Chapter 460: Taifengsi: Mota

The Blood God's figure vanished in the dim yellow sky; He had promised aid to Erebus, but the form of that aid displeased Erebus.

It was indeed a potent force, but reaching the planet Herosima where Erebus dwelled would take time.

Erebus had no desire to abandon Herosima now and journey to the location of that aid.

Beneath his feet, this planet had been forged, sacrificed, and enchanted by Him, transformed into a monstrous planetary weapon, teeming with demons and dominated by four Chaos beasts bred from four sacrifices.

To forge this planet, Erebus had spent most of his accumulated resources over ten thousand years and consumed vast divine gifts from the gods.

Even an Primarch setting foot upon this world and stepping into Erebus's trap would gain nothing.

He only needed to wait here, until Saint Doraemon himself stepped onto the planet Herosima, and then trap him there.

After that, he would wait for Lu Se and Taifengsi to meet and retrieve that object.

Then he would summon back the fallen angels scattered across the galaxy, gathering them together, and lead them here.

Such a massive gathering of fallen angels would inevitably draw the Rock Fortress of the Dark Angels—and upon that fortress lay what Erebus needed.

Hmm. Once Saint Doraemon is trapped on this planet, I will summon the aid promised by the Blood God, and together with Lu Xiusi's Emperor's Children warband, guard this system against the Empire's rescue forces.

In Erebus's view, the difficulty of this plan lay in holding back the Empire's reinforcements, resisting the attacks of two Primarchs, and possibly even accounting for the Plague God's side.

This depends on Lu Se moving swiftly—if he returns with that object, brings back enough fallen angels in time, and draws the Rock Fortress, Erebus's plan will be unstoppable; the one will be sent directly back to the past, to the altar, to receive bloody sacrifices and ascend as a god in bygone days.

At the edge of the Eye of Terror, now a churning sea of warp currents,

this domain, twisted, profane, brimming with arcane power, raged; profane flies swarmed through the tides of Chaos, the stench of decay filled the air, and the grotesque Endship loomed in the void.

This profane flagship had been forged in the lunar shipyards, far larger and more powerful than its peers, yet also heavier and slower.

The Emperor had granted this colossal vessel to the Dusk Raiders Legion, a legion that later gained a louder and more cursed name—the Death Guard.

This dread ship was the flagship of Nurgle's Chosen, Taifengsi, corrupted by the boundless profane power of the Father of Plagues into a grotesque, twisted form; since the Great Betrayal, it had committed countless atrocities, even destroying the Glory Queen-class battleship Emperor's Shadow of the Raven Guard.

Now, ten thousand years later, the vessel had grown even more hideous, as the vile destroyer plague spread relentlessly across its profane hull.

Ancient corridors were coated in brownish rust, fissures choked with rotting, stinking fungi, floors littered with pus-filled blisters and diseased grayish membranes; every few steps, Lu Se saw a distorted human face fused with the ship's hull, grinning with rotten, misshapen teeth.

They were the former crew of the Endship, now trapped and fused with the vessel.

Lu Se waved his hand gently, dispersing the flies diving toward him; the fallen angels beside him simply swung their blades and slew the giant insects, each as large as a human head.

"Don't be so brutal, my brothers."

"They are my friend's pets—we are guests."

Lu Se said to the brothers gathered around him, whom he had once again summoned.

In recent days, using the power granted by that being—the ability to move through shadows—he had followed Erebus's prophecy and the guidance within his blood, gathering fallen angels to his side; now he commanded nearly a warband's strength.

Of course, this was still far from enough; half the Legion once stationed on Caliban had been swept into the tides of Chaos, scattered across the galaxy; according to Erebus's calculations, Lu Se needed to gather at least twenty to thirty thousand fallen angels—Legion-scale numbers.

Among the dozen or so fallen angels accompanying Lu Se, some showed dissatisfaction at his rebuke.

"He is your brother, Lu Se—not ours."

A warrior clad in black armor, bearing the Mark of the Fearwing, muttered:

"You promised us redemption, you promised the resurrection of the Primarch, you promised to cleanse the sins we committed—that is why we followed you."

"I hope what you are doing now is tied to that."

"Of course, my brother," Lu Se nodded gently, whispering to the warrior: "All of this is for the Lion, for Caliban."

"We came here to find Caliban's sister."

The phrase "Caliban's sister" left all the fallen angels confused.

Caliban was the homeworld of the Dark Angels—how could a planet have a sister?

But Lu Se only smiled silently, leading the fallen angels to the Endship's bridge.

Upon the command throne sat Taifengsi, Lu Se's friend from the Great Crusade era, of the Fourteenth Legion.

Had he not been oozing pus, his body bloated, swarms of flies and maggots constantly emerging from his flesh, Lu Se might have embraced him more gladly.

But more captivating than his friend was the asteroid, hovering high above the bridge, as large as a mountain.

Yet that asteroid was alive—composed entirely of unknown flesh, pulsing like a heart.

Lu Se could feel its power.

"I never thought I'd see you again, Lu Se," Taifengsi twisted his head toward him. "You look well."

"Taifengsi, you…" Lu Se hesitated. "You don't look well."

Not only because Taifengsi was covered in rot, but because his body bore grotesque wounds and scorch marks.

Taifengsi's expression twisted violently.

That bastard Mota'rian used him as a battle standard, fine—but then he set him on fire? What a beast.

"Mota'rian betrayed me."

Taifengsi growled.

"He used heretical means to corrupt the Father, leading Him astray, making Him worship a heresy."

". fft." Several fallen angels beside Lu Se couldn't help laughing.

Whether it was Mota'rian betraying Taifengsi or the Father believing in a heresy—it was absurdly funny.

Even Lu Se fell silent; he couldn't quite grasp Taifengsi's logic.

Mota'rian was his father, his Primarch—Taifengsi condemning Mota'rian for betrayal, Lu Se could understand; he himself had done similar foolish things.

But Taifengsi condemning the Father, accusing his own god of being misled into heresy? That was too abstract.

"Cut to the chase."

Taifengsi heard the laughter, his tone darkened: "I took great risks coming here. Even if Erebus promised that Tzeentch would veil my fate, even if the Plague Heart can partially conceal my movements, my risk remains immense."

I took great risks coming here; even if Airebas promised that Anji would conceal my fate, and even if the Plague Heart could partially mask my movements, my risks remain immense.

Taifengsi pointed to the pulsing mass of flesh hovering above him.

Lu Se's lips curled into a smile.

Though called the Plague Heart, this artifact was not a creation of the Father's power, but a strange relic discovered by the Death Guard on a demonic world, possessing extraordinary power; for a long time, even Taifengsi did not know its true nature.

But Lu Se had learned from Erebus the Plague Heart's essence—it was one of the Three Artifacts forged by the Old Ones.

The Plague Heart, the Tuchulcha Engine, and the Ouroboros.

The Plague Heart had been discovered by Taifengsi after the Great Betrayal and remained in his possession ever since.

The Tuchulcha Engine was found by Leman Russ during the Great Betrayal and now rests upon the Rock.

The Ouroboros has always been with the Dark Angels.

The day the Three Artifacts reunite is the day of atonement.

Erebus knelt upon the altar, feeling the planet's pulse.

Crystals sprouted from the earth, twisting into a labyrinth of eerie forms; bird-like beasts made of shattered mirrors crawled endlessly.

Plague spread through the forests; rotten fruits hung from the branches of colossal trees; mushroom-shaped beasts growled, dispersing spores.

In the opulent bedchamber, incense of various drugs filled the air; a monstrous beast with a bull's head and serpent's body moaned with seductive allure.

Finally, a hundred-armed, twisted giant loomed over a sea of corpses and blood, thirsting for slaughter.

Come soon… come soon… my new master.

Erebus bowed devoutly before the eight-pointed star upon the altar.

Of its eight points, four now glowed, one flickered uncertainly, and the other three remained dark and unclaimed.

This was largely because the gods must be born in sequence—it was fate, an inevitable truth no being could prevent.

Corruption and Decay, Mindless Slaughter, Hellstorm, Ecstatic Perception,

Destruction and Erosion, Malicious Craft, Greedy Dissolution, Unfixed Distortion.

Each god has its order, each god its place.

But now, the seat of Destruction and Erosion is occupied by the Emperor—he holds it yet never became a god; the owners of the other three seats will never be born.

But now, Erebus seized this chance—the chance to set the Eight-Pointed Star of Chaos in motion.

Come soon… come soon… my new master—

At that moment, Erebus lifted his head in ecstatic joy.

He felt it—his master had arrived.

A wooden door, pink-tinged red, appeared on the planet Herosima, though far from Erebus.

The door clicked open, and a round hand reached out, holding—

"Dang dang dang dang!"

"Earth-Breaking Bomb!"

(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)