Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor

Chapter 809 - 809: 808

"As expected, the Primarchs all have serious flaws in their minds."Especially the fallen Primarchs. Their minds are like walls riddled with holes. They are very easy to corrode."

Eden stared at Mortarion and quickly found the breach in his mind. It was so obvious.

Of course, only an existence like Eden, who had grasped authority over the Warp and reached the dimensional level of a Chaos God, had the ability to do such a thing.

Even the Emperor might not be able to accomplish it. The old man had refused authority, making him the very definition of a raw-stat monster.

That was also why the Chaos Gods feared the Emperor. He was already that strong after rejecting the authority of the Warp. If one day the old man truly lost control, ascended fully into godhood, and grasped that authority, would he not become invincible?!

At that moment, a new disturbance suddenly erupted within the Chaos of the Warp, drawing Eden's attention.

He frowned slightly. Under the tremors, more cracks appeared in the surrounding space, and other forms of fel power were slowly seeping in.

The Chaos blockade shaped by the Lord of Hell was under attack, and it was not because of a Warp disaster. External force was interfering with everything.

There were not many beings in the galaxy or the Warp capable of doing such a thing. At present, on New Dragonwood, the only one who could manage it was the Dark Emperor.

"Horus has already threatened the core node of the Chaos temple. I need to resolve this quickly."

That was what Eden thought.

He did not go to stop Horus or the Chaos Gods, because doing so would be very difficult. It was just like how the Chaos Gods could not stop him from breaking their blockade.

A matter like this could only be resolved through direct action in the real world.

Buzz.

Eden mobilized even more fel power and sent it surging toward Mortarion, corroding the fallen Primarch's mind at an even greater speed.

Grandfather Nurgle was weaker than ever. This was the perfect time to poach from him.

It was also an extremely important attempt, one that would allow Eden to become more familiar with this authority.

As more hellish fel energy corroded him, Eden invaded the Death Lord's soul memories and saw the past that Mortarion did not wish to recall.

Mortarion's infancy had been terribly unfortunate. He had spawned on a planet with an extremely hostile environment, covered in poisonous mist and ruled by xenos.

The humans there were all slaves.

Even worse, Mortarion had been adopted directly by the xenos overlord in the fortress. From childhood, he had been thrown into the poisonous fog to adapt to the environment and subjected to brutal combat training.

Then he was sent to participate in cruel battles, or to suppress humanity.

"What a disaster..." Eden sighed with feeling.

For an Imperium built on human supremacy, this kind of origin was basically being raised by the enemy. His background was a problem from the start. No wonder Mortarion was so repressed.

After the Primarch Mother Erda died, from the Emperor down to the Primarchs, everyone fell silent. No one mentioned her again, as if the subject were taboo.

Perhaps the Primarchs did not know of the Primarch Mother's existence, or perhaps they resented the choice she had made back then.

"Erda was still too idealistic. Her misplaced compassion brought the Imperium even more cruelty."

Eden thought this while corroding Mortarion with all his strength.

The Primarchs had originally held the status of princes within the Imperium, future heirs of mankind's empire. Yet while they were still lying in their cradles, Erda fired them off to the far reaches of the galaxy in one sweep.

Under normal circumstances, the Primarchs should have grown up together as brothers at the Emperor's side, receiving the same living environment and training, building bonds with one another, helping and supporting each other.

They would have grown into little Emperors one after another, then gone forth to expand the Imperium's borders and slaughter everything in their path.

Yet because of the Primarch Mother's wild operation, they were exiled to the galactic frontier while still infants, left to eat dirt and grow feral.

It was like being born into a top-tier powerful, wealthy family with an unbeatable starting hand, only for the sky to collapse before you could enjoy any of it, dropping you straight into some remote mountain village or tribal settlement.

Who could endure that?

The Emperor suffered a tragedy as well. The old man had schemed and labored for so many years, thinking those children would help him complete the great undertaking of unifying the galaxy and resisting the Warp.

Then the Primarch Mother exiled every last one of them. She did not leave even one behind. Anyone in his position would have gone insane.

And when the Primarchs returned, all of them had severe psychological issues. Their different growth environments and educations created deep rifts between the brothers, and even made them unable to recognize the Emperor's vision.

This severely affected the speed of humanity's unification of the galaxy. It also delayed all the Emperor's later plans, forcing him to run himself ragged and race against time.

If the Primarchs had never been exiled, perhaps he would have had more time to repair the Golden Throne and the Webway.

The Imperium would have developed in a completely different direction. At the very least, it would not have become as tragic as it later did.

Given that rotten old man's personality, the fact that he did not capture Erda and take revenge on her could already be considered merciful of him.

For those Primarchs, it was even more brutal. While they were still in their cradles, they had to face the cruelty of the galaxy.

Especially an unlucky soul like Mortarion. His fate was far worse than being adopted by some savage tribe.

He had been raised by a xenos overlord and suffered far too much pain. He was unwilling to keep submitting, so he fled the xenos fortress, reached human villages, and led the people in rebellion.

Afterward, the Emperor descended and killed the Death Lord's xenos adoptive father, allowing Mortarion to return to the Imperium.

Yet by then, Mortarion's mind had already developed problems.

Because his background was poor, he met many strange looks. At least, that was how he saw it.

He resented having been raised by xenos. He resented the toxins that stained his body. He was also jealous of the growth environments some of his Primarch brothers had enjoyed.

He believed that if he had begun with the same starting conditions as Primarchs like Guilliman, perhaps he would have achieved even more than they did.

Instead, he became a walking poison tank feared by others.

There was too much submission and pain in Mortarion's heart. In his eyes, his true father, the Emperor, was no different from that xenos adoptive father.

Both used authority and power to impose their will upon him, then forced him to do things he did not want to do.

These feelings were contradictory. On one hand, he wanted the Emperor to recognize him. On the other, he hated the Emperor's authority.

Especially when the Emperor built the Golden Throne and made widespread use of Warp psychic power.

Even when the Great Heresy broke out, Mortarion did not immediately betray the Emperor.

Perhaps he was used to submission and did not have the courage, or perhaps his origins made him despise xenos and heretics.

Even so, Mortarion ultimately fell into Nurgle's trap together with the Death Guard under Typhus's scheme, then submitted under Nurgle's threats.

From that point onward, he became one of Nurgle's favored children. In other words, he had simply changed fathers again and wanted to receive the new one's affection.

"I have to say, it is a little miserable. He really is a pitiful stubborn fool, fragile, jealous, and now even more cowardly. He submits to the authority of the gods and stands in awe of the Warp's power."

Eden browsed through the memories in the deepest parts of Mortarion's heart.

He suddenly understood. Was this man not basically Warhammer Lü Bu? Only, he lacked the same firm resolve to kill his father.

Strictly speaking, Mortarion was a man who drifted with the current. He did not have the courage to risk everything in a final struggle.

This man's life was miserable, yes, but after throwing himself into Chaos, he was also genuinely evil.

After Eden understood Mortarion's mental weakness, he swiftly carried out a stronger corrosion.

Unnatural hellfire was dragging Mortarion's soul into a special region.

It was an illusion hidden deep within his mind.

A Chaos region.

Mortarion, who was in the middle of a strategic retreat, sensed overwhelming malice from the Warp.

That vicious gaze in particular was fixed upon him, like a disease clinging to the bone.

It was the gaze of the Lord of Hell. That terrifying evil god from the Warp had targeted him.

"The Lord of Hell is attacking me. Why would He do this?!"

Mortarion's pupils constricted sharply. He beat his moth wings and fled toward another region. Yet that vicious gaze never disappeared, and the pressure from the Warp grew heavier and heavier.

Hellfire emerging from the void burned the pustules and germs across his body. Violent pain spread from his flesh into the depths of his soul.

No matter how he struggled, he could not extinguish it.

"This man's mental defenses have completely collapsed. He cannot possibly break free of my corrosion."

Eden watched Mortarion fleeing in panic and thought this to himself.

The Warp was a realm shaped by belief and perception. Mortarion feared the Lord of Hell, and he did not have the courage to resist.

The more afraid he became, the stronger the authority of Hell became, which would only deepen the corrosion further.

This was also why the Chaos Gods were unwilling to acknowledge the Lord of Hell's existence, and why they even suppressed information related to Him.

Once They personally acknowledged it and treated Eden's dark-side guise as an enemy, that would only make his authority swell further.

It was just like Their fear of the Emperor, the Anathema. That fear only made him more terrifying, until he reached a point where They had no choice but to fear him.

In the realm of belief, cognition transformed into fact. Not even the Chaos Gods could reverse that.

Because They were also part of the Warp's belief-shaped domain.

Under these circumstances, the Chaos Gods could only deny the matter, even if the Lord of Hell's authority moved in and out of Their Chaos domains.

That troublemaker, the Changer of Ways, had even shamelessly described the Lord of Hell's invasion as a despicable sneak attack by Khorne.

However, as Eden continued to make use of the Lord of Hell's authority, more and more Chaos lives in the galaxy and the Warp would learn of this matter, then transform it into reality.

The current Mortarion had already fully acknowledged the existence of the Lord of Hell and feared Him.

That was why he could not break free of Eden's authority. This influence had even spread to the Death Guard.

The Death Lord's sons were being burned by fire in the Chaos region. Their tumors and pus were drying out.

They endured agonizing torment.

Mortarion looked at that scene, and the memories of terror from the past surged into his heart. Ten thousand years ago, he and his sons had been tortured by the Warp in exactly this way.

They had been unable to resist or escape.

"Grandfather!

"Your favored child needs aid. Your favored child needs the sevenfold divine plagues to stop the corrosion of the Lord of Hell!"

Mortarion prayed for Grandfather's salvation in terror, just as he had once begged the Emperor to rescue him.

Yet just like ten thousand years ago, no one came to help them. They did not receive Grandfather Nurgle's salvation.

That result was inevitable. The Savior had already sealed off New Dragonwood.

Unless Horus destroyed the Chaos blockade, the power of the Chaos Gods would have difficulty reaching this region controlled by the Lord of Hell.

Mortarion once again felt the agony of being abandoned. Grandfather Nurgle had ignored the prayers of the Death Guard.

They howled beneath the burning of unnatural flame.

The Lord of Hell's divine body was so terrifyingly vast, and He was staring at them with a vicious gaze, as though He would devour them completely in the next second.

He and the Death Guard were suffering so much, helpless beyond measure.

After an unknown amount of time, Mortarion's consciousness sank into darkness, and his soul was completely pulled into the region deep within his mind.

He seemed to forget everything. Even the burning hellfire vanished.

Whoosh.

A damp wind blew over him, carrying familiar mist and familiar temperature.

Mortarion abruptly opened his eyes. Before him lay yellow-green poisonous fog and low wetlands. Many human corpses and pale xenos bodies lay on the ground.

Inside the toxic mist, even more strange spider-like lifeforms wandered about, letting out shrill, eerie laughter.

He swallowed, his voice hoarse. "Barbarus?!"

This scene was so familiar, as though carved into his bones. The planet ruled by the xenos overlord Necare, Barbarus, his home.

"I... what am I doing?"

Mortarion was somewhat dazed. He had lost too many memories and did not even know who he was.

His strength seemed to have declined greatly. He no longer possessed the power he had imagined, and a sense of helplessness washed over him.

This Primarch soon remembered that his name was Mortarion, that he was the adoptive son of the xenos overlord Necare, and that he was now the leader of the rebels.

Not long ago, he had fled the xenos fortress and come to a human village to organize the people's resistance.

"I betrayed him. I rebelled."

Mortarion tightened his grip around the scythe in his hands, a trace of excitement rising in his heart.

He would lead the people and overthrow his adoptive father's rule.

This Primarch seemed to have forgotten most things. He only believed himself to be a warrior resisting the xenos overlord Necare.

Yet when he saw the corpses scattered across the ground, a trace of fear inevitably rose inside him.

He knew how powerful the overlord of Barbarus, Necare, truly was. Those xenos armies far surpassed the rebel forces he led.

"My lord, the enemy is too powerful. We need the power of the Eternal Plague Lord to resist them!"

Suddenly, a rebel soldier said this. There were signs of plague on his body, and pustules flowed with blood.

Mortarion could not help feeling disgusted. His head buzzed. Things were beginning to exceed his understanding.

The Plague Lord?

He seemed to know that god: the Warp's evil god, Nurgle, the Plague Father, who held all filth, bacteria, and viruses in the world, and represented the eternal cycle of life and decay.

That was not right. How could the Plague Lord appear on Barbarus? And how had he come into contact with Him?

"My lord, let us worship the Plague Lord!"

"Great decay and the sevenfold plagues will make our army stronger. We will storm the fortress and end the enemy's rule!"

"You are wrong. We cannot surrender ourselves to the evil Nurgle..."

"You coward who dares not accept Nurgle, die!"

Around this Primarch, chaos erupted. Countless voices closed in around him. Those wounded, pus-leaking warriors even killed the dissenters.

They were coercing their army's leader into accepting the Plague Lord's blessing.

"No. That is not how this happened..."

Mortarion's mind was a mess, and he could not make sense of many things.

Yet in the next instant, the heads of those wounded, pus-leaking warriors exploded like flowers, and they collapsed one after another. The other human warriors broke and routed.

They fled in every direction.

Within the yellow-green mist, a tall xenos figure appeared, carrying an overwhelming sense of pressure.

"Necare!"

Mortarion's heart tightened. He recognized the newcomer at a glance. It was the xenos overlord who ruled this planet.

That being had pale skin and wore special armor. He had killed the pus-leaking warriors through terrifying methods.

Not only that, his army had completely surrounded this area as well. Their rebellion had failed.

Mortarion realized he had nowhere left to run.

He drew a deep breath and suppressed the fear in his heart, then roared and charged forward with his scythe.

He killed the guards at extreme speed, and his scythe hacked fiercely toward the xenos overlord's head.

Yet Mortarion's attack had no effect. His scythe was easily blocked, and a sharp blade split the weapon in two.

After that, he suffered several heavy blows and crashed hard to the ground.

"How is this possible...?"

Mortarion could not believe it. He could not understand why he had been knocked down so easily.

The strength of that xenos overlord, his adoptive father, was far beyond what he had imagined.

"Your rebellion has failed. You should not have done this."

The xenos overlord walked over and looked down at Mortarion on the ground as he spoke.

The moment Mortarion saw the other party's face, he froze. That face looked somewhat familiar.

He was confused. Had his adoptive father looked like this?

"Necare."

Although Mortarion felt fear and confusion, he still did not choose to submit. "I will not sur..."

Crack!

A whip made of poisonous vines lashed down violently, cutting off the Primarch's words and making him convulse from pain.

"How many times have I told you? Call me Father. Think carefully about how I taught you before!"

Necare spoke with a face that closely resembled the Savior's. In truth, he was the image Eden had transformed into, allowing him to control this illusion.

Eden had carefully designed this mental illusion, preparing to thoroughly corrode this fallen Primarch traitor.

He controlled the transformed image and lashed the whip down again and again, using the grand memory-restoration technique to make Mortarion recall the harsh lessons he had received before, making him fear his adoptive father even more.

Even Mortarion's rebellious thoughts diminished considerably.

The Savior-version of Necare whipped Mortarion with satisfaction while denouncing him with bitter disappointment.

"Open your eyes and look. Because of your betrayal, how many humans have died? You even brought plague here, withering the fields and spreading disease.

"You unfilial wretch, how many more people must you kill before you are satisfied?!"

Mortarion endured the terrible pain and looked at the humans around him, all corroded by plague. A trace of regret rose inside his heart.

So they had all been killed by plague, and the culprit behind it all was the evil god Nurgle.

He looked up and saw another familiar figure.

In that instant, Mortarion knew the other party's identity: the Emperor of mankind, his true father.

The Emperor had somehow arrived behind Necare, and the xenos overlord had not noticed at all. He could easily take Necare's life.

Mortarion remained silent, his feelings complicated, because he faintly realized one thing: that xenos overlord, his adoptive father, was about to die.

At such close range, no being could resist the Emperor's attack.

Yet to Mortarion's surprise, the Emperor did not make any move to attack. Instead, he walked to Necare's side, as if he were very familiar with him.

He looked over, his face full of disappointment. "My son, your act of betrayal shames me!

"Why would you run to the evil Plague Lord? Why would you betray your adoptive father?

"Today, your adoptive father and I will teach you a proper lesson!"

As the Emperor spoke, he drew the golden belt from his waist. The golden belt carried a sharp wind as it whipped down fiercely in Mortarion's direction.

A double-team.

???

Mortarion took the blow, leaving a crimson buckle mark across his face. His entire mind went blank.

(End of Chapter)

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