The First Shadow of Order to Awaken the Heart-Forged Staff

After ordering the five Chapter that had participated in the previous battles to rest, Nimrod led the newly arrived Second and 5th Legion to the Dametus system to rescue the House Veroni, who had been besieged by the Mitu for centuries.

Before the 5th Legion set sail, Santiago Bergkamp, who was serving as the adjutant, received a transfer order.

With great excitement, he boarded the Stormbird and aboard the Shadow of the Throne.

As a former member of the Honor Guard, he was familiar with the Primarch's flagship, but he wasn't exactly familiar with the reporting location, the Librarium.

The Librarium is located at the rear of the Shadow of the Throne, behind the Primarch's Palace, and isolated from other areas.

Santiago knew the general structure of the Librarium; the entire area was a regular rectangle.

The outermost area is where the Lexicanum work.

Combat reports from each Chapter, as well as information gathered by the legion, will be compiled here for Lexicanum to collect, archive, and back up.

Although the Shadow of Order is not as obsessed with collecting knowledge as the Thousand Sons, the knowledge collected by the Librarian Primarch its Librarian is still a huge treasure trove, even exceeding the capacity of the Librarium.

With the completion of the Legion Fortress-Monastery Shadow Keep, battle reports and star system scan data were transferred to the secret Spire outside the main tower.

After presenting the authorization rune and passing the inspection, Santiago entered the outer editing area.

He saw a Librarian dressed in a black robe, hunched over a desk, intently studying a shimmering, sheet-like object.

[This should be the data carrier of the Mitu.]

Santiago secretly guessed, he thought to himself.

If I had accepted the invitation from Chief Librarian Thomas, I might be doing this kind of work right now.

I still prefer fighting alongside my comrades. Although the Librarian also accompanies me in battle, there are still some differences.

Compared to Librarian that occasionally join and always leave, Santiago prefers to fight alongside his comrades.

As Santiago pondered, he walked past workbenches and rows of Obsidian bookshelves.

The bookshelves contain paper books and parchment scrolls, as well as Data Slate and Data Crystal containing high-value information, and various strange information carriers such as Xenos furs and stones.

Santiago finally walked to the foot of a black Obsidian Lectern. He looked around and found that his fellow warriors from other Chapter were already standing there.

A battle comrade from the 7th Legion, with seven red arrows painted on his right shoulder.

The right shoulder is painted with blue ocean wave patterns, a sign of his combat brethren from the Ninth Chapter.

Santiago knew that those combat brothers from the Chapter that had not been drafted into this battle were members of the Black Emperor's current Honor Guard.

A smile appeared on his face as he recalled the wonderful times he spent following the Primarch.

Santiago waited a moment longer, until ninety-two Shadow of Order had gathered below the platform, before the lecturer stepped onto the stage.

"Shadow of Order from all the Chapter, you have been summoned here today because you have displayed a certain level of Psionic Energy power."

"You will undergo training on your journey to the Dametus system."

"The training includes the Mindset created by Magnus and the Aeldari's Fire Dragon Rune."

The lecturer paused, his eyes deep, as he surveyed the crowd.

"I imagine some of you might have questions about using Aeldari runes."

As my father said, "Use all means wisely," but at the same time, be careful to "guard against losing control of the power."

"The Fire Dragon Rune is a power that Father meticulously practiced and confirmed we could control. Primarch's Attendants and Lord Thomas also verified this through practice."

Santiago does not reject the runes of the Xenos; as Daemonology Psyker, his use of Warp power is even more dangerous.

When "Teleport" is activated, it directly utilizes Warp power.

Santiago knew the dangers involved. The Bergkamp House ancestor who left the notes Teleport an unknown place when the Warp power went out of control during a use of "Teleport".

He had been searching for a way to control his power. After his father taught him the Thelema Mindset, he studied it diligently and quickly mastered all three levels.

What reassured him even more was that during the battle between Spiral- Morse and the Rangdan Xenos, the Black Emperor told him the Honorific Name of the prayer.

If he finds himself in danger, he can pray to the Great Black Emperor.

The Black Emperor also granted him power, making him an "Apprentice."

Santiago knew that this was his father's love for him.

Because he uses Daemonology Psionic Energy, he can also use "Door Opening" to escape when in danger.

Even if there's no other way, you can pray to the Black Emperor for help.

Santiago listened attentively as the lecturer began to speak.

"Most ordinary people can't even enter the first level of Mindset state; they can control their emotions, but they struggle to maintain true calm and clear their minds."

"Of course, the Primarch's servant, Arsena Dunn, could enter this state within ten minutes of being taught by his father."

After a standard ship time, Santiago, who was quite familiar with Mindset cultivation, was able to enter the first level of Mindset state created by Magnus.

The first day of training ended, and when the instructor asked about everyone's progress, Santiago noticed that only he and one other person had mastered the first level of Mindset.

The man was dressed in a long black robe with only blue trim, clearly a Librarian Apprentice who had not yet become Lexicanum.

His name is Gell Quastá.

The instructor then said, "Today's training is over. Now you have an opportunity."

"The Heart-Forged Staff, obtained from Medusa, awaits its master. Each of you may hold it for eleven minutes and attempt to communicate with it using Psionic Energy."

"Once you succeed, it's yours."

The Shadow of Order followed their mentors, passing through the area where the Logis and the Astropathic Officer were located, and stopped in front of a large gate.

The Astropathic Officer, adorned with blue the Star on his black Power Armor, placed his hand on the scanner.

Psionic Energy glow shone as the Scanner Array swung between his fingers.

The embedded Psionic Energy array emitted a series of confirmation beeps after reading the Sequence, and the control panel slid out, revealing a milky-white keyboard that was extended in front of him.

After a moment of silent contemplation, the Astropathic Officer raised his hand and entered an encrypted Sequence that changed randomly every hour.

A series of metallic clanging sounds echoed continuously, followed by several bangs, hisses, and infrasonic whistling sounds. The latch was released, and the killing aura and impact lock were also closed.

The door slid open with a roar, and frozen mist seeped out from the open hatch.

"This is the Librarium's armory."

"Follow the path I have taken, and do not stray from it."

The Shadow of Order followed the Astropathic Officer into the armory of the Librarium.

They passed through two more large doors and arrived at a cabin that was about the size of a transfer deck.

Santiago and Gell saw that the Psychic Weapon rack was filled with Force Staff.

The staff looks no different from an ordinary staff, except that the head of the staff is cast in the shape of a heart.

Immediately, several people walked towards the Psychic Weapon rack and picked up the Heart-Forged Staff.

They infused the staff with Psionic Energy, attempting to awaken the ancient relic in their hands.

Santiago and Gell each picked up a Heart-Forged Staff and infused it with Psionic Energy.

The staff in Santiago's hand remained unresponsive, but Gell's staff emitted a dazzling light as Psionic Energy surged into it.

The crackling, flashing arcs of electricity immediately caught the attention of the Astropathic Officer.

He walked up to Gell and said, "Congratulations!"

Moments later, Gell and Santiago were summoned by the Primarch.

Nimrod first let Santiago into his office, and after confirming that he had digested the "Apprentice" potion, told him to wait a moment while he returned to the "Nation of Disorder".

He then instructed the Space Ape to concoct the "Trickmaster" potion using Colorful Mushroom and other ingredients.

A moment later, Santiago drank the potion that shimmered with multicolored light.

After gathering the power released by the potion, Santiago, who had advanced to Sequence 8, entered the first level of Mindset. He quickly reviewed the newly acquired spells, such as "Flash," and then spoke respectfully.

"Thank you, my Lord, for this gift. I will certainly make good use of the power you have given me to perform magic tricks for the Mitu."

Nimrod slightly. "Call Gell in."

A few dozen seconds later, Gell, holding the Heart-Forged Staff, walked in.

Upon first meeting the Primarch, he did not immediately enter the first level of Mindset he had just mastered, and instead revealed obvious excitement.

"Father."

"Gell," Nimrod, looking at his progenitor, "Show me your mastery of the Heart-Forged Staff."

Gell took a deep breath and channeled Psionic Energy into the staff in his hand.

Crack!

The Heart-Forged Staff immediately erupted with dazzling arcs of electricity.

In the Baron of Corruption's vision, he saw the Rule Line the technological creations in the office, including the overhead clock, tremble slightly.

[As expected, a powerful technology-based Psyker.]

With the ability to activate the Heart-Forged Staff, Gell's future strength will be considerable.

Even if he can't catch up to Lendrick, he should still be a powerful Psyker; perhaps I should train him to be Beyonder.

In Nimrod's memory, the first owner of the Heart-Forged Staff Lendrick, was the main force in the siege of the King of Sapphires.

The King of Sapphires was born from the Psionic Energy shockwaves generated by the death of Ferrus Manus, and the Primarch's anger, regret, and other emotions gave rise to the powerful Keeper of Secrets.

He haunted the Iron Hands like Nightmare until he was killed by Lendrick.

Although the Iron Hands who besieged the King of Sapphires numbered in the number, and even fourteen Iron Father perished, Lendrick, who used the power of Heartforged, was undoubtedly the decisive figure in that battle.

Lendrick's slaying of the King of Sapphires was due not only to his own strength and the damage inflicted by the Iron Hands, but also significantly to the role of the Heart-Forged Staff.

It is a powerful staff, far more powerful than the staffs of the Osiris Mind-Seed and the Flao.

Nimrod recalled the information he had just reviewed about Gell, "You are Kaser People, and your family has forged Force Sword for nobles for generations?"

"Yes, Father, the Questa House is the oldest and largest sword-making family in Kaser."

Nimrod nodded slightly, thinking to himself.

[Forged into Force Sword, possessing both technological and Psionic Energy characteristics.]

Perhaps it's not a coincidence that Gell is a technology-based Psyker, or even that he awakened the Heart-Forged Staff.

[Possessing both high Psionic Energy and mechanical talents?]

"From this moment forward, you are a member of the Honor Guard."

"Yes, Father." Gell felt that today was truly his lucky day, not only did he obtain a powerful staff, but he also gained the favor of the Primarch.