Chapter 48: Battle!

As Carter's battle cry resonated through the air, a surge of unparalleled courage and determination radiated from him.

It was the bravery and fearlessness of the Imperial Guards!

The Guards, inspired by Carter's declaration, felt their fighting spirits ignite. Even the severely injured Guard joined the formation.

He could still fight!

Even if he were to die, he would die on the battlefield.

For only then could he wash away the shame of his earlier failure.

He would prove his loyalty to the Governor through the blood of the heretical cultists!

Bolters were loaded, and the engines of chainswords roared.

With Carter leading, wielding the massive Eviscerator chainsword, the Guards formed a tight battle formation and steadily advanced towards the abomination.

In their hearts, only battle and death could guide them!

The surrounding gunfire had stopped.

After realizing that conventional weapons had no effect, the Defense Force and Enforcers ceased their attacks to avoid interfering with the Imperial Guards.

For a moment, there was an eerie silence.

All eyes were fixed on the backs of the brave Guards.

They were the War Angels from the Royal District, loyal to the Governor.

Everyone's hopes rested on their shoulders.

Some of the Enforcers and Defense Force soldiers began to pray.

They prayed for the Emperor's protection and for Him to bless the Imperial Guards with invincible strength.

They hoped the Guards would become as heroic as the legendary champions of the Emperor.

ROAR—

The abomination crawled out of the rubble. The shell that had struck it earlier hadn't caused much damage.

But now, it was enraged.

How dare these weak insects resist!

How dare they defy the offspring of the All-Seeing Lord!

Its grotesque, twisted flesh swelled and surged. The writhing tentacles retracted, gathering in front of it, as thousands of black eyes on the tendrils fixated on the approaching Guards.

This was the gaze of Chaos, radiating intense malice, as if it wished to consume all life.

"The offspring of the great All-Seeing Lord will not forgive any disrespect! You should be afraid!"

The cultist's head embedded in the abomination's chest screamed, delirious with excitement.

Though he had long since lost control of his body.

The moment he injected the Chaos Essence, his bloodthirsty primal instincts had taken over.

He was merely a parasite in this grotesque body.

The relationship between the cultist and the abomination was like that of a parasite and its host, or a dog and its master.

Of course, the cultist didn't see it that way.

He believed that the power of this body belonged to him, a divine gift from the All-Seeing Lord!

The tentacles of the abomination, brimming with hostility, locked onto Carter.

Its primal instincts told it that the tall warrior posed the greatest threat!

Whip!

A tentacle lashed out, whistling through the air toward Carter.

But before Carter could react, his fellow Guards moved swiftly, intercepting the strike and severing the tentacle!

More tentacles followed, but none achieved any success.

Every strike was blocked by the Guards!

Carter continued his steady advance, his steps unwavering, flanked by his comrades.

Step by step, they closed the distance!

Finally, Carter and his Guards stood before the abomination, gazing up at the towering monstrosity.

For a moment, neither side moved, the tension so thick it seemed to freeze the air.

"Imperial lapdogs!"

The cultist's head suddenly broke the silence with its shrieking:

"You should be afraid. Kneel before the great All-Seeing Lord! Kneel and beg for mercy. Offer your flesh in sacrifice, and perhaps—"

Boom!

The cultist's words were cut off by an explosion.

Carter had raised his bolt pistol and fired a shot right into the cultist's head, blasting half of it apart like a shattered melon.

"Damn you, kill them! Kill them all!"

With a scream of fury, the cultist—now with half a head—commanded the abomination.

The abomination lashed out with its two thickest tentacles, hurtling them down towards Carter with crushing force.

But Carter remained composed, sidestepping the tentacles' direct strike.

The tentacles slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash, sending dust flying everywhere.

In the midst of the dust, the roar of the chainsword grew even louder.

Carter swung the Eviscerator, instantly severing the tentacles, spraying blood everywhere!

The severed tentacles thrashed violently on the ground.

At that moment, the other Guards launched their attacks.

Working in unison, they either shot at or slashed the remaining tentacles.

The sound of exploding bolts and the roar of chainswords filled the air.

In no time, under the coordinated assault of the Imperial Guards, every one of the abomination's tentacles had been severed.

With the path clear, Carter charged forward, swinging the Eviscerator at the abomination's main body.

Each swing tore away chunks of the abomination's flesh, the spinning teeth of the chainsword shredding its grotesque form.

The abomination's massive, misshapen body was taking severe damage.

Gashes and wounds covered its flesh, and bits of meat fell to the ground with every strike.

"Pain! Damn Imperial scum! Hurry, move! Fight back!"

The cultist's head shared in the abomination's pain, unable to bear the torment.

He screamed and ordered the abomination to fight, but the creature was beyond his control.

Seeing this, Carter and the Guards intensified their assault.

They were determined to destroy this heretical abomination!

ROAR! ROAR—

Sensing the mounting threat, the abomination underwent another mutation. All of its black eyes turned blood-red, filling with veins.

Suddenly, the abomination's flesh began to swell, inflating rapidly!

It looked like a balloon on the verge of bursting!

Carter sensed the danger and shouted:

"Get back!"

But his warning came too late.

BOOM—

The outer layer of the abomination exploded like a bomb.

The powerful shockwave sent the Imperial Guards flying in all directions, slamming them into the surroundings.

Carter, being closest to the blast, took the brunt of the impact.

He was thrown violently to the ground.

When Carter managed to stand up again, he saw through the smoke and dust that something was emerging.

A humanoid Chaos Abomination, over three meters tall!

The humanoid abomination had bulging muscles, blood vessels protruding from its skin, and countless blood-red eyes scattered across its body.

Those eyes turned and swiveled aimlessly, emitting an eerie aura.

It radiated an even more terrifying presence than before, striking fear into the hearts of the Imperial Guards.

As for the regular soldiers further away, they were utterly paralyzed by terror.

BOOM!

The humanoid abomination leaped from a distance, landing directly in front of Carter!

(End of Chapter)