Twilight Over Chemos

Kasgo Sector.

Kasgar and his fleet had just set sail for Chemos shortly afterward.

Walking quickly inside the Strike Cruiser, Tyberos, the Carcharodons Chapter, moved swiftly.

Not long ago, the material exchange agreement signed by the Carcharodons Chapter and the Red Scorpions Chapter was fulfilled.

The Red Scorpions Chapter happens to be quite interested in the Old Ones artifacts in the Carcharodons's warehouse, and this also paves the way for Kasgar's future return to Terra. They also eliminate a key henchman of the High Lord.

Both sides got what they wanted.

Under Otis's arrangement, the first batch of supplies transport fleet had already sailed from the Red Scorpions Chapter to the vicinity of the Carcharodons's Strike Cruiser, waiting for the other side to count and receive them.

That's enough. Just leave it here. You can leave now.

Carcharodons rarely communicate with each other; they can often discern each other's intentions through a slight movement.

The Space Marine silently placed a series of protocol documents on the table, then quickly walked out of the room.

They even closed the door.

They've finally left.

Now there's no one around.

There's really no one here now!

Tyberos shook his head left and right again to look at the documents, then excitedly picked them up and waved them around.

Wuhu!

Dinner's almost ready, guys!

The Carcharodons has never, ever received such generous compensation so easily.

Of course, Tyberos also knew that this respect and bribery were inseparable from the power of their Carcharodons and the successive sacrifices of the space sharks.

But the sudden transformation from extreme poverty to having everything he could ever want was enough to make him excitedly raise his arms and shout.

No Battle Brother were injured or killed, no damage control was achieved, and no resources were consumed!

They, the Carcharodons, received combat subsidies they could never have imagined before after participating in just a few negotiations with the Loyalist!

Playing the jungle yourself is nowhere near as efficient as begging for food.

This is the transport ship's supply list. This is the discussion list for material assistance, and this is the future trade agreement between the Carcharodons and the Red Scorpions Relics.

And this—

"This is."

That was a record of the Badab War.

The inscription records the events when the Red Scorpions Chapter and the Mantis Warriors were ambushed by the Lorgar, traitor Primarch who vanished ten thousand years ago, in an abandoned space station in the Sorrow System. It details the existence of those who truly rescued them.

It was a mysterious, ghostly figure that never revealed its true form— Otis could only see it shredding any Chaos dregs that dared to approach it as it moved swiftly and agilely.

"His body transformed into a dark cloud formed by millions of ravens, accompanied by the cawing of the crows that could silence all things, and millions of pairs of gleaming claws and sharp beaks coalesced into a storm that reached the heavens and touched the earth, playing a harmonious symphony."

Splash!

At that moment, all the parchment scrolls in Tyberos's hands fell to the ground.

"Father of Emptiness?"

Fulgrim has disappeared.

Throughout these ten thousand years, even the Sons of the Emperor and his offspring have been constantly searching for their Primarch.

But they still came up empty-handed.

This was the answer Kasgar received after meeting Otis, the Red Scorpions Chapter.

The Psychic Power from Curze transported Kasgar to the Eisenstein, and the ship eventually carried him, who was about to explode, to safety in the storm-swept Isstvan System.

However, the other two Primarch involved in the battle—the critically injured and unconscious Philus and Fulgrim beside Kasgar —disappeared without a trace during that fight.

No one knows where they went, and no one knows where they are now.

On the entire Istvaan III, only Horus, who was in a state of chaos, remained—given his strength, it was impossible for any of the remaining Sons of the Emperor to leave alive.

But Horus seems to have gone completely mad: he keeps shouting the Emperor's name during the battle, and when he realizes that clearing out the remnants of the Emperor's Children on this planet will take a lot of time and seriously hinder his return to Terra to meet the Emperor,

Therefore, Horus, impatient, ordered the cannons of the Vengeful Spirit to once again be aimed at the Choral City, which had been almost reduced to ruins by the heavy bombardment, after returning to his own flagship.

The towering barrage of artillery fire transformed the planet's surface into an absolute hellscape.

Fortunately, most of the Emperor's Children who were hiding underground and the last Lunar Wolves, Loken, survived and received assistance from the Ranger Knights who arrived later.

At that time, the Emperor's Children Legion numbered less than a hundred, and with the disappearance of the Primarch, the entire legion was on the verge of extinction.

Therefore, even after ten thousand years, compared to other First Founding, the number of the Sons of the Emperor and their subgroups has always remained relatively scarce.

"For ten thousand years, we have never given up our mission to find Primarch Fulgrim, nor have we ever tried to awaken you."

Otis said with a somber expression.

The good news is that, as offspring of the Gene, they can sense that the Primarch is still alive and has not been corrupted by the power of Chaos.

This is already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"In truth, it's as if we're under some kind of curse, as the remaining loyal Primarch of the Imperium are leaving us one by one."

Just like the remaining eight Loyalist First Founding who have been searching for the Primarch, but for one reason or another the Primarch cannot return.

Clue.

Kasgar needs a clue to find Fulgrim.

His personal desire to find Fulgrim was secondary; his primary motivation was Fulgrim's status as Imperium Warmaster who had once bravely fought against traitors.

If Fulgrim can be brought back, with his near-unparalleled honor and strength, and his charm comparable to that of Angel Kasgar will face no obstacles in returning to Terra.

Yes, that's right.

That's it.

Compared to the grand undertaking of saving the entire galaxy that he needs to accomplish now, not being able to see Fulgrim for the time being is really just a problem that can be overcome.

With the entire human world beset by internal and external troubles, how could Kasgar, as the only being who can save the Imperium ten thousand years from now, possibly abandon all of humanity in the galaxy and wander around like a headless fly trying to find even a trace of a clue from Fulgrim?

Warp spacetime does not exist. According to Otis, the Red Scorpions Chapter, since the entire Imperium of Man has had no clue about Fulgrim for ten thousand years, it is very likely that she was teleported to a more distant future by Curze.

There's no use in being anxious now.

That's right, we can't rush it.

Although Kasgar really wants to bring back Fulgrim, he now has to take it one step at a time.

If a Child of the God, or Primarch, could appear alongside Kasgar to completely suppress the High Lord' rebellion, his chances of success would be greatly increased.

Whether it's finding clues about Fulgrim or rebuilding the Emperor's Children Legion, Kasgar needs to return to Chemos, the Sons of the Emperor's homeworld, and go back again.

But Kasgar doesn't have high hopes for this.

Most of the clues from ten thousand years ago are known only to Curze himself, who performs the Psychic Power.

Since the Psychic Power was able to send him to the Eisenstein, Curze might actually know Fulgrim's whereabouts.

The problem is— Curze has also disappeared.

Like Fulgrim, this guy disappeared without a trace after the Battle of Istvaan III.

Even if there are no clues in the end, his weapons and equipment from ancient times are still in this Fortress-Monastery.

And the Chief Apothecary Melusine, and the Archmagos Belisarius Cawl —the fact that they dared to collaborate in creating the Armor of Fate on their bodies suggests that Cawl and the Emperor's Children had a good relationship.

If he could get the assistance of the Martian Mechanicus, represented by Cawl.

Kasgar was still on the bridge of the Strike Cruiser, dreaming about the future.

This ship is the one that Kasgar stole from the Lorgar in the Sorrow System.

Although corrupted by the Chaos traitors, it has long since been restored to its original state after being purified by the dual power of the Inquisition and the Psychic Flame of Kasgar. Now, with the initial decorations of Kasgar's pirate fleet, it appears particularly...

Otis, the Red Scorpions Chapter, is so wealthy that he can even bribe Carcharodons. He will not be stingy with his assistance to Kasgar, the ancient hero, or even their father.

Ammunition, equipment, weapons, resources and supplies, as well as a large number of experienced mortal crew members, were all crammed into Red Scorpions Chapter Kasgar.

Not only were he given a large amount of urgently needed weapons, energy, and personnel supplies, but an entire company of Red Scorpions Space Marine were also appointed by the Chapter Master to protect the Strike Cruiser being transported to Chemos.

—They say they're protecting this Strike Cruiser, but with Kasgar there, why would this Strike Cruiser need their protection?

The entire company of Red Scorpions warriors was just the initial core group that Otis sent to help him rebuild the legion.

A fully armed Red Scorpions Space Marine company, plus Space Marine of the Tiger Claws Chapter recruited through the pirate fleet.

Although the formation of the Emperor's Children Legion in Kasgar is still a long way off, the visible progress is enough to make him extremely gratified.

Besides these Space Marine, he also had a number of mortal pirate helmsmen and Eldar Void Dreamer with considerable combat power (Red Scorpions does not accept the existence of the Impure, but in front of Kasgar, they must obey him) as logistics and support troops to assist the Space Marine in battle.

Although the fleet's combat capabilities are currently quite mixed, the advantage is that everyone can leverage their strengths. Come on—

Just as Kasgar was somewhat boredly scanning the bridge of the Strike Cruiser, an alarm suddenly blared, accompanied by a violent rocking motion across most of the ship. The entire cabin was instantly illuminated by flashing red lights.

Something's not right.

During the warp jump, Warp turbulence often interferes with their warp jump, which is normal.

Given the nature of the Warp, anything is possible in this world.

Kasgar, who had been closing his eyes to feel the flow of energy a moment before, opened them again.

But even with his own Psychic Powers, the turbulent Warp turbulence were enough to make his scalp tingle.

[Navigator's reminder: A recently observed Warp turbulence is heading in our direction.]

During the warp jump, crew members should remain in their designated positions within the ship's cabins, minimize movement, and wait for the Warp jump to complete.

The increasingly turbulent Warp turbulence were close at hand. Although the crew members had a premonition that their deaths were imminent, they could only entrust their lives and their hope of survival to the navigator.

At this point, all we can do is leave it to fate.

Clang!

The sickening crunching and clashing sounds emanating from the steel walls of the Strike Cruiser came again.

No one, not even the powerful Psychic Power Kasgar, would know that they would be attacked by the Warp turbulence at this moment.

The chances are extremely small, but not entirely impossible.

—But the chances are really very small.

And this does not seem to be the peak of the impact from the Warp turbulence.

As if a tremendous force was squeezing in from all directions, threatening to shake the entire ship apart, the turbulence had already deformed the deck at the very front of the ship. With intense compression and collisions, it seemed that it wouldn't be long before the entire ship was deformed and broken.

The crew members inside the cabin weren't having an easy time either.

The atomic clock seemed to have gone mad, spinning so fast it was practically sparking across its dial. Endless illusions and whispers filled the minds of everyone in the cabin. Warp Rift was about to emerge from the collapsing laws of physics, with some things not belonging to the real world rising up.

But not now.

Bear!

"Stabilize the vessel and stay as far away from the eye of the storm as possible."

The golden-red flames burned away all the illusions, and the crew members at all levels on the main bridge regained their senses.

The crisis is far from over; under the impact of the Warp turbulence, the entire Strike Cruiser still faces the risk of disintegration.

Kasgar dared not slack off in the slightest.

Why did the turbulence find him at this time?

Is it because there's a mole among the navigators?

It's unlikely.

Most of the human navigators in his ship's navigation team were from the Red Scorpions Chapter, while the Corsairs who guided him regarded him as a god.

—Although the Red Scorpions Chapter are all extremists who believe in pure power, their previous warp jumps had all gone smoothly without any problems, thanks to the requirements of the legendary hero Kasgar and the excellent assistance of the Corsairs navigator Void Dreamer.

The sudden Warp Storm was so bizarre that Kasgar couldn't help but wonder if it was the work of some mysterious entity.

There's no time to think about these things anymore.

Unrestrained flames erupted from Kasgar's hands in the next moment, covering the entire bow of the Strike Cruiser.

Thanks to the power of flames to ward off Psychic Power attacks and repair damage, the bow of the Strike Cruiser managed to stabilize its shape and avoid exploding in the Warp.

However, the Warp turbulence continued to batter the ship.

Apart from the bow he was protecting, the remaining parts of the Strike Cruiser also began to deform under the fierce impact.

On the verge of collapse.

If this continues, the entire Strike Cruiser will face the crisis of disintegration!

Quick!

He needs to increase the power!

Next, the flames not only covered the ship

—Let him use Psychic Flame to stabilize the ship's structure and mitigate the effects of the Warp Storm!

Although Kasgar now possesses power comparable to that of the Primarch, it is still too difficult for Kasgar to cover every corner of the ship with his fire power and burn and repair every area on it.

But he still persisted.

"No! The turbulence seems endless; we must seize this opportunity to cross over into the real world!"

Enveloped in Gold-Red Flame, like a ship bursting forth from hell, the Strike Cruiser attempted to warp back at the last moment.

They might not know where they'd land, caught in the Warp turbulence, but if they weren't teleported away soon, they'd never be able to land in the real world again!

"But it's impossible for us to create a stable Warp passage in this turbulence!"

"Then I'll do it!!!"

The repair of the Psychic Flame in Kasgar's hands never stopped, and he felt the flames in his heart burning at maximum power, unleashing the strongest power he had ever had.

"Open it for me!!!"

The endless Warp turbulence seemed to come to a standstill at this moment, and a rift of just the right size gradually stabilized under the surrounding bursting Golden Flame.

It's like the hull of Strike Cruiser.

"Quick!"

Kasgar shouted, "Helmsman! Lead our ship through the Warp tunnel!!!"

The next moment, Kasgar left the ship's interior accompanied by a beam of Psychic Power.

He was responsible for maintaining the Warp Portal in front of him. If he went through the Portal prematurely, the remaining half of the ship would be completely destroyed in the Warp turbulence.

Hurry up!

As the turbulent currents washed over him, Kasgar felt his Psychic Power gradually weakening.

Until the very last moment, as the Strike Cruiser completely sailed out of the Warp, Kasgar, already on the verge of exhaustion, used his last ounce of strength to follow his opponent and rush into the Veil of the Warp—

Chemos.

The sun is setting.

The eternal twilight, just as it had been ten thousand years ago, once again covered the wasteland of Chemos.

Under this boundless, twilight sky, several scavengers, also known as nomads—although this abandoned land, devoid of all resources, no longer allows for nomadic life, the name has been preserved to this day.

A more elegant way to describe a homeless person.

The Sons of the Emperor need this kind of elegance.

"Still looking at the Emperor City? Look, look, do you think that's a place you can go in?"

Following the shouts and curses, the young boy among the nomads lowered his head again.

He had always longed for the magnificent city that towered into the clouds in the distance, its end nowhere in sight.

That is the dwelling place of the gods.

I've heard legends say that great demigods live there.

Because of their past heroic deeds, they ascended to this eternal paradise. From then on, possessing supreme glory, they no longer had to suffer the hardships of the mortal world, and forever enjoyed the most exquisite food, music, and dance.

—But when will he be able to achieve the same feats as those demigods and ascend to this eternal paradise?

He had no answer.

"Wrong!"

"Look what that is!!"

However, in Chemos's eternal twilight, something seemed to finally change.

That is—

A meteor, as bright as fire, fell from the twilight of Chemos.

Combustion.