Chapter 1360: Norn Emissary

The Warhound-class Titan's Vulcan Mega-bolter opened fire.

A storm of metal exploded within the swarm, and dozens of Tyranid Warriors were torn to shreds in the cannon fire.

The Lictors charged at the very front, their massive Scything Talons tearing toward the Titan's leg armor.

A Knight Mech was besieged by three Lictors, its leg armor torn open; the pilot frantically adjusted the firing angle inside the cockpit, firing the Rapid-fire Cannon at point-blank range, blasting a large hole in the chest of the nearest Lictor, and the insect blood sprayed onto the Knight's armor with a sizzling, corrosive sound.

Two other Knight Mechs rushed over to help it break the siege, pressing their Meltaguns against the heads of the Lictors and firing continuously, burning through the chitinous shells.

The Hive Tyrant's Bonesword slashed onto the chassis of a Tailin Knight Mech, and the Knight Mech was cleaved open.

The Tyrant Guard followed closely behind the Hive Tyrant, blocking the bolter bombardment from the surrounding Space Marines.

Octavius's voice rang out in the Communication Device.

"All Ultramarines, pull back to the flanks. Let the Hive Tyrant in, let the Titans and Knights deal with them. Our men, withdraw and reform the ranks."

The Ultramarines' line began to retreat, and the Tyrant Guard attempted to pursue, but were suppressed by the Titans' firepower.

Thirty Warhound-class Titans fired in unison, and the Hive Tyrant and its guards were incinerated under the concentrated bombardment of laser beams.

When Sanguinius led the Blood Angels to advance to the perimeter of Anchor Point Seven, a massive figure crawled out from the flesh tunnel at the rear of the swarm.

The Norn Emissary.

It was even larger than a Hive Tyrant, its deep purple chitinous carapace covered in hideous spines, and its head was a massive brain tissue, exposed to the air, emitting an eerie luster in the dark red light.

Its Scything Talons were twice as long as those of a Tyranid Warrior, its thick hind limb muscles bulging, and every step left deep depressions in the biomass ground.

Sanguinius's eyes narrowed slightly.

The aura of this creature far exceeded any Zerg unit he had encountered before.

The Norn Emissary, the ultimate assassin cultivated by the Hive Mind.

The Norn Emissary charged over with incredible speed. Its body was massive, but it moved with great agility.

The huge Sharp Blade slashed down, and the Power Armor was like paper before the chitinous Sharp Blade.

Three Blood Angels warriors fell in response, their Power Armor pierced, leaving huge wounds on their chests, with no time to react at all.

The Norn Emissary pounced on the fourth Blood Angel, its Scything Talon piercing his Power Armor.

Sanguinius's Spear stabbed from the side, the antennae on the Norn Emissary's head sensing the psionic fluctuations, and the massive body twisted at an impossible angle, its Sharp Blade parrying the Spear.

The Scything Talon swept across, Sanguinius's wings spread and he flew up several meters, the Sharp Blade grazing beneath his feet, taking away a piece of flight feather.

The massive monster exchanged more than a dozen attacks with Sanguinius in succession with counter-intuitive speed and skill, leaving several deep scratches on its carapace.

The Norn Emissary's offensive remained undiminished, while a rare look of seriousness appeared on Sanguinius's face.

Sanguinius fully spread his wings, and golden psionic energy gathered around his Power Armor into a scorching halo.

The Norn Emissary charged again.

This time Sanguinius did not retreat; he poured all his strength into the Spear, and the Spear turned into a bolt of golden lightning, piercing the Norn Emissary's skull.

The brain tissue exploded, and purple blood and neural fluid gushed out.

The Norn Emissary's massive body twitched a few times and crashed to the ground.

Before Sanguinius could stand straight from the dust, the purple rift light suddenly flickered violently.

A second Norn Emissary walked out of the rift.

It was larger than the first, with a thicker carapace, denser spines, and the brain tissue on its head emitted controllable Energy Pulses.

It stopped at the rear of the swarm, the brain tissue on its head began to charge, and purple Psionic Lightning was emitted from the exposed brain mass, drawing countless winding trajectories in the air, accurately shooting toward the assembly area of the Blood Angels.

The Norn Emissary.

Magnus's voice came from the Communication Device.

"Sanguinius, that Norn Emissary is using psionics to scan the surrounding area. It is looking for the Command Node, it is looking for us! It is using the Hive Mind's psionics to locate your psionic signature; once it locks onto you, the next main cannon strike won't hit the cluster, but your position!"

Magnus's voice paused.

"It didn't just strengthen its carapace and strength. Its psionics are tracking your nervous system! Damn it, it is using your psionic signature as a target marker!"

Purple Psionic Lightning struck down, and Sanguinius's wings took the hit head-on in the air.

Corax's voice came from the Communication Device.

"Sanguinius, I see it. That Norn Emissary is at coordinate C7 ahead, and I and the Raven Guard can deploy behind it."

Sanguinius spread his wings again to steady his figure.

The Norn Emissary's massive head turned toward him, and purple psionic light condensed around its brain tissue once more.

"Magnus, Corax, you go destroy the Anchor Points, I will deal with this Norn Emissary."

Sanguinius's voice was as calm as ever.

"Magnus, you are at Anchor Point Five, Corax, you are at Anchor Point Nine. You must blow up those Anchor Points before the swarm regroups."

Magnus's voice carried a hint of worry.

"Sanguinius, that Norn Emissary is stronger than the one you killed before. It didn't just reinforce its carapace, its psionic quality is tracking your nerves; you are dueling a monster specifically designed to hunt Commanders, you need support."

Sanguinius said.

"My warriors need support, I cannot let this Norn Emissary get near them. Magnus, go handle the Anchor Points. Every second of delay, the Zerg will stuff more of these things into the rift. Besides, don't you know my strength by now?"

The Norn Emissary launched an attack again.

Psionic Lightning shot from the brain tissue on its head toward Sanguinius's position, and Sanguinius's wings whipped up an airflow, dodging the purple lightning.

His Spear stabbed into the Norn Emissary's flank, the carapace shattered, and insect blood gushed out.

Another Scything Talon swept over, and Sanguinius blocked with his left hand.

Corax's Raven Guard infiltrated silently within the swarm.

The Raven Guard Space Marines used precise bolter fire to clear the blocking Zerg, approaching the edge of Anchor Point Nine.

The swarm discovered them.

A Lictor crawled out from underground, its Scything Talon piercing the chest of a Raven Guard, and another Raven Guard Space Marine's Chainsword severed the Lictor's tentacles, tearing it away from his comrade's body.

"Brother, are you alright?"

"I'm alright, it only pierced one of my hearts."

At this moment, more Zerg swarmed in from all directions.