Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 406 Publicly Revealed Original Casting
How many proto-Astartes are there in the solar system? That's a good question.

But it is also a problem that could bring the entire empire to a standstill.

Because the answer to this question... the Highlord Council dared not listen, the Terra Guard dared not listen, and even the Imperial Guard under the Golden Throne would never want to hear it.

No one wanted to believe that in the solar system where Holy Terra was located—the heartland of the human empire, the most crucial lifeline in the galaxy—someone could actually assemble hundreds of thousands of fully armed Astartes at any time, and they were even super soldiers upgraded from the Primitive Forged!

It's worth noting that during Horus's "Great Birthday" rebellion, the total number of Astartes brought to Terra as "gifts" to the Emperor by all the rebel legions was less than 400,000.

In fact, the total strength of all nine rebel legions did not reach this number.

So when Guilliman led 400,000 "sons and grandsons" back to Terra to provide support, not only was Horus panicked, but even the four Chaos Gods were too scared to let him actually arrive on the battlefield—that was an absolute force that could truly wipe out all the rebels in one fell swoop!
He could even take down all the loyalists in one fell swoop.

That's why the classic legend of "always nine hours late" came about—after all, if this army had arrived on time, the warlord's rebellion would probably have ended before he could even finish his opening remarks.

Now, Caul truly holds hundreds of thousands of Astartes in his hands—they are deep within the Forging Temple on Mars, ready to be awakened at any moment and fully armed to charge towards the Holy Terra "to serve the King".

That's why, when Chen Xi asked the question directly, Kaul hesitated, which was unusual for him.

His logic was racing, weighing whether he should answer truthfully—because admitting it would likely put him in an extremely troublesome situation, and might even trigger an unnecessary conflict.

But Chen Xi clearly had no intention of giving him any room to think, and calmly continued to ask, "How many Primal Astartes can you deploy in the solar system right now?"

“What do you want to do?” Kaul finally decided to probe his intentions first rather than giving him a number directly.

However, this rhetorical question alone has already completely exposed a fact—he did indeed deploy an unknown number of Astartes within the solar system.

This answer instantly ignited the fury of Company Commander Garaton.

As captains of the Imperial Fist, defending the safety of Holy Terra is their most sacred duty, and any unauthorized deployment of large-scale military forces within the solar system is tantamount to a potential threat to the Emperor's authority!
However, before Company Commander Galadon could erupt in anger, Chen Xi spoke first: "Send at least ten thousand Original Forged Warriors to the Mountain Formation. When it is forced to leave the solar system, this force may play a crucial role."

He paused, then turned his gaze toward Mars and continued, "In addition, I need to send another 10,000 warriors to Holy Terra for garrison."

Those fools in the Highlord Council will allow demons to run rampant in Terra and even attack Liongate.

The Imperial Guards alone cannot completely defend the palace; we must make preparations in advance.

Kaul's mechanical eyes flashed red as he looked directly at Chen Xi and asked, "Is this also part of the future you foresaw?"

This same question lingered in the minds of the six Astartes warriors, and they all tensed up simultaneously.

Chen Xi nodded without hesitation to confirm: "That's right, this is the destiny revealed by the prophecy."

The Gate of Cardia will eventually fall, and a warp rift spanning the galaxy will tear reality apart.

The Mountain Array will be forced to reinforce Cardia, but it will be too late.

His voice grew even heavier: "Then the light of the Star Torch will be extinguished, and Terra will become a playground for demons. Eighty-eight Khorne demon armies, led by eight bloodthirsty archdemons, will besiege the palace. The Royal Guard alone will not be able to withstand such an offensive."

The information Chen Xi revealed struck everyone present like a heavy blow.

This was the first time he had revealed the impending catastrophic future so clearly and specifically.

The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.

The sounds of Caul's mechanical body slowed down, and his semi-mechanical face revealed a rare human-like shock.

The six Astartes warriors were struck dumb; their genetically enhanced bodies tensed involuntarily, and their faces turned deathly pale at a visible speed.

Although Chen Xi had just hinted that humanity would face a dark age, no one expected that this darkness would descend upon Holy Terra—the core of the human empire and the holy land where His Majesty resided.

The very idea itself is a blasphemy against faith.

That's Holy Terra! A sacred land that has never fallen since the Age of the Great Crusade!
How could it possibly have an accident? How could it possibly have an accident?

The mere thought of this was enough to make any loyal subject of the empire feel dizzy.

"Lord Chen Xi, are you really sure that Holy Terra will fall?" Company Commander Galadon's voice was low and tense, and his steely face was terrifyingly solemn.

This issue concerns the very survival of human empires and allows no ambiguity.

"I've already told you to activate the 'Final Wall Protocol,' what do you think I'm guarding against?" Chen Xi rubbed his temples, looking slightly tired. He had already said so much; did he really need to repeat that terrible prophecy again?
Fortunately, Kaul had already understood his intentions, and the voice of the Mechanical Sage came from the speaker: "The Martian foundry has a sufficient number of Primal Astartes in reserve to guard Holy Terra and the Royal Palace. I can dispatch 30,000 Primal Warriors to your command."

“That’s far from enough.” Chen Xi shook his head decisively: “Besides the troops sent to the Mountain Array to support Kadia, I need at least 30,000 more to reinforce Baal and 30,000 more to garrison Macurag.”

"Wait, Baal will also be attacked?" Company Commander Tycho suddenly looked up, his voice filled with barely concealed panic.

As the homeworld of the Blood Angels, Baal not only bears the glory of the entire Chapter, but is also the final resting place of the Primarch of Sanguiles.

If Baal is lost, the entire Blood Angels Chapter will surely descend into madness.

Chen Xi nodded heavily: "I foresaw Baal's destruction. The Tyranid swarm is coveting the remains of the Primarch, and they will surge toward that sacred planet like a tidal wave."

Tycho Brahe's face turned deathly pale instantly. He turned to Kaul anxiously, "Great Sage, how many reinforcements can you send to Baal?"

Kaul's mechanical eye gleamed with a calculating light. After a moment of silence, he cautiously replied, "If the situation becomes urgent, I can provide Baal with 30,000 Primal Astartes as support."

But Kaul still kept some cards up his sleeve.

(End of this chapter)