Gunfire echoed throughout the entire Lower Deck, and the plasma flames spewed by the Firebats were simply not something of flesh and blood could pass through.
"The God-Emperor is upon us! Traitors, feel the wrath of the God-Emperor!"
A soldier wearing CMC-660 shouted excitedly, swearing that this was the best equipment he had ever used in his life.
The only downside was that he always felt an indescribable stench coming from inside the suit...
That was caused by the Firebat's special insulation layer, which absorbed the user's sweat while providing thermal insulation.
Yet compared to the power of the equipment, this tiny negative effect was directly ignored! What did a little stink matter?
The suicidal Living Dead rushed up like moths to a flame, but all turned to ashes within the flames.
The Machine Gunners picked off the heavily mutated individuals amidst the horde.
As the battle dragged on, the Enforcer Squad and the soldiers grew increasingly familiar with their equipment.
They even began utilizing their existing gear to further boost their combat effectiveness.
The combat suits made it easier for them to lift sturdy and heavy boarding shields, and the increased strength granted by the suits allowed them to hurl meltabombs and various thrown objects a tremendous distance.
Compared to the bayonets on the C-14s, they preferred equipping themselves with a chainsword.
Wielding a chainsword while wearing a combat suit allowed them to easily cut two or three enemies in half at the waist.
The combat effectiveness of ordinary soldiers received an epic-level enhancement.
The balance of the battlefield had completely tilted toward the Imperial side.
"In squads of 5! Cover each other, search for survivors, miss no corners, and notify the logistics team and the Priest to take over this place!"
The team began to scatter, their mission being the clearance of all mutants.
The soldiers in combat suits moved quickly, closed doors were battered open, and anything related to Chaos was incinerated.
They did indeed find some people in certain rooms who had not completely lost their minds, but having been affected by Chaos, they still could not escape the fate of death.
Gao Yi also witnessed the entire battle through Damon's perspective, and it really felt a bit like playing Dark Tide, except the soldiers in combat suits slaughtered far more efficiently.
Even if they weren't at the level of the four minor powers per capita, they were close, and there were over a hundred such soldiers.
Watching the balance of Psionic Crystals reach 3000, Gao Yi felt a sense of sudden wealth.
This was enough for him to construct several more barracks, while a Heavy Factory required 50k Psionic Crystals and a Starport required 100k, still a long way from being saved up.
However, the Heavy Factory could manufacture Titan-class weapons like Thors, and the Starport could even manufacture Voidships capable of direct warp jumps; in front of such creations, this psionic crystal requirement didn't seem so unreasonable after all.
Moreover, the influx of a large number of Psionic Crystals also caused some changes in Gao Yi's body.
Gao Yi tentatively threw a punch, which actually produced a tearing sound in the air. As he closed his eyes, he once again saw his own projection within the Warp.
It was precisely this existence resembling a black hole that purified the warp energy he had obtained through slaughter.
And as the warp energy swallowed by this black hole increased, Gao Yi discovered that he could also channel the purified energy within it.
Gao Yi opened his eyes. Lightning-like brilliance flashed within them, psionic energy surged inside his body, and his five senses instantly covered all matters within a one-kilometer radius, everything under his perception.
At this moment the Voidship was sailing within the Warp, needing no breakthrough of the real universe's barrier, which further increased Gao Yi's power.
Furthermore, the negative part of this psionic energy had been weeded out, causing no burden whatsoever to the user.
And within his psionic vision, he could even see Damon and those recruited soldiers. Originally, he could only summon shop soldiers right beside himself, but now he could deploy them near any recruited soldier.
I understand... After loading StarStarCraft and crossing into this world, I am the Xel'Naga of the Warhammer universe. The warp projection is equivalent to the Xel'Naga's true form in the Void, and this fleshly body of mine is my avatar in the physical universe.
Just as the fallen Xel'Naga Amon in StarCraft 2 needed to kill the Protoss who worshipped him to obtain energy to sustain himself, I kill those with warp energy inside their bodies.
If I keep growing, might I have a chance to become a god?
I have a feeling that once I completely resolve the corruption of this warship, my strength should experience a massive growth!
Although in games and in group chats Gao Yi had said plenty of things about vowing loyalty to the God-Emperor, as a proletarian soldier, he couldn't just suddenly worship a god, and the God-Emperor was unlikely to respond to false worship. Such faith couldn't be blessed just by speaking words aloud.
Since the God-Emperor couldn't be counted on now, Gao Yi felt he had better rely on himself for the time being.
Speeding up the suppression of the riot, Gao Yi already felt as though he were about to awaken new abilities, only his current strength was not yet enough.
Gao Yi could clearly understand the actions, expressions, and even speech of everyone within a one-kilometer radius centered on himself.
Just as Gao Yi was studying how he should use this power, Damon's voice came through the Audio Array System.
"Commander! They are killing the survivors. Many people still retain human consciousness, and the Medic can heal their wounds, but they are still being burned alive! I can't stop them."
Hearing Damon's words, Gao Yi could only heave a sigh. Although he also felt it was somewhat cruel, he knew those soldiers were not doing anything wrong.
"Damon, you don't understand this world yet. Those corrupted people might still be saved, but the price to pay is too great, and there's no way such a method can be found on this warship."
"Instead of letting them suffer and become breeding grounds for warp corruption, it is better to accept death while they can still be considered human. They have their faith; dying while still human leaves their souls with a chance to journey to the Golden Throne. If they completely transform into followers of Chaos, their souls after death might be carried away by the Chaos Gods!"
"Do not interfere in the business of these soldiers. This is experience summarized through blood and tears."
"Alright... I understand... Commander, the battle has made great progress!"
"We have initially cleared out the enemies in Cargo Area A-B. The onslaught of those mindless fellows is simply not worth mentioning. The logistics team has also started establishing positions and supply points here. I have to say those priests and acolytes really know their stuff; ever since they started chanting a bunch of words I don't understand and performing complex rituals, the virus in the air here really seems to have diminished!"
"Don't let your guard down, Damon. More equipment and ammunition are already being sent down. Listen closely to the advice of the soldiers of this world; the entanglements of Chaos are far more troublesome than imagined. I refuse to believe the enemy this time will only be these Living Dead. This world also has Psykers, and those who worship Chaos are adept at utilizing this power!"
Hearing that the enemy could also use psionic power, Damon grew serious. In StarCraft, his boss Raynor's lover Kerrigan was a powerful psyker... He knew that kind of destructive power.
"I understand! The Audio Array received that there are still survivors resisting in the next area. The Priest there said there is important intelligence, mentioning the original Rogue Trader, but before he could continue, the Audio Array was cut off by some kind of interference!!"
"The original Rogue Trader? Damon, find a way to save them. The Rogue Trader heading to the Lower Deck reeks of strangeness; we need this intelligence."
"We are already making preparations!"
With that, Damon cut off the communication system.
"Lads, leave the cleanup work to the people behind us! Check your weapons and ammo! There are still people waiting for us to save!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
Meanwhile, as the Loyalists continued their advance, inside the church in the cargo area, at least a thousand surviving shipworkers were holding their ground.
They stood firm within the church, continuously praying toward the statue of the God-Emperor.
The Ecclesiarchy's churches were spread across every deck of the warship. No one would cut corners on a church consecrated to the God-Emperor; the churches were sturdy and built large, with soldiers constantly guarding and maintaining order.
Ecclesiarchy priests would also take turns 24 hours a day in the church to spread the faith of the God-Emperor and counsel those shipworkers continually living and working in oppressive environments.
Compared to the soldiers of the Upper Deck, the people of the Lower Deck needed faith far more to ensure they would not be corrupted.
"Priest... can those madmen really not break in? The great Rogue Trader will come to save us, right?"
"Naturally. The God-Emperor protects us, and those traitors will suffer the most terrifying punishments. Have you seen it? The fact that those deadly toxic gasses are kept outside is the best proof. Furthermore, the Audio Array has recovered, and the Rogue Trader's soldiers are heading here to rescue us. Just hold on a little longer, and all of us will be fine!"
"Come, let us pray together toward the statue of the God-Emperor; He will protect us!"
At this moment, amidst the growing prayers, the church also faintly radiated golden light, isolating the surrounding toxic fog.
Before you continue