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On the last large atoll on the planet Lalan.
As the fighter jets' broadcasts blared above the heads of the stabbing aliens waiting on the surface.
The once-solemn army of assassins, who had been on high alert, scattered and fled from the atoll as if they had seen a ghost, screaming as they went.
They dived into the water like madmen and never resurfaced.
The broadcast from Casca was even more terrifying and horrifying than the Emperor's!
For these chaotic aliens, even if the Emperor arrives, there will only be one cursed being.
But upon hearing the name "Centaur Gold Ring," every one of the assassins present would be cursed.
The battles fought on this ocean planet were light and easy.
The occupied atolls were quickly converted into military bases of Astartes and brought under Astartes' control.
Meanwhile, the Emperor's Sons Space Marines continued their operations in Casca—building a large stage on the atoll and continuing performances thereafter.
Passing through the ruins of ancient buildings rising from the ocean, foamy waves crash against the city walls that once stood thousands of meters in the air.
At Casca's request, stage after stage was built by the Emperor's sons.
As the battle progressed, people discovered the underwater cities that had been infiltrated by the infiltrators. Astartes' squads, along with specially modified landing craft launched from cruisers circling the surface, pulverized the buildings that had never seen the sun.
Next came the final stage of their battle.
— Led by the Primarch, they will storm together the Nara's last and largest atoll's central temple.
After destroying the mysterious facility within that temple that covered the entire planet and could strangely block orbital bombardment from warships, they directly used an extermination order to wipe them out.
Although the Mechanicus protested to Casca about the hasty use of the extermination order, it was clearly rejected at Casca's insistence.
As long as the assassin remains, Casca is constantly on edge!
If this weren't a chaotic planet directly protected by Slaanesh, Casca would have gladly thrown all the extermination orders from the Imperial Prince's warehouse onto it.
—It's a pity I can't throw it away.
I must personally go down and thoroughly purify the chaotic stuff that's interfering with the coordinate changes.
During this period, in order to be on the safe side, Casca did more than just build a stage for the performance of the Centaur Gold Ring.
—But twenty-nine!
Including those who followed them in, there were a total of [thirty] stages.
thirty!
It's thirty. According to psychic—I mean, numerology research and repeated performance experiments, the mysterious number that can resonate with the spirit of the centaur is thirty, which symbolizes spending thirty years together!
Imperial Prince's Chief Pharmacist, Meluxin: "..."
"If you make me do this kind of experiment again, I'll kill you!"
“Well,” Casca’s gaze shifted slightly, “but you see, we have indeed achieved some good research results, haven’t we?”
"you--"
“Alright, Melusin,” Fugrim stepped forward to stop Melusin, placing his other hand in front of Kaska. “The war is important; this is not the time for idle chatter.”
Perhaps Kasgar's presence is indeed a bit too strong compared to the other Astartes' second-in-commands.
But this doesn't mean that Fugrim has no appeal among the princes.
—Even compared to the abstract Kasgar, the Imperial Prince often felt relieved when he received orders from Fugrim.
At least this operation will be relatively more normal.
Of course, it's relative.
“My Sons of the Emperor, the purge of Ral is nearly complete,” said Vorgrim, and the warriors of the Sons of the Emperor erupted in cheers. “The last fortress awaits our wrath, and I will lead the assault. Did I not promise to plant our banners upon the ruins of Ral?
Although the war resulted in relatively fewer casualties, the Assassins' combat capabilities and skills were comparable to those of the human empires. Even if the sons of emperors performed to the best of their abilities, some casualties would still occur.
The prince's wrath needs to be washed away with the remaining blood of the thorns.
—But first, before entering the treacherous final atoll, we need to turn on the sound system.
With the remaining twenty-nine performances of the stage play "Centaur Gold Ring" scattered across the Lalan Atoll, the Stormbirds of the Emperor's Sons set off towards the last island.
......
This place is where the last and greatest force of resistance from the Thorns gathered.
When faced with life and death, they were not even afraid of the Centaur Gold Ring.
As the fighter jets approached the atoll and prepared to land, the aliens' firepower also extended towards them.
The air was filled with the screams emanating from the coral tower.
This is not a metaphor; it seems the entire atoll is truly screaming in anger.
The last guards of Ral were stationed at the temple, and even though the fighter jets were still broadcasting the [Centaur Gold Ring], the purple light emanating from them did not seem to dissipate or fade.
Despair and fear did not appear in them.
"Is it the blessing of the temple?"
Kasgar thought to himself as he watched from the air as Fugrim maneuvered the Firebird with agility and skill.
This will be a tough battle.
These piercing warriors fought with all their might as if they were not being disturbed at all.
As soon as the Stormbirds landed, the soldiers of the company and Primarch Vograim boarded the atoll. Their Terminator armor was magnificent and heavy, reflecting the firelight of battle.
Fugrim charged out first.
The assassins are strong, but they are not enough to challenge the Imperial Warmaster.
Despite the fierce fighting, once the warriors led by the Primarch had established a foothold on the front lines, wave after wave of reinforcements quickly helped them retake the battlefield.
The gunboats used high-explosive shells to strafe and saw through the turrets, providing support for ground troops.
The advance force was followed by transport vehicles that even carried armored units: Rand Raiders, Predators, and Defenders.
"go ahead!!!"
Fugrim shouted and, with unimaginable speed, cleaved a stabber who dared to step forward into several pieces.
"Protect the original!"
Kaska shouted, looking at the Thorn Temple, which was faintly visible in the mist in the distance of the atoll, his face grave.
An indescribable pressure emanated from the temple.
Tiny golden flames had begun to spontaneously ignite on his right arm, but they were hidden from view by his armor.
If anything changes, be prepared to break out of the encirclement with Fugrim!
Chapter 188 Slaanesh: Madam, please respect my profession
In the heart of the battlefield, amidst a cacophony of raging energy cannon fire and explosive bombs, Kasgar led the Phoenix Guards, surrounding Fugrim, as they advanced toward the towering mountain in the center of the atoll.
At the end of that wide valley made of pink coral, there stands a huge twin-towered temple that soars into the clouds.
Its edges are covered with hundreds of screaming, serrated tips, like the countless serrated spikes growing on coral.
Groups of stab-wielding warriors gathered at the entrance of the temple, ready for battle.
In the midst of the clash of spears and swords, brilliant colors burst forth and then vanished in an instant, as if enchanting people, only to disappear from everyone's sight after a brief appearance.
This is not normal.
Such a colorful and noisy scene... even under the radiance of the [Centaur Gold Ring], is still not to be underestimated; the power of the dark god Slaanesh is never to be underestimated.
The temple seemed to be the center of a cacophony.
Its windows are like tear stains on fabric, patchy and uneven, yet they are also the loudest and noisiest source of sound and light.
As the fighting and battle intensified, accompanied by elegant, perfect swordsmanship and carnage, more pink musk permeated the air.
This level of infection was proving difficult for them to handle.
Especially since they were all heading towards the Temple of Slaanesh, and their infectious power was already so strong even on the outskirts, imagine how powerful it would be if they got close or even entered it...
It's hard to imagine whether the Centaur Gold Ring could effectively protect them from this eerie presence.
"Maintain formation! Inform the stage behind us to increase the intensity of the performance, and inform all the Emperor's Sons that they must not remove their helmets and inhale this pink mist."
"I repeat, inform all the Emperor's sons that they must not remove their helmets and inhale this pink mist!"
......
The resistance they encountered this time was extremely strong.
Even though a flat area had been cleared near the landing point for armored troops to land, and the stage for the Centaur Gold Rings was ready, along with the performances of a total of thirty Centaur Gold Rings being staged in various other locations on the planet.
However, the temple's enhancement to the assassins shows no sign of weakening.
Judging from the strange lights and sounds that appeared out of nowhere in the sky, it seems that the influence of Slaanesh is beginning to break through the limitations of the Centaur's Golden Ring.
Despite the fierce fighting spirit of the warriors under the influence of the temple's light, their combat strength was several times greater than it had been on the previous atolls.
However, they were still forced to retreat step by step by the steady advance of the emperor's sons.
— Rather than stubbornness, it was more like an extreme excitement that made the assassins charge madly toward the Emperor's Sons' squads, regardless of pain and danger.
As if war were the greatest pleasure they could obtain, countless wide-eyed, expressionless, and piercing figures, wielding four energy swords, surged towards the Primarch.
Even with the most elite troops and the protection of the Phoenix Guard, the son of the emperor, many still managed to slip through the human wall and break through the defenses.
However, it seemed that Fugrim was actually pleased with this—with each swing of her burning blade, she cut down every assassin who dared to approach and provoke her. Her movements were so swift and agile that even the most nimble assassins could not survive a single move against her.
Golden blades slay anything that dares to enter the range of their halberds, and the banners of the Imperial Legion are proudly held aloft by the warriors at the very front, right where they have penetrated the heart of the enemy lines.
"Let's clear out these thorn-like figures at the entrance for now, and wait for the stage behind us to catch up!"
Kasgar stopped Fugrim, who was impatient and wanted to rush in.
"This is a critical juncture according to the prophecy; we must not act rashly!"
"Very well!" Fugrim turned around and raised his flaming sword high. "Sons of the Emperor, clear out the nearby thorny aliens!"
Despite the Nicaea ban, it seems that no one doubts Casca's prophetic abilities in the face of him.
If you're accurate enough to the point that no one can understand you, then the imperial truth-proclaiming Confucian scholars will naturally come to debate the scriptures for you.
......
The cleanup of the battlefield devastation took a long time.
And it seemed that, seeing that the princes were not taking the bait, the light and color that occasionally came from the magnificent windows of the temple seemed to become even more hazy.
This left Casca with a very despicable impression.
Come on~ Let's have some fun~
"We can't delay any longer. Although the influence of Slaanesh on the periphery isn't strong, it will still subtly affect the thoughts and ideas of the princes!"
Only a few can possess top-tier magic resistance and complete magic immunity like Kasgar.
With the assistance of numerous human imperial forces, the area around the landing point on the atoll has been largely cleared, and large facilities from the Mechanicus are now scattered throughout the landing site.
Large chunks of blasted coral were scattered all around, and dozens of snake-shaped Lar corpses lay sprawled haphazardly around them.
Their many arms were adorned with curved leaves, and blue flames crackled and shone brightly in the mist pouring from the broken temple.
"Beware of illusions that shouldn't appear at this time! If you feel anything amiss, quickly recite the mantra for the Centaur Ring in your mind, understand?"
In order to enter the temple, the Emperor's son now has a very narrow miniature stage instead of the large stage he had before, which will also cause some minor changes to the final tug-of-war between the two sides.
As the Metsch players pressed their Interles-style keys, the once dazzling light and mist dimmed, as if they had never existed.
The performance of the Centaur Ring did indeed, to some extent, curb the Slaanesh demon's sensory stimulation.
But how long this suppression can last is not something Kaska can decide.
The temple's spiraling spire soars high before you, and its wide, arched entrance resembles the entrance to an underwater cave. Although nothing has changed, it's like a luxurious treasure chest left after a great battle, irresistibly drawing every adventurer to open it and explore its secrets.
Then, what awaited them was being bitten by the mimic.
From within the temple came what sounded like a frenzied musical performance clashing with the centaur-shaped golden ring-wearing musician.
It was as if a million frenzied orchestras were simultaneously playing a million different tunes. A flashing, multicolored light pierced the darkness, and Julius believed that the discordant music originated from there.