The heavy atmosphere in Macragge's council chamber had yet to dissipate when a new battle report pierced the brief silence like an icy steel needle.
Felix, the Primaris Company Captain personally promoted by Guilliman, had received word through his elite Astropathic communications, which penetrated the Warp interference: Adium had been retaken.
Yet the joy of victory was instantly overshadowed by what followed. While purging the Nurgle Daemons, they had discovered a twisted daemon machine radiating nauseating psychic fluctuations.
"Regent," Felix's steady yet grave voice sounded through the transmission, "we have discovered a strange machine, codenamed the 'Source of Corruption.' It... is continuously warping Adium's Warp barrier. Initial analysis from the Librarians suggests that it seems to be... weaving a web of corruption over all Ultramar."
Almost simultaneously, the Ultramarines' Chief Librarians, combining ancient scrolls supplied earlier by their Eldar allies with detection data from the Astropathic Choir, reached a chilling conclusion.
The information pointed to fragments of the ancient artifact—the Hand of Darkness. The Dark Gods' artisans had actually transformed these relic fragments, which contained terrifying power, into machines that spread despair.
"The Hand of Darkness..." Guilliman looked over the urgent analysis report presented by the Chief Librarian, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop with a dull echo.
"Not only do they continuously pollute the psychic environment, warp mortal minds, and create endless corrupted shambling corpses that do not fear death... they are also attempting to tear apart the veil of reality and pave the way for the direct descent of daemon armies." A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Find them. Destroy them!"
Squad after squad of Space Marines set out to clear the Nurgle Daemons from nearby sectors.
As daemon machine after daemon machine was completely destroyed, the warriors at the front indeed felt the pressure ease—the regeneration