Wheels Down, Safety Off!

Dancers in beautiful long gowns are gracefully tumbling and dancing, together with the musicians, using their performance to please the flawless, towering giant.

The powerful figures who once ruled over the entire Hive City 5 have vanished, but the dancers know they haven't disappeared; they've simply turned into a pool of forgotten, broken flesh and blood, sweeping away the bottom of the Hive City they'll never visit.

The tall warriors in black armor cheered and jumped for joy, humming off-key, Serenity tunes as they enjoyed their meal.

And while you're at it, pour yourself a glass of strong liquor to fool that delightful, thin original body.

For Koz, he didn't understand what brotherhood meant, nor did he understand why these people would give him food, but he knew that this plate of Grox was delicious, much better than those rats.

"Koz, do you love the Emperor or your Second Brother?"

"I love my Second Brother!"

The indistinct sound reached his ears, instantly causing Mordred to burst into arrogant laughter. He didn't know what he was enjoying, but he just felt incredibly good.

Happiness is contagious. Seeing their father so happy, the Atlas members all took out food to feed him. Only Koz, being a Primarch, would have been stuffed to death long ago.

Through food enticements, Mordred gradually learned about the little thing's experiences over the past six months, which could only be described as miserable.

Because of the simple and honest nature of the people of Nostramo, when Koz, who had smashed through the earth's crust, woke up, there was nothing to eat. The people there regarded him as a monster and began to hunt him down relentlessly.

This forced him to flee back and forth through underground caverns, replenishing his energy with groundwater and rat meat. Even his name...

He retrieved it himself after devouring the brain of a pursuer.

Looking at his extremely malnourished, filthy but very hungry little brother, Mordred felt a pang of heartache. After all, while Serenity was dangerous, its natural environment was unparalleled, where one could eat as much grass as one wanted.

"Eat slowly, no one will take it from you. From now on, if your Second Brother has a bite to eat, you'll have a bite to eat too. Your hard times are over."

"Yes, yes, come to Atlas, and we guarantee you'll have an endless supply of delicious food every day. When you're a bit older, we'll take you to a bathhouse and massage parlor; the Eldar technician there are amazing."

Although he didn't know what Eldar technician were, Koz could sense the pure goodwill these guys had for him. This pure goodwill, untainted by any calculations and simply driven by aspiration, deeply moved Koz.

The young Primarch, with only simple values, decided to repay the slightly greasy giant with a gift. He pulled a dried mouse from his tattered cloth and handed it to the Khan:

"It's delicious! You can have it!"

This incredibly cute scene melted the Khan's heart. He took the mousetrap and stuffed it into Tom's mouth, saying that he was full and that Tom should enjoy it!

Tom was just a jerk, but he wasn't stupid. How could he possibly eat that filthy, smelly rat? He just shoved it right into the Khan's face and raised his fist to punch him.

As fellow Legion Captain, Atlas had no superiority or inferiority among them; they simply had different preferences and specializations. The two fought fiercely, drawing cheers from the crowd.

The dancers and maids were terrified, fearing that if they displeased these people, they would all be killed.

Mordred couldn't hide their ulterior motives, but he was more concerned about where Koz had gotten the rat from, which trembled at the mention of it.

If you don't look closely, it's fine, but a shake made Mordred feel disgusted. All sorts of snacks were thrown out, including rats, cockroaches, and unknown chunks of meat, all falling out of the tattered cloth covering Konrad Curze.

"Little Second Brother, you're pretty good at hiding! Don't go picking up mice for me to eat anymore, making it seem like I can't afford to feed you. I have plenty of money."

"No, I can't stand it anymore, you stink so badly! Even the Ogryn of Atlas bathe regularly, you stink even more than a wild Ogryn."

However, even after being repeatedly reprimanded, Koz still didn't give up those delicious rat chips, taking advantage of Mordred's momentary inattention...

He then stuffed the rats back into his mouth, and we couldn't stop him, saying that we shouldn't waste food.

The good news is that the child is very sensible; the bad news is that he's sensible in the wrong way. Seeing the little guy who wouldn't even give up on a mouse's tail, Mordred's impression of Nostramo worsened.

Seeing Mordred's strange expression, Koz, thinking he was about to lose his meal ticket, shrank into a ball and dared not touch the delicious food on the table anymore.

Protecting one's young is human nature, and even Space Marine are no exception. This scene left everyone feeling uneasy, and their anger was barely contained.

"Father, I can't take it anymore. Let's kill everyone here."

"Kill! They must be killed. Not a single one of them can be spared. They dared to make my brother suffer like this. I don't think any of them will live."

Kialan, how much longer until you find your way out?

The Eldar Girl, whose name was called, shuddered and immediately assured him that it would be over soon, and that the Abomination would be able to change course from the Warp and fly over Mandel Point in three hours.

The reply was satisfactory. While there was still time, Mordred decided to give the little dirty ball in her hand a good wash. As one of the few humans standing at the top of the planetary pyramid, the Spire of the Hive City was extremely luxurious, with extremely complete supporting facilities. There was even an artificial lake for people to fish, and the bathroom was inlaid with all kinds of unknown gems.

"Damn it, the floor is Plasteel, the frame is Adamantium, and this bathtub is made of Adamantium. I've never felt this good before."

Koz, why are you running? Get over here right now!

Grabbing Konrad Curze, who was trying to escape, Mordred tore off his tattered clothes on the spot. Looking at his small body covered in mud, which could be rubbed clean with a single touch, Mordred threw him into the pool.

"Let me go, I don't want to take a bath!" Koz cried out sharply as he struggled repeatedly, and it was only at this moment that he behaved like a child.

Mordred, who might have come up with the Titan Training Method, was not about to be intimidated by this little thing. He pulled out the Gray Envoy and swung it at Koz, shaving off a tuft of messy black hair from his scalp.

"No, you love taking baths the most! Sit still and behave yourself. Look how dirty you are now! Otherwise, you won't get any food later!"

Using food to intimidate Koz was extremely effective. Having eaten his fill, he no longer wanted to endure hunger. Even though he was in excruciating pain, he obediently sat in the pool and endured the maids repeatedly washing him with brushes.

One pool after another of black water was drained away over a full three hours. By the time the maids were exhausted, they finally managed to scrub off the layer of grime from Koz's body, revealing his pale skin underneath.

After being carefully groomed, Mordred was quite satisfied with Koz, who had finally shed his image as a big black rat. However, for some reason, he felt that his brother's posture was slightly sleazy. Although he was no longer a big black rat, he looked more like a big white rat.

"This must be an illusion. You guys did a good job and deserve to live. Stay in your rooms quietly for a while, or don't blame me if you die."

The maid, now pardoned, hurriedly retreated, but Koz refused, climbing onto Mordred and saying:

"Second Brother, they are guilty. I saw it with my own eyes."

What did you see?

Sitting on Mordred's shoulders, Koz thought for a moment and began to describe the scene he had seen:

"Those people passed by the place where we just ate and secretly took some food with them, then brought it to their home. That's theft!"

"So what are you going to do?" Mordred asked, turning his head to look at Koz's wet little head.

"Bring the food back?" Koz was a little unsure, but he gave his answer.

Thankfully, it wasn't some kind of brutal murder involving skinning and dismembering people, turning them into human skin kites. Mordred was glad she arrived early; Koz hadn't yet turned into that crazed Midnight Wraith.

As Mordred strode out, he spoke to the Koz on his shoulder:

"Eighth Brother, aren't you going a bit too far? They didn't kill or set fires; they just took some leftovers home to eat. What's wrong with that?"

And think about it, why would they steal leftovers? It's because they need to fill their stomachs. If everyone could have enough to eat, they wouldn't be doing this!

Koz couldn't understand why Mordred would answer that way; with his rather simplistic worldview, he simply couldn't comprehend why.

But being young has its advantages. Mordred has plenty of time to educate Koz, not necessarily to develop him in all aspects of life, but at least to make him a normal person like herself.

But Mordred also knew that he had no idea how to take care of a child. The previous parenting style was not suitable for Koz; he was just too young, and he didn't want to ruin him!

With a swift movement, Moreleide, standing atop the Hive City, scooped up Koz and lifted him high, gesturing for the little boy to look up at the dark sky of Nostramo.

Was that a shooting star?

"No, that is Atlas, my blade Mordred wields, and a judgment called death."

"Koz! Crime can't be completely eradicated, but if you exponentially increase the risk, people will start to question whether it's worth it."

Koz seemed to understand, but it was also somewhat impossible for him to understand. The cold wind blew against the corner of his clothes, making the little bat's bottom feel cold after taking a bath, but he dared not move, for fear that he might accidentally fall.

He could only stare blankly at his so-called Second Brother who had fed him, but fortunately, the Khan's arrival saved Koz from his slightly awkward situation.

"Father, our main force has arrived. Shall we proceed with the next step of the plan?"

"Go ahead. By the way, how tall are Roboute Guilliman's road wheels again? Never mind, let's go with the personnel list Icarus has drawn up. Flatten the wheels and eliminate anyone taller than that."

As for those not on the list, give them Eleven-to-one! This Nostramo is a bit too urbanized."

True to her word, Mordred specifically mentioned that the maids from before didn't need to be dealt with, which drew praise from the Khan.

To say that the father was too kind is an overstatement.

Meanwhile, Guilliman was still waiting for Atlas to arrive!