Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 335: No downsides?

"Glorious legendary warriors!" Doom roared, his piercing gaze sweeping across the warriors' weathered faces as he called upon them: "The shadow of war once again hangs over the human race."

"It could even be said that it has never dissipated; the starry sky on which humanity depends for survival is always shrouded in the dark shadow of war."

"Chaos lurks in the shadows, watching; aliens breed on the borders of humanity. New and old enemies, like stubborn weeds that cannot be eradicated, threaten us at all times..."

“Please wait a moment,” a veteran stepped forward.

He was no longer young and brave; his neck was like a withered tree with wrinkled bark, and his voice, like a broken bellows, hoarsely interrupted the king's speech: "We are old bones now, our passion is gone, and we can't listen to any grand narratives."

Doom raised his hand, signaling the Night Guard to relax and not to criticize the veteran's speech or interrupt his own.

The veterans' words resonated with many; they were living legends who had heard King Norwick's countless declarations of war, and their hearts were now as calm as still water.

“Young King Norwick, you needn’t be so reserved.” The old soldier looked relaxed, a weary smile appearing on his wrinkled face. “Just state your intentions, and we’re all ears.”

"If the Norwick family still has any needs and wants to take anything from us, please just say so. What can these old bones of ours still do?"

The veterans nodded in agreement; what the old soldier said was absolutely true.

When they were young and strong, they also made a vow to guard and pledge allegiance to the Nur and Novik royal families.

Limited by their physiological functions, the increasingly frail soldiers gradually left the battlefield to enjoy the rest of their lives in peace.

But as his colleagues said, if the Norwick family needed anything, they could take it from them.

“Not the Norwick family,” Doom whispered, shaking his head. “It was entirely at my personal request.”

His words caused an uproar among the veterans, and hesitation appeared in their resolute eyes.

For thousands of years, the Night Guard has served the Norwick family, regarding loyalty to the supreme honor of the royal family as paramount, and all their actions are based on royal orders.

The current King of Norwick's words left some veterans puzzled, while others understood, their expressions subtly changing as they quietly took a step back.

They vaguely understood that the young Doom Norwick was going to recruit a force in his own name.

It's nearly impossible to get young people to leave the Night Watch system and abandon their oath of loyalty. It will require respected elders to persuade the younger generation and build a new army.

“That’s impossible.” The veteran’s face hardened as he stared directly at the imposing figure on the platform, firmly rejecting Doom’s offer: “We are the Night Watch, and unity is the source of our strength.”

"King Novik, the people of Nur will never be divided!" The old warrior's voice trembled. "You can designate some warriors to carry out special missions, but you must never give them new titles."

"Our rights are clearly defined in the laws of the Guardian Domain. We have the right to refuse your attempt to split the Night Guardians."

"Yes, we will not support you."

"The Night Watch will never split."

"Tradition is our strength."

The arena was packed with people, and the legendary warriors spoke up, rejecting King Norwick's offer.

“No.” Doom’s voice was deep and resonant, calming the clamor below, as he explained to the veterans, “You’re mistaken. I have no intention of separating the Night Watch.”

Unity is the foundation of the Dark Guard; how could he possibly destroy his own Great Wall?

The young men are officially assigned to the Night Guard, while the veterans have left the guard service and are now essentially unemployed.

Hearing that King Norwick had no intention of reorganizing the troops, the veterans breathed a sigh of relief. If Doom insisted on going his own way, no one could stop him.

With their biggest concern gone, they looked much more relaxed and adopted a listening-only demeanor.

Doom gave the order through the telepathic link, and Hippocrates carried the cryogenic safe up to the platform, whereupon Phoenix appeared.

Amid the puzzled looks of the elderly audience, Phoenix removed his black helmet with gold accents, revealing his handsome face with golden eyes.

"Felix?" An uncertain exclamation arose. Someone recognized the junior, yet found it unbelievable.

The veterans were unprepared; the tall warrior in black armor had once been a member of the Night Guard.

The reason is unclear, but the dramatic changes in Phoenix are clearly beyond their comprehension. They don't know what their successors have gone through to cause such a drastic change.

"In the Void Battlefield, a molten metal bomb nearly destroyed him."

A holographic projection popped up at the sidelines, showing Phoenix with most of his torso gone, making survival almost impossible. Doom explained Phoenix's transformation, walked to the cryogenic chamber, and took out a gene seed, saying, "But he was reborn!"

"Seniors, this is a gene seed." He held the gene seed high, and it emitted an amber light in the morning light, as if hope had arrived: "It can reshape your body and soul, allowing you to return to your peak, and even gain power beyond your past."

boom! ! ! !

The aged warriors in the arena, overwhelmed by the immense impact, lost their composure before the royal family.

Regain a youthful body? Possess peak combat power!

The once-silent chests of legends, the weakened hearts of the warriors pounding, a question surfacing in their minds—can I fight again?

Their aged faces flushed with a rosy hue, their hunched backs straightened, and their eyes shone with intense light as they stared at the gene seed.

However, the soldiers quickly calmed down in the face of the temptation to relive their youth.

As legendary warriors, veterans have endured the hardships and trials of the battlefield. Age has weakened them, but it has also given them experience and wisdom.

There is no such thing as a free lunch; everything in exchange comes at a price.

"Cough cough..." A short cough broke the silence, and a white-haired, gaunt soldier stepped out of the crowd.

Due to severely impaired eyesight, the old soldier could only squint and look up at the king, a ventilator hanging from his chest, as he asked breathlessly, "Then, my king, what is the price?"

He asked the key question.

“Elder Astram.” Doom nodded in respect; the old man was a champion swordsman, older than Harlan.

With deep respect, Doom truthfully stated, "On Terra, billions of people were tested, but only 1,030 warriors survived. Failure meant total annihilation."

"Success rate is one aspect. When the test is successful, the vitality is transformed again. Along with the power comes a curse that is eternally at odds with the gods."

"Therefore, given such a high risk, I cannot force you to do so." Doom's voice was utterly sincere: "Whether you accept the gene seed and return to the endless war is entirely up to you."

After Doom finished speaking, the veterans understood.

King Norwick offers an opportunity to rebuild his body and return to the battlefield; the choice is entirely up to him.

The old men, having left the Night Watch organization and no longer subject to the law, are in accordance with the principle of non-division.

Although regaining youth is tempting, many soldiers showed hesitation and contemplation in their eyes.

Seeing the hesitation and contemplation, Doom was neither surprised nor blaming; he couldn't ask the veteran to accept his fate.

They are legends of the past, and in some large and prosperous families, they are highly respected as clan leaders, representing the family's long-standing heritage.

After all, a success rate of one thousand to ten billion is terrifying, like an insurmountable chasm standing in front of you, swallowing up any侥幸心理 (a sense of wishful thinking or侥幸心理).

"There are many advantages, but are there any disadvantages?"

As everyone hesitated and considered, the words, tinged with doubt, struck like a hammer blow, making them involuntarily turn their heads to look.

“Death is eternal peace to me,” Astram said, tapping the respirator on his chest and coughing a few times. His withered voice trembled rapidly. “I have lived such a humiliating life. I was once invincible on the battlefield, but now I live on a piece of equipment. Every night when I close my eyes, I wish I would never wake up.”

"Now, I will seize this slim chance, even if it means being cursed forever, to return to the battlefield with glory."

“My King.” Under the watchful eyes of his colleagues, he straightened his hunched back and once again performed the warrior’s salute: “Please allow me to leave temporarily to return and bid farewell to my wife’s grave and my family.”

Doom readily agreed, even though this departure might be his last. He told the veterans, "Gather at the Ring of Healing Temple in a week. Phoenix will take care of the rest."

Astram turned and left, his carefree act inspiring many.

As the figure slowly disappeared into the distance, words drifted in the cool morning breeze: "Opportunity knocks but once."

Those who were interested could not resist any longer. After performing the warrior's salute, they hurriedly left to bid farewell to their families for the journey with the extremely low probability of returning.

Some people looked conflicted, wanting to live and die with their brothers, yet unable to completely let go of the present.

They bowed to the platform in apology, saying they had responsibilities and could not participate, and offered their blessings to their old friends: "May King Norwick protect you."

(End of this chapter)