Warhammer: In the Name of Ashes.

Chapter 370 The Persistence of Faith
"Be yourself..." This is probably the most frequently spoken sentence by Calvin recently.

From time to time, he thought of "Alpharius"'s advice to him, and what he also repeatedly remembered was the warning that his cheap big brother gave him before "dying":
"You have to be vigilant, be vigilant to my other brothers. Although some of them have become slaves who have given up their ideals and succumbed to chaos.

But you have to know that these guys with high self-esteem, after getting used to their own failures, the last thing they see is your possibility of success. "

oh?Calvin thought that one day, he would definitely get to know those traitors back then.But this day came so early, he did not expect it.

"Then who do you think will be the first?" Calvin recalled his question to Alpharius in the flame-filled cabin of the Lost Truth.

"I don't know. Maybe it's Perturabo, or maybe it's Mortarion. You don't have any grudges with them, it just depends on who can't bear it first...

But what you need to know is that you are not enough to defeat them now. "

Alpharius interrupted Calvin's attempt to speak and continued:

"I don't deny the strength of the power you hold, but you have to know that there may indeed be strengths and weaknesses among me and my brothers, but when facing each other, no one has the absolute upper hand.

Of course you could die with one of them, and I believe you can.

But then what?

What about your legion?
What about your business?
What about the hope that 'he' left in you?
Did he die on impulse? "

Calvin was silent, and when facing Alpharius' merciless questioning, he woke up from the soldier's absolute stamina and passion.

Yes, he is not alone now.

Think about the hope that the veterans of the war regiment have for him, and think about the reliance of the soldiers of the legion on him;
Think of the Inquisition's just-started career, think of the Order of Omen and the thousands of Astartes warriors on Krieger's system...

"You (I) must become stronger!"

After a long silence, the two said at the same time, and what corresponded to Alpharius' expectant eyes was Calvin's firm will.

"be yourself……"

Calvin murmured, watching the priests of the Mechanicus in the experimental area slowly put the sacred bell of Gestal into the huge machine after completing the sacred machine soul prayer ceremony.

After being reassembled, the huge machine with a height of more than ten meters fell into an eerie silence after the holy bell returned to its place.

"Failed?" Calvin waited patiently for a few minutes, then subconsciously looked at Constantine, who had been missing for a long time.

The technology contained in this "Erebus Bell" from the golden age is also an extremely precious harvest for the Order of Omen.

On the way back to Terra, Calvin discussed repeatedly with the technicians of these few days, and finally decided to wake up Constantine's main consciousness from a deep sleep.

"Don't worry, my friend. Look over there..." Following Constantine's finger, Calvin looked at the power supply device of the giant clock.

In the corner of the hall of the test area, a metal cable as thick as Calvin's arm was emitting bursts of steam.

That is the effect caused by the violent volatilization of the coolant.

But no matter how many times he saw it, Calvin felt absurd about the technological system in this universe that was so advanced that it was beyond comprehension on the one hand, and on the other hand that the details were crude and made him laugh.

"The energy is still being injected, which proves that the energy circuit of the machine is not damaged. It has slept for too long, give it more patience..."

There was a hint of ridicule in Constantine's dark green eyes. It had been a long time since I saw him. This young man's character was still so impatient.

Constantine who woke up again looked different, his height was already on the same level as Calvin, and there was very little part of his original body under the dark red burqa.

Calvin didn't know whether this was good or bad for the members of the Mechanicus, but only considering Constantine's current state, it seemed to be pretty good.

"Well, you're always right..." Calvin shook his head with a smile, and turned the topic to Constantine.

"How long can I stay this time? I'm going to see 'him', come back with me.

I remember you said that your hometown is also Terra..."

"I'm sorry... I'm afraid I will disappoint you." Constantine was silent for a few seconds, but still rejected Calvin's proposal.It's not that he doesn't want to return to Terra, but that his body can't carry his consciousness for a long time.

The self-destruction of the personality caused by the loss of memory is like a curse engraved in the souls of all Mechanicians.

Even Constantine, who was backed by the entire Inquisition Chamber and Krieger Industries, still couldn't resist the fate of soul death.

"Is it still not enough?" Calvin hesitated to speak.

"Eternal life is a gift and a destiny..." Constantine sighed in a low voice.

The disintegration of personality and consciousness is a fate that Martian casting generals of all ages cannot escape. How could he, Constantine, be able to cross the barrier at the end of his life?
"Hey, you know I hate fatalism the most. If I really believed in this, I wouldn't be standing here..." Calvin tried to liven up the atmosphere.

"Even if you fail in the end, you can still..."

"I can't!" Constantine looked up at Calvin beside him, and seriously rejected the former's seemingly unintentional proposal.

"Know that we are servants of the Emperor, but we are also believers in the truth!
I will never give my soul and faith to anyone for the continuation of my life! "

"...Even if it's me?" Calvin asked bitterly.

"...Even if it's you." Constantine replied firmly.

The observation room on the top floor of the test area was quiet again. Behind the thick protective glass, in the cold space, only the mechanical servos on the two people hummed softly and steadily.

The technicians below are still nervously observing the huge device in the center of the laboratory.

Members of the Order of Omens and Priest Stowan of Mars stood directly in front of the Erebus Clock, and from time to time, their eyes wandered between the giant clock and the data pad in their hands...

"Well, my friend. You needn't be upset about it."

This time it was Konstantin who broke the silence. The conversation between the two had come to this point, but it was he, the dying man, who comforted people.

"I know that your strength is enough to protect my soul, but if I entrust my soul to you, it means that I have denied the truth of the empire and betrayed my ideals.

In that way, I will no longer have a bottom line, and I can do anything for the continuation of my life.

I'm not me anymore..."

"Understood." After a long silence, Calvin reluctantly admitted Constantine's point of view.

His low voice sounded in the observation room, and the depression contained in it was almost beyond words.

"Don't worry, my friend," Constantine said to Calvin.

As his words fell, the huge device in the test area below finally changed.

After absorbing a huge amount of energy that was enough to support the operation of the battleship for several minutes, this ancient device called the Bell of Erebus finally began to make the sound of mechanical operation slowly amidst the tension and expectation of the technicians. .

"You see, as it is, the future can always surprise us.

Maybe my future is not here, but who can say that it is not in the future? "

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(End of this chapter)