Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor-Chapter 201 - 202: Big Barrel is on Fire! On the High Platform

Roars echoed as Deville and his forces were detected.

A crimson tide surged toward the platform.

They were an overwhelming horde of Chaos Mutants.

Though vaguely humanoid, their bodies were grotesquely deformed, riddled with blood tumors and bone spurs.

These abominable failures of forbidden experiments had lost all intelligence, retaining only an insatiable lust for slaughter.

Yet even as failed specimens, they were formidable combatants—not something ordinary soldiers could handle.

The mutants charged with alarming speed, reaching the high platform in mere seconds.

Schhht!

The Void Angels in the front ranks formed a spear wall, halting the mutants in their tracks.

The initial wave crashed against them like a raging tide meeting an unyielding dam, momentarily slowing their assault.

Those in the first row barely had time to react before being skewered by spears.

But there were too many of them.

Some managed to break through, lunging toward the second line where War Angels and Inquisitors braced for battle.

The whir of chainswords filled the air as mutant remains scattered across the ground.

Meanwhile, the Thunder Guards stood vigilant, prepared for a greater threat.

For Space Marines, these mutants were of little concern—they had to conserve focus for even deadlier foes.

Soon, the Bloodthirsty Warriors emerged.

Seeing them, the Thunder Guards immediately ignited their jump packs, launching into combat.

"Boss, I'm here!"

Big Barrel overshot his landing, crashing down hard.

BOOM!

His bulk—nearly twice the size of a regular Space Marine—struck the platform, causing it to tremble.

Several mutants were crushed into paste beneath his weight.

Big Barrel was an anomaly among Space Marines—a hulking figure with a massive head and thick neck, resembling a rotund chef.

It seemed that Puru's unique gene-seed had undergone additional beneficial mutations within him.

His altered pre-stomach and digestive system required immense amounts of high-energy food, allowing him to eat continuously.

This food was converted into a special type of fat, which he burned for sustained combat endurance.

Under the same battle conditions, Big Barrel could fight far longer than a standard Space Marine.

"Whoops, went too far!"

After landing, he realized he had dropped straight into the heart of the mutant swarm.

Alone.

Surrounded by hundreds of Chaos mutants.

The impact had momentarily stunned the creatures, but they quickly regained their senses and lunged at him.

Big Barrel was instantly swarmed.

He grabbed a mutant off his back and slammed it to the ground, stomping it into pulp.

Then he raised his bolter and fired, but the sheer number of attackers made it impossible to hold them off.

They clambered onto his armor, biting and clawing in a frenzied attempt to breach it.

For now, his power armor held strong.

But Chaos mutants carried corrosive saliva and tainted blood—given time, their filth would seep into his suit, eroding its systems and defenses.

The mutants piled on him like a living mountain.

Any other Space Marine would have been overwhelmed, unable to break free.

But not Big Barrel.

A surge of energy radiated from him, subtly distorting the air.

ZZZZT!

A sudden psychic burst exploded outward.

The heap of mutants was blasted away, the nearest ones charred to ash by crackling warp lightning.

Like Puru, Big Barrel possessed psychic abilities.

Warp lightning was one of the most basic psyker attacks, but psychic powers had many forms—

from predicting enemy movements to unleashing devastating mental blasts, and even enhancing allied forces.

Psykers were categorized into five main disciplines:

Biomancy, Divination, Pyromancy, Telekinesis, and Telepathy.

Big Barrel's gift lay in Pyromancy.

Pyromancers could conjure and manipulate fire, earning them the title Firecasters.

With his devouring trait combined with flame-based psychic powers, he was practically a walking stove.

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All he needed was a pot, and he could start a feast anywhere.

After scattering the mutants, Big Barrel stood up—only to find even more closing in.

"Damn heretics, time to show you what Big Barrel can do!"

His battle spirit ignited.

And then—

BOOM!

He burst into flames.

Wreathed in roaring fire, he resembled a blazing titan.

This was his psychic ability—Breath of Flame.

The scorching inferno not only seared flesh but also inflicted damage on souls.

Mutants lunging at him shrieked in agony, their flesh blackening under the intense heat.

Even the mindless ones hesitated, instinctively recoiling from the flames.

Though they lacked reason, some primal survival instinct still urged them to avoid harm.

Fire Charge!

Maintaining his psychic flames, Big Barrel lowered his armored elbow and charged forward like a battering ram.

Mutants were sent flying, many perishing in the searing blaze.

A group of Bloodthirsty Warriors attempted to halt his advance, swinging their massive blood axes.

They, too, were bulldozed aside.

BANG!

One particularly unlucky warrior was smashed against a wall, his bones shattering on impact before he was incinerated.

"Huff, that was intense..."

Big Barrel shook his head, slightly dazed.

ROAR!

Another Bloodthirsty Warrior rose behind him, preparing to strike.

Big Barrel elbowed him in the gut—then promptly sat on him.

CRACK!

The warrior's ribs snapped. The psychic flames did the rest.

Thanks to the Savior's blessings, his own traits, and his psychic abilities, Big Barrel's combat prowess now rivaled that of Duke and Puru.

In certain battle conditions, he might even surpass them.

No sooner had he finished off a few Bloodthirsty Warriors when more came charging in.

Just as he was about to fight, his flames dwindled into mere flickers.

He had maintained high-intensity psychic output for too long, burning through too much energy.

Realizing this, Big Barrel turned and ran.

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

The ground trembled as he sprinted toward the main force, a mob of Bloodthirsty Warriors hot on his heels.

"Boss, help!"

Luckily, Puru and his War Angel squad arrived to cover him.

Puru had only become a Space Marine due to his unique talent—

his combat style was unconventional, favoring adaptability and improvisation over rigid tactics.

Big Barrel shared the same unpredictable nature, making him difficult to coordinate with.

Even Eden found him troublesome.

So, Eden had already decided—Big Barrel would lead the new sub-Chapter.

No restrictions. He would grow freely.

Once the time was right, he and the other devourer-trait Space Marines would be cut loose.

Let the enemies deal with them.

He'd be given a ship and some initial resources—after that, whatever he wanted, he'd have to get himself.

...

High Platform

In the center of the defensive line, Deville frowned at the swarm of heretical creatures.

"These abominations were released intentionally to stall us..."

They needed to locate the ritual site quickly.

Yet some form of interference was disrupting the Tribunal's augur systems, preventing them from pinpointing its location.

The base was a maze of chambers and hidden passages.

Searching manually would take far too long.

Suddenly, Deville sensed something.

He had found it!

Gripping his crystal cross, he whispered a prayer.

A faint glow emanated from the cross as a wave of energy pulsed outward.

Since receiving the Savior's blessing and undergoing gene-seed implantation, he had awakened psychic abilities—Holy Invocation.

Through prayer rituals, he could detect Chaos forces within a certain radius.

His mind delved into the warp, following the faint trace of power deeper into the base.

The closer he got, the more horrifying the visions became—

Shrieking, jagged voices clawed at his consciousness.

His soul trembled, on the verge of being devoured.

But he resisted.

The ritual had already begun. If he hesitated now, all would be lost.

No matter what, he had to find it.

Then, at the peak of the psychic assault—he saw it.

A massive shadow loomed over the research base.

Agur was summoning an ancient, nameless entity.

Just seeing it shattered his psychic perception.

CRACK!

The crystal cross exploded. Deville was thrown backward, crashing to the ground.

"Lord Inquisitor!"

His assistant rushed to help him up.

Deville's pitch-black eyes slowly returned to normal.

With a hint of excitement, he gasped—

"I found it!"

(End of Chapter)

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