Warhammer: Saving Humanity Begins with the Resurrection of Horus

Page 61

This is.........

The will formed by malice from another world.

"Blood sacrifice to the Blood God!"

From around the corner of the corridor, a crimson monster burst forth. It roared a blasphemous battle cry, its grotesque body a twisted and powerful mass of muscles. Its gaping maw was filled with teeth as sharp as needles, and its serpentine mouth writhed, blood still flowing from its tip.

"Skull Offering, Skull Seat!"

The monster roared out the other half of its battle cry, and then, looking at the squad that was already on high alert, without the slightest hesitation, it gripped the blazing greatsword in its hand and charged forward like a mad beast.

"For the Emperor! For the Father of Genetics! Kill!"

Asford roared first in the channel, and behind him, the two heavy weapons members of the squad immediately activated their heavy weapons—handheld automatic cannons and storm bomb guns—and roared together. A terrifying barrage of bullets completely enveloped the monster in an instant, tearing it to shreds before it could even let out a scream.

Without any hindrance, the demon described in the data, so terrifying, was banished back to the warp. But Asford and his teammates all knew that if it were really that simple, Lynch wouldn't have given them those detailed details under Bell's gloomy gaze before they boarded the ship, and wouldn't have personally blessed them.

And the truth came eight seconds later: it was exactly as they had thought.

Another demon appeared, followed by a second, a third, a fourth... Asford's helmet system began frantically marking the appearing targets, but there were so many of them that eighty-eight appeared in just eight seconds, completely filling the small corridor.

The battle cry was gone. Asford silently stood at the forefront with his two companions. Their weapons were all designed for close combat. The Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield together formed an impenetrable wall, while the Lightning Claw crackled with electricity, giving the impression of thunder roaring in a storm.

The two companions behind him continued to unleash their heavy firepower. The combined barrage of storm bombardment guns and automatic cannons tore through the flesh of charging demons, turning them into charred remains, which were then burned and driven from this world that belonged to normal living beings.

"Blood sacrifice to the Blood God!"

The number of demons grew ever greater, fearless and undeterred, showing no sign of retreat even as they were shattered to pieces. They were a vast, crimson ocean, radiating an unclean light and carrying the sulfurous stench of hell, crashing against the squad's defenses like a hammer blow.

"Skull Offering, Skull Seat!"

Stepping over the corpses of his companions, the first demon to charge to the "wall" appeared. At this distance, Asford could clearly see the demon's hideous face and the nauseating, disgusting smile plastered on it.

The demon raised its greatsword high, but no one chose to give it a chance to swing.

The force field on the Thunder Hammer was activated, and then, with the powerful force granted by the Astartes' modified bodies and the Terminator power armor they wore, it was fiercely swung out, like a speeding Rand Raider, crashing heavily into the demon and its companions following closely behind.

boom! ! !

It was a deafening explosion. Asford clearly saw several demons smashed into twisted corpses by the Thunder Hammer in the very first instant, before the Storm Shield, activated by its defensive force field, blocked the swinging greatsword.

Crackling lightning appeared on the shield's surface, and then, under the wielder's control, the massive shield was forcefully pushed forward. A demon, caught off guard, was knocked to the ground, and then a huge hammer fell from the sky, smashing its body and the floor behind it to pieces.

The demon's corpse piled up beneath their feet, crushed into fragments by their boots, disintegrating into scattered ashes. The corridor was now clearly divided into two parts: one a crimson flood, roaring and relentlessly charging forward; the other a silvery-white embankment, silently resisting the onslaught of the crimson flood.

Asford's squad withstood the endless onslaught of demons, but they were confident they could hold out at their current rate until reinforcements arrived.

But if nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected is about to happen.

Asford stared intently, his expression turning serious. The image that had flashed through his mind earlier began to replay in his head, slowly overlapping with the current scene.

It was the same scene as now: silver dikes and crimson floodwaters. And at the end of the flood, a giant clad in crimson armor stood silently. His helmet resembled a pair of upward-pointing bull horns, and white mist constantly spewed out from the gaps in his armor.

The giant carried no ranged weapons, just like the demons surrounding him. He wielded only one weapon—a massive chainsaw axe that required two hands to grip. Its serrated blades spun wildly under its master's control, while the machine spirit roared in pain and madness from within its steel body.

"Focus on him!"

Without hesitation, Asford immediately gave the order. The Stormblaster, now reloaded, began to unleash its fury on the red giant. Strangely, even after emptying a magazine, the giant didn't show many bullet wounds. Instead, the demons around him were completely torn apart and turned into ash.

It felt as if a bomb was hiding from this giant.

Damn traitor?! What's going on?!

Asford frowned. He knew the identity of this suddenly appearing giant—an Astartes like them. But the problem was that this Astartes in red power armor was someone who had betrayed the Empire and humanity, and now stood on the side of the great enemy of Chaos.

This is why he appeared opposite them and remained unharmed amidst a group of demons.

Furthermore, judging from the situation just now, this traitor may have obtained strange power from Chaos, making him more troublesome and powerful than ordinary traitors.

The red-armored giant didn't remain stationary for long. Just eight seconds after Asford and his men finished unleashing their long-range firepower, he began to move. His speed wasn't fast at first, but with each step, his speed increased, and the power he carried in his charge grew greater and greater.

The corridor began to tremble, and the steel structure creaked under the strain. The Storm Bolt Rifle opened fire after another magazine change, attempting to kill the Red Armored Giant during the charge and prevent him from continuing his assault on the front lines.

But this was futile; the strange force caused all the bombs aimed at him to veer off course like drunkards. Even those that did hit their targets merely produced sparks from friction against the power armor, serving no other purpose.

Abel and his teammates exchanged a quick glance, understanding each other's meaning. The next moment, they swiftly moved closer, setting up their storm shields side-by-side, preparing to withstand the impending massive impact.

But just before that, a silver-white figure rushed out from behind them. A massive lightning claw tore at the body of the demon blocking their path. Asford, watching the red figure grow larger in his vision, didn't hesitate for a moment and slammed into it.

Boom! ! !

Crimson and silver-white, the two giants of different colors clashed like two rams dueling on a plain. A deafening crash erupted between them, the immense force causing the surrounding air to vibrate and the steel plates beneath their feet to dent.

So what's going to happen next?

Asford didn't know, but he saw the charging vampires bypass him, or rather, bypass him and the red-armored giant he was facing.

A one-on-one duel? Traitor.

A sinister smile slowly crept across Asford's face. The immense force of the impact had assaulted his internal organs. This was even after the powerful protective shield provided by the Hades-type Terminator had been reduced, yet it still caused him considerable discomfort.

But the traitor in front of us doesn't seem to have any major problems.

But it doesn't matter, I will still tear your body completely in two.

Asford stretched out his hands, his eyes flashing with a cold, ruthless light, as he met the roar of the chainsaw. In that moment, he transformed into a wolf hunting its prey, fiercely tearing at its throat with its claws.

The lightning claw and the chainsaw axe clashed, unleashing a powerful force simultaneously. At the same time, the machine spirits roared, aiding their masters in gaining an advantage and relentlessly weakening their enemies.

Come on, you traitor.

Asford couldn't see the face beneath the eerie helmet, but that didn't stop him from roaring inwardly.

I will tear you to shreds.

－－－－－－－－

“Angron’s offspring.” Looking at the transmitted image, Lynch spoke solemnly. “You recognized it, didn’t you?”

"I can see it now, the unfortunate offspring of my unfortunate brother."

Horus's face did not show much expression, but his eyes were flashing with complex thoughts.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"The hatch hasn't opened yet. Something's wrong with that mortal Asford and his team sent out. Notify the Gauntlet Assault Boat; they should be deployed now."

Lin Qi took a deep breath and then quickly issued his orders.

The order was quickly transmitted through the communication system, and within just three seconds, the combat barge belonging to Star Claw, named "Holy Monarch," began to get busy.

The hangar doors opened, and the engines of three gauntlet-shaped assault boats, already equipped with a company of veterans, roared into action. The next moment, they transformed into dazzling meteors in the void, charging towards one of the armored sides of the powerless Luna-class cruiser.

Through the holographic projection, Lynch could clearly see the movements of the three ships as they approached their target. The heavy thermal cannons mounted on their bows began to move, melting the outer, seemingly indestructible steel armor.

Then, just like their name suggests—boxing gloves—they slammed into the gaping hole like a pair of iron fists wielded by a boxer.

"Leo, can you hear me?"

Lynch adjusted the channel on his communicator and sent a message to Leo, who was leading three boarding squads.

"I can hear you, Lord Lynch. What are your instructions?"

"You all immediately search for survivors in the vicinity, then leave a small squad to assist in the defense of the bridge, and the rest of you immediately go to the hangar to help Asford and the others. The traitor Astartes has been spotted there, and I suspect there is a very likely organized group of traitors there."

“Understood.” Leo’s expression turned serious after hearing Lynch’s words. “I will get to Asford’s side as soon as possible.”

Leo's words brought Lynch a slight sigh of relief, but he remained tense. He watched as Asford tore the Khorne Astartes' body in two with his lightning claws in the projection, but before he could catch his breath, another Khorne Astartes appeared and charged at him.

Oops.

Lynch inwardly cursed his bad luck. All his teammates were being held back by the endless stream of vampires, which meant that Asford would have to face the enemy's relentless attacks on his own.

Hang in there.

Lin Qi closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

When you come back, I won't elect you as consul.

－－－－－－－－

Karasto looked at everything before him in terror.

He never imagined that the hangar would be like this. In fact, the angels who were fighting behind the door, waiting for him to complete his mission, probably never expected to see such a scene.

The transport planes and fighter jets that were originally in the hangar had all disappeared, replaced by hundreds of orc corpses. These orcs had different injuries, and regardless of their cause of death, they all shared one common characteristic at this moment.

That is, none of them have heads.

Yes, it has no head.

All the orcs had bare necks above their limbs and torsos. Blood flowed from the breach, pooling on the ground and forming a lake that reeked of blood.

A tall figure wandered among the corpses, his legs with their knuckles twisting as he staggered. Beneath his red skin were strong muscles, and above those were dense, hard scales.

In its left hand, it dragged a giant sword, the tip of which sparked blindingly as it scraped against the ground. In its right hand, it carried a severed orc head, which it tossed into a pile of orc skulls.

Karasto hid behind a huge steel crate, clutching his gun, momentarily hesitant to move. He cautiously peeked out, glanced at the blasphemous being who had sat down before the mound of heads after setting down his head, then looked away, taking a deep breath.

Come on, Karasto, you can do it! Just like that, aim at its head, pull the trigger, then rush over and press that red button. You'll open the hatch and complete the angel's mission...

Karasto thought to himself, mentally preparing himself for a full three minutes. Then, raising his gun, he cautiously poked his head out again, looked at the red demon, and aimed at it.

Just like when I fired at the orcs, I pulled the trigger. Yes, I pulled the trigger...

Karasto gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger.

Stab it!

Blue and white lightning bolts shot out from the muzzle of the gun, fiercely biting towards the unsuspecting demon.

hit!

Karasto was thrilled, and even the fear that had suddenly arisen in his heart after seeing that red figure completely disappeared at this moment.

He watched as the red figure convulsed amidst the blue and white lightning, then collapsed to the ground, billowing black smoke. Immediately afterward, he lowered his gun, stepped directly out from behind the crate, and charged towards the enormous red button on the wall next to the mound of stones.

However, what Karasto didn't know was that the fallen demon's finger twitched swiftly the moment he passed by.

Karasto approached the button, took a deep breath, and then reached out his hand, ready to press it down hard.

My task is complete...

Is it?

Karasto found himself suddenly airborne for no apparent reason. Then, after a loud whooshing sound, he crashed heavily to the ground.

The impact of landing aggravated the slave laborer's fragile internal organs, causing him to cough violently as he struggled to his feet, even spitting out a mouthful of blood. He looked up in disbelief at the red figure, its body emitting smoke and its back turned to him, his heart filled with fear and disbelief.