Chapter 19: Black Shield

Soldiers were cleaning the battlefield.

Besides supplying the Green Skin with ammunition, they mainly searched for the wounded and collected weapons.

Xisi was almost always in a state cut off from logistics; every soldier and every round of ammunition was extremely precious.

But unlike before, when soldiers were diligently busy, this time their attention kept drifting toward the center of the battlefield.

The corpse of the steel clamp lay atop the pile of corpses, accompanied by the last glimmer of sunset, like a prized trophy.

And beneath the corpse pile, three tall figures in full black armor, their faces completely hidden beneath their helmets—these great "steel giants"—were lowering their heads to look at a "tiny" human before them, and...

The Green Skin corpse mound behind him!

Daiweiluo stood at the front of the three‑man squad, his eyes behind the visor slightly opening as he carefully sized up Xisi before him.

According to the information from the Military Affairs Department, this regiment commander and his mortal infantry regiment under him were, no matter how you looked at it, nothing more than the lowest‑grade cannon fodder.

Yet looking at the surrounding battlefield, at the ferocity on the mortal soldiers' faces, at the towering Green Skin corpse mound behind Xisi, and at the Green Skin overlord atop it—even he himself would find it hard to say it could be easily wiped out—Daiweiluo simply could not connect the unit before him with the one recorded in the Military Affairs Department's files!

Daiweiluo was the captain of the three‑man squad, the white‑bearded big man.

As a veteran with three gold studs on his forehead, he had been an Astartes for three hundred years.

Yet over those three hundred years he had taken part in countless wars, even though he had also witnessed countless acts of mortal bravery.

But this planetary defense force, born and raised on the planet and never having set foot in space, still refreshed his understanding.

Even as he slightly lifted his gaze, looking through his helmet at the surrounding battlefield—where there were almost no vehicles and heavy weapons were severely lacking—Daiweiluo's eyes toward Xisi unconsciously widened a fraction more.

"This mortal force actually held off the Green Skin with flesh and blood..."

Daiweiluo's face was grave, to the point that looking at Xisi he momentarily didn't know where to begin.

And the two Astartes behind him, who originally paid no heed to mortals and even felt they were unworthy to serve as his support unit, also remained silent at this moment.

The scene was silent; only Daiweiluo felt turmoil inside, while Xisi, gazing at the black‑clad Astartes before him—especially Daiweiluo at the front—felt his own turmoil deepen.

Because the left pauldrons of the two Astartes behind bore the insignia of their former chapters, while the Daiweiluo in front had nothing but a plain black plate.

Xisi's heart was filled only with curses, for he had not imagined that he would have to cooperate not only with specialists in alien combat, but also with the Deathwatch, who daily dealt with all manner of galactic horrors.

And the one leading them was still a "Black Shield"!

A Black Shield is an Astartes who has completely severed ties with his parent chapter, and in the Deathwatch, the traitor‑loyalist faction is almost entirely made up of Black Shields.

Just thinking that the Daiweiluo before him might very well be an Astartes from a traitor chapter made Xisi feel as if he had swallowed a piece of phosphorus, from bitter taste to heart.

Xisi could almost foresee that, after the mission, having had deep contact with aliens and traitor Astartes, he would not only receive no reward, but would instead face a thorough purge.

After all, among the countless mortal troops of the Empire, what is never lacking is manpower!

Except......

Xisi's eyes widened slightly as he looked up at the towering Daiweiluo before him.

Unless he could earn Daiweiluo's approval, have the Deathwatch personally submit it to the Military Affairs Department, and become a professional Star Realm Army specialized in countering alien forms!

Pa!

Xisi stood at attention and rendered a military salute:

"Regiment 101, it is an honor to fight alongside you all!"

Xisi took the initiative to break the silence; Daiweiluo, who had not known what to say, froze for a moment, then silently nodded at Xisi.

Without any beating around the bush, Daiweiluo spoke directly:

"Our target is a nest city that has fallen completely under rebel control."

"Outside the nest city, large numbers of alien forms gather under several Green Skin overlords; we need you and your men to launch an attack on the Green Skin to draw fire, so that we can breach the nest city."

After Daiweiluo finished outlining his initial plan, but upon seeing Xisi before him and the fierce soldiers around, he paused briefly and rarely added a sentence:

"If you can keep up, you may join us in entering the nest city."

The other two Astartes glanced at Daiweiluo with slight surprise, their helmets turning slightly, but after looking at Daiweiluo and then at the fierce 101 Regiment around them, they offered no objection.

On the contrary, Xisi's complexion grew increasingly grim.

Several Green Skin overlords?

Xisi couldn't help but let out a faint sigh.

Holding off a single Green Skin overlord was already a strain; now he actually had to take the initiative to attack several times more Green Skin?

If left outside the nest city, even he would end up drowned by endless Green Skin.

Daiweiluo also understood this, so his final words were meant to give Xisi a way to survive, even if that path were short!

Xisi had no bargaining power at all; after all, not only himself, but even Kiriman faced this screwed‑up situation and never had a retreat to choose.

To survive, humanity had only one option: press forward! And could only press forward!

The pause was only a fleeting instant; when Xisi lifted his head again to look at Daiweiluo before him, his face showed only calm:

"For humanity."

Xisi accepted the mission; Daiweiluo stared at him intently, making sure he saw no fear on his face, and Daiweiluo actually returned the salute to Xisi:

"For the Emperor."

His right hand hammered his chest; the heavy Taogang armor transmitted a dull impact across the ground.

The two Deathwatch members' faces grew even more shocked; their helmets turned noticeably, and their pair of red goggles were fixed entirely on Daiweiluo.

This was Daiweiluo showing his acknowledgment of a mortal; in past wars he had occasionally shown such acknowledgment to brave mortals as well.

But those were after sharing many bloody battles together, whereas now they had only just met half an hour ago.

The two were taken aback; they glanced briefly, then their gazes shifted back to Xisi and to the corpse mound behind him.

Although he had not witnessed it himself, Daiweiluo could imagine what Xisi and his 101 Regiment had endured to go from a cannon‑fodder unit to where they stood now.

Merely the fact that they could still stand here now, calmly accepting their fate, made Xisi worthy of Daiweiluo's acknowledgment.

Xisi was also a little surprised, but before he could speak, Daiweiluo had already lowered his arm, and his words returned to coldness:

"You have one hour to prepare; in one hour we will set out."

After speaking, Daiweiluo lifted his head to look behind Xisi, then suddenly reminded:

"If I were you, I would make good use of this last hour, supplementing troops as much as possible."

"Reinforce troops?"

Xisi became even more doubtful, but he didn't ask; instead, he followed Daiweiluo's gaze to look behind himself.

Accompanied by the last glimmer of light on the horizon, on the vast battlefield were deserters hiding, having gathered from all directions.

At this moment, all the deserters' gazes, filled with expectation and hope, were directed toward Xisi and Daiweiluo.

Xisi's expression stalled, looking at the hope in the crowd's eyes, he even felt somewhat like Hell.

Did they suddenly gain courage?

No, they merely felt that with Xisi's Regiment and the Emperor's Angel.

Following Xisi and Daiweiluo, their chances of survival...

will be greater!