Warhammer 30: The Second Legion's Expedition

Chapter 59 Crisis, Crimson Wolf, and Warning

"Regarding this, you can ask Azir Hall, the company commander of the 15th Company. I will introduce you to him so he can teach you."

"But remember, Paris, you must never make contact with the Seventeen Great Companies. Power is dangerous and tempting, and there are always rewards to be had..."

"What is given must be demanded in return," Paris added to what Hector had left unsaid.

A fleeting glint of cunning flashed in Paris's eyes as Hector glared at him angrily.

"You know that much," Hector said, displeased.

"You always do things that both anger and surprise me. Your willfulness and capriciousness often make me dissatisfied."

"I have grown, brother," Paris said defiantly.

"Yes," Hector readily admitted, patting Paris on the shoulder.

"I followed every battle you fought. Your growth brought me joy, and your mistakes disappointed me."

"I saw your overstepping of authority and your underestimation of the enemy, but I also saw your fearlessness, honor, and courage."

"I specifically sought out Sopa, and now he has a well-made robotic arm, so there's no need to worry about him."

Hector smiled, then changed the subject, first addressing Paris's concern for Sopa before returning to his original point.

"I found him and asked for your oath before battle. Fortunately, there was a complete copy. The piece of paper on your shoulder was already damaged and blurry."

"I've re-stitched your armor."

"Of course, that's what I meant."

"You did a great job, little brother."

Hector’s undisguised favoritism remains unchanged, should he be given enough time.

Hector could talk for three days and three nights about all the tasks Paris had undertaken after joining the legion, big and small, and he wouldn't get tired of it.

As Hector grew stronger, the memories in his brain, created by the Emperor, became clearer.

Paris stared blankly at Hector, feeling a sense of satisfaction he had never experienced before, a satisfaction and exhilaration that made his soul leap with joy.

"Perhaps we should go back to where we started, Paris." Hector patted his thigh as he sat cross-legged.

"Of course, elder brother."

Conversations with loved ones often veer off course for various reasons.

Fortunately, nothing worse happened, and they had enough time to continue chatting until the Eighth and Eighteenth Companies completely cleaned up the monument to the heroes.

As punishment, Hector ordered them to handle the filth inside by hand, working on the ship like a mortal servant.

This was far more intolerable and humiliating to them than the task of charging into a doomed bunker.

They would rather die in glory than face the indifferent and disappointed gaze of the Father of Genetics.

They dragged the bodies of their fallen warriors, looking resentfully and frustratedly at the Primarch in the distance, whose mood was gradually improving.

He then bent down to continue cleaning up the bloodstains on the deck.

Paris, on the other hand, was so excited that he couldn't help but wiggle his hips, searching for a suitable and comfortable position.

He would pat his thigh from time to time, and crack his fingers from time to time, acting like a child with hyperthyroidism.

It was three or four minutes later when the intense emotions had completely subsided. For a highly genetically modified Astartes, this was enough time for Paris to indulge in a dream that filled him with honor and pride.

Hector had considered this, perhaps by raising the banners of the Second Legion and Troy, and enjoying the adoration of the people.

But the reality was just as Hector had imagined.

Paris laughed with genuine pride, his voice even becoming a little lighter.

"Brother, where were we?"

"Oh right, the Sea of ​​Souls!"

But soon, the smile on Paris's face vanished, and his cheerful tone dissipated as he was about to recount the horrific experience.

This swift change touched Hector's heart. He looked at Paris with concern and patted him on the shoulder without a word.

Paris looked visibly shaken: "I almost drowned."

"I thought it was the ocean, and it turned into the ocean, but it could never kill me, brother."

"But then, I fantasized, I thought about it with relief, I thought about it without restraint."

"Then, a twisted creature with the structure of a crab, a shark, and an octopus appeared in the ocean."

"I recognize them; they look exactly like the creatures in the Dardanelles."

"Its body was a powder blue, a vibrant color I can't describe, like sparkling diamonds. They captivated me, intoxicated me, and made me feel dangerous. I was like a lost wooden boat adrift on the waves, unable to control my way."

"I watched helplessly as that hideous monster kept approaching me, its disgusting and horrifying tentacles grabbing my legs and almost tearing me apart and drowning me."

"At that moment, I felt a sense of emptiness. I felt that my soul was about to be torn apart and shattered in the terrifying unknown."

As Paris finished speaking, he subconsciously looked at Hector, and in his dependent gaze he saw Hector's incredibly ashen face.

He continued, "But thank goodness, brother, thank goodness."

"Just when I thought I was about to be killed by that terrifying void creature, I heard a long and distant wolf howl."

"Wolf howl?" Hector asked in surprise.

Hector, deeply moved by his brother's perilous situation, could no longer maintain his royal decorum and took the initiative to inquire.

His tone carried the same relief as Paris's.

"Yes, the wolf howls," Paris nodded and said.

"I heard a wolf howl, as if it came from the other side of the universe."

"I could hear the anger and surprise in that wolf howl; it seemed he was also confused about encountering me."

"It's as if I shouldn't be there, like a character in a bard's story who should have died long ago suddenly returning."

"Brother, I find it hard to explain how I could discern so much emotion from a single wolf howl," Paris said with a wry smile. "But I swear, I am not lying."

"The unknown power of the Sea of ​​Souls," Hector said, expressing his understanding.

The unknown is always frightening.

It was a realm unexplored by humankind, filled with tyrannical and unruly ancient forces.

"He saved me," Paris concluded, skipping over how the crimson wolf had fought the terrifying void creature in his mind.

Skipping over how the other person told him that he was too far away from here, and that his power could not be fully projected here.

And the confusion and bewilderment at the fact that they are still alive.

"He said I don't have the same abilities as him, and I didn't inherit the power you bestowed upon me, brother. Logically speaking, I shouldn't be able to appear there at all."

"He even said that I should have..." Pariston paused.

"What did you say?" Hector instinctively felt it wasn't a nice thing to say.

"He said I should have died long ago, died in that battle, and that he had foreseen it."