"I am from Avalon, the Avalon System in the Eden Sector, located in the Ultima Segmentum."
"Starting from Holy Terra, cross the Maelstrom and then head southeast for a certain distance, and you can find it on the star map. If the distance from the Maelstrom to the Five Hundred Worlds is compared to a straight line segment, then my homeworld is exactly in the middle of that segment."
"It's not too far from the northern border of the famous Ultramar Five Hundred Worlds. Civilized worlds, and even one or two colonies pioneered by Mars, are scattered around it.
However, overall, it's a relatively tranquil place. During the five-thousand-year Age of Strife, it was rarely disturbed by outsiders, and the local populace even believed that gods resided above the clouds."
"If we take a compass, placing its two points on the Avalon System and the Ultramar System, and then, using my homeworld as the center and the distance between it and Ultramar as the radius, draw a circle, this circle would cover approximately two-fifths of the Ultima Segmentum."
"The eastern part of this circle would cover the Damocles Gulf, and the mysterious region east of that vast expanse. The southern part would touch the border between the Ultima Segmentum and the Tempestus System.
Its western fringe would include Nocturne, the homeworld of the Salamanders Legion, and Chogoris, which nurtured our brother Jaghatai Khan. In the northwesternmost corner of this circle, it could barely touch a system named Badab within the Maelstrom."
"Ah... but these aren't important."
"Let's return to my homeworld: overall, Avalon is a giant, rich, and relatively dangerous world. It's considerably larger than Holy Terra, boasting a dozen or so continents of varying sizes and boundless oceans, but not all of its land is suitable for human habitation."
"Whether it's fertile plains, verdant valleys, soft sandy beaches, desolate mountains, scorching deserts, indifferent glaciers, endless black forests, or barren lands covered in moss and strange rocks..."
"Whatever terrain and topography you can imagine, whatever places are repeatedly mentioned in human geography books, you can find their counterparts on this world.
Not all of these places are suitable for villages, cities, and the emergence of civilization, yet without exception, they possess magnificent scenery and unique resources. While danger always exists, there's never a worry about land, food, or water shortages. As long as one sincerely sows seeds and diligently cultivates, no one will go hungry."
"The only problem is that mineral resources are always very scarce everywhere on Avalon, which somewhat delayed the progress of technology and civilization."
"Undoubtedly, it was a land to be proud of, and in the oldest local records, more than five thousand years ago, at the very beginning of all historical records, this world was named Avalon, a God-favored land, an island of pleasure built by the gods in the clouds."
"Those kings and priests believed that, in the very beginning, a deity from the clouds piloted their silver ark and arrived at the world's highest peak: Mount Everus.
There, they created the legendary Lake Sanctuary. At the center of the eternally calm and beautiful, jewel-like lake, the deity caused ten islands to rise in succession, and on the central one, planted the seeds of a Golden Apple Tree."
"After the Golden Apples fell, the deity distributed them among the people, and thus, the earliest civilizations and kingdoms emerged."
"After that, the deity would occasionally descend to the ground to punish kings and nobles who became too arrogant and mad, but from a certain moment five thousand years ago, they never appeared again."
"Yes, Horus, that was probably around the beginning of the Age of Strife."
"After the deity disappeared, the power of the kings finally surpassed that of the priests. Small and large feudal kingdoms began to appear on the fertile plains and lowlands.
The fiefdoms of counts and knights quickly became insufficient, and the kingdom's borders began to expand into mountains, deserts, and forests, where they encountered formidable opponents."
"Powerful Feral Beasts, numerous beast tribes, and barbaric humans who wielded strange magic. Some of them even had loose states.
Not to mention, deep within the dense forests, there seemed to be many Secret Realms and Psykers, possessing unimaginable power, much like the monsters in the depths of the ocean."
"War broke out and continued for millennia. More heavily armed knights and an increasing number of professional legions appeared in various kingdoms.
Psykers who could conjure flames and lightning from thin air were hired by every court with heavy rewards. Law codes, gunpowder, and compasses successively became popular in society, bringing new opportunities."
"Accompanying centuries of relentless exploration and navigation, the entire world was also connected at some point: although the kingdoms on each continent had not achieved unification,
they established trade and exchanges with each other, interacting with impact and learning. Moreover, they had their own unique characteristics depending on their location."
"Some kingdoms still bowed obediently before powerful monarchs, while others were usurped by secret Witcher associations. Still others, more peculiar, in those bay areas dedicated to trade,
saw the rise of more democratic systems. As for the tribes galloping across the wilderness, or the kingdoms still kneeling before statues of gods, there's no need to even mention them."
"That was about five hundred years before I descended. But sadly, for various reasons, the march of civilization stopped at that moment."
"More powerful modes of production were never researched. As I grew up and learned little by little, what I saw was still a land of heroes and beasts, swords and magic, and electors and religious wars."
"Children of nobles picked up swords to become knights, while children of farmers practiced longbows, transforming into rangers.
They explored the vast wilderness and forests alone or in groups, dreaming of becoming renowned heroes, winning the favor of the Nine Maidens of the Lake, or inheriting power within a mysterious Secret Realm."
"Every king fought for their claims and dynastic marriages, greedily coveting every piece of land, while day after day exploiting the authority of their vassals. In the wars they provoked, vicious mercenaries and knight orders seized the opportunity to seek their fortunes."
"Some religions spanned continents, rising to prominence, while others were ancient and long gone. Wars for faith and divine idols could even last for dozens of generations. For a historic holy city, tens of thousands of knights would leave their homes, stirring up wave after wave of fanatical crusades."
"You could see pirates plundering every merchant ship and every monastery. You could see impoverished priests denouncing the erroneous beliefs of bishops. You could see people loudly denying kings and gods,
promoting the power of science and reason. You could see merchants' purses swelling with countless bustling trades, so much so that they could even influence the rise and fall of ancient dynasties."
"Everything was thriving, even despairingly so: because this prosperity had lasted for centuries, and for centuries, everything had stagnated."
"The annals of heroes grew ever longer, bustling harbors multiplied, and the elaborate titles and convoluted kinship ties of rulers became so numerous that they themselves could no longer fully comprehend them.
Yet, there were still more beasts to slay, more lands to explore. Everyone, whether king, bishop, or farmer, merely repeated stories that had continued for generations."
"Whenever an opportunity arose to advance civilization, it would perish for various reasons."
"Just as I could find no history of this world before the so-called deity's arrival."
"Civilization seemed to appear suddenly, or perhaps it had long been fixed at a specific moment."
"Until my arrival, until my appearance and rise, which ignited in my foster father the ambition that every emperor possesses. He proclaimed me a favored child of the gods, a gift from those in the clouds, bestowed to endorse his grand ambition."
"They didn't believe it at first, until I leveled a city, then made warships leave the sea to land, and breached an Empress City that was said to have never fallen."
"Thus, they yielded to my power. Although my foster father still couldn't achieve true unification, he could take the crown of the High King, becoming the nominal overlord of all."
"However, I didn't stay on my homeworld for too long: less than ten years later, the Imperial Fleet arrived."
"And then, you know the rest of the story."
——————
Morianna's narration ceased abruptly, as their destination had been reached, and the vanguard battleship of the Luna Wolves Legion had reported an issue that required attention.
The target system they had just arrived at was not uninhabited; a Randan fleet was orbiting the target world. However, their scale destined them to be mere nuisances.
Horus Lupercal arrogantly lifted his head, observing these desperate opponents through the ship's divining box: they didn't even have twenty warships, like mango chunks on a cream cake.
Warmaster Horus merely glanced at these opponents casually: although he had gathered some information on the Randan, he had never paid them much attention, as they were Lion El'Jonson's prey.
Although on the surface it appeared that Horus and the Emperor of Mankind had achieved victory against the Randan in that unnamed star system, every Imperial citizen knew that only Lion El'Jonson and his Legion were the greatest contributors to humanity's victory over the Randan Empire. Warmaster Horus would not snatch this glory; he would never commit such a tasteless, trashy act.
The Randan were Lion El'Jonson's achievement, an immortal monument belonging to the Dark Angels, of this there was no doubt.
However, on the other hand...
Horus Lupercal narrowed his eyes.
On the way, during his conversation with the Emperor of Mankind, Horus perceived a subtle intention in the Emperor's words: the Lord of Mankind seemed to intend to seal away all matters concerning the Randan Empire, making all participants either forget these memories or remain silent about them.
In other words, his Calibanite brother's greatest feat seemed destined to vanish.
Horus shook his head inwardly. At this moment, he truly felt sorrow for his brother, Lion El'Jonson. He wondered if Lion El'Jonson would ever have another opportunity to achieve such a feat again... he thought it unlikely.
Without the glorious memories and military achievements concerning the Randan, perhaps the Knight-King of Caliban would be relegated to the second-tier among his brothers.
His Dark Angels Legion was indeed powerful, so powerful that Warmaster Horus wouldn't even dream of facing them in combat, but in Horus's heart, Lion El'Jonson's command ability was somewhat unworthy of the First Legion.
Lion El'Jonson was too petty, lacking the grand vision of Horus, Ferrus Manus, and Roboute Guilliman. He was a great warrior and tactician, but on a broader stage, his performance was somewhat unsatisfactory.
As Warmaster Horus, he learned the true demeanor of a king from the Emperor of Mankind, while his Gorgon brother used cold calculation to generate the most terrifying pressure in the galaxy.
As for Roboute Guilliman, the King of Ultramar, the unextinguished fire of ambition in his heart amplified his stature. Roboute Guilliman needed only to grasp a quill to write forth more power and ambition,
and that lord of the Ultramarines never concealed his arrogance and terrifying ambition. He spoke constantly of his Five Hundred Worlds, but who knew if what he truly yearned for was five thousand, fifty thousand, or even more?
Lion El'Jonson... he was, at best, fourth, or even worse: look at what he'd made of the illustrious First Legion. These Dark Angels would never again be a match for the Luna Wolves in achievements and renown.
Horus thought of this, unsure whether to be happy first, or to feel regret for his brother.
And as he pondered, his gaze subconsciously swept over his sister, Morianna, and quickly caught something.
In her pupils, a kind of eager light seemed to sparkle.
"You haven't participated in such a battle?"
"I've participated in many grander ones, but they were all too vast, so vast that it made one yearn for a certain small-scale passion. But Lion El'Jonson never let me waste time on more minor battlefields."
Warmaster Horus snorted softly: that was indeed something his brother would do.
"Then, when there were no grand wars, what did he make you do?"
"Office manager... something like that."
"Sitting next to his desk?"
"More than that, I sat in his seat and managed his Legion."
"..."
"Hahahahahahaha..."
——————
Horus Lupercal burst out laughing at the joke.
How had he never noticed before that his kin had such a talent for humor?
——————
"So, how about a small-scale competition, Morianna?"
Horus Lupercal laughed for a while, then proposed a suggestion. He was satisfied to see the fire in Morianna's eyes burn fiercely at this simple proposal.
"Hmm... but I only have six people, and you have at least six thousand. This kind of competition doesn't seem very fair."
"Leave the war to my children. As for you and me, each only needs to bring sixty people. We can have a hunting contest, using Randan officers and warships as our respective scores."
"But I don't even have sixty people."
"I can lend you Abaddon, and some Custodians, and my best children. They won't be inferior to any warrior from any Legion, I promise."
"...Abaddon..."
"What's wrong? Do you need me to change him?"
"No."
Morianna smiled, her eyes curving.
"In a way, I actually quite like that child, Abaddon."
Warmaster Horus chuckled triumphantly.
"Yes, it's a shame he's mine."
"But from now on, won't he be mine?"
Horus Lupercal paused, then burst into hearty laughter again.
——————
When Warmaster Horus had finished laughing and began to command his sons to initiate all matters of war and hunting, Hektor finally disengaged from the arena and returned to his mother's side.
Morianna nodded, seemingly unconcerned.
But when the last Luna Wolf was fully focused on Horus Lupercal's command, she quietly approached her son.
"How was it, did you win?"
She asked softly, then saw the melancholic expression on her progeny's face.
"Uhm..."
"His Terminator armor was too tough, I couldn't hurt him."
Hektor uttered these words with difficulty, then he involuntarily stole a glance at his Gene-Mother.
Morianna looked at him, showing neither anger nor frustration. She simply looked at her child quietly, then.
She pursed her lips and frowned.
She seemed to want to say something, but in the end said nothing, merely patted Hektor's chest plate gently, then lowered her head.
——————
Hektor took a deep breath.
Oh, Emperor of Mankind...
Oh, Throne...
Someone, anyone, just kill him now!
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