Chapter 209: Flame Wheel

Shadow of Sovereignty, Sovereign Council Chamber.

Arsena Dunn operates the Control Staff, displaying a holographic image of Flame Wheel II.

"Scanning results show that this planet contains rich mineral deposits."

"The architecture of this world still retains some characteristics of human construction."

"The Orks used human Hive Cities and factories to transform it into a Yaosai Shijie, with the planet covered in fortresses and arsenals."

Ninglu sits on the Black Throne, listening to the Primarch Attendant's briefing.

"There is a large structure in the orbit of this world."

"According to scan analysis, it was once a Xinggang built by humans."

"Weapons manufactured by the Orks are sent here and then sold to other planets."

Arsena looks at everyone in the chamber and states the basis for his judgment.

"According to the data issued by the Sovereign, the Orks have a simple trading system; they use teeth as currency."

"The Evil Moon Clan is the wealthiest clan among all clans because their teeth grow much faster than other Orks."

"Based on current conditions such as the Ork totems on the Battle Moon, it is inferred that the Ork Warlord of the Flame Wheel System may originate from the Evil Moon Clan."

After the Primarch Attendant introduces the relevant situation, the topic turns back to Planet No. 2.

"Auger Matrix scans show that Planet No. 2 has a total of five large fortresses, all of which were originally human Hive Cities."

"The largest fortress is located directly below the Xinggang."

"If the holographic Star Map is expanded," Arsena says, operating the Control Staff to display the corresponding Star Map.

"The other four fortresses are distributed along the Huanxing Tongdao, centered exactly on the largest fortress."

"The Huanxing Tongdao may also have been built on a human foundation; although crude, it is as high as 152 kilometers."

"By counting the number and frequency of vehicles traveling on the passage, it can be concluded that the function of this Huanxing Tongdao is similar to our high-speed transport passages."

The "Reasoning Student" introduces the conclusions he deduced based on the scan results to everyone.

Inside the hall, 1,542 Honor Guard members are seated neatly.

Among them, 703 are from the Seventh Legion, and there are also 154 apothecaries.

Given the scale of the war, Ninglu increases the size of this batch of Honor Guard members accordingly.

He also considers the upcoming arrangement to send the Seventh Legion and apothecaries to Catachan, so he increases the proportion of both in this batch of Honor Guard members accordingly.

Unlike when he first joined the Honor Guard, Weiershier has moved from the last row to the front, and sitting beside him is Per Koscielny.

Weiershier looks at the video screen, where he sees many strangely shaped, thick cannon barrels towering in the fortress, pointing straight at the sky like long spears.

Each cannon is different, with black smoke spewing from the muzzles.

【The Ork's defensive power is very strong; this is a tough battle.】

As Weiershier ponders, the Primarch speaks.

Ninglu takes all the information into his mind and asks testingly.

"Tell me your thoughts; how should this battle be fought?"

James, Lord of the Second Chapter, having gathered information from the previous space battle and the battle on the Battle Moon, is the first to speak.

"Father, we should first remove the defensive works outside each Ork fortress, and then attack the fortresses..."

Ninglu does not speak, and Diana Polin, who is attending the meeting, enters the "Guanzhe" state.

【Consistent with James's steady style.】

Merson, Lord of the Eleventh Chapter, also speaks up.

"Father, we should first launch an attack on the orbital Xinggang to attract the Orks to reinforce it, and take the opportunity to strike them."

The "Guanzhe" continues to maintain her state of scrutiny, thinking to herself.

【Merson is more adventurous than James; his eyes are more aggressive.】

After listening to the plans of the two Lords, Ninglu looks at the Honor Guard members behind them.

"Weiershier, what is your opinion?"

Weiershier feels the gazes of the two Lords and others, and even more so, the gaze of the Primarch focused on him.

He is not afraid and directly states his thoughts.

"Father, the void of the Flame Wheel has been controlled by us. For the Ork bosses, the strategic importance of the Xinggang has decreased, so using it as bait is not very effective."

"But the high-speed Huanxing Tongdao connecting the five Ork fortresses is very important to them."

"Whichever Ork boss controls the high-speed Huanxing Tongdao holds the lifeline of this world; he will possess unprecedented, unstoppable mobility and the ability to transport the Ork army."

Ninglu nods with satisfaction; he did not misjudge, and Weiershier truly did not disappoint him.

"Not bad."

Although the Primarch only says one word, the "Guanzhe" reads from his tone and his appreciative eyes that he is very satisfied with Weiershier's answer.

After Diana realizes this, she immediately feels a slight melting sensation in her body.

Weiershier feels encouraged and inspired that his thoughts have received the approval of the Gene-Father.

Ninglu shifts his gaze from Weiershier to Per Koscielny beside him.

"Per, what are your thoughts?"

"Father, Weiershier's suggestion is very good, but there is room for improvement."

The "Guanzhe" sees his confidence from the smile overflowing on Per's face.

"I have studied the data issued by Father; the Orks love infighting."

"The Orks on Planet No. 2 are the Si-tou clan, the greediest among the Orks."

As Per speaks, he walks out of his seat and comes to the video screen, his fingers tapping on a dozen screens one by one.

The Orks all have the same pattern marked on their bodies: a blue skull with horns.

Peier looked at the Primarch and said confidently.

"The Si-tou clan will scavenge everything within their reach at all costs; if given the chance, they wouldn't even mind pilfering from other careless Ork."

"That Xinggang structure and the items inside are treasures to the Orc of the Si-tou clan, a temptation they cannot resist."

"Seize the Xinggang and smash it into the surface, right between the central fortress and the other four."

"The scavengers of the Si-tou clan will surely fight over the wreckage—to them, it is material, it is wealth, it is something they will fight for at all costs; they will begin to fight among themselves."

After listening to Peier, Ninglu felt that his understanding of the Ork's way of thinking and their primitive order surpassed that of the two Lords and Weiershier.

The Primarch recalled in his memory Peier's previous training experiences, especially his final confrontation with the First Chapter recruits at the Tribunal.

【He is truly well-suited to be a "Lawyer".

Very well-suited for the "Black Emperor" path.】

The "Guanzhe" read from the Primarch's shining eyes a different shade of appreciation for Peier and Weiershier.

【There seems to be something more in the Primarch's gaze.】

She could not read more information and could only look for answers in the two men's statements, actions, and expressions, analyzing the differences between them.

【Compared to Weiershier, the biggest difference in Peier is that he does not consider the value of the circular highway, but rather how to use the Orcs' habit of infighting to carry out targeted strikes.

Is what the Primarch appreciates their different ways of thinking, and is Peier's way of thinking more similar to his own?】

The "Guanzhe" looked at the Primarch again with her conclusion, and she saw in it more hidden approval—it was a kind of recognition of a similar group.

When the "Guanzhe" read this, she felt the stars within her body shatter completely.

After hearing everyone's thoughts, Ninglu issued his orders.

"Peier, follow your plan; you will lead five hundred members of the Honor Guard to capture the Xinggang."

"Afterward, smash the wreckage of the Xinggang onto the surface of Planet No. 2."

"While the Orcs are busy fighting among themselves, we will launch a surprise attack on the four battlefields."

Ninglu looked around at everyone and continued.

"James and Merson, you will lead the Second and Eleventh Chapters respectively."

"I will lead five hundred members of the Honor Guard to launch an attack on the largest Orc battlefield."

"Weiershier, you lead your guard members to attack the smallest Ork battlefield; Peier, head to support after finishing the orbital engagement."

After the war council ended, Peier quickly selected five hundred men from the Honor Guard and immediately launched an attack on the Xinggang where the Orcs were entrenched.

The Stormbird whistled as it flew toward the Xinggang, its missiles trailing dazzling exhaust flames as they slammed into the Xinggang.

Amidst the roaring, the explosion tore through a section of the steel corridor.

The Stormbird circled the breach, and Peier led the assault team, taking long strides to build momentum before activating his jetpack and leaping into the Xinggang corridor.

The Honor Guard advanced in rows of five, providing covering fire for one another.

The Ork rushed in groups of three or five toward the black-armored Warrior, and the Honor Guard raised their bolters to fire at the scattered Orc.

The adamantine warheads tore through green flesh and skin, and the explosions destroyed the Orcs' bodies.

The Honor Guard pushed forward all the way until they had cleared a quarter of the circular area.

The Order Shadows suddenly heard heavy footsteps, and a massive figure charged over.

His body was completely obscured by the steel wrapped around him, looking like a jumble of metal bonded together to piece together a body.

The pieced-together armor was painted blue.

The Honor Guard members knew that the Orc of the Si-tou clan firmly believed that blue was a lucky color, so they often painted themselves blue in the hope of avoiding harm.

Having identified that the Orc came from the Si-tou clan, they were not at all surprised that the Orc before them had wrapped himself in steel.

The Honor Guard members raised their guns and fired at the Ork.

Boom, boom, boom!

A dense rain of bullets slammed into the strange blue steel body; the corridor shook from the explosions, and steel fragments scattered like raindrops.

Through the sky full of debris, Peier keenly saw that the massive body had not been killed; he was charging over at high speed.

Peier thought to himself that it was bad, and he immediately charged forward.

The Orc wearing blue armor swung the great axe in his hand violently, executing a fierce horizontal slash.

The axe blade cleaved an Order Shadow in two, and with the remaining force, it swung toward another Honor Guard member.

Peier let out an angry shout, roaring in fury, and put on his "War Mask".

He drew strength from his rage, and violent power surged within his body.

Peier exposed his rage, but his brain remained calm.

With a perspective detached from his physical body, he watched his own body and harnessed the power ignited by his rage.

Peier swung his Power Sword violently, attacking the Ork with the 7th path of slashing from the "Osber-Waya" he had practiced bitterly for over a decade.

Everything around seemed to come to a standstill, and in the blink of an eye, he slashed at the Orc.

The Charged Blade sliced into the red armor, cleaving the Ork into two sections.

(End of chapter)