A Peaceful Day... Right?

Endurance.

The fourth day of training.

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"Clink~"

In the empty Cafeteria Four, the crisp sound of metal striking metal rang out especially loudly.

An empty bowl slammed onto the metal table.

Hades smiled at Vokes across from him somewhat sheepishly, then deftly took the next bowl of white porridge from the Servitor beside him.

Calling it a bowl would have been an understatement. It was more like a basin the size of a soup pot.

The thick, white, high-protein porridge had the viscosity of slime. Large black chunks on its surface slowly sank into it as though disappearing into a swamp.

Holding his spoon, Hades casually stirred the porridge, mixing the black cubes containing metals like calcium evenly into the white sludge—

Then he dug in!

On his first day, after getting beaten up, Hades had rushed excitedly from the infirmary to the cafeteria for a meal, only to discover that the food consisted solely of this bowl of white porridge.

He had lifted a spoonful, and the extraordinarily thick porridge had even stretched into strands as it slowly dripped from the spoon.

This.

White, sticky, high-protein.

Uh. Mm. Ah.

But this was the only thing to eat! The Death Guard, who did not place much importance on culinary culture, really would only choose the simplest and most standardized menu.

Hades silently told himself that it would not kill him. Besides, feeding an entire Legion already put enough pressure on logistics. He should not be picky.

Then he raised his spoon and, with the determination of a man facing death, licked a mouthful of the white porridge—

It was delicious!

Though it was only plain porridge, a flavor like wheat fragrance mixed with boiled milk blossomed on his tongue, sweet with a faint grainy freshness.

Hades's pupils contracted as he quickly scooped up a black metal chunk to taste.

His pupils shook!

It was fruit-flavored?!!

The seemingly rock-hard metal chunk became as soft as a strawberry beneath a Space Marine's powerful bite and corrosive saliva, slowly deforming under the pressure in his mouth.

Sourness and astringency burst across his tongue, yet mixed with the cloying sweetness of the porridge to create a taste as fresh as fruit!

Holy shit!!! Hades felt like he could have his clothes explode in public right then and there!

Unable to care about anything else, Hades, already dizzy with hunger, immediately began his blissful feast.

To be fair, after modification, a Space Marine's sense of taste generally became dulled.

But this white porridge was originally so sickeningly sweet that ordinary people might gag from eating it, while the metal chunks within were actually incredibly bitter.

Yet food from Barbarus carried a bitter flavor of its own, so Hades automatically filtered that bitterness out.

Vokes sat opposite Hades, watching him devour porridge like a madman with some speechlessness.

That was already... the ninth bowl, wasn't it?

Even those massive Death Guard usually only ate five bowls.

Vokes glanced once more at the enormous figure opposite him. Hades was already close to the greatest height currently found among the Death Guard, yet somehow still gave the faint impression that he could grow even taller.

Mm.

When Hades finished his thirteenth bowl, he finally put down the spoon he had squeezed slightly out of shape.

"Want to go take a look at the Duel Cage?"

Vokes looked at Hades, who had just eaten his fill.

It had already been three days since he met Hades. From Hades, Vokes had learned that, like himself, Hades was sparring with Combat Servitors.

And Hades trained even more crazily than he did.

Senior Hades would even voluntarily extend his training time!

After the Death Guard's half-hour dinner period came an hour and a half of free time.

After learning that both periods were actually time he could freely allocate as he pleased, Hades chose to connect his half-hour dinner break, one hour of free time, and afternoon sparring session into one long stretch.

Vokes, who had previously followed the prescribed schedule, had also been led astray by Hades and began extending his training time alongside him.

But today, for some unknown reason, Hades, who had been utterly immersed in sparring and unable to pull himself away, suddenly suggested eating early.

Vokes, who had been beaten dizzy during practice, naturally agreed with delight.

So now they still had forty minutes of discretionary time left.

Generally speaking, there were only a few things Legion warriors did during their free time.

Most would go to the training cages or Duel Cages to continue honing themselves in battle. The former was for individual practice, while the latter was for contests between Legion warriors.

Some Space Marines who preferred peace and quiet would also choose to maintain and polish their weapons and armor during this time, or go to the archives to read and study.

Senior Hades probably had not visited the Duel Cage before?

Previously, aside from going to the archives to study High Gothic, Vokes spent his time at the Duel Cage.

"Hm? Sure."

The Duel Cage? He had never been. It was worth a look.

In the spacious hall, fierce roars occasionally rang out along with excited cheers from onlookers. Bright white light poured down painfully from above the platforms, while fighting figures moved across them, afterimages scattering.

Three identical raised platforms stood side by side in the hall. They were Duel Cages resembling large wrestling rings, with rows of spectator seats below.

Quite a few warriors gathered around the Duel Cages, standing or sitting as they tensely watched every move made by those on the platforms. Whenever the fighting reached a thrilling point, they clapped and shouted in unison.

Yet... despite the lively appearance of the hall, the two sides were distinctly divided. One side was filled with Barbarus curses, while the other rang with shouts in Low Gothic.

The central platform seemed like a dividing line, separating the two sides.

Hades raised a brow. But this scene was exactly what he had expected, wasn't it?

Seeing Vokes naturally heading toward the Barbarus platforms, Hades considered for a moment, then instead turned and headed toward the Duel Cage occupied by the Terran-born veterans.

".Senior Hades?"

Vokes called out to Hades softly.

Hades turned back, smiled, and gestured that he wanted to take a look over there.

Vokes was clearly startled, but quickly regained his composure. It was not his place to say much, so the two parted ways.

Hades walked over to the dueling platform filled entirely with Terran-born veterans. Seeing him approach, the veterans acted as though Hades did not exist and remained focused on the fight above.

Very good.

Hades thought as he quietly found a seat, then began watching and analyzing the battle on the platform.

Hades knew that his sparring had reached a stalemate.

For the first three days, he had been passively taking beatings while adapting to this newly modified body.

But afterward, Hades felt that even once he had mostly adjusted to it, he still could not bring out his current best.

The root of the issue was that his previous fighting style simply did not suit the potential and abilities this body possessed.

His blade work was too stingy, his footwork too cautious, his slashing motions still relied on tricks to trade force, and his defensive posture was still overly careful in pursuit of security.

But Hades was no longer someone who would be finished if his opponent landed one hard strike on a vital point.

His powerful body could withstand brutal attacks. With his vital areas given enhanced protection, he could take risks and trade blows for openings in his opponent's defense.

So Hades urgently needed to see how others—people with physiques like his who had fought for years—actually battled.

Over on the Barbarus side, the fighting styles were probably still the same old routines, at most altered by incorporating some new techniques. But for Hades right now, the Terran-born side offered genuine, high-quality combat.

Every match, every strike, every movement was worth analyzing and studying!

Ignored by everyone, Hades sat in a dim corner beneath the platform, red light flickering in his left eye.

Endurance, a hidden conference room.

At the same time.

.

Barasyn, captain of the First Company, wore a complicated expression as he looked at Fernando across from him.

Fernando—the current Chief Librarian of the Death Guard.

".If you have objections, I can submit a request to the Legion Commander for a meeting on your behalf."

The old Librarian's deep eyes looked toward Barasyn.

"Thank you for your kindness, Barasyn."

"But I know Primarch Mortarion's decision is correct."

This...

Barasyn was still somewhat unable to believe it.

Ever since Primarch Mortarion's return, the Librarians of the former Dusk Raiders had been coldly sidelined.

The Primarch had explicitly declared that the Death Guard had no need for those who "toyed with Witchcraft."

The existing Librarians would not be allowed to expand further, nor would they occupy important positions on future battlefields.

When the last Librarian died, the Death Guard would disband the Librarians as a special branch.

Though Barasyn hoped the Primarch's process of taking control of the Legion could proceed as smoothly as possible, he understood the importance of Librarians to a Legion. After failing to persuade the Primarch, he came to find the current Chief Librarian, Fernando—

Both to seek help and to ensure the old Librarian would not resent the Primarch for it.

Yet Fernando's response far exceeded Barasyn's expectations.

".Why?"

Why, as Chief Librarian, did he not merely feel no resentment toward the Primarch's actions, but even support them?

Fernando closed his eyes.

"The Primarch's resolve is correct. None of the Librarians object."

Before his words had even faded, the conference room door suddenly flew open! A man whose Power Armor was decorated with incantations glared furiously at Fernando.

"Why are you betraying us?! Betraying all Librarians?!"

"Stand down!"

Barasyn, who had just looked exhausted, suddenly shouted. Ugo, who had burst in, fell silent at once.

Fernando opened his eyes, his calm voice sounding out.

"You have no right to question me, Ugo."

"Go find Torres and accept your punishment."

Ugo's face was full of dissatisfaction and indignation, but the Psychic Power pressure quietly released by the Chief Librarian still made him unwillingly close the door and leave.

Before he left, the two people in the room both heard a Low Gothic curse muttered under his breath.

"Sorry you had to see that."

Barasyn turned back to Fernando, his face once again full of exhaustion and apology.

"I expected that reaction."

He smiled.

"But I did not expect yours."

Fernando smiled wearily as well. Yes, why?

He remembered that day, aboard the space hulk, the twisted and floating flesh and blood.

I took a day off yesterday. Today, here's a 3k update. Enjoy reading.

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Book recommendation, book recommendation!

An incredibly hardcore Warhammer-style story. A vanished Primarch watched by Tzeentch and Slaanesh, with every link tightly connected. Black and white, good and evil, impossible to distinguish clearly—how would the protagonist, caught between virtue, wickedness, and chaos, ultimately decide the fate of the Imperium?

Come read "Warhammer: In the Name of Reborn."

Quietly speaking, with this style and concept, this guy can actually update daily!!

...A role model for the rest of us_(:з"∠)_