Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 532 "Lawyer" Luther: I Bring New Life to Caliban

The Shadow of Reigns, Primarch Office.

Ninglu leaned back on his throne and spoke to Arsène Dunne and Thomas.

“You already have extensive experience in ritual magic, and now I have a task for you.”

The Primarch looked at the ritual magic master "The Keeper of Knowledge" and the "Wizard" who possessed a wealth of knowledge, and with a thought, he sent the request to the two of them via telepathy.

As the information flooded their minds, the "Knowledge Keeper" and the "Wizard" understood the Black Emperor's demands of them.

They were to devise a ritual magic, create talismans, and invoke the power of the Black Emperor.

The "Knowledge Keeper" and the "Wizard" exchanged a glance; they were both quite interested in this new endeavor.

"Follow your will."

“Thomas,” Nimrod stared at him, keenly noticing his slightly furrowed brow and gloomy mood, “what are you worried about?”

“My lord,” the think tank director said frankly, seeing that the Black Emperor had seen through his worries.

"Since the outbreak of war with Randan, 401 people have died in battle."

"Combat record editing and knowledge entry into the database have been affected."

Ninglu nodded slightly, thinking that the prophecy dice would be fully charged in about a month.

"I will tell you how to resolve this when we reach Cariham Gate."

The think tank director immediately felt the pressure lifted off his shoulders.

Praise be to my Lord.

At the same moment that Alsena and Thomas left the Primarch's office, on the upper deck.

Luther and Zaharel sat comfortably in a corner of the officers' mess hall. He glanced around and saw that all those sitting around him were his followers.

The "lawyer" turned his gaze to his adjutant and began to speak the prepared words.

"Zaharel, do you really think Ryan will accept us again?"

“Lord Ryan…” Zahariel, under his psionic hood, was about to speak when he suddenly stopped.

He recalled that during the Sarosh Incident, after the nuclear crisis was resolved, he had met the Lion King's gaze twice during subsequent operational meetings and ground operations.

Although in retrospect, the Lion King's eyes did not reveal any emotion, this in itself meant that he had lost the Lion King's trust.

He was special to Ryan; he had never seen indifference in those eyes.

Zahariel still remembered that night in Caliban, the night the knights celebrated for him after he slew the lion-like beast.

He was strolling alone with Ryan outside the castle when he was flattered to see Ryan sneakily approach him and say something.

"Do you know that there's a unique brotherhood between us in Caliban right now?"

He was the only person besides Luther whom the Lion King considered a brother.

But they have now broken ties.

Zaharel knew he had a chance, but as Luther's second-in-command, he chose to keep it a secret out of a sense of duty and told Ryan nothing.

"The Lion King commands you and Astram to follow Luther back to Caliban." The cold words echoed in his mind.

Zaharel's body trembled slightly. He picked up the table, took a cup of Triken black coffee from the coffee machine, and drank it all in one gulp.

"He values ​​loyalty..."

"He will not forgive us."

Zaharel said with difficulty that he realized he would never have the chance to follow in the footsteps of his genetic father, the great hero.

“We disobeyed his exile order, and he will punish us.”

“That’s right,” Luther said, seeing that Zaharie was as rational as ever and had come to terms with reality. “Lord Nimrod has provided us with a new opportunity.”

Zaharel stared at Luther in astonishment, scrutinizing him closely.

Zaharel discovered that Luther was very different from before.

The regret and gloom in his eyes were gone; his gaze was firm, just as it had been when he led his knights in their attack on the behemoth.

Zaharel exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Luther, you've decided to pledge allegiance to Lord Nimrod?"

"The Lion King will not allow it!"

Zaharel looked around, and his eyes fell upon a series of faces, all of whom were listening to his conversation with Luther.

He glanced around at the 135 dark angels, then realized that no one would tell Ryan what had happened today, just as he had in the past.

They are Luther's knights.

Their lord is Luther, not the Lion King.

The lawyer's eyes were sharp as knives. "Do you have any other options?"

Seeing Zaharie fall silent, the "lawyer" spoke again, his words striking straight to the heart.

"Lane abandoned Caliban."

“Our homeland was used as a place of exile. He took his knights and threw the Terrans to Caliban.”

"Do you know why?"

The lawyer said coldly, "He is dissatisfied that the First Legion was established before his return. The Terrans are exiles, and so are we."

"Everyone in the Caliban is a prisoner!"

"I bring new life to Caliban!"

The surrounding dark angels all knelt down, "We swear to follow Lord Luther to the death!"

"For Luther! For Caliban!" The "lawyer" downed his coffee in one gulp, feeling his own spirit become more vibrant, and a sensation of dissolving within him, like coffee dissolving in his digestive system.

Luther stood up, walked over to Zaharie, raised his hand, and patted him on the shoulder.

"I believe in you and that you will make a wise decision."

Zahariel watched Luther and the other dark angels leave in silence.

The image of Ryan's merciless gaze at Sarosh, and his smile on Caliban, flashed alternately in Zaharie's mind.

As the bell tolled for the next standard ship cycle, Zaharel snapped out of his reverie and walked heavily toward the training deck.

Stepping onto the training deck, he saw Balsa Kuturi, the strategist of the 19th Army Corps, and Captain Alastor Roscha.

Zaharel looked at Luther, who was standing in front of Lord Nimrod, with a complicated expression, but did not step forward.

The Primarch noticed Zaharel's unusual behavior the moment he stepped onto the training deck.

He glanced at Zaharie out of the corner of his eye, capturing his emotions with supernatural perception.

He seems to be carrying a heavy burden on his mind!
Nimrod looked thoughtfully at Luther, "[The 'lawyer' who is loyal to me has begun to use his 'extraordinary eloquence' to persuade his followers?]"
This will save me a lot of trouble.
Nimrod had no doubt about Luther's abilities.

He knew what Zaharie valued most and knew how to persuade him.

His ability to win people's hearts, his leadership, his management skills, and his business development capabilities.

Below the original body, no one can match him.

"Zaharel, Balsa".

Ninglu spoke in a deep voice, his words breaking Zaharel's reverie.

“I should teach you and develop your spiritual abilities.”

Despite believing in Luther, he wouldn't let himself win by doing nothing, and he also promised Balsa that he would mentor him.

Most importantly, he was also very curious about Zaharie's special psychic abilities.

"I need to understand your abilities before I can begin to teach you."

"Zaharel".

Zaharel drew the Lion Sword, forged for him by Ryan, from his waist. Holding the sword, his eyes gradually hardened.

Nimrod drew his Vaal sword and appeared before Zaharie in a flash.

Before Zaharel could react, the blue and white blade was already pressed against his throat.

"Awaken your spiritual power!"

Zaharel looked at the Primarch standing there, but he didn't even see the Primarch's attack and retreat.

He knew he had to use the rare psychic ability he possessed, the “Fear Vision,” which the Israelite brothers from the think tank had mentioned, to catch the Primarch’s movements and possibly keep up with them.

But he didn't know how to actively activate his own abilities, and neither did Islavel.

Perhaps the emperor knew, but after testing him, he didn't tell him.

Zaharel's memory of that event was hazy. As a think tank member, he knew that the Emperor had used his powerful psychic abilities to erase the testing process.

All he remembers is the dazzling golden light and the needle-like pain.

How can I proactively use "fear vision"?
"You can keep up with me!"

The Primarch's imposing figure vanished, and Zaharil blindly swung his Lion Sword in the direction where Nimrod had just stood.

As expected, his sword missed its mark.

The Primarch appeared beside him, a blue and white sword held against his throat.

Zaharel decided to get moving, performing skillful turns and agile rolls on the training deck.

No matter what he did, the sword's edge appeared at his throat time and time again.

After losing sight of Lord Nimrod countless times, Zahariel angrily swung his Lionsword, aiming at the spot where the Primarch had just appeared.

The Lion Sword effortlessly sliced ​​through the deck, leaving a fist-deep gash.

Zaharel angrily drew his Lion Sword, countless images flashing through his mind.

Ryan's merciless gaze, the cold command of exile, the days and nights spent trapped in Caliban, the helplessness of countless times with a sword pressed against his throat...

In Zaharie's view, everything suddenly slowed down.

He saw the Primarch's figure approaching for the first time, and then he vanished from the spot.

The Primarch's eyes flashed, and he instantly activated "Subspace Vision".

He saw Zahariel vanish into thin air, his body phase shifting, and entering the warp.

He saw him leap into the real world, wielding the Lion Sword, and slashing at him at a speed exceeding the limits of Astartes.

The Primarch held the Vaal Sword horizontally to block the incoming Lion Sword.

"Not bad!"

Zaharel, whose spacetime intersects with reality, frequently appears around Nimrod to launch attacks.

The "subspace vision" of the protogenes captured the trajectory of Zaharie's every move.

Zaharel's hundreds of attacks ended in an instant, each one blocked by the Primarch.

A moment later, Zaharel's movements suddenly slowed down, and his "fear vision" ended.

Ninglu stared at Zaharie, "I can teach you how to unlock the 'Fear Vision'."

(End of this chapter)