What the Heck? This Planet Has a C'tan Shard?

Despair?

Fear?

Such emotions could appear in anyone.

Except players.

The threat of death meant nothing to them.

Gunfire could not instill any fear in them.

Faced with roaring artillery fire, not only were they unafraid, it instead stirred their desire for experience, victory, and loot.

They were a natural disaster that drove their enemies to despair.

The moment the battle began,

the players cheered as they launched their attack on the enemy.

Their fighting style was exceptionally fierce.

They charged bravely through enemy lasers and bullets.

There was not a trace of fear of death in their eyes.

Only longing and excitement for the battlefield.

Watching this after landing, Aing began to wonder whether the God Chosen were Ork Boyz wearing human skin.

The Cultists and Plague Zombies in the Outer District had already suffered severe casualties from a round of orbital bombardment.

Under the players' fearless assault, they quickly collapsed and scattered in flight, unable to organize any meaningful resistance.

The veteran players, clad in Exoskeleton Armor, charged at the very front.

The shoulder-mounted machine guns spun continuously, gunning down enemies who poked their heads out from behind cover.

Behind them were the new players responsible for finishing off the wounded.

"This game is thrilling."

Damo held his Lasgun and shot down Cultists in the trench one after another.

"Die, minion of the Corpse Emperor."

A Cultist suddenly rushed out from behind a barricade.

His expression was crazed, a dagger clutched in his hand as he lunged at Damo.

Damo dodged, and the attacker missed, stumbling forward.

Damo seized the chance to smash the Lasgun's stock into the man's back.

Causing him to lose his balance and fall forward.

Then he swiftly pulled the trigger and killed him.

"Damo, were you ever a soldier?"

Seeing Damo's fluid series of moves, Hardcore Bro sounded somewhat surprised.

"Never was. Just work out a lot because of my job," Damo said casually.

"Let's team up," Hardcore Bro said. "The veteran players have too much of an advantage right now. If we don't team up, it'll be hard to catch up to them."

"Team up?" Damo considered it. "That's a great suggestion. You help me get stronger first, then I'll help you get stronger. A win-win."

Hardcore Bro: "..."

"Damn it! Pretend I never said anything."

"Don't be like that, let's team up. When we log off, come to the island. I'll treat you to food, drinks, and fun all in one package."

"..."

On the other side of the battlefield.

A group of fleeing Rebel soldiers hid inside a half-collapsed ruin.

Boom!

The charred wall was smashed open.

When the rebels saw a five-meter-tall Exoskeleton Armor appear, they were all stunned.

"Heh! Heh! Those who betray the God-Emperor—die."

Little Fatty's voice came from inside the Exoskeleton Armor.

The circular saw mounted at the end of its mechanical arm spun at high speed and swung toward the Cultists.

The rebels'

flesh was instantly torn apart, crimson blood and organs splattering all over the ground.

The Rebel soldiers fortunate enough to survive were so terrified they broke down, turning to flee this hellish battlefield.

The Multi-laser mounted on the other mechanical arm began spinning at high speed.

The muzzles flashed as dense beams poured forth.

The few rebels trying to escape instantly fell, their bodies covered in dense, charred wounds.

"Praise the Omnissiah."

Little Fatty searched for new targets, then continued his slaughter.

He would turn these damned enemies into his experience packs, Contribution Points, and Faith Points.

Inside a trench.

"We've lost. We must leave."

The report from his adjutant made Kras reveal an incredulous expression.

An hour ago, they had still held an absolute advantage.

They had countless Plague Zombies and well-equipped Cultists.

They only needed to complete the ritual and spread the plague into the inner city to win this planet for Grandfather Nurgle.

And now, they were losing the war.

"What exactly is going on?" Kras asked.

"It is that Guide. Rumor says he is the Emperor's envoy and possesses a Lunar-class Cruiser and a group of fearless subordinates."

The adjutant's voice carried fear.

"Damned Corpse-Stench Minions!" Kras roared furiously.

"We must retreat and find a chance to reorganize our forces," the adjutant said.

Kras looked at the devastated battlefield and the fleeing Cultists, then nodded.

"Give the order to every unit we can contact. We retreat and reorganize our forces."

Just as the adjutant was about to relay the order, an excited voice rang out.

"Hey, brothers, there's a boss here."

"Take some psychic power!"

Kras and his adjutant instinctively turned around.

They saw several glowing crystals flying toward them.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The subordinates beside Kras had no time even to scream before all their heads exploded.

At that moment, Ten-Timer, Twisted Man, Wrist Bro, and Turtle, clad in Exoskeleton Armor, appeared above the trench.

Facing the black muzzles, Kras and the other surviving rebels chose to kneel and surrender.

"This guy looks pretty high-ranking. He must be worth a lot."

Ten-Timer sized up the kneeling Kras.

Twisted Man rubbed his chin. "I'd guess he's some kind of big boss."

Turtle laughed. "If the Warmaster finds out, he'll be furious. We caught a big fish, and he doesn't get a share."

Seeing the Imperial Glory's drop troops advancing with unstoppable momentum and driving the rebels back step by step,

the city's defenders also seized the chance to launch a counterattack.

Boom! Boom!

Artillery fire erupted.

Several heavy tanks rumbled over broken stones and rubble.

They fired at the rebels' remaining strongpoints.

Blowing apart the enemy together with the barricades covered in Chaos symbols.

"Charge! Make those bastards pay their blood debt."

"In the name of the Golden Throne, for honor, advance faster!"

Imperium officers shouted, urging the soldiers to pick up the pace.

The rebels collapsed across the entire line and fled outside the Hive City.

The wandering Plague Zombies were also wiped out.

A few days later, the Imperium's Double-Headed Eagle banners once again flew over every street in the Outer District.

The demoralized rebels threw away their weapons and armor as they fled.

They were driven out of the Hive City by the combined forces of the players and Loyalists.

News of the Outer District campaign's victory filled the ragged refugees with excitement.

It was the first good news they had heard in a long time.

Many people voluntarily took to the streets, praising the God-Emperor, the Guide, the God Chosen, and the Imperium soldiers who had fought bravely.

After learning that the ground rebels had been defeated, Qin Yun ordered the ship to move to new orbital coordinates.

He prepared to give those rebels and Cultists another round of orbital bombardment.

Not long after the Outer District campaign ended, the Warmaster, serving as a diplomatic envoy, sent another message.

"Lord Guide, thanks to my status as one of the God Chosen and the victory of the Outer District campaign,"

"the people here have been very willing to share those secret histories with me. They even allowed me to visit the library and consult its materials freely."

"Through my efforts, I finally found information regarding that ancestor of the Valancius Family."

"What he brought back was very likely a C'tan Shard."

"The reason the exploration fleet was wiped out in the Koronus Expanse was because it encountered a Necron fleet that had come to retrieve the C'tan Shard."

"A conflict broke out between them. The exploration fleet paid a heavy price to destroy that Necron fleet and brought back the C'tan Shard."

"At present, that C'tan Shard is very likely inside the ancestral mausoleum of the Valancius Family."

The intelligence gathered by the Warmaster made Qin Yun's eyes widen.

That was a C'tan!

One of the galaxy's most ancient lifeforms, a participant in the War in Heaven, an embodiment of the laws of the material universe.

Even shattered into fragments, it possessed unparalleled power.

An ancestor of the Valancius Family had actually snatched one back.

And even placed it in his own tomb.

What kind of absurd Long Aotian story was this?

At that moment, a golden screen appeared.

Mission: Obtain the C'tan Shard on Planet Automata.

The C'tan are ancient lifeforms of the material universe, possessing unimaginable wisdom and power.

If you can properly wield this power and wisdom, it may bring you unexpected assistance.

Please find the C'tan Shard hidden on Planet Automata and bring it before the Emperor's Shrine.

Reward: A C'tan Seed blank of past experiences, possessing limitless growth potential.

PS: The Emperor's favorite church.

The author is online, humbly begging for continued reading so this can get recommended.