Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 717 The World Devourer Works for Me

931.M30.

The Shadow of Reigns, Primarch Office.

Nimrod leaned against the throne, while Arsène Dunne, holding a data tablet, bowed and reported.

"My lord, we have annihilated the aliens in the Wolf Subsector, fifteen star systems, and thirty-eight worlds."

"The War Council is pleased with the achievements of Your Destruction of the Fire, and the propaganda machine of the Sealholder praises Your name as the conqueror of aliens throughout the world of the Empire."

"The victory won by the 'World Eaters' in Alpha Salish is rarely mentioned; Angron's rage turned the planet into ruins."

As Nimrod remembered, the Empire dispatched the 203rd Expeditionary Fleet to purify the shapeshifters that were feeding on humans.

Ninglu weighed the differences in the sequence of the two potion ingredients and thought to himself.

[The Shapeshifter is the main material for the "Faceless One" sequence 6 of the "Fool" pathway, and the Timefire is the main material for the "Dream Thief" sequence 5 of the "Mistake" pathway.]

The potion ingredients are not what my "Black Emperor" evolution path requires; the Time Flame is clearly more difficult to deal with than the Shapeshifter.

At least, the shapeshifter wasn't as weak as the Timefire, who possessed a natural fire shield, as I remembered when it had consumed the blood of the Imperial Guard.
As Nimrod pondered, the Primarch's attendant continued his report, his voice shifting from a passionate eulogy to a low murmur.

"The Legion also paid a considerable price to win this great victory."

"I have compiled the casualties of the First, Third and Tenth Warbands. In the war against the Timefire Xenomorphs, a total of 5,140 Shadow Orders perished."

"Most of them were new recruits from the 10th Regiment, numbering 3,080."

Ning Lu nodded slightly. Besides the Shadow of Order, the Space Shark also lost 270 people.

Like Peturabo, he was able to accept the casualties suffered in the Simultaneous Fire Xenomorph battles.

The "Iron Warriors" fought three wars before finally defeating the Timefire Alien.

Although the casualties in the first two wars are unknown, the 33rd Battalion suffered 78% casualties in the third war.

Conservative estimates suggest the total number of dead will exceed ten thousand.
The "Iron Warriors" camp typically consists of a thousand people, but it is not as rigidly organized as the "Ultramens".

"Iron Warriors" allows for a higher-than-normal level of personnel presence and attrition, especially among new recruits in their initial service.

Large camps located in war zones will continue to recruit and reinforce troops, while those camps that have suffered heavy losses will simply be filled with other active-duty units.

This caused significant fluctuations in the strength of each battalion. Some battalions might have only 500 men after a fierce battle, while others had as many as 4,000 men during battles.

During the "Great Crusade," the human empire's attitude towards the Xenomorphs was to tolerate less threatening Xenomorph races while annihilating powerful ones.

The devastating alien wars that ultimately ended in destruction always exhibited similar characteristics:

In the initial contact, the scale of the battle was small, but the casualty rate was high, as was the case in the First Randan War in the Turning-Morse War.

The second war was larger in scale, with a series of decisive battles and the highest casualties. The Second Randan War and the Battle of Taksi are the best examples.

The number of aliens wiped out in the third war was not as high as in the second war; this was the case with the "Randan Extermination War".

Based on the average number of people in a large camp during wartime, the casualties in the Third War of Time and Fire were at least two thousand.

Ninglu therefore inferred that the number of "Iron Warriors" killed in the war would exceed 10,000.

Although the alien races such as Randan and Shapeshifters have been declared extinct, this is not actually the case; some remnants still exist.

The Fire of Time was truly "annihilated." Apart from the aliens that proliferated in the second layer of the "Land of Chaos," at least in Nimrod's memory, these aliens never appeared again in the future.

Ning Lu pondered for three seconds before speaking.

"Report to the War Council: 14,900 casualties."

Unlike Hrud, the Fire of Time had some contact with the Empire, so the reported casualty figures could not be exaggerated tenfold, but only a more reasonable figure of less than three times.

“Follow Your command.”

After the snow-white-haired Arsena took his leave, Ninglu glanced at the Dionysus Spear on the weapon rack, as well as the heavy chainsaw sword Kraken's Bite and the Frostblade Battleaxe Winter's Blade on either side, and silently pondered.

Aside from the Dionysian Spear, Ruth's other two weapons are really a waste to have here.

Once Szesny advances to Sequence 4, he will be granted the Siren's Bite.
While Ninglu was pondering, he suddenly heard layers of prayers, so he got up and went to his bedroom.

After activating the "Euclidean Symbol," he stepped into the "Land of Chaos." Upon ascending the throne, Nimrod spread his spirituality, touching the ever-expanding and contracting sphere of crimson light.

He saw Garan Surak, the chief apothecary of the World Eaters, kneeling on the dimly lit altar.

The surrounding area was filled with dozens of unconscious bodies, some of them "Astartes" and others "humans".

With a thought, Ninglu pulled Garan, along with dozens of other bodies, into the "Land of Chaos".

“My lord,” Garan, shrouded in a black robe, knelt in the black mist, “After the Father of Genes stole a frigate and left the Legion alone, he spent two years searching before Captain Kahn found him in the Savage World and persuaded him to return.”

"After Angron returned to the Legion, as you said, he immediately ordered me to develop the Butcher's Nail suitable for the World Eater."

"Just then, Alpha Salish was invaded by shapeshifters, and a part of the Legion was sent to that world to quell the rebellion."

Ninglu glanced at the layers upon layers of bodies, radiating spiritual light.

"I asked them to use the anesthetic drug that Nukelia discovered to hunt aliens for research purposes."

“I received a total of 1,360 research subjects. I want to keep 256 as a cover, and dedicate the rest to You.”

“Okay.” Ning Lu nodded slightly.

[Galan is quite ambitious; he knows to sacrifice himself for me.]

This is how it works for me—the World Devourers do the work, and I enjoy the spoils.
Ninglu pondered for a moment, recalling the place where Garan had achieved his breakthrough.

"You will receive revelation in 93-15, in the world named Genna."

"Genna's android manipulation technology will help you complete the development of Butcher's Nail."

When Garan heard the Black Emperor's indifferent tone, as if he were speaking casually, he couldn't help but marvel at the power of his lord.

He gazed in awe at the indistinct, towering figure shrouded in black mist.

"Praise be to my Lord, and thank you for the revelation you have given me."

He recalled the Black Emperor's mission: "I will obey Your command and study the Butcher's Nail that You require."

Ninglu scrutinized the kneeling "Potions Professor" Garland, whose perfectly integrated spiritual body resembled a flawless blood-red gemstone.

"You have mastered the power I have given you."

"I will grant you new strength to seek out the planets illuminated by the full moon, and pray to me."

"Follow Your will."

After Garan respectfully accepted the order, Nimrod sent him back to the lower decks of the Conqueror.

He stepped out and entered the third level of space, picking up the Prophecy Dice that had cooled down.

Ninglu's mind raced through all the information he knew about Visa.

[The savage world of Vesa is located in the Misty Starfield, on the edge of the Antima Sub-Sector.]

The people of Visayas are fierce and tenacious warriors who live on the edge of death.

The Vesa are born elite mercenaries, valuing material wealth above all else, and dedicating their lives to the ruthless pursuit of land, property, mansions, and weapons...
Ninglu quickly went through the thought process in his mind and then silently recited it to himself.

[Star map of the Kariham Gate leading to Visayas.]

[…]
After reciting it silently eleven times, he stretched out his hand and threw the prophecy dice in his hand.

After the triangular cone tumbled several times in the air, it landed in Ning Lu's outstretched hand, and a scene that looked like a holographic projection appeared before his eyes.

Ning Lu's eyes lit up as he happily noted down the star map and then entered it into the data crystal.

“The proportion of untouchables among the Visayans is not low; if not one-fifth, then at least one-tenth.”

“If the future Vesians’ loyalty to the Terra Emperor were not limited to the image on high-denomination currency, they would be the best race to guard Kadia.”

"Chaos is about to rise, and the Vesalians will be very useful."

(End of this chapter)