Chapter 32: War Hammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Zerg? Chapter 32 Death Prophecy

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

"That's right, Sergeant."

Sailes's voice was like precisely tuned gears grinding, steady yet carrying a metallic texture.

But upon careful listening, there seemed to be a trace of "bitterness" almost imperceptible than usual.

His optical sensor (replacing where his eyes originally were) flickered with steady red light, staring straight into Cassius's deep blue eyes.

"Perhaps," Sailes paused for half a second, this pause on him seemed unusually long.

"You should consider abandoning this mission."

Cassius's brow beneath his helmet wrinkled almost imperceptibly.

He was just about to open his mouth to ask the reason.

"The great God of All Machines revealed to me at the intersection of data and faith."

Sage Sailes interrupted him.

That flat mechanical voice seemed to be reading out an ice-cold diagnostic report.

"If you participate in this purification action targeting 'Abyss Incubation Pool' (target codename)."

The trembling of his mechanical arm seemed to intensify by a trace almost imperceptible.

"The probability of death is......"

Sage Sailes's voice appeared an extremely rare, subtle electrical static.

As if the conclusion spoken was being resisted even by his own logic circuits.

"100%!"

In the cramped workroom, for a moment only the low humming of the Contemplator Array's cooling fan remained.

And the faint metallic clashing of equipment checks coming from the distant outpost.

One hundred percent.

Absolute, undeniable, death.

Cassius's deep blue pupils contracted slightly in that instant.

But only for that instant.

He showed no astonishment, raised no objection, not even asked for the specific details of the prophecy or whether there were other variables.

He just stood there quietly, his green power armor casting a towering and silent shadow under the dim light.

Cassius spoke, his voice transmitted through the helmet's amplifier.

Steady, resolute, not a trace of trembling, as if stating an objective fact unrelated to himself:

"Sailes, I am the Emperor's Angel, and also his weapon."

"I know, Cassius."

Sage Sailes's mechanical voice seemed to try to carry a hint of persuasion.

This was extremely rare on him, who was heavily modified.

"We can wait.

The War Group's support, the Planetary Defense Force's heavy cannons, even apply to the Tribunal for an Extermination Order.

Time might still be enough, no need to......"

"Duty is my fate;"

Cassius interrupted him.

"Failure is my fear;"

His voice was not loud, but every word was like forged steel, heavily striking the air.

"Redemption is my reward;"

Sage Sailes's optical sensor red light flickered slightly.

"Death is my function;"

Cassius recited the last prayer words, as if it were his answer.

"Loyalty unto death is my oath."

After speaking, he did not look at Sailes again.

Turning, walking with the power armor's characteristic heavy and precise steps, he left the workroom without looking back.

The heavy iron door behind him closed silently, isolating inside from outside.

Inside the workroom, a long silence fell.

Sage Seles Guhate still sat there, motionless.

His mechanical arm, at some point had stopped trembling, tightly gripping the Mechanical God Staff.

Only that grip was so strong it almost left fingerprints on the solid metal scepter.

Next, he slowly used a motion nearly "sluggish," and released his hand.

Then, a very slight sigh, yet as if condensing countless complex emotions.

Escaped from the voice emitter beneath his face mask.

This sigh was so human, out of place with the surrounding ice-cold mechanical environment, even he himself seemed to feel a trace of surprise.

He gave a self-mocking "smile."

If that short, metal-grating "hah" could even be called a smile.

His own body had been mechanically modified by over seventy percent, most of his nerve synapses replaced by data streams and logic circuits.

His emotion module was suppressed to the bare minimum, yet somehow, he could still sigh.

Truly, illogical.

But there was no way around it.

He had known Kashius Elatuo for a long time.

Long enough to go back to when Kashius was still a Tech-Adept struggling to survive in the Slums of the Forging World, retaining more flesh than machine.

He had heard of this Son of Medusa sergeant's "deeds," or rather, "strange tales."

He did not reject the Iron Hand's creed.

He fought bravely, commanded efficiently, and his use of machinery and understanding of tactics were flawless.

But he was also the greatest "Outlier."

He "loved humanity."

Not the kind of macro-level loyalty to the concept of the "Human Empire."

But concrete respect and protection for every single "mortal individual."

Whether it was the high-and-mighty Nest Noble, or the Star Realm Army soldiers who fought side by side with him.

Even those wretches struggling to survive in the filth at the very bottom of the Nest Capital, whom most Astartes regarded as ants or tools.

He would not, for the sake of "efficiency," casually sacrifice mortal soldiers as bait or cannon fodder like other Iron Hand warriors.

In the eyes of other Sons of Medusa, this was "weakness," "inefficiency," "impurity."

Kashius therefore was not "favored," and had even been subjected to internal scrutiny and reprimand.

But precisely because of this, he, Seles Guhate, had a chance to survive.

To become a Sage of the Machine Cult.

So, Seles later dared to defy possible objections from within the Machine Cult.

Voluntarily applying, with the status of a Sage, to become the accompanying Priest of this ordinary Destruction Squad.

He used his own technology, knowledge, and connections with Mars to quietly provide support for Kashius, maintain equipment, and analyze data.

Even when he disagreed with certain high-level members of the War Group, he provided some "technical layer" buffering for Kashius.

Even this Tyranid Infiltration was taken on by Kashius himself.

In his eyes, Kashius Elatuo was not only a powerful Astartes warrior, a qualified sergeant.

But also a noble "human," a true, "Angel."

So, upon learning of the existence of this strange mortal Lin En.

Seles had not failed to consider persuading Kashius to kill Lin En and eat his brain.

So he could understand all the truth.

But he did not speak it out, because he knew Kashius would surely reject his proposal.

Before, he had not failed to try such suggestions, and they all ended in failure.

Seles was also amazed that Lin En had survived that "one-on-one dialogue."

But he respected Kashius's choice, merely quietly strengthening monitoring and data recording.

Until now, the Prophecy descended.

One hundred percent death.

In the depths of Sage Seles's highly modified brain, which should have contained only logic and calculation.

Some emotion circuit originating from ancient genes seemed to be forcibly activated.

A suppressed, nearly "sad" ripple spread.

He could not stop an Astartes from rushing toward his mission and fate.

He could only sit in this workshop filled with the smell of machine oil, gripping the Mechanical God Staff in his hand.

With a sigh that even surprised himself, he saw off that true "Angel" who might soon fall.