"No, it's just a remnant, made of the energy left behind when the source of the corruption left, and we've been fighting the echoes of the enemy we really have to face."
The priest pointed to the wreckage.
"So, if this isn't the source, then where do we go to find the real demon."
"this place."
Soshyan turned to the remains of the table, scraps of vellum and shattered data pads mingled among the rubble.
He saw faint ripples in the warp on the parchment - as if destiny lurked somewhere here, contained within the most mundane of things.
At his command, the Astral Knights began their search.
But the damage here has been obvious, and all voyage records, personnel records and captain's logs have been lost.
Eventually, Farzad found a still-working dataslate beneath a relatively intact piece of wood that had been the desktop.
Soshyan examined it and found that it was a list of relics.
He glanced at the names and descriptions of the relics, but didn't see anything unusual until he turned to the last page - which contained an unnamed sacred scripture of the state religion.
Its supposed origin has been revised and questioned, and more interestingly a red icon added to the entry in recent days indicates that it was stolen.
"A relic of unknown origin has recently gone missing."
Soshyan put down the dataslate.
"This can't be a coincidence."
"I think so."
At this time, the priest also found the captain's almost completely burned log.
Most of the records on it were destroyed, but something could still be seen on the latest pages. He placed the book on his right arm, and the small diary did not fit in with his big hand.
"It was in Valedo's atmosphere."
Soshyan approached the priest and looked at the records.
"That holy book was also listed as missing shortly after entering the atmosphere."
Having said this, while he felt certain, he also felt uneasy that an indescribable trap was about to be triggered.
"I think we've found our prey."
"Where is the prey?"
"On Valedo."
"That's all."
The pastor didn't sound surprised, as if he already knew.
After all, its traces are so obvious that what happens in orbit is unlikely to happen on the surface of the planet.
Soshyan took a deep breath.
"We leave here and prepare to land on the ground to see what happened... and find the Inquisitor if necessary."
Not long after the Astral Knights team left the flying Tallan, a flash of light erupted from the bow of the Unbound Soul, and then a dazzling huge light spear penetrated the hull, blasting the entire ship to pieces in an instant— —
, Valedo, Ninth Parish, 4337th Infantry Regiment Defense Zone.
The roads are already filled with cultists.
They jumped towards the Chimera ahead, songs of pain echoing in the streets.
More enemies pursued the retreating armored convoys, and still more surged up from behind the positions, poured out of alleys, and jumped out of windows and doorways.
There were more and more indescribable things, and Yarick didn't even dare to look at them anymore. Instead, he aimed the heavy explosive bomb on the roof of the car at them.
He kept shooting, kept shooting, and didn't dare to stop for a moment.
Vaguely, he saw unclean flesh and fire on the street, but he was unwilling to stare at these things because he realized that these things might bring evil corruption.
But he will not be tempted, and he will never be corrupted.
The armored convoy, consisting of more than a dozen Chimeras and more than twenty trucks, was assembled by troops retreating from the station.
The station was still lost. He never thought that the enemy would get the Sentinel Mecha, and not just one, but five!
They had to leave behind those soldiers who had not been able to board the vehicles. The number of enemies was too great, and their attack was too fast and too intense.
In the minutes before the situation spiraled out of control, Yarrick thought maybe he could regain control.
But then, the enemy's sudden appearance from the sewers completely tore his troops apart, and he was unable to regroup her troops again.
Had his troops been prepared for this battle, perhaps an effective counterattack could have been organized, but chaos has engulfed the area.
The remaining troops must now retreat, and the best he could hope for now was to save as many of his men as possible - they had only lost half of their defensive positions, and the other half was still under the control of friendly forces, the 4211th Infantry Regiment.
A river flows from south to north, dividing their defense area into two. After occupying the station, Yaric had ordered all bridges to be demolished.
Now he and the troops around him were heading towards the last one.
As long as they cross the bridge, they can temporarily stabilize their position and unite with 4211 to resist the enemy's attack - although this will only delay the time of destruction.
"political commissar……"
Suddenly, the communicator on the Chimera rang, but the sound was difficult to discern.
Alex tried not to imagine the situation on the other side of the communicator. His heart was so nervous that it almost burst.
"Miller?"
"Commissar, I'm sorry..."
The chimera swerved to avoid a cultist strapped with explosives, which nearly threw Yarrick through the turret hatch.
The guy was knocked down by the laser gun and failed to detonate the explosives in time, and then the left side of the chimera crushed one of his legs.
But he didn't scream. Instead, he grabbed the Chimera's guardrail and began to climb up.
Yarrick regained his balance, turned the heavy bolter, and aimed it at the disgusting creature.
Then he squeezed the trigger until the blast turned the thing into mist.
"Accelerate! Use the fastest speed! Don't stop! Don't look at those things either!"
Although the pilot's reply could not be heard, the engine roared louder and the Chimera rushed forward, as if even the machine spirit itself was desperate to reach the bridge.
Only then did he have time to deal with the situation on the other end of the communicator.
"Miller, where are you?"
Miller and his team were sent to destroy the station's electrical system, and Yarrick left a Chimera specially for them.
"Did you blow up the transmission equipment?"
"It's ruined, but we're stuck here."
Gunfire rang out in the background.
"We can't break through, we..."
His voice cracked, and when Miller spoke again, he spoke not as an Astra Militarum lieutenant, but as a fragile mortal.
Faced with the horror before him, he collapsed in despair.
"Commissar, I saw it...what are they?"
"Our enemy, Miller."
"No, it's much more than that!"
Miller howled in pain.
Ari frowned.
He had fought alongside Miller for most of his entire military career so far, they had saved each other's lives more than once, he believed in him, believed in him as a rock and believed in his unwavering loyalty to the Emperor.
But now Miller howled, and Yarrick heard the agony of his soul.
The crying didn't stop and it seemed like it would tear the communicator into pieces.
Yarrick could have turned off the communicator, but he didn't, and he did what he could to witness what happened to his best friend.
The gunfire on Miller's side had stopped.
The screaming continued, but began to change, becoming rougher and more musical.
It turned into song, mocking laughter.
Miller... no, it's no longer human, even though it's so familiar with humans.
Alex knew that Miller had been swallowed up by evil, and he also knew where those indescribable things came from.
They erupt from human bodies or are transformed from humans.
"No, never!"
Yarrick kept firing with his heavy bolter.
Even if everyone else gives in, he will never!
