Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 321 The Ending I've Always Dreamed Of
On the orbit, Chen Xi's flagship slowly entered near-Earth orbit, its massive hull gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the starlight.

Inside the bridge, a holographic tactical map was unfolded in the center of the command console, providing a clear view of the battle situation on the Kherson III—red enemy attack markers spread across the ice field like a plague, while the blue dots representing the Blood Knights were being gradually swallowed up.

“Kroc…” Chen Xi’s fingertips tapped rhythmically on the control panel, his brows furrowed into a deep ravine.

He had initially thought it was just a routine Greenskin riot, but now it seemed the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.

On the tactical map, the frozen ruins that were highlighted were flashing a blinding red light, like a time bomb about to explode.

The staff officers stood by, holding their breath; they had never seen the governor with such a solemn expression.

Chen Xi stared intently at the blurry giant figure in the holographic image—even through the thick layer of ice, the oppressive aura emanating from that green body was still chilling.

"Pass down the order!" Chen Xi suddenly shouted, his voice piercing the silence of the bridge like a drawn sword: "All fleet firepower concentrate on bombarding the coordinates of the ruins!"

His command caused a stir on the bridge, but was quickly drowned out by more urgent instructions.

The gunnery officer swiftly operated the control panel, and the macro gun array began adjusting its firing angle. The humming sound of the torpedo tubes charging could be heard through the deck.

The staff officer hesitated before stepping forward: "Your Excellency, the bombing might accidentally injure the Blood Knights."

"Commander Joel knows what to do." Chen Xi's voice was as cold as the polar wind of the Kherson III: "For the Emperor, sacrifice is inevitable."

These words struck everyone like a hammer blow—they all knew that when the judge uttered these words, it meant the situation had become so dire that a terrible price had to be paid.

And this is exactly what the Blood Knight wanted.

Chen Xi's gaze swept over the red marks of those blood-soaked battles on the tactical map; those proud warriors would never accept a humiliating retreat.

What they longed for was a heroic sacrifice that would wash away their stigma, and now, fate had given them that opportunity.

A blizzard swept across the icy plains, carrying with it the embers of plasma cannons.

The Blood Knights have suffered more than half their casualties. The power armor of the Chapter Master of the Yor War is damaged in many places, and the servo system is groaning under the strain. Blood drips from the gaps in the visor and instantly congeals into blood crystals in the low temperature.

But he still stood at the forefront, the banner of Saint Gilles fluttering behind him, the blood-stained feather decorations trembling violently in the gale.

"Commander! The eastern defense line has collapsed!" A hoarse shout came through the communicator, which was then cut off by an explosion.

Joel looked up and saw five Blood Knights being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of ancient greenskins. Their chainswords were still making their final swings, and the roar of their bomb guns sounded like the wails of dying beasts.

Suddenly, a blinding light appeared in the sky—not the dawn, but the prelude to death.

Orbital bombardment has begun.

Joel's pupils behind his faceplate suddenly contracted, and the flashing artillery warning on the tactical HUD almost burned his retina.

He looked up and saw countless burning meteors piercing through the clouds and tearing apart the dark night sky.

Those were the flames generated by the friction of the fleet's cannon shells in the atmosphere, pouring down like divine punishment.

The blazing white trails left by each shell illuminated the blizzard as brightly as day.

"Everyone, take cover!" Joel roared into the communication channel, his voice booming like thunder.

But he charged straight at the orc warlord, his power armor groaning under the strain.

The three-meter-tall monster was wielding a crackling power hammer, the electric current coiling around its head ionizing the surrounding snow into an eerie blue mist. It exhaled foul breath from between its fangs, and its yellowish-green skin was covered in scars from countless battles, each telling a story of bloody carnage.

Someone has to stop it!
Otherwise, this beast would hold back all the Blood Knights, letting them be reduced to ashes in the orbital bombardment.

Blood Knights crave sacrifice, but never meaningless annihilation.

Joel gripped the chainsaw sword tightly with both hands, the hum of the high-speed rotating saw teeth mingling with the electric crackling of the power hammer.

The moment the two weapons collided, the resulting energy shockwave instantly evaporated the snow within a radius of 100 meters, revealing the permafrost beneath.

The shockwave even knocked over several green-skinned kids who were fighting nearby, their bodies being thrown into the air like rags.

"WAAAGH!!" the orc warlord roared, slamming his power hammer down once more.

Joel dodged to the side, the hammerhead grazing his shoulder armor, sparks flying from the terracotta armor.

He seized the opportunity to strike backhand with his sword, the serrated edge of the chainsaw blade biting deep into the orc's thick arm, green flesh and metal fragments flying everywhere.

But the orc warlords' brute strength far exceeded expectations.

It roared and delivered a knee strike, slamming it directly into Joel's breastplate.

The inner lining of the power armor deformed instantly, and Joel felt a sharp pain as his ribs cracked, blood seeping from his clenched teeth.

"Human shrimps... die!" The orc warlord grinned maliciously, raising his power hammer once more.

Joel did not back down.

He suddenly lowered his center of gravity, his power backpack spewing out a fiery blue tail flame, and he crashed into the orc's arms like a cannonball.

The chainsaw sword slashed diagonally from bottom to top, its serrated teeth tearing through the thick green breastplate. Filthy blood splattered onto Joel's visor, staining the tactical display crimson.

"For Saint Gilles!" Joel roared, blood spurting from between his teeth.

The orc warlord staggered back, staring incredulously at the huge wound on his chest.

It tried to raise the power hammer for a final strike, but then it heard a deathly shriek from the sky—the first macro cannon shell was already within reach.

The next second, railgun fire covered the entire ruins.

The blazing fireball engulfed both Yor and the orc warlord, and the shockwave from the explosion sent waves of earth tens of meters high rising from the frozen ground.

The ice layer within a radius of several kilometers vaporized in the high temperature, and the metal structure of the ancient ruins melted like wax.

The first shell struck the orc warlord directly in the back, engulfing him and Yor in a blazing fireball.

Immediately afterwards, hundreds of cannons rained down like divine punishment, the permafrost frozen for thousands of years vaporized in the high temperature, and the metal structure of the ancient ruins melted like wax.

The shockwave from the explosion even overturned a Chimera armored vehicle several kilometers away, and the whole world trembled in the devastating roar.

Before his last consciousness faded, Joel seemed to see Saint Gilles reaching out to him in the firelight.

The chapter master closed his eyes contentedly, letting the flames devour him and his nemesis—this was the ending a blood knight could only dream of.

(End of this chapter)