Lorgar's Folly

The Law of Faith, the fleet of those Word Bearers.

This incident likely occurred shortly after the Burning of Prospero, when Kasgar was dealing with the stabbings.

Ever since the scene of the Emperor slamming Magnus near Prospero, Lorgar, who had been slacking off on the Great Crusade, has not dared to be negligent in the slightest.

In the following period, he corrected his past mistakes regarding the Great Crusade and is now working diligently towards the next goal.

"Sir, did you call me?"

Arriving in the Lorgar Meditation Room was Amon, the former Thousand Sons and now Space Marine of the Word Bearers.

Similarly, after the Thousand Sons Legion was completely dismantled, some of the Thousand Sons followed Amon to the Word Bearers to fight alongside them.

Even though he could no longer use Psychic Power, and even though he had only undergone partial transformation due to his age, his inherent abilities and extensive knowledge of the Warp were still worthy of respect.

"That's right."

Lorgar said, his head still looking out the window. Even though he had his back to the other person, Amon could still see his hesitation in his eyes.

"I may have discovered something amiss, but I'm not sure about everything I'm seeing."

Lorgar turned around hesitantly, her face full of worry. "In these days of meditation, I have been seeing a terrible future, a prophecy that is hard to accept."

"In the near future, the Warp Storm that will engulf the entire galaxy will shatter us into countless fragments, and our Emperor will soon sit forever on that Golden Throne, unable to move an inch."

"What on earth is going on, Amon?"

"You used to be a Wizard, and I know you've reformed, but what are these prophecies all about? Am I really seeing fragments of the future universe?"

"I don't know, sir."

Amon replied, "What you felt in your dream may become reality in the future, but it is too general and has no practical reference value."

Just as someone suddenly claims to have predicted that "people will die when they are killed," there was simply no way for Lorgar to determine the outcome of what he said.

"If possible, sir, I hope you can explore the reasons for this during your next meditation."

The reason?

"Okay, I understand."

"You can go down now."

Concentrating intently, Lorgar pondered for a moment before sitting down again.

During their journey through the vast and boundless Empyrean, Lorgar quickly entered a meditative state.

Tiny frosts condensed at Lorgar's feet, a unique fluctuation characteristic of Psyker.

After the Nikaea Prohibition was issued, as a preacher of the Emperor and the Imperial Truth, even though Lorgar was extremely afraid of the Emperor's punishment to some extent, he did not consider himself to belong to the category of Psyker through the power of prayer and faith.

They are in a state of confusion, similar to that of Runepriest.

Especially when the Emperor is far away and the sky is high, he never hesitates to use his Psychic Power to better serve the Great Crusade.

The Emperor will surely understand him, as long as he doesn't go to the level of Magnus.

In this state of deep meditation, Lorgar was able to feel that long-lost clarity.

It was as if everything had revealed its true nature before him, and he was able to understand the origin and changes of all things in this meditative state.

It is endless, but it all depends on his control.

This was a situation he had never encountered in his meditations before—as if something, some unknown life form, was extending a helping hand to him, assisting him in understanding the truth.

Let him see more and more

That is—

Lorgar tried to open his eyes. He saw countless advanced machines, tools more refined and perfect than those Forge World, creating a unique sword blade. He watched as the weapon gradually took shape, its craftsmanship unmatched even by the self-proclaimed elegant and exquisite Eldar.

However, it is not a human creation. The forging technique and mechanical structure are extremely complex, undoubtedly originating from Xenos. The proportions of the blade and hilt seem somewhat strange, and the hands that forged it are covered with fine purple scales.

It was a blasphemous creation filled with evil, a weapon completely at odds with the Emperor's radiance.

What does this mean? What does it symbolize?

Lorgar's spiritual journey continued, and he saw worlds engulfed in flames, endless wars ignited on billions of worlds, and entire galaxies once again falling under the flames of war.

It was an impossible scene; the ones battling it out in the world were Astartes, the Emperor's Angel.

Comrades who set out from Earth and marched together into unknown territories are now locked in a fierce battle with swords and fists on an ever-changing battlefield. This illusion is deeply unsettling, but Lorgar remains unmoved.

He had seen this situation many times in his previous meditations.

The scene then shattered, like a series of randomly pieced-together photographs: two sisters becoming enemies; a throne room or a bridge; a beloved son falling to the sword of a traitor, along with the iron-gray blade, the strike that changed the entire universe; a beloved father falling at the hands of his rebellious child.

Once again, Lorgar saw Philus, a gigantic figure with astonishing power.

She took up the blade as a suitable weapon she had always lacked—she had forged a Flameblade for Fulgrim, but ultimately she had not been able to obtain another suitable weapon from her sisters.

Philus was annoyed that her supposed soulmate preferred another guy named Kasgar.

Kasgar and Fulgrim, those two are truly enviable.

She wanted to completely destroy these two people, to make them—

"Etc!"

Lorgar shouted, full of doubt.

"Wait a minute! I came here to investigate why the galaxy is engulfed in war, but all I see are love triangles!?"

Lorgar really wanted to click "Not interested".

Unfortunately, I didn't get any points.

But the situation before him remained unchanged, as if this was the outcome the prophecy intended to show him.

Philus, wielding a strange sword, reappeared before him.

However, this was no longer his sister; it was a monster, a destructive force intent on reducing countless great achievements to ashes. With each swing of Philus's massive steel fist, worlds perished, and the flames of war that swept across the galaxy spread like a plague.

She was like a mad composer, weaving a destructive and insane melody, meticulously turning the Imperium into scorched earth, causing brothers and sisters to turn against each other in this massacre.

Lorgar examined the face that belonged to Philus, but could not see any of her usual nobility and kindness, only hatred, loathing and regret.

This being stared directly into Lorgar's eyes with a gaze filled with mad malice. Her body was already covered with too many mechanical aids, and at this very moment, the mechanical devices on Philus's body were still increasing in entropy as if splitting themselves, densely packed and making her figure exceptionally bloated and bizarre.

Where eyes should have been, only two pitch-black fire pits remained.

"How are you feeling, brother?" Philus asked.

Is Philus insane?

Lorgar witnessed all of this.

It was a strange sword, and it seemed to be having an extremely bizarre effect on Philus's psyche.

"Philus?"

"Philus!"

Lorgar tried to wake the other person, but received no response. Only the destruction and burning of more worlds continued to advance with her steps.

In this illusion, or perhaps in the reality of the future, he saw something utterly unimaginable to him— Warmaster Fulgrim seemed to be locked in a fierce battle with Philus, and the purpose of their struggle was solely—

Kasgar?

Lorgar: ".?"

What did you show me?

Lorgar, who had just emerged from meditation, had intended to ask this question.

But this seems to be the direct trigger for the prophecy of the Imperium of Man's re-collapse—though it sounds unbelievable, it is precisely because it is so unbelievable that it may become a reality.

It's impossible for an ordinary person to come up with such an outrageous scenario.

It's like saying, for example, just say that Horus one day rebelled and prepared to gather his forces to attack Terra.

His reason for rebelling was that he wanted to monopolize the Emperor —who would believe such a reason?

But reality is just that strange.

Despite the sensationalism, Philus was indeed in danger. Unlike those bizarre prophecies about the future, he could see the effect of that strange blade on Philus in the Warp —it seemed that she had fallen into an extremely paranoid state because of this sword.

"I never expected Philus to actually—"

"We must inform the Emperor! Now!"

Seeing Lorgar struggling with her dilemma, Amon immediately offered advice.

"There's no time to delay; we must act immediately!"

"Alright. I'll have the Astropath send a message to Terra right away."

"Astropath? No, no, Lorgar, you misunderstood me." Amon continued in his rapid-fire speech, "The situation is critical. We don't have time to slowly communicate using Astropathic Communication anymore. Doing so will only watch helplessly as Philus falls into the abyss!"

Interstellar communication across star systems can often take several months to reach the target location.

By the time the Emperor actually received the news, the galaxy had already been burned to ashes by the war started by Philus!

"So what do we do now?"

"I do have a plan," Amon said, "but perhaps—"

"What could it be? Don't beat around the bush at a time like this!"

"This requires a powerful ritual. After sacrificing a portion of the Psyker, one can gain the power to ascend to the Ocean of Souls (Warp), thereby tracking down the Emperor's location and telling him everything that is happening here."

"Only in this way can we save Philus."

Psychic Power ritual?

Upon hearing Amon's proposal, Lorgar nervously took several steps back.

Is this really a feasible solution, or is it meant to harm me?

Lorgar thought of Magnus, who had violated the Nikaea ban and was kicked back to Prospero like a football.

The terrifying impression the Emperor gave him at that time was unforgettable for him.

No—I refuse to do that.

After a moment of contemplation, Lorgar chose to give up.

The fear instilled in him by that dark, cold sun was so great that it was alright for him to use his Psychic Power in secret under the guise of faith.

Such a Psychic Power spell, aimed directly at the Emperor's face, is simply asking for trouble.

"Alright, brother, since you're unwilling, then let me do it."

Just as Lorgar Jia was righteously refusing the other party's invitation, the Word Bearers Huaiyan who was standing to the side suddenly stepped forward, and his figure changed right under Lorgar's nose.

His gleaming bald head and blue armor were revealed.

"Brother? You are—"

"Alpharius, Lord of Hydra."

Is he Alpharius?

I don't know, but he claims to be Alpharius.

"Lorgar, I thought you had the courage to save the world and your brothers and sisters, but I never expected that you would turn out to be such a pathetic coward."

The other party's words showed him no mercy whatsoever.

"If you are truly willing to stand by and watch Primarch brothers and sisters die, abandoning them out of fear of the Emperor's punishment, then I have nothing to say."

Alpharius tossed his halberd aside, turned to Amon behind him, and said, "Let's go. Since Lorgar is unwilling to be the hero, then I will."

"Wait--"

At that very moment, as if the thickest tree in the forest had been chopped down by an axe, the Primarch of the Word Bearers knelt on the ground.

Lorgar saw how she had turned the tide.

That was the result of him following Amon's advice and using the "power of faith" to inform the Emperor.

After learning of Lorgar's situation, the Emperor successfully rescued Philus before she was controlled, preventing the tragedy from happening.

Not only did Philus receive a successful cure from the Emperor with her help, but the tragic future of the galaxy turning into a sea of fire was also averted.

At the same time, in order to reward Lorgar's loyalty and dedication, the Emperor not only pardoned him from using Psychic Power —or rather, the consequences of his faith—but also relaxed the restrictions on worshipping the Imperial Cult because of the powerful effect of faith!

From then on, under Lorgar's influence, the Imperial Cult quickly replaced Imperial Truth and became the only Ecclesiarchy within the Imperium. As the last bastion against evil forces, it truly saved the entire Imperium.

Lorgar, as the founder and great pope of the Ecclesiarchy, will forever be revered and remembered.

His faith was the greatest among all Imperium of Man, second only to the Emperor.

[The Great Pope, our Guide, Venerable Lorgar]

We need your guidance. Only you can help us understand the greatness of the Emperor, and only your teachings can bring us closer to the Emperor.

That's right!

That's it!

But if he hesitates, Alpharius's ritual will ultimately fail, since he is not a Primarch with sufficient "faith power".

The Psychic Power ritual not only failed to save Philus, but also caused even more terrible consequences—

Although I don't know what it is, I have a premonition that it will be a situation of utter ruin.

From this point on, the Primarch will once again be embroiled in a deadly struggle that will never end.

"Etc!"

Lorgar suddenly opened his eyes and stood up from the ground—only a moment had passed since he fell into this strange state.

"No need to say anything more, I will preside over the Psychic Power ritual."

Lorgar spoke to Alpharius and Amon, who were about to leave.

The ceremony went very smoothly.

With the blessing of the so-called "power of faith" and the help of dozens of Psyker who were inspired by the Emperor to "ascend to heaven," Lorgar ushered in his sublimation.

He could feel himself swimming freely in this vast ocean, and under the tracking of the ritual, he could even sense the presence of the Emperor.

Lorgar needs to hurry.

He tried his best to move towards the Emperor's location, but no matter what, a strange, Xenos creature always blocked his way to meet the Emperor.

This made Lorgar extremely anxious.

Despite his attempts to force his way through, the pipe-like golden Xenos creation remained unmoved by his attacks, as solid as the most solid thing in the world.

He attempted to gather his energy, channeling it into a blazing silver lightning bolt that Webway. Dozens of servants perished instantly from the energy drain of this attack, yet the shimmering golden passage remained completely unharmed.

What to do?

Who hadn't told him that there was a damn Xenos creature blocking his way?

Does this mean he'll really have to go home empty-handed?

The thought of his dream of becoming pope shattered filled him with immense disappointment.

Fortunately, there are still many kind-hearted creatures in the Warp who are willing to lend a helping hand.

In the Ocean of Souls, humanity has many friends in the Warp.

A familiar feeling arose; some enormous, incomparable object was moving in the waves around him, like a continent that had crossed the ocean, its Ethereal form containing ancient consciousness.

Its mode of communication is like the hiss of a snake, or the sound of sand flowing over the narrow neck of an hourglass.

It possesses breath and consciousness, yet it has no beginning and no end, as if it has always been here and will always be here. Waiting for a hero capable of shattering this golden, pipe-like Xenos creation.

And now, he has finally met Lorgar.

It's not the best, but it's good enough for the current situation.

It took action and used its vast and immense power to help Lorgar.

It envelops Lorgar, offering its energy without any motive or expectation.

"Wait! Who are you? Why are you helping me now?"

But it's clear that Lorgar isn't stupid.

He at least knows not to eat anything given to him by strangers when he's out and about.

This alone makes him countless times stronger than Magnus.

You can't easily trust things of dubious origin.

Lorgar chose to confront the giant serpent, even though its body and power were as vast as a mountain.

At that moment, the other party made a hissing sound.

It sounded like both persuasion and mockery.

Lorgar, do you really think you have a second option?

[You have now used a Psychic Power ritual that the Emperor has explicitly forbidden. If it does not achieve the desired effect, your destruction is inevitable.]

Only by fighting desperately can you have a chance of survival; if you give up, you will only face inevitable destruction.

Believe in yourself and go for it!

Yes.

Although Lorgar already had a bad feeling, what else could he do?

I really don't have a second option right now.

At the same time that blasphemous ceremony was being held at Lorgar, the Law of Faith.

"The overall resource planning and Tithe requirements for the previous world have been compiled according to the table, and the Blood Tithe arrangements and training plan for the new recruits have been finalized."

Angell Tey was still wrapping up the last operation of the Word Bearers and drafting new plans for the next phase of the operation.

——!

In an instant, a frantic sense of unease gripped him.

Immediately following was the impatient cry of his good brother Raum, who resided in his body.

[Quick!]

[Quick! Angell, brother! Stop him!]

"What? What happened?"

Angell Tai was somewhat bewildered. He looked around, trying to find the source of the anomaly.

No.

Outside the window, the sea remained calm, just as calm during every Warp voyage.

[It's the Primarch! Lorgar Jia is performing a dangerous ritual! Hurry!]

[Quick! Get to his meditation room!!]

Without a second thought, Angell Tai immediately got up. As he ran, he could already feel the demonic brothers inside his body trying to take control of it.

[Hurry! Hurry! We can't delay any longer! Leave it to me, I'll help you get it done faster!!!]

Space Marine without Power Armour are indeed many times weaker, but fortunately, Angell Tai is not alone.

Demon Transformation!

With his suddenly grown, strong demonic limbs, he switched to running on all fours in a single movement, like an unstoppable motorized motorcycle, rushing straight toward the bow of the ship where Lorgar was.

Even those Word Bearers were not surprised by their Company Commander's actions.

Raum, as a Warp Xenos who worshipped the Emperor, had long been regarded as a positive example of the Emperor's influence and miracles, and this had been spread throughout the Legion.

If he hadn't been running so fast and fast, no one would have noticed him passing by.

"Raum, what exactly did Lord Lorgar Jia do to make you so panicked?"

What exactly did they do?

There's no time to explain, it's right behind the door!

With a crash, as Raum's claws ripped the door panel to shreds, the evil Psychic Power ritual that appeared in his field of vision revealed the answer to Angell Tai's question.

Oh!!!

This gave him quite a fright.

What are they doing?

What are they doing?!

There's no time to explain, stop him!!!

It's fine!

It's not too late to stop the Primarch!

Startled, Raum lunged forward and, before anyone could react, met them head-on—

—The Pale Spear of Hydra.

Terra, our home.

The Webway, Terra, humanity's home.

In this place unknown to all, a Master of Mankind is leading countless scientists and engineers, pouring their centuries of hard work and unimaginable achievements into the cause of humanity's future.

Click.

But clearly, he couldn't succeed.

The Great Game will not end at this moment.

In the terrified eyes of those nearby, a powerful force was penetrating through them.

Click.

The head is out.

—It's a boy.

As the Webway was finally breached, violent energy surged forth from the molten gap, turning everything to ashes. Countless extremely delicate and irreplaceable circuits gradually overloaded and exploded, and arcs of lightning began to leap between the machines.

The hard work of countless worlds and the future of countless people have all vanished in Lorgar's little dream of becoming the Pope.

In an instant, Lorgar and the Emperor's thoughts flowed together. In the final moments before the plan failed, Lorgar understood the Emperor's intentions.

And the consequences of his foolish act.

Magnus! You—

The Emperor was clearly furious.

Huh?

Not Magnus.

Sorry, I just blurted it out and accidentally called you by the wrong name.

[Lorgar! You idiot!!!]

The instant the Webway was shattered, Lorgar felt his mortal body pull his soul back to the other side of the boundary gate.

It seemed that it was precisely because of this crucial moment's disruption in the Psychic Power supply that the damage he caused was not as great as he had anticipated. Although the gap in the Webway was opened, but—

Relatively small?

Is this something to be happy about?

I don't know. The instant the Webway shattered, countless armies of Unliving demons had already gathered here.

This is an army of shapeless, formless monsters with fangs, beings of astonishing power born solely for destruction.

Lorgar is finished.

"You... you must have planned this in advance, right!"

Dejected, Lorgar returned to his flagship and, seeing Angell Tai pinned to the ground by Alpharius, began to frantically berate his brother.

"You have already offered your souls to the god of darkness!"

"But what will you choose now?" Amon seemed unfazed by the Primarch's madness, and said with a mocking smile.

"Are you saying you're planning to go back and obediently accept your death?"

At that very moment, Lorgar saw the future once again.

The Emperor was furious, but unable to leave his throne, he dispatched Guilliman and the Ultramarines to capture Lorgar and bring him to justice.

Overwhelmed with guilt, Lorgar did not resist, but the Ultramarines had no intention of sparing him.

In this battle, the ruthless Son of Vengeance, Guilliman, showed no regard for past relationships whatsoever.

With Lorgar completely demoralized, he was given a back throw.

With a snap, Lorgar's spine broke.

As for his new home planet, it will be burned to ashes as Colchis.

Whether they were devout believers or innocent victims, they were all reduced to ashes by the Ultramarines' firepower.

It was a handful of ashes left after the fire was completely burned.

[Haha, you damn idiot Lorgar, this is your perfect star!]

"No!"

Lorgar picked up his Erebus staff and swung it wildly like a giant hammer.

"I will no longer believe your arguments; your attempts to mislead me will not fool me at all!"

"We won't lie to you, but you already know your fate."

Alpharius said.

That's right.

Lorgar cannot deceive herself.

In his mind, the dark, cold, terrifying sun seemed to be flashing right before his eyes.

[Lorgar.]

[Die!!!]

What should I do now?

"I do have a solution."

Amon said, "Before the Ultramarines receive the Emperor's message, let's strike first and let them experience the pain of destruction."

"With the sacrifice of a large number of souls, we can summon the Warp Storm of the Dark Gods to sweep across the world and block the Emperor's pursuers."

"Under the protection of the Dark Gods, you will not only receive better and more powerful blessings than you have now, but you will also no longer have to be at the mercy of that hypocritical Emperor."

"You understand how to make the choice."

To die, or to live.

It all hinges on a single thought.

Lorgar, do you really think you have a second option?

"No! Lord Lorgar, they are not trustworthy!"

Imprisoned on the ground by Alpharius, Angell Tai desperately tries to stop the Primarch's madness.

Is there any hope?

Where is there any hope?

Having already exposed the Webway, how can he possibly gain his father's forgiveness?

Impossible, that's no longer possible!

At this moment, Lorgar had made up her mind.

"All members of the Word Bearers, heed my command!"

"Head to Calth!"