"There are too few people in the support unit…"
Vulkan frowned.
He could judge the scale of the support force the captain had mentioned from the roar of their engines alone.
At most, it was a small detachment of several hundred warriors.
Considering the sheer number of Chaos Daemons in this area, that suppression force was still far too small. It would not make any meaningful difference.
The Lord of the Salamanders turned his gaze toward the Webway rift. Daemons were still pouring in without end.
His concern deepened.
This collapsed region was like a powder keg, and the level of threat was still rising.
"The Imperium may have intimidated them for now, but all it will take is one disturbance, one act of resistance.
"Then every daemon in this area will riot and turn this into a full-scale invasion."
That was what Vulkan thought.
He turned and asked, "Captain, is that the full extent of the support force?"
"Yes, Lord Vulkan. They are already coming as fast as they can to deal with the daemon refugees.
"There are just too many of these damned abominations. The moment they get a chance, they run into our Webway to take shelter."
The Void Angels captain glared at the daemon refugees, deeply displeased.
These filthy Chaos abominations had flooded in by the masses and ruined the Webway's environment.
It seemed the Void Angels' garrison sector would not be winning the title of "Advanced Civilized Zone" this year.
After all, the appearance and cleanliness of a garrison sector's roads were also important factors in the evaluation.
"Why didn't these bastards run to the War Angels' sector? Why did they have to come to our transport hub? Damn them all!"
The more the Void Angels captain thought about it, the angrier he became. He wished he could call in Hell missiles and blast all these filthy daemons into slag.
Unfortunately, that was only a thought. Hell missiles caused serious pollution as well, and they might damage the Webway structures.
When Vulkan heard this, his heart grew even heavier. "This is trouble. Once a riot breaks out, I do not know how long we can hold."
But he could understand the situation. With the Dark King bearing down on them, the Imperium simply did not have enough troops.
Unless the situation became uncontrollable and the Chaos Daemon incursion grew extremely severe, the Imperium would not transfer precious military forces here.
But then a new change occurred. Even more panicked Chaos Daemons squeezed their way in, far beyond everyone's expectations.
Vulkan drew in a sharp breath. In his field of vision, the number of Chaos Daemons flooding in continued to climb, approaching nearly one hundred thousand.
With so many Chaos Daemons present, including no small number of high-ranking entities, the evil aura saturating the entire collapsed zone became denser than ever.
He could even hear the whispers and roars of lingering souls in the air. The Chaos Daemons were wailing, panicking, and brewing violent emotions.
Under the threat of the Dark King, they wanted to flee deeper into the Webway.
"Stop them!"
"Crouch down! All of you, crouch down!"
The pressure on the Void Angels surged. They were already beginning to lose control of the situation. Everything was on the verge of collapse.
In the Chaos Daemons' once-terrified eyes, bloodthirsty coldness gradually appeared. They were filled with hostility toward the Void Angels and were preparing to resist.
"Humans, we are going deeper into the Webway. You have no right to stop us!"
Some Chaos Daemons had quietly picked up weapons, intending to destroy these Imperial warriors who dared suppress them.
"Captain, there is no time. We are about to face a charge!"
Vulkan stepped in front of the Void Angels captain. He was prepared to take command and hold out for as long as possible while they waited for the main force to arrive. At the very least, he would not allow these Imperial warriors to be wiped out.
"Huh?"
The Void Angels captain looked puzzled. "What charge? Our support force has arrived. These Chaos Daemons will settle down."
Everyone could hear the engine roars drawing closer. The support force was already very near.
It was only because of the mist in the Webway that they could not see them clearly.
Hm?!
Vulkan looked at the captain's confidence and, for a moment, could not understand it.
He did not know how the Imperium intended to rely on so few people to solve this vast, ever-growing tide of Chaos Daemons.
Did they have some artifact specifically designed to counter Chaos Daemons?
The next instant, everyone felt a wave of scorching air rush toward them, accompanied by an evil aura spreading through the area.
Amid deep engine roars, a convoy wreathed in flames arrived at high speed.
"Daemons?!"
Vulkan stared at the approaching so-called support force, deeply astonished.
He had not expected the support force to be made up not of humans, but of Chaos Daemon troops.
The daemons in that force drove savage vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Some of those vehicles were living things, with ferocious fangs and writhing tentacles.
The only thing they had in common was that both the daemons and their vehicles burned with evil flames.
Most striking of all were the more than twenty black-armored Chaos warriors at the front. Their aura was stronger than that of ordinary Custodians, not weaker.
"These creatures…"
Vulkan became wary. Even for him, fighting so many Chaos warriors stronger than standard Custodians at once would not be easy.
More importantly, these Chaos warriors and daemons were all fully armed.
Their armor and weapons were master-crafted, far better than those of the other daemons.
"Lord Vulkan, that is our support force—the troops of the Burning Legion. The refugees will be handed over to them next."
When the Void Angels captain saw the Burning Legion's troops arrive, especially when he saw the Dark Thunder Guard among them, he relaxed slightly.
They were old acquaintances, at least before that group had been transferred away to carry out special missions.
The arrival of the Burning Legion's troops, along with the presence they gave off, immediately drew every gaze.
Even the restless daemons quieted down.
"This few still may not be enough. We have to act carefully…"
Vulkan had a vague understanding that the Savior was connected to Chaos forces as well, but he still felt that there were too few reinforcements.
Whoosh!
While the Lord of the Salamanders was thinking, the Dark Thunder Guard suddenly accelerated their vehicles and turned into blurs as they charged into the daemon horde.
They knocked many daemons flying, then dismounted and began whipping them without restraint. Their attitude was atrocious.
"You lowborn filth, behave yourselves! All of you, disarm!"
"Kneel!"
The Dark Thunder Guard struck the daemons from a lofty position of superiority, even killing those who resisted outright.
They were issuing orders, leaving no room for argument.
Yet this only made Vulkan even more worried, because these people were provoking even more Chaos Daemons.
Perhaps this would accelerate the chaos and make the situation even more dangerous.
"We would rather die in battle than accept such humiliation!"
Sure enough, events unfolded just as the Lord of the Salamanders had predicted. Some daemons gripped their weapons and roared as they approached the Dark Thunder Guard.
They came on with murderous momentum.
After entering the Webway and temporarily escaping the Dark King's terrifying claws, the violence in their nature could no longer be restrained. They felt capable again.
"Lowly, contemptible refugees, you should be grateful. Grateful that the Hell Prince is willing to save you…"
The Dark Thunder Guard spoke with the same vile attitude, as though he were bestowing charity upon these Chaos Daemons.
He stared at the daemons.
"This is your final warning. All beings of the Warp are to disarm immediately. Otherwise, you lowly things will be swallowed whole by the Dark King in the depths of your regret!"
The Dark Thunder Guard's words drove the atmosphere to its breaking point. Then they abruptly raised their hands, as if issuing some kind of order.
The Chaos Daemons were so startled that they could not help taking a step back.
Bzzzt!
The Hell Daemons driving the massive vehicles, each more than ten meters tall, quickly activated some kind of dark machinery.
An abominable noise rang out, making people want to cover their ears.
Then came an impassioned, hoarse voice.
"Good news! Good news! The Burning Legion is recruiting believers! Good news! Good news! Now recruiting believers!
"Lowly refugees, do you wish to escape the Dark King's devouring? Do you wish to receive the protection of the Lord of Hell?!
"The Hell Prince is urgently recruiting Chaos Daemons! Line up to register! First come, first served! First come, first served!"
Those dark sound-projecting devices simultaneously played dozens of hateful yet passionate roars and whispers.
They not only introduced the Burning Legion's recruitment information, but also described all kinds of benefits, such as weapons, equipment, blessings, gifts, and more.
The compensation was extremely generous.
At the same time, huge honor banners and streamers bearing the Hell Prince's image rose from the massive vehicles.
The mighty figure on those banners was the Savior's Chaos clone, known to people as the Hell Prince.
But when all these things were put together, they looked rather like a recruitment booth at a job market.
In truth, this was recruitment. Or military enlistment. This method was the fastest way to absorb Chaos Daemons.
The Burning Legion urgently needed to seize this opportunity to expand its scale. Under normal circumstances, there were never this many destitute daemons.
After all, even the Chaos Gods could barely look after themselves now.
Besides, the Hell God-Domain still had vast stretches of land and countless projects waiting for these Chaos Daemons to build.
That would continuously expand the Lord of Hell's territory, preparing for the divine war that might come in the future.
In short, disaster relief and expansion were being handled at the same time. Both hands were working at once.
"The Burning Legion is recruiting daemon believers. The great Lord of Hell… is willing to protect us?"
The Chaos Daemons froze for a moment, then became excited. The spreading hostility vanished like smoke.
These daemon refugees who had poured into the Webway had already lost everything because of the dark rift.
Their Chaos territories had been destroyed, leaving them without even a place to stay. They were terrified that their souls would be devoured.
That was why they wanted to flee deeper into the Webway, hoping to gain a greater sense of safety.
But the Chaos Daemons knew that this would not solve the problem.
Without the protection of a Chaos God or a territory, they would lose their source of evil energy. In other words, their livelihood would be cut off.
Even if they could hide deep within the Webway, their daemon bodies would slowly wither, lose power, become gaunt, and eventually totter on the brink of collapse.
Joining the Burning Legion, however, was different.
Who did not know that the Burning Legion was one of the Lord of Hell's most beloved legions? That wealthy and generous evil god had granted the Burning Legion too many gifts.
If serving under the other Chaos Gods meant working 996 with no overtime pay, then serving the Lord of Hell meant high wages, two days off a week, room and board included, and a full package of blessings and benefits.
The Chaos Daemons looked at the daemons of the Burning Legion with eyes full of envy.
Those Hell Daemons had glossy, gleaming horns, bulging muscles, thick bellies, and master-crafted daemon-steel armor covering their bodies.
One look was enough to tell that their treatment was especially good.
It was said that after every war, they could receive blessings from the Lord of Hell, along with rich rewards.
As for these daemon refugees themselves, each one was scrawny, wounded, and wretched. Even their weapons were chipped and rusted.
In reality, most of their weapons had passed through three or four previous owners. They were almost scrap, and the daemons never had a chance to replace them.
Unless, of course, they picked up or seized new weapons on the battlefield.
The gap was too huge!
Even in the Warp, which of those Burning Legion daemon lords was not arrogant beyond measure? They had never looked down on poor daemons from second- and third-rate Chaos domains like them.
After all, the Burning Legion had always only been willing to accept elite daemonic existences.
Yet now, they had an opportunity to join the Burning Legion. From this day forward, they could also become believers of the Lord of Hell.
"Praise the Hell Prince! Praise the great and generous Lord of Hell!"
"Lord of Hell, I am willing to submit to you!"
The daemon refugees could not help praying. They were so loyal, and so incredibly excited.
They rushed impatiently toward the towering honor banners, dropped to their knees without hesitation, and offered their faith to the Lord of Hell.
In the past, they had wanted to join the Burning Legion and kneel before the Lord of Hell, but they had never even had the chance.
Clang! Clang!
The daemonic beings who had been gripping their weapons and advancing with murderous momentum now threw those weapons to the ground one after another. Some even stripped off their rusted armor.
All to show their submission.
Who cared about that garbage weaponry and armor? Once they entered the Burning Legion, they would be issued brand-new gear.
"Lord of Hell, I am willing to join the Burning Legion!"
The Chaos Daemons throughout the collapsed zone fell into an uproar. They hurried toward the "recruitment point," terrified that if they were late, all the slots would be gone.
Even some daemon hounds barked and spun in frantic circles because they could not squeeze their way in.
Though they possessed only simple minds, even they knew that being the Lord of Hell's dogs was better than living anywhere else.
"Lowly refugees, this is your good fortune. All of you, line up and register properly! Otherwise, the Burning Legion will reject your faith!"
A four-legged, two-winged Hell Daemon with a bulging belly swung a fire whip at the daemons in front of him, ordering them to form a proper line.
He made no attempt to hide his contempt for these daemon refugees.
After all, the Burning Legion had always accepted only elite daemons. He felt that letting these creatures in would stain the Legion's honor.
Then the Hell Daemon seemed to think of something and shook his head.
"Ah, the great Lord of Hell is far too generous. How could these lowly beings admitted through expanded recruitment possibly compare to elite daemons like us, who entered through the proper channels?"
The Chaos Daemon refugees were afraid of being rejected, so they lined up obediently one by one and accepted the Burning Legion's brand.
Once they "put on their work badges," they squeezed into the Burning Legion's bone transport vehicles, packed to the brim, and were hauled away one load after another.
There was not the slightest trace of disorder.
These daemonic beings seemed to have excellent discipline. They did not even dare roar too loudly, and order in the entire collapsed zone was restored.
"By the Emperor, this… this solved it?"
Vulkan stared at the scene, utterly disheveled in the wind.
He had imagined many possible solutions, but this was the only one he had never expected.
Especially after learning that the Burning Legion was also secretly controlled by the Savior, he was even more shocked.
Brother Eden's methods were far too wild. Not only did he rule the Imperium, he had also carved out a foundation in the Warp. This was even more imposing than the Emperor, their father.
"Perhaps this is the best solution. Use daemons to check daemons and reduce human casualties."
That was what Vulkan thought.
As long as something could reduce human casualties, he would accept it.
No matter what, the Imperium's method for resolving a Chaos Daemon incursion was simply perfect. It had dispelled a catastrophe without any losses.
That was something he could never have achieved. If he had handled this problem, countless warriors would probably have lost their lives.
Afterward, when the Void Angels captain came to ask Vulkan for his opinion, Vulkan simply told him to follow the Imperium's plan.
After being proven wrong again and again, the Lord of the Salamanders had become honest with himself. He realized the gap between him and the Savior.
He also felt that his way of thinking was somewhat outdated. It did not quite fit the current situation of the Imperium, so it was better not to meddle.
"Perhaps I should humbly learn from Brother Eden and adapt to the Imperium as it exists now as quickly as possible."
Vulkan murmured.
He had been thoroughly convinced by the Savior's many astonishing operations and had begun to firmly uphold one principle—
If the Savior did it, then he must have his reasons.
Thinking of something, the Lord of the Salamanders felt his spirit surge.
He could vaguely sense that the Savior had already prepared the relevant pieces and was beginning to carry the flames of war into the Chaos domains of the Warp.
Only by doing so could humanity truly resist the Warp's corruption.
From defense to offense.
…
Bzzzz.
Before long, Vulkan and the others returned to the warship.
The battle-barge Flame-Forged restarted its engines and continued forward along the Webway route that had just been hastily repaired…
(End of Chapter)
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