Chapter 20: Honor, Pride, and Brotherhood

Monge stared blankly out the window, where a dozen brilliant beams flared to life atop the building directly opposite the Corpse Guild.

A shrill detonation echoed as uncontrolled focused beams lanced into the Corpse Guild, triggering small explosions upon impact.

Laser rifles, a common imperial issue, typically standard equipment for the Stormtroopers.

But “common” is relative—on a planet like Asford, a Stormtrooper was a man above all men.

In a derelict hive district like Old Block Eight, the appearance of laser rifles could only mean:

“That bastard is Lyne Rus.”

Monge scrambled into a corner the laser rifles couldn’t reach and shouted:

“Why the hell is he shooting at us? Is he insane?”

Malkiet glanced out the window at top speed and spotted a blurred figure on a distant rooftop.

“He’s not here to help us.”

Malkiet quickly deduced:

“If I’m right, whatever he’s looking for is also inside the Corpse Guild.”

“Just by looking at the Corpse Guild’s current state, any sane person would sense something’s wrong.”

“And whatever he’s seeking probably isn’t easily damaged—or.”

Malkiet glanced at the one-meter-tall ceramic-steel safe embedded in the wall.

“Huh? Is this guy planning to burn the Corpse Guild to ash with his laser rifles, then dig out that safe from the rubble?” Monge’s eye twitched.

“Exactly. He likely doesn’t even know we’re inside.”

Malkiet nodded.

Or he knows—and he doesn’t care.

Malkiet didn’t voice that thought.

At that moment, the pale woman with half her lower leg burned off staggered to her feet.

Standing on one leg, she clutched the triangular blade and lunged at Monge.

The triangular blade’s assault was so swift,

it seemed not thought or reason but pure destructive desire controlled it.

Monge raised his rusted crimson dagger and barely blocked her strike.

Blood from his slashed wrist dripped to the floor, pooling beneath him.

“Defiled my blood, flies take flight.”

“Itch unendurable, blood feeds maggots.”

“Lord of All Decay, nurture this feast.”

A harsh, low chant spilled from Monge’s lips.

The pool of blood churned, bubbling with fine foam as dozens of dark red blood flies emerged, swarming toward the pale woman’s face.

“Aaaah!!!!”

The pale woman shrieked as the blood flies devoured her face.

Monge leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.

The wall trembled slightly; outside, focused beams flickered like stars he’d never seen.

Every one or two seconds, a dozen beams struck the Corpse Guild.

The superheated lasers triggered repeated small explosions, igniting synthetic wood and other flammable materials inside.

The building, unmaintained for a century and eroded by fungi and moss, was already fragile.

Under this relentless laser barrage, it teetered on collapse.

“Are you insane?! We’re in here!” Monge roared out the window.

Only laser beams answered him—his boss’s luxurious office desk vanished into ash.

“Shit.” Monge cursed.

“Move!” Malkiet shouted at Monge.

Thrust!!!

The triangular blade grazed Monge’s shoulder, narrowly missing his chest.

Monge stared at the pale woman, heart pounding.

The blood flies that had devoured her flesh now seemed infected, falling from her face like rain, stiffening and dying on the ground.

Her face, ravaged by flies, was more horrific than before—skin nearly gone, exposing rotting, decayed flesh.

“Jump out the window!” Malkiet spat a stream of rotting digestive fluid onto the woman.

A sizzling corrosion sound rose as Malkiet leapt out the window without looking back.

Monge hurried after him, leaping out the window too.

On the rooftop opposite the Corpse Guild,

Zhou Yun wore a psychic cap, twelve laser rifles hovering beside him, controlled by his telekinesis.

He watched as two mutants with twisted horns leapt from a shattered third-floor window of the Corpse Guild, crashing onto the ground.

A woman in a pale dress, her face gnawed, missing half her lower legs, wielding the triangular blade, followed them out the window.

She landed hard and roared like a beast.

“The stench of corruption is strong.”

The winged figure within the white light said:

“The warp’s power has shattered her brain and soul.”

“She is now a beast acting solely on the warp’s chaotic nature.”

“See? My caution was right,” Zhou Yun grinned.

He carried weapons powerful enough to reduce the Corpse Guild to rubble, yet deliberately risked himself.

Zhou Yun was not that foolish.

Back then, Horus insisted on entering the derelict ship on Daiwen Satellite to slay the traitorous Viceroy—and was corrupted by Chaos.

Behind Horus stood three full Titan machines of the Mechanicum, ready to blast the derelict ship into debris with fire and shells.

“This concerns honor. Horus would not retreat.”

The winged figure in the white light sighed:

“Daiwen’s Viceroy Tanba was once a member of the Expedition, personally chosen by Horus as Viceroy.”

“But he betrayed the Empire, betrayed Horus’s trust—so Horus had to use his own sword to punish the traitor.”

Listening to the winged figure’s words, Zhou Yun shook his head.

“Honor, pride, brotherhood.”

Zhou Yun adjusted the laser rifles’ aim with telekinesis as he spoke:

“So many things in the galaxy go wrong because of these three words.”

As his words ended, searing laser beams roared forth.

Monge scrambled to his feet, staring at the pale woman behind him, wild as a beast.

She held the triangular blade, grinning madly at Monge and Malkiet.

Monge felt suffocated, his grip tightening on the dagger—he was already considering whether to use a stronger, more dangerous spell.

Sizzzzzzz—

A detonation rang out as twelve searing beams swept past Monge’s face and struck the pale woman.

Small explosions erupted across her body, shearing off her limbs, torso, and half her skull.

The pale woman screamed, collapsing heavily, her throat emitting a guttural roar.

Seconds later, another twelve beams struck her.

This repeated several times until the pale woman was reduced to ash—and the beams ceased.

Monge stared back in shock.

There stood a figure wearing a ridiculous hat, two or three meters from the Corpse Guild’s entrance.

Zhou Yun grinned broadly and waved at Monge and Malkiet:

“Hey! Isn’t that Monge and Malkiet? What a coincidence—you’re here too?”

(End of Chapter)