Harlan smiled at Obelisk, sealed his helmet, and followed his sworn lord off the ship, adjusting his posture to chase after Blazkowicz.
Obelisk shook his head. After gaining freedom, he was not surprised by any madness this master and retainer pair undertook.
He activated his armor's grav-chute, jumped out of the landing craft, and closely followed the Primarch.
The three figures sliced through the sky, rapidly descending with a whistle. Missiles zipped past them, and drones regenerated in swarms before rushing toward the battlefield.
No one on the Argent Nur side paid them any mind; the warriors already knew that the Primarch was not integrated into the battle sequence and was simply coming down to observe.
Krafen, however, showed intense interest in the figures descending from the sky. They formed small squads and rushed toward the predicted landing point to ambush the source of the oppressive feeling.
Boom!!!
Blazkowicz slammed into the ground like a meteorite, creating a deep crater. From the dust and smoke, he steadily walked out, wearing the regent armor.
"Armor first activation. Initiating self-diagnostic program."
The power armor system began to boot up. Streams of light flashed across the helmet's bat-wing lenses. The armor's functions quickly cycled through, starting a functional self-check.
Since acquiring the regent armor, Blazkowicz had never used it. Inside the cubic prison, he had only worn it briefly without activating the system.
He still held some anticipation for this suit of war armor.
"System startup successful."
Subtitles appeared and vanished. All functions of the power armor came online. Everything captured by the sensors was displayed on the helmet's projection.
Planetary gravity, atmospheric composition, air humidity, wind speed and direction, species analysis.
The "Insight" authority bestowed by the Void Dragon allowed him to see through the material essence of the physical universe, analyze deep matter, and assess various macroscopic and microscopic dangers.
Since the Insight function alone was so powerful, Blazkowicz naturally grew fond of it.
However, the next moment his expression changed as he heard the wild and unrestrained voice of a certain deity: "Heh! Heh! Heh! I have finally returned to the Real Universe!"
A phantom image popped up on the helmet's projection—it was the Lord of the Material Universe, the Void Dragon—malgoroth.
Blazkowicz's expression changed drastically. His right hand moved with extreme speed, attempting to activate the dimensional lasso to remove the regent armor and throw it into dimensional space.
The Lord of the Material Domain, whose consciousness had merged into the regent armor and smuggled itself into the material domain, would surely cause a massive upheaval.
How did it manage this? Did it evade the eyes of the Emperor and the Old Ones?
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" The phantom of the Void Dragon saw through his actions and quickly raised its hand to explain: "My will is integrated into the war armor, and Saint George and the Old Ones both know about it."
Blazkowicz temporarily halted his movement, though he did not fully relax, and asked with a threatening low growl, "How did they know?"
"A secret transaction," the Void Dragon said smugly, sitting suspended in the void with its arms crossed: "He gained some scientific technology in exchange for letting a portion of my will be free. It was definitely a good deal for him~"
Hearing the Void Dragon say this, Blazkowicz was somewhat inclined to believe it.
The Emperor was definitely capable of such self-serving actions. For him, facing a transaction where the benefits outweighed the risks meant absolute decisiveness.
"I think you are very dangerous." Blazkowicz kept moving, still insisting on removing the war armor, unwilling to trust the Void Dragon in his heart.
Deities were cunning and despicable. If it escaped, it would absolutely take massive revenge against humanity and the Imperium.
The Void Dragon could not harm him, so it would surely extend its target of revenge to the Nur Stars, wantonly ravaging the citizens of Argent Nur.
"Don't!" The Void Dragon cried out in alarm, clearly agitated: "I am constrained by the regent armor; I can only exist as an intelligence and cannot escape this confinement."
"This was my transaction with Saint... the Emperor. This part of my will serves the armor and, incidentally, gets to see the scenery outside the cage."
"Now I am just a will, surviving on armor data, without the power of physical laws, posing no threat to you," the Void Dragon sighed helplessly, spreading its arms and stating a powerless truth: "If I had the ability to leave, I would have already floated away; there's plenty of technological equipment here."
Blazkowicz stopped his movements, the Void Dragon's words were true.
As the overlord of the material realm, if he still possessed authority, he could leave through technology and matter in just a thought.
He slowly lowered his raised arm and asked with slight confusion, "You once said that you would watch the universe die without perishing, so why come to the outside world?"
The Void Dragon did not answer, its projection disappearing inside the helmet, leaving behind a sneer: "Witness your path of god-slaying, witness the demise of the human race..."
"Your enemies have arrived."
Blazkowicz looked up at the edge of the city, where a squad of Krafen, after confirming their direction, charged out, heading straight for him.
The alien individuals were extraordinary; their clumsy formation revealed that they relied more on psychic solo combat than teamwork.
The Governor detected the enemies and began analyzing their specific form, racial ecology, formation flaws, charge speed, hostility perception, and distance scaling.
Krafen's data analysis was displayed on the lens via Star God data.
The "Insight" authority of the Governor armor penetrated all physical universes, digitizing everything within sight and presenting the important data.
Krafen's blood-red eyes narrowed, revealing astonishment and horror at the life form before them.
This human... life form, far taller than ordinary humans, radiated a strong psychic suppressive force from its center.
He merely stood there, emitting waves of heart-pounding aura; psychic light weakened as they approached, and their minds lost connection with the Warp.
At long range, Krafen inserted their muzzle into their flintlock, and dark saliva condensed into Warp fragments, which were loaded into the gun barrel.
Pfft!
The alien flintlock fired; there was no spark from the muzzle, but a purple circular array pattern erupted, and Warp energy spewed forth!
The purple light, carrying dim dark light, tore through the void, heading towards the tall human at six times the speed of sound.
Blazkowicz stood still; the Warp fragments tore through the void and arrived, yet he had no intention of dodging, wanting to test the power of the Governor armor.
The destructive psychic energy was terrifyingly ferocious; forests warped in its path, weeds on the track twisted and danced wildly, plowing a Warp rift.
This terrifying, unclean power polluted Real Space, arriving with a desperate killing intent!
But a surprising reality occurred!
The initial ferocity from the muzzle grew calmer the closer it got to Blazkowicz, gradually turning into a glow and dissipating, vanishing in a powerless struggle.
Krafen were very shocked; their instincts screamed, how absurd the scene before them was.
The Warp power, on which they relied for survival, shattered like an invisible bubble simply by approaching the mysterious human, how powerless and ironic?
He seemed to be the natural enemy of psychic energy; all illusory and supernatural powers were suppressed.
Blazkowicz stood still, equally surprised internally; the Warp flintlock was incredibly powerful, yet the projectiles it fired dissipated before him.
Although he knew he had an effect on psychic energy, he didn't think it was strong enough to directly dispel Warp crystals.
"The armor forged from Star God fragments can itself anchor reality, coupled with your characteristics, it can naturally negate illusory psychic energy," a low, magnetic male voice said; the Void Dragon did not appear, but provided the answer in the data stream.
"So that's how it is," Blazkowicz stretched his body; the regent armor felt as light as nothing, his movements unhindered, as he watched the psychic energy before him turn to dust.
He retrieved a Zhanblue light sword from a dimensional rift, aimed it at the surrounding Krafen, and prepared to fire a dimensional beam to kill the enemies in his way.
"Wait!" A roar accompanied a whistling sound; Harlan Ogilvy closed his grav-chute and landed in a crouch, holding the dark light.
The Champion Swordsman rolled, lowering the impact of his landing, and rolled in front of Blazkowicz; the white-armored warrior stood before his master, his long spear horizontally across his chest, his eyes beneath the helmet incredibly resolute.
"I am Harlan Ogilvy, Champion Swordsman, Oath Guard." Harlan stood with his spear, like the white wall guarding the Argentum, standing before King Nowick, protecting the Oath King.
His battle stance unfolded, and a deep voice growled: "I am the Oath Guard, let me slaughter these filthy things."
"Champion Swordsman, can you do it?" Obelisk landed, pulling his legs out of the mud, and asked with a hint of doubt.
The Legion's personal guard's inquiry was not dismissive, but simply a concern.
Towards Harlan Ogilvy, Obelisk held both respect and scrutiny; he didn't fully understand the strength of this legendary warrior.
Harlan's body was much larger than the Sentinels, and his legendary past was the most dazzling existence even in Argent Nur's vast records.
But many of his records had been deleted, personally carried out by the Father of Genes, hiding many secrets.
"Young man," Harlan sneered, his dark light dancing into spear shadows, his eyes fixed on Krafen: "Though I despise the Chaos God's gaze, his selection of warriors is quite pertinent."
"I am a warrior favored by Khorne, and naturally possess the strength to match."
"Scions of Blazkowicz," he glanced back at Obelisk, gripping the dark light, and charged towards Krafen, the warrior's wild words carried on the whistling wind: "Watch me sever the heads of the enemy!"
With arrogant confidence, the Champion Swordsman charged towards Krafen.
Obelisk stood beside the Father of Genes, intently watching Harlan's every move, scrutinizing his actions, getting to know this legendary figure he had little contact with.
The Father of Genes did not stop him, indicating his full confidence in the Champion Swordsman's power.
Though confident internally, Obelisk gripped his weapon; he was cautious by nature, always ready to support the Champion Swordsman.
Krafen were exceptionally powerful, beyond human limits, requiring several brothers and the Praetorian Guard to cooperate, along with Iron Men heavy firepower, to surround and kill them.
Moreover, the Legion brothers had the advantage of psychic immunity compared to the Sentinels.
Harlan's arrogant counter-charge made the serious warriors look on, filled with both anticipation and worry.
"Relax," Blazkowicz whispered, telling his scions to ease their tense posture: "He is a true warrior, an existence that made Khorne take notice."
He looked up at the sky, watching the battle-lit heavens; the gaze of the deity had descended.
The Chaos God's gaze pierced the veil, cast from the Warp into Real Universe, watching his favored warrior, enjoying the blood-boiling battle.
Krafen manipulated psychic energy; the barrier between reality and illusion was very thin, and blood flowed on the battlefield, Khorne cast his gaze from his throne.
He sat up from his throne, his blood-red gaze sweeping over Blazkowicz and settling on Harlan.
"Filthy aliens!"
The white figure, sprinting away, his boots splashing mud, his long spear drawing dark light, let out a battle cry that disdained all: "Yield your head to me!"
His furious roar drew attention, echoing through the sky; crimson lightning fell from the void, and the Chaos God beat the war drum for his favored champion.
Blood-colored mist enveloped Harlan, turning him into a blood-red meteor; every footprint oozed blood, accompanied by Khorne's unrestrained laughter.
The Blood God's aura permeated; the psychically sensitive Krafen could not resist the killing intent, their four red eyes grew even redder, and their palms joined as high-frequency vibrating blades sprang out.
They didn't know why, only that their desire for slaughter surged, and they unconsciously put down their ranged weapons, engaging in honorable close-quarters combat.
Krafen charged from three directions, their weapons twisting the void, attacking the wild man who was roaring passionately.
"Come on!" Harlan's expression was ferocious, his teeth grinding, using wildness to vent his killing intent and resist the bloodlust surging within him.
He watched the enemies in front of him; cognitive shielding couldn't block his sight, every movement of the aliens was clear to him.
"I have, in countless dreams," his eyes were bloodshot, flames erupting from them: "Clashed with the Chaos God countless times!"
The dark light parted the night, piercing the throat of the alien directly in front of him from an incredible angle; the opponent died with an expression of disbelief.
In the instant they passed each other, Krafen's body fell limply, rolling powerlessly, collapsing at Blazkowicz's feet.
Obelisk suppressed his astonishment, dragging the filthy alien away, so it wouldn't defile the Father of Genes' eyes.
Blazkowicz observed intently, his eyebrows slightly raised, his expression a complex mix of appreciation.
In terms of martial arts alone, his old friend had surpassed the mortal realm, reaching an inconceivable state.
Harlan Ogilvy, watched by the Chaos God, had sparred with Khorne in his dreams; decades of clashing with a god meant his martial arts could be called "the first in the galaxy"!
"Though without victory!"
Ogilvy in front, the dark light of his long spear retracted inwards, absorbing the vitality of the dead, his state showing no fatigue.
"Though I never won!"
Harlan's roar shook the soul, blood-colored sound waves visible to the naked eye, making Krafen's spirit waver.
A martial art that plays chess with gods, transcending mere moves to reach a concept of victory—who could stand against it?
From his roar, it was clear that he had never won in his long years of battling the Chaos Gods...
Khorne is not only the God of War but also the God representing the ultimate in individual martial prowess, encompassing all unknown and known martial arts from the past, present, and future.
A descendant of the Golden Men fighting a god, naturally, could not win.
How could a mere two-hundred-year-old body contend with an eternal god?
The dark light, after killing the xeno, continued its momentum, adding force along its path, slashing towards Krafen who was attacking from the right.
The enraged xeno swung its multiple limbs, bringing down high-frequency vibrating blades, stabbing at Harlan's many vital points.
The Champion Swordsman remained completely unfazed; the xeno's clumsy attacks were inferior to those of a Sentinels trainee and posed no threat to a seasoned warrior.
In a millionth of a second, Harlan's eyes blazed, his perception meticulously observing, seeing a barely perceptible discord in the tip of the high-frequency vibrating blade.
His control over himself was exquisite; with a twitch of his muscles, the dark light's impossibly thin blade slashed out, hitting the tip of the high-frequency vibrating blade at a molecular gap.
Buzz~~~
The high-frequency vibrating blade collapsed from its weak point, unable to withstand the dark light's sharpness, and was cleaved in two, the blade continuing its unstoppable trajectory.
Krafen was terrified; the collapsing high-frequency vibration heralded death, and the human blade cut through her fingers, palm, and arm, tearing apart her upper body along the bones.
"Nor was I defeated!" Harlan flung aside the xeno's head, roaring his battle record.
In the struggles within the Chaos God's dream, though he had never won, he had also never been defeated by the god, always waking from the dream before his energy was depleted.
The long spear hooked back, his legs coiled, and Harlan spun for a return strike, the dark light piercing Krafen's chest.
Screech!!!!!
A shrill shriek, and the long spear flicked upwards, tearing open the xeno's head, foul blood gushing out and flowing down the spear shaft.
In a brief two seconds, three Krafen were slain by the human champion, their bodies falling lifelessly to the side.
As the blood hit the ground, arrogant laughter echoed from the void; the Blood God pounded the armrest of his skull throne, cheering for his chosen champion.
The Blood God's unrestrained laughter whipped up a blood-colored storm, and as a reward for the magnificent battle, he once again bestowed a blessing upon the warrior, injecting it into the white-armored warrior's body, his gaze then leaving the Real Universe.
"Pah!" Harlan, bathed in blood, stood up, took off his helmet, spat out a thick glob of phlegm, wiped the blood from his long spear, and slung it over his shoulder, disdainfully saying, "What is this garbage?"
His contemptuous words had a double meaning: disdain for the xeno's cowardice, and scorn for the Chaos God's 'blessing'.
"It's hard to concentrate during my battles," the Champion Swordsman shook his helmet, dislodging xeno blood, and kicked aside Krafen's corpse, "that old bastard Khorne keeps spouting nonsense in my ear; his patience for whispering for so many years is quite impressive, though."
"Khorne pays too much attention to you," Blazkowicz strode over, carefully examining Harlan, "Next time, come with me to Terra, and we'll find the Emperor to expel the Chaos God's blessing from you."
"Useless." Harlan shrugged, putting on his helmet and walking alongside Blazkowicz, speaking casually, "I once asked the Old Ones to dispel it, but it always returned later. It's a temporary solution, not a cure."
"After trying a few times, I didn't care anymore and gave up on dispelling the blessing."
He grumbled with interest, "I'm just wondering, if one day I face the Blood God and raise my weapon against him, would the god withdraw his blessing because of our differing stances?"
No.
Blazkowicz didn't speak, but he already had the answer in his heart.
If someone could face the Blood God, maintain their composure and ability to think, and raise a weapon to challenge the deity, he would never withdraw the blessing. Instead, he would be ecstatic, stand up, personally welcome the challenger, and bestow even more blessings.
Khorne symbolizes conflict, regardless of its causality, but when a fist is thrown or a sword is drawn, regardless of good or bad intentions, courage is the primal driving force behind everything.
Among the Chaos Gods, in terms of 'straightforwardness,' the Blood God ranks highly, at least he wouldn't toy with his worshipers like Tzeentch.
"Excellent martial skill." Obelisk stepped forward, his booming voice not stinting on praise. Killing three Krafen in two seconds was a powerful feat worthy of commendation.
The Champion Swordsman's martial arts were superb, his moves flowing like water, his attacks striking directly at vital points.
According to the sayings of Old Terra, he had reached a state of perfection, his martial arts having returned to their purest form, transcending primal instinct.
Harlan waved his hand without saying more, his gaze sweeping the battlefield left and right, and he asked Blazkowicz as they walked, "Don't we need to help them?"
Clearly, having truly felt Krafen's combat power, the Champion Swordsman felt a premonition of danger and was concerned for the safety of the warriors.
Among the myriad races in the vast universe, Krafen was undoubtedly one of the strongest.
"No." Blazkowicz hesitated slightly, but ultimately decided not to help the front line.
The overall commander of this battle was Blazkowicz Blazkowicz, and everything was to proceed according to his orders. Blazkowicz would not participate in the fighting.
The battle situation was still stable; the Doom Slayer and the Iron Men Custodian Guard were steadily advancing towards victory, and it would be unwise to intervene.
Since the Governor of the Legion had accepted his responsibility, he naturally had to be trusted, so as not to undermine Blazkowicz's confidence. Interfering would not only not help but would also make him tremble with fear.
Since he chose to let go, he would let the Governor act boldly.
Until Blazkowicz issued a request for help, he would absolutely not actively participate in the battle, but rather execute his own plan.
"Then point me to a destination." Harlan merely asked a simple question and, upon receiving an answer, did not delve deeper, allowing Blazkowicz to lead the way forward.
"Just head towards..."
Boom—
A violent explosion interrupted Blazkowicz, the ground shaking violently, and a visible shockwave erupted from the center of the Hive City, spreading at dozens of times the speed of sound.
The three immediately ducked down to avoid being blown away by the shockwave.
Good news came from battlefield communications: Alistair, leading a team with the legendary warrior Astalan, had successfully raided the Hive City's main tower basement and overloaded the plasma reactor.
With the main functional reactor damaged, the Chimeric Shield visibly dimmed, the light barrier even appearing to totter, hovering at the edge of overload.
Shield severely damaged, allowing large units to pass through!
Blazkowicz keenly seized the opportunity; the aircraft carrier in orbit opened its belly, releasing more atmospheric vehicles to help the ground forces advance.
The central tower of the Hive City slowly collapsed, stirring up clouds of smoke and dust, crushing and injuring many Krafen.
The human side suffered minimal damage; before the massive explosion, teleportation locks had taken the legionnaires away, who then re-entered their drop pods for the next deployment.
Argent Nur was using stable teleportation technology to strike key nodes in rotation, his ultra-high mobility leaving the xenos scrambling, unable to support all fronts.
"Humans!"
Piercing screams carried curses and unwillingness; the shield function area was destroyed, and the human fleet continuously dispatched ground forces, their firepower becoming increasingly fierce.
In the fierce engagement, Krafen lost patience.
The intermittent roars and shrieks suddenly ceased, and above the collapsed ruins in the center of the Hive City, before the dust had settled, an unusual sparkle flickered.
"Follow me." Blazkowicz selected a target and led Harlan and Obelisk into the city.
Harlan quickly followed. Obelisk looked at the marked unknown, and a cautious vigilance arose within him.
The Father of Genes' choice, seemingly careless, was actually too close to the Hive City's center, allowing for immediate support at any turn.
He immediately realized—the Primarch sensed danger!
Krafen front extended, psychic fluctuations tending towards harmony, and a murmuring chant began as twenty individuals formed a circular magical array.
A terrifying aura permeated the air, purple psychic energy connecting, like giant Ferris wheels slowly rising, resembling... portals?
The anomaly drew attention; Blazkowicz gestured on the holographic sandbox, and the Old Glory launched drop pods, preparing for another pinnacle assault.
Although the exact reason was unclear, Krafen absolutely could not be allowed to have their way!
Sizzle!
A grating tearing sound echoed, and several portals landed on the ground. Psychic energy converged from the nodes to the center, and the illusory and real shattered into voids, from which terrifying figures emerged.
These were extremely unstable, gigantic constructs, indescribable, stepping from illusion into reality. The moment they touched the Real Universe, their bodies underwent drastic changes.
Their size was difficult to ascertain; at their largest, they rivaled Emperor-class Titans, at their smallest, they were only Warhound Titans. Their observed mass varied with their size, fluctuating dozens of times a second accompanied by a humming sound.
Observers could only confirm one thing: they were Krafen-summoned Titans, using psychic energy as weapons!
"Be careful, the moment those things appeared, an uncontrollable palpitation surged within us, accompanied by shock and fear!"
Captain of the Adeptus Custodes Odysseus issued a warning; just the appearance of those things on the battlefield had shaken the will of the Custodian Guard!
He gasped, describing a terrifying creation to Blazkowicz: "I once witnessed the Emperor's creations, and what I see before me bears some resemblance."
"A Titan driven by psychic energy, it is the embodiment of calamity, using itself as an anchor to wantonly ravage the will of living beings, unleashing the terrifying power of the Warp!"