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

Page 117

"You have done very well, sage."

"Death Guard will thank you."

"Thank you, sir. Now, let me recount the previous battle to you."

"I am a bio-sage druid in the Cult of Mechanics, responsible for the cultivation of the Death Guard's gene seed, the coordination with the apothecaries, and also for some of the biological modifications of Barbaros."

“On a Barbarus Standard Day, a Death Guard pharmacist who identified himself as Radon approached me and asked to examine the gene seeding for the next batch of Death Guard recruits to be implanted, as well as the culture system for other organs.”

"He presented me with the Death Guard's stamp and cipher. After checking it multiple times and confirming that it was a valid stamp for recruiting new members of the Death Guard, I chose to take this apothecary to the Gene Seed Bank."

Hades glanced at Mortarian, who promptly ignored him.

"Just in case, I added a seven-fold screening scan in the corridor in front of each gene seed bank. However, when we passed the third check, the data from the detector showed that the pharmacist was carrying a potion that might contain psionic radiation."

Mortarian frowned.

“I originally thought these were some of the pharmacists’ own potions. Pharmacists do have the habit of preparing private potions, but according to the Gene Seed Preservation Ordinance, potions containing radiation must be removed.”

"So I asked him to store the medicine."

"But he refused my request and immediately launched an attack."

"That apothecary was using some psionic skills to attack, which resulted in the loss of most of my Guardians and servants, and he successfully pushed to the last line of defense in front of the Gene Seed Bank."

"But I managed to defend myself in the end. I'm sure I managed to puncture both of his lungs in the end, and the apothecary escaped quickly."

"Since all the previous servants and guardians of the faith have been killed, I have chosen to defend this place and wait for reinforcements to arrive."

"But your distress signal was not received."

Hades slowly opened the screw as he tightened it.

In fact, before Hades proposed going to the Gene Seed Bank, he was surprised to find that all the people previously in charge of this matter had been cleverly diverted. Rodan had used Karas's authority to recruit new Death Guards to send everyone away.

If the druid sage doesn't choose to continue defending, the apothecary might very well launch a surprise attack.

But, pharmacist Rutton.

Where did he come from? Hades began to quickly recall his memories of the Death Guard.

Finally, his memory stopped at that afternoon when the think tank library was burned down. He was standing in the disinfection room, and outside the glass of the disinfection room, a group of pharmacists were supervising him as he was disinfecting.

That person was right there, at the very back of all the pharmacists.

She was staring at him with great interest.

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There will be another chapter tonight, I'm writing it now.

Chapter 132 We Stand Again on This Homeland

"This is not good."

Hades muttered to himself. After dealing with the matter at the gene seed bank, he was now standing on the watchtower of the old stronghold, gazing at the distant mountains. The clouds, dark and yellowish, hung like a solid wall above the ground.

Every now and then, tiny dots would stumble between the thick clouds—those were the strange creatures of Barbarossa.

Rumbling thunder occasionally came from the horizon, and flashes of light gathered from the highest mountain peak.

After confirming the situation in the distance, Hades turned and jumped off the watchtower, where four hundred Death Guards stood in neat rows before the Primarch, awaiting further instructions.

Mortarian, however, wasn't looking at his warriors; he was currently staring thoughtfully at the three small figures in front of him—

That was Lysa, whose hair had turned completely white, and her grandchildren.

Lysa, the short and thin sister of Herira in Hades' memory, has now become so old, yet full of wisdom. The toxic environment of Barbarus has left indelible marks on her. Even though the arrival of the Empire has provided better medical care, unlike the rapidly increasing lifespan, the people of Barbarus still age very quickly.

Hades walked over and knelt down as carefully and gently as possible, staring into Lysa's familiar eyes. He always wanted to call her "Grandma" or "Grandpa," but he suddenly realized that he was older than Lysa.

"Lysa, did your granddaughter, Hera, see Karastifon heading towards the Nacre Mountains?"

Lysa nodded, and the little girl standing to her right nodded as well. Her dark brown eyes glanced quickly at Hades before darting back down, her shoulder-length black hair piled haphazardly on little Herrera's shoulders—

Barbarosians traditionally name their children after respected relatives or friends, and this little girl inherited the name Herrera.

Moreover, this little girl is untouchable.

She is immune to Hades's Black Domain.

Hades thought of this and unconsciously wanted to smile bitterly, but then he swallowed the smile.

"My sister was following behind that adult at the time, she definitely couldn't have been mistaken."

Another crisp voice rang out; it was Had, little Herrera's twin brother.

His short brown hair was curled up in a tight bun, and his dark eyes were fixed on Hades.

Even more surprisingly, Had is a psionicist.

Originally, all psionicists on Barbarus would gradually turn into creatures like the Alien Lords. Barbarus's unique psionic environment would gradually distort the psionicists' energy, causing them to mutate.

Therefore, psionicists on Barbarossa would be killed by the villagers immediately.

The first psionic exception on Barbaros might be Karastyphon, but since he is the offspring of an alien lord and a human, the rules usually drawn from countless psionic mutations may not apply to him.

Then

Hades had already noticed that Mortarion's gaze had been lingering on the little boy, and the Primarch's hand unconsciously rested on the Netherflame pistol at his waist.

"Who is this child?"

Hades asked one more question, even though he should have been chasing after Calathifon immediately.

Lysa smiled.

“This is Had. I originally wanted to send him to the Star Ring, hoping it would save his life.”

"Don't kill my brother."

Little Herrera suddenly said,

“I’ve been watching him the whole time; he won’t lose control.”

Hades blinked in surprise, as did Mortarian behind him.

The Untouchables suppress the growth of psionics in order to prevent psionics on Barbaros from being twisted into aliens.

A bizarre coincidence.

Hades turned his head and gestured to one of the burial garments, which then stepped forward.

"Watch them."

Hades said in a private communications channel.

He stood up, gesturing for Lysa and the others to go back first, and thanked them for the information.

Lysa smiled kindly at Hades.

"The field where Herrera slept has produced its twenty-sixth crop of white corn this year. Remember to go back and visit her."

Hades paused for a moment, but then naturally watched Lysa and the others go back.

Next, he turned his head, ready to continue discussing the next arrangements.

Mortarian glanced at Hades but said nothing.

He still remembers Hades standing in front of the tombstone.

Hades took a deep breath and forced himself to concentrate.

It is now certain that Karastifon has gone to the former territory of Nacre alone, without any troops. The Death Guards who came back with Karastifon to recruit soldiers have all been captured.

According to them, Karas, who was actively planning to recruit soldiers, suddenly left on his own.

But Hades was unsure whether the apothecary Radon, whom the bio-sage had encountered, would also appear.

Even with him included, there are only two Death Guards, clearly tilting the balance of power in Hades' favor.

Barbaros's poison gas, thanks to the power armor's sophisticated circulation system, had long since lost its previous lethality.

Hades lowered his eyes. The most likely unforeseen event would still be Nurgle's witchcraft, but he was already prepared for it.

He brought ten untouchable men with him this time, from the people Makado had promised him.

Macardo has only given the Death Guard fifty Untouchables so far, and their quality is clearly uneven. Hades has not yet met with them, but judging from the data compiled by the Gravedigger...

Indeed, Makado hadn't guaranteed the quality of this batch of untouchables to him at the time.

The Death Guards did not provide any specific training for these Untouchables; only the Gravekeeper would occasionally have them do some physical training.

Therefore, Hades decisively selected the ten people with the worst physical fitness from the ten reports. They were probably not suitable for intense head-on combat, so they were very suitable for this kind of emergency situation.

Each Untouchable wears simple armor provided by the Mechanicus, containing the necessary life-sustaining system, but it is useless in combat.

Each untouchable is guarded by three dedicated death guards.

If they encounter a psionic attack, they will play their role as beings that quell the waves of the warp.

The rumbling thunder on the horizon interrupted Hades' thoughts. He turned around and glanced at Mortarian.

"Leave now?"

The dense clouds made it impossible for aircraft such as the Stormbird to enter, and the steep mountains of Barbaros were not suitable for the deployment of heavy weapon vehicles.

Orbital bombardment could be considered; the ring planet above Barbaros is already prepared.

But we'll still go check it out. If the situation is indeed strange, then we'll retreat immediately and start bombing.

And that thick, poisonous fog.

Hades and Mortarion both realized that the fog would never dissipate before they arrived.

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Chapter 133 The Pinnacle of Destiny

On the vast land, white and yellow water vapor rises from above, flowing and accumulating into the thick clouds that touch the ground.

On a planet where agriculture is fundamental, abundant rainfall will bring fertile soil and a bountiful harvest that lasts all year round.

The toxic environment of Barbaros means that the raindrops fall contain abundant chemicals, which, while potentially harmful to humans, will nourish the crops of Barbaros.

No farmer has ever failed to pray for a bountiful harvest. Oh, Earth, please grant us this abundance of grain!

The prayers of thousands of years have rippled across the land, and the gods have cast their gazes down, but have never swept over the masses.

The first drop of rain, carrying the blessing of the Rain Father, fell on the tip of Karas's wing. The murky rainwater slid down the patterns on the butterfly's wings and flowed into the pale, blood-red cracks.

A seed that was once touched by a loving father will, under God's guidance, break free from its cocoon and become a butterfly.

Perhaps it shouldn't be now; seeds need the right amount of time to grow, but a nail stuck in the gears of fate has disrupted the rhythm of all things growing.

Let a downpour and a clap of thunder awaken all things from their slumber ahead of time!

A dirge, as loud as thunder, erupted, a torrential downpour engulfed the sky, and panic swept across the land.

"Maintain formation, three men to meet the enemy!"

Hades's screams pierced through the dense rain, the static from the communication channel too loud to be discerned.

As far as the eye could see, the Death Guard's bone-white armor gleamed in the dim night, and the marching column continued to move.

At the outermost edge of the queue, the creatures unique to Barbaros began to attack their ranks, becoming even more agitated after being drenched by the highly acidic rain.

Amidst the rain, a faint glimmer of psionic energy flashed by.

Hundreds and thousands of pustular hounds raced across the wasteland, while dense pustular eagles hovered overhead, appearing as if all the predators of Barbaros had gathered there.

A scene reminiscent of the apocalypse in Barbarossa, where death emerges from the rain.

If anyone were present, they would probably kneel down trembling.

however--

Gunshots pierced the rainy night, and flashes of fire tore through the darkness.

The Death Guard silently pointed its scythe and gun at its incessantly hissing prey.

The enemy's flesh and blood mingled with the splashing rain, and in the swamp, flesh and mud were mixed together.

The Death Guards that Mortarion and Hades brought this time were all of Barbarosian descent.