Chapter 443: Kaul: That

Steam hummed, machinery trembled like thunder, and this colossal void vessel proclaimed its presence in this way, telling the tiny humans within that they were inside the body of the Explorer-King of the Mechanized Ark.

It also seemed like a mighty Tibetan mastiff leaping endlessly through the void, displaying its agile form to its master.

Theoretically, his master was Belisarius Dora Kaul, but Zhou Yun sensed the Explorer-King's exaggerated yet not offensive reverence.

This reverence was very much in Kaul's style.

Zhou Yun wasn't sure whether it was merely the machine-soul acting like a master, or whether Kaul had acquired some forbidden hateful intelligence technology—recently, he had sent Zhou Yun, Guilliman, and Sanguinius each a so-called inferior Kaul.

Kaul claimed these tiny technological constructs mimicking his own thoughts were merely automated response devices, possessing no true intelligence and thus not classified as hateful intelligence.

But all three agreed the thing was pure hateful intelligence.

BOOM!

Knight mechs blared the war horn's call; twenty-two massive Nuhe-class Patrol Knights stood beneath the towering mechanical dome of the Explorer-King, painted red and metallic blue, their colossal weapons raised high in martial postures.

As one of the largest ships in the galaxy, the Mechanized Ark could house an entire Knight family, plus countless factories, servitors, Adeptus Ministorum, and machine soldiers.

Kaul's reputation and his need to host Dora A-Meng and the Primarchs led him to claim these twenty-two Nuhe-class Patrol Knights from the Tarannic Knight Family—nearly half of the family's entire fleet.

Kaul had always been flamboyant and boisterous, yet his taste was hard to criticize; Zhou Yun watched these robust Knight mechs with keen interest.

In his past life, when he was still a newbie Hammerite, he had agonized over whether to join the Tyranids, World Eaters, or Knights—mainly because World Eaters and Knights were cheaper.

But Kaul's welcome stirred some tension among others.

"If Belisarius Kaul wished, he could activate his weapons and annihilate us right now," said Gabriel Seth, Warlord of the Flesh Ripper Chapter, current Eighth Company Captain of the Dora A-Meng Chapter, and one of Dora's Twenty-Two Chosen.

Zhou Yun had taken this Flesh Ripper Warlord from Sanguinius, appointed him Eighth Company Captain of the Dora A-Meng Chapter, and integrated the surviving veterans of the Flesh Ripper Chapter after the Battle of Baal; Seth also served as Zhou Yun's bodyguard, one of the Twenty-Two Dora Chosen.

Zhou Yun specifically requested Seth not merely for his combat prowess,

but because of Seth's mouth—he had a knack for unintentionally dropping devastating truths.

The funniest part was that many of Seth's revelations were genuinely true.

Every time Seth spoke, Zhou Yun felt his own words sounded forced.

His current power armor remained the same dark red as before, only the left shoulder painted metallic blue.

"He could kill us all, clean and complete," Seth muttered, frowning at the twenty-two Knights.

"Your gene-father once toppled an Emperor-class Titan during the Siege of Terra."

On Zhou Yun's other side, an Astartes clad in red power armor similar to Seth's, his left shoulder likewise painted metallic blue, spoke up.

This Astartes wore a heavy, peculiar hood, his face and helm entirely concealed, revealing no features.

He was, in truth, Khorne's Chosen, the Traitor Kaen.

Not long ago, to find and avenge Airebas, he had secretly infiltrated Terra.

But the Alpha Legionnaire Neso, who helped him infiltrate Terra, betrayed him without hesitation.

Now he swore fealty to Zhou Yun, so long as Zhou Yun would lead him to avenge Airebas.

Zhou Yun did not trust Kaen's loyalty—he was, after all, a Traitor.

But Zhou Yun believed in Kaen's hatred, for Airebas had slain his Chain-Brother Anger Tai.

Now, hiding his identity, he became Zhou Yun's bodyguard, one of the Twenty-Two Dora Chosen.

Today happened to be the day Kaen and Seth were on duty together.

"And Dora A-Meng, called the Primordial Power, the Source of All Mechanical Power—Knights are clearly mechanical." Kaen glanced at Seth and added, ""

"But what about Robert Guilliman?" Seth replied without hesitation.

"..." Kaen fell silent, stunned, unable to speak.

Zhou Yun's expression twitched involuntarily.

Guilliman's lips drooped for an instant—Seth's voice was quiet, too low for mortals or even Astartes at this distance to hear, but Guilliman was a Primarch.

After a silence, Kaen broke the awkward air, though Seth himself remained oblivious.

"Do you know Nasir Ammit? Captain of the Fifth Company of the Blood Angels?" Kaen asked, glancing at Seth.

Nasir Ammit of the Flesh Rippers, one of the original members of the Ninth Legion, was transformed from a pre-variant on Terra; like other Ghoul-kin of the Ninth Legion, he was savage, cruel, bloodthirsty, and often devoured flesh.

Even after Sanguinius returned, Nasir Ammit remained one of the few warriors who still clung to his former savage ways, living like a World Eater with a Flesh-Nail.

During the Great Crusade, he was one of the famed champions of the World Eaters' duel pits, having forged friendships with Kaen, Sigismund, Anger Tai, and Lokon; even established a Chain-Brother bond with Kaen's apothecary, Kagos.

But after the Heresy, Nasir Ammit's attitude toward his former friends Kaen, Kagos, and Anger Tai had shrunk to only one phrase: "Shit, traitor."

Beyond his savagery, Nasir Ammit was most famous for his mouth.

He had accused Horus of deceiving Sanguinius before Horus openly rebelled.

During the Siege of Terra, he addressed Kaen, Kagos, and other former friends only with: "Shit, traitor."

After Guilliman split the Astartes Legions, he declared Guilliman no different from Horus, calling him "Butcher."

Most infuriatingly, though Nasir Ammit's words were hateful, they were almost always true.

Seth gave Kaen a strange look—he didn't know who this sudden stranger was, but hoped he wasn't some traitor or turncoat.

"Nasir Ammit was the founding Warlord of the Flesh Rippers, our ancestor."

Seth replied:

"My gene-seed traces directly back to Warlord Nasir Ammit."

"No wonder. That explains it. That explains it." Kaen nodded, as if finally understanding why Seth's mouth was so devastating.

Seth's mouth and his blunt hatred of Guilliman were identical to Nasir Ammit's.

Kaen's gaze toward Seth softened instantly, as if seeing an old friend.

Though Nasir Ammit was savage and his mouth hateful,

Kaen admitted he was an exceptional warrior—fighting him was a rare pleasure. Once, on a desert world, they dueled under the guise of sparring until both lay grievously wounded—it was glorious.

Kaen even thought Nasir Ammit was better suited to be Khorne's Chosen and Champion than he was.

Why wasn't he? Had the Blood God failed to corrupt him?

Had He corrupted Ammit, Sigismund, Lokon, even Dorn and Sanguinius during the Heresy, Kaen and his allies would have faced far less resistance.

Recently, with Zhou Yun and Laum's help, Kaen had learned to suppress the rage from the Flesh-Nail; for the first time in ages, his mind was clear, and he began reviewing why the Heresy had failed.

Blood God, Blood God, why couldn't you try harder?

Kaen thought, slightly frustrated.

At that moment, the Knights stepped aside with earth-shaking strides, clearing a path for the Imperial delegation.

The delegation's prestige was extraordinary.

Besides Zhou Yun and his two bodyguards,

all twelve High Lords were present, including the Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard, Trajan, who gazed around in bewilderment, unaware of their purpose; except for Trajan, Mo Wen, and Fadix, the other nine High Lords showed clear fear—after all, the Mechanized Ark's environment was truly harsh.

The Rationalist Historians' Chapter was also present, tasked with recording everything about to unfold—this was their first major mission.

Then came the two Primarchs and their retinues, including key Warlords, Captains, and Librarians from both parent and successor Chapters.

This gathering equaled the Empire's highest echelon—no wonder Seth worried about security—only recently, the Iron Ring had fallen on Mars.

But Zhou Yun actually hoped Airebas would attack; he had come along partly to lure Airebas, for the Explorer-King's power was unmatched.

Kaul's accumulated Titans, war machines, and Knights from ten thousand years were all here; the two Primarchs were present; the Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard, the Grand Mistress of the Adepta Sororitas, and the Master of the Assassins were all here; elite warriors from every Chapter were present.

And here was also packed...

"Who are these weapons for?" Seth suddenly asked.

The delegation was now passing rows of equipment deliberately displayed for them.

Fighters, tanks, ground mechs, small void ships—countless war machines lay before them, all brand-new, many even rare new designs.

And power armor—thousands of suits were displayed, all designed for Astartes, all brand-new, enough to equip several Chapters.

"Who are these power armors for?" Seth's voice grew tense—he sensed something.

"My friends, my brothers, my sons, my nephews, and my other Imperial colleagues."

At that moment, Guilliman spoke slowly, his face solemn and sacred:

"The moment of revelation is at hand."

"This is what I've hidden from you all—please do not blame me for it."

"You're not the first to hide and deceive us," Seth muttered under his breath.

(End of Chapter)