Chapter 394: Grandfather, Grandson, Son
In a southern section of the orbital ring, the maglev transport came to a slow halt.
Ramesses, still smelling faintly of rusted metal, stepped out with a few others. They were surrounded by empty streets lined with solemn war machines and busy conveyor belt operators.
Over decades, the Dawnstar Sector had stockpiled countless war machines. However, trapped by the plague ravaging the sector, most humans capable of operating these machines were now lying in hospital beds.
Ramesses looked up.
This area had recently been purged. The entire block under the shadow of the giant wall had been cleared, and traces of high-temperature scorching still remained on the metal surfaces.
He walked towards the Carcharodons' ship.
"Quite a change."
Te Kahurangi, responsible for transporting supplies, sighed. Facing the desolate orbital ring, his gaunt face was filled with confusion and distraction.
This state was reflected in the surrounding Carcharodons as well. Their internal comms echoed with Ramesses's words, and their movements carried a hint of urgency, as if eager to return to their ship.
"That is the nature of plague," Trazyn replied.
having deployed the 'Warp Probes', he was immediately ordered by Romulus via official document to report to the Carcharodons as soon as he was free.
He was to provide and teach this newly returned Chapter how to use the just-tested 'Anti-Plague Array', leave a clone storing relevant technology, and then return to the Ghoul Stars via the wormhole to support Huron.
The journey passed through grand architectural complexes, slowed by columns of dull-eyed refugees. He could hear the flapping of corpse carts, the click of armor being stripped from bodies, the breathless conversations of medics, and smell the suffocating stench of rot.
He began to sense the growing unease in the crowd. Staff had held their posts for dozens of hours, coughing inside their masks.
Now, silence extended their wait, eroding their confidence, stripping their courage, magnifying their fear.
Fortunately, this was the Dawnstar System. There were no voices of terror penetrating the brain, nor whispers clouding the soul.
From this scene alone, one could imagine how tragic other planets must look.
Entering a quieter blockaded block, finally reaching this empty place with only war machines.
Trazyn looked around, letting the mist formed by disinfectant spray wash over his face.
To the east of the Ultima Segmentum, in the distant Baal System, the sky flashed with vortex-like fierce light.
To the west, a similar green connected into a patch, extending from the western salient of the Obscurus Segmentum all the way to Ultramar.
Starting a few years ago, Ork clusters launched a new offensive against the central area mainly connected by Fenris, Armageddon, and the Maelstrom Zone. This was the largest offensive since the War of the Beast.
Through grapevine news, Trazyn heard that this offensive also involved a large number of traitor Chaos forces looting burning houses.
The Dawnstar Sector, sandwiched between two large-scale offensives, maintained an eerie silence and emptiness.
The raging plague rendered one of the most powerful war machines in the galaxy inoperable.
If the Dawnstar Sector collapsed, the high wall blocking the Four Gods would be breached, and no place in the entire galaxy could remain unaffected.
No place in the galaxy could remain unaffected.
Trazyn would have to give up the soul he had obtained with difficulty to prevent himself from becoming prey.
In a sense, living in this galaxy was far more painful than dying at the hands of those four unknown 'gods'.
When the body rots but cannot die, there might be many who envy the enemies of the Imperium executed by them, able to escape endless pain.
"Why do I feel their mood is quite good recently?"
Titus, accompanying him, showed a slightly puzzled expression, calling back Trazyn's thoughts.
The Carcharodons' ship had already left with supplies.
Empty again beside him.
Trazyn had to admit that their ability to absorb resources was top-tier even among Astartes Chapters.
Daring to eat and use, powerful and decisive, obeying orders—no one disliked such subordinates.
"Of course."
Trazyn replied matter-of-factly.
After all, dad came back. Although dad made it clear he didn't like their style, at least he let them be, right?
Those who want to pursue honor in the old way go to the Lord of Knights; those who want to gain the gene-father's affirmation find ways to change themselves.
The sons of the Raven had always been extremely pragmatic in style. As long as they broke away from the awkward state brought by mental friction, they were very open-minded about other things.
"Not exactly open-minded."
Ramesses, suddenly appearing with people from the other side, spoke up.
Damn it, a bunch of awkward people. Fortunately, the underlying logic is good, unlike Perturabo who could burn himself and then activate the self-destruct sequence for everyone around him.
He complained inwardly, not forgetting to roast a certain dead man.
The Raven Guard possessed the 'Ash Blindness' mutation. This mutation would put Astartes of the XIX Legion lineage into a state of cold bloodlust, often interfering with combat due to uncontrollability.
Corax was the same.
Just as the false Lord of the VIII Legion, Curze, evaluated this brother who was exactly like him, Corax was a true monster. Cruelty, ruthlessness, and bloodlust were the background colors of this monster.
However, because he was cared for by workers and grew up eating meals from hundreds of families, this warm experience shaped a human spirit for Corax, and he overcame this symptom accompanying the entire Legion, leaving a guide.
As a result, the two unlucky ones, the Carcharodons and Ashen Claws, never received it because they left early.
After hearing about this, Corax quietly made a new copy. Now he asked Ramesses to act as an intermediary to give the gift. Judging from the reaction of the Sharks and Ash Claws, they didn't seem indifferent. They unanimously placed this book together with other Chapter relics.
No relic was placed higher than that plain book.
Awkwardness ruins a life.
Ramesses returned from the other side with people, coming to Trazyn.
The reason for meeting the Carcharodons and Ashen Claws was to re-mark the Carcharodons' Librarians. After all, he was going to charge into Nurgle's Garden next. The previous Librarian network needed to be disconnected to ensure the safety of these Librarians.
And those connections that could not interact with reality for a short time were cut off after sending a message for confirmation, to be rebuilt when there was a chance later.
After all, no one knew if Nurgle's plague would infect through some strange connections.
"My stuff."
Trazyn reached out, asking for his reward.
"Here."
Ramesses handed over a Blackstone rune.
Swiped from Perturabo's legacy, capable of enhancing warp influence, used to amplify his clone which had separated a large amount of power. But the result was just letting the Iron Lord last a bit longer against Romulus.
Disadvantages: small range of influence, low intensity. Advantages: convenient to carry, good effect on psychic units, protecting the soul without gambling life, and easier to let the soul dive into the warp.
In fact, Necron technology wasn't bad either. They had been trying to research the Sea of Souls after the War in Heaven to see if they could reconstruct souls, but the environment after the War in Heaven was well known. You couldn't expect conventional means to turn shit into animals.
And Trazyn, who had long been human, planned to use this thing for something else.
Trazyn rubbed his hands and took it.
Although it was no secret that the Dawnbreakers could replicate and create various creations they understood out of thin air, for things applied to the warp, creations with 'legendary' bonuses were more reliable.
For example, power swords created by the same process; the one used by the Emperor would definitely be completely different from those used by mortals.
'I am not a god—I am not a god—'
As soon as this thought was born, a chanting sounded in Trazyn's head.
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