Aboard the Hrafnkel.
Francis and Leman Russ arrived at the Navigator's work area. Seeing the man before him, Francis couldn't help sighing. "Ah... I guess this is fate."
He had thought he would see a three-eyed female Navigator, sweating as she piloted the battleship.
"Was he the one who piloted the ship to the Ork planet?" Francis continued.
"No. That person exploded into a pile of flesh on the spot. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't know how much longer it would take us to reach our destination."
Whenever Leman Russ thought about it, it all felt like a dream.
Then he saw Francis gradually approach his Navigator. The Navigator, who was preparing to pilot the ship, noticed too.
Just as he was about to speak, Francis clamped a hand over his mouth. Then he heard Francis's unusually gentle voice.
"Young Navigator, do you have a dream?"
Navigator: ???
Leman Russ: ...
"Young Navigator, don't you want to become an even more powerful Navigator?"
"Don't you want to conquer that dangerous Warp Storm?"
"Don't you want to be king of the Navigators? Become the man who rules them all!"
Francis's voice echoed through the air. The Navigator stared at him in a daze, muttering to himself, "King of the Navigators! I can become the strongest Navigator in my family!"
Just then, Leman Russ grabbed the Navigator and pulled him behind himself. His face had even darkened.
"Francis, what are you doing? He's the only Navigator I have left. You can't just mess him up!"
"...What would I do to him? Nothing much, just a few little experiments and a bit of blood."
"After all, last time we ran into trouble because the previous Navigator wasn't capable enough. I just want to improve his abilities a little."
Seeing Leman Russ's expression gradually ease, Francis sighed. "Actually, a piece of flesh on the side would be even better. Just one piece. We've got a growth serum, so it'll heal quickly."
"...Forget about it. You can take a little blood, at most."
As Leman Russ and Francis haggled, the Navigator in question kept pointing at himself, unable to get a word out.
After successfully obtaining the Navigator's blood and a palm-sized piece of flesh, Francis happily headed to the laboratory.
The Navigator sat halfway up in the pilot's seat, his right buttock held slightly aloft, the flesh still tender.
He looked up and asked, "Honored Lord Leman Russ, is Lord Francis really all right?"
Leman Russ patted him on the shoulder and sighed. "Probably. I just hope he doesn't scare us too much."
Inside the laboratory.
Francis lifted a wineglass. The Navigator's blood swirled inside, a deep amber-red.
It went down smooth and straight to the throat. It was slightly viscous, with a touch of sweetness, but after it reached his throat, he could still taste a hint of rot.
"Does this kid love candy or something? How can he be this sweet?"
As Francis grumbled, a stream of genetic information emanated from the blood.
"Navigator genes, Lyata"
"Likes his sister-in-law"
"Born on Terra, Navigator family"
"Psyker abilities, Warp navigation, release of raw Warp energy"
"..."
At that moment, Francis felt an itch on his forehead. Flesh writhed and swelled beneath it.
Pfft—
Suddenly, Francis's vision went black, then brightened again. He could feel an eye growing on his forehead, and little white dots seemed to have appeared in the space around him.
When he randomly opened one of the white dots, lewd sounds came from inside. Francis's eyes widened to their limit, and he hurriedly shut it.
Francis's heart was still pounding. He murmured, "As expected, Chaos still wants to harm me. Truly terrifying!"
Just then, Leman Russ walked in and immediately saw Francis's flushed face. Worried, he asked, "Francis, are you all right?"
Francis waved a hand, his brows furrowed. "Chaos caught me off guard and ambushed me! But it's fine. If they're targeting me, that just proves I'm doing the right thing!"
Leman Russ looked at him, deeply moved. Francis really was doing a great job for the Imperium!
He'd actually doubted Francis just now. Damn it!
"Don't worry. Last time was just an accident. This Navigator is much more stable than the last one. He's been piloting for several years!"
Francis waved a hand. "Uh, all right. Then I'll research something else. Don't get in my way."
Before Leman Russ could say anything, Francis shoved him out.
"Ah, my willpower still isn't strong enough. I have to overcome this weakness!" Francis murmured.
As he spoke, he opened another one of the white dots from earlier.
This time there were two men! He shut the dot immediately.
Francis: "..."
Unwilling to give up, he tried again and again, but each time it led somewhere other than the first place. The last time, he even saw a green cauldron in the distance.
"Forget it. If I keep looking, I might end up in that pot myself! Then I'd really become an ingredient in a buffet." Francis drew a sharp breath. That would be a terrible omen.
For the rest of the time, Francis could only focus on making a new weapon.
"First, pour in the Navigator's blood, gene supplements, and Vesken genes. Then add targeted stripping, mutation factors, targeted chimerism..."
"Then mix well~ Hehehe!"
Francis poured everything into the cultivation chamber, then stimulated its growth and kept editing its genes.
Time galloped by like a wild donkey without reins.
Several days later, they landed safely on Malcoya.
Leman Russ looked at Francis, feeling a chill run down his back. "So this is what you've been racking your brains over for the past few days?"
"That's right. Don't let its ugly appearance fool you. It's incredibly powerful."
As he spoke, Francis twisted the button on his arm. Countless Navigator eyes opened across his blue-green bio-armor.
Everyone: "..."
"You'll see when the time comes." Francis waved a hand.
Hiss—the ship's hatch opened.
Before they could even step outside, they saw a large force of World Eaters Astartes rushing toward them. The two sides stopped a little over a hundred meters apart.
The World Eaters quickly parted to make way. Angron, clad in Medusan armor, stepped forward and fixed his violent gaze on Leman Russ.
"Well, well! If it isn't Leman Russ, who does the Emperor's bidding!"
"What is it this time? What orders does the great Emperor have for me?"
Seeing Angron's half-dead appearance, Leman Russ lost his temper and roared, "Angron, watch your mouth! He's our father!"
"I came to tell you that Father says you're not to install the Butcher's Nails in the World Eaters anymore! And you're coming back to Terra with me."
"Don't you know that a lot of World Eaters have died from having those things installed?"
The Butcher's Nails in Angron's head began to writhe again. The intense pain made him even more volatile. "You don't understand! If they can't endure the Butcher's Nails, they don't deserve to be World Eaters."
"They won't be weak like you Space Wolves!"
Leman Russ heard that and instantly erupted. "Say that again!"
Angron felt his head splitting with pain. After talking so much, he couldn't take it anymore. He roared, "Leman Russ, are you all talk? If you've got the guts, hit me!"
Leman Russ roared back, "You're dead!"
With a furious shout from each side,
Angron charged at Leman Russ like a maddened beast, swinging his Chainaxe. Its teeth glinted coldly in the sunlight, and every time it tore through the air, it let out a deafening roar.
Leman Russ showed no fear. He swung his enormous battle-axe, meeting Angron's attacks with astonishing speed and strength. Every clash between axe and chainsword erupted in brilliant sparks, as if they would set the barren planet ablaze.
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