Buzz ~ buzz ~ buzz ~
The energy shock was like the snoring of a sleeping giant beast, and Warp energy erupted with a roar. Between Blazkowicz's hands, it was as if he was squeezing a purple supernova!
Power trembled in the confrontation, and brilliant light surged from the secret room, illuminating the entire noble treasury.
Harlan made a decisive move, knocking out Gela with a chop to the neck, then hoisted him onto his shoulder and ran out of the treasury, keeping the mortal away from Warp contamination.
As he ran, the entire treasury began to shake, many collections swayed and fell, and a large number of precious relics shattered into pieces.
Seeing the marked porcelain about to topple, Harlan's heart tightened. He abruptly shrugged his shoulder, pushing Gela upwards, then grabbed his ankle and flung him outwards!
His control over his strength was excellent. He steadily caught the porcelain the moment it fell, then powerfully propelled his legs to catch up with Gela and grab him.
Bottle in his left hand, man on his right shoulder, and the dark light on his back, the Champion Swordsman's figure streaked like the wind through the shaking exhibition hall.
His speed reached its limit. Within a few breaths, he ran thousands of meters through the shaking exhibition hall, rushing out of the treasury accompanied by the increasingly dense Warp energy.
"Strong Warp fluctuations detected."
At the high-orbit operations center, Captain Aang reported the augur data, and the holographic image marked the location of the anomaly.
"Ignore it for now."
Blazkowicz felt relieved after seeing the location and continued to focus his attention on the main battlefield, commanding the troops to continue their assault.
Meanwhile, somewhere underground in the Hive City, a gigantic entity, hanging upside down from the dome of a grand hall, its entire body enveloped by bat-like wings, suddenly opened its four blood-red eyes, which flashed with a human-like expression of "ecstatic joy."
"Screech!!!"
Its bat wings spread like night falling, psionic light flowed around its body, and its rhomboid mouth roared, emitting visible sound wave vibrations.
Krafen, who was fighting the Nur Legion, seemed to receive some command. She abandoned non-critical front lines and began to contract her defenses.
"Bite down on the retreating daemon."
The Archon's command came through the comms. The troops immediately launched an attack, clinging to the retreating aliens' heels and pursuing them relentlessly.
The entire battlefield subtly shifted. With the noble treasury as the explosion point, both warring parties began to move, and the human war of annihilation against the aliens changed.
The battlefield changes did not escape Blazkowicz. He keenly perceived the situation and immediately made a judgment: "Deploy spirit-extinguishing bullets. The Primarch's Guard is ready to teleport at any moment."
The Archon issued operational deployments, and each node responded immediately, initiating actions based on the command.
Supply machines descended from the sky, delivering precious spirit-extinguishing explosive bolts to the Custodes. Reserve personnel teleported back to the warship, ready to intervene at critical points on the battlefield at any time.
Humans and Krafen deployed around the noble treasury, and the decisive battle quietly approached.
The noble treasury shook violently, affecting the entire Gela main planet.
Gunshots outside the treasury were rapid. Harlan continuously pulled the trigger, his smart gun spitting fire and firing spirit-extinguishing bullets.
"I hit the jackpot!" He sneered, firing a ray from his dimensional sword hilt, using both attacks simultaneously to kill Krafen.
Krafen's invasion of the Gela main planet was aimed at seizing the chaos artifact, but unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, Argent Nur had intercepted it.
Warp fragments exploded before his eyes, but Obelisk remained unperturbed. He set up his electromagnetic sniper rifle behind a steel plate cover, firing in conjunction with his shoulder cannon to intercept the surging Krafen.
The interference device established in the sinkhole disrupted psionic fluctuations, effectively weakening Krafen's psionic shields.
Blue electromagnetic projectiles streaked through the darkness, their specialized warheads piercing psionic shields and shattering alien heads, suppressing the aliens' tentative charges.
"Request Primarch's Guard support."
The voice was extremely steady. Enemy signals were increasing, and Obelisk, assessing the battlefield situation, decisively chose to call for aid.
He did not consider himself the Father of Genes and found it difficult to withstand Krafen's wave attacks. The aliens came in wave after wave, one after another, fixated on their attack target.
"Guard Terminators initiating teleportation."
A steady, deep, and ancient response came through the comms channel.
The beacon that had brought Gela earlier lit up again, erupting in a pale psionic flash. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and the unconscious Gela on the ground shivered instinctively.
Thud!
The sound of a heavy object landing echoed, as if the entire ground trembled!
Thirty Terminators of the Primarch's Guard, carrying supreme celestial might, descended from the teleportation light.
Their presence was felt before they were seen. Missiles streaked over Obelisk's head, breaking through Krafen's psionic barrier and exploding in batches in the air.
Crystalline dust erupted in the enemy ranks, the psionic light dimmed considerably, and Krafen let out a tragic wail.
"Clear the firing lane."
The words, emanating from the breathing grilles, made the Terminator Guard's speech exceptionally heavy.
Harlan and Obelisk immediately ceased fire, rolling away from their firing positions without a moment's hesitation.
The fire team advanced with heavy steps, moving into the firing position. They held force field greatshields in their right arms to protect their bodies, connecting them to form a shield wall. Their left shoulder-mounted triple-barreled electromagnetic cannons began to spin, and their left arm heavy spears fired dimensional rays.
Sizzle~~~
The triple-barreled electromagnetic cannons hissed, unleashing thirty-times-the-speed-of-sound projectiles, and a blue meteor waterfall streamed through the dark passage!
The moment the Primarch's Guard opened fire, the entire battlefield situation reversed. The 4-meter tall Terminators' firepower overwhelmed Krafen.
Blue light illuminated the dark adamantium armor. The aliens were torn to shreds by the dense projectile barrage, with no more than twenty percent of the corpses in the firing zone remaining intact!
In two seconds, hundreds of Krafen fell, their glowing blood splattering everywhere, illuminating the end of the passage.
The Doom Slayer Terminator power armor, independently developed by Argent Nur, was equipped with advanced cold fusion reactors, with energy output comparable to a small Titan.
Thanks to the abundant energy, the weapons mounted on the Terminators were even more brutal and terrifying. Multiple composite shields could withstand destructive damage.
The dark Terminators stood before the treasury like an immortal black city wall, an insurmountable chasm. Without Titan-level firepower, it would be impossible to defeat them!
"Magnificent!" Harlan exclaimed, marveling at the Terminator power armor's firepower, his eyes flashing with anticipation.
He knew these powerful war suits were still prototypes, with the first batch of trial models allocated to the Primarch's Guard for battlefield validation.
If they passed the applicability verification and some design flaws were corrected, they could be mass-produced. At that time, the Doom Slayer would be equipped, and the Sentinels would also be widely distributed.
Once the equipment entered the mass production stage, with the productivity of the Nur Stars, it was highly likely that, like power armor, everyone would be issued a set, with equipment selected based on different missions.
A burning light flashed in Harlan's eyes, and he couldn't help but fantasize about himself in Terminator armor, invincible on the battlefield.
His mind was filled with fantasies, but his movements didn't slow down. He carried the porcelain vase and dragged Gela into the treasury, lest his precious items be shattered.
The offensive and defensive battle at the treasury gate was fierce, but inside the secret room, it was a different world entirely.
Between Blazkowicz's hands, Warp power was concentrated to its extreme. The walls of the secret room swayed like lake water, and physical laws ebbed and flowed with it.
Reality and illusion, their boundaries began to blur. Established facts collided and intertwined with imagination.
At this moment, if not for Blazkowicz and the regent armor's suppression, the treasury would have long since become animated, transforming into a treasury of flesh and blood.
And between his hands, two rings merged, interrupting their long separation, becoming one again.
The Warp power intensified, and the severe distortion of the Real Universe attracted many Warp mighty beings to probe, then quickly shift their gaze.
A chaos artifact was good, but using it at the cost of one's life was not worth it.
Finally, under the pressure of Blazkowicz's star-shaking power, the ring of chaos was forced to merge, becoming whole once more.
The moment they merged, the unleashed Warp power shot up into the sky, breaking through layers of obstacles and gushing into the planetary atmosphere. The purple light pillar was clearly visible even from high orbit.
When the light dissipated, the chaos artifact in Blazkowicz's hand had changed its appearance.
The three-dimensional triangular bases were opposite each other, forming a slender diamond shape, like a compass used in the Age of Sail; the eight diamond-shaped pointers no longer flipped, but floated, pointing in eight directions.
Blazkowicz hung it at his waist. The chain that held the Blackstone Key broke, passed through the center of the ring, and securely locked the chaos artifact.
He looked up. The adamantium walls of the secret room had been pierced, revealing the pitch-black night sky.
"We have guests," the Void Dragon projected. Centered on the secret room, red dots representing Krafen were converging from all directions.
Clearly, the violent Warp fluctuations had attracted Krafen to investigate.
No, not just attracted.
Blazkowicz's eyesight was extraordinary. From Krafen's movement routes, he quickly analyzed that the aliens' objective was clear; they were coming directly for him.
"Let them come." He patted the chaos artifact, confirmed it was securely hung, then opened the communication channel: "Using me as a coordinate, teleport transport machines into the field to retrieve STC relics and historical artifacts."
"Instruction received."
A mechanical voice responded from the other end of the communication.
Three seconds later, teleportation light flared around Blazkowicz. Machines carrying teleportation beacons entered the field and began their transport mission.
The machines moved swiftly and with clear division of labor, first attaching beacons to high-value items, and once confirmed, initiating reverse teleportation to transport the items needing protection one by one.
Seeing the machines move swiftly and methodically mark items, Blazkowicz nodded in satisfaction and exited the secret room towards the vault door.
When he returned to the door, Harlan and Obelisk were inside, while outside, the sounds of gunfire and cannons echoed, indicating the battle was in full swing.
Seeing Harlan clutching a porcelain vase, Blazkowicz raised an eyebrow, amused and exasperated by his money-grubbing appearance.
Noticing Blazkowicz approaching, Harlan quickly rose from the ground and ran deeper into the vault: "It's up to you now. I'm going to salvage some artifacts."
He knew that Blazkowicz's appearance meant the Legion might be preparing to withdraw.
Once high-value items were recovered, leaving behind a world ravaged by the soulless humans and Krafen, initiating an extermination order became the only choice.
After all, Krafen was too dangerous; even with Blazkowicz's careful strategy, several Imperial Guards were severely wounded and perished within their Dreadnought mechs.
This world had to be completely destroyed to prevent Krafen from scattering and to ensure the safety and prosperity of surrounding worlds.
Blazkowicz and Harlan passed each other, Blazkowicz heading to the front lines of the firefight. Obelisk tried to follow but was stopped by Blazkowicz's raised hand.
"Protect his safety," Blazkowicz said to his scions, pointing at the unconscious Gela. "He is the descendant of a hero."
Obelisk punched his chest, nodding solemnly, accepting the command from the Father of Genes.
A hero?
These two words were incredibly weighty, carriers of belief and ideals, symbolizing noble and great sacrifice.
He looked down at Gela, pondering: In this era of suspicion and depravity, what kind of person could earn such affirmation from the Primarch?
After giving his instructions, Blazkowicz stepped out of the vault, his eyes met by a series of black peaks that were holding back Krafen's assault.
The Terminators' precise line of fire kept the xenos from showing their heads, and at the end of the passage, a mountain of shattered flesh and gore accumulated.
Despite heavy losses, Krafen did not give up; instead, they became even more frenzied, constantly probing the Guard's defenses.
Blazkowicz glanced at the time, standing behind his scions and growling: "Hold for three more minutes, then we leave this world."
"We are the Immortal Wall!" the Primarch's Guard roared, their resolve even stronger and more determined than their voices.
"Hiss!"
Seemingly sensing the humans' strategic objective, a violent hiss came from the darkness, its sound waves sweeping into a storm, scattering the dust of the soulless' ashes.
The psychic suppression temporarily lifted, and Krafen seized the opportunity, pushing forward with psychic shields, intending to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.
Even the astonishing power of electromagnetic rounds struggled to suppress their vast numbers.
Krafen clung to the passage ceiling, climbed the side walls, and flew with outstretched wings, dispersing the Terminators' firepower.
Immediately, Krafen, charging in various stances, filled the entire passage.
Without the bone dust suppression, the psychic flintlocks fired, and flying Warp fragments struck the force fields, splashing Warp energy.
Blazkowicz wore regent armor, which suppressed the power of the flintlocks. Otherwise, the entire defensive line would have collapsed after several volleys.
"Four ghost-killing missiles, simultaneous launch, timed detonation to spread dust throughout the passage."
With the Father of Genes present, Primarch's Guard Captain Kaz remained calm under pressure, calmly giving orders and quickly marking missile impact points on the passage map.
The support team's Terminators aimed their shoulder missile pods at the coordinates, and a volley of ghost-killing missiles fired. The ash dust of the soulless once again filled the space.
Krafen's psychic power once again waned, their small bat-like wings lost their psychic empowerment, losing the ability to fly, and spiraled down from the air.
Their psychic shields flickered a few times, then dissipated in the soulless domain, exposing the fragile flesh beneath layers of protection.
They were like alien fish chasing the tide; after the tide receded, they writhed futilely in the soulless domain.
The fire team seized the opportunity, immediately unleashing full firepower, and a blue meteor shower struck again, pulverizing Krafen who had lost their psychic shields.
"Five destructive missiles, point-fire," Kaz was as calm as a machine, making precise assessments based on the battle situation and issuing attack commands.
Whoosh ~ Whoosh ~ Whoosh ~
Missiles ignited and flew out of their nests, guided by beacons, trailing orange-red exhaust as they detonated at the edge of the ash dust.
Thud —
A muffled sound exploded, a fiery bright light illuminated all shadows, and intense air currents blew away the dust. Five miniature nuclear bombs detonated at the end of the passage, creating miniature mushroom clouds.
"Hmph!" the Primarch's Guard growled, the Terminators in their power armor half-crouched, raising their shields to block the incoming shockwave.
The shockwave swept through, and shattered xeno bone fragments rattled against the shining gold, some larger bone pieces even triggering shield reactions.
"Four ghost-killing missiles ready," Kaz commanded again: "Launch after the heat wave dissipates to fill the empty areas, giving Krafen no chance to charge the defensive line."
"Continue to hold the defensive line. There are two minutes left for evacuation."
While the aftereffects of the nuclear bomb lingered, the Primarch's Guard rearmed, preparing for Krafen's next attack.
Blazkowicz looked at the armor's projection; most of Krafen's signals in the front area had disappeared, leaving several signal void zones.
A little further away, shimmering with purple light, xenos unaffected by the bone ash survived under shield protection.
"Human."
As the Guard prepared, a heavy, sharp call came, with a staccato feel like clashing swords.
With the call, a massive Krafen head appeared out of thin air, a psychic projection right before them, its ugly tentacled maw vividly rendered.
Kaz ordered heightened alert; to resist the soulless bone dust and the Legion's bloodline suppression, and send a projection to the front lines, the opponent's psychic power was incredibly formidable.
Seeing the true mastermind appear, Blazkowicz stepped out of his scions' protective circle, came to the front of the line, and stared across the void at the xeno leader.
The illusory head of Krafen's leader saw someone step out, paused for a moment, then its eyes erupted with light.
"Do you want it?" Blazkowicz patted the ring of chaos at his waist. He had noticed the change in the xeno's gaze, that undisguised greedy look, allowing for no other color.
The illusory head tilted slightly, a sharp, hoarse, and extremely unpleasant voice spoke with only arrogance: "I am 'The Progenitor,' a high-ranking Ascendant of Krafen..."
"Stop! Stop!" Blazkowicz raised his hand, rudely interrupting the Progenitor: "I'm not interested in who you are. Just answer my question."
He clasped the ring of chaos, raised it, and asked again: "Do you want it?"
These two simple sentences were filled with arrogance and disdain, devoid of any respect, their attitude more arrogant than Krafen's.
"Since you have obtained this artifact," The Progenitor's gaze never left the ring, its eyes filled with a dazed light; the chaotic artifact deeply attracted it, "you naturally know that I crossed the star-sea specifically to find it."
"Human," The Progenitor scrutinized the person before it, then looked at the object it had yearned for, and thinking of the arduous battle, it said helplessly: "I had intended to leave this world, but you brought it before me. Now I have a reason for a fight to the death."
"The item is in your hands; you must also be aware of its purpose. My race is determined to have it."
"Leave?" Blazkowicz said mockingly: "You certainly make light of it."
He stared intently at the illusory projection, as if trying to see the Progenitor's true form through it, "Poisoning several worlds, and with a casual 'leave,' is that supposed to be a gift to us?"
"Even now, with humanity driving you underground, do you still believe you hold the advantage?"
"The crimes you have committed must be repaid with your blood!"
"The 'fight to the death' you speak of, is that Krafen's determination to resist humanity's cleansing of you?"
Blazkowicz's voice was low, his words like bullets from his mouth, attacking the Progenitor and Krafen without restraint.
But the Progenitor did not retort. It silently watched Blazkowicz for a few seconds, then asked in confusion: "Are you angry? For those who died?"
"I cannot perceive your emotions," it raised its illusory projection, its gaze extending to the Destroyer Legion: "Nor can I perceive theirs."
"But I can sense that you are seething with rage, wanting to raise your blade against me for those humans, to vent your anger with my life."
"Actually, I don't understand," The Progenitor's gaze returned to Blazkowicz, "Our lives have long since transcended the mundane; why should we pity lower life forms? They are as different from us as clouds from mud."
"If you harbor anger, you can slaughter the lower-tier Krafen. Just give the order, and they will offer their necks to be slain, allowing you to vent."
"If you crave victory, I will grant you victory, and can even form an alliance with you as equals."
"I have only one request—hand over the artifact in your possession. I can see that it serves no purpose in your hands. It would be better to exchange it for a friendship with me. Krafen throughout the entire galaxy will remember your domain and will never offend it again."
The Progenitor's demonic voice was fearful and frantic, its psychic power amplifying the seductive words, causing any mortal who heard it to immediately submit, kneeling and offering their loyalty.
"Ridiculous!" The deep echo was not loud, but it struck like a thunderclap, shattering the ghostly sound.
"Truly utterly ridiculous." Blazkowicz responded to the Progenitor's contempt for humanity with human contempt: "What you call nobility is, in my eyes, nothing but cowardice."
"All this talk of superiority and inferiority is merely a display of your fear."
"You cannot be certain you can defeat me, yet you spread monstrous lies here, attempting to use a supposed difference in 'essence' to limit us to the same level, then make some compromises in exchange for what you seek."
"But you forgot one thing!" Blazkowicz suddenly roared, and an invisible pressure swept out, shaking the Progenitor's projection until it nearly shattered: "You and I are never equals. Humanity is supreme!"
"Humanity is supreme!" The Primarch's Guard stepped forward, the heavy footsteps of the Terminators crushing the ground, their weapons pointed directly at the Progenitor.
The sound bolstered the military might!
The Legion's momentum connected with the Father of Genes, erupting in intense power that startled the Progenitor into instinctively retreating.
Its projection flickered backward, then abruptly stopped. The deformed face was no longer peaceful, showing uncontrollable fury.
Facing the sharp aura emanating from those pure wills, its consciousness felt fear. The projection wavered backward, instinctively wanting to leave.
This was a tremendous humiliation. As a superior entity, it actually felt a base emotion like fear, and from lowly humans at that!
"I see nothing extraordinary about you." The ridicule in Blazkowicz's words did not diminish. Beneath the helmet, his fierce eyes were full of contempt: "I see a despicable being standing before me, one who sells the lives of his own kind in exchange for something he cannot obtain otherwise."
"Human!" the Progenitor suppressed its indignation. In its peaceful yet arrogant, sharp voice, there was a trace of broken trembling: "Do not use your values to define our behavior patterns."
"We are Krafen, Galactic Hunters, a naturally superior race, the Great Predators, feeding on the souls of all things."
"Human morality does not apply to us and cannot restrain us."
"To stand forever at the pinnacle, lesser members of the race can be sacrificed at any time to sustain the overall prosperity of the species and ensure our enduring strength."
The Progenitor recounted the past and future of Krafen, masking the sense of shame brought by fear. Its ugly face grew three parts calmer due to the catharsis: "Do you understand now, supreme strongman among humans?"
"I have spent millennia, traveling the stars in pursuit of the secrets that make our race powerful, paying countless tragic prices."
"The reward at the end of the journey is close at hand. If it can be obtained through sacrifice, I will not hesitate, nor will the race falter due to the sacrifice."
"A small sacrifice in exchange for long-term prosperity—if this opportunity were placed before you, according to human values, how would you choose, human strongman?"
The Progenitor's question was like a sharp knife, peeling back the facade of honor and morality, piercing the sinews and bones forged by humanity, stabbing directly at Blazkowicz's heart.
"Choose how?" Blazkowicz scoffed, his tone utterly indifferent. He glanced down at the time counting down inside his helmet: sixty seconds remaining.
He had never considered what the Progenitor said; he only wanted the countdown to end, the vault contents and beacon to be secured, and then to kill the chattering xenos.
"In sixty seconds, the area in front of me will be continuously covered by concentrated laser lances."
Delaying the xenos, Blazkowicz used a psychic link to contact Junior, issuing the sole command for the entire battle.
Krafen gathered more and more. The gaps created by the nuclear explosion were filled, and the quantity display captured over three thousand xenos, with the number still rising.
With so many Krafen gathered together, their psychic fluctuations continued to rise, becoming difficult for the soulless bone powder to suppress.
Blazkowicz dared not act rashly for the moment. He could guarantee that he would break through the enemy lines, but before that, the Terminators Guard would be in danger.
"I never make choices." He shook the Chaos artifact in his hand, lowering his voice and saying seductively: "When something is in the enemy's hands, rushing up and taking it is much more satisfying than arguing."
The Progenitor's projection fell silent. Helplessness was the true reflection of its current state of mind.
If, hypothetically, it were possible... if it were confident it could kill the human before it, it naturally wouldn't bother with nonsense. Wouldn't it be wonderful to rush up, wring his neck, and rip out the enemy's ceaselessly squawking throat?
"Are you hesitating?" Blazkowicz tossed the artifact in his hand, seemingly seeing through the Progenitor's mind from its projection: "Were you venting just now?"
"Oh~" His tone fluctuated, and he suddenly gained some clarity: "Perhaps the principle of sacrifice you spoke of was merely an excuse to conceal your cowardice, a reason not to dare fight us to the death."
"Human nature may not apply to Krafen, but honor exists within your race as well."
"I see," Blazkowicz realized, his shoulders shrugging slightly, a muffled laugh echoing in his helmet: "Heh heh..."
"Get lost!" He roared, the air in front of him exploding into a shockwave, and angry red thunder erupted from nowhere.
The Progenitor's mind was shattered, and the projection, symbolizing the extension of its consciousness, trembled. Its main body, far away, was terrified.
That tall, muscular human was absolutely extraordinary. With just a single roar, he shook its soul, and it dared not look directly at his actual presence!
"How dare a despicable coward stand before me?"
The projection shattered under the pressure, and its consciousness returned to its main body. Sweat broke out on the Progenitor's forehead. These humans were too strange; they possessed an unparalleled suppressive force against psychic energy, and even it was not immune.
"I am the Warrior King, the embodiment of courage and defiance. I despise your petty tricks!"
The roar was still reverberating. Intense sound waves surged from the passage, scouring away the nuclear dust and making many Krafen unable to stand steady.
Crackle!!
Red lightning came from nowhere, defying physics, exploding deep beneath the Hive City and illuminating the dark, profound depths.
"Ha... ha... ha... ha..."
The crimson lightning coalesced into maniacal laughter. The psychic energy of the Gela main planet was dense, and the Blood God's sight had never left it. His favorite warrior was here, and upon hearing the battle declaration, He was overcome with joy.
How sensitive were Krafen?
The moment the Great Will appeared, they fell from the sky, prostrating themselves on the ground in worship, submitting to the power of the Warp's great entity.
The Progenitor was the same, abandoning its arrogance and superior posture, descending from the void, bowing its head, and kneeling to worship the deity.
Its heart was filled with mixed emotions, unsure whether to be happy or worried.
The great entity, which countless sacrifices had failed to summon, had actually manifested itself voluntarily at this moment. What did His arrival truly signify?
No!
After kneeling for eight seconds without receiving a response, the Progenitor suddenly realized that the great entity of destruction had not come for it!
Before it could think further, a bolt of thunder descended from the void, striking its body directly, and infinite savage power surged into its form.
The Progenitor's four bloodshot eyes grew even redder, nearly dripping blood, and endless fury erupted in its heart.
Before that furious will, it felt only insignificance, like a speck of dust in the sea of stars facing crimson flames!
"You cannot defeat him."
The voice of the Great Will was not peaceful. He was constantly gritting His teeth and perpetually enraged, His fury scorching His own soul.
"Say that sentence, and I will grant you power." The great entity of destruction urged, burning with impatience, His bones cracking as if performing a warm-up exercise.
Blazkowicz sensed the moment the Blood God's will descended.
When the crimson thunder exploded, he looked up toward the end of the passage. Krafen lay prostrate on the ground, bowing and worshipping the void.
He was not surprised in the slightest. Khorne's gaze had always lingered over Gela, searching for a suitable opportunity to cause chaos on the battlefield.
Now it seemed He had found it!
The Progenitor's consciousness was hazy, shattered by the raging fury. In a trance, it saw a crimson wasteland and a towering God of War seated upon a Brass Throne.
Its will knelt, without hesitation, even fearing that the great entity of the Warp might renege on the deal.
"Blood for the Blood God," it naturally knew the origin of the great entity of destruction and what those words meant to it, yet it felt no resistance whatsoever.
Its ugly mouthparts twisted and trembled. the Progenitor, filled with gratitude, spoke in a sharp, incomparably devout voice. It spread its arms to the void, welcoming the blessing of the Chaos God: "Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
It cried out, offering the loyalty of its soul to the deity, becoming His servant walking the mortal plane, scourging all sentient beings in the Real Universe.
Boom—
Thunder roared as it descended, striking the Progenitor. The Blood God's power integrated into its flesh, enhancing its body at the atomic level.
Its body trembled in pain, yet the Progenitor smiled, feeling the transformation coming from its cells and bones, power surging continuously.
The black carapace covering its body cracked open, its muscles grew wildly, its bones audibly clicked, and its body swelled rapidly under the deity's blessing.
The lesser Krafen stretched their necks to peer. They were mesmerized, witnessing the great power reshaping the body and breaking the shackles of life.
"Not enough."
The Progenitor, intoxicated by power, heard the Blood God's sigh, and a trace of confusion flashed through its mind.
Its body constantly strengthened, power surging endlessly. It felt capable of shattering a star with a single punch, or ripping apart a continent with a casual thought.
What wasn't enough? Was it not strong enough? Was the human unbeatable?
Soon, the Blood God answered its confusion with action.
He struck decisively, His transforming body releasing a bloody mist that turned into plasma and enveloped Krafen.
The stench of blood spread with the mist, accompanied by chilling sounds. Flesh and blood were crushed by immense force, bones cracked, and plasma splattered, leaving no time even for a scream.
Deep within the Progenitor's senses, eight hundred and eighty-eight of its lesser kin lost their lives within the bloody mist.
Its heart remained unmoved, allowing the God to take what He wished, letting the flesh and blood of its kin lay the foundation for its own power.
The blood mist collected the eight hundred and eighty-eight souls, gathered them back, and encircled the Progenitor, forming a blood cocoon around it where a drastic transformation took place.
Krafen's original body transformed under the power of the God, reshaping itself from the subatomic level and being imbued with profound significance.
*Thump! Thump!*
A powerful heartbeat resounded. Drawn by the psychic energy in the bloodline, the surrounding Krafen felt their own hearts beating in unison.
Blazkowicz heard the heartbeat, knowing the Blood God's apostle was about to emerge. His face was calm, and he quietly awaited the countdown.
As he waited, the psychic beacon behind him suddenly lit up. Amidst flashing psychic sparks, an unexpected person teleported in.
The Captain of the Adeptus Custodes—Odysseus—arrived, leading a squad of Emperor's Praetorians Aquila Terminators and two Contemptor Dreadnoughts.
He leaned on his guardian spear, guarding the teleportation point. A muffled, hoarse voice came from beneath his helmet: "Primarch, what is happening here?"
Odysseus did not leave the teleportation point, standing far off, his eyes fixed on the Warrior King's back, occasionally glancing toward the anomaly in the distance.
Sensing the scrutinizing gaze, Blazkowicz did not turn around, explaining calmly to the Captain of the Adeptus Custodes: "The will of the Blood God has descended, creating a little toy for His amusement."
The Captain of the Adeptus Custodes breathed a slight sigh of relief. The Primarch turning his back was a sign of trust, and his words were frank, without deliberate concealment.
He followed the Primarch not only to provide military assistance but also to act as the eyes of the Emperor, scrutinizing the Primarch's loyalty to humanity.
The Warp fluctuations here were intense, and although a large number of Krafen had gathered, no fighting had begun. The Archon had even ordered the ground forces to retreat.
These abnormal actions naturally aroused the Captain of the Adeptus Custodes' suspicion, prompting him to lead his elite forces here to investigate.
"Then what do you intend to do?" he asked, quietly shifting the direction of his spear while signaling the accompanying Emperor's Praetorians to restrain their movements to avoid misunderstanding.
"Wait..."
Blazkowicz replied slowly. The blood cocoon was nearly solidifying, reaching the verge of transformation. The sixth heartbeat rang out, and Khorne's power reached its peak.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the regent armor's display, the countdown had reached zero!
Intense psychic fluctuations erupted. Captain Odysseus turned back warily, seeing vast swathes of teleportation light ignite, and numerous precious artifacts vanish.
Turning back toward the front, the Doom Slayers began shifting formation, arranging themselves in an anti-impact formation led by the Primarch.
"Remaining ground forces, seek cover."
An urgent warning followed immediately. Odysseus's pupils contracted sharply—the holographic map inside his helmet clearly marked a red strike zone!
Right in front of the Primarch, less than five hundred meters away!
"Brace for impact!" His shout was hoarse and desperate. He retreated swiftly, taking cover behind the Contemptor Dreadnoughts to avoid the imminent violent shockwave.
The Aquila Terminators immediately formed an anti-impact squad, lowering their posture, activating their deflection shields, and locking their leg joints.
In low orbit above the Gela main planet, confirming all warriors had left the strike zone, Blazkowicz narrowed his eyes and commanded: "Fire the focused plasma lances!"
"Archon command received."
The super-heavy battleship AI was merciless, its cold voice brutal. The data core instruction went directly to the ship's belly, and the long-charged focused plasma lances fired!
Six azure light lances descended at light speed, much "thinner" than standard lance beams, with an energy dispersion radius of only fifty meters.
The slender lances were intensely bright, their energy extremely concentrated, granting them immense penetration power—in extreme cases, they could blast through a planetary core!
The lances pierced the surface, penetrating layers of subterranean structures, descending with a roar like divine punishment, directly striking the Krafen gathering site.
Before the vault gate, the particle storm grew increasingly fierce. The plasma rays caused the temperature to skyrocket, drowning the high-temperature alarms in the storm.
Blazkowicz leaned forward, holding his shield up with his left hand. The cleats on his boots punched through the floor to anchor his body.
The Terminator guard squad behind him leaned on each other, preventing themselves from being swept away by the high-temperature storm and into the plasma lances.
"This is insane!"
Captain Odysseus cursed internally. This maniacal action went beyond common courtesy and exceeded the expectations of the Emperor's Praetorians.
What normal person would dare to do this?
Launching lance strikes just a hundred meters in front of friendly ground troops, and plasma lances at that, whose power was several times that of standard lances!
A slight deviation in the barrel angle, a miscalculation, or any minor external factor, and the lances would strike their own forces.
He continuously swore under his breath, adjusting his armor's internal systems to maximize cooling capacity against the soaring temperature.
A hundred meters from the plasma lances, the ambient temperature reached a thousand degrees Celsius and was still climbing. Non-heat-resistant materials nearby had already softened and melted.
The raised edges of the auric armor began to glow reddish-orange under the assault of the high-speed, high-temperature storm. Although far from the melting point, the sustained high heat caused rapid localized temperature increases in the power armor.
Inside the adamantium vault door, Obelisk shielded Gela beneath him, using his body to fend off the thermal shock.
"Activate the teleportation harness." He pulled Gela into his embrace and reluctantly activated the harness, leaving the combat zone.
The temperature was rising. While the power armor could withstand the heat, the mortal, who wore no protection, would soon die.
As the teleportation light flashed, Obelisk, holding Gela, was forced to leave the battlefield, abandoning the Primarch.
Deep inside the vault, there was still one person: Harlan knelt on one knee, his dark light plunged into the adamantium floor, anchoring his body against the storm.
He looked up. Outside the door, plasma torrents rained down, and Krafen life signs vanished in droves.
"Begin sweeping fire."
The warning tone sounded again. To Odysseus's surprise, the plasma beams began sweeping outwards.
Layers of the Hive City collapsed, buildings were melted by the plasma beams, cascading down to form lava waterfalls.
The Captain of the Adeptus Custodes secretly clicked his tongue. The continuous cutting of the lances provided many tactical ideas for the battlefield, serving as a means of precise strike.
*Thump! Thump!*
The plasma light swept the ground, turning the Krafen in its path to ash, yet from within the destruction came two steady heartbeats.
Odysseus felt his own heart, which had maintained a steady rhythm for centuries, being pulled by those heartbeats, causing an unstable tremor.
He turned to look around. His colleagues responded to his gaze with subtle gestures; they had all sensed the influence.
"Heh! Heh! Heh!"
Arrogant and unrestrained laughter echoed through heaven and earth, shattering the sky and splitting the divine might. A bloody shadow appeared within the plasma lances, spreading bat wings that covered the sky.
It held its right hand with fingers pressed together like a sword, blocking the lance beam in defiance of physical laws. With a flick of its finger, it deployed a shield covering several kilometers.
The battleship immediately ceased bombardment. The psychic reaction was extremely violent, capable of threatening the high-orbit fleet.
"I lack nothing now!" The Progenitor's appearance had drastically changed. Its dark carapace was now dark red, and its blood-colored bat wings stretched out, strongly resembling a Bloodthirster. The number "8" was branded on its chest, symbolizing the blessing of Khorne.
It clenched its claws, the joints cracking, feeling the infinite power. Its massive, tooth-filled maw roared: "I can use psychic power without restraint, possessing a powerful physique blessed by a God! The Real Universe is so lowly; tremble before my will!"
The Progenitor landed with a flap of its wings. Where its demonic hooves touched, war erupted. As its gaze swept past, material structures warped and disintegrated.
"The power of the Warp is illusory."
Just as it was gloating, a voice of defiance pierced the heatwave, daring to openly question its divine might: "The power of the Real Universe is the truth."
Its eyes penetrated the thermal storm, seeing the human powerhouse step out of cover and walk toward it, step by step.
"Oh?" It uttered a soft query, flames dancing in its eyes. "After witnessing divine might, you dare to approach me instead of fleeing with your tail between your legs?"
"I have witnessed more divine might than you can imagine." Blazkowicz placed his shield on his back and raised a hand to halt the Legion and the Emperor's Praetorians who were preparing to advance.
His eyes were devoid of emotion, his dead gaze fixed on the creature as if looking at a corpse: "A doll of Khorne, a miserable existence that has been toyed with."
Blazkowicz's gaze passed over the Progenitor, who was walking toward him, and fixed on the dark shadow reflected by the flickering firelight behind it. He whispered, "Why have you descended?"
The Progenitor tilted its head slightly, a hint of confusion surfacing on its hideous face: "I already told you, I came for the divine artifact."
It answered the question, but received not a word in return. The fury of being ignored immediately surged into its heart, and it was about to fight the man before it to the death.
However, just before lashing out, it suddenly realized—when had it become so easily provoked? It had lost its former rationality.
Even when faced with the object it had sought for a thousand years, it could maintain its composure, negotiate with humans, and use schemes to achieve its goals.
Why? Were its emotions slowly spiraling out of control?
It shook its head violently, attempting to dispel the surging bloodlust in its mind, yet that desire was like a maggot in the bone, rooting and spreading deep within its consciousness.
Only after getting closer did the Progenitor realize that the human was not looking at it, but at what was behind it.
As if possessed, it lowered its guard and followed the human's gaze behind itself, instantly freezing in place.
Flames flickered everywhere, which should have cast multiple shadows, but behind it, there was only one shadow, incredibly solid and substantial.
Darkness resided within it, and the enthroned Chaos God stretched its neck outward, extending its tongue to lick the edge of reality, as if savoring the sweetness of fresh blood and satisfying its endless thirst for slaughter.
"The ultimate outcome of worshipping the Gods is losing everything and being ruthlessly toyed with by Them."
While the Progenitor stood stunned, Blazkowicz's voice sounded again, heavy with weight: "Krafen's Psyker abilities are powerful, but her body is too small to warrant the attention of the Chaos Gods, and her understanding of the Gods is still rudimentary."
"You simply believe that the Gods are generous, that blessings can be obtained merely through worship, yet you have never truly understood Them."
"In the Real Universe, humans possess the greatest Psyker talent, even surpassing the Aeldari, who are renowned for their psychic abilities."
"The Chaos Gods' gaze is fixed on us, constantly plotting to place humanity on Their dining table, then feast heartily until nothing remains."
"Threats breed resistance, and the human race's understanding and knowledge of the Chaos Gods is far deeper than yours."
Blazkowicz spoke as he walked, pulling out his Super Shotgun, breaking it open with one hand, and loading it with golden shells blessed by the Emperor.
The facts he stated were undeniable: the Chaos Gods treated humanity as the "main course," constantly wanting to devour the human race to enhance Their wicked power.
The Super Shotgun reminded him of the Emperor.
Although that man was autocratic, violent, stubborn, and viewed all things as tools, engaging in transactions and calculations without hesitation.
His love for the human race, however, remained steadfast and unwavering.
He was the first to perceive the threat of Chaos, He established the non-material defense line, and He was the one who directly faced the threat of the Gods.
The Emperor always stood at the forefront, shielding humanity from the storm, carrying the ideal of saving the people He deeply loved.
The most direct evidence was that the Great Crusade was launched from Terra: the Astartes Legion eliminated mutants and restrained Psykers; the Seventeenth Legion overthrew churches and destroyed religions, cutting off potential Chaos contamination.
The Imperial Truth promoted by the Imperium of Man greatly weakened the erosion of Chaos, preventing the Gods from being as rampant as they once were.
In this era, the fact that humanity has not been served up on the Chaos Gods' dinner table is entirely due to the Emperor alone; if He had not shouldered this responsibility, the galaxy would have long become a paradise for Warp entities.
Therefore, Blazkowicz's attitude toward the Emperor was balanced; he saw the Emperor's greatness, but also knew the profound darkness beneath the glory.
The human race, under the glorious wings of the Emperor, remained distant from the storms of Chaos.
"Who exactly are you?" Before its consciousness was completely swallowed by bloodlust, the Progenitor struggled to speak, wanting to know the identity of the person before it.
"The Slayer." Blazkowicz's response was powerful and resounding. He began accelerating into a run, letting out a soul-shaking roar.
"Enemy of the Gods..."
This was the last sentence the Progenitor heard before its consciousness completely plunged into darkness, but it was unable to respond.
Its body was driven by darkness, stripped of all rationality. Its blood-red eyes held nothing but the desire for slaughter and destruction, having degenerated into a bloodthirsty beast.
"Kill him!" The Blood God roared from the shadows, a single command causing a monstrous sea of blood to surge in the Real Universe, pointing the direction for the bloodthirsty beast.
The fierce battle erupted instantly! Killing intent swept in all directions!
The monster, created by the Blood God in Its leisure, burst forth with incredible speed. Its wings swept away fire and smoke, and its cupped hands generated two flaming battle axes.
Blazkowicz's question went unanswered, and he spoke no further, charging directly toward the Progenitor's demonized body.
Buzz~~~
The whole world seemed to... No! This world was trembling!
Krafen's body ignited with blood-red flames. Driven by the Progenitor's consciousness, she sacrificed her soul, causing the Real Universe to become Warp-infused, amplifying and sustaining the demonic body within the Real Universe.
The Blood Daemon transformed into a blood-colored meteor, psychic energy venting wildly, allowing its speed to break through the limitations of physical laws.
The eight-meter-tall demonic body darted across the space, flashing before Blazkowicz. One axe slashed down, and the other swept horizontally.
Blazkowicz did not retreat but advanced, charging into the Blood Daemon's attack range. He reached up with his left hand and firmly caught the Daemon's forearm as it chopped down.
Thud!
This seemingly simple contact unleashed terrifying sonic waves and air currents, blowing away flames and blood mist, and cracking the earth.
A jarring moment of shock came from the Blood Daemon's pure combat will. It did not understand why its mountain-splitting strike had been caught so firmly.
With one hand restraining the downward slash, Blazkowicz did not hesitate. He raised his Super Shotgun, aimed at the Blood Daemon's armpit, and pulled the trigger.
Golden light exploded, the power of the Emperor spraying forth, shattering the Daemon's muscular right arm.
Scarlet Daemon blood spurted out, igniting demonic flames wherever it went, but these were quickly extinguished under Blazkowicz's suppression, turning into foul sludge.
"Roar!!"
The pain of the severed arm made the Daemon let out a painful shriek. The broken limb was flung away by immense force, falling helplessly, igniting in flames and self-immolating into nothingness.
That was not all!
With a thought, Blazkowicz deployed the retractable blade from his left arm gauntlet. The cold blade of the God of Death ruthlessly pierced the Blood Daemon's left arm, severing the tendons.
In just one exchange, the ferocious and terrifying creation of the Blood God lost the advantage of its two hands, becoming a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"Unmatched might!"
Seeing the power of the Father of Genes, the Doom Slayer's hearts surged, and they couldn't help but roar in encouragement.
They slammed their rifle butts against the ground, the metal striking the flagstones, creating an exciting, drum-like rhythm to cheer on the Primarch.
"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"
The retreating and falling Blood Daemon let out a deep, heavy laugh. Its ugly maw flapped, spitting saliva carrying foul blood-poison, showing no sign of decline.
"Blazkowicz..."
It let out a low growl, the dark shadow merging into its body. Khorne was calling Blazkowicz's name.
But this time, the response to Him was a cold blade.
Blazkowicz lost interest in investigating. Why the Blood God had descended was irrelevant; driving Him away was the righteous path.
His movements were fluid and swift, leaving afterimages in the air. With a flick of his right hand, he broke open the breech, ejected the spent shell, and reloaded in an instant.
Golden light shone again, severing the Blood Daemon's left leg at the root. Wicked marrow flowed from the thighbone, and the massive body tumbled to the left.
"Give the ring of chaos to Me..." The Blood God's will briefly possessed the body, revealing His true purpose for this trip: "It is a great trouble."
"Absolutely not!"
The refusal was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. Blazkowicz's actions did not stop; he spun around and arrived behind the Blood Daemon.
He tossed the Super Shotgun into the air, extended the retractable blade to show its sharp edge, and his arms moved so fast they blurred into afterimages.
The Blood Daemon felt the blade pierce its body, the cold extinguishing its fury. The blade stabbed through its heart and severed its spine, causing its upper body to completely lose support.
"I don't know what it is," Blazkowicz gripped the Blood Daemon's wing roots with both arms, his combat boots crushing its spine. His eyes narrowed, and he lowered his voice, roaring: "But I will never give it to you!"
He exerted force, tearing the Daemon out from its back and flinging it away like trash.
By the time the observing Primarch's Guard reacted, the Father of Genes had already knocked the Daemon to the ground, his foot on the Daemon's back, and caught the Super Shotgun in his hand.
"Mighty!"
No other words could describe it. The warriors shouted in unison, their voices hoarse, cheering for the might of the Warrior King.
Blazkowicz stepped on the Blood Daemon's back, placing the Super Shotgun against the back of its head: "Chaos Chaos God, return to your domain. The Real Universe does not belong to you."
"Wait a moment!" Just before he pulled the trigger, the Blood God's will cried out loudly.
Bang—
The gunshot rang out. Blazkowicz did not hesitate because of the Blood God's words, resolutely pulling the trigger and blasting His head to smithereens.
"Do you want to beg for mercy?" His words were full of mockery, seemingly deriding the Blood God's cowardice: "I do not accept your surrender."
Blazkowicz knew the Blood God would not beg for mercy; He simply had something to say.
He didn't want to hear any explanation from the Blood God, interrupting His words with an ending, and then offering cowardly parting remarks, forcing the God to return to His domain seething with frustration.
The Blood Daemon's corpse slowly fell, dissipating into flying ash and sparks, its foul body completely vanishing.
With the disappearance of the physical vessel, a furious blood-red light shot up into the sky, tearing through the veil of space with rage and returning to the Warp.
__________
Changed Clara to Krafen for a more Xeno name across all chapters