Chapter 128: Hehehe! Here Comes the Leman Russ!

Alfrey stared in stunned silence at the scene before him.

The man claiming to be the thief Dora DX pulled out a vehicle from nowhere.

A battered, nearly destroyed Leman Russ tank, its lower half almost completely ruined.

The tank was painted in common green-and-yellow camouflage, bearing the insignia of the Cadia Shock Troops.

Its metal hull was scarred by the claws of the Hive Fleet, its tracks nearly severed, and blackened by plasma burns.

Yet its short, stubby main gun remained intact.

Alfrey’s training allowed him to identify it instantly.

It was a Leman Russ Eradicator.

Equipped with the Eradicator Nova Cannon, this Leman Russ fired subatomic core shells whose explosive shockwaves could obliterate entire positions and kill soldiers sheltering behind them.

“Holy shit.” Alfrey watched as the man calling himself Dora DX stood atop the damaged Leman Russ Eradicator.

Under some psychic force, the cannon began to rotate, locking onto the fleeing Gene-Thief Chieftain.

This Leman Russ Eradicator had been picked up by Zhou Yun from the battlefield.

The chassis was nearly destroyed, but three intact subatomic core shells remained inside, and the main gun was still functional.

He’d snatched it while the Astra Militarum weren’t looking.

“Hehehe!”

Zhou Yun’s lips curled into an involuntary smile:

“Here comes the Leman Russ!”

Guided by telekinesis, the tank loaded its subatomic shells and re-ignited the main cannon.

A thunderous roar erupted as the searing subatomic core shell screamed toward the Hellworm.

Firing the Eradicator Nova Cannon required loading and manually aiming its massive barrel.

In normal combat, Zhou Yun could never have used it.

But the Hellworm was different.

Zhou Yun knew the Hellworm’s cowardice and caution—if it sensed even a hint of danger, it would flee instantly.

That gave Zhou Yun the opening to use this Leman Russ Eradicator!

The Hellworm, blinded, sensed the approaching threat through hearing and psychic energy.

But—

It instinctively turned its head, its expression dazed,

because its psychic senses and hearing told it a Leman Russ tank had fired from behind it.

The Hellworm’s body twisted sharply in evasion, moving so fast it left only fleeting afterimages in the air.

“No!” Alfrey felt dread surge.

The subatomic core shell’s power was immense, but this cannon was designed for Zhendi assaults,

and against a single, agile target like the Hellworm, the hit rate was already low—especially with the Hellworm’s speed.

“Don’t worry, son of Sanguinius,” Zhou Yun grinned from atop the Leman Russ. “I’ve got excellent aim.”

Alfrey blinked in confusion.

Aim? What did “aim” have to do with a tank’s main gun? Was this massive Eradicator Nova Cannon considered a “gun”?

But what happened next completely stunned Alfrey.

“ROOOOAR!!!” A blood-curdling roar erupted.

Then came a thunderous explosion—bright yellow light engulfed the Hellworm’s position.

The powerful subatomic shockwave shook the entire palace, sending debris and bricks flying everywhere.

The Hellworm crashed to the ground like a cockroach crushed halfway through its body.

Alfrey stared blankly, muttering under his breath: “He actually hit it.”

Captain Carlan heard the tremors echoing from the palace—the sound of some massive explosion.

“Sounds like a subatomic core shell… Did the Astra Militarum troops break through?” he muttered.

But he quickly shook his head—it was impossible.

Not only were the Astra Militarum on Asford currently only defending themselves,

even if they had come—how could they drive a tank into the palace?

Captain Carlan shook his head and turned to the fallen servitor before him.

“I hope we find traces of Viceroy Augustus Flax here.”

Zhou Yun walked over to the Hellworm’s side.

This Gene-Thief behemoth, once a parasitic demigod grown over centuries, had been further enhanced after the Hive Mind’s arrival.

Even after taking a direct subatomic core shell, its psychic power and physical resilience kept it from dying outright.

Its blind eyes seemed to stare at Zhou Yun.

“Tiberius Augustus, Hellworm of Asford, Chieftain of the Gene-Thieves,” Zhou Yun said, looking down at the fallen creature.

Asford’s disaster began with its birth decades ago.

“You’re the first. Your brothers will join you soon.”

Zhou Yun swung his fist, tearing off the Hellworm’s head, then stuffed both head and body into his fourth-dimensional pocket.

[Item Name: Gene-Thief Chieftain / Hellworm / Tiberius Augustus]

[Origin: Hellshield System – Asford – Governor’s Palace]

[Evaluation: A parasitic demigod born to spread the Tyranid blasphemous genes, offspring of the former Asford Viceroy infected by Gene-Thieves, inheriting the unique Flax family gene sequence, granting resistance to illusions and the ability to discern truth, partially shielding it from Hive Mind control. Taste: sweet, nature: neutral. Benefits: tonifies liver and kidneys, stops bleeding, resolves phlegm. Used for kidney deficiency, seminal loss, sore lower back and knees, chronic cough with breathlessness, hemoptysis.]

[Production Date: 918.M41]

[Status: Where’s my head??]

[Value: 1,300,000]

One million three hundred thousand credited. Zhou Yun looked at his account balance: eleven million eight hundred thousand.

The Gate of Anywhere cost eleven million six hundred fifty thousand. He’d finally saved enough.

But it wasn’t time to redeem it yet.

According to the Fortune-Teller’s judgment, as long as he didn’t redeem the Gate before the Hell System’s destruction, he wouldn’t face true danger.

The Hive Mind had likely learned his location through the Hellworm—it wouldn’t let him go.

But as long as he didn’t redeem the Gate, even if the Hive Mind sent a Hive Titan, Zhou Yun would remain safe.

Redeeming the Gate now might actually invite danger.

“...That idea of yours sounds awfully familiar.”

The winged figure in the white light spoke softly:

“I think you need to emphasize who the original is.”

Zhou Yun chuckled.

Sanguinius had once done the same—he foresaw his death at Horus’s hands.

But that also meant: as long as he never met Horus, Sanguinius wouldn’t die.

!. Read

“Next is...” Zhou Yun pulled out his Seeker Staff and gently laid it down: “Augustus Flax.”

The staff pointed toward a corridor.

General Drostron sat far from the landing pad, rubbing his calloused chin with rough fingers.

The brainworm’s wound continued to spread. Ajeled and Leina had tried healing Drostron with faith and psychic power, respectively.

But neither faith nor psychic energy could mend the fracture left in Drostron’s mind.

The crack kept widening, now even affecting his body.

His leg had inexplicably gone lame—he could no longer walk or even stand steady.

Fortunately, the Blood Angels’ reinforcements arrived before he collapsed.

They drove off the surrounding Hive Fleet like golden blades falling from the sky.

Leading them—the famed commander Dante, Chapter Master of the Blood Angels, the Astartes wearing Sanguinius’s golden mask—

marveled at how many had survived on Asford,

and understood the necessity of Drostron’s alliance with Leina and Zhou Yun.

Though when he heard Zhou Yun had grown glowing blue wings, Dante fell silent.

Still, he praised Zhou Yun’s deeds. And beside him, the Chief Librarian Mephiston swiftly scanned everyone’s soul to ensure no corruption.

Even Mephiston could not repair the damage the brainworm had inflicted on Drostron.

Yet Commander Dante understood his discomfort and allowed him to sit alone at a distance.

He should have stood there with the Cadia delegation.

General Drostron stared at the formation gathered in the center of the landing pad.

Commander Dante and his golden Blood Angels stood tall, towering over the Cadia warriors.

The Cadia warriors’ faces were etched with war-weariness and wounds—even the tech-sergeant leading them looked exhausted.

Ajeled and Leina beside the tech-sergeant were in no better condition.

And what they waited for—Drostron refused to call it “greeting”—was a group of tireless aliens.

Drostron’s throat moved slightly.

They were skeletons of silver metal, led by one who looked like an ancient revenant risen from death, his brass-golden skirt armor shimmering with faint blue light, standing face-to-face with Commander Dante.

The Necrons

General Droste felt a chill run through his entire body,

These xenos seemed like embodiments of death, yet only recently had extended a proposal of cooperation to humanity.

Dante, Lord of the Blood Angels, gazed at the Necron overlord,

Contrary to Droste’s expectations, the Necron overlord, after studying Dante’s golden mask for several seconds, bowed with exquisite grace to Commander Dante—a ritual likely of Necron origin.

Commander Dante returned the bow, using a human gesture.

“I am the Traveler, Anar’kel, Overlord of the Necrons.”

The Traveler, Anar’kel, spoke to Dante in refined High Gothic:

“Lord of the Blood Angels, Son of Sanguinius, Commander Dante—we must cooperate.”

(End of Chapter)