Chapter 137 Beheading the War Chieftain

Qin Ji, come on, we are rooting for you!

In the trench, Wang Ming held a large megaphone and shouted loudly toward the outside, where Qin Ji stood clad in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts and wielding a power sword.

What the hell, Boss, is this really necessary? Didn't I just make a video?

Qin Ji glanced at the Orks charging straight toward him and spoke weakly to Wang Ming. He knew the video was undoubtedly the reason for this ordeal. In fact, the moment Wang Ming stepped off the transport aircraft and appeared before him, he already knew that Wang Ming had come because of that viral recording.

Come on!

Wang Ming did not answer. He simply smiled and shouted words of encouragement once more.

Fine then...

Qin Ji sighed as he looked at Wang Ming, knowing there was no escape from this today.

Bring it on, they are just Orks after all...

Gazing at the surging tide of green-skins approaching him, Qin Ji suddenly recalled how Chapter Master Hu Jin had once become an Ork Warboss on Mores.

Ahem, ahem...

Qin Ji cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

Waaaagh!!! You little runts! You are all too weak! Send your boss out to fight me one-on-one!

Lifting his power sword and mimicking Hu Jin's legendary stunt, Qin Ji roared at the Orks before him.

Hearing this roar, the charging Orks actually stopped in their tracks. They stared at Qin Ji in unison and began muttering among themselves. A moment later, a massive green-skin stepped out from the horde, clutching a giant cleaver crudely hammered together from scrap metal, and strode right up to Qin Ji.

Qin Ji looked at the approaching boss, casting a critical eye over its crude wargear. Although it looked like a pile of junk to him, compared to the ordinary boyz, this brute was heavily equipped.

This one's a boss.

Qin Ji thought to himself as he locked eyes with the creature.

I fink you ain't proper waaaagh! You can't fight our boss!

The Ork lumbered right up to Qin Ji and bellowed fiercely in his face.

I fink I'm very waaaagh! If you've got the guts, let's settle this one-on-one!

Qin Ji stared back at the green-skin and spoke bluntly, knowing that this was the only language they understood.

Waaaagh!!!

Provoked by the challenge, the Ork instantly swung its massive cleaver straight at Qin Ji's head.

Yet, how could the speed of a mere green-skin ever compare to that of a Primarch-grade Astartes? The very instant the blade descended, Qin Ji flicked his wrist and cleaved the creature's head clean off with his power sword.

As the Ork's head bounced on the ground, Qin Ji kicked the headless corpse aside and marched straight toward the rest of the horde. He knew that if he wanted to replicate Hu Jin's feat on Mores, he had to act the part.

Your boss has been decapitated, I am going to—

Before Qin Ji could even finish his sentence, the enraged mob of Orks swarmed him simultaneously, hacking him into a bloody pulp in the blink of an eye.

Boss, I'm dead.

Resurrecting right beside Wang Ming, Qin Ji looked at him with a helpless expression.

Sigh...

Wang Ming sighed, toggled off the camera embedded in his helmet, and finally broke into a smile.

Alright, I forgive you.

Patting Qin Ji on the shoulder, Wang Ming chuckled. Although he had been utterly furious about the video, he could never bring himself to actually punish his fellow Transgressor brothers. The absolute worst he would do was subject them to a bit of public humiliation.

Now then, hurry up and clear out the greenskins in this sector. The First Company needs reinforcements.

Having finished dealing with Qin Ji, Wang Ming retrieved his power halberd. It was a weapon he hadn't used in a long time, but he brought it out now because its sweeping arc was exceptionally effective for clearing out massive crowds of enemies.

Alright brothers, prepare to charge! Push straight through to the Ork Warboss and cut him down!

Wielding his power halberd, Wang Ming stepped out of the trench and marched into the sea of green-skins, calling out to the Transgressors.

Fighting a war of attrition against Orks was entirely unprofitable. Battling them required ammunition and soldiers, but what did Orks need? They only needed to cultivate mushrooms day in and day out. As long as there was a sun, they could fight indefinitely—after all, Orks were biologically a form of fungus.

Therefore, Wang Ming intended to lead a spearhead straight into the heart of their territory and assassinate their Warboss, plunging the various Ork tribes back into chaotic infighting and making it much easier for Imperial forces to mop them up.

Hearing their leader's command, the Transgressors poured out of the trenches, following Wang Ming to partake in a joyful round of Waaagh.

Andras, have the Mortal Auxilia provide cover fire from the trenches. Keep the laser volleys continuous.

Glancing at the renewed green-skin charge, Wang Ming communicated directly with the commander of the Mortal Auxilia.

Understood, my Lord Primarch.

Commander Andras replied promptly. Concentrated laser fire was notoriously difficult to pierce power armor unless focused, so neither the Transgressors nor the Auxilia needed to worry about friendly fire from overlapping beams.

Begin.

Wang Ming watched the approaching tide and gave the order. The moment the words left his lips, the Transgressors drew their power swords and hurled themselves directly into the green-skin horde.

The Transgressors were no Blood Ravens prone to trading blows equally with Orks; they were bona fide Primarch-forged Space Marines. Each of them plunged into the enemy formation like a feral beast, fully showcasing the ferocious combat doctrine of the Second Chapter.

Head after head turned into chunks of meat beneath their power blades. Leveraging their peerless neurological reflexes and blinding speed, the Transgressors mowed down the Orks as if harvesting wheat.

Moving in tight, mutually supportive squads of three, they suffered virtually no casualties save for a few brothers blown apart by bomb-squigs. Any greenskins that slipped past the Space Marines were promptly liquefied by the relentless fusillade of the Mortal Auxilia.

The Transgressors did not bog themselves down in prolonged skirmishes; they maintained a relentless forward momentum toward the Ork defense lines. Along the way, several armored Ork vehicles crawled over mountains of corpses to confront them, only to be smashed to pieces by the various power weapons of the Transgressors.

Holy crap! Boss! A Stompa!

Fighting alongside the Transgressors, Wang Ming heard a shout and looked into the distance, spotting a massive, lumbering machine slowly advancing toward them.

It's the height of a Warhound Titan. Can the Auxilia's armored units get a lock on it?

Wang Ming asked Commander Andras via his vox-comm.

Affirmative, my Lord Primarch. We are ready to fire.

Andras responded immediately.

Good, scrap it!

Almost the exact moment Wang Ming gave the order, every armored vehicle on the line capable of bearing on the Stompa opened fire.

Shells streaked across the sky and slammed into the giant walker, instantly reducing the crude titan to a blazing wreck.

Watching the massive machine collapse into the earth, Wang Ming led the Transgressors deeper into the green-skin stronghold. The Orks on Kothl IV were nothing like the primitive beasts on Mores; they possessed a fully realized greenskin society complete with bizarre contraptions and massive Gargants. The Orks of Mores were, at best, a minor tribal band—at least those ones didn't even have guns.

Wang Ming cleaved a cluster of greenskins in two with a single sweep of his halberd. They were now very close to the enemy headquarters, having practically carved through the entirety of the outer defense line and destroying a staggering number of Ork warriors and armored vehicles.

Holy crap, Boss! I found the Ork Warboss!

Suddenly, Qin Ji's voice crackled over the vox. Hearing this, Wang Ming immediately ordered the Transgressors to converge on Qin Ji's coordinates.

Yet, just as Wang Ming was about to reach the spot where Qin Ji had reported sighting the Warboss, Qin Ji respawned right behind him. Wang Ming stared at the resurrected warrior, wondering what kind of absurd death he had suffered this time.

Uhm... Boss, I couldn't beat that Warboss.

Meeting Wang Ming's questioning gaze, Qin Ji offered a sheepish and helpless shrug.

What on earth... Why would you challenge that thing by yourself? There are so many of us, wouldn't a good old-fashioned beating been better?

Hearing that Qin Ji had died trying to solo the Warboss, Wang Ming spoke in speechless exasperation. Why duel when you can outnumber the enemy? Was the guy just asking for punishment?

Waaaagh!!!

Just as Wang Ming was lecturing Qin Ji, a deafening Ork roar echoed across the battlefield.

That's the Warlord's voice.

Qin Ji told Wang Ming, instantly recognizing the sound of the creature that had just killed him moments ago.

Let's go chop it up.

Nodding toward the direction of the roar, Wang Ming barked a single order and charged forward. His massive physique carved a path through the horde like a terrifying beast, turning every green-skin foolish enough to stand in his way into a bloody mist.

So that's the Warlord? Decent size, around four meters tall? And sporting a power klaw, I see.

Plowing through the final barrier of Orks, Wang Ming finally laid eyes on the Warlord surrounded by its retinue. Several dead Orks lay nearby—doubtless the leftovers of Qin Ji's failed duel.

Taking in the scene, Wang Ming easily pieced together how Qin Ji had met his end: the fool had tried to single-handedly assassinate the warlord, only to be hacked to pieces by the surrounding elite bodyguards before he could even reach his target.

Warlord! Look at dat big 'umie! He's proper waaaagh, smashed right through the boyz! An' I fink he's even bigger dan you!

An Ork Nob pointed excitedly at Wang Ming and shouted to his chieftain.

Rubbish! He ain't waaaagh at all! He hasn't even got a power klaw!

Warlord Kadran glared at Wang Ming, backhanded the Nob who had dared suggest the human was larger than him, and roared in fury.

Waaagh!!!

Bellowing a war cry, the Ork Nob lunged at Wang Ming with its power klaw, determined to prove that despite the human's height, it was far more waaaagh than this golden giant.

Well... looks like I won't need to hunt down those other Nobs.

Watching the charging brute, Wang Ming smoothly raised his power halberd.

Crack!

The halberd collided with the power klaw, the disruption fields shrieking upon impact. Wang Ming looked with slight surprise at the Ork Warlord; the beast had actually managed to parry his strike.

Reacting instantly, Wang Ming realized the creature had committed all its strength to block the blow. Operating with cold efficiency, he gripped the halberd in one hand while his other hand snapped out to draw his bolt pistol.

Without giving the green-skin a single second to recover, Wang Ming jammed the barrel of the bolt pistol directly against its head and pulled the trigger.

My friend, the times have changed. Why engage in melee when you can simply shoot them?

Wang Ming thought to himself as explosive shells detonated inside the creature's skull. With a swift kick, he toppled the staggering Warlord to the ground.

To ensure it stayed down, Wang Ming promptly lopped the Warlord's head off with his halberd. The reason was simple: prevent resurrection.

One should never underestimate the sheer, ridiculous tenacity of Ork biology. A cranial bolt-hit—a mortal wound for any normal mortal—was not guaranteed to kill a green-skin outright. Severing the head was the only way to guarantee permanent expiration.

Now, let's slaughter these Nobs too, and let the remaining Orks fight over the scraps of leadership.

Having executed the Warlord, Wang Ming charged straight into the cluster of elite Nobs that had flanked their leader. Eliminating them would throw the entire host into complete disarray.

Bereft of both a Warlord and Nobs, the green-skin army would inevitably fracture into leaderless chaos, making it infinitely easier for Imperial forces to mop them up. Moreover, lacking superiors to command them, the Orks would undoubtedly turn on each other to vie for dominance.

Spotting Wang Ming charging toward them, the Ork Nobs shrieked in eager excitement and bounded forward to meet him, having already mentally claimed the title of Warlord for themselves once they killed this interloper.

Planting his power halberd firmly into the ground, Wang Ming charged into the fray empty-handed, intending to use these brutes to vent the lingering frustration caused by the Slaanesh greater daemon.

The moment he closed the distance, Wang Ming delivered a devastating right hook, cleanly knocking the head off the foremost Nob clad in crude iron armor. In the very same motion, he seized the headless corpse by the neck.

The sharpened, adamantium-tipped fingers of his power armor plunged deep into the Ork's flesh. Hoisting the heavy carcass aloft, Wang Ming hurled it with tremendous force straight back into the thick of the Nob mob.

The projectile cut through the air with such velocity that it produced a sonic boom, slamming violently into the group of Ork Nobs.

The sheer kinetic energy unleashed upon impact triggered a localized detonation of mass and force. The tough, fibrous tissue of the headless corpse ruptured, and even its incredibly dense bones shattered under the unimaginable pressure. Shards of green-skin bone exploded outward like shrapnel from a fragmentation grenade, shredding through the bodies of the surrounding Nobs.

This accidental shockwave instantly liquefied several unlucky Ork Nobs. Looking down at the pulverized remains, Wang Ming blinked in mild surprise, genuinely taken aback by the sheer destructive output of his own physical strength.