While his followers were being fitted with power armor and armed, Titus quickly reviewed the mission briefing scrolling on the data-slate.
The cold touch of metal, the faint hum when power packs connected, and the scent of engine oil and ozone in the air… All of this allowed the veteran soldier who had survived countless battlefields to immediately fall back into the rhythm of combat.
The data-slate's glow reflected on his resolute face, marked by long years of war.
After the fighting ended, he led his subordinates to the embarkation deck and boarded a Thunderhawk gunship. The roaring gunship easily passed through the yellow-green clouds composed of Tyranid spores without being attacked by the swarming flying insects.
The gunship landed in the center of a makeshift position composed of temporary fortifications, sandbags, and burning rubble. Before the dust kicked up by the airflow settled, Titus, who had just disembarked from the transport pod, spotted the local commander.
Major Sakana of the Cadian 8th Regiment. The planet Cadia had been torn apart by Abaddon, yet the scattered Cadian soldiers continued to serve the Emperor.
At that moment, countless insects launched ceaseless attacks, their numbers blotting out the sky. Despite their best efforts, the soldiers of the Cadian 8th could not halt the enemy's advance.
Major Sakana stood ramrod straight in standard Cadian flak armor with a headset comms unit. When he saw the blue-armored Titus and his team emerge from the shelter, they immediately snapped to attention and performed the customary Aquila salute.
"Thank you. We are grateful for the support."
Titus clenched his fist and placed it over his chest in response. His gaze swept across the entire position. As far as the eye could see, there were only exhausted but ferocious-looking Cadian soldiers. They used cover, concentrated fire on the countless insects crawling forward like a living carpet with a hissing sound. The roar of grenades, the high-pitched whine of las weapons, and the soldiers' suppressed shouts mixed with the groans of the wounded.
Even farther away, countless insects covered the sky. The sound of carapaces rubbing together produced a hair-raising sonic boom.
"Major, what is the current situation?" Titus asked directly, without wasting words.
"It's dire, sir," Sakana said, pointing outside the defensive line. Fierce firefights raged there, with fragments of chitinous carapaces and severed limbs flying everywhere.
"The swarm's attacks come in endless waves. We have concentrated all our strength on containing this defensive line. We cannot move a single step, let alone counterattack. Furthermore, we have suffered catastrophic losses. We estimate complete collapse within one hour at most."
Titus looked up. His gaze pierced the thick spore clouds and locked onto the orbital Tyranid mother ship.
"We don't have the luxury of a war of attrition with the Tyranids. That would be too foolish. To reverse the situation, we must destroy the mother ship that is the source of the swarm. What is the status of the orbital defense guns? Are they ready to fire?"
A bitter expression crossed Sakana's face. "Another unit is holding that position, but the situation is equally dire. The railgun itself is damaged, and we lack sufficient technicians and time to make it operational."
After thinking for a moment, Titus made his decision. "I will lead my men to the orbital battery and attempt to use it to destroy the Tyranid mother ship."
Titus then began assigning roles to his team members. Sergeant Lion remained behind with Altarez and Elion to reinforce the Cadians' defenses and help stop the enemy horde. He himself formed a vanguard with Gadriel and the calm and collected Cailon. Head for the towering railgun base and destroy the enemy mother ship.
The path to the railgun base was not easy. The swarm's small infiltration units were everywhere, constantly launching lethal attacks against them. Titus used his bolter to blast flaming paths, Gardner desperately cleared nearby blade bugs with his chainsword, and Cailon eliminated mid-range artillery bugs with precise plasma fire.
The three worked in tight coordination, stepping over sticky fungal carpets, crushing bursting insect eggs, advancing through flying blood and flesh, and finally reached the railgun base.
The base's condition was worse than expected. The railgun's massive guide arms were twisted and deformed. The control room's outer walls were corroded by acid, and sparks from malfunctions flickered inside. Dozens of Tyranid creatures had climbed onto the barrel and were gnawing at it.
Titus linked up with the remaining Cadian team. These soldiers had suffered heavy casualties but maintained high morale. Instead of fleeing or seeking help, they chose to assist Titus and his men in completing the mission. Even if this decision completely destroyed the company, they would not back down.
After tremendous effort, Titus and his team completed preparations for the railgun. The firing button was pressed.
Buzz!
The entire base shook violently. The air filled with the smell of ionized ozone. The massive cannon barrel glowed with blue light. Unimaginable energy gathered, accompanied by a roar like a giant beast awakening.
Immediately afterward, several blue plasma spheres over 15 meters in diameter, swirling with destructive energy, erupted from the muzzle. Like meteors moving in reverse, trailing long tails, they pierced the spore clouds and rose straight into the sky.
In orbit, the Tyranid mother ship—over 1,000 kilometers long—continued releasing more drop pods, aiming to completely devour Cadia. The plasma spheres shot forward, streaked across the sky, and struck the mother ship's bio-mass hull with pinpoint accuracy.
In the vacuum of space, a silent but extremely dazzling explosion occurred. The mother ship's thick armor was easily torn and vaporized. Chain explosions erupted within its internal structure. Green bodily fluids and fragmented tissue sprayed in all directions.
The insect hordes on the ground fell into chaos but were quickly reorganized by node creatures. However, their offensive momentum was far weaker than before.
They had barely destroyed the mother ship and had no time to catch their breath.
Afterward, Titus received a new mission from Arkelan: assist Major Sakana and evacuate the stubborn Mechanicus Archmagos Nojic Beta-12.
The Archmagos's body was half-mechanized. Complex robotic arms and optical lens assemblies constantly extended and retracted, emitting faint sounds. He ignored Sakana's persuasion and insisted on retrieving experimental data before departing.
"In the name of the Omnissiah and the Omniscient God, cease interfering with my meaningless retreat. The core data from the experimental base has not yet been recovered. If this precious knowledge falls into xenos hands or is destroyed in an explosion, all previous sacrifices and resistance will have been in vain."
With no other choice, Titus's unit had to launch another attack. Following Nojic's complex instructions, they entered the experimental base deep within the Tyranid swarm, activated backup power, and restarted the data core.
Archmagos Nojic connected remotely. A massive data stream was uploaded via encrypted channels. Having finished reading, the great sage, surrounded by armed servitors, boarded a Thunderhawk assault craft and retreated into orbit.
However, the gunship had barely taken off and had not flown far before it exploded. It transformed into a dazzling yet cruel fireball, spinning as it fell toward the distant region dominated by the insect swarm.
Titus led a rescue team through the wreckage and countless bugs. They found the fragmented remains of Archmagos Nojic and the complex, secret rune-etched vault he had carried.
When Titus's fingers touched the surface of the container as it was being recycled, an instant cold, filthy, whispering hallucinatory shock raced through his nerves and stabbed directly into his brain. His vision went black. His massive body staggered, and he collapsed to the ground.
...
When Titus awoke from his coma, he was inside a medical pod. Before he could fully open his eyes, he heard deliberately hushed arguing voices.
"The Captain is definitely hiding something," came Gadriel's voice, filled with unconcealed suspicion. "Where has Demetrian Titus served for the past two hundred years? Why was such a major surgery suddenly assigned to us, and why was he appointed leader of my team?"
A calmer voice rang out. It was Cailon's. "Don't overthink it, Gadriel. Sergeant Ventiyard mentioned there's a Deathwatch presence…" This assassination unit had previously planted virus bombs on Cadia. "The Lieutenant might be one of them. Honestly, what we saw at the crash site worries me more. Those residual energy traces don't look entirely like Tyranid…"
A flash of exhaustion crossed Titus's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. He waved to the medicae staff who had come to check on him, signaling them to step back, then sat up.
Seeing him awake, Gadriel stopped talking. But his eyes held a sharp gaze and deep distrust. His eyes were exactly like Landras's eyes during the Battle of Glaia.
Titus offered no explanation. He had them report to Captain Arkelan.
Nojic's death had interrupted research on the Aurora Project. The only person who could restart the project was Nojic's disciple, Morias Lutz. This member of the Mechanicus had last been seen at a Mechanicus base on the planet Avarax.
At this point, Avarax had fallen and become a Tyranid paradise. The planet's surface was covered in grotesque fleshy structures and pulsating giant spore sacs. Merely looking at them conveyed the despair and terror brought by the Tyranids.
After fierce fighting, the team infiltrated Lutz's final research base and obtained the data. According to the information, Lutz had visited an ancient Sassen temple.
Titus, who had always been skeptical of the Aurora Project, used this opportunity to investigate the project's internal affairs. The relic fragments he mentioned were what he had seen on the planet Glaia. The traitor from Nemeros had called them "fragments of the power of the Dark Gods." Using these fragments, the traitor had nearly destroyed the planet.
During that incident, Titus had been interrogated and ultimately taken to the Inquisition, separating him from the Chapter for over two hundred years.
When the Imperial warship returned to orbit, Titus found Captain Arkelan.
"We must stop this! Chaos intervened, but they did not seize the fragments directly. That itself is the greatest conspiracy! The Aurora Project is problematic!"
"This is none of your concern, Lieutenant." Captain Arkelan's voice was cold and stern. His red mechanical eyes were fixed on Titus. "The Primarch himself is aware of and has approved the Aurora Project. Your duty is to follow orders, locate Lutz, and ensure the project continues. Do not concern yourself with anything else."
Rage burned in Titus's chest, but he had no choice but to continue carrying out the mission.
Titus's squad rescued Lutz from the Sassen temple, which was crawling with Tyranid creatures. As a member of the Machine Cult, he appeared confused upon learning of his master's death and that he would inherit the Aurora Project, but he returned with Titus to the void ship to continue his master's plan.
Meanwhile, numerous traitors had emerged from various hives on Avarax. The Tyranids had already overwhelmed the 2nd Company, and with traitors intervening, the situation risked total collapse if it worsened.
Captain Arkelan had no choice but to prepare to have Lutz activate Aurora to weaken the enemy. Titus strongly opposed this and insisted they should at least notify Chapter Master Calgar.
Captain Arkelan was persuaded to have Titus lead the squad to the Astronomican Relay Station.
After fierce fighting, Titus successfully led the squad in infiltrating the Astronomican Relay Station, which was surrounded by Tyranid creatures. The remaining soldiers bowed their heads to the Emperor's Angels.
Ignoring the humans, Titus and his companions entered the deepest part of the relay station and located the Astronomican. The relay station was located at the top of the hive. The interior was filled with the scent of incense, the cold smell of metal, and faint psychic whispers.
Erodias, servant of the Astronomican, saw Titus and his group arrive and immediately came out to greet them, bowing his head.
"We need to send a message to Chapter Master Calgar regarding the Aurora situation," Titus said.
"My lord, sending a message now would be suicidal. In addition to the twisted shadows created by the swarm, daemons lie in wait for open minds. Any attempt at communication will surely result in being hunted."
There is no way to send a message in this situation. Even if sent, it would only cause Erodias's Astronomican to lose his life in vain.
Just as Titus was about to speak, the elderly Astronomican master Neoma spoke. Neoma's eyes were covered in silk, and complex psychic patterns were etched on her forehead.
"Erodias, this is my duty. You are dismissed."
"Master," Erodias said, "it is too dangerous…"
"Step back." Neoma's tone grew stern, and Erodias reluctantly moved aside.
Neoma began the ritual and released her consciousness into the Warp. However, the moment the message was sent into the chaotic Warp space, the Astronomican's body suddenly convulsed violently.
When she regained her senses, she pointed at Titus. Her voice was sharp, shrill, and completely changed.
"He… he is a heretic! He lured the commander of Calgar here to assassinate him. He will betray us just like he did during the Geraha incident."
The sanctuary's guards became agitated and leveled their weapons at Titus. Gadriel, who had always harbored doubts, without any hesitation pressed the muzzle of his explosive rifle directly against the back of Titus's head.
"I am not a traitor!" Titus tried to explain, but no one believed him.
Just as trust collapsed and brothers were about to betray one another, a green teleport portal appeared, drawing everyone's attention.
Datch, clad in the skin of a cursed warrior, walked out of the bright cave in a leisurely manner, as if strolling in his own backyard. Behind him emerged the distorted form of a Changeling spirit, laughing incessantly.
They had just pulled off an outrageous prank against a greedy planetary governor and another planet's rebel group the other day. Seeing the despair on their faces had been truly satisfying.
After leaving the battlefield to complete a new quest, Datch noticed on his mini-map that a story quest had triggered near Titus. He teleported over to see what was happening.
"Nameless One!" Cailon reacted first and immediately bowed his head in respect to Datch.
"Nameless One Lord, beware—he is a traitor!" Gadriel, still pointing his gun at Titus, hurriedly shouted, trying to convey the truth to the Nameless One.
"I am not," Titus tried to retort. But at this moment, all the Astronomicans shouted in unison that he was a heretic.
Datch ignored the surrounding voices and instead focused his gaze on the crown of Astronomican master Neoma's head. At that moment, a red exclamation mark floated above the opponent's head.
[Astronomican Master Neoma is being controlled by the Thousand Sons Sorcerer Imra]
Datch suddenly laughed, silencing those around him. They could not understand why this respected Nameless One was laughing.
He offered no explanation. Instead, he took a handful of ash, gently blew on it, and said to Neoma, "Hey, brother, doesn't this look like the ashes after Prospero was burned?!"
With just one sentence, Neoma let out an ear-piercing scream. Immediately afterward, her voice completely changed.
"You fucking bastard, you will pay for your words."
The Changeling chuckled alone. It really is better to be happy with the Nameless One people. They never hold grudges overnight, and when they gain power they become even more ruthless.
Datch grinned and told the Changeling, "Find a way to catch that idiot. Let him be arrogant for now. Sooner or later he will pay the price. Our plan is complete. This sector will soon be ours."
Imra spat those bitter words and fled, leaving behind the corpse of Astronomican master Neoma.
At that moment, a mission panel appeared before Datch.
[Mission: Prevent the conspiracy of the Thousand Sons Sorcerer Imra. The other faction is plotting an evil scheme and intends to use Project Aurora to open a rift into Tzeentch's realm. You must stop them.]
[Quest Rewards: 1500 EXP, 1500 Points, Reputation +200, Power Stone ×1]
This time, surprisingly, I was able to issue quest without using NPCs.
Mission unlocked.
It seems the game has reached the mid-game. With the increase in quest volume, the developers released this feature to improve player experience. After all, many players don't like conversations.
Datch was very satisfied with this setting, as it allowed him to complete tasks much faster. The rewards this time were quite good too. Last time he had obtained the Infinity Gauntlet but lacked the gems. He had finally acquired his first Infinity Stone.
"Open Tzeentch's realm."
Datch looked at the mission description, a slight hint of excitement on his face. He had originally planned to use the Doom Summon Card for a Warp raid. But now it seemed there was a better use. For example, inviting the opponent to explore the Crystal Maze together would be nice.
…
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