Chapter 63 - Old habits die hard

"Chapter Master, calm down!"

The First Company Captain, trying his best to dissuade him, cried out in anguish. For the thousand-year foundation of the Ultramarines, he would do anything to stop Calgar, who insisted on "facing them head-on."

"Calm down, my ass! Does a scumbag like Honsou even deserve for me to avoid his edge?!" Calgar roared, his eyes bloodshot.

The Ultramarines successor chapters and Space Wolves who had come to help, though they also wanted to persuade, were ultimately outsiders. Interfering in the internal affairs of Ultramar and the Ultramarines was taboo, and they did not intend to speak unless absolutely necessary.

"Why don't you say something?!"

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Calgar, Severus could only turn to his other brothers for help, but these Ultramarines had been holding back for a long time. One by one, they looked at the ceiling or the ground, but none looked at Severus, which almost made the First Company Captain vomit blood.

Seeing that the hotheads in the chapter couldn't be relied upon, the First Company Captain remembered Ventris, who was the most intellectual in the entire chapter, and urgently shouted, "Ventris, where did you hide? Quickly help me persuade the Chapter Master!"

But someone said, "He has other matters; he didn't return with us."

The First Company Captain sighed inwardly, "It's over. The survival of the Ultramarines now rests entirely on him. If the 500 Worlds of Ultramar are destroyed, how will he face the Primarch?!"

"Calgar, I challenge you to a duel!"

In utter desperation, facing Calgar, who was completely consumed by rage, Severus could only hope his blood would bring Calgar to his senses.

"Get out of the way, when did we have such a tradition?"

Calgar waved his hand impatiently. He had already made up his mind. Rather than being restricted and suffering this indignity, it was better to fight freely and quickly. If the 500 Worlds of Ultramar were severely damaged, what was the point of him risking bringing back the "Gamma Mixed Fleet"?

At worst, after the battle, he would use orbital bombardment to plow the battlefield again, ensuring no clues were left behind.

"Calgar, you coward!" The First Company Captain resorted to provocation.

Honestly, Calgar really wanted to punch Severus right now. With so many outsiders present, making such a scene would be a huge embarrassment for the Primarch.

But he was terrifyingly strong now, and his debut couldn't be used on his own brother.

He snorted at the First Company Captain through his nostrils, then ignored him. Calgar turned to the successor chapters and Space Wolves and said, "Gentlemen, thank you for your assistance in this time of crisis. The Ultramarines will not forget your help."

"Chapter Master Calgar, you are too kind."

"We are brothers of the same Primarch; there's no need for thanks."

"It is as it should be."

"Hmm, the situation is urgent, so I won't waste any more words. I ask for your cooperation in the upcoming battle."

After Calgar finished speaking, he pointed out the specific strategic deployment on the star map according to his thoughts. Then, everyone else realized there was a problem with this deployment—a big problem!

They were all assigned to flank battlefields, and their opponents were mostly scattered pirates, while the Ultramarines, with the strength of a single chapter, without the cooperation of other fleets or the help of the Astra Militarum, were to directly confront Honsou's main force head-on.

It's not easy to update, remember to share 101kanshu.com.

Anyone with even a little military knowledge would not come up with such an absurd battle plan.

This inevitably made them wonder. Although the fleet Calgar brought back was not small, it was not enough to contend with such a massive Chaos fleet. Even the most brilliant command could not compensate for the absolute numerical disadvantage, and even guerrilla warfare wouldn't work.

Moreover, without the assistance of a massive Astra Militarum, how could ground battles be won?

They couldn't possibly expect the Ultramarines to chew through fortresses and strongholds one by one, could they?

They would have to be able to chew through them!

Something is strange! There's something wrong with the ships Calgar brought back—a big problem!

He clearly intends to send us away, not wanting us to discover the Ultramarines' little secret!

The sons of Guilliman and the sons of Russ who came to help could figure this out, and so could Severus. He first looked at the group who had been "out and about" for many years, and after seeing someone nod to him, he understood that Calgar wasn't insane, but that the reinforcements he had brought were so strong they didn't even put Honsou in their eyes!

Because Calgar was in direct contact with Guilliman at Gamma, and the news of the little Tech-priest was now a top Imperial secret, the First Company Captain only knew that Calgar had gone to help a "big shot," but how big, and what he was helping with, he truly didn't know.

However, Severus now understood a little: this "big shot" was indeed very big!

"Ahem! I approve of this plan." The First Company Captain was the first to stand up and express support for his Chapter Master.

Shameless! You didn't say that just now! The Astartes of the successor chapters and Space Wolves truly wanted to spit a mouthful of steel-corroding saliva on Severus's face.

"We are brothers of the same Primarch, blood relatives!"

"Rushing thousands of miles, day and night!"

"Half on sight!" The sons of Russ never beat around the bush.

Calgar: "…—."

The Ultramarines Chapter Master had a bit of a headache. He felt that he had indeed been a bit impulsive just now, overdoing it. The shameless wolf cubs even shouted out "half on sight," not afraid of bursting themselves.

"Severus, with a major war imminent, the brothers who rushed to support us must be insufficiently prepared in terms of supplies and equipment. See how many Terminator suits the Chapter still has, and send them all to our brothers."

Once a habit of extravagance is formed, it's not so easy to change. Calgar is the best example. Having witnessed Gamma churning out warships like dumplings and power armor being made like laser guns, the unintentional display of his generosity, even when trying to restrain himself, still deeply shocked everyone present.

Some chapters fought tooth and nail over a single Terminator suit, while others gave them away like souvenirs. The disparity in the world was vividly demonstrated at this moment.

"Ah!? All of them?" The First Company Captain asked with some uncertainty.

"Yes," Calgar nodded.

Looking at Severus, who walked with a slight sway, and then at Calgar and the unnaturally calm Ultramarines behind him, everyone else knew that the Ultramarines had struck "big wealth," and Terminator suits were no longer considered good things in their eyes.

But their horizons still limited their imagination. They let their minds wander, only guessing that Calgar had acquired a large batch of the mecha and Howling Sky castellan robots, which had been widely rumored in recent years, from Thedan.

"Chapter Master Calgar, a word in private!"

The Young Wolf Lord's smile was somewhat fawning. The sons of Russ gave others the impression of being "rough and barbaric," but only those who truly understood them knew that these wolf cubs were second to none among the Astartes in their ability to size people up.

Ever since Ragnar saw Howling Sky, he had been obsessed with that treasure. The Wolf Chapter needed Howling Sky like fish needed water. Was there any Astartes more suited to Howling Sky than them?

There was not!

But Archmagos Will of Thedan had already announced that orders for Howling Sky and Xingtian were booked for the next 500 years. Due to "scarce" materials and "complex" production processes, and to ensure supply, they had currently stopped taking orders, asking people to come back in 500 years.

If you ask who placed such a large order for 500 years of production at once?

Archmagos Will would tell you it's a trade secret, no comment!

But anyone with eyes could see what was going on. The Regent had firmly controlled the source of Xingtian and Howling Sky. If you wanted them, you had to obey. The Regent told you where to fight, and you fought there; told you who to fight, and you fought them. This requirement was a bit much for the naturally unrestrained Space Wolves.

But just because they couldn't buy them didn't mean Calgar couldn't. The Ultramarines were not like these "fatherless" poor children; their relationship with Thedan was also unusual. Buying new warships and having the Tech-priests of Thedan "throw in" some extras was completely reasonable!

Even if this matter was put on the table, the Ultramarines could say it was an old order. They were among the first chapters to use Xingtian and Howling Sky; they knew about them even earlier than the Regent.

Calgar didn't know what the "lewdly" smiling wolf cub in front of him was thinking, but he could guess it wasn't anything good. He straightened his face and said with a grim expression:

"Contentment is happiness. Be too greedy and you might burst your stomach!"

The Young Wolf Lord smiled sheepishly. The situation had changed. Not knowing the strength of the Ultramarines, they were benefactors who had risked their lives to support them. Knowing their strength, they became "poor relatives" who had come to take advantage.

Get the Terminator suits first, then make plans! The sons of Russ, temporarily retreating but never giving up, made up their minds.

After "sharing the soup," it was time to get down to business. After the Ultramarines successor chapters and Space Wolves left Macragge first, the Ultramarines "stationed" at home piloted their battle barges to rendezvous with the "Gamma Mixed Fleet" that had been docked on the outskirts of the system.

It wasn't until they stepped onto the sci-fi warships, which bore no Imperial or Adeptus Mechanicus symbols on their exteriors, that Severus and the others realized where the Chapter Master's confidence came from and how big a deal he had made.

For a moment, the Ultramarines, unaware of the truth, began to suspect whether Calgar had betrayed the Imperium.

After shaking off that thought, they began to wonder if the Primarch had finally grown tired of the Imperium's terrible state and intended to stage a "destruction before rebirth"?

Fortunately, Calgar explained to them what he had been doing all these years. It turned out it wasn't Calgar nor the Primarch, but their excellent son of Macragge, Magos Gamma, who, unable to bear the suffering of the people in the dark side of the Imperium, "risked" entering the dark side, defeated the Aeldari, and resolutely launched a "Great Crusade 1.5" to save the people of the dark side from their plight.

To this, Severus and the others responded, "Indeed, only we, the loyal and talented people of Macragge, can save the Imperium!"

On another note, while Calgar was taking action, Honsou, the initiator of this war, was also not idle. His purpose in invading the 500 Worlds of Ultramar this time was the same as last time: destroy Ultramar, kill Ventris!

As a discriminated-against "half-breed," Honsou's personality could be described as vindictive, much like the saying, "If one learns the Dao in the morning, one can die in the evening."

Having stumbled twice at the hands of the Ultramarines and Ventris, Honsou had absolute confidence this time in achieving his goal. He was no longer the "half-breed" who was despised by everyone and could only rely on himself.

After being severely beaten by the ghost of Ventanus (Ventris's ancestor) and narrowly escaping with his life, Honsou hid alone on Calth for more than half a year, finally escaping by sneaking onto a corpse ship.

Having lost everything, he didn't become dejected. At first, he thought of going to find his good brother Huron again. Last time, when Ventris blew up his base, it was with the help of Brother Huron and his own strong fists that he solved the problem of troop losses in his warband due to continuous combat.

But last time was last time. Honsou was also a prominent figure in the underworld. Brother Huron's "First Martial Arts Tournament"—the Skull Feast Championship (where various parties sent representatives to duel, and the winner would absorb the loser's warband!)—was for the purpose of "making friends with heroes from all directions and befriending all the mighty across the land."

If he dared to treat that as a Chive Field , Brother Huron would twist off his head and kick it like a ball. Honsou would never do such an unrighteous thing.

Coupled with being defeated twice by Ventris, a guy who was inferior to him in every way, Honsou realized that this universe was a universe of "daddy issues." If Ventris's ancestor hadn't risen from his coffin, he would have killed Ventris long ago.

So Honsou took out his hidden treasures, greased palms, and pulled strings everywhere to meet his never-before-seen father (one of them).

The fundamental reason why the Iron Warriors were not favored by their old father was that they failed to grasp the nature of a twisted boss like Perturabo—he was just twisted.

Perturabo was the type of person who, the more filial and pleasing you were to him, the more he would think you were useless. Yet, while he secretly admired rebelliousness, he was also the harshest in his punishment, which resulted in very few of his 'children' whom he considered promising surviving—it seemed only Dantioch did.

Honsou meeting the twisted boss was at a good time. Perhaps because he had already dedicated himself to Chaos and was no longer affected by the Eye of Terror's illusions in his mind, the twisted boss's temper had improved significantly compared to before.

He didn't punch this 'bastard' to death upon their first meeting. In fact, after Honsou dared to not kneel and spoke disrespectfully, Perturabo even showed interest and invited Honsou to play chess with him.

Perturabo: "Heh, you've successfully caught my attention!"

Then he won five consecutive games against Honsou, completely breaking Honsou's composure. In the sixth game, Perturabo declared: "Kid, if you lose again, I'm going to flatten you!"

At the same time, he began to patiently guide Honsou, like a true old father, to break free from his rigid thinking: "Don't fight like an Iron Warrior."

"Honsou, I want you to fight like yourself, to fight like Honsou..."

Honsou, having won, was already prepared for death. He truly couldn't handle such a madman. But to his surprise, his 'old father' not only didn't punch his head off but also smiled with satisfaction, stating:

"A teachable child indeed. This great banner of the Iron Warriors shall be carried by you in the future."

This instantly elevated Honsou from a down-and-out 'bastard' to the 'Crown Prince' of the Iron Warriors, his status rivaling Calgar's.

In his interactions with Honsou, Perturabo also discovered that this child resembled him more than Dorn. For example, Honsou's creativity in technology; the 'Daemonculaba' was a masterpiece even in the eyes of daemons.

Another example was how, every waking moment, whether eating, drinking, relieving himself, or breathing, he was constantly pondering where Dorn was superior to him.

Honsou, on the other hand, had pictures and the name of Ventris taped to his bedside. The first thing he did upon waking each day was to replay the things his enemy had done to him, over and over again.

All of this showed that the blood of the Iron Warriors within Honsou had triumphed over the blood of the Imperial Fists, serving as the most direct and powerful proof that Perturabo was superior to Dorn!

So, when Honsou discovered that many Chaos warbands had recently suffered significant losses at the hands of the Imperium and had accumulated considerable resentment, he wanted to use this animosity to strike a harsh blow against the Ultramarines. The twisted boss chose to back Honsou, as no one understood better than him the pain of having no outlet for revenge when the object of hatred disappears.

Honsou was a good child, and Perturabo wouldn't be stingy with an occasional reward for good children. Besides, he also disliked Guilliman.

The purpose of this war was destruction and revenge, so Honsou's battle plan was incredibly simple and brutal. Apart from a small number of pirates dispatched to the periphery for vigilance, the destination of this massive Chaos fleet was Macragge.

Honsou was telling the Ultramarines through his actions: "Face me! Otherwise, I will destroy your homeworld!"

"Will they flee with their tails between their legs, or will they jump out like mantises trying to stop a chariot, bringing about their own destruction?"

"How exciting! Hahahaha!" Honsou on his throne let out a hearty laugh. The heretics and xenos he had invited to join this great endeavor also burst into rampant laughter.

"Lord Honsou's timing is perfect. The Imperial forces that could provide timely support are currently busy fighting the Orks, and other distant aid cannot quench immediate thirst. Whether the Ultramarines fight or flee, it will be a victory for us."

"Fight? Hahaha, with what will they block our assault?"

"You're right. But if they're willing to be brave, we can grant them that. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, yes! I've always wanted to collect a few Ultramarines' heads to play with. I hope I can achieve my wish this time, hahahaha."

Looking at the warband leaders who regarded the Ultramarines as mere chickens and dogs, Honsou nodded with satisfaction, then heavily struck his throne with his gauntlet, signaling for silence.

Once those who heard the sound quieted down, Honsou said, "The Ultramarines will surely rely on Macragge's defensive fortifications to delay us,"

"to buy time to gather strength for a counterattack."

"And we must force them out to a decisive battle before Imperial reinforcements arrive, otherwise the war will turn unfavorable for us."

"Therefore, we must use all our strength from the very beginning, creating the illusion that Macragge could be breached at any moment. Only in this way can we make the Ultramariness proactively come out to defend their homeworld."

...

Why were the heretics who were so boisterous just now silent?

The reason was simple: they were there to cling to a powerful ally, to take advantage, and to take revenge on the Imperium. Even the most brainless Khorne warbands didn't want to ram their heads against the Ultramarines' defensive fortress, which had been built and maintained for over ten thousand years. Severe casualties would mean a significant loss of warband strength, and among Chaos forces, the weak were only fit to be 'food' for the strong.

Seeing the silent crowd, who dared not meet his gaze, Honsou scoffed inwardly. At the same time, he felt a surge of emotion, recalling how he too was once so cautious and anxious, fearing that a single mistake would completely ruin years of accumulation.

Originally, he could have become a figure like Huron and Abaddon purely by virtue of the 'Daemonculaba,' but everything was ruined by Ventris.

This was also why Honsou hated the other party so much.

Ventris owed Chaos a giant who could have dominated a region.

Fortunately, what was his was his; no one could take away his rightful place. Destiny still elevated him to his position. Sacrificing the souls on Macragge, seizing the gene-seeds accumulated by the Ultramarines over countless years—Abaddon and Huron were all meaningless in his eyes.

As for Perturabo?

Honsou's evil was pragmatic. He wasn't evil for faith like Erebus, nor for personal gratification like Lucius. Everything he did was purely out of practicality. Precisely because of this, Honsou had never placed hope in that madman.

Ten thousand years of wandering had long made him abandon any fantasies about a gene-father.

Even Perturabo giving him the authority to command the Iron Warriors was the same. What he could give today, he could take back tomorrow. Pleasing him was merely to utilize the other's power. Moreover, those Iron Warriors had never recognized or accepted him.

Obeying his orders was merely because of a single word from Perturabo. Such unquestioning obedience was utterly ridiculous in Honsou's eyes!

"The Ultramarines are very confident in their fortress."

Honsou said, looking at the silent Warpsmiths, but no one responded. Honsou smiled indifferently, knowing that these guys must be cursing him as a 'bastard' right now.

"But rest assured, I will also destroy their self-proclaimed—"

"Beep, beep, beep—"

A piercing alarm interrupted Honsou, causing an annoyed expression to appear on the Warpsmiths' faces: "Damn it, at this very moment!"

"Just a little more and I could have made them fight for me!"

"What's happening?!" Honsou roared.

"Report! Unidentified vessels detected approaching us!"

Calgar, standing on the command deck, savoring the taste of his homeworld, leisurely put down his oversized teacup. To the First Captain's astonished expression, he picked up a book from nearby and began to read it carefully.

"Gulp!" Severus swallowed. They were currently engaged in battle with a Chaos fleet—

As if his pleasure had been disturbed, Calgar raised his head displeasedly and said to his First Captain, "It's just a bit of wind and frost, old friend. Stay calm."

"Damn it, he's showing off," the Ultramarines First Captain, Regent of Ultramar, cursed inwardly.

As the first in line of succession for the Chapter, Severus's path to power was incredibly dim, with the tough-as-nails Calgar ahead, the invincible Sicarius behind, then the ancestor-blessed Ventris, and a host of incredibly accomplished strongmen in the Chapter, plus the Primarch waking up, making him feel rather insignificant within the Ultramarines Chapter.

Severus had accepted his 'ordinary' life, and he had accepted his 'mediocrity.' He had a clear understanding of his own role: when Calgar eventually got himself killed or interred in a Dreadnought, he would step forward to stabilize the situation and then hand over the Chapter Master position to a more suitable person.

Yet, even though Severus had accepted his fate, seeing Calgar 'showing off' still ignited an inexplicable anger within him. As for why, he himself couldn't say. "What's the situation now?" Calgar asked, sipping his tea. He wanted to remember this feeling, for soon it would completely leave him.

"The Iron Men legion has disabled 30% of enemy warships," the cold electronic voice stated without a hint of emotion, as if it were an ordinary task.

"What are our losses?"

"Four unmanned battleships destroyed, thirteen unmanned cruisers partially damaged. Repairs are currently underway at full capacity."

"Any unusual enemy movements?"

"Enemy fleet's capital ships observed converging and forming a cross-defense formation."

"Are no enemies fleeing?"

"Nearly one-tenth of the enemy fleet's vessels are attempting to disengage from the battle. Based on ship data comparison, these are presumed to be smaller warbands. Targeted annihilation is currently underway against these vessels."

"Prioritize the encirclement and destruction of fleeing enemy ships. Constantly monitor the movements of the enemy's main force, stay on them, and don't give them a chance to escape."

"Yes, Commander Calgar."

After issuing the commands, Calgar stood up, patted his old comrade, and said, "Come on, old friend, let's go change out of these ancient pieces of equipment. It's been too long since I wore power armor of this caliber; it's quite uncomfortable."

"Once we've changed, we'll board together and find some fun."

...Severus: "Damn it."

Honsou, whose backbone wasn't as rigid as Calgar's, still hadn't figured out who was hitting him. He'd never seen such warships, incredibly precise command, unprecedented weapons—no, not unprecedented, but rather, these weapons shouldn't appear on a single ship.

As a Warpsmith, Honsou saw the shadows of humans, Eldar, Necronss, and some other things he couldn't quite identify in these weapons.

He even suspected that Perturabo, that pervert, was having a fit and giving him some 'tough love.' For no other reason, the command style was too similar: simultaneously receiving and processing all battlefield information, bypassing the command chain to issue orders directly to each squad, taking over the fire control systems of mechanized units for coordinated firing, and even directly controlling the operation of entire warships. Such a monstrous mental capacity, Honsou had only ever seen in Perturabo in all his life.

Especially the robots that boarded ships and caused widespread destruction, they couldn't help but remind Honsou of the Iron Halo robots created by Perturabo.

Combining this with Honsou's understanding of Perturabo's personality from their interactions, he felt that Perturabo was entirely capable of personally stepping in to raise the difficulty if he thought an opponent was too weak. After beating him, he would even walk up to him and say:

"You're so weak, you need to practice more. I'm beating you for your own good. Remember, your dad is always your dad. Here, take the new toys Daddy prepared for you and go take care of the Ultramarines. Remember, only victory is allowed, no defeat, otherwise the consequences will be severe. Steel within, Steel without, Steel Father!"

However, these were all Honsou's unfounded conjectures. Regardless of who was on the other side, if he didn't struggle, he would definitely die a miserable death.

Even if it was Perturabo, if he performed too poorly, Honsou would lose his attention. At that point, without anyone else's help, the various Iron Warriors warbands would surely kick him while he was down, completely crushing this 'bastard.'

If it wasn't Perturabo, then the opponent had even less reason to spare him. If he escaped by chance, Perturabo would then mercilessly kill him, the instigator who had brought failure and significant losses to the Iron Warriors.

Honsou, who had nothing to his name, now that he had ascended to the 'Crown Prince's' throne of the Iron Warriors, could only have success in his future life, unless he completed his plan and accumulated enough capital to stand against Perturabo.

After a calm analysis, Honsou determined that he absolutely could not face an enemy that could achieve a 5:1 exchange rate even when their entire fleet was engaged. At the same time, he also found a glimmer of hope: the unknown enemy was too greedy, overly pursuing maximum effect, and instead of directly destroying disabled ships, they left them alone.

This gave Honsou an opportunity. He could use these 'floating islands' in space to tie down the enemy. The people on the disabled ships, fighting for their lives, would unleash considerable power in their last stand, which should buy him a lot of time.

At the same time, he also noticed that the enemy was trying to swallow their entire fleet, and anyone attempting to escape would be targeted. This also gave him an opportunity.

Honsou, realizing the futility of the situation, immediately made a decisive move, ordering a scattered breakout. The disorganized rabble, who had long harbored intentions of retreating, now had no further concerns. After leaving a message of "The mountains are high and the roads are long; we shall meet again someday," they all began to flee.

Honsou, meanwhile, led his trusted followers and the Iron Warriors at maximum speed towards the target he had pre-selected.

After receiving the report from the Conquest avatar, Calgar, based on Honsou's retreat direction and the enemy's reactions, guessed the opponent's intentions. He decided to turn the tables, ordering Conquest to specifically target the warbands attempting to escape.

With no retreat, Honsou, unable to win the naval battle, decided to make a stand in ground combat. Coincidentally, there was a Hive World nearby, and he planned to capture it by surprise.

A massive population, whether used for sacrifice or to make enemies hesitate, was a valuable tool. Although he still hadn't figured out who the enemy was—if not Perturabo, then it was likely related to the Ultramarines. No matter who it was, a direct Exterminatus order was unlikely.

Coupled with the Hive World's inherent large void shields, Honsou was confident he could drag his opponents into a ground battle.

He hadn't completely ruled out the Ultramarines for two reasons: first, no one would attack him without cause, and second, ever since Guilliman's return, the Imperium—

—had been producing good things like crops, one after another, as if on some kind of stimulant.

Especially in the last thirty to forty years, various relic-grade weapons that restored production, nano-medics, bio-kinetic swords, Mechanical Hounds, bestial castellan robots, new types of mechs, and various more powerful and lighter human personal equipment, etc., had been utterly disgusting to those who lived in Chaos.

Previously, Chaos Astartes could slaughter human soldiers with a bloodthirsty grin. Now, before they grinned, they had to first check the weapons in the hands of the human on the other side and look for any bomb-laden robot dogs lying in nearby craters, lest they capsize in a ditch.

Before, Chaos Astartes, empowered by Chaos blessings, viewed Imperial Astartes as "mere chickens and dogs" (at least, that's how they felt). But now it was different; many prominent figures had been unchivalrously crushed by Imperial mechs.

The sacred art of close combat had become increasingly strange in recent years. Even more and more 'disciples' of the Dreadmaster had begun to use their brains, after all, the last living person to single-handedly take on a light Titan-class unit was a Primarch. So Honsou couldn't completely rule out the possibility that the enemy was the Ultramarines, but considering the Imperium's various prohibitions, Perturabo was still more likely.

When Calgar discovered that Honsou's main force this time consisted of Iron Warriors, he knew who was behind Honsou. Besides that shameful traitor, no one had such prestige to rally so many degenerates.

There's an old saying: the one who understands you best is often your enemy.

Information about Perturabo had been carefully preserved in the Chapter library of the Ultramarines since the Great Crusade. Calgar, as Chapter Master, understood that great enemy of the Imperium better than many Iron Warriors.

Because of this, he knew very well that Honsou had no retreat. Facing a master who could use 'Decimation' on his own sons, failure meant death.

Therefore, Calgar let go of Honsou's main force, focusing all his efforts on pursuing and eliminating the other scattered Chaos warbands. Honsou would not and could not escape; these warbands truly would. War, both in the past and present, has always found that killing the enemy's living forces is the best way to weaken them.

He believed that after this battle, the frequency of Chaos warband attacks within the Imperium would significantly decrease.

Iron Man 0-13213 felt quite unlucky because he had become separated from the main fleet and was now lurking alone on an Iron Warriors warship.

His original mission was to board another warship with his other good brothers to destroy the power and energy systems, and then he could "move freely" and smash and fight to his heart's content.

But the boarding torpedo carrying him was hit. The intense impact tore a hole in the torpedo's outer shell, and unluckily, his retaining clip was damaged in the collision. The centrifugal force generated by the torpedo's tumbling threw him out. By the time he used his ion thrusters to stop himself, the torpedo and his brothers were long gone.

Watching the 'fireworks' exploding in the distant starry sky all alone made him quite anxious, but the distance was so great that by the time he flew over, the battlefield would have already been cleared.

Apart from uttering a binary expletive, 0-13213 could only float in space, sending out distress signals and waiting for Conquest to send someone to pick him up.

Just as he thought he would miss this chance to fight, Magos Gamma seemed to hear his wish. An enemy warship happened to pass by him. Facing the Magos's grace, 0-13213 didn't hesitate for a moment, using his gravity grapple to pull himself over.

What mattered was having a fight; where he fought didn't matter!

But just as he was rejoicing that he could single-handedly take on an entire ship's worth of enemies, misfortune struck. This enemy ship shamelessly fled, taking him out of communication signal range.

'How unlucky,' the Iron Man muttered in his thought processor, hiding in a gap between some pipes.

Being out of communication range meant he couldn't transmit his data back. If this body was destroyed, he would truly die. The Iron Man wasn't afraid of death, or rather, he didn't know what fear was. It was just that if he died, there would be no more fighting, and 0-13213 felt it was better to be alive. Therefore, he hid after realizing this situation.

What should I do?

The Iron Man fell into thought, but this was clearly not his forte. His processor overheated, and he couldn't come up with any good ideas. So he gave up thinking and chose to live spontaneously—if he got bored, he would go out and pick a fight, then hide again before the enemy's main force arrived.

After several 'good times' of being sought out, the Iron Man gradually summarized his 'hide-and-seek' experience, and his movements became increasingly erratic and unpredictable.

He was indeed not good at complex thinking, but his talent in "how to fight" was quite "excellent."

"Useless! That damned robot has already cost us over a hundred men and thousands of serfs, and you still haven't found it!"

The Warpsmith's voice, like clashing steel, made no one on the command deck dare to meet his gaze. He was a ruthless, self-centered, paranoid warlord who 'forged' the battlefield to his will.

But now, on his warship, on his battlefield, a 'impurity' had appeared—an 'impurity' that occasionally popped out and punched him. How could he not be furious?

"Find it and melt it into slag before we reach our destination, or the first thing I do after disembarking will be 'Decimation'!"

Hearing this, the fallen Astartes and Chaos cultists bowed their heads, chillingly, and quickly left the bridge. After everyone had departed, the Chaos Lord punched and shattered a corner of his throne, looking at a spot in the void and cursing:

"Damn bastard!"

The sudden blow from an unknown enemy had already made highly independent Chaos warlords like him consider retreating, but that bastard threatened that if they dared to flee, he would report the matter "in full detail" to the Primarch. Whoever retreated first would be the culprit for the failure of this war, which made these Warpsmiths hesitate and forced them to continue Honsou's madness.

No Iron Warrior was willing to face the wrath of the Primarch; Perturabo never tolerated failure!

While the traitors and cultist leaders who had left the command deck were racking their brains to find the Iron Man, 0-13213 was wandering through the labyrinthine 'corridors' inside the spaceship, carrying a groggy, ugly 'little monster.' This was one of his summarized stealth tricks: if someone approached, he would electrocute the little monster awake and throw it out to attract the enemy's attention (the Iron Man found watching the little monster and enemies fight back and forth quite entertaining).

Another dead end.

The 'corridors' were not actual passages, but rather the gaps between countless pipes and compartments within the colossal space warship. 0-13213 had accidentally discovered this excellent spot on the ship where oxygen was thin, poisonous gases permeated, and various radioactive radiations and 'interesting' small animals thrived. Enemies looking for him would almost never approach here, and even if they entered to search, they would quickly retreat.

As the Iron Man raised his arm to leave a mark on a nearby pipe, his movement suddenly stopped. The palm of his hand, pressed against the pipe, suddenly split open, revealing a flexible metal tentacle covered in sensors.

This was the secret code of the Ultramarines.

The vibrations from the pipe made the Iron Man very happy. As long as he found the Ultramarines who sent the secret code and let him be responsible for figuring things out, while he himself was responsible for fighting, 0-13213 felt that he could then return to the Iron Men Legion and continue to serve Magos Gamma.

'Where are you?' the Iron Man tapped out the secret code on the pipe.

At the same time, the captured Ultramarines scout, pressed against the cell's sewage outlet, suddenly stiffened, his eyes revealing disbelief and incredulity. The recruit didn't know whether to respond or not.

"Don't stop, I'm following the direction of the vibrations to find you."

Jonathan quickly tapped out a response: 'Stop, I've been captured, there are heretics guarding here!'

'Keep tapping, I'm almost at your location.'

"Stop, my brother, don't risk yourself for me!" Jonathan anxiously tapped out the signal, but this time, after a long while, no one responded.

Jonathan, who was that just now?' The secret code came from the pipe again.

'I don't know, but he understands our secret code, so he should be from our Chapter.' Jonathan responded to his comrade. 'Did one of our men board during the recent battle?'

"Should be."

'This is bad, he shouldn't be so impulsive. Even if he saves us, we'll only drag him down.'

The scout agreed with his comrade's point of view. Not to mention that this was a prison heavily guarded by traitors, scouts like them, who had not yet completed the final surgery and could not wear power armor, would only become a burden to veteran Astartes if rescued, especially on an enemy warship.

"The seniors are all battle-hardened warriors; they will make the correct judgment before acting. We don't need to worry too much," Jonathan comforted.

"Hmm, I believe Chapter Master and the others will avenge our fallen comrades and us."

But the situation was very different from what the Ultramarines candidates had imagined. That unseen senior was much fiercer, bolder, and more direct than they had thought!

From the sounds of explosions and gunfire coming from outside, the scouts in the prison cells could tell that this senior's method of rescue was to kill his way in from the front. And from the panicked shouts of the Chaos cultists, they also heard that the "enemy" was only one person, and that they couldn't stop him. What 0-13213 had been doing these days had almost become a terrifying legend on this Chaos warship. He thought he was "lurking and hiding," which didn't mean that the people he was "hiding" from thought the same.

Imagine this: you're a Chaos cultist, planning to go to the lower deck to pick out a few decent slave-workers to torment, and then sacrifice them to the great gods. But on the way, you encounter a metal monster, six or seven meters tall, emerging from the shadows. This monster raises a hand and melts half a corridor. The Chaos Astartes, who usually lord over you and treat you like dirt, are punched by this monster into a "true compressed can." What would you think?

What would the people who came later to clean up the "murder scene," examine your residual ashes, and shovel the Astartes compressed cans off the walls think?

Who knows how thrilling it is to suddenly see a hideous mutated monster flying towards you, clawing and snarling?

While you're entangled with a monster that appeared out of nowhere, your peripheral vision suddenly catches sight of the "killing machine" in the shadows not far away.

Who understands how utterly shattered your mindset would be?

You have to know that since this metal monster appeared, no living person has ever seen it.

If anyone could understand the feelings of the fallen Astartes and cultists upon seeing the "Slaughter Machine," it was probably the Ultramarines scouts trailing behind the Iron Men.

Jonathan would never forget the scene when the robot kicked open his cell and said, "I'm here to save you," and neither would the others.

"Uh… who are you?" the scout asked, voicing his confusion.

The Iron Men, who had been bending down to pick up a discarded "prop," straightened up and replied, "0-13213."

Seeing the mutated beast in the Iron Men's hand, the scouts involuntarily took a step back. There was no helping it; the creature's saliva dripped onto the deck, bubbling, and one bite from it would surely cripple or kill a person.

"You—why did you save us?" another scout, Benjamin, asked.

"Because you are Ultramarines," the Iron Men said, giving the little monster, which was trying to wake up, a tap on the back of its head to keep it "sleeping."

The scouts exchanged glances, feeling much more at ease. Although the robot before them seemed to be an abhorrent intelligence, it at least showed no malice towards them.

"What do we do next?" Benjamin continued to ask.

The Iron Men lowered its head, looking at the prospective Ultramariness with its glowing blue electronic eyes, and said in a matter-of-fact and flat electronic voice:

"That is for you to consider. You are responsible for thinking, and I am responsible for doing."

"...After a long silence, someone finally said, "Do you mean you will obey our orders?"

"No, according to wartime provisions, you have no right to directly order me over Commander Calgar. We are currently of equal rank. You are responsible for formulating the plan to return to the mixed fleet, and I am responsible for executing the plan."

"Is the Commander Calgar you mentioned Chapter Master Calgar of the Ultramarines?"

"Yes."

Hearing the Iron Men's confirmation, the scouts' faces lit up with joy. After a brief discussion, Jonathan spoke on their behalf:

"We need a hidden and safe secure location to understand the situation and recover our condition."

"Alright."

"Too weak." Calgar shook his head in disappointment, then smashed the traitor's skull with a punch. First Company Captain Severus, hearing this, used immense willpower to move his gun barrel away from Calgar's back. He understood why there were rumors that Calgar was more inclined to let Second Company Captain Sicarius take over as Chapter Master of the Ultramarines; both of them had one thing in common—they liked to show off.

"Calgar, that's enough," the First Company Captain said in as calm a tone as possible.

Calgar turned around and replied with a look of "boredom," "Alright, the traitors' skill has really declined during my absence."

Be patient, Severus, just assume Calgar was beaten too many times before and is now trying to regain his confidence! The First Company Captain continuously tried to persuade himself. Emperor, please bring back the normal Chapter Master!

"How are the other brothers?" the Ultramarines Chapter Master, possessed by Sicarius, asked.

It was better that Calgar didn't mention it, but as soon as he did, a furrow immediately appeared on Severus's forehead. He did not recognize those runaway "wild dogs" as his brothers.

Who knew that when Calgar saw his First Company Captain's displeased expression, he instead excused those wildly cavorting Ultramarines, saying, "The brothers haven't had a chance to fight in years, and they're really itching for it. Let them vent this time."

"Calgar, what have you all been through these past years?" Severus couldn't help but ask. He truly couldn't accept the drastically changed battle-brothers.

"It's hard to describe. A glorious past, a beautiful future, or the destruction of humanity. Our experiences over these years have greatly tormented each of us deep inside."

"Severus, you haven't been there, so it's hard for you to understand. If I absolutely had to describe it, I would say we knew there might be an endless abyss ahead, yet we pushed humanity forward from the bottom of our hearts, with all our might."

"This motivation, stemming from deep within each of us, only grows stronger with the passage of time after returning to the Imperium and re-engaging with the Imperium's terrible reality."

Severus silently followed behind Calgar, pondering Calgar's words. He somewhat understood Calgar and the returning brothers. After witnessing the power they brought back, the First Company Captain also had fantasies about what would happen if the Imperium wielded such power. At the same time, he understood how dangerous and terrifying this power was!

"This is not something we can control. The Emperor was right to seal it!" the First Company Captain suddenly said.

Calgar, walking ahead, did not turn back or stop, but said with a calm tone that carried deliberately restrained conflict, fear, and longing:

"Yes, but it has already appeared. We cannot stop it, and in the near future, we won't even have the strength to resist."

"Because of Magos Gamma?"

"Hmph, I don't know. Perhaps it would be even worse without Gamma," Calgar thought for a moment, then shook his head and replied.

The unsuspecting Hive World had no chance to resist the Chaos Astartes fleet that descended from the sky. After the loyalists who dared to resist were slaughtered, the world fell into his hands.

Then came the fortification of the Hive World. This work might be a daunting task for others, but not for the Iron Warriors. Every Warpsmith is extremely talented and accomplished in war engineering.

Under their cruel lashing, the Hive World's population formed massive slave labor teams. Under their guns and cannons, they toiled day and night to complete the most arduous and menial tasks.

Countless civilians, after having their physical value squeezed dry, were sent to the cultists' altars to please their masters and summon demons craving souls and slaughter.

Of course, where there is oppression, there is resistance. The horns of rebellion sounded from the Underhive and the lower levels, and the Gene Stealers cult took up the banner against Chaos.

Honsou found it hard to describe his feelings when he saw the Gene Stealers charging to their deaths, shouting the name of the "Four-Armed Emperor." Reality was too abstract, so much so that he felt Perturabo, that lunatic, had become somewhat normal.

But Honsou, a pragmatist, quickly adjusted. He diverted some forces to eliminate the Gene Stealers who were harassing and hindering the construction progress. What he didn't know, however, was that an Iron Men, along with a few prospective Ultramarines, had also taken the opportunity to sneak into the Underhive.

"What do we do next?" the Iron Men asked.

Jonathan, for the first time in a while, relaxed and slumped languidly onto a tattered sofa in a dilapidated building in the Underhive, replying weakly, "13213, let us rest for a bit."

"Aren't you Astartes? Why are you tired too?" the Iron Men asked, confused.

"Astartes get tired too, you know!"

"Exactly, don't imagine us to be like you."

The scouts complained to the Iron Men, one after another. After this period of interaction, they had determined that the abhorrent intelligence before them was just a stupid brute with off-the-charts combat power, who felt uncomfortable if it didn't fight for a day. Heaven knew how they had survived these past days.

When 0-13213 led them to an area where the air color was clearly abnormal and pointed to it, saying it was the "secure location," Jonathan and the others realized that to survive and continue serving the Emperor, they would have to rely on their own minds.

They could no longer count how many times they had just found a suitable abandoned chamber to hide in, only to be exposed moments later because of this idiotic Iron Men. What frustrated them most was that this fool stubbornly believed he had mastered the essence of "infiltration," and that their discovery was entirely their fault.

At first, still intimidated by the Iron Men's terrifying combat power, they only subtly offered their opinions. Later, as they understood the Iron Men more and more, they dropped their pretense in front of him and began to directly point out 0-13213's absurdities.

Eliminating all witnesses is not infiltration at all!

If you eliminated the witnesses, why didn't you also destroy the surveillance system!

And don't take the mutated beast with you everywhere!

And so on!

While evading the Iron Warriors' pursuit on the warship, they also had to rack their brains to control 0-13213, who would go out for a stroll "looking for fun" whenever it had nothing to do. Eventually, Jonathan discovered that the Iron Men was only interested in how to fight, so they began to take turns explaining various combat techniques they knew to the Iron Men.

Scouts are new recruits to the Space Marine Chapters; their biological modifications are only one step away from completion, and they have made sufficient progress in training. Only when they prove themselves valuable to the Chapter and the Imperium will they undergo the final modification—the implantation of the Black Carapace—to become true Astartes Battle-Brothers.

Before that, they primarily fought as skirmishers, relying on covert operations to infiltrate enemy lines, causing as much chaos and destruction as possible, while gathering intelligence to prepare for the main force's advance, rather than accomplishing tasks through pure strength.

The Ultramarines select elites from the 500 Worlds of Ultramar. The talent cultivation system established by Guilliman during the Great Crusade ensures that the military training of Ultramarines scouts is arguably the highest among all Astartes Chapters.

Under the full tutelage and "personal sparring" of several top "scholars," 0-13213 evolved from the "Slaughter Machine" of cultist lore into the nightmare of the Warpsmiths, causing the Warpsmith to break his "promise." Because if he continued with the "eleven extractions," his warband would disband on the spot without anyone else fighting them.

"13213, I remember you said you came from Imperium Nihilus with Chapter Master Calgar?"

"Yes, Commander Calgar was in charge of leading us in battles there," the Iron Men replied, while coiling up and curiously examining the contents of the building, although they were just dilapidated furniture.

"So, we just need to wait here for the Chapter Master to defeat those fallen traitors," Benjamin said thoughtfully.

Jonathan, lying on the sofa, now raised his head and said, "13213 said he can contact Chapter Master Calgar once he accesses their communication network. We also need to be prepared for new missions assigned by the Chapter Master."

"Yes, whether it's to wipe away our shame or to act as a surprise force deep behind enemy lines, we must—"

"Ah! Get away, I'm not afraid of you!"

A voice full of fear, yet fiercely defiant, made the scouts jump up and look in the direction of the sound. They saw 0-13213 curiously peering under the raised floorboards.

0-13213 carefully poked the 'little thing' he found under the floor with his giant finger.

Even as the 'little thing' fearfully closed her eyes and trembled, it didn't awaken the Iron Men's sympathy or pity; he had never experienced those two emotions.

Jonathan impatiently slapped away the Iron Men's 'Great Desolate Imprisoning Heavens Finger' and asked the child in front of him, "Where are your parents?"

"They… they… they were taken away. Mom told me to hide down here, so I've been hiding here," the eight or nine-year-old child replied tremblingly.

But just as she mustered the courage to open her eyes, she saw the 'evil' giant monster extending its terrifying huge finger towards her again, scaring her into quickly closing her eyes.

"Slap!"

"0-13213, can you be any more boring?" Jonathan said, slapping away the Iron Men's 'sinful' finger again.

0-13213 glanced at him, then dejectedly lowered his finger.

He quite liked this 'little thing' because she looked a bit like Magos Gamma.

"Our current situation isn't suitable for taking care of her," Benjamin said.

At this, another scout, Alan, sighed and retorted, "Then how will a child like her survive?"

"…"

After a moment of silence, Jonathan said, "Anyway, we're focused on self-preservation right now.

Once we contact the Chapter, if there are missions we need to perform, then we'll leave her some food and let her continue to hide in the underground passages."

"I went down and checked just now; she's been in there for a few days, which means she has the ability to take care of herself."

"Hmm, let's do that."

Children born in the Underhive are taught from a young age to be wary of strangers and how to discern malice.

Through the conversations of the giants who invaded her home, Fiona realized they weren't trying to eat her, and her courage grew a little.

She timidly asked, "Are you the Emperor's angels?"

This question made the Space Marine aspirants smile, and Alan, the most approachable among them, couldn't help but tease, "Why do you guess we're the Emperor's angels?"

"Grandpa Priest said angels are giants wearing armor."

The scouts looked at the patchwork of civilian carapace armor they had stripped from cultists, exchanged strange glances, and then smiled helplessly.

"Angel sirs, can you help me find my mom and dad?" the little girl pleaded.

Jonathan and the others didn't know how to answer this young child.

"Alright."

Hearing the flat electronic voice, the Space Marine aspirants clutched their faces in a headache.

On Terra, in the Regent of the Imperium's office, Guilliman's brow, as he held Calgar's Astropathic message, alternately furrowed, smoothed, and furrowed again.

The Primarch somewhat understood why the Emperor had hinted that he should find a 'rope' to tie up Gamma; the power he wielded was too terrifying.

For humanity, for the Imperium, it was truly unpredictable, a mix of blessings and misfortunes.

Remember our 101kanshu.com

"What has he been doing lately?"

The lazy xenos sitting on the sofa opposite Guilliman, hearing the Primarch's question, stood up and stretched, unconcerned about her body's curves being exposed to the 'hairy monkey' opposite her, then said listlessly:

"What else? Eating, drinking, and having fun."

…They are both leaders, so why am I working myself to death every day while Gamma lives a carefree life? So annoying! Guilliman couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the little Tech-priest after hearing Yvraine's answer.

"Why bring up Gamma all of a sudden?"

The Primarch shook his head and said, "Nothing."

Unexpectedly, the xenos leaped from the sofa, landing in front of Guilliman, staring intently at him and saying, "Don't forget, how you promised me!"

Guilliman looked at Yvraine helplessly, then spread his hands and said, "Alright, alright, I just feel that as his power grows stronger, it becomes increasingly difficult to predict his actions."

"Heh heh, now you know fear, don't you? Don't forget how many times I brought this up before, and how you always brushed me off!" Yvraine said, somewhat gloatingly, not letting him off the hook.

"Sigh, in the past, his actions weren't significant, and the enemies he faced weren't particularly powerful characters.

I only knew he was strong, but I didn't have a concept of just how strong he was."

At this, Guilliman paused, picked up Calgar's battle report, and continued, "Honsou's assembled forces were no weaker than any Indomitus Crusade fleet, yet they were decisively defeated by only a small portion of his military strength."

"He achieved such results using resources from only a few dozen worlds, and ever since the Wraithbone Engine you mentioned appeared, Gamma's expansion rate has been increasing every moment."

"Gamma doesn't like the current Imperium, but he only sees the Imperium as a necessary existence for humanity's survival.

But when his strength is sufficient to replace it, who can guarantee he won't turn his guns on the Imperium!"

After listening, Yvraine felt a sense of shared plight.

The Aeldari's attitude towards Gamma was becoming increasingly subtle, a change that became even more pronounced after the appearance of the Wraithbone Engine, a safe faster-than-light engine.

Those who were originally wary began to become neutral, those who were neutral began to draw closer, and those who were already close directly chose to defect.

Ulthwé Craftworld is now the largest gathering place for the Aeldari outside of Commorragh, and many radical Aeldari view the increasingly prosperous Ulthwé Craftworld as a sign of the Aeldari's resurgence, abandoning their faith in the Aeldari gods and converting to Gamma's faction.

The Death Guard is no longer the first choice for ambitious young Aeldari; Gamma is.

Yvraine has also fallen from a frontline 'idol' to a scandal-ridden second- or third-tier 'outdated idol'.

Thinking of this, the Harbinger of Death couldn't help but curse, "That stinking brat with a head full of gossip!"

"Uh…"

Guilliman was a bit confused; he had just been talking about something very serious, so why did Yvraine suddenly blurt out such a remark?

Casting an annoyed glance at the 'scandalous male lead,' Yvraine asked, "How do you plan to deal with Gamma?"

"When did I say I was going to deal with him? He helped me so much; I can't thank him enough," Guilliman vehemently denied.

"Don't play word games. Since you're worried about him losing control, you'll definitely take preventative measures.

I'm equally worried. Instead of us each doing our own thing, why don't we work together!"

The Regent pondered for a moment, then gave a somewhat helpless, bitter smile, "I'm just worried; I haven't figured out what to do, or if I should even do anything.

Moreover, Gamma has never shown any malice towards humans or Aeldari.

If we act rashly and he finds out, how will we explain ourselves?"

"Angering Gamma would be counterproductive, turning him from a friend into an enemy!"

"…"

What was the little Tech-priest, who had ascended to the 'top spot' as a potential destabilizing factor for both humanity and the Aeldari, doing?

He was making the final preparations for 'Webway War 1.5'.

Yes, after initiating the 'Great Crusade 1.5', Gamma once again followed the Emperor's 'old path'.

To ensure the smooth progress of his plan and to prevent himself from repeating past mistakes, Gamma meticulously analyzed the entire process of the Huang Pizi's downfall, ultimately concluding:

The Emperor was stabbed into paralysis by Chaos simply because his 'fist' wasn't fast enough, nor ruthless enough!

Like the Emperor, secretly working on something for hundreds of years, even the best security measures would be detected and exploited by Chaos, ultimately becoming the blade that stabs oneself.

So Gamma's idea was either not to move at all, or once he moved, he would sweep through with lightning speed, securing victory in an extremely short time, giving Chaos no time or opportunity to react.

Therefore, ever since Gamma conceived the idea of creating a 'second home' for humanity in the Webway, he had never revealed his thoughts to anyone over the years, and all preparation work was concealed under various pretexts.

At the same time, Gamma had also been secretly assembling a vast Iron Men legion.

The existence of this legion was known only to him; even the three artificial intelligences, Conquest, Order, and the Wise, were unaware.

The locations of large Webway nodes have been found.

The production of the Iron Men legion is still ongoing.

Wraithbone nanomachines have been continuously proliferating.

The number of skilled Bonesinger workers has also reached the quantity required by Gamma's plan.

Originally, Gamma was ready to act after completing the Wraithbone experiment, but the 'payment' sent by the Primaris Exemplar caused Gamma to press pause on the 'Webway War' which was about to begin with all conditions met.

Archmagos Cawl's Necrons collection mostly came from the battle of the 'Necron Death World', and the ancient tomb technicians of the Szarekh Dynasty ruled by the Silent King Szarekh were renowned for their superb Blackstone technology.

Even the ordinary infantry of the dynasty were equipped with a small amount of Blackstone technology, allowing them to be immune to psychic attacks.

These anti-psychic Blackstone technologies could give the Iron Men legion stronger Warp resistance and also allow them to clear out demons and psychic beings at an even faster rate, which undoubtedly enhanced the little Tech-priest's combat plan of 'swift as the wind, quick as lightning, fierce as fire'!

However, the technology was readily available, but Gamma was once again stumped by his 'old opponent'—he didn't have that much Blackstone in his possession.

"So annoying! It's always like this; every time, I'm troubled by materials!"

The Aeldari handmaiden beside him watched Gamma rolling back and forth on the bed, occasionally punching the pillow to vent his frustration, unsure whether to go forward and comfort him, coax him, or let Gamma vent first before coaxing him.

After a long period of tossing and turning, the little Tech-priest finally gritted his teeth and said, "Have Eldrad come see me!"

The Supreme Seer, summoned by Gamma, didn't know what had happened until he arrived at the palace and heard the little Tech-priest's plan, then he asked uncertainly:

"Did the Necrons provoke Your Highness?"

"No, but I need Blackstone, a lot of Blackstone!"

Hearing Gamma say this, Eldrad's heart, which had been pounding with fear, finally calmed down.

The Aeldari had just barely begun to show signs of resurgence, and if the little Tech-priest insisted on going to war with the Necrons, the Aeldari, in their current state, would at least be severely crippled (crippled upon crippled), if not annihilated.

Understanding that Gamma merely wanted Blackstone, the Supreme Seer said with a relaxed expression, "Your Highness, there's no need to worry about Blackstone.

Whether we acquire it from the Imperium of Man or from other Craftworlds, it's very easy to buy."

"Hmm?" Gamma tilted his head, looking at Eldrad.

"Your Highness, as old adversaries of the Necrons, we have always kept an eye on planets with Blackstone constructs.

At the same time, ever since the Great Rift opened, the Imperium of Man has also noticed Blackstone's suppressive effect on the Warp and has begun to intentionally collect Blackstone."

"With Your Highness's prestige in the Imperium of Man and your authority among the Aeldari, as long as you put out the word, people will naturally bring Blackstone to Your Highness; we won't need to lift a finger ourselves."

"And don't forget, Your Highness, you still have an intact Blackstone Fortress—"

"Hold on, Eldrad! It's the legacy of the Aeldari Empire, after all.

If you don't feel bad, I do!"

The little Tech-priest somewhat understood why ancient emperors who heavily relied on 'eunuchs' would commit acts that incurred divine and human wrath.

These 'eunuchs,' whose lives were tied to the emperor, would resort to all sorts of extreme measures to please him. However, this feeling was indeed quite good; their loyalty was truly commendable!

"Yes, yes, Your Highness's criticism is correct," the Supreme Seer responded, looking chastened.

Having been enlightened by Eldrad and no longer fixated on a single point, Gamma now seemed to see a beautiful future.

Humanity's second home was beckoning to him, and his mood was incredibly smooth.

"I'll leave this matter to you."

Jonathan and Benjamin, along with a few other Ultramarines scouts, couldn't understand why the Iron Men, whom they couldn't command, would willingly obey a little girl.

It was precisely under the "wise decisions" of this young Commander that they had already raised a guerrilla force before Chapter Master Calgar arrived on this planet, becoming a thorn in Honsou's side.

"Jonathan, do you think our names will be carved onto the Chapter's Wall of Honor?" Bart, wearing a gas mask, asked in a muffled voice.

Jonathan, walking in front of him, didn't answer, but Allen, walking behind him, responded: "Don't even think about it. We're not official Astartes yet, and please don't talk as if we're definitely going to die!"

"I think if this continues, we won't live to see the Chapter Master arrive—"

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and move," Benjamin, walking at the very front, shouted impatiently.

Heaven knows what they had been through these past few days. Ever since 0-13213 agreed to Fiona's request to rescue her parents, things had spiraled out of control. The Iron Men had killed hundreds of cultists and a dozen Chaos Astartes that very day, destroying several construction sites and cult altars.

Although Fiona's parents were not found, thousands of enslaved civilians were rescued. Faced with the giant robot that had appeared out of nowhere to save them, these civilians instinctively chose to follow him.

This left the scouts, who had failed to dissuade him and could only come along, completely dumbfounded. They had trouble protecting themselves, so how could they save these civilians?

But their size and identity made them a lifeline in the eyes of the desperate populace. Whether it was a sense of mission granted by the Emperor, or being forced into it, since things had come to this, they could only choose to lead these civilians in resistance.

After quickly scavenging all usable supplies, Jonathan and his group led these thousands of civilians deep into the Under-Hive, as only there could they find a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps because the Warpsmith, who was almost traumatized by the Iron Men, deliberately concealed the information, the traitors were unaware of such a thing existing right under their noses. This allowed Jonathan and his group to escape smoothly, with no traitors pursuing them.

The Ultramarines aspirants who arrived in the Under-Hive quickly discovered that the Under-Hive was indeed, as rumored, a vibrant and bustling place, a "good place."

The appearance of the Iron Warriors seemed to have no impact here. In fact, because the soldiers originally assigned by the Governor to guard the passages had been killed by the Iron Warriors, the Under-Hive's gangs and scavengers could move freely. Coupled with the civilians, nobles, and remnants of soldiers who had fled from the upper levels, it was no exaggeration to say that this place was the world's last "fortress."

Jonathan and his group, having "descended" with thousands of people, were immediately given a "warm welcome" by the local gangs. With 0-13213's equally "enthusiastic" greeting, the Ultramarines aspirants gained a new identity—gang leaders.

Their excellent military training and superhuman physique allowed the "leaders" to quickly accept reality and begin to understand the situation in the lower levels.

To be honest, when they learned that the "people" with the strongest will to resist and the highest fighting spirit in the lower levels were the Gene Stealers cult a few blocks from their territory, the leaders' expressions truly crumbled.

But they quickly had no time to dwell on this issue, because Fiona had become "good friends" with 0-13213, and they were once again going "to find mommy."

Reality always gives you a push when you are "lost," choosing the direction for you to move forward.

Through repeated "finding mommy and daddy" operations, Jonathan and his "guerrilla" force grew larger and larger, acquiring more and more weapons and equipment, including many "Under-Hive heroes" who had come to join them.

So, in the guerrilla force led by Jonathan and his group, you could see ruthless gang killers, disfigured mutants,

former Hive World officers in tattered military uniforms, and rambling cultists with Chaos eight-pointed stars tattooed on their bodies.

As for why there were cultists, it's actually not hard to understand. If monotheistic religions like the Adeptus Ministorum and the Adeptus Mechanicus, who worship one god and chant one scripture, can fight each other fiercely, then for these cultists who don't even know what they worship, there's only one outcome when they meet: one side becomes a sacrifice for the other.

However, the most important reason these "heroes" chose to join Jonathan's guerrilla force was that the lower levels did not have enough food to support such a large population. They could only survive by constantly "taking" from the upper levels, otherwise they would starve to death and become food for others.

Jonathan and his group's reason for accepting these strange individuals was also very simple: rather than letting the civilians risk their lives, it was better to let those who deserved to die or were not afraid of death go.

The Ultramarines aspirants did not disgrace their gene-father's reputation for being good at management. With the help of various "technical talents" in the Under-Hive, they quickly established a system:

The Iron Men acted as a battering ram, the expendable and fearless were responsible for vigilance, cover, and clearing the battlefield, while the civilians, under the command of "talents" who had fled to the Under-Hive for various reasons, reprocessed the stolen spoils of war and fed them back to the "guerrilla force."

Under this excellent operating system, Jonathan's guerrilla force quickly stood out from the many "guerrilla forces" in the Under-Hive, becoming the largest, strongest, and most conspicuous one.

Honsou, who had experienced the "joy" of being a Governor, commented: "The Imperium is a pile of dog shit!"

He then ordered all passages from the Under-Hive to the upper levels to be destroyed.

But he was, after all, an outsider. How could his understanding of the Hive World compare to those who had lived there for generations? If the Under-Hive were so easy to deal with, the Governor would have done so long ago!

Which gang doesn't have a few secret passages for smuggling contraband!

Jonathan and his group were now walking on a smuggling route inherited from their former leader.

"I think if this continues, Honsou, that traitor, will gas the Under-Hive," Bart said, casually slicing a strange creature that leaped out of the shadows to attack him in half with his combat blade.

"The air in the Under-Hive is already toxic enough, and he doesn't have that much time," Allen replied, listening to the sounds around him.

"Destroying the Under-Hive passages was definitely a bad move. Honsou has pushed all living creatures in the Under-Hive to a dead end. People are already starting to lobby among the Under-Hive factions to mobilize everyone to fight back against Honsou."

"They cannot resist that fallen traitor."

"Even if they can't resist, they must. Otherwise, the ultimate outcome will be mutual slaughter until only the population that the Under-Hive's resources can support remains. Rather than that, it's better to let this portion of people be consumed in battle."

Benjamin, who heard Allen and Bart talking, now joined their conversation: "What you just said is still the best-case scenario. Haven't you noticed that some gangs have already started targeting those cultists? They might not understand Chaos, but the survival wisdom accumulated from generations of living in the Under-Hive tells them that those cults are even more dangerous at a time like this!"

"What should we do?"

"What to do? Nothing! This matter has been out of our control from the start."

"Alas, when will the Chapter Master finally arrive? I'd rather die in a glorious mission than struggle in the Under-Hive with this bunch of misfits."

"Who isn't? I even regret being saved by 0-13213."

"Bart, that's not right to say," Allen's voice became somewhat stern.

Bart also knew he had spoken wrongly and quickly said, "Sorry, I'm just a little—"

"I understand. He certainly caused us a lot of trouble, but it's also because of him that we have the chance to personally kill more traitors and heretics."

"You're right," Bart said sincerely.

At this moment, a sound came from the shaft above them. The three below immediately took up a receiving stance. Soon, Jonathan's figure slid down from above, landing steadily with a nimble somersault.

"How's the situation?"

Hearing Benjamin's question, Jonathan nodded and replied, "It does lead to the lower hive, and the location is very concealed. However, 13213's size cannot pass through. Forcibly widening the passage would inevitably attract those traitors with the noise."

"This is troublesome now. Without him, it will be difficult for us alone to gain an advantage against those traitors."

"Let's talk about it when we get back. The supplies accumulated a while ago can last for some time."

"Mm."

The return journey was considerably shorter than their way there. Before long, they saw the Iron Men guarding the entrance. Seeing them emerge, the Iron Men, who had been squatting on the ground, boredly poking holes in the ground with his fingers, immediately let out a cheerful and clear childlike voice.

"Angel sirs, you're out."

Even though they had heard it many times, Jonathan and his group's faces still twitched. They found it hard to understand why the creator of this Iron Men had designed his chest cavity to be transformable, and why, after transformation, the position of the Iron Men's chest was just right to fit a child.

They were certain that Magos Gamma had deliberately designed it this way, otherwise this "child compartment" wouldn't have a life support system and a neural synchronization system.

Jonathan and his group had also asked 0-13213 why he had this function, and the Iron Men's answer was that all his brothers had it, but he didn't know why.

Regarding this, the Ultramarines aspirants could only boldly speculate that Magos Gamma was a short "dwarf."

"Angel sirs, 13213 just said he connected to something."

"What?!" Jonathan couldn't help but exclaim, and the others also showed joy, their eyes revealing the relief of "finally, it's here, it's finally going to end."

"Uh—did I say something wrong, sirs?" Fiona asked timidly.

"No! Fiona, let 13213 speak," Jonathan said, feigning composure.

"Oh."

"Neural synchronization separating," the Iron Men emitted an electronic prompt.

Although it was only a few short seconds, the scouts felt it was exceptionally long.

"Contact has been established with Commander Calgar. Commander's original words: Well done!"

"Those little guys did well, causing Honsou a lot of trouble, hahaha."

Weighing the report, which could be described as a '42K version of Tadpoles Looking for their Mother,' Calgar burst out laughing. He wasn't just happy for the survival of some of the chapter's juniors, but also felt a bit of schadenfreude towards Honsou.

"From the reports of Jonathan and the others, we can definitely take this Hive World during the Underhive uprising and disrupt Honsou's deployment," Severus suggested.

"Hmm, but don't expect this to have much impact on the war. Honsou hasn't sent his elites to suppress them, which precisely indicates that his focus isn't on those defensive fortifications."

The First Company Captain listened, then thoughtfully said, "Calgar, do you mean Honsou's Transformation Hive World is to conceal his true purpose?"

"It's not about concealing; these defensive fortifications are just to tie us down and buy him time."

Calgar shook his head, then paused, looking at the location of the largest Hive World on the map, and said, "He chose this place, definitely not to seek his own death. Moreover, the number of ships docked under the protection of the Iron Warriors' ground-based anti-air network is wrong. If we rush in, we might be ambushed by Chaos ships lurking on the periphery."

"What are you going to do?"

"First, take the Star Port, gain partial air superiority, and then use that as a breakthrough point to deploy troops to the ground."

"But wouldn't doing that play right into Honsou's hands? He wants to tie us down with ground combat, doesn't he?"

"If we don't go along with his wishes, how will he show his tail?"

"Okay, I understand."

As the most important trade hub of a Hive World, the Star Port's defenses were undeniably strong. No matter how idiotic a Governor was, he wouldn't be stingy with this 'goose that lays golden eggs,' which continuously transported goods produced in the underhive factories into space.

With powerful void shields, dense anti-air turrets, and minefields spread all around, even Honsou, despite his tight schedule, didn't use this as a breakthrough to conquer this world. Instead, he secretly sent people to infiltrate, capture the Governor and nobles, coerce and entice them, and execute 'stubborn' elements. Only with the cooperation of the Governor, who had already sided with him, did he take over this Star Port.

This was both a breakthrough he left for Calgar and a bloody trap he prepared for Calgar. And the Warpsmiths had added poison-coated barbs to this 'trap'; anyone who reached out here would not end well.

The fallen traitors guarding the Star Port watched the boarding torpedoes and boarding craft continuously approaching on the display, a cruel smile on their lips. With each signal that disappeared, the smile on their faces grew wider.

Last time, they were caught off guard, but this time was different. The Iron Warriors would let the enemy know the power of 'iron'!

"Boom!"

A lucky survivor, having dodged the minefield and anti-air fire, crashed onto the Star Port's platform. The heretics didn't immediately open fire to destroy it; they wanted to see the enemy's futile struggles in despair.

But the boarding party that should have emerged from the torpedo didn't appear. Amidst the sound of mechanical turning and gears meshing, the 'boarding torpedo' transformed into a 'door.'

As a green vortex appeared in the door, an ominous feeling rose in the hearts of the heretics. The leading traitor was the first to pull the trigger of his weapon, intending for the other heretics to follow suit.

But the bolter rounds, lasers, plasma, and other projectiles they fired were all blocked by the semi-circular energy shield covering the portal. Although the constantly flickering void shield was on the verge of collapse, the portal continued to operate smoothly, completely unharmed.

Then a tall Iron Men walked out of the portal, followed by a second, a third, a fourth...

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Honsou roared upon receiving the news of the Star Port's fall.

His carefully prepared 'poisoned bait' was taken so easily by the enemy. Watching the enemy systematically deploying troops and supplies to the ground,

Honsou felt as if the enemy was mocking him, and the problem was he hadn't, he hadn't 'eaten enough'!

"Those automatons are not normal! Their teleportation technology is also not right!" The Warpsmith who had escaped from the Star Port and survived by luck gritted his teeth, his eyes wide with fury, as he spoke.

"Idiot, you don't need to tell me that!" Honsou sneered at him, speaking with utter disdain.

Despised by the 'mongrel' he looked down upon, the Warpsmith couldn't help but let out a roar, then pounced, his warhammer striking Honsou with the force of a thunderbolt. Honsou sidestepped back half a step, dodging the overhead blow, and then kicked the Warpsmith's knee, causing him to stumble and almost fall to his knees.

The half Imperial Fists bloodline in the mongrel made Honsou's physique different from the 'stocky' Iron Warriors. He was taller than a purebred and had a wider attack range. As the Warpsmith regained his balance and tried to attack again, Honsou's counterattack landed on his undefended face.

"Slap!"

With a sound of metal and flesh colliding, the Warpsmith was sent flying several meters, lying motionless on the floor, his fate unknown. Crimson blood flowed from his shattered facial features onto the ground, then visibly began to change, coagulating into clumps.

Honsou shook off the blood and tissue fragments from his right arm, then casually tore off a piece of ornate silk used for decoration nearby, meticulously wiping the grime from his living metal arm.

Honsou cherished this bionic limb. He had always considered transplanting this arm, taken from an Ultramarines, onto himself as one of his wisest decisions. And this arm had not failed him; countless powerful enemies had fallen under this iron fist, and even a champion of the blood god had been beaten to death by him with this arm.

"Drag him out," Honsou commanded coldly.

The other Warpsmiths present watched their comrade, like a dead dog, being dragged away by servants, their faces expressionless. They made no sound, nor did they show any anger or displeasure throughout.

Iron Warriors never needed failures!

"Proceed as planned!"

After Honsou finished speaking, the Warpsmiths still gave no response, simply rising in silence and leaving.

"Commander Calgar, a communication request from the surface. Identified as a non-allied signal."

"Reject."

Are you kidding? If I show my face, how can I continue to operate in the Imperium! You'd better remain ignorant, Honsou! Calgar, who didn't want to be an 'heretic,' muttered to himself.

At the same time, the rejected Honsou slammed the command console heavily. He was increasingly suspicious that the person on the other side was Perturabo; otherwise, in a position of advantage, there was no reason to miss an opportunity to mock and taunt him.

He still had to start with the rumored 'killing machine.' He had to figure out who the enemy was before he could proceed with the next step of the plan!

Thinking of this, Honsou felt that the decision to blow up the passage was a bit hasty. It cut off the path from the underhive upwards, and also cut off his path downwards.

Just as Honsou was agonizing over how to find the Iron Men, his adjutant reported to him:

"My Lord, a riot has erupted in Hive World Four, and simultaneously the enemy has intensified their siege on Hive World Four."

"Is that Hive World Four, where the 'killing machine' is rumored to be active?"

The adjutant paused, then immediately replied, "Yes."

"Have Frakri go and capture that 'killing machine' for me before Hive World Four falls!"

Honsou's order brought a look of confusion to the adjutant's face. He didn't understand why the Warpsmith was focusing on a widely rumored fabrication instead of the rapidly advancing enemy.

"My Lord, the killing machine has never been seen by anyone—"

"That is not your concern!" Honsou sharply rebuked him.

The biting cold made the adjutant's entire body turn cold. He quickly replied, "Yes, I'll go immediately!"

Upon receiving Honsou's order, Frakri also couldn't understand what the Warpsmith intended, but as one of Honsou's 'Tridents,' it was his duty to execute Honsou's orders unconditionally, even if he didn't understand why.

"Where have you hidden my mommy and daddy?"

The Iron Warrior, being continuously shaken in the Iron Men's hand, really wanted to tell the metal monster in front of him that he truly didn't know, and also wanted to tell it that no one could give birth to such a thing as it.

But the Iron Men's immense strength had already deformed his power armor, and the air in his lungs had long since been forced out under the pressure. Now, he couldn't make a sound.

To die so ridiculously by suffocation, the fallen traitor thought self-deprecatingly before losing consciousness.

"Hmph!" The Iron Men let out a delicate snort, then angrily threw the 'broken doll' in its hand flying.

Watching the dust and debris kicked up by the Iron Warrior landing in the distance, the Ultramarines aspirants felt quite complex emotions. Bartholomew, being outspoken, voiced his thoughts:

"Suddenly, I don't want to become an Astartes anymore."

This time, Alan didn't criticize him. Although Bartholomew's words were wrong, Alan also shared that thought. "Uh—Fiona, do you see that house? Your mommy and daddy might be there."

Upon hearing Jonathan's voice, the Iron Men bent down with an oppressive presence, staring at the Ultramarines aspirant, who was awkwardly smiling and sweating, and said, "My Lord Angel, you've tricked me so many times already! If you keep doing this, I'm going to get angry!"

Jonathan looked to his companions for help, but they all avoided his gaze.

Jonathan: traitors! Didn't we agree to share blessings and misfortunes?

The other three: Go for it! The first achievement will surely be yours!

The 'abandoned' Jonathan steeled his heart, patted his chest, and said, "Don't worry, I am the Emperor's Angel, how could I lie to you? It's just that these bad guys are too cunning; they've hidden your parents and don't want you to find them!"

"Really?"

"Really, as long as we keep looking, we'll definitely find them."

"Alright."

After speaking, the Iron Men walked towards the fortified building Jonathan pointed out. The scouts directed everyone, who were busy picking up weapons, to quickly follow.

What were the Ultramarines aspirants planning to do?

Why did Unit 0-13213, despite having returned to the team, still obey Fiona's command?

It all started when Jonathan and his companions received Calgar's order. The content of the order was simple: they were to participate in the underhive uprising, create chaos, and cooperate with the outer attacks.

But young soldiers always wanted to earn merits, so they didn't just want to create chaos; they wanted more, such as taking out a few defensive fortifications to create gaps in the Iron Warriors' lines.

However, they couldn't complete this 'heroic plan' on their own, so they set their sights on the Iron Men. Initially, they thought that since the Iron Men had already connected to the communication network, it shouldn't refuse to cooperate with their combat request. But Unit 0-13213's answer was:

"I have submitted a request to continue protecting Fiona, and the request has been approved. I cannot cooperate with your combat plan."

This reply left the Ultramarines aspirants stunned. Their plan had ended before it even began.

However, Jonathan suddenly had a flash of inspiration: the Iron Men couldn't be commanded, but Fiona could!

When he told his companions about his idea, Benjamin and Bartholomew agreed, but Alan said that Fiona, an innocent child, should not be involved in such a dangerous matter.

Three against one, Jonathan's proposal was passed. Seeing that he couldn't stop it, Alan had to settle for a compromise, requesting a modification to the original plan: abandoning several more heavily defended locations and instead attacking positions that were less critical and had weaker firepower. This request was adopted after deliberation among the four of them.

And so, the scene described above unfolded.