Chapter 488: Centaur, Golden Ring

Sha Luo Jin slashed once, severing Aribas's head clean off.

This was completely beyond Aribas's expectations.

Lu Xiusi, a Charnal Chosen who had clashed with Sha Luo Jin multiple times and nearly died at his hands, had once detailed to Aribas everything he knew about Sha Luo Jin.

In Lu Xiusi's account, Sha Luo Jin had defeated him twice only through dishonorable ambushes and sniping.

Aribas had believed Lu Xiusi's lies, because Lu Xiusi's swordplay was indeed formidable—defeating him head-on without trickery was extremely difficult.

Besides, how could a mere mortal Astrote, without any divine blessing, reach the pinnacle in sniping, stealth, and swordsmanship all at once?

There really was such a fucking person!!!

Aribas's flying head cursed Lu Xiusi as a traitor.

Lu Xiusi had clearly concealed the truth out of vanity—Sha Luo Jin's victory over him was likely not ambush or sniping, but direct swordsmanship.

In midair, Aribas's head tilted, flickered, and in an instant, the decapitated figure became another Chaos Daemonic Wrestling Eagle-Man.

One more of Aribas's blue bird-tattoos vanished, leaving only five remaining.

"Bilak! Save me!"

"Only I know how to elevate Saint Doraemon—if I die, you'll be a slave for eternity!"

"Save me or lick Abaddon's feet—choose for yourself!!!"

Aribas roared at Bilak, who was trying to open the door.

Bilak's expression flickered—he had to admit Aribas was right.

Sha Luo Jin's blade slashed, tearing open the Wrestling Eagle-Man's body; the Ravening Crows' twin swords lunged for Aribas's throat.

At that moment, shadows writhed—Bilak appeared between Aribas and Sha Luo Jin in an instant, his massive sword, as thick as a man, clashing with Sha Luo Jin's slender blade.

Sha Luo Jin grunted, retreating several steps to dissipate the force of Bilak's strike.

Though Bilak was cowardly and often failed at critical moments, his raw power was not weak.

With half his peak power restored, he was in fact the strongest among everyone present.

Neither Khaan, the Seed of Destruction, Aribas, Fat Tiger Daemonic, nor Sha Luo Jin could defeat him in direct combat.

His caution stemmed solely from having failed too many times over his long demonic existence.

Ten thousand years ago, he had suffered a catastrophic downfall: he had intended to enslave the Chaos Champion Ahriman, only to be outmaneuvered and trapped by him, imprisoned, bound, and enslaved.

Had Ahriman's goal been anything other than saving his brother's soul, Bilak would have become his eternal prisoner.

Since then, Bilak had become far more cautious—avoiding unnecessary risks, hiding in shadows for ten thousand years, rarely showing himself.

Bilak's Shadow Blade whirled like wind, overwhelming Sha Luo Jin; this ethereal blade flickered between reality and the Warp, bypassing armor to strike flesh directly, forcing Sha Luo Jin to dodge with sheer agility.

Aribas seized the chance, slashing with his ritual dagger and instantly appearing before the door Bilak had just tried to unlock.

"Answer: What was the gift the Emperor gave to Horus, his most beloved?"

Aribas exhaled—he knew this question was too simple.

Anyone—not just humans, but any demon who had ever boarded the Vengeful Spirit or participated in the Horus Heresy—knew the answer, because Horus would endlessly, obsessively boast about his old golden ring, muttering about "Centaur, Golden Ring, Thirty Years, Firstborn."

Aribas's ears ached from hearing it so often.

He drew a deep breath and answered swiftly: "The Centaur Golden Ring, forged one year before the Emperor's birth."

"Correct answer!"

The light-gate opened. Aribas worried he'd still be as unlucky as before—opening the door to face enemies.

So he subtly chanted a spell; the Blood God's monstrous beast, still locked in combat with Fat Tiger Daemonic and battered to bloody pulp, surged forward as a tide of blood toward Aribas.

Bilak, who had been suppressing Sha Luo Jin, froze in shock; Fat Tiger Daemonic didn't hesitate—he swung his club straight at Bilak's head to relieve Sha Luo Jin.

"Fuck your mother, Aribas!" Bilak roared.

Aribas sneered—wasn't it the point of allies to shoulder some risk for you?

Without hesitation, he stepped through the light-gate, dragging the Blood God's beast with him.

The scene before him shifted abruptly, and then—

Aribas found himself standing in a narrow, dim corridor.

Before him stood hundreds of Loyalist Astartes.

The Butcherers, clad in dark red power armor, drenched in blood, pulled their bloody chain-swords from the bodies of the Word Bearers, radiating lethal fury.

Gabriel Seth, Warlord of the Butcherers, led them in slaughtering Aribas's Word Bearers; above, a black Dreadnought flew on horseback.

The Space Wolves also slaughtered the Word Bearers—blue-armored warriors, cold and disciplined, cutting down the Emperor's enemies, led by former Second Company Captain Titus, the Blood God's cherished prey.

The instant Aribas stepped from the light-gate, all hundreds of warriors turned and fixed their stares upon him.

"My lord! Save me!" screamed one of Aribas's Word Bearer Dark Apostles.

Before his cry reached Aribas's ears, Seth's chain-sword tore through his skull.

Aribas's instinct screamed: run, flee, hide.

With his skills, if the next door's riddle wasn't too hard, he could escape these Astartes and reach the next chamber.

But before the thought could fully form, a surge of furious bloodlust crushed it.

"Corrupt him! Bring him to me! Fulfill your promise!"

The Blood God's voice rang from within Aribas's body.

When the Blood God granted the Seed of Destruction to Aribas, he also left a searing flame of wrath inside him, to compel Aribas to fulfill his vow.

The Blood God would not permit Aribas to retreat—he must corrupt Titus and offer him to Khorne.

Aribas stared at the hundreds of Space Marines charging toward him, and felt like crying without tears.

(End of Chapter)