Emperor's Bane

Chapter 238

"Good evening, Ahriman."

A rough but humble voice came from behind him, and the son of Magnus, who was thinking about something, turned his head and smiled.

"Good evening, Hector."

"how is the situation?"

"For now, it's no different: defeat, annihilate, clean up, and clean up every stronghold and resource mine we can find. The priests of Reza are very good at doing these things to the alien world, and their enthusiasm is beyond imagination."

"After all, the resources belong to them, or most of them belong to them."

Hector casually scrubbed the strange dark green blood on the blade, and slowly came to Ahriman's side. His huge shadow enveloped the Son of Magnus in it, like an unshakable mountain.

Hector seemed to want to say something, but suddenly seemed to forget.

The warrior from Prospero has recently made new friends.

Hector, Morgan's favored son, the captain of the No. 20 third company of the Dawnbreaker Legion, and the youngest captain rank in the entire Second Legion: he may be the tallest and most muscular Astartes warrior known by the son of Magnus. Even if an ordinary space warrior stands up straight, he can barely match his chest.

What's even more amazing is that during Ahriman's continuous observation, he found that Hector's body size seemed to continue to grow: although the speed was extremely slow, the trend was obvious.

The moment he discovered this, a kind of fanaticism and loyalty unique to scholars was vividly reflected in the son of Magnus, and countless questions filled Ahriman's head: How did he do it?What is so special about him?Will his situation continue?Or is it that even the skeleton and strength of the Astartes will not be able to withstand this weird regrowth one day?

Yes, Ahriman was a powerful and experienced psyker, but that didn't mean that as a scholar, he didn't care about things other than psychics. Hector's strange body attracted his attention. In the eyes of the son of Magnus, Morgan's favored son was like a whole stack of academic papers.

Thus, he and Hector soon became true friends. Although his gaze made Morgan's son feel uncomfortable occasionally, Ahriman's gaze was nothing more than normal compared to the warm light radiating from the pupils of Abaddon who often came.

"That's right, Reza, or every character that comes out of the forged world, is very good at this kind of thorough destruction and correction, and they were born for this."

Ahriman softly echoed his friend's words, and at the end of his vision, a group of terrain reconstructors from the Mechanicum brought movable rock burners, cut a huge gap in the broken landscape left after the battle, buried tens of millions of alien corpses and their barbaric ruins under the displaced rocks and crushed peaks, and then carried out unified burning and erasure to clear enough space for their sacred forge.

It took less than a standard day on Terra, the mechanical priests eradicated almost all remnants of a glorious civilization, and turned the alien kingdom captured by the Astartes into a large piece of decadent art filled with a pungent burnt smell. The smell of promethium, plastic steel and flesh tangled into billowing smoke, irritating the noses of everyone present.

"This place will become a foundry world?"

Ahriman covered his nose, even a month-long siege battle was not enough to make him irritable. He looked at the gray threads in the sky, and maliciously speculated which alien wizard they might come from.

"Almost, here will become a mining world, and at the same time, it will serve as one of the dozens of sub-bases and supply centers of the Titan Legion of the Warlords. In essence, it is no different from a small foundry world."

Hector's actions were no different from Ahriman's. His heavy voice sounded from the deepest part of his throat, like thunder in a sultry afternoon, making people fall into a state of restless panic and sobriety.

"I don't know much about these things."

The Son of Magnus frowned, he was like any warrior who came out of Prospero, his pupils would not incorporate anything except [Knowledge].

"I don't quite understand either."

Hector snorted softly, his eyes flicking across the ocher robes.

"But over the years, Reza's Tech-Priests and their Skitarii have proven themselves to be staunch allies, so most of their requests will be granted by the Primarch, which is why we see more and more Rezas."

"It's not just the Rizals: look at those robes of different colors. Those people's ranks are much sparser. They hide from Rizal's cathars, like young lion cubs picking up scraps on the outskirts of a lion's pride. They obviously belong to other forge worlds."

"Yes, they are from Corinth and Tigrus respectively. Those are two foundry worlds in the east of the galaxy. They are not large in size. They joined the Avalon Federation not long ago and swore to serve the Emperor and the Primarch."

"Forge world, what do you want so many forge worlds for?"

Ahriman was a little confused.

"Generally speaking, a larger forge world is enough to undertake the daily operation of an Astartes legion, right? This is the case with our Thousand Sons Legion and Zhao-Arkada. We only need this partner and transaction partner of the Mechanicus, and we don't need to consider the legion's equipment."

"After all, for basic equipment, the Astartes Legion itself has the ability to forge, and the cooperation with the Forge World is not mainly for the Titan Legion and their special treasures."

"Special treasure?"

A light flashed in Hector's pupils that Ahriman hadn't noticed.

"Yes, Zhao-Akada can produce a man-made object that is infinitely similar to the spiritual bones of the Aeldari. That may be one of the most peculiar spiritual creations known in the human empire. This is why Lord Magnus will choose to cooperate with them."

"Other than that, they have nothing more worthy of our attention. After all, that forging world is too far away, far away at the southernmost tip of the Milky Way. The edge of the Starfield of Storms."

Ahriman talked eloquently, while Hector on the side nodded silently. When he realized that Captain Thousand Sons hadn't noticed what he said, Morgan's heirs just rightly adjusted the topic back.

"This is the first step in the eastward expansion of the Avalon Federation. Starting from these two well-established forge worlds, our fleet is penetrating into the Aegis sector. There are more than a dozen galaxies there with rich land, and the food they produce is enough to feed the population of ten star sectors."

"Expand to the east? Is this your next strategy?"

"It should be that after pacifying Avalon and its surrounding three star regions, we actually have no new expansion directions. The south and southwest are the territories of Ultramar, the southeast is the Damocles Bay, and the northwest is the Olympia star field that the Iron Warriors laid down early. The only direction is the eastern frontier of the Milky Way that no one has explored."

"In fact, you can also go west. Many star regions near the maelstrom have not yet submitted to the rule of the empire, and the recovery and strategy there will continue for at least several decades."

"No, Ahriman."

Hector shook his head, his pupils shone with a sly light that the Son of Magnus didn't understand, and never cared about, it seemed to be some kind of wisdom.

"You know, Ahriman, the Second Legion is different from other legions. We can perform [Ultramar Mode] on the world we recovered by ourselves."

"Ultramar mode?"

"Vocabulary invented by mother: self-government like Ultramarines, neither taxes nor levies can be commanded by Terra, symbolizing extremely high independence and autonomy."

"That's true...but I've never heard the word [Ultramar Mode]."

"Me neither, but this word will be very popular in the future."

"How to say?"

"I don't know either, that's what Mother said."

"...Okay, let's talk about the previous topic: why didn't you choose to go west?"

"Because [Ultramar Mode], my friend, although our privileges are bestowed by the Lord of Humanity, and although the establishment of the Avalon Federation was approved by the Emperor, this high degree of independence predestined us to be on the edge of the Milky Way from the moment we expand our borders, and we must be the pioneers and thugs of external development. Our country can only extend from the borders of the Empire to remote areas that have never been heard of by Holy Terra: for example, the Salamas star area is the leader. the eastern frontier of the galaxy."

"Our country can only exist in those wild worlds that have not been illuminated by the light of the holy Terra, and can only be used as an extension of the empire's rule over the fringe regions of the galaxy: only when these prerequisites are established, can the Avalon Federation maintain [Ultramar mode] as a matter of course."

"And once we change direction, and once our expansion spearhead turns from the unknown frontier to the known maelstrom, even if we are still recovering the lands that do not belong to the empire, we still have to make a trade-off: Either give up the [Ultramar Mode] bestowed by the Lord of Humanity himself, and hand over the conquered world to Terra obediently as a support force and a simple expeditionary force, or we will become the second Ultramarines, or even worse."

"Because we are no longer the distant loyal servants of the Shepherd's side in the eyes of Terra, we have become villains who dare to grab food in their eyes: there is such a huge difference between a pair, and such a simple reason."

"So, until we stop [Ultramar Mode], we're only going east."

Hector's answer was slow and affirmative, like an immature student reciting a memorized knowledge point, his eyes have been watching the wave of exhaust gas set off by the Omnissian believers in the distance, recalling that little thing that is not important but should also be remembered by himself.

Ahriman blinked, pondering the subject, and quickly asked another question.

"But I remember that Ultramar has also been expanding irregularly. Whether it is the barren space outside the galaxy or the star regions near the maelstrom, the flags of the five hundred worlds have been continuously raised over the years. Even Octavius ​​has sworn to Guilliman: it is not far from Prospero."

"Yeah, that's the biggest difference between them and us."

"So, only the Ultramarines are ambitious, aren't they?"

Hector's soft smile made Ahriman's heart flutter, and he realized that there was no point in continuing this topic.

"How do you know this kind of...political topics so well, Hector?"

"Because of the Primarch's order: every high-ranking and low-level commander must submit a plan for the next step of the legion, and ordinary soldiers are also allowed to join this activity. According to what my mother said, every company commander must be trained according to the standards of the legion commander, and every soldier should have a dream of becoming a company commander. The overall situation is the first step."

"Is there any benefit to the strength of the legion?"

"There's no harm in the end, is there?"

Ahriman was silent, snorted softly, and didn't answer. He began to listen intently to Hector's complaints about the difficulty of writing the plan. He felt in his heart that such a seemingly thick-skinned man had been trained by the Lord of the Second Legion to be a character who could chew on words.

In particular, Hector's description of the Legion's next target [Aegis Sector] was lifelike. The richness and power in his mouth made the Son of Magnus raise his eyebrows, as if Dawnbreaker was talking about the holy Terra.

"So rich, it looks like there will be a bloody battle."

The self-evident gazes echoed each other in the pupils of the two Astartes warriors. They could be regarded as the elders of the Great Expedition. Naturally, they knew the deep meaning behind some information and materials: it was difficult for such a rich and powerful independent human colony to surrender to an illusory human empire immediately. It was necessary to let the terrifying blood and fire fall on their heads, so that the empire had reason and confidence to take away their resources.

"It doesn't matter whether it is war or peace. The choices of those human colonies have no effect on the final result. Their thoughts are not worth mentioning in front of the will of the Primarch."

When Hector said these words proudly, Ahriman couldn't help but blinked his eyes. The Son of Magnus could clearly feel that compared with the time when he didn't meet Morgan a few years ago, the mental state of these Dawnbreakers seems to have undergone a huge change, and it can even be said to be "new life".

A pride, a kind of arrogance, a spontaneous arrogance and toughness, a proud attitude that is no longer afraid to stand in the sun, or in front of anyone, is being recorded with more and more victories, with more and more worlds and galaxies surrendering to the Dawn Banner of the Second Legion, and with the light of Morgan's glory shining on the vast territory visible to the naked eye on the galaxy star map, it becomes more and more firm.

The changes brought about by the Primarch.

Ahriman sighed silently. He was no stranger to all of this, because his own genetic father, like Hector's genetic mother, also saved their offspring. However, the Dawnbreakers could already rely on their past heritage and the power they gathered to write their own traces in the galaxy, while Magnus' legion was still painfully accumulating strength and was always ready to return to the waves of the Great Crusade.

This process is destined to be slow, even from the most optimistic point of view, it will probably take at least twenty Terra standard years: as long as Ahriman looks at his friend, there is a trace of jealousy in his pupils.

Hector didn't see that distorted light. He just casually looked at the various Forge World teams rummaging through the poisonous wasteland, looking for the recyclables they thought were suitable. It wasn't until his eyes swept over a group of Reza Skitarii that he suddenly remembered something.

Hector remembered why he had come to Ahriman.

"... Ahriman."

"what happened?"

"Are you busy now?"

"No."

"Okay, come with me."

"What-"

Before he finished speaking, Hector easily grabbed Ahriman's arm, like a rough brown bear grabbing a small tree as thick as the mouth of a bowl. He pulled Ahriman and quickly disappeared on the dusty horizon.

"You tell me what you're going to do first, Hector?"

"Are you interested in getting rich?"

"What? Get rich? No!"

"What about scientific research and cultural and artistic protection activities for ancient creations?"

"Also... uh... this can be considered."

"Then it's all right, come with me."

"I'll take you to get rich, Ahriman."

------

"so……"

"This is what you said about getting rich?"

"Hush! Don't be so loud, Ahriman."

Four Dawnbreakers and a Magnus warrior were bending their waists, carefully advancing in the ravine-crissed ruins, and not far above their heads, the huge machinery driven by the Omnissian believers was crushing the last stone wall and ruins, and those technical priests stopped the operation of their precious machinery from time to time, dragging back those strange items exposed in the air, as their next research materials and treasures.

"Look at those guys, Ahriman."

"We won't be able to fish even a single screw when they go through it."

"..."

Ahriman had nothing to say.

The heir of Magnus squinted his eyes and looked at the Hector beside him who was trying to shrink his huge back. Then his eyes bypassed the extremely tall warrior and saw the other three fellows, that is, the three members of the original Hector team.

only……

Salieri, the new star think tank who was originally humble and powerful in his eyes, was now holding a seized map with a silent and excited face, constantly distinguishing directions, whispering words that Ahriman couldn't quite understand, and he was so rude that he didn't look like the young man who could speak fluent spells.

As for Ajax, who was as rough as a savage stone statue, his movements were gentler than the most seasoned ballet dancer, and the gaze in his pupils was more careful than that of the most merciful mother. This tall and thick man squeezed his fingers, counted out the things he was interested in from the soil, and put them carefully in his hands, like an old woman preparing a wedding dress for her married daughter.

As for His Excellency Kairon, who has always appeared in Ahriman's thoughts with a stable and reliable image, and could even be called his predecessor, he is not wearing a helmet at this time, and there is a helpless hearty smile on his somewhat smeared face, and his white teeth, which are as clean as new, are exposed with the tiniest discovery.

"What are you guys doing?"

"A hobby, or a habit."

It was Karon who answered him.

"……How long."

"It's always been like that, but after our genetic mothers got a deal with those oil guys, it became kind of an underground business, and you know, they don't like it."

Kairon blinked at Ahriman indifferently, which made the son of Magnus feel something was wrong.

What did they ask themselves to do?
"Is this... allowed?"

"Not allowed."

[Investigation] Hector withdrew into the tunnel after finishing the investigation, and the five-member team began to advance rapidly under the leadership of Salieri. While adjusting his breathing, Hector was giving his friend Aliman a science popularization.

"According to the regulations, this kind of future is classified as the world of the Mechanicus. We are not allowed to carry out archaeological and cultural relic protection activities here. If we catch it, we will be punished."

"How to punish?"

"Write a review and read it in public."

"Have you ever been punished?"

"We've all been chastised, four times."

"Um……"

"One person at a time, so nobody wants to write that thing again."

"Ah."

"So we brought you here."

"Uh-huh?"

"...Just kidding, actually what we need is your spiritual power."

Holding the son of Magnus who was about to retreat, Hector tried his best to show a convincing smile.

"Actually, in the previous operation, we found a place similar to the alien royal palace. It is a semi-underground civil building. The group of oil guys will not be able to touch it for a while. There should be a lot of good things there. It is worth taking a look."

"How do you know they didn't go there?"

"Because that palace is actually within the scope of our mission. It's just that we can't stay there for too long during the battle. Moreover, because it is not a military building, its importance is not that high. The group of Reza people will ignore it for a while, but there must be good things in it. Don't you want some exotic souvenirs?"

Ahriman blinked.

He didn't speak any more.

"However, Hector, places like this generally have sufficient safety precautions, don't you think about it, is there a question about danger?"

"If it was before, I would indeed have concerns, but this time is different, Ahriman. There happens to be a master in this military operation. He can be our guide and ensure the safety of this event."

"……Grandmaster?"

The son of Magnus raised his eyebrows. In his heart, he didn't trust Hurt's vague explanation until he followed the Dawnbreakers all the way to the door of the half-buried underground palace. From a distance, he saw a few glares flickering. He knew that they were the light reflected by the Dawnbreakers' silver armor.

Sure enough, as soon as he got closer, he saw several teams of Dawnbreakers gathered in front of the gate of this alien underground palace, struggling to dig or break the door to decrypt.

……

He thought it was just a personal hobby of Hecht and others.

The various Dawnbreaker teams that gathered did not communicate further. Their greetings and words were all replaced by the eyes in their pupils, showing a deep and deep understanding of confidence. Although there were a few skeptical eyes on Ahriman, those eyes quickly moved away under Hector's raised eyebrows and silent answers.

In this environment, Ahriman naturally kept quiet. While following the instructions of those dawn breakers, he used spiritual energy to destroy the defenses at the entrance of the underground palace, and at the same time he couldn't help but whisper to his friends beside him.

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Personally, 20 years."

"What about collectively?"

"...120."

"……Can."

Before Ahriman finished expressing his emotions, he heard another distinct sound of footsteps behind them. The Son of Magnus quickly turned his head, only to see a figure approaching rapidly.

As he approached, the surrounding Dawnbreakers cheered softly.

Ahriman heard Kairon's words.

"You are welcome."

"We have been waiting for you for a long time."

"Sergeant Traasin."

Traasin?
Ahriman looked suspiciously at the technical sergeant in front of him who hid himself under the hood and walked quickly. This skilled think tank instinctively sensed something wrong from the person in front of him, but he didn't say it out.

Because, in the silent expectation of the Dawnbreakers, the Sergeant Traasin really lived up to everyone's expectations, and he completely destroyed the secrecy measure that made everyone helpless, with skillful skills, as if he had been specialized in this industry for hundreds or thousands of years.

Morgan's heirs did not continue to cheer. They turned their inner excitement into a pure driving force, and walked into the underground palace in front of them nervously and orderly. Of course, Sergeant Traasin, who was brave and fearless, was naturally the one who rushed to the front. He selflessly used his life to provide security for the people who came after him.

The Son of Magnus was the last one. Just when Ahriman hesitated a little, the Dawnbreakers happily disappeared in place, and a silent treasure hunt began. The Thousand Sons warrior from Prospero looked left and right, and then at the dazzling sights visible to the naked eye in the depths of the underground palace. After hesitating again and again, he still chose to go in.

For some reason, when he realized that he was really participating in such a non-compliant [archaeology] and [treasure hunt], in the deepest part of Ahriman's heart, a rather strange emotion flashed.

Qianzi immediately recognized the emotion.

It was excitement and anticipation.

……

……

Ok.

That's not a bad thing, is it?

(End of this chapter)