Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 261 The Visitor of the Imperial Fist (Thirteenth Update)
The frigate's engines increased their output power, and the massive hull slowly adjusted its direction, then left a trail in the void and entered the predetermined subspace channel, heading towards the forging world Neksam.

Subspace travel is never absolutely safe.

Even on the most stable routes, the structure of reality is relatively weak, filled with energy turbulence and mental whispers that cannot be explained by conventional physical laws.

The frigate carrying Chen Yu was under constant pressure from its Gellér force field during the voyage, and the steady hum of the force field generator was the only background noise inside the ship.

Outside the ship's hull, there was a distorted and unreal scene, with colors and shapes that defied common sense. Occasionally, a huge and blurry shadow would slide close to the edge of the energy field, triggering a brief alarm from the detection array.

For the members of Mann's team, Valerie, Jack, and David, their first experience of subspace travel was an indescribable and unfamiliar one.

There was no violent jolt or obvious physical discomfort, but my senses were as if they were being disturbed by an invisible hand—my sense of direction became blurred, I could vaguely hear whispers, and the scenery outside the porthole was distorted and unreal, as if reality itself was being kneaded by some force.

"Damn it, this is even more dizzying than taking some cheap Mewtwo..." Jack muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "My vision is all blurry, and my ears are ringing."

Valerie leaned against the bulkhead, closed her eyes, and adjusted her breathing.

“It’s not a physical problem,” she said softly, “it’s a problem with your perception. It’s like…like something is trying to crawl into your brain.”

She had been a company agent and had received mental stress resistance training, but now she had to concentrate her will to fight against this invisible erosion.

Mann and Dorothy sat close together, neither of them speaking, but their metal joints occasionally made a soft cracking sound due to the unconscious tension in their bodies.

“It’s not seasickness,” Mann finally spoke, his voice low, “it’s space itself that’s distorting. You have to stay calm and not let it carry you away.”

David's face turned pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

“I feel… like I’m falling, but not quite…” he stammered. Lucy reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of his hand, whispering, “Don’t look outside. Focus on your breathing.”

Rebecca, however, was clinging to the porthole, her eyes wide open, even though all she could see in front of her was a closed metal grille.

"Wow...this is even more flamboyant than the neon lights of Night City!" she exclaimed, turning to Pila. "Look at that blob, doesn't it look like moving paint?"

Pila didn't respond, but silently adjusted the parameters of her prosthetic eye, trying to find a pattern in the chaotic light and shadow. Qiwei remained silent, focusing intently on maintaining her electronic barrier, as if isolating herself from some invisible signal interference.

Mowell has gone through such a journey once before, and the transformation was more profound, so her condition is relatively stable.

She sat quietly in the corner, like a frozen statue.

Despite the sensory disturbances, no one lost control.

They all knew that on Chen Yu's ship, any loss of composure could be seen as a sign of weakness.

Most of the time, they stayed in their assigned cabins or moved quietly within the permitted areas, trying to adapt to this extraordinary journey.

Chen Yu almost never left her private cabin during the voyage.

His data interface is directly connected to the ship's system, continuously monitoring navigation parameters and subspace fluctuations, while also allocating some threads to process data packets transmitted from Neksam.

Ignis remained outside, with all sensors activated, maintaining the highest level of vigilance.
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The seven-standard-day journey ended with the continuous roar of the warp engines.

With a violent spatial tremor, the escort ship successfully detached from the warp and re-anchored in the physical universe. The Nexus Forge world gradually revealed its massive industrial planetary outline.

The planet's surface is covered with enormous foundries, refining facilities, and energy arrays. Countless thick chimneys spew thick smoke and heat waves into the gray sky, shrouding the entire planet in an eternal industrial twilight.

The towering orbital rings resemble a giant steel python, encircling the planet and densely covered with docks, starports, and defense platforms.

Following navigation signals, the frigate slowly approached the completed area of ​​the star ring.

A massive starport extension pier guided the frigate to its designated berth.

The docking process was smooth and precise, accompanied by a slight hiss of pressure equalization, and the ship and the starport were successfully connected.

The hatch opened, and Chen Yu's tall, dark red figure appeared at the entrance to the connecting passage.

Behind him stood Ignis, and a squad of rigorously selected and well-equipped Guardsmen.

Mann's team, Valerie, Jack, David, Lucy, and Mowell followed closely behind, stepping into the Starport.

The interior of the Starport is far larger than usual, with towering vaulted ceilings that allow even the largest war titans to move freely without having to bend over.

The air was saturated with a variety of distinctive odors: the scorching smell of high-temperature welded metal, the heavy, greasy smell of special lubricating grease, and the pungent ozone produced by high-voltage electric arcs.

Thick energy pipes and dense data cables covered the walls and ceiling, emitting a low hum and a hissing sound of energy flowing.

Technical priests, crew members of all ranks, and maintenance servants, dressed in deep red or dark brown robes, moved orderly through the passageway. Their levels of modification varied, but they all followed a strict hierarchical order.

Just as Chen Yu and his group stepped onto the Starport deck, his optical lens keenly captured a ship of a completely different style docked at a nearby berth.

It was a strike cruiser with sharp lines and distinct angles, painted in the Imperial Fist Legion's signature yellow paint scheme.

Its massive hull, heavy armor, and conspicuous array of weapons all demonstrate the majesty and power of the Empire's most elite Space Marine legion.

The ship's hull was etched with the insignia of the Imperial Skyhawk and the Seventh Legion, gleaming with a cold, hard sheen under the starport's lights.

Chen Yu's synthesized voice rang out smoothly, instructing Ignis to check the docking information of the Imperial Fist strike cruiser and the identity of the visitor.

Ignis immediately accessed the Starport's internal system, and a moment later turned to Chen Yu, reporting in her unique voice with a slight mechanical resonance: "Sage, it has been confirmed through the Starport's dispatch system that the ship's identification code corresponds to the 'Unyielding Will', a strike cruiser belonging to the 7th Legion's 'Imperial Fist'."

The visitor was Sir Sigismund, the First Company Commander of the Legion, who came on behalf of Primarch Rogue Dorn to formally discuss with Archsage Vox the equipment supply for the newly formed chapters following the Legion's dismantling.

Ignis reported to Chen Yu, her tone devoid of any respect for the Primarch.

This is not surprising to the Cult of Mechanics, let alone that it is merely a mention of the Primarch's name.

For Chen Yu, the name Sigismund was more memorable than Roger Dorn.

(End of this chapter)