Chapter 28: Worm of the Underworld

Above the boundless industrial clouds of the Hive City, at the very peak of this city cast in steel and chaos,

deep within the ancient spire palace of the Viceroy, Augustus Flax slowly opened his eyes from the soft sofa covered in red silk.

A bottle of Quartis golden dry red wine lay by his side.

The cork had been pulled out, and the priceless blood-red wine flowed from the bottle, only to be absorbed by the blood-red velvet sofa.

Augustus Flax burped, looking at the ceiling with the magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from it, his eyes filled with confusion.

A long night of hangover could not eliminate the pain brought by the nightmare.

That nightmare was inescapable,

Augustus Flax thought blankly.

No matter how much fine wine, singing, dancing, and enjoyment there was, it could not dispel that nightmare.

No matter how many schemes, calculations, and spies there were, it could not see through that nightmare.

No matter how many armies, soldiers, and weapons there were, it could not block that nightmare.

That nightmare had entangled Augustus Flax since he was seventeen years old, and it had entangled him to this day.

To expel that nightmare, he had embarked on large-scale construction, conscripted private soldiers, and even sheltered illegal psykers who had escaped from the Black Ships.

But as he grew older, the shadow of that nightmare became thicker and thicker.

It lurked in the haze of the streets of the Underhive, extending four ferocious claws, waiting for Augustus to fall from the highest point of the Hive City and fall into its ferocious mouth.

From that time on, Augustus almost no longer cared about the Underhive, or rather, dared not care about the Underhive.

He used all his strength to focus on protecting his own safety.

The lights were psychedelic, as if letting Augustus Flax return to those days when he was still young...

It also reminded him of that brother, Tiberius Flax, that worm of the Underworld.

"Tiberius, my brother."

"Tiberius, worm of the Underworld."

Augustus Flax muttered to himself.

When he was still a child, he was the only son and only legal heir of the Flax family.

His family had ruled this planet in the long past, and he would eventually become the Viceroy of this planet.

At that time, Augustus Flax had the confidence to fulfill the duties of the Viceroy, better than any of his predecessors; he was wealthy enough and diligent enough.

But when his parents returned from an interstellar trade meeting, everything changed.

Augustus Flax's mother gave birth to a child for their family.

Tiberius Augustus, his younger brother, his blood brother,

but he was born with four arms and claws, as strange as a disgusting mutant.

But Augustus's parents turned a blind eye to this, instead giving all their love to this deformed mutant child.

They even announced that he would replace Augustus and become the new heir of this family.

But what Augustus truly couldn't endure was not jealousy, but fear.

He vaguely realized what kind of monster his blood brother was.

He saw his parents lead guests many times to visit the newborn brother.

Those guests never appeared again, and even the guards and servants in the palace often disappeared.

His parents turned a blind eye to that monster, instead starting to train him hand-in-hand to control the political affairs of the entire planet...

Augustus was terrified, terrified that he would disappear like those guests, servants, and guards.

He found a few guards he could trust, pulled in the support of the nobles with their help, and launched a rebellion against his parents and that monster brother.

Blood flowed in the Viceroy's palace.

His blade pierced the chests of his corrupted parents.

But his deformed brother, that monster, that beast, that worm, escaped.

It must have escaped into the depths of the city, hiding in the shadows of the Underhive and even the Bottom Hive.

Strange rumors of disappearances often came from the Underhive of Phidia City.

Augustus Flax's brother, that monster who flowed with the same blood as him...

Tiberius Augustus, it gained a brand new name: "Worm of the Underworld."

Augustus curled up his aged body, lying on the wet sofa like an uneasy child.

He sobbed in a low voice, terrified,

Tiberius would definitely take revenge on him; it would be soon, it would be soon...

Just then, a data slate placed on the table beside the sofa suddenly lit up.

He reached out his trembling, withered arm and picked up the data slate from the table.

After a series of complex passwords, keys, and inquiries, Augustus confirmed that the person on the other side of the data slate had not been corrupted.

"Did not find Ignace Karkasy's notebook," the person on the other side of the data slate said.

"Tell me, specifically," Augustus asked in a low, dry voice.

The person on the other side of the data slate told Augustus the specific situation.

"He lied to you! That scavenger in the Underhive lied to you!"

Augustus said in a sharp voice, filled with uncontrollable anger.

Just from the voice coming from the data slate, he judged that the scavenger was lying.

He definitely found that notebook!

"He found it, but he knows what's in that notebook!"

"I guess he destroyed or hid that notebook!"

After a burst of angry venting, Augustus lowered his head and said powerlessly:

"Tell him I'm willing to pay more, double it."

"If he doesn't want to give it, then forget it... I never had any hope for that notebook anyway."

"Or rather, I never had any hope for anything."

Augustus leaned against the sofa, closing his eyes tightly.

As if an old man waiting for death to arrive in the next moment.

He opened his eyes and looked at the data slate.

"Old partner, you have to be careful."

"Our people have been assassinated by Tiberius's assassins again, two of them... you might be next."

He said to the other side of the data slate in a dry voice.

"Aren't you the same?" the person on the other side of the data slate said mercilessly: "We are all next; the curse has always been there."

"But the Emperor taught us to face corruption with faith."

Augustus laughed dryly, not caring about this old partner's disrespect to the Viceroy.

The other side of the data slate cut off the connection, and silence returned to this luxurious and spacious room of Augustus.

Augustus curled up his body again, hugging his legs, trembling with unease.

Underhive, new stronghold of the Ark Gang.

The Ark Gang took down this district under the leadership of the leader.

That leader now occupied the stronghold of the original gang and gradually began to rule the nearby streets.

Many Ark Gang members wearing flaxen robes with tail-flame spaceship symbols drawn on their faces went in and out.

They were busy and diligent, like a group of worker bees.

Zhou Yun draped in a flaxen robe, wearing Lage's face, walked into this stronghold with his steps.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 29 =====