Chapter 192: I

"You sent away your gene-seed?" Seth exhaled a breath of blood-scented air and asked in a low voice.

Gene-seed was the bloodline of a Chapter, the container for the Chapter's genetic sequence, and a necessity for creating new recruits.

Dante nodded gently. He was not wearing that mask of Sanguinius filled with rage, but instead exposed his own face to the scarlet night sky.

It was full of weariness and age, something Seth had never seen on any other Space Marine.

"You think we can't win?" Seth stared at that face for a moment, then said bluntly:

"..." Dante remained silent, but that aged face continued to study Seth, as if examining Seth's blood and soul.

Seth looked at Dante calmly and said: "We all know it; we have all seen the Leviathan in the Underworld... We will lose and lose everything here."

"Perhaps you are in despair over this, but I am only angry."

"Dante, all Sanguinius left us was rage and despair, but rage is clearly better than despair."

"There is also hope," Dante corrected softly: "Sanguinor once told me in the Underworld that hope remains."

"But you sent away your own gene-seed; that doesn't look like a man with hope." Seth glanced at the ten scouts who were transporting the gene-seed... ten recruits who had just been implanted with the Black Carapace and had not even truly worn power armor yet.

"I am full of hope, but I am still the Chapter Master," Dante said unhurriedly: "I need to consider practicality, to strip away rage and pride, and think with reason."

"That sounds like an Ultramarine," Seth hummed softly and said: "Can the Blood Angels be rebuilt by relying on only ten warriors?"

"Men will die, but the blood will not; they also flow with the blood of Sanguinius."

"If Baal is destroyed, they will ignite new hope on another planet."

The roar of the Stormraven gunship's engines suddenly erupted, briefly interrupting the two men's conversation. Scorching flames burned on the landing pad, and the Stormraven spread its wings and flew into the starry sky, carrying Dante's hope.

"I cannot see hope."

Seth licked the fangs pressing against his lips gently and said:

"How long has it been since you drank fresh blood?"

"Long enough that I have forgotten," Dante said softly, his voice carrying an age that should not belong to the Archangel's progeny: "But I will drink red wine mixed with blood tonight; I need strength."

Seth looked at Dante's aged face, and a sudden surge of rage rose within him. He desperately wanted to scold Dante, but he felt he had no authority to do so.

So he could only grit his teeth and say: "I am your strength! I owe you a debt of honor; you allowed my brothers to die with honor in the Underworld. Let us go to the most dangerous place; we will die there in rage—only rage, no despair."

"I only have hope, no despair," Dante said softly: "Drinking blood is only out of pragmatism and reason."

"Reason? Is your gene-father Roboute Guilliman?" Seth blurted out.

In an instant, the air became somewhat silent. Dante's gaze toward Seth was a bit dazed and bewildered.

Seth also froze for a moment, immediately realizing he had said the wrong thing...

"Sanguinor spoke once in ten thousand years, telling us that hope remains." Before Seth could think about how to express his apology, Dante spoke first.

In an instant, Seth only felt rage surging in his brain. Dante had only claimed to the brothers of other Chapters that Sanguinor had said those four words, but he knew that Sanguinor had not said only "hope remains."

"Then you should go find that... Saint Doraemon, kneel before his statue, and pray for him to help us," Seth said, somewhat unable to control his mouth.

The air was silent again. Seth lowered his head: "Sorry, my lord."

"No need to apologize."

Dante's mouth twitched slightly, his tone low as he said:

"... I have already found Saint Doraemon."

"..." Seth's expression was as if he had eaten a Nurgling raw, and then had half a Nurgling stuck in his throat.

"Do not speak," Dante interrupted Seth, stuffing that half-Nurgling firmly down his throat: "On this planet, your mouth is the second most dangerous thing."

Dante's face carried deep helplessness.

That Saint Doraemon's mouth was already enough to make one collapse; Dante had no way to deal with him either.

And Seth... Seth's words, blurted out without thinking, really made Dante unable to control himself from giving him a punch.

"Follow me, I have something to give you."

Saying this, Dante turned and walked in front. Seth hesitated before following.

The two walked along the passage between the high towers. After rounding the high tower, Seth's field of vision became much broader.

He could even see the newly dug trenches outside the outermost city walls, which were filled with a liquid that shimmered with a faint silver hue.

"Water of Hunger," Seth said in a low voice. He had only heard this name in legends, knowing it was one of the most dangerous weapons and existences on Baal. The technology to produce such ancient-era artifacts had been lost, but this liquid could self-replicate, and the Blood Angels had merely collected them here on the wilderness of Baal... This substance, which appeared to be mere water, could instantly extract all moisture from a living being, turning you into a dried corpse; this would be very useful against the Hive Fleet.

As they moved, Seth was able to see the second line of defense. The Void Shields were ready to be raised at any time. Relying on the Void Shields, the Blood Chapters could consume a large number of the Hive Fleet, and as long as they destroyed enough, the Blood Angels could win... Seth hoped so, but he held no expectations.

And the final line of defense was right beneath Seth's feet. If it came to this point, the Blood Angels would have no choice but to fight to the death.

Dante led Seth into a small path, followed the road into a tunnel shrouded in darkness. This tunnel extended all the way to the underground of the Angel's Fortress. Dante pushed open a small door and signaled for Seth to enter.

Orange-yellow light lingered in this room, silently shining on the high platform in the center of the room.

The high platform was covered with a piece of exquisite, delicate, smooth-as-water black silk, upon which lay a metal cylindrical reliquary.

Seth grinned: "This was probably made by a skilled Astartes. Where did the Blood Angels find the time to make these things?"

"... The silk was woven by Corbulo himself when he was still young," Dante said after a long silence: "The one on top is the Amit Reliquary."

"... Oh!" Seth also remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "So it is the Amit Reliquary."

Amit was the first Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers. This reliquary was made by his own hands to store...

Dante slowly walked to the reliquary and gently touched the object made by the first Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers.

"Inside this lies the feather of our Father, and..."

!. Read

The reliquary slowly opened in half, and a light that seemed not to exist in reality burst forth, as if illuminating the entire room, or perhaps it was just Seth's illusion.

In the center of the reliquary floated a pure white feather, shrouded in the softness of a stasis field.

Seth felt dizzy, even forgetting to breathe, his whole body trembling slightly.

That feather was as long as his arm, but more slender. Under the illumination of the faint light, Seth could faintly see every fork in the feather, could clearly see the glistening, moist fresh blood dripping from the tip of the feather.

"This feather fell from the wing of Sanguinius, landed on the wall of the Imperial Palace on Terra, and was subsequently placed in a stasis field."

"Not long after, our gene-father met his death at the hands of Horus, and in the long ten thousand years, this stasis field has never stopped operating; it forever froze a moment of Sanguinius's life."

Dante slowly closed the reliquary, picked it up, and then continued:

"Gabriel Seth, Sanguinius once said that although your founder Amit was as savage as a beast, there was still hope and beauty dwelling in his heart; precisely because of this, he was a great craftsman."

"Amit forged this reliquary with his own hands, hoping to use it to remember the death of Sanguinius... His soul resides upon it, his heart still echoes, and he will be with you."

Saying this, Dante handed the reliquary in his hand to Seth:

"It belongs to you now, belongs to your Chapter."

"... I cannot." Seth showed rare panic: "I cannot take this..."

Seth hurriedly retreated. He looked at his own hands, as if they were covered in filth, and would defile the relic.

But Dante placed the reliquary closer to Seth.

"Take it." Dante's voice carried majesty; even without the mask of Sanguinius, his words were still so convincing: "It belongs to you. Amit's soul is not only rooted in this metal, but even more deeply rooted in your blood and flesh. This is more capable of protecting this relic than anything else."

Seth's eyes carried vigilance and suspicion. He frowned and said: "I will die for you, even without this relic."

"Let me go to Baal Secundus; I will lure the Hive Fleet there."

In the entire plan, the role of Baal Secundus was to share the pressure on the main planet of Baal. The Chapter that landed on that planet was almost certainly doomed; they were live bait.

Seth's Flesh Tearers and Yoll's Blood Knights undertook this task...

"No," Dante refused Seth: "Leave the Flesh Tearers to your Chief Librarian; I have another task for you."

"I have trusted an existence, and I have promised him to fulfill an extremely dangerous commitment."

"But trust is trust. Out of reason and pragmatism, Seth, I want you to follow him in his actions, both as his assistance and as a fuse for critical moments."

"An existence?" Seth frowned tightly: "A dangerous commitment?"

"You can refuse, but for the sake of our friendship... I ask you to accept this burden, and hope that this relic can protect you."

"..." Seth stared fixedly at Dante: "Tell me, what is the task you have given me?"

"That blue-armored warrior and Mephiston—act with them when they go to the underground of the Angel's Fortress."

Dante said softly:

"I cannot tell you their purpose, but if you discover that everything is heading toward the point of no return, I permit you to use any means, including the most blasphemous kind."

"... Mephiston? The Lord of Death?" Seth's expression could not help but twitch, and his hand took the reliquary from Dante.

After hearing this task, Seth suddenly felt that this relic was what he deserved; after all, the one he had to deal with was the Lord of Death.

That was not just a matter that could be settled by death. Listening to Dante's words, if everything really went to the worst point... Seth's death would likely also become a secret, possessing no honor.

"What about that blue-armored warrior?" Seth asked in a low voice, then his mouth revealed a somewhat ferocious smile: "Don't tell me that is really Calgar?"

"... That is Saint Doraemon himself," Dante said after a moment of silence: "Mephiston claims he is the true Lord of Death, the Primal Power, and the Eternal Dragon."

Seth's hand holding the reliquary shook, and the corners of his eyes twitched slightly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 193 =====