Chapter 129: Exterminatus Order

Butin stared at the necron overlord before him,

this necron overlord named Traveler. Anarqiel, clearly not the same monarch he had once encountered.

Yet this necron overlord likewise spoke to Butin in the excessively elaborate Standard High Gothic, as Butin himself saw it,

every syllable, every word carefully weighed—And Butin matched him in precision.

The two exchanged purposes through layers of ritualistic formality,

Traveler. Anarqiel radiated the typical arrogance of necron overlords,

declaring that the Tyranids were interstellar pests, a threat no necron overlord could afford to ignore,

and to eradicate this pest, Traveler. Anarqiel was willing to ally with the offspring of the Archangel—that is, Butin and his company—to purge the hive fleets infesting this system.

Butin gave a slight nod; both he and Traveler. Anarqiel understood,

that even the combined fleets of the Blood Angels and the Necrons could not defeat the hive fleets entrenched in the Underworld System,

where millions of bio-ships hovered in the void,

the Tyranids' vessel count outnumbered even the combined ground forces of necrons and humans in the Underworld System.

Likewise, victory on the ground was impossible.

Traveler. Anarqiel's metallic frame reflected the dim crimson glow of Asford's sky,

the silent ruins of Verdia bore mute witness to his claim,

every spire and habitation zone of the hive city swarmed with countless Tyranid organisms.

Thus, Traveler. Anarqiel presented his plan to Butin:

within the Underworld System lay a fearsome weapon capable of destroying most of the hive fleets,

the ancient artifact known to humans as the "Grand Prism," and to necrons as the "Starflame,"

part of a vast stellar energy system built by the Necrontyr Mephrit Dynasty—a colossal prism designed to siphon energy from the twin crimson stars of the Underworld System,

humans discovered the Grand Prism on Tartarus and modified it to transmit stellar energy to every planet within the Underworld System.

"Your technology is as crude as children playing with mud," Traveler. Anarqiel declared proudly, "but even mud has its use this time."

According to him, the Grand Prism could not only harvest energy but also be weaponized.

Through the human modifications, Traveler. Anarqiel could unleash a devastating beam of stellar energy from the Grand Prism,

designed to be fired into the core of the gas giant Aelos,

triggering an explosion that would sweep across the entire system,

allowing necron and human fleets to shelter behind the star and avoid the blast,

while the hive fleets would lose most of their ships, incinerated to ash in the void.

To achieve this, Traveler. Anarqiel required Butin's cooperation.

First, his tomb technicians would travel to Tartarus to reactivate the Grand Prism,

then he himself would join Butin at Asford's mechanical spire to seize control of the Grand Prism,

additionally, the Sisters of Battle on Laixi must ensure the Solar Relay Vehicles in the Crawlers' convoy functioned properly as energy relay stations,

and finally, the star's light would strike Aelos, igniting its core and unleashing an unparalleled explosion.

Butin nodded slowly; the necrons clearly had their own agenda,

but the situation was so desperate he had no choice but to make the right decision.

He agreed to the necrons' plan and, exercising his authority as Chapter Master, would issue an Exterminatus Order across the entire Underworld System.

The meeting ended swiftly,

the necrons displayed cold efficiency, departing immediately to begin their operations.

Butin turned and saw General Drostron limping toward him.

General Drostron gazed at his own weary face reflected in Butin's golden mask,

"My Lord, I respect your wisdom—but can the necrons truly be trusted?" Drostron asked a question he would never have dared voice before.

Once, he had confidently declared that victory justified alliance with xenos; now, doubt filled his heart.

"Do I trust the necrons? No, not at all."

Butin shook his head slightly:

"I have led my Chapter for centuries, General. I believe we both understand one truth: some wars cannot be won. This is the problem before us."

"Do what must be done, even at great risk—for we must still do it."

Butin regarded the weary old general and spoke softly:

"Just as you trusted the man named Zhou Yun—even though Sister Agalede and you both assured me he had not been corrupted by Chaos, and Sister Agalede even gave her life to vouch for him, swearing Zhou Yun was a devout Imperial faithful, utterly loyal."

"But you did not assure me he was loyal or devout. Only that he was uncorrupted by Chaos or xenos. Was he faithful? Was he pious?"

General Drostron lowered his head slightly; he wished he could tell Butin that Zhou Yun was a devout and loyal Imperial believer.

But.

Recalling certain words Zhou Yun had spoken, Drostron's lips twitched uncontrollably.

Especially those terms he had mentioned: "Blood Thirst," "Black Rage," "Chicken Meatballs," "Angel Sauce," "Second Empire."

General Drostron instinctively felt that uttering these words might bring dire consequences.

It was a judgment forged over a century of battle—he even deemed these words more dangerous than Chaos Daemon Princes.

So he chose silence, and the disciplined training of the Cadian warriors ensured they remained silent as one.

"Yet you still chose to trust him."

"Just as I chose to trust you, despite the details you concealed from me."

Butin looked at General Drostron and said:

"We all have secrets. But as long as we ultimately uphold the Emperor's and Saint Guilliman's will, and save more lives—"

"then even allying with xenos, bowing to death, I will accept it."

General Drostron nodded slowly and stiffly: "My Lord, may the Emperor bless you—and us."

With that, General Drostron turned and walked away.

Butin watched Drostron's retreating back, sighing softly within; the Hive Mind had severely damaged the general's mind, yet he had not yet broken—if the right moment came, he might still unleash his former strength.

"My Lord." Morpheston approached Butin, his face also weary.

After descending onto Asford via drop pod, Butin and Morpheston encountered a powerful brain beast,

Morpheston defeated it, but in doing so, he directly confronted the Hive Mind and had not yet fully recovered.

"Captain Kaelen encountered resistance—the Gene-Stealers have gathered in the Viceroy's Palace," Morpheston said.

Butin gave a slight nod,

having learned from General Drostron of the bitter feud between the Viceroy and the Gene-Stealer Chieftain.

"They are now trapped by the Gene-Stealers," Butin asked.

"They are not anymore," Morpheston shook his head. "The Gene-Stealers have fled."

"Captain Kaelen noticed this and contacted the wounded Brother Aforry. Brother Aforry witnessed a man clad in silver power armor suddenly appear and obliterate the Gene-Stealer Chieftain with the main cannon of a Leman Russ Exterminator."

"." Butin blinked slowly, processing Morpheston's words.

!. Read

A man in silver power armor, using the main cannon of a Leman Russ Exterminator, killed the Gene-Stealer Chieftain.

"Zhou Yun?" Butin recalled the man spoken of by the Imperial Guard soldiers as nearly a demigod.

"I suspect it was him," Morpheston agreed, continuing: "After his appearance, the hive fleet stirred.

"Masses of Tyranids surged toward the Viceroy's Palace—among them, even the Hive Tyrant appeared, along with numerous Butchers and Screamers."

"Does the Hive Mind value him so highly?" Butin murmured.

"Captain Kaelen and his men may now be trapped within the Viceroy's Palace."

Morpheston gazed at the towering Viceroy's Palace in the distance, where a dense ocean of chitin surged toward it:

"Should we send reinforcements?"

"Of course."

Butin gave a slight nod:

"Deploy the Death Company."

Augustus Flax dreamed.

It was such a beautiful dream.

In it, his parents had not been corrupted by Gene-Stealers but returned safely after an interstellar voyage,

his mother embraced him—unthinkable for a noble,

his father praised him for managing Asford impeccably during his absence—equally unthinkable for a noble.

"You are the finest heir, and will become the finest Viceroy,"

his father praised the young Augustus Flax.

Later, his parents gave him a younger brother,

Tiberius Augustus—a pure, unmutated, adorable brother.

As time passed, his parents aged and died,

Augustus Flax became Viceroy, and his brother Tiberius became his right hand,

the two brothers jointly governed Asford,

they reformed the underhive, expelled the gangs, and ensured workers lived in safer conditions,

they also strengthened their armaments, establishing a PDF force nearly as powerful as the Imperial Guard.

They even launched an expedition into the Lower Nest, purging many malevolent entities that had taken root there,

and in the end, the swarm descended from the sky,

but Augustus Flax did not flee this time,

he stood at the very front of the battlefield with his PDF,

Tiberius stood with him, and Zhou Yun and General Droster stood at his side,

they looked like heroes then.

Augustus Flax knew full well that all of this was false,

yet he could not help but drown in it, in this beautiful future.

"You are a hero, Augustus. Everyone has their own duty—you have fulfilled yours."

In the dream, Zhou Yun clapped Augustus Flax on the shoulder and said with approval,

"What the hell are you sleeping for?!" Suddenly, Zhou Yun's voice truly rang in Augustus Flax's ear.

(End of Chapter)