Chapter 253: Golden Garuda

Unlike the Terra-born of certain other Legions, who integrated with their Legion's homeworld only symbolically, Ferrus Manus demanded that his progeny integrate completely with Medusa.

Although Storm General Amadeus Ducaine felt a lingering attachment to the "Storm Walkers," he eventually came to terms with it.

Among the Terra-born, however, some still resisted this immense transformation, especially after being forced to go to the various clans of Medusa, leading to an eruption of ideological conflict.

Manus used thunderous means to ruthlessly suppress the dissenters.

Just as he did not rule the clans directly, any tribe that resisted the rules he established was swept away by him with thunderous force.

On the eleventh stellar day of Manus's return to Medusa IV to deal with the few stubborn Terra-born, the altars of Adams and Gabriel were both completed.

To facilitate the storage of relics excavated from Medusa, Ninglu handed the first Capital Ship built in the Triken system to Gabriel.

Gabriel named it the Solagu to signify friendly relations with the Iron Hands.

He traveled with Dukaien to the Solagu Clan to learn about the Medusans.

Adams on the Grave and Gabriel on the Solagu began the ritual at the same moment.

"Black Emperor of the Order Shadow,

Mysterious Master of the Disordered Kingdom,

King of Light and Shadow who holds the rules.

I pray for Your gaze.

'Iron Law of the Monarch,' foundation of the Disordered Kingdom, please transmit the power to my incantation."

When they recited it for the third time, black mist surged from thin air, swallowing their bodies simultaneously.

When the two regained their senses, they already saw the Gene-Father sitting upon the throne.

After Adams curiously looked around, he waited for the Gene-Father to speak, thinking to himself.

【The Black Emperor is another title of Father; like the Monarch of Vostonia, no matter what name he presents himself by, he is my Gene-Father.】

Gabriel had been selected since childhood and educated in the Imperial Truth.

Later, because of the talent he displayed in mechanics, he was chosen as a Techmarine and sent to Mars to receive instruction, where he came into contact with the Mechanicus's faith in the Machine God.

The Imperial Truth and the faith in the Machine God clashed.

【What I have seen in the past, the knowledge of the Tech-Priests and Sages of the Mechanicus, does not come from bestowal, nor is there any ability that definitively comes from the Machine God's gift.

This once made me firmly believe in the Imperial Truth promoted by the Emperor.

But after the Gene-Father bestowed extraordinary abilities upon me, I became increasingly suspicious of my own thoughts.

Drinking a potion to gain abilities cannot be explained by science.】

Gabriel looked around the mysterious kingdom shrouded in black mist.

【This mysterious space is even harder to explain with science.

In other Legions, including those whose Primarchs like Horus have returned, the Astartes have not received a variety of magical abilities; only the Order Shadow has received such gifts.

If Father possesses the power of a god, then everything can be explained.】

While Gabriel pondered, Ninglu sensed his own consumption of spirituality and compared it to the previous time with Raarsena Dunn.

【For people within the same star system entering the fourth-dimensional space, the consumption of spirituality increases proportionally with the number of people, without accelerating.

My spirituality can support about thirty-three people, and the duration exceeds one hour.

A high-level Legion meeting within the star system can be realized now; cross-system meetings require further improvement of spirituality.】

After reaching his conclusion, Ninglu spoke: "You remain on Medusa; only if there are urgent or secret matters that need reporting should you pray to me using the ritual process just now."

"Today is the first time; begin now."

The Death Lord was prepared and began the briefing first.

"Father, during the 'Wheel of Fire' campaign, the Fourth Legion received two rounds of reinforcements, and now there are five thousand four hundred and sixteen men."

"The one thousand and eighty-four from Necromunda grew up in a culture of the dead, so they integrated into the Chapter quickly."

"The two thousand three hundred and forty-seven recruits from other worlds are slower to accept the Chapter's culture; I have arranged for Court Monks to assist them."

Ninglu nodded slightly; he understood the Death Lord's implication—Adams hoped the Fourth Legion could use Necromunda as a recruitment world, just like the Third and Seventh Legions.

But he had other plans for the Fourth Legion's recruitment world; Posul in the Ultima Segmentum was the world most suited to the "Death" path.

Posul is a world of eternal night, where the local tribes have nurtured a unique culture of the dead.

It is the homeworld of the "Penitent Chapter" born during the Second Founding; after absorbing the customs of the primitive tribes, the Astartes there perform Meditation before battle.

The Penitents enter a death-like trance state to communicate with their Primarch and ancestors to seek power and wisdom.

【There is no rush to use Divination to find the location of Posul; that world will only be discovered by Sasebo Tezuka after the "Horus Heresy," when the Chapter monastery is established.

Necromunda has a large population and can temporarily satisfy the Fourth Legion's recruitment needs.

Now it is better to use Divination to find Forge Worlds I know of that have not yet been discovered, or to "intercept" those STCs about to be discovered to exchange for benefits with the Adeptus Mechanicus.】

Thinking of this, Ninglu spoke.

"I will find the most suitable recruitment world for your Chapter."

"The Fourth Legion may conduct large-scale recruitment on Necromunda; I will inform Arsena to stop recruiting new soldiers for your Chapter from other worlds."

"Father," the Death Lord used the old form of address, "I follow your will."

Seeing the Death Lord finish his briefing, Gabriel immediately spoke.

"My Lord, the Iron Father of Medusa is currently undergoing mechanical modification."

"Joint development is temporarily suspended; besides learning about the local culture in the Solagu Clan, my main object of study is the Golden Garuda."

"I have tried various methods, including the common way of charging machinery with electricity to activate the golden mechanical bird, but it has no reaction."

Ninglu nodded slightly, his mind beginning to recall the situation of the Burning One; Nyadra Zatha is a C'tan who burns with flames all over its body.

The Burning One once revealed to the Necron the method of using the Tomb Gate to enter the Webway, because it wished to bring terrible flames into the Webway.

He is known as the most cruel C'tan Shard, who gloats when flames consume all things.

Ninglu's gaze was profound, and he thought to himself.

【He is composed of flames, and he finds satisfaction in the burning of flames.

The C'tan Shard I obtained also manifests in the aspect of flame.

Those Golden Garudas are similar in shape to the C'tan Shard; to activate it, one should also proceed from this aspect.】

Thinking of this, Ninglu spoke: "Drench the body of the Golden Garuda with Promethium and ignite the flames."

"Afterward, conduct experiments on the runes on its body."

Gabriel frowned slightly; this was completely different from the teachings he received in the Adeptus Mechanicus.

It was not about awakening the Machine Spirit.

It was also different from the mechanical principles he knew; flames would melt metal, so how could they become a key to awaken the Golden Garuda?

【Father is a god; he cannot be wrong.】

Thinking of this, Gabriel spoke.

"Father, I understand."

After the meeting ended, Gabriel watched the black mist fade away.

With some doubts, he ordered his servants to take the Golden Garuda to the Solagu, to the isolated H-106 deck.

The H-numbered deck area was designated by Gabriel as an experimental deck, used for conducting trial research on mechanical items with a lower level of understanding.

The Techmarine followed his orders and set up a series of safety measures on these decks, which included fire suppression measures.

Immediately, a canister of Promethium was poured onto the Golden Garuda.

Gabriel operated a flamethrower, spraying intense fire onto the golden metal body.

Gabriel watched in astonishment as the flames were swallowed in an instant, and a rune on the body of the Golden Garuda lit up with a faint glow.

【This... the flames are actually the key to opening the Golden Garuda.

No wonder the Medusan did not discover it; without the Gene-Father's instruction, I would never have thought of it.

Praise the Black Emperor!】

Gabriel immediately ordered his attendants: "Bring ten canisters of Promethium."

While Gabriel made progress in his research on the Garuda, Manus also cleared out the stubborn Terra-faction within the "Storm Walker".

Six Relic-class Warships that arrived in the Medusa system were ordered by Ninglu to head to the Vostonia system.

After being equipped with Ether cannons, they would be handed over to the 11th Chapter and five other Chapters that did not yet possess Relic-class Warships.

The Imperium fleet then set off for Terra.

On Terra, the "Trickster" Tierni learned that Lord Ninglu was about to arrive to attend the triumphal celebration.

"It is time to close the net; the greediest nobles on Terra have all taken the bait."

(End of this chapter)