[You won the gladiatorial contest, leaving the World Eater's severed head impaled on your axe handle as a grim trophy. The silence in the pit lasted for minutes before the Ashen Claws finally accepted the result.]
[The Ashen Claws sent 3,000 young children according to the transaction between the two parties, malnourished and terrified, but possessing the necessary genetic markers. These children will become the new blood of the Space Sharks, the future Carcharodon Astartes.]
[You also learned from Captain Bail Sharr that the fleet support in the transaction between the two parties seemed to be rejected by Chapter Master Nehat, a critical loss for the Chapter's immediate safety.]
[Captain Bail Sharr believed that the Ashen Claws have forgotten the original intention of being created, their exile having poisoned their sense of duty to the Imperium.]
[But Nehat, driven by his own betrayal and fear, believed that once the Imperium knew the existence of the Ashen Claws, the full might of the Navy and Inquisition would travel through the endless void to annihilate them. As exiles, the Ashen Claws have long been unable to obtain the glory and honor of fighting for the Imperium.]
["Padrick, remember," Captain Bail Sharr said, his face a gray mask of perpetual exhaustion, "glory and honor will only bring arrogance and weakness. The Carcharodon never needs such things. We have only one goal, and that is the enemy of mankind." He stared at you with a pair of dark, dead eyes.]
[You nodded heavily and slowly put on the barely repaired, dog-shaped helmet, the cold metal sealing over your face.]
[In the fourth week, the Tyrant-class cruiser "White Maw" passed through the warp and returned to the increasingly large void fleet of the Space Sharks. The transition from the warp was rough, shaking the entire ship.]
[Countless ancient supply ships, agricultural ships, cargo ships, slave ships, and even the forging ship "Steel" were surrounded and protected by a large number of relic-class warships in the center of the fleet. This immense scale of assembly and formation undoubtedly foreshadows the advent of a terrible war.]
[You found other technical sergeants—more skilled than the mortal auxiliaries—to complete the goal of fully repairing the Terminator power armor.]
[You returned to the battle barge "Nicor".]
[On your way to the private cabin, you saw countless solemn mortal warriors and Astartes monks ready to go. The air was charged with anticipation and the quiet weight of responsibility.]
[You lowered your head and thought for a while, the silence of the Terminator armor allowing for introspection, then turned and went to the "Crab Hall", the main auxiliary galley.]
[You obtained a large amount of fresh water and enough food for mortals to sustain for a long time, rationing it from your own unit's stores.]
[You returned to the private cabin.]
[You met Spong, the little boy busy trying to learn power armor repair technology from a discarded manual, his brow furrowed in concentration.]
[You asked him about the situation on board, specifically about the movement of the fleet.]
[You didn't get any useful information from Spong; his world was confined to the cabin and the repair logs.]
[You settled the little boy, placing the large store of food and water in his charge.]
[You ordered him not to leave his private cabin unless the food and fresh water ran out, a final instruction for his survival.]
[You went to the training ground and found all the team members, your newly promoted reconnaissance squad.]
[You led the fully armed team members to the bridge, which was almost full of ancient relics and arcane instrumentation.]
[You walked through a bridge explosion-proof door engraved with a shark emblem and entered the interior of the bridge. The air was colder here, the silence even heavier.]
[You saw the captain of the third company, Bail Sharr, who had just separated from you, and the captains of other large companies you had never seen before—grim, silent giants in scarred power armor.]
[You even saw the think tank chief, Librarian Te Kahurangi, and his apprentice, who you hadn't seen for a long time.]
[At this moment, everyone stood quietly on the dimly lit bridge deck, the floor etched with battle honors, silently waiting for orders.]
[You took off the dog-shaped helmet and tucked it under your elbow, exposing your pale, sharp-toothed face.]
[You seemed to feel the heavy atmosphere and the bloody smell of the terrible war hanging in the turbid air.]
[At the same time, among countless alien bones and precious relics displayed on the walls, the Chapter Master Tyberos slowly stood up from the metal throne engraved with the image of a shark, his movement immensely deliberate.]
[Wearing a metal helmet, he announced to you important news that could shake the Space Sharks, his voice booming over the internal vox.]
[The Tyranids in the void are gathering in large numbers. According to the estimated data, a terrifying swarm of nearly 500 million is about to sweep across the Pious Galaxy, a temple world with rich resources.]
[And according to the many illusions that the think tank chief can see through his psychic vision, there may be an alien sect, a Genestealer Cult, lurking in the core class of the local Imperial State Church, and it is they who called the Kraken Hive Fleet to step out of the void abyss.]
[Chapter Master Tyberos will personally go into battle, commanding the fleet from the Nicor.]
[The entire fleet, led by the battle barge and the flagship of the chapter, the "Nicor", will desperately try to stop the attack of the Hive Fleet and try to prevent the tentacles of the Hive from breaking through the borders of the Empire.]
[And the three companies you are in have only one goal. That is to go to the Pious System, dig out the alien sects there, and eradicate the beacons that attract the Hive.]
[If you fail to complete the task of eradicating the alien sects, or if the Hive Fleet continues to move forward after you succeed, every ship, every battle brother, and every mortal servant in the Carcharodon Chapter Fleet will be devoured by the Hive.]
[Your three companies will become the only possible surviving company of the Space Sharks and the only successor to the "Exile Decree", tasked with carrying on the Chapter's long, lonely vigil.]
[After listening to the low and dead voice of Chapter Master Tyberos, Captain Bail Sharr, who seemed to be unable to suppress his emotional fluctuations, knelt heavily on one knee.]
[He asked to fight alongside his brothers in the void, pleading to fight to the death for the fleet's homeland.]
[Master Tyberos said nothing. The huge man just stood there, slowly exuding an indescribable terrifying aura that crushed the atmosphere.]
[Captain Bail Sharr, expressionless, pounded the chest of the power armor in silent frustration and had to stand up, accepting the unspoken refusal.]
[You seemed to sense a silent gaze like a hot beam focusing on you. You blinked your dark eyes.]
[You stared at the huge Master Tyberos.]
[You slowly revealed your shark-like sharp white teeth, a gesture of grim readiness.]
[Without any hesitation, you performed the ancient military salute of the Carcharodon Chapter, your armored fist slamming against your breastplate.]
[You broke the silence on the bridge without authorization, your deep voice cutting through the oppressive quiet.]
["We come from the Ocean of the Void, where there is only darkness," you suddenly raised an arm, your voice a low, mechanical roar that resonated with the ferocity of your Chapter. "For the Empire, for the Emperor, Space Sharks, we will fight to the death!"]
[Including Captain Bail Sharr, the other captains of the Grand Company turned their heads and focused their gazes on you, their expressions varying from surprise to approval.]
[Even the Librarian's apprentice couldn't help but open his dark eyes wide and look at you with a dull expression, startled by your outburst.]
[However, the silent Chapter Master Tyberos did not stop your reckless behavior, his own immense frame unmoving.]
[The Librarian Te Kahurangi squeezed out a faint smile on his old gray face, a knowing, ancient look.]
[More psychic foreshadowings seemed to flash in those dark and deep eyes, visions of the future and the abyss you were marching into.]
["May the Emperor bless you," he seemed to utter a fleeting murmur, a genuine benediction.]
[As everyone watched in silence, you slowly lowered your raised arm.]
[You put on the dog-shaped helmet again, covering your pale face, retreating into the cold shell of your armor.]
[In the fifth week, the "White Maw" Fury-class cruiser that had separated from the fleet broke free from the constraints of the warp and emerged into real space. The cruiser that entered the Pious System quickly sailed towards the planet Pious V.]
[Countless defense monitoring stations belonging to the Imperial Navy and the cargo ships that came and went were like frightened schools of fish, avoiding the cruiser's route and avoiding the unknown evil star ships. They knew the Carcharodons meant business, and often death.]
[You handed a relic-level incendiary gun to the white-haired technical sergeant and asked him to help install it on the top of the Terminator power armor's arm mount.]
[The ancient Saturnine-type Terminator armor allowed the wearer to operate an additional weapon, a rare and powerful capability.]
[This was just one of the precious pieces of equipment you forcibly obtained from Captain Bail Sharr through persistent, borderline harassment tactics, exploiting the moment of shared purpose.]
[You began to hang a few fragmentation grenades and three "holy"-level melta bombs on the waist of the power armor, securing them with magnetic clamps.]
[You glanced at the other members of the entire reconnaissance team. They were silently inspecting the explosive ammunition that was far more than before and the chainsaw axes with replaced, razor-sharp teeth.]
["The captain asked me to tell you," the white-haired technical sergeant blinked and grinned, a rare, nervous expression, "this is just once, and it won't happen again. He said he's locking the door to the armory."]
["Next time? I'll tell you next time." You showed your shark-like white teeth and grinned, your eyes twinkling behind the visor.]
[Just then, a rare Chapter Chaplain walked towards you, his dark armor imposing.]
[He began to imprint the purity marks on your Terminator power armor with practiced, solemn movements.]
[You spread your arms and let the other party move at will, submitting to the sacred ritual.]
[Accompanied by the Chapter Chaplain's murmured prayers, thirteen purity marks—small parchment scrolls sealed with wax—fell down, shaking slightly with the flowing air inside the cabin.]
[After finishing everything, the Chapter Priest bowed slightly and quietly left your surroundings.]
[You put on the dog-shaped helmet again, the world narrowing down to your targeting reticules.]
[You heard the order from Captain Bail Sharr. You are about to arrive at the planet of Pious V. The Tyrant-class cruiser "White Maw" stays above the orbit to maintain the firepower threat of orbital bombardment.]
[A large number of Astartes monks will take the Thunderhawk transport to the surface. Captain Bail Sharr tries to contact the top leaders of the state religion to understand the situation.]
[Your task is to enter the interior of the planet in advance and conduct preliminary reconnaissance at some places where suspected alien sects gather. If you encounter fierce resistance, you need to hold on until the arrival of the entire company.]
[You took a deep breath, the internal filters whining, and commanded the reconnaissance team that was ready to go to a squad-type airdrop cabin, a heavy, cramped metal tube designed for orbital assault.]
[You picked up a heavy storm bolter and entered the interior of the airdrop cabin as the last person, the massive armor barely fitting.]
[With the gradual closing of the cabin wall, the dark airdrop cabin began to drop, released from the cruiser's belly.]
[You feel the violent shaking and trembling from the airdrop cabin and close your eyes slightly, bracing for the atmospheric entry.]
[A minute later, the terrifying scream that cut through the air—the sound of the vessel tearing through the atmosphere—penetrated the cabin wall and echoed in the dark interior.]
[Then, the airdrop cabin's recoil thrusters suddenly started, slowing the devastating descent with a massive, focused burst of plasma.]
[Accompanied by the mechanical sound of the cabin wall slowly opening with a screech of hydraulics,]
[You drove the Terminator power armor and jumped out of the airdrop cabin first, not waiting for the ramp to lower.]
[A pair of heavy and hard magnetic boots stomped heavily on the delicate stone floor with a jarring impact that cracked the paving.]
[You held the storm bolter ready to fire and quickly scanned the surrounding environment. You were actually airdropped into the church square of a monastery, and panicked mortals and clergy exclaimed and screamed, scattering like leaves.]
[The members of the reconnaissance team quickly jumped out of the airdrop cabin, landing around you.]
[They maintained a scattered but stable defensive formation, constantly scanning the surrounding mortals through the auspicious instrument, assessing threats.]
[You gradually frowned. You did not find any aliens in your sight, only many mortals trying to escape, their fear palpable.]
[At this moment, you suddenly looked at the large, closed door of the monastery church nearby, a metal barrier engraved with a massive statue of the Emperor.]
[You remained silent, just waved a hand gesture, and several members of the reconnaissance team quickly stepped forward and scattered around the door of the church, preparing for entry.]
[You drove the Terminator power armor forward and kicked away the metal door engraved with the statue of the Emperor, the impact tearing the door from its hinges with a tremendous CRASH.]
[Just inside your dog-shaped helmet, the motion sensor and threat detector suddenly made a buzzing, shrill sound, signifying multiple hostile targets.]
[At the same time, a series of scorching laser beams continuously fell on the Terminator's thick ceramite steel armor, the energy dissipating harmlessly, only burning off a thin layer of spray paint and leaving dark marks.]