Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

"Who the hell put this thing here!"

When he gritted his teeth, bared his eyes, and turned over an overturned Emperor Poison Blade tank with only the brute force of his hands and the rage burning in his heart, the voice of Captain Hector cursing could be heard within a radius of 30 kilometers.

But in response to him, there was only the dust raised by the Poison Blade tank and the roaring voices of the legion's pharmacists asking for support: the entire surface of Nikaea has now fallen into a situation more corrupt than a legion-level war. Every soldier has been unable to take care of himself, and every team is dizzy. Hector's roar dissipated in the wind filled with the smell of burning, and disappeared completely in the blink of an eye.

Faced with this helplessness, even Morgan's pride could only spit. Apart from a mouthful of sand and a still-painful scar on his chest, he got nothing: just a dozen minutes ago in the wave of destruction, a piece of iron that came from nowhere almost split Hector's entire chest horizontally in half, and the bleeding had only just stopped now.

If it were during wartime, such a hideous wound would have temporarily forced the captain of the Dawnbreaker to leave the battle sequence, but now, he has become the busier person: on Nikaea, people in worse situations than him are everywhere, and in less than ten minutes, Hector has heard three-digit death reports.

And they are all Astartes: As for how many mortals have been killed, there is still no approximate number, but in some large lounges and social places, piles of dead bodies have been found, and blood has flowed into the collapsed magma river. Countless big figures such as the governor of the star region and the commander of the fleet can't even find a complete body now.

"Come and help! Brother!"

Before Hector could sigh at the sudden disaster, a familiar call pulled him back to reality: the dust at his feet had not yet dispersed, and two pharmacists of the Dawnbreaker had already rushed over impatiently, regardless of whether the shaky poison blade tank was at risk of falling again.

"Help us hold it!"

When the pharmacists carried out the injured who had lost their human form from the poison blade, Hector responded to their request in silence: he tried his best to hold the giant beast in front of him steady, but his eyes were fixed on the figures carried on the stretcher, among which were his soldiers.

Fortunately, he was still alive.

Hector breathed a sigh of relief, and he persisted until the last person left, and then he hurriedly pulled himself out of the wrestling: when the overturned poison blade tank raised the second round of dust, the Dawnbreaker walked in it, looking around in a daze.

Wherever he looked, there was chaos and ruins everywhere: the exquisite craftsmanship built by Perturabo and his Iron Warriors Legion no longer existed, countless magnificent buildings turned into rubble, and the mortal nobles who talked and talked in them were reduced to piles of blood and flesh, or wailing for help in the ruins.

Those lucky ones who survived the catastrophe were uniformly dispersed to the safe area by the search and rescue team temporarily formed by the Astartes warriors. They sat there like dazed children, all looking at each other, their faces pale, asking each other what had just happened?

But no one could give an answer: the mortals whose cheeks were still stained with the flesh and blood of their compatriots could not, the Astartes who were in a hurry and their armors were covered with blood could not, and even the mechanical priests who were still running coldly like machines and relying on cold logic to measure who was worth rescuing could not.

And Hector was no exception.

When another team of colorful battle brothers ran past him and plunged into the bloody ashes, Hector just stared at their figures, made up his mind in silence, and then quietly moved his eyes up a little.

He looked into the void.

That void was already very different.

There was nothing there: although it was not as prosperous as the sky above Ullanor in the past, as another important world that would determine the fate of the entire Great Crusade, during this period, Nikaea was indeed a very important temporary transportation hub in the human empire.

When the Emperor, his descendants, and elites from all over the empire decided the fate of all psykers in the hall, thousands of warships were waiting for their masters in the low-Earth orbit of Nikaea and beyond: the shadows cast by the Queen of Glory-class warships from various legions were enough to make people standing on the ground only see a metallic sky.

For a warrior, this would definitely bring an incomparable sense of security: but this sense of security has now disappeared. When Hector looked up at the sky again, he did not see even a single battleship of the Empire. Whether it was the Queen of Glory class or the smallest frigate, they had all disappeared without a trace.

Instead, there was an unimaginable horror: Hector could not help but think of a few decades ago, when he followed his gene mother Morgan to participate in a tragic war in the northwest of the galaxy. During the interval of that war, he had the honor of witnessing the famous Eye of Terror in the Empire.

The Dawnbreaker could swear that even though he knew it was just a unique astronomical sign, the terrifying eyeball was still the most terrifying thing in his memory, without a doubt: but today was going to be an exception. Above Nicaea, a new Eye of Terror was hanging brightly above everyone's head.

No one dared to look at it: the order not to look up came belatedly, but before that, it had become the consensus of the survivors.

The dirty red veins are like throwing a corrupt giant beast into a meat grinder, as if the stench is blowing towards your face, and just one glance makes people sick: but it is bigger than the entire Nikaea, making countless brave people feel sick. The whirlpool where the Imperial soldiers didn't even dare to look up was not even the most terrifying thing right now. What was truly terrifying was the eyes that were staring at them.

The eyes behind the whirlpool: like ancient gods being resurrected.

It glowed with black light, but it gave people a sacred feeling: this sacred feeling was so familiar that Hector had only experienced it in one person.

"Emperor..."

He lowered his head. The swelling pain in his mind and the scars on his chest forced him to surrender to this terror. Hector couldn't help but walk faster, wanting to go to a place where the crowd was denser. He needed to hear Mortal voices, eager to smell fresh blood, so that he feels at least living in the real world.

Although he knows very well that they are definitely not in the real universe now: the fleet in low-Earth orbit cannot disappear for no reason, not even a piece of metal is left. The only reasonable explanation is that Nikaea is no longer there It's in its original position.

Look at that terrifying sky. This is obviously a sight only found in subspace.

Hecht was sure of it.

Because, in a past psychic seminar, the Dawnbreakers had heard their genetic mother mention this phenomenon: when a real world is in the subspace but does not succumb to the unorganized chaos in it, then It shows that this world is stuck inside the curtain between the real universe and subspace.

It's very possible to get out, but it's also very likely to be completely trapped in it.

Hector hopes it is the former, but this is not something he can decide: perhaps the only one who can truly save this world is...

"brother!"

"Hector!"

The sound interrupted his thoughts: familiar enough to make Hector want to cry.

He turned his head and saw Lana, the Chief Guardsman, trudging out of the ruins with a team that was as dusty as him: this Morgan's most trusted heir was left outside by the original body. , commanding the Dawnbreaker's power on Nicaea, but who would have thought that this was originally just a routine backup plan, but this time it actually came in handy.

Although judging from Rana's expression, he was not happy about it at all.

"Emperor... the original body is on top!"

After waving his hand and letting the soldiers behind him go about their business, Lana ran up to Hector alone. He first looked at Morgan's proud son carefully, and then punched him heavily on the shoulder. and let out a long sigh of relief.

"I finally found you."

"Rana."

Hector nodded and ignored the pain in his chest.

"What the hell happened?"

"I still want to ask you."

Lana muttered something.

"Where's your team? Why are you wandering around outside alone?"

"I just came out to find a mortal friend of mine, but something happened halfway: Do you know what happened? Rana? I just remember that there was a huge explosion in the direction of the Nicaea Hall. , and then came the psychic storm and shock wave, which knocked me out directly. When I woke up, I found myself under a ruins and a damn whirlpool."

"Me too, bro."

Lana hesitated.

"Me too, I just heard an explosion and fainted, but there were still some people around me: By the way, listen to me, don't look at that whirlpool. I met a few forbidden soldiers when I came out. , they said that the Emperor asked everyone not to look up at the sky."

"Emperor?"

Hector was a little nervous.

"What about the Primarch?"

"The same order came from the original body: she is very weak, but safe, but the imperial troops did not allow us to enter the palace of Nicaea. I suspected that something happened inside: because the communication between me and the original body was immediately cut off. , now every legion can’t contact their original body, and some brothers are going crazy.”

"World Eater?"

"Yes, it's them."

Lana rubbed his temples in pain, and when he looked down, Hector could see a Le Fay crown stuck on his head: this psychic device pioneered by Morgan during the original Randan War, and now It has been widely installed in the ranks of the Second Legion. Its biggest role is to ensure that the Dawnbreakers will not be affected by external psychic impacts.

But on Nicaea, the function of Le Fay's crown was greatly weakened: Hector knew this very well, and the crown on his head was not enough to keep his mind clear. If it hadn't been for decades of maintenance, Having become a habit, he was afraid that the first time he looked at the whirlpool in the sky, he would be swallowed up by the madness inside.

Thanks to their mother for keeping them at arm's length from psychic powers.

"Listen, Hector."

The inner emotion of Morgan's pride did not reach Rana's ears: after thinking over and over again, the head guard suddenly waved his hand and asked Hector to bend down. His expression had already made up some kind of huge determination.

"I have something to ask of you."

Lana's voice was serious: he held something tightly in his right hand.

"Instructions please."

Hector nodded.

"Listen up."

After making sure that no one was around, Lana put his lips close to Hector's ear and whispered several directions and addresses.

"Follow my instructions, there will be a recovered and fully armed team waiting for you. They are all veterans whose strength and thoughts are trustworthy. You need to take them with you and try not to attract other people's attention. Then Take them to find the Dark Angels, Ultramarines, and Night Lords..."

Lana paused.

"Forget it, just find the Dark Angels. They are right next door to us. Only the old guys can believe this kind of thing. Others are a little untrustworthy. Also, don't let the Ultramarines know. However, Anyway, those guys should have gone out to provide disaster relief.”

"This kind of thing?"

Hector raised a brow.

"Don't tell anyone."

Lana gritted his teeth, his voice like a sharp blade thirsting for blood.

"In the last communication between the Primarch and me, she hinted at something: Magnus might be the culprit of all this, and that he and the Thousand Sons Legion might have been [contaminated] by something in the Warp. 】League: Although it’s not certain whether their loyalty still exists, they have definitely become less secure.”

"The culprit?"

Hector was stunned for a moment, and he quickly glanced at the disaster situation around him: Although he had not visited the entire Nicaea, just based on the various tragedies around him, Dawnbreaker could understand what just happened from the tip of the iceberg. What a havoc the destructive storm caused.

Hundreds of battle brothers died inexplicably. They were all the best and champions of each legion. The loss of one of them was enough to make their primarch furious: but now they fell by the dozen. .

The mortal casualties are several times or even dozens of times higher than theirs: countless imperial worlds and expeditionary fronts will fall into chaos and come to a standstill, and the entire empire will be affected, from Holy Terra to the Far Eastern Frontier.

There is no doubt that the tragedy of Nicaea will haunt the entire empire for decades, if not longer.

And all of this was really caused by a certain original body or legion?

This is betrayal!

Cold fear and anger ran up Hector's neck.

"Are you sure, Rana?"

"At least that's what the Primarch thought."

There was a shadow in Lana's eyebrows.

"She also told me that the Emperor was unprepared for this incident, and that his current state was also very bad: the Primarchs in the Hall of Nicaea were at least safe because of the Emperor's protection, but The Emperor's protection did not spread outside in time, resulting in such heavy casualties on the surface."

"More than you think."

Lana sighed.

"You may not know, Hector, but before I came, the Imperial Guards had told me a preliminary statistics: Let's put it this way, the number of sector governors who have been confirmed dead alone has reached three figures. , there are more than eight hundred expeditionary fleets, and they must now be replaced The navy commander, and hundreds of navigator families have lost their heirs, and under the ruins, dozens of fleshy bones of representatives from various forging worlds are being dug out, and knights are piled next to them. The pilots and Titan captains didn't even have time to clean up."

"On my way here, I saw an entire collapsed building. The entire marble ceiling fell directly. The bodies inside could not be identified at all: but we were able to determine that among the high lords of Terra, the incoming The Minister of Justice and his entire family were completely wiped out today.”

"My primarch, the Great Crusade has been going on for more than one hundred and fifty years, and the empire has lost as many high-ranking officials as there have been here: I don't even bother to mention Asta to you. The special ones are dead and injured, because at least half of the company of Dawnbreakers in my list are still alive and dead. "

"As for the other legions... I don't even bother to mention: In one crater alone, we found the bodies of three Astartes. They were all blasted in by the shock wave. Two were Ultramarines and one was an Imperial. The fists are all veterans of Terra, and they are all big shots like company commanders and even legion consuls.”

Lana gritted his teeth and spat out a mouthful of acid on the ground.

"..."

"Do you know what this means?"

"Someone has to be responsible, my brother Hector."

"And he's a heavyweight."

"So... Magnus?"

When he spoke again, the panic was gone from Hector's voice.

"That's right."

Rana continued to give instructions.

"When the time comes, you will lead your team and cooperate with the old guys from the First Legion to quietly approach the station of the Thousand Sons Legion: I have arranged for Bayar to guard there in advance. With him here, you don't have to worry about being defeated. question."

"In addition, you don't have to worry about running out of weapons. The Dark Angels always bring the guys fighting the civil war with them: but without further orders from me, you must not open fire first. Your mission is to destroy the entire Tenth The camp of the Fifth Army Corps, and everyone within it, is cordoned off until the next order is given."

"If they..."

Hector made a dangerous gesture.

"I know, it's very possible..."

Lana licked his lips, his dark pupils glowing with danger.

"If they persist in disobedience: let them shed some blood."

After that, the Grand Steward spread out his tightly clenched right hand.

"Look at this, this is what the Primarch gave me before attending the Nikaea Conference: With the token of Lord Morgan, I can now mobilize any force of the Dawnbreaker Legion to do anything, so if the Thousand Sons Legion attempts to break through the blockade, shoot, and I will be responsible for all the consequences."

"..."

Hector just nodded.

"How many people should I bring?"

"Not many, the Dark Angels and the Imperial Guards will assist you at that time."

"Imperial Guards?"

"It's strange, isn't it: they didn't rush in and kill all the Thousand Sons immediately."

"But... believe me, brother."

Rana patted Hector's shoulder.

"If the Imperial Guards ask you to do this, you must not obey casually: before the Thousand Sons threaten your lives, you must never let blood flow again. If the Imperial Guards want to fight with the Thousand Sons, you can just be responsible for guarding outside."

"Won't they be dissatisfied?"

"Then leave it to me."

Rana waved his hand.

"Let me deal with those plague gods."

"Don't worry, at this point: even the Imperial Guards will only say one word..."

——————

"What did the Dawnbreakers say?"

"They are willing to cooperate with the operation: the premise is that the Dark Angels need to join."

"As expected, ask them to rush to the scene as quickly as possible. We need more manpower to contain the Fifteenth Legion until the Emperor reaches the final conclusion: all Thousand Sons soldiers should be disarmed, and anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy."

"Repeat it."

"That's right... Kill without mercy."

Before the cold voice faded, La-Endinion put down the communicator.

He was not worried that the brother on the other end of the communicator would not understand the order: such a low-end mistake would not happen to the Imperial Guards.

"Speed ​​up the search."

After putting down the communicator, La immediately urged the Imperial Guards beside him.

"Yes, tribune."

They responded in a low voice.

Ra nodded and also joined the search: before this, they had received accurate information that the bodies of two Imperial Guards who had died in the previous storm of destruction were found here, and they must recover them as soon as possible to ensure their safety.

"There!"

Just a dozen seconds later, a Imperial Guard called out in the communicator.

"I saw them: there is also an Emperor's Son next to them!"

"Tell him to raise his hands!"

Ra gave orders while running towards the scene of the incident.

But in the blink of an eye, he had already arrived at the bodies of the two suffering brothers, and saw the Emperor's Son they mentioned: As a tribune in the Imperial Guard, he always had some impression of the most famous Astartes, and the man in front of him was such a person.

"You are..."

He recalled.

"Fabius of the Emperor's Son: Chief Pharmacist of the Third Legion."

"Greetings, sir."

The dilemma of being forced to put down his weapon and holding his head in his hands did not make Fabius angry. He even had the mood to smile at the tribune of the imperial guards in front of him and patiently explained why he was here.

"I heard from mortals that there were two imperial guards in distress here, so I rushed to help, but unfortunately when I arrived, everything was too late... Please accept my condolences."

"..."

La did not speak. He glanced at the bodies of his two compatriots: such a huge wound was indeed not something an Astartes could do.

But he could not let his guard down.

"You..."

La wanted to say something else, but his communicator started ringing again.

"Tribune!"

It was Aquitaine: his team was responsible for guarding the gate of the Temple of Nicaea.

"What's wrong, Aquitaine?"

"It's the World Eaters: those lunatics are attacking the gate again! They say their Primarch is inside, very unstable and dangerous, and they don't listen to our orders at all. Tribune, I apply to shoot..."

"Rejected!"

La roared.

"The Emperor has ordered: no blood is allowed to flow except for the Thousand Sons."

"Stay there, I'll be there soon."

After that, the tribune of the Imperial Guards glanced at Fabius's figure roughly.

"I'll remember you, Emperor's son: you'd better tell the truth."

"Of course I..."

"Take them and withdraw!"

Too lazy to continue dealing with them, the Imperial Guards quickly walked away.

"..."

"Huh..."

When the figures of the golden warriors finally disappeared from the edge of his vision, Fabius breathed a sigh of relief, and a crazy smile climbed up the corners of his mouth.

"What good luck..."

As he said, Fabius's fingers silently reached into the inside of his breastplate.

Several rows of full test tubes and urgently sealed pieces of meat lay there quietly like a supreme treasure: they contained the secret of how the Emperor created the most powerful golden army in the galaxy.

And now...

"This secret, this answer... will be mine soon!"

"Hahahahaha..."