Emperor's Bane

Chapter 566: Suck this, it’s powerful!

"Webway?"

"Why did you give this place such a strange name, my Lord?"

"I don't know either, Amon. When my consciousness discovered this hidden treasure in the vast ocean, this name naturally appeared in my mind: like a mountain top hidden in the thick fog, it is finally illuminated by the sun's brilliance today."

"You mean to say that this place actively summoned you here?"

“Indeed: the luxuriance of its light amidst the vast ocean is nothing short of an invitation.”

Magnus spoke to answer the doubts of his warriors. The confidence and calmness in his voice were so dazzling, just like the radiance of his soul itself, and he naturally possessed a strong persuasive power: in the Thousand Sons Legion, which was famous for its mutual ideological struggles and debates, as long as the Primarch spoke, no one would dare to refute his opinion.

But there are still people who dare to question.

Amon is one of them.

His courage comes from many aspects: first, he is the fosterer of the Primarch and the first mentor of Magnus after he landed on Prospero; second, he is also the captain of the First Academy in the Thousand Sons Legion and the leader of the Black Raven School among the five major schools of the Legion.

Originally, these two positions belonged to Ahriman, and he was expected by everyone including the Primarch and Amon, but considering Ahriman's career in the Dawnbreakers, which was indeed very important, Amon had to temporarily keep these positions for him: for fifty years.

This kind of person who is half public and half private, and quite important in both public and private aspects, can naturally do things that others dare not even think about: while other Thousand Sons are still actively joining the five major schools, organizing themselves according to their respective schools, and vying for the opportunity to stand beside the Primarch and bask in the glory, Amon can face Magnus directly and raise the questions hidden in his heart without any hesitation.

"Please allow me to question it, my Lord."

"You can certainly question it, Amon."

Magnus was not in a hurry, as if he had anticipated Amon's attitude: he even finished his work at the right time and turned around to face his first teacher: the candlelight beside the Primarch cast his shadow on the wall on the other side, appearing changeable and erratic.

"Questioning everything is the essence of human wisdom, Amon."

"So, what do you want to ask?"

Chizi took a deep breath.

"My Lord, if I remember correctly, our fleet has been staying on this wild world called Aguru for three months: during this period, the Wolves and the World Eaters have been urging us to join their expedition, and even the Terran Council has sent an inquiry."

"I know, Amon."

The Primarch nodded, unmoved.

"I remember that Angron sent me thirteen requests for assistance, and Leman Russ's messenger is outside now. As for the questioning of the Terran Council? They did not urge me to join the battle, but asked why I came to lead people to Aguru."

"It's my problem too, sir."

Amon looked directly at his Primarch.

"This is a completely barbaric world. Maybe there was a great civilization in the past, but now there are very few signs of life here. Terra did not include this place in the Great Crusade at all. Even the tax collectors would not pass through here, but we stayed here for three whole months."

"Why did you do this? How did you discover this world in the first place?"

"Good question."

Magnus laughed and seemed to enjoy the feeling of being questioned: Of course, it was the kind of questioning that made him completely confident and able to crush it with a perfect answer.

"Are there many people in the legion who share the same idea as you, Amon?"

"Everyone does have doubts in their hearts, but everyone still believes in you."

"And I won't let you down."

The Primarch continued, and he seemed to have lost interest in the contents of the cave, so he turned and walked towards the cave entrance, and Amon followed closely beside him: the Primarch's voice echoed in his ears, and because of the echo effect, it seemed particularly loud.

"I did find this world by feeling, Amon. During my previous trip to the Vast Ocean, I felt the strange light coming from this galaxy, so I ordered the fleet to turn its course here."

"Originally, this was just a leisurely expedition, nothing more, but when I really came to this galaxy, I felt at a glance the specialness of the mountain range under our feet: just like all of you."

“It’s really special.”

Amon nodded. This was a fact that no one could refute: the main reason why the Thousand Sons Legion could stay here with their Primarch for three months was that they all knew that there must be incredible treasures buried under this mountain.

After all, on a semi-barbaric world where only spears and javelins could be used, there existed a giant rock that towered into the clouds, at least thirty kilometers high, even higher than Mount Olympus on Mars: and it was surrounded by a ring of loose rocks, each of which was about three people tall.

This is definitely not something that can be built in a world without even a crane.

Every Thousand Sons warrior was eager to dig out the secrets that shook the galaxy from these giant rocks. They worked with the Primarch for three months, and there were many twists and turns: until a few days ago, Magnus announced to everyone that he had completely mastered the secrets buried under the giant rock.

So, Amon stood before the Primarch on behalf of all the curious people in the legion.

"You know what, Amon."

“This place has been waiting for someone to discover it.”

“And that person: It’s me.”

When they reached the entrance of the cave, the Primarch stopped. His voice sounded like he was explaining to Amon, but also like he was talking to his own soul, boasting about his silent contributions here.

“I don’t know why it is here, but I am sure that I am the sun it has been waiting for. Even if that sun is not me, I will convey its existence to the real sun in this galaxy.”

"You mean... the Emperor?"

"Yes."

Magnus turned his head, the sunlight from the cave entrance shone on his face, and suddenly he saw the silhouette of a saint. Amon even felt that he was stunned: at this moment, he believed that what the Primarch said was the truth.

"This mountain contains endless possibilities, which even suffocate me: if my conjecture about it is correct, then it will bring unimaginable benefits to the human race, and my father, the empire, and even the entire galaxy will benefit infinitely from it."

"I believe that buried deep beneath this mountain range is a gate that leads to a huge and complex network in the vast ocean that is difficult to describe, like an invisible blood vessel in the entire universe: if we can master this network, humans can travel freely in the sea of ​​stars and cross the entire galaxy in the blink of an eye."

"The so-called Dark Ages of Technology are laughable compared to what I discovered."

"……Really?"

Even though these words came from the mouth of his genetic father who swore solemnly, Amon still felt that this was like a fantasy: an empire that no longer had to worry about transportation? Then looking at the entire galaxy, what difficulties could prevent human civilization from continuing forever?

"I will never deceive you, my most reliable Captain Amon."

Magnus laughed, smug at Amon's surprise, but there was still a last shred of rationality on his face.

"But in the short term, this power is destined to be out of our reach: if we rashly open it, the power in the vast ocean will gush out from it, causing irreversible harm to the physical universe."

"So, my research here will end here: I will leave enough people to guard this treasure house, and then respond to the call of Leman Russ and Angron. After dealing with those minor matters, I will convey my findings here to the Emperor."

“And before that, there wasn’t much I could do for this treasure trove.”

As he spoke, an illusory flame appeared in Magnus' palm. It was a color Amon had never seen before, a distortion that could not be described in any language: he even doubted whether this color belonged to the physical universe.

In a trance, Amon discovered that the projection on the wall, which symbolized his genetic father, was originally hideous and changeable. Now, due to the influence of the fire, it has become a monster that can cover the entire wall. It has no shape or rules at all, just like a pathetic piece of meat that has been pulled randomly.

Cold sweat suddenly flowed down the back of Amon's neck.

Behind Magnus's monstrous projection, Amon could vaguely see something even more terrifying, a monster as huge as a mountain range, which seemed to be chewing Magnus's flesh wantonly: but when he blinked his eyes and tried to see clearly, not only did those terrifying things disappear, but even the projection of the Primarch had returned to normal.

"What are you doing, Amon?"

"Ah... nothing, sir."

Amon gritted his teeth.

"I'm just a little unsure: what is this flame in your palm?"

"You've never seen it, have you?"

"...That's right."

"That's right."

The Primarch smiled proudly.

"This is the main reason why I am stranded in this world: As I told you before, Amon, this [Webway] is directly connected to the Vast Ocean, which is also known as the Warp in mortals' mouths. I found that although I cannot open its door directly, I can directly absorb the purest power from the deepest part of the Warp through the crack in the middle of the door."

"Compared to these powers, what we used before was nothing but impurities."

The Primarch shook his head and sighed.

"Can you imagine? With the help of this treasure house, my understanding and application of the subspace has made a qualitative leap. Before, I could only wander around the outer areas of the subspace and explore the depths of the subspace. But now, I only need to extend the tentacles of my consciousness, and through this treasure house, I can directly draw endless power from the deepest part of the subspace."

“Power in its purest form: even a tiny bit of it makes me want more.”

The Primarch stroked his collarbone, his voice weak as a thread.

"They are raw and full of vitality, and have a deadly attraction. After tasting the benefits of this power, the warp forces we summon through conventional rituals have become tasteless to me: only these pure powers can bring about a true leap forward."

"With them..."

Magnus clenched his fists, but Amon could still see the flame, not through the gaps between the Primarch's fingertips, but he could actually see the outline of the entire flame. It seemed as if it did not exist in this physical universe, but Amon could indeed feel its blazing heat: if it were in the past, Magnus would never be able to control this kind of flame.

His Primarch had not lied: Magnus's power had undergone a qualitative transformation, and it was no wonder that he said what followed.

"With their help, I can accomplish countless great things. I can create achievements that are comparable to my father's, and even surpass him one day."

"Better than he did."

"Yes...I think I can do that..."

The Primarch's voice was low, but Amon did not dare to respond at all: even though he had little impression of the Emperor, he knew that Magnus' words were completely considered an act of usurpation in the human empire.

But the worry in his heart still supported Amon to speak.

"But, my Lord: is this power really completely harmless?"

"Of course."

The Primarch nodded haughtily.

"They are too primitive, and the elements they contain are too pure. No one present can control them except me: this is not something that can be universal, Amon, but a private gift from the galaxy and the warp to a genius like me."

"But even I cannot fully control them now, so I only extract a portion of their power, and this portion of power is enough to change me: as long as I can fully digest them, then both my body and my mind will be completely changed."

"How much did you smoke, my Lord?"

"Do not worry."

Magnus did not respond to the question.

"I know what I'm doing, Amon."

"That's good……"

"correct!"

The Primarch seemed to remember something.

"Before we leave, please remind me to come back here: I think my body will be eager to taste these powers again, more powers, and I need time to pack them away as much as possible."

"...Understood, sir."

I don't know why, but Amon always feels a little uneasy.

After all, Magnus's state always seemed familiar to him...

"After you received the Space Wolves' emissary?"

"Yes."

At this point, Magnus's expression turned a little gloomy.

"With this treasure house, I don't have to worry about Leman Russ anymore." "Believe me, Amon, the information in this treasure house will be very useful: you should have heard that my narrow-minded brothers are planning to criticize us at the meeting convened by the Emperor, but when I show this tremendous achievement, the bloody killings they have committed will be as pale and powerless as their brains."

"Father will eventually realize who is the real pillar of the empire: what's the point of fighting on the front lines for a hundred years? How can the devastation they leave behind be compared to the future I will open up for all mankind?"

"I can indeed tolerate their unreasonableness, but that doesn't mean I will always tolerate it."

"Your will, my lord."

Amon lowered his head and did not refute Magnus's words. He reached a consensus with his genetic father on this matter, because he knew who Magnus was referring to when he said "rude": it was the Space Wolf who was standing outside the cave on standby.

He is the Herald of Russ, the Wolf Lord of the Fifth Company of the Sixth Legion, and the embodiment of rudeness in the eyes of all the Thousand Sons.

There is one thing that neither Amon nor Magnus mentioned: the reason why the Thousand Sons stayed here for a long time and ignored the call of the VI Legion was not only because they discovered the treasure here, but also a silent protest against the Space Wolves.

Because the Wolf Lord of Leman Russ had come into this world two months ago and conveyed the Wolf King's call, but his words to Magnus were extremely rude: in front of a full six thousand Thousand Sons warriors, the wild wolf ordered Magnus to immediately respond to the Wolf King's call and attack with all his forces to the battlefield of the galaxy.

That’s right: commands.

Truth be told, Magnus's own kindness was the only reason the wolf cub was still alive after all the aggressive words he had spoken.

"I've never liked wild wolves, but I never thought they could be so rude."

Amon's voice was filled with indignation.

"You once led an army on Drogon to fight alongside the Space Wolves against the Greenskins, but this is how they respond to you now: if they don't respect you, why would they summon us to join their expedition?"

"Because there are some things that you can't see clearly from your position."

Magnus was quite open-minded.

"First of all, the Space Wolves may not be kind to me because of our side-by-side battle on Drogon: Amon, don't forget that in the later stages of that war, after I ensured that the Sixth Legion was fully capable of defeating the remaining greenskins on the battlefield on its own, I led the main force of the legion to protect the ancient artifacts on that world. They are the only ones in the galaxy."

"But the wolves saw that as a cop-out."

"But this is necessary. The value of those cultural relics is immeasurable."

Amon nodded.

"I think the core reason for their anger is that our retreat this time cost them more than a hundred lives. After all, we failed to inform the wolf pack in time: after that battle, all our envoys in the Sixth Legion were invited back."

"Yes."

Magnus nodded, feeling no guilt at all.

"Ruth doesn't understand this: there are always things that are bigger than life."

"As for why Leman Russ summoned me to fight alongside him again after such a terrible thing happened, the reason is a little darker. Amon: We all know that my wolf brother has always claimed to be the Emperor's executioner. Although he has no corresponding ability at all, this does not prevent him from doing things according to the corresponding logic."

"what do you mean……"

Amon narrowed his eyes, thinking of something very bad.

"Yes."

Magnus was neither sad nor happy.

"He summoned me not because he really wanted to fight alongside me, but to test my loyalty to the Emperor: as if our loyalty to the Emperor could be determined by just a few words from Leman Russ."

"He...how dare he..."

"Of course he dares! It's not surprising that barbarian does anything."

The primarch snorted.

"It's not just me. Any legion they think is powerful and ambitious will be pulled by Leman Russ to fight alongside them. Look at Angron and his Devourers. Even Morgan and her Dawnbreakers are no exception. This is a bit too exaggerated."

"We all know Morgan's problem. Everyone in the galaxy knows it. What kind of threat can her legion, which can only recruit a few hundred people at a time, pose to the Empire? Even if she controls the entire Far Eastern Frontier, the power of a mortal army is nothing compared to the might of the Legiones Astartes. The Dawnbreakers are like a three-year-old child holding a sharp blade. A truly powerful person would not be afraid of such a threat."

"Only the barbarian Leman Russ can't understand it."

The original body smiled

"Speaking of this, I remember something. I once went deep into the deepest part of the warp, trying to find a way to cure the genetic disease of my sister's legion. But in the end, even I could only return empty-handed without any gains."

Magnus shook his head and sighed, he felt genuinely sad for Morgan.

"Didn't you tell her?"

"It's not a big deal. There's nothing to brag about helping one's own blood relatives. Besides, I didn't help. Morgan is not the kind of person who needs to be flattered. She and I have a spiritual understanding. Our friendship is among the best among all the Primarchs."

"I may not be the most important brother in her heart, but at least I am in the top three."

"Rather than Morgan, we should worry about that guy Ruth."

"Are you worried about Leman Russ's ability in testing the Primarch?"

"Yes."

"Then why did he never fight alongside the Ultramarines?"

"..."

"Because Guilliman and his Ultramarines are simply too powerful."

"And: Do they still need tests?"

A burst of light laughter echoed between Magnus and Amon. They seemed to have returned to the days on Prospero, mocking the fools in the world wantonly, and walked out of the cave shoulder to shoulder.

The first to greet them were the Scarab Order, Magnus' personal guard, privately known as the Lion Guard. These Terminators painted in fiery red were like robots, without any emotions: in fact, they were indeed called robots by Ferrus, which was simply the most powerful certification in the galaxy.

"It can't be helped: all the Primarch Guards are like this."

Magnus blinked.

"Even the Mordred Guards around Morgan are the same: no matter how unruly and lax the ordinary Dawnbreakers are, those who can become the Primarch's personal guards are still silent and machine-like warriors."

"But I think they might be different in private."

Amon boldly assumed.

"After all, we all know that Mr. Morgan is a...soft person."

The father and the son laughed again. This inherent impression of the Lord of Avalon in the Empire left a mark in their hearts: no one would deny that Morgan was outstanding in many aspects, and no one would think that the Primarch of the Dawnbreakers was such a majestic Primarch.

Compared to her brothers, Morgan is truly the [younger sister] among the Primarchs.

Perhaps people like Guilliman would have a different view on this?

But who would believe Guilliman?

"Are you contradicting me?"

"I dare not, my Lord."

Amon smiled and shook his head.

"In the entire Thousand Sons Legion, no one dares to oppose your thinking."

"No, there is one."

Magnus sighed.

"Ahriman, he is the only one in the entire legion who dares to oppose me, and even disobeys my orders. I have no doubt that if one day I have a conflict with his ideas, he will go his own way without my knowledge. But he has been away from our legion for too long, and only his cause can still make me feel happy."

"No problem, sir."

Amon comforted.

"We will see Ahriman again soon. The Dawnbreakers are also on the list of this expedition. If we set out today, we should be able to meet them before the battle begins. And the wild wolves."

"Yes."

The Primarch felt somewhat helpless.

"I really don't know what the Emperor and the Terran Senate are thinking: we only need one of the Dawnbreaker or the World Eaters to assist us, and this battle can definitely be ended perfectly at a distance. There's actually nothing wrong with both of them."

"It will be a pleasure to fight alongside Morgan and Dawnbreaker. They understand the true essence of this universe. Angron and his World Eaters are also great. They are great warriors who follow the rules. As long as you define your respective responsibilities with them before the battle begins, they will never let you down."

"And my brother Angron is also a very elegant man."

"But Leman Russ is different."

The Primarch looked sarcastic.

"Or rather, it was the group of untrained wolves under his command: fighting with them was a double torture, both psychologically and physically. Just watching them running on the battlefield made me feel sick. They were not the Emperor's warriors at all."

"They are a bunch of bloodthirsty lunatics."

"I really hope that the World Eaters will not be influenced by the Space Wolves. I don't want the World Eaters to degenerate into the form of the Space Wolves. I don't need to worry about the Dawnbreakers. Although Morgan is a weak person, she is very concerned about her legion. She will protect her offspring like a female eagle."

The Primarch continued to talk, Amon lagged behind him by half a body length, and the silent scarabs were even further away from them. They used psychic means to leave the cave under their feet and stood directly in the hot desert.

Occupying the edge of the field of vision were a hundred scarlet tents. They were scattered across the salt plain, with dozens of Thousand Sons warriors stationed in each tent. From a distance, they looked like a walking wildfire: and surrounded by this wildfire, the smelly and hard stone called Wolf Lord had never been so eye-catching.

"He just stood there waiting."

"Two hours."

"How rude."

Magnus snorted.

"But I cannot bring myself to his level: Amon, go pick sixty bronze-skinned warriors from my eunuchs. I want them to carry a silky white awning so that I can have a conversation with this wild wolf in a darker place."

"Understood. Of course. I'll go right away."

"By the way, go to my tent and get my book."

"I think I can take advantage of this opportunity to further refine the treatment plan I have for Angron. I don't want my brother to be drowned in his hopeless nihilism for the rest of his life. I will definitely find a way to save him."

"Is this possible, sir? Even the Emperor said at the time..."

"The Emperor has spoken."

"But I didn't say that!"

"Go get the book!"

"...Understood, sir."

Amon took the order and left, while Magnus drew out that pure power again, slowly felt the breath in it, and then slowly put it into his soul: an expression of enjoyment flashed across the Primarch's face, followed by a long sigh.

"With this power..."

"Even those matters that only the Emperor can decide..."

“I thought: I can say that, too.”

"After all...I am his hope."

"That's right... I am his hope..."

(End of this chapter)