I'm in Warhammer, I just want to grow mushrooms

Chapter 290 The Wolves Never Fear
Space Wolf actually doesn't like the name "Space Wolf".

In private, they often refer to themselves as "The Route" or "The Pack".

Inside Riemann Russ's private hall, totem poles in the style of a steppe tribe stand quietly, while a pot of soup bubbles over a campfire.

Ruth stirred the soup with a long-handled ladle, sprinkling in some seasonings, the firelight casting flickering shadows on his face.

At this moment, he would think of the planet he had descended upon—Fenris.

It was a world of absolute death, with an extremely harsh ecological environment.

For most of the year, it is cold, hard, and unforgiving, with winds and snow blowing day and night.

But when this planet comes near the sun in the planetary system, it becomes hot, turbulent, and chaotic.

The sun's gravity stirred the seawater, creating towering waves on the lava lake, causing islands to crumble and the earth to crack.

People endured a brief summer amidst dramatic geological changes and high temperatures, only to face bitter cold and snowstorms once again.

Before the weather turns cold, tribes must find suitable places to live, which often leads to bloody incidents between tribes.

This struggle for survival will never end.

This is life on Fenris, primitive and savage.

Ruth descended there, establishing a new order and building a temple of the gods on the planet's northern continent of Asaheim, giving the locals the trust to overcome ice and heat.

Of course, "Temple of the Gods" is what the locals call it; it's actually the territory of the Space Wolves.

The Legion Monastery is built on the highest peak of the continent, reaching near-Earth orbit and connecting to the space dock.

Anyone who can withstand the wind and snow, endure the scorching heat and freezing cold, and reach the foot of the monastery mountain can become a "Son of Ruth" and join the Space Wolves.

This is a trial of body and mind that will bring about tremendous transformation and will provide the legion with a large number of new recruits every year.

Russ's contributions to the Legion went beyond this.

Before he joined the Sixth Army Corps, the corps was known for its "disregard for the law," and it often required supervising officers to carry out execution-style punishments on the battlefield in order to maintain basic military discipline.

Ruth taught the warriors how to control their wildness.

In close combat, focus on the battle, unleash your fighting spirit in offense and defense, closely unite around the Wolf Lord, move and act according to the Wolf Lord, and ultimately achieve absolute obedience to commands.

Only in this way can one combine a barbaric and rugged fighting style with strict discipline, thus becoming the emperor's executioner.

"Da da da…"

Footsteps approached from afar, and a man wearing a wolf-head helmet walked towards them.

As Ruth chopped meat with a knife and added ingredients to the soup pot, she glanced sideways at the newcomer:

"Wolf, you're a few minutes late. Was something holding you up?"

Wolf, the Legion's Chief Wolf Priest. (Note)
He removed his wolf-head helmet, sat on the long bench made of animal skin, and a strange look appeared on his resolute face marked by scars:

"An orc force attacked the supply ship just now, but was driven away by the patrol. We suffered no casualties, but the other side lost two frigates. I was worried that this was a sign of a large-scale orc raid, so I investigated those two frigates before coming here."

Wolf paused, his strange expression growing even more pronounced:
"That's an orc warlord who calls himself the 'Space Beasts,' and their base is in the Midrak Expansion, 2300 light-years away from us."

"What? A space beast?" Ruth was clearly stunned, first with surprise, then with anger.
"This is a stain on the Empire's honor. We dislike the name 'Space Beast,' but that doesn't mean the orcs can imitate it. Inform the bridge that we're to depart immediately after rest. I'm going to give these greenskins a good thrashing."

"Could it be a trap?" Wolf frowned, looking hesitant.

"I think things are too coincidental. There are quite a few Imperial worlds around that orc warlord's base. Why would they travel so far to attack us?"

Ruth, though seemingly rough, was actually quite perceptive and noticed the anomaly as well, asking:

Has anything important happened in the Empire recently?

Wolf shook his head slightly:
"The fleet's Star Court has not received any news yet. We are too far from Terra, and whatever the news is, we will receive it at least six months later. Fortunately, the light of the Star Torch has been very stable recently, and our communication and navigation are unimpeded; it's just that the news is delayed."

The six-month delay in communication is a drawback of communicating through the warp and explains why the human empire operates so bloated and sluggishly.

Ruth broke the bone stick after the meat was removed and put it into the soup pot:

"Have the bridge calculate the travel time and the impact on interstellar communications. As long as it doesn't interfere with our communications with Terra, we'll go check out the Space Beasts' base."

“Yes, sir.” Wolf relayed Ruth’s order using the data tablet.

The two ate and drank around the campfire. After a while, the wolf lords from various large companies came to join them, and while eating, they summarized the alien extermination campaign that had just ended.

Later that same day, Expedition 40 began its subspace journey.

Ruth left an army on the planet and appointed one of his mortal generals as the planet's governor.

I came, I saw, I conquered, I appointed governors.

This is the consistent style of the expedition team.

If Ruth knew that the Emperor had centralized the power to appoint and dismiss planetary governors into the hands of the Senate, which is dominated by mortals, one wonders what Ruth would think.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month has passed.

That evening, Lino was experimenting with biological weapons at the Space Research Institute in Palu's backyard.

He developed two biological weapons.

One type is a bio-plasma cannon, which is installed inside the chitinous armor on the wrists of the Palu orcs.

Another type is the bio-flame jet, which is installed inside the chitinous armor on the feet of the Palu orcs.

The growth, repair, and morphology of chitinous armor can be regulated through coding on gene segments.

After careful design, the most ordinary Palu Kankan Boy will have a height of three meters, a weight of nearly two hundred kilograms, two hearts, three lungs, and four stomachs.

Their genetic fragments contain the genetic code of ancient orcs, which allows them to maintain their physique and muscle strength without deterioration, even when they are not fighting and are only engaged in simple physical labor.

Their bodies are covered by a layer of chitinous bio-armor similar to flannel breastplates, leg armor, foot armor, and wrist armor. It is tough and has a defensive capability equivalent to plastic steel armor. Moreover, it can self-repair by consuming nutrients.

Inside the wrist brace is a bioelectrode about six millimeters in diameter, which is the launcher for the bioplasma cannon.

Nutrients travel through the blood to the bio-chamber of the launcher, where they are converted into bioelectricity. This bioelectricity is then converted into plasma bombs via plasma compression bladders before being launched.

Tests have shown that the 6mm plasma rounds have comparable power to heavy explosive projectiles and can serve as backup weapons.

With a larger caliber, it should be able to match the lethality of a plasma gun.

Next, look at the bio-flame jets on the foot armor.

This thing is amazing.

Its jet can last for three seconds, enough to propel a 200-kilogram boy like Palu to a height of ten meters, completing a spectacular rocket jump.

In a low-gravity, low-air-density environment, the jump distance is even longer.

Li Nuo gave it a special name: "Palu Rocket Boots".

"呲————"

Rocket boots propelled the hack-and-slash kid across the ten-meter-wide man-made ditch, where he crashed into a pile of junk with a thud.

The chainsaw swung wildly left and right, slicing the bloodletting demons that only reached the boy's waist.

A target fell from the sky above the field; it was a bloodletting demon that had descended from the heavens, bound to a ceramic steel base by steel cables.

The slashing boy raised his hand, aimed at the Bloodletting Demon, and made the same palm grenade gesture as Iron Man.

"Whoosh, snap!"

The bio-plasma bullet shot out and accurately hit the head of the Bloodletting Demon, causing the foul-smelling blood to explode.

A beep sounded from the loudspeaker, signaling the end of this round of experiments.

The fart-headed man raised the scoreboard and cheered:

"Yay! This time the score is 100 points! Cut Cut Kid perfectly completed all the experimental projects set by the Priest! What an exhilarating Waaagh!"

This brat is studying at an academy, so he uses more refined language.

Li Nuo stood in the stands, holding a shaman's staff, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good, clean up the site and prepare for the next round of weapons testing."

"okay."

The bastards cleaned up the experimental field, while the little rascal rested on the side.

Zarg was initially uninterested in the so-called weapons experiments, but after witnessing the effects of the biological weapons, his eyes widened, and he clamored for the shaman to provide him with such weapons as well.

Li Nuo agreed, but on one condition: that he must study.

As the great priest's follower, how could he be a complete idiot? He should at least be more knowledgeable than the farting spirit.

Zarg thought about it and didn't object. He obediently went to the academy to enroll and started learning from the most basic arithmetic.

And so, the great priest gained a new follower: a man with steel-rimmed glasses who would occasionally pick up a data board and study arithmetic.

After acquiring genetic fragments from the ancient orcs, mental labor not only helps one grow a brain but also ensures that one's physique and strength do not decline.

Li Nuo pondered that he could transform the biological weapon into a "weapon of honor" in Paru's eyes.

Only those with status, position, knowledge, and military achievements, such as Paru and Pipi, can possess their own biological weapons.

This is like the pistol on the waist, the medals on the chest, and the shoulder straps on the shoulders of an imperial officer.

In this way, he could further enhance Palu's cohesion and centripetal force, making them more cohesive and more Waaagh.

Only cattle and horses truly understand cattle and horses.

Every transmigrator is an expert in taming orcs into Palu.

"Drip drip..."

The noisy box emitted a notification sound, interrupting Li Nuo's daydreams about the future.

"Hey, Aaron, what's up?"

“Witch Priest, Pampa has discovered an awesome fleet in the warp, made up of shrimp and sharp-tongued kid! They should be able to reach the Paru star system in five days at most.”

Hmm? A fleet made up of pointy-nosed kids and shrimp?

Could it be an expeditionary force from the human empire?
A series of question marks flashed through Li Nuo's mind.

He left the task of testing biological weapons to the technician boy and boarded a green-skinned frigate to arrive at the command center of Paru Homeland.

The massive fleet in the holographic image made Li Nuo's heart race.

He saw no fewer than twenty battleships, fifty cruisers, and at least one hundred and twenty frigates and supply ships.

The largest, most stylish, and most amazing ship among them combined high gothic and tribal styles. Li Nuo immediately recognized it as Leman Russ's personal vehicle!

During his two years as governor, he had read a lot of news about the Legion and was already very familiar with the vehicles of the various Primarchs.

The fleet's number speaks for itself; it is none other than Expeditionary Force No. 40, personally overseen by the Wolf King.

Li Nuo's mind was racing, and many thoughts came to mind at once.

Expedition 40 wouldn't have come to the Paru star system without a reason; there must be a conspiracy behind it.

Moreover, the Paru star system is located in the Midrak expansion region, where the starlight is unstable and appears and disappears intermittently.

Expedition Team 40's arrival here carries a certain risk of losing contact.

"Pampa, has the light from the Great Torch been stable lately?" Li Nuo asked.

Pampa replied from inside the amniotic fluid tank:
"So steady, boss, I've never been this steady before."

hiss--

Could it be that the Emperor instructed Expedition 40 to come to the Palu star system? Otherwise, how could the Star Torch Beam be so stable?

But this shouldn't be the case.

If the Emperor wanted to test me, why didn't he just go directly to Kron? Why go through all the trouble of sending the 40th Expeditionary Team over?

Something seems off about 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%.

Li Nuo is more inclined to believe that Expedition Team 40 was manipulated.

As for who manipulated the expedition, it goes without saying that it was most likely Zelfix or Loka.

Whoever it is, we can't let him succeed.

Li Nuo had a sudden thought, and an idea came to him:

"Send Crone to Karsta and tell the Golden Corn there that an expedition is about to reach our territory."

Karata is the Eldar network city beneath the Golden Throne, where Paru and the Empire meet.

The entire planet Paru has now been relocated to the Netway, and its home location is a closely guarded secret, known to no outsider.

The star system where Paru originally lived no longer needed to be a secret, and it was fine for the Emperor to know about it.

"Eron, I want to form a guard of honor."

"A guard of honor?" Aaron asked in a deep voice.
"I only know about the fighting team, what is the honor guard?"
Li Nuo pointed his staff at the holographic screen:

"We are currently cooperating with the Shrimp Empire. This fleet must have been manipulated, which is why they came to cause us trouble. We should avoid fighting them if possible, so as not to damage our relationship with the Shrimp Empire. This is where the honor guard comes in handy."

Airon carries genetic fragments of the ancient orcs, and his intelligence has been enhanced by Li Nuo using genetic methods.

He appears to be a complete simpleton, but he is actually smarter than most Palus and immediately understood the meaning of the shamanic ritual.

Li Nuo continued:
"The honor guard is for flexing muscles and welcoming guests. Its purpose is to tell the other side that we are not to be trifled with. Let them think carefully, calmly consider whether they have been used, and then decide whether they want to fight us. In the ancient Terran era, there was a saying: 'Greet politely first, then fight.' That's exactly what we're going to do."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll find some tough young men to fill the ranks, that'll definitely keep those sharp-tongued bastards in check."

Allen rubbed his hands together, somewhat excited.

Using muscle to scare away a pointy-mouthed kid and using force to subdue him offer different kinds of pleasure.

For some reason, Allen felt it was more satisfying to scare off the pointy-mouthed kid with his muscles.

Li Nuo issued another order, summoning the beasts that had been hunting the graveyard demons back.

With Elon on the left and Beast on the right, forming a pincer movement in the middle of the space station, it's quite a show of respect for Expedition 40.

Of course, the most important thing is to seal off the warp.

Li Nuo sent more psionic kids to the observation post in the star system, instructing them to use the Palu Projection to cover a small portion of the star system, so that what happened there would not be spied on by others.

As for how to handle his relationship with Expedition 40 in the end, let's take it one step at a time.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

The Paru star system has welcomed a massive fleet.

They made no attempt to conceal their engine signals, brazenly venturing into a star system suspected of harboring orcs.

The flagship of the Space Wolves Legion, the Hrafinkel, bridge.

The mechanical priest manipulated the Auger matrix, his mechanical fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard, densely packed pixelated characters gliding across the mirrored surface of his prosthetic eye.

"Current star system space information scan completed // Data stream integrated // Anomaly detected // Relevant data already in the database // Data similarity 92% // Source of discrepancy being investigated..."

The mechanical priest emitted a static hiss tinged with surprise:
“Buzz——

"Data anomaly detected /// The natural celestial body formerly codenamed 'Bone Drinker Colony Planet VI' has disappeared /// Anomaly gravitational wave detected /// Warning! The source of the anomalous gravitational wave is unknown /// It is speculated to be an Alpha-level psionic or equivalent technological creation /// It is recommended to raise the fleet's alert level to the highest level!"

The mechanical priest's words were transmitted to the command platform via a sound array device.

Riemann Russ pressed his hand against the blade at his waist and stared intently at the scan results of the Auger matrix.

He actually visited this star system.

No, no, no, that's not right. It wasn't him who came, but the predecessor of the Space Wolves—the Sixth Legion—that came.

About five hundred years ago, the Sixth Legion wiped out the Bone Drinkers and their colonies here.

Five hundred years later, Ruth, as the lord of the wolves, once again led the Sixth Legion to this place, and it truly felt like a return to familiar territory.

The question is, where did the planet that was swept away by the Sixth Legion go?

Without this planet, why are the other planets in this star system still in their places?
Shouldn't they fly around like marbles?

Before Ruth could speak, the sound array device emitted a cry of surprise from the Star Speaker.

"My lord, we... buzzing... our connection with Terra... has been severed."

The noise was quite loud, and the Star Speaker's voice was intermittent, but everyone present understood what he meant, and their expressions changed slightly.

"Has the light of the Star Torch gone out? What a coincidence," Russ asked in a deep voice.

"No, sir, the light of the Star Torch hasn't gone out... Zzzzz... Someone has used... Zzzzz... a warp veil to shroud the surrounding warp. It's unbelievable! There are actually psionicists with such immense power in this star system! Zzzzz!"

A commotion broke out on the bridge.

The sound array master said:

"Sir, a letter has entered the bridge. The sender's identification code is anonymous, and our Thinker array has been unable to decipher their signal signature. Should we open the letter?"

"Open it." Ruth nodded slightly.

The sound array master pressed the button.

The scanning data on the holographic screen disappeared, and a letter written in High Gothic language came into view.

The letter was short, but it essentially invited the leader of the 40th Expedition to a designated location to meet and discuss matters in person.

The letter's appendix listed the spatial coordinates of the meeting point, which pointed to the fifth planet in the system, a barren, gray planet.

"High Gothic?" the Legion's chief wolf priest, Wolf, murmured in surprise.
"We came here in pursuit of the space beast warlords. But why haven't we seen any orcs? Instead, we received a letter written in High Gothic."

On the other side of Russ, Garner Ganhild, the company commander of the large company, said:

"Sir, do not believe this anonymous letter. We'd better bombard that area with firepower. Once the Auger Matrix scan shows it's safe, we can search more carefully."

Ganhilt was a bearded man with a totem rune on his forehead and deep-set eyes, looking like a wild man from the deep mountains and forests.

The Space Wolves consist of thirteen large companies, unlike the regular company formations.

The company commander is also known as the "Wolf Lord".

Gansilt's advice was certainly sound.

Ruth was willing to take his advice, but the second letter that followed gave him a dilemma.

The second letter stated that Expedition 40 should not use force, otherwise it would cause misunderstandings. They explained that they were sending the letter anonymously because they had a special mission.

“My lord, I still suggest we proceed with orbital bombardment first,” Ganhilt insisted.

Ruth pondered for a few seconds, then gave the order:

"Let's go to that planet first and check out the situation there."

The fleet collectively entered sub-light speed travel and arrived above the planet in an instant.

The Auger Matrix, operating at full power, penetrated the Earth's surface and went deep into the ground, scanning the planet inside and out several times over.

The scan results were unexpected.

There are over a hundred life forms on the planet, and their life signals are very strong, but there are no engine signals, radar signals, or fire control signals of a large scale.

"Orbital bombardment..."

As soon as Ganhild spoke, Russ raised his left hand.

“The wolves never back down. Pass on my order: First Company, Second Company, the Wolf Lord, the Wolf Guard, and the Chief Rune Priest, each leading no more than 50 veterans, follow me down.”

Ganhilt withdrew his words, and together with the other two wolf lords, bowed to the lord of the pack and turned to leave.

Space Wolves Company One, "Lins Destroyers," all veterans are equipped with Iron Cavalry-style Terminator power armor, gray paint, and imposing animal hide cloaks.

The Space Wolves Second Company, nicknamed "Screw Knife," is composed entirely of veterans and equipped with 60 fearless mechs. The wolf leader is named Holmy Longgang.

Fully equipped and ready to be deployed, ready to parachute and land.

Dozens of fear claw drop pods fell from the sky, plummeting straight to the ground.

As it approached the ground, the thermal cutter at the bottom of the drop capsule sprayed out a beam of crimson light, burning a tunnel straight down to 200 meters underground.

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang——"

Accompanied by a series of loud impacts, the underground space echoed, and smoke and dust filled the air.

The parachute landed smoothly and precisely 100 meters in front of the letter writer, demonstrating extremely advanced parachute technology.

Dust and smoke drifted, and sand and stones slid down.

Tao Gang combat boots crushed the stones as more than a hundred veterans marched out in formation.

Leman Russ led the way, his animal-skin cloak fluttering in the wind.

As they emerged from the thick smoke, they saw figures waiting there and were all taken aback, instinctively gripping their weapons tighter.

(End of this chapter)