This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 375 Death Will Not Be in Vain

As dawn broke, the harbor ramps were bathed in a golden glow.

Having traversed the distance created by the compromise between efficiency and security, Arthur and Ramses arrived before a host of greeters.

The daylight in space is even brighter, allowing observers to glimpse the radiance of those who come, and to see each person's face clearly.

Behind Huron were a group of veterans who had participated in the Ghoul Starfield Expedition.

Although their armor was still gleaming, and years of rest had allowed these superhuman warriors to recover well, one could still see the cracks that war had etched into their souls in their eyes.

Just by looking at the gazes directed at him, Arthur could sense how brutal the war they had experienced had been.

He had already received a brief report.

The battle ended, and the invasion launched by the Wormmen, which affected dozens of star systems, was stopped at the edge of the Starlight. During this time, a shortage of manpower emerged. The Man-Eating Shark relied on the ancient covenant to win the assistance of the Ash Claws. Under the overwhelming offensive of the Wormmen, the Space Shark was left with only four companies.

Thanks to supplies from the Dawn Sector and the advice of Think Tank Chief Kahulangi, the Space Sharks expanded to thirteen companies, each with 130 men. The number of members in the battle group exceeded the standard Holy Order requirement, and remained above 1,600 for a long time, preventing them from being wiped out.

The other two warbands fared slightly better, but only slightly.

The Weeping Ones were not many to begin with, and although their casualty rate was high, it wasn't a huge number. The Ash Claws were only there to help, and they couldn't really hand over the tough nuts to the enemy. Although they still suffered heavy losses, with their flagship being severely damaged, they were basically crippled.

No one knows how they survived this conflict.

But it's all over now.

Hundreds of billions of wormmen were annihilated, and their small empire outside the Star Torch was completely destroyed.

It cost nearly three thousand Astartes, more than ten Legions of the Astral Army, and more than ten escort squadrons and a few capital ships.

Even in the imperial records, there are few examples of such a large number of imperial military forces falling in such a short period of time.

However, in return, the empire's borders will be stable for the next few decades or even centuries. The future will take place in the northern part of the empire, along with the Tyranid hive fleet. The large-scale alien invasion that extends from the Calissis sector in the west to the Orpheus sector in the east will no longer exist, and humanity will be able to focus on fighting the upcoming Leviathan hive fleet.

A potentially existing, stable wormhole connecting the Great Vortex and the Ghoul Starfield appeared even when Ramses and the others had no clue whatsoever.

A proactive return of Astartes Dalian
As the fleet entered the star system, information that had been avoided through subspace communication for safety and metaphysical reasons was transmitted through the Thinker Array. The gains brought back by these warriors fighting on the frontier were so numerous that they were difficult to summarize for a time.

Most importantly, this was a great victory without the direct intervention of the Dawn Wings; they finally controlled the course of history beyond their own sight.

This feedback made Arthur clench his fist.

He is now on par with any Primarch, as are the human warriors.

These warriors were still able to achieve victory even without their personal intervention.

But the road ahead is still long.

He quickly put away his arrogance and looked up to meet the giant, the paladin, and the stranger in front of him.

"This is not easy."

Arthur walked up, his eyes slightly narrowed, basking in the morning light.

Huron consciously stepped aside; now was not the time for him to try and make his presence felt.

During this time, the Astartes of the Maneater, the Weeping One, and the Ash Claw were all depressed. These warriors, who had won the war, could hardly measure their value, but were drowning in grief and anxiety because of the huge losses.

These soldiers, who grew up in extreme environments, were used to sacrifice, but for some reason, they cared a lot about the outcome of this battle.

No matter how much Huron tried to comfort them, they were all waiting for an outcome.

"grown ups!"

Tiberius stepped forward, his massive body meeting Arthur's gaze.

Shal was severely injured. The worm-men's biological toxins were extremely terrifying. A year later, he is still in the culture chamber undergoing cell repair. Kahulangi had been dead for a long time, and his soul resided inside the pituitary gland of the Holy Hymn. Even trained pharmacists did not know how to deal with him.

The Ash Claws, whom he had called in to help, also suffered heavy losses, with many men killed and a significant number of warships unable to be produced on their own gone. Fortunately, Huron had developed well, providing these victorious warriors with the treatment they deserved, allowing them to lick their wounds in peace and be ready to continue serving humanity at any time.

"On behalf of the Shuguangxing District Government, I thank you."

Arthur unsheathed his black sword and solemnly placed it in front of him.

"You have secured a hard-won peace for countless galaxies. Your sacrifice will buy humanity more time. We will cherish this precious time, for it will give us even greater strength in the future. And you—"

"You are true heroes."

He spoke slowly and solemnly, and the soldiers accepted it calmly.

Ramses also moved his lips, wanting to offer some praise, but fearing he might make a terrible joke, he forcibly held back.

This was not an impromptu performance, but a genuine expression of pride for them.

"."

Tiberius's usually icy gaze showed a slight change.

Although the man-eating sharks suffered heavy losses in this operation, apart from deeply recognizing the strength of the weeping ones and harboring resentment towards the changes brought about by these cousins, they had no other thoughts.

Death is normal. People like them, the Astartes, are always dying. As a warband that has transcended base desires, they respect the fallen, but they do not dwell on the memory of the dead.

There's nothing to be sad about. Many more people will die on this road, and they will continue to die in the future.

The sharks didn't care. Even the ruthless Ash Claws always said that these people were like pure killing machines, caring about nothing but killing.

Now, finally some people are able to make use of these sacrifices, and finally some people are able to acknowledge their sacrifices instead of taking them for granted.

Everyone present was stunned for a moment, then in unison raised their right arms and slammed their fists heavily onto their left breastplates. The sound of metal clashing echoed in the solemn hall, and sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows above, casting dappled shadows on their armor.

Birds that have left home return in glory.

The insignia on the breastplate, reflecting the sun's gleam, trembled slightly as the starport rotated. The hardships of the expedition had long since been washed away. Suppressed breathing could be heard from the crowd, and finally, expressions of relief appeared on the faces etched with indelible marks of war.

That effort was finally recognized, and this chapter of my life finally paid off.

No one will let them down, and they will not let anyone down either.

Tiberius breathed a sigh of relief.

Good luck!

And aren't we the same?

Arthur looked around and vaguely caught sight of a few familiar faces.

It was on a sudden, impulsive idea that led them to connect with the sharks, break through the encirclement, and embark on their journey.

Back then, they only had a few hastily assembled fleets, but now, a mere branch of a star sector casts a long shadow over near-Earth orbit.

Along the way, they witnessed the myriad forms of mortals, the sacrifices of countless humans, the brutality of the insect swarm, shared drinks with heroes from all walks of life, and fought wits and courage against the monsters and demons of the warp.

Now look at the present.

Beneath the dome, thousands of indicator lights lit up simultaneously, illuminating the entire base as if it were daytime. Signals of readiness from various fleets came through the communication channels, and electronic voices rose and fell in the vast space.

The surrounding area was filled with heavily armed soldiers.

They stood silently, their meticulously crafted power armor reflecting the sunlight, their eyes beneath their masks all fixed in the same direction.

With swords flying and horses galloping, the world's attention is focused on them.

(End of this chapter)