Chapter 59: 45° to Awaken the Machine Spirit
Omega smacked his lips, savoring the feeling of torturing this "hated daemon," who was so full of malice and had wronged him personally. It was truly satisfying.
This "egg" of his was great in every way, except for the fact that it didn't listen to him. It had given him a whole set of passive skills, but not a single active one. "What am I, anyway?" Omega wasn't sure of his own situation.
A soul's projection in the warp is like a "flame." Its function is like a "water pump." The brighter the "flame," the more powerful the "water pump." A normal person can't use psychic powers because their "power" is not enough to "pump." The brighter the soul, the more likely it is to be targeted by things in the warp. The brighter the soul, the more psychic energy (warp energy) can be drawn from the warp, and the greater the probability that the body will be corrupted and mutated by the warp energy.
His soul was a dark grey, with no "brightness" at all. And he couldn't, like a normal psyker, see the fluctuations of warp energy through "meditation" or "spells." From beginning to end, all he had felt was the "Egg of Omega" and the daemon. Nothing else. And now, all that was left was the "egg."
Omega thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, at least I'm not a Blank. I'm so likable. I have nothing in common with those unlucky sods who are naturally hated by both men and daemons. A normal daemon can't do anything to me. I should be content with that. I just don't know if these three daemons are really dead, or if they'll reappear after they recover their strength. I feel like they're probably dead. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so scared. Now, I have to think about how to deal with the traitor. How dare he scheme against me? I'll kill him, hmph!" Omega (艹皿艹).
Let's rewind a bit. When the psychic detector in Omega's quarantine room detected the daemon's psychic energy, the Tech-Priest in charge received an alarm. But he completely ignored it. Ever since the Grand Manufactorum had been enveloped in warp energy, this machine had been going off from time to time. After a while, the Tech-Priest had become numb to it. But he still needed to awaken the Machine Spirit, to get it to buck up.
Ring the bell.
Light the incense.
Raise the right hand to a 45° angle, and strike the casing.
Awaken the lax Machine Spirit. Let the Machine Spirit pull itself together and correctly perform the work given to it by the Machine God.
Praise the Omnissiah!
(Omega's thought: Hah, it's a world made of slapdash crews, no matter where you go.)
The traitor Magos, still diligently fighting daemons, finally received the reply that the daemon had succeeded. In his joy, his daemon-fighting movements subconsciously became a little faster.
Traitor: Sorry, force of habit...
Omega thought for a long time and decided it was best not to act rashly. This traitor had helpers in the quarantine area, and he was isolated and helpless. If he tried to send a message to the Archmagos, it might end up in the traitor's hands instead, and then he would be silenced.
Omega: From now on, my code name is: Emei Peak.
Fortunately, the last daemon had spilled everything it knew: their plan, their method of communication. Although he couldn't be sure it was all the truth, Omega decided to learn from Regent Guilliman: I'll believe everything a daemon says. This was the way for psychic muggles like him to deal with the lies of daemons.
Daemon: I didn't think he'd believe it all...
"For now, all I can do is wait..."
"Kill! For the Omnissiah!"
"For the Emperor! Kill!"
The vanguard of the Worker-Soldiers and the Astra Militarum had already advanced to within a few dozen kilometers of the Grand Manufactorum. They had suffered heavy casualties fighting their way from the outskirts. They had to attack the daemons blocking their path, and they had to defend against the daemons trying to encircle and hunt them from behind.
Plague-carrying daemon-flies lurked in the rubble, circling in the yellow-green toxic mist. Any lapse in vigilance would give them an opportunity. The daemons didn't need rest, they didn't need food, they didn't even need weapons. Their mere presence was enough to be deadly.
Large, ugly, and disgusting Beasts of Nurgle frolicked happily throughout the area. They liked to make friends, their minds as simple as the dogs of ancient Terra, craving attention. A Beast of Nurgle would rarely tear an enemy apart with its claws and teeth. Instead, it would show a strange kind of affection. Those who were caught would be caressed by its tentacles and licked by its long tongue. But for a mortal, the "welcome" of a Beast of Nurgle was undoubtedly fatal. The victim would quickly be infected with diseases, dissolved by corrosive fluids, or crushed under its body. It was only when the Beast calmed down from its excitement that it would realize its "friend" had become a puddle of pungent pus. At this point, the Beast of Nurgle would feel a tinge of sadness that its "friend" could no longer play, but it would quickly be distracted by something else and forget all about its "old friend."
"The will of these mortals is admirable," a Knight of Iron Space Marine said to his comrade.
A voice, acknowledging, came from the grille of a red-gold power armor helmet. "Few mortal forces dare to face daemons. Those with strong wills are a minority."
"I heard that not long ago, they were all indentured laborers. It's incredible that they could change so much in just over a year."
"Their leader is supposed to be a child, the Fabricator-General's son. When our cousins told me, I thought they were pulling my leg."
"Hahaha," the warrior of the Covenant of Fire said with a chuckle. "The look on their faces when they said it, so serious, and yet as if they had suffered a great loss... it makes me laugh."
"Hahaha, now that you mention it, me too."
"Intelligence from the front. There's a daemon engine, a Soul Grinder. We need to take care of it."
"Alright, let's move out!"
The two Space Marine Chapters would cooperate when necessary, but rarely in the form of a joint task force. This was because their different Chapter cultures could lead to conflict, and a lack of coordination between unfamiliar individuals could decrease, rather than increase, their combat effectiveness. The formation of a Knights of Iron and Covenant of Fire joint task force this time was a necessity. The battlefield required the strength of the Space Marines to pull the nails for these mortal forces, to speed up their advance and reduce casualties. To preserve and conceal their strength, and not to reveal their true intentions to the enemy, they could only expose a small number of personnel to the enemy, with the majority hidden, waiting for when the plan required them. The warriors of the Knights of Iron were equipped with heavy firepower, but they were not as knowledgeable about daemons and the warp as the warriors of the Covenant of Fire, who loved to collect books. Only by forming mixed teams and complementing each other could they maximize the strength of this small force.
Originally, the Chapter Master of the Knights of Iron and the Chief Chaplain of the Covenant of Fire were worried that their battle-brothers would clash with each other and had given each of them a stern talking-to before they formed the teams. Unexpectedly, although their Chapter cultures were different, these warriors quickly found common ground: they both didn't particularly like the Ultramarines. The originally somewhat stiff atmosphere of the team immediately became harmonious.
The Ultramarines (艹皿艹)
In the rear, at the allied command, all the battlefield reports and intelligence were gathered. Ventris sat before a data-slate, quickly browsing through the data, analyzing it in his mind, and issuing new orders.
They had now established contact with the Grand Manufactorum, but the situation there was not optimistic. It was at risk of being breached at any moment. Was it a test of endurance? Or should they divert some forces to give the front line a push? If they maintained their current posture, the Grand Manufactorum might fall before the reinforcements arrived. But the daemonic legions at the warp rift were not moving. Rashly deploying their reserves would have a great impact on their subsequent plans.
After much thought, Ventris decided to deploy the reserves, break through the blockade, and relieve the Grand Manufactorum. The battlefield was ever-changing, and plans could never keep up with reality. To strive for a "complete victory" often resulted in a total loss. By saving the Grand Manufactorum, they would at least not have to fight on two fronts. They could then consolidate all their forces to deal with the warp rift.
"Inform the Astra Militarum, Graham's 201st, Walmani's 11th, Worker-Soldier's 46th, 33rd to proceed to..."
"Report! Intelligence from Inquisitor Griffin!"
"Read it!"
"The daemonic legions are on the move!"
Smack!
Ventris slammed his hand on the table, his eyes burning with a fierce battle-lust, yet he spoke with perfect calm. "Immediately inform all high command, the Tech-Magi, Chapter Master Isaac, and Chaplain Colin to come to the command post!"
Location: The Grand Manufactorum. Position: The city wall. Character: The traitor Magos, still diligently fighting daemons.
Before turning to Chaos: The daemons are attacking me, I'm attacking the daemons.
After turning to Chaos: The daemons are still attacking me, I'm still attacking the daemons.
Did I turn to Chaos for nothing?
It was understandable that the traitor would have such doubts. He had been fighting the daemons so hard lately, harder than he had ever fought before turning to Chaos. Before the daemon succeeded, he didn't want the daemons to breach the wall too quickly, as it would disrupt his plan. So he had brought out all his best gear and fought hard. After the daemon succeeded, he wanted the daemons to breach the wall quickly, so he could continue with his plan. So he had wanted to hold back, but he had been fighting so hard before. If he suddenly stopped, what would the others think? The data wouldn't lie. He didn't want to be suspected, so he had to keep fighting as hard as before.
Useless! All of you are useless! Can't you just try a little harder to breach the wall?! I'm talking to you, you useless daemon! What are you looking at?! Taste my relic hand cannon!
The traitor Magos (╬｀益´)ｺ====
(The unaware Omega: Such a good villain character. After following Chaos, he's turned into a comedy character. This Chaos thing is really weird...)