40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 578 96. Interlude: First casting (the end of the article includes a small part of the timeline of this article)

Looking at the huge nutrition tank in front of him, Belisarius Call slowly took a few steps back.

There is a giant floating in the nutrient tank. He seems to be in a deep sleep, with his eyelids closed. His skin was covered with criss-crossing scars, but they were not medals of merit from the war, but the result of repeated injuries and continuous sutures during experiments again and again.

He is very strong, and his muscles are both powerful and beautiful. They are definitely not naturally grown and are full of a strong sense of design. He was taller than a normal Astartes, but his skin lacked any black carapace.

He appears to be an Astartes, but which chapter does he belong to?

No one knew the answer, least of all Robert Guilliman.

"I created him." Kaul said in a difficult tone.

"Explanation," Guilliman said simply, frowning.

Call sighed deeply.

"He has no father and no mother. He is neither a clone nor a naturally born human. I used the purest human genes I could get as a sample to bring him to life."

Kaul said, walking to the corner of this hidden workshop. There was a long table, with many cables hanging from the ceiling, almost covering the table.

One of Call's appendages slowly lifted up, tearing off all the cables and throwing them to the ground. A smaller empty nutrient tank was revealed. It was very old and had marks all over its iron-gray surface.

Caul used his appendages to lift it and bring it to Guilliman and Khalil.

"Gene modification is a dangerous technology that must be monitored at all times from the embryonic stage. I spent ten years on Mars to promote this project. Finally, I got a strong body from this culture tank. A strong, disease-free, and extremely intelligent child.”

"He can adapt to the gene seed of any original body and survive the dangerous period perfectly. The nineteen transformation surgeries are not difficult for me, and can even be called simple."

"But my goal was not to create an Astartes from scratch. The mission I was given didn't describe it that way, so I put him into the stasis field and started waiting for the stack of raw blood. ”

"It was also at this time that Lord Corvus Corax found me."

Guilliman's expression immediately changed, as did his tone.

"Corax?" he asked. "Has he met you?"

"Yes," Call said, the admiration in his tone hard to hear, but Khalil caught it nonetheless.

He continued to listen attentively.

"He made a special trip to Mars. As I said, I was not a great sage at that time, but he still wanted to see me by name. My first reaction was that he knew about my mission. For this, I felt fear."

"My instinct tells me that he must have come to me for my mission. I am worried that he will kill me. I am not afraid of death, but if I die, I will no longer be able to complete the mission assigned to me by the Emperor."

Guilliman immediately and solemnly defended his brother who was not present and who came from the past, his voice high.

"Corax is not that kind of person, Call. He would never kill innocent people indiscriminately, and he is not as rigid as you think."

Kaul smiled and nodded: "Yes, sir, this is obvious, otherwise how could I survive to this day?"

"Anyway, I met him on his flagship, and he told me straightforwardly that he was indeed here for my mission, but the truth was completely different from my imagination. He was actually here to help me."

"He brought me the original blood stack. Not only that, but also an extremely valuable technology. To be more precise, it is a only remaining sample."

Kaul turned to look at the huge nutrient tank.

"Is it him?" Guilliman asked.

"No, no, my lord," Call said. "But a dying Raven Guard."

Guilliman lowered his head, closed his eyes and thought for a few seconds using the habit he inherited from a certain woman, and then suddenly said: "Is it related to the rebellion on the Savior Star?"

"Yes." Call sighed. "That disaster caused heavy casualties to the Ravens. Although they still won, personally, I would not call that kind of sacrifice a victory."

Robert Guilliman slowly clenched his fists, his fingers crunching. But he remained calm and nodded to signal Caul to continue.

"The Raven Guard's name is Narva Huff. When I met him-"

Kaul suddenly paused for a moment and tapped his prosthetic eye. A curtain of light slowly bloomed from his eyes and was projected in front of Guilliman and Khalil.

The light curtain moved, and a figure slowly appeared.

He was lying in a complex medical device, and the armor had somehow melted away and mixed with his flesh and blood. His entire upper body was severely injured, and most of his organs were entangled with metal.

Despite this, he still smiled at the light screen.

"I hope I can be of some help to you, Father Call," Narva Hef said feebly and feebly.

The light curtain flickered, and Narva Hef's pale face disappeared, replaced by another face, a face that was exhausted and extremely painful.

The owner of this face spoke slowly.

"I have failed my heirs, Father Call." He said with a smile, but his stiff muscles turned the smile into a bitter one.

"However, I have lived up to the oath I made to my father, whose spirit I spoke to when I left Terra, and I swore to him that I would defend the legacy he gave me with all my might. You also say to him You made an oath, right?”

The light curtain shook up and down.

"Ah, you are lucky, but also unlucky, Father. I wish you well, and I hope you will complete your mission."

Corvus Corax suppressed his smile, and there was nothing that could be called 'animated' on his face that was wizened by pain. Everything he could see was filled with death.

The light curtain dissipated.

"Lord Corvus Corax gave one of his descendants to me, and from the body of the dead Narva Huff, I unearthed a technology that I cannot reveal to anyone. It was a huge help to my research.”

Kaul was lost in thought as he spoke, and even his tone became close to a whisper.

"The original blood stack contains the genetic material of all the original bodies, and the Emperor asked me to create a new generation of Astartes to face a more terrifying war. I thought hard for a long time before finally coming to a conclusion."

"I think that to do this, I must put the pure genetic material in the stack of original blood that has not been genetically modified by any legion brothers or chapter brothers into a person's body, and let them interact with him. Combine."

"Then, I will use him as a blueprint to gradually create more derivative gene sequences specifically adapted to the gene seeds of each of the original bodies."

"That is what the Emperor did, my lord. He created the first Astartes from sequences derived from the genetic material of the Primarchs."

"I stand on the shoulders of giants and stare forward, but I am really stupid. There is still a fog in front of my eyes. Even though Lieutenant Narva Huff's genetic fragment has helped me a lot, the progress of this work has also advanced. Very slowly."

He finally raised his head and walked to the huge nutrient tank as if he couldn't help himself. The giant in the jar was as silent as death, unaware of his gaze.

Robert Guilliman stepped forward solemnly, stared with him, and asked softly.

"So, what you are saying is that he has all the genetic sequences of the original body in his body?"

Call smiled hastily, the smile was stiff, as if to cover up some emotion that he didn't want to show.

Khalil saw it clearly, and that kind of emotion would not appear in a cold-blooded researcher.

Frankly speaking, he felt the same way. On the other side of the lab, Call began to explain.

"It is difficult for me to deny your words from a scientific point of view, my lord. But this is not the case. As I said, he is a prototype, a test subject that combines the genetic material of all the Primarchs."

"His genes are merely similar to any of the Primarchs or their descendants, but there is no match. He is a unique individual, and no one in this galaxy is his brother."

"You mean he is not an Astartes? Hasn't he undergone nineteen transformation surgeries?" Guilliman immediately asked.

"No, my lord, I did not operate on him, but he has all the organs that a normal Astartes would have surgically implanted. The technology I obtained from Lieutenant Narva's body allowed him to have it naturally during his development. these precious gifts.”

"He can grow into an Astartes naturally without undergoing those transformation surgeries, but"

Guilliman suppressed his excitement and asked in a gentle tone: "But what?"

"But I failed," Call said.

At this moment, the great sage's incomplete half face was filled with confusion.

"I've tried over the years and I've tried every way I could think of to keep moving this project forward, but I simply can't."

"The pure fragments extracted from his genes and the gene seeds provided by the various war groups combined quite well in the petri dish. However, every time I implanted them into a new subject, these pure genes There will be variation.”

"Not to mention the Astartes who grow naturally without surgery, they will die immediately after not even surviving for a few hours."

Call closed his mouth, and after a few seconds, he smiled and shook his head.

"So I have to declare my failure, my lord. Belisarius Calca has been working on this project for thousands of years, trying and failing, trying and failing."

Guilliman thought for a moment and shook his head. He didn't look disappointed, or even in a blaming mood.

He put his hands behind his back, took two steps back, and said to Kaul: "In that case, can you wake him up?"

"Yes, yes, my lord, but why?" Call asked confused.

"Curious," the Lord of Macragge said frankly. "I'd like to talk to a creature like this."

Kaul calmed down his emotions, nodded, stepped forward and began to operate a panel meditator in front of the nutrition tank. But at this moment, Kalil suddenly spoke.

"Does he have a name?"

Kaul paused: "No, sir."

"Give him a name, Great Sage, and we will wait outside." Khalil said, turning and leaving the separate workshop.

Although Robert Guilliman was puzzled, he followed him. The world outside the door is still filled with the sound of various mechanical operations, which still sounds pleasant and rhythmic.

After a few seconds, Khalil spoke first.

"He doesn't just see him as a test subject or his creation. There is not much of the human part of the Great Sage Caul left in that mechanical body, but he is still rich in humanity, Robert."

"What are you talking about, Khalil?"

The Lord of Macragge asked confused, his words causing Khalil to look at him. At this moment, he originally had some questions to ask, but he didn't ask them after all.

Robert Guilliman's gray hair was the answer to his question.

The war changed everything. The war transformed Robert Guilliman from a naive idealist into the pragmatic and sometimes ruthless man he is today.

He still pursues his ideals, and he is still the same protector and shield as before. But those things he lost can never be regained.

"I'm talking about—" Khalil replied slowly. "-Belisarius Call considered the creature in the nutrient tank to be his son."

"But he didn't even give him a name."

Khalil smiled and shook his head: "He's just running away, Robert."

He turned his head formally, looked into Robert Guilliman's eyes, and spoke softly: "It's like you deliberately avoided talking about Thalasa Yutun."

Guilliman gritted his teeth sharply.

——

What should I call you?

Call paused from manipulating the panel and began to think. He knew that someone was waiting outside the room, and the identities of the two waiting people could be regarded as the most noble ones in the entire empire, but he was still thinking.

He couldn't stop thinking like this.

Name, name, name yeah, name. I should have given you a name a long time ago, but why did I forget?

He looked at the sleeping giant in the nutrition tank and felt a smile coming from his heart. Although his heart has now been completely replaced by a powerful engine, and engine oil and synthetic lubricants flow in his veins instead of blood, his heart is still racing.

There was definitely something wrong with his program at this moment, because he actually felt that his heart was 'racing' - but the actual situation was that the main engine that replaced his heart was accelerating.

This is not a good thing. If he does not stop, the most critical main engine will inevitably overheat. The chain reaction caused by that time is likely to destroy his laboratory. The fragment he placed inside the body still has many secrets that he has not yet studied clearly.

But he just couldn't stop, and those words from Khalil Lohars seemed to open Pandora's box.

What should I call you? Belisarius Call asked with great sincerity.

Let me think about Iseult. What do you think of the name Iseult?

No, no. It's so old-fashioned, almost like a local ballad from Sosa four hundred years ago.

So what about Alpha? Ah, forget it. While it reflects your identity as the first Primaris Astartes and my most satisfying creation, you do not deserve such a disgusting name.

You deserve better, you deserve to be the best, yes. You should be the best.

So, Augustus? Caesar? Gaius? Romulus? No, none of these will work. I don’t want to refer to you by the names of your predecessors. They are all great, but you should surpass them.

Sorry, none of these will work. I'm a terrible name maker, I have no talent for this, I prefer to refer to my creations by numbers and numbers. But you should be more special, so.

Kaul suddenly pressed the panel in front of him hard, so hard that it shook violently.

"I'll let you decide for yourself," Call muttered. "I'm going to let you choose your own favorite name."

He let out a burst of triumphant laughter, and quickly stepped forward to help the giant who was falling out of the nutrition tank.

Although he was tall, he was still not as tall as Call. The Great Sage's almost bloated body makes him look like a monster most of the time. In fact, this is how the civilians view him.

The few who knew who he was regarded him as a talented madman who went beyond both talent and madness.

Call patiently used his appendages to sweep away the nutrient solution stuck to the giant's body one by one, and patted his back gently. A servo skull floated over, bringing a robe to the naked giant.

He put it on without saying a word, took two steps back, and spoke in an indifferent and numb tone.

"My creator." He bowed slightly. "What's the mission this time? Is it an experiment? Or is it a sparring session with your servitor?"

"Neither, First Cast," Call said.

"Then -" Shouzhu's expression suddenly became serious. "——Am I finally going to kill someone for you?"

Kaul was shocked.

"Of course not! The gears of Ohm Messiah! Why do you think so?!"

"Because you let me study." Shouzhu replied calmly. "You let me know what I am. The knowledge I gained from the book told me that a monster like me should commit murder for others. In fact, the power I possess is indeed suitable for this."

He clenched his right fist and swung it out slightly, and the air suddenly exploded.

Kaul couldn't help being silent for a few seconds, but he had always had an extraordinary patience with the first casting, so he actually spoke in a persuasive tone.

"Are you willing to kill someone for me?"

Shouzhu nodded expressionlessly: "You are my creator. I cannot and will not disobey you. I will do anything for you."

He got a roar and Call's flailing appendages.

"No, no, that's not the case!" Kaul retorted loudly. "I didn't create you expecting you to kill people for me. I can do this myself."

"So." Shouzhu asked slowly and confusedly. "What do you want me to do for you?"

"I want you to choose a name for yourself."

"I have a name."

"What name? First cast? No, it's not a name, at most it's a title. Names are very important, you know? Those crappy occultists regard names as the shortest spell. You see, it's just Even they think so!"

Shouzhu was silent, and there was pure confusion emerging on the face of this huge laboratory creature. He has never left Kaul's laboratory since his birth, or rather, he has never left Kaul.

He is well-read and can defeat ten fighting servitors made of adamantine with his bare hands without even bleeding. He was crafted by Belisarius Call to possess wisdom, strength, and a long life that many could only dream of.

But he was just confused about it.

His mind never left the laboratory, so he didn't know why Call did what he did. However, the creator is the creator after all.

Shouzhu began to think deeply. His face was the only part of his body that was free of surgical scars. However, this face was neither handsome nor ugly. It even had many completely opposite and strange features.

For example, he has a pair of pitch-black eyes, but they are not completely pitch-black or have iris mutations. There is still a light white ring around his pupils.

His lips were a somber lavender color and looked sick. And Kaul also noticed that when he was not given orders-such as this time-the first cast always maintained a dark sadness.

Even now that he was thinking, he still looked glum.

Kaul waited patiently, one minute, five minutes, ten minutes. His patience did not weaken. He was even ready to let the Servo Skull go to inform the two adults outside, but the Primaris did not continue to be silent.

"I don't know," said the sullen, tall, strange giant. "I remember many names, those great men, those scientists, generals and warriors"

"Or, a sword fighter in the ancient Roman arena, a famous hero of the uprising, monosyllabic, polysyllabic. I thought of many names for myself, creator, but I don't know what I should call myself."

"I think that for an experimental product, the title of First Cast is enough."

"You're not—" Call lowered his voice forcefully. "——Well, at least you're not just a test subject."

"Why? Because I'm precious?"

"To me, yes," Call corrected him. "And it's not as precious as you think. You are as precious to me as Friedrich Adoum Seelip Kewfer. No, you are one step further than him."

Shouzhu looked at him silently.

Of course he knows who Friedrich Adoum Seelip Chiever is, but the answer to this question may surprise many people and refuse to believe it.

Because they can't imagine that a monster like Belisarius Caul would have pure friendship with others, and would even continue to clone and create new Friedrich Adum Seelip just to keep this friendship alive. ·Qiu Fu, and then named it by number.

Just like now, Shouzhu himself couldn't believe that the huge and bloated monster in front of him, who was constantly torturing him, giving him orders, making him sleep and wake him up, cherished him.

Creator. Shouzhu chewed the word silently. He must admit that he was confused.

A voice suddenly broke into his mind at this moment, which had never happened before. The voice sounded quiet and peaceful, like the night wind.

The voice said to him: It is enough to choose a name you like, First Cast. Remember, the most important thing is that you like it.

Do you like it?

Facing Belisarius Caul's expectant gaze, the First Caster said: "Anazion Sosa Caul."

The great sage suddenly became speechless.

"You used this planet and my last name?" he said quietly.

"After all, I was created by you, and I am very impressed by this place." Shouzhu said. "So, what are the orders?"

Kaul quickly turned around and led him towards the door, with an unknown smile on the remaining half of his face.

——

009.M31

The Heresy was over, Terra was shattered, and humanity was victorious.

The Primarchs returned to their home planets, and the Empire slowly began to recover. Before leaving Terra, the Primarch Corvus Corax received a number of precious legacies from the Emperor's Genetic Laboratory from Markbearer Malcador.

010.M31

The Codex Astartes began to be implemented under the instructions of all Primarchs and Mark-bearer Malcador. Robert Guilliman was its main author, and all Primarchs were signed.

Robert Guilliman emphasized the flexibility of the rules and regulations of the Holy Code at the end of the Codex. He hoped that each war group would adapt to local conditions and use the Codex flexibly, and never fall into rigid dogmatism.

034.M31

Mechanic-Priest Belisarius Cawl secretly received a message from the Emperor on Mars.

035.M31

Through the efforts of many Martian geneticists and the last remaining instruments and materials in the Emperor's laboratories, Raptor technology was created.

039.M31

The 'Raptor' technology was put into practical use, and the new Raven Guards began to fill the severely weakened Raven Guard Legion.

042.M31

A group of traitors and aliens who called themselves the "Secret Cult", led by Erebus, and the demons attacked the Savior, intending to seize instruments and materials.

For the next six thousand years, there was no demonic invasion of this scale anywhere in the galaxy, and even the demonic tide targeting the solar system was incomparable.

During the war, the instruments required for the 'Raptor' technology were destroyed under the personal orders of Corvus Corax, thus ending the legacy of the Emperor's Genetic Laboratory.

The furious traitor Erebus cursed the Raven Guard chapter at the cost of the entire demonic tide, with unknown effects.

After the war, the then Chapter Master Nikon Sharokin was buried in the Dreadnought due to excessive injuries and survives to this day.

The Raven Guard Chapter was once again severely weakened, but the recruitment speed became extremely slow. The extraordinary recruitment speed during the 'Birds of Prey' period completely disappeared.

It is reported that there may be less than sixty remaining Ravens, and under the leadership of the Primarch, they vowed to hunt Erebus forever.

In 237.M31, Belisarius Cawl's laboratory was built in the southern part of Fortress Mars. There were many criticisms from Mars, but Malcador, the Palmist, ignored them all.

In 247.M31, Belisarius Cawl completed preliminary genetic adjustments to the First Forge.

In the same year, he met Corvus Corax, obtained the original mother copy, the original blood stack, from the Lord of Crows, and met the last living 'raptor', Narva Hef .

In 324.M31, Corvus Corax led six hundred Raven Guard into the Warp to hunt down a daemon they called 'The Raptor', never to return to his homeland. Warband.

Strangely, to this day, some people still see them in the ongoing wars across the galaxy.

In some places, superstitious people call this event the 'moment of salvation'. They believe that if war comes and demons are around, the Lord of the Savior Star will inevitably come.

"Never again."