Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 307 The Threat of the Frozen Ground

In just a few days of fighting, the two battle groups and four companies lost more than a third of their forces, with the number of dead approaching 160 Astartes.

Such a horrific casualty ratio would have been enough to make most legion commanders frown, even during the Great Expedition.

Aside from legions known for their massive numbers, such as Ultramarines and Shadowmoon Wolves, or special legions like Iron Warriors that treat their soldiers as expendable resources, most legions would be heartbroken by such a large number of casualties.

When the battle report was delivered to the command post, Ventanus almost cracked the data panel in his hand.

The usually composed Ultramarines company commander rarely showed anger. Staring at the shocking numbers on the casualty list, he sternly questioned the chapter leaders of the Blood Knights and the Flesh Rippers: "What do you take the Emperor's warriors for? Disposable expendables?"

Sigismund silently scrutinized the Blood Knight and the Flesh-Tearer Chapter Master who had come to report, his gaze as piercing as the searchlight of the Inquisition.

Loken immediately pulled up a holographic tactical map, using a laser pointer to circle the defensive lines that had been forced to shrink due to the troop shortage, his voice laced with suppressed anger: "Look at the mess you've created! The defensive depth of the entire flank has now been shortened by four kilometers!"

However, when faced with the accusations from the three commanders, the two chapter leaders of the Blood Knight and the Flesh Ripper displayed an eerie calm.

The Blood Knights' Chapter Master, Yor, even stated frankly, "They died a worthy death."

This response undoubtedly greatly displeased Sigismund, Loken, and Ventanus, who immediately ordered both chapters to remain on track and prohibited them from engaging in combat.

But this cannot make up for the problems caused by these two warbands.

Even more disturbing is the condition of the remaining soldiers in the four companies of these two warbands on the planet's surface.

When Sigismund personally inspected the front lines, he found that these children of the Holy Blood Angels were not demoralized by the heavy losses, but were instead excitedly preparing for battle.

The Blood Knight, who had lost an arm, refused the mechanical priest's offer to attach a prosthetic limb to him, and instead prayed to his chainsaw sword with only his arm.

Meanwhile, another warrior of the Flesh Tearers was gritting his teeth and enduring something, as if he were calling out someone's name in a low voice.

When Locke attempted to move the remnants of the two battle groups to the relatively safe second line for rest and reorganization, he was met with collective insubordination.

These soldiers preferred to remain in the most dangerous salient rather than face court-martial, as if they intended to die on the battlefield. They even received only the bare minimum treatment from their respective battle group's apothecaries, as if any further treatment would be a waste.

Ultimately, the three commanders had to urgently revise their battle plan: they sent two companies from the Black Templars to fill the gap in the defensive line, while simultaneously relaying the situation of the two regiments back to Kherson, hoping that Chen Xi could deal with them.
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Upon receiving the battle report, Chen Xi felt a sharp headache and his temples throbbed.

In a sense, the performance of these two chapters is the fundamental reason why the Terra Highlord Council has always been wary and resistant to the Space Marines.

He tugged at the collar of his uniform in frustration, feeling like he was having trouble breathing.

Disobeying orders and ignoring the overall situation for the sake of so-called honor, countless strategic plans have failed because of these stubborn soldiers!
Honor and brotherhood—Chen Xi closed his eyes in anguish—how many disasters in the Milky Way have been destroyed by these two seemingly noble words!

Thinking about all this, Chen Xi couldn't help but slam his fist on the table.

The spiritual energy overflowing from Chen Xi's emotional fluctuations swirled around his hands, not only shattering the data panel in front of him but also disintegrating the desk into atoms.

This silenced the staff in the command room, who could only watch the judge vent his anger without daring to utter a sound.

However, after venting his anger, Chen Xi felt a deep sense of helplessness. He rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down.

The battle is currently tense, and he truly doesn't have any more Astartes chapters available to deploy. Unless…

A thought flashed through his mind: to send the secretly trained Ash Knights into battle.

But he quickly rejected the idea himself.

Not to mention that the Ash Knights' current forces are far from sufficient to fill the gaps between the two chapters, the political turmoil that might be triggered by prematurely exposing this secret force is enough to give him a hard time.

Just as Chen Xi was worrying about the battle at the front, even worse news followed.

His personal terminal suddenly lit up, and an urgent report from the sea hare sent him a sharp pain in his stomach.

The report indicates that on that frozen world designated as a medical and health retreat planet, the exploration team discovered signs of life in what appears to be a giant green mushroom.

"What the hell is this...?" Chen Xi frowned and clicked on the holographic image, then gasped.

The image indeed shows a green, leggy, muscular "giant mushroom"! And those silhouettes frozen deep within the glacier are all too familiar—they are green-skinned orcs!

Chen Xi suddenly stood up. He finally understood why this once ocean world had become a frozen, dead planet.

So this place was once ravaged by the Greenskins, and then frozen solid by some unknown hero from some unknown era using some unknown method?!

"Damn it!" Chen Xi couldn't help but curse, slamming his fist on the tactical table.

You beast! Why did you have to find out now of all times?!
He could only pray that what was frozen in the ice was just an ordinary green spore creature, not the ancient orcs—those terrifying beings known as "Krok"—created by the ancient saints to fight against the Star Gods and the Deathbringers.

(Large green mushroom)

(Kroc, average height 12 meters, can wrestle with Primarch)

Thinking of this, Chen Xi broke out in a cold sweat.

If it really is the ancient orc Krok...

A crazy idea flashed through his mind: why not just smash this frozen planet into the Necromancer's Throne World, and then throw a dozen whirlwind torpedoes onto the battlefield, so that these damned aliens and greenskins could perish together!
It's important to know that during the Great Crusade, the Orcish Empire, which was personally crushed by the Emperor, even had an Orcish Emperor who could suppress the Emperor! (I seriously suspect that the Emperor was acting.) And during the War of the Beasts, a single beast could even fight Vulcan one-on-one, and the two fought to the point of mutual destruction!

But whether it's the Orc Emperor or the Beast, they all seem like underdeveloped little devils compared to Krok! You should know that the only known Krok in the entire galaxy is in the Figurine King's museum, and that thing is twelve meters tall!
The strongest orc warlord, Gaeshigu, who currently roams the galaxy, is not even as large as a wild beast.

But reason quickly prevailed. Chen Xi forced herself to take a deep breath and began to quickly read through the complete report sent by Hai Tu.

He had to assess the severity of the threat as quickly as possible, while also figuring out how to deal with the two troublesome battle groups at the front, which gave him a terrible headache.

(End of this chapter)