bookrandom Chapter 366: The Emperor's Wrath
Chapter 366: The Emperor's Wrath
At the assembly square in Macurag, the torrent of steel gave Russell his first taste of the **true scale of war**.
He stood on the high reviewing stand, his gaze sweeping over an endless array of Ultramarines—a steel forest of hundreds of thousands of blue-armored warriors, their 'U' symbols on their shoulder armor shimmering like a sea under the starlight. Hundreds of Dreadnoughts marched heavily across the reviewing area, their earthquake-like footsteps making the air tremble. Further away, dozens of War Titans resembled moving metal mountains, their scanning beams flashing like the eyes of ancient giants.
"I've never seen so many..." Carleon's wings involuntarily unfurled slightly... "The Emperor's Angel of Death."
Guilliman's private bodyguard was truly awe-inspiring:
Two hundred Imperial Guards, their golden halberds forming a dazzling wall of light, made the air heavy with their very presence.
The armor of the **ten Achilles Terminators** is etched with inscriptions of glory from the Great Crusade.
The psionic barrier of the four Imperial Guards of Fearlessness tore distorted ripples through the air.
Two black-armored guards remained silent as shadows; even the Mechanicus refused to analyze their weapons.
The blue wings of twenty **Dawnhammer** crackled with electricity; these legendary psionic warriors were said to be able to single-handedly destroy Titans.
What is most breathtaking is the **Ever-Victorious Guard**—thousands of warriors clad in specially crafted power armor guarding the Primarch's holy banner, their breastplates adorned with laurel wreaths made from the ashes of real fallen soldiers.
"This is not an expedition," Russell said softly. "This is a **holy war**."
基里曼的声音突然通过全舰广播响起：&34；战士们！今天我们要碾碎的不仅是虫族与绿皮！&34；原体的动力剑&34；帝皇之剑&34；燃起蓝金色火焰，&34；我们要让亚空间记住——人类永不屈服！&34；
A million battle cries shook the heavens.
…………
Russell stood in front of the holographic projection platform of the **Macragh Strategic Sanctuary**, Guilliman's finger tracing an arc across half a star field on the star map.
"You think that's all?" The Primarch's voice held a sharpness Russell had never heard before. "No, this is merely the vanguard."
The star map unfolds layer by layer according to Guilliman's instructions—
The insignia of the fifty chapters' sub-churches shone like stars, from the Crimson Fist to the Black Templar, from the Iron Knights to the Deathwatch.
The assembly coordinates of **400,000 Space Marines** formed a golden torrent, converging on the Impenetrable Line via the warp channel.
The numbers of the 7.8 billion Astral Army units scrolled along the edge of the projection, including the remnants of the Kadia forces, the Krieg Death Legion, and the Armageddon Steel Legion.
The immense shadow of the **Mechanicus Ark Fleet** looms over the northern edge of the star map, its three Worldships comparable in size to a small moon.
Russell's tactical visor flickered from data overload. He had seen war, but never **the tangible form of war itself**.
"This exceeds the troop deployment during the Great Expedition." Carleon's wings trembled slightly.
Guilliman's lips curled into a chilling smile: **"Because this time, what we want isn't victory—"** His powered gauntlets crushed a projection of an orcish planet's symbol—**—extinction.**
The holographic image switched to an impenetrable 3D model, with Guilliman pointing towards the Zerg main hive:
"The first wave of attack was spearheaded by the Titan Legion, shattering the armor layers." Hundreds of **Warrior-class Titans** were displayed in the image.
"The second wave used whirlwind torpedoes to bombard the area, turning the nest into glass." "A crimson ripple, representing a thermomelting weapon, exploded on the star map."
After the other generals withdrew, Guilliman activated the static field.
"Not breaching the defenses is just the beginning." The Primarch brought up a panoramic view of the galaxy; the dark side of the Empire was stained crimson. "The main Tyranid forces are breeding there."
Russell suddenly understood why such a terrifying military force had been assembled—this was not a defensive war, but the first strategic counter-offensive by the human empire in ten thousand years.
…………
**Strategic Briefing Room, Macurag Flagship &34; Macurag's Glory &34;**
The holographic projection solidified on the metal tabletop into an impenetrable three-dimensional sand table, with the crimson markings of the Zerg hive's main vein intertwined with the blue dots of the Imperial forces. Guilliman's fingertip traced a path of surprise attack, finally stopping at the rift canyon on the eastern side of the defensive line.
"You'll attack from here." The Primarch's voice was devoid of any emotion. "Seventy-two hours from now, the main fleet will launch its final assault."
Katos Carius's power armor emitted a soft servo hum as the Ultramarines 2nd Company Commander adjusted the focus of his tactical goggles. **"There are inactive Blackrock arrays on the north side of the canyon. If the Zerg have already contaminated them—"**
"Therefore, you need to process this in advance." Guilliman pulled up a stream of encrypted data. "The Cult of Mechanics provided the Blackstone Suppression Protocol."
Russell silently received the tactical data, his gaze rapidly shifting between the canyon terrain and the Zerg heat source signals. The entrenching tool "Blood Drinker" quietly adhered to the magnetic lock on the leg armor, its blade edge gleaming with an unnatural dark red.
"The mission is divided into three phases." Katoscarius synchronized the battle plan to the squad's data link:
**Orbital Descent**: Break through air defenses in a disguised orc wreckage pod.
**Blackrock Purification**: Activates the suppression device provided by the Mechanicus 12 hours before the main offensive.
**Signal Guidance:** Mark the location of the Zerg Overmind for the Titan Legion.
A soft chuckle came from beneath Katosikalius's visor: "Looks like I've been assigned to the most dangerous position?" He tapped the newly installed psionic refractor on his shoulder armor, a specialized piece of equipment designed specifically for Zerg wizards.
Russell finally spoke: **"We need Superangels to maintain air superiority."** He pulled up the Winged Warrior combat data previously provided by Carlyon, **"Their psionic bursts can temporarily disable Zerg communications."**
"Approved." Guilliman deactivated the holographic projection. "Remember, the key to this operation is—"
"Precise as a scalpel," Katoscarius replied, turning to Russell, his tactical visors flashing. "Old friend, don't rush too far this time."
Russell silently checked the attack boat's weapon system parameters. On his tactical screen, the countdown timer had already begun to tick:
**[71:59:59]**