Ferrus's casual remark touched upon Blazkowicz's most frequently used tactic. His brother had been employing 'encirclement and relief denial'.
From the Argent Nur-Greenskin War, the first battle against the Psychneueins in the void, to the confrontation with Rangdan on Morse's Horn, all these campaigns utilized encirclement and relief denial.
It was an extremely ancient, yet incredibly effective classic tactic.
"It's effective," Blazkowicz chuckled, explaining why he so frequently used the same tactic: "There are no outdated tactics, only using the right tactic in the right place."
He continuously clicked on the holographic projection, planning the attack, while simultaneously saying, "Encirclement and relief denial is remarkably effective against any unified race with a 'homeworld mindset'."
"Just as the 'difficulty of leaving one's homeland' mindset is deeply ingrained in human thought, you and I are Primarchs, yet still profoundly influenced by our homeworlds. Argent Nur and Medusa are extremely important presences in our hearts."
Ferrus did not refute him; he nodded in agreement with his brother's words: "Just like those stellar nobles who, upon learning that Terra was still under human control, spared no effort to return to their homeworld, exhausting their fortunes to purchase a piece of land."
"The birthplace of humanity has also become an unbreakable chain, shackling the neck of the human race."
"During the Dark Age of Technology, Terra was also an object of contention for various forces. All human regimes wanted to embrace Terra, to be crowned 'Emperor' in the birthplace of humanity."
"Only the most powerful warlords or rulers could secure a place there; countless magnates fell in the struggle for dominance," Ferrus sighed with immense emotion, speaking much more than his usual silent nature.
"Yes," Blazkowicz let out a long sigh, "Terra and humanity have become an inseparable whole. Terra represents humanity, and humanity is Terra. If Terra were lost, humanity would become wanderers scattered across the stars, never again able to unite."
"Any ambitious, idealistic regime, having lost its legitimacy and legal basis, will never be able to unify humanity."
At this point, Blazkowicz couldn't help but think of the Aeldari, a race that had dominated the universe for sixty million years, only to ultimately fall to the maw of Slaanesh.
They were powerful and arrogant, yet could never rise again, because the Aeldari had lost everything.
Their homeworld and all symbolic objects were utterly destroyed by Slaanesh, all Aeldari gods had fallen, and the surviving Aeldari remnants were incapable of great responsibility.
Moreover, the branches of the Aeldari were too numerous, their culture fragmented to the extreme. Having lost their main symbols and gods, it was no longer possible to unite the highly fragmented Aeldari.
"If Terra were ever besieged one day," the conversation returned to its starting point, Blazkowicz's face was wreathed in a smile, his eyes full of playful mockery, as he asked Ferrus in a teasing tone, "would you not go to its aid?"
This was a very sensitive question. If it had come from anyone else's mouth, they would have immediately been thrown to the ground and condemned for treason.
Spoken by a Primarch, however, it was a prediction of crisis, containing sharp strategic wisdom.
"Terra cannot be besieged." Ferrus stiffened his neck, looking up at his brother, his expression somewhat rigid, and said in a low, warning tone, "You'd best say less of such things, lest you invite gossip."
Ferrus was alarmed by his brother's audacity, which prompted him to speak up and remind Blazkowicz to say less of such things in the future.
Terra besieged?
For ordinary people, it was unimaginable. The current Imperium of Man was like the rising sun, slowly ascending in the galaxy, purging all xenos and uniting lost humanity.
Besieging Terra was also something ordinary people could not accomplish; only a Primarch had the right, the ability, and a legitimate reason to rebel, even to reach Terra's doorstep.
And judging from the current state of the Imperium, among the Primarchs with the strength to rebel, no one could be found other than Blazkowicz.
He commanded the prosperous Nur Stars, independent of Imperial oversight. For him to utter such words inevitably led to wild speculation.
"Morlock Guard and Clan Leaders, once we return to the Iron Fist, you must undergo re-education and forget this memory."
Ferrus's tone was stern, his eyes held an unyielding resolve, as he warned his gene-sons: "I do not wish for what my brother just said to be known by a third party!"
"We understand!" The Legion Warriors responded with solemnity, their armor clanking as they moved, taking note of the Primarch's warning.
"No need to be so tense, I don't care about gossip or anything like that." Blazkowicz waved his hand dismissively: "That's getting too far off topic; we are dealing with a war."
"Words are powerful—" Ferrus shook his head, whispering in a low, serious voice, "Rumors can destroy a person."
With that, he stopped discussing the issue and focused his energy on tactical planning.
As it concerned the cooperation of two Legions, the plan had to be meticulously detailed to prevent errors during the chaos and to avoid affecting the friendship between the Legions.
"My Lord, Victor requests an audience." A soft voice sounded, and Sophia's figure appeared gracefully, bowing to Ferrus.
Ferrus, the rough tough man, was quite reserved at Sophia's appearance, quickly responding with the local Medusa etiquette of respect for a lady.
Seeing his clumsy demeanor, Blazkowicz suppressed a smile and said, "Invite him up quickly. It seems he has made some discoveries."
Victor had asked the Iron Men to capture worms to support some of his conjectures, and now that he was requesting an audience, it must mean he had made a technical discovery.
Before long, a portly figure appeared on the bridge. The weapons master Victor's mechanical appendages behind him held a vial of potion and a worm container respectively.
"My Lords," Victor's face showed a hint of excitement. He first bowed, then raised the jar in his hand: "I have made a new discovery here that can support your actions."
Blazkowicz, however, looked solemn and suddenly interrupted, "Is it safe?"
The seemingly unrelated question went straight to the core, revealing the most direct concern.
It was not difficult to guess what Victor had brought; it was most likely some kind of biological weapon developed to target the worms' weaknesses.
Biological weapons were the most unstable, easily inducing mutations and causing new positional changes in organisms.
Safety and stability were the most basic requirements for biological weapons. If these two points were deviated from, the consequences would often affect the users.
"Extremely stable!" Victor's face was alight with excitement as he raised the worm container and explained in detail: "My team has thoroughly studied the worms and discovered their fatal flaws originate from the species itself."
"Ganas Worms are not afraid of mosquito bites; rather, their neural tentacles are interfered with by the special anesthetic fluid secreted by mosquitoes during blood collection, leading to uncontrollable twitching and spasms."
"What is the specific principle?" Ferrus respected science and possessed much scientific knowledge, showing great interest in technological warfare.
"My Lord, please observe this." Victor stepped forward, his mechanical appendage inserting into the bridge terminal, demonstrating the principle to the Primarch.
A complete human nervous system appeared on the holographic projection, meticulously displaying the entire process of worm parasitism, gradually unraveling the mystery.
"The worms will envelop and consume the human's original nervous system, replacing its existence with their own, and finally completely control the host."
Victor smiled, marveling at the wonders of natural evolution: "However, humans and worms ultimately have subtle differences. What humans can resist, worms find difficult to resist."
"Mosquitoes are native Terran species, co-evolving with humans, and have followed humanity into the stars."
"There are multiple gene fragments in the human genome that can resist the anesthetic released by mosquitoes, but worms cannot; they have no resistance to mosquitoes."
The holographic image changed again, showing two double-helix DNAs, revealing the differences between humans and worms.
Within the human genetic structure, there existed codes left over from billions of years of evolution, which constituted everything for human survival on Terra.
The genetic structure of worms was very simple, allowing them to mimic the genes of other organisms, but lacking the traces of natural selection.
The survival of individual offspring often relied on humans.
Humans were the hosts of worms, and also their 'microbial protective suits'; the xenos hid within human bodies, resisting most microorganisms in nature.
Mosquitoes were different; when they drew blood, their proboscis would pierce the sensory nerves, and the injected anesthetic would cause the worm tentacles to spasm.
"This is an inherent biological defect," Victor said with disdain in his eyes, looking at the trembling worms in the container: "It cannot be compensated for by one or two mutations."
"As the saying goes, 'every land nurtures its own people'. In the primitive ecosystem of the world beneath our feet, there are no 'mosquitoes'. Naturally, the intelligent organisms evolved from local life do not possess gene fragments to resist mosquitoes."
"I understand." Ferrus listened attentively and drew a relatively simple conclusion: "Mutation develops branches on an existing foundation to adapt to environmental changes, but it cannot 'create something out of nothing'."
"Yes, My Lord," Victor added, "Mosquitoes are an invasive species. They occupy the local ecological niche, eliminating other organisms with overwhelming dominance."
Blazkowicz understood.
What Victor was referring to was a common problem faced by human colony worlds across the galaxy.
Human colonized worlds were often accompanied by the large-scale extinction of local life, regardless of whether that life was beneficial or detrimental to the ecosystem.
The reason for this was that the insects, rodents, and ants brought by human colonists caused devastating damage to the local ecosystem.
Aside from certain species with strong natural adaptability and extreme viciousness, most organisms found it difficult to survive insect plagues.
Never underestimate insects; they have coexisted with humans and endured human attacks, yet they have tenaciously survived.
These microscopic organisms have long since diverged greatly from their primitive forms, possessing extremely high genetic complexity, even comparable to the current state of humanity.
Understanding this, Blazkowicz felt reassured, and he asked Victor, "What have you gained from this insight?"
Since it was safe and reliable, capable of specifically targeting the worms, it was natural to utilize it quickly; eradicating the Xenos was an urgent matter.
"A biological anesthetic," Victor said, holding up a bottle of light blue liquid. "This is an artificially synthesized agent that I extracted from the biological anesthetic of local insects, and it can be mass-produced."
"Spraying it into the air will allow the agent to penetrate the body, paralyzing the worms' neural tendrils and rendering them incapable of combat."
"I've also improved its effect," Victor said, his round face beaming with a smile, his small eyes fixed on his creation. "To prevent the agent from settling and losing effectiveness, I altered its molecular structure. The agent can remain suspended in the atmosphere for several years, eventually covering the entire world."
"The worms that inhale the anesthetic will not exhibit their primitive violent reactions; they will all eventually become paralyzed. Completely helpless!"
"Good!" Ferrus exclaimed upon hearing this, his Iron Hands clashing together with a fierce clang.
"In this way, our troops' casualty rate will be reduced, and we can completely eliminate the Xenos race with the lowest possible casualties."
He pointed his Iron Hand at Victor, expressing genuine admiration: "Survivors of the Glorious Era, you are truly as the legends say, dissecting the entire world with your wisdom."
"With the biological anesthetic, the Xenos are merely lambs to the slaughter, awaiting the fires of human vengeance to consume them!"
Despite receiving high praise, Victor remained exceptionally serious and knelt before Blazkowicz: "It is King Novick who granted us equality, allowing us to shine again and no longer sink into darkness."
"There's no need for such humility," Blazkowicz immediately stepped forward, helping the Iron Men artisan to his feet, his eyes also filled with approval. "Simply accept the honor."
"I now authorize you to oversee the production of the agent. Once the fleet arrives, all factories will operate at full capacity to produce a sufficient quantity of the agent in a short time, covering all Xenos worlds."
"Share the agent's formula with me!" Ferrus, who was nearby, stepped forward and placed a hand on the Iron Men's shoulder. "My fleet also has factories that can assist in production."
Blazkowicz nodded, not dampening his brother's enthusiasm, and authorized the Iron Hands Legion to produce the agent.
Victor's body was ramrod straight, his plump face very serious, as he nodded and accepted the heavy responsibility, reaching out to transmit the data to the Clan Warrior's power armor.
Unexpectedly, with technical support, the war seemed considerably easier.
In the void where the Ganas Homeworld was located, Warp light flared, and the First Fleet completed its Warp jump, assembling within the star system.
"Magnificent!" Ferrus stood before the viewport, watching the constantly flaring Warp light, unable to help but exclaim, "A fleet of this scale is enough to make any enemy tremble."
Although he was mentally prepared, when he truly saw the scale of his brother's fleet, he was still greatly astonished by its grandeur.
"It's not enough!" Blazkowicz stood alongside his brother, and upon hearing the praise, he did not show pride, shaking his head gently as he said, "The Rangdan are a great enemy of humanity. The mission of this fleet is to withstand the Xenos' first wave of attack."
Ferrus remained silent. In his heart, he once again raised the threat of the Rangdan by several levels, quietly planning to strengthen his Legion's power, awaiting battle with the Rangdan.
When a full-scale war with the Rangdan began, no one would be able to remain aloof; the war would involve the entire Imperium.
Blazkowicz pointed at the viewport, opening a quantum communication channel to the entire fleet: "All logistics warships, heed this command: cooperate with Weapon Master Victor to produce biological agents at full capacity. The necessary production resources are to be requisitioned from the Xenos."
Even before the fleet's arrival, Imperial representatives had informed the worms that a Son of the Emperor's fleet was about to arrive, and they should not be overly alarmed.
They also demanded that the Ganas worms provide material supplies to the fleet, contributing to the Imperium.
The worm Governor readily agreed. The Imperial fleet's arrival for resupply indicated that the Imperium of Man had prepared to make the Shaper Union a part of it.
Both sides, in full swing, began to intensify the production of materials, all of which were gifts prepared for the other.
To counter worm infection, Victor had specially developed some small equipment capable of scanning for Xenos eggs and neural tendrils, preventing them from muddying the waters and spreading infection to the fleet under the guise of supplying materials.
The process went smoothly; the Ganas worms behaved honestly, made no excessive moves, and diligently provided materials.
A month later, as the fleets of the two Sons of the Emperor gradually departed, the Ganas worms' anxieties finally subsided; the Imperium had not discovered any anomalies.
What they did not know was that the departing ships were heading to the Shaper Union's colony worlds, preparing to spread death across the stars!
If the worms had Astropaths, they would have heard from the Warp, all mission feedback of arrivals at their destinations and completed void blockades.
Once all preparations were complete, above the Alien Homeworld, the Iron Man and the Royal Majesty shifted their undersides towards the world below, their main cannons aimed at the Xenos spaceport.
All Imperial representatives on the ground had withdrawn, and Imperial nobles held banquets aboard their ships, indifferently observing the Xenos' destruction.
The Xenos detected that something was amiss; all human warships in orbit had assumed an attack posture!
On the bridge of the Royal Majesty, Blazkowicz sat on the command throne, looking up at the massive holographic countdown, which was about to reach the attack time.
The countdown began when the first ship departed. The moment the countdown ended would be the start of the fleet's synchronized attack.
"My lord, a communication from the surface; should I connect it?" Gates hovered in the air. As the "captain," it provided warship data support during wartime.
Blazkowicz glanced at the countdown; only two minutes remained. It was time to give the worms a formal farewell.
He said softly, "Connect it."
The Governor's holographic image appeared. Although his face was not visible, his apprehension was. He cautiously inquired, "My lord, are your fleet's actions perhaps... disrespectful to us?"
Even now, the Governor was still very careful, avoiding overly aggressive language to avoid angering the Son of the Emperor.
But he saw a difference: the usually arrogant king was now calm, seated on his throne, without a trace of pride.
Wisdom shimmered in the giant's eyes, and his extraordinarily valiant face glowed with divine light. His entire being exuded an extraordinary charisma, and simply sitting on the throne without a word inspired an urge to submit.
The Governor felt that if he had not occupied this shell, with the original human consciousness as primary, he would have knelt now.
"My meaning is that the aggression displayed by your fleet makes the citizens of the Shaper Union very uneasy."
He unconsciously lowered his tone, speaking softly, expressing his delicate dissatisfaction to the giant.
Blazkowicz gave the Governor a friendly smile, watching him in silence for a long time. The sharp gaze made the Governor's heart palpitate, unsure of how to react.
The communication channel was silent for a long time. The Governor felt the vanished arrogance—silence itself was a form of arrogance.
The Son of the Emperor gave no response; actions were language, and that heavy arrogance pressed down on the Governor, making him afraid to breathe.
Then, he heard a sound that made his insect tendrils coil violently!
"Brother," another voice appeared on the bridge, also from holographic communication. "My Legion is beginning its descent!"
The Governor heard clearly, a chill running from his spine to his brain, and a sense of collapse washed over him.
The other Son of the Emperor—Ferrus Manus—had unleashed the Iron Hands Legion, launching an attack on its homeworld!
"Royal Majesty drop pods released!" Blazkowicz spoke, responding to his brother's attack. "Denurian forces will attack alongside the Iron Hands."
He looked at the Governor, saying in a voice filled with extreme disgust, "We are indeed attacking. I have endured your existence for too long, you filthy Xenos scum!"
With that, he cut off the communication.
Rumble!
The sharp, disgusted words became a bolt of lightning, striking the Governor's brain, making it dizzy for a moment.
It stood stunned for a while, then ran out of the great hall like mad. When it looked up at space, the Imperial warships hovering in orbit were releasing countless, dense drop pods from their undersides!
The sky was torn apart, and the Emperor's Legion Warriors, riding in drop pods symbolizing the Empire's anathema, descended from space, shattering the Ganas Worm's illusions.
The ground trembled, and the entire world shook. The Governor's gaze swept into the distance, where the orbital bombardment from Imperial warships rained down on other cities at the edge of the cerulean sky.
"It's over… it's over…" the Governor murmured, stumbling to the ground, his magnificent golden robes scattered like a chrysanthemum withered by autumn frost, the light in his eyes gradually dissipating.
Humanity descended with wrath!
They had long discovered the existence of the worms; their previous actions were merely to buy time, waiting for the fleet's deployment to be completed.
And at this very moment, it was time for judgment!
A wave of desperate powerlessness surged in the Governor's heart. He could imagine that the human army had made thorough preparations, launching synchronized strikes across the entire Shaper Union.
He slowly rose from the ground. More and more of his kin gathered in the council hall, their frantic footsteps masking whispers of fear, as the worms, realizing the situation, prepared to counterattack.
"Activate the city shields! The planetary shields have fallen, we need to protect the capital!"
"Humans are too cunning, they deceived us!"
"Activate all automated weapons, employ all defensive measures to resist the human attack, and await the fleet's return to aid the homeworld."
"…"
After a brief moment of silence, the communication channels were filled with angry roars, curses against the despicable humans, as the army began to organize a counterattack.
Perhaps infected by the determination of his kin, the Governor regained his fighting spirit, quickly running from the front of the hall back to the council chamber, enduring his inner unease amidst the clamor.
Now the homeworld was in chaos. No matter how dangerous the situation, someone needed to step forward, restore confidence, and lead their compatriots in a counterattack against humanity!
"Quiet, everyone!" The Governor hurried onto the high platform, deliberately lowering his voice, his normally elegant tone now only serious: "The situation is dire. Please cast aside doubts and other uneasy emotions; we need calm and rationality."
After his soothing words, the two sides of the hall settled down considerably. The high-ranking officials, who held power daily, found their pillar of support.
The Governor nodded with satisfaction. At least for now, his authority still existed; he was still the supreme ruler, above tens of thousands.
His colleagues had not initiated an impeachment or stripped him of his power at such a critical moment, despite his erroneous decisions.
The ministers, dressed in robes of various colors, all stood solemnly on both sides, awaiting the Governor's speech to address the sudden crisis.
"Now, we need to confront the coming war, a long-premeditated war initiated by humanity!"
The Governor's voice echoed through the hall. He summarized briefly, then made quick deployments: "All combat personnel are to engage in defensive warfare, prioritizing the protection of energy facilities. Under the shield's protection, establish defensive lines to resist the human attack."
"Communication spires are to send out emergency transmissions, conveying messages for the void fleet to abandon other worlds and prioritize supporting the homeworld."
"Everyone~" The Governor removed his mask, revealing his beautiful face, and with an unwavering gaze sweeping the entire hall, he said, "Now is a time of life and death. I ask you to join me wholeheartedly in protecting the continuation of our race."
"Understood!" The ministers voiced their assent, preparing to face the cruel war.
Having received a satisfactory answer, the Governor nodded contentedly, finally adding: "I need to request an audience with Father and Mother. You all must hold the front line for now."
Everyone nodded, then hurried out of the council hall to attend to their respective duties.
Seeing the ministers depart, the Governor also set off for a secret place to seek an audience with the origin of their race.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city, drop pods descended from the sky, announcing the arrival of the Legion. The Emperor's Death Angels stepped onto the planet's surface, bringing destruction to the Emperor's enemies!
The first wave of Iron Hands drop pods landed, and Space Marines poured out, slaughtering the stunned residents nearby with their boltguns, clearing landing zones for subsequent forces.
The architectural style of the Ganas Worms was not towering Hive Cities, but rather city clusters similar to ancient Terra.
In the urban fringe, there were residential areas with a pastoral style, rows of small villas neatly arranged, which indeed had a unique beauty.
"We signed a treaty with you, why are you killing…?"
Facing the Legion Warriors, who descended from the sky with murderous intent like ferocious tigers, an Elder stepped forward and loudly questioned them.
Bang!!!
The answer was a bolt shell, which exploded his waist.
Overwhelming pain surged, forcing the worm to shut down its pain nerves to alleviate the intense agony from its body.
Then, it felt something cold step on its head. Raising its eyes to look up, an incredibly muscular human in combat boots was stepping on its head, a dark gun barrel aimed at it.
"Filthy xeno!"
The warrior, looking down from above, spoke with disgust from beneath the wide visor grille: "Go atone for your sins to the Emperor through death!"
The Legion Warrior forcefully stomped his combat boot, crushing the xeno's body like a watermelon, splattering red and white matter.
A transparent, centipede-like worm slowly crawled out of the spine, struggling to escape.
Its small movements naturally did not escape the Space Marine's keen eye. The helmet, integrated with multiple detection functions, had already been fed the Ganas Worm's biological information, making the xeno as bright as a firefly in the dark night.
The Legion Warrior naturally wouldn't let it go. The flamethrower mounted beneath his boltgun spewed scorching flames, pouring onto the worm.
"Screech~ Screech~ Screech~"
The worm let out a piercing shriek as it was roasted, its transparent body struggling in the flames, its gelatinous surface constantly bubbling, and its neural tendrils turning to ash.
"Without a human body, you low-level creatures can't even make a sound." The Legion Warrior sneered, increasing the firepower to reduce the xeno to ashes.
The Iron Hands warriors, slaughtering the xenos around the landing zone, were not in a hurry to attack the main city. Instead, they purified every inch of land with fire.
Adjacent to the Iron Hands' landing zone, Argent Nur's unique drop pods descended from the sky, carving out a landing zone for the army.
Unlike traditional drop pods, Argent Nur's drop pods were much larger, four times the size of an Imperial drop pod, yet carried no more passengers.
As Argent Nur's drop pods landed, four Doom Slayers or Sentinels stepped out from each side. The upper protective cover sprang open, revealing a composite weapon platform and a shield generator.
The weapon platform consisted of pressurized lasers, auto-turrets, disintegration rays, and solid-projectile missiles, boasting firepower equivalent to a heavy tank.
The shield generator carried by the drop pod could protect personnel within its range, effectively reducing landing mortality.
This equipment was developed by the Iron Men, intended to provide immediate fire support upon landing and protect Argent Nur's scarce combat personnel.
The drop pod weapon platforms opened fire, targeting the xeno dwellings, a wave of missiles carpet-bombing the area, creating a secure cordon.
Not only that, the drop pod's base elevated, and its multi-directional treads rotated, moving to appropriate distances to form an early defensive fire line.
A mobile front line, with rolling treads flattening residential areas and shields deflecting incoming attacks, successfully established a landing zone.
Such an efficient combat method demonstrated technological prowess and industrial capacity; by the time the troops landed, the defensive positions were already deployed.
The xeno city also reacted, activating numerous defensive facilities and raising continental-level shields to protect the city.
The city square split open, and after the bulkheads opened, defensive platforms rose, with dozens of hundred-meter cannons emerging from the ground, aimed at the void ships.
Just then, orbital bombers released from space carriers plunged into the atmosphere, streaking past with supersonic shrieks, dropping dense clusters of bombs behind them.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
To the confusion of the worm defenders, the bombs exploded in mid-air before they could be intercepted, scattering pale blue mists.
The orbital bombers pulled up, leaving the range of defensive weapons, and sped away along the planet's atmosphere.
Ignoring the bombers that left trails of exhaust and sped away, the worm defenders locked onto the void ships, awaiting the charging of their orbital defense weapons.
As long as the void ships were driven away, the ground forces would be isolated, and then troops could be dispatched to encircle and annihilate them.
However, the void ships in orbit neither dodged nor retreated. They simply activated their shields, making no evasive maneuvers, appearing utterly confident.
It was known that no matter how powerful a void ship, facing ground-based firepower often hundreds of meters long and with astonishing power output, it would have to choose to retreat, as the two were not equivalent platforms.
Thinking of this, the worms sneered repeatedly, believing that humans would eventually pay a heavy price for their arrogance!
During a few minutes of waiting, humans launched wave after wave of troops from the void, continuously strengthening their ground forces, and the orbital defense weapons also finished charging.
Just as the operators grinned, about to initiate the firing command, an irresistible drowsiness swept over them.
"Those blue mists are problematic…"
Before they could prevent their eyes from closing, this was the last conscious thought of most Ganas Worms in the city.
Of course, there's a problem with the mist!
That was a carefully prepared potion by the Iron Men craftsman, Victor, designed to put the worms into a defenseless sleep.
The entire city shut down.
Orbital defense cannons continuously accumulated energy but never received the firing command; plasma cannons emitted blinding blue light, eventually detonating in a brilliant blaze.
More orbital defense cannons, under overload protection, cut off their energy supply, and as the energy dissipated, their cooling systems initiated heat dissipation protocols.
The cooling systems of the giant orbital cannons spewed steam, forming localized steam clouds—such a degree of energy accumulation was astounding.
The Imperium of Man was delighted by this situation.
After such a commotion, the orbital defense firepower was temporarily unusable; many internal components of the cannons would be damaged by overload, losing their strategic threat.
The main Human forces descended with their landing craft; the automatic defense weapons' firepower was too weak to shoot down shielded landing craft.
At the Iron Hands' landing zone, large numbers of Imperial Auxiliary Army emerged, their weapons and armor far more advanced than those of ordinary Imperial Auxiliary Army.
Ferrus not only designed armaments for the Legion but also enhanced the military equipment of the mortal forces, making it easier for them to fight alongside the Astartes.
Tanks rolled out one by one from the landing craft, moving to the Space Marine lines, preparing to integrate with the infantry and push forward.
The sheer number of armored vehicles was astonishing; seeing them firsthand was far more impactful than merely looking at data.
The Iron Hands warriors possessed extremely high combat discipline; they immediately surrounded the tanks, connecting their power armor servo-systems to the vehicles, establishing a coordinated heavy infantry and tank system.
Predator, Sicaran, and Kratos tanks, among others, formed a combination of light, medium, and heavy tanks, neatly arrayed on the front line, awaiting the Primarch's command to crush the enemy.
Anyone seeing so many vehicles parked together, imagining the rolling tracks forming an iron tide, would feel their scalp tingle.
Besides Space Marine vehicles, the Mortal Auxiliary Army possessed countless heavy artillery pieces.
As the Auxiliary Army primarily provided fire support, they had fewer tanks and troop carriers, mainly equipped with heavy and super-heavy artillery.
With super-heavy fire support combined with Space Marine armored assaults, it was hard to imagine any enemy resisting such an attack.
When the ground positions were established, a giant emerged from a landing craft, carrying a warhammer and descending onto the battlefield—the Gene-Father, Primarch Ferrus, personally came to command the battle.
His first act was not to enter the established command bunker, but to climb to the top of the landing craft and look towards the Denurian position.
Compared to the bustling Legion position, the Denurian position was relatively quiet, yet operated with greater efficiency.
Those automatic super-heavy artillery pieces extended their four mechanical legs, walked into their designated positions, embedded their mechanical legs into the ground, and injected a solidifying agent to stabilize their base. Ammunition feeders followed in coordination, and automatic machines worked together to quickly establish an artillery support position.
Four trapezoidal anti-gravity fortresses hovered within the position, their void shields merging to form an impregnable defense.
Various defensive and offensive equipment rose from the ground under mechanical power, completing the defensive line, and even laying alloy flooring!
The mortal forces rested at the landing zone, checking their armaments and automatic soldiers, ready to join the battle at any moment.
Ferrus's expression was solemn; those Mortal Auxiliary Army were not simple, well-equipped, impeccably disciplined, and coordinated with calm precision.
He had seen holographic records of the Rangdan Xenocides; at that time, the Nur Auxiliary Army was somewhat nascent, but after the crucible of war, they had now become a qualified and strong army.
Denurian vehicles were also different, having abandoned traditional forms to become mobile fire platforms.
They were miniature trapezoidal fortresses, roughly the size of two Mastodons, hovering in the air using gravity technology, equipped with various heavy armaments, and projecting area shields that could also protect surrounding infantry.
What he saw made Ferrus secretly alarmed, and he couldn't help but wonder: if these hovering vehicles protected the Auxiliary Army, pressing forward with a massive number of automatic soldiers, could the Iron Hands withstand it?
He then recalled his brother's hint of rebellion, and his heart began to pound.
Even the Mortal Auxiliary Army possessed combat power, not to mention the Doom Slayers and Sentinels, who were even more formidable, matching or even far surpassing the Astartes.
During the month of waiting, Ferrus had interacted with the Sentinels; those warriors were very powerful, and due to varying degrees of genetic degradation, the weaker ones could rival Astartes, while the stronger ones had unfathomable limits.
However, there was a fundamental difference between Astartes and the Sentinels.
Every Sentinels received decades, even centuries, of military education; they were highly skilled in combat and possessed an iron will.
Crucially, they were loyal to King Nowick, and at King Nowick's request, they ventured into the galaxy to save fallen humanity, with no sense of belonging to the Imperium.
The Doom Slayers were the same; they came from the stars, had no sense of belonging to a homeworld, and their loyalty to their Gene-Father surpassed that to the Emperor.
Ferrus descended from the top of the landing craft without a word; in a matter of seconds, he had thought of many things.
Did Blazkowicz have rebellious intentions?
He felt a chill spread from his spine to the back of his head, shivered, and dared not think deeper, stopping his dangerous thoughts.
Now was the time to fight alongside his brother; how could he doubt his brother's loyalty?
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Ferrus focused his attention on the battlefield, diluting his inner doubts.
He ordered over the Legion's communication channel: "All warriors check your armaments, prepare to launch the attack."
"The bioweapon has taken effect; the xenos are now defenseless. Depart after readiness is complete, crush the xenos and cleanse this entire world!"
"Flesh is weak!" The Legion Warriors roared their battle cry in unison, a deafening sound.
The Iron Hands, due to their Primarch's Iron Hands, had a widespread practice of bionic modifications within the Legion to enhance their warriors' combat effectiveness.
When a limb suffered irreparable damage in battle, they chose to completely replace the original limb with a mechanical prosthesis, using mechanical limbs to enhance combat power and pay homage to their Gene-Father.
"Legion advance!" Ferrus raised his warhammer, pointing at the towering, xenos-infested buildings, and growled a declaration of hatred: "Let them atone for a thousand years of deeds!"
The Legion, according to the battle plan, relying on armored units, broke into smaller, specialized clean-up forces to purge the xenos city.
Ferrus commanded from the center, fully utilizing his talents to precisely calculate battlefield factors and dynamically adjust troop deployments.
From the holographic map, the Iron Hands Legion resembled a rapidly growing tree, quickly spreading its branches from the root, beginning to cleanse the xenos city.
The worms were defenseless, dragged out of their residences by mortal servants, gathered in squares or open areas for centralized incineration.
The once picturesque city was engulfed in thick smoke, and the worms' agonizing shrieks from the burning flames were incessant.
However, as the army advanced deeper, they began to encounter organized resistance.
Slender Shapers warriors, using urban cover, began to resist the Legion's advance with laser weapons.
"Why did you break the treaty?" they angrily demanded, firing their weapons, using their meager strength to resist the Iron Hands:
"A treaty was signed between our leaders; we lowered our living standards and joined the Imperium, so why are you still attacking?"
The Shapers were filled with grief and indignation, frantically pulling triggers, vowing to defend their happy home to the death.
The Legion Warriors did not respond, instead directing tank fire to destroy cover and answering the questions with bolter fire.
"Mortal soldiers you need not waver; they are no longer our kin, merely bodies occupied by xenos!"
"Their lingering self-awareness is simply because the parasites haven't yet devoured their brains, not a complete replacement."
"These people are beyond saving; everything we do is to tear down a false illusion."
The Legion Warriors loudly chastised why the Shapers could still rise and fight.
Perhaps out of malice, after worm parasitism, they would coexist with the host, attaching to the host's nervous system.
After the Ganas Worms fell dormant, these individuals could still act on their own due to their intact nervous systems.
In their eyes, the Imperium was a treacherous aggressor, launching an invasion without honor, and they were defending their homeland.
Seemingly gaining free will when the worms were dormant, they were in fact puppets of thought, blinded by the illusory harmony they had seen in daily life.
Facing these humans, the Legion Warriors showed no hesitation, delivering death with a single bolter round.
Only death could bring peace to their long-fallen brethren.
Iron treads rolled forward; with infantry-tank coordination, automatic firing points were eliminated one by one, defensive structures were destroyed, and the Legion's advance was unstoppable.
The Shapers were extremely clumsy in direct combat; they were accustomed to assimilation and invasion, lacking a culture of frontal engagement.
Their war weapons were very primitive, using some automatic and laser guns, which could not inflict effective damage on Space Marines.
As the Iron Hands crushed the xenos, in the Denurian position, a vast psychic ritual was brewing.