"Life is what I desire, and loyalty is what I desire; if I cannot have both, I will sacrifice life for loyalty."
Wu Mou stood on the Bridge of the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari warship, his tone impassioned, like a hero in a play about to face death.
He was surrounded by various bombs.
Antimatter annihilation, high-energy radiation, spatiotemporal oscillation—the list went on, and each one possessed terrifying destructive power.
Once detonated, it could turn half a planet into ruins.
"Alright, stop being a great poet."
Old Bird walked over and stood beside Wu Mou.
At this moment, Old Bird's body was no longer as bloated and massive as before.
Many of his bionic limbs had been removed, leaving only a few smooth metallic tentacles behind him.
A faint, cerulean glow emanated from his chest.
It was a small reactor, built using cold fusion technology and implanted in his chest cavity, providing power to the mechanical parts within his body.
After the last version update,
Players on the mechanical path could undergo a secondary awakening by integrating sub-sets derived from the Myriad Transformation Mind Collection.
After the secondary awakening, the abilities of mechanical-path Players experienced a qualitative leap.
Metal and flesh became more compatible, even merging at an atomic level.
The metallic bionic limbs implanted in their bodies no longer needed to maintain a fixed shape; they could grow and change according to their thoughts.
This process only required Players to provide sufficient energy.
Therefore, most Players who followed the mechanical path reverted to their original appearance.
"Don't mess around, I'm recording."
"This is a moment worth remembering; I need to preserve it so that the citizens of the Human Empire can see my bravery and sacrifice."
"By then, they'll be utterly captivated and look at me with adoration."
Wu Mou turned to Old Bird, waving him to move further away.
"Are you sure the footage you're shooting will be preserved after this ship explodes?" Old Bird asked with a frown.
"Don't tell me about uploading to the network; right now, we can only receive, not send, information."
"Uploading data to the network could easily alert the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari of Ghomorra to anomalies, leading to mission failure."
"Once the mission fails, the Human Empire will have to sacrifice lives to open a defensive breach in Ghomorra."
"Don't worry." Wu Mou waved his hand, "I'm a doctor, after all; would I do something so brainless?"
"Later, I'll send out the servo-skull storing the video data."
"This servo-skull will remain dormant in the Webway for 48 hours before self-activating."
Old Bird stroked his chin, "Sounds feasible. Let me be in the shot too."
"How can I be left out of something as cool as this?!"
...
The Drukhari / Dark Aeldari warship traversed the Webway and finally reached Ghomorra, according to its preset destination.
Through the view from the porthole and the sensor data from various parts of the warship,
Old Bird and the other Players saw the dark city that made countless galactic creatures tremble, a place considered more terrifying than hell.
Black suns hung above the city.
They had been shrunk by the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari to a fraction of their normal size, then imprisoned in dimensional pockets to provide light and heat to Ghomorra.
Beneath the black suns lay an endless, magnificent city.
At a glance, countless spires and ports were densely packed and extremely crowded.
And around the city of Ghomorra, there was complete darkness.
Not the darkness of the void, but a complete lack of visual information, a total void.
Outside the city of Ghomorra, there was nothing but endless nothingness.
The manifestation of nothingness visible to the Human eye was complete darkness.
Staring at it for too long, one could feel their soul being sucked in.
Wu Mou and Old Bird both had the most advanced visual modules installed, allowing them to see very far.
Every unobstructed location was crystal clear.
Towering spires and peaks were covered in sharp blades.
This was a city supported by blades, a world constructed with sharp scalpels.
Just looking at the architecture made one feel as if their body would be sliced open.
On the intricate Bridges, agile Drukhari / Dark Aeldari were running.
Attack craft darted through sculpted palaces and fortresses.
An aura of fear and despair permeated the dark city of Ghomorra, seeping into every building.
And the source of this fear and despair belonged not only to the unfortunate captives brought here but also to the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari themselves.
"It's daemons." Wu Mou saw the beings fighting the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari.
"Daemon attacks have been continuously occurring in Ghomorra."
Old Bird frowned slightly.
"No wonder they're building the Dark Throne. It seems Ghomorra's situation is really dire."
After the Great Rift unfolded, the entire galaxy was torn apart; no race remained unaffected.
Half of the Human Empire's territory was plunged into darkness.
Ghomorra also faced various crises, with daemons constantly invading, aiming to utterly annihilate this ancient city.
"I have a plan." Wu Mou said, "What if we conducted a large-scale sacrificial ritual in Ghomorra?"
"You're practically Jia Xu reincarnated." Old Bird gave Wu Mou a white eye.
"A large-scale sacrifice would definitely tear a huge hole in Ghomorra."
"By then, you'll be the war criminal who started the second Webway War."
"As the saying goes, harm to heaven, but not to man; besides, how can the victor be called a war criminal?" Wu Mou chuckled.
"The problem is, if Ghomorra is destroyed, how will we resist the daemon army?" Old Bird asked a crucial question.
"Those soulless beings won't be so obedient as to return to the Warp."
Wu Mou stroked his chin, "You make a very good point, but if the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari lose, won't they release daemons anyway?"
"So, it's better to strike first, give the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari a big one directly, and let them know the consequences of provoking Humans."
"But how do we perform a sacrifice? We haven't learned that." Old Bird said.
"Every profession has its specialization. We can just find some Cultists then, and let them offer Ghomorra as a sacrifice to their gods."
A complete plan formed in Wu Mou's mind.
If successful, Ghomorra would vanish into the endless tide of daemons, never to bother Humans again.
"Let's not, please. The Saint has a plan to repair the Webway. If we let daemons in, and they spread, the entire Webway will be ruined."
Old Bird thought for a moment but still disagreed with Wu Mou's approach.
"If the old Webway can't be used, then we'll find the Three Divine Artifacts, reverse-engineer their technology, and then assemble a Webway excavator to dig a new Webway."
Wu Mou proposed his solution.
If they could acquire the Three Divine Artifacts before Valtosh and master those profound technologies, Humans could build their own Webway.
"We're about to enter the port. Let's discuss it in detail after this mission is complete."
Old Bird stopped discussing the topic and looked outside.
The warship they were on was slowly entering a massive port.
The port already had many ships docked, and the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari were herding terrified slaves off the ships, handing them over to cruel porters to be delivered to various gladiatorial arenas and buyers.
"Present your permits for inspection."
The Drukhari / Dark Aeldari at the port demanded identity verification.
Wu Mou and Old Bird exchanged glances, then had the brain-controlled Drukhari / Dark Aeldari come over and sit on the Bridge.
"We are a raiding party from the Malicious Conspiracy."
The brain-controlled Drukhari / Dark Aeldari appeared completely normal.
The Drukhari / Dark Aeldari responsible for port security did not detect any problems.
After checking the Malicious Conspiracy's permit, they cleared them for passage.
At this time, many ships were already docked at the port.
"Did you bring cigarettes?" Old Bird asked, "At such a crucial moment, not smoking really feels a bit off."
"No." Wu Mou shook his head, and as the other person looked disappointed, he added, "But I brought cigars, and they're special Terra-grade ones. They have a strong flavor."
"Please don't pause like that when you speak next time!!" Old Bird looked at Wu Mou, a speechless expression on his face.
After both lit a cigar,
the metallic tentacles behind them extended like living beings.
They eventually connected to the warship's crystal control console.
Relying on their powerful computing ability, they took control of the warship, directing its turrets towards the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari warships docked in the port.
"Immediately cease your foolish actions, Bloodthirsty Slaughter. In the name of the Supreme Overlord, no fighting is permitted within the port."
"An enforcement squad will board your ship. Do not make any more mistakes, or you will learn how cruel the methods of the Haemonculi are."
The port quickly detected the warship's aggressive intent and issued a warning.
"Is that so?" Old Bird opened communications and replied to the other party.
The port side was silent for a while before a sinister and malicious voice rang out,
"Humans? To think we let you damned monkeys into the port, that truly was our mistake, but this small mistake will soon be corrected, and then, you will know what regret is."
"Hahaha, we won't regret it, but you will. Remember this day, for this is the beginning of Ghomorra's destruction." Old Bird gave the order to open fire.
After the battleship released its first volley of attacks, it was immediately targeted by the defensive turrets set up at the port.
"Truly overestimating themselves."
The Drukhari / Dark Aeldari serving as the port governor looked at the exploding battleship, his voice cold and malicious.
But the next second, a report from a subordinate instantly made his face change drastically.
"My lord, we detected abnormal energy readings. That battleship seems to be packed with bombs."
Immediately after, before the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari could do anything,
A dazzling bright light burst forth from the ruptured battleship, incredibly bright, like a rising sun.
In that instant, all the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari near the port saw their ancestors beckoning to them in the light.
The power of the explosion shook the entire Ghomorra.
Even though the destroyed port was still very far from the center of Ghomorra,
The light of its explosion illuminated the floating pyramid where Vect was located.
A terrifying shockwave swept through half the city, countless slaves and Drukhari / Dark Aeldari turned to dust,
Innumerable buildings were destroyed, blown away, or melted by the terrifying shockwave.
Vect, Ghomorra's supreme overlord, stared dumbfounded at the rising sun.
He was still discussing with leaders of other Kabals how to retaliate against the Humans,
And as a result, the enemy had already attacked their doorstep.
This explosion was not just an explosion; it was also a slap across the face of him, the supreme overlord of Ghomorra.
Vect thought of many things in an instant,
How he would maintain his position, how to organize a counterattack, how to suppress dissidents, and how to rebuild this dark metropolis.
However, this Dark overlord would soon realize he had thought too much.
He only had one thing to consider, and that was how to survive.
The terrifying explosion tore open Ghomorra's outer perimeter, creating a huge breach.
As countless Drukhari / Dark Aeldari were shocked by the Humans' madness,
Human battleships bearing the Aquila symbol warped in one after another,
They poured into Ghomorra's sky through the opened breach.
Fulgrim stood on the Bridge of a battleship, surveying the evil dark metropolis.
He raised his hand, then brought it down, and then spoke a sentence.
"Open fire, let it burn."
Overwhelming barrages of shells, plasma streams, and particle beams covered the entire sky, all falling towards Ghomorra,
Destroying one magnificent building after another, reducing them to ashes,
Turning them into molten iron and flying ash.
Numerous fighter jets flew out, heading towards the blade-covered spires, unleashing firepower on important targets.
The Drukhari / Dark Aeldari's aerial forces also quickly took off, counterattacking the Human air fleet.
"Hahaha, it's finally our turn."
Blood Pigeon piloted a Players-exclusive fighter jet, rapidly traversing the skies of Ghomorra.
Unlike the fighter jets in service with Imperial forces,
Player fighter jets had many safety devices removed, pursuing extreme speed and firepower.
If they crashed, they would have to go back and go through the resurrection process.
Two Razorwing fighter jets targeted Milky Dragon,
They came from the left and right, intending to win with a pincer attack.
"Let me show you my specialty."
Blood Pigeon accelerated, then pulled up sharply and turned,
Amidst the cheers of the machine spirit, the fighter jet changed direction at a 45-degree angle, shaking off the two Drukhari / Dark Aeldari fighter jets.
The two Razorwings turned, intending to re-lock onto Blood Pigeon's fighter jet,
However, as soon as they completed their turn, they saw the Human fighter jet, which had already completed its turn, flying towards them and unleashing firepower.
The two Drukhari / Dark Aeldari pilots' eyes widened, as if they had seen a ghost.
How could this Human's reaction speed be faster than theirs?!
Unfortunately, no one told them the answer.
The next second, their fighter jets were hit by missiles and beams,
Boom! Boom!
Explosions sounded, and two fireballs appeared in the sky, illuminating it.
Blood Pigeon piloted his fighter jet around the explosions and flew towards other xenos fighter jets, his face filled with uncontrollable excitement.
As the Ghomorra war entered a fever pitch,
Alex, who was coordinating logistics on Terra's side, had an unexpected gain,
He leveled up.
Immediately after signing off on a material transfer,
A golden light curtain appeared before him.
[Congratulations on gaining experience, your level has increased.
LV19 -> LV20
Learned Skill: Listen to Prayers (When devout believers pray to you, you can hear their innermost thoughts)
Learned Skill: Warp Blessing (In places where Warp energy is rampant, your power will be enhanced)
]
"These two skills? Why do they feel strange? Listening to the prayers of believers, gaining the blessing of the Warp."
"Why does it feel a bit like the signature moves of Warp Gods?!"
"Don't tell me, I'll wake up in a cold sweat one day, only to find out I'm a Chaos God myself!!"
Alex muttered to himself,
He had previously gained skills like Faith Blessing, and now combined with this Listen to Prayers, it always gave him a bad feeling.
And on the Ghomorra battlefield,
After Alex leveled up,
The Players, who had been stuck at Level 19, also leveled up to Level 20.
"Holy crap, this level is too hard to level up! We finally reached Level 19 after fighting our way into Ghomorra."
"This is ridiculous. At this rate, when will we ever reach max level?"
"Do you think if we reach max level, we can go toe-to-toe with Greater Daemons?"
"Only if we wear top-tier divine gear."
"What skills did you all learn? I got a Man-Machine Unification."
"…"
Seeing the level-up notifications, the Players were excited and chatted heatedly in the chat channel.
Leveling up was indeed getting harder and harder, requiring more and more time.
And, for some unknown reason,
The first batch of people to level up always found it very difficult,
While those who followed found it very easy to level up.
Wrist Bro also reached Level 20 and gained a new skill.
He was somewhat surprised to see the content of the level-up notification.
"Wow, this level-up, I actually gained 'Endless Rage'."
"The description says this skill allows the Player to remain constantly enraged."
"In this state, combat power, stamina, speed, battlefield reaction, and other aspects will be improved, and they can also endure more damage."
"The side effect is that intelligence and sanity will decrease, and it can also be upgraded. The higher the level, the more rage blessing, and the more intelligence decreases."
Warmaster, standing next to him, widened his eyes,
"Combined with your previously mastered Bloodlust and Rage Blessing, won't you be unstoppable? Honestly, tell me, did you sell your soul to Khorne?"
"No need to think, eight out of ten you did." Tenjiro nodded in agreement, "This skill's amplification is too exaggerated."
"It's indeed exaggerated, all skills related to blood and rage." Sea Turtle said.
Twisted person leaned over, "Let me see who sold their soul to Khorne."
"Damn it, you Chaos guys, do I look like that kind of person?" Wrist Bro shouted, "If I were to sell, I'd sell to Slaanesh, who would like a brainless brute like Khorne?"
...
...
Within the Warp,
A massive Khorne Daemon army suddenly emerged from the Brass Citadel, heading straight for Slaanesh's domain.
The Daemons of Pleasure saw the attacking Khorne Daemon army and sounded the alarm,
Immediately after, countless Daemons poured out and clashed with the attacking Khorne Daemon army, fighting fiercely, as if they would never stop until one side was annihilated.
Slaanesh looked at the constantly attacking Khorne Daemon army, a deep confusion appearing on his beautiful face, capable of corrupting countless beings.
Had Khorne, that brute, taken the wrong medicine? Why did he suddenly attack him?
Looking at this relentless posture, had he somehow offended one of his avatars??