Warhammer: Start with a dog.

Chapter 515: Dog-headed man, did you draw this white card or this orange card today?
“…The predecessor of the Red Corsairs was a member of the Maelstrom Guard organization that guarded the Maelstrom, called the Star Claws.

Their archival records have been eradicated from Imperial history and archives through the Edict of Annihilation, also known as Damnatio Memoriae.

The exact founding time and gene-seed source of the Astral Claws can only be speculated now, which is about the Dark Founding (M35). They may be the descendants of the First or Thirteenth Primarch - although for some reason, Luft Huron, the Chapter Master, himself cannot be completely sure, but considering that he actually took over the position of Chapter Master in 697.M41, and the Badab War ended in 912.M41, and the time flow in the Maelstrom from 912 to now is as unreliable as in the Eye of Terror, so the time that has flowed through Luft Huron's remaining flesh will not exceed years. "

"Five hundred years... No, even if he hasn't entered the Dreadnaught for more than three hundred years, he is already an extremely rare veteran."

After Hong Suo announced his triumphant return and such rich spoils using a public channel in a tone that was deliberately suppressed with a mixture of pride and of a nouveau riche returning, he finally contacted the ruler of the Palace of Thorns.

After some communication, the Indomitable Star Fortress finally put itself into the farthest orbit around New Badab that Luft Huron would allow them to enter with a beautiful emergency hovering posture, and began to rotate around the dim planet. The Hell Iris was just inside its orbit, its weapon system still had not been de-preheated, and the gun barrels of other ships were still pointed at them.

But this was not a problem for someone. After the Master of Alchemy asked the Primarch to help him arrange everything, they boarded the Thunderhawk piloted by Vannas and began to fly towards the Palace of Thorns.

On the way, Guilliman - or from now on, we will call him "Mercuris", the red-armored warrior, commented as he looked at the scenery passing by the window.

Honsou's experience in the details of the Imperial Adeptus Astartes was not as good as that of Vannus, who had served as the fourth captain of the Raven Guard for more than a hundred years, so it was natural for the former Raven Guard to take over the Primarch's words.

"Usually, after three hundred years of successful service, most members are either in the First Company or buried in the Dreadnoughts. In rare cases, they are sent out or sent to the Tenth Company to serve as company commanders and instructors. Most Imperial Astartes currently serve for about a hundred to two hundred years. Veterans who can live for more than four hundred years are often either deeply blessed or have extraordinary qualities."

"Luft Huron..." The Primarch pondered. "You said that it is rumored that he might be my heir?"

"Yes, sir - Mercury," Honso replied, "I haven't obtained enough biological samples to verify the source of his gene sequence, so his gene sequence is still in doubt."

It was doubtful, but it was strange that the gene sequences of Huron and Red Corsair were also shown as "doubtful" in his own database of power armor, which had a particularly complete data. However, Hong Suo would not say this, as he was more concerned about another matter.

"Sir, if. I mean, if he is really your offspring, and as we all know, when offspring see their genetic father, they always have some strange or inexplicable blood connection..." The master of medicine chose his words carefully, "How will you deal with it?"

Guilliman - or rather, Mercury, who now had a hood covered with spells and lost magic circle patterns and two small pointed horns on his forehead, looked at the other two members in the cabin with his amber eyes, and then he smiled.

"I believe in my brother's current technical capabilities, even though he may have been misunderstood or underestimated. But if he really achieves the feat you claim, leading our other brothers to escape and build a miraculous creation base like the Iron Blood I have seen, then..."

He pondered for a moment, and the long scroll of scripture parchment wrapped around his waist and limbs swayed gently.

"Then maybe Luft Huron will think... that I am very compatible with him."

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Facts have proved that this prediction, which was either a casual remark or the result of precise calculations, can be said to be correct, but it can also be said to be the exact opposite.

Because when their Thunder Eagle landed under the dome of the square in front of the Palace of Thorns, which was built to show off their martial arts and display the huge fragments of spoils that had caused damage to the empire, the fully armed Huron Guards surrounded them with weapons in hand. Although no shots were fired, it seemed more like an escort than an escort.

The members of the Thunder Eagle appeared in their goggles one by one, and when the last red-armored warrior appeared in everyone's field of vision, there was a small commotion among the crowd - the Word Bearers still had a bad reputation among many Chaos warbands, especially those from the Ultramarines. However, when they noticed that his shoulder armor had its emblem worn off, they were able to keep their composure. After all, the power armor they themselves wore was of all colors and was found in all warbands.

"I have accomplished the feat I promised Lord Huron when I left, and I have returned to meet the Blackheart King and obtain my rightful position from him." Hong Suo took a step forward and spread his hands to show that he was not holding a weapon. "Didn't Lord Huron tell you?"

His eyes scanned the helmets of the crowd one by one, and his awe, majesty, and self-evident superiority brought by the facts swept through the crowd like an invisible wave, but no one retreated.

"So what does this mean?" He pointed at the raised gun.

"This is a test." The Terminators of different colors but with the common feature of the red X-shaped mark on their shoulder armor separated from the iron wall-like mountain of highly skilled warriors, and from behind them came a Chaos Astartes with a huge mechanical arm and other additional servo equipment. The iconic ancient heritage nebula array and the neuralgic metal whips in both hands marked that this was Amenus Valserx, the former Master of the Forge of the Star Claws and now the Red Corsair, a master of mechanics, a genius designer of life-sustaining machinery and a craftsman who combined flesh and iron. He was one of the few people Huron himself could fully trust.

"What test?" Hong Suo pretended to be offended, but he was not as rude as other warlords. Instead, he had a bit of honesty that only scientific researchers could detect. "Lord Huron made a request, and I completed the task. I just wanted to prove my medical thinking and scientific research ability. Curing him will be my proudest achievement and honor, and it is also the greatest counterattack I can make against the corrupt field of the false emperor."

Valserx nodded and calmed down his tone. "Lord Huron... I noticed that the senior officers in the fleet you sent back earlier were almost all rapid strike forces and assault forces. Your assault forces and important main forces, apart from you and Grendel, lack an adjutant with outstanding military strength to lead the defense forces of the star fortress and the Astartes warband—"

Grendel moved his lips as if he was about to growl, but he held back.

Valserx's gaze stayed on the Iron Warrior, whose temperament had changed, for a second, then returned his gaze to Hongsuo.

The Warsmith's blue eyes looked at the Astartes gathered here, wearing colorful Terminator power armor, and then stared at the eyepiece of the Forge Master, "So this is a... test of honor duel?" His facial muscles showed his inner unrest. Valthex thought to himself that he was still too young and not experienced enough.

"This is an honor." The Forge Master replied coldly but politely, "Your achievements are so brilliant that my Lord has sent his best warriors to gather here. The most powerful champion will be chosen on the spot and given to you as your adjutant and vanguard officer. From now on, he will belong to your fleet. He will lead your personal guards to be stationed on the star fortress you captured. This will greatly enhance our strength and better enable us to carry out our revenge on the Liar Empire of the Corpses."

Bullshit! This is the way to get the apples and peaches directly from the horse!

I dare to do this because I was originally a humble Iron Warrior warsmith, a newcomer here for the first time, and Uluvent was killed! If it were those old warlords or warbands of veterans of the Long War, do you think Luft Huron would be so blatant and use such a poor excuse to stuff his own people on the Indomitable as soon as they landed! At least he should be polite.

Even though he was complaining in his heart, the War Blacksmith's brain was working rapidly at the same time, trying to find a way out of the situation through the conversation -

A hand reached out from behind, grabbed his shoulder armor, and then pushed him behind him carelessly.

"One-on-one duel, huh?"

The warrior wearing worn red armor with runes and patterns and a skull with traces of warp mutation said so. His amber eyes looked eagerly at everyone around him. The warriors he stared at subconsciously entered a highly tense combat readiness state. It felt like being stared at by... some invisible behemoth behind him. "I'll do it."

He grinned, and everyone saw his gleaming canine teeth.

This is a Word Bearer apostle who controls a very dangerous demon. They judged almost at the same time, and their eyes swept over the chainsaw axe that was raised and slapped with the other hand. The two-handed axe was as light and flexible as a dagger in his one hand. The other party of the contract he made might be a Khorne bloodletter or even a demon.

Based on this basic judgment, in the end, most of the first group of people who came out to fight him were believers of the Blood God.

Hong Suo stood there with his other two companions and watched their new "companion" take action.

The first to attack was a Khorne berserker clad in black armor.

The guy let out a loud, excited shout, jumped up, wielded his axe with both hands, and chopped down at the red-armored warrior who was standing there without making any defensive counterattack or moving!
nobody.

No soldier's eyes or eyepieces could catch his movements.

The red-armored warriors seemed to move only slightly, and then they saw the body of the first attacker cut in half, with a spectacular firework display of internal organs falling in the air.

Then he started running.

He ran head-on into the second and third opponents who were rushing towards him.

The massacre began.

Hong Suo looked at what was happening in front of him and had only one description in his mind.

"There is no enemy who can match me."

What happened in this hall on this day will be unforgettable for the survivors.

When Valthex came to his senses and hurriedly called for a stop, the towering columns were already splattered with steaming blood. Many corpses that still had a human shape or were only half dead, pieces of flesh, internal organs, heads and blood formed a scarlet carpet - this was the route that the red-armored warriors brought by Hongsuo were marching in the hall.

No one can stop him.

Even the Terminator's defense was as fragile as cutting melons and vegetables under his axe.

Now the remaining warriors are completely dazzled by this absolute force, extraordinary strength, and incomparable majesty!

He looked around, holding high the axe in his hand that was still dripping with blood.

"I am the chosen one! I am the son of revenge! I am the champion! Who wouldn't accept that?!"

The berserkers crowded around him, cheering.

"Praise the Blood God! Champion!! Champion!! Champion!!!"

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Guilliman, Champion of Khorne!
Hong Suo would have almost applauded loudly at the actual absurdity - if he were still the war blacksmith Hong Suo who had not been taken over by his fathers and blessed with a new position and a little apprentice to show his skills.

If that were the case, he would probably not only applaud at this moment, but would also make a big fuss about this shocking scandal, spreading illusions, leaflets and rumors to the 500 worlds of Ultramar and Macragge, and would make the Ultramarines, Uriel Ventress and Pasanius disgraced and unable to defend themselves, and become a thorn in the eyes and flesh of the Empire and the Inquisition from then on!
But unfortunately.

He now serves his supreme and majestic father, and his great and kind father obviously does not want to work for his father who sits on the throne, but he also has no intention of killing his brothers one by one or destroying their reputation... right?

Of course, if… he would do it for Gene Father.

He turned his thoughts back to the grand spectacle before him. The Primarch, wearing camouflaged red armor, with spells on his face and twin horns on his head, did not show any sign of difficulty. He was pacing around the arena with his bloody axe held high, showing off the heads he had chopped off. What a vivid Chaos Astartes!

During this time together, the Master Potion Master had discovered a quality of the Thirteenth Primarch that might not be valued by some of his brothers, but which Honsou personally thought was very useful: Robert Guilliman was extremely good at making every interlocutor let down their guard after just a few words and unconsciously begin to speak their true opinions, and he would do his best to make interlocutors from completely different classes, races, or any other categories feel that their words were taken seriously and listened to - translated into the words of a certain chapter leader, it means "speak the truth to the people you meet, and lie to the devil."

Hong Suo privately thought that although this was different from any combat capability or other intuitive, clear, and violent display of power, and could not produce immediate results or achieve a large number of results in a short period of time, it was indeed an extremely remarkable, extraordinary, and world-changing talent. Why did this sound familiar? Never mind. He would learn this skill by referring to the words and deeds of the Lord of the Ultramarines during this rare experience.

He also had some guesses as to why he was immune to this talent - it was obvious that Vannus and Grendel could only do their best not to expose their lies actively or passively. Didn't you see that Vannus' "office work" ability inexplicably emerged! However, it would be great to have such an unexpected blessing, and make good use of it...

Next… he looked toward the end of the hall.

The door to the throne room slowly opened.

(End of this chapter)