Chaos Crown

Chapter 634, Shadow of the Golden Tree
The Emperor is dreaming.

When Aaron arrived before the Golden Throne of the Lord of Mankind, the Emperor was dreaming. The former Lord of Mankind, when he was still on Earth and acted in the form of a humanoid, was already 30 years ago.

After being deified, Aaron's memories of his past life were not very clear, let alone the memories of the Emperor's Guards in his previous life. He could only vaguely determine that this should be the history before the Great Crusade.

Yes, the howling wind and the screaming from the Warp represent the imminent birth of Slaanesh, and the Chaos Storm has destroyed the golden age of mankind. The great Holy Terra, as the capital of the Human Empire, has become a wasteland where even toilet paper has to be imported from other colonized planets. Warlords are rampant, bureaucrats are greedy and violent, and civilians have almost no peace.

At this time, a supreme being who has been observing humanity for more than 30k years finally decides to reveal his true identity and take over this war-torn empire.

The Emperor's figure at this moment was not as tall as in memory, and the golden helmet and golden armor on his body were far from being as gorgeous as those in the Great Crusade era. However, his appearance was very close to the Dark Lord who appeared in front of Aaron. His bronze skin was set off by the Eurasian features of Asia Minor, and his flying robes were rolled up in the cold wind. The power sword at his waist had not yet been activated, and the psychic power contained in it was far weaker than when the Emperor fought Horus.

The remnants of war were scattered all around. Bombs had created huge craters, and the bodies of soldiers from both sides rotted silently. Strange gray snowflakes flew down from the sky, and the Emperor stepped into the pile of corpses knee-deep, and around him, the armor of the Emperor's Guards clanged as they searched the graveyard, saving surviving comrades and executing the enemies who were still breathing.

The Emperor did not linger on this scene for even a second. This was a war so unfair that not much real fighting took place. The Emperor simply raised his head and looked out at the grotesque scene unfolding on Holy Terra.

A huge golden tree rose into the sky, pointing straight to the sky in the raging snowstorm. The bark on the surface of the tree was extremely tough, and chaotic words were engraved on every inch of it. Golden rain fell from the sky under the dense branches. The ignorant people kept kneeling down to the tree, firmly believing that they could receive the blessing of "God" from it.

Apparently, another temple was destroyed in front of the Lord of Mankind.

When seeing this scene, Aaron couldn't help but think: Has the Emperor ever been truly happy?

Before he became a "man", after he became a "man", after he sat on the Golden Throne, was the Emperor ever truly happy? If so, in what capacity was his joy expressed? As a man? Or as the Lord of Mankind?

"pull."

The Emperor spoke, staring at the giant golden tree: "I know you are here."

The Lord of Mankind was dreaming, but his consciousness was clear: "Did you see it? Even in my dreams, you began to appear, the Fifth God of Chaos."

Aaron said nothing, the cold wind ruffled his long hair, and the warmthless sunlight made the Draconian in his heart shine brightly.

"Your Majesty, this may be the last time I call you Your Majesty." Aaron said bitterly: "We will eventually go our separate ways."

"Yes, you will continue to exist as the Lord of Reincarnation, and I also have my responsibilities." The Emperor nodded slightly: "This moment has finally arrived."

"The Dark Lord chose to become the Lord of Humanity." Aaron pronounced the title word by word and laughed sarcastically: "Humanity became the Fifth God of Chaos, and the Fifth God of Chaos became humanity."

"You are wrong, Lord of Mankind." The Emperor emphasized, "Only Lord of Mankind."

"The endless chaotic realm, the subspace beyond the entire universe, and the control of 10 to the thirty-fourth power chaotic creatures have not satisfied you, but you are satisfied with being the leader of billions of creatures." Aaron took a deep breath: "I respect your choice, but I don't quite understand it."

"I know, Guards, I know. There is no point in saying this now." The Emperor ordered: "Do you remember the agreement between us? La, you replaced me as the fifth god of chaos, and I continued to be my master of mankind. Now that you have done it, your existence has appeared in all world lines, then it is my turn, and you are here today for this."

"Yes, that's why I came here." Aaron closed his eyes and stood under the giant golden tree, shaking his will.

After a huge amount of divine power poured in, it transformed the surrounding environment. When the Emperor and Aaron opened their eyes, the surrounding scene had changed into another one.

The Emperor's throne room was bustling with activity, the sacred laboratories of the Lord of Mankind testing the last and most valuable legacy of the Eldar, before the walls were honeycombed with holes, waiting for the thousands of psykers.

The machine never emits sparks, and the Emperor does not have to be trapped on the Golden Throne all day like today. The great machine exists independently of him, running automatically, faithfully serving the Emperor's ambitious and grand dream, the thousand-year plan he set for the Empire.

"Let us begin, Ra." The Emperor nodded: "Remember this day, Ra?"

"I'll remember it even if I turn into ashes." Aaron laughed.

Workers bustled around him, moving among the rumbling machinery, tending to the various pipes and energy converters. This day? Every day in the throne room was so ordinary, until - a fool who wanted to report to the emperor tore open the webway, allowing thousands of Chaos Daemons to pour into the palace.

Aaron's smile was filled with infinite fatigue. The imperial guards at that time were so naive that they always thought that most of the work had been done.

Once proven, it is forever proven. When Aaron was deified as a god in the form of chaos, tens of millions of years ago, the ancient saints felt the existence of the Lord of Reincarnation when they explored the soul realm. Before and after the fall of the Eldar, Aaron and his four brothers jointly blessed the birth of Slaanesh. Aaron's figure appeared in the story line of reincarnation, so he will definitely disturb the thread of fate.

Alarm bells rang, scorching flames burst from the faded openings of the Webway, hellish heat filled the throne room, and machines exploded one after another. Many mortals huddled on the ground, covering their bleeding eyes in pain. The hateful light that erupted from the Webway took away their sight forever.

Others also did not escape their fate. Fragments flew in all directions like snowflakes, breaking instantly and scattering scattered limbs and heads on the ground.

A blasphemous behemoth covered in blood melted through the Webway Gate. In order to travel through time and space, countless souls were sacrificed, and their blood poured down from the body of the filthy creature like a rainstorm. The crazy, evil beings who claimed to be gods, their wild laughter surrounded the beast, like the silver strings on a puppet, controlling its thoughts and actions.

It uttered only one word, a terrible call, wrapped in a ferocious psychic energy, enough to kill all the terrified survivors who were still breathing. Mortals curled, twisted and burned under the pressure of the cursed psychic energy, their flesh melted like candles, and countless souls were ripped out and devoured alive.

Now! Aaron raised the Crown of Karsus, and at the moment when Magnus let out a terrifying roar, the Lord of Samsara pointed at Magnus's head.

"I pray..."

Thirteen golden threads bound up Magnus's roar, forcibly imprisoning the devil's incarnation in the seal of divine power. At the same time, Aaron sent out the Crown of Karsus.

The arcane energy contained in the crown blocked the gap created by Magnus like sea water, and the knowledge from the Kingdom of the Sky blocked the bare walls of the Webway. In the brilliant light, the residual soul of the Archmage Karsus merged with the evil spirit of Magnus in horror and meandered away following Aaron's guidance. The demons of the Lord of Reincarnation - the Jedi divers automatically made way for their master's magic, and the divine power containing the energy of time covered the chorus of the four gods of chaos.

The devastating gap was forcibly covered up, and the world line was forcibly changed drastically because of Aaron's persistence.

"Your Majesty," Aaron said.

The Emperor looked coldly at Karsus and Magnus who were walled up against the wall, his eyes seemed to be staring through the door. Even though they were far apart, the Emperor could feel the sorrow in their eyes.

If we stop here, Magnus' soul will forever become part of the underground webway of the Imperial Palace, and the number of Primarchs will be reduced by one person.

Aaron stared at the hardening spirits of Karsus and Magnus, then stopped and waited.

What is the Emperor waiting for? Is he hesitating whether to take a step to change his fate? Is he unwilling to let his own Primarch build the Webway Wall forever? Or is he holding on to the last glimmer of hope, expecting a new miracle?
The fog suddenly darkened as a huge silhouette appeared. The chorus of the Four Chaos Gods grew brighter. Claws, wings, one after another, and many more. Trillions of Chaos Daemons came through the gap, and at this moment, the Emperor was still hesitating.

"Your Majesty!" Aaron shouted, "Quick!"

The Emperor's right hand clenched tightly, and as he clenched his fist, every machine in the throne room suddenly began to overload and operate. The mechanical structure was fully activated, and the Lord of Mankind also injected his power into the webway wall.

Above the magnificent arch, the souls of the Primarch Magnus and the Archmage Karsus were fused together screaming, completely hardening into the bare stone walls of the Webway. Only the intertwined faces on the surface of the stone walls told the fate of these two tragic guys, and part of their residual souls would be forever solidified here.

At the moment the mission was completed, cracks appeared on the surface of the Crown of Karsas.

Aaron thought that these were the only things a high-level artifact could do.

Oh, it broke so quickly.

The Emperor's thirst for power can be described as greedy and insatiable.

Roaring and roaring, one wave higher than the other.

On the golden throne, the rotten lord of mankind slowly moved his fingers.

The breach in the Webway had been repaired, he no longer needed to sit on the throne, he had lost a Primarch forever, but he was about to return, once again, to guide humanity to rule humanity.

"Then, our previous contract is complete, La." The Emperor's voice was still cold, and his proud soul was relieved. A golden mark was struck into Aaron's body: "Remember."

"When one day I can no longer lead humanity forward, when one day I become complacent and become a hindrance to humanity, when one day the ideals of all mankind depend on me..."

"Kill me." The Emperor hesitated and took a deep breath. "Can you do it? Swordbearer Aaron?"

"We will always be enemies, Your Majesty." Aaron turned around and put his hands behind his back, refusing to look the Emperor in the eye. He knew that it was time to say goodbye.

From this moment on, the Emperor's Guard La is completely dead, and the only one left is Aaron, the fifth Chaos God and Lord of Reincarnation. He and the Emperor will become enemies, and the eternal war will continue between them - the Emperor needs a powerful external enemy to unify mankind, and Aaron will return to the Temple of Chaos and sit on his throne.

It was over. They were destined to become enemies, which was what the Emperor wanted.

The Lord of Mankind planned everything, from the moment he left with Draconian on his back.

"Where light and darkness meet is where shadow lies." Aaron raised his head, and the surrounding environment once again turned into the wilderness of Holy Terra, with giant golden trees blocking the sun.

The threat of Aaron, the Lord of Reincarnation, will forever hang over the Lord of Mankind and his people.

Born in adversity, die in comfort, always be vigilant, and always keep a spirit of striving forward.

Don’t miss me, don’t count on me, I hope you can become me, you are me.

This is the most precious gift the Emperor has left to mankind——

Shadow of the Golden Tree.