Warhammer: I don't want to be a stinky can! ! !

Chapter 793 235. The Great Devourer

【past】

【I think we need to talk... about Mortarion.】

It was late at night, and stars were shining on the broken dome of the Terra Palace. The Imperial Fists' scaffolding had been set up around the palace's once highest observatory.

It was completely shattered there, due to the assassination by the Necrons.

【…】

Heavy breathing was sprayed from behind the gas mask, and there was no sound.

Robert Guilliman shook the wine glass in his hand, and the moonlight sprinkled on his golden hair, making him look faintly white.

He raised his eyes and looked towards the top of the broken palace.

【What exactly is he? I think you need to give me an explanation, Mortarion.】

[…You can ask him in person, or his creator, the Emperor.]

Guilliman chuckled, lowered his head and took a sip of his wine.

I don't think they are close enough to the answer.

The Lord of the Empire lowered his voice and looked at Mortarion, who was seven steps away from him.

【he……】

Guilliman lowered his voice.
[He and the Emperor are both pragmatists, and never seek the truth behind the phenomenon - but I think you are different, Mortarion. ]

Mortarion hid his face under his hood. The Primarch said nothing, only his hair hung down, casting a silvery glow in the moonlight.

[After all, I want to know what kind of existence can make the Necrons go to war with the human empire and vow to destroy it. ]

..........................................

【now】

"Star God,"

The Silent King said softly, stepping down from the throne.

"Once upon a time, the Necrontyrs believed that they were the masters of the logic of the physical world, the gods embodied by logic and rules."

"They are ignorant, like children holding great power."

"The Deathly Haunters created a body for it. As the substantial body was granted, the Star God also gained a clearer personality and emotions."

A dazzling green light ignited behind the Silent King, and the imprisoned Burner was screaming there. Its painful screams echoed in the tomb court, accompanied by eternal silence and sleep day and night.

"But then, I discovered that they are more like the Chaos in the Warp... They are a collection of all the evil in the world."

Pain - Ishtar the Countless; Extinction - Mag'ladros the Void Dragon; Withering - The Withered...

The Star God is by no means a unity of single authority and logic, but a more chaotic existence, which is why the Silent King swung his sword at him afterwards.

"Just because of a few words from the deceiver, the Star Gods began to devour each other."

They bite each other and devour their own kind to gain strength.

Silent King Szalak knows the reason behind it——

The separated laws of the world delusionally merge into one, the star gods merge with each other, and finally a true supreme star god emerges, in charge of all authority in the physical world.

By then, the physical world will completely become a plaything in the hands of the Supreme Star God.

Being controlled by a malevolent being.

This is not allowed.

And now... humans, a naive ape race, have assembled a man-made monster -

The bottom line of morality and law has been crossed, which is not allowed and cannot be tolerated.

Silent King Szalak raised the Eternal Glory in his hand, the celestial orb flickering on the tip of the scepter.

The monster named "Pluto" has been brought out, and it's time to put an end to this farce.

All the grudges regarding the Storm King can be put aside for the time being. As the manager of the galaxy, the Silent King Szalak must remove the real tumor in the galaxy.

"send troops!"

....................................

[A chimera of Star God fragments... This is the Emperor's explanation to me, but from what you said, it doesn't seem quite like it? ]

Guilliman spoke thoughtfully, while Mortarion remained silent.

[Star God fragments will affect people's emotions, and they will become more irritable - I have seen similar scenes on Barbarus. At that time, we were starving and he had not eaten much for a week. ]

【Then it is a more violent Star God chimera. 】

Guilliman had a look of doubt in his eyes. According to the knowledge he knew about the Star Gods, Pluto could only be regarded as a relatively powerful fragment of a Star God. Mortarion's explanation was similar.

Then it is probably because the Emperor's action touched the bottom line of the Necrontyr, rather than that Pluto himself is indeed more threatening.

Mortarion's eyes, which had been lowered all the time, slowly moved up, glanced at Guilliman, and then looked away again.

【? 】

[…During the time when he was missing, I investigated the history of the Star God.]

[The Nightbringer was the first to begin devouring fellow Star Gods.]

Mortarion suddenly said,

【Then the originally clear history of the Star Gods began to be smeared and tampered with; the background of chaos and absurdity stained the history of the Star Gods——

After the first cannibalism, the Star God race quickly declined. Although there was intervention from the Deathly Haunters, the race itself was also rapidly decaying. It seemed that they were going crazy.

Guilliman was stunned, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes.
[You mean, cannibalism accelerated the decline of the Star Gods - can I understand that this made them even crazier? ]

Mortarion nodded, and the Primarch seemed a little uneasy.
[Nyos told me that his method of seizing the power of the Void Dragon was to devour it.]

Guilliman frowned, staring at Mortarion, as if he understood what Mortarion was trying to say.

[I have investigated most of the Star Gods. Although they use "eating" as a way to grab the power of their own kind, there is currently no Star God whose authority or anchor is related to "devouring". The Scarlet God, the Endless Swarm, the Star's Death, the Tears of Silence... No, no Star God is like this. ]

He never told me this.

Guilliman said,
【He obviously didn't know... or didn't think about the anchor point.】

He himself considers himself a patchwork.

Mortarion took a deep breath.

[And he cares more about the Black Domain than the Star Gods. I have reminded him, but apart from contacting Tracindo, we have no other way. The Star God race is too mysterious, and the remaining Star Gods are either crazy or have long forgotten the past.]

But now I am worried...

Mortarion's eyes became unsteady, he crossed his arms, and clenched his armor with his hands, causing the white helmet to creak.

[Swallowing is so important to the Star Gods - but why has no god who can control it appeared? Or has the Milky Way noticed this, so a new "Star God" was born. 】

「You mean──」

[Don't let him appear on the front battlefield this time. ]

Mortarion suddenly interrupted Guilliman and held out his hand.

[I have already stressed this to him, but I shouldn't let Neos stay with him so often. Neos has contaminated him. He doesn't care about his own "health" or not. This change that makes him suitable for combat makes him satisfied.]

Guilliman smiled bitterly, with a hint of helplessness on the corners of his mouth.
[Do you think I can influence this matter? ]

[You can try it - at least he listens to your work arrangements now. ]

Mortarion sneered.

....................................

【? ? ? 】

"Storm King--!!! Storm King has joined the battle!!!"

Hades's sharp scream almost pierced Guilliman's eardrums. On the violently shaking Macragge's Glory, Guilliman also screamed.
[I know! I know——!!!]

At least 305 battlefields along the entire line suddenly disappeared, and the disappearance did not stop, but the scale was expanding!
"That old bastard - it threw antimatter annihilation bombs at the front line, No. 1, No. 4, No. 7!!!"

Hades' roar was deafening, Guilliman's brain was spinning rapidly, and the Macragge's Glory was also hit by a small gift from the Storm King's sneak attack, and the entire fleet had to start moving immediately.

Number 1 is the battlefield between Sanguinius and Magnus, number 4 is between Konrad and Corax, and number 7 is where Mortarion stands alone.

【Can they handle it? ! 】

Guilliman asked hurriedly. Time was urgent. No matter how fast the help was, it would not arrive now—unless Hades came in person. "I have reminded them. Mortarion and Corax can do it—but—Magnus!!!"

Because Sanguinius was extremely tired, Magnus was sent to Front 1, but it was obvious that Magnus was not strong enough.

Guilliman wanted to say something, but the next moment he had a premonition that something had happened. Pluto arrived at the battlefield first to resist the sneak attack from the Storm King.

[Ogryn?! Why are you here?!]

Magnus screamed, and the Red King looked forward in embarrassment, seeing Pluto, who had torn through the void and rushed over from another dimension.

"Guess why?!"

....................................

Pluto was roaring, and the huge composite body expanded in the air. The darkness covered the sky and the sun, like a smooth plane gliding and extending in the air.

The monster anchored by [Devouring] is trying to take control of his own authority, which is not easy. He is not an orthodox star god born from the center of the world, but a Frankenstein created by a mad scientist.

The world has turned into a stage for behemoths. The fragments of the star gods released on the battlefield screamed and tried to escape. The flames set off the army. The huge tanks and knights of the past were directly overturned and blown away like pieces of paper.

All the Seraphim and Hades constructs fired at the darkness extending from the sky, but their attacks were swallowed up and sank into the Hades water like pebbles.

The Star Gods are arrogant and they subconsciously ignore small things.

Strange giant hands forged from darkness dropped from the darkness of the sky, clumsily trying to grab the fleeing fragments of the Star God.

The Void Dragon and the Burner that were previously released by Hades were already screaming in despair as they were pulled up into the sky step by step by the black chains around their necks. They struggled hard, but to no avail.

The bright red flames splattered like blood, the Burner wailed, and tore at the chains with both hands, sparks flew, but the darkness was getting closer...

near...

Without a sound, half of its hideous face was swallowed by darkness, followed by the other half, and a fragment of a star god suddenly disappeared.

? !
The Void Dragon therefore struggled even harder, and the thunder and lightning did not slow down its speed at all. It watched with its own eyes the tiny mortal of the past grow into the monster of today, and this unwillingness made it even more painful and desperate!

But the scream that pierced the sky came to an abrupt end in the darkness. The Great Devourer was not satisfied with two tiny fragments, let alone what it had absorbed continuously before.

It looked at the fragments of the Star Gods... but it was still not enough and it was starving.

"Still - I'm eating too little!"

....................................

【Maybe you should...eat less? 】

Mortarion spoke hesitantly, but then Death shook his head.

We have discussed this before.

"Don't worry too much. I know what's going on."

Hades said casually, but his eyes were still fixed on the document. Mortarion remained silent. His concern was only occasional and he was not sure whether it was correct.

"We've talked to Trazyn about this, and now all I can do is use Star Form less."

[But on the next battlefield——]

“I was ready to lose control.”

Hades raised his head, stared at Mortarion, and smiled helplessly.
"I think this is inevitable - after all, we are facing the Necrons. If the Empire does not have the fragments of the Star God that can counter them, then I must come."

【……absurd.】

Mortarion whispered that they decided to fight in order not to lose Hades, but if they wanted to win the battle, they had to face the scenario of losing Hades.

Hades sensed Mortarion's depression, and he sighed in his heart.

The Necrons came too quickly and with such force that this was still a dangerous battle that was bound to result in too many casualties.

At some point in the war, Hades was certain he would have to take action, sooner or later.

He wanted to fight a battle of equal strength, or a more conventional battle.
But the Silent King will not give Hades any chance. As long as Hades appears, the battlefield is bound to escalate immediately in the next moment, and Szalak will attack Hades with all his strength.

He must be prepared to face the full force of the enemy as soon as he enters the field.

[But if you lose control...what about the war? ]

Hades smiled when he heard this.

"Guilliman and I have discussed this topic seriously. You may want to read his war plan. Starting from page 1075, Guilliman rehearses about 307 possible scenarios surrounding my loss of control."

Mortarion knew why Guilliman had gone to him then.

"In the end, Guilliman concluded that he had to adapt to circumstances - because plans can never keep up with changes."

【…】

[No matter what, I will support you, Hades.]

....................................

Damn it… Damn it…

Storm King!!!
The Pale Lord fell from the sky, and the mist drew a long straight streak in the air like the tail flame of a warship, and broken scales fell one after another.

The sudden new force pays no attention to the bottom line of morality and law, and starts with the undead technology that is hard to defend against.

If Hades hadn't sounded the alarm in advance, Mortarion might not have been able to defend it!
The residual heat of the light arrow caused the wings to burn, and the white light in the airspace above Mortarion began to dissipate, but it was still as bright as a river of light.

Under that, the battle between the Empire and the Silent King did not stop at all. The Storm King only attacked the areas occupied by the Imperial Army.

Boom—bang!

The ground fell with a loud bang, raising dust everywhere, but the army was still advancing. Mortarion did not let them stop. The Death Guard, Astra Militarum, Mechanicus... they ran across the huge pit with guns in their arms and continued to attack in the direction of the Silent King's army.

Staggeringly, a tall and thin figure stood up, holding on to a sickle.

Hades...

Mortarion thought to himself, his expression gloomy, as if he had realized something, but now he couldn't get there, and he didn't know where Hades was at the moment - the general needed to be responsible for his soldiers.

The Grim Reaper slowly raised his hand, and the mist once again enveloped the marching army. The dead revived and continued their march.

He could only delay the Silent King's troops as much as possible, and this was the greatest help Mortarion could offer.

..........................................

Oh…shit.

Cultured people don't curse easily, but now Magnus was trembling and didn't know what to do. While Pluto was going crazy, the Red King almost crawled to move his army.

Now, apart from the dead of the Empire, the Mechanicus still struggling in the enemy camp, and Magnus and Sanguinius who is on his way here, the only force left on the Empire side is Pluto.

Magnus huddled behind a huge rock, hugging his scepter. He tilted his head to look at the front line and almost vomited again.

The sky had been submerged in darkness, with a small dark human figure in the center, and a giant hand stretched out from the dark sky, reaching towards the ground.

There, the C'tan fragments wept, and the terrified Necrons lay in ruins.

The giant hand rummaged around on the ground, grabbing whatever it wanted and stuffing it into the sky.

Magnus recalled his past among the greenskins, and the Red Primarch shuddered.

Indeed, compared with the Hades before the cell in his memory, the Hades after this was more irritable, more cruel, and more obsessed with data.

But it was Hades after all, Magnus thought. At least Hades came to support him, and he couldn't bear to watch Magnus and Sanguinius turn to ashes -

He had received a message from Guilliman that, well, well, his great Magnus might have been unable to stop the Storm King's blow.

If it weren't for Hades, this battlefield would probably have become nothingness by now.

Magnus swallowed and looked at the battlefield again with his one eye. He wanted to support Hades, but it seemed that he was not qualified to play now?
The next moment - a brilliant scarlet-green light illuminated Magnus' face directly, and a strong wind blew up, blowing the Primarch's red hair wildly, and his hair flew into his mouth.

Bah, bah—bah, bah, bah!

Magnus spat out his hair, his eyes briefly blinded by the light,
? ! ! !
When the Primarch's one eye regained its sight, he saw -

The dark sky is falling.

Magnus opened his mouth slightly in shock. The Necrons' attack had almost no "time continuity". It was not a small line in time, but a point, a time singularity.

The darkness that had covered the sky and the sun and was previously helpless was now falling, condensing in mid-air like raindrops. The Primarch saw the half-body that seemed to be made up of a sticky liquid, the scarlet left eye flashing with flames from the Milky Way, staring fiercely at the person coming across from him.

Opposite him were the three saints sitting firmly on the ruling throne.

The Silent King appeared directly after Hades was exposed.

"But that's it..."

The Silent King said,
"It's just a monster assembled from the corpses of your own kind, Hades."

(End of this chapter)