Chapter 909 - 908: I Can Influence One-Third of the Dark Angels

The "Spirit Warlock," Zahariel, having gained information from the Great Beast's wraith, traveled north.

After walking six point one kilometers, he stopped, staring at the carving on an ancient tree, a great wolf, its wings spread in flight.

The "Spirit Warlock" leaned against the tree, clicking his teeth, the third from the right, bottom row.

The mystic symbol flared. Grey mist rose. The Great Beast's wraith materialized.

It was wreathed in a pale green light, its form somewhat ethereal, as if it might fade at any moment.

The "Spirit Warlock" stared into its glowing, massive eyes. "Guard me!"

The Great Beast raised its claws, striking the ground silently.

A chill spread, frosting several trees.

Zahariel rested his head lightly against the tree, his eyelids drooping. His breathing grew slow and steady as he entered the grey world.

When he had used his "Nightmare" abilities in the past, he had always been cautious.

On the battlefield, he had to be wary of attacks on his body while dealing with enemies. And after he "pulled" an enemy into a nightmare, someone else had to strike the immobile foe.

Now, with his own spirit, he had more tactical options and greater flexibility.

The "Spirit Warlock" walked forward. The grey mist expanded with his movement, always surrounding him in a radius of six hundred and thirty meters.

As a "Soul Asurer," his radius had been four hundred meters. Now as a newly advanced "Spirit Warlock," it had been five hundred and twenty.

The trees around him grew dim and hazy as he moved. Suddenly, Zahariel stopped. He sensed a figure at the edge of the mist.

A grey-armored form, wrapped in a black cloak, rode a horse with gleaming silver hide.

The "Spirit Warlock" took a step forward. The grey mist engulfed the Sirius Knight.

He trembled, looking around, sensing something had become hazy.

Frowning, he was about to investigate further when his eyelids grew heavy, and he slumped over his horse.

In a daze, he saw a grey-armored knight approaching.

His hand went to his sword, then stopped.

"Phalos? You're alive?"

"Of course." The "Spirit Warlock," Zahariel, expertly took the form of the corpse he had found in the tower.

"Do you remember what happened when our fortress fell?"

The grey knight's eyes blazed with cold hatred. "Of course I remember."

"Lion El'Jonson. He broke through our lines from the flank of Wolf's Head Mountain. He cut down knight after knight with his sword. His fury destroyed the beasts we had contained."

"I was in the library, reading an old tome, when he burst in."

The Sirius Knight's hateful tone carried a trace of fear. "We fought back, but his blade mercilessly claimed the lives of over a hundred knights."

"We were forced to retreat, using pillars and corners for cover. In the end, I was thrown clear. I saw the fortress fall. I knew the Order of the Knight of Sirius was doomed. I fled, not to save my life, but for revenge."

'The library!' Zahariel's mind reeled.

The Knights of Sirius library was larger than Aldurukh's, the largest on Caliban before the Emperor's arrival.

"What was Lion El'Jonson doing?"

"He ordered his attendants to seal the books and take them back in secret."

'Not just Luther... the Lion also took books from the Order of the Knight of Sirius?'

'Hmm... the library was large, and the situation was chaotic. No one would have noticed him taking a separate batch.'

"What did you see there?" the "Spirit Warlock" pressed.

"Ector's handwritten manuscripts. Records of our ancestors' studies of the Great Beasts and the northern wilds themselves."

"He hadn't fully understood everything, but he had discovered that by performing a ritual, one could summon and control great power."

"He said any purge of the Beasts was futile. The power deep within Caliban would never be extinguished, just as a forest is not destroyed by a wildfire."

Zahariel was stunned. If Lion El'Jonson had truly seen those texts, he should have known the crusade against the Great Beasts was not over.

'He replaced our crusade with the Emperor's?'

'He knew Caliban was still in terrible danger, and he ignored it?'

'He abandoned us. He chose to lead the Emperor's Great Crusade.'

Zahariel felt a knife twist in his heart. 'Thankfully, Lord Luther is wise. He found another path for Caliban.'

The "Spirit Warlock," Zahariel, calmed his thoughts. "Tell me the ritual's procedure."

Zahariel returned to the Rock, Aldurukh, his steps heavy.

He entered Lord Luther's office, activated the "Euclidean Runes," and recounted his findings.

Luther clenched his fists, then slowly unclenched them.

"My Lord has already commanded that the texts of the Order of the Knights of Sirius be offered to Him. He must have foreseen this."

Zahariel nodded. Together, they entered the inner chamber, kneeling devoutly before the black obsidian altar, praying to the Black Emperor.

On the fourth recitation, black mist billowed, engulfing them.

"My Lord." Luther and Zahariel knelt in the mist, looking up at the majestic figure on the throne. The weight of Caliban's fate felt lighter.

Luther gathered his thoughts, reporting first to the Black Emperor.

"My Lord, I am overseeing the Dark Angels recruitment. Each training cycle has seen a steady 21% increase in recruits."

"I have expanded the training regimen three times, to cultivate better candidates."

"The Apothecaries report that the new screening process has drastically reduced organ rejection. There have been no fatalities in the last five training cycles. They believe this will continue indefinitely."

Luther produced a datapad, holding it up reverently.

"My Lord, the new screening process has determined that twenty-four months is the optimal training duration. Shorter periods would reduce the neophytes' physical capabilities."

"I have also integrated the implantation surgeries into the training program. This is why the recruitment numbers have been stable."

Nareth moved his mind, and the datapad flew into his hand.

Though Luther's recruitment growth rate was only one percent higher than in his memory, given the time he spent "corroding" gene-seed in the sixth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder, it was still a significant achievement.

Luther's reformed screening process had also been completed three training cycles earlier than in his memory.

'Without Luther, given the Lion's brutal, galaxy-wide crusade against xenos, the Dark Angels wouldn't number two hundred thousand.'

'Luther's comprehensive abilities are second only to a Primarch. His recruitment skills are truly exceptional. Hmm... the Lion didn't choose poorly. It's just that Luther was limited to administrative duties, unable to demonstrate his command abilities.'

Nareth's mind raced, calculating the number of Dark Angels neophytes Luther had trained:

Sixty-three thousand, five hundred and twenty.

'The number of gene-seed I've "corroded" is sixty-four thousand, nine hundred and seventy. Luther has made full use of them.'

'Even with the Lion's harsh methods, at least forty thousand are still serving. They will all be subconsciously inclined towards me.'

'Add to that the twenty-nine thousand Terrans under Urian Vendraig's command. I can potentially influence nearly seventy thousand, one-third of the Dark Angels.'

As he pondered, Luther continued.

"Beyond supplying the Expedition Fleets, I have stockpiled eighteen million bolt rounds and two thousand four hundred chainswords from Caliban's factories."

"Eight regiments of the Caliban Hunters will complete training within five months."

"The vehicle workshops expect to arm four new Caliban Hussar regiments within three months."

The Caliban Hunters were Auxiliaries from Caliban. Though not as renowned as the Cthonian Headhunters or Nareth's own Mordian Iron Guard, they were well-equipped and formidable.

The Caliban Hussars were a title for Caliban Hunters specializing in armored warfare.

"Excellent. Your performance is commendable." Nareth's gaze then fell on Zahariel.

....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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