Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 347 "The Fighting Scholar"

After returning to the real world, Thomas went to the bridge.

Marquinhos, the commander of the 12th Regiment, spoke after seeing the director of the think tank.

"Ghana Rock is a rocky world with limited surface-shaped structures. The Mitu people are hidden beneath the surface, so orbital bombardment has limited effect."

Thomas nodded slightly: "Then we must launch a landing operation to clear out the Mitu people underground."

"Master of the Auger Matrix, during the scan of the Rock of Ghana, we discovered severe signal interference in the underground area." Marquinhos frowned.

After reviewing the report, the think tank director discovered the ether readings. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke:
"It must be that the Mitu people used some kind of arcane device to affect the Empire's electronic devices."

“My Star Speakers will provide assistance to your warband.”

Star Speakers serve as the chief communications officers both on and off the battlefield. Unlike Star Speakers, who are responsible for inter-galactic communications, they are responsible for shorter-range communications and coordinating attack and combat orders.

Originally, Star Speakers were required to possess the ability to project their thoughts into the subspace, and think tank members needed to undergo extensive training to master this ability.

However, after leaving Prospero, the Black Emperor imparted the mindset of Primarch Magnus to the Legion's intellectual corps.

With a foundation in the Thelma mindset, the think tank members quickly grasped the first level of the mindset, enabling them to clear their thoughts and calm their emotional peaks.

The editors were more adept at writing reports, recording the history of the legion, and classifying information and data from various aspects.

The officials were more composed when evaluating reports and more efficient when reviewing strategic reports.

The most important upgrade is the Star Language Officer.

The 196 think tank members who were originally unable to meet the requirements of the Star Language Officer were able to complete information transmission at close range, at least on a small scale, after studying the second level of Magnus's Mindset.

Ramsey followed Marquinhos and his guard deep into the Kumasi Mountains.

The Kumasi Mountains are the largest mountain range in the Rock of Ghana.

Ramsey walked in the middle of the group, examining the scan report of the Auger Matrix Master.

"The mountain range was formed approximately 27,000 years ago..."

"The highest peak is 9,250 meters above sea level and is composed of distinct layers of rock..."

"The entire mountain range sits on undulating saline plains, which may have once been part of the seabed..."

When Ramsey was still a compiler, he would record the relevant geographical conditions in his battle reports when he accompanied the Legion.

However, as a newly appointed Star Speaker, he no longer bears this responsibility.

The team entered the underground three hours later.

Marquinhos glanced at the passageway, measured its width, and then gave the order.

"Form groups of three, then ten groups into a team, and search for the aliens."

Ramsey and another member of the guard followed Marquinhos into the underground mine tunnels.

He discovered that after going 13 kilometers underground, the tactical network on his helmet was filled with static, and the communication channels were filled with static.

Ramsey suddenly heard a sound like a motor turning. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of anemone-shaped creatures suddenly emerge.

"One o'clock direction."

Marquinhos was slightly slower than Ramsey. Upon spotting the enemy, he raised his left arm and fired a blast.

The Mitu people at the front were instantly torn to shreds by bullets.

More Mitu people then emerged, each with eight octopus-like tentacles.

They walk on two legs like humans, and move at great speed.

The other six arms swung, holding weapons such as energy swords, shields, and spears that shimmered with light.

Marquinhos strode forward, his power sword spinning rapidly, the charged blade slashing down more than a dozen Mitu people.

The towering Metu charged toward Machinios, shields gleaming with yellow light in his arms, to meet the power sword.

When the sword and shield collided, the Mitu people twisted their hands in a circular motion.

The shield shattered with a deafening roar, and the psionic shockwave slammed directly into Marquinhos, sending him flying against the stone wall.

boom!
Marquinhos's superhuman body was temporarily frozen in place, and the Mitu attacked him with their weapons.

Ramsey raised his hand, and an invisible current of psionic energy shot straight towards the Mitu people.

The bio-chemical spirit can rapidly deoxygenate the blood flowing from the lungs of the Mitu people, causing their movements to come to an abrupt halt due to the rebellion of their bodies.

The Mitu people's bodies trembled violently, their heart muscles spasmed, and they completely lost control of their bodies, shaking wildly like convulsing patients.

The tall Mitu man, holding a shield, had blood and foam gushing from the head of the sea anemone, and he convulsed and trembled amidst broken bones and fractured tendons.

Bang bang bang!
Amidst a series of firecracker-like sounds, the Mitu man's leg shattered and scattered on the ground.

Taking advantage of the moment, Marquinhos recovered from the psionic shock and charged towards the Mitu.

Moments later, the battle ended.

Marquinhos said to Ramsey, "Tell them that the aliens beneath the Rock of Ghana are skilled in melee combat."

“Good.” A colorful sphere of light appeared in the Star Speaker’s eyes. He first ascended to the first level of mind created by Magnus, which was taught by the Primarch.

His mind was like a lake, and after several seconds, Ramsey entered a second state of mind.

Consciousness spread outwards, and mental power transformed into pulses of thought, spreading in all directions. Within seconds, a voice echoed in the minds of Marquinhos's guards.

"The aliens beneath the Rock of Ghana excel in melee combat; they wield weapons forged with arcane technology..."

The guards who had not yet been encountered were immediately regrouped.

The Shadow Order, skilled in close combat, leads the charge, flanked by gunners.

At the same moment, Thomas and the 1st Company of the 12th Regiment stepped into Odomas.

Odumas is the second largest mountain range in the Rock of Ghana, with rugged peaks and winding boulders.

Thomas led his team deep into the mountains.

As he ventured deeper into the narrow passage, he saw a massive dome inside the mountain, filled with mining machinery and bustling factories.

The most eye-catching thing is the huge ball of light floating in the air, with many metal legs extending from it.

The numerous domes on the ground all face the central sphere of light.

The beams of light shining from each dome converge at the central sphere.

Thomas then mentally issued the attack command.

As a powerful psychic, he integrated the thoughts of 120 Order Shadows from twelve squads into a single entity.

The shadows of order lined up in neat rows and launched a swift offensive.

Twelve swordsmen skilled in close combat charged forward, their charged blades slashing left and right.

A dense barrage of bullets rained down on the Mitu people.

Bullets pounded into the anemones of the Mitu people, and explosions tore their grotesque bodies apart.

Just as the shadow of order was steadily advancing, Thomas saw a three-meter-tall, eight-armed Metu alien suddenly appear, brandishing its weapon.

A barrage of explosive shells rained down on him, creating a series of deafening explosions.

An arcane shield protected his body, ripples spreading outwards.

Suddenly, a bullet grazed the charging Mitu alien's body and entered a strange metal device.

boom!
The metal device was detonated.

Boom boom boom!
The sphere of light was then detonated.

[Oh no! The energy source for the light sphere has exploded, triggering a chain reaction of explosions.] In the blink of an eye, the stone slabs around Thomas shattered into pieces.

The earth collapsed due to the explosion, and then completely crumbled.

The abyss opened its pitch-black maw beneath their feet, and Thomas, the Shadow of Order, along with the charging Mitu alien, plummeted to the ground.

Thomas stumbled and slid down, unable to even stabilize his mental connection.

The staff slipped from his hand amidst a series of impacts, and as he scrambled to his feet, he saw the Mitu people charging towards him.

The Mito alien took a step forward, its two tentacles coiled around a large sword, and slashed down at Thomas.

Before the sword even arrived, the powerful wind from the arcane blade made Thomas stagger.

The "fighting scholar" leaped to the side, bending over and curling up.

Stab it!

The arcane blade crackled and snapped.

The Mito alien dragged its greatsword, scraping the ground as it changed from a vertical slash to a horizontal sweep, sending sparks flying.

His other four arms wield weapons such as scimitars to launch attacks.

Before Thomas could react, Mitu's attack came in quick succession without pause.

Faced with a barrage of attacks, the "fighting scholar" remained calm and composed.

The "Hermit" seeks the secrets behind things, and combat is one such thing. The "Combat Scholar" explores the secrets of combat.

The "Fighting Scholar" has enhanced physical fitness and can fight calmly.

Two-handed greatsword slashes, one-handed blade thrusts, and unpredictable slashes from a curved sword…

The "fighting scholar" is always looking for the enemy's weaknesses and waiting for the opponent's attack to enter a lull phase.

Finally, the "fighting scholar" discovered a problem with the Mitu people.

He discovered that the pair of arms raised by Mitu and the four legs below would interfere with each other for a moment during the attack.

As the "Fighting Scholar" brought his greatswords down in a vertical slash, he suddenly extended his arm and locked the point where the Mitu monster's body was joined to the anemone's body.

The "fighting scholar" astutely discovered the Mitu people's vulnerability. With a sudden burst of strength, he broke off a wrist holding a greatsword.

The "fighting scholar" swung his arm again and punched the Mitu man on the head.

The sea anemone's body was blasted apart by the "Fighting Scholar's" force, its juices splattering everywhere, and the Mitu man's corpse fell to the ground.

Thomas felt something inside him break, he thought to himself.

[I became a true "fighting scholar".]
(End of this chapter)