Amidst the murky and rotting expanse of the Withering Swamp, Angron led his griffon cautiously alongside the bounty hunter Brenner. Angron, evidently intrigued by Brenner's way of life, asked, "So, knowing this mission is perilous, why take it on?"
Brenner moved swiftly, his attention sharply focused on their surroundings. Hearing Angron's question, he nodded. "Opportunities to earn a thousand gold crowns for a single reconnaissance are rare. I'm a bounty hunter, Mr. Angron. I need to make a living."
"I've heard your name many times, Brenner. You've dealt with a Dark Prince of Mousilon single-handedly, taken down a greenskin warlord terrorizing the Black Mountains, and retrieved High Elf relics from a dwarven mine," Angron recounted. Brenner's reputation as a skilled and reliable bounty hunter was well-known across the Old World.
"It's nothing special. In our line of work, reputation is paramount," Brenner replied modestly. He then turned curious. "Mr. Angron, I've never heard of you before. With your prowess, you shouldn't be so obscure."
"Heh, who knows," Angron shrugged it off. "You do know I'm Ryan's brother, right?"
"Ryan? Count Ryan Macado of Glamorgan? The Lady of the Lake's chosen champion?!" Brenner's surprise quickly turned to understanding. "No wonder. No wonder you're so powerful. I was wondering how such a formidable person appeared out of nowhere."
"Hehehe~" Angron thought to himself how having a well-known brother could sometimes be a good thing, bringing a sense of pride.
They continued their journey for a while longer. Brenner, not one for much small talk, left Angron to keep the conversation going. "How long have you been investigating?"
"Two weeks, Mr. Angron," Brenner's golden sun helmet shone with divine power. Since the mission had no secrecy requirements, and considering Angron's capabilities, Brenner was willing to share more. "I've had quite a bit of trouble along the way. Damn rats found out about me. After I dealt with a Grey Seer and two Rat Ogres, they sent assassins after me. I almost died several times."
"So I blocked those Skaven assassins for you?" Angron's expression darkened slightly.
"Skaven assassins will kill any intruder in this territory," Brenner explained, understanding Angron's frustration. His eyes scanned the swampy path and the faint traces of marching. "Even if it wasn't because of me, you'd have encountered them anyway. That's why I ask for your help. We're safer together. Once the job's done, I'll give you three hundred gold crowns as your share. It's a fair deal."
"Hmm." Angron considered this explanation reasonable and nodded.
Real combat wasn't a game. Even if Brenner was a Saint-level warrior, a precise backstab from a Skaven assassin could still kill him. Having Saint-level strength didn't mean having a life bar ten times longer than normal people, able to withstand dozens of warpstone dagger strikes. Nor did it mean that Skaven assassins couldn't break through his defenses.
Only divine armor could provide such invulnerability, like the finely crafted vibranium plate armor blessed by the Emperor that Sulia owned.
Brenner's strength as a bounty hunter mainly granted him quicker reactions, greater vitality, a larger margin for error, and more powerful attacks.
"About two or three years ago, a war began deep in the swamp. A Vampire Count led an army searching for something," Brenner elaborated on the mission. "Since then, the Skaven and the undead have clashed repeatedly. The Vampire Count was even killed by the Skaven once, but after his resurrection, he resumed his search with his army."
"Last year, the situation changed. The Skaven no longer had an overwhelming advantage. The Vampire Count seemed to find his goal, gathering more undead and intensifying his assault," Brenner continued. "That's why the Prince of Miragliano hired me to investigate."
"Lost their advantage?" Angron probed further.
"Yes, according to what I've gathered, the Skaven god was severely wounded by some extremely powerful entity last year. The Grey Seers have been unable to receive divine guidance or blessings, and without the god's will, the Skaven warlords have resumed infighting. This has severely weakened their forces. Whoever managed to injure their god must be incredibly powerful."
Angron: "..."
He had a suspicion about who might be responsible.
"Do you always live off these missions?" Angron abruptly changed the topic. "With your skills, you could easily earn a noble title anywhere."
"In fact, I already have a noble title. But I enjoy the adventure. Sitting at home doesn't earn me nearly as much," Brenner responded, slightly impatient. "How much wealth can I amass just by collecting rent? I'm willing to sell my sword and gun to anyone for the right price, except for assassinations or slaughtering humans."
"At least you have some principles and a conscience."
"In this line of work, integrity is key. No principles mean no trust."
For three hours, they trudged through the swamp.
"You and your griffon are a bit too conspicuous," Brenner noted. He had spotted a patrol of five Skaven Stormvermin nearby, including two Plague Monks and a Skaven warpstone gatling gunner. Brenner calculated that given Angron's large stature and his mount, it was impossible to pass without alerting the patrol.
Brenner snorted, "We should try a different approach."
"A different approach? Tell me, what's your plan?" Angron unsheathed his twin axes.
"Eliminate them. That way, no one will know we're here," Brenner smiled, drawing an eight-shot rune revolver. "Angron, keep an eye on our rear. I can't cover my back while I'm focused."
"You're going to take them all down?" Angron nodded in agreement.
"Watch closely," Brenner, confident in his skill, began calculating the distance, wind, and light conditions.
With everything accounted for, Brenner darted out like an arrow, covering over thirty meters in the blink of an eye. He rolled to a stop near the patrol.
Face-to-face with the Skaven patrol, Brenner was immediately spotted.
"Enemy! Enemy!" The Skaven patrol leader screeched. "Enemy! Skaven! Go-go!"
The Plague Monks let out piercing shrieks, the warpstone gatling gunner raised its weapon, and the Stormvermin charged at Brenner.
Eyes fierce with battle lust, Brenner raised his eight-shot revolver and pulled the trigger.
"High noon."
*Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang~*
Eight gunshots rang out in rapid succession.
Silence fell over the swamp.
Eight Skaven lay dead, each with a smoking bullet hole in their forehead.
Eight bullets, eight Skaven, all headshots.
The battle was over.
"Not bad," Angron sheathed his axes.
"This is just basic skill," Brenner frowned. "If my calculations are correct, the battlefield should be just ahead!"
"Let's go!"
Sure enough, after another thirty minutes, Angron and Brenner arrived at the edge of a vast swamp basin.
A brutal battle was raging.
"It seems the undead and the Skaven are fiercely contesting something, though I don't know what," Brenner whispered from behind a slope, glancing at Angron, who looked eager to join the fray. "But whatever it is, we shouldn't get involved. It's not in our interest."
"The undead and Skaven… I'd love to kill them all," Angron grumbled. "Fine, maybe you're right."
Thousands of Clanrats and Slaveskaven were pouring into the battlefield, with the Skaven army setting up positions on one side of the basin, ready to face the undead assault. A Skaven warlord, mounted on a Stormfiend, barked orders.
In the Skaven ranks, three Plagueclaw Catapults lobbed toxic payloads into the undead formations, and four Warp Lightning Cannons charged with warpstone energy.
The Skaven numbers were staggering. Even with Angron's Primarch eyesight, he couldn't estimate how many Skaven were joining the fray. From unseen tunnels and the depths of the swamp forest, regiment after regiment of Skaven swarmed the battlefield. Waves of slaves and clanrats were followed by columns of Stormvermin and Plague Monks.
Rat Ogres and Stormfiends entered the fray, while the toxic projectiles from Plagueclaw Catapults and the spells of Plague Priests turned the battlefield into a hellish landscape covered by Skaven blight. If their opponents were mere mortals, the Skaven might have triumphed already.
But their foes were undead.
Against the onslaught of firepower, Vampire Count Manfred von Carstein unleashed his forces. Under powerful incantations, his undead army seemed unstoppable. Dozens of Corpse Carts blazed with eerie blue flames, crashing through the Skaven ranks. Crypt Ghouls and Grave Guard wielded clubs, sending the smaller Skaven flying. Dire Wolves raked their claws, tearing apart Rat Ogres.
The undead were unfazed by the plague; these reanimated beings could not die again. In the toxic fog, they advanced unyieldingly, crushing any Skaven in their path. Zombies and Skeleton Warriors formed an unrelenting tide, while Tomb Guard regiments formed solid lines, breaking any resistance.
"Nagash's Gaze!" Manfred chanted, and a beam of energy obliterated two
Warp Lightning Cannons. Then, he summoned a dark, purple sun.
The Skaven front line crumbled as countless Skaven were sucked into the sinister sun, reduced to dust. Tomb Guards and Skeleton Warriors pressed through the warpstone fire, breaking through the Skaven lines. The undead tide overwhelmed the Skaven's defenses, with Dire Wolves tearing into Skaven bodies.
The decisive blow came from the charge of the Black Knights. These undead cavalry trampled and impaled the Skaven forces. Against the Black Knights' group assault, the Skaven warlord struggled to organize a defense. The Stormvermin were shuttled back and forth to resist the Black Knights, but the Skaven quickly realized they couldn't withstand the Vampire Count's forces. The basin turned into a slaughterhouse, with only one side destined to escape.
It seemed Manfred and his undead army were gaining the upper hand. The Skaven were retreating, and the undead tide was advancing.
From behind the slope, Brenner, lying prone, observed the battle with a grave expression. "It looks like the Vampire Count's army has the upper hand."
"No…" Angron shook his head. "Look closer."
The battle raged on. Manfred and his forces appeared to have the advantage, pushing deep into the Skaven lines. Even the most fanatical Plague Monks began to waver.
But the Skaven reinforcements were endless. Every moment, more Skaven troops and war machines poured from underground and the swamp forest. With the Skaven's relentless reinforcements and attacks, Manfred and his undead army faced severe trials.
The Tomb Guard and Skeleton Warriors were gradually overwhelmed by the Skaven tide. After sustaining incredible losses, the Skaven finally managed to bog the undead down in chaotic melee, encircling and isolating them. The Black Knights found themselves surrounded and embroiled in a grueling fight against Stormvermin and Clanrat pike formations.
Manfred's Dire Wolves and Crypt Horrors were also feeling the strain. The massive Dire Wolves, covered in hundreds of wounds inflicted by Skaven weapons and pestered by sneaky Gutter Runners, were suffering. These beasts endured countless stabs, bites from the Skaven horde, and volleys from warpstone gatling guns and various poisonous gases.
More and more Rat Ogres entered the fray, and the Stormfiends, their arms converted into warpstone cannons, delivered devastating blows to the Dire Wolves. The undead behemoths roared in agony as one after another fell before the Skaven onslaught.
Undead regiments crumbled one by one. After more than four hours of fierce fighting, the undead horde of over twenty thousand was finally overwhelmed by the Skaven tide and reduced to dust.
"Yes-yes! Plague era! It's coming! Bone things! Destined to die-die!" The Skaven warlord was still celebrating their victory when his warpstone telephone rang. "Hello? For the Great Horned Rat!"
"Fool!" An angry voice shouted through the phone. "No-no! Nagash's blade was, was stolen by the bald one!"
"What?!" The Skaven warlord froze. He recalled that Manfred von Carstein had disappeared about two hours into the battle.
In the Black Mountains, high above.
Riding atop his zombie dragon, Vampire Count Manfred wore a faintly satisfied smile. He toyed with the blade of Nagash in his hand, eager to uncover his master's secrets.
While the Skaven's attention was entirely on the battle, Manfred had sacrificed his army, infiltrated the Skaven Under-Empire alone, and stolen Nagash's blade.
"Now that I have the item, it's time to find Arkhan and proceed to the next phase of our plan."
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