Terrifying explosions unleashed bright fireballs that illuminated the pitch-black void.
Boulder was targeting an ominous ark over two hundred kilometers long. Its hull was covered in blasphemous runes and twisted statues, and the dense array of cannons and launchers made its destructive power obvious at a glance.
The ark's main cannon was charging, gathering terrifying energy at its muzzle — enough to destroy anything.
Countless Chaos fighters swarmed around the ark, trying to stop the approaching enemy.
Boulder moved faster than the traitors could react. They only caught a glimpse of her before she vanished.
By the time the traitors realized what was happening, it was already too late. The pulverized machinery exploded in the void, turning into fleeting fireworks.
Boulder, wielding sword and spear, easily tore through the swarm of machines protecting the ark. She charged straight at the ominous ark and slammed her spear into its shield.
"Break!!!"
The spear thrust forward.
Though it looked like a simple strike, its power was enough to tear apart stars.
The moment the spearhead touched the shield, a blinding light brighter than a star erupted, illuminating the entire void.
In the next instant, cracks spread rapidly across the shield. The shield generator overloaded and exploded as a result.
Seizing the opportunity, Boulder bypassed the failing shield and charged into the ship, using her destruction-laden spear to ravage everything inside.
She pierced through decks, tore apart bulkheads, and severed support pillars. Before the Chaos Warriors and Daemon Engines could even react, she effortlessly ripped them to pieces.
With her terrifying power and long-range firepower, the rock easily brought the ominous ark to ruin.
The explosion began from within the hull, tearing the ship in two before reducing it to countless fragments.
The flaming wreckage scattered in all directions like a grand fireworks display.
After flying a certain distance, the rock stopped in midair and looked back at her masterpiece.
The massive ominous ark was collapsing, with continuous explosions rippling through it.
"Alright, who's the unlucky one next?"
Satisfied with her handiwork, Boulder began searching for her next target.
Vashtorr was shocked and furious at the sight.
Abaddon hadn't just wanted to call the police — he had actually done it.
These people were really going too far!
At least think rationally. Discuss basic universal laws. Don't break the rules like this!
Not only could these warships transform into human girls, but their combat power was also extremely high. They had begun swinging powerful swords and slicing into warships.
If you don't want to be controlled by daemons, just say so. There's no need to resort to such shameless methods.
What? You're saying the methods used in the Warp were also dirty and unreasonable? How can you say they're the same?
Boulder's next target was a larger Ominous Ark.
The massive vessel was equipped with a main cannon on its prow capable of pulverizing planets. Its muzzle was aimed at the distant Imperial fleet, preparing to fire a destructive beam.
Boulder gave the enemy no chance to fire. She rushed to the main cannon, raised her power sword, and brought it down in a single strike, causing it to explode.
Then she charged into the interior of the ominous ark.
Her long spear swung, her powerful sword came down, and everything in her path was pulverized.
Explosions echoed throughout the ship as chaos erupted inside.
Moments later, she burst out from the opposite side of the ominous ark.
Just like the previous victim, a series of explosions followed in her wake.
The hull was torn into countless fragments, and burning wreckage scattered across the void.
On the void battlefield, Boulder took the lead, slashing at close range with sword and spear, forcefully breaking through enemy shields and destroying hulls.
For more distant enemies, she used Stone Fortress's own long-range weapon systems to snipe and bombard.
The Imperial fleet broke through the cracks created by Boulder and charged in, achieving a great victory and shattering the Chaos defensive line.
Chaos warships exploded one after another, their wreckage piling up like mountains in the void.
After a series of battles, the Chaos forces found themselves in a desperate situation. Humanity's forces were simply too overwhelmingly strong.
Most importantly, the Imperium of Man still had the nameless ones.
Even if they managed to damage an Imperial warship to the brink of explosion, the nameless one would intervene afterward and restore it to its original state.
Clang… Clang… Clang.
As Imperial warships were repaired one after another, sharp impact sounds echoed across the battlefield.
The Chaos fleet had fallen into complete despair.
After the fierce fighting, all the casualties had been on their side.
All the enemy's large warships remained completely intact.
Only small ships had been sunk, and even then, only occasionally a few — utterly insignificant compared to their countless numbers.
The only way was to board the ships and kill the Corpse Emperor's lackeys inside.
In that case, even if the nameless one could repair the warship, there would be no one left to pilot it.
Realizing this, the Chaos Warriors launched a frenzied boarding operation.
Ignoring the Imperial fleet's firepower, they boarded attack craft, infiltrated the Imperial warships, and engaged in bloody close-quarters combat with Imperial soldiers.
They succeeded in disabling many ships and destroying them from within.
However, this approach could not bridge the gap between the two fleets created by the presence of the nameless ones.
The Imperial fleet quickly gained the upper hand on the void battlefield and soon broke through the Chaos defensive line in space.
Their destination — a planet pulsing with terrifying Warp energy — came into view.
The planet's surface was completely covered in hellish industrial facilities.
The facilities were unimaginably massive. Rivers of molten iron meandered through them.
Huge piston machines packed with gears occupied vast tracts of land, each movement accompanied by deafening roars that shook the earth.
Gears the size of cities rotated slowly, emitting ear-splitting metallic grinding sounds.
Cities glowed with the dazzling light of flames from the industrial zones.
They suddenly rose from steel-covered rocky mountains and spread outward from sulfurous smoking fissures, greedily devouring everything in their path.
The architectural style of these cities was twisted and insane, with a blasphemous atmosphere clinging to every building.
At the edge of the planet's landmass, terrifying distortions could be seen.
Near seas of molten metal, strange clusters of rock and iron were scattered about.
The surface of these seas emitted an eerie metallic sheen, and occasionally, massive bubbles rose from the depths, bursting and releasing toxic gas with a pungent odor.
Lakes formed from burning oil and natural gas continued to burn quietly in the land's depressions.
The flames were a sickly green, illuminating the twisted buildings around them.
By comparing topographical features such as coastlines, Stone Fortress's database produced a result that enraged the Dark Angels.
This world, distorted by hellish industry, was none other than Caliban — the planet that served as the base for their Chapter.
The command sanctum was wrapped in a deathly silence.
Lion stood before the holographic projection, staring at the twisted Caliban. A terrifying rage welled up inside him.
How dare Vashtorr and Abaddon do this!
They had actually gathered the fragments and used a twisted method in this world.
Without a doubt, this was the ultimate humiliation for the Dark Angels.
Lion secretly swore that he would make those fools Abaddon and Vashtorr pay the price.
The Dissonance Engine would either become his trophy or be completely destroyed.
In any case, it would never be allowed to fall into the hands of Chaos.
The order for airborne ground operations was issued, and numerous drop pods were launched.
Like shooting stars trailing tails of flame, they streaked across the sky and slammed into the ground one after another, kicking up explosions and clouds of dust.
Hatches exploded open, and fully armed Dark Angels poured out.
Roaring gunships followed closely behind, piercing through the thick clouds above the planet's surface and revealing the hellish scene below.
The attack helicopters' weapon systems activated fully as Hellfire Dragons and Chaos fighters engaged in fierce dogfights in the air.
Interweaving beams of light in the dense airspace formed dazzling but short-lived constellations.
These constellations bloomed in the void before vanishing instantly, leaving only burning wreckage and falling debris.
Lion led his forces at the forefront of the landing.
The surface was covered in massive, jagged rock formations. The rocks were twisted into bizarre shapes, as if forcibly kneaded by some force.
The ground trembled slightly. It was caused by strange machines deep within the planet constantly churning the strata.
Every time something moved, deafening roars echoed, and the entire land groaned.
Pistons the size of cities moved repeatedly, kicking up clouds of gravel and dust.
Monsters of flame and steel roamed this hellish place.
Upon seeing the Imperial landing, they let out ear-splitting roars.
The terrifying sounds reverberated through the twisted, magnificent buildings, hurting eardrums and shaking souls.
Furthermore, various Chaos-armed slave laborers crowded the surface. Their bodies were entangled with pipes and machinery, their eyes filled with madness and hatred.
Daemon creations made of flesh and metal, each one a living weapon.
Cultists of the Word Bearers charged madly toward the enemy while shouting blasphemous slogans.
There were also Chaos Space Marines from traitor legions and various fallen warbands, clad in dark guardian armor forged from steel.
"For the Nameless One! For the Emperor!"
Lion, holding the Emperor's shield and longsword, charged into the front lines.
His movements were so fast they left afterimages. A single swing of his sword could fell an entire group of enemies.
Even the terrifying steel monsters were as fragile as paper before him and were easily destroyed.
Wherever the Primarch went, any enemy who tried to stop him was reduced to corpses.
Abaddon trembled with fear at this terrifying combat power.
The Great Despoiler stood on the bridge of the Vengeful Spirit, staring at the battlefield projection on the floor with an extremely grim expression.
Abaddon was blessed by the Chaos Gods and possessed countless battle experiences.
In theory, he should not be weaker than his original self, but once battle broke out, no one could say for certain what the outcome would be.
If he lost, the Black Legion would undoubtedly collapse.
The warbands that had temporarily submitted to his tyranny and the Chaos lords with ulterior motives would immediately tear off their disguises and rip him and his legion to pieces.
He could not take that risk. At least not now.
Fortunately, the Chaos sorcerers still had a trump card hidden.
Through a blood-soaked ritual, they would summon Angron and countless Blood Daemons.
As the ritual progressed, a terrifying explosion of Warp energy tore open the veil of reality.
A Primarch emerged from the rift. His skin was blood-red, his muscles rippled like mountains, and every muscle was covered in scars and blasphemous tattoos.
He held two massive chainaxes in his hands, from which undying chaotic flames gushed.
His enormous eyes burned with the flames of madness, filled with a thirst for blood.
From behind him, countless Khorne daemons poured out of the rift.
They roared and charged madly in all directions, launching an attack on the Imperium of Man.
"Blood for the Blood God."
Angron spread his wings and roared toward the sky.
The roar ignored the laws of physics and exploded in people's ears like a detonation, causing many to show expressions of pain.
At the same time, terrifying Warp flames erupted from the rift, reducing the Chaos sorcerers participating in the ritual and the surrounding cultists to ash.
The survivors also lost their sanity, driven by an uncontrollable thirst for blood.
Their eyes turned blood-red as they shouted slogans like "Blood for the Blood God" and attacked the people around them, slaughtering indiscriminately.
With Angron's arrival, the entire battlefield descended into even greater chaos.
After cutting down several daemons, Lion felt a wave of disgust upon seeing Angron mercilessly slaughtering his own daemons.
He despised this terrifying monster who had once been Angron, but he did not underestimate the extraordinary power granted to this daemonic Primarch by the Dark Gods.
"Angron, look at what you've become now. How pathetic."
Angron, who had overheard his former brother's words, glared at Lion with eyes still retaining a sliver of rationality, his gaze filled with madness.
"You dare call me pathetic? This is true power."
"Come, Lion. Become another skull I offer to the Blood God."
"I will tear you apart. And I will tear apart your pathetic descendants as well. Then this war will end."
Lion had no intention of debating with Angron. He understood well that victory or defeat was not decided by words, but only by the clash of sword and axe.
He gripped the Emperor's shield and longsword tightly, took a deep breath, and charged forward.
Angron also roared and charged at Lion with heavy steps.
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!!!"
The Scarlet Angel's roar shook heaven and earth. The Butcher's Nails stabbed violently into his brain, and the intense pain further fueled his rage.
The two weapons collided.
CLANG!!!
A terrifyingly loud explosion echoed as the shockwave spread in all directions.
Surrounding buildings instantly collapsed, and countless cracks spread across the ground.
Warriors and daemons who had been too close were blown away by the shockwave, coughing up blood.
Lion did not miss the opening. He raised the Emperor's shield and slammed it into Angron's head.
BANG!!!
The shield struck Angron's head with a dull thud.
Angron let out a cry of pain, his head snapping backward as his massive body staggered several steps.
Blood flowed down his forehead, staining his ugly face red.
Angron shook his head and regained his stance, but the madness in his eyes burned even more fiercely.
"Blood for the Blood God."
Angron possessed inexhaustible energy. Even when forced back, he would charge at Lion with even more terrifying momentum.
As the Warp's influence strengthened, the Crimson Angels would only grow more powerful.
Lion possessed hunter-like agility and skill. He could predict Angron's attacks and neutralize even the fiercest strikes with minimal effort.
However, his aging body had finally become a burden.
Ten thousand years of slumber had placed a great strain on his body. His muscles were no longer as strong, his reaction speed had slowed, and his stamina no longer lasted as long as before.
He had no choice but to rely on technique to fight, but technique alone could not bridge the gap in power.
The true power of the Primarchs lay in their essence.
It was a gift from the Emperor — something that transcended the realm of humans.
But to convert that essence into power, one had to rely on the flesh.
Yet Lion's body had grown old.
After colliding again, the two weapons separated once more.
The terrifying shockwave forced both Primarchs back several steps, leaving deep footprints in the ground.
Lion was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling, his hands trembling slightly — a sign that his stamina and endurance were nearing their limit.
Angron stood there, his eyes still filled with madness, like a tireless killing machine.
He licked the blood at the corner of his mouth, the taste further stoking his thirst for blood.
"So I really have grown old," Lion thought to himself.
At that moment, Datch appeared riding a chicken.
He cut down traitors and daemons as he made his way to where the two Primarchs were fighting.
"Nameless One?" Lion was somewhat surprised, unable to understand why the nameless one had come. Was he planning to fight Angron directly?
Datch ignored Lion's gaze and instead looked at the top of Lion's head, where a golden exclamation mark was floating.
A thought occurred to him, triggered by the exclamation mark.
[Using the Rejuvenation Ray Gun can restore the target to their original youth. Reward: A large amount of experience points and credits.]
Datch took the Rejuvenation Ray Gun out of his game inventory, aimed it at Lion, and pulled the trigger.
A miraculous beam of light shone down, and a miracle occurred.
Lion's white hair turned black from the roots, as if time had reversed.
The wrinkles around his eyes disappeared, his dry skin regained its firmness and elasticity, and his muscles became strong and toned.
When the light faded, the one fighting Angron was no longer the aged Lion, but the vibrant Lord of Caliban in his prime.
Lion was greatly shocked by this.
He had known that the nameless one possessed the ability to rejuvenate people and had previously used it on Zabriel to restore him to peak physical condition.
Lion had once been depressed about this. He couldn't understand why the other party wouldn't use the rejuvenation spell on him and had felt irritated.
However, after this period of training, he had come to understand that the nameless one had been testing him.
Aging affected not only physical health but every aspect of life.
From body to mind, and then to thought, it had guided him to a more mature level.
If he had regained his youth earlier,
He could not say for certain that he would not have become arrogant, self-satisfied, and stubborn, committing the same great mistakes as before.
When he had truly learned to be an adult, the nameless one had helped him regain his youth.
Datch had no idea what Lion was thinking.
All he knew was that there was an exclamation mark above Lion's head, indicating that the Rejuvenation Ray Gun could be used.
Rejoice! The once-vibrant Lord of Caliban has returned.