Warhammer: Start with a dog.

Chapter 897 I, Mortarian, am not a god.
The Pale King leaped onto the top of the Spartan tank and gazed in a certain direction of the battlefield before him.

His feet were covered with the corpses of Legionnaires and Apostolic Guardians, so many dying screams that they blurred the boundaries of the veil.

However, this was not a problem for Mortarian at all.

A wind carrying the smells of gunpowder, scorched earth, and dubious odors continues to blow from above the river of time and fate.

He pulled his hood down a little, as if listening intently.

The ordinary people had all been stuffed back into the medical vehicles, while Alyvia followed them onto the Spartan tank and continued forward.

However, the mortals also received some protection: the Pale King asked them to follow him and not wander off.

"This way I can effectively catch your souls and stuff them back in before they run away."

He answered one of Alivia's two girls' questions in this way when he stopped to rest.

This answer made the adults turn pale, but it made the children giggle uncontrollably.

They quickly became acquainted with Pallas and asked him many questions about "that ugly puppet doll" behind him.

They kept peeking around Russ and asking him many questions. Finally, the wolf king, fed up with their questions, had to carve a set of Fenris chess pieces out of the bones he found and teach them how to fight each other's beasts before he could finally have a moment of peace.

—Yes, Alyvia has cleverly and gently concealed part of the “fear” and “common sense” in the minds of these two girls, using the pure curiosity of children and other positive emotions to cover up these negative thoughts, so that they can survive in the face of death and his companions by ignoring the irrationality.

Now, they only find these strangers interesting and intriguing, emotions so strong that they overwhelm their fear.

The emotions of the others were manipulated by Alivia in a similar way, except that adults could not use such strong curiosity to conceal their emotions as children could, and Alivia did not have such good patience with adults.

"What did you hear?"

Lehman Ruth stepped out, cleaning his teeth with the tip of a hemostat, and let out an elegant burp—while the Primarchs, Iron Hands, and Mechanicus could eat deuterium and drink promethium without sleep during their march, these mortals would get tired, especially hungry.

So in the end, Ruth hunted, Pallas cooked, and Mortarian took his share of food according to what he saw as the amount of life left in each person's life.

In any case, the hot water (from the combustion of hydrogen extracted from the reactor), the stew of lizard meat in the style of the Wandering Harbor recipe, and the wild root vegetables and vegetable stew undoubtedly warmed their stomachs and boosted the morale of the mortals. Now even Major Norma, who was the most difficult to fool, looked at them with much gentler eyes.

Don't ask where Pallas got his salt and other seasonings that cost more than gold.

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“Those are the leftover condiment bottles from when we went fishing and barbecuing by the lake in Central Park last time.”

Magna Dorn points out, "He forgot to check the armor compartment again; those things had been there for at least three weeks. No wonder Flavius ​​always checks out his clothes and armor whenever he cleans his room, does his laundry, or takes them in for repairs."

“A mere three weeks,” Peturabo BC said, “but shouldn’t you explain to us why our mainframe went fishing in a no-fishing zone and even started an open fire in the park?”

"The captain of the Phoenix Guard is also in charge of this?" Ramizan's focus was as peculiar as ever.

“Once he gets into a focused work state, he forgets about taking care of himself and forgets about trivial matters.” Magna, as an experienced machine spirit, calmly chose to answer the second question.

"Actually, his personal hygiene is normal, but Flavius ​​and the others seem unable to accept the fact that Pallas tried to cut his hair short, disliked silk and jewelry, and had all sorts of so-called aristocratic hobbies. — If it weren't for him taking care of Pallas's long hair and room every day, the room would look like a normal room."

"Oh." The person behind the desk began to smile. "Palas is growing up very well! Very good, very good."

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Before setting off again, they left the Galenus on the edge of the mountains, on land that looked like it had been rolled up after an earthquake.

The rocks on the ground here appear to have been melted and then re-solidified by a massive weapon. A few remaining organic structures crumble into powder at the slightest touch. Some of the remaining power armor pieces still show the legion to which their original owners belonged from the paint coating. But when you look at their heads, you can only see the residual images of human tissue left behind by instantaneous vaporization. The painful and desperate howls of a wide-open mouth are frozen in that instant of carbonized shadow.

On the distant horizon, the Titans, like colossi, continued to fire their weapons, while the Sons of Horus, like ants forming a pack of wolves, tried to devour the elephants of the Empire.

"This is no longer a suitable place for you thin-skinned dumplings with big fillings to continue advancing. You have to stay here and wait for us. The Spartan Tank is an improved assault vehicle that can get past plasma flames, which is obviously not the Gallenas."

The Pale King spoke frankly, then jumped off the vehicle, picked up a charred tree trunk, and drew a circle around the Galenus.

After drawing the circle, he planted the completely carbonized tree trunk into the ground.

Then, amidst the gasps of amazement and the inhalations of those who began to recite the prayers they knew to any deity, the dead trees began to rapidly sprout new roots and regain their life.

Its shoots and green buds grew along the circle, forming a green fence that perfectly embraced the Galenus and its inhabitants.

"No one is allowed to come out of there until I return in person."

The Pale King glanced at Alivia, who was standing in front of her chosen partner, holding the hands of two girls tightly.

"For your own good, you'd better keep a close watch on them all. No matter what happens, don't reveal your presence here. — You've heard those stories, haven't you? From the outside, they can't see you."

The immortal nodded, a fierce look appearing in his eyes as he faced them.

“Go,” she said. “I’ve been guarding this place for a century, and I’ll do what I need to do if necessary.”

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"Although the battlefield situation here is extremely fierce, it is also reasonable. After all, it is a chaotic battlefield where dozens of general-class Titans and many more small and medium-sized mechs are firing at will. Even super-heavy tanks with shields cannot withstand being hit by a single shot from a general's main cannon here."

After observing the oracle and the external cameras for a while, Lehman Ruth said, "But in my opinion, the Empire's Titans and Knights are extremely powerful and have a real chance of annihilating at least 80% of the Sons of Horus's army here. After all, they still lack experience and weapons to deal with the Empire's own Titans. How did the Empire lose in the end? Could Forgrim have done it just by turning the Knight families against each other?"

"They certainly fought very well on this side of the battlefield. Because all the Imperial Titans and Knights deployed here were not corrupted by the Slaanesh Cult."

Due to excessive emotional distress, Titan pilot Uta-Dagon has been remounted in his Ruth power armor. Pallas is now focused on driving the tank, while Mortarion has given the answer.

"But it seems that Fugrim has done something to the Moro Governor's Knights. A cult that worships him and his master has spread to most of the knights gathered in the central government, while those in remote or distant places are unaffected."

“It’s ironic,” Ruth said. “I remember that the Moro family’s castle—Dawn Castle—was built around the center of the father’s spaceship, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right,” the Pale King replied. “The First Legion built castles around the spaceship he used when he last arrived here. They also allowed the Moro Governor’s family to live there, thus establishing their authority.”

“Wait a minute.” Ruth frowned. “You mean he arrived here, but his ship was left behind and turned into a castle? Did he later call for the fleet that came to pick him up?”

“No.” Dr. Mortalian’s voice remained as calm as ever. “According to Alyvia, he needed to take a spaceship to arrive, but not when he left.”

A silence fell over the crew cabin. Ruth suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming with a yellowish light like a wolf's in the darkness.

He stared at his brother, who had now become so powerful that he was unfathomable.

"And what about you? Did you also become powerful through this method?"

Before Mortarian could answer, he grabbed his arm further and lowered his voice as if afraid someone would hear.

"...If I go in and come out alive, will I be able to gain enough power?"

What kind of power do you want to gain?

The Pale King remained calm as he looked at the Wolf King, whose eyes were piercing.

"The power to... solve the Wolf Spiral problem."

Upon hearing this, Dr. Mortalian, the biopharmaceutical expert specializing in the restoration of the Nugure Gardens, finally showed his first smile of the day.

"This... I don't know. Because our power paths are completely different, you know?"

Under Ruth's puzzled gaze, he spoke slowly.

"...You know what? Aside from the moment he landed, I was actually quite rude to him back then, and I scoffed at his aristocratic manners and formalities. In fact, the level of rudeness I showed to him and the men he sent would probably have earned some unfortunate brother a label of 'useless,' but he was always mild-mannered and even courteous to me. Do you think it was because he liked me, or because he couldn't bear the consequences of making me realize what I was?"

The wolf king's mouth slowly opened wide.

“Similarly,” Dr. Mortalian said, “I am able to travel between different universes and times not because I am Mortalian, but because Mortalian is me.”

He said, "It is because the understanding of the concept that 'I' represents is consistent in the consciousness of all sentient beings in all universes. Even... there is the same concept. When... I grasped this meaning, I also fully understood my own existence and power, and could travel to all places. My name here is now Mortarian."

"So...you...are you a god?"

When Ruth asked the question, all the sounds around her seemed to disappear.

"God is just what many creatures call me, but I do not consider myself a god. I am a different kind of being from you, but I have been imprisoned in the human body and forcibly integrated into the human soul, and I believe myself to be human."

The Pale King's expression turned dull again. "Audacity truly is the best description of him."

He gave Ruth one last, slightly critical look.

"You should read more books, abandon some overly primitive ideas, and return to simplicity only after reaching the end. That's the right path. Even if the Primarch is stupid, can't he finish a few undergraduate degrees?"

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When they arrived at the battlefield where the Sons of Horus, Gastalin, and other elite troops were fighting the Titans and Ultramarines, the Wolf King had completely lost his usual interest and passion for fierce and brutal battles.

Even Pallas felt sorry for him, seeing his dejected appearance, and whispered words of comfort.

"Look!"

Mortarian pointed to a figure on the horizon that resembled the most magnificent thing in the most absurd dream.

Emperor-class Titan, Terra Exemplar.

Like a composed battlefield queen, she moves with an elegant, devastating stride, steadily and slowly advancing in a direction beyond the battlefield.

Beneath her feet, the sons of Horus and Gastalins perished in droves: plasma flames and volcanic cannons rained down relentlessly, powered by her powerful reactor, while ordinary storm bombs, bombs, and missiles formed a dense barrage of bullets like a free downpour.

As if that wasn't enough, her enormous iron feet moved at a seemingly slow speed, but in reality, over an astonishing range. Many more of Horus's sons, who had just escaped death, were trampled to death. They had to move with all their might to avoid the destructive storm that descended from the sky by the Terra Exemplar.

Her fuselage had some obvious bombing scorch marks from the rear, but they were not serious.

Clearly, the report Uta-Dagon received was true. However, the Terra Exemplar itself also had a Void Shield, and the Warrior-class, Raider, Warhound, and Knight mechs that had been surrounding her should have quickly eliminated the rebels who dared to attack her.

"Yo... Ezekiel Abaddon, Horus Asimand the Younger... Red Angel... Huh? Thomas Gardon? Huh? It's connected to an earlier level?"

Mortarian raised his head, seemingly observing something in the void, before turning his gaze back to the battlefield before him—clearly, after the showdown, one of the doctors no longer wanted to pretend.

“A lot has been invested, but even more has been invested outside… And the War General has put himself and a third of his troops outside the battlefield? Obviously, he is waiting for something to happen.”

What is he waiting for to happen?

"We'll find out soon enough."

On the battlefield, a new force was thrown into that meat grinder-like hell.

They saw the group of knights who had joined the Terra Exemplar in one fell swoop, raising the banner of the Moro Governor's family, the Tiwan family. Behind them, more and more knight mechs followed, like a torrent, rushing directly to the rear of the Terra Exemplar and separating her from her guards.

"Oops."

The Pale King stared at the most beautiful and powerful knight mech at the head of the group. Now, this knight had opened its void shield, as had the team behind it. In accordance with combat protocol, the Terra Exemplar expanded its void shield and merged it with them, placing them within its protective range.

"what happened?"

"I remember that the newly enthroned Governor of Moro was named Raven Tiwan. And at this time, the only person piloting this Governor's mech should be him."

"So what?"

"The soul inside this knight mech is not Raven, but Aubard Tiwan."

Motarian said, his brow furrowing.

Then, he began to run forward at full speed.

As he ran toward the Terra Exemplar, his figure grew larger and larger, until it began to loom over the battlefield like a dark cloud.

People whose psychic abilities had reached a certain level began to turn their heads in terror, letting out bloodcurdling screams the moment they saw his figure.

"His soul was fragile and withered, filthy, bearing the marks of Forgrim's fangs. I saw in him the heightened desire and hallucinations of perishing with the Terra Exemplar. No wonder Raven Tiwan was unaffected when I tried to observe him, which made me complacent; it turns out that at the last moment, he didn't succumb to the corruption of Forgrim and Slaanesh!"

(End of this chapter)