Emperor's Bane

Chapter 853: The Fall of the Golden Messenger
This was the first time Angertai witnessed sublimation from the warp.

But it won't be the last time.

Ingthor, the thin, twisted and insane witch of Cadia, was loyal to the god she believed in far beyond the imagination of the Primarch and the Word Bearers: when the sharp blade pierced the woman's dirty skin, they wanted to do something to stop it, but it was too late.

The witch screamed in ecstasy, it was a melody composed of despair, as if tens of millions of souls were responding in unison: Angertai had to cover his ears tightly, but the blood still flowed from between his fingers, and even Luo Jia stopped his steps temporarily.

To them, the screaming and the nonsense it murmured within were nothing more than spiritual pollution.

They seemed to be dragged into a completely non-existent world. Countless madness and fantasies appeared before their eyes one after another. They saw countless glories and deaths, some of which were related to them, while the other part placed their hearts into the cold abyss.

It was at this moment that Ingthor displayed his ascension to the fullest: the gazes of the Primarch and the Word Bearers could not be shaken, and they were all forced to witness this blasphemous sacred ritual.

The witch of Cardia was lifted into the air by an invisible force, like a suffering saint nailed to the cross. Her death howl and rebirth happened in the blink of an eye: before Angletai realized what was happening, the witch's skin, blood and flesh were peeled off one by one and sprinkled on the face of the Word Bearer like raindrops.

He tasted it: it was a sweetness and saltiness that could not exist in the mortal world.

Every orifice he saw could bleed in streams: it was unimaginable that a mortal could bleed so much, and he saw the flesh slipping off the skin like peeling corn, and how each fiber was twisted at impossible angles, finally transforming into something he could not understand at all.

They entangled, devoured, and bit each other, and then disappeared, as if they had consciousness, transforming into wisps of indescribable purple-black bodies. In the end, only an empty skeleton was left, floating like a ribbon, and the surrounding area was filled with a sense of vibration after the space was inexplicably distorted.

At a certain moment, when everything was going crazy to the extreme, a reversal occurred without warning, just like the Chaos Gods' usual moodiness: the breath of life and tremendous power condensed from Ingsel's dry skeleton, and her figure reappeared, but she was already unrecognizable.

Her muscles began to twist and accumulate into unimaginable shapes. Her soft skin became hard and rough like armor. Her bones seemed unchanged, but when they were assembled again, Angeltai had to look up to watch.

It’s hard to imagine: the most basic laws of physics in the real universe no longer exist.

When Ingsl's painful roars and screams turned into ecstasy again, the witch seemed to be reborn in her own blood. She became another existence, an existence that Angertai wanted to respect.

She became taller than Lorgar, looking at least eight or nine meters tall, her body transformed into a disgusting snake-like form with insect-like limbs, and her once beautiful face turned into an ugly mixture of a ferocious baboon and a demon: but all this was not the most important thing.

When the thing in front of him began to breathe, Angerte realized a clear fact: this mortal woman, whom he could have killed with a wave of his hand a dozen seconds ago, had become something more powerful than him, and had become an existence that looked down on him in a higher dimension.

She was so ugly, so powerful, so terrifying.

but……

And so beautiful.

The Word Bearer was stunned on the spot. He even forgot to breathe: when the Ascended Ingsel showed the greatness and fickleness of the Warp in front of her first audience, she successfully harvested a potential believer for the gods she believed in.

This wonderful, fresh power, which did not conceal its ugliness and danger, deeply attracted Angertai: the gift of the Warp made Ingsel's demonized body never accurate even once, but her inner soul and fanaticism would never change.

So, in Anglete's view, it represented a new path: a new world slowly opened its door in front of him, and behind the door were lurking anxious surprises. He liked some of them and hated others.

The Word Bearer had to admit that, although he was intoxicated by the power and sublimation displayed by Ingsel, he still refused to become like this: he was proud to be a member of the Astartes and had no intention of becoming a demon or any other creature.

But on the other hand, if he could gain the same power at a lower cost: even if the price was for him to accept the Warp as a part of himself and exchange a piece of his soul and flesh, then the Word Bearers would most likely be tempted.

Maybe: This is indeed a path worth exploring for mankind.

After all, who can deny that the Warp really does bring you power? It can allow mortals to become beings beyond the Astartes. This fact alone makes most Dreadnoughts forget its potential cost.

After all, strength is strength, and a strong person will not reject strength: unless he feels that he is too weak or it is not worth it.

"It's really interesting, isn't it?"

But while Angertai was still daydreaming about the magnificent beauty he had never imagined, Luo Jia on the side had already chuckled: The Primarch was negligent and this time, he failed to take care of his child in the first place.

Because he discovered something interesting about Ingsel.

"You are so similar to the Angras I just killed, but you are also different."

The Primarch stepped forward: Although the Ascendant had now become a monster that was far taller than him and a terrifying sight to behold, Lorgar still maintained his composure.

He circled around Ingsel, looking at this new thing, carefully comparing every detail and changing muscles: The Great Word Bearer always had one hand on the scepter, and if he wanted, the fate of this ascender would not be better than that of Angras before.

"interesting."

Although he had never received any knowledge about Chaos before, Lorgar was obviously gifted in this area: even though he only relied on his own exploration, the Primarch had guessed the general logic of the Warp.

“Nature and nurture, right?”

Luo Jia laughed: He was indeed very interested in this matter.

"Although you and Angras, whom I just killed, are very different in form, there is still the energy of the Warp in your body, so you can barely be considered a kind of creature. However, Angras' energy is purer, and it should be a thorough creature of the Warp, while you are just a new path that they are showing off to me."

"They want to tell me through you that humans and the subspace are not incompatible."

"Your words are worthy of you being the first of the best Primarchs, Lorgar."

"But the gods are far more generous than you think. If you are unwilling to accept the path I have shown you, then they have left you a friendlier plan: look around you. If you are willing, your offspring will become the best example."

Luo Jia snorted. He had absolutely no interest in responding to this invitation.

Although Ingsel has become another being at this time, her voice is still as innocent as when she was a girl. However, coupled with her current monstrous appearance, it gives off a more absurd feeling.

This sense of absurdity directly pulled Angerte out of his shock, and the Word Bearer belatedly reached for the hilt of the gun at his waist: even though the Primarch had not spoken yet, the alert Angerte had already noticed something strange around him.

He couldn't see, but he was sure: there was definitely more than one Ingsel around them. In the deepest darkness, between the stars in the sky and the ashes on the ground, there were countless pairs of invisible eyes staring at them, revealing greedy or ecstatic desires.

The Word Bearer talked a little: the hostility he felt was too much, and even with the Primarch at his side, Angertai could not help but feel a sense of despair.

But Lorgar did not. Although the gazes and pressure focused on him were thousands of times more than those on the Word Bearers, when the Primarch looked back at those gazes, no matter how powerful the being was, they would quickly avoid his gaze: the blood of the Unbound had not been wiped clean, and the dying wails of the bloodthirsty daemons still lingered in the depths of the Warp.

not to mention……

Luo Jia curled the corners of his mouth: He knew that there was a circle of faint golden halo that always surrounded him.

"Since entering the Eye of Terror, apart from fighting and necessary things, I have been meditating on the gift given to me by the Father God: I am bathed in golden light. I guess you hate the aura that comes with it?"

"What a narrow-minded idea, Luo Jia."

Faced with the Primarch's ridicule, Ingsel just sighed helplessly, although his monstrous appearance made even the most innocent actions look full of malice, causing Lorgar to frown.

"Do you think the gods fear that your father can stand shoulder to shoulder with them? The Warp is a vast realm, it has no end in borders or time, not even the might of the gods can occupy its entirety."

"The gods long for new companions and new opponents. Even gods cannot completely deconstruct the greatness of the original truth. There is always room for newcomers in the vast ocean: as long as the father god you believe in is willing, he can be promoted to a greater existence in the subspace at any time."

“The obstacle is not in us, but in you: it’s behind you.”

This sentence made Luo Jia silent.

He knew that this was most likely a true statement from the bottom of his heart.

"So, great Luo Jia, what you are worried about is not true at all."

“The original truth is the origin of all things and the only final chapter in this universe. It embraces everything we can see, hear and feel like a mother: the gods don’t mind if you continue to believe in your father.”

"Because in the final analysis, the power, desire, and even the fate of the damned, his past and his future, are all in the mercy of the original truth."

"Even the real sun cannot operate independently from the world."

"Even after this, if you still follow the footsteps of the cursed, holding high the banner of the black sun, eager to wash the soil of the warp with blood and holy war, the gods will not be angry because of this: the fight between brothers is the norm in the vast ocean. We are enemies, so we are not enemies."

With such a detailed explanation, even Anglete understood the truth.

interesting.

Anglete nodded.

In other words, because the four gods are hostile to each other, and they cannot divide up all the benefits of the subspace, they are not worried about a newcomer: it is nothing more than a four-way fight turning into a five-way fight?

But what is really interesting is that if this premise is true, there is no fundamental contradiction between Lorgar and these gods: what the Word Bearers pursue is to make the Lord of Mankind truly a god belonging to mankind, and if this god can destroy other heretical gods and become a unique existence throughout the ages, that would naturally be perfect.

However, on this issue, Lorgar strangely had no conflict with the God of Chaos: even if the Emperor really ascended to the Warp and vowed to exterminate the remaining Chaos Gods, it was just an ordinary trick in the vast ocean.

Are you kidding me? What Chaos God doesn't want to kill all the other Chaos Gods?
“It’s a beautiful promise.”

The Primarch nodded, but his words soon changed.

"But, Ingthor, there is one essential element missing from your shrewd words: you have only spoken of the benefits to me and my father, but have not mentioned the benefits to the gods you believe in. Do you think I expect this to be due to your generosity?"

"Tell me: what does the god behind you expect to gain when persuading others?"

The Primarch's tone turned cold, but as his closest offspring, Angertai could hear a clue: although Lorgar still looked furious, based on the Word Bearers' understanding of him, the Primarch's attitude had actually softened.

He was no longer as resistant to the conversation as he had been at the beginning.

Although Luo Jia remained unshakable, some clues had already appeared.

Angertai opened his mouth, wanting to do something, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed that he could do nothing: the only thing he could do was to try not to look at Ingsel's ugly face when he laughed.

"What a pointless worry! Are you afraid of the Four Gods' ill will towards you? No, my respected God's Messenger Luo Jia, the Four Chaos Gods are the most fair and benevolent beings in the galaxy. They have no ill will towards the real universe, and their attention and love for humans far exceeds your imagination."

"If you want to ask why, their answer is the same as yours: if the Lord of Terra can be promoted into the warp and become an immortal being alongside them, it will be a good thing for you and the gods."

"Besides that, the reason why the gods favor you as the Primarch is because you are the smartest among your brothers. You are the only one among the Emperor's children who knows and dares to face the truth of the world: when the Perfect City was completed, the gods were jealous that the Emperor had such a great believer."

“They also have desires.”

The corners of Luo Jia's mouth curved up, although he did not hold back his words.

"If you are really watching me in the Perfect City, then you should know that my faith in the Emperor will never waver."

"Ha: But you wouldn't mind worshipping in the Pantheon either, right?"

Ingsel chuckled and began to tear his own flesh.

"First, let's see the sincerity that the Four Gods are willing to show for you, Luo Jia."

The torn flesh and blood seemed to have lost its meaning in reality. The moment it fell to the ground, it turned into crimson mist, floating rapidly, and soon enveloped Luo Jia and Angeltai in darkness: when the darkness was revealed, what appeared before their eyes were thousands of fragments, and each fragment showed the tip of the iceberg of the future.

Ingthor disappeared, but her voice became omnipresent: whenever the Primarch's eye was drawn to one of the fragments, the witch of Cadia would speak at the right time, with a proud tone not unlike that of the gods.

"Look: the most sincere and courageous of the Supreme Beings always arrive first."

Before Ingsel finished his words, a roaring illusion broke through the bloody fog, and a magnificent war scene unfolded before Luo Jia's eyes like a scroll.

The greatest feat of all time waved to the Primarch in the distance. He saw himself commanding an invincible iron army more glorious than the entire Great Crusade, with blood and gold banners fluttering behind him and billions of brave warriors swearing allegiance to him.

He saw it. He saw that he had personally started the greatest war in the history of the entire galaxy. Even the legendary War in Heaven and the Iron Man War were as ridiculous as fairy tales in front of the Great Conqueror Lorgar's endless crusade. He would fulfill his oath in front of the Perfect City. The Crusade Army would forever sing praises to the name of the God-Emperor, and the Holy Crusade would continue for ten thousand years and ten thousand years...

"boom!"

"Nice little trick."

When the Primarch swung his fist and shattered the promise of the God of Blood, a trace of disdain appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"But you forgot one thing."

"War itself is meaningless if the purpose of war is simply to create more war."

"Only the lowest warmongers would declare war for the sake of more blood: I desire the establishment of an everlasting reign of the God-Emperor. My crusade is for this purpose alone, and I desire its end more than anyone else."

"And if you want to win my loyalty through an endless holy war, then you are proven to be nothing more than a fool."

Towards the unknown direction, towards the god who was foolish enough to dare to provoke him a second time, Luo Jia didn't mind spewing his ridicule.

"Let me tell you, in my eyes, the God-Emperor who conquered the entire galaxy in just one century and brought great order is more worthy of the title of God of Victory and Glory than you: because he brought us the real victory, and you, who are just a false Ares, how dare you compete with the real Athena?" "A god of war who can't even end the war: what's the difference between him and a toothless dog?"

The Primarch raised his scepter and smashed the illusions covered with countless blood and skulls again and again. He smiled contemptuously at the brassy roar in the distance and looked around for Ingsel.

He didn't find himself, but the Cardinal witch was still singing.

The second vision soon appeared.

A twisted and sharp laugh dispelled the Blood God's angry roar, as if a bad person was laughing at his brother: Hearing this, Luo Jia reluctantly believed the fact that the four Chaos Gods were also not very friendly.

But the new god did not bring a more comfortable feeling to the Primarch. Quite the contrary. Compared with the brass sky and the pungent blood mist, everything that followed was even more bizarre: the human body fell into a world made up of mirrors, each of which was as sparkling as a lake, constantly distorting and changing, and the ups and downs were intertwined with knowledge and truth that Lorgar dared not even imagine and perhaps did not belong to this world at all.

And in the ninth mirror, the Primarch saw his future self.

He saw it, he saw himself becoming a being with even greater knowledge than Magnus, ruling a kingdom more glorious than Guilliman, the origins of all things and the secrets of the universe were just a piece of cake for him: infinite wisdom brought infinite power.

His words were never wrong, his prophecies always led to the most correct path, and he even explored to the end of the warp, a feat that even gods could not accomplish: tens of millions of theologians were proud to recite Lorgar's name, and even the god he worshipped would respect his opinions on every important matter.

In the end, even the original truth itself was easily uncovered by him, and he became the greatest man of faith in history, because he broke through the cages built by all the unbelievers with so-called rationality and knowledge, and made them the most devout believers.

When the great Pope Lorca traveled across the Milky Way, his wise eyes and words spread the light of faith to every human heart. A true kingdom of heaven is built on Lorca's wisdom...

"boom!"

This time, the Primarch paused for a noticeably longer time than last time, but he did not hesitate when swinging his fist.

"What are you alluding to?"

Compared to his previous lengthy speeches, Luo Jia was really too lazy to say anything now: perhaps his anger had already rushed to his head, making him unwilling to speak at all, or perhaps the Primarch realized that he was now facing an opponent who could not be defeated by words at all.

As long as he opens his mouth, as long as he argues, he will fall into the trap set by the other party.

Therefore, when looking at the constantly twisting and changing malice in the endless shadows, Luo Jia just uttered a word coldly.

"You mean to say that if I am willing to join your school, I will one day be wiser and greater than my father: you do not really think that I follow my father for power? You do not really think that I have hidden ambitions, and desire to surpass the glory of the Emperor?"

"Perhaps Guilliman would, perhaps Horus would occasionally think so: but not me."

"I am Lorgar: my faith in the God-Emperor can withstand any test. I am the embodiment of loyalty and obedience."

Surprisingly, when the Primarch destroyed the new illusion with his scepter, what greeted him was not the brass rage from distant time and space like the previous god. From beginning to end, all that surrounded them was a very faint chuckle, as if the new god did not care about it at all, and as if the owner of the voice was expecting such a result.

But none of this mattered. What really mattered was that before Luo Jia could take a step forward, they were drawn into the third illusion: this illusion was so sticky and sluggish that just being touched by it was like being stuck in a bone-regenerating maggot, which could not be shaken off.

There was no war, no mirrors. After barely tearing a hole in the foul-smelling, swamp-like fog, the bloated future slowly entered the Primarch's mind.

A gentle fatherly voice came late: No, it is more worthy of being the father of the Primarch than Kor Phaeron, or even the Emperor, because it is so kind, it can tolerate all of Lorgar's shortcomings and pains, and when everyone is laughing in secret, only in this dirty sea of ​​mud, the only love still remains.

It took out its gift, and from the wailing and singing of millions of people, eternal life descended on the shoulders of the Primarch: as long as he nodded slightly, then, even if Luo Jia was unwilling to pay a single cent, the kind-hearted old man as tall as a mountain in the distance would give him the most precious things in the world.

Because it loved him: it wanted to love Luo Jia as if he were its son.

He will be eternal, he will outlast the Emperor and the world itself, he will witness the rise and fall of all things, until death has no existence before him: those he touches will not be stricken by disease, and those he blesses will have no meaning to the passage of time.

He will exist forever, and so will his loyal descendants. He has seen the holiness thousands of years later, and they can still sing the greatness of the God-Emperor together: whether it is Angertai or Layak, they will always be by Lorgar's side.

His brothers, his father, his children and his people, and anyone else Lorgar desired to protect, all he had to do was nod, without any songs or sacrifices, and the wish would be perfectly fulfilled: because what the merciful man sowed was the seeds of love.

"..."

The Primarch said nothing: but when he raised his scepter, the blazing golden light caused the dirty mud to retreat.

There was no rebuttal, no scolding, not even a fierce look, but the Primarch's silence said it all: Or perhaps, having advanced to this point, Lorgar was too lazy to argue any further with these beings.

He just looked in one direction, the direction where he thought Ingsel should be, and asked a question in a light tone.

"There's only one left, right?"

The witch did not respond, but a laurel crown appeared in front of Luo Jia.

The Primarch smiled, and then, ignoring Angertai's dissuasion, he put it on.

"Let me see what you can do."

Before he finished speaking, a vision that was a thousand times more magnificent than the Blood God's vision slowly rose from the bottom of Luo Jia's heart, as if it had been there from the beginning.

The Primarch saw the peace created by his own hands, he saw how his beliefs guided the Empire through tens of millions of years of storms, the authority of the Empire and the precepts of the God-Emperor became one in his hands, and he became a far more glorious existence than the Sealholder and the Warmaster.

The love he received from countless people throughout the galaxy was so profound that even his brothers had to willingly bow their heads in front of his endless achievements.

He saw Horus, the Warmaster who admitted with a bitter face that Lorgar was the Emperor's most beloved son. He also saw Magnus, the scholar who was full of joy and grateful to Lorgar for pulling him back from the wrong path. He also saw Morgan, the Spider Queen who had become the assistant he had always dreamed of and had made an indispensable contribution to his career.

And of course, the most important one: Guilliman.

He saw his brothers who had lost their way long ago, and finally bent their arrogant backs before him and became believers of the God-Emperor. He proudly watched one perfect city after another rise up on the land of the Five Hundred Worlds, while the Ultramarines devoutly learned from the Word Bearers and listened to their experiences about the holy war.

As for his brother, Guilliman would become Lorgar's proudest apprentice, and he was devoutly learning how to use his psionic powers under the guidance of the Great Word Bearer...

"..."

"whispering sound!"

Thinking of how Guilliman looked when he admitted that he possessed psychic powers, Lorgar instantly woke up from this real illusion.

The Primarch snorted with disdain, threw the crown to the ground, and stepped on it.

"You seem to have gotten a fundamental issue wrong from the beginning to the end."

The Great Bearer blinked and confirmed that he still existed in the real universe.

"I never envisioned myself being greater than the God-Emperor in any way."

He laughed.

"It seems that you will never understand why I choose to follow the God-Emperor."

"As for your promises, they can only attract madmen who are full of killing, unsatisfied ambitious people, cowards who are afraid of death, and wastes who escape from themselves: anyone who is loyal but unwilling to surrender will not be moved by your promises."

"What an irrational behavior."

Ingthor has emerged: her power is still as vast and powerful as ever, and it seems that the failure of the Chaos Four Gods did not involve her.

This made Luo Jia more convinced in his heart that what the witch had just said did make some sense: this tendency was very weak, but it was indeed a change, eroding the Primarch's thoughts bit by bit.

"If you think you can identify the nature of a god with just one side, then I really have to question your ability to believe."

The witch smiled, and a pure black mist slowly rose from behind her: in Angertai's eyes, this mist was more creepy than the breathing of the four gods before.

But the most terrifying thing was that no matter whether they were the Gene Origins or the Astartes, they could clearly feel that this breath was fundamentally different from the breathing of the four gods before: although there was no actual proof, when the black mist began to surround them, Lorgar and his descendants felt a familiar impression.

This impression belongs to only one person...

"Father?"

For the first time, the Primarch's tone wavered.

"This……"

"Why do you think we are so sure that the God-Emperor you believe in is also a member of the Pantheon?"

The witch of Cardia laughed and opened her arms wildly.

"Because the throne is there, every pair of eyes in the warp can see it clearly, and we are just waiting for his return: Therefore, we are not your enemies, on the contrary, we share the same goal as you."

You don't have to believe in the Four Gods, and the Four Gods have no ill will towards you, Luo Jia."

"They are generous. They are willing to let you see what kind of future the God-Emperor you believe in will bring to mankind."

“Maybe: this will impress you?”

"..."

Luo Jia was silent.

This was the first time he was silent due to indecision since he stepped into the Eye of Terror. Angertai stared at the Primarch nervously, waiting for Lorgar to say the words that would change the future of the Legion and even all mankind.

"..."

"can."

Finally, the Primarch simply nodded.

"Let me see: what kind of future will my father bring to mankind?"

"What would you call him: the Cursed One, or the God-Emperor?"

"According to us."

Ingsel slowly retreated until she disappeared into the black mist, and her voice lingered in the air for a long time.

"His honorific name is: The King of Darkness."

There is no doubt that this name has real power in the subspace.

Just by hearing its existence, an inexplicable and irresistible force hit Angertai accurately. Although the Word Bearer tried to resist in vain, he was still knocked away and fell down, quickly and weakly.

His will quickly began to fade and he fell into a deep coma.

And in his last conscious moment, he saw the Primarch's footsteps: Lorgar was moving towards the fifth future before him.

There was a smile on the Primarch's face, and something that was obvious: anticipation.

And this is the last memory of Angertai in the Eye of Terror.

When he opened his eyes again, they had left that damn place and returned to the galaxy, which might be even more dangerous.

------

he knows.

This time, the golden light failed to shine as before.

He knew it as well.

Because the gold and the black are of the same kind.

Yes, he and his father knew it.

That is the Lord of Darkness.

Also: Divine Emperor.

The Divine Emperor that Luo Jia was expecting.

(End of this chapter)