Chapter 523: Slave

Zhou Yun stepped through the Gate of Anywhere and emerged beside the Golden Throne.

Beside the Golden Throne was the very star system Zhou Yun had just left.

Yet the entire system had been compressed to roughly one meter in diameter.

This was not because Zhou Yun had shrunk the system; rather, during the use of the Spacetime Transformer, he failed to align its spacetime dimensions, so when the system was transferred to the Throne Hall, its dimensions did not match those of the Hall, making it appear diminished.

Zhou Yun turned his head toward the star system, then pulled out his Fourth-Dimensional Pocket and shoved the entire system into it.

Next, with a thought, Zhou Yun sold off all the matter within the system, leaving only the Guangming Lord, the Great Rock Fortress, the Blessed Lady, the Conqueror, and those starships belonging to either the World Eaters Legion or the Fallen Angels.

【Item Name: Star System】

【Origin: Milky Way】

【Evaluation: This is a star system orbiting a red dwarf, containing two terrestrial planets and one gas giant, with no life or salvageable minerals, undeveloped and unmodified, suitable only as an astronomy toy for preschool children.】

【Production Time: Approximately five billion years ago】

【Status: Operating normally】

A large sum of money instantly appeared in his account, though still less than Zhou Yun had expected.

In fact, the entire star system's sale price was lower than that of the Great Rock Fortress, which currently resided in Zhou Yun's pocket.

Zhou Yun vaguely sensed that the Future Department Store seemed more eager to reclaim items unique to the Warhammer Universe.

Such as relics of various Space Marine Chapters, equipment of the Imperial Guard, Astartes, Tyranids, Star Gods, and all things tied to the Warp.

The star system Zhou Yun had just sold had undergone no development or modification—it was purely natural—and to them, it appeared ordinary, warranting only a relatively low price.

Indeed, the Future Department Store did not want energy or minerals—these seemed useless to the 22nd century; they preferred items with Warhammer characteristics, and the rarer and more distinctive, the higher the price.

Zhou Yun's gaze fixated on the Great Rock Fortress.

But after a moment's hesitation, he shook his head.

Right now, Guilliman was running the entire Imperial Holy Domain for him, generating coins, while Dante was doing the same for the Imperial Darkside; though the Great Rock Fortress had a high value, it was not so valuable to Zhou Yun that he felt compelled to sell it.

Selling an entire First Founding Chapter outright would indeed have a bad impact.

Besides, Leman Russ was in Zhou Yun's hands; controlling the Dark Angels Chapter was easy. With proper management, they could become another group of loyal, coin-generating servants to Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun casually selected a star system he had passed earlier and used the Spacetime Transformer to toss the Great Rock Fortress into it.

Of course, the Great Rock Fortress and the Dark Angels Chapter would not be sold—but Zhou Yun had taken away all the relics and ancient technological artifacts accumulated by the Dark Angels within the Fortress.

Still, he kindly left a signed imperial requisition order, bearing the Emperor's own handwriting, in their warehouse; the Dark Angels Chapter would surely understand.

Then, Zhou Yun turned his attention to the Blessed Lady, toward his greatest acquisition.

His fingers twitched slightly, and he pulled Angron and Kain out of his Fourth-Dimensional Pocket.

Kain's condition was dire: he had launched a suicide attack, shoving the Peach Boy dumpling into Angron's mouth; now he was severed at the waist, blood gushing uncontrollably, his life hanging by a thread.

The entity possessing his body, Lorum, was in a similar state, on the verge of collapse.

Lorum was not so much dying as ceasing to exist—his existence depended largely on his hatred for Erebus; now that his blood feud was settled, Lorum had lost all reason to persist.

He had not vanished immediately only because he was bound to Kain, clinging to Kain's body and the faint residue of hatred; that residue could not sustain him long—he would soon perish entirely, even Zhou Yun's power of the Domain of Corruption and Destruction could not save him.

For demons have no concept of life, let alone reversal of death.

But Kain—Zhou Yun could still save him. He did not attend to Angron yet, instead bent down and reached out his hand toward Kain, attempting to reverse death and heal him.

"My lord, I beg you," Kain suddenly extended his bare arm, faintly gripping Zhou Yun's hand, whispering his plea.

He was not begging Zhou Yun to save him—Zhou Yun could sense Kain's thoughts.

Kain longed for death.

True revenge is both destruction and self-destruction; if one makes revenge the entirety of their life, then the moment revenge is achieved, their own life is extinguished.

Lorum was like this; Kain was no different.

"I should have died long ago," Kain's gaze grew hazy: "Ten thousand years ago, I should have died beneath Sigmund's blade."

"But the Blood God… the Blood God did not want me to die. He is truly a cruel god." "You… you are different. Though you appear cruel, you are ultimately merciful."

"I beg you to let me die. And I beg you—not to enslave him anymore."

Zhou Yun said nothing more. He gently withdrew his hand and nodded softly to Kain: "Alright."

Though reversing death was simple for Zhou Yun now, he rarely used this ability.

For in this universe, denying death to one who truly desires it is cruel; if a soul yearns for death, Zhou Yun did not wish to drag them back into this dark world.

It was so with Lorgar then, and so it was with Kain now.

As for Leina—Zhou Yun had sensed her soul before; it held no desire for death, only fierce loyalty to humanity, the Emperor, and Sacred Doraemon.

But another occupant of this Throne Hall, the Domain of Corruption and Destruction, was not as humane as Zhou Yun.

Almost the instant Zhou Yun withdrew his hand, Kain faintly saw a cold golden light flare before his eyes, and within it, a voice whispered:

"Repent. Reaffirm your allegiance to me, and I shall restore your soul to the Golden Throne, bound by the Binding Oath—"

"I am not Sigmund. I am not as he was—"

Kain's tone was complex; he still remembered Sigmund's appearance.

Hollow, soulless, shattered, yet fiercely powerful—like ashes.

"So, go."

Kain gritted his teeth, summoning his last strength to roar:

"I… will not be your slave."

The golden light felt no anger; it merely saw Kain as a useful tool, indifferent to his rage.

But his refusal made the golden light feel it had lost a useful tool.

Kain took two or three deep breaths, feeling his lungs grow increasingly painful, sensing his life slipping away.

Then, he heard footsteps, and smelled the scent of hot, scorching sand.

A pair of broad, strong hands suddenly lifted his mangled body.

"Kain, my son."

(End of Chapter)