Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 353 "The Magician"

After rescuing the Knight World of Dametus, Nimrod sets off back to Mezoa to prepare for a decisive battle against the core of the Metu people—the Manach system.

The Fifth Legion was left behind to help the Knights of Veroni cleanse the Mitu people who had fled to the mountains.

When San Diego Bergkamp led his three squads into the forest, the first thing they encountered was not the Mitu aliens, but the alien monsters that Dametus had driven into the forest.

For centuries, the Knights of Dametus had struggled to resist the attacks of the Metu, unable to send young knights to hunt dangerous monsters as they had in the past.

Nourished by the darkness, the alien monsters have grown stronger once more, preparing to launch an attack on the knights and reclaim the world that rightfully belongs to them.

When the Shadows of Order were still hundreds of meters from the edge of the forest, they keenly spotted the monster dwelling inside the hollow branches of a rotting tree.

"Attack!" San Diego gave the order, and the Shadow Order members raised their bomb guns and fired a barrage of bullets at the monsters they thought were undetected.

The diamond bullet easily pierced the rotting tree trunk; the explosion and the excruciating pain shattered the cephalopod monsters' plan to ambush them, tearing apart their arched shells.

Large sections of tree trunks on the inner side shattered, and a large group of head-and-legged monsters emerged from them.

The Shadows of Order thus saw their appearance clearly: they were humanoid in shape overall, but their arms and legs were brachiopods, and their heads were like those of an octopus.

They immediately recalled that the Knight of Dametus had mentioned that there were monsters in the area that resembled hybrids of cephalopods and mammals.

The knights of Dametus called them Nords because the sound they made when they spat ink resembled the Gorgothic word "Nord."

The Nords opened their mouths and emitted strange cries of the same name, spewing out large amounts of ink to cover their retreat.

San Diego raised his staff and infused it with psionic energy.

The inlaid fire dragon runes shone brightly, and molten flames shot into the sky, burning large swaths of black ink to ashes.

The Shadows of Order strode forward, launching a fierce attack on the panicked, fleeing cephalopods.

After the battle, San Diego drew his own dagger, which he had made to harvest materials, and selected the intact tissues to cut off.

A shadowy figure, seemingly puzzled, asked:
"Lieutenant, what are you collecting these for?"

“Father,” San Diego addressed him, making it clear that he was referring to the Primarch, “one of his greatest hobbies was to admire all sorts of strange things.”

"The dangerous Catachan lobe and Modian's gold-edged sunflower were both highly favored by him."

"When I was fortunate enough to serve as a member of the Honor Guard, I would encounter all sorts of strange things in battle, and I would always collect them."

“The Nords can spit ink. You see, the upper part of their lips is red, but the lower part is black. I think Father might be interested.”

Upon hearing this, the Shadow of Order's eyes lit up, and he drew his combat sword from his waist.

"I'll help too."

Apart from the Shadow of Order responsible for guarding the area, everyone else sprang into action.

Santiago then ordered the troops to rest, and he, with two pairs of Nord lips, left the perception range of the Shadows of Order.

He took out a ritual knife, created a spiritual atmosphere, and began to pray to the Black Emperor.

Although there was no altar here, Saint Diego received the gift twice, and he completed the ritual in faith, offering the two lips in his hands as a sacrifice.

"The Black Emperor of the Shadow of Order"
……

I pray for Your watchful gaze.

I pray for Your favor.

I offer you the sacrifice I hold in my hand.

Without scales or the "Iron Law of the King," the "magician" would finish reciting the "offering" and then begin the second recitation.

He had just recited it for the third time when black mist churned before his eyes, and a mysterious gate appeared out of thin air.

A fierce wind surged within the Spirit Wall, and two pairs of Nord lips flew through the gate.

In the fourth level of the “Land of Chaos”, Nimrod saw the pair of lips and immediately recognized them as a pair of Nord lips, a potion ingredient for the “Hanged Man” pathway, Sequence 9 “Mystic Man”.

He hadn't expected this unexpected gain; his spirituality immediately spread, conveying his will.

“I am very interested in the lips of the Nords. In the name of Lord Royal Court, you have asked Carlo to order their collection.”

Although Carlo is the Chapter Master, he is a Sequence 9 "Lawyer" and is merely a Knight in the Royal Court.

Saint Diego, however, was the only lord of the Fifth Warband and was Nimrod's most favored person.

The royal court, established nearly thirty years ago, has already taken root in the shadow of the established order.

The shadows of ordinary order, unaware of the ranks of the royal court members, will gather around the royal court members and obey their orders when their commander is killed in action.

If two members of the Royal Court are present, they will first be selected based on the command hierarchy of the battle group. If they are of the same rank, the Royal Court title will be used as the basis for selecting the commander.

Lower-ranking royal monks would also consult the opinions of those with higher ranks when formulating tactics and other strategies.

San Diego's influence in the Fifth Chapter extends beyond his position as adjutant; when he formally issues a request that does not affect the Chapter Master's decision, Carlo usually adopts it.

On the surface of the second moon of planet Dametus III, Saint Diego, kneeling on one knee, spoke: "As you command, my lord."

San Diego rose, pierced the spiritual atmosphere with a ritual knife, switched communication channels, and sent a message to Carlo.

He did not make the request directly in his royal title, but rather in a more conciliatory personal capacity.

“My lord, the Nords’ lips are half red and half black; my father would be interested in them.”

"I think you should issue an order requiring the Shadows of Order to conduct the collection."

Several seconds later, Carlo's voice rang out.

"I accept your offer."

San Diego then returned to the group, and five days later, during a resupply, he confirmed that the chapter had already begun its collection efforts.

The Nords' lips were neatly placed into cooling boxes and transported by transport planes to warships in the void.

After resupplying, San Diego led five squads into the forest from another area.

The terrain in this area is swampy, and a squad from his company had previously lost contact.

The company commander issued an order requiring the company to enter the area to search for and rescue comrades and to engage any enemy forces that might launch an attack.

Following the company commander's instructions, San Diego arrived at the marker and entered the forest.

The Shadows of Order stepped into the swamp and trudged forward. After twenty-seven minutes on his helmet, San Diego stopped, his eyes deep, and activated his "Warp Vision."

He saw creatures slowly rising from the swamp.

"Ready to fight!"

As soon as San Diego gave the order, a figure three times the size of an ordinary Nord leaped out.

He uttered a strange sound, a mental shock echoing in the minds of those in the shadows of order: "I am God! Surrender!..."

All the Shadows of Order paused, and San Diego felt a mental stab pierce his mind.

He immediately recalled that the knights of Dametus had mentioned that among the Nords were aliens who claimed to be gods, and that these most malevolent creatures had the ability to communicate and demand obedience from newcomers.

Other races and travelers who had come to this world were manipulated by them, and they also tried to control the knights.

Saint Diego immediately ascended to the second level of Thelma's mental state, his spine emitting dazzling light, and he roared:
"wide awake!"

San Diego's voice echoed in the minds of the Shadows of Order, dispelling the Nords' psychic control.

The "Master of Tricks" raised his hand and swung it at the Nord, "Flash" striking the Nord's eyes.

He had been hiding in the swamp, never having seen the light, and his eyes were stinging.

With another wave of his hand, the "magic master" conjured a dark curtain that enveloped him and his opponent.

A smirk played on his lips. "[Not only you guys can spray ink, I can create a 'black screen' too.]"
The "magic master" rushed into the "black curtain," and as he raised his hand, there was a "loud bang."

The Nord's hearing was disturbed, and he turned and walked toward the direction from which the sound came.

The "magic master" felt as if his body was dissolving slightly while he was performing magic tricks.

San Diego wasn't just doing it for the trick; his "subspace vision" detected a rift in the Nord's back.

He had been injured; that was his weakness.

In order to penetrate his bloated exterior, the "magic master" decided to mislead him.

The "Master of Tricks" swiftly appeared behind the Nord, raised his arm, pressed it against the corresponding spot on the wound, and activated "electric shock".

Unlike other magic tricks, the "electric shock" cannot leave the body.

The Nord's body trembled violently, and electricity coursed through his body.

With a loud bang, the wound that had been healed by psionic energy burst open.

The Nord let out a cry of pain, and the corpse crashed heavily to the ground.

Just as San Diego had killed the Nord leader, his communicator suddenly beeped.

After the call was connected, the voices of the guards came through.

"The company commander has been killed in action, and the Mitu people have launched a surprise attack."

San Diego exits the Thermal state of mind and switches to the state of mind created by Magnus, calming his anger and sorrow.

He gathered information from the company's communication channel to sort out his thoughts.

First, a small squad was ambushed and wiped out.

After the company entered, several squads were attacked, and the Mitu people took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the company commander.

Could it be that the Mitu and Nords have joined forces?
San Diego's gaze sharpened. [Even without an alliance, they've reached some kind of tacit understanding to deal with us simultaneously.]
He exited his mental state and saw that the five squads had wiped out all the Nords who had attacked, so he gave the order.

"Follow me to avenge the company commander."

As the higher-ranking of the two adjutants, he was obligated to avenge the company commander and rebuild the company.

Santiago led his team toward the direction of the Honor Guard.

The team marched forward and quickly arrived at the battlefield.

San Diego immediately saw that, apart from the pair of arms that allowed the Mito alien to walk, its other three pairs of arms each held a whip more than two meters long, which resembled the swaying of a python.

Having been trained as a psionic craftsman and now being the most outstanding craftsman in the Fifth Legion, he immediately recognized that the six whips were psionic weapons.

According to the Metu, these are arcane weapons, created by combining weapon forging, psionic arts, and biotechnology.

As San Diego pondered, the company commander's guards angrily launched an attack on the Mitu alien.

The Mitu man's six arms swung rapidly, his energy field crackling, and the bomb was detonated by his spiritual energy before it could even touch his body.

He suddenly lashed out with his whip, striking one of the guards.

With a loud bang, the power armor was torn apart.

Just as he raised his other arm, ready to swing the whip, the "magic master" charged forward and he pushed him forward with force.

Through the goggles, a gale equivalent to level eight suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and the alien, caught off guard, was blown around by the "wind," causing the sea anemone's body to sway.

The whip grazed the guards' bodies and slammed to the ground.

With a wave of his hand, the "magic master" caused a mist to rise between him and the Mito alien.

After regaining his footing, Mitu saw the mist and spun rapidly, whipping his whip quickly.

The dense shadows made it impossible for anyone to get close.

When the "magic master" was five meters away from the Mitu, he stopped and pointed at the alien's feet.

Mitu felt as if his feet were covered in grease; he slipped and fell heavily to the ground.

San Diego slung his staff over his shoulder, drew his archaeological pistol, and fired the psionic bullets he had created at the alien.

With a loud bang, the sea anemone's body was blasted into a pool of blood mist.

The "magic master" raised his hand and, with his remaining spiritual power, used "wind" to disperse the "fog."

He thought to himself as he felt he had gained even greater control over the power of the "Master of Tricks".

Although my individual magic tricks aren't particularly strong, effective combinations can be used to defeat powerful enemies.
As San Diego pondered this, another adjutant who had arrived at the scene spoke up.

"The company commander was killed in battle, and San Diego avenged him. He was also favored by his father and should be appointed as the commander."

(End of this chapter)