The Pilgrimage Expeditionary Force faced an unprecedented crisis.
Besides the powerful fleet of the Thousand Sons, Magnus's potent sorcery also filled the fleet with despair.
The entire void was warped by Immaterium's power.
Tendrils formed from aetheric energy were no less formidable than the claws and teeth of primeval beasts.
Ships were torn apart or crushed into scrap metal.
Some met an even more tragic end, directly thrown into the raging Warp Storm.
This was a one-sided massacre.
"Concentrate fire and punch a hole in the enemy flagship's shields."
Guilliman's order was relayed to every warship, easing the low morale of many soldiers.
They began to focus fire on 'Tizca's Revenge' as commanded.
Magnus quickly perceived the Imperial fleet's intention.
He assumed Guilliman was gathering all firepower to destroy his flagship.
His only assessment of this was that it was foolish.
"Guilliman, Guilliman, you are destined not to escape the trap I have set for you."
Guilliman strove to calm himself, using his superhuman intellect to analyze the battlefield situation and find the weakness of the massive warship, 'Tizca's Revenge'.
With a synchronized volley, the psychic shield was forcibly broken, creating a gap.
On Macragge's Honour, fifty Players, including Bald Donkey (Space Wolves), who had just awakened his psychic powers and was exploring the runic path, Pig Head Strong (Dark Angels), Zack (Raven Guard) who was a Tech-Marine, Krieg (Blood Angels), and Dòu Zǒng (White Scars) (ID: Dòu Zǒng Eats Beans), were waiting.
They would be divided into five small squads, each carrying a Cyclone torpedo warhead, and teleport to Magnus's flagship.
To increase the success rate, Guilliman specially authorized them to wear Terminator armor equipped with force fields.
Terminator Power Armor was extremely precious; for many smaller Warbands, only a Chapter Master or Company Captain was qualified to wear it.
But for Guilliman, these were nothing—if the Pilgrimage Expeditionary Force were to be annihilated here, what meaning would such valuable equipment have?
Moreover, as long as they could successfully return to Terra, even if many Terminator armors were lost, they could be mass-produced again.
The Tech-Priests responsible for maintenance implanted powerful self-destruct bombs into the Terminator armor.
They also temporarily installed detonators for the God Chosen, capable of igniting the Cyclone torpedo warheads.
The ship shook violently, alarms blared, and light tubes sparked before dimming.
With a loud crash, a section of scaffolding fell from the tangled pillars and pipes on the ceiling.
But the crew remained calm and continued their work.
As the order to replace power lines was given, red-robed tech-personnel with Servitors moved swiftly, clearing debris and replacing damaged modules.
Soon, the deck was restored as if nothing had happened.
Such composure easily made one overlook the warships exploding outside, but it was an undeniable fact that the Loyalists were in a desperate situation.
The current predicament was not of their own choosing.
"The enemy flagship's shield has been breached."
At this announcement, everyone paused, then looked with respectful gazes at the many God Chosen on the teleportation platform.
They were about to undertake a suicidal mission.
Bald Donkey felt he had to say something at this moment.
Otherwise, with such a great storyline, if the officials later uploaded related videos to the official website, wouldn't it look bland?!
He raised his axe, and his voice, deep and powerful, came through the loudspeaker.
"We are the Emperor's shining sword, we are the Empire's iron fist, we are united in purpose, we never give up."
"May our broken bodies allow the Light of the Emperor to reappear in the galaxy, for humanity, for the Emperor."
As his voice faded, silence fell, followed by the same roar.
"For humanity, for the Emperor."
Guilliman, standing on the Bridge, watched this scene through the monitor, grateful to Alex for leaving him this group of God Chosen.
He raised his head, looking through the viewport at 'Tizca's Revenge', his eyes filled with fury.
In this universe, the Chaos Gods would not always prevail.
One day, humanity would launch a counterattack, to avenge the blood debts of the past.
Then, the Warp would burn, and all enemies of humanity would turn to ash.
Under the gaze of many Imperial Loyalists, the machines on the teleportation deck roared to life.
The Players were sent to 'Tizca's Revenge'.
The slaughter began.
… … … … … …
The five squads formed by Players arrived in different areas.
These included important areas such as the Engine Room, Bridge, and Ammunition Depot.
The squad led by Pig Head Strong was responsible for the Engine Room—the moment they arrived, enemies appeared, and fierce combat immediately erupted.
Wearing Terminator Power Armor, they charged through like heavy tanks.
Along the way, mortals who had sold their souls to the Warp to survive were all crushed into bloody paste.
Piercing screams echoed everywhere.
Thousand Sons Sorcerers and Red Letter Warriors were powerless before them.
Screaming Daemons of Tzeentch were torn apart by roaring chainswords.
"For Lion, traitors!"
Pig Head Strong roared, punching a Thousand Sons Sorcerer and blowing his head apart.
Then, he pulled the trigger, firing the large-caliber bolter mounted on his arm.
A dense barrage of bullets poured out, instantly pulverizing two Red Letter Warriors.
"No wonder Abaddon wears Terminator armor all the time, this combat power is too fierce!"
"Slaughter, slaughter!"
"Who else? I want to ask who else? Come out, all of you, and feel fear and despair."
"…"
The Players were exhilarated, their powerful Terminator armor absorbing enemy fire, allowing them to slaughter their way to their objective.
Countless Cultists, horned beasts, and Daemons of Fear fell before them.
They forged a bloody path, littered with bubbling blood, shattered corpses, and steaming pus.
As they neared the Engine Room, a terrifying beast of flesh and steel appeared before them.
It had six piston-driven armored legs, like a heavy tank.
Each step it took caused a brief tremor, dripping rust and pitted metal fragments mixed with crude oil from its body.
Thick smoke and steam billowed from every joint and crevice.
Within its body, pieced together from armor plates, raged an unending roar of fury and hatred.
Perched atop the heavy steel tank was a creature—a blue-skinned giant piloting a malevolent vehicle.
The creature was welded to the heavy tank beneath it, with a long, buffalo-like head sprouting a mass of intricate, branching horns.
The blue-skinned creature's hands were replaced by giant, pincer-like claws.
Arcing sparks continuously flashed between the opening and closing blades.
"Is that a Soul Grinder?" one Player exclaimed.
"Look at that resentful expression, it must be a Soul Grinder who took out high-interest loans and had no choice but to sell himself to a Chaos Blacksmith," another Player quipped.
Soul Grinders were the armored vanguard of Daemon Legions.
Their twisted metal shells were protected by immaterial, supernatural energy.
Except for the most powerful anti-tank weapons, no other weapon could harm them.
Soul Grinders' weapons were forged by Chaos Blacksmiths, imbued with the evil magic of the Warp, capable of unleashing surging Warp flames.
Besides these weapons, Soul Grinders could also unleash evil energy that distorted physical laws.
With the appearance of the Soul Grinder, a group of Red Letter Warriors and Thousand Sons Sorcerers also charged forward.
Daemons of Tzeentch and Daemons of Fear also howled, blocking the Players' retreat.
"Looks like this is where we die, but it's close enough to the Engine Room. Detonating here will blow up the Engine Room too."
"Everyone, charge! For MVP!"
Pig Head Strong roared, and the other Players also howled.
After setting the warhead's detonation sequence, they charged at the enemy, continuing the slaughter.
Pig Head Strong leaped, rushing towards the Soul Grinder, his chainsword roaring as he brought it down.
The high-speed rotating blade was blocked by the creature, emitting a clanging collision sound.
The Soul Grinder swung its piston-driven claw, forcing Pig Head Strong to retreat and dodge the fatal blow.
Several Cultists seized the opportunity to pounce.
The foremost one had his head blown apart by Pig Head Strong's punch.
Then, he swung his chainsword, tearing apart the fleshy bodies of many Cultists.
The Soul Grinder seized the chance to charge, swinging its iron claw at Pig Head Strong.
The claws were incredibly sharp and imbued with the evil power of the Warp.
The Terminator armor was torn open like thin paper, crimson blood flowed, and internal organs spilled out.
"Cough! Cough!"
With his last ounce of will, Pig Head Strong plunged his chainsword into the creature's blue body, tearing open a fatal wound.
"I can't win, but you won't either," Pig Head Strong grinned.
Then, before the creature could respond,
The bomb embedded in the Terminator armor exploded.
Blinding light consumed everything, engulfing nearby Cultists and Daemons, reducing them to ash.
The other Players fought fiercely, continuously battling amidst the tide of enemies.
Then, one after another, they fell, taking surrounding enemies with them in their self-detonation.
The Cyclone torpedo warheads also underwent terrifying explosions after their countdown ended.
Surging flames consumed everything.
—
"You demon, how dare you show off in front of me? Take my Great Buddha Heavenly Thunder!"
Bald Donkey held a dripping chainaxe in one hand and unleashed torrents of violent lightning with the other.
As a Rune Priest of the Space Wolves, Bald Donkey's psychic powers were not weak.
Although inferior to Tenjiro, he was still one of the top Players.
The violent lightning swept across, instantly turning enemies into scattered charcoal.
Meanwhile, his Player companions were also cutting down enemies one after another.
When the battle ended, the platform was littered with dismembered limbs.
In front of the platform was a magnificent steel gate.
"Ahead is the Throne Room where Magnus is located."
Bald Donkey's tone was calm, and the Players beside him were also covered in wounds.
The timed torpedoes were placed in a hidden corner, counting down.
The HUD display built into Bald Donkey's helmet showed that several other Player teams had successively been eliminated.
The carried Cyclone Torpedo warheads were also detonated in sequence, causing immense damage to the battleship and rendering it incapable of further combat.
Bald Donkey said, "This is the first super BOSS battle we're facing, brothers. Let's get our spirits up. We don't expect to defeat the evil Magnus, but we hope to figure out his attack mechanisms to prepare for future Strategy of this Daemon Primarch."
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Kill Magnus, that red-skinned, one-eyed Ogryn!"
"For victory, for glory."
"..."
The Players shouted in unison.
The heavy steel gate opened.
The excited Players filed in.
Inside, it was empty, with only a few Thousand Sons Sorcerers and a massive, long-haired red giant holding a scepter.
Hearing the Players enter, they turned their heads to look.
Magnus's face was distorted with rage.
He had thought it was a sure thing, that he could play with that big idiot Guilliman to his heart's content.
But his flagship had been boarded by these guys who had no threads of fate and couldn't be foreseen.
This was simply a disgrace, an indescribable disgrace.
Bald Donkey pointed his battle-axe at the massive Magnus, his voice cold.
"Do you dare to fight me, one-eyed Ogryn?"
The Thousand Sons Sorcerers nearby gasped.
Good heavens, is this a God Chosen of Khorne?
What kind of astonishing wisdom allowed him to dare to challenge a demigod?!
Magnus's eyes were cold, and an indescribable fury burned in his chest.
Bald Donkey charged, and the other Players followed.
Suddenly, a violent arcane radiance erupted from Magnus's body, instantly knocking them to the ground.
The fallen Bald Donkey was disoriented and, before he could recover, was pulled by a force in front of Magnus.
He was lifted by the other party and then slammed violently onto an armor-covered knee.
The sound of a breaking spine echoed in the empty Throne Room.
"F*ck!"
This was Bald Donkey's only thought.
His spine was broken; he couldn't get up.
"Your remaining life will be filled with torment and pain," Magnus stared at Bald Donkey on the ground.
When the other Players rushed over, Magnus unleashed surging flames, engulfing them all and turning them to ash.
Even the impact generated by the Players' self-destruction was completely annihilated by him, turning into nothingness.
In this universe, only another Primarch could defeat a Primarch.
"Magnus, you're just a one-eyed Ogryn," Bald Donkey said, "No, I misspoke, your brain is even worse than an Ogryn's."
Magnus raised the scepter in his hand, and its sharp tip plunged into Bald Donkey's abdomen, piercing through his body.
Bald Donkey coughed up blood while giving a middle finger.
"Is that all you've got?"
"No need to rush, I have plenty of time to torment you," Magnus said coldly.
"Not necessarily," Bald Donkey smiled.
Then, a terrifying explosion sounded as the pre-set Cyclone Torpedo warheads detonated, and a surging shockwave and flames rushed into the Throne Room.
"No!" Magnus's expression changed.
Because these guys had no threads of fate, Magnus couldn't predict what they had done.
Even if they had pre-set bombs, he couldn't observe them with his precognitive abilities.
Magnus raised a psychic shield to block the shockwave and flames from the explosion.
Bald Donkey took advantage of Magnus's distraction and decisively detonated his internal bomb.
In an instant, a terrifying explosion swept through everything.
When everything settled, the bodies of Bald Donkey and the others had all turned to ash, leaving only charred Terminator fragments.
Magnus tried to capture Bald Donkey's soul but found nothing.
"The Imperium has launched a counterattack," a servant nearby said.
Magnus looked outside the Throne Room; Guilliman's flagship, Macragge's Honour, was wreaking havoc.
It was slaughtering the Thousand Sons Legion's warships with its powerful firepower.
One warship after another turned into fireworks in the void, burning brilliantly.
"Damn it!" Magnus roared in fury, intending to stop Guilliman.
But his flagship, 'Tizca's Revenge,' had suffered multiple damages.
The Cyclone Torpedo explosions had destroyed many areas and caused the deaths of numerous servants.
Psychic energy surged, and the battleship was self-repairing its wounds.
But all of this required time, and until the repairs were complete, it could do nothing.
The Imperial loyalist fleet gained a breathing space.
After severely damaging the Thousand Sons Legion's fleet, Guilliman began to order a retreat.
Once the enemy recovered, they would be in danger again, so they had to leave promptly.
"Guilliman!" Magnus watched the Imperial fleet open a Warp rift and leave, roaring with rage.
The supposedly perfect plan had flaws; the remaining loyalist fleet was larger than imagined.
"You won't escape, Guilliman, you won't escape."
Magnus roared repeatedly, as if on the verge of madness.
...
In the low orbit of the Sintilla Hive World.
The Imperial Glory was docked at an empty berth.
Work ships and supply vessels glided past the spires of the superstructure, like worker bees feeding and tending to a bloated queen bee.
In the Lighthouse Control Room of the Imperial Strategic Room,
According to the pre-arranged time and method, Alex contacted Scalp, who was lurking on Las Forge World.
The quantum engine roared, and the emotional telepathy field projected Scalp's figure, the image remarkably clear, as if the two were communicating face-to-face.
The mission assignments for their stealth team were very clear.
One Player was to communicate with the loyalists on Las Forge World, informing them that reinforcements were about to arrive and to avoid unnecessary sacrifices.
The other Players were to disperse to various locations, collect intelligence, and prepare for sabotage.
"You're saying the rebels are researching something called the Paradox Engine, intending to use it for evolution and ascension?"
Alex looked at Scalp's projection and asked.
"Yes, Guide, legend has it that this thing is an ancient artifact excavated by humans during the Dark Age of Technology, possessing incredible power."
"Not only can it Guide ships through the Warp, but it can also allow people to devour and control Warp energy, achieving sublimation."
Scalp relayed all the intelligence he had gathered to Alex.
The most crucial part was the Paradox Engine the rebels were researching.
As long as they could successfully research this item, the rebels believed they could secure victory.
"I understand; you've done very well," Alex said. "Continue to lie low and find a way to infiltrate their ranks."
"These rebels, besides causing rebellion, are also colluding with xenos. We need more detailed intelligence to carry out targeted actions."
"Understood, Guide, I will definitely complete your mission," Scalp promised solemnly.
"Good. If you can successfully gather all the rebel intelligence and know which xenos they are colluding with, I will personally welcome you back when you return."
Alex's words made Scalp's eyes widen, his heart pounding with excitement.
"Personally welcome me back."
Didn't that mean that as long as he could successfully uncover all the enemy's intelligence,
He would have a chance to receive the eagle medal upon his return.
"Willing to go through fire and water for you, without hesitation."
After Scalp in the projection made his vow again,
The communication was cut off.
The field shut down, and the surroundings plunged into darkness.
As Alex got up, ready to leave,
A golden light screen appeared out of thin air, giving him a new mission.
[Mission: Acquire the Paradox Engine.
This is a Warp engine created by a mad human scientist using ancient xeno technology. Once activated, it can grant incredible power, allowing for the sublimation of flesh and soul. Using it to perfect Lighthouse technology is an excellent choice.
Reward: Large amount of Faith Points, Lighthouse 2.0 (Players can dispel negative statuses and gradually restore health when near the Lighthouse) (Ordinary people can dispel negative statuses when near the Lighthouse).
]
"Good heavens, they're going to make the Lighthouse a fountain, aren't they!"
Alex grumbled as he read the description of Lighthouse 2.0.
Despite his complaints, he was still full of motivation.
With a fountain, fighting would be much more enjoyable.
If you couldn't win, you could just teleport back to base, heal up, and go out again.
It was somewhat like the Necrons's cheesy fighting style.
When destroyed, they would immediately teleport back to reconstruct.
After recovering, they would re-enter the battlefield.
Having obtained detailed intelligence from Scalp and confirmed that the Players had made contact with the local loyalists, Alex issued the war order.
"Let the blood of the enemy flow into the void. In the Light of the Emperor, Las Forge World shall return to the Imperium's hands."