And so, a rather peculiar misunderstanding was born. In the eyes of the Rangda commander, the golden figure before him had done things that were simply beyond belief.
Ramming warships with his bare body, annihilating entire fleets through sheer physical might, and even destroying a planet in a single blow?
This was not something any biological lifeform should have been capable of.
Moreover, the energy radiating from him was not psychic in nature, meaning it had nothing to do with the Warp. In the material universe, the only beings known to wield such power were the Star Gods.
When the higher echelons of the Rangda received this report, they naturally concluded that the Imperium of Man had, through some extraordinary means, harnessed the power of a Star God.
If they could not upgrade their technology, if they failed to match the Imperium's pace, they would inevitably be left behind, the gap in military strength widening beyond hope.
It was within Axis's, The Emperor's, even the three primarchs that had came to the frontline this time, for him to become a weapon of strategic deterrence to the Rangda.
In a way, they had succeeded.
But, he headn't just become a mere weapon of strategic deterrance. His mere existence proved to the Rangda that they were far behind the Imperium in military might.
This had triggered their deepest fears, prompting them to use all their available resources to keep up.
Some kind of weapon that should never have existed in the original timeline was now being developed.
…
The expeditionary fleet had won an unimaginable victory, utterly destroying the Rangda's bridgehead world.
This unprecedented triumph sent waves of celebration through the entire fleet.
No one had expected the battle to go so smoothly, so easily. Well except of course, Axis own cleanup crew.
For the Imperial Navy officers and the Adeptus Astartes alike, this could only be a miracle of the Emperor.
But unlike the jubilant warriors, the three Primarchs now had to deal with post-battle arrangements.
They were discussing how to secure this captured bridgehead system.
The habitable-zone planet here had been completely obliterated by Axis's strike, making large-scale human garrisons impractical due to severe supply issues.
"We can at most set up two outposts here," said Jaghatai Khan, "Station small garrisons, and if any Rangda activity is detected, immediately send word to Imperial territory. That way we can react as quickly as possible and organize a defense."
"I agree," said Lion El'Jonson. "That is the best course for now. Several planets here have already been terraformed by the Rangda. We can modify them further, garrison about ten thousand Imperial militia, and assign an astropath to handle communications."
At this stage, one or two outposts in the system would suffice.
The entire star system could be classified as a dead system; it required no major deployment, only enough forces to monitor Rangda movements. Of course, they would plunder any available, useful resources left behind by the Rangda.
Russ nodded in agreement with the Lion and the Khan. The three Primarchs discussed further details, as where to build the outposts, how many troops to leave, how to deploy them, and how to send early warnings to the Imperium.
"Next, I will be escorting Axis to Holy Terra," the Lion said. "The two of you should continue the Great Crusade."
He still had an unfinished task.
With Axis having demonstrated such overwhelming power, it was time for him to return to Terra, perfect his gene-seed, and form his own Adeptus Astartes Legion.
Even the gene-seed refined through Axis's ki carried notable advantages.
The version implanted in his son Lucifer, enhanced through ki purification, was far more stable. Surely it would work better on his own gene-seed.
Russ felt a deep sense of amazement. In just a few decades, this little wolf cub had grown into something truly terrifying.
While the three Primarchs were in conference, Axis remained aboard his Gloriana-class battleship. Through psychic communication, he made contact with Mader, inquiring about the conflict between the Necrons and the Rangda.
"My lord Axis," Mader reported, "We arrived in the target star system a little over a month ago and began quietly observing the battles between both sides.
"There are several different species of Rangda present, along with vast numbers of their auxiliary forces, fighting against these green, metallic skeleton monstrosities.
"These green metal skeletons wield extremely powerful weapons, even the arms carried by their rank-and-file warriors are far superior to our bolters."
Axis asked, "The Necrons' weapons are indeed very advanced, their civilization far ahead of ours, arguably the pinnacle of technology in the material universe. Have you attempted to make contact with this Necron dynasty?"
"Lord Axis, their weapons are indeed advanced… but if you believe they are a normal civilization, you are gravely mistaken!" Mader replied.
"These metal skeletons are… strange. Very, very strange. I would even say they are like undead revenants from hell, like devils. We should avoid any unnecessary contact with them."
Undead? sure…devils? One would immediately think that when seeing a necron, but why was Mader's words so strange?
"Tell me exactly what you saw," Axis said.
"My lord Axis, these green metal skeletons are utterly bizarre. They are completely without discipline or coordination. While their weapons and equipment give them an overwhelming advantage, they fight with no order whatsoever.
"Worse still, some of their battlefield behavior is grotesque. They rush at the Rangda soldiers like madmen, slaughter them, and then smear the victims' flesh and blood over their own bodies. The scene is… disturbing."
The first time he had witnessed it, it had been utterly horrifying. A horde of green skeletal warriors butchering their foes, then draping themselves in the torn flesh and dripping blood.
Yet these were entirely mechanical lifeforms.
Mader could not fathom why they would adorn themselves with the skins and meat of their enemies. What purpose did it serve?
"What did you just say? These Necrons kill their enemies and then wear their flesh and skin?" Axis shot to his feet, startling Kasha beside him.
Killing the enemy, then wearing their bloodied hides…
This was none other than the infamous Flayed Ones, a condition caused by a bizarre Necron curse.
It was said to have originated from the dying vengeance of Llandu'gor the Flayer, a C'tan star-god who was not merely shattered but completely obliterated by the Necrons.
Necrons infected with this decease developed an uncontrollable hunger for flesh, their mind corrupted, their sanity decaying with time.
Only when their bodies were covered in gore and skin could they sate their endless craving. Over time, regardless of rank, any infected Necron would lose all higher cognition, degenerating into a mindless predator obsessed with flesh, acting with no chain of command.
"That's right. They even fight among themselves over flesh, killing their own kind. Ordinary soldiers seem to have no intelligence at all.
"I have not observed a single commanding officer. Their combat is entirely chaotic, with no chain of command, its just blind slaughter," Mader said.
"I understand. Withdraw immediately. Do not hesitate. Abandon any attempt at contact with the Necrons and return at once," Axis ordered.
Flayed Ones could not be reasoned with.
Their minds were shattered, their sanity gone. They even attacked uninfected Necrons of their own kind. They were, for all intents and purposes, raving lunatics.
At least the virus was not transmissible to humans.
"A wise choice, my lord. These creatures are not ones you can negotiate with," Mader agreed.
Though their weaponry was deadly, the Flayers' habit of desecrating corpses slowed their advances.
In fact, the Rangda were able to exploit this weakness to outmaneuver them, and the overall course of the war in this region favored the Rangda.
"Be careful on your way out. Make sure neither side detects your presence," Axis said.
What misfortune.
He had finally located a Necron dynasty, hoping to open communications and perhaps enlist their aid in cracking King Vegeta's encrypted vault.
Instead, he had stumbled upon a dynasty overrun by Flayers. No wonder they had been driven to the brink by the Rangda.
Upon receiving Axis's order, Mader immediately relayed the command to the captain of the Dauntless-class destroyer to prepare for the return voyage.
Their mission was complete. These Necrons were impossible to deal with.
Soon, the vessel was primed to engage its Warp drive and slip into the Immaterium.
But just then, an eerie green light flickered through the ship. A lattice of glowing emerald cubes materialized, and from them stepped a towering, 2.5-meter-tall Necron.
This one was clearly no common warrior, he wore ornate ceremonial garb and wielded a staff of office.
"Who are you?" Mader and the Space Wolves Lieutenant beside him did not dare drop their guard. The Lieutenant raised his weapons, and Mader's staff hummed, ready to cast the intruder away at any given moment.
"Do not misunderstand, gentlemen," the Necron said in a deep, metallic voice, "I am not like one's you've witnessed battling. You see, my dynasty has been infected with a curse, that left them to their unfortunate fate."
"State your name and your purpose." Mader was in no mood to have a nonchalant conversation with an intruder.
"I am Grandu, Chronomancer of my dynasty, servant to the Phaeron himself. But due to unforeseen events, the Phaeron is dead, and my people have all become monsters. I seek only passage out of this star system," the Necron said.
Mader and the Lieutenant exchanged glances.
They would have to secure this unexpected visitor before reporting to Lord Axis.
"Lay down your weapon and surrender, now."
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