Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 336 Struggle Amidst Flesh and Blood Mutation - Qianzi

Nimrod ordered Arsène Dunn: "Deploy the Sixth, Tenth and Eleventh Warbands to assemble at Lucius."

"After the First and Twelfth Battle Groups left some troops behind, they also joined the assembly."

The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 11th battle regiments and two companies from the 1st battle regiment participated in the "First Randan War". Ninglu should have let the other six battle regiments be the main fighting force.

However, Nimrod considered that the Seventh Legion was responsible for clearing the area around Incaladion, while the Ninth Legion, centered on Tarasa, was conquering the territory of the Sahadurs. He did not want the two legions to stop.

He decided to use the Sixth and Tenth Warbands as the main force, while the First and Twelfth Warbands would each need to leave some troops to guard the Osiris Sector and Tannis, respectively.

The 11th Legion recruits troops from Vostonia, and has sufficient manpower to cope with continuous combat.

The Mitu are powerful, and the battle is expected to last for some time before other battle groups are deployed to join the fight.

"After deliberation by the War Council, the First and Fourteenth Legions were added to the campaign and ordered to assemble at Lucius."

"When I attended the War Council, the Emperor informed me that I was to retrieve the Primarch of the Fifteenth Legion."

"Order the 28th Expeditionary Fleet to proceed to the Solar System and await my arrival."

“Yes, my lord.” The Primarch’s servant recorded the command.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The 8th month of the year 840, Mars.

The sage of the Cult of Machines spoke through a synthesized sound array from within his mask.

"Assets // Queen Glory-class battleship / Length 25.01 km / Mass 143.96 megatons"

"According to contractual obligations / at the present time, Mars may provide the Primarch with the means to fulfill the treaty // Lord Nimrod / please confirm whether you accept the transfer."

“Accept.” Nimrod nodded, then said to Bukayo Arshavin, “My Dark Lord, go and take possession of your ship.”

He watched Bukayo's retreating figure and thought to himself.

[My legion now possesses four Glory Queen-class battleships, surpassing the First Legion to become the legion with the most Glory Queen-class battleships.]
After sighing, Nimrod boarded the Stormbird. Instead of returning to the Shadow of the Throne as usual, he headed to the flagship of the 28th Expeditionary Fleet.

An hour later, he met Azek Ahriman.

Ahriman, clad in scarlet armor, tried his best to keep his face looking the same as always.

"Lord Nimrod."

Ninglu keenly observed Ahriman's weakness.

Having a superhuman physique, weakness would not normally be associated with Astartes, especially for a powerful figure like Ahriman.

But Ahriman was indeed very weak; his skin was dull and lifeless, like that of a traveler who had trekked through the desert for countless years.

There was some kind of psychic energy suppressing him within him. That energy had not yet caused any change in a single cell of Ahriman's, but once the boiling energy was unleashed, it would devour him.

His will was unusually weak; even when facing himself, he would lower his gaze and want to close his eyes tightly.

Ahriman's complex emotions were like a boiling, colorful vortex; he felt fear, sadness, pain, and self-blame...

He knew that Ahriman felt guilty for being forced to isolate his twin brother, Olmuzd.

He was also horrified by witnessing the horrific scene of his fellow warriors, including Olmuzd, undergoing a bloody transformation.

……

Ahriman was haunted by nightmares throughout his life, and they affected every major decision he made.

To end the flesh mutation, he used a red-letter spell; without the psychic Thousand, they would become a wisp of a ghost bound within the power armor.

“The Emperor has confirmed the world where your genetic father resides, and I will travel there with you,” Ninglu said.

"I will try my best to help you during my journey."

“My lord, thank you for your help.” A glimmer of hope appeared on Ahriman’s face. He knew that the Emperor’s son’s fate of destruction had been changed after Forgrim’s return.

[But by then, how many of the legion will still be alive?]
Ahriman gathered his thoughts and pondered how to get help from Lord Nimrod and his entourage.

"My lord, my legion has been afflicted by a strange...contagious disease."

"I think the pharmacist is probably powerless to do anything about this."

The 15th Legion's apothecaries tried everything, but none of it could suppress the mutation of the Legion's warriors.

Ahriman didn't think the pharmacists in the "Shadow of Order" had any solutions.

He didn't mention the name "Flesh Mutation," as he always hoped that the mutation would be resolved one day, and he didn't want this secret to be known by other legions.

Ahriman struggled to restore clarity and reason to his chaotic mind.

“When a disease outbreak occurs, it will affect the people around it.”

“I have placed all the Legion warriors in separate dormitories. If anyone falls ill, they will be taken to the medical deck.” “The apothecaries will place them in crystal coffins with activated stasis fields. Some of the infected will eventually be cured.”

Ninglu nodded slightly, thinking of Sobek, Ahriman's future apprentice, who was the most important person to him besides Magnus and his twin brother Olmuzd.

When Sobek was undergoing a flesh mutation, Hathor Matt temporarily put him into a state of rapid freezing, and then placed him in a crystal coffin covered by a stasis field.

[After trying various methods to save themselves, the Thousand Sons found a way to temporarily contain the situation.]
“My apothecaries will try their best to help you find a solution.” Ninglu knew that, as Ahriman had said, his apothecaries had no way to help, but he had other ways to assist.

“The Shadows of Order are highly perceptive. I will have them patrol, and if they discover anyone acting strangely, they will be taken to the hospital immediately.”

Ning Lu knew that once a Senso-ji underwent a flesh-and-blood mutation, it would affect the Senso-ji around it, but this only applied to the Senso-ji.

When the Wolves and the Thousand Sons fought together in the Ark Edge Cluster, and Hastur underwent a flesh mutation, the surrounding Thousand Sons began to be affected, but the Wolf Pack was unaffected.

If the flesh mutation was indeed manipulated by Tzeentch, then its impact would obviously be limited.

A look of surprise flashed across Aliman's face. He hadn't expected Ninglu to put his son in danger while rescuing Qianzi.

He also knew that the help provided by Lord Ninglu was very important to Qianzi at the moment.

The Thousand Sons, whose flesh has undergone mutation, will become manic due to the pain they suffer, and the Legion's servants cannot approach or control them.

They can only be controlled by the Chiko, mostly the biochemical Chiko, by suppressing the cells.

However, they may also be affected, undergoing mutations in their flesh and blood.

Ahriman said gratefully, "Sir, thank you for your help."

The pharmacists and the honor guard immediately sprang into action under Nimrod's orders.

The apothecaries of "Shadow of Order" ascended the grand staircase to a spacious hall paved with white marble, the entrance to the central apothecary.

The central pharmacy is constructed of gleaming, crystallized glass and steel, with more than twenty medical rooms scattered around the circular hub.

The Shadows of Order looked around at the surrounding chambers and found that the windows of nine of them were lowered, shielding them from superhuman senses.

They noticed that many of the mortal servants were trembling, trying their best to hide their fear.

The gleaming lab bench was covered with various instruments, but it was covered in liquid, as if it had just been cleaned.

A thousand-year-old apothecary dressed in white armor walked up to them.

"Welcome, fellow apothecaries from the Shadow of Order."

The pharmacists at "Qianzi" are already a high-risk group due to the mutation of their flesh and blood, and there is a shortage of staff.

After being welcomed, he followed Ahriman's instructions and said, "This 'contagious disease' is very dangerous, and we are already extremely grateful that you can provide us with assistance."

The apothecary knew that Ahriman's order was correct: the Shadows of Order must not be allowed to see their brethren undergoing the flesh-and-blood mutation.

Once their flesh undergoes a mutation, they will become like monsters.

Even if it's not a curse as many desperate people say, it's a genetic defect like that of ghouls.

"But we can't let you get into danger. If the people you're in charge of show signs of a rapid rise in body temperature, pale skin, excessive sweating, and difficulty breathing..."

He listed more than a dozen early signs of flesh mutation, saying, "Please inform us immediately, and we will take over the follow-up treatment."

The pharmacists of "Shadow of Order" then began to take over the "patients" in the ward under the tutelage of Pharmacist Senko.

Nine minutes into the ship's timeline, a Shadow of Order inside the control room noticed a sudden and dramatic change in the vital signs of the Natherim Gauntlets, which were connected to the medical system within the Static Crystal Coffin.

The body temperature is 42.9 degrees, the body temperature is 50.9 degrees...

He remembered the instructions from Pharmacist Qianzi and immediately turned on his communicator.

"In compartment nine, the combat comrade's vital signs are at a dangerous level."

"I'll be there right away."

The pharmacist, Qianzi, spoke urgently, rushing to cabin number nine with the speed of someone charging into battle.

As soon as he stepped into the cabin, he reached out and pressed his hand against the inside of the cabin wall.

The runes on the wall became even brighter.

“Brother of the Shadow of Order, please leave. Leave the rest to me.”

The Order Shadow Pharmacist then stepped out of the door and saw four members of the Honor Guard leading an Astartes with his head bowed as they approached.

The Thousand Sons Pharmacists quickly discovered that the Shadows of Order were unaffected by the flesh mutation, and their arrival provided considerable assistance.

The Thousand Sons, whose flesh had undergone mutation, were transported to the medical deck, reducing the chances of others being affected.

Commanders like Ahriman quickly received the news. While thanking Nimrod for his help, they couldn't help but think...

[Do we have a genetic defect like ghouls?]
(End of this chapter)