Chapter 405

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

The eye-like pustules on the hull all snapped open simultaneously, their turbid eyeballs fixed dead ahead on the prey, exuding a fanaticism that would not rest until death.

"Major General Adult, Left Wing Third Squadron reports: enemy escort ships' damage resistance far exceeds estimates; conventional macro cannon destruction efficiency is less than thirty percent of expectations."

The Observation Officer's voice carried a trace of barely perceptible tension.

"Most ships' damage ratings have already reached 'hulk' standard, yet they still maintain maneuverability and firepower output capability."

Dominic did not turn back, merely nodding slightly.

He had seen the Nurgle Fleet's combat records, and also heard Volken speak of Anvarheim's miserable state.

The Kindly Father's blessings were never impenetrable shields or irresistible blades, but rather a near-shameless vitality and proliferative capacity.

You can shatter their hulls, blast apart their barrels, but as long as the core Corruption Engine isn't utterly destroyed.

They can sustain themselves through Flesh Growth until they're right in your face.

"Maintain firepower output, prioritize striking the enemy's midship Engine Area." His voice was steady, revealing no emotion.

"Fighter Group circle around the rear, concentrate attacks on the enemy formation's vulnerable Ce Yu, don't let them close easily."

The order was swiftly relayed; dozens of Thunder Fighters and Bombers formed up and screamed out of the fleet, trailing pale blue flame tails as they swung toward the Nurgle Fleet's Ce Yu.

Missiles and laser bombs rained down, blossoming into patches of firelight on the rotting hulls.

Even so, the Nurgle Fleet's advance speed hardly slowed.

Covered by seven infected Imperial Guard Ships, the Pale Hand's main fleet resembled a swarm of slowly wriggling maggots.

Bit by bit they gnawed at the Imperial Fleet's firepower Deep Rear, pressing ever closer to the nearest Left Wing battle group.

That battle group centered on a Moon-class Cruiser, with four Escort Ships and two Destroyers subordinate, a relatively protruding node in the dispersed formation.

Soon, the distance between both parties shrank to within one hundred kilometers.

Sudden Change.

The first abnormality appeared in that Moon-class Cruiser's Void Shield readings.

"Report, Void Shield energy dropping abnormally, decay rate five times normal!" The Shield Officer's voice suddenly rose.

"Detected unknown corrosive Energy Field, penetrating the shield matrix from outside!"

Dominic's Gaze instantly locked onto that sector.

Corruption Domain.

Unlike ordinary infected ships, true Nurgle capital ships carry a constant Corruption Domain.

It is a fusion of Warp Energy and Plague Power, formless and immaterial.

Yet it can slowly erode energy shields, metal hulls, even crew wills, like mold.

This is their most lethal weapon.

On the screen, the Moon-class Cruiser's pale blue shield visibly dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The shield surface seemed coated in a layer of gray-green Mold Spot, energy readings plummeting wildly.

The ship's Mechanical Priests prayed desperately, adjusting energy output, trying to stabilize the shield matrix.

But those corrosive energies were omnipresent, seeping in bit by bit along the Energy Circuits; even the Shield Generator's piping began showing Rust Stain signs.

"Order them to withdraw! Open the distance!" Dominic commanded in a low voice.

But it was already too late.

The Nurgle Fleet had clearly timed it perfectly.

Three Plague Guard Frigates, heedless of death, rushed to the Most Front, braving concentrated fire to ram the shield's weak point.

Dark green pus and Corruption substance blasted open on impact, like boiling water poured on ice, making the already tottering Void Shield flicker several times.

The Warp's Chaos Energy clashed violently with the Void Shield's operating principle, continuously eroding the shield's remaining energy.

"Bang!"

The moment the third Escort Ship slammed into the shield front in a suicide collision, the pale blue light shield finally buckled, shattering and dissipating like broken Glass.

Deprived of its final barrier, the Moon-class Cruiser's massive hull lay completely exposed before the Nurgle Fleet.

A dozen Plague Warships, like Li Lie Gou scenting Blood Taste, swarmed in instantly.

The two leading Plague Cruisers were first to press close; the tooth-like proliferative tissues on their Bows bit savagely into the cruiser's armor shell.

The Rust Plague spread frantically from the contact points; dark brown Rust Stains expanded across the metal hull like a tide.

Wherever they passed, Armor Plates softened and peeled, piping ruptured and exploded, even heavy blast Hatches became as brittle as rotten wood.

Alarms blared throughout the ship.

"Bow armor corroded! A Area to C Area systems large-scale Uncontrolled!"

"Priest Adult is conducting Purification Ritual, but Rust Plague speed is too fast!"

"Power output down forty percent! Fire Control System malfunction!"

Amid the maddening Alarms, the State Religion Pastors' prayers echoed in every Corridor; golden Faith Spiritual Light barely suppressed the Corruption Breath spreading everywhere.

Mechanical Priests waved mechanical arms, flushing consoles repeatedly with Holy Water and Purification Runes, yet Rust Stains and Flesh Growth still burst from gaps like weeds.

Useless.

Dominic watched the system integrity readings plummeting on the screen, his eyes dim.

The most terrifying thing about the Rust Plague lies precisely here.

It is not merely physical corrosion, but a curse carrying Warp properties.

As long as the hull maintains contact with the Plague Warship, the speed of purification can never catch up to the speed of corruption.

Next second, the cabin wall at the contact point blasted open with a boom.

Dense Nurgle Demons swarmed in through the breach, pouring into the Cruiser's internal passages like a tide of rot.

Walking at the very front were swaying Plague Zombies.

Most of them were infected Imperial civilians, skin ulcerated and blackened, features flowing with pus, the clothes on their bodies even coming from different eras of the Empire.

Their movements were slow, yet they were fearless of death; even if blown half to pieces by bolt rounds, they still crawled forward dragging their intestines.

Following closely behind were bloated Nurgle Carriers.

These obese humanoid demons were covered head to toe in pustules, moving with a swaying, unsteady gait.

Wielding the Nurgle version of the "Tetanus Blade", these weapons carrying deadly poison could corrupt most life with a single blow.

Even if one barely managed to shoot them until they lost mobility, one still had to beware of them exploding with a boom, splashing corrosive pus and Plague Spores throughout the entire cabin.

Corruption Flies over three meters high vibrated transparent wings, emitting a teeth-aching humming.

The corrosive liquid dripping from their mouthparts could easily melt through ceramic steel armor, and the venomous stingers on their tails could make an elite soldier lose combat power with a single strike.

Their favorite thing to do was to grab prey with slender forelimbs, then inject the deadly poison from their mouthparts into the prey's body.

There were also round Plague Toads, crouching on the ground spraying poison mist, occasionally spitting out tongues to wrap up a soldier and eat them.

Nurgle Beasts like giant slugs, wherever they passed metal rusted, walls collapsed, leaving only a stretch of sticky Rot traces.

The entire hold instantly turned into a stinking swamp.

"Hold the line, for the Emperor!"

The leading Chief Warrant Officer roared, the Bolt Gun pouring firepower at the fastest speed, shooting the Waa'gh charging at the most front into sieves.

Veterans in groups of three back-to-back, precisely snap-shooting at the demons' vital points; the State Religion Pastor raised high the Scepter, golden Holy Flame burning around him, driving back approaching demons.

The power of Soul Faith let the soldiers temporarily forget Fear and the erosion of plague; bolt round muzzle flashes rose and fell in the narrow passages, barely holding against the first wave of charge.

But there were too many demons.

They drilled out from every damaged cabin wall, every ventilation pipe; numbers although not comparable to Green Skins, the sense of oppression far exceeded Green Skins.

Plague bacteria permeated the air; even with filter masks, soldiers still began to show symptoms of skin ulceration, fever and weakness.

Carriers' self-detonations rose and fell in succession, pus splashing on Power Armor, sizzlingly corroding the armor surface layer.

Corruption Flies dive-bombed from overhead, venomous stingers piercing helmets, taking away one life after another.

Nurgle Beasts charged recklessly, crashing the carefully arranged Defensive Line into seven zero eight fallen.

Waa'gh with heads blown apart still writhed on the ground, toads severed in two still sprayed poison mist.

Even Nurgle Beasts bisected at the waist, at the wound new granulation tissue would quickly grow, attempting to re-knit.

These children of the Kindly Father perfectly interpreted what is "Immortal vitality".