Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 478 Hathor's Swordsmanship Instruction
In the solemn training ground, the air seemed to freeze, and hundreds of sharp eyes were fixed on the center of the field.

A tall recruit, his muscles bulging like wrought iron cables, took a deep breath and strode forward.

A deep battle roar rolled through his throat, and the training power sword in his hand tore through the air with a muffled, thunderous whistle as he delivered a swift and powerful thrust aimed straight for Hathor's vital center!
Hathor remained completely still, as if the attack, powerful enough to pierce through terracotta, was merely a gentle breeze.

Only her wrist, holding the sword, moved with the ease of a highly precise servo joint, flipping and shifting at will.

The tip of the training sword, at that moment, was as precise as a mechanical probe, effortlessly striking the recruit's blade near the guard—the most vulnerable point in the structure, where stress was most concentrated.

A sharp, ear-piercing explosion, far exceeding the ordinary clanging of metal, suddenly rang out!

The new recruit felt a subtle yet overwhelming shock, like a high-voltage current, shooting from the hilt of his sword up his arm!

The tiger's mouth was in excruciating pain and numbness, and the five fingers were uncontrollably spread open.

The heavy training sword groaned as it flew out of his hand, spinning wildly in an out-of-control arc before crashing heavily onto the reinforced floor in the distance, still trembling violently.

The recruit staggered and barely managed to stand. His face, which had been genetically enhanced and should have been as resolute as a rock, was now filled with disbelief and astonishment, and his pupils contracted slightly due to the momentary defeat.

"The intention is too straightforward, the effort is too strong, and there is a lack of variation." Hathor's voice rang out steadily, his concise comment like a cold, mechanical judgment.

Her gaze didn't linger on the recruits for even a second longer before calmly shifting to the next challenger, who was poised to pounce.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd watching from the sidelines.

The new recruits instinctively tensed their muscles, while the veterans exchanged solemn and knowing glances.

Just then, three veterans, their upper bodies covered in crisscrossing scars and bulging muscles, quickly exchanged a glance.

Without a word, the tacit understanding forged through years of working side by side in blood and fire allowed them to reach a consensus instantly.

As if driven by the same spring, the three launched a fierce attack from three extremely tricky angles that blocked any room for evasion!
One man launched a direct attack, his massive body unleashing terrifying power as his training sword, wielding the force to split mountains and shatter rocks, fiercely cleaved Hathor's head!
One of them, like a venomous snake, slashed in from the side, his sword attack unorthodox and at a strange and tricky angle, aiming straight for Hathor's wrist joint, intending to lock and disarm him!

The last one, like a ghost blending into the shadows, moved with incredible speed to Hathor's absolute blind spot, and with a piercing shriek, stabbed her unsuspecting back with his training sword!
Three deadly killing intents tightened instantly like a noose!
Hathor's figure seemed to be merely brushed by an invisible current, swaying only slightly.

The heavy blade, slashing down head-on, carried a force that tore through the air, barely grazing the corner of her dark gray uniform.

With a casual flick of her wrist, she deflected the sword outwards, a movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible. The attacker's seemingly certain strike from the side was gently deflected by an inexplicable, skillful force, the blade now perfectly positioned in the path of the attacker's all-out thrust!
At the same time, she didn't even turn around, casually parrying backward with her hand, the movement as smooth as if she had practiced it a thousand times.

"Snap!" A crisp sound of blocking was followed by a muffled groan of "Ugh!"

The latter's all-out thrust was precisely intercepted by this seemingly effortless parry. The immense recoil sent a piercing numbness through his arm, abruptly halting his attack. Meanwhile, the two on the flanks, their movements disrupted instantly by the seemingly casual pull, their heavy bodies colliding violently with a muffled thud.

The meticulously woven web of deadly attacks crumbled instantly, as if it had struck an invisible wall forged from refined gold and willpower.

The three of them scrambled to their feet, their faces filled with astonishment and frustration.

The whispers from the sidelines vanished instantly, leaving only a deathly silence and awe at the incredible skill.

"The teamwork was acceptable, but the rhythm was rigid and lacked adaptability." Hathor's voice rang out again, her comments still concise and her tone flat, as if the deadly combined attack that had just killed several elite Astartes in an instant was nothing more than an obvious basic tactical error on the training field that urgently needed to be corrected.

The current Chapter Champion strode out of the ranks. He was as massive as a mountain, his bare upper body covered with old scars that symbolized his past glory.

He gripped the heavy training hammer tightly, his gaze as firm as iron, and said in a deep voice, "Instructor, please give me your guidance!"

Hathor merely gestured with his eyes that he could begin, maintaining his relaxed demeanor.

The champion unleashed his full power in an instant! The training power hammer, carrying terrifying kinetic energy capable of shattering a thousand tons, slammed vertically down on Hathor like a meteor falling to earth! The air was compressed, producing a muffled boom!

Despite this devastating blow, Hathor remained standing in place.

Her sword-wielding arm rose at an exquisitely precise angle and timing, the spine of the training sword not directly meeting the hammer's high-speed downward trajectory, but rather precisely meeting a barely perceptible weak point on the side, while her wrist deftly pulled inward and deflected the blow with unimaginable agility.

A deep, yet incredibly powerful, explosion resounded across the training ground! A visible shockwave rolled and spread outwards!

A breathtaking scene unfolded: the massive hammer, powerful enough to crush Leman Rustank into a pancake, seemed to vanish into thin air, its terrifying impact seemingly lost entirely, guided, deflected, and neutralized by Hathor's seemingly slender training sword with incredible deflection techniques!

The reinforced alloy floor beneath Thor's feet instantly dented and cracked, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading out—caused by the impact of the hammer blow itself—but she herself remained as steady as a rock, without even swaying her body!
She neutralized this earth-shattering blow purely by relying on her unparalleled force-dissipating skills and absolute control over the transmission of power!
Just as the champion was struck by the enormous reaction force, his blood churning and his strength momentarily stagnating, Hathor's wrist twisted and pulled with remarkable ease.

"Disengage." A calm yet unquestionable command.

The champion felt an exquisite, spiraling force instantly travel up the hammer handle, causing his fingers to involuntarily loosen!

The heavy power hammer flew out of his hand, whistling as it embedded itself deeply into the thick buffer layer of the wall in the distance, trembling on its own.

Hathor's cold training sword tip, like a precise probe, gently touched the skin in front of his Adam's apple.

The entire training hall was deathly silent, save for the low humming coming from the distant walls and the heavy breathing of the crowd.

(End of this chapter)