Chapter 84: The Glory of Fighting Side-by-Side with the Gene-Father

Sawtooth, Bridge, Strategy Room.

Except for Thomas, the other eleven Company Captains gathered here, while the Sound Array Master transmitted the signal to every ship of the 33rd Expeditionary Fleet.

"Order Shadows, Auxilia soldiers, the dull minds of the Ogryn brutes cannot perceive the shining radiance of the Imperium."

"Today, we shall bring them the light of enlightenment."

Ninglu looked at the Company Captains; he paused for a moment, his tone shifting from impassioned to majestic, and presented his requirements.

"Order Shadows, you are no longer Reapers; slaughter is not your pursuit."

"I require you, in the midst of battle, not to be driven by the desire for slaughter and rage."

"Remain calm, utilize your talents, discern the enemy's weaknesses, and kill with a single strike!"

As Ninglu spoke, he perceived the reactions of the eleven Company Captains; the most resistant were Saisake, Samir, and Robin.

Sanchez, who had been the most resistant like them before, was lost in thought.

Everyone looked at Ninglu with anticipation; they all hoped to become the first company to fight side-by-side with their Gene-Father, which was an honor for every Warrior.

Saisake held his head high; as First Captain, he believed the honor should rightfully belong to him.

Facing the expectant gazes of the crowd, Ninglu spoke slowly.

"Adams, your Fourth Company shall fight alongside me."

Upon hearing this, Saisake's rage surged; he turned his head to look at Adams, who had the calmest expression among them all, though one could only tell he also craved this honor from the longing revealed in his eyes.

Yet he had become the final winner; the First Captain subconsciously gripped the Chainsword at his waist, his eyes filled with rage.

He felt slighted; he had not received the honor matching his status as First Captain.

Adams felt Saisake's palpable rage, which shot toward him like a bolter round, but his expression did not change in the slightest, remaining as cold as ice.

He stepped forward and struck his right fist against the Legion Shadow Emblem on his chest.

The Warriors of the Eleventh Legion, they called it concisely and vividly.

"Father, I will prove that your choice is wise."

Ninglu nodded; he had communicated with this Company Captain, who most clearly inherited his straight nose, and knew him to be a calm person whose emotions did not fluctuate.

The Primarch guessed that if he were not as cold as his expression on the battlefield, he would inevitably have been ostracized among the Reapers before.

But he also keenly discovered one thing about this scion's cold logic—the unconditional execution of his own orders.

He and his company were the best choice.

The other Company Captains returned to their respective warships with disappointment to launch their attack operations.

Ninglu boarded a transport ship and landed a step ahead on the unnamed Ogryn Planet, which could be classified as a grassland world.

Stepping out of the cabin, he wore a silver gauntlet on his left hand, upon which the Techmarine had mounted a bolter on the inner side of the arm according to his requirements.

This was an inspiration Ninglu received from Guilliman, who also used a Power Fist—the Hand of Dominion.

At his waist hung a Power Sword matched to his usage; since his left-arm combat style tended toward the brutal and direct, his right hand chose a more agile weapon capable of fully exerting technique.

As soon as Ninglu landed, he received the coordinates sent by Horus, and subsequently, Adams arrived with nine hundred and seventy-four Warriors.

The Ogryns had no anti-air capabilities; the Fourth Company did not conduct orbital drops, instead using transport ships to complete the deployment rapidly.

The most conspicuous elements in the Fourth Company were five black-painted Macharius Heavy Tanks; this type of tank had already been active on the battlefield in the era before the unification of Terra.

Unlike the two major categories of tank models in the late "Great Crusade"—the Predator and the Sicaran—the early Space Marine Legions and Solar Auxilia were widely equipped with tanks named after the Emperor's most trusted, Macharius.

Except for the three Lieutenants, all the Order Shadows were seeing their Gene-Father for the first time.

The moment they looked at the Primarch with excitement and fanaticism, they froze, doubting if they were in a dream.

Seeing this scene, Ninglu smiled slightly and spoke.

"My children, you will get used to fighting side-by-side with me."

"Now, let us embark on the journey of conquest."

Immediately, he led the way toward the target.

The temperamental engines of the Macharius Heavy Tanks were awakened, and wherever they passed, the lush green grass was crushed into dregs.

Adams followed immediately, and the Order Shadows stepped forward, feeling as if their power armor and bodies had become lighter.

A moment later, Ninglu looked at the crude stone city built using giant rocks ahead.

According to the life signals scanned by the Auger Matrix, this stone city was the third-largest gathering place of the Ogryns, with a scale of over ten thousand people.

The appetites of the Ogryns were like their physiques; forming a settlement of this scale was truly not easy.

Ninglu was even a bit curious about what this Ogryn tribe fed on.

The target of the attack by the Luna Wolves, personally led by Horus, was the second-largest settlement.

According to the battle plan, after they each completed their attacks, they would conduct coordinated operations to capture the largest Ogryn settlement.

Ninglu opened the communication channel and spoke on the Fourth Company's company channel.

"Before the battle begins, I remind you: calm, discern weaknesses, kill with a single strike!"

"Do not let me down."

Ninglu did not seize command from Adams; he merely provided a prompt.

Hearing Ninglu say this, the Order Shadows were all a bit nervous.

Just then, Adams, who had already thought through how to execute the Gene-Father's orders, spoke.

"All squads, strictly maintain combat formation and conduct attacks in an orderly fashion."

"Macharius Heavy Tanks, act as the vanguard; other squads, surround them to conduct attacks."

Adams's words allowed the Warriors of the Fourth Company to find their direction; under the command of the Lieutenants and Captains, they quickly surrounded the Macharius Heavy Tanks to form a combat formation.

Ninglu nodded with satisfaction; Adams did not let him down, as he had set a feasible standard for the Order Shadows.

He moved first, activating the Energy Field Generator; the Power Fist lit up with a dazzling golden radiance, attracting the gaze of all the Order Shadows.

They discovered that the silver gauntlet, unlike the blurry, blue energy fields emitted by ordinary power weapons, radiated a dazzling golden light from the Gene-Father's gauntlet.

The gazes of the Order Shadows followed the Primarch, and they saw the Gene-Father arrive before the stone wall in an instant, throwing out a punch.

Golden lightning tore across the sky.

Boom—!

A sound as loud as a thunderclap in a clear sky echoed across the vast grassland, and the entire Ogryn tribe heard this deafening noise.

Adams saw the Gene-Father punch a fissure into the thick stone wall before being the first to charge into the city.

With his battle intent rising, his expression remained cold and stern, yet his tone could not help but carry a hint of fanaticism as he shouted loudly.

"For Ninglu!"

The Order Shadows shouted along with him: "For Ninglu!"

The shouts of the drivers caused the Machine Spirit of the Macharius Heavy Tank to let out an excited roar, and it crashed into the stone wall with a rumble.

The main cannon roared, and the large-caliber shell, trailing a blinding white light, smashed into the Ogryn camp.

The Astartes filed out from the breach, formed into battle formation, and began their attack.

(End of this chapter)