As the Chapter Master, Tyberos was not insane.
His decision to charge into the Tyranid Hive Fleet in orbit with just one Battle Barge was the result of comprehensive consideration.
Kronos was originally the smallest of the Hive Fleets, specializing in dealing with Chaos enemies like Warp daemons.
The Kronos Tyranid tended to use powerful ranged weapons for long-range volleys, employing saturation bombardment as their combat method.
However, in such close-quarters boarding combat, truly massive Tyranid organisms, such as the Tyrant Guard and Biovores, would be difficult to deploy within the organic ship interiors.
The Space Sharks' close-combat assault and melee warfare could achieve extraordinary results.
Furthermore, according to Tyberos' observations,
the Tyranid Hive Fleet currently in orbit above the planet was not large in number.
There was a high probability that some of its bio-ships had gone to other planets, left with biomass by other Leviathan, for resupply.
This was the best opportunity to kill the leader of this Tyranid Hive Fleet, the Norn Emissary.
"Strong biological signal detected, possibly the Norn Emissary."
One of the Terminator elites led by Tyberos said in a deep voice.
"Plant the bombs."
Tyberos casually ripped out a Tyranid Warrior's spine as he spoke.
From beginning to end, the Space Sharks' only goal was to kill the Norn Emissary.
And the most convenient and straightforward method was to blow up the Norn Emissary, along with this Hive Ship, into space.
This would avoid the difficult process of searching for the Norn Emissary and fighting her retinue.
During thousands of years of combat in the Outer Dark, the Space Sharks had dealt with the tyranids countless times.
They knew clearly that when facing these filthy xenos puppets, completely dominated by the Hive Mind, there was no need for any rules of war.
The Space Sharks only cared about how to tear more flesh from their enemies.
Repelling wave after wave of incoming Tyranid organisms, the Terminator veterans began to set up powerful timed bombs.
These bombs did not originate from the Imperium or the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Instead, the Space Sharks had unearthed them from various ruins in the Outer Dark.
They were not only compact, allowing them to be carried via teleportation, but also extremely powerful, enough to destroy an entire Hive Ship.
"Bombs installed."
"Notify the mothership, activate the teleportation device."
"Yes!"
Upon receiving the message, the ancient teleportation device on the the leviathan immediately began to operate, and a blue light enveloped Tyberos and his men.
The ferociously pouncing Tyranid organisms could only watch helplessly as Tyberos and his men vanished from their original positions.
In their place, an ancient bomb was left, embedded in the organic bulkhead of the Hive Ship.
The next second, the bomb exploded with a roar.
A scorching light, comparable to a star, erupted from the center of the Hive Ship, and raging flames began to consume everything around them.
Neither the organic bulkheads nor the chitinous armor could hinder the flames in the slightest.
In a short while, the flames completely engulfed the entire bio-mothership.
In the bridge hall of the the leviathan, Tyberos watched it all with satisfaction.
Even the Norn Emissary could not have survived in such a situation.
"Psionic emmision no longer detected, the Norn Emissary is dead."
Hearing this news, Tyberos looked at the Kronos Hive Fleet outside, which had already fallen into chaos.
"Begin retreat."
The agile the leviathan rammed through the Tyranid bio-ships that had fallen into chaos and begun to cannibalize each other, accelerating towards the edge of the star system.
The macro-cannon arrays continuously fired, bombarding the few pursuing bio-ships.
With the Norn Emissary dead, this Kronos Hive Fleet had completely collapsed.
Half a day later, at the edge of the star system.
The the leviathan stopped in the void.
Inside the bridge hall.
Chapter Master Tyberos.
Chief Librarian Te Kahurangi.
Captain of the First Company, Captain of the Third Company —
Most of the Chapter's high command gathered together.
The Space Sharks were discussing the direction of their next actions.
Tech Sergeant Hikadi, from the Chapter, was giving a comprehensive report on the remaining weaponry, equipment, and various supplies on the the leviathan.
After listing all the scarce supplies in a table, the Tech Sergeant frankly stated,
"We just returned from the Outer Dark and then experienced that major battle; now, the Chapter is at its weakest."
The Space Sharks understood the unspoken meaning.
The Chapter needed to conduct a new harvest.
To collect the Red Tithe and the Grey Tithe.
Each time the Space Sharks Chapter returned from the Outer Dark, they would organize expeditions called the "Red Tithe" and the "Grey Tithe."
The former's goal was to replenish manpower reserves, and the targets for this harvest were general life-sustaining planets.
The Space Sharks would plunder suitable populations from that world.
The strong, after passing trials, would become candidates for Chapter brothers and serve as general auxiliary forces.
The weaker ones would be responsible for the operations of the Battle Barge.
The "Grey Tithe," on the other hand, referred to the Space Sharks exchanging ancient artifacts, which they had excavated from various ruins in the Outer Dark, with the Adeptus Mechanicus.
From the drive chains on chain axes, to Bolter ammunition, to new power armor, and even Terminator armor, all were on the exchange list.
The Space Sharks Chapter was not actually impoverished.
However, their frequent engagements with various enemies in the Outer Dark consumed large quantities of consumables.
This was why they were so frugal during operations, even reluctant to fire a few Bolter rounds.
Sometimes, the Space Sharks Chapter could even unearth some astonishingly rare treasures.
For example, a crimson amulet capable of controlling machine spirits.
This way, they could exchange enough supplies from the even more frugal Adeptus Mechanicus.
On the throne, Tyberos closed Hunger and Slaughter, looking at the star chart.
"Which is the nearest Hive City world?"
The Tech Sergeant immediately replied,
"Vegast, a planet that was occupied by an Arch-enemy warlord a few centuries ago and later reclaimed. But, Lord, the Leviathan Hive Fleet's target is probably also that world, and they might have already arrived."
"Our ship is faster than the Hive Fleet."
Tyberos was a man of few words.
But the other Space Sharks understood their Chapter Master's meaning.
The the leviathan could rely on its superior maneuverability to scout Vegast first.
Even if it had already been occupied by the Hive Fleet, they could simply go to the next Hive City world to collect the Red Tithe.
"The Chapter hungers for new blood. Let us begin the harvest.
For the Void Father!"
"For the Void Father!"
The the leviathan quickly activated its Warp drive, entered the Warp, and headed straight for Vegast.
On the edge of the Pacific Segmentum, a Forge World, Ata-Median.
This was not just an ordinary Forge World; it was also the garrison for the Titan Legions.
At this moment, a total of ten grey-painted vessels of various sizes were suspended in orbit.
This was the true main force of the Space Sharks.
Their objective was to collect the crucial Grey Tithe.
On the ground, across a desolate plain shrouded in radioactive dust.
Hundreds of tall, armored figures stood silently in the dust.
A faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood emanated from them.
"Greetings, servants of the omnessiah.
I am Akhamu, Second Company Captain of the Space Sharks Chapter, and the executor of this harvest."
At the forefront of the contingent, Akhamu, the Second Company Captain of the Space Sharks, was conversing with a Tech-Priest.
The Tech-Priest spoke in High Gothic, his voice slightly mechanical.
"The omnessiah be praised, I am Tech-Priest Otto.
Void-Brother, it pleases my processing logic to once again perceive your presence.
Have you brought us the 'harvest', Great Harvester?"
"Naturally."
Akhamu motioned to Tech-Priest Otto, inviting him into several nearby transport aircraft.
Inside the cabins, a vast quantity of ancient relics was piled up, all collected by the Space Sharks Chapter during their decades of wandering beyond the Imperium's borders.
Tech-Priest Otto's cogitator core trembled slightly; even a cursory glance revealed the immense value of these relics.
Data-slates containing ancient and precious knowledge were counted by the crate.
Unknown, ancient alloys were casually placed in corners.
"The extra-galactic black region has been exceptionally fruitful over the past decade, and I believe these should more than suffice for your needs."
Akhamu's voice resounded beside Tech-Priest Otto.
The implication was clear: the Space Sharks hoped to exchange for more material reserves.
Although most of his body was mechanized, and even his brain had undergone some modification, Tech-Priest Otto still understood the underlying meaning.
As a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech-Priest Otto would naturally prioritize the interests of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Or rather, the interests of the Ata-Median Forge World.
How to acquire these ancient relics with the least amount of resources was the primary concern for him as a Tech-Priest.
"These relics require extensive prayer and authentication; their value cannot be determined at this moment."
Tech-Priest Otto stated.
His meaning was equally clear: he intended to use this tactic to drive down the price.
Akhamu's pale pupils beneath his helmet narrowed slightly, fixing a chilling gaze on Tech-Priest Otto, who barely reached his chest.
This was precisely why he loathed dealing with the Tech-Priests.
These self-serving individuals did not serve the Imperium of Man and humanity with their whole hearts.
Forcibly suppressing the urge to tear these Tech-Priests to shreds, Akhamu spoke in a deep voice.
"Servants of the omnessiah, I hope you will consider carefully."
Concurrently, the hundreds of Space Sharks nearby also allowed a hint of their killing intent to leak out.
This was why Tyberos had dispatched a portion of his Space Sharks here.
Their purpose was to hold the line.
The Space Sharks had encountered many instances of unruly Adeptus Mechanicus personnel attempting to drive prices to absurd lows.
In such situations, the Space Sharks would assess the opponent's strength.
If it was a slightly weaker Adeptus Mechanicus contingent, with only a few starships.
The Space Sharks would swiftly and thoroughly plunder them.
However, if it was a situation like the current one, trading on the opponent's Forge World, especially one guarded by a Titan Legion.
The Space Sharks would opt for intimidation.
Typically, as long as the Adeptus Mechanicus responsible for the transaction wasn't foolish, they would dutifully produce the appropriate quantity of equipment and supplies.
Feeling the killing intent emanating from the Space Sharks before him, and after a brief deliberation, Tech-Priest Otto used his internal vox-caster to notify the external Skitarii forces.
Rust-red transport ships, trailing heavy payloads, descended from orbit, their thruster backwash kicking up a storm of dust across the valley floor.
The cargo, arranged on unlocked automated racks, was displayed before the open hatches, reflecting the dim starlight.
From basic ammunition to brand new Bolters, Plasma weapons, meltaguns, and the Imperium of Man's most advanced Mark X power armor.
Even two Land Raiders and three Rhino transports were suspended beneath the transport aircraft, descending to the surface, their hulls gleaming with a pristine silver luster.
It was clear to anyone that these were definitely the finest products of the Forge World.
Akhamu walked past one power armor suit after another.
He meticulously inspected each gorget, every joint, every rivet, and every ceramic plate.
Finally, Akhamu stopped before ten Indomitus Pattern Terminator armors.
The Space Sharks excelled in assault and close-quarters combat, and Terminator armor, with its integrated teleportation device, was one of the most crucial pieces of equipment for the Space Sharks.
Under the command of Chapter Master Tyberos, all First Company Terminator Veterans would be distributed among other companies to lead bloody close-combat assaults.
This resulted in a consistently high damage rate for the Space Sharks' Terminator armor.
Ten full suits of Terminator armor were enough to replenish the Chapter's recent losses.
This Grey Tithe lasted for half a day.
During this time, Adeptus Mechanicus transport ships continuously ferried various equipment and supplies to the Space Sharks' vessels in orbit.
After nightfall, the Adeptus Mechanicus departed.
Only the Space Sharks remained, still standing on the desolate plain.
"The quantity of supplies this time has exceeded our previous expectations; it is enough to sustain us in the void for another two decades."
The attending Tech-Adept reported to Akhamu.
Akhamu gazed up at the starry sky, beyond the illumination of the Emperor's light.
"The darkness beyond is growing more turbulent, and the enemies of the Void-Father are stirring."
The Space Sharks often operated outside the Imperium of Man's purview, fighting on the fringes of the Astromican's light.
This allowed them to clearly understand the vast reach of the Great Devourer's tendrils, and how many terrifying enemies lurked beyond the Milky Way Galaxy.
"Return to base. According to the plan, we are to rendezvous with the Chapter Master at Nonimex."
Lowering his head, Akhamu swiftly boarded the transport aircraft with the Space Sharks, heading towards the starships in orbit.
Upon arriving on the bridge of the Second Company's Battle Barge, the Xylos, Akhamu was about to command the fleet to enter the Warp.
When new intelligence arrived from a Carcharodon.
"Sir, new Astropathic message.
My lord commands us not to proceed to Nonimex, but to alter course and proceed to a planet named Vegast.
My lord has decided to harvest the Red Tithe there, to replenish our ranks."
Akhamu nodded, then immediately ordered a change of course, and the fleet began to enter the Warp.
"My Lord, our Astropath has detected some unique astropathic signals."
On the leviathan's bridge, several Space Sharks were reporting to Chapter Master Tyberos.
"According to the descriptions, a special xenos organism, similar to the tyranids but hostile to it, has appeared in some surrounding star systems."
"Some planets refer to them as 'Primal Zerg,' and these Primal Zerg have blocked the advance of the leviathan Hive Fleet."
Tyberos pondered for a moment on his throne.
Under normal circumstances, the Space Sharks would naturally not mind tearing flesh from new xenos enemies.
This was the duty of the Space Sharks.
There was no hierarchy among xenos enemies.
Whether it was the tyranids that had already surrounded the entire Milky Way Galaxy,
or those humble and weak xenos,
all were enemies of the Imperium of Man.
However, after the previous engagement with the Kronos Hive Fleet, the Space Sharks aboard the leviathan had suffered considerable losses.
Furthermore, the leviathan alone could not carry out the task of eliminating new xenos enemies on multiple worlds.
"How is the fleet harvesting the Grey Tithe?"
"An astropathic message just arrived; Captain Akamu reported that the Grey Tithe has been completed with a rich harvest, and they are proceeding as planned to Vegast."
"Harvesting the Red Tithe and replenishing fresh blood is paramount and must not fail," Tyberos decided, his voice low.
"The objective remains unchanged; continue to Vegast."
"As you command."
In the Warp, the leviathan, with its Gellar Field activated, continued to speed towards Vegast.
The malicious gazes wandering in the distorted chaotic energy could only watch the leviathan depart, emitting impotent, terrifying shrieks.
In orbit around Vegast, an emergency meeting was being held on an Olympus-class space carrier.
Fleet Commander Dugall was in a secluded room, conversing with alliance leaders on various planets and worlds via a wormhole.
"Our automated monitoring equipment left at the edge of the Nonimex system has transmitted some video records."
With that, Dugall displayed a screen.
Long ago, when alliance ships first detected that Nonimex was under attack by the leviathan Hive Fleet, they left concealed automated monitoring stations at the edge of its star system.
Within the station was an extremely tiny wormhole that could be shut down at any time.
The monitoring station could transmit the observed footage in real-time to alliance territory through this wormhole.
The footage displayed was the scene from not long ago, where the Space Sharks Chapter's battle barge, the leviathan, charged into the Kronos Hive Fleet and wreaked havoc.
"That's a battle barge," Marcus said, his voice low, looking at the leviathan in the footage.
Having once boarded the Ultramarines' Second Company battle barge, he would never mistake it.
Moreover, only a battle barge would dare to launch a desperate boarding action against Tyranid bio-ships.
Ordinary Imperium of Man warships, even powerful battleships, would not attempt such a maneuver.
"Astartes' flagship?"
The other alliance leaders pondered thoughtfully.
They had not yet encountered the true elite forces of the Imperium of Man, the Astartes.
They had only seen scenes of the Ultramarines in battle in some residual footage on Avarax.
But even so, figures like Alexia, Wesker, and Alex could still glimpse the formidable combat power of the Astartes from these materials.
The Astartes, truly the Emperor's creations, were indeed weapons of war.
"Which Chapter is that? Why is there only one battle barge?" Alexia, who had a slight understanding of the Astartes' organizational structure from various sources, asked Marcus.
Staring intently at the leviathan on the screen, Marcus had someone enlarge the image.
Finally, the greyish-white shark insignia on both sides of the battle barge appeared before everyone.
"Space Sharks." Marcus frowned.
The others looked puzzled, not knowing the meaning of the word.
"They are Astartes loyal to the Imperium of Man, often operating in the Ghoul Stars, northeast of the Ultima Segmentum."
Marcus briefly explained, but at the same time, he was also somewhat puzzled.
"How did these guys end up in the Pacific Segmentum?"
The Ghoul Stars were in the northeast of the Milky Way Galaxy, while the Sabbath Stars, where Nonimex, Vegast, and Avarax were located, were in the southwest of the Milky Way Galaxy.
They were separated by the entire distance of the Milky Way Galaxy.
After temporarily setting this question aside, Marcus considered the Space Sharks' next objective.
He eventually reached an unfavorable conclusion.
"There's a high probability that the Space Sharks' target is Vegast, which is closest to Nonimex."
Although he didn't know why only one Space Sharks battle barge had appeared,
Marcus knew that the Space Sharks were absolutely in dire need of personnel and logistical supplies right now.
And a fringe world like Vegast would be an excellent location for the Space Sharks to harvest the Red Tithe.
After hearing Marcus's deduction, the Universal Union leaders began to discuss.
The discussion focused on how to deal with the Space Sharks.
This would be the Universal Union's first direct contact with an Astartes Chapter, and everything would be extremely important.
The most crucial question was how the Universal Union should face the Space Sharks.
Listening to everyone's discussion, Marcus did not rush to speak.
Instead, he pondered continuously.
Overall, the Universal Union had two paths to choose from.
One was to pretend that Vegast was still under Imperium of Man control, evacuate key alliance personnel and facilities from it, erase all traces of the leviathan Hive Fleet, and have the residents cooperate with the Space Sharks in harvesting the Red Tithe.
The advantage of this was that the Universal Union would not provoke the Space Sharks Chapter, and could continue to hide and develop slowly.
But the downside was that Vegast, having just repelled the leviathan Hive Fleet and then being harvested for a large amount of human resources, would be severely weakened and lose its development prospects in the short term.
The second option was to seize the opportunity to eliminate the Space Sharks, or capture them all, severing their ties with the Imperium of Man.
The Space Sharks would not allow the Universal Union, a non-Imperial force that ruled an entire sector, to exist.
Marcus was not a Sector Governor appointed by the Imperium, and the Universal Union's existence clearly violated the Imperium's bottom line.
However, doing so also had significant drawbacks.
The Universal Union temporarily did not know where the Space Sharks' other capital ships had gone.
If the disappearance of this battle barge attracted the attention of other Space Sharks, the Universal Union's existence would be at great risk of exposure.
The Universal Union was currently far from having the strength to contend with the Imperium of Man.
After a long period of contemplation, Marcus tapped the table, silencing the ongoing discussion.
Just as Marcus was about to speak and announce his decision,
an invisible sensation suddenly swept over him, enveloping his entire body.
As the supreme leader of the Universal Union, Marcus had not engaged in a proper life-or-death battle for six or seven years.
But he had not become lost in power either.
He still frequently sparred with Isaac, Krauser, Wesker, and others in the training ground.
This allowed Marcus to maintain the peak condition of his physical functions.
And at this very moment, aboard the Ishimura, high above Avarax's orbit...
Upon sensing that unusual feeling sweeping over him, Marcus instantly opened his system panel, intending to perform a world-travel.
But in the next second, before Marcus could make another move...
A slightly familiar voice entered his ears.
The voice was imbued with divinity, as if from ancient times, crossing vast darkness, ethereal beyond compare.
"Stop, traveler not of this world."
Marcus, of course, ignored the voice.
Regardless of whether the other party was the being seated on the Golden Throne, Marcus now only had one thought.
That was to press the world-travel button in front of him.
But, no matter what efforts he made, even using all his strength and terrifying Psionics, Marcus's hand remained suspended in the air, unable to press down even a fraction.
That tiny distance was like an unbridgeable chasm, spanning between Marcus and the system panel.
Not only that, when Marcus tried to move his eyeballs and look around...
He discovered that even the electronic clock, which was originally running in the Ishimura's captain's quarters, no longer ticked.
The continuously rotating holographic star map also froze in place.
The communication channel fell into a deathly silence.
Between heaven and earth, it seemed only Marcus's breathing remained.
After trying to move his mouth and finding that he could still make a sound...
Marcus took a deep breath, then asked in a low voice.
"Who exactly are you?"
"The answer is already in your heart."
The voice sounded again, as enigmatic as ever.
While trying to break free from this near-time-stop restraint, Marcus continued to speak.
"How do I know you're not a trick of that blue bird?
Just like Magnus ten thousand years ago, used without knowing it."
The voice paused for a moment, then sounded again.
"You are not that child, and I am not the being you speak of."
"Perhaps."
Marcus secretly noticed that his head could now tremble slightly.
He needed more time to get out of this predicament.
Since that was the case, chatting with the owner of this voice to buy time was not a problem.
"Then, I will assume you are the common lord of all humanity, the Great Emperor."
Marcus slowly began.
"A great being like you, why would you seek out a small person like me?"
"I noticed you as soon as you arrived in this world."
The voice sounded again.
Marcus also recalled the sun he saw in his dream when he first arrived in the Warhammer World, which he suspected was the Emperor.
Not only that time, when he was brought aboard the Ultramarines' battle barge, Marcus had also entered a dream and heard the warning from that being.
"I do not know where you truly come from, perhaps another sub-dimension, or an even higher-dimensional existence."
The Emperor admitted.
"The humans of this world need your help."
Marcus was silent for a moment.
His view of the Emperor was actually very simple.
The other party was indeed a great and selfless being, who could be said to have sacrificed everything for the humans of the Warhammer World, willing to sit on the terrifying torture device that is the Golden Throne for ten thousand years.
Across all worlds, there were few beings like him.
But Marcus's admiration for the Emperor was limited to that.
He, and most people in the Universal Union, were not humans of the Warhammer World.
Not to mention that the Universal Union also had alien races like the Na'vi, and even Eva.
The Universal Union's philosophy and that of the Imperium of Man, as well as the Emperor's philosophy, had fundamental conflicts.
Even in the second millennium, when the human civilization of the Warhammer World had not yet experienced the Iron Men rebellion, they still harbored hatred towards alien races.
This was not because of some so-called alien betrayal of humanity that led to human hatred of aliens.
Rather, it was the nature of the humans of this world; humans who possessed great power simply wanted to exterminate or enslave all aliens.
Finally, when human civilization declined due to the Iron Men rebellion and the ravages of the Warp storms...
The disheartened humans naturally suffered further attacks from the previously oppressed alien civilizations, which added insult to injury.
This, in turn, further ignited human hatred for alien civilizations.
And the Universal Union, as a nascent force rather than a civilization...
Did not carry a heavy past.
Naturally, it would not hold prejudices against all aliens like the Imperium of Man.
The two had almost no possibility of coexistence.
Facing a being like the Emperor, Marcus naturally had no need to hide his thoughts.
"Do you think that once my existence, and that of the Universal Union, is exposed to the Imperium, it can still survive?
I'm afraid those humans from other worlds would instantly be seized and burned to ashes, to be used as Pariah weapons.
Aliens would be annihilated in an instant.
Other worlds maintaining contact with the Universal Union would be violently colonized.
Even Chaos would be brought to other worlds.
And the Imperium of Man would continue its next ten millennia of battle with Chaos."
Marcus spoke frankly.
"With your existence, and the emergence of one hero after another among humanity, and countless loyal warriors, the Imperium of Man will not be destroyed, but it will not improve in the slightest.
The current Imperium of Man is merely a bloated corpse, moving forward by inertia, relying on the colossal scale accumulated during the Great Crusade ten thousand years ago."
Marcus's words were sharp, especially his final incisive commentary on the Imperium of Man, which directly exposed the true nature of the Imperium.
The voice let out a long sigh.
"It is precisely for this reason that I hope you can save the humans of this world, rather than saving the Imperium."
Marcus understood the Emperor's underlying meaning, but he did not immediately reply.
"The surging malice in the Aether ensures that the humans of this world cannot escape the encroachment of Chaos; only by utilizing external forces, breaking and then rebuilding, can the continuation of humanity be ensured."
The Emperor's meaning was clear.
He hoped that Marcus and the Universal Union could overthrow the utterly irredeemable Imperium of Man.
The Emperor's goal from beginning to end was the continuation of human civilization.
And the existence of the Imperium of Man was merely one stage of human civilization, not irreplaceable.
Marcus tried to shake his head.
"If these words were to be spoken, I fear your sons would personally lead fleets to the Sabbath Worlds."
Immediately after, Marcus began to ponder the Emperor's expectations.
Although the owner of the voice seemed to be the Emperor, Marcus did not immediately agree to the request to help the humans of this world.
Whether the other party was the Emperor was still unknown; if it was the Bluebird in disguise, rashly agreeing to such a request would almost certainly lead to eternal damnation.
Even if the other party truly was the Emperor, Marcus would not easily agree.
The Universal Union would continue to expand in the Warhammer World and, as much as possible, ensure that residents within its territory lived better lives than they currently did.
However, this had nothing to do with helping the human civilization of the Warhammer World.
The Universal Union would not bear such a heavy responsibility.
Seemingly discerning Marcus's thoughts, the owner of the voice immediately said,
"You need not worry about the children of Krax anymore; this will be a small gift from me to you."
With that, the voice fell completely silent.
The sensation that had been restraining Marcus receded like a tide.
The previously stagnant time and space began to flow again.
Everything seemed to return to normal.
Without time to ponder the meaning of the last sentence, Marcus only managed to leave a warning.
"Immediately inspect the entire Ishimura, quarantine all personnel, sever all external communications, prohibit travel to other worlds, and await further orders."
He then immediately pressed the world-travel button on the system panel.
The destination for the travel was the Legendary Monster Universe, a world Marcus himself hadn't visited much.
Worlds drawn from the lottery did not have system missions.
Marcus could freely use the World Anchor to travel.
A flash of white light, and Marcus appeared in an Alliance space station in Earth's orbit.
"Notify everyone to immediately cut off all contact with other worlds and conduct a week-long self-inspection."
Using his highest authority, Marcus immediately gathered a group of Alliance scientists from this world and began to conduct comprehensive scans on himself using various complex instruments.
He had to eliminate all potential Chaos threats on his person.
This was also why Marcus chose to come to this world, which the Universal Union had not yet developed much.
If he truly had Chaos contamination, it would be better than it spreading to other worlds where the Universal Union had been developing for a long time.
"I can't go back for a while. I hope Alexia can stabilize the situation there."
In the space station, where alarms blared, Marcus's brows were tightly furrowed.
On the Space Sharks Astartes Chapter's battle barge, the the leviathan, speeding through the Warp.
The Chapter's Chief Librarian, Tech-Kahurangi, who had been meditating in his small room, suddenly sensed the Warp's waves gently stirring.
This was very wrong.
Logically, this shouldn't happen inside the the leviathan, which was traveling through the Warp with its Gellar Field activated.
After a brief thought, Kahurangi said to a Chapter serf nearby,
"Notify the Tech Sergeant to inspect the flagship."
"Yes, my lord."
Several serfs immediately acknowledged the order and exited the room.
Just as Kahurangi was about to resume his meditation, intending to find the cause of the Warp fluctuations,
A piercing shriek suddenly interrupted his actions.
"Ah!"
It was the sound made by the Chapter serfs who had just left.
Kahurangi's pale face, covered with the Mark of the Outcast beneath his faceplate, furrowed slightly. He immediately grabbed the chainaxe inscribed with special runes beside him and rushed out of the room.
Immediately, he pinpointed the source of the mortal serfs' screams.
They were more than a dozen Astartes clad in black armor, their bodies wreathed in flames.
As the Chapter's Chief Librarian, the experienced Kahurangi immediately recognized their identity.
The Legion of the Damned.
One of the most mysterious entities in the Imperium of Man.
These Astartes, like the dead and wreathed in flames, would often disregard the distances of time and space, appearing at the most critical times and places in the Imperium of Man to defeat the enemies of humanity.
He reprimanded the screaming mortal serfs before him, making them retreat.
Kahurangi immediately used his communication device to contact his other battle-brothers on the ship.
At the same time, Kahurangi's hand remained tightly gripped on his chainaxe, his gaze fixed on the more than a dozen Cursed Warriors before him.
Although, according to various Imperial records, the Cursed Warriors stood with the Imperium.
Kahurangi remained vigilant; he didn't know why these individuals would suddenly appear on the the leviathan.
Was the the leviathan about to face an invasion from enemies in the Warp?
Kahurangi's mind pondered all possibilities.
"Thump, thump, thump!!!"
Fast and heavy footsteps echoed from all directions.
Most of the Space Sharks on the the leviathan were rushing over.
Chapter Master Tyberos, clad in ancient Terminator armor, led the charge, at the very front.
A subtle standoff formed between the Space Sharks and the Cursed Warriors.
"I am Tyberos, Chapter Master of the Space Sharks, the Red Wake."
Tyberos was the first to announce his name.
He stood beside Chief Librarian Kahurangi.
Under everyone's gaze, the more than a dozen Cursed Warriors suddenly dispersed.
A soft white light slowly condensed.
Finally.
Saint Sabbat, the Living Saint, descended before the Space Sharks.
Saint Sabbat was one of the greatest Living Saints in the Pacific Segmentum.
In the 35th Millennium, Saint Sabbat led the armies of the Imperium of Man, sweeping through large areas of the Pacific Segmentum and reclaiming countless planets.
Even the Sabbat Worlds, where Avarax was located, were named in honor of Saint Sabbat.
And at this moment, Saint Sabbat was bearing the will of the Emperor.
"It's the Void Father!"
Chief Librarian Kahurangi's expression fluctuated; as a Librarian, he could not mistake the source of this power.
The Space Sharks were in an uproar.
As a Chapter that had long operated on the fringes of the Astronomican's light, the Space Sharks had never witnessed a manifestation of the Emperor.
In fact, most of their contributions to the Imperium went unknown.
Realizing that this would be a historical moment, Tyberos immediately dispersed the Space Sharks, who had formed a surrounding encirclement around the Cursed Warriors.
Finally, only he and the Chapter's high command remained.
No one knew what Tyberos and the other Space Sharks high command discussed with Saint Sabbat.
The ordinary Space Sharks and mortal serfs only knew that.
An hour later, Tyberos reappeared before everyone.
And the elusive Cursed Warriors had vanished without a trace again, as if they had never appeared.
Especially the mortal serfs who had witnessed the presence of the Cursed Warriors soon felt their memories of the Cursed Warriors becoming increasingly blurred.
Soon, they would forget everything that had just happened.
"Immediately inspect the entire Ishimura, quarantine all personnel, sever all external communication, prohibit travel to other worlds, and await further orders!"
Listening to the recently concluded message from the communicator, the Universal Union high-ranking officials initially didn't react.
One second ago, they were waiting for Marcus to state how to deal with the Space Sharks Space Marine Chapter.
But the next second, they received this urgent order.
"Life signs have disappeared. Did Marcus go to another world?"
Soon, Alexia, who had reacted, clarified the whole story.
"Execute the order immediately! Quarantine the entire Ishimura!"
According to the emergency plan Marcus had previously set, once he encountered any accident or suddenly disappeared,
Then, Alexia would temporarily take over the Universal Union's highest authority.
Moreover, everyone in the communication conference knew that this sudden situation was probably inseparable from the unique Warp of the Warhammer World.
The only good news was that the still-maintained Psychic Contract proved that Marcus was not yet dead.
"Chaos, or something else?"
At the top of Avarax's Central Hive, Alexia's brows were tightly furrowed.
Next to her, alliance officials were giving reports.
"According to orders, the Ishimura has been completely sealed off, and the crew on board have voluntarily cut off all external communications. In addition, our Second Fleet is urgently returning to defend Avarax."
In fact, the Universal Union had another option: to directly use the newly built Planetary Engines on Avarax to destroy the Ishimura.
But since no one knew what had happened on the Ishimura, no one dared to make that decision.
Just as Alexia was listening to the report,
An urgent message was transmitted to her RIG terminal.
After opening it, it was from the Universal Union department specifically responsible for coordinating information management between various worlds.
The message content was very simple.
"We have lost all contact with the Monsterverse. All world gates show that the portal there is currently closed, and even the most basic electromagnetic signals cannot pass through."
Without thinking, Alexia guessed that the closing of the world gate was done by Marcus.
Only he had that authority.
"At least we know where he went."
Alexia's brows relaxed slightly.
She then sent this message to other alliance high-ranking officials.
This could help temporarily stabilize the chaotic situation.
"Have all warships, space stations maintain a certain distance from the Ishimura. Ground Planetary Engines, turn and aim at the Ishimura, awaiting further instructions.
Also, temporarily cut off mission and material exchanges between the Warhammer World and other worlds, allowing only basic signal transmission.
Strengthen the detection of Chaos and Warp energy in all worlds. Once any abnormality is found, report it directly to me immediately."
Alexia immediately issued a series of orders.
Regarding suspected signs of Warp and Chaos, there could be no slack; no amount of vigilance was too much.
"The first full-ship self-inspection has concluded. We detected slight Warp radiation energy in the captain's cabin; all other areas showed no abnormalities."
Inside the Ishimura, which had effectively become an isolated island, the current highest authority on board, Chief Engineer Jacob, was listening to the report.
"Seal off the captain's cabin. No, seal off the entire crew deck area."
Jacob immediately ordered.
Although he himself had never faced Chaos, he had faced the god seal and the disasters created by the god seal.
And according to Marcus's consistent emphasis to them, these alliance high-ranking officials, Chaos was infinitely more terrifying than the god seal.
At least the god seal could only affect the minds of the living and the flesh of corpses.
But Chaos could, unknowingly, directly twist the flesh of living beings and make them disregard the physical laws of the real universe.
Even if a person was affected by Chaos, and all their limbs became twisted tentacles, they could still connect with the body's nerves, moving even faster.
A twisted mouth, appearing out of thin air on the belly without muscle support, could also open and close, erupting with incredible biting force.
"Also, immediately conduct a second full-ship self-inspection, and then self-inspect every two hours without interruption."
Jacob said.
At the same time, he also ordered increased vigilance over all living supplies on board.
For the next period, the thousands of people on board would rely entirely on these supplies for survival.
In the Monsterverse, in the orbital space station, Marcus was undergoing a comprehensive inspection.
"We detected slight radiation energy on your body. According to comparison, it indeed comes from the Warp, but it is not Chaos energy."
An alliance scientist in a strict protective suit said to Marcus.
"At least so far, we haven't found any signs of abnormality in your body."
After a slight stretch, Marcus then said in a deep voice,
"We cannot relax our vigilance. The power of the Warp is like bone maggots; no one knows if those things will follow us to this world."
Looking at the Earth below the space station, Marcus couldn't help but recall the appearance of the demon world in his mind.
After the others left the room, Marcus began to ponder every word spoken by the owner of that voice, the suspected Emperor's existence.
Especially the last sentence, "You no longer need to worry about the children of Krax; this will be a small gift from me to you. This will be a proof."
To prove whether the owner of that voice was indeed the Emperor.
If the Space Sharks Space Marine Chapter were truly resolved, then the possibility of the other party being the Emperor would greatly increase.
After all, even for a Chaos God, corrupting an entire well-known loyalist Chapter like this would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
For Chapters like the Space Sharks, Black Templars, Lamenters, and other more renowned loyalist Chapters, a shift in allegiance is an almost impossible thing.
Because the true Emperor protects these Chapters with his power.
"Old Man Huang wouldn't really give me a Space Marine Chapter, would he? I can't control those Space Sharks."
Marcus mumbled.
"Forget it, I'll wait until after a week of self-inspection."
Shaking his head, Marcus focused his attention on the system panel in front of him.
He needed to adjust the world gate in the Monsterverse.
According to the system's explanation, only everything approved by Marcus himself,
Whether living or dead, or electromagnetic signals, elementary particles, and various energies, could pass through the world gate.
Warp energy was also included.
"I hope nothing goes wrong over there."
While adjusting the world gate via the system panel, Marcus said in a low voice,
"This is also a test for them, to see if the Universal Union can still operate normally without me."