Warhammer 40k: Melee Warriors

"Hehehe... Looking at your hands, I've decided to stop calling you a bastard. I've decided to call you Honso Silver Hand. The silveriest hand among the Iron Warriors, and the most Iron Warrior among the Silver Hand users."

Language is a weapon. The last person to use language to its fullest potential was Chagatai, who broke Mortalian's defenses with just a few words, making the title of Lord Typhons of the Legion famous throughout the galaxy.

Looking at Hong Su's increasingly distorted face, Komi felt that he was currently the second best at using language as a weapon.

However, this blacksmith possessed modifications no less extensive than Demas's, and a mechanical arm with a drill immediately rose from his back, piercing towards Gu Jianjian's eyes.

"Hahaha!" Hong Su's laughter was tinged with a frantic madness. He was originally a cold and calm man, but under Gu Jian's provocative words, his defenses were constantly crumbling. "Let me see if you can still mock me after I've ripped your mouth apart!"

The excessively white, hard teeth that were no ordinary thing, and the robust appetite that allowed him to eat anything without getting an upset stomach, were blessings bestowed upon Komi by Konnae when he was in a good mood.

However, Komi was unaware of this and intended to surprise Hongsuo with her stacked passive ability.

Who would have thought that the drill came too slowly, while the mouth closed too quickly.

It's like a top laner trying to dodge Malphite's charge with Flash, only to find their hand trembles and they accidentally flash before Malphite throws out an Indian roti.

The drill bit hitting Komi's tooth startled him, and the subsequent shattering of the drill bit on the tooth only added to his confusion.

Did this trigger a passive effect? ​​But wasn't this a defensive move? Is it even considered an attack? The judgment is really flexible...

Confused as he was, Komi continued his actions without stopping. Taking advantage of Hongsuo's brief moment of surprise at the drill's malfunction, Komi raised his foot and struck him hard in the abdomen.

The accumulated fifth strike struck Hong Suo's power armor and flesh, sending him flying dozens of meters until he crashed into a large pile of rubble.

Hong Su vomited a mouthful of blood and nutrients, unable to comprehend how Gu Jian had inexplicably unleashed such immense power.

Koji wouldn't give him a chance to catch his breath. He threw four throwing knives at once, followed by a powerful fifth strike, ready to deliver a solid blow to Hong So.

"No! I can't die here!" Hong Su shouted, desperately using his living metal arm to block Komi's attack.

With his arm severed, the title "Honso Silver Hand" didn't quite fit.

Komi's chainsaw sword continued forward, tearing his shattered Terminator power armor even further, and nearly crushing one of Hungsuo's hearts.

Faced with Hong Suo's defeat, the ever-changing Demon Lord, who had been watching the show, could no longer contain his disappointment.

He genuinely wanted to see Hongsuo die here, but he couldn't tolerate the disastrous outcome of Hongsuo, severely wounded, leading his troops in a pathetic retreat from the shattered steel fortress.

The Demon Lord of Myriad Transformations reluctantly cast a spell, directly blowing Koken away with a blasphemous wind.

He led his demon army to the teleportation array, revealing his full form. Holding his divine staff, he roared at Komi, "Today you must die here! This is the only outcome fate has shown!"

Komi grinned and said casually, "I'm actually a little hungry right now."

The Demon Lord of Myriad Transformations felt waves of pain from his still-healing wounds, and unable to bear it any longer, he unleashed his ever-changing flames, sweeping across the entire battlefield.

Chapter 152: Neither your father nor my father loves us

The flames indiscriminately harm all living beings within their reach. Even if they are temporarily allies formed due to some interests, it does not mean that the Myriad Transformations Demon Lord will have any concern for Hong Suo and his subordinates.

If you can hold out, it means you are strong enough to be worthy of an alliance and deal with me.

If you can't hold on, it means you're utterly useless. In my plan, dying as a pawn is already a good ending.

The flames of the strange fire are quite dazzling, and at first glance, they may seem insignificant. However, their effects are far more terrifying than those of natural fire.

Both cold and heat are desecrated by these flames, which torment the bodies and souls of the people in their extreme, unpredictable rises and falls, one moment plunging into an ice cave and the next into a fiery hell.

Beyond the sensation of temperature, the structure of natural things also changes with the twisting of the flames. Everything that existed in the entire Shattered Steel Fortress was forcibly replaced here by the flames, causing this area, which could only be described as ruins, to begin to flow with molten iron from the Hell Factory and the flesh and blood of the Demon Womb District.

Demas sensed more from within the warship: the countless demons bound within the teleportation array were wavering under the scorching flames. They preferred to make a deal with a shapeshifting demon lord rather than continue being tools for the Iron Warriors to achieve their ambitions.

This place is becoming increasingly quagmire; escaping will require immense effort and come at a great cost...

However, Demas was still unwilling to abandon Komi, who was fighting to the death in the flames. He always believed that this idealistic and powerful warrior could break through the encirclement.

The demons roamed the bridge conspicuously, as if deliberately exposing themselves to everyone.

"It seems you're having a little trouble," the clerk said with a sinister smile, his two arms that had grown out of his sides still working as he took notes.

"Demon! What do you want to do!" The crowd raised their weapons but did not fire. They had sensed something from the scribe's words and actions.

The clerk didn't introduce himself to the crowd, but slowly walked over to Demas and said, "I know how to break that guy's spell, but I'm afraid you're unwilling or don't have the courage to do it."

"What is it?" Demas asked, his tone filled with distrust of the demon. "Judging from your features, you should be in cahoots with that birdman. Why should I believe your advice?"

"In cahoots?" The clerk chuckled mockingly. "He used to be, but he proved himself unfit for the position. When your leader is disappointing enough, it's only natural for his subordinates to take his place."

These words seemed to have a hidden meaning, and Demas felt somewhat resentful, feeling that the scribe was implying that he was not discerning enough to judge his subordinates, which was why the Broken Steel Fortress had suffered such a great disaster.

"Get to the point!" Demas roared, and the submachine gun spun again, displaying his fury.

Knowing the time was ripe, the clerk didn't mince words and said directly, "As long as you abandon that oath and leave Marcus here to die, the warship can immediately take off and escape. Haven't you noticed? What's really holding the warship back is your stubbornness and obstinacy."

"What? You want me to abandon Markus?"

"What? Is this a difficult thing? You are the Iron Warrior, and he is the World Eater. Although you are both ancient relics from the Great Crusade, it doesn't mean that your relationship is so deep that it requires your lives to maintain it, does it?"

"How could you, a demon, understand!" Demas brandished his iron claws, gripping the scribe tightly. However, his body was extremely soft and formless, squeezing out the rest of his body through the gaps.

“I’m really surprised…” The scribe chuckled, then gave Demas another option. “Since you’re unwilling to break your promise, then you can use your life to fulfill it. I can help you switch places with Markus. You will die at the hands of that fool and Honso. The oath loses its effect when one person is missing, and the spells constructed from it will instantly dissipate.”

Trade my life for Marcus's life?

For a moment, Demas hesitated.

It was true that he was unwilling to break his vow, because he respected his Primarch, Perturabo, enough that Perturabo did not love him.

But...do we really have to give our lives for a vow?

Demas hesitated again. He longed to live and witness the collapse of the human empire, to become a powerful force under Perturabo's command, and to earn his praise, or even a smile.

Demas clearly remembered that the reason he entered the fearless coffin was because he had disappointed Perturabo. He took 15 seconds longer to capture the enemy's position, which caused a chain reaction that delayed their progress in conquering the planet by a full half hour.

Such a huge error enraged Perturabo, who liked to calculate time to the extreme. He kicked Demas so badly that Demas could only barely survive with the help of the Fearless Coffin.

Demas dreams of washing away this humiliation, but if he dies... then he'll have no chance at all.

The thought of abandoning Markus was like poison; once tasted, it began to take effect in every corner of the soul.

Demas looked up at the Losers' Warband, then lowered his head somewhat guiltily.

I have to...I have to leave Markus behind...but I can take care of the Losers' Clan for him, can't I?

This is a necessary sacrifice...it's necessary! Yes!

The scribe clearly sensed Demas's wavering. He was in no hurry to influence Demas's choice, as any choice he made would severely impact the Demon Lord's plans, causing the shame of defeat to slap him hard in the face once again.

Just as Demas was about to tell the scribe his plans, a voice appeared in his mind.

That was Komi's voice; it was a sentiment Komi had expressed when he talked to him about the past Great Expedition.

"Our two legions actually have something in common."

"Similarities? Don't be ridiculous... You're a bunch of war dogs who fight with rage and the smell of blood, while we're a bunch of experts who conquer everything with cannons and plans!"

"The commonality I'm referring to is deeper; our fathers all hated us..."

These words have resonated deeply with Demas since then, and their impact remains undiminished now that they have been spoken again.

Watching the shattered steel fortress, painstakingly built, be destroyed in the war, watching Komi fight desperately in the already malfunctioning teleportation array, and seeing the scribe's ambiguous smile, Demas suddenly smiled with relief.

Even if he survives, what good will it do? This defeat has already tarnished his already meager glory once again.

Could he be saying that he didn't lose to Hong Suo's surprise attack, but rather to the Myriad Transformations Demon Lord's scheme and his own impatience?

The Lord of Iron doesn't ask for reasons, he only looks at results.

A win is a win, and a loss is a loss.

He was no longer worthy to stand alive before Perturabo, the Iron Lord; it would be better for him to die here with some honor...

Demas gave the clerk an answer, and the next second he and the clerk disappeared together.

Amidst the chaos, Komi used his chainsaw to cleave through the oncoming flames. The chainsaw he wielded was one of the few weapons on the battlefield unaffected by the strange fire. The weapons the prisoners had seized in the previous battles had undergone severe mutations, even becoming active and baring their fangs at their users.

Chapter 153: You are now the new war blacksmith

Failure is inevitable.

This was the only truth that the Myriad Transformations Demon Lord told Gu Jian with his maniacal laughter: he had long since infiltrated the Broken Steel Fortress with his schemes, turning this place, filled with an iron-like, cold order, into his temporary demon palace.

Compared to the arena of the Great Demon Khorne, the palace of the Great Demon Slaanesh, and the plantation of the Great Demon Nurgle, Tzeentch, the Dark Lord of Shapeshifters, preferred to rest in the intricate web of intrigue, lamenting the capriciousness of fate as the threads of his plans trembled.

However, his laughter was also mixed with anger. A perfect conspiracy should not have a mastermind. He should be hiding in the shadows, waiting for Hong Suo to capture Komi, and finally announce to Komi's astonished gaze that all the chaos in the shattered steel fortress was his doing.

However, due to Hong Suo's incompetence, the Myriad Transformations Demon Lord had no choice but to take action himself.

The entire Steel Fortress's intrigue surged toward the Myriad Manifestations Lord, converging on his nine eyes and wand, ultimately transforming into a magical tidal wave whose effects even the Eldar had to ponder for a long time before they could react.

Komi cleaved through the waves of fire, rescuing many prisoners struggling in the flames. There was no joy at saving lives, nor any heroic battle cry, only a suffocating feeling of being disgusted by the magic.

Short-ranged champions beat long-ranged champions, reckless players beat sneaky ones, and Darius beats Vayne.

It's like the PvP in World of Warcraft, where warriors charge in and get right in front of you, while mages wield numerous control spells like Freeze and Polymorph, accumulating an even stronger blow in your powerless gaze.

However, even in this predicament, there is still a glimmer of hope.

That was his own blood...

Fight divine power against divine power, fight soul against soul.

Komi took a deep breath. Last time, he used his own blood to break through the blasphemous spell, which shattered his soul for a long time. If it weren't for the pill containing the power of Falla's spiritual energy protecting him, it was unknown how long his soul would have remained shattered.

The miner's soul managed to fend off the spells cast by the cultists...

So the soul of a Space Marine should also be able to block the spell of the Shapeshifting Lord...

But the question is, how much can it block?

Gu Jian's expression was solemn. He couldn't find a story to serve as a model for himself. Warhammer's overly flexible combat system meant that much experience could only be gained through personal trial and error.

Seeing the two or three prisoners he had just rescued suddenly transform into twisted, chaotic eggs amidst screams, Koken knew he had no time to hesitate...

The moment he made his decision, a spell, similar in essence but different in appearance from the Myriad Transformations Demon Lord, attacked the battlefield. It immediately landed on Koken, then swept him into a wisp of air and quickly drifted towards the battleship above.

"What!" The Demon Lord of Myriad Changes was shocked. The unexpected turn of events enraged him, and the familiar scent in the spell only fueled his fury.

The Demon Lord of Myriad Transformations roared at the slowly ascending battleship, "Scribe! I'm going to kill you, you traitor!" Then he was hit in the cheek by a missile.

A rocket powerful enough to penetrate a Predator tank left the ever-changing Demon Lord, protected by conspiracy, with only some disheveled black ash. The ever-changing Demon Lord turned to look at the attacker who launched the missile, who was none other than Demas, the master of the shattered steel fortress.

"You damned bastard...you like to willingly throw yourself into hell? I'm going to subject you to all the tortures I prepared for that damned World Eater."