Odamere looked at the troops emerging from the light.
The huge golden double eagle emblem was shining, full of a sacred atmosphere.
The suspended anti-gravity tank rumbled.
The huge railgun poured out its firepower.
Tear up everything in its path.
Dozens of huge, streamlined fighter planes flew across the sky.
They whizzed past, and countless shells fell to the ground, making a huge roar.
Then, they transformed into heavy Titans in the air.
The cannon beam in his hand roared down, sweeping across a large area.
The power weapons, shining with the light of destruction, emitted bright arcs of electricity, swept across, and turned most of the Tyranid creatures into pieces with one blow.
In just a few moments, the entire ground was covered with shattered skeletons.
Ground infantry wears heavily armored exoskeleton suits.
The shoulder cannon behind him continuously bombarded the enemies within sight.
The pulse laser gun in his hand fired at the small Tyranid creatures.
The strength of this team exceeded O'Dameier's imagination.
He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if this army was the opponent of the Blood Angels.
How long can the Sons of Sanguinius hold out
Odameier had no idea of defeating this army.
Those weapons were unlike anything he had ever seen before. They were far more powerful than those used by the Blood Angels Chapter.
The gap between them cannot be bridged by courage and sacrifice.
Wars are fought to the sound of trumpets.
When the horn sound reaches its peak.
A team of extraordinary warriors wearing various armors walked out of the light.
The only common decoration is the golden double-headed eagle on their heavy armor.
Each of them is so strong, the same kind as Odamiel.
He is a super soldier created by gene seeds and transformation surgery.
Odamere could clearly see that those warriors were larger in size and the oppressive feeling was more pervasive.
Obviously, they have been improved.
Stronger and bigger.
Those Zerg were no match for them at all.
Gaunt was ruthlessly crushed, and the Bug Saint Titan fell under their attack.
Those heavy beasts howled in despair one after another.
Soon, they cleared a large area.
These powerful warriors formed a team.
At the end, accompanied by the sound of war horns, a hero recorded in mythology appeared on the scene.
He was as majestic as a god, and his eyes revealed endless majesty.
A golden double-headed eagle was etched on the azure power armor, gleaming in the reflection of the artillery fire.
The iron cross halo behind it exudes a sacred glow.
So solemn.
So sacred.
So awe-inspiring.
Odamere watched the emergence of the child of myth.
The other party was not wearing a helmet, but only a beautiful laurel wreath carved entirely from pure gold on his forehead.
He showed his noble face,
A face that brings together all the miracles and light of the world, enough to make everyone offer eternal loyalty the moment they see it.
Throughout the history of mankind, there has only been one supreme monarch who is worshipped and revered by everyone.
And now, mankind is about to welcome another equally great figure.
As time passed, after struggling in despair for thousands of years, mankind once again gained a king who was trusted and loved by the people of the world.
Odameier was shocked and surprised.
As a priest of the Blood Angels, he naturally knew the other party's identity.
Lord of Ultramar, Primarch of the Ultramarines, Lord of Five Hundred Worlds, Sword of Unity, Commander of Hosts.
Now, he is also the Regent of the Empire, the Savior of Mankind, the Light of Redemption from the Darkness, the Leader in the Fight against Chaos, and the Heir to the Emperor's Will.
He has so many titles.
Each one represents his noble status and ability.
On the battlefield, humans were slaughtering the Zerg monsters one-sidedly.
Nothing can stand in the way of Guilliman's will, and those loyal warriors will crush everything without exception.
"Who is it, is it Horus?" The former Blood Angel hero, tortured by endless rage, roared through the speaker, "Taste my wrath. Listen, shameful traitors, I still stand, the Emperor is placing her hand on my shoulder, I am the embodiment of death."
"The Blood Angels never evolve. We are the embodiment of loyalty. We are eternal rage. Accept your punishment, traitor."
The sound of the Dreadnought was so loud, and the heavy body held a heavy grenade launcher on one side and a claw shining with arcs on the other.
The other soldiers of the Death Company also roared like wild beasts, echoing the fearless roar.
Those strong Primaris warriors had to control these Lost Ones after clearing out the Zerg to prevent them from accidentally hurting friendly forces.
"Don't try to control me, traitors." Faced with the goodwill of his friendly forces, Wu Fearlessly roared in rage and raised his weapon.
Odamere rushed over, trying to stop it from happening.
Just as the tragic scene of fratricide was about to unfold, Guilliman spoke.
His voice was sonorous, powerful and penetrating, and could be accurately transmitted to everyone's ears even on a chaotic battlefield.
"Lost people, recognize the enemy and yourself, do not be deceived by the rage, do not be fooled by the gods."
The sound pierced through the black rage like light, giving these lost souls a chance to breathe.
Casso, who was buried in the sarcophagus, stopped attacking.
He gazed upon Guilliman, recognizing the legendary hero.
"Holy Emperor, is this Lord Guilliman of the XIII Legion? Are our reinforcements here?" Caso twisted his heavy mecha body and looked at Odamiel who was rushing towards him. "My holy blood brother, look, our reinforcements are here. We are victorious, and Horus will be defeated. Our walls still stand, and our Holy Father will soar in the sky again. The reinforcements are here, just as they promised."
Casso's tone was full of excitement, like a child who got the candy he wanted.
Aldamiar looked sad, knowing that Guilliman had awakened some of the sanity in these people.
But they were lost, lost in endless rage and in the illusion of ten thousand years ago.
They believed they were still fighting on Terra, facing those hateful traitors.
"Yes, we won. Casso, we won the victory," said O'Dameier.
"We won, the Eternity's Gate stands." Kaso roared, and so did the other soldiers of the Death Company.
Guilliman's voice steadied the Death Company warriors, and Aldamere and several other Chaplains were able to lead them away from the battlefield.
The soldiers of the Death Company are a terrible nightmare to the enemy, but if they are not restrained, they will also become a nightmare to friendly forces.
The war is over.
The moment the great man arrived, it was announced that the end had come.
Guilliman walked towards the Castel Sant'Angelo, and Dante was shocked by the appearance of this son of myth.
But he was able to remain calm.
He hurried down with the Holy Blood Guard, saluted the Primarch, and welcomed him into the Castel Sanguine.
Tiles watched the noble man among the crowd, walking towards the Angel Castle accompanied by countless powerful warriors.
The other side smiled at all the civilians.
That smile was very sincere, without any falsehood.
Tiles had only seen that kind of smile on his own mother's face, which was an expression of infinite doting on the one he loved.
From that smile, Tiles made an absurd guess that would be impossible to convince anyone.
This great man loves everyone as he loves himself.
... ... ... ... ... .
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .
Most of the area outside Angel Castle has fallen into ruins.
Dante only defended the most core buildings.
If Guilliman had been slower, Dante felt that the last building might have been reduced to ruins.
Before convening a formal meeting, Guilliman chose to spend some time alone with Dante.
He needed some time to understand this legendary imperial hero.
They talked in the highest hall of Angel Castle.
From here you can overlook the wasteland covering hundreds of miles.
Imperial forces are still clearing out the last of the Zerg.
Millions of hooves and claws moved the sand dunes to flat land.
The desert is dotted with deep craters, formed when Tyranids impacted the surface.
The outlines of these pits will remain visible for centuries to come.
A large number of Zerg corpses lay in the desert, and the corrosive alien blood permeated every corner.
The blood prevented the sand from moving.
There will be no large-scale rainfall on the desert planet of Baal, which means that the blood will remain there for a long time.
The sand dunes will recover again after some time.
However, the Tyranid invasion will not be erased and will leave a lasting mark on Baal.
The buildings built around the Castel Sant'Angelo became ruins.
They bore the brunt of the Tyranid attack, being crushed by the heavy beast.
Many of the decorative statues had collapsed and were broken beyond repair.
Even on the Angel Bastion, the Tyranids left their mark, the cathedral was badly damaged, and not a single window of the Hermitage Castle was left intact.
Guilliman stood at the top of the Citadel, calculating how much time and resources it would take to transform Baal into a livable world.
This practice was not encouraged in the past.
The rulers of the empire prefer to invest resources in enjoyment and war, and they have never been keen on things like changing their living environment.
Guilliman didn't care what those fools thought.
He has his own opinions.
In a war that may last for an unknown period of time, developing the basic foundation is the most important thing.
Don't let your enemy lead you by the nose.
Don't try to achieve any strategic victory through blitzkrieg.
The reformed planet can continue to provide him with resources, manpower and talents.
The resources obtained from various worlds should be fed back to improve human survival and increase the population size and quality.
A person who has to give everything to choose once and a person who can choose countless times.
The winning rates are different.
The former cannot always be so lucky.
The latter can continue to try and error.
It is a smart strategy to let the empire continue to grow like a snowball.
Guilliman wants to rule the entire galaxy.
If necessary, he would like to have the entire universe.
Even to other universes.
As long as development keeps up, more backups mean more room for error.
Dante stood behind Guilliman and he did not speak either.
He gazed at the tall figure of the Primarch.
He had heard the story of the Primarch countless times since he was a child.
He always believed that those stories exaggerated certain attributes of the Primarch, thus making people believe in him more devoutly.
But you will only find out when you really come into contact with it.
In fact, those legends did not exaggerate anything.
The Primarchs possess extraordinary charisma and leadership skills, and they can make people submit to them from the bottom of their hearts.
The legendary stories surrounding Guilliman add a touch of divinity to him.
However, at this moment, Dante saw Guilliman's humanity.
It was as if the essence of humanity had been distilled a hundred times and injected into the giant's body.
It transcends humanity and becomes more human.
Guilliman is the perfect example of a holy human being in every way, save for a massive scar running across his throat.
After a few moments of silence, Guilliman broke it.
"My team of chroniclers have been hard at work creating a brief history of your illustrious career, and your deeds are too numerous to count."
Dante said: "Those are my duties, not worth mentioning. As long as there is an enemy of the empire alive, I will continue to fight to the last moment."
"Your loyalty is beyond doubt, Dante." Guilliman said with a smile, "You must continue to maintain such excellent qualities. The crisis of the Empire is still ongoing. The Imperial fleet is putting out fires everywhere, but those enemies always return again after we leave. I need the help of every loyal person."
"It would be a pleasure, sir," Dante said.
“Dante.” Guilliman’s tone became serious. “There are some things that I should give you some buffer time. But that would be impossible. The human empire does not have that much time. Every day wasted is at the cost of the sacrifice of those innocent people.”
"I dissolved the High Lords' Council and destroyed the old bureaucratic system. Half of them died, and the other half were thrown into the punishment camp. They were unwilling to give up power, so I could only help them do so."
"The old system is inefficient and bloated. It no longer meets my needs. For this reason, I have chosen a new system. Many people call this behavior treason. They say that I am trying to seize my father's position." Guilliman did not hide it. He looked at Dante.
The other party is the spiritual pillar of the Blood Angels Chapter.
The radical ideas of abolishing the High Lords' Council and comprehensively reforming the empire made many people dissatisfied.
This opposition stems from the inability to adapt to the new era and some of the original vested interests.
Dante was a hero of the olden days, possessing nearly unlimited glory and power.
Guilliman would have to ensure that the hero did not side with the opposition.
There was surprise in Dante's eyes, but he said nothing.
He had already seen the terrifying army outside.
It is not easy for the Primarch to control such a powerful army.
The magnitude of the reforms is probably far beyond his imagination.
Many old things have been abolished.
The stagnant empire came to life.
This is an incredible thing for an empire that is like the walking dead.
If you want to bring a dead tree back to life, you need to cut off the dead parts and allow the intact parts to grow again.
The same is true of the Empire.
Dante could imagine how much Guilliman had to cut off in order to have an army that was both technologically advanced and militarily powerful.
He guessed the will of the Primarch. If the Blood Angels were unwilling to accept those reforms, what kind of tough measures would the Primarch take
Guilliman stretched out his hand and slid it a few times, and several holographic projections appeared between the two of them.
Dante gazed at the holographic projections, which showed brand new warships and Primaris warriors, as well as a variety of weaponry.
"I admit that what I did was almost like treason. I abolished many traditional prohibitions and asked those people to make changes so that I could get a strong enough army. The gods are laughing wildly in the dark universe, aliens are eroding the territory of mankind, and everything is getting worse."
"In such a dark universe, there is no means that should not be used. As long as it can ensure the survival of mankind, I can do anything. Dante, now is the time to make a choice, embrace change or maintain tradition. I don't force you to be loyal to me, I just hope you won't become an obstacle. You can be a neutral person, and then live a happy life of an ordinary person with my efforts."
"Your father's bloodline is very powerful. They play an important role in my plan. The bloodline of Sanguinius will be strengthened, and new warships, new technologies, and new weapons and equipment will be obtained. With those, you can crush those bugs like ants. You are very important to them, Dante. You are their faith and the incarnation of Sanguinius in their eyes. If you stand on the opposite side of me, none of this will come true."
Dante looked at Guilliman. The other's eyes were very deep, hiding the wisdom of the entire universe.
He had seen how powerful Guilliman's army was.
Sweep everything.
Nothing can be their enemy.
The terrible Tyranids were shattered.
It was smashed into pieces like a piece of mud.
The shadow formed by the will of the hive was defeated, truly defeated.
This was something Dante had never seen before.
The Empire had never achieved anything like this.
In the past, successful battles against the Zerg were few and far between.
Not to mention repelling Tyrannosaurus.
After hesitating for a moment, Dante made his own decision. He looked at Guilliman and said sincerely, "I am confused and exhausted, but I will not be stingy in serving you. The universe is changing, and mankind has been stagnant for too long, like a pool of stagnant water. I agree with you, my lord. The empire needs some changes, and mankind needs some changes."
Guilliman placed his hands on Dante's shoulder armor and gave a reassuring smile.
"Thank you, Dante. You've saved me a lot of trouble and annoyance. After discussing this matter, we have to discuss something more secretive. We need to shut down all the equipment here and restore it to its original state."
Dante hesitated for a moment, but he did it anyway.
As the last buzzing sound slowly faded away, the highest level of Angel Castle was isolated in a wasteland without technology.
"This time, I came to Baal, in addition to saving you, I have another more important purpose. My brother, your holy father, Sanguinius was killed in the War of Horus. But that kind of killing was not that simple, his soul was broken."
"As Primarchs, we possess the essence of the Warp, we are immortal, and we can be resurrected constantly like demons. Some people's resurrection will take a long time, while others can be resurrected quickly. My brother, Vulkan, the Primarch of the Salamanders, can be reborn in just a few days, while others need longer."
"But no matter what, we will all be resurrected and walk the earth again. The other Primarchs have begun to slowly return, and they will gather on Terra in the final days of the war against the gods. However, something went wrong with your father, and his soul was shattered. Only by finding his soul can he be resurrected."
When Dante heard this, he froze in place.
After a moment, he spoke, hesitantly, not believing what he heard.
"Can it really be resurrected?"
Guilliman nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens."
If something unexpected happens, Guilliman will have to consider cloning Sanguinius.
After all, the system mission is there, and if there is no way to get Sanguinius back to Terra.
So what about his mission
The second stage gave him the technology and knowledge to build a subspace firewall.
But these are just defenses.
Humans need the means and power to attack.
"So what can I do about it?" Dante asked excitedly.
"The only known fragments are on the Vengeful Spirit and the Sanguinius mask on your head. I need to get it." Guilliman said, "These are the only places that know about the fragments of Sanguinius. As for the others, I am still looking for them and I believe there will be results soon."
"The planning for the Vengeful Spirit has already begun on Red Earth. Macragge's Honor will stop at Baal. The Blood God's will is watching here. Chaos will notice my arrival, but they won't notice my departure. Abaddon will get the wrong information, and when he launches an attack on Red Earth, that's when he will fall into the trap."
Dante could not hide his excitement.
Hearing that Sanguinius could be resurrected made it difficult for him to remain calm.
He took off the mask, revealing his old face, on which time had left traces.
Dante handed the mask to Guilliman and looked at him with anticipation in his eyes.
"Please bring him back, my Lord."
Guilliman nodded, and he turned to look outside of Baal, at the desolate places and the panicked people of Baal.
"Besides getting the Son of Sanguinius to accept reform. Dante, I have a secondary mission for you."
"What mission?" Dante asked.
"These planets are hell. For ten thousand years, you have recruited the strong and abandoned the weak. Perhaps you think this approach can make the empire's warriors stronger. But I don't think so. My brothers' fall stems from their arrogance towards mortals. They forgot why they fought. Honor and victory in war overwhelmed everything, and they ignored the voices of mortals."
"This is the root of their corruption. We have to understand why we fight, Dante. We fight to protect those who have suffered. Honor is just a by-product of this process. No one will willingly fight for a homeland that cannot be happy. People send their children to the battlefield, but suffer the ravages of the empire. This is wrong. We must abide by our duties. When we ask those people to give more, we must first give them more."
"The Mechanicum will assist you in changing the climate of Baal to make it habitable. People deserve happiness, not suffering. This is why we fight for it."
"I'll do it," Dante said.
Guilliman nodded. "Let us go out now. Those warriors and commanders are waiting for us. After that, I must leave secretly and return to the Red Earth. When Abaddon thinks I am still in Baal, he will show his arrogance and flaws. Then he will fail and we can get the soul fragment of Sanguinius."
... ... ... ... ... ..
... ... ... ... ...
In the shelter of Angel Castle, the morning sun brings a touch of warmth to this cold place.
The surviving mortals were placed here.
Everything they experienced during this period was enough to overshadow their first half of life.
They held weapons, operated cannons against the Zerg, and witnessed the Space Marines rushing to their deaths.
Witnessed a miracle happen.
A living Primarch saved Baal.
He is as perfect and powerful as the myths and legends.
Those who obeyed him were invincible, crushing the Tyranids that had driven Baal to despair.
People were talking to each other, and the noisy voices echoed in the hallway.
They only quieted down when several angels came over with their servants.
The armor of those angels gleamed as if there was no battle.
Their emblems are simpler and more primitive than those of the other angels.
They moved carefully among the poor refugees, afraid to step on them.
The power of the armor is so great that even an accidental injury is enough to cripple a person.
Behind them, uniformed human servants helped them.
Young children were picked out and taken away.
"What are you doing?" a man asked.
An angel stopped walking. "I have been ordered to conduct a comprehensive assessment of them. The Blood Regiment suffered heavy casualties. We need a new batch of blood. The Imperial Regent has brought new technology. He has lifted the ban. All the major regiments will expand to defend other human worlds."
Tiles was also singled out, and a white-robed angel saw the scar on his forehead.
"How did this come about?"
Tiles was a little scared. "An old, old injury. I participated in the Angel selection and fell. I have an old injury."
The angel held out his left arm.
A device caused the armor to expand, and small light-transmitting devices popped out from inside the armor.
The angel held Tiers' head, and purple light emanated from his fingertips.
The device hummed.
Tiles tried to act brave, but his lips trembled uncontrollably and his eyes were filled with tears.
"Child, you have some defects, but they can be repaired, and you will be qualified to become an angel. In the past, this was an impossible thing. But the Blood Chapter has been broken, and they need a lot of new blood. Lord Guilliman has brought brand new technology, which can minimize the crisis of becoming an angel. Congratulations."
Tils's face showed astonishment, and his frightened eyes lit up.
“Is this true?”
"Yes, child, no doubt about it," said the angel.
Tiles shed tears. How great it would be if his father were still alive so that he could share the joy at this moment.
Unfortunately, what is lost will never come back.
This is the cruelty of fate.
Everything can only move forward.
... ... ... ..
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .
At the meeting, Guilliman announced a number of reforms.
This shocked many surviving commanders.
Some people think it couldn't be more perfect.
Some people also think that this is an act of betrayal of the imperial way.
Dante stood up for Guilliman, which left many chapters with no choice but to accept it.
However, several chapters chose to leave on the spot as a protest against Guilliman's actions.
Seth, Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers, is one of them.
He roared angrily in the tomb under the Angel Castle, as if he wanted to summon the sleeping heroic spirits to put pressure on Guilliman.
When Dante came down, he was still very angry, roaring that this was a betrayal, a betrayal of the empire and the emperor.
"He brings salvation," Dante tried to convince an angry Seth.
"Today, he can change the system left by the emperor. After a while, what can you use to guarantee that he will not sit on the throne of the emperor?"
"He changed the Astartes, he changed the Adeptus Mechanicus, he changed the Imperial system, everything changed, all traces of the Emperor were erased, and he became the only voice in the Imperium," Seth roared.
"Lord of Bhaal, can you guarantee that he will never ascend the Golden Throne of Terra? Can you guarantee that he will never become the new Lord of Mankind?"
"Seth, your words are too radical. Anger should not control you. Use your reason to think about this matter." Dante said.
"This is my reason, Lord of Bhaal," Seth roared. "He will seize the position of the Emperor of Mankind. He will become the new Lord of Mankind. You will see, Lord of Bhaal, my words will come true one day."