40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 364 84. The Burning of Five Hundred Worlds (three, 5k, don’t raise it anymore, brothers, you will die)

After the meeting, Robert Guilliman arrived as promised, in a hurry.

He didn't waste any time and even ended the meeting early. In wartime, he had more to do than usual. If you don't plan your time carefully, some things will have to be postponed.

This suddenly arranged meeting would disrupt some of his original plans, such as gathering refugees and hunting down the remaining Word Bearers in the galaxy. But, he believed it was worth it.

On the way here, Guilliman had convinced himself that some things should be more important than revenge.

Opening the door, he entered the reception room. In the spacious room, Angel Tai had been waiting for a long time. He stood upright and came alone, without any brothers or sisters.

The off-white paint that belonged to the Sons of Aurelion had fallen off a lot on the armor, revealing a more lifeless steel color that looked mottled. The helmet sank down from the armor belt at the waist, one of the eyepieces was broken, and there were obvious sword marks on the breastplate.

The smell of blood lingered on him for a long time. Apparently, he had hurriedly cleaned up after the battle and rushed over. There was an obvious numbness in those serious eyes, like a pool of stagnant water.

The Lord of Macragge sighed in his heart, and Angel Tai took the lead in greetings.

"My lord." He bowed slightly and made an eagle salute with his hand in front of his breastplate. "Captain Van Cleef said you wanted to see me."

"Yes." Guilliman responded with a serious salute before answering.

However, after this brief affirmation, he hesitated to think about his words - although he had indeed drafted a draft and wanted to be more direct, clearly stating the current plight of the Sons of Aurelion and persuading them to leave.

Unfortunately, when he faced Angel Tai, those words became extremely difficult to say.

Guilliman faced many dilemmas, whether false gods or demons. Pushing back in time, he has also experienced the tragic loss of his father, one of which is already extraordinary, and his memory can be called an encyclopedia of pain.

Reason is crammed into every page, piled up in the gaps between words. But what about the stuff that actually makes up the pages? It is pain brewed over many years.

Just like this moment.

Robert Guilliman painfully forced himself to make a sound.

"I hope you can stay away from this war for a while, Angel Tai."

The son of Aurelion was silent for a moment and nodded slightly.

"It's true distance." Guilliman emphasized, looking into his eyes.

He could actually look away and look at the oil paintings on the wall, or simply observe the scenery outside the porthole. Doing so would undoubtedly make him feel much better. But he didn't want that. Sometimes people would rather have their consciences scolded.

However, what puzzled Guilliman was that Angel Tai did not object or raise any questions.

"I understand." He said, lowering his head. "One hundred people will not play any role in such a huge war. I know it in my heart. I have actually expected what happened today."

If anyone asked, Roboute Guilliman would admit that he was actually relieved to hear this.

"That's great. I'm glad we can reach a consensus." Guilliman said quickly. "I will assemble a ship and supplies for you right now—"

"——But, sir." Angel Tai raised his head and interrupted him. "Where can we go?"

He succeeded in questioning Robert Guilliman, which was a remarkable achievement.

Yes, where can we go? The Lord of Macragge asked himself, and was annoyed at his negligence - he had not thought about this question.

The main routes from the Ultramarine to other stardoms have been completely blocked by the sacrifices of the Word Bearers, and deadly warp storms are raging in the material universe. Ships attempting to navigate within it would end up being disintegrated or thrown into the turbulence of the warp.

If the storm persists, sailing away will become impossible.

So, are you looking for a suitable recruiting place nearby in the Five Hundred World of Ultramar?

In the past, this was not a problem, but now, this is a depressing thing - the vanguard of the Word Bearers had entered the territory of the Five Hundred Worlds long before they arrived, and the scenery along the way was only It can be described with the word hell.

They had no bottom line at all, and most of the civilians were sacrificed and refused to even stay as slaves. Those who were still alive were tortured and polluted to a certain extent.

If it weren't for the fact that the Night Blades had some way of identifying those who were still sane within them, the Ultramarines would have had only one solution available.

There are still worlds resisting, this is certain, and Macragge, as the core of the Five Hundred Worlds, will definitely not fall in such a short period of time. This is one of the reasons that keeps Guilliman and the Ultramarines sane.

However, to find a safe world to recruit soldiers in such a five hundred world? Not to mention whether they can be found, even if they are found, the Sons of Aurelion will still need time to train new recruits, and by then, the war will definitely not be over yet.

In this brief second of thought, Guilliman's expression changed many times. His reaction also made Angel Tai smile helplessly.

"My lord," he begged. "Why not let us fight to the death?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Guilliman immediately frowned and his tone rose. "Think about your father, Angel Tai! You are the last of Aurelion's sons. Is it possible that you want to completely cut off his bloodline?"

"We hope to leave a batch of genetic seeds for you." Angel Tai said. He looked into Guilliman's eyes with a very serious expression.

"If the Emperor bless us and some of us survive, we will take back these seeds and find another way to rebuild the Legion. If we all die, at least the new Sons of Aurelion can carry this legacy. Our blood washes away the names of sin and we walk on clean.”

Guilliman's two hearts stopped beating for a moment, and some kind of heavy pressure quietly fell on him.

After leaving Calth, the hellish scenes I saw along the way, the cries of the refugees, and the faces of the dead were all merged with Angel Tai's crying and smiling face at this moment. He understood what Angel Tai was talking about. This was a kind of entrustment and an absolute trust.

But he couldn't agree.

In the past, they still had to consider how the original body's bloodline should be continued, and there were still some things to worry about. But if he agreed to Angor Tai's request, Guilliman could not even imagine what the son of Aurelion would do if he was free from worries.

"This won't do," Guilliman said subconsciously. "I cannot agree. If you all die, who will be able to tell the story of the past and traditions of the Sons of Aurelion? A Legion should have a tradition that it can be proud of."

"Our past is full of sin," Angel Tai said. "As for our traditional masters, our internal tradition is only revenge, nothing more. If the war ends, who should the new sons of Aurelion seek revenge from?"

"I can't agree." Guilliman pursed his lips, and the blue eyes under his gray hair were extremely tangled at the moment. "I appreciate your trust, Angel Tai, but I absolutely cannot agree to this. I can see your intention."

The son of Aurelion sighed regretfully: "But do you have a third choice?"

Once again - the silence he forced into Robert Guilliman was astonishing. Asking two questions in one day that the Lord of Macragge cannot answer, I am afraid not many people in the entire galaxy can do it.

And Guilliman knew not.

He has no third choice because the choice never existed in the first place. The Sons of Aurelion could not leave, nor could they really find a suitable peaceful world to recuperate. The only way before them seemed to be to die in battle.

After all, could it be possible that Guilliman could issue an order ordering them all not to participate in the war?

He couldn't do such a thing, and to the Astartes, this was equivalent to the most serious insult, no different from a deadly feud.

The Lord of Macragge slowly closed his eyes. He no longer planned to persuade Angel Tai. However, he still wanted to say something.

"My brother Rogal Dorn has always believed in a theory." He closed his eyes and spoke. "He believed that if a person had enough willpower, he could do anything."

"This person can survive illness, survive man-made disasters, defeat natural disasters, and even briefly refuse to die with his willpower. He uses the premise of 'sufficient willpower' to avoid possible objections to this theory, such as adrenaline, The desire to survive explodes.”

"Then he supplemented the theory with other things."

Robert Guilliman opened his eyes and looked at Angel Tai.

"The last time I heard him talk about it, he was talking to me about faith," he whispered. "Faith, Angel Tay, faith."

"It can transform a child into a soldier in just a few months, and it can also make some people willing to abandon the temptation of fame and fortune and pursue careers that require lifelong dedication. It can be a flag, a book, or a sentence In simple words."

He approached Angel Tai.

"Have faith," Guilliman told him. "In the past, you were eager for revenge. This is not wrong and very legitimate, but you should think about what happens after revenge and have a plan, Angel Tai."

"If you die, what will happen to Luojia's blood? Don't mention your theory to me again. Without inheritance, the new son of Aurelion is just a blank piece of paper, and may even be soaked in the culture of the Ultramarines."

"I don't want to see this kind of thing. If that happens, your blood will be shed in vain, and so will the blood of your father Lorgar Aurelion."

"But--"

"-Write this down, turn it into a belief." Guilliman interrupted and reached out to hold his shoulders.

The look on that face was not that of a man in a position of authority, nor of a boaster. His face was full of compassion, his eyebrows were furrowed, and there seemed to be a sudden golden light in his pupils.

"Have faith, Angel Tay," he repeated. "The world we live in today is no longer as black and white as it used to be. Things that transcend reason and reality are rushing toward us one after another. So, if you have enough will, if you have enough faith, maybe "

He stopped talking, raised his head, and took a few steps back.

"Furthermore, I give you permission to raise troops on Macragge's Glory," Robert Guilliman said.

Angel Tai looked at him in astonishment.

"Yes." He smiled. This smile was full of lightness, and the depression was gone. Later, it even turned into a burst of laughter.

"Prepare for conscription, Angor Tai!" Guilliman shouted. "There are many school-age children on board the Macragge's Glory. I am so blinded by the light. Why didn't I think of this earlier?"

Laughing, he quickly left the conference room and went to the next task. Angel Tai stood there at a loss. After a while, he raised his hand and touched his sore eyes.

"Faith." The son of Aurelion bowed his head. "belief."

——

Carrying his chainsaw, Sevatar slowly stepped out of the transport.

The boarding deck of Night Soul was as eerie as ever, with dim lights. Night Blade, crew members and servitors were all like shadows shuttled in the light, and there was even an icy mist spreading on the floor.

It's scary, and it's easy to spawn horror stories. However, such an environment can only make Savita feel comfortable.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sneered harshly - there was no other meaning, he was simply laughing at his animal habit of loving darkness.

But he forgot one thing. After returning to the deck, he would be inspected by the technical sergeants.

"What are you laughing at, Severtalion?" a technical sergeant asked, and the mechanical arm behind him shook twice, looking very friendly.

".Nothing." Saiveta said, and handed over the chain halberd that was still dripping with blood.

The sergeant lowered his head and looked at it for a while, and suddenly a low and angry curse came out of his mouth: "Savitarion, did you insert your chain saw head down into the ground again?!"

Sevatar sighed, retracted his chain halberd, and took a few steps back, causing the people behind him who were waiting in line for inspection to curse several times.

"I've already replaced the saw teeth, how can you still see it?" Savita complained as he backed away. "Do you Techmarines all have implants in your eyes?"

"You bastard is usually as lazy as a rat sleeping in a mine. How could you possibly replace yourself with a brand new pair of saws after the battle?" The technical sergeant sneered and walked towards him, the mechanical arm behind him already picking up a pair of saws. Just a heavy wrench.

He threw the wrench out, and he followed closely behind, rushing out like lightning, intending to catch Savita and make him punished according to the rules and regulations.

Unfortunately, someone was faster than him. A strong hand grabbed him firmly from behind, and then a whole set of joint techniques trapped him in place.

Savita caught the wrench with his backhand and took a closer look. He was surprised to find that the person who saved him from the fire and water was actually Siani.

"Well?"

He held the wrench with one hand suspiciously, as if he was about to throw it out at any moment, looked at Siani and shrugged.

"How could you...?"

Siani glanced at him, and the corners of her eyes suddenly twitched. The technical sergeant who was locked by his joint technique sneered loudly.

"You might as well not help him, Siani. This kid has never been grateful. How many times have we repaired his weapons? Oh, wait, this seems to be the result of the tradition you taught him. Siani from Terra ”

"Put the damn thing down!" Ciani yelled. "And you, damn it, stop being sarcastic! I came to him for something, how could I watch you take him to be punished?"

"I don't think it's punishment at all for someone who doesn't respect weapons and equipment to help his brother with maintenance for three hours," the technical sergeant said with a chuckle. "This is basically correcting his bad habits."

"Stop it, Tarannis." Siani pulled him close to her and whispered softly in a threatening tone. "You can ask him to clean the deck or sharpen the sword blade later. I have no problem with working all night, but you'd better let him come with me now."

"What are you talking about there?!" Sevita shouted.

"Why?" The technical sergeant known as Tarenis ignored him and asked a question in the same whisper-like voice.

"It's about the mourning bird." Siani explained simply and loosened the sergeant's hand.

The latter raised his left hand and replaced his dislocated right hand, his expression became quite serious. He looked at Savita, who was still on guard, and made a gesture to him.

"Get out of here, Sevatarion," Tarannis said. "I'll let you go this time, mouse."

"I'm not a mouse," said Sevita. "Look at the bat wings on your insignia, okay, sergeant? Otherwise I will suspect that you were injured in the head by Siani, or that you were infected by his carelessness."

Tarannis looked back at the gloomy hand-to-hand combat champion. The latter's expression immediately turned him from anger to joy. He laughed and returned to the team, continuing to do his job.

"So." Following Siani, Sevita asked aloud. "What is it?"

Siani didn't answer.

"What's the matter, Terra?" Savita changed her tone and called out Siani's name in a very frivolous way. "Tell me about it?"

Siani still didn't answer.

"Well, it seems you are not in a good mood today?"

".I was in a good mood until I was informed by the company commander that I would take you to see the company commander Fel Zalost." Siani squeezed out a sentence through his teeth and answered.

He knew that if he didn't say something, Iago Severtarion would keep repeating it until he got the answer he wanted. The First Reserve has always been like this, being annoyingly and admirably stubborn in some places.

Only in battle, and Siani would never tell him about it.

Absolutely, no.

"Oh." Sevita nodded thoughtfully and stopped talking.

Behind them, an icy mist that did not belong to the world of the living slowly came in, obscuring everything.

5k for this chapter, and one more to go.