In the Darkness (Dragon Boat Festival Greetings)

Breathe.

Calmly—breathe.

A scream saturated with terror erupted near his ear, mingled with the acrid stench of urine. Kael was not surprised; he simply walked over and gently snapped the man's neck.

As usual, the floor was littered with corpses.

Only, this time was slightly better. At least there were no severed limbs; most of the bodies were intact, having died either from broken spines or asphyxiation. There was significantly less blood, though it was still inevitably pooling on the carpet.

The human body is truly fragile, especially to the current Kael.

The blue wall lamps in the corridor flickered, their surfaces smeared with blood, though what truly caused them to malfunction was a fleeting, sub-zero temperature that had passed through a half-minute ago. A crackling sound of electricity emanated from within the walls—the death throes of the power conduits.

Kael turned around and slowly lowered the corpse in his hand.

There was no need to desecrate the dead.

He was not them.

Slowly, avoiding the pools of blood and the bodies as best he could, he walked behind the corridor's door and crouched, waiting.

The corridor had been designed to be as grand as possible. The architect hadn't merely imitated the decor of the Upper Hive nobility; whether intentional or not, he or she had imbued the hallway with a gloomy magnificence while omitting those detestable ornaments.

But for him now, he still needed to stoop.

The immense size brought not only an increase in strength and agility but also other problems.

For instance, his preferred methods of infiltration—climbing through windows or navigating gloomy, narrow alleys—had become impossible for this current body.

Before executing this mission, he had even spent twenty minutes familiarizing himself with his new frame to determine if his customary "gliding" technique was still viable.

While the answer had pleasantly surprised him, there were still issues to resolve.

His two blades.

Well, to be honest, their current dimensions meant they could no longer be called weapons for him.

But Kael did not intend to return to the past.

He had signed a covenant; in gaining certain rights he did not desire, he had also acquired responsibilities.

Although he could not yet see the full scope of these duties, Kael knew he had to be prepared. The potential implications of such immense power made it clear to him that he could not afford a mistake.

The galaxy. What a terrifying term, he thought with a hint of a sigh. Just then, slow footsteps echoed from outside the corridor—only one person.

He could tell, just as he could hear the man's breathing, the rhythm of his heartbeat, and the gentle, steady flow of blood through his veins.

The crouching giant slowly straightened his body, brushing against the ceiling. He reached out silently and, a second before the person outside opened the door, pushed it open gently.

The flickering blue wall lamps intermittently illuminated the corpses strewn about, as well as the gloomy face of a giant.

A second before the person at the door could scream, Kael spoke softly.

"Good evening, Director Cummins. Could you please refrain from screaming?"

The latter responded with trembling facial muscles, and Kael sighed as he reached out, gripping the man's chin and forcibly stifling the scream into a painful, muffled groan.

Then, he pulled him into the darkness.

The door closed quietly.

Kael returned to the Sanctuary amidst the howling cold wind. The rooftop was empty; the Rainwater Filter remained, but the figure that had been crouching upon it was gone.

He looked up at the deep purple clouds.

I wonder how the learning is going.

Shaking his head, Kael temporarily suppressed the thought.

He did not intend to return to that gargantuan, gilded ship for the next two weeks.

For one, he truly disliked that style of decor; for another, while the Night Haunter might rely on Kael Lohars, Konrad Curze had to learn to make all decisions on his own.

Moreover, he really had no time left.

The Eighth Legion would arrive in two weeks—fourteen days, or rather, thirteen days and eight hours. He knew nothing of their numbers, but since they were called a legion, they surely wouldn't be few.

They carried the blood of Konrad Curze within them; by bloodline, they were his sons. But Kael was actually clearer on another matter.

The Emperor viewed the Primarchs as tools.

What kind of tools?

Tools of slaughter.

Then, what of these transhuman warriors infused with the blood of tools? What would they be? Lesser tools?

Kael did not want to use such terms to describe a group of people he had never met, and besides, they were indeed fighting for humanity under the banner of The Emperor.

This meant they were worthy of Kael's respect.

This meant that Kael would temporarily use the word "warriors" to refer to them. And if Konrad Curze were to face a group of warriors...

In this state, Quintus probably wouldn't make them very happy.

He did not know the attitude of other legions toward their Primarchs, but Kael felt that it was unlikely to be particularly intimate.

He imagined a group of strangers calling someone "Father" and couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

In any case, he should continue to renovate the environment of Quintus as much as possible.

He had killed three factory owners tonight, along with a large group of gang members who had been lying in wait, planning to launch The Great Purge early.

Three hours from now, he would head to the Upper Hive, find the nobleman he had let go with his own hands, and wipe him out along with a host of lesser nobles who were fighting over territory like hyenas.

His partner had acquired a new identity, so his own past code of conduct needed an update as well.

However.

"Hyenas." He smiled slightly. "How interesting, just as interesting as you, Lorgar Aurelian."

"..."

A golden-skinned giant emerged silently from the darkness behind the Sanctuary, still limping as he walked. He pressed his lips together tightly, staring intently at Kael, yet there was no anger in his eyes.

"Hyenas?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes, a creature that only existed on Ancient Terra. They move in packs, fierce, insidious, and cunning, yet they possess a rigid social structure."

Kael shook his head with a smile: "How long have you been waiting?"

"Four hours."

"Then you arrived after Rogal Dorn."

Lorgar nodded calmly: "I noticed the door he repaired for you."

"He is indeed an outstanding craftsman." Kael looked at the sturdy door and nodded in admiration.

To be able to repair a piece of junk into such a solid structure, and to do it from start to finish without relying on tools—it was a terrifying talent.

"He is one of The Emperor's sons," Lorgar said sharply. "You should not use that word to describe him."

"Then, how should I describe him?"

Kael couldn't help but sigh: "Do you feel that combining the words 'craftsman' and 'outstanding' insults him?"

"I am certain my brother enjoys architecture and design, and he is indeed outstanding—but you simply should not describe him that way."

Lorgar shook his head stubbornly, then shifted to another matter. "You beat me quite badly today."

"I know," Kael said calmly. "I did it on purpose."

"..." "You used force to suppress me," Lorgar said in a low voice. "Debates should be judged by the victory of words, not the magnitude of strength."

"Why would I want to debate you?"

Kael shook his head with a smile, though there was little mirth in it: "I can tolerate your comments about me because I simply do not care. But you should not describe Konrad Curze as a weak infant willing to be manipulated."

"He is indeed just a child."

Suppressing his anger, Lorgar said, "Even by our standards, he is far too immature."

"So what?"

"So, you should not be instilling your theories into him."

Lorgar Aurelian frowned. He was no longer using that passionate oratorical talent; instead, his tone was surprisingly earnest.

"This dark theory might have its place on Nostramo, but do you know how vast the galaxy is? Not every planet needs cruel punishments and executioners in the night; not all planets are like this one."

"Here? Like this?"

"Degraded."

Filled with hatred, Lorgar spat out the word. He did not hate this planet, but the darkness upon it. It had tortured his brother into a pale, frail, and gloomy child.

Kael narrowed his eyes.

Lorgar's demeanor was vastly different from before; he no longer brought up his wild speculations, nor did he accuse Kael of being a base villain. There were two possibilities for this.

First, he had asked Konrad Curze and received an answer from him.

Second, he had realized something.

Could even a Primarch, stubborn to a terrifying degree, have such keen responsiveness? Kael smiled silently.

On the other side, Lorgar continued.

"I apologize for what I said to you earlier, Kael Lohars."

Lorgar widened his eyes, speaking slowly yet calmly. His expression was so solemn, so grave, that it was like a proclamation.

"I do not know who you are, nor do I know where your power comes from. But I can tell you, I do not care about them."

"Father has granted you a great honor; do not waste it. My brother loves you, and you would do well to cherish that affection. Of course, you may treat my words as embers in the wind, but I swear."

The golden giant slowly clenched his fists. "If you fail my father, or my brother, I will..."

"Will what?" Kael asked calmly.

He was looking forward to Lorgar's answer. Not a lie—he was genuinely looking forward to it.

"I will kill you," Lorgar Aurelian said. "I certainly will."

Karyl smiled.

He spread his arms wide.

"If that day truly comes," he said softly, "you won't have to do it yourself."

Got home late and my back is killing me, so this is 19 minutes behind schedule.

The Night Lords, you know (feeling guilty).

There is one more chapter; I will write it as soon as possible.

P.S. I actually considered writing a completely brainless Lorgar Aurelian, as that would make him easier to shape, but that really wouldn't be right.

Lorgar Aurelian truly loved his brothers.