Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 499

Chapter 497: How to win a game?

Carduso successfully engaged Cao Boyang head-on.

Despite the lack of rocket suppression, Cao Boyang still possessed a heavy-bolt minigun mounted on his left arm. This weapon possessed far greater destructive power than ordinary bolters and a rate of fire many times higher, providing a powerful suppressive firepower.

With it, he could even decimate a Lion tank head-on in less than ten seconds!

In the hands of ordinary humans, this weapon could only serve as a fixed turret; armored vehicles couldn’t carry it on the move due to the recoil. A Lion tank equipped with it would have to remove its main gun, a costly undertaking. Space Marines using it required two men.

Only Space Marines wearing Terminator Power Armor could properly wield it solo, carrying it in one hand and shifting the muzzle with the arm’s movement.

However, it was still cumbersome.

When Cao Boyang realized the distance between them was closing, he swung his rifle in the direction where Carduso would appear and began firing fiercely.

The continuous barrage of heavy revolver rounds ripped through the collapsed walls, exposing Carduso, who had been trying to use the rubble for cover, to his advance.

He used this method to apply suppressive fire, preventing Carduso from advancing and hoping to inflict a powerful blow. Even a single hit from a heavy bolter could inflict significant damage on Carduso, who was merely wearing ordinary tactical power armor.

In reality, Carduso was indeed hit, three times.

He couldn’t have been completely flawless. As Snakeskin maneuvered, he was struck by a bullet that grazed his abdomen.

It missed, causing no serious injury. However, as First Captain of the Fury Chapter and a renowned elite warrior, Cao Boyang couldn’t miss such an opportunity.

He was a master of heavy weaponry, his earlier use of rocket artillery to blockade and bombard the enemy had already demonstrated his prowess. Carduso’s ability to charge forward wasn’t a sign of weakness on his part, but rather of his exceptional performance.

And now, after a single shot had knocked Carduso slightly off balance, Cao Boyang swiftly followed suit. To be able to operate a heavy-bolt minigun, firing at full speed and still track its target with such agility, was a true master.

But Cao Boyang’s exceptional performance only served to undermine Carduso’s.

Of the next two bullets, one was deflected by Carduso’s power sword, while the third, deliberately aimed, struck his shoulder armor, triggering an explosion.

While the heavy-bolt blast caused pain in his shoulder, the shield-like pauldron remained intact, causing only pain without affecting his function.

Furthermore, using the force of the explosion, Carduso quickly threw himself to the side, dodging the next incoming attack.

At the same time, Carduso’s powerful plasma pistol, fully charged, fired again.

The moment Cao Boyang saw it unsheathed, his spirits trembled.

Its power was self-evident. While a single shot took a longer time to charge, it was undoubtedly more powerful than a heavy bolter.

Even more terrifying was its accuracy.

Carduso had just demonstrated his ability, managing to hit his rocket pod with a single shot, even from such a distance and amidst so many obstacles. Now, at a much closer distance, he had no doubt the enemy’s shot would hit his vitals.

For example, the visor on his helmet.

The Terminator armor’s visor was, of course, specially reinforced and not easily penetrated. But it wasn’t as thick or sturdy as the rest of the armor. A single powerful plasma beam would surely penetrate him, and his head behind it would be hopeless.

He could only swerve, sideways, and raise his power sword to block the impact.

He succeeded, the beam hitting the power sword squarely.

Although he remained uninjured, the powerful plasma beam’s interaction with the power sword generated a tremendous force that suddenly knocked him off balance.

This moment was Carduso’s opportunity.

He charged forward without hesitation, quickly closing the distance between them to the point where his power axe could threaten him.

By then, Cao Boyang had already recovered from his previous imbalance. Seeing Carduso close, he swung his power sword horizontally.

The strike was powerful and powerful, and it came with incredible speed!

Carduso blocked with his battle axe, but the power gap between them was considerable.

This wasn’t a difference between the two, but primarily the difference between the power armor. The Terminator’s power and output were undoubtedly far greater than those of regular power armor.

However, Carduso was always able to adapt to Cao Boyang’s immense force, twisting his body or dissipating it. In close combat, Carduso seemed like a small boat on a turbulent sea, drifting with the current, but in reality, he always held the initiative.

Cao Boyang’s attacks were not proactive, but rather passive attempts to repel them. However, he never succeeded. Carduso remained a persistent ghost, constantly hovering around him.

His power sword’s speed wasn’t nearly as fast as Carduso’s. This meant that after Carduso dodged or blocked each of his strikes, he still had enough energy to strike back at Cao Boyang.

Carduso had to conserve his strength and not go all-out. After all, his Terminator Power Armor was incredibly sturdy. If he failed to inflict a fatal blow, he would lose his mobility and be unable to block or evade Cao Boyang’s next attack, and the Terminator’s powerful blows would immediately cost him dearly.

Even so, even the briefest of Power Axe strikes accumulated to a formidable degree.

Erso, watching the battle, clenched his fists.

No matter how much he hated to admit it, Erso believed that their Fury Chapter had lost this duel.

Cao Boyang, the First Captain, who was almost the best warrior in the Chapter after him, had already been defeated. If this had been an ordinary duel, at this point, he would have been ready to admit defeat.

However, this was no ordinary duel, but a bloody duel to the death.

What did a bloody duel mean? It wasn’t over until all blood had been drained and everyone was dead.

It wasn’t over until one side was completely dead.

No matter how much he hated the death of his old brother and comrade, there was nothing he could do now. He couldn’t intervene in a duel under the watchful eyes of the crowd, as doing so would have trampled upon the honor of the chapter.

He could only watch as his brother’s wounds piled up, his movements becoming increasingly inconvenient and sluggish, like a bull in the arena, growing increasingly furious but also increasingly weak due to injuries and bleeding.

Finally, Erso’s long-awaited defeat finally arrived.

But the glimmer of hope he’d always held onto didn’t materialize. Feeling his end was near enough, Carduso stopped playing around. Cao Boyang’s movements had slowed considerably. A particularly devastating blow, a power axe pierced the back of his left knee, leaving him limping slightly. Another axe, in a clash of clashes, took advantage of Cao Boyang’s misstep and “slipped” onto the junction of his wrist guard and gauntlet, further hindering Cao Boyang’s dexterity in wielding his power sword.

Furthermore, the heavy-bolt minigun in his left hand was practically useless in such close combat, serving only as a block and a minor threat with heavy bolters—better than nothing.

This was like having three limbs—not crippled, but at least limited in their effectiveness.

At this point, Carduso finally felt secure enough, within the killing line, and struck.

This time, it was Carduso who initiated the attack.

In reality, after Cao Boyang’s knees and wrists were struck, he’d barely launched an attack, not even attempting passive repulsion. He simply waited for Carduso to strike.

Then he would.

Carduso swung his axe toward Cao Boyang’s head.

Cao Boyang, of course, blocked it.

However, Carduso’s simple change of direction just before the axe struck Cao Boyang was already out of his reach.

Or rather, his eyes and mind could follow, but his body, his battered Terminator power armor, couldn’t.

Carduso’s power axe struck Cao Boyang’s elbow with full force, a powerful blow.

Broken arm!

The incredibly strong outer armor of the Terminator’s elbow wasn’t easily shattered, but the axe’s impact from the inside undoubtedly severed Cao Boyang’s arm.

The pain was excruciating, but as a top-tier warrior, Cao Boyang wasn’t immune to the pain. With his other arm, he launched a powerful punch at Carduso. At the same time, the heavy bombs hung below were also fired.

This seemed to be his prepared desperate counterattack, and he no longer cared about the heavy bombs that might injure him. He simply wanted to take advantage of Carduso’s full strength to cut off his arm and open fire at close range, even if it meant both of them perished!

Carduso was a little surprised. Cao Boyang’s determination was indeed beyond his expectations.

But it was meaningless.

He launched a preemptive kick, sending Cao Boyang reeling back two steps, while Carduso, using the force, retreated five or six paces.

He dodged, but Cao Boyang, a step behind, didn’t give up. He tried to shift his gun, aiming to pursue Carduso. But the next moment, Carduso charged again, severing his left arm with a single axe.

With both arms gone, Cao Boyang had no last resort left.

Desperately, he thrust his head forward, seemingly attempting a final headbutt. But in reality, it looked more like he was sending his head under Carduso’s axe.

One axe split his helmet, and another cleaved his head in two.

The Captain of the Fury’s First Company, arguably the most prominent figure in the entire chapter besides the Chapter Master, had perished.

Eight hundred—now seven hundred and ninety-nine—soldiers of the Fury Chapter watched helplessly as the crimson-armored Karduso stomped over the corpse of the revered captain, a veteran of the Chapter, his battle axe raised to the heavens, roaring.

Initially stunned and stunned by this profound provocation, the Fury warriors erupted in a ferocious roar, as if insulted. Karduso

removed his helmet, sneered, and turned away.

The first match was won by the Phoenix. The

second began soon after.

The warrior who entered the fray appeared to be a very young warrior.

He introduced himself as the Phoenix’s first recruit, with twenty years of combat experience.

Twenty years is, of course, a long military career for mortals, veterans among veterans.

But for the Space Marines, it’s just the beginning. Most Space Marines, at this stage, can be considered beyond the rookie stage. Only when they had completed fifty years of service and were worthy of a silver nail pierced through their foreheads could they be considered veterans.

The Fury’s voices, which had been hurling curses, gradually subsided.

They cursed Carduso, but he was, after all, a true veteran with over two hundred years of combat experience, having survived the Atonement Crusade. He was formidable, having been sent to lead the charge, and even won, killing Captain Cao Boyang. While unpleasant, it wasn’t unbelievable.

But sending a rookie with twenty years’ service?

Disrespectful?

But they quickly came to their senses.

Aside from four veterans who had survived the Centennial Crusade, the rest of the Phoenixes were new recruits recruited in the past twenty years.

Among the new recruits, this young warrior calling himself Peretus Anatol was actually already a veteran.

At this thought, some of the Fury couldn’t help but sneer.

Erso also calmed down the grief he had just felt over the loss of his comrades.

Having lost the first battle, there was no room for a second.

Erso dispatched the Chapter’s most outstanding “new recruit.”

Though called a new recruit, he had already served forty-eight years, practically reaching the standard of veteran.

And Erso wasn’t being vain about sending this man out. He was a rare talent within the Fury, a natural-born warrior who, after becoming a Space Marine, had demonstrated exceptional talent, far surpassing the average veteran.

In Chapter bouts, he had won countless victories. Even if he wasn’t quite the company champion, he was within striking distance, surpassing many of the Chapter’s

non-commissioned officers. Beating a Phoenix recruit was certainly a sure thing.

At Erso’s call, the Fury’s talented warrior was dispatched.

Both combatants in this second match wore Terminator armor, the only difference being that the Fury used the “Indomitable” variant, while the Phoenix used the “Iron Trooper” variant.

The Indomitable was the most common Terminator armor of the era, while the Iron Trooper was far more valuable and offered superior performance.

Erso truly had no idea where the Phoenix had acquired so many Iron Troopers.

The ‘Grande’ model that Carduso had previously worn was in a similar situation. It was far rarer and superior to the ‘Aquila’ model commonly seen on the Fury’s side.

Looking around, all the Terminators he saw were ‘Iron Riders’, and all the tactical power armor he saw was ‘Grande’… Where did the Phoenix get all this fine equipment?

He put aside his jealousy and suspicion and focused on the battlefield.

While the Indomitable model was inferior to the Iron Rider model in performance, both were Terminator power armor after all, so there wasn’t a decisive difference in quality. Victory ultimately depended on the individual.

He had great confidence in his warriors.

However, that confidence was quickly shattered.

Watching the Phoenix named Anatol, stomping over the corpse of the Chapter’s genius and roaring like his predecessor, Erso’s face was gloomy and looked like it was dripping with water.

Defeated again!

And to make matters even more embarrassing, in the previous battle, this highly anticipated genius of the Fury had barely posed a clear threat. Anato’s strength was clearly superior, and even before they even drew close, he was already at a disadvantage and suffered heavy damage.

Finally, Anato appeared before him, knocked him to the ground, stamped on his chest, and fired a heavy bolter into his head. This was clearly intended to be a signature execution move; otherwise, Anato would have easily killed him from a distance.

The disparity in power was already stark and overwhelming.

Even more humiliating, after the battle, Anato didn’t leave.

He stood there, calling for the next Fury to come out. He

wanted to continue the fight.

It was clear that the previous bout wasn’t satisfying or exhausting!

Erso, unleashing all his energy, chose a Fury Company Champion.

However… in this third match, they were defeated again.

This company champion wore standard tactical power armor, seemingly aiming to replicate Karduso’s victory.

With his superb skills, he broke through the long-range fire blockade and dragged the battle into close combat. However, in hand-to-hand combat, it does not mean that tactical power armor really has an advantage. The thickness of the Terminator’s armor and the weapons it is equipped with are not in vain. After dozens of rounds of close combat, the power fist in Anato’s hand finally hit the head of the champion of the Fury Company, killing him with one blow.

Although Anato was also covered in scars, he won.

He still took off his helmet, smiled provocatively, and turned to leave.

Everyone in the Fury Corps was about to explode with anger!

Three consecutive losses!

Two rounds and still being beaten by one person!

And a rookie

at that! What the hell…

Erso had given up on it, he had to win the fourth round!

The fourth person to go was a champion of the Wrathfire Chapter.

His strength was comparable to that of the first Captain Cao Boyang who opened the match.

And this time, the Phoenix who appeared was the Chapter Chaplain Rizzo wearing a skull helmet.

When the gravity staff smashed the Wrathfire Champion’s head, Erso was already numb.

How can he win a round?

————

5k

still owed 124

(End of this chapter)