Near the area once known as the Eye of Terror,
Profane, sacred, dark, and great Warp powers were raging in this region.
The heavens cracked, all things disintegrated, and the boundary between reality and the Warp became blurred.
Cadia, which had once suppressed the power of the Chaos Gods, was shattered; the Blackstone Fortress had utterly destroyed it, leaving only a few large fragments still drifting in the currents of the Warp.
Remaining Cadians still lingered upon them, conducting a desperate, futile resistance.
Erebus merely scoffed at this.
Foolish mortals were always like this, unable to see the trajectory of fate, attempting meaningless resistance.
Their best option now was to lay down their weapons, piously pray to the Chaos Gods, and gain the Gods' clemency and forgiveness, rather than continuing to be loyal to the False Emperor.
Standing on the bridge of the Abyss-class Battleship Blessed Lady, looking at the chaotic Cadia system, Erebus' lips curved into a sneering smile.
He stepped upon this ancient battleship beneath his feet, softly murmuring: "God truly exists, and he hates us."
These were the words once spoken by the Blessed Blind Woman, the only mortal survivor when the city of Perfectio was destroyed; this Abyss-class Battleship beneath Erebus' feet was named in her honor.
The Abyss-class Battleship was a colossal warship forged in the shipyards of Jupiter on the eve of the Great Heresy, exclusively for the Word Bearers.
Its form was like a blade, its prow like a trident piercing the void, its sheer size akin to a void city, even surpassing a Gloriana-class Battleship, with only a mountain range-sized vessel capable of matching it.
Only three such terrifying ships were forged; after their completion, the shipyards on Jupiter were utterly destroyed, and all servitors, workers, and Tech-Priests were burned to ashes, ensuring no one could recreate them.
Of the three Abyss-class Battleships, the first, Abyss Tide, was destroyed near Macragge, and the second, Trisagion, had become the flagship of Primarch Lorgar.
The third, the Blessed Lady, beneath Erebus' feet, was heavily damaged during the Shadow Expedition ten thousand years ago, emergency-warping into the Warp and disappearing.
It wasn't until after the Thirteenth Black Crusade erupted that Erebus, through a series of terrifying sacrifices, successfully pleased the Gods, found the lost Blessed Lady in the currents of the Warp, and managed to repair her, making her his flagship.
"What a powerful ship, it's a pity it's used by a repulsive, boring, and weak fellow like you."
A serpentine voice echoed behind Erebus, filled with intense jealousy and malice, as if wanting to kill Erebus to seize this magnificent battleship.
"I still need him." A deep, cold, and serious voice warned: "If you kill him, I will torture you, and then kill you."
"Torture me? Like the Dark Angels once did to you?" The jealous, serpentine voice retorted: "Even the most horrific torture is merely pleasure to me; the Lord of Hunger, he loves me."
"And if you kill me, I will live again inside you... hehehe..."
"I understand the might of Chaos better than you; killing you would bring me no joy either." The serious knight countered.
Erebus, gazing out the window, gave a cold smile: "No need to worry, he cannot kill me; I am the Hand of Fate."
"Is that so? Ridiculous Erebus, weak Erebus, I still remember our days together on the Vengeful Spirit; you never won against me in a sword duel. Perhaps I really should try to kill you." The jealous, serpentine voice mocked.
This somewhat annoyed Erebus.
"Killing me would be useless." Erebus said with a threatening tone: "The machine spirit of the Blessed Lady is loyal only to the Word Bearers; her power is not something you can tame."
The jealous, serpentine voice sneered.
"I am surprised that you would actually help me." Erebus still didn't turn around, but instead asked: "Is not the Lady of Hunger deeply infatuated with and loving Saint Doraemon?"
"But that one hopes even more for Saint Doraemon to begin pursuing godhood, ultimately ascending as the fifth."
The jealous, serpentine voice said with a hint of displeasure; he seemed jealous that Saint Doraemon was taking away the Lady of Hunger's affection:
"So the Lady of Hunger allowed me to act on my own, and also allowed you to push Saint Doraemon to break free from the limitations of the material universe."
"But that is all; that one will not provide any more help."
"And instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself; you should have already been discovered and noticed by that one."
"I heard that one has a staff that can find anyone... hehehe..."
Erebus' expression darkened, and he touched the ritual dagger at his waist.
This powerful weapon possessed extraordinary effects: it could help its user survive fatal attacks, aid in casting powerful and terrifying sorcery, kill or corrupt the greatest heroes, and even cut open reality itself for Warp travel across the galaxy.
This was because this ritual dagger was forged from one of the eight fragments of the annihilus blade.
The annihilus blade was the Sword of Murder, hammered into existence at humanity's first murder, and later used in many significant murders throughout human history in different forms.
Just by holding the ritual dagger, Erebus could feel the murders hidden within it.
Cain killed Abel, Brutus used it to kill Caesar, Jing Ke attempted to stab Qin Shi Huang with it, Akechi Mitsuhide swung it at Oda Nobunaga, Gustav III was also killed by it... and Horus, Warmaster Horus, governor Davine used it to kill Horus.
These murders bestowed immense power upon the annihilus blade.
During the Horus Heresy, Erebus shattered the annihilus blade into eight fragments, forging them into eight ritual daggers, sharing the annihilus blade's power.
The eighth fragment was reforged whole by the Emperor, infused with his own power, and used to utterly kill Horus, who had become a vessel for the Four Gods; in a sense, it also killed the Emperor himself.
Erebus was now relying on the power of the ritual dagger to constantly move between the Warp and the material universe, attempting to evade Saint Doraemon's tracking.
If he couldn't evade it and Saint Doraemon tracked him, he would only be able to use the power of the ritual dagger to tear a hole in reality and escape.
Although he was terrified deep down, Erebus still said with a pious and fanatical voice:
"If I can tempt that one onto the true path of Chaos, some risks are acceptable."
Saying this, Erebus turned his head to look behind him —
The sound of a sword cutting through the air rang out, and the exquisite blade of the Piercing Sword was pressed directly against Erebus' throat.
Erebus was utterly astonished, frozen in place, looking at the scarred face directly in front of him.
Slaanesh's Chosen, Lucius, licked his lips, his eyes filled with murderous intent and jealousy as he looked at Erebus.
"You—" Erebus looked with resentment at Luther, who remained seated: "You just let him—"
"If he were to kill you, I would cut off his head before he cut off yours." Luther said impassively.
Lucius scoffed, withdrew the Piercing Sword, and returned to his seat.
"Tell me your plan, how do you intend to make that one embrace the Warp and begin pursuing godhood?" Lucius asked, crossing his legs.
"I originally intended to gently guide Saint Doraemon to embrace Chaos, just as I once did to guide Khârn."
Erebus said with regret:
"But that one's control over life and death exceeded my expectations; Luther had already killed that woman so thoroughly, yet Saint Doraemon was still able to resurrect her."
"So gentle methods won't work; only more direct, more thorough methods can push Saint Doraemon back to Chaos."
"I don't care what you intend to do, but you promised me that after freeing Saint Doraemon from the limitations of the material universe, you would resurrect Lion for me, so that Lion would forgive my sins." Luther said in a cold tone.
"I can certainly do that; it's not the first time I've resurrected a Primarch." Erebus smiled: "Saint Doraemon ascends to godhood, Lion is reborn as his daemon Prince, and you, as one of those who freed Saint Doraemon, will become his Chosen."
"How will you do it?" Lucius asked, licking his lips; he didn't really understand these Warp-related matters.
He was here only because of Slaanesh's indulgence, his own jealousy of Saint Doraemon enjoying Slaanesh's love, the reward Erebus paid, and the sufficiently stimulating battle he was promised.
"I will recreate everything that happened on the Vengeful Spirit; I will complete what was left unfinished on Horus back then."
"I will defile Saint Doraemon's material body; I will make his existence utterly return to the currents of the Warp."
"I will kill Alexander, free Saint Doraemon, and let him replace the Emperor, ascending as the Dark King, becoming the fifth."
"How will you do that?" Lucius stared at Erebus, asking: "According to what you said before, doesn't the position of the Dark King belong to the Emperor? Won't the Emperor's ascension completely destroy everything?"
Erebus had been lecturing Lucius quite a bit these days.
"It belongs now, but that doesn't mean it belonged in the past."
"As long as the Emperor has not truly become the Dark King, he has not yet broken through time to become a true God existing simultaneously in the past, present, and future."
"Originally, there were no competitors in the realm of erosion and destruction in the universe, but the Emperor personally cut off his own authority and gave it to Saint Doraemon, thus revealing a flaw."
Erebus said softly:
"We will not let Saint Doraemon ascend to godhood at this moment; we cannot let Saint Doraemon ascend with ten thousand years of humanity's self-destructive emotions accumulated; we want him to ascend in a gentler, better era."
"At that time, he will become a relatively gentle Dark King, not destroying the entire galaxy upon ascension, but rather hovering in the realms of self-destruction, destruction, and death, maintaining a dynamic balance with the other Gods."
"This was originally the destiny arranged by the Gods for Horus, but unfortunately, Horus failed and became a sacrifice for the Dark King."
"What will you do?" Luther said in a low voice.
Erebus couldn't help but smile.
"That's why I recruited you." Erebus chuckled: "Luther, have you heard of the ouroboros?"
The shadows of Chaos were heavy, dark, and intolerably cold.
After finishing his meeting with Luther and Lucius and making some arrangements, Erebus entered the depths of the Blessed Lady.
Erebus was going to meet his true ally.
Lucius was arrogant, conceited, childish, and essentially just a toy in Slaanesh's hands.
Slaanesh only desired Saint Doraemon to begin pursuing ascension; allowing Erebus' actions was His greatest clemency.
Furthermore, that one might not necessarily agree with Erebus' methods.
So Erebus wouldn't tell Lucius everything.
And truthfully, Lucius was a bit too weak to be Erebus' true ally.
Luther, however, was very powerful; he had indeed, to a certain extent, mastered the power granted to him by the Four Gods, more thoroughly than Abaddon, who was currently the Four Gods' shared chosen, and had gone further on the path of Chaos.
But beneath his calm and steady exterior, he was actually even more insane than Abaddon, his actions often self-contradictory, somewhat akin to Horus in the late stages of the Great Heresy.
He could not yet be called a qualified ally.
Dark wings unfolded before Erebus, and the Lord of Shadows emerged from the darkness, standing before Erebus.
"I hope you have planned everything."
The Lord of Shadows, Be'lakor, said in a low voice.
"Of course, my ally, the one blessed by the Four Gods and cursed by the Four Gods." Erebus said with a smile.
Standing before Erebus was the first daemon Prince of Chaos, and the one blessed by all Four Gods.
He was once the firstborn of the Gods, but Be'lakor was so arrogant that he lost the Gods' unique favor and was punished by them.
Be'lakor could only submit to those chosen by the Gods, and could not obtain a true, unique position for himself in the tides of Chaos.
In other words, Be'lakor could never achieve the chance of ascension, never become a truly great being.
This was why Be'lakor was always filled with jealousy, hating anyone else who received blessings from Chaos.
But Erebus, with his eloquence, convinced Be'lakor.
There was only one who could lift the Gods' curse, and that was a new god.
If Be'lakor was willing to help Erebus, then on the day the new god ascended, Be'lakor would become the daemon Prince chosen by all Five Gods.
And he would gain the power to carve out his own position in Chaos, gaining the opportunity for ascension.
"Of course, my ally."
Erebus said softly:
"As I promised, the Great Seat of Unfettered Distortion will belong to you."
Erebus' lips curved into a relieved smile.
This was, of course, a lie.
Be'lakor was his true ally, but he never said an ally couldn't be betrayed.
The eighth position, the Seat of Unfettered Distortion, was what Erebus reserved for himself.
The metallic body slightly unfolded, and Qie Fu-87, who called himself the messenger of High Fabricator Belisarius Dora Cawl, spread his arms before Alexander, Sanguinius, Guilliman, and a host of Ultramarines, Blood Angels, and Imperial Fists Astartes.
He spoke with an exaggerated and boastful tone similar to Cawl's, proclaiming to Alexander, the Primarchs, and the Astartes:
"My Lords! Rejoice!"
"Blessed by the Omnissiah and Saint Doraemon."
"The salvation of the Imperium of Man, the new weapon of the Indomitus Crusade, is now within reach."
"The Archmagos cordially invites you to the Explorer King to witness this moment."
"The fate of the galaxy has shifted; a new era has dawned."
At the same time, the clock chimed for the last day of the nine hundred ninety-ninth year of the forty-first millennium of mankind.
Alexander, sitting beside the two Primarchs, slightly raised his head.
He knew that it was now humanity's forty-second millennium.