The Flame-Forged battle barge shuddered in the turbulence, while the once violet-red void churned around it.
The Warp was being gnawed at by some terrifying power.
The entire region rolled and heaved. From time to time, a black rift split open, revealing writhing innards that seemed to be formed from impossible geometry. The sight was enough to drown the soul in despair.
Darkness was slowly devouring the Empyrean in this region.
Faced with such a terrifying threat, the battle barge did not retreat. It continued advancing, its metal hull groaning under the pressure.
Then countless streams of fire streaked into the depths of those innards.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Not far away, more than a dozen battleships of the Redemption Third Fleet, along with an even larger number of cruisers, continuously erupted with fire.
Countless macrocannon shells, torpedoes, lances, and even holy bone-ash shells bombarded the flesh-and-organ rampart ahead.
It was a Warp entity polluted by the dark rift, and it had blocked the disaster-relief engineering teams' path forward.
After being struck, the flesh rampart writhed madly and crushed forward, only to be forced back by overwhelming firepower.
Even so, several cruisers were unlucky enough to burst under the pressure into clouds of blood mist.
That was not an explosion, but total annihilation and decomposition, as though their very existence had been denied by a higher dimension.
"Faster. Faster! All warships, expend every remaining round of ammunition within thirty standard Terran minutes!"
Voladi stared at the tactical holomap, constantly adjusting the fleet's formation. His tone was utterly resolute.
He had chosen the most dangerous method, advancing despite the risk of being devoured by the flesh rampart in order to better complete the strategic objective.
This commander of the Redemption Third Fleet feared no risk. Advance, advance, and advance again—that was his only conviction.
There was no other choice. They had to deliver the cargo—the Blackstone Fortresses—to the designated region of the Warp.
Otherwise, as the local dark rift expanded, everyone would face even greater danger. It might even threaten the Webway near Dawn City, and eventually Terra within the Webway itself.
"Hmph. So what if this is the power of a dark god? As long as it has physical form, there is nothing firepower cannot solve.
"And if there is, then our firepower is not enough!"
Protected by several high-grade blackstone fields, Voladi stared directly at the flesh rampart stretching into the depths of the void. There was no fear in his eyes, only the desire to conquer the enemy.
His Savior Majesty was facing the deepest darkness on Terra. The only thing Imperial commanders like them could do was weaken the enemy as much as possible.
Then that sovereign could defeat the Dark King and win the final victory.
Voladi watched the data streams. After confirming them, he turned to his adjutant and issued an order.
"Adjutant, report to Lord Vulkan at once. The Redemption Third Fleet has successfully completed its strategic objective. We can hold back the flesh rampart for at least twenty standard Terran minutes.
"Also, on behalf of the Redemption Third Fleet, convey our respect to that lord."
Not long ago, after the Lord of the Salamanders learned of the Redemption Third Fleet's situation, he had offered to help.
So the fleet commander quickly adjusted the plan and handed over the super-heavy holy bone-ash shell originally meant to be delivered by the Carcharodons Chapter to that Primarch.
He would be responsible for delivering it into the depths of the flesh rampart and blasting open a passable breach.
That was the best solution proposed by the senior Librarians and Warp scholars.
At this moment, the Redemption Third Fleet's strategic objective was to use intense firepower to prevent the flesh rampart from closing and send the Salamanders' battle barge into its depths.
That would allow the Lord of the Salamanders to successfully carry out the delivery plan.
"I hope Lord Vulkan succeeds. Otherwise, we can only force our way through."
Voladi looked into the depths of the flesh rampart, a trace of concern flashing through his eyes.
When the New Imperium went to war, it never relied on only one plan.
If this operation failed, the Redemption Third Fleet would have no choice but to execute the backup plan.
They would pay an enormous price, using suicidal magazine detonations to force their way through the flesh rampart bit by bit and deliver the Blackstone Fortresses to their destination.
That was something no one wanted to see. It might also cause the newly returned Primarch to become lost again, or even fall into death.
Burp!
From deep within the flesh rampart came the sound of stomachs and intestines writhing, followed by an indescribable wave of foul air.
It constantly reminded everyone that the writhing abomination before them was a living, deranged entity.
Even more dangerous were the pitch-black, hideous creatures squirming between the fleshy walls of its organs.
They were parasites living on the deranged entity's body, and now they too had become claws of the Dark King.
They roared continuously and hurled themselves toward the Imperial forces. Their dense aura of destruction was utterly repulsive.
Bang, bang, bang!
Dozens of belts of fire interwove, sweeping across the incoming black creatures. At the center, an honor banner whipped and surged in the turbulent air.
The warriors of the Salamanders and the Carcharodons had formed a trident-shaped formation, blocking the vicious enemies that continued to attack.
Behind them, a spherical object more than ten meters tall was slowly drilling into the flesh rampart with the help of mechanical drills.
Filthy flesh and blood splashed outward, causing the rampart to convulse. The Warp entity seemed to have sensed the threat.
And that was exactly what had happened. The spherical object was the new model of holy bone-ash shell, and it was a version that included the ashes of both the Emperor and the Savior.
It had been nurtured for at least two hundred years, and its destructive power was tremendous. Even in the supreme arsenals of the New Imperium, there were not many such precious weapons in stock.
A creation once used to fight the evil of Chaos had now become a weapon against the claws of the Dark King.
After the sacred sun had gone out, this was one of the few weapons still capable of resisting dark evil energy.
"Hold them back!" Tyberos, Chapter Master of the Carcharodons, wore a magnificent suit of relic-grade armor and unleashed firepower like a madman, pulling the trigger until sparks flew from it.
His tone was devout.
"The great and supreme Savior, His Majesty, is striking the Dark King hard on Terra. As his most loyal warriors, we must keep pace with His venerable Majesty!"
"For the great and supreme Savior!"
The battle cry of the Carcharodons rang out. They fired just as madly, unleashing firepower that even surpassed the Salamanders.
Their momentum was ferocious. Every one of them seemed proud and vindicated, drawing sidelong looks from the Salamanders.
These fellows, who were supposedly poor and active only in the fringe systems, had changed far too much.
The Carcharodons were no longer the broke bastards they had once been, wearing mismatched armor whose plates could barely cover their asses, shamelessly picking up ammunition other people did not want.
They were now among the wealthiest Space Marines in the galaxy, and their level of armament even surpassed the Salamanders, who were famous for forging equipment.
The Carcharodons were the nouveau riche of nouveau riche Chapters. Their consumption of weapons, armor, and ammunition was far ahead of everyone else, and when they fought in support operations, they loved to lavish rewards on other battle-brothers.
They followed closely in the Savior's footsteps, often wearing a bold and generous expression that made them deeply popular among Chapters that were not so well-off.
As for how the Carcharodons had achieved such outstanding success?
According to Tyberos, there was only one method: groveling. Grovel to new heights, grovel with style, and grovel your way into a glorious future!
Not only did the Carcharodons maintain absolute loyalty to the Savior, they also scoured the galaxy for relics on that sovereign's behalf.
Recently, they had even looted several Necron vaults.
Tyberos never missed any chance to report to the Savior. On every holiday related to the Savior, he even mailed His Majesty a handwritten letter of tearful gratitude.
Rain or shine.
With such a loyal subordinate, how could that great and benevolent Savior possibly not love him?
"Rotate positions!"
During a gap in the overlapping fields of fire, Tyberos gave the order to switch out the front line, giving the warriors a chance to replenish their ammunition.
Then he pulled out a large mechanical supply crate and threw it onto the ground.
The mechanical crate unfolded and rose, revealing tube after tube of crystal-clear elixirs. One look was enough to tell they were worth a fortune.
His booming voice was full of lavish generosity. "Salamanders brothers, you must be tired from all that fighting. Come get some universal panacea and replenish yourselves.
"Take a few extra tubes. We're all battle-brothers here, so don't be polite with me!"
At the very front of the line, Vulkan heard the Carcharodons Chapter Master's words, and the corner of his eye twitched.
That Chapter Master's manner was far too familiar. No… it should be said that his bearing was too familiar. He was practically identical to Brother Eden.
Extravagant and overbearing.
One glance at the Carcharodons was enough to tell that they were an outstanding Chapter raised by Brother Eden. Otherwise, they would never have had such a bearing.
Boom!
Vulkan abruptly leaped into the air and brought his hammer down on a black monster more than ten meters tall. Its shell, which even melta fire struggled to pierce, shattered instantly under the hammer's immense force.
Filthy blood sprayed outward, and the black monster died on the spot.
Vulkan lifted the True-One forging hammer, very satisfied.
Weapons made from True-One alloy were even more destructive than any power weapon, and they carried a sacred aura as well, making them even better suited to his style of combat.
It could not only forge iron; it could also destroy enemies on the battlefield.
"Brother Eden truly is generous…" Vulkan sighed.
He liked brothers who were both generous and shared his ideals.
Not everyone was willing to give away precious True-One alloy. Even their father, the Emperor, had never been willing to give any to him.
The Lord of the Salamanders had now completely acknowledged that good elder brother. With such an elder brother who understood him, what more could he ask for?
Burp!!!
Suddenly, the flesh rampart writhed even more madly. The dark evil energy deepened as well, and even more parasitic black creatures came pouring in.
Some kind of will was influencing it, and it seemed extremely anxious.
"The fluctuations of the dark rift are becoming more and more violent. Not just in this region, but elsewhere as well."
Vulkan watched the scene and thought this to himself.
The closer he drew to the Webway where Terra was located, the stronger the dark power became. The fluctuations of the surrounding dark rifts also grew more violent.
Yet the more this happened, the more reassured he felt.
Because Vulkan could sense that the fallen Emperor, that Dark King, was becoming increasingly frantic, as though He could not tolerate even another moment of delay.
He was pouring everything into mobilizing His power and gathering it toward Terra.
"This proves only one thing. That old bastard, the Dark King, is panicking. He is very, very anxious."
That was what Vulkan thought.
He could not respect an existence that had already fallen and caused so many disasters. That being was no longer the Emperor.
The New Imperium's disaster-relief plan had begun to take effect. Brother Eden's advantage was growing, and the situation was improving.
The chances of stopping the Dark King were now extremely high.
Humanity was about to seize victory.
Of course, Vulkan did not relax because of that.
He knew that every dark rift they dealt with would create more hope of victory for the Savior and for humanity.
The black tower of a being charged into the monster horde, his hammer moving so quickly it left afterimages behind.
Every target he judged to be a threat was smashed into paste.
Bzzzz.
No one knew how long had passed before the mechanical alarm sounded, and the spherical new-model holy bone-ash shell sank completely into the flesh rampart.
Joy rose in Vulkan's heart.
That meant their delivery plan had succeeded.
After that, he gave the order to withdraw and led the Salamanders and Carcharodons back.
The warriors had just boarded the transport craft sent to retrieve them when dazzling light erupted from deep within the flesh rampart.
Golden streams of energy formed a vortex, continuously sweeping across the seemingly endless flesh rampart and burning open a vast hole large enough for the Blackstone Fortresses to pass through.
As for the flesh rampart, that deranged entity, it had been left on the verge of death by the terrifying attack.
Its filthy, ugly organ-flesh sagged and collapsed, twitching slowly. It could no longer attack, and its intense desire for destruction had vanished.
"By the Savior, Lord Vulkan succeeded!"
Voladi looked at the golden vortex erupting in the distance, filled with excitement.
He immediately ordered the entire fleet to assemble and escort the Blackstone Fortresses through the opening at the greatest possible speed.
After all, no one knew whether the Warp entity was truly dead, or whether it would be reanimated under the influence of the dark rift.
Vulkan returned to the Flame-Forged battle barge and continued sailing through the Warp with the fleet.
Because of this support operation, his journey to Terra had been delayed again. Fortunately, they were already very close to the Webway where Terra was located.
As long as they did not encounter temporal turbulence, he would reach Terra in a few days and take part in the final battle.
Vulkan looked up. Beyond the Gellar field, the scenery was strange and fantastical.
He still had not been able to see the flesh rampart clearly.
That entity was embedded in the void, unimaginably vast. No one knew what it truly looked like.
This was the Warp, the Warp that nurtured countless Chaos entities. It could ignore the rules of reality and give birth to lives beyond imagination.
Now, under the name of disaster relief, humanity had set foot here as well.
Vulkan looked at the Blackstone Fortresses at the center of the fleet, a strange light in his eyes. Those fortress structures were even more massive than the ones in the galaxy.
They were several dozen kilometers long, many times larger than a Gloriana-class battleship.
They were practically giant fortress cities.
All these Blackstone Fortresses had undergone special modifications and possessed complete life-support systems, residential districts, and research bases.
Humans could live safely inside them and resist any Chaos dangers they might encounter.
Without a doubt, the New Imperium intended to use this opportunity—helping the Chaos Daemons with disaster relief and resisting the dark rifts—to enter the Warp on a massive scale.
Humanity would not only conduct disaster relief in the galaxy, but also help the Chaos Daemons escape the threat, thereby weakening the Dark King's power.
Otherwise, even if humanity stopped every dark rift in the galaxy, the dark power would continue to spread through the Warp.
That would still allow the Dark King to keep growing stronger.
The Savior never did business at a loss. Each of these Blackstone Fortresses was an important means of resisting the Dark King.
They were also humanity's anchors in the Warp, frontline base-cities located within the Empyrean itself.
Large numbers of high-ranking psykers, Mechanicus Magi, and research scholars from the fleet would remain inside the Blackstone Fortresses.
They would begin exploring the mysteries of this idealist and utterly chaotic world.
Even more Space Marines and elite troops of the Storm Army Group would also be stationed in the Blackstone Fortresses, adapting themselves to possible future wars.
After that, the New Imperium might even move mortals inside, allowing humanity to adapt to the existence of the Warp.
"The only question now is whether the Chaos Daemons will allow humanity to do this."
Vulkan looked toward the Chaos domain drawing ever closer and thought this to himself.
If it were not under the name of disaster relief, the moment humanity's fleet entered deep into the Warp, it would have been met with ferocious attacks from Chaos.
If they discovered humanity's intentions, would that trigger a new conflict?
No one knew how the Greater Daemons, Chaos Lords, or even the evil gods themselves would react.
This concerned the future of humanity.
Suddenly, Vulkan frowned. He sensed a terrifying Chaos aura and saw an immense projection.
It was a powerful Chaos Lord whose strength was no weaker than a Primarch's.
(End of Chapter)
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