Plague Warrior

They would cleanse every planet in Ultramar, then radiate outward to the other sectors of the Imperium, saving humanity as it slid toward the abyss and halting the fate of the Imperium's extinction.

Countless war engines were activated amidst the prayers of the Tech-Priests, dragging massive exhaust plumes as they detached from the starports and sailed into the starry void.

One by one, the Geller Fields of the warships were activated, shrouding the massive hulls in a faint, shimmering halo.

The Geller Field is one of the vital technologies that allows humanity to traverse the Warp.

This field can effectively prevent the Imperium's ships from being corrupted by the Warp, stopping the Unliving hidden beneath the tides of the Warp from launching attacks against the vessels.

Guilliman's awakening and his declaration of total war had long since drawn the attention of the Chaos Gods.

That a Primarch would dare to declare war upon them was an unforgivable crime.

Their response was equally simple and brutal.

The Warp boiled with the fury of the gods, and the violent Sea of Aether whipped up storms like raging tidal waves.

The Aetheric tides churned and roared, the storms of destruction constantly assailing them.

Arrogance transformed into churning vortices. Rage and desire fused into maddening storms, while despair turned into steep straits, the sheer cliffs hiding countless starving daemons.

They waited for the Imperium's ships to reveal any weakness so they could launch their assault.

The shackled Navigators were submerged in nutrient fluid, their arms and skulls connected to the ship's mechanical systems by cables.

They used their third eyes to peer into the flow of the Aetheric currents with all their might, guiding the ship's voyage.

Navigators are unique beings with a history spanning tens of thousands of years.

When humanity first stepped into the stars and began the initial colonization of the galaxy, Navigators appeared in the human world.

During that Golden Age, a portion of humanity that first made contact with the Warp underwent subtle genetic mutations.

They were exceptionally sensitive to the flow of Aetheric energy, capable of providing effective guidance and navigation for ships during Warp travel.

After being modified and optimized, these people became the Navigators.

Navigators possess a third eye, either through cybernetic implantation or natural mutation.

This third eye can view the flow of Aetheric energy within the Warp, discern direction, and most importantly, perceive the light of the Astronomican.

The Astronomican is the vital lighthouse for the Imperium's Warp travel, created by the Emperor during the Great Crusade and currently maintained by the Adeptus Astra Telepathica.

The fleet's voyage was extremely dangerous; even with psychological preparation, Guilliman still felt a sense of dread when facing the Warp storms head-on.

The light of the Astronomican was barely visible, having become extremely faint, forcing the Navigators to expend even more energy to discern the course.

The Imperium's ships could no longer remain in the Warp for long periods as they once had, and they were forced to drop out of the Warp at regular intervals.

Thanks to the maintenance of the Tech-Priests, the Geller Field of every ship in the fleet was functioning normally.

Without the Geller Field, humanity would be nothing but meat on the chopping block for the daemons in the Warp.

"It seems I must find a way to calm the Warp storms." Guilliman looked at the data-slate in his hand, his brow furrowing; the Warp storms were even more severe than he had imagined.

Either find a way to calm the Warp storms or enhance the ability of the Imperium's ships to withstand them.

If neither could be achieved, then striking back at the gods would be a joke.

Daemons and traitors had no need to fear the influence of the Warp storms, while the Imperium of Man struggled at every turn; it was easy to imagine how difficult it would be for the Imperium to achieve victory.

Guilliman pondered where he might find the materials and technology to resolve the navigation issue and ensure the Imperial fleet could reach its destination without error.

Footsteps echoed as a young man in robes, his eyes entirely white, entered the Primarch's private quarters.

"My Lord."

The young man's eyes were blind, yet he found Guilliman's position with ease and offered a respectful salute.

"Roshan, is there something you need?"

Guilliman interrupted his contemplation and looked up at the young man who had entered.

He did not pay mind to the other's pure white eyes; such eyes were not a rarity.

The eyes of an Astropath were essentially all like this; simply put, they were blind, though they possessed the mind's eye, which could replace the functions of physical sight.

The Imperium's faster-than-light travel relied on the Warp.

Interstellar faster-than-light communication naturally relied on the Warp as well.

The distances between star systems were simply too vast, often spanning dozens or hundreds of light-years.

Ordinary communication methods were severely lagged and could not meet the needs of the Imperium.

Warp communication was an absolute necessity.

And Astropaths were the vital figures who allowed the Imperium to transmit messages using the Warp.

Every sector, sub-sector, and segmentum established an Astropathic Fortress to collect and relay information.

Astropaths would convert the information they needed to send into mental dreams, then use psychic power to project them into the Warp, sending them across the galaxy to other Astropaths.

Communication between Astropaths was not text, but mental dreams.

The receiving Astropath would need to describe everything within the dream, then interpret it to obtain the information.

To enhance these transmissions and ensure they were not tampered with by certain entities within the Warp, Astropathic Fortresses often organized an Astropathic Choir to boost signal power and ensure the Imperium could receive their messages.

All Astropathic Fortresses and the Astropaths active within various fleets are under the control of the Astropathic Court on Terra, which periodically replenishes the Astropaths for each fortress.

Every Astropath must undergo a special procedure that shapes their abilities: the Soul-Binding Ritual.

At regular intervals, the Astropathic Court sends screened psykers to the Imperial Palace.

These psykers are purified by the power of the Emperor, allowing them to maintain their sanity under the prying eyes and whispers of the daemons of the Warp, preventing them from being corrupted and consumed.

However, the Soul-Binding Ritual carries risks. Due to the Emperor's immense will and psychic power, ordinary psykers cannot look directly upon His presence in the Warp, which often leads to damage to their visual organs, resulting in blindness.

In more tragic cases, they may even lose their sense of smell and hearing.

Roshan was considered lucky; he did not lose everything, only his eyes.

"New information, my lord. A distress signal from the Sara System. Chaos forces are still rampaging there, and the local garrison claims to have been attacked by Plague Warriors."

"Plague Warriors??"

Guilliman frowned slightly, but his expression quickly smoothed out as he made arrangements.

"Have the fleet continue toward the industrial system of Konor. I will lead a small detachment to handle this matter."

"My lord, is this not somewhat inappropriate? You should not risk yourself personally. Perhaps you could order a few Captains to handle this instead."

Roshan spoke up to advise Guilliman against going personally, suggesting he delegate the task to others.

"There is no place that is absolutely safe, and danger is exactly what a Primarch must face. I need some victories to stabilize the hearts of the Emperor's subjects. Even a trivial victory will be interpreted by the citizens of the Empire—who are starving for triumph—as the Empire fighting back and Chaos failing. Do you understand, Roshan? They are too afraid and need victory to comfort them and boost their confidence."

Guilliman looked at Roshan, who stood before him, and said with a smile.

"But I still do not feel this is a good idea. You are too important. If something were to happen to you, who would guide the Empire?"

"I am not a vase. I am a Primarch, a Primarch possessing great power. I was created for the purpose of helping the Empire win war after war, not to be placed on a shelf as a mascot. Our conversation ends here. I expect you to return to your post and continue gathering information from the Warp. I look forward to the next message you bring."

"Roshan obeys your command, my lord."

"Very well, go. And while you are at it, have Sicarius at the door come in. I have words for him."

Roshan saluted once more and walked out. He understood that once a Primarch had made a decision, it was unshakable. He could offer advice, but it was merely advice.

The authority of a Primarch could not be swayed. Hearing Guilliman's words, Roshan walked out obediently and signaled for Sicarius to enter and see the Primarch.

The contract is signed. Two chapters a day, and I will increase the output once it goes live. Brothers, I ask for your support!