40k: Midnight Blade.

Chapter 510 28. The idol is broken and the dead are resurrected ()

Erebus thought he would no longer have the emotion of fear. Ever since he hanged the man whose name he had taken away with a rope, fear had disappeared from his body.

He remembered that day and would always remember it.

The hot desert of Colchis, the dry alleys, the smell of dirty garbage and the filthy town formed by shanties, sand and iron sheets. And a rope that he held tightly in his hands, a rope that was tied around other people's necks. rope.

The man's face was blue and purple, and his tongue was swollen and hanging from his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot, almost falling out of their sockets, his fingernails were all broken, and his fingers were covered in blood on the very useful rope.

That's how Erebus got the name.

He murdered the man, threw his body into an alley, and walked to a church in Colchis with his name, clothes, identity, and even a scripture tattooed on his body.

The reason why he did this was simple, but he just saw with his own eyes how the priests in the church lived a superior life. He yearns for greenery, comfortable underwear, a pocket full of gold coins, and delicious food
He also wanted to be like them, standing in the garden, holding his head high, taking the red wine from others and drinking it in one gulp.

Of course, this is just the initial pursuit. Soon, his desire began to swell, and it swelled to a point that even he himself could not quite understand.

But what's the problem? It doesn't matter whether he understands it or not, he just needs to satisfy this ever-expanding desire - to murder, to play conspiracy, to step up on the efforts of others and laugh at their incompetence
He just likes these things, these things that are spurned, insulted and even hostile, he really likes them so much, as if he was born for these sweet poisons.

Yes, I have plotted against a god, and I will regard it as an insignificant part of my great achievements. The fact is that I have no fear of him, only contempt.

Even if the four gods were playing tricks behind his back, there would be no problem. He loved this life, these days, and the tears of every person who suffered from what he had done.

The blood was waiting quietly behind it. Everything was so silent, but Erebus took a deep breath of cold air that smelled of ashes.

It had to be, otherwise it would no longer seem so interesting and would no longer qualify as his new life goal.

He smiled, shook his head, and turned around without surprise, seeing Yago Severtarion.

The power of chaos continued to surge in, and it was pulled by him to form spells one after another, blocking the Night Soul's continuous offensive. Frost, blades or swarming undead.
Nothing could hurt him or stop him from moving forward.

Even if he had reduced the world they were sworn to protect to char in the presence of those noble Primarchs, it would not compare to this satisfaction.

It is natural for a person to want to get back something he has lost.

But so what?
What other power can stop me? What else is stopping me from taking what I want?

Erebus stopped smiling, put the failure behind him, and began to focus on the puppets wholeheartedly.

Everything has changed, but only one thing remains unchanged. He still has everything firmly in his hands. Even if there are occasional mistakes, there should be. Even the Lord of Changes cannot implement a perfect plan.

Erebus was not very satisfied, he wanted more. For the next ten thousand years, he has been trying to satisfy himself, but he has never succeeded.

He was almost brought back to a day in his memory. On that day, he wore thick monk robes and watched the Son of God give a speech radiantly in the city conquered by Lorgar Aurelion.

Compared with the satisfaction of standing in the tide of chaos and witnessing Terra shattering and the gods fighting, any other conspiracy is really insignificant.

However, Erebus knew another thing better - if he really wanted to accomplish this, he would not be able to succeed based on who he was now.

Everything happened next, and his plan came into effect perfectly. Terra was shattered, the gods sat on their thrones, the empire ossified, and the vast galaxy was now completely shrouded in darkness.

Enthusiastic people followed him and surrounded him, even honoring him by kissing the path he walked. Erebus stood in the crowd and smelled the scent of the anointed one, which was as sweet as honey or milk.

Erebus understood that he still had a chance - even though the fragment had some unexpected changes, the drop of blood was still under control.

He knew very well that the Lord of Changes must be in His Crystal Palace at this moment, extremely happy about what just happened.

Now it seems that this may be a self-protection mechanism deep in his heart, deeply buried by unexplained pride.

Easily forgiving his little failure, he followed the puppet to the closed door.

The puppet moved quietly in a certain direction, or in other words, a path that was twisted in the darkness. At the end of the road, the scent of that drop of blood is coming to your nose.

Eventually, he came to the old conclusion: it didn't matter.

The Dark Apostle couldn't help but laugh again, not because the plan was about to succeed, but because he was laughing at his own stupidity.

Erebus felt it through the puppet's sense of smell, almost feeling in a trance.

The Dark Apostle gasped and clenched his fists, blood surged up, and shame came to his mouth and turned into a whispered curse.

Therefore, at this moment, he was standing here, standing on the boiling and roaring deck of the Night Soul, with the skin of Lorgar Aurelion behind him.
And, filled with fear, anger and shame.

The Dark Apostle slowly stretched a smile, imitating the verses carved on his skin by others and still looking bright after ten thousand years. They were originally painted with paint, but now they have penetrated deep into the bone marrow.

The counterfeit walked past him with an expressionless expression, and the instinct left in its skin began to operate. Even if the ancient and weird battleship under his feet was trying its best to hide, it was of no avail.

However, even Erebus had thought about this anomaly.

He must go further.

"How did you get here? Teleportation spell? Or did our great Carrion Emperor help you?" He asked, his tone as friendly as if he was chatting with an old friend.

But look at now, look at the skin driven by him.

In ten thousand years he had never boasted of his greatest honor, never mentioned the name of Khalil Lohars.

They filled three of his lungs, and until the lungs could no longer expand, Erebus slowly exhaled the long breath.

Thinking about it now, maybe he had already had a vague awakening as early as that moment.

The Shadow Knights made a huge mistake. They all came out to kill him. At this moment, the Night Soul's defense force was pitiful.

His instinct has always been to know why this name was not mentioned, but his emotions turned this biological instinct of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages into a huge arrogance.

He couldn't help but start to daydream more, for example, let Terra be completely wiped out, and let the fortress wall floating in the galaxy and the so-called protectors stationed within it be drowned in a sea of ​​blood.
The most important thing is that he has to do it in front of the emperor.

He thought he wouldn't have anything to fear anymore, but now it seems that he was wrong, and very wrong.

So, from this point of view, he may be the first person in history who can achieve a win-win situation with the dark gods. Erebus laughed at this.

Sevatar didn't answer, he just activated the chain saw and thrust it headfirst into the deck at his feet.

The single-molecule saw blade and the demonized steel collided with each other, making a sharp sound that was almost like a scream. Sparks flew everywhere, stretching his shadow very long on the wall.

Half a second later, this twisted and weird shadow raised his hands and took off a helmet. The cold air swirled past them and fell into the deep darkness deep in the corridor, becoming like a beast's howl. Call.

Erebus stared at the pale face and sighed softly.

"You should really smile," he said. "Isn't this the moment you've been dreaming of? Being alone with me, finally having the chance to kill me, and be done with it."

Sevatar dropped his helmet and slowly pulled the chainsaw from the ground.

His expression was calm but indifferent, and he turned a deaf ear to Erebus's words. It seems that he is not here for revenge, nor is he facing the most notorious traitor in human history.
It was as if he was just here to kill an insignificant thing, or an insignificant reptile.

It was an obvious way to provoke the enemy, but Erebus laughed at it.

"You're getting arrogant, Yago."

The Dark Apostle gently raised his hands, and Lorgar Aurelion's skin responded to the illusory dog ​​whistle again, standing in front of him and raising his fists.

"However, coming alone may be the biggest mistake you make in your life. You must kill my primarch before you can kill me, my dear and mortal enemy. It is a natural tradition that a father protects his son."

Amidst the heavy charging sound of the fake skin, Erebus couldn't help laughing wildly.

"Tell me, Yago Savitarion, did your father fulfill this tradition?!"

Sevatar still didn't answer, just raised his weapon and stepped into the battle.

He is calm and rational, firm as steel. But his enemy, the fake bare-handed creature, just waved his fist mechanically and numbly.
This seems to be an unfair battle, but the original body is the original body. Even if his soul is lost and he has no armor or weapons, he can still gain the upper hand in the battle with his own strength.

Erebus turned around with satisfaction and put his right hand on the door. It was a similar scene, but the difference was that this time, there was no force that could stop him from pushing it away.

The sound of friction of steel resounded in the next moment, and Erebus's power began to destroy the door that was unwilling to be opened for him. He stepped into it, turning a blind eye to the unpredictable surroundings.

The spells left by the Shadow Knights' think tank here were expelled and destroyed one by one by him. Psychic energy and spiritual energy merged with each other, and the power of chaos roared in, taking them all in. The ritual was destroyed, the magic circle was covered with filth, and finally, the Dark Apostle walked step by step to an upright iron coffin.

He reached out his hand and touched its uneven upper cover.

He has felt it.

He clenched his fists tremblingly, then punched. The top cover of the iron coffin flew away, and an Astartes with his eyes closed and no longer breathing appeared in front of him. The golden light between the man's eyebrows was so bright and dazzling.

Finally, finally
Erebus gently exhaled a breath, twitched his fingers, and the dog whistle sounded again. The skin bag that was originally fighting with Yago Savitarion immediately retreated, turned into a shadow, disappeared, and returned to him. underfoot.

The light shone from his hands, and the Dark Apostle smiled and dragged the dead sergeant out of the iron coffin. He turned around, gently placed his right foot on the sergeant's face, bent down very gracefully, and bowed to Savita.

The empty skin of Lorgar Aurelion rose from behind him, and the bones and muscles disappeared without a trace in the cracked gap, as if it was just a thin layer of skin, and the power of chaos surged crazily inside it. move.

A ritual formation that had been prepared long ago began to operate, forcing Luojia's skin to undergo a horrifying deformation. The tall giant turned into a little light and fell into the hands of Erebus.

Immediately afterwards, in the sudden golden light, the drop of blood on the dead sergeant's brow slowly emerged.

Erebus twisted his lips and tried to smile. He reached out his hand impatiently and grabbed it.

"It seems the outcome has been decided, Yago."

He panted, hungry but forced to speak calmly. The entire face has been completely distorted, looking like a slave who was thrown into a worm pit and tortured in ancient legends.

The swarm of insects called desire raced through his veins, biting his body until blood dripped from his body, and he accepted it all.

Sevatar looked at him and said nothing, just watching with cold eyes. He watched indifferently as the Dark Apostle swallowed the drop of blood and light into his belly, watched as he grew taller and his appearance changed.

Watching him gradually, bit by bit, transform from Erebus to Lorgar Aurelion.

It wasn't until this moment that he uttered his first words.

"You are not the only madman in this universe, Erebus."

Saiveta said this and raised her finger to point at herself. He listened to the sound of the dark apostle's flesh gradually twisting and spoke slowly.

"Me too, I hope you don't forget this. Moreover, I have been hunting you for ten thousand years. In other words, there will be no second person in this universe who knows you better than me. You really Do you think I can’t see what kind of beast you are?”

Erebus roared and hunched up. He wanted to answer Sevita's words, but he couldn't say a word because of the drastic changes brought about by his promotion.

The spell he created with the knowledge he bought from Tzeentch at a huge price was running at high speed. The Lord of Changes did not deceive him on this matter, and even took the initiative to add more for him in the transaction without having to pay. something of cost.
Of course Erebus didn't use them, but he didn't expect that the most capricious of the dark gods would actually help him wholeheartedly.

The effect of this spell was so good that he could clearly feel the changes in his soul and flesh.

He almost cried because of this. For the first time in his life, he had this impulse simply because his eyes were changing in the direction of 'Lorgar Aurelion'.

The Seventeenth Primarch, Son of God, Man of Light
So, is this what it feels like to be a son of God? Just a cursory glance reveals every discordant psychic mote in the air.
However, what arose after the urge to shed tears ended was a burst of furious contempt.

You once had this power, Lorgar Aurelion.

The results of it? What did you do with them?
Erebus clenched his fists in disbelief, feeling the sudden surge of power in his body that was still changing, feeling the vitality and extraordinary self-healing ability radiated by the blood of the original body, and he couldn't help but feel excited. A jealous rage.

You are so favored, blessed, and born to be different from anyone else, yet you end up wasting everything.
He clenched his fists, held his head high, and slowly closed his eyes. The psychic energy belonging to Lorgar Aurelion trembled around him, as if wrapping him in a golden gauze robe.

The strong body belonging to the Son of God loomed beneath it, and Luo Jia's face was extremely handsome, but now he was showing an expression that he had never shown at any time.

It was a complex expression that mixed malice, jealousy and pleasure, completely destroying his handsomeness and making it weird and distorted.
Erebus was completely immersed in the excitement brought by this upgrade. He even heard the approval of the four gods. Even they were applauding what he had done in the subspace.

Khorne was satisfied with his courage to commit such a treasonous act of patricide, Tzeentch admired his wisdom, Slaanesh was extremely curious about what he was experiencing at this moment, and even Nurgle was fascinated by the despair he would sow in the galaxy. expressed praise.

However, at the next moment, Yago Savitarion's voice, which he deliberately ignored, ruined this hard-won enjoyment.

"Do you remember Angel Tai?"

Erebus closed his eyes and smiled on Luojia's face.

"Of course I remember." He said in Luojia's voice. "How can I not remember this only traitor? He dared to betray his father, how shameful. I will mark him as a pillar of shame forever."

"It's good that you haven't forgotten him." Saiveta said. "He has waited ten thousand years for today."

--What?
Erebas tried to think, but he had no time to think, because when he opened his eyes, he saw the long-dead Angel Tai.

He stood in front of him, with burning golden light forming his body. Behind him are countless identical illusory souls. They all once carried that drop of blood. During these long ten thousand years, they carried it willingly and died for it.
Then, today came.

In the next second, the silent souls turned into points of light and poured into Erebas' stolen body, and he couldn't even refuse.

No father would reject his son, even if the father's last bit of skin was swallowed up, leaving only the last drop of blood that is still being digested.

The golden light bloomed, illuminating everything, and Erebus suddenly screamed, his face almost transparent in the bright light.

Yago Severtarion closed his eyes, began to count silently, and waited quietly. He heard the tearing of flesh and blood, someone's screams and finally panicked curses, and a low hum.

He understood that it was the sound of the disintegrating souls of every son of Aurelion who had carried the blood of the original body in the past ten thousand years. They were willing to turn it into nutrients, and they wanted to completely revive that drop of blood.

Resurrected by human will, by human hope, by the love of the Son of Man for the Father. Rather than using the power of chaos in the subspace or the blood sacrifice of living beings.

It was the last thing they could do for their father.

just
Sevatar slowly opened his eyes and saw Erebas lying on his back covered in blood. Luojia's form had disappeared, leaving only his original appearance.

The Dark Apostle was struggling to stand up, but the huge backlash caused by the failure of the ceremony completely destroyed his body, leaving him as weak as an old man and could only keep trying.
Sevatar couldn't help but laugh. He stepped forward and picked up a golden stone from Erebus's hand. He held the chain halberd in his hand, but instead of killing Erebus, he just looked at him calmly.

After several minutes, he finally spoke.

"First of all, I know that you are contacting your men through the remaining psychic energy, asking them to join the Night Soul to rescue you."

"I congratulate you for this, Erebus, because I will not stand in the way of this plan. I will not even give the order for my brothers to board the ship to stop you. It will be just you and me on this ship."

He finally smiled.

"Do you know why?" Sevatar asked in Nostramo, unusually softly.

The air began to tremble, and he stretched out his hand. The anger flashed away, and a mask was put on his face. It was a pale skeletal face, with golden lines on the forehead, which was extremely noble. However, the eyes in the sockets were as dark as demons from hell.

Savita switched back to Gothic, smiled and kicked Erebas in the face: "Because you still owe a blood debt, and when you pay it off, I will settle the account with you. "

He turned around and left, but a sentence of Nostramo language drifted over and reached Erebas's ears.

"There are no taboos in taking revenge."

Accompanied by an indescribable scream, the Night Soul suddenly trembled, jolting as if it had been hit by a macro cannon. It has been infiltrated by a power of chaos for ten thousand years, and at this moment, it welcomes its new mission without any burden.

No longer a battleship, but an altar. It is willing to do this because it also has revenge to take.

The curtain that separated the two worlds began to shake. Erebus struggled to get up and tremblingly grabbed the iron coffin, but accidentally pushed it to the ground and fell into it himself.

Darkness struck instantly and enveloped him. Dark red fragments of hatred whizzed past, and illusory light curtains flickered before his eyes one after another.

The pictures displayed on those light screens were all the numerous evil deeds Erebus had committed by manipulating Lorgar Aurelion's skin.
They flickered, disappeared, and continued continuously, but Erebus's face became distorted little by little, because he had realized what the scene in front of him meant.

But, how is this possible?

Luo Jia is obviously dead
Panting, the Dark Apostle once again stood up with difficulty. The backlash he received is rapidly recovering with the help of the power of Chaos. However, the millions of fragments filled with hatred that are gathering opposite him are also rapidly bonding together.

But in just five seconds, a huge, twisted monster stood on the spot. There is no doubt that it does not belong to any of the dark gods. It is just the echo cast by a demigod who has been tortured for thousands of years.
It was not meant to take shape until someone evoked it with the power of hatred and fed it with flesh and blood from the sins it had to commit in the past.

The mutilated face of 'Lorgar Aurelion' slowly emerged in the center of the monster's body. His eyes were two holes, his teeth were as sharp as sharp steel knives, and his face was full of flaming hell scriptures. arts
"A-R-B-S-!"

It roared and began to charge.

Erebus didn't hesitate, turned around and ran away.

(End of this chapter)