Chapter Summaries

Han Mingxuan prepared secret instructions for the Imperium’s allies, then traveled to Slaanesh’s palace to entrust her with his collected Positive Authority. He left her to become the strongest god in the Warp, while hinting that he was preparing to start over.

• Han Mingxuan swore Malcador to secrecy and wrote the Evernight Secret Edict, with instructions for the Primarchs, the Perpetuals and Human Mystery Cult, the Necrons, and Trazyn.
• Han Mingxuan went to the Palace of Slaanesh, where Xarathi tried to stop him from crossing the Six Rings, but he passed through them unharmed.
• Slaanesh welcomed Han Mingxuan at the Temple of Pleasure and sensed his worry and sorrow for the future.
• Han Mingxuan gave Slaanesh a letter warning her to protect the Positive Authority she had obtained, along with the Positive Authority he had collected.
• Han Mingxuan urged Slaanesh to fuse with the authority and become the strongest god in the Warp, then spoke of having the courage to start over.

Han Mingxuan stayed with Slaanesh to write five thousand letters for the Evernight Legion before setting out to meet Khorne. Khorne explained that the Black King grew stronger through chaos, then blessed Han Mingxuan with armor and a crown for his coming plan.

• Han Mingxuan told Slaanesh that she was growing and entrusted her with the letters he planned to write for the Evernight Legion.
• Han Mingxuan spent more than half a year writing five thousand detailed letters and asked Slaanesh to deliver them after his plan began, giving her his glasses so Curze would trust her.
• Slaanesh blessed Han Mingxuan, gave him the Crone Sword, and escorted him to the edge of Khorne's domain.
• Han Mingxuan gave Khorne a letter, and Khorne explained that he had balanced his powers and that order weakened the Black King while chaos strengthened him.
• Khorne blessed Han Mingxuan and fused the War God Weapon's power into armor and a crown for his coming plan.

Han Mingxuan visited Nurgle, who recognized that The Accursed planned to sacrifice him and gave Han a staff to support his preparations. At the Maze of Tzeentch, Han revealed he had given his Positive Authority to Slaanesh, leaving Tzeentch panicked and begging for a way out.

• Khorne escorted Han Mingxuan to Nurgle's Garden, where Nurgle explained that The Accursed's letter contained a plan to sacrifice Han.
• Han told Nurgle he would make the universe's inevitable despair come true, and Nurgle prepared for the coming events and wished him success.
• Nurgle gave Han a staff representing part of his authority before Han left for the Maze of Tzeentch.
• Tzeentch tried to bargain for Han's authority, but Han revealed that he had given his Positive Authority to Slaanesh.
• Han explained that his choice would bring Slaanesh's future power into the present and leave Tzeentch facing certain death, prompting Tzeentch to beg Han for a way out.

Han Mingxuan persuaded Tzeentch to keep following the Emperor’s plan while he considered a dangerous way to restore Tzeentch’s authority. Back at the Ullanor Crusade, he learned that psykers were awakening in the legions and agreed to manage the change and speak with the Emperor.

• Tzeentch begged Han Mingxuan for help, and Han told him that restoring his authority would require a dangerous journey with only a slim chance of survival.
• Han Mingxuan returned to the Ullanor front, where the Emperor said the forces were using small-scale infiltration to limit the Orks’ Waaagh! Field and protect the system.
• Curze told Han Mingxuan that psychic talents had begun growing among the legions while he was away.
• Han Mingxuan assigned Xiao Ma to teach the legions to regulate and record psykers, and promised to handle the Emperor.
• The Primarchs reported that the Alpha Legion had completed its assigned task, allowing them to begin the next step.

Han Mingxuan detonated two Teeth of Gork and Mork, unleashing supernova explosions on the Orks in the Ullanor System. He left the Emperor and the Primarchs to monitor radiation and prepare the next stage of the crusade, while they struggled to absorb his ruthless lesson in warfare.

• Han Mingxuan told the Emperor that one final step remained in the first stage of the Ullanor Crusade and led six Primarchs to the flagship.
• Han Mingxuan pressed a remote, triggering alarms across the fleets as the Teeth of Gork and Mork began producing catastrophic readings.
• Han Mingxuan revealed that each Tooth contained a star on the verge of going supernova and confirmed he had detonated two of them in the Ullanor System.
• Han Mingxuan told the Primarchs to spare no cost for humanity and ordered radiation monitoring before ground forces and the Sisters of Silence deployed.
• Sanguinius asked whether Han Mingxuan feared being branded a war criminal, and Han Mingxuan said only defeated enemies were called war criminals.
• Curze, Roboute, and Horus agreed to proceed according to the Code after Han Mingxuan left the command room with Urtana.

Ulg’s Ork army was vaporized by Han Mingxuan’s star-based attack, and Han discussed the aftermath with the Emperor. Their conversation turned to the Warp, the Primarchs’ knowledge of it, and the Emperor’s plans for humanity’s psychic awakening, leaving the Emperor aware that Han knew about his deal with Tzeentch.

• Ulg mobilized his forces to prove the Orks of Ullanor were sufficiently waaaagh, but Han Mingxuan destroyed them with a blaze of white light.
• Han explained to the Emperor that he had chosen the most efficient way to eliminate the Orks and that the surviving planets would provide valuable mineral resources.
• Han accused the Emperor of hiding the truth about the Warp from the Primarchs, and the Emperor revealed that Mortarion had told his brothers what he knew.
• Han demanded a clear answer about humanity’s psychic awakening and told the Emperor he knew the details of his deal with Tzeentch.
• Han used the Emperor’s continuing hemorrhoid pain to confirm that he knew about the deal, and the Emperor acknowledged his knowledge.

Han Mingxuan and the Emperor discussed the Imperium’s psychic awakening and the Astartes’ future, with Han agreeing to take responsibility for stabilizing the Legions. Before the Emperor’s plan began, Han also arranged safeguards involving Curze and the Legions’ Gene-seed, leaving the Emperor uncertain about what Han’s role would mean for the Imperium.

• Han Mingxuan refused to let the Emperor dispose of the Astartes and agreed to regulate psychic awakenings and stabilize the Legions’ Gene-seed in exchange for the Emperor treating them well.
• Han Mingxuan asked the Emperor to create a Primarch-level body for Curze’s other consciousness, and the Emperor agreed after Han warned him never to harm Curze.
• Han Mingxuan told the Emperor he needed contingencies for the Imperium while he was occupied with the plan.
• Han Mingxuan requested the Gene-seed of every Legion, and the Emperor agreed to provide the underlying design codes.
• Han Mingxuan told the Emperor to watch the front and notify Lorgar and Magnus, while he planned to visit Old Ma.
• The Emperor left Han Mingxuan’s quarters feeling glad of his help but uncertain about the consequences for the Imperium.

Han Mingxuan tried to persuade Malcador to establish the Grey Knights, but Malcador rejected his plan to recruit from the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Legions. Han Mingxuan instead arranged a secret pact with Magnus and Lorgar to prepare their legions for a future Warp threat.

• Han Mingxuan met with Malcador on Terra to discuss creating the Grey Knights as a safeguard against future Warp threats.
• Malcador objected to recruiting from the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Legions, and Han Mingxuan left without his approval.
• Han Mingxuan brought Magnus and Lorgar to his residence and explained his plan to combine their legions against the Warp when danger emerged.
• Han Mingxuan instructed Magnus and Lorgar to establish Warrior Lodges with members from both legions and recruit other Space Marines, limiting each lodge to thirteen members.
• Han Mingxuan gave the brothers copies of an agreement and halves of a Tiger Tally, then signed the Dawn Protocol with them.

Han Mingxuan discussed the coming appointment of a Warmaster with the Emperor, then took Curze to Luna to prepare a new body for the Night Haunter. The Emperor had backup Primarch bodies ready, and Han Mingxuan ordered his guards to return to Nostramo with someone he planned to add to their group.

• The Emperor warned Han Mingxuan that the appointment of the Warmaster would soon bring a turning point, and Han Mingxuan reminded him of his promise about the Space Marines.
• Han Mingxuan and the Emperor agreed to travel to Luna with Curze, where the Emperor would prepare a body for the Night Haunter.
• Han Mingxuan checked that Curze had gathered the Teeth of Gork and Mork, then explained that most of the six Legions could leave Ullanor while the First Legion and the XVI Legion stayed behind.
• Curze worried that the First Legion and the XVI Legion might compete for Warmaster, but Han Mingxuan suggested the Administratum would keep Horus too busy to do so.
• Han Mingxuan ordered Old Kamon to take his guards and an unnamed person back to Nostramo after they left Luna.

On Luna, the Emperor began examining the Night Haunter while Dante struggled with the knowledge that he would soon leave the Great Crusade era. After Sanguinius gave him a crown and his blessing, Xiulikas took Dante to a chamber where they planned to alter fate and protect Han Mingxuan.

• Han Mingxuan brought the Night Haunter before the Emperor, who recognized him as another soul and began the procedure in chamber eight.
• Dante told Sanguinius that he had dreamed of a future filled with war and despair, while concealing that his contract would soon send him back to his own time.
• Sanguinius fashioned a crown from his feathers, placed it on Dante’s head, and assured him that he would always be with him.
• Xiulikas led Dante through a teleportation formation to a rune-covered chamber where they planned to correct the fate that had brought Dante there and protect the Father of Night.
• Aboard the Red Tear, Sanguinius woke from a nap and ordered the fleet to continue its march after Ullanor.

Han Mingxuan kept the Emperor from interfering as the Night Haunter’s soul was given a body, then spent a year helping Curze prepare to meet his brother. The Night Haunter awoke and joined the Shadowbat Guard as the family set off for Nostramo, while the Emperor approved of the man he saw beneath the robe.

• Han Mingxuan refused to let the Emperor examine the Night Haunter’s soul and insisted on staying with Curze during the Night Haunter’s transition.
• Han Mingxuan sent the Emperor back to Ullanor, and he and Curze disappeared for a year while Curze reassured the Thirteen through the Evernight Network.
• The Night Haunter awoke in a body and greeted the Emperor and Curze, who welcomed him despite finding his resemblance unsettling.
• Han Mingxuan assigned the Night Haunter to the Shadowbat Guard, and the group prepared to return to Nostramo.
• The Emperor saw the Night Haunter beneath his black robe, sensed his calm and rational soul, and told him he was proud of him.

After returning to Nostramo, Curze confronted the Night Haunter in a Dimensional Space and beat him for causing Han Mingxuan to grow white hairs. The brothers reconciled enough to leave together and go see their father, while keeping the Night Haunter’s return secret from the Imperium.

• The Night Haunter recalled how the Emperor had captured his soul and tormented him with repeated confessions and regrets.
• Han Mingxuan planned to contact Perturabo and considered bringing the IV Legion to Nostramo to help with its defenses.
• Curze took the Night Haunter into a Dimensional Space and accused him of making their father grow three white hairs during the year he cared for him.
• Curze used his power to equalize their strength and thoroughly beat the Night Haunter, who blamed himself for their father’s white hairs.
• The Night Haunter asked whether he should have returned, and Curze told him that such thoughts would waste everything their father had taught him.
• Curze and the Night Haunter left the Dimensional Space to visit their father, keeping their existence together hidden from everyone else.

The Emperor recalled the Seventh Legion to Terra, while Curze requested Perturabo and the IV Legion to help build Nostramo’s defenses. Perturabo recognized Defensio’s talent and began showing him how to apply his psychic ability, leaving Dorn worried that the Iron Warriors would recruit him.

• The Emperor ordered the Seventh Legion to return to Terra, and Curze requested the IV Legion’s help defending Nostramo.
• Perturabo examined Defensio’s holographic plans, found flaws in the defenses, and praised Defensio’s skill.
• Dorn learned that Perturabo and Defensio were working together and sent Sigismund to Nostramo to intervene.
• Perturabo asked about Defensio’s ability to reinforce materials and angrily criticized the Seventh Legion for failing to develop it.
• Perturabo demonstrated how Defensio’s power could improve a composite material’s strength by ten percent.

Perturabo and Defensio discovered that a Psychic Power Retainer could preserve and amplify Defensio’s Psychic Power, allowing him to strengthen materials. With Trazyn, Tu'en, and Madian’s help, they created a production process that yielded materials forty percent stronger, leaving them ready to expand production.

• Perturabo explained that Defensio’s Psychic Power briefly lingered in objects and that a Psychic Power Retainer could collect and amplify it.
• Defensio summoned Madian, Tu'en, and Trazyn, then proposed using a reversed Miniature Blackstone Field and amplified Psychic Power to create a powerful Prototype Retainer.
• Tu'en amplified Perturabo’s Psychic Power, Perturabo reversed the Miniature Blackstone Field’s effect, and Defensio strengthened the Prototype Retainer.
• Perturabo used the Prototype to produce base materials that were forty percent stronger, then built machinery to mass-produce strengthened Psychic Power Retainers.
• Perturabo and Defensio began planning to expand material production, while Tu'en complained that Defensio was working him too hard.

Defensio showed Sigismund the improved, automatically produced Psychic Power Retainers and then took him to buy a home and tour Nostramo. When Sigismund raised the rivalry between the Seventh Legion and the IV Legion, Defensio reminded him that he belonged to the Eighth Legion.

• Defensio welcomed Sigismund and showed him the material enhancement results, which increased strength by 40% and could be produced automatically.
• The Lord of Iron asked Sigismund to keep their work secret from Dorn and Lion El'Jonson, but news of it spread across Terra and reached Dorn.
• Defensio invited Sigismund to tour Nostramo and helped him buy a home through Slazov's internal channel discount.
• Defensio took Sigismund toward the Saviour Building's Food Street, and Sigismund admitted he had come on a mission from his father.
• Defensio challenged Sigismund's assumption that their legion rivalry involved him and clarified that he belonged to the Eighth Legion.

Defensio showed Sigismund the carefree life of the Eighth Legion on Nostramo, but Sigismund soon asked Curze for work and then sought a sparring match to test his strength. Sevatar arranged for Impetus to fight him at a training ground in a dimensional space.

• Defensio took Sigismund to Food Street, where Trazyn treated them to snacks.
• Sigismund struggled to accept the Eighth Legion’s relaxed approach to duty and leisure.
• Sigismund asked Curze to give him work, but Curze sent Sevatar to show him around instead.
• Sevatar took Sigismund to a training ground in a dimensional space after Sigismund asked to test the gap between them.
• Sevatar called Impetus to spar with Sigismund and told him to hold back.

Sigismund challenged Impetus to a spar and was repeatedly outmatched in both unarmed combat and with weapons. Impetus attributed his strength to Adaptive Training, explaining that his group had adapted to the Primarch.

• Impetus agreed to spar with Sigismund and proposed testing their skills across unarmed combat and different weapons.
• Impetus defeated Sigismund's defenses with a knife-hand strike again and again during half an hour of unarmed sparring.
• Sigismund insisted on continuing with weapons, and Impetus overwhelmed him with powerful, rapid attacks using short swords.
• Impetus explained that Adaptive Training had made his group strong and said they had adapted to the Primarch.

Sigismund studied the Thirteen-Person Group’s training recordings and learned that the Evernight Legion had no fixed strength benchmark, with even its reservists including formidable fighters. He ended the conversation stunned by the Legion’s scale and the possibility that anyone on Nostramo could be a reservist.

• Impetus showed Sigismund recordings of the Thirteen-Person Group training, and Sigismund spent half a month watching them before concluding he would certainly die fighting them.
• Defensio told Sigismund that neither the Thirteen-Person Group nor Big Brother’s Retinue Army had a specific strength standard, and that Old Kamon’s personal guard was especially powerful.
• Defensio said Sigismund’s strength matched Slazov’s, a first-class Reserve Regiment Commander, Two-Time Distinguished Sergeant, and Myriarch of the Evernight Judges Legion.
• Sigismund learned that Slazov had once flipped land in Old Nostramo and now sold houses, and Defensio said they could talk during Slazov’s batch’s career-transition training.
• Defensio explained that the Legion had only five thousand members and had begun career-transition training for excess reservists, leaving Sigismund stunned at how many people on Nostramo might be reservists.

Sigismund sought Slazov’s help to become stronger, but learned that Slazov’s real estate work had sharpened his ability to process information and made him even more capable as a fighter. Slazov told Sigismund he could become a real estate agent on Barbarus after earning a degree and the proper licenses, then took him to enroll.

• Sigismund waited two days to speak with Slazov, then sparred with him and regained confidence until Slazov fought him to a draw.
• Sigismund asked why Slazov had been called to help Malcador with anti-corruption work, and Slazov explained how the Father of Night had chosen him.
• Slazov told Sigismund that his work handling property purchases and settlements across Nostramo had strengthened his information-processing ability.
• Sigismund decided to become a real estate agent, but Slazov explained that outsiders could not sell property on Nostramo and suggested Barbarus instead.
• Slazov told Sigismund to earn a bachelor's degree from the Nostramo Public University of Judiciary and obtain the relevant licenses, then took him to the Saviour Building to enroll.

Sigismund completed his studies on Nostramo and spent three more years working his way up to general manager of a real estate company on Barbarus, leaving Dorn without his prized warrior. Dorn finally tracked him down and confronted him at work.

• Sigismund finished three years of adult education on Nostramo, then went to Barbarus to work in real estate sales.
• After three years of unanswered appeals, Dorn traveled to Nostramo to find Curze and bring Sigismund back to the Legion.
• Han Mingxuan told Dorn that Curze was away and Sigismund had become the manager of Barbarus’s largest real estate sales center.
• Dorn found Sigismund at the company negotiating a property sale and watched him bargain like a seasoned salesman.
• Sigismund initially ignored Dorn, then recognized his father’s voice and agreed that they needed to talk.