Astonishing Wisdom

Over the past few days on Terra, Hogg and Leman Russ had gotten along best. They were two of a kind, both incorrigible pranksters.

After Plankton had beaten him up, Perturabo had cooled off. Truthfully, he didn't hate Hogg; he just got mad whenever he saw him.

When the Iron Blood was completed, Perturabo left Terra. Before departing, he beat Hogg up one more time. In a good mood, he tossed him a communicator and said Hogg could call him if he was dying so Perturabo could come collect his body.

Hogg was so touched that, in front of all the Fourth Legion's warriors, he clung to Perturabo's leg and wailed, "Pepe loves me!" Perturabo was so furious he nearly blew the embarrassing little pest to bits with the ship's cannons.

Their time together was always brief. Angron returned to his Legion and went with Horus on the Great Crusade, while Russ went back to his home on Fenris. That left only Hogg and Magnus, two Primarchs, on Terra.

"Little Pony, do you know what color an Ogryn turns when he gets sunburned? The answer is red! ()" With nothing else to do, Hogg could only pester Magnus.

"I'll say it again: Ogryns don't turn red when they get sunburned; they turn black. And my complexion is natural. I'm not an Ogryn."

Magnus was furious and wanted to beat Hogg up, but he couldn't win. So he could only let the little runt follow him around.

"Go bother our father. I have work to do." Unable to beat Hogg, Magnus could only beg him to leave. But the Emperor had ordered Hogg to help him solve the mutation problem within the Thousand Sons.

"By the way, Little Pony, what have you been doing with your psychic powers these past few days? I can't make heads or tails of it."

"I'm using my psychic powers to solve the mutation problem within the Legion. It's only natural that a shapeshifting Ogryn like you wouldn't understand something so profound. Besides, I doubt you could learn such advanced psychic knowledge anyway."

Magnus's words dripped with contempt for Hogg's intelligence.

Hearing him, Hogg nearly laughed in disbelief. Aside from the Emperor, he was probably the most skilled at biological technology in the Imperium. And now he was being called brainless by a sunburned Ogryn who looked like he had "astonishing wisdom."

"Um, Magnus, have you ever considered that I might be a scientist who specializes in genetic modification?"

"Ha!" Magnus, nearly five meters tall, was amused by the little runt at his feet. He lifted Hogg up with both hands and examined him closely before shaking his head.

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible! I appreciate the thought, but I've already found a solution in the Great Ocean. Now I just need to conduct some preliminary tests."

"Don't tell me you saw some little psychic Spiritlings or made a deal with some kind of spirit," Hogg asked, his face going numb.

"? How did you know? Did Father tell you? But I haven't even told Father."

His answer left Hogg marveling at the fact that this sunburned Ogryn really was something else. When he'd seen Magnus with both eyes intact, Hogg had thought Little Pony hadn't been duped by Tzeentch. Who would've guessed the guy was already lost in Tzeentch's deception?

"Magnus, I think what you encountered was a Warp Daemon, not a Spiritling. And the ones who fought Blackwatch on Nuceria were Warp Daemons too. They were just red."

Hogg didn't spare him any sympathy as he bluntly laid out the truth. But Magnus, already lost in the deception, didn't care.

"First, let me correct your terminology: they're benevolent spirits of the Warp. Second, when you first arrived, I noticed your terrifying, disgusting shadow. But I said nothing because you're my brother. You can't slander my research or these benevolent spirits."

Magnus was angry and didn't like what Hogg had said.

Magnus's stubbornness was laughable. In fact, Hogg burst out laughing.

"Ha ha! I can't believe this. That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Seriously, if you want to prove me wrong, take me to see what these so-called Spiritlings really are."

Hogg's words thoroughly enraged Magnus. He was a learned scholar whom even the Emperor greatly admired.

He had been communicating with the Emperor over vast distances through psychic powers since childhood. As a boy, he had already begun exploring the Great Ocean, and he had even led the entire population of his homeworld in adopting psychic technology.

Hogg's words completely dismissed his achievements. Proud Magnus couldn't tolerate that.

"Fine. I'll show you the might of the Great Ocean and its benevolent spirits. I'll use them to shut you up and show you how ignorant you are."

A tremendous psychic energy surged through Magnus's body. He completed an incantation in an instant, with consummate skill. A Warp portal appeared before them, and the two stepped through it into a place that looked like a fairy-tale paradise.

Tiny fairies with butterfly wings flitted among the flowers. Bright, delicious-looking fruit hung from tall trees, while strange animals ran across the fields.

Everything was so beautiful. Anyone who saw the scenery would feel at ease, as if they had arrived in the heaven of some religion. No one would want to leave.

"Do you see? How could such a beautiful, peaceful place be home to the daemons you mentioned? I admit there are some huge beasts in the Great Ocean, but there are no daemons."

As he spoke, Magnus went beneath a fruit tree, plucked a piece of fruit, and put it in his mouth. He even thoughtfully gave one to Hogg.

Hogg held the delicious fruit in his hands and turned to see Magnus eating heartily, crimson juice running from the corner of his mouth. Hogg felt his world collapse.

Wiping the juice splattered around his lips, Magnus looked at Hogg's twisted, speechless expression and laughed smugly.

He must have realized how ignorant he was by now. Perhaps he's feeling ashamed and wants to apologize to me.

In high spirits, Magnus plucked a few more fruits and started chewing them heartily. Even the little Spiritlings flitting through the air landed on his head and played around, making Hogg's expression twist even further.

Forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his stomach, Hogg examined the fruit in his hands. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke.

"Go ahead and eat, brother. I'm full!! I've never been impressed by anyone in my life, but today I've seen the light. I'm convinced, brother. You're seriously f***ing awesome."

Magnus, in a fine mood, assumed Hogg was swallowing his pride and admitting defeat. He decided to broaden his brother's horizons and completely change his view of the Great Ocean.

"Brother, I commend you for admitting when you're wrong. You've already got the most basic quality of a scholar. I'm beginning to believe you really are a scientist. Next, I'll take you to see some other regions. I'm sure you'll understand what I mean."

"Ah!! There are even stronger ones." Hogg had already given up hope for the sights to come.