Page 139
Page 139
“There is a way.” Danteok’s expression was serious. “I heard that not long ago, you gathered the chief think tanks of thirteen warbands and forcibly weakened a planet-level orc field with orc warlords, and also directly killed most of the psionic individuals within it.”
"you mean......."
"Yes, the same method works just as well on the evil magic of chaos."
Danteok nodded, but the next moment, a helpless look appeared on his face.
"However, according to my calculations, it is very difficult to achieve such an effect by simply relying on the existing number of think tanks."
"Moreover, the consequences of such a ritual failing would be severe, with the think tank members suffering serious injuries or even death on the spot. The resulting psionic chain reaction could even affect other psionicists within the fleet."
"Even if we successfully break the barrier enveloping Galmec, the enemy fleet will certainly disregard the difference in strength and gather together to fight us to the death, in order to stop our orbital bombing."
The two people present fell silent after hearing Danteok's words.
Danteok's meaning is simple: his plan is essentially a gamble.
Success! They broke the enemy's barrier on the planet, defeated the enemy fleet, and orbital bombardment can directly help them launch a powerful auxiliary attack on the enemy.
However, if they failed, not only would they lose most of their psionic units, but they would also have to send in ground troops to be ground into pieces by the enemy's deep fortifications.
They don't have much time. Every hour they delay increases the chances that the enemy will complete the ritual, tear reality apart, and summon Angron and the Khorne army into the world.
They... have no choice but to gamble.
Lin Qi could only try to increase his leverage.
"Dantiok, according to your estimate, how many think tank members would we need to break the barrier without too much risk?"
Danteok frowned slightly and began to calculate in his mind. Soon, he obtained a rough estimate.
"We need at least one-third of the current number of think tanks."
"Leave the think tank issue to me. You and Horus go and discuss some details of the upcoming operation."
Lynch said, and then summoned Hoffman.
"What are your orders, sir?"
"Help me contact those spirit race members and tell them it's time for them to officially contribute."
Chapter 170 The Great Emperor
To be honest, Caesar hated the years spent traveling in the Warp.
The confined space of the ship created an indescribable sense of oppression. Everyone on board tried their best to maintain the bare minimum of activity. The only noise available, besides the cold electronic voices from the broadcast system, was the prayers of the ship's priests and believers. During this time, Caesar could do very little—meditate and sleep in his room, and go to the training room to find his combat comrades or fighter servants to check on his weapons—two repetitive and utterly monotonous tasks.
However, recently, in addition to the two things mentioned above, he has one more thing to do.
That was to go to the dormitory where the Xingyu Choir was staying and chat with someone I had just met.
The Star Speakers are a miserable bunch—at least that's how Caesar sees them.
These psychics underwent brutal selection and training to obtain this status, and in return, in addition to mental torture, most of their bodies developed varying degrees of mutations. Most of these mutations were not benign; blindness was the most common, but there were many more that made these people no longer resemble humans.
Stopping at the doorway, Caesar took a deep breath and then knocked.
A minute passed, and the door remained closed. Caesar narrowed his eyes, reached out, and knocked on the door once more.
Then came the long three minutes.
Just as Caesar was losing patience and deciding to use his authority to force the door open, Astartes' senses allowed him to successfully hear a slight sound coming from behind the door.
Caesar sighed helplessly, but still lowered his hand from the doorknob and waited quietly at the door.
Ten seconds later, the door opened. A girl whose eyes were covered by a long strip of white silk appeared behind the door. The girl wore a long dress similar to the silk strip, and was barefoot, her feet touching the cold, un-carpeted floor of the room.
Caesar glanced at it without making a sound, and then took out the data panel that he had been tucking into his left arm.
"Sylvie Van Perst".
The girl's ears twitched slightly, and then a smile appeared on her beautiful face.
"Caesar, why are you in charge of the security review again today?"
"I'm in charge this week. What? Do you have a problem with that?"
"How could I dare to have a problem with a noble angel?" Even so, the girl named Sylvie stuck out her tongue at Caesar and made a face. "Am I the last one?"
Caesar nodded, but then realized something and spoke.
"Yes, you're still the last one. Your room is the last one, so you'll always be the last one."
"Hehe... Okay, stop standing there like an idiot, come in and sit for a while."
Sylvie stepped aside, making way for him to enter the room. Caesar crouched down, making sure his head didn't hit the doorframe, and entered the room with practiced ease.
However, upon entering the room this time, Caesar was taken aback when he saw a noticeably large chair.
Sylvie was just a mortal, and she hadn't seen the chair when she came here a few days ago, but it appeared today. So, it was obvious who it was meant for.
Sylvie didn't explain. She took light steps and sat directly on her bed. Her legs under her skirt swayed rhythmically, but after a while without any movement, she tilted her head in slight confusion and then spoke.
"Caesar, why aren't you sitting down? I went to great lengths to get this chair. Hurry up and sit down so I can tell you a story."
Hearing the girl's words, Caesar sighed helplessly and then sat down in the chair.
Where did we leave off last time?
"Lord Lynch beat that orc to his knees; he'll definitely drag him away..."
"Stop, stop, stop, Sylvie, what strange things are you imagining now?"
Caesar sighed again, looking at Sylvie, his thoughts drifting back to a few days earlier.
When a warship is traveling in subspace, the crew will conduct a periodic inspection.
If the ship were entirely composed of mortals, the inspection team would typically consist of elite boarding squads and State priests. They would meticulously examine every main room and corner to ensure that the effects of the warp were not excessively present on the ship.
If the ship had Astartes on board, then this task would naturally be handed over to them.
It was during this process that Caesar met Sylvie.
At that time, Caesar knocked on Sylvie's door for a long time without getting a response. Realizing that something was wrong, he immediately used his authority to open the door and found her lying in bed with a high fever.
He immediately contacted the pharmacist and the think tank, but it would take time for them to arrive. In the short time that followed, Caesar stayed with the other person and, based on the requests made by the person in a vague state of mind, recounted the great achievements of "Lynch".
The pharmacist came over, gave her an injection, and the fever went down immediately.
The think tank's investigation confirmed that it was just a normal fever, with no subspace reactions whatsoever.
Sylvie was arranged to rest in her room, which was a happy ending for everyone. After all, in the Warp, a fever that is just a simple fever is still very rare.
Caesar breathed a sigh of relief and left the room, his steps becoming much lighter as he returned to his dormitory.
But at that time, Caesar had no idea what would happen next.
The next day during rounds, Caesar encountered Sylvie again. This time, she was in much better spirits. Upon seeing him, she greeted him politely and then made a request.
She wanted Caesar to finish the story he hadn't told yesterday.
Caesar agreed. He didn't see anything wrong with it. It was just a small request from a mortal girl, and her goal was to learn about the greatness of Lord Lynch. As a member of the Star Claws, it was only natural for him to help her achieve this goal.
Then... on the third day, the other party made the same request.
Then came the fourth and fifth days.
During this time, the mortal girl and Caesar became increasingly familiar with each other, and Caesar also learned her name in the process.
Sylvie Van Perst.
Today is the sixth day.
Lancelot was supposed to be in charge of the review today, but Caesar inexplicably spoke up and took the job from him.
"Lord Lynch's battle with that orc warlord was never as easy as those on the rear described. It was an extremely dangerous battle. At that time, the despicable orc warlord ambushed Lord Lynch with a hidden weapon. The sharp blade pierced through the gap in the power armor and went straight through Lord Lynch's body."
Sylvie listened intently, and when she heard that Lynch had been pierced through the body by an orc's weapon, she even trembled slightly and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.
"Then Lord Lin Qi..."
"I haven't finished yet."
Caesar looked at Sylvie and waved his hand.
If someone familiar with Caesar were here at this moment, watching him patiently tell a story to a mortal girl, they would surely be astonished.
Lancelot, in particular, would probably make a very strange face at this time and say something nonsensical to Caesar.
However, Lancelot is not here. In this room, in this small space, there are only two people at the moment: a tall Astartes telling a story, and a petite mortal girl listening attentively.
"...Finally, Lord Lynch beheaded the orc warlord. He held the head high in the center of the battlefield, declaring his victory. The orcs began to collapse. They were such creatures; once they lost their leader, they became chaotic, disorderly, and as vulnerable as a rabble."
Sylvie continued to swing her legs, but judging from the frequency, she was in a very happy mood.
"Lord Lynch is invincible!"
"Yes, that's right, Lord Lin Qi is invincible."
After finishing the story, Caesar let out a long sigh. For some reason, a sense of satisfaction welled up inside him.
Caesar stood up from his chair and walked to the door. Sylvie also got off her bed, saw Caesar out, then, leaning against the door, looked up at the angel who had been telling her stories for days with her veiled eyes.
"Caesar....."
"what happened?"
"Will you come again tomorrow?"
"...I don't know. Warp travel is about to end. In other words, we're about to go to war. Sylvie, it's cruel, but I have to tell you, even if I were an Astartes, there's a high probability I'd die in this war."
Sylvie froze, clearly not expecting Caesar to say such a thing.
Caesar reached out and gently ruffled the latter's white hair.
"Take care of yourself. If I die, tell the story I told you to others. If I survive, I will tell you more about Lord Lynch."
"I........"
Sylvie opened her mouth, clearly wanting to say something. But at that moment, a violent jolt suddenly came. Caesar's expression changed, and he immediately pushed Sylvie into the room.
A red glow appeared in the long corridor, a signal indicating that the ship had encountered danger. At the same time, an electronic warning began to sound over the loudspeaker.
"Attention all crew members, attention all crew members."
That's what the broadcast said.
boyutpedia