“You cannot stop it.
The Lord of the Storm has awakened, and Morningstar will inevitably be destroyed.
All people will become His sacrifices.”
After speaking, he suddenly bit down on his own tongue, spat out a mouthful of black blood, fell to the ground, and died.
Phosis T’kar took a step forward, his voice low.
“Chief, their minds are completely empty.
No fear, no pain, only forcibly instilled fanaticism.
Their souls have been completely scrubbed clean by some kind of power.”
Hearing the report, Levi frowned deeply without speaking.
Instead, he crouched down and lifted the old priest’s robes.
Hidden inside was a black scripture, its cover bearing a twisted storm symbol.
“Sons of Shaitan.” Levi read the words on the scripture’s cover in a low voice.
“An evil cult that worships the Lord of the Storm.”
He opened the scripture, and the contents inside made his back run cold.
The scripture stated that the Lord of the Storm was sealed beneath Morningstar, and only by using lives as sacrifices could He be awakened.
When the day of His return arrives, the world will split open, the sky will burn, and all believers will obtain eternal life along with the Lord of the Storm.
“The planetary core decay didn’t happen naturally at all,” Levi stood up abruptly.
“They caused it on purpose.
They are awakening that thing underground.”
Just at this moment, a massive explosion sounded from the distance.
The entire ground shook violently, and the stone stele in the square collapsed with a crash.
Emergency reports from the various squads came through Levi’s mental link:
“Chief!
A large number of cultists have appeared in the lower hive; they are destroying the Stormtalons parked at the landing zones!”
“The civilians in the east sector of the underhive have all committed suicide!
They locked themselves in their houses and ignited the promethium pipes!”
Levi abruptly looked up at the sky, his voice low.
“There is something underground!
I feel a massive energy of resentment surging upwards!”
The smoke and dust churned even more violently, and an eerie red light pierced out from deep within the ground, shooting straight into the sky.
He finally understood why the entire planet gave off an aura of wrongness.
This was a long-premeditated sacrifice.
The three million civilians on the entire Morningstar who hadn’t had time to evacuate were all sacrifices offered to that underground existence.
“Pass down the order,” Levi’s voice was cold and firm.
“All squads separate half their personnel to cover the evacuation of the rescued civilians. Get faster updates on g.com.
As for the rest, come with me underground.”
“Chief, it’s too dangerous!” Phosis T’kar hurriedly said.
“We have no idea what’s underground!”
“We must go.” Levi shook his head.
“If we don’t stop that thing, not only will these three million civilians die, but when the Iron Warriors arrive, they will be buried along with them.”
He gripped the black scripture in his hand tightly and looked toward the area glowing red deep within the city.
“I’m going to see exactly what this so-called Lord of the Storm is.”
Half a day later.
Levi drew his Abyssal battle-axe, fully equipped and ready to go.
A thousand Thousand Sons warriors had also long since formed up and were about to step into a mineshaft entrance exuding a Warp aura when the ground suddenly began to tremble violently.
A heavy troop transport painted with grayish-white skulls smashed through a wall not far away, its tracks grinding over rubble and letting out an ear-piercing roar.
In a short moment, the hatch rumbled open, and a tall figure stepped out first.
The dent-covered forgebreaker hammer in his hand struck heavily against the ground, smashing out a ring of cracks.
“Perturabo!”
Levi frowned, his voice low and menacing.
Although he had never seen Perturabo in person, Levi recognized the endlessly stretching ranks of Iron Warriors behind him.
They wore iron-gray power armor and spread out in combat formation with their bolters raised.
The cold muzzles were pointed, intentionally or otherwise, at the Thousand Sons warriors.
“Who allowed you Thousand Sons to act on your own authority?”
Perturabo’s voice was like ice.
He looked around, his gaze finally falling on Levi, the Chief Librarian of the Thousand Sons.
Levi put away the Abyssal battle-axe and gave the sign of the aquila.
“Primarch Perturabo.
There is a Warp existence underground; it is what caused the core decay and all anomalies.
I am preparing to take my men down to deal with it.”
“A Warp existence?” Perturabo sneered and took two steps forward, his massive shadow completely enveloping Levi.
He pointed at the mineshaft entrance with his forgebreaker hammer, his tone full of undisguised mockery.
“Are Magnus’s bookworms only capable of making up this ghost story nonsense to steal credit?
Morningstar’s core decay is a natural phenomenon confirmed and stamped by the Mechanicum and has absolutely nothing to do with those mystical hallucinations of yours.”
“I am not making up stories.” Levi frowned and threw that black scripture to him.
“This is the doctrine of the Sons of Shaitan.
The Lord of the Storm they worship is sealed five kilometers underground.
All the earthquakes and suicide attacks are meant to awaken it.”
Perturabo casually caught the scripture, threw it on the ground without even looking at it, and crushed it to pieces with his heavy power boots.
“The babbling nonsense written by a bunch of lunatics is worthy of being evidence?
I think you’re just afraid the Iron Warriors will steal the Thousand Sons’ thunder, so you deliberately fabricated a monster to stall for time.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
He abruptly raised his volume, his chiseled face full of brutality.
“Now, take your men and get out immediately to the landing ship zone I have set up, and cover the departure of the Imperial citizens.
“My engineering corps will blast open the mineshaft to reinforce the planetary core, and my transport ships will evacuate all civilians.
This is the defense sector of the Fourth Legion; it is not the place for you Thousand Sons to dictate terms.”
“Primarch Perturabo, you cannot do this!” Phosis T’kar beside him couldn’t help but speak up.
“Our psychic perception can clearly feel the resentment underground…”
“Shut up!” Perturabo shouted sharply to stop him.
“I do not want to hear any more nonsense about psychic powers.
One more word, and I’ll nail you to the landing ramp.”
The surrounding Iron Warriors immediately raised their bolters, the muzzles aiming at the Thousand Sons warriors.
Looking at Perturabo’s stubborn face, Levi knew that arguing further was useless.
He took a deep breath and nodded.
“Fine.
We will go guard the boarding point.
But I will remind you one last time: the thing underground cannot be solved with explosives.
If you encounter something you cannot solve, call me.”
After saying that, he turned around and was about to lead the Thousand Sons warriors away from the mineshaft entrance.
Then, the next second, he heard Perturabo’s voice drop several octaves.
“Hold on, who told you to leave?
Finish the work you are supposed to do first, and explore the depths of the cave with us.”
“What?”
Levi was stunned on the spot, his head full of question marks.
Just a moment ago, he was telling us to get out, so why change his mind in the blink of an eye?
What kind of brain circuitry was this?
He turned to look at Perturabo’s face, calm as water, and that expression that did not seem fake.
Only then did he understand that this was the normal demeanor of the Lord of Iron.
After all, as the most top-tier strategist and engineer in the galaxy, it was impossible for him to become furious that easily.
It was because his mission had been snatched away that he flew into a rage.
Now, in order to better complete the Great Crusade mission issued by the Imperium, he recovered his rationality as an engineer.
He knew the principle that certain arts have their own specializations.
Having the Thousand Sons, who were all psykers, deal with a Warp problem was the most suitable choice.
But there was no need to make it so awkward.
Just speaking plainly would be enough; it truly left one completely bewildered.
Levi paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Solving the hidden danger underground was more important; as for the rest, there was nothing worth holding a grudge over.
Thaniel_a_goodchild.