Chapter 130: Why are you slapping yourself? Don

What the fuck are you sleeping for?!

Zhou Yun kicked Augustus Flax in the face while he was hungover,

Augustus Flax rolled off the crimson sofa at once, crawled up from the ground clutching his aching face—

Before he could fully rise, Zhou Yun kicked him again straight in the head.

Augustus Flax let out a pig-like scream, slammed into the wall, and couldn't stand up anymore.

"Zhou Yun." Augustus Flax gasped, staring in terror at Zhou Yun approaching.

"Don't kill me," he pleaded weakly.

Before he could beg further, Zhou Yun reached into his fourth-dimensional pocket,

and hurled the grotesque, twisted triangular head into Augustus Flax's arms.

Augustus Flax stared in horror at the alien head in his lap,

"Tiberius."

Augustus's voice was layered with pain, relief, and terror.

It was his brother's head,

his blood kin, his blood enemy, his fear.

"Hahahahahaha." Augustus Flax let out a hysterical laugh from his throat.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes as he clutched his brother's head tightly in both arms.

"Tiberius, my brother, hahahaha—I never thought our end would be the same."

Augustus Flax touched the head with a chilling tenderness, examining every detail, as if searching for traces of his brother's former humanity.

If so, dying alongside Tiberius might not be so bad—

SLAP!!!

Zhou Yun slapped Augustus Flax hard across the face,

before Augustus could react, he snatched the Hellworm's head from his arms.

"Tiberius!" Augustus Flax wailed, not knowing what Zhou Yun intended to do with the head.

"Did I say I gave it to you?" Zhou Yun stepped on Augustus Flax's shoulder and shoved the head into his fourth-dimensional pocket right before his eyes.

This head was just for Augustus Flax to see—he still needed to trade it for money.

"Kill me."

Augustus Flax rasped,

"For having driven Tiberius away and provided you with the illegal psyker unit."

"Grant me a swift death."

"A swift death is also a reward, Augustus."

Zhou Yun looked down at Augustus Flax, his tone devoid of anger, merely stating facts:

"You still don't understand. You never understand. You don't deserve rewards."

"You merely did a tiny fraction of what you were supposed to do,"

Zhou Yun glanced at the trembling Augustus Flax,

he felt no anger toward Augustus Flax,

this man truly wanted to kill him, but that meant nothing. Kill back—that's what Zhou Yun did, and he did it.

One can kill others, and must be ready to be killed in return—that's fair,

but when Zhou Yun saw Augustus Flax, drunk and passed out in the underground palace, he remembered some people,

he remembered Leina, Old One-Eye, Jeanne, the gang thugs who fought alongside the Stormtroopers in the hive and marched to death, even he remembered Mong and Marquett.

Though some took wrong paths, they all tried to save Asford,

which was Augustus Flax's duty.

Especially when Augustus Flax shamelessly begged for painless death,

when he begged for reward based on the bare minimum he was supposed to do.

How dare he?

One sip of his wine could sustain a hive gangster for a lifetime,

yet those hive gangsters—even the cowardly ones like Lag—stood on the front lines against the horde.

They never asked for anything.

Zhou Yun felt no anger or hatred toward Augustus Flax,

he simply found Augustus Flax shameless, unworthy of a swift death,

and for such shameless men, he knew a punishment.

Khorne's Chosen, the Eighth Company Master of the World Eaters, Kain, had demonstrated it once with Airebas.

He slowly reached out and seized one of Augustus Flax's arms,

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Blood gushed from Augustus Flax's shoulder,

Zhou Yun tore off his arm, gripped the stump, and held the palm facing Augustus Flax. "Stand up." Zhou Yun looked down at Augustus Flax, speaking calmly.

Augustus Flax dared not disobey; he trembled and slowly rose from the ground,

he stared fixedly at Zhou Yun, expecting to see anger, hatred, blame in his eyes,

but there was none—only calmness, composure. Zhou Yun even sighed lightly.

SLAP!!!!!!

Another slap struck Augustus Flax's face,

his own palm slapped his own face—Zhou Yun used his severed arm as a weapon.

Augustus Flax stumbled and collapsed against the wall.

"Oh dear!"

Zhou Yun said in a mocking tone,

"Why are you slapping yourself? Don't be so self-reproachful!"

Augustus Flax gasped, staring up at Zhou Yun in disbelief.

Pain—burning, searing pain—and humiliation overwhelmed him; Augustus Flax broke into sobs.

"Stand up." Zhou Yun said again, still waiting.

!. ead

Augustus Flax trembled to his feet, trying to run—

but Zhou Yun gave him no chance,

he swung Augustus Flax's severed arm again, slapping it across his face.

Augustus Flax collapsed, trembling, onto the ground.

Zhou Yun swung the severed arm, slapping him again and again across the face.

"Stand up." Zhou Yun said once more.

Augustus Flax struggled to rise,

he thought he had accepted death—but now fear of death returned, swift and overwhelming, greater than all he'd endured in decades.

He knelt, sobbing, hugging his knees.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Augustus Flax screamed.

Zhou Yun sighed deeply.

"Then why are you slapping yourself in guilt?" Zhou Yun swung Augustus Flax's severed arm.

Captain Kaelen watched the horrifying scene before him,

Augustus Flax—undoubtedly, the pile of flesh before him was Augustus Flax,

it was a mass of ruined meat, bones shattered, flesh pounded to pulp, skin nearly vanished.

The weapon that caused this—Captain Kaelen looked at the severed arm lying beside the pile of flesh,

it was Augustus Flax's own severed arm, the end now a bloody, unrecognizable mess.

Clearly, someone had used Augustus Flax's own severed arm to beat him into this pulp,

what terrified Captain Kaelen most was that he was still alive!

Augustus Flax was still alive! Even reduced to this, he was still alive!

The one who did this must have been excruciatingly patient, inch by inch, beating Augustus Flax into this state while avoiding fatal wounds.

But Augustus Flax wouldn't live long—such grievous wounds meant he would die slowly, bit by bit, feeling every moment of his life ebb away.

Augustus Flax's half-exposed eyeballs stared fixedly at Captain Kaelen,

Captain Kaelen understood—he was begging for mercy, for death.

But—

"My orders from the Chapter Master are to bring you back alive."

Captain Kaelen said coldly,

he looked around at the piles of empty bottles and rotting fruit, realizing how decadent the Viceroy's life had been underground,

while Cadia and Asford people died before the horde,

Captain Kaelen knew Augustus Flax would not survive—he wouldn't even last until their evacuation from Asford.

But Captain Kaelen absolutely respected that man's wishes—the man who had killed the Worm of the Underworld and saved Brother Afore.

Let Augustus Flax experience the slow sensation of death.

He found a sack nearby and, with another battle brother, carefully stuffed Augustus Flax into it, then slung it over his shoulder and carried it away.

Thus bearing Augustus Flax, he began the withdrawal.

Captain Kaelen could already hear the swarm approaching.

Zhou Yun stood atop a high tower outside the palace, gazing up at the chitinous ocean surging before him.

The swarm knew his location and began its hunt.

But Zhou Yun was not alone; the hunters were not only the Hive Mind.

"For the Emperor! For Saint Guilliman!!"

Roars echoed from the sky as armored warriors in black suits with red markings descended from the clouds on personal jetpacks.

Instantly, the air filled with the roar of flames and the hum of chainswords.

Then came the furious, mad roars:

"Brothers! Let the traitors witness how the Sons of Saint Guilliman crush these blasphemers who defile Terra!!!!"

Captain Kaelen, having withdrawn from the palace, also saw this sight.

Both Zhou Yun and he knew: reinforcements had arrived.

The instant the black-armored warriors landed, blood sprayed through the tide of aliens; the black-armored warriors became a furious black tide, punishing the blasphemous aliens.

"Death Company," Zhou Yun whispered.

(End of Chapter)