"Priests, keep your distance, focus on prayers, and use heavy firepower for long-range suppression."
"Players wearing heavy exoskeleton armor, take out your riot shields and stand at the front to block the monster's charge."
"Those responsible for damage output, find cover and protect yourselves."
"Buff up, don't be cowardly, just go for it."
"..."
Little Alpaca shouted in the team communication, giving orders in an orderly fashion.
The Players quickly moved, seeking cover, casting buffing skills, and preparing for the engagement.
The monster also noticed the arrival of the humans.
Its eyes, one by one, stared intently at the humans who had disturbed it, blinking continuously.
A mouth appeared on its tar-black, amorphous body, opening and closing to emit a malevolent sound.
"Fresh flesh and souls are always exceptionally delicious. I've forgotten when I last tasted them."
Little Alpaca looked directly at the monster, which was shaped by Warp energy, without a trace of fear.
Skills like [Steadfast as Iron], [Fearless], and [Pious Service] allowed him to calmly face all Warp creatures.
"Where is Inquisitor A'duojin?"
Hearing Little Alpaca's question, the monster let out a strange laugh,
like the hiss of a venomous snake, smooth and full of temptation.
"A'duojin? Are you referring to that overconfident ant? You will never know where her corpse lies. No one can learn secrets from the malicious Sar."
Little Alpaca furrowed his brow, then spoke again.
"Foolish Warp creature, in the name of the God-Emperor, speak everything you know."
This time, he used [Deterrence], his cold voice carrying a hint of the Emperor's terrifying majesty.
"She is in the deepest part of the derelict ship, where there is the wreckage of a Black Ship specifically used to transport Psyker."
The monster felt the oppression of The Cursed one from the Sister of Battle.
An indescribable fear arose in its heart, forcing it to speak the truth.
But after the effect of the [Deterrence] skill ended, annoyance and anger appeared on its face.
As an eternal inhabitant of Immaterium, to be threatened by a short-lived species of Reality,
if this matter were to spread to the Warp, it would surely be ridiculed by other kin. It had to do something to redeem itself.
Gurgling sounds came from within the monster's body, and then several more mouths appeared on its twisted, amorphous dark body.
Immediately after, those mouths roared in unison.
"What right do you have to question me, minion of the Corpse-Emperor?"
"Since you're so eager to know about A'duojin, then die."
The enraged monster swung its massive tentacles and attacked.
"Fire!" Little Alpaca shouted, activating the thrusters on his back.
As azure flames spewed from the engine nozzles,
the sudden thrust gave Little Alpaca a ghost-like mobility.
During his first awakening, he received the Emperor's blessing.
His motor nerves had been enhanced, allowing him to adapt well to this exaggerated reaction speed.
Whoosh!
A terrifying whooshing sound echoed as thick tentacles swept forth.
A Player wearing heavy exoskeleton armor, four meters tall, was struck by a tentacle.
The energy shield only lasted a few seconds before shattering.
The chest armor plate instantly collapsed, and the entire person was sent flying backward.
Bang!
A dull, heavy thud resounded.
That Player slammed hard into the wall in the distance.
The thick exoskeleton armor was severely deformed, and he was dead beyond dead.
"Watch out for its tentacles."
"Everyone activate attack dynamic detection, predict the movement of its tentacle attacks, and give early warnings."
Little Alpaca activated the battle armor's prediction mode.
Whenever the monster intended to use a tentacle attack, the prediction model would anticipate the landing point and coverage area in advance.
As long as the Players were careful, they could avoid it without taking damage.
This function was equivalent to artificially creating a red warning zone for a game BOSS's skills.
After dodging several of the monster's attacks and feeling the practicality of this function,
Little Alpaca silently gave a thumbs up to the developers of Dora Workshop.
He had to admit, their creativity was truly amazing.
The monster's methods were very simple: using tentacle attacks or spitting out explosive flesh bombs.
As long as one predicted them in advance, they could be easily dodged.
"I'm here, ugly monster."
"Is that all you've got?"
"Didn't you eat? You can't even catch up?"
Little Alpaca and several other Sisters of Battle took turns taunting the monster, attracting its attention.
When the monster focused its attention on them, they would use the mobility provided by their thrusters to maneuver, easily dodging the monster's attacks.
In addition to physical attacks, the monster also released psychic attacks.
But Little Alpaca and the other Sisters of Battle all had spiritual barriers forged by faith, making them immune to the monster's psychic attacks.
The other Players took the opportunity to deal damage.
And some Players kept their distance, attacking the enemy from afar with their heavy firepower.
Dense volleys of boltgun rounds, rockets, scorching melta beams, and incendiary bullets formed a crimson net of fire, tearing through the monster's flesh.
Black blood gushed out, turning the hall into a muddy swamp.
Finally, the monster crashed to the ground, its massive body torn into pieces.
"Perfect." Gray Baby shut down her thrusters and landed near Little Alpaca. "That ugly monster was quite tough to beat."
Just as Little Alpaca was about to speak, a chilling gust of wind suddenly blew through the hall, mixed with murmuring whispers and eternal malice.
The blood on the ground began to congeal, and soon it was completely frozen.
"Warp energy is surging!!"
A Ecclesiarchy Sister of Battle, a Psyker named 'Meng Zhu' with entirely white eyes, issued a warning,
"That monster isn't dead yet."
The biting cold wind howled through the hall, and the thickness of the frost congealing on the ground became increasingly exaggerated.
"Does this thing have a second phase?"
"I knew this dungeon wouldn't be that simple."
"Split up, split up."
"..."
Amidst the Players' shouts,
the blood and flesh, originally shattered, seemed to be drawn together by an invisible force, forming a giant ball of flesh.
"Fire, don't let it form."
Little Alpaca urged his companions to attack, intending to destroy the monster's second form in its embryonic stage.
But the flesh ball erupted with an invisible force, forming a massive shield that blocked all incoming bullets and beams.
Then, the flesh ball burst open, and a four-legged, human-faced monster emerged.
The monster's eyes were white, and it had no lower jaw.
Its exposed mouth was full of sharp fangs.
It also had three giant tentacles on its back, ending in sharp barbs.
The monster moved very quickly, completely unlike its previous massive and clumsy form.
It could crawl on walls and ceilings, and it could also tear open rifts to summon helpers.
The summoned helpers were all hideous daemons.
They were covered in flowing blood, their bodies rotting, and their screams were incredibly piercing and unbearable.
They poured out of the Warp like a tide, rushing towards the Players.
The sudden wave of daemons threw the Players into disarray, breaking their original tactical formation.
The monster took the opportunity to attack. It moved rapidly on the ceiling,
and when it found an opening, it would pounce down, tackling a Player.
Its back tentacles struck repeatedly, pummeling the downed Player,
smashing the Player's head and helmet into a pulp,
then quickly leaping back into the darkness.
When the Players focused on the monster that had escaped into the darkness, the daemons howled and swarmed in.
Once tackled by a daemon, even those in power armor were torn apart.
The Players were overwhelmed, suffering heavy casualties in an instant.
"Don't panic, gather together." Little Alpaca shouted,
"Players wearing heavy exoskeleton armor act as shields, protecting the Priests."
"Psyker are responsible for locking onto that monster, marking its position."
"Tighten the formation, and support each other between squads."
Under Little Alpaca's efforts, the panicked Players regrouped and resumed their combat formation.
The charging daemons were killed one by one, turning into charred corpses scattered across the ground.
The monster, hidden in the darkness, saw the summoned daemons being slaughtered and fixed its malevolent gaze on Little Alpaca.
It already understood that among these humans, the greatest threat was this Sister of Battle.
If it didn't deal with her, it would be difficult to eliminate these humans.
The monster silently climbed onto the ceiling, preparing to use its old trick to ambush Little Alpaca.
However, the psyker in the Players' team had already locked onto its position and was sharing it in real-time with the other Players.
Little Alpaca feigned ignorance,
and only when the opponent lunged did he suddenly activate the thrusters on his back, rushing towards it.
He plunged the roaring chainsword in his hand deep into the monster's body, splitting it in two in mid-air.
Crimson blood splattered out, and the monster crashed to the ground with a thud, letting out a horrific shriek.
"I'll be back! The malicious Sar will surely get revenge on everyone!"
The monster's vitality was incredibly tenacious; even with only half its body left, it continued to shriek and utter venomous curses.
The Players wasted no time, swarming forward and hacking it into pieces with their weapons.
Finally, it was banished back to the Warp.
After dealing with the remaining monsters,
Little Alpaca walked up to the high platform and retrieved the Daemon Codex from it.
"It was worth the trip after all, getting this holy relic."
"There's still one more," Yuzu Jiang said, putting away her boltgun and longsword, walking over to Little Alpaca.
"The remaining sword should be where Inquisitor A'duojin sacrificed herself. Everyone, take a break, and we'll continue exploring deeper later."
After Little Alpaca finished speaking, he called out to Brother Agamo outside,
asking him to send in a batch of supplies via servitors and drones.
They planned to rest first, then push through the entire dungeon in one go.
...
On the Macragge's Honour,
amidst the roar of the quantum engine, a bright flash of teleportation appeared on the teleporter platform.
A group of figures materialized on the teleporter platform.
It was Alex, accompanied by the Warmaster, Tenjiro, Old Bird, Wu Mou, and other high-level Players.
"Oh, Saint, you've finally arrived! You've certainly kept me waiting."
"During this time, I've been secretly wondering if you were dissatisfied with me, your Regent, which is why you kept delaying."
Guilliman, who had been waiting for a long time, walked over with Sicarius and a few other trusted aides, a rare smile on his face as he joked.
Ever since arriving on Terra, he had maintained a stern demeanor.
After all, as a superior, even a slight hint of yielding emotion would be noticed by those fellows, allowing them to take advantage.
Only in front of Alex could Guilliman shed his burdens and pretense.
Sicarius and other high-ranking officers, as well as the nearby staff, showed surprised expressions when they saw Alex.
The moment they saw the Saint, they all thought it was the Ninth Primarch, Sanguinius, returned from the dead.
Alex paid no mind to the surprised people; after saluting Guilliman, he began to tease him.
"Lord Regent, I had to finish what I was working on, didn't I? Besides, you're the Regent; how could I dare to be dissatisfied?"
"Haha, well, as long as you're here, let's go. Now, let's have a good talk about the reforms."
Guilliman led Alex to the Strategic Room, and the two began a private conversation.
While the Guide and the Primarch chatted, the Warmaster approached Sicarius.
"God Chosen, is there something you need from me?" Sicarius asked, looking puzzled.
"Do you still remember Titus?" the Warmaster asked.
The name made Sicarius pause.
How could he not know that name?
When he had just completed his promotion ceremony and joined the Ultramarines, Titus was serving as the second company captain's deputy.
Like the current first company captain Agemman, Titus had given him a lot of guidance at the time, serving as an important mentor on his path to growth.
Later, when Senior General Tura, the second company captain, was killed in action,
the meritorious Titus took over as the second company captain.
However, he only served for ten years before being taken away by the Inquisition during a campaign against Orks.
Commander Calgar repeatedly demanded that the Inquisition return him, but the Inquisition never responded and he couldn't be found.
Later, considering that the second company could not be without a commander, and as Sicarius had just performed a great service, Commander Calgar appointed him as the second company's commander.
"You know about him?" Sicarius asked excitedly, his voice urgent.
"He is my brother."
The Warmaster took out the chainsword that Titus had lost to him.
"After being taken by Inquisitor Thrax, he was imprisoned for over a hundred years. After being rescued, he joined the Deathwatch."
"Why didn't he contact us immediately after being rescued?" Sicarius looked stunned.
"He thought he had brought shame to the Ultramarines, and that the Warband had abandoned him," the Warmaster explained.
"How could that be?! We've been looking for him," Sicarius said. "We never gave up."
The Warmaster said, "But he didn't know he was imprisoned for a hundred years. And during that hundred years, he received no help from the Warband. So, it's not surprising he had that thought."
"He even changed his name, erased his insignia and markings, and served as an unnamed Black Shield in the Deathwatch, only seeking to die for the Emperor."
"It wasn't until he came to the Calixis Sector and the Saint revealed his identity with a single word that he learned the whole story."
"Some time ago, he returned to the Deathwatch and has likely sent requests to the Inquisition and the Ultramarines Warband, hoping to return to Macragge."
"I promised to bring the news to his Warband and Primarch, to help him return to his parent Warband. And now, I am telling you this news, hoping you can find an appropriate time to relay it to the Primarch and Chapter Master Commander Calgar."
"Titus is an excellent warrior, a loyal man who would give everything for the Emperor. I do not wish for him to suffer any unfair treatment upon his return to the Ultramarines."
"Perhaps you might think my position is insignificant and my words carry no weight. But I can tell you very clearly, if Titus is persecuted, I will spare no effort to seek justice for him, even if it means opposing the gods, I will not be afraid."
Sicarius removed his helmet, revealing a sincere smile.
"Thank you for this news. I will inform the Primarch and Commander Calgar and ensure Titus returns to Macragge as soon as possible."
"Furthermore, the Ultramarines would never persecute their own brothers."
Sicarius paused for a moment before continuing,
"It is truly his honor to have a friend like you."
"It is also my honor to gain his friendship," the Warmaster said modestly. "He is an exceptionally good person, and he gave me a lot of help on my path to growth."
Sicarius took out an Ultramarines badge. "You shall have the friendship of the Ultramarines Warband, esteemed God Chosen, the Second Empire Warmaster."
Having spent time with the God Chosen, Sicarius had long mastered the trick to dealing with them.
Sure enough, the next second, the Warmaster delightedly accepted the badge, grinning from ear to ear.
Tenjiro, Old Bird, and the other Players standing by widened their eyes.
"Is this guy a succubus or something?"
"He just maxed out the Ultramarines Warband's favorability? He just gained the friendship of an entire Warband?"
"We all received nine years of compulsory education, so why are you so outstanding?"
"Are we even playing the same game?"
"..."
Inside the secret room,
Guilliman opened a projection, which displayed representatives from various factions on Terra.
"During this time, I've been suppressing the power of those bureaucrats on Terra, which has caused many to be dissatisfied with me."
"It's only due to my special status as a Primarch that they don't dare to openly oppose me, but they've caused quite a few troubles in secret."
"Some conservatives have even secretly funded cults and xenos, allowing them to lurk on Terra, waiting for an opportunity to cause destruction. When I learned of this, I was deeply shocked and saddened."
"Those bureaucrats have been so severely corrupted by power that they are even willing to use the entire future of humanity as a bargaining chip for their own gain."
Hearing Guilliman's description, Alex also frowned.
"These damned Terra vermin aren't even afraid of a Primarch. It seems a heavy hand is needed."