"Random reincarnation... permanent passives..." Liu Zhipeng slowly digested the mechanics.
This meant he had a chance to become a Space Marine, a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, an Aeldari seer, or even... an Ork? Of course, he might also be reborn as a slave laborer working twenty hours a day in some Hive City, or an amoeba devoured by the Tyranids.
And everything he did in each lifetime 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 "renewal," then in his next life, he might acquire a passive ability like "Immunity to All Diseases" or "Rapid Regeneration."
"Interesting."
He split his enormous mouth into a grin and let out a string of "Bloop, bloop" laughter. This was how Nurglings expressed happiness.
As a wage slave who had been thoroughly battered by society in his previous life, he had little fear of death. His life had been worthless anyway-what difference did it make where he lived? Now he had unlimited chances to come back to life, and he could experience all sorts of different lives in his favorite universe. Wasn't this practically a gift from heaven?
He looked around. This was undoubtedly the legendary Nurgle's Garden.
The ground beneath his feet-or rather, the fungal carpet-was soft and springy, squelching underfoot. In the distance, towering trees rose from the earth, their trunks oozing thick, sweet-smelling sap. Their crowns consisted of countless intertwined fungi and mosses in brilliant colors. Dandelion-like spores floated through the air, glittering in the gentle green light.
A murky river burbled past nearby. The bodies of creatures whose original forms were no longer recognizable floated on its surface. Yet rather than giving off a foul stench, they had become breeding grounds for new life, with countless brightly colored flies circling above them.
Everything brimmed with sickly, twisted vitality. This was the end of decay, and the beginning of new life.
"Hey! Bloop!" A voice interrupted his thoughts.
He turned and saw another Nurgling that looked just like him watching him curiously. The other Nurgling was slightly smaller, with a shorter horn on its head. It tilted its head, its enormous single eye filled with innocent puzzlement.
"Bloop, bloop?" (Are you new here?)
Liu Zhipeng tried to speak, producing another string of "Bloop, bloop" sounds. To his surprise, he could understand the other Nurgling, and it seemed to understand his response too. This was a form of communication rooted in souls and emotions.
"Bloop!" (Yeah, I just woke up!)
"Bloop-bloop! Haha!" (Great! Let's play!)
The smaller Nurgling jumped up happily. Its squishy, springy body bounced twice on the ground before it barreled straight into Bean One's arms.
A wave of affection instantly enveloped him. There was no suspicion, no distance-only pure, heartfelt joy and acceptance.
These were Nurglings. They were the loving father's children, the most carefree inhabitants of the Garden of Nurgle. Their minds held no complicated thoughts, only eating, sleeping, playing, and spreading Nurgle's "love."
"Bloop-bloop! Let's knock that mushroom over! It's really fun!" the little Nurgling suggested.
"Bloop!" (Sure!)
Liu Zhipeng readily agreed. He needed time to adjust to his new body and observe this new world. Staying with his own kind was undoubtedly the best choice.
And so, two round little green balls bounced toward a colorful mushroom nearby. It was barely taller than they were and looked like a gingerbread house.
They pushed hard against the mushroom's stalk with their soft bodies, laughing "Bloop, bloop" as they went. The mushroom swayed, scattering multicolored spores from its cap like a miniature celebration.
As they worked to topple the mushroom, their laughter attracted seven or eight more Nurglings, who all joined in. With grunts of effort, everyone pushed together. Finally, with a muffled boom, the poor mushroom toppled to the ground and broke into a heap of sticky, sweet-smelling pieces.
"Bloop-bloop-bloop-bloop!"
All the Nurglings erupted into earth-shaking laughter. They swarmed forward and began sharing out the mushroom pieces. The pieces melted in their mouths, becoming warm currents brimming with life energy that nourished their little bodies.
Liu Zhipeng got a piece too. Imitating the others, he opened his enormous mouth and swallowed the sticky lump.
It tasted... surprisingly good.
While he enjoyed this "afternoon tea," he noticed that the little Nurgling who had first invited him was staring longingly at the largest mushroom fragment, practically drooling. But that piece was claimed by a Nurgling a size larger than him, one that looked stronger too.
As the strong Nurgling gulped down mouthful after mouthful, it glared fiercely at the others with its single eye, as though asserting ownership.
The little Nurgling did not dare approach. It could only stand nearby and watch pitifully.
At the sight, Liu Zhipeng's heart, full of "schemes" and "strategies," gave a faint stir.
He looked around. Although these Nurglings all looked alike, careful observation revealed differences in size and strength. They were simple and happy, but they also followed the law of the jungle: whoever was bigger got their way.
They were like a group of kindergarten children, innocent and carefree, yet also exceptionally easy to guide and organize.
A bold idea quietly sprouted in Bean One's mind.
What if... what if I could organize these undisciplined little creatures?
He looked at the strong Nurgling throwing its weight around, then at the pitiful little Nurgling beside it. His enormous mouth spread into a meaningful smile.
The moment the thought appeared, it was as though a seed of the most outrageous heresy had been planted in the fertile soil of Nurgle's Garden. It began taking root and sprouting wildly at an incredible speed.
Liu Zhipeng knew that establishing authority within a group required two things: bestowing favors and demonstrating power.
For simple-minded creatures like Nurglings, logic and reason were useless. They recognized only immediate benefits and primal strength.
His gaze fixed on the largest mushroom fragment. This would be the first step in his plan, his "pledge of allegiance."
He did not charge straight in to confront the strong Nurgling head-on. Although his current body was fairly strong, the other Nurgling clearly had the edge. Brute force would only leave him in the same position as the little Nurgling.
Quietly, he bounced his way around behind the strong Nurgling.
At that moment, the strong Nurgling was engrossed in eating, utterly oblivious to 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 backside-the soft, slippery fungal carpet.
"Squelch!"
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