Urkrathos, a representative of Khorne, was the first to notice the strange changes in the Blackstone Fortress. At the exact moment the Bloodhowl Wolf Lord killed the Black Legionary, he smelled the scent of blood. He could no longer restrain himself and chose to ignore Abaddon's orders.
He wanted nothing but battle. He marched toward the scent of blood with his legion and two Lords of Skulls. Urkrathos looked down on Abaddon's caution; he believed he could handle a single Space Wolf on his own. Eight minutes and eight seconds into his march, he encountered a vanguard of Battle Sisters sent by Creed in the corridor.
Meanwhile, sitting in the command center, Creed saw Urkrathos through the combat terminal. With fleshy wings and horns on his head, he was clearly a Daemon Prince. Creed thought for a moment; this was undoubtedly one of Abaddon's high-level assets, so he needed to send someone of equal status.
"Saint Celestine, I must trouble you."
An angel with white wings, radiating golden light, stepped out. Bright red roses bloomed from the ground beneath the Living Saint's feet. Living Saints are angels blessed by the Emperor's power who walk the earth, possessing incredible strength. Even if they are killed, they can quickly resurrect from the Warp. However, compared to the Brightest One Sanguinius, there was still a slight gap.
Zeke plucked a cluster of roses from near the Living Saint's feet, and they dropped as Peonies. Since the Living Saint had wings and could fly at high speeds, Zeke had an idea. He picked up a basket of Potions of Healing and Potions of Regeneration.
"Saint Celestine, while you go to support the front, can you splash these potions on the warriors? It can help heal their wounds."
Saint Celestine raised her holy face. She could feel the kindness from Zeke and the life force within the potions. Her eyes glowed with a gentle golden light as she nodded. With a wave of her hand over the basket, the potions suddenly disappeared. Zeke realized she had a space-storage ability, so he brought out even more baskets.
Glistering Melons used for healing potions were cheap and easy to mass-produce, whereas the Ghast Tears needed for regeneration potions were much harder to find. Therefore, most of what Zeke provided were Potions of Healing. Saint Celestine accepted them all, taking several thousand bottles.
Shining with golden light, Celestine flew over the Blackstone Fortress corridors toward Urkrathos. Her brilliance fell from her wings onto everyone below. At this moment, regardless of their faith in the Emperor, they stood on a united front.
At the front line, the Battle Sisters fighting Urkrathos were not doing well. Urkrathos was a Daemon Prince, and his power was more than mortals could match. His claws tore the ground as he leaped over collapsed walls and glided through the air. He crashed through ranks of Sisters; with just one swing of his claws, most Sisters were left clinging to life by a thread.
A squad of Sisters moved like arrows past his left flank. Knowing they couldn't fight him head-on, they bypassed Urkrathos to attack the legion behind him.
"Let them go," Urkrathos mocked. "Let them taste the Lord of Skulls."
The Lord of Skulls is a massive Khornate Daemon Engine equipped with heavy weapons like the Great Cleaver of Khorne and Gorestorm Cannons. Urkrathos laughed at the mindless zealots. As the Sisters were forced back, Urkrathos grabbed one, intending to crush her. He realized she was trying to speak and curiously loosened his grip.
"The Saint..." she whispered.
The voice was weak at first, then grew louder and stronger until she screamed in ecstasy. "The Saint! The Saint! The Saint!"
Saint Celestine appeared in the sky.
"You must be the Corpse-Emperor's Saint," Urkrathos sneered, bowing mockingly. "I've heard of you, but unfortunately, you're too late."
Behind him were piles of fallen Sisters, broken banners, and a thick scent of blood. The Living Saint did not answer. She flew over the dying Sisters and the loyal believers. The dying Sisters reached out, hoping to catch a glimmer of her light.
They caught something...
Splash! Cool liquid splashed onto the Sisters' heads. Bottles of Instant Health appeared around the Saint and fell onto them. Wounds healed instantly. Even more miraculous was the surge in their faith. The light in their eyes reignited, burning brighter than ever with fanatical devotion.
Canoness Eleanor looked at the figure with tears in her eyes. "Look at her brilliance! Praise be to you!" She pressed her prayer book to her chest and shouted praises. Hundreds of Sisters joined her.
Hearing the constant "buzzing" of prayers, Urkrathos grew angrier than ever. To his ears, the Sisters' praises were more disgusting than the thick prayers of Nurgle worshippers. He realized the squad he had just crushed had returned to full health shortly after the Saint appeared.
He stepped forward to kill a Sister once more, but as he entered the area splashed with healing potions, he recoiled as if hit by acid. The potions were damaging him.
The Living Saint noticed this as well. Healing allies and harming enemies... could the boy who gave me these potions also be under the Emperor's name? she wondered. There was no time to dwell on it; she moved even faster, raining healing potions down upon every inch of the battlefield.
The Sisters, drenched in the potions, shouted prayers and launched desperate attacks against the forces of Chaos. The tide had turned.
Back at the combat terminal, Creed coughed awkwardly upon hearing the Sisters' prayers. "Um, Zeke, don't mind them. That's just how those Sisters are with their faith. It doesn't matter; the credit for this will still be recorded in your name."
Zeke snapped back to reality. He had been focusing on the fact that the enemies were being hurt by the healing potions. He hadn't expected these Khorne followers to be classified as "undead" creatures. It seemed a sword with the Smite enchantment might be even more useful than he thought.
"It's okay, you don't have to credit me," Zeke replied. "Just say the potions are a gift from the Emperor. Just... after the war ends, ask the Living Saint to film a celebrity endorsement for me."
Zeke was thinking ahead; he had found the perfect spokesperson for Golden Apples. Creed was momentarily speechless. "If you need a spokesperson, I could do it too."
"You?" Zeke looked Creed up and down. "Actually, that works. A 'Beauty and the Beast' Golden Apple encounter? That's a good theme."
Back to the terminal, Zeke saw that the fight between Celestine and Urkrathos was over. Urkrathos—the Daemon Prince—experienced the sensation of his soul being banished back into the Warp for the first time. He was hacked, stabbed, split, burned, and torn apart by the Saint's blade.
"A combat healer... how terrifying," Zeke remarked.
With Urkrathos defeated, the Battle Sisters had suffered almost no losses. They followed the Living Saint as she soared through the sky, advancing with songs of praise. Realizing how powerful the potions were, the Saint used her high mobility to weave through all of Cadia's forces, raining down healing on the wounded.
A tank that heals is an entirely different beast than one without. The Cadian warriors marveled at the beautiful sight in the sky and pushed steadily into the Blackstone Fortress.
Zeke and Creed kept their eyes on the terminal. The news from the front was good, and all factions were playing their parts. However, the battlefield was volatile, and casualties were still happening. The Cadian soldiers were thinning out the fastest.
The Sisters had their Saint. The Astartes had their superhuman strength. The Adeptus Mechanicus had the Omnissiah. But the Cadian soldiers—the mortals—were fighting with nothing but flesh and blood. Even with Zeke's potions and Golden Apples, their casualty rate remained high.
This was due to their suicidal fighting style. These mortal soldiers were more committed to this war than any other faction. They were the ones transporting the enchanted Golden Apples to the Astartes. They were the first to investigate the dangers deep within the fortress. They joked about being "cannon fodder" whose value was only for scouting, yet they never stopped charging forward. They linked the entire battlefield together, exhausted from rushing between front lines.
One could not deny that these mortals were the most important presence in this war. In the end, the Empire would have to rely on people like them to be saved.
Creed's expression was a mix of pride and heartache. "These soldiers have proven their worth." He ordered the tactical terminal to be packed up, preparing to move the command post forward to better handle emergencies.
Zeke pulled out a Potion of the Turtle Master II. "I just brewed this; it hasn't been used yet. Take it." Zeke tossed it, and Creed caught it in mid-air.
"Twenty seconds," Zeke continued. "It will significantly slow you down, but at the same time, you'll become almost invincible."
"Just like those turtles you had me look for, right?" Creed joked. "I'm not very good at hiding in a shell."
"It's not just for you. Think about your soldiers," Zeke said, patting Creed on the shoulder. "My friend Dance is your little fanboy. If you die, he'll be very sad."
"Then I'll take it," Creed said, pocketing the potion.
Zeke looked at the upright old man. He knew that if Abaddon appeared, Creed would be the first to charge. He had always been that reckless.
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Remember only for this week, Every 100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter. Also I may do this again if we reach around 1000 Powerstones at the end of this week.