Warhammer 40k: Melee Warriors

Should I then step over my comrades' bodies to escape? Just watch them slowly sink into this swamp and become part of the decaying mass?

Koji pursed his lips, feeling somewhat unable to accept it, and stopped what he was doing.

Commissar Tran had a more profound understanding of sacrifice. He got up, walked over, and patted Komi on the shoulder to comfort him, "Sacrifice is not terrible. What is terrible is sacrificing and not being able to achieve victory. We can die, but you cannot. Whether the whole world can be saved from the orcs and these traitors depends entirely on you. Even if we all die, you must find a way to interpret the Emperor's revelation and let the light of victory shine on our corpses."

"I...I don't know." Komi's mind was a mess. He covered his face with his hands and could only remember the number 5 and its many multiples.

He had proven this point many times with his spear: his attacks would be imbued with a mysterious power once they reached the fifth strike.

The number 5? Which deity does the number 5 point to?

6是色孽、7是纳垢、8是恐虐、9是奸奇、13是中古的大角鼠...

Who is 5?

Komi was completely confused and began to wonder if he had missed some obscure details in the settings.

Commissar Tran didn't say much, only letting Gu Jian slowly sort out his thoughts. When they went downstairs, Commissar Tran added, "For the Emperor."

"For the Emperor." Komi responded, then looked down from the high platform.

Everywhere one looks, there is a scene of decay and weakened soldiers. The plague is gradually seeping into every corner of the fortress, making the bells of certain defeat ring louder and louder.

Of these people, only Mi Yang and Shi Tou were in relatively good health, and the soldiers all said that the two of them were protected by a saint to be in such good health.

However, Koji knew in his heart that the three of them were fine simply because they had been treated well by the Dragonscale Tribe at the bottom of the Nest City.

Komi opened the shrine, held the Grail of Remains in his hands, and looked at the empty Grail. Komi suddenly remembered the reason why the Dragonscale Tribe was attacked.

Their bodies can be used as medicinal materials...

If that's the case, could I also...?

Chapter 61: Using Blood as Medicine

The fortress's medical station was overflowing with patients. Miyan, whose body had not been broken by the plague, became the commander of the medics, moving between the beds and bestowing final mercy on the dying soldiers.

Komi and Commissar Tran arrived here, bringing the Holy Grail with them.

Komi's eyes were firm, while Commissar Tran seemed thoughtful. He already knew Komi's thoughts; he had only read about such deeds of healing all living beings with one's own blood in the scriptures of saints that existed in monasteries.

Miyan hurried over to greet Komi, who saluted his comrade-in-arms with whom he had shared many experiences and then asked, "Where is Major Faraday? Commissar Tran and I want to interpret the Emperor's revelation."

“Major Faraday is in ward number 4. His condition is very bad. The medication can no longer bring down his fever. He's just clinging to life by sheer willpower,” Miyan replied briskly.

They rushed to Major Faraday's ward. Upon opening the door, they smelled the stench of impending death. Other soldiers, their minds nearly numbed by the plague, and Major Faraday himself lay on the hospital beds.

Silently praying for the Emperor's blessing, Koji took out the Holy Grail and a dagger. He nodded to Commissar Tran, then brought the dagger close to his wrist and cut it off.

Perhaps because it was the first time doing this, the wound wasn't deep enough, and not much blood gushed out, just a drop or two falling into the Holy Grail, and the blood was even showing signs of congealing.

Koken hardened his heart, gritted his teeth, and slashed the dagger down several centimeters. Only then did blood gush out into the Holy Grail in large gushes, in rhythm with his heartbeat.

Filling this wine glass-sized Holy Grail with blood was no easy task, but fortunately, the blood only covered one-fifth of it before the Holy Grail underwent an unusual change.

Falla had seen the soul of Komi before; it was an invigorating blend of gold and red. Now, this Holy Grail, too, was surrounded by a golden-red halo under the influence of blood. The slightly bitter smell of blood permeated the room, dispelling much of the pervasive stench of decay.

The blood in the Holy Grail did not congeal, which greatly surprised Commissar Tran. He watched as Komi held the Holy Grail to Major Faraday's lips and dripped a few drops of blood onto his chapped lips.

Major Faraday, who looked like a dead man, trembled his lips, then stuck out his tongue and licked the blood off his lips.

His panting, which had been like a broken furnace, became much more normal, and the phlegm blocking his nose had dissipated considerably.

Major Faraday slowly woke up five seconds later. He looked at everyone with some confusion and then asked, "Has the traitor been eliminated?"

Commissar Tran was somewhat excited, wishing he could go over right now and shake Major Faraday's hand tightly to congratulate him on continuing to serve the Emperor.

Komi, meanwhile, was holding the Holy Grail and distributing his blood to the other patients. Soon, there were no more dying patients left in the room.

"It's amazing! This is the power of the Emperor, the great power to drive away the plague!" Commissar Tran exclaimed, increasingly convinced that Komi was the saint who saved the world.

Koji, however, remained vigilant. He approached Major Faraday and looked intently into his eyes, hoping not to see any bloodlust in those pale blue pupils.

There was no bloodlust, no fanaticism, only a deep sense of gratitude.

Koji breathed a sigh of relief for the moment. At least this proved that he had not spread terror and corruption through this action. Using one enemy to devour another was not a good idea in Warhammer.

Blood shouldn't be considered too serious, right? After all, the Holy Blood Angels have blood slaves...

As Koji was thinking this, he heard Mi Yang's excited shout, "Great! The Sage is walking among us, and the Emperor's miracles are blessing our bodies. Victory in this battle will surely belong to us!"

Mi Yang and Shi Tou also ate the food from the Dragon Scale Tribe. Could their blood have the same effect?

After using up the remaining blood in the Holy Grail, Komi held it up to Miyan and said, "Miyan, try to see if you can gain the Holy Grail's approval."

"Me?" Mi Yang pointed to himself with his bandaged finger, looking somewhat flattered. "How could I..."

Mi Yang hesitated for a moment, not because he was afraid of cutting his wrists to donate blood, but simply because he felt that his blood would taint the purity of the Holy Grail.

But at Komi's request, she obeyed and did as he said, causing blood to gush from her wrist in an instant.

The Holy Grail, containing Miyan's blood, also possesses the power to heal the sick.

Komi then summoned Ishi, and after trying it, discovered that Ishi's blood could also cure patients.

There is a significant difference between a cure and a cure. The blood of Mi Yang and Shi Tou can only slowly heal the patient, and it takes several hours for it to take full effect.

The blood from Komi is incredibly fast; it can revive a dying patient in just five seconds, leaving only the feeling of hunger.

Blood flowed out, and Komi's face gradually turned pale. Darkness flashed before his eyes from time to time, and his body grew cold.

Commissar Tran and Miyan urged Koji to stop, saying that the saint's life should not be wasted in this fortress that was bound to fall.

But Komi felt guilty looking at the soldiers who were ravaged by disease. He took a deep breath and replied, "It's okay, I'm still quite healthy. I can recover after eating something and taking a nap. If all else fails, adding some water might help."

Thanks to Komi's persistence and the combined efforts of Miyan and Shitou, all the patients in the fortress recovered their health.

They still remember what happened when they were sick; their consciousness is clearly trapped in their slowly decaying bodies, and no matter how much they scream and pray, their bodies cannot respond.

They knelt before Komi, holding small statues of blessings in their hands, praying for him.

The drowsy Komi heard these sounds. He forced his eyes open and saw only a thick green mass obscuring his vision.

This green wasn't so disgusting; on the contrary, it exuded the fresh scent of grass, making Koken's spirit, which had been tainted by the plague swamp, much clearer.

5. ...Which god's sacred number is it?

With these questions in mind, Komi fell into a deep sleep amidst prayers.

He slept for five days and five nights. No one dared to move Gu Jian's position. Instead, a special team was formed to guard him day and night, ensuring that the sacred candle in front of him never went out.

When Gu Jian opened his eyes, the feeling of weakness from overdrawing his life force had subsided considerably. He got up from the chair, and when his steps were a little unsteady, Mi Yang hurriedly helped him up.

“Be careful, my saint.” Mi Yang’s voice trembled with piety. Komi shook his head and asked.

"What's the situation now? Has the enemy launched an attack?"

“The enemy hasn’t launched an attack yet, but I think it will be soon. Screams and chanting can be heard coming from their camp these past few days, and the green light surrounding their camp has become even thicker, even turning black.”

"How many days have I been asleep?"

"Five days, my saint."

“I see…” Komi did some calculations and then said, “They’re probably going to launch a full-scale attack tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the forty-ninth day we’ve been trapped in this damned swamp.”

Is forty-nine days special?

“Forty-nine days is very special…” Komi paused, then added, “The 88th Mobilization Corps is also very special.”

Chapter 62: The Light of the Holy Grail

"Tomorrow will be the forty-ninth day, and the ceremony will be performed on that day..." In the camp far from the fortress, the cult leader announced this to his subordinates.

His noble clothes had disappeared, leaving only a dirty, greasy robe on his body. Three eyes gleamed eerily under the hood, and every time he opened his mouth, he vomited a puddle of yellowish-green substance.

"Why are we so concerned about this fortress? Wouldn't it be better to bypass it?" one of his men asked him, a question that the others had been wanting to ask as well.

The cult leader was not angry. He just sighed, first cursing the Corpse King's lackeys for their foolishness in trying to stop a chariot, and then explained.

"Because that fortress is one of the nodes of the ritual. Look at this city map. Do you notice that these streets are pieced together in a very orderly formation, and the fortress is right in the center."

"Is that so? I thought the fortress was just located here to occupy a strategic point and make it easier to control the movement of the entire city by force. Does this mean they were already on guard against us?"

"It's not that they were already on guard against us, it's that they just want to get more unrealistic power from the Corpse King." The cult leader curled his lip and put the city map, which was older than his family itself, into his pocket. "As long as this fortress is still under the control of the Corpse King's lackeys, we will not be able to let the plague break out completely, and thus turn the entire Grace City into a living thing that embodies the will of the benevolent father."

The leader tossed several severed fingers into the cauldron in the center of the crowd, and a cloud of dark green smoke rose up. This thing displayed a vision of the future, showing them the scene of the Grace City coming to life.

What a powerful and extraordinary creation this is! The lifeless plastic steel and cement will transform into life-giving trees and fungi, and then carry these believers who preach the voice of the Father of Compassion on a tour of the entire Upper Nest. They will use the fists formed from the buildings to smash the ancient shield at the top of the Nest, and finally restore peace to the entire planet.

"Our cause is righteous; we must liberate the suffering people from the Corpse King's hypocrisy." The cult leader emphasized, "Tomorrow we must take the fortress and ensure the ritual is completed!"

"Hahaha, that's too easy. I think they have no ability to resist at all, and have already submitted to the gentleness of the loving father."

"That would be for the best, for love and fairness!"

The next day, the cultists left the camp. Most of them had lost the ability to think and could only clumsily follow orders.

The festering undead staggered toward the fortress, their slimy bodies dripping onto their feet to keep them from sinking into the swamp.

The catapults were dismantled and then armed to the deformed giants, who became the most conspicuous and powerful members of this cult. Even if Leman Rustank stood in their way, they could overturn them with brute force.

The fortress was silent, and the garrison inside had clearly submitted to the gift of the benevolent father. The cult leader couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth at the easy victory, and a trembling laugh escaped his throat.

"For the Emperor!"

A fanatical roar rang out, followed by the roar of hundreds of guns firing simultaneously. In an instant, hundreds of cultists, who were advancing slowly like the living dead, were wiped out.

"How is this possible? How can they still continue to resist!" The cult leader couldn't believe it. His calm and relaxed expression vanished, replaced by a gnashing of resentment.

"Go! Capture them all! Cut off their limbs! Remove their facial features, and use their torsos to make new banners!"

Amidst somewhat hysterical roars, the cultists quickened their pace, surging towards the fortress like waves through the swamp.

Komi stood inside the tower, neatly stacking the remaining steel spears, and then aimed them at the deformed giants armed to the teeth and hurled them.

The first four spear throws were aimed at speed, and even if these deformed giants moved twice as fast, Komi could still guarantee a hit.

For this fifth strike, Koken gathered all his strength, aiming to make this attack as powerful as possible.

Just as Komi had predicted, the javelin, carrying an inexplicable force, struck the deformed giant's hybrid breastplate, instantly creating a large hole in his chest.

The giant roared a few times, then lay down on its back, crushing many undead cultists who couldn't dodge.

Komi used this method to kill the giants one by one, and each time he killed one, the fortress's defenders would erupt in a loud shout.