This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 548 Magnus's Plan

Azek Ahliman.

The Thousand Sons, son of Magnus, is the first son of the Thousand Sons and now a self-exiled prodigal son, known as one of the Tzeentch Chosen alongside Cain, Lucius, and Typhon.

To be honest, even after becoming Tzeentch's chosen one, Ahriman rarely revealed his opinions about certain people.

However, from a factual standpoint, the other three chosen gods are fundamentally incomparable to it.

Before Horus's birthday celebration, Ahriman was actually a good young man. Ahriman and his twin brother Olmazd were born in the Achaemenid Empire of Old Terra and came from a fairly well-off family.

At the time, the Emperor was waging a war of unification. The King of Achaemenid wisely chose to ally with the Emperor to spare his country the suffering of war and witness the entire war of unification on Terra. Then, when Ahriman grew up, he happened to be there just as the Emperor was about to launch a great expedition. So the two brothers answered the call together and, with their extraordinary psionic talents, enlisted as Space Marines of the Fifteenth Legion - the Thousand Sons.

With his talent and the support of his brothers, Olmazd quickly became a respected company commander. However, his good fortune did not last long. Not long after, he contracted a common physical mutation within the Thousand Sons and eventually died on a not-so-long journey, just like his comrades who had also mutated.

The death of Olmazd, along with the departure of many comrades, caused Ahriman severe psychological trauma. From then on, he vowed to find a way for himself and his legion to fight against the mutation.

He had noticed the various problems exposed by the Empire of Man during the Great Crusade, and in the subsequent Battle of Prospero, he declared that he had always fought only for the future of all mankind, not for the Emperor alone.

Ironically, the only person who shared his views during the same period was Robert Guilliman, who was out of the loop because he had just escaped Alpha's assassination attempt and was far removed from the political center of Terra.

As a member of the Thousand Sons, Ahriman was supposed to be a scholar with extensive knowledge. His noble lineage in Ancient Terra allowed him to receive an education from the Classical Human era, which earned him the respect of many, including the Primarchs, for his erudition.

His favorite quote is a famous saying by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates—

"The only good is knowledge."

"The only evil is ignorance."

He likes to chat whenever he has free time, especially when reprimanding new recruits who get cocky after learning a little bit of psionic power.

The ultimate hell is a joke.

This brings us to why Ahriman, from a factual perspective, far surpasses other chosen ones.

As one of the most powerful Astartes psykers in history—

Perhaps there is no other.

As the number one member of the Thousand Sons Legion, the company commander, and the chief think tank of the Black Raven School, Ahriman's most 'great' achievement in his Astartes career was during the Great Rebellion, when he single-handedly activated a red-letter spell to annihilate tens of thousands of traitorous Astartes, directly ending the debate among the various founding groups about which hero had the highest number of kills.

This traitorous legion was the Thousand Sons Legion.

His starting point was that he wanted to solve the problem of physical mutations that plagued the Thousand Sons once and for all by relying on scarlet spells, but he did not discover that the Book of Magnus, which recorded scarlet spells, had been altered by the great demon Carlos Tzeentch.

The end result was that all offspring with Magnus's bloodline were bound by a perpetually effective shackle; those who failed the test would die and turn into ashes.

Ahriman's original intention was good.

As a master of magic, he knew very well that by constructing spells properly, he could extract energy from the subspace to achieve things that were impossible with real technology. Indeed, there were spells in the subspace that could solve the Thousand Sons' physical mutations.

So Ahriman immediately declared, "I'm an old wizard with many years of experience. I can tell whether there's a problem with this spell as soon as I use it."

However, red-letter spells have their own ideas.

Sigh, if I kill Senko, who will die from physical mutation, then wouldn't Senko be as good as not having physical mutation?
After three steps, your past self will become your enemy.

So let's not even talk about the other chosen ones of Chaos.

Even among the chosen ones, those Primarchs whom the Astartes regard as gods, few could accomplish such a feat. This included even the Wolf King who attacked Prospero, allowing Ahriman to exceed his KPIs, just like Vograim.

But stubbornness is the underlying logic of this universe.

I'm doing this for the Legion!
Faced with his enraged father's sudden accusations, Ahriman, though aware of his actions, still stubbornly insisted that he had saved the Thousand Sons.

He also subtly pointed out that all of this was largely due to Primarch Magnus's indifference towards the Legion, which led to the tragedy and evoked memories that Magnus least wanted to face.

I'm doing this for the empire!
When faced with his father, who had teleported to confront him years ago for destroying the net, Magnus, though aware of his actions, still stubbornly insisted that he was trying to stop Horus's great rebellion.

He also subtly pointed out that all of this was largely due to the Emperor, the father, neglecting the Primarch, which led to the tragedy.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

At this moment, the Magical Pony's anger level began to surge, and even a passing Khorne cast an approving glance at it.

But just as he raised his hand to blast away this nonsensical Ahriman, Tzeentch, the founder of the stubborn faction, stepped in and stopped him, then said that everything was part of the plan.

Ultimately, Magnus, whose soul had been sold to Tzeentch, could do nothing but writhe in impotent rage. Helpless, he could only banish his rebellious son, forbidding him from returning until he understood what Tzeentch's true nature really was.

During his brief period of wandering, Ahriman somehow obtained the Black Library, which contained all the knowledge in the world, including knowledge that could reverse red spells.

Of course, this is most likely Tzeentch's idea, because Tzeentch has always been extremely interested in this clown god and the Eldar legacy he left behind.

Thus, for millennia, Astartes, who should have been like other chosen gods, occasionally refreshing his KPIs within the Empire, has remained in the Web for a long time. He doesn't even care much about the Thousand Sons' revenge against the Wolf Pack. Apart from occasional necessary exchanges of interests, he has no eyewitness records, making him quite mysterious in the eyes of many institutions in the Empire that pay attention to the history of those rebellions.

"."

An empty library.

"Pfft~"

A series of suppressed laughs.

Snapped!
With a blank expression, Ahriman closed the "Chronicles of the Imperial Legion: The History of a Thousand Sons: The Biography of Ahriman (Promotional Edition)" that he had plundered from the captured Eldar. He looked up at the clean, solid pillars and rows of Eldar he had captured in the park.

The veins on his forehead twitched constantly beneath his three-eyed mask.

"I think this description is very apt."

Faced with Ahriman's murderous gaze, a member of the Elven race, whose expression seemed to be somewhat out of control and who appeared to be a clown, couldn't help but say, "He has sketched out a wise image for us, and explained in detail what kind of blessings one would receive after siding with the Chaos Gods, as well as the excellent qualities possessed by an existence that sided with an evil god."

Finally, with a strained expression, he turned the conversation to himself.

"We're in big trouble."

It had a strange and unsettling feel to it.

Ahriman took a deep breath.

Yes, yes.

Some people couldn't help but agree.

"Not only were their freedoms restricted, but they also had to abide by the rules and exchange all of this for labor and knowledge. They had to work sixteen hours a day, which was both hard and tiring."

"Yes, yes, you have to work for twenty years before you can be included in the Wuxiangtian security system. Before that, it's like working for nothing and you can only live in Wuxiangtian."

"Sigh, it takes forty years of working hours to exchange for a little free time. This life is unbearable."

Damn it, those who know you understand that you've sided with an evil god, but those who don't might think you've found a job in a factory.

What is a protection system? As the chosen one of the gods, how come I've never heard of it?
Ahriman patiently prepared to continue asking the Eldar about the new Primarchs and the Nameless Heavens that had emptied the Black Library.

As a chosen one of the Tzeentch Gods and a leader of a warband, Ahriman was not entirely oblivious to the world around him.

However, after paying only a brief look at the Thousand Sons' attack on Fenris back then, he simply cut off all contact with them.

If nothing unexpected happens, the moment I appear, I will be greeted by Lord Arthur's blade and Lord Ramses' magic.

Therefore, if he wanted to gain a better understanding of the other party and make more plans for his future resurrection of the Red Letter Warriors, he could only place his hopes on the Eldar from the Realm of No Form, who served Ramses.

"Tell me, where is the Formless Heaven, how can I enter it, and do you know any forbidden knowledge that can reverse magic?"

Ahriman quickly explained his requirements.

His excellent self-control made him appear quite calm at this moment, giving him the air of a scholar.

"This is a company secret."

A seemingly serious Eldar member replied solemnly, then scratched his head.

"Wait a minute, why are you asking us this?"

He looked at Ahriman with surprise and asked with concern.

"If you have a problem, why don't you go to Jianqi? Does Jianqi think he can let his employees come to work while they're sick? How would we know if Wuxiangtian has the ability to deal with red-letter spells?"

The Eldar around them, who had not been questioned by Ahriman, spoke in succession.

"Yes, you are Tzeentch's chosen one."

"You must be doing very well as Tzeentch's chosen one."

"Yes, yes, after all, as legitimate demi-humans of the Empire, we don't have any physical mutations that require the Chaos Gods to resolve personally."

These spirit race members are truly fearless!

And you even want him to seek help from the villain?
Doesn't he know what kind of person Tzeentch is?
Ahriman was breathing heavily and couldn't help but clench his scepter tightly.

However, just as he was about to teach these ignorant fools a lesson and continue his questioning, a purple scarab beetle appeared in his hand. Ahriman's hand trembled, and he instinctively dropped it.

The crystal scarab shattered, and the fragments scattered, eventually entering the corners already filled with its kind.

Looking at the decorations already set up around him, Aliman paused, his expression shifting between light and dark.

The number of crystal beetles is increasing.

They pieced themselves together in front of Ahriman, forming the outline of a colossal crystal giant.

"."

The anger suppressed in his throat, mixed with fear and guilt, finally coalesced into a name.

Magnus.

After selling his soul to Tzeentch, Magnus was completely freed from the constraints of his body. His words would transform into scarabs, which would then come to those who were meant to hear his voice.

"Ariman, the one I have banished."

A flat and indifferent voice rang out.

At the same moment, the shape pieced together from countless crystal beetles seemed to come alive, turning its head to look around.

"You're still making pointless efforts, prodigal son."

The wings, interwoven with violet and deep blue, trembled slightly, stirring up large swaths of bizarre runes that even Ahriman himself could not comprehend. His scarlet body seemed to have been given tangible flesh and blood.

Looking at the empty bookshelves around him, Magnus lowered his head.

"I was very disappointed to see you."

"Seeing you makes me even more disappointed, sir."

Ahriman looked at Magnus before him; the omen had already told him the purpose of the visitor.

“You still haven’t thought for even a second about how to save my brothers from their suffering. You’re still indulging in past hatred, acting as a pawn and henchman of Tzeentch to achieve His goals.”

He said sarcastically in a loud voice.

"Hmph, trying to fix one mistake only leads to making an even bigger one."

Magnus scoffed.

"It's better than you never admitting your mistakes."

Ahriman retorted, then added, "And I did it to save our legion!"

"Pfft~"

Another rustling of laughter erupted around them.

"The formless god is above."

The Spirit Race member, who was originally a clown, sighed.

"I must turn this scene into a play and perform it at the event."

The Elven race echoed their support.

"."

Ahriman's veins throbbed.

"It seems there are some things that happened that I don't know about?"

Magnus smiled as he noticed the farce.

But whatever, he doesn't care.

The Wings of Dawn were still too dangerous, and he didn't intend to get too involved with these guys. He just wanted to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve his goal.

Dawnwing is busy dealing with Comoros, so they can't very well come looking for trouble with him, can they?
If you can't beat Dawnwing, can't you at least beat Lemanrus?

In short, everything is going according to plan.

Magnus repeated the sentence to himself before speaking, just before Ahriman's rebellious spirit could reignite and he could utter a sarcastic remark.

"I need your help, prodigal son."

"."

Magnus's own plea for help silenced Ahriman's planned sarcastic remarks.

He paused, carefully considered his words, and finally spoke.

"Are you going to carry out your pointless revenge again?"

"Yes, it was revenge, revenge against my cruel brother, Lemanrus."

Ignoring Ahriman's tone, Magnus nodded and gripped the dagger in his hand.

"An unprecedented opportunity!"

"You should know that the Dawn Wings are about to launch a cyber offensive, and a large number of troops will be deployed to Comoros. This is our opportunity."

The Dawn Wings' Web Path Project.

Ahriman knew that.

The vast mobilization of resources by the Empire might be imperceptible to ordinary citizens, but Ahriman, who had long been active in the online world, was fully aware of it.

Comoros is not an easy opponent.

This involves the Slaanesh, the massive organization of the Dark Eldar, which is itself a colossal hub spanning countless light-years. Any war here would inevitably divert a significant amount of the Imperium's attention, causing them to relax their focus on the Warp.

This was indeed an unprecedented opportunity for Magnus, who had tricked Mortarion into giving him the Plague of the Gods.

Ahriman instinctively wanted to refuse, because in his view, targeting Ruth was a rather energy-consuming plan, but then he remembered that this was the Primarch's request for help.
He ultimately, almost against his will, chose to agree.

"I can agree to this plan."

He said.

“But I need you to focus your attention on your offspring after you have completed your revenge.”

Ahriman then made his own demands.

He is qualified and confident that he can get Magnus to fulfill this condition.

"can."

Magnus nodded generously, pleased that he had quickly skipped the wrangling with Ahriman.

This means he can devote more time to perfecting the plan to feed Lemanrus his favorite plague.

Just as Ariman was about to say something more, Magnus, having received a reply, stopped arguing and chose to leave to move on to the rest of the plan, leaving behind only a pile of shattered crystals.

really
Ahriman swallowed the words that were about to come out.

Still the same.

From the moment he left Prospero, the Red Devil who was willing to sacrifice for his offspring ceased to exist.

Selfish and self-serving, as if anything he deems unnecessary is not worth his time.

Like a corpse perched high on a throne, only arrogance remains.

It doesn't matter.

Facing the dissipating crystals, Ariman clenched his fist, letting the ashes-like fragments slip through his fingers.

The Legion also has him!
As long as he assists Magnus in achieving his revenge, he can, through the bond of the contract, get Magnus, who agreed to the deal, to dedicate himself to the salvation of the legion and to find a spell that can reverse the red letter.

He will surely be able to rescue the Legion from the clutches of the red spells.

Ahriman firmly believed this.

But before that.

Ahriman turned his head and looked at the laughing Elven race.

Knowing he couldn't drag this out any longer, he threatened with a stern face:

“Tell me everything you know, or you will suffer unimaginable torment.”

(End of this chapter)