Now, Emrys faced a problem.
He had infiltrated, but what excuse could he use to meet this timid and cautious Chaos Lord?
From Zane's description, Sarton was not only extremely cunning but also inherently suspicious. He never allowed any Chaos Warband Lord near him, except for his trusted personal guards. He was like a turtle, always withdrawn into his shell, making it impossible to attack him.
"What else?"
Emrys half-closed his eyes and tightened the chain. He didn't believe there was anyone flawless, let alone a Chaos Lord.
"I want to know everything about Sarton!"
"I, I'm thinking, let me think—" Feeling the chain around his neck slowly tightening, Zane immediately broke out in a cold sweat, a storm seemingly brewing in his mind.
"There, there it is! Sarton is very greedy! Every time he plunders or captures a hive city, he forcibly takes the most valuable spoils of war!"
"Greed is a breakthrough," Emrys tightened the chain, his eyes indifferent. "But—it's not enough. What else? Tell me everything at once. I don't like asking one question and getting one answer."
The chain suddenly tightened!
A golden fire, along the chain, ignited Zane's soul. An indescribable, terrifying agony immediately made him scream.
This fire reminded him of the Emperor!
The excruciating pain of burning psychic energy, as if his will was about to be obliterated, a fear of complete disappearance immediately invaded Zane's mind!
He would disappear!
This was the Emperor's power, capable of utterly annihilating daemons; even the Four Gods—could not save him!
"Ah, ah, ah—No, I'll talk, I'll talk!" Zane wailed in agony, the last vestiges of resentment in his eyes turning into deep fear.
"Lord, let me think, I will never hide anything from you!"
After a slight tremor, Emrys nodded.
"You'd best hurry. I don't have that much patience."
"Yes, yes, lord!"
The fire dissipated, and Zane, having narrowly escaped death, trembled all over from the pain, not daring to delay for a moment. He quickly said.
"Sarton was originally a member of the Flawless Lord warband, a follower of Slaanesh. Later, I heard he personally slew the warband leader at the time, using the population of a hive city as a sacrifice, and received the blessing of the Blood God. That's how he became a warband leader, and he even changed his name to the Bloodstained One."
Switched from Slaanesh to Khorne?
Emrys stroked his chin. It sounded like this Chaos Lord was quite inspiring?
"Continue."
"After that, under his leadership, the Bloodstained One quickly assimilated several warbands, and their numbers quickly expanded to three thousand—" Zane said tremblingly.
"Later, because of the black Crusade—we all joined Abaddon the Great—"
"Bah, Abaddon's black Legion."
At this point, Zane stole a glance at Emrys and the others' expressions. Seeing nothing unusual, he dared to continue.
"Including the Bloodstained One and us, we had to follow the black Legion's command. It was during that time—the Lord commanding us from the black Legion summoned us for a pre-war council, and then he was ambushed by him."
"No one expected Sarton to be so bold, leading his men to burst into the council and openly challenge that black Legion Lord to a duel."
"He won?"
Emrys, who already knew the outcome, raised his eyelids and asked.
"Yes, Sarton cut off that man's head right in front of us." Zane nodded.
"It was the Eighth black Crusade, and we were still on the front lines, but after several setbacks, no one expected this guy to emerge at that moment and chop off that Lord's head."
"Abaddon didn't punish him?"
Emrys' eyelids lowered slightly. Although he asked the question, he had already guessed the answer.
"No, Chaos warbands are inherently hostile and prone to assimilation; only the strong deserve respect." Zane said honestly.
"Abaddon the Great, after learning about this, not only didn't blame Sarton but was very pleased, appointing him as the new black Legion Lord to continue leading us."
"In the wars he commanded afterward, almost every time, we achieved great victories—"
Zane shrank his neck, fearing to incur wrath after saying that.
"Anything else?"
Emrys organized his thoughts and continued to ask.
"Since he's the Bloodstained One, that means—he's a follower of Khorne?"
"Uh—not entirely." Zane thought for a moment and said.
"Sarton is very strange; he doesn't seem to favor any one of them much. Sometimes it's the Blood God, sometimes Slaanesh, and there are the other two. Every time he captures a hive city, he makes sacrifices to all four simultaneously."
Hearing this, Emrys raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
"Heh, he's quite impartial. Does he want to be the second 'Abaddon'?!"
Abaddon was the Chaos Warmaster chosen by all four gods.
It was precisely because of this that he could, in the name of the black Legion, gather all the large and small Chaos warbands to launch black Crusades against the Imperium.
Judging by Sarton's consistent practice of sacrificing to all four gods simultaneously, this guy's ambition is enormous; he clearly wants to become the second 'Chaos Warmaster'!
"Extremely greedy, and very ambitious—"
From Zane's description, Emrys could already roughly infer Sarton's personality.
The only breakthrough was here!
Sarton was not content with his current position; he constantly tried his best to demonstrate his abilities, eager to receive more blessings from the Four Gods.
From his step-by-step ascent to his current position as a black Legion Lord, commanding hundreds of large and small warbands, it was clear that this man's ambition was not small!
"My—lord, I've said everything."
Zane's soul huddled into a ball, looking at Emrys fearfully.
"I really haven't hidden anything; that's all I know."
"Very good, I like obedient people."
Emrys' lips curled slightly. Just now, he had already thought of a way to meet this Chaos Lord.
Sarton's greatest ambition was to replace 'Abaddon' and become the new Chaos Warmaster chosen by the Four Gods!
If that was the case, then he would fulfill Sarton's wish and create such an opportunity for him!
Thinking of this, Emrys suddenly had a bold idea, his gaze falling meaningfully on the trembling Zane beside him.
"Do you want to be the Lord of the black Legion?"
"???"
Zane thought he had misheard.
"I—" Looking at Emrys' meaningful gaze, even if Zane was any stupider, he would know this was a trap. His face stiffened.
"I—can I say no?"
"Don't want to be a Lord?"
Emrys smiled, tightening the chain.
"No, no, no, I misspoke, I want to! I want to!"
Zane saw him tighten the chain, his eyes immediately clearing up a lot, and he instantly changed his expression.
"I would absolutely love to be a Lord, thank you, lord, for this opportunity!!!"
"Are you sure?"
Emrys was still smiling.
"It's your choice; I'm not forcing you!"
"No, absolutely no forcing me!"
Zane's eyes were clear, nodding like a pounding garlic.
"It's my voluntary choice, I want to be a Lord!"
"Very good, I'll give you this opportunity."
Emrys expressed his satisfaction, pondering how to use this opportunity to give that 'topknot' a huge surprise then!