Inquisitor Rostov carefully read the protocol for joining the God Chosen task system.
After confirming its accuracy, he checked to agree and joined the task system.
It contained task templates and Cortana's assistance in estimating task rewards; he only needed to copy them.
Rostov pondered for a moment, then began to edit the task.
Task: Destroy the Blackstone Device.
Great Raider Abaddon destroyed Cadia Fortress, creating the Great Rift that spans the entire galaxy.
But he is still not satisfied, intending to use the Blackstone Device to cut open the entire Reality universe and throw them into the Warp.
The wise, mighty, and dashing Inquisitor Rostov has decided to stop this evil conspiracy,
but he suffers from a lack of helpers, and so he issues this task, hoping that God Chosen will come to help him.
If the God Chosen are interested, they can go to Inquisitor Rostov to sign up.
Basic Task Reward: 75,000 Contribution Points, 5,000 Honor Points, 25,000 Faith Points, 120,000 War Score.
Commission Reward: Issued based on task performance.
Best Reward: Arbiter Master-crafted Power Sword (This sword was forged in the 35th Millennium, passing through the hands of many legendary Inquisitors).
"Is this really okay?"
Inquisitor Rostov looked at the edited task, feeling a bit uneasy.
He knew that destroying that hellish ship and the Blackstone Device would undoubtedly be a near-certain death.
Those God Chosen have exalted statuses; even Fleet Commanders must treat them with respect.
Would they choose to die for such a small reward?
It felt somewhat unreal.
Rostov, with a feeling of trepidation, clicked to upload the task.
The interface showed a "under review" prompt.
Shortly after, the task interface refreshed again, showing "review passed, task issued."
After waiting a few minutes, several Soullesss appeared before Rostov.
"Did you issue the task?"
"I want to take the task."
"Me! I want to go."
"…"
Rostov looked at the God Chosen surrounding him, feeling a bit shocked.
Ah! No!!
Such a dangerous, life-threatening task,
could merely offering rewards make them so enthusiastic?
"Are you not afraid of death?" Rostov asked one of the God Chosen.
That God Chosen paused, then seemed to think of something, straightening his back.
"For the Emperor, what is there to fear in death?"
"I was born ready to die for the Emperor; give me any difficult task."
"Inquisitor, I will never flinch, nor will I betray your expectations."
Hearing this, Rostov's eyes widened.
These God Chosen actually possessed such resolve.
"Inquisitor?" That God Chosen called out when he saw Rostov in a daze.
"I apologize; I am shocked and ashamed by your loyalty," Rostov said.
What is loyalty? This is loyalty!!
They buy their own weapons and equipment, and they are wholeheartedly devoted to serving the Emperor.
Compared to the God Chosen, he was practically a Heretic.
That God Chosen showed a confused expression, then eagerly asked,
"Is there nothing else to say?"
"Are there no particularly dangerous tasks to give me?"
"It's alright, Inquisitor; as long as you command, no matter how dangerous, I will firmly complete it."
"This task is already very dangerous," Rostov said.
"I can do more, Inquisitor," that God Chosen said, "I am the God Chosen, I Don't Want to Be a Stinky Can. If there are other dangerous tasks, please be sure to give them to me."
"I will," Rostov nodded, noting down this loyal name.
Although, he couldn't understand the meaning of this name.
It was a bit like ancient Terra script, yet not quite.
"Remember to definitely find me." That God Chosen looked back three times, seemingly disappointed that he couldn't undertake an even more dangerous task.
Rostov once again sighed in his heart.
Too loyal!!
Kilke, the xenos beside him, witnessed the entire scene and was also filled with confusion.
If one were to say these Human God Chosen were not of high status,
everyone greeted them with respect.
The Empire's laws couldn't control them,
even the Inquisition, an organization that controls everything, was helpless against them.
But if one were to say they were of high status,
any suicidal cannon fodder tasks could be given to them to do.
The Human Empire's God Chosen are truly a strange group!!
Zigman and other Players accepted Inquisitor Rostov's task to help him destroy the Blackstone Device.
In addition, there was a squad of Primaris Space Marines led by Messinius.
Messinius is the Captain of the Tenth Company of the White Scars Chapter and also the Recruit Master, holding the rank of Lieutenant.
The ranks of Space Marines and regular Imperial Army are not interchangeable.
Although Messinius was only a Lieutenant, he had the authority to command the Astra Militarum and Navy.
During the Battle of Ultramar, he led a delegation to Macragge,
seeking aid for the White Scars Chapter's operations on Cadia.
However, upon arriving at Macragge, he encountered events such as the unfolding of the Great Rift and the resurrection of the Primarchs.
Subsequently, he was drawn into the pilgrimage crusade,
accompanying the reborn Roboute Guilliman through countless hardships to Reality,
and shortly after, participated in the Battle of the Lion Gate, fiercely fighting Khorne demons.
Now, he is even participating in the Indomitus Crusade, serving the Third Crusade Fleet.
Messinius has completed his Primaris upgrade and is tall.
He wears white Power Armor, with golden-winged skulls on his chest and shoulder pads.
Behind his head is a semi-circular iron halo, and a blessed reliquary hangs from his waist.
His right hand wears a Power Fist gifted by Guilliman, and his left hip carries a newly developed plasma pistol by Cawl.
Messinius is a veteran of a hundred battles; the shocking scar on his face is a testament to his merits.
When he walked into the assembled assault team,
the Players immediately felt a powerful oppressive aura.
"Is this the oppressive feeling of a veteran?"
"As expected of Guilliman's descendant; just looking at him makes you feel he's terrifyingly strong."
"Guilliman never won a one-on-one, his descendants never lost a one-on-one. Except for Commander Calgar, he's just like his father."
"Accused of insulting Grandpa Blue and Daddy Blue; Smurf warning once."
"…"
The Players sized up Messinius, quietly discussing him and the White Scars Chapter.
The White Scars Chapter is a successor Battle Group of the Ultramarines, and also the furthest successor Battle Group from Ultramar,
responsible for guarding the areas near the Eye of Terror.
The White Scars' political system differs somewhat from other Battle Groups.
Other Battle Groups have one leader, while they have two.
One remains on the homeworld, commanding a standing force, ready to respond to threats from the Cadia Gate at any time.
The other is responsible for commanding the Battle Group's operations in more distant war zones.
After the Great Rift unfolded, the White Scars' homeworld suffered Chaos invasion and has now fallen.
The remaining Battle Group forces are unaccounted for.
Messinius escaped by going to Macragge for assistance.
The assault team was ordered to assemble in the hangar.
Automated turrets embedded in the walls scanned everyone who entered, confirming their identities.
If any issues were found, they would issue a warning, calling the nearest sentry.
If the target insisted on not obeying orders to stop and undergo inspection,
the turrets would open fire, killing the suspicious target on the spot.
Once everyone had arrived,
Inquisitor Rostov, as the initiator, gave a brief speech before having everyone board.
At this time, the demon tide had already surged towards the Saint Ast Battle Group, and a fierce battle erupted between them in the void.
Their actions had to be swift to ensure victory for the Imperial Fleet.
Several blocky gunships were parked on the spacious hangar deck.
The pilots had started their engines, ready for takeoff at any moment.
Once the assault team had all entered the cabin, the gunships roared into the sky.
The battleship's turrets rotated as the gunships slid down the runway, firing at the demons,
dense volleys of bolter rounds and beams shot towards the frenzied demons,
forcibly opening a path for the assault gunships.
"May you return safely."
Commander Asagaai's blessing for the assault team echoed through the comms,
and shortly after, it was replaced by the bizarre roars of demons.
Looking at the rift cut by the Blackstone Device from afar was already terrifying enough.
Approaching it was an even more suicidal act of madness.
Colorful, brilliant lights burst forth, vying for human attention.
In addition, the rift also contained scorching gas clouds mixed with lightning, and various terrifying creature faces.
Kilke saw a moon-like demon face covered in eyeballs flash by.
These terrifying things caused her some pain.
The warnings left by the Creator Old Ones subtly mentioned those terrifying things.
Those entities had once been driven out of the universe by the Old Ones,
but now, they had all returned, intending to drag this universe completely into decay and destruction.
Kilke felt somewhat unwell, so she closed her eyes.
But the situation worsened.
Even with her eyes closed, those things would appear in her mind.
Every member of the assault team looked solemn,
except for the God Chosen.
They were as excited and happy as ever,
even when facing the various horrors of the Warp, they showed no fear.
"This one is so ugly, just looking at it drops your SAN value."
"Cthulhu live on site, how great would it be if I had a camera? It would definitely sell big if I filmed it."
"Don't even think about it; if you filmed it, it probably wouldn't make it online. Dongda would censor you to death."
"…"
The God Chosen's performance was like a shot in the arm.
It calmed Inquisitor Rostov and the others significantly, and also gave them more confidence in this mission.
To ensure the assault team could land smoothly, Asagaai tried her best to bring the ship close enough to the small planet, but there were still several thousand kilometers of distance that the assault team needed to cross by gunboat.
A massive, dense tide of demons, flapping their wings, surged towards the gunboats, attempting to intercept the Imperial assault team and thwart their actions.
Escort fighters flew past both sides of the gunboats, charging towards the demons.
A fierce battle erupted in the void between the two sides, with laser beams, bolter rounds, fusion spears, and high-explosive shells firing into the demon hordes, tearing their bodies apart.
Some Human fighters were also destroyed by demon attacks, exploding in the void, their bright flames like miniature suns.
But more fighters took off from the warships, joining this battle that was a near-certain death sentence for them.
Their loyalty to the Emperor made them charge forward to their deaths, one after another, just to clear a path for the assault team.
The assault gunboats successfully bypassed the enemy's demon defense line and the invisible Warp field.
Perhaps due to the Warp field, there were no demons on the surface, only Cultists filled with mutation and blasphemy.
It was clear that those traitors also knew that the demons could not control their behavior and rage.
If they were allowed to approach the Blackstone Device, it would certainly lead to unpredictable consequences.
Therefore, that Warp field not only blocked Imperial bombardment but also kept the demons out.
The small planet itself was worthless.
Dense void dust formed a broken surface, encasing an iron core.
Filthy ice pillars protruded from the surface, interspersed with winding energy conduits connected to magnificent machinery.
Rostov recognized the function of several sets of machines: atmosphere generators and gravity stabilizers.
It was evident that the Cultists were not yet strong enough to transcend biological needs and expose themselves to the vacuum like demons.
Behind the machinery, Rostov saw a Dark Temple.
Its surroundings were piled high with white skulls and crimson corpses.
Eight Blackstone obelisks were built around the Dark Temple, and an indescribable blasphemous aura emanated from within the shrine.
It was clear that the Blackstone Device they had been tracking was inside that shrine.
"Advance towards that Dark Temple!" Rostov shouted.
The Players charged at the forefront, leading the way, with Messinius and the other Primaris Space Marines following close behind.
Their firepower was fierce, and the outermost enemies were merely ordinary Cultists, so they easily cut through the outer defenses, pressing directly towards the Dark Temple.
As Zigman and the other Soulless Players rushed past the cluster of devices emitting the Warp field, those devices began to malfunction, their circuits exploding and spewing dazzling electrical sparks.
The Warp field was somewhat like a void shield, and somewhat like a Geller Field, but it was more unstable and dangerous than both.
Just one mistake, and the Warp engine would explode, opening a temporary portal to the Warp.
This technology was forbidden in the Human Empire, but the Dark Mechanicum had no such qualms.
They had already betrayed the Human Empire, so naturally, they wouldn't care about its regulations.
Abusing dangerous technology was a daily occurrence for the Dark Mechanicum.
"Place melta bombs and blow this place up!" Messinius ordered his subordinates to plant bombs as they passed through the device cluster.
Regardless of what these devices were used for, destroying them was the best option.
Accompanied by deafening explosions, surging flames shot into the sky as the device cluster was destroyed, blown into fragments.
After passing through the device cluster, the assault team arrived in front of the Dark Temple.
This time, the enemies they encountered were no longer ordinary Cultists, but Chaos Space Marines.
"Khorne's minions," Zigman, being a seasoned fan, immediately recognized which Chaos God faction the enemies belonged to.
The Chaos Space Marines wore brass-trimmed blood-red armor, wielded chainswords and boltguns, and had several sharp spikes embedded in their back armor behind their heads, impaling several skulls.
"They are the beasts who destroyed the Fomor world," a retinue member beside Inquisitor Rostov spoke, his voice filled with hatred.
His name was Lacrant, an Astra Militarum stationed on the Fomor world.
A year ago, he had never heard the name Khorne, only knowing that there were terrifying enemies in the Warp.
It wasn't until the Fomor world was invaded by the Slaughter Crusade that he understood what that name represented.
The inhabitants of Fomor were slaughtered by these bastards, offered to the Blood God.
Lucky survivors like Lacrant were few and far between.
Without exception, these people harbored deep hatred for the Khorne worshipers who had destroyed their homeland and killed their kin.
"The enemy is cautious," Rostov observed the fortifications around the shrine.
The enemy had dug trenches connecting bunkers and built a dense network of turrets.
Although these fortifications were piled with skulls and bloody bones, making their decoration barbaric, they were incredibly sturdy.
"For the Blood God's servants, holding their ground without moving is quite rare," Kilke whispered, holding an alien-looking monocular.
"Your Emperor has shaped them very well."
"While mostly madmen, it seems they can control themselves when necessary."
"Should we assault it?" Messinius looked at Rostov and asked.
Before the Inquisitor could speak, Zigman stepped forward.
"A direct assault is too foolish; let's lure them out instead."
"How do we lure them?" Rostov asked.
"I'll give it a try and see if it works!"
Zigman walked out from his hiding spot, discarding his boltgun and other ranged weapons.
He carried a sword and strode towards the Blood God's servants' positions.
"In the name of the Emperor, let's have a one-on-one duel, you little whelps of the Blood God!"
"Of course, you can also shoot. But from now on, your master will be branded with the name of coward!" Zigman shouted as he walked.
Originally, a few Chaos Space Marines wanted to open fire, but upon hearing Zigman's words, they lowered their weapons.
A berserker whose armor was covered in bone spikes emerged from the trench.
He held a chainaxe and pointed it at Zigman.
"You challenge us?"
"Yes, one-on-one," Zigman said.
"Fool who serves the Emperor, this will be the last foolish decision you ever make."
"Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
The berserker began to run, roaring as he charged at Zigman.
"In the name of the Emperor, Blood for the God-Emperor, Skulls for the Golden Throne!"
Zigman also ran, meeting his opponent.
One swung an axe, the other swung a longsword.
Clang!
Sword and axe collided, producing a deafening sound.
"Silence!"
When the opponent tried to attack again, Zigman activated Dark Tongue, causing him to fall into a brief state of rigidity.
Then, quick as a flash, he cut off the opponent's head with a single sword stroke.
The berserker's massive body crashed to its knees, crimson blood gushing out.
Zigman walked to the enemy's severed head, bent down, picked up the traitor's wide-eyed skull, and raised it high.
"So weak? So useless? How dare you face me? You truly overestimate yourselves."
Zigman's voice was incredibly arrogant.
"In the name of the Blood God, servant of the Emperor, you are too arrogant."
Several more berserkers emerged to challenge Zigman.
The result was the same for them all: their heads were cut off by Zigman's sword and taken as trophies.
It should be known that Zigman was a formidable individual who dared to charge into Tzeentch's domain alone.
His combat skills were second only to the Warmaster, and he also wielded Dark Tongue.
Killing these ordinary berserkers was like slicing melons and dicing vegetables.
After eight berserkers in a row were defeated and decapitated, the Khorne worshipers, who had initially been eager to please the Blood God, all quieted down.
"Is there another one?"
"If not, it's fine. As long as your master admits he is the God of Cowardice."
Zigman continuously shouted in front of the enemy position, making the Khorne worshipers both angry and helpless.
Their firepower could certainly take out that Emperor's servant with a single volley, but that would undoubtedly provoke the Blood God's wrath.
"A bunch of cowards, you..."
Before Zigman could finish speaking, a deafening roar erupted.
Upon hearing the roar, Rostov and the others felt an uncontrollable surge of anger and a thirst for blood.
If not for the Soulless field suppressing them, released by the God Chosen, they might have fallen into the embrace of the Blood God on the spot.
Another roar sounded, and a mountain-like figure emerged from the depths of the shrine.
Each step caused the ground to shake.
Soon, the figure walked onto the battlefield, revealing its true form: Skarbrand, the embodiment of endless rage.
"Holy crap, these guys really don't play fair; they actually summoned a Greater Daemon!" Zigman was caught off guard when Skarbrand appeared.
These Cultists nowadays really don't play fair; if they can't win, they call for backup.
White Wolf and Don't Eat Beef, along with other Players, were also a bit stunned, but quickly reverted to their usual playful mindset.
"Brothers, this demon is quite troublesome; quickly go and invite the Reality Saint over."