The "Wind-Blessed"'s "Flying" Daily Life, In the Water Tank

The Ninth Chapter's Shadow of Order

The flagship of the Ninth Chapter, the Relic-class battleship the Surge.

The five lower decks were connected; initially there were three decks, but later there were five.

Two figures "flew" in the air above the training ground, like large black birds with wings on their backs.

Their black armor was much lighter than ordinary Power Armor, and the wings on their backs were designed by Malevolus based on the Yeld-type Hunt-Master Suit.

The armor is made of Feather Fall yet tough metal composite materials, but to reduce energy consumption, the ability to mimic color changes has been abandoned; stealth is not their fighting style.

Neither of them used built-in wings for assistance; it was a pure contest of "flight."

The "Wind-blessed" were enveloped in a raging storm of wind, which howled and roared.

Nicholas, who had recently been promoted to "Wind-blessed", was "flying" in mid-air, moving between various supports.

The support frame was swept by the hurricane and swayed incessantly.

The locator runes flashing across the helmet display showed Szczesny high in the air ahead, almost touching the dome.

Szczesny not only flew higher than him, but also consistently led him by more than 100 meters.

[He has fully mastered the power bestowed upon him by our Lord; he is a true "Wind-blessed."]

Nicholas suddenly felt the hurricane surrounding him recede, his body sink, and he plummeted downwards.

The "Wind-blessed" felt like Stormbird, swooping down.

Dust in the duct is propelled by strong winds onto the fairings at both ends, and then sucked away by filters before impact.

Nicholas glanced at his helmet Eyepiece; he was still 210 meters from the finish line marker, and his descent was accelerating.

He tried his best to straighten his body, ensuring that the trajectory of his "flight" was forward, not downward.

Nicholas saw ahead through the helmet's imaging layer as Szczesny calmly descended, the hurricane surrounding him instantly subsiding.

His body landed steadily at the finish line, neither forward nor backward.

Nicholas's body slowed down more and more, and he glided forward a distance with all his might.

Finally, as the storm subsided, he lost control of his body and fell to the ground.

Nicholas glanced at the positioning rune, which showed a value of 58.2 meters.

"Storm Lord, I have lost."

"Your progress has exceeded expectations," Szczesny said as he approached, "And you haven't used your preferred Storm Discipline Psionic Energy."

"This is a contest purely among the 'Wind-blessed,' a way to wield the power bestowed by our Lord."

Nicholas didn't care too much about the outcome; he felt his Spirituality becoming more active and enjoyed the daily "flight" experience of the "Wind-blessed".

"That's true," Szczesny nodded, remarking with a sigh.

"I thought that each time I tried to master the power given to me by my Lord, it would become increasingly difficult."

"But the 'Wind-blessed' are different; they have a very clear direction in which they wield this power, and all they need to do is use the wind."

He shared his insights with Nicholas: "Of course, letting yourself get angry occasionally will help you master it faster."

"The same applies to People of Fury '."

"As you say," Nicholas agreed, "I believe this is why our Lord has entrusted us with the path of the Aeldari's Path of the Dire Avenger."

"Anger contains immense power, but it can also easily lead to loss of control, which my lord would not want to see," said Szczesny, who had followed the Black Emperor since Vostonia.

"We have explored two directions, and we will put this into practice in Behentheim."

"I will lead the Honor Guard, wielding the 'War Mask,' a weapon also derived from the Aeldari 'Path of the Warrior, to transform anger into power."

"You lead the Librarian and selected Warrior into the state of Mindset created by our Lord, unleashing the power of rage."

"I call them the Storm-Bearer." Nicholas's eyes were deep. After receiving the Black Emperor's orders, he and Szczesny began to practice the Path of the Dire Avenger in the Ninth Chapter.

As Librarian, he infuses his Mindset into it, pursuing a storm of power.

Just as Szczesny was about to speak, the communicator built into the helmet beeped.

After he connected, the voice of the Vox Master came through.

"Storm Lord, the fleet has reached Anchor and is ready to proceed to the Behentheim system in the real world."

"Initiate warp drive," Szczesny ordered, then said to Nicholas, "Return to bridge."

"As you wish," Nicholas followed Szczesny toward the elevator.

The elevators on the Ninth Chapter's ships are quite different; they are decorated with seashells and corals from the Ocean World on composite crystal material.

Through the crystal glass, one can see the Shadow of Order submerged in individual water tanks within the layers of decks.

Most of them were already "People of Fury," but like the "Sailor," they also enjoyed the churning in the water.

The elevator ascended rapidly, and as the hatch opened, the Librarian's eyes flashed. He sensed a noticeable change as the ship passed through the barrier.

They went straight to the tactical table in front of the command the Throne. The "Archaeologist" who oversaw the Chapter's Simulacrum Sanctum had already compiled the scan results and transformed the tactical data into holographic images to present to their lord.

Szczesny stared at the tactical table and noticed that the red and blue forces were evenly matched.

He turned his gaze to his right, browsing the five operational plans submitted by the "Deduction Cadets" who were assuming the duties of captain.

"Expand Operation Plan No. 2."

Following Szczesny's command, a screen with a blue frame popped up and zoomed in.

"Execute Operation Plan Two, codenamed Tide-9."

"Yes, sir." The captain's response rang out in the Sonic Array channel.

Under command, millions of servants and crew members activated weapon systems and power conduits.

The Punishment-class Reactor powered the thrusters, and almost simultaneously, every Voidship in the Chapter increased its engine power.

Frigates and destroyers were the first to start, crashing against the formation of the Rangdan ships like the crest of a tide.

Like a tide washing over rocks, it broke up the formation of the Xenos ships.

Beams and projectiles crisscrossed the sea of stars, illuminating the void.

The Lance of the Relic-class warship pierced through Rangdan's entire formation and struck the flagship's hull, which was covered with spikes and flails.

Battleships and cruisers followed, crashing wave after wave against the enemy lines.

In the vast sea of stars, silent explosions filled the flagship, and the withered bones of the destroyed Voidship radiated dazzling flames.

Szczesny stared at the screen filled with signals, which gradually subsided like the receding tide, and then he gave the order.

Preparing to log in.

On the ships of the Ninth Chapter, the built-in communicators of the Shadow of Order in each water tank emitted the order to assemble.

One thousand nine hundred and fifty "People of Fury" and three thousand two hundred and ninety "Sailor" surfaced and emerged from the tank.

Water droplets dripped from them and collected in the circulation device.

The Drop Pod rained down on the main planet of Behentheim.