Awakening Psionic Power

Gunfire echoed through the entire Lower Deck. The plasma flames spewed by the Firebat were utterly impassable for mere flesh and blood.

"By the God-Emperor! Traitors, feel the wrath of the God-Emperor!"

The soldier clad in CMC-660 shouted excitedly, swearing this was the best gear he'd ever used in his life.

The only downside was that he always felt a strange stench while wearing this suit...

It came from the Firebat's special thermal layer, which absorbed the wearer's sweat while insulating heat.

But compared to the gear's power, this minor drawback was completely ignored. Who cared about a little stink?

The reckless Living Dead charged like moths to a flame, but all turned to ash in the fire.

The Machine Gunners picked off the severely mutated individuals among the horde.

As the battle wore on, the Enforcer Squad and soldiers grew increasingly familiar with their equipment.

They even began using their existing gear to further boost their combat effectiveness.

The Combat Suit made it easier to lift sturdy, heavy Boarding Shields, and the enhanced strength let them hurl Meltabombs and other throwables at incredible distances.

Instead of the bayonets on their C-14s, they preferred equipping themselves with Chainswords.

Wielding a Chainsword in a Combat Suit could easily cleave two or three enemies in half at the waist.

The combat power of ordinary soldiers had received an epic upgrade.

The battlefield's scales had tipped decisively in the Empire's favor.

"Five-man squads! Cover each other, search for survivors, don't leave any corner unchecked. Notify the logistics team and the priests to take over here!"

The squads began to spread out. Their mission was to purge all mutants.

The soldiers in Combat Suits moved swiftly, slamming open sealed doors and burning anything tainted by Chaos.

In some rooms, they found people who hadn't completely lost their minds, but those already affected by Chaos still met their deaths.

Through Damon's perspective, Gao Yi watched the entire battle. It felt a bit like playing Dark Tide, except the soldiers in Combat Suits killed far more efficiently.

They weren't quite at the level of the "Four Little Strongmen" per capita, but close—and there were hundreds of such soldiers.

Seeing his Psionic Crystal balance hit 3000, Gao Yi felt a surge of wealth.

That was enough to build several more Barracks, though a Heavy Factory required 50k Psionic Crystals, and a Starport needed 100k. He still had a long way to go.

But the Heavy Factory could produce Titan-class weapons like the Thor, and the Starport could build Yamato Warships capable of direct warp jumps. Faced with such creations, the Psionic Crystal cost didn't seem so outrageous anymore.

The influx of Psionic Crystals also caused changes in Gao Yi's body.

He tentatively threw a punch, and it produced a sonic boom. Closing his eyes, he once again saw his projection in the Warp.

It was that black hole-like entity, purifying the Warp energy he'd gained through slaughter.

As the black hole devoured more and more Warp energy, Gao Yi found he could also channel the purified energy within it.

He opened his eyes, and lightning-like light flashed within them. Psionic energy surged through his body, and his five senses instantly covered everything within a kilometer—all of it under his perception.

The Voidship was currently traveling through the Warp, without needing to breach the barrier of realspace, further amplifying Gao Yi's power.

This Psionic energy had been stripped of its negative aspects, imposing no burden on the user.

Moreover, in his Psionic Vision, he could even see Damon and the other recruited soldiers. Originally, he could only deploy store-bought soldiers beside himself, but now he could project himself to their locations.

"I get it... Loading StarCraft and then crossing into this world makes me the Xel'Naga of the Warhammer universe. The Warp projection is like the Xel'Naga's true form in the Void, and this physical body is my avatar in the material universe.

Just like the fallen Xel'Naga Amon in StarCraft 2, who needed to kill the Protoss that worshipped him to sustain his power, I kill those with Warp energy inside them.

If I keep growing, could I become a god?

I have a feeling that once I fully purge this ship's corruption, my strength will increase significantly!"

In games and chat groups, Gao Yi had often said things like "For the God-Emperor," but as a soldier of the proletariat, he couldn't bring himself to truly believe in a god. And the God-Emperor wouldn't respond to false faith—faith wasn't something you could just claim verbally to receive blessings.

Since the God-Emperor was out of reach, Gao Yi figured he'd rely on himself for now.

Speeding up the suppression of the riot, Gao Yi sensed he was about to awaken a new ability, but his current power wasn't enough yet.

Within a one-kilometer radius centered on Gao Yi, he could clearly perceive every movement, expression, and even every word of everyone.

Just as he was studying how to use this power, Damon's voice came through the Audio Array System.

"Commander! They're killing the survivors. Many still retain human consciousness, and the Medics could heal their wounds, but they're being burned alive! I can't stop them."

Hearing Damon's words, Gao Yi could only sigh. Though he found it cruel, he knew the soldiers were doing nothing wrong.

"Damon, you don't understand this world yet. Those corrupted might still be saved, but the cost is too high, and there's no way to do it on this ship.

Rather than letting them suffer and become a breeding ground for Warp corruption, it's better to let them die while they're still human. They have their faith. Dying as humans, their souls might still reach the Golden Throne. If they fully transform into followers of Chaos, their souls after death might be taken by the Chaos Gods!

Don't interfere with these soldiers' actions. This is wisdom forged in blood and tears."

"Alright... I understand, Commander. The battle has made great progress!

We've initially cleared the cargo sectors A and B. The mindless enemies' charges are nothing. The logistics team has started setting up positions and supply points here. I have to say, those priests and acolytes really know their stuff. Since they started chanting things I can't understand and performing complex rituals, the virus in the air seems to have actually decreased!"

"Don't let your guard down, Damon. More gear and ammo are coming down. Listen to the advice of this world's soldiers. Chaos is far more troublesome than you imagine. I don't believe these Living Dead are the only enemies. This world has Psykers too, and those who worship Chaos are adept at using that power!"

Hearing that the enemy could also use Psionics, Damon grew serious. In StarCraft, his boss Raynor's lover Kerrigan was a powerful Psionic... He knew all too well the destruction she could cause.

"I understand! The Sound Array picked up survivors still resisting in the next sector—their priest mentioned crucial intel about the original Rogue Trader, but the transmission was cut off by some kind of interference before he could continue!"

"The original Rogue Trader? Damon, find a way to save them. The Rogue Trader's descent to the Lower Deck reeks of something off—we need that intel."

"We're already preparing!"

With that, Damon cut the comms.

"Boys, leave the cleanup to the rear. Check your weapons and ammo—there are people waiting for us to save them!"

"Yes, sir!"

Meanwhile, as the Loyalists pressed forward, at least a thousand surviving Shipworkers held their ground inside the Church in the Cargo Area.

They stayed within the Church, praying ceaselessly before the God-Emperor's holy icon.

The Ecclesiarchy's churches were built on every deck of the warship. No one would cut corners on a temple dedicated to the God-Emperor—the Church was sturdy and vast, always guarded by soldiers who maintained order.

Ecclesiarchy priests also took shifts around the clock, spreading the God-Emperor's faith and counseling the Shipworkers who lived and worked under constant oppressive conditions.

Compared to the soldiers on the upper decks, those on the Lower Deck needed faith even more to keep themselves from falling to corruption.

"Priest... those madmen really can't break in, can they? The great Rogue Trader will come to save us, right?"

"Of course. The God-Emperor's Protection shields us. Those traitors will face the most terrible punishment. You saw it yourselves—the deadly Toxic Fog being kept out is the best proof. And the Sound Array is back online; the Rogue Trader's soldiers are on their way to rescue us. Just hold on a little longer, and we'll all be safe!

Come, let us pray together before the God-Emperor's statue—He will protect us!"

By now, the Church was faintly radiating golden light with each growing prayer, holding back the surrounding Toxic Fog.