Deep within the temporary command post of the Salamanders, after the relentless overnight efforts of the Apothecaries and Tech-Sergeant, the faint hum from the stasis field generator in the strictly quarantined medical area finally changed.
Luna's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was an unfamiliar, metallic-sheened ceiling and soft lighting. She felt pain throughout her body as if it had been dislocated, especially in her chest and head, where dull aches constantly radiated, yet her consciousness was clearer than ever before. She tried to move her fingers, and a wave of weakness immediately surged over her.
"Lady Luna! You're awake!" A Salamanders medical servitor guarding nearby immediately issued a mechanical alert, simultaneously transmitting the information.
Soon, the medical curtain was pulled back, and Sergeant Gorden and Kaldor quickly appeared by the bed. Seeing Luna's eyes open, though her face was still pale and weak, her gaze had returned to its usual calmness. The tight strings in both of their hearts finally relaxed.
"Luna! How do you feel?" Gorden's voice carried a rare urgency and concern.
"Sergeant... Kaldor..." Luna's voice was a bit hoarse and weak. She tried to sit up but was gently pressed down on the shoulder by Gorden.
"Don't move, you're badly injured and need to rest," Gorden said, his brows furrowed as he looked at the various monitoring lines connected to Luna and the wounds still covered with healing gel. "That was truly a close call."
Kaldor also nodded. Although he didn't speak, the relief in his eyes was evident. Tech-Sergeant were the indispensable eyes and brains of the squad, and Luna's safety was of paramount importance to them.
"Dorian... he..." Luna's memory was still stuck on the Thunderhawk's crash and the blurry fragments that followed.
"That bastard is incredibly lucky!" Gorden's tone was complex, containing both lingering fear and a hint of pride. "He took down a Nurgle monster by himself, though he also got himself seriously injured. He's still lying over there, but the Apothecaries said he's not in critical condition. It's just that his Terminator armor is completely scrapped."
Luna let out a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, and the light from her bionic eye flickered faintly, seemingly performing some internal self-check.
Just then, the command post's adjutant—a Salamanders officer of similar tall stature, resolute face, and dark skin—walked over quickly. His face showed a hint of excitement, but he still maintained the composure characteristic of a soldier.
"Sergeant Gorden, Brother Kaldor, Tech-Sergeant Luna, good news!" The adjutant's voice was loud. "The three squads we sent earlier to destroy the Necrons barrier have just sent back a message! They successfully destroyed a major node!"
This news invigorated Gorden and Kaldor.
"Not only that," the adjutant continued, his voice tinged with excitement, "due to the weakening of the barrier, we just briefly received a message from the 'Macragge's Honour' in orbit above! Chapter Master Calgar has been informed of the situation here and has dispatched Captain Sicarius, leading the entire 2nd Company aboard the strike cruiser 'Heart of Courage,' which is now racing here to provide support!"
Reinforcements were coming! And an entire fully-staffed company!
However, to the adjutant's surprise, Sergeant Gorden's face did not show much joy after hearing this news; instead, his brows furrowed even more deeply.
"The 2nd Company is coming..." Gorden murmured, his voice filled with deep concern. "I hope they don't repeat our mistakes. If they, like us and the 6th Company, are scattered by Necrons anti-air fire during the drop, falling into these ruins full of metal skeletons and rotting monsters, and lose contact... that would only increase casualties."
He had witnessed the precision and lethality of Necrons gauss weapons and had personally experienced the isolation and helplessness after communications were cut off. Large-scale support was good, but how to deploy safely and effectively into the battlefield was the key.
The Salamanders adjutant seemed to understand Gorden's concerns and said in a deep voice, "Trust Captain Sicarius and the brothers of the 2nd Company; they are experienced. Moreover, the barrier nodes are being removed one by one, and the situation will get better and better." After speaking, he performed an Aquila salute and hurried off to attend to other matters.
After the adjutant left, the medical area temporarily fell silent. Kaldor watched the tall figure of the adjutant leave, especially his skin, which appeared exceptionally dark and shiny under the lights. A question that had been bothering him for a long time, somewhat out of place with the current tense atmosphere, couldn't help but surface.
"Sergeant," Kaldor asked in a low voice, his tone pure curiosity, "why are the Salamanders brothers' skin... black? I remember their homeworld, Nocturne, has strong stellar radiation, but it shouldn't be to the extent of..."
Gorden was momentarily stunned by Kaldor's sudden question, then chuckled and shook his head, the tense atmosphere easing slightly. He thought for a moment and said, "I'm not entirely sure of the specific reason. It's said to be related to their Primarch, Lord Vulkan. I once heard an old brother from the Honor Guard mention it during a casual chat; Lord Vulkan himself had skin as dark as obsidian, like molten lava at night, tough and full of power. His sons, perhaps, largely inherited this trait of his."
Kaldor nodded thoughtfully. The morphological characteristics of a Primarch directly influencing their descendants was not uncommon among the Astartes, such as the famous... side effects of the Blood Angels. The dark skin of the Salamanders warriors might just be one of the outward manifestations of their origin from that Primarch known for his resilience, benevolence, and craftsmanship.
Just then, Gorden's power armor communicator suddenly emitted a signal alert that was much clearer than before! Although it still contained some interference noise, effective communication was now possible!
"The signal is stronger!" Gorden immediately reacted. "It must be that the Salamanders brothers have successfully destroyed another barrier node!"
He immediately tried to adjust the frequency and called the 7th Company's internal channel: "This is Sergeant Gorden of the Second Squad! Calling any unit of the 7th Company! Respond if you hear me!"
After a brief static noise, a familiar and steady voice, now tinged with urgency and background gunfire, abruptly cut into the channel:
"Gorden?! This is Cassius! (7th Company Captain) You're alive! That's great!" The 7th Company Captain's voice was clearly surprised, but then he spoke rapidly, "The situation here is complex! We encountered and linked up with some of the Salamanders brothers, as well as the three squads they sent to destroy the barrier! We are jointly attacking the second barrier node!"
Loud explosions and the roar of Bolters came through the channel; clearly, the battle was exceptionally fierce.
"But!" The 7th Company Captain's voice rose a few notches. "We are being fiercely obstructed by large numbers of Nurgle Plague Marines! These damned rotting things seem endless! We haven't suffered any casualties yet, but we're firmly bogged down here and can't advance quickly! We desperately need support!"
Almost simultaneously, another even louder voice, full of confidence and killing intent, also forcefully cut into the channel; the signal seemed to be coming from orbit:
"This is Captain Sicarius of the 2nd Company! Brothers of the 7th Company! Brothers of the Salamanders! Hold on! The 'Heart of Courage' has arrived in the 'Mona Lisa' orbit! Give me your exact coordinates and battlefield situation! My warriors are already thirsting for battle! Ready to drop at any moment to crush all those iron lumps and rotten fleshy things!"
The 2nd Company had arrived! And judging by Captain Sicarius's excited tone, they were ready to jump into battle at any moment!
Gorden and Kaldor exchanged glances, both seeing excitement and a glimmer of hope in each other's eyes. Reinforcements had not only arrived but also seemed capable of effective communication and coordination! This meant that the trumpet of counterattack might truly be about to sound!
"Captain! This is Gorden! We are at the temporary command post established by the Salamanders; coordinates sent! Repeat, coordinates sent! Luna and Dorian are receiving treatment here, no immediate danger to life!" Gorden immediately reported the situation.
"Received! Gorden, protect the wounded and the command post! Captain Sicarius, prioritize supporting Captain Cassius and his men! Destroying the barrier is key!" Chapter Master Calgar's voice also briefly and clearly cut into the channel, issuing the highest directive.
"Understood! Chapter Master! 2nd Company! Prepare for drop! For Macragge!" Captain Sicarius's battle-hungry roar, like thunder, transmitted through the communication channel, seemed to already bring the scent of victory.
Hope, with the restoration of communications and the arrival of reinforcements, was finally no longer a faint spark but had transformed into a blazing inferno!
The 'Heart of Courage,' like an angry metal giant, hung suspended in the shattered orbit of the 'Mona Lisa' star. Below its hull, dozens of drop pods, like separating beehives, trailed fiery exhausts, precisely and unhesitatingly plunging towards the atmosphere, targeting the critical barrier coordinates provided by the Salamanders and the 7th Company.
This drop was no longer the aimless, passively-beaten, scattered landing of before. With partially restored communications, clear objectives, and a rough map of enemy anti-air fire, the 2nd Company's drop was orderly and highly targeted. Drop pods slammed into the areas where the Necrons barrier generators were located like hail. Upon impact, their doors exploded open, and the high-spirited 2nd Company warriors, clad in blue power armor, roared out, their Bolters, plasma weapons, and meltaguns immediately unleashing devastating firepower on any non-Imperial targets around them!
At the same time, three silver-grey figures did not take drop pods; they descended in a more direct and awe-inspiring manner—leaping directly from the doors of low-flying Thunderhawk Gunships, like three falling meteors, crashing heavily into the most densely packed areas of Plague Marines! These were Moreno, Valerius, and Kaldor, three Grey Knights!
Their arrival immediately changed the ecology of the battlefield.
The Plague Marines' troublesome, almost immortal regenerative abilities became a clumsy joke in front of the Grey Knights. Kaldor's Nemesis Force Sword was like the grim reaper's fingertip; each swing brought a pure, chilling psychic glow. A Plague Marine charging with a plague flail didn't even have time to wail before being cleaved in two from top to bottom by a brilliant sword light, the foul flesh and pus at the cut instantly vaporized and purified upon contact with the psychic flame!
Valerius was even more ferocious. The Nemesis Daemon Hammer in his hand gathered immense psychic energy, emitting a dazzling light like a small sun. He faced four Plague Marines charging from different directions without fear, even letting out a low, battle-cry filled with holy wrath! The Daemon Hammer swept out, and one Plague Marine was directly smashed apart, turning into a splattering, then purified, cloud of foul dust! Another tried to entangle him with mutated tentacles but was met with a backhand hammer from Valerius, smashing both tentacles and half its body into pulp! The remaining two were also completely "purified" within a mere ten minutes under his storm-like assault, leaving not even a trace!
And Captain Moreno stood in the center of the battlefield. He did not rush to kill but diffused his powerful psychic energy like ripples. A pure, cold, and absolutely orderly mental field spread out from him as its center. Wherever it passed, the nauseating, mind-corroding Nurgle stench that permeated the air rapidly dissipated and faded as if filtered by an invisible purifier! In its place was an atmosphere of solemnity that calmed the mind and strengthened the will. This not only greatly alleviated the discomfort of the surrounding Imperial warriors but also, to some extent, weakened the corrosive influence of Nurgle's power.
The overwhelming power of the Grey Knights, demonstrating absolute dominance over the forces of Chaos, immediately attracted the hatred and attention of all Plague Marines. These creations of Chaos let out angry and pained gurgles, turning their attention, abandoning their previous opponents, and surging like a tide towards the three silver-grey figures!
They foolishly believed that sheer numbers and regenerative abilities would be enough to overwhelm these three "insignificant" opponents.
But they were gravely mistaken.
Valerius was like an unstoppable fortress; every swing of his Nemesis Daemon Hammer carried a psychic storm that purified everything, smashing approaching Plague Marines, man and weapon, into their most basic particles. Kaldor, on the other hand, transformed into the most precise dance of death; the Nemesis Force Sword in his hand seemed to possess a life of its own. Every thrust, slash, parry, and cut inevitably resulted in a Plague Marine's limb or core being separated and purified. His movements were elegant and efficient, as if he were not killing but performing a sacred ritual of purification.
Any filth, any plague, any of Nurgle's "blessings," upon contact with the Grey Knights' incomparably pure psychic energy, met their nemesis, instantly dissolving and evaporating! Their perverse regenerative abilities lost all meaning in the face of absolute power and counteraction.
As the Grey Knights firmly attracted and efficiently purified Nurgle's main forces, the pressure on the 2nd Company, the remaining units of the 7th Company, and the Salamanders warriors significantly decreased. They were able to concentrate all their firepower on the cold Necronss.
Meanwhile, one piece of good news after another came through the gradually recovering communication network:
"Zone Z barrier point destroyed! Repeat, Zone Z point destroyed!"
"This is the 6th Company's Third Squad! We have made contact with Captain Hecter! We are running low on ammunition, personnel are fatigued, but no casualties!"
"7th Company's Fifth Squad reporting! Linked up with Captain Cassius! Currently moving to the designated rallying area!"
"...Zone E barrier generator overheating! It's going to explode! Success!"
One Necrons barrier node after another was forcibly destroyed by brave warriors using meltabombs, plasma cannons, and even chainswords and Thunder Hammers! The communication jamming network shrouding the planet was rapidly collapsing.
7th Company Captain Cassius's voice once again clearly resonated across all channels, carrying an uncontrollable excitement: "All brothers of the 7th Company, 6th Company! This is Cassius! If you are low on ammunition or need to rest, immediately move towards the temporary command post coordinates provided by our Salamanders comrades! There is resupply and medical aid there! Brothers who can still fight, rally to me, or continue attacking the remaining barrier points! Victory is within reach!"
The Ultramarines, scattered in various places and holding on for so long, almost shed tears upon hearing their Captain's voice and clear orders. They immediately sprang into action; those who could fight picked up their dwindling weapons and charged towards the nearest still-contested barrier points; the wounded or those out of ammunition supported each other, moving towards the safe haven of hope.
Without the barrier's shielding and the powerful interference of Nurgle's forces, the Imperial forces finally began to demonstrate their inherent organization and coordinated combat capabilities. The accumulated wrath of the warriors erupted completely!
"For Macragge! For the Emperor!"
"Burn those iron bones!"
Bolter fire, plasma, melta, laser... various forms of firepower rained down on the Necrons lines. Stripped of their numerical advantage and the protection of their eerie abilities, these cold metal undead began to retreat steadily under the unified onslaught of the Astartes! Necrons Warriors were blown to pieces, Destroyers had their cores burned through by meltaguns, and Tomb Blades exploded under concentrated fire!
The dawn of victory seemed within reach. Necrons' psychic nodes were being dismantled one by one, communications rapidly restored, warriors regrouped, and the Necrons' offensive gradually crumbled under the coordinated counterattack of Imperial forces. Even the troublesome Plague Marines were reduced to ashes in swathes by the Grey Knights' unparalleled purifying power.
However, just as the situation looked promising, Captain Moreno, who had been fighting with icy calm, slightly turned his beaked helmet, as if sensing the invisible yet deadly information in the air. His powerful psychic perception caught the turbulent undercurrents beneath the surface.
"No..." Moreno's rigid, cold voice cut through the battlefield's din, clearly reaching the communicators of Captain Sicarius and the Salamanders' commander nearby. "Nurgle's foul aura... has not diminished; it's grown stronger. This is not a sign of defeat, but of dormancy."
His words made Captain Sicarius, who was excitedly directing his troops to clear out the remaining enemies, pause.
"The defeat you perceive may be a deception," Moreno continued, his voice carrying an unprecedented gravity. "This planet... may have long been completely corrupted by Nurgle's power, its foundations rotted. It merely used our conflict with the Necrons to conceal itself, awaiting its moment."
The Nemesis Daemon Hammer in his hand unleashed a wave of psychic energy, pulverizing two Plague Marines attempting to approach, but his attention was clearly no longer on these minor foes.
"When the Imperium and the Necrons are both wounded and exhausted... that will be the moment for grandfather's 'blessing' to fully bloom and engulf the entire world."
As if to confirm Moreno's worst fears—
On the battlefield, a sudden change occurred!
From the remnants of the Plague Marines that had just been "purified" by the Grey Knights' psychic weapons and should have been utterly annihilated, the ground suddenly began to violently writhe! More viscous, more putrid yellow-green pus surged from the soil and ruins, accompanied by the bone-grinding sounds of skeletal restructuring and flesh proliferation!
Under the horrified gaze of countless Imperial warriors, the seemingly dead bodies of Plague Marines reanimated in even more twisted, larger, and more hideous forms! Their wounds oozed with more active maggots and viral foam, and their eyes glowed with even crazier and more malicious light! Nurgle's "blessing" not only resurrected them but made them even stronger and more ferocious than before!
And this was just the beginning!
"Roar—!!!"
"Gurgle... grandfather... love..."
From the depths of the surrounding dark ruins, from broken sewer openings, from every corner where filth might hide, countless more horrifying howls and gibberish emanated! Immediately after, a torrent of Nurgle Demons, diverse in form but equally blasphemous and disgusting, poured out like a breaching dam of putridity!
There were bloated, corpulent Nurgle Beasts, carrying plague bells and cleavers, constantly spewing plague;
There were Plague Flies riding on rotting flies, throwing plague bombs;
There were massive Plague Walkers, wielding huge plague blades, lumbering but terrifyingly strong;
Even more, some larger, unspeakable horrors, clumsily pieced together from countless rotting limbs and organs, also joined this demonic army!
The sky, which had only been stained by smoke and the Necrons' psychic barrier, now seemed to have been doused with countless tons of foul yellow-green paint, rapidly becoming murky, viscous, and emanating a suffocating glow and stench! Deadly plague clouds descended from the sky like living entities, beginning to corrode everything they touched, including the power armor of Imperial warriors!
The deadly plague spread rapidly with the appearance of the Demons! Some Planetary Defense Forces soldiers and even a few forward Astartes warriors who couldn't retreat in time began to cough violently, their skin quickly developing festering sores, and their movements becoming slow and painful!
"Retreat!!!" Captain Moreno's voice, like thunder, instantly roused all the Imperial warriors who had been stunned by this sudden, terrifying sight. "All Ultramarines! Salamanders! Evacuate this area immediately! This is not an enemy you can handle! Retreat quickly!"
His command was clear and urgent, carrying undeniable authority.
Captain Sicarius, Second Company, looked at the surging demonic army, then at the three silver-grey figures instantly engulfed, and a look of struggle appeared on his face. He didn't care for the Grey Knights, finding them cold, emotionless, and extreme in their actions.
But...
"Captain Moreno! You..." Sicarius tried to say something, like "We can fight side by side," or "Let's retreat together."
"No need for words!" Moreno interrupted him coldly, his tone even showing a rare urgency. "Execute the order, Captain! Preserve our forces! This is a tide of Chaos Demons; mortal warriors remaining will only add to needless sacrifice and corruption! Retreat quickly!"
As if to emphasize the urgency of the situation, more, even larger Nurgle Demons emerged from all directions, instantly engulfing the three Grey Knights! Only through gaps in the demonic tide could one occasionally see bursts of brilliant psychic light and the screams of purified Demons!
The sky had completely turned a sickening yellow-green, viscous "rain" began to fall, corroding armor, and the ground became muddy and filled with foul traps. If they didn't retreat now, it would truly be too late!
Captain Sicarius gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. He looked at the almost boundless demonic tide and knew Moreno was speaking the truth. Ordinary Astartes warriors had a very low chance of survival in such a massive demonic assault and plague environment; their bodies might even be converted into new Demons or Plague Marines after death.
"All units! Hear my command! Alternate covering fire! Towards the command post! Full speed retreat!" Sicarius finally issued the painful but correct order.
The Imperial warriors began to fight and retreat, Bolters and plasma firing at the pursuing Demons, but with little effect. Many Demons, even when shattered, quickly reassembled.
Just then, a dazzling silver psychic light beam erupted from the center of the demonic tide, like Moses parting the Red Sea, forcibly carving out a brief, relatively "clean" passage through the endless demonic army! At the end of the passage was Captain Moreno's figure, his Nemesis Daemon Hammer raised, his psychic energy burning like a god!
"Go! Go! Go!" Moreno's voice came through the psychic roar, filled with undeniable resolve.
The Imperial warriors no longer hesitated, desperately retreating along this path of life forcibly opened by the Grey Knights' psychic power.
Just as most of the warriors had withdrawn from the core area—
An indescribable, colossal, soul-shaking terror, accompanied by an extreme stench capable of turning the stomachs of the strongest warriors, suddenly descended!
The earth trembled violently as a massive, sky-obscuring, bloated figure slowly rose from the most heavily corrupted area. Its body was like countless rotting mountains piled together, pus flowing like waterfalls from its surface, forming putrid lakes. Its belly was split open, revealing churning internal organs, pregnant with infinite plagues and countless screaming Nurgle Daemons. One of its hands held a gigantic, rusty, and constantly dripping cleaver, while the other hand... was more like a constantly shifting vortex of plague and despair.
Its huge, pustule-covered, cyclopean head slowly lowered, looking at the three silver figures standing like rocks in the demonic ocean below, and let out a creaking, bizarre laugh, like a thousand rotten lungs exhaling simultaneously.
A Great Unclean One! One of Nurgle's most powerful Daemon Princes! Had personally manifested!
Its gaze, filled with grandfather's "love," swept over the fleeing Imperial army, but it did not immediately pursue, instead focusing more attention on the three Grey Knights who dared to challenge its authority. In its eyes, these tiny silver insects were merely a cornered beast's struggle; it didn't need to act personally, its endless demonic progeny were enough to overwhelm them.
However, facing this terrifying Daemon Prince, whose mere presence was enough to shatter the minds of mortals, Moreno, Valerius, and Kaldor, the three Grey Knights, showed not the slightest fear.
Captain Moreno slammed his Nemesis Daemon Hammer onto the ground, and a powerful psychic field formed around him, temporarily forcing back the surging demonic tide. He looked up, his gaze beneath the beaked helmet cold and resolute, staring at the behemoth, and with his rigid and sacred tone, issued a declaration of challenge:
"Foul abomination! Your wicked form defiles reality! Your existence is an anathema! In the name of the Grey Knights Chapter, by the Emperor's divine will! This place shall be your tomb!"
Valerius raised his roaring Demon-Slayer Hammer, and Kaldor's psychic sword hummed sweetly. They both stepped forward simultaneously, standing shoulder to shoulder with Moreno.
Amidst that desperate battlefield, completely enveloped in putrid yellow-green stench, the silver radiance of the three of them shone like unextinguishable stars, resolutely confronting the all-consuming darkness.
The perimeter of the temporary command post had already become a bloody slaughterhouse. The previously relatively stable defensive line was in jeopardy under the sudden, frenzied assault of Nurgle Demons. Lesser Nurgle Daemons surged like a tide, gnawing at the fortifications and the leg armor of the warriors with their filthy claws and the plagues they carried; Plague Marines advanced with heavy steps, wielding massive plague blades, each strike carrying deadly pathogens; in the sky, Plague Flies buzzed, dropping foul, putrid bombs.
Kaldor and Gorden, along with a few remaining Salamanders warriors, formed the last line of defense. They stood with their backs against the alloy gate of the command post. Their Bolters were long since overheated or out of ammunition, and they could only rely on chainswords, power weapons, and unwavering resolve to engage in brutal close-quarters combat.
Every swing of Kaldor's power sword precisely lopped off a Nurgling's head or parried a heavy blow from a Plague Marine, but he could feel his strength rapidly depleting. The joints of his power armor seemed to be coated in viscous filth, making its operation sluggish. Gorden parried with his power sword with difficulty, while his other hand held a bolt pistol for point-blank shots. Every shot caused a demon to explode in a spray of pus, but more demons immediately filled the void.
"For the Emperor! Hold the line!" a Salamanders warrior roared, melting a charging, massive Plague Beast with his meltagun.
The situation was critical, the number of demons seemed endless!
Just as the defensive line was about to be completely overrun—
"For Macragge! For Vulkan!"
Earth-shattering war cries erupted from behind the demon wave! Immediately following, dense Bolter and plasma fire, like scorching scythes, fiercely swept through the demon horde from the rear!
It was Captain Sicarius and Captain Cassius! Leading the returning main forces, they plunged into the flank of the demon army like two blue daggers!
The addition of fresh forces instantly turned the tide of the battle! The warriors' pent-up fury and their relief at escaping death transformed into a driving force for slaughter. The roar of chainswords, the thunder of Bolters, the hiss of plasma overloads, and the screams of purified demons all merged into a single cacophony! The demon offensive stalled.
"Quick! Open the gate! Wounded first!" Captain Sicarius roared, as he smashed a Plague Marine into a bloody pulp with his power fist.
The command post gate quickly opened, and Gorden and Kaldor immediately organized the mobile wounded to help each other retreat inside. The warriors outside formed a new defensive line, stubbornly holding back the demon counterattack.
At the same time, the roar of engines echoed in the sky! Several Thunderhawk Gunships and larger transports, braving sporadic corrosive pus and harassment from Plague Flies shot from the ground, forcibly landed in the temporarily cleared space in front of the command post.
"Board! Quick! All personnel, board immediately!" Captain Cassius's voice, full of urgency, rang out through the loudspeaker.
The evacuation proceeded in an orderly fashion. The most severely wounded were prioritized and carried onto the transports. Next came the exhausted warriors, their ammunition depleted. The Salamanders warriors, under the command of their captain, also boarded the Thunderhawk that had come specifically to pick them up.
Kaldor and Gorden were among the last to board. As Kaldor stepped onto the Thunderhawk Gunship's boarding ramp and looked back at the land engulfed in yellow-green plague clouds and overrun by demons, his gaze involuntarily fell upon the distant area, shimmering with psychic energy yet surrounded by an infinite ocean of demons.
There, the three silver lights still persisted, like unyielding reefs in a storm, but clearly, their area of activity was being constantly compressed.
The Thunderhawk Gunship's hatch slowly closed, sealing off the nauseating air and the insane roars from outside. Engine power increased, the gunship vibrated violently, lifted off the ground, and soared into the polluted sky.
Through the narrow porthole, Kaldor saw more and more Thunderhawks and transports rising from the ground, like worker bees fleeing a hive, desperately flying towards the waiting capital ship in orbit. He also saw the temporary command post below, where they had fought and which was now about to be completely swallowed by demons, and further in the distance, the colossal Great Unclean One, like a moving mountain, emitting an aura of despair.
Captain Sicarius stood near the hatch, also looking out the window, his face as dark as water. He watched the silver-glowing combat zone receding further and further, his fists clenched tightly, knuckles white from the effort. Finally, he just let out a heavy sigh and turned away.
Kaldor sat on the cold seat, the violent turbulence of the Thunderhawk Gunship and the roar of its engines unable to disrupt the thoughts churning in his mind.
Something was wrong.
This feeling grew stronger and stronger.
Previously, on the planet Gloom IV, Second Squad was ordered to clear out a remnant force of the rebellious Dark Mechanicum. Intelligence indicated that the enemy only had some ordinary cultists and a small number of modified individuals, at most a few out-of-control combat robots. However, upon arrival, they encountered unprecedented fierce resistance and a large number of Slaanesh demons, eventually even drawing out a powerful Greater Daemon of Slaanesh! That battle was incredibly brutal; they were almost completely wiped out, and it was only by relying on Moreno and his two companions to cover their retreat that they managed to escape.
That time, the intelligence contained a fatal error.
And this time, on the "Mona Lisa" planet. The initial intelligence was only "suspected presence of Chaos infiltration," possibly some scattered Chaos cultists or small rebel groups. What was the result? They encountered organized Nurgle Plague Marines with terrifying regenerative abilities, a vast Nurgle legion composed of true demons, and even ultimately drew out a Great Unclean One! The entire planet had long been corrupted from its roots, becoming a garden of Nurgle!
This was no longer an intelligence discrepancy! This was a world of difference! Were the Imperial intelligence departments all useless good-for-nothings? Such severe intelligence inaccuracies led to two Astartes companies almost being completely annihilated, and potentially even costing an entire Salamanders company and countless mortal soldiers their lives!
Or... a more terrifying thought emerged in Kaldor's mind: not a mistake, but someone... intentionally doing it?
His thoughts abruptly returned to the moment he had confronted the Deathmark sniper. That Gauss Flayer shot, which should have been a killing blow, was blocked by a bizarre and powerful, violet-colored, ever-changing energy field just as it was about to hit him...
The situation was critical then, and he had no time to ponder; later, he was entirely preoccupied by the threat of Nurgle. But now, recalling it, that power... that feeling...
Warping, unpredictable, with a cold, fate-manipulating quality.
How similar it was to the feeling of being watched, being schemed against, that he had experienced years ago on Gloom IV, and even earlier in Commorragh!
Lord of Change... Tzeentch...
Could it be... he was never truly far away? Could it be that all of this, from the Greater Daemon of Slaanesh on Gloom IV, to the crisis in Commorragh, and now the Nurgle plague on "Mona Lisa," had an invisible, conspiracy-weaving giant hand behind it all?
The Deathmark's first shot was not a miss? But some kind of... test? Or was it to re-ignite the power within him in a desperate situation, to observe his reaction?
And was providing these severely inaccurate intelligence reports also part of this grand conspiracy? The purpose being to draw Imperial forces into specific traps, to wear them down, or... to achieve other deeper, more unspeakable goals?
Kaldor felt a chill rise from his spine, far colder and more biting than facing Nurgle Demons. A physical enemy could still be fought with a sword, but how could one contend with this invisible enemy hidden behind the scenes, manipulating knowledge and fate?
The Thunderhawk Gunship vibrated violently, finally breaking through the atmosphere, leaving the plague- and despair-shrouded planet behind, and flying towards the massive "Will of Iron" strike cruiser waiting in orbit.
Beneath a filthy, yellow-green sky, the earth had become a churning swamp of pus and despair. Endless Nurgle Demons, like maggots swarming from the worst nightmares, roared and gurgled grandfather's 'pet names,' throwing themselves in wave after wave at the three silver bastions standing firm amidst the putrid tide.
Valerius and Kaldor stood back to back, like two tireless purification engines. Each strike of Valerius's Daemon Hammer unleashed a blinding, sun-like psychic radiance, disintegrating Nurgle Daemons, Plague Walkers, and even Plague Flies within several meters into their fundamental particles, temporarily clearing a space. But in the next second, more demons immediately filled the void, even trampling over the purified remains of their comrades to surge forward.
Kaldor's psychic sword danced like a blur; wherever its light flashed, demon limbs separated, and filth evaporated. His swordsmanship was precise and efficient, each strike aimed directly at the demon's core or weakness, seeking to inflict maximum damage with minimal effort. However, the sheer number of demons was overwhelming, to the point of despair. No matter how fast his sword was, it couldn't keep up with the speed at which the demons surged. The hum of his psychic sword began to carry a subtle hint of fatigue.
Their defensive line was like a dam in a storm, sturdy yet enduring an incessant onslaught, each second draining immense psychic energy and physical strength.
At the center of the battlefield was Captain Moreno's duel with the colossal creature—the Great Unclean One.
The Great Unclean One was not in a hurry to personally crush these 'little bugs.' Its massive, pustule-covered, cyclopean head hung low, emitting a disturbing hum like a million flies buzzing simultaneously, interspersed with a twisted whisper attempting to burrow into their minds.
"Screee… Stubborn little silver things…" Its voice was like decaying slime flowing through pipes, filled with a nauseating 'affection.' "Why resist? Why struggle in pain? Look at you, your power so… pure, yet used for pointless destruction… What a pity…"
Its cracked belly, churning with endless plague, trembled slightly, and more obese Nurgle Daemons crawled out, chattering as they joined the wave assaulting Valerius and Kaldor.
"Embrace grandfather's embrace…" the Great Unclean One continued to coax with its corrosive voice, its massive Plague Scythe casually stuck into the pus-filled ground beside it, splashing a wave of filth. "Abandon the illusory fantasy of the Emperor… Feel the true vitality of life! Sickness, decay, rebirth… The eternal cycle! grandfather will grant you true power! Endless life! No need to endure the fatigue of this battle…"
Its 'earnest teaching' was not yet finished—
Whoosh!
A condensed, incredibly hot, star-core-like silver-white psychic beam, like a spear of judgment, suddenly erupted from the tip of Captain Moreno's Nemesis Force Halberd, tearing through the foul air and directly blasting towards the Great Unclean One's mountainous, bloated body!
Moreno's answer was simple, direct, and filled with absolute disdain and a determination to purify everything!
However, the powerful psychic beam, capable of instantly purifying Plague Marines and even smaller Nurgle Demons, merely splashed a dazzling shower of psychic sparks upon striking the Great Unclean One's belly, covered in thick scabs and rotting fat. It emitted a sizzling burn, but failed to leave even a single scorch mark! The colossal demon body didn't even flinch!
The Great Unclean One's single giant eye narrowed slightly, seemingly finding this painless attack 'amusing,' then let out an even louder, more chilling, creaking laugh, as if mocking the opponent's overestimation of his own strength.
"Screee… Powerless struggle… Pitiful flame…"
Blasphemy! Utter blasphemy!
Moreno's gaze beneath his helmet remained icy, but the psychic flames burning around him suddenly surged! He knew that ordinary attacks were useless against a Daemon Prince of this rank. He had to unleash his true power!
"Valerius! Kaldor! Hold the line!" Moreno's voice cut through the psychic roar, still steady as a rock.
"For the Emperor!" Valerius roared in response, smashing a Plague Beast attempting a sneak attack into pulp with his hammer.
"Purify the heretics!" Kaldor's sword flashed repeatedly, severing the heads of three Plague Flies.
Captain Moreno raised his Nemesis Force Halberd high, and vast, boundless psychic energy surged from his body like a tide, pouring into the halberd. The ancient runes on the halberd lit up one by one, humming like a sacred hymn, and the energy gathered at the tip became increasingly terrifying, even causing the surrounding space to subtly warp!
"In the Emperor's name! Your vile body shall be consumed by fire!" Moreno declared, bringing his halberd down with a mighty swing!
This time, it was no longer a single beam, but a fan-shaped torrent of psychic flames, like molten silver, sweeping across the Great Unclean One like a tidal wave! This was a powerful psychic storm capable of purifying an entire company of Chaos corruption!
The psychic flames instantly engulfed the Great Unclean One's massive body! The thick scabs, rotting fat, wriggling maggots, and churning entrails on the Daemon Prince's surface, upon contact with these pure flames, shrieked as if meeting their nemesis, rapidly carbonizing, decomposing, and evaporating!
Sizzle—!!!
Ear-splitting scorching sounds and the shrieks of demon flesh being purified echoed across the battlefield! For the first time, the Great Unclean One's massive body trembled violently under the attack, letting out a roar mixed with pain and fury! Large areas of its body were scorched black by the psychic flames, even revealing the even more disgusting, constantly writhing deeper tissues beneath!
Effective!
However, this glimmer of victory lasted less than three seconds!
Beneath the Great Unclean One's scorched surface, countless new, fatter, and more active pustules frantically swelled and burst like mushrooms after rain, spewing out thick, viscous, yellow-green pus containing even stronger vitality! This pus quickly covered the scorched areas, and new, even thicker corrupted tissues regenerated at a terrifying, visible speed! Even the evaporated entrails surged out from its cracked belly once again, becoming even more twisted and vibrant!
In the blink of an eye, the Great Unclean One's body, heavily damaged by the psychic flames, had recovered completely, even… becoming more bloated and filled with foul energy! Its single eye no longer held 'amusement,' but rather the enraged, true glint of ferocity!
"Grrrraaaahhh!!!" The Great Unclean One let out a deafening roar, its sound waves so substantial they made the pus on the ground churn! "Rejecting affection! Blaspheming life! You… are beyond salvation!"
A thoroughly enraged Great Unclean One was extremely terrifying!
It finally stopped observing, pulling its massive Plague Scythe from the pus, sending a shower of foul droplets into the air! Its mountainous body moved with a horrifying speed utterly disproportionate to its size, charging directly at Moreno!
Though fat and bloated, it felt no pain; no matter how much damage it sustained, it would instantly recover under Nurgle's endless 'blessings'! And each of its attacks contained terrifying power capable of cleaving mountains and spreading extinction-level plagues!
The massive Plague Scythe, trailing a foul wind that tore at space, chopped down from above! Moreno dared not meet it head-on, rapidly dodging backward!
Boom!!!
The scythe missed, crashing heavily into the ground, instantly cracking the earth and forming a massive, corrosive, pus-filled crater. The shockwave shattered dozens of lesser demons nearby!
Moreno had barely regained his footing when the Great Unclean One's other arm, like a vortex of plague, suddenly swung, spewing a dark green, intensely foul-smelling plague breath like a high-pressure water cannon, covering a vast area!
Moreno immediately held his halberd horizontally in front of him, forming a psychic shield to block it!
Hiss—!!
The plague breath slammed into the psychic shield, emitting a violent corrosive sound! The psychic shield visibly dimmed at a rapid rate, even beginning to be tainted with a disgusting yellow-green hue! The ground beneath Moreno's feet quickly softened and collapsed, and he was pushed backward dozens of meters by the immense force!
Before he could catch his breath, the Great Unclean One again took heavy strides, approaching like a moving mountain, and the Plague Scythe swept horizontally once more! Its speed, strength, and regenerative capabilities had reached a terrifying level!
Moreno could only maneuver with difficulty, relying on his psychic-enhanced speed and combat skills, each block and dodge incredibly perilous. Although his psychic flames could continuously burn the Great Unclean One's body, the opponent's abnormal regeneration speed made it all seem like a futile war of attrition!
Meanwhile, the pressure on Valerius and Kaldor intensified dramatically!
The Great Unclean One's rage seemed to infect all Nurgle Demons; they became even more frenzied, even more fearless of death! A terrifying phenomenon even occurred—some demons smashed into pulp by Valerius's Daemon Hammer, or severed into pieces by Kaldor's psychic sword, their scattered, supposedly purified fragments of flesh, upon falling onto the foul ground imbued with Nurgle's energy, began to writhe madly as if alive, regenerating into complete demons that roared and lunged within the blink of an eye!
The purification speed began to fall behind the speed of regeneration and emergence!
The demons around Valerius and Kaldor grew more numerous, their space for movement continuously compressed, and their psychic energy consumption sharply increased. Spots of plague corrosion began to appear on their silver armor, and their movements inevitably showed a hint of sluggishness.
A desperate tide was gradually engulfing the three shining silver bastions.
The Great Unclean One looked at Moreno, who was struggling under his attack, and the two Grey Knights who were about to be swallowed by the sea of demons, letting out a more rampant, victorious cackle.
"Cackle, cackle, cackle… Integrate into grandfather's paradise… Become part of this eternal cycle… This is your… glory…"
The situation was already precarious. Valerius and Kaldor were surrounded by an endless, constantly regenerating swarm of Nurgle Demons. Their silver armor was covered in marks of pus corrosion and white scratches from claws and fangs. Although their psychic glow was still brilliant, it had clearly dimmed considerably. Each strike no longer carried the initial thunderous power, and their breathing through their faceplates became heavy and rapid. The demonic tide, like a true quagmire, was slowly but surely dragging them into the abyss of death.
And Captain Moreno's duel with the Great Unclean One had reached a critical point. He repeatedly dodged the mountain-splitting Plague scythes with his exquisite combat skills and powerful psychic energy, and psychic flames constantly scorched the Demon Prince's body. But its terrifying ability to regenerate instantly made all his efforts seem like a joke. His psychic reserves were rapidly depleting, and facing an opponent who felt no pain, possessed infinite strength, and had abnormal recovery abilities, any technique seemed pale and powerless.
The Great Unclean One seemed to tire of this "game," and a cruel, playful glint flashed in its massive single eye. It violently shook the pair of twisted, ugly demon horns on its head, which constantly dripped pus, and the gaping maw on its belly, filled with layers of sharp teeth, suddenly opened wide!
An indescribably foul-smelling, pitch-black, viscous, dark-green Nurgle Plague soup, like a high-pressure jet, spewed out, drenching Moreno from head to toe! Where this torrent of pus passed, the air corroded with a sizzling sound, and even space itself seemed to subtly twist!
Moreno's pupils constricted. He instantly raised his remaining psychic energy to its limit, constructing a thick, silver-white psychic shield in front of him!
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!!!
The Plague soup violently impacted the psychic shield, emitting a piercing, corrosive sound! This filthy torrent, containing the primordial power of Nurgle, was far more corrosive than any previous attack! The silver-white psychic shield visibly dimmed, turned black, and even began to dissolve at a terrifying speed! The escaping Plague aura instantly transformed the ground around Moreno into a boiling, poisonous swamp!
Although most of the impact was blocked by the shield, a small amount of highly corrosive pus still splattered! Moreno subconsciously raised the Goddess of Vengeance power halberd in his hand to block—
Sizzle—!
With a soft sound, the power halberd, crafted from sacred alloy, inlaid with ancient runes, and which had accompanied Moreno in purifying countless demons, instantly had its tip and part of its blade corroded and melted as if it had met a hot knife through butter upon contact with the Nurgle pus, turning into a wisp of smoke and vanishing! Only half of the charred halberd shaft remained in Moreno's hand!
His weapon was destroyed! His psychic energy was almost exhausted!
And in that instant, when old strength was spent and new strength had not yet arisen, the Great Unclean One's massive Plague scythe had already swung again, bringing with it the death-wind that could crush everything, heading directly for the unbalanced, weaponless Moreno! This blow was unavoidable!
Valerius and Kaldor witnessed this scene, wanting to rescue him but were desperately entangled by the surging tide of demons, only able to let out angry and unwilling roars.
The Great Unclean One's single eye gleamed with victorious, cruel light. It seemed to have already seen the stubborn silver warrior split in two, his soul "embraced" by grandfather.
However, at this critical moment—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several incredibly precise laser cannon beams and plasma cannon shells from orbit, like the wrath of gods, suddenly tore through the polluted sky and slammed heavily onto the Great Unclean One's massive body!
Violent explosions erupted on the Great Unclean One! Although they failed to cause fatal damage, the immense impact and sudden interference successfully caused its certain-kill strike to hesitate and deviate for a moment!
Immediately after, the sky vibrated with dense, exhilarating engine roars! Dozens of Thunderhawk Gunships and Stormraven Gunships, painted blue and white, descended like divine soldiers, piercing through the thick Plague clouds and diving down! The twin-linked heavy Bolters on their noses and the laser cannon turrets on their flanks fired simultaneously, and a scorching storm of metal and energy beams, like plowing the earth, instantly cleared a large section of the demon tide surrounding Valerius and Kaldor!
It was the Ultramarines' aerial support!
"For Macragge! Purge the xenos!" The pilots' battle-filled roars echoed through the public comms channel!
Several specially modified Thunderhawk Gunships, equipped with large twin-linked meltaguns or heavy missile pods, focused all their firepower on the colossal creature!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The searing beams of the meltaguns, powerful enough to melt through starship armor, fiercely scorched the Great Unclean One's body. Heavy missiles struck it one after another, exploding and sending pus flying and rotten flesh splattering! Even one thick, pus-dripping arm was directly blown off by a precise heavy missile, flying away!
The Great Unclean One let out a roar of extreme pain and fury! Its massive body was riddled with holes by this sudden double orbital and aerial strike, and its movements completely halted!
However, Nurgle's blessings were truly terrifying to the extreme. At the severed part of its blown-off arm, countless fleshy tendrils writhed madly, and new bones, muscles, blood vessels, and skin grew at an incredible speed. In just two or three seconds, a brand new, equally bloated and ugly arm had regenerated! The shell craters and burn marks on its body also healed rapidly. The parts scorched by the meltaguns quickly fell off, replaced by even greasier, more disgusting new flesh!
Its recovery speed was even faster than before!
But these precious two or three seconds of respite, created by sheer overwhelming firepower, were enough!
The quickest reacting Thunderhawk Gunship, braving the sporadic corrosive pus firing from below, executed an extremely dangerous dive and sudden stop, accurately landing near the three Grey Knights. The hatch burst open, and the crew inside shouted, "Quick! Get in!"
Valerius and Kaldor immediately unleashed their last psychic energy, temporarily forcing back the surrounding demons, then unhesitatingly rushed towards the Thunderhawk. Valerius even scooped up Captain Moreno, who was somewhat exhausted from excessive psychic energy consumption, and carried him into the cabin!
"Close the door! Take off!" the pilot roared, pulling the control stick back sharply!
The Thunderhawk Gunship's engines roared with overload, forcing a lift-off almost skimming the ground, narrowly avoiding several pouncing Plague Flies!
Below, the newly recovered Great Unclean One let out an earth-shattering roar, filled with unwillingness and rage! It waved its regenerated arm, attempting to swat down the "iron fly" that dared to snatch its prey from its jaws, but more Thunderhawk Gunships immediately concentrated their fire, and the dense firepower once again made it stagger backward, forcing it to watch helplessly as the Thunderhawk, carrying its prey, rapidly ascended and rendezvoused with the other gunships that had completed their attack missions, flying towards the high sky.
All the Thunderhawk Gunships quickly disengaged from the battlefield, flying towards beyond the atmosphere.
And behind them, in orbit, the "Unyielding Will," the "Spear of Courage," and the "Heart of Courage"—three Ultramarines Strike Cruisers—had already completed the calibration of their main cannons.
On the bridge, the three captains gave their orders almost simultaneously.
"All macro cannons! Lance arrays! Target: the largest demon signal source on the surface! Saturation bombardment!"
"Fire!"
The next moment, destructive wrath from orbit descended!
Dozens of giant macro cannons spewed out fiery cannon flames several kilometers long. Huge cannon shells, packed with terrifying explosives, slammed into the earth like a meteor shower! Several massive lances also shot from the bow of the ships, like the fingers of a god, precisely piercing the still-roaring Great Unclean One!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
An unprecedentedly massive explosion completely engulfed the area! Flames shot into the sky, even temporarily dispelling the Plague clouds! The shockwave spread outwards like a tsunami, instantly leveling countless demons and ruins! The Great Unclean One's massive body was shattered in the first volley of macro cannon fire! It turned into a sky full of flying, burning rotten flesh and pus!
The tide of Nurgle Demons rapidly melted away under the merciless bombardment of this orbital firepower, like snow in the sun.
However…
As the smoke and fire of the explosion gradually dissipated, a chilling scene appeared. The scattered, burning demonic fragments began to madly writhe and coalesce! The Nurgle energy permeating the air converged towards the center of the explosion at an unprecedented speed!
In just one minute, the massive, bloated figure, exuding an extreme stench and an aura of despair, slowly rose again from the boiling crater and filth! It even looked larger and more twisted than before! As if the destructive energy of the orbital bombardment had become nourishment for its growth!
Nurgle's blessings, their stubbornness and difficulty, exceeded everyone's imagination. Even if the demons were temporarily repelled, the root of corruption on this planet was far from eradicated.