The Long Night, The Trembling Earth

In the Primarch's office on the Shadow of the Throne, Arsena Dunn reports to the Black Emperor.

"My lord, the Star Lord reports that the 5th Legion has broken through the only corridor of the Volpa Star Canyon, creating conditions for the deployment of the Ramillies-class Star Fortress."

"Once deployed, the Ramillies-class Star Fortress will block the only path to the Gugan System and the Sak Trada Abyss."

"Chief Navigator of the Legion, Your Excellency Mr. Visher, reports that the flagship's delivery will be completed in thirty-one standard minutes."

Malena Scarla's brown eyes flickered, and after the Primarch's Attendants finished reporting, she spoke.

"My lord, the construct I created using Slaugth's technology has completed its experimental production."

"Although I haven't mastered the technology to manufacture necrosis weapons, I used damaged construct limbs to fill the gaps."

Nimrod slightly and gave instructions to Malena.

"Deployed on Planet Gorgis, within the ambush zone."

Nimrod had already informed the two of his plans, explaining in detail the function of the Perturabo Stasis Device, while selectively concealing parts of the plan such as the "Nation of Disorder".

He then got up and walked towards the bridge with the two men.

After the Shadow of the Throne arrived in the Gugan System, a torrent of data poured onto Captain Diana Pauline's control panel.

The Hypnotist's Superhuman Brain works at lightning speed, organizing information and forming a report.

"Sir, the 5th Legion has established a defensive line at Star Gorge."

"The Simulacrum Sanctum has received the 5th Legion's scan results and located the target planet— Gorgis."

"Death Lord reports: The Fourth Legion has completed its assembly as planned."

Nimrod nodded and gave the order.

"Execute the planned attack on Gorgis."

"As you wish." Diana reviewed the 5th Legion's report, refining the battle plan she had constructed based on the information issued by the Primarch.

Overall, Herud's warships were no match for the Imperium warships.

They pose a significant threat at close range; the Volpa Star Canyon, which the flagship is currently traversing and the 5th Legion is breaking through, is the most favorable environment for them.

At the same time, the Tech Sergeant led by the "Mechanic Expert" were Analysis the compiled scan data in the Simulacrum Sanctum.

Entropy Field defense, spacetime oscillation shockwave...

After Diana finalized her battle plan, she looked up at the enormous holographic screen above her.

The Shadow of the Throne traveled through the narrow void, smashing through the broken rocks and burning metal debris.

Her vision gradually opened up, and on one side, a black warship bearing the insignia of the "Shadow of Order" legion, and on the other side, a green skull and crossbones of the Fourth Legion, converged on the flagship.

They deployed their forces centered around the Gloriana-class Battleship Shadow of the Throne and the Chapter flagship HMS Death Wither.

The black fleet weaved through the stars in the faint, twinkling light of the stars.

Diana's gaze returned to the tactical images on the control panel, where the Herud fleet had deployed a defensive line in space between 10,000 and 30,000 kilometers from Gorgis.

The blurred runes, enveloped by layers of spacetime fields, are becoming clearer at a visible speed.

"Captain," the Chief Gunnery Officer's gruff voice rang out, "Enemy ship locked, Aether Cannon ready, Lance lances charged."

Diana swiftly marked the two targets, then stared at the screen as colorful beams of light shot out from the Shadow of the Throne and the Death Wither.

A blazing white beam of light, followed by a stream of colored light, struck precisely the two gray rune markers.

The two gray rune markers vanished.

As Diana's hands moved swiftly, the gray runes disappeared one by one.

The gray light of the Entropy Energy beam that shot towards them faded rapidly and dissipated before reaching the black runes.

After five rounds of attacks, the Herud warships realized they were at a complete disadvantage in long-range firefights, and a swarm of runes surged forth like fish.

Diana became busy, issuing orders at lightning speed.

"Shadow of the Throne, turn 3-6-8, lean 4 and proceed."

"..."

The black warships dispersed, spreading out like a large net to increase the distance between themselves and the Herud warships.

The Hrud of the Gugan System lost most of their warships at the Volpa Star Canyon, and the remaining warships were insufficient to close the distance.

They burned fiercely in the depleting Entropy Field.

After the Black Fleet arrived in Gorgis's high orbit, Diana summarized the results of the fleet's Auger Matrix scan and reported to the Primarch.

"Sir, the scan results show no signs of Xenos life on the surface."

"As you said before, the Herud are a nocturnal race; during the day they all stay huddled in the caves they've dug."

"Order the Fourth Legion to land and establish a line at the tunnel entrance. Do not enter the tunnel before inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy." Nimrod gave the order and then got up and went to the strategic table.

Arsena followed the Black Emperor to the strategic table.

The "Knowledge Keeper" knew that the Black Emperor was choosing an ambush location, and his blue eyes scrutinized the holographic image.

A moment later, he pointed to a spot on the Gorgis equator, a place filled with natural caves.

"Natural caves are ideal dwellings for the Hrud; the largest concentration of Xenos should be found here."

Nimrod nodded, then raised his hand to zoom in.

"Here."

As Nimrod selected the ambush coordinates, the Fourth Legion's Heavy Transport Ship disembarked their "cargo."

Oliver, the company commander of the First Company, successfully landed without encountering any air defense resistance for the first time.

Encased in armor, the "Spirit Medium" strolled off the deck, gazing up at the faint, tiny light of the star.

[Herud hates sunlight even more than we do!]

Oliver withdrew his gaze and strode toward the rune-marked tunnel.

As he walked through the ruins, he looked around cautiously.

The obvious drag marks confirm that, as the Black Emperor stated, the Hrud are a race of scavengers.

When Oliver arrived at the tunnel entrance, the company members had already set up their defensive lines in an orderly manner, following the exercise plan.

The Tech Sergeant led his servants, recruited from the Necromunda artisan class, and deployed a ring of Scorpion Turret around the entrance.

The Shadow of Order members did not carry Bolter, which were not very powerful after Weakening the Entropy Field. Instead, they stood between the sentry cannons, wielding weapons newly equipped by the Chapter and derived from the Squats' Seismic Technology.

Oliver looked up and saw that the starlight had dimmed to the point of being like a candle flame.

The "Spirit Medium" activated his Spirit Sight and looked into the depths of the tunnel.

Grayish-white specks of light and shadow were reflected in the "Spirit Medium's " eyes.

They throbbed and trembled, their crimson bloodlust gleaming in the light.

The moment a sentry gun was deployed at the tunnel entrance, the long night in Gorgis began.

"Prepare for battle!"

Oliver gave the order loudly and strode forward, carrying the Concussion Weapon.

When the Machine Spirit of the Scorpion Turret sensed the presence of the Hrud, it immediately roared and opened fire.

Even to the keen-sense eyes of the Shadow of Order, Herud was an almost imperceptible shadow.

However, the thermal imaging system of the Scorpion Turret can capture the leakage of environmental heat caused by the entropy effect.

The sentry guns rotated, and the twin Lascannon roared to life.

The laser's speed defied all physical limitations, piercing the enemy's entropy field and tearing the two Herud to shreds.

A dozen or so Herud surged forward, their entropy fields overlapping each other, causing the air in front of them to bend and tighten, as if covered by a curtain.

They moved swiftly, propelled forward by a long arm and two legs, freeing their hands to Plasma Flintlock.

In the blink of an eye, they swiftly raised the Plasma Flintlock in their hands.

A weapon that is essentially a simple symbiosis of Melta weapons and plasma weapons, it fired beams of fire hotter than starlight at the Scorpion Turret.

The laser beam hissed and struck again, killing a Herud.

A pillar of fire swept across and engulfed the metallic body of the Scorpion Turret.

The Machine Spirit roared, driving the twin cannons to launch a final barrage, tearing the two abomination Xenos apart.

The "Spirit Medium" watched as the Xenos screamed and surged toward the tunnel entrance, then slammed his raised Concussion Weapon down.

The Imperium of Man had lost the technology to manufacture the Concussion Weapon, which crashed at the tunnel entrance.

The ground shook, and an invisible shockwave completely tore apart the wreckage of the Scorpion Turret.

The shockwave shot straight into the dark tunnel, slamming into the surging Herud.

The shockwave pierced through the Distortion force field enveloping the Hrud, roaring as it tore apart the muscle pillars.

The interconnected spines were torn into a pile of fragments, scattered on the ground.

The "Spirit Medium" gazed into the tunnel, and more Herud surged forth.

He swung the Concussion Weapon again and again, slamming it down whenever Herud came within ten meters.

The tunnel continued to vibrate, and debris fell like raindrops, striking Herud's body, which was torn apart by the shockwaves.

After countless attacks, the tunnel collapsed with a deafening roar.

Oliver stepped back as the Spirit Medium shook, his eyes filled with gray and white light and shadow in the tunnel ruins.

In the blink of an eye, the tunnel ruins were Distortion into dust by the Entropy Field of countless Hrud gathered together.

As dust settled, forty-one Scorpion Turret roared and opened fire simultaneously.

The Machine Spirit identified the Xenos's Entropy Energy region, and none of the eighty-two beams of light were aimed at Oliver.

Dozens of Hrud were torn apart by the shrieking beams, but the shadows showed no sign of diminishing.

In the distance, artificial hills rise, and the Shadow of Order figures of the non- Royal Court raise explosive and Flaming Weapon.

They switched their helmet imaging layer to a thermal imaging system.

They aimed at the center of the hot yellow and red, pulled the trigger, and the molten flames turned the area in front of the tunnel entrance into a sea of fire.

Herud surged into the inferno, their free hands Plasma Flintlock strike a guard member dressed in a Saturnine Terminator Prototype suit.

As if the Thermal Diffraction Field did not exist, the bullets traveling between the physical universe and the Warp bypassed the defenses and scorched the black armor black.

Amidst the surging flames, the Honor Guard of the First Company raised their Concussion Weapon and slammed them down.

The shockwaves converged, creating a shock storm that cleared away a large area of Herud.

In the long, Evernight, the Fourth Legion fought on the front lines of the tunnels, facing millions of Herud.

The Scorpion Turret roared, flames surged, and the vibrations continued.