As long as you die, you are invincible, but in 40K

Before going in, he briefly glanced at Zhang Ge, who was clearly there to watch the fun. However, perhaps considering that the matter was not confidential and was also related to him, he ultimately didn't say much, which was considered as tacit agreement.

On the other side, seeing that the other party was in a bad mood, Zhang Ge's tired mood seemed to have improved a little. He followed the last dark angel and walked into the room with them.

Before I even entered the door, I heard a voice filled with anger:

"I challenge your company to a duel. Send your champion and let us settle this dispute the old-fashioned way."

The voice was not the commander's, but someone else's.

The person being challenged is...

The sworn criminal?

Because they had no military ranks and their features were vague, Zhang Ge could not recognize who they were or what their positions were, but there was no doubt about their iconic appearance.

Looking more closely, the two men stood facing each other against the wall. The one leaning against the wall seemed to be a veteran or champion of the Dark Angels. Their armor also had a simplified and plain appearance. Zhang Ge could only infer this from what he said.

At the same time, the cause of the bulge on the outside was also seen from the inside. It was caused by the punch of the Oath Sinner. The fist mark was only a few millimeters away from the Dark Angel standing opposite him, almost brushing against his shoulder armor.

"I will not draw my sword against you."

However, just when everyone thought that things were going to escalate further, the Swearer uttered a rejection. His voice was slow and hoarse, as if the person in the power armor was not a Space Marine, but an old man in his twilight years.

Just as the Dark Angel snorted coldly and was about to attack directly to force the opponent, his commander approached and quickly pressed his hand on the hilt of the sword, and asked seriously:

"What happened?"

Although the held-down dark angel was somewhat resentful, he still explained what had happened.

To him, this officer from "an unknown small regiment that didn't even have Primaris Casting" was sitting in the room for questioning because he was "cooperating with the investigation." However, he said very little and most of the time responded to his words with silence. Many times, he didn't even move, like a human-shaped stone.

No, it would be better to examine the stone. At least when facing the stone, you can punch it a few times to vent your anger.

If it were just that, it would be fine. The Space Marines could quickly handle the individual's slight emotional fluctuations. The real point of conflict between the two was the arrangements for the Battle of Fort Vigilance later on.

The Dark Angels have to complete the task assigned by the commander, which is to make the other side cooperate with them and regard the Battle of Sentinel as the achievement of the Dark Angels. Of course, they will also compensate the Oathbreakers later.

The starting point of this matter was not to steal the credit, it was actually out of kindness, because this would protect them from being tracked down by higher-ups - some of the higher-ups had acted so radically that even the lower-level Dark Angels couldn't stand it. If word got out there, it was not impossible that the entire group of Oathbreakers would be lured and killed.

It would be fine under normal circumstances, but now that the Great Rift is unfolding and emergencies are occurring everywhere, it is excessive to continue acting like this.

Back to the matter itself, for the Dark Angels, a founding group, the former First Legion, they not only spoke to the other party in a friendly manner, but also considered his best interests and even offered compensation in the end? The amount of compensation was not small, was it?

The other party actually didn't buy it at all and remained silent and uncooperative.

Of course, putting aside the things hidden behind the scenes, if Zhang Ge only listened to the content of what was said by this somewhat unsociable person, he would really think it was a trick of buying honor with money, which was indeed a bit insulting to a Space Marine.

But the Oath Sinner did not refuse because of such an insult. The problem was that according to Zhang Ge's order, it was the Oath Sinner who did it. So how could he change the situation because of the Dark Angel's words?

As expected, the conflict between the two escalated into a physical altercation. After the Dark Angel's attack was blocked, the Oathblowers punched the wall next to him as a deterrent... and then, we have the current situation.

As a force sent to wipe out the Fallen Angels, its members are not all elite, but at least there are no rookies. This man should be a veteran or elite in the force, and a Primaris. However, in a brief fight with an ordinary Space Marine - and he even took the initiative - he was instantly at a disadvantage.

This kind of shame might become a laughing stock or even a humiliation to his own unit, so he took the opportunity to challenge for a duel.

Even if I really can't beat him, at least I can prove that I am not a coward and am worthy of Ryan's blood.

However, facing this situation, the commander was at least rational. He first said to the Dark Angel:

"Can you resolve chapter affairs through dueling?"

However, it is obvious that given the Dark Angels' style, things have evolved to this point, and they certainly cannot give in to outsiders. This sentence is just a retreat to advance.

The commander turned to the Oath Sinner and said calmly:

"Please allow me to take his place as the initiator of the duel."

Now that it's done, it has to be done decisively, otherwise if they really lose, they'll have to do it in front of the other two startup groups...

So, it would be better for him to come and solve the problem himself.

At the same time, after hearing the Dark Angel Commander's words, Zhang Ge nodded imperceptibly to the Sinner. He was also a little curious about how deep the water of the startup group was.

Seeing Zhang Ge's actions, the Oath Sinner nodded slowly and replied to the other party:

"Okay, I agree. But, I need you to provide a sword for the duel."

ps: Please give me a vote. By the way, the group number is 613828331.

Chapter 234: Duel and an Ignorant Ending

News of the duel didn't spread far. It was only held in an indoor venue after several other senior officers from both regiments and the other two founding regiments were called in as witnesses.

This also resulted in the fact that everyone present except Zhang Ge was a Space Marine... However, those officers wearing all kinds of gorgeous decorations did not seem to have any intention of expressing their opinions on Zhang Ge, as if they tacitly acknowledged that he was also qualified to be one of the witnesses, even though his purpose at the beginning was just to watch the excitement and entertainment.

After entering the venue, Zhang Ge found that the size of this place was probably only about half the size of a football field. Compared with the place where he had dueled before, it was very narrow. For a Space Marine, it would probably only take two maneuvers to reach the end.

But what does that have to do with me? It's not my problem to worry about.

With this mentality, after discovering that Austin was also present, Zhang Ge maintained a pretended serious expression on his face and walked to the position beside him and stood still.

Meanwhile, inside the arena, two men, each holding a sword, had already positioned themselves opposite each other. The weapons in both of their hands were ordinary sergeants' "blank slate" power swords. In order to ensure that they did not take advantage of the opponent in terms of weapons, the Dark Angels commander borrowed the sword of the Imperial Fist sergeant. Otherwise, the swords of the same regiment would have an advantage due to the relatively similar overall feel.

He even suggested taking off his armor for the duel, but this proposal was rejected by the Oath Sinner.

"Who do you think will win in the end?"

Zhang Ge asked Auston.

He looked straight ahead and said seriously:

"It's rude to rashly judge two people who are dueling."

So strict? It's just the Imperial Fist, so I can understand...

Before he could finish his thoughts, he received a communication request from the sound array. When he looked, it was actually from Austin who was standing next to him.

You kid, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, I didn’t expect that.

After Zhang Ge understood and adjusted to bone conduction, the next moment he connected, the other party's voice came into his mind:

"I believe the officer from the Oathed Sinner will win. Although I haven't seen him fight, my intuition based on countless duels tells me that he's incredibly strong just from his stance. Furthermore, his micro-habits are very similar to those of the Black Legion. It's very likely that he's learned from his enemies through the intense and continuous battles."

"The Dark Angels' commander is also very experienced, and has undergone Primaris transformation."

"Primarisation is a huge boost for ordinary bros, but for those who are already strong... it's not completely ineffective. If it's a 10+10 effect for ordinary bros, then for the company champion it could be 100+30. While crucial, it's not a decisive factor in doubling their damage."

While the two were talking, although the duel had been announced to begin, neither of them took any action.

As for the Dark Angel Commander, he realized that something was wrong.

Under normal circumstances, there is no feeling, but when standing opposite and becoming an enemy, the commander realizes that there is something wrong with that person.

It looks like magma hidden beneath the gray-black surface, or like a bomb quietly counting down the time.

There is no danger if you just get close to it, but once it comes into contact or reaches certain conditions, it will instantly erupt with destructive and dangerous power.

In the company, even if we only talk about sword skills, he believes that he is either the first or in the top five. If physical fitness is taken into account, his overall personal ability can be in the top three.

But now, after changing his posture several times, he couldn't find any flaws in the opponent's response.

I was sweating profusely.

Although there has been no direct confrontation, experience tells him that once he launches an attack, he will most likely be at a disadvantage immediately.

The sworn criminal standing opposite him only felt sad and did not want to take the initiative.

The sharp pain from every movement reminded him what he was fighting for.

On the one hand, he believed that he was not qualified to wield his sword against the Space Marines loyal to the Empire. In the ten thousand years since he betrayed the Empire, it was countless people like him who protected the survival of the Empire. He would not think that he was superior to them just because he was temporarily forgiven and became stronger.

However, on the other hand, in order to adapt to the reality, he had to go against his wishes and use the time that should have been used for atonement and repentance to engage in internal warfare.

Amidst the complex intertwined thoughts of the two, it was the Dark Angel Commander who finally couldn't hold back and took the initiative to launch an attack.

His movements were so fast that only a faint afterimage remained to Zhang Ge. In just a moment, all that was left was the sparks that flew more than ten meters backwards when his feet rubbed against the ceramic steel floor when he stepped on the ground, and even included the tiny ceramic steel fragments that broke apart.

However, just when everyone was expecting how the sworn convict would respond, the sworn convict made a response that was beyond everyone's expectations.

His speed was almost as fast—I say "almost" mainly because Zhang Ge couldn't see any difference at all with his vision—but the first thing he did was to turn the weapon in his hand downward and stab it into the ground with almost smashing momentum.

The next moment he came into contact with the Dark Angel Commander, he allowed the opponent's sword to pierce his chest while raising his right hand to grasp the opponent's helmet, forcing his gaze to move downward and meet the eyes of the Oath Sinner.

The power armors of both sides collided with each other with a loud noise, and the soles of their feet with magnetic attraction moved back several centimeters in the sharp sound.

The hoarse voice came from the helmet of the Oath-Slayer:

"Fractures between brothers, brothers fighting over the wall, are you satisfied?"

The commander had no intention of killing the soldier. The power sword was inserted slightly below the Space Marine's heart, but he could also touch the fatal spot with a slight provocation at any time.

"Pick up your weapons."

"It would be far more shameful to stain your weapon with the blood of your comrades for such a ridiculous reason! This happened ten thousand years ago! Now, tell me, did you feel the joy of victory from piercing my chest with your sword? Tell me!"

Under the questioning of the Oath Sinner, the commander remained silent. He did not answer the question directly with words, but took a step back and slowly pulled his sword out of the other party's body.

He did not see the blood that should have flowed from the sword and the opponent's wounds, nor did he feel the so-called "joy of victory", but at the same time he had to admit that he could not admit this to the other party in person.

"This matter... let's discuss it later."

There was silence for a moment, and the commander's response was almost evasive.

After he retracted the power sword, he seemed a little lonely and left on his own.

But that question and the other party's questioning attitude inevitably circled in his mind.

This duel ended in an unhonorable way.

Chapter 235 Guilt, the End of the Journey to Fort Vigil, and the Incineration of the Spire

After several senior officers of the Dark Angels left the scene one after another, people from other regiments also left the place one after another.

Although nothing specific was said, afterward, without exception, the witnesses all remained silent about the duel.

However, to the surprise of the Space Marine Chapters, the day after this incident, when the Dark Angels intended to find the Swearers again to have a good talk about the Fortress, they found that they had left without leaving any trace - after searching every room, the Dark Angels finally confirmed this.

However, according to rumors, whether true or not, the Sworn Ones did not leave behind nothing. The Dark Angels Commander actually found a parchment with a lot of explanations about the incident, which was the main reason why he believed that the Sworn Ones did not discover any actual secrets... as well as some other things.

Of course, these were just groundless speculations based on the commander's unusual movements.

He walked into a room and stayed inside for more than ten Terra minutes. During this time, he only conveyed an order to the outside world: "No one is allowed to enter this room before I leave." When he came out, he remained silent for several Terra hours. No one knew what he was thinking... At least most people didn't know.

As the instigator, Zhang Ge looked at his silent expression and finally felt satisfied that he had vented his anger.

After the duel, he ordered the Oathbreakers to leave secretly. That night after the order was issued, they left the Fortress through a thousands-meter-long underground tunnel dug by Perveti as the main force.

It is not easy to dig a long tunnel under the sand, and it must be done in such a short time without being discovered by the Space Marines' keen perception. If it were not for Perveti, the civil engineer who is comparable to a humanoid tunneling machine, the plan would never have been possible.

As a parting gift for the Oathbourne, Zhang Ge also had Endymion write a letter to the Dark Angels in a malicious way and left it in one of the rooms where the Oathbourne was stationed.

Although he himself did not read what was written in it, considering Endymion's ability and the commander's subsequent reaction, it should be enough to make him feel guilty for a while.

However, the Dark Angels' inner thoughts did not affect the overall evacuation plan of the troops. On the day when they discovered that the Oathbreakers had left, the troops that had been stationed in the Guard Fort for nearly a whole day also set out on their journey home. Compared with the serious atmosphere when they left, they talked a lot more on the way back.

Although in their memory it was just an easy round trip, the mere fact of working side by side with three founding groups of Space Marines at once was enough to talk about it for a long time, not to mention that some Space Marines didn't mind giving them some small gifts.

Zhang Ge's subordinate troops were of course also in the evacuation sequence, but in order to conceal the existence of Perveti and others, they were the last troops to leave. By the time Zhang Ge and his party boarded the Valkyrie again, the entire guard fort was empty.

Takeoff, feeling of weightlessness.

Everything familiar came to mind again, but there was a slight difference. This time, there was a big daughter squatting in the middle of the sight.

Endymion could still be transported while sitting by using two seats, but Perveti... the weight of the armor on her body alone was enough to crush the seat. In the end, there was no choice but to let her half-squat in the middle.

Fortunately, she didn't get angry because she was treated specially. She just put her legs together and clasped her hands in front of her knees, looking around curiously, and asking Zhang Ge some simple questions from time to time.

The short flight ended quickly with a casual chat, and when we landed, the surrounding scene was already a familiar camp... huh?

Something is wrong, ten or even nine points.

When did the camp become so new? Didn’t the time travel include this place?

You know, the Dead Forest Section is adjacent to the desert. Although there is a wall outside the section first, and the hive inside the section also has an outer shell, the air quality inside the hive has inevitably been affected over hundreds and thousands of years, and some fine dust can easily accumulate.

But now even the barbed wire not far from the landing zone is rubbed to the point of reflecting light. What’s going on?

As for the combat maids, shouldn't they be carrying out their assigned tasks? How could there be so many people around?