Alex would never sit idly by and watch the two Daemon Princes decide the victor.
Every second of delay meant more sacrifices; he had to act immediately.
At this moment, they were trapped on the Orcs' battle moon, surrounded by an endless tide of Orcs.
The green-skinned monsters surged like raging waves, coming in wave after wave, their roars deafening.
The air was thick with gunpowder smoke and the smell of blood, and the ground was piled high with broken weapons and corpses.
Last time, Alex was able to lead the Imperial Army to retreat unscathed entirely by relying on the terrifying power of the Warlord-class Psy-Titan.
That colossal war machine single-handedly tore through the Orcs' defenses, buying precious time for the retreat.
However, now, the forces at his disposal were dwindling—three Supreme Psykers currently chanting spells, fewer than twenty scarred Astartes Monks, three barely functioning Castellan Robots, dozens of exhausted Arbitrators, less than a company of Storm Troopers, and fifty-odd Battle Sisterss.
With such limited forces, they probably wouldn't last even a few hours in this Orcish hell.
The two Inquisitor Craigs were doing their utmost to change the tide of battle, but they were merely ordinary Inquisitors, possessing neither powerful psychic abilities nor artifacts capable of turning the tide.
Facing two Daemon Princes locked in combat, their efforts seemed so insignificant.
Time was pressing, so Alex decisively switched the Supreme Wizard he controlled to autonomous mode, then quickly withdrew his consciousness and returned to the 3k era.
He had to seize every second.
Back in his familiar study, Alex immediately began to plan his next move.
He needed to deploy new pieces into the 40k era, but ordinary combat units simply couldn't change the current predicament.
While the Warlord-class Psy-Titan was powerful, in this environment, it would become a burden—its immense size and destructive firepower would not only attract more Orcs but also potentially cause friendly fire to the remaining Imperial Army.
Alex was not indecisive; those soldiers had long been prepared for sacrifice, but he was unwilling to waste lives meaninglessly.
Therefore, he had to choose small but elite combat units.
These units needed to possess extreme mobility and combat power, capable of precisely striking targets in the chaotic battlefield while avoiding triggering larger-scale conflicts.
Alex's gaze swept over the row of pieces on the bookshelf, his mind rapidly calculating every possible option.
Every second of hesitation meant the 40k era's battle situation would worsen, and he had to make a decision immediately.
Finally, he set his sights on a piece he had custom-modified.
This piece was not from the Warhammer 40k universe but from another product line under GW—Age of Sigma.
As a new product line launched by GW in 2015, AOS was born after the 'End Times' event in the Warhammer Fantasy world. On the ruins of that old world, completely consumed by Chaos, the Age of Sigma reshaped the entire worldview like a phoenix rising from ashes.
Its relationship with Warhammer Fantasy is like 30k with 40k; AOS both continued the core bloodline of the Old World—familiar races, gods, and Chaos threats were retained—and reconstructed the narrative framework through innovative settings like'Soul of the World.'
The new geographical concept of the Eight Realms replaced the Old World map, and the setting of the Mortal Realms provided a broader scope for storytelling.
Just as the Horus Heresy was already definitively concluded in 40k's chronicles, the destruction of the Old World was also a predetermined ending, but this did not prevent creators from writing new legends before the established conclusion.
The piece Alex was now deploying into battle was the most representative force of Order in the AOS universe—the Stormcast Eternals.
This legendary legion originated from Sigma, the savior of the Old World's End Times. This warrior-king, who ascended from mortal to god, collected the souls of the bravest warriors after the destruction of the Old World.
On the mysterious Celestial Forge, these heroic spirits merged with sacred metal from the ruins of the Old World, being reforged into thunder warriors clad in runic golden armor.
Each time they died in battle, they would return to Sigma's Forge in a flash of lightning, but each rebirth would erode a part of their human memory. This tragic mechanism of eternal life made the Stormcast Eternals a symbol of heroism with the most tragic undertones in the Warhammer universe.
(Sigma's Forge World, where Stormcast Eternals are produced)
On the battlefields of Age of Sigma, the Stormcast Eternals are the most resilient warriors—they are not mortals, but eternal warriors forged by the Storm God Sigma himself.
These golden-armored champions are immortal; even if they are shattered on the battlefield, their souls will return to Sigma's Forge, where they are reshaped in sacred thunder and flame, to return once more.
However, this rebirth is not without cost.
Each reshaping causes their memories and humanity to slowly drain away like sand in an hourglass.
Former joys, sorrows, camaraderie, and the glory of battle will gradually be eroded in the endless cycle.
Ultimately, these warriors will become hollow war machines, left with only the instinct to fight, with no self remaining.
Despite this, every Stormcast Eternal is deeply aware of this cruel fate, yet they still step onto the battlefield without hesitation.
They are the backbone of the Order faction's fight against Chaos, forming a bulwark against the darkness with their immortal bodies.
Because of this, their image is highly revered among players, even jokingly referred to as 'AOS's Space Marines.'
Not only because they also symbolize the forces of order and destruction, but also because their piece design is highly recognizable: shimmering golden armor, sacred runes, and lightning-wreathed weapons. With a slight modification (such as adding a power backpack), they can seamlessly integrate into the Warhammer 40k universe, perfectly playing various special units without any sense of incongruity.
This cross-system compatibility also makes Stormcast Eternals pieces a popular choice for many Warhammer hobbyists when DIYing.
(Modified, they become Holy Blood Guard)
Alex had prepared a batch of specially modified pieces, specifically to represent rare or hard-to-obtain units in the 40k universe.
At this moment, he picked up a meticulously modified piece—this was his custom model to replace a Living Saint.
In 40k's official pieces, the Living Saint, an important combat unit, only had Celestine as an option, which obviously couldn't satisfy Warhammer players' demand for diversity.
Therefore, many Warhammer hobbyists choose to modify models themselves or use third-party models as substitutes.
Alex was no exception; he had long prepared for this situation.
This piece was originally the 'Redeemer' HQ unit from the Stormcast Eternals in Age of Sigma, but after Alex's skillful modifications, it had been completely transformed.
He replaced its backpack with an MK10 power backpack, adjusted its shoulder pads to Space Marine-style armor, and reshaped the weapon details with putty, transforming it from a fantasy-style AOS unit into a Living Saint that conformed to 40k lore.
In terms of background, Alex designed him as an ancient Astartes from the Ashen Knights Chapter, who, during a brutal battle, received the Emperor's gaze and was ultimately elevated to a Living Saint.
Now, he was about to deploy this piece into the 40k world to turn the tide of the unfavorable battle on the battle moon.
However, when the piece was placed into the army box, it unexpectedly encountered some resistance, as if some force was refusing its entry.
Alex frowned, even considering whether to simply use the 'Celestine' piece instead.
But after a few seconds of his hesitation, the piece was finally accepted by the army box and materialized as its corresponding existence in the 40k universe.
Alex did not personally possess this piece but merely issued a brief command—assist Muswag in killing the Daemon Prince Tzanazte.
Afterward, his consciousness quickly switched back to the Supreme Wizard he was previously controlling, continuing to control the direction of the battle.
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