Chapter 348: Drach'nyen: Wait, Is This Even Human?
Apus Bastion, Inner Corridor of the Third Ring Wall, Core Zone
Under Aglaia's semi-enclosed helm, her raised index finger had been frozen in the air for a full five minutes.
She maintained this command gesture.
Her elite squad, composed of Black Templars, Grey Knights, and a unit of Kasrkin, needed only a few words to maintain silence.
Only such elites were worthy of responding to the most dangerous emergencies and passing on their valuable experience to follow-up troops. She had been entrusted with this team to bring light to areas ravaged by Chaos.
Just like her name, wherever Aglaia went, brilliance would await her.
Relying on her exaggeratedly precise prescience, Aglaia had chosen this ambush location.
The Grey Knights were dispersed in designated positions, led by their Justicar, making final preparations for the counter-ritual.
They removed crimson spirit stones from their tactical belts and began to channel the soul energy sealed within—strategic resources bestowed by Lord Ramesses himself, allowing the warriors to cast spells without sacrificing their own or their companions' psychic potential.
This type of ritual spell could sever the soul's connection to sensory perception, forcing correct sensory feedback onto these junkies, or depriving them of any sensation whatsoever.
It was said that a Thousand Sons sorcerer under Abaddon had mastered a similar spell and used it to blackmail a Slaaneshi warband leader into serving the Black Legion's cause.
Ready!
Aglaia's eardrums suddenly caught a string of eerie whistles, followed by another.
Beside her, a servo-skull carrying an auspex began to display engagement icons on her visor. Detected high-speed movement markers were turning red as they approached.
The entire kill-team instantly entered combat readiness. The joints of every suit of power armor emitted the hydraulic hiss of stored power. The same battlefield data synced across their helmet displays, weapon systems preheated and charged.
Aglaia raised her hand to adjust the kill counter on the left side of her visor. It read 169, a record left from her entry into the previous bastion area.
The image of that fortress standing tall under the onslaught of the Khornate daemon army flashed in her mind. She silently prayed for them, prayed that the bastion had not yet fallen.
The counter reset tone sounded.
A sharp scraping sound suddenly tore through the air, accompanied by the eerie whistle of airflow passing through deformed cavities.
Something emerged from the wide road on the other side of the corridor.
A dazzling helmet, and human skin glistening with oil under the dust.
An Emperor's Child, riding a personal jetbike whose model was unrecognizable due to illegal modifications and flesh wrappings.
Aglaia pressed down with her right hand.
Psychic brilliance bloomed.
A dazzling psychic explosion suddenly erupted. Golden ripples swept across the Slaaneshi convoy in a fan shape. The moment the energy ripples touched those Emperor's Children, who relied on perfectly developed super-senses to break through layers of defense, they suddenly spasmed collectively.
The lead champion, riding a jetbike at 600 kilometers per hour, instantly lost control and crashed into the corridor guardrail like a kite with a cut string.
BOOM!
The vehicle, accelerated to its limit, launched into the air upon impact, embedding itself deeply into the metal wall like a cannonball. The rear end was exposed, the back wheel adorned with blades and monofilament wire spinning like a chainsaw.
Squelch!
A Chaos Space Marine, unable to dodge in time due to sensory confusion, had his upper body turned into meat paste the moment he touched the wheel hub.
Whoosh!
The remaining lower body still maintained a controlling posture. The out-of-control jetbike made a fierce sweep, directly flipping two other out-of-control vehicles nearby.
Flesh and blood flew.
The moment they plunged into this trap, the unbridled convoy collided. Flesh and steel were kneaded into one under powerful inertia, finally turning into ashes in a series of explosions.
If this were in a civilized world, it would be another tragic car accident.
A blizzard of death poured into the passage, more deadly than the falling debris from the ring wall.
Las-bolts, bolter rounds, flickering blue plasma jets.
The warband leader, still struggling with life support, was the first to die, his head and shoulders blown off.
Following closely were the remnants twitching in pain, killed in the same way. Twitching corpses and jetbike wreckage blocked the passage, intercepting all warriors behind, making them live targets for the weapons pouring fire from the ceiling vents.
Corpses fell one after another.
Some Emperor's Children tried to fight back, but when they tremblingly extended their hands, they withdrew them due to the pain of the wind scraping past. Some Emperor's Children whose arms were broken actually burst into tears on the spot.
Meanwhile, a Kasrkin loader not far from Aglaia maintained efficient ammunition supply despite a direct hit to his chest and abdomen.
These junkies could only watch their own destruction under artillery fire.
"Cease fire!"
After ten minutes of precise barrage coverage, Aglaia shouted.
She exchanged a look with Kaldor Draigo beside her.
This Grey Knight brother-captain, unexpectedly promoted to "Grand Master" after the previous Captain of the 3rd Brotherhood died during a mission at the edge of the Imperial Palace, immediately understood.
He quickly leaped down into the hole, followed by other Grey Knights, swords drawn.
The Captain plunged into the pale purple toxic mist, sliding rapidly down the slope smoothed by countless weapons. The psychic field dispelled the sweet scent of corruption. Countless broken bodies in purple and gold armor lay on the slope.
A few were still alive, moaning, struggling to crawl out of the ruins piled up with wreckage.
Draigo would never give them that chance.
Jump packs roared to life. He hovered above these dying ones like the Reaper, psychic lightning drawing deadly arcs.
Upon meeting the Primarchs, they also welcomed equipment upgrades. The Primarchs affirmed their dedication over ten thousand years and hoped they could continue.
And this time, the Primarchs would stand by their side.
Crack~
Screaming souls were extracted in Draigo's vision.
These souls were collected into an hourglass forged by the Primarch. What awaited these traitors to humanity would be long interrogation and detailed extraction of their experiences.
Ramesses did not allow xenos or daemons to intervene in human interrogation, but Grey Knights were not outsiders.
A Paladin clad in magnificent golden armor came to his side.
Draigo's gaze swept over the other's armor.
These members, who had received personal guidance from Lord Ramesses and were entrusted with the mission of inheriting knowledge, could wear this glorious attire and had the right to communicate with Lord Ramesses at any time.
Although Lord Ramesses always said this was to mobilize the Grey Knights' enthusiasm, a commendation any normal organization would have, and told them not to overthink it.
But it was truly glorious!
"No survivors left."
The Paladin replied, holding the hourglass storing the souls of these malicious compatriots.
The last glowing black corpse fell on the ground burning with corpse fat or other biological tissues, emitting a foul stench.
"Secondly, during the initial interrogation, we discovered that other Emperor's Children warbands have launched activities outside the siege of the Pavo Bastion."
Draigo turned around.
"My lady, is the area secured?"
Aglaia asked quickly.
The Grey Knight Captain activated his helmet scanning array. The kill counter in his visor froze at 69, with hundreds more Chaos Space Marine corpses scattered in other areas.
Through the psychic link, battlefield assessment data from other team members was quickly summarized, completing soul collection. In this area with severe warp interference, the Grey Knights' unique psychic talents had a huge advantage.
A total of 252, basically consistent with the command's estimate.
Draigo nodded slightly towards the comms array.
"This is Radiance."
Aglaia pressed the comms bead and said. As the distance closed, her blessed communication equipment could connect to the command center of the Apus Bastion.
"Radiance calling Apus. Is the channel clear?"
"Signal clear, Radiance go ahead."
"Emperor's Children purged. Enemy annihilation confirmed. Investigation shows signs of Emperor's Children warband activity in other areas. Requesting further action instructions. Maintain current leadership strategy?"
"Affirmative, Radiance. Continue purge mission. Radiance, discretion on withdrawal timing is yours. Note: Areas N1 to N19 will undergo orbital bombardment in ten minutes. Evacuate promptly."
"Received, Apus."
Aglaia responded.
Ending the communication neatly, she turned and signaled to the ready warriors.
"To the next location!"
Communication ended.
Far away in the command center of the Apus Bastion, Alexei exchanged a glance with the Dark Angel beside him. Both saw excitement in each other's eyes, without any pressure brought by the Emperor's Children's intervention in battlefield affairs.
The Emperor's Children were in chaos.
This meant their offensive on the Pavo Bastion could no longer be sustained.
The Prince was about to win!
'I am about to lose.'
Before the warp rift in the outer ring of the Pavo Bastion, Fulgrim was no longer his elegant self.
His flawless teeth were now cracked, snow-white long hair billowing in the wind, tips dancing with unextinguished flames, like a burning banner.
The Phoenician surveyed the battlefield.
Dark Angels were slaughtering his Emperor's Children on the plain before the rift.
Those sons of the Lion, guards of the King of Knights, tore his Legion to pieces.
He even found some familiar figures among them, those loyal sons, carrying out cruel and ruthless executions on their former brothers.
More Chaos warriors were fleeing in panic. Shuttles swarmed out of the rift gap, and routed troops scattered towards the edge of the plain.
Fulgrim did not blame these sons.
He understood that feeling.
Looking down, venomous expressions twisted in his pupils.
That feeling of being cut off from everything, falling from the transcendent sky, having to taste his own mortality and the pain bestowed by the mortal world.
He hadn't experienced it for a long time. It would make Fulgrim realize his imperfect side, the side he couldn't accept.
Arthur not only placed himself in it but also dragged everyone else in.
Bang!
Another Emperor's Child fell to his knees, unable to bear the return of his senses.
The Phoenician raised his head, the previous venom perfectly concealed.
He suddenly grinned, revealing teeth dyed pale pink by blood, blooming a chilling smile.
He stared at the Knight before him—
That figure standing independent from the world, detached from all worldly entanglements.
Clearly, he had a desire for beauty, a yearning for the ordinary, a weariness and struggle against worldly disturbances. Yet when Fulgrim came to Arthur with the sincerest emotions and the most extreme experiences, all he got was silent rejection.
Realistic illusions couldn't confuse him, sweet words couldn't tempt him.
No trust, no recognition, no compromise.
This Knight lived completely in his own world and would only act according to the route he planned for himself.
Action was his language.
He held his ground like this, neither advancing an inch nor allowing Fulgrim to cross a millimeter.
Who lives like this? Isn't it hard? Can't you just lie down and enjoy it?
They were the noblest creations in this world and fully had the right to enjoy.
"Ah~ Ah~, so troublesome, so helpless."
Fulgrim stretched his four arms, the daemon sword raised again.
"Let me experience it a little longer!"
He turned into a purple blur and attacked.
"After all, I will forget all this cleanly."
Drach'nyen, the artifact borrowed from his tragic nephew, hoping to establish an advantage but failing to perform at all, also opened the eye on its hilt without anyone noticing, staring fixedly at the unmoving Knight.
It felt no hatred, nor any special quality that could kill him in one blow.
At this moment, it was more surprised and puzzled than Fulgrim himself.
What exactly is this thing in front of me?
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