Warhammer: I don't want to become a stinky can!

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Now, Magnus has confirmed one thing.

That is—he was unfortunate.

No, Magnus thought, he hadn't actively used his psionic powers, nor had he resisted the Space Wolf's imprisonment, so why had he been dragged into this place?

The ground beneath his feet was cold. Magnus still did not use his psychic vision. He stood cautiously in place, and the psychic deduced that he had been pulled into some kind of independent psychic domain.

This feeling……

Magnus felt the cold beneath his feet; he should be in the snow now.

This should be Fenris.

Magnus paused. Was Fenris also unwelcoming to him, like the Space Wolf? Or had he done something wrong—had he broken the oath the Wolf King had forced him to make?

The Crimson Sinner recalled that, in the end, he was certain that he had not broken his oath.

"Damn space wolves," the Crimson Sinner cursed inwardly. He knew their runemasters were cryptic—Magnus had once considered it a sign of ignorance and uncivilization.

But now, reality has shown him that the rune wizards were right in front of Fenris.

Magnus was torn. On one hand, he had been dragged into trouble again, and on the other hand, deep down, he still longed to do something.

On the other hand, Magnus firmly believed that he should do nothing.

Emperor, Hades (Magnus felt a kind of intuitive fear while thinking of this word, so he decided to use other words instead), Mortarion, Lemanrus...

Each of them firmly told Magnus to stop doing anything.

Magnus also thought so.

He couldn't bear it... he couldn't bear to face the image of the sins he had committed once again.

Magnus took a deep breath.

"You've accepted all of this," Magnus thought. "Although that wild dog was very rude to you, he was loyal to your father. Besides—they all think the wolf king is fine, so you shouldn't dwell on that."

Magnus was determined to prove himself worthless and then return to the dungeon.

In the illusory snow and ice, the crimson traveler, forcibly dragged into the territory, cautiously took a step forward and spoke in a hoarse voice.

【The great spirit of Fenris—or as you would prefer me to call him—but I mean no offense.】

Magnus's body appeared smaller than usual, a privilege afforded to psionicists who could freely change size.

Magnus, who had frequently dealt with psionic beings, knew exactly what stance he should take when facing a massive planetary will.

I am just a traveler...

Magnus took a deep breath.

[A criminal, guarded by your son Riemann Ruth. I did not intentionally seek to disturb your peace, but a blizzard in the warp has trapped us here—at the decision of your son Ruth, I have no choice but to set foot on your territory.]

Magnus paused, feeling the cold around him. It was a good thing that the cold hadn't stopped him, so he continued.

According to your son Russ, I am unarmed and merely wish to seek shelter from the storm here. I hold this land in high regard—I have absolutely no intention of harming it.

If any of my actions have offended you, then it is the fault of your son, Riemann Russ, for I have always followed his rules with utmost care.

If you wish to punish me, or wish for me to change my behavior—please consult my caretaker, Riemann Russ; I have no authority to make such decisions on my own.

Magnus, who wished to quickly return to the dungeon and do nothing, decisively shifted all responsibility to the Wolf King and felt good about it.

No,

Something spoke, and the blind Magnus determined that the voice came from in front of him.

Magnus could not see that in front of him was a small island surrounded by a river, on which stood a giant, gnarled tree.

Now, it is that tree that is speaking to him.

Fenris needs you.

An aged voice rang out, bringing Magnus the news he least wanted to hear.

Magnus roared inwardly in grief and anger. He didn't want to—he didn't want to do anything anymore. Was this true or false? Or was it just another trap?!

Before this, Magnus would have thought he was lucky, with countless serendipitous encounters happening to him.

Now, Magnus, forced to witness all of that before the Emperor… sees everyone as someone who wants to murder him.

There are no benevolent beings in the subspace.

Magnus thought of his father as well.

Even with these thoughts in his heart, Magnus still spoke with utmost respect, reaching out to touch the shackles around his neck.

【Soul of Fenris—Behold, I am no longer the glorious person I once was. My current strength is insufficient to contend with an ant, and my current magic cannot compare to the faint light that sprouts from the tip of a blade of grass.】

I am merely a blind, innocent passerby, and I have no intention of stepping into the river of Fenris's fate.

I believe your descendants would be pleased to accept your gift and request; perhaps you have chosen the wrong person.

After Magnus finished speaking humbly, he remained silent, waiting nervously. He was well aware of the laws of the warp—as long as you don't actively say "accept" or similar words, they cannot actively obtain your power.

Thinking of this, Magnus uneasily glanced at his soul again, where the crack remained, a reminder that he had already made a deal.

What he is doing now, and what he is trying his best to avoid, is preventing the debt collectors from coming to collect the debt at the end of the transaction.

The Emperor's entire strategy was to sabotage the deal as much as possible while keeping Magnus hidden.

Having figured things out, Magnus naturally had neither the strength nor the will to do anything further.

So—let him go back, back to that stinky, cold dungeon of the Space Wolves.

Magnus thought,

+No...+

The voice continued,

+Your lifeline is intertwined with Fenris's lifeline—this is the sin you have committed, and you must pay for it.+

Magnus raised an eyebrow in surprise.

[I mean no offense, but what is the lifeline?]

+Fate. +

Why is it I who committed this sin? I never harbored any ill will towards Fenris.

A sigh rang out, and the next moment, Magnus felt a light feather brush against his shoulder.

The Crimson Sinner shuddered, and he spoke incredulously, his voice sharp and broken.

[It—it's come looking for us?!]

Without hesitation, Magnus immediately began to call upon the Lord of the Order of Silence deep within his heart, as this was the best option for isolating the warp, even though he subconsciously felt something was amiss.

+ Utterly foolish!! +

A roar accompanied a heavy blow, and Magnus felt some kind of wild beast pounce on him from behind, just like the wolf king's kick. He fell forward and landed right in the gurgling river.

The river enveloped him, and Magnus coughed as he fell into the darkness—

Specks of starlight shone from the darkness, followed by a strangely flowing river of light, and a blinding rift tore open the sky.

Magnus was astonished to find that he could see again, and he was quietly floating surrounded by stars.

He then realized that this was Fenris's vision, and that Fenris was sharing his vision with him.

He blinked, a familiar sense of unease washing over him.

Magnus slowly looked around. He could no longer see the light of Terra, but he saw—

He saw a streak of bright blue light rushing straight toward him.

Even from Magnus's perspective, the blue light was not fatal to a planet that nurtured its own soul; in fact, Magnus in the past could have weakened it through some complex rituals.

But the problem isn't that blue light.

Magnus's eyes were devoid of any light; he saw in despair the monster that followed the beam of light.

The all-consuming, pitch-black, indescribable thing was reaching out its tentacles greedily and foolishly, trying to grasp the throbbing blue feathers in front of it.

Wherever the chaotic darkness passed, not a single glimmer of light remained.

It was... far larger, more insane, and more foolish than the one I had seen before.

Completely governed by instinct, completely governed by law.

He thought, trembling.

That is… Hades—no! Stop! Magnus! You can’t call it anymore.

Why has the jailer who once imprisoned him suddenly grown so big?!

What happened to him after that?! Did he devour all the souls of an entire prosperous star field?!

Even that might not be enough for the darkness to grow to such a terrifying extent!

Magnus felt his brain trembling; he was staring directly at a monster, his soul aching. The familiar suffocation and nausea of ​​yesteryear surged back, but were far heavier than before.

No—don't come any closer!

Magnus cried out in anguish, instinctively trying to back away, but to his horror he found himself unable to move an inch—at that moment he was Fenris.

In that instant, Magnus felt an overwhelming sense of fear.

Magnus coughed as he rose from the river, struggling to sit up, his scalp tingling.

He coughed.

[He—was he here for me?]

Magnus asked breathlessly, realizing that his creditor had finally found him—and decided to inflict the most horrific death upon him.

Well… only him, Magnus thought, only him would suffer, he wouldn’t be a burden to his offspring, Father… he could do it, he could.

Magnus took a deep breath, though he felt himself trembling with fear—but he accepted it.

He didn't understand why, but if his creditors wanted to settle the debt with the most brutal way he could die, then he agreed.

Magnus took a deep breath.

【I see,】

He said, exhausted and weak,

I apologize for posing a threat to you—you can speak with your son, Riemann Russ, and ask him to give me a ship so I can leave this place alone and await my final judgment.

For a moment, the spirit of Fenris did not respond to him; only the silent wind howled past.

Magnus felt a brief moment of relief, wondering if the spirit of Fenris was grieving for his sacrifice.

The wind was howling.

+...Child, you should break free from the chaos that follows spiritual awareness; it did not come for you. +

The next moment, Magnus saw Lemanrus's figure in front of an altar.

Blinding white and blue light intertwined there.

His gaze moved downwards, across the white stone altars adorned with skulls, across the topsoil overgrown with grass roots, across the long and tedious depths of the earth, where playful sounds mingled with candlelight, and he saw the lower realm of Fenris, the place where the so-called Fenris warp creatures lived.

Magnus gasped.

Fenris is a planet large enough to establish an entire subterranean kingdom.

But his gaze continued to move, downwards, and further down—

Magnus saw a gate with a distinctly alien style. It looked deserted, but its defense system was still functioning, and Magnus could see that it was resisting Fenris's psionic energy.

Ancient Eldar language was inscribed on it, and Magnus frowned as he translated it word by word.

【——Net——Way——】

what is this?

Magnus thought, as if in response to his doubts, then, the sigh of Fenris's soul resounded, filled with weariness and anger.

He has a fondness for drama and change—that's why He chose me.

Magnus, the fifteenth son of the Lord of Mankind, the Crimson King—let me see your resolve.

Magnus turned around and saw the scene Mortarion had witnessed deep within the Terra Palace.

He saw the roads that were being built.