Warhammer: Start with a dog.

Chapter 464 Leon Karn Angron Love
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The Milky Way is so vast, in fact, although it is not an appropriate metaphor, it is like small coral islands in the black ocean. Places with material existence are just a drop in the bucket compared to the dark void, and places where life can exist are even rarer.

"If it weren't for the lost dark ages tens of thousands of years ago that left human colonial fleets scattered across the galaxy like ancient canoes and sailboats blown away by ocean currents, or if it weren't for the strange warp that operates like a box that has never been opened but can still operate successfully, sending unfortunate people to all parts of the galaxy, then it is conceivable that in this universe, human footprints and the specific marks of civilization they brought would not be found everywhere like they are now."

"A statement rarely made these days, First Captain." Lion El'Jonson turned around on his bridge, the "Loyalty" shining on his waist. Everyone around him had been sent away, and now the entire fleet was hiding behind the gas planet and waiting.

Khârn, Chief Captain and Crusade Champion of the Ironheart Chapter, was not wearing his helmet today, revealing his weathered face.

Scars from continuous fighting covered his head, and the remnants of eight service nails that had been removed ran across his brow, making one wonder if this veteran who seemed to combine the best qualities of a warrior and a leader that humans could think of didn't continue to have his nails driven in because his years of service had exceeded the range that his brow could bear.

When he stood beside the Lion King, his sideburns, which had turned completely silver-white, reflected the dim glow of the red giant star outside the window. He stood next to El'Jonson. Compared with other dark angels, his face was covered with wrinkles representing old age, making Kahn more like a peer of the Lion King.

From this standing position, it can be seen that if Lion still had some doubts about this captain before, with the gradual establishment of Lion's Protectorate in the dark side of the empire, El'Jonson's reliance on Captain Kahn, who was completely different from the rumors he received from other heirs, had unconsciously increased. No one knew the exact reason, and most people attributed it to the great convenience brought to the Lions by this captain who suddenly appeared on the planet Cyborg and his fleet when the dark side of the empire was so unfavorable and lacked supplies and navigation guidance.

Even the Lion King himself had to admit that with so many additional fleets and warriors now under his command, well-equipped, fully manned, and clearly ready and skilled at fighting in the void for long periods of time without backup supplies, he was able to do much more than when he had only his lost heir and his dilapidated ships.

They traveled through the desperate worlds of the dark side that had lost contact with the Astronomican, defeated all kinds of weirdness and saved the human people, leaving behind countless legends and a new praise and worship for the Lion King.

Worship, disturbing.

"Indeed. But part of your ability to walk in the forest is due to this, isn't it?" Kahn smiled slightly, with obvious crow's feet spreading from the corners of his eyes.

The lion's trust in him was partly due to his age. Even among the Angels of Absolution, few had memories as complete as Kahn's from ten thousand years ago. He was like a living fossil. When Leon woke up ten thousand years later when everything had changed, he helped him prove that many things ten thousand years ago were not his dreams - but he also reminded him of more changes, making him alert rather than falling into ignorant confusion.

The lion has his own judgment.

"You should have heard the previous broadcast message. This means that at least the 'position' of the 'Elder Khadormo' and his men has been successfully anchored, which is a good thing."

"Perhaps." Leon looked at him inquiringly. "You were sent to me by my brother... the elder, who gave me great help. But you should also know why I always have doubts, Kahn. This does not conflict with my personal gratitude to you."

"I know very well, Your Highness." The calm eyes looked at the lion's eyes, which were still as green as the disappeared forest on Terra. "I must say that your temper is much better now than the rumors I heard before."

The lion was not very happy with the implication of this sentence, but under the current circumstances, and given that he was indeed very satisfied with Kahn as an advisor and warrior, he tolerated the chief captain's behavior of touching the lion's mane.

"Then why should we stop now?" Leon raised his hand and pointed at the auspicious instrument, "The distress signal sent by this planet indicates that the orcs are preparing to launch an attack!"

"Because something very important is happening. The prophetic advice I received from our hermit Volyas is very clear, and my experience tells me the same thing." The chief captain put his helmet back on his waist with his hand, raised his head slightly, and boldly looked up at the lion king. The lion saw a white-gold spot in the old warrior's eyes expanding behind his iris, "We must wait for this incident to 'end' before we can continue to go to that planet. - What will happen next must be like this."

"Your Highness, you don't want me to be in front of you right now... in the form of the 'Kahn' you heard about from my cousin, right? - I know, 'Kahn the Betrayer', many people still refer to me as such in private, and are full of doubts, and I can't blame them. It is all thanks to your respect and honor that we were able to join forces and build this shelter in the dark side without the Astronomican."

The lion narrowed his eyes.

"I know you are powerful." The Ironheart's chief captain said quietly, as if he was a dormant volcano with the power to destroy the world, "But I really can't guarantee how much control I can have over 'that Kahn', and you." The veteran looked at the Lion King with inquiring eyes. "Are the troops at hand ready to go to hell with total destruction? Even if your loyalty makes you not care about death." He said, "But now the people of this sheltered dark side, they only have you. So I beg you. Wait a moment."

In an instant, there seemed to be more shadows of dark branches like outstretched withered hands, cast on the two of them by light coming from nowhere, and an ancient and terrifying beast was wandering deep in the forest.

Finally, Leon touched his wrist - there was a bracelet woven of black and white wool under the wrist armor, and a trimmed claw hung on it.

The shadows of the forest faded, and the light of the real universe enveloped them again.

"How long do we have to wait?"

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The active flagship of the Ironheart Chapter, the Glorious Queen-class battleship Desert Ark was anchored at the edge of an uninhabited galaxy. Everything was silent, but strangely, the Geller stand on the spacecraft was also opened in the real universe.

The glorious throne upon her bridge, blessed by the people of Nuceria and Bothe, now stood empty.

The stubborn will of Lady Lotara Sarin loomed over the flagship like a lioness guarding her cubs, while the other ships of the Chapter on patrol surrounded her warily as if protecting the most precious treasure.

All the current think tank members in the Iron Heart Chapter - members of the Hermitage known as the Order in the Chapter, have now gathered in the Primarch's room on the flagship.

This suite was connected to a larger secret hall, where members led by Eska, the deputy chief of the monastic order, were kneeling on one knee in accordance with the magic array on the ground, chanting the secret prayers of the Legion in a low voice at their respective positions. The human vocal cords vibrated to read out the ancient laws, and the extra voice of the Warp in each of them was reciting the rules of the High Heaven.

Angron Petra was sitting cross-legged in the pool in the center of the magic circle, with a look of pain on his face. Crystal sweat flowed from his forehead and body, dripping into the pool. His figure became fragmented from time to time - blood-red horror flashed under his warm wheat-colored skin. The members of the monastery who were too close to their beloved father often fell to their knees because of the psychic headaches caused by extremely intense emotional turmoil, especially when the blood-red horror became obvious, their brains would seem to explode, and many people would bleed from all seven orifices due to the huge pressure, but the monastery had always protected their primarch for ten thousand years, and this time was no exception. No one would retreat or give up. Only complete demise could prevent them from fulfilling their duties.

"Eska..."

It was like a gentle sound and also like some kind of furious roar, a wonderful duet, mixed together, a fusion of the sounds of heaven and hell.

Angron called out to the highest leader of the hermitage in this place in a low voice.

Volias's apprentice and the Second in Command walked over. Unlike the other Librarians who wore power armor with psychic hoods, Eskar was very clear about the following ceremony, so he only wore a plain white robe with blue edges, and a set of soul-stone-studded necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and anklets, nothing else.

"Help me..."

"Yes, father." Eska put his arm into the pool of water. The ground magic circle guided the power of other think tanks of the monastery into his body. Soon, his body glowed from the inside out due to the excessive power of the warp, and was almost broken. The shackles made of soul stones and precise runes made a slight whine and chant, and began to absorb the overflowing energy, allowing Eska the opportunity to slowly guide the psychic energy despite the pain of tearing every muscle and nerve in his body.

He gathered his strength into his fingertips, and finally carefully placed them on the shoulder blades of the Gene Father, who was sitting in the pool and was very tall, with a back just wide enough for him to place his hands on - the root shape of a pair of huge flesh wings was vaguely emerging there.

When the psychic powers of comfort, peace, relaxation and absorption gathered from the sixty members of the Order began to sort out the chaotic raw energy in the Primarch's body, Angron finally began to sigh.

"'It' is back..."

Eska did not dare to be distracted and concentrated on guiding the balance of energy.

"'It' has come again... 'It' shouldn't have appeared. 'It' should have been devoured by its own kind. But now that the 'Breakout' has gained a foothold, the 'truth' must be revealed... My son... lies are always like a dream bubble. No matter how beautiful and huge they are, they will burst at the slightest provocation. Only by using the 'truth' as ​​the cornerstone of a new building can we... even if it... is also..."

A deep, bloody roar rumbled from deep within Angron's chest, and he gnashed his teeth until he turned and spat his own blood onto the stones by the pool. Everyone in the hall smelled burnt bones, hot sand and brass, sulfur, and rancid blood.

"Father?!"

"Fulfill your duty, my son! The connection that transcends time and space in the High Heaven has caused my instability. I will hold on, don't worry... This attack should be over once 'it' has completely descended..."

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"The Emperor bless us..."

When Uriel and his party finally reached the hideout of the Skinless, they were shocked by what they saw.

They were in a cave formed by an abandoned factory mine and an earthquake landslide. Only a few rays of sunlight poured down from the highest gaps. In this pale light, they saw more skinless people - Uriel finally understood the meaning of "tribe".

There were more skinless creatures here that could not survive on their own, washed down from Kalan-Gol as trash: armless, lower limbs fused like seals, bones strangely guided into fused and locked, missing some part of perception and limbs or like half-melted and solidified flesh - a hundred, no less, hundreds of such creatures larger than ordinary mortals, but they were all alive, and when they walked in, all the things that might be heads turned towards the visitors.

And just above this wriggling living purgatory formed by these mutants and freaks, held up by many thick and rusty chains, is a metal skeleton-like statue at least twenty meters high.

It is made of various scavenged scrap metals and other things, hanging high above the dark abandoned mine, with its head slightly lowered and its arms generously opened, as if protecting and caring for the skinless creatures below - but strangely, its body without facial features or decorations, with only form but no details, still allows visitors to immediately recognize who is this person who was created to beg for care of these skinless creatures from a high position.

"By the Emperor... this is blasphemy..." Pasanius whispered. "If the priests saw these monsters dare to use their claws to build His statue..."

"Don't say that," Uriel told his friend. "Look at them. You must admit it, Pausanius." A trace of deep pain appeared on his face. "These 'children' also have our genetic blood or our cousins' blood in them, even if it has been so twisted by evil."

"You called them 'kids.'" The sergeant was obviously hesitant at the term. "Are you sure?"

"What Samokan and I saw under that fortress has now confirmed me." Uriel looked at Samokan, who was covered in demon skin and turned towards them. The latter was obviously also shocked by the holy image created by the primitive and deep desire they saw.

The King of the Skinless came over too, his yellow eyes now looking at them inquiringly.

"Meat. The tribe is hungry. Fresh meat," it said.

Samokan nodded and shook his head, "I'll bring you some meat. - Is that the Emperor?"

"Emperor." It nodded. "Love." It said, "Iron Man is bad, we want the Emperor's love, love, no pain."

(End of this chapter)