Warhammer 40k: Shattered Steel Soul

Chapter 460 Dialogue with God

Is it time to do this? Lorgar Aurelion asked himself again.

Darkness spread before him, around the locked hollow wooden door - plated with black iron and coated with animal fat obtained from the refinement of the Word Bearers' country of believers - and penetrated like needles into the punishment chamber. A low gasp came from inside. Broken light flickers through the hollowed-out acacia wood, originating from the strong iron cables swinging within it.

He looked back at the Wandering Temple outside. The dim yellow sparks danced like raindrops in the incense burner, and the temperature was stingingly cold.

Since Perturabo revealed his true form at the Great Council of Nikaea, Lorgar Aurelion used his own city to probe the Iron Lord's attitude. Perturabo's hypocrisy disappoints him. The eldest son of the empire has long been poisoned, perhaps by darkness, perhaps by time.

He gently pushed open the wooden door, and silence rushed toward him. All the trivial sounds seemed indistinct, like thick fog.

Are those the cries and prayers of souls? Lorgar thought, lowering his eyes and listening to the cries in the wind, his throat shaking silently, chanting all the prayers he knew to comfort and encourage the lives that died for the Dark Star.

Warmaster Perturabo, he has millions of guns and can command millions of Astartes, and each Astartes is equivalent to a hundred Imperial soldiers.

Yet he could not silence the voice of faith. He cannot kill the echoes of faith that ring like bells on tens of thousands of planets throughout the empire.

What futile humble efforts, what useless self-righteousness!

He can imprison the warmaster who deceives the world and steals his reputation, the traitor who seizes power, seals the Book of Holy Words, and tamper with the truth of the empire. He could issue ten thousand edicts to tempt humanity not to believe in the Emperor - it would be too late, it would be too late.

The galaxy has received the Word.

During the Great Crusade, the Word Bearers ensured that every planet submitted to the Seventeenth Legion was dedicated to him, to the Master of Mankind who suffered for the world on Holy Terra. There is no heresy wherever he goes - so loyal that he cannot be shaken, and he is so fanatical that he will never regret it even to the death.

So now, they die for their faith.

No advice, no persuasion, just a statement that Lorgar Aurelion was about to be convicted of indiscriminate killing was enough to convince countless people on tens of thousands of habitable planets to act out of righteous indignation and belief. They whipped themselves with plain white branches until all their painful blood was squeezed out and flowed into the eternal soul of the Lord of Mankind.

Lorgar smiled silently, his two hearts beating, allowing him to listen to the sound of his blood flowing in his ears.

He heard that in the Pacific Sector, near Colchis, which was settled by Perturabo, a planetary governor asked one-sixteenth of the people to come out of their huts and die on the day of a stellar eclipse. On the earth, they use their own blood to water the sand plains given to them by the only Lord. In the end, one in eight died.

Lorgar Aurelion stood still in the darkness until the Primarch's eyes led him to the Serpents of Eden.

Erebus's face was blurry. Lorgar had peeled off his face not long ago, and he admitted that it was out of anger.

The blood flowed on the ground until it dried up. The seat of the chair and the mercy seat facing Erebus were both soaked in scarlet and brown residue, as if growing from the depths of the wood grain. Some bones were shattered under the execution frame and piled up like ashes. Not all of them belonged to Erebus.

"Are you suffering?" Lorgar asked, facing Erebus in the darkness. "Is your suffering enough?"

Erebus made no sound. Lorgar knew that he was not dead yet. An Astartes would not die easily. Their bodies were supposed to be temples used to carry the Emperor's anger and will, so they were forged to be particularly tough, capable of carrying pain and despair. Much larger than ordinary people.

Therefore, Lorgar Aurelion used extraordinary patience to torture every inch of his flesh and blood structure, and ensured that there was a gap in the time when he entered this darkness, in order to allow a gap between the two periods of pain, so as not to cause excessive, Exhaustion destroyed the temple's load-bearing foundation in one fell swoop.

The One with the Truth hopes that what he has done in the past month has touched the limit of this poisonous snake, so that everything the evil snake has stolen from the Emperor's light can be returned to the humans of Holy Terra in the form of pain. Lord.

He sighed, "I once favored you, Erebus. I once thought you were a perfect devotee who could give everything we had to our faith. But you deceived us and gave us I learned a lesson.”

"Not everyone is willing to put the Emperor in the highest position," he continued, heating the amber water on the candle fire, the flames eagerly licking the corners of the cup, leaving a faint afterimage in their tracks. , like the blinking eyelashes of a giant beast. “Not everyone is as religious as they say they are.”

The water was boiled, and Lorgar poured it over Erebus's head, letting the consecrated holy water flow hotly against the skinless, twisted monster until it condensed into wax. The traitor has been reduced to a vessel of pain and nothing else.

"I offer you the pain of the traitor, Father," said Lorgar. "Is this the last sacrifice? I have been preparing for it for a long time. I have heard your grace behind the curtain, Father."

He held the knife and cut open the remaining part of Erebus's torso. He imagined the World Tree carved on the temple and carefully carved on the raw materials under his hands to remove the damage to the image caused by the incorrect healing of scar tissue. .

A distant scream came from the darkness, parted the layers of blocking curtains, and knocked on Lorja's eardrums. He prayed silently, hoping that pain would bring one closer to the Emperor.

"Some people," he continued, "have conditions for their piety. You must first give them infinite love and let the superficial interests outweigh their ungodly interests. Only then will they be willing to pretend to kowtow to you and say two things. A kind word for you.

"And behind your back, they will curse your throne, ridicule your army, and treat you as a non-existent symbol and an artificial image. The trend is to pursue profit and not understand the truth."

A piece of flesh and blood fell out of the material under his hand, as if the limited skin and blood vessels were no longer enough to cover all the muscles enhanced by the muscle strengthening organ. Pain crawled along the gap, seeping deeper into the material.

"And your kindness in this world is not even willing to give them the punishment for their sins, and you are not willing to put the punishment on them out of thin air. You continue to provide for them because you are the only source of great kindness, but they are self-righteous and think that this It's your weakness.

"They are unable to respond to your love with love, and they don't know how to use pain to get close to your pain. In them, noble morality disappears, and vulgar and narrow self-interest is reflected. They are like flies and dogs, and they are complacent."

Lorgar Aurelion temporarily stopped what he was doing and stood still, waiting for the raging tears to drain away.

Humanity needs the Emperor.

In this vast infinite universe, in this darkness surrounded by enemies, human beings need protectors.

This is not a lie, nor is it an excuse for the ignorant people of Ancient Terra to worship the gods in their hearts: the enemy of darkness does exist.

The violent and bloody eyes are staring at him, the changeable deceivers are laughing evilly, the breath of decay is flowing profanely, the ugly buds of depravity and blasphemy have bloomed... He has known all this during his days in Colchis.

Human beings cannot protect themselves with their own hands, whether they are short-lived heroes or united warriors. not enough. Neither is enough.

This is a cold fact of the universe.

Only reciprocal power can protect mankind - how lucky they happen to have such a human god, and He truly loves mankind.

The Emperor leads Mankind forward, ever vigilant, never resting, holding the entire species in His icy embrace, keeping out darkness and evil.

In this turbulent era, in the golden light after the old night - mankind re-establishes the empire and unites as one.

This is His kingdom on earth.

"But they don't believe you," Lorgar murmured, unable to control the tears that flowed from his eyes. "Half of the Empire, or one-third of us, would rather believe in a liar who tampered with the truth. They are not you at all. Children. Father, they doubt you and waste your kindness and flesh. Why are people so bad?

The wooden frame carrying Erebus suddenly collapsed, smashing out a piece of unclean debris. The wailing sound became louder and louder, whipping his back and biting sharply at his spirit.

How many of his Word Bearers are pious enough? He had hinted to them, hinted at the approaching revelation, hinted at the judgment to come, hinted at how they might contribute to their only Lord.

If Warmaster Perturabo thought that locking them in steel would kill their faith, he was sadly mistaken.

How will steel kill words? How will guns kill devotion?

Lorgar thought, knelt on the ground, drove the sharp knife into Erebus's chest, cut out his second heart, and placed it respectfully on one side.

"The second heart," Lorgar Aurelion said softly, "you gave us a second life. I took it out of the evil snake's body and gave it back to you the pain conceived within it."

The wind sound composed of wailing in the ears became louder, darkness surged, and the ship seemed to be shaking a little, as if it was bumping in a storm.

The bone-reinforcing organ was replaced by a section of spine, and Lorgar placed it on the right side of the heart, followed by the muscle-reinforcing organ, the blood remodeling organ, and the Lariman organ.

"You gave us newly created blood, monitored our muscles and bones, healed wounds, and ended diseases. I took it out of the traitor's body and gave its inner end to you."

An out-of-control light lit up behind him, and for a moment the world flashed into a black and white silent film, and was instantly broken by the howling of the soul, with black and red alternating turbulently in the howl.

Just beyond the Temple of the Wanderer, deep into the eternally silent Hall of Hindsight inside the Law of Faith, a roar rose suddenly, serving as a line for Lorgar Aurelion's prayer.

Lorgar smiled at the devotion and permission of the loyalists, wishing them soon to enter the glory of the Emperor.

He concentrated and continued his work.

"The knot," Lorgar whispered, "keeps us forever alert, half asleep, half monitoring your world. And you never have a day off. Never, father, and I respect your choices."

Is Erebus still alive? Lorgar had stopped probing and confirming this.

The surrounding darkness continued to swirl, and the pious screams were quietly mixed with the screams of the devil.

He put down the knife and lit an ordinary candle. The fat slid down against the butter wax, quietly illuminating a small piece of flickering light. The chains on the sacrifice trembled like twisted snakes in the light, as if they were afraid of something. The dim light of the candle gradually dispersed the screams, and the candlelight opened a small circle of full silence.

The preset stomach was dissected out and the inside was empty. This organ allows the Space Marine to consume anything remotely nutritious in order to make the greatest contribution to humanity with minimal consumption. It was also a manifestation of the Emperor's love for humanity.

Gene detects nerves, multiple lungs... Luojia continued to chant the carol in his mouth, changed positions, and placed the next organs in other open spaces on the ground.

Some subtle changes caught his attention. Luojia stared at the nerve for two seconds. Did this thing jump and make a hissing sound just now? Does it twist itself into sacred words, like the threads of a vestment that need no weaving?

Maybe not so fast, not enough... and this conversation is not over yet...

"Visual control organ," Lorgar said softly, "your vision extends within it. The pain we see is the pain you pity, and the rebellion we see is the reason why you want to end the kingdom on earth. From this evil snake's From the desecrated temple, I will take out again the pure part that belongs to you.”

He suppressed the sobs in his heart and took off the Lyman Ear of the sacrifice. To implant these ears, Space Marines hollowed out their own ears and replaced them with the gift of sensitive hearing.

As he did so, waves of lustrous sound rumbled over from all parts of the Rhythm of Faith, and the chandeliers of the sanctuary trembled and suddenly exploded. His breathing also carried an echo, and there was a painful chant hidden in the echo.

That's it……

exactly……

A burnt offering for you...

The surrounding darkness pressed towards him. In the darkness, it seemed that the entire palace was quietly being reorganized. Bricks and stones were being relocated, doorways were being enlarged, marbles were scraping and colliding with the columns, arches and paths were being reversed, and the buildings were creaking painfully. Roaring, reorganizing toward infinite repetition and vastness.

Drops of blood leaked from Lorgar's own ears, and his lungs hurt as if a beast was scratching and struggling in them, draining his oxygen, throwing him into the infinite abyss with black eyes, and falling toward the void. Pain came to him too, and Lorgar accepted it reverently, sharing in the torment the darkness had brought upon him. Torment is the way to get closer to His mercy and His giving.

"Sus-an meninges, we are resting in the short death, enjoying the comfort you bring us, and getting a glimpse of the new world we can enter after the end." Lorgar said, panting heavily, and tremblingly peeled off the The intact meninges were put aside, "Your darkness, your touch, let us be inspired in the gaps between battles..."

His world was shaking, the deck was tilting and collapsing, the railings were overturning, and all the bones in the punishment chamber were falling apart and rushing towards him. He fell to the upper level of the void, and his body was immersed in the waves of darkness that seemed to have substance. A steady bell sounded from above. He grabbed the knife and swam desperately. His clothes grabbed his heavy body and slapped his calves...

On the verge of exhaustion, he suddenly returned to reality, his heart still beating wildly, whipping him fiercely from the inside.

He glanced around vigilantly. The candlelight was still steadily opening up a quiet altar, but the smell of blood was pouring from countless gaps in the deck.

Lorgar felt at ease, knowing that many good boys in his fleet lived up to their loyalty and sacrificed their pain to their master.

However, some stalkers in the void are quietly lifting the curtain, hoping to steal the power gathered here and steal the prayers they offer to the Emperor.

He sniffed the tip of his nose, smelling ichor oozing from the rotten soul, while violent colors began to dance and swirl on the back of the darkness.

Lorgar exhaled solemnly, knowing that he had to pick up the pace.

"Pigment-controlled organs," he said. "Pebbled kidneys. Taste-detecting nerves—your reward for tasting the poisons of the world. I offer you my sacrifices, and may they be a pain that pleases you."

The roar of the soul screamed around him, and his whole body ached, followed by complete paralysis, as if he had died. If he died here, so be it, if his soul could be dedicated to Him, so be it...

"Sweat glands improve our organs and allow us to fight endlessly in extreme environments. Bettcher's glands, your hatred is our poison, your punishment is the death given by our mouths. We are your weapons, your tools, you of angels.”

"Gene storage gland, one of the billions of us who carry your power, use our bodies to cultivate angels. Your will is carried out from beginning to end, and the Holy Spirit fills us inside. Your darkness is our darkness, and your curse is ours. curse."

The last step, Lorgar thought, his spirit stretched into a slender spider's thread in the feverish tension.

"Black Carapace," he said, weeping again, "we live in armor and kill for the welfare of your people. There are rebellions within your mortal empire and enemies outside, so you are going to the world of mortals. A new world opens up for us. I've seen it, we've seen it. Do you accept my prayer and devotion? If it's not enough - if it's not enough - —”

Suddenly, as if an invisible door suddenly opened, he was thrown into a glorious world filled with fierce light. Colorful ribbons were flying, the storm subsided, the air was fresh and clean, and the bright light illuminated the whole world.

The frenetic red and pure blue intertwined and danced, the green leaves and vines spread endlessly to the sky, paving a road to the sky, and the living roses grew from the eye sockets of the skull, delicate and beautiful. The blue glass sea was endless below, and the lazy kingfishers spread their wings and danced in the palace, and the perfumed powder from their pure and beautiful wings brushed the tip of Lorgar Aurelion's nose.

In the center was a crystal rainbow throne, surrounded by emerald light. There were four living creatures surrounding it, with the faces of a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle, with six wings and eyes, holding seven torches, burning brightly.

Lorgar Aurelion looked around and faintly heard loud music and joyful clapping, encouraging him to go forward, kneel before the throne, and provide for the true God he believed in.

Go forward...

Go forward...

Go.

Redemption is ahead.

The real light is after suffering, and grace is on the other side of sacrifice.

Slowly, his lips curled into a smile.

"These are your enemies." Lorgar Aurelion smiled, "These are the cursed creatures who want to steal your true name. Do they want to trick me into fighting for them? Are they promising that they can also give humans a paradise like this? What do they want to say? Do they think that human suffering can be soothed by inhuman things? No, no..."

He lowered his head, and his feet were full of blood. The coagulated black and red blood clots and yellow and white bone residues were like rough crayon drawings, spreading wantonly around. The candle was still burning, pale and stubborn.

Blood and bones, hatred and death, the faith of mankind for thousands of years was born only from darkness.

"Pain is also human's own, salvation is also human's own, everything is human's own, and only you can guide the true path of mankind..."

Lorgar Aurelion stabbed the knife into his first heart with his backhand, and darkness surged from his chest, swallowing up the world in an instant.