This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 348 Mortals and Demons

Fortress of the Apex, Central Command Room

April 8, 775.m41 (Terra calendar)

"The 13th Armored Regiment has completed the defensive deployment of the third ring wall from S3-07 to E2-11, and the Black Templar forces along the inner edge are on standby for attack."

"More than 70 percent of the control area remains inside the third ring wall, and the mobile forces are about to form an encirclement of the invading enemy forces in the N4-92 area."

"The air defense array garrison has completed its relocation, and the Kashejin squad is carrying out a reactor overload mission to neutralize the air defense array area."

The thick, adamant metal armor continued to emit a dull rumble, and the entire command center trembled slightly amidst the continuous shockwaves.

Holographic projectors projected a shimmering tactical sand table into the air. Staff officers, clutching paper documents and holding onto trembling railings, moved between the circular platforms, their reports maintaining astonishing clarity amidst the background noise of blast guns.

Today, the Cardia armored regiment is equipped not only with Minotaur self-propelled artillery groups capable of high-speed maneuvering on the surface of the ring wall thousands of meters high, but also with excellent communication facilities.

Even under the harsh conditions of warp erosion causing physical laws to malfunction and precision equipment to fail one after another, the Astartes think tank and Inquisition-certified psionicists equipped with psionic amplification devices remain active in key war zones.

With their innate talents, they maintained a stable and reliable intelligence supply for commanders on this chaotic battlefield.

This resulted in a comprehensive crushing defeat.

Commissar Alex couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction every time he commanded troops transformed by the Dawn Wings.

In the past, when faced with the threat of chaos, not only would instruments or prosthetics become unreliable, but even one's comrades would become extremely unreliable.

He glanced at the monitors around him, which were displaying the battle situation, took the encrypted data tablet that had been translated from the Dark Angel's hand, absorbed the information, and then quickly issued orders based on his intuition accumulated over many years of combat.

What's truly terrifying about the demons isn't their outwardly displayed, powerful bodies that are now clashing with the Cardia warriors in countless communications and video files, but rather the whispers that constantly linger in your ears.

With just a moment's hesitation and wavering, they can tear the soul apart, turning flesh and blood into a vessel to desecrate the faithful soul of its master.

They are hunters, a group of piranhas hiding in the sea of ​​souls waiting for food. The slightest wavering will result in being devoured by them until only bones remain.

Now he can not only monitor the situation of various troops dozens of kilometers away in real time, but also command an elite legion that remains absolutely loyal despite the corruption of chaos.

Most of the maps have been marked with gold. The staff officers, relying on their experience and the advantages brought by the Astartes brain, have proposed dozens or even hundreds of combat methods, and then selected the most reliable ones. The political commissar only needs to choose the optimal solution from these meticulous simulations.

"Report to the political commissar: The northern fortress area is about to complete the encirclement of the enemy forces. The Deathwing Assault Team has successfully killed the leader of the Chaos Warband. The 8th Company of the 13th Expeditionary Force of the Black Sanctuary and the 2nd Company of the White Archon are respectively controlling the two flanks and are forcing the remaining enemy into the pre-designated annihilation zone."

"We suggest that the artillery units cease their suppression to allow the Astartes forces more space to get close and annihilate this enemy force directly through hand-to-hand combat."

"agree."

Alex braced his hands on the edge of the tactical console, making decision after decision. His right hand unconsciously stroked the hilt of his power sword. Shouts of battle rang out from the communicators surrounded by cyborgs, seemingly very far away from him.

He gently lifted the heavy urn in his arms, feeling the cold touch of its metal surface.

Alex asked:

"What are the casualties of our troops?"

"The number has exceeded 200,000, including those from Astartes and the Apostolic Guard. The combat forces have suffered a 50% reduction in personnel, but supplies remain plentiful and have not been contaminated."

An aide reported in a deep voice; the tacit understanding forged in the fires of war meant he didn't need to go into details.

It is foreseeable that after this battle, Cardia will likely face a generational gap.

"Fortunately."

The political commissar closed his eyes slightly, drawing upon memories from the long years to guide his troops in completing the encirclement of the enemy.

His voice was filled with deep compassion, but without a trace of regret.

He pressed further:
"What is the exchange ratio? How many reserve troops do we have? Can we maintain a long-term occupation of the Blackrock Nexus?"

"The exact proportions are difficult to quantify, but our forces hold an absolute advantage. In addition to the Space Marines, the Astrail Guard, equipped with heavy void armor and power weapons, also maintains an advantage in contact combat."

The Dark Angels strategist, who was watching the troops that had already begun their annihilation operation, paused for a rare moment, realizing that he himself could not implement any effective measures.

He no longer used the discriminatory term "mortal" to refer to the soldiers who fought alongside them.

Although the Primarch War was a grand and awe-inspiring event, the battle, which spanned several star sectors, was so vast that even a single warband entering the battlefield would spread out like water droplets and disappear without a trace.

However, as the war has progressed, the situation is indeed not as tense as imagined.

The staff officer glanced at his focused colleague beside him.

Unlike his fellow knights who were personally recruited by the Lord of Knights, he came from the shameful Dark Angels Chapter.

During his service in the warband, he participated in countless operations to purify the chaos and pollution, and his situation then was far more desperate than it is now.

Mortals are always vulnerable to the corruption of chaos. The whispers of the warp that Astartes can withstand are deadly to ordinary soldiers.

Hallucinations can lead to accidental attacks and mutinies, often plunging the entire legion into chaos.

Now they have become a high-quality auxiliary force for Astartes, providing ample firepower support for the manpower-strapped Astartes and allowing the genetically modified warriors to fully utilize their superhuman talents.

Alex also shifted his gaze to the casualty details on the table. Indeed, even now, all the regimental-level units still in operation had maintained garrison units, indicating that the losses were still within a manageable range.

Keep in mind, they were facing the Khorne army, those Blood Messengers renowned in countless legends for their combat skills.

"It seems they are not as brave and skilled in battle as the legends say."

Some joked that it was Messinius, a lieutenant in the White Consul.

In this battle, the White Consul dispatched three of his own combat barges, along with a supporting escort fleet including two strike cruisers, essentially betting everything he had.

With the Primarch's official permission, they no longer needed to hide the "minor problem" of the Legion's size. With their excellent tactical skills and deep understanding of the Cadian Gate defense zone, these elite warriors were active in various key command locations.

Their years of experience dealing with chaotic forces have given them a thorough understanding of these archenemies.

Once the Primarchs had cleared away the distractions outside the battlefield and the Byzantine bureaucracy of the Empire, the battle finally allowed these warriors to avenge their defeat.

"Yes, we have been winning battle after battle, and our morale is soaring."

Pushing the piece forward, Alex focused on the firmly established golden territory, his voice ringing out:
"Your Excellencies foresaw this day long ago, and now we have witnessed it firsthand and come to realize it. We will defeat them now, and we will defeat them countless times in the future."

"Yes, my lord!"

The resounding declaration and the high spirits displayed in every gesture made everyone in the command room, whose backs were slightly drooping due to exhaustion, involuntarily straighten up a bit.

On the battlefield filled with the smoke of gunpowder, boosting morale has always been an important responsibility of commanders.

Firm words can convey the belief in victory, allowing each soldier to draw strength from the commander to continue fighting.

"Urgent military situation!"

A messenger approached the Dark Angel and quickly reported:

"An Imperial Sons warband has infiltrated the N8-32 region and is advancing at high speed. They are primarily targeting Astragalus forces and are currently gathering intelligence on our logistics areas."

"how is the progress?"

"It's not fast. After attacking the troops, they will have a period of revelry and torture the prisoners for their amusement."

The messenger said through gritted teeth.

Alex and the strategist exchanged a glance, both catching a fleeting look of surprise in each other's eyes.

What are the Slaanesh Warriors doing here?

The political commissar then gave instructions.

"Receive Judge Aglaia."

A pale psionic light flashed in the eyes of one of the accompanying think tank members.

A strangely colored arc of light flashed from it.

"Death Watch".

Alex spoke.

"Shave the flesh and bleed the skull."

The other party quickly replied that this was a secret known only to a handful of people in the galaxy.

The Primarchs who once disguised themselves as the Death Watch and the Elders of Astartes faced their first battle upon returning to the galaxy.

"Sector N8-32 of the Third Ring Wall of the Apex has been infiltrated by the Sons of the Emperor's warband, numbering approximately 200 Chaos Space Marines. No heavy vehicles have been found. Requesting support."

The Astral Army and the Astartes are a large group, and excessive promotion has made it impossible to effectively control and popularize demon knowledge. Therefore, inquisitors are usually needed to guide them in dealing with different demons.

Especially in the realm of psionics, Ramses, with his inexplicable understanding of demonic characteristics, has constructed a series of spells that have recently become increasingly popular among psionicists due to technological breakthroughs.

The Grey Knights are currently learning the fastest, and they have been deployed inside the fortress and to deal with small groups of Chaos threats.

“I need troops, an Astartes tactical squad, a think tank, and a company of elite Astral Army soldiers.”

"Okay, the allocation will be completed in thirty minutes."

"receive."

The communication ended, and Alex drew new marking lines on the tactical map.

He exhaled a deep breath, his chest churning with indescribable emotions.

The key is not that the other party obeys orders—

It depends on one party daring to make a request, and the other party choosing to give trust.

As the war progresses, the empire's lost trust of millennia is being rebuilt at an alarming pace.

(End of this chapter)