Warhammer 40: Saviors Emerging from the Bottom

Once the bystanders had dispersed, Xiao Yi finally asked the question that had been troubling him the most.

"As far as I know, there are no Astartes Chapters stationed in the nearby star system. Where did you come from?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of sadness appeared deep in Karan's eyes. Although it was only for a moment, Xiao Yi still managed to detect it with his keen senses. It seemed to be another sad story.

"A psionic storm, a psionic storm, sent seven warriors, including myself, into the underground tunnels of this hive city, where many aliens we had never encountered before lurked."

As he spoke, Kalan looked at the pureblood gene stealer that Xiao Yi had cleaved in two, his eyes burning with rage that could set the corpse ablaze, expressing his disgust for the cunning fellow to the others.

This also successfully explains why Xiao Yi could see them from the perspective of the gene-stealing patriarch.

The unfortunate Blackfire Chapter was swept deep into the lair of the scoundrels by a sudden warp storm.

The pressure to survive and the responsibilities bestowed upon them by the emperor led them into a brutal battle against the gene-stealing patriarch and his guards.

After several days of fighting, the Blackfire Band killed the leader of the Gene Stealers at the cost of losing four of their brothers in battle. Then, filled with endless rage, they began hunting down the remaining scoundrels in the underground tunnels.

What happened next is well-known: just as the cunning strategist was about to break through the human army's defenses, Karan and his brothers stormed into the battlefield like gods, placing a decisive weight on the scales of victory.

Xiao Yi did not find any trace of corruption in the other party's soul, so the three Astartes in front of him were undoubtedly allies. However, there was one thing that concerned him.

That's why there were only seven warriors in the Blackfire Legion when they were teleported.

According to the Astartes Codex, a full-strength chapter consists of one thousand men. However, due to a shortage of gene seeds, insufficient recruitment, and other factors, many chapters are unable to maintain full strength.

However, to be called a warband, it's impossible to have only seven warriors. This means that the Blackfire Warband went through an extremely brutal battle before arriving in Bakda Hive.

Who are their enemies?

Will this threaten the security of Bakda's haunt?

These are all things Xiao Yi needs to figure out as soon as possible, but he certainly can't ask about such sad things directly, so he changed to a more tactful approach.

Using the pretext of wanting to help the Blackfire Legion return home, they probed into the other party's past experiences.

Karan seemed to sense something, but he didn't care. After quickly organizing his thoughts, he began to recount the history of the Blackfire Chapter.

The Blackfire Chapter was established in the early days of the thirty-sixth millennium. Its Primarch is unknown, and it has nearly three hundred Astartes warriors. Its main task is to eliminate traitors in the Misty Starfield.

However, an unexpected incident during an operation led nearly half of the Chapter's warriors to fall into corruption. In order to live up to the name of the Emperor, Chapter Master Karan Forgefire reluctantly executed those warriors and volunteered to lead the remaining Astartes on a journey of atonement to prove the loyalty of the survivors.

This was a near-suicidal operation; their warship sailed into the Eye of Fear, the warp rift in the real universe that appeared with the first cry of the Prince of Joy.

They had only two choices: either kill the Chaos Astartes and the demons entrenched there, or be killed by the enemy in battle.

Under such intense attrition, the remaining hundred-plus soldiers suffered heavy losses, leaving only eleven survivors.

Just as everyone was preparing to perish together with the enemy, fate took a turn for the better, and they encountered an unusually strange subspace storm.

When everyone emerged from the storm, the original team of eleven had dwindled to seven, with the whereabouts of the other four missing.

"If possible, we need the local governor's assistance in repairing the weapons and equipment before continuing the Blackfire Chapter's journey of atonement."

"My brothers have committed unforgivable sins. Only by proving our loyalty in battle can we safeguard the honor of our chapter."

Karan looked serious, as if he were making some important vow.

The corruption of chaos is everywhere, and even the specially trained Astartes sometimes succumb to temptation. The Empire is like an incompetent husband, betrayed time and time again.

If this happens too often, it will trigger a stress response.

This is why, when the human empire discovered signs of rebellion, its first thought was not to verify the truth and take remedial measures to nip the potential rebellion in the bud.

Instead, they will deliver the most brutal blow, eliminating all potential participants in the rebellion in a physical sense.

Most ordinary people have no choice at all, but the Astartes are different. Their powerful combat strength has earned them a chance to prove themselves.

The crusade to atone for one's sins is a campaign to fight traitors, aliens, and heretics to wash away one's shame.

The empire will not provide any support; the only way to regain trust is through one's own efforts.

This almost self-destructive approach caused many loyal warbands with no foundation to perish on the expedition.

In Xiao Yi's view, this was completely unnecessary. Just like the Blackfire Battle Group in front of him, if these three guys were allowed to continue their expedition, they would definitely be wiped out.

Astartes are superhumans among superhumans, capable of defeating terrifying enemies that ordinary people cannot face, but that does not mean they are immune to injury or death.

Rather than bringing about our own destruction, we should temporarily halt our efforts to recuperate and rebuild our strength, and then make greater contributions to the empire.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that the other party remains loyal to humanity.

"I cannot give a final answer to this matter. I can only report it to Lieutenant General Lancelot, who will then apply to the Governor. This process may be very slow."

"We can wait."

Kalan glanced at his exhausted companion sitting in the corner, then at his power armor covered in battle marks, and muttered in a voice only he could hear, "Taking a short rest is a good option."

After so many battles, they were a little tired.

"What did you say?"

"It's nothing." In order to divert attention and at the same time deepen her understanding of this world, Karan began to ask Xiao Yi about the specific situation of Bakda Nest City.

But how could he, a newcomer from out of town, possibly know so much? After only a few words, the two found themselves in an awkward silence.

In the end, Redmond came to the rescue and started chatting with Karan.

Judging from his attitude towards himself and the ordinary soldiers, Xiao Yi could roughly guess whose offspring these guys in front of him were.

The Lord of Fire Dragons, Vulcan, possessed only the gene of unreserved benevolence for the common people of the empire.

Why don't these three guys in front of me have the classic black uncle skin?

This question is easy to answer. Vulcan himself wasn't black; it's just that the radiation from his home planet, Nocturne, was too strong, causing his body to secrete too much melanin as a self-protective mechanism, resulting in darker skin.

In other words, he got tanned from the sun, which is partly related to his genes, but not by much.

Of course, this is just speculation. What if the genetic seed of a startup battle group has undergone a serious mutation and mutated into a conscience?

It's not impossible either.

This operation was perfect for Xiao Yi. He not only eliminated most of the cunning thieves, but also gained three Astartes for free. He really made a killing.