Pre-War Preparations

Chapter 30 29. Preparations for War

Barbarus, Northern Mountains, the Old Stronghold.

Two Barbarus months later.

Inside the blacksmith's shop, the fiery furnace blazed, scattering bright yellow and vibrant red sparks that flickered across the room.

Several muscular men were intently swinging their forging hammers, sparks flying and cutting through the air of the blacksmith's shop.

Beside the forging table, others were nervously assembling a tall suit of armor, the polished steel gleaming under the fiery gaze.

Next to this half-finished, towering armor stood several smaller, but complete, suits of armor with the same design.

Hades stood nearby, holding a blueprint, occasionally looking up to check the assembly of the men.

The towering armor being constructed was clearly not of ordinary human size. Standing over four meters tall, it appeared even more majestic and imposing compared to the height of the craftsmen.

This was a fully enclosed suit of armor that Hades had modified based on design blueprints seized from the Alien Lords in the south, combined with technology brought by other surrendered human territories.

The armor consisted of three layers. The first and thickest was made of refined, corrosion-resistant alloy, with metal seals at the joints and a built-in breathing and circulation system.

The second layer was a protective layer sewn from Alien Lord leather provided by Hades. The dense, meticulous stitching and numerous tanning marks demonstrated the manufacturer's immense patience, with special thickening at the joints.

The third layer was a thick cotton layer repeatedly soaked in herbs. If the first two layers failed to perform their intended function, this layer would filter out toxic gases at the final defense line, providing the wearer with a last barrier of protection.

Of course, the herbal effects provided by the third layer also included hemostasis and stimulation.

The exterior of the armor featured a breathing backpack connected to the breathing and circulation system, utilizing the strongest adsorption filtering materials currently available and a system for physically adsorbing toxic gas particles.

Hades tensely and seriously inspected every step of the assembly personnel's work. If anyone's assembly did not meet his expectations, Hades would immediately order them to start over.

Unfortunately, Hades was still unable to directly touch machinery. He had to compress the Null Field to its minimum and stand aside, directing the actions of others.

Moreover, due to the Null Field, the enclosed armor being made for Hades lacked an electronically driven breathing and circulation system. He could only use the simplest filtration and inhale the air himself.

As for the other suits of armor for the Death Guard, they lacked the second layer. Hades did not have enough Alien Lord leather to sew more than two suits.

Hades remembered the startled reactions of the surrounding craftsmen when he took out the leather from his bag.

Indeed, not everyone could accept Hades's proposal.

To this end, Hades had even briefly persuaded Mortarion.

Although Mortarion was a Primarch who extremely detested aliens, there were no perfect idealists on Barbarus. Only absolute pragmatists could survive tenaciously.

So, after realizing the importance of the second layer of the armor, Mortarion acquiesced to Hades's actions.

Once the last suit of armor specially made for Mortarion was completed, all seven suits of armor would receive a uniform coat of anti-corrosion paint and an additional layer of electroplated metal.

Finally, a simple decoration of crossed scythes would be fixed to the shoulders of the armor, completing these special, fully enclosed suits of armor.

Besides the blacksmith's shop overseen by Hades, the other blacksmith's shops in the old stronghold were also working feverishly, producing countless firearms and cannons to make up for the losses at the front.

Barbarus, Northern Mountains, Alien Lord Nac'Lare's territory, plains below the mountains.

The present.

Countless cannons roared, the rolling flames trembling and blooming across the land.

The corpses of puppets flew, body parts arcing through the air before crashing heavily back to earth.

Countless low-speed vehicles were overturned, the puppets inside instantly pulverized into loose piles of flesh.

Then, the sound of blades slicing through the air.

Mortarion took the lead, charging into the ranks of the fleeing puppets, swinging his scythe with wide, sweeping motions. Each swing brought a storm of blood, each swing accompanied by the wails of the enemy.

Around him, the corpses of stitched-together puppets were scattered everywhere, body parts piled upon body parts, organs stacked upon organs, blood splattering, and corpse fluid covering the ground.

The Death Guard charged up as well, closely following Mortarion's footsteps. For a moment, scythes clashed, sparks flew, and countless puppets were beheaded with howls.

Apart from the wails of the fleeing enemies, the sound of blades cutting through the air, the roar of firearms, and the thud of running feet, there were no other sounds on the battlefield at this moment.

Yes, the Death Guard silently and methodically carried out their slaughter, their harvesting work.

A silent dance of harvest bloomed on the poisonous gas-filled plains, the dead its necessary sacrifice.

When the last puppet's head spun and fell, when the last Death Guard sheathed its sharp war scythe—

A wordless silence and joy simultaneously enveloped the battlefield.

This was another victory worth celebrating.

Based on the intelligence maps sent from the front, Mortarion led the Death Guard to successfully cut off Alien Lord Nac'Lare's supply lines.

Those supply lines were like blood-sucking nematodes, constantly drawing the blood of the people of Barbarus. The lives of countless Barbarus people were being drained by these greedy monsters.

But all of this would soon end.

The oppressed state of Barbarus, the centuries of exploitation, the shameful history of Barbarus being ruled by aliens...

It was about to end!

He, Mortarion, would sever the last Alien Lord's head, proclaiming the victory of the Death Guard, proclaiming the victory of the people of Barbarus!

With the last supply line cut, with the last piece of armor forged in the rear, Mortarion knew that the days of the Alien Lord Nac'Lare were numbered.

The rhythm of war accelerated, both sides entering the stage, betting everything, fighting for their lives.

The next clash of arms, the next roar of cannons, amidst the flashing blades, whose head would fall?

The game of fate was about to usher in its first climax, everyone returning to their positions, the curtain about to rise.

The game of the gods, could it find a way to break the deadlock?

Emperor's Dream.

Now.

"My lord, our advance team has discovered a planet known locally as Barbarus."

"The advance team has discovered that there may be one of your sons on this planet."

Happy reading, everyone (≧▽≦)