40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 650 33. The belated trial (six, return to Caliban)

Leon El'Jonson hasn't looked in the mirror in years.

He was aware of his aging and embraced it, but he didn't like mirrors. For some reason, he felt that his reflection in the mirror looked inhumane, far more majestic and cold than he should be as a human being.

Compared to the former two, the latter was almost unnoticeable on his face, even if he tried his best to put on a gentle expression. It was also at that time that he began to realize how others viewed him.

Whether he likes it or not, the Lion must admit one thing - he is a product of genetic engineering, created by the craziest but most genius scientist in the human race through technology and mystery.

Therefore, there is no way his appearance is the result of some natural mutation or whim. The Emperor must have considered the possible repercussions when creating him, but he did it anyway, just as he had done to everyone else.

Glorious Sanguinius, beautiful Fulgrim, gloomy Konrad Curze

The Lions knew very clearly that the Emperor had requirements for them. Unfortunately, until now, he did not know exactly what expectations the Emperor had for him.

He wanted to know the answer.

He stood up with his sword in hand. The forest is above your head, the grass is under your feet, and the bushes surround the rough old trees. Caliban's unique sunlight slips eerily from between the leaves and branches, and the crisp chirping of insects is heard not far away.

What a familiar sight, but it's a pity that he doesn't really miss it. At least for now.

The lion lowered his right hand, lowered the blade of the sword, and began to scan around.

He doesn't have the habit of wearing a helmet. People need to see his face directly, so that they can know his identity and feel fear or be full of courage.

This was a good thing, after all, he didn't have to worry about things like bullets, but unfortunately everything had two sides - he couldn't use the analytical functions of the helmet and eyepieces to obtain more intelligence.

At this moment, all he could rely on were his senses.

However, it didn't matter, he already knew where he was. Regarding this matter, the lion could easily come to the conclusion without even thinking: Is there any place in the world that feels so familiar to him like Caliban?

As soon as he stepped into this forest, the instinct in his body was immediately awakened. The humid air and dim light, the smell of animals carried by the breeze, the footprints left on the ground and the poisonous snakes hiding in the dead leaves and rotting soil

A thought flashed through his mind, causing a wave of cold displeasure: I'm going home.

Home is a word full of warmth and warmth to ordinary people. It can be expanded into grand words such as hometown and home, or it can simply be used to refer to a house or a family.

Some people's homes are dilapidated bungalows that are damp and cold, leaking air and rain, and their beds are infested with insects.

In other homes, the stoves are lit all year round, and the silver plates used for dinner will reflect the expensive candlelight. The aroma of Gracchus steak will linger on the shop floor together with the sweetness of the wine long table covered with white cloth.

As for the lion, his home is a forest, a deadly forest.

When he was a child, this place tried to kill him. Decades later, this place is still the same, and they still want his life, the only difference is in the way.

Dangerous beasts and bombings from the sky. Judging from the situation at the time, there didn't seem to be much difference between the two to him.

So what now?

The lion walked calmly into the forest. Out of caution, he did not use his abilities rashly. He understood that he had returned to Caliban, the Caliban of the past.

This matter is extremely contrary to common sense and logic. However, hunting and war are both very intuitive, and the lion is very accomplished in both of these things. His intuition has never let him down.

He didn't want to gamble on what might have happened if he used his powers in the past, although a certain desire was taking root in him.

But no.

He could not defeat the thing that had stolen Horus Luperkar's body. Moreover, he has more important things to deal with now.

No matter what purpose Serafax brought him back here, the traitor must die, and before that, he needs to find his heirs first

No, maybe there's no need to look for it.

The lion stopped, bent down, and peered out from the dense bush.

He couldn't breathe at all at this moment, and his whole body seemed to be completely integrated with the surrounding environment. A breeze blows in my face, bringing with it the smell of green grass and the unique moisture of the stream.

The forest is like this. It was obviously very dark not long ago. However, with only a few turns, a certain path will take you in a new direction. Only the most experienced hunters can judge what is hidden at the end of these paths.

Whether it is good or bad, they can understand it at a glance - the male lion is naturally the most experienced hunter, but at this moment he dare not say whether he will get good results after setting foot on this trail.

There is no other reason than the vast woodland on the other side of the river. Fifty young people with still immature faces were standing side by side in the early morning breeze, rehearsing military formations.

It was a ceremonial military formation that would only be used on important occasions, and the lion could tell it at a glance.

The person responsible for leading them had cold brown skin and long black hair, elegantly draped over his shoulders. Those dark blue eyes were staring at the recruits intently, helping him find the shortcomings in their movements.

Zabriel.

The lion gritted his teeth with mixed emotions.

After a few seconds, he turned and left without exposing himself rashly. Talking to people from the past was a dangerous idea. He was not an expert in the occult, but he was well aware of many taboos.

Something like this would likely have an immeasurable impact on their timeline. Just imagine, if Zabriel and the honor guard of recruits he led met him at this time, would the outcome of Caliban's rebellion be different?

"Change?" A voice sounded in his ear.

A soft sound erupted at the same time. The lion's murderous intention made him unsheath his sword in the fragments that could not be called time, and the debris of weeds and shrubs slowly floated. Before he could even hit the ground, Serafax's voice came back with a vengeance.

"Zabriel survived, father, but the recruits who stayed with him did not. Imagine if they had survived, would your Guard have been better off?"

The wizard took a deep breath as he spoke. His voice sounded like it was coming from an extremely far away place, and the lion frowned. He actually didn't care about the matter. He just wanted to know how Serafax got into his mind.

"I didn't get into your head." The wizard continued, and it seemed that he was not alone. A monotonous and persistent buzzing was tightly wrapped around his words.

Somehow, the lion felt familiar with this voice, but he did not immediately start searching his memory. Even the second the thought came up, he immediately sank it into many complicated thoughts.

He had received relevant training, and he was no longer the same as before, and those training seemed to have an effect, Serafax continued talking to himself.

"I just have a certain connection with you, the original body, like a long-distance communication channel, where only you and I exist. It is two-way, I can vaguely hear some of your thoughts, and vice versa."

The lion narrowed his eyes and didn't say a word. He just picked a new direction in the forest and walked towards it.

"How long has it been since you've been back to Caliban?" Serafax asked chatteringly, the hum still ringing.

"I have to say that you are very cruel to your home world. Over the past few years, although I have spent most of my time hiding in the subspace, I have also tried my best to search for news related to you."

"I know that you have only returned to Caliban twice since the end of the Great Rebellion. One was to reform the system, and the other was to execute some people. After all, it is your home."

The lion remained silent, his thoughts as cold as ice at the moment.

The occult knowledge he learned from Azek Ahriman and the resistance training he received played a very big role. He spent almost no effort and relied on some imagination composed of meaningless fragments. Serafax was banished from his mind.

With a regretful sigh, the wizard's voice faded away in an instant, and the lion was alone again.

It's always like this.

Leon El'Jonson quietly exhaled the last bit of air remaining in his lungs, his pupils gradually becoming sharp and slender. The hunter's unique secret is gradually revealed as he goes deeper into the forest.

Man is obviously not meant to be capable of this, and he will never disappoint the one who so generously bestows these things on him.

He rolled over the piles of dead leaves, fully armed, but made no sound. The rotten and sunken soil could not swallow his steel boots. The sleeping beasts in the forest woke up naturally without even noticing him, and were driven by instinct to scatter.

Some of them panicked and rushed towards him, but the lion did not kill him.

The giant beasts that need to be conquered have long since died, and these creatures are just ordinary animals. No matter how ferocious they are, he will not attack them when they are not hostile to him.

"It would be nice if you had the same patience with us, Father."

The lion stopped again.

Serafax's voice seemed closer to him, and so did the hum. The Lion didn't know how he came back, but he didn't want to do what Serafax wanted.

Therefore, after the wizard's voice sounded again, the lion went through the difficult training again. He got a similar result - as his cloak swept across the dead branches of the giant tree, Serafax's voice disappeared again.

But this is obviously not a long-term solution. The Lions will not ignore the differences shown by Serafax in these two unilateral dialogues.

He must find the Angels of Absolution as soon as possible, and then find Serafax, and he must race against time, seize the moment, because fire may rain from the sky at any time.

"Yes, it could be any time," Serafax said, her voice hoarse and close. But this time, the buzzing sound disappeared.

"only--"

The lion swung his sword without looking back. This sword was so fast that it exceeded some limit. When it split a giant tree in two, causing the towering giant to collapse and crush a piece of it, the sound produced when swinging the sword suddenly erupted sharply.

It was mixed in with the explosion-like noise caused by the collapse. It was not conspicuous, but it was real, just like the real murderous intention boiling in the eyes of the lion.

Serafax stood before him, unscathed.

His face had only one expression, an indescribable sadness that was too obvious to be expressed. No self-respecting person would like to show such true feelings in front of others, but Serafax did it.

He allowed himself to be weak, his facial muscles twitched, and his lips bent down and his eyes almost tearing up hurt the lion's eyes deeply.

He immediately realized one thing - Serafax must have done something, and it was probably so evil that the wizard himself could not forgive himself.

He raised his head sharply.

The sky began to burn.

In just a moment, the lion understood what the familiar humming sound was: it was the sound of the weapon control panel on the Caliban orbital space station being warmed up.

The lion had not operated it, but only heard it once during an exercise. This matter had long been suppressed in a corner that he himself did not know about, and if he was not the Primarch, he would never remember it.

But now he would rather not remember it.

The lion raised his sword.

"It's you." He spoke in a calm and determined tone.

Serafax took a deep breath, not admitting it, but not denying it either. He looked so painful that he almost died on the spot. The sword light that formed a lake flashed at the same time, and slashed at his neck without hesitation.

Serafax coughed and stood there, not dodging or avoiding. Two dazzling blue lights lit up from under his feet, blocking the lion sword, but this did not reduce the lion's anger, but instead intensified the hatred in his heart.

Roaring, Serafax's Primarch raised his sword again and killed his offspring.

"Traitor!" he roared. "You will die without a burial place!"

"I know, I know," Serafax murmured, glanced at the lion very quickly, and then immediately looked away and began to take a deep breath.

The lion's attack and anger were so abundant that they almost shook the earth, but Serafax's shield spell was as solid as a rock, firmly blocking every slash.

The lion gnashed his teeth and began to miss the Spear of Dionysus. He thought it was a matter within his legion, so he did not bring it with him when the interrogation began. If the artifact was still in his hands, Serafax would definitely have been ripped open.

"But if I die, father--" The wizard habitually put on that fake smile, which was shocking. "--How are you going to go back?"

The blade tore the blue light, the lion took a deep breath, and whispered with an extremely resentful tone.

"I will kill you"

"And I have no doubt about it." Serafax replied, trying to maintain that smile. "I will die under your sword, as the culprit, the biggest sinner in ten thousand years, be beheaded by you in front of everyone."

"I will accept this ending willingly, but not now, father, I can't die now."

He raised his right hand and pinched another magic gesture in the lion's increasingly fierce anger. Psychic energy began to flicker along with his traction, and a magic circle began to appear under their feet, but the lion ignored it and continued to swing his sword like crazy.

Serafax took in all of this and spoke again: "Twenty-two hours, father, do you remember this time? It only took us twenty-two hours to mess everything up."

More flames streaked across the sky, and something heavy landed in the distance. It set off air waves, tore the ground, and screams accompanied by the shaking of the earth reached their ears.

Serafax clenched his right hand fiercely.

"Twenty-two hours."

He said slowly, and the tip of the lion's sword was shining in front of him. The lion held the sword with both hands and almost broke through his defense with a stab.

In such a dangerous situation, Serafax felt strangely proud of it. His original body should be so powerful.

Even if he was blessed by the Lord of Change and held a heavy weapon, he could survive the destruction of the world safely, and the lion could really kill him in battle

But not now.

The blue light of the magic circle lit up at the lion's feet.

"You have twenty-two hours." Serafax said, staring into the lion's eyes. "I will wait at the old site of the Knights, Primarch."

The light went out, and the lion roared and disappeared on the spot. The wizard immediately spat out a large mouthful of blood and knelt on the ground in pain. The flames on his body leaped cruelly, burning his flesh and blood.

How greedy is the blessing of chaos. It is called blessing, but in fact it is just a terrible malice that devours souls and bones. It will not stop until it eats him up.

Just when Serafax was about to lose himself for this, a blue arm suddenly stretched out from the shadow behind him and grabbed his shoulder.

The raging flames immediately went out, and a voice sounded in Serafax's ears with a heavy echo.

"The plan is very successful, little wizard." It praised so much, giggling. "I've seen many crazy people, but you are definitely one of the most outstanding ones among them."

Serafax stood up shakily and shook his fist in disgust. Its owner seemed to not mind this offense at all, and his laughter became clearer.

"Do you really feel the reality of what you have done, Serafax?"

It asked this, and its voice suddenly became calm, and its wisdom could not be hidden. In just a moment, it changed from a crazy creature to a wise man.

"I mean, do you really understand what you are doing?" it asked. "Time is not something that a mortal like you can touch at will. Even for us, we have to think carefully before we can tease a certain node."

"Compared to us, what you did is like breaking into the king's banquet and smashing his crown in front of everyone. What do you think you will be punished for?"

"If the Lord of Change really wants to punish me, He would have taken my soul long ago." Serafax replied coldly. "No need for you to talk too much here."

It immediately asked back: "So, do you know Him well? I think the answer is probably not so. You have never seen Him, right? All your knowledge of Him comes from books, demons and your own imagination, and these things are not credible."

It sighed meaningfully.

"Seeing is believing, Serafax."

"Whether the Caliban Rebellion happens or not is not important to the whole world. You have worked hard for this all your life, trying your best to change everything and arrange everything. You think you are an important person, but He may not care about you and your plan at all, just want to see you laugh."

Coughing, Serafax indifferently pinched another teleportation spell again. The blue light came on, and his burning long hair seemed to return to its original state at a certain moment.

"It doesn't matter." The wizard said firmly. "And you, shut up, you just need to help me."

"Okay!" It laughed. "I like unrepentant lunatics like you!"

——

With rage, the lion stepped into a new land. It was cold and dark here, and the air was full of the smell of corruption, but he didn't care about it at all.

He knew where this place was, and could recognize it at a glance, but now he just wanted to go back and kill the beast Serafax.

However, the anger that was carried by the untamed wildness was so terrifying that he even felt uneasy about it, just because of the similarity.

The last time he acted with this kind of anger, Luther was still by his side, and now--

"--Primarch?"

The lion turned around and saw his pardon angels in the abandoned waterway below the Knights' residence. Of course, there was also Azrael who was swept in, and the knight's squire Asmodai.

"It's me, Zabril."

In an instant, his anger dissipated. The lion sword was sheathed, and he walked calmly between them, nodded to them, and silently checked the status of each person.

They were flattered by this, and Asmodai was the best among them. He was tense all over, and the posture of holding the sword was amateurish like a novice, probably because he already knew where he was.

The lion didn't blame him, but the contrast between him and Azrael was really amazing. As a junior and a newcomer, Azrael looked much more relaxed.

This conclusion remained until Azrael took off his helmet.

The lion saw his pale and tense face, and then immediately overturned his conclusion.

"Zabriel." He called out the captain of the Angels of Absolution. "Reorganize the formation and let your little brothers relax. We will set off in three minutes."

"Understood, Primarch." The Angel of Absolution said.

He didn't ask where they were going, nor did he comment on the current situation. He just carried out the lion's orders, clean, pure, like a sharp sword.

Lion El'Jonson grabbed this idea and poured it into his thoughts.

In the darkness, his eyes gleamed.