Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 647 Ning Lu felt fear, so he increased the intensity of Old Man Huang's attack.
As Terra celebrated the return of its eighteenth Primarch, Nimrod's psionic projection crossed the void and arrived at the Golden Palace.

Horus Lupecal, as always, greeted the audience with a broad smile.

“Ninlu, I think you already know that another brother has returned. He is Conrad Coz of Nostradamo.”

"Kortz..."

Following his words, Ninglu looked towards the end of his side, at the only true body among the original beings attending the meeting.

His long arms were wrapped around his body like the folded wings of a bat, and his pale skin made his fingers appear even longer.

Black fingernails tapped rapidly and sharply against his chest, as if he were experiencing manic-depressive symptoms.

Coz leaned forward, revealing his long neck.

Compared to other Primarchs, his bony shoulders arched to the sides of his head.

He was like a vulture with its wings folded, its gaze fixed on the corpse, sweeping over the Primarchs before finally settling on Nimrod.

“Ninlu, the name I hear most often in Terra.” Koz’s voice was sharp as a knife.

As Horus's smile turned solemn, Koz scratched his ears like a dog.

"The inhabitants of Nest City hailed him as 'the conqueror of the aliens, the eternal victor of the enemies of mankind.'"

"The nobles only dared to whisper in the shadows if they did not want to end up like those who died not long ago."

"I must say, I like the way they call you, Blood King."

Amid Coz's nervous laughter, Vokan's brow furrowed.

Riemann Russ stared intently at Ning Lu with his icy blue eyes, unmoving.

Robert Guilliman looked at Nimrod, pondering why he hadn't resorted to more moderate political means, but instead opted for direct killing.

With snow-white hair, Fugrim wore a charming smile.

He learned some inside information about the court from astral messages he received from an old acquaintance, his former chief preacher, Skanda Pajako.

In Omega's mind, the transactions and games hidden behind the intelligence flashed by.

Compared to Ning Lu's butcher's knife, the one who held the seal was even more cold-blooded.

He not only took the opportunity to purge his wealthy political enemies, but also took advantage of the misfortunes of the families he supported.

The wealth they acquired replenished the empire's increasingly depleted finances, and the countless bones were transformed into five newly established expeditionary fleets.

[The number of people killed by Makado was no less than that of Nimrod.]

Nimrod bore the infamy for Makado and the Empire.
Roger Dorn's mind unfolded a structural diagram of the Terran palace, pondering how he would deploy defenses if he were the Terran Royal Guard.

Horus's brows furrowed before relaxing, and he smiled as he spoke.

"It's just a rumor."

Nimrod sat down calmly amidst the scrutinizing or thoughtful gazes of the Primarchs. He offered no explanation and silently watched the door open.

Old Huang entered the palace first, with the Mars Foundry Director beside him, and Macardo and Constantine Waldo behind him.

He has conveyed his attitude through his actions.

When Macardo and the nobles formulate policies that affect themselves in the future, they will recall that bloody month and carefully consider the consequences.

Before Koz could say anything more, a silent river suddenly welled up in his eyes.

The wide river flowing into the sea suddenly ripples, and shadows emerge at the end of deep time.

When Ninglu looked away, he keenly noticed that when Koz grinned, his dirty black teeth were stiff.

He immediately thought of Koz's prophetic abilities; although he hadn't attended the meeting in person, he could still see something through psionic projection.

What did he see?
Whatever it is, it may not be the real future.

While the "burial" aspect hasn't fundamentally changed, it has been enhanced to some extent, interfering with his vision of the future.
As Ninglu pondered, the emperor walked toward the throne.

He noticed that Macado and Waldo's gazes lingered on him for a moment.

Makado's expression was complex. Waldo's eyes were similar to those of Ryan Eljonsson and Chagatai; they were those of a cautious assessment.

After the emperor took his seat, he spoke in a deep voice.

"The colonized worlds on the western edge of the galaxy have been attacked by aliens."

"There are both brutal orcs and mysterious Eldar."

Ninglu thought that Old Man Huang would send out his Pegasus again—himself—but then he heard him speak.

"Perturabo, my Iron Lord, this is your trial."

Ning Lu was taken aback and couldn't help but think to himself.

[Well, Peturabo still can't escape the fate of being far from the main battlefield of the "Great Expedition" and guarding the border for a century.]

Old Huang's first choice should be me.

Why?
As Ninglu pondered, Peturabo said in a deep voice, "Father, I will not let you down."

The emperor nodded, then his gaze fell on Ninglu.

“Ninlu, you have fought tirelessly for eighty-five years, defeating the orcs, the Mitu, the Randan and the Nephilim, returning Incaladion to Mars, and bringing the Skots into the Empire. Your achievements are remarkable, but you have also worked too hard.”

Ning Lu was even more puzzled by Old Man Huang's sudden concern.

It would have been more appropriate to say these words of concern to him in person when I attended the celebration in Terra after my expedition to Randan.

Now it feels like a long time has passed, and it was all for nothing.
Before Ning Lu could figure out Huang Laohan's intentions, he heard him continue.

"The world you govern also needs to be developed with care."

"You will remain in Vostonia in the near future to handle government affairs."

Ninglu glanced almost imperceptibly at Horus opposite him, a thought flashing through his mind before he immediately dismissed it.

[Old Huang wouldn't deliberately slow me down just to push the chosen Horus to the position of War General.]
Ning Lu knew that Old Man Huang had always encouraged competition, and that when he created the Primarch, he had directly abandoned the idea of ​​a harmonious and loving family.

He hoped that competition would motivate the Primarchs to complete their conquests more quickly.

The more victories he achieves, the more satisfied Old Man Huang will be, which will stimulate Horus and other Primarchs.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Ninglu's mind. He noticed the word "Vostonia" and his mind raced.

Why specify Vostochnya?

If we consider that the Spear of Dionysus has not yet returned to me, it seems to make sense.

Old Huang might need to pinpoint my exact location to get it back to me.
The Dionysian Spear, which Huang Laohan infused with power, has a natural and close connection with him.

He could naturally sense the Dionysian Spear trapped in Ouroboros.

But it won't be so easy for Old Man Huang to get the Spear of Dionysus out of Ouroboros's control.

Considering that the Spear of Dionysus has become closely linked to him, and given Huang Laohan's intention in giving it to him, the most feasible and likely way is to bring it back to him, just like before.

This means a battle at the level of gods. Although Huang Laohan may be more powerful than Ouroboros in the resurrection process, he exerts his power remotely, while his opponent has the advantage of home-field advantage by utilizing "reboot".

Even if Old Man Huang can suppress Ouroboros remotely for a short time, he still needs to pinpoint his location precisely.

[How did Old Huang locate me?]
Ning Lu had thought about this and had two conjectures.

The most superficial and obvious connection he has with Dionysus is perhaps closer than that of Beerus, because his psychic powers are more powerful.

On a deeper level, it's possible that Old Man Huang linked the Spear of Dionysus to his real name.

Each Primarch learns his true name when he awakens his Primarch Memories.

Horus grew from being slightly taller than average to becoming a giant, and so did Perturabo, who refused his adoptive father's demands and insisted on being called "Perturabo."

When Nimrod became a "savage" and awakened his genetic memories, a string of glittering words were also submerged in countless pieces of information.

Of course, the name the Primitive Man reveals is only a part of his real name.

Similar to warp demons, their true name contains both power and their greatest weakness.

Knowing the true name of a demon in the warp allows one to borrow its power, banish it back to the warp, or even enslave it.

Of course, the extent to which this can be achieved depends on the balance of power between the two sides.

Kayan can craft the ancient and powerful Archdemon Ragged Knight into a top-tier card collection, and most of the Inquisitors of the Demon Inquisition suffer a backlash.

The same applies to the Primarch. In Nimrod's memory, the future Grey Knights relied on reciting Mortalian's full name when they dealt with him.

This shows that even the four peddlers could not change the true name of the original gene.

[Well, at least they can't do it alone.]

If the four peddlers unite, they can change Horus's true name and avoid being defeated at the first touch in the final battle.
The complete true name of each Primarch is known only to themselves and to the old man who created them.

Cardo Diego, the High Master of the Grey Knights who banished Mortalian, also learned his real name from Old Man Huang.

As Ninglu thought of this, fear gripped him, and the main body of the Shadow of Kings felt icy cold.

Fate was in the hands of Old Man Huang, who brought him back to the moment when he first arrived in this world and contemplated his future destiny.

To take control of my own destiny, I must change my real name, or at least change one word.

Otherwise, if Old Man Huang wanted to, he could easily control me.

Hoping to advance to Sequence 4 and experience a qualitative change, my real name will change.
Ning Lu took a deep breath and slowly said, "I will obey your command."

[follow?

It cannot be followed at all.

Although I can't change my real name right now, and I really want to get this for free, I'll still play hide-and-seek with you and give you some power-ups.
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the bald figure across from Koz, whose head was covered with writing and symbols.

(End of this chapter)