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

Page 179

Motarian blurted out a sentence out of nowhere.

Horus looked at Mortarian with difficulty. What did he see? Did Mortarian mean the enormous, monstrous corpse that blotted out the sky, or the scene Mortarian had just unearthed?

Horus swallowed hard. The Wolf God could easily reconcile various conflicts between brothers, could easily see through political hypocrisy, and could command a victory without lifting a finger. He was the Primarch with the highest social skills and flexibility, and could handle all kinds of emergencies well.

But now, for the first time, Horus realized how difficult it was to speak.

Especially when he was standing in front of Mortarian with a "I already told you" look on his face.

Horus forced out the words, asking the most worthless question.

"That's... your death shroud, Hades, that tech sergeant?"

Mortarian nodded.

"He killed the alien leader all by himself?"

Mortarian took two labored breaths, a hissing sound coming from his breathing mask.

"To be precise, he survived because he coordinated with the Death Guard's orbital attack."

Even with the possibility of an orbital attack, isn't this already bizarre enough?

As if knowing Horus's question, Mortarian then added,

"Hades is an untouchable, you know that, my brother."

“We have all seen the Silent Sisters, and my Death Guardian has a similar constitution to them.”

"So he is immune to most psionic damage, which I think is why he survived."

Horus looked at the pile of corpses in the distance. Mortarion didn't mention a word about Hades killing that alien lord single-handedly.

Is this really something that can be achieved through individual strength?

Or does that "targeting" refer to...

Horus found it hard to believe that Hades could accomplish such a feat alone, but if the Death Guard had a dedicated army...

"So the Silent Sisters' strength can reach this level? It seems I was a bit too frivolous in my treatment of those sisters."

Mortarian shook his head.

"Hades is stronger than them."

"He is an exception."

"A complete exception, unrepeatable; he is the only one like this within the Death Guard."

"And this success..."

Mortarian looked at the massive mountain of tentacles.

“I was also surprised by this, but I believe that with Hades’ abilities and a bit of luck, it is possible.”

Mortarian might be able to sense what Horus is thinking, but Horus doesn't believe Hades alone can do it, and his thoughts gradually veer into areas Mortarian doesn't want him to think about.

"We can review the video footage from his helmet after the war."

"Motalian said abruptly."

Hades' exposure is inevitable, so it's better to hide the remaining secrets of the Death Guard in a secluded corner under Hades's radiance beforehand.

Thanks for subscribing, happy reading! (_)

Chapter 209 I understand!

The Endurance silently left a trail in the void, and meteors in space were struck by this behemoth and scattered dully.

Horus once again stepped onto this oppressive and somber ship. The light inside the narrow starship was sparse, and the moss-green walls and bone-white floor made him feel as if he were dwelling in a damp tomb.

Even those who love to chat, living on such a ship for a long time, would eventually be assimilated into silent dead people by this ship, wouldn't they? Horus couldn't help but sigh like this; everything on the Death Guardian was telling the story that vibrant life was not welcome here.

The shimmering white light on the armor faded, and the screen turned a silent black. No one spoke. The two Primarchs watched in silence what was recorded in Hades' helmet. The video began with Hades and Blanca parting ways.

This truly shocked Horus.

The banner of the Wolf God once flew over countless battlefields. This favorite of the emperor has certainly witnessed countless heroic and tragic stories of warriors. Under the ever-changing shadow of war, miracles and mistakes are equally common.

He had witnessed his Moon Wolves accomplish impossible tasks time and time again, as if carving deep trenches into rocks. Miracles favored the Moon Wolves, writing epics that other legions could not achieve.

Therefore, Horus understood miracles and believed that miracles could happen to the warriors of the Empire.

But isn't this too much?

Even miracles must follow the most basic logic, right?

If it weren't for the Primarch's keen eye ensuring the video hadn't been altered, Horus would have genuinely suspected that it was fabricated by Mortarion to deceive him.

This silent video reveals an impossible miracle: fleshy tentacles filling the entire world roar grotesquely, their countless eyes staring angrily at the subject providing the image. An attack powerful enough to sweep away an entire area descends from the sky, the bloated flesh filling the frame, wantonly unleashing malice upon the helmet's owner.

Even a seasoned interstellar veteran would feel an indescribable fear in the face of such a scene.

Even without fear, one should feel nauseous and hesitant amidst that sticky flesh and blood, right?

But the tentacles in the scene grew larger and larger, and the helmet's owner was rushing towards the center without hesitation. If it weren't for the silence, Horus could imagine the whooshing sound of the wind as he rushed forward.

Smooth—that was the first word Horus could think of when he witnessed Hades's journey.

It was a fluid and graceful movement, each step seemingly rehearsed a thousand times, a storm of flesh and blood raging forth, yet the swifts darting through it remained completely dry.

Furthermore, in Horus's memory, Hades's usual power armor was the Hades-type Terminator armor, right? To enhance defense and firepower, the Hades-type Terminator armor sacrificed some flexibility, even though it was one of the more flexible Terminator armors. But it was still Terminator armor!

Among Horus's Moon Wolves, Abaddon was known for his skillful control of the Terminator Armor.

Those impossible dodging maneuvers and the obvious feeling of being suspended in mid-air.

Is this really something a Space Marine could do?

Horus glanced at Mortarion, impressed by their terrifying maneuvering. Unlike the incredible mobility shown in the video, Mortarion and the Death Guard gave him a completely different feeling. These warriors seemed to enjoy slowing down the war and then steadily and slowly reaping the increasingly exhausted enemy.

Horus carefully recalled the few times he had seen Hades.

To his regret, aside from being relatively tall and strong, he hadn't paid much attention to this soldier.

What kind of being is Hades, the Death Guardian?

Even those who are untouchable could not possibly reach this level, right?

Or is it that the Silent Sisters were not actually the most powerful Untouchables?

"So, that's how it is."

A sigh came, and seeing that Horus seemed to still be engrossed in the video, Mortarion had no choice but to speak himself.

"It was indeed Hades who, in conjunction with the Death Guard, used orbital bombardment to defeat the enemy."

Horus looked slowly at Mortarian, then nodded seriously. The video had rigorously demonstrated Hades's actions, and even though Horus found it hard to believe rationally, he couldn't really refute Mortarian's claims.

This ruled out his previous speculation that the Death Guard might have a targeted army.

Horus was still pondering why a Space Marine would be sufficient to achieve this level; in his understanding, unless...

But now he had to deal with Mortarian's suspicious gaze first. Since the other side had shown him sufficient sincerity, the Wolf God naturally couldn't afford to be indifferent.

"An excellent soldier, excellent enough."

“I truly envy you, my brother. To have such a powerful warrior in your legion is a source of pride for the legion.”

Upon hearing Horus's words, Mortarian nodded firmly.

“I am well aware of this.”

"So...he really is an untouchable?"

Mortarian blinked in surprise. The facts were already there, so why was Horus asking again?

"As far as I know, Hades is an untouchable."

Horus did not accept this answer. The Wolf God knew that the Untouchables could only resist certain psionic attacks, but this could not explain Hades' performance, which was far superior to that of ordinary people in terms of mobility and strength.

This is not logical.

Since the Dark Realm cannot be observed with the naked eye, the video naturally does not convey this feeling that subconsciously evokes fear and disgust, so Horus still does not accept Mortarion's answer.

It can withstand certain psionic attacks, possesses powerful physical attributes, and seems like an impossible miracle.

Therefore, Hades is actually a—

Psionicist!

High-level psionicists can resist psionic attacks and can also use psionic energy to enhance their physical abilities. Moreover, psionic think tanks are groups that frequently create miracles due to warp fluctuations.

Aside from determining what level of psionicist could stop this psionic alien and why Mortarion insisted on calling a psionicist untouchable, everything else forms a logical loop in Horus's work.

The main reason is that the Primarchs knew that psykers capable of destroying planets with one hand did exist, but such powerful untouchables were completely beyond their comprehension.

Thinking of this, Horus glanced thoughtfully at Mortarion. Why would his brother engage in such a ridiculous pretense?

On the surface, he dislikes psionicists, but in reality, he promotes one of them.

Mortarion was completely unaware of Horus's strange logic, and the Primarch continued speaking as he had anticipated.

“My brother, I hope you will not tell anyone about this, including Hades’s constitution.”

Mortarian said without changing his expression, he didn't care at all whether Hades's constitution would be exposed, but as long as he brought it up, Horus's mind would be tied to Hades instead of thinking about other things.

“The Untouchables will all be taken away by the Black Ships, and Hades, as my right-hand man in the Deathguard, I sincerely hope that he can stay in the Deathguard.”

Mortarian's words made Horus realize the truth.

They were taken away by the Black Ships.

Therefore, Hades is actually a psionicist who may have access to forbidden knowledge, and Mortarion obviously doesn't want the Empire to know about this.

Horus had also heard that on Mortalian's homeworld, psykers were not a very honorable existence.

This brother who has just entered the Empire is still not very familiar with the Empire's regulations. Although the Empire officially restricts a lot of research on psionic magic, in reality, many legions are secretly studying psionic magic.

Hmm. His brother is still too cautious. Perhaps Horus could try to get Magnus to talk to his brother, who is somewhat obsessed with psychic powers, afterward.

Hades is a very good psyker and should not be tarnished by Mortarion's caution.

“My brother, I will keep this a secret.”

Finally, Horus smiled and spoke to Mortarion.

Seeing that Horus was no longer pursuing the matter, Mortarian smiled with satisfaction.

Having sold Hades' identity and distorted it, the two formed a bizarre partnership.

Hades knew nothing about this and was still trying to play dead in the medical room.

Thanks for subscribing, that's all for today! I have an exam tonight!

Chapter 210 Guess who we didn't invite?

Temporarily concealing Horus's pointless curiosity and thirst for knowledge within the deep darkness of the Endurance, Mortarian felt a rare sense of relief. He was not a person who was good at or fond of conversation, and in front of those who used language as a weapon, Mortarian had to use every word carefully.

The enthusiastic "brother" had finally left, but only temporarily. Mortarian knew he would have to face all his brothers sooner or later. Death silently sharpened his scythe, counting the number of his men in his mind.

The wheezing of breathing could be heard beneath the gas mask; there were still matters to attend to inside the Death Guard.

In the conference room, Garo stood silently, with Vox beside him.

Mortarian sat in his chair, staring at the black screen, waiting patiently.

The conference room door was pushed open, and Blanca walked in. The veteran had completely lost his usual roguishness and solemnly gave an Eagle Salute.

"come in."

Motalian spoke in a hoarse voice, and Blanca strode over to Garo's side before reporting.

"Hades is still in the medical room, and the pharmacist Leo is forcing him to undergo an examination, so he cannot leave for the time being."

Mortarian nodded silently.

"Speak freely."

Each Primarch has a spiritual and soul connection with their offspring. For Mortalian, this was a peculiar feeling, like when he stood in a field and saw a cloud on the horizon—a vague and hazy premonition. Looking at that cloud, he could estimate whether a torrential downpour or a clear blue sky was coming.

Mortalian could sense the feelings of Garo and the others. At the edge of the hardened soul shell that had been modified by the Space Marines, a faint trace of fear had lingered.

Did Mortalian ever experience panic at the edge of his consciousness?