"This is a trap." Anville, the Eldar prophet who had been assisting Calgar, spoke first.
After the Battle of Vigilante, Anville has been staying on the Victory Laurel, helping Calgar with strategies and is an important psychic force around Calgar to fight against chaos.
These days, Anville's strength and knowledge have barely earned him some recognition.
If he were not so arrogant, this recognition would be even deeper.
Unfortunately, arrogance is innate to the elves.
"Indeed, it is an obvious trap. Abaddon is not a reckless man. He is using himself as bait to lure me away from the Red Planet." Calgar nodded, agreeing with Anville's statement.
As he spoke, Calgar glanced at the actions of the many crew members on the bridge, and did not seem to be focusing all his attention on this.
The spacecraft enters the planned orbit
Entering calibration route
Defense permission granted
Keep steady, entering port
The voices of the machine slaves came out through the sound generators in their throats, echoing in the chaotic bridge.
The crew members were walking around, confirming and correcting various parameters for the Victory Laurel to dock in the designated orbit.
The system operator turns off the power to the workstation.
A maze of thin neural cables stretched out from the control consoles in front of each of them.
A data pipeline connecting their brain-computer interface to the ground.
The divine brain takes on most of the data calculations, but the most important commands are still decided by the crew.
The screen reflected a glow, and you could see that the operator's skin was almost transparent, with his dark pupils abnormally diffused, reflecting the data stream coming through the screen.
The transparent skin is caused by staying in the void for a long time.
Many crew members may not have many opportunities to go to the surface in their entire lives.
They are born in the void and die in the void.
Karga's voice was not loud, but it could penetrate the chaotic noises.
He placed his hands on the railing in front of him.
The servo structure of the bionic arm made a clicking sound, and the electronic prosthetic eye embedded in the eye socket also made a slight friction sound.
The Chaos traitor who had delivered Abaddon's words was thrown to the ground, guarded by several Primaris warriors.
The other person's body was extremely thin.
The evil psychic energy emanated from the dirty robe, making people feel disgusted and hateful.
Calgar waved his hand, signaling the Primaris warriors to take the traitor away.
There is only one end for him, and that is to be burned in the wrath of the great emperor.
"What are you going to do in the face of such a crude trick?" Anville asked, stroking the spirit bone scepter in his hand.
"This is a crude plot, but any trap requires bait, and Abaddon knows exactly what we want. It's a ruse, and it's our best chance to get rid of Abaddon."
"So far, this guy has caused the most terrible harm to the empire and is also the biggest threat to the empire." Calgar said in a deep voice, "The thirteen dark expeditions he launched against the empire have caused countless bloody storms and chaos each time, and are also the main reason for the Great Rift."
"Abaddon possesses top-notch strategies and mentality. He will lie dormant like a venomous snake, waiting for another opportunity. If we cannot get rid of him, the Empire will always be on guard. Once we relax, the venomous snake may take advantage of the situation again."
Anvil was silent for a moment before speaking, "So are you planning to accept the invitation?"
Calgar nodded. "Abaddon wanted to lead me away from the Red Planet, so I fulfilled his wish."
"Do you really want to duel with him?" Anville asked.
"No, I will not talk about any glory with those damned traitors. They deserve to die, forever. All we have to consider is how to make them die. As soon as Abaddon shows up, I will find a way to catch him and kill him. Between the future of the empire and personal glory, the former is always the most important."
"I will select a group of the most elite imperial warriors. They will be ready to teleport and attack at any time to ensure that Abaddon has no way to escape and that he dies beyond death. Of course, I also need your help in this matter, Anvil. I need the power of your Eldar."
"What can I do for you?" Anvil asked.
"Last time, Abaddon used sorcery to escape. This time, we must block all his escape routes and leave him with nowhere to escape. As soon as Abaddon appears, you must trap him and create the conditions for me to kill him."
Calgar took two steps, his strong heart beating in his body, and the surging blood carrying surging power flowed through his veins.
He breathed slowly, relaxed his mind, cleared his brain, and imagined Abaddon's evil plan once again, guessing the other party's vicious back-up plan beneath the appearance of this clumsy technique.
"I understand. I will have many Eldar priests perform a ritual blockade at that time." Anvil said, "Make sure that the location where Abaddon is located is blocked so that he can no longer escape with the help of witchcraft."
"This time, Abaddon will have no way to escape." Calgar said in a deep voice.
... ... ..
... ... ... ... ...
The lumen lights inside the battleship's corridor flickered.
False ghost shadows flickered and appeared everywhere.
Tentacles grew out of the flesh and blood all over the corridor, wriggling and swaying the slimy body.
Those malicious eyes peered at the passing crew members in the darkness.
The mouth with sharp fangs emitted an eerie whisper that echoed in the air and penetrated into everyone's mind, poisoning their thoughts and souls.
In the long corridor, there are more than a dozen incense burners shaped like animal mouths full of twisted fangs.
An automatic chanting machine hangs above.
As those blasphemous scriptures were chanted, a fragrance would come out of the beast's mouth.
The Word Bearers warriors emerged silently from the darkness.
The genetically enhanced body is wrapped in thick ceramsite armor.
The color of the armor is like solidified blood.
They walked forward in silence, breathing in the thick smoke.
Behind them, the cultists in dirty robes.
They hid their faces under their robes and followed their master.
These people were all skinny, but the fanaticism on their faces did not diminish in the slightest.
It is the greatest honor to serve the gods.
Giving everything to the gods is what every human being should do.
They firmly believe that they are on the right path.
Those fools who follow the Corpse King will one day realize that they can't change anything.
No one can shake the status of the gods.
What Guilliman did was just a dream.
The empire will eventually collapse, the corpse emperor will eventually die, only the gods will remain forever.
The Word Bearers entered the bridge and then took position around it.
They asked the cultists to go to the command seat where Erebus was and wait for him to wake up.
Prepare to use the sacrifice of the believers to awaken the sleeping Erebus.
At this moment, Erebus screamed in a way that was sometimes painful and sometimes excited.
Ever since that day, when he accepted the power of the terrifying being called Yog-Sothoth, Erebus has been in this state, half asleep and half awake.
Just like Horus of old.
The already distorted face became even more terrifying and hideous.
Twisted by the power of a god who came from nowhere.
Become deformed and run-down and messy, like the kind an alcoholic or drug addict would have.
Under the swollen eyelids, Tong Kong was twitching constantly.
Saliva flowed from between the sharpened teeth.
Erebus was tormented by endless nightmares.
Countless rays of light, the stars in the entire universe turned into eyes, watching everything.
Everything is contained within everything, and everything is watched from outside of everything.
There were no words to describe what he saw.
There are no words to describe the changes in his thinking.
That mark affected him.
He saw a truth more horrifying than anything the gods had revealed to him.
However, this is not the whole truth, but only a part of it.
In front of that horrible creature, he felt like a pathetic ant.
The other party doesn't need to take any action. Its mere existence is enough to drive everyone who sees it crazy and commit suicide.
Erebus felt like he was being dragged into countless dreams.
He lived in it for tens of millions of years.
From the birth of the universe to its destruction, his soul was infinitely stretched and thrown into the endless river of time.
He went back to when he had just become Erebus.
He watched as his younger self killed the real Erebus, took his identity, and became a sacrifice.
Watching the young man, I immersed myself in the faith of the gods and was excited that I had glimpsed the truth of the universe.
He watched his middle-aged self follow Lorgar to conquer the entire world and build worlds that believe in the Emperor. At the same time, he was also silently promoting the cause of the gods.
Countless reincarnations almost brought Erebus to the brink of collapse.
He felt like a plaything being pulled by the invisible thread of fate.
There is no force that can resist that kind of manipulation.
The malicious gaze that was fixed upon him constantly crumbled his will and dissolved his spirit.
Let everything he has collapse and be destroyed.
There were some strange creatures crawling in his dreams, gnawing at everything.
From one dream to the next.
They let out shrill, high-pitched laughs, celebrating the abundance of food they were able to obtain.
When Erebus woke up, he was on the verge of madness, attacking others with weapons like a madman.
He was tormented by nightmares and hallucinations.
It took him a long time to regain his composure.
But the bridge was already littered with corpses, and the bodies of the cultists were broken into pieces and scattered on the ground.
The Word Bearers warriors watched all this, fear and worry in their eyes.
Erebus's situation is getting worse.
No one knew what kind of horrible being the ritual had summoned.
Since that day, Erebus began to be slowly transformed.
Strange whispers echoed in his ears, so ethereal that it was impossible to determine the true source of those voices.
Even if one uses witchcraft to block one's senses, those voices will still appear.
When you are asleep, those sounds will appear in your dreams.
It's like a cancer that can't be gotten rid of.
Tentacles and scales grew on Erebus' body, and his orifices became longer vertically.
His thoughts became strange, and he wanted to break free from the constraints of the armor and roam freely in the void and the warp.
"My Lord, you are sleeping longer and longer." A Word Bearers warrior came out and said.
"I am lost," Erebus said. "The damned Abaddon made me a vessel. The being named Yog-Sothoth is no less powerful than the four Chaos Powers. Only the Primarch can perfectly withstand the power of that being."
"I must release this power as soon as possible, otherwise my sanity will collapse and my flesh and blood genes will become disordered and chaotic. Tell me, what arrangements has Abaddon made now? When will the attack be launched?"
"The troops are gathering in the warp, and the planet killer is ready. At the same time, Abaddon has also invited Calgar to a duel. He decided to lure Calgar away and then send troops to attack the Red Earth Planet."
"Such a clumsy plan really fits his stupid brain." Erebas said sarcastically, but then he thought of how he was forced by the other party to become a container of power, and suddenly he felt extremely angry.
If Abaddon hadn't had some value and been favored by the gods, Erebus would have wanted to kill this guy directly.
Unfortunately, the cause of the gods still needs Abaddon to promote it.
As long as the human empire exists, Abaddon's importance will always be there.
At this stage, no one can replace Abaddon in the Black Legion.
Once Abaddon dies, the Black Legion will collapse and fall apart.
By then, the situation will inevitably turn to the side of the Human Empire.
No one could organize a war as large as the thirteen Black Crusades launched by Abaddon before.
For this reason, Erebus could only endure.
Be patient until the other party completes the work of the gods.
By then, Erebus will definitely find a way to chop off that idiot's head.
"What shall we do now, Lord? Kor Phaeron attempted to seize power from you while you were asleep and lost. He declared to the Word Bearers that you were no longer capable of ruling over them."
A trace of anger appeared on Erebus's face. Damn Kor Phaeron. One day, this damn idiot will pay the price.
"Let that loser be arrogant for a while. When the time comes, I will let him know who is the most favored believer by the gods."
At this time, a Word Bearers warrior walked in.
"My lord, the Warmaster requests that you attend a war council aboard the Vengeful Spirit."
Erebus was silent for a moment, and finally decided to go to the Spirit of Vengeance.
He had to encourage Abaddon to launch an attack as soon as possible and release the power of Yog-Sothoth.
Otherwise, he would collapse before the empire did.
... ... ... ..
... ... ... ... ... ... ... .
The meeting hall of the Spirit of Vengeance was dark and intimidating.
Before the Sons of Horus Legion rebelled.
This is a place full of glory.
Noble people gather here to decide the fate of the galaxy.
At this moment, the Soul of Vengeance was filled with the stench of the Warp, and everything had changed.
Those ancient flags had long been tattered and stained with disgusting filth.
The former splendor of lights and pageantry has been replaced by traces of corruption and desecration.
The shutters on the dome of the hall were also closed because no one was maintaining them.
Light no longer streamed in from the great windows, only darkness remained.
All the furnishings were covered with thick dust and wriggling flesh.
The air was thick with the stench of sweat and rotten elk.
Many bones were scattered around the overturned instruments.
A shadow loomed in the corner of the meeting room.
No one knew whether it was a real shadow or some unspeakable horrible creature.
Abaddon sat on the throne.
In front of him were many high-ranking generals of the Black Legion.
The War Lord who commands all the followers of Khorne in the Black Legion - Urquissus.
The Black Legion has a huge number of Khorne followers, including a large number of Space Marines.
They are obsessed with hand-to-hand combat, using razor-toothed blades, chainsaws, power claws, or a variety of terrifying weapons to offer the most insane war for the Blood God.
Warlords such as Korda the Tyrant of Sarora and Zaghazin the Destroyer, who command all the followers of Slaanesh in the Black Legion.
These guys fanatically follow the will of Slaanesh, and every expedition will cause a horrific and bloody massacre in order to satisfy their twisted needs and complete the sacrifice to the God of Pleasure.
Of course, there are wizards who worship Tzeentch and scheming conspirators among them.
Their numbers are the rarest, yet their status is high.
Gifted prophets and fortune tellers form a core advisory group that is deeply trusted by the plunderers, assisting them in carrying out sinister and vicious conspiracies.
When Abaddon and Calgar were defeated in the battle on Vigilant Star, it was these wizards who used magic to rescue Abaddon.
Commanded by Warlord Skelak, the Heralds of Decay are staunch believers of the Plague God.
Nurgle's festering touch has left an indelible mark on these warriors.
They are Abaddon's plague bringers and heralds of disease.
Often before the Black Legion formally launches an attack, they spread infection and plague in the enemy camp to weaken the enemy's resistance.
All those who can gather here are prestigious figures in the Black Legion.
In order to completely destroy the Red Planet, Abaddon gathered them together and prepared to launch a large-scale war.
Abaddon sat in the main seat and looked at these ambitious war lords.
Every body was extremely distorted and horrible.
The evil power of chaos has completely polluted them.
These guys are cowards enough to bow down at the feet of the gods.
How sad.
Abaddon did not truly believe in the Chaos Gods.
This is also one of the main reasons why he has not yet ascended to a demon.
He would never become a servant of Chaos.
He is different from these servile fellows.
The gods were not his masters but his partners.
Allied against the Imperium and the Emperor.
They are equal to each other.
Abaddon saw the power of the Warp as little more than a tool to further his own personal ambitions.
He is, at heart, an Astartes Supremacist.
Since the Great Crusade, Abaddon has believed that the Astartes are the most powerful beings in the galaxy and that the Imperium of Man should be ruled by the Astartes.
Abaddon has always looked down upon cowards who kowtow before the gods and exchange their dignity and freedom for power.
If it weren't for the fight against the empire, he would never bother to associate with these guys.
"Calgar will be lured away. In order to hold him back, I need to leave the Legion temporarily. The rest of the matter is up to you." Abaddon looked at everyone. "Once the Red Planet is destroyed, the countdown to the destruction of the human empire will begin. No matter how much Guilliman does, it will be in vain. This is our best chance. Once we miss it, there will be no more."
"Even if Calgar leaves, the defense of the Empire's troops cannot be underestimated. Those damn guys have obtained new technology. Even with the blessing of the Dark Gods, we may not be able to capture the Red Earth Star." Huron, the Lord of the Red Pirates who occupied the Great Vortex, pointed out the problem.
Out of hatred for the Empire, the Lord of the Red Pirates, Huron, also joined the battle against the Red Planet.
Once successful, the empire will enter the countdown to destruction, and his long-cherished ambition will be realized.
Huron was once the Chapter Master of the Astral Claws stationed in the Great Vortex, a noble and loyal warrior of the Empire. Unfortunately, he later chose to corrupt himself and secretly hoarded taxes from the Empire to expand the Chapter and his own power.
The Great Vortex is located at the intersection of the subspace and the physical universe in the Ultramarine, and is second only to the Eye of Terror in size.
After his defeat at Badab, he was besieged by the loyalist Astral Phantoms.
Half of the body was destroyed by the molten shock wave.
He underwent mechanical transformation in the Great Vortex and named himself Blackheart Huron, implying that he would never forget the harm caused to him by the Empire.
As time went on, Huron possessed an extremely powerful force and became one of the most important entities in the galaxy.
The addition of Blackheart Huron made the troops attacking Red Earth much stronger. The attack on the Cardia Fortress World was not so terrifying.
"Then let us destroy them directly with our swords and fists, and use their blood and souls to please the great Blood God." said Equisos, a follower of Khorne.
"A bunch of reckless men." Ashur, the wizard and void prophet of the Spirit of Vengeance, said mockingly.
As a follower of Tzeentch, he has always been fond of mocking the barbaric followers of Khorne who do not know how to use wisdom.
"You are just a scheming idiot." Erquisos roared, standing up and pointing his chainsaw sword at Ashur.
The chainsaw sword had long been stained red with blood, emitting a pungent smell of blood.
That is the symbol of killing and tyranny of Equisos.
"I don't mind teaching some brainless guys a little lesson, letting them know that many things in this universe cannot be solved with an axe." Ashur sneered and rubbed the skull scepter in his hand. Gems of various colors were inlaid on the scepter, reflecting the firelight in the meeting hall.
"Let's fight." Slaanesh's follower, the Tyrant of Sarora - Korda also spoke up, "Only victory can prove who is right."
"That's enough. Stop fanning the flames, Korda." Abaddon said tiredly, "Our mission is to destroy Red Earth, not to discuss who is more powerful. Who will take on the task of breaking through the Red Earth fortress and become the vanguard of this operation?"
"The warriors of the Blood God are ready." Erquisos roared loudly, "We will not hide behind like the other gods, the bastards, and let those bastards and their gods roll back to the warp, a bunch of incompetent and useless gods with a bunch of incompetent and useless followers."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the meeting hall drew their weapons.
Many war lords looked at Equisos with anger.
Such remarks humiliate them and also humiliate the gods behind them.
Equisos's expression did not change at all, and he did not care about the angry looks of others.
On the contrary, he looked at the war lords with a provocative look.
Want to fight with them.
Equisos couldn't wait to present a hearty bloody feast to the Blood God.
The Blood God craves war and bloodshed.
She never cared who bleeds.
"That's enough, Equisos. Stop making any more provocative moves." Abaddon stood up and looked down at Equisos with danger in his eyes.
He couldn't allow the Black Legion to fight among themselves at this moment.
Guilliman went to the Baal system. This was their last chance. Once they missed it, there would be no future.
The War Marshal's anger made everyone suppress their anger.
Even though Abaddon lost to Calgar.
But his strength is still unmatched by others.
There will be no good consequences if you anger him, and you may even be killed.
After intimidating these guys, Abaddon turned his gaze towards the Iron Warrior who had been silent.
There sat several Iron Warriors Warlords, with Honsou as their leader.
Perturabo was captured by Guilliman.
Several warsmiths fought a fierce battle, and Honso finally won and took the power vacated by Perturabo.
Hong Suo participated in this war in order to completely defeat the human empire.
Only then would there be a chance of saving Perturabo.
Hong Suo is a mixed-race, contradictory individual.
His gene-seed comes half from the Iron Warriors and half from the Imperial Fists.
Even a three-year-old child in the Alien family knows the hatred between the Imperial Fists and the Iron Warriors.
It is conceivable how much trouble such an identity has brought to Hong Suo.
"Iron Warriors are the best siege masters. Perhaps you can bring us some surprises."
After hearing Abaddon's words, Hong Suo turned his gaze and opened a holographic projection.
An image showing the Red Earth's fortifications appeared out of nowhere.
The data is very detailed, and includes the names of each corps.
Obviously, this is information leaked from within the empire.
The various departments of the empire have already implemented very strict personnel reviews.
Unfortunately, there are endless traitors.
Especially a world like Red Earth, which is close to the Great Rift and is constantly affected by the subspace.
There will always be people who succumb to their desires and become minions of Chaos.
From the hands of those traitors, the Black Legion was able to grasp the movements of the Imperial forces and the defense system of the Red Planet.
"Red Earth has the most advanced fortress shield in the Empire, a void shield defense network composed of multiple layers of lens-shaped shields. It covers the entire planet. This shield is different from a standard void energy dome. The dome only has one layer of spherical or hemispherical structure protection. This lens-shaped shield is composed of multiple independent components, just like a wall made of shields. Each shield is an energy lens, and each shield overlaps on other shields. When one of the shields fails, the entire shield will only expose a small hole. And the overlapping shields will cover this small hole."
"With our firepower, it is impossible to destroy them layer by layer. When the second layer is destroyed, the first layer of shields will reappear. Calgar attaches great importance to the Red Earth Star. He has assembled a large number of Mechanicus personnel to work non-stop in various hive worlds of the Red Earth Star to ensure the normal operation of all shields. The multiple redundant networks used to prevent shield failure have reached the full system level. If we rely on normal brute force, it will be difficult for us to win."
"Then let us land directly and lead our warriors in a glorious charge towards the city walls." roared Equisos.
Hong Suo smiled and taunted mercilessly, "You will be wiped out in the process of descent. Chidi Star has a large-scale air force. Their weapons and equipment are all new. The latest Thunderbird amphibious fighters have reached 300. There is also a large-scale mobile defense force that can support the world within 5 minutes using transmission technology. Even if you are lucky enough to land on the surface of Chidi Star, you will find yourself surrounded by a large-scale force within 5 minutes. Those Titans will blow everything in your area into molecules within a few minutes."
"So what you mean is that it is impossible for us to conquer the Red Earth?" Erebas asked with a frown.
Hong Suo looked at Erebas and said, "I am just telling you how tight the empire's defenses are on the Red Earth Star."
"Then can we conquer the Red Earth Star, and how should we conquer it?" said Korda, the tyrant of Salora.
"My genetic father once said a wise saying, every wall has a weakness, no matter what material is used to build it, stone, steel or dancing light, it will exist in a weakness. The defense wall of Red Earth created by the Empire with countless new technologies also has its fatal weakness."
"Human technology is based on the laws of physics, but the warp does not follow the rules of reality. The Empire has the advantage of the real world, while we have the advantage of the warp. If we can distort the laws of physics where the Red Earth is located, we can create a chance for us to win."
"Can we do it? Distort reality so that we can attack the Red Planet." Abaddon looked at the Void Prophet - Ashur.
The latter nodded, and the projection emerged as he waved his hand.
Surrounding the Red Earth Galaxy, eight coordinates were marked in the void.
It formed a chaotic octagonal array diagram superimposed on the Red Earth Galaxy.
"In the past, no matter what we did, we could not distort such a large star field. But with the emergence of the Great Rift, the power of the ether has filled the entire universe, and the Red Earth Star happens to be located near the Great Rift. Even if it has an anti-subspace force field, we can distort the entire galaxy through this ritual."
"The more blood we can spill, the more distortion fields we can form, and the immortal demon army will be able to set foot on the Red Earth Star and completely destroy this planet."
"Then do it this way. Use the advantages of the warp to defeat the Empire's defenses." Abaddon looked at everyone present, with a hint of danger in his eyes. "I don't care what grudges you have in private, but this is a critical moment. You must unite to face the outside world. Otherwise, don't blame me for blaming you for the failure."
"As long as we destroy the Red Earth Planet, the Empire will enter the countdown to destruction, and our expectation of ten thousand years will be realized. Invading Terra and killing the Corpse King is just around the corner."
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ...
"According to the news from the Great Sage of Domination, the lighthouse project has reached more than half of its completion. Even without the Emperor's Astronomican, the Holy Borders of the Empire can still be navigated normally. On the dark side of the Empire, the construction of lighthouses in the Baal Galaxy and several other important galaxies has also entered its final stages. By then, even without the Nachmond Corridor, we will be able to safely cross the Great Rift."
"I see."
"Then, sir, do you need to deploy troops from other places to support Red Earth? According to the information received by the astropath and the scenario predicted by the fortune teller, an unimaginable war will break out on Red Earth. The Black Legion is likely to go all out and destroy Red Earth with all its might."
"In front of the Lighthouse Project, the Red Earth Planet is irrelevant, and the Nakmond Corridor is also irrelevant."
"Then why did you let Calgar defend the Red Earth Planet at all costs?"
"Abaddon misunderstood because of Calgar's emphasis on it. He set his sights on the Nachmond Corridor, thinking that he could inflict heavy damage to the empire in one fell swoop. The Red Earth Planet is insignificant, but it can make the blood of the traitors flow under the walls of the Red Earth Planet. They want a victory, so we should use victory as bait in the noose and let them try to grab it."
Then we should gather more troops, make a concerted effort, and destroy the enemy with overwhelming force."
"No need. The Red Earth Star has enough troops. If we show too much strength, those traitors will easily escape. War is also about human nature. If you always let them be just a hair's breadth away from success, they will continue to invest troops. You can call this strategy the Pinduoduo strategy, a strategic idea that plays with human nature to the fullest."
Guilliman gazed at the endless starry sky outside and spoke with his back to Sicarius.
"The Pinduoduo strategy?" Sicarius asked in confusion, "I have never seen this strategy in any battle book or case. What does it mean, sir?"