Chapter Thirteen: The First Battle of the Traveler

Wang Ming comforted Wang Xiaofa for quite some time, but no matter how he tried, Wang Xiaofa remained despondent until Wang Ming finally told him that they could respawn endlessly. Only then did Wang Xiaofa regain his spirit.

Time passed, and one after another, the duped villagers were transported over by the Emperor. Wang Ming offered psychological counseling to each of them.

“Stop crying. At least you’ve all become demigods nearly three meters tall,” Wang Ming concluded at last.

“As long as you don’t die, we can respawn without limit?” Wang Xiaofa asked as he walked alongside Wang Ming in the hangar bay of the Iron Ming Soul transport ship.

Behind them trailed two hundred other travelers, all lured in by the giant skeletal figure.

“That’s what the system says, anyway,” Wang Ming replied to Wang Xiaofa.

Wang Ming had explained the system to the travelers; with the function of unlimited resurrection, their mood—so battered by the Emperor’s deception—lightened a little.

“Doesn’t that make us the Fourth Cataclysm?” Wang Xiaofa exclaimed, waving his power sword in excitement.

Wang Ming took a step back, avoiding the arc of Wang Xiaofa’s swinging sword, even though the blade was not powered on.

“In theory, yes,” Wang Ming agreed, handing a boltgun to the last traveler who lacked a weapon.

“Get ready. We’re about to land on the planet and battle Chaos,” Wang Ming told the travelers.

Two hundred travelers began to fumble with their weapons and gear, then boarded the colossal transport, preparing for their first battle.

Wang Ming didn’t sit with them. Instead, he joined Cawl and his party. As for the sudden appearance of these interstellar soldiers, Living Saint Celestine explained their presence: the Emperor had sent them as reinforcements.

Transport after transport descended onto the icy world of Crysus in the Cadia star system, seeking the redemption and hope promised by the Living Saint.

“So why did it happen this way?” Wang Ming asked, standing upon the snowy expanse of Crysus as blizzards whirled overhead, watching the travelers fight against the Chaos host.

How to describe it—these travelers weren’t lacking in bravery. On the contrary, after dying once and confirming that resurrection truly was limitless, their behavior became utterly outrageous.

For example, the fellow clutching explosives as he chased several Chaos Space Marines. Once he learned he could respawn endlessly, he’d been playing tag with Chaos warriors, explosives in hand, ever since.

Another berserker grabbed two power swords, plunged into a group of Chaos pursuers, slaughtered wildly, died in a hail of Chaos gunfire, and then respawned to charge again.

Yet another brother had rigged up a huge loudspeaker, holding a Chinese edition of the Emperor’s True Words that he’d gotten from Wang Ming’s store, casting negative status effects at the demons from the frontlines.

Wang Ming suspected this man was taunting the demons, for the Chaos troops, risking the knight families’ artillery, killed him more than once—yet shortly after he would respawn and start a new round of provocation.

The travelers’ style of combat left Cawl and his retinue speechless. Inquisitor Greyfax even suspected the travelers were a form of heresy, but Celestine insisted that the Emperor’s light shone upon them.

Imperial and Chaos forces fought and retreated, gradually moving toward the place Celestine had described.

Wang Ming, Fulgrim, the Custodes, and the travelers held the rearguard, blocking the ever-increasing numbers of Chaos troops. Two Primarchs and one Custodian Guard—Abaddon soon heard the news. He knew Fulgrim, but hadn’t Fulgrim ascended as a daemon prince?

Suddenly, Abaddon thought of another possibility: “Fabius Bile!” he roared, powerless and furious.