"Seth."
Blazkowicz called out to his sons through the psychic link, telling them to come in and clear away the Necron body.
Seth entered with three of his brothers, seeing their Gene-Father standing by the window, a metallic skeleton at his feet.
"Contain it." Blazkowicz pointed at the metal body of the Necron Overlord on the ground. "Two of you will personally guard it and allow no outsiders to approach."
Blazkowicz knew the terror of the Necron well.
He sealed off the information, not allowing anyone to know of the Necron's existence, especially the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel.
The powerful ancient Xenos technology could not be revealed to them, to avoid causing trouble.
The former rulers of the galaxy—the Necron—were still in slumber, and no one knew when they would awaken.
They must not be disturbed. Once the Necron awoke on a large scale, the Human Great Crusade would never end.
At that point, the Great Crusade would evolve into an endless struggle between humanity and its former overlords.
Therefore, sealing off the information now was the correct course of action.
"Anyone who privately investigates will be killed!" Blazkowicz's tone remained calm, yet his killing intent was undiminished.
"We obey your command!" The Doom Slayers performed the warrior's salute, assuring their Gene-Father.
They also sensed the gravity of the matter, and the killing intent in their Gene-Father's words was undeniable.
The Doom Slayers brought a stasis field, sealed the metallic body into a metal coffin, and transported it back to the Space Marine warship for strict guarding.
Blazkowicz looked down from the highest point. On the outskirts of the Xenos Hive City, the two Legions worked together to build a sturdy fortress.
Occasionally, sparks flashed within the city. Most areas had been cleared, but a few hidden corners still contained Xenos, and cleanup teams were eliminating them.
He walked to the bed, lay down quietly, and prepared to rest by the fireplace.
Although a Primarch did not need rest and could fight at high intensity for a long time, sleep was not essential.
But Blazkowicz still enjoyed the momentary peace that restful sleep brought.
There was no need to worry about the Hive City's defense; reinforcements from other Xenos Hive Cities couldn't get through. The city was built to give mortals a sense of security, allowing them to sleep soundly at night.
Within the Hive City, the psychic shield could still withstand orbital bombardment, but a large-scale army sortie would be suicidal.
After all, on a Xenos homeworld, the sense of security provided by a fortress was far more reassuring than the wilderness.
Space Marines could overcome physiological instincts, suppress unease with willpower, and feel the security brought by their power armor.
mortals, however, were different. Their weaponry and equipment were relatively simple, they lacked the superhuman physique of Space Marines, and their inner selves were more fragile.
With at least one Terra month of stationed, Blazkowicz had a responsibility to arrange things for the mortals, building ramparts with stone walls to give them the security to sleep soundly.
When he woke up, it was already early the next morning.
The air on the Xenos homeworld was moist and the morning sun was very warm and comfortable.
Blazkowicz sensed that someone was waiting outside the door.
"Let them in."
A message came through the psychic link, and the Doom Slayers retracted their crossed halberds, allowing the waiting individuals into the Primarch's bedroom.
"My Lord."
They saluted Blazkowicz, using the warrior's etiquette of Argent Nur.
Terra's Astropathic messages had spread throughout the Human World, and the warrior's etiquette from Argent Nur was gradually becoming popular among the Great Crusade fleets.
Blazkowicz nodded in acknowledgment.
Frex of the Fourth Legion and Appius of the Seventh Legion respectfully placed their report data-slates on the nearby table.
Both Legion representatives had excited expressions on their faces, as if they had opened the door to a new world.
With the Primarch's encouragement, they adapted to work they had never imagined, and they did it very well.
Siege masters and architects. The two opposing professions cross-checked each other, identifying and correcting deficiencies.
Overnight, mortals, in cooperation with Space Marines and with the assistance of the Adeptus Mechanicus, completed the identification and rectification of deficiencies in the outer defenses and were now proceeding with in-depth construction.
The hidden talents in their genes, the treasures bestowed by their Gene-Father, were being developed and utilized.
"Go and do your jobs."
Blazkowicz picked up the data-slate, saw the impatience on their faces, and smiled, letting them leave.
"You may summon us at any time." The Legion representatives bowed and slowly exited the room.
Before the operation, he didn't know much about the Fourth and Seventh Legions, having only briefly reviewed the Great Crusade data.
Having the two sides work collaboratively was Blazkowicz's bold idea.
He planned the overall operation, drawing personnel from both Legions, with the aim of being prepared for any eventuality.
Discovering that the Psychneuein navy was weak and that humanity had absolute air superiority, Blazkowicz let the two Legions work freely.
Intertwined, the two Legions indeed burst forth with a different kind of passion.
"My Lord. There are some unusual situations in the dome, and I dare not make a hasty judgment."
As Blazkowicz was browsing the data-slate, Ahriman's cautious voice came through the communication gauntlet.
He pondered for a moment, then immediately got up and headed to the dome.
The core of this operation revolved around the constantly sending false distress signals, which needed to be treated with caution.
Leading several Doom Slayers, Blazkowicz strode forward, reaching the dome in a few minutes.
Ahriman had been waiting for a long time. He respectfully bowed his head and extended a hand to guide the Primarch's gaze.
"Did you eat the roasted meat sent last night?"
Blazkowicz asked casually, his eyes following the guidance to look at the Psychneuein Priest between the psychic arrays.
Its eyes were dull, and it sat cross-legged in the middle of the array, with illusory psychic energy wrapped around its neck.
"It was—delicious." Ahriman bowed, deeply moved. "Is its power increasing?" Blazkowicz frowned. His eyes, which pierced through essence, reflected the dull figure of the Psychneuein Priest.
"Yes, My Lord." Ahriman slowly explained: "Starting two hours ago, it—not just it, but the power of the Psychneuein kindling—has also been growing stronger."
"Previously, it took two hundred kindling to send psychic signals; now, that number has been halved."
"For some unknown reason, their psychic level is rapidly increasing."
Listening to Ahriman's explanation, Blazkowicz observed the Priest, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Call the Biologis-Sage up and prepare to treat it."
"I understand."
Ahriman immediately contacted the Biologis-Sage as per the Primarch's instructions, summoning him to treat the Psychneuein Priest.
Seth came up, his halberd swiftly swung, removing the entire spine of the Psychneuein Priest.
Blazkowicz grabbed it, putting the bloody spine into his mouth and chewing heartily.
As the spinal fluid was absorbed, he was absorbing all the memories of the Psychneuein High Priest, all the memories of its entire life.
To prevent Warp knowledge from leaking and to gain more memories from the Psychneuein flesh, Blazkowicz personally ate the Xenos flesh.
A Primarch's sensory organs were vastly different from a Space Marine's, and the amount of information obtained from flesh was similarly incomparable.
Soon, Blazkowicz wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. From the Priest's hidden memories, he understood the essence of the Psychneuein's change.
The Psychneuein, as a psychic race, was very powerful, and their soul fluctuations were very similar.
After their death, their souls would not go to the Warp, what the Psychneuein called the "Soul Void."
Instead, guided by the souls of their kin, a portion would return to the homeworld, and a portion would merge into the souls of their kin, enhancing the psychic abilities of the living.
Because of this characteristic, the Psychneuein High Priest's memories showed that when it summoned Warp creatures, it promised to sacrifice Human souls.
Blazkowicz's mind probed for a moment and immediately knew it was Leman Russ. His massive slaughter in the void caused the Psychneuein souls to return, leading to this change.
Good! Good! Good! Playing this trick, are we?
Blazkowicz sneered and nodded, not believing the Emperor was completely unaware.
He had originally thought this Great Crusade was the Emperor's test of him, a political statement of cooperation.
He didn't expect to be waiting for him here.
It was not hard to imagine what changes would occur to this planet and the Psychneuein race once ninety percent of the Psychneuein were cleared.
"Heal it, don't let it die. You all continue with the original plan."
"Understood." Ahriman dared not ask more; he saw the Primarch eat the Xenos flesh, and his expression gradually turned sour.
Blazkowicz gave Ahriman some instructions, then walked towards the constructed ground command post, preparing to make some targeted deployments.
"Notify the fleet in orbit to activate all augur arrays, scan the entire world, and search for dormant giant lifeforms."
He sat on the command throne, with a holographic overview of the planet floating nearby: "Extract Psychneuein DNA and scan for similar types of lifeforms."
Blazkowicz silently looked at the holographic image, waiting for the fleet's scan. He suppressed the urge to curse.
Excessive aggregation of Psychneuein consciousness, under psychic influence, would cause their bodies to develop rapidly, growing into giant lifeforms.
They were the embodiment of dead Psychneuein, born on the brink of extinction, and in several survival wars, they had defeated all native creatures.
Giant Psychneuein, without psychic nourishment, would fall into slumber, their bodies transforming into mountains, silently guarding their kin.
A world that absorbed psychic energy, a race whose psychic power grew stronger the more they were killed.
Clearly. This Xenos, which should have been dealt with by the Emperor, he hid on Terra, throwing the thorny problem to Blazkowicz.
"My Lord, multiple anomalies have been detected and sent to your terminal."
Ten minutes later, scans from multiple warships in space indeed revealed many anomalous areas.
The lines in the holographic image automatically outlined, quickly marking several anomalies. Across the planet, fourteen peaks with life signs were dormant, their activity index steadily rising.
A footnote explained why they weren't detected in the first scan: a day ago, the giant Psychneuein's life signs were extremely low, filtered out as jungle static, allowing them to hide under the fleet's nose.
Blazkowicz looked at the various reports, his mind working at high speed. The fleet's scan locations were accurate, matching the Psychneuein Priest's memory, with no omissions of the giant insectoid's sleeping places. The giant Psychneuein, referred to as 'Guardian God' by the Psychneuein Priest, were estimated to be four hundred meters long for the largest individual and two hundred meters for the smallest.
They were living fossils, slumbering until a species-ending crisis. Now, they were slowly awakening, their rapid growth fueled by the souls of the Psychneuein returning to their home planet from the ongoing massacre in space.
"Fleet, prepare. Macro Cannons and Lance Weapons, aim. Await my command to eliminate them." Blazkowicz called in the fleet from space, pointing out the giant insectoid's sleeping places on the map. He intended to nip the danger in the bud.
The planned combat strategy had to adapt to these new changes. Blazkowicz felt little surprise; war is a constant game of wisdom and adaptation. They had to strike while the creatures were sound asleep, their psychic energy not yet full, making it difficult for them to maintain psychic shields.
To ensure their destruction, Blazkowicz recalled the entire fleet. Battleships, cruisers, destroyers, frigates—the shadow cast by the fleet was vast. They entered the planet's orbit and aimed all their firepower at the locations marked by the Primarch.
In the Psychneuein capital, the High Priest looked through the dome as the human fleet gathered in low orbit. He was guiding the psychic shield, resisting the continuous Lance Weapon bombardment.
The power within him grew stronger and stronger, but the Priest felt no joy, as it proved that his kin had been massacred. Anxiety welled up in his heart. He raised his hand and sent a wave of psychic energy into a crystal ball, which projected images of the future: the human fleet unleashed its wrath, bombarding the sleeping places of the ancestral Guardian Gods.
"This is impossible!" The Priest's scream hissed. How could humans know their deepest secret, known only to the priestly class? He was meant to have self-detonated to prevent such a leak, but the Doom Slayer was too fast, knocking him unconscious before he could react.
The Adeptus Mechanicus' biological savants had then precisely removed his thought organs while he was unconscious. The Priest could no longer contain his sorrow. He watched silently as the human fleet prepared to kill his gods.
But a crazed smile appeared on his face. He knew that the more humans destroyed, the fiercer the counterattack they would face. Under psychic resonance, the Guardian Gods would summon storms, cause earthquakes, breathe fire and ice, and shoot annihilation lightning.
They were the embodiment of nature, a fierce counterattack during the extinction of their species. "When the last of our people die, the world will avenge us! Humans will never be able to colonize this land."
Blazkowicz naturally knew that this psychic world was awakening. He urgently summoned his high command and issued the next combat order—to evacuate this world. His strategic objective had already been achieved. He forcefully ordered the mortals and Legion soldiers to leave.
"This planet is about to undergo a massive change. Its natural environment will aid the Psychneuein; we must evacuate immediately." A Department of the Interior official resisted, eyes filled with unwillingness. This world, with its beautiful natural environment, had already been planned for colonization.
"This place seems impregnable," Blazkowicz said, his boot gently touching the ground. "Can it withstand continuous earthquakes? We are not fighting the Psychneuein, but the awakening planetary will. You must leave; don't give me any worries!"
Finally, under Blazkowicz's pressure, the mortals and Legion Space Marines began to evacuate, taking the rescued captives with them. The orderly evacuation was swift. Two hours later, all portable resources and most personnel had been taken.
"It's a pity it wasn't fully fortified into a fortress." Before boarding the landing craft, Friks and Appius looked back at the fortress built jointly by the two Legions. "We'll have more opportunities in the future!" they exchanged smiles before returning to high orbit.
Watching the landing craft continuously ascend, Blazkowicz's eyes remained bright; seemingly calm, his heart was not at peace. He was alone, and only one thing puzzled him: did the Emperor know about this world's situation?
"You all leave too," Blazkowicz said to his Gene-Sons. "From now on, I might not be able to look after you."
"We are willing to accompany you." Osiris stepped forward, vowing to follow his Gene-Father to the death.
"No," Blazkowicz returned their smile. "This isn't a farewell; I merely face the power of the stars. This battle is not one you can participate in. It's fine, it can't harm me." He waved his hand again, urging them to leave quickly. "Just watch my performance."
"You must return safely." The Doom Slayers could not refuse. They turned and left, boarding a Stormhawk to return to high orbit.
Blazkowicz had to stay behind to resolve the hidden danger of the Salts world. Without completely eliminating the world's will, even if all the Psychneuein were killed, new psychic species would emerge.
He raised his hand and retrieved a shield from the Warp, then opened the communication channel: "Begin bombardment!" The Primarch's order was conveyed. In orbit, the battleships' Macro Cannons ignited, firing at the sleeping giant insectoids. The glow of Lance Weapons lit up the sky. The ground beneath Blazkowicz's feet trembled; the entire world shook.
A projection popped up on his armguard, showing the results: the sleeping giant insectoids were completely annihilated.
"Hoo~" A mournful wail echoed through the atmosphere. The awakened giant insectoids, their psychic shields not yet fully deployed, were instantly annihilated. With their death, the entire world was swept by howling winds, like a mother weeping. Thunder roared, torrential rain suddenly fell, and the earth trembled, accumulating sorrowful power.
"What a pity for the masterpiece of the two Legions." He sighed, then strode out of the Xenos Hive City, leaving behind the fortress. Blazkowicz stood outside the Hive City wall. He raised his right hand and summoned the Crucible Sword from the Warp. A circular saw shield in his left hand, the Crucible Sword in his right.
His tall figure stood, facing the storm and thunder, his cloak flapping in the wind. He nodded slightly as if looking down at the entire planet.
"Come! You wretch! Face me." His face was solemn, his eyes shining with fearless light, confronting the planet's enraged will. "You dare to oppose me? Refuse human rule? Today will be the day you die!" Blazkowicz knew what he was about to face, but the planet's will and the Psychneuein High Priest did not know what kind of being their enemy was.
When the mortal forces retreated to high orbit, they saw the drastic changes on the planet below and couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. The emerald green jungle world, with storm vortices visible to the naked eye, was advancing towards the Hive City captured by humanity. Storms of a scale that should not occur on a jungle world were gathering, progressively destroying the traces left by humanity.
Thunder, storms, hail. Ship auspexes issued frequent warnings, and the natural disaster level continued to climb. Officials from the Department of the Interior finally understood why the Primarch needed them to leave, why they had to evacuate the planet.
To contend with the planet's natural environment.
The Primarch was not exaggerating; with a simple sentence, he conveyed a terrifying truth. If the evacuation had not been timely, the landing forces would have been completely annihilated, swallowed by the enraged planet.
The Doom Slayers stood before the viewport, silently looking down at the xenos homeworld—their Gene-Father was fighting alone on the surface.
"He should be fine; he is a great Primarch." Karn stood beside his tall cousin, his helmet clipped to his waist, looking at the unpredictable planet below.
"Watch your words, Karn." Seth was a fiery warrior; he turned around and looked down at Karn, who wore blue and white armor: "Not 'should be,' the Gene-Father will surely triumph!"
"There is no 'should' or 'might' in his path; those who block him face only death."
"Even the will of the world will kneel before the Doom Slayer."
The Doom Slayer's strong attitude made Karn frown; he didn't understand whether this was arrogance or obsession. No one could withstand the storm, not even a Primarch. To avoid provoking his cousin, Karn silently nodded, no longer offering any opinions.
Blazkowicz, shield raised and sword in hand, advanced against the storm; the hurricane failed to slow him in the slightest. His cloak billowed straight behind him in the hurricane, but he was not in a hurry, moving step by step towards the eye of the storm.
The Crucible Sword pointed to the ground, its corner blade scraping against the surface with a rasping sound. Its unstoppable blade, however, struck sparks, and the red lightning of the blade licked the ground like tendrils.
The Crucible Sword pierced the will of the planet, slowly scraping its majestic will, sending a challenge to it like a provocateur to its target. The planet's atmosphere surged, storms howled in collision, and the planet felt threatened; it was very uncomfortable now. Various powerful, malevolent concepts were peeling back its skin, eagerly preparing to feast. That outsider did not leave with his tail between his legs like his compatriots; instead, he brazenly challenged it.
Blazkowicz's face was frosty; he sensed the planet's will expanding, his mind rapidly calculating. Looking at the current situation, Russ had received the Astropathic message and was more rapidly encircling other worlds' Psychneueins.
When the souls of most Psychneueins gathered and the planet's power reached its peak, that would be Blazkowicz's moment to act. Psionics is a wondrous power, infinitely useful when applied correctly; psionics is also dangerous, its backlash extremely fierce. All along, the Psychneueins had been protected by the world's will, enjoying the convenience of psionics. Blazkowicz intended to exploit the Psychneueins' characteristics, making them taste the bitter fruit of being betrayed by psionics.
In the outer void, Leman Russ was on the Hrafnkel; he stood before the command console, continuously issuing orders. He had received his brother's Astropathic message and was aligning with his brother's plan. When a Primarch takes things seriously, his extraordinary mind operates rapidly; Russ' commands were dense and fast, more numerous than the spittle he sprayed.
Blazkowicz's 'lure the snake out of its hole' strategy was very effective; on the Psychneueins' colony worlds, eighty percent of the soldiers left their planets, entering the void that became the Space Wolves' hunting ground. The Psychneueins' crude warships were powerless to resist; to call them warships was generous, as they were essentially houses made of stone and steel, fitted with human Warp engines. Under the attack of lances and macro-cannons, the Psychneuein warships appeared even more fragile and vulnerable.
The breaches torn in the warships were fatal to the Psychneueins; internal pressure instantly became imbalanced, spewing the Psychneuein warriors out of the ship. Without dense bulkheads, their warships were as fragile as eggs in space. Lances, macro-cannons, boarding actions. The Wolves' simple three-pronged attack left the Psychneueins in great distress.
The homeworld's pleas for aid were urgent and piercing, constantly urging forces from external worlds to return, at all costs. The various Psychneuein leaders also knew that without their homeworld, they would have nothing. Enduring massive casualties, they fearlessly broke through the human fleet's blockade, attempting to escape towards their homeworld.
Unfortunately, while the self-sacrificing surge of a species facing extinction is admirable, it is equally tragic. A Primarch, a war machine created by the Emperor, his personally planned blockade, was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, rapidly harvesting the Psychneueins' passion and lives. Just as Russ had promised, he did not let a single warship escape, firmly gripping the Psychneueins' throat.
The glow of lances streaked across the dark universe; thousands of deck serfs loaded macro-cannon shells into the breeches. The chanting of the Astropathic choir echoed like a dirge, and the cold, precise mechanical prayers of the Cogitator arrays intertwined, composing a lament for the Psychneueins' end.
Blazkowicz did not walk fast; he felt the storm growing more intense, strong winds pulling his cloak backward. Aside from his cloak, the storm could not shake him. He felt the world beneath his feet transforming, its power rapidly rising, expressing its emotions with increasing clarity. Blazkowicz's gaze pierced the storm, seeing the forest exulting, trees visibly growing, and vines dancing like spirit snakes.
He sensed the time was right, resolved to end everything here, then return to Terra to face the Emperor. This world was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Blazkowicz stopped, his breathing gradually deepening, exhaling power in the eye of the storm. He suddenly took a deep breath, his eyes wide with fury, and endless rage erupted from his throat: "Face me!!!!!!"
A long roar! The pure fury of this roar, like the roar of a giant dragon in human legends, shook the heavens; for a moment, the hurricane ceased its rotation, and the wind's howl fell silent. The enraged will of the planet was horrified; a tiny human, his single roar, had brought the storm to a halt.
The fleet in high orbit fell silent; numerous auspexes were damaged by the Primarch's roar. Karn's hands trembled; he wiped the sweat from his brow, re-examining the man on the planet below who defied the world.
"What a pity!"
Blazkowicz shook his head with a sigh; he raised his right hand, twirled the Crucible Sword, and pointed its blood-red blade towards the ground. "The universe will mourn for you; a planet with a will is a miracle, and today it will completely disappear."
"I will kill this world!"
At this moment, the psychic energy reached its peak; it was time to act! Blazkowicz's eyes narrowed, a murderous intent flashing within them; he gripped the Crucible Sword's hilt and abruptly plunged the Crucible Sword into the ground. He would kill this world, completely erase its will. The Crucible Sword's blade sank into the earth; it had long been thirsty, eager to kill all who defied it. The moment the blade entered the earth—it was a long moment.
The emerald planet seemed to hit a pause button; the storm ceased, the roars dissipated, the forest fell silent, and all things became still.
"Hoo!!!!"
The world wailed! The painful shriek brought tears to the listener's eyes; it was struggling in agony, unwillingly trying to escape death.
"No!!!!"
In the Psychneuein capital, blood tears streamed from the priests' eyes, leaving vivid streaks on their scales; they had never felt such profound grief. Only the priests knew that it was the planet's will wailing, that the great Mother was dying.
Rumbling, the planet's volcanoes erupted simultaneously, glaciers at the North and South Poles collapsed, and colossal waves surged in the oceans. The earth fractured, canyons were torn open by subterranean forces, and magma flowed out like the planet's blood. The vitality of the forest faded, its prosperity a fleeting moment; vegetation rapidly withered, decayed, and then gradually turned into desert. The churning clouds brought cold, biting rain, a chill of death, devoid of the former vibrancy.
Humanity was horrified, seeing everything clearly from high orbit. The once lush jungle world, in less than ten minutes, had regressed into a desert planet. The surface was torn, revealing several massive rifts spanning the planet, and mountains collapsed, falling like the spines of giants.
All Psychneueins felt a heart-wrenching pain, a soul-stirring tremor; they involuntarily shed tears, feeling a loss, as if an important loved one had departed from them. In its final moments, the Psychneuein Hive City remained unaffected by the natural disaster; they were still safe and sound. The planet was still protecting them, and it was its last act of protection.
Beneath the capital, as the planet's consciousness gradually died, psychic energy returned to the giant insectoid. It was transforming; all power converged upon its body, and the giant insectoid's size surged! Not just the giant insectoid, but all Psychneueins across the world, their bodies swelled, and their psychic power ascended.
"Humans! We shall have our revenge!"
The Psychneuein Priests were consumed by hatred, driven to near madness, their eyes burning crimson with it!
Damnable humans!
The Psychneuein had only occupied their old lands and enslaved some humans, so why such severe retaliation?
They retaliated with mighty ships and cannons, even aiming for the complete annihilation of the Psychneuein race!
The High Priest gathered all the Priests. They chanted spells from the Hive City dome, sacrificing human servants.
At this moment, they no longer felt reverence; they yearned desperately for a response from the Soul Void, seeking the power to defeat humanity.
But this time, the once fervent Soul Void remained silent, a cold, empty expanse, as if nothing existed within it.
The High Priest despaired. Was the Soul Void afraid of humans?
His scales were dull, and though his psychic power was immense, he couldn't dispel the chill in his heart, his spirit as withered as a dead tree.
Helpless.
The Psychneuein race was now helpless, having lost their great mother, their ancient guardian deity, and with the Soul Void no longer responding.
"Sacrifice all our kin! We have no retreat, only an all-out struggle!"
No one opposed the High Priest's decision. The Priests all knew that this was no longer about the survival of their race.
The moment of life and death had passed; only the flames of vengeance burned, a fierce desire for revenge against humanity, for revenge against the invaders of their homeland!
The Psychneuein's hidden reserves were activated, psychic arrays lit up in various cities, initiating the final sacrifice.
Whether Psychneuein or human, the psychic arrays drained the souls of all living beings, ultimately converging in the Psychneuein capital.
The malevolence of the Psychneuein and the wails of humanity intertwined, forming an evil psychic power that was injected into carefully selected candidates.
This power would help them ascend, to be used against humanity.
Blazkowicz's face was grim as he watched the surging psychic torrent above the Psychneuein Hive City converge on the capital.
"I will avenge you all!"
He murmured softly, mourning the human souls caught in the psychic torrent, their sacrifice buying more salvation.
There was no other way; the deaths of billions of humans here would buy the salvation of tens of billions from the Psychneuein's world domination.
Blazkowicz recalled the War Council on Terra, and a phrase they often spoke: "No sacrifice is unacceptable."
"Roar!"
A heaven-shaking beast's roar interrupted his thoughts.
As a domineering roar echoed through the sky, the ground trembled, as if an ancient beast had broken free from its cage.
And so it was: the Psychneuein's only surviving guardian deity, the ancient beast slumbering beneath the capital, had fully awakened.
"Hmph!"
Blazkowicz sneered, preparing to meet the Psychneuein's final counterattack, their desperate vengeance.
"What is that?"
In high orbit, the human fleet, constantly monitoring, witnessed a horrifying sight.
A savage beast, it burst through the colossal city, emerging from beneath the Psychneuein's capital.
Its body exceeded a thousand meters, a pair of vertical pupils stained crimson with hatred, each scale the size of a tank, psychic lightning flickering between its scales, its sprawling body like a mountain.
"Human—I'' tear you to bits!"
A mournful shriek, imbued with psychic power, echoed through the heavens, its immense hatred palpable even thousands of miles away.
Psychneuein stood on the giant insectoid's back; the High Priest was seated, floating, and beside him stood the Warriors, infused with power, their bodies also massive.
On this planet, they were the last of the Psychneuein, yearning for revenge.
The High Priest pointed his scepter forward, and the giant insectoid beneath him leaped, its mountain-like body vanishing from its spot.
The fleet in high orbit, preparing to bomb, saw the target instantly disappear from their instruments.
When its trace reappeared, it had overcome the barrier of distance, appearing before the Primarch accompanied by psychic sparks.
Macro cannons and lances immediately ceased fire; the Primarch was within the bombing range.
A mountain of flesh instantly appeared before Blazkowicz, breathing heavily, its hot breath transforming into psychic flames.
The giant insectoid landed ten kilometers away, lowering its massive body and taking slow, deliberate steps, its blood-red eyes warily fixed on the tiny human.
It was as if an illusion, but it sensed a fatal threat emanating from the human's body.
"Human! Prepare to die!"
The High Priest's eyes were bloodshot; he stood before the enemy who had annihilated his race, grinding his tiny teeth: "I will kill you and avenge my people."
"Go forth! Warriors who crave revenge, tear him to shreds."
He waved his scepter, sending the Warriors beside him into battle. He himself sat floating on the giant insectoid's back, chanting spells, preparing some psychic support.
The last Psychneuein Warriors were filled with psychic power, purple flames erupting from their eyes.
Clutching purple blades formed of concentrated energy, they leaped from the giant insectoid's back, their forms vanishing in mid-air.
Their psychic power had reached its peak; at this moment, the Psychneuein Warriors could freely use psychic jumps.
Blazkowicz's expression was unperturbed as he slowly rose from the ground, the Crucible Sword still plunged into the earth, continuing to erode the planet's last consciousness.
He shook his shield, took a super shotgun from his waist, and stood his ground in a ready stance.
Six Warriors; Blazkowicz quickly pinpointed their positions. Within the Primarch's perception, the locations of their psychic warps glowed like lighthouses.
"Die!"
Here they come! Blazkowicz's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. A Psychneuein Warrior leaped out from his front-left. It was at least twelve meters tall, glowing with purple light.
It wielded a psychic greatsword with both hands, spewing words of hatred, and brought it down on Blazkowicz with immense force.
"Too noisy."
Blazkowicz watched with cold eyes, his left-hand round shield suddenly flung out, his right-hand shotgun simultaneously aimed to his front-right.
All of this happened in a flash; Blazkowicz's neural reactions were faster than the Psychneuein's, and his human speed was even greater.
The moment the round shield flew out, its saw-teeth activated, and the hatred of the Star God Burner erupted.
Its high-speed rotating saw-teeth ejected an orange-red light blade, the essence of the Burner, scorching hot saw-teeth that incinerated everything.
The round shield was faster than a bullet. The saw-teeth rapidly rotated into a saw blade, and before the insectoid could react, it cut through its psychic protection and gouged into the Psychneuein Warrior's chest.
"No…"
The Psychneuein wailed as a searing heat rushed into its body, igniting its psychic power, instantly incinerating its nerves and vaporizing its muscle and flesh.
With a large hole torn in its chest and power rapidly draining, it let out an unwilling roar.
Before the last echo of its scream faded, the round shield burst out from its back, leaving a charred corpse to slowly collapse.
"Buzz~ Buzz~!"
The round shield's engine let out a hungry roar, spinning and flying through the air, heading for its next victim.
"Bang!" Almost simultaneously, Blazkowicz's super shotgun fired.
The Emperor's personally blessed bullet ignited, golden light spewing from the barrel, striking the Psychneuein that had leaped out of its psychic warp.
Its upper body instantly exploded, flesh and bone splattering backward, its twelve-meter tall body flying backward.
Flesh and blood flew everywhere!
The immense power of the super shotgun instantly killed a Psychneuein Warrior, leaving it no time for a last word, dying a shameful death.
At the same time, in the slowed perception of time, Blazkowicz shook his left hand, the flame in his palm aimed to his left.
Another Psychneuein appeared, even larger, absorbing the power of its two dead brethren and becoming incredibly berserk.
Blazkowicz's palm formed an empty claw, the Burner fragment in his palm activated, and the Psychneuein's body suddenly erupted in flames.
The Burner fragment, combined with Blazkowicz's mark, was a psychic bane.
Rootless fire instantly erupted, burning away all the psychic energy on the Psychneuein's body, then a searing ray shot out from his palm, incinerating the Psychneuein's physical body into ash.
In less than a second, Blazkowicz instantly killed three giant Psychneuein Warriors, without even letting them get close.
"Ah? Why?"
The High Priest shrieked; half of his six Warriors were dead, yet the enemy was completely unharmed. The damnable human still stood there.
"Don't scream, it's really annoying..."
A cold glint flashed in Blazkowicz's eyes; his killing had not stopped.
He shook his right hand, the shotgun folded, two golden engraved shell casings ejected, and with another forceful motion, he successfully reloaded.
He raised his hand and shot one Psychneuein, its sixteen-meter upper body blasted into a bloody pulp.
He turned and controlled the shield, sending it flying towards the warp point, and the moment the Psychneuein appeared, it sawed into its neck.
The saw-teeth gnawed at flesh, blood, and bone. To make the xenos die a gruesome death, Blazkowicz deactivated the searing light blade.
He would use blood and slaughter to honor the human dead, to avenge the sacrifices that had to be made!
Blood spurted from the neck, the spine was severed, and the round shield's engine roared again, slicing diagonally downwards from the neck, disemboweling the hateful xenos.
"Die!"
Behind him, a Psychneuein Warrior let out a fierce roar. It was about to succeed; the human couldn't turn around.
But the Primarch's speed was beyond the Psychneuein's imagination. Blazkowicz turned the instant it swung its blade, his left iron fist slamming into the Psychneuein's knee.
With the crisp sound of bone breaking, the Psychneuein's leg suffered a massive impact. It spun in terror in the air, finally landing headfirst.
The Psychneuein was dizzy and disoriented, only feeling a hand grasp the back of its neck, then a shotgun shoved into its mouth.
"Die, xenos who dared to enslave humanity."
Blazkowicz pulled the trigger, the shotgun shattering the xenos. Its entire spine and tail were obliterated, leaving its belly and limbs sprawled on the ground.
The last Psychneuein Warrior appeared, strengthened by the deaths of its kin; it had begun its transformation into a Giant insectoid.
Twenty meters tall, it roared with a cry for vengeance.
It leaped from Blazkowicz's left, psychic sparks exploding, its savage body erupting with explosive power.
The final Psychneuein Warrior charged forward with a sorrowful determination.
With every step, the earth trembled, yet the human before it remained unmoving.
Blazkowicz felt its tragic grandeur, the Psychneuein's sorrowful charge. He nodded in understanding, then decided to send it on its way.
Two gunshots rang out. Blazkowicz fired quickly and reloaded even faster.
Two shots shattered the Psychneuein's knees, and its massive body knelt to the ground. "Bang ~ Bang ~" Two more shots broke the Psychneuein's hands, which were supporting its upper body.
It lay prone on the ground, its hatred undiminished in its eyes, its dorsal bone plates bulging with rage. The Psychneuein's prone body was almost as tall as Blazkowicz.
Aiming his super shotgun at its forehead, Blazkowicz did not hesitate, pulling the trigger on the insectoid Warrior.
With that shot, its brains exploded, a mix of blood and yellowish-white matter spraying all over him.
The Psychneuein's enormous body convulsed; its nervous system was not yet dead and continued to send commands.
Blazkowicz thought of the abundant psychic energy here, and with a sorcerer present, he aimed his shotgun at the Psychneuein's heart to prevent it from rising again.
When he had finished everything and turned, his sharp gaze pierced the desolate desert, locking onto the Priest on the Giant insectoid's back.
Its grand spell was finally complete; a purple lightning bolt descended from the sky, striking Blazkowicz.
Blazing white light exploded, the ferocity of the lightning fully revealed. The lightning's reflection in the High Priest's hopeful eyes showed him an even more despairing scene.
That human warrior walked out, bathed in lightning, without a single injury on his body.
"What kind of monster are you?"
The High Priest was shocked, his staff nearly falling from his hand, his body swaying unsteadily in the air.
Blazkowicz tilted his head, answering calmly, "A human."
They were far apart, but their voices were transmitted by psychic energy, so distance was not an issue for communication.
"Liar, you're no mere human" The High Priest scoffed, shaking his head. A powerful being, yet he dared not admit his identity?
Though his strength was admirable, his evasive attitude was despised even more.
"No matter what you are, you will die soon."
The High Priest's voice was exceedingly venomous, the fire of hatred burning fiercely. He would launch an attack, letting his guardian deity tear apart the arrogant human before him.
He chanted a spell, and a psychic-woven rein extended from his hand, slipping over the Giant insectoid.
"Kill him."
The High Priest shook the rein, driving the Giant insectoid's kilometer-long body. A ten-kilometer distance was covered in the blink of an eye.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each stride, the Giant insectoid's legs moved with immense power, like war drums pounding on the planet.
It accelerated to the beat, accumulating strength in its charge, rushing toward its enemy with tremendous kinetic energy.
Blazkowicz's expression remained unchanged, his heart never rippling. He regarded the mountain-like beast as nothing.
He raised his left hand, gripping the internal plate of his round shield tightly, his gaze fixed on the charging behemoth.
"Roar!"
Blazkowicz roared, letting out a fervent, furious bellow.
He pushed hard with his legs, his eyes filled with immense determination, and with his shield held before him, he counter-charged the mountain-like Giant insectoid pressing down on him.
The Giant insectoid was equally unwilling to show weakness. Its kilometer-long body feared no one at this moment; it could even withstand a human orbital bombardment.
The High Priest grinned, mocking the human's foolishness.
How could the body of any creature withstand a planet, the accumulated hatred and rage of an entire race?
Legion members, human captains, and Adeptus Mechanicus personnel on high orbit watched the holographic images, afraid to speak.
The entire fleet was silent, with only the anxious thumping of their hearts.
No sooner said than done.
The roars of the beast and the human intertwined; they collided with unstoppable might.
Blazkowicz's eyes were wide with fury, his usually calm voice now burning with rage. He raised his shield with both hands: "Let me see what you can do!"
A shield made from a Star God shard, capable of withstanding all attacks.
The moment the two charging sides drew near, Blazkowicz raised his shield with both hands and slammed it against the insectoid's low-hanging jowls.
"BOOM!!!"
A violent explosion erupted; at the point of impact, there was even a flash of explosive light.
The Primarch's figure was obscured by the stirred dust, but the Giant insectoid's massive, mountain-like body missed him to the left.
It cried out, emitting a wounded, dog-like whimper.
Its massive body began to tumble, its physical momentum twisting, rolling and kicking up a sky full of yellow sand.
After several tumbles, the gigantic body abruptly stopped, shaking its head to dispel the dizziness as it clambered to its feet.
And at the point where the two had intersected, as the dust slowly cleared, a figure stood unyielding.
Blazkowicz gasped violently, blood oozing from his shield-wielding arms. In that instant, he had unleashed unimaginable power, using his shield to swat away the Giant insectoid.
"Emperor above! Primarch below! Incredible!"
The entire fleet witnessed this scene. They couldn't cheer, stunned by the miraculous sight, mortals knelt, covering their chests with their hands, expressing their deepest reverence.
Space Marines also knelt, the superhuman warriors shaking their heads, marveling at their luck.
What incredible fortune it was to witness such a sight.
The Primarch's power surpassed their imagination; a truly mighty man, he was directly confronting the world.
"What in the world are you?"
The High Priest's hands trembled, his vertical pupils dilated with panic. In his trepidation, he again questioned the humanoid being.
"Human."
The answer he received was identical to before, equally resolute and calm.
"If you are human, then what are the gods?"
The Priest sneered, once again driving the Giant insectoid beneath him, preparing for a second attack.
"The ones I shall destroy!" Blazkowicz answered the Priest's question a second time, with the same certainty, but his tone carried a hint more hatred.
"I believe you." The Priest nodded heavily. He believed the creature before him.
When they had sought help from the Soul Void, there had been no response, very likely due to the presence before them.
"One strike to decide the victor. I am weary of this battle."
The Priest extended a tired invitation to Blazkowicz, driving the Giant insectoid away. He needed more distance, more power.
In this battle, the Priest knew that the other side was testing him, not using simple methods to kill him.
If that "human" had exploited his speed advantage and rushed onto the Giant insectoid's back, he could have ended the battle before the Priest could react.
Blazkowicz turned around, patted the dust from his shield, and faced the direction the Priest had left.
Its speed was tremendous; in a few moves, it climbed a hundred kilometers away, then turned and charged back quickly towards him.
As the ground tremors grew heavier, Blazkowicz took a deep breath, likewise exerting himself again, and charged towards the Giant insectoid.
The human roared, the beast screamed.
Blazkowicz held his shield horizontally before him, his speed reaching its limit, all his power concentrated on the shield in front of him.
This was a clash of pure power; he was facing the might of a world.
The Giant insectoid lowered its body, its four legs moving at their maximum, aiming its most unyielding forehead at its enemy.
Besides this violent impact, there was no other sound.
The planet trembled, and the clash of violent forces caused a visible shockwave to erupt from the point of impact.
Upwards, it cleared the clouds, leaving a clear sky for miles; downwards, it tore the earth, leaving a chasm.
The Giant insectoid's kilometer-long body abruptly stopped, its scales exploding off its body like cannonballs.
From supersonic speed to a dead stop, it halted too quickly.
Its spine fractured at the neck, breaking through its flesh and erupting from its back. Its abdomen and hind limbs were all crushed into its chest cavity.
Its kilometer-long body was now completely compressed, a pile of mangled flesh no more than three hundred meters across.
Blazkowicz was like a humanoid figure built of blood, supporting himself with his shield, panting as he recovered from his physical injuries.
The shield trembled; he knew it was about to reflect power, delivering the final blow to the Giant insectoid.
The shield hummed, and the Mark of Destruction suddenly flared, reflecting the Giant insectoid's power completely back at it.
Boom!
The power reflected by the round shield surged out, instantly pulverizing the Giant insectoid's flesh and plowing a trench in the ground.
The Psychneuein Priest screamed. It was like a glowing purple sphere, slowly ascending into the sky amidst wails of agony.
With the Giant insectoid's death, all its power was inherited by the Priest. The frail Priest's body swelled, and its facial features erupted with psychic radiance.
"Now!"
Blazkowicz did not forget his objective: to trigger a psychic echo when most of the psychic power converged, utterly annihilating the entire Psychneuein race.
He cupped his hand, summoning the Crucible Sword. It had completely killed the world's consciousness, and the world's residual power flowed into the Priest.
Blazkowicz aimed at the continuously distorting Priest in the air and hurled the Crucible Sword at it, utterly eradicating the Psychneuein race.
Blazkowicz threw the Crucible Sword, its razor-sharp tip cleaving through the High Priest, splitting him in two.
The Priest's body died, his soul was slain by the God-Slaying Sword, and his psychic energy was infected and gathered by the malevolent concept.
After extracting memories from the Psychneuein Priest, Blazkowicz learned everything about the xenos race.
Their soul fluctuations were integrated; a dying soul would split in two, half returning to its kin, and half returning to the homeworld's consciousness.
Now that the world consciousness was erased, the Psychneuein souls lost their primary carrier, and all their power converged within the High Priest's body.
Blazkowicz needed this immense power, so he pierced the Priest with the Crucible Sword.
The psychic energy, powerful enough to destroy a planet, once again lost its host, seeking similar soul fluctuations, searching for scattered Psychneuein kin throughout the universe.
"Quick! Brothers, do not fail the Primarch's trust."
Deep within the Fifteenth Legion's Gloriana Queen-class Battleship, the massive steel deck had been cleared, with no mortals allowed near.
Doom Slayers guarded the perimeter, while Ahriman and his hundred brothers inscribed a psychic array onto the deck.
In the center of the array were Psychneuein captives, their thinking organs removed, piled up like pigs, serving as a psychic medium.
Fifteenth Legion warriors formed concentric circles, layer upon layer, chanting psychic spells, inscribing them into the Psychneuein souls.
"The Primarch has killed the Psychneuein Priest; it's our turn to trigger the psychic resonance."
Ahriman presided over the array, and as per Blazkowicz's request, he used the transmitted Psychneuein psychic energy to trigger a psychic resonance that would eliminate all Psychneueins.
The Psychneuein's body rapidly swelled, and psychic energy, visible to the naked eye, converged from the void and poured into its body.
Its vacant expression gradually turned to pain, as the returning souls of its kin carried a concept of erasure.
"Inscribe the detonation mark!"
At Ahriman's command, the Legion warriors all raised their runic daggers and used psychic energy to carve detonation runes onto the deck.
The detonation mark was simple; it used the Psychneuein's life as a medium, introducing their unique soul fluctuations.
"Kill!" With the marks inscribed, Ahriman commanded again, coordinating the Legion's actions.
The Legion warriors plunged their runic daggers into the array, and the ritual was immediately completed, causing all the Psychneuein captives' bodies to explode.
The psychic resonance was detonated, carrying a malevolent curse, seeking out surviving kin throughout the universe.
The Crucible Sword's erasure and the detonation marks inscribed by the spell were mixed within the psychic energy, bringing extinction to the Psychneueins.
The Space Wolves' fleet was in battle, the Hrafnkel bridging, when Russ' brow furrowed, sensing a powerful psychic explosion.
Russ actually possessed high psychic talent, though he rarely used psychic powers, or perhaps disdained to use such an eerie force.
When the psychic burst swept over the fleet, Russ sensed it, and a smile of victory spread across his rugged face.
He knew his brother had succeeded; the psychic resonance would completely erase the Psychneueins, eradicating them at the soul level.
"All warships maintain a safe distance, boarding parties withdraw as quickly as possible; we have already won this battle."
"Ha~" Russ yawned, his eyelids drooping, returning to his lazy demeanor, and humming a tune, he left the bridge.
The rest was up to the Space Marines; his gene-sons were more than capable of handling such minor matters.
He needed to prepare roasted meat and mead to welcome his brother; they had to have a grand feast.
On various Psychneuein colonial worlds, all Psychneuein eggs in the nurseries exploded, their weak souls instantly annihilated.
Then came the newly hatched Psychneueins; the moment the psychic energy swept over them, their tiny heads all exploded.
The psychic resonance continued to spread, the detonation mark taking effect upon contact with flesh, igniting soul fluctuations.
Souls, from weak to strong, were all infected.
Weak souls burst, becoming new conduits for psychic transmission, and the Psychneuein race entered an inescapable death spiral.
It was like a pyramid, collapsing layer by layer from the bottom up.
Human servants were terrified; their exalted Psychneuein masters suddenly fell to the ground, then their heads violently exploded.
The psychic resonance spread like a plague; not a single one survived in the Hive City, and no Psychneuein society was spared.
The old and weak, women and children, technical workers, warrior leaders.
As the basic society perished, psychic energy continuously converged, and the scene inside the warships in space was even more horrifying.
The human warriors retreated quickly; the resisting Psychneueins, before they understood what was happening, suddenly felt a dizzying headache, followed by a sharp pain in their brains.
Psychic energy violently poured into their bodies, causing a purple glow to emanate from their skin, their bodies to float into the air, and then explode into fragments.
One after another, the power grew stronger and stronger. The race's powerful natural talent now became a death warrant.
Finally, the Space Wolves' fleet hid in the distance.
Space Marines looked through the viewports, seeing a powerful purple energy burst forth in the dark universe.
The Psychneueins were completely destroyed!
A true extinction, leaving no trace, the entire race utterly annihilated.
In high orbit above Salts, Blazkowicz's return brought silence to the warship.
There were no cheers; mortals and Space Marines alike knelt before the Primarch, hands over their hearts, performing the warrior's salute.
The reverence was inexpressible in words, conveyed through pure action, expressing the purest worship.
Blazkowicz washed away the blood, his body long since recovered, and returned to the bridge in a long robe.
He sat on the throne, his calm, deep voice issuing an order: "Prepare the Exterminatus."
No one dared to question the Primarch's command; the fleet would execute his orders.
The captain knelt before the Primarch, presenting a parchment, the Exterminatus issuance order, with both hands.
This small parchment carried the power to utterly destroy a world, and very few had the authority to sign an Exterminatus.
Undoubtedly, the Primarch was among them.
Blazkowicz looked relaxed, took the quill, and signed his name—Blazkowicz Novick.
"Use a Cyclonic Torpedo." Blazkowicz scanned the Exterminatus execution types and chose the Cyclonic Torpedo.
The Primarch's voice was like a spring breeze, but the words he spoke were cold and merciless; he intended to utterly destroy the xenos world.
One Cyclonic Torpedo was enough to shatter the xenos world into pieces.
Blazkowicz looked down at the world below, deciding to utterly destroy it, to prevent any resurgence.
A planet that had given birth to consciousness, though now destroyed, might in the years to come give rise to strange phenomena.
So Blazkowicz decided to blow it to smithereens, completely eliminating any hidden dangers.
Under the Primarch's personal supervision, the fleet gradually withdrew from the xenos homeworld, to avoid being caught in the Cyclonic Torpedo's blast.
The Gloriana-class Battleship ascended to a higher orbit, dropping the Cyclonic Torpedo directly above the planet.
Fleet officers stood at the viewports, watching the destruction of a world.
The Cyclonic Torpedo was fast; it breached the planet's atmosphere, its superheated warhead rapidly drilling underground, straight to the planetary core.
Space is silent, yet most heard a faint explosion.
Salts, this once verdant planet, was now desolate.
The planet trembled in its orbit, violent power surging beneath its surface, chasms completely torn open, and searing magma erupting from the planet's core.
Boom ~
With a muffled roar, the planet was utterly shattered.
Continents broke apart, entire landmasses were flung into space, and magma, like the planet's blood, sprayed into high orbit.
At the edge of the star system, a magnificent warship emerged from the Warp, heading straight for Blazkowicz's fleet.
"Such a beautiful sight." Russ' projection appeared; he was marveling at the magnificent death of a planet.
"Brother, you were so fast; I almost missed the demise of the xenos world."
Russ raised his goblet, glad he had arrived just in time to witness the final act.
He watched the planet shatter, fragments scattering in orbit, a smile on his face, but a sense of regret in his heart for the world's destruction.
Russ felt regret, but he did not question it.
He deeply trusted Blazkowicz's judgment. A wise king, doing this must have been well-considered, with sound reasons.
Drinking mead and quietly observing, not delving too deeply.
His brother had done the dirty work; should he now criticize him? Criticize why he used the Exterminatus?
Beneath Russ' seemingly savage exterior lay a delicate heart, knowing the limits of advance and retreat.
The two brothers had destroyed a race in three days, then destroyed their homeworld; there was nothing to criticize.
They were both executioners, men with blood-stained hands.
"Let's go. The matter is concluded." Blazkowicz nodded to Russ.
Their business here was done; it was time to leave.
"Horus is not far; shall we pay him a visit along the way?" Russ grinned, licking his lips, inviting Blazkowicz to visit another brother.
"What is he doing?" A glimmer of light flashed in Blazkowicz's eyes; he hadn't expected Horus to be nearby.
"Six hundred light-years away, negotiating with a human alliance, persuading them to peacefully join the Imperium."
"We can go see." Blazkowicz nodded, accepting Russ' invitation to visit Horus along the way.
During the Great Crusade, violence was a direct means, conquering vast territories for the Imperium of Man.
More often, negotiation was the main theme of the Great Crusade, preventing humans from killing each other.
"Come! Come! Come!" Russ' eyes gleamed green, and he licked his lips: "Come aboard my ship, for drinks and meat."
"If Horus isn't making good progress, we can learn from the Space Marines' combat tactics; he's very experienced."