Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 862, page 08.861: 'A Bizarre Deception'

The Swift Eagle, like a vengeful sword burning with crimson flames, plunged alone but resolutely into the enemy's massive and despair-inducing fleet.

Her void shield, shimmering with a pale blue light, was like a sacred barrier forged from pure faith, shielding the relatively vulnerable escort ships behind her from countless deadly scythe-like missiles that whistled towards them like purple venomous snakes.

Both void shield generators were operating at overload power, and the energy readings skyrocketed amidst the wailing alarms.

Just as the shield was about to collapse due to energy overload, Captain Horatio decisively ordered Chief Technician Father Lati-EB2A2 to activate the Void Shield's emergency depressurization procedure.

Countless streams of golden, scorching plasma energy trailed a magnificent yet deadly comet-like energy contrail behind the stern of the light cruiser.

Ahead, torpedoes launched by friendly escort ships cleared a path for the light cruiser that was charging desperately.

Along the way, the Dark Eldar warships used short, precise phase flashes to evade these deadly tracking weapons, while simultaneously unleashing a barrage of close-in weaponry, firing and detonating torpedoes.

However, the massive black ark, which resembles a moving mountain and whose full form has yet to be revealed in the darkness, remains unmoved.

It remained unmoved by the torpedoes that were already less than 400 kilometers away, as if those weapons capable of tearing through a cruiser's armor were nothing more than insignificant fireflies.

"Open the torpedo tube covers, but do not fire." Horatio's eyes were fixed on the huge black shadow, trying to see through its suffocating silence to its next decision and to confirm whether the final preparations could proceed as planned.

Whether the black ark chooses to flash forward or brake suddenly, the first wave of torpedoes is destined to hit it.

But the Swift Skyhawk also left it vulnerable to a second, more lethal torpedo attack.

[So, what do you want to do, Alien?] Horatio thought, looking at the shadowy vessel that was barely visible.

The Swift Skyhawk was getting closer and closer to the black ark, and had reached the edge of close-range gun range.

If the torpedo is not launched now, even if it is launched later, it will not be able to detonate because it has entered a safe distance.

However, the enemy ships still did not make any move.

Given the sheer size of this eight-kilometer-long behemoth, it seemed to have no room left to hide.

“It’s too quiet. It’s completely still, like a dead thing.” The perceptive Louise noticed something was wrong and said to Horatio with a hint of unease in her voice.

"All torpedoes launched. Dispersion of 8,000 units, fan-shaped dispersion."

Horatio frowned, staring intently at the motionless, floating target, his ominous premonition growing stronger.

"Understood! Launch all torpedoes! Spread out 8,000 torpedoes in a fan-shaped pattern!" the operations officer shouted, quickly relaying the captain's order to his subordinates.

Inside the torpedo compartment, billowing steam and reeking of ozone, a burly, shirtless man with bulging muscles shouted at the empty pods, "Bridge order! Torpedoes fire! Spread 8,000 torpedoes in a fan-shaped pattern! Oilers! It's your turn!"

"Fire Protocol 0832731... Praise Omnesia, ring the bell once, engine test ignition, dispersion coefficient... eight kilometers." A technical priest was operating rapidly in front of the Thinker array display console, which emitted a buzzing response from the instruments.

The six Helios-class plasma torpedoes, each lying dormant in its own launch tube, began to be injected with a stream of scorching plasma energy, enough to illuminate the entire torpedo launch tube, into their tails.

The engine emitted a powerful and surging sound, like a giant beast about to break free of its cage.

Meanwhile, on the eerie bridge of the Black Ark, countless black iron hooks protruded from the ceiling and walls, cruelly piercing the bodies of countless slaves.

With the slight swaying of the ship's hull, these spikes continuously tore at the slaves' flesh, causing them excruciating pain and eliciting desperate howls.

"Heh heh, you've fallen for their trap, you pathetic and foolish monkeys." A pair of lips painted with dark purple lipstick were being greedily licked by a long, forked tongue.

The bridge of the USS Swift Skyhawk.

"Launch halted!" Horatio's voice boomed like thunder.

"What?!" Henry Harvey looked at the command throne in shock.

"Captain's order! Torpedo launching procedure immediately terminated!"

"Captain, why...?" The captain's command echoed across the wide command bridge.

Military orders are absolute, and despite the surprise of almost everyone, the launch was abruptly terminated.

The torpedo engine's power storage was immediately cut off, and the launch hatch that had just been opened was also immediately closed.

When the remaining torpedoes launched by the escort ships finally reached the location of the huge black ark, the expected earth-shattering explosion did not occur.

Those deadly weapons merely traversed the empty void in vain.

Before everyone's eyes, that enormous target simply vanished into thin air.

"The target has disappeared! How is that possible? With such a large size, where could it have gone?" Commander Bird exclaimed in surprise.

"Increase the scanning frequency of the divination array!"

"We've found it! It's there! On our starboard side! By the Emperor! How... how did it do that?" An officer on the watchtower pointed at the black ark that had appeared like a ghost, parallel to the light cruiser HMS Swift Eagle, and shouted in a hoarse voice.

At this moment, everyone on the bridge could clearly see its true appearance.

It was a moving, extravagant palace constructed of obsidian and poisoned metal.

The streamlined hull was covered with countless vicious blades and barbs that seemed ready to slice anything that came near into pieces at any moment.

It was so huge that the 4.5-kilometer-long Swift Eagle looked tiny next to it.

The bow of the ship, like the fangs of an ancient behemoth, bared two sharp blades several kilometers long, gleaming with a cold light, exuding an invisible, suffocating terror.

The smooth, dark purple hull seemed to be forged from countless solidified souls, with purple runes, written in the language of the Adarin, flickering like breaths.

Through those enormous portholes that shimmered with a purple, eerie light like the eyes of demons, one could even vaguely see the hellish scene inside, filled with pain and torment.

(Black Ark)
The phase flash distance exhibited by this black ark exceeded everyone's expectations.

It can even travel farther than the maximum distance a raiding ship known for its speed and maneuverability can cover!
"That was a decoy." Horatio then revealed in a cold voice the reason he had called off the torpedo launch.

They frowned, her voice carrying a chilling knowingness, "That was just now an illusion created by a phantom generator launched by the Dark Eldar. That black ark... has been lurking on our right flank all along through the shadow field!"

On the Black Ark.

"A reckless duelist, heh, that reminds me of those good old days in the Comoros arena."

On the bridge of the Black Ark, a tall Ducalli, clad in magnificent black armor and wearing a menacing black barrel helmet, watched with interest through his crimson-glowing visors as the Imperial warship, bearing the golden eagle insignia on its bow, charged toward him. He spoke with a contemptuous sneer:
"Hoo—I'll never forget that alluring sweetheart, that sexy and graceful former Queen of the Comoros Arena. I'll use this audacious and foolish savage monkey who dared to challenge my Black Ark as a gift to her in exchange for... another chance to duel with her. And this time, I'll make her my most perfect collection!"

The ruler of the "Sons of Thorns" slowly raised his hand, which was adorned with a black power iron gauntlet, and aimed it at the distant "Swift Eagle," clenching it tightly as if to crush it from afar.

"Send out a slave-hunting team! Especially their leader, alive! I want him to see his men killed one by one."

“Yes, sir!” The Dark Eldar members around him sharpened their knives, letting out bloodthirsty and unsettling chuckles.

"Ah~ But before that, let's serve them our carefully prepared dessert. I think these poor monkeys will like it, hehe."

Their bodies were surrounded by a large number of other bizarre and disgusting alien creatures.

Many of them were even declared extinct in the records of human empires.

These vile and blasphemous survivors, harboring a deep-seated hatred for humanity and an endless desire for the lucrative conditions offered by the Dark Eldar, ultimately succumbed and became the lackeys of these abominable aliens.

Now, they are eagerly anticipating human blood and souls.

(End of this chapter)