Do you think you can hurt me?

Horus merely shifted his body slightly, easily dodging the fatal blow.

"Traitor!" Horus roared, his voice echoing like thunder through the ruins.

The energy sword in his hand swung out fiercely, creating a dazzling arc of light that aimed straight for Eugene Tamba's head. Eugene Tamba, however, twisted his body in a strange manner, evading Horus's deadly attack.

Still, Eugene Tamba didn't completely escape. The blade easily sliced through his rusted armor, then, like a cleaver, instantly tore through his flesh and bone, creating a massive diagonal gash.

He was sent flying backward, crashing into rocks, his chest heaving violently, breathing out more than he inhaled.

His internal organs were clearly visible. He obviously only had one heart.

"Heh heh~ Whoever wants to stay in this lousy Imperium can stay!"

"I've already received a blessing, a power you can't comprehend!" Eugene Tamba said with fanatical eyes.

"You can't even withstand one of my sword strikes, and this is the powerful strength you speak of?"

"You don't actually think that strange dagger in your hand can hurt me, do you!"

"The greatness of the Imperium is something you worms can never understand!"

Horus looked down at him with contempt, raising his power claws.

Eugene Tamba grinned. The massive wound across his upper body suddenly transformed into a demonic maw filled with corrosive acid, spewing out countless viscous liquids emitting green gas.

Horus flashed aside, avoiding the liquids.

"Hahaha~ Come, embrace ■■■■." Eugene Tamba cackled madly as more zombies clawed their way out of the ground.

The rebel soldiers and Astartes who had died were all rising again.

Upon contact with the green gas, their bodies rapidly necrotized and rotted, growing countless swollen boils and abscesses, emitting a foul stench.

Once it touched an enemy's body, it could quickly infect them!

"Don't worry! This doesn't infect, let me take a look!"

Francis arrived at the spaceport and saw a group of Astartes warriors clad in purple power armor with golden stripes patrolling the area.

From the Golden Chalices on their pauldrons, Francis immediately recognized them as his own sons—the Soul Drinkers.

Compared to the other Legions, Francis noticed that his own sons were all wrapped up more tightly than usual.

They hadn't even taken off their helmets!

"Who are you! Hey! Don't touch me!"

The Soul Drinkers Legion warrior's scalp tingled. They had received the order to assemble and had come.

Upon arrival, they were accosted by someone mentally unstable who insisted on stripping them.

Bang!

Francis yanked hard, tearing off a warrior's vambrace and revealing mutated flesh underneath—a black arm covered in spider-like fuzz.

Salpador snatched the vambrace from Francis's hand and reattached it. "Are you satisfied now!"

The other Soul Drinkers warriors also surrounded them.

"Are you planning to rebel?" Francis pointed to his own face, incredulous. "You don't even recognize me?"

"Hiss~ Why does this guy feel familiar!"

"Right! I think so too, but I can't remember."

"Captain, do you know him? Is he an old soldier from our Legion?"

"He's no old soldier, look at his face—not only handsome but also incredibly young. How could he be an old soldier!"

"Exactly, look at all the scars on Captain's head! That's what an old soldier looks like."

They discussed amongst themselves.

However, Salpador quickly silenced them with a reprimand. "Quiet, everyone!"

Then, Salpador straightened his body, saluted Francis, and said, "Greetings, I am Salpador, Captain of the Soul Drinkers Legion. We all feel a familiar aura from you, who are you?"

Just then, a kind voice echoed in Francis's mind.

"Within their consciousness, all memories of you have been completely erased. (Scorching gold text)"

Memory erasure? Salpador?

Francis felt like he was living a pathetic existence. His sons didn't recognize him, and his father had sealed him away.

But thankfully, he was out now.

Francis patted Salpador kindly and then said with a smile, "I am your father."

Salpador: "..."

Everyone: "..."

The scene was eerily silent. Although they didn't remember their Primarch, they remembered that many of their brothers in the Legion had been purged.

And what was their Primarch doing all this time!

They wouldn't question the Emperor, but they harbored some resentment towards the Primarch they could have called father.

"I'm severely injured, and I don't remember much from before," Francis scratched his head, wondering why he felt a bit intimidated by his own son.

"But I do remember you went bald, Salpador!"

Salpador: "..."

Seeing their lack of enthusiasm, Francis thought of a good idea. "Come on, come at me all at once. Let me see if your skills have improved."

At these words, the warriors of the Soul Drinkers Legion's eyes lit up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's just an in-legion sparring match, so that warrior, please put down your power hammer, and you too! No bolt guns allowed!"

Upon hearing that they couldn't use weapons, the light in everyone's eyes dimmed considerably.

Seeing that Francis wasn't wearing a helmet, they tactfully removed their own.

When he saw they were all ready, Francis cleared his throat. "Ahem, are you ready?"

"Ready!"

Francis: "Good, I'll count to three and then we start."

"Okay."

Francis: "One, two, three!"

Instantly.

Francis started with zero frames, first violently pouring out a large amount of 'Growth Potion', then activating a strong light.

"What is this?"

"Holy crap, the Chapter Master is ambushing us!"

"Holy crap, Chapter Master, you grew hair. Holy crap, I can't control my hair!"

In a flash, countless green hairs trapped everyone in place. Just as they were preparing to use fire to cleanse the ground.

Francis secretly installed the newly made bio-arm on his arm, and his sharp claws swept over their heads.

Then, Francis turned with a flourish and said, "You're already dead!"

"We lost?"

The members of the Soul Drinkers Legion looked bewildered. They had originally wanted to beat up a Primarch for fun, but somehow they were the ones who got beaten.

"Later, each of you give me a blood sample. I need to see what's going on."

Francis didn't look back, but waved his hand and walked towards where the ship was docked.

With a roar, a massive Gloriana-class Battleship descended from the sky.

The hull of this space behemoth was covered in heavy armor, presenting a deep gray-black color, as if it were a harbinger of war sailing from the abyss of the universe. Its bow was sharp and towering, like wolf's teeth.

The Hrafnkel's hull was covered with various weapon systems, from massive lance turrets to dense arrays of laser emitters, all of which proclaimed its immense firepower. These weapons outlined streaks of cold light on the night-like hull.

The hangar bay opened, and Leman Russ greeted the approaching Francis.

Possessing mysterious gene-tech and being greeted by Leman Russ, who was also a Primarch.

At this moment, the Space Marines of the Soul Drinkers Legion finally believed that Francis was their Primarch, their father.

"The Primarch hasn't abandoned us!"

"The Primarch wants our blood samples, he's going to treat us!"

"See! We have a Primarch's children too!"

The Soul Drinkers Legion, just freed from the hair, stood stunned.

"What are you waiting for? Get on the ship!"

Hearing Francis's command, they naturally obeyed.

As Salpador finally boarded, Francis seemed to think of something and teased, "Salpador, I think you might consider having the Adeptus Mechanicus build you a pair of eight-legged pants."

Salpador: "???"

Although he didn't understand, he still nodded.

"Aren't we leaving yet? Our entire legion is on board," Francis said, placing a hand on Leman Russ's shoulder.

"The people responsible for protecting you haven't arrived yet."

Hearing Leman Russ's answer, Francis was a bit confused. "Didn't Father send you to protect me?"

"How could that be? My Space Wolves Legion is busy retrieving powerful Psykers from all over."

"With just the few hundred people I have here now, tsk~ it's probably not enough."

Francis: "..."

The Emperor was so worried about him that Leman Russ alone wasn't enough; he needed others to monitor him.

"There~ they've arrived."