Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 681 Arrival in Caliban

The “Stone” fortress sailed silently through the void, its colossal silhouette cutting through the distant starlight, like a moving, sorrowful, and secretive metal cemetery.

Chen Xi stood in front of the observation window of the guest room. The window displayed a processed star map and navigation data stream. The distorted and ever-changing torrent of warp space was isolated behind the heavy adamantite and Geller field, but his thoughts had already flown to that coordinate that no longer existed—Caliban.

A limited investigation spanning several standard days is like scratching a solid iron wall with your fingernail—the progress is minimal.

The records at the edges of the archives are deliberately obscured and poetically embellished, while Ezekiel, the think tank director, scrutinizes with a cold probe, constantly trying to probe the true intentions behind his psychic pronouncements.

The information obtained from the briefing was limited to confirming the already known fact that "an attack did occur."

An invisible stalemate enveloped him.

The "limited trust" granted by the inner ring is more like a carefully calculated form of isolation.

He could sense that the core secrets of the Dark Angels—the millennia-long hunt for the "Fallen Angels" and the true truth behind the Lion King's slumber—were still firmly locked in the deepest part of the "Inner Ring," and were not easily accessible to outsiders.

But for Chen Xi, this was not important, because he already knew the Dark Angels' little secrets, and even knew things they didn't.

“They are afraid,” Chen Xi whispered to his hooded follower standing silently beside him. It was less of a conversation and more of a sorting out of his thoughts. “They are afraid of external scrutiny, afraid of the chain reaction that might result from the exposure of their secrets, and even… afraid of what they themselves are protecting.”

The figure under the hood moved slightly, letting out a barely audible hum that seemed to carry an ancient sigh.

To Chen Xi, this subtle response was more profound than any lengthy discourse.

Just then, a very subtle yet extremely penetrating vibration came through the deck beneath my feet.

It wasn't the usual turbulence of subspace travel, but rather the aftershocks of some kind of energy release, carrying a hint of ominous foreboding.

Almost simultaneously, the communicator in the guest room emitted a sharp, unusually calm beep.

Chen Xi pressed the answer button, and Oregana's voice came through, but her speech was slightly faster than usual: "Chen Xi, multiple high-intensity energy signals have been detected erupting outside the fortress."

Feature analysis: Forced detachment from the subspace engine's fluctuations, and... the entropy-increasing radiation characteristic of plague weapons. The Death Guard fleet has arrived in the Caliban sector and is engaged in combat with the fortress's defenses.

Chen Xi's eyes sharpened.

Just as he knew, Typhons did indeed come.

Immediately afterwards, the piercing global combat alarm, like the wail of a dying beast, instantly resounded throughout every passage of "The Rock".

Red emergency lights replaced regular lighting, staining everything blood-red.

Heavy, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, the sound of dark angel warriors rushing to their respective battle positions, orderly yet carrying the urgency of a decisive battle.

The guest room door was flung open, and Sergeant Herman, the inner guard responsible for monitoring them, stood in the doorway.

His power armor was already in combat mode, his helmet visor flashing red, and although he hadn't raised his explosive gun, his finger was tightly gripping the trigger guard.

“Inquisitor,” Herman’s voice came through the helmet amplifier, cold and metallic, “the fortress is entering maximum combat readiness. According to the inner ring’s orders, you and your entourage must remain in this room until the threat is eliminated. This is for your safety, and for the safety of the fortress.”

His tone left no room for argument, and his tall frame almost blocked the entire doorway. Chen Xi looked at him calmly, her face showing no surprise or panic: "Sergeant, the battle has begun. Do you think Typhons and his Death Guard are here for a courtesy visit?"

“The heretical intentions are irrelevant; the Dark Angels will surely purify them.” Hermann’s answer was rigid and resolute.

"Purification?" Chen Xi took a step forward, and the invisible pressure brought by his psionic energy began to spread, making Herman's posture even more tense. "When the Death Guard's plague blades slash at your brothers, when Nurgle's corruption spreads over your sacred fortress, are you sure that 'Purification' alone can protect this fortress monastery, and everything that you have defended on your millennia-long journey?"

“My duty is to guard you, Inquisitor. This is an order from the Inner Circle.” Herman’s stance remained unwavering.

Just then, the hooded attendant beside Chen Xi, who had remained silent all along, suddenly moved. She took a small step forward, without pulling down her hood, and simply raised a slender, pale, almost transparent hand, extending it from her heavy sleeve.

She made an ancient and complex gesture, her fingertips seemingly glowing, pointing to her feet, to the deepest part of the "megalith".

Almost the instant she completed her gesture, two short figures dressed in heavy robes quietly emerged from the shadows of the passage, as if seeping out from the walls—the Dark Watchers.

These mysterious, ancient guardians, who almost never communicate with ordinary warriors, have now revealed themselves, and their "gaze," hidden beneath their robes and hoods, is focused on this mysterious hooded attendant, as if trying to decipher a silent message.

Chen Xi's "attendants" remained silent, but their demeanor exuded an unquestionable authority.

The two Dark Watchers listened quietly, or rather, felt it.

After a moment, they nodded slightly at the same time, as if they had reached some kind of consensus.

One of the Darkwatchers turned to the bewildered Sergeant Herman and gestured for him to move aside.

Sergeant Hermann was completely thrown into chaos.

The Dark Watchers, these ancient beings who are respected even by the High Masters, actually responded to the silent gesture of a foreign Inquisitor's follower?
Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Chen Xi spoke in a steady and powerful voice: "Sergeant, some threats require unconventional methods to deal with. Right now, the Death Guard is just outside the door, and corruption is closing in."

Will you stubbornly carry out orders that could inflict irreparable damage on the chapter, or will you make the right choice and fight for the survival of the Dark Angels?

Hermann's face was hidden under his helmet, so his expression couldn't be seen, but for the first time, his hand holding the gun trembled slightly.

The roar of battle could be faintly heard from afar, mixed with the howl of exploding bombs and some nauseating, viscous, corrosive sound.

The passage of time has never been so clear.

Finally, the sergeant gritted his teeth, stepped aside to make way, and said in a hoarse and heavy voice, "For...the Chapter! I'll lead you to the inner passage. But only the Darkwatchers can guide you from there."

Chen Xi nodded and said no more.

He glanced at his entourage, still hooded, and then at the two silent Dark Watchers.

“The time has come,” he said, his tone a mixture of relief and resolve. “Take us to the slumbering being. The long night of eternity needs a light to awaken it.”

Under the complex gaze of Sergeant Herman, and amidst the ever-approaching sounds of battle, Chen Xi and his squad, following the Dark Watcher and the ever-concealed guide, swiftly disappeared into the deeper, more hidden shadows of the "Stone" fortress, resolutely advancing towards the ultimate secret guarded by layers of protection.

(End of this chapter)