Aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, Primarch's Office.
Nareth asked Luther with a concerned tone, "Have all the Dark Angels been settled comfortably?"
"Thanks to Your Lordship's concern," Luther said gratefully. "We've been given treatment equal to your own Honor Guard. We are deeply honored."
Nareth's gaze swept over the First Legion's Librarian Zahariel, the Nineteenth Legion's Librarian Balsar Kurthuri, and Captain Alastor Rorschach. He spoke with a smile.
"Today, I want to share a technique I've realized."
"It's called the War Mask. It's a technique for tempering the will."
All four were his "corrosion" targets, with Luther being the primary objective.
Nareth knew his greatest desire was power. Naturally, he would approach from this angle.
Before Luther was completely loyal to him, he wouldn't grant him a potion. But he had other abilities to impart, and the War Mask was one of them.
"After mastering this technique, you can transform fury into power, while maintaining a calm mind."
"…"
Nareth guided the four, beginning their mental tempering to master the War Mask.
Thirty-three standard ship days later, on the Primarch's private training deck.
Nareth stood with arms crossed, observing the Astartes of the First and Nineteenth Legions paired off against each other on the deck.
Luther and Alastor. Zahariel and Balsar.
Nareth's gaze first fell on the two Librarians. Zahariel, not using his Lion Sword, wielded a chainsword. It clashed against Balsar's weapon, shrieking continuously.
Teeth ground. Sparks flew.
Zahariel's eyes flickered. The power drawn from fury made his strength advantage increasingly evident.
Balsar bent his knees slightly. Just before being overwhelmed, he swiftly cut in, thrusting low.
Zahariel turned his blade, deflecting the strike.
'They've already grasped the fundamentals of the War Mask.'
After this evaluation, the Primarch shifted his gaze to the other pair.
The clash of weapons echoed through the training deck.
Luther let out a restrained, excited roar. His chainsword, pumping like a piston, drove back Alastor.
For the first time in a duel against a true Astartes, he held the advantage. A feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
He no longer needed to rely solely on skill to quickly defeat a Dark Angel, masking the fact that his strength and speed were not superior.
His two hearts pumped powerfully. Adrenaline surged.
Luther charged straight at Alastor, like a knight making a cavalry charge.
Alastor, his eyes dark, felt his blood race. He swiftly stepped sideways, avoiding the direct collision.
As they passed, Alastor spun suddenly, extending his claws, reaching for the back of Luther's head.
'They've all mastered the War Mask, but they employ it differently, completely different approaches.'
'Luther transforms fury into physical strength, compensating for his deficiencies. Alastor further enhances his advantage in agility.'
As Nareth pondered, the Knight of Caliban and the Raven from Terra engaged in swift combat.
Blades flashed. Claws shrieked.
A series of thoughts flashed through Luther's mind. The Lion and Zahariel had slain the lion-beast. He hadn't found one. He had lost his chance for glory.
He had led the great beast hunts, yet received no acclaim.
…
He was the second-in-command, yet he was confined to Caliban.
Fury boiled within Luther. He needed release.
With extreme calm, he threw a punch, striking Alastor's arm.
A sharp crack. Alastor's arm bent, fractured.
Luther's sword pointed at Alastor's throat. The blade's reflection made his face look even paler.
Luther sheathed his sword and said to Alastor with a smile.
"That was an exhilarating duel. The Raven's reputation is well-deserved."
"My Lord, your swordsmanship is the strongest I have seen, second only to Lord Nareth," Alastor said admiringly.
"All thanks to Lord Nareth's instruction." As he finished speaking, he turned towards Nareth.
When the Lord of Shadows had given him his orders, he never imagined he would receive personal instruction from Lord Nareth.
Even less did he imagine being taught the War Mask technique, gaining his current combat prowess.
Reflecting on his duel with Luther, he knew he would have been swiftly defeated before.
Luther also turned towards Nareth alongside Alastor. The Primarch had not only given him a chance for glory but also taught him combat techniques to enhance his strength.
"Thank you, my Lord, for your instruction!"
Nareth suddenly felt his psychic energy leap. Something within him shattered like a star.
Everything before him transformed into threads. The weapons were threads of red and gold intertwined. The deck and walls were threads of golden structure.
He even saw, as Zahariel and Balsar clashed, the lines of "force" as they swung their weapons.
From a supernatural perspective, he could even perceive their physical trajectories.
Seconds later, the threads faded.
Nareth felt his body, mind, and soul become purer. His psychic energy was more abundant. He thought to himself,
'I have fully digested the potion. I am now a true "Baron of Corruption"!'
"I will also grant you more abilities."
Nareth said meaningfully. He scrutinized the two before him, thinking skeptically.
'Was it Luther, or Alastor, who was "corroded" by me, allowing me to complete the digestion?'
He had specifically fulfilled Luther's needs, while Alastor had been following him for some time, nearing complete "corrosion."
"Thank you, my Lord."
The Primarch observed Luther and Alastor, taking in everything: the reverence in their eyes when they looked at him, the subtle changes in the tone of their respect…
Moments later, he reached his conclusion.
'Both of them have been "corroded" by me.'
Nareth thought.
'Hmm… corroding two at once, and I don't even know which one finished digesting my potion.'
He looked at them both with satisfaction.
'Alastor's combat prowess is formidable.'
'Though Luther's combat ability isn't top-tier, his other skills are outstanding. He could be called the foremost beneath the Primarchs.'
'The thirty thousand on Caliban during the Heresy, most were his followers, along with the batches of neophytes he will train over the next one hundred forty-plus years.'
The corners of Nareth's mouth turned up. He smiled.
'Now, they will all be mine.'
As Nareth pondered, Zahariel executed a perfectly angled thrust, piercing Balsar's defense.
"Excellent," Nareth applauded, praising them.
"Zahariel and Balsar, you have entered the gateway of the War Mask."
"Luther and Alastor, you have mastered the techniques I taught you. Come to my office in ten minutes. I have new techniques to impart to you."
Zahariel and Balsar watched Luther and Alastor with envy, resolving to practice the War Mask even more diligently.
Nareth casually left the Dionysian Spear on the training deck and returned to his office.
With a thought, he went to the Kingdom of Disorder.
Upon entering, he immediately felt, as expected, that the seventh layer of the Kingdom of Disorder had opened.
He didn't explore it. He went straight to the first layer.
The Primarch's consciousness spread, sweeping across the entire world.
The second layer was already a self-sustaining, complete world, constructed from psychic energy.
Hive-city rats, man-high, scurried through filthy sewers. Blood-stained crystalline spikes lined the passages.
Prismatic worms crawled around the eyes of Ovja. Chemical dogs emerged from the alchemical solutions of Vostroya.
Rapeseed plants swayed in the fields. Ginkgo leaves rustled on the mountainsides.
…
After spending a long time constructing it, the second layer now allowed most low-sequence potion materials, animals, and plants from various Pathways to breed here.
With a thought, Nareth appeared beside a hive-city rat. He raised his hand and grasped its neck.
Moments later, he brought the "Lawyer" and "Secrets Suppliant" potions before the Jokaero.
Though Luther eagerly sought power, and "Warrior" would satisfy his needs most quickly, considering his ambition, Nareth still chose the "Lawyer" for him, his own Pathway.
Once he advanced to a high Sequence and could influence his own Pathway, Luther's loyalty would be secured.
Nareth also believed that during his time serving by his side, Luther would complete digestion. After advancing to "Barbarian," his needs would naturally be met.
Considering the Raven's combat style, he chose the "Secrets Suppliant" for him, corresponding to the future "Rose Bishop" who could hide in shadows.
After obtaining the two potions, Nareth immediately returned to the real world.
Moments later, Luther and Alastor entered the Primarch's office with excitement and anticipation.
Nareth walked before them, opening his hands to reveal the potions in his palms.
"Drink these."
Luther and Alastor looked curiously at the black and the black-red potions. Seeing Lord Nareth offer no explanation, they took the potions and drank them in one gulp.
Countless pieces of information flooded into Luther's mind. Legal texts like The Monarch's Iron Laws leaped through his thoughts.
Alastor looked at Lord Nareth with awe. He felt the Lord before him, constrained by the laws of reality, was more majestic than the Gloriana-class battleship they were on.
Nareth telepathically imparted the necessary knowledge to them.
Two minutes later, Luther was the first to rein in the overflowing power. He performed a knight's salute and swore fealty to his liege.
"Thank You, my Lord, for Your gift! I shall be Your loyal knight, and carry out all Your commands!"
Alastor followed, kneeling.
"Thank You, my Lord, for Your gift! I shall carry out Your will. Wherever You command, I shall go!"
Nareth nodded with satisfaction. "I accept your fealty!"
After they departed, with a thought, he returned to the Kingdom of Disorder.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu