Seed of Heresy

"Random reincarnation... permanent passives..." Liu Zhipeng slowly digested the concept.

This meant he had a chance to become a Space Marine, an Adeptus Mechanicus Magos, an Aeldari seer, or even... an Ork? Of course, he might also be reincarnated as a slave laborer in some Hive City, forced to work twenty hours a day, or an amoeba devoured by Tyranids.

And everything he did in each life would become part of his soul. If, in this life as a Nurgling, he could gain a profound understanding of the essence of "decay" and "rebirth," then in his next life, he might obtain a passive ability like "immunity to all diseases" or "rapid regeneration."

"Interesting."

He split his wide mouth in a "bolo bolo" laugh, the way Nurglings expressed happiness.

As an office drone who had been battered black and blue by society in his previous life, he did not fear death all that much. A rotten life was still a life, no matter where he lived it. Now he had the chance for endless resurrection and could experience all sorts of lives in his favorite world. Wasn't this a gift from heaven?

He looked around. This was undoubtedly the legendary Nurgling Garden.

The ground beneath his feet—or rather, the "fungal carpet"—was soft and springy, squelching beneath every step. In the distance, towering trees rose from the earth. Thick, sweet-smelling sap flowed down their trunks, while their crowns were made of countless intertwined, vividly colored fungi and mosses. Dandelion-like spores drifted through the air, sparkling beneath a gentle green glow.

A murky river trickled by not far away, its surface covered with the corpses of unrecognizable creatures. Yet rather than giving off a foul stench, they served as breeding grounds for new life, with countless brightly colored flies buzzing and dancing above them.

Everything brimmed with sickly, twisted vitality. This was the end of decay and the beginning of rebirth.

"Hey! Bolo!" A voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned and saw another Nurgling identical to him staring curiously his way. This one was a little smaller, with shorter horns atop its head. It tilted its head, its huge single eye full of innocent confusion.

"Bolo bolo?" (Are you new here?)

Liu Zhipeng tried making a sound himself, producing the same string of "bolo bolo" noises. To his surprise, he could understand what the other meant, and it seemed to understand his reply as well. It was a means of communication based on souls and emotions.

"Bolo!" (Yeah, just woke up!)

"Bolo lo! Haha!" (Great! Let's play together!)

The smaller Nurgling jumped up happily. Its bouncy little body rebounded twice off the ground before it headbutted straight into Bean One's arms.

A warm, familiar feeling enveloped him in an instant. There was no suspicion, no distance—only pure, heartfelt joy and acceptance.

This was what Nurglings were like. They were the children of the Kindly Father, the most carefree residents of the garden. Their minds held no complicated thoughts, only eating, sleeping, playing, and spreading Nurgle's "love."

"Bolo lo! Let's knock over that mushroom! It's really fun!" the little Nurgling suggested.

"Bolo!" (Sure!)

Liu Zhipeng readily went along with it. He needed time to adapt to this new body and observe this new world. Staying with his own kind was undoubtedly the best choice.

Thus, two round green balls hopped and bounced toward a colorful mushroom not much taller than themselves, shaped like a gingerbread house.

They pushed hard against the mushroom's stalk with their soft bodies, laughing "bolo bolo" all the while. The mushroom swayed, scattering multicolored spores from its cap like a miniature celebration.

As they pushed the mushroom over, seven or eight more Nurglings were drawn over by their laughter and joined in. Everyone heaved together, and at last, with a muffled boom, the poor mushroom was successfully toppled, smashing into a pile of gooey, sweet-smelling fragments.

"Bolo lo lo lo lo!"

All the Nurglings erupted in earthshaking laughter. They swarmed forward and began devouring the mushroom fragments. The pieces melted the moment they entered their mouths, turning into a warm current filled with life energy that nourished their tiny bodies.

Liu Zhipeng received a piece as well. Copying the others, he opened his wide mouth and swallowed the gooey thing.

The taste... was surprisingly good.

As he enjoyed this "afternoon tea," he noticed that the little Nurgling who had first invited him was staring longingly at the largest mushroom fragment, drool nearly spilling from its mouth. But that piece had been claimed by a Nurgling a full size larger and visibly stronger than it.

The strong Nurgling gobbled away while glaring fiercely at the others with its one eye, as though declaring its ownership.

The little Nurgling did not dare approach and could only watch pitifully from the side.

At the sight, Liu Zhipeng's heart, full of "schemes" and "strategies," gave a small beat.

He looked around. Though these Nurglings all appeared identical at first glance, closer inspection revealed differences in size and strength. They were innocent and cheerful, but they still followed the jungle law that the biggest one was always right.

They were like a group of kindergarten children—pure and innocent, yet also the easiest to guide and organize.

A bold idea quietly sprouted in Bean One's mind.

What if... what if I organized these little guys, who have no order and no discipline?

He looked at the swaggering strong Nurgling, then at the pitiful little Nurgling beside it. He split his wide mouth in a meaningful smile.

The moment the thought arose, it was like planting the most heretical seed in the fertile soil of the Nurgling Garden. At an unbelievable speed, it began to take root and sprout wildly.

Liu Zhipeng knew that to establish authority within a group, he had to do two things: grant favors and display power.

For simple-minded creatures like Nurglings, logic and reason were useless. They only recognized the most immediate benefits and the most primal strength.

His gaze settled on the largest mushroom fragment. This was the first step of his plan, his "pledge of allegiance."

He did not charge in and confront the strong Nurgling head-on. Though his current body was fairly strong too, the other was clearly superior. Forcing it would only leave him in the same state as that little Nurgling.

Quietly, he hopped around behind the strong Nurgling.

At that moment, the strong Nurgling was busy stuffing its face, utterly unaware of the danger behind it.

Bean One took a deep breath, compressed his body like a spring, then launched himself forward!

His target was not the strong Nurgling's body, but the patch of ground beneath its butt—the soft, slick fungal carpet.

"Squelch!"