Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 655 Fernus Manus: She Actually Planted Trees in the Poisonous Wasteland Desert

The black stormbirds flew out of the Steel Fist and headed toward the Vostorian starport.

Compared to the flashy Skyhawk Shuttle, Finus Manus preferred the more practical Stormbird.

He was neither accustomed to nor adept at winning through diplomacy like his friends Vograim, Horus Lupecal, Saint Geres, and Magnus, a fact he had clearly realized not long ago after the war at Köhler.

Gabriel Santo, the company commander of the "Iron Hands," led Morlock, dressed in black Iron Rider Terminator uniforms, down the deck and lined up on both sides.

Two battle flags fluttered in the wind, with an iron gauntlet depicted on the left one.

The logo is woven from silver thread embroidered on black velvet and contains many smaller logos.

Its edges were broken and tattered, as if it had been torn by canine teeth and then stitched back together hundreds or thousands of times.

The battle banner on the right is Gorgon's personal banner, made of velvet and a great deal of silver, depicting his defeat of Acinus.

A burly giant stepped out from the ranks, his shale-colored hair as hard as needles.

He strode toward the deck and approached Arsena Dunne, Nimrod's Primarch squire.

The eyes of the silver coin of Phenus blazed with fire, and his leaden voice carried a wave of heat.

"I came for a duel, but where is Ninglu?"

“Lord Manus,” Alsena bowed.

"My Lord awaits you in the industrial wasteland between the Nest City."

Fernus nodded slightly. "Ninlu has chosen a good battlefield; we need not worry about it."

He couldn't wait to board the Stormbird again and follow the guide airship towards the desert.

After the Iron-Black Stormbird left the nest city, the desertified land came into Silver Coin's view, and the filthy rivers filled with industrial sludge dried up like disgusting worms.

Most of the worlds he conquered were industrialized.

A very small fraction of them, possessing exceptional industrial potential, became colonization targets for fellow Mars exploration fleets, gradually growing into forging worlds.

Most other worlds are divided into industrial worlds and hive worlds based on their population size.

Fenus is very familiar with worlds like Vostonia. Like other hive worlds and industrial worlds, Nimrod's homeworld was completely destroyed during the early colonization.

Although Ninglu advocated the concept of sustainable development, he did not expend a lot of resources to forcibly change things.

As he was pondering, he suddenly saw a splash of white and red amidst the monotonous dust and black mud.

Phenus's silver-coin-like eyes flashed as he gazed at a striking, bright color.

It was an oak tree.

It turned out to be an oak tree.

Having traveled through many hive worlds and industrial worlds, Phenus knew that the dust in the wasteland was not ordinary sand, but an industrial byproduct—a toxic mixture of industrial dust and waste.

Ordinary people must wear respirators to survive in the wasteland.

Plants simply cannot survive in this environment.

Fenus looked at the woman in black armor, who was accompanied by two mind-controlling servants and a powerful cat.

She actually planted oak trees in a highly toxic wasteland?

How did they do that?
Phenus peered through the narrow viewing window at the woman with flowing golden hair, whose face was defined yet gentle, and whose brown eyes looked up at him.

He frowned slightly. The airship was hundreds of kilometers away from her, but the woman noticed his gaze.

On the ground, Malena Skala met the silver-coin-shaped eyes and felt an supernatural pressure. The giant, clad in black armor, had silver-coin-shaped eyes that reflected no light, exuding indifference.

Malena felt an immense pressure, and she took a deep breath, ascending to the first level of the Thermal Mind.

[Primarch, Lord Fenus Manus.]
Malena bowed her head in greeting, then gently stroked the oak tree trunk, feeling the roots that were deeply embedded in the sand.

After becoming a "Druid", her ability to promote the reproduction and growth of living beings, which she possessed as a "Harvest Priest", was greatly enhanced.

She used her spirituality to make a branch grow into a three-meter-tall oak tree.

It also allows its roots to spread and grow, penetrating layers of sand and penetrating deep underground, taking root there and extracting nutrients and deep-seated groundwater.

The Druids found a way for the oak tree to survive under conditions that were completely unsuitable for plant life.

[Yes, this is related to the special oak tree given by my Lord. Its vitality far surpasses that of any plant I have ever seen, even including plants like the Catachan vine.]

Now that it has taken root, even without me, a hundred years from now, the area within a kilometer radius will become an oak forest.

A thousand years from now, the desert between Tezvoort and Szczeskov will also transform into a forest of life.
As Malena raised her hand, the thought of being able to permanently change the entire world's environment stirred her emotions.

In the past, I could only make minor changes to the environment.

The opening of farmland in Katachan was the biggest change, but it relied on the psionic skills of the Eldar and the Thousand Sons.

But now, relying on the strength given to me by my Lord, I have accomplished a tremendous transformation.
As Malena pondered, the Stormbird flew over the Shchegholm Nest.

Finus also saw a red and white oak tree in mid-air between Mazoev and Mazoev.

To his surprise, he saw a splash of red and white around the oak tree.

The plants she grew in the wasteland were able to reproduce, and it seemed she did it all by herself.

Ninglu's subordinates are highly capable.
As Finus pondered, Santo spoke up to offer a reminder.

"Gorgon, we have received a message from the forward guidance aircraft. It is six kilometers away from the target."

Amidst the roar of the engine, flames ignited in Fernus's eyes.

He walked toward Nimrod, surrounded by Morlocks in a line, and unsurprisingly saw White Scar, clad in white armor and wielding a guan dao, and Peturabo with his trident.

Peturabo's icy blue eyes met the silver flames.

“Manus, I was enjoying a play at the Grand Theatre when I heard that you were coming.”

"I don't think you'll mind; I'll watch your final battle."

"Of course, I also welcome you to come to the grand theater I designed to watch a play; it will be an unforgettable memory for you."

“Sure.” Fernus had anticipated this; if he were Peturabo, he would have been just as curious.

Hasik Khan noticed that Lord Fenus's gaze was fixed on him.

"Hasik greets you, Gorgon of Medusa."

"The Great Khan ordered me to study under Lord Ninglu. Please allow me to observe the battle and tell him about this earth-shattering battle that he was unable to witness."

“Yes.” Fernus’s leaden voice exhaled a wave of heat as his silver fist spread out, enveloping his entire arm.

"Ninglu, let's begin. I've waited too long for this day."

Nimrod nodded, his gaze sweeping over Fernus's silver arm.

The group quickly retreated, each climbing onto the abandoned chemical waste mountain from thousands of years ago, creating conditions for the duel between the two Primarchs.

(End of this chapter)