Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 788 Carlos: Loga, choose, Nimrod or Guilliman.

967.M30.

Loka embarks on his pilgrimage to its final destination—the desolate world of Sanlyasa.

He looked out and saw the horizon shrouded in suffocating clouds.

Thunderstorms roared, creating a colorful spectacle.

Subspace weather systems cover the entire world, and currents impact countless galaxies.

"Luo Jia." A voice of indistinct gender sounded from behind, but there was no one there.

“Ingesel, I have entered the maw of madness, now tell me everything.”

The Ascended Ingsal slid out, her lower body transforming into a ribbed tail, resembling both a snake and a worm.

She has four arms extending from her shoulders, resembling a deity from ancient Terran Hindu mythology.

"Luo Jia." The delicate female face transformed into an unclosed lion's mouth, inside which lay deformed gums.

Loka took a deep breath of the clean air provided by the armor's circulation, the scent of ritual purification oil filling his nostrils with the stench of money.

"The air in this world is unbreathable, but you are unaffected."

"You are unique among the descendants of the cursed."

"You were once lost."

"Your control over yourself comes from understanding, and when you understand your mission, you will receive the blessings of the gods."

Loka shook his head. "I was born the strongest among humans. I am the Primarch, but I am still human."

He gazed at the dust-covered world, and the ruins of Monazia came to mind.

What is this world called?

"The Eldar used to call it Icresa, but after the thirsty Slaanesh was born, this place was called Sanlyasa."

Loja chuckled. Not long after he set sail from Colchis, he encountered an Eldar fleet.

When he met with the prophet, he learned the language of the Eldar.

"Never forget."

"The Empire has encountered the Eldar many times, and my brother Magnus has always been very tolerant of them."

“My other brother, Nimrod, will slaughter them without mercy. He recently destroyed an ark, Mag Sisla.”

“Magnus and Nimrod, the gods know them.” The Ascended blinked both of his eyes simultaneously.

One of her eyes was swollen and bloodshot, bulging out of its socket, and she stared intently.

The other one was deeply embedded in the skull.

"Like you, their names are often caught in the web of fate."

The Ascended's body slid to the west, "The ruins of this world are also the graveyard of the Ark world, where the Soulbreakers fled from the birth of Slaanesh."

Loka gazed at the red, bone-like ruins, the protrusions on the ground resembling the chest cavity of some dead monster.

How many people have died here?

“This is the Ark world of Zul'Asar,” the Ascended raised his four arms, “and at the moment of Slaanesh’s birth, two hundred thousand souls shattered.”

"Two hundred thousand," Luo Jia repeated in a low voice.

How many people are there in the entire Spirit Race?

“A billion people, too many to count.” The ascendant puffed out his shoulders in the wind.

“Slaanesh is born in the brain of every Eldar, tearing their flesh apart and shattering their souls.”

Loka gripped the Light of Enlightenment even tighter. Suddenly sensing something, he strode toward the ruins.

The Ascended One vanished without a sound.

Loka took a breath and released his suppressed psionic talent.

He followed the presence of anger he sensed as he walked across the red sandy land.

Luo Jia suddenly stopped and looked down at his feet.

It is as majestic as the statue of the god-emperor... well, the father, that stands in Monaco.

But it had clearly undergone supernatural decay, leaving only a shell crawling on the ground.

Within the black stone skeleton pulsates a lava heart, its skin transformed into gray charcoal, and smoke billows from its ancient cracks.

"I am Luo Jia."

The god looked up, revealing black teeth and gray gums.

It tried to say something, but only sand came out of its mouth.

The Ascended One spread its black wings and suddenly appeared, "Loga."

“That is an incarnation of Kayla Mensha Kane.”

Luo Jia shrugged. "I've never heard of that name."

"The War God of the Soul Shatterers," the Ascended One sneered.

"Look behind you."

Luo Jia turned around and saw shadows drifting in the sandstorm.

“Monkey.” The wind whispered. “Shahr, Shahr, Shahr.”

Lojia knew the meaning of this Eldar word: Hell—a place of pure evil.

"Loga, this is a lesson," the Ascended's admonition rang out.

"Even gods can be just as foolish and stupid as mortals."

"Their stubbornness jeopardized the truth." "Now it is gone, and the world is no longer tainted by false heresy, do you understand?"

Seeing that Loka was deep in thought, the Ascended One said, "Even gods die. Remember this before the end comes."

"Let me see the end."

Scenes flashed rapidly before Luo Jia's eyes:
Before the Gate of End, the Eternal Gate of the Empire, as spoken of by the demons, a fiery creature with wings formed from smoke tears apart the Imperial Fist clad in yellow armor.

A humanoid creature wearing unfamiliar red armor, its gauntlets bulging into claws with black barbs at the ends.

Prayer scrolls were pasted on their armor, and distorted faces were visible on their shoulder armor.

Those who cherish words.

What became of his legion?
"What you are seeing is a scene forty-seven years in the future," the Ascended's voice suddenly rang out.

"The galaxy will burn."

"You will initiate this war, but you will not lead it."

"This war will bring truth to mankind. You came to seek the gods, and now you have found them. This is the destiny the gods have ordained for you."

The Ascendant suddenly jumped in front of Loka.

"Humanity must accept the truth of divine existence, or it will suffer the same fate as the Eldar."

Luo Jia shook his head. "Humans would not accept such a terrifying thing."

"No? These things are terrifying because people see them with the eyes of mortals." The ascendant's body soared and danced gracefully.

"Without faith in the true God, humanity will fall into abelief, and they will lack the strength to survive in the cruel galaxy."

"Your race will gradually disappear, and the gods will crush all those who stray from the true faith."

“Even if I believe all of this…” Lo Jia’s voice was chilling. “I only have 100,000 warriors, which is not enough to bring light to humanity.”

The Ascended One chuckled, “As you liberate world after world, you will attract even more people.”

"From this point on, you will no longer spend years creating a perfect world for the cursed."

"You will crush resistance and bring new human believers under your command."

"You will lead them toward enlightenment; many will be trained as Legion warriors, some will become slaves deep within your warships, and others will become your followers."

Luo Jia gritted her teeth, "Why me?"

The Ascended's eyes were fixed on Logar. "Warriors of other Legions are willing to sacrifice themselves for their Primarchs, but only the Word Bearers will die for the truth, for humanity."

……

Loka returned to Sanlyasa and defeated the guardian of the Skull Throne, the Bloodthirsty King, and the Unbound Angelus. After passing the test, he lay severely wounded in the red sand.

Suddenly, a crow cawed, and a winged monster flew above him.

The ugly, strange bird, with a vulture-like head, said, “Loga.” “I bring you the chance to know the last truth.”

He was hunched over, his wings reeking of a foul odor. “Aurelian.” “I bring you the last lie you will ever hear.”

"I am Carlos," the two heads said in unison. "The mortal realm will know my other name: the Weaver of Fates."

“I am Tzeentch’s messenger, and I am bound to tell both a truth and a lie at the same time.”

"But in this great and sacred moment, it is the convergence point of everything, a fulcrum."

"This moment is crucial; the gods' endless grand game has begun, and for the first time they have united."

“What about the Unbound?” Loka demanded.

“Khorne violated the covenant, but Blood God was still bound by the oath.”

“The gods are like the originals of your people; they will wage war against one another, just as you will wage war against your brothers.”

"Conflict will always exist, and struggle is the only way to survive."

Carlos shook his withered wings, and a few bluish-black feathers drifted down.

"At the crucial moment, the great gods demanded that I speak only the truth. I have sworn to offer choices before the chosen ones of the gods."

"This time only, I will not lie, and I will not tell the truth while simultaneously accusing others of deception."

“Loga, I have brought you a choice.” Carlos’s four bright eyes revealed a serious expression.

“Speak,” Luo Jia said, struggling to her feet.

"The future is not entirely uncertain; everything will inevitably come together."

"War is inevitable for the human empire, and you will once again face one of your brothers."

“Ninglu, he stole the artifact that belonged to you,” one of Carlos’s heads said.

“Guilliman, he is a brother of hatred and contempt,” said the other head.

“This is a prophecy,” both heads said simultaneously.

"Luo Jia, you won't always be the one who loses."

"You will find strength in faith, you will find fire and passion, which will become your innate soul."

"Victory will be yours."

Four eyes gleamed. "Loga, choose, Nimrod or Guilliman."

“I’m not doing this for myself,” Loka said.

"I seek enlightenment for humanity, not for my own glory."

Carlos lowered one head, showing an odd respect. "The place where your people need you most is in Anderman."

His other head lowered. "You still have a chance. Although Ninglu is mighty, he is far from perfect."

(End of this chapter)