Ork technology was bizarre beyond description. But things were different now—equipped with interdimensional technology, the Astartes were arguably more "Ork-like" than the Orks themselves. Ordinary Orks were simply no match for them. Occasionally, a powerful weapon would pierce through the power armor, and a scorching decomposition ray would strike an Astartes' flesh.
"Hum!"
The Totems of Undying within their bodies would instantly activate. Then, teleportation would trigger. The wounded warrior would vanish from the spot, returning to the War Planet in the rear, leaving behind a flickering Eye of Ender launch device. In just a few seconds, under the dual effects of the time acceleration field and advanced medical technology, the Space Marine would be fully healed. They would don a brand-new set of power armor, the Eye of Ender would activate, and the Space Marine would reappear exactly where they had vanished, plunging back into the fray.
Because of this system, not a single Astartes had truly fallen since the start of the Great Crusade.
"The God-Emperor protects!"
"Praise the God-Emperor! We shall never lose another brother!"
"For humanity! For the God-Emperor!"
The warriors' hearts were filled with fanatical faith in the God-Emperor Ian. This immortality made them fearless; a lethal strike was no longer the end, but merely a brief respite for rest. This brought them more peace of mind than any powerful weapon ever could.
Seti's figure appeared on the surface of this Ork War Planet. Beneath his feet was a crude, cold patchwork of metal—countless warship wrecks and discarded mechanical parts haphazardly welded together. Exposed wires sizzled, spitting dangerous sparks. The entire planet was like a massive junk heap that looked ready to fall apart or explode at any second. In fact, that was the reality; if not for the Orks' unique abilities, it would have crumbled long ago.
A thick scent of machine oil and rust, mixed with the distinct stench of the Orks, assaulted his senses. Seti hovered in mid-air. The power of $250,000$ Horsepower Magnetic Field Manipulation erupted violently. An invisible force field rippled outward with him as the center, scanning the planet. His perception pierced through layers of metallic trash, searching for a powerful individual worthy of his intervention.
'Oh? There really is one!'
An exceptionally strong life signal, like a lighthouse in the dark, caught his attention. Seti's consciousness instantly locked onto the target. It was a massive Ork, nearly three meters tall. However, its attire made Seti's lips twitch slightly.
This particular Ork was wearing a suit of golden power armor! Although it was incredibly crude, covered in rivets and weld marks, the color and the design... It had a massive golden power claw on its left hand, a golden greatsword in its right, and a golden bolter hanging at its waist! The blade of the sword was riddled with holes of various sizes, which were continuously spewing roaring flames.
'Is this... an Ork Emperor?' Seti couldn't quite keep a straight face.
Beside this "Ork Emperor" stood another Ork that had undergone extensive mechanical modification. Most of its body had been replaced by metal and wiring, looking remarkably like a Fabricator General of Mars. This "Mechanical Ork" was holding a crude metal tablet, poking at it with thick fingers as if reporting something to the "Ork Emperor."
'Pfft...'
Ian, who was attached to Seti acting as the "live-in mentor," couldn't help himself either. These Ork guys were just too much fun; they always found a way to come up with something new. Orks were truly a box of wonders. Having seen an Ork Emperor today, would there be an Ork Khorne, an Ork Nurgle, or an Ork Slaanesh in the future? As for an Ork Tzeentch... Ian shook his head. Orks might use their heads to headbutt things, but thinking? Highly unlikely.
'Click.' Ian secretly took a photo of this Ork Emperor, planning to show it to the "Yellow Skin" later.
It had to be said that this "Ork Emperor" did have some skill, or rather, the WAAAGH! Field was simply too ridiculous. It actually sensed Seti's observation! It suddenly looked up, its eyes—which seemed surprisingly intelligent—sweeping toward Seti's direction.
Then it grinned. "WAAAGH!!"
The Ork Emperor's massive body stood up abruptly. It lifted the flaming golden greatsword and drew the golden bolter from its waist. Taking huge strides, it began charging toward Seti. A few Gretchins blocking the way were stepped on and crushed into pulp instantly.
Seti grinned, revealing his wild, pointed teeth. He slowly raised both hands, clenching his fists together with force, and cracked his neck, his joints letting out crisp pops.
"Finally, someone decent. It's time for my performance!"
Seeing the Ork Emperor charging at him, a blazing fire of battle ignited in Seti's eyes. He felt the violent fighting intent surging within the opponent—a pure desire for combat that mirrored his own.
"Ye! Battle on!"
Seti laughed, muscles tensing to the limit. Then, he slammed his feet against the ground and rocketed toward the Ork Emperor. The distance between the two warriors closed in a flash. Seti had always sought well-matched opponents. Only in the most extreme battles could he break through his own shackles and grow stronger. The Ork Emperor was the same; it craved high-quality combat and longed to grow more powerful through fighting.
There was no hatred in their hearts, no conflict of ideologies—only a pure, unadulterated thirst for battle. They both just wanted to get stronger!
The $250,000$ Horsepower Magnetic Field power roared inside Seti. Every step left deep craters on the War Planet's surface, the metal floor deforming and twisting under his feet. Inside the Ork Emperor's golden power armor, energy conduits flashed with blinding light as massive power accumulated within its frame.
As their speeds peaked, the air was compressed, forming visible shockwaves.
"Boom!"
The two finally collided. Seti's fist slammed into the Ork Emperor's power claw with devastating force. A violent explosion echoed across the entire battlefield. The shockwave radiated outward from the two of them, whipping up a localized metal storm.
"Emperor above! What level of combat is this?" an Astartes cried out in shock.
"I've never seen such intense close-quarters combat!" another warrior gripped his bolter, eyes full of awe.
The Orks, meanwhile, fell into a complete frenzy. They waved their weapons wildly, letting out earth-shattering howls: "WAAAGH! Big guys fighting! Big guys fighting!"
More Orks poured in from all directions. They weren't coming to fight; they were coming to witness this epic duel. The metal fragments kicked up by the shockwaves fell like rain, pinning some smaller Orks directly to the ground. But they didn't care; dead comrades only made them more excited.
The metal surface of the War Planet cracked open into massive fissures from the impact, revealing complex wiring and mechanical structures beneath that looked even more chaotic than a mess of power lines.
Seti and the Ork Emperor were simultaneously repelled by the recoil of the clash, both sliding back hundreds of meters and plowing two deep trenches into the metal floor. After stabilizing themselves, they both looked up, their gazes meeting in mid-air.
Seti saw the light in the Ork Emperor's eyes—it wasn't hate, but admiration and respect. The Ork Emperor saw the fighting intent in Seti's eyes as well, and it bared its teeth in a gruesome smile.
"Now this is a real fight!" Seti growled, the Magnetic Field power spinning frantically within him.
The Ork Emperor seemed to understand Seti's thought. "WAAAGH!" it bellowed, then thrust its golden power sword into the ground, choosing to fight Seti barehanded. This wasn't a gesture of contempt, but one of the highest respect.
The surrounding Astartes warriors, seeing this, stopped their fighting and moved back of their own accord to give the two more space. The Orks also halted their offensive, forming a massive circle to become the audience for this epic confrontation.
"It seems we are fortunate enough to witness a legendary battle," an Ultramarines Captain whispered.
"Indeed, brother," another warrior replied.
In the center of the battlefield, Seti and the Ork Emperor charged at each other once more. The testing was over; a true peak duel was about to begin.