"Where did these warships come from?!"
Staring at the Chaos warships plummeting straight down from the churning, wave-like clouds, as if Duckweed, even Angron's head was filled with question marks.
"Wait, aren't these their warships?"
However, little did he know that at this moment, in the command flagship of the Chaos fleet in orbit, Abaddon was already cursing loudly.
"What on earth is going on?!"
Abaddon, with his topknot, glared with bell-like eyes, terrifying veins bulging on his forehead, and roared, spitting saliva.
"Who can explain to me who is mobilizing these warships? Why aren't they obeying orders!"
This was his first time leading the black Fleet to directly attack the Dark Angels' Chapter Monastery.
It was also highly possible to achieve the only, unprecedented feat in the Thirteen black Crusades: annihilating an entire Astartes Legion, and one of the original twenty Legions at that, the First Legion, renowned for its fearsome reputation!
If the strategy was executed, once successful, the damage to the Imperium would be no less than the campaign that captured the Cadia Fortress world and split the Imperium in two!
But now—his plan was ruined!
Allied with the Chaos Creator, luring the enemy deep, and encircling the Dark Angels Legion—such a beautiful strategic concept had, step by step, fallen into the abyss.
From the Lion's coming home, to the stalemate on Draconys, and the support of the Blood Angels, his perfect strategic concept was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Yet, even so, Abaddon refused to give up on this strategic concept that would cripple the Imperium.
He had mobilized so many fleets, suffered such heavy losses, how could he just watch the besieged 'Rock Fortress' break through?
So, Abaddon, as expected, ordered the outer Chaos fleet to reinforce, forming a larger encirclement to trap the Blood Angels and the 'Rock Fortress'.
But he overlooked one thing.
Among these supporting Chaos warships, a batch of damned 'traitors' had quietly infiltrated!
And this led to the encirclement, originally conceived by Abaddon, not only failing to trap the Blood Angels fleet and the Rock Fortress, but instead, due to the 'defection' of several hundred Chaos warships, a huge gap appeared in the encirclement!
By the time Abaddon looked again, those hundreds of Chaos warships were heading towards Draconys!
"Perez, I need an explanation!!!"
Abaddon's grim, ruthless gaze fell upon the Dark Mechanicum Priest beside him.
"Who is commanding these fleets?!"
"Lord, the esteemed black Warmaster—"
The trembling Dark Mechanicum Priest Perez swallowed, quickly brought up the fleet's information on the control panel, and then whispered tremblingly.
"It's the fleet of Lord Zahn, whom you personally appointed in the Battle of Avaralon."
"Zahn?"
Abaddon was stunned for a few seconds.
He remembered the name; at that time, in order to cut off the Imperium's support and block the Dark Angels' vital supply lines, he had specially dispatched a vanguard army to occupy Avaralon, with the goal of delaying the Imperium's speed as much as possible.
But as things stood—it seemed to be of no use; the Imperium's support speed was not only not slowed down, but even faster than he had anticipated!
This didn't seem right!
Coming back to his senses, Abaddon also keenly realized the crucial problem.
According to the speed of the Blood Angels fleet, even if they disregarded the effects of Warp storms, it would be impossible for them to reach the Iconoclast world in just a few weeks.
Unless—
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him.
"Could it be that I've been tricked?!"
Abaddon's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Unless we've all been tricked—Avaralon has been under Imperial control all along, which is why the Blood Angels fleet was able to quickly reach the Iconoclast system via this crucial node!!!"
Someone who could be promoted to Chaos Warmaster by the Four Chaos Gods, command the black Legion, and plan thirteen black Crusades, naturally couldn't be a fool.
Through these clues, although there was no concrete evidence, Abaddon had already pieced together the complete truth in his mind.
Either Zahn—betrayed Chaos!
Or, the 'Zahn' he met was no longer the real 'Zahn'; something he didn't know must have happened in the Avaralon hive city!
"Lord, the esteemed Warmaster, what should we do now?" Perez's voice also carried a hint of anxiety.
Because of the sudden actions of 'Zahn's' fleet, a gap appeared in the encirclement, and the Dark Angels' 'Rock Fortress' and the Blood Angels fleet were already gathering their forces to break through!
If they escaped the encirclement, the consequences would be unimaginable!
One must know, the 'Rock Fortress' was the Dark Angels' lair; this secretive group had been 'gifted' many secret technologies by the Emperor since the Terra War, and who knew how much power this ancient Chapter Monastery could unleash if the 'Rock Fortress' escaped the encirclement?
At least—according to Perez's estimation, the 'Rock Fortress' at full power would be no less than a 'Gloriana-class' vessel, and possibly even stronger!
There's a saying that goes:
Never underestimate the Dark Angels, because you never know how many terrifying, world-destroying technologies the First Legion, the earliest created by the Emperor and veterans of the Terra War, truly hide!
Don't believe it?
If it weren't for the Chaos Creator paralyzing the 'Rock Fortress' energy supply system in advance, it's likely the 'Rock Fortress' alone could have turned Draconys into universe dust with a single blow!
Abaddon's veins bulged on his forehead, his pupils were filled with terrifying bloodshot lines, and he let out a low, heavy gasp.
Clearly, he also knew the importance of the matter; if the 'Rock Fortress' escaped the encirclement and then confronted the Chaos fleet, it would not be a problem solved in a day or in a short time.
"Contact Vashtorr for me!"
Cornered and desperate, Abaddon could only place his hope in the Chaos Creator.
"Yes, lord Warmaster."
Perez immediately waved his hand, using sacrificed mortal cultists to strengthen psychic communication.
The Rock Fortress naturally shielded psychic powers; sacrifices were necessary to break through its outer defenses, which was why Vashtorr had not contacted them since entering the Rock Fortress.
Abaddon was unsure what stage the plan had reached.
Under normal circumstances, Vashtorr should have returned after taking the 'key'—but until now, there had been no news, which made him somewhat worried. Could it be that things weren't going smoothly on that side either?
"The number you have dialed is currently busy. Please try again later—"
"???"
At this, Abaddon was truly bewildered.
What the—this was psychic communication, did it also get a busy signal?!
Lyon looked at the distant, wailing Chaos legions and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a waste! Fortunately, these warships aren't the Imperium's. Otherwise, with your methods, the Martian Fabricator-General would flay you alive and turn you into a servitor-skull!"
Isn't he a prodigal son?!
Who has ever seen hundreds of Chaos warships used as consumables, directly smashing into the enemy's legions?
Even if they were all cruiser-strike ships, their cost was not low at all. It's estimated that even the Chaos Warmaster Barton would feel a pang of pain for a while.
Chaos doesn't have the ability to build warships independently; most of their warships come from cooperation between Chaos and the Dark Mechanicum. Maintenance is also a huge cost. Don't think hundreds of strike cruisers are few; this is already a very large asset for the black Legion. They would need to plunder thousands of wealthy hive Worlds to gather enough compensation for the Dark Mechanicum!
As a result, they were just like that.
Emrys' 'Great Warship Summoning Art' truly opened the eyes of both Chaos and the Imperium's Tech-Priests!
So, warships could be used like this?!
Luxurious, too luxurious!
Angron?
Let alone a Daemon Prince; even a few more Daemon Primarchs couldn't withstand hundreds of Chaos cruiser-strike ships raining down like hailstones!
A massive, sky-obscuring light instantly enveloped the entire battlefield. The terrifying sonic boom drowned out all other noises. The tens of thousands of degrees of high temperature from the exploding warship engines directly vaporized and annihilated all life within a radius of several hundred kilometers, including the Blood Slaughterers, from the Chaos legions!
The visible blast wave swept in all directions like a tsunami. The ground, under this immense impact force, collapsed to reveal internal magma. Volcanic ash and debris, dragging flames, shot into the sky like meteors, then scattered in all directions!
This scene was like the end of the world!
The Imperial side, thanks to Lyon's command, was deployed in a safe zone beforehand and thus escaped disaster.
But Chaos was not so lucky.
The daemon legions, filling mountains and seas, were directly cleared out by nearly two-thirds by Emrys' move. The thick smoke, formed by vaporized flesh and blood, mixed with a pungent, burnt smell, permeated the sky above the battlefield.
Lyon deliberately exposed a weakness first, and then Emrys delivered the finishing blow. The cooperation between these two practically annihilated the Chaos legions!
"Lion King." Emrys, panting in mid-air, found it difficult to control the direction of hundreds of falling warships simultaneously, but he had a more pressing question.
"Do you think he's dead?"
"Heh, it's not that simple."
Lyon shook his head calmly.
"He is a Daemon Prince; he won't die so easily. But being engulfed by the explosion of hundreds of warships, even if he's not dead, I guess he's severely wounded."
"He's really fucking tenacious."
Emrys sighed a little helplessly.
It must be said that every Chaos Daemon Prince is like a 'cockroach'; killing them completely is harder than ascending to heaven!
This is not only because they were blessed by the Chaos Gods, but more importantly, with the Warp, unless it is the power of the Emperor himself, it is difficult to completely kill these daemons.
Including Angron.
"You can leave the rest to me." Lyon's tone in the communication channel was calm, yet it subtly revealed a hint of determination.
"It's also time for me to settle the millennia-old grudge with him."
Angron was severely wounded, and the Chaos legions were also heavily damaged. At least for now, the ground situation on Draconys had been stabilized, and he alone could control it.
"Understood."
Emrys nodded.
What truly influences the direction of the Chaos and Imperial war on Draconys is not here on Draconys, nor is it the outcome of the space fleet battles, but rather another key figure with significant influence—the Chaos Creator, Vashtorr!
His stance is the crucial decision!
And if nothing unexpected happens, the Chaos Creator's interests are highly tied to the Chaos legions, but—this is not absolute.
"He's trapped in a Warp labyrinth in a secret hall," Lyon continued.
"If you are confident you can persuade him, then proceed with your plan. If not, wait for me."
To rescue Draconys as quickly as possible, Lyon did not expel the Chaos Creator. This was partly due to insufficient ability and partly due to time constraints.
In Lyon and Emrys' strategy, the Chaos Creator was a target that must be won over.
"Alright."
Emrys stopped talking nonsense, glanced at the still boiling magma, like a meteorite crater, where Angron was nowhere to be seen, and then flew straight into the sky.
Deep within the Dark Angels Chapter Monastery, the Rock Fortress, Chaos daemons and renegade Chapters were still stubbornly resisting, with fires everywhere.
But clearly, if the Chaos Creator did not appear soon, the defeat of Chaos would be irreversible.
According to Lyon, Emrys found the secret hall and, under the gaze of the guarding Dark Angels, strode inside without issue.
The secret hall is located deep within the Rock Monastery, near the 'Secret,' a trap. It contains 'prisons' built during the ancient Terra period, later given to the Dark Angels by the Emperor. After millennia of modification, it became a 'prison' for important figures.
Calling it a prison, it's actually more like a 'Warp' fragment, a space created in a Tesseract-like form, layered and nested, forming an almost infinitely looping appearance.
And now, imprisoned in this 'prison' is a Chaos demigod, the Creator Vashtorr!
Unexpectedly, after Emrys entered this 'prison,' the Chaos Creator Vashtorr he saw was not as furious as he had imagined; instead, he was very calm, examining the structure of the 'prison.'
"You don't seem to be in much of a hurry?"
Since the other party wasn't in a hurry, Emrys naturally wasn't either. He sat down and observed the Chaos Creator.
"I know you."
The Chaos Creator stopped observing. His massive form, carrying an invisible pressure, and his gaze simultaneously fell on Emrys. Those mechanical eyes, imbued with the mighty power of Chaos, seemed to want to dissect him from the inside out.
"Merlin Emrys, you are famous in the Warp; they all want you."
"Is that so? Thank you."
Emrys was not surprised in the slightest, nodding calmly.
"I'm here to negotiate with you, Vashtorr."
"Very interesting."
The Chaos Creator let out a mechanical, somewhat grating laugh.
"Tell me, what terms have you offered me as the price for betraying them!"
If not for that one time in Roaming Port.
This was the first time Emrys truly faced a 'god' of the Warp; of course, currently, it should be a 'demigod'.
The Creator of Chaos, God of All Forges, God of Machines—Vashtorr.
In the prison where he was trapped, due to the influence of the Warp, Emrys could 'directly' glimpse the true nature of this 'Techno-daemon'.
Burning hot, scorching, like a living furnace!
His entire body was enveloped in the defiled waves of the Warp, as if countless writhing mechanical tentacles and festering metallic fascia surrounded him.
Emrys could even smell a foul odor, like a mixture of sulfur and tar, extremely pungent.
He hunched his body, mostly forged from demonic metal and souls, with only a very small portion resembling 'flesh'. He wore a triple mechanical crown on his head, and six sharp, blade-like mechanical wings on his back, symbolizing his exalted status. The 'Soul Forge Hammer' he held in his right hand was also an extremely powerful demonic artifact.
Emrys recalled information about Vashtorr in his mind.
This was necessary; knowing as much information as possible before negotiations allowed him to control the situation and direction of the entire negotiation.
Inventor, engineer, scientist, artisan... these were all Vashtorr's identities, and his synonyms.
Even his existence was mysterious and special. Even Emrys, who knew most of the 'plot', only had a superficial understanding of this 'demigod' who was independent of the 'Chaos Gods' system and had his own sphere of influence. The only thing he could confirm was that Vashtorr had always been pursuing the 'Key'.
This creation, named 'Key', was rumored to originate from the Old Ones and had an inseparable connection with the 'Webway'.
And when all the 'Key' fragments were gathered, Vashtorr could use his Soul Forge to Sir a complete 'Rule', thereby ascending to a true 'God' like the other Chaos Gods, occupying one corner of the Warp's eight-pointed star.
Some scholars of the Mechanicus also claimed that Vashtorr's birth originated from a great war that swept across the entire ancient galaxy.
In the endless arms race between the two sides, a 'Techno-daemon' like Vashtorr was born.
But others held the opposite view, believing that it was not the arms race that gave birth to 'Vashtorr', but rather the opposite: it was precisely because of 'Vashtorr's' existence that those terrifying military forces were spawned, ultimately leading to a series of horrific wars.
However, at least one thing Emrys could confirm.
This Techno-daemon was seeking a path to ascend to godhood, and a crucial 'fragment' was hidden in the ancient Chapter Monastery of the Dark Angels, the 'Rock Fortress'.
So, his 'trump card' was already obvious... the Key!
His thinking time ended, and Emrys slowly exhaled, trying to relax as much as possible.
"This should be our first meeting, right?"
In negotiations with a cunning and treacherous daemon like Vashtorr, one must never reveal one's hand prematurely, otherwise... the other party would only become insatiable, demanding a greater price, or it might all be for naught. This was also an important lesson Elsa had taught him.
"Not the first time."
Vashtorr's voice was faint, like the tremor of meshing gears. His crimson eyes, formed from countless interlocking gears, looked at Emrys with a hint of scrutiny, saying playfully.
"In Roaming Port, you toppled my idol and destroyed my 'factory'."
"To be precise, this should be a wonderful 'misunderstanding'."
Emrys, without batting an eye, directly shifted the blame to 'Fernando'.
"It's all because of the damned 'Fernando' family. If they hadn't stolen my family's treasure, I wouldn't have had this misunderstanding with you. I personally have absolutely no ill will towards you."
The Fernando family had been completely annihilated, and the only remaining 'female members' were his people.
Therefore, he had no psychological burden whatsoever in shifting the blame to 'Fernando', after all, dead people cannot speak.
"Heh"
Listening to Emrys' 'blame-shifting' rhetoric, Vashtorr let out a few low, sustained hums, as if in mocking laughter.
No one here was a good person; such words were just for listening, and anyone who believed them was a fool.
"I can overlook your disrespectful actions in 'Roaming Port'." Vashtorr gripped the 'Soul Forge Hammer'.
He took heavy steps, the mechanical and geared parts of his body making weighty sounds as he slowly moved, walking step by step towards Emrys.
Emrys did not retreat an inch, looking directly at Vashtorr.
At this distance, he could even clearly see the layers of blasphemous Chaos runes embedded in the molten core deep within Vashtorr's chest, and the heat waves of souls being roasted.
"But on one condition... you must agree to my terms."
His tone suddenly changed, becoming as cold and sharp as a blade.
"Roaming Port is my important property. You must apologize to me for your recklessness and pay a corresponding price."
As expected of the Creator of Chaos, he wouldn't suffer even the slightest loss... Emrys twitched his lips, after all that talk, wasn't it just about 'money'?
"Alright, if it can appease your wrath, then I am willing to pay the price." At this moment, he still needed Vashtorr's help, so he naturally didn't care about his pride.
"Then may I ask, esteemed Lord of All Forges, source of blasphemous wisdom, what 'price' do you require me to pay?"
At this, Vashtorr seemed to have gotten his way, letting out a laugh like the roar of mechanical gears.
"Very good, I like you, as a 'collaborator'." He leaned down, his extremely twisted, blasphemous face directly entering Emrys' view, and the gears and Chaos runes embedded deep in his pupils seemed like an abyss about to swallow him.
"I want his fragments."
"Whose fragments?"
Emrys was momentarily stunned, not yet reacting.
"You know 'who' I'm talking about." Vashtorr's tone contained an extremely strong greed.
"The C'tan, the rule of the physical universe, the Void Dragon... Magla'droth!"
Emrys fell silent.
He swore he had thought for a long time, even wondering if Vashtorr wanted 'Morgana'.
But he never expected that this guy's target was actually the 'Void Dragon'!
"Give him to me."
Extreme 'desire' was revealed in Vashtorr's countless geared pupils.
Even a 'demigod' of the Warp was chasing the 'C'tan'... Emrys was a bit confused.
The C'tan were not like the gods of the Warp; they were born from the material universe, similar to pure energy beings, 'rules' with self-awareness.
They were completely different products from the Warp, yet... Vashtorr wanted to obtain 'C'tan' fragments. Could it be that he wanted to combine the rules of the material universe with the rules of the soul plane of the Warp, allowing the two to merge, thereby forging a completely new path to 'godhood'?
"This is unreasonable, and very strange!
It's twelve out of ten wrong. You see, the Star Gods represent the material universe, while Vashtorr is a 'demigod' of the Warp, the realm of spirit, emotion, and soul.
To some extent, the origins of their power and their domains of existence are completely different, even mutually exclusive.
Vashtorr, as the Lord of the Soul Forges of the Warp, shouldn't be unaware of such a simple truth. Yet, he still made this request, which is rather intriguing.
Thinking of this, Emrys decided to test him first.
"Respected Lord of a Myriad Forges, Source of Blasphemous Wisdom, lord Vashtorr." He paused, then inquired with a curious tone.
"May I know your reason for desiring the 'C'tan Fragment'? After all, to some extent, 'that one' and I are merely in a cooperative relationship."
But unfortunately, trying to read any emotion from a blasphemous face pieced together from a pile of machinery and gears was simply too difficult for anyone. "Of course, I know you are in a 'cooperative' relationship."
Every time Vashtorr spoke, it carried a heavy scent of rust. He extended a sharp claw, waving it around Emrys' head, a half-smile on his face.
"As a 'Lesser God' of the Warp, isn't it understandable that I'm curious about what kind of existence the 'Star Gods' of the material universe are?"
Clap~ Clap~ Clap~
Emrys clapped his hands, gazing at this 'Lesser Deity' of the Warp, and smiled slightly.
"Your reason is sufficient, but… it's really hard to convince me. Moreover, this 'price,' if I may be frank, far exceeds the value of the entire Wayfarer Port."
This was clearly not treating him as a person.
Unless he was crazy, he wouldn't exchange a 'C'tan Fragment' for a Wayfarer Port.
"What a pity."
Vashtorr stared at him silently for a few seconds, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, then turned and walked into the 'prison'.
"In that case, you may leave. I believe that given the situation on Draconys Star, someone will soon come looking, and he won't mind offering a higher price."
This was a blatant threat.
Emrys' eyes darkened slightly, thinking that it was indeed not so easy to impress this cunning mechanical daemon.
But fortunately, he had already prepared a contingency plan before coming. Although Vashtorr's demand for the 'C'tan Fragment' deviated slightly from the expected route, Emrys still held a crucial 'trump card.'
"Respected Lord of a Myriad Forges, I believe this item should be enough to compensate you for your losses, no?"
As he spoke, Emrys took out an ancient, gray 'cube' from his dimension. It looked featureless, seemingly made of some metal, with extremely fine patterns on its surface.
This 'cube' emitted a unique fluctuation within this Warp domain, immediately attracting Vashtorr's attention.
Its massive mechanical body, like a vulture sniffing a corpse, suddenly pounced. From the depths of its pupils, where billions of gears meshed, dazzling light erupted. Greed, shock, intoxication, and other emotions flashed in its eyes.
"This is—? What is this?!"
"The Allspark."
Emrys smiled faintly, revealing the origin of the item.
"There is an ancient alien race called the 'Transformers.' Their birth predates even the Old Ones. The great creator of this alien race is named 'Primus.' This is the 'crystallization' after that creator's demise, possessing the ability to imbue metal with life, soul, and consciousness."
Vashtorr's eyes now only held this 'cube.' As a scientist of the Warp, he was equally captivated by this wondrous creation.
"It's so beautiful."
"This creation—it's simply flawless, like the creations of the Old Ones! It's the crystallization of technology, an unparalleled treasure!"
It was clear that Vashtorr was quite pleased.
Especially Emrys' last sentence, the ability to imbue metal with life, soul, and consciousness, made Vashtorr realize that if he could obtain such a thing, he would soon be able to assemble a massive army!
By then, he would no longer need to rely on other Chaos Gods to seize the remaining 'keys.'
"Wait—." Vashtorr, who was immersed in beautiful fantasies, suddenly snapped back to reality. The vigilance etched into his bones made him narrow his eyes.
"This thing—it must have some drawbacks, right? Otherwise, you could completely use it to create a massive mechanical army, couldn't you?"
"As expected of the Lord of a Myriad Forges, truly formidable. You saw the problem at a glance." Emrys seized the opportunity to flatter him.
"Although this Allspark can imbue machinery and metal with life and soul, it is extremely lacking in energy. Even draining tens of thousands of stars would make it difficult to create a massive mechanical army. This is its biggest drawback, after all, this thing is the crystallization after that alien creator's demise, so it's understandable."
Emrys did not tell the whole truth.
Or rather, it was nine parts truth and one part falsehood. He concealed the most important piece of information about the Allspark from Vashtorr: that it was a fragment!
If it were a complete Allspark, there would be no need to worry about this problem, but a 'fragment'… that's another story.
"Energy, huh?" Vashtorr narrowed his eyes, pondering for a long time. His Soul Forge seemed to have no shortage of energy, and he had enough time to slowly refine it.
"Alright, I accept this gift as compensation for my losses at Wayfarer Port."
Emrys sneered inwardly, but a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
"Excellent! I believe this is a very high starting point, as the foundation of our cooperation: to disrupt Khorne's revelry on Draconys Star, as the price for hindering your ascension. What do you think, respected Lord of a Myriad Forges, lord Vashtorr?"
"Then let me hear what 'price' you are prepared to pay for me, you cunning—part."
Vashtorr was as greedy as ever. Even after obtaining the 'Allspark,' he was still not satisfied and wanted more!
"For example—." The core of the daemon's forge emitted scorching heat waves. Tar mixed with blasphemous stench surged into Emrys' nostrils. The mechanical skull head drew closer, and in its evil, crimson eyes, cunning and treachery shone.
"A 'key' fragment—what do you think?"
"I can."
To Vashtorr's surprise, Emrys agreed very quickly, without even a hint of hesitation.
This made Vashtorr pause, seemingly disbelieving.
"You—did you hear clearly? What I want is the 'key' fragment, created by the Old Ones, hidden deep within the 'Giant Stone Fortress'!"
"I am very clear, lord Vashtorr."
Emrys' lips curved into a slight smile as he calmly said.
"If you don't believe me, I can pre-pay 'half'—the permanent coordinates of the 'key.' I believe with it, you will no longer fear being unable to capture the traces of the Giant Stone Fortress. How about it?"
Even Vashtorr was shocked by Emrys' displayed obedience. He had expected to put in some effort, but he didn't expect it to be so smooth?
"Lord Vashtorr, I have shown my complete sincerity." Emrys bowed very humbly.
"I believe you can see my sincerity. As a collaborator, I have always honored my word, just like this time—as long as you help us repel Khorne's legions, the key—will be yours."
Vashtorr still felt something was not quite right.
But he couldn't find any flaws. The coordinates for the 'key' had been checked and were absolutely correct. Even if Emrys refused to pay the price later, he could still accurately locate the Giant Stone Fortress; it would just take a bit more effort.
After a long deliberation, Vashtorr slowly nodded.
"Good, I believe you—you are a clever part, and you shouldn't want to know the price of deceiving me!"
"Of course, respected lord Vashtorr."
Emrys bowed to the mechanical daemon, but—a strange smile appeared on his face.
Credibility?
Sorry, you'll soon find out about his Emrys' "credibility" in the Milky Way Galaxy. Why don't you ask when Emrys has ever suffered a loss?
The cooperation went smoothly.
At least, that's how it seemed to the Chaos Creator, Vashtorr, whose interests were guaranteed.
Thanks to Khorne, not only was the initial goal achieved—acquiring the 'Key', a crucial item for ascending to godhood—but he also received the biggest surprise from Emrys: the Spark of fire!
This crystallization of an alien creator allowed him to glimpse a 'path' different from the relics of the Old Ones, a seemingly alternative route.
With the Spark of fire, he no longer needed to research the essence of the Star Gods or be fixated on them.
"Then, my esteemed Chaos Creator, lord Vashtorr, Sir of the Myriad Forges." Emrys maintained his humble persona.
At least for now, it was still necessary.
"I have shown you my sincerity. May I ask you to pre-pay a little 'reward'?
For example, causing a slight technical malfunction in Khorne's legions on Draconys?"
"Of course, that's simple."
Vashtorr, the Chaos Creator, was undoubtedly quite satisfied with this cooperation and Emrys' displayed obedience, so he naturally didn't mind "pre-paying" a small reward.
"The value you contributed is worthy of this 'reward'. As you wish, within the next natural day, Khorne's mad dogs will encounter a small technical malfunction."
One natural day?
Emrys was clearly not very satisfied with this result. He had gone to such great lengths, even handing over the Spark of fire.
And all he got in return was one natural day?
"My esteemed lord Vashtorr, Sir of the Myriad Forges, isn't one natural day a bit too short?" He frowned, attempting to extend the time.
"No."
Vashtorr looked at him meaningfully.
"I need to ensure you uphold your promise. As a down payment, one natural day is already the limit."
If he extended the time, and the Imperium wiped out Khorne in one go, what would he use to ensure Emrys would keep his word?
Therefore, the time had to be one day.
Not too long, to ensure the Imperium could catch its breath, but also not so long that Khorne's legions would be completely defeated. Only by both sides continuously investing forces and escalating the War could he become the greatest 'beneficiary'!
Emrys was angry but dared not speak. He naturally knew Vashtorr's intentions, but given the current situation, he had to fight for even this small amount of power, so he could only suppress his anger.
"Alright, one day it is."
"Very good."
Although the Chaos Creator was cunning, he was also very true to his word.
The Warp artifact named 'Soul Forge Hammer' suddenly landed, and a colossal furnace phantom emerged from behind the mechanical daemon. The scorching, blazing furnace fire, seemingly accompanied by endless psychic distorted faces and a powerful rule-based force, was materialized.
It was branded into the real universe!
The energy of the Warp converged and took shape.
A blasphemous planetary shadow suddenly appeared in Vashtorr's palm. He scrutinized it with amusement, observing the Imperium, Orks, and Chaos spread across it.
Draconys was originally built by him.
Its purpose was to attract the Dark Angels, and all the daemon factories, including a large number of daemon engines, machinery, and War Machines, were also created by this 'Lord of the Soul Forge'.
Next, he took out a compass. After the needle rotated for a moment, its tip pointed directly at Draconys, emitting an ominous fluctuation, like the spread of a rusted plague.
"The 'reward' you asked for has been pre-paid."
At this moment, the shadow of 'Draconys' he was holding was already shrouded in metallic, rusted dark clouds. Vashtorr meaningfully turned his gaze to the seemingly 'humble' Emrys and said.
"Remember—those who deceive the Forger will ultimately be consumed by the furnace fire and turn to ash."
This highly threatening whisper was clearly a warning to Emrys.
"Of course, I swear on my family's name!"
Emrys lowered his head, his attitude very humble and respectful.
"I would never dare to deceive the great Sir of the Myriad Forges, the Chaos Creator."
To express his 'sincerity', Emrys even suggested.
"This place is truly not suitable for you, great Sir of the Myriad Forges. Why don't you—leave with me?"
Mainly, Luther was still imprisoned here!
This bastard was a major criminal. If he were to be rescued along the way, there would be big problems later. This was also why Emrys was eager for him to leave.
"No need."
However, Vashtorr rejected his suggestion, staring at Emrys with a half-smile.
"This place is very interesting. I want to study it further. As for the problem you're worried about, there's no need. I have no interest in the 'secrets' of the Dark Angels."
This 'prison', condensed from Warp fragments, might be able to trap a secondary Warp deity for a while, but it could never imprison him forever. It was precisely because of this that he was so fearless.
However, since he had said so, Emrys couldn't force him out and could only give up.
"Alright, I respect your wishes. Then please excuse me for a moment. I will meet with you again after dealing with Khorne's mad dogs on Draconys."
As soon as Emrys walked out of the 'secret hall', he immediately contacted Lyon on Draconys.
"How is the plan progressing?"
From Lyon's perspective, he seemed to be in the midst of a fierce battle.
Dust and airwaves flew all around, and a massive, brutal figure could vaguely be seen being ganged up on by the Dark Angels and Blood Angels.
The roars, even through the communication channel, could make one's nerves tense.
"It's going well, as expected." Emrys spoke concisely, quickly informing Lyon of the final outcome of the cooperation.
"He agreed. The 'pre-payment' is the temporary paralysis of Khorne's legions' machinery and weapons, but only for one natural day!"
"About what I expected."
Lyon did not curse at this result but nodded calmly.
"One day, though not much, is enough…" "One day, is it really enough?"
Emrys gave a wry smile. He wasn't that optimistic. A mere day would at most ensure the Imperium regained the initiative, but to repel Khorne's legions would be a pipe dream.
"No, it's enough."
Lyon's tone was firm, saying.
"Just half an hour ago, Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade fleet has already warped from the Mandeville Point to the edge of the Iconoclast System."
The Regent is here?!
This news truly shocked Emrys. He hadn't expected Guilliman's fleet to arrive so quickly!
In fact, it was three hours earlier than the estimated seven hours, taking only four hours for the fleet to reach the Iconoclast System. "Not good!"
But suddenly, Emrys seemed to remember something and hurriedly said.
"I need to contact the Indomitus Crusade fleet. I have something important to tell the Regent!"
Although Lyon was surprised by his reaction, he quickly gave the communication cipher to Emrys.
Soon, Emrys established contact with the Indomitus Crusade fleet from the Rock Fortress.
When the enormous holographic projection of the Primarch, Regent Robert Guilliman, appeared before Emrys, he felt a hint of pressure.
"Merlin Emrys."
The Regent's gaze fell on him, and he slowly said.
"What do you have to report to me?"
"Lord Regent, I hope your fleet can control the scale of the attack as much as possible. You must…" Emrys paused, gritting his teeth.
"Do not destroy too many Chaos fleets. If possible, focus on defeating Khorne's legions on Draconys, and do not annihilate this force on a large scale."
The command center of Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade fleet erupted in an uproar because of his bold suggestion!
This kid, has he really gone over to Chaos?!