Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 471 The Mantis of Calamity
Warning Star, polar glaciers.

Wearing the Mark III power armor, Mark leads a team on his first mission since becoming a priest.

An internal oxygen supply ensures smooth breathing, and a temperature regulator protects them from the cold.

Upon hearing the sound of wings cutting through the air, Mark immediately shouted into the communication channel.

"They're here. Get ready for the hunt."

He raised his arm and lifted the arc launcher.

The praying mantis that came into view was similar in size to an average person.

The difference is that it has two large mouths on its fat abdomen and another large mouth at its tail.

[A mutated mantis monster?]
Mark wondered, and as he pondered, he issued the order.

"attack!"

The shadowy figures of order pulled the trigger, and flashing arcs of electricity filled the cave.

A piercing hiss rang out, and the mantis monsters' bodies grew even blacker from the electric shock, yet they did not fall.

Their leathery wings, shimmering with purplish-red markings, stood upright like sails.

"Increase output power! Fourth gear!"

Mark gave the order, and the arc-launched gun, designed based on Yogal technology, was continuously improved during the hunt, and could now be adjusted with a single click according to the toughness of the target's body.

The Shadows of Order turned the dial, and the energy casket flashed yellow runes before turning green.

The electric arc was brighter than before, tearing through the dark cave like lightning and striking the mantis monster.

Bang bang bang!
One praying mantis after another fell to the ground.

Mark turned on his communicator and sent orders to the following team to carry back the praying mantis his father wanted.

After hanging up the communicator, the team continued forward, and the passage became increasingly open, as if they had stepped into a large dome.

Stone pillars pierced through from above, hovering above their heads.

The "sleepless" from Modian looked up.

The "Sleepless Ones," with their exceptional eyesight in the dark, immediately recognized the creatures clinging to the stone pillars as rows of equally black praying mantises.

He immediately shouted a reminder over the communication channel.

"Mantis! Above my head!"

Mark immediately gave the order: "Battle formation! Cover each other!"

The Shadows of Order immediately formed small groups, back to back, and raised their weapons.

With a deafening scream, countless dark figures swept in, wielding scythe-like serrated hooks and slashing attacks.

The Shadows of Order calmly pulled the triggers. The guards were all elites from their respective battle groups, and each of their attacks hit the target precisely.

One after another, black figures crashed to the ground, but the sky remained obscured by shadows.

An endless stream of calamities befell the praying mantis, its mouth agape and its snarling, as disgusting slime dripped out with a crackling sound.

The slime splattered onto the personal energy shield, making a crackling, ear-piercing sound.

The Shadows of Order caught a whiff of an unusually pungent stench and simultaneously thought of something.

The sticky substance in the mouth of the mantis is highly corrosive.
The "singer" suddenly burst into song, his voice booming and echoing through the communication channel.

The Shadows of Order felt a surge of power within them, as if they had just finished resting and had not experienced marching or fighting.

They moved their arms and pulled the triggers a little too quickly.

Thump thump thump…

The calamity mantis accelerated its descent, covering the cave floor layer upon layer.

The number of black figures in Mark's line of sight had noticeably decreased.

Just then, a sharp screech rang out, and a massive figure, similar in size to Astartes, leaped down from the air.

Amidst the explosion, it avoided several electric arcs.

The sleepless man's eyes were deep, and his spiritual intuition became even more acute in the darkness. He suddenly pulled the trigger.

The electric arc shot out, but it didn't hit the calamity mantis; it seemed to miss.

The next instant, an electric arc struck the leathery wings, just as the mantis had run into them.

Stab it!

The calamity mantis's enormous body spun downwards and fell.

Suddenly, "Monster" shouted into the communication channel, "He's faking it! He's not dizzy!" Mark immediately drew his Scepter of Truth.

Although the Scepter of Truth has only recently entered the Astartes Legion, it already exists in various forms.

It was usually made in the form of a scepter or a mace, topped with a double-headed eagle symbolizing the empire or a winged skull representing the emperor's sacrifice for humanity.

Some priests would use special decorations; the priest with the "fire salamander" decoration is closer to a craftsman's hammer.

The priest of "Shadow of Order" has outstretched wings adorning the top of his staff, symbolizing the golden wings behind the Father of Genetics.

Mark strode forward, simultaneously increasing the energy field intensity of the Scepter of Truth. The swooping Calamity Mantis was clearly a mutated life form, stronger than its kin.

His singing voice swiftly rushed into the dark shadows.

The calamity mantis swung its pair of sickles and slashed down fiercely.

With a loud bang, the double-edged scythe of the Calamity Mantis slashed at the individual's energy shield.

Its massive belly curled up and opened its three large mouths to bite, but the attack was blocked by an energy shield, and slime splattered everywhere.

Mark swayed, and an alarm rune flashed on his helmet.

The mutated calamity mantis's slashing and biting caused the individual's energy shield to lose 74% of its energy.

Knowing he could no longer withstand the catastrophic attack of the mutated mantis, the "Singer" relied on his enhanced physique gained after his advancement to resist the impact.

The "Singer" wields the scepter of truth and smashes it on the head of the mutated calamity mantis.

Blue light crackled and flashed, the carapace hissed, and the mutated calamity mantis saw stars in its eyes.

Its raised scythe blades drooped limply and crashed to the ground.

"I'm really dizzy this time."

The approaching "Sleepless One" carefully examined the situation, then fired a follow-up shot, causing the mutated mantis's body to tremble instinctively.

At the same time the priest led his team to hunt the Plague Mantis, Nimrod was flying toward the newly discovered ruins.

The "archaeologists" and "mystery hunters" discovered a dilapidated site northeast of the ruins excavated by the Agammenus family.

After receiving the report, Ninglu noticed a broken statue among the newly discovered ruins and decided to go and see it for himself.

Nelson, who had just become a "machine", piloted the Skyhawk shuttle toward his target.

The black Skyhawk shuttle calmly broke free from the Volian sandstorm vortex and flew towards its target over the dusty sand.

Dust storms filled with chemical waste rise into the air; they are much smaller than the Volian sandstorm vortexes, but are more common in the vast wastelands between hives.

The "machine" turned the oracle up to its maximum power and planned the fastest and safest route in its mind.

The black eagle gracefully weaves through the dust storm, without picking up a single grain of sand.

The best pilots on Vigilant Star, whether flying aircraft or transport vehicles, will amaze you.

The Skyhawk shuttle's landing gear deployed, and it landed steadily. Dust was blown away in the calculated direction, without sticking to the clean fuselage.

Ning Lu stepped off the deck and onto the wasteland.

Anyone who crosses the hive without protective gear will die in a very short time, but it poses little danger to him and the Shadow of Order.

The Shadow of Order has established a cordon, isolating a two-kilometer radius around the ruins.

"Father."

Ning Lu nodded slightly. "Lead the way."

He followed the shadow of order to the entrance and used the cable car to descend to 1.3 kilometers underground.

The "archaeologists" had already unearthed its general outline. Ninglu walked through the stone archway and looked at the broken statue.

The lower half of the statue is now reduced to just its thick right leg.

The upper body consisted of only a partially wrecked, imposing chest connected to half of the left arm, and a tattered bat wing covering the left shoulder.

All that remained of its head was a gaping, menacing maw.

Ninglu looked at the scene on the broken walls again, and he saw the same pattern of black figures worshipping as the previous murals.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he walked to the right, looking at both sides of the mural.

He saw one praying mantis after another, and from the large mouths on their abdomens and tails, he recognized them as calamity praying mantises.

[Could the calamity mantis be related to the existence of ancient racial worship depicted in statues and murals?]
After inspecting the statue once, Ninglu returned to it.

He stared at the statue, countless lines flashing through his mind, and he thought silently.

[Although it was difficult, I was indeed able to restore it.]
(End of this chapter)