We Have Been Forgiven

Inside the special training pod of the Macragge's Honour, the air was as heavy as in the deepest tomb of Terra.

Two Ultramarines knelt on one knee on the cold deck.

Stripped of their sacred power armor, their bare upper bodies were covered with newly healed scars, and their waists were draped only with Roman-style linen shawls symbolizing the legion's ancient traditions.

They bowed their heads, as if their heads were as heavy as stars.

"You have brought shame upon our father."

Calgar's voice sounded like a dull knife cutting through metal.

He was also naked, the scars from centuries of battles etched like emblems of glory on his rock-like body.

"With the power we have inherited, with the authority bestowed upon us by our father's blood."

"The two of you alone are enough to make an entire rebellious planet kneel before the Emperor's banner once more."

The two kneeling soldiers, Aecton, a veteran from the Third Company, and Rashid, a sergeant from the Fifth Company, lowered their heads even further.

Shame burned in their souls.

Yes, they have just received new power from their father.

This power allows them to soar through the skies and split mountains and cleave the earth with just their fists.

They should have used their first battle to demonstrate the newfound power bestowed upon them by their father, letting the world know the might of Sons of Guilliman.

However, their first attempt to carry out a purification mission using this newfound power resulted in a crushing defeat.

Above the Daemon World, a torrential rain of blood, mixed with Warp energy, poured down.

The rainwater not only corroded their armor, but also directly disrupted the resonant frequency of the Vitruum energy within their bodies.

The power that should have made them demigods became disordered and weakened under the direct interference of Chaos.

"But we were forgiven."

Calgar stepped forward, the cold lights of the training field illuminating his sculpted face.

"Father forgives you, and he forgives all the brothers who are still adapting to this bloodline."

He gave us a new opportunity--"

His voice suddenly rose, like a battle horn:

"--And we must learn from our shame and strive to improve!"

Before he could finish speaking, Calgar pressed the controller in his hand.

A low growl of machinery emanated from the dome as hundreds of showerheads descended from the ceiling.

Immediately afterwards, the dark red liquid poured out like a waterfall.

That was "Profane Rain" collected from the surface of the Nurgle Forge World.

This Profane Rain was caused by the madmen of the Dark Mechanicum who threw the entire Imperium's citizens into the Forge of Souls.

The resentment of the burned souls and the power of Chaos combined and accumulated in the sky above the planet, falling as blood rain.

It is precisely because this rain of blood is filled with uncertain and highly corrosive Warp evil power.

Only after being covered by it will the newly acquired Smart Atoms in their bodies go out of control.

That's because although Smart Atoms have certain idealistic characteristics, they have encountered mostly the problems of the material world throughout their countless years of evolution.

The direction of adaptation for Smart Atoms is also to continuously adapt to the material world.

When faced with the evil forces of the Warp, even Smart Atoms cannot adapt quickly enough.

This caused the two Ultramarines to temporarily lose their immense power.

And now, a rain of blood is falling.

Through the careful handling of the Tech-Priest, its Warp corrosion properties were preserved, while most of its physical toxicity was eliminated.

"Our father's blood flows in our veins."

Calgar stood tall in the center of the blood rain, letting the filthy liquid wash over every inch of his skin:

"This is enough for us to adapt to everything, conquer everything, until victory."

From this day forward, we must not only fight against the enemies of the material world, but also acquire the power to resist the erosion of the pressure space.

Calgar carefully felt the effects of the blood rain on his body.

At first, it was just a burning, stinging pain on my skin.

But soon, deeper interference began.

Calgar could clearly sense the fluctuations of the Smart Atoms within his body.

The power from that ancient, advanced civilization became unstable under the onslaught of blood rain, like a lake surface tossed with pebbles.

The Smart Atoms flowing through the muscles fluctuated in intensity, causing the bones to groan.

This is what Aecton and Rashid experienced on the battlefield.

"Stand up, brother."

Calgar growled in the rain, his voice cutting through the rushing water.

The two soldiers looked up hesitantly.

I said, stand up!

Calgar clenched his fist, his muscles bulging, as he commanded the Smart Atoms to obey with sheer willpower:

"Adapt to this power! Master this power! We must become the sharpest sword in our father's hand!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already shot out like a cannonball.

The speed was almost half that of usual, but the punch still landed precisely on Aecton's face.

The veteran was blasted away, his back slamming heavily against the reinforced wall of the training ground, leaving spiderweb-like cracks on the Plasteel surface.

My father once said that the blood flowing in their veins loves war.

Once both the physical and mental limits are reached, Smart Atoms will achieve a breakthrough.

Calgar remembered his father's words and put them to good use.

He needed to teach his fellow fighters how to quickly combat the evil forces of the Warp in the shortest possible time.

And that was the most effective method he could think of.

It means having the brothers fight in areas filled with Warp energy until they are pushed to their physical limits!

"Cough--"

Aecton spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, but an indomitable flame burned in his eyes.

He struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "As you wish, Chapter Master!"

Rashid also lunged at him from the other side.

The three engaged in a fierce battle amidst this profane rain of blood.

Without armor or weapons, only the most primitive hand-to-hand combat, yet every strike contained the power to shatter the bones of Space Marines.

That ancient power fluctuated wildly due to the interference of Warp pollution, sometimes erupting like a volcano, and sometimes flickering like a candle in the wind.

Calgar two to one.

He precisely calculated each breath, sensing the "learning" and "adjustment" of the Smart Atoms after each confrontation.

My father was right: this bloodline not only grants strength, but also records, adapts, and evolves.

Each time it is weakened by the blood rain, it recalibrates its frequency to resist Chaos interference.

One hour later.

Aecton and Rashid collapsed to the ground, their bodies a bloody mess, broken ribs piercing their skin.

Calgar shut off the shower system, and the bloody rain stopped abruptly.

He was panting, and his condition wasn't much better: his left shoulder was dislocated, three ribs on his right side were broken, and almost no part of his skin was intact.

However, the Smart Atoms within the body were already accelerating the body's repair process, and after leaving the area of the blood rain, the ancient energy recovered at an astonishing speed.

"Collect all the liquid."

Calgar said to the Techmarine walked in, his voice hoarse:

"Seal it in an anti- Psionic Energy container and mark it as 'Resources for Adaptive Training'."

"150,000 brothers need to go through this lesson."

He looked at the two collapsed figures. "These blasphemous things... are now invaluable teaching materials."