Chapter 194: Mortals, Baal, and the Hive Fleet

Dante's feeling was not good. He could feel the earth trembling, and he could also feel his own heart trembling.

Baal's sun hung high above the wasteland, and the strands of this scarlet sun hung down from the horizon, sweeping across the three wailing moons.

Dante had summoned all the inhabitants on these three planets. These civilians had to pick up weapons, become his warriors, and become a line of defense to protect the Angel's Fortress.

This was naturally extremely cruel and aroused great fear among the crowd, but with the cooperation of blood slaves and priests, Dante successfully gathered the locals of Baal into the Angel's Fortress amidst a chorus of wailing.

But on the current Baal Triad, besides the locals of Baal, there was another force.

The survivors from the Underworld star system.

Among these survivors were herdsmen from Laixi, gang thugs from Ashford, workers from the lower hive, and Death Cultists.

They had once cooperated with the Cadian Shock Troops to hold the Underworld for several days, and those who survived now were also well-tempered.

But before Dante issued the summons, these refugees had already begun to migrate on their own. Almost all of them had gathered in the town before his eyes and several nearby settlements.

This town was called Magda Town, named after the Great Sister who had once held Laixi. It was a settlement built mainly by the refugees of Laixi.

That Great Sister had gained something different in the Underworld; she seemed to have to rush to Terra for this reason.

If that Great Sister were here, relying on her prestige, she should be able to easily mobilize the refugees.

Of course, that Saint Doraemon worshipped by the refugees could also do it.

It was just that recently, that Saint Doraemon was preparing with Mephiston to deal with the Ka'bandha problem. Dante did not see him often, let alone ask him to command the refugees.

Dante sighed lightly. He noticed that these refugees were already armed.

He hoped that there would be no conflict and tragedy in the end... Dante did not want to have to wield a butcher's knife against mortals.

Dante walked into the square under the protection of the Sanguinary Guard. A statue of Saint Doraemon stood in the square.

The image of the statue was still that of a round raccoon cat, only decorated around him were skulls symbolizing death, gears symbolizing machinery, and the pitch-black giant mouth symbolizing the Eternal Dragon.

Dante stood before this statue, looking at the crowd packed in front of the square. Thousands of Underworld refugees were crowded here.

And in this town, in an area nearby, there were even more Underworld refugees.

And representing them were the four people standing in front of the crowd.

An old one-eyed PDF, a female assassin of the Death Cult, an ugly-looking old man, and the elder of the Laixi herdsmen.

They were just mortals, but they were equally indispensable.

The Hua Hua Hua Di Huang created us to protect mortals, and now we actually have to let mortals protect us...

"People of the Underworld!"

Dante took a deep breath, making his voice full of confidence:

"Warriors of Ashford and Laixi, you have fought in the sea of insects, stood with the Cadian Shock Troops, stood with the Battle Sisters, and stood with us. You have made contributions to the Imperium and to the survival of our species that far exceed what mortals can make."

"But now the Hive Fleet is still advancing toward us. Baal—the home of the angels—is about to be submerged by the Hive Fleet, and I have to ask you to do more."

"Those of you who have the ability to carry weapons must act under the command of the angels to assist in protecting Baal."

"We will provide you with weapons, and you must fight; otherwise, we will all perish."

Dante's words did not have the effect he had envisioned.

The mortals from the Underworld looked at him with a stubborn gaze, silent, standing in place looking at him.

"Death, we will bring death to the Hive Fleet," the female assassin of the Death Cult, Dishi, spoke slowly: "In the name of the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang and Saint Doraemon, we will not refuse any opportunity to bring death."

She bowed her head slightly, clearly indicating that she was willing to accept Dante's rule.

"They took our salt, our sea, our moon, and our people..." The elder of the Laixi herdsmen said with a hoarse voice: "But they could not take our blood. Blood for blood, only revenge!"

A commotion erupted among the Laixi herdsmen in an instant. The herdsmen roared for revenge, roared to let the Hive Fleet shed more blood for devouring Laixi.

Old One-Eye looked at each other with the one named Lage.

Lage hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward slightly and saluted Dante respectfully:

"My lord, I have been a hive thug for most of my life and don't understand many things."

"But I have a good buddy who knows a lot and told us a lot... When we were still drinking in a tavern in Ashford, he told us a story..."

"He said it was an ancient war. Jaghatai Khan asked the Archangel: 'In your prophecy, if I go out of the city, how many people can I save?'"

"The Archangel replied: 'Countless.'"

"Then Jaghatai Khan said: 'Then, I will fight.'"

Lage raised his wrinkled face and looked at Dante, who was staring at him, wearing the golden mask of Sanguinius's rage.

That face seemed to be able to see through all of Lage's fear, hesitation, cowardice, and baseness, but Lage still gathered a little courage and asked:

"My lord... if we die for this, will the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang and Saint Doraemon feel comforted for us? Is our death valuable? Can we return to the Golden Throne?"

After a long silence, Dante nodded slightly to Lage.

"Then, my lord, we will fight." Lage lowered his head submissively.

The Chapter Masters and representatives of the various Chapters stood in the Crimson Great Hall. Those stationed on the two moons of Baal and the fleet participated in the meeting via images.

Now there was no noise and vanity in this hall, only the star map floating in the sky remained brilliant.

They followed behind Dante, without deceitful words, political means, and tricks of fighting for power.

They were all the same warriors, Dante's blood brothers, sharp weapons.

They now only had loyalty, to the Imperium, to Sanguinius, to Dante.

Dante touched the golden mask of Sanguinius on his face slightly, praying silently.

Now they lived in an era that was paler, more ignorant, and darker than ten thousand years ago, and Dante was only the shadow of Sanguinius, and the warriors gathered on Baal now were only the shadows of the former Ninth Legion.

But even shadows still flowed with the blood of Sanguinius. May the blood give them strength.

Suddenly, a crackling radio sound came from the communication, which was an astropathic communication from another star system, transferred to the Crimson Great Hall through the astropathic communication station on Baal II.

"... May fate listen. Calitos reports, this is Deno V... Report to the commander, they are here, their numbers are too huge... cannot be accurately counted."

The recording became more noisy, and countless insect chirps sounded, sharp and harsh:

"Cannot retreat, repeat, we are surrounded... For the blood of Sanguinius."

This recording was cut off, accompanied by a roar and an explosion.

"It has begun," Dante said softly. Deno V, which was very close to Baal, went out on the star map, and a scarlet fleet representing the Hive Fleet's advance route replaced it.

Then more astropathic communications came.

"... Retreating, retreating, Arnold star system, the Hive Fleet is advancing..."

"... The Leviathan is here, this is the Maria star system..."

"The number is huge, they may have millions of bio-ships!!!"

"Horus!!!!"

One star after another went out. The Hive Fleet came from all directions, turning into scarlet spears stabbing at Baal.

News of the appearance of the Hive Fleet came from all seven star systems near Baal that had once had life but were destroyed under Dante's Exterminatus.

And clearly, the Hive Fleet did not stay in these star systems, nor did it try to replenish biomass from them.

The Hive Fleet was advancing regardless of losses. They were heading to Baal at full speed.

The vibration of Baal was also becoming more and more intense, and the entire star system was shaking under the gravitational fluctuations brought by the Hive Fleet's faster-than-light travel.

"... We deprived the Hive Fleet of the opportunity to replenish biomass in the star system, and the Hive Fleet is also urgently marching. We have weakened them as much as possible, but their fleet size is still huge."

"At the same time, the shadow is falling, and the entire star system will become a piece of darkness in the Warp. We will not receive more support, we can only rely on ourselves."

Dante gazed at the star map and said in a low voice.

All Chapter Masters and representatives of the Chapters were silent, until...

"It's here..." The first to let out a low roar was Chief Librarian Skaban of the Flesh Tearers. He was commanding the Flesh Tearer troops on Baal I on behalf of Seth and participated in the meeting via image.

He was also a powerful psyker, second only to Mephiston among the living on Baal now.

Then the image of the Exquisite Angels Chapter began to shake, and the images of several other Chapter Masters stationed on the starships also began to shake accordingly.

On the star map, a red dot lit up in the Baal star system, followed by hundreds of red dots lighting up, and then a winding, long ribbon composed of red dots, like a coiled snake wrapping around the periphery of the Baal star system.

Then the entire Angel's Fortress was shaking, and the wailing of rocks sounded from the earth and walls, and the light of the star Balor became dim.

"This is the edge of the Baal star system, Glorious Wing, Elvin, Exquisite Angels!"

"They are here!!!"

The scene in the star map flashed, revealing a void filled with the green light of bio-plasma thrusters. Bio-ships covered in thick chitinous armor, with tentacles and spikes, appeared densely in the starry sky, like a torrential rain composed of blood and flesh.

The psykers in the Chapters let out a sharp cry of sorrow; they saw the Warp being covered by a deep shadow.

"Come, everyone," Dante said softly: "The war has begun."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 195 =====