The Creators: From Night City

Page 537

It is like a primordial substance deliberately left behind by the Creator, containing a more profound function.

However, although the human empires, the chaos forces, the dark elves, and even the Tau empires and orcs are all researching this magical substance, Blackrock technology remains the core competency of the space necromancers.

As the race known in the galaxy to be most adept at using blackstone, their core technologies (such as the World Engine and the Tomb World Defense System) rely heavily on blackstone. During the War of Heaven, the Star Gods extensively developed and applied blackstone technology to fight against the Old Ones and their psionic creations (Orcs and Eldar). This technology was later inherited and further developed by the Necromancers of the Space.

This substance is the most effective known material in the real world for suppressing warp. The Necromancers of space forged it into a black stone obelisk and constructed an energy network, using this technology to firmly block the expansion of warp in the real world.

On the planet Cadia, the outpost of the Eye of Terror, there are numerous necromantic obelisks, serving as anchors to solidify the Eye of Terror's expansion.

"The great Silent King once hoped to use it to 'heal' the galaxy, but it was rejected by the supreme authority of the Sotek Dynasty. I don't have all the relevant technology information here. I had to ask an old friend for help to barely complete the transaction." Tarasin handed the black stone to Jiang Bing with ease.

Despite not being his first encounter with this substance, Jiang Bing was still amazed by the ingenuity and wonder of its structure.

This substance, which exhibits an octahedral crystal shape both macroscopically and microscopically, possesses magical properties. It is like a 'world magnet': positively, it repels spiritual energy and strengthens the rules of the present world; negatively, it attracts spiritual energy and weakens the rules of the present world.

The 'veil' between the two worlds, that seemingly indestructible barrier, appeared to be completely ineffective before it.

A wisp of pure energy surged from Jiang Bing's control and entered the black stone. The stone began to spontaneously "devour" the surrounding light, forming a blurry visual distortion field around it.

“This deal…” Ratasin said slowly.

"You want to pay more?" Jiang Bing asked softly.

"No"

"I just brought in a partner."

Tarasim's scepter suddenly glowed with a soft light, attempting to send its current location to a certain being using some kind of quantum communication technology.

However, an invisible barrier stood overhead, blocking all signals.

Jiang Bing smiled politely and waved to break the signal blockade.

A short while later, the 'partner' that Tarasin mentioned was teleported into the room.

He possesses a mechanical body typical of necromancers, adorned with unique astrological patterns, hourglass-shaped symbols, and flowing silver sand-like energy conduits, and wields a magnificent "astrologer's staff."

His identity is not hard to guess.

Orikan, the envoy of the Sotek dynasty, the manipulator of time, and the great astrologer.

"Greetings to you both, at this necessary juncture in the flow of time." The prophetic necromancer's voice was calm and tinged with natural arrogance.

Before Jiang Bing could answer, his long-dormant 'Jiang Bing's sudden awakening' suddenly kicked in.

His higher-dimensional vision allowed him to keenly sense that something in front of him had been touched.

The emperor narrowed his eyes, and Jiang Bing simultaneously realized where the abnormality lay.

time.

Time is being disrupted here.

This 'Great Astrologer' is trying to test the two by repeatedly reading their charts, to probe their bottom line, to uncover their most secret plans, to gather intelligence, and to invite them to a unique negotiation.

Fortunately, the two seasoned veterans standing in front of them were no pushovers.

Faced with the time master's probing and 'verification' behavior, the two used different methods.

The Emperor was a seasoned manipulator of time; his mastery of prophecy and application of psychic energy were enough to briefly distort and rewind time.

Jiang Bing, on the other hand, was even more extreme.

There is no concept of 'time' in him whatsoever.

Therefore, in Orikan's eyes, in the observational field of his being standing on the flow of time, this space's timeline only contained a cold, blazing sun, spanning countless years of history, and nothing else.

The birth of the four Chaos Gods was inevitable, just as the birth of the Emperor, the human will, was inevitable.

From the very beginning of their existence, they were simultaneously born in the past, present, and future of time.

They are like a steel nail, which, from the moment they were forged, forcefully pierced through countless sheets of paper representing time. Therefore, although Orican can travel through the flow of time, he cannot touch such a great and solid being in the slightest within the dimension pierced by the 'steel nail'.

Similarly, no matter how small a thing is, even a grain of sand or an atom, as long as it truly exists, it should have its own time anchor. Orican has studied the Way of Time for countless years, but he has never seen such a strange existence as Jiang Bing.

"No wonder the endless array of stars in the universe has undergone unprecedented changes. No wonder I have traveled to the future countless times but could not find the reason for the changes."

Just as the Grand Astrologer was about to inquire about Jiang Bing's true identity, he was suddenly drawn to several mysterious runes.

As one of the essential elements that make up the world, time is already a subject that Jiang Bing has touched upon.

In the world of Dark Souls, a world with a serious bug in its underlying code logic, he briefly entered a higher-dimensional state of time and touched the entire world of that realm.

Now, under the passive catalysis of Orican, Jiang Bing has temporarily entered this time flow again.

If time is like a continuous comic book, in which ordinary people are either engrossed or can only passively flip through each page in turn, then Jiang Bing at this moment is as if he has disassembled the entire 'history' and laid it all out before him for examination.

He can see the beginning of the first page, and at the same time, he can see the end of the last page.

However, the real timeline is much larger, more complex, and more magnificent, and the scope that Jiang Bing can currently perceive also has an upper limit.

After all, while his 'vision' wasn't exactly shallow, the 'distance' he could see was still limited.

The emperor remained silent. A vast, pale white spiritual energy exploded within his body, directly using this boundless spiritual energy and this purely idealistic power to distort and solidify his own time, briefly combining this moment of himself into a single entity.

Jiang Bing temporarily ascended to a higher dimension, elevating his true form to an even higher dimension, where he simultaneously communicated with Orican, who existed on every page of the comic book.

In the present world, the instant after Orikan greeted him, a black stone 'time anchor' device worn by Tarasin began to explode wildly, the alarm sounding as pitiful as a duck being choked.

Before he could make a move, the three figures on the field simultaneously looked up at each other.

The alarm from the "time anchor" stopped abruptly.

Tarachin instantly understood that, in the blink of an eye, the complex transactions and negotiations had been completed.

Regardless of the outcome, it's sad that the three of them didn't even include him in their activities.

Chapter 1089 The Gate of Kadian

As long as the Gates of Cadian stand, the Empire will endure forever.

This was a piece of advice that circulated throughout the empire.

This gate is not a physical door, nor is it simply the name of a star region or galaxy; rather, it is a unified strategic geographical concept.

It is an epic project with multiple layers, three-dimensional structure, and deep fortification, containing thousands of planets and several star systems.

It is located on the eastern edge of the Milky Way, directly opposite the Eye of Terror, firmly blocking the most stable and widest natural exit from the Eye of Terror to the Imperial physical universe.

The Cardia system is the core and hub of the 'Cardian Gate' defense system, especially its fourth planet, Cardia, which is the most crucial point of the entire defense line.

In the vast star system between the edge of the Eye of Terror and Cadia, the Imperial Navy maintains high-intensity patrols and has set up numerous unmanned monitoring stations to detect subspace fluctuations and enemy ship movements, striving for the earliest possible warning time.

Around Kadia, there are several heavily guarded fortress worlds. As outposts and buffer zones, they can effectively delay, wear down, and disperse invading enemies, forcing them to divide their forces and blocking their offensive.

At this moment, on the strategic route leading to the Eye of Terror on the outer edge of the Cardia system, an Ark spaceship, comparable in size to a small planet and of enormous size, is under fierce attack.

Countless Chaos warships surrounded the Ark world, and assault pods rained down on its surface like hailstones. The Imperial defenders and the Chaos forces engaged in a fierce tug-of-war inside the Ark.

Like an elephant crawling with ants, the condition of the entire mechanical ark is deteriorating rapidly.

The main force of the Black Expedition faced the massive mechanical ark, using its overwhelming firepower to drag it bit by bit into the quagmire called Chaos, thus covering this usurped attack.

Bell's Ark, belonging to the Cult of Mechanism, is a highly specialized, semi-autonomous mobile forging base.

As a mobile forging world, it can produce war materials directly on the front lines, from shells and tanks to fighter jet parts, reducing dependence on long rear supply lines.

It can be said that its very existence constitutes a massive mobile supply platform, attracting the attention of all imperial powers.

But at this moment, all these obstacles have been eliminated and removed. Under Abaddon's command, a large number of Imperial troops, planets, and fortresses have been removed, and the massive legion has directly flooded half of the Cardia system.

Before Abaddon's main force directly attacked Cardia, Bell's Ark, as the most important outpost on the periphery, inevitably bore the brunt of the Chaos Fleet's fierce attack.

A massive army of guardians, combat servo groups, and mech forces, along with a private Mechanicus escort fleet, together formed a defensive system that would make even demons tremble, standing tall before Cardia.

The orders issued from the Vengeful Spirit, amplified by the combined might of the Black Legion and the Chaos Army, ignited war across every corner of the starry sky and every piece of land.

A massive horde of demons fiercely assaulted the metal fortress's defenses.

The starry sky was scorched by war, and immeasurable death blossomed here.

The colossal Titan, as massive as a building, strode forward with heavy steps, launching a fearless charge toward the key area of ​​this metal fortress.

These meticulously nurtured metal monsters of the Dark Mechanicus possess unparalleled destructive power, capable of conquering cities and fortresses.

Its nearly 100-meter-tall body is equipped with a powerful void shield generator, which generates a void shield force field that can firmly protect its safety.

It is almost a ground-based version of a fire-projection starship.

Against a creature of this size, relying solely on small vehicles like tanks and airplanes to defend against its attacks is simply wishful thinking.

On the steel Great Wall-like front, dozens of house-sized railguns fired simultaneously, generating energy beams that could almost pierce the sky.

Only planetary-level defensive firepower can truly inflict effective damage on corrupted Warmaster-level Titans.

However, these Titans were only part of the Black Legion's attack; the waves of assault teams composed of large numbers of demons and Chaos Space Marines were equally deadly.

In this 'great' 13th Black Expedition, the forces of Chaos were not monolithic; the entire army group was fragmented, like tofu after being violently shaken.

Aside from Warmaster Abaddon Raider, who directly commands the Black Legion, the main source of manpower for the Chaos Army comes from the direct forces of the four Chaos Gods. The remaining portion consists of a large number of independent traitorous warbands that are not affiliated with the four gods.

Traitorous warbands like the Red Pirates, Crimson Slayers, and Iron Warriors joined purely out of the lure of opportunities for plunder, revenge, and destruction, and often disobeyed Warmaster Abaddon's orders, acting entirely on their own.

However, they are still a force of defiance that should not be underestimated.

They patrolled the edges of the main battlefield, acting as sentries.

Compared to conquering cities and seizing territories, their main objective was to burn, kill, and plunder.

There's no way around it; the interior of the Eye of Fear is simply too barren.

Even Abaddon, the nominal supreme commander, lived a miserable life. His Dark Mechanicus even used ancient relics from ten thousand years ago. Many of the ships in the Chaos Human Fleet were simple cruisers converted from armed merchant ships, dilapidated and looking like beggars.

Therefore, when Guilliman led reinforcements to the edge of the battlefield, he successfully won the envy, jealousy, and hatred of the Chaos Fleet.

The flagship of Alteramar's fleet, the Glory of Macragge.

As the flagship of the entire fleet, it took the lead and was the first to leap out of the jump point and squeeze into the spacious but also very 'crowded' battlefield. It immediately encountered the covetousness of the wandering Chaos Warband led by the Red Pirates and Crimson Slayers.

Compared to the Plague Wars and the Death Guard, the destructive power of Abaddon's Black Legion is simply incomparable.

There was no confrontation, no back-and-forth communication; the moment the Imperial's loyal warships leaped out of the warp, a large number of starships surrounded them, like a pack of wolves waiting for their chance to kill a tiger, and launched an attack immediately.

"Deploy the Void Shield!"

"Close-in defense laser array mobile preheating".

"Internal defense forces stand by, counter-flank firepower network stand by..."

The bridge was a flurry of activity, with the captain and the entire crew working feverishly to counter the enemy's offensive.

Guilliman's face was etched with an undeniable weariness.

The time it took to arrive at Kadia was less than a week after the decapitation of Mortarion and the defeat of the Plague Fleet in the Extreme Starfield.

Guilliman had barely rested this week, with a huge amount of government affairs weighing on his shoulders, to the point that even when he was away fighting, he had to continue working remotely from his flagship.

He's as busy as the head steward of [Anti-Entropy].

Chapter 1090 Chaos Warmaster Abaddon

The remnants of the Plague Fleet were still wreaking havoc in the northeastern part of the Extreme Starfield. Guilliman didn't even have time to wipe them out before he received urgent military intelligence from the Star Language Hall, the Imperial Ministry of State Affairs, the Emperor, and Jiang Bing.

Not long after the end of the Gothic War, Horus's rightful heir, Chaos Warmaster Abaddon, miraculously assembled a massive fleet once again, pouring out from the Eye of Terror and heading straight for the Gate of Cadian.

Like a horde of chaotic bandits, or a swarm of locusts, the Black Legion swept across the empire's territory, plundering all resources in its path.

The Emperor and Jiang Bing, who had peeked at the script beforehand, knew perfectly well Abaddon's ultimate objective in this military campaign, and Guilliman knew it as well.

With the planets led by Cardia, or rather the Black Stone Obelisk system once established by the space necromancers on Cardia as its ultimate goal, Abaddon plans to destroy these real-world anchors and expand the bound 'Eye of Fear' throughout the entire galaxy.

The Empire knew Abaddon's purpose, and Abaddon knew the Empire of Man knew his purpose, but he did it anyway.

The reason is simple: to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao.

The human empire's recent frenzied actions have not only left the various alien races in the galaxy feeling uncertain, but have also left Abaddon, who resides in the Eye of Fear, feeling equally uncertain.

Even Jianqi, who rarely had any confidence, was uncertain.

The Soul of Vengeance, once Horus's flagship, was retrieved from the depths of the warp by Abaddon after Horus's fall and became the flagship of his Black Legion.

Like the 'Glory of Macragge', it was also built during the Dark Ages when human technology was at its peak, and was an incomparably powerful Glory Queen-class battleship.

After drifting for ten thousand years in the Eye of Fear, this powerful warship has been completely transformed. It is no longer a simple mechanical creation; the entire ship has been thoroughly demonized, and writhing flesh has grown on its metal deck.