Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 18 The eve of the decisive battle
The words are divided into two parts.

The Emperor dared not waste a moment. He used the Geneseed to create the Astartes Legion, preparing to unify Terra and then venture into deep space to reclaim the territories lost by humanity.

On the other side, the incubation chambers carrying the prototypes skipped across the subspace and scattered throughout the galaxy.

After escaping subspace, Primarch 21 arrived at the edge of an unknown star system. After drifting for a period of time, it was eventually captured by the planet's gravity and fell toward the planet.

Planet Nur. The Land of Light, the world created by humankind in the Golden Age.

This brilliant planet, in the most glorious era of humankind, championed "science above all else" and used advanced technology to build a galactic empire.

From space, the planet boasts magnificent, large, jewel-like mountain ranges, vibrant colors, azure oceans, rolling hills, and vast plains.

The most magnificent scenery is the "Nur Ring," an artificial structure that encircles the planet's equator and embraces the entire world.

These magnificent creations from the Golden Age symbolize the pinnacle of human civilization.

Unfortunately, the Ring of Nur is now dim and devoid of any signs of human activity; the giant ring that once embraced the entire planet is now completely silent.

Directly below the planet's ring, along the equator, are several giant cities. These cities are built around the supply channels extending from the Nur Ring, and are connected by super-large trains to transport supplies.

Today, Nur faces the greatest crisis since humanity's decline.

The largest city on Nur, the main territory, is under fierce attack.

More than a decade ago, a meteorite pierced through the planet's barrier and crashed onto the planet's surface. When the survey team arrived at the meteorite crater, it was a scorched earth with nothing there. People assumed that the meteorite had burned up completely as it passed through the atmosphere.

Later, reports came from various scattered settlements that they had been attacked by an unknown creature never seen before.

According to witnesses, the attacker was entirely green with an ugly face, blue fangs, thick limbs, and was extremely warlike.
Armed with scrap metal, homemade swords, and even their teeth, they charged with fearless ferocity, shouting:

"Waaaaaagh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The Nur warriors who fought them called them "Orks," which in the ancient Terran language means "orcs," or green-skinned orcs.

The Nur warriors are brave and skilled in battle. Using the high-tech weapons left over from the old night, they have repeatedly repelled the Greenskin raiders on the Nur Plain.

But the green-skinned orcs seem endless. Kill a group of orcs, and the next time they attack, their numbers will increase tenfold or even a hundredfold, overwhelming the enemy with sheer numbers.

Humans are struggling to cope with wave after wave of Greenskins, and the battle has gone from humans hunting Greenskins to Greenskins besieging humans.

Even more disturbingly, in each battle, the Greenskins' weapons became increasingly advanced, and some individuals seemed to have evolved, becoming unusually tall and displaying intelligence far exceeding that of their kind in combat.

In this ebb and flow, the battlefield moved from the wasteland to the outskirts of the city, and humanity was gradually forced to the edge of the city, until the city fell.

The Nur-Longi infestation became a plague, sweeping across every human settlement, causing humanity to shrink and rely on cities for defense.

The orcs are now launching a massive offensive, besieging major human cities to "defend the main territory."

The main city was built upon a giant orbital tower leading to the Ring of Nur, and its outer perimeter was surrounded by white marble walls.

This warrior city, ruled by the warrior class, was teetering on the brink of collapse under wave after wave of orcish attacks, its resources exhausted during the three-year siege.

The various defensive structures on the city walls have ceased operation due to a lack of ammunition, with only a few pure energy weapons still firing.

"Notify everyone to make one last resupply, then follow me out of the city." King Novik, clad in ancient, jet-black armor, leaned on the battlements, gazing at the green ocean outside the city. His brows were furrowed, his eyes filled with helplessness, knowing that humanity was doomed today.

The war between humans and the Greenskins has completely turned against them, with millions of Greenskin troops stationed outside the city, ready to breach the walls and annihilate humanity.

His gaze swept across the green ocean, meeting that of the most powerful green-skinned leader, whose eyes held only cunning and cruelty, and whose smug smile was utterly arrogant.

For more than a decade, humans have never taken the greens seriously, considering them nothing more than a race without intelligence.

The appearance of the green-skinned leader was completely unexpected by humans.

They called it: "Warboss! The Orc Boss!"

Under their leader's command, the Greenskins constantly avoided the main human forces, using small-scale raids to wear down human troops and gradually encroach on human territory.

The success of a series of strategies and tactics is inseparable from the advanced war wisdom possessed by the Greenskin leader.

“There is still hope.” Behind King Novik stood the leader of another human force on Nur, a tall, thin figure dressed in solemn black priestly robes, holding a scepter in both hands.

The High Priest of the City of Truth has come from afar.

After ten thousand years of decline, human civilization in Nur has regressed significantly, and its political system, through various inheritances and compromises, has become a unique feudal system of separate governance.

King Norwick is the King of Warriors, leading the Night Guard, the most powerful warrior group on Nur, while the High Priest is a high priest from another city, the City of Truth.

The Night Watchers. Emerging in the later stages of the Omnic Rebellion, they are a powerful group of individuals who ended the Nur Civil War, meaning "to protect the continuation of humanity in the darkest of futures."

Since they swore their oath to protect the Nur people, the Night Guard has protected them for thousands of years.

The City of Truth is different. They use psychic energy and pursue ethereal faith. Their style of doing things is always bizarre, but it is undeniable that priests who use supernatural powers do possess extremely strong combat abilities.

"I received enlightenment in a dream that the Savior will save us!" Under the high priest's hood, half of his face was thin and pale, but a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

“Isaac, we have no chance of winning,” King Norwick turned and looked directly at the high priest’s pale face. “I have never believed in unfounded prophecies and revelations.”

"The green-skinned orcs' offensive is swift and rapid; we won't be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive."

Shaking his head in utter helplessness, he walked down the city wall, raised his right hand and pointed it straight to the sky. His voice was faintly heard in the wind: "If there really is a miracle, it can only be this."

Isaac understood what King Norwick meant.

If humanity had control of the Ring of Nur, the Greenskins could be wiped out with the simple press of a button.

"Nur Ring".

The high priest craned his neck to look up at the sky, his voice hoarse from the strain on his vocal cords. His gaze pierced through the clouds, and the giant structure on the high orbit was clearly visible.

“We have lost everything. Since the Omnic Crisis, the artificial intelligence responsible for guarding the Sky Ring has locked all the passages to high orbit. The planetary shield has become a prison, trapping us on the ground.”

Shaking his head, Isaac followed King Norwick away. Ahead, the last king's cloak concealed a somewhat hunched figure, and his crown was dull and lifeless.

With the fall of the main territory, the green-skinned orcs' sweep of Nur is a foregone conclusion.

Humanity will be completely wiped out on Nur, and their king will be powerless to save them.

King Norwick and the High Priest walked one after the other on the wide stone-paved path guarding the main domain, while the people around them bowed to them.

The Night Guard was adjusting his armor and checking his weapons.

The weapons they used were unique, with a blue crystal, known locally as "Nur Crystal," embedded inside the top of the metal grip.

When powered on, the crystal is stimulated to generate a unique energy blade that travels through another dimension, ignoring armor and effortlessly cutting through anything it touches.

The metal gun handle is a technological legacy from thousands of years ago, a glorious era of human technological advancement. Combined with Nur crystal, it is extremely powerful.

The powered armor he wears comes from an ancient arsenal, and its internal "miniature fusion device" can provide the energy to run for centuries. It also has a personal protective force field that can protect the wearer as he fights his way in and out of the chaos of battle.

It was precisely because of this equipment that humans, who were outnumbered, were able to repel the green-skinned orcs in the early stages and continue to engage in brutal battles with them.

The Night Guardians are over 2.5 meters tall, with amazing muscle density, and their power armor makes them extremely powerful in combat.

Nur once had a large number of genetically evolved golden people. Over the past ten thousand years, their genes have degenerated. As descendants of the golden people, the Night Guardians still maintain extraordinary combat power.

King Norwick stopped and asked the chief swordsman of the royal court, who was preparing his weapons for the next battle, "Xilan, how many men are left to fight?"

Xilan bowed in greeting, and King Norwick supported her shoulder.

He was flattered and took off his helmet, revealing his terrifying, scarred face. After a moment's thought, he replied, "Less than 20,000."

"Prepare a set of equipment for me, Great Swordsman." King Norwick patted Siran on the shoulder. "I will fight alongside you."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)