The heretics had to leave their previous holdings and killing ground to chase us and obviously, they sent the horde of Poxwalkers to soak up our munitions. So knowing that was the case the guardsmen switched to the Fallout Laser Gatling Laser to lay down a blinding stream of red bolts of lasers that fried the corrupted zombies.
"While the Guard holds the killing zone, we take the side tunnels and pincer them!" I called out with Barghest, Adelieth, the Custodian, and our troop's superhuman marksmen following in my personal death squad as we took one of the side passageways to the main entryway of the Leeman-Russ Tank Factory.
With surgical precision, we slaughtered the odd poxwalker and guardsmen that were guarding or trying to likewise pincer our position as we pushed in through the Hive Cities winding tunnels so that we came out near the factory's main courtyard but if the main exit which was our killing field was at the 12 O'clock position.
Then we entered more at the seven O'clock position well behind the bulk of the forces that were trying to push very unsuccessfully through the hail of seemingly endless laser fire that had pinned them down in the two or three minutes it took us to all but sprint to our new positions.
"Sir. The Plague Ogryn look." One my of enhanced guardsmen spoke gruffly and I looked over and focused where he was pointing and frowned at the sight before me. It looked like the cultists were driving the Plague Ogryn into carrying the top bulkhead of a tank in its arms like a huge shield and they were obviously trying to have the the corrupted Ogryn act as a battery ram to push through the onslaught of laser munitions being shot in their direction.
Nodding I bit my lip before I put a hand to my waist to click a priority alert button to the sniper squads and in a split moment as the loud buzzing noise went off, a series of harsh cracking noises went off as three dozen snipers with superhuman enhancements made their shots with explosive rounds going off like hand grenades after they mildly penetrated whatever they had impacted.
The Plague Orgyn's head after being targeted by more than ten of those snipers... Didn't exist as I saw three spartan lasers especially punch fist-sized holes through the Ogryn's head from various positions in hidden alcoves in the factory's courtyard.
"For the Emperor! Purge the unclean!" I roared out knowing now was time to act as the hammer to the anvil as I clicked another comms button on my waist to tell the main force to begin pushing up as we destroyed their backline.
Barghest opened things up by yeeting another one of those oversized American Football-shaped bombs straight into a cluster of turrets mounted in front of the factory and the resulting explosion went off blindingly until my visor shaded the resulting plasma bomb she threw that literally went off with heat and force that could only be found in a small nuclear detonation.
"The plague grandfather's love is eternal!" A voice screeched and even within my climate-sealed suit I could feel the thick stench of rot and decay hit my nose.
From the main factory was something I had dreaded that wasn't just more lesser Plague Ogryns, Chaos Spawn and the odd blessed Guardsmen who earned a fart from Nurgle and had some mutations.
A large grotesque man just shorter than Barghest in her armor but still shorter than a Plague Ogryn, his form was clad in a large dark robe of darkened human skin that obscured his appearance. But he was holding a large rusted metal staff ordained with countless spikes over its form but atop the staff was a crystal glowing with a fel green light that had the symbol of Nurgle glowing within the crystal.
A Plague Sorcerer!
Without an instant of hesitation, I pointed my upgraded and more powerful Suros Regime at the Plague Sorcerer but even as I raised up my gun a shimmering green shield of corrupted pysker energy rose up in front of the pysker that blocked the hail of my gunfire.
"Be careful." The Custodian grunted and then with a blur of movement even to my own senses he charged forth directly towards the Plague Sorcerer as the Custodian knew that allowing the corrupted pysker any time to cast its fel disease and vermin-based spells would only result in casualties which could include myself.
But even worse than that was a series of roars as from behind the Plague Sorcerer from within the opened massive door leading into the factory's main building where the completed tanks would roll out of. There were three more Plague Ogryns as well as two Chaos Spawns whose mutated forms were just impossible to properly analyze that rushed out of the factory.
'More and worse then I expected... But I planned for this operation to go tits up.' I thought as I knew that the Leeman-Russ factory was one of the most important facilities here in the Hive City of Tertium. So it was obviously going to be ardently protected!
I took a deep breath as I focused on my Inner Light and with glowing golden fire covering my form I ignited my form fully as I enhanced my Suros the same as any Destiny Hunter would enhance their sidearm when they use their Golden Gun technique.
Booming noises rang out as slowly I pulled the trigger of my fiery rifle and from its barrel came long lasers of burning gold flames with all three bullets slamming into the psychic shield surrounding the Plague Sorcerer.
The first bullet exploded in fiery flames over his shield pushing him back, the second one exploded as well but visibly shattered the green glowing shield. The final shot then hit the Plague Sorcerer's chest and then instantly passed through with a bowling ball-sized charred hole being shot through the huge Plague Sorcerer's chest.
But I could feel my light being exhausted at using such a powerful technique with so little practice even though it was well worth it. As the Custodian wasted no time in using its Guardian Spear's bolter on the end to blast a couple more holes into the Plague Sorcerer before he got onto the poor bastard and within a moment the Custodian smashed his spear's blade through his head and then properly bisected him across the waist and chest in three clean sweeps with his spear.
'I know he is a Nurgle sorcerer... But is cutting his head off along with his body in half twice needed?' I thought flatly but any thoughts were cut off as one of the Chaos Spawn leapt up through the air on it's mutated tentacle-covered legs towards me and with a snapping hiss noise I readied myself as I took out my plasma sword all the while Adelieth's chain sword roared furiously as she had charged into one of the Plague Orgryns while Barghest was fighting another Plague Ogryn in melee.
The Chaos Spawn's appearance belied verbal description as it by its very natural was madness via the warp made into material flesh and blood. It had tentacles, its rotting skin and exposed muscles were thick and muscular and it had no eyes yet it could clearly see me.
It had a large lamprey-like mouth with countless larger spike teeth within and... It had a mouth and thus it could scream. And the mad spawn of Chaos screamed it madness to all that could and would listen to its symphony of agony in simply existing.
I had no idea if this Chaos Spawn used to be a person, or was a pure manifestation of the Warp, but in the end I was going to purge this unclean freak of nature with holy fire as while enhancing my energy sword with the flames of Sol I got into melee within the monster.
Its thick surprisingly quick and spry tentacles attempted to ensnare me but I danced between the limbs attempting to ensnare me for an easy death with the grace given to me via the Super Soldier Serum. My Energy Sword with its two blades sliced and burned the Chaos Spawns tentacles that did get too close.
And it screamed its pain and agony to the world as the fires of Sol burned away the madness and darkness within its flesh. I stepped forward and when it tried to swing its massive lopsidedly larger right arm thing at me I kicked off it and jumped over the Chaos Spawn with my Energy Sword slicing through its head sideways as the enhanced energy weapon burned away the filth that was in its way.
The Chaos Spawn with a split open head shuddered and its raspy scream turned into a haunting gurgle as it whimpered but that didn't stop it from whirling around on me with that huge lopsided arm swinging at me and I cursed mentally as limb came to high for me to jump over it so easily so I jumped backward to avoid it.
But as I jumped backward the back of my heel got caught on some metal outcropping of the Hive Cities... Phenomenal building practices. So I rolled backward as the Chaos Spawn smashed its limb several times onto the ground as it tried to smash me into a paste for cutting its damned head in half.
'This is bullshit. This is bullshit. This is bullshit.' I repeated in a mental mantra of annoyance at how the fucking Chaos Spawn had its head split in half and yet it was still going on strong after me.
I leaped further backward once I got my legs under myself properly. And then I whipped out my Plasma Defender from my waist holster with my free hand and loud crackles rang out as the superheated green plasma was shot out and into the Chaos Spawn which howled in agony retreating slightly. As the burning plasma burned through it's Chaos fuckery that allowed it to ignore lethal wounds.
I had three weapons on me as my main loadout, my energy sword, my Fallout Plasma Defender, and my Suros Regime. So once I shot all twenty shots from my Plasma Defender and left the Chaos Spawn a burnt wreck from the maximum power plasma pistol.
I switched over to my Suros and used its explosive rounds to try to blow off its large main arm as it was burnt into a crisp from attempting to block my Plasma Defender.
The loud rattling of my Suros repeatedly shooting was only cut off as a loud humm rang out before a blinding laser shot from the entrance of the courtyard from a hidden alcove with the fist-sized blinding red Spartan Laser cutting the Chaos Spawn in half with the sniper having reloaded and began taking more shots onto the 'elite' Nurgle units before us.
"Ecris's Spartan lance came off cooldown," I noted to myself as the Spartan Lance being a derivative of the typical Spartan Laser was far more damaging due to its far more condensed laser that would pierce its target instead of exploding like the typical Spartan laser.
Taking in the surroundings now, I saw that Adelieth with her Chainsword had mauled a Plague Ogryn into falling down on its shredded legs so that she could take the sword-shaped chainsaw to its head to turn that into chunky salsa. As even if I hated her chain sword that didn't mean I wouldn't make it the best chain sword I could.
The Custodian... Killed everything around it in a whirl of violence with dozens of cultists, the Plague Sorcerer, and the other Chaos Spawn lying in a messy pile of eviscerated remains.
While Barghest... I could hear the Plague Ogryn's flesh cooking as she kneeled on the holy shield she had that was placed over the Plague Ogryn's flesh as she thoroughly finished splattering its head into a mess with her gravity hammer.
'Alright, elites are taken care of. The Guard are pushing through the main entryway. Now we need to take the actual Leeman Russ factory... Now comes the annoying part.' I thought as I knew the factory itself was going to be huge.
And that actually clearing it out and sealing its many, many, many entry points was going to be the major time and manpower sink. With heretics that hide away needing to be purged not to mention any traps, we have to be careful to navigate around.
I walked over to the Custodian and I saw he was busy reloading the storm bolter attached to his Guardian Spear and even then the still rushing Pox Walkers trying to stream into our killing zone were dying off as a few hundred guardsmen in comfortable positions with laser miniguns could quickly deal with even thousands of simple zombies, they were now working with the scouts to pick off the couple hundred traitor guardsmen who were now quickly dropping like flies.
"Well well well," I muttered as I found a Nurgle Grimoire beside the Sorcerer's remains with the chaos book of pure heresy radiating death and decay to my senses and I had a bit of a thought... What if I broke apart this book and used its Nurgle-based power to turn my Plasma Defender into the Thorn from Destiny?
Wouldn't killing Nurgle Demons and cultists with conceptual rot, decay, and death be just perfect irony?
I put the corrupt book of Nurgle away into Barghest's sealed sanctified bomb-carrying case so it couldn't touch upon my mind or anyone else's as I took back out my Suros and began the grim duty of helping to exterminate all the remaining Poxwalkers and traitor guardsmen.
-
The slaughter of the thousands of Poxwalkers and traitor guardsmen took hours to complete, out of the two hundred Guardsmen with more than a hundred of them being enhanced with the Super Soldier Serum... Seventy Guardsmen died during this campaign even with Fallout Power Armor and small energy shields to protect their forms.
None of the people who died on our side were Super Soldiers though. And I could see that fact hitting Adelith's mind as we went over the causality reports as reports of the super soldiers ducking under missiles, sniper rounds and swatting grenades away from their forms were clear and above reproach.
The Super Soldier Serum perfected the human form. It didn't give them extreme superhuman abilities like the Astartes had with whole new organs and their entire bodies being basically revamped into being a Space Marine.
Like for example... My Super Soldier's couldn't projectile vomit steel-melting acid, nor could they eat the brains of enemies to download memories of what they ate. These were two things that all Space Marines regardless of the chapter they belonged to could do.
So after reading the reports, Adelieth muttered with a humming noise. "Your procedure with how repeatable and the stability of the process reminds me more of Vat-Cloning like with what the Kriegsman do to send endless soldiers into the Imperial Tithe."
My lips twitched at hearing about Kriegmans or the world of Krieg... As that was a whole mess but regardless I hummed and asked. "Are you wanting to have it done to yourself as well?"
And without a moment of hesitation, Adelieth said bluntly. "No. My body is pure and I will not allow anything to change it besides having prosthetics added should I lose parts of my purity in the flames of battle."
I shrugged hearing that and after a moment I asked curiously. "If you lost an eye, could I grow you a new one that matches your DNA profile so it would literally just be a copy of your own eye?"
Looking over at Adelieth she frowned at my question and from there I said frankly. "Because that's what the super soldier project is. It simply makes you more than what you currently are. It is not making you a Space Marine... Though if anything it is more akin to the Custodian method of ascension in humanity in pure genetic manipulation."
The Custodian himself hearing my words gave a grunt through his vox before stating with some amount of amusement but still challenge in their mechanical voice. "Do not equate myself and my brethren to your minorly enhanced Guardsmen. Though you are correct in the manner of the transformation."
I raised up my hands in surrender before I looked back down to the scrolling reports coming in from the Guardsmen who were sealing off the hundreds of minor entrances to the Leeman-Russ factory to keep out the herects.
But before the conversation could continue I heard a series of knocking on the door leading into this office I took over to do the after-battle reports and without a word the Custodian opened the door with Ecris the 'catgirl' Guardsman saluting quickly as she looked up at the golden armored giants form before calling out. "Commissar Bariss, I have an important report!"
I grunted in approval with the Custodian standing to the side to allow the white-haired catgirl into the room and once she saw me she quickly made her way over to stand in front of me.
After saluting and I nodded to say I accepted her salute she began her verbal report. "Sir, we have finished sealing off eighty percent of the entrances to the Factory with the last twenty percent needing to remain open to keep airflow and oxygen levels within acceptable levels!"
Humming in thought I tapped my little computer and I said. "Alright, so we will be holding this facility while the native Guardsmen and Enforcers arrive to reinforce. Then from there after the Inquisitor has this facility secured we will retreat back to Alpha base... With the information we got from the systems here that the traitor Guardsmen kept we will be needing to hit a combat stim and medical facility." I spoke more seriously.
As I really didn't want to leave a bunch of Nurgle cultists alone making drugs and poxes. Plus if we destroyed their bio-labs that would cut down on the exhausting amount of Pox walkers we constantly fucking run into.
So using my tablet I got into the Vox channels that would carry a message to Inquisitor Grendyl and I sent a blunt message. [The Leman-Russ Tank Factory you wanted has been secured. Send Guardsmen and Enforcers to station here so my forces can move onto another priority target.]
After sending the message I looked through the other intelligence we had gathered about the traitor's movements and nothing else stood out as obviously... Traitor Guardsmen who were literally rotting and falling apart via Nurgles love weren't going to be the best source of information.
So with all that said in done, it was just now time for guard duty as we held the factory for reinforcements to come to take over, so I began eating an officer ration as I relaxed for a bit after sending off Ecris with a bar of compressed nutrients for officers that was far better than anything she normally got.
Though as I was relaxing Adelieth put down her own tablet after noting down all our actions for her order's notes with her speaking with some happiness in her voice. "Jake, Golden One, I have some important news."
I looked over and she was actually smiling as she announced. "A sizable detachment from my convent the Valorous Heart is en route from Inquisitor Grendyl's orders with a squad of ten of my elite sisters coming to replenish my previous squad... There is even a Canoness coming to lead the other squads of my Sisters to wage this holy war to free this world from Heresy!"
Before I could reply the Custodian asked with some curiosity. "What order does that Canoness follow?"
Adeleith blinked and then smiled and said with a pious purity in her voice. "Ah she is from the Ordos Hospitaller, she is being sent here to wage the war of faith in curing the pox and evils that plague this world!"
The next while consisted of our group holding down the Leman-Russ Tank factory until we got news that native guardsmen and enforcers were here to take over.
But while we waited for them to get here we took care of other issues like burying our dead with Adelith giving prayers for them to arrive safely within the the arms of the Emperor for their service. And of course, collect all the war gear from the fallen as I certainly wasn't going to leave my sets of Power Armor behind for the asshole Mechanicus agents who were going to throw it into a smelter for being tech heresy.
"Alright, the tank factory is dealt with. Now we will return back to Alpha base to resupply." I spoke to Adelith and Barghest as I sent emails to the squad leaders to get everyone to move into formation to march through the Underhive.
-
We quickly made our way back to our main base in the Geothermal Plant due to the simple fact that we had now cleared path to and from the Leman Russ factory twice. And the native guard and the Inquisitor's forces also used that path to get there and dealt with any stragglers.
Once we got to our main base of operations the soldiers split off to take care of their gear, get medical care if they needed it, or likewise deal with any other issues they had while I went off with my little entourage in my section that housed the 3D Glimmer printers.
"Alright... So the power armor works well for the most part, but it doesn't hold up well to corrupted flamers and plasma weapons." I muttered as I went over the battle field data for the unaugmented soldiers that died while wearing their Fallout 4 power armor and then came to a realization that could help with that.
'A sanctified holy energy shield from the Covenant could work? As their shields are built to withstand energy weapons better than conventional weapons.' I thought as I put a dozen 3D printers to work making the Halo energy shields that although not to powerful they would give my soldiers a great deal more survivability.
However as I was working Barghest patted my shoulder and said with a clear pout. "Boss, when you going to get that smelly book out of my bomb case."
My lips twitched at her reminder about the Nurgle Sorcerer's prayer book and I nodded but then paused as I looked at Adelith. "Adelith, when will your sisters be joining us?" I asked as a thought came to me.
She gave me an odd look but quickly said. "They will be here in but an hour or two as the Canoness from the Ordos Hospitalier is dutifully doling out the Emperor's mercy to those afflicted with the ruinous powers gaze."
I held in a twitch as I translated her words to 'The new Canoness is slaughtering everyone she finds even remotely tainted.'
But with that confirmation, I looked back to Barghest and said. "Then you just gotta wait a few hours Barghest. Actually, you go play football with the rest of the augmented Ogryns using the metal footballs, you all need to continue your training in responding to getting into formations and dealing with other Nurgle-enhanced abominations."
I had come up with the idea of training the physically and most importantly mentally enhanced Ogryns with American Football as it as a sport taught teamwork and with the Ogryns taking the place as Linemen that allowed other super soldiers to take other roles in the team while keeping them busy and having fun in one of the emptied out storage areas that was even larger than a football field anyway.
Also as a sport, it was fucking perfect for teaching people how to move fast, hard, and aggressively in a fight while wearing power armor.
So while Barghest went to put her fellow Ogryn's into the metal floor while playing football I got to work drawing up the mental schematics of the Thorn knowing all to well that I was kinda threading a fine line of Heresy if I wanted to use the thing. But I had the perfect catalyst and reagent in a book of Nurgle that could be used to make it.
Either way, while I waited for Adelith's fellow Sisters of Battle I continued my work and added some slight modifications and more nanites to my Crysis Suit so that it could improve upon the slight deficiencies it picked up from the battles I was in.
"Golden One, I have a favor to ask you." I spoke as I stood up with my Crysis Suit covering my form in a rushing liquid sound before it hardened over my body.
The Custodes looked over at me with a head tilt obviously waiting for my request and while under my helmet I gave a wry smile. "Can you give me a good punch and stab me in a non-lethal spot with your Guardian Spear? I need to test my armor's new locking ability."
With the new update to my armor I had given myself the semi-armor lock setting that would make the armor far harder to move in, but its hardness and density were insane. Like beyond diamond itself so I was curious as to how it would deal with the forces of a Custodian giving me a good wallop.
The Custodian gave me a long look and then said bluntly. "If I do not do this... You are going to do something stupid like have a rocket launcher set up to shoot your self aren't you?"
I blinked at that and after a moment of thought... I nodded and taking a knee to the ground while my armor locked up like I was in Halo with a rocket blowing up uselessly upon on my form? That would be so awesome!
The Custodian without even seeing my expression visibly sagged as he spoke through his Vox channel with annoyance. "Besides people we protected who begged to be killed after doing their duty upon an abandoned Chaos World, you are the only one to purposefully ask to be hurt by their Shield Host guardian."
In response, I just opened my arms up as to say. 'Come at me bro.' And in a blur of motion, the Custodian flashed forward and the suit's light speed sensors picked up the motion... Screamed in fear at the acceleration of the coming force, locked my body down tight and I felt the Custodian's armored palm slam into my chest with and got thrown through a storage crate.
Not into a storage crate. No, I got yeeted so hard by that palm strike that the metal of the storage container screamed as it was wrent open and my flailing form went got sent through the other side before losing enough momentum for me to just slide across the ground while I just stared at the ceiling above me as I processed the fact that nothing was hurting.
"Jake you alright!?" Adelith asked in obvious distress and as I looked up... I almost let out a tear as I saw that she had a hand on her plasma rifle as she looked between me and the Custodian.
So not wanting her to do something out of her natural zealotry I held up a hand and said cheerfully. "Not a scratch on me! Or my armor actually haha." I joked as already as I laid on the ground for a couple moments the nanites in my armor repaired and moved any damaged parts of the armor that got scrapped during my experiment.
After spending the next hour calibrating my Crysis armor to allow it to better react to Custodian levels of abuse being smashed into it. Adelith spoke out with excitement as she put away her datapad. "Jake, my Sister's have arrived. Should we go meet them?"
After a moment of considering if I as a Commissar should go 'welcome' these Sisters of Battle into my troops I nodded as I knew that they were elite troops worthy of me coming to show my appreciation.
Getting up, the Crysis Suit swirled around me in a swarm of billions of nanities that anchored itself around my body, and within a couple of moments I was fully clad in my armor and following Adelith into the larger atrium of the Geothermal Plant that had some contrived butchered gothic latin name.
The squad of Battle Sisters was ten strong being led by the Canoness from the Ordos Hospitaller with them striding through the defenses of the geothermal plant with gore covering their forms showing how they had fought their way here successfully.
Seeing their forms clearly having gone through battle I stood firmly and demanded quickly. "Canoness I assume you are the leader of this squad? Thus as well as their medic I ask you to sound off if your Sisters need medical care, the rot filling this world that could taint your sisters needs to be dealt with first."
The Canoness was a beautiful if slightly scarred woman. With a single light blue eye that wasn't covered with a holy bandage with a skull embossed in the fabric over the lost eye that she had obviously lost in the path of duty, her voluptuous form was covered in thinner armor that clung and molded to her form.
And she had long luscious blond hair that went all the way past her knees while she held a Greatsword variant of the Powersword that looked like it would better fit in the hands of a fucking Astartes than a base human.
My demand made the Canoness give a small smile and sound off quickly to the happiness of the listening troops. "We only ran into the poor people of this world that fell to the ruinous powers. Their flesh was but rotting fel magic and our faith carried us through the insignificant trial like the flames of our Melta's burnt their weak diseased forms."
A wry smile escaped me at the pure zealotry coming from her words and I nodded and looked around and said. "Men back to your stations! The pretty ladies have their own duties so get back to your own!" I yelled then giving the Canoness a look as the men who didn't have orders at the moment ran off to 'find' orders I said more quietly. "Canoness, I need you and your sisters with me for a prayer please follow me."
The Canoness smiled with pride in her eye as she eyed me and said. "A man who wishes to give evening prayer in a congregation? If your words are true then you will go far in the Imperium young man."
I quickly led the squad of Sisters of Battle with Adelith merging with the more rank-and-file members as she quietly told them about the fates of her last squad that got overwhelmed by Plague Ogryns and Chaos Spawn.
Once we reached my quarters which was my forces armory and production center along with being where I naturally rested in my small amounts of free time. The Custodian came out of the shadows and unveiled themselves as I heard the Sisters of Battle muttering about the dozens of 3D printers at work.
"Golden One! It is an honor to see one of the enlightened ones doing his holy work away from the bounds of Holy Terra!" The Canoness spoke with deep reference as she naturally fell to a knee and bowed before the Custodian with her fellow sisters doing the same and looking up at the instrument of the God Emperor's will upon the mortal world.
The Custodian though... With no emotion in their voice, as I knew they weren't drinking the whole 'God Emperor' juice like the Imperial Cult or otherwise known as the Ecclesiarchy. The Custodian stated in no uncertain terms as he pointed at me.
"Jake Barris is under the Emperor's protection, he serves in his goals and until I leave he will not die before I do. No matter what tools he uses to do his appointed task by the Emperor."
The Canoness stilled hearing that and her eyes snapped to me and I looked to Adelith who stepped up and fell to a knee beside her 'sister' and spoke to her and the other sisters with great joy. "My fellow sisters, Jake has been blessed by the Emperor himself! He touches upon his dreams shielding him from the ruinous powers and feeds his mind powerful technology and his prayers call upon Empero's grace without fail. He is even capable of calling upon his purifying flames!"
Adelith ranted with zealous fervor her chest undulating at she spoke so excitedly and the Canoness for a split moment looked... Doubtful before she looked between me and the fucking Custodian and then she bowed her head and said. "Then blessed one. I will serve in your designs as you, yourself serve in the Emperor's will."
The Canoness then gave a small smile and said. "Blessed one, you mentioned prayer? Would you be willing to join us then?"
And in turn I smiled as I opened up my Crysis Suit slightly from the top and I took out my blessed Rosary with a golden skull hanging embossed from a small cross that glowed slightly as I filled it with my light.
I walked closer to the Canoness whose eye widened as the glowing Rosary came closer to her face and once I got a couple feet from her I sat in front of her and said with a small smile. "Sister, take the Rosary and its beads within your hands, pray with me, and feel the Emperor's strong gaze upon our souls in our prayer."
After a moment of the Canoness looking into my eyes the woman slowly grabbed onto the offered necklace held between us and the moment her hand closed around the necklace I began reciting one of the many imperial mandated prayers with the Canoness following suit.
But as we prayed the necklace glowed even brighter with a dark golden glow that radiated strength, purity, and duty to our souls. The Canoness's breath stuttered with her voice almost failing in reciting the holy hymms as my holy relic drew the Emperor's attention within the warp with one of his countless shards blazing power in our directions from Holy Terra.
A crackling noise rang out with the sisters of battle all moaning in ecstasy as their forms were coated in golden flames with the filthy Poxwalker filth burning away into nothing but soot under the Emperor's disgusted glare.
And as I opened my eyes... I saw Adelith looking at all the other Sister's of Battle with a knowing look, that was also tainted by obvious jealousy at not getting burnt clear of Nurgle filth by the Emperor.
You know... Maybe utterly drenching the panties of an entire squad of Sisters of Battle via religious nirvana wasn't the smartest of plans.
On the one hand, those Sisters and the Canoness were looking at me with a zealous light that wasn't tainted by suspicion due to an Inquisitor and a literal Custodian acting as further proof of my status as being 'blessed' by the Emperor.
On the other hand... Those Sister's looked ready to do 'something' to me, and in Warhammer 40k someone giving a hungry look could mean they wanted to disembowel me so they could have me stuffed and then paraded around battlefields across the Galaxy for the next couple millennia.
Oddly a specific reference for a good reason... As they literally did that to one of their saints and by carrying the coffin their saintess was entombed within. It acted as holy napalm to any demons in the area as they strode into battle while blaring funeral hymns.
I coughed as I shoved, really slammed down that horrible thought and said. "Alright, now Sister's now that our first prayer to cleanse our mind and body has been completed. I need your help in another prayer to purify a heretical item."
When I went to stand up and take back my rosary, the Canoness for a split second held onto the rosary refusing to let go but she hurriedly let go as though burned with her bowing her head as I walked away to Barghest's sealed container.
"During our purges of the heretical filth filling this world and doing our holy work, I came across an artifact of power from the pagan god of filth and despair. I wish to use his holy flames to burn the filth from the relic, and then use its purified form cleansed by 'His' holy might to make a weapon to eradicate the heretic." I spoke as I then opened up the sealed holy chest and the compressed essence of Nurgle briefly flowed out from the sealed chest but I waved my hands throwing the flames of Sol onto the book to push back the disease.
I then clicked a button on my data pad turning on a small projector as the Sister's of Battle looked on as I pulled up the prayer/ritual I wanted them to participate in.
It was a multiple-verse prayer and with my Light I would use their own zealous fervor to amplify the Emperor's automatic distribution of his own purging light that would be used to burn away the filth filling this Book of Nurgle.
The ladies grimaced seeing me take out the Book of Nurgle but as they looked at the prayer they stiffened their backs as I had given them something few if any Sisters of Battle could ever feel in gaining the Emperor's gaze... Now I was demanding they step back into his light, with holy fire behind their gaze as they prayed for his deliverance to smite an evil relic.
Their fanaticism behind their eyes grew ever fiercer and the Canoness carefully placed her hands together in prayer as she remained kneeling and spoke. "To purge heresy with holy flames is our very core of existence Blessed One, please be our conduit for his holy wrath to be washed over this foul relic!"
I nodded and then sitting down I took a deep breath as this prayer 'ritual' had two parts, one with myself doing the first chant, and their chorus that combined their faith and zealous hatred of the unclean to do the next chant with myself doing the next chant and vice verse as we continued the prayer.
"In the God Emperor's name we sing, his fiery wrath, our cleansing king. From pestilence and filth we use sacred flames, we find purity in his flames." I spoke with my voice creating echoes in the large storage room that had been made into my own room.
The shadows within the room were banished, hushed whispers lying within the corners were silenced as one and all. All the Sisters of Battle including Adelith and the Canoness came together with their hands coming together as even with their eyes closed the words of the following prayers came from within themselves as we shared a soul-deep bond for a short while.
"Oh, Emperor, with flames divine, burn away the taint of the plague's sevenfolded sign. In your light, we stand reborn. From darkness and decay, we're torn and birthed anew in your light." The Custodian shifted ever so slightly as they stepped closer to watch as primarily rotting green smoke burned away from the unholy book of Nurgle.
And see we continued to pray with each stanza, the Sister's of Battle had a fiery golden glow enter their eyes until finally we finished the prayer with a loud shriek escaping the Book of Nurgle, and as dark shadow escaped the book the Custodian's Guardian Spear sliced through the demonic apparition of the essence of a Nurgle demon which was bound into the book.
The Sister's of Battle now released from their religious fervor one and all held their eyes as pain filled their form and I grimaced hoping they hadn't been blinded but the Canoness held out a hand as her single uncovered eye looked at me reddened but still seemingly working despite small tears of blood rising to the surface.
"Ah holy one, your blessing and acting as a conduit was too much for our mortal form. I beg your forgiveness but we will need but a few days to recover, our eyes haven't been burned away but we will need some rest after this trial of shoulder's his divine will." She spoke with her voice thick with repressed emotions and I couldn't imagine just how... Blitzed out she was after having so much power running through her.
So looking at Adelith I saw that she was also holding her hands over her eyes so I said. "Alright then please take my the side storage area to begin making your quarters, you will not be called for active duty for a few days nor does our group have plans to attack another facility for another few days anyway." I spoke with the Canoness nodding and leading the Sister's of Battle away by hand as she with her extreme zealotry was able to channel the power better.
Lastly... I beheld the burnt remains of the Book of Nurgle and still I could feel the power within the book's remains. But it was not of the Plague Grandfather's no it was power unfiltered and burned away of all designs and mine to do as I saw fit.
Now it was a relic that I could use at my will to form the core of a 'holy' weapon that could have some actual supernatural power that would be very useful against demonic or otherwise chaos-enhanced entities whose mortality wasn't exactly so easily touched upon.
'Alright... So I can make the Thorn from Destiny which will still keep some of its conceptual rot ability but it will be of holy decay. Or I can use this to make a holy greatsword from like Elden Ring that can buff myself and allies close around before I get into melee.' I thought as schematics filled my mind of some of the better things I could use this for.
Heresy... Even though he didn't believe in such a tripe. He watched as his charge Jake Bariss folded the Sister's of Battles souls one and all into a cohesive force, and then using his own psychic might he flared out their souls in a way that gathered the attention of the Emperor's will that dwelt within the Warp.
And then in using the Emperor's power along with his own lesser version of the Emperor's Anathame flames against demons the group burned away the filth of the god of rot from the relic leaving a new relic of twisted metal that could be reforged and made into a relic bearing the Emperor's power.
The Custodian, Fulmus of the Aquilan Shield was sharing a video feed to his fellow members of the warrior band of the event that happened and quietly explaining the feel of their charge's use of the Emperor's flames however weakened as he was.
And for a tiny moment. He considered whether or not he needed to slay those Sister's of Battle with how they gazed even completely blinded if temporarily by the ritual's power towards his charge.
As he could already see their thoughts. For the good of all, they would cut into him, to find his secrets to find the core of his 'divinity' from within. All the while, the zealots would be whipping themselves and begging for forgiveness as they pleaded for him to make more holy artifacts even as they tore him apart.
His charge was making his life more and more difficult all things told. His brothers, numbered four more had been put through great trials in keeping him alive as already lesser manifestations of the Warp have appeared within the Hive City enmass... And even worse, the so-called Lost Hive City beyond this one that was being assailed by demons was filled with Xeno filth instead.
Genestealers had forcibly taken the other major Hive City on this Hive World and even now the collapsed tunnels and railways were being dug out by the Genestealers as they tried to continue their plans of planetary domination now that all the Enforcers and loyal guardsmen had to retreat from the middle and lower hive due to the virus and plague weapons being used by the plague gods soldiers.
But Fulmus's high-speed thoughts even if they had slowed with his own bodies degredation from his time serving to protect and contain the Dark Cells within the Imperial Palace stuttered as within moments after Jake took upon the materials that were the result of the ritual.
He had hugged the materials to his chest and then he heard watery noises and he saw one of his charge's ribs being pulled from his chest and the fiery mass that his charge had become as he kneeled in place.
"What are you doing?" He couldn't help but ask wondering if he could even do anything to stop this stupidly young and ignorant human who seemed hell-bent on making him even balder than he already was.
But Jake didn't respond as he seemed to meditate... No, his mind was seemingly within the Warp itself as his hands molded molten metal around the long rib bone that he pulled out to form the core and handle of a great sword which was far larger than the materials he had on hand which clearly showed that some Emperyan or otherwise Warp based material was used or created while he became a small sun that was currently melting the plasteel beneath him.
And finally the flames dissipated leaving Jake sitting still before his head sunk forward with Fulmus snorting from within the privacy of his armor seeing the young man had knocked himself unconscious in forging the golden gleaming sword that reminded Fulmus so dearly of the golden light the Emperor could conjure during his golden days.
Fulmus walked through the soft melted metal surrounding Jake and then picked him up carefully while taking the golden great sword that even he desired to wield, and after making sure no molten metal was clinging to his frame he moved him and the sword to a different spot onto his bed as his nanomachine armor had within but moments had vented all extreme heat that had covered his form.
And with Jake placed within his bed as he seemed to take an ordinate amount of joy in sleeping in its soft embrace. Fulmus turned to his latest issue with the golden Greatsword sword in hand as he stared down the Sister of Battle Canoness who was staring silently at the sword and then back to Jake.
Not even a glance was given to the golden warrior of the Emperor of Mankind, no she was a zealous warrior of her god and she was worshipping him as a warrior and message of said god.... There was a deranged light within her eyes as she looked between the sword and Jake.
Finally, Fulmus opened up his Vox speakers and ordered. "Go and bring his enhanced Ogryns here Canoness."
He wouldn't relish in killing the Canoness for the clear zealotry she was clearly facing as her eyes burned with the leftover power of the Emperor she so clearly grasped to obsessively. But he would do it without hesitation if she attempted to harm his charge while he was still bound to protect Jake by the Emperor's will.
The Canoness gave a slight start at hearing his Vox speaker breaking the silence and after a moment of hesitation. Showing her clear beyond normal desire to do... Something to Jake, she gave a bow before silently turning and leaving as Fulmus slightly relaxed as he knew that so long as Barghest and the other enhanced Ogryns were watching over Jake closely even he would struggle to get past them.
Though a small part of him... A small part of him thought. 'And who knows... With their powerful plasma weapons, and those Spartan Lances they may very well kill me and my Shield Brothers during a Blood Game should we attempt to reach Jake.'
At that thought Fulmus snorted as although Jake's genetically enhanced super soldiers had potential. They lacked the mental conditioning and brainwashing that Custodians and Astartes had to keep them loyal so it was likely the human and some of the humans would break before they managed to even get to Jake.
blinked away my exhaustion as I picked up the sounds of laughter and as I took in my surroundings I saw Barghest was cheerfully knitting a massive blanket of all the damned things with a couple of other enhanced Ogryns while several others were playing board games, chess or other things to pass the time.
Clearing my throat I groaned as I sat up feeling a slight bit of ache in my chest from where I had pulled out a rib to act as the core of the enchanted Greatsword I made. Thankfully... With my status as a minature Traveler who was all but immortal I had already regrown it in the coma I was put into but the new rib was still weak and hadn't set in properly.
"Boss you alright? The big golden guy had the Canoness come get us and she looked rather mad for some reason?" Barghest spoke somewhat excitedly from my side as she carefully put the sowing needle down in a pin cushion.
I gave a wry smile and said. "Yeah, I just got super tired making a special weapon... A special weapon I do not see around here?" I finished with my eye twitching and Barghest clapped her hands together and responded quickly.
"Ah! The big golden sword you made! Golden man gave it to me so I could put it in my sealed box so no one could steal it and he is busy apparently talking with the Sisters after one of them was sleepwalking and tried to climb under your blankets." Barghest happily explained making my lips twitch.
Shaking my head I got up fully and then processed how Barghest went back to making a blanket so I obviously asked why she and a couple other Ogryns including a male one was doing the same. "Barghest, and you two. Why you making blankets? I can set a couple printers to make a bunch if we literally don't have enough?"
I mean just because this was Warhammer 40k that doesn't mean I would let my troops suffer the horror of not having a fucking blanket of all things. Sure I would happily throw them into battle and if they died to a monster well that fucking sucked... But lacking a soft blanket to hold against your face as you tried to get a bit of sleep?
Now that was a war crime itself.
The male Ogryn instead answered before Barghest could as he held out a kinda patchy blanket he had clearly messed up some of the stitching as he said with a wry smile. "We got big large fingers boss, so it helps us train our fingers to hold small things like these needles and make something we can use for ourselves or we can trade the blankets with the other troops for some snacks hehe."
I gave a smile hearing that as that was smart... No, it wasn't just smart it was proof of their ability to think of the future and the ability for them to support themselves.
Though Barghest slapped his arm and said teasingly. "Bah, your blankets ain't even worth a can of Corpse Starch haha!"
While Barghest and the Ogryns joked around happily I popped my shoulder as I got to my feet and said. "Alright Barghest, let me get the sword I made. I want to double-check to see how it turned out."
The happy enhanced Ogryn brought me over to her sealed holy case that carried mini-nukes and other exotic munitions and such, and after opening it I felt a wave of holy energy that made me shiver as the golden bone and metal sword radiated power to my senses as I gently leaned in to grab it.
'Its core in my rib freely was given, the Emperor's power and will, quenched this blade in its forging.' I thought as I took the blade with it glowing gently as its power ran through my form.
The sword was even stronger than I imagined as it took the form of a larger Sacred Relic sword from Elden Ring as I drew upon its design as I forged the blade with my inner flames of Sol and used my flesh and blood to tie the leftover metal from the Book of Nurgle into it.
As no matter how little the divinity was within the Book of Nurgle, it was a tiny, whisp of Nurgle's divinity and with the Emperor's prayer burning out its rot and leaving only pure energy left that allowed me to tie that higher form of power into this sword.
I flexed my will and the sword flared with golden light as golden light filled my form and then the Ogryns made noises as their own forms glowed with holy splendid light.
"Let thy faith be a shield, and your righteous wrath be your sword," I spoke with a giddy grin coming across my face as I wanted to see my enhanced Ogryns who were already damn near Primarch height enhanced with this holy enhancement go toe to toe with an Astartes in melee.
Taking a breath I got back to my workstation across from the many 3D glimmer printers which were hard at work creating ammo and other things that were lost in the battle we had in taking the Leman-Russ tank factory.
'Ok... My troops have powerful enough weapons without me trying to get into crazy stuff like making them all Spartan Armor or the equivalent which I could but that will take too long for the printers. But I do got an idea for helping make some food.'
See with the Geothermal plant there was a lot of heat and with heat came steam from the nasty Hive-Cities water being used as a coolant for the power station. And with the bacteria and steam came moldy and moss-filled tunnels in wet dark corners of the Geothermal plant that wasn't too hot to keep the steam around for long.
So with a decent constant sample of moss and mold, I could use it as biomatter to make Salient Green from the Fallout Universe which could then be used to make whatever damned plants I wanted.
And that led to my future plans for when I managed to get out of this terrible world. Due to the destruction of Terra's ecosystem most native earth plants were lost and that included basically all non-major crops that could be grown on the many planets to be colonized in the Galaxy during the Golden Age of Humanity.
The question is how valuable to the Lords of Terra and the noblemen of the galaxy would authentic Terra crops would be and the products made from them? I mean that I planned to become a Rogue Trader if I could and besides weapons and other things I planned to make a killing selling luxuries like chocolate which was worth more than gold in this universe.
'Alright the Salient Green machines are being made by the printers, time to get some raw materials.' I thought as I rounded up the Ogryns to help me with the promise that I planned to make them some nice snacks with the stuff we were going to get.
And even as we worked I had a funny thought... What would happen to Ecris, the catgirl if she got to sniff some catnip?
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