Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 378 AOS Living Saint (Third Update)

Chen Xi would never sit idly by and watch the two demon princes decide their fate.

Every second of delay meant more sacrifices; he had to act immediately.

At this moment, they are trapped on the orcs' battle moon, surrounded by an endless horde of orcs.

The green-skinned monsters surged in like a raging sea, wave after wave, their roars deafening.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and the ground was littered with broken weapons and corpses.

Last time, Chen Xi was able to lead the Imperial Army to a safe retreat entirely thanks to the terrifying power of the Warmaster-level Psionic Titan.

That massive war machine single-handedly tore through the orcs' defenses, buying precious time for their retreat.

However, he now had very little strength left—three Sorcerers Supreme who were chanting incantations, fewer than twenty wounded Astartes, three barely functioning Caslan automatons, dozens of exhausted enforcers, less than a battalion of Storm Loyalists, and fifty-odd battle nuns.

Such a force would probably not last even a few hours in this orcish hell.

The two Craig Inquisitors are doing their best to change the course of the battle, but they are just ordinary inquisitors, without powerful psychic abilities or any artifacts that could turn the tide of the war.

Their efforts seemed so insignificant in the face of two demon princes locked in battle.

With time running out, Chen Xi decisively switched the Supreme Wizard under his control to autonomous mode, then quickly withdrew his consciousness and returned to the 3K era.

He had to race against time.

Back in his familiar study, Chen Xi immediately began planning his next move.

He needs to introduce new pieces into the 40K era, but ordinary combat units are simply unable to change the current predicament.

While powerful, a Warmaster-level psionic titan could become a burden in this environment—its massive size and devastating firepower would not only attract more orcs but could also accidentally injure the remaining Imperial forces.

Chen Xi was not an indecisive person, and the soldiers were already prepared to sacrifice themselves, but he was unwilling to waste his life in vain.

Therefore, he had to choose small but elite combat units.

These units need to possess extremely high mobility and combat capabilities, enabling them to accurately strike targets in chaotic battlefields while avoiding triggering larger-scale conflicts.

Chen Xi's gaze swept over the row of chess pieces on the bookshelf, his mind racing as he calculated every possible choice.

Every second of hesitation meant the situation in the 40K era would worsen, and he had to make a decision immediately.

Ultimately, he set his sights on a chess piece he had modified himself.

This piece does not come from the Warhammer 40K universe, but from another product line under GW – Age of Sigmar.

As a new product line launched by GW in 2015, AOS was born after the "End of the World" event in the Warhammer Fantasy world. On the ruins of the old world that was completely swallowed by chaos, the Age of Sigmar reshaped the entire worldview like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

The relationship between AOS and Warhammer Fantasy is similar to that between 30K and 40K. AOS not only continues the core bloodline of the medieval world—the familiar races, gods, and the threat of chaos are all preserved—but also reconstructs the narrative framework through innovative settings such as the "Soul of the World".

The new geographical concept of eight wind regions replaces the old world map, and the setting of Mortal Realms gives the story a wider scope for interpretation.

Just as the Horus Rebellion was already settled in the 40K Chronicles, the destruction of the Middle Ages was also a predetermined final chapter, but this did not prevent creators from writing new legends before the predetermined ending.

Chen Xi is now engaging in battle with the most representative force of order in the AOS universe—the Stormcast Eternals.

This legendary legion originated from Sigmar, the savior of the medieval world's final war. This warrior-king, who rose from mortal to godhood, collected the souls of the most valiant warriors after the destruction of the old world.

On the mystical Celestial Forge, these spirits merge with holy metal from the ruins of the Old World, reforging themselves into thunder warriors clad in rune-inlaid golden armor. Each time they fall in battle, they return to Sigmar's Forge Sanctuary in a flash of lightning, but each rebirth diminishes a portion of their human memories. This tragic mechanism of immortality makes the Celestial Forge the most tragic and heroic symbol in the Warhammer universe.

(The Forging World of Sigmar, where the Thunderforged Sky Army is produced)
On the battlefields of Age of Sigmar, the Stormforged are the most resilient warriors—they are not ordinary men, but eternal warriors forged by the storm god Sigmar himself.

These golden-armored warriors are immortal. Even if they are shattered to pieces on the battlefield, their souls will return to Sigmar's forge, where they will be rebuilt in the sacred thunder and flames and return once more.

However, this rebirth is not without its price.

Each reshaping process causes their memories and humanity to slowly slip away like sand through an hourglass.

The joys and sorrows, the camaraderie, and the glory of battle will all gradually fade away in the endless cycle of reincarnation.

Ultimately, these soldiers will become empty war machines, driven only by the instinct to fight, with no sense of self left.

Nevertheless, every soldier in Lei Zhutian's army was well aware of this cruel fate, yet they still stepped onto the battlefield without hesitation.

They are the backbone of the Order faction's fight against Chaos, building a bulwark against darkness with their immortal bodies.

For this reason, their image is highly regarded among players and they are even jokingly referred to as "AOS version of Space Marines".

Not only because they both symbolize the power of order and destruction, but also because their piece designs are highly distinctive: gleaming gold armor, sacred runes, and lightning-wrapped weapons. With a little modification (such as adding a power backpack), they can perfectly blend into the Warhammer 40K universe and seamlessly play the role of various special units.

This cross-system compatibility also makes Lei Zhutianjun's chess pieces a popular choice for many DIY enthusiasts.

(Change it and it becomes the Holy Blood Guard)

Chen Xi had prepared a batch of specially modified chess pieces, specifically to represent rare or hard-to-obtain units in the 40K universe.

At that moment, he picked up a meticulously modified chess piece—a modified model he used to replace the living saint.

In the official 40K game, the important combat unit, the Living Saint, only has the option of Celestine, which clearly cannot meet the needs of Warhammer players for diversity.

Therefore, many Hammer enthusiasts choose to modify it themselves or use third-party models as alternatives.

Chen Xi was no exception; he had long been prepared for this situation.

This piece was originally the "Redeemer" HQ unit of the Thunderlord's Army in Age of Sigmar, but it has been completely transformed by Chen Xi's skillful modifications.

He equipped it with an MK10 power backpack, adjusted the shoulder armor, replaced it with Space Marine-style armor, and reshaped the weapon details with putty, transforming it from a fantasy-style AOS unit into a living saint in line with the 40K setting.

In terms of background setting, Chen Xi designed him as an ancient Astartes of the Ash Knights Chapter who was noticed by the Emperor in a fierce battle and eventually became a living saint.

Now, he is about to put this piece into the 40K world to turn the tide of the battle on the Battle Moon.

However, when the chess piece was placed into the chess box, it unexpectedly encountered some resistance, as if some force was refusing its entry.

Chen Xi frowned, and even began to consider whether to simply use the "Celestin" piece directly.

But after a few seconds of hesitation, the chess piece was eventually accepted by the military box and materialized into its corresponding form in the 40K universe.

Chen Xi did not possess the chess piece himself, but simply issued a brief order—to assist Muswag in killing the demon prince Zanazt.

He then quickly switched his consciousness back to the Supreme Wizard he had been controlling, continuing to steer the course of the battle.

(End of this chapter)