Valdemar: This development, not what I imagined

Completely different

After the joint meeting between "Shadow of Order" and "Space Wolves, "Wolf Lord Amlodi Skarsen Skarsen went straight back to the mid-deck.

His Rune Priest, Oshel Valdemar, did not leave with the Wolf Lord; he went with the Librarian.

"Okafor, we should communicate before we arrive in Stafford."

Seeing that Okafor had stopped, Valdemar continued.

"There are too many disagreements within our legions, but this stems from a lack of understanding of each other."

"You and I can break down our prejudices against each other."

Valdemar shook his long staff, which was topped with a gold and silver eagle emblem, and spoke with great passion.

"Imagine the friendship we forged will be remembered."

Okafor stared at Valdemar, who had a shaved head and wore a simple leather hat. Unlike the other Space Wolves, he had no beard and seemed more friendly.

But his father's orders made the psychic Psyker observe Valdemar with a more cautious eye.

Beneath his warm exterior lurks the shadow of a venomous snake.

Okafor glanced at the amulets hanging from the iron-gray armor; the Rune Priest had far more than any Space Wolves.

Most of them correspond to the Primarch's Attendants obtained from the Tomb of the Ancient Kings Fenris and recorded in the Librarian.

He discerned five of the amulets related to mental defense, cautiously avoiding any spreading consciousness, and probed Valdemar's thoughts.

"Valdemar, come with me."

Valdemar strode toward Okafor, his iron-grey armor almost rubbing against the blackened armor.

"The Fenrisian call us the Sons of the Storm, and to us, the Sea of Souls is as familiar as the ocean surrounding Asaheim."

"The storms of time surge ceaselessly, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing, but forever intertwined with the grand legends of the vast universe."

Okafor listened intently to Valdemar's understanding of Psionic Energy, a concept not found in the runes.

The Fenrisian' understanding of Psionic Energy was far more rudimentary than the Legion system and the "Thousand Sons" system based on the Flao and Aeldari, but it still gave him some fresh and profound insights.

Valdemar spoke "frankly" all the way until Okafor opened the door to the room and entered the meditation room, at which point he believed he had won some of Okafor's trust.

"Okafor, now I'd love to hear your thoughts."

Okafor stared at Valdemar and uttered the words he had been preparing for a long time.

My father once said, "Knowledge contains power."

"Read about those Geometry increasing possibilities, and get an overview of the fluctuations caused by the entire knowledge system."

"Each combination yields eleven different results, regardless of how similar the initial conditions may be; this is what he calls fractal Geometry."

When Valdemar heard that it was Nimrod who said it himself, his eyes immediately lit up, and he carefully considered each word.

The connection between legion numbers and knowledge gave him a sense of mystery.

Fractal. Eleven, one hundred and twenty-one, one thousand three hundred and thirty-one...

It develops rapidly, but will eventually decline due to loss of control, much like the conquering advance of the "Shadow of Order."

With that in mind, he asked a leading question.

"The collision of fractal shapes triggers Geometry growth and knowledge fission?"

Okafor smiled and glanced at Valdemar. "That's right."

He Valdemar, his eyes gleaming.

"But the first thing my father taught me was that the most important thing is to adhere to the precept of order."

"The Mystery we seek to uncover require a steadfast will to master."

"Having just completed the path of the 'Mystery Pryer,'" Okafor remarked with a sigh.

"Therefore, he gleaned techniques for forging willpower from Thelema's ideas."

The light in Valdemar's eyes was now obscured by a layer of gray shadow.

After a standard ship's time, Valdemar dragged his heavy steps back to the sixth deck of the middle deck.

Stepping onto the deck, the Rune Priest sensed an eeriness emanating from the surroundings.

Sanchez's Honor Guard and Librarian Chapter members reside on the upper deck.

The Space Wolves did not receive the preferential treatment from the Brotherhood; officers of the "Catachan Jungle Fighters" and "Attila Rough Riders" resided on the first to fourth decks of the middle deck.

They were placed on one of the middle decks, with the upper and lower decks occupied by the Chapter's servants.

Aside from essential tasks like delivering food, no one wanted to approach their hideout.

Valdemar stepped into the shadows, and four giant wolves with their fur standing on end approached him.

Their muscles are taut, like pistons on an airplane deck ready to fire at any moment.

Valdemar nodded to the tall Warrior in iron-gray armor who appeared next, then walked into the camp.

Skarsen disregarded the ship's owner's wishes, dismantling all non-supporting structures and opening up the entire deck.

He arranged his Warrior in concentric circles as was customary, with himself sitting in the center.

A totem made from a giant wolf skull stands tall, with a wolf tail as long as a human leg and blade-like fangs hanging from it.

The burning remains of the Promethium jars resembled fiery furnaces of Fenris.

The Lumen Lamp were deliberately disrupted at intervals to create a dim, nest-like atmosphere.

The scanning system that monitors temperature and other conditions was found and completely destroyed.

Valdemar knew this was Skarsen's way of venting his frustrations with the Shadow of Order, Nimrod, and especially Sanchez.

He approached his Wolf Lord, Skarsen, and asked in a cold voice in the War-speak of Fenris, rather than the everyday Hearth-speak.

Have you uncovered their dark secrets?

"No, Okafor is cautious." Valdemar shook his head, sat down, picked up a bowl of Fenrisian Mead, and gulped it down.

"I told you, your plan won't work," Skarsen said coldly.

"Sanchez has no chance of beating me except by using their sorcery."

"We will naturally obtain the evidence we want."

"They used to be called 'The Reapers,' and even if they're called 'Shadow of Order' now, it's just a name change. Those kids from Sanchez will never restrain their power."

Valdemar nodded. "You're right, Sanchez also calls himself the Reaper Lord."

"I think they will definitely be exposed for abusing witchcraft on the battlefield."

"You don't need to worry about winning; I have a way to help you."

"Stop talking nonsense, I'm out of patience right now." Skarsen swirled the mead in his glass.

"Wolf Lord, the Wolf King and Nimrod are betting on the merits of Sanchez and you."

"It's not just about Stafford, it's about the whole war."

"Before you understand your Xenos prey, let the Shadow of Order be the first to pounce, then you can hunt at will."

"I don't need these petty tricks." Skarsen's mind flashed back to Fenris's Wolf King Palace, and Sanchez's repulsive expression and tone.

Back then, he could only watch angrily from the sidelines; now he is the offspring of the Wolf King, a true Space Wolves.

Skarsen drew his giant axe from behind and hurled it at Valdemar.

The giant axe cleaved the deck, cutting in several centimeters.

"You will eventually win and reclaim the Russ Wolf Helm."

After twenty-five standard ship cycles, the Combined Fleet defeated the Xenos Fleet and launched a landing operation.

Valdemar's gloomy expression vanished the moment he stepped onto the ground with Okafor.

"Librarian, we must carry out the orders of Lord Nimrod and the Wolf King to eliminate the Xenos."

"That's right. The offensive has begun," Valdemar, "Listen to the sound of warhorses' hooves."

The Space Wolves heard a thunderous roar in its ears, and the sandstorm swirled and churned in the sky.

Valdemar looked around, then quickly climbed the hillside for a wider view.

Valdemar knew that the "Shadow of Order" possessed several powerful Imperialis Militia, some of which were rumored to be as strong as the elite forces of the "Solar Auxilia."

He neither believed nor thought these mortals had anything commendable about them.

Humans cannot keep up with the Space Wolves's swift pace, which is why its Wolf Lord never fights alongside mortals.

Driven by a sense of responsibility and curiosity regarding his mission to the Wolf King, Valdemar scrutinized Attila Rough Riders.

Valdemar was first drawn to the horses; compared to the warhorses he had seen before, the Attilan's horses were robust and wild.

The Librarian observed traces of biochemical treatment on them, indicating that these warhorses were clearly trained for combat.

Their barbaric, weathered faces bore a resemblance to the Fenrisian, giving Valdemar a sense of familiarity.

On their similarly dry faces, everyone had prominent ritual scars, and small mustaches that were distinctly different from the thick beards of the Fenrisian.

Their scent is strong, similar to that of Space Wolves to the nose of ordinary people.

Attila Rough Riders mostly wore leather or animal skin coats, leather riding gloves, boots, and traditional, distinctive wide-brimmed fur hats.

Valdemar saw that the cavalrymen were grouped into squads of ten, clustered together with the other units, forming a wide line.

Rows of cavalrymen surged toward the slave army like the Fenris Ocean.

A hint of admiration flashed in Valdemar's eyes. He had to admit that the sight of over 100,000 cavalrymen charging as a single entity was truly awe-inspiring.

Dozens of company commanders, leading the charge, brandished their sabers.

The first rank of Attila Rough Riders simultaneously laid down the Hunting Spear made by Incaladion, and the hunting lances, propelled by the impact of their warhorses, slammed into the enemy.

The fragmented spearhead detonated, instantly blasting the enemy into a bloody mess.

In the blink of an eye, Valdemar saw the enemy lines torn apart.

Okafor walked past him and leaped down. "Action."

The Rune Priest excitedly followed the Librarian, his iron-gray armor slamming heavily onto the ground.

As he ran, he saw that Attila Rough Riders had scattered into different-sized units, flanking and attacking, dividing the slave army into independent positions.

These barbarians are actually quite capable.

While Valdemar was pondering, he followed Okafor's pace.

He stared wide-eyed with excitement when he saw the Librarian members raise their staffs in unison.

The next moment, he saw the humans enslaved by the Neural Collar descend into chaos.

Nearly half hesitated and lingered, about a third left their weapons behind, and the rest rushed forward.

Valdemar's head throbbed, and he stared wide-eyed at Okafor.

"You... liberated the enslaved humans?"

"That's right." Okafor retrieved the Osiris Mind-Control Staff, and the full release of his Psionic Energy a throbbing pain in his temples.

He immediately switched to the Magnus Mindset, entering the Thelema Mindset, to calm his Affliction.

Valdemar froze, unsure how to carry out the mission, when suddenly he saw a dozen or so Xenos rush out from the slave army.

The Rune Priest's eyes lit up, and he raised his staff.

The leaping bolts of lightning struck several Xenos, while simultaneously keeping an eye on several Xenos that were charging toward Okafor.

The newly appointed "Melee Scholar" remained calm. He swung the Osiris Mind-Control Staff, knocking down a Xenos, then dodged the incoming claws and clenched his right fist, smashing it down on the alien's head.

Valdemar was taken aback when he saw Okafor swiftly take down several Xenos.

While he was distracted, a Xenos claw came slashing down.

With a loud bang, the three protective amulets on his body shattered, and he was thrown away.

[Xenos Overlord]

Instead of being alarmed, Valdemar was delighted. He stared intently as the monster swung its claws and lunged at Okafor.

The "Melee Scholar" swung his staff to block the claws, and at the same time swung his arm to slam into the Xenos.

With a loud bang, the Overlord's personal energy shield shook.

The "Melee Scholar" activated the "Eyes of Mystery Prying," and the invisible energy shield instantly transformed into barriers of varying depths.

The "Melee Scholar" launched a flying kick, sending the opponent flying backward with a loud bang, followed by a series of powerful blows.

Valdemar watched as the Librarian, like a skilled fighting Space Wolves, Bringa, was sometimes ferocious and sometimes swift, defeating the Xenos Overlord without any chance to fight back.

Amidst a series of loud bangs, he finally smashed the Xenos Overlord's head with a vicious uppercut.

[This... unfolds in a completely different way than I expected.]

Valdemar, with a complicated expression, walked toward Okafor.

Suddenly, he heard the whistling of the wind. He turned his head and saw a giant wolf, much larger than his Wolf Lord Skarsen's wolf, rushing towards him.

Valdemar recalled the scene at the camp and immediately recognized it as the Thunderwolf that Sanchez had tamed in Fenris.

A giant wolf, over six meters long, carried its master, its enormous yellow eyes gleaming coldly.

Valdemar stepped aside, secretly speculating.

Attila Rough Riders scattered the slave army, Okafor and other Librarian tore apart the lines, creating conditions for Sanchez to directly attack the Xenos commander?