Bang!
A warp-heavy industrial device dozens of meters tall finally failed under the pressure and collapsed completely.
The warp corruption that had been suppressed burst skyward, blasting away the construction machinery above it and sending it spinning through the air.
Some Iron Warriors pilots were thrown clear as well, screaming as they plummeted headfirst into the dirt piles nearby.
The whole scene was utterly disastrous.
"Savior, our warp project!"
As the engineer in charge, Phrix saw the sight and instantly went weak all over, gripped by fear.
He knew exactly what this would lead to.
"It's only technical damage. As long as the other heavy devices can stabilize things, there won't be a warp catastrophe!"
Phrix stared fixedly at the remaining warp-heavy equipment, praying silently, still clinging to a sliver of hope.
The warp project might have been ruined halfway through, but as long as there was no large-scale Chaos daemon incursion, there was still hope of resuming work and recovering it.
Even if the Iron Warriors had to sell off everything they owned, they would still finish the warp project and reclaim their honor.
But what drove Phrix into despair was how fast the situation on the site deteriorated. The construction machines controlled by the Iron Warriors could no longer suppress the increasingly violent warp corruption.
With one thunderous blast after another, the remaining heavy warp devices also began to collapse and shatter.
More Iron Warriors were sent spiraling into the air by explosions triggered by the leaking corruption, suffering grievous injuries.
To make matters even worse, faint hairline fractures and abnormal veins were beginning to appear in the void itself.
Those were the signs of disaster.
That meant a warp rift was about to open. The construction zone was about to become a battlefield, and everything would be smashed apart.
All the Iron Legion's hard work had gone to waste. This was real insolvency, real liquidation, and severe accountability afterward.
Phrix was terrified. He could already imagine the fury of their gene-father Perturabo, and how many warriors were going to suffer for it.
Even worse, if the Chaos rift kept expanding and the daemonic assault severely damaged Holy Terra, especially the Emperor's Palace...
Then how were the Iron Warriors supposed to face either the Imperium or His Majesty the Savior?
"That damned Lord of Ramparts. He's the one who caused this disaster!"
The war-smith ground his teeth in hatred, and the other Iron Warriors were just as furious.
They wanted to report the return of the Lord of Ramparts to their gene-father Perturabo.
They wanted that great being to come at once, avenge the Legion, and demand justice.
But very quickly, the Iron Warriors were warned off, and they awkwardly gave up on the idea of tattling.
They understood perfectly well who the real boss of the Iron Warriors was between the Savior and the Lord of Iron.
The Savior might usually be gentle, but no one dared disobey his orders. Dorn's miserable state had already made that much clear.
The top priority now was stopping this disaster.
The task the Savior had given the Iron Warriors was to quickly relocate some of the remaining high-risk facilities and reduce the secondary hazards as much as possible.
Any salvage was better than none.
While the Iron Warriors hurried to move the relevant equipment, the raging Chaos corruption had already contaminated the construction zone and was still spreading.
The sky above the Palace dome turned a deep black, streaked with crackling violet arcs.
Hehehehe—
Evil whispers and shrill laughter spread outward, as though murmuring directly into everyone's ears.
Then a warp rift opened in the construction zone, continuously pouring out filthy corruption.
That warp rift radiated a profound sense of menace. It had already reached the width and energy threshold required for Chaos daemons to invade.
With the New Imperium's deepening research into the warp, most people with advanced education could now roughly judge the level of warp contamination and its threat.
"This is bad."
Eden sighed and gave the order.
"Tarko, have the Departmento Munitorum organize defenses, encircle the affected zone, and establish multiple defensive lines.
Keep Chaos bottled outside the Palace as much as possible. It must not be allowed to threaten other districts.
We need to hold out until the warp-locking device is brought in and activated.
That thing can fix a rift of this size now, right?"
The warp-locking device built with blackstone technology had only recently been developed, and had not yet been field-tested. This incursion was the perfect chance to test it.
Tarko's virtual projection appeared in midair and delivered a respectful report.
"Your Majesty, the warp-locking device is still in the experimental phase.
However, it has already acquired the preliminary ability to repair small to medium-scale rifts, provided there is no active warp tide interference."
In simple terms, the technology still was not mature enough. The invading daemons first had to be destroyed or driven back.
Only then could the rift be repaired.
That might not sound especially impressive, but it would still allow the environment to be restored quickly and prevent subsequent contamination.
Once the technology matured to the point where it could directly seal the mouth of a rift, they would be able to shut the gate on the Chaos daemons and butcher them inside.
Maybe they could even close the colossal breach beneath the Emperor's own backside.
"Let's hope the Chaos Gods don't react too quickly. Otherwise we'll be facing a massive assault.
That would be the real disaster."
Eden stared at the warp rift and spoke softly.
For now, the rift had only randomly connected to some region of the warp.
But if the Chaos Gods noticed it, expanded it, and sent Horus and the other Chaos primarchs through in a full-scale offensive...
Then it would be like enemy spawns appearing right outside the Palace gates, basically an enhanced Siege of Terra.
Extremely dangerous.
Especially with his warp project having been delayed halfway through by Dorn, the stubborn mule. That meant they could only dig in and hard-defend.
It had become a race against time: whether they could seal the rift first, or whether the Chaos Gods could invade faster.
Fortunately, Dorn had previously sent out the highest-level alert signal, causing large numbers of Imperial armed forces to assemble early, with even the fire platforms already moved into place.
That at least made up for part of the mistake.
"What have I done..."
Dorn watched the birth of the warp rift and stood there in dejection, realizing that he had truly made a terrible mistake.
"...Sigh."
Eden turned to look at the stubborn mule and seemed to hesitate.
Then he thought for a moment, patted him on the shoulder again, and said with a deeply troubled expression,
"Dorn, your intentions were good. You just completely ruined the job.
Your brother Magnus did the same thing back then. He accidentally damaged the Webway and caused a massive warp breach to open up.
As for what it did to the Emperor...
You... if this isn't handled properly, this could turn into another warp scar that won't heal.
Sigh. I really don't even know how I'm supposed to explain this to the Emperor for you."
Eden put on a full "you've done something huge, and you're going to wear the blame" expression and shook his head as he looked at the Lord of Ramparts.
In short, he was PUA-ing the stubborn mule, making it clear that the consequences of this could be extremely severe, maybe even comparable to what Magnus had done.
If it wasn't handled properly, Dorn might really end up sitting at the same table as Magnus in the future, with a full serving of the Emperor's paternal love.
That might have been a little exaggerated, but it was not entirely impossible. If the defenses failed, that rift really could continue expanding and become a deadly threat.
If some primarch pulled another Magnus-level blunder and opened yet another massive warp tear...
The Emperor would probably leap to his feet and start handing out psychic slaps by the dozen.
"I... I..."
When Dorn heard that, his mind went blank with a roar.
Especially because this involved the Emperor. Their father.
"I've become Magnus?"
The Lord of Ramparts' face went from pale to purple as he bowed his head deeply. His wall-like body hunched further and further.
He was the Emperor's most loyal son. How had he committed such a mistake, like Magnus, that foolish traitor...
Dorn knew all too well what kind of sin Magnus had committed, and how much their father despised that son.
After that, his memories of the Emperor's stern image flooded back into his mind, and he could not stop himself from shivering.
Dorn was afraid now.
He glanced toward the Palace, unable to suppress the panic rising inside him, not knowing how he could possibly face his father.
"You know how strict the Emperor has always been. If he learns about this, it'll be bad."
Eden could not help himself and quietly added more fuel to the fire, though he did offer some comfort too.
"Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll help talk to him for you."
Dorn seemed to shrink into himself. The whole man looked like he was on the verge of depression.
But very quickly, he steadied his emotions, raised his head, and pleaded,
"Savior, release me.
I will go fight to make up for this, even if it costs me my life.
Unless they step over my corpse, I will not allow the daemons to advance even a single step toward Father's Palace!"
Since the mistake had already been made, then he would make amends.
He would do everything possible to salvage the situation.
To wash away his sin.
Perhaps then he might earn his father's forgiveness.
"In principle, that would be acceptable.
But the suspicion on you is still very serious, so my hands are tied. I'm worried you'll make one mistake after another."
Eden rejected the stubborn mule's request.
"You'd better stay where you are. I'll handle this for you.
Of course, if the situation gets out of control, I'll immediately have you join the Palace's defensive battle."
He could still handle the situation for now. Things had not yet spiraled out of control, so there was no way he was going to let this stubborn mule loose.
Wouldn't that waste the perfect chance to make the man owe him big time?
Dorn lowered his head again and said nothing more.
No matter how stubborn he was, even he knew he was under suspicion now and had no room to bargain.
Without even realizing it, he had accepted the premise that he was under suspicion of rebellion, and even felt that the Savior was actually a pretty decent guy.
Naturally, that was the combined effect of Eden's PUA rhetoric, his emotion-soothing authority, and the added push of the Emperor's fatherly love.
The Lord of Ramparts, this diehard loyalist, was one of the primarchs who cared most deeply about the Emperor.
While the two of them were talking, Imperial forces were rapidly redeploying, forming dense defensive arrays and taking up positions throughout the affected region.
A few minutes later, near the warp rift hanging above the construction zone, a phantom inverted mountain appeared.
Its warped slopes were covered in bones, stretching downward until they connected with the land outside the Palace. Murky blood poured down like a waterfall.
It was like the sky itself had split open into a bleeding wound, enough to make any human heart pound and every hair stand on end.
When Dorn saw that scene, he could not help holding his breath. He could feel the terrifying daemonic might rushing straight at him.
At least Greater Daemons.
And there were even more evil presences surging toward the material world.
"This is already an apocalyptic-scale war. And it's only the beginning..."
The Lord of Ramparts assessed the current situation and knew just how hard it was for humanity to fight Chaos daemons.
Other than the Grey Knights, ordinary Space Marines held no particular advantage against daemons.
He had fought Greater Daemons before. He knew firsthand how troublesome warp corruption was. Ordinary attacks struggled to do meaningful damage.
And that corruptive power, capable of warping reality and triggering large-scale disasters, could slaughter armies across a vast area.
"Can the Savior really hold off that many Greater Daemons?"
Dorn found himself worrying for the Savior, anxious that the man might not be strong enough.
Even if the Savior could defeat him through sheer equipment advantage, it would still be extremely difficult to face multiple Greater Daemons empowered by Chaos corruption at the same time.
Especially since some of those Greater Daemons were old foes who had fought primarchs like Sanguinius before. They were not enemies ordinary warriors could handle.
"He's probably planning to use that blackstone gear against the Greater Daemons. But can human mechanical armor really resist warp corruption?!"
Dorn took a deep breath, sensing the enemy presences and running nonstop simulations in his mind, predicting the number of Greater Daemons and the shape of the coming battle.
He realized that what followed would be an extremely hard fight.
Now he would finally get to see the Savior's real strength.
The man would most likely be besieged by Greater Daemons. Maybe that handsome face of his would get pounded in by them.
No matter what, Dorn did not want the Savior to be defeated. More than anything, he felt worry and anxiety.
While everyone else's attention was focused on the warp rift, he quietly exerted force and slowly began breaking free of his restraints.
"They underestimated my recovery..."
Dorn thought silently.
He was preparing to step forward and fight beside the Savior once the man came under siege, resisting the Chaos daemons together.
Whatever his personal opinion of the Savior, when it came to daemons assaulting the Palace, everyone had to stand on the same side.
For the Imperium.
And if he could take more enemies and more damage in the Savior's place...
Then that too would be a form of atonement.
"The Savior is nervous?"
Dorn stared at the Savior's back and could sense his aura gradually becoming graver.
There were many Imperial troops in the Palace district, yes, but there were more than twenty Greater Daemons.
That many high-level entities could not be stopped by a legion alone.
And as long as the rift remained open, more Greater Daemons would keep arriving, drawn by the disturbance.
Their numbers would rise exponentially.
When that happened, they would only be able to retreat into the Palace's ancient fortresses and resist with difficulty.
Waiting for reinforcements.
Eden really was worried, his face clouded with concern.
"If a Chaos incursion on this scale gets hit with full-spectrum bombardment, I have no idea whether the remaining warp devices and construction facilities can be saved."
He was mainly worried about his losses.
From the New Imperium's point of view, defeating the Chaos daemons while taking catastrophic losses was simply unacceptable.
In his field of vision, more inverted mountains were already appearing. Howling, twisted Chaos daemons crawled down their slopes toward this material realm.
Still more daemons came splashing down from the sky like filthy rain.
A venomous, kaleidoscopic tide of Chaos was forcing its way from another hideous world into reality.
The terrifying daemonic pressure of Chaos had already become almost tangible.
"They're here!"
Behind the Savior, Dorn's eyes sharpened as he stared toward the warp rift. Heavy footsteps began to resound.
His emotions tightened further. His muscles tensed. He accelerated his efforts to break free of the shackles.
Come on!!!
"Heh. Grind your flesh and your loyalty into mince, then season it with just a touch of pain, and that becomes the most perfect corruption."
"You are about to step into the abyss of fate..."
Two Chaos Greater Daemons were the first to fully manifest, their murmuring whispers spreading their names across the air:
Kaerys the Defier!
Valoxis, Lord of Change!
Both Chaos Greater Daemons were powerful, well-known entities in the warp. The instant they sensed a crack in reality, they had impatiently forced their way through.
They wanted to seize the initiative and gorge themselves on fresh, delicious flesh.
Kaerys the Defier and Valoxis, Lord of Change, trampled upon human soil with their daemonic hooves.
A tentacle-slick spear hooked up an engineering hauler weighing dozens of tons, while multicolored fire devoured steel.
Their daemonic might was overwhelming.
And behind them, more Greater Daemons were gradually taking shape, the warp corruption spilling from them nearly tearing the sky apart.
All colors of contamination spread across the ground, causing parasitic, twisted limbs to sprout from the earth.
But in the very next moment, those two Greater Daemons who had first stepped into reality stopped moving.
They seemed... shocked.
???
Where the hell did we just land?!
"This is the human capital? The False Emperor's Palace?"
Kaerys the Defier stared toward the golden dome atop the Himalazians in the distance and immediately froze.
He had squeezed through the rift into reality only because he wanted a place to slaughter, to indulge his love of torment.
And he'd somehow landed right in humanity's capital?!
What absurd luck.
Chaos had not managed to reach into heavily defended Terra for a hundred years.
If he went on a spree of slaughter and pillage here, would he not surely earn the blessing of the Dark Prince?
Chaos surged forward. Great numbers of Greater Daemons were hurrying in.
It was the perfect chance to spread pain and exquisite suffering.
Perhaps the Chaos Gods themselves would soon extend their power into this place.
It would become a feast.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]