124: Withered Crown Galaxy

The interior of the Withered Crown system was filled with eerie sights: the shattered remains of xenos space stations floated like the skeletons of giant beasts, covered and digested by the biomass carpet unique to the Tyranids, emitting a dark green phosphorescence; fragments of cold Necron tomb ships were scattered among them, their ghostly green runes flickering occasionally; there were even several ship wrecks of Eldar style but with strange markings, indicating that a chaotic battle had just occurred here.

"Tyranid bio-fleet signal detected. Scale: Sub-hive level. Main force consists of several Executioner-class cruisers and a large number of escort bio-ships. They are gathered at the 'digestion field' near the orbit of the third planet," the reconnaissance node reported.

"Exterminatus Order prototype weapon—'Gene-Disintegration Missile', prepare for launch," Alpha-01 ordered from the flagship, the arbiter. The bellies of several specially modified Arbiter-class II ships opened, revealing launch tubes that resembled honeycombs. Missiles loaded with highly unstable disintegration viruses, reverse-engineered from Tyranid genetic samples, were fired silently toward the distant Tyranid fleet.

The missiles did not attack the ship hulls directly; instead, they detonated on the periphery of the dense airspace occupied by the Tyranid bio-fleet, releasing an invisible info-chemical mixed cloud specifically targeting the Tyranid collective consciousness network and biological genetic stability. The cloud spread rapidly, blending into the pheromones and bio-electric environment constantly secreted by the Tyranid ships.

At first, the Tyranid fleet showed no reaction, continuing to devour the wreckage by instinct. But soon, anomalies appeared. Several smaller bio-ships began to writhe irregularly, their surface carapaces showing eerie discoloration and softening, even colliding with one each other. Then, as if a chain reaction had been triggered, the coordination of the entire Tyranid fleet began to collapse! Some ships suddenly turned and attacked adjacent allies; others fell into a stupor, their biomass beginning to rot and liquefy from within; one Executioner-class cruiser even had its massive bio-turrets fire uncontrollably, blasting a huge hole in another cruiser beside it!

"Exterminatus Order effect is significant! The Tyranid fleet is in a state of large-scale genetic collapse and consciousness chaos!" the technical officer reported excitedly.

"Main fleet, advance! Conceptual Disintegration-Resonance Cannon volley, clear out the remaining enemies!" Alpha-01 seized the tactical opportunity.

The dark-gold Human Federation fleet, like an iron torrent, surged into the chaotic Tyranid formation. Precise and lethal gunfire harvested those bio-ships that had lost most of their resistance due to internal collapse. Dark green Tyranid blood and shattered biological tissues were splattered across the void, only to be completely purified and evaporated by subsequent fire.

However, just as the Tyranid fleet was on the verge of annihilation, another change occurred!

At the edge of the system, space rippled like torn ancient parchment, giving off ghostly green ripples. A Szarekh Necron patrol fleet, consisting of three Scythe-class harvesters and several Destroyers, emerged as if directly from the river of time, quietly entering the battlefield! Their appearance was without warning, as if they had been hidden there all along.

The Necron fleet immediately discovered the Human Federation fleet that was 'purifying' the Tyranids. In their cold, emotionless logic, both the Tyranids and the Human Federation were 'low-level life interference' that needed to be cleared. Without warning or communication, the Necron fleet's Gauss weapon arrays instantly lit up with ghostly green light, and lethal green disintegration beams poured toward the Human Federation fleet's flank like a rain of death!

"Purification Dome deployment! fortress-class platforms, move forward to intercept!" Alpha-01 reacted with extreme speed. The mobile fortress-class platforms deployed on the flank immediately raised reinforced Adaptive Order Domains. The dark-gold light curtains collided violently with the ghostly green Gauss beams, producing a piercing sizzling sound as if matter was being forcibly stripped away. The Order Domain fluctuated violently, but it successfully deflected and weakened most of the direct hits from the disintegration beams.

"Purge weapon arrays, target: Necron flagship 'Scythe of Silence', activate Logic Overload Bombs!" the technical officer responsible for new weapon testing ordered.

Several Infiltrator-II stealth ships risked approaching the Necron fleet, launching several inconspicuous munitions that looked like black metal cubes. These Logic Overload Bombs attached themselves to the surface of the Necron hulls, instantly releasing a massive stream of self-contradictory, infinitely recursive mathematical instructions and existential paradox information, directly impacting the Necron ships' central processors, which operated based on absolute logic and ancient protocols.

On the surface of the ghostly green Necron ships, energy patterns flickered and jumped in disorder; several smaller Destroyers even experienced brief freezes and course deviations. The Scythe of Silence harvester, which was the primary target, had its bow main cannon charging process forcibly interrupted, and a low, discordant hum of metal friction and energy overload echoed from within.

"Effective! But the duration is limited! The Necron systems are rapidly correcting the errors!" the technical officer reported urgently.

"Main fleet, turn! Concentrate fire and attack the Necron fleet! Reality Reconstruction Cannon, target: Necron ship energy cores!" Alpha-01 made a decisive judgment, abandoning the pursuit of the remaining Tyranids to point the spearhead at the more threatening Necrons.

The Reality Reconstruction Cannons of the arbiter and the judgement charged once more. This time, the targets were the ship cores of the Necrons, shimmering with ghostly green light. Invisible order-negation pulses were fired.

However, Necron technology's resistance to conceptual attacks far exceeded expectations! Although the order pulses successfully penetrated some of the Necron ships' phase-shift shields and left large areas of 'Conceptual Passivation' on their thick Living Metal armor (causing them to lose some physical properties and energy conductivity), they failed to cause the 'core erasure' effect seen against Chaos or Orks. The structure of the Necron ships seemed to have a deeper level of Existence Anchoring.

"Counterattack!" The Necron fleet recovered from the brief logical interference, and even more frenzied green disintegration beams focused their fire on the arbiter and the judgement!

"Concept Stabilization Shield overloaded! Armor damaged!" The hulls of the two titan-class ships shuddered violently under the wash of green death-light. Thick armor plates were stripped and disintegrated layer by layer, revealing the internal structures shimmering with electrical sparks beneath.

Just as the battle reached its peak and both sides began to suffer damage, a third force cut into the battlefield like a ghost!

Several eerie flashes of purple psychic energy lit up at the edge of the battlefield, and several Eldar ships with ornate and grotesque liveries, shaped like blades or ghosts—Vampire raiders and Phantom fighters—leapt out from the rift where the Warp and reality intersected! They did not attack either side but instead wove through the gaps of the crossfire between the Human Federation and the Necrons with dazzling maneuverability. Using psychic tractor beams, they precisely 'stole' several large fragments of Tyranid bio-ships and Necron ship pieces containing specific technical components. Then, amidst a mocking psychic shriek, they vanished back into the Warp!

Eldar! They had been lurking on the sidelines, waiting for this opportunity to seize precious 'samples'!

"Eldar scum!" Alpha-01's eyes flared with rage at the sight, but the fierce attack of the Necron fleet prevented him from splitting his forces to pursue.

The battle evolved into an even more brutal confrontation between the Human Federation and the Necron patrol fleet. Both sides possessed powerful defenses and lethal attacks, repeatedly slaughtering each other amidst the ruins of the Withered Crown system. The Human Federation gradually gained the upper hand through the Order Domain and numerical superiority, but the tenacity and cold immortality of the Necron fleet were heart-wrenching. Ultimately, at the cost of the purifier being heavily damaged and several arbiter-class ships being destroyed, the Human Federation fleet successfully destroyed two Scythe-class harvesters, forcing the remaining Necron ships to initiate a phase shift and withdraw from the battlefield.

On the tattered battlefield, only the steel wreckage of the Human Federation fleet, the Tyranid biomass embers being purified by the order field, and the cold metal fragments left by the Necrons remained. The Eldar were long gone, leaving behind only the humiliation of being toyed with.

"Tactical objectives for the 'Purification Corridor' campaign have been partially achieved," Alpha-01 said, his voice raspy as he looked at the damage report. "The Tyranid sub-hive was annihilated, and the Necron patrol fleet retreated after being heavily damaged. However, the Eldar stole key samples, and our losses exceeded expectations. The effects of the Exterminatus Order and Purge weapons were verified, but their effectiveness against the Necrons is limited."

"Strategically," Han Zhe's voice came from the Command Center, devoid of emotion, "we have successfully driven the first nail into the Gloomy Corridor. Withered Crown will begin its transformation into a Fortress. We have demonstrated to all observers the Human Federation's resolve and capability to engage both Tyranids and Necrons simultaneously, despite the high cost. The Eldar's actions... prove their cunning and danger; they must be placed on the highest priority Purge list."

He paused, his tone becoming even more chilling: "This battle also exposed deficiencies. Combat against Necrons requires specialized technology and tactics. The Eldar's guerrilla warfare and theft require us to strengthen anti-psychic and anti-stealth reconnaissance capabilities. order the entire army: summarize the experience of this battle and accelerate the development of targeted weaponry. The blood of Withered Crown will not be shed in vain; every loss shall be transformed into an even more blazing fire and a sharper steel blade that will purify the galaxy and burn all 'non-human' filth to ashes!"

"The 'Purification Corridor' campaign is over. The iron torrent of the Human Federation will continue to grind forward. Any obstacle, whether it be flesh, metal, or psychic Phantom, will be reduced to insignificant dust on the path to a pure human future under the will of 'Absolute Human Supremacy' and the iron fist of 'Total Militarism'."

On the star map, the marker for Withered Crown was replaced by the dark-gold 'Fortress-Alpha' symbol. In the broader galactic background, more dark-gold arrows were extending from this newborn Fortress, pointing toward the next target awaiting 'purification'. The gears of war, driven by national policy, would only turn faster and faster until the entire starry sky was swept into the cold and violent vortex known as 'Human Conquest'."}],