The Players' gazes were firm, fixed on the rapidly expanding objective—the Wandering Port—eager for the impending slaughter.
To successfully take the Wandering Port, they lay alone in landing torpedoes stripped of all unnecessary components, maintaining radio silence, as silent as corpses.
The sense of loneliness was indescribable, as if in the cold and vast universe, only one person remained.
If one were to stay in such a confined environment for too long, they would inevitably be driven mad by the loneliness and the vastness of the universe.
This was also why such tactics could only be executed by Players.
Once the mission failed, even an Astartes would go mad under the pull of loneliness and the will to survive, struggling endlessly and falling into despair until their last breath.
Players didn't have to worry so much.
Even if the mission failed, it was just a bolt round, and they would return to the resurrection process.
......
Wandering Port Command.
"What's going on?"
Eriel looked at the urgent boarding alarm, his face full of disbelief.
Where did the enemies come from?
There wasn't even a single sign!!
"Ghost tactics, it's ghost tactics!! These madmen, they are all madmen!!"
The Auspex Chief shouted in terror, his voice desperate.
Just a fraction of a second ago.
The rebels of the Wandering Port noticed abnormal explosions near the port.
But none of them paid attention, believing it was just an accident, as the Imperial loyalist fleet was still on the other side.
The Auspex and sensor arrays detected no anomalies.
It wasn't until the landing torpedoes, propelled by the explosion, passed over the port's void shield and crashed into the port that the rebels realized it was an Imperial boarding assault.
"What are ghost tactics?" asked the representative of the Hoert Family.
"Ghosts refer to launching and then completely shutting down engines and life support, relying solely on inertia to glide towards the enemy ship."
The Auspex Chief's voice trembled, "No radiation or heat, just like true ghosts… We can't detect them at all."
"This suicidal, insane tactic is called ghost tactics."
The Auspex Chief explained the knowledge of ghost tactics to the representatives of those families and factions.
After listening, everyone's eyes widened.
Shutting down engines and life support, drifting solely by inertia—wasn't that seeking death?
How vast is the void? Once you lose your position, there's no way to find your way back; you can only drift in the void until you die.
This was completely disregarding one's own life!!
"Madmen, are they all f*cking madmen?!"
Eriel's face was grim, no longer showing the confidence he had just moments ago.
In his eyes, these Imperial loyalists were no different from madmen.
"Immediately send people to stop those boarding invaders."
"Stop them at all costs."
Eriel opened communications and roared, ordering the defending forces to intercept the boarding invaders and stabilize the situation.
However, it was all too late.
"N-3 area under attack."
A staff member shouted.
A crimson alert flashed on the tactical projection in front of Eriel, indicating that a gun battery had gone offline.
The reason for going offline was that the main conduit was damaged, preventing it from drawing energy and firing beams.
Then came the second, the third…
Crimson alerts appeared before Eriel like an avalanche, announcing the fall of one area after another.
The once tight defense system had been torn open by the enemy.
"No!"
Eriel whispered, his face pale, trembling all over.
He seemed to have already seen his defeat.
...
Wandering Port, B-14 Defense Platform.
"For the Emperor, you Emperor's Cannon Fodder, kill!"
Warmaster roared, cleaving the War Servitor in front of him with his two-handed greatsword.
Blood mixed with black machine oil gushed out, flowing onto the ground.
Behind Warmaster, many Players were also slaughtering.
The quick reaction force that came to intercept them had been completely wiped out.
The mortals, equipped with external armor, well-trained and finely armored, were nothing but weeds to be harvested at will in front of the high-level Players of the Emperor Hammers.
In just a moment, they were all slaughtered, reduced to scattered pieces of flesh.
"Chop! Chop! Kill! Kill!"
Luke shouted, swinging his chainaxe, hacking at the mortal soldiers who rushed over.
Occasionally, he would also raise his boltgun and spray at the enemy.
The powerful bolt rounds landed on the enemies, tearing their organic bodies to shreds in an instant.
"The Soul of Fenris roars!!"
King of Mount & Blade picked up a mortal soldier.
And pierced his body with the chainsword in his hand.
Crimson blood gushed out, staining the ground.
"Fight for the Rock!!" Lion Fist (ID: Lion Fang Fist), an ID of a Dark Angel, shouted, his voice no less loud than King of Mount & Blade's.
"Are you shouting next to me to provoke me?"
King of Mount & Blade casually shot a mortal soldier who intended to fire at him, then turned to Lion Fist and questioned him.
Lion Fist didn't back down at all, "Why don't you say that you, this wolf cub, are blocking my way??"
"So arrogant, do you want to fight?" King of Mount & Blade shouted, "In the name of the Space Wolves, I'm going to beat you furballs who only 'whine' to death."
"A bunch of Husky, daring to clamor." Lion Fist shouted, "Watch me punch the dog king, kick the dog pack, and smash Fenris, this dog's nest."
"Come on, honor duel."
"Come on, whoever doesn't come is a grandson!!"
Just as the two were about to have a PK, Warmaster's voice sounded in time, stopping their foolish behavior.
"You two bastards, don't make me deduct your DKP."
"If you want to fight, go back and fight in the gladiatorial cage."
On the battlefield, Warmaster, as the Chapter Master, still held great authority.
The old Players, who usually joked around, would at this time firmly support all his decisions.
With the Chapter Master speaking, King of Mount & Blade and Lion Fist dared not cause trouble again, honestly continuing to kill enemies and not daring to argue.
Bang!
An Iron Rider-type War Servitor was cleaved in two by Warmaster's sword.
The wreckage fell to the ground with a dull thud, and bright electrical sparks burst from the cut.
Kills +1.
Warmaster shook off the blood and oil from his sword, surveyed the battlefield, and saw that the enemies had been mostly cleared.
He switched communication to inquire about the situation of other squads.
"Caesar, how are things on your end?"
A chaotic communication, mixed with static, screams, and explosions, rang out.
Caesar's hoarse voice sounded amidst the din.
"We have successfully taken the Y-17 gun battery, and are currently heading to Sector S."
"Very good, keep up the momentum."
Warmaster switched to other squad communication channels.
"Some enemies are blocking Atomal; the mission to destroy the A-1 area's void shield generator is expected to be delayed by three minutes beyond the scheduled time." Niu Ba Ren's voice sounded.
"Maintain contact at all times and share progress." Warmaster said.
After confirming the progress of each squad.
Warmaster ended the communication and continued to engage in combat, clearing out the remaining enemies.
The Players' killing speed was very fast.
The gun battery's defenders were completely slaughtered.
Broken bodies were scattered everywhere on the platform.
"Spare me!"
A rebel commander knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.
"The Emperor may forgive you." Warmaster said, "but you'll have to ask Him yourself."
After dealing with the enemies, the Players placed bombs at key locations on the gun battery.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Accompanied by earth-shattering explosions, another gun battery was crippled.
"Go, next objective."
Warmaster and others continued to advance.
Wherever they went, bloody and brutal battles erupted.
Rebels poured out from every dark corner, then became severed limbs and broken bodies on the Players' path.
As the Players advanced, the fallen areas grew larger and larger.
The rebels were plunged into despair.
They found that no matter how hard they tried, they could not stop the fate of defeat from descending.
Gun battery after gun battery was crippled, and anti-air firepower suddenly weakened.
"Push forward, don't let any enemy ship escape."
Darren stood on the bridge of the Exemplar Saint Fist battleship, decisively issuing orders to advance and encircle.
He was now a Colonel-ranked officer, capable of independently leading a small-scale fleet in combat.
Once the Calixis Sector was recovered, his merits should be enough to promote him to General.
"The position I couldn't get in the Holy Terra, I didn't expect to get in the game..." Darren sighed with a bit of melancholy.
There was no war in the Holy Terra, so it was difficult for soldiers to get promoted.
There were also no opportunities for practical combat training.
Thanks to Warhammer OL, he had personally experienced actual combat.
The rebel fleet, deprived of artillery support, faced the Imperial fleet's furious assault.
Utilizing the advantage of tonnage, Darren had the Exemplar Saint Fist battleship charge into the enemy ranks.
Relying on powerful macro cannons and lances, they destroyed the rebel ships.
Explosions continuously appeared in the void, shining like newborn stars.
The Imperial fleet then surrounded the Wandering Port, cutting off the enemy ships' escape routes, and finally utterly defeating them.
Hundreds of rebel ships were reduced to floating wrecks in the void.
The Imperial Fleet quickly gained the absolute upper hand, wantonly slaughtering rebel warships.
As time went on, the rebels eventually succumbed to defeat.
And the Imperium achieved victory in the void battle.
"Enemy defensive systems have been neutralized, the passage is open, all landing craft move forward, deploy sweep offensive."
"Warriors of the Imperium, let your roars be heard by the enemy, and let the Emperor's punishment descend upon them."
The vastness of the void addressed all Imperial warships.
and then issued the order for a general assault.
The Astartes, moving with the fleet, were quickly deployed to Wandering Port for the clean-up operation.
After several large-scale battles, these recruits quickly transformed into veterans.
They could now effortlessly handle various battlefield situations.
In addition to the Astartes units, there were also large-scale, well-equipped Astra Militarum forces.
The Imperial forces quickly landed at the port.
opening up the situation with a dual advantage of scale and firepower.
and piercing the enemy's defenses like a spear.
They swiftly captured key positions.
Cutting off enemies in various areas, isolating them, and harvesting them one by one.
The rebel command center in Wandering Port was thrown into chaos.
The loyalist Imperial forces were advancing too quickly.
First, the turrets were neutralized, followed by intense boarding actions.
And news of enemy contact came from everywhere.
Large numbers of Imperial forces poured through gaps in the defensive line.
Cutting off and encircling the defending forces throughout the port.
Eriel desperately tried to contact the responsible parties in various areas, making a series of tactical adjustments to try and stabilize the situation.
But the enemy's speed was faster than his orders.
Often, before an order could even reach the relevant unit, news of that unit's annihilation would arrive.
"The unit stationed in the warehouse district has been annihilated."
"The loading and unloading area is surrounded by the enemy, requesting support."
"The repair port has been taken."
"..."
A series of bad news arrived.
Eriel, as the commander, felt as if all his strength had been drained, slumping into his chair, revealing a look of despair.
"It's over, it's all over."
Seeing Eriel's state, representatives from various families and factions knew that the rebel cause was lost.
They rushed back to their family strongholds, wanting to escape as quickly as possible.
When the rebels attacked Wandering Port, they had acted as collaborators.
The Imperium had never shown mercy to traitors.
Especially those who betrayed Imperial interests and colluded with external enemies.
A direct bullet would be considered merciful.
Their decision was very decisive, but it was too late.
The Imperium had blockaded all ports, allowing no one to escape.
"Joining the rebels was truly out of necessity! We are willing to pledge allegiance to the Emperor once again!"
"As long as you agree to let Atomal be loyal to the Imperium again, we are willing to offer everything."
Realizing that escape was hopeless, representatives from various families and factions actively contacted Warmaster, hoping to get a chance to surrender.
"Good, I accept your surrender."
Warmaster agreed readily, but he also put forward his own conditions:
"Given your past record, all surrendering factions must voluntarily disarm and allow Imperial forces to enter your strongholds."
"You wouldn't disarm Atomal and then order our slaughter, would you?" The Hoert Family representative asked cautiously.
"I swear by the Emperor that I will never deceive you." Warmaster guaranteed solemnly.
Recently, many Players playing the 'The Sitting-and-Forgetting Dao' meme had entered the game, and Warmaster unconsciously started playing along.
"What is 'The Sitting-and-Forgetting Dao'?" The Hoert Family representative asked.
"A sect that worships honesty and righteousness."
After explaining a few sentences, Warmaster became a bit impatient.
"Do you want to surrender or not? Why so many questions!! If you don't surrender, I'll have people fight their way in."
"Anyway, you're going to die either way, choose to believe Atomal, and you still have a glimmer of hope to survive."
Warmaster's strong stance caused fear in the hearts of the various families and factions.
They dared not hesitate or think too much, and ultimately chose to give up their arms and allow Imperial forces to enter their strongholds.
Luke, who was in charge of this matter, confirmed that the various families and factions had disarmed and were no longer capable of resistance.
and immediately issued the order for slaughter.
The body of Lieutenant General Fenris, the former commander of Wandering Port, was still hanging in the command center, almost dried into a jerky-like corpse.
Under such circumstances, how could the Imperium possibly spare these traitors?
"You swore an oath." The Hoert Family's patriarch, before he died, desperately questioned Luke, who had given the order to slaughter.
"Nonsense, it's precisely because I swore an oath that I have to kill you, otherwise how could I live up to the teachings of the 'Emperor'?"
After speaking, Luke stomped on the other party's head, crushing it.
After effortlessly clearing out those families and factions.
Wandering Port was left with only the Naval Command, held by the rebel commander Eriel.
This guy had turned the Naval Command into a heavily defended military fortress.
It was just a pity that even the well-defended port couldn't stop Warmaster and his forces.
Now, how could an isolated and unsupported fortress possibly stop them!!
Warmaster surveyed the fortress, then shouted into the comms channel:
"Tell the vastness of the void to move the fleet over and unleash a volleys of lance fire on that fortress, I want to see how tough this turtle shell is."
Soon, the Imperial Fleet, led by the Exemplar Saint Fist battleship, appeared in everyone's sight.
Following Warmaster's orders, they locked onto the rebels' last fortress.
The lance arrays charged, preparing to give the rebels a volley.
Seeing the fleet in the void, Eriel completely despaired.
He hadn't expected that the enemy would even strip him of his right to fight to the death.
The rebels inside the fortress were also in a panic.
They hadn't expected the Imperium to be so ruthless, planning to obliterate them directly with lances.
Some rebels wanted to surrender, but before they could even step out, the Imperial Fleet opened fire.
Dozens of lances fired in unison, illuminating the void.
They not only overloaded the fortress' void shields but also directly leveled the fortress into a charred ruin.
The rebels who tried to make a last stand were all reduced to dust along with the fortress.
The war ended, and the enslaved and oppressed Imperial citizens poured out from their hiding places, loudly praising the Emperor and the saints.
Smiles bloomed on everyone's faces.
The dark days were finally over, and the Emperor's benevolence once again shone upon them.
"Tell Arale that the mission has been successfully completed, We have successfully recaptured Wandering Port, requesting the next mission."
Warmaster and his forces rested briefly in Wandering Port, awaiting new orders.
However, before the new mission arrived, an unexpected event occurred.
Just as the Players had organized the residents of Wandering Port, restored order, and prepared to rebuild their homes.
The augur of the Exemplar Saint Fist battleship suddenly detected a large number of anomalous ethereal readings.
These anomalous readings came from the Great Maw Passage, deep in the void, which led to the Koronus Expanse.
Subsequently, countless bloated warships flew out from the Great Maw Passage.
Warhammer veteran fans immediately recognized which faction those warships belonged to, and their expressions changed dramatically.
"Damn! It's Orks, the Orks are here."
"Prepare for battle, prepare for battle, the Orks are here."
"Such a large scale, this is a WAAAGH! expedition!!"
"It's over, immediately arrange for ships to evacuate the residents of Wandering Port, we can't hold it."
The news of Wandering Port being attacked by Orks quickly reached Daniel's ears.
"Why would the Orks from the Koronus Expanse launch a WAAAGH! Great Crusade at this time??"
The sudden unexpected event disrupted Daniel's original deployment.
However, troubles never come singly.
On the edge of the Calixis Sector.
A loyalist fleet was attacked by a Necrons fleet.
The enemy destroyed all human warships and occupied several human worlds.
Just as Daniel was having a headache, a third piece of bad news arrived.
A Tyranid fleet had entered the Calixis Sector, devouring planets along its way.
The Atomal World, which had just been designated as the capital, was directly in the path of that Tyranid fleet.
"Orks! Necrons! Tyranid fleet!"
Daniel vaguely felt that something was wrong.
All of this was too coincidental; he felt as if an invisible hand was pushing everything forward!!