noveltune Chapter 792 - 792: 791
Chapter 792 - 792: 791
"Finally got this giant lightbulb turned on..."Eden took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow, a trace of exhaustion on his face.
Under normal circumstances, dragging the phantom image of the Hope Sun into galactic reality would have been extremely difficult.
Even if he could extend a portion of its authority, at most it would have been like what the Emperor had done before: nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, and requiring the Astronomican to spread its influence.
But because the Chaos Gods had previously poured a massive amount of faith-born warp power into the Sol System, this place had become deeply connected to the Immaterium, saving him a great deal of effort.
More importantly, he had just fleeced quite a bit of power from Them. His strength had risen further, and the whole process had barely cost him anything.
This was basically borrowing someone else's chicken to lay his eggs.
"Now I can use the phantom of the Hope Sun to give the Sol System even more support.
"Before this, warp corruption was surging throughout the Sol System. The Imperial defenders were constantly suppressed by Chaos power, making it hard for them to bring out their true strength."
Eden gazed at the Hope Sun in the void, that radiant sphere which seemed brighter than the star itself, and nodded in satisfaction.
He could feel the Imperial defenders calling out to him. He could feel their deep faith and adoration.
It was worship toward a god, worship toward him, the God of Hope. What a wonderful feeling it was.
Eden felt as though he could do anything, as though he had merged with this stretch of void itself. His field of vision expanded without limit.
He could also easily exert influence upon galactic reality and reshape certain regions.
Just like the Chaos Gods.
This was the intoxicating allure of warp authority, enough to drive any being mad.
Not only that, the Hope Sun could clearly sense several venomous gazes fixed upon this place, as if their owners wanted to flay him, tear him apart, and rip him, the Savior, to pieces.
Eden's swelling confidence immediately shrank back a fair bit.
He was not absolutely safe in the Immaterium. He could not run around invincible like the Emperor, so it was better to stay cautious.
Without question, those Chaos Gods had completely lost Their composure. If They had the chance, They would pay any price to kill him.
Unfortunately, this was the real galaxy, and his Hope Sun was outside Their attack range.
Right now, They could do nothing to him, much less kill him.
"Sigh. You all lost everything, didn't you? I told you investing requires caution. Why go all-in at the drop of a hat?"
Eden was rather emotional about it.
If the Chaos Gods had not gone this big, and instead continued lurking in wait while eyeing the Imperium hungrily, They really would have been a massive problem.
No one knew what trump cards They might hold. The Imperium would have had to remain on guard at all times while enduring constant harassment.
Trump cards were strongest when they remained hidden.
But now They had opened by going all-in and throwing Their king bomb only to hit empty air. Of course They were dumbfounded.
This round, the Chaos Gods were probably going to lose so badly They coughed blood.
Just look at how hard Grandfather Nurgle had lost. He had been knocked unconscious. Back when the Emperor had screwed him over that badly, even that had not been this miserable.
"Savior, the scales of fate still sway. You have not yet achieved true victory..."
The voice of the Changer of Ways came through, still maintaining a composed bearing.
It seemed He still had a way to win this battle, rather than having completely given up on the assault against the Sol System.
"Sorry, but judging by the current situation, there's no way you can turn this around. Everything is going according to my plan."
Eden directly stole Tzeentch's line, then raised his middle finger toward the Chaos Gods and mocked Them viciously.
He knew those bastards were nothing more than trapped beasts still fighting. If They were confident, They would not be trying to save face like this.
Warp power surged through the void. The authority of the Chaos Gods slowly extended outward, as though searching for something.
They still had not given up.
Anyone who suffered such losses would not give up easily. The sunk cost was too high.
So high that even the supreme beings of the Immaterium could hardly bear it.
Eden felt the spreading Chaos power. His expression shifted slightly, and his brow furrowed.
The Chaos Gods seemed to have found the traces left behind by Holy Terra and wanted to follow those traces to its new location.
To Them, it did not matter whether Holy Terra had been hidden in deep space, teleported to another sector, or even sent into the Immaterium.
As long as They found its exact location, They could establish a passage again and bring New Dragonlin to continue the attack.
"Too bad I solved the problem in one step and sent Holy Terra into the Webway. That's a region even the Chaos Gods can't interfere with."
Eden thought to himself.
He silently thanked the Old Ones, who were already very, very dead.
That ancient race had not only perished together with the gods of reality, the C'tan, but had also left humanity an abundant legacy capable of resisting the Chaos Gods.
Whether it was Webway technology, blackstone technology, or even Ork laborers, all of them were important powers he could use to resist the gods of the Immaterium.
Otherwise, with only the Emperor's power, humanity would still be in a difficult position.
The pain and darkness humanity had suffered for ten thousand years had already proven that.
Now, under his operation, humanity would probably be able to fully digest and absorb the legacy of the Old Ones, then develop even stronger technology.
And under the pressure of these technologies, the Chaos Gods' influence over galactic reality would shrink more and more.
Even the warp territories that originally belonged to Them would be slowly gnawed away by humanity, leaving Them increasingly weakened.
In other words, the evil gods' losses were only beginning. They would have plenty to cry about later.
"Go ahead and search all you like."
Eden shook his head and stopped paying attention to the Chaos Gods laboriously searching for Holy Terra.
He turned his focus back to the battlefield of the Sol System, doing everything he could to rescue the Imperial defenders trapped in the tides of Chaos.
Buzz.
In an instant, the radiance of the Hope Sun spread outward in ring after ring, growing ever brighter.
Warm divine light illuminated more regions. It lit up the Sol System itself, guiding the fleets lost on the system's outer edges.
Within Eden's vision, he could see countless Imperial defenders fighting amid the tides of Chaos, struggling bitterly to hold on.
They had been split apart by dark rifts and were trapped in isolated battles, while daemons continued pouring endlessly from those cracks.
The Greater Daemons, nourished by the rifts, had become even more ferocious.
The Fourth Steel Wall.
Ansemor and the other warriors of the Castellans of the Rift were under siege by Chaos daemons.
They had been separated from the rest of the defenders and could only form a circle, standing back-to-back as they faced the daemonic hordes attacking from every direction.
The daemons emerging from the darkness seemed endless, and the sight was enough to drive one to despair.
"Savior, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold this line..."
Ansemor stared into the abyssal mist before him and murmured.
This loyal warrior was so exhausted that even the legendary blade in his hand was covered in nicks. He seemed to have glimpsed his final fate.
They had been equipped with high-grade gear from the Redemption Arsenal, but there were simply too many daemons.
More importantly, because of the dark rift's existence, Ansemor was trapped in this region.
Isolated and without aid.
At this rate, their ammunition would eventually run out, and their weapons and armor would completely break down.
When that time came, all of them would give their lives in loyalty to the Imperium and the Savior.
"This battle has not yet been won. The daemons have not yet been driven back. How can we fall here?
"Perhaps if we hold on a little longer, we can relieve the pressure on other regions!"
Hope still burned in Ansemor's heart, leaving him deeply unwilling to yield.
He did not want to fall here, and he firmly believed that there were more battle-brothers like him, struggling bitterly in the darkness.
"Hold fast!
"We are the Wardens of the Gauntlet. We are the Imperium's unbreakable storm!"
Ansemor swung his blade, cutting down daemon after daemon as he roared encouragement to the warriors around him.
They had once been penitent warriors, dispatched to defend the Nachmund Gauntlet, where they fought alongside other Chapters in similar circumstances.
People often called this group of warriors the Wardens of the Gauntlet.
During the Great Rift, Ansemor and the others had lost contact with the Imperium and all outside support, yet they had continued bitterly defending the Gauntlet and had never lost the will to fight.
Now, just as they had before, they would hold the Steel Wall in the darkness, even without any supplies or reinforcements.
Bang, bang, bang.
Ansemor raised his bolt pistol and brought down several daemons trying to ambush them. Then he swung his notched blade to meet the next wave of attackers.
The tide of Chaos was so violent, so endless, that it never seemed to stop. It was almost impossible to withstand.
Gradually, his strength began to fail.
What?
After forcing back a Greater Daemon of Chaos, Ansemor subconsciously dropped to one knee and gasped for breath.
Then he sensed something was wrong.
"Hah... hah... what is this?"
He did not seem that tired anymore. Instead, the longer he fought, the more strength he seemed to have.
It was not just Ansemor. The other warriors were the same. The more they fought, the more excited and powerful they became.
They could barely resist the urge to charge out and cut down even more Chaos daemons.
"Sa... Savior?" Ansemor said in confusion. Then he saw the gentle light shining down from the dome above.
The warrior slowly raised his head and discovered the dazzling sun in the void, illuminating this entire region.
The venomous traces left behind by Chaos corruption were slowly fading away.
The authority of the Hope Sun was not as fierce as the Emperor's divine sun. It could not produce burning flames.
But it still possessed the ability to eliminate Chaos corruption, merely at a slower pace.
Most importantly, the Hope Sun was better at bestowing blessings. It could grant strength and aid to more beings.
It gave the warriors a steady, endless stream of strength. It was a knockoff version of an authority similar to the Blood God's power of slaughter.
"Slaughter!"
Ansemor suddenly stood, pointed his sword at the Greater Daemon of Chaos ahead, and led his warriors in a charge.
They were so ferocious that they went from defense to counterattack, their savage momentum stunning even the daemons.
Were these still warriors of the Imperium? Anyone who did not know better would think they were followers of Khorne, the Blood God.
Not only that, the Chaos mist around this stretch of the Steel Wall slowly dispersed, revealing more sections of the defensive line.
It turned out there had been many warriors like Ansemor holding on. They had simply been unable to sense each other's presence because of the mist's interference.
Awooo!
Great Blood God above!
A Bloodthirster collapsed to the ground and was beaten savagely by a group of Imperial Fists wreathed in golden light and phantom wings.
It was a miserable sight.
But that could not be helped. The great Blood God had suffered such massive losses that the power of slaughter He granted them had grown even weaker.
To put it simply, He had cut performance bonuses and raised His commission rate, causing the Blood God's warriors to spend more than they earned. As the battle dragged on, they started getting tired.
Meanwhile, these Imperial Fists had been heavily topped up by the Savior's Hope Sun, so naturally they only grew fiercer.
They struck with heavy fists, beating that Bloodthirster until it howled.
"Sigh. The Blood God really can't keep going like this. With this tiny bit of blessing, how is He supposed to get people to risk their lives for Him?"
Eden shook his head and spoke with great feeling.
He had just fleeced a huge wave of power and was currently at full health, so of course he could talk tough.
This Savior not only generously bestowed blessings upon many Imperial defenders, but even lavishly rewarded some weakened Greater Daemons of Khorne.
After the Chaos Gods suffered Their catastrophic loss, he could be considered the biggest patron and richest tycoon in this region.
Of course, the blessings he granted those Greater Daemons of Khorne did come with conditions. They had to slaughter other daemons before they could receive that power.
This caused quite a few Greater Daemons of Khorne, in the midst of their madness, to grunt and hack down other daemons with great effort.
To receive the Savior's superchat rockets, they worked extremely hard.
When Khorne, the god of war and slaughter, noticed this, He said nothing. He pretended He knew nothing and allowed the situation to develop.
There was even a faint trace of excitement He could barely restrain, a reaction brought about by the power of slaughter.
There was no helping it. The Blood God was very poor right now. Because He had invested too much power, even His kidneys felt faintly weak.
In this situation, He found it difficult to suppress His primal craving for the power of slaughter. If there was power to fleece, He would fleece it, even if that power belonged to the Savior.
This being endured the humiliation and accepted the Savior's blessing reward rocket. Even a mosquito's leg was still meat.
In any case, the ones being cut down were daemons of the other Chaos Gods. The power of slaughter did not distinguish between good and evil.
From a certain perspective, that power had originally belonged to the Blood God anyway. It had merely taken a detour through the Savior.
Then returned.
"Ah, great God of Slaughter and War, there's something I'd like to discuss with You."
After scattering a huge wave of blessings and easing the pressure on the Imperial defenders, Eden secretly sent a private message to the Blood God.
He wanted to ask whether, if he paid a heavy enough price and sent several super-sized rockets, Khorne could swing His blood axe at the other Chaos Gods a few times.
After all, from what Eden could see, that god of war and slaughter was rather short on faith energy. Maybe they could cooperate a little.
However, this humiliating proposal was directly rejected.
Although Khorne did not reject the power of slaughter, He absolutely refused to do anything that would undermine the unity of the gods.
More importantly, this campaign to besiege Terra had not yet ended. Chaos still possessed the ability to counterattack.
"Hiss. If You're refusing, then refuse. Why so violent?"
Eden shook his head, easing the pain in his soul.
When he had contacted the Blood God just now, his soul consciousness had been struck hard by Khorne's molten blood axe, severing the connection.
He was not discouraged. He had already taken a seat at the table in this Great Game, and after the Chaos Gods' failed alliance this time, the cracks between Them would only grow wider.
In the future, he might not be unable to make use of that.
Boom!
Suddenly, a violent burst of fire erupted in the distance. A battleship nearly the size of a Gloriana-class was destroyed.
Its wreckage slid into the abyss.
The terrifying part was that it had not been destroyed by cannon fire, but torn apart by the warp power of a certain being.
In the void, the figure of Horus, the Dark Emperor, was utterly clear, radiating an overwhelming sense of menace.
"That guy is pretty fierce."
Eden gazed at that figure, his brow tightly furrowed as he felt the threat.
The Chaos Gods' investment in the Dark Emperor was unimaginable. Right now, Horus could be considered one of the most dangerous figures in galactic reality.
Even Dorn, wearing the Armor of Redemption, had been easily crushed by him. Horus was extremely troublesome.
If Eden could not deal with Horus and allowed him to flee to another sector, he would leave the Imperium with an endless stream of problems.
With that bastard's strength, he absolutely had the qualifications to carve out territory in galactic reality and crown himself king. Even the Primarchs would find it hard to suppress him.
If Horus led the Chaos army in retreat from the Sol System, then occupied territory in another sector, he could establish a dark empire.
At that point, the Dark Emperor would command a vast Chaos army and also have the support of the Chaos Gods.
Eden would have to launch a new crusade to have any chance of solving him, which would be a pure loss for the Imperium. Who knew how much time that would consume?
Even if Horus did not establish a dark empire, and instead brought the fallen Primarchs around to ambush important Imperial regions or civilian facilities, he would still be an enormous problem.
After all, back then, Konrad Curze alone had plunged Ultramar's Five Hundred Worlds and even the eastern fringe of the galaxy into unrest, causing massive losses.
Guilliman, Lion, Vulkan, and Sanguinius had chased him for a long time and still found him difficult to deal with.
Now, if Horus and a large group of fallen Primarchs remained in galactic reality and caused destruction everywhere, the impact would likely be even greater.
Unlike daemons, they did not need to return to the Immaterium. They could remain in reality for long periods of time and cause trouble, forcing Eden to spend huge amounts of energy hunting them down or cleaning up after them.
"No matter what, Horus and the others must be kept in the Sol System!"
Eden took a deep breath and thought this to himself.
The only problem was that this was galactic reality. For him alone to keep Horus and the other fallen beings here would not be easy.
Then, as though sensing something, Eden raised his head and looked toward a certain region of the void.
A smile could not help appearing on his face.
His reinforcements, his Primarch brothers, were about to arrive!
(End of Chapter)
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