Lightning flashed in the thick dark clouds.
It was as if an unknown force was trying to break through the thick clouds.
A green poisonous fog enveloped the entire planet.
The planet has been dragged into the garden of the loving father.
Demons play in it.
The whole place was covered with wriggling flesh and blood hyphae.
The walls of the building were covered in dirt, slime and excrement.
Only from some corners can one see that this is the world that once belonged to the empire.
Unfortunately, those traces have almost disappeared.
Only the rusty metals make people realize that this was once a developed industrial world.
On the surface of the planet stands a majestic, decaying plague factory.
It was built on the ruins of human's original cities.
Even those cultists who have devoted themselves to the God of Plague would find it difficult to survive in this factory.
Here are gathered all the viruses and plagues known to mankind.
Bells rang around the Plague Factory.
A corrupt bell tower still faithfully performs its mission.
Foul sorceries from the Warp keep those rotten machines running.
The bell tower has another meaning.
It is part of the Mortarion Chronohouse.
A vast network representing the corrupt empire is gradually taking shape.
Every time the bell rings, it represents the fall of an imperial world and the deaths of many innocent people in this horrific war.
Many demons looked up and then continued to work.
A line of plague carriers passed this rotten wood from one rotten hand to another.
Lighted the fire beneath Nurgle's Cauldron.
The green flame was burning the cauldron.
The boiling soup was bubbling in it.
From time to time, green bubbles would surge up from the bottom of the pot, burst with a sound, and spray out green poisonous mist that floated into the air, increasing the plague content in the air.
Ku'gath ended his communication with Mortarion and took the large spoon from his septic, rotten, bloated hands.
Keep stirring the plague.
Nurglings were screaming in excitement around the factory.
The Plague sings of the Father's grace.
The whole world is filled with a happy atmosphere.
Demons have no worries.
They live under the protection of the loving Father and spread the gospel of the loving Father.
Ku'gath ignored them and focused on cooking the plague.
While his hands kept moving, his mind was thinking about the many things that had happened in the conversation just now.
Mortarion went mad.
He attacked Typhons just to keep his plan going.
This is an excessive behavior.
The loving father did not like his children to fight like this.
But Kugath felt a little sympathy for Mortarion again.
His brother Guilliman was becoming more and more successful, and the Imperium of Man was rising, forcing the gods to unite to deal with it.
This would undoubtedly make Mortarion feel frustrated, uneasy and humiliated.
Just like myself, I did nothing, but became the most favored one just because I ate the plague that my loving father had worked so hard to prepare.
Kugath was also worried that his performance was not worthy of his father's grace.
Mortarion was eager to defeat Jaghatai and preserve his fragile dignity.
Kugath hopes to prove his ability by helping him.
Dedicating the five hundred worlds of Ultramar to the loving father would surely make him happy.
Kugath put his thoughts aside and continued the cooking process carefully.
The thing in the crucible was terrible, and it could kill even him.
This is Nurgle's crucible, brewing the world's most vicious plague.
Every spin, every popping bubble, is crucial.
Ku'gath prepared the plague with great care, like a demanding scientist.
Every swing and measurement is done with utmost precision.
But a small stream of steam spurted out, forming a death's head on the surface of the medicine, and the potion was officially completed.
"It's done." Ku'gath whispered, "Quiet, keep quiet, little cuties, the greatest masterpiece of the Plague Gardens is about to be completed."
The demons fell silent, and the laughter and joy disappeared.
The entire plague factory fell silent, even the flies stopped buzzing.
All the demons' eyes were focused on Kugath.
"Now, it's the final step. We have to extract it." Kugath said, "We have to be careful enough to kill the plague that kills the demigods, and also kill us demons."
The Plague Messengers came up, carrying a huge, dirty test tube.
The test tube has a cork on the head.
There are countless fly runes carved on the wall of the tube, densely packed and emitting light.
Kugath grasped the test tube with a pair of tweezers and placed the opening over the medicine.
The medicine in the crucible began to spin.
It violated the laws of gravity and began to fill the test tube.
After a while, the green soup was absorbed into it.
The soup was spinning at high speed in the test tube, changing from green to colorful colors, and then becoming transparent.
Looks ordinary.
"Success." Kugax looked at the test tube in his hand, his yellow eyes revealing excitement and ecstasy.
But the next second, Kugashi became worried again.
This thing should work.
Thinking of this, Kugath pondered for a moment. He picked up the test tube pretending to be the divine plague and stared at the pathogen inside with his yellow eyes.
He reached for the tweezers and carefully opened the cork of the test tube with them.
Panic spread among the Nurglings.
They can sense approaching threats.
Some demons were also frightened and fled away from Kugath.
Kugath carefully dripped out a drop.
The effect is immediate.
A smoky, circular wave of gas swept outward from where the liquid hit the ground.
Everything it touched turned to charred and rotten.
The Nurglings and demons who failed to escape in time turned into pus amid screams.
Even their souls were corrupted and devoured by the plague.
"The effect is very good. Even the soul cannot escape the harm of the plague." Kugath nodded with satisfaction.
At this time, the poisonous fog covering the factory began to roll.
The flesh and blood mycelium squirmed, controlled by a powerful will.
A huge image of a great unclean being appeared in the mist.
The other person looks very similar to Kugath.
It has a bloated and fat body, and a round head with rotten but hard antlers.
But Kugas didn't like him.
The visitor was named Rotigus, his old enemy who was competing with him for the grace of his father.
Rotigus was the second favorite of the loving father, the first being Kugath.
Rotigus participated in the Battle of Terra during the Horus Heresy and was one of those summoned into the physical universe at that time.
This terrible Great Unclean One is known for his "kindness". He will respond to the begging of mortal creatures. Of course, the way he achieves it is extremely twisted.
He would send rain to places where there was no water, but the rain would carry deadly insect eggs, and the areas where it fell would be tormented by plague and disease until their souls collapsed and were transformed into plague zombies.
He would bless the dying people, causing them to be tortured by a plague from which it would be difficult for them to die, rendering them neither human nor ghost, neither dead nor alive.
... ... ..
"It seems that you have completed your plan." Rotigus appeared in the thick fog. "It's a pity that everything you did was meaningless."
Kugath stared at Rotigus, who was made of the fog of plague, and expressed his dissatisfaction. "You don't need to care about my affairs, Rotigus. I only obey the orders of my kind father."
Rotigus showed a mocking expression. "The gods are having their final fight to determine their position in the alliance. The loving father requires you to come back. The Changers, the Joyers, and the Bloodthirsters are all gathering their armies. Whoever can gain more advantages will get a higher position in the alliance."
"Guilliman's Webway Project has begun, and his army is becoming more and more powerful. The gods have decided to unite as they did against the Damned before, destroying the entire real universe and dragging every uncontaminated planet into the power range of the Warp in order to maintain eternal Chaos."
Ku'gath whispered, "We are accomplishing an important goal. If we can successfully drag the five hundred worlds of Ultramar into the Garden of Nurgle, the influence of the Benevolent Father will far exceed that of other gods."
"The five hundred worlds of Ultramar are no longer important. The order from the benevolent father is for you and Mortarion to withdraw. The gods need to unite. The previous invasions have proven that Guilliman's army and power in the real universe are not something a god can resist. Separating will only make us lose more thoroughly." Rotigus said: "The horn of the end has been sounded. Once the gods have determined their respective positions, they will launch a general attack on the real universe."
"To be honest, Ku'gath, your wisdom is not as good as the grace you have received. Your plan focusing on Ultramar is too narrow. I have a more perfect plan. If it succeeds, the human empire will be like a poor creature infected with the plague, dying."
Rotigus stretched out his rotten fingers, mist rolled in the air, and a woman appeared in the picture.
"Guilliman's contempt for Chaos is his greatest weakness. He has too much trust in humanity, but he doesn't know that sometimes, a single piece of truth is enough to turn those who trust him against him."
"This woman is the beneficiary of Guilliman's reformed education system, but she will become one of the seeds of corruption."
"But this is also our greatest opportunity. The foundation for glory will also be the cornerstone for destruction. The two complement each other. These humans are happy to get the truth, but they don't know that the truth is the most terrible poison in this world."
"Your underestimation of Guilliman is appalling, Rosantis. Do you think a Primarch as powerful as the Damned could be defeated by your methods?" Ku'gath chuckled, as if he had heard a great joke.
"I'll tell you what will happen, Rosantis. Those fools who listen to your instigation will be hung on the gallows and hanged to death. This is their fate."
Roshantis didn't take Kugath's words seriously.
"This plan is long-term, just like the rot of an apple starting from a small spot. The current attempt is just to leave a tiny crack in the solid empire that is enough for moisture and miasma to enter. We can continue to infuse these toxic thoughts into humans, and eventually the entire empire will collapse."
"My plan is long-term, but yours is doomed to fail. Withdraw from Ultramar, Ku'gath, and leave without gaining anything. We all have to obey the loving Father. Her orders are supreme, her gifts are endless, and she is more inclined to generosity than anger, but she will not allow herself to be overstepped."
Anger flashed across Ku'gath's face. "I will return before the war horn sounds, and I will return with spoils. Rotishanth, you will never be able to claim the title of Nurgle's favorite."
"That's hard to say." Rotishans showed a hint of cunning, and then his figure disappeared.
Kugath could only vent his anger at the air. He stared at the plague in his hand, knowing that he had to prove something.
Otherwise, how could he be qualified to keep the title of the Father's most favored one
... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ... .
The galaxy has never experienced true peace.
Wars are breaking out at every moment.
Most of the worlds of Ultramar enjoy relative peace.
But on the edge world, the war between the Empire and the God of Plague is becoming increasingly intense.
The Fortress of Gatan is shared by several defense chapters in Ultramar.
This is a war fortress built using the Empire's new technology.
It is in the shape of a hexagonal rhombus, and the diameter of the central cylindrical area reaches one hundred kilometers.
The diameter of the diamond-shaped building reaches more than 300 kilometers, which is an absolute behemoth.
It is home to tens of millions of people.
The huge star-destroying cannon is located inside the cylinder. Once fired, it is enough to easily destroy a planet.
The population stationed in Gatan Fortress is one-third military, one-third logistical support, and one-third residents providing services for the Imperial Expeditionary Force.
The Gatan Fortress is actually a mobile military world, just like the Cadians of the past who were trained to become warriors from the day they were born.
The residents living in Gatan Fortress all possess good military qualities and serve as a reserve source of soldiers for the Imperial Expeditionary Force.
Gatan Fortress also has a powerful escort fleet, which are suspended around the fortress, like a group of lions, hunting enemies in the galaxy with Gatan Fortress as the core.
Chagatai had seen many of the empire's giant structures.
But when facing the Gatan Fortress, he was still surprised.
This huge imperial force set out from the core industrial galaxy of Ultramar and used the warp jump to reach the frontier world, ready to join the grand war with the God of Plague.
It was Fikris who was in charge of commanding this fleet. After learning that Mortarion was leading his fleet to attack the Ultramar system, Guilliman transferred Fikris and Ventris back to the Ultramar star field to fight against Mortarion, and planned to give Mortarion a big surprise.
While Chagatai was hunting Mortarion, he was stopped.
Fikris couldn't sit idly by and watch Chahetai waste time, nor could he sit idly by and watch his perfect hunting plan being ruined.
Inside the Gatan Fortress, Chagatai, who was invited into the fortress, underwent complex inspections to ensure that he was not contaminated or parasitized by the subspace before he was allowed to enter the interior of the Gatan Fortress.
Fikris was waiting for him in the inner strategic meeting room. After leaving the Imperial Regent, he had been serving as the commander of this fleet, promoting the Imperial Regent's plans.
A strong hunter will make all preparations before he even starts hunting.
Fikris believed that the Imperial Regent was just such a hunter.
After learning of Mortarion's possible invasion of Ultramar, a plan was begun to target the Daemon Primarch.
From the moment Mortarion arrogantly opened fire on the edge worlds of Ultramar, he had been dancing to the tune of Guilliman's baton.
The servants of the God of Plague are not the most powerful among the gods, but they are the enemy that the empire is most reluctant to face.
The plagues, fogs, and the poisonous rain that never stops are the empire's biggest headaches.
If Ultramar had not undergone a comprehensive reform, it would have become the paradise of the God of Plague by now.
Of course, the situation is still not very optimistic.
Hundreds of millions of people were displaced and forced to move away from the battlefield.
The economic losses caused by this are difficult to calculate.
Guilliman left weapons in Ultramar to fight against Mortarion.
And Fikris and Ventris followed the plan to lure Mortarion in and then defeat him.
But Mortarion is a Primarch after all, with extraordinary wisdom and strategy.
Neither Fikris nor Ventris found any suitable opportunity to use their weapons to give this guy a special surprise.
They could only slowly gather intelligence about the other party, guess Mortarion's intentions, and try to create opportunities to hunt down the other party.
"Is this the weapon my brother left behind?"
Chagatai stood in the strategy room.
As another returning Primarch, he was warmly received by Fikris.
Even Guilliman's huge plan, which was unknown to others, was revealed to Jagatai through Fikris.
"Is this the weapon my brother used to defeat Mortarion??"
Chagatai looked at the curved sword in the strategic hall, which was protected by a glowing protective force field.
Countless electromagnetic circuits and sacred runes are engraved on it.
It is so huge that it is not a suitable weapon for mortals.
It's a bit too big for a Space Marine.
If it were used by a Principal, it would be just right.
"Yes, my lord. This sword is called the Holy Blade. For a long time, demons have believed that the Warp is their private property, but they are wrong. The Warp belongs to every creature with a soul. The mysterious chaotic properties can be used by everyone, as long as it is within a moderate and appropriate scale."
"The Holy Blade is forged using the method of forging Warp weapons. The only difference is that it is not filled with extreme malice, but pure faith in the Emperor and human anger. This power will destroy all demons." said Fikris.
As Chagatai gazed upon the so-called sacred blade, he could feel its power.
He thought of the weapons his brothers had used during the Horus Heresy.
Obviously, the sacred blade in front of him was forged in the same way.
Possessing incredible power.
Just like the Spear of Dionysus that Russ once used.
It severely wounded Horus, and he was only one step away from death.
The Holy Blade possesses the same power, and with just one strike, Mortarion will suffer the same fate as Horus.
"This is a very good weapon," said Chagatai.
"We have tried it. These weapons can easily kill demons, even if they possess the evil power of the warp and the blessings of the gods. They have no advantage in front of these holy weapons. The technical priests are trying to apply this technology. If it can be extended to other long-range weapons, it will be our greatest reliance in the expedition to the Eye of Terror."
Fikris turned off the force field, grasped the inactivated weapon, held the sacred blade in both hands, and handed it to Jaghatai.
"This is the best one, with extraordinary power. It only needs to kill Mortarion, and he will lose everything."
"You want to give it to me?" Chagatai took the sword and rubbed it with his hand.
"Someone has to deal with Mortarion. You executed the plan more perfectly than we did. After analysis, I found that Mortarion has a strong inferiority complex. Among the many Primarchs, he is one of the few who failed to defeat the local warlords and unify the world. He is extremely sensitive to the gossip and humiliation of others. This is his weakness."
Fikris opened a holographic projection.
"Mortarion has launched an attack on a dozen star systems. He is setting up a huge ritual. If successful, it will be able to distort the star regions near Ultramar and drag them into the warp."
"You know everything he does," Chagatai said.
"Humans have their own warlocks and think tanks, and the Eldar are also providing us with intelligence. Moreover, humans have allies in the warp, which is not something worth publicizing. We sold the souls of other aliens to do business with those guys. The warp has many benefits for demons and traitors, but we can also use the warp to work for ourselves."
"We collect their information from various channels and determine their purpose. Mortarion's strategy is very secretive and hidden very deeply, but he still exposes some shortcomings. In this galaxy, this galaxy, our psychic intelligence agency has detected a strong smell of decay. The pollution of the entire starry sky is emanating from these galaxies."
Fikris clicked on several planets in the projection, and then he clicked on a planet emitting green light. "This is Yinx, which emits the strongest psychic fluctuations. After discussion and analysis and summary of existing intelligence, we all agree that this planet may have an artifact belonging to the God of Plague, the Plague Crucible, which is said to be used by the God of Plague to boil the plague."
"Yinks is the key to Mortarion's plan. The most important target may be there."
"You want me to deal with Yinkes's problem?" Chagatai asked.
Fikris nodded. "Yes, that place is extremely important. If you are willing to lead your troops there and pretend to destroy Yinx, Mortarion will go there with Yinx to stop you in order to protect his own plan. Otherwise, he will fail. A man like Mortarion will not willingly endure failure."
"Very good analysis." Chagatai nodded. "If that's the plan, then let's implement it. The conflict between Mortarion and I will be resolved in Yinx."
"My Lord, please do not launch the attack so quickly. Once Mortarion thinks he has completely failed, he may choose to escape. We must let him see a little hope of victory. While you are besieging Yinx, Ventris and I will clear his nodes on the periphery and weaken the influence of the God of Plague in the real universe."
"I understand," said Jaghatai. "I mastered this tactic during the Great Crusade. In the past, I called it baiting."
"That's even better," Fikris said. "The cell to hold Mortarion is ready. I hope we won't return empty-handed this time."
"Don't worry, I will capture this rebellious brother and use him as a gift to greet your genetic father, Guilliman, and me." Chagatai said confidently.
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..
Planet Davin.
The huge imperial fleet is assembled here.
Several Eldar Prophets and members of the Eldar Harlequins also gathered here.
A heavyweight figure was involved in this operation.
That's the big clown from the Harlequin comedy troupe.
At this moment, everyone was looking at Guilliman, waiting for his orders.
"Begin the ritual and summon the Archangel," Guilliman whispered.