Chapter 166: He and I Are Not Brothers

Seeing the Emperor agree readily, a sharp glint flashed in Leman Russ's eyes—the fierce light of a Fenrisian in a duel.

The two Giant Wolves sensed their brother's battle intent and stepped forward from either side.

An adult Fenrisian wolf is at least the size of a horse.

The head of the smaller silver Giant Wolf was only slightly lower than Alpharius's shoulder.

The black one curled its lips, revealing fangs like sharp swords; on its head was a bare, protruding pink scar.

They glared with yellow eyes, fiercely closing in on the cat-like creature with ginger fur that was only one meter long.

The Mind-Strong Cat was utterly fearless, its eyes turning completely pitch-black as they flashed.

Cruel scenes immediately surfaced in the eyes of Freki and Geri: a Hunting Squad wielding poisoned arrows, blades, and spears attacking the wolf pack, their mother falling into a pool of blood.

Their tall brother fought desperately, suffering many cuts and stabs from the hunters' weapons, until he was finally captured by the overwhelming numbers of the Hunting Squad.

Freki and Geri fell into their deepest Nightmare of Fear, their bodies trembling, and sweat with a heavy odor dripped onto the snow with a pattering sound.

Leman Russ reached out both hands, placing them on the two wolf brothers respectively.

Feeling the warmth and strength of the large hands, Freki and Geri woke from the nightmare.

They arched their backs, let out an angry roar, and made to pounce.

The Mind-Strong Cat walked with elegant steps, cold light flickering in its black pupils.

The Wolf King stood up, his massive frame blocking the front of the two wolf brothers.

A "Heavy Strike" slammed into him, and his massive frame swayed slightly.

Leman Russ's gaze flashed, and he said coldly.

"Witchcraft!"

As the Wolf King spoke, he raised his leg to kick at the Mind-Strong Cat.

With a loud bang, Leman Russ's leg was blocked by a leg encased in black leg armor.

The black-armored giant stepped forward, head slightly lowered, looking at the Wolf King, and said coldly.

"You should have killed the two behind you first."

Ninglu's gaze swept over the two figures wrapped in pitch-black furs; their shaved heads were covered by simple leather caps, and unlike other Fenrisians, they did not grow beards.

They wore strings of primitive bone charms on their bodies and held Bone Staffs in their hands.

"They are not Wizards, but Sons of the Storm."

From the collision just now, Leman Russ felt that the black-armored Warrior's strength was no less than his own, and he watched the other party vigilantly.

"False words cannot change the essence."

Ninglu's gaze was icy as he said mockingly.

"This only makes you appear hypocritical."

The Wolf King's eyes were overflowing with rage; he swung his arm and threw a punch, smashing toward Ninglu's head.

Ninglu was just about to raise his arm to block, but sensing the movement of a figure at his side, he stopped his action.

The Emperor flashed before Ninglu, blocking Leman Russ's savage attack.

"The disagreement stems only from a difference in culture."

"Russ, this is your brother Ninglu; you are brothers, you should not fight over this."

"Keeping witch-pets is shameful; he and I are not brothers."

The Wolf King said disdainfully, and Ninglu said coldly.

"I will not attempt to wake someone who is pretending to be asleep."

As a Primarch, Leman Russ could undoubtedly discover that the power used by the Fenrisian Shaman was, in essence, no different from the witchcraft used by the Mind-Strong Cat he spoke of.

When words do not find a common ground, there is no point in speaking more; Ninglu had no interest in arguing with a stubborn person.

The Emperor frowned slightly; today's meeting was even less smooth than he had imagined.

Before the trial had even begun, the two Primarchs had already developed a conflict.

【Must find a way to resolve the conflict between them, at least so it does not affect coordinated combat.

Before that, I must first win the duel with Russ.】

Thinking of this, the Emperor spoke.

"Russ, shall we complete the challenge now, or are you already willing to return to the Imperium?"

Through observation and conversation, he had gained a considerable understanding of Russ and knew how to stimulate the Primarch to temporarily divert his attention away from the brotherly conflict.

"Of course not."

The Wolf King withdrew his gaze from Ninglu and said to the Emperor.

"Follow me."

A moment later, the group arrived before a massive circular ivory gate, with a giant python coiled around it.

The giant python's large mouth was biting tightly onto its own tail; Ninglu recognized that it had been deliberately trained into a ring shape to imitate the Ouroboros.

Terrans viewed the Ouroboros as a symbol of eternity, and this cultural belief had been brought to Fenris by the colonists.

After walking through the ivory gate, the cold was dispelled behind them, and the air was filled with smoke and a mixture of strange odors.

The foul smell of cured meat, the scent of herbs, the smell of burnt fat, the odor of damp fur, and the stuffy fragrance of animals sleeping in a den.

Compared to a palace, it was more like an animal's lair.

Resin torches on the walls and flickering candles on the tables illuminated the Chieftain Hall, the walls covered in soot.

The braziers between the dining tables emitted a suffocating heat, and the animal oil burning in the basins left the ceiling covered in accumulated grease.

Russ walked all the way to the throne covered in thick animal furs.

After he sat down, Freki and Geri lay down on either side of his feet.

The Emperor sat at the head of the guest seats, with Alpharius standing in attendance behind him.

The Fenrisians brought over a spare king's throne and pushed two tables together; Ninglu sat behind the table adjacent to the Emperor.

After everyone took their seats, Leman Russ spoke up.

"The first challenge, a challenge of eating."

"Food is a gift of nature bestowed upon the people by Fenris; the more you eat, the more of the gift you receive, and the stronger you become!"

"Fine."

After the Emperor nodded in agreement, the banquet and the competition began simultaneously.

Plate after plate of meat was brought to the table in front of Ninglu; in the frozen, snowy land of Fenris, crops struggled to survive, so food consisted primarily of hunted meat.

The soaked fruit leaves had long since carbonized into a translucent, thin shell, emitting a crisp, snapping sound when gently lifted, revealing the ribs beneath that shimmered with an agate-like luster.

The high-temperature stone slab had seared cracked, charred patterns onto the surface, and fine oil bubbles slowly writhed between the amber-colored layers of fat.

Where the blade passed, rose-colored meat juices meandered down along the grooves chiseled by flint flakes, and the wild fragrance of intertwined minerals and fruitwood floated in the rising steam.

The muscle near the bone presented a charming gradient of color: the outer layer was a dark brown wrapped in a honey-colored charred crust, transitioning inward to a crimson oozing with juices, while the deepest part retained the light cherry-blossom hue unique to rock-roasting, with every layer of texture soaked in the bitterness of pine needles and the sweet-and-sour of wild berries.

Ninglu did not stand on ceremony either; he used a fork to spear a rib and placed it into his mouth.

The tips of his teeth first touched the crispy crust mixed with salt crystals, carrying the faint scent of flint imparted by the volcanic stone slab.

Then came the layer of fat wrapped in crushed leaves, which melted on his tongue into a waterfall of grease with a milky aroma.

When his teeth bit into the central column of meat, the accumulated juices burst forth mixed with the smoky flavor of fruitwood, and the liquid seeping from between the fibers was infused with the distinct, crisp, sweet aftertaste of ice water.

The gnawed-clean joints were covered in translucent fascia that looked like solidified amber under the candlelight, and his fingertips retained the rough, gritty sensation of licking a mixture of rock salt and meat juices.

【Although the cooking methods are not complex, they preserve the original taste of the food; the Fenrisian flavor is not bad.】

After Ninglu had eaten three ribs, he ignored Leman Russ's provocative gaze, slowed his eating pace, and turned his attention to the eating contest between Huang Laohan and the Wolf King.

(End of this chapter)