The remaining three World Eaters saw this, and astonishment showed on their faces.
Blessed by the gods, they were the strongest warriors in this universe.
The power armor they wore was empowered by Chaos; even a heavy bolter could not kill them with a single shot.
What was that shotgun in the other party’s hands made of? Its power was so great that one shot had knocked down their comrade.
“That’s it? I hadn’t even used any strength, and you already fell.”
Dutch raised his gun, blew the smoke from the barrel, looked toward the other Chaos warriors, and shouted, “You lot, hurry up and come court death.”
The World Eaters exchanged glances, then spread out and surrounded Dutch.
Bang!
Another World Eater was sent flying, likewise reduced to a bloody mess, dead on the spot.
However, just as Dutch tried to fire a second shot, one World Eater had already charged up to him.
With a swing of the chainaxe in his hand, he cleaved off Dutch’s hand, and blood sprayed out.
Virtual games all had protective mechanisms, so Dutch could only feel level-two or level-three pain.
Even having his arm chopped off had little effect on him; he could still move normally.
Dutch’s expression did not change. He hacked the chainsword in his hand at the other party’s head, splitting his skull open.
In the next second, a chainsword pierced through Dutch’s chest from behind and took his life.
“Damn it, just a few small fry, and I still had to die once.”
“Is simple mode still too hard for me?”
“I’m seriously too trash!!”
With a flash of brilliant light, the resurrected Dutch cursed as he used the chainsword in his hand to chop off that World Eater’s head.
Before the other party died, he stared at Dutch with a face full of disbelief.
Hadn’t he just killed this guy?
After killing four World Eaters, Dutch looked around.
Whenever he discovered enemies, he immediately ran over to support the others, the shotgun in his hands booming again and again.
Half an hour later, Creed and the others arrived at the evacuation point. It was a ruined harbor.
Large numbers of transports were constantly taking off and landing, ferrying the Imperial citizens who had fled there to the ships in orbit.
[Congratulations, you have completed the mission. Castellan Creed and the accompanying soldiers and civilians have successfully entered the evacuation point.]
[Rewards obtained: 600 experience points, 600 points, Reputation +20, Ripper’s Oath Chainsword *1]
A green-quality chainsword appeared in the game warehouse.
Dutch equipped this new piece of gear.
This chainsword also had a blessing affix.
Execution Mark: Attacking the same target will stack layers of “Execution.” Once fully stacked, the next attack will deal massive true damage and directly trigger a dismemberment effect.
Creed walked up to Dutch, his tone sincere. “Thank you…”
Before he could finish, Dutch interrupted him.
“Skip, skip. What’s the next mission?”
Creed: “…………”
The Castellan’s heart was filled with confusion, but now was not the time to talk about such things.
“Angel of the Emperor, the world of Cadia has shattered. Survivors from everywhere are heading toward the evacuation harbor. Please help us hold this place.”
A screen of light appeared.
[Mission: Defend the Evacuation Point]
[The Chaos daemon army is sweeping across the shattered Cadia. Only the evacuation point can allow the survivors to reach the ships in orbit. Please hold this place until everyone has safely evacuated.]
[Mission Rewards: 700 experience points, 700 points, Reputation +30, Hades-pattern Terminator *1]
“Hold the evacuation point?”
Dutch swept his gaze around the harbor, his brows tightly furrowed.
The harbor had withstood several rounds of attacks and was already dilapidated beyond recognition. Deep craters left by shells were everywhere.
How could such crude fortifications withstand the assault of the Chaos army?
He had to think of a way to repair it and try to make it last a little longer.
Dutch opened the shop and searched for construction-type items.
Very quickly, he found one he could afford.
[Item: Mithril Pickaxe (1 day), a pickaxe forged from mithril containing mysterious power.
Effect: Greatly increases gathering efficiency; can rapidly gather/destroy most buildings and rocks.
Evaluation: Let us dig all the way into the depths of the earth together.]
“First build a defensive line, then dig a trench.”
Dutch took out the mithril pickaxe and struck those abandoned buildings, obtaining construction materials.
Before long, the charred and sturdy buildings were knocked into neat cubes one after another, which he stored in the game warehouse.
The Imperial soldiers and civilians who had evacuated to the harbor saw this scene and were so shocked their mouths would not close.
What was going on?
Was this the Emperor’s mighty power?
In only a short while, the damaged buildings in the harbor had all been broken down by Dutch.
Immediately afterward, he ran to the outskirts of the harbor to dig earth.
With one swing of the pickaxe, one cubic meter of soil was dug away.
In just a few minutes, he had dug out a trench five or six meters deep and seven or eight meters wide, enough to stop heavy vehicles from advancing.
Finally, Dutch piled the earth he had dug out together with the building blocks to construct a city wall.
Creed watched the entire process as Dutch built a sturdy defensive line at an astonishing speed, and the shock in his heart was like raging waves.
Moreover, he truly could not understand it. Dutch clearly had not used any adhesive, so why were those blocks able to stick so firmly together?
“Emperor above, what kind of angel have You sent us??”
…………
In the void around the planet Cadia,
in order to guard the orbital control over the Elysion Plains region, the Imperial fleet was engaged in battle with the Chaos fleet.
The towering Phalanx, relying on its terrifying firepower, destroyed every Chaos warship that dared to approach. But the enemy’s offensive was growing more and more ferocious.
The other warships had no choice but to leave its protection and push the battlefield outward, buying the Phalanx a chance to conduct repairs and replenish its turret ammunition.
The Dictator-class cruiser Hand of Satarel came under concentrated fire from Chaos warships.
Its void shields overloaded, its stern was hit, and raging flames billowed out.
Inside the bridge, urgent alarms rose one after another, and crimson lights spun at high speed.
“Today is the hour in which we go to our deaths.”
“May all your souls return to the side of the great God-Emperor.”
“Here, I, Locke Hardsteel, offer you all my sincerest apologies. I am sorry that I could not fulfill my promise and bring you home.”
Captain Locke, his face resolute, stood on the bridge command platform. His voice was cold as he addressed the entire ship.
“Our void shields have been breached. There is absolutely no possibility of survival. Now, concentrate all energy into the propulsion engines, lock onto the hostile target, and advance at full speed.”
“May the God-Emperor protect us. May humanity be eternal.”
All the crew silently placed their hands over their chests and made the sign of the aquila.
May the God-Emperor protect us. May humanity endure forever.
Five minutes later, every Imperial warship received the report.
The Dictator-class cruiser Hand of Satarel rammed the enemy ship Blood of Brass. The entire ship died for the Imperium.
Sacrifice was the cornerstone of the Imperium, and the sacrifice of the Hand of Satarel was only the beginning.
The remaining warships had to hold on until all ground forces had evacuated.
………………
Planet Cadia, Elysion Plains.
A force composed of the Black Templars, the Sisters of Battle, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and others was rushing toward the evacuation point with all their might.
“I should not have listened to that xenos and entered the Cadian battlefield. This was an exceedingly foolish decision.”
On the road to the evacuation point, Belisarius Cawl constantly reflected on his own stupidity.
He was not enraged because his own life might be threatened, but because this action endangered an oath ten thousand years in the making.
In order to awaken the Emperor’s thirteenth son, the Lord of Ultramar, Roboute Guilliman,
he had spent ten thousand years creating the Armor of Fate. Once it was delivered to the world of Macragge, this son of the Emperor could be revived.
But when he was excavating relics on the planet Eriad VI, he had been told the truth of the blackstone material by the Harlequin Shadowseer, Sylandri Veilwalker.
As a result, his confidence had swelled, and thinking himself capable of resolving Cadia’s crisis, he had eagerly come running over.
Now, the situation had collapsed. If he could not leave safely, what he would betray would not merely be his own life, but the hope of the entire human race.
Cadia had fallen, the galaxy had been torn open, and without the command of a Primarch, human civilization would inevitably be utterly destroyed.
Saint Celestine, shrouded in the Emperor’s light, flew through the sky, keeping watch against the Chaos daemon army.
She knew very well that Abaddon would soon return. The Despoiler, empowered by the Dark Gods, was not someone she could contend with.
“Emperor above, what the hell is that?”
Black Templars Marshal Marius Amalrich, walking at the very front, looked at the towering walls and the ravine more than ten meters deep at the evacuation point, his eyes going wide.
The harbor had left only a single road leading to the main gate.
And at the end of the road, a Space Marine clad in unpainted power armor stood on high ground with a chainsword in hand, looking down, like a dutiful guardian.