Chapter 175: The Vulture Tribe Boy

Fenris, a deep rift within the mountains of the Asaheim Continent, is known by the locals as Firestone Valley.

Even at the best of times during the Great Year, sunlight only reaches Firestone Valley for about an hour each day.

The other end of the valley is a massive, scorched rock mountain, guarded by cairns and watchtowers.

Psykers and mutants ostracized by the many tribes of Fenris all live in exile here, forming a tribe of over a thousand people.

On a watchtower built of stone, the warriors of the Vulture Tribe hear a roaring sound in the air and look up.

They watch in terror as the metal monster in the sky flies closer and closer.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Vulture Tribe warriors operate their Stone Crossbows, firing arrows at the metal monster.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The arrows strike the Gunship, only to be deflected and fall powerlessly to the ground.

The gunner sneers and requests instructions from the Primarch Attendant via the communicator.

"Please issue instructions: shall we destroy the Fenrisian tribe?"

"No! They pose no threat; ignore them."

As Ninglu's representative, Arsena considers more; although the Vulture Tribe is ostracized by the many tribes of Fenris, he does not want to cause a scene.

Inside Firestone Valley, having received the signal, the psykers draped in animal hides howl and rush out, wielding Bone Staffs as they charge toward the landing metal monster.

"Attack!"

The Patriarch of the Vulture Tribe, wearing a wolf-head Mask, shouts loudly in Vogan.

Lightning tears through the sky, and flames illuminate the rift...

Arsena steps off the deck, facing the Vulture Tribe's chaotic attack head-on.

He shows no fear, holding his psychic staff high in his left hand.

His eyes, turned blue by the Strong-Brain Cat, flash with light.

The silver-haired psyker immediately feels a difference from his past uses, as the tides of the Ether surge around his body.

He flicks the staff forward, and flames ignite on the ground; a towering Fire Wall rises, shielding the three Gunships within.

The wall of fire, over ten meters high, burns fiercely, its torrent of flames making the attacks of the Vulture Tribe psykers look like mere sparks by comparison.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of explosions echoes through the valley, and all psychic attacks are completely blocked by the "Fire Shield."

Arsena extends his right hand and pushes forward; telekinetic force sweeps out, turning into giant hands that grip the throats of the Firestone Tribe psykers.

He lifts his hand, and over a hundred psykers are raised into mid-air.

【The Strong-Brain Cat has greatly enhanced my psychic powers; this is still not my limit.】

The Order Shadows, seeing the Primarch Attendant subdue over a hundred psykers all by himself, cannot help but sigh in admiration.

【There is indeed a reason why Arsena Dunn was chosen by the Gene-Father as a Primarch Attendant.】

"Select the Vulture Boys and bring the qualified ones back."

"Yes."

Three Order Shadows, accompanied by twenty-three attendants, charge into the valley.

A mutant running on all fours like a wolf, with a short leg growing from the outer side of each knee on his two thighs, lets out a wolf-like howl and charges at the black-armored Warriors.

The Order Shadows raise their guns and fire at the mutant.

A bolter round pierces the yellow eyeball, and the mutant is blown into a pile of remains.

The attendants stride into the crude houses built of whale bones, drag out the boys under ten years old, and pierce their necks with Crystal Probes.

The light emitted by the Crystal Probes varies in brightness.

One boy with a head of golden hair and shining blue eyes has a psychic probe on his neck that flashes with a blinding light, drawing everyone's attention.

A member of the Honor Guard from the Ninth Battle Company strides up to the boy.

He picks up the boy and injects psychic energy into his body.

The boy's long golden hair flutters in the wind, and the abundant psychic power lifts his body, causing him to float.

The Order Shadow withdraws his hand and nods slightly.

"A good seedling."

The golden-haired, blue-eyed boy and the other Fenrisians of the Vulture Tribe who passed the test are brought back to the Shadow of Sovereignty.

Afterward, Arsena immediately rushes to the Tomb of the Ancient Kings.

While the Primarch Attendant begins to study the Fenrisian Runes engraved on the tomb, at the northernmost peak of Asaheim—Amagrimgor Peak.

Jorin, his cheeks crisscrossed with dense scars, treks through the snow, relying on scratch marks to identify traces and track the path left by a Thunder Wolf.

Hunting during the long winter on Fenris is not easy.

After a creature passes by, its tracks are covered by wind and snow in moments.

Only an experienced Hunter can rely on experience to judge where a trace might remain.

Feces mixed with undigested bone fragments, dense clumps of foul-smelling fur...

Jorin is the most experienced Hunter; only the Wolf King surpasses him in this regard.

Jorin has already found two Thunder Wolves, but their body lengths are only about three meters, which will not win him the victory.

【I must capture a four-meter-long Thunder Wolf to ensure my victory.

I hope this one exceeds four meters.】

Jorin trudges through the thick snow, his knees sinking deep, kicking up sprays of snow with every step.

His dark, murky eyes suddenly turn sharp—the fierce look of a Hunter seeing his prey.

【Nearly four and a half meters long; I've won!】

While Jorin found his target and began to subdue a Thunder Wolf, Sanchez sniffed the strange scent in the air and strode forward through the snow.

Compared to Jorin, the "Hunter" was much more relaxed; he had already found three Thunder Wolves over four meters long and deduced the pattern of their lingering scent.

【The acrid, foul smell secreted by the anal glands of Thunder Wolves is clearly different from other creatures, and the larger the Thunder Wolf, the stronger the scent it emits.

The scent's half-life is about seventy-two hours; the one that left the strongest scent must be the largest Thunder Wolf.】

The further up the mountain path one went, the more biting the frigid winds of Fenris became.

Carrying ice crystals, the gale lashed against Sanchez's body.

Trekking along the icy path, even Sanchez, with his superhuman physique, felt his body grow heavy.

Climbing to the mountainside, a deep, Darkness-filled cave appeared in his line of sight.

【Such a strong, acrid stench; there is more than one Thunder Wolf.

A Thunder Wolf den?

I'll grab a few Thunder Wolves while I'm at it, for the brothers.】

Thinking this, Sanchez conveyed his intent to his Psycats through their psychic link.

Like Sanchez, the Psycats walked with a hunter's gait to the mouth of the cave, their pitch-black eyes fixed on the deep Thunder Wolf den.

Sanchez stepped into the cave alone, his gaze immediately drawn to a massive Thunder Wolf.

【Body length about six meters; this must be the largest Thunder Wolf.】

Seven adult Thunder Wolves looked simultaneously at the "Hunter" who had intruded upon their territory, while the wolf cubs lying on the ground tried their best to widen their yellow eyes, staring fiercely at Sanchez.

Fenrisian Wolves are the overlords of Asaheim; no hunter dares to intrude upon their den.

The pack let out a howl in unison, and the sound of wolf howls echoed throughout the entire cave.

Sanchez did not draw his blade; he charged toward the pack, lunging forward and swinging his massive fist into the abdomen of a Thunder Wolf.

The grey-furred Thunder Wolf was sent flying by the punch, slamming heavily against the stone wall.

After advancing to "Provocateur," Sanchez's strength, reflexes, speed, and agility had all slightly improved.

He wove through the pack of Thunder Wolves, nimbly dodging their lunges and throwing punch after punch to send them flying.

The Thunder Wolves charged at the "Provocateur" time and again, only to be knocked away each time, crashing into the freezing stone walls.

After dozens of times, finally, a Thunder Wolf with a scar on its eyelid from a Fenrisian blade turned and ran toward the outside of the cave.

Just as it reached the cave entrance, a scene suddenly appeared in its mind: a Fenrisian leaping out from behind a rock and slashing its face with a blade.

Three days later, outside the Wolf King's council hall.

Leman Russ watched as Jorin rode a four-and-a-half-meter Thunder Wolf into the camp, nodding with satisfaction.

Many Fenrisians shouted at the top of their lungs, excited, gathering around Jorin and praising him loudly.

"Jorin, the great hunter!"

"Jorin, the warrior who subdued a Thunder Wolf!"

"..."

Amidst the praises of the crowd, the Wolf King suddenly frowned and looked toward the entrance of the camp.

He saw Ninglu's scion, Sanchez, riding on the back of a six-meter-long Thunder Wolf.

Beside it followed six more Thunder Wolves, two of which even exceeded five meters in length.

Jorin, riding on his Thunder Wolf, noticed Leman Russ's expression; he followed his gaze and was immediately startled.

Jorin gave a bitter smile, the weathering on his face becoming even more apparent.

"I have lost."

The Fenrisians turned their heads one after another, seeing the approaching Giant Wolf, and revealed expressions of disbelief.

The Wolf King suddenly laughed heartily, "Sanchez, you are an excellent hunter, but there are still two rounds left; the hunters of Fenris will surely win the victory."

As Leman Russ spoke, he strode into the crowd and patted the shoulder of Jorin, who had jumped to the ground, his face pale.

"Old friend, I believe you will win; pull yourself together."

(End of this chapter)