Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 243 A Deviation of Fate
“I have never been a general or commander; I am merely the son of a blacksmith.” Vulcan was not ashamed of his status; rather, he used this as a reason to refuse the Emperor's invitation.
He raised his dark, large hand and pointed to the square directly outside the window, where the spirit race's spirits could be vaguely seen among the crowd: "Faced with invaders, I choose to protect them, rather than conquer them with violence like a general or a warrior."

"I am a blacksmith, specializing in blacksmithing and forging. I use violence for protection."

Vulcan shook his head, reiterating his identity in a firm tone that he was unwilling to join the Empire's expedition.

Doom remained silent; he was not suited to be a persuader and respected his brother's choice.

Forcing a Primarch who has no desire to fight onto a battlefield he despises will have unimaginable consequences and impacts.

“Vulcan,” the Emperor called to his son again, his tone now more solemn: “When judgment comes, no one can remain uninvolved and play their part in the final outcome.”

“I am your father, who created you and your brother to conquer the galaxy and gave you different roles.”

“You are different from your brothers. They may be good at war, skilled in strategy, and have conquered world after world, but they need your guidance.”

The Emperor’s eyes burned with intensity, his words piercing Vulcan’s soul: “You possess a unique quality—humanity.”

"When your brother brings destruction and trauma, your humanity and the actions of the Eighteenth Legion will serve as a lesson for them."

After listening to the Emperor's words, Vulcan remained silent, staring at the flickering fire in the hearth for a long time.

Within the quiet psionic barrier, only deathly silence and the crackling of the hearth fire awaited Vulcan's answer.

This is a choice that requires careful consideration before making; it is a crucial decision concerning one's future destiny.

"Sir, our reconnaissance ship has clashed with human civilization in the Eastern End Star Region."

As Doom was adding firewood to the fire, Sophia's figure popped out from the left arm armor, reporting the obstacles the scout ship had encountered.

The rational female voice drew the attention of the three, who turned to look at the suspended woman.

Doom stood up and gave his brother a regretful smile: "I have to go now. We'll have to talk again later."

He needed to understand the seriousness of the situation; unless it was urgent, Sophia wouldn't contact him on her own initiative.

The Emperor also rose, his face extremely serious, and asked Doum in a low voice, "Could it be Randan?"

He knew that Doom had been wandering the void in recent years, searching for Randan and trying to find the alien homeworld.

The Empire strictly forbids conflict with the Nur fleet, and the nature of the Randan is enslavement and manipulation; controlling humans is easy for them.

"It shouldn't be," Doom shook his head in denial. The possibility of discovering Randan was very small; the reconnaissance ship on its long journey had most likely encountered a lost civilization.

Moreover, it was a powerful, lost civilization.

He had to leave; even if the other side was a human civilization, a prolonged separation would lead to conflict.

The focus of the Nur Star System now is on Randan, and conflict with human civilization is being avoided as much as possible.

Vulcan also stood up, his gaze shifting between his brother and father, a conversation between two close relatives that he both understood and couldn't comprehend.

He couldn't understand what was happening in the distant starry sky, something that seemed to relate to a grand war.

What is Ran Dan? It seems to be a major enemy of the human empire, which is why the emperor is paying so much attention to it.

After careful consideration, the black giant could no longer remain calm. His father's words and his brother's anxiety were urging him to make a decision.

"Take me with you." In the end, Vulcan accepted the destiny given to him by the Emperor and chose to set foot in the stars.

Even though he knew that he might not return for a long time, he still resolutely embarked on the journey.

Doom and the Emperor saw the determination in his eyes; once he made a decision, he wouldn't go back on it. Vulcan was kind but decisive; indecisiveness was not his nature. The two nodded silently and left the room, leaving Vulcan and his foster father alone.

The Emperor raised his arm slightly and, amidst the worship of the Nocturne people, took the cage that imprisoned the Dark Spirit Clan's witch spirit in his hand.

"What do you want to do to her?" Doom's eyes swept over her, and Wuling dared not look the Emperor in the eye, trembling in the cage like a fish about to die of thirst.

The Emperor shook his head, picked up the alien woman in the cage, and explained, "I have no interest in her. I want to give her to Makado as a gift. He needs someone to confide in."

Doom's eyes were filled with pity as he swept over the pitiful Eldar, whose future held no light, only madness and insanity.

Makado's dark secrets have driven many "friends" mad, and those who confided in him have all fallen into madness and insanity.

After a while, Vulcan emerged from his home carrying a warhammer and the baggage prepared by his foster father, nodding to the two waiting for him.

The emperor raised his finger to the sky, and a golden light shot out from his fingertip, piercing through the thick volcanic ash and allowing sunlight to reappear on the earth.

The mortals knelt down in worship once more, praising the miraculous feat and proclaiming the greatness of the Lord of mankind.

Seeing this, Doom understood where faith came from.

With the emperor manifesting his divine power in the galaxy and possessing a thousand different psychic disguises, it's hard for people not to regard him as a god!
"I think you'd better tone it down a bit," he advised the emperor, or perhaps it was a warning.

"I am not a god," the emperor emphasized again, revealing his human identity.

Vulcan overheard their conversation, but he made no comment, keeping it in mind for future reference.

The shuttle descended from the light hole in the sky like a golden eagle, carrying golden sunlight, as if a divine eagle had descended from heaven.

Mortals will remember this sacred moment: the Lord of Mankind descended upon Nocturne and took away his extraordinary son.

Back in space, Doom hurriedly bid farewell to Vulcan: "Brother, forgive my hasty departure. There is important intelligence in the distant stars that requires my decision."

“Brother, we have plenty of time in the future, there’s no need to rush now.” Vulcan embraced Doom, understanding his brother’s urgency with heartfelt goodwill.

Instead, he urged his brother to leave quickly: "Please hurry up, the future of billions of lives may require your decision."

"We may meet again when my fleet is resting." Doom patted his brother on the shoulder, exchanged a glance with the Emperor, and then turned and hurriedly left.

After boarding the shuttle and leaving the Emperor's Dream, we headed to the Royal Majesty and immediately set sail for the distant frontier of the Eastern End Star Region.

The spaceship entered subspace to rendezvous with the Nur fleet.

Deep within the warp, the will of the gods lingers outside the crystal labyrinth, for fate has gone awry.

"Doom has found Primarch Thirteen and is on his way to contact him. Aren't you going to give an explanation?"

The Blood God's roar shattered the warp storm, and his will surrounded the crystal labyrinth, demanding an explanation from the Lord of Fate.

Originally, the next Primarch to be found by the Lord of Humanity was supposed to be Number Seven, followed by Number Thirteen.

“Heh heh heh heh” From the depths of the crystal labyrinth came a chilling, eerie laugh, full of pleasure and joy: “Fate is not immutable; it is composed of countless factors and is constantly changing.”

“Every twist and turn in it is wonderfully beautiful, and the vast constant continues to extend, eventually leading to the inevitable result.”

The Lord of Change screamed with excitement. Doom's hollow destiny influenced the course of others' fates, gradually causing predetermined destinies to deviate.

(I'm very tired. That's all for today. I'll try to write three chapters tomorrow.)
(End of this chapter)