Chapter 524: Slave

Zhou Yun pushed open the Anywhere Door, stepped out, and arrived beside the Golden Wang Zuo.

Beside the Golden Wang Zuo lay the very galaxy where Zhou Yun had just been.

However, the entire galaxy had been compressed to a size of only about one meter in diameter.

This was not because Zhou Yun had shrunk the entire galaxy; rather, when using the Spacetime Transformer, he had failed to align its spacetime dimensions, causing the galaxy, upon being transported to the Wang Zuo Room, to appear shrunken due to the mismatch with the Wang Zuo Room's own spacetime scale.

Zhou Yun turned his head to look at this galaxy, then pulled out his Four-Dimensional Pocket and shoved the entire galaxy inside in one go.

Immediately after, with a mere thought, Zhou Yun sold off all the matter within that galaxy, leaving behind only the Lord of Light, the Stone Fortress, the Blessed Lady, the Conqueror, and those starships belonging either to the World Eaters Legion or to 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; it possesses no life nor any minerals worthy of recovery, has undergone no development or modification, and is suitable only as an astronomical enlightenment toy for preschool children.】

【Production Time: Approximately five billion years ago】

【Status: Operating normally】

A huge sum of money instantly entered his account, though it was still slightly less than Zhou Yun had imagined.

In fact, the selling price of this entire star system was not even as high as that of the Stone Fortress, which was currently also in Zhou Yun's pocket.

Zhou Yun vaguely realized that, given equal quantities, the Future Department Store seemed more willing to recycle items unique to the Warhammer universe.

For instance, relics of various Chapters, various equipment of the Astra Militarum, or Astartes, Tyranid swarms, C'tan, and all manner of things related to the Warp.

Whereas the star system Zhou Yun had just sold, having undergone no development or modification and being merely a natural system, appeared utterly ordinary in their eyes, prompting them to offer only a relatively low price.

Indeed, what the Future Department Store desired was not energy or minerals; such things seemed of no use to the 22nd century—they wanted items with distinct Warhammer characteristics, for the rarer and more unique the item, the higher its selling price.

Zhou Yun couldn't help but fix his gaze upon the Stone Fortress.

But after a moment's hesitation, Zhou Yun still shook his head.

Currently, Guilliman was managing the entire Imperial Sanctum to generate gold coins for him, while Dante managed the Imperial Netherworld to do the same; although the Stone Fortress commanded a high price, it was not so high that Zhou Yun felt compelled to sell it.

Selling off an entire Founding Chapter outright would indeed have rather negative consequences.

Moreover, with Lion El'Jonson in Zhou Yun's hands, manipulating the Dark Angels Chapter was quite easy; if handled well, they would become another group of loyal Doraemons capable of generating gold coins for Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun casually picked a star system he had passed earlier and, using the Spacetime Transformer, casually tossed the Stone Fortress there.

Of course, neither the Stone Fortress nor the Dark Angels Chapter would be sold, but Zhou Yun had packed up and taken away the vast accumulation of relics and ancient technological artifacts stored within the Stone Fortress by the Dark Angels.

Nevertheless, Zhou Yun kindly left a requisition order signed personally by the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang in their warehouse; surely the Dark Angels Chapter would understand.

Subsequently, Zhou Yun turned his gaze toward the Blessed Lady, focusing on his greatest harvest.

With a slight movement of his fingers, Zhou Yun pulled both Angron and Khârn out of the Four-Dimensional Pocket.

Khârn's condition was dire; having launched a suicidal attack to stuff a Momotaro Dumpling into Angron's mouth, he was now severed at the waist, blood flowing endlessly from his wound, his life hanging by a thread.

The state of Lham, who possessed his body, was nearly identical, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Rather than saying Lham was nearing death, it was more accurate to say that the things supporting his existence had vanished; Lham existed largely dependent on the emotion of hatred toward Fabius Bile, and now that this blood feud was avenged, Lham himself had lost his reason for existing.

He had not vanished directly only because he possessed Khârn's body, relying on Khârn and that tiny remnant of hatred to persist temporarily; that sliver of hatred would not sustain him for long, and he would soon perish completely, not even Zhou Yun's authority over the Domain of Erosive Destruction could save him.

For demons possessed no concept of life in the first place, let alone the ability to reverse death.

But Khârn, Zhou Yun could still save; temporarily ignoring Angron, he bent down, reached out his hand toward Khârn, and attempted to reverse life and death, to heal Khârn.

"No, my lord, I implore you," Khârn suddenly stretched out his bare arm, lightly grasping Zhou Yun's hand, whispering as he begged Zhou Yun.

He was not begging Zhou Yun to save him; Zhou Yun could sense Khârn's thoughts.

Khârn longed for death.

True revenge is both destruction and self-destruction; if a person makes revenge their entire life, then the moment they complete their vengeance, their own life self-destructs.

Lham was thus, and Khârn was actually no different.

"I should have died long ago," Khârn's gaze began to grow hazy: "Ten thousand years ago, I should have died beneath Sigismund's sword..."

"It was just the Blood God... the Blood God did not wish for me to die; He is truly a cruel god..." "You... you are different; although you appear vicious, you are ultimately merciful..."

"I implore you to let me die... and I also implore you, do not enslave him anymore."

Zhou Yun said nothing more, merely gently withdrawing his hand and nodding slightly to Khârn: "Very well."

Although reversing life and death was very simple for Zhou Yun now, he did not actually use this ability often.

For in this universe, forbidding someone to die is truly too cruel; if a soul genuinely craves death, then Zhou Yun is actually unwilling to forcibly drag them back into this Dark World.

It was so for Lagrange back then, and it is so for Khârn now.

As for Xiang Leina, Zhou Yun had sensed before that there was not a shred of desire for death in Xiang Leina's soul, only burning loyalty toward humanity, the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, and Saint Doraemon.

But another occupant of the Domain of Erosive Destruction within this Wang Zuo Room was not as humane as Zhou Yun.

Almost the instant Zhou Yun withdrew his hand, Khârn vaguely saw a cold golden light ignite before his eyes, and from within that light faintly came a voice:

"Repent, swear fealty to me once more, and I shall return your soul to the Golden Wang Zuo, bound by curses—"

"I... I am not Sigismund; I do not possess his..."

Khârn's tone was complex; he still remembered what Sigismund had looked like back then.

Hollow, soulless, shattered, yet fanatical and powerful, like dead ash.

"Therefore, get lost..."

Khârn gritted his teeth, roaring with the last of his strength:

"... I will not be your slave."

The golden light felt no anger; he merely considered Khârn a useful tool, caring not at all for Khârn's fury.

It was simply that Khârn's refusal made the golden light feel it had lost a useful tool.

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

Just then, Khârn heard the sound of footsteps, and his nose caught the scent of scorching, rolling sand.

A pair of broad, thick hands suddenly lifted up his broken body...

"Kahn, my son."

(End of chapter)