The Emperor placed five Chapters of the First Legion Astartes, the Sixteenth and Nineteenth Legions of the Thunder Warriors, and a squad of fifty Psykers under Morningstar’s command.
Their mission was simple—assault, assault, and more goddamn assault.
This unit had to do everything in its power to launch a frontal assault to tear a hole for the subsequent main force, while also bearing the responsibility of testing the enemy’s hidden cards.
Morningstar’s tactics were simple: with the fifty Psykers at the center of the formation, the Astartes and the Sixteenth Legion of the Thunder Warriors would serve as the main force to break into the enemy lines, ensuring the Psykers’ range could cover the entire formation, while the Nineteenth Legion of the Thunder Warriors would handle flanking and pincer maneuvers to provide cover for the main force.
Morningstar herself would be at the very tip of the formation, shredding all enemies, and the ten Custodes responsible for protecting her would also participate in this operation.
At dawn, Morningstar gave her final pre-battle mobilization speech.
“At this moment, I don’t think I need to say anything more.
I have only one question: are you willing to present this victory to The Emperor and the Imperium?”
Every Astartes and Thunder Warrior present shouted with excitement: “For The Emperor!”
Morningstar had wanted to ask for a long time; she truly didn’t understand what kind of special charm The Emperor and the Primarchs held for humanity.
Normally, when she walked down the street, it was like a celebrity appearance, and she could even see people crying just from seeing her—and she didn’t even have a Psyker filter.
The Thunder Warriors and Astartes were even worse, living like ascetic monks with a 24/7 schedule yet remaining so fanatical toward Morningstar and The Emperor.
Morningstar decided that she would definitely change the military’s culture in the future.
“Move out!”
…Alpharius walked at the very edge of the unit, occasionally stealing glances toward Morningstar’s direction, but the dense layers of the crowd were impenetrable, and Alpharius could see nothing.
“Brother, are you from our Chapter?
I’ve never seen you before.” The Astartes beside Alpharius suddenly spoke.
“I’m a new recruit who arrived yesterday—Sada, brother.” Alpharius lied skillfully.
“Oh, sorry, there really have been a lot of new recruits these past few days.
I’m telling you, word is that a few new recruits have caught the Eldest Princess’s eye lately.
Do you think it’s possible for me…”
Alpharius was about to lose it.
He had never seen such a talkative Astartes, and when did his sister ever favor new recruits?
That was all him, okay?
What are you fantasizing about?
“Silence.”
The Chapter Master spoke in a low voice, and that Astartes fell silent.
Suddenly, Alpharius looked forward as if sensing something; at the same time, all Astartes received the command—the operation had begun.
Efficient as machines, all Astartes and Thunder Warriors deployed exactly as planned.
The Bolters in their hands fired continuously at the surrounding enemies.
In the center of the Astartes was the squad of fifty Psykers, chanting incantations to form a massive barrier.
The psychic attacks launched by the Ursh Empire’s army vanished without a trace, like mud into the sea.
At the very front, Morningstar was like a tiger slaughtering a flock of sheep.
The Primarch’s offensive was bold and wide, fast as lightning.
Her twin swords swept through like a gale, leaving behind only severed limbs and broken bodies.
Unlike Morningstar’s elegant appearance, her offensive style sought only simplicity and efficiency, caring only about how to kill the most enemies in the shortest time with the least cost.
Morningstar’s expression was chilling, her eyes reflecting a cold light.
Her wings beat as she took to the air, diving down like a falcon.
Her twin swords were raised above her head, and a massive device in the enemy ranks was sliced in half by Morningstar before it could even be activated.
The surrounding enemies let out angry roars, but in the next instant, they were shredded by Morningstar’s twin swords.
The Primarch’s power boiled in her blood; the endless enemies were nothing more than dust that could be brushed away at will.
In the next moment, psychic blasts headed straight for Morningstar.
It turned out she had exceeded the protection range of the psychic barrier and was now exposed to the endless offensive.
An instant later, a scene straight out of myth appeared.
Morningstar raised her twin swords and batted a psychic attack back with the flat of her blade.
The reflected psychic attack exploded with powerful force among the enemies.
It wasn’t over; thousands of psychic attacks were still on their way.
Morningstar swung her twin swords incessantly, creating a barrier of blade-light before her.
If someone were to measure it with the most cutting-edge technology, they would be shocked to find that the tips of her swords had reached one-thousandth the speed of light.
Morningstar swatted back one psychic attack after another.
Ten seconds later, she stood in the center of the battlefield; the surroundings were devastated, yet not a single enemy remained.
Morningstar’s gaze remained chilling.
For some reason, she felt a sense of unease—or rather, she had felt it since the start of the battle.
Morningstar’s precognition could only see two seconds into the future; while extremely helpful in combat, she simply could not see further ahead.
Suddenly, Morningstar let out a desperate shout: “All Thunder Warriors, retreat!
Now!”
Too late.
Like a knife slicing through space, a massive rift appeared before everyone.
It was a Warp portal.
Through that gate, Morningstar saw a pair of massive, crimson eyes.
In the next moment, a large group of twisted monsters surged out of the portal.
Upon closer inspection, they also bore the insignias of the Ursh Empire.
Well, the situation was now clear.
Why did the Ursh Empire stand tall on a Terra teeming with powerful enemies?
Because it was backed by the chaos gods.
With the appearance of these twisted monsters, a massive surge of bloodlust and violence arose in the hearts of all Thunder Warriors present.
Their chaos resistance was far inferior to that of the Astartes; when these foul powers from the Warp appeared, they were particularly susceptible to their influence.
“Didn’t you hear my command?
Quick, all Thunder Warriors, withdraw!”
Morningstar gritted her teeth and dove from the air toward the group of crimson filth.
The Custodes, who had finally fought their way to her side, silently attacked the new enemies.
Alpharius watched Morningstar’s back.
He had never seen his sister lose her composure like this.
He raised his Bolter and fired fiercely at an enemy lunging toward him.
Strangely, the bolt shells didn’t display the power they should have; a shell blasted a large hole in the enemy’s forehead, yet the creature still lunged at Alpharius.
What on earth is this?
Alpharius pondered, calmly drawing his Chainsword to decapitate the enemy.
As the Thunder Warriors withdrew from the battlefield, the pressure on the Astartes increased sharply.
Unexpectedly, the Psykers’ psychic barrier seemed to have some effect against these troublesome enemies.
The Chapter Masters immediately ordered their troops to guard the Psykers in the center and move toward Morningstar’s position.
Morningstar roughly understood why The Emperor wanted all of humanity to break free from the Warp.
As she fought these monsters reeking of blood, she felt a deep-seated revulsion.
This wasn’t just a physiological reaction, but a heartfelt hatred for these Warp abominations.
Morningstar’s psychic energy coated her twin swords.
The already extremely long blades grew even longer, eventually reaching a length of five meters.
This extremely disproportionate length would be troublesome for any swordmaster, yet Morningstar began to spin like a dancer.
The surrounding Custodes moved away from Morningstar.
At this moment, she was like a massive rotating blade.
The enemies surging like a tide were ground to pieces by the blades; like a scythe through wheat, the crimson army fell in swaths.
When the last crimson filth was sliced in two by Morningstar, she spoke again: “Everyone, retreat!
Fast!”
She stared intently at the rift—that Warp gate that had been quiet until now.
A pair of massive hands reached out from the gate and tore the rift even wider.
A massive monster stepped out.
It had skin as crimson as blood, with hideous armor attached to it.
Demon-like wings grew from its back, and its lower limbs were like horse hooves.
In one hand, it held a strange battle-axe, and in the other, a chain ending in a massive hammer.
The monster had a hideous, terrifying face and strange horns, and every breath it took was filled with the smell of hot sulfur.
It stepped out of the gate, raised its battle-axe high, and roared at the sky.
“Blood for the Blood God!”
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”