31: Chapter 31 Interlude: The Cursed Legion

The atmosphere of war suddenly changed.

Something strange—as if time had paused for an instant, as if something had squeezed through from another world.

Gluck turned around.

Black power armor. Skull motifs. No sound of breathing, no sound of speech, no movement that any living person should have.

They stood there, seven in total (or seven ghosts), watching the battlefield.

Gluck subconsciously tightened his grip on the Rad-carbine. Kaboom did not tremble—it felt nothing.

"You..." Gluck began.

The black-armored warrior at the front turned his head and glanced at him.

Then he turned away and continued watching the battlefield.

The seven figures just stood there, watching the orcs being annihilated by the defense towers, watching the orc corpses being hauled away, watching the blue light of the distant factory breathing rhythmically.

The black-armored warrior turned back, this time looking at Gluck.

Then they vanished.

They left no trace behind. No footprints, no heat, no Warp residue. It was as if they had never been there.

Half an hour later, Gluck stood in the control room and told Helmut about what had just happened.

After listening, Helmut was silent for a long time.

[The Main Brain: Oh ho, the Legion of the Damned? Neoth, is it?

If I had known you were watching my Icarus, I would have gone to do something else. The relief fleet from stellaris is still on its way, and I am already having a headache.

But it is good that you are here; presumably, the Four Ruinous Powers won't dare to make any moves. Right? Emperor? Right? Dark King?]

---

[Inquisition Investigation Report]

Classification: Moderate (Requires clearance of Regional Inquisitor or higher)

Subject: Vulcan-IV System · Unknown Mechanical Entity (Codename: "Icarus")

Investigator: Aurelius van Kort (Ordo Xenos, temporarily assigned)

Basis: Tracking of anomalous Warp fluctuations + anomalous gathering of orc fleets

1. Preliminary Findings

After arriving at the periphery of the target system, the investigation ship did not enter the real-space detection range, collecting data only through passive sensors. Findings are as follows:

Abnormal industrial scale: Large-scale industrial facilities exist on the surface. The layout is geometric and grid-like, suspected to be standardized production units. Production activities continue 24 hours a day, with no signs of stopping.

Warp readings: Warp energy fluctuations in the target area are zero.

Zero?

I did not make a mistake, it really is zero!

It is as if that place is not in The Galaxy at all.

Regarding the claim of "factories appearing out of thin air," verification confirms there were indeed no industrial facilities in that area 12 hours ago. However, I believe this may be a malfunction in the patrol's time perception system, or a mass hallucination caused by the orc WAAAGH! field.

Conclusion: No further investigation required.

Orc fleet movement: An orc fleet of approximately 3-5 million is approaching the system, expected to make contact in 28 hours. The orc WAAAGH! field intensity is at the same level as the Battle of Korum.

Distress signal: No distress signals detected. There is no trace of any calls leaving the system.

2. In-Depth Investigation (Passive Mode)

24 hours before the orc fleet arrived, the investigation ship remained at a safe distance, observing through psychic divination and optical telemetry. Records are as follows:

Optical Observation:

There are a large number of blue light spots on the surface, distributed in a ring, suspected to be energy nodes or defensive facilities.

Four massive arcs are slowly charging, with characteristics consistent with the precursor to void shield activation.

Conveyor belt systems cover thousands of kilometers, with transport boxes moving at 30 meters per second.

No Imperial iconography, prayer rituals, or machine spirit appeasement activities were observed.

Psychic Divination:

Warp readings: Consistently zero.

machine spirit detection: Negative (This mechanical cluster lacks a machine spirit in the traditional sense).

Chaos corruption: None (Not even a trace of "potential corruption").

Anomalous phenomenon records:

The orc fleet accelerated to an estimated 28-hour arrival, but the cluster's production activities accelerated synchronously.

Signs of human activity: Approximately 4 million people are gathered on the outskirts of the industrial zone, order is stable, no riots observed.

3. Preliminary Judgment

This mechanical cluster does not fit into known Imperial technical classifications:

Not Dark Mechanicum (no traces of Chaos).

Not xenos technology (no psychic residue).

Suspected origin: Lost colony AI, automated systems from the Dark Age of Technology.

Threat Assessment:

To the Empire: Unknown (but at least it is not helping the orcs).

To Chaos: Ineffective (Warp readings are zero, daemons likely cannot find it).

To the Investigator: Extremely confused.

4. Conclusion (Official Version)

Given the following facts:

This mechanical cluster has no Chaos corruption.

This mechanical cluster has no expansionist or aggressive behavior.

This mechanical cluster is engaged in battle with the orcs (and the win rate is likely not low).

Recommendation: Do not intervene for now, continue observation.

Reason: If it can help the Empire eliminate 5 million orcs, then it is useful. If it is useful, it does not need to be purged.

5. Conclusion (Unofficial Notes)

Written at the bottom of the report, the handwriting is sloppy, as if added casually:

Its factories are built faster than Mars.

Its conveyor belt efficiency is higher than a Forge World.

It makes 4 million people line up for food, and yet no one causes trouble?

I cannot understand its shield charging curve, but it is definitely faster than ours.

Suggestion: Steal the technology.

Suggestion: Pretend not to see it.

Suggestion: Wait until it finishes fighting the orcs before taking action.

——If it wins, we will go "investigate" again.

If it loses, no one will know I was here anyway.

Note: After the patrol returned, the machine spirits of their equipment remained in a state of pleasure for 72 hours before gradually fading. The Tech-priests are confused by this and recommend long-term observation.

I refuse, because long-term observation requires writing long-term observation reports.

P.S. I have written about the zero Warp readings three times, and I still don't believe it. But my data is not falsified. See for yourselves.

P.P.S. When the orc fleet accelerated to 28 hours, its production lines also accelerated. It knew the orcs were coming. It knew. How did it know? I don't know. But I know that it knows.

P.P.P.S. I have decided to lock this report away and look at it again in ten years. If it is still here in ten years, we will talk then.

[Supplementary Report]

(Written at the beginning of the official report, the handwriting is messier than the main text)

I didn't expect that before the previous report was even submitted, something else would happen.

Alright. Let me think about how to add this.

Write "Witnessed non-corporeal entities suspected to be the Legion of the Damned"? No, that's too crazy.

Write "Observed seven heat-signature-less humanoid objects"? No, they didn't even have heat signatures.

Write "Maybe I was seeing things"? Even worse, the auspex doesn't see things.

...Forget it.

Praise the Emperor. A worker needs to have the awareness of a worker.

Let's add another supplementary report. The previous one was already crazy enough; this one is just adding madness to madness.

The following is the text of the supplementary report:

1. Event Overview

Vulcan-IV time, Day 1 of the war, 17:34.

I was organizing the filing procedures for the previous report—the one where I stuffed the "Warp readings are zero" report at the very bottom of the filing cabinet, together with the "Report on the Drunkenness of the Archmagos of Mars."

Then the auspex sounded.

It wasn't an alarm, it was a kind of... I can't describe it. It's like staring at a spot for a long time, suddenly feeling like something is there, but looking closely, there's nothing.

I pulled up the optical telemetry.

Seven silhouettes stood in front of the observation post behind the Skitarii positions.

Black armor, skull motifs, no traces of breathing, no residual heat, no Warp fluctuations—nothing at all.

They just stood there.

2. Observation Records

Time: 17:34 - 17:35 (47 seconds in total)

Location: Vulcan-IV, North Defense Tower Position A7

Optical Characteristics:

Black power armor, decorated with skull and bone motifs.

No Chapter markings of any kind.

No movement, no communication, no action of any kind.

Psychic Readings:

Zero

Zero

Still zero

Warp Traces:

None

Not even a trace of "something might have been here."

Thermal Imaging:

Exactly the same as the ambient temperature.

As if they were part of the environment.

Behavioral Records:

Standing

Watching the battlefield

Continuing to stand

Continuing to watch the battlefield

Vanished

3. Preliminary Judgment

I scoured all databases. I couldn't find any match.

Not a known Chapter (no paint, no markings).

Not Chaos (Warp readings are zero).

Not xenos (Are there any xenos that look like this?).

Not a machine spirit manifestation (machine spirits don't wear armor).

Then I remembered a file—the Legion of the Damned.

That file only had three lines of text, origin unknown, accuracy unknown, filed in the "Legends/Unverified" layer, together with "The Emperor is actually a three-armed xenos."

The file read: They always appear in the Empire's most desperate moments, turn the tide of battle, and then vanish.

No one knows where they come from, no one can prove they existed.

But which day was Vulcan-IV's most desperate moment?

I pulled up the war records.

...None.

They have more defense towers than before the war.

And then these seven people appeared.

And then they did nothing.

They just stood there. Watched for 47 seconds. Then left.

4. Correlation Analysis

Now the question arises: What does this have to do with Icarus?

I placed the two reports side by side.

Report One (Icarus):

Warp readings are zero

machine spirit detection negative

Possibility of coming from a non-Warp universe

Report Two (Legion of the Damned):

Warp readings are zero

All sensors malfunctioned upon appearance

From... don't know where

Coincidence?

Maybe.

But what is the probability of "Warp readings being zero" occurring in The Galaxy?

I calculated it: approximately zero.

And then, in the same place, it appeared twice.

5. Conclusion (Official Version)

Given the following facts:

The appearance of the Legion of the Damned has no reliable record in Imperial history and cannot serve as evidence.

There is no physical evidence proving they were there (no footprints, no residue, no records other than the witness).

The only witness is an auspex and an insomniac intern Inquisitor.

Recommendation: Pretend not to have seen it.

Reason:

If it really is the Legion of the Damned, then I shouldn't interfere with what they are watching.

If it is not the Legion of the Damned, then there is even less need to interfere (they have already vanished anyway).

Whether it is or not, writing it into a report will only make my superiors think I am crazy.

6. Personal Notes (Unofficial)

Written at the bottom of the report, the handwriting is messier than the previous one:

When they arrived, Icarus's production lines were still running. The conveyor belts hadn't stopped, the factories hadn't stopped, and the defense towers were still killing greenskins. Nothing had changed. The only thing that changed was: the war began to tilt in favor of Vulcan-IV from that moment on.

I don't know if they came to help or just to watch. But if they came to watch, then what are they watching? Watching Icarus fight? Watching how that Archmagos chooses? Watching if Gluck falls?

I thought about it for three days, and I still can't figure it out: is this approval or a warning? Is it "Well done," or "I am watching you"?

In the end, I decided to stop thinking about it. Anyway, this report will be filed with the previous one, locked at the very bottom of the filing cabinet.

By the time someone digs it up in ten years, I will have retired, found an agri-world to settle down on, drink some low-quality Amasec every day, and never have to write reports again.

But if Vulcan-IV is still there in ten years, and that iron lump is still there, then those seven people might come again. Whoever digs out this report then, remember to tell me. I might not come back, but I will be curious.

P.S. I recalculated Icarus's energy readings again today. It is still 300% higher than the Martian standard. I have decided to submit an anonymous article to the "Imperial Energy Optimization Monthly" tomorrow, using a pseudonym. When the payment arrives, I will share half with you.

P.P.S. The condition for sharing half with you is: you must pretend you didn't see this report.

P.P.P.S. After finishing this report, I decided to go get some sleep. I'll consider whether to submit it tomorrow. The day after is fine too.

[Archiving Suggestion]

Stuff it under the previous report. Glue it down. Don't let anyone find it.